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Job creation was up 28% in September, but still down 27% for the year

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albañil
Job creation in September by employers registered with IMSS increased by 28% over September 2024, helping to offset a disappointing year for new employment. (Pedro Anza/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico added nearly 117,000 new formal sector jobs last month, but job creation on the year is still down 27%.

The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) reported that the number of people employed in new formal sector positions increased by 116,765 in September, a 28% increase over the same month a year ago. However, of the new jobs added last month, 50,412 — or 15% — were identified as temporary hires.

Steet vendor
If the informal sector, which more than half of all Mexican workers are part of, is included in the job statistics, Mexico’s current unemployment rate plummets to a near-record low of 2.7%. (Cuartoscuro)

The total of new jobs created through the first nine months of 2025 has reached 333,303, well behind the 456,427 formal jobs created from January to September 2024. The newspaper El Economista reported that 16 states had negative figures for formal job creation last month. 

“The new jobs data through September reflects the second-lowest figure for job creation since 2008, not counting the health emergencies of 2009 and 2020,” Fernando Bermúdez, director of Institutional Relations at the staffing firm ManpowerGroup, told El Economista. 

The IMSS report indicated that overall formal employment is now just over 23.76 million, but that figure drops to 22,571,682 when people working in the digital economy are subtracted. And of this latter figure, 13% of the jobs are temporary positions.

Rodolfo Ostolaza, deputy director of Economic Studies at Banamex, told El Economista that subtracting the number of digital platform workers reveals that “employment has stagnated since mid-2024 … and [reflects] three consecutive months of annual declines.”

An additional concern is that the number of employers registered with IMSS has declined for 17 consecutive months. According to El Economista, IMSS reported 1,039,227 employer registrations with the Institute, a negative annual growth rate of 2.4%. 

The loss of formal employers further strengthens the informal economy, which employs nearly 55% of the country’s workforce, according to the national statistics agency INEGI. 

IMSS only records “formal”  jobs, i.e., jobs registered with the Institute itself.

“Being formal is very expensive in this country,” Ostolaza said.

Still, because it includes both formal and informal jobs, INEGI’s most recent report shows a national unemployment rate of 2.7%, which is close to the historic low of 2.3% recorded in March 2024.

With reports from El Economista, Animal Político and El Financiero

Oaxaca’s ‘most vibrant festival’ returns with over 140 Day of the Dead events

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Participants of Oaxaca's Day of the Dead parade with fireworks in the background
Day of the Dead festivities in Oaxaca take place from Oct. 26 to Nov. 4. (Carolina Jiménez/Cuartoscuro)

Oaxaca expects to welcome upwards of 89,000 visitors for its 2025 Day of the Dead celebration, according to officials who unveiled a packed cultural agenda this week.

Running from Oct. 26 to Nov. 4, the festivities will feature over 140 cultural and gastronomic events statewide.

Some events require registration and fill up fast, so visitors are urged to “book before they sell out,” especially for these five experiences.

Authorities with the Oaxaca Tourism Ministry said the anticipated uptick in visitors marks a nearly 6% jump over 2024, and they are projecting revenues of more than 381 million pesos (US $20.6 million).

Touted in a press release as “the most vibrant festival of all,” Oaxaca’s lineup of Day of the Dead activities is “one of the greatest symbols of Mexican identity, a celebration that transforms the vision of death into a celebration full of color, joy, flavor and tradition,” said Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, Mexico’s tourism minister.

Highlights include a monumental 250-square-meter sand carpet in the Jalatlaco neighborhood; the Historic Center Facade Competition on Oct. 27; Diverti Muertos festivities; concerts in neighborhoods such as Xochimilco and San Pablo Villa de Mitla; and marigold field tours in Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán and San Antonino Castillo Velasco, where the illuminated fields open at night Oct. 25.

Sporting events such as a state surfing tournament in Puerto Escondido and the Recorrido al Mictlán race on Nov. 2 round out the schedule.

Providing a window into local heritage will be the “Casa Hecho en Oaxaca” exhibition, market fairs at the Oaxaca Gastronomic Center, and displays of 35 altars representing the 16 Indigenous and Afro-Mexican cultures of Oaxaca (in the capital’s main square).

What’s on in Oaxaca in October?

First-time events include electronic music festivals in Mitla, mezcal tastings in Tlacolula and wellness ceremonies.

