People’s Mañanera March 2

ByPedro Gellert

Every day, President Claudia Sheinbaum gives a morning presidential press conference and Mexico Solidarity Media posts English language summaries, translated by Mexico Solidarity’s Pedro Gellert. Previous press conference summaries are available here.

Electoral Reform: Greater Defense of the People’s Interests, Fewer Privileges

President Claudia Sheinbaum announced she will send the electoral reform bill to Congress today. The aim is to recover the essence of democracy, specifically proportional representation legislators directly elected by the people, as opposed to party leaderships, and reducing the costs of the elections, concretely public financing allocated to political parties, the National Electoral Institute (INE), local public electoral bodies (OPLES), and general representation.

Sheinbaum clarified that political party representation is maintained, rejecting any “state party” idea. She noted that criticisms come from sectors of the PRIAN-linked old regime and that the electoral reform proposal responds to demands from society for fairer and less costly elections.

40-Hour Workweek: Mexico in the Vanguard of Labour Rights

It was reported that the 40-hour workweek reform will become official when published in the Official Gazette following its unanimous approval by Congressional Deputies, Senators, and most state congresses.

The President emphasized that the legislation seeks “to reduce fatigue and workplace accidents through more rest time, improved health, safety, and a more favorable balance between workers’ personal, family, and professional lives.”

Record High Formal Employment

February saw the highest number of formal jobs for this month in history, with 22,527,854 registered. Of these, 19.6 million are permanent jobs, with an average daily salary of more than 600 pesos (US$34.65).

Security with Popular Backing and Against Disinformation

Sheinbaum criticized the spread of fake news and images following the security operation that resulted in the capturing and killing of key drug kingpin Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” noting that even The New York Times acknowledged circulating false information.

The President noted that, according to El Financiero, 80% of the population approves of the operation, reflecting broad support for the security strategy.

Mexico Calls for Peace and Supports Its Compatriots

The President explained that the UN is no longer fulfilling the role for which it was created, given that today the interests of the military powers outweigh the equitable representation of the member countries. She noted that the civilian populations ultimately pay the consequences.

The President also reported that the government is providing accompaniment and support to Mexican families in the Middle East amid the recent escalation of the conflict in the region.