An address to her fellow G20 leaders in which she proposed “the biggest reforestation program in history.”
Bilateral meetings with world leaders including United States President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
A “gathering” with the four other leaders of the MIKTA partnership.
President Claudia Sheinbaum had a busy day at the G20 Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday, after taking two commercial flights to reach the world-famous city on Sunday.
Sheinbaum’s trip to Brazil to meet with the leaders of the world’s largest economies is her first international trip since she was sworn in as president on Oct. 1. Her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, did not attend any G20 summits during his six-year term, preferring to focus on domestic issues rather than international ones.
Sheinbaum, head of a Mexican delegation that also includes Foreign Affairs Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente and Energy Minister Luz Elena González Escobar, will not attend the second day of the G20 summit, as she will return to Mexico to preside over Mexican Revolution Day proceedings on Wednesday.
Sheinbaum on the world stage at the G20 Rio summit
“The proposal is to stop sowing war. Let’s sow peace and let’s sow life.”
With those words, Sheinbaum concluded her maiden address to G20 leaders, which she made during a session on “Social Inclusion and the Fight against Hunger and Poverty.”
The proposal she put to many of the world’s most powerful politicians was to establish “a fund that allocates 1% of the military expenditure of our countries to carry out the biggest reforestation program in history.”
Under the proposal, Sheinbaum said, around US $24 billion per year could be allocated to the program.
En el inicio de los trabajos del G20 Brasil 2024, resaltamos que el gasto en armas creció casi al triple que la economía mundial en tan solo dos años; en cambio, 700 millones de familias aún viven por debajo de la línea de la pobreza. pic.twitter.com/w0puHsSVVl
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) November 18, 2024
That money could employ 6 million tree planters, who “would reforest 15 million hectares, something like four times the area of Denmark,” she said.
“… With that we would help to mitigate global warming and restore social fabric, helping communities to come out of poverty,” Sheinbaum said.
Earlier in her address, the climate scientist-turned-politician highlighted the achievements of the Mexican government’s Sembrando Vida (Sowing Life) reforestation/employment scheme.
“Every year we allocate $1.7 billion to support 439,000 families in Mexico and 40,000 in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. In six years, more than 1 million hectares have been reforested with the planting of 1.1 billion trees,” Sheinbaum said.
The planting of trees in that area is “equivalent to capturing 30 million tonnes of CO2 annually,” she said.
During her speech, Sheinbaum also said that it is “absurd” that global expenditure on weapons is increasing when 700 million people live in poverty.
“What’s happening in our world that in just two years, spending on weapons grew [at] almost triple [the rate] of the global economy?” she asked.
“… It’s absurd, nonsense, that there is more spending on weapons than to combat poverty or climate change,” Sheinbaum said.
She also said that she refused to believe that “we’re capable of creating artificial intelligence,” but “incapable of giving a hand to those left behind.”
‘All Mexican women arrived’ to a position of power
Speaking to a gathering of mainly men, Sheinbaum noted that she had “the great honor” of becoming Mexico’s first female president when she was sworn in almost seven weeks ago.
“I didn’t arrive alone,” she told her fellow leaders.
“All the female farmers, migrants, workers and professionals arrived. Our grandmothers, our daughters and our granddaughters arrived. All Mexican women arrived,” Sheinbaum said.
Among other remarks, the president highlighted the continuation of the Mexican governance model encapsulated by the slogan, “For the good of all, the poor first,” and told the summit that Mexico is among the least indebted nations in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
She also spoke about the record high foreign direct investment in Mexico and touted the construction of numerous infrastructure projects in Mexico in recent years, including new railroads and airports.
“There is democracy, freedom, plurality and the right to dissent [in Mexico],” Sheinbaum said.
“Security and justice institutions are being strengthened and peace is being built,” she said.
Migration, security and economy the focus of Sheinbaum’s discussion with Biden
Sheinbaum said on social media that she spoke with Biden about “the good relationship there is and which there must be between Mexico and the United States.”
She also said she spoke to the U.S. president about “the importance of working together” on matters related to migration, security and the economy.
It was the first — and likely last — time that Sheinbaum met face-to-face with Biden, who will be succeeded by Donald Trump on Jan. 20.
Trump, of course, was not at the G20 summit, but he — and his plans for his second term as U.S. president — were no doubt very present in the minds of world leaders, and in their discussions with their counterparts from the world’s major economies.