There will also be old-time favorites such as family altar competitions, the Great Parade on Oct. 31 and a catrina competition.

Ninety-five percent of activities are free and open to all.

As the finalized schedule falls fully into place, officials urge travelers to check for updates: This link includes a lineup of top events and links to official websites.

With reports from El Economista, Estado Actual and Monte Albán Heritage Center

How to get your money out of CIBanco

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CIBanco branch
Don't panic! You have a year to retrieve your money, that is, until Oct. 13, 2026. (Shutterstock)

Mexico’s Institute for the Protection of Bank Savings (IPAB) has revoked CIBanco’s license and has begun to liquidate the embattled financial services provider.

IPAB announced Friday that it will begin paying out insured deposits beginning on Monday, Oct. 13, and advised account holders to visit its official website for information: www.gob.mx/ipab

CIBanco clients with loans or credits can register to receive their funds at the government-managed payment portal beginning Oct. 13. The instructions are as follows:

  1. Visit the IPAB payment portal at www.gob.mx/ipab.
  2. Complete the form with the required information, as shown on your latest CIBanco account statement.
  3. Provide a CLABE account number from a Mexican commercial bank to receive your guaranteed deposits by transfer.
  4. You will receive a confirmation email on the same day that the account holder’s details are correctly registered.

The estimated processing time is 48 to 72 business hours, depending on the bank you have registered to receive the transfer. If you do not have another bank account in Mexico, you must go to a CIBanco branch or an IPAB office to file a physical Payment Request; bank accounts corresponding to a third party will not be accepted. 

The government has also created a website to explain the legal framework for the actions being taken and issued an alert warning about fraudsters.

Notices like this were posted at CIBanco branches on Friday.

Deposits at CIBanco are protected by the IPAB for up to 400,000 Investment Units (UDIs) per person, equivalent to $3,424,262.40 pesos as of Friday.

IPAB cautioned that this coverage only applies to products considered insured deposits, provided they do not fall under the exclusion criteria established in the Bank Savings Protection Act (LPAB). The deadline to complete the liquidation procedure is one year, that is, by Oct. 13, 2026.

Those who do not receive their payment or believe the amount refunded is incorrect may submit a request or claim directly to IPAB offices. 

However, people holding loans with CIBanco must continue making payments, even though the bank is in liquidation.

Click here for a list of the CIBanco branches that will remain open for inquiries, clarifications and requests for payment of secured obligations. They will not be providing financial transactions or services.

IPAB also announced that it does not cover deposits belonging to CIBanco Shareholders, members of the board of directors, representatives with administrative powers and general managers, although they still retain their right to file claims directly.

CIBanco truck
CIBanco will begin paying out insured deposits beginning on Monday, Oct. 13. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) sanctioned CIBanco and two other financial institutions in June, accusing them of laundering millions of dollars for drug cartels

The Governing Board of the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) soon thereafter ordered the temporary management intervention of CIBanco, Vector and Intercam.

After initially staving off sanctions in July, regulators imposed restrictions on the three companies’ international transfers, depositor withdrawals, and banking operations, prompting them to sell off assets in August.

With reports from El Financiero, Animal Político, La Jornada and Infobae

Posada del Sol: Mexico City’s most extravagant hotel that never was

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Hotel Posada del Sol
Intended to be the crown jewel of Mexican hospitality, the Posada del Sol hotel fell into ruin — and eternal damnation. (Facebook)

On the corner of Avenida Niños Héroes and Calle Dr. J. Navarro looms a towering, derelict structure with a facade resembling a collage different patterns of brick and tile punctuated by arched windows and iron-wrought balconies. As is the unfortunate fate of many abandoned buildings, it’s swarming in graffiti and shards of broken glass. It’s hard to imagine that 80 years ago, this crumbling edifice was set to be the world’s most extravagant hotel only, it never was.

What’s the history behind (and beneath!) Posada del Sol, the architectural gem situated in the center of the Doctores neighborhood? More importantly, what’s its future?

A Spanish visionary’s idea for a Mexican marvel

Once a grandiose dream, today, the Posada del Sol lies abandoned. (Mas por Mas)

The year was 1945, and the Doctores neighborhood was growing, attracting working-class families and small business owners thanks to a central location and affordable housing. Originally called “Hidalgo,” the area became known as Doctores because almost all of its streets were named after famous physicians. It seemed to Spanish-born engineer Fernando Saldaña Galván the ideal place to unleash his vision: a luxurious complex intended as a meeting place for artists and intellectuals, featuring more than 600 rooms, an auditorium, a chapel, theater, library, and swimming pool.

