US Presidential Candidates in Contest of Atrocities: AMLO

On Wednesday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) said the U.S. presidential race has devolved into a contest among candidates trying to outdo each other in "atrocities."

"As the elections loom in the United States, there is a kind of contest to see who says the most atrocities, who is the most brazen in threatening Mexico, in blaming Mexico... that is what is happening in the United States," AMLO said, calling on the Hispanic community to disregard the rhetoric.

"So what should we do? Well, not take these statements seriously, they are nonsense," he added, urging Mexicans residing in the United States to not vote for candidates who speak ill of migrants or support anti-immigrant policies.

Over 40 million Mexicans live in the United States. Data from Pew Research Center showed that Mexicans are the largest population of Hispanic origin living in America, accounting for 60 percent of the U.S. Hispanic population in 2021.

On Wednesday night, Republican presidential candidates faced off at the second primary debate of the 2024 election, trading barbs, but failed to deliver any fresh and convincing solution.

Seven candidates sparred over a string of issues, including union workers, economic policy and immigration, during the two-hour debate in Simi Valley, California.

Once again, former President Donald Trump has skipped the debate. Instead, he held a rally in Michigan with auto union members. Yet, the frontrunner was still the target of his rivals on the stage.