Mexico's socioeconomic resilience and sustainable development in the face of complex challenges

Abstract

Mexico is a middle-income country in transition, located in North America, and is the second-largest country in Latin America. It has a population of approximately 130 million people and is known for its rich cultural heritage, vibrant cuisine, abundant minerals, oil, and beautiful landscapes, with 68 indigenous languages, many of which were conquered by the Spanish. In 2022, COVID-19 arrived in Mexico with a fragile and privatized health system. SARS-COV-2 infected millions of people with more than 330,000 deaths and excess mortality of 650,602. The pandemic produced significant socioeconomic impacts with a high unemployment rate that only recovered in 2023. Mexico rejected the FMI recommendations and maintained, during the pandemic, a stable macroeconomic policy without additional debts. The government did not subsidize enterprises but transferred direct money to vulnerable people: the elderly, youth, students, supported peasants, and trained apprentices. This money policy should steer young people away from organized crime, decrease public insecurity, and improve livelihood, where remittances contribute and achieve the most marginal regions. This policy allowed a revaluation of the pesos in relation to other currencies.