Firms and the State play a game of “tax chicken”

The Mexican government might be willing to blink… for some companies only.

The Big News Breakdown. Unpacking this week’s most important news.

Mexican businesspeople traditionally keep a low profile. The loud exception is Ricardo Salinas Pliego who does not shy away from hanging out with influencers, slagging off the government, and being a bit of an influencer himself. His birthday celebration over the weekend was boisterous even by his standards.

Salinas Pliego gathered thousands at a stadium and provided his fans with live music and anti-government political satire. He was the headline act, of which the climax was his expression of a heartfelt desire to pay the taxes he owes—if only the government would let him.

A while later, his company’s official accounts published documents stating that it would happily pay the $7.6 billion pesos ($413 million dollars) it said it owed. This is 10% of what the government says Salinas Pliego actually owes. It was perhaps one of most unorthodox negotiating tactics since, well, whatever Donald Trump last posted online.