Claim OwnershipSoberanía: The Mexican Politics Podcast
Subscribed: 46Played: 1,226
Subscribe
© Soberanía Podcast
Description
Soberanía: The Mexican Politics Podcast brings you news and analysis about Mexico from a grassroots and leftist perspective, helping English-language audiences better understand the country, its politics and players.
79 Episodes
Reverse
On this episode of Soberanía: The Mexican Politics Podcast, hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth unpack Mexico’s historic September 1st, when the country inaugurated its first Supreme Court chosen by popular vote and President Claudia Sheinbaum delivered her first State of the Union address.They also look at U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s visit to Mexico and Washington’s pressure campaign, Mexico–Brazil ties and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and PRI boss Alito “Vandalito” Moreno’s violent antics in Congress. The show closes with the Losers and Haters segment, this week focusing on Human Rights Watch.👉 Context, analysis, and a closer look at how Mexico’s transformation is reshaping politics at home and abroad.
In this episode of Soberanía, hosts Kurt Hackbarth and José Luis Granados Ceja break down Senator Lilly Téllez’s call for U.S. intervention in Mexico during a Fox News appearance - an act which many in Mexico equate with treason. They also fact-check the DEA’s recent false claims (or more bluntly, "pulling it out of their a**) about a supposed joint project with Mexico, exposing how narratives get manufactured in a way that resembles a certain Dr Strangelove. Kurt and José Luis also discuss Ken Klippenstein’s three-part series on U.S. invasion plans targeting Mexico, and how much credence to give to a clear trail of leaking that began with last week's Rolling Stone piece. Then, in their regular Losers and Haters segment, our hosts take apart the Baker Institute’s deeply flawed report on Mexico, with breathless wonder at its ability to be disproven so thoroughly and quickly. And finally: a preview of coming attractions on "Soberanía," with a trailer introducing a brand-new segment!
Poverty is down...and opposition justifications are up. In the latest episode of Soberanía - following the introduction of Jose Luis' new toy - our intrepid hosts discuss the remarkable findings from the INEGI's 2024 Multidimensional Poverty Report: 13.4 million Mexicans exited poverty under AMLO's watch. Even the Guardian was forced to admit it! They further discuss Mexico's expulsion (not extradition) of 26 capos to the United States in the context of ongoing negotiations over tariffs and security with the Trump administration which Rolling Stone Magazine considers to be "less like a negotiating tactic and more like a mafia-style intimidation campaign." In that vein, Kurt and José Luis assess the ongoing US military buildup in the region (serious threat or bluff?), and, in Losers and Haters, another piece of right-wing-attack-masquerading-as-left-wing-critique from the NACLA Report.
In the latest episode of Soberanía, José Luis and Kurt discuss Trump’s latest executive order against the cartels: a serious threat or more antics from a flailing administration looking to throw another helping of red at its base? Also, Canada tries to play nice with Mexico after throwing it under a bus, a notable reduction in violent crime in the first ten months of the Sheinbaum administration and, in Losers and Haters, the New York Times is back on the trail of fentanyl… except when it crosses into the United States.
Bring it! On this episode of Soberanía - with a brand-spanking-new intro and outro - Kurt and José Luis break down their experience at the second Panamerican Congress held in Mexico City. Is there any way for the peoples of the Americas to truly understand each other? Also, good economic news on three fronts: reducing poverty, rescuing PEMEX and holding tariffs at bay. Expanding the definition of "cartel" north of the Rio Grande with reports from Seth Harp (Fort Bragg) and José Olivares (Cibola County Correctional Center). And finally, a hyper-gentrified loser and hater.
In this crossover episode of Soberanía, hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth are joined by David Griscom of Left Reckoning to unpack how militarized spending and reactionary politics have turned the U.S.-Mexico border into a profitable battleground. From Texas sheriffs chasing cable news fame to ICE's record-breaking budgets, they explore how state power and corruption fuel a bipartisan consensus of repression. The conversation also touches on “terror Keynesianism,” the erosion of civil rights, lessons from Mexico’s leftward turn, and the international boomerang of U.S. imperial policy—from the borderlands to Gaza.
The unfriendly skies, indeed: as part of its ongoing turning-of-screws, the Trump administration is now meddling in Mexico's internal aviation rules, with a series of fresh threats against flights to the US and the Delta-Aeromexico joint venture. Kurt and José Luis have a full breakdown. According to a new study, the biggest beneficiaries of the Mexico-US-Canada free-trade agreements have been: [drumroll], the big multinationals, vindicating what Chomsky warned about in the lead-up to the original NAFTA in 1994. The borough head of Cuauhtémoc rolls the culture-war dice by removing a popular statue of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara close to where they first met, and... burning books at the anti-gentrification rally?
