Mexico in April 2026: the most important developments in politics
Mexico's politics in April 2026 were dominated by a dispute with the United States over US agents who died in the state of Chihuahua. After CIA agents died during a drug lab raid, President Claudia Sheinbaum demanded an explanation from Washington on April 22, saying the officials operated without Mexican knowledge. She also criticized the Chihuahua prosecutor for changing his account of the deaths, and the prosecutor later resigned. She weighed sanctions on Chihuahua state, and Governor Maru Campos sought a meeting with her and met Mexico City's security chief. On April 26 Mexico repeated that the agents were not authorized to operate in the country, and the Senate demanded an explanation from Campos. On April 27 Mexico demanded proof from the US for allegations of corruption against Mexican officials and warned that US involvement in anti-drug operations should not be repeated. By April 30 Mexico was demanding US evidence before any arrest of the governor. Relations were also strained after the US ambassador rebuked Mexico over corruption, and Sheinbaum defended Marcelo Ebrard in response. Mexico proposed the economist Roberto Lazzeri as ambassador to the US and expressed openness to a bilateral protocol within the USMCA trade agreement.
Sheinbaum also worked on foreign relations elsewhere. On her first European trip she visited Barcelona and denied a diplomatic crisis with Spain after a row over remarks about the conquest, with the two governments resetting relations with a handshake. Mexico, Spain and Brazil coordinated aid to Cuba and called for respectful dialogue. Sheinbaum met Brazilian President Lula and the head of Petrobras, agreeing on cooperation with Pemex. Russia summoned Mexico's ambassador over a detained Russian minor, whom Moscow described as held in illegal custody; Mexico refused to return the girl.
At home, Sheinbaum reshuffled nine cabinet positions on April 16, and lawmakers approved her Plan B electoral reform, which became law after ratification by the states. She intervened in a leadership crisis in the Morena party. The European Union warned about risks in Mexico's judicial system and demanded independent judges.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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