Armani Residences Masaryk in Mexico City and Nautica Residences by Nauma in Cancún are two branded developments currently under construction in Mexico. (Instagram)
Mexico is the fourth-largest market globally for branded residences and third for developments currently under construction, according to a 2025 study by Onirius Hospitality Advisors.
These types of residences combine the exclusivity of recognized design brands — such as Armani, Nautica and Elie Saab, among others — with amenities and services equivalent to those of a five-star hotel. These properties are highly valued in the market and can fetch premiums of between 30% and 60% compared to non-branded developments.
“The success of the branded residence model lies in achieving an optimal balance between a hotel with a globally prestigious brand, first-class residences with year-round hotel service, and a rental program that supports the investment of the parties,” Luis Ruiz, partner at Onirius Hospitality Advisors, told the news magazine Expansión.
These properties offer high-level services such as concierge, wellness experiences, specialized gastronomy and rental programs.
Once concentrated in iconic luxury markets like Dubai and Miami, these types of residences now extend to other major cities worldwide. In Mexico, these cities include Mexico City, Los Cabos and beach destinations in Riviera Nayarit and the Mexican Caribbean.
Notably, Mexico is one of only two countries in Latin America (alongside Brazil) that are considered emerging powerhouses of branded residences.
According to Ruiz, Mexico offers the ideal conditions for the sustained growth of this model, as it continues to see international demand, has an established tourism industry and is close to the United States.
“The country offers unbeatable conditions for this type of development: connectivity, stable demand, and a consolidated offering of hotel brands that are now moving into the residential sector,” said Luis Ruiz, partner at Onirius.
With more than 50 projects in operation or development, Mexico is expected to exceed 50% growth in this real estate market by 2030, with the Caribbean as the main driver. The firm’s report revealed that the number of branded residences in the Riviera Maya is expected to grow a staggering 233% over the next five years.
Mexico’s growth in branded residences is part of a global trend showing that the population of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI) is expected to increase by almost 30% by 2027.
“High-net-worth buyers are no longer just looking for property. They’re investing in lifestyle, brand value and long-term growth,” Christopher Cina, Director of Sales at real estate agency Betterhomes, said.
According to the luxury hotelier Four Seasons, “people now prioritize home offices, wellness areas and community-driven amenities. It also reinforces the importance of safety and thoughtful management.”
Leading the trend is Dubai, with a whopping 160% growth in these types of residences over the past 10 years, followed by Miami, New York and Phuket.
There's no beer more iconic than a Corona, a brew that is flying the flag across the world. (Budweiser Group)
It’s a sweltering summer afternoon. The sun burns mercilessly, but you have salvation in hand: a clear glass bottle catching light like a miniature sun, a wedge of lime perched at its mouth. With that first crisp sip, you’re transported. This, dear reader, is the power of Corona Extra, a beer that this year celebrates its 100th birthday — not merely as another brew but as an icon of Mexican ingenuity, marketing bravado and cultural pride.
Corona is a ritual, a talisman of nostalgia and an ambassador for Mexican culture across the world. Exported to more than 180 countries, it ranks as the world’s most valuable beer brand for the fifth consecutive year, with a brand valuation of US $13.4 billion, according to a 2025 report by Brand Finance. Yet its story is far richer than mere numbers suggest.
The iconic Corona is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025. (Yuliya Yesina/Shutterstock)
Pulque vs. beer
Long before European-style beer arrived, Mexicans had a passionate affair with fermented pulque, the sacred agave wine of pre-Hispanic civilizations. Made from freshly extracted maguey sap, pulque fermented naturally over just a couple of days, producing a mildly alcoholic, viscous beverage central to religious rites and daily life.
Then came the Spaniards. In 1542, Don Alonso de Herrera, an émigré from Seville, petitioned Emperor Charles V for permission to establish the first European-style brewery in the Americas. He set up at the Hacienda El Portal in the Valley of Mexico, and soon enough, he faced the challenges — sourcing barley and hops, royal taxes and logistic hurdles — to produce the colony’s first lagers and ales.
Five years later, his experiment failed. For three centuries, beer remained a European privilege in New Spain, while pulque stayed the people’s drink.
The 19th century reshaped Mexico. The effects of independence in 1821 unleashed aspirations for modernization: Foreign investment surged, railroads snaked across vast distances and mechanized factories promised unprecedented productivity. Yet, these gains primarily enriched a narrow elite, leaving most Mexicans to struggle for basic necessities.
By the 1860s, pulque had morphed from a household staple into big business for Mexico. In Mexico City — then with a population of less than half a million — some 500 pulquerías sold millions of liters weekly. The so-called “Pulque Aristocrat,” Ignacio Torres Adalid, earned 7,000 pesos in a single day while his workers scraped by on pennies.
A marketing coup
Traditional pulque became unfairly associated in Mexico with poor hygiene. Corona took advantage of that reputation in its marketing. (Government of México)
At the end of the 19th century, German immigrants brought brewing know-how to Mexico, alongside a flair for publicity. They cofounded the first Mexican breweries with Spanish, American and local partners, then ran whisper campaigns slandering pulque as unsanitary and morally corrupt. A pulque became seen as “fermented with filth,” while beer was “crisp, light, and hygienic.” The myth stuck and coupled with resentment towards the pulque barons like Torres, beer began to take over.
