Mexican foreign minister traveled to U.S. to meet with consuls in wake of Republican calls for military intervention

Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary, Marcelo Ebrard, traveled to the U.S. last week to meet with 52 consuls of his country with the aim of defending Mexico from purported "attacks" coming from Republican Congressional members.

At the meeting, Ebrard said that he will not allow his government to be "run over" by the U.S. by blaming it for the fentanyl crisis, according to a statement from the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“With this cost of human lives, how is it that these gentlemen dare to question our commitment or, even worse, to ask for an intervention in our country? “added the chancellor.

📸 In Washington D.C., defending our country against several accusations and in response to the indications of President López Obrador, Foreign Minister @m_ebrard met with the ambassador, the consuls of 🇲🇽 in 🇺🇸:

«We are not going to allow them to run over Mexico». pic.twitter.com/kdTAhNWuuS

— Relaciones Exteriores (@SRE_mx) March 14, 2023

In statements with NTN24, Ebrard described as "unfair" that U.S. senators blame Mexico when "it is the main ally of the U.S. to fight against fentanyl."

Regarding the request for intervention by some Republicans, the foreign minister was asked if a model similar to the "Plan Colombia" that the United States carried out in that country would work in Mexico.

"Today the production of cocaine is higher than when that plan began, the flow to the United States is increasing," he replied.

The tension between both nations increased after the United States Department of State renewed its travel advisory for that country, urging its citizens not to travel through Mexico. Only two of the 32 Mexican states were not subject to any type of travel warning from the U.S. government: Yucatán and Campeche.

The decision came after four Americans were kidnapped by a drug cartel after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border from Brownsville, Texas. Two of the Americans were found alive in a hideout near Matamoros last week, while the other two were shot dead.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador assured his constituents last week that his country is safer than the United States, just days after U.S. officials declared Mexico unsafe due to the violence of drug cartels.

The Mexican president stated that tourists and Mexicans living in the U.S. are aware of how safe the country is, adding that the bad reputation comes from "a campaign against Mexico by conservative American politicians who do not want this country to continue developing for the good of the Mexican people".