MEXICO CITY — Facing the possibility that the United States will decline to renew the USMCA, Mexico’s Secretariat of Economy has unveiled a new trade proposal: genetically modified avocados bearing a laser-etched image of President Donald Trump’s face on every U.S.-bound shipment.
The initiative, presented Thursday as “Aguacate Presidente,” would use a proprietary etching process similar to techniques already used to brand logos onto fruit skins for grocery store promotions. Officials say the technology is fully developed and could be scaled to cover 40% of avocado exports to the U.S. by the fourth quarter, pending presidential approval on the other side of the border.
“We looked at what has worked in past negotiations and asked ourselves what else could be done,” said one trade ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the proposal is still being finalized. “President Trump already has his signature on the new 100-dollar bill and his face on the U.S. passport. An avocado felt like the natural next step in the rollout.”
The proposal comes amid growing anxiety among Mexican avocado producers in Michoacán, who export roughly US $3 billion worth of the fruit to the U.S. annually and have watched tariff threats resurface with each round of USMCA talks. Producers reached for comment expressed cautious optimism about the plan, noting that whatever keeps the border open is, by definition, good policy.
“We are simply trying to find creative solutions within the existing framework,” said a spokesperson for the Association of Avocado Exporting Producers and Packers of Mexico, using a phrase that has appeared in nearly identical form in 17 separate government press releases since March. “This is not our first choice. It is our current choice.”
Agricultural economists note that the etching does not affect the avocado’s ripening process, shelf life or flavor, though early focus groups reported mild discomfort eating “anything with a face on it.” The Secretariat of Economy has responded by proposing a smaller, less detailed version of the etching for the guacamole market, where the face would only be “suggested” through subtle shading.
As of press time, the White House had not confirmed receipt of the proposal, though a senior U.S. trade official said the administration “appreciates gestures of goodwill, of any shape.”
Profepa released this photo, with the rescuers' faces blurred, with the original announcement Thursday morning that the Bengal tiger had been recaptured safely and sedated.
(Profepa)
Relief quickly turned to outrage Thursday when Kenzo, the white Bengal tiger that escaped from a private facility in México state five days earlier, was pronounced dead by Profepa, the same federal environmental protection agency that had reported the animal’s successful recapture under sedation just hours earlier.
According to Profepa, the animal was killed by security forces that accompanied the rescue team when it attacked one or more rescue workers.
Citing irregularities that allowed the Bengal tiger’s escape, Profepa shuttered Animal Experience México, a licensed wildlife center about 40 kilometers east of Mexico City. (Profepa)
“During the sedation and capture operation, the tiger attacked the personnel present,” reads the Profepa statement announcing Kenzo’s death. “Due to the imminent risk this situation posed, the security forces supporting the rescue repelled the attack. The animal received immediate medical attention. Despite these efforts, it died.”
It was unclear how an animal that was supposedly already captured and sedated could launch a potentially fatal attack on a rescue worker.
Some blamed the veterinarians. The newspaper Milenio quoted the Mexican Association of Zoos, Breeders, and Aquariums accusing the vets on duty of being inexperienced and uncertified.
However, one of the vets on duty, wildlife specialist Ivonne Casey, said before the news of the death came out, “The handling was very good.”
Kenzo, a 3-year-old male, fled on the afternoon of Saturday, June 27, from Animal Experience México, a licensed wildlife center about 40 kilometers east of Mexico City in the municipality of Tepetlaoxtoc.
Local officials said the tiger slipped out of his cage during maintenance and construction work on the property.
The escape triggered a multi-day search across scrubland and prickly pear hillsides near the federal highway between Mexico City and Veracruz.
During the search, authorities spotted him at least once by drone in dense scrub and cactus, but said the rugged terrain made it difficult to get close enough to sedate him safely.
Tepetlaoxtoc Mayor Diana Lizbeth Morales first announced that the tiger had been captured, citing coordinated operations involving all three levels of government. Tepetlaoxtoc is a municipality of about 33,000 people in rural México state.
Authorities said the operation used drones, tracking dogs and teams from the National Guard, the state’s public security agency and municipal emergency services.
Kenzo was a white Bengal tiger, a rare color variant of the Bengal tiger species. Their pale fur and blue eyes come from a recessive gene carried by both parents and are uncommon even in captivity.
Adult male white Bengals usually weigh about 200 to 230 kilograms (440 to 510 pounds) and can reach 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) from head to tail. Males often continue bulking up until around age 5, and authorities described Kenzo as a 3-year-old male.
After his capture, Kenzo was supposed to be taken for an initial evaluation to Reino Animal, a wildlife conservation and safari park near Teotihuacán, México state. He then would be transferred to the Zacango Ecological Park in Calimaya, about 30 minutes from the state capital of Toluca, where he was to receive specialized veterinary care and remain under observation.
As they have previously done in Mexico and in countries around the world, Mexican rescuers known as topos (moles) are currently searching for survivors and victims of a natural disaster — twin powerful earthquakes in Venezuela, in this case.
One group of topos — so named because of their ability to crawl and tunnel through rubble like moles — that is assisting the search and rescue efforts in Venezuela is the Topos Azteca International Brigade (Brigada Internacional de Rescate Topos Azteca), or Topos Azteca for short.
