MI’s Mexico Foreign Press Chatter – Apr. 25, 2025

April 25, 2025
10:16 am

While tariff speculation continued to drive global markets, the conversation in Mexico this week centered on President Sheinbaum’s response to the US Department of Homeland Security controversial anti-migrant ad campaign. In a stark contrast to her previously accommodating stance, the President swiftly announced a legal reform to ban foreign government ads from the airwaves. It remains to be seen how this could impact the wider US-Mexico relationship, but for now, “It sells to wrap yourself in a flag, to exacerbate nationalistic sentiments, and this has worked really well for her,” the NYT quoted political analyst Fernando Dworak.

The Wall Street Journal profiled Sinaloa’s embattled governor, Rubén Rocha, who remains on the spotlight as the turf war between cartel factions drags on. The Journal also reported on the virtual standstill at the border, with illegal crossings at lowest levels in decades as President Trump has ‘delivered on his pledge’ to secure the border. Meanwhile, the NYT covered the surprise visit by Gen. Dan Caine, the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for a ‘firsthand look at the military’s growing role in helping to stem migrant crossings’.

On the business front, the Financial Times delved into the rising star of Mexican fintech companies, slowly but surely overcoming a tough environment where regulation has not kept up to date. ‘We really are at this inflection point where we are finally seeing fintech that can offer all the relevant products to make a difference’, the note quotes Plata’s CEO Neri Tollardo. For its part, Bloomberg highlighted BBVA’s management continued optimism on Mexico.

Shifting gears, two long reads caught our eye. Lydia Polgreen’s essay on the NYT explores Mexico City’s complex transformation into a global destination attracting both migrants fleeing hardship and young professionals from wealthier countries. As the U.S. closes its doors, Mexico emerges as a surprising place of opportunity, though not without social and economic tensions. On the other hand, Stephania Taladrid writes a profile of President Sheinbaum for The New Yorker. While the President has received her much-deserved share of positive pieces following her tariff success, Ms. Taladrid provides a much more detailed and nuanced picture of Sheinbaum and the political movement she now heads.

In the intersection of culture and sports, the NYT covers the success of Mexican lucha libre in Los Angeles. In a bit of particularly fortuitous timing, the picturesque story preceded by a couple of days the WWE’s agreement to acquire AAA, one of the biggest professional wrestling promotions in Mexico. Lucha libre clearly is thriving. On this week’s MexMoves, Damian and Eduardo present an exclusive interview with Bárbara González Briseño, co-CEO of Fillip, on the strategy behind the lucha libre acquisition. They also discuss Chipotle’s foray into Mexico, in partnership with Alsea, and how CAME’s apparent collapse puts SOFIPO regulation under the spotlight. You can listen to it here.