(Fidencio Casillas, Energy Analytics Institute, 7.Jan.2025) — Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo said her country would do its part to assist the US in the its fight against high opioid and fentanyl consumption but not at the expense of the Latin American country’s sovereignty.
“Where does opioid consumption come from in American society? From pharmaceuticals. So, what you can’t do is close your eyes to what’s happening in the United States. We will contribute, we will support in everything and every way we can, of course, with respect for our sovereignty, but we will collaborate,” Sheinbaum said 7 Jan. 2025 during her mañanera or daily briefing with the media.
Sheinbaum reiterated that a great part of the problem in the US was the responsibility of the large pharmaceutical companies there that enrich themselves with opioids.
“There is a crisis that comes from the consumption of fentanyl, that comes from the consumption of drugs that replaced opioids,” Sheinbaum said.
For now, US president-elect Donald Trump has cited illegal migration and the fentanyl issue in the US as two top issues that stem from Mexico. Trump is likely using these issues to gain negotiating strength when it comes time to review the USMCA agreement in 2026, analysts in Mexico City tell Energy Analytics Institute (EAI).
Trump has also already threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico once he assumes office on 20 Jan. 2025.
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By Fidencio Casillas reporting from Mexico City. © 2025 Energy Analytics Institute (EAI). All Rights Reserved.
