“I share with you with sadness that we are not ready to take advantage of this historic opportunity,” said Xochitl Galvez Ruiz yesterday at the Wilson Center in New York.
Before North American investors, the candidate for the presidency of Mexico for the opposition coalition assured that the so-called nearshoring, or supply chains re-location, represents opportunities for the United States and Mexico as trade partners.
“The opportunities are evident. Nearshoring offers us the opportunity to consolidate our economic and commercial alliance to turn North America into a powerful economic and industrial, technological and productive engine that will shape the rest of the 21st century”, she explained.
However, the licensed senator also regretted that for now Mexico is not ready to take advantage of such an opportunity, which she named as “historic.”
In her point of view, Mexico has to address four issues for this purpose.
1.- Sufficient, clean and cheap energy.
2.- Human capital, especially in health and education.
3.- Infrastructure, including internet access for the entire population, and
4.- Public security.
“In all these areas we retreated due to the weakening of counterweights. Mexico is not ready because, far from moving towards the future, my country is moving backwards towards the past”, she expressed in reference to current federal administration public policy.
Regarding energy and other economic sectors, she highlighted that the current government has illegally changed the rules of the game, forcing companies to resort to litigation or negotiate political favors in a perfect example of crony capitalism.
“Today I am here to make it clear that the rule of law and democracy in Mexico face a serious danger: the lack of legal certainty undermines trust and progress”, she added.
In her 20-minute speech, Galvez Ruiz focused on the worrying advance of the power of organized crime in Mexico protected by authorities negligence and weakening of democratic institutions all this promoted by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who also has sought the dismissal of the ministers of the Supreme Court of Justice.
“Rather than a national security strategy, there was criminal negligence in applying his campaign slogan ‘Hugs, not bullets.’ The hugs have been for the criminals and the bullets have been for the citizens,” criticized the candidate.
She also criticized the so-called “buddy capitalism” by citing recent journalistic investigations that have revealed the influence peddling of the president’s children to grant contracts to their acquaintances.
“The president’s children have benefited from influence peddling. Corruption is scandalous, even by Mexican standards,” Galvez stressed.
Feigned cooperation
In her speech, the candidate also criticized that the agenda between the United States and Mexico has focused on only two issues: migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“Such a limited agenda is a huge deficit of imagination and ambition. Our relationship is much more diverse, richer and positive. The potential is enormous,” she considered.
In this sense, she denied that President Lopez Obrador is willingful to cooperate with US government on these issues, nor on any other.
“There is no will to collaborate with the United States. Lopez Obrador’s nationalist populist vision has only one priority: keeping the United States away to continue concentrating his power. For that, he will pretend to cooperate but he will not cooperate,” she stated.
Listening to proposals
Before the American audience, Xochitl Galvez put it clear that, according to law timing, she is currently prevented from presenting proposals, but she underlined that nothing prevents her from listening to other people’s proposals.
Thus, she commented that one of those proposals consists in the creation of a North American Customs Agency with binational personnel that would prevent illegal substances precursors trafficking coming mainly from Asia and stop US-to-Mexico weapon smuggling.
She also addressed the proposal to create a North American Agency against Climate Emergencies, among others.
At the end of her speech, Galvez called for the United States to be attentive and observe the electoral process in Mexico without failing to mention that it is a matter that only concerns Mexican citizens.
“Elections are a matter that only concerns the people of Mexico, but in the current circumstances it is essential that democratic forces around the world observe our electoral process,” she said.
“I ask you to closely follow what happens in Mexico and support civil society organizations and democratic institutions. Do not leave Mexican democracy out of the bilateral agenda”, she requested.
“Let’s work together so that Mexico is a strong, sovereign and developed country, a reliable partner and friend of the United States”, she concluded.