Mexican Ambassador Denies Allegations of Political Interference
Esteban Moctezuma Barragan, Mexico’s Ambassador to the United States, has once again dismissed claims made in a new book by investigative journalist Peter Schweitzer. The book, titled The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon, accuses Mexican authorities of manipulating the U.S. consulate to influence the U.S. election.
This week, during his appearance on CBS News’ “Take Out with Major Garrett,” Moctezuma flatly rejected the assertion that Mexico aimed to sway the elections in its favor through diplomatic channels.
In response to the allegations, Moctezuma stated, “This is completely false, because, as you know, we follow the Vienna Convention, which sets out very clear laws for each country.” He added, “What we do in the United States is the same as what the United States does in Mexico. We have nine consulates for the 1.6 million Americans living in Mexico.”
Touching on voting statistics, he remarked, “If you look at the numbers in 2016, President Trump received about 28 percent of the Latino vote. Now, in 2024, it’s 48 percent; that’s almost doubling. But then again, if you consider immigration from Mexico, it has been in sharp decline since 2000.”
He continued, “Another interesting point is that around 34 percent of Mexicans eligible for citizenship in the United States have become American citizens. If there were any intention to meddle in U.S. politics, I think the number would be higher.”
Moctezuma also addressed the issue on Fox News over the weekend, right after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum refuted Schweitzer’s claims.
Sheinbaum emphasized, “Consulates have a role under international law, and their essential job is to provide protection and assistance to Mexican nationals in the United States.” She also clarified, “We categorically deny that they are involved in American politics. We respect non-intervention, and we adhere to that principle ourselves.”
Schweitzer’s book argues that the Mexican government, which operates over 50 consulates in the U.S., collaborates with U.S. political advisors to interfere in domestic politics, persuading both legal and illegal immigrants to become political pawns in their favor.
He points out that former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) campaigned in U.S. cities in February 2017 to mobilize Mexican immigrants against President Trump’s policies on immigration, which, in his view, undermined the interests of drug cartels.
Moreover, Schweitzer notes that AMLO proposed transforming Mexico’s consulates into offices focused on immigration defense, aiming to combat Trump’s border policies. This level of lobbying by a foreign leader against a sitting U.S. president is, according to Schweitzer, quite unusual.
He concluded, “AMLO wasn’t just supporting immigration legal battles; he was advocating for electoral change in the United States. It’s unprecedented for a leader from a neighboring country to disrupt American political affairs so openly, especially when there’s no war between the two nations.”
