A crowd in Ciudad Ixtepec, Oaxaca, welcomes the first arrival of the Interoceanic Train, a passenger train line started during the López Obrador administration. (Carolina Jiménez/Cuartoscuro)
On the campaign trail, Claudia Sheinbaum promised that the return of passenger trains would be a fundamental objective of her administration. Now the Mexican president is putting her words into action.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has promised to continue AMLO’s push to expand Mexico’s passenger rail system. (Claudia Sheinbaum/X)
The ambitious project is set to begin in April 2025 with three passenger train routes, two of which would connect Mexico City to northern border cities: México City-Nuevo Laredo and México City-Nogales. The third route would connect Pachuca — about 90 kilometers north of the capital — with the new Mexico City airport.
The construction would be done in non-contiguous fashion, the newspaper El Economista reported, so as to benefit the largest number of people as the project advances.
For instance, explained Andrés Lajous, in charge of overseeing the project, construction would begin with lines connecting Mexico City with Querétaro and Saltillo with Nuevo Laredo.
Querétaro — one of the country’s most important cities in terms of industrialization and tourism, — is only 225 kilometers northwest of Mexico City, but traveling by car can take up to four hours. The Saltillo-Nuevo Laredo trunk line would connect Saltillo, a state capital featuring a large automotive industry, with a border city often considered “the customs capital of Latin America.”
Boosting her predecessor’s legacy
The unprecedented investment in passenger train lines — a mode of transportation abandoned in Mexico in the second half of the 20th century as automobiles became more popular — is a continuation of a policy begun by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whose term ended on Sept. 30.
In her inauguration speech on Oct. 1, Sheinbaum reiterated her promise to continue López Obrador’s work. “We are proudly reviving passenger train service, because it means regional development, jobs, tourism and shared prosperity,” she said, according to the BBC.
The Maya Train takes passengers around the Yucatán Peninsula. With the new funds, the government intends to fit it out for cargo shipments as well. (Tren Maya/X)
The Interurban Train (US $10 billion) and the Interoceanic Train (US $1 billion) were two other projects favored by López Obrador. The former connects Mexico City with Toluca, the capital of México state 65 kilometers to the west, while the latter links the Gulf Coast port of Coatzocoalcos, Veracruz, with the Pacific port of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, about 300 kilometers away.
Whereas the Interurban Train — which will be completed in the coming months — provides passenger service, the Interoceanic Train offers both passenger and freight service.
Getting back on track
Other focal points of the project, according to the BBC, include the restoration of the once-iconic Mexico City-Veracruz train line and the Querétaro-Guadalajara connection that will comprise part of the Mexico City-Nogales route.
The government also plans to modify the Maya Train railway to accommodate freight service.
Lajous explained that there would be four phases to the project: first, laying 786 kilometers of track through 2026; second, installing 910 kilometers through 2027; third, building 1,145 kilometers through 2028; and the fourth phase, completing the final 552 kilometers.
Sheinbaum and Lajous emphasized that the private sector is a willing participant as construction will generate considerable economic benefits, particularly at the local level.
Lajous estimates that the new projects will directly and indirectly create roughly 490,000 jobs.
Suppliers, such as construction companies ICA, Carso and Mota Engi, will also benefit. The trains themselves will likely be manufactured by the French-Canadian firm Alstom-Bombardier, which has a factory in the state of Hidalgo.
“The returns on investment in infrastructure, in a country that needs infrastructure, are enormous for the government and society,” Lajous told the BBC.
PRI Deputy Carlos Eduardo Gutiérrez burns a piece of paper with the names of the watchdog agencies set to be eliminated, in protest of the constitutional bill. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
The Senate on Thursday approved a controversial constitutional bill that seeks to eliminate seven watchdog agencies including the national transparency agency.
Senators with the ruling Morena party and its allies voted in favor of the bill, while opposition lawmakers opposed it.
Morena party senators and their allies hold posters showing expenditures of autonomous agencies, which the ruling alliance accused of corruption and inefficiency. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
The final count was 86 votes in favor — exactly the number needed to reach the two-thirds majority required to approve constitutional bills — and 42 against.
Mexico’s 32 state legislatures — most of which are controlled by Morena — will now consider the constitutional reform proposal. If a majority approve it, President Claudia Sheinbaum can sign the bill into law.
If that occurs, the following seven autonomous agencies will be disbanded:
The National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and the Protection of Personal Data (INAI).
The Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece).
The Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT).
The National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (Coneval).
The Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE).
The National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH).
The National Commission for the Continuous Improvement of Education (Mejoredu).
The responsibilities of the autonomous agencies — most of which were created in recent decades to decentralize government power — would be absorbed by government ministries in most cases.
The Economy Ministry — via a decentralized “technically independent” agency under its control — is slated to take over Cofece’s duties, while the Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Ministry would absorb the IFT’s functions.
A decentralized agency within the Economy Ministry would take over the work of anti-trust regulator Cofece. (Onexpro Nacional)
The Energy Ministry is set to regulate Mexico’s energy sector by taking on the responsibilities of the CRE and CNH, while Coneval’s work would be transferred to the national statistics agency INEGI.
Morena says that the main objectives of eliminating the watchdog agencies are to save money and reduce corruption. López Obrador said in July that the move could generate savings of 100 billion pesos (US $4.9 billion), but didn’t provide specific details.
Sheinbaum said last week that the reform will lead to “more transparency” and help to eliminate corruption. She has said that some of the savings generated by the elimination of INAI, Cofece and the other autonomous bodies could go to cultural and educational programs, and toward raising the salaries of soldiers.