The rescuers squeeze into small spaces between the rubble of collapsed buildings to find survivors and recover the bodies of disaster victims. (Héctor Méndez “Topo Mayor” / Facebook)
Some members of the group, which was founded by “El Topo Mayor” Héctor “El Chino” Méndez after the devastating 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, departed for Venezuela soon after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes in the South American country on June 24, while others followed this week.
One such person is Miguel Jiménez Pérez, a 46-year-old veterinarian from the state of Hidalgo who has been a member of the Topos Azteca for more than a decade.
According to the media outlet La Silla Rota, Jiménez has been working amidst “mountains of rubble” practically since he arrived in Venezuela, where the twin earthquakes claimed the lives of close to 2,300 people, according to a death toll update on Thursday, and injured more than 11,000 others in places including the capital, Caracas, and the hard-hit state of La Guaira.
Without concern for the risks to his life, Jiménez has climbed across sections of collapsed walls and roofs of residential buildings as he searched for signs of life, La Silla Rota reported.
In a video posted to Facebook, he described the situation in Venezuela as a “true tragedy,” but said he was willing and able to do his bit to help those in need.
The commitment of Jiménez to his work, which he performs as a volunteer like all the other Topos Azteca, is shared by all the members of the group founded by Méndez, who at the age of 80 continues to do rescue work and also traveled to Venezuela.
“There is no hunger, no heat, no sleep,” Merry Valencia, another member of the Topos Azteca brigade, told the Associated Press, reciting part of the group’s code of conduct.
“There is no fear,” she added.
According to AP, the topos, after assessing the stability of collapsed structures, “split into small teams assigned to different sections of the debris” where they are working.
“They crawl through narrow openings and voids inside pancaked buildings. … They often use thermal cameras and other specialized equipment to search for signs of life,” the news agency reported.
“Armed with shovels, hand hammers and other tools, they slowly remove rubble, inch by inch, trying to avoid triggering further collapses.”
At the Mexico City International Airport, AP spoke to Germán Bello, a 39-year-old rescuer, on Tuesday before he flew to Venezuela to join other members of the Topos Azteca.
“The hardest part is telling someone that their loved one has died,” said Bello, an auto repair shop owner who was taking body bags with him to Venezuela as well as rescue equipment.
He, Jiménez and other members of the Topos Azteca will stay in Venezuela for extended periods as they work with local authorities and rescuers from around the world — including Mexican military personnel and rescue dogs — to search for survivors, or, as is unfortunately more likely now, recover the bodies of people from the rubble of buildings that collapsed. Jiménez will stay in Venezuela for two months. Bello does not know when he will return home, AP reported.
The history of the Topos Azteca
After the 1985 Mexico City earthquake toppled a significant number of buildings in the capital, Méndez went out to look for his brother in the Guerrero neighborhood, located near the historic center. He determined that his brother was fine so he turned his efforts to looking for survivors of the quake amid the rubble of collapsed buildings.
According to the newspaper Telediario, on the day of the earthquake — Sept. 19, 1985 — Méndez worked with young members of the military police for 10 hours to rescue a woman trapped in rubble in the neighborhood of Tlatelolco.
At that time, Telediario reported, he realized he had a mission in life — to help others. Méndez consequently founded the Topos Azteca International Brigade and has now worked with the group for four decades, saving a significant number of lives in the period.
Among the countries the Topos Azteca have deployed to are Chile, after a 2010 mining accident; Indonesia, after the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami; and the United States, after the 2001 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York. The Topos Azteca have also worked in Haiti, Turkey, Morocco, New Zealand, Brazil and Spain, among other countries.
“When you have seen death and have had the opportunity to rescue someone … that instinct inside of you to preserve the human race just awakens,” Méndez told the Washington Post in 2021.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced the new sanctions, developed jointly with the Mexican financial intelligence unit UIF, on Tuesday. (US Treasury)
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned two Mexican individuals and nine entities allegedly involved in a fuel theft scheme linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
One of the two individuals sanctioned is Oscar Guillermo Juraidini Silva, who the Treasury Department (Treasury) said is “a key business person facilitating CJNG’s fuel theft enterprise.”
A tanker and IBC totes seized by Mexican authorities at an illegal border fuel distribution hub in Nuevo León in June. Fuel smuggling is “currently the most significant non-drug revenue source for Mexican cartels and other illicit actors,” according to the U.S. Treasury. (FGR via Cuartoscuro)
The other is J. Refugio Ruiz Villagomez, who Treasury said “has knowingly smuggled fuel from the United States into Mexico without proper permits.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Treasury announced sanctions against seven businesses owned by Juraidini, one of which is based in the United Kingdom. The other six businesses are in Mexico, mainly in northern states, and operate in the transportation, financial services and real estate sectors, Treasury said.
The two other sanctioned entities are México state-based logistics companies in which Ruiz “plays a role,” according to Treasury.
The OFAC sanctions block all U.S. assets of the designated persons and entities.
Treasury said on Tuesday that “Today’s action reflects strong collaboration between OFAC and FinCEN,” the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and was coordinated with various other U.S. authorities.
