Clarin
02/11/2025
By Freya Annabelle Laupato
Is SKI-BD a bold plan to rebuild Mexico’s economy and destroy cartels or another government plan doomed by distrust?
Senor Keynes Infrastructure Building and Development (SKI-BD) aims to address unemployment issues while modernising facilities simultaneously. Because cartel recruitment primarily targets disadvantaged, low-income households.
This programme was proposed by Luis Tellez, the Secretary of Transportation and Communication—who aims to deploy a consultative board of economists, civil engineers, and security experts from the General Directorate of Highways (DGCF) to identify bridge, roads, and other public good in need of renovation and draft constructions to build small to medium sized infrastructure project tailored to elevate impoverished regions.
A public employment corps will then be formed, mainly composed of those living in poverty, the unemployed, and underemployed—particularly focusing on regions with high poverty rates (the Southern States) and Cartel dependent areas (the Northern border states).
This initiative is going to begin immediately after the first batch of required workers are assigned the first batch of projects, while the rest will be queued under a ‘ready’ status until enough workers are gathered and the second batch of projects are ready to be matched. In order to ensure the well-being of the workers, labour standards regulators will be invited to inspect day-to-day working conditions.
Every year, the government will re-evaluate the program and consider whether or not it will continue. This is because SKI-BD is a temporary program utilized to fix the unemployment issues that are the main driving forces of cartel recruitments. After their term, workers will receive certification in basic construction, logistics, or maintenance, making them more employable in the future.
However, it does not completely eliminate the possibility where the certificates earned may not be fully recognized by private sectors, and discrimination within the workforce might occur. Causing participants to feel undervalued or uncomfortable in their positions, potentially giving them a reason to go back towards working with cartels.
Furthermore, it is extremely likely that citizens in these affected regions will continue to not trust government-led employment programs due to their overdependence on cartels ever since drug cartels dominated Mexico, as cartels provide a quicker way to earn funds and help them achieve financial survival.
All projects and expenditures under this directive will be subject to strict supervision in order to prevent corruption. Implementation will begin immediately upon the finalisation of the planning stage.
In addition to that, SKI-BD will be released in collaboration with another government program—issued by the Ministry of Social Development—that he has called IRIS.
In IRIS, the Ministry of Social Development would like to establish a trust fund along with the Ministry of Finance and Public Credits and Ministry of Economy to start the financial upkeeping clause to struggling families which will be sent 8,500 MXNs annually to aid in their living upkeep.
In conclusion, while the SKI-BD and IRIS programs offer a strong and effective way to combat poverty and reduce cartel influence through employment and social aid, the success of these programs greatly rely on the citizen’s trust in the government. If discrimination or lack of employment after the program persists, future initiatives proposed by the government risks losing credibility and trust among the citizens whom they’re trying to help.
However, if transparency is maintained and the government can guarantee the future employment of the program’s participants, SKI-BD could actually serve as a good foundation in the long run—decreasing cartel dependence and transforming Mexico’s economic state towards a better and more stable path.