A pole, many adjectives and a tour that starts with a bang
HUAMANTLA, Tlaxcala.- To start the year with vigor (and with headlines), President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo chose as her first stop in 2026 to supervise the Pole of Economic Development for Well-being, or PODECOBI for friends who love acronyms. Located in the vast plains of Huamantla – more than 50 hectares, so that no one is left in doubt of its enormity – this project has already achieved the miracle of convincing seven companies, national and international, that investing here is a brilliant idea. Imagine the scene: smiling authorities, vast lands and the promise of progress floating in the air, more palpable than the dust of the road.
In statements that seem taken from a promotional brochure, Sheinbaum stressed: “It is a very efficient model that they have, that the governor has, to attract private investments.” Of course, “they” and “the governor” are separate entities in this political choreography, but the message is clear: private capital is welcomed, celebrated and photographed alongside the authorities. The federal president, with her impeccable timing, highlighted that this development center reflects the “trust that exists in Mexico.” One wonders if that trust also includes the patience to navigate bureaucratic procedures, but that is a detail that is left out of the script.
Millions, jobs and a tight delivery time
The figures, as in any good presentation, are juicy: a total investment of 540 million dollars and the generation of up to 6 thousand jobs. Six thousand. A number round and significant enough to repeat in every press release. Governor Lorena Cuéllar Cisneros, in a burst of calendar optimism, declared that the goal is to have everything completed by the end of February. February 2026, it is understood, which leaves a margin of… a couple of months. Nothing like a tight deadline to get everyone running!
The presidential tour was not exempt from its obligatory entourage. Accompanying the Chief Executive, the Secretary of Economy of Tlaxcala, Javier Marroquín Calderón, and the general coordinator of Wellbeing Programs, Carlos Torres Rosas, paraded. A perfect entourage to ensure that every step, every glance at an architectural plan and every handshake were duly recorded. Because, what good is a development pole if it is not accompanied by a pole of public figures posing?
Deep down, beyond the rhetoric and protocol photos, the PODECOBI of Huamantla stands as an interesting experiment: a hybrid model where the government offers the land and the framework, and the private sector provides the capital and, theoretically, the efficiency. A marriage of convenience where everyone promises to live happily ever after, or at least until the next financial reporting cycle. Only time will tell if those 50 hectares become a real economic driver or another well-intentioned white elephant. Meanwhile, the shovelfuls of earth continue to move to the rhythm of the speeches.
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