The Economist's Propaganda, Criminal Shipments, & Mexico's Pop Power
Mexico Decoded’s weekly briefing makes sense of the news that matters.
1. U.S. Business Leaders Back Mexico in USMCA Fight
US business leaders have emerged as unexpected allies of Mexico in defending the USMCA against Trump. In public hearings on the treaty before the US department of commerce, they’ve highlighted how Mexico supports over 13 million U.S. jobs and the deep economic integration with it.
Decoded:
This dynamic shows that Mexico has leverage it could use, if it chose to wield it. USMCA isn’t just a trade pact; it underpins integrated supply chains that benefit U.S. firms as much as Mexican ones.
2. Mexico’s Prisoner Pipeline
Mexico transferred 37 members of organized crime to the United States, bringing the total under President Sheinbaum to 92. U.S. authorities labeled several of them “narcoterrorists.”
Decoded:
These are not formal extraditions, which take years and involve courts, but fast-tracked handovers designed to keep Trump satisfied. What he doesn’t quite grasp is that Mexico is running out of top cartel figures to send, and is increasingly sending just lower-ranking criminals.
3. Sheinbaum Cheers Canada’s Reality Check
Sheinbaum praised remarks by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at Davos, where he argued that the so-called “rules-based international order” has long been a convenient fiction for powerful countries. Sheinbaum called the speech “very good” and said it fit the moment.
Decoded:
Applause is cheap. Canada can afford to confront Washington. Mexico can’t. Years of failing to build internal demand mean Mexico has far less room to maneuver, no matter how much Sheinbaum nods along.
4. The Economist’s propaganda
The Economist published a note entitled “Mexico’s mighty left-wing government is floundering”. It argued that President Sheinbaum has failed to deliver on security.
Decoded:
The Economist is propagandizing. Sheinbaum has implemented a successful anti-extortion plan in the western state of Michoacán, and has reduced homicides significantly thanks to a new security strategy. The Economist’s negative coverage of Sheinbaum’s left government contrasts with the magazine’s coverage of former center-right president Enrique Peña, whom the publication enthusiastically praised even before taking office.
5. Peso Pluma’s U.S. Takeover
Mexican artist Peso Pluma announced 31 U.S. tour dates, spanning major cities like New York and Los Angeles as well as smaller markets such as Raleigh, NC and Rogers, AK. He is one of the leading figures of corrido tumbado, a genre blending traditional corridos with hip-hop and trap.
Decoded:
The tour underscores how deeply Mexican pop culture has penetrated the U.S. market. Beyond music, it reflects Mexico’s growing role as a cultural exporter for Gen Z: less through institutions, more through platforms, virality, and hybrid identities that travel easily across borders.