Mexico’s Sheinbaum rejects U.S. intervention in Venezuela and Mexico

Jan 5 (Reuters) – Mexican President ‌Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday doubled down on Mexico’s ‌opposition to Washington’s attack on Venezuela and extradition of ‌the country’s president.

“We categorically reject intervention in the internal matters of other countries,” Sheinbaum said, reiterating an earlier statement.

The Mexican leader added that ‍Mexico is a sovereign country and is ‍cooperating with the U.S. ‌on drug trafficking and security.

Sheinbaum’s statement follows comments by U.S. ‍President ​Donald Trump over the weekend hinting at military action in Mexico to combat drug cartels.

“It is necessary ⁠to reaffirm that in Mexico the people ‌rule, and that we are a free and sovereign country—cooperation, yes; subordination ⁠and intervention, ‍no,” Sheinbaum said.

Sheinbaum’s comments, which she read at the start of her daily press conference, are in line with her government’s ‍position since taking office in 2024 ‌as well as the Mexican constitution, which states non-intervention as a guiding principle of the country’s foreign policy.

Trump has long suggested military action might be necessary to combat drug cartels operating in Mexico.

Shortly after returning to the presidency last year, Trump’s government designated Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and other drug gangs ‌as terrorist organizations, reviving a plan he had shelved in 2019 at the request of Mexico’s then-PresidentAndres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

In August, U.S. ​Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration could use the military to go after cartels.

(Reporting by Brendan O’Boyle; Editing by Emily Green)