Things are looking up for the world's best female soccer players descending on Mexico in 2031. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
The United States and Mexico’s joint bid to cohost the 2031 Women’s World Cup currently faces competition only from African countries, after the FIFA excluded Europe from the bidding process on Wednesday. And while Morocco and South Africa have expressed interest, it’s unclear if either plans to submit a bid.
In April, after a last-minute announcement, both nations pulled out of the joint bid to host the 2027 edition. The tournament will be hosted by Brazil, which beat a European cohosting bid from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
Mexico is already hosting the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2026, with the first match at Mexico City’s Aztec stadium. As a result, Mexico and the U.S. agreed to postpone their bid for the Women’s World Cup until 2031, to better prepare. (Wikimedia Commons)
At the time, the U.S. and Mexico explained that the decision was made by mutual agreement, with both nations hoping to better prepare to host in 2031 by expanding agreements and partnerships with the media and engaging more with fans. Furthermore, officials said they expect to learn from the experience of cohosting the upcoming men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup, along with Canada.
“Hosting a World Cup is a huge undertaking — and having more time to prepare will allow us to maximize its impact across the globe,” Cindy Parlow Cone, president of U.S. Soccer, said. “Investment disparities will be eliminated,” she stressed.
“U.S. Soccer, in partnership with Concacaf and its members, will complete the bid process to host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup™,” a statement on the U.S. Soccer official social media channels said. “We are excited by the opportunity to welcome teams and fans, inspire the next generation and grow the game regionally and globally,” the statement said.
Both countries have pushed for the competition to be priced on par with the men’s game to “fully maximize the commercial potential of the women’s tournament,” Parlow Cone said.
Cindy Parlow Cone, head of the U.S. Soccer Federation, better known as U.S. Soccer. (File photo/US Department of State)
No African country has hosted a Women’s World Cup. The same goes for Mexico. However, the U.S. hosted the Women’s World Cup in 1999 and 2003.
FIFA said it expects to pick hosts for the tournament at its annual congress next year on the eve of the men’s 2026 World Cup.
As for the 2035 Women’s World Cup, FIFA invited bids only from Europe or Africa. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed a 2035 bid, after the Football Associations of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales announced they will submit a declaration of interest to FIFA.
President Claudia Sheinbaum greeted reporters at the National Palace Thursday morning with a broad smile. Earlier, she'd had a successful phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump. (Graciela López/Cuartsocuro)
President Claudia Sheinbaum started her Thursday morning press conference at the decidedly late time of 11:20 a.m. — almost four hours later than usual.
Sheinbaum told reporters that the success of her call with Trump was due to her making him aware of how Mexico’s efforts have reduced fentanyl seizures at the Mexico-U.S. border. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum greeted reporters with a jovial “Buenos días” before walking to her lectern with a broad smile on her face.
“We’re going to read the post of President Trump,” she said, referring to his announcement on social media that “Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement.”
‘We are getting results, President Trump’
Sheinbaum noted that she presented to Trump U.S. Customs and Border Protection data that showed that the quantity of fentanyl seized at the Mexico-U.S. border declined 41.5% to 263 kilograms in February compared to 450 kilograms the previous month. She said that Trump wasn’t aware of the statistic, and attributed it to the increase in fentanyl seizures in Mexico.
Sheinbaum said she also highlighted that her government has deployed 10,000 additional National Guard Troops to Mexico’s northern border as part of a deal in early February that staved off tariffs until March 4.
“I also told him about the meeting in Washington with his security team and our security team, … where a series of cooperation and collaboration agreements were reached,” she said.
Sheinbaum told reporters Thursday that she highlighted to Trump the 10,000 military and National Guard personnel she sent to the Mexico-U.S. border in February to root out illegal immigration and narco-trafficking. (Carlos Sánchez Colunga/Cuartoscuro)
“Then I told him, ‘We are getting results, President Trump,'” Sheinbaum said.
“… ‘Now that you’ve implemented tariffs, how are we going to continue cooperating, collaborating, with something that harms the people of Mexico?'” she said, referring to tariffs, as she continued to recount her call with the U.S. president.
“It wasn’t a threat, not at all, simply: ‘Understand that, for me, the most important thing is my people,'” Sheinbaum said.
“… At the beginning, he stated ‘the tariffs are staying, and we’ll review it later’ … but I kept informing him about the many things we’ve done in Mexico in relation to security, even the decision the [federal government’s] Security Council took to send 29 prisoners to the United States,” she said, adding that she told Trump about other security results her government has achieved, including the arrests of thousands of suspected criminals.
“And finally, he made the proposal to postpone everything until April 2, [with] a different review, the review of reciprocal tariffs,” Sheinbaum said.
