Monday, October 13, 2025

How to deal with hurricane season in Mexico

By
Andrea Fischer
-
5
A hurricane with its eye on Earth, seen from outer space.
Hurricane season officially began in Mexico's Pacific Ocean on May 15. (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)

It’s finally here! The first shower arrived in Mexico City on May 8, 2025, marking the unofficial start of the city’s long-awaited rainy season. After a very dry spring this year, temperatures are finally falling with the first downpours. 

Nothing brings capitalinos more joy than a cloudy CDMX. Yet, however excited we get when the rain comes — imagine anything worse than a dry season with pretty bad air quality? — we know that the rainy season in Mexico also brings hurricanes to folks in coastal areas.

Acapulco after Hurricane Otis. There is wreckage of buildings and signs and other debris on the ground everywhere.
Acapulco’s iconic hotel strip was completely devastated by the unexpected strength of Hurricane Otis in 2023.  (ProtoplasmaKid/Wikimedia Commons)

Due to the global climate crisis, when hurricanes arrive nowadays, they tend to be wilder, more dangerous and more unpredictable. A disturbing example of this occurred in 2023 in Acapulco with Hurricane Otis, which grew in strength so quickly, it took Mexican officials by surprise and caused over 50 deaths and overwhelming damage to the resort community. 

Though it is practically impossible to know how many hurricanes there will actually be, or how hazardous they might become, authorities have outlined best practices and contingency guidelines to go through a hurricane safely.

If you’re living in Mexico in an area prone to hurricanes, read on to learn more about them and how to stay safe if you run into the path of one.

When does Mexico’s hurricane season start?

Hurricane season in Mexico officially started in the Pacific Ocean on May 15. The Atlantic hurricane season in Mexico will begin on June 1. Both end on Nov. 30. This period also coincides with the rainy season throughout much of the country.

According to the National Meteorological Service (SMN), hurricanes are tropical cyclones that have gained great strength. Heavy rain and winds come with these natural phenomena. “When a storm’s maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph,” says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “it is called a hurricane.”

A gray graphic with a nearly transparent background showing a beach area with palm trees. Superimposed on the background is text saying in Spanish "Atlantic Names" and a list of the 21 names to be given to storms that form in the North Atlantic during the 2025 North Atlantic hurricane season.
The official names to be given to storms that form during the 2025 Pacific hurricane season, which started May 15. (Conagua)

Hurricanes are typically classified into five categories in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, depending on wind strength and the danger they pose to the population:

  • Category 1: 74–95 mph
  • Category 2: 96–110 mph
  • Category 3: 111–130 mph
  • Category 4: 131–155 mph
  • Category 5: Winds greater than 155 mph

This year, the SMN is predicting up to 37 cyclones in the Atlantic and Pacific combined, the first of which will be named Andrea.

Hurricanes more aggressive and unpredictable

Hurricane Otis was a grim reminder that the global climate crisis is not a hoax. Rising ocean temperatures, a consequence of the planet’s warming, has resulted in cyclones, hurricanes and related events becoming even more intense and hard to predict. 

“This change is likely related to warming ocean temperatures and more moisture in the air,” said a recent NASA report, “both of which fuel hurricanes.”

After the disastrous effect Hurricane Otis had on the coast of Guerrero in 2023, particularly in Acapulco, being wary of hurricane season in Mexico is a must. How to be safe, then?

How to stay safe during hurricane season

The northwestern states in Mexico, such as Sinaloa and the southern part of the Baja California Peninsula, are particularly vulnerable to the Pacific hurricane season in Mexico. In the Atlantic, the Yucatán Peninsula is frequently hit, too, along with the Caribbean coast. If you’re living around these areas, the first thing to do is stay up-to-date with the news through official media.

The Water Ministry (@Conagua_clima on the social media platform X and Conagua Comisión Nacional del Agua-SMNmx on Facebook) shares information on its social media accounts, particularly on X, and posts updates about each storm’s trajectory and behavior. 

Man sheltering from rain on a beach
If official sources warn of danger, monitor the developing situation from inside, using only official information sources to make what could be a life-or-death decision. (Carlos Alberto Carbajal/Cuartoscuro)

Monitoring local news is key to knowing how each weather phenomenon is developing and what to do in case of an emergency. In case of a natural disaster, these outlets also typically publish where to get help or seek shelter. Local and state governments used to dealing with tropical storms and hurricanes year after year — such as in the Yucatán Peninsula — usually post important resident information on social media in the days before a dangerous storm makes landfall. Look also on social media for your state’s Civil Protection agency, which may have useful information posted. 

If your local or state government advises not to go out, or in an extreme case, to evacuate, by all means, listen to official instructions. Also, please, avoid misinformation at all costs: always try to verify your sources with reliable outlets. WhatsApp chains, unofficial individuals’ social media accounts or random Facebook posts are not reliable enough, and could even harbor a scam.

