U.S. Sens. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) joined a bipartisan group of senators Monday in putting forward legislation authored by U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) that would prevent the Mexican government from taking over the Vulcan Port.
“I strongly condemn AMLO’s threats against Vulcan,” Hagerty said. “No nation or president, and especially one of our largest trade partners, should be allowed to bully an American firm without consequences.”
The measure is a response to the Mexican government invasion and shut down of Vulcan’s Punta Venado deep-water port in Quintana Roo over two years ago.
According to Bloomberg News, the legislation “would prevent boats using the port, if taken over by Mexico, from unloading or getting repairs in the US or territories like Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands.”
“President López Obrador’s scheme to seize Vulcan’s deep-water port would be a flagrant expropriation of a lawfully permitted, U.S.-owned operation,” Britt said about the bill. “Our bipartisan Defending American Property Abroad Act makes it clear that we’ll meet his illegal actions with crushing consequences.”
President López Obrador’s scheme to seize Vulcan’s deep-water port would be a flagrant expropriation of a lawfully permitted, U.S.-owned operation. Our bipartisan Defending American Property Abroad Act makes it clear that we’ll meet his illegal actions with crushing consequences. https://t.co/5X1elylQOp
— Senator Katie Boyd Britt (@SenKatieBritt) September 23, 2024
Lopez Obrador has argued that his government is going through all the required legal processes to turn the into a natural protected area.
Earlier this year, the Alabama House Congressional delegation released a joint statement condemning the action by the Mexican government.
“Make no mistake, Mexico’s recent actions to label Vulcan’s land and port as a ‘naturally protected area’ is an expropriation of a lawfully permitted, U.S.-owned operation,” the statement said. “This comes after the Mexican government has illegally shut down Vulcan’s operations for 26 months and illegally invaded their property twice with their military.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
