Constellation Brands Buys Influence in Mexico with Billion Dollar Investment

Constellation Brands’ $1.6 billion investment in Veracruz, framed as a major economic win, raises serious concerns about the company’s growing influence over Mexico’s government. By securing this investment, Constellation Brands is not ”injecting funds into the economy” – it is effectively buying influence with Mexico’s incoming government. Such close ties might give the alcohol company leverage in shaping future policies.

The investment is being framed as a boost to the Mexican economy, yet the discourse overlooks the enormous social and economic costs associated with alcohol use. Each year, alcohol-related harm places a massive burden on public health systems and society at large.

Under the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), governments are prohibited from close engagement with tobacco companies due to the proven harm their products cause. If alcohol were regulated similarly, meetings like the one between Constellation Brands and the Mexican government would be off the table. Allowing alcohol companies such close access to decision-makers enables them to influence policies in ways that prioritize their profits at the expense of public health.

Political interference, or lobbying, is Big Alcohol’s activity to eliminate or minimize any alcohol policy effort that would threaten sales and profits. The focus of this Dubious 5 strategy is the decision-makers and opinion leaders with the power to shape and decide alcohol policy decisions. Tactics of political interference are delay, derail, or even destroy alcohol policy initiatives, and to divide coalitions supporting alcohol policy initiatives. Big Alcohol is paying lobbyists and lobby front groups to interfere in public health policy making around the world.

Sources:
https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/empresas/2024/09/26/salud-sheinbaum-presume-inversion-de-1600-mdd-de-constellation-brands-en-veracruz/
https://www.infobae.com/mexico/2024/09/27/claudia-sheinbaum-se-reune-con-directivos-de-compania-cervecera-que-hara-millonaria-inversion-en-mexico/
https://www.imagenradio.com.mx/constellation-brands-reafirma-su-inversion-en-mexico-tras-reunion-con-sheinbaum

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