Sheinbaum government files new complaint in US after 18th Mexican death in ICE custody: Monday’s mañanera recapped

By

MND Staff

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October 19, 2026

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Sheinbaum at podium Oct. 19, 2026 — "... As we have always said, [migrants] are heroes and heroines for us because they left their towns and cities to seek a better life and support their families," Sheinbaum said on Monday, in response to the news of Emiliano Andrade Covarrubias's death on Saturday at the Rio Grande Processing Center in Laredo, Texas. (Juan Carlos Buenrostro/Presidencia)

**Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds**

⚰️ Another Mexican dies in ICE custody: Sheinbaum acknowledged the death of Emiliano Andrade Covarrubias, 56, who died at a Texas detention center on Saturday. She said he was detained in June and, according to his family, had diabetes and high blood pressure and “probably didn’t have all his medications.” Sheinbaum said Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco contacted Andrade’s family on Sunday. The SRE says the case brings to 18 the number of Mexicans who have died in ICE custody or during immigration operations since Donald Trump began his second term as president. Sheinbaum said Mexico will file a complaint in the U.S. because “there should be protection of human rights.”
🎸 Sheinbaum praises Los Tigres del Norte after NPR Tiny Desk performance: Asked about the band’s pro-immigrant concert last week, the president said the group is a “symbol” of cultural identity for Mexicans abroad. She highlighted lyrics from their song “Somos más Americanos” and commended the band for defending Mexican immigrants in the United States.

**Why today’s mañanera matters**

At her Monday morning press conference, President Sheinbaum spoke about the death of another Mexican in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), 18 Mexicans have now died in ICE custody or during immigration operations carried out since Jan. 20, 2025, the date U.S. President Donald Trump began his second term. The deaths have occurred amid the Trump administration’s illegal immigration crackdown.

The Mexican government has condemned the crackdown and taken legal action aimed at holding accountable anyone who contributed to the deaths of Mexicans in ICE custody or during ICE operations.

Sheinbaum is a staunch advocate for Mexicans in the United States and their rights. At today’s mañanera, she spoke glowingly about a group of like-minded individuals — the Sinaloa-founded, California-based norteño band Los Tigres del Norte. Her remarks about the Grammy Award-winning band on Monday came just over a month after she met with its Mexican-born members at the National Palace.

Another Mexican dies in ICE custody

Sheinbaum acknowledged that another Mexican had died while being held in an immigration detention center in the United States.

Emiliano Andrade Covarrubias, 56, was found unresponsive by staff at the Rio Grande Processing Center in Laredo, Texas, during a security check at around 10 a.m. Saturday, according to The Texas Tribune.

Emiliano Andrade Covarrubias, 56, was arrested in June and taken to an ICE facility in Laredo, Texas. (Courtesy)

Andrade Covarrubias is the seventh person to die while detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Texas this year, the Austin-based news outlet reported.

Sheinbaum said that Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco contacted the family of the deceased man on Sunday, and noted that the SRE issued a statement regarding the death.

“We’re also going to file a complaint in the United States because there should be protection of human rights,” she said.

“This compatriot was detained in June. His family told us that he had diabetes and high blood pressure and he probably didn’t have all his medications,” Sheinbaum said.

“… As we have always said, [migrants] are heroes and heroines for us because they left their towns and cities to seek a better life and support their families,” she said.

“And they help the United States economy a lot,” Sheinbaum added.

In its statement, the SRE said that the Consulate General of Mexico in Laredo had “asked U.S. authorities for a prompt, thorough, and transparent investigation to clarify the circumstances of the death and determine whether anyone bears responsibility.”

“The Government of Mexico expresses its deep concern over the repeated deaths of Mexican nationals in custody or during immigration operations in the United States,” the ministry said.

“This case brings to 18 the number of Mexican nationals who have died in these circumstances since January 20, 2025. The situation demands an effective response from U.S. authorities to safeguard the lives, physical integrity, and human rights of migrants,” the SRE said.