Between 1891 and 1900, dozens of breweries sprouted nationwide. Cervecería Between 1891 and 1900, dozens of breweries sprouted nationwide. Cervecería Cuauhtémoc began in 1891; Moctezuma in 1894; La Estrella in 1900. By 1899, 72 breweries were registered across Mexico. Enduring names like Victoria (1865), Bohemia (1905), Carta Blanca (1905), Sol (1907), Indio (1912) and Dos Equis (1921), laid the foundations of a national beer culture.
The birth of Corona
On March 8, 1922, baker-turned-industrialist Braulio Iriarte Goyeneche and banker Martín Oyamburu incorporated Cervecería Modelo, S.A., in Mexico City. In 1925, they opened Modelo’s first brewery and launched Modelo pale lager. One month later, they introduced a new recipe: Corona Extra.
Legends persist that Corona’s name derived from the crown atop the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Puerto Vallarta. Yet that church wasn’t completed until 1930, and no contemporary record confirms the tale. It’s likelier that the iconic “crown” evoked European — particularly Bavarian — heritage, reinforcing Corona’s image of regal purity.
Corona’s clear-glass bottle was a stroke of genius: It showcased the beer’s golden clarity and differentiated it from dark-bottled rivals. By 1935, Modelo was acquiring competitors; by 1950, it had emerged as Mexico’s dominant brewer, its secret ingredient a marriage of technical excellence and visionary marketing.
Corona has a long history in Mexico of innovative marketing, contributing to its 100-year longevity. (Budweiser Group)
Good beer or great marketing?
Corona’s marketing playbook reads like a master class in brand storytelling. The clear bottle conveyed “no secrets,” subtly contrasting with pulque’s murky associations. Even today, when pulque is no longer a rival, Cervecería Modelo reinforces the idea of purity and excellence by making crystal-clear beers.
It isn’t just the color that attracts drinkers across the world, though:
Radio serials associated with the brand starred Mexican icons like singer and actor Pedro Infante. Corona was a unmissable sponsor of Infante’s serial, “Ahí viene Martín Corona,” which wove the brand into Mexicans’ nightly escapism.
Until two decades ago, Corona-branded tables and chairs turned every taquería, corner store, and beach shack into a pop-up billboard. The clatter of their metal tables and seats became the unmistakable soundtrack of Mexican conviviality.
Recognizing the beach as its natural habitat, Corona later championed marine conservation campaigns to protect the shores that inspired its imagery.
No one knows exactly why the lime wedge became protocol. Whether it was to sanitize drinkers’ lips or to enhance flavor, the custom endures as beer’s most enduring garnish.
From Mexico City to Mozambique
Corona’s global takeoff began in 1976, when Grupo Modelo partnered with Canadaigua Wine Company (pre-Constellation Brands) to serve Mexican-American communities. By 1985, Modelo had secured the Corona trademark for the entire United States, unleashing nationwide distribution; South America and Europe followed. Today, Corona graces every inhabited continent.
Half of Corona’s exports land in the U.S. Another 15% end up in Canada, 10% in the U.K., 8% in Australia, and 5% in Japan. Wherever it appears, from Burkina Faso to Uzbekistan, from Barbados to Russia, it offers expatriate Mexicans — and their friends — a potent taste of home.
Made in Mexico: Corona Extra 🍺
A new chapter
In 2008, under CEO Carlos Fernández, Grupo Modelo negotiated a majority-stake sale to global brewing titan Anheuser-Busch InBev. By 2012, AB InBev acquired the remaining shares for US$20.1 billion — one of the biggest deals in industry history.
To satisfy U.S. antitrust rules, American distribution rights moved to Constellation Brands, while AB InBev retained global brewing and marketing outside the U.S. Thus, in the United States, Corona is a Constellation import; internationally, it’s an AB InBev brand — yet its spirit remains distinctly Mexican.
Sustainability and innovation
With millennials and Gen-Z drinking less alcohol and caring deeply about environmental impact, Grupo Modelo created Corona Cero, its nonalcoholic variant. Even more ambitiously, Corona pledges to safeguard Mexico’s precious water resources. Both AB InBev and Constellation Brands have financed watershed restoration projects, committing to replenish more freshwater than they consume. As Corona enters its second century, its sustainability initiatives warrant both scrutiny and applause.
Corona’s century-long saga is, at its heart, the story of how Mexico learned to narrate itself — first to its own citizens, then to the world. From pulque’s agrarian origins to European-style breweries; from local radio dramas to global ad campaigns — Corona embodies a national journey toward modernity without sacrificing authenticity.
María Meléndez is a Mexico City food blogger and influencer.
Migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and African and Central American countries departed Tapachula on foot early Wednesday, according to a report by the newspaper El Universal. (X)
A group of around 300 migrants began a northward journey from Tapachula, Chiapas, on Wednesday, a day after a prominent migrant rights advocate was arrested in the southern city.
Migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and African and Central American countries departed Tapachula on foot early Wednesday, according to a report by the newspaper El Universal. Men, women and children are part of the group.
