Sheinbaum defends her decision-making independence from AMLO: Friday’s mañanera recapped
President Claudia Sheinbaum frequently praises Andrés Manuel López Obrador, but she made it clear at her Friday morning press conference that her predecessor no longer has a hand in the decisions taken by the Mexican government.
Among other issues, Sheinbaum spoke briefly about her attire, which caught the attention of a London-based magazine.
Sheinbaum: Claims that AMLO makes decisions for ‘our government’ are ‘misogynistic’
A reporter asked Sheinbaum about her decision not to invite the King of Spain to her inauguration as president last year, noting that she wrote in her newly published book that she made the decision out of her “own conviction” rather than on the advice of ex-president López Obrador (AMLO).
In response, Sheinbaum said that the “narrative” that the decisions made by “our government come from the other side, or from president López Obrador, to be very clear,” is “quite misogynistic.”
She said that “obviously” is not the case.
Sheinbaum has faced claims that she is essentially a “puppet” of AMLO, her political mentor and boss when she served as environment minister in the Mexico City government he led as mayor in the early 2000s.
During his presidency, López Obrador wrote to the King of Spain to request that he apologize for the injustices committed against Indigenous people during the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. No apology was forthcoming, and in 2022 AMLO declared a “pause” in bilateral ties between Mexico and Spain due to what he described as a lack of respect from the European nation.
On Friday, Sheinbaum said that López Obrador — after she advised him she wasn’t inviting the King of Spain to her swearing-in ceremony — told her that there was no need for her to maintain the “differences” that his government had with Spain.
She said that she subsequently told AMLO that she decided not to invite the King of Spain to her inauguration, not because of what he had or hadn’t advised her to do, but rather out of her own “conviction.”
Sheinbaum’s remarks on Friday morning came after she congratulated Spain’s foreign minister for acknowledging the injustices Indigenous peoples in Mexico have suffered — including at the hands of Spanish conquistadores and during the colonial period — in an address he gave at the inauguration of a Mexican Indigenous art exhibition in Madrid.
She said it was “the first time” a representative of the Spanish government had publicly lamented the injustices faced by Mexico’s Indigenous peoples.
Navy hasn’t rescued survivor of US strikes
Sheinbaum said that the Navy may comment later in the day on its mission aimed at the rescue of a survivor of U.S. military strikes on alleged drug boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday. Fourteen alleged drug traffickers were killed in the strikes, at least one of which occurred in international waters off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast.
On Friday afternoon, the Navy Ministry (Semar) said on social media that the search for the survivor — who may well have already died — would be significantly scaled back on Saturday morning.
Mañana a las 06:30 horas se cumplirán las 96 horas desde el inicio de la búsqueda del presunto náufrago reportado por la Guardia Costera de EUA a la Armada de México.
Con ello, la operación pasará al estatus de “activo suspendido”, lo que significa que los esfuerzos continuarán… https://t.co/hjdcB0vpXO
— SEMAR México (@SEMAR_mx) October 31, 2025
It said that at 6:30 a.m. Saturday, 96 hours will have elapsed since the search for the survivor began. Sheinbaum said on Thursday that was the period of time the navy was required to maintain its search in accordance with international law.
Semar said that after the completion of the 96-hour period, the search operation will transition to “active suspended” status, meaning that “efforts will continue through vessels navigating the area,” but the ocean patrol vessel and the aircraft which were specifically deployed to conduct the search “will rejoin their regular operations.”
Sheinbaum says she is proud to wear traditional Mexican garments
A reporter highlighted that the British magazine Monocle wrote about Sheinbaum’s attire, including her use of garments featuring “embroidery of Indigenous peoples.”
In an article headlined “Threads of power: How global leaders’ style shapes their influence,” Monocle’s Andrew Mueller wrote:
“There are wretchedly few advantages to being a woman in politics but one is a license to operate beyond the confinements of a suit and tie. Claudia Sheinbaum has seized upon this opportunity – and upon her country’s distinctive and admired Indigenous textiles. The visual signature of her 2024 election campaign was purple dresses, including one decorated with a spectacular floral breastplate on the day she won. When she was inaugurated last October, she wore an ivory dress with embroidered floral embroidery by Oaxacan designer Claudia Vásquez Aquino. Pairing stylish and stately isn’t easy but Mexico’s first female president has achieved it.”
