The Mexpat is Back!
Proof of life and what's coming next
Welcome (¡por fin!) to The Mexpatriate.
Since you last heard from me, the national conversation has been both divided by deepening political rifts and united by the love of futból.
In the weeks leading up to the opening game of the 2026 World Cup in Estadio Azteca, international media warned relentlessly of the security and logistical risks; Mexico City’s streets were clogged with protests and frenetically “ajolotizados”; Guadalajara couldn’t avoid being mentioned with cartel violence in the same breath. But Mexico belied expectations.
The grind of the news cycle was momentarily suspended by the nation’s tour de force performance as host, and El Tri’s euphoric advance to the Round of 16 for the first time in 40 years.
And yet, even as Mexico unified around their national team, a charming duck named Merlín and the hopeful refrain of “¿y si sí?”, partisan positions were hardening.
The CIA presence in PAN-governed Chihuahua, the U.S. indictment of Morena Governor Rubén Rocha Moya of Sinaloa, the disputed versions of El Mayo Zambada’s 2024 kidnapping, the leaked phone calls of Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila (Morena) offering to share security information with U.S. authorities—all have been met with fiercely opposing cries of “foreign intervention!” or “narco politicians!” The smell of midterms is in the air.
The World Cup fixed the global gaze on North America and everyone smiled for the awkward family photos. But the tug of war on trade, security and immigration went on as the U.S. and Mexico navigate a relationship that is as strained as it is entangled.
Trump isn’t the sole reason for this—the framework for mutual understanding is changing. Mexico is an old country with a young democracy; the United States is a young country with a democracy in midlife crisis.
This is what I’m going to explore here in the coming months: What is the state of democracy in Mexico in 2026 and how does it compare and intersect with what is happening north of the border?
In this series I’ll be considering questions big and small about the populism that has reshaped politics in both countries; the demographics of voters and who holds office; polarization and political parties; the impact of political violence; trust in democratic institutions; centralization of power; threats to freedom of expression and how citizenship is defined.
Thank you for subscribing, dear readers. I’m looking forward to cultivating this (slightly) smaller plot of topics in the national conversation and I hope to earn your continued support.
I’ll be back in your inbox next week and if you want to reach out, please email me at hola@themexpatriate.com or leave a comment below.
Excellent! It is so great to have you back! I very much enjoy your broad and measured perspective on so many varied topics. Thank you for your insightful and thoughtful work!
I view politics in Mexico through a local lense. And local means (living Lakeside in Ajijic) the municipality of Chapala. The suspension of "no reeleccion" allowing a presidente municipal to earn a second term is positive, except that the end of the second term allows Mexico's old nemisses (corruption and extorsion) to resurface. There are also issues tied to who gets what within a municipio. In our case we endure horrible public services (streets, water, code enforcement) and a less proporcional distribution of municipal funds (fewer voters here, so who cares!). And the overall apathy tied to voters' "why bother" sentiments means there's little pushback from within our little community. A 54 unit condo development right in Ajijic's clogged highway pinch point, constant encroachment on forested hillsides, no long-term water management plan all erode any belief that local political change is possible.