Bienestar executes 579 thousand million pesos in social programs during 2025

The Ministry of Welfare breaks down the budget execution and the massive scope of its main monetary transfer schemes during the current year.

Publicado 2 diciembre, 2025 el 2 de diciembre a las 13:38 | 4 mins reading |3,836 vistas | por Sofía Ramírez

Analysis of budget execution in social programs 2025

In a detailed report presented in Mexico City, the Secretary of Welfare, Ariadna Montiel, provided a precise breakdown of the investment and scope of federal social support schemes during the current fiscal year. Official data reveal that the agency has channeled resources for a total amount of 579 thousand 32 million pesos (mdp) to support a portfolio of monetary transfer programs and non-contributory pensions. This budget allocation has made it possible to provide periodic economic support to a consolidated universe of 18.4 million beneficiaries, a figure that underlines the massive scale of the welfare policy of the current administration.

The head of the secretariat emphasized compliance with the dispersion schedules, stating: “In the programs of the Ministry of Welfare there are 18 million 494 thousand beneficiaries who periodically receive their support every two months, and this year the President has complied with each and every one of them, both in their registration and in the dispersion of their resources“. This statement emphasizes not only the magnitude of coverage, but also the logistical operation required to execute bimonthly payments to a population equivalent to that of several states in the country combined.

Disaggregation of investment by population segment

A detailed analysis of the distribution of the 579 thousand 32 million pesos allows us to understand the demographic priorities of social policy. The program with the greatest budgetary weight and coverage is, without a doubt, the pension for older adults. Montiel explained that, at the end of the year’s payment operation on November 27, 13 million 232 thousand elderly people have been served, who fully received the six corresponding annual payments. The total investment allocated to this group amounted to 484 thousand 483.5 million pesos, which represents approximately 83.7% of the total budget reported, showing that this sector constitutes the central pillar of spending on social assistance.

On the other hand, the Women’s Wellbeing Pension, aimed specifically at women aged 60 to 64, recorded an execution of 23,662 million pesos. This scheme, with a gender focus and which operates as a bridge before accessing the universal pension for those over 65, managed to support almost 3 million women. At the same time, the Pension for People with Permanent Disabilities demonstrated a significant impact, with an investment of 28 thousand 961 million pesos that benefited more than one million 614 thousand beneficiaries. These two programs combined absorb close to 9.1% of the total budget, reflecting a differentiated approach towards groups in situations of specific vulnerability.

The presentation of these figures in the National Palace during the morning press conference offers quantifiable accountability on the application of public resources. The non-contributory social protection model presented here is based on direct transfers that seek to guarantee a basic income for broad sectors of the population. The magnitude of the investment, close to half a billion pesos only in the area of senior adults, raises a subsequent analysis on long-term fiscal sustainability, targeting mechanisms and the multidimensional impact of these subsidies on the quality of life, poverty reduction and family economic dynamics. The data provided forms the basis for a rigorous evaluation of social development programs and their role in the current social contract.

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National

FDA recognizes false positive in Taylor Farms lettuce

Cofepris analysis rules out contamination; FDA admits error in initial sample.

Publicado 6 hours ago el 23 de julio a las 22:34 | 1 min reading

Analysis results

The Ministry of Health reported that tests carried out on lettuce and water samples from the Taylor Farms Mexico plant were negative for the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis —which causes severe diarrhea— and also for fecal coliforms. The analyses, carried out by Cofepris, confirmed that the product complies with the physicochemical parameters established in national standards.

Traceability and false positive

Taylor Farms has a traceability system that allowed United States authorities to identify the origin of the product and track a batch held at customs in Laredo, Texas. That batch never entered US territory.

The sample obtained from that batch returned a false positive, a situation that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized in an update published on July 19. The Ministry of Health emphasized that the product is suitable for human consumption.

National

UIF identifies 55 people in the CJNG financial network

The FIU detected 55 people linked to a CJNG financial network, including 16 front companies.

Publicado 7 hours ago el 23 de julio a las 21:08 | 2 mins reading

The Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) of Mexico detected 55 people allegedly linked to a financial network of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The finding was achieved through specific financial indicators, as reported by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP).

Release 61 details that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury designated 55 people – 39 individuals and 16 legal entities – related to this structure. The action is part of bilateral cooperation against the finances of organized crime.

Indicators detected

The FIU identified “indicators related to possible operations with resources of illicit origin.” Among them: cash operations, acquisition of high-end vehicles, jewelry and real estate, international transfers, intensive use of credit and service cards, and inconsistencies in income reported to the SAT.

The authorities detected “possible inconsistencies between the income reported to the tax authority and the resources observed in the financial system,” which strengthened the identification of the network.

Front companies and complaints

Of the total, 16 legal entities had illegal activities. According to the FIU, some registered relevant operations, while others were front companies with “limited or no apparent economic activity.”

The UIF filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) for the crime of operations with resources of illicit origin. It also included the subjects designated by OFAC on the List of Blocked Persons (LPB), and added eight additional ones—four individuals and four legal entities—linked to the same financial structure.

International coordination

The Treasury stressed that the coordinated actions with the United States seek to “prevent improper use of the financial system, combat money laundering and weaken the economic structures of organized crime.” The FIU maintains cooperation with national and international authorities, in accordance with the standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

National

US Treasury locates Florence as a drug production center

The Treasury Department identified the Zacatecas municipality as the CJNG base for fentanyl and cocaine.

Publicado 7 hours ago el 23 de julio a las 20:44 | 2 mins reading

The United States Department of the Treasury identified Florencia de Benito Juárez, Zacatecas, as one of the key points of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) to manufacture fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.

According to the agency, José Octaviano García Martínez is the current head of the plaza in the area, accompanied by Cuauhtémoc Rivera Zepeda and Uriel Hernández Morales. These last two would be in charge of the clandestine laboratories in Zacatecas and Jalisco. All three report to Audias Flores Silva—alias El Jardinero—, designated as successor to the late leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, El Mencho.

Criminal presence in a small municipality

Florencia de Benito Juárez barely covers 328 square kilometers in the south of the state, in the Sierra Madre Occidental, adjacent to Jalisco. Despite its size, the municipality has been the scene of organized crime operations.

In March 2025, authorities dismantled a camp used by a criminal cell. Months later, in June, they destroyed a greenhouse used for growing marijuana. Both operations sought to neutralize illegal infrastructure.

The municipal president elected in 2024 is Fortino Cortés Ramírez, who will conclude his term in 2027.

Recent violence and federal response

On Saturday, July 18, 2025, 10 bodies were found in the municipalities of Morelos, Pánuco and Sain Alto. Of the victims, six were construction, mining and entertainment businessmen. Two others were officials of the Fresnillo city council: Fidel Alvarado de la Torre, secretary of Municipal Social Development, and firefighter Jesús Gerardo Muñetón Hernández.

Given these events, the Secretariat of National Defense deployed 100 Special Forces elements on July 22. They joined the 400 Army and National Guard troops who had already been operating since July 19. They carry out ground reconnaissance and deterrent actions in Zacatecas, Guadalupe and Fresnillo.

The conflict in the region is not new. On May 20, 2011, a clash between rival groups—known as The Florence War—left 77 people dead. The journalist Alfredo Valadez Rodríguez documented this episode in the book of the same name, published by Ediciones Proceso in 2021.