Yesterday marked the 12th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and we will never forget the devastating effects it had on New Orleans residents and beyond. There have already been comparisons made between Katrina and the most recent Hurricane Harvey in Texas.
There have been disastrous incidents following Hurricane Harvey, including the most recent death of a police chief Sgt. Steve Perez who drowned, trapped in his patrol car on his way to work, according to AP News.
One particular comparison is the fact that Mexico previously aided the U.S. with disaster relief efforts following Katrina. Now, according to the Washington Post, Mexico is willing to help out this time around, as well.
The aid Mexico provided 12 years ago for Katrina relief was monumental in and of itself, as it had been the first time Mexico troops had stepped onto American soil since the 1846 Mexican-American war. This time, the gesture is even further complicated as it immediately followed President Trump’s social media statements regarding the Mexican border wall. He doubled-down on his "Mexico will pay for it" declarations, further noting that he was currently negotiating with Mexico and Canada via NAFTA.
With Mexico being one of the highest crime Nations in the world, we must have THE WALL. Mexico will pay for it through reimbursement/other.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2017
We are in the NAFTA (worst trade deal ever made) renegotiation process with Mexico & Canada.Both being very difficult,may have to terminate?— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2017
This past Sunday, the Mexican foreign council issued a statement in response to Trump’s wall tweets, reiterating the country's choice to decline wall payment “under any circumstances,” and that drug trafficking and related crime are a “shared problem.” However, the council also expressed solidarity in relief efforts and extended an offer of help to the U.S. government.
“The Mexican government takes this opportunity to express its full solidarity with the people and government of the United States for the damages caused by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, and express that we have offered the US government help and cooperation to be provided by different Mexican government agencies to deal with the impacts of this natural disaster — as good neighbors should always do in difficult times,” per the Mexico foreign council statement.
It's the U.S. government's call at this point. “It is common during hurricanes and other significant weather events for the U.S. Government to be in close contact with our neighbors and partners in the region to share data and cooperate as needed and appropriate. If a need for assistance does arise, we will work with our partners, including Mexico, to determine the best way forward,” noted the State Department in a statement.
