False claim US wants to invade Mexico; countries are longtime allies | Fact check
The claim: The US wants to invade Mexico
[En Español: Es falso: EE.UU. quiere invadir México; los países son aliados desde hace tiempo | Hechos]
A Feb. 9 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows an image that includes pictures of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexican presidential candidate Xóchitl Gálvez and U.S. President Joe Biden.
“Apparently, the USA wants to invade Mexico,” the post reads in Spanish.
A previous version of the claim on Instagram accumulated more than 500 likes in a week before it was edited and the invasion reference was removed.
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Our rating: False
The claim is nonsense. There is no evidence or credible reporting to suggest the U.S. wants or is considering an invasion of Mexico.
Mexico is one of the closest allies of US
A U.S. invasion would be an abrupt departure from how the U.S. has engaged with its longtime ally. The U.S. State Department describes Mexico as "one of the United States’ closest and most valued partners," noting on its website that the two countries have had 200 years of diplomatic relations.
“There is no evidence that the U.S. is considering military action against Mexico or election interference,” said Duncan Wood, senior advisor to the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center, which provides nonpartisan counsel to Congress. “The bilateral relationship is becoming an issue in election campaigns on both sides of the border. It is fundamentally important that people check the validity of the social media posts they receive.”
Such a development would be major international news, and there is no credible reporting supporting the claim that the U.S. wants to invade its southern neighbor.
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Paste BN reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-check sources:
- U.S. State Department, Sept. 13, 2023, U.S. Relations With Mexico
- Duncan Wood, Feb. 28, Email exchange and phone call with Paste BN
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