Sheinbaum’s defense act on the Dos Bocas stage
President Claudia Sheinbaum took the podium this Wednesday with a clear script. He described the production at the Olmeca refinery in Dos Bocas as “extraordinary” and launched his political dart. The goal? What she called “the myths of neoliberalism”.
“The myths of neoliberalism, the lies, not to mention the lies. The myths”,
expressed with that intensity that mixes conviction and strategy. It wasn’t just a technical statement. It was perfect political framing: framing any doubt or criticism as part of an outdated economic creed.
The numbers behind the speech
While the presidential narrative painted the picture, Pemex technicians brought the data. Carlos Armano Lechuga, director of Pemex Industrial Transformation, detailed the escalation.
The first train started in March 2025, processing between 105 and 110 thousand barrels per day. By June, the second train raised the figure to 150-160 thousand. And they closed December with an average of 263 thousand barrels, reaching sustained peaks of 320 thousand.
Now comes the promise for this year: to process 300 thousand barrels per day. And the great goal for 2026 is to consolidate 320 thousand. With that, the national refining system—including Olmeca—would reach 1.3 million barrels.
“If we add Deer Park with 200 thousand, then we would be expecting to close the total year… at one and a half million barrels,”
Lettuce commented. That is the master move: to present an integrated and rising productive chain.
Sheinbaum knows that in politics, as in theater, what matters is the final perception. By dismissing criticism as “myths,” you dismantle the technical debate before it begins. He connects this project with the central ideological battle of his government: the end of neoliberalism.
But behind the rhetorical drama there is a very specific bet. Millions of barrels, billion-dollar investments and the promise of energy sovereignty that his electoral base expects as a final act. The curtain has not fallen yet. The show continues.
