The wayward skydiver hit the ground safely, but his parachute refused to free itself from the traffic light structure, despite help from concerned passersby.
(Screenshot from C5 security footage)
A late-night skydiving stunt over the heart of downtown Mexico City ended when a U.S. man’s parachute snagged on a traffic light above a major avenue, startling a few pedestrians and drivers but causing no injuries.
Authorities and local media identified the man as 36-year-old American Miles Pack, who was later taken to civic court and released without charges after officials determined there was no damage to city infrastructure.
El monitoreo del @C5_CDMX permitió identificar a un hombre que quedó atorado en un semáforo tras descender en paracaídas en Balderas y Juárez. Desde el C2 Centro Histórico dimos seguimiento preventivo y nos coordinamos con personal de @SSC_CDMX para verificar que no hubiera daños… pic.twitter.com/uy6PIRZArU
— Dr. Salvador Guerrero Chiprés (@guerrerochipres) December 9, 2025
The incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday morning at the intersection of Avenida Juárez and Avenida Balderas — one block from the city’s oldest public park, the Alameda Central, which is adjacent to the Palacio de Bellas Artes.
At the time, traffic in the normally busy corridor of the Cuauhtémoc borough was sparse.
Video from the capital’s C5 surveillance system showed the skydiver landing safely on the street while his parachute remained tangled on the metal arm of the traffic light, hanging over Avenida Juárez about a two-minute walk from the Diego Rivera Mural Museum.
Images shared on social media by C5 chief Salvador Guerrero Chiprés showed two people helping the man try to free the parachute while emergency crews arrived at the scene.
The Mexico City Ministry of Citizen Security said officers checked Pack, confirmed he was uninjured and verified that the traffic signal, though left wobbly, was not damaged.
Traffic personnel briefly cordoned off the intersection while responders ensured the hanging lines and fabric did not pose a risk, and authorities said the incident did not significantly affect traffic flow at that hour.
News and police reports only say the incident happened “in the early morning” or the “madrugada” (pre-dawn hours) of Tuesday, Dec. 9 without specifying an exact time.
Local reports said Pack told officers he had jumped from a small plane to make the descent over the historic center, where skydiving is not allowed.
Officials noted that skydiving is a regulated activity and not permitted over dense urban areas in Mexico City.
After being presented to a civic judge in the Cuauhtémoc borough, Pack was released once authorities confirmed there were no injuries or material damage.
The unusual scene, which was quickly shared online via the security footage, spread widely on social media as the latest offbeat stunt in the capital.
Nestled between mountains and sea, the town of Loreto has been highlighted by the BBC for its natural beauty, its tranquility and its strong sense of community. (Visit Mexico)
If you’re not familiar with Loreto, the oldest city on the Baja California peninsula, the U.K.’s BBC has some advice for you: Go there.
The Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town) of Loreto has just earned a spot on the BBC’s annual travel list of the 20 places to go in 2026.
The starting point for much of the Spanish Jesuits’ colonization of the Californias, Loreto and its surrounding area still boast many examples of mission architecture. (Visit Mexico)
This semi-hidden destination on the east coast of Baja California Sur was singled out for its natural landscape, wildlife biodiversity, aco-adventure, and community-led conservation efforts.
“Loreto feels both small-town intimate and majestically expansive,” the BBC said. “It’s a place where travelers “can join a hopeful story of ecosystems recovering and communities leading the way.”
Tucked between the Sea of Cortez and the Sierra de la Giganta mountain range, the town and its surroundings offer dramatic landscapes that include sea, desert, and mountains.
This near-isolation of Loreto is ideal for travelers seeking nature and culture in a quieter setting than other Mexican destinations such as Los Cabos or the Riviera Maya.
Beyond its natural attractions, Loreto has an important historical heritage, though not all of it is universally admired today. It was from Loreto that Jesuit missionaries began the long journey of colonization of Baja and Alta California, including uninvited evangelization of the Indigenous people there.
That project left behind some notable examples of mission architecture in Loreto and its surroundings. Some of these architectural gems include the Mission of Our Lady of Loreto and the Museum of the Missions, among others.
It’s Loreto’s outstanding conservation efforts, however, that are most highlighted by the BBC.
“Here, conservation is woven into daily life,” the broadcaster said, noting that local fishermen are now trained naturalist guides who lead kayak trips around desert islets and whale-watching tours.
“Visitors can help identify migrating blue whales, join coastal clean-ups, or take part in annual conservation festivals that fill the plaza with music, food and storytelling,” the BBC added.
