El Paso, Juarez mayors discuss Borderland economy, projects and travel warning

El Paso mayor Dee Margo and Ciudad Juarez Mayor Armando Cabada held a meeting Wednesday afternoon.

The meeting comes a day after the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for those going into Juarez.

Cabada spoke against the warning saying the way the U.S. State Department portrays the city is not day to day living in Juarez.

The mayor told the media he and Cabada discussed several projects and planned more meetings between not only them but the City Council as well.

Margo said it was imperative the community understand El Paso is intrinsically tied to Juarez.

“Terminating NAFTA would be like shooting yourself in the foot and watching yourself bleed to death. It’s ridiculous, Texas has $95 billion in trade with Mexico not counting what we have here in El Paso,” Margo said.

Cabada also spoke about President Trump’s recent comments about ending the free trade agreement between the U.S. and Mexico.

The Juarez mayor said it wouldn’t be a benefit to the U.S. to end free trade with Mexico.

Margo also commented on the president’s recent statement on ending the free trade agreement.

“Unfortunately, we have way too much political rhetoric out there. Way too much emotions that’s misplaced. And I’m a rational pragmatist when it comes to the basics of that and would prefer that type of rhetoric not be involved in our conversation,” Margo said.