CJNG Cartel Denies “Extermination Site” Accusation; Attorney General Gertz Discusses Case

My previous Mexico News Report article reported a possible cartel extermination site in Jalisco state (see Possible Cartel “Extermination Site” Discovered in Jalisco State ).

The drug cartel suspected of running this site has denied it. That’s the CJNG (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación).

From the New York Post: “The Mexican cartel accused of housing a mass ‘extermination’ site at their ranch denied the allegations —as the country’s attorney general called for an investigation over possible links between the gang and the local government that kept the site hidden for months. Alleged members of the Jalisco New Generation cartel released a series of new videos slamming the grieving family members looking for traces of their missing loved ones at the Izaguirre Ranch, where officials found human remains and cremation ovens earlier this week. The cartel group — which was one of eight designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the US last month — also callously questioned the motivation for the desperate families who made the grim discovery at the ranch, which served as a training base for the gang…Fears of mass killings carried out of the ranch erupted over the weekend when officials found chilling evidence including cremation ovens, bone fragments, hundreds of pairs of shoes, clothing and even children’s toys hidden inside the property, along with nearly 100 shell casings.”

Izaguirre Ranch. Source: AFP

On March 19th, Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero spoke about the situation in a press conference.

From Mexico News Daily: “Mexico’s Attorney General Alejandro Gertz on Wednesday [March 19th] asserted that Jalisco state authorities were negligent in their investigation of a ranch linked to a notorious drug cartel, but vowed to discover what went on there. In vowing to uncover the truth, Gertz provided a litany of irregularities in the state investigation.”

“State authorities did not test human remains at the site or properly identify the clothing and shoes found there, Gertz said. They also failed to register evidence or fingerprints and did not process vehicles found at the ranch, three of which were later stolen.”

“Local authorities didn’t investigate the ownership of the ranch, failed to scientifically analyze alleged crematorium locations and did not investigate local officials who were linked to activities at the ranch, he said.”

“ ‘If the (state) prosecutors … committed some type of irregularity … we will do everything necessary to establish that responsibility of … the entire chain of command,’ said Gertz whose office was ordered to take over the investigation by President Claudia Sheinbaum.”

“Gertz also claimed Jalisco officials failed to alert federal authorities — as is standard procedure — even though the National Guard was involved in the September 2024 operation that originally discovered the camp.”

“On March 5, a group of activists searching for missing loved ones found ashes, bone fragments, clothing and personal items at Izaguirre ranch just 60 kilometers from the state capital Guadalajara, six months after it had supposedly been secured by state authorities.”

“The discovery of what seemed to be underground ovens led to speculation that the site may have been used to cremate bodies, prompting headlines about ‘an extermination camp’ at a ‘ranch of horror.’…The possibility that the ranch near Teuchitlán was a systematic extermination camp has caused a deep sense of horror, although Gertz claimed the evidence with regard to crematoriums is inconclusive…activists and search groups are worried that the Teuchitlán investigation is being mishandled, though Gertz said his office was planning to grant access to the site to members of the public and journalists.”

Mexican Attorney Generala Gertz Manero Discusses the Case. Source: Cuartoscuro

Posted in Crime | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Possible Cartel “Extermination Site” Discovered in Jalisco State

Local activists in the western Mexican state of Jalisco appear to have discovered a drug cartel’s grisly extermination site.

Jalisco state in red. Source: TUBS

From the BBC: “The gates to the Izaguirre Ranch look much like any others you might find in the state of Jalisco. Two prancing horses on the front perhaps a nod to the surrounding cattle-grazing and sugarcane fields. Yet what lies behind the black iron doors is allegedly evidence of some of Mexico’s worst drug cartel violence of recent times. Following a tip-off about the possible location of a mass grave, an activist group of relatives of some of Mexico’s thousands of disappeared people went to the ranch, hoping to find some sign of their missing loved ones.”

“What they found was far worse: 200 pairs of shoes, hundreds of items of clothing, scores of suitcases and rucksacks, discarded after the owners themselves were apparently disposed of. Even more chilling, several ovens and human bone fragments were found at the ranch.”

