El Taller: The Real Story of the Tren Maya

In this episode of El Taller, Kurt Hackbarth and José Luis Granados Ceja speak with Professor Etienne von Bertrab of University College London about his new graphic-book Más allá: una historia del Tren Maya. Von Bertrab explains how the book emerged from frustration with academic publishing and a desire to bring rigorous, balanced research to a wider public. The conversation explores the origins and construction of the Tren Maya, the social and environmental controversies surrounding it, and what the project reveals about the broader goals of Mexico’s Fourth Transformation. From historical extraction in the southeast to today’s debates over development, welfare, and sovereignty, the interview offers a nuanced, informed look at one of the country’s most ambitious—and misunderstood—projects.

  • People’s Mañanera October 22

    President Sheinbaum’s daily press conference, with comments on rainfall emergency response, aid delivery, passenger trains, taxation and the fight against invoice mills.

  • Campesinos Ride Again

    Last week’s strike by agricultural producers against the USMCA and the uncontrolled entry of subsidized grains from the US is part of a fight for Mexican food sovereignty that demands the government’s full attention.