The ministry noted that it has already taken diplomatic and legal action over the deaths of Mexicans in ICE custody, including by “sending diplomatic notes to the State Department, filing complaints with the appropriate authorities, and working to help families obtain legal representation.”

The SRE said it has also “strengthened consular protection and its monitoring of detention conditions for Mexican nationals.”

“The Foreign Ministry will continue to use every diplomatic and legal avenue available to it. That includes a complaint it will send to the Webb County district attorney asking that the facts of the case [involving Andrade Covarrubias] be clarified,” the SRE statement said.

Sheinbaum praises Los Tigres del Norte after pro-immigrant NPR performance

A reporter asked the president about Los Tigres del Norte’s NPR Tiny Desk performance last week as well as NPR host Felix Contreras‘ emotional message before the concert.

“Our community is under attack,” said Contreras, a Mexican American.

“And it’s not the first time. You can go back to 1848 when they changed the border. You can go back to after the Second World War during the so-called Operation Wetback. It takes away our humanity,” he said.

Sheinbaum said that Los Tigres del Norte and “many other musical groups” that play “Mexican music genres” represent “cultural identity” for “Mexicans who live abroad.”

“And in this, Los Tigres del Norte have had a very important role,” she said.

“Not just because of the quality of their music but also because they represent a symbol. They have songs that in a few words and verses say a lot,” Sheinbaum said.

“They have this song [Somos más Americanos] that says, ‘Yo no crucé la frontera, la frontera me cruzó [I didn’t cross the border, the border crossed me],” she noted.

“… They’re very respectful of politics in the United States,” Sheinbaum added.

“What they do is play music and defend Mexicans abroad,” she said.

Los Tigres del Norte: Tiny Desk Concert

Watch this video on YouTube

In an article headlined “Los Tigres Del Norte take over Tiny Desk with classic songs and a pro-immigrant message,” The Los Angeles Times reported that the theme of “immigrant struggle within the U.S. was top of mind when the group performed at NPR’s Washington, D.C., offices.”

“… Opening with the 2001 track [Somos más Americanos] was notable as the song flips jingoist U.S. narratives about who can call themselves American,” the Times reported.

“The lyrics assert that Mexicans are more American than ‘gringos’ and highlight how a large swath of the U.S. once belonged to Mexico.”

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

How Mi Valedor helps Mexico City’s street community find its voice

By

Logan J. Gardner

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October 19, 2026

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A group of 3 men sitting around a table creating artwork with a colorful mural in the background. — Several valedores work on their art projects at Mi Valedor. (Mariana Mendoza)

Alberto Mata Hernández grew up on the streets of Mexico City.

By age 14, he was sleeping on cardboard and living under bridges. For money, he laid on broken glass and sang, earning tips from passersby.

Eventually, he landed at Parque Delta’s viaducto, Alberto’s last home before meeting Mateo, a fieldwork coordinator with Mi Valedor, two years ago.

Mi Valedor is a Mexico City-based organization that publishes a street paper of the same name. Its mission is to improve the lives of “valedores” — people in vulnerable situations, often living on the street — who produce, sell and are featured in the publication.

“My life changed immediately when I walked in,” Alberto tells me.

A man in a red shirt looking through boxes. — Alberto in Casa Valedora’s courtyard. (Logan J. Gardner)

Mi Valedor started 11 years ago. By 2019, it had won several awards, including Best Design and Best Online Presence from the International Network of Street Papers. The model — in which valedores resold Mi Valedor’s magazines on the street for profit — was working.

Pandemic problems become opportunity

Yet, as Arturo Soto Flores, Mi Valedor’s press director, says, it wasn’t enough.

“When the pandemic hit, we all had to go home,” he explains. “What happened to the people who had no home? The inequalities became very, very visible.”