It added that the sanctions “were also developed jointly with the Government of Mexico’s financial intelligence unit, the Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera (UIF).”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that the move “highlights the extent to which Mexico’s cartels are expanding beyond traditional drug trafficking to generate revenue for their criminal organizations, which continue to traffic deadly drugs that kill Americans.”
“Treasury’s actions targeting these illicit revenue streams advance the Trump Administration’s priority of dismantling these terrorist organizations and making America safe again,” he said.
The modus operandi of fuel smuggling schemes
In its statement, Treasury said that the CJNG-linked fuel theft scheme involves “cross-border smuggling, falsified customs documents, and shell companies.”
It aims to “evade Mexican taxes while generating tens of millions of dollars annually for the cartel,” Treasury said.
(US Treasury)
In recent years, Treasury said, “Mexico-based drug trafficking cartels like CJNG have become increasingly involved in the theft, adulteration, and smuggling of hydrocarbons, such as fuel and oil, in schemes colloquially referred to in Mexico as huachicol,” or huachicol fiscal — a practice in which fuel brought into the country is mislabeled as waste oil, lubricants, vegetable oil or other liquids to avoid the taxes that apply to fuel.
“These schemes have grown into powerful revenue generators for CJNG through the theft of tens of billions of dollars in lost revenue for the Mexican government and have enabled CJNG campaigns of narcotics trafficking in the United States, violence against Mexican government forces along the U.S. southwest border, and corruption within Mexico,” Treasury said.
In a separate document, Treasury summarizes the “fuel smuggling methodology process” of Mexican cartels, including the CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel. According to Treasury, the process is as follows:
Complicit U.S. fuel traders purchase U.S. fuel at export terminals.
Purchased U.S. fuel is diverted to networks of complicit U.S. and Mexican front/shell companies.
The fuel is smuggled into Mexico by Mexican cartels and their huachicoleros (fuel thieves) without paying Mexican taxes on fuel imports.
The fuel is transported to Mexican storage yards under cartel control.
The fuel is sold to cartels’ front distribution companies and false sale invoices are created by Mexican brokers.
Front distribution companies commercialize fuel through cartel-controlled gas stations and/or roadside fuel stops.
Cartels use fuel profits to finance drug trafficking operations and corruption via political campaign contributions.
Treasury said that huachicol-related activities are “currently the most significant non-drug revenue source for Mexican cartels and other illicit actors.”
It noted that huachicoleros “use a variety of means to steal fuel and crude oil from Mexico’s state-owned energy company, Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), including bribing corrupt Pemex employees, illegally drilling taps into pipelines, stealing from refineries, hijacking tanker trucks, and threatening Pemex employees.”
Fuel is also brought into the country using “fiscal fuel theft schemes” that “involve Mexico-based cartels and their huachicoleros smuggling gasoline, diesel, naphtha, and other fuel from the United States across the southern border or U.S. ports into Mexico in schemes to evade Mexico’s import tax on fuel, known as Impuesto Especial sobre Producción y Servicios (IEPS),” Treasury said.
The sanctioned individuals
Treasury said that Juraidini, a 41-year-old Tamaulipas native, “operates as an accountant and the mastermind behind certain financial operations for CJNG.”
“Juraidini creates and operates shell companies on behalf of CJNG, and falsifies customs documents for CJNG to aid in the illicit cross-border transfer of fuel,” Treasury said.
The two individuals sanctioned were Oscar Guillermo Juraidini Silva and J. Refugio Ruiz Villagomez. (US Treasury)
“Juraidini imports fuel from the United States into Mexico that is intentionally mislabeled in customs documentation to circumvent Mexican IEPS taxes,” the department said.
“The majority of Juraidini’s clients are gas station companies, which receive the refined fuel products and sell them via retail gas stations. Juraidini generates tens of millions of dollars annually, benefiting CJNG.”
Treasury said that OFAC designated Juraidini pursuant to two U.S. executive orders “for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, CJNG.”
His companies were designated “for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Oscar Guillermo Juraidini Silva,” Treasury said.
Treasury said that Ruiz, in order to smuggle fuel into Mexico from the United States without proper permits, “pays fees to cartels and other criminal organizations that control ports of entry between the United States and Mexico.”
Treasury said that according to investigative findings made public by Mexico’s Attorney General’s office, Jomadi — a firm in which Ruiz, a 64-year-old Guanajuato native, is said to play a role — “is an import and export company involved in huachicol fiscal.”
Jomadi and Ahavat — another company in which Ruiz is said to be involved — “have transacted through the U.S. financial system to the tune of tens of millions of dollars with third parties linked to CJNG that have been involved in huachicol-related activities,” Treasury said.
Hence, Ruiz and the two companies he allegedly works for were sanctioned by OFAC.
UIF blocks Mexican bank accounts of Juraidini, Ruiz and 9 others
Mexico’s Ministry of Finance (SHCP) noted in a statement on Tuesday that OFAC had sanctioned two individuals and nine entities allegedly linked to the CJNG-linked fuel theft/smuggling scheme.
