On Monday (January 9), President Joe Biden met Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico City to discuss regional migration and drug smuggling.
Biden’s visit to Mexico is the first to the Latin Nation since he’s taken over the Oval Office. Yet his visit on Monday is an effort to develop closer economic and security ties with the Mexican President.
Lopez Obrador welcomed Biden into the presidential palace on Monday, where he’ll be kicking off a series of one-on-one and group meetings for two days with Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The meetings are part of the North American Leaders’ Summit, dubbed the “Three Amigos” summit.
Although environmental and trade issues are on the table at the summit, Biden will be focusing on the escalation in migration from Central American nations and drug trafficking.
Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor, told reporters on Monday that Biden would be striving to “deep dive” on several issues of importance to his administration, “including continued close coordination on migration questions.”
Sullivan also explained Biden would “spend a considerable amount of time” addressing increasing collaboration on the deadly opioid fentanyl, smuggled over the U.S.-Mexico Border.
Lopez Obrador seems to be focused on garnering investment in the region to alleviate the need for people to flee their countries for the U.S.
Lopez Obrador, who joined Biden in his armored limousine at the airport for his journey to the presidential palace, told reporters that opportunities should be guaranteed to citizens in their “places of origin.”
