Mexico City, Mexico — A plane from the United States loaded with respirators landed in Mexico on Tuesday, materializing an agreement for the acquisition of the equipment between Presidents Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) and Donald Trump, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard reported.
In mid-April, AMLO said that his US counterpart had, during a phone call, guaranteed the country would receive 1,000 respirators and that he could acquire more.
The first batch of 211 Hamilton Medical devices, purchased at a price of between $16,000 and $24,000 per unit, landed at the Toluca airport near the capital as part of an airlift from Reno, Nevada and with a stopover in Memphis, Tennessee.
Tthe foreign minister noted that the aid was the result “of a direct request from president to president,” which made for cheaper costs. “It was agreed that there would be support so that Mexico could acquire respirators,” he explained before thanking President Trump for honoring his commitment to dispatch the respirators on time.
“Our gratitude to all who have made it possible,” said the Secretary of Foreign Relations through his Twitter account.
López Obrador reiterated during his Tuesday morning press conference his intention to travel to the neighboring country in July to thank Trump for his solidarity and celebrate with him the revamped North American Free Trade agreement.