At the time, Mi Valedor launched free services and art workshops for its valedores. Five years later, they’ve all borne fruit.

Alberto first came to Mi Valedor for a shower. That quickly turned into free use of Mi Valedor’s laundry and kitchen, a locker to safely store valuables, getting his ID and birth certificate, and free medical help from on-site professionals, including weekly therapy.

A group of 3 men wearing red vests selling a street paper in Mexico City. — A group of valedores selling the street papers and zines in Mexico City. (Mi Valedor)

Eventually, he joined a drawing workshop.

“There are people who can’t even write, and suddenly they realize they can draw,” Alberto says, adding that drawing allows him to express himself and has become a form of therapy.

It also opened a new path. “I’m now making a fanzine called ‘Pata de Perra’ [Mexican slang for a wanderer]. It’s about roaming everywhere, a process of understanding your own path.”

The zine will be sold alongside Mi Valedor’s signature magazine.

From the streets to galleries

For valedores like Filemón Bazán Leal, personal zines have not only brought extra income but also launched successful art careers. Filemón’s debut zine, “Cuando no hay futuro,” now hangs in Mexico City’s Centro Nacional de las Artes (CENART).

As I walk around Casa Valedora, the quality of the valedores’ art is impossible to ignore. Important institutions supporting Mi Valedor’s art, from CENART to Patronato de Arte Contemporáneo, seem to agree.

Today, Mi Valedor’s art has outgrown the streets it comes from.

“Valedores no longer sell on the street,” Arturo tells me. “They sell at cultural events,” including museums, book fairs and art fairs around the world. It’s quite an accomplishment, given their lack of formal training.

A pink magazine presented in an artful way on a drainpipe. — Filemón Bazán Leal’s debut zine. (Mi Valedor)

The key, Arturo explains, “is connecting the valedores with their own voice,” adding, “In the end, what they make comes entirely from inside them, from their own perspective.”

‘Mi Valedor woke me up’

For Alberto, art is more than a path to stability. He describes it as a “way of living” and “learning from life.” In that sense, Mi Valedor isn’t just providing an income — it’s rehabilitating valedores and integrating them into society.

“Mi Valedor woke me up,” Alberto says. “I’ve always said it unlocked the next level of my life.”

Today, Alberto has an apartment, a girlfriend, a job and a path forward. His dream, he says, is “to set an example” and “to know that people can hold on to me and I won’t fall with them.”

Arturo, meanwhile, is direct about what success means for Mi Valedor.

“We estimate that around 37 of the valedores we serve now live stably in housing. But that isn’t the organization’s fundamental goal.”

An elderly man drawing on a piece of paper with a larger art piece on the table in front of him. — Valedor Andres working on an artwork. (Mariana Mendoza)

Instead, they aim to support valedores while providing a path to rehabilitation, if they so choose.

The organization’s main challenge remains funding. Everything Mi Valedor does is supported by donations, both monetary and in-kind, as well as volunteers (they’re currently looking for an English teacher).

I ask Alberto what being a valedor means. The word is Chilango slang for “buddy,” but clearly carries more weight than the translation I’m given.

“You’re my valedor now,” he says, smiling. “The intention is to make you feel like family. Sometimes we lack a lot of things, so we give them to each other. A hug, talking with someone.”

You can learn more about Mi Valedor at their website and donation page.

Logan J Gardner is a writer, photographer, and filmmaker based in CDMX. His coverage includes culture, food & travel, and geoeconomics. He earned degrees from Wharton and the University of Cape Town and formerly worked at L.E.K. Consulting and Netflix.

5 Mexica customs you’ve adopted if you live in Mexico City (and you haven’t even noticed)

By

Andrea Fischer

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October 18, 2026

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A painting of Mexica people in Tenochtitlán. — Believe it or not, Mexico City dwellers keep some Mexica customs alive in our everyday lives. These are some of the most common. (INAH/Wikimedia Commons)

Discovering archaeological ruins along the Anillo Periférico ring road, seemingly out of the blue, is a quintessential Mexico City experience. These ruins make up Cuicuilco, a powerful ancient city that was destroyed by the volcano Xitle around AD 315.