Sheinbaum will be the third Mexican president to steer Mexico’s relationship with the United States while Trump is in office. Enrique Peña Nieto was the first while López Obrador, who maintained a friendly relationship with Trump, was the second.
The White House on Monday said in a statement that Biden congratulated Sheinbaum on her election and inauguration as president during their meeting in Rio, and “reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to building a prosperous North America with good paying jobs.”
“The two leaders underscored the importance of maintaining cooperation on migration, security and tackling the scourge of transnational criminal violence, and economic issues, building on the strong bilateral partnership between the United States and Mexico,” the statement said.
Trudeau, Xi and Macron also met with Sheinbaum in Rio
A steady flow of updates from Rio appeared on Sheinbaum’s social media accounts throughout Monday.
A meet and greet with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the start of the day. A photo of the president speaking, with Biden, Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi also in the frame. Posts about the president’s bilateral meetings with Biden, Trudeau, Xi and Prime Minister of Vietnam Phạm Minh Chính.
Sheinbaum said she spoke to the Canadian prime minister about the “good result” of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) for North America.
According to a statement from Trudeau’s office, the two leaders “spoke about the importance of economic security and underscored the mutually beneficial effects of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement,” or CUSMA, as the pact is known in Canada.
Sheinbaum’s meeting with Trudeau came at a time when two Canadian premiers, Doug Ford of Ontario and Danielle Smith of Alberta, are agitating for Canada to seek a bilateral agreement with the United States rather than the extension of a trilateral pact that includes Mexico.
The USMCA is up for review in 2026, and Trump has said he will have “a lot of fun” renegotiating it. Mexico’s trade and investment relationship with China is a central concern for the incoming U.S. president.
A social media post showed Sheinbaum shaking the hand of President Xi, but made no mention of Mexico’s trade relationship with China or Chinese investment in Mexico.
Con motivo de la Cumbre de Líderes del G20, conversamos con el presidente de China, Xi Jinping. Agradecí todo el apoyo para la recuperación de Acapulco mediante la producción y entrega de enseres domésticos. pic.twitter.com/oWhd755fLQ
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) November 18, 2024
Sheinbaum simply said that she thanked the Chinese leader for “all the support” China provided for the post Hurricane Otis recovery in Acapulco “through the production and delivery of domestic appliances.”
Vietnam is seen as a competitor of Mexico in the quest to attract new foreign investment, but no tension was on display in a photo that showed the Mexican and Vietnamese leaders sharing a warm moment, both smiling as if they had just heard a very good joke.
“We agreed to strengthen the cultural relationship,” Sheinbaum said on social media.
The Mexican president also met with French president Macron, and the two leaders agreed to cooperate on “water, health and infrastructure issues,” according to the federal government.
MIKTA and ‘Latin America united’
Sheinbaum, currently the only female leader of a G20 nation, also participated in the MIKTA Leaders Gathering along with the leaders of Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and Australia.
Created in 2013, MIKTA is “a diverse and cross-regional grouping of democracies,” according to the government of Australia.
“MIKTA aims to bridge divides in the multilateral system and build consensus on complex and challenging issues, drawing on the diverse perspectives of its members and their shared interest in upholding international law and promoting the multilateral system.”
Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez said on X that the Indonesian, Korean, Turkish and Australian leaders thanked Mexico for its “successful presidency” of MIKTA in 2024 and “praised the progress in strengthening multilateralism, placing women at the center of development efforts and deepening coordination between authorities … for development.”
Sheinbaum also engaged with the presidents of Chile and Colombia, who attended the G20 Summit despite their countries not being members of the group.
“Latin America united. We met with our friends, the presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Chile, Gabriel Boric Font, and Colombia, Gustavo Petro Urrego at the G20 Leaders Summit,” Sheinbaum wrote in a social media post that included a photo of the four leaders.
América Latina unida. Nos encontramos con nuestros amigos los presidentes de Brasil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Chile, Gabriel Boric Font, y Colombia, Gustavo Petro Urrego en la Cumbre de Líderes del G20. pic.twitter.com/Kl6vChJhQT
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) November 18, 2024
Argentine President Javier Milei was at the G20 Summit, but is clearly not a part of that “united” front, being more aligned with Trump than the aforesaid quartet of Latin American leftists.
CDMX to Rio via Panama
“In line with one of the principles of her government, republican austerity,” Sheinbaum flew from Mexico City to Rio via Panama on a commercial airline, the president’s office said in a statement.
