Show Notes
In this episode, Mariana speaks with Juan Pablo Spinetto, an opinion columnist at Bloomberg covering Latin America business, economic affairs and politics, about President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first year in office.
They discuss the differences in her style and policies from her predecessor, the popularity and sustainability of her government’s entitlements, and the biggest challenges she and Mexico will face in 2026, particularly when renewing (or renegotiating with President Trump) the North American Free Trade Agreement (USMCA).
They also talk about the rationale behind Mexico’s recent imposition of a 50% tariff on 1,400 goods coming from China and other Asia countries and the potential short term impact these tariffs might have on Mexican consumers and manufacturers.
Lastly, the touch upon the current U.S. military build up in the Caribbean and the economic pressure the U.S. is currently imposing on the Venezuelan regime, as well as the geopolitical risks in the region of a U.S. intervention.
More from Mexico Matters
In this episode, Mariana Campero speaks with Valeria Moy, Director of IMCO and host of the Peras y Manzanas podcast. They kick off with a demographic shockwave: Mexico’s Statistics Institute, INEGI, released an intercensal figures which revealed that Mexico’s fertility rate plummeted to 1.2, with Mexico City dropping to an astonishing 0.8—lower than Tokyo. What does the rapid shattering of the "endless young labor supply" mean for the nation's pension system, long-term productivity, and labor market?
In this episode, Mariana Campero sits down with Guillermo García Alcocer, former chairman of Mexico’s Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) and one of the region’s premier energy policy experts. Together, they break down Mexico’s dramatic shift from a dominant energy exporter to a country relying on the U.S. for over 70% of its refined fuels and natural gas. They explore the strategic trade-offs and vulnerabilities of this dependence on cheap American gas, as well as the pragmatic policy shifts being implemented to power Mexico's booming manufacturing sector and data centers.
In this episode, Mariana sits down with Andres Martinez, journalist, Co-Director of the Great Game Lab at Arizona State University, and author of the gripping new book, The Great Game: A Tale of Two Footballs and America’s Quest to Conquer Global Sport.
In this episode, Mariana speaks with counter-terrorism and Middle East expert Dan Byman to dissect the current state of the US-Iran conflict and its potential impact on the upcoming North American World Cup 2026. They analyze Iran’s increased deterrence positioning with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, their use of asymmetric warfare, and lay potentials scenarios to explain Iran’s current terrorism restraint. Is it a sign of incapacity or strategic pause? They also discuss the importance for the Iran’s soccer players to participate in the sporting tournament,ent and the risks it implies from a security and diplomatic perspective. They discuss why Mexico can be a security “soft spot” as the country maintains diplomatic ties with Teheran, and the bigger challenges posed by a lone person attack.
In this episode, Mariana speaks with Adolfo Babatz, Founder and CEO of Clip, the company that transformed the Mexican streetscape by not only putting a payment terminal into the hands of micro-merchants but also by offering them financial services to help them become more efficient to survive.