“The site was used, the activists claim, by the New Generation Jalisco Cartel (CJNG) for the forced recruitment and training of their foot-soldiers, and for torturing their victims and cremating their bodies.”

The site had been previously raided six months earlier, by local police and the National Guard.

“ For many, however, the worst part of the gruesome discovery is that local police raided the ranch, near the village of Teuchitlán, as recently as last September.”

“ While at the time they made 10 arrests and released two hostages, they either didn’t find or didn’t reveal any evidence of the apparent magnitude of violence carried out there.”

“ While the full picture is still to come over what action, if any, was taken by the municipal and state authorities after last year’s operation, critics and victims’ families openly accuse them of complicity with the cartels in Jalisco.”

“The discovery led to protests. From CBS: “Protesters gathered across Mexico on Saturday [March 15] to demand justice following a grisly discovery of charred bones, shoes and clothing at a suspected drug cartel training ground.”

“Demonstrations took place in the western state of Jalisco, where the remains were found, and in cities across the country, including the capital Mexico City, Tijuana, Veracruz and San Luis Potosi, according to AFP journalists and local press reports. Families searching for some of the more than 100,000 people missing in Mexico discovered the bodies on March 5 at a ranch where forced recruits are thought to have been held.”

“The Guerreros Buscadores collective — a group dedicated to locating missing people — described the site as an “extermination center” with “clandestine crematoriums,” causing shock in a country that has become inured to spiraling cartel-related violence.”

“In the Mexican capital, demonstrators placed candles and rows of shoes in tribute to the missing. ‘I came to speak out for my son and for all the disappeared,’ said Aurora Corona, 58, whose son vanished in March last year in Mexico’s northeastern Nuevo Leon state.”

“She hoped the discovery would pressure authorities to do more to find the 124,059 people officially registered as missing in Mexico, mostly since 2006 when the government declared war on drug cartels.”

‘Hopefully they’ll pay attention to us now they see the horrors of the country we live in,’ she said tearfully.”

“Since October 2023, groups searching for missing Mexicans have reported the discovery of six more alleged clandestine crematoriums in Jalisco. Hundreds of graves have been discovered elsewhere in the country.”

“The United Nations Human Rights Office on Friday described the finding in Jalisco as a ‘deeply disturbing reminder of the trauma of disappearances linked to organized crime across the country.’ ”

‘The discovery is all the more disturbing given that this site had been previously raided as recently as September 2024 by the National Guard and the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office, without crucial evidence being detected,’ it added.”

Shoes found at Izaguirre Ranch, Jalisco. Source: Cuartoscuros

Posted in Crime | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Trump Slaps Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum; Tariff Threats Have Boosted Claudia Sheinbaum’s Popularity

On March 6th, President Trump called off tariffs on Canada and Mexico. But on March 12th, Trump slapped tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, including Canada and Mexico.

From Mexico News Daily : “Mexico got a concession on tariffs from United States President Donald Trump last week, but it couldn’t avoid duties on the steel and aluminum it exports to its northern neighbor. The United States on Wednesday [March 12th] imposed 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, as per an executive order Trump signed on Feb. 10. The tariffs — imposed on national security grounds — also apply to hundreds of products made with those metals, including nuts and bolts, bulldozer blades and soda cans…Mexico and other countries tried to get an exemption to the duties but were unsuccessful.

Mexico News Daily reports that “Mexico is the world’s second largest exporter of steel, aluminum and products derived from those metals to the United States, according to 2024 data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The value of those Mexican exports to the U.S. was US $34.83 billion last year, second only to China. Most of that amount, however, came from the export of products derived from aluminum and steel. Mexico’s exports of steel itself to the United States were worth US $3.5 billion last year, while aluminum shipments generated revenue of $397 million.

