Sheinbaum celebrates in the Zócalo while the narco and the humanitarian crisis overflow

In a crowded  Zócalo, President Claudia Sheinbaum led an event that, more than a protest against  Donald Trump's tariffs, ended up being a political spectacle.

With mariachis, speeches of sovereignty, and a crowd transported from different states, the leader attempted to reinforce her leadership amid a Mexico in crisis.

The cost of the event is uncertain, but if each attendee represented an expense of a thousand pesos, the figure could be around  200 million pesos, in a country where cartels impose their law and the humanitarian emergency grows. Meanwhile, the government celebrates its  "negotiation" with Trump, violence and impunity continue their course.

A political show to distract from the disaster

Sheinbaum turned the protest into a celebration after agreeing with Washington on a pause in tariffs. However, insecurity, the exodus of migrants, and the collapse of the justice system remain off the official agenda. In just one week, clashes in Sinaloa left dozens dead, and the southern border remains overwhelmed with migrants trapped in limbo.

"What good is it to talk about sovereignty in the Zócalo when the narcos decide who lives and who dies in Michoacán, Guerrero, or Sinaloa?", questioned Senator Lilly Téllez, reflecting widespread discontent.

Word sovereignty, submission in deeds

Sheinbaum's government boasts of having avoided Trump's tariffs, but the price was high: it handed over 29 drug lords as a bargaining chip, a move the opposition calls a smokescreen. While mariachis played in the square, the true owners of Mexico continued to operate with impunity in the country's forgotten mountains and roads.

Mexico doesn't need more official parties or empty speeches. It needs real leadership to confront violence and address the humanitarian crisis, instead of squandering resources on political spectacles.