‘It’s complicated.’ Why some Mexicans won’t mind another Donald Trump presidency
If there is one country you would expect to be anti-Trump, it would be Mexico, but the US president has support south of the border
In the lead up to the Day of the Dead celebrations – perhaps the most important day in the Mexican calendar – Donald Trump pinatas (sweet decorations) adorn the stalls of traders in Mexico City. It's clear who the stall owners here and across the country are rooting for.
This year, however, 3 November – just a day later – could prove even more important to Mexicans, both for those who live in the country and those who work in the United States.
Karen Vianey is an administrator in Oaxaca, the culinary and cultural capital of Mexico. “What do Mexicans want from the election?” she asks. “It’s difficult to say. We’ve always had a close business relationship with the US. It’s complicated.
“Donald Trump has tried to cut the line of communication between Mexicans and Americans,” Vianey explains. “There has always been a good relationship between Mexico and the US, and now it has deteriorated quite a lot.”
‘It’s complicated’ is a phrase that echoes throughout every conversation on Mexican-American relations.
Like many others south of the border, Vianey feels that the two countries have a shared cultural heritage through their recent history and through immigration, which will endure regardless of the outcome of the election.
The national feeling is that the situation is not quite as it seems. As a candidate, Trump was viciously and aggressively anti-Mexican, while President Trump is somewhat more cordial. This change in approach has meant that many Mexicans simply overlook what he had to say during the previous election.
Juan Pablo Acuña, a teacher in Mexico City, is direct about the choice facing voters on Tuesday. “In my opinion this is one of the most historic elections in US and world history. That’s because it seems there are two visions of the world that don’t recognise each other; it’s a big social, ethical and cultural dilemma.”
When pushed to discuss Trump’s infamous outburst during the 2016 presidential campaign – he called Mexican migrants heading to the US as “bringing drugs… crime… and rapists” – Juan Pablo is dismissive. “I don’t take it personally; I know we are not whatever he says that we are. I know some beautiful people here in Mexico. They’re not rapists, they’re not whatever he’s saying Mexicans are like. I don’t take it too seriously.”
This illustrates the dichotomy at the heart of the issue here in Mexico. There is no doubt that the majority of the nation wants to witness a Democratic victory on Tuesday night. Many Mexicans have family and friends working in the United States.
“There is the option of a new, better government and a more dignified society,” says Vianey of the possibility of a Biden presidency. “You can’t accommodate everyone, but you can create better social, cultural, economic and political relations between Mexico and the US.”
Despite this clear preference for Biden, people here are more sanguine about the possibility of four more years of Donald Trump. There is genuine belief that the Trump administration, while damaging for the United States, has benefited Mexico in ways that past governments did not.
“Actually, I thought we were kind of better, or kind of good with Trump,” explains Jacob, a tour guide who deals with US clients on a regular basis. “As Mexico, we were getting some benefits as a country.”
There has been a thaw in relations over the past four years, despite the constant rhetoric about things such as the border wall between the two countries. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, inaugurated as president of Mexico in 2018, himself a populist, has struck up an unlikely rapport with Trump, going so far as to spurn meetings with Democrats during a visit to Washington last July.
Oscar, who runs a small political bookshop, has a more pragmatic view of the election. “We know for sure that we have slowly begun to agree with each other a little more since Trump won the election, because the US has become so withdrawn into itself. This has allowed Mexico to get its house in order – things that previous governments did not let us do.”
“I don’t know about the rest of Latin America, but this is the first time in 100 years that Mexico has been able to breathe under the yoke of the United States,” he adds.
In the past four years, the state has been able to begin to tackle the epidemic of violence that troubles the north of the country, without constant US intervention – and while the ‘hugs not bullets’ initiative – where the government has opted to reintegrate drug gang members, rather than execute them – has proved controversial, the Mexican government has made concrete progress in removing cartel leaders across the country.
Actually, I thought we were kind of better, or kind of good with Trump. As Mexico, we were getting some benefits as a country
Despite this, Oscar thinks that overall, the US would be better off under a Biden administration. “Previous governments have meddled in Mexican politics a lot and tried to dictate to us what we should do in our domestic politics, but right now, the United States has too much trouble of its own with Donald Trump.”
It is clear that Mexicans feel able to work with either winner. Their greatest concern is for those who might be caught up in unrest in the United States itself. Back in Mexico City, Juan Pablo echoes this sentiment. “This is more of a shame for US history than for our own history or for the relationship between our two countries,” he says of the choice facing voters this week.
“I hope the American people don’t make the same mistake and they can just evolve and create a great democracy and yeah, just respect the people,” agrees Jacob. “I think [Trump] is not a good politician for the Americans.”
There is a common sentiment here that Mexico can weather anything – but given the choice, it would prefer to weather Joe Biden instead.
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