With an estimated population of 18,000, and over 300 days of sunshine, Loreto’s growing appeal lies in its peaceful and safe atmosphere, its warm climate, and its diverse marine and land wildlife — all of which landed Loreto on the BBC’s must-visit list alongside such famous and far-flung destinations as the Cook Islands, the Scottish Hebrides and Indonesia’s Komodo Islands.
Tourists enjoy the view of Chichén Itzá's main pyramid during the fall equinox in September. (Martín Zetina / Cuartoscuro.com)
Almost 80 million international visitors came to Mexico in the first 10 months of 2025, representing a double digit increase compared to the same period of last year.
“Mexico is in fashion,” declared Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez before she presented the latest data on international arrivals at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Thursday morning press conference.
October was a record-breaking month for visitation, Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez said on Thursday. (Saúl López / Presidencia)
Rodríguez reported that Mexico welcomed 79.3 million international visitors between January and October, an increase of 13.6% compared to the same period of 2024.
International visitors refers to tourists who spend at least one night in Mexico as well as day trippers from neighboring countries and cruise ship passengers.
Rodríguez said that 38.4 million international tourists came to Mexico between January and October, an annual increase of 5.8%, while 8.9 million cruise ship passengers visited the country, up 11.8% compared to the first 10 months of last year.
Rodríguez also reported that international visitors contributed US $28.2 billion to the Mexican economy between January and October, 6.5% more than in the same period of 2024.
She said that the “strength of the tourism indicators” reflect not just the growth of Mexico’s tourism industry, but also “international confidence in Mexico, its stability and the vision promoted by the government of Mexico.”
“… Every [percentage] point that we advance in the arrival of visitors … [and] in [the entry of] foreign currency is a clear sign that the country is on the right path,” Rodríguez said.
A record-breaking October
Rodríguez said that new records were set in October for the number of international visitors and the amount of money they spent in Mexico.
She said that 8.3 million international visitors came to Mexico in October, an annual increase of 10.7%.
Rodríguez described the increase in international visitors’ spending in Mexico as “incredible,” noting that their expenditure of $2.44 billion represented a 9.3% increase compared to October 2024 and a 50.3% spike compared to the same month in 2019, before the COVID pandemic ravaged the Mexican economy — and its tourism industry — in 2020.
Mexico’s tourism industry has now more than recovered from the economic havoc wreaked by COVID-19 pandemic. (File photo)
The tourism minister also reported that 3.74 million international tourists spent time in Mexico in October, a 0.1% increase compared to the same month of last year.
Air arrivals
Rodríguez reported that 47.98 million people came into Mexico on international flights in the first 10 months of the year, an increase of 1.4% compared to the same period of last year. The figure includes foreign and Mexican passengers.
The tourism minister presented data that showed that the number of Italians entering the country by air between January and October rose 14.8%, the highest increase of any nationality.
According to the data she displayed, the number of Argentinians who came into the country on international flights increased 14.3% annually in the first 10 months of the year, while arrivals were also up from South Korea (+11.6%), Canada (+11.4%), China (+10.6%) and the United States (+0.6%). The U.S. is the largest source country of tourists to Mexico.
Rodríguez also reported that passenger numbers on domestic flights in Mexico increased 3.2% annually between January and October to reach 52.43 million.
Mexico’s top 10 airports
Rodríguez reported that 157.2 million Mexican and foreign passengers used Mexico’s airports in the first 10 months of the year, a 2.5% increase compared to the same period of 2024.
Mexico’s busiest airports in terms of passenger numbers between January and October were:
Mexico City International Airport: 36.9 million passengers.
Cancún International Airport: 24.4 million passengers.
Guadalajara International Airport: 15.3 million passengers
Monterrey International Airport: 13 million passengers.
Tijuana International Airport: 10.6 million passengers.
Los Cabos International Airport: 6.2 million passengers.
Felipe Ángeles International Airport: 5.8 million passengers.
Puerto Vallarta International Airport: 5.6 million passengers.
Mérida International Airport: 3.2 million passengers.
Bajío International Airport: 2.7 million passengers.
Prices at the Hilton Mexico City Reforma, seen here, more than doubled from US $337 to $1,106 a night for the World Cup's opening game on June 11. Despite the price increases, most bookings quickly sold out. (Hilton Mexico City Reforma)
Hotels across North America are dramatically hiking prices for rooms ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to an analysis conducted by The Athletic, the sports journalism department of The New York Times.
The study reveals that room rates in Mexico, Canada and the U.S. — the co-hosts of the global soccer tournament — spiked by an average of more than 300% in early June when 16 host cities will be staging their opening matches.