Sheinbaum initially described Monocle’s article as “frivolity,” but subsequently said that it gave her a lot of pride to wear Indigenous textiles as well as garments decorated with traditional embroidery.
She agreed that her use of such clothing was a way to “make the cultural grandeur of Mexico visible.”
“Que viva México!” (Long live Mexico!)” the president exclaimed, underscoring her pride in the country she leads, and especially the people — including many talented Indigenous artisans — who call it home.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
Spain admits ‘pain’ of Conquest as it presents exhibit on Indigenous Mexican women
The opening of a major four-part exhibition of Mexican Indigenous art in Spain could be a step toward rapprochement after Spain’s foreign minister acknowledged the “injustice and pain” caused to “the Indigenous peoples of Mexico.”
The exhibition “Half the World: Women in Indigenous Mexico,” showing in four venues across Madrid, is a tribute to the feminine universe. It highlights — through ceramics, textiles, sculptures and jewelry — the role of women as transmitters of culture and tradition, both in the domestic sphere and in the earthly and spiritual one.
(Spanish Foreign Affairs Ministry)
In inaugurating the exhibition at the Cervantes Institute on Friday, Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said the shared history between Spain and Mexico “has its light and dark sides.”
“There has been pain and injustice toward the Indigenous peoples and it is only right to acknowledge and lament it,” he said. “That is part of our shared history; we cannot deny or forget it. … the path of justice and reconciliation we are traveling together [is] another milestone in our relationship and our brotherhood.”
After acknowledging that the exhibition comprising 435 pieces was organized at the behest of President Claudia Sheinbaum, Albares said “the profound meaning of what we are inaugurating goes far beyond these pieces.”
Sheinbaum thanked Albares a few hours later during a press conference at Mexico City’s National Palace.
“This is the first time a Spanish government official has spoken of regretting the injustice of the Conquest … an important first step,” she said. “It speaks to the importance of what we’ve always said: forgiveness ennobles governments and peoples.”
Relations between Mexico and Spain have been strained since 2019 when then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador sent a letter to King Felipe VI asking him to admit Spain’s “historical responsibility” for the “grievances caused” during the Conquest and to offer “the apologies or political reparations” that this entails.
Since then, Spain expressed “enormous displeasure” after being excluded from events celebrating the 200th anniversary of Mexico’s consummation of Independence in 2021 and objected to harsh criticism of Spanish energy companies operating in Mexico. This was followed by “a pause” in relations imposed by López Obrador in 2022.
More recently, Sheinbaum refused to invite the king to her inauguration last October.
Reconciliation through art?
Luis García Montero, director of the Cervantes Institute, said the exhibition is proof that the two countries committed to culture can work toward mutual recognition. “Diplomacy is conducted through words, memory and shared expression,” he said.
The Casa de México Foundation in Spain said the mission of the exhibition is to showcase the richness of Mexico.
Exhibition curator Karina Romero said it also showcases and celebrates women in Mexican Indigenous cultures, because “it is women who carry on Indigenous traditions, ensuring their continuity.”
(SRE, INAH)
The exhibition comprises 435 pieces ranging from Olmec figures dating to 1400 BC to contemporary textiles on display at the Cervantes Institute. “We are trying to represent 30 centuries of the Indigenous peoples of Mexico,” Romero said.
There is added significance in that many of the pieces had not left Mexico before. Among these are the “Diosa Madre” (“Mother Goddess”), an enormous sculpted piece of diorite from the pre-Columbian Popoloca culture. Its inclusion required the consent of the descendant Indigenous community of the state of Puebla.
The four Madrid venues for the exhibition
- The Casa de México en España
This exhibition, entitled “The Divine Realm,” displays 100 pieces from the Mexica, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, Olmec, Huastec and Teotihuacán cultures, among others.
- The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
This exhibition, entitled “Lineage and Power,” honors the key role of Indigenous women in shaping the original civilizations and contemporary cultural creation and features the funerary regalia of Lady Tz’aka’ab Ajaw, the “Red Queen” of Palenque, a prominent Maya dignitary of the 7th century.