This is getting old. Donald Trump has now threatened Mexico with tariffs for the fourth time since being elected, with an ever-shifting carousel of justifications. In today's episode, José Luis and Kurt have the entire breakdown. New sets of polls on both sides of the border demonstrate that USers are souring on Trump's immigration measures...and that Mexicans are souring on the US. Better late than never: Mexico decides to attend the Emergency Conference of States to End the Gaza Genocide amidst rumors that Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente's passive approach to diplomacy is wearing thin. And in Losers and Haters, a US narco-lawyer tries to pick a fight with President Sheinbaum.
"$178 billion: the amount allocated to immigration enforcement in Trump's recently passed budget. In this episode of "Soberanía," Kurt and José Luis analyze the implications of such a colossal figure in the context of a disastrous budget that strips away social protections to shower even more benefits on the wealthy while ratcheting up the punitive state. Also: former Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto reemerges on the public scene in a fitting way: enmeshed in another corruption scandal. Will this tip the hand of the federal government to finally prosecute him? Anti-gentrification demonstrations come to Mexico City and, in our "Losers and Haters" segment, some particularly inappropriate comments about said protests."
As Attorney General Pam Bondi calls Mexico a "foreign adversary" and the US Treasury Department sanctions three Mexican financial institutions, President Sheinbaum's patience is clearly running out. In today's episode, José Luis and Kurt discuss Mexico's diplomatic dilemma in the face of the Trump administration's constant turning of the screws. They also discuss the United States' amusing threat to leave their own puppet, the OAS, analyze the latest polls for MORENA and Sheinbaum's job performance, and, in losers and haters, a nepo baby calling someone else unqualified: pot, meet kettle. AND A BIG THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THE JUNEBOREE WHICH RAISED $1,650 PLUS A MATCHING CONTRIBUTION!
In a world in crisis, with the moral vacuity of the global north devastatingly evident with each passing day, a voice like Mexico's is desperately needed on the world stage. In this episode of "Soberanía," Kurt and José Luis consider the ongoing debate in Mexico over how to respond to the genocide in Gaza and the Iran/Iraq war. In the midst of all the tumult, Mexico's economy continues to show surprising resilience; our hosts discuss why and how. Belatedly, a lame-duck Supreme Court finally appears to be taking on some monied interests, and in Losers and Haters, an in-depth analysis of the New York Times' attempt to impugn the nation's recent judicial elections.
Take that man's phone away! In the latest episode of Soberanía, a triggered Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau goes full rage-doxx against a MORENA party official, President Sheinbaum attends the G7 in Calgary, Kurt and José Luis reflect on the Iran-Israel conflict, and an update on opposition to the ICE raids in the context of the "No Kings" protests . The show concludes with a reflection on the need for Mexico to view its migrant communities in their own situation and context, avoiding two-dimensional stereotypes, and in a new segment, the "People's Mailbag," illustrate this with two precise reflections on the migrant issue.
As the Tigres del Norte song goes, “I didn’t cross the border; the border crossed me.” In today’s episode, Kurt and José Luis analyze the latest developments in Los Angeles, as Mexican communities resist the abuses and kidnappings of ICE, Mexican flags are waved throughout the conflict area, and Trump seeks to turn the screws ever further. The provocations spill over into the diplomatic front, as DHS Secretary Kristi Noem accuses President Sheinbaum of promoting violent protests in the city based on a far-right Youtuber and an out-of-context quote. We also cover the drop in remittances from the US to Mexico, the Supreme Court’s rejection of Mexico’s lawsuit against gun manufacturers, and, in Losers and Haters, bad-faith tweets by the new ambassador and those who would echo him in the Mexican media.
¡Tómala! On Sunday, June 1st, Mexico went to the polls to elect the entire Supreme Court and half of the federal judiciary (the other half will be elected in 2027). Kurt and José Luis will have the full rundown of this historic step forward in bringing democracy to a branch riddled with corruption, nepotism, obscene privileges, and collusion with oligarchies domestic and international. Sunday also saw local elections in the states of Durango and Veracruz: our hosts will parse through those results and discuss what implications, if any, they have at the national level. And in Losers and Haters, our own cull of the worse takes on the judicial elections - not very hard to find, it must be said.