The following advice is always advisable, especially if you live in a risky area:

  • Stay indoors, even during brief periods of calm
  • Avoid flooded or affected areas
  • Follow government guidelines and keep up to date with official information
  • And, of course, if necessary, be prepared for any aftermath

Stay safe, folks!

Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.

A reality check for the Maya Train: Without cargo service, it will keep losing money

By
MND Staff
-
14
Passengers boarding a Maya Train car
The harsh reality for the Train Maya is that it's not attracting enough foreign passengers to break even and probably never will, according to its general director. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

The Maya Train has only been fully operational for five months and already questions about its profitability have been raised. The latest doubts come not from the project’s innumerable critics, but from the director of the railway.

Gen. Óscar David Lozano — the general director of the Maya Train — raised eyebrows earlier this month when he admitted to the Mexican Association of Railroads (AMF) that the Maya Train will not turn a profit unless cargo trains are added to the project.

man and woman seated and talking
Óscar Lozano Águila, director general of the Maya Train, shown here with Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, has made clear his belief that no train enterprise in the world can make a profit without offering freight service. (Daniel Augusto/ Cuartoscuro)

In fact, a day earlier, Lozano had confirmed that the Maya Train operated at a significant loss in 2024. The state-owned railway was US $133 million in the red, bringing in only 275 million pesos (US $14 million) from passengers and souvenir sales. That amount represented a mere 9.6% of revenues needed to break even

Billed as a tourism mega-project, the 1,554-km Maya Train railway was built at a cost of roughly 500 billion pesos (US $24.8 billion), nearly four times more than originally estimated.

On Dec. 15, 2024, President Claudia Sheinbaum inaugurated the final two sections of the train that traverses the Yucatán Peninsula, declaring it fully operational and calling it “one of the great legacies” of her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Early last month, authorities celebrated the train’s one-millionth passenger, while acknowledging that ridership had been well behind the government’s targeted numbers.

Perhaps not coincidentally, authorities were already contemplating adapting the railway for cargo transport. 

In mid-March, Sheinbaum officially announced plans to link the ports of Progreso, Yucatán, and Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, to stimulate commerce in the region. Trunk lines will connect the ports — both on the Gulf of Mexico side of the peninsula — to the Maya Train tracks.

The government hopes to add 700 kilometers of track to accommodate cargo trains by 2026, citing an initial budget of 38 billion pesos (US $1.98 billion). The goal is for the railway to break even by 2030.

Lozano had qualified his warning about the train’s lack of profitability by telling the AMF that no railroad project in the world can expect to turn a profit by solely relying on passenger service. 

Although ridership has been on the rise — up 181% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 — the Maya Train was not proving to be the tourist attraction originally envisioned.

The stated goal of the project was to provide transportation for three million tourists each year, a task made more problematic by the lack of connectivity between the train stations and the tourist attractions it purports to serve.

According to official figures cited by El Financiero, only six of every 100 passengers on the train since operations began in December 2023 were foreign tourists. 

Data compiled through May 13 indicated that just over 77,000 passengers were foreigners, nearly half of them from the U.S. This factors out to just 149 international tourists each day, a number which pales in comparison to the estimated 20 million foreign visitors that arrived in Cancún last year. 

Furthermore, authorities have found that one-fourth of all foreign tourists riding the Maya Train used it exclusively to travel from Mérida to Cancún, a distance of less than one-fifth of the entire length of the rail system.

With reports from El Financiero, Infobae and Yucatán Magazine

Less than a week to go till Mexico’s first-ever judicial elections: Monday’s mañanera recapped

By
MND Staff
-
1
Sheinbaum at her morning press conference
Sheinbaum promised a strong National Guard presence in Veracruz after recent political violence and gave an update on negotiations to reopen cattle trade along the U.S. border at her Monday presser. (Saúl López Escorcia/Presidencia)

Mexico’s first-ever judicial elections will be held this Sunday, almost nine months after former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador promulgated a controversial judicial reform that was approved by Congress last September.

Thousands of candidates are vying to win almost 900 judgeships, including nine Supreme Court justice positions.

In two states, Veracruz and Durango, citizens will also elect mayors and other municipal officials this Sunday.

At her morning press conference on Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about the upcoming elections, as well as violence that has marred the campaign period in Veracruz.

Judicial elections now less than a week away 

“Voting is free, direct and secret,” Sheinbaum reminded reporters.

“… And in Mexico he or she who wants to vote votes. And he or she who doesn’t want to vote doesn’t vote, in any election,” she said.

'The vote is free and secret,' the sign reminds voters at a polling station.
“Voting is free, direct and secret,” Sheinbaum reminded the audience, echoing a common Mexican voting slogan. (File photo)

“There are countries where it is compulsory to vote,” Sheinbaum said, referring to nations such as Australia and Brazil.

“In Mexico it isn’t. There is complete freedom,” she said.

“What we promote is information, education, awareness, in the sense of the importance this election has,” said Sheinbaum, who argues that the renewal of the judiciary is essential to rid it of ills such as corruption and nepotism.

