The alert that they promised to change… and it did not change
At 11 a.m. this Wednesday, May 6, the country shook—but not because of a real earthquake, but because of the First National Drill 2026. Cell phones vibrated with messages like “Presidential Alert” and “Maximum Alert”, although President Claudia Sheinbaum had announced that she was considering reducing the volume and changing the text to something simpler, like “Earthquake” or “Alert.”
“It’s more the volume. We’re not sure if the message can still change for the drill, it requires preparation time,” Sheinbaum said from his morning conference in February, when they announced the exercise.
In other words, the promise was on the table, but the technical changes did not arrive on time. The Digital Transformation Agency already has the request, but the clock did not give them a chance.
The detail that no one expected
The curious thing is that this time the alert did sound on cell phones. Why is it news? Because just on Monday, May 4, during a real earthquake, the platform was under maintenance and was not activated. The ATDT explained that it was due to technical work, but the irony is not lost on us: in the simulation it worked, but not in the real earthquake.
The population, as always, reacted with a mixture of relief and confusion. The legends different from what was expected raised doubts: was it a political message or a real warning? On social networks, some joked that “Presidential Alert” sounded more like a spot notification than imminent danger.
The bottom line
Behind this little technical chaos is a bigger lesson: crisis communication is not improvised. Sheinbaum promised changes, but digital bureaucracy is slow. Meanwhile, the country continues to depend on a system that, when needed most, sometimes fails.
My wife, who teaches, told me: “Hopefully for the next drill we won’t have to explain to the kids why the alert says strange things.” You are right. Technology should be invisible, not a mystery.
—Carlos, a journalist who does not believe official stories without evidence
