Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum announced today that she will propose constitutional amendments to protect the country’s sovereignty from potential U.S. aggression.
The announcement comes after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump classified six Mexican drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations,” raising concerns in Mexico that this could be a prelude to a U.S. military intervention to combat the cartels on Mexican soil—a move that Mexico strongly rejects.
“The Mexican people will not accept, under any circumstances, intervention, interference, or any other act from abroad that could harm the integrity, independence, and sovereignty of the state,” Sheinbaum told reporters.
The U.S. Federal Register published the names of eight “criminal organizations based in Latin America” classified as “terrorist,” implementing Trump’s executive order from January 20. The U.S. hopes that this designation, usually reserved for terrorist groups with political aims, will increase pressure on these drug cartels.
Sheinbaum emphasized that Mexico will not allow foreign involvement in investigations or criminal proceedings without authorization and cooperation from its government. Former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had already imposed restrictions on foreign agents’ operations in Mexico, requiring Mexican authorities to be informed of their movements. Sheinbaum is proposing to incorporate these restrictions into the Constitution.
“What we want to clarify about the U.S. decision is that we are not negotiating our sovereignty,” Sheinbaum said, stressing that it “cannot be an opportunity for the United States to attack our sovereignty.”
Her government has also proposed constitutional changes to impose the strictest penalties on foreigners involved in the manufacturing, smuggling, and distribution of weapons, as Mexico has long urged the U.S. to do more to address the flow of weapons from U.S. gun stores and manufacturers into Mexico.
Sheinbaum’s Morena party and its allies hold majorities in both houses of the Mexican Congress, and they have successfully passed several constitutional amendments in the past.
