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Mexican president cancels planned meeting with Trump

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto spoke during a press conference at Los Pinos presidential residence in Mexico City on Monday. Nieto said today he will not attend a planned Jan. 31 meeting with President Donald J. Trump, hours after Trump tweeted that the meeting should be canceled if Mexico won’t pay for a border wall.

MEXICO CITY >> Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto today canceled a planned Jan. 31 meeting with President Donald J. Trump, hours after Trump tweeted that the meeting should be scrapped if Mexico won’t pay for a border wall.

Pena Nieto’s message on Twitter ended days of uncertainty about how he would respond to Trump’s aggressive stance toward the country, and illustrated the challenges world leaders are likely to face in dealing with Trump’s voluble, Twitter-based diplomacy.

It also signaled a remarkable souring of relations between the U.S. and its immediate southern neighbor, one of America’s largest trading partners and a country with which it shares a nearly 2,000-mile border.

“This morning we have informed the White House I will not attend the working meeting planned for next Tuesday,” Pena Nieto tweeted.

“Mexico reaffirms its willingness to work with the United States to reach agreements that benefit both nations,” he added.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer responded to the Mexican president’s announcement, saying: “We’ll look for a date to schedule something in the future. We will keep the lines of communication open.”

Earlier today, Trump had tweeted that “If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting” in Washington D.C.

Trump said Wednesday he would start building a U.S.-Mexico border wall and has vowed to make Mexico pay for it. Mexico opposes the wall and has repeatedly said it won’t pay.

Officials had said Mexico was “considering” canceling after the border wall announcement, but Trump appeared to beat Mexico to the punch in that game of brinkmanship.

Former foreign relations secretary Jorge Castaneda told local media that after Trump’s tweet, “Pena Nieto has no other choice but to say ‘I’m not going.’”

Trump’s unpredictable style appeared to catch Mexico’s normally quiet and cautious diplomacy off guard.

“I think that, in general, diplomacy is not conducted via Twitter,” Finance Secretary Jose Antonio Meade told Radio Formula.

Mexico’s best-known opposition politician, leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, tweeted that “in the face of Trump’s latest outburst, don’t go to the meeting, and submit an urgent complaint to the U.N. for human rights violations.”

103 responses to “Mexican president cancels planned meeting with Trump”

  1. 808Cindy says:

    Trump is a FAILURE! Lock him up!!!

  2. Pocho says:

    Stick it to Mexico! Stop the Free Trade. America 1st! Let’s see who needs who in the World today! We believe in Trump!

  3. CCH says:

    A bad relationship with a neighbor is the last thing we need.

    • dragoninwater says:

      You apparently don’t seem to know who our enemies are. Maybe we should be friends with North Korea too and all sing Kumbayaa songs together! LOL

    • PoiDoggy says:

      Mexico isn’t our enemy. I also wouldn’t want them (Mexico) to retaliate against the 2 million US folks living in Mexico.

      • dragoninwater says:

        Ohh really? Maybe you could enlighten us about the La Raza movement comprising of 10 million Mexicans in it’s chapter and countless others that won’t secretly admit membership are told to KILL white people in the US!

        Source:
        https://youtu.be/1FTt8UUvCPs?t=62

        • tsboy says:

          Actually, La Raza is a movement to return California, New Mexico and Texas back to Mexico. Sounds ridiculous, but these people are serious about this.

      • tsboy says:

        Those Americans are not there illegally. They have to have a certain amount of money deposited into their bank account each month or a large amount sitting in that account. Mexico is not stupid, unlike our government.

        • PoiDoggy says:

          I’m not saying they’re there illegally. I know people that have retired to Mexico because it was cheaper. I’m wondering if they’ll start facing harassment, and worse, from a country now stirred up to anti-Americanism.

        • dragoninwater says:

          PoiDoggy, go join them in Mexico. Write back and let us know how things are working out for you! Trust me, you’ll be better of in Mexico as here in Hawaii you don’t own a house, a car or even have a job.

      • Pocho says:

        Why would Mexico retaliate against the 2 million US in it’s country that’s supporting their economy?

    • lespark says:

      We had a bad relationship with Mexico. POTUS trying to even it out.

