PODCAST · news
Judy Ley Allen México Centered
by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy
Tony Payan interviews academics, former government officials, and other experts on issues central to U.S.-Mexico relations, including trade, immigration, and public safety. New episodes are released monthly.The podcast is hosted by the Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute in Houston, Texas. through original research, relevant solutions to binational policy issues, and the advancement of mutual understanding, we seek to have a meaningful impact on the U.S.-Mexico relationship.Learn about our work at bakerinstitute.org/usmx.
Episodes
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95: Understanding Mexico’s Judicial Transformation
In 2024, Mexico became the first country to elect all of its judges by direct popular vote, part of a landmark judicial reform enacted by the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) — the current ruling party — to address corruption and hold judges more accountable to the public. Two years into…
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94: Can Mexico Build Energy Resilience on Texas Gas?
Over recent decades, Mexico has increasingly run on natural gas — shifting its economic center of gravity from domestic oil to a fuel mostly imported from Texas. What are the implications for the federal government’s goal of energy sovereignty? What does it mean for renewable energy projects and...
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From 'Baker Briefing:' What Can We Expect From the 2026 USMCA Review?
On July 1, negotiators will begin the formal review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a trade pact affecting billions of dollars in commerce and tens of millions of workers across North America. What priorities will each country bring to the table, and how likely is a…
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93: Can Somos México Revitalize Mexican Democracy?
Can the emerging Somos México movement unite Mexico’s political opposition? Since coming to power in 2018, the Morena party has maintained broad popular support. But under its rule, Mexico’s democratic institutions have faced growing strain. Judicial and electoral reforms, the dismantling of...
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92: The Binational Bank Tackling the Border’s Water Crisis
The U.S.-Mexico border has become one of the most economically dynamic corridors in the world. But rapid population growth and urbanization have brought significant social and environmental consequences for the region that are only exacerbated by extreme drought. John Beckham, managing director…
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From 'Baker Briefing': Mexico’s Cartels, Violence, and the Rule of Law After the Fall of El Mencho
The February 22, 2026 death of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, head of Mexico’s powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), has reignited debate about security, governance, and the strength of Mexico’s organized crime institutions. In the days following the operation, cartel-linked violence...
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91: Why Is Mexico’s Economy Struggling — and Can It Turn Around?
Mexico is the United States’ largest trading partner and home to a formidable industrial base. So why has its economy continued to underperform, with GDP growth of just 0.7 percent last year? Roberto Salinas-León, president of the Mexico Business Forum and director of the Atlas Network…
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90: Who Holds Power to Account? Press Freedom and Democracy in Mexico
The Mexican press has played a vital role in the democratization of Mexico — not just reflecting political transformations, but propelling them. That’s the history that Andrew Paxman, lays out in his new book “Mexican Watchdogs: The Rise of a Critical Press Since the 1980s.” Paxman joined the...
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From ‘Baker Briefing’: Reimagining US-Mexico Water Cooperation
From the “Baker Briefing” podcast: A water crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border is growing. The 1944 Water Treaty has long guided how both nations share the Rio Grande and Colorado rivers, but climate change, drought, and growing demand are testing its limits. Guest host Tony Payan speaks with...
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89: Drawing Power: Political Cartooning in Mexico (Guest: Paco Calderón)
Political cartoons serve as a powerful visual commentary on major figures, events, and issues. Paco Calderón, a cartoonist who has documented much of Mexico's political and social landscape, joined "México Centered" to discuss his work and approach. More about Tony Payan, Ph.D.:...
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88: Chocolate Cars’: Illegal Vehicle Imports to Mexico From the US (Guests: Guillermo Rosales Zárate & Juan Vega Gómez)
Each year, hundreds of thousands of cars are imported illegally into Mexico from the United States. These unregistered “chocolate cars” — a play on the word “chueco,” which means “crooked” in Spanish — not only crowd out the national light vehicle market, but often fail to meet pollution and…
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87: Stopping the Flow of US Arms to Mexico (Guests: Isabella D’Alacio, John Lindsay-Poland & Gerardo Álvarez)
In this episode of “México Centered,” experts Isabella D’Alacio, John Lindsay-Poland, and Gerardo Álvarez join Tony to shed light on the dangerous flow of firearms from the U.S. into Mexico. They explore how criminal networks traffic powerful weapons across the border, the cultural and political...
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From ‘Baker Briefing’: Claudia Sheinbaum’s Balancing Act
Tony Payan joined David Satterfield, director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and host of the “Baker Briefing” podcast, to discuss the challenges Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, is facing — both domestically and in its relationship with the United States. This...
