Trump sends Tillerson and Kelly to Mexico
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly are due to arrive in Mexico Wednesday, in the highest profile U.S. diplomatic mission to visit the country since Donald Trump became president.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto abruptly canceled a January meeting in the United States with Trump, amid a dispute between the two leaders that spilled over into social media.
Tillerson and Kelly's meetings are slated "to allow the new U.S. Cabinet members to establish relationships and coordinate on bilateral issues" with Mexican officials, CNN reports, and perhaps to repair damage.
[READ: What Would a Mexico Border Tax Mean for Americans?]
But the United States' relationship with its southern neighbor, traditionally a strong ally, seems likely to remain precarious: Mexico has been a focal point of criticism of Trump's since day one of the then-candidate's campaign for president. The president and his team have continuously promised that the construction of a larger literal, physical barrier -- a wall -- between the countries is imminent; Mexico's government opposes the project. Further, Kelly on Tuesday made public memos that detail sweeping plans to ramp up deportations of those in the U.S. lacking documentation, many of whom are of Mexican origin.
The meetings are scheduled to spill over into Thursday. Kelly will first travel to Guatemala, where he will meet with President Jimmy Morales, after which, he will join Tillerson in Mexico, DHS said in a statement on Monday.
"During their visit, the two secretaries will meet with President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto and the Mexican ministers of Interior, Foreign Relations, Finance, National Defense, and Navy. The group will discuss border security, law enforcement cooperation, and trade, among other issues," the statement reads.
The State Department noted in its statement that Tillerson will meet with personnel at U.S. Embassy Mexico.
Mexico's foreign minister, Luis Videgaray, last week laid out at the G-20 economic summit in Bonn why he thinks this moment is imperative for bilateral relations between the countries.
"This is a moment of definition: The decisions we make in the coming months will determine how Mexico and the United States coexist for the next decades," Videgaray said at the margins of the summit.
The Los Angeles Times notes that the foreign minister "has established a close relationship" with Jared Kushner, senior adviser to Trump and the president's son-in-law, holding several unannounced meetings with him since Trump's surprising election in November.
