Mexico’s Sheinbaum Rebukes France’s Le Pen Over ‘Mexicanization’ Remarks

By Staff, Agencies

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday criticized French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen for her remarks about the “Mexicanization” of France, describing the French politician as misinformed and defending Mexico’s cultural values.

“She is misinformed because the ‘Mexicanization’ that should be brought to the whole world is that of the values of Mexico’s culture. Of honesty, of love, of solidarity, of fraternity, which are much needed in the entire world today,” Sheinbaum said during her morning press briefing.

Le Pen, a leading figure in France’s far-right National Rally [RN] party and a member of the French National Assembly, launched her campaign over the weekend with a strong focus on security and the fight against organized crime.

Referring to the presence of drug cartels and the security situation in Mexico, Le Pen warned that she would not allow France to undergo “Mexicanization.” She also called for criminal organizations to be confronted with the same severity as terrorist groups, drawing on the US approach of designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

“We will not allow France to slide into Mexicanization through the presence of cartels. We will eradicate these criminal organizations without hesitation, treating them as terrorists,” Le Pen said.

A recent security report by the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) highlighted the growing presence and influence of Latin American criminal groups in Europe, particularly in drug trafficking, as well as their cooperation with local criminal networks.

However, the report did not specifically identify Mexican cartels. Instead, it cited Colombian criminal organization Clan del Golfo, Brazil’s Primeiro Comando da Capital [PCC], and Ecuador’s Los Lobos cartel.

Nevertheless, Mexican criminal organizations, including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel [CJNG] and the Sinaloa Cartel, have reportedly operated in France in recent months. The Sinaloa Cartel has also been linked to a methamphetamine laboratory dismantled by the French Gendarmerie last year.

The term “Mexicanization” has been used by French politicians for years to describe escalating violence and concerns over organized crime in the country. In 2024, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau used the expression following a shooting at a restaurant, warning of a growing wave of violence.

The terminology sparked strong criticism from Mexican officials, prompting the Mexican Embassy in France to issue a response condemning the expression.

“The use of this expression not only stigmatizes and stereotypes Mexico but also revictimizes Mexican families affected by violence,” the embassy said.

It added that the term overlooks the Mexican government’s efforts to address violence in parts of the country and undermines international cooperation, including between Mexico and France, in combating drug trafficking and its devastating consequences worldwide.