According to the analysis, room rates at 96 Marriott and Hilton hotels in North America soared after FIFA unveiled the 104-match schedule on Saturday following Friday’s draw.
The average per-night rate around an opening game in each of the 16 host cities rose to US $1,013 — up from US $293 just 21 days earlier, the study revealed. That’s a 328% increase.
The Athletic found that the most significant percentage increase was in Mexico City, where the inaugural match of the tournament pitting Mexico vs. South Africa will take place on June 11 at Estadio Banorte.
The most egregious example is the Marriott resort Le Meridien Mexico City Reforma which has a listing for US $157 per night in late May. That same room will cost US $3,882 the week of the opening match, a 2,372% increase.
Six Mexico City hotels near Estadio Banorte — the site of five matches — have listings that average US $1,572 per night ahead of the opening match. That’s an astonishing 961% increase from rates for mid-May stays that would set you back just US $172, according to the analysis.
The surge in room rates in the two other Mexican host cities was also considerable. Monterrey hotel fares climbed on average by 466% (second-most among the 16 host cities), while Guadalajara saw fees rise by 405% (fourth-most).
As The Athletic noted, it is not unusual for hotel prices to rise around mega events. At the Paris Olympics last year, the French capital saw a year-over-year room rate increase of 141%.
However, The Athletic observed,” the scale of the increases … immediately after the World Cup schedule was confirmed appears to be much more sizable.”
The trade publication Inside World Football also voiced concern, writing that it feels like real fans are being priced out of the World Cup, describing the exorbitant rates as “opportunism.”
The Athletic’s methodology involved identifying the per-night price for a two-night stay around the opening match at six randomly selected hotels in each of the 16 host cities. That price was then compared to the equivalent rates offered exactly three weeks earlier by the same hotels.
Despite the skyrocketing room rates, demand for hotel rooms is undeniable. The Athletic discovered that only three of the 46 hotels listed on the Marriott Bonvoy app were not described as sold out.
It is the second straight year that President Sheinbaum has been ranked in the top 5 of Forbes' list of the 100 Most Powerful Women. This time, it was about more than her historic victory as the first woman elected president in Mexico, but also based on her handling of economic development issues and crisis resolution. (Presidencia / Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s president was named the fifth most-powerful woman in the world, based on a formula using metrics such as money, media impact, influence and spheres of power.Forbes wrote that “nearshoring — a business strategy of relocating production to countries geographically close to the end market — has put Sheinbaum at the center of the manufacturing transformation in North America.”
The magazine also credited Sheinbaum for having made history in 2024 by becoming the first woman elected president in Mexico. That achievement was also cited last year when she was ranked the fourth most powerful woman on the Forbes list.
Forbes pointed out that while global approval ratings for female political leaders are declining, Sheinbaum has been able to buck the trend.
An Enkoll poll conducted for the newspaper El País in September found that Sheinbaum achieved a 78% approval rating, surpassing her predecessor and mentor Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
But in keeping with Forbes’ observation, the latest El País poll found that Sheinbaum’s approval rating had dipped 4% “after a month of conflicts in which the government lost control of the public agenda.”
Women are increasingly finding themselves at the center of power, Forbes wrote, “directing capital that determines the trajectory of artificial intelligence, managing supply chains governments compete to secure, and steadying institutions under historic pressure.”
The top five women on this year’s list hold positions of political authority. And while women only govern three of the world’s 25 largest economies, Forbes said they lead “tipping points” that define the geopolitical order.
For the fourth consecutive year, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Union, and Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, topped the list.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takeichi, who took office in October, is a newcomer, coming in at No. 3 and bumping Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Sheinbaum down to fourth and fifth.
Forbes has compiled and published its 100 Most Powerful Women in the World list since 2004.
After passage by the Senate on Wednesday, the new tariff law is headed to President Sheinbaum's desk for her approval. (Hennie Stander/Unsplash)
The government of China has called on Mexico to abandon its plan to impose new and higher tariffs on a wide range of Chinese products.
A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce on Thursday urged Mexico to “correct its wrong practices of unilateralism and protectionism at an early date,” according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce urged Mexico to rethink it’s latest import duties. (China State Council Information Office)
The appeal came after Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies and Senate approved legislation on Wednesday that will increase, or implement for the first time, tariffs on imports of more than 1,400 products from China and other countries with which Mexico doesn’t have trade agreements, including India, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
The tariffs — which cover more than a dozen sectors including auto parts, light vehicles, plastic, toys, textiles, furniture, footwear, clothing, aluminum and glass — range from 5% to 50%. They are scheduled to take effect in January, following promulgation by President Claudia Sheinbaum.