“So, I call on the people on June 1 to go out and vote for the candidates we choose,” she said.

“… It’s very important for citizens to participate and they will participate,” Sheinbaum said, adding that “half” of all people are aware that the judicial elections will take place this Sunday.

“… We have seven days left, including today, to vote in the judicial branch election,” she said.

Reporters watch President Sheinbaum, on stage at the end of a large room, during her morning press conference
During her Monday press conference, Sheinbaum called on Mexicans to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming elections. (Saúl López Escorcia/Presidencia)

“Locate your polling place, decide on your preferred candidates in order to exercise your right and get out and vote on June 1,” Sheinbaum said.

As the countdown to election day proceeds, the National Electoral Institute is “investigating complaints that political groups, including ruling party Morena, are trying to sway voters in the upcoming judicial elections,” Reuters reported on Monday.

Security bolstered in Veracruz ahead of elections 

A reporter noted that there have been “some episodes of political violence against candidates in Veracruz,” where mayors and other local officials will be elected in all 212 municipalities this Sunday.

Among the incidents of violence was an armed attack last week on the casa de campaña, or “campaign house,” of a candidate for mayor in the municipality of Juan Rodríguez Clara, located in southern Veracruz. A journalist, Avisak Douglas, was wounded in the attack and subsequently succumbed to her injuries.

Sheinbaum said that federal and state authorities have ramped up security in Veracruz, and noted that a special operation will take place in the Gulf coast state on election day.

She said there is a “greater presence of the National Guard in certain places” where there are heightened security risks, as well as “permanent communication” on security issues between authorities.

National Guard members perch atop security vehicles on patrol
Sheinbaum said the National Guard would have a greater presence in areas of Veracruz at risk for political violence during the elections. (Margarito Pérez Retana/Cuartoscuro)

Sheinbaum did not identify any criminal group or individuals who may be responsible for recent politically-motivated attacks in Veracruz.

“The Security Cabinet can report [on that],” she said.

“There is a lot of [security] work in Veracruz and the entire country,” Sheinbaum said.

US suspension on livestock imports from Mexico still in place

A reporter noted that 15 days have now passed since the United States suspended imports of livestock from Mexico to prevent the spread of New World screwworm (NWS), cases of which have been detected in animals in southern states including Chiapas and Oaxaca.

Asked for an update on the situation, Sheinbaum said that Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegué is engaged in “permanent talks” with United States officials over the screw worm issue.

She said she hoped that the United States would reopen its southern border to livestock imports from Mexico “as soon as possible.”

A white cow (livestock) with an ear tag looks through a fence
Screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, has been found in Mexican cattle as far north as Veracruz in the past year. (Culture Ministry/Cuartoscuro)

Sheinbaum also said that there is an agreement between Mexico and the United States for the installation of a plant in Mexico where sterile screw worm flies will be bred.

Sterile insect technique, in which large numbers of sterile insects are released into the wild, is being used in Mexico as part of efforts to combat screw worm

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on May 11 that the livestock import suspension would “persist on a month-by-month basis, until a significant window of containment is achieved.”

At the time, the USDA also said that “the United States and Mexico continue efforts to interdict and eradicate NWS in Mexico and work in good faith.”

“However, despite these efforts and the economic impact on both countries due to this action, there has been unacceptable northward advancement of NWS and additional action must be taken to slow the northern progression of this deadly parasitic fly,” the department said.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])

Ex-security chief ordered to pay US $2.4 billion to the Mexican government

By
MND Staff
-
3
Poster of a man
García Luna was found guilty of taking bribes from drug traffickers as he served as minister of public security during the Calderón administration (2006-2012). (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)

A Florida court has ordered Mexico’s ex-security chief Genaro García Luna and his wife, Linda Cristina Pereyra, to pay more than US $2.4 billion to the Mexican government.

The penalty, handed down last week, marks a historic judgment in Mexico’s fight against corruption and cartel influence at the highest levels of power.

Man at podium with president behind him
Pablo Gómez, seen here at President Sheinbaum’s morning press conference last week, heads Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit that brought the suit against García Luna and his wife. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro.com)

Judge Lisa Walsh of Miami-Dade County ruled that García Luna, already serving a 38-year sentence in the U.S. for taking bribes from the Sinaloa Cartel, must pay US $748 million, while Pereyra is liable for US $1.74 billion.

The combined total is three times what Mexico originally demanded in its suit, according to U.S. news reports.

The civil suit, filed by Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) in 2021, accused the couple of orchestrating a vast network of shell companies and fraudulent contracts to embezzle public funds and launder them through luxury real estate and assets in Florida.

Investigators identified Pereyra as the owner or beneficiary of multiple companies registered in the United States, Barbados and other jurisdictions, with names such as Only Best Properties Corp., Oggi Caffe LLC and GLAC Security.

According to UIF head Pablo Gómez Álvarez, the case centered on 30 contracts signed between 2009 and 2018 by agencies including Mexico’s former federal police force, the Prison Agency (operating under the National Security Commission) and CISEN (Mexico’s principal civilian intelligence agency).