- The National Archaeological Museum
This exhibition, entitled “The Human Sphere,” explores the social context of Indigenous women from pre-Columbian times to the present day, in their daily lives (family, community, economy, rituals), as well as their presence in positions of power.
- The Cervantes Institute
This exhibition, entitled “Woven Stories,” highlights textile production as a form of language and visual narrative through which Indigenous women transmit their history, their values and their vision of the world.
With reports from El País, Reporte Indigo and RTVE
Mexican Navy rescues 28 children being transported at sea near Topolobampo
The Mexican Navy has rescued 28 minors who were allegedly being transported illegally aboard a vessel without a declared route.
There are conflicting reports about Thursday’s incident, which occurred near the port of Topolobampo in the municipality of Ahome in the northern Pacific state of Sinaloa.
The Sinaloa Prosecutor’s Office reported that the Navy intercepted the ship, adding that the youngsters had been recruited as day laborers from somewhere in southern Mexico.
“In a rescue operation carried out by the Naval Ministry, 28 people were assisted — 27 between the ages of 14 and 17 and one 18-year-old — who were on a vessel at sea,” the Sinaloa authorities said, according to the newspaper La Jornada.
However, the Navy said in an official statement that it provided support to the 28 people who arrived on their own at the port facility of Terminal 2 in La Paz, Baja California Sur.
The Navy operation was carried out after naval personnel detected an unusual situation upon the group’s arrival in La Paz, prompting their intervention.
With the support of local authorities, the young people were transferred across the Gulf of California to Topolobampo aboard the Santa Marcela II, a vessel that belongs to Transportes Marítimos de California, which provided the transport free of charge.
The Navy said that a preliminary investigation indicates the children were from the southern state of Chiapas, which borders Guatemala. They have been placed under the care of Sinaloa’s northern regional deputy prosecutor’s office, with the support of the national children’s protective services agency.
While confirming that no arrests have been made, Sinaloa authorities are attempting to determine the legal status of the children and are investigating the case as possible human trafficking. However, they had not determined if or when they had been recruited, La Jornada reported, nor had they identified the vessel’s final destination.
If it is deemed that this is a case of human trafficking, federal prosecutors are expected to take the lead in the investigation.
The director of the home office of the National System for the Integral Development of the Family (DIF) told La Jornada that the children said they had not been kidnapped or mistreated. However, the news site Animal Político cited a Navy report indicating that the Marines “found the minors on board in conditions suggesting they had been illegally transported.”
With reports from La Jornada, Animal Político and Infobae
Sheinbaum publishes book detailing her historic transition to the presidency
President Claudia Sheinbaum’s autobiographical account of the weeks leading up to her inauguration as Mexico’s first female president is available in bookstores now.
The book, Sheinbaum’s first, is entitled “Diario de una Transición Histórica” (“Diary of a Historic Transition”) and costs 298 pesos (US $16). The cover features a photograph of Sheinbaum and then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in the National Palace a few days after she had been elected to be his successor.
Sheinbaum has described the book as an intimate diary of the farewell tour she made with her predecessor as he prepared to leave office.
The president also said the book represents her commitment to the people of Mexico. “It bears the personal seal of my conviction, my sense of duty and the deep love I feel for my country,” she said.”
Les presento mi primer libro como presidenta de México: Diario de una transición histórica. El fin de semana estará disponible en librerías. pic.twitter.com/7CSjNIJKQX
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) October 24, 2025
“Diary of a Historic Transition” provides an inside look at the private meetings between Sheinbaum and López Obrador as they prepared for the historic change of government, the first time a woman ascended to Mexico’s presidency.
From June 14 to Sept. 27 of last year, the final 16 weekends of López Obrador’s six-year term, the incoming and outgoing presidents spent more than 500 hours together.
“This is the diary of one of the most extraordinary moments that intertwine my life with the history of our country, to which I have dedicated myself,” Sheinbaum said while displaying a copy of the book to reporters. “It is also a tribute to the man who transformed public life in Mexico: Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a leader who, with intelligence, love and devotion to the public, knew how to guide the course of a nation, fully determined to alter its destiny.”
