Claudia Sheinbaum's Presidency: Summary and Analysis of Day 29
Plans to return Pemex and CFE "to the people," Ambassador Ken Salazar's comments regarding El Mayo's arrest, plans to terminate the INAI, and more...this is day 29 of Sheinbaum's presidency.
Today’s mañanera began with President Sheinbaum’s announcement to sign a decree to return Pemex and CFE “to the people.” Luz Elena, González Escobar, the Secretary of Energy, elaborated on the proposal saying that the new reform is intended to restore the “public character” of these bodies and ensure that they receive priority to ensure their continuity and strategic competitiveness. She emphasized that both CFE and Pemex are crucial for the country’s national development and also stated that lithium will be included. President Sheinbaum also announced plans to create several new government bodies, including the Secretariat of Women; the Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology, and Information; and the Digital Transformation Agency – all of which will begin operations on January 1, 2025.
Yesterday, the US Ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, stated in a press conference that “What happened in Sinaloa should be celebrated,” in regards to comments from the Sheinbaum administration accusing the US government of failing to sufficiently communicate what actually transpired with El Mayo’s arrest. Salazar presented five letters from senior US officials to their Mexican counterparts offering updates about the situation, including communication between both the US and Mexican Attorney Generals, Merrick Garland and Alejandro Gertz, on the day of the arrest and the two days following. Moreover, the FBI’s second in command met with the head of Mexico’s FGR to discuss the case, plus written communication exchanged between both the American and Mexican prosecutors. However, this comes after the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, explained in a letter that the US did not carry out an operation on Mexican territory to capture El Mayo. Ambassador Salazar highlighted President Sheinbaum’s commitment to the bilateral relationship but criticized her comments blaming the US for the uptick in violence in Sinaloa. He concluded his remarks by emphasizing the need for respect, stating that “respect is paid by respect” and that “without security, there is no prosperity.” Sheinbaum addressed these comments in today’s mañanera, saying that “the end does not justify the means” with specific regard to the manner in which El Mayo was captured and reiterated that the Mexican government will always seek respect and equal partnership with the US.
President Sheinbaum addressed negative feedback she’s received on social media, specifically X, stating that an investigation has been conducted and it is the same group of people who opposed AMLO and who accused him of being a narco-president that are targeting Sheinbaum. She utilized the opportunity to emphasize that her government will coordinate with the US for necessary matters but reiterated that Mexico is a “free, sovereign, and independent” country that will not be subordinate.
The president also commented on her administration’s plans to terminate various autonomous bodies. She specifically mentioned the case of the National Institute for Access to Public Information and Data Protection (INAI), stating that it failed to reduce its expenses and reiterating that the body was not necessary, specifically due to its issues of corruption. This comes says after the head of the INAI met with the Ministry of the Interior to reconsider the decision. There has been much criticism over the decision to eliminate the INAI, specifically considering its key role in promoting transparency and accountability. Some experts argue that its disappearance could “fundamentally threaten democracy” in Mexico.
Ahead of the Friday deadline to confirm participation in next year’s judicial branch, eight of the 11 justices on Mexico’s Supreme Court have resigned. While seven of the resignations will go into effect in August 2025, one justice will resign at the end of next month. Two judges explicitly referred to the judicial reform in their letters of resignation, saying that their decisions to resign should not be interpreted as “implicit acceptance/endorsement” of the reform. There is also uncertainty surrounding the retirement pensions of the justices and how that concern will be addressed.
A local journalist in Uruapan, Michoacán, Mauricio Cruz, was shot and killed after hosting a “live” on his social media channel, “Minuto x Minuto Michoacán,” yesterday evening. His last post included 38 minutes of coverage regarding a fire in a local market, with interviews with various individuals, including shoppers, vendors, and the local mayor. This particular episode was the first that Cruz had ever hosted from on the scene, away from his recording studio. Of note, this marks the first journalist killed during the Sheinbaum administration. She addressed the murder.
An explosion at a steel plant in Tlaxcala killed 12 people. Authorities will investigate the incident but preliminarily attributed the explosion to molten steel coming into contact with water.