However, the bulk of the savings are earmarked to be used to pay pensions and other welfare benefits.
López Obrador was an outspoken critic of autonomous government agencies, accusing them of corruption and other ills and railing against their large budgets. Sheinbaum has made the same criticisms.
Government critics have long argued that the incorporation of autonomous agencies into ministries and other federal departments would eliminate important counterweights to government power and represent a backward step for democracy. The reform is seen by many as an attempt to concentrate power in the executive branch of government.
‘I can’t even sleep because of my sadness’
In the Senate on Thursday, opposition senators asserted that the federal government only wants to inform the public of information that shows it in a good light.
The responsibilities of INAI, which provides information to citizens, including journalists, in compliance with transparency laws, are set to be transferred to the Anti-Corruption and Good Governance Ministry (formerly called the Ministry of Public Administration). That ministry is under the control of Anti-Corruption Minister Raquel Buenrostro, and ultimately follows the directives of President Sheinbaum.
Opposition senators also claimed that the government is seeking to cover up corruption in the López Obrador administration and doesn’t want impartial evaluation of its public policy.
The responsibilities of transparency agency INAI are set to be taken over by the Anti-Corruption and Good Governance Ministry. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
Citizens Movement (MC) party Senator Amalia García was among those who voted against the elimination of the watchdog agencies.
“I feel aggravated and sad. Personally, I find it inconceivable. I can’t even sleep because of my sadness,” she said.
Institutional Revolutionary Party Senator Claudia Anaya expressed her discontent at the responsibilities of Mejoredu being absorbed by the Public Education Ministry (SEP).
“SEP can’t evaluate itself,” she said.
For his part, MC Senator Clemente Castañeda said that the enactment of the reform will result in “the concentration of power in few hands.”
According to a statement issued by the Senate, National Action Party Senator Agustín Dorantes Lámbarri claimed that the government is seeking “complete opacity” and the “elimination of any counterweight to the excessive power they covet.”
There are also concerns that the reform could adversely affect Mexico’s attractiveness as an investment destination.
“Generating, attracting and retaining talent and investment is not possible without an institutional structure that provides legal certainty and guarantees the impartiality of decisions of government oversight and regulation,” the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness, a think tank, said earlier this month.
Citizens want ‘a more efficient and austere government’
According to the Senate statement, Senator Lizeth Sánchez García of the Labor Party (a Morena ally) said that the proposed reform “responds to citizen demands to have a more efficient and austere government” that is “focused on dealing with the challenges we face.”
The reform “will allow a significant reduction in public expenditure and the elimination of redundant and costly administrative structures,” she said.
Morena Senator Miguel Pavel Jarero Velázquez made similar remarks, and claimed that autonomous agency employees won’t be affected by the reform. Despite the planned dissolution of the seven watchdog agencies, Morena lawmakers have said that their workers will be employed elsewhere in government.
Juanita Guerra Mena, a senator with the Ecological Green Party of Mexico, another Morena ally, asserted that the Anti-Corruption and Good Governance Ministry will guarantee transparency in government once it assumes INAI’s responsibilities.
Morena legislators and allies say the Anti-Corruption Ministry, led by Raquel Buenrostro, will guarantee government transparency. (Secretaría de Economía/X)
Ratification of the constitutional bill by a majority of Mexico’s state legislatures will likely happen quickly, as occurred after federal Congress approved other reform proposals in recent months.
Several constitutional reform bills have been considered by Congress since lawmakers elected in June assumed their positions on Sept. 1.
Silvia Pinal played the lead role in "Viridiana," Luis Buñuel's 1961 masterpiece. (Wikimedia Commons)
Mexican actress Silvia Pinal, a diva from the Golden Age of Mexican cinema who went on to become a TV host and politician, died Thursday at the age of 93.
The native of Guaymas, Sonora, starred in films alongside Cantinflas, Pedro Infante and Tin Tan and had her most iconic role as a distressed nun-to-be in Luis Buñuel’s 1961 Cannes-winning film “Viridiana.”
She went on to star in two more Buñuel masterpieces of surrealist cinema — “The Exterminating Angel” (1962) and “Simón of the Desert” (1965) — just as the Época de Oro (Golden Age) was fading out after more than two decades.
Though she peaked toward the end of the era, many would rank Pinal, whom muralist Diego Rivera immortalized in a 1956 portrait, as one of the most iconic actresses from the Golden Age. Moreover, she was one of the few who adapted to a subsequent career in TV.
“We regret the passing of the leading actress Silvia Pinal Hidalgo, whose cinematic and theatrical talent is part of Mexico’s cultural memory,” President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on her X account. “Many generations of Mexicans grew up admiring her. Our sincere condolences to her family and friends.”
Born in 1931, Pinal moved to Mexico City with her family when she was still a child. She began acting at a very early age in theater and radio, and at 17, landed her first film role in 1948’s “Bamba.”
Unlike some Golden Age stars, Pinal successfully transitioned to television before moving into politics. (Isaac Esquivel/Cuartoscuro)
Over the next six decades, she appeared in more than 60 films, and in the 1960s, she began an equally prolific TV career in which she hosted two programs and had roles in no fewer than five telenovelas (soap operas).
One of her shows, “Mujer, casos de la vida real” (“Woman, Real-Life Cases”), aired for more than 20 years after starting as a way to help people looking for relatives after 1985’s deadly 8.1-magnitude Mexico City earthquake. The iconic show dramatized real-life stories submitted by viewers.
