AMLO accuses Greg Abbott of doing “rogue populism” and “politicking” after placing buoys in the Rio Grande

Photo: Hector Vivas/Montinique Monroe/Getty Images

The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, launched again against the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, whom he accused of doing “politicking” and “rogue populism” after the placement of the so-called “floating wall” with buoys in the Rio Grande, near Eagle Pass.

“It’s like the migration thing, it’s not going to be resolved with walls or militarizing the border, all that the governor of Texas is doing, is, I’m not going to use the word anymore, yes I’m going to use it, It is politicking, publicity, a demagogic attitude, lame, putting those buoys in the river (Bravo), it is the search for votes, it is coarse populism. How many buoys are they going to put in the river? That is spectacular. they are like spectacular, that’s not serious”, said López Obrador in his morning conference this Wednesday, July 12, 2023.

The statements by the Mexican president come after the Texan governor ordered the placement of a floating wall on the southern border of the United Statesnear Eagle Pass, Texas, adjacent to Piedras Negras, in the Mexican state of Coahuila, with the intention of not allowing the irregular passage of undocumented migrants.

In addition to floating buoys, Greg Abbott ordered the placement of a series of supplies such as spikes and containers which will be reinforced with the presence of elements of the Border Patrol and the US National Guard, all this as part of its controversial immigration operation “Lone Star”.

Since last Friday, July 7, 2023, it was possible to observe on the Mexican side, in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, the arrival of at least five trailers loaded with orange buoys at Shelby Park, located in the city of Eagle Pass, Texas, very near the Rio Grande.

Throughout the weekend, specialized personnel were in charge of unloading the buoys from the trailers to begin with its placement in an area that will cover the 3.2 kilometers along the Rio Grande.

Given the imminent placement of the floating wall, activists and some residents of the area expressed their rejection of the governor’s new measures to reduce the illegal crossing of migrants.

“The buoys are another attempt to militarize our border that has an impact on the river… Like the federal fence, these buoys will change the way the water flows and, therefore, will change the course of the river itself,” Adriana Martínez, a fluvial geomorphologist and specialist on the effect of the construction of barriers on the border.

For his part, the US citizen Jessie F. Fuentes, filed a civil lawsuit against the Texas government noting that the buoys will cause economic losses for his company Epi’s Canoe and Kayak Team.

Jessie F. Fuentes affirms that the new floating barrier goes against United States Amendment 14 and that it will impact her business of guided tours of the Rio Grande through kayak rentals.

The demand of Jessie F. Fuentes provoked the reaction of Gregg Abbott who challenged the citizen to see himself in Court.

“We’ll see you in court,” Texas Governor Gregg Abbott wrote on his Twitter account.

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