LATAM POLITICS TODAY-Spike in US-Mexico border crossings fuels political tensions as Title 42 ends

Mexico president to propose abolishing judicial trusts Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would present a bill to do away with government trusts funding the judiciary, his latest attack on the branch after an electoral reform he had backed was partially struck down by the Supreme Court.

The latest in Latin American politics on Thursday:

Spike in US-Mexico border crossings fuels political tensions as Title 42 ends SAN DIEGO/WASHINGTON - The U.S. will lift COVID-19 border restrictions known as Title 42 on Thursday night, a major shift that has drawn tens of

thousands of migrants to the U.S.-Mexico border, straining local communities and intensifying political divisions.

The number of migrants caught crossing illegally has climbed in recent weeks, with daily apprehensions surpassing 10,000 on Monday and Tuesday. U.S. border cities have struggled to shelter the new arrivals and provide transportation to onward destinations. Mexico president to propose abolishing judicial trusts

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would present a bill to do away with government trusts funding the judiciary, his latest attack on the branch after an electoral reform he had backed was partially struck down by the Supreme Court. In a regular press conference, Lopez Obrador said some 20 billion pesos of funds would instead go to fund government aid for students and low-income families. “A government can’t be rich while its people are poor,” he added, slamming judges’ salaries.

Colombia's defense minister travels to Venezuela for border security talks Colombia's defense minister Ivan Velasquez will travel to meet his Venezuelan counterpart Vladimir Padrino in Venezuela's capital, Caracas, to discuss border security issues, Velasquez confirmed in a Twitter post.

Velasquez also said boats which were seized by Venezuela in 2020 will be formally handed over to Colombia during the visit. Spanish PM will ask Biden to listen to China, Brazil on Ukraine

MADRID - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will urge the United States to give more weight to the opinions of non-NATO countries such as Brazil

and China on the Ukraine war when he meets President Joe Biden in Washington on Friday, a Spanish diplomatic source said. (Compiled by Steven Grattan; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)