Coronavirus: Mexicans demand crackdown on Americans crossing the border
Mexican protesters have shut a US southern border crossing amid fears that untested American travellers will spread coronavirus.
Residents in Sonora, south of the US state of Arizona, have promised to block traffic into Mexico for a second day after closing a checkpoint for hours on Wednesday.
They wore face masks and held signs telling Americans to "stay at home".
Mexico has fewer than 500 confirmed Covid-19 cases and the US over 65,000.
The border is supposed to be closed to all except "essential" business, but protesters said there has been little enforcement and no testing by authorities.
The blockade was led by members of the group Sonorans for Health and Life, who called for medical testing to be done on anyone who crosses from the US into Mexico.
Jose Luis Hernandez, a group member, told the Arizona Republic: "There are no health screenings by the federal government to deal with this pandemic. That's why we're here in Nogales. We've taken this action to call on the Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to act now."
The Mexican president has been criticised for his response to the pandemic, as has US President Donald Trump.
Mr Hernandez said the Wednesday demonstrations were a "first warning" to Mr Lopez Obrador, popularly known by his initials, Amlo.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52053656
= new reply since forum marked as read
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the news while giving his daily briefing to reporters...“Canada and the United States have the longest un-militarized border in the world and it is very much in both of our interests for it to remain that way...”
“Canada is strongly opposed to this U.S. proposal, and we’ve made that very clear to our U.S. counterparts,” ...(said) Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland..."We are very directly and very forcefully expressing...that in Canada’s view, this is an entirely unnecessary step which we will view as damaging to our relationship.”
Unnecessary? Well, unless you're ready for an influx of Americans with no confidence in Trump, Canada, maybe YOU'RE the ones who should be sending troops to the border!
rocktivity
