Two of Mexico’s most politically prominent governors found themselves facing legal scrutiny the last week of May, as the Attorney General’s Office summoned Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos for questioning. Meanwhile, President Claudia Sheinbaum kept up a busy week at the mañanera podium — defending a call to boycott a major television network, announcing a multi-billion-peso pharmaceutical investment and, on Friday, giving away her own World Cup ticket.
The economy offered some counterweight to the political turbulence. New data showed foreign direct investment hit a record high in the first quarter of 2026, and April export revenue surged. But a closer look at the labor market complicated the picture, with analysts warning that low unemployment figures mask a contraction in formal-sector work.
On the cultural and civic front, Sheinbaum reversed course on a controversial port project in Baja California Sur after sustained public pressure, and Congress passed a constitutional reform that would allow elections to be nullified in cases of proven foreign interference — a measure that moved from legislative proposal to a congressional vote in a matter of days, and now awaits ratification by state legislatures.
Didn’t have time to catch this week’s top stories? Here’s what you missed.
Governors Rocha and Campos face Attorney General’s questions
The week opened with the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) summoning two sitting governors for questioning: Sinaloa’s Rubén Rocha Moya and Chihuahua’s Maru Campos. Sheinbaum announced the summonses at Monday’s mañanera, framing them as evidence that her government does not grant impunity to anyone. Underscoring her point is the fact that the two governors belong to opposing parties: Rocha Moya is a member of the ruling Morena while Campos is a member of the opposition National Action Party (PAN). Both agreed to appear before the FGR, with Rocha Moya facing a U.S. federal indictment accusing him and other Sinaloa officials of drug trafficking in league with the Sinaloa Cartel, and Campos summoned over the alleged unauthorized operations of CIA agents in Chihuahua — something she says she neither authorized nor had knowledge of.
Economy posts strong numbers, but labor data adds nuance
Foreign direct investment in Mexico reached a record high in the first quarter of 2026, and export revenue for the first four months of 2026 rose 21.8% compared to the same period last year, driven largely by manufacturing. Sheinbaum highlighted the figures at her Thursday mañanera as evidence that the economy is weathering external pressures.
The MND Sheinbaum Index™: Sheinbaum scores 60.0 for April 2026
But a separate analysis published this week found that Mexico’s low official unemployment rate conceals a more complicated trend: Informal employment has grown in recent months while formal-sector job creation has contracted, raising questions about the quality and stability of the work being counted. Sheinbaum also announced a 21-billion-peso investment in Mexico’s pharmaceutical industry, backed by private-sector funding, aimed at reducing dependence on imported medicines.
Sheinbaum defends TV Azteca boycott call
President Sheinbaum sparked debate on Monday when she publicly called on Mexicans to stop watching TV Azteca, citing what she described as biased and inaccurate coverage of her government. She used Tuesday’s mañanera to elaborate on the call, framing it as a personal recommendation rather than a government directive. Critics argued the distinction matters little given the power differential between a sitting president and a private media outlet.
Congress moves fast on foreign interference reform
A constitutional reform that would allow Mexican elections to be annulled in cases of proven foreign interference moved quickly through the legislature this week. The bill, introduced by Morena’s congressional leadership, passed both chambers of Congress and must now be ratified by at least 17 of Mexico’s 32 state legislatures before taking effect. Sheinbaum addressed the measure at Thursday’s mañanera, framing it as a defense of national sovereignty. Supporters described the reform as a safeguard against external meddling; critics questioned its scope and potential for politically motivated application.
Security figures, CNTE clashes and a Loreto reversal
At Wednesday’s mañanera, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch reported that daily homicides have averaged 44.3 so far in May — down 49% from the 86.9 daily average recorded in September 2024, the final month of the previous administration. The government attributed the decline to its current security strategy, though the figures cover only intentional homicides and do not address other categories of violent crime.
Homicides in Mexico are down by half under Sheinbaum: Wednesday’s mañanera recapped
In a separate development, Sheinbaum reversed a presidential decree that would have opened the waters near Loreto, Baja California Sur to heavy marine traffic, citing the volume and consistency of citizen opposition.
World Cup: Bookings lag, Iran arrives and teachers protest
With the tournament less than a month away, the week produced a mixed picture on World Cup readiness. Hotel occupancy in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey is projected to average between 60% and 65% — well below the 80%-plus forecast by Deloitte in February — and the Mexico City Hotel Association reported that current reservations are below those of summer 2025.
On Monday, CNTE teachers challenged World Cup organizers, attempting to take over the Zócalo, the central plaza where FIFA is already setting up for tournament fan events. Riot police prevented their entry and the union protesters set up camp elsewhere in the city center. Protests continued throughout the week and on Wednesday, 16 CNTE teachers were injured in Oaxaca after community leaders attacked a union blockade, leading the dissident teachers union to break off talks with the federal government.
Iran’s national team chose Tijuana as its last-minute base for the World Cup, after the United States declined to host the team. Iran’s plans to participate in the World Cup have been in question since February, when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.
Then on Friday, Sheinbaum used her mañanera to present soccer juggling competition winner Yolett Cervantes with a ticket to the tournament’s inaugural match, fulfilling a pledge she had made months earlier.
🔴Claudia Sheinbaum encabezó la entrega de boletos para el Mundial de Futbol a ganadoras de Guadalajara, Monterrey y Ciudad de México.
Entre ellas, Yolett Cervantes Cuaquehua obtuvo el pase inaugural que correspondía a la presidenta.pic.twitter.com/riv5Ku7pwd
— Azucena Uresti (@azucenau) May 29, 2026
Tourism: China push and seaweed-swamped Caribbean beaches
Mexico’s Tourism Ministry announced efforts to attract more Chinese visitors by expanding marketing on Chinese social media platforms. Separately, sargassum arrivals have put nearly 50% of Riviera Maya beaches on red alert just as the region is hoping for a strong summer tourism season.
Looking ahead
The first matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup kick off in Mexico on June 11, with Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey hosting games across the group stage. The most immediate pressure point between now and then is the CNTE standoff: More teachers are expected to arrive in the capital ahead of a large planned protest on June 1, with a national strike potentially beginning the same day — putting the government on a collision course with the tournament it has spent years preparing to host.
Also in the news this week
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Cañada de la Virgen archeological site near San Miguel de Allende reopens to tourists despite an unresolved legal dispute over land access.
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Mexico adopts the FBI’s CODIS DNA database system to accelerate identification of the country’s tens of thousands of unidentified remains.
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Querétaro’s governor announces veto of a gender identity law passed by the state legislature, drawing criticism from LGBTQ+ rights organizations.
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González Iñárritu becomes the first filmmaker inducted into El Colegio Nacional, Mexico’s most prestigious intellectual academy.
Mexico News Daily
This story contains summaries of original Mexico News Daily articles. The summaries were generated by Claude, then revised and fact-checked by a Mexico News Daily staff editor.
