President Claudia Sheinbaum held her first morning press conference of the new month at the National Palace in Mexico City after visiting Sinaloa and Baja California Sur over the weekend.
Here is a recap of some of the most important remarks the president made at her March 2 mañanera.
‘Our goal is always to restore peace and security for the people, and we’re working on that. Mexico is fine.’
Sheinbaum responded to a question about the reestablishment of order after the death of ‘El Mencho’ triggered chaos across Mexico.
“The very complex, very difficult, very sad time … [came] on Sunday [Feb. 22]. Sad because of the loss of human lives. And things started to return to normal on Monday. Obviously, Jalisco and part of Michoacán were the most complicated [areas]. But things calmed down on Tuesday. On Wednesday, practically all economic, school and social activities resumed. … Our goal is always to restore peace and security for the people, and we’re working on that. Mexico is fine.”
The big picture:
There is no doubt that the widespread violence triggered by the operation against Nemesio Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes inflicted some harm on Mexico’s international reputation. However, the fact that the all-pervasive violent chaos did not continue for days on end is a victory of sorts for the Mexican government and its security forces. That Mexico City was not plagued by the unrest seen in other parts of the country is also significant.
First and foremost, the relatively quick quelling of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel’s hostile response to the death of their leader is important because it allowed millions of Mexicans to resume their normal lives, even though insecurity remains a serious problem in parts of the country. It also allowed FIFA to maintain its confidence in Mexico as a World Cup host. Had widespread cartel violence persisted last week, it would have been much more difficult for Gianni Infantino to come out in support of Mexico.
Only time will tell whether the death of “El Mencho” will lead to CJNG infighting and, in consequence, an increase in violence in Jalisco and the many other parts of the country where the cartel has a presence.
‘Practically, 80% of the population agrees with the operation. … The majority think it will improve security.’
Sheinbaum addressed a poll by the newspaper El Financiero published on Monday that found broad public support for the operation, with 82% of respondents rating the government’s actions against El Mencho as good or very good, and 77% saying they believe those actions were the right call.
Notably, when comparing respondents interviewed before the Feb. 22 operation to those interviewed after it, the president’s approval rating jumped from 68% to 76% — an eight-point increase. In a separate survey conducted by the polling company De las Heras, 69% of respondents gave the military operation against “El Mencho” a rating of eight or higher out of 10.
Why it matters:
Sheinbaum has maintained a very high approval rating throughout her presidency, but security flashpoints can quickly tank it. Her rating dropped nine percentage points between May and December 2025 — from a high of 83% to 74% — driven in large part by public concern over insecurity, with 51% of Mexicans identifying it as the country’s biggest problem.
The polling data suggests that Mexicans not only welcomed the outcome of the operation, but credited Sheinbaum’s government for it — a meaningful vote of confidence given the building political pressure from Washington and within Mexico to dismantle the country’s most powerful criminal organizations.
‘What matters most to us is not only economic growth, but also more and better-paid jobs.’
This was Sheinbaum’s response to a presentation by the head of the Mexican Institute for Social Security (IMSS) on job growth in February.
According to Director Zoé Robledo, at the end of February, there were 22,527,854 formal jobs registered before the institute, representing an increase of 217,000 jobs in the first two months of 2026 and 157,882 in February alone.
Why job growth is a pressure point for the Sheinbaum administration:
At the end of 2025, the Sheinbaum administration reported net formal job creation of 278,697 — the lowest annual figure in a president’s first full year in office since Vicente Fox in 2001. Nearly three out of every four of those jobs were tied to digital platforms like delivery and ride-hailing apps, raising questions about the strength of the underlying labor market.
That makes this year’s initial job numbers — which do not include gig work — a welcome turnaround for the administration.
‘I watched some of it from the window, so that no one would see me.’
A reporter asked the president if she saw Sunday’s free Shakira concert in the Zócalo — which sits directly in front of the National Palace — to which Sheinbaum responded: “I saw part of the broadcast. Of course, from here, I could hear everything. And then, I stood there for a little while by the window, so that no one would see me; I was hiding there.”
Reporter: And did you dance?
“No, no. I didn’t go that far,” Sheinbaum responded. “But truly… The audience was amazing.”
@canal_catorcemx #Mañanera360 | La presidenta @Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo destacó la participación de miles de personas que se reunieron en el Zócalo capitalino para el concierto gratuito de @Shakira y celebró el ambiente de alegría y convivencia. “Muy bonito, la gente contenta y feliz, la calidez, la alegría, el amor, el deseo de vivir, eso es México”, expresó la presidenta, y felicitó a la jefa de Gobierno @Clara Brugada y a Grupo Modelo por la organización del evento. ➡️ @Mañanera360 con Miguel Arzate y Arlin Medrano al finalizar la #MañaneraDelPueblo de la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum 🇲🇽 📆 Lunes a Viernes 📺 14.1 📲 @MxPlus #Zócalo #lmynlwordtour #Shakira ♬ sonido original – Canal Catorce
Later in the mañanera, the president congratulated the Mexico City government, led by Mayor Clara Brugada, for the event’s organization; Ocesa, for its production; and Shakira, for the music.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
