Home Blog Page 100

Mexico’s year in review: The 10 biggest business and economics stories of 2025

By
MND Staff
-
3
President Sheinbaum and Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard.
President Sheinbaum and Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard. (Moises Pablo/Cuartoscuro)

It was a year of mixed fortunes for the Mexican economy. Economic growth significantly slowed, but foreign direct investment hit a record high. Incoming remittances declined for the first time in over a decade, but export revenue continued to grow.

Meanwhile, the Mexican peso appreciated significantly, a development that has both upsides and downsides for Mexico.

On the business front, three Mexican financial institutions shut down after the U.S. government accused them of laundering money for cartels, while the state of Querétaro solidified its position as Mexico’s data center hub.

As 2025 draws to a close, here’s a look back at 10 of the biggest business and economics stories in Mexico this year. Many of the developments, events and issues outlined below had a significant impact on the economic situation in Mexico this year and, in some cases, will help shape the future the country will face in the years to come.

The Mexican peso gains strength

According to the Bank of Mexico, the USD:MXN exchange rate at the close of trading on Dec. 31, 2024, was 20.88

On Dec. 30, 2025, the USD:MXN closing rate was 17.99. Thus, the peso appreciated just over 16% against the greenback in the first 11 months and 30 days of 2025.

The USD:MXN exchange rate briefly went above 21 in April, the peso becoming collateral damage in an escalating trade war between the United States and China.

But all in all, the peso had a very positive year in 2025, performing far better than many people expected.

The currency’s appreciation was due to a range of factors, including the weakness of the US dollar, the Bank of Mexico’s still-high benchmark interest rate (even though it declined by 300 basis points in 2025) and strong foreign investment inflows.

Why does it matter?

A strong peso has a range of impacts on individuals, companies and government. Let’s take a look at a few examples.

Mexican families that depend on remittances from the United States receive less money in pesos when Mexico’s currency is stronger, reducing their purchasing power.

Similarly, Mexico-based U.S. citizens who rely on income and/or savings in the U.S. to fund their living expenses get less bang for their buck when the peso is stronger, effectively making Mexico a more expensive place for them to live.

A person shopping at a Chinese market
In theory, a strong peso should make many imported consumer items — especially those from the U.S. — more affordable for Mexicans. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

In theory, a strong peso should make many imported consumer items — especially those from the U.S. — more affordable for Mexicans, although that depends on importers and retailers passing on the lower costs.

For foreign companies operating in Mexico, a strong peso will increase their in-country costs, including labor costs, when converted to dollars. A strong peso can be a deterrent to foreign investment as it increases the overall costs of doing business in the country.

For the Mexican government, a strong peso increases the capacity to service dollar-denominated debt. According to President Claudia Sheinbaum, the strong peso is a sign that the Mexican economy is doing well, even though growth slowed significantly in 2025.

The government launches Plan México 

The unveiling of the Plan México economic initiative in January was a major milestone in the first year of Sheinbaum’s presidency.

Among the goals of the ambitious industrial policy are to make Mexico the 10th largest economy in the world by 2030, reduce reliance on imports from China and other Asian countries, increase domestic production of a range of goods, attract higher levels of private investment and create 1.5 million new jobs.

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum stands at the presidential podium looking out at an audience off-camera with her fist raised and her mouth open as if cheering. Behind her is a wall with the words in Spanish: Plan Mexico, Strenghtening the Economy and Well-Being, Mexico City April 3, 2025.
With a decidedly optimistic atmosphere at Mexico’s National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City, President Claudia Sheinbaum invited governors, business leaders and the press to an event in early April to announce expansions to her already ambitious Plan México. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

The plan was strengthened in April with the announcement of 18 related “programs and actions,” including commitments to accelerate the construction of public infrastructure projects and homes, and to increase domestic production of a range of goods including vehicles, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and petrochemicals.

Why does it matter?

Plan México is all about setting Mexico up for the future.

If Mexican industry weren’t protected, even by imposing higher tariffs on imports from China (see below), a huge number of Mexican jobs could (or would) be lost and more “Hecho in México” products would disappear from shelves.

If the Mexican government were not proactive in seeking foreign investment, GDP growth rates in the coming years would likely suffer.

FDI hits a new high 

In the first nine months of the year, Mexico received a record high US $40.9 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), an increase of 14.5% compared to the same period of 2024.

The amount exceeds total FDI in the entirety of 2024, which was around $37 billion.

A major positive in the FDI data for the first nine months of 2025 is that the new investment component — as opposed to the reinvestment of profits by companies with an existing presence in Mexico — more than tripled compared to the same period of 2024.

New investment accounted for 16% of total FDI between January and September, up from just 6% in the same period of 2024.

Why does it matter?

A record-high FDI total shows that Mexico is benefiting from the nearshoring trend, despite claims that it had missed the boat. The increase in new investment is particularly encouraging in this respect.

The increase in FDI is also positive because it demonstrates that foreign companies are willing to invest in Mexico at a time when the country’s preferential trading conditions with the United States via the USMCA free trade pact are diminished as a result of Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs on a range of Mexican products.

The conclusion of the 2026 review of the USMCA will provide greater certainty for investors, and should therefore spur an additional influx of FDI, provided that Mexico can meet foreign companies’ needs, including a reliable electricity supply (bonus points if it is from a renewable source), robust logistics infrastructure, a stable rule of law and security.

The increase in FDI in 2025 allows the federal government to say that Mexico is doing a pretty good job in meeting investors’ needs and that Plan México is already bearing fruit.

US accuses Mexican banks of laundering money for cartels 

The news came as a bombshell in late June: The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury accused the Mexican banks CIBanco and Intercam, and the Mexican brokerage firm Vector, of laundering millions of dollars for drug cartels involved in the trafficking of fentanyl and other narcotics to the U.S.

The Mexican government repeatedly pointed out that FinCEN didn’t provide any hard evidence to support its allegations, but the accusations nevertheless turned out to be a fatal blow for the three financial organizations.

CIBanco, Intercam and Vector all ceased to operate in Mexico, not before causing their customers a significant amount of grief.