A ‘reciprocal relationship’ would be one in which ‘they don’t charge us tariffs either’
Sheinbaum highlighted that the vast majority of goods Mexico exports to the United States and imports from the U.S. are not subject to tariffs thanks to the USMCA trade pact, which superseded NAFTA in 2020. That statement was true until 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, when 25% U.S. tariffs on Mexican goods took effect.
The USMCA stipulates rules, including “rules of origin,” that products must comply with in order to travel across borders in North America without being subject to tariffs.
The trade agreement has allowed for free trade between Mexico, the United States and Canada for almost five years, but it didn’t stop Trump putting tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods two days ago.
Sheinbaum emphasized that because Mexico doesn’t impose tariffs on imports from the United States, a “reciprocal relationship” would be one in which “they don’t charge us tariffs either.”
For now, President Sheinbaum is expressing optimism that Mexico will avoid the so-called “Trump tariffs” permanently. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
In that context, she expressed optimism that tariffs won’t be imposed on Mexican goods when the United States places reciprocal tariffs on imports from other countries next month.
“In any case, we continue to work together,” Sheinbaum said.
“In other words, the Mexico-United States-Canada trade agreement is respected.”
AMLO’s good relationship with Trump a factor in tariff suspension, Sheinbaum says
A reporter asked the president whether she believed that Trump, in deciding to suspend tariffs on Mexican goods, took into account the views of automakers that have plants in both Mexico and the United States.
“It’s very probable that everything had an influence,” Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum also opined that Trump’s previous “good relationship” with former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador was a factor in Trump’s decision to suspend U.S. tariffs on Mexico. (Cuartoscuro)
“Remember the day that … [Trump] announced the tariffs, stock markets in the United States fell and there were a lot of United States businesspeople who said, “This isn’t good for us,'” she said.
“They did their own work to speak with President Trump. Obviously, everything has an influence, and I believe the relationship of respect we’ve had [with the United States] also has an influence,” Sheinbaum said.
She said she believed that the “good relationship” Trump had with former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador was also a factor in the U.S. president’s decision to suspend tariffs on imports from Mexico.
“President Trump obviously remembers that, right? All that has an influence on the good relationship because he obviously knows that [AMLO and I] are part of the same movement and that we have always referred to him with respect,” she said.
‘We favor trade with countries with which we have agreements’
Asked about the future of the USMCA and Mexico’s trade relationship with China, Sheinbaum noted that a review of the trilateral North American free trade pact is scheduled to take place in 2026.
As a result of “all these talks” between Mexico’s economy and finance ministers and the United States commerce and treasury secretaries, “it’s very probable” that “a lot of these things from this review will start to be seen now,” the president said, apparently indicating that changes to USMCA will be made before next year’s review.
“What have we always said? We also have to carry out reviews of the trade agreements we have, due to our sovereignty and our self-sufficiency, and due to the strengthening of our economy,” Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum, left, with Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard, holds up a decree in December that expanded the scope of an existing textile tariff to target cheap retail clothing from China, which has, in recent years, flooded Mexico’s market. (Marcelo Ebrard/X)
“But in the end, we favor trade with countries with which we have [trade] agreements. Remember, we don’t have a trade agreement with China, and we’re importing a lot of products from China,” she said.
Late last month, Sheinbaum said that imposing additional tariffs on imports from countries with which Mexico doesn’t have free trade agreements, such as China, was an option.
She said at the time that the implementation of tariffs on Chinese exports to Mexico wasn’t a “condition” that had been set by the United States, although Bloomberg had reported that “the Trump administration told Mexican officials” including Minister Ebrard “that they should put their own duties on Chinese imports as part of their efforts to avoid tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump.”
Sheinbaum said on Thursday that Mexico “has to review the tariffs” it currently has in place on imports from China, and stressed that her government wants to “recover” and “strengthen” Mexican industry.
“Why? Because that provides employment, strengthens us, generates well-being, reduces violence,” she said.
As part of the ambitious Plan México economic initiative, the government is aiming to reduce reliance on imports from China and other Asian countries in order to protect Mexican manufacturing.
To achieve that goal, it appears almost certain that the Mexican government will move to implement tariffs — or higher tariffs — on Chinese goods.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
The grid upgrade will install new power plants in five states across Mexico. (Shutterstock)
Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) announced this week that it will invest US $2.5 billion to develop five new power plants in the coming years.
After Tuesday’s extraordinary session, the CFE Board of Directors also announced it is taking steps to strengthen the electrical grid in the Yucatán Peninsula ahead of the summer season.
Leon, Guanajuato, under blackout conditions last May, when residents across Mexico experienced rolling blackouts. The city of Salamanca, also in Guanajuato, will be one of the recipients of five new power plants CFE will build across Mexico. (Jorge Ortega Hernández/Cuartoscuro)
The steps come nearly a year after blackouts and intentional power outages plagued large swaths of the country in May and August, significantly affecting popular tourist destinations in the state of Quintana Roo such as Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Tulum, as well as in the Riviera Nayarit along the Pacific Coast.
