by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
MEXICO CITY (Worthy News) – More than 140 people were feared dead Thursday as Mexico struggled to bring aid to those devastated by record-breaking floods amid growing anger over the government’s handling of the crisis.
Five days after torrential rains triggered landslides and river overflows across central and eastern Mexico, authorities confirmed at least 66 deaths and said 75 people remained missing.
Over 100,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, and entire streets were washed away.
After months of soaring approval ratings, the disaster has become a significant test for President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has faced heckling and frustration from storm victims during visits to stricken areas.
Political analyst Antonio Ocaranza in Mexico City noted that while Sheinbaum’s visibility in the disaster zone showed commitment, “it belies a bigger problem” — the overextension of the military in handling civilian crises.
The Mexican army, already responsible for operating airports, managing infrastructure projects, and delivering social programs, is now leading rescue and cleanup efforts in flood-hit communities. Critics warn that this heavy reliance on the military reflects a more profound weakness in civilian emergency institutions.
CONTROVERSY OVER DISASTER FUND
The disaster has also reignited debate over the government’s decision to abolish Mexico’s Natural Disaster Fund (Fonden) — a move spearheaded by Sheinbaum’s predecessor and political mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who claimed the fund was riddled with corruption.
Sheinbaum defended that policy Tuesday, saying, “Defending Fonden is like defending corruption.” However, for many flood victims, the absence of Fonden has left local authorities short of rapid-response funding.
In Poza Rica, one of the worst-hit areas near the Gulf of Mexico, reporters described a stench of decay hanging over neighborhoods where floodwaters and debris still covered streets.
On the city’s main avenue, soldiers labored amid clouds of dust and mud, while farther east, near the Cazones River, some neighborhoods remained under a meter of water and sludge mixed with several meters of piled-up trash and broken furniture.
“A week later, this looks horrible — worse. You can’t even cross the street,” said resident Ana Luz Saucedo, who fled with her children as the water “came rushing in like the sea.”
Now, she fears infection from uncollected debris — and worse.
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
“There’s a corpse near my house that still hasn’t been collected,” she said. “The dead body has already started to rot, and no one has come for him.”
Sheinbaum said the federal government has 19 billion pesos ($1.03 billion) earmarked for emergencies, with 3 billion pesos already used for immediate relief. “There are sufficient resources to address the emergency,” she insisted.
Speaking Wednesday in San Luis Potosí, Sheinbaum announced a two-phase aid plan: cleanup operations beginning next week, followed by targeted financial support based on household damage, and later assistance for roads and drainage.
After the devastating Hurricane Otis in 2023, her administration distributed payments ranging from $400 to $3,250 per affected household.
However, opposition lawmaker Gibrán Ramírez of the Citizens’ Movement party called the government’s response to the current floods “unprepared and lamentable.”
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