The ministry said that its Financial Intelligence Unit, the UIF, “carried out the tax, financial and corporate analysis of the designated individuals, identifying possible evidence of operations with resources of illicit origin and discrepancies between the income reported to the tax authorities and the resources observed in the financial system.”
“As a result of those analyses and within the scope of its legal authority, the UIF added the individuals designated by OFAC, as well as nine additional people, to the List of Blocked Persons (LPB) with the aim of protecting the integrity of the national financial system and restricting its use for activities allegedly linked to operations with resources of illicit origin,” the SHCP said.
The ministry said that “the actions coordinated between Mexican and U.S. authorities strengthen the mechanisms of international cooperation to prevent the improper use of the financial system, combat transactions with resources of illicit origin and weaken financial structures that provide economic support to organizations dedicated to the theft and illegal commercialization of hydrocarbons.”
An "oustanding artificial signal" located in the Estadio Azteca area happened at 8:22 p.m. and captured by a seismic station located in Lomas de Sotelo in Naucalpan just north of the city limits. (Sismo Alerta Mexicana)
When Mexico’s Julián Quiñones scored in minute 22 of El Tri’s World Cup match against Ecuador at Mexico City Stadium on Tuesday, the exuberant celebrations that ensued caused vibrations that were detected by seismographs located in the capital.
The energy released by tens of thousands of fans jumping up and down simultaneously was captured by seismic monitoring instruments, which are sensitive enough to detect anthropogenic vibrations (movements generated by human activity).
Since it triggered quake monitors, calling Julián Quiñones’s go-ahead goal against Ecuador Tuesday night “earth-shattering” may not be as exaggerated as it sounds. (Moisés Pablo /Cuartoscuro.com)
According to a seismic alert, “an outstanding artificial signal” was registered at the Raspberry Shake station closest to the stadium in southern Mexico City.
Raspberry Shake stations are small, plug-and-play digital seismographs used by universities and researchers to monitor microseismicity, local tremors and even “artificial earthquakes” caused by massive crowd celebrations.
The Institute of Geological and Atmospheric Research (IIEGA) confirmed that an artificial earthquake was recorded in the perimeter of Estadio Azteca at 8:22 p.m. and captured by a seismic station located in Lomas de Sotelo near Naucalpan just north of the capital.
The IIGEA did not specify the intensity its instruments registered, but the newspaper Milenio speculated that it was likely above 1 degree on the Richter scale.
John E. Vidale, director of the Southern California Earthquake Center, has said that such fan-induced earthquakes would generate no more than a 2 on the Richter Scale, which would go unnoticed by the public if it were a typical quake.
A social media account named Sismo Alerta Mexicana (Mexican Seismic Alert) also commented on the incident, saying that two seismic stations detected “rapid vibration of people jumping at the same time.”
Describing the registered activity as a “sharp and collective thud against the ground that generates short surface waves,” the account specified that the instruments could distinguish that it was not a real earthquake.
“These are instruments that detect earthquakes on the other side of the world, so their sensitivity is extremely high,” a subsequent post explained.
The incident brings to mind a similar occurrence during a Mexico game at the World Cup held in Russia eight years ago.
Thirty-five minutes into El Tri’s June 17, 2018, match against defending champion Germany, Hirving Lozano scored, setting off raucous celebrations across Mexico.
Two monitoring stations in Mexico City picked up signals of a temblor at roughly the same time Lozano scored.
The following day, The Guardian newspaper reported that the IIGEA “said highly sensitive earthquake sensors registered tremors at two sites in Mexico City, seven seconds after the game’s 35th minute,” calling the tremors an artificial earthquake.
First Coast News reported that seismologists in Chile also said that their instruments detected an artificial temblor at the same time.
“In general, it is safe to travel to Mexico," President Claudia Sheinbaum said in response to the British travel warning. "We’ve seen that throughout the entire World Cup.” (Andrea Murcia / Cuartoscuro.com)
With England set to play a World Cup match in Mexico City on Sunday, the U.K. government issued updated travel recommendations that warned of Mexico’s “risks related to crime and violence.”
The British travel alert prompted President Sheinbaum to once again defend her country’s preparedness in response to dire cautions from abroad.
“Es seguro visitar el país, no tiene ningún problema”: 🇲🇽😉 La presidenta Sheinbaum responde a la alerta de viaje emitida por Reino Unido y asegura que México ofrece condiciones para recibir a los visitantes.#GFpic.twitter.com/MaipJqELok
Ahead of the soccer tournament for which Mexico serves as co-host, the U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issued a World Cup travel guide. Among the featured sections about Mexico were “Warnings and insurance,” “Safety and security” and “Regional risks.”
It includes warnings against visiting specific regions of Mexico. Eleven states, primarily in the north, were mentioned as particularly dangerous (“Take extreme care outside tourist areas in all these states,” it cautioned) and British nationals were advised to be aware of restricted areas and surroundings.
After England advanced to Sunday’s Round of 16 match against Mexico at Mexico City Stadium (FIFA’s name for Estadio Azteca), the FCDO revamped its guidebook, anticipating that fans of The Three Lions team would attend the game en masse.
The updated alert retained the original cautions and added some new ones. For example, the FCDO said, “During the tournament, there has been an increase in reports of mobile phone thefts and adulteration of drinks.”