IMCO, the Instituto Mexicano para la Competitividad A.C. (Mexican Institute for Competitivity provides more detailed information. From Mexico News Daily:
According to the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO), a Mexico City-based think tank, the United States’ steel and aluminum tariffs will impact 4.7% of all Mexican exports.  Mexico’s exports of steel, aluminum and derivative products collectively contributed to 1.56% of Mexico’s GDP in 2024, the think tank said...IMCO noted that auto parts, domestic appliances and electronic products manufactured in Mexico will be affected by the tariffs. The manufacture of those products is “crucial” to the industrial sectors of at least 11 Mexican states, the think tank said. IMCO calculated that the new 25% tariffs — if they had been in effect in 2024 — would have affected Mexican goods worth US $22.53 billion.”

The figure is lower than the total value of Mexico’s steel and aluminum exports to the United States last year because the new tariffs only apply to the steel and aluminum content of a product partially derived from those metals, not the entire product. In addition, United States steel and aluminum used in products exported to the U.S. are not subject to the 25% tariffs.”

Among the Mexican products that are subject to the new tariffs, IMCO listed those that generated the most revenue as a result of their shipment to the United States last year.”

The list includes automobile parts, air conditioner parts, telephone parts, metal furniture, refrigerator and freezer parts, machines and electrical devices.

IMCO noted that Mexico’s auto industry, ‘one of the country’s main export sectors,’ will be ‘directly’ impacted by the tariffs.”

On another note, USA Today reports that Trump’s tariff threats have boosted the public approval of the leadership of Canada and Mexico: “Approval ratings for Canadian and Mexican leaders are skyrocketing amid popular outrage in those countries over President Donald Trump’s tariff threats − as his own approval ratings have slipped among Americans…Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s approval ratings are sky high – 85% approve of her, while just 15% disapprove – the highest approval rating of any Mexican president in the last three decades, according to a poll from El Financiero conducted from Feb. 13 to 17 and Feb. 20 to 24. In Canada, the ruling Liberal Party hadn’t led in national polls since February 2021. Now, according to a recent Ipsos survey, they lead the opposition Conservatives, 38% to 36% [There are polls showing the Liberals ahead, other polls, however, show a tie or Conservatives leading, it’s close.]….support for the country’s Liberal Party surged late last month, after Trump’s tussle with the country. The Liberals wiped out a 26-point Conservative Party lead within six weeks…A Leger poll taken from Feb. 28 to March 2 found 85% of Canadians reject Trump’s annexation proposal.”

In the Canadian province of Ontario, Progressive Conservative Premier (Governor) Doug Ford won reelection on February 27th. Ford has taken the lead in opposing Trump tariffs and has been called “Captain Canada”.

Canada in red, U.S. in blue, Mexico in green. Freepik.com

Posted in Economy, Foreign Policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

LiDAR Technology Shows that Guiengola Was Much Larger Than Previously Thought

Guiengola is a Zapotec archaeological site located in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca (wa-ha-ka).

State of Oaxaca in red. Source: TUBS

The Guiengola site was a fortification constructed between the 1300s and 1500s, providing protection from the Aztec Empire. The Aztecs never took the fortress, which was later abandoned.

The site includes a couple of pyramids, a palace, a ball court and tombs.

Previously-discovered Guiengola. Source: Pedro Guillermo Ramón Celis

Now, thanks to LiDAR technology, it’s been found that Guiengola was much larger than previously thought.

LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging. It uses laser pulses fired from aircraft that bounce off the ground and back to the aircraft, revealing the relief of the ground area being studied. A previous Mexico News Report article reported how a lost Maya city was discovered using LiDAR.

Regarding Guiengola in Oxaca, here is information from Newsweek: “Pedro Guillermo Ramón Celis of McGill University in Montreal, Canada revealed the true extent of forest-covered Guiengola using a laser-based scanning technique, flying over the site in an airplane. His study has revealed that the fortified city covers a whopping 360 hectares [about 890 acres] and sported more than 1,100 structures—including temples, ball courts and different neighborhoods for the commoners and the elite—and 2.5 miles of walls. ” 

LiDAR scan of Guiengola. Source: Pedro Guillermo Ramón Celis

‘Because the city is only between 500 and 600 years old, it is amazingly well preserved,’ Ramón Celis said in a statement. ‘You can walk there in the jungle, and you find that houses are still standing—you can see the doors, the hallways, the fences that split them from other houses.’ ” 

“According to Ramón Celis, evidence suggests that the fortified city was abandoned just before the Spanish arrived in Mexico—with its residents relocating to nearby Tehuantepec, a small city where their descendants still live.”

