The US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar (l), and the Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm (r), in Mexico City. Business Coordinating Council Sofia Ontiveros (EFE Business Coordinating Council)
After Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador described the meeting he held on Thursday with the White House Energy Secretary, Jennifer Granholm, as "cordial," the senior official expressed in a statement "real concerns of the Biden- Harris regarding the potential negative impact of Mexico's proposed energy reforms on US private investment" in the country, according to a statement released Friday afternoon.
Granholm visited Mexico to discuss the electricity sector reform proposed by López Obrador, which would limit the participation of private companies, especially renewable energy companies.
The Mexican government maintains that the contracts with said companies, which would be cancelled, were negotiated under corruption and abuses in the previous administration, but it has not charged any company with justice.
"The proposed reform could also hamper joint efforts by the United States and Mexico on clean energy and climate," Granholm said.
“We must maintain and enhance open and competitive energy markets that benefit North America.
They assured me that Mexico is committed to supporting clean energy and resolving current disputes with energy projects within the rule of law,” he added.
Granholm highlighted Mexico's potential to generate renewable energy, which, he estimated, if fully realized, would have the capacity to electrify a territory 10 times the size of the country and could create millions of "well-paying" jobs and develop an extraordinary export-oriented industry. to a world that needs clean energy solutions”.
"Mexico is our second largest trading partner and US companies are the main investors in Mexico," he said in the statement, "we have a fundamental interest in the success of Mexico and its people."
For his part, in a morning press conference on Friday, López Obrador assured that the United States has been "respectful" with the plans it has for the country and that the investments of each company will be reviewed on a list presented by the White House, for the sake of "solving" some injustice after analyzing case by case.
The president attacked companies that asked the government of President Joe Biden to intercede for them in the face of a change in regulation.
"They seek to protect themselves with the United States Government," he said.
“They should be ashamed.
They are reverend thieves," he said.
subscribe here
to the
newsletter
of EL PAÍS México and receive all the informative keys of the current affairs of this country