Thursday, November 21, 2024

Electricity plans and no election fears: Sheinbaum’s mañanera recapped

Just hours after it became clear that Donald Trump had won the presidential election in the United States, President Claudia Sheinbaum held her Wednesday morning press conference at the National Palace in the historic center of Mexico.

Here is a summary of her remarks about Trump’s victory, energy sector reform and other issues, during her latest mañanera.

Donald Trump standing sideways next to a podium on a stage in a stadium. In the background is a crowd of spectators and behind them a giant US flag that's not visible in full in the photo due to its size
Sheinbaum’s daily press conference began soon after most U.S. media outlets definitively called the U.S. presidential election for Donald Trump. (File photo/Jonah Elkowitz for Shutterstock)

‘No reason for concern’ about a second Trump presidency 

“To all Mexicans, there is no reason for concern. To our compatriots [in the U.S.], to their relatives here, to Mexican business people: there is no cause for concern,” she said despite Trump’s tariff threats and pledge to carry out a mass deportation operation.

* Click here to read MND’s full story on Sheinbaum’s response to Trump’s triumph.

‘The constitution prevailed’ 

Sheinbaum noted that four of 11 Supreme Court justices voted against a proposal to partially invalidate the recently enacted judicial reform, ensuring that large-scale judicial elections can go ahead next year as planned.

“Who voted against [the proposal]? Justice Yasmín Esquivel, Justice Loretta Ortiz, Justice Lenia Batres and also Justice Alberto Pérez Dayán,” she said.

Justice Pérez Dayán of the Supreme Court
Justice Pérez Dayán in a session of Mexico’s Supreme Court in February. (Cuartoscuro)

“I invite you to listen to the intervention of Justice Pérez Dayán. … What he said is, ‘I don’t agree with the reform, but that doesn’t mean that my personal opinion implies that a project of unconstitutionality can be accepted because [the reform] is already in the Constitution,'” Sheinbaum said.

“… There is coherence in the justice’s vote.  … We might have differences with the justice, but in this case reason prevailed, the Constitution prevailed, the rule of law prevailed,” she said.

“… It was good news yesterday … for all Mexicans,” Sheinbaum said.

* Click here to read MND’s full story on the Supreme Court’s decision. 

The energy transition and ‘clear rules’ for electricity sector investors 

“We’re going to move ahead in a sustainable and very determined way in the energy transition,” Sheinbaum said.

“We will reduce the impact on the environment and the emissions that cause global warming.”

Earlier in the president’s press conference, Energy Minister Luz Elena González presented the government’s National Electricity Sector Strategy.

Part of that strategy is having “clear rules” for private investment in the sector, González said.

“Private participation in electricity generation will be maintained with a percentage of up to 46%,” she said.

The state-owned Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) has a guaranteed 54% stake in electricity generation, as per a recently promulgated energy reform.

CFE director Emilia Calleja told Sheinbaum’s press conference that US $23.4 billion will be invested in the utility over the next six years. Over half of that amount – $12.4 billion – will go to electricity generation projects, including renewable ones, she said.

Sheinbaum said that the CFE will continue “growing” and become stronger during her six-year term.

“How? With already proven financial schemes, with which we’re going to continue increasing … [electricity] generation. And a very significant percentage of that will be from renewable energy sources,” she said.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])

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