At her Wednesday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about the higher levy on soft drinks that is set to take effect next year and the importance of her government’s rail projects.
She also acknowledged that the death toll from flooding in eastern and central Mexico has risen.
Here is a recap of the president’s Oct. 22 mañanera.
Sheinbaum: ‘Instead of buying 30 cans of soda a month, buy 29’
Asked about the taxes and fees that are set to increase in 2026, Sheinbaum said that the only change that will affect Mexicans is the higher levy on soft drinks.
Her assertion wasn’t entirely accurate because levies on some other products, including tobacco and violent video games, are set to increase as well, pending approval by the Senate.
Sheinbaum said that the government’s advice to nullify the impact of the higher levy on soda is for consumers of soft drinks to slightly reduce their intake.
“Instead of buying 30 cans of soda a month, buy 29,” she said.
“It will help your health and you won’t pay more taxes,” Sheinbaum said.
The tax on soft drinks is slated to increase to 3.08 pesos per liter next year, an 88% increase compared to the current rate of 1.64 pesos per liter.
New rail projects ‘very important’ for Mexico’s competitiveness
After the director of Mexico’s Rail Transport Regulatory Agency, Andrés Lajous, provided an update on various railroad projects, a reporter asked the president “what role” the new railroads will play in boosting Mexico’s competitiveness and supporting the government’s Plan México economic initiative.
A “very important” one, Sheinbaum responded.
“The transport of freight and passengers by train is something that is happening in the entire world,” she added.
Sheinbaum cited China as one example of a country that has invested in the development of its rail network.
In Mexico, the government is “recovering the passenger trains,” the president said after railing against former president Ernesto Zedillo (1994-2000) for privatizing Mexico’s railroads.
Virtually all passenger train services in Mexico ceased to operate after the railway system was privatized.
Now, the Maya Train — built during Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s 2018-24 presidency — has “a lot of passengers,” Sheinbaum said, adding that the proposed freight service on the same railroad will help unlock the “amazing” potential of southeastern Mexico “because today the southeast has a lot of connectivity problems.”
Mexico now also has a modernized railroad across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, linking Mexico’s Pacific and Gulf coasts, and several new projects are underway. Those projects include the construction of train lines that will link Mexico City to various cities, including Pachuca, Querétaro and Nuevo Laredo on the northern border.
Sheinbaum said that the construction of new railroads is part of her government’s “vision for the future of the country and is, of course, linked to Plan México.”
Death toll from floods rises to 78
Sheinbaum displayed data that showed that the number of confirmed fatalities from flooding this month in the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla and Querétaro had risen by two to 78. An additional 23 people are classified as missing.
Veracruz has recorded the highest number of flood-related deaths with 35. Twenty-two of the confirmed fatalities occurred in Hidalgo, 20 in Puebla and one in Querétaro.
Sheinbaum highlighted that the government is directly distributing assistance to people affected by the floods without “intermediaries.”
Among the assistance the government is providing are initial payments of 20,000 pesos (US $1,084) to affected households.
Government workers called “servants of the nation” have been carrying out a damage census in scores of flood-affected municipalities to determine who is eligible for assistance.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
