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Trumponomics, the Mexican Way
Prompted by the U.S. Mexico is embracing a new pro-business model not seen in decades.
Sep 11
9
Bankers’ Loopholes, Palestine Chants, and Navy Scandals
Mexico Decoded’s weekly briefing makes sense of the news that matters
Sep 9
13
2
Why Do Mexicans "Hate" Dishwashers?
My answer to a viral Substack that tried to explain it — and got Mexico all wrong.
Sep 7
48
6
Most Popular
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Why Do Mexicans "Hate" Dishwashers?
Sep 7
48
6
How Mexico Is Battling Organized Crime
Jul 8
24
Is Mexico a Middle Class Country?
Jul 12
21
Is Mexico a Narco-State?
Jul 18
20
1
What the World Can Learn from Mexico’s Historic Drop in Poverty
Aug 14
18
4
Is Mexico Sliding Into Authoritarianism?
Aug 8
•
Viri Rios
and
Edwin Ackerman
13
1
Mexican Economy
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What the World Can Learn from Mexico’s Historic Drop in Poverty
How Mexico lifted 13 million people out of poverty without an economic boom.
Aug 14
18
4
How Mexicans Get Rich
The Mexican dream exists—but it is narrow, selective, and generally involves only two paths.
Jul 28
22
6
Is Mexico a Middle Class Country?
A visual and data-driven guide to class in Mexico
Jul 12
21
Are Gringos to Blame for Mexico City's Housing Crisis?
Everyone’s talking about digital nomads — but not about what matters.
Jul 1
21
1
Mexico 101
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The Future of Government May Already Be Happening in Mexico
What a secret army of 30,000 social workers reveal about how democracies can get closer to their citizens.
Aug 28
8
2
The Mexican Chernobyl Nobody Knows About
What President Sheinbaum’s flagship housing program can teach us about policy-made disasters.
Aug 22
3
Is Mexico a Narco-State?
What we miss when we talk about Mexico and the cartels
Jul 18
20
1
How Mexico Is Battling Organized Crime
Inside the new strategy to strengthen justice and end impunity.
Jul 8
24
Is Mexico Giving Away Free Money? Not Quite
Behind the myths about Mexico’s welfare system.
Jul 4
11
1
Not the Narcos: How Mexico’s Press Censorship Really Works
Everyone thinks they know who censors Mexico’s press. They don’t.
Jun 26
6
Decoding Sheinbaum’s Unprecedented Popularity
What Sheinbaum’s approval reveals about power, perception, and the changing political landscape in Mexico.
Jun 24
10
Insights
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Mexico Just Fired Its Entire Judiciary — For Real
Mexico just fired every judge and replaced them with elected ones — a democratic experiment no country has ever dared to try.
Sep 3
10
4
Why Trump Always TACOs with Mexico
A ruthless strategy that keeps Mexico yielding without a trade war
Aug 5
12
3
Mexican Coke Isn’t Really Mexican — and That’s the Point
A masterclass on how U.S. politics and global trade shape corporate strategy and consumer demand.
Aug 2
13
What Mexico’s State Oil Company Tells Us About the Future of Public Ownership
Sheinbaum’s strategy to save Pemex is a new blueprint for off-balance-sheet sovereignty
Jul 26
12
A Death Squad That Kept a Mexican State Safe—Until It Didn't
What a Mexican state’s “success” against crime reveals about the dangerous bargains behind public peace.
Jul 21
8
1
Trump’s New Tariff Isn’t About Trade
It’s about Latin America’s politics, and Mexico should be paying close attention.
Jul 14
11
Podcast
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56:56
What We Get Wrong About Mexico’s Cartels
In this episode of the Mexico Decoded podcast, I speak with Ioan Grillo, one of the world’s leading journalists on Mexico’s drug war, to examine the…
Aug 25
•
Viri Rios
and
Ioan Grillo
6
2
43:26
Who Gets Ahead in Mexico — and Why Most Don’t
We explore why family background shapes income and opportunity far more in Mexico than in the United States, with economist Luis Monroy-Gómez-Franco. A…
Aug 18
•
Viri Rios
and
Luis Monroy Gómez Franco
7
53:12
Is Mexico Sliding Into Authoritarianism?
In the first episode of Mexico Decoded, we unpack Morena’s rise, judicial reform, and democratic backsliding with Edwin Ackerman. Essential listening on…
Aug 8
•
Viri Rios
and
Edwin Ackerman
13
1
Weekly Newsletter
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Bankers’ Loopholes, Palestine Chants, and Navy Scandals
Mexico Decoded’s weekly briefing makes sense of the news that matters
Sep 9
13
2
Golden Retirements, DEA Rebuffed, and Tomato Troubles
Mexico Decoded’s weekly briefing makes sense of the news that matters
Aug 21
6
Trump’s Favors, Adidas’s Faux Pas & Mexico City’s Return to the Lake
Mexico Decoded’s weekly briefing makes sense of the news that matters
Aug 15
3
Mexico Decoded
Unpacking Mexico’s politics, economy, and power —straight from the source.
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What is "Mexico Decoded"?
A quick note on what this Substack is about —and why you should subscribe to understand Mexico beyond the clichés, from the ground up.
Jun 22
•
Viri Rios
33
2
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