Mexico To Tighten Borders Against COVID-19 as US Offers Vaccine Help

Mexico’s government said on Thursday it would restrict movement on its southern border with Guatemala to help contain the spread of COVID-19 as the Biden administration set out plans to loan Mexico vaccines to fight the pandemic.

Mexico’s announcement that it would curb travel on the Guatemala frontier dovetails with its preparations to step up enforcement efforts in the area against surging illegal 🛂Immigration, according to a Reuters report.

The mutually beneficial steps follow weeks of diplomacy to address concerns over rising apprehensions of migrants trying to enter the United States, many of them unaccompanied minors, as well as setbacks to Mexico’s initial vaccine rollout.

U.S. President 👤Joe Biden, a Democrat, has drawn heavy fire from Republican opponents over the mounting challenge posed by the border. Meanwhile, his Mexican counterpart has pressed him for vaccines to offset shortages as midterm elections approach.

Andres Rozental, a former Mexican deputy foreign minister for North America, said it looked as though a trade-off was occurring, even if it was unlikely that any senior figures in either administration would admit that publicly.

“It’s a give and take, a win-win for both,” he said.

When asked if the two countries had done a quid pro quo, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said border security and Mexico’s vaccine requests were part of “multiple layers” of dialogue between governments that were “unrelated” in origin.

Roberto Velasco, a senior Mexican foreign ministry official, told local radio the two announcements were not linked, and belonged to parallel discussions between the governments.