Mexican finance minister steps down after helping arrange Trump visit Joshua Partlow 9-7-2016 The Washington Post MEXICO CITY — President Enrique Peña Nieto on Wednesday replaced his finance minister, widely seen as the architect of Donald Trump’s trip to Mexico, after the U.S. presidential candidate’s visit caused a firestorm of protest here. Peña Nieto offered no explanation for the resignation of Luis Videgaray, one of his closest aides and the protagonist of some of the government’s signature economic reforms. But it came a week after the Mexican leader appeared to deferentially greet a politician who has antagonized Mexicans with his harsh criticism of immigrants and his vow to build a huge border wall. Peña Nieto’s decision to host Trump has provoked one of his most severe political crises since he took office in 2012, with even his own cabinet deeply divided over the move. “The political cost [of the visit] was extremely high for Peña Nieto, and he was obliged to find someone to blame,” said Alberto Arnaut, a political science professor at the College of Mexico, explaining the minister’s departure. The Trump visit, he said, “was a monumental failure.” Full Article