Sheinbaum also discusses her election relative to López Obrador’s: “He is the origin. We are the continuity.” :
In a book review for the newspaper El País, Jorge Zepeda Patterson says Sheinbaum’s “admiration and affection for the role of the founder who made possible the movement she now leads goes beyond mere formal respect.”
The president also talked about the process of writing the book.
“It took quite a while because I had to sort through all the notes taken during the transition process,” she said. “We finally submitted everything, edited and corrected, to the publisher about a month and a half or two months ago.”
With reports from La Jornada, Milenio and Vanguardia
Voices Without Borders: How a Tijuana choir reached across the divide
It seemed like a simple proposal: bring together two choruses from neighboring cities for a joint celebration of World Singing Day. But in this case, the choruses were separated by an international border, and making this happen was anything but simple.
The event on October 18th at the Tijuana Cultural Center, northwest Mexico’s prime cultural venue, took months of planning and support from many quarters. It tested our endurance, our creativity, organizational skills and, at times, our patience. But the efforts paid off, and the result was glorious, as the voices of more than 60 women from the U.S. and Mexico rang out in a 90-minute concert titled “Voces Sin Fronteras,” or Voices Without Borders.
Uniendo nuestras voces. -Coro Femenino Meraki.
Borders divide, but they can also unite. Overlooked in the contentious debates over illegal immigration are the millions of people who routinely cross the border legally to work, attend school, shop, see friends and family, seek medical care and attend sports and cultural events. And in this case, to sing.
This event was many months in the making. It all started in December 2023 with Daria Abreu, the Cuban-born director and founder of Tijuana’s Coro Femenino Meraki, an all-female singing group founded in 2020 with support from the nonprofit Promotora Bellas Artes. She reached out to Kathleen Hansen, artistic director of the San Diego Women’s Chorus, a 125-member lesbian-identified musical community founded in 1987 that’s made up of LGBTQ+ and straight ally members.
Both choruses are members of the Choral Consortium of San Diego, a broad umbrella with more than 80 groups of all sizes and musical styles. While most members are from San Diego, a small number of Mexican groups have joined the consortium as well.
Abreu’s dream of a binational concert turned into a plan earlier this year. With help from the Mexican Consulate in San Diego, authorities at the federally run Tijuana Cultural Center offered the center’s Sala Federico Campbell as a performance space. And what better day to put on a concert than October 18th, World Singing Day — an annual global sing-along that “encourages people to put aside their differences and celebrate what we all share as human beings.”
As a participant and organizer (I’m a member of the Meraki chorus), I can say this: We are a small group founded in 2020 of no more than 20 members, and so grateful for the willingness of our guests to take a chance on us and accept this invitation to sing in another country with total strangers.
Those who joined us that day were adventurous women who woke at the crack of dawn to travel to the border from all corners of San Diego: North Park, Normal Heights, Poway, Ramona, Escondido and beyond. Onstage, they didn’t flinch when asked to perform a small cha-cha step to the rhythm of a song they were still learning.
The gratitude went both ways. Throughout the day, I heard “thank you” from so many of the San Diego singers. And on several occasions, I saw them moved to tears by the generous gestures of my fellow Meraki choristers, who greeted them with hot coffee, fruit, pan dulce, sandwiches and a song from central Mexico (“Madrigal” by Ventura Romero) as they arrived at 9 a.m. to begin the day.
Crossing the Western Hemisphere’s busiest border at San Ysidro can have its challenges, as members of the San Diego Women’s Chorus found out. Their delegation of close to 40 people showed up as instructed by 7:30 a.m. at Mexico’s El Chaparral entrance, only to find out it was closed and that the only option was to trudge a half-mile to the eastern entrance, and then again for several blocks in Tijuana to catch a bus. Returning to San Diego through the U.S. pedestrian line, they endured a 90-minute wait to reach the inspection booths.
These San Diego guests proved to be patient and appreciative musical ambassadors as they navigated the uncertainties of the day. Together, our choruses showed that we can strengthen cross-border ties and shine a different light on our shared border, no matter the political climate. For a few precious moments on that Saturday, we were two countries, but one chorus.