The building showcased a fusion of architectural styles — art deco, baroque, and neo-colonial design. The complex overtook more than half a block; fifteen buildings behind giant green gates housed gardens, patios, fountains, terraces, and brightly painted murals, not to mention Turkish baths and tea rooms. Local lore speaks of winding secret passages beneath the structure, perhaps serving as staff transport or,more enticingly, occult rituals. Like so much about Posada del Sol, their existence remains unverified. What is verified is a spectacular fountain created by Colombian artist Rómulo Rozo, which depicts a woman gazing at the universe. Roberto Cueva del Río, a Puebla artist commissioned by President Lázaro Cárdenas on several occasions, painted a scene from the constitutional signing of Apatzingán in 1814. Inside the garden is a stone plaque signed by Saldaña Galván himself, which reads “Considering the adverse circumstances during the execution of La Posada del Sol that there will be few men capable of projecting, building, and finishing it.” These words would seal the hotel’s fate — the Posada remained open to the public for just a few months.

From dream to nightmare

The hotel opened while construction was still being completed, though work would be totally suspended the same year of its inauguration. Saldaña Galván’s financial burden was overwhelming some publications, like El Financiero, suggest that he once held a position in public office, which allowed him to obtain resources necessary to build it. This strategy ultimately proved insufficient in completing his ambitious vision.

The building was quickly expropriated by the government and, according to family relatives, Saldaña Galván fell into a deep depression. Details about his death in 1952 remain murky: some say his body was found hanging from a bell in the courtyard, directly in front of a San Francisco de Asís statue. Other legends take it a step further, claiming he murdered his wife and children before taking his own life. A factual explanation has yet to be released, though most agree that he committed suicide due to economic pressures. Interestingly enough, there are no published photos of Saldaña Galván to be found.

For about two decades, Posada del Sol would serve as various administrative headquarters before finally falling into neglect under the care of federal authorities in the late 1970s. Since then, the hotel has remained abandoned, possibly due to high restoration costs, structural concerns, and overall bureaucratic issues. 

The corridors of the Posada del Sol don’t just hide the ruins of a failed dream… (Rolloid.net)

The ghost stories that define Posada del Sol 

The abandoned halls of Posada del Sol have become a magnet for the macabre. Neighbors have claimed to hear screams at night, documentary filmmakers have reported unexplained shadows and feelings of being watched.

Among these tales, the little girl of room 103 has proven remarkably persistent.

During the 1960s, the Hotel Posada del Sol became the headquarters of IDECO, a community development and rural housing institution. Employees had access to a daycare center within the old hotel’s walls. Legend has it that one little girl went missing, and after several hours of investigation, her lifeless body was found in room 103. Another version of the same legend claims that the girl’s ghost is actually that of Fernando Saldaña’s daughter.

Whoever the unfortunate child might be, her spirit remains trapped in that room and anyone who dares to enter might encounter her ghost. The walls are adorned with cartoon drawings and cryptic messages, and in the back corner is an altar holding an antique girl’s dress and candies, toys, faded photographs, flowers, and candles. Visitors leave such offerings not out of the goodness of their hearts but rather out of fear: it’s believed that the girl curses those who explore the hotel ruins without leaving her a gift.

Further supporting the legend are the actors and production teams of “Yago”, a Mexican telanovela, and the sequel to “Km 31”, a Mexican horror flick. Some report having seen the girl appear in room 103, and others admitted fear kept them from going to the bathroom alone. Rumors swirl that in an attempt to keep the child “calm”, the production team created the aforementioned altar and continues its upkeep to this day.

KM31_2 - Tráiler Oficial

Modern attempts and the fate of the hotel

The history of Posada del Sol’s abandonment has been punctuated by repeated attempts at revival, each ending in failure. In 1998, local politicians tried to convert the premises into the Office of the Attorney General of Justice of the Federal District. Unfortunately, that plan never materialized.

It was subsequently contemplated that it would make a great headquarters for a Faro de Artes y Oficios (Arts and Crafts Workshop). But that idea never came to fruition, either. In January 2021, the Real Estate Heritage Committee of the Government of Mexico City donated the property in the Doctores neighborhood to the Universidad del Bienestar Benito Juárez to create the law school. The donation was announced by Claudia Sheinbaum, then the head of government of CDMX. Sheinbaum explained that the Building Safety Institute had to conduct a very thorough study to determine which parts could be demolished and which parts could be reconstructed. 