These contracts — which totaled over US $625 million plus an additional 93.8 million pesos (US $4.9 million) — were allegedly inflated or fabricated, with proceeds funneled through offshore accounts in Barbados and invested in high-end properties and vintage cars.

At the beginning of her Friday mañanera, or press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum celebrated the ruling, stating, “Honor to whom honor is due.”

She also  credited the investigation to the previous administration under Andrés Manuel López Obrador and current Secretary of the Interior Rosa Icela Rodríguez.

Gómez highlighted the case as a milestone in the Mexican government’s campaign to recover diverted public funds and combat corruption.

Pereyra, described as the architect behind many of the family’s business ventures, operated companies and restaurants in Mexico and the U.S., allegedly using them as fronts to launder illicit funds.

Investigations revealed a network of at least 44 companies registered in jurisdictions including the U.S. and Barbados, designed to obscure the origin and movement of public money.

The UIF confirmed the 2023 recovery of over US $1.9 million in cash and a property valued at $555,800, with additional assets seized from related companies. At the time, López Obrador described it as an “advance payment” on what Mexico was seeking to reclaim from García Luna.

Once celebrated as the architect of Mexico’s war on drugs under President Felipe Calderón, García Luna was convicted in 2023 of accepting millions in bribes to protect the Sinaloa Cartel, facilitating the trafficking of over a million kilograms of cocaine into the United States.

Prosecutors described how he received cash in suitcases, briefcases and duffel bags, with cartel members testifying to direct payoffs.

His wife, Pereyra, was the only defense witness at his criminal trial, offering personal testimony in his support.

Last week, García Luna’s defense team was granted a 60-day extension for filing an appeal of his 38-year sentence, citing barriers that are preventing communication with their client, who remains incarcerated at USP Lee, or U.S. Penitentiary, Lee — a high-security federal prison for male inmates in Lee County, Virginia.

Approved on Friday, the extension sets a new deadline of Sept. 19 for the necessary paperwork to be filed. This marks the second time the Second Circuit Court of Appeals has given García Luna’s team an extension.

With reports from Associated Press, Infobae and CBS News

National Guard troops caught running a fuel heist in Guanajuato state

By
MND Staff
-
6
National Guard truck
Mexico's National Guard was given primary federal law enforcement responsibility during the López Obrador administration. The arrest of 11 of its members for alleged fuel theft could create a challenge to their credibility. (Carlos Sánchez Colunga/Cuartoscuro)

Municipal police officers arrested 11 National Guard members on Saturday, apprehending them in the act of filling up a tanker truck with stolen fuel.

Around midnight on Saturday, local authorities in Apaseo el Alto, Guanajuato, responded to a 911 call and found the suspects safeguarding a Pemex pipeline that was being tapped. 

Troops approachint heir vehicle
National Guard troops presumably spend more time enforcing the law than breaking it. Shown here are members during an operation near Ciudad Juárez to find tunnels under the Mexico-U.S. border. (Carlos Sánchez Colunga/Cuartoscuro.com)

The police found members of the National Guard patrolling the area with Army-issued weapons and three official military vehicles. One guardsman sat at the wheel of a tanker truck which was being filled up via the tap on the pipeline.

Questioned by the police, the guardsman in the tanker truck said the troop was providing security for the fuel truck, but then started the engine and tried to flee. 

The operation resulted in the capture of three officers, two of whom were in civilian clothes, and eight enlisted men. An inspection after the incident led police to conclude that the men were stealing fuel. 

An unspecified number of troops managed to escape. 

The 11 suspects and their weapons were turned over to the Federal Attorney General’s Office and the tanker truck and military vehicles were impounded. Two pick-up trucks were also impounded at the scene.

Media reports suggest that the captured troops were from several different battalions.

The Defense Ministry acknowledged the reports that 11 members of the National Guard were caught in the act of stealing fuel, confirmed to prosecutors the names of the suspects and verified the weapons and vehicles as Army-issue.

Fuel theft, popularly known as huachicoleo in Mexico, has long been a problem for Pemex, but it has surged in the past 15 years. Pemex has reported that fuel theft costs the state oil company approximately US $900,000 per day.

Fuel smuggling and the resulting tax evasion cost the national treasury roughly US $24 million each day last year, according to PetroIntelligence.

Federal anti-corruption officials have accused transnational companies of avoiding IEPS excise tax on shipments of contraband gasoline and diesel by reporting the fuel as vegetable oil or lubricants not subject to the tax. This has resulted in lost revenue of around 1 billion pesos (US $51.7 million) per shipment. 

With reports from El Universal, La Jornada and Proceso

12 injured after hot air balloon crashes near Teotihuacán

By
MND Staff
-
0
Hot air balloons float over one of the Teotihucán pyramids in México state
The balloon crashed near the Teotihuacán pyramids, just outside of Mexico City. (Juliana Barquero/Unsplah)

A hot air balloon crashed near the Teotihuacán pyramids in México state on Friday, leaving at least 12 people with non-life-threatening injuries.

