The curtain rises in Mazatlán
The scene is familiar, the script seems to repeat itself. Closed businesses, empty streets, a palpable fear that paralyzes more than any law. In Sinaloa, the theater of insecurity has forced the closure of the economic event. And today, President Claudia Sheinbaum takes the main stage.
From Mazatlán, he announced an urgent meeting with businessmen from across the state. It is not a protocol photo. It’s a rescue mission.
“Today we are going to meet with businessmen from Sinaloa… We are going to talk to them. If there is any special program we will be informing them,”
Sheinbaum explained in his morning conference.
But words are the least of it. The crucial thing is between the lines: what can the federal government really do when cartels dictate business hours?
A state under economic siege
The trigger was the war between ‘Los Mayos’ and ‘Los Chapitos’ at the end of 2024. The gunshots silenced the cash registers. Restaurants, stores, local businesses… they all lowered the curtain for safety.
The Sinaloan economy, that complex and vibrant machine, got stuck. And now Sheinbaum arrives with a diagnostic kit, but without a clear antidote.
“Let’s listen to them first, it’s the most important thing”,
said the president. It is a tacit recognition: they know the reality that exists behind metal bars.
Their strategy seems to be caution. Listen before promising. Evaluate before acting. In politics, sometimes not moving is the smartest move.
But the families who own these businesses don’t have time for long strategies. They need solutions now. Special programs? Direct support? Greater military presence?
Today’s meeting is only the first act. The real drama—that of reviving an economy taken hostage—is just beginning. And all of Mexico is seeing if the government can write a different ending this time.
