Mexico City, Mexico — “I would like to read a statement regarding what happened in Venezuela a few days ago. Although we have already issued a statement, I would like to read a more detailed one,” President Sheinbaum said Monday.
In an official statement Monday, she said Mexico’s position against any form of intervention is firm, clear and historic. In light of recent events in Venezuela where the United States government carried out a direct intervention that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as well as the loss of human lives, Mexico reaffirms a principle that is not new and admits no ambiguity.
We categorically reject intervention in the internal affairs of other countries.
The history of Latin America is clear and compelling: intervention has never brought democracy, never generated well-being, nor lasting stability.
Only the people can build their own future, decide their path, exercise sovereignty over their natural resources, and freely define their form of government.
Our position is clearly enshrined in the Constitution of the United Mexican States, but it is not merely a national principle. The Charter of the United Nations and international law unequivocally establish respect for the sovereignty of states, their territorial integrity, and the right of peoples to self-determination.
Therefore, we state clearly that for Mexico, and so it must be for all Mexicans: the sovereignty and self-determination of peoples are not optional or negotiable, they are fundamental principles of international law and must always be respected without exception.
Unilateral action and invasion cannot be the basis of international relations in the 21st century. They lead neither to peace nor to development.
In 1796, George Washington called for good faith and justice toward all nations and for the cultivation of peace and harmony among all.
The continent faces new challenges. Global economic competition, particularly in the face of Asia’s growth, is not established through the use of force to subjugate other peoples, but through cooperation for development, productive investment, innovation, education and social welfare.
We maintain that the American continent can and must move toward a new vision, one based on cooperation, not intervention. This specifically implies:
First, full respect for the sovereignty and self-determination of peoples. Each nation has the inalienable right to decide its political, economic, and social model, without external pressures.
Second, productive investment geared toward development in infrastructure, energy, transportation, education, science and technology. Development is built.
Third, a regional economic integration based on shared production chains, fair trade and benefits for all countries of the continent that allows us to be self-sufficient, as a region, while competing against the growth of Asia.
Fourth, social welfare as the central axis of development, economic growth that does not reduce inequalities or poverty, cannot be considered true progress.
Fifth, ongoing dialogue between equals. The stability of the hemisphere is built on understanding, cooperation, and mutual respect.
Mexico firmly believes that America belongs neither to a doctrine nor to a single power. The American continent belongs to the people of each of the countries that comprise it.
Lincoln defined democracy as “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
Benito Juárez clearly established that “among individuals as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace.”
That is the vision we defend and will continue to uphold: economic integration of the continent and cooperation with respect for sovereignty.
Regarding the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime. In recent months we have established an understanding with the United States based on four principles:
Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Shared and differentiated responsibility.
Mutual respect and trust.
And cooperation, without subordination.
Mexico cooperates with the United States, including for humanitarian reasons, to prevent fentanyl and other drugs from reaching its population, particularly young people.
As we’ve said before, we don’t want fentanyl or any drug to reach any young person, not in the United States, not in Mexico, not anywhere else in the world. We are acting responsibly and decisively.
For Mexico, the central objective is to reduce violence and build a lasting peace with justice in our territory.
The results are clear. A 37 percent reduction in intentional homicide, hundreds of tons of various illegal drugs seized and dozens of criminals extradited.
However, it is important to emphasize that when we talk about shared responsibility, respect and mutual trust, this violence experienced in our country has, among its causes, the illegal entry of high-powered weapons from the United States into Mexico as well as the serious problem of drug use in the neighboring country.
Similarly, we have pointed out that groups that distribute drugs and launder money in both Mexico and the United States must be firmly combated.
As I’ve expressed in conversations with President Trump, addressing the root causes is also fundamental. We’ve even agreed that values, family support, education and mass communication are indispensable tools for preventing drug use.
Finally, it is necessary to reaffirm that in Mexico the people rule and that we are a free, independent and sovereign country. Cooperation, yes. Subordination and intervention, no. This is the position we wanted to make known to you today.
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