The governors of the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas are urging President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to close traffic along the U.S. borders to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Mexico.
“There are three states that have many border crossings…and about 50 percent of the movement that occurs between Mexico and the United States are on our borders,” said the Governor of Tamaulipas, Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca.
He added that although Mexico has implemented sanitary filters inside the country in airports and bus stations, “we have to take a step forward and understand that the coronavirus will enter by walking across our borders, and that is precisely what is looming,” he added.
Miguel Riquelme Solís, the Governor of Coahuila said they will spread awareness campaigns to avoid visits during Holy Week to the border states of Mexicans residing in the United States, particularly caravans that are organized to travel to their native country.
“Furthermore, we want to see that the Federal Government can do the same within the border strip of the northeastern states of the country,” said Riquelme.
The three governors have also asked the Secretary of Foreign Relations Marcelo Ebrard, to enforce a border closure that was agreed with the United States government by only allowing essential crossings for work, trade, security and medical care. The request came due to the increase in Covid-19 cases along the northern border.
Garcia Cabeza de Vaca’s request to Secretary Ebrard is in addition to that made by the governor of Sonora, Claudia Pavlovich, who on Wednesday, announced that starting this weekend, her government will begin a filter operation along the border to strengthen the coronavirus prevention strategy.
Governor Pavlovich has also contacted the United States Ambassador to Mexico, Christopher Landau, who in response, issued a warning Thursday to American citizens in which he said that if the southern border with Mexico continues to be crossed, the restrictions would increase instead of decrease.
“Attention US citizens on both sides of the border. We are still in the midst of a pandemic, but hundreds of thousands of people PER DAY cross the land border — 90 percent are US citizens or green card holders.
“Whichever side of the border you live on, this is not the time to cross to buy, eat or visit family on the other side of the border. Only “essential” travel is permitted over the land border. If US citizens continue to make casual cross-border trips, the restrictions will increase, not decrease. Please act responsibly!” he wrote on social media.
