MI’s Mexico Foreign Press Chatter, Feb. 6, 2025

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MI’s Mexico Foreign Press Chatter, Feb. 6, 2025

Another week, another series of headlines on Mexico-U.S. bilateral tensions. The NYT featured an op-ed by Mary Beth Sheridan, who highlighted politicians’ entrenchment with organized crime as a key constraint for President Sheinbaum, who faces a difficult balancing act between Washington’s pressure, Morena’s stability, and security on the ground. Similarly, Guillermo Ortiz argues that a unilateral US military intervention in Mexico, as advocated by President Trump, would fail to weaken the cartels and instead urges Washington to prioritize exposing and breaking the cartels’ political protection networks, particularly their alleged ties to Mexico’s ruling Morena party. The FT reinforced Mexico’s sense of vulnerability as Venezuelan-linked allegations still loom large, with pressure to deliver cartel-linked officials rising and analysts skeptical that the threat of U.S. strikes has faded. Against this backdrop, Bloomberg reported that Senator Adán Augusto stepped down amid scrutiny of his links to a former Tabasco security chief accused of running a criminal network. Looking at the glass half full, the LA Times focused on the cordial Trump-Sheinbaum dynamic, an anomaly given opposing ideologies and Trump’s usual treatment of foreign leaders, highlighting that behind Sheinbaum’s sovereignty rhetoric is growing compliance with U.S. demands.

Looking at the human aspect of migration policies and their enforcement, the NYT followed a Californian couple who chose to self-deport, illustrating how stepped-up enforcement has eroded everyday life for migrants. The NYT also spotlighted Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote, a children’s opera performed on both sides of the border that uses allegory to confront today’s harsher migration climate, further illustrated by the fact that some members of the cast “couldn’t perform in Tijuana, concerned that they would have trouble returning to the United States”. And taking a much longer-term view, the AP revisited the Mexico-American War after White House comments drew criticism from historians for glorifying it while omitting the role of slavery and instead justifying current foreign policy.

On the domestic front, the AP reported that Mexico’s move to make the sale of vapes “unconstitutional” is accelerating cartel control of the market, with organized crime using extortion and intimidation to dominate supply. In environmental policy, The Guardian followed up on earlier research into air quality near Monterrey’s manufacturing plants, reporting $4.8m in fines against Zinc Nacional, mandatory relocation of parts of its operations, and the creation of a new industrial air-monitoring network. In Jalisco, Reuters reported that Tequila’s mayor had been arrested for extorting distilleries in a cartel collusion scheme, while the AP flagged a measles outbreak that prompted the state government to mandate face masks for children in schools.

On trade, the AP highlighted the growing number of Chinese imports in Latin America following U.S. tariffs, with the automotive industry in Mexico a prime example. Reuters reported on bilateral agreements on critical resources: Mexico agreed to annual water deliveries to reduce outstanding debt, while both countries launched a 60-day plan to shore up the critical minerals industry and shield it from Chinese competition as a coordinated bloc.

On business and the economy, Bloomberg reported on the government’s announcement of an energy-focused investment plan aimed at boosting the economy through government spending and private investment. Reuters highlighted that the plan came with a 2026 growth forecast of 2.5, 3%, well above analysts’ expectations of 1.3, 1.8%. This comes as Bloomberg reports that Banxico paused rate cuts for the first time in two years following sticky core inflation. Bloomberg added that Pemex’s debt has dropped to an 11-year low after state support, bolstering the push to attract private investors. Along with some other headlines on the now-suspended oil shipments to Cuba, Reuters assessed the stakes, putting the number at close to half a billion dollars in exports during 2025. In agriculture, Bloomberg flagged a fall in the price of avocados, crediting perfect weather and highlighting historic export levels ahead of Super Bowl guacamole. Elsewhere, fintech investment maintained momentum as Bloomberg reported on Argentine startup Tapi raising a Series B round to scale up its payment operations in Mexico.

Shifting gears, The Observer flagged 10 must-visit exhibitions as Art Week gets underway in Mexico City. Still on art, the AP reported on a push to reconnect Mexicans with the historic center via churches and cultural tours. Meanwhile, NFL fans will have more than the Super Bowl to rejoice over the weekend, as the league announced it will return to Mexico City for at least the next three years, per The Athletic. Lastly, ART News reported on the stunning discovery of a richly carved 1,400-year-old Zapotec tomb hailed as Mexico’s most important archeological discovery in a century.

Blogs destacados en inglés sobre México

Mexico related Substacks covered a wide variety of topics. The México Economista Político evaluated the government’s infrastructure investment plan, welcoming the initiative but noting that there are still many details to be cleared up. Similarly, The Mexpatriate evaluated the 40-hour work week reform, arguing that it has a high degree of nuance, may disproportionately affect SMEs, and needs to be implemented along with a productivity increase. In Crashout, Ioan Grillo explored the U.S. approach to targeting cash and assets to trace cartel activity, and whether this creates perverse incentives for cartels. Finally, in México descodificado, Viri Ríos explains why Mexico has a near-zero fentanyl overdose death rate, attributing opioid regulation in prescribing, pricing, and medical controls as the primary reason for the small Mexican consumer base compared to the U.S.

Foto de la semana

Victor Ryan Robertson, center, as Coyote, in Anthony Davis and Allan Havis’s new opera “Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote” at the Teatro de la Casa de la Cultura in Tijuana, Mexico. Photo by John Francis Peters for The New York Times.

COBERTURA DE LA PRENSA EXTRANJERA

It’s Not the Cartels That Worry Claudia Sheinbaum

02/05/26, NYT, Mary Beth Sheridan

Trump Is Not All Wrong About Mexico

02/04/26, Project Syndicate, Guillermo Ortiz

Mexico in Trump’s sights as drug ties to Venezuela loom large

01/31/26, FT, Jude Weber and Paula Simon

Mexican Senate Leader Made Own Call to Step Down, Sheinbaum Says

02/02/26, Bloomberg, David Alire Garcia

Firmness, flattery and phone calls: How Mexico’s president won over Trump

30/01/26, LA Times, Kate Linthicum and Patrick J. McDonnell

The Long Goodbye:A California Couple Self-Deports to Mexico