Payment for the wall has also become a central issue in Mexico, where Trump’s demand is seen as an affront to national pride and an irrational demand that the government cannot afford to comply with.

“There are things that go beyond negotiation and this is something that we will not do, we will never do, because this is about our dignity and our pride,” said Secretary of Foreign Relations Luis Videgaray Thursday.

Peña Nieto’s team has little space to maneuver on the issue, with record-low approval ratings and a political system at home gearing up for the 2018 presidential election.