The accident occurred on Friday morning in the municipality of San Martín de las Pirámides, where a hot air balloon operated by the company Sky Balloons México came down in a vacant lot next to a road several hundred meters from the popular archaeological site.

Así fue el desplome del globo aerostático cerca de Teotihuacán, que dejó 12 lesionados -Las Noticias

According to the México state Civil Protection agency, the balloon made a “forced landing” after hitting an air pocket.

Two Colombians were reportedly among those injured in the crash. Some of the passengers were taken to a local clinic for treatment. Emergency services, the National Guard and local residents responded to the crash and assisted injured passengers.

Some media reports said that 13 or 14 people, including the pilot, were injured in the accident. The injuries reportedly included bone fractures as well as bumps, grazes and mental distress.

The México state Attorney General’s Office said that a 29-year-old man identified as Brandon Jesús “N,” the pilot of the hot air balloon, was arrested in connection with the crash. Some reports said that he may have lacked the necessary expertise and experience to fly the balloon.

Sky Balloons México said in a statement that the “incident” was “caused by an unexpected mass of air that altered the trajectory of the balloon.”

“Thanks to the expertise of the pilot, who prioritized the safety of the passengers the entire time, the material of the balloon ended up over electrical wires, creating a dramatic image,” the company said, adding that the situation didn’t pose a “major risk” for the occupants of the balloon’s basket.

“We regret the impact on third parties, and reiterate that the safety of our passengers and personnel has always been our highest priority,” Sky Balloons said.

Balloon flights over Teotihuacán are popular — but risky 

Taking an early morning hot air balloon flight over the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon is a popular way to take in the visual spectacle on offer at the Teotihuacán archaeological site, located about 50 kilometers northeast of the historic center of Mexico City.

A small but growing number of such flights have ended in accidents in recent years, including at least one fatal one.

In April 2023, the basket of a hot air balloon caught fire as it flew near the Teotihuacán pyramids. A married couple was killed in the incident and their teenage daughter was injured.

In late 2021, nine people were injured in another hot air balloon crash near Teotihuacán.

Other hot air balloon accidents occurred in the same area this year prior to Friday’s crash.

The news website Expansión reported that no “formal review” of the operation of hot air balloon flights in the Teotihucán area has been carried out.

The La Jornada newspaper reported that “dozens” of hot air balloons operated by “different companies — many of them irregular — fly over the region every day.”

With reports from La Silla Rota, N+, UnoTV, Expansión Política, CNN, La Jornada and El Financiero

There’s a new street name in New York: Los Tigres del Norte Way

By
MND Staff
-
2
A street sign with the words "Los Tigres del Norte Way"
The New York street sign is not the first high honor for the band in the United States. A Chicago street is also named for them, and they have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Los Tigres del Norte/Facebook)

New York City has paid tribute to the Mexican regional music band Los Tigres del Norte by naming a street in Brooklyn after them. 

Dubbed Los Tigres del Norte Way, the street is located in the Sunset Park neighborhood, an area with a strong Latino and Mexican presence.

a crowd of people
Throngs of fans and supporters, including the Tigres themselves, gathered in the Sunset Park district for the unveiling of the street sign. (Los Tigres del Norte/Facebook)

“Starting today, a street in Brooklyn carries the name of Los Tigres del Norte. Thank you for walking with us, today and always” the group wrote in an Instagram post Thursday evening, along with a video and photos of the street-naming ceremony.

The event was led by Councilman Lincoln Restler and other local representatives, who highlighted the group’s cultural and social impact for the Latino community in the United States. Upon uncovering the street sign, many attendees chanted “Somos Americanos,” the border anthem that topped the charts two decades ago and turned the group into involuntary spokespersons for the migrant cause.

The tribute took place days before Los Tigres del Norte’s concert in Madison Square Garden on May 24, as part of their international La Lotería Tour 2025, which includes 22 additional dates in the U.S.

This isn’t the first time Los Tigres del Norte have received a public tribute in the U.S. They also have a street named after them in Chicago and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Amid the current cultural debate in Mexico regarding narcocorridos — Mexican regional music ballads that tell stories associated with drug trafficking and organized crime — Los Tigres del Norte have said they will have to change the word “corrido” to “teller of stories” to avoid getting in trouble with authorities. 

Corridos and narcocorridos are two different things. While the latter refers to organized crime, the former tells all types of real-life stories including migration, oppression, daily life and politics.  

“The stories we sing have a lot to do with the community, with what our people are going through. And they’re very real,” band leader Jorge Hernández told the newspaper El País earlier this month. However, they have removed from their setlist the song “El Jefe de Jefes,” which makes a direct reference to stories of organized crime.

Los Tigres del Norte have been performing since 1968. They’re originally from Rosa Morada, a small community in Sinaloa. The band was founded by brothers Jorge, Hernán, Eduardo and Luis Hernández, and their cousin Oscar Lara. 

