On Sunday, March 9, over 350,000 people crammed into Mexico City’s central square, the Zócalo, in repudiation of US president Donald Trump’s tariff threats. Just days before, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the reaching of an agreement which, under the cover of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), would exempt Mexico from most of the levies. “Fortunately, dialogue has prevailed and, especially, respect between our nations,” Sheinbaum told the crowd. Sure enough, when Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2, both Mexico and Canada had been excluded.

The tariff dispute, however, has only proved to be an opening skirmish in the testy relationship with Mexico that has developed since. After making similar tariff threats in his first term, Trump declared victory, pocketed his concessions on immigration, and largely left the country alone. This time around, however, the administration — spurred by the reckless, nativist rage of his coterie — has taken the opportunity to ratchet up tensions again and again. This, in turn, has put to the test President Sheinbaum’s approach of handling her erratic counterpart with her now famous cabeza fría, or “cool head.”