MI’s Mexico Foreign Press Chatter – Dec. 5, 2025

diciembre 15, 2025
11:06 am

Drug-related headlines returned to the forefront this week, with the WSJ telling the behind-the-scenes story of Mexico’s expulsion of 55 cartel leaders as part of an effort to cooperate with the U.S., which this week resulted in the guilty plea of one of El Chapo’s sons. For its part, the NYT provided details of Guzmán López’s cooperation with U.S. officials. Meanwhile, the Guardian reported that Mexican forces killed Pedro Inzunza Coronel, aka “El Pichón”, a major fentanyl trafficker, in a targeted raid. In Michoacán, the AP exposed the extent of cartel control in the state, with the civilian population living in fear and confusion. Lastly, the LA Times turned to the “good guys”, providing yet another profile of Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch, who has earned his reputation as a type of Mexican “Batman”.

Political developments reflected mounting tension this week as Bloomberg reported that support for Morena is showing early signs of fragility, as Sheinbaum’s polling numbers have dropped slightly, and political risk indices have deteriorated following a flurry of negative headlines. Then, the AP reported on the appointment as attorney general of Ernestina Godoy, a long-time legal advisor for Sheinbaum, as the president continues to cement her inner circle in positions of power. Bloomberg also covered AMLO’s online reappearance, where he promoted his book, defended Sheinbaum and discussed his retirement (and the potential reasons for an eventual return).

Domestic news featured a long investigation by The Guardian into Monterrey’s air-quality crisis, now the worst in Mexico, reflecting the dirty side of nearshoring, which has led to protests. More protests, by farmers at Congress, were covered by the AP as a national water law reform is discussed. And the AP spotlighted a sad Christmas tradition in Ecatepec, where families adorn a Christmas tree with pictures and objects of disappeared relatives and attend a special mass as families find new communal solace amidst the ongoing disappearance crisis.

Economic news was led by the government’s announcement of a fresh minimum wage increase and a phased reduction of the working week to 40 hours by 2030, per Reuters. Bloomberg’s J.P Spinetto evaluated these measures, explaining that while wage hikes have been both successful and necessary, they can’t be sustained without productivity gains and growth, which is forecasted to only reach 1.1% in 2026. Adding to economic doubts, Reuters revealed that remittances suffered their seventh month of declines, slipping 1.7% in October.

On the business front, Bloomberg reported on the current state of Mexico’s fintech ecosystem as global giants including Nu and Revolut move to capture market share, facing strict regulation, dominant incumbents and the risks of their own aggressiveness. Meanwhile, Reuters highlighted the weak investor appetite for Pemex’s 21 proposed joint ventures, with the firm’s weak credit history and rigid contract terms underscoring how Sheinbaum’s strategy of maintaining state control while seeking private investment has yet to deliver. More optimistically, Bloomberg also reported on Esentia’s forecasts of increasing demand for gas pipelines as data centers are built and energy capacity faces shortages.

Shifting gears, actor Diego Luna argued in a guest essay for the NYT that today’s politics have blurred the line between fiction and reality, as world leaders perform their power like actors on a stage, turning governance into spectacle. The AP reported on the craze created by pop star Dua Lipa’s concert, who has brought with her a pop-up taqueria creatively called “La Dua”. And the NYT highlighted the upcoming Untitled Art Fair in Miami, where Mexican artist Chavis Marmol’s Olmec head will appear as a symbol of resistance to big business.

Notable podcasts and blogs in English on Mexico

On this week’s MexMoves podcast, Damian and Eduardo interview Salvador Rivero, Binance Mexico newly appointed head, who lays out what the world’s largest crypto exchange plans to do in the country. They also speak with U.S.-Mexico policy expert Duncan Wood for his take on the USMCA hearings in Washington. Also discussed: Grupo Bimbo turns 80 and opens a museum; and the 13% minimum-wage increase for 2026 and the government’s plan to cut the workweek from 48 to 40 hours by 2030.

On the CrashOut podcast, Ioan Grillo discusses Joaquin Guzmán López’s confession to kidnapping Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, exploring how, while the saga of the kidnapping comes to an end, the war it caused in Sinaloa rages on.

Mexico-related substacks this week provided deeper analysis into some of the week’s major events. In Materia Gris, Eduardo García used the resignation of Alejandro Gertz Manero as attorney general to frame Morena’s ever-growing resemblances to the PRI, despite the party’s claim that “they are not the same”. In CrashOut, Ioan Grillo explores the rising drug-related cross-border tensions following Donald Trump’s pardoning of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, accused of taking bribes from drug lords while in power.