Yet even this latest initiative appears stalled. Sheinbaum estimated that the new Law School would operate that same year. However, the Universidad del Bienestar portal indicates that renovation work has not yet been carried out at Posada del Sol. Until now, no definitive plans have been realized. 

The building currently belongs to the Government of the capital and is used occasionally as a location for film productions, as well as a warehouse for confiscated furniture. Some believe it was the architect himself who sealed the building’s fate by placing a curse on the premises before his death, he ensured his beloved posada would never be anything else. Today, the structure remains in oblivion, its future as uncertain as the legends that haunt its corridors.

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.

Harvesting Oaxaca’s ‘blue gold’

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Oaxaca Indigo
The deep hues of Oaxaca's precious indigo are on full display as Anna Bruce explores a rural festival celebrating the dye. (Anna Bruce)

Indigo is a rich blue color. We are all familiar with it, as the blue of our denim jeans. The dye that creates this iconic color is derived from a tall leafy bush called jicalete, which grows on the coast of Oaxaca in the small village of Santiago Niltepec (meaning “Hill of Indigo”). The Spanish word for indigo is anil, which is likely the origin of the community’s name.

(Anna Bruce)

Indigo has been produced in Oaxaca since pre-Columbian times and has global historical significance, having been used in Africa, Egypt, India and Japan. It was typically used for ritual dress or royalty, as the color symbolizes wisdom, with a connection to a higher consciousness. As a pigment, it has been ascribed protective properties and even healing powers.

(Anna Bruce)

Commercial production in Niltepec began in the 18th century. With a growing interest in natural and sustainable dying practices over the past decade, production has seen a revival. This has been supported by local intervention (such as the Textile Museum of Oaxaca) and increasing demand for artisanal textiles worldwide.

(Anna Bruce)

The revival of production is officially celebrated during the annual Feria de Anil. This year the festival took place on Sep. 27th and 28th, with tour of production facilties, presentations about the history and significance of indigo and workshops hosted by local and visiting artists. The festival fosters a renewed sense of pride and opens up opportunities for knowledge exchange within the community. This year, I was lucky enough to attend.

(Anna Bruce)

Arriving in Niltepec, after a 7-hour bus ride from Oaxaca City, you are immediately hit with a wave of heat thick with stifling humidity, perfect conditions for the growing of this valuable crop. It takes approximately 200 kilograms of raw plant material to end up with one kilogram of the dye, a dried fermented paste made from the leaves, with a charcoal-like consistency.  Due to the intensive process and low yield, the dried indigo is often referred to as ‘blue gold’. Currently, the value is around 3,500 pesos (US $190) per kilo.

The indigo grown in Oaxaca is a strain called Indigofera suffruticosa, native to the Americas. The plant grows in the rainy season, typically between May and September, and must be harvested before it flowers. 

(Anna Bruce)

The harvesting of jicalite is done in the cooler hours before dawn. They are bound, cut with a scythe and loaded into ox-drawn carts. These carts can pass through the mud, unpassable by car following the intense rains in the region. 

The plants must be processed before they dry out. If they dry out they lose their dying potency, which comes from the fresh indican in the leaves, which is the chemical precursor to the indigo dye.

(Anna Bruce)

Processing takes place in large man-made pools called ‘pilas’, which are often hundreds of years old. The ‘añileros’ load up the pilas with the fresh cut plants, pressing them into water and held down with a heavy wooden lattice. Over several hours the plant ferments, turning the liquid an acid yellow/green color. 

(Anna Bruce)

Eventually, they open a valve to release the liquid into a secondary lower pool, which they agitate and aerate with paddles for several hours. After the fermentation they add the berry of the Gulaver plant to thicken the liquid into a mud-like substance. Often the ancient pilas are built along the river, under Gulaver trees.  

(Anna Bruce)

In the afternoon, the indigo water is taken from the pila’s back to the añileros home. There it is strained through cheese cloth to remove the excess liquid, before the remaining paste is dried in the sun, often using old roof tiles. 

We visited the home of añilero Manuel Valencia and his wife Lulu. While Manuel managed the harvest and work at the pila, Maestra Lula managed the drying stage of the indigo process. 

