North American Leaders Summit (NALS)/Gun Regulation

Meeting with the US and Canada. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said  the North American Leaders Summit (NALS) has allowed Mexico to strengthen economic and commercial relations with the US and Canada in a way that had not been seen in decades. “Our economy is very stable because of the good relationship we have with the US and Canada, one that is getting stronger.”"

The summit is commonly known as the meeting of the “three friends” and is normally organized yearly. During this year´s summit, economy, migration, drug trafficking, clean energy and regional development were the major topics discussed. In addition, the three leaders agreed on the creation of a joint committee that will focus on import substitution in North America, while making regional economic development and cooperation a reality for all countries in the Americas.

Accident in Mexico City Metro. López Obrador lamented the accidents that have occurred on the subway in recent years and called on the authorities to provide a transparent report.

On Saturday, another accident was reported at the Mexico City Metro: a two-train collision killed one person and injuring57.  The accident occurred at 9:17 a.m. between La Raza and Potrero stations on Line 3. According to users, the accident happened after the train hit the brakes abruptly, resulting in a power supply cut off. Authorities reported that four people were trapped in the wreckage. The Head of Mexico City’s Government, Claudia Sheinbaum, assured that justice would be served. Meanwhile, experts have said that in recent years, the increase in metro accidents has been associated with the lack of resources invested in its operations and maintenance.

Gun regulation. Minister of Foreign Relations, Marcelo Ebrard, stressed that an agreement was reached with the US to control arms trafficking and implement an information system that will report who sells the guns and where they are sent.

On Aug. 4, 2022, the Mexican government announced it was suing six US manufacturers:  Smith & Wesson, Barrett Firearms, Colt’s Manufacturing Company, Glock and Ruger for promoting access to high-powered weapons without having strict regulations. According to the lawsuit, more than 500,000 firearms illegally cross from the US to Mexico -  more than 68 percent come from these six companies.

The government explained that the lack of regulation contributes to the illegal trafficking of arms to Mexico. In 2019, weapons trafficked into Mexico were responsible for 17,000 murders. Furthermore, the estimated damage to the economy caused by violence is around 1.7 percent of the country’s GDP.