By Siân Errington

The 2018 election of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) as President, followed by the election in 2024 of Claudia Sheinbaum – the first woman elected President – has led to remarkable progressive change within Mexico in recent years.

At a time when the left has suffered setbacks – including electoral defeats to far-right forces – in a number of countries in the region, the social progress in Mexico shines bright.

It is also very much a significant force in the region, with a population of over 133 million people and a GDP of $2.12 trillion in 2026 – the thirteenth largest economy in the world by nominal GDP.

Both AMLO and Claudia Sheinbaum are part of the Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional (National Regeneration Movement) political party, commonly known as Morena. It was founded in 2011, to stand for a progressive renewal of the country by reversing neo-liberalism, putting people before private profit, investing and expanding social programmes and anti-corruption initiatives, and it has swiftly become the dominant political force.

Taking control of national resources has been a key feature of progressive governments across Latin America. In Mexico this has included strengthening the state-owned energy companies, the Federal Electricity Commission and Petróleos Mexicanos, including through introducing the Hydrocarbons Laws. These make it clear that Mexico has direct and non-negotiable rights over the hydrocarbons within the country and rein in the activities of foreign mining companies.

Recent years have also seen massive public works programmes, including national railway infrastructure, the bringing of services back in-house and ending outsourcing, and groundbreaking social programmes. This has included payments to support primary school children, to help working women and their children, scholarships for students, free education at all levels and the expansion of public universities.

There has been a new ‘NHS’ for Mexico and a new universal pension for women aged 60 to 64 years of age. Crucially, state payments, including pensions, now reach 65% more people than previously, making an enormous difference to living standards. Social programmes are regarded as core – not simply an add-on – and have been enshrined in the Constitution, with the President asserting that “Health and education are rights of the Mexican people, not privileges nor merchandise.”

This is in keeping with Claudia Sheinbaum’s previous record as Mayor of Mexico City, when she was widely regarded for leading improvements through investing heavily in public transport, expanding rainwater harvesting, reforming waste management and city reforestation.

As well as social security payments being expanded, the wages of the lowest paid have received a significant boost with the largest minimum-wage increase in over forty years, raising the income of the poorest by 24%. Sheinbaum introduced a mandate that guarantees the minimum wage will increase by more than inflation in future years.

Additional workers’ rights have been boosted, including ending fire-and rehire, recognising the rights of domestic workers, new collective trade union rights and doubling the number of statutory holidays. This sits within a broader framework of advancing rights; for example, the 2019 Gender Equality Act constitutionally mandates “gender parity in everything” and Sheinbaum created a new Cabinet post, the Secretariat for Women.

Actions have been taken to reform the justice system, with action to combat impunity and corruption alongside guaranteeing universal access to adequate legal representation. This and other justice programmes has led to a reduction in the homicide rate in one year by 32% and significant reductions in kidnappings.

Internationally, Mexico has proposed allocating 1% of global military spending to reforestation efforts and advocated for expanding the United Nations Security Council to include seats for Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and small island nations. Mexico has stood up to Trump’s attacks on migrants and Mexico’s sovereignty, supported Palestine’s full membership of the UN and opposed US aggression towards Venezuela and Cuba.

This is part of a long progressive tradition in Mexico of supporting self-determination, and opposing imperialism. As AMLO once put it, “We’re not going to meddle in the internal life of other peoples and other governments, because we don’t want them meddling in ours.”

Claudia Sheinbaum has made this clear to the bully from the North – Donald Trump – stating that “our territory is inviolable, our sovereignty is inviolable, our sovereignty is not for sale.”

As a country that shares a border with the US and is seen very much as part of their ‘backyard’, the progressive changes Mexico has undertaken to put people before profit must be defended.

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1) BRIGHTON EVENT: ¡Viva la solidaridad! No to Trump’s War on Latin America

Sunday September 13th, 12:30pm, Leonardo Royal Hotel Brighton Waterfront, Kings Road, BN1 2GS. Register here.

Francisco Dominguez, Venezuela Solidarity // Maria Perez Ramos, MORENA supporter, Mexico // Claudia Turbet-Delof, Wiphalas Across the World, Bolivia & more.

Open to all, just before TUC Congress 2026 kicks off. Refreshments provided. Free event but donations here essential.

2) LIVERPOOL EVENT: ¡Viva la solidaridad! No to Trump’s War on Latin America

Sunday September 27th, 1pm, Ziba Restaurant (Ground Floor,) Racquet Club Hotel, 5 Chapel Street, L3 9AG. Register here.

Gabriel Becerra, Colombian MP (‘Pacto Historico’ party) // Francisco Dominguez, Venezuela Solidarity // Julia Felmanas, Brazilian Workers’ Party activist // Conor Murphy, SInn Fein Senator & Colombian election observer // Richard Burgon MP // Kim Johnson MP // John McDonnell MP & more.

Refreshments provided. Part of the ‘Arise Solidarity Hub‘ during Labour Conference. Free event but solidarity donations here essential to hosting costs.

Siân Errington is part of the ‘Arise – a Festival of Left Ideas’ team.

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Claudia_Sheinbaum,_presidenta_de_M%C3%A9xico_(54304329887).jpg Source: Claudia Sheinbaum, presidenta de México. Author: Eneas De Troya from Mexico City, México, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.