President Claudia Sheinbaum
Wen Donald Trump dey elected as US president for November 2024, many analysts bin warn say Mexico go be one of di kontris wey dey most affected by im protectionist economic agenda and hard line approach to security and migration.
Di economies of di kontris - wey share one border of around 1,950 miles (3,140 km) - dey closely intertwined, while Mexicans make up by far di biggest number of immigrants wey dey enter di US.
But while Mexico remain vulnerable to im powerful northern neighbour, President Claudia Sheinbaum, di first woman wey dey elected to dat post, don manage- at least so far - to work effectively wit Trump.
Last week, Trump bin pause planned tariffs on some Mexican products, say na "out of respect for President Sheinbaum".
"We don come out [of Trump tariffs] stronger," Sheinbaum bin declare on Sunday for front of one very big crowd for Mexico City, dey shout "¡No estás sola! [You no dey alone]".
Sheinbaum, 62, don win praise for how she bin handle Trump for time wen many world leaders dey struggle to deal wit di sudden, major shifts in foreign policy under di US president.
Olaf Scholz, di soon-to-be former German Chancellor, don praise her "calmness" and "intelligence", while Colombian President Gustavo Petro call her "di providence of Latin America independence". Di Whington Post even label her di world leading "Trump whisperer".
But how Sheinbaum - one progressive politician and self-declared feminist - manage to turn Trump presidency into opportunity for her administration, despite dia obvious differences?
A Nobel Prize winner
Pipo sabi her as "Doctora" for Mexico, Sheinbaum approach to politics don dey shaped by her experience as academic and scientist.
Di daughter of Jewish Eastern European migrants, she bin grow up for family of one leftist intellectuals from di upper middle-class of Mexico City, di kontri capital.
As student, she bin research clean energy production for indigenous communities and be activist against corruption and neoliberalism - one political approach wey favour free-market capitalism and deregulation.
Sheinbaum den turn into politics, join and rise through di ranks of di progressive movement lead by former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, start as environment secretary for im Mexico City govment and eventually become mayor.
In 2007, she be one of di scientists and policymakers wey share di Nobel Prize for Peace for dia work on di United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Trump don repeatedly vow to withdraw di US from di Paris climate agreement, one important global effort to tackle rising temperatures. Im administration reportedly block US scientists make dem no attend one IPCC meeting for February.
Eighty per cent of Mexico exports dey purchased in di United States, according to di Atlantic Council think tank. About 44% of dia foreign investment come from di US, while about 4% of Mexico GDP come from money wey Mexican migrants send home.
And while di US economy also heavily dependent on Mexico, sake of im sizee dey much less affected by any disruption in trade.
In February, Sheinbaum bin manage to avoid Trump 25% tariffs for one month afta she agree to send 10,000 troops to di northern border to reduce di flow of illegal migrants.
In March, Trump bin threaten again, but dis time Sheinbaum already get list of measures to satisfy im wishes.
Mexico bin seize dozens of tonnes of di powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, anoda of Trump requests, and arrest top drug lords. Mexican authorities also hand to di US 29 criminals wey bin don dey top of dia most wanted lists for years - one operation wey legal experts say violate Mexican law.
Di result be say, once again, Sheinbaum manage to dodge tariffs without di need to pick fight - as oda leaders don do - wit di most powerful man on Earth.
Turn concessions into opportunity
Wetin dey more unexpected for all of dis be say dat di Mexican president don manage to turn dis concessions into seemingly successful policy.
First, she bin double down on security for kontri wey still dey choke by violence, particularly from organised crime.
Second, Sheinbaum don take advantage of di threats wey Trump issue to launch reindustrialisation of di economy - promote foreign investment, boost medium-sized businesses and, ultimately, make Mexico less dependent on di United States.
"Security policy don strengthen and speed up afta Trump pressure, but no be exclusive reaction," Guadalupe González, one expert for international relations for di Colegio de México tok.
"And wit di economy e similar," she add.
"Di strategy na to convince di US say, in order to recover im competitiveness and strengthen im own industry, e need Mexico."
Ernesto López Portillo, head of di citizen security programme for di Iberoamericana University for Mexico City, add: "Sheinbaum don radically change di security policy of di previous president despite say dem be from di same party."
But e warn: "Mexico get chronic problem of impunity, extortion, disappearances, and nothing di president do fit solve dat quickly."
Mexico remain one deeply unequal society, corruption still dey dominate politics, most pipo get informal jobs and e get growing worry about di ruling party power grab, wey kontrol all branches of govment.
On Sunday, however, Sheinbaum bin host one massive festival for di capital iconic city centre to celebrate one "national triumph".
"We dey stronger sake of say we get di support of di pipo," she tok. "Sake of say govment and di pipo dey inseparable."
Not satisfied wit her 85% approval ratings, Sheinbaum wan wake nationalist fervour.
Na anoda part of di strategy say, so far, don make Trump more of asset dan threat for Mexico.
Sheinbaum say fentanyl seizure for di United States don drop by 40% thanks to seizures for Mexico
Copyright © 1994 - 2025 GhanaWeb. All rights reserved.