The United Kingdon advisory included a map showing updated travel recommendations for Mexico by state. (FCDO)
It even included the reports of fan deaths in Mexico City (from overcrowding, not “crime and violence”) during Tuesday night’s celebrations after El Tri’s victory over Ecuador.
While acknowledging that celebrations in Mexico City have gotten rather extreme, Sheinbaum said the federal government has been in contact with the Mexico City mayor’s office to better coordinate crowd control and reduce excessive congestion, especially on Reforma Avenue, the most popular gathering spot.
“It is difficult to expect police officers to be able to contain a million people,” she said, adding that federal and local authorities will continue to urge the public to act responsibly.
“In general, it is safe to travel to Mexico, there have been no problems,” she said. “We’ve seen that throughout the entire World Cup.”
The FCDO reminded citizens that traveling against its recommendations could affect the validity of travel insurance taken out by British citizens.
It also said that if a passport is lost or stolen, an Emergency Travel Document provided by the British Embassy cannot be used to enter the U.S. from Mexico. In this case, even if you had plans to go to the U.S. for a subsequent World Cup match, you’d have no choice but to return to the U.K.
Meanwhile in England, the government bowed to pressure from fans and businesses and will allow pubs to stay open past the usual closing times, when Sunday’s game will be taking place in that time zone.
Fans celebrate a goal against Ecuador on Tuesday at the Zócalo fan festival in Mexico City. (Camila Ayala Benabib / Cuartoscuro.com)
With each of Mexico’s World Cup victories over the past three weeks, more and more soccer fans took to the streets of Mexico City to celebrate.
In this week’s “Mexico in Numbers” article, we’ll look at how the number of revelers celebrating El Tri’s wins in the vicinity of the Angel of Independence (El Ángel) monument on Paseo de la Reforma has grown. We’ll also compare those numbers to the size of the crowd at a free Shakira concert staged earlier this year in the Zócalo, Mexico City’s main square.
Esta noche más de 800 mil personas celebran en las calles de la #CapitalDeLaTransformación el triunfo histórico de nuestra selección. Celebremos protegiéndonos todos y sin generar riesgos.
Following El Tri’s 1-0 win over South Korea in Guadalajara on June 18, around 400,000 people reveled in the victory around El Ángel, the Mexico City government reported. Thus the number of merrymakers increased166% compared to the previous week.
Mexico defeated Czechia 3-0 in its third and final group stage match, played at Estadio Azteca on June 24. Following El Tri’s victory, more than 800,000 people celebrated in the streets of the capital, said Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada, making an apparent reference to the area around El Ángel. That figure represents a 433% increase compared to the number of celebrants after the South Africa match, and a 100% increase compared to the number of revelers after the South Korea match.
Mexico’s first elimination match
While it was widely reported that around 1 million people celebrated in the vicinity of El Ángel after Mexico’s 2-0 victory over Ecuador on Tuesday night, the Mexico City government announced a lower number on Wednesday.
According to the government, 820,000 people celebrated the win on Paseo de la Reforma near el Ángel, at the nearby Monument to the Revolution and on Juárez Avenue in the historic center of Mexico City. That figure represents a 2.5% increase compared to the 800,000 celebrants after the Mexico-Czechia match, a 105% increase compared to the 400,000 revelers after the Mexico-South Korea match and a 447% increase compared to the 150,000 merrymakers after the Mexico-South Africa match.
The Mexico City government also reported that 484,000 people attended fan festivals in Mexico City during the Mexico-Ecuador match, including the official FIFA one in the Zócalo, while 95,000 people celebrated El Tri’s victory in and around Estadio Azteca.
Thus, some 1.4 million people celebrated Mexico’s win in public places in Mexico City, according to the local government. Mayor Brugada said Wednesday that the crowds on the streets and in public places on Tuesday night were the largest on record in Mexico City and “probably” the largest ever in all of Mexico.
The Shakira benchmark
Shakira, the Colombian pop superstar, performed a free concert in the Zócalo in March that, according to the Mexico City government, drew more than 400,000 people to the central square as well as the Alameda Central park and the Plaza de la República, where the concert was shown on large screens. The 400,000 turnout for Shakira’s concert was the largest on record for a free concert in the Zócalo.
That number of concertgoers is 2.67 times greater than the 150,000 people who celebrated Mexico’s victory over South Africa near El Ángel. It is equal to the number of celebrants after El Tri’s victory over South Korea, but just half the number of people who took to the streets after Mexico’s win against Czechia.
Compared to the Shakira concert, the total number of people who celebrated Mexico’s Tuesday night win over Ecuador in the streets and other public places in Mexico City — 1.4 million — was 3.5 times greater. In percentage terms, the increase was 250%.
The St. Regis Costa Mujeres resort, a new Marriot brand resort located on the Costa Mujeres peninsula north of Cancún. (Mara Lezama/X)
The Mexican Caribbean continues to strengthen its reputation as a luxury destination with the opening of the St. Regis Costa Mujeres, an ultra-luxury resort developed with a US $250 million investment on the mainland of Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo.
The new hotel complex, operated by Marriott International in partnership with the development group AB Living, reinforces foreign investment confidence in one of the country’s most dynamic tourist hubs, Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez Zamora said during the resort’s opening ceremony.
