Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum began her first full year in office with pressure from all sides. Donald Trump, then the U.S. President-elect, had threatened to slap tariffs on Mexico and launch American military strikes into its territory. Violent gangsters ran fentanyl and human smuggling over the Rio Grande. And her domestic critics claimed she would be overshadowed by her crusading predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Sheinbaum’s response to the onslaught was a lesson in diplomacy. She hit cartels hard, raiding labs, transferring bosses into U.S. custody, and taking down the kingpin “El Mencho,” helping to stave off more aggressive American intervention. She spoke coolly in defense of Mexican sovereignty while avoiding confrontation. These wins made her one of the most popular leaders in the region and a success story for mixing populism with pragmatism. Yet with Mexico’s economy sluggish, crime still critical, and tens of thousands of disappeared still missing, it may be an uphill battle to turn her strong start into a lasting legacy.Grillo is a journalist in Mexico and author of the El Narco trilogy
Con información de la Revista Time
