Live Long and Prosper: Mexico Beats Vulcan Materials at World Bank Court

In episode 117 of Soberanía, hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth cover a rare legal victory for Mexico, the ongoing occupation of Canal Once, and the latest tariff theatrics from Washington.The episode opens with Mexico's decisive win at the World Bank's ICSID tribunal against Vulcan Materials. The U.S. company had demanded $1.7 billion in compensation after Mexico closed its limestone quarrying operations in Quintana Roo, the tribunal awarded Vulcan less than 1% of what it sought. The hosts break down the long history of the case: how the original concession was granted illegally under de la Madrid, extended under Salinas, and how AMLO spent years trying to negotiate before finally declaring the area a protected natural zone. U.S. Congress even passed a bill to retaliate against Mexico, which now looks absurd after the ruling.Next, they turn to the student occupation of Canal Once, Mexico's premier public television station. While the students' grievances about educational conditions are legitimate, the hosts argue the occupation has long since lost its way. The occupiers, a tiny group of perhaps five students, have shut down the station entirely and are now threatening irreplaceable archives. The hosts contrast this with the 2006 Oaxaca uprising, where protesters took over a TV station to broadcast their message; here, they've occupied the station but refuse to use it, raising questions about who might benefit from keeping a critical public broadcaster off the air.Finally, they look at Trump's latest tariff announcement, where Mexico once again comes out the relative winner.Losers and Haters takes aim at Argentine President Javier Milei who blamed Mexico, Brazil, and the U.S. Democratic Party for recent criticism of Argentina.