Abstract

From the perspective of constitutional law, this article examines the upstream sector, namely the exploration and production, of the oil industry in Mexico, more specifically the origin, some of the content as well as the historical evolution of that industry that led to the Energy Reform of 2013, including its aftermaths. Having celebrated its tenth-year anniversary in 2023, the Reform should not leave anybody indifferent in Mexico and abroad, given the importance of Mexico in the oil sector. With the Reform, Mexico’s oil sector went from being one of the most limited major jurisdictions in the world for energy investment to being among the most flexible, which makes it a unique case study. Nevertheless, the perennity of the Reform is uncertain, mostly because of the opinion and the actions taken by the current president of the country. Besides, the author also discusses some peculiarities of the Mexican constitutional legal system as well as the factual background regarding the oil sector in Mexico, which should make this paper interesting for anyone interested, closely or remotely, in what could possibly be the future of foreign investments in that context.