International
The economic data that defined Mexico’s second presidential debate
The second official debate of Mexico’s presidential candidates focused on economic issues, so promises about salary and employment, as well as macroeconomic and public finance figures dominated the exchanges.
These are the main data that marked the meeting of the three presidential candidates, the ruling party Claudia Sheinbaum, and the opponents Xóchitl Gálvez and Jorge Álvarez Máynez:
Álvarez Máynez, of the opposition Movimiento Ciudadano (MC), promised to raise the minimum wage to 10,000 pesos per month (about 583 dollars), above the current 7,467 pesos (435.4 dollars), while Sheinbaum asserted that it will rise to an equivalent of 2.5 basic baskets.
“(There are) better salaries. Remember that they did not increase wages for 36 years in the country and for the first time (under the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador) they increased by 110%. We are going to take salaries to 2.5 basic baskets,” said the former head of Government of Mexico City (2018-2023).
Sheinbaum promised to build 100 new industrial parks to take advantage of the phenomenon of chain relocation or ‘nearshoring’.
“We are going to develop another 10 welfare poles throughout the country to take advantage of the relocation that is taking place at the moment. Among other things, we are going to make 100 industrial parks linked to regional vocations, with education and development for well-being,” he said.
Gálvez denounced that the growth of per capita debt is equivalent to 54% during López Obrador’s six-year term (2018-2024).
“Yes, they got the country into debt. Today, every Mexican owes 128,000 pesos (7,463.5 dollars). (That is) 45,000 pesos ($2,623.9) more than when they arrived. That’s why I tell them that (Sheinbaum) tells lies. That’s why she is the candidate of lies,” said the candidate of the Alliance Fuerza y Corazón por México.
The opposition candidate promised that “everyone who earns less than 15,000 pesos ($874.6) a month will not pay taxes,” which “benefits 20 million Mexicans.”
The candidate of Fuerza y Corazón por México assured that the López Obrador Administration has granted Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) a tax support of 2 billion pesos (116,618 million dollars), which is equivalent to building 8 million homes and giving 50,000 pesos ($2,915.5 dollars) to each of those people.
“Pemex is a robbed,” he said.
The ruling party candidate cited that the Government of López Obrador brought 5.1 million people out of poverty, based on the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (Coneval).
“For the first time since 1982 we are below 40% of the poor population, and at the same time inequality decreased,” Sheinbaum said. But Gálvez argued that there are still 47 million people in poverty.
Sheinbaum accused his main rival, Gálvez, of representing the “neoliberalism” of his parties, National Action (PAN), the Institutional Revolutionary (PRI) and the Democratic Revolution (PRD).
“At the time of (Felipe) Calderón (president from 2006 to 2012, the inequality between rich and poor of the PAN), reached 35 times. With the transformation, inequality has decreased to 17 times, that is, it is a different model, before it was supported by those at the top, now it supports those at the bottom,” he argued.
Álvarez Máynez stressed that Movimiento Ciudadano supports the reduction of the working day from 48 hours to 40 hours per week, in addition to accusing the parties of Gálvez and Sheinbaum of not supporting the proposal in Congress.
“She (Sheinbaum) is a candidate of the party that today has a majority in Congress. With your votes we could approve the decent workday with two days of rest a week, we could approve that this country has a universal minimum income,” he said.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
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