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86: Binational Dialogues: José Antonio Meade
On April 24, 2025, we hosted the inaugural webinar of our “Binational Dialogues” series, titled “Mexico’s Economy Today” and featuring José Antonio Meade Kuribreña. Meade offered an in-depth analysis of the current state of Mexico’s economy, followed by a thoughtful conversation with Tony Payan,...
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85: Boosting Tech Entrepreneurship in Chihuahua (Guests: Kevin Koym and Ana Victoria Gutiérrez)
Tony Payan, director of the Center for the U.S. and Mexico, is joined by Kevin Koym, founder and CEO of Tech Ranch, and Ana Victoria Gutiérrez, ecosystem intelligence leader at Startup Chihuahua. Together, they explore how strategic investment and community collaboration are driving the growth of...
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From ‘Baker Briefing’: Trump’s Sprawling Deportation Campaign (Guests: David Donatti, Luz Garcini & Tony Payan)
Last month, Tony Payan joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast along with Rice University professor Luz Maria Garcini and ACLU of Texas attorney David Donatti to discuss the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign. They explored the legal and social implications of the administration’s...
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84: Trump’s Mass Deportation Policy and the US Labor Market (Guest: Chloe East)
President Donald Trump has promised to carry out a mass deportation effort that would remove millions of immigrants residing illegally in the United States. Will the massive scale of deportations improve the U.S. economy and deliver greater job prospects for U.S.-born workers, as Trump has…
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83: Mexico’s Artificial Intelligence Future Pt. 2 (Guests: Laura Ripani & Alejandro Dabdoub)
On “México Centered,” host Tony Payan continued his conversation on the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in Mexico with Laura Ripani, Mexico’s country representative at the Inter-American Development Bank, and friend of the podcast Alejandro Dabdoub. They explored major questions about the...
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From ‘Baker Briefing’: How Will Trump’s Tariffs Impact American Industry and Consumers? (Guests: John Diamond, Steven Lewis & Ken Medlock)
In February, “México Centered” host Tony Payan joined three other Baker Institute experts to explore President Donald Trump’s plans to impose tariffs on Mexican, Canadian, and Chinese goods and what they mean for U.S. industries and consumers — as well as our relationships with our largest…
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82: Mexico’s Artificial Intelligence Future Pt. 1 (Guests: Claudia del Pozo & Alejandro Dabdoub)
Mexico was once one of the biggest leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) globally, but progress has since stalled. Now, there’s renewed hope: President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office in October 2024, has created an Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications (ATDT), and the…
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81: Mexico’s Budget Proposal for 2025 (Guest: Mariana Campos)
On Nov. 15, 2024, the Mexican government released its budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2025, which runs from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. The government pledged to narrow its fiscal deficit from around 6% in 2024 to around 3% in 2025, and according to the budget proposal, there will be no additional...
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80: Deportations, Tariffs, Fentanyl: What’s Next for US-Mexico Relations? (Guest: The Honorable Christopher Landau)
On the campaign trail, Mexico was very much in Donald Trump’s cross-hairs. Now that he’s set to return to office, his pledges — including mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, a 25% tariff on Mexican goods and services, and a “war on drug cartels” — could indeed become reality. What could...
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79: AI and the Binantional Relation (Guests: Chris Bronk and Alejandro Dabdoub)
The Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute stays abreast of the many issues affecting the binational relationship–including some issues that are not as intuitive and are often not in the media. One of these is artificial intelligence. To explore what AI can…
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78: Mexico’s Judicial Reform (Guests: Javier Martin Reyes and David Gantz)
Mexico’s sweeping overhaul of the country’s court system took effect last month, in the final weeks before President López Obrador handed the keys of the National Palace to his mentee and successor, President Claudia Sheinbaum. Mexico is now one of the few countries in the world that elects its...
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77: The USMCA Review and Other Trade Challenges (Guest: C.J. Mahoney)
International trade has flourished in recent decades. In the U.S., which is both the world’s largest importer and exporter of goods and services, trade has lowered the costs of everyday goods, raised the living standard, and fueled job growth. But it has also eliminated some jobs, mostly in...
