Mexico’s Dual Nationality Reform Finds Its First Target in Ricardo Salinas Pliego
MEXICO · POLITICS
Key Facts
—What happened: Billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego revealed he holds dual nationality and says Mexico’s reform is aimed at him.
—The reform: President Claudia Sheinbaum wants to bar dual nationals from the presidency and all state governorships.
—His claim: Salinas Pliego says the ruling party Morena fears he could run in 2030 and win the presidency.
—The catch: He has never formally declared a candidacy, and the reform would apply to everyone, not just him.
—Who else objects: The opposition party PRI has rejected the dual nationality reform outright.
—What comes next: The constitutional change needs two-thirds of Congress plus a majority of Mexico’s state legislatures.
Mexico’s proposed dual nationality ban for top offices has claimed its first political target: Ricardo Salinas Pliego, who revealed he holds a second passport and accused the government of rewriting the constitution to keep him off the 2030 ballot.
What Salinas Pliego actually said
The revelation came on social media on Thursday 27 August, and it was pure Salinas. “Guess who has dual nationality?”, the billionaire posted, before answering his own question.
He did not say which second nationality he holds. What he said instead was political, and it was pointed.
Salinas Pliego argued that Morena, the ruling party, is not legislating for the good of Mexicans. He said it is shielding itself for the 2030 elections, out of fear of being removed from power and, in his words, jailed.
He has flirted with a presidential run for years without ever filing. The dual nationality reform, he now claims, exists because Morena believes he could contest 2030 and win.
The reform at the centre of the fight
President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the initiative this week. It would amend the constitution so that people with dual nationality cannot serve as president or as state governors.
Her stated reasoning is sovereignty. A dual national in high office, she argues, leaves the door open to foreign interference.
The proposal did not appear out of nowhere. It surfaced amid a running controversy over Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca, the former governor of Tamaulipas, whose dual nationality has been debated for years.
García Cabeza de Vaca, an opposition figure who was born in the United States, made the question concrete. Salinas Pliego has now made it personal.
What holding two passports means in Mexico
Mexico has allowed its citizens to hold a second nationality since 1998. Millions of people do, most of them Mexicans who became naturalised citizens of the United States.
Nothing in the reform would take that right away. It changes only who may run for the very top jobs, and only while they keep the second passport.
That distinction matters for ordinary readers with family on both sides of the border. Your cousin in Houston loses nothing; a candidate in Mexico City would have to choose.
Critics counter that the line can move. Once the constitution singles out one group of citizens, they argue, the list of restricted offices can grow.
Why the PRI said no
The Institutional Revolutionary Party, known by its Spanish initials PRI, governed Mexico without interruption for 71 years. Today it is a diminished but still pivotal opposition force in Congress.
On Thursday the PRI rejected the dual nationality reform, according to El Sol de México. Its position matters because constitutional changes need broad support beyond Morena’s own benches.
The party has its own reasons to be wary of eligibility rules written by a government majority. Several of its best-known figures have faced legal and political campaigns in recent years.
The rejection also hands the government an uncomfortable coalition of critics. A television magnate and the country’s oldest party now attack the same proposal from opposite directions.
A feud that long predates this reform
To understand the accusation, you need the backstory. Salinas Pliego owns Grupo Salinas, which controls TV Azteca, one of Mexico’s two big broadcasters, and the Elektra retail chain.
He and Sheinbaum have been in open conflict for months. In June she accused him of calling for violence, after he told journalist Adela Micha that peaceful protest achieves little.
Sheinbaum said at the time that she had no proof linking him to street protests. The exchange still set the tone for everything that followed, including this week.
The tax authorities have pursued his companies for years, and this week Grupo Salinas said it had paid US$18.8 billion in taxes over two decades. The group declared that particular feud closed.
Against that history, his dual nationality claim reads less like paranoia and more like the next chapter. Whether the reform truly targets him is unprovable either way.
Could the dual nationality ban actually pass?
Amending Mexico’s constitution is deliberately hard. The reform needs two-thirds of both chambers of Congress, then approval from a majority of the 32 state legislatures.
Morena and its allies hold large majorities, which is why Sheinbaum can move quickly on constitutional changes. The PRI’s refusal signals the vote may still be contested and loud.
If it passes, the effect is simple. No dual national could run for president in 2030 or for any governorship, whatever their name or fortune.
If it fails, the politics may matter more than the text. The government would have lost a vote it framed as a defence of sovereignty, weeks before the 2030 race quietly begins.
What to watch from here
First, watch whether Salinas Pliego names his second nationality. That detail will shape how the public reads both his claim and the reform.
His media empire guarantees the dispute an audience. TV Azteca’s evening programming reaches millions of households, and its owner has never been shy about using his own channels.
Second, watch the congressional arithmetic. The PRI’s stance will matter most if any of Morena’s allies waver in either chamber.
Third, watch 2030. If the reform becomes law and Salinas Pliego still wants the presidency, he would face a stark choice: renounce a passport, or renounce the ambition.
Either outcome hands the government a talking point. And either outcome confirms what this week already showed, which is that the next election has, in effect, already started.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Ricardo Salinas Pliego reveal about his nationality?
On 27 August 2026 the Mexican billionaire posted on social media that he holds dual nationality. He did not say which second country issued his passport.
What is Mexico’s dual nationality reform?
President Claudia Sheinbaum proposed a constitutional amendment barring dual nationals from the presidency and state governorships. She argues it protects sovereignty against foreign interference.
Why does Salinas Pliego say the reform targets him?
He claims Morena fears he could run for president in 2030 and win. He says the party is legislating to protect itself, not Mexico. He has never formally declared a candidacy.
Who opposes the dual nationality reform?
The PRI, Mexico’s former ruling party, rejected the proposal on 27 August 2026. Salinas Pliego opposes it as a private citizen and government critic.
What does the reform need to become law?
As a constitutional amendment it requires two-thirds of both chambers of Mexico’s Congress. It then needs ratification by a majority of the 32 state legislatures.
Connected Coverage
We covered the proposal itself in Sheinbaum Seeks Mexico Dual Nationality Ban for Top Elected Offices, and the tax truce behind the feud in Mexico’s Grupo Salinas Says It Paid US$18.8 Billion in Taxes.
Sources
This report draws on SDP Noticias (27 August 2026), El Sol de México (27 August 2026) and El Imparcial (10 June 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
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