Progress on Development Hubs / Mexico Is a US Foreign Adversary

Progress on Development Hubs. Minister of Economy Marcelo Ebrard presented updates on the Well-Being Development Hubs. Ebrard explained that the initiative offers strong fiscal incentives, including a full 100% deduction on new fixed asset investments, an additional 25% deduction for training programs, and another 25% for R&D projects. The development of the 15 hubs is expected to generate around 300,000 jobs and represent an investment equivalent to 1.5% of the national GDP during Sheinbaum’s administration.

The development hubs are located in Seybaplaya (Campeche), Ciudad Juárez (Chihuahua), Durango (Durango), Nezahualcoyotl (State of Mexico), Celaya (Guanajuato), and Morelia (Michoacan), as well as in strategic areas focused on circular economy and infrastructure such as the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (Hidalgo), Ciudad Modelo (Puebla), Chetumal (Quintana Roo), Topolobampo (Sinaloa), Altamira (Tamaulipas), Huamantla (Tlaxcala), Tuxpan (Veracruz), and Hermosillo (Sonora).

Mexico Labeled As a US Foreign Adversary. President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to remarks made by US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who recently placed Mexico on a list of “foreign adversaries.” Sheinbaum stated that Bondi is not well informed and announced the upcoming release of an official statement regarding a recent visit by Mexico’s ministries of Defense and Navy to US Northern Command. This visit was in reciprocity for an earlier visit by US officials to Santa Gertrudis, Chihuahua. She also mentioned that Mexico and the United States are close to finalizing a new bilateral security agreement, following discussions held in Washington last February.

US Accuses Mexican Institutions of Money Laundering. In response to US sanctions against CIBanco, Intercam, and Vector Casa de Bolsa, President Sheinbaum affirmed that Mexico is a free and sovereign country. She emphasized that while Mexico coordinates and collaborates with the United States, it does not subordinate.

President Sheinbaum called on US authorities to present concrete evidence regarding accusations of money laundering involving the sanctioned financial institutions. According to Sheinbaum, both the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) and the Ministry of Finance received confidential information from the US Treasury and FinCEN. However, this information lacked detail on the reasons for suspecting these banks of laundering money. Most of the data pointed to transactions between Chinese and Mexican companies. Mexican authorities launched an internal investigation and found only administrative irregularities, no proof of money laundering. Sheinbaum made clear that the government will act if evidence is presented but reiterated that without proof, no legal action can be taken. “There is no impunity, but there can be no action without evidence,” she stated.