Donald Trump’s recent trip to Mexico has rubbed a number of people the wrong way, including Academy Award winning director Alejandro Inarritu. The Revenant helmer, who was born in Mexico, says he is disappointed in Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto for inviting the Republican presidential nominee, saying Nieto “no longer represents me.”
Inarritu, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, penned an op-ed for El Pais conveying his frustration at the Mexican president. Inarritu wrote that he did not understand why Trump, who has continued to promise to build a wall along Mexico’s border, was welcomed by the president. His anger at Trump and Nieto was also shared by former Mexican president Vicente Fox who was blunt in his criticism by saying “We [Mexico] don’t like him.” Inarritu shared the same sentiment and feels Nieto “lacks dignity:”
“Enrique Pena Nieto’s invitation to Donald Trump is a betrayal. It legitimizes someone who has insulted us, spit on us and threatened us for more than a year in front of the entire world. It lacks dignity and further strengthens a political campaign of hatred toward us, toward half of humanity and toward the most vulnerable minorities on the planet.”
Oscar winners are not the only people who are a bit upset over Nieto’s meeting with Trump. The Washington Post reported the Mexican government was split on whether or not to invite Trump at all. The Post stated many were disappointed with Nieto’s perceived ineptitude and former Mexican foreign minister Jorge Castañeda said it was a PR disaster:
“This is probably the single worst public relations disaster of his entire administration. The substance of [Peña Nieto’s] entire message should have been that the wall and the deportations and revisiting NAFTA are all unacceptable positions to Mexico, and all would constitute serious threats to the U.S. relationship with Mexico.”
Nieto’s decision to invite Trump is a major about face from the country, as it has usually stayed out of U.S. presidential politics. Nieto has reportedly not been doing very well in the polls and the Trump meeting was thought to help his public image of making peace with an opponent. Now he seems to be backtracking on that message and combating Trump.