Unlike many previous migrant caravans, the group of foreigners who began their journey on Wednesday is not aiming to reach the Mexico-United States border, where security has increased and seeking asylum has become extremely difficult since U.S. President Donald Trump began his second term on Jan. 20.
Instead, their goal is to reach Mexico City “without being detained,” El Universal reported.
The migrants will presumably seek work and other opportunities in the capital. They had complained about the lack of employment opportunities in Tapachula and difficulties in regularizing their presence in Mexico.
Al menos 300 migrantes de diferentes nacionalidades buscan salir de Tapachula, Chiapas, en caravana; argumentan que los trámites de la Comisión Nacional de Ayuda a Refugiados son muy lentos.
“To migrate is not a crime,” read a banner carried by migrants as they departed Tapachula. They were accompanied by National Guard personnel, police and National Immigration Institute (INM) officials.
The migrants will reportedly spend their first night on the road in Álvaro Obregón, a small town about 12 kilometers north of Tapachula.
According to former INM chief Francisco Garduño, 129 migrant caravans formed in Mexico and traveled through the country during the 2018-24 presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador and in the first few months of the current administration. In recent years, large numbers of people from Central America, and further afield, have come to Mexico after fleeing their countries of origin for a range of reasons, including violence, poverty and climate change.
The goal of most migrants has been to reach the United States, but an increasing number of such people have chosen to stay in Mexico, or are finding it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to enter the U.S. now that Trump is back in the White House. For those who left Tapachula on Wednesday, “the American dream is over,” the newspaper Excélsior reported.
Is Luis García Villagrán a migrant rights advocate or a criminal?
The migrant caravan that departed Tapachula on Wednesday is called “Éxodo de la Justicia” (Exodus of Justice), mainly because its members are reportedly calling for justice for Luis Rey García Villagrán, who was arrested in Tapachula on Tuesday.
Citing “security sources,” the newspaper La Jornada reported that he is accused of organized crime and human trafficking.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that García — founder of an organization called the Center for Human Dignity — “is not an activist” and that a warrant for his arrest was issued years ago.
“He faces an accusation of human trafficking. The arrest warrant was issued years ago and is now being enforced,” she said.
Heyman Vázquez Medina, a priest and activist who led the migrants in prayer before their departure, told Excélsior that the migrants who make up the caravan are demanding the release of García.
He said that García was detained unjustly, asserting that he hadn’t committed any crime and that his only “mistake” was to denounce those who extort and exploit migrants.
Some migrants carried a banner saying, “To migrate is not a crime.” Many are fleeing violence and poverty, and a growing number of migrants are also seeking refuge from climate change. (Damián Sánchez/Cuartoscuro)
Vázquez claimed that the arrest of García was retaliation for his denunciation of the alleged corruption, abuses and collusion with organized crime of the INM, National Guard, police forces and the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR).
“The government colludes with organized crime,” the priest told Excélsior.
AP reported that in 2024, “some migrants accused García Villagran of extortion and state prosecutors opened an investigation.”
“The Chiapas state prosecutor’s office has not said where that case stands,” the news agency said, adding that “Mexican authorities have arrested immigration activists in the past.”
In 1997, García was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison after he was convicted of kidnapping and criminal association. In 2021, he told Mexico News Daily that he was wrongfully accused.
“I was in prison for 12 years here in Mexico, accused of a crime that I didn’t commit. There were a lot of organizations that helped me: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Christian Action for the Abolition of Torture and in Mexico, the Center of Human Rights Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, until they finally declared me a prisoner of conscience and I won my freedom. That motivated me to help other people. God motivates me to do this. I found God at university,” García told MND.
La Jornada reported that he has been accused of “having no interest” in the human rights of migrants as he “exposes them to exhausting and dangerous journeys and even confronts them with crime groups or with authorities.”
The newspaper also said that García has been accused of charging migrants up to US $2,000 to “speed up” bureaucratic procedures at the INM and COMAR.
When it comes to Mexican boxers, one name stands above the rest. This is the story of Rubén Olivares. (TBL Training)
When lists of all-time great boxers are made, Rubén Olivares is usually included. Either he’s ranked as one of the best five men to have boxed at bantamweight or one of the best five world champions that Mexico has ever produced. His career spanned 24 years and 109 fights, and caused an immeasurable amount of excitement. Olivares was, above all, a fighter who excelled at knocking his opponents out, sometimes having to get off the canvas himself to do so.
Born in the coastal state of Guerrero, his family moved to the Bondojito area of Mexico City in 1947. It was a time when thousands of Mexicans were leaving the countryside, and the slum areas around the city were expanding faster than the government could provide adequate housing or services. Olivares became a tough boy on tough streets. Siblings died, his father left to find work in the U.S. and he was thrown out of school for fighting. According to boxing folklore, the headmaster once offered to present his graduation diploma early, on the condition that Olivares never come back to the school.
Olivares was destined for stardom from a young age, after leaving school early to continue his training. (TBL Training)
How Rubén Olivares began his boxing career
He tried his hand at carving wooden figures, a career for which he had little talent. Then, he and a friend decided the one thing they could do was fight, so they walked down to the local gym. Many boxers start as amateurs for fitness, or to toughen up, and then find they are good enough to turn professional. The day Olivares first entered the gym, he already had a professional career in mind.
