Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds

• 💬Sheinbaum hits back at Rubio: Responding to the U.S. secretary of state’s claim that “vast territories” of Mexico are controlled by cartels rather than the government, Sheinbaum said Rubio’s remarks were electorally motivated ahead of November’s U.S. midterms. “They shouldn’t use Mexico in their campaign,” she said.
• 🗳️ “Proposals, not insults”: As Mexico’s 2026-27 electoral process officially begins, Sheinbaum urged political parties and aspirants to comply with the law and focus on “proposals” rather than hurling insults at each other ahead of the June 6, 2027 elections, which will fill 500 federal deputy seats and 17 governorships.
• 🕵️ FGR shares initial results on deputy’s death: Sheinbaum said the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) has made some progress in its investigation into the death of Morena Deputy Zenyazen Escobar García, who was found dead with a gunshot wound last Friday, and will announce findings in due course. She offered condolences to his family and colleagues.

Why today’s mañanera matters

President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about issues of international and national importance at her Thursday morning press conference, namely U.S. officials’ alleged use of Mexico for electoral gain, upcoming municipal, state and federal elections and the death of a federal lawmaker.

At today’s mañanera, Sheinbaum once again demonstrated her willingness to stand up to the United States government even as she seeks to maintain a relationship of respect with the Trump administration and resolve a range of bilateral tensions, including ones related to trade.

Sheinbaum responds to Rubio’s remarks on Mexican cartels 

A reporter asked the president about U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s comments about Mexico during his visit to Ecuador.

Speaking outside the U.S. Embassy in Quito on Wednesday, Rubio said “there are vast territories in Mexico that are not governed by the state,” but rather “controlled by narco-terrorist organizations” — i.e. drug cartels.

The secretary of state said that “the Mexicans have done more than they’ve ever done before to go after these groups, but it is still not nearly enough.” He also said that the United States’ “hope and intent” is to combat Mexican cartels “in partnership with Mexico.”

“That’s the ideal, but eventually that threat will have to be confronted one way or the other,” Rubio said, alluding to the possibility of the United States taking unilateral action against cartels in Mexico.

SECRETARY RUBIO: There are territories, vast territories in Mexico, that are not governed by the state. They are controlled by these narco-terrorist organizations. pic.twitter.com/udRGZXv0xU

— Department of State (@StateDept) September 9, 2026

Sheinbaum said she believed Rubio’s remarks were electorally motivated.

“I think it’s part of the election campaign in the United States. They have an election in November,” she said, referring to the Nov. 3 midterms.

“As we’ve said, they shouldn’t use Mexico in their campaign. The United States has its [own] problems so Mexico shouldn’t be used as part of the election campaign in the United States,” Sheinbaum said.

“But I think that recently, they’re wanting to use Mexico again and that’s not right,” she said.

Sheinbaum has previously ruled out the possibility of the U.S. military taking action against cartels in Mexico. U.S. President Donald Trump said in January that the United States was going to start “hitting” cartels on land, but no confirmed direct attacks on Mexican criminal groups have occurred, although CNN reported in May that the CIA “facilitated” a “targeted assassination” of an alleged Sinaloa Cartel member in México state in March.

Sheinbaum urges electoral aspirants to focus on proposals, maintain civility

A reporter noted that the 2026-27 electoral process period starts today and asked the president “what message” she would like to convey to political parties and aspirants.

Sheinbaum said that parties and aspirants should “comply with the law” and not hurl “insults” at each other.

“There should be proposals,” she said.

“… If they do that, it will be a very good [electoral] process for the country,” Sheinbaum said. “That’s the message.”

Federal, state and municipal elections will be held in Mexico on June 6, 2027. At the federal level, voters will elect 500 deputies, while the governorships of 17 states will also be up for grabs.

Sheinbaum: FGR has ‘some results’ in investigation into death of federal deputy

A reporter asked the president whether she had any information from the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) about the death of Morena party federal Deputy Zenyazen Escobar García.

Escobar was found dead in his vehicle on the side of the Veracruz-Xalapa highway last Friday. The 42-year-old deputy, a Veracruz native who represented the 16th electoral district of that state, was found with a gunshot wound to his head and a gun between his legs. There has been media speculation that Escobar may have died by suicide, but the FGR, which assumed responsibility for the investigation, has not disclosed the cause of death.

Sheinbaum said that the FGR has “some results” in its investigation and will announce them in due course.

She subsequently conveyed her condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Escobar, who was elected as a federal deputy in 2024.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)