“Each new investment is a sign of confidence in our country, in our communities, and in the enormous potential that tourism has to transform lives by generating employment, development, and well-being,” Rodríguez said.
During the construction phase, the project generated some 2,000 jobs, boosting local economic activity and the hiring of workers from nearby municipalities such as Benito Juárez and Isla Mujeres.
As it begins operations, the resort will start with around 250 employees and is projected to reach 350 direct jobs in its first year, in addition to positions related to supplies, transportation and tourist services.
During the opening ceremony, Idu Riberio, General Manager of The St. Regis Costa Mujeres Resort, welcomed guests and reflected on the significance of the opening for both the brand and the destination, before taking guests to a guided tour of the property.
Designed by the Mexican firm Sordo Madaleno, the resort incorporates architectural and artistic references inspired by Mayan heritage and the natural environment of the Yucatán Peninsula. The design seeks to integrate local cultural elements into a hospitality experience focused on international travelers who value design, privacy and personalized service.
The St. Regis Costa Mujeres adds 213 rooms to Quintana Roo’s lodging inventory, with 163 rooms and 50 suites geared toward the high-end market.
These luxurious rooms join the 11,500 hotel new rooms that the state plans to open throughout the year, Governor Mara Lezama said in an interview with Imagen Radio, solidifying Costa Mujeres as a strategic corridor within the Mexican Caribbean.
Sheinbaum reported on the possibility of an extension for the USMCA trade pact and plans for the production of Mexico's Olinia electric vehicle at her Thursday morning press conference. (Carlos Ramos Mamahua / Presidencia)
Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds
🤝 USMCA “remains in force”: A day after the U.S. said it wouldn’t renew the USMCA for an additional 16 years, Sheinbaum and Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard emphasized the trade pact remains valid until 2036, subject to annual reviews. Ebrard said the treaty “hasn’t been modified” and that Mexico’s main goal in upcoming bilateral talks is to reduce Section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum and vehicles.
📈 Investor certainty, despite the news: Sheinbaum argued the USMCA’s continued validity offers “certainty” for investors, pointing to a record US $23.6 billion in foreign direct investment in Mexico during Q1 2026. She noted any of the three countries could withdraw from the pact with six months’ notice — but the U.S. hasn’t done so.
🔄 Door left open for 2042 extension: Sheinbaum said Mexico, the U.S. and Canada could still agree “at any time” during the next decade of annual reviews to extend the USMCA for an additional 16 years, framing the U.S. push for reviews as reflecting a broader protectionist stance.
🚗 Olinia moves to production: Sheinbaum announced the government’s home-grown EV, the Olinia, has completed its design phase and entered production, with a tendering process planned to bring in private companies. She said demand for the vehicle — priced from 150,000 pesos (US $8,575) — is strong among both governments and individual buyers.
Why today’s mañanera matters
President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Wednesday morning press conference came a day after the U.S. government advised its Mexican and Canadian counterparts that it didn’t want to renew the USMCA free trade pact for an additional 16 years.
At today’s mañanera, Sheinbaum and Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard sought to put a positive spin on the development, highlighting that the Trump administration didn’t decide to withdraw from the USMCA and thus the trade pact that superseded NAFTA in 2020 remains in force — and will remain in force for the foreseeable future.
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard joined Thursday’s morning press conference to address the U.S. decision not to immediately renew the USMCA, North America’s free trade pact. (Carlos Ramos Mamahua / Presidencia)
Despite the United States’ decision against extending the USMCA until 2042, the president claimed that the ongoing validity of the agreement will increase certainty for investors in Mexico.
Also of note at today’s mañanera was Sheinbaum’s assertion that there is high demand for the Olinia electric vehicle, which is expected to go on sale next year.
However, he stressed that the three-way trade pact “remains in force from now until 2036,” although it will be subject to annual reviews.
Ebrard noted that both Mexico and Canada were in favor of extending the USMCA until 2042. However, the Trump administration declined to extend the pact and opted for annual reviews as it has “great concern” about the trade deficits the United States has with Mexico and with Canada and wants to “correct” various aspects of the USMCA, he said.
Ebrard told reporters that his virtual meeting on Wednesday with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc was the first USMCA review meeting at which all three countries — Mexico, the United States and Canada — were represented.
Mexico and the United States are set to resume bilateral talks later this month when a U.S. delegation comes to Mexico City. During those talks, officials will aim to resolve concerns of both parties regarding the USMCA, Ebrard said.
He said that Mexico’s main concern is the tariffs the United States imposed on some Mexican exports — i.e., steel, aluminum and vehicles — in accordance with Section 232 of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act. Mexico is seeking the reduction of those tariffs, Ebrard said.
The economy minister subsequently highlighted that the USMCA hasn’t changed from yesterday to today.
“It’s the same treaty, it hasn’t been modified,” he said.
“We don’t expect substantial changes [to be made] in the upcoming talks,” Ebrard added.
Sheinbaum: USMCA can be extended for additional 16 years ‘at any time’
Sheinbaum told reporters that “at any time” in the next 10 years — the period in which annual reviews of the USMCA are slated to take place — the governments of Mexico, the United States and Canada can decide to extend the trade pact for an additional 16 years.
