As Mexico and Canada send firefighters and resources to aid California, contrasting social responses highlight the complex impact of political tensions and international solidarity.
Professor Arjun Trumblay from the Politics and International Studies department at the University of Regina assures that this phenomenon is entirely linked to the presence of Donald Trump in the US political landscape.
While the Trump administration has taken a very hostile position towards both Mexico and Canada, historically, the relationship with Mexico has been identified as more antagonistic.
“The Mexican reaction is perhaps reflective not necessarily about the fires themselves, but more generally indicative of the highly deteriorated relationship between Mexico and the United States,” said Trumblay.
Despite President Trump’s previous statements, which may have appeared hostile or critical of the Canadian and Mexican governments, the countries did not hesitate to provide assistance when it became necessary. In a humanitarian response, the US bordering countries Canada and Mexico have sent help to control these devastating fires.
On Jan. 11, Mexico dispatched a team of 72 firefighters to assist in combating the wildfires; meanwhile, in Canada, the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec have sent teams of firefighters and CL-415 water bombers to aid the current L.A. staff.
Other provinces have offered assistance and are waiting for the response to deploy, this includes New Brunswick and Saskatchewan, who on January 14, 2025, proposed to send a birddog aircraft, 10 firefighters, and 3,000 feet of hoses to California.
The Los Angeles wildfires, which began on Jan. 7, have resulted in a devastating outcome. As of Jan. 21, at least 28 were reported to have died in the fires with more injured.
More than 17,000 structures have suffered damages to some degree, and about 40,588 acres of Los Angeles and surrounding countries have burned.
However, the response of Canadians and Mexicans towards the decisions of their political representatives is extremely varied. The social media accounts of the aid groups, like AlbertaWildfires on X and Facebook, as well as the Mexican Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection on Facebook and X, display a wide range of emotions, from pride in the humanitarian aid their nation shows to harsh disapproval.
Trumblay also warns about the upcoming challenges both countries might face with the threats of change around the corner.
He predicts that if significant attitudes and changes are kept on track, like the 25% tariff imposed continues, Canadians might start to get more familiar with the antagonistic relationship currently between Mexico and the US.
“So if something like this happens in the future, another natural disaster, despite the governments of North America combining their efforts to be able to tackle this stuff, I would suspect that you would see a similar Canadian reaction to what you’re seeing in Mexico right now,” Trumblay said.
