Mexico: Presidential Candidates Debate International Relations

Mexico's presidential hopefuls will discuss key issues in a second televised national debate late Sunday as the countdown to the July 1 presidential elections continues.

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The debate, which will take place in Tijuana, provides an opportunity for presidential hopefuls to tackle issues surrounding international and foreign relations.

Among the candidates is leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, also known as 'AMLO,' who registered 46 percent support in the latest Bloomberg poll – 18 points ahead of his closest rival, centrist Ricardo Anaya.

Joining AMLO and Anaya on stage is Jose Antonio Meade, from the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), whose popularity nosedived to 19 percent after the first debate on April 23.

Independent candidate Jaime Rodriguez Calderon's proposals from the first debate were widely circulated on social media, including his idea to cut off thieves' hands "literally." The sole female candidate, Margarita Zavala, dropped out last week citing "political honesty." 

Former Mexico City Mayor AMLO promised a rally this week in Oaxaca that, if elected, he would respond directly to any tweets by U.S. President Donald Trump about Mexico: "If he makes an offensive tweet, I'm going to take responsibility for answering him. 

"I think he is going to understand he has to get himself under control, that he can't go around offending the Mexican people. We don't want confrontations with him, but we are going to ask him to respect us."

Also on the debate's agenda are immigration and trade. NAFTA negotiations between the United States, Canada and Mexico have been slow because the United States is demanding a drastic hike in the number of U.S.-produced parts in vehicles assembled in North America.

The lead U.S. NAFTA negotiator, Robert Lighthizer, told the press on Thursday that the deal is "nowhere near" being resolved.