3 Mexican financial institutions cease operations after US money laundering claims

Why does it matter?

This whole episode is a testament to the long — and muscular — arm of Uncle Sam, and his willingness to use it against those he sees, or believes, are doing harm to U.S. citizens.

In this case, the target was financial institutions accused of being part of a malicious network that poisons Americans with illicit fentanyl.

Ultimately, the U.S. government was effectively able to kill off CIBanco, Intercam and Vector with accusations that weren’t supported by any hard, publicly accessible, evidence.

This is clearly concerning, not least for other Mexican banks.

Querétaro’s data center boom continues 

The Bajío region state of Querétaro has, in a relatively short period of time, become Mexico’s data center hub. It is an attractive destination for data center investment for a range of reasons, among which are its central location in Mexico, its proximity to Mexico City and its infrastructure, including high-speed data cables.

After various developments in this space in 2024, including the opening of a Microsoft data center region, the momentum continued in 2025, with President Claudia Sheinbaum confirming a $5 billion “digital region” investment by Amazon Web services, the company ODATA beginning operations at a $3 billion data center campus, and the U.S. tech firm CloudHQ announcing that it will build six data centers and complementary infrastructure on a single site in Querétaro.

Querétaro is thus poised to receive significant investment in the coming years as it leads the country in providing the physical infrastructure for companies at the forefront of the digital revolution, an ongoing transformation that now has the development of artificial intelligence at its center.

Why does it matter?

The data center investment in Querétaro will help Mexico play a pivotal role in the digital revolution in the second quarter of the 21st century.

The investment will create jobs, spur the economy, contribute to even greater economic integration between Mexico and the United States and strengthen the country’s competitiveness in technologies such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

The onus is on federal, state and municipal authorities to manage the data center boom in Querétaro effectively and ensure that it doesn’t create major problems, including environmental and water supply ones.

New tariffs target China 

In September, President Sheinbaum sent an initiative to Congress that aimed to impose new tariffs on imports from countries with which Mexico doesn’t have a free trade agreement.

President Sheinbaum gestures from the podium of her morning press conference
President Sheinbaum has emphasized that the new tariffs are directed at “the countries with which we don’t have trade agreements,” not China specifically. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

The main target of the proposed new tariffs was — and is — clear: China, even though Sheinbaum herself asserts that the duties are not specifically directed at the East Asian economic powerhouse.

The tariffs were approved by Congress this month, albeit after many of the duties proposed by the president were lowered by lawmakers.

Still, Mexico’s protectionism against the world’s second-largest economy and various other countries, including South Korea, India and Thailand will increase to an unprecedented level in January.

China, for one, is not happy, urging Mexico to “correct its wrong practices of unilateralism and protectionism” as soon as possible.

Why does it matter?

Mexico’s willingness to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods is seen in a positive light by the United States and could thus help it in next year’s USMCA review.

Higher tariffs against cheap Chinese imports will also help to protect Mexican industry, while the Mexican government is projected to collect tens of billions of pesos in additional revenue on an annual basis. It remains to be seen whether the impact on inflation will be more than the projected 0.2 percentage points.

The plan to increase the tariff on cars imported from China to 50% from 20% could lead to a reduction in the sale of such vehicles in Mexico, where BYDs, MGs and Chireys are commonly seen on the streets.

However, Chinese manufacturers are known for their ability to reduce their costs and the purchase price of their products in order to offset the impact of tariffs. Thus, it remains uncertain whether strong sales of Chinese cars in Mexico will come to an end .

Central bank continues to cut interest rates 

The Bank of Mexico (Banxico) lowered its benchmark interest rate after every one of its board’s eight monetary police meetings in 2025.

Banxico’s key rate thus declined from 10% at the start of the year to 7% after the Dec. 18 monetary policy meeting.

More cuts could come in the first half of 2026, provided inflation trends down, as the central bank forecasts it will.

Banxico building
Banxico’s key rate declined from 10% at the start of the year to 7% after the Dec. 18 monetary policy meeting. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

Why does it matter?

Lower interest rates should help to spur the Mexican economy in 2026 by increasing domestic demand from consumers.

The reduction in interest rates and consequent cheaper access to credit could also help some businesses to invest in themselves and expand, both in a physical sense and in terms of their workforces.

Lower interest rates could also contribute to a weaker Mexican peso in 2026, although the currency appreciated significantly this year despite the 300-basis-point reduction in Banxico’s benchmark rate.

Mexico became the biggest buyer of US goods, as exports continue to grow  

As we reported last month, in 2025 Mexico was the largest buyer of U.S. goods in the first eight months of the year, outpacing Canada. It remained in that position at the end of September, according to U.S. data published on Dec. 11.

Mexico’s ascension to the No. 1 position among purchasers of U.S. goods is a significant milestone in the bilateral trade relationship.

Mexico is also the largest exporter of goods to the United States, having dethroned China in 2023.

Mexico’s outlay on imports from the U.S. in the first nine months of 2025 was $253.6 billion, just ahead of Canada’s expenditure of $253.47 billion.

Why does it matter?

Mexico’s rise to the position of the world’s top buyer of U.S. exports further underscores the trade dependency of the two North American neighbors.

A shop sign urges Canadian to buy national rather than imported products
A successful “Buy Canadian” campaign has reduced U.S. exports to Canada, clearing the way for Mexico to become the top buyer of U.S. goods. (Shutterstock)

Mexico’s expenditure on U.S. goods in the first nine months of the year increased, albeit only slightly, whereas Canada’s outlay on imports from its southern neighbor declined amid a “Buy Canadian” movement that emerged in response to tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on a range of Canadian products.

That Mexico can show the United States that it is spending more on U.S. goods should help it in negotiations with the U.S. during the USMCA review.

While the United States could push Mexico to buy even more U.S. goods as it seeks to reduce the trade deficit it has with its southern neighbor — a priority of Trump — the fact that Mexico’s outlay is increasing should be seen in a positive light by U.S. trade negotiators.

The economy slows 

Mexico’s economy grew just 0.4% annually in the first nine months of 2025, a significant slowdown compared to the 1.2% expansion in 2024.