  4. latenightroach says:

    Of course he’s not going to pay homage.
    His manhood was crushed by the almighty and he needs to appear tough.
    Bye bye economic aid – Funding diverted to the wall instead.

  5. MoiLee says:

    NO LOSE.President Enrique Pena Nieto’s dismal approval rating with with his own people is ridiculous.Ultimately he will only hurt his own people by not cooperating with The WH. With the decline of the Mexican Peso…….he’ll come knocking.
    President Trump is doing what past presidencies have FAILED to do.Secure our Borders! He’s doing his JOB! As part of his oath to the American people, he swears to Protect The American People and it’s Borders from Foreign and domestic threats. Now Really…….what’s wrong with that? Build The Wall.IMUA

  6. OutsidelookingIn says:

    So Mr. Pena your country has a wall at the Guatemala border to stop illegals from entering Mexico but when the US wants to build a wall at our border to stop illegals from the entering US it’s not ok. Also all illegals with that are under prosecution or are serious criminals or pose a threat to your national security are deported. Again this is what President Trump wants to enforce he’s called a racist. You Mr. Pena are a racist too. This I say to you Mr. Pena stick it where the sun don’t shine.

    • Cellodad says:

      Oh please. It takes a tiny bit of typing and two clicks to completely debunk the Mexico-Guatemala Wall myth.

      • koleanui says:

        Yes, Wall or no Wall on the Mexican S.Border they allow Central and S.Am. illegals to cross, because they get paid off. And cross Mexico, because they’re pad off and enter the U.S. as illegals, because they’re paid off.

  7. ready2go says:

    Too bad that he cancelled his meeting. The Mexican President should have a man to man talk with Trump and start to work their differences out. Using the media is no way to solve problems.

  8. Macadamiamac says:

    Trump is a 70 year old punk. Enjoy the next four years.

    • dragoninwater says:

      Maybe that’s what we just need, a punk to trash the trash! Sometimes you need someone with balls to fight fire-with-fire. If you think the world will sing Kumbaya songs you must live in a bubble.

    • NP5491 says:

      I wouldn’t mind being a 70 year old punk like POTUS. I proud to say I’m am 71 year old punk who likes the “action,” Now we have someone who will talk the talk and WALK THE WALK. How about that? I look forward to the next EIGHT YEARS.

  9. bluhawaii74 says:

    Mexican president will eventually come begging. Don’t need him.

  10. Waokanaka says:

    Pocho, being that Trump supporters ignore ALL FACTS, I suppose it would shock you that over 4,000,000 Mexicans RETURNED to Mexico the past 2 years because their economy is growing faster than the US economy. Therefore a wall would just prevent them from returning. President Trump is just proving his “style” will never change and woe to anyone who disagrees.

    • dragoninwater says:

      Complete FAKE news and completely fabricated numbers. Thanks for trolling you troll. Post sources of credible references making your claim! haaaaa

      Secondly, if illegal Mexicans hate it here in the USA why were there millions of them protesting against Trump?

      • PoiDoggy says:

        It’s actually not fake news. There are def fewer illegals coming from Mexico, that’s been documented, and more here (US) are going back to Mexico. Read that in the Economist a few years back, and the trend has continued, as the Mexican economy improved. I don’t have a specific number to cite though.

        • saveparadise says:

          If you have no specific numbers how can you conclude this as fact? You can only guess at how many have illegally crossed and how many have returned. Much like estimating what our rail will end up costing your number could be off by millions or billions. Fact=something that can be proved.

        • PoiDoggy says:

          @saveparadise, I conclude it was fact because I read it in the Economist, which is a reputable magazine (UK based). It’s very well written. I can’t cite figures for you because as mentioned I read it a couple of years ago, and I cannot predict the future, so I didn’t know I needed to scan the article to show it a Star Advertiser named “saveparadise” years later. In fact I wasn’t even an SA subscriber then. You also said “your number.” I didn’t cite any number.

        • dragoninwater says:

          PoiDoggy, you’re trolling every comment in the SA in regards to promoting illegal immigration. You yourself are an illegal immigrant, so tell us PoiDoggy, why should we not have you deported? Currently you claim to not have a job, a car or a house here on Oahu? Why don’t you admit you’re a fraud and collect welfare at tax payer expense to the tune of $50k+ a year!