He built up a reasonable record in the amateurs, including a Mexico City Golden Gloves title. But having missed his chance to compete in the 1964 Olympics, he saw no point in continuing to fight for free. At just 17 years of age, he had his first professional fight, beating Isidro Sotelo in Cuernavaca. It was the first of 24 consecutive knockout wins. Apart from his winning record, Olivares had that special star quality. While many boxers wear out their opponent, slowly mastering them until you sense a knockout is coming, from the moment Rubén stepped into the ring, you knew a knockout punch could come at any moment. Whatever else might happen, fans were not going to get a dull fight.
With money coming in from fights, Olivares did not slow down when he left the ring. He was noted for his love of tequila and women. However, this lifestyle only made his fans love him more. As the wins accumulated, Ruben started to get attention beyond Mexico. The Los Angeles Times once described him as having “a smile that stretched from ear to ear and thunder in both hands.”
The man with thunder in both hands
Another young Mexican bantamweight catching headlines at this time was Chucho Castillo. He was noted for his quiet, almost shy approach to life, working ruthlessly in the gym but then quietly slipping away. He was one hell of a boxer and in December 1968 traveled to Inglewood, California, to fight World Champion Lionel Rose. The 10th round saw Rose knocked to the canvas, a moment that convinced the many Mexicans in the audience that their man had done enough to win the title. However, when at the end of 15 rounds, the referee raised the Australian’s arm in victory. There was first surprise and then anger. The riot that followed put 14 fans and the referee in the hospital. Five months later, Olivares came to Inglewood, where he beat Olympic champion Takao Sakurai of Japan in a title elimination bout.
He was now set to meet Rose for the world title, which would once again be fought in California. The first round was even as the two men sized each other up. This was followed by an action-packed second that started with the fighters exchanging blows. Slowly but steadily, the brawl turned in the Mexican’s favor, and close to the bell, Rose was knocked to the canvas. The Australian got to his feet and fought on, but from this point it was a case of not who would win, but how long Rose could last. It ended in the fifth, Olivares becoming world champion at the age of 22.
The trilogy of fights with Chucho Castillo
All of Mexico now wanted to see Olivares fight Castillo. The former delayed the showdown by taking a few easy fights, but in April 1970, the two Mexicans stepped into the Inglewood ring for what would be the first of three fights that would define their careers. Olivares won the first clash on points, but it was close enough to justify a return. This time, he received a badly cut eye in the first round, a wound he claimed was from a clash of heads, something the Castillo camp denied. The referee kept checking the cut and finally stopped the fight in the 14th. It was Olivares’ first defeat in five years and 63 fights.
Ruben Olivares vs Chucho Castillo I
It is possible that by then, he was already in decline. Olivares notoriously hated training, and one reason his management team kept him fighting so regularly was to keep him occupied and away from parties. Not that the management had to push him into the ring. The money Olivares got from each contest quickly disappeared, lost in rip-offs, taxes, bad investments, and gifts to his relatives and friends back in the barrio. His bank balance always needed one more fight.
The end of Olivares’ career
By now, he was no longer putting the same effort into the gym work, while his party lifestyle meant he was increasingly struggling to make the weight limit. Yet Olivares was so talented and so proud in the ring that at first the decline didn’t show. In April 1971, he fought Castillo for the third time, surviving an early knockdown to win on points. He seemed back on form and won his next six fights. However, those around him were increasingly worried about his attitude and his playboy lifestyle. In March 1972, he met Rafael Herrera. It was a fight neither man wanted. Olivares was out of shape, and Herrera had been sick. When Herrera later won with an eighth-round knockout, Olivares was still surprisingly upbeat. He had not, he announced, lost the bantamweight title, but had started his pursuit of the featherweight title.
However, his life was growing increasingly wild. There is a story that while he was preparing for one fight, he and his opponent passed each other in the street. His rival was going out for an early training run just as Olivares was coming in from a disco. It was also at this point that the boxer started to get into movies, starring in “Nosotros Los Feos” and getting numerous other smaller parts. Despite all the distractions, Olivares won three more world titles. He beat Bobby Chacon for the NABF featherweight title in 1973, Zensuke Utagawa for the WBA featherweight title in 1974, and Chacon again for the WBC featherweight title in 1975. He finally left the ring in 1981, having lost three and drawn two of his last five fights.
Life after boxing
His life since then has had its ups and downs. On the downside, there was a marijuana-related arrest. In contrast, there was his induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. There were some television roles, but financially, his post-boxing career brought tough times. In his later years, Olivares was a regular in the Mexico City mercado, selling boxing memorabilia and autographs. There are children and grandchildren, and at 74, he is still active, still has that captivating smile, and still has the respect of the people who recognise him in the street.
Bob Pateman is a Mexico-based historian, librarian and a life term hasher. He is editor of On On Magazine, the international history magazine of hashing.
Los Cabos beaches are a year-round attraction, but summer is the slowest season. Thus, it’s the optimal time for government officials to inaugurate new programs, replace equipment, or revamp existing services. There’s a little of all three going on right now in Los Cabos and La Paz, along with the floating of trial balloons to judge public sentiment on new initiatives.
Is La Paz getting a nude beach?