A 1.5% contraction of the secondary sector — which includes manufacturing, construction, mining and electricity generation — was the cause of Mexico’s slowdown this year.

The primary sector (+2.9%) and the tertiary sector (+1.2%) both grew in the first nine months of the year.

In the third quarter of the year, the Mexican economy contracted 0.3% compared to the previous three-month period.

BBVA Research said in a note that “the decrease in GDP during the third quarter of the year occurs in a context of prolonged uncertainty regarding U.S. trade policy, slower growth in real wages, and a deterioration in consumer confidence.”

Why does it matter?

This year’s economic slowdown primarily matters because of the negative effect on the lives of ordinary Mexicans.

While unemployment remains low, at 2.6% in October, the rate has risen from the all-time low of 2.2% in March.

That is one sign that the low growth rate is having an impact on the economy of Mexico and its people.

Another is that the percentage of total workers who are employed in the informal economy has increased, reaching a three-year high of 55.4% in the third quarter.

In addition, consumer confidence fell every month between September and November, according to the national statistics agency INEGI.

The economic slowdown is also concerning, considering that foreign direct investment in Mexico reached a record high in the first nine months of the year. FDI can be a key driver of economic expansion, but in 2025, it wasn’t able to spur anything beyond a lackluster rate of growth.

Let’s hope that the projections for higher growth in 2026 are at least met, if not exceeded.

Remittances decline 

The inflow of remittances to Mexico declined 5.1% annually in the first 10 months of 2025, making it inevitable that the accumulated value of the international transfers will fall this year for the first time in more than a decade.

Between January and October, Mexico received just over $51.3 billion in remittances, down from $54.08 billion in the same period of 2024.

Analysts have partially attributed the decline in remittances to Mexico this year to fear of going out to work among U.S.-based Mexicans, of whom 4.3 million are “unauthorized” immigrants, according to the bank BBVA.

Why does it matter?

An increase in the value of the peso and the decline in the transfer of remittances to Mexico was a double whammy for the millions of Mexican families that depend on the international transfers to make ends meet.

In 2025, many of those families would have received significantly less in pesos from their loved ones abroad, leaving them with less money to spend at a time when inflation remains a concern, if not the runaway scourge it was earlier in the decade.

The reduction in remittances — which contributed to 3.6% of Mexico’s GDP in 2024 — is also a factor, albeit not a major one, in the economic slowdown this year.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

Opinion: Could Mexico make America great again? Zeroing in on the demographics

By
Pedro Casas Alatriste
-
9
Kamala Harris supporters at a rally in the U.S. A older Latina woman and a young Latina girl are featured in this picture of a crowd behind a red, white and blue barrier. They are cheering and taking photos with their cell phones
The majority of voters in Texas, more than any other group (including white Americans), are Latino. (Kamala Harris/X)

Anyone who has ever taken an economics class knows that the two basic factors of production are labor and capital. So, unless robots suddenly take over the planet, we need to talk about people — and we need to do it seriously. In my previous two texts, I wrote about Trump’s policy guardrails and about China. This time, I’ll focus on what may be the most essential element of the U.S.-Mexico relationship: its people.

Before getting into politics and economics, it’s worth grounding the conversation in a simple demographic fact. Today, more than 20% of the U.S. population is Hispanic, and over 70% of that group is of Mexican origin. This isn’t an abstract statistic — it’s a structural feature of American society, visible across large parts of the country and primarily concentrated in the Southwest.

With that context in mind, the United States is home to the largest Mexican diaspora in the world, but what we often forget is that Mexico is also home to more Americans than any other country outside the U.S. That alone has important political implications. Three U.S. states — New Mexico, California and Texas — are already majority Latino.

Let me repeat that: the majority of voters in those states, more than any other group (including white Americans), are Latino.

And not coincidentally, Texas and California are the two states with the greatest weight in the Electoral College. Several others are following the same path. In the coming years, states like Arizona, Nevada and Florida — among others — are likely to reach a similar tipping point.

Beyond citizenship and identity, there’s also the labor market reality.

Mexico is the number one country in terms of work visas issued by the United States, followed by China. This matters because the U.S. labor market is structurally constrained. A quick look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics — specifically the ratio of unemployed workers to job openings — tells a very clear story: for the past seven years (excluding a brief moment during the pandemic), the U.S. has consistently had more job openings than unemployed people. This isn’t rocket science. If the United States wants to grow, reindustrialize and compete, it needs people.

Here’s where demographics become impossible to ignore. China, the United States and Mexico are entering very different phases — and that divergence matters. China has already passed its population peak and is experiencing a sharp decline in birth rates, which will steadily shrink its working-age population. The United States is aging too: Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are retiring faster than younger generations are entering the labor force, resulting in a net reduction of roughly 450,000 workers per year (take a moment to let that sink in).

Mexico, by contrast, is at a demographic moment similar to China’s about thirty years ago, with a still-growing and relatively young working-age population. This makes Mexico’s labor force a natural complement to the U.S. economy — not as a substitute, but as a strategic extension of North America’s productive capacity. Quick clarification: I’m not necessarily arguing for increased migration flows. Having everybody working within their territory, but with a sense of collaboration and complementarity, works.

With a population that is, on average, eight years younger than that of the United States, and a workforce that has spent the past three decades training in high-end manufacturing, Mexico has a clear opportunity to enable — not replace, not outsource — the reindustrialization of the region. Add to that the deep social, cultural and political ties between our two countries, and the conclusion becomes hard to ignore.

If we choose to see each other as partners in growth, the path forward is clear.

We need bridges, not walls.

Pedro Casas Alatriste is the Executive Vice President and CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico (AmCham). Previously, he has been the Director of Research and Public Policy at the US-Mexico Foundation in Washington, D.C. and the Coordinator of International Affairs at the Business Coordinating Council (CCE). He has also served as a consultant to the Inter-American Development Bank. 

Pemex reports disappointing November as export revenues plunge 50%

By
MND Staff
-
4
Pemex signs
While Mexicans have been assured that gasoline prices won't rise with the new year, Pemex, the state-owned oil company, is having a hard time meeting its production and export goals. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)

Two weeks after a disappointing joint-venture contract auction, state oil company Pemex reported poor November results, with crude oil exports threatening 25-year lows.