“By the end of the 15th century, Ramón Celis told Newsweek, the Zapotecs had managed to both gain almost total control of Oaxaca’s Pacific Coat, and had resisted the aggressive Late Postclassic expansion of the Mexicas (the Aztec Empire).” 

‘This was especially remarkable following a lengthy, seven-month siege, led by Aztec emperor Ahuizotl, at Guiengola,’ he noted.” 

‘After securing this region of southern Mesoamerica, the Zapotecs no longer needed to inhabit this city.’ ” 

” ‘While living in a mountainous area had its advantages, access to running water and more fertile land were likely more important for a large population, and the site of Tehuantepec had this advantage over Guiengola.’ ” 

Guiengola, he added, is ‘like a city frozen in time, before any of the deep cultural transformations brought by the Spanish arrival had taken place.’ ” 

Ramón Celis has a family connection to the region.

” ‘My mother’s family is from the region of Tehuantepec, which is around 20 km [12 miles] from the site, and I remember them talking about it when I was a child,’ Ramón Celis explained. ‘It was one of the reasons that I chose to go into archaeology.’ ” 

It would have been hard to find it without LiDAR.

” ‘Although you could reach the site using a footpath, it was covered by a canopy of trees,’ the archaeologist explained. ‘Until very recently, there would have been no way for anyone to discover the full extent of the site without spending years on the ground walking and searching.’ ” 

” ‘We were able to do it within two hours by using remote sensing equipment and scanning from a plane.’ ” 

So now what’s the plan?

” ‘Currently, I’m planning my fourth field season, during which my team and I will cover all the approximately 1,170 structures in the LiDAR scan, which will take us a few years,’ Ramón Celis said, stressing that this work will involve further remote sensing, rather than physical excavations of the site.” 

Posted in Archaeology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cabinet Profile: Mario Delgado, Secretary of Education

Mario Delgado Carrillo serves as Secretary of Education (Secretario de Educación Pública) in the cabinet of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Mario Delgado. Source: flickr.com

The official title of the department in Spanish is the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP), the Secretariat of Public Education.

SEP Symbol. Source: Government of Mexico

Mario Delgado Carrillo was born in 1972 in Colima, capital city of the state of the same name on the Pacific coast of Mexico.

State of Colima in red. Source: TUBS

From 1991 to 1995, Mario Delgado studied at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) in Mexico City, earning a bachelor’s in economics. After that Delgado studied at the University of Essex, in England, from 1996 to 1997, earning a master’s degree in economics.

When Marcelo Ebrard served as mayor of Mexico City from 2006 to 2012, Mario Delgado served in the Mexico City government as Secretary of Finance (2006-2010) and Secretary of Education (2010-2012).

From 2012 to 2018, Delgado was a senator in the Mexican Congress.

From 2018 to 2020, Delgado represented Mexico City in the Mexican Congress, where he was coordinator of the MORENA party delegation in the Chamber of Deputies (Mexican House of Representatives).

From Nov. 5th, 2020 to September 30th, 2024, Delgado was president of the MORENA party.

On October 1st, 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum became President of Mexico and on that day Mario Delgado became Mexico’s Secretary of Education.

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trump Calls Off Tariffs on Mexico and Canada

On March 4th, 2025, President Donald Trump of the U.S. slapped tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China.

Two days later, Trump removed the tariffs on goods not covered by the USMCA pact, at least for a month, from Mexico and Canada. Goods not covered by USMCA are still subject to the new tariffs.

Canada in red, U.S. in blue, Mexico in green. Source:Freepik.com

From NPR: “Two days after putting 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, President Trump said on Thursday [March 6] that he will largely lift them — the latest twist in his on-again, off-again approach to an issue that has sent markets into a tailspin.”