According to Xinhua, the Commerce Ministry spokesperson said that the tariffs approved by the Mexican Congress “will substantially harm the interests of relevant trading partners, including China.”
Still, China clearly sees Mexico’s protectionist plan as an affront, and an action designed to appease the United States ahead of the 2026 USMCA review.
“We hope that the Mexican side will attach great importance to this matter and act prudently,” the Commerce Ministry spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also “emphasized that China highly values the China-Mexico economic and trade relationship and actively promotes the healthy and stable development of trade and investment cooperation,” according to Xinhua.
In addition, the spokesperson noted that “to safeguard the interests of relevant Chinese industries, the Ministry of Commerce initiated a trade and investment barrier investigation against Mexico at the end of September in accordance with the law, and the investigation is underway.”
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that “Mexico’s decision to raise tariffs as high as 50% will affect [US] $1 billion worth of shipments from major Indian car exporters, including Volkswagen and Hyundai, despite industry lobbying to persuade New Delhi to prevent such a move.”
The news agency said its reporting was based on information from two sources and a letter it reviewed from an industry group, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.
Mexico Approves Up to 50% Tariffs on China, Other Asian Nations
“According to the legislation, Chinese cars face among steepest tariffs at 50%. The country’s massive auto sector currently holds 20% of Mexican market, up dramatically from minimal vehicle imports just 6 years ago” pic.twitter.com/2mecdFd9A8
Volkswagen, Hyundai and various other automakers have plants in India, while U.S. automakers that export vehicles to Mexico from plants in China will also be affected by the tariffs.
With the new and higher tariffs that mainly target goods from Asian countries, the Mexican government is seeking to provide greater protection for Mexican industry — which includes sectors that struggle to compete with cheap imports — and increase domestic output.
Ebrard: ‘They’re not political measures, they’re economic and trade measures’
In an interview on Thursday with Radio Fórmula, federal Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said it was clear that countries such as China, South Korea, India and Indonesia are not happy that Mexico is imposing tariffs on their exports.
He said that Mexico would hold talks with such countries with a view to “improving trade conditions,” but declared that the Mexican government wouldn’t be lifting the tariffs approved by Congress.
Those tariffs, Ebrard said, “are not political measures, they’re economic and trade measures.”
Aranceles a China y países de Asia no son un balazo en el pie: Ebrard
The economy minister emphasized that Mexico is “trying to protect” Mexican industry from cheap imports.
China and certain other countries are “using very low prices, in some cases below inventory [value],” he said.
Ebrard also noted that Mexico has “unbalanced” trade relationships with “several” of the countries it is imposing higher tariffs on — most notably China, whose exports to Mexico were worth US $62.1 billion in the first half of 2025, more than 13 times higher than its outlay on Mexican goods.
He said that Mexico is mainly targeting “finished goods,” including vehicles, with its new tariffs, rather than intermediate goods, which he noted are needed to “produce, assemble and export.”
Tariffs on vehicles from China and other Asian countries will be as high as 50%, according to the legislation approved by Congress.
Ebrard said that more than 30% of all manufacturing jobs in Mexico depend on the auto sector.
Ebrard highlighted that cars coming into Mexico from Asia “don’t provide anything” to the Mexican economy, and indicated that that the flow of such vehicles into the country needs to be combated before its too late.
Ebrard said that the tariffs approved by Congress only affect 8% of Mexico’s foreign trade and are aimed at protecting “very specific sectors,” including the auto and textile industries, which has lost jobs due to the prevalence of cheap imports.
He said that all countries seek to protect their domestic industries, including those that “are telling us today not to do it.”
“All countries have policies to protect certain sectors,” Ebrard added.
When interviewer Ciro Gómez Leyva put it to him that he was using the arguments of U.S. President Donald Trump to justify the tariffs, the economy minister responded:
“What we’re trying to do is surgical measures. We’re not imposing generalized tariffs because if we wanted to impose tariffs on all of Mexico’s foreign trade like the United States is doing with other countries, it would be very complicated for our economy. … The argument of President Trump is different, the argument of President Trump is that everything has to be made in the United States.”
Ebrard acknowledged that “a lot of modifications” were made to the original tariffs bill after consultation with Mexican industry. Tariffs for many goods were lowered from the proposal Sheinbaum sent to Congress in September.
The legislation approved is “quite reasonable” and “I’m not thinking it will change in the short term,” Ebrard said.
