35 West

On June 2, nearly 60 million people cast their votes for the next president of Mexico, making it the largest election in Mexico’s history. However, the race was also marred by electoral violence, with more than three dozen candidates or prospective candidates murdered over the electoral season. Intimidation, coercion, and threats to family members further compelled many prospective candidates to withdraw from the race, illustrating the corrosive impact of violence and impunity for democratic institutions.

In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Chris Dalby, Director of World of Crime and author of the new book CJNG – A Quick Guide to Mexico’s Deadliest Cartel. Together, they discuss Mexico's evolving criminal landscape, the causes and consequences of electoral violence in Mexico, and what to expect from the new Sheinbaum administration's security policy. They also delve into the ways the United States and Mexico can reset security cooperation which has deteriorated in recent years.

This episode of 35 West originally aired on December 20, 2023. Now, just days away from the election, many of topics discussed have only grown in relevance over the course of the official campaign season.

Mexico's general election on June 2 of 2024 promises to be a seminal moment for Mexican politics and society on a number of fronts, in particular, the race has made headlines as a contest between two women, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum on one hand, and Senator Xóchitl Gálvez on the other, promising to herald Mexico’s first female president. But the race is also a test of the staying power of current President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s Morena Party, and whether its breakout success in 2018 can be translated into sustained influence over Mexican politics.

In this special episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Alma Caballero, Northern Latin America Managing Director at McLarty Associates. Together, they discuss the policy positions of the frontrunners, the challenges that will face either a Gálvez or a Sheinbaum government, and the influence President López Obrador is likely to wield over Mexico's political environment even after departing office. They also delve into questions of security, and the threat organized crime may pose to the electoral process next year.

In 2023, U.S. trade with Mexico grew to nearly $800 billion, leading Mexico to surpass both Canada and China as the United States’ number one trading partner. While U.S.-Mexico trade has long been a pillar of North American economic competitiveness, Washington’s efforts to move trade away from China in favor of nearshoring and friendshoring in the Western Hemisphere, coupled with the advantages of a modernized trade agreement in the form of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) has underpinned this increase in bilateral trade and investment. At the same time, Chinese investment in Mexico has skyrocketed, with estimates finding that in 2022 Chinese foreign direct investment in Mexico was more than double that of 2018.

In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Kenneth Smith Ramos, Chief Trade Negotiator for Mexico from 2017 to 2018 and one of the architects of USMCA. Together, they discuss the evolution of USMCA since its entry into force in 2020, with a focus on the recent surge of Chinese invesment in Mexico, understanding the nature of this investment, as well as the potential challenges it may present. They also discuss the upcoming 2026 Joint Review of the agreement, and what can be done by all three countries to lay the groundwork for a more constructive session.

On Sunday, May 5, Panamanians will cast their votes to determine the next president, as well as all members of the National Assembly. With a crowded field of candidates vying for the presidency, and only a single round to determine the victor, it promises to be a divided field. The elections are also taking place within a deeply polarized context, as Panama has been rocked by mass protests against the Cobre Panama Mining project, the country grapples with both a worsening water crisis, and the endemic challenge of corruption continues to loom large.

In this special episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Annette Planells, a civil society leader and anticorruption activist, and Executive President of the newspaper La Prensa. Together, they discuss the election's implications for Panama's ongoing fight against corruption, especially in light of the disqualification of ex-president and former frontrunner Ricardo Martinelli following his conviction on bribery charges. They also reflect on how the various candidates will navigate some of the most salient questions in Panamanian politics today, including water insecurity, infrastructure, as well as Panama's relations with both China and the United States.

The Maduro regime's environmental degradation in Venezuela is nearing a point of no return. The effects of this environmental assault are not contained within Venezuela's borders, and disproportionately affect Indigenous communities throughout the Amazon Basin. Ryan C. Berg sits down with Luis Felipe Duchicela, Senior Advisor for Indigenous People's Issues at the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Cristina Burelli, Director of the V5Initiative, to discuss the impacts of environmental degradation on Indigenous communities in Venezuela and throughout the Amazon Basin. Together, they highlight the cultural diversity found in the Amazon Basin, discuss the environmentally damaging policies and practices of the Maduro regime, and expound on the various impacts these have on Indigenous peoples. Further, they chart a path forward for an inclusive and sustainable recovery for Venezuela and the region, specifically highlighting the role of Indigenous communities in this process.

Recommendations for further reading

• Gold flows from Venezuela: supporting due diligence on the production and trade of gold, OECD, Sept. 8, 2021, (http://mneguidelines.oecd.org/gold-flows-from-venezuela-supporting-due-diligence.htm)
• These 15 innovations are helping to restore and protect the Amazon, World Economic Forum, Sept. 23, 2021 (https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/09/innovations-restoration-amazon-bioeconomy-ecopreneurs/)