Trump did not apologize for remarks about Mexicans made earlier in his campaign [Xinhua]
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrived in Mexico on Wednesday amid much media fanfare and anger among Mexicans and Americans of Hispanic origin alike.
Trump met with President Enrique Peña Nieto in Mexico City.
This was Trump’s first foreign visit and meeting with a head of state as the Republican presidential candidate.
In a news conference after their first meeting, Trump thanked Peña Nieto for inviting him to Mexico.
“We had a very substantive, direct and constructive exchange of ideas,” about the impact of trade and immigration policies on the US.
“We are united by our support for democracy, a great love for our people, and the contributions of millions of Mexican Americans to the United States,” Trump also said.
Peña Nieto for his part said that the two “may not agree on everything,” but added that Mexicans are a hard-working people who contributed much to the history of the United States and deserved everyone’s respect.
The two discussed the controversial wall, Trump said, but no mention of who would foot the bill was made.
The trip comes at a time when Trump is trying to realign his campaign amid a dip in polls against his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
In the meantime, many Mexicans are angry at the Mexican president and say he is making a historic mistake in agreeing to meet with Trump.
They accuse Trump of racial bigotry; when the business tycoon announced his candidacy as a Republican nominee last year, he kicked that off with a speech accusing Mexicans and those who stream across the southern borders of being rapists, drug-pushers and criminals.
He accused them of bringing crime to the US.
He then proposed building a wall to keep the illegal migrants out of America. At most of his campaign rallies, he reminds his supporters that he will force Mexico to pay for the construction of the wall.
His position on Mexico earned him the ire of many Mexican politicians as well, including former President Vincente Fox who told CNN that the country does not like Trump and does not want his visit. Fox labelled Trump’s visit as a political stunt.
Clinton, in the meantime, said that Trump’s visit was a way to make up for a year of insults against minorities.
Trump then returned to Arizona to deliver a speech outlining his immigration policy, which in recent days appeared hazy as he hinted at a “softening” of his position.
The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies
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