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From ‘Baker Briefing’: Claudia Sheinbaum and AMLO’s Looming Shadow (Guest: Tony Payan)
Late last month, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced a “pause” in relations with the U.S. embassy. These latest tensions between the two countries came after U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar criticized López Obrador’s proposed judicial reforms, which include electing…
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Episode 76: Voter Attitudes in Mexico and the US (Guest: Carlos Moreno Jaimes)
In this month's episode of Mexico Centered, Tony Payan sits down with Carlos Moreno Jaimes, professor and researcher at ITESO Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara, about voter attitudes in the Mexican and U.S. electorates and a recent survey he conducted to look at this issue. For more information…
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Episode 75: Mexico’s Elections: The Results (Guest: Lorena Becerra)
Tony Payan sits down with Lorena Becerra, political analyst and CEO of Lorena Becerra Encuestas, to analyze the results of Mexico’s presidential election on June 2, 2024. For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico visit our website, and follow us on...
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Episode 74: Mexico’s Post-Presidential Election Scenarios (Guest: Javier Martin Reyes)
In this episode we sit down with Javier Martin Reyes, researcher at the Institute for Legal Research at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) for a conversation on Mexico's post-presidential election scenarios and their possible legal consequences. For more information on the Baker...
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Episode 73: Mexico’s Presidential Elections, the Candidates, Continuity and the Binational Relation (Guest: Carlos Bravo Regidor)
As Mexico's current presidential administration approaches its final days, key questions about the country’s future arise. Some of the critical challenges facing Mexico range from political to democratic principles, such as the growing poverty rate, the state of public safety, and the U.S.–Mexico...
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Episode 72: The 2024 Presidential Elections in Mexico (Guests: Tony Payan, Ivan Rodriguez Sanchez; Edward M. Emmett)
We're back! After a hiatus of almost 2 years the Mexico Centered podcast returns...and just in time for Mexico's 2024 presidential elections. In this episode, a crossover with the Baker Institute's Baker Briefing podcast, host and Baker Institute fellow Edward M. Emmett sits down with Tony Payan,...
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Episode 71: Hosting Mexico Centered (Guests: Tony Payan and Enrique Quezada)
In his final episode as host, Enrique Quezada sits down with Tony Payan, director of the Baker Institute Center for the U.S. and Mexico, to look back at how the podcast started and the role it has played at the Center. Enrique talks about preparing for interviews and the behind-the-scenes work to...
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Episode 70: Trans-border Collaboration Across the Rio Grande (Guests: Bob Krumenaker, superintendent of Big Bend National Park, and Javier Ochoa, subd...
Bob Krumenaker, superintendent of Big Bend National Park, and Javier Ochoa, subdirector of the protected areas Maderas del Carmen and Ocampo, talk about the different models of conservation the U.S. and Mexico have, their day-to-day activities, and the numerous ways in which they collaborate…
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Episode 69: The Significance of Mexico’s 2022 Local Elections (Guest: Alejandro Cruz, director of special studies at BGC Ulises Beltrán y Asociados)
Alejandro Cruz, director of special studies at BGC Ulises Beltrán y Asociados and an expert in local elections in Mexico, discusses the results of the June 2022 local elections in Mexico and their significance for the López Obrador administration and the president’s party. For more information on...
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Episode 68: The Dream of a Binational Park (Guest: Francisco Cantú, writer, translator, and author)
Francisco Cantú, author of The Line Becomes a River, discusses his recent article for Audubon Magazine where he wrote about a grand dream for an international park encompassing Big Bend on the U.S side and Santa Elena and Maderas del Carmen on the Mexican side. Cantú talks about what he learned...
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Episode 67: Mexico’s National Guard and Public Safety (Guest: Richard Kilroy)
Richard J. Kilroy, nonresident scholar at the Center for the United States and Mexico and associate professor of politics at Coastal Carolina University, discusses the role of Mexico’s National Guard in President López Obrador’s public safety strategy. For more information on the Baker Institute...
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Episode 66: The Dangers of Being a Journalist in Mexico (Guest: Peniley Ramírez)
Peniley Ramírez, investigative journalist and columnist for the newspaper Reforma, talks about the dangers of being a journalist in Mexico, the mechanisms in place to protect journalists, and the relationship between Lopez Obrador and the media. For more information on the Baker Institute Center...
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Episode 65: 2021 Annual Roundup (Guest: Tony Payan)
Tony Payan, director of the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico, discusses what happened in 2021 to Mexico’s economy, politics, public health, and to the binational relationship with the United States. He also sets out expectations for 2022. For more information on the Baker...
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Episode 64: Binational Healthcare: A conversation with Houston Methodist Hospital (Jose Nuñez, VP, Global Development at Houston Methodist’s Global He...
