Goodbye Grift: Mexico Neuters US-Funded NGOs – Soberanía 101

ByMexico Solidarity

In episode 101 of Soberanía, hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth return from a brief break to tackle the Mexican tax authority’s decision to revoke the tax-deductible status some NGOs operating in the country, including prominent organizations linked to the opposition and US funding. The hosts break down what actually happened—a routine administrative review that these groups failed to comply with—and why the outcry reveals more about the privileges they’ve enjoyed than any actual repression. Next, they examine two recent incidents of U.S. troops entering Mexican territory without authorization, including a recent episode at the US-Mexico border and a November 2024 case where private contractors posted signs declaring Mexican land a U.S. restricted area. While the government has downplayed both incidents, the hosts argue they are part of a pattern of provocations that demand a serious deterrent strategy—something Mexico currently lacks. The conversation then turns to a U.S. House bill targeting Mexico over the Vulcan Materials dispute, a long-running environmental conflict in the Yucatán. The hosts detail how the Mexican government tried to negotiate a buyout before declaring the area a protected natural zone, and why the company’s refusal to accept a fair price has now escalated into a congressional showdown. Finally, Losers and Haters takes aim at the PT party for blocking key elements of the electoral reform Plan B—a move that has angered the coalition’s base and exposed the limits of governing with smaller parties more interested in self-preservation than principle.