While far less folksy and considerably more urbane and taciturn than López Obrador, Sheinbaum is making a concerted effort to remain close to — or at least not too far removed from — “the people” AMLO so frequently extolled. Part of that effort is to fly commercial.
It’s not like she could hop onto a presidential jet, anyway (AMLO sold the erstwhile presidential plane to the government of Tajikistan) but she could have conceivably traveled to Brazil on a military aircraft.
Instead, like López Obrador, Sheinbaum lined up with the hoi polloi at Mexico City International Airport before taking her seat in the coach section of a Copa Airlines plane.
She met with Panamanian Foreign Affairs Minister at Tocumen International Airport in Panama city before continuing her journey to Rio.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
CORRECTION: The original version of this report quoted President Sheinbaum as saying that 100 billion trees have been planted in Mexico over the past six years. She did indeed say that, but in fact only 1.1 billion trees have been planted in the period. We have amended the report to reflect what Sheinbaum meant rather than what she said.
Thanks for a well-developed and comprehensive articles. She certainly made her time worthwhile, meeting with so many foreign leaders.
I hope she gets both the results and positive relationships she’s seeking
I want to move to Mexico
She is very presidential and makes me proud for México. And, then there’s my incoming president…..
Yes we all need to worry about him!!!
Such a juvenile comment.
As a resident of Mexico, I too am proud for Mexico. She is off to a solid start in a very difficult situation.
Thanks, Travis
It’s a good move for Mexico’s president to engage publicly with the G20. That forum still holds potential to bridge divides and her comments during the session on tackling poverty and hunger were spot on.
I can’t even express how happy my husband and I are that we moved to Mexico years ago. We don’t miss the racism and bigotry in the US. Mass deportations? Trump and his cult are vicious racists. People in Mexico are open minded and open hearted.
When someone breaks into your house, are you a vicious racist if you throw him out?
Pamela,
You can not get any more racist and bigotry than that broad broad statement, Impying that all in the U.S are as you stateted is so wrong. Look in the mirror.
The U.S is the best country in the world, period. Why do you think so many folks from mexico and around the world are comming into the U.S ? and can I say Illegally !!!! We want a diverse country, All we ask is do it the proper way not sneak in and expect hand outs. Im pretty sure Mexico did not just let you walk in and move with out proper vetting . Trump won the popular Vote and the electorial that gives him a mandate that over all people are tiered with law breakers. come here the proper way and there will not be any issues.
In my experience, undocumented migranst do not arrive expecting handouts. They come to work and many hold multiple low wage jobs and still send money home to their families in their countries of origin. I hear this ” they are coming to our country and getting all the benefits when native FILL IN THE BLANKS have to wait in line for benefits” from people in the UK, France, Germany, South Africa, Italy, you name it. Every country has the same trope… People are not risking coming to America to sit home, play video games and live off of welfare. Check your data, the average welfare recipient is a US native born white woman with 2 kids. Chances are her parents were also on welfare and her kids will be also. Until global leaders truly address the underlying reasons for poverty, violence, government instability and corruption that causes people to risk everything to migrate, we need to stop blaming the migrants and start blaming those who have failed to truly address the systemic problems fueling the migrations.
Thank you, some people are just ignorant and/or continue the lies from the right about migrants, legal and illegal who pay taxes and get nothing from it.
👍👍
I am disgusted that a convicted felon has been elected as president to the USA. Given your words about illegals in the USA, you should want Trump to go to prison, you know, rehabilitate himself.Pay the price for his 34 crimes.
Im sorry too, To bad the supreme court came out and gave amunity. Also the crimes you say where all made up by the Biden admin and put in motion by the feds. Gee they work for Biden.
The people of the U.S have spoken and know and can see who will be able to M.A.G.A.
Inflation, Border Security and real law and ordrer. America first !!!
Sad people think Biden could get U.S. citizens to find trump guilty of being a sex offender and an adjudicated rapist. Make donnie grab women by the you know what? Make 26 women and girls accuse him of molestation, raping, juveniles saying he walked in on them nude in pageants, and other gross stuff? I’m sad my country thinks this blight on our leadership will make things better. We’ll see.
Here “speech” was beautiful, but without any real substance. We have all heard those “beautiful words” words before. Where is Mexico today? Has poverty been reduced? (NO). Hiring 6 million “tree planters” to plant trees” at “minimum wages” is NEVER GOING TO REDUCE POVERTY IN A HUNDRED YEARS, NOR HELP THE POOR IN MEXICO. People of Mexico, just accept that fact President Sheinbaum is repeating the same thing Obrador told the people 6 years ago. Do you see any change in Mexico and in your life? (NO). Sheinbaum is allocating $24 billion per year to this problem is a “stupid idea”. Nothing is going to be accomplish that from this G20 meeting just like past years. The people of Mexico are in the same boat they were 6 years ago.