Sandra Dibble has been crossing the San Diego-Tijuana border since 1994. She is a member of Tijuana’s Coro Femenino Meraki and president of the San Diego Choral Consortium.
What’s the story behind the cempasúchil, Mexico’s ‘flower of the dead’?
I heard the legend as a child: Xóchitl and Huitzilin met as children. They grew up and played together for years. Over time, an infinite love blossomed between them. When they came of age, they married and lived happily. Their union, however, was short-lived: As a warrior and leader of their people, Huitzilin had to leave for war. Xóchitl was left alone, hoping her husband would return one day. At that moment, Xóchitl didn’t know she would never see Huitzilin again.
This is the Mexica (better known as Aztec) legend of the cempasúchil, the “flower of the dead” in Mexican folk culture.
What is the legend of the cempasúchil flower?
According to the story, a few days after Huitzilin had gone to war, a soldier knocked on Xóchitl’s door. As she welcomed him in, she realized that the man was dressed in ceremonial attire to honor the dead. Ominous news was on his tongue: Her husband had died in battle.
Devastated by grief, Xóchitl decided to climb a high mountain to beg the sun god, Tonatiuh, to let her see Huitzin again. Seeing how distressed she was by her misfortune, Tonatiuh granted her a visit with her beloved.
He turned Xóchitl into a golden-orange flower that shed light during the nights. For months, the flower-woman remained closed, until a hummingbird landed on its stem.
Feeling the bird upon her, she recognized the soft touch of Huitzilin, who had been drawn to her by her scent. Instantly, the field surrounding her blossomed with an orange glow. Thousands of similar shoots emerged from the earth and illuminated the night with a radiance no one had ever seen before. Over the years, people began to call it cempoalxóchitl: the 20-petaled flower.
What is the cempasúchil’s pre-Hispanic symbolism?
Etymologically, cempasúchil translates to “20-petaled flower,” based on the Náhuatl cempoalxóchitl. This term is composed of cempohualli, which translates as “20,” and xóchitl, or “flower.”
In traditional Mexica narrative, the flower’s intense yellow or orange color came directly from the sun. Cempasuchil’s golden-orange glow and unique aroma were said to guide departed souls back to a ceremonial banquet for them, prepared by their living relatives.
Hence, from time immemorial, the Tagetes erecta (the scientific name for the cempasúchil flower) has been used to decorate altars of the dead in different parts of Mexico, mainly during the first two days of November.
Cempasúchil flowers in the Day of the Dead festivities
Today, this plant, native to Mesoamerica, can be found growing wild in various ecosystems in Mexico. It’s also found in Central American countries, including Panama, Honduras and El Salvador. It can grow as tall as 1 meter, and its buds can reach 5 centimeters in diameter. This extremely versatile plant easily adapts to its surroundings, flourishing in temperate oak forests or in a tropical rainforest’s humidity.
Cempasúchil production in Mexico is primarily focused on the flower’s ceremonial purposes. In late October and the first days of November, the country is covered in an orange blanket of cempasúchil as people across Mexico invoke the spirits of their loved ones during Day of the Dead festivities.
Even centuries after the tradition began, cempasúchil flowers still brighten Mexicans’ altars today, lighting the way back home for the souls of the departed so that, for just one night a year, we can see our loved ones again.
Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.
Why you should celebrate Halloween with a Guillermo del Toro binge watch
For lovers of horror, mystery, gore and the grotesque, Halloween is the best time of year. It’s when romance and comedy give way to marathons of disturbing and terrifying films.
To mark the day, beyond watching the genre classics, why not also try marathoning the films of Mexican writer/director Guillermo del Toro — “The Monster Maker,” a true lover of dark and disturbing fantasies?
Over the years, del Toro and his team of collaborators have created some of the most disturbing yet also surprisingly moving gothic horror films in existence. While his work does not fit into traditional horror or the slasher stereotype, no modern filmmaker has been more interested in monsters, the gothic, the macabre and the misunderstood. Del Toro’s body of work is a celebration of horror that transcends simple jump scares, opting to delve deeply into the supernatural to explore political and social themes and the cruelty and beauty of human nature.
