Trump claims Mexico agrees to border closure; Sheinbaum rebuts

Donald Trump announced that Claudia Sheinbaum, the President of Mexico, agreed to stop migration through Mexico, effectively closing the southern border of the USA. Trump reported this on his TRUTH Social platform, adding that the conversation also concerned stopping the influx of drugs into the USA.

"Just had an excellent conversation with the new President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. She has agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border," Trump wrote.

But Sheinbaum presented a different version of the conversation. According to her, the discussion was about the Mexican migration strategy, and the caravans of migrants do not reach the northern border of Mexico because they are stopped within the country.

"During our conversation with President Trump, I explained to him the comprehensive strategy implemented by Mexico to address the phenomenon of migration with respect for human rights. As a result, migrants and trailers are provided with care even before reaching the border. We reiterate that Mexico's stance is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between nations," Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on the X platform.

The conversation took place two days after Trump threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all products from Canada, as well as Mexico if the authorities of that country do not stop the "invasion of immigrants" and the smuggling of fentanyl. Sheinbaum responded at the time that Mexico would impose its retaliatory tariffs.

She also emphasised that Mexican authorities have always shown readiness to fight the "epidemic" of fentanyl in the USA, and in recent months, the number of migrants crossing the shared border has significantly decreased.