“Trump started to tap the brakes on the tariffs on Wednesday [March 5th], after talking to the Big Three U.S. automakers. And then after a conversation  with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday [March 6th], he said on social media that he would give a break to all Mexican goods covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).”

“A few hours later, he signed executive orders that included relief for Canadian goods covered by the USMCA.”

Trump has a plan for April 2nd.

The reprieve will last until at least April 2, when Trump plans to begin reciprocal tariffs on goods from a wider range of countries. The rates, products and countries affected by the upcoming reciprocal tariffs are still to be determined.

“Canada and Mexico may avert the 25% tariffs beyond April 2 if they show they have made more progress curbing fentanyl trafficking, a senior administration official told reporters on a conference call ahead of the signing, speaking on condition of anonymity.”

What Trump plans for March 12th: “Trump told reporters that separate tariffs on steel and aluminum will go into effect as planned, on March 12.”

What Mexican President Sheinbaum said about her phone conversation with Trump: “Sheinbaum described her phone call with Trump as ‘respectful.’ She said she walked Trump through a set of his own government’s statistics showing a huge drop in the amount of fentanyl being seized by border authorities.”

President Sheinbaum at her press conference, March 6th. Source: Alfredo Estrella

Posted in Economy, Foreign Policy | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trump Slaps Tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China; Lutnick’s Comment

On March 4th, 2025, President Trump of the U.S.A. slapped tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China.

Canada, Mexico and China in red. Source:www.mapchart.net

From the Wall Street Journal: “President Trump’s 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada took effect first thing Tuesday [March 4]. Canada responded with plans to impose 25% tariffs on about $100 billion of U.S. imports, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying Trump is acting in ‘bad faith’ and the U.S. president threatening more tariffs. Mexico’s president said it would also retaliate, with a range of moves to be announced Sunday [March 9th]. The U.S. also introduced an extra 10% tariff on Chinese imports overnight, adding to a levy imposed a month ago, and other existing duties. China swiftly announced retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods, and other measures against American companies. Beijing also filed a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization .

The Associated Press reported this detail: “Later in the day, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the U.S. would likely meet Canada and Mexico ‘in the middle,’ with an announcement coming as soon as Wednesday [March 5]. Lutnick told Fox Business News that the tariffs would not be paused, but that Trump would reach a compromise.”

Posted in Economy, Foreign Policy | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mexican Relations with Ukraine and Russia

The tragic war between Russia and Ukraine continues. What involvement does Mexico have with these two countries and the war?

On March 2nd, 2022, in the United Nations, 141 nations, including Mexico, voted to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Only 5 countries voted against the resolution and 35 abstained.

Nevertheless, the Mexican government refused to join in with sanctions against Russia. According to then-President AMLO, “We do not consider that is our role and we think that the best thing is to promote dialogue to achieve peace.” [AMLO Press Conference, March 1st, 2022]. AMLO explained that Mexico wouldn’t “take any reprisal of an economic type” and wants “good relations with all the governments of the world.”

Later, then-Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said that Mexico would only put sanctions on Russia if the UN Security Council would apply them, an unlikely event because Russia is on the council and has veto power.

Mexico has trade relations with both Ukraine and Russia, but its trade with Russia dwarfs its trade with Ukraine.

Most Third World countries did not join in with sanctions against Russia.

At the same time as the UN resolutions and the sanctions, six representatives in Ukraine’s parliament attempted to obtain weapons from Mexico. Oksana Dramaretska, Ukrainian Ambassador to Mexico, delivered their letter to request the Mexican Congress to send arms: “anti-tank guided missiles, FIM-92 Stingers, small arms, grenade launchers and other ammunition (modern and Soviet origin), all kinds of communication apparatuses, principally portable military radio apparatuses, ballistic vests and helmets.” The letter also asked Mexico to lobby Europe for combat aircraft.

Mexico refused. “We do not send arms anywhere. We are pacifists” said AMLO.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion, February 24th, 2022, Mexico organized an evacuation of Mexicans from Ukraine. They were flown out from Romania and arrived on a Mexican air force plane on March 4th, 2022. There were 81 evacuees consisting of Mexicans and family members of Mexicans: 44 Mexicans, 28 Ukrainians, 7 Ecuadorians, a Peruvian and an Australian.

