Why this paranoia? Mexico safer than US: President

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Mar 2023 00:10
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Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador slams the paranoia behind the US recommendation to avoid traveling to his country.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaking at a press conference (AFP)

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador asserted on Monday that his country is safer than the United States.

"Why this paranoia?" Lopez Obrador said when asked by reporters about the US government's recommendation to avoid traveling to -- or exercise increased precaution in -- most of the country.

"Mexico is safer than the United States and there's no problem to travel through Mexico safely," he tersely stated.

The President's remarks came shortly following the abduction on March 3 of four US citizens, two of whom were killed, after crossing the border into northeastern Mexico, reportedly so that one could undergo cosmetic surgery.

Following the incident in Tamaulipas state, officials reported Friday that five alleged drug cartel members had been arrested for kidnapping and homicide.

It is worth noting that Tamaulipas is one of six states in Mexico that the US government advises against visiting owing to the risk of murder, kidnapping, and other crimes.

The US State Department website encourages Americans to reconsider visiting seven other states and to proceed with caution when visiting 17 other states.

In the same context, Obrador slammed last Thursday US lawmakers who called for military action in Mexico to assist with government efforts in countering drug cartels.

Obrador stated that the proposal threatened Mexican sovereignty, noting that the country will not "permit any foreign government to intervene in our territory, much less than a government’s armed forces intervene."

The plea to send US troops was issued after four Americans got kidnapped in a Northern border state.

Two of the hostages were reportedly killed, while the remaining two are still kept as hostages. They were reportedly traveling from South Carolina to Mexico due to cheaper healthcare options, but sources state that they had a long history of possessing and distributing illegal substances.

Lopez Obrador said he would launch a public information campaign aimed at informing Mexicans in the US about the true nature of the Republican-led proposal.

He warned that if Republican lawmakers try to "use Mexico for their propagandist, electoral and political purposes, we will make a call to not vote for that party."