View along the Copalita Trail, while trekking with Zapotec guides. (John Pint)
The Copalita Trail is 100 kilometers long — 70 kilometers of walking and 30 of rafting—and includes five nights of camping “in a million-star hotel.” It starts in high mountains at 3,200 meters (10,500 feet), passes through five ecosystems, takes you down the Copalita River, and ends at sea level on a gorgeous Pacific Coast beach.
The trek is a project of nine Zapotec communities in Oaxaca and has much to do with environmental education and conservation. It was organized by biologist Marco Antonio González some fourteen years ago.
Visiting Zapotec villages
Guadalajara couple Paulina Ascencio and Arturo Sánchez were among those who signed up for the five-day, 100-kilometer-long trek. (John Pint)
The Zapotecas consider the trekkers collaborators rather than clients, and refer to them as “visitors.” At no point during the experience does money change hands and it is unthinkable that a trekker would tip anyone.
These caminatas are fully orchestrated. Six local guides accompany the trekkers at all times and the route they follow varies according to the circumstances of the moment, in a very Mexican fashion.
A couple from Guadalajara, Paulina Ascencio and Arturo Sánchez, signed up for the trek in October of this year.
“It started in Oaxaca City,” Arturo told me. “Marco Antonio gave us an orientation and we were then driven seven hours to San Sebastián Río Hondo, where we enjoyed a meal prepared over a wood-burning stove: carne asada, frijoles and hand-made tortillas … delicious! Then we were driven to our campsite near San Juan Ozolotepec, which had tents and dry toilets.”
“The next day,” continued his wife, Paulina, “we walked 16 kilometers through an area simply bursting with biodiversity. The variety of mushrooms we saw was astounding.”
From guacamole to grasshoppers
“As for the food on this trip,” she continued, “it was incredibly good: guacamole, cottage cheese, yellow mole, frijoles with avocado leaves, grasshoppers, bananas roasted on hot coals and delicious wild-mint tea! And throughout those six days, not a soul had stomach problems!”
In the cloud forests of Oaxaca, where some of Mexico’s best coffee is grown. (John Pint)
The first day of hiking brought the group to Rancho Obispo near San Francisco Ozolotepec, which is only 200 meters lower in altitude than the first campsite.
Ozolotepec in these place names means “Hill of the Jaguar” in Nahuatl. For the Zapotecs and Mixtecs of Oaxaca, the jaguar represented strength, mystery and the underworld.
A horse for an ambulance
The following day, the “visitors” were on the trail for nine hours, during which they lost 2,000 meters of altitude. Also on the trail were mules carrying their equipment, along with a horse dubbed La Ambulancia.
“It was green, green, green and down, down, down with spectacular views!” says Paulina Ascencio. “Now we were in an agricultural area where they use the traditional milpa system: corn, beans and squash, all growing together. This is also the area where they grow Café Pluma, which is said to be the very best coffee produced in Mexico.
“And at last we reached a river. What a joy it was to put our tired feet into the bubbling water.”
Then it began to rain, which slowed the group down. Eventually, the rain turned into a ferocious storm and a dramatic river crossing. After 12 hours of hiking, they arrived at San José Ozolotepec, altitude 1,223 meters, a town that can only be reached on foot. Here they slept in a churchyard because the normal campsite had been damaged by a hurricane.
River walking
If you’ve never tried an egg cooked on a hoja santa leaf, you’re missing one of life’s great joys. (John Pint)
There are normally only six hours of hiking on day four, following a river through mango orchards and coffee plantations, leaving plenty of time to visit local caves with rock art going back to Neolithic times. In reality, this little group of hikers ran into a second day of heavy rain, which doubled the amount of walking time.
Says Paulina Ascencio:
“At 9 p.m., we arrived at San Felipe Lachilló, dripping wet, but feeling great. The next day, we went to a nearby spring of wonderfully transparent water, which is channeled into several big swimming pools. They call this place Yuviaga. Above the spring, there is a kitchen where we had the best food of the trip. Take the eggs, for example. They start with a large green leaf called hoja santa, which they put on the hot comal. Once the leaf is pliable, they break an egg on it, wrap the egg in the leaf and roast it. Then you eat it with frijoles, salsa and nopales. Delicious!”
Jungles and junk food
The final day of hiking included only 12 kilometers of walking and took the trekkers through an old coffee plantation, followed by jungles filled with huge trees, after which they arrived at San Miguel del Puerto, the first town they had seen on the entire excursion.
“We walked into a little shop,” said Arturo, “and couldn’t resist buying junk food and beer. Thus fortified, we came to our last campsite at a place called Mandimbo, which has an incredible botanical garden. Here we saw many of the plants we had been eating throughout the trek. They even showed us a bromeliad named after this village. Then we walked to the campsite, at the top of a little hill, underneath a beautiful palapa, where all of us took showers around the back, under a hose.”