(Anna Bruce)

After learning about the process of making the indigo dye, we walked to the town center, which was decorated for the annual fair. There we got to dye some of our own clothes, using a japanese inspired technique called ‘shibori’ to create a tye-dye effect. 

a woman stirring a vat of indigo dye
(Anna Bruce)

To begin with, the dyeing liquid is still yellow-green. It is warm, but not boiling. The material must be carefully submerged to not agitate the water too much. The fabric only turns blue as it meets the air and the dye oxidises. 

(Anna Bruce)

Walking though the center of Santiago Niltepec, you see women dressed in traditional clothing, a huipil and falda (skirt and blouse). But unlike the typical embroidered textiles from neighboring towns, the fabric of these huipils and faldas have been dyed a beautiful blue patterned with the shibori method, illustrating a fusion of historical practices with new traditions.

During the feria we met with Oaxacan artist Carolina Garza, founder of Hilos Flojos (loose threads). She was running a workshop during the festival in Niltepec. Back in Oaxaca City she also manages workshops, teaching the method of dying with indigo. If you are visiting Oaxaca and are interested in taking an Indigo workshop, contact Hilos Flojos.

Anna Bruce is an award-winning British photojournalist based in Oaxaca, Mexico. Just some of the media outlets she has worked with include Vice, The Financial Times, Time Out, Huffington Post, The Times of London, the BBC and Sony TV. Find out more about her work at her website or visit her on social media on Instagram or on Facebook.

Cuernavaca will host 10th annual World Forum of Mexican Gastronomy

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making Mexican food
It was 15 years ago in 2010 when Mexico joined France as the first two nations whose cuisine was honored by UNESCO. (Dassaev Téllez Adame/Cuartoscuro)

More than 100 chefs from around the world will converge in Cuernavaca, Morelos, next month for the 10th World Forum of Mexican Gastronomy, a milestone event celebrating the 15th anniversary of UNESCO having designated traditional Mexican cuisine as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The three-day event will include food sampling, exhibitions and other activities open to the public. It will begin Nov. 7 in the “City of Eternal Spring” — a popular getaway destination for residents of Mexico City.

plate of Mexican food
Mole is one of those only-in-Mexico works of gastronomic art that’s bringing hundreds of chefs from around the world to Cuernavaca next month to indulge themselves in Mexican cuisine. (Facebook)

The lineup of roundtable discussions, lectures, intercultural workshops and culinary showcases will spotlight Michoacán as the guest of honor.

The central Mexican state’s gastronomy — based heavily on the main staples of the Mesoamerican diet: corn, beans and chiles — was instrumental in helping Mexico achieve UNESCO recognition 15 years ago and continues to play a leading role in safeguarding traditional culinary practices.

In 2010, Mexico and France were the first two nations whose cuisine was honored by UNESCO.

The upcoming extravaganza was announced this week in Mexico City by Morelos Governor Margarita González Saravia and national Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez Zamora.

Organized by the Tourism Ministry in collaboration with the Conservatory of Mexican Gastronomic Culture, the event is expected to draw 30,000 visitors, officials said.

Participants will include traditional cooks, specialists and producers from Mexico, the United States, France, Italy, Spain and several regions in Asia. One of the main goals, organizers stated, is to have a dialogue between the ancestral and the contemporary aspects of Mexican gastronomy.

​The forum will also seek to promote the international reach of Mexican cuisine and recognize its role as a driver of social cohesion, community development and tourism.

This is the first time Cuernavaca will host the event, which is usually held in Mexico, but has also been staged in Milan, Italy last year and in Long Beach, California in 2018. Downtown venues will include the Palace of Cortés, Borba Garden and Emiliano Zapata Square.

The event falls within Morelos’ broader “Xochicalco, Land of Encounters” program of eight festivals from October through December. Those events are expected to receive over 60,000 visitors and generate an estimated 100 million pesos (US $5.4 million) during the final quarter of 2025, said Morelos Tourism Minister Daniel Altafi Valladades.

Cuernavaca already achieved a measure of gastronomic fame earlier this year for constructing the world’s longest taco acorazado. The regional specialty, which translates to “armored taco,” was 80 meters long — equivalent to 88 yards on a U.S. football field or six standard school buses placed end to end.

Specifics of the full program will be announced soon. For details, visit the World Forum of Mexican Gastronomy website.

