Salazar and Clark are not the problem

Almost as if it were a school punishment, the new Mexican government sent the US ambassador, Ken Salazar, to the corner and assigned him a single window for his work, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It is a political limitation due to his expressions regarding the judicial reform already in development, and about which Salazar expressed doubts and pointed out its potential complications.

The Canadian ambassador, Graeme Clark, who committed a sin similar to that of Salazar, was also going to receive a similar sanction. The limitation is in any case a variation of the “pause” period determined by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, but it is also a sign of what many see as a deteriorating situation in the relationship with two of Mexico’s main trading partners and its largest neighbor.

Regardless of the message that was intended to be sent, another common fact should be noted: both Salazar and Clark are in their final months as ambassadors.

Like all American ambassadors, Salazar must submit his resignation to the next president of his country, whoever that may be, when he takes office on January 20, 2025. Clark is, in fact, about to complete his term as Canadian envoy to Mexico.

They would therefore end their respective missions with a bad taste in their mouths, but not necessarily on bad terms with their respective governments. Because the concerns they expressed are those of their governments, those of the other two countries associated with the Mexico-United States-Canada trade agreement, which is subject to review in 2026.

Salazar, in any case, will be 70 years old in 2025 and can return to his activity prior to being appointed ambassador to Mexico: high-level lobbying in Washington.

It remains to be seen, in any case, whether the limitations imposed on Salazar and Clark will continue with their successors or whether it is a specific sanction that will not apply to their successors.

The fact is that, in the end, Mexico loses a defender, an interested one if you will, but a defender nonetheless: in Washington there were several accusations and complaints regarding its supposedly favorable attitude towards the Mexican government.

The only bad thing is that Mexico seems to have fewer and fewer defenders in Washington. Salazar’s absence as a defender occurs when the United States is on the eve of a historic election that could lead to a domestic political crisis, but it still does not look favorably on some of the measures adopted by the Mexican government.

In fact, the two presidential candidates, the vice president and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and the former president and Republican candidate Donald Trump, have shown nationalist tendencies on two issues of the greatest importance to Mexico: migration and trade. The problem is one of trust, and the cooling off towards the two ambassadors is not going to help.

BY JOSÉ CARREÑO FIGUERAS

CONTRIBUTOR

JOSE.CARRENO@ELHERALDODEMEXICO.COM

@CARRENOJOSE1

Nota publicada originalmente en El Heraldo de México.