“It was a program that gave me great satisfaction,” Pinal once said. “It spoke without censorship about such difficult topics as abortion, homosexuality, racial discrimination, AIDS, violence against women, machismo, child abuse, street children, prostitution.”
Pinal was also a theater producer, and was leader of the National Actors Association between 2010 and 2014. She was awarded Spain’s Order of Isabel La Católica in 2006 and two years later received the Golden Ariel for her film career.
In the 1980s, she delved into politics with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), serving as a member of Mexico’s lower house of Congress, the Chamber of Deputies, then as a federal senator. From 1991 to 1994, she was an assemblywoman in Mexico City’s legislature.
Her life was not without misfortune, such as the 1982 death of her daughter Viridiana at age 19 in a car accident and a long estrangement from her eldest daughter, Pasquel, who got romantically involved with an ex-lover of Pinal.
She was also accused of fraud by the National Association of Theatre Producers, and in 2000, she left Mexico for a time after being accused of not having paid taxes for the broadcast of “Mujer” for years.
Pinal was married four times, including from 1967 to 1976 to famous singer and actor Enrique Guzmán, now 81. Her descendants involved in the entertainment industry include daughters Sylvia Pasquel (actress) and Alejandra Guzmán (rock singer); granddaughters Stephanie Salas (singer-actress) and Frida Sofía (model-businesswoman); and great-granddaughter model Michelle Salas (model).
Earlier this month, Pinal’s family said she had been hospitalized for a urinary tract infection. In her later years, she also suffered from COVID-19 and pneumonia.
The aim of the operations is to protect Mexico's textile and other industries and to "eradicate illicit practices that affect the public and the national economy." (Pablo Vázquez Camacho/X)
As Mexico faces pressure from Donald Trump and others over its trade relationship with China and Chinese investment in various sectors of the Mexican economy, federal and Mexico City authorities raided a Chinese goods megastore on Thursday, seizing more than 200,000 counterfeit products.
The Economy Ministry (SE) and the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) led the operation targeting Mexico Mart, a 16-story Chinese-operated macroplaza (large wholesale shopping complex) in the historic center of Mexico City.
IMPI inspectors, navy personnel, Mexico City police officers and foreign trade officials participated in the operation, according to a joint statement issued by the SE and IMPI.
“Within the framework of the strategy to combat goods that are brought into the country and distributed illegally, the Economy Ministry and the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property today carried out an operation in a commercial plaza located at Izazaga Street 89 in the center of Mexico City,” the statement said, adding that “illicit goods” that violate the Federal Industrial Property Protection Law were confiscated.
The SE and IMPI said that around 90,000 counterfeit products “of Asian origin” had been seized by 3 p.m.
Mexico City Security Minister Pablo Vázquez Camacho said on social media shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday that more than 260,000 counterfeit products were confiscated.
Por instrucciones de la Jefa de Gobierno, @ClaraBrugadaM, compañeros de @SSC_CDMX, en coordinación con @SEMAR_mx, apoyaron en la seguridad perimetral y operativa para que representantes de @SE_mx e @IMPI_Mexico dieran cumplimiento a una diligencia para decomisar mercancía ilegal… pic.twitter.com/V1oPPbmBkq
Fake Disney, Marvel, Nintendo and Sanrio (Hello Kitty) products were among those seized, the SE said. The contraband included t-shirts, toys, towels, pillows and make-up.
Vázquez posted video footage and photographs showing large trash bags filled with the phony products.
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard also posted a photograph of bags filled with seized goods. He said that the raid was carried out on the instructions of President Claudia Sheinbaum and that the fake goods would be destroyed.
The Economy Ministry said that the raid at Mexico Mart is “the first of various operations” it will carry out across Mexico in coordination with the navy, the National Guard, consumer protection agency Profeco, IMPI, federal tax agency SAT and state and municipal governments.
The raid is “the first of various operations” across the country targeting counterfeit and illegally imported goods, the Economy Ministry said. (Marcelo Ebrard/X)
The SE said that the aim of the operations is to protect the Mexican “textiles and toy industries, among others” and to “eradicate illicit practices that affect the public and the national economy.”
IMPI chief Santiago Nieto said after Thursday’s raid that he believed the goods seized at Mexico Mart only represented “the tip of the iceberg” with regard to the sale in Mexico of counterfeit Chinese goods.
The Economy Ministry said it will seek to confiscate all products from Mexico Mart due to its “recurrence” of the “illegal practice” of selling counterfeit goods, and it appears likely that the business will be shut down permanently.
The macroplaza has been shut down on previous occasions, including in July when it came under investigation for selling contraband and failing to pay import fees. Mexico Mart — also known as Plaza Izazaga — reopened in August.
Nieto told Milenio Television on Thursday that Mexico Mart is also under investigation for tax evasion and money laundering. In a report published in June, the Reforma newspaper identified the owner of the market as Jin Lan, a businessman from the Chinese province of Zhejiang. Reforma said that he has seen his revenue “grow like foam,” or very quickly.
President-elect Donald Trump is particularly concerned about Chinese automakers’ plans to open plants in Mexico, although President Sheinbaum said Thursday that “there is not yet any firm investment project from any Chinese automotive company.”
Trump has threatened to impose hefty tariffs on all cars made in Mexico, and earlier this week he pledged to impose a 25% tariff on all Mexican and Canadian exports. (Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0)
Precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl are illegally imported to Mexico from China, according to U.S. and Mexican authorities.
