Mexican president is angry: "Pause" in relations with the US and Canada

President Meksika Andrés Manuel López Obrador did not specify what "pause" means, and it is not a term used in the official diplomatic codes, while the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not comment on his statement.

The judicial reform proposal presented by López Obrador during his final weeks in office has sparked large-scale protests and strikes as well as widespread criticism from investors and financial institutions.

Last week, US Ambassador Ken Salazar said the proposal was "risky" for democracy and could threaten Mexico's trade relations with the US, AP writes.

López Obrador condemned the statement, saying that Salazar "violated the sovereignty of Mexico", to which Salazar replied "that they can talk about it".

Lopez Obrador told reporters that Mexico "will not tell Salazar to leave the country" and that he "hopes that the US promises to respect Mexico's independence and sovereignty."

"But until that happens, and they continue with this policy, everything is on hold," López Obrador said.

He also accused Canada of meddling in Mexico's internal affairs, as the country expressed concerns about the proposed judicial reform.

Mexico, Canada and the US have a trade exchange estimated at 2022 trillion dollars in 1,8, but so far there are no indications of how tensions over judicial reform could affect their long-standing economic and diplomatic relations.

This is not the first time that the Mexican president has mentioned a "pause", as in 2022 he also announced it in relations with Spain due to disputes with energy companies.