Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) published an editorial in The Monitor regarding the passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) agreement implementing legislation in the U.S. Senate. In the opinion piece, Congressman Gonzalez states his disappointment in the trade agreement as it does not contain a firm commitment from Mexico to address the rising tide of violence in Mexico that is affecting cross-border trade and tourism. He also calls on the government of Mexico to revisit the issue of violence.
“ For months now, I have implored the governments of the United States and Mexico to secure trade and tourist routes leading to the United States. One such route includes Highway 40D, from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, all the way to the international bridges on the U.S.-Mexico border. The inaction of both governments has had devastating consequences,” writes Congressman Gonzalez. “I implore Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to take this matter seriously and act accordingly for the well-being and safety of thousands of people on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, including considering the help offered by the U.S. to deal with this pandemic issue.”
The full editorial can be found here.
Background:
Violence in Mexico has spiked significantly with 2018 reported as the deadliest in the country’s history. According to a report released by Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection that recorded 33,341 homicides, a 15% increase from 2017, and since 2006, Mexico has lost twice as many people to homicide as the United States has lost soldiers to every war since Korea.
Congressman Gonzalez has frequently pushed U.S. and Mexico leaders to incorporate security guarantees with proper timelines and implementation like the Safe Highway program before considering a vote on the USMCA. The Safe Highway program is a pilot program proposed by Mexico that seeks to secure six highways throughout Mexico, including Highway 40D, which connects to international bridges along the U.S. – Mexico border to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon.
Congressmen Gonzalez and Filemon Vela (TX-34) sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressing their grave concern about transnational criminal organizations’ continued interference in the flow of cross border commerce and tourism. The Congressmen requested the Speaker’s assistance to secure a firm commitment from the Mexican government to guarantee the protection of highways between the United States and Mexico used for trade and tourism.
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