A possible trip to Canada next month, this Sunday’s judicial elections and Mexico’s obligation to deliver water to the United States via the Rio Grande were among the issues President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about at her Wednesday morning press conference.
Here is a recap of the president’s May 28 mañanera.
Sheinbaum invited to G7 Summit in Canada, where she could potentially meet with Trump
Sheinbaum confirmed a report by the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney invited her to attend the Group of Seven (G7) Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15 to 17.
She said that Carney invited her to the summit when she spoke to him to congratulate him on his election victory last month.
“We spoke about various issues, including the [USMCA] trade agreement and the relationship with the United States. He invited me to attend the G7 [Summit], which will be in Canada,” Sheinbaum said.
“I haven’t yet taken the decision about whether I’ll attend or not, but it’s a possibility. I thanked him for the invitation,” she said.
Sheinbaum noted that “Mexico isn’t part of the G7,” a grouping of Canada (which current holds the presidency of the group), France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“They would be inviting us, they are making this invitation [to us] as special guests, let’s say,” she said, adding that she was assessing “the possibility of attending” while considering her responsibilities at home.
The Globe and Mail report was headlined “Carney invites Mexico’s President to G7 summit, raising hopes for sideline tariff talks with Trump.”
When asked about the possibility of having her first face-to-face meeting with the U.S. president, Sheinbaum responded:
“We will see. If we decide to attend, we will inform you.”
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has imposed tariffs on some imports from Mexico and Canada, including steel, aluminum and vehicles.
The USMCA pact, which is supposed to guarantee the free trade of most goods between the United States, Mexico and Canada, is scheduled for review in 2026, but Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard believes formal talks will begin in late 2025.
Sheinbaum, Trump and Carney could make a head start on those discussions if they come together in Alberta next month.
‘We’re going to have a better judiciary’
On the last day of the official campaign period ahead of this Sunday’s judicial elections, Sheinbaum once again urged citizens to vote.
“The election on Sunday is very important. You should participate freely, … [vote] for who you want to vote for, but participate. It’s very important that there is a massive turnout in the election, and there will be,” she said.
“Millions of people will vote on Sunday,” Sheinbaum said, adding that it is “better” for citizens to choose judges than the president and the Senate.
“The people who go out and vote will decide who is the judiciary. And the winners of this election, those who are elected by the people, will respond to the people. That is the big difference,” she said.
Sheinbaum highlighted that she is “relinquishing” the right to appoint Supreme Court justices in favor of allowing the people of Mexico to decide.
More than 60 candidates are vying to win one of nine Supreme Court justice positions. The bench of Mexico’s highest court will be reduced to nine from 11 after the election.
Sheinbaum said that the new popularly elected justices will be tasked with making decisions about “the issues in the country.”
“… In the end what we want is for there to be justice in the country, that justice isn’t just for those who have money and not for those who don’t,” she said.
“… What we want is for all of us to have the same access to justice, the rich person, the poor person, the person who lives in the north, the person who lives in the south,” Sheinbaum said.
“That demand comes from the Sentimientos de la Nación (The Feelings of the Nation), of [José María] Morelos,” she said, referring to a document dating back to the Mexican War of Independence in the early 19th century.
Sheinbaum: Mexico making progress on delivering water to US
A reporter asked the president about the agreement the Mexican and United States governments reached in late April under which Mexico committed to immediately deliver water to the U.S. — to which it owes a huge quantity of water under the terms of a 1944 bilateral treaty.
“Progress continues to be made, that is to say, progress is being made on what we committed,” Sheinbaum said.
Mexico has struggled to meet its water delivery obligations during the current five-year cycle of the 81-year-old treaty due to widespread drought that has been particularly severe in the north of the country. Mexico is required to send water to the United States via the Rio Grande and receives water from the U.S. via the Colorado River.
The Mexican government said in late April that the agreement with the United States provides for “immediate transfers of water” from Mexico to the U.S. as well as additional deliveries “during the upcoming rainy season,” which has now commenced.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
