Mexico: Mr. Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the President of Mexico, has written to the US government asking for an end to aid given to organisations that he believes are opposed to his administration. The Mexican President specifically mentioned funds provided by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) but did not name the groups that he objects to.

“The U.S. government, specifically through USAID, has for some time been financing organisations openly against the legal and legitimate government I represent,” Mr. López Obrador wrote in the letter, which was read during the President’s morning press briefing.

“This is clearly an interventionist act, contrary to international law and the relations that should prevail between free and sovereign states,” the President continued.

The new comments echo earlier pushback from Mr. López Obrador, who previously sent the US a diplomatic note in 2021 denouncing USAID funds. “A foreign government can’t provide money to political groups. It’s promoting a form of coup,” the President said of the funds.

In his letter, Mr. López Obrador directly appealed to Mr. Joe Biden to halt the funds. The Mexican president further discussed border policy with White House Homeland Security adviser Mr. Liz Sherwood-Randall.

Mr. López Obrador has been criticised for allegedly undermining Mexico’s democratic institutions by attacking the media and government checks. The Mexican President has called for the closure of the Institute for Information Access and Transparency (INAI), citing wasteful spending, and has also been critical of Mexico’s judicial system.

In addition, the Mexican leader has supported efforts to cut funding and limit the powers of the National Electoral Institute (INE), which oversees election integrity. Mr. López Obrador has also criticised non-governmental organisations, such as Article 19, a free speech group that receives USAID funding.

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