Pemex reported production of 1.624 million barrels per day (bpd) in November, a drop of 1.9% compared to the same month last year (1.656 million bpd).

oil rigs
Pemex’s production of 1.6 million barrels per day in November was nearly 2% lower than the same month last year, and below the government’s target production, as it has been all year. (Pemex)

Including private trading partners such as Harbour Energy, average production in November was 1.641 million bpd, down from 1.673 million bpd produced a year ago. This also translates to a 1.9% downturn.

The oil company has yet to meet the federal government’s target of producing an average of 1.8 million bpd. The November figure, excluding trading partners, is 176,000 barrels below the target.

Oil export revenues are also slumping, on track to close the year at levels not seen in the last 25 years, the newspaper El Financiero reported. Company revenues hit US $925.4 million in November, a 50% drop compared to the same month in 2024.

This marks the third time this year oil export revenues failed to reach US $1 billion, the others being June (US $862 million) and August (US $954 million).

Pemex accumulated US $12.337 billion in “external sales” through the first 11 months of the year, a figure roughly comparable with the average income recorded at the beginning of this century.

Between 2000 and 2002, Pemex earned between US $13 and US $14 billion annually from crude oil exports, registering a historical high of US $49.4 billion in 2011, when the price of a barrel of oil exceeded US $101.

The volume of crude oil exports in November was 539,000 bpd, down 43% compared to the 951,000 barrels per day reported in November 2024.

Intelligence and forecasting company Industrial Info Resources reported earlier this month that Pemex’s oil production “has been declining for over two decades,” driven by “the natural decline of mature oil fields and lower investment in upstream operations.”

Average production for the year through November reached 1.616 million bbd, down 7.8% from the first 11 months of 2024 when Pemex averaged 1.754 million bbd.

Pemex had hoped to stabilize oil production at 1.8 million bpd over the next decade and investments have risen since the Finance Ministry announced a new financing plan in August.

Inside Pemex’s plan to reach fiscal solvency by 2027

Earlier this month, however, it failed to attract major companies during a joint-venture contract auction. 

According to an exclusive report by Reuters news agency, Pemex awarded just five of the 11 new contracts it hoped to ink before the end of the year. The so-called “mixed contracts” are the first of their kind in Mexico.

Pemex’s partners in these five contracts are primarily local companies, Reuters said, and Pemex would have stakes of between 40% and 85%.

Reuters said the production added by the ventures is unlikely to reverse Mexico’s declining crude oil output. 

With reports from El Financiero, El Economista and La Jornada

Nearly 5M tourists to visit Mexico during end-of-year season

By
MND Staff
-
0
winter tourism in Guanajuato, Mexico
Mexico has seen an average increase of 504,795 tourists during the winter holiday season over the past five years, according to the Tourism Ministry. (@SECTUR_mx/X)

Mexico is expecting nearly 5 million tourists for the 2025-2026 year-end holidays, primarily between Dec. 20 and Jan. 11, according to Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez Zamora.  

This increase represents a growth of just over 5% compared to the previous end-of-year season, underscoring the strength of Mexico’s tourism industry.  

“The end-of-year season is key for the sector: it mobilizes millions of people, strengthens the local economy and consolidates tourism as a vital engine of well-being for Mexican families,” Rodríguez said. 

At the national level, the average hotel occupancy rate is expected to reach 56.6%, with some destinations expected to exceed 80%. Cancún, Riviera Maya, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta are some of the destinations with the highest occupancy rates and visitor numbers. 

The 4.9 million tourists cap off a year of strong performance for the sector: Between January and October, Mexico welcomed 16 million international arrivals by air, according to official figures.

Rodríguez added that over the past three years, Mexico has seen an average increase of 504,795 tourists during the winter holiday season.

“These percentages represent much more than just numbers,” she said. “They are a clear demonstration of how tourism drives shared prosperity, bringing opportunities to communities, small businesses and workers throughout the country.” 

This sustained growth also aligns with projections from a recent study by Google and the international professional services network Deloitte, which estimates that Mexico is on track to become one of the world’s top five most-visited destinations. According to the study, international arrivals are expected to rise from 45 million in 2019 to 90 million by 2040. 

Looking ahead, tourism is projected to play a pivotal role in Mexico’s economy next year, starting with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to bring an additional 5.5 million tourists between May and July. 

In April, Acapulco will also host the 50th Tianguis Turístico (Tourism Fair), the country’s largest platform for promotion and business in the tourism sector, and one of the most significant of its kind in the Americas.

That momentum will continue through November, when Guadalajara, Jalisco, hosts the first edition of ITB Americas — inspired by ITB Berlin — a key event for professionals in the events and conferences industry.

With reports from Punto MX

Health minister seeks to create a culture of organ donation with new campaign

By
MND Staff
-
0
Health Minister David Kershenobich stands next to a graph indicating a jump in the number of aspiring medical residents in Mexico during his presentation at the mañanera on Tuesday.
Health Minister David Kershenobich stands next to a graph indicating a jump in the number of aspiring medical residents in Mexico during his presentation at the mañanera on Tuesday. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico’s Health Minister David Kershenobich presented the national “Donating is Transcending” campaign, aimed at encouraging organ donation and reducing waiting times for patients, at the daily presidential press conference on Tuesday.

The campaign encourages people to “say yes to organ donation,” with the slogan: “For a Mexico without waiting lists. Get informed, decide and tell your family.” 

On National Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Day in September, Mexico’s National Transplant Center (CENATRA) issued a call to strengthen the country’s donation culture, emphasizing that the waiting list exceeded 19,000 patients. 

The General Health Law’s framework for organ donation stipulates that the final decision must be taken by the deceased’s family, regardless of whether the person wished to donate their organs, which is one of the main barriers to donation in Mexico.

Approximately three to four people per million donate their organs in Mexico — compared to 42-48 per million in the United States — making it one of the countries with the lowest donation rates in the world, given its population. 