That was three years ago, in 2022, the year of the full-scale Russian invasion.

Mexico has continued to trade with both countries. However the value of both exports and imports, to and from both Ukraine and Russia, have greatly diminished. See the charts below.

MEXICAN-UKRAINIAN TRADE

Mexico in green, Ukraine in orange. Source:Groubani

Value of Mexican Exports to Ukraine in U.S. Dollars:
2021 – 37.6 Million
2022– 12.3 Million
2023– 8.24 Million
2024– 13.5 Million
Value of Mexican Imports from Ukraine:
2021– 302 Million
2022– 113 Million
2023– 116 Million
2024 – 87.6 Million

MEXICAN-RUSSIAN TRADE

Mexico in green, Russia in orange. Source: Groubani


Value of Mexican Exports to Russia in U.S. Dollars:
2021 – 499 Million
2022– 122 Million
2023– 36.9 Million
2024– 28.4 Million
Value of Mexican Imports from Russia:
2021– 2 Billion, 251 Million
2022– 2 Billion, 328 Million
2023– 2 Billion, 150 Million
2024– 1 Billion, 581 Million

Posted in Economy, Foreign Policy | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

China’s Economic Ties with Latin America (Including Mexico)

In recent years Chinese economic ties in Latin American countries have increased greatly.

China (left in red) and the Western Hemisphere (right in red). Source: mapchart.net

Brenda Estefan is a writer for Mexico’s Reforma newspaper and also a professor at IPADE Business School in Mexico City. (IPADE, Instituto Panamericano de Alta Dirección de Empresa, is the business school of Universidad Panamericano, a private Mexican university.)

Brenda Estefan.
Source:Americas Quarterly

Professor Estefan has an article on the China/Latin America topic in the America’s Quarterly, entitled Latin America’s China Ties Won’t Be Easily Severed .

Estefan writes that “Over the past two decades, while the U.S. focused on the War on Terror and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, China strategically expanded its economic presence in Latin America and the Caribbean, transforming from a peripheral player into a key trading partner. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers acknowledged that he underestimated  this shift: ‘When a Latin American head of state asked me for something, I lectured them. While I was preaching, the Chinese were building airports.’ ”

Source: Americas Quarterly

Here’s how Estefan presents the big picture: “China has established a significant presence in many nations across the Western Hemisphere by lending to countries in urgent need, donating public libraries, building ports and roads, and extracting iron ore and vital minerals. Furthermore, trade between China, Latin America, and the Caribbean soared from $12 billion in 2000 to $315 billion in 2020, with projections indicating it could surpass $700 billion by 2035. China is now South America’s largest trading partner, with Brazil’s trade with China exceeding its trade with the U.S. by more than two to one. Beijing currently maintains ‘strategic partnerships’ with 10 of the 11 South American nations it engages with, with Guyana being the only exception, as it maintains only standard bilateral relations.

Here is some information from the article about individual Latin American countries and their China relationship, concluding with Mexico:

COLOMBIA – “Seen by many as the staunchest and most loyal U.S. ally in the region, the U.S. is Colombia’s top trading partner, in contrast to the several South American countries whose largest trading partner is China. Still, Chinese imports have surged in recent years, making the Asian behemoth the country’s second-largest trade relationship.

BRAZIL – “…Brazil—Latin America’s largest economy—is largely a lost cause for Washington, as it has significantly deepened its ties with Beijing. Chinese firms have invested in major infrastructure projects ranging from ports and railways to power grids. China is now Brazil’s largest trading partner, absorbing most of its exports, including soy, beef, coffee, and iron. In 2023, bilateral trade reached a record $181 billion. Moreover, Brazil and China have strengthened their geopolitical ties through BRICS, further complicating Washington’s ability to exert influence.”

