At her Monday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about her sky-high approval rating, per the results of a recent poll.
She also highlighted that the number of people in formal sector jobs is currently at an all-time high and noted that the majority of cartel figures her government sent to the United States last week were arrested during the six-year term of her predecessor and political mentor Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
In addition, Sheinbaum spoke about the United States’ tariffs on Mexican exports that are scheduled to take effect Tuesday (see MND’s report here) and provided an update on the number of deportees Mexico has received from the U.S. since President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20 (see MND’s report here).
Sheinbaum reaches 85% approval rating
A reporter noted that the latest El Financiero newspaper poll detected an 85% approval rating for the president.
Asked what she attributed the high rating to, Sheinbaum said “everything.”
“The well-being programs haven’t been suspended. On the contrary, they’ve expanded. People are happy with the programs,” she said.
Sheinbaum also noted that the number of people in formal jobs has hit an all-time high, as has the average salary of people in those positions.
“At the same time there is economic strength,” she said, even though growth is expected to slow considerably this year.
“There is an [economic] plan, which is Plan México,” Sheinbaum added.
The president also said her government has maintained a position of “strength” in its bilateral relationship with the United States and will “always” defend Mexico and its people.
“That gives us strength as a government. … In addition there is no difference between the people and the government — we are one and we are working for the well-being of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.
More than 22 million people in formal sector jobs
Sheinbaum highlighted that data showed that more than 22.43 million people were in formal sector jobs and registered with the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in February.
“It’s not just a record high for the month of February, but a historic employment figure in the country,” she said.
Earlier in the press conference, IMSS General Director Zoé Robledo said that the average daily base salary of formal sector workers had reached a record high of 619.6 pesos (about US $30).
“This is thanks to the [government] policy of increasing the minimum wage, which drives up the base salary [for formal sector workers],” Robledo said.
Mexico’s minimum wage increased 12% on Jan. 1 to 278.80 pesos (about US $13.50) per day in most of the country.
17 of 29 cartel figures extradited to US were arrested during AMLO’s presidency
Sheinbaum told reporters that 17 of 29 drug cartel figures extradited to the United States by the Mexican government last Thursday were detained during the 2018-24 presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
“This means that there were arrests of generators of violence. That is significant,” she said.
Among the drug traffickers (or alleged drug traffickers) detained during López Obrador’s presidency and sent to the U.S. last Thursday was Rafael Caro Quintero, founder of the now-defunct Guadalajara Cartel and the convicted murderer of United States DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