Not sure where to start or what to watch again? Here are five spine-chilling del Toro options for you to stream. From “The Devil’s Backbone” to “Frankenstein,” each of the del Toro films we recommend offers a unique kind of horror that’s perfect for this time of year.
El Espinazo del Diablo (2001)
El espinazo del diablo - Tráiler
After directing “Cronos” and “Mimic,” del Toro embarked on the Spanish-Mexican coproduction, “El Espinazo del Diablo” (The Devil’s Backbone), a perfect combination of supernatural horror, historical drama and magical realism.
Set in an orphanage during the final days of the Spanish Civil War, the film tells the story of Carlos (Fernando Tielve), a 12-year-old orphan who soon discovers that his new home is haunted by the ghost of a boy who died under suspicious circumstances. Del Toro manages to offer us an evocative portrait of loss, pain, childhood trauma and human cruelty while creating a revealing metaphor for Franco’s Spain.
Considered the great precursor to “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Devil’s Backbone” is undoubtedly one of the director’s most personal films and an outstanding Spanish horror option to watch this Halloween.
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video, MUBI.
El Laberinto del Fauno (2006)
PAN'S LABYRINTH - Official Trailer - Directed by Guillermo del Toro
With three Academy Awards, a slew of international accolades and an impressive 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, “El Laberinto del Fauno” (Pan’s Labyrinth) definitively launched Guillermo del Toro’s career.
This dark fairy tale, set in fascist Spain toward the end of its civil war, follows the young and dreamy Ofelia (Ivana Baquero). Her stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi López), is on a bloody hunt for the last remaining groups of resistance fighters. In her attempt to escape her stepfather’s aggression and the environment around her of postwar oppression, Ofelia immerses herself in the wonders of her mind, where she soon finds herself wandering through a mythical labyrinth. There, she meets a disturbing faun, and the encounter marks the beginning of a journey filled with creatures, puzzles and challenges to overcome.
In essence, the film contrasts the cruel and grim world of the Spanish Civil War with the teenager’s fantasy world, highlighting how the imagination can serve as a refuge in times of great violence. Although it’s not a conventional horror film, its oppressive atmosphere and monsters — the Pale Man remains terrifying almost two decades later — make it another ideal alternative for this spooky season.
Stream on: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video. Buy or rent on: Apple TV+.
Crimson Peak (2015)
Crimson Peak - Official Theatrical Trailer [HD]
![Crimson Peak - Official Theatrical Trailer [HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oquZifON8Eg/0.jpg)
Del Toro’s venture into gothic romance, “Crimson Peak,” centers on Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), an aspiring writer who is dragged by her new husband, Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), to a gloomy and isolated English mansion where he lives with his sister. Throughout the film, Edith is tormented by ghosts who, at first, seem to want to harm her. Little by little, however, we discover that they actually are warning her about the sinister secrets of Thomas and his poisonous sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain). Caught between ancient vendettas and power games, Edith will have to fight with all her strength to preserve her life.
While on the surface it’s a scary story set in a haunted house amid specters, the film explores ideas about the ambiguity of monsters, the effects of unresolved trauma and the nature of evil. “Crimson Peak” leaves its indelible mark on viewers with its bold exploration of forbidden love and the “horrors committed in the name of love.” For those who don’t tolerate intense scares well, this delightfully gothic film could be an excellent viewing option.
Stream on: Netflix. Buy or rent on: Apple TV+, Google Play.
The Shape of Water (2017)
THE SHAPE OF WATER | Official Trailer | FOX Searchlight
Winner of the Oscar for Best Picture and the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival, “The Shape of Water” is a tale of love and monsters, filmed with unquestionable beauty and delicacy.
In the early 1960s, in the midst of the Cold War, Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins), a lonely woman who is mute, spends her days cleaning a top-secret U.S. lab. Her routine is disrupted when she discovers a strange aquatic creature being mistreated by unscrupulous scientists and decides to do something about it.
“The Shape of Water” is a frankly strange and hypnotic masterpiece that’s worth watching on Halloween or whenever, especially for those who are passionate about unconventional stories.