Previous steps have been taken to improve the donation process in Mexican hospitals. Starting in 2011, hospitals accredited for transplants were assigned a donation coordinator to identify potential donors, ensure the viability of organs and tissues, communicate with families and coordinate logistics with the National Transplant Registry. 

However, coverage and training for this role across Mexico remain uneven, which has restricted the expansion of transplant activities, according to CENATRA.

Graph indicating the per capita organ donation rate of countries
A chart based on 2022 data on the number of organ donations per million inhabitants shows that the practice is not widespread in Latin America, leading to long waiting lists. (Incort)

On the other hand, Spain, which today has the highest per capita organ donation rate in the world, is an active partner in the development of Latin America’s organ donation network. In 2023, the Ibero-American Council on Donation and Transplantation (RCIDT) reported a 14% regional increase in donations with respect to 2022. 

Mexico’s health institutions have performed 14,347 transplants in the last five years, with a survival rate of 93.5% for living donors and 84.2% for deceased donors, according to Kershenobich.  

In the last 12 months, there have been 2,783 kidney transplants; 245 liver transplants; 46 heart transplants, including four dual transplants (heart and kidney); and 10 lung transplants. 

Mexico is also making progress with pancreas transplants, which is helping to strengthen the country’s reputation in the transplant field. 

“One donor can save the lives of up to eight people,” emphasized Kershenobich.  

With reports from Milenio and El Universal

Mexico has recovered more than 2,000 historical artifacts from abroad in 2025

By
MND Staff
-
1
artifact
The 2,000-plus artifacts recovered from abroad include 52 from U.S. residents, who on their own contacted Mexican diplomatic offices to hand over pieces in their possession. (SRE)

Some 2,158 cultural objects of archaeological, historical, artistic and documentary value have returned to Mexico from abroad in the first full year of Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidency, according to a statement from the Foreign Relations Ministry (SRE). 

The SRE said the recovery was made through a strong collaborative effort. Most of the artifacts were voluntarily handed over by private individuals to diplomatic and consular authorities in Canada, Denmark, the United States, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

pre-Columbian pieces
The recovery was led by the Foreign Relations Ministry, which in turn is handing over the pieces to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and the General Archive of the Nation (AGN). (SRE)

For example, earlier in December, the SRE reported that 52 pieces were recently recovered from U.S. residents in Sacramento, San Francisco and New York who contacted Mexican Embassies on their own initiative to hand over the artifacts.

So far this year, the Legal Consulting Office of the SRE has formally delivered 1,843 objects to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and the General Archive of the Nation (AGN), which are responsible for their protection and safekeeping.

This recovery effort forms part of Mexico’s ongoing policy against illicit trafficking of cultural property and towards the protection of national heritage, a strategy that gained momentum during the administration of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Between 2018 and 2024, López Obrador’s government repatriated a total of 14,048 archaeological artifacts considered part of the country’s national heritage. Many of these pieces had been removed from the country decades earlier and later surfaced in private collections or on the international art market.

President Sheinbaum has built on these efforts. The SRE said her government “reiterates its commitment to preserving the cultural identity of Mexicans, and to continue with inter-institutional work and international cooperation to combat the illicit trafficking of heritage assets and return them to their places of origin.”

Mexican authorities have said that the repatriation of cultural objects not only restores physical pieces of history, but also reinforces the recognition of Mexico’s cultural roots, its cultural identity, and its commitment to preserving collective memory for future generations.

With reports from Infobae and Forbes

10th suspect arrested in the murder of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo

By
MND Staff
-
1
Grecia Quiroz
Grecia Quiroz, Carlos Manzo's widow and successor as mayor of Uruapan, Michoacán, announced the new arrest on Monday. (Screenshot/X)

Another suspect has been arrested in connection with the Nov. 1 murder of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo in the western state of Michoacán, bringing to 10 the number of those apprehended in relation to the case.

Grecia Quiroz García, Manzo’s wife and his successor as mayor of Uruapan, said on Monday that state prosecutors informed her of the arrest of a man who allegedly participated in an instant messaging group used by a suspected network of hitmen linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). 

Bautista deputy Mich
Michoacán State Deputy Carlos Bautista Tafolla, an independent, traveled to California to urge U.S. authorities to help investigate the Manzo assassination. (Screenshot/X)

The CJNG is believed to have ordered the hit on Manzo, who won election in 2024 by promising to take on organized crime in Michoacán’s second-largest city. 

“So far, the only information I’ve received is that they arrested one more person who was involved in the WhatsApp group,” Quiroz said. “I haven’t spoken with the attorney general yet, but hope to have a conversation with him in the coming days.”

Prosecutors did not issue a statement about the latest arrest. 

Of the other nine suspects indicted for murdering Manzo, seven served as his bodyguards and are accused of homicide by omission.

The other two detainees are Jorge Armando Gómez Sánchez, alias “El Licenciado,” and Jaciel Antonio Herrera Torres, alias “El Pelón,” alleged members of the CJNG. Gómez is accused of masterminding the crime, while Herrera allegedly recruited three hitmen at the Renacimiento Addiction Rehabilitation Center in Uruapan.

In the chat through which the alleged perpetrators communicated, the hired guns exchanged messages in the hours before the attack, demonstrating how they tracked Manzo’s movements long before he arrived at the main square of Uruapan.

The young man who actually killed Manzo — a 17-year-old meth addict identified as Víctor Manuel Ubaldo — was shot dead at the scene by one of the mayor’s bodyguards after he had been apprehended. 

The bodies of Ramiro Leal, 34, and Fernando Josué Leal, 16 — believed to have been Ubaldo’s accomplices — were found in early November on the Uruapan-Paracho highway. Prosecutors believe the CJNG murdered the two men.

Angered by the slow pace of the investigation, state Congressman Carlos Bautista is said to be considering requesting assistance from U.S. intelligence agencies. 

Digital newspaper Político MX reported Sunday that Bautista may seek a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson in January.

“I will continue to urge the United States to help us clarify the facts surrounding the murder of Carlos Manzo,” Bautista said. “I will not rest until I have exhausted all possible avenues to find those responsible.”

State prosecutors maintain an arrest warrant against the head of Manzo’s security detail, Army Col. Manuel Jiménez, who managed to evade the operation carried out to arrest the other seven bodyguards.

