Mexican president says his country won't pay for border wall

(Image credit: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images)

Hours after President Trump signed an executive order directing federal funds to the building of a U.S.-Mexico border wall, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said his country absolutely will not pay for it.

Trump has said several times that Mexico will reimburse the U.S. for "100 percent" of the wall's cost, but Peña Nieto, who said he "regrets and disapproves" of Trump's rush to build the barrier, disagreed. "I've said it time and time again: Mexico won't pay for any wall," he said. "It comes as our country is talking on new rules on cooperation, trade, investment, security, and migration in the North American region. As president, I assume the complete responsibility to defend the interests of Mexico and Mexicans." Mexico does "offer its friendship to the American people and its willingness to reach accords with their government," he added. "Agreements that will be in favor of both Mexico and the U.S."

Peña Nieto is scheduled to visit Trump in Washington on Jan. 31, and did not mention canceling or putting off the trip.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.