Menstrual Leave, Mexico-Canada Affair & Useless Stock Exchange
Mexico Decoded’s weekly briefing makes sense of the news that matters
1. Sheinbaum Calls Gaza Assault a “Genocide”
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, the country’s first Jewish leader, called Israel’s military campaign in Gaza “genocide”. It’s her strongest stance yet after months of only urging a ceasefire.
Decoding it:
By using the word “genocide,” Sheinbaum risks friction with allies like the U.S., staking a moral position instead of balancing opinions.
2. Canada’s PM Visits Mexico Amid US Trade Tensions
On September 18, Canada’s Mark Carney met Sheinbaum in Mexico City, the first bilateral visit by a Canadian PM since 2017. The two leaders announced a new 2025–2028 Action Plan which outlines investment on port and rail infrastructure, aerospace, and energy, as well as cooperation on agriculture through temporary work permits.
Decoding it:
With Trump back and the free trade agreement between Mexico, Canada and the US up for renegotiation, Mexico and Canada are closing ranks to avoid being muscled by Washington.
3. Utah Family Busted for $300M Oil Smuggling
The Jensens, an oil tycoon family from Utah, allegedly smuggled nearly 3,000 shipments of Pemex crude to Texas, disguising them as “waste oil” and worked with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s largest criminal groups, to tap it out of pipelines operated by Pemex, Mexico’s state oil company.
Decoding it:
This is an international fuel heist committed by American citizens. The fallout isn’t just Pemex’s loss, it’s a blow to cross-border trust and law enforcement.
4. Grupo México Pulls Rail Arm off Stock Market
Controversial mining giant Grupo México will spend $762M USD to buy back its rail unit, Ferromex, delisting it from the Mexican Stock Exchange. Notably, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, who already owns part of the company through his holding Grupo Carso announced he will not participate in the bid.
Decoding it:
Mexico’s stock market is shrinking as firms flee low liquidity and strict rules, preferring the quiet of private ownership. This might appeal to a firm like Grupo México, which has been involved in numerous scandals such as labor disputes and environmental disasters.
5. Mexico City Students Get Menstrual Leave
Mexico City will grant students menstrual leave, a Latin American first. The measure will allow students in severe pain to take an unspecified number of days off. Similar policies exist in Japan, Spain, and South Korea, but remain rare worldwide.
Decoding it:
Period pain is already knocking girls out of class across Mexico. By putting it in the rulebook, the city is betting that a little dignity and flexibility can keep young women in school instead of forcing them to fall behind.