Trump rose to power in part by assailing America's neighbors, and his departure was greeted with glee. But now Biden has his own woes

MEXICO CITY — When North American leaders gathered in 2021 — at the first summit for the group in five years — the mood was upbeat. Gone was former President Donald Trump, who came to power demonizing Mexican migrants and who once called Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “very dishonest and weak.”

But as President Joe Biden takes part Monday in what’s informally known as the “Three Amigos” summit, the camaraderie has begun to fade, and the post-Trump honeymoon appears to have ended. 

Differences over trade practices and crime have grown steadily more pronounced. In two days of closed-door meetings, the leaders are expected to hash out grievances while searching for a consensus on reducing the continent’s dependence on China for crucial goods and supplies. “Last year, the agenda was a celebration of the fact that the so-called ‘Three Amigos’ summit was coming back after a hiatus under the Trump administration,” said Ryan Berg, the director of the Americas program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Now, there are a lot of tensions to unpack. It’s going to be less of a feel-good summit than last year’s, particularly because trade tensions have arisen and are very serious. They will be the elephant in the room for a lot of the discussions in Mexico City.