Claudia Sheinbaum

Force in Play

Pemex discloses major past oil supplies amid U.S. tariff pressure

The United States has imposed economic pressure on Cuba for 64 years. Now, for the first time, Washington is threatening to punish any country that sells oil to the island. President Trump's January 29 executive order creates a tariff mechanism targeting third countries that supply Cuban fuel—a significant escalation that goes beyond traditional bilateral sanctions to coerce allies and trading partners into joining an energy blockade. The strategy has proven devastatingly effective: Cuba's national power grid collapsed entirely on March 17, 2026, leaving approximately 10 million people without electricity and triggering ten consecutive days of street protests—the most visible civil unrest in years. Partial restoration occurred on March 18 after 29 hours, but the blackout deepened shortages of food, medicine, and water, and included the vandalization of a Cuban Communist Party provincial office in Morón, signaling fractures in state control. On March 21, Cuba blocked a US Embassy request to import diesel for generators, escalating diplomatic tensions amid ongoing rolling blackouts.

Updated Mar 21

Rule Changes

In office since October 2024

In 2018, 43 percent of Mexico's population lived in multidimensional poverty. By 2024, that figure had fallen to 29.6 percent—a drop of 13.4 million people, the largest reduction on record. The gains show up in concrete terms: 85.6 percent of Mexicans now have reliable access to nutritious food, up from 78 percent in 2016. Over 92 percent report adequate housing quality. And the upper secondary school dropout rate fell from 14.5 percent to 8.7 percent in five years.

Updated Mar 15

Force in Play

In office; praised security forces and called for calm

For more than a decade, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes — known as El Mencho — built the Jalisco New Generation Cartel into one of the most powerful drug trafficking organizations on earth, with an estimated $50 billion in assets and operations spanning five continents. On February 22, 2026, the Mexican Army killed him during a coordinated raid near Tapalpa, Jalisco, ending a manhunt that carried a $15 million United States bounty.

Updated Feb 22

Rule Changes

Facing rising fuel-theft pressure amid cartel violence

After Treasury sanctioned the Cartel de Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL) and its jailed leader José Antonio Yépez Ortiz (“El Marro”) on December 17, 2025, Washington’s campaign against huachicol money moved quickly toward the infrastructure that can make stolen hydrocarbons tradable: shipping, routing, and due diligence.

Updated Dec 20, 2025

Rule Changes

Driving Plan Mexico 2026 tariff overhaul while managing pressure from Washington and Beijing

Mexico’s Congress has signed off on a sweeping tariff overhaul: starting in 2026, thousands of imports from China, India and other Asian countries without free trade deals will face duties of up to 50%, with most capped around 35%. The package hits autos, auto parts, steel, textiles, plastics and clothing, and is billed as a way to protect local jobs and raise billions in revenue.

Updated Dec 11, 2025