Alejandra Palacios Prieto, Chairwoman of COFECE

WASHINGTON – The Mexican economy is concentrated in some markets, but not necessarily because of anticompetitive behavior, according to the top competition enforcer there. It might be due to either too much or too little regulation, says Alejandra Palacios Prieto, Chairwoman of COFECE, Mexico’s competition law enforcement agency, in this interview recorded at the 2018 annual ABA Spring Antitrust Meeting. Responding to such imbalances requires varying amounts of advocacy and enforcement action, Prieto says.

WASHINGTON – Current anticompetitive concerns in Mexico are addressed through a balance of enforcement and advocacy, according to the top competition law enforcer there. Recent reforms in the Mexican energy market made this clear. “It’s not that you change the law and competition will immediately come forward,” says Alejandra Palacios Prieto, Chairwoman of COFECE, Mexico’s competition law enforcement agency, in this interview recorded at the 2018 annual ABA Spring Antitrust Meeting. There are a lot of bottlenecks and alleged anticompetitive activities in the energy sector, Prieto notes, “so we are working on both fronts – advocacy and enforcement.” Drawing from best practices developed internationally also helps Mexican competition law enforcers ensure they approach emerging digital economy issues with confidence. By Whitney McKnight