With reports from Sin Embargo, LopezDoriga.com, Uno TV and Político MX

The wild world of Mexico’s tiniest edible treasures

By
Bel Woodhouse
-
4
Bitter melon
Bitter melon, one of Mexico's many tiny yet delightful treasures. (Bel Woodhouse)

I’m delighted daily by the biodiversity of Mexico. Most of all, by the wealth of its edible wild plants. Lately I’ve been obsessed with its tiniest treasures. The world’s smallest fruit and vegetables.

Like the world’s smallest passionfruit, which is less than the size of my thumbnail. Or, the world’s smallest cucumbers, which are about half the length of my pinkie finger, are crunchy and delicious. Now I pickle them when I find a big patch. Or pop them in my morning smoothie after a walk when I only find a handful. 

Passionflower
The world’s smallest passionflower and a sign of the world’s smallest passion fruit. (Bel Woodhouse)

Speaking of pickling, I also stumbled across the world’s smallest bitter melon, which is also quite tasty pickled. Or sliced in stir-fries. 

Now, can you see why I’m obsessed with these delightful tiny treasures? No? Then let me show you how adorable they are, and I’m sure you’ll get it. 

My favorite, the world’s smallest passionfruit

Don’t laugh, but I actually squealed in delight when I found these walking back from swimming one morning. Causing other walkers to giggle and stop to see what all the fuss was about. Soon, there was a small gathering admiring these tiny treasures sprouting from the sidewalk!

It’s the world’s smallest passionflower — Passiflora pallida. With adorable flowers the size of my thumbnail, it’s not just me who loves them. They’ve caused squeals of delight worldwide. They are now adored by nature lovers in the U.S., France, England, Australia, Greece, Italy, Germany, plus Singapore and Japan, after I posted them in a Botanical Art School I’m a member of. Everyone agrees, these are the most adorable edible treasures I’ve found so far. 

Funnily enough, they didn’t really taste like anything. I’ve eaten a few now, and they are so small I couldn’t get a decent mouthful to tell if they are sweet, sour, bland or delicious! But don’t worry! I’ve found several other wild passionfruit here that are slightly larger and they are delicious. 

So, do you want to know which tiny treasure is the most delicious? 

Smallest passion fruit
Did you know Mexico is home to the world’s smallest passion fruit? (Bel Woodhouse)

World’s smallest cucumber, or mouse melon if you prefer

This delicious delight is not only cute to look at, but has some pretty cute common names, too. My favorite’s being melonette and mouse melon. Can’t you just see a little mouse holding one and happily munching away? I can, and it’s delightful. 

Usually called the creeping cucumber or Guadalupe cucumber, you guessed it, it’s native to Mexico. It has been enjoyed since Pre-Columbian times. Both as a food and in traditional medicine, but I usually pop it in my morning smoothie. 

What does it taste like? Well, exactly like one of its larger store-bought cucumber cousins. Crisp, refreshing and cucumbery. 

Sometimes they don’t even make it home! Happily eaten on walks if I only find a few, and when I find a lot, I make mini pickles — I especially love them with some cheese, they make a great snack! 

Note: only eat the light green ones. Dark-skinned ones will give you an upset tummy or the squirts, and no one wants that!

But they aren’t the only tiny edible treasure I pickle. Want to know my favorite? 

Creeping cucumber
Tiny and delicious creeping cucumber, aka Melothria pendula. (Bel Woodhouse)

World’s smallest bitter melon

This delightful knobbly little fruit is my favorite for pickling. That sweet, sour, tangy flavor makes my taste buds sing. But then again, I’ve eaten bitter melon for years. In the markets throughout Asia and back home in northern Australia, you’ll find them readily available, so they aren’t new to me. Whereas my American friend said, “What the hell is that?” when I stopped to pick some.

We were walking and I suddenly stopped. My heart almost skipped a beat passing a fence. This tiny thing that looked like a bitter melon was at eye level. Have you ever had those thoughts, “was that a …?” when you see something somewhere you didn’t expect to?

I did. Thinking to myself, “Was that a baby bitter melon?” I stopped, turned around and went back. Seeing the lovely flowers, whose cheery sunflower yellow always delights me, yes, it was. A small wild version of the large 20-30 centimeter bitter melons I used to get at the market.

What a wonderful discovery! But to be sure, I picked a few and took them home to identify them before going back to collect more.

Lastly, words of advice for wild foods

As all foragers and fans of wild food know, always double-check and identify things before you eat them. I thought this was common sense, but then I met a woman who just picks, eats, and thinks everything will be fine. I do NOT recommend this. 

Always identify a plant first before consuming, ideally through a trusted and expert site like PlantNet. It’s free, and there’s a great app if you want to identify things while wandering the wilds. It’s the one I use, and it hasn’t let me down yet.

Bitter melon flower
The small bitter melon flower is a sure harbinger of bitter melon fruit in Mexico. (Bel Woodhouse)

So, if you’re like me and want to head out to explore the natural world around you, get PlantNet. Then enjoy finding fun edible tiny treasures, and happy foraging! 

I hope to see you out and about exploring Mexico’s biodiversity as well. Because it’s amazing what you’ll find when you take a moment to look. And a lot of times, it’s delicious!

Mexico Correspondent for International Living, Bel is an experienced writer, author, photographer and videographer with 500+ articles published both in print and across digital platforms. Living in the Mexican Caribbean for over 7 years now, she’s in love with Mexico and has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon.

The best boutique hotels in Mexico City, according to hoteliers

By
Bethany Platanella
-
0
Mexico City
Mexico City has a wealth of great hotels. But what are the best boutique properties? That's what we asked the city's hoteliers. (Wikimedia Commons / Nan Palmero)

From a long list of internationally recognized, design-forward boutique hotels, I visited 20 properties and asked 18 hoteliers and hotel managers to name their favorite stay in Mexico City. There was only one condition: they couldn’t pick their own. To understand their selections, it’s worth tracing how Mexico City’s boutique scene developed from much humbler beginnings.