Last month, Trump accused Mexico as being a transshipment hub for Chinese goods, and asserted that he would “seek strong new protections against transshipment” in the USMCA “so that China and other countries cannot smuggle their products and auto parts into the United States tax free through Mexico to the detriment of our workers and our supply chains.”
Mexico has also faced criticism from some Canadian politicians for allowing what they see as unfettered Chinese investment in Mexico and for allegedly being a low-tariff “backdoor” into North America for Chinese goods.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that “there have been real and genuine concerns raised about Chinese investment into Mexico,” and declared that “pending decisions and choices that Mexico has made we may have to look at other options” beyond the USMCA, which currently governs trade between Mexico, Canada and the United States.
For its part, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) said in a 2024 report that Mexico “continues to suffer from widespread importation, manufacture, sales, distribution, reexport, and transshipment of counterfeit goods.”
“The prevalence of counterfeit goods at notorious physical marketplaces remains a significant problem, exacerbated by the involvement of transnational criminal organizations,” the USTR said.
The Mexican government is well-aware that its trade relationship with China and Chinese investment in Mexico could be sticking points when the USMCA is reviewed in 2026. (Government of Ukraine/Wikimedia Commons – Creative Commons Attribution 4.0)
It said that the United States government “urges Mexico to fully implement the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and to address long-standing concerns, including with respect to enforcement against counterfeiting and piracy.”
Ebrard said in a radio interview on Thursday that there is “a very large flow” of imports from Asia that is affecting Mexico’s textile, footwear and toy industries.
The economy minister asserted that importers are evading taxes and said that an investigation will look at the origin of the recently-seized counterfeit products and where they entered Mexico.
“We assume they must have arrived via Lázaro Cárdenas or Manzanillo,” he said, referring to Pacific coast ports in Michoacán and Colima.
Ebrard added that they came all the way to Mexico City “without documents.”
“We have to interrupt this flow. There is no industry that can survive this. One important part is the relationship we have with the United States and another is protecting our industry,” Ebrard said.
“These goods don’t even have [appropriate] labeling, it can’t be allowed. We’re going to come down [on counterfeit and illegally imported merchandise] very hard,” he said.
If you’re looking for “untouched beaches and wild, windswept nature spark joy”, as Travel & Leisure describes it, Costalegre might be the destination for you. (Gobierno de Jalisco)
Costalegre, a series of bays and beaches on Mexico’s Pacific coast, has been selected as one of the world’s top less-visited destinations for 2025 by travel magazine Afar, while Travel & Leisure rated it as one of the 50 best places to travel in the coming year.
According to Afar, crowd-free travel is set to be a major trend next year. The ranking recommends off-the-beaten-path places like Chios in Greece, Columbus in Ohio or Toyama in Japan. Afar’s rankings include “some of the world’s most fascinating and lesser-visited countries, regions and cities” in the world, the magazine reported.
Secluded between the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Costalegre has remained protected from mass tourism for decades. (Alejandro Ags/Wikimedia Commons – Creative Commons Attribution 3.0)
Secluded between the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Costalegre has remained protected from mass tourism for decades, despite sitting between two major tourist hubs: the resort city of Puerto Vallarta and the port of Manzanillo, Colima.
“The 200-mile stretch of sugary sand is bordered by dense jungle, protected estuaries, and sea turtle sanctuaries, juxtaposed with the peaks and valleys of the Sierra Madre mountains,” Afar wrote.
In Costalegre’s secluded beaches, travelers can enjoy snorkeling, horseback riding, hiking, fishing and swimming. However, the destination is about to become less remote due to the new Chalacatepec International Airport.
Costalegre is home to eight of Jalisco’s 13 wetlands of international importance. (Milan Pieteraerents/Pexels)
5-star hotels and ultra-luxury projects
Some of the top resort brands in the world have properties in Costalegre.
In 2022, Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo opened on a private reserve, offering 157 rooms. The property has a biologist on staff and a 35-acre low-impact farm.
Set to open in 2026, Xala Resort is another ultra-luxury development coming to Costalegre. The billion-dollar project, from the same team behind Mandarina Resort and Residences on the Riviera Nayarit, will feature 100 vacation residences and at least two luxury hotels, including Mexico’s first Six Senses.
Other luxury developments that call Costalegre home include Las Alamandas, Careyes, Las Rosada and Cuixmala.
‘Leading by example’: Preserving biodiversity in Costalegre
Jalisco boasts 13 estuaries classified as Ramsar sites (wetlands of international importance). This is the highest number in any Mexican state, with Costalegre being home to eight of them. Furthermore, the Four Seasons preserve alone is home to over 70 endemic species of flora and fauna.
“There is a shared and unwavering commitment to the preservation of [Costalegre’s] natural landscapes among those who live here,” Four Seasons Tamarindo’s resident biologist, Francisco “Paco” Javier León González, told travel magazine Afar.
Kathryn Romeyn, a travel journalist for the magazine, added that “in leading by example, Costalegre’s developers are broadcasting a new global standard for coastal development in an area that has been, until now, a beautiful secret.”
Every year, thousands of readers gather for the most important literary event in Mexico: the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL). Since 1987, FIL has brought reading closer to children, young people, and adults eager to meet their favorite authors and discover new works in Guadalajara and 2024 looks like it will be no different.
This year, the guest country at the fair is Spain, which means we will see prominent figures from Spanish literature. Additionally, Spanish publishers without regular distribution in Mexico will make their works available for purchase and explore new partnerships with Mexican publishers and distributors.
