Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum accused the United States of political interference on Friday after Washington revoked the visa of Andres Manuel Lopez Beltran, son of former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, known as AMLO.
Lopez Beltran announced the revocation in a letter posted on Instagram, saying Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Under Secretary Christopher Landau ordered the withdrawal of his permission to enter the United States despite having no evidence against him regarding any immoral or criminal act. The US government has not publicly disclosed the reason for the decision.
Sheinbaum Calls It Interference
At her morning news briefing on Friday, Sheinbaum said she was unaware of any investigations by Mexican prosecutors into Lopez Beltran. This amounts to interference in Mexican politics, Sheinbaum said. I see no other reason for it. She characterized the decision as essentially political in nature.
The revocation adds to simmering tensions between the Trump administration and Mexico’s governing Morena party. The State Department announced this week that under the Trump administration it had revoked more than 175,000 visas granted to foreign citizens, part of a broader immigration crackdown that has strained relations with several Latin American nations.
Part of Broader Pattern
The decision comes less than four months after another blow to Morena when federal prosecutors in New York brought cases against 10 current and former Mexican officials on corruption-related charges. Washington’s willingness to target family members of prominent Mexican political figures marks an escalation that analysts say could complicate cooperation between the two countries on trade, migration, and security.
A US Embassy spokesperson in Mexico, speaking on condition of anonymity, said visa records are confidential under US law and declined to comment on the specific case. The diplomatic fallout from the decision is expected to feature in upcoming bilateral meetings between the two governments.
Sources: Associated Press; Bloomberg; Al Jazeera; The New York Times
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