Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday, 23 May 2025, publicly defended the principle of self-determination and voiced sharp disagreement with the United States Department of Justice's decision to file criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro. Speaking at her daily press conference in Mexico City, Sheinbaum questioned both the timing and the rationale of the indictment.

Sheinbaum's Challenge to the US Indictment

'What is the point of accusing someone now for something that happened 30 years ago?' Sheinbaum said at the press conference. The US indictment accuses Castro, now 94 years old, of allegedly playing a role in the 1996 downing of two aircraft operated by the Cuban-American exile group Brothers to the Rescue. At the time of the incident, Castro served as Cuba's Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.

According to the Cuban government, the aircraft had repeatedly violated Cuban airspace and ignored prior warnings, leaving Cuba no choice but to exercise what it described as its right to self-defence. The US indictment frames the same events as a criminal act — a framing Mexico's president explicitly rejected.

Mexico's Position on US Interference

Sheinbaum said the United States has historically used the issue of drug trafficking as a pretext for interference in other nations' affairs, adding that Mexico does not share that approach. She stressed that Mexico must remain mindful of its own history while continuing to cooperate with Washington where possible.

'We do not want to fight with them,' she said, adding that Mexico seeks cooperation while prioritising the interests of both peoples and maintaining constructive relationships between the two governments. The remarks signal a careful balancing act — pushing back on US unilateralism without severing bilateral ties.

Security Cooperation Framework Under the Spotlight

Separately, Sheinbaum reaffirmed the ongoing collaboration between Mexico and the United States on security matters, but stressed that any such cooperation must comply with Mexican law and respect national sovereignty. She disclosed that she had discussed key security issues during a meeting on Thursday with US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

'I explained to him with complete transparency what our laws and Constitution are. The framework in which cooperation must take place,' she said, noting that Mexican law does not permit joint operations by foreign agents on national territory.

Both sides reportedly reaffirmed their commitment to working under the principles of mutual respect and coordination. 'It was very clear ... that the cooperation between the United States and Mexico is that — cooperation and coordination, not subordination,' Sheinbaum said. The next meeting under the security framework is expected to take place in June 2025.

CIA Incident in Chihuahua Adds Pressure

Mullin's visit came against a charged backdrop: two US citizens, reportedly linked to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), were said to have participated in an operation in April in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Both individuals later died in a car accident. The incident has heightened sensitivities in Mexico City over the boundaries of bilateral security cooperation and the presence of foreign agents on Mexican soil.

With the next security framework meeting set for June, how both governments navigate the sovereignty fault line will be closely watched across Latin America.