Last May, the Yucatán Times reported that power outages occurred in at least 21 of Mexico’s 32 states, and the National Energy Control Center (Cenace) had declared a state of emergency in the nation’s electricity system on more than three occasions.
Where will the five new power plants be built?
CFE announced that the new plants will be built in the following cities:
Salamanca, Guanajuato
Tula, Hidalgo
Mazatlán, Sinaloa
Altamira, Tamaulipas
Los Cabos, Baja California Sur
All will feature state-of-the-art technology, according to a CFE press release.
The grid upgrade is part of President Sheinbaum’s National Energy Sector Strategy, which President Sheinbaum introduced in November and Energy Minister Luz Elena González can be seen here explaining to reporters. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartsocuro)
In addition to the five states in which the power plants are being built, four other states — Sonora, Durango, Coahuila and Jalisco — will benefit directly, the CFE said, adding that these ventures are the first of 12 strategic projects included in the government’s Plan to Expand Energy Generation over the next six years, the CFE said.
All but the Los Cabos power plant will be combined-cycle operations, which use gas and steam turbines together to produce up to 50% more electricity from the same fuel than a single-cycle plant can manage.
The Los Cabos project will feature an internal combustion power plant that will rely on natural gas. The CFE explained this decision by saying internal combustion operations use less water and Los Cabos is located in a desert zone.
All five power plants will have a 30-year lifespan, the CFE said, and all will be capable of operating with diesel fuel in case of emergency.
Keeping the air conditioning on in the Riviera Maya
The CFE’s plans to enhance the electrical network in the Yucatán Peninsula ahead of the summer heat comes as great news to the state of Quintana Roo.
The tiny state at the eastern end of the peninsula receives about 33 million tourists each year, and its hot, humid climate results in high demand for air conditioning.
Blackouts in May and August last year wreaked havoc at the height of the tourist season. The loss of power resulted in traffic light failures, air conditioning malfunctions and problems at hotels and shopping malls, while also affecting ATM services and even mobile internet services.
To address the Peninsula’s electricity shortages, the CFE said it will install capacitor banks in seven northern substations in Quintana Roo at a cost of 194.4 million pesos. (US $9.6 million). These banks will store and release energy to improve the state electrical system’s efficiency.
To shore up Quintana Roo’s electrical grid, CFE plans to install substation capacitor banks, which store electricity and keep flow more consistent. (Eaton)
Additionally, a three-phase transformer will be moved from Saltillo, Coahuila, to Playa del Carmen at a cost of 49.4 million pesos (US $2.4 million). A three-phase transformer can step up or step down voltage more efficiently due to its ability to handle high power loads.
The CFE did not say when these projects will be completed, nor did it mention if installation of the capacitor banks would affect Quintana Roo’s power supply during installation.
It did, however, say it has also approved a budget of 9.7 million pesos (US $478,000) to reduce technical losses, to modernize Mexico’s distribution substations, to invest in automatic and remote operational capacities and to purchase new equipment, computers and vehicles.
Additionally, the CFE also authorized 137 projects to renovate, substitute and build new substations.
The controversy has opened a debate on the boundaries of art and religious respect in Mexico. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
Visual artist Fabián Cháirez has called for a protest on Friday, the day his controversial exhibition “The Coming of the Lord” was scheduled to close in Mexico City, following its suspension by a federal judge in response to complaints from Catholics and other Christians.
Cháirez shared this poster social media, calling on supporters to protest the judicial order to provisionally close his most recent exhibition. (Fabián Cháirez/X)
The protest is set for 5 p.m. outside the exhibit’s venue, the Academia de San Carlos in downtown Mexico City. The 244-year-old academy, formerly also known as the National School of Fine Arts, is affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Design, which is part of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Having opened to much fanfare Feb. 5, the exhibit features nine large-scale oil paintings that combine iconic religious themes with sexual imagery and eroticism. One painting depicts two males in cardinal attire licking a lit Paschal candle, while another shows two nuns in an intimate pose.
With only four days to go until closing, the show was suspended after the Association of Christian Lawyers (AAC) filed a complaint — reportedly signed digitally by 9,000 people — with the National Council to Prevent Discrimination (Conapred), alleging that the exhibit was offensive and violated the constitutional religious rights.
A federal judge then granted a provisional injunction that ordered the closure, within 24 hours, of the exhibit until the issue is legally resolved. That was followed by a statement from the San Carlos Academy and UNAM’s Faculty of Arts and Design noting that they had complied.
Fabián Cháirez, whose art features homoerotic themes, has once again found himself in the middle of controversy. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
Another hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, when it will be determined whether a definitive suspension will be granted.
Cháirez, 37, denounced the closure as censorship and argued that his right to freedom of expression was being violated.