José Núñez, the vice president for Global Development at Houston Methodist’s Global Health Care Services, talks about how Mexican patients access healthcare services in the United States, what Houston Methodist’s partnerships with the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey and Mexico City’s ABC…
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Episode 63: A Conversation with Consul General Alicia Kerber Palma
Alicia Kerber Palma, consul general of Mexico in Houston since 2019, talks about her time in the Mexican Foreign Service, the programs and services provided by Mexico’s Consulate General in Houston, feminist foreign policy, and the binational relationship. For more information on the Baker...
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Episode 62: El Problema del Crimen Organizado en México (Guest: Eduardo Guerrero)
This podcast is in Spanish. Eduardo Guerrero, socio fundador y director de Lantia Consultores y Lantia Intelligence, habla sobre la complicada situación de seguridad nacional y el incremento en la violencia relacionada al crimen organizado en México. Para mayor información sobre el Centro para...
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Episode 61: The Aftermath of Mexico’s 2021 Midterm Elections (Guest: Tony Payan)
Tony Payan, the Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and director of the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University, discusses the implications of the 2021 midterm elections for Mexico’s president, the president's party, the opposition, and...
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Episode 60: Mexico’s 2021 Midterm Elections (Guest: Javier Martin Reyes)
On June 6, Mexico will hold its midterm elections. A total of 21,368 elected positions will be on the ballot, making this the largest single-day election in Mexico’s history. The results will define Mexico’s political landscape through at least 2024, and may also determine whether President López...
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Episode 59: Data for U.S.-Mexico Border Studies: Challenges in Data Collection and Distribution (Guests: James Gerber and Jorge Eduardo Mendoza Cota)
James Gerber, professor emeritus of economics at San Diego State University, and Eduardo Mendoza, professor in the Department of Economic Studies at El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, discuss the challenges in making comparisons between sub-national units across the U.S.-Mexico border with existing...
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Episode 58: The Path to Permanent Residency for DREAMers (Guest: Catherine Glazer)
Catherine Glazer, U.S. immigration attorney, discusses what the current path to permanent residency is, the obstacles for DACA recipients, and potential avenues the current administration could pursue to grant permanent legal status to Dreamers. Glazer is the author of the recently published...
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Episode 57: The Growth of Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship in Mexico (Guest: Vincent Speranza)
Vincent Speranza, Managing Director of Endeavor Mexico, discusses the growth of venture capital and entrepreneurship in Mexico, the role of Endeavor in supporting entrepreneurs, and the challenges and opportunities during the pandemic. For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the...
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Episode 56: Expectations for Mexico in 2021 (Guest: Tony Payan)
Tony Payan, director of the Baker Institute’s Center for the United States and Mexico, discusses the expectations for Mexico in 2021 in regard to the country's economy, politics, public health, and the binational relationship with the United States under the Biden administration. For more...
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Episode 55: El Tercer País (Guest: Michael S. Malone)
Michael S. Malone, high-technology/business journalist, producer of the award-winning PBS miniseries The New Heroes, editor of Forbes ASAP magazine, and Dean’s Executive Professor at Santa Clara University, talks about his recent book, "El Tercer País", where he explores the connections between…
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Episode 54: U.S.-Mexico Relations Under President-Elect Biden (Guest: Mark P. Jones)
Mark P. Jones, fellow in political science at the Baker Institute and the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies at Rice University, talks about the binational relationship between the United States and Mexico in the context of the 2020 presidential election and the new president-elect....
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Episode 53: Health Inequalities in the US-Mexico Border Region (Guests: Eva Moya and Silvia Chavez-Baray)
Eva Moya, Associate Professor, and Silvia Chavez-Baray, Post Doctoral Fellow, at the Department of Social Work, University of Texas at El Paso, talk about the unique characteristics of the US-Mexico border, the health of its residents, and the challenges and opportunities of managing health…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Tony Payan interviews academics, former government officials, and other experts on issues central to U.S.-Mexico relations, including trade, immigration, and public safety. New episodes are released monthly.The podcast is hosted by the Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute in Houston, Texas. through original research, relevant solutions to binational policy issues, and the advancement of mutual understanding, we seek to have a meaningful impact on the U.S.-Mexico relationship.Learn about our work at bakerinstitute.org/usmx.
HOSTED BY
Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy
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How many episodes does Judy Ley Allen México Centered have?
Judy Ley Allen México Centered currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Judy Ley Allen México Centered about?
Tony Payan interviews academics, former government officials, and other experts on issues central to U.S.-Mexico relations, including trade, immigration, and public safety. New episodes are released monthly.The podcast is hosted by the Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker...
How often does Judy Ley Allen México Centered release new episodes?
Judy Ley Allen México Centered has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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Who hosts Judy Ley Allen México Centered?
Judy Ley Allen México Centered is created and hosted by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
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