Zipolite, Oaxaca’s beach allows nudity, but not sex, according to a newly passed law that comes with fines and required community service for violators. (Jorge Maldonado Campos/YouTube)
The ultimate trial balloon was recently let loose in La Paz regarding nudity. Nude beaches, of course, are a rarity in Mexico. Outside Zipolite in Oaxaca, there aren’t any, although Playa del Carmen in Quintana Roo used to have one, and the Riviera Maya does have some adults-only resorts where clothing is optional. Tourists have also been known to occasionally take some liberties on the nation’s beaches, but as far as legal recognition goes, Playa Zipolite remains the only officially sanctioned nude beach in Mexico.
However, there might be a possibility for one in La Paz. Well, the municipality of La Paz, anyway. It would have to be an area with little traffic so as not to offend the sensibilities of locals, and indeed, the area proposed by the La Paz comptroller, Jorge Pável Castro Ríos, in an interview with Diario El Independiente, is about as low traffic as it gets: between Playas El Saltito and El Carrizalito.
He noted that no formal requests have been made to date, and that permits would have to be acquired from the appropriate authorities. But the fact that it was brought up at all does seem to suggest that La Paz might be amenable to the tourism dollars and media interest generated by such a proposal.
Vendor access is being limited on Los Cabos beaches
Vendors are ever-present on many Los Cabos beaches, but there should be fewer moving forward. (Sharon Hahn Darlin)
Life is good on Los Cabos’ beautiful beaches. But if there is a complaint, particularly on the more popular playas, it’s that there are way too many vendors. Local business owners, who have heard the complaints from tourists for years, have been vocal in pushing the local government to crack down on the many unauthorized vendors found on beaches like Playa El Médano in Cabo San Lucas, some of whom come from other states during the high tourist season.
It appears their voices, on behalf of innumerable harried tourists, have finally been heard. Over 300 vendors have been swept from local beaches by authorities, and moving forward, only those who are properly permitted and wear the official uniform—a long-sleeved white shirt—will be allowed to sell their wares. New uniforms are expected to be issued to the 698 paid-up vendors this summer. ID cards will also be issued to those who ponied up the 1,200 pesos to renew their permit, and an additional 600 pesos for the shirt.
That still seems like an awful lot of vendors pestering tourists, but at least it’s easy to see them coming.
Los Cabos has the only two A+ Blue Flag beaches in Mexico
Los Cabos has more Blue Flag beaches than any municipality in Mexico, including the only two with an A+ grade. (Ayuntamiento de Los Cabos)
When the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) announced its Blue Flag beaches for 2024 – 2025, Los Cabos had 25 of Mexico’s 78 awarded beaches, the most of any single municipality. However, even among beaches heralded for their cleanliness, sustainability, and services, there are levels.
For example, there is an A+ designation that signifies the very highest achievement obtainable under the Blue Flag banner, meaning not only does a beach meet all 33 international criteria for water quality standards, safety, services, and environmental management and education, but it maintains cleanliness at a truly exceptional level (no mean feat given the amount of garbage regularly hauled from local beaches).
These standards are so stringent that to date, only two beaches in Mexico have ever qualified: Playas Palmilla and Santa María in Los Cabos. The two A+ awardees were recently announced after a two-week audit, bringing attention to just how pristinely maintained these coastal stretches are, in addition to their aesthetic beauty.
Naturally, that means the other local beaches aren’t operating at A+ levels. Blue Flag awardee Playa El Chileno, notably, appears to be struggling to maintain even the basic standard. For example, there have been reports of activities prohibited under Blue Flag rules, including unlicensed food and alcohol sales, and the unauthorized renting of beach chairs to tourists. Vendors without permits, of the kind mentioned earlier, have also allegedly been harassing beachgoers there.
Play El Chileno, it should be pointed out, is a very popular beach, particularly among locals. It’s also very beautiful, with excellent swimming and snorkeling. However, despite being a perennial Blue Flag winner and one of the first five beaches ever to achieve the honor in Mexico (dating back to 2014), it could be in danger of losing that status.
It wouldn’t be the first. The thing about Blue Flag beaches is that the quality has to be consistently maintained, which is sometimes hard to do. But Los Cabos’ government has shown a commitment to keeping its beaches in excellent condition, resulting not only in its record number of Blue Flag playas, but also 17 newly minted Platinum ones. This honor, like the Blue Flag, is premised on cleanliness, services, and sustainability. But it’s administered not by FEE, but rather by the domestic Instituto Mexicano de Normalización y Certificación.
New signs delivered to popular Los Cabos beaches
New signs should make local beaches safer than ever. (Ayuntamiento de Los Cabos)
New signage is also being delivered to some Los Cabos beaches this summer, as part of a Zofemat (Zona Federal Marítimo Terrestre) initiative to promote self-care and safety. The signs will showcase plenty of useful information, including an explanation of the flag system used to update the water conditions for swimming or other aquatic activities.
No, this has nothing to do with the aforementioned blue or platinum flags. Rather, it refers to color-coded flags like the green, yellow, and red ones that are occasionally flown, and which, like the colors of a stop light, tell you whether you can swim because conditions are safe, you should take caution, or avoid getting in the water altogether. White flags, meanwhile, mean there are jellyfish in the water, while black flags indicate beach closure.