With reports from El Sol de Cuernavaca

Mexico notches 9.1% revenue increase: Thursday’s mañanera recapped

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Sheinbaum Oct. 9, 2025
President Sheinbaum said on Wednesday that there is "confidence that resources are being used transparently and honestly" and thanked Mexicans for paying their taxes. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)

At her Thursday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about her meeting on Wednesday with business leaders from 17 different countries and responded to a question about the government’s proposed name for a new train that will run from Mexico City to the northern border.

Early in the mañanera, Mexico’s finance minister provided an update on government revenue.

Sheinbaum presents Plan México to international business leaders 

Sheinbaum acknowledged that she met on Wednesday with business leaders from various companies that are members of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Among the people who attended the National Palace meeting were WEF president and CEO Børge Brende, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.

Sheinbaum said that the businesspeople requested to meet with Mexican government officials in Mexico.

“They requested meetings in Mexico and for [government] ministers to speak about what Plan México is,” she said.

“And they asked me if I could give them a talk about Plan México,” Sheinbaum added.

Sheinbaum and cabinet members seated facing members of the World Economic Forum on Wednesday
In a meeting with representatives of WEF member companies on Wednesday, the president and her government colleagues spoke about the strengths of the Mexican economy and about Plan México. (SE/X)

Plan México is an ambitious economic plan whose goals include making Mexico the 10th largest economy in the world, reducing reliance on imports from China and other Asian countries and creating 1.5 million new jobs. Sheinbaum presented it in January and announced 18 supplementary “programs and actions” in April.

The president said that she and her government colleagues spoke on Wednesday about “the main strengths” of the Mexican economy, and about Plan México, its objectives, the future outlook for Mexico and the country’s relationship with the United States, Canada and other nations around the world.

She said that there was no aim to reach any kind of agreement with the WEF-affiliated business leaders. They just wanted to come to Mexico to learn about “our proposals and how we see things” as well as investment opportunities “in our country,” Sheinbaum said.

In a video she shared to social media, the president speaks to the business leaders about the Plan México objective to “produce more in Mexico for the internal market and also for exports.”

Sheinbaum also speaks about increasing Mexico’s “food sovereignty” and “energy sovereignty” and strengthening public and private investment.

Government revenue up 9.1% in first 9 months of 2025 

Speaking shortly after the commencement of the mañanera, Finance Minister Édgar Amador Zamora thanked Mexico’s taxpayers for their contribution to public resources.

He reported that the government’s tax and non-tax revenue increased 9.1% annually in real terms in the first nine months of 2025 to reach 4.63 trillion pesos (US $251.7 billion).

According to Mexico’s finance minister, approximately 200 billion pesos can be attributed to improved revenue collection in the area of foreign trade. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)

Amador pointed out that the amount is 542 billion pesos higher than government revenue between January and September last year.

“Of those 542 billion [pesos], practically 200 billion corresponds to improved revenue collection in the area of foreign trade — all the taxes linked to foreign trade,” he said, adding that the “fight against corruption” at points of entry to, and exit from, the country has helped boost income.

“Thanks to that … it has been possible to have very, very solid growth of public income, amid an economic context in which [GDP] growth has been a little more moderate,” Amador said.

Sheinbaum highlighted that tax collection has reached its highest level on record, “without [the government] really having increased taxes or duties.”

She also thanked Mexicans for paying their taxes.

“A big applause for all the Mexican women and men,” Sheinbaum said.

She said that the latest tax revenue figures show that there is “confidence that resources are being used transparently and honestly.”

Sheinbaum also asserted that 99.9% of Mexicans are complying with their tax obligations, even though Mexico has a large cash-dependent informal sector.

She added that “almost all” business people, “with very few exceptions,” pay their taxes.

A consultation on train names?

A reporter asked the president why the government planned to name the train that will run on the Mexico City-Nuevo Laredo railroad the “Gulf of Mexico” train “when it doesn’t have a connection with the Gulf of Mexico.”

“But it’s in the west,” Sheinbaum said, using the word occidente (west) when she apparently meant to say oriente (east).

“If you don’t agree, we’ll put it to a vote again, no problem,” said the president, who held an impromptu vote on the “Gulf of Mexico” name during an address in Mexico City’s central square, the Zócalo, last Sunday.

