Soberanía: The Mexican Politics Podcast

Mexico’s opposition parties want the courts to give them what they could not win at the ballot box! Soberanía co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth look into efforts to steal Morena’s legislative supermajority through electoral lawfare. Plus a discussion on the right-wing PAN’s confession of what we always knew all along, they are opposed to social programs and would have canceled th...

In view of Trump surviving an assassination attempt, what are the potential consequences of a second Donald Trump presidency for Mexico? Soberanía co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth look at plans laid out by the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 and a policy paper from the pro-MAGA Center for Renewing America and warn that efforts to trample on Mexico’s sovereignty, and even an i...

We’re back! In this episode we dive into the criminal investigation into dubious financing of anti-AMLO media outlet Latinus, which far from being a reputable news organization, is instead a propaganda outfit created to attack President López Obrador and his political movement. But where does their money come from? Kurt Hackbarth and José Luis Granados Ceja also discuss two controversies inside Mo...

In this special co-production with the Democratic Constitution Podcast, Soberanía co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth join Luke Pickrell to discuss Morena’s efforts to move quickly on their massive mandate and approve Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s proposed constitutional reforms, including the controversial effort to radically change Mexico’s judicial branch of go...

Soberanía co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth discuss the negative reaction by international financial markets to Claudia Sheinbaum’s intention to follow through on her party’s mandate and pursue constitutional reforms. Plus a conversation on the efforts to paint Morena’s supermajority in Congress as undemocratic. And in our last segment, Kurt and José Luis criticize the ultra-left...

Soberanía co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth review the results from Sunday’s election that saw Claudia Sheinbaum make history by becoming Mexico’s first woman president. Elected on a left-wing program promising to deepen the political transformation started by outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, her victory has provoked the ire of Mexico’s right-wing elites and intell...

In our last episode before the June 2 election, Soberanía co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth evaluate the opposition’s failed strategy in this presidential campaign that never came close to threatening Morena’s massive lead. Now with mere days to go, Claudia Sheinbaum looks set to secure a landslide victory. Plus our Losers and Haters section of the show where we mock Andres Oppen...

Soberanía co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth discuss Mexican Supreme Court President Norma Piña outrageous interference in the country’s political process, her secret meetings with the opposition, and her unbecoming messages to colleagues. Kurt and José Luis also look at Xóchitl Gálvez’ poor performance in the third and final presidential debate and the underwhelming “Marea Rosa”...

Soberanía co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth break down efforts by the US Drug Enforcement Agency, with the help of their old media ally ProPublica, to once again attempt to interfere in the Mexican election. Kurt and José Luis also analyze the grassroots efforts by university students to hold a mock election. In our regular segment going over bad press coverage, we finally catch...

Co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth discuss the scandalous accusation surrounding the head of Mexicanos Contra la Corrupción y la Impunidad, María Amparo Cásar, a right-wing ideologue who has endlessly criticized AMLO yet has skeletons in her own closet and is accused of illegally collecting her ex-husband’s pension to the tune of millions of pesos. Kurt and José Luis also discuss...

Co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth analyze the winners and losers of the second presidential debate in Mexico and refute the notion that there’s an unfair playing field in this election. In the second half of the program, Kurt and José Luis breakdown the effort by Mexico City’s electoral watchdog to censor talk about Santiago Taboada’s links to the housing cartel, plus a look at A...

Co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth discuss the debate surrounding AMLO’s efforts to reform Mexico’s neoliberal pension system. Kurt and José Luis also talk about the regional response to Ecuador’s invasion of the Mexican Embassy. Plus an update from the campaign trail in Chiapas and, as always, our regular segment going over bad press coverage, this might be the worst example yet.

Co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth go over opposition presidential candidate Xóchitl Gálvez’s cringe-inducing gaffe where she scorns millions of people who rent their homes in Mexico. In the second half, Kurt and José Luis define lawfare and analyze the campaigns leveled by the country’s conservatives including the latest probe by Supreme Court President Norma Piña against her pre...

Soberanía podcast co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth take a deep dive into the political persecution of leftists in Ecuador, which led to the embarrassing decision by Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa to violate the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and invade the Mexican Embassy in Quito. Plus a look at recent scandals involving the adult children of opposition presidenti...

Soberanía podcast co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth break down the Mexican opposition’s bizarre efforts to get Mexico’s electoral authority to censor Morena and stop candidates from talking about the right-wing’s opposition to universal social programs. In the second half of the episode, Kurt and José Luis criticize the push by rich tourists and gentrifiers to silence Banda music...

Soberanía podcast co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth analyze Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s interview with “60 Minutes” and the reaction to it both here in Mexico and the US. Plus a look at the opposition’s dirty campaign in Mexico City that staged a false flag protest to drive a wedge between Morena and social movements. As always, we wrap with our regular segmen...

Soberanía podcast co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth evaluate the first ten days of Mexico’s election campaign, looking at Xóchitl Gálvez’s incoherent campaign strategy, trying to be all things to all people. In the second half of the episode, Kurt and José Luis analyze calls by prominent opposition figures for Gálvez to “go negative” against Claudia Sheinbaum and efforts by pundi...

With the New York Times coming under increased scrutiny following irresponsible coverage in Palestine, co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth breakdown the newspaper's recent efforts to interfere in the Mexican election. In the second half of the episode, Kurt and José Luis look at some of the low-lights from the recent "pro-democracy" rally in the capital, the use of tr...

Co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth analyze the intentions behind Mexican opposition presidential candidate Xóchitl Gálvez's trip to the United States. Why did she meet with the Wilson Centre, US State Department and the Organization of American States and ignore Mexican migrants? What effect could her visit have on the June 2 election?

Co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth breakdown absurd allegations published in various news outlets allegedly linking Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's 2006 election campaign to infamous drug trafficking kingpins. What's really behind this clumsy attempt to interfere in the Mexican election?

In our preview episode, co-hosts José Luis Granados Ceja dn Kurt Hackbarth breakdown Lise Digger’s interview with the Baker Institute's Tony Payan in the Texas Observer about Mexico’s upcoming 2024 election, exposing the dishonest framing and outright lies so common in English-language coverage of Mexico. Kurt and José Luis discuss the motivations behind this deceit and set the record straight...