MexMoves

To restart our weekly podcast, Damián and Eduardo speak with Michael Fung, a leading expert in human capital, education, and skills development at Tecnológico de Monterrey. He shares his assessment of how Mexico is performing in these areas—and the challenges and opportunities that artificial intelligence brings to education and the workforce. Damian and I also discuss the outlook for the Mexican economy in 2026, as well as the late-2025 announcement of a potential merger between Mexico’s two low-cost airlines, VivaAerobus and Volaris. Finally, we review the latest changes in Grupo Televisa's ownership structure.Try Whitepaper 30 days freeBuy your Whitepaper merch here

For our Christmas special, we interview Carlos Miguel Prieto, renowned Artistic Director of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería, about the business and current state of classical music in Mexico. We also speak with Verónica García de León about the smog crisis in Monterrey: what’s driving it, and why it persists. To kick off, Eduardo and I discuss Mexico’s 2025 corporate and market highlights, from Fernando Chico Pardo taking control of Banamex, to the rally in Pemex bonds, IPOs at Aeroméxico, Fibra Next, and Esentia, and a wave of new CEOs at Coppel, Alsea, Walmex, Femsa, Bimbo, and others. Finally: Bread Culture Wars. We reflect on the Green Rhino / Richard Hart controversy, and how intemperate comments on the alleged poor quality of Mexican bread rolls in an obscure 2024 podcast became a social-media firestorm 18 months later, and turned into a proxy for (some of) Mexico’s gentrification and anti-foreign anxieties.Try Whitepaper 30 days freeBuy your Whitepaper merch here

Jaime Guillen, co-founder and partner at Mexico Infrastructure Partners (MIP), joins us to explain how the firm became the country’s largest infrastructure fund, the strategy behind its landmark Iberdrola acquisition, and where MIP is heading next, from energy and digital infrastructure to industrial real estate and international expansion. For a sector that usually works under the radar, this is a rare look at the decisions shaping Mexico’s power and infrastructure future.We then turn to Bruce Boren, Partner at THR3 Media and former Televisa executive, producer of HBO’s hit Chespirito biopic. Bruce breaks down how the project came together, why it struck such a nerve, and what the looming Netflix and Paramount battle for Warner Bros. Discovery could mean for content creators in Mexico.Before the interviews, Eduardo and I run through the week’s business and economic headlines. We look at the impact of the hike on tariffs on imports from non-FTA countries like China, the latest inflation data and what it may signal for Banxico’s next moves. Then we discuss Alsea, which continues to reshape its portfolio, now bringing Raising Cane’s, one of the fastest-growing QSR brands in the U.S., to Mexico. The move pairs with its 2026 Chipotle rollout and follows recent divestments in Chile and Spain.Finally, we dig into the rising speculation around a potential AT&T México, Televisa and Izzi deal. If it happens, Televisa would take on many of AT&T’s challenges, including high spectrum costs, MVNO pressure and Telcel’s dominance, while gaining the scale of a national mobile operation along with the advantages of its broadband and cable network and the political muscle that comes with still being Mexico’s leading broadcaster.Try Whitepaper 30 days freeBuy your Whitepaper merch here

MexMoves interviews Salvador Rivero, the new Country Head of Binance Mexico, who lays out what the world’s largest crypto exchange plans to do in the country. We also speak with US-Mexico policy expert Duncan Wood for his take on the USMCA hearings in Washington — what’s at stake and what 2026 US trade outcomes are realistic for Mexico. To kick off Eduardo and Damian as always dig into the main corporate and economic stories of the week. Grupo Bimbo turns 80 and opens its new museum in Mexico City, which leads us to a broader question: why has Mexico produced so few large new companies in recent decades? Many of today’s corporate giants trace their origins to the Porfiriato or the WWII industrial boom — and unlike in USA, Brazil, Argentina, not many newer firms have joined their ranks. Finally, we look at the 13% minimum-wage increase for 2026 and the government’s plan to cut the workweek from 48 to 40 hours by 2030. Great news for workers with formal jobs — but with informality already above 50%, critics warn that steep wage hikes and shorter hours could unintentionally curb formal hiring and push more firms into the gray economy.Try Whitepaper 30 days freeBuy your Whitepaper merch here

Join us for a deep dive with Banco Azteca Chairman Alejandro Valenzuela on how Azteca really makes its money, why cash still refuses to die, and why a phygital model is the way forward for Mexican banks. Javier Treviño shares leadership lessons from his new book Silos, celos y círculos íntimos and what a more ethical, less “clubby” business culture in Mexico could look like. Eduardo and Damian break down the farmer and trucker highway blockades as corn prices, water rights and insecurity fuel nationwide protests; the details behind Fibra NEXT’s US$400m downsized follow-on; the US$100m wager on American football in Mexico under the NFL’s shadow; and the battle over credit and debit card related interchange-fees between the banks and authorities just as the government unveils the new financial inclusion strategy for 2025-2030.Try Whitepaper 30 days freeBuy your Whitepaper merch here