The signs weren’t installed at all beaches, but only at those that see the most traffic.
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.
Sheinbaum said that a new security agreement between Mexico and the United States is "ready" for both parties to sign. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
The presentation of a new government plan for state-owned oil company Pemex took up a significant portion of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Tuesday morning press conference.
Sheinbaum declined to respond to some questions about issues not related to Pemex, but did speak about a new Mexico-United States security agreement that is expected to be signed soon.
Mexico-US security agreement is ready, says Sheinbaum
Sheinbaum said that a new security agreement between Mexico and the United States is “ready,” but won’t be signed this week.
She said that she would present the new agreement at a future press conference in order to be “very transparent.”
Last Thursday, Sheinbaum said that she believed that the new bilateral security agreement would be signed this week.
However, she claimed on Tuesday that her remarks were misunderstood and that she didn’t say that at all.
The president said that she would present the new bilateral security agreement at a future press conference in order to be “very transparent.” (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
“… The wording [of the agreement] is practically finished, [but] it still hasn’t been decided when it will be signed,” Sheinbaum said.
She said that the agreement is governed by four key principles.
Respect for sovereignty.
Respect for each other’s territory.
Mutual trust.
Collaboration and cooperation between Mexico and the United States “within that framework.”
The Trump administration has been pressuring Mexico — including through the threat of tariffs — to do more to combat drug cartels in Mexico and stop the trafficking of narcotics to the United States, especially fentanyl.
“There is an agreement of collaboration and cooperation,” Sheinbaum said, apparently reiterating that the pact has already been drawn up.
“… We’re a sovereign country, we make decisions as a sovereign country,” she added.
“And with the United States, we collaborate and cooperate and that collaboration and cooperation is very important, but with [respect for each other’s] sovereignty,” Sheinbaum said.
Pushed as to whether acts of violence in Mexico could “raise the price of the negotiation” with the United States, “so to speak,” the president effectively brushed off the question, only responding, “Why?”
A US military intervention in Mexico is ‘not on the table,’ says Sheinbaum
After Sheinbaum’s aforesaid response, a different reporter abruptly asked the president about the possibility of a U.S. military intervention against criminal groups in Mexico.
“They can insist again, but that issue is not on the table,” she said.
“… There are other ways of collaborating and coordinating with each other. There is information they can provide us, information we can provide them in a scheme of collaboration without subordination and respecting our sovereignty,” Sheinbaum said.
On Monday, Aug. 11, a free tasting for an estimated 15,000 visitors will begin at 11 a.m. (Juan Pablo Zamora/Cuartoscuro)
A small town in the central highlands state of Hidalgo is set to sizzle this weekend when it attempts to break its own record for the largest barbecue in Mexico.
The barbacoa feast of 100 sheep (lambs) and more than 2,000 chickens will be slow-cooked underground in two enormous, custom-built ovens as part of the annual Dajiedhi Fair, a six-day festival starting Wednesday.
The popular fair will feature church services, fireworks, dancers, music, carnival rides, craft sales and food — like other patron saint festivals in Mexico. But this event, like many others across the country in early August, pays homage to El Divino Salvador (the Divine Savior, aka Jesus).
Much of this year’s focus is on Sunday, when the large ovens will be ignited by local barbocoyeros (pitmasters) to begin the barbecuing process. On Monday, a free tasting for an estimated 15,000 visitors will begin at 11 a.m.
“It’s just a tasting, so we ask for your understanding that there should be enough for everyone,” emphasized Alex Santiago Mejía, a member of the fair committee.
For those wanting more, barbacoa will also be available for purchase for about 650 pesos (US $34.50) per kilogram.
Last year’s event featured the cooking of 68 sheep and more than 200 chickens, though organizers opted against trying to obtain a Guinness World Record due to costs.
Sheep and chickens donated by Dajiedhi residents and farmers in neighboring towns will be prepped and seasoned by the barbocoyeros and volunteers.
The meats will then be cooked in stone pits that are lined and topped with maguey leaves to protect ingredients from the dirt and to seal in flavors from vegetables and mesquite branches placed in the pits.
Dajiedhi, population 2,400, is located in the municipality of Actopan, Hidalgo, about 30 kilometers north of the state capital, Pachuca. Its unique name is almost certainly Indigenous, likely of Otomí-Hñahñu origin, but its precise meaning is unknown to scholars.
In Actopan and other areas of the Mezquital Valley, barbecued meats have been prepared in earthen ovens since 1518, according to Mexico’s Ministry of Culture. The newspaper Milenio referred to Dajiedhi as “the birthplace of barbacoyeros.”
At the Barbacoa Fair in Actopan in early July, the community reportedly set a Guinness World Record for the longest line of barbacoa tacos — more than 12,000 placed side-by-side in a single row. Vendors made about 300 tacos each, and when the tacos were lined up, no overlapping was allowed, according to the on-site Guinness adjudicator.
A ban on junk food in public schools, including sugary drinks, has been in force for several months, but an ongoing survey of schoolchildren's health shows that the ban's desired results may take a while. (Rodolfo Angulo/Cuartoscuro)
Four months after the start of a ban on junk food at schools across the country, an ongoing Mexican government health study revealed that more than one-third of the nation’s school-age children are overweight.
Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) director Zoé Robledo presented the preliminary results during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s daily press conference on Monday.
The survey is ongoing but the current results are alarming: Not only are more than a third of Mexican schoolchildren overweight, but 18% of them qualify as obese. (Rodolgo Angulo/Cuartoscuro)
“Of the 4 million public school children who have undergone [the screenings], 18 percent are obese,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday. “And if we consider both overweight and obesity, the number rises to nearly 37 percent.”
Robledo said that 1,986,117 of the children screened between March and July as part of the government’s Healthy Living (Vida Saludable) program have received referrals for free medical attention.
The study found that more than half of the school-age children in three states — Campeche (56%), Quintana Roo (52%) and Tabasco (51%) — were either overweight or obese.
The study also found that the problem increased with age. While 33% of first-graders were assessed as overweight, the prevalence for sixth-graders was found to be 45%.
Additional results showed that 55% of the children screened had cavities and 35% had impaired vision.
The objective of the government’s program, Sheinbaum said, is to assess students’ health, offer referrals to clinics for checkups as needed and to promote a healthy lifestyle, featuring a nutritious diet and exercise.
“The program is very important because, in the end, it’s not just about providing healthcare when someone gets sick, but about prevention, about being able to build a healthy life,” she said.
The program is being managed by IMSS and the Education Ministry.
Four million schoolchildren underwent health screenings in the final months of the school year that ended in July. The screenings will continue during the upcoming school year until 12 million children have been evaluated.
“Our goal is to help families and teachers demonstrate how to eat right, how to exercise properly in order to lead a healthy life,” the president said, adding that the nationwide ban on junk food at public and private schools is a key part of this strategy.
The junk food ban, approved last year, went into effect on March 31.
Schools were required to phase out food and beverages displaying one or more black warning logos identifying the product as high in salt, sugar, calories or fat. These banned items include donuts, carbonated drinks, French fries, chips and snacks, candy, ice cream and flavored milk.
School administrators who violate the ban risk fines of up to 5,450 pesos (US $290).
The differential in Mexican exports and imports caused Mexico’s trade surplus with the United States to increase by 16.7% to $96.21 billion. (Canva)
Mexico’s exports to the United States during the first half of 2025 reached US $264.38 billion, a 6.3% increase over the same period last year, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday.
However, Mexico’s share of the U.S. market fell from 15.9% in the first six months of 2024 to 15% from January through June 2025 as U.S. imports rose at the global level.
President Sheinbaum has been praised for responding calmly but firmly to U.S. President Trump’s tariff threats aimed at Mexico. The result after half a year is that despite those threats, Mexican exports to the U.S. have increased. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
Mexican exports to the U.S. climbed despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to introduce new 30% tariffs on non-free-trade agreement (USMCA) goods — a plan that has been put on hold for 90 days following a month of negotiations with Mexican President Sheinbaum’s cabinet.
Meanwhile, Mexico’s imports of U.S. products rose by a significantly lower rate of 1.1% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, totaling $168.17 billion.
The differential in Mexican exports and imports caused Mexico’s trade surplus with the United States to increase by 16.7% to $96.21 billion, edging closer to that of China, which fell 12.4% year-over-year, to $111.48 billion. That surplus has been one of Trump’s pretexts for his aggressive trade stance toward Mexico.
One of the takeaways from the recent trade negotiations between the United States and Mexico was President Sheinbaum’s appearance of abidance to Trumpas regards the trade surplus, even to the point of Mexico encouraging its nation’s companies to “buy American.”
In recent months, Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on steel, aluminum and copper imports and 25% on automobiles and certain auto parts from Mexico. He also introduced 25% tariffs on non-USMCA products, which could increase to 30% unless Sheinbaum can convince the U.S. president not to raise the tariffs by the October deadline.
Overall, U.S. export and import levels both increased in the first half of the year, despite the imposition of tariffs on several countries, which encouraged many states to introduce reciprocal tariffs. U.S. global foreign purchases climbed by 12.7% to almost $1.8 trillion. Conversely, exports increased by 5% to reach $1.08 trillion.
Even with its reduced market share, Mexico remained the U.S.’s largest trading partner in the first half of 2025, followed by Canada (13%) and China (7.9%).
The Sheinbaum administration has identified energy sovereignty as a strategic priority, though this objective is significantly hampered by the $100 billion debt burden carried by state oil company Pemex. (Pemex/Facebook)
Financial self-sufficiency starting in 2027 is among the objectives of a 10-year strategic plan for the heavily indebted state oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex).
Among the other goals of the Comprehensive Capitalization and Financing Strategy are to significantly reduce Pemex’s debt and increase the domestic production of natural gas, a fuel that the United States currently supplies to Mexico in large quantities.
Sheinbaum told reporters that the government has carried out a “meticulous revision” of Pemex and created a “vision” for the future of the company, which last week reported debt of around $99 billion.
“What we have is a comprehensive vision,” said the president, who asserted that by 2027, Pemex won’t require any financial support from the federal Finance Ministry.
Finance Minister: Pemex’s debt to decline 26% below 2019 level by 2030
Finance Minister Édgar Amador Zamora noted that the Finance Ministry, the Energy Ministry, Pemex and federal development bank Banobras worked on the plan for the state oil company.