Brother, can you spare $2.4 billion? In a coup for Mexico's Financial Investigation's Unit, a Florida court has found Felipe Calderon's former Security Minister and his wife guilty of embezzling funds from the state. Kurt and José Luis have the full rundown of what it means and the precedent it sets. Also, the dissident sections of the federal teachers' union, known as the CNTE, are out on strike: how to handle labor actions under a progressive government? We'll have the nuanced, contextualized discussion you won't find anywhere else in English. And this coming Sunday, June 1st, Mexico will make history by holding its first-ever judicial elections. In two waves, Mexican voters will be electing not only the Supreme Court but the entire federal judiciary, and conservative voices in and out of the country are up in arms. Finally, in a collective "losers and haters," a compilation of voices calling to boycott these very elections, continuing an anti-electoral streak for the Mexican right which also includes the nation's first referendum in 2021 and the recall election called by AMLO in 2022 in fulfillment of a key campaign promise.
Sounds like a Graham Greene novel, but it’s real: Trump’s Green Beret/CIA ambassador has arrived to take up his post as US ambassador to Mexico. And his first day in the country was…interesting. Kurt and José Luis analyze the implications of such a dark figure pulling the levers in the new embassy building. And on the very day the ambassador arrived, Propublica reporter (and DEA frontman) Tim Golden was back with another piece of conveniently timed mercenary journalism. Our hosts also discuss the mysterious crash of the Mexican armada’s tall ship against the Brooklyn Bridge, which killed two cadets, and conclude with an extended losers and haters in which Simón Levy tries to piggyback on Golden’s tired game of innuendo with wild accusations of López Obrador being sued in US courts.
It’s bizarro world! In today’s episode, we kick off by discussing the recent summit between China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), attended by President Xi Jinping and several Latin American heads of state of varying degrees of progressivism. With the threat of Trumpism and tariffs hanging in the air, the summit acquired both greater impetus and urgency. In section two: when does a big-tent political party become too big? Kurt and José Luis discuss this question in the context of the recent incorporation into MORENA of two former PRI members with checkered pasts: Adrián Ruvalcaba as head of Mexico City’s metro and Enrique Benítez in Durango ahead of elections there. Then…it’s back! The State Department liberates budgeted funding for the CIA cutout NED, known in Mexico for funding “civil-society” oppo organizations such as Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity (MCCI). Finally, in a bizarro losers and haters, a rare thoughtful, analytical piece in the English-language press from Kate Aronoff at New Republic explores Mexico’s industrial policy.
The 40-hour workweek will be a reality in Mexico...eventually. In this episode, Kurt and José Luis discuss the May Day announcement, weighing the pros-and-cons of MORENA's attempts to pass labor reforms with corporate buy-in. They also discuss the recent Sheinbaum-Trump calls regarding tariffs and her refusal of the US "offer" to send troops, the presidenta's recent shape-up letter to MORENA, and in Losers and Haters, parse the encoded bias of a recent New Yorker article.
President Claudia Sheinbaum wants to stop foreign governments from being able to run offensive ads and seeks to revamp Mexico's outdated telecom laws, including making broadband internet more accessible and increasing community access to airwaves, but corporate media, the Mexican opposition and some critics are accusing her government of censorship. Co-hosts José Luis and Kurt discuss the new law before Congress. Plus a look at two good pieces of news: recent numbers that indicate Mexico was the best in the region at reducing poverty and Mexico's economy remains resilient despite global uncertainty. And in Losers and Haters, we challenge Ernesto Zedillo's laughable effort to paint himself as a champion of democracy.
Eager to pursue his campaign goal of the largest deportation operation in US history, Donald Trump has militarized the border, turning over the early-twentieth-century Roosevelt Reservation to the Department of Defense in order to circumvent Posse Comitatus Act and get US troops to take part in the deportation of migrants. Plus, co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth follow up on the fallout from the questionable Ecuadorean election and Mexican President Sheinbaum’s pledge to not restore relations. Also, why is Mexican private media running Trump’s anti-migrant ads in primetime?
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
the mic sound is too low.
you guys are goofy. lol
Being a Mexican resident with geopolitical interests and poor Spanish; I very much appreciate finding this podcast as a resource. I want to know about current events in Mexico that aren't garnered from sound bites, FB, twitter, or the expat papers which all share the same information and are written like my old high school newspaper (1976-1979). Thank you!
could the son's sue the nyt for Defamation?