Ancient ruins also pepper Mexico City’s Metro system. The Pino Suárez station is famous for the Pyramid of Ehécatl, which was built in honor of the Mexica (Aztec) god of the winds and sits in the middle of the station.

Cuicuilco, the Pyramid of Ehécatl, Templo Mayor, the most important religious and political center of the ancient Mexica city of Tenochtitlán, and countless other sites are a testament to how our pre-Columbian past has not abandoned us, despite the efforts of European invaders to eradicate our ancient roots.

However, it’s not all ancient ruins and significant archeological sites that harken back to those early days. Denizens of the capital continue to keep Mexica customs alive in surprisingly ordinary ways. These are some of the most iconic.

Grocery shopping at a traditional market

Tianguis and traditional markets in Mexico have been around for centuries. (Amar Preciado/Pexels)

The joy of grocery shopping at a traditional Mexican market comes from embodying a living, centuries-old Mesoamerican tradition. Mesoamerica’s largest market was built in Tlatelolco, near the present-day Historic Center in Mexico City, around 1337. This became the main market that supplied the population of Tenochtitlán with all the products that could be imagined at that time, as documented by the Institute of Historical Research of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Today, over 600 years later, markets and tianguis continue to be a form of social cohesion, where reminiscences of that Mexica past still resonate with the voices of the merchants.

Training your palate for Mexican spice

Honor the gods. Try spicy, hot salsa! (RDNE Stock Project/Pexels)

Every time a foreign customer orders non-spicy salsa at a taquería, the great Mexica goddess Tlatlauhqui Cihuatl Ichilzintli, the Respectable Lady of Chilis, cries in desperation. But she finds solace when those of us who have established a home in this country bathe our daily meals with anything spicy.

Hot peppers were a central part of Mexica cuisine and medicine and were even used to discipline unruly children. Whether it be a bowl of salsa verde at the table or sprinkling chile en polvo on freshly cut fruit, adding a spicy touch to whatever we eat is undeniably Mexica heritage, which we have kept alive in our eating habits.

Eating bugs, mushrooms and flowers

The Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry actively promotes the nutritional value and sustainability of eating insects (Jhovani Morales/Pexels)

Chapulines? Escamoles? Gusanos de maguey? Yes! Crickets, ant eggs and worms were at the center of Mexica tables — and if you’ve ever had lunch at a tianguis, a taquero may have offered you one of these delicacies.

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, as documented by the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry, more than 96 insect species were a fundamental part of Mexica cuisine. Today, even the most upscale restaurants in Polanco offer these delights.

However, you don’t have to eat anything previously alive to embody a living Mexica tradition. You can go veggie, as well! For example, eating mushroom quesadillas is a must at any mercado de antojitos. And of course, if you haven’t tried pumpkin flower tamales at Xochimilco, you’re absolutely missing out.

Including native corn in your daily diet

Tortillas serve both as sustenance and cutlery at Mexican tables. (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)

I can’t fathom a Mexican table without tortillas, which serve both as sustenance and cutlery. They are a key ingredient for main Mexican courses, with per capita consumption sitting at roughly 331 kilograms per year, according to the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry’s 2018 figures.

And how could we not eat that many tortillas? Our land has nurtured some 67 different species of corn for over 10,000 years. Tortillas — “tlaxcalli” in Nahuatl — were a staple food as important for the Mexica and other ancient Mesoamerican cultures as they are for modern-day Mexicans.