He presented data that showed that Pemex’s debt increased from $43.3 billion in 2008 to $105.8 billion in 2018, the final year of the administration of former president Enrique Peña Nieto.
Amador said that by the end of this year, Pemex’s debt is forecast to have declined to $88.8 billion, 16% lower than in 2018.
He said that the Comprehensive Capitalization and Financing Strategy, “through a series of efforts” and “operations,” will allow Pemex to reduce its debt by 26% compared to 2019, the first full year of the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The forecast Amador presented showed Pemex’s debt at $77.3 billion in 2030.
Mexico’s finance minister said on Tuesday that his ministry will continue to provide Pemex support this year and next, but cease in 2027. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
He said that the government’s plan, which includes supporting Pemex to make significant debt repayments this year and next, will enable the state oil company to reach a “very sound” liquidity position that will allow it to finance its own operating expenses starting in 2027.
Amador highlighted that the previous federal government, under López Obrador, (gradually) reduced Pemex’s Shared Profit (DUC) levy from 65% to 30%.
“That has contributed to a very significant improvement in the liquidity position, the financial strength … of Petróleos Mexicanos,” he said.
Sheinbaum stressed that the “well-being” tax on non-associated natural gas is just 12%, and asserted that the low rate “allows Pemex to capitalize.”
She said that in 2025 and 2026 Pemex has to pay “very high amortizations of its debt” as well as interest payments and will therefore require Finance Ministry support in the short term.
“But in 2027, thanks to all the work the Finance Ministry has done, Pemex will go out on its own; it won’t need support from the Finance Ministry,” Sheinbaum said.
Reuters reported that $5.1 billion of Pemex’s bond debt is due for repayment this year, followed by $18.7 billion in 2026 and $7.7 billion in 2027.
The 3 main pillars of the Pemex plan
Amador said that the Pemex strategy has three main “ejes” (pillars or central tenets).
The “determination” of the Derecho Petrolero para el Bienestar, set at a rate of 30% for oil and 12% for non-associated natural gas.
Amador said that the lower levy rates “optimize” (i.e. reduce) Pemex’s tax burden and incentivize the company to carry out “a very efficient productive investment strategy in the long term.”
Support from the Finance Ministry that allows Pemex to reduce its debt.
Amador noted that the government has already supported the state oil company to pay down its debt, including with last week’s debt offering and cash injections. He indicated that additional support will be provided this year and next, but will cease in 2027.
Monetary support to finance “productive investment.”
Mexico could be a net oil importer by 2030. “The key issue dragging Pemex is its $101 billion debt pile, making it the world’s most indebted oil company.”🎯https://t.co/I9ps6o97Z2pic.twitter.com/PQqN24fCGh
Banobras general director Jorge Mendoza Sánchez said that a 250-billion-peso (US $13.3 billion) investment vehicle has been created to fund oil sector projects in 2025 alone.
He said that the “investment fund” will be financed by state-owned development banks, commercial banks and “the investment public in general.”
“… It’s important to mention that this action reaffirms the commitment we have within Banobras and [Mexico’s other] development banks to continue supporting Petróleos Mexicanos,” Mendoza said.
“… It will be an attractive [investment] vehicle and, in addition, it will have a guarantee from the federal government, which will make its financing cost very low,” he said.
Energy minister outlines ‘clear objectives’ of Pemex plan
Energy Minister Luz Elena González Escobar enumerated a list of “clear objectives” of the 2025-35 plan for Pemex. They include:
Guaranteeing “stable” oil production of 1.8 million barrels per day.
“Relaunching” Mexico’s petrochemicals industry and increasing the production of fertilizers “to support food sovereignty.”
Increasing natural gas production.
Supporting renewable energy initiatives in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
González asserted that the government’s plan will resolve Pemex’s “structural challenges” and set it up for a successful future.
She also said that “energy sovereignty” is “at the center of the second story of the fourth transformation” — i.e., achieving energy sovereignty is a key priority of the Sheinbaum administration, which says it is continuing the “transformation” initiated by the 2018-24 López Obrador government.
Pemex CEO outlines ‘operational plan’ for state oil company
The strategy for Pemex over the next 10 years is “fundamentally” aimed at “increasing the revenue, reducing the costs and improving the financial profile” of the state oil company, said CEO Víctor Rodríguez Padilla.
He said that Pemex would do a range of things to achieve those goals. They include:
Developing two large Gulf of Mexico oil fields, namely Zama and Trion.
“Reactivating” oil production at fields that still have “potential.”
Increasing natural gas production by taking advantage of the “resources we have both in the south and north” of the country.
Rodríguez said that Pemex “is and will continue to be a key player in the well-being and sustainable development of the country.”
The state oil company has seven refineries in Mexico, including the recently built Olmeca Refinery on the Tabasco coast. It also owns a refinery in Texas, and operates gas stations across Mexico.
Last week, Pemex reported its first quarterly profit in a year, even as crude and natural gas production declined in annual terms between April and June. An appreciation of the Mexican peso against the US dollar allowed Pemex to overcome a drop in revenues and record a profit in Q2 of 2025.