Evolution of Mexico City’s boutique scene

From Olympic Hospitality to economic crisis

Through the 1980s and 1990s, Mexico City’s hotel scene was limited to pensiones and upscale chains along Reforma and in Polanco, like the Presidente InterContinental Mexico City. Following the city’s selection as host for the 1968 Olympics, notable properties appeared, including Camino Real Polanco — considered a modern Mexican masterpiece at the time — and the Gran Hotel Ciudad de México, a Neoclassical beauty converted from a 19th-century shopping mall. The city’s reputation for hospitality was taking shape, but within narrow confines.

Brick Hotel
Mexico City’s hotel scene went through decades of evolution before the arrival of elegant boutique options like the Brick Hotel. (Brick Hotel)

This foundation would soon be tested. The 1980s brought dramatic shifts to the capital’s tourism landscape through a combination of national debt crisis, inflation and the devastating 1985 earthquake. A temporary drop in visitor numbers devastated the tourism sector, and 20% of the city’s hotels would be destroyed. This destruction sparked an important trend: private investors and federal authorities began pouring substantial resources into rebuilding and modernizing the damaged center zone, investments that would eventually establish Mexico City’s dominant role as a cultural hub and business destination.

The birth of boutique hospitality

The stage was set for boutique hospitality through rapid neighborhood gentrification (especially in Roma, Condesa, Juárez and Polanco), a surge in international tourism, and a wave of architectural restoration that turned historic mansions into design-forward properties.

Perhaps the most catalytic factor in Mexico’s hospitality scene was the founding of Hoteles Boutique de México in 1999. The marketing organization promoted a consortium of small, upscale, independent hotels throughout the country, chosen for their distinctive character and personalized service; details otherwise drowned out by standardized chains. Canadian-born founder John Youden selected about one dozen member properties to launch the nationwide portfolio, including Mesones Sacristía de la Compañía in Puebla, which remains a member today. Notably, no hotel in Mexico City made the initial cut.

The Condesa DF breakthrough

The breakthrough came in 2005 with Condesa DF. Housed in a 1928 French Neoclassical mansion on a tree-lined avenue in Condesa, Grupo Habita and Paris-based designer India Mahdavi transformed the property into a minimalist masterpiece inside while preserving the structure’s historic facade. Its central courtyard and rooftop terrace overlooking Parque España quickly established the hotel among Mexico City’s premier stays while cementing Condesa’s reputation as a nexus for architecture, fashion and contemporary art.

Today’s boutique landscape

Since then, the capital’s boutique hotel scene has flourished dramatically. Properties reflect their neighborhoods’ distinct characters: Condesa and Roma capitalize on Art Deco or Belle Époque facades; Polanco properties lean toward luxury; Historic Center properties emphasize their historical significance. As Colima 71’s owner told me during a walk through the iconic, contemporary enclave on the street of the same name, “boutique hotels are a business of details.” Attention to detail that often includes Mexican amenities, welcome treats like locally-inspired drinks and Mexican art on the walls. This focus on design details helps explain why such hotels attract recognition from respected collections like Design Hotels and Small Luxury Hotels. 

Today, major publications including Condé Nast Traveler, Vogue and The New York Times frame Mexico City’s new generation of boutique hotels as integral to its status as a global style and food capital. It should come as no surprise that, simultaneously, the boutique scene has become much more expensive in recent years. One STR report showed average room rates during the 2024 Independence Day period about 20% higher than the year before, and ranks Mexico City among the country’s fastest‑rising markets.

With this impressive and growing landscape of boutique properties established across Mexico City’s most culturally rich neighborhoods, I wondered which ones industry professionals themselves hold in the highest regard. Two names were mentioned with notable consistency: Brick and Casa Polanco.

Brick Hotel

Trendy Brick sits in the center of Roma Norte, the European-influenced heart of the city. (Brick Hotel)

Neighborhood integration

Brick’s location on Calle Orizaba puts it among neighbors that sit shoulder-to-shoulder with low-key cafes and bars, giving the block an immediately walkable, neighborhood feel rather than a “hotel zone” vibe. The hotel’s turn-of-the-century brick façade, with tall windows and wrought-iron details, reads more like a stylish private residence than a commercial building. So it slips naturally into Roma Norte’s architectural rhythm of preserved Porfiriano houses and discreet, design-forward storefronts. That subtlety is part of the first impression: Brick doesn’t dominate the street; it mirrors the neighborhood’s mix of history and reinvention.

Architecture and design

Like many of Mexico City’s most emblematic boutiques, Brick occupies an early‑20th‑century mansion in the European‑influenced Roma neighborhood, originally built for the head of the Bank of London & Mexico using distinctive bricks imported from England. After a meticulous renovation, the current hotel blends preserved Belle Époque bones with contemporary Mexican design, art and custom furniture. Suites — including some bilevel spaces with private terraces overlooking the streets — sit within the elegantly restored main house, complemented by a more modern section with sleek, neutrally toned rooms, generous windows and multiple shared terraces that reinforce its discreet, grown‑up atmosphere.

The Guest Experience

The hotel attracts a stylish adult crowd, drawing wedding parties and couples alongside seasoned travelers seeking a local feel rather than traditional sightseeing experiences. Most hoteliers who recommended Brick described it simply as “classic” — a property that delivers high-end hospitality through a calm, monochrome, design-forward look with darker accents and neutral tones.

Casa Polanco

Casa Polanco
Part of Casa Polanco’s appeal is that it looks as much like a private residence as a boutique hotel. (Casa Polanco)

Park-side elegance

Casa Polanco commands one of Mexico City’s most prestigious park‑front addresses in Polanco, with its cream‑toned, Spanish Revival–style façade, balconies and tall windows looking directly onto Parque Lincoln. The property preserves the feel of a grand mid‑20th‑century private residence rather than a conventional hotel, and outlets like Travel + Leisure and the Michelin Guide repeatedly single it out as one of Polanco’s standout boutique lodgings.

Residential architecture

The architecture showcases cream-colored stucco walls, ornamental Juliette balconies and tall, arched French windows, while interiors feature high ceilings, elegant staircases and original moldings paired with contemporary interventions like large steel-framed interior windows and minimalist custom millwork.

