The Mexican government has expressed alarm over the fatalities of its nationals while in the custody of U.S. authorities. President Claudia Sheinbaum has also criticized the Trump administration’s decision to implement an energy blockade against Cuba, a significant ally of Mexico.
For over a year, Sheinbaum has navigated her relationship with Trump with caution, responding to provocations in a composed manner and complying with U.S. demands to intensify efforts against drug cartels, more so than her predecessors. This strategy aims to mitigate threats of tariffs and potential military action against criminal organizations.
However, following the alarming rise in deaths of Mexican citizens in U.S. detention centers and the blockade against Cuba, Sheinbaum has adopted a firmer stance. Her latest criticism came on a Tuesday, just after the death of Alejandro Cabrera Clemente, a 49-year-old Mexican man, in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Louisiana. This incident marked the fifteenth death of a Mexican citizen in U.S. custody in a little over a year.
The Mexican government swiftly labeled these fatalities as “unacceptable” and characterized the conditions in ICE detention centers as “incompatible with human rights standards and the protection of life.”
On Tuesday, Sheinbaum stated that she had called for investigations into the deaths of the fifteen migrants and ordered Mexican consulates to conduct daily visits to the detention facilities. Her administration plans to bring these incidents to the attention of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and is contemplating an appeal to the United Nations. “We are committed to defending Mexicans at every level,” Sheinbaum affirmed, emphasizing that “many Mexicans are merely guilty of lacking proper documentation.”
The White House did not provide any remarks regarding Sheinbaum’s assertive position or the increasing occurrences of deaths among Mexican nationals in ICE custody.
Sheinbaum has maintained what she refers to as a “cool head” in the face of Trump’s provocations, who has applied more pressure on Latin America than any U.S. leader in recent decades. In a short span, the Trump administration has deposed the president of Venezuela, enforced an oil blockade against Cuba, and threatened military action against Mexican cartels.
Striking a balance, Sheinbaum has worked to preserve a strong relationship with Trump while continually asserting Mexico’s sovereignty to satisfy her political base. Her government has taken a tougher stance on drug cartels compared to her predecessor and has strengthened trade relations ahead of the renegotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Although Trump has publicly criticized Sheinbaum at times—suggesting that cartels wield more influence in Mexico than her administration—he has also acknowledged their cordial relationship, stating, “She is really a nice person, I like her a lot,” just last month.
Cuba has emerged as the primary point of tension between the two nations. Support for the U.S. adversary has been a fundamental aspect of Mexico’s political identity since the Cuban revolution. The relationship faced a challenge in late January when Trump announced that he would impose tariffs on any country exporting oil to Cuba, a move that directly impacted Mexico, which has historically supplied oil to the island.
While Sheinbaum reluctantly halted oil shipments to Cuba, she has persistently opposed the Trump administration’s advocacy for regime change. “Mexico has every right to supply fuel, whether for humanitarian or commercial purposes,” she asserted earlier this week.
She labeled Trump’s energy blockade against Cuba as “unjust” and accused the U.S. government of “suffocating” the Cuban people with sanctions. Her recently more assertive rhetoric indicates a strategic decision that her administration can challenge certain politically sensitive issues while simultaneously advancing trade relations and fulfilling U.S. requests regarding security and immigration, according to Carin Zissis, vice president of content strategy at the Council of the Americas.
Moreover, rising energy prices due to the ongoing conflict in Iran have increased U.S. dependence on allies like Mexico, prompting Washington to reconsider any drastic measures against Mexican cartels or Cuba in the near term, analysts, including Zissis, suggest.
