90: Claudia Sheinbaum’s Balancing Act

In this episode of “México Centered,” experts Isabella D’Alacio, John Lindsay-Poland, and Gerardo Álvarez join Tony to shed light on the dangerous flow of firearms from the U.S. into Mexico. They explore how criminal networks traffic powerful weapons across the border, the cultural and political obstacles to reform, and the ongoing efforts to curb the illegal arms trade. Tune in for an in-depth, urgent conversation on one of the most pressing bilateral issues facing the U.S. and Mexico.   Featured guests: Isabella D’Alacio, https://voicesforprogress.org/staff/isabella-dalacio/  John Lindsay Poland, https://www.johnlindsaypoland.com/ Gerardo Álvarez, https://www.mucd.org.mx/conocenos/    This episode was recorded on May 21, 2025. More about Tony Payan, Ph.D.: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/tony-payan Follow Tony Payan on X (@PayanTony) and LinkedIn. Follow @BakerInstMexico on X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky. Subscribe to “US-Mexico Update,” our monthly newsletter, at bakerinstitute.org/newsletters.

Tony Payan joined David Satterfield, director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and host of the “Baker Briefing” podcast, to discuss the challenges Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, is facing — both domestically and in its relationship with the United States.   This conversation was recorded on May 14, 2025. You can subscribe to “Baker Briefing” wherever you get your podcasts. More about Tony Payan, Ph.D.: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/tony-payan Follow Tony Payan on X (@PayanTony) and LinkedIn. Learn more about our annual Mexico Country Outlook report and conference, happening Oct. 16, 2025, at Rice University: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/mco  You can follow @BakerInstitute and @BakerInstMexico on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

On April 24, 2025, we hosted the inaugural webinar of our “Binational Dialogues” series, titled “Mexico’s Economy Today” and featuring José Antonio Meade Kuribreña. Meade offered an in-depth analysis of the current state of Mexico’s economy, followed by a thoughtful conversation with Tony Payan, director of the Center for the U.S. and Mexico.  Meade is a Mexican politician, economist, lawyer, diplomat, and former presidential candidate. Between 2011 and 2017, he held several high-level Cabinet positions, including secretary of foreign affairs, secretary of social development, secretary of energy, and twice secretary of finance and public credit. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University, an economics degree from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), and a law degree from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Featured guests: José Antonio Meade Kuribreña, Ph.D., https://www.weforum.org/people/jose-antonio-meade-kuribrena/ More about Tony Payan, Ph.D.: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/tony-payan Follow Tony Payan on X (@PayanTony) and LinkedIn. You can follow @BakerInstitute and @BakerInstMexico on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.    

Tony Payan, director of the Center for the U.S. and Mexico, is joined by Kevin Koym, founder and CEO of Tech Ranch, and Ana Victoria Gutiérrez, ecosystem intelligence leader at Startup Chihuahua. Together, they explore how strategic investment and community collaboration are driving the growth of tech entrepreneurship in Chihuahua.   Featured guests: Ana Victoria Gutiérrez, https://www.linkedin.com/in/av-gutierrez/ Kevin Koym, https://www.kevinkoym.com/   This conversation was recorded on April 15, 2025.   More about Tony Payan, Ph.D.: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/tony-payan Follow Tony Payan on X (@PayanTony) and LinkedIn. You can follow @BakerInstitute and @BakerInstMexico on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

Last month, Tony Payan joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast along with Rice University professor Luz Maria Garcini and ACLU of Texas attorney David Donatti to discuss the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign. They explored the legal and social implications of the administration’s unconventional targeting of legal permanent and temporary residents, asylum seekers, and even foreign students, as well as the administration’s overt challenges to judicial authority and due process rights. This episode was recorded in front of a live studio audience on May 21, 2025. You can follow   Follow @BakerInstMexico on X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky. Subscribe to the “US-Mexico Update,” delivered monthly, at bakerinstitute.org/newsletters.

