The U.S. government revoked the visa of Andrés Manuel López Beltrán on Thursday, prompting the son of the former Mexican president to publish an aggressively worded letter to President Donald Trump on social media.
In the letter, López Beltrán (often referred to as “Andy” by Mexican media) went on the offensive, calling the decision “politically motivated and propagandistic, in the Hitlerian style.” He also dismissed the impact of the action, saying he has no problem not visiting the U.S. during times of “hate, racism and drug addiction.”
Andy insisted there is “no reason whatsoever” for the “crude and perverse act of villainy” against him, declaring that he is guided by “the ideals, principles and honesty instilled in me by my parents and practiced out of conviction in my political work.”
The letter also speculated that Trump could be unaware of the decision, saying that if the U.S. president were aware then it is an “arrogant” action and “demonstrates, as my father recently wrote, that you are now an apathetic leader, much different from the person he knew and dealt with.”
Andy’s father, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, served as Mexican president from December 2018 through September 2024, overlapping with Trump’s first term which extended from January 2017 through January 2021.
Andy was particularly harsh with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and undersecretary Christopher Landau, referring to the latter as “El Quitavisas” (“The Visa Taker”).
Landau, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico during Trump’s first term, earned his “Quitavisas” moniker — and proudly embraced it — due to his aggressive policy of reviewing and revoking U.S. visas for foreign citizens who in his judgment mocked U.S. figures, glorified violence or participated in political corruption.
In recent months, Landau has orchestrated a sweep that revoked visas for over 50 Mexican politicians, most of them linked to the ruling Morena party for which Andy had been the secretary of organization until resigning in July to prepare a run for office next year.
Members of the opposition National Action Party were quick to demand that the Federal Attorney General’s Office initiate an investigation into Andy’s potential involvement in fuel theft and influence trafficking, while insisting the Financial Intelligence Unit investigate his finances.
For her part, President Claudia Sheinbaum dismissed the revocation of Andy’s visa as “a politically motivated decision aimed at interfering in Mexico’s internal affairs.”
With reports from El País, Animal Político, La Jornada and The Associated Press