Stream on: Netflix, Disney+. Buy or rent on: Amazon Video, Apple TV+, Google Play.
Frankenstein (2025)
Frankenstein | Guillermo del Toro | Official Trailer | Netflix
Described as a “beautiful gothic monument,” del Toro’s latest, “Frankenstein,” has caused a sensation among critics and viewers alike. This new adaptation — which you’ll have to find in the theaters if you want to see it this Halloween — interprets Mary Shelley’s iconic 1818 text as a story of abandonment and parental neglect. One of the film’s great successes is that it retains many of the sensibilities of the original material. The talented Oscar Isaac plays the eccentric scientist Victor Frankenstein, obsessed with defeating death, while a convincing Jacob Elordi plays his creation as a tormented soul struggling to be accepted and loved.
Earning effusive praise for its operatic spectacle, production design and psychological and emotional horror, “Frankenstein” is another must-see this Halloween.
Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” had a limited theatrical release on Oct. 17. It will premiere on Netflix on November 7.
Carolina Alvarado is a Venezuelan journalist and has devoted much of her career to creative writing, university teaching and social work. She has been published in Lady Science, Latina Media, Global Comment, Psiquide, Cinetopic, Get me Giddy and Reader’s Digest, among others.
During short visit to CDMX, singer Rosalía tries pozole at La Casa de Toño
Spanish singer and songwriter Rosalía, known for fusing flamenco with modern genres such as pop, trap and R&B, has made local headlines after sharing her experience eating Mexican food from a popular restaurant chain in Mexico City.
“First time I’ve eaten pozole, you guys,” Rosalía said, looking at her cellphone camera before having her first taste. “It’s treacherous, huh? It’s spicy. But it’s really good, I’m surprised it has lettuce,” she said on a live broadcast that went viral on TikTok.
Besides pozole, she tried enfrijoladas, flautas and horchata with cinnamon on top. While she said she liked everything, she also admitted – with laughter – that she doesn’t tolerate spicy food very well, creating an atmosphere of sympathy among her party.
Clips revealed the singer had dinner at La Casa de Toño, one of the capital’s most popular Mexican food chains. She was accompanied by twins Milton and Emilio de la Rosa, from the Mexican group Latin Mafia, along with other friends.
Users’ reactions on social media were mixed, with some expressing pride in the national cuisine, while others expressed disappointment for not being at the restaurant to see her. Fans who recognized her approached her and asked for photos and autographs. She was reportedly nice and friendly to everyone.
Rosalía is visiting Mexico City to promote her upcoming musical release, LUX. Shortly before her meal, she had a brief encounter with some of her fans, who had the exclusive privilege of listening to the album before its release on all digital platforms.
@ejecentral ¡La Motomami se come unas enfrijoladas! La cantante española Rosalía sorprendió a la CDMX al ser captada cenando en el icónico restaurante La Casa de Toño (Parque Delta) junto al grupo Latin Mafia. La artista disfrutó de pozole, enfrijoladas y agua de horchata, mostrando en TikTok Live su fascinación por los antojitos mexicanos. Ya es oficialmente fan de las garnachas! Entérate qué hace en México en EjeCentral. #Rosalia #LaCasaDeToño #CDMX #Motomami #Pozole ♬ sonido original – EjeCentral
“The album is inspired by holy women, by feminine mysticism, by saints from around the world,” she said. “And I spent a year alone writing the lyrics, which is why the overall presentation and everything about the lyrics, the words of the album, is so important. And it took a lot of work; it’s also a team effort.”
The singer also wished her Mexican fans a “Happy Day of the Dead Week,” which was followed by cheers from the audience.
This is not the first time Rosalía has shared her love for Mexican food. Three years ago, after a performance in Mexico, she asked users on X to share the recipe for shrimp aguachile.
“Oh my God, it’s so good. I tried it for the first time on this trip [to Mexico] and it would be a dream come true to learn how to prepare it,” she wrote. Thousands of people shared their recipes, and the Mazatlán soccer team invited her to the city of Sinaloa, claiming that it is home to the best aguachiles in the country.