The reporter asked Sheinbaum why she hadn’t asked residents of Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas their opinion on the matter when she delivered speeches in those states during her recent nationwide “accountability tour.”

“Do the citizens of the northeast have no voice or vote in this matter?” the reporter probed.

“Even you’re laughing at the question,” Sheinbaum noted before breaking into laughter herself.

“We can do a [public] consultation to determine what to call the trains,” said the president, whose administration is building a range of rail projects in Mexico.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

Mexico’s Caribbean coast welcomes early end to sargassum season

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sargassum
Navy ships carried out sargassum collection operations on the high seas throughout the summer as part of an all-out effort to keep Quintana Roo’s beaches clear of the noxious seaweed. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

The 2025 sargassum season along Mexico’s Caribbean coastline has virtually concluded, as autumn’s cold fronts promise a drop in sea temperature and a resulting decrease in seaweed arrivals.

Esteban Amaro, director of the Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring System, said that although nearly 85,000 tonnes of the macroalgae were collected this year, the amount was not nearly as much as had been feared.

“The currents are changing … moving north, the southeasterly winds have decreased and there’s very little sargassum in the sea now,” he said. “Arrivals have dropped significantly in the past two weeks, suggesting the season is almost over.”

Of the 100 beaches Amaro’s organization monitors, only six saw sargassum last week, but the minimal quantities reaching the beaches were easily cleared.

Based on the latest monitoring data and satellite imagery, Amaro anticipates that Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama will be able to declare the end of the sargassum season sometime next week. In 2024, the sargassum season lingered until mid-November.

On Monday, Lezama expressed gratitude to federal, state and local authorities whose collaborative efforts in cleaning up the beaches helped make for a successful summer.

Despite heroic clean-up efforts, sargassum keeps accumulating on Quintana Roo’s coast

Initial forecasts warned that 2025 could be a record year for sargassum, but a variety of factors reduced the amount that washed up on beaches, Amaro said. Most important were preventive measures taken by the Navy and local authorities that allowed a considerable amount to be caught offshore. More than 7,500 meters of containment barriers were installed off the Quintana Roo coast.

Although nearly 85,000 tonnes of the seaweed reached shore through last week — double the 40,000 tonnes that arrived in 2024 — the total fell far short of the more than 522,000 tonnes that invaded the region’s beaches in 2018.

Still, Amaro said sargassum seasons have been increasing in intensity since 2011, with cycles of heavy seasons every three years, adding that changing climatic conditions produce regional fluctuations from year to year.

This year also saw sargassum arrivals vary greatly from one week to the next.

In one week in early September, 663 tonnes of sargassum were collected from Cancún’s beaches, just over 5% of the 13,000 tonnes removed in Cancún throughout the eight-month sargassum season. Last year, only 3,700 tonnes of the seaweed arrived on Cancún’s beaches.

Then, one week in late September, the Navy collected more than 400 tonnes of sargassum from the Costa Maya, while Cancún’s beaches were relatively undisturbed.

With reports from La Jornada and Reportur

Mexico to face Argentina in U-20 World Cup quarterfinal

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Mexico and Argentina sub20 teams
Through four matches, El Tri has scored nine goals against Argentina's 12. (AFA/FMF)

Mexico’s under-20 national squad faces a daunting task as it seeks to claim the country’s first FIFA World Cup title in this category. 

El Tri faces tournament favorite Argentina in Saturday’s quarterfinal match-up with a chance to advance to the semifinals for just the third time in Mexico’s history.

Led by coach Eduardo Arce and 16-year-old wunderkind Gilberto Mora, Mexico reached this stage by finishing second in the so-called Group of Death then decisively defeating host Chile 4-1 in Valparaíso on Tuesday.

In minute 26 of that match, Mora deftly redirected a long pass from Alexei Domínguez into the path of Tahiel Jiménez who one-timed a left-footer past the Chilean goalie to give a rampant El Tri the lead.

Although Mexico faltered early in the second half, Iker Fimbres (minute 67) and Hugo Camberos (80’, 86’) put the game out of reach before Chile tallied a late consolation goal.

Through four matches, El Tri has scored nine goals and given up five while showing resolve and resilience. Mora scored in minute 87 against Spain to earn a 2-2 draw, while defender Diego Ochoa nodded home the equalizer against Brazil in minute 86.