Now forget the past, the President and the government should start establishing a very good working relationship with President Trump and the US, instead of “tearing President Trump “down ” with “bad words” so the two countries can improve the economy and help improve the lives of all the Mexican people. That is what should be happening, instead of destroying the relationship with Trump. Wake up Mexico, don’t waste your time planting 6 million trees that are not going to improve your lives, paying 6 million “tree planters” like your President Sheinbaum reported at the G20 meeting. It’s your “country” if you want to keep living like that, it’s your option, but don’t blame Trump for your “future”.
It’s funny–maybe not the right word, and I’m not sure what would be–that you should answer your own questions. By the way, I am a Mexican friend of Shelly. So I will just log out.
I visited a BNB to see the butterfly migration in Mexico in 2022. Decades ago, the father of the owner of the establishment had worked for the government to help preserve the forests from illegal cutting of trees. On a Sunday morning, we heard chainsaws and I asked the owner what were they cutting and he said they were illegally cutting trees. I asked if he was going to do anything about it and he replied, “What can I do? Tell them they and their families can’t eat this week?” The tree they were cutting would get them about US$35 for 3 people working all day. So, paying people in that region minimum wage to plant trees rather than cut them seems like a viable start. Maybe not a complete solution, but, a viable start. I would not call it a waste of time, at all. The living conditions of the families were deplorable. They did not have skills that would allow them to do more than physical labor. Why not pay them to replant the trees that were cut over the centuries and exported, used to build mines in Mexico and burnt to smelt silver? Prior to the Spanish, there were many more forests in Mexico. Now trees are being cut to grow avocados and agave for tequila, mainly, for export. Those jobs pay minimum wage and do not really enrich anyone except for the owners of those operations, which, in some if not many cases, are illegal. I would say that her idea is a step in the right direction. If there were minimum wage jobs for the parents and schools for the children with food, in the next 8 years, you have many, healthy, educated, young people to support the industries moving to Mexico.
Congratulations to La Presidente Sheinbaum for making Mexico look so good in so many ways: poise, prose, personality. I am so happy to live here and proud of our president
While I agree with Mr Bembenek, I don’t think Ms Sheinbaum is being honest in her assessment of things to come. Speaking to President Biden, unfortunately, is not going to accomplish anything outside of being diplomatic. I commend Mexico for it’s openness and willingness to elect a female President. Who could’ve guessed that a culture so influenced by machismo, with a very real femicide problem, and serious inequality issues, would be more progressive and woman friendly than than the US? I think everyone should be proud of Ms Sheinbaum and I agree 100% she is in a difficult situation. However, I believe it is time she acknowledge the threats that are coming, not just from America, but Canada too.
With Countries around the globe placing Nationalist candidates in President/Prime Minister positions, there is the real possibility that Canada’s leadership could change. Trump is going to be demanding and will expect cooperation, or he will use every tool available to him to get it, or make Mexico “pay”. His Cabinet selections, control of the House and Senate, and freedom from prosecution from the Supreme Court are going to test Democracy. He will get the permission he needs, legal or not, with no regard to traditional politics, logic, or economics. Mexico, by implementing broad Constitutional ammendments that will be considered destabilizing to the USMCA, will give him the permission he needs to attack and threaten Mexico, and leaves Mexico vulnerable. Perhaps such sweeping change should have been paused until after the US election? IMO, that was a huge misstep, especially with the global economic community questioning the decision. Cutting the defense and policing budget will also be an issue. I understand that Mexico is a sovereign nation, and in a perfect world, should be free to build the society it wants. Unfortunately, this is far from a perfect world. One option Mexico may have, is to tell Trump to f’k himself and warm up (more) to China. This is obviously not an ideal situation and would certainly turn Canada and the US against Mexico. However, when faced with ridiculous options, ridiculous solutions are the result. I sincerely believe that the next 4 years will determine how (and if) the world advances.
As always, great observations Norse.
Planting Trees priority?…How about destroying Cartels I’d much rather have the Felon Trump wait till you see all the worthwhile accomplishment before you criticize so pleased to have A very successful businessman running our country than a bunch of corrupt people who have proven themselves in commpatitent Go MAGA CANT WAIT