1. Government pushes for digitization in government and the national economy
President Claudia Sheinbaum and the head of the Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications (ATDT), José Antonio Peña Merino, presented the proposed Digital Economy Law, a regulatory framework designed to accelerate financial inclusion, encourage formal commerce, and gradually reduce the use of cash (which currently accounts for 85% of transactions under 500 pesos). The initiative aims to leverage Banxico’s technological infrastructure—such as the SPEI and the commission-free Digital Payment (CoDi) platform—to set an initial target of 50% digital adoption during the first year, prioritizing payments via QR codes at gas stations, highway tolls, and small businesses. The project also facilitates the remote opening of basic-level accounts with balances of up to 130,000 pesos to bring the 18 million unbanked adults into the financial system, in addition to integrating digital payment tools into Banco del Bienestar cards.
As part of the ATDT’s progress report, Peña Merino reported that the agency had reviewed 4,000 federal government procedures, resulting in the elimination of 1,947 government procedures, a reduction in requirements from six to two on average, and a reduction in processing times from 44 to 22 days. Additionally, the official announced the October launch of the “ExpedienteMX” platform, a digital vault that will grant full legal validity to official documents such as CURP numbers, birth certificates, professional licenses, and SAT certificates. The agency also reported that construction of the “Coatlicue” supercomputer (with a capacity of 314 petaflops) will begin in October; it will be interconnected with the “NubeMX” sovereign data infrastructure in Aguascalientes and Tulancingo to support the “AI Factory” and public administration systems.
El Economista: Nueva Ley de Economía Digital busca reducir uso de efectivo y acelerar la formalización: Merino
Milenio: Agencia de Transformación ha eliminado 2 mil trámites; en octubre, lanzarán ExpedienteMX
2. Trump brings the issue of Mexican cartels before the UN
During his address to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Mexico is the “epicenter of cartel violence” and called it “unacceptable” to share a border of more than 3,200 kilometers with territories controlled by criminal organizations, which he compared to the Islamic State (ISIS). However, at the same forum, the U.S. president qualified his stance by noting that he maintains a “very good relationship” with President Sheinbaum’s government and that both countries have made substantial progress in the fight against drug trafficking.
In response to the remarks, President Claudia Sheinbaum lamented that Trump’s statements acknowledging the joint efforts and the good bilateral relationship had been omitted. She categorically rejected the notion that there are areas of the country outside the state’s control and maintained that the 50% reduction in intentional homicides demonstrates the integrity of Mexico’s security institutions and the absence of ties to criminal groups. Likewise, Sheinbaum attributed the harsh tone of the remarks to the context of the November legislative elections in the United States and suggested that, while factors such as high consumption of illicit drugs or the illicit trafficking of weapons from U.S. soil could be questioned, Mexico chooses to maintain a framework of “cooperation without subordination” with full respect for sovereignty.
El País: Trump, desde la Asamblea General de la ONU: “Tenemos una muy buena relación con México”
Animal Político: Sheinbaum ante dichos de Trump contra México: “No voy a decir” lo que podría cuestionar sobre EU
3. Restrictions on the use of cell phones and other devices in schools
The Ministry of Public Education (SEP) and President Claudia Sheinbaum published in the Official Gazette of the Federation the agreement restricting the use of cell phones, tablets, and personal screens in public and private elementary and secondary schools, effective November 3, 2026. Unanimously approved by the National Council of Educational Authorities (Conaedu) and supported by 81.2% of teachers in a national survey of more than 565,000 educators, the provision will apply throughout the entire school day—including breaks and recess—in order to mitigate screen addiction, impaired attention, the decline in reading comprehension noted in the PISA test, and conflicts arising from cyberbullying. In contrast, upper secondary and higher education institutions will have the autonomy to develop their own regulations and guidelines for educational use.
The regulation clarifies that students may carry the devices in their backpacks, limiting their use to exceptions such as personal emergencies, health conditions, disabilities, or educational activities expressly scheduled by the schools. In response to the measure, organizations such as the National Union of Parents (UNPF) and state associations supported the regulation’s objective but asked the SEP to establish clear protocols by November regarding emergency communication channels, the safekeeping of devices, and the delivery of digital literacy content.
El Sol de México: Ya hay fecha para la restricción de celulares en escuelas de México: no podrán usarse en clases ni en el recreo
4. National Census reveals data that needs to be addressed in Mexico
The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) released the results of the 2025 Intercensal Survey (EIC), which is conducted every 10 years and revealed that Mexico’s population reached 130,911,314 (51.9% women and 48.1% men), reflecting a slowdown in the average annual growth rate, which stood at 0.7%. The demographic analysis showed an aging population, with the median age rising from 29 to 32 years over the past five years, as well as a decline in the fertility rate to 1.9 children per woman. In contrast, progress was recorded in well-being indicators: average years of schooling rose to 10.3, illiteracy fell to 3.7%, internet access in households reached 75.7%, and the foreign-born population stood at 1.2 million people (primarily from the United States, Venezuela, and Cuba). President Claudia Sheinbaum noted that the moderation of the demographic dividend reflects changes in family patterns and aligns with global trends observed in Europe, the United States, and China.
For the first time in the history of national statistical measurement, the EIC included a module on internal forced displacement, counting 510,000 households (1.6 million people) who moved between 2020 and 2025 due to violence or criminal insecurity, with the highest proportions recorded in Zacatecas (2.2%), Morelos (2.1%), Colima (2.0%), and Michoacán (2.0%). In light of these figures—which represent a total of 662,000 households and more than two million people experiencing forced displacement—President Sheinbaum announced that she will ask INEGI to review in greater detail the criteria and methodology used in the survey to accurately distinguish between social and meteorological causes.
Vanguardia: Radiografía de los mexicanos: así somos según el INEGI
5. Efforts to regulate lobbying in the Legislature
Ricardo Monreal, the coordinator of the Morena parliamentary group and president of the Political Coordination Board in the Chamber of Deputies, introduced the bill on Openness and Transparency in Lobbying Activities, a 39-article piece of legislation designed to bring transparency to the interaction between corporate interest groups and lawmakers. The bill proposes creating the Bicameral Office of Lobbying and the Open Registry of Lobbyists, requiring representatives of private firms—especially those in sectors such as technology, energy, pharmaceuticals, and tobacco—to submit quarterly reports on their activities, disclose their income, and identify the interests they represent. Furthermore, the proposal requires that comments and requests submitted by lobbyists be publicly recorded in traceable files as mandatory annexes to the reports approved by parliamentary committees.
To curb influence peddling and undue pressure in the passage of laws and fiscal packages, the bill provides for administrative sanctions and fines of up to nearly 600,000 pesos for those who offer money, gifts, or gratuities to members of Congress. The regulation expressly prohibits legislators from receiving benefits in kind or cash from unaccredited representatives, and imposes a one-year cooling-off period (“revolving door”) before former representatives, former senators, and former public officials—as well as their close relatives—may serve as lobbyists after leaving office. Monreal clarified that the goal is not to criminalize the provision of technical or specialized information by the private sector, but rather to eradicate institutional opacity and ensure that parliamentary decisions take precedence over corporate interests. This would be the second time the coordinator has sought to regulate lobbying in a context where it was announced that the Federal Executive Branch would introduce a bill on the matter, but one that applies only to the public administration.
Excélsior: Morena propone Ley de Cabildeo: crearán padrón y sancionará dádivas a legisladores.
La Jornada: Morena propone regular cabildeo y multar con casi 600 mil pesos a quien dé dádivas a legisladores