The neighbor to the north who always knows what is best for you
In a twist that no one saw coming—no one, except perhaps everyone who has read a headline in the last decade—US Senator Ted Cruz has decided to share his geopolitical expertise with Mexico. On Friday, the Republican legislator from Texas, after what we can only imagine was an exhaustive whirlwind tour of Central America, declared that Mexico should take notes from El Salvador’s play sheet in its fight against drug trafficking. Because, of course, what could go wrong when importing a security model from a country with a completely different social, economic and political reality? It’s almost like suggesting that Texas adopt Norway’s snow policies.
The senator, making a technical stopover in Mexico City after his tour, seemed to launch one of those offers that one cannot refuse, in true cinematographic style. He suggested, with the subtlety of an elephant in a china shop, that if the Mexican government insists on rejecting joint cooperation, Washington could be… oh, what a tragedy!… forced to take matters into its own hands. Because nothing says “respect for sovereignty” like a veiled threat of unilateral intervention.
The mysterious offer and sensitive sovereignty
The most fun thing about this whole show was the mystery. Cruz repeatedly mentioned a magnanimous offer of help from the United States. However, when journalists, in a fit of audacity, asked him to provide concrete details about this proposal, the senator opted for the perfect avoidance strategy: ignoring the question. What does the offer contain? Drones? Advisors? A discount coupon for the purchase of military equipment? The world may never know, but we’re sure the terms are great… for someone.
This is not, of course, the first time that an American politician has dreamed aloud of deploying his military power on Mexican soil. Former President Donald Trump had already flirted with the idea, a suggestion that was received in Mexico with the same enthusiasm as a dentist. President Claudia Sheinbaum was categorical in rejecting the idea, making it clear that, although there is bilateral collaboration, the line between cooperating and invading is more than drawn. “The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military,” he declared, in what could be loosely translated as: “Thanks, but no thanks.”
And here’s the ultimate irony: As Cruz was giving his press conference, there was evidence that cooperation is, in fact, already happening. The same Mexican government had requested weeks ago the support of a US drone for an investigation against organized crime. It seems that reality is much more nuanced and less dramatic than the grandiose narratives of political speeches.
The Bukele mirage and the final message
The crown jewel in Cruz’s speech was the suggestion that Mexico should emulate the “success” of Nayib Bukele in El Salvador. Because who wouldn’t want to imitate a leader who has suspended constitutional guarantees and imprisoned more than 1% of his population? A method that, while it has reduced crime rates in the short term, has done so at such a high cost in human rights and democratic health that even the most neutral observers raise an eyebrow. But of course, for the American right, Bukele is a rockstar. He is the fashionable authoritarian hero, a model of “iron fist” who ignores small details such as the rule of law.
Mexico, for its part, has intensified its own actions against the cartels, extraditing dozens of criminal leaders to the United States and collaborating to drastically reduce irregular migration, an achievement that undoubtedly benefits the US administration. However, violence persists, a complex and structural problem that cannot be solved with simplistic imported solutions or with bravado from the other side of the border.
In the end, Cruz’s message to “accept our offer as a friend” sounds as genuine as those emails from a Nigerian prince who needs help transferring a fortune. The relationship between these two nations is intricate, a constant dance of shared interests, sovereign tensions, and an uneasy but inevitable neighborliness. National sovereignty is a non-negotiable concept, and the history lessons on foreign interventions are there for anyone who wants to read them.
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