Mexico did not end diplomatic relations with Canada

"The Mexican government breaks off political relations with Canada and withdraws your permission to continue mining gold and minerals in the country," claims the voiceover of a December 8, 2024 Instagram video.

Other versions of the same clip spread elsewhere on Instagram and TikTok alleging Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum cut off Canada after disparaging comments Prime Minister Justin Trudeau supposedly made over Trump's proposed tariffs. The claims also spread in Spanish.

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Screenshot of an Instagram post taken December 12, 2024

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Screenshot of a TikTok taken December 12, 2024

In late November, Trump threatened to implement a steep 25 percent tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, saying it would remain in effect until the two countries met his demand to reduce the flow of drugs and migrants coming into the United States.

The North American trade tensions already prompted misinformation debunked by AFP and the claims that barbs thrown over the tariffs led to a breakdown of diplomatic relations between Canada and Mexico are similarly unfounded.

The Embassy of Mexico in Ottawa told AFP the claims were "absolutely false."

"Mexico has not broken relations with Canada," it said in a December 10 email.

The communications office of the Presidency of Mexico said Sheinbaum never made a statement about a break in relations or mining permits, which AFP confirmed with a search of transcripts from recent press conferences and the government's YouTube channel (archived here and here).

Rather, the Mexican president called for cooperation between Mexico, Canada and the United States on several occasions during November and December (archived here, here, here and here).

Furthermore, the Foreign Ministry of Mexico's communications office said on December 4 the video was false and that the Mexican government maintains relations with its Canadian counterpart.

Global Affairs Canada also confirmed in a December 12 email that diplomatic ties between the countries continue.

Mexico-Canada relations

The posts attribute the non-existent diplomatic rift to a supposed response from Trudeau over the tariffs, claiming he said it was insulting for Canada to be compared to Mexico. 

AFP could not find a record of Trudeau commenting on the comparison in this way using keyword searches.

However, Ontario Premier Doug Ford did tell a November 26 press conference; "To compare us to Mexico, this is the most insulting thing I've ever heard from our friends and closest allies."

Sheinbaum also launched criticisms at Canada during ensuing trade discussions, saying the northern country had a fentanyl-consumption problem, but that both nations would not "fall for a provocation of which country is better."

Juan Daniel Garay Saldaña, a professor of Mexico-United States Studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (archived here), told AFP that the breaking off of diplomatic relations is usually not an automatic process. He noted that when a split is being considered, countries will typically first recall their ambassadors -- which has not occurred with Canada and Mexico.

"Mexico, for example, is not so prone to breaking relations, especially with its main trading partners, such as Canada and the United States," he said on December 4.

Mining permits

The posts also mention a supposed cancellation of Canadian mining permits in Mexico. 

An estimated 214 Canadian mining companies operate in Mexico (archived here), according to the Mexican Secretariat of Economy, with some of the largest being Agnico Eagle Mines, Alamos Gold, Almadex Minerals, First Mining Gold and Riverside Resources (archived here).

There is no record of cancellations or concessions of Canadian mining companies in the official list of the Mexican Geological Service since Sheinbaum took office in October (archived here).

Read more of AFP's reporting on misinformation in Canada here.