Throughout their career, they’ve sold over 70 million records and won seven Grammys. 

With reports from Infobae and LA Times

Nearshoring lives on: Despite economic uncertainty, the flow of fresh capital into Mexico is on the rise

By
MND Staff
-
4
Factory workers assemble a car
The manufacturing sector was the biggest winner in Q1 2025, attracting over 40% of foreign direct investment. (Gobierno de San Luis Potosí)

After foreign direct investment hit a record high earlier this year, Mexican authorities celebrated. Additional data now shows that a growing portion of those funds are new investment, rather than established companies reinvesting profits — a promising sign for Mexico’s economy.

The “new” investment component of Mexico’s record first quarter FDI increased by an encouraging 165% compared to the first three months of last year, the Economy Ministry (SE) reported.

Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard reported last Thursday that FDI in Mexico totaled a record high US $21.4 billion in the first quarter of the year, an annual increase of over 5%, but he didn’t provide details such as where the money came from and which sectors in Mexico the investment went to.

Ebrard didn’t reveal how much of the first quarter FDI was new investment either, only saying that the increase in foreign investment meant that Mexico received “more reinvestment and more capital … through all avenues.”

The SE and the Bank of Mexico (Banxico) subsequently published additional data on first quarter FDI.

New investment data is widely considered to be an important gauge on how well Mexico is doing in capitalizing on what has been described as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to attract foreign investment amid the nearshoring trend as it shows how much fresh capital  foreign companies — including ones with no previous presence in Mexico — are bringing into the country.

Mexico sees record-breaking US $21.4B in first quarter FDI

In 2024, new foreign direct investment totaled $3.17 billion, accounting for just 8.6% of total FDI in Mexico, down from 13% in 2023.

Reinvestment of profits by foreign companies with an existing presence in Mexico contributed $28.71 billion to FDI in Mexico in 2024, accounting for 77.9% of the total.

The remainder of the record high $36.87 billion in FDI last year — 13.5% — came from loans and payments between companies of the same corporate group.

New investment more than doubled compared to Q1 2024, but was still a small percentage of total FDI 

Banxico data shows that FDI in Mexico totaled $21.37 billion in the first quarter of 2025, up from $20.13 billion in the same period of last year.

A total of $1.58 billion in new investment flowed into the country between January and March, representing an increase of 165% compared to the first quarter of 2024.

Thus, new investment accounted for 7.4% of total FDI in Mexico in the first quarter of 2025. While this percentage is more than double the 3% contribution new investment made to FDI in the first quarter of last year, it is still low — and below the new investment proportion of FDI across 2024.

BBVA Tulum
The financial service sector attracted 24% of FDI in the first quarter of the year, as funds flowed into foreign-owned banks like BBVA and HSBC. (File photo)

Alfredo Coutiño, director for Latin America at Moody’s Analytics, noted that even with the 165% year-over-year increase, new investment still only makes up a small proportion of total FDI.

“The arrival of new FDI continues to be very poor,” he said.

For its part, the Economy Ministry focused on what it called a “significant recovery in new investment” in the first quarter of the year.

“In an international context that presents challenges to attract investment, economic stability, a good business environment, competitive advantages and the legal certainty that trade and investment agreements provide have allowed Mexico to remain as one of the preferred investment destinations at an international level,” the SE said.

Much of the first quarter FDI in Mexico was made and/or planned before the full extent of United States President Donald Trump’s early-second-term protectionist agenda was known.

It remains to be seen what impact Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs will have on FDI in Mexico in the second quarter of the year and across 2025.

Lion’s share of Q1 FDI was reinvestment of profits 

Of the $21.37 billion in FDI in Mexico in the first quarter, $16.64 billion — 77.9% of the total — was reinvestment of profits by foreign companies with an existing presence in Mexico. This investment, which declined 15% on a year-over-year basis, indicates that companies that already have experience operating in Mexico have sufficient confidence to continue investing in the country, despite the various challenges they face.

At $3.14 billion, loans and payments between companies represented 14.7% of total first quarter FDI in Mexico. This component of FDI increased a whopping 3,086% increase compared to the first quarter of 2024.

US remained the top foreign investor in Mexico 

The Economy Ministry reported that 38.7% of first quarter FDI in Mexico — around $8.3 billion — came from the United States. The United States’ percentage of FDI and its total investment amount are down from 52% and $10.61 billion in the first quarter of 2024.

The next biggest sources of foreign investment in Mexico in the first three months of the year were:

  • Spain: $3.2 billion, representing 15% of the total.
  • Netherlands: $1.8 billion, representing 8.3% of the total.
  • Australia: $1.2 billion, representing 5.7% of the total.
  • Germany: $800 million, representing 3.7% of the total.
A graphic showing flags of several countries and the percent of foreign direct investment they contribute to Mexico
Though the United States was still the primary source of foreign direct investment, the contribution of U.S. investors was significantly less than last year. (Economy Ministry)

The SE said that 42.4% of total first quarter FDI came from the United States and Canada, “showing the strength of economic relations in the USMCA region, and the interdependence of trilateral economic growth.”

