Mexico puts links with US embassy 'on pause'

MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday said he put ties with the United States embassy in Mexico City "on pause" after US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar criticized his administration's proposed judicial reform.

"They have to learn to respect Mexico's sovereignty, it's no small matter," Lopez Obrador told reporters at the National Palace in Mexico City during his daily news conference.

Ties with the embassy will stay paused until the diplomatic outpost clears up what was said regarding the reform initiative, said the president, adding the bilateral relationship with the US government continues as always.

On Aug 22, Salazar said the reform proposal to have judges elected by popular vote instead of through political appointments, as they are now, represented a risk to democracy and would weaken economic integration.

Lopez Obrador's administration sent a diplomatic note to the US on Friday, following Salazar's remarks.

The Mexican president also accused Canada of interfering with an internal matter for expressing apprehension over the proposal.

Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Barcena said on social media platform X that she supports Lopez Obrador in criticizing an "interventionist" policy by the US and Canada. However, she added in the same post that the trilateral relationship was a "priority" and that ties continue on as "normal".

Lopez Obrador is set to pass the baton to his political ally and President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, who takes office on Oct 1.

Agencies - Xinhua