(Fernando Carranza Garcia/Cuartoscuro)
We highlight five authors you cannot miss during your visit to FIL Guadalajara 2024, which runs from November 30 to December 8:
Irene Vallejo
At the top of this list is one of Spain’s most celebrated literary figures. Irene Vallejo always aspired to be a writer, but her day job was as a philology professor. Just as she was about to set aside her dream of writing, she published Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World, a book that blends academic rigor with a touch of fantasy to tell a fascinating story: the history of books. From the Sumerians to e-books, Papyrus is a must-read for book lovers. Irene has won prestigious international awards, and her work has been translated into more than 40 languages, selling over 1.5 million copies.
You can meet and listen to Irene Vallejo on Saturday, November 30, at 16:00 in the Juan Rulfo Auditorium, first floor, Expo Guadalajara. Later that day, from 17:00 to 20:50, she will be signing books at the Macromódulo de Firmas, Vestíbulo 5, floor -1, Expo Guadalajara.
Dahlia de la Cerda
Dahlia de la Cerda (Wikimedia Commons)
This isn’t the first time that we’ve discussed the literary phenomenon that is Dahlia de la Cerda. Originally from Aguascalientes, this author has shaken up Mexican literature by challenging its traditional norms and exposing the stark realities of life in the country. Her latest book, Medea me cantó un corrido, portrays diverse women navigating complex, violent lives often dictated by forces beyond their control. Translated into more than eight languages, Dahlia’s work continues to resonate widely.
You can meet Dahlia on Saturday, December 7, at 16:30 in Salón 3, ground floor, Expo Guadalajara. She will also participate in the presentation of Chismecito literario vol. 2 by Mexican writer and influencer Magali T. Ortega, known as @nenamounstro, on Friday, December 6, at 20:00 in Salón de Profesionales, Área Internacional, Expo Guadalajara.
Nathan Hill
(University of Iowa)
American author Nathan Hill, best known for his bestselling novel The Nix, will attend FIL Guadalajara to present his book Wellness. The book explores modern relationships, polyamory, algorithm-driven societies, alternative therapies, and the illusion of well-being. Wellness recently featured in Oprah’s Book Club and has earned Nathan Hill interviews with major American media personalities.
You can meet Nathan Hill on Friday, December 6, at 11:00 in Hall A, International Area, Expo Guadalajara.
Jorge Ramos
(El Cerebro Habla)
Jorge Ramos is one of the most iconic faces of Latino journalism. The renowned Mexican-American journalist and author will present his latest book, Así veo las cosas: Lo que nunca te conté, which delves into his personal and professional life — from his teenage dreams to his television career. Listening to him speak is a treat, as his eloquence and insight make every word resonate.
You can hear and meet Jorge Ramos on Friday, December 6, at 17:00 in Hall 6, ground floor, Expo Guadalajara. His book signing will follow at 18:00 in the Book Signing Module, International Area, Expo Guadalajara.
Jennifer Clement
Author Jennifer Clement discusses her latest book “The Promised Party” and what it means to remember Mexico, with Mexico News Daily. (Facebook)
Jennifer Clement, an extraordinary author who is American by birth but Mexican at heart, has recently released (as we’ve discussed previously) The Promised Party: Frida, Basquiat, and Me. In this memoir, she reflects on her childhood in Mexico, her early adulthood in New York, and her profound desire to return to live in Mexico, a country rich in cultural vibrancy. Jennifer has captivated readers in Mexico since her acclaimed book Widow Basquiat.
You can hear Jennifer Clement on Monday, December 2, at 17:00 in Hall 2, ground floor, Expo Guadalajara.
FIL Prizes
Each year, FIL Guadalajara awards prestigious literary prizes. One of these is the Sor Juana Prize, which honors the literary achievements of women in the Hispanic world. This year, the prize will be awarded to Argentine author Gabriela Cabezón Cámara for her book Las aventuras de la China Iron (The Adventures of China Iron), recognized by The New York Times and El País as one of the best books of the year.
Another major honor is the FIL Literature Prize, which comes with an award of $150,000. This year, it will be presented to Mozambican author Mia Couto in recognition of his outstanding contributions to literature in any genre.
Camila Sánchez Bolaño is a journalist, feminist, bookseller, lecturer, and cultural promoter and is the former Editor in Chief of Newsweek en Español magazine.
Food, surf and whales are just some of the amazing things to do this December in Los Cabos. (Zachary DeBottis/Pexels)
There is no single December event in Los Cabos greater than the collective Guadalupe–Reyes Marathon, the uniquely Mexican monthlong binge of festive holiday season parties between the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, on Dec. 12, and Three Kings Day, on Jan. 6. But one comes close — the official start of the local whale watching season on Dec. 15. New Year’s Eve merits a special mention, too, thanks to the spectacular annual fireworks show over Playa El Médano in Cabo San Lucas.
Aside from these though, what other activities can you expect this month in Los Cabos?
Gastrovino Food and Wine Festival
(Gastrovino Festival)
Okay, so this one isn’t in Los Cabos. But it’s a short one-hour road trip up the coast from Cabo San Lucas to Todos Santos, where this annual food and wine-focused festival is staged. And since there’s no Sabor a Cabo — the big food festival in Los Cabos — scheduled this December, it’s the one monthly opportunity for visitors to sample world-class wine from Mexico’s best vineyards and world-class food courtesy of some of the region’s best chefs.