        • saveparadise says:

          @Poi, Understand that fact is something that can be proven. I’ve spelled it out for you. National Enquirer is also a reputable magazine. Quoting a magazine as fact and then saying you don’t have or cite any numbers will make you a credible comedian.

    • Windward_Side says:

      News to Wao…it’s not only Mexicans trying to enter the country illegally from Mexico.

    • KamIIIman says:

      funny comment!

  11. Tanuki says:

    That’s a lot of money. Mexico won’t pay for it. Imagine your neighbor building a wall and then demanding that you pay for it.

    • Txpyer says:

      I think the Trump administration has strategic options on how to obtain the funds from Mexico if they outright refuse to pay for it up front. It could be by increasing fees for importing goods into U.S. or drastically reducing economic aid. Trump would just put a value to the optional method to cover the cost of building the wall.

      • Tita Girl says:

        Or, tax the remittances sent to Mexico and other Latin American countries.
        The wall would be paid for if we put a five cent fee for every dollar sent overseas.

        ” Between January and November of 2016, $24.6 billion flowed back to the pockets of Mexicans from friends and relatives living overseas, according to Mexico’s central bank.”

        money.cnn.com/2017/01/25/news/economy/mexico-remittances-trump/

        • Txpyer says:

          Agree with you. And it’s news now, 20% tax on Mexican imports and that doesn’t include additional import taxes to cover the increase in border patrol.

    • tsboy says:

      Imagine your neighbor coming to your house all the time to eat your food, sleep on your couch, take your money and use your bathroom. It doesn’t matter who pays for the wall, just build it. Make it part of the one trillion dollar infrastructure bill if you have to. Democrats complaining about spending is a joke. Obama just added 10 trillion to the national debt and not a peep from democrats and lefties.

      • dragoninwater says:

        We face the exact same problem here. Imagine your “D” HI politician coming to your house all the time to eat your food, sleep on your couch, take your money and use your bathroom but here they just call it Aloha spirit over here! LOL

    • PoiDoggy says:

      Mexico won’t pay for it. We will. As a friend put it:

      “Trump wants Congress to make US taxpayers cover the wall costs.

      They’re all saying they can make Mexico pay “in other ways” and tariffs on goods coming in is all they have, so Republicans tack on 10-20% on TV’s for example, coming into the US, so of course the manufacturer, Sony, Samsung, etc.. tack on that cost to the price and buyers cover it.

      So we FIRST pay for the wall with our tax dollars, and then we pay for it AGAIN by paying more for goods coming in.

      This is what you get when you mix crooked with incompetent.”

      • sarge22 says:

        More fake news. Build the wall. Buy now pay later. The American way

        • PoiDoggy says:

          Funny, my friend made the comment about the import tax, and now Spicer confirms that’s what they’ll do! We pay the import tax though, not Mexico. So that tax will be passed on to us.

          “If you tax that $50 billion [the amt of the trade deficit] at 20 percent of imports — which is, by the way, a practice that 160 other countries do — right now our country’s policy is to tax exports and let imports flow freely in, which is ridiculous,” Spicer told reporters. “By doing it that way, we can do $10 billion a year and easily pay for the wall just through that mechanism alone. That’s really going to provide the funding.”

    • Cricket_Amos says:

      Suppose that you owe your neighbor money and he simply deducts the cost from that.

      It’s a little more complex, but that is the basic idea.

  12. wiliki says:

    Wise decision…. too much for presidents to handle in a face to face meeting. It will only create problems.

  13. Waterman2 says:

    True , some Mexicans have started going back because of some jobs. But Pena Nieto just lost his ability to export their
    goods to the US. So what jobs are they going back to ? Nieto will sooner or later see the bigger picture. Trump 5 steps ahead as usual.

    Nieto would make a good Democrat.

