Claudia Sheinbaum Takes on the ICE Killing Machine – Soberanía 115
In episode 115 of Soberanía, hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth (broadcasting from Oaxaca) cover Mexico’s sharp escalation in the fight against ICE abuses. The government is now filing criminal complaints with U.S. state and federal prosecutors over the deaths of Mexican nationals in detention and during enforcement operations, while also sending cease-and-desist letters to private prison operators like GEO Group and CoreCivic, and taking the issue to the UN Human Rights Commission.
Next, they examine the scandal surrounding Baja California Governor Mariana del Pilar, who was caught in leaked audio speaking to unidentified people claiming to be U.S. intermediaries about getting her visa reinstated. While this isn’t the outright treason of Chihuahua’s Maru Campos, the hosts argue it’s still embarrassing: a governor begging to cooperate with the U.S. to get her visa back, apparently willing to talk to anyone and offer anything.
The episode also highlights a victory for public transportation: the Buena Vista–Felipe Ángeles Airport train has become a surprise hit, not just for airport travelers but for commuters from the state of Mexico who now shave hours off their daily journeys. The hosts argue this is what happens when you invest in public infrastructure — and contrast it with the U.S. model of privatized, car-centric development.
Losers and Haters takes aim at far-right influencer and law professor Natalia Torres, who went on a podcast to argue that not everyone should be allowed to vote. The hosts note the deeply classist, racist, and medieval thinking behind such a statement — and how it perfectly encapsulates why the Mexican right remains its own worst enemy.
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Sheinbaum and Trump Talk. A Deal Appears Imminent
Politico and Bloomberg report a Wednesday call a U.S. official called “constructive,” days before the September 28 and 29 USMCA review, as Trump pushes to close a deal before the U.S. midterms.
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People’s Mañanera September 17
President Sheinbaum’s daily press conference, with comments on infrastructure, the fight against drugs, sovereignty, Mexican handicrafts, and historical memory.
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“I’d Like a Report on What the U.S. Does Against Drugs,” Sheinbaum Says
The president turned the tables on Washington’s drug scorecard, pointing to U.S. consumption, the opioid crisis, money laundering, and the guns flowing south into Mexico.