“The censorship imposed on my work is an act of intolerance that denies the possibility of debate and of finding new ways of interpreting our relationship with the divine,” he said in a statement. “Fear or dogma cannot be allowed to dictate the limits of art.”
His statement also claimed that he had not been notified of the amparo trial, a constitutional legal proceeding designed to protect individual rights and freedoms.
“While it is true that [UNAM] acts as the responsible authority, it is also true that as the creator of said work, I should have been called to the amparo trial,” he wrote, “in order to give my defense and not see my human right to freedom of expression affected.”
He also accused UNAM and the Faculty of Arts and Design for demonstrating “a lack of interest in instilling in the next generation of artists the defense of their work and freedom of expression.”
Several LGBTQ+ rights organizations, including GayLatino and Altarte AC, have expressed support for both the artist and Friday’s protest — which some are saying might set the stage for a larger debate on the boundaries of art and religious respect in Mexican society.
GayLatino condemned the censorship, stating it was “an attempt to erase the voices that make plurality visible and to perpetuate a status quo that denies rights to populations of sexual and gender diversity.”
The Christian lawyers group defended the suspension, arguing that “freedom of expression is limited by the requirement” to not infringe upon or disrespect the religious beliefs, symbols and dignity of Catholics.
And recently, “The Coming of the Lord” — “La Venida del Señor” in Spanish — was symbolically shut down when Catholic protesters entered the gallery on Feb. 19 and made a human barricade in front of what they deemed “offensive images.”
Cháirez has remained defiant, stating, “Today it is my work that is censored, but tomorrow it could be any other artistic manifestation that challenges established thinking.”
All passengers made it to safety, though one person suffered burns. (Screenshots)
Passengers on a city bus in Monterrey, Nuevo León, narrowly escaped tragedy this week, fleeing the vehicle as the flames of a wildfire roared toward it.
This week’s incident — videos of which were published on social media, one from inside the bus and another from outside — occurred in Santa Catarina, a suburb of Monterrey, the capital of the northern state.
En su sección: “Cuenta la gente que el chofer gritó: ¡Atestígüenme!” 😮
Pasajeros tuvieron que descender del transporte público corriendo debido a que el chofer se detuvo cerca de un incendio en Nuevo León
After the bus was overtaken by the fast-moving conflagration, the terrified passengers hurried off the bus, most racing to safety inside the gates of a nearby industrial park.
On one video, you hear rising expressions of alarm at the approaching blaze, urgent cries to stop the bus, frantic screams of “Get out! Get out!” and a frightened child crying, as the passengers hasten toward the exit and scramble away from the bus.
This scene took place in the greater Monterrey metropolitan area where nearly 250 wildfires have been reported this week. Monterrey, the state capital, is a major industrial hub located in a dry valley surrounded by mountains, forests and ecological parks. The Santa Catarina River, which bisects Monterrey, is dry most of the year.
Nuevo León Governor Samuel García said on Wednesday that firefighters had extinguished 236 fires, but there were three active blazes — in Monterrey, García and Santa Catarina municipalities — that were still a concern.
A group of firefighters prepares to continue the battle against the Cerro Topo Chico fire in Monterrey Thursday morning. (Protección Civil Nuevo León)
After initially attributing the fires to high winds and dust storms in combination with the lack of rain, García said Wednesday that the authorities had solid evidence against three suspected arsonists, according to El Financiero.
The governor said one of the suspects confessed to being paid 300 pesos to set a fire in the municipality of García, where the blazes have caused more than 300 million pesos (US $14.8 million) worth of damage.
In Santa Catarina, more than 30 fires were reported, including the one that almost trapped the bus passengers. That fire reportedly started in a vacant lot and, although emergency personnel arrived on the scene swiftly, high winds whipped the blaze out of control.
The bus was traveling south on State Highway 65, which traverses a valley to the west of Monterrey and is populated by residential areas and industrial parks. As the fast-moving fire blasted across the highway, the driver attempted a U-turn. However, a wall of flames surrounded the bus, forcing it to stop and prompting the panicked passengers to flee.
According to UnoTV, a young female passenger suffered burns on one leg, but no other injury was reported.
State authorities have since shut down Highway 65 and an environmental emergency alert remains in effect.
According to a Reuters reported published Thursday, the Mexican state-owned oil company Pemex is in talks with buyers from Asia and Europe, where a source told Reuters, there is demand for heavy crude. (Shutterstock)
State oil company Pemex is seeking to further diversify its crude sales in light of the United States’ decision to impose 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico, according to the Reuters news agency.
Citing information from an unnamed senior Mexican government official, Reuters reported on Thursday that Pemex is in talks with potential buyers in Asia, including China, and Europe.
