Mexico Matters CSIS

In this episode, Mariana is joined by Luis de la Calle, an international economist, former NAFTA negotiator and CEO of CMM; and Martin Castellanos, head of Latam research at the IIF. They discuss the potential economic and policy implications of the June 2nd presidential elections and describe the optimism vis-a-vis Mexico among the investor community.
They dive into the economic realities that exist today to determine whether that optimism is justified or not. They also discuss future risks and analyze the various policy consequences of the upcoming elections. They describe two potential scenarios: a victory by Claudia Sheinbaum with and without the necessary majority in Congress to change the Constitution. They also discuss the tailwinds that the nearshoring wave could bring for Mexico, and the country's shortcomings that limit it from taking full advantage of the opportunity. And finally, the implications for Mexico if it allowed China to use it as a back door to the United States.

In this episode, Mariana speaks with Tamanna and Travis Bembenek, owners of the Mexico News Daily about the other side of the migration coin: the millions of Americans (and other nationalities) migrating to Mexico to live, work, or start a business and the impact they are having in the local communities.
They discuss the challenges and opportunities of starting a new business in Mexico, the importance for the Mexican government to expedite work visas to allow for the technology ecosystem to grow, and the challenges/opportunities they see as business owners. They also talk about how journalism is a dangerous business in Mexico and how they avoid falling into dangerous territory.

In this episode, Mariana speaks with Andrew Selee, President of the Migration Policy Institute and Carlos Heredia Associate Professor at CIDE about the facts and the politics in both the U.S. and Mexico behind the surge in immigration flows. They dive deep into the facts to understand what is attracting so many people—not only from Mexico or Central America but also from China, India, Africa, and the Middle East—to risk their lives (and a lot of money) to cross the border illegally. They also speak about the impact that immigration is having on the Mexican side of the border, they discuss what the current bipartisan Senate immigration bill would achieve, if it ever became law, and how to improve the current asylum system which is being abused. They analyze what the United States could do to improve border security, how governments are using migrants for political gain, and how President Lopez Obrador from Mexico is gaming the system.

In this episode, Mariana speaks with David Velez, co-founder and CEO of Nubank about how Nubank evolved from an initiative to kill fat fees and poor service in Brazil into the largest digital bank in the world. They also discuss how Fintech is shaking the financial sector in Latin America not only by boosting competition but also by bringing new technologies and services to millions that had previously been ignored. They dive into the pros and cons of Mexico’s Fintech ecosystem and what it will take for Mexico to jump into the global bandwagon of a digital payments system. They also speak about Nu’s regional strategy, their debut on Wall Street, the opportunity in Latin America, and the necessary qualities for an entrepreneur to succeed in the region.

In this episode, Mariana speaks with Martín Escobari, Head of Global Growth Equity, Co-President, Managing Director, Head of Latin America and Chairman of General Atlantic's Investment Committee, and Luis Cervantes, Managing Director and Head of GA's Mexico City Office. They discuss the factors that have contributed to the emergence of an important entrepreneurial ecosystem in Latin America and define what barriers are still hindering its future potential. They compare the Latin American environment with that of other emerging markets and explain how entrepreneurs are adapting to a world of higher interest rates. They also converse about the industries that are being transformed such as fintech, e-commerce, healthcare, and security, among others; and how the start ups are increasing competition and improving the lives of millions. Finally, they explain the transformational nature of AI and how all companies are experimenting with it. 

In this episode, Mariana speaks with Tania Ortiz Mena, President of Sempra Infrastructure, about Mexico’s large and diversified base of energy sources—ranging from oil, gas, solar, wind, and hydro—and what would it take for Mexico not only to satisfy growing demand but also to take full advantage of its potential. They also speak about the current state of Mexico’s electricity and gas infrastructure, about the important bottlenecks that exists today, and about the need for the government to focus its investments in transmission lines. They also emphasize the billions of dollars in investments that could materialize if the government were to work closely with the private sector to achieve energy transition.