DoD Wants to Re-Open Mexico

The U.S. re-open protests are reaching Mexico at the highest levels, as the Trump administration pressures Mexico (e.g. through ambassador tweets, how else?) to re-open defense-related maquiladoras. The Defense Department is doing the same. Who knows, it might even be affecting the Space Force.

The most serious impacts to the Defense Department from COVID-19-related industrial closures domestically are in the aviation supply chain, shipbuilding and small space launch, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment said.

We know that Mexico is in a particularly intense phase of the virus, since AMLO was still hugging people and pretending nothing was amiss until relatively recently. We know that some of these plants have work stoppages because of protests by workers who are not being adequately protected. We also know that the Mexican health system, like any other such system in a developing country, cannot handle anything close to what developed countries can.

Infringing on sovereignty by overriding health policy in other countries is a problem. It's an even worse problem when your own response domestically has been terrible and as a result your administration has no credibility about when re-opening is appropriate. So you end up with the administration's default toward Mexico, which is bullying. Up to this point, AMLO has smiled and followed orders. Don't be surprise if it happens here too.