The official disconnect between figures and promises
Claudia Sheinbaum presented this Friday the update on missing people in Mexico. Hours later, on the same morning, he guaranteed that tourists “can come safely.” The chronological contrast is so perfect it hurts.
The president spoke of “propaganda against Mexico” while displaying tourist indicators. According to their numbers, international arrivals rose 10% in January compared to the same month last year. From 3.95 to 4.29 million visitors.
“We have a series of special actions to protect tourists and in general in our country,” he declared from the National Palace.
He mentioned them specifically in the framework of the 2026 FIFA Cup. Convenient timing to mix national security with mega sporting events. The economic impact, according to her, grew by 3.9% in that same period.
Here’s the problem: no one disputes the economic figures. The debate is how they are reconciled with the other figures, the ones he presented first. Those that are not tourism.
Sheinbaum acts as if there were two parallel Mexicos. One for international statistics and another for the harsh domestic reality. The question it avoids answering is simple: what “special actions” protect tourists that do not protect Mexicans?
The journalistic memory is long. We remember every time a government has used global events to paint over deep cracks. The message today was clear: come, spend, don’t look to the side.
Meanwhile, the families of the missing continue counting the days. And the figures, yes, do not show tourist optimism.