    • dragoninwater says:

      Yes, you are correct, last I heard, California’s legal weed was so good that Mexican dope dealers started to smuggle weed from the US back to Mexico! LOL I guess the legalization of weed was a good thing on the war on drugs after all! LOL

  14. fiveo says:

    Nieto’s not coming to meet with Trump is Mexico’s loss.
    Neto does not get it as he is just part of the corrupt ruling class there who will never seek to reform and stop plundering the riches of their country for themselves and
    not share the riches with the people, they themselves refer to as “cockroaches”. All these years, the ruling class has only been happy to encourage the “cockroaches”
    to illegally enter the US which removed the threat they would otherwise pose to the ruling class and forstall the possibility of a violent revolution.
    At some point, the Mexican people will rise up and rid their country of their corrupt ruling class.

  15. saveparadise says:

    Mexico does nothing to discourage the people from illegally crossing the border. What if the shoe was on the other foot and poor American homeless were crossing the border into Mexico to take advantage of their people and resources? Nieto is not very bright if he continues thinking this is a one way street where Americans need to absorb all of the bill while Mexicans reap the rewards only. Helping build the wall would be a great way to strengthen the relationship of our nations. Nieto is a poor leader with no foresight.

    • wiliki says:

      I disagree… cooperation between Obama and Mexican security against Drug trafficking has been good and illegal border crossings has been way down as we check for both illegal crossings and drugs and arms.

      The lot for Mexicans has also been improving with better control over drug gangs and good policies for the poor.

      For example, parents can get govt payments for sending their kids to school rather than to work. Attendance among the poor kids is way up.

      There are a lot of more important problems to work on, than a wall between the US and Mexico. The Mexican president is not going to waste his time to discuss the wall. It’s really our loss.

      • saveparadise says:

        Baloney we-licky. Is any amount of illegal crossings with drugs and arms acceptable? Mexico ain’t helping to pay for no wall. Comprende Chicano? Si senor? Define “improving” with the numbers of murders that have skyrocketed in all the major cities. “A lot more problems” like your 20 mile train to Ala Moana? A train that will cost $15-20,000,000,000. That is more than the wall will cost the length of the Mexican border. You smoking AND drinking tequila aren’t you?

  16. wrightj says:

    Oh no – they will raise the price of guacamole and tequila.

  17. iwanaknow says:

    Time to send our homeless to Mexico?

    • saveparadise says:

      Yup, free ticket, one way pleasure cruise with meals, and $50 spending money. Apply for welfare in Mexico when the $50 is gone. Cool huh?

    • tsboy says:

      Mexico does NOT allow illegal immigrants to stay in Mexico. They are either sent back or thrown in jail. They funnel the Central Americans to the US border. Illegals coming over the border are not just Mexicans. They are from Central America, Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, pretty much from all over the world. That’s crazy. We, as a sovereign nation, in this time of Islamic terrorism, cannot allow this to happen.

  18. yobo says:

    Pena Nieto is playing the ‘Trump’ card and he’ll lose ‘Bigly’.

    America has a hugh unfair trade deficit with Mexico and they know it. The pesos has already been devalued by mere news posts. There is cause for concern.

    POTUS will build the wall then charge it back to Mexico in import tax increases of foreign goods, visas, decreased trade, moving U.S. companies in Mexico back home with lower 15-20% corporate tax rates and other options. Mexico has more to lose than gain. Other countries would be more than happy to conduct business with the USA.

    Seems Pena should do something on the border with Latin America by limiting the passage of illegals into his country and gaining access to the U.S. –

    California was home to about 2.67 million undocumented immigrants. They probably voted in this past election. Lol!

    http://www.ppic.org/main/publication_show.asp?i=818

  19. nuuanusam says:

    You have hundreds of thousands of people come across the border every year as illegal aliens; you are complaining to the UN for violation of human rights? WTF are you talking about. You are violating your peoples’ right so badly in your own country, therefore there are many who want to fled. We are just trying to protect our border, so shut up and go to hell.

  20. ready2go says:

    Trump is 70 years old?

  21. 9ronboz says:

    Mexico will start paying for it soon. No NAFTA, US business staying home and controlled immigration. Dang!

  22. mineeyes says:

    Good fences make good neighbors! Trump that! Andale!

  23. KamIIIman says:

    Mexican cartels don’t want to wall, hello. President is scared of the cartels

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