More than 80% of FDI went to just 5 states 

The Economy Ministry reported that 83.9% of first quarter FDI went to just five federal entities, of which Mexico City received the highest proportion.

  • Mexico City received $11.8 billion, representing 55% of Mexico’s first quarter FDI total.
  • Nuevo León received $2.7 billion, representing 13% of the total.
  • México state received $1.9 billion, representing 9% of the total.
  • Baja California received $900 million, representing 4% of the total.
  • Guanajuato received $700 million, representing 3% of the total.

More than 40% of FDI went to the manufacturing sector 

The SE reported that Mexico’s vast manufacturing sector received $9.2 billion in FDI in the first quarter of the year. That figure represents 43% of total FDI in Mexico between January and March. The dollar amount is 8.2% higher compared to the first quarter of 2024, while the manufacturing sector’s share of total FDI was one percentage point higher than a year earlier.

The SE said that “automotive sector trends” — “specifically” those related to “electric transport,” as well as electronics and electricity generation trends, could lead to “greater” investment in Mexico moving forward. It noted that those sectors are “supported” by the federal government’s “Plan México” economic initiative.

After manufacturing, the sectors that received the most FDI in the first quarter of 2025 were:

  • Financial services: $5.2 billion, representing 24% of the total.
  • Mining: $2.2 billion, representing 10% of the total.
  • Commercial (including retail): $1.3 billion, representing 6% of the total.
  • Construction: $700 million, representing 3% of the total.

Mexico News Daily 

Mexico City International Airport kicks off major renovation ahead of World Cup

By
MND Staff
-
2
Crowds of travelers in the halls of Mexico City International Airport
In anticipation of the 2026 World Cup, Mexico City International Airport is getting a much-needed makeover. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico City International Airport (AICM) is undergoing a major renovation to modernize its facilities and improve the passenger experience ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in Mexico, the United States and Canada. Authorities recommend travelers arrive early in anticipation of potential delays.

Carried out by the Navy Ministry (SEMAR), the renovation works will require an investment of 8 billion pesos (US $416 million). Admiral Juan José Padilla Olmos, director of the Mexico City Airport Group, said in January that the cost will be covered by airport revenue and will not require federal funding.

The project will be completed in two phases. The first one, which began May 17, will be finished by May 2026, just in time for the World Cup in June and July. The second phase will be carried after the World Cup has ended, between August and December 2026.

“The renovation aims to provide comfortable, efficient, modern, and safe facilities that will improve the passenger experience and give the country’s most important airport terminal a unique identity,” SEMAR said in a statement.

It explained that working in stages will minimize inconvenience to passengers, the airport community and visitors in general, by optimizing the available infrastructure.

Renovation works will include walls, ceilings and floor replacements and maintenance and preservation of the roof’s waterproofing. Additionally, the floors of the Terminal 2 travel clinic will be polished and the façade will be restored.

The functional renovation will include works on aeronautical facilities as well as optimizing conveyor systems, escalators and elevators. Authorities anticipate a total of 75 projects and 24 procurement contracts to cover the entire airport and service infrastructure, including runways, control tower, substations, parking and structural reinforcement.

Currently, a section of Terminal 1 covering concourses 29 to 36 has been closed off, blocking access to the connecting corridor from the Duty Free area. In Terminal 2, renovation work is currently focused on corridors that connect to boarding areas.

Due to the renovation works, authorities have suggested users to plan their trip to the airport with enough time to avoid missing their flight.

Renovations are also planned for Toluca International Airport in México state and Cuernavaca International Airport in Morelos. Together with AICM, the airports will be the official entry points for teams and fans during the 2026 World Cup.

Mexico News Daily

Mexico in my heart: What Guanajuato gives me that California can’t

By
Louisa Rogers
-
8
Pairs of middle-aged Mexican couples dancing in a public park in Mexico City.
In Mexico's cities, it's not unusual to see free events in outdoor public spaces where folks can dance to live banda, danzón or salsa music. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)

My husband and I divide our lives between the city of Guanajuato, where we’ve owned a home since 2005, and Eureka, California, where we rent an apartment. Although we thrive on this lifestyle, there are things I miss while in each place. In Guanajuato, I miss clouds, greenery, access to water and my paddleboard. 

Here are some of the things I miss about Mexico when I’m in Eureka:

A cobblestoned street going up hill alongside brightly colored antique houses made of stone with old fashioned wooden doors, and decorative balconies
Louisa Rogers and her husband divide their life between Eureka, California, and the colonial city of Guanajuato in central Mexico. (Jorge Gardner/Unsplash)

The ease of speaking Spanish

Of course, I can speak Spanish in California, where 40% of the state’s residents define themselves as Latino. Plus, in Eureka, we live minutes away from a Mexican restaurant whose waiters are mostly native Spanish speakers. But speaking Spanish is just not as automatic for me in the English-language culture of Eureka. I rarely think about it, unlike in Mexico, where Spanish is almost as natural to me as English because it’s so easy. 

