Sheinbaum Holds Call with Trump: What Topics Were Addressed?

On Monday, January 12, 2026, President Claudia Sheinbaum held a telephone call with her U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, in an effort to stabilize communication channels following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro on January 3 and warnings from the White House regarding

To lend an institutional character to this rapprochement, the Mexican President was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente and Omar García Harfuch, Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection. This technical alignment is significant; it represents an effort to shift the bilateral agenda from the declarative arena to formal cooperation tables, thereby attempting to mitigate the uncertainty generated by the possibility of unilateral actions.

The Security Challenge Amidst an Interventionist Narrative

Under this premise, the core of the conversation with Sheinbaum addressed the reduction of drug trafficking and border security, issues that have escalated on the global public agenda following Trump’s recent statements to Fox News. In that interview,

asserted that «cartels control Mexico» and stated that his administration would initiate ground operations to combat them, which heightened alerts regarding national sovereignty. In response to this scenario, Sheinbaum emphasized during the phone call that «collaboration and cooperation within a framework of mutual respect always yield results,» a stance that seeks to establish a diplomatic counterbalance to Trump’s hardline foreign policy. It is worth noting that, as of the close of this report, the U.S. president has maintained discretion regarding the details of the exchange, without issuing any statements that would indicate a change in his narrative.

The Anchor of Economic Stability

Beyond security frictions, a focal point for the private sector is the explicit inclusion of trade and investment topics in the discussion. This approach suggests the intention of both administrations to safeguard the operational integrity of the USMCA and protect capital flows, irrespective of the political tensions generated by the current geopolitical context.

As expected, the dialogue generated immediate reactions within the Mexican Legislative Power. Senators and deputies, including Nora Ruvalcaba and José Narro Céspedes, highlighted what they described as leadership «with resolve,» reiterating that the relationship with the northern partner must be based on cooperation, not subordination.

For the business community, this first contact of 2026 is interpreted as a necessary step to reduce political risk and seek stability in a year that is shaping up to be a significant challenge for North American integration.

The post

appears first on Líder Empresarial.