Mexico Matters

In this episode, Mariana speaks with David Velez, co-founder and CEO of Nubank about how Nubank evolved from an initiative to kill fat fees and poor service in Brazil into the largest digital bank in the world. They also discuss how Fintech is shaking the financial sector in Latin America not only by boosting competition but also by bringing new technologies and services to millions that had previously been ignored. They dive into the pros and cons of Mexico’s Fintech ecosystem and what it will take for Mexico to jump into the global bandwagon of a digital payments system. They also speak about Nu’s regional strategy, their debut on Wall Street, the opportunity in Latin America, and the necessary qualities for an entrepreneur to succeed in the region.

In this episode, Mariana speaks with Martín Escobari, Head of Global Growth Equity, Co-President, Managing Director, Head of Latin America and Chairman of General Atlantic's Investment Committee, and Luis Cervantes, Managing Director and Head of GA's Mexico City Office. They discuss the factors that have contributed to the emergence of an important entrepreneurial ecosystem in Latin America and define what barriers are still hindering its future potential. They compare the Latin American environment with that of other emerging markets and explain how entrepreneurs are adapting to a world of higher interest rates. They also converse about the industries that are being transformed such as fintech, e-commerce, healthcare, and security, among others; and how the start ups are increasing competition and improving the lives of millions. Finally, they explain the transformational nature of AI and how all companies are experimenting with it. 

In this episode, Mariana speaks with Tania Ortiz Mena, President of Sempra Infrastructure, about Mexico’s large and diversified base of energy sources—ranging from oil, gas, solar, wind, and hydro—and what would it take for Mexico not only to satisfy growing demand but also to take full advantage of its potential. They also speak about the current state of Mexico’s electricity and gas infrastructure, about the important bottlenecks that exists today, and about the need for the government to focus its investments in transmission lines. They also emphasize the billions of dollars in investments that could materialize if the government were to work closely with the private sector to achieve energy transition.

In this episode, Mariana speaks with Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, and Evan Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of Chubb. They delve into the ways North America stands to benefit from current global tensions. They also discuss the notions of globalization and regionalization, and what Mexico needs to do enhance its global competitiveness, attract greater investments, and achieve its full potential. Larry and Evan also share their optimism for the region and discuss how the negative headlines we see about Mexico do not tell the full story about what is happening in the country.

In this episode, Mariana speaks with Dr. Luis Rubio, former Chairman of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations and Chair of Mexico Evalua, about his most recent book titled On Your Marks.

They discuss why the upcoming Presidential election will define the trajectory of Mexico in the near future, and whether Mexico will be able to create the necessary conditions to leverage the nearshoring wave. They also discuss various scenarios that could unfold between now and the June 2024 elections, as well as the economic and political conditions under which the next President will have to govern. Additionally, they explore the likelihood of a crisis and how the rhetoric of the U.S. Presidential election might impact the outcome of the Mexican election.

In this episode, Mariana speaks with Ken Smith, the former head negotiator from the Mexico side of the USMCA agreement and with Scott Miller co-host of The Trade Guys, a CSIS podcast specializing in trade policies. 

They talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of USMCA as it approaches its third year anniversary, and how it differs from the former NAFTA. They also discuss the importance of USMCA’s dispute settlement mechanism and why the U.S.government hasn’t called Mexico to a panel regarding bio corn and the country’s nationalistic energy policies. They also speak about the potential damage caused by the U.S. for not abiding by the rulings of the panel over its interpretation of the rules of origin in the auto sector, and about what needs to be done to strengthen the rules that underpin trade and investment in North America. 

In this episode, Mariana speaks with David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and former U.K. Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and Julio Rank Wright, Regional VP for Latin America at IRC. They discuss why the images of chaos and desperation seen at the US-Mexico border are just the tip of an international trend as millions of people—from around the world—are on the move due to civil wars, climate disasters, or some type persecution. They explain the difference between a refugee, an asylum seeker, and an economic migrant and clarify the necessary criteria to grant asylum or not. They also speak about the new asylum policies of the Biden Administration and what is needed to avoid people from falling into the hands of smugglers and traffickers. 

In this episode, Mariana speaks with Vanda Felbab-Brown, a Brookings scholar of crime, conflict, and non-traditional security threats, and Guillermo Valdes, former head of Mexico’s Center for Investigation and National Security, CISEN. They discuss the evolution of Mexico’s cartels, the failure of the Mexican government to curtail their growth, and how they have diversified into other illegal and legal businesses. They also speak about how the lack of cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico—and the U.S. and China—is making it impossible to dismantle the Fentanyl supply chains and how Chinese and Mexican drug and wildlife trafficking activities are colliding, threatening various species and Mexico’s biodiversity. 

In this episode, Mariana speaks with Alejandra Palacios, former head of Mexico’s Economic Competition Commission, COFECE, and Luis Gutierrez, President for Latin America of Prologis, the world’s largest industrial real estate investment trust and the biggest owner of industrial parks in Mexico. They discuss why Mexico’s manufacturing sector is receiving record numbers of FDI, in what specific sectors could Mexico increase its share in U.S. manufacturing imports, and what is needed for industrial park supply to catch up with increased demand. They also speak about the main constraints that exist to allow Mexico to take full advantage of this moment and how despite the current unfriendly political environment, C-Suites from around the world are focusing on long term geopolitical trends and moving ahead with their plans to shift a piece of their manufacturing capacity down to Mexico.

In this episode, Mariana Campero speaks with Kellie Meiman, Managing Partner at McLarty Associates and former USTR for South America, and Juan Carlos Baker, Mexico’s USMCA negotiator and former Under Secretary of the Economy. They discuss the importance for the three North American countries to abide by USMCA rules and commitments to create the needed certainty to unfreeze nearshoring investments and succeed in creating a more competitive region. They also speak about the competitive advantages Mexico brings (or could bring) to the table, “Buy America” and the U.S.’s recent industrial policies, and how energy is the missing link that could unlock the region’s full potential.