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Trump Expresses Condolences to Mexican President after Earthquake


A family member laments the death of 64-year-old Reynalda Matus, as mourners prepare to bury her at the Miercoles Santo Cemetery in Juchitan, Oaxaca state, Mexico, Sept. 9, 2017. Matus was killed during a massive earthquake.
A family member laments the death of 64-year-old Reynalda Matus, as mourners prepare to bury her at the Miercoles Santo Cemetery in Juchitan, Oaxaca state, Mexico, Sept. 9, 2017. Matus was killed during a massive earthquake.

A week after Mexico was struck by an earthquake that killed scores of people, U.S. President Donald Trump called his Mexican counterpart to express his sympathy.

The White House said Thursday in a statement Trump called Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto “to extend his condolences for the lives lost and homes destroyed due to the earthquake...”

Trump, describing his conversation with the Mexican leader, told reporters on Air Force One, “That whole earthquake is terrible. We paid our respects.”

Trump said via his Twitter account that he had been unable to reach Pena Nieto for three days because of sketchy cell phone reception in the earthquake area in southern Mexico where the Mexican president was visiting.

The White House said Trump expressed his “solidarity with the government and people of Mexico as both our countries respond to the recent spate of natural disasters.”

Pena Nieto said last week the earthquake was the biggest Mexico has experienced in more than 100 years and declared three days on national mourning.

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