Mexiacan President Claudia Sheinbaum delivers her first State of the Nation address in Mexico City, highlighting social gains and judicial reform. [The Courthouse News]
(The Post News)– Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum delivered her inaugural State of the Nation address on Monday, cautiously hopeful regarding her administration’s achievements without broaching the nation’s most ruinous crises.
The president signed into law more robust relations with the Trump administration, the fruition of her ambitious social policies, and a contentious remaking of the judiciary. She painted a picture of progress and resilience through democratic uncertainty and cartel violence that continues to cloud Mexico’s future. “Things are good and will get even better,” Sheinbaum spoke to lawmakers, summarizing her message of optimism nearly a year into her presidency.
Sheinbaum was particularly keen to track Mexico’s fragile relations with the United States. One of the toughest tests she has faced was to navigate the Trump presidency. Trump’s belligerent tariff threats and calls for more anti-cartel action compelled Mexico to make concessions.
While her predecessor was less tough on crime, Sheinbaum intensified anti-organized crime operations, dismantling fentanyl labs and extraditing dozens of cartel leaders targeted by US officials. She also rebuffed Washington’s overtures of unilaterally sending military intervention on Mexican territory.
“Under no circumstance will we accept interventions, interference, or any other act from abroad that is harmful to the country’s integrity, independence, and sovereignty,” Sheinbaum said. She described the U.S.–Mexico relationship as built on “mutual trust, respect for sovereignty and territoriality, and cooperation without subordination.” Her remarks preceded a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Mexico City for high-level security talks.
That was undermined by Trump last week, having bluntly told journalists, “Mexico does what we tell them to do.” Sheinbaum’s demands for sovereignty and Trump’s belligerent style of operating make this tension between the two representative of the difficulties of maneuvering Mexico’s most important diplomatic relationship.
Sheinbaum also continued to bring forward her government’s progressive agenda, pointing to reduced poverty rates as well as major social investment. Official state data released in August showed 8.3 million Mexicans broke free from poverty between 2022 and 2024. That boost was attributed by experts to higher minimum salaries and blanket welfare programs.
Sheinbaum highlighted that 32 million families, nearly a quarter of Mexicans, are receiving direct payments by way of scholarships for students, pensions for pensioners, and allowances for poor families.
“This is the most progressive social agenda in Mexican history,” she told me, building on the agenda of her predecessor and political mentor Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). Her focus on redistribution and social spending guaranteed her popularity. Polls position her approval rating consistently at 70% to 80%, one of the highest among global leaders.
Sheinbaum outlined her government as continuing the left-wing vision of AMLO. She boldly boasted of strong economic growth amid international uncertainty with the Mexican peso strengthening, foreign investment pouring in, and huge infrastructure projects looming on the horizon.
Of all those projects, the Maya Train, AMLO’s pet development project, remains top of mind. Sheinbaum committed to keeping it in motion despite environmental concerns and exorbitant costs.
She also embraced the judicial reform initiated by Morena, the governing party, that substituted appointed judges with elected ones. On Monday, the newly elected Supreme Court took office, an event she characterized as “profoundly democratic.”
“The period of privilege, corruption, and nepotism is over, and a new period of legality and justice for all is coming,” she said. While Sheinbaum addressed a moderation in homicide rates, she avoided in-depth examination of Mexico’s most urgent crisis: violence and organized crime.
Shootouts, kidnappings, and street fights continue to rage across states like Sinaloa, Guerrero, and Michoacán. Families continue to search for nearly 130,000 missing Mexicans, a bitter reminder of the country’s chronic human rights crisis. Meanwhile, opponents argue that Sheinbaum’s application of AMLO’s social programs as an anti-violence strategy has not worked since cartels evolve and increase their dominance.
She also managed to avoid charges of erosion of democracy. In a step towards elected judges, Morena opponents argue, the government exposes the judiciary to the risk of politicization and destruction of checks and balances. A majority of the new Supreme Court judges are Morena-allied, which creates fears of court capture.
Nevertheless, Sheinbaum maintained that the reform deepens democracy, and newly inaugurated court president Hugo Aguilar, who has become well-known for fighting Indigenous rights, vowed to put emphasis on justice for vulnerable communities.
Sheinbaum Balances Optimism With Reality
Sheinbaum’s address was typical of her political tightrope walk: announcing hope and basking in social and economic advances without addressing Mexico’s shadow.
Her own popularity is along for the ride, fueled by left-liberal welfare policies and perceptions of continuity with the AMLO administration. There are questions, however, regarding whether she can end violence, safeguard democratic institutions, and ride out Trump’s pressure without compromising sovereignty.
As Mexico continues to test her presidency, Sheinbaum’s success will be determined by whether she delivers on her promises of stability in the guise of solutions for the issues that she evaded in her inaugural State of the Nation address.
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