ARGENTINA- “In Argentina, President Javier Milei presents a unique dynamic. While he shares a strong ideological affinity with Trump, his country’s economic ties to China—especially in the agricultural sector—are significant. The relationship between Argentina and China developed gradually between the 1970s and 2009, culminating in a major financial agreement: a currency swap between the Central Bank of Argentina (BCRA) and the People’s Bank of China (PBOC). The goal was to ensure Argentina’s exchange rate stability and strengthen bilateral trade. Since then, economic cooperation has deepened, with China becoming Argentina’s largest buyer of agricultural products.”

PERU- “Peru attracts the highest level of Chinese investment relative to GDP in Latin America. The most recent—and largest—of these investments is the Chancay deep-water port, designed to serve as a direct trade link between China and South America…”

CHILE – “Over the past seven years, Chinese investment in Chile has surged by 1,300%, with notable acquisitions in strategic sectors. Chinese firms now control over 60% of Chile’s electricity distribution market following purchases like Chilquinta and General Electricity Company (CGE).”

PANAMA “Following a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President José Raúl Mulino announced Panama’s withdrawal from China’s Belt and Road Initiative and indicated that his government might reconsider the concession granted to Hong Kong-based Hutchison Ports, which operates key terminals at both ends of the interoceanic canal.”

MEXICO
Mexico is one of Washington’s most significant cases, given its deep economic integration with the U.S. through the USMCA. A recent article in The New York Times highlighted that China’s growing presence in Mexico’s auto industry is a key factor driving Trump’s push to expedite the USMCA trade agreement review. Since 2018, Chinese investment in Mexico has surged by 50% annually. In 2024, Mexico became China’s second-largest auto market, surpassed only by Russia. Manzanillo, the country’s busiest port, has seen a substantial rise in imports since 2020, mainly driven by Chinese goods. According to Norwegian logistics firm Xeneta, the Mexico-China trade route is now the fastest-growing in the world. Chinese companies have also played pivotal roles in major infrastructure projects in Mexico, including the Xochimilco-Tasqueña light rail and metro system upgrades in Mexico City and Monterrey. Even more, a recent study by Rice University’s Baker Institute suggests that Chinese investment in Mexico may be ten times higher than official figures indicate.

Trump understands that China’s presence in Mexico doesn’t technically violate USMCA terms, but that won’t alleviate his concerns. The idea of his primary geopolitical rival being deeply embedded in his largest trading partner—and positioned just across the 3,000-kilometer U.S.-Mexico border—is unacceptable. Unlike other Latin American nations, Mexico’s trade relationship with the U.S. is not merely important—it is fundamental to its economy, making it more vulnerable to Washington’s efforts to curb Beijing’s influence.

Posted in Economy, Foreign Policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cabinet Profile: Alicia Barcena, Secretary of Environment

Alicia Barcena serves as Secretary of Environment (Secretaria de Medio Ambiente) in the cabinet of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Alicia Barcena. Source: SEMARNAT

The official title of the department in Spanish is the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, SEMARNAT), the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources.

SEMARNAT symbol. Source: Government of Mexico

The person heading the department is the Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources.

According to Mexico’s LEY ORGÁNICA DE LA ADMINISTRACIÓN PÚBLICA FEDERAL (Organic Law of the Federal Public Administration), the goal of SEMARNAT
is to “Promote the protection, restoration, conservation, preservation and sustainable exploitation of the ecosystems, natural resources, and environmental goods and services; with the goal of guaranteeing the right to a healthy environment

Alicia Barcena was born in 1952 in Mexico City. She studied at UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México ) where she received a bachelor’s degree in biology. She studied at Harvard from 1983 to 1985, earning a master’s in public administration.

From 1988 to 1991, Barcena was director of Mexico’s National Fisheries Institute.

Beginning in 1995, Barcena served in various posts in the United Nations.

From 2008 to 2022, she was Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

From 2022 to 2023, she was Mexico’s ambassador to Chile.

From July 2023 to October 1st, 2024, she was Mexico’s Foreign Minister.

On October 1st, 2024, she became Secretary of Environment in the administration of Claudia Sheinbaum which took office that day.

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment