The United States has refused a request by Mexico for water, alleging shortfalls in sharing by its southern neighbor, as Donald Trump ramps up a battle on another front.
The state department said on Thursday it was the first time that the United States had rejected a request by Mexico for special delivery of water, which would have gone to the border city of Tijuana.
The 1944 treaty, which governs water allocation from the Rio Grande and Colorado River, has come under growing strain in recent years due to the pressures of the climate crisis and the burgeoning populations and agriculture in parched areas.
The treaty sets five-year cycles for water deliveries, with the latest set to end in October 2025.
Under the treaty, Mexico sends water from rivers in the Rio Grande basin to the US, which in turn sends Mexico water from the Colorado River, further to the west. But Mexico has fallen behind in its water payments due to drought conditions in the arid north of the country.
Brooke Rollins, the US agriculture secretary, on Wednesday announced $280m in relief funds for Rio Grande valley farmers.
Posted by John3262005