Donald Trump’s surprise decision to visit Mexico, the country he wants to seal off from the US with a security wall, has not been warmly received south of the border.
Mexico’s president, Enrique Peña Nieto, who has previously compared the Republican presidential nominee to Hitler and Mussolini, tried to strike a more emollient tone, tweeting: “I believe in dialogue to promote the interests of Mexico in the world and to protect Mexicans wherever they are.”
Many of his countrymen, however, were rather blunter as they anticipated the arrival of a man who has accused Mexico of “bringing their worst people” to America, including criminals and “rapists”.
“@realDonaldTrump you are not welcome in Mexico,” tweeted Miguel Barbosa, of the opposition party of the Democratic Revolution. “Get out! You’re coming to get your picture taken with the very people you’ve offended.”
Barbosa also attacked Peña Nieto, saying his invitation to Trump was not worthy of the Mexican government.
The former president Vicente Fox, who has frequently criticised Trump for his conduct towards Mexicans, was equally direct. “There’s no turning back, Trump, your insults to Mexicans, Muslims and others have dropped you into the hole where you find yourself today. Goodbye, Trump!”
Enrique Krauze, a historian, called on Trump to show he was sorry for his words and ideas. “Apologise @realDonaldTrump for calling us rapists and killers, guarantee that you won’t build the wall or deport 11 million Mexicans,” he wrote.
Pascal Beltrán del Río, a journalist, invited Peña Nieto to stand up to Trump and make his country’s grievances plain. “I’d like [him] to tell Trump to his face that Mexicans don’t deserve the things he’s said about us and that we won’t pay for the damn wall.”
Others felt Peña Nieto had committed a grave error by inviting Trump and thereby bolstering the legitimacy and credibility of his campaign.
“So this is the brilliant strategy that the Mexican government has devised for dealing with Trump?” asked Tatiana Basáñez, a social psychologist.
“[He’s] become a propaganda tool for the country’s worst enemy,” wrote Jesús Silva Herzog, a political analyst, adding: “No. This isn’t a calculated risk. It’s monumental stupidity. There’s no way this will work out well.”
Trump is expected to meet Peña Nieto at some point in the middle of the day before travelling to Phoenix, Arizona, to deliver an address on immigration.