“The annual reviews are reviews that are related to this U.S. vision of greater protectionism,” she said.
“We’re seeking the best [trading ] conditions for our country and to contribute to the strengthening of regional content [in manufacturing] and reduce the content that comes from other parts of the world,” said Sheinbaum, whose government this year imposed new and higher tariffs on imports from China and other countries with which Mexico doesn’t have trade agreements.
Sheinbaum and other federal officials sought to reassure investors and the public that the USMCA will remain in force until 2036 and could be renewed “at any time” after the U.S. declined to renew the trade pact. (Carlos Ramos Mamahua / Presidencia)
The president subsequently asserted that there is “certainty” for investors in Mexico and that the ongoing validity of the USMCA will create “more certainty.” She cited foreign investment inflows as evidence of the current existence of certainty. Indeed, foreign direct investment in Mexico hit a record high of almost US $23.6 billion in the first quarter of 2026.
Sheinbaum highlighted that the United States hadn’t taken the decision to withdraw from the USMCA, which any of the three countries can do by providing six months’ notice to their trade partners. She reiterated her view that the trade pact — which governs annual trade of around US $2 trillion — has benefits for all three signatories.
Ebrard asserted that investment in Mexico could increase given that the USMCA remains in force and that Mexico and the United States have a “common agenda” to reduce the reliance on imports from outside North America.
He also said that 85% of Mexico’s exports to the United States enter the country tariff-free as they comply with USMCA rules.
Sheinbaum says there is high demand for Olinia, Mexico’s home-grown EV
“The objective is for there to be mixed investment, that it isn’t a vehicle made only by the Mexican state,” she said, explaining that there will be a “kind of tendering process” to find private companies to assist the production, distribution and sale of the Olinia, which is slated to have a starting price of 150,000 pesos (US $8,575).
Sheinbaum asserted that there is “a lot of demand” for the Olinia, “not just from governments, but also from people who like the vehicle.”
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
Is Manzanillo a good place to live in Mexico? It depends on what you're looking for, writes Charlotte Smith. (Sergio R. Ortiz)
At home, things are shifting.
My partner went back to college as a mature student three years ago. It was a decision that felt both bold and slightly unsettling at the time. Last week, he graduated. The finish line has reared its head, and with that comes the inevitable question of “what next?”
Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo (pictured here) are both popular destinations on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, but much separates them in terms of desirability as a potential place to make a home. (Charlotte Smith)
We’ve already built a life on the coast. We’re in Bucerías now, and before that we spent several years in Puerto Vallarta. So, were we to make a move, it wouldn’t be about dissatisfaction.
We may stay exactly where we are if the opportunities present themselves, but if going is what we do, we’d rather be prepared than blindsided. We want to fully understand our options before they become urgent, rather than scrambling when a decision could be made for us by an offer too promising to turn down.
We have a list of places that may fit the bill, and I’ll introduce you to them over the coming weeks. We visit each with a question hanging quietly in the background. Could we live here? To answer that question, we’re looking at cost of living, grocery prices, healthcare, infrastructure and accessibility to airports.
The case for Manzanillo
Manzanillo has been on our list for a while. Not in some dreamy, romantic way, but something a bit more practical than that. Work opportunities. A different pace. A city that, on paper, might make sense.
But neither of us has spent any real time there, and there’s only so much you can understand without walking the streets yourself. Without sitting somewhere long enough for the place to settle around you.
So that’s exactly what we did.
The walkability stood out immediately. The infrastructure, too. Those first impressions matter more than you think, especially when you’ve lived in places where you’ve had to work around them.
Sidewalks that actually exist and continue. Roads that are clearly marked and, more importantly, maintained. Crossings that don’t feel like a near-death gamble. Manzanillo felt like a city that functions in a way that quietly smooths day-to-day routines.
That makes an enormous difference when considering a place you visit as a place you can live.
The cost of living in Manzanillo
Affordability, for us anyway, isn’t something we discuss in a vague sense of can we afford a movie next Thursday, but more in a sit-down-and-do-the-maths kind of way.
Manzanillo isn’t the cheapest place we’ve visited in Mexico, largely because it’s a working port with consistent economic activity, but it hasn’t reached the price levels of more tourism-driven coastal cities. Especially when talking about the broader cost of living, like the accumulation of those small, everyday expenses that define how easy or difficult life feels over time.
Compared to Puerto Vallarta and Bucerias, there’s a noticeable shift. Eating out costs were more reasonable. Groceries felt manageable. Even imported items, the small things that quietly matter over time, came in at a lower cost than where we are now.
Manzanillo is a major port city, with a bustling container ship trade, which contributes to its economic stability. (Charlotte Smith)
You won’t find everything you’ll find in a tourist town, but you’ll find enough. And that “enough” becomes important when you’re thinking long term.
When home is a blend of places (for us, Mexico, the U.S. and England), you don’t necessarily need full replication, but you do need touchpoints like familiar ingredients and the occasional comfort meal. It provides you with a sense that you haven’t completely stepped away from everything you knew before.
