14:47, 02-Mar-2018
US-Mexico Relations: US Ambassador to Mexico says she will step down in May
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The US Ambassador to Mexico says she is leaving her post. That makes Roberta Jacobson the third senior US diplomat to resign this year. CGTN's Alasdair Baverstock has more from Mexico City.
ALASDAIR BAVERSTOCK MEXICO CITY Roberta Jacobson is leaving her position as US ambassador to Mexico after just under two years in the post -- and more than 30 years in diplomatic service. She was appointed by the Obama administration when relations between these two countries were steady. That's not the case today, and her departure comes at a particularly difficult time.
The two countries are in the middle of tense NAFTA renegotiations which are going on for far longer than expected, and Mexico's president has yet to make an official trip up to visit his counterpart in Washington.
Reports of a tense phone call between the two presidents last week led to Enrique Peña Nieto cancelling a planned visit for a second time in a year.
Jacobson was considered one of the most knowledgeable US diplomats on the subject of Latin America, and was highly regarded here in Mexico.
Now it will be up to the Trump administration to appoint the next ambassador, charged with navigating the ever-complicated relationship between these North American neighbors. Alasdair Baverstock, CGTN, Mexico City.