As reported last time, on 1st September PresidentA Claudia Sheinbaum gave her official first-year report to Congress, and then during September took the unprecedented step of making reports in each of the 32 states. This was followed by presentation of the report to a mass rally in the Zócalo on 5th October (in a way a more appropriate date since her first anniversary in office was 1st October), with a huge crowd of some 400,000 filling the central square and surrounding streets.
The achievements were very impressive and much too numerous to mention here, in health care, education, welfare, infrastructure, public security, financial stability, economic development and trade, and defence of sovereignty. No wonder her approval ratings are close to 80%, among the highest in the world, with even state governors from opposition parties expressing support.
Book presentation at Mexico's UK Ambassador’s residence
On 2nd October an event took place which was relevant for our MSF as an organisation: an official presentation of David Raby’s book, Mexico In Transformation: From AMLO to Claudia (Praxis Press, 2025), which is the only full-length account of the process of transformation in English. There was a discussion chaired by Faride Assad Gómez of the Embassy and led by Ambassador Josefa González Blanco Ortiz Mena herself, with contributions by Étienne Von Bertrab and William A Booth (both of University College London) and the author. Several books were sold and there was a lively social session with some 45 people present.
Rain and flood disasters
From 7 to 11 October there were unprecedented torrential rains in an area covering parts of the states of Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí and Hidalgo, corresponding in large part to what is known as the Huasteca. The sheer quantity of rain caused catastrophic flooding with massive damage to houses, businesses, public buildings, roads and basic services. There was also serious flooding in parts of the capital (Iztapalapa and Tlahuac) but not on the same scale.
As of 15 October the official number of deceased was 66 and of disappeared, 75, making this the worst natural disaster in Mexico in this respect since the 2017 earthquake. Tens of thousands of people were displaced and had to be provided with emergency accommodation. However, the response of the authorities was also unprecedented in speed and scale: the military immediately began implementing their disaster relief programme. President Sheinbaum began personally visiting affected areas and almost all government departments and agencies such as the CFE (Federal Electricity Commission), Conagua (the National Water Board) and the Communications & Public Works Department swung into action.
The dedication of Claudia Sheinbaum and her team and their personal involvement and direct contact with the people in the disaster areas have few if any parallels, and the criticisms of the opposition and right-wing media are mean and spiteful and have very little impact. But with the ongoing effects of climate change, more disasters are only to be expected.
Relations with the US and others
Mexico’s insistence on decent treatment for its citizens being deported from the US has had a positive effect, but the growing brutality and arbitrary actions of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers are causing great harm to Mexican (and other) migrants and indeed second- and third-generation residents of Mexican descent. In most cases (with exceptions) Mexican consuls are doing what they can to help, but it is far from enough and as the repression is directed at the entire working-class population, including many of Anglo ethnicity, there is little Mexico can do other than protest.
The Trump administration’s growing threats and aggression against Latin America and the Caribbean are making diplomatic relations more and more difficult. On 16 October in her morning press conference President Sheinbaum faced a hostile question from a journalist who didn’t like Mexico sending oil to Cuba, which had been questioned by a US Congressman: she replied that most of it was legitimate trade, sold at the going price, and some was in the form of humanitarian donations, and above all that Mexico is a sovereign nation and makes its own decisions.
The President was also asked if she would be attending the OAS “Summit of the Americas” about to take place in the Dominican Republic, and what she thought of the exclusion of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. She replied that she would not be attending (a position shared by President Gustavo Petro of Colombia) and she did not agree with the exclusion of any countries.
Another journalist asked about the President’s position in relation to US threats against Venezuela, and she was categorical: “Self-determination of all peoples. No intervention and no aggression, peaceful resolution of differences. Not only from conviction but because it is in our Constitution”. As for the Nobel Peace Prize going to violent Venezuelan oppositionist María Corina Machado, the President simply said “No comment”.
The question of Palestine, Israeli aggression and the arbitrary seizure of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters was also raised. President Sheinbaum repeated her condemnation of the genocide, and explained that the Mexican ambassador to Israel had visited the six Mexicans from the flotilla in jail and was doing all possible to ensure their release and safe return. Later they were indeed released, the ambassador accompanied them home and they were received by the Mexican Foreign Secretary and given health checks with all their expenses paid. Left-wing protestors continued to demand that Mexico break relations with Israel, but of course if this were to happen it would not be possible to provide assistance to those arrested.
Economic and labour developments
On the financial and economic front developments continue to be positive. After initially estimating a contraction of 0.2% for the Mexican economy for 2025, the IMF revised its estimate to growth of just over 1%. The peso remains strong at around 18.8 pesos to the dollar, and tax receipts have increased by 9% year-on-year.
As reported in our last news bulletin, a labour panel under the USMCA Trade Agreement ruled in late August that there had been a denial of the right to organise at the Atento Service Centre in Hidalgo State; the independent Mexican Telephone Workers’ Union, affiliated to UNI Global Union, has been celebrating this which was made possible by vigorous support from Canadian and US unions.
In terms of human rights, Peace Brigades International facilitated meetings in Ottawa in September between Mexicans denouncing persecution of independent journalists and Canadian MPs and other Canadian institutions. It should however be pointed out that the Mexican Federal Government has a comprehensive programme of protection for journalists and human rights workers who request it; violations that still occur are due to corrupt local (state or municipal) officials. The issue is regularly manipulated by opposition politicians. Overall, public security and the fight against crime is one of the great successes of Claudia Sheinbaum’s government: in one year the homicide rate has been reduced by 32%.
"Mexico Sings" competition
Last April the President announced a special cultural programme called México Canta y Encanta, “Mexico Sings and Enchants”, aimed at promoting music in traditional and contemporary national genres but with a message of peace and against drug addictions, in contrast to many existing songs which glorify violence and glamourise criminality. The competition would invite participation by young people, as composers and performers, from all over the country and among Mexicans resident in the US.