Argentina — the winningest nation in this biennial tournament with six titles — has won all four of its matches, scoring 12 goals and conceding just two. The Albiceleste humbled Nigeria — the team that eliminated Argentina in the previous U-20 World Cup — with a dominating performance in a 4-0 victory on Wednesday.

Guided by coach Diego Placente, the South Americans are chasing their first U-20 trophy since 2007. The club’s leading scorer is 19-year-old Alejo Sarco, who plays in Germany’s Bundesliga for Bayer Leverkusen.

Against the Argentines, coach Arce will hope for another star turn from teen sensation Mora, who plays for Tijuana in Mexico’s Liga MX. Mora — who is being scouted by European clubs, including Manchester United and Barcelona — leads El Tri with 3 goals.

The sports journal Record reported that Javier Aguirre, coach of Mexico’s senior side, will invite Mora, Obed Vargas, 20, and Elías Montiel, 19, to El Tri’s training camp next month. 

If Mora is summoned to next month’s camp, he’ll miss out on playing in the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, thus spoiling his dream of playing in three World Cups in a year (the U-20, the U-17 and next summer’s World Cup co-hosted by Mexico, the U.S. and Canada).

With reports from ESPN, Excelsior and Medio Tiempo

Electric trucks to haul cargo from Monterrey to Laredo starting in November

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staff in front of electric transport vehicle
The staff of Green Space E-Mobility is ready to launch in November its “Green Freight Transport Route” for carrying cargo between Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo (and eventually Dallas) using all-electric trucks. (Green Space E-Mobility)

The northern state of Nuevo León is going all in on its aim of taking full advantage of its expanding nearshoring opportunity. Governor Samuel García’s latest project is an “electro-route” cargo transport service that uses low-emission electric trucks to connect two industrial hubs — Monterrey, the state capital, and Dallas, Texas.

Developed by Green Space E-Mobility, the project uses Windrose brand electric tractor-trailers. According to a statement by the Nuevo León government, these state-of-the-art units offer long-range autonomy, an ultra-fast charging system, high performance and power, reduced operating costs and much lower emissions than heavy-duty trucks.

Samuel García
Nuevo León Governor Samuel García told attendees at the recent North Capital Forum that innovative transport projects, like the “Green Freight Transport Route” and Green Corridors, would not be possible without the contribution of his predecessors in helping the state achieve its standing as an industrial powerhouse. (Gobierno de Nuevo León)

The first phase of the project, which could start as soon as November, will run between Monterrey and Laredo, Texas, using existing roads, including the La Gloria-Colombia highway, and crossing the Nuevo León-Laredo Border Port. A later phase will extend the service to Dallas.

“This electromobility corridor is designed to be a competitive and sustainable alternative to traditional freight transport, aligning with global decarbonization trends,” Horacio de la Torre, general manager of Green Space E-Mobility USA, told the publication Border Now. “These features are not only good for the planet, but also an economically beneficial option for companies that choose to transport their goods using this green freight method.”  

The “Green Freight Transport Route” is a private sector undertaking, but the Nuevo León state government is lending a hand by facilitating the installation of charging stations along the route.

We seek to connect the two most important poles of economic development of Mexico and the United States, Monterrey and Dallas, consolidating the Nuevo León-Texas region as the best region to do business in the Americas,” said state Minister of Regional and Agricultural Development Marco González.

Green Corridors project greenlit for US $17B

Meanwhile, Nuevo León Governor Samuel García appeared at the recent North Capital Forum, where he extolled the virtues of an even more ambitious cross-border transportation project — the Green Corridors automated cargo shuttle

Startup aims to speed up trade with Monterrey-to-Texas automated freight corridor

The now-greenlit project will use autonomous container-vehicles to shuttle cargo between Monterrey and Laredo, Texas, along 250 kilometers of a dedicated elevated guideway free of other vehicles, cross-traffic, hijackers or blockages. It is a joint Mexico-U.S. investment requiring US $17 billion (of which US $11 billion have been put forward by Mexico).

García told Forum attendees that the viaduct will run parallel to the northern train route and the Monterrey-Laredo highway. Construction, he said, will start soon, with operations expected to begin by 2030.

During the North Capital Forum event, García said that one especially notable innovation of this shuttle is that cargo from across Mexico can arrive at a port in Monterrey, where cranes are used to “fish” the containers and load them onto the shuttle vehicles.

“The goal is to save money and deliver your product to Laredo in four hours,” García said.

With reports from Expansión