MI’s Mexico Foreign Press Chatter, Nov. 14, 2025

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MI’s Mexico Foreign Press Chatter, Nov. 14, 2025

Violence stayed front and center this week, with a bias towards op-eds and analysis pieces. Frequent Mexico critic Mary Anastasia O’Grady argued in the WSJ that President Sheinbaum should follow in the footsteps of Colombia’s uribismo, focusing on strengthening direct military confrontation with organized crime. Meanwhile, The Economist highlighted that the new intelligence-led strategy of Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch has delivered statistics with slightly reduced murders, but overall crime rates remain high due to persistent, deep-rooted issues. Bloomberg’s JP Spinetto broadened the lens by framing Mexico as part of a wider Latin American “insecurity age”, where organized crime has outpaced state institutions, warning that the hardline responses do not substitute a coordinated, legal, and intelligence-led response. And the AP reported that Sheinbaum will deploy more federal troops to Michoacan, along with more than 3 billion pesos for social programs aimed at addressing the “root” cause of crime.

Mexico’s diplomatic agenda was active this week, led by Emmanuel Macron’s visit, which, according to the AP, highlighted Mexico’s accelerated pivot towards Europe following an agreement to deepen cultural and economic ties between France and Mexico. In more tense news, Reuters reported that Mexico’s top diplomat left Peru following last week’s asylum dispute. And according to U.S. officials, Mexican authorities helped thwart an Iranian plot to assassinate Israel’s ambassador, a claim Mexico publicly denied, per the AP.

On the domestic front, Sheinbaum’s public assault continued to fuel debate on women’s safety, with The Guardian arguing that an incident involving Mexico’s most powerful woman exposes widespread machista attitudes. The AP echoed these concerns, detailing how these attitudes have made sexual assault commonplace in ride-sharing apps, telling the story of Ninfa Fuentes’ self-managed feminist transport app called AmorrA. Elsewhere, the AP covered the arrest of a suspected accomplice of the 1994 assassination of presidential candidate, Luis Donaldo Colosio, while Bloomberg reported on a sweeping probe into 13 money-laundering casinos. The U.S Treasury reportedly followed up with casino sanctions of its own, per the AP. Then, Bloomberg previewed the Gen-Z online-led protest that will take place on Saturday, which Sheinbaum categorized as billionaire-funded and driven by online bots. And in Quintana Roo, the AP said authorities uncovered a clandestine cemetery near Cancun holding at least 16 bodies.

Trade continued to be a major talking point. The Financial Times called for a revamped USMCA deal that aligns national interests with a coordinated “US-led” bloc that counters China, marking a deviation from the WTO-era framework. This comes amid more protectionist policies in Mexico, including a 156% tariff on sugar aimed at boosting domestic production after weather-related disruptions, per Reuters. And the NYT noted signs of warmer U.S.-China cooperation, as Beijing agreed to tighter controls on fentanyl precursor exports to Mexico amidst rising trade tensions.

In the intersection of politics and business, the biggest story was the long-expected ruling by the Supreme Court, which upheld the government’s tax claims against Ricardo Salinas Pliego’s companies, reported Bloomberg. On investments, Reuters covered the embarrassing mix-up by Nuevo León governor, Samuel García, who retracted his announcement of a US$1 billion Nvidia investment, later clarifying that it came from Mexico’s CIPRE Holding, which will merely use Nvidia’s technology. More cheerfully, Bloomberg reported on Esentia’s IPO plans.

Shifting gears, the NYT covered the mass screening of a concert by the late Juan Gabriel in Mexico City’s Zocalo, which drew 170,000 fans, underscoring the singer’s fame and his enduring cultural importance, close to a decade after his passing. The NYT also reported on conchas, Mexico’s famous pan dulce, which has recently evolved from a street-cart breakfast into a canvas for chefs to experiment with new flavors. Moving to the World Cup, Sheinbaum held a press conference focused on the event, reassuring that the infrastructure projects will be completed before June 2026, and that she will give away her ticket to a young girl, per the AP and Reuters. And in art news, the AP reported that an upcoming auction at Sotheby’s for Frida Kahlo’s “El Sueño (La cama)”, which is valued at around $50 million, would make it the most expensive piece of any female or Latin American artist. Art historians say such auctions reduce art to mere economic valuations. The former sell-side analysts behind this newsletter would like to remind you that valuations can, in fact, be more art than science from time to time.

Notable podcasts and blogs in English on Mexico

On this week’s MexMoves podcast, Damian and Eduardo talk with Neri Tollardo, Plata’s co-founder and CEO, delving into how the fintech rocketed from zero to more than two million users and a $3 billion valuation in just over two years. They also explore the pros and cons of Mexico City as a potential home for U.S. sports teams; the stakes behind Esentia’s planned gas-pipeline IPO; and how Kimberly-Clark’s acquisition of Kenvue (maker of Tylenol, Listerine, etc.) could affect its separately listed and managed Mexican business.

The Weekend Intelligence from The Economist featured a deep dive into the Sinaloa Cartel’s control over Culiacán, with Sarah Burke visiting the city to explore what it’s like to live in a city ravaged by organized crime. On Mexico: The Podcast, hosts Tavo and Alex explore Mexico City’s markets, ranging from the small and well-known tianguis to some of the largest markets in the world that sustain the city.

Mexico-related substacks focused on the aftermath of Carlos Manzo’s assassination, as Materia Gris’s Eduardo García evaluates why this incident caught so much media attention following 4T apologist Viri Ríos’ claims that the coverage of the incident was part of a coordinated and deliberate political reaction. In the Mexico Political Economist, the government’s response, Plan Michoacán, is framed as the perfect example of the current security approach. And in another post, the MXPE explores the recent protests over agricultural prices, claiming that long-time subsidies are at fault for the crisis.

Photo of the Week

Thousands gathered to watch the screening of a concert by the late Juan Gabriel.

Photo by Cristopher Rogel Blanquet for the NYT.

FOREIGN PRESS COVERAGE

Mexico’s President Has a Murder Problem

11/09/25, WSJ, Mary Anastasia O’Grady

Mexico has become a less deadly place under Claudia Sheinbaum

11/10/25, The Economist, Staff

Mexico to send more troops and money to Michoacan after mayor’s killing

11/09/25, AP, Claudia Rosel

Blowing Up ‘Narco’ Boats Won’t Stop Latin America’s Real Killers

11/12/25, Bloomberg, JP Spinetto