Excerpt
Mexico: We will not pay for Trump border wall
26 January 2017
Mexico will not pay for Donald Trump’s border wall, the country’s president has said in a message to the nation. Enrique Pena Nieto said he “lamented” the plans for the barrier, adding that “Mexico doesn’t believe in walls”. But he made no mention of cancelling or postponing a trip to Washington on 31 January to meet the new US president.
Mr Trump responded saying "it would be better to cancel" the 31 January meeting if Mexico is unwilling to pay. He has signed an executive order for an "impassable physical barrier" and insisted Mexico will reimburse the US.
In a televised address, Mr Pena Nieto told the nation : "I've said time and again; Mexico won't pay for any wall. "I regret and condemn the decision of the United States to continue construction of a wall that, for years, has divided us instead of uniting us." He added that "Mexico doesn't believe in walls".
But Mr Pena Nieto said his country offered "its friendship to the American people and its willingness to reach accords with their government".
President Trump took to Twitter following his statement, suggesting Mexico owed the US for the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). "The U.S. has a 60 billion dollar trade deficit with Mexico. It has been a one-sided deal from the beginning of NAFTA with massive numbers of jobs and companies lost," he wrote. "If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting."
All the views expressed at the source of this article may not necessarily reflect those of T.E.A. Watchers.
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