MEXICO CITY, Aug 14 - Andres Manuel Lopez Beltran, widely known as "Andy" and a son of former Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said the United States has revoked his visa, and he attributed the action to orders from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau. Lopez Beltran set out his claims in a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump that was released late on Thursday, and in it he said U.S. authorities have not provided any evidence linking him to criminal conduct.
The 39-year-old, who until recently held a leadership role within the ruling Morena party founded by his father, said the visa cancellation amounted to "a crude and perverse act" carried out by U.S. officials and hardliners. In his letter, he contended those officials commonly disparage foreign politicians by branding them "communists," "threats to U.S. security," or "narco-terrorists."
Lopez Beltran stepped down from his party position as he prepares to run for a seat in Mexico's lower house of Congress in the 2027 midterm elections, with a likely candidacy in a district in his home state of Tabasco. He told President Trump in the letter that he hoped the concerns he raised would elicit a response.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum commented on Friday that the U.S. practice of revoking visas for individuals Washington classifies as "politically exposed persons" is "essentially political" when such measures are not applied consistently across countries. Her remarks underscore a broader complaint in Mexico about perceived uneven application of U.S. visa policy.
In his letter, Lopez Beltran also said he would not mind avoiding travel to the United States, which he described as undergoing a period marked by hatred, racism and drug addiction. He further referenced an open letter published in June by his father, in which the former president accused U.S. authorities of using "interventionist and unscrupulous practices" to bolster Mexico's right-wing opposition and weaken his leftist movement.
Previous reporting indicated that the U.S. government revoked the visas of at least 50 Mexican politicians and officials last year as part of an effort by the Trump administration to crack down on drug cartels and alleged political allies of those organizations. The U.S. embassy in Mexico did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Lopez Beltran's statement.
Context and implications
Lopez Beltran's public letter combines a personal grievance with broader political messaging, linking his own visa revocation to disputes between Washington and figures associated with Mexico's ruling party. By resigning from his party role while announcing intentions to seek elected office, he has positioned himself as both a political actor and a critic of U.S. policy toward Mexican officials.
At present, available information in Lopez Beltran's communications asserts the absence of evidence tying him to wrongdoing; he regards the visa action as politically motivated and has sought redress or at least a response from the U.S. president.