Mexican president denounces US politicians' remarks on migration as 'crude, smug politicking'

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday denounced some US politicians' statements against Mexican migration as "crude, smug politicking," urging the Spanish-speaking population not to vote for "arrogant" US representatives.

"It is crude, smug politicking to try to deceive US citizens, but it is ineffective, it is not going to help them," he told reporters at the National Palace in Mexico City.

During his daily press conference, Lopez Obrador particularly condemned the recent statements by Republican Senator John Kennedy, who said on Thursday that "Mexico would be eating cat food out of a can" without the support of the United States.

For his part, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard described Kennedy as a "profoundly ignorant" man and a "person who is unwelcome" in Mexico.

Ebrard also mentioned the law approved on Thursday in the US House of Representatives to reinforce border security measures, including the completion of the border wall between Mexico and the United States, and the designation of Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

"This is being organized because next year there are elections," he said. "The foundation of these ideas is racism against Mexicans and all Spanish speakers in general."

Ebrard noted that authorities have detected a reduction in migratory flows and no confrontations at the border, amid speculation of an increase in both due to the end of Title 42, the US health measure put in place to combat COVID-19.