Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is "considering" cancelling his trip to Washington for a scheduled meet with United States President Donald Trump after the Republican billionaire issued orders on Wednesday to begin construction of the controversial border wall, according to a senior official.
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The US president, during his presidential campaign, had insisted that Mexico would be made to pay for the construction of the wall along the US's southern border, however the Mexican government has repeatedly rejected the claim stating it wwould do no such thing. Trump had proposed the wall to stop illegal immigrants from Mexico coming in America.
Nieto, in a nationally-televised speech on Wednesday, stated that he rejects Trump's decision and again stressed that Mexico would not pay for the wall proposed by the US President.
"Mexico does not believe in walls," he said. "I have said time and time again, Mexico will not pay for any wall."
Although Nieto did not mention his upcoming trip to the US directly, he said he would make his final decision based on the report from Mexican officials who are currently in Washington.
"Based on the final report from the Mexican officials who are in Washington right now ... I will make decisions about what to do next," he added.
Although the Mexican President denounced the construction of any such border wall, he also talked about Mexico's friendship with the US and said that his nation is willing to reach agreements with the US.
"Mexico re-affirms its friendship with the people of the United States, and its willingness to reach agreements with its government," he said.
A Mexican official told the Associated Press, on condition of anonymity, that the Mexican administration is "considering" cancelling the US visit scheduled on January 31.
The Mexican President has been under fire from the opposition and citizens for presenting a weak front to Trump and for not taking strict decisions. The opposition politicians, on Wednesday, urged Nieto to cancel his scheduled trip to meet Trump.
The National Action Party's Margareta Zavala, a 2018 presidential hopeful, on Wednesday said that Trump's decision of signing an order to build a wall along the Mexican borders before Nieto's visit was "an offense to Mexico".