The last day of the trek features rafting down the Copalita River, a haven for hundreds of bird species, finishing up on La Bocana Beach, known for its great surfing waves and mud baths, at a restaurant famed for its delicious mariscos (seafood). From here, a bus takes people to their hotels in Huatulco.
There’s no telling what edible delicacies one might find while hiking the Copalita Trail in Oaxaca.
Does this sound like your kind of adventure? If so, you’ll find full information on the Camino Copalita website, which is in English. Happy trekking!
John Pint has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for more than 30 years and is the author of “A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area” and co-author of “Outdoors in Western Mexico.” More of his writing can be found on his website.
Julia Ortega on her carbon-neutral coffee farm in Puebla, Mexico. (Irena Vélez)
Thirty years ago, Julia Ortega swore she would never work in the family business as a coffee producer. Today, she runs Mexico’s first carbon-neutral coffee farm, Finca Los Pinos, on her 17-acre estate in the Sierra Norte de Puebla. What started as a reluctant inheritance has become a globally exported specialty coffee operation rooted in sustainability.
A hesitant start on the farm
Ortega was born into a coffee-farming family spanning four generations. She watched her parents work tirelessly while volatile commodity prices eroded their income.
Carbon-neutral farm of coffee plants at Finca Los Pinos in Puebla. (Irena Vélez)
“The producer is always the one most affected by prices,” she says. “I saw my parents work so hard, and it didn’t seem profitable.”
Determined to avoid that path, she pursued business administration and cultural tourism and built her career in an office. “I spent my whole life in an office. I just couldn’t see myself in the countryside,” she recalls.
Her outlook didn’t shift when her parents gifted her a small plot of unused land. “Instead of feeling excited, it felt like a burden. I thought: What on earth am I going to do with this?”
Discovering her roots
For years, the land sat untouched — until a quiet walk among the trees changed everything.
“Walking in the countryside connects you to something deeper,” she says. “You hear birdsong, rustling leaves. That’s when I realized, this is where I come from.”
She decided to grow organic coffee, combining her love of nature with a desire to protect it. At the time, organic coffee was a niche market in Mexico and widely viewed as unprofitable.
Specializing in organic coffee beans was a small niche market when Ortega first began growing them. (Irena Vélez)
“Everyone told me it wouldn’t work,” she recalls. “But the truth is, I’m stubborn. I didn’t listen.”
Today, Finca Los Pinos has been carbon-neutral for six years, having evolved from a small experiment into a benchmark for sustainable coffee production in Mexico.
Turning setbacks into opportunities
By the mid-2000s, Ortega faced serious obstacles. Running the farm alone had taken a mental toll, and coffee rust, a devastating fungus, was beginning to sweep through her plants.
“I told my husband, ‘I don’t think we can survive,’” she says. The two had deliberately kept their careers separate — until the crisis forced a change.
Her husband, an agronomist, proposed a bold solution: replanting the entire farm with rust-resistant varieties. It required removing healthy trees and making a major financial gamble.
“I thought it would bankrupt us,” Ortega says. “But it was the best decision we could have made.”
Ortega and her husband, an agronomist, decided to replant the entire farm with rust-resistant varieties. (Irena Vélez)
His agricultural expertise, paired with her business instincts, transformed the farm’s future.
Every bean counts
Today, Finca Los Pinos produces specialty-grade organic coffee, yielding about 50 bags of 70 kilograms each (154 pounds) each harvest. But Ortega doesn’t stop at beans.
“The word ‘waste’ doesn’t exist on this farm.”
Coffee pulp becomes compost or protein-rich flour; spent grounds go into handmade soaps and exfoliants; premium beans are turned into coffee liqueur.
The farm also offers low-impact agro-tourism, developed with the support of Mexico’s National Commission for Biodiversity, giving visitors a close look at sustainable coffee production in a protected region.
Innovation born from experience
For Ortega, coffee farming is both a science and an art. Her hands-on approach includes a method she jokingly calls the “dentometer”—biting a bean lightly to test its readiness.
Ortega checks the readiness of each bean by what she calls the “dentometer.” (Irena Vélez)
“When you touch the coffee, it sounds a certain way and feels a certain way,” she says. “You just know when it’s ready.”
One harvest, a processing machine broke down. Instead of losing the crop, she took a risk and tried drying whole coffee cherries, a method rarely used in Puebla’s humid climate.
