On the 88th anniversary of the Oil Expropriation, Pemex director Víctor Rodríguez Padilla announced a petroleum advisory commission to be headed by Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano, if he accepts. It will analyze hydrocarbon industry trends to bolster strategic decisions. Energy Secretary Luz Elena González Escobar and President Claudia Sheinbaum highlighted progress and energy sovereignty.
On March 18, 2026, during the 88th anniversary commemoration of the 1938 Oil Expropriation, Pemex general director Víctor Rodríguez Padilla announced the creation of a petroleum advisory commission. It will review national and international trends, conditions, and prospects in the hydrocarbon industry to support the state-owned company's strategic decisions, amid market volatility and energy transition. Rodríguez Padilla proposed Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano to preside over it, honoring his energy sector track record, provided he accepts. Pemex aims to reinforce its energy sovereignty role following 2024 constitutional reforms. Energy Secretary Luz Elena González Escobar stated that recent legal changes have bolstered Pemex and the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), advancing energy justice and sustainability. “Today, our country's energy and resources reaffirm what they are: an irreplaceable strategic public good,” she said. Key progress includes stabilized oil production, average refining of 1.2 million barrels per day in 2025, and a 19% debt reduction from 2018 to 2025. President Claudia Sheinbaum recalled the expropriation decreed by Lázaro Cárdenas del Río on March 18, 1938, contrasting it with later decline, such as a 55% drop in exploration and production investment from 2012 to 2018. Between 2004 and 2008, Mexico produced over 3 million barrels daily at prices near 100 dollars per barrel, yielding surpluses equal to three or four Dos Bocas-sized refineries. Sheinbaum noted challenges like 75% reliance on imported natural gas and prioritized boosting domestic output alongside renewables. “Every day, at this moment, means advancing energy sovereignty and increasing national natural gas production, which is the next goal, along with renewable energy sources,” she stated.