French president to visit Mexico next week: Thursday’s mañanera recapped
The United States’ aggressive maritime pursuit of alleged drug traffickers and an upcoming visit to Mexico by French President Emmanuel Macron were among the issues President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about at her Thursday morning press conference.
Here is a recap of the president’s Oct. 30 mañanera.
Navy still searching for survivor of US strikes, says Sheinbaum
Sheinbaum said that the Mexican Navy was still searching for the sole survivor of U.S. military strikes on four alleged drug boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean. At least one of the strikes — which killed 14 people on Monday — occurred in international waters off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast.
Sheinbaum said that she was informed by the navy that it was required to continue the search for at least 96 hours.
“That’s what the international rules say … and that’s what [the navy] is doing, in accordance with international law,” she said.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who announced Monday’s lethal strikes on social media, said on Wednesday evening that the U.S. military had “carried out a lethal kinetic strike on yet another narco-trafficking vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) in the Eastern Pacific.”
Earlier today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on yet another narco-trafficking vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) in the Eastern Pacific.
This vessel, like all the others, was known by our… pic.twitter.com/mBOLA5RYQe
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 29, 2025
He said that “four male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel — and killed — during the strike, which was conducted in international waters.”
Hegseth didn’t specify where in the Eastern Pacific the attack occurred.
Asked what information she had about the latest strike, Sheinbaum only said that Navy Minister Raymundo Pedro Morales would meet with a “counterpart” from the U.S. Coast Guard later on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the president voiced her opposition to the lethal strikes the U.S. military has recently been carrying out in both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
“We don’t agree with these interventions,” said Sheinbaum, who expressed the view that suspected drug traffickers at sea should be arrested rather than killed.
Ebrard represents Mexico at APEC meetings
Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and other world leaders traveled this week to South Korea, where Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings are taking place. Sheinbaum, however, stayed at home, leaving Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard to represent Mexico on the world stage.
The president told reporters that Ebrard, a former foreign affairs minister, had held positive meetings with various officials, including U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
With Greer, Sheinbaum noted, Ebrard is “reviewing the 54 famous non-tariff measures.”
Conversación con Jamieson Greer ( USTR) en Corea . Seguimos avanzando . pic.twitter.com/pFh2BZ1Ntt
— Marcelo Ebrard C. (@m_ebrard) October 29, 2025
The United States has accused Mexico of violating the terms of the USMCA free trade pact through the use of a range of non-tariff barriers to trade.
Sheinbaum said that Mexico and the U.S. were nearing the completion of their review of the non-tariff barriers and would soon be able to move onto “what concerns us, which are the [U.S.] tariffs on steel and vehicles.”
In 2025, the Trump administration has imposed tariffs on a range of imports from Mexico, including steel, aluminum, copper, tomatoes and light vehicles.
The U.S. government had planned to increase its 25% tariff on non-USMCA compliant Mexican goods this week, but Sheinbaum announced on Monday that she had reached an agreement with Trump to extend bilateral negotiations on trade and tariffs by a few weeks.
Accordingly, the slated increase of the U.S. tariff to 30% didn’t take effect.
Ebrard is well-versed in representing Mexico on the world stage, having attended numerous international meetings and summits while foreign minister during the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a reluctant international traveler.
In South Korea, the economy minister also spoke to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and held meetings with officials from countries including Japan, Australia and Indonesia.
Emmanuel Macron to visit Mexico next week
Sheinbaum revealed that Macron would visit Mexico on Friday, Nov. 7.
“Do you remember he was going to come [earlier in the year]? He’s coming on the 7th,” she said.
Sheinbaum said that her government’s priority in its upcoming talks with the French president would be to push for the repatriation of pre-Hispanic codices that are in France.
“We want them to come back to Mexico, that’s our main interest,” she said.
Sheinbaum added that Macron would “obviously” be accompanied by French businesspeople and would meet with Mexican businesspeople.
“But our greatest interest is the repatriation of these codices that are very important for Mexico,” she said.
Asked whether she and Macron would hold a joint press conference, Sheinbaum said she assumed they would.
“The schedule is being agreed upon; the visit will be very brief,” she said.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
