MEXICO CITY, Mexico (Reuters) — U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday (February 25) said he felt “almost obliged” to say sorry for verbal attacks on Mexico in the U.S. presidential campaign, in which Republican front-runner Donald Trump has labelled Mexican migrants rapists and drug runners.
Speaking alongside Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto during a visit to Mexico City, Biden never mentioned Trump, who nonetheless loomed large over the proceedings.
“There’s been a lot of damaging and incredibly inaccurate rhetoric and I would argue I feel almost obliged to apologise for some of what my political colleagues have said. It is about Mexico, about the Mexican people. It’s a heated campaign season and I just want you to know, Mr President, that the most heated of the rhetoric you’ve heard from some of the competitors for the nomination from president is not who we are as the American people,” declared Biden, a Democrat.
The Vice President is in the Latin American country to lead the U.S. delegation to the annual U.S.-Mexico economic summit.
He assured Mexico that the U.S. would continue to stand beside it in the fight against drug trafficking.
“And today we discuss the importance of protecting human rights and ending the culture of impunity for thugs who seek to enforce their own will through violence and intimidation. These are tough challenges and we discussed how tough they are. They won’t be solved overnight and we’re going to have to take risks and take risks here to solve them. It will take a sustained commitment on the part of both of us, both parties, but Mr President, the United States will continue to stand with Mexico, stand with you as you take on drug traffickers, as you strengthen the rule of law, as you bolster transparent government institutions,” he added.
Mexican President Pena Nieto also weighed in on U.S. presidential candidate campaigning.
Without naming the Republican frontrunner, Pena Nieto said “building walls is just isolating oneself.”
“Those who have a vision of eventually closing themselves off, including I dare say Vice President, building walls. This is all about isolating oneself, staying on your own,” he said.
Property mogul Trump, who has built up a big early lead in the race to become Republican nominee, has vowed to make Mexico pay for a wall to seal off the United States from its southern neighbour, prompting widespread criticism in both countries.
Trump, 69, has vowed to deport the 11 million migrants living illegally in the United States, a position shared by his younger Republican rival, the Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
