Last week, Enrique de la Madrid, Mexico’s secretary of tourism, visited New York with a sales pitch. It was not to proclaim the joys of Mexico’s beaches or culture; instead, de la Madrid is part of a cohort of Mexican ministers who are being quietly dispatched this summer to America on a mission to persuade voters to feel grateful for their trade partnership.
Recently, the word “Mexico” has stirred up all manner of political tension: Donald Trump has said he will force the country to pay for a border wall and continues to make derogatory comments about Mexican immigrants. Unfortunately, this anti-immigrant — and anti-Mexican — tone has infected other corners of the Republican debate.
So now the Mexicans are trying to fight back — but not with more insults or by mentioning Trump by name.“We are not focused on any particular candidate,” de la Madrid told me when I met him last week. Instead, they are marshalling data to show why, as de la Madrid puts it: “The relationship with Mexico is good for Americans.” Call it, if you like, an attack by a statistical shock troop that aims to “set the record straight”.