Ortega now exports her organic coffee bean varieties to countries around the world. (Irena Vélez)
“They put all their passion into it,” she says. “Sometimes they care more about quality than the big companies because they’re face-to-face with their customers.”
The farm is certified organic in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada — a costly but crucial step, Ortega notes, to maintain consumer trust amid widespread food fraud concerns.
Labor shortages in rural Mexico
Finca Los Pinos employs 10 permanent staff, expanding to 15–20 during harvest. But Ortega says finding agricultural workers is increasingly difficult.
“The dream for many day laborers is to work in the United States,” she explains. “They go north to work in vineyards and strawberry fields where foreign companies pay better.”
Her concern extends far beyond her farm: “Without agriculture, we have no food. It’s that simple.”
Life rooted in the countryside
Ortega’s day begins at 5:30 a.m. with a breakfast of café con pan before moving between administrative tasks and long hours in the field. During harvest, she often finishes after sunset.
The team at Finca Los Pinos often works long hours to produce their organic coffees. (Irena Vélez)
“When you work on a farm, there are no office hours,” she says. “Nature binds you. It roots you in place.”
When her husband once suggested moving to a larger city, she refused. “Leaving the countryside would be leaving a part of myself.”
A legacy grounded in impact
For Ortega, success is defined not by profit, but by influence and community impact. Neighboring farms have adopted her conservation practices, and visitors often leave inspired.
On one tour, a woman stepped forward and asked, “Do you remember me?” She turned out to be Ortega’s childhood teacher.
“She told me, ‘Julia, you always wanted to be a superhero and help the planet. Maybe you’re not Wonder Woman, but you’re doing exactly what you were meant to do.’”
Moments like that remind Ortega why she does this work: One farm, one community, and one coffee bean at a time.
Irena Vélez is a journalist at Wikifarmer.com, based in Seville, Spain. She holds a Bachelor’s in Journalism Honours from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and has a background in agricultural reporting. She writes research-based articles on sustainable farming, crop management and rural entrepreneurship, helping make agricultural knowledge accessible to farmers worldwide.
For readers looking to dive deeper into the protected agriculture sector, Wikifarmer offers expert insights, market data, and crop trends. Wikifarmer empowers farmers, agribusiness professionals, and industry observers through four key pillars: the Wikifarmer Marketplace, connecting producers with buyers around the world; the Wikifarmer Library, a free knowledge hub with thousands of expert-authored articles on crops, technologies and best practices; the Wikifarmer Academy, offering online courses with certifications to enhance agricultural skills; and Wikifarmer Price Insights, providing real-time market intelligence on key commodities. By combining practical expertise with up-to-date data, Wikifarmer helps stakeholders navigate the complexities of modern agriculture, making it an essential resource for anyone interested in Mexico’s booming greenhouse and horticulture industry.
Ponche de fruta, a Christmastime fruit punch served in cantaritos (clay mugs) is a posada favorite.
(Shutterstock)
Mexican posadas — those traditional Christmas parties that bring family, friends and neighbors together for an evening of holiday cheer — are in full swing these December days. But like so many other traditions, the cost of hosting a posada has gone up. Way up.
While the government is struggling, with some modest success, to keep Mexico’s annual inflation rate between 2% and 4%, a typical posada will be almost 20% more expensive this year than last year, according to a survey conducted by the National Alliance of Small Businesses (ANPEC).
A posada’s not a posada without a piñata for the kids — and the grownups. ANPEC puts the cost of a piñata at 600 pesos. (Shutterstock)
The survey’s data revealed that organizing a posada for 10 people can cost around 10,000 pesos (US $549), compared to the 8,400 pesos (US $461) of 2024.
ANPEC shows that the overall price increase is primarily driven by the rise in food and beverage costs, with food expenses alone amounting to approximately 8,400 pesos – 84% of the total posada budget.
According to ANPEC, the 10,000 pesos needed for a posada break down as follows:
Dinner: 3,500 pesos (US $192)
Drinks, including alcohol: 3,000 pesos (US $164)
Snacks: 1,300 pesos (US $71)
Decorations: 900 pesos (US $50)
Candles and sparklers: 700 pesos (US $38)
Piñata: 600 pesos (US $32)
Even though inflation has remained relatively controlled, at around 3.5–3.8% annually, it experienced an uptick last month. In November, annual inflation accelerated to 3.80%, up from 3.57% in October, mainly affecting the food and non-alcoholic beverage industries, which saw a 3% increase compared to the 2.64% recorded in 2024.