In Guanajuato, I walk down our street and start talking to a neighbor or chat with the guy who runs the mini-grocery three minutes from our home.

The friendliness of strangers 

The warmheartedness of the Mexican people inspires me. Friendliness is contagious; when I’m in Guanajuato, I become friendlier, too. 

In California, I try to remember to greet people I pass, but it’s more of an effort. I’m afraid I revert to my American persona — focused and goal-oriented, with things to get done. Or so I tell myself!

Two young Mexican girls, one around 10 years old and one around five years old, caught by the camera in the middle of dancing together while holding hands in the middle of Mexico City's expansive pedestrian square, The Zocalo. In the background, small groups of people are hanging out in the square. and behind them are large multistory buildings from the colonial era of Mexico.
Most Mexican municipalities have a pedestrian-only downtown area, even Mexico’s overcrowded capital, where space is at a premium. These areas in every community are simultaneously marketplace, social gathering spot and even playground for residents of all ages. (Edgar Negrete Lira/Cuartoscuro)

An abundance of pedestrian areas

Guanajuato is very walking-friendly, but it isn’t alone in that way. Many Mexican towns we’ve visited have extensive pedestrian areas, especially in their historic centers and tourist areas. They offer plazas, benches, landscaping, arches, arcades, narrow walkways, interesting architecture and public art.

Because the streets are so inviting, they’re full of people, which fosters a sense of community and is another reason why Mexicans are so friendly. The U.S. is far more car-centric than Mexico, where folks are likely to walk or use public transportation.  

Eureka’s winters are damp and chilly, but in the summer, the city hosts a popular car-free Friday night market with vendors, music, food, open shops and hordes of people. It’s what Guanajuato looks like every day of the year! 

An ineffable sense of spirit

Mexico maintains a separation between church and state like the U.S. does, but the gulf between the secular and the spiritual does not seem as wide.

Whereas in the U.S., faith tends to be practiced privately, Mexicans often express their spirituality in a very open, public and unembarrassed way. Their exuberance used to seem weird to me. But I’ve come to appreciate the way people unabashedly chant, sing, kneel, crawl or cross themselves when they pass a church and stroll around town with ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday. 

One afternoon many years ago, Barry and I were sitting in a church on a hill in the city of Zacatecas. As we sat quietly, a mother and daughter in front of us spontaneously broke into song. I was transfixed, and a shiver ran through me. I can’t imagine crawling on my knees across a church floor, but I’m deeply moved in the presence of faith, even when it is not my own.

Accessible hiking with incredible views

Guanajuato is one of the few cities I’ve been to where you can leave the center on foot and be hiking within 20 minutes. The fact that you don’t need to get in a car, take a bus, or even ride a bicycle to reach a trail is one of the city’s greatest gifts. On top of that, you don’t even have to walk very far before you’re rewarded with spectacular views of the city’s colorful striated layers of houses and the surrounding hills.

Once or twice a week, Barry and I take advantage of this opportunity. 

a woman in the distance walks through a wide dirt path bordered on two sides by low ancient stone walls and trees growing behind the walls. This is the remains of the prehistoric city of Las Ranas in Mexico
The writer wandering around Las Ranas, the remains of a prehistoric city in the Sierra Gorda region of Querétaro state. (Louisa Rogers)

Mexican ruins

After years of living with a man who loves the magic and mystery of ancient archeological sites, I’ve gradually become a fan of ruins, too. I’m not a collector of facts; I read the history and data displayed, but I don’t retain the information. But I love ruins, and Mexican ones in particular. 

The ancient sites here in the land of the Maya, the Aztec and the Olmec offer a unique kind of enchantment because they harmonize so beautifully with the surrounding landscape. Although they were built by humans, they feel as natural to me as trees and flowers.

A few years ago, Barry and I visited Las Ranas, a small archeological site in the state of Querétaro. I wandered around, mulling on what stories lay embedded between the layered stones, while a dreamlike sense of timelessness came over me. I felt a sense of place greater than the sum of its crumbling rocky parts. 

What a country! Mexico, a rich, sensory collage of tangled history, colors, flavors, dreams. I’ll never tire of it. Wherever I am, Mexico is always in my heart.

Louisa Rogers and her husband Barry Evans divide their lives between Guanajuato and Eureka, on California’s North Coast. Louisa writes articles and essays about expat life, Mexico, travel, physical and psychological health, retirement and spirituality. Her recent articles are on her website, https://authory.com/LouisaRogers

1...111112113...1,987Page 112 of 1,987

Mexico's English-language newspaper

About Us

ADVERTISE WITH MND

SUBMISSIONS

COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

Subscription FAQ's

Jobs

Contact

Privacy Policy

Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC