Diplomatic Tensions Rise
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson this week to limit his role to technical coordination and avoid interfering in the country’s internal affairs. The president’s remarks, made during her daily press conference on Tuesday, were a response to the diplomat’s comments on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, where he stated that politicizing the fight against drug trafficking represents a “lost opportunity” for both nations.
The diplomatic conflict escalated following a large-scale event on Sunday, where Sheinbaum accused the United States of seeking to “interfere” in Mexico. The president specifically addressed charges filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against ten current and former officials from Sinaloa, who are accused of drug-related crimes.
In response to the president’s criticism, Johnson maintained that the fight against cartels must be a joint effort rather than a source of political division. “Every moment we spend turning this shared security challenge into a political discussion is a lost opportunity to strengthen our cooperation,” the ambassador noted, emphasizing that citizens on both sides of the border deserve to live free from intimidation and violence.
Labor Challenges in the Gig Economy
On the domestic front, the Sheinbaum administration is facing scrutiny over the implementation of labor reforms for digital platform workers. During her accountability report last Sunday, the president highlighted that, for the first time, app-based workers received profit-sharing (PTU) payments in May.
However, Sergio Guerrero, General Secretary of the National Union of App Workers (UNTA), argued in an interview with El Universal that the reality is far from the official figures. According to the union leader, most platforms have avoided making the payments. For instance, Uber has argued that because it created a new corporate entity to comply with the reform, it is not obligated to distribute profits this year.
Guerrero challenged this justification, noting that these companies have been operating in the Mexican market for years and should not be considered startups. Furthermore, the UNTA representative warned that regulatory compliance has been insufficient, with only 10% of app workers successfully gaining access to social security.
UNTA reports that the rates paid by platforms have decreased, forcing delivery drivers and ride-share operators to work more than eight hours a day, seven days a week, just to attempt to qualify for social benefits. Given this situation, the organization has initiated talks with the Ministry of Labor and is evaluating legal and administrative measures to demand the enforcement of established labor rights.
