Introduction
The United States Ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, appears to be following the negotiation manual titled “Never give an inch: fighting for the America I love,” penned by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In this guide, Pompeo shares his recipe for success in persuading Mexican officials.
The Pompeo Method and its Application
According to reports, Mexican officials accept decisions made by the Trump administration regarding Mexico under one condition: not revealing the truth to the Mexican public. Essentially, they modify real facts into a “soberanist” format where “cooperation and not subordination; free determination of peoples, and no interference” become part of the morning ritual’s creed.
Ambassador Johnson and the “Soberanist” Narrative
Ambassador Johnson agreed to disseminate the “soberanist” version of Claudia Sheinbaum’s claim about Rayn Wedding, a drug trafficker, being handed over to U.S. authorities at the old embassy premises.
Verification and AI Detection
To ensure the authenticity of this narrative, FBI Director Kash Pattel confirmed Wedding’s arrest in an operation involving an anti-kidnapping command, the same unit that participated in the La Carlota military base operation to apprehend Nicolás Maduro in Caracas on January 3rd.
Canadian journalist Thomas Daigle from CBC discovered that the photograph of Wedding near the U.S. embassy, featured in the morning press conference, was produced using AI.
Sheinbaum denied this, claiming the image did not reveal its AI-generated origin.
The Pompeo Method in Action
This week, the Mexican president employed the Pompeo method when she struggled to effectively refute Bloomberg’s report. The “yes, but no” and “no, but yes” tactics echo Octavio Paz’s description of the Mexican double-faced nature in “El laberinto de la soledad.”
Neither Palacio Nacional nor the Foreign Ministry has recognized that the U.S. government’s press releases increasingly diverge from those issued by the Secretariat of Foreign Relations.
These are, in essence, “morning narratives” or “storytelling.”
Visual Consistency and AI Avoidance
The photograph from yesterday’s call between Presidents Trump and Sheinbaum mirrors the previous 15 calls, with Sheinbaum smiling and a distorted, grayed-out secretary in the background. The positive aspect is that AI was not used in this instance.
Had the Pompeo method been applied to Marcelo Ebrard during the early days of the 4T, it would have deserved an Oscar for best political performance.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the Pompeo Method? It’s a negotiation strategy developed by former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, focusing on subtly influencing Mexican officials through carefully crafted narratives.
- Who is Ronald Johnson? He is the current U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, who reportedly follows the Pompeo Method in his negotiations.
- What is the significance of AI detection in this context? The use of AI to create or manipulate images and narratives highlights the growing importance of technology in shaping public perception and international relations.
- How does the Pompeo Method impact U.S.-Mexico relations? The method can lead to a growing disconnect between official statements and reality, potentially damaging trust and cooperation between the two nations.
