By Jaen Madrid. Peninsula 360 Press.
A “very friendly” call, Trump said. On February 3, 2025, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum held a conversation with US President Donald Trump, in which they reached an agreement to suspend for one month the 25 percent tariffs that the US administration intended to impose on Mexican imports.
The negotiation has been described as a diplomatic triumph that avoided a negative economic impact for both nations. Reactions from international leaders, businessmen and analysts were not long in coming, recognizing the ability of the Mexican president to manage the crisis with “strategy and restraint.”
The first woman to govern Mexican territory, using her scientific precision, demonstrated firm and calculating leadership in her first major international challenge, positioning Mexico as a key player in global diplomacy.
One of the first to react was the German Federal Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, who highlighted the intelligence and calm with which Sheinbaum approached the situation: “I consider the President of Mexico to be a very intelligent politician, who has acted calmly.”
Lila Abed, director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, also praised Sheinbaum’s strategy in addressing the trade conflict: “She has been cautious and strategic. Her approach has been well received both in Mexico and abroad” and continued: “[The president] has been taking steps within her government to send a clear signal to the United States that she understands that fentanyl and organized crime are a top priority for the Trump administration.”
In Mexico, the Business Coordinating Council (CCE), chaired by Francisco Cervantes, expressed its support for the president, pointing out that her strategy of “firm dialogue” was key to reaching a beneficial agreement.
Representing the voice of the 13 business organizations, which together bring together more than 2,000 associations, Cervantes reiterated his full support for the president in the spaces of dialogue, negotiation and cooperation with Mexico's commercial partners.
In this context, during a meeting at the National Palace, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo called on the business sector to maintain coordination to strengthen the “Mexico Plan” and boost the country's development.
Carlos Slim Domit, president of Carso Group, along with other businessmen such as Raúl Martínez Ostos (Barclays México) and Rafael Zaga Saba (Canaintex), agreed that Sheinbaum's attitude was correct and showed great negotiating capacity.
For his part, the medical businessman Claudio X. González Laporte (Kimberly-Clark.) emphasized the importance of unity in times of uncertainty and assured that, although the Trump administration is unpredictable, “Mexico will move forward.”
Problems that seem hopeless, until a Mexican woman is at the forefront
In a country where female leadership has been underestimated for decades, the role of women in decision-making today is increasingly decisive. Altagracia Gómez, coordinator of the Regional Economic Development Advisory Council, highlighted this reflection. Her words not only recognized Sheinbaum's work, but also reflect a reality shared by many women in Mexico: the daily burden of making possible what others consider "impossible."
“Yesterday’s feat should serve as a reminder that beyond our professions and occupations, Mexican women have the profession of performing miracles and the specialty of fulfilling impossible assumptions,” she said. “Dr. Sheinbaum is a leader because in the face of adversity she represented us with dignity, with decency, she called for unity, she called for dialogue and she resolved with responsibility and efficiency.”
The recognition was joined by various international media outlets such as El País, which dedicated an article to the Mexican president, stating that “Sheinbaum has emerged unscathed from the first round with Trump in a manner very different from that of Petro or Trudeau.”
Sheinbaum's message: sovereignty is not negotiable
Following the agreement, Sheinbaum called on the business sector to strengthen the “Plan Mexico,” highlighting the importance of unity and the economic development of the country. She stated that, during her conversation with Trump, she maintained at all times that “the sovereignty of Mexico is not up for negotiation,” reaffirming her commitment to national interests and ensuring that, even in collaboration, the rights of each country to make decisions must take into account its political, economic and social reality.
With this agreement, Sheinbaum has managed to overcome a first key challenge in the relationship with its main trading partner, without giving up fundamental principles. Now, the country has the opportunity to consolidate itself as a leader in the solution of shared problems, thanks to a historic strategy that has found strength in the dignity and interests of Mexicans, placing Mexico at the center of world attention.
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