As a small luxury property with fewer than 25 rooms and suites offering park views and balconies, Casa Polanco emphasizes privacy, quiet and understated luxury. The property showcases Mexican design and craftsmanship through stonework, textiles and art integrated throughout its polished framework.

My personal favorites

Nima Local House
Nima Local House is one of the author’s personal favorites among the 20 boutique Mexico City hotels she visited. (Nima Local House)

While these represented the hoteliers’ clear consensus, my personal research revealed other exceptional properties. During my visits, I found myself particularly drawn to Casa Ignacia — a discreet oasis where a team of eight has remained together since the hotel’s opening, creating an atmosphere enhanced by bold colors, leafy courtyards and a rooftop hot tub. I also like Nima Local House, a four-room stone-walled mansion featuring tiled floors, wrought-iron balconies and a serene palette of whites and grays punctuated by abundant greenery.

Which one is for you?

Brick suits travelers seeking immersion in Roma Norte’s restaurant and bar scene, offering a buzzy social atmosphere within an authentic urban townhouse setting. Casa Polanco appeals to those prioritizing quiet luxury, park views and personalized service alongside sophisticated Mexican craftsmanship.

For those drawn to more intimate, design-forward experiences, Casa Ignacia offers vibrant charm with exceptional personal service, while Nima Local House provides serene minimalism in a four-room setting. Both represent the smaller-scale, character-rich properties that make Mexico City’s boutique scene so distinctive.

Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog or follow her on Instagram.

Sheinbaum outlines immediate priorities, orders probe into Interoceanic Train derailment: Monday’s mañanera recapped

By
MND Staff
-
1
Sheinbaum announced that the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and the Oaxaca state prosecutor’s office will investigate the cause of the derailment that killed 13 people on Sunday.
Sheinbaum announced that the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and the Oaxaca state prosecutor’s office will investigate the cause of the derailment that killed 13 people on Sunday. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)

Sunday’s tragic train derailment in Oaxaca was the main topic of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Monday morning press conference.

The president said she would be traveling to the region later in the day to visit the injured and their families.

The president arrived in Santo Domingo Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, in the early afternoon on Monday.
The president arrived in Santo Domingo Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, in the early afternoon on Monday. (Carolina Jiménez Mariscal/Cuartoscuro)

Sheinbaum also talked about the Sonora River clean-up project and the controversial arrest of a journalist in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz.

Sheinbaum lists federal priorities following Interoceanic Train derailment

After Naval Minister Admiral Raymundo Morales provided an update on the accident and its victims, Sheinbaum detailed the government’s three main concerns:

1. Guaranteeing care for victims and their families 

“I instructed the Navy Minister and the Undersecretary of Human Rights of the Interior Ministry to … personally attend to the families,” she said, adding that she also ordered delegates from the federal public health system to oversee treatment of the victims.

2. Clarifying the facts through the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and the Oaxaca state prosecutor’s office

“The Transportation Regulatory Agency is also required to conduct a review, and because there were fatalities, the FGR must participate,” she said, adding that the Interior Ministry will oversee the operation.

3. Ensuring the safety of the Interoceanic Railway

“The Navy will take the point in ensuring that the railway is safe to operate again,” she said. 

13 dead and more than 100 injured after train derails in Oaxaca

During his presentation, Admiral Morales said the line was in good operating condition before the accident and no adverse atmospheric conditions had been reported. He said a hi-rail had passed through the site of the accident about 90 minutes before the derailment and found no debris on the tracks.

Officials provide update on Sonora River clean-up program 

Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena said the Environmental Justice Plan addressing the 2014 spill of 40,000 m³ of copper sulfate into the Sonora River will soon be launched as the government seeks to compensate the 20,000 people living within a 300-kilometer stretch of the Sonora River Basin affected by the toxic pollutants.

Bárcena said the plan focuses on resolving public health issues, ensuring access to drinking water, boosting the local economy and redressing the environmental damage.

Efraín Morales, director general of the National Water Commission (Conagua), said a permanent monitoring center that includes three automatic stations, 42 manual monitoring sites and a visualization center will be created in the region.

The center will focus on monitoring water quality in real time to prevent massive contamination.

Its laboratory will be staffed by certified personnel who will measure 64 parameters, including heavy metals, metalloids and water toxicity.

Sonora River turned reddish-orange after a mining company owned by Grupo México spilled hazardous waste into the river.
The Sonora River turned reddish-orange after a mining company owned by Grupo México spilled hazardous waste into it in 2014. (Cuartoscuro/Rashide Frias)

Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez indicated that settlement terms were established between the state government, the federal government and Grupo México, the owners of the Buenavista del Cobre mine responsible for the spill. 

Rodríguez said Grupo México — accused of negligence — will supply 70% of the funding for the Environmental Justice Plan, or roughly 1.5 billion pesos (US $83.4 million).

Sheinbaum questions arrest of journalist on terrorism charges

The president said on Monday that she has no idea why Veracruz prosecutors charged journalist Rafael León with terrorism after his Dec. 24 arrest in Coatzacoalcos.

Sheinbaum said she was unaware of the reason why León, a journalist who covers the police beat, was apprehended, adding that his classification as a terrorist makes no sense.

State prosecutors did not identify the specific crime he is charged with, vaguely declaring that the penal code refers to it as terrorism and alleged that he “produced alarm, fear and terror in the population.”

“I would make three points,” Sheinbaum said. “First, I don’t know why the prosecution is using the charge of terrorism, because there has never been a terrorism charge in Mexico. Second, freedom of expression must be guaranteed. And third, if this person has committed a crime … the Prosecutor’s Office must explain it.”

Sheinbaum said Veracruz Governor Rocio Nahle has also said she is unaware of why terrorism charges were filed.

“Interior Minister Rodríguez and I will be closely monitoring this case,” Sheinbaum said.

León and other local journalists have previously exposed irregularities in the actions of the Veracruz Prosecutor’s Office, alleging it uses the penal system to intimidate journalists and has sought to criminalize investigative journalism.

With reports from Infobae, Milenio, Debate, La Jornada and Article 19

1...99100101...2,149Page 100 of 2,149