Date: Dec. 1 Location: Todos Santos Cultural Center Cost: 85 pesos per person
— Festival Internacional de Cine de Los Cabos (@LosCabosIFF) November 15, 2024
Held annually since 2012, this film festival has hosted dozens of big-name actors and directors, including Liam Neeson, Nicole Kidman, Robert De Niro, Ewan McGregor, Edward Norton, Diego Luna, Virginia Madsen and Matt Dillon. However, the focus remains on strengthening collaborative ties between the North American film industries. Screenings this year will take place, as in past years, at Cinemex at Puerto Paraíso in Cabo San Lucas, but also in several locations in San José del Cabo, including Plaza Mijares and the Wirikuta botanical cactus garden.
Dates: Dec. 4 – 8 Location: Cinemex Puerto Paraíso and other screening sites Cost: Check the website for price and ticket availability at individual venues.
San José del Cabo Art Walk
(Art Walk San José)
The historic Art District in San José del Cabo takes center stage each Thursday evening from 5 to 9 p.m. during high tourist season — November through June — when residents and visitors alike are invited to stroll its cobblestone streets and peruse the many eclectic fine arts galleries. The many superb bars and restaurants nearby also benefit, since the event finishes around dinner time.
Dates: Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26 Location: Gallery District in San José del Cabo Cost: Free
Whale watching season
(Daniela Martinez Perez Vargas)
Every winter, more than 5,000 blue, gray, humpback and other whales migrate from their Arctic feeding grounds to breed in the shallow water coves and inlets of beautiful Baja California Sur. In this regard, these leviathans of the deep are very much like the snowbirds who flock to cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo to escape frigid winter temperatures in the U.S. and Canada. They’re just much, much larger.
Dates: Dec. 15 – April 15 Location: Sea of Cortés and Pacific Ocean Cost: Free, with tours available at various price points
New Year’s Eve party at El Squid Roe
The place to be in Cabo San Lucas when the clock strikes 12 to usher in a New Year is near Medano Beach to see the annual fireworks show in all its spectacular glory. However, the place to be the rest of the night is El Squid Roe, the best nightclub in town since it opened in 1989. This year partygoers can expect an indoor firework show, not to mention drinking, dancing and all the convivial atmosphere for which the bar is famous.
Date: December 31 Location: Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas, Cabo San Lucas Cost: From 109 pesos per person
New Year’s Eve white party at Marquis Los Cabos
Costume parties are a New Year’s tradition in Los Cabos. Luxurious Tourist Corridor-based all-inclusive resort Marquis Los Cabos keeps the tradition alive this year, requesting White Party-themed apparel to enjoy its many other offerings, including a four-course meal, a bottle of Taittinger Champagne, and a live band and DJ providing mood-appropriate music as couples elegantly dance their way into 2025.
Date: December 31 Location: Carretera Transpeninsular Km 21.5 Cost: New Year’s Eve night accommodations from 1,400 pesos
Like El Squid Roe, Mandala is a titan on the Cabo San Lucas nightlife scene.
To see the strobe light-painted glitterati atmosphere here at its shimmering best, visit on New Year’s Eve when highlights include acclaimed DJs, bottle service-style drinks and a dazzling light show. Reservations for this one aren’t cheap. The cheapest ticket package provides four access passes for 12,000 pesos. If you want a table, the number goes up. If that sounds steep, the asking price at La Vaquita across the street is a little more modest — but only a little. But who wants modesty on New Year’s Eve?
Dates: Dec. 31 Location:Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas, Cabo San Lucas Cost: From 150 pesos per person
Swimming with whale sharks season
There is no risk in swimming with these gentle giants since they subsist solely on plankton. (Red Brick/Pexels)
The whale shark is the largest fish in the world, reaching up to 40 feet in length and weighing as much as 47,000 pounds. There’s no risk in swimming with them, though, as these gentle giants subsist solely on plankton. Baja California Sur’s capital city of La Paz is the premier place to indulge in this unforgettable wildlife adventure, with round-trip transportation from Los Cabos provided by many of the area’s best activities purveyors.
Dates: October – May Location: La Paz, with transportation available from Los Cabos Cost: Varies according to the adventure company
Surf season on the Pacific coast
(Arturo Pérez Alfonso/Cuartoscuro)
Summer may be the best time to find great waves off Los Cabos’ Sea of Cortés-facing beaches. But beginning in November, the surf scene is centered around Pacific coast beaches like Cerritos, La Pastora and San Pedrito. Surfing is indeed good year-round in this part of Los Cabos— La Paz municipality, to be exact. However, conditions are at their peak from November to March, thanks to seasonally bigger and more consistent swells. Several local activities companies offer lessons for those who need to brush up on their wave-riding skills. Or learn some.
Dates: November – March Location: Pacific coast surf beaches like Cerritos, San Pedrito and La Pastora near Todos Santos Cost: Varies according to the company for lessons and rentals
Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.
There might not be snow, but Mexico City has all the events you need for a fun-filled December. (Four Seasons)
Mexico City is the city that never sleeps (sorry, Sinatra). Naturally, you’d expect December to be as busy as every other month of the year, just with extra Christmas.
And if you did, then great news! We’ve rounded up some of the best things to do in the capital but this time, we’ve added a festive twist to get you into the holiday spirit.
Piñata Exhibit at the Museum of Popular Art
(Gobierno de la Ciudad de México)
One of the best things about being in Mexico for the holidays are the elaborate piñatas hanging all over the city! Instead of wandering aimlessly in search of the giant festive ornaments, make your way to the Museum of Popular Art (MAP), where a colorful exhibit of 200 piñatas awaits. Artists from all over Mexico display their creations, with shapes ranging from the traditional five-pointed star to sea creatures, flowers and typical foods.
