Mexico Turns to Fracking to Cut U.S. Gas Dependence

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced a plan to boost domestic natural gas production using fracking. The goal is to reduce Mexico's heavy reliance on imported fuel from the United States. The policy shift comes amid global energy market instability. President Sheinbaum described the plan as using new "sustainable extraction" technologies. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a method that extracts gas from deep underground rock by injecting high-pressure fluid. However, the plan faces immediate opposition. Communities and environmental groups cite historical harm from fracking, including potential water contamination and earthquakes. They strongly reject the "sustainable" label for the practice. Currently, Mexico imports over 70% of its natural gas from the U.S. The new policy seeks greater energy independence for the nation.