Mexico saw a week of upheaval and controversy on both sides of the border as mass protests, political shake-ups, and international incidents played out against a backdrop of economic uncertainty and shifting diplomatic ties. Truckers and farmers brought the nation’s highways and ports to a standstill, demanding action on highway insecurity, crop prices, and a contentious water law. Their coordinated blockades, which began on Monday, November 24, 2025, and stretched across more than 20 states, paralyzed transportation and stranded thousands of vehicles, including 1,500 U.S.-bound tractor-trailers at Ciudad Juárez’s Córdoba-Las Americas International Bridge. According to Mexico News Daily, the economic fallout was immediate, with business groups estimating losses between 3 and 6 billion pesos and daily costs exceeding 100 million pesos due to fuel waste and contractual penalties.
President Claudia Sheinbaum, facing mounting pressure, presented data at a Tuesday press conference showing a 54% decline in violent truck robberies since 2018 and defended the proposed water legislation as a means to prevent hoarding while safeguarding farmers’ rights. However, she acknowledged, “the government cannot afford farmers’ demand for 7,200 pesos per tonne for corn.” Her stance did little to quell the unrest, which only subsided after 13 hours of marathon negotiations led by Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez. The resulting agreement established permanent working groups on security, water, and agriculture, and included commitments to modify the water law, install highway security cameras, create specialized prosecutors’ offices for highway crimes, and release overdue wheat and corn payments. Blockades were lifted, but protest leaders warned they would return if promises went unfulfilled.
Amid these domestic tensions, Mexico marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25 with nationwide protests and the launch of a “16 Days of Activism Against Violence Toward Women” campaign. The move came as female victimization rates climbed by 7.5% in 2025, highlighting the persistent challenge of gender-based violence. Teachers’ unions also mobilized, demanding President Sheinbaum honor her 2024 campaign promises, particularly regarding pension reform, further adding to the week’s atmosphere of civic activism.
Political drama intensified with the sudden resignation of 86-year-old Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero, a figure dogged by scandal throughout his nearly seven-year tenure. The Senate approved his departure by a vote of 74-22, despite opposition claims that his acceptance of an ambassadorship to Germany did not meet the constitutional threshold of “serious cause.” Critics accused Sheinbaum of orchestrating a power grab, while her Morena party allies argued Gertz had violated reporting requirements. At a Friday press conference, Sheinbaum called for the Federal Attorney General’s Office to undergo “a transformation for the good of Mexico,” emphasizing transparency and coordination. Ernestina Godoy, Sheinbaum’s former legal adviser and Mexico City’s attorney general, was appointed interim prosecutor and is widely seen as the frontrunner for the permanent role. Sheinbaum praised Godoy as “an extraordinary woman” with “principles” and “many convictions,” citing her track record in Mexico City.
Economic headwinds added to the sense of uncertainty. The Bank of Mexico slashed its 2025 growth forecast from 0.6% to just 0.3%, blaming a sharper-than-expected third-quarter contraction. Governor Victoria Rodríguez Ceja pointed to weakness in the secondary sector and international trade jitters. Inflation accelerated to 3.61% in early November, with electricity prices surging 20.7% following subsidy cuts. The construction industry’s woes deepened, logging a 15.4% year-over-year decline in September, marking a 17-month slide. Industry leaders pleaded for increased public investment ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to provide a much-needed boost.
Despite these challenges, some regions bucked the trend. Nine states reported positive economic growth, led by Baja California Sur at 26.9%, thanks to tourism and real estate. The World Cup host cities—Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara—also saw gains from stadium renovations and infrastructure upgrades. Major investments signaled continued confidence: Chinese truck manufacturer Foton announced a $65 million investment across three facilities, with a $40 million plant in Jalisco set to open in January 2026. Microsoft partnered with Powertrust to develop 270 megawatts of distributed solar projects across Mexico and Brazil, aiming to reduce reliance on gas generators at its Querétaro data center.
Tourism presented a mixed picture. Fodor’s placed Mexico City on its “No List” for 2026 due to gentrification and displacement concerns, while authorities in Tulum temporarily shut down businesses for price gouging. Yet, cultural tourism hit historic highs, with 15.9 million visitors to museums and archaeological sites in the first nine months of 2025. Chichén Itzá led with 1.7 million visitors, followed by Teotihuacán and Tulum. Overall, 71 million tourists visited Mexico through September, a 13.9% year-over-year increase. Whale-watching season kicked off on the southwestern coast, with Oaxaca’s Ballena Fest 2025 scheduled for December 5-7 to promote sustainable tourism.
On the diplomatic front, Sheinbaum traveled to Oaxaca to announce a 6.2 billion peso investment under the Lázaro Cárdenas Plan, supporting infrastructure and micro-loans for women artisans. She also met with actress Salma Hayek to discuss film production incentives and with Honduran President Xiomara Castro to expand employment programs benefiting over 20,000 Hondurans. Sheinbaum hinted she might attend the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington D.C., potentially meeting U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney—a first for the three North American leaders.
Meanwhile, the U.S.-Mexico relationship faced fresh strains. The newly opened U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, the largest American government building outside the U.S., began operations with 1,550 employees and the capacity to process 4,000 visa applications daily. Water tensions escalated as the U.S. blamed Mexico’s missed deliveries—over 865,000 acre-feet owed under the 2020-25 cycle—for hundreds of millions in Texas crop losses. Mexico’s National Autonomous University and a U.S. water organization agreed to create a joint bilingual geoportal to better manage shared resources.
Security concerns remained high-profile, with the investigation into Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo’s assassination advancing as seven of his eight municipal police bodyguards were arrested for negligence. Two federal agents disappeared in Jalisco while conducting intelligence work, their vehicle later found abandoned in Zapopan.
Across the border, the U.S. grappled with its own crisis after Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national and former CIA asset, opened fire on two National Guard members near the White House on November 26, 2025. Both were seriously wounded, and 20-year-old Sarah Backstrom died two days later. According to La Jornada, Lakanwal had entered the U.S. through a Biden administration relocation program for Afghans who had collaborated with U.S. forces. President Trump responded by announcing a “permanent pause” on immigration from the “Third World,” along with measures to denaturalize migrants deemed a “public charge” or security risk, despite official data contradicting his claims about the number and impact of foreign-born residents. Trump also drew criticism for pardoning drug trafficker Juan Orlando Hernández, the former Honduran president, even as he escalated military pressure on Venezuela under the pretext of combating narcotics trafficking.
As Mexico looks ahead to a pivotal week, with the potential for high-level diplomatic encounters and the ongoing challenge of economic recovery, the country stands at a crossroads—balancing the demands of its citizens, the imperatives of security and transparency, and the realities of a complex relationship with its powerful northern neighbor.