Dates: Now through December 15 Location: Museo de Arte Popular Cost: Entry is 60 pesos person
The Nutcracker
(Filarmónica de las Artes)
Nothing says the holidays like Tchaikovsky’s timeless classic. Head to Ciudad Universitaria for a magical adventure with the Filarmónica de las Artes and the Compañía de Danza de las Artes. This fairy-tale ballet unfolds under the enchanting direction of E. Abraham Vélez Godoy
Find your winter wonderland at the Four Seasons’ dreamy Secret Terrace. Among festive decor and cozy food stalls selling seasonal treats and sweets is a giant, eco-friendly ice skating rink! Admission includes skate rentals, as well as tickets for food and drinks. Entry also grants you 20 percent off at on-site restaurants and bars. Don’t miss the magical Christmas tree in the ground floor lobby.
Itching to don your Santa costume already? Here’s your chance! Put on your red hat, lace up your sneakers and join fellow run enthusiasts in Parque La Mexicana for a festive Santa Run. Jog with your kid, your pet or on your own. Distances of 1, 5, or 10 kilometers are available, as are the obligatory Santa suits. When you’re done, hit up Fisher’s for a free breakfast. If you love sports and Christmas, this is the event for you!
Get your holiday shopping done at the vibrant Christmas bazaar in Condesa! The atmosphere will be filled with colorful decorations, twinkling lights and joyful holiday music. This market features an array of unique gifts, so if you’re looking for locally made ornaments, artisanal toys and ceramics, this is a perfect place to find it. While you shop, indulge in holiday snacks like buñuelos and traditional hot chocolate.
Dates: Dec. 16 – 17 Location: Nuevo León 80 Cost: Free to enter
José Guadalupe Posada at Los Pinos
(Secretaría de Cultura)
Celebrate the legacy of famed caricaturist José Guadalupe Posada, best known for creating the Catrina skeleton of Día de los Muertos fame, at the exhibition “La vida no vale nada.” Set in the former presidential residence inside Chapultepec Park, caricaturist Gonzalo Rocha pays homage to the legendary artist with prints and artwork highlighting Posada’s iconic style.
Dates: Month of December Location: Complejo Cultural Los Pinos Cost: Free to enter
Alan Glass: A Surprising Discovery
(INBAL)
Explore the whimsical world of Canadian artist Alan Glass at the Palace of Fine Arts. This retrospective showcases 125 pieces spanning over five decades, demonstrating his surrealist creations and collaborations with Leonora Carrington, André Breton and Alejandro Jodorowsky. Browse a peculiar display of paintings, drawings and video installations, all divided into three thematic sections.
Dates: Through Feb. 16, 2025 Location: Palacio de Bellas Artes Cost: 90 pesos per person
Candlelight Christmas carols
(Victoria Feliniak/Unsplash)
Entertainment platform Fever’s ever-so-popular Candlelight series, an ongoing collection of atmospheric concerts held in iconic venues around the world, is getting in the spirit. For two nights only, immerse yourself in a multisensory music experience highlighting Christmas classics like “White Christmas,” “Holy Night” and “Let it Snow.” The 60-minute performance includes piano, saxophone, drums and guitar, and is accompanied by hundreds of candles, making it an optimal choice for a romantic night out.
Join the Ballet Folklórico de México for “Navidades en México,” a vibrant celebration of Mexican culture. From the story of the Nativity to the litany heard during a posada, this is one of the best ways to immerse in Mexican holiday tradition. This performance runs from Dec. 25 to 29 and showcases folkloric dances that embody the spirit of the season.
If you’re in the mood for something casual and intimate to ring in the New Year, head to this cozy Italian restaurant in Roma Norte. The delicious dishes and European atmosphere recently caught the attention of the Michelin Guide, landing Galea on the Bib Gourmand list. Enjoy an exquisite dinner featuring gourmet bites like foie gras mousse and duck in a black truffle cherry sauce. Of course, it wouldn’t be New Year’s Eve without the bubbly, which comes included in the price. Tasting options are available.
Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog, or follow her on Instagram.
President Claudia Sheinbaum takes a reporter's question on Thursday at her daily press conference. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)
The Maya Train railroad and the security detail of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador were among the issues discussed at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Thursday morning press conference.
Here is a brief recap of the mañanera, as the president’s weekday presser is colloquially known.
President Sheinbaum defended the government-run Maya Train after a reporter mentioned multiple media reports calling it “a failure” due to low ticket sales and high operating costs. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
´The Maya Train is a success’
“The Maya Train is a success; it’s functioning very well, and domestic and foreign tourists are using it,” Sheinbaum said after a reporter pointed out that the rail project has been described as a “failure” by media outlets.
Nevertheless, Sheinbaum asserted that it’s “false” that the railroad has “problems.”
“The Maya Train is a success,” she reiterated.
Almost a year after passenger trains began running between Campeche and Cancún, however, the railroad is still not fully open.
Ex-president López Obrador is well-known to be living in retirement at Palenque, Chiapas, ranch. However, Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla Trejo told Sheinbaum’s Thursday presser, how many soldiers are protecting him there is a state secret. (File photo/Presidencia)
Sheinbaum said that “the whole circuit” will be complete in December when the section between Chetumal, Quintana Roo, and Palenque, Chiapas, (via Escárcega, Campeche) opens.
The president described the railroad as a “national development project” and noted that preparations for its use by freight trains will commence next year.
‘There is no risk’ to AMLO’s life, says defense minister
A reporter highlighted that the El Universal newspaper published a report on Thursday that said that the Defense Ministry (Defensa) has “reserved [classified] for five years information about the number and rank of soldiers that are providing protection to Mexico’s ex-president Andrés Manuel López Obrador on his ranch in Palenque, Chiapas.”
El Universal said that it was informed by Defensa that the declassification of aforesaid information could allow organized crime groups to “plan attacks against the former federal leader and the military personnel at his service.”
Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, one of several high-ranking officials that attended Sheinbaum’s Thursday morning press conference, confirmed that there is no current risk to the former president’s life.
“There is no risk, no threat, nothing like that,” he said.
Trevilla said that information about AMLO’s security detail could be used by “people who want to do damage” and for that reason it is classified.
“It’s a matter of security,” he said.
No certainty on Chinese auto plants in Mexico
Chinese automakers including BYD, MG Motor and Chery have announced plans to open plants in Mexico.
But Sheinbaum said Thursday that there is no certainty that those plans will eventuate.
“There is not yet any firm investment project from any Chinese automotive company,” she said.
Jorge Guajardo, a former Mexican ambassador to China, told Mexico News Daily earlier this year that Chinese companies have “a long history of making investment announcements they don’t follow up on.”
The U.S. temporarily paused imports of Mexican cattle after Mexico inspectors informed the USDA of the first identification of the New World screwworm in Mexico in 30 years. (Martín Zetina/Cuartoscuro)
The United States has temporarily paused imports of Mexican cattle after a case of New World screwworm was identified at the lakeside town of Catazajá in the southern state of Chiapas, the Mexican government said on Sunday.
“The United States and Mexico are working on implementing measures to resume the normal flow of Mexican exports,” it said in a statement, adding that the temporary suspension was only of Mexico’s cattle and did not apply to other exports.
Cochliomyia hominivorax, or the New World screwworm fly. Its larvae infect mammals by burrowing into open wounds. (University of Florida)
Mexico’s chief veterinary officer had notified the USDA of the detection of a screwworm in a cow at a checkpoint near the southern border with Guatemala. The animal originated from outside Mexico, and this detection was the first appearance of the New World screwworm in 30 years, SADER stressed in a press release issued Saturday.
The suspension will remain in place pending further information from Mexico’s veterinary officials regarding the size and scope of the screwworm infestation. The USDA said it is working with regional partners to prevent the pest from entering the United States.
The temporary pause could affect U.S. beef production and prices, especially as the United States has come to rely on livestock from Mexico while U.S. ranchers struggle to rebuild depleted cattle herds.
The U.S. has relied on live cattle imports from Canada and Mexico to fill in the gaps from years of herd declines, according to the trade industry publication Agriculture Dive.
In 2023, imports of cattle from Mexico increased 43% to 1.25 million head following a record low year. That represented about 3.7% of the U.S. calf crop.
The screwworm targets the open wounds of mammals, including potentially humans, burrowing into the body via the entry point and feeding off the animal’s flesh. (Heather Stockdale Walden/University of Florida)
What is a screwworm?
The flesh-eating pest, which gets its name from the way it burrows into wounds like a screw, can be fatal to animals and, in some cases, humans. It last appeared in Florida in 2016, marking the first U.S. outbreak in decades, Agriculture Dive reported.
Screwworm maggots often enter through an open wound and feed on the living flesh of warm-blooded animals, including people, USDA said. While the maggots of many fly species eat dead flesh, and may occasionally infest an old and putrid wound, screwworm maggots are unusual because they attack live, healthy tissue. Infected mammals typically die of secondary infections or toxicity.
Infestations can be difficult to detect but often manifest themselves through growing wounds, creamy larvae and signs of discomfort, the USDA told Reuters.
U.S. authorities are asking ranchers in the area to monitor their livestock and pets, and immediately report potential cases.
Battling the screwworm
The potentially deadly fly larvae is endemic to countries in the Caribbean and South America, according to Agriculture Dive.
Eradication efforts in North America date back to 1991, according to the magazine Wired, with a containment strategy centered on Panama.
The USDA has said that the U.S. cattle industry benefitted to the tune of about US $900 million per year as a result, Wired reported, while producers and consumers in Mexico saved roughly US $2 billion since 1991.
Establishment of the barrier zone in Panama was redoubled in 2006, but Agriculture Dive says cases have exploded north of the containment zone over the past two years as more land is converted to farming and more cattle are transported into the region.
Recent studies show that screwworm cases have been spreading northward into Honduras, Costa Rica and now Mexico. Alarms went off with this discovery of the larval worm in Chiapas. According to the Mexican government, it had stepped up monitoring for the New World screwworm earlier this year after it was detected in southern Nicaragua, just over 700 kilometers from Mexico’s border with Central America.
On a side note, the new restrictions on livestock being transported through Mexico could put a choke hold on the thriving practice of cattle smuggling that the think tank Insight Crime wrote about in 2022.
Insight Crime reported that cattle — primarily from Nicaragua — has been smuggled into Mexico from Guatemala for more than a decade. The report cautioned that the livestock from Central America is not subject to the controls by which Mexican ranchers abide.
The smuggling is not limited to the Mexico-Guatemala border. Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras have each cited an increase in smuggling as the reason for the current outbreak, according to the magazine Wired.
Wired reported that Mexico’s National Confederation of Livestock Organizations has reiterated its long-standing request that the Mexican government take steps to prevent the practice of cattle smuggling.
