Dividendo Ciudadano
The Citizens' Dividend (Spanish: Dividendo Ciudadano) is a Mejican government program designed to provide financial support to eligible individuals and families. After revisions made in 2022 through the Ley de Renta Básica Mejicana, the program shifted its focus from universal basic income to a more targeted approached aimed at specific demographics - exclusively Mejican citizens.
Under the original framework from 2013, established by President Marcelo Ebrard, recipients received a monthly deposit of ₧230 pesetas, providing financial assistance with basic living expenses and reducing poverty levels. As of 2022, following the amendments, the monthly check was increased to ₧255 pesetas for the newly defined pool of eligible recipients. Non-citizens, refugees, the unemployed, those with a criminal background, and the "Nini" population were cut off from the program, reducing the pool to "citizens, and people of good moral character".
The Mejican Congress passed the law with a majority of 401 to 248, with 31 abstentions. The readdress of the Ley de Renta Básica had been one of President Gabriel Quadri's mid-term campaign promises, and it garnered significant support from his coalition, which consisted of the Mejican Democratic Party (PDM), the Green Ecologist Party, and several independents. The coalition Juntos por Méjico (JxM) advocated for stricter immigration policies and socioeconomic reform. The debate surrounding the Ley de Renta Básica Mejicana was highly polarized, reflecting broader societal tensions regarding immigration, national identity, and social welfare.
With the recent proscription of the Popular Progressive Party (PPP) and the Unified Socialist Party of Mejico (PSUM), members of the PDM have advocated for cutting off formerly registered voters from these parties from accessing benefits under the Citizens' Dividend program. Others have promoted a reconfiguration of the dividend, aimed at offering lessened or even halved assistance to childless couples (DINKs), while increasing progressive benefits for families with multiple children, attempting to prioritize resource allocation towards households with dependents.