Using a molcajete to pound grains, spices and veggies

A molcajete is the Mexican version of a mortar and pestle, used for grinding food products. (Kostasplus/Wikimedia Commons)

If you ever go to a fonda serving comida corrida, an establishment where you can have a three-course meal for less than 100 pesos, you’ll probably see the cook making their own salsa in a molcajete. The term comes from Nahuatl words “molli,” which means sauce, and “caxtli,” or bowl. “Mollicaxtli” therefore means the sauce bowl, as documented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE). It’s often made of volcanic rock, and traditionally has the face of an animal — usually a pig — carved in the front.

If you live in Mexico and love to cook, a molcajete is a must-have kitchen item, especially if you’re into making your own spicy salsas. There is no bigger joy than smashing chilis and tomatoes against the pig’s volcanic back, and using the mortar to get the best of their juices.

That, too, is a Mexica tradition that Mexican households have kept alive — and will probably persist through the passage of time.

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

El Jalapeño: Mexico’s low birth rate prompts renewed calls to reinstate sacrifices to ancient fertility goddess

By

El Jalapeno

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October 18, 2026

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As birth rates continue to plummet in Mexico, with dire financial implications, government officials are increasingly looking to the past for potential solutions. (This image was generated using AI tools)

All stories in El Jalapeño are satire and not real news. Check out the original articles here and here.

MEXICO CITY — Demographers at the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) confirmed Tuesday that Mexico’s total fertility rate has dropped to 1.2 children per woman, marking the sharpest demographic decline recorded in the Valley of Mexico since Mesoamerican agricultural officials officially phased out ceremonial sacrifices to the fertility goddess Xōchiquetzal in the early 16th century.

According to the 2025 Intercensal Survey, national birth rates have steadily retreated from replacement levels, reaching the lowest figures documented since 1521, when regional religious administrators made a controversial pivot away from obsidian-inspired reproductive strategies due to the Spanish conquest of Tenochtitlán.

Although Mexico City officials have yet to formally consider reinstating sacrifices to the Mexica goddess of fertility, Xōchiquetzal (pictured here), they allow that it’s not out of the question if birth rates continue to drop at such an alarming rate. (Public Domain)

“While modern socioeconomic factors such as rising housing costs and delayed career milestones are certainly contributing to the decline, the historical data is unambiguous,” said chief demographic analyst Dr. Héctor Ramírez. “The last time national birth projections experienced a contraction of this magnitude, local authorities had just dismantled the central Mexica altar networks.”

The survey highlighted severe regional disparities, with Mexico City registering a fertility rate of 0.8 — a figure analysts note represents a complete standstill in local generational turnover.

Government officials insist the current demographic shift is part of a broader global trend rather than a structural failure of modern civil planning. However, policy experts point out that municipal outreach efforts — ranging from subsidized daycare initiatives to public awareness campaigns — have struggled to match the fertility historically achieved through traditional seasonal rites.

“We are monitoring the revenue and pension implications of an aging workforce very closely,” said a spokesperson for the federal Finance Ministry, noting that current tax rates may require adjustments if birth rates do not stabilize.

“Reinstating large-scale ritual appeals to the ancient pantheon remains outside our official policy roadmap for the upcoming fiscal year,” he noted.

“At least for now, that is. If this decline continues, we may have no choice but to reconsider an appeal to Xōchiquetzal.”

Check out our Jalapeño archive here.

Got an idea for a Jalapeño article? Email us with your suggestions!

Agave: The noble plant at the heart of Mexican culture

By

Katy Alivraz

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October 18, 2026

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Rows of Agave tequilana. — Agave tequilana is one of 159 agave species in Mexico, but the only one from which tequila is produced. (Scott Tobin/Unsplash)

Agave is a spiky succulent belonging to the Asparagaceae family, meaning it’s more closely related to asparagus than cactus. It is a fundamental plant in Mexico’s cultural and natural heritage.

Of the world’s 210 agave species, Mexico is home to 159, including 129 that are endemic. That means Mexico has the greatest agave biodiversity, hosting about 75% of global agave species.

A jimador using a coat de jima to harvest agave — A jