The Mexico Strategy
Why Mexico’s Transformation must be North America’s priority
By Eduardo Joffroy, CEO, Joffroy Global
A Border Town Tells the Story
I was born in Nogales, Sonora — a border town between Mexico and the U.S., one single community divided by a fence and a line on the map. Families on both sides share origins, family names, values, businesses and traditions.
And yet, the reality on each side could not be more different: In Nogales, AZ, there is rule of law, order, and an integrated government project that works hand-in-hand with the state and the nation; on the Mexican side, political corruption dominates, the city is in total disorder, and there is no plan to ensure a modern city development for Nogales that assures dignity.
Migrants who fail to enter the U.S. remain in Nogales without resources or roots, creating a social crisis for which neither the state nor federal government has any real solution.
The flow of cargo that must pass through Nogales is overwhelming for local residents, and nothing is done to ensure that the success of foreign trade does not come at the expense of destroying the city and its people.
Nogales, Sonora is full of families with deep history, entrepreneurial drive, and above all, good and hardworking people. But the potential of its people is diluted by the lack of attention from local, state, and federal authorities. Nogalenses live trapped between two bottlenecks — one of stalled migration and another of the endless cargo shipments that must pass through its ports with poor infrastructure.
For example, in 2014 the U.S. government invested $250 million to modernize and expand the Nogales port of entry, while on the Mexican side the authorities invested zero. On the CBP Nogales Expansion
How can modernization and expansion of a port work when only one side makes the effort? Why did Mexican authorities do nothing?
As the CBP director at the time told me: “Politics.”
The lesson is clear: The difference between prosperity and stagnation is not the capacity of the people — it’s governance and the courage to reinvent it. I am not saying that everything in the U.S. is better than in Mexico — that’s not the point. I’m looking for the best path forward for Mexico: one that keeps our essence as Mexicans while maximizing our potential.
Why It Should Matter to the U.S. and Canada
Mexico’s future is not just a Mexican issue. It is a continental priority with direct consequences for security, economic competitiveness, and geopolitical influence.
12.3 million Mexicans live abroad, 97% in the United States.
In 2024, they sent $64.75 billion in remittances — a record that also reflects productive potential not retained in our country.
Mexican talent migration is accelerating — more engineers, doctors, and entrepreneurs are leaving than ever before.
We share many natural resources, ecosystems, and habitats, which are currently poorly protected, creating instability, accelerating environmental degradation, and misusing resources in ways that endanger the wellbeing of future generations.
Organized crime violence, mass migration, and fentanyl flows do not stop at borders; they can only be solved through shared intelligence and collaboration.
Conversely, investment, agreements, and innovation that generate progress and wellbeing in Mexico will benefit all North Americans — and the world.
Mexico: The Strategic Manufacturing and Logistics Hub
For decades, North America outsourced its manufacturing needs to Asian countries that today represent both economic risk from potential disruptions and, in some cases, national security risk.
Covid-19, geopolitical tensions, and security concerns have exposed that risk — and created a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure North American self-sufficiency through new agreements that must be addressed in the upcoming USMCA renegotiation.
Mexico is uniquely positioned to:
Be an international logistics hub with free trade agreements with the world’s most important economies — serving both Mexico and the U.S./Canada.
Absorb key manufacturing shifting from Asia to the Americas assuring that there is business continuity and shared prosperity.
Agree to long-term pacts, confidential supply and security agreements with the U.S. and Canada for strategic goods — from semiconductors to defense manufacturing — including mutual security pacts.
Guarantee North American self-sufficiency in critical industries, reducing external dependence.
Ensure all North American partners have access to essential natural resources so that no country in the bloc is left without minerals, resources, or energy.
If the U.S., Canada, and Mexico work together to reimagine Mexico’s prosperous future — guaranteeing rule of law as the pillar of a strong democracy, building investor confidence through legal reforms, planning the full modernization and expansion of Mexico’s key infrastructure, and ensuring workforce readiness — this could trigger a tsunami of investment and job creation, making North America the most secure and competitive economic bloc in the world.
If we ignore this real possibility, this “Mexican moment” becomes a broken dream — and the chance to complete the puzzle of continental strength will be lost. We risk losing an entire generation of young Mexicans who may leave the country in search of safety, rights, freedoms, and opportunities elsewhere.
The Core Challenges We Must Confront
Systemic Corruption — undermines trust and drives away investment.
Public Cynicism and Fear — for decades, public and private leaders have been divided and misaligned; citizens and companies fear government persecution.
Outdated Education — clinging to old ideas has prevented Mexico from preparing its youth for global competition.
Bureaucratic Paralysis — no urgency to join the ranks of leading economies and compete in productivity, growth, and modernization.
Short-Term Politics — the political system operates as a game of power and personal gain, without long-term strategic vision for the country and its people.
Toxic Nationalism — a society divided by design; this must be dismantled and clarified.
A Continental Vision for Transformation
We don’t need a revolution; we need to reinvent our system of governance and define a shared vision for Mexico — ensuring a strategic government that fulfills its role, with accountability at its core and no impunity, unlocking opportunities for all Mexicans.
This transformation rests on four pillars:
1. Continental Security
Create a North American Joint Intelligence and Operations Forum (NAJIOF) to secure the entire region through trilateral agreements and co-investment.
Design and deploy a modern policing system mutually recognized among all three countries, ensuring every corner of Mexico is safe and that nations share criminal activity data; invest in modern surveillance to cripple crime and secure all entry points.
Protect North American supply chains with modernized ports, shared transportation standards, advanced digital technologies, greater connectivity, shared customs control, maximum efficiency and speed, and reinforced security controls backed by joint intelligence.
2. Economic Powerhouse
Create a North American Infrastructure & Capital Fund to modernize roads, ports, energy, and digital infrastructure.
Expand investment and projects beyond a handful of cities — generating opportunities in all states and reducing migration pressures on Monterrey, Mexico City, and Guadalajara.
Guarantee long-term access to affordable energy and water for society and investors.
Redesign and modernize Mexico’s connectivity, micromobility, and public transport to be secure, efficient, and dignified.
Restructure Pemex and CFE to be profitable, strong state-owned companies focused on transforming Mexico’s future — not just serving a few interests.
3. Human Potential
Launch a National Digital & English Skills Program linked to nearshoring job opportunities.
Drive Mexican entrepreneurship with a global vision by connecting smart, accessible capital, expertise, and accelerators to talent.
Transform the financial system to be more inclusive for individuals and new businesses; expand access to credit nationwide through affordable loans.
Make Mexico the first and most attractive choice for Mexicans — not the last. This would dramatically reduce the illegal migration of talent.
4. Exporting Mexico to the World
Develop a Global Mexican Brands Initiative to scale Mexican companies internationally.
Position Mexico as a hub of innovation, entrepreneurship, and high-value manufacturing that competes globally, participating actively in the world economy.
Bold Ideas and Moves
100-Year Water Security — strategic investment, zero tolerance for waste, public campaigns to make conservation a national identity, and a North American Water Board to account for and protect every drop.
Mexican Sovereign Wealth Fund — channel profits from Mexico’s funds and state enterprises like Pemex and CFE into a productive sovereign fund investing in infrastructure, education, and innovation (modeled after Norway).
National Land & Property Fund — a national REIT with independent management to give long-term security to investors and unlock the value of underused assets.
North American Sustainability & Habitat Protection Pact — a joint commitment to reduce carbon footprint, eliminate plastic use, establish waste management standards, and protect wildlife, oceans, rivers, lakes, and ecosystems.
Call to Action
To the U.S. and Canada:
Stop seeing Mexico as the “complicated neighbor” that will never change. We are a strategic partner of 130 million people with the potential to become a leading economy. Every dollar invested in Mexico’s infrastructure, talent, and security is a dollar invested in your own stability and prosperity. With your help, we can grow Mexico’s economy to over $5 trillion in the next decade and substantially increase GDP per capita. We are among the top consumers of your products and services — helping us grow is a win-win business.
To Mexico’s Leaders:
Lead with courage and responsibility — or let others do it. Think big, and think long term. How can Mexico compete on equal footing with global powers like the U.S., Canada, China, South Korea, Europe, and more?
To Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Civic Leaders:
Collaborate and design high-impact projects to solve our greatest challenges and unlock new opportunities for Mexico’s future. Unite, raise your voices, and turn ideas and capabilities into tangible results. Form strategic international alliances to bring ideas, energy, and capital into Mexico. Approach Mexico’s government strategically so that together — with the help of our northern neighbors — we can design the future our country needs.
To Mexico’s Youth:
Don’t settle for less than you deserve. Believe in yourselves and speak up. Mexico and North America need you now more than ever.
The Time Is Now
If we act with determination, Mexico’s transformation can anchor one of the most powerful regional renaissances of our time.
If we hesitate, the moment will pass — and the 21st century will be shaped elsewhere.
Getting Mexico right is not optional; it is the keystone of North America’s security, prosperity, and global influence.
The future of Mexico is the future of North America.
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