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Trudeau pitches strong ties to Mexico’s new leader Claudia Sheinbaum amid U.S. tumult

Jun 3, 2024 | 8:41 AM

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is welcoming the election of Mexico’s next president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and pitching closer ties between the two counties as they ponder the future of North American relations.

Mexicans elected Sheinbaum as their first female president Sunday, and in October she will replace Andrés Manuel Lopéz Obrador.

The election comes three months after the Liberals reimposed a visa requirement for Mexican visitors over concerns that the 2016 lifting of the requirement led to a rise in ineligible refugee claims and human smuggling into the U.S.

The two countries will be part of the 2026 review of the trade deal that replaced NAFTA, as both U.S. President Joe Biden and his likely election opponent Donald Trump propose policies that would clamp down on trade.