Mexico: Finance minister Luis Videgaray quits following backlash from Donald Trump's flying visit

Mexican Finance Minister, Luis Videgaray has resigned in the wake of Donald Trump's visit to the country, after a public backlash followed the meeting. The bombastic billionaire was invited by President Enrique Pena Nieto to visit Mexico City on 1 September after launching a string of insults aimed at Mexican immigrants.

The meeting was largely seen as a humiliation for both Mexico and for President Nieto. Now Videgaray has decided to resign causing further concern for the Mexican government, with Videgaray considered as a close aide of the president and the main organiser of the visit.

Mexican demonstrators took to the streets to protest against the meeting while newspapers in the country criticised the president, claiming that he is likely to have regretted agreeing to the engagement.

Despite a glimpse of possible statesmanship from Trump during a joint press conference, the pair then embarked on a Twitter war shortly afterwards. Their disagreement stems from Trump's affirmation that a huge new wall will be built between the two countries, designed to keep migrants out of the US, and that the wall will be paid for by Mexico.

Trump, the Republican nominee for the US presidency, attended a rally in Arizona later that day where he said that Mexico would "100%" pay for a planned border wall. He added that he had not discussed this with the Mexican president, although Nieto said he told Trump in person Mexico would not pay for any wall.

Nieto compared the property magnate to Italian fascist leader Mussolini, and Adolf Hitler because of some of the outlandish comments Trump made on his victorious bid for the Republican candidacy.

Videgaray, a former investment banker with a doctorate awarded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is succeeded by Jose Antonio Meade, the former finance chief between 2011 and 2012 and the current Minister of Social Development.