Reuters
El Norte
MEXICO CITY - Mexican officials met with their U.S. counterparts on Tuesday to negotiate deliveries under a water treaty that has again heightened diplomatic tensions between the two trading partners with tariff threats if the Latin American country does not comply.
U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of violating an 81-year-old treaty that outlines water sharing between the neighbors and threatened to impose an additional 5 percent tariff on goods from Mexico if it doesn't immediately provide 200,000 acre-feet of water before December 31. An acre-foot is enough to fill about half an Olympic-size swimming pool.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and other senior officials will meet virtually with U.S. officials, including Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Secretary of State Christopher Landau. Sheinbaum said in her morning press conference she expected to resolve the dispute.
Under the 1944 agreement governing water sharing through a network of dams and reservoirs, Mexico must deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of Rio Grande water to the United States every five years.
The Latin American country, the largest trading partner of the U.S., has at times struggled to make its deliveries, citing drought conditions fueled by climate change, and local demand. Mexican officials say that the treaty offers leniency, allowing the water debt to be rolled over to the next five-year cycle, a point of tension with U.S. counterparts who say the delayed deliveries devastate Texan farmers who need it for their crops.
Sheinbaum said that Mexico is limited in delivering more water by the country's own needs and by the physical size of the pipeline.
Sheinbaum said that Mexico is limited in delivering more water by the country's own needs and by the physical size of the pipeline.
A spokesperson for Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz said Mexico had "flagrantly violated" its treaty obligations.
"Mexico’s water shortfall is a deliberate policy choice by the Mexican government, not a result of infrastructure or environmental shortfalls," the spokesperson said.
"Mexico’s water shortfall is a deliberate policy choice by the Mexican government, not a result of infrastructure or environmental shortfalls," the spokesperson said.
Trump first threatened tariffs on Mexico over the issue earlier this year and accused the country of "stealing the water from Texas farmers."
Mexico agreed in April to increase its water deliveries to Texas to help make up the shortfall, temporarily defusing the dispute, which has threatened to complicate ongoing negotiations of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact.
14 comments:
There's a deeper story here. Mexico is merely responding to another broken treaty - this one, the Colorado Compact of the late-1920s, when Mexico was supposed to get X-amount of water from the Colorado, which at the time emptied into the Gulf of Cortez. When the U.S. built Hoover Dam, much of the water went to that project...little by little, and with the advent of numerous irrigation canals in Arizona from the same source, Mexico saw an end to its share of the Colorado. Then, in the 1944 Water Treaty, again Mexico was to get some water from the Colorado. Only, the supply eventually dwindled to zero. That upset Mexico...and the problem with the Rio Grande only became eventual fallout from THAT broken treaty.
Now you have the nuance in place. . .
Can't wait to hear what they say about the oil tanker...
Historically, any President whose popularity is sinking at home will create a war to gather support and empathy to take away the attention from his failed domestic issues!
Hell-o, Donald!
What agriculture industry in South Texas. Our citrus orchards are gone, same for our cottonfields and the sugar cane industry left - what? - about a year ago. Freakin politics!!
It’s funny how many Republicans have found their voice and spine, on the surface. They see DJ Trump’s rapid deterioration, therefore, the fear of him is disintegrating.
I see it.
I think it is fair trade to take mexican water when all they do is kill our people with fentanyl. I am old enough to remember when my buddies and I would travel back and forth to Brownsville and Matamoros 3 or 4 times in the same night and had girls in both areas. What has the cartel done for all of you?
Too bad. They owe the USA water. Time to pay. Montoya can bend over if he likes.
Mexico needs to send the USA aguas frescas. Jamaica, Melon, Fresa, Naranja,
Don't forget the limon, chile, y queso.
4:06. Hey FAG boy. Using fentanyl is a user’s choice. Don’t blame anyone else for their addictions. Secondly, with your tag, I doubt your self-proclaimed veracity with the ladies.
A few years ago there was a water release from Falcon Dam. I saw water levels on Pepe’s on the River reach the roof. The floodway in Mercedes was brimming. Sounds like possible mismanagement at that time.
So how are you communists going to address the failed domestic issues?
You don't see anything! Your a communist blind to the world.
Trump is to blame!
7:36 AM
How are you Tpublicans getting the finger out of your ass?
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