Introduction
In her first government report, Mexico City’s Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized persistence and perseverance, along with the traditional rhetoric of transformation, well-being, and criticism of the “dark neoliberal night.” She described the governments of the self-proclaimed Fourth Transformation as persistent, tenacious, and accurate—adjectives that evoke determination and efficiency.
A Year in Review
Only one year has passed, and the report was merely a list of accomplishments—some real, others only sketched out, like electric cars that don’t exist, power plants not operating, hospitals and homes without foundations. These achievements appear abundant on paper but remain elusive in the daily lives of Mexicans. If everything were true, it would be a feat: that Mexico’s notoriously slow and inefficient bureaucracy had achieved in eleven months what would take other countries years.
Measuring Progress
The public administration insists on the need for measurable and verifiable objectives. However, a cascade of context-free numbers sheds little light. The discourse fails to communicate the essentials: poverty reduction loses meaning when millions still lack access to basic healthcare and quality education. A cancer patient waiting months for a Seguro Social appointment or the over six million girls, boys, and young people between three and 18 years old outside of school reveal the gap between data and daily life.
Foreign Policy Focus
Sheinbaum’s speech centered on foreign policy, following the reforms imposed by Morena’s majority in Obrador’s name. Given today’s geopolitical reality, the relationship with the United States was her primary topic.
Sheinbaum repeated the well-known mantra of mutual respect and cooperation. Some progress can be noted, as Mexico, along with China, has postponed some of the tariff measures pushed by Donald Trump. However, this reprieve is more due to economic integration’s inevitable logic than diplomatic skill.
Despite this, tensions with Washington have polished Sheinbaum’s public image. Internationally, she has received praise—actress Jessica Chastain being one of the latest to commend her. However, from this perspective, these looks resemble fogged mirrors, offering an incomplete and sanitized portrait.
Domestically, the scene is different: insecurity, high living costs, and violence. Faced with this reality, the presidential message clings to repetition: the transformation narrative and the promise turned into a mantra, “we’re doing well and will do even better.”
The Road Ahead: Perseverance
I titled this piece “Perseverance” because it’s precisely what Sheinbaum will need in the coming years. Perseverance against U.S. pressure on security and organized crime, as well as the latent threat of intervention. Perseverance in the upcoming review of the trade treaty. And perseverance to contain the chaos within her own party.
Politics is a fickle pendulum that can swing in any direction. In this sway, perseverance is not a rhetorical adornment—as in the presidential speech—but a necessary shield against the blow.