President Donald Trump has promised to carry out a mass deportation effort that would remove millions of immigrants residing illegally in the United States. Will the massive scale of deportations improve the U.S. economy and deliver greater job prospects for U.S.-born workers, as Trump has claimed?   In early March, “México Centered” host Tony Payan examined the issue with Chloe East, an associate professor of economics at the University of Colorado Denver, for the “Conversations on Migration” series, a monthly virtual series hosted by the Baker Institute Migration Initiative. East explained why mass deportations don’t actually help U.S.-born workers and why Trump’s proposed deportations will instead come with a significant price tag.   Learn how to attend the “Conversations on Migration” series at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/migration-initiative.

On “México Centered,” host Tony Payan continued his conversation on the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in Mexico with Laura Ripani, Mexico’s country representative at the Inter-American Development Bank, and friend of the podcast Alejandro Dabdoub.   They explored major questions about the future of work as AI advances: What implications does the advent of generative AI have for Mexico’s workforce and the global value chain? How can policymakers leverage AI for economic growth while confronting domestic inequality? And how can Latin America take advantages of disruptions like DeepSeek, the Chinese start-up that caused shockwaves in the industry with its low-cost AI model?   This conversation was recorded on Feb. 6, 2025. Subscribe and listen to “Judy Ley Allen México Centered” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.   Follow @BakerInstMexico on X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky. Subscribe to the “US-Mexico Update,” delivered monthly, at bakerinstitute.org/newsletters.

In February, “México Centered” host Tony Payan joined three other Baker Institute experts to explore President Donald Trump’s plans to impose tariffs on Mexican, Canadian, and Chinese goods and what they mean for U.S. industries and consumers — as well as our relationships with our largest trading partners. The conversation was moderated by John Diamond, director of the Baker Institute Center for Tax and Budget Policy. This episode was originally recorded in front of a live studio audience on Feb. 6, 2025, for the “Baker Briefing” podcast.  Follow @BakerInstMexico on X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky. Subscribe to the “US-Mexico Update,” delivered monthly, at bakerinstitute.org/newsletters.

Mexico was once one of the biggest leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) globally, but progress has since stalled. Now, there’s renewed hope: President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office in October 2024, has created an Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications (ATDT), and the topic is also receiving attention from the Mexican Congress.   However, many questions remain. Will Mexico assign the right resources for advancement in a highly competitive field? Does it have the right team in place? Can it find and manage the right partnerships among universities, the private sector, and other actors abroad?   Claudia del Pozo, founder and director of the Eon Institute, and friend of the podcast Alejandro Dabdoub joined “México Centered” to discuss the barriers and opportunities ahead, from advancing responsible AI to the implications of the emerging technology for Mexico’s labor force.   This conversation was recorded on Feb. 6, 2025. Subscribe and listen to “Judy Ley Allen México Centered” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.   Follow @BakerInstMexico on X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky. Subscribe to the “US-Mexico Update,” delivered monthly, at bakerinstitute.org/newsletters.

On  Nov. 15, 2024, the Mexican government released its budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2025, which runs from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. The government pledged to narrow its fiscal deficit from around 6% in 2024 to around 3% in 2025, and according to the budget proposal, there will be no additional taxes, and the economy will grow between 2% and 3% next year. Within the same proposal, the government dramatically increases social spending, but cuts the budget for government goods and services, such as education, health care, and infrastructure, among other things. Is that realistic?   Here to discuss where the government plans to make cuts, whether it is realistic to expect 3% growth, what it means for investment, and more is Mariana Campos, head of the think tank “México Evalúa,” which focuses on government performance and accountability. For 10 years, she served as coordinator of México Evalúa’s Public Expenditure and Accountability Program. She also joined our Center for the U.S. and Mexico as a visiting scholar in 2022.   Follow the Baker Institute Center for the U.S. and Mexico on X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky. Subscribe to the “US-Mexico Update,” delivered monthly, by opting in here.