Recent drone attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure have squeezed available supplies for Asia in 2025. In countries like China and India, Russia has been a top supplier of crude. (Bob63/Shutterstock)
The report — published before United States President Donald Trump announced on Thursday morning an almost one-month pause on tariffs on imports from Mexico — comes a day after President Claudia Sheinbaum said that Mexico will seek other trade partners if U.S. tariffs on Mexican goods remain in place.
The United States imposed 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico and most imports from Canada on Tuesday. The U.S. is taxing Canadian oil at 10%, but Mexican crude is (or was) subject to the full 25% levy.
Reuters reported that 57% of the 806,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude Pemex exported last year went to the United States.
It noted that Pemex exports some crude to Europe and Asia, particularly India and South Korea, but highlighted that “the lion’s share” of the state oil company’s flagship heavy sour Maya oil goes to the United States.
The government official who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity said “the good thing is that there’s appetite for Mexican crude in Europe, in India, in Asia.”
“There’s demand for heavy crude and Pemex crude,” the source said.
Mexican ports like Manzanillo in Colima, seen here, and Salina Cruz in Oaxaca could be exporting a lot more Pemex crude to Asia in the near future. (JRomero04/Shutterstock)
The official said that potential Chinese buyers were “very interested” in purchasing Mexican crude in initial talks with Pemex.
“Demand will decide how these flows are redirected,” the source said.
The official said that Pemex would not give a discount to United States clients in an attempt to retain them while its oil exports to the U.S. are taxed at 25%, as could once again be the case starting in early April. The source said that Pemex buyers in the U.S. haven’t discussed terminating their contracts.
Two other sources at Pemex’s trading arm PMI Comercio Internacional told Reuters that China, India, South Korea and even Japan would be suitable markets for Mexican crude in light of the United States tariffs on Mexican goods. Their assessment took into account higher shipping costs to get Mexican oil to Asia.
One of the PMI sources told Reuters that “only Asia” could take the volume of oil not sent to the United States. That assessment took into consideration the capacity of refineries to process the specific type of crude exported by Pemex.
The two PMI sources also said that Pemex doesn’t have any plans to discount crude to make exports more competitive.
Whether the United States’ tariffs on imports from Mexico will once again take effect in April is unclear. Trump announced Thursday morning that “Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement” until April 2.
The announcement came after Trump spoke to President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Whether Pemex will still seek to sell more crude to buyers in Asia and Europe wasn’t immediately clear.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. (File photo/Wikimedia Commons)
Mexico is aiming to become self-sufficient for fuel and consequently is keeping more crude in the country to refine at Pemex refineries. However, output from Mexico’s older oil fields, most of which are in the Gulf of Mexico, has declined to its lowest level in more than 40 years, Reuters said.
In January, “exports slumped 44% year-on-year to 532,404 bpd, the lowest level in decades,” the news agency reported.
"Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard, together, on the Border," Trump wrote in reference to his Mexican counterpart. (Presidencia, Gage Skidmore)
United States President Donald Trump announced Thursday that imports from Mexico covered by the USMCA free trade pact will not be subject to U.S. tariffs until at least early April.
“After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement,” Trump said in a post to his Truth Social account.
“This Agreement is until April 2nd. I did this as an accommodation, and out of respect for, President Sheinbaum. Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard, together, on the Border, both in terms of stopping Illegal Aliens from entering the United States and, likewise, stopping Fentanyl,” he wrote.
“Thank you to President Sheinbaum for your hard work and cooperation!”
As of 11 a.m. Mexico City time, Trump had not announced a pause on U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods. However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Levitt announced Wednesday that Trump had decided to give a one-month tariff exemption to automakers importing vehicles from Mexico and Canada.
Muchas gracias al presidente Donald Trump. Tuvimos una excelente y respetuosa llamada en la que coincidimos en que nuestro trabajo y colaboración han dado resultados sin precedentes, en el marco de respeto a nuestras soberanías. Continuaremos trabajando juntos, particularmente en… pic.twitter.com/JzD9jkm8tz
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) March 6, 2025
“Thank you very much to President Donald Trump. We had an excellent and respectful call during which we agreed that our work and collaboration have yielded unprecedented results within the framework of respect for our sovereignties,” she wrote.
“We will continue working together, particularly on the issues of migration and security, which include reducing the illegal crossing of fentanyl to the United States and weapons to Mexico. As President Trump mentions, Mexico won’t be required to pay tariffs on all products within the USMCA. This agreement is until April 2, when the United States will announce reciprocal tariffs for all countries,” Sheinbaum said.
The president subsequently told reporters at a (later than usual morning) press conference that “practically” all trade between Mexico and the United States occurs “within USMCA,” which stipulates rules including “rules of origin” that products must comply with in order to travel across borders in North America without being subject to tariffs.
Most Mexico-U.S. trade will be exempt from trade for the time being, Sheinbaum said. (Presidencia)
Sheinbaum also said that “practically” all of Mexico’s imports from the United States enter the country tariff-free and therefore U.S. reciprocal tariffs will have a negligible impact on Mexico if any. However, the United States could choose to reimpose tariffs on Mexico if it deems that its actions against drugs and migrants are lacking.
Sheinbaum told reporters that during her call with Trump she presented United States Customs and Border Protection data on fentanyl seizures at the Mexico-U.S. border.
She highlighted that fentanyl seizures at the border — which can be as used as a proxy to estimate whether the amount of the opioid entering the United States is going up or down — declined 41.5% in February compared to January.
Sheinbaum said that Trump wasn’t aware of that statistic, and attributed it to the increase in fentanyl seizures in Mexico.
Sheinbaum stressed that her agreement with Trump that will ward off tariffs for at least the next four weeks “benefits both countries.”
In the call with Trump, “we were treated with a lot of respect,” the president said, explaining that she used the word “we” because she represents the people of Mexico.
Sheinbaum said that “respect and dignity” have been the “characteristics” of all four calls she has had with Trump.
For the time being at least those measures won’t be necessary.
On Thursday, Sheinbaum said “a festival” with live music to celebrate the deal with Trump would take place in the Zócalo on Sunday. In addition to the tariff agreement, she said she might also “speak about the judicial reform,” whose approval late last year paved the way for Mexico’s first ever judicial elections to be held this June.
Local, state and federal police as well as the Mexican Army have been implicated in the 2014 disappearance of 43 student teachers in Iguala, Guerrero. To date, remains of three of the students have been found. (Dassaev Téllez Adame/Cuartoscuro)
More than a decade after the abduction and presumed murder of 43 Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers College students in Guerrero, a new investigative unit has been assembled to review the still unresolved case.
Vidulfo Rosales, lawyer for the families of the 43 missing students, announced the new investigative unit Friday after he attended a meeting with President Claudia Sheinbaum and the family members at the National Palace. Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez, Undersecretary of Population, Human Rights and Migration Arturo Medina and head of the specialized Unit for the Ayotzinapa Case of the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) Rosendo Gómez Piedra also attended the meeting.
Vidulfo Rosales Sierra, lawyer for the parents of the missing Ayotzinapa students, announced the new commission after meeting with President Sheinbaum. (File photo)
The new investigation unit will be led by the FGR and the Security and Citizen Protection Ministry. The Commission for Truth and Access to Justice in the Ayotzinapa Case (COVAJ), established under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, will continue to operate as well.
On Jan. 17, Sheinbaum had told reporters that a “new team” would review the case. During the updated announcement on Friday, Rosales expressed guarded optimism about future results.
“I think we’re moving forward,” he said. “The progress is obviously not what we would like, but there is progress.”
While specific details of the operation are not being shared, the new investigation team will use advanced technology, including cell phone analysis.
In January, President Sheinbaum mentioned that the Ayotzinapa investigation would continue under her watch. (Gustavo Alberto/Cuartoscuro)
“The President said — and we agree on this point — that one cannot depend on witnesses … because witnesses are often weak, manipulable or changeable in a statement,” Rosales said. “Conversely, scientific evidence is more honest, and I believe that this new investigation team wants to reach that point.”
Rosales stressed what he said was the lack of access to important military documents.
“This team that has been formed will continue working on the issue of military archives that the Mexican Army has not delivered,” he said.
However, Sheinbaum has maintained that the army has already provided all the information it has, according to Rosales.
A new arrest
This review of the case follows a recent arrest in the municipality of Iztapalapa inMexico City.
Authorities detained Martín Alejandro “N,” known as “El Kamala,” who is alleged to have been involved in the students’ disappearance, following coordinated investigations between several security agencies.
“El Kamala” is accused of organized crime and forced disappearance. He was arrested previously and then released in 2018. There are reportedly statements in the case file in which “El Kamala” admits to being responsible for shooting the students, on orders from “Choky.”
Tomás Zerón, the former director of the Ayotzinapa investigation, fled to Israel after being accused of interfering in the investigative process. (Screenshot)
The new team may also revisit several other individuals related to the case.
In 2016, the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) accused Tomás Zerón de Lucio, the former director of the defunct Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC), of violating the investigation process.
Mexican authorities have accused Zerón of abduction, torture and tampering with evidence. Zerón has taken refuge in Israel, which currently refuses to extradite him. Rosales suggested the possibility of going to international courts to get the former official to testify.
During Friday’s meeting, Sheinbaum did not rule out calling former President Enrique Peña Nieto to testify in the Ayotzinapa case if evidence deems it necessary, according to Rosales.
Dancers at the El Señor de la Conquista festival in San Miguel de Allende, which celebrates a pivotal, but controversial moment in Mexican history. (Scott Umstattd/scott-pix.com)
The celebration of El Señor de la Conquista is one of San Miguel de Allende’s most important events. Every year, on the first Friday of March, hundreds of Indigenous Hñähñu (Otomi) dancers gather to honor a life-size statue of Christ that has been safeguarded in the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel for over 400 years.
A history of faith and conflict
The Indigenous Hñähñu people of modern-day Guanajuato fiercely resisted the Spanish conquest for many years. (Nicojs/Wikimedia)
Shortly after the town of San Miguel was founded in 1542, Spanish missionaries began efforts to colonize the Central Mexican Plateau and evangelize its Indigenous peoples, whom the Spanish referred to as “Chichimecas.” Threatened by Spanish slave-raiding and determined to defend their lands, the Chichimecas resisted fiercely, fighting the colonizers for 50 years in what is now called the Chichimeca War.
In 1564, Vasco de Quiroga, the first bishop of Michoacán, officially established San Miguel as a parish, entrusting Franciscan friars with the mission of converting the native population. In 1580, two friars set out from Valladolid, now Morelia, accompanied by a small group of Spanish soldiers. According to historical records, the friars carried two large crucifixes, both made in Pátzcuaro using the pasta de caña, or corn pulp technique, to appeal to native traditions.
As they approached San Miguel, the party was ambushed by Chichimeca warriors at the site now known as El Puente del Fraile. Just before dying, the friars are said to have clutched the crucifixes tightly, covering them with their blood.
A few soldiers survived and brought the crucifixes to San Miguel. One of the crucifixes had lost an arm during the attack. Days later, the missing arm was found at the ambush site and, when reattached, it fit perfectly, adding to the crucifix’s reputation for miracles.
Dancers fill the streets with noise, perfumed smoke and a riot of color to remember the arrival of Christianity in San Miguel de Allende. (Scott Umstattd/scott-pix.com)
It was then decided that one crucifix would remain in the Parroquia, or parish church, of San Miguel, while the other was sent to the town of San Felipe. Both were venerated as El Señor de la Conquista: the Lord of the Conquest. The title is supposedly meant to honor not military conquest but rather spiritual conversion. Many began attributing miracles to these crucifixes, said to heal the sick and protect the region from epidemics.
The celebration of El Señor de la Conquista today
During the colonial era, the crucifix was carried in a devotional procession through the town’s main streets, alongside other religious images still preserved in nearby communities. The last recorded procession took place in 1842. Since then, the celebration consists of gathering around the Parroquia every year on the first Friday of March. This is preceded by a novena, a nine-day prayer ritual, where 33 creeds are recited each day, honoring the 33 years of Christ’s life.
The event begins at 8 a.m., when hundreds of dancers dressed in elaborate traditional attire gather around the Parroquia. The area fills with color, movement and sound while distinct groups of worshipers take their place. The dancers move to the deep, steady pulse of drums while the scent of copal incense marks the space as sacred. As the ritual unfolds, locals and tourists gather, drawn by the powerful energy that fills the air.
20 SEÑOR DE LA CONQUISTA 2010
This celebration also marks the start of the planting season. The ritual is a show of gratitude, as if a good upcoming harvest had already arrived. In this tradition, gratitude comes first, with dancers moving in celebration of the abundance they trust will come, rather than praying for it to happen.
Each element in the dancers’ attire and body paint is filled with symbolism, a stunning display of pre-Columbian identity. Their towering headdresses are made of feathers arranged in elaborate patterns. Many wear pectoral plates depicting mythological symbols or animal spirits. Their arms and ankles are wrapped in rattling seed pods and shells, loudly proclaiming their every step.
Their shoes are usually simple sandals designed to allow contact with the earth. Many also carry shields painted with motifs that represent warrior heritage. Some shields feature mirrors, believed to reflect negative energy and protect the bearer. Combined with richly embroidered capes or skirts, these garments turn the dancers into moving altars, where every element carries significant meaning.
A paradox of faith and survival
While the festival marks the conquest of Mexico, and the subjugation of Indigenous culture, it also celebrates the traditional Hñähñu way of life. (Scott Umstattd/scott-pix.com)
The essence of this festivity can feel like a contradiction. El Señor de la Conquista was created to mark the religious conversion of Indigenous people through colonization and evangelization. Yet today, it is the descendants of those same original communities who lead the celebration, performing rituals and dances passed down from long before the Spanish arrived.
The clamorous rhythm of steps, drums, rattles and chanting pulls dancers and spectators alike into a trance-like state. This way of reaching spiritual heights stands in sharp contrast to Catholic traditions that emphasize verbal worship and quiet contemplation.
Like many other religious expressions in the country, this festivity serves as a living testament to Mexico’s ability to hold multiple truths at once: resistance and compliance, conquest and survival, and Catholic and Indigenous religion. The celebration of El Señor de la Conquista is a window into the complex soul of Mexico.
How to participate
You can witness the event at any time throughout the day, as the celebration continues well into the night. Remember that this is not a performance for tourists; it holds deep spiritual meaning for the dancers and their communities. Treat the space, rituals and participants with respect. Avoid blocking the dancers’ paths and be mindful when taking photos. By showing reverence and understanding, you honor the tradition and the people who have kept it alive.
Sandra Gancz Kahan is a Mexican writer and translator based in San Miguel de Allende who specializes in mental health and humanitarian aid. She believes in the power of language to foster compassion and understanding across cultures. She can be reached at sandragancz@gmail.com
Though never as big as in other countries, Pinball has a loyal following in Mexico, as evidenced by a tiny pinball museum in the heart of the capital. (Pinball México)
When it comes to visiting the Mexican capital, rife with world-class cuisine, museums and an endless amount of day trips within driving distance, pinballing might not be at the top of your list. And maybe it shouldn’t be. But, if like me, you enjoy discovering the many different angles of communities and subcommunities across Mexico, then you might enjoy a day in Mexico City through the eyes of an avid pinballer.
For starters, you can visit Pinball México, the country’s only official pinball distributor and private showroom — at least according to them. Located in Polanco, the small room is hidden within a larger coworking office building that you’ll need to have an appointment to get into. Just reach out to Pinball México in advance, and they’ll be happy to let you in.
Nothing screams “It’s 1985” like a pinball table, and Pinball México can take you right back to the glory days. (el-toro/CC BY 2.0)
Once inside, you’ll be able to tap into your inner 1980s and ‘90s child by playing four different machines all imported from Stern Pinball in Chicago, one of the most prominent pinball manufacturers in the world. Neon lighting and quirky comic book aesthetics give the extremely tiny showroom its outsized character and vibrancy, and someone will attend to your needs and answer your questions.
Pinball México is run by a group of Mexican pinball aficionados who sell, operate and fix machines in addition to hosting off-site tournaments by supplying machines from their abundantly-stocked warehouse, which is tucked away outside of the city. According to them, it’s the only one of its kind in the city and in the entire country. In my lifetime of visiting family members throughout Mexico, I don’t recall ever seeing a space strictly dedicated to celebrating and selling pinball machines, so I don’t doubt it.
Though it lacks the sheer volume of a real arcade, the spirit and soul of Pinball México is vibrant and inviting for an afternoon visit. Strolling around Chapultepec park, walking distance from the showroom, doesn’t hurt, either, and Pinball México is around the corner from the excellent Taquería El Turix, which specializes in Yucatecan dishes.
Currently, this pinball haven has four brand new pinball machines for use: “John Wick,” “Venom,” “Godzilla” and “Jaws.” Everything is digitized, so you don’t need physical pesos to play. Instead, you download a quick app and set up your account before using a QR code to connect to any machine and launch gameplay. 100 pesos gets you a half hour, and though you don’t need coins to play, they will charge you in cash upon entering.
Mexico’s moment in the global pinball spotlight came courtesy of Italian pinball manufacturer Zaccaria. (Tim Kells/Internet Pinball Database)
Pinball’s popularity was at its global height from the 1950s to the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, when newer video games and other technologies began to outpace the analog pleasures of yore. Though Mexico has never been particularly known for pinballing, Italian pinball manufacturer Zaccaria once paid tribute to the nation with “Mexico 86,” a classic pinball machine based on the 1986 World Cup, which Mexico hosted.
The game features a stereotyped rendition of Mexico — Aztec patterns, sombreros and an attractive Mexican woman inside of a soccer ball — over a soccer field backdrop.Though it’s unclear when pinball itself arrived in Mexico, it never fully took off in the way it did throughout the United States. But it has some roots here, and despite being miniscule, there is a map of where to play pinball in the sprawling metropolis of 22 million.
Commissioned by the museum in 2021, Andy Cavortorta — who holds a Masters degree from MIT and owns an arts studio in Brooklyn — designed and assembled what may be “the world’s most complex electromechanical game.” “Dual Coincidence” resembles a pinball machine on steroids in terms of its functionality and presentation, but is meant to simulate economic concepts to museum visitors with its five-player gaming system in which users trade resources with the use of interactive pinballs. As if that weren’t enough, the game is inspired by “2001: A Space Odyssey.” If it sounds like a lot, that’s because it kind of is.
But who knows? Maybe it’ll bring out the secret pinball player in you.
Alan Chazaro is the author of “This Is Not a Frank Ocean Cover Album,” “Piñata Theory” and “Notes From the Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge” (Ghost City Press, 2021). He is a graduate of June Jordan’s Poetry for the People program at UC Berkeley and a former Lawrence Ferlinghetti Fellow at the University of San Francisco. His writing can be found in GQ, NPR, The Guardian, L.A. Times and more. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, he is currently based in Veracruz.