According to ANPEC, this rise in prices has prompted friends, family members and even companies to reconsider how they celebrate the holidays. In the past, a government office or company of any size would host a “brindis,” which was usually far more elaborate than its name (meaning a “toast”) would imply, with dinners, music and other entertainment. Today, many have opted for more modest celebrations.
“The current economic situation has forced many organizations to scale back their celebrations to simpler formats such as breakfasts, in an effort to keep the spirit of gratitude and togetherness without compromising their finances,” ANPEC said.
But even hosting a Christmas breakfast is more expensive than last year. An average breakfast buffet can cost up to 500 pesos (US $27) per person, also reflecting a 20% increase from the 400 pesos (US $21) it cost last year, according to ANPEC.
Still, families don’t have to forgo their traditional posadas. ANPEC recommends setting a realistic budget, simplifying the menu with economical dishes, balancing alcohol consumption with less expensive options, avoiding impulsive purchases of festive snacks and sweets, and considering a cooperative approach where each attendee chips in.
At her Wednesday morning press conference, the president also acknowledged a colleague, Thelma, who helps her to choose what to wear. (Hazel Cárdenas/Presidencia)
As Mexico’s “Year of the Indigenous Woman” nears its end, President Claudia Sheinbaum took the opportunity at her Wednesday morning press conference to heap praise on the country’s female Indigenous artisans.
She also responded to remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump in an interview and spoke about Mexico’s state-owned airline, which has now been flying for almost two years.
Sheinbaum responds to Trump’s latest remarks on a possible US military attack in Mexico
A reporter asked Sheinbaum for a response to Trump’s latest remarks about the possible use of U.S. military force in Mexico.
In an interview with Politico, Trump, after declaring that the U.S. is going to hit Venezuelan drug traffickers “on land very soon,” was asked whether he would “consider doing something similar with Mexico and Colombia that are even more responsible for fentanyl trafficking into the U.S.”
Sheinbaum responded to Trump’s remarks in the same way as she has previously responded, declaring that a U.S. military attack in Mexico “is not going to happen.”
It won’t happen “first of all, because it’s not necessary,” she said.
“Secondly, because we’re a sovereign country and we would never accept a foreign intervention,” Sheinbaum continued.
Sheinbaum responded to Trump’s remarks in the same way as she has previously responded, declaring that a U.S. military attack in Mexico “is not going to happen.” (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum acknowledged that Trump has his own way of “thinking” on the issue, although his Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that the United States wouldn’t take unilateral decisions and … send American forces into Mexico.”
She also said that there are “a lot of things” that Mexico and the U.S. don’t agree on, but her government still seeks the best possible relationship with its U.S. counterpart.
Hoy recibimos en Mexicana la quinta aeronave E195-E2, Matrícula XA-MXE.
Un paso más en la modernización de nuestra flota y en nuestro compromiso por ofrecer una experiencia de viaje más eficiente, cómoda y sostenible. ✈️ pic.twitter.com/SDMduQ4ive
The airline’s hub is the Felipe Ángeles International Airport in México state, from where it flies to various Mexican cities, including Tijuana, Tulum, Mérida and Los Cabos.
Sheinbaum said that plans are in the works for Mexicana to reach new destinations.
Mexicana is “proof that there can be a profitable airline of the Mexican state,” even while offering tickets that are cheaper than those of its competitors, allowing “more people to travel by plane,” she said.
Sheinbaum’s fashion secrets
Asked about her inclusion on The New York Times’ list of “The 67 most stylish people of 2025,” Sheinbaum said she appreciated the recognition but declared that the credit should, in fact, go to Mexico’s Indigenous artisans.
“Who we have to thank are the Mexican Indigenous artisans, for what they give to Mexico, for their creativity, for the beauty with which they embroider,” said the president, who in her first year in office “has drawn attention to the country’s Indigenous fashion by wearing embroidered clothing,” according to the Times.
Sheinbaum said that “in each embroidery” by a Mexican artisan “there is not only a lot of work,” but also “tradition, history [and] legacy.”
“… In addition, each embroidery represents something that a woman, mainly Indigenous, designed and conceived,” she said.
Sheinbaum also told reporters that she is gifted a lot of huipiles and other items of clothing during her weekend tours of Mexico, during which she likes to get up close and personal with supporters.
In addition, she noted that there is a seamstress in San Pedro Mártir, an “original town” in the Mexico City borough of Tlalpan, who has made dresses for her for a long time.
The president also acknowledged a colleague, Thelma, who helps her to choose what to wear.
Sheinbaum added that she feels “very proud” to wear pieces made by Indigenous artisans “because the weavers, the embroiderers, everyone who has a telar de cintura [backstrap loom] … are the pride of the nation.”
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