Manzanillo offers that, albeit in a quieter, less polished way.
Finding a house and home
But housing is where the conversation really shifted from hypothetical to real. Rents were in the double-digit percentages less expensive than here in the Bay of Banderas.
We aren’t looking for a condo. That part is non-negotiable. We have pets, and my mum comes to stay with us for a few months each year. We need space! Nothing excessive or luxurious, just enough to live without feeling like we’re constantly adjusting around the limits of a property and each other.
A three-bedroom house. A bit of outdoor space. Somewhere that feels like a home, not a temporary setup. And this is where Manzanillo became genuinely interesting.
Because those options exist. Not everywhere, and not always in the most obvious locations, but they’re there. Houses that are still within reach financially in places where we didn’t automatically feel pushed into vertical living because that’s all that’s left.
Compared to Puerto Vallarta and the wider Riviera Nayarit, where prices have climbed steadily and space often comes at a premium, Manzanillo still offered a bit of breathing room.
You might have to look a little harder. You might need to compromise on proximity to the beach or certain amenities. But the trade-off feels possible, not prohibitive.
Looking at neighborhoods and health care
We spent time exploring neighbourhoods with that in mind. Not just where looks nice for a few days but where would work on a Tuesday morning. Where we’d walk the dogs. Where my mum would feel comfortable staying for three months, not just visiting for a week.
Healthcare was one of those practical checks we made early on. Manzanillo has a mix of public and private clinics, a few hospitals with emergency services, and several well-stocked pharmacies. More than enough to cover routine care, prescriptions and most urgent needs.
For specialist care or advanced procedures, larger hospitals and more specialist clinics in bigger cities are reachable by road, which is important for us to factor in. Overall, the medical options felt credible and accessible rather than sparse.
Travel and accessibility
For those who often travel between their native country, and their adopted home in Mexico, convenient airport access is a must. (Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico)
When it comes to airports and travel links, Manzanillo surprised us with convenience. The city is served by a local airport close to town with flights that connect to major hubs. For wider international options, it’s straightforward to reach larger airports a few hours’ drive away. That accessibility matters to us, and it made the idea of living there feel less isolated than I’d initially assumed.
When it comes to things to do, Manzanillo is quieter, and that’s something we had to be honest about. There are beaches, cinemas, shopping centers, golf courses and everyday conveniences. But it’s not at all built around constant entertainment.
This isn’t a city trying to impress you at every turn. It’s not curated in the way some coastal destinations are. But there’s variety and enough local spots and international options to keep things interesting.
You’re not overwhelmed with choice, but you’re not lacking either. And in terms of daily life, that balance can be more sustainable. That’s a shift from somewhere like Puerto Vallarta, where it’s easy to step into an existing rhythm of social scenes, events and a steady flow of activity.
A sense of place
Manzanillo felt more grounded; more local. The pace was different. Slower in some ways, and more consistent in others. And whether that works depends entirely on what you want.
We found ourselves talking about that, often without realizing it. Not in structured conversations, but in passing comments. While walking. Sitting somewhere. Driving between neighborhoods.
Could we build a life here that feels full, even in the quieter months? Would we miss the energy of where we are now, or would we settle into something calmer without noticing the difference?
Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I realized something I hadn’t expected.
I felt alive there. And I genuinely don’t think it had anything to do with adrenaline. It was more in a quieter sense. A kind of steady, comfortable awareness.
The allure of the ‘new’
I wasn’t pushing against the place or adjusting myself to fit into it. I was just … there. Moving through the day without friction, noticing things without effort, and feeling present in a way that can be surprisingly rare.
Maybe it was because it was new. That’s always possible. New places can sharpen your senses, make everything feel a little more vivid.
Or maybe it was something else. Because alongside that aliveness, there was also a sense of ease that didn’t feel temporary. And that combination of feeling both settled and awake at the same time isn’t something I’ve felt everywhere, even after years of living in Mexico.
Forging a new path in a new destination requires plenty of decision-making and a careful weighing of factors. (Charlotte Smith)
For a moment, it felt like home. Not definitively, and not in a way that answers every question yet. But enough to recognize the feeling when it appeared. And that’s stayed with me.
Is this going to be our new home?
Manzanillo didn’t try to sell itself to us. It didn’t lean into charm or try to distract from its more industrial side. It simply presented itself as it is. A working city that functions well, offers a reasonable cost of living, and still allows for a kind of space (both physical and mental) that’s becoming harder to find in more established destinations.
By the end of our time there, the question hadn’t been answered completely. But it had changed. It was no longer “could we live here?” in an abstract sense. It became: “Could we choose this kind of life?”
And I think that’s a much more useful place to be.
We didn’t leave with a decision. That’s still tied to so many other factors like work opportunities, timing, the moving parts that come with change and factoring in the pros and cons of everywhere on our list.
But we left with clarity, and with the understanding that if Manzanillo becomes the next step, it won’t be a reaction or a compromise. It’ll be something we’ve considered properly. Something we’ve walked through, quite literally, one street at a time.
Charlotte Smith is a writer and journalist based in Mexico. Her work focuses on travel, politics, and community. You can follow along with her travel stories at www.salsaandserendipity.com.
