Foreign Press Chatter
Sinaloa indictments; U.S. reviews Mexican consulates; Ebrard leads major trade mission to Canada; Mexico’s cash culture slows fintech growth; NASA imagery shows Mexico City sinking fast.
Top stories on Mexico
The continued fallout from the U.S. indictments of 10 current and former Sinaloa officials (including the sitting governor) last week was reported on by various outlets, with reporters in The NYT and The Economist highlighting the conundrum faced by Sheinbaum as she tries to appease her base and grapple with unrelenting U.S. pressure. Reuters, citing three senior Morena officials, reported that internal party fissures are deepening between old-guard obradoristas loyal to Governor Rubén Rocha Moya (and adamantly against a potential extradition), and “a growing and influential group of younger leaders” who see this is a chance to purge corruption from the party. AP also covered a story first reported by CBS News that the U.S. is conducting a “review” of the 53 Mexican consulates in the country, which could lead to closures.
Mexico’s negotiating position with the U.S. and trade mission to Canada were covered in foreign press this week as USMCA pre-game analysis heats up. Bloomberg opinion columnist JP Spinetto argued that although the stakes are high, Mexico’s position as the top U.S. trading partner—Mexican exports to the U.S. rose 5% in Q1, representing a record 16% share of total U.S. goods trade—gives it enough leverage to resist making major concessions to Trump. Sheinbaum’s administration “should focus on maximizing long-term gains, even at the cost of short-term friction with Washington” Spinetto writes, suggesting that a lengthier process past the July 1 deadline (already hinted at by USTR Greer) may ultimately work in Mexico’s favour.
Following up on Canada’s largest-ever trade mission to Mexico in February, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard and representatives of over 200 Mexican businesses are visiting Toronto and Montreal this week. CBC News reported that Ebrard and Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who said the two countries are “bonded by common values”, will discuss the trade treaty, though not in a formal negotiation session.
In other economic news, Bloomberg reported on Mexico’s “die-hard cash culture” despite the rapid growth of fintechs and the push towards digital payments; nearly half of all debit and credit cards issued go unused, with poorer, rural regions remaining especially reliant on cash.
In sports, AP profiled four U.S.-born players who could join El Tri at this year’s World Cup, while the NYT covered the “spat” between the Mexican Football Federation and Liga MX over the national team selection process (the final roster will be announced June 1). Meanwhile, AP reported on new, detailed NASA satellite imagery showing that Mexico City is sinking about 25 centimeters per year—making it one of the world’s fastest-subsiding metropolises. And for a somewhat frivolous angle on the anti-gentrification sentiment in CDMX, The Guardian reported on a Roma Norte nightclub that apparently isn’t just carding, but checking passports—the club charges U.S. citizens a US $300 cover, while everyone else pays US $20 or less, which reads less like a political statement than a bid to go viral.
Notable blogs in English on Mexico
The Mexico Political Economist published a review of the new Plan México policies announced this week, which are designed to slash red tape and light a fire under the private sector to boost investment, but could backfire if the country’s understaffed bureaucracy can’t deliver on promised quick turnarounds. In Mexico Decoded, Viri Ríos reports on the “dark secret” behind Mexico’s dropping crime rate, which may be dark, but not much of a secret: incarceration rates are rising rapidly (an 11% increase in Sheinbaum’s term so far). Ríos also acknowledges there could be some fudging of statistics (particularly homicides), but attributes most of the efficacy of Sheinbaum’s strategy to what crime crackdowns usually entail—more people behind bars. As has long been the case in Mexico, a high proportion of people in prison (as high as 40%) haven’t been sentenced. Ioan Grillo reported in CrashOut on whether Sheinbaum will bow to U.S. pressure to surrender Rocha, and Eduardo García also analyzed the “one of the most delicate decisions of her term” on Materia Gris. And Miranda Intelligence’s daily Substack covered key developments in energy, fintech, public affairs and politics in Mexico.
Mexico Decoded – Mexico’s Crime Reduction Miracle Has a Dark Secret
Crashout - Will Sheinbaum Hand Rocha To The Gringos?
The Mexico Political Economist – Short of an Investment Roadmap, Mexico Goes on Red Tape Cutting Spree
Materia Gris - Sheinbaum’s term – or more – at stake
Miranda Intelligence on Substack
Photo of the Week
Mexico’s Richard Ledezma, left, heads the ball in front of Iceland’s Helgi Gudjonsson during an international friendly soccer match in Queretaro, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026.
(AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)
Foreign Press Coverage
Mexico’s Sheinbaum battles party split over US cartel charges
06/05/26, Reuters, Diego Oré
Claudia Sheinbaum is in a bind, with her party accused of corruption
07/05/26, The Economist
Crack Down? Close Ranks? U.S. Cartel Case Puts Mexican Leaders on the Spot
03/05/26, NYT, Jack Nicas
US launches a review of Mexican consulates that could lead to closures
07/05/26, AP, Matthew Lee and Megan Janetsky
Morena Party Names Ariadna Montiel as New National President in Mexico
03/05/26, Bloomberg, Kelsey Butler and Gonzalo Soto
A Bad USMCA Rewrite Will Cost Mexico More Than No Deal
06/05/26, Bloomberg, JP Spinetto
Mexico trade mission launches in Toronto as businesses seek to expand ties with Canada
07/05/26, CBC News, Jorge Barrera
Mexico’s Banks Handed Out Millions of Cards That Nobody Wants
04/05/26, Bloomberg, Maria Clara Cobo and Gonzalo Soto
Mexico Plans $8 Billion in Gas Pipelines to Boost Power Sector
07/05/026, Bloomberg, Scott Squires
Mexico’s MIP Seeking to Invest $12 Billion for Infrastructure
05/05/26, Bloomberg, Michael O’Boyle
Biva Draws Strong Investor Interest as Sale Process Advances in Mexico
04/05/26, Bloomberg, Kelsey Butler and Michael O’Boyle
US says Mexico will address American airline access concerns in Mexico City
05/05/26, Reuters, David Shepardson
Mexico nightclub’s $300 cover charge for US citizens captures popular mood
06/05/26, The Guardian, Oscar Lopez
Mexico City is Sinking Nearly 10 Inches Every Year. Scientists Can See it From Space
01/05/26, AP News, Megan Janetsky
Mexico Threatens to Kick Players Off World Cup Team in Latest Spat with Liga MX Clubs
06/05/26, NYT, Felipe Cardenas
4 US-Born Players Could Be in the Mix for Mexico’s World Cup Roster
01/05/26, AP, Carlos Rodriguez
A ‘bird of Mexico City’ strikes a revolutionary pose: Pieter Henket’s best photograph
06/05/26, The Guardian, Simon Brainbridge
What’s next from Mexico City’s Enrique Olvera? A new mariscos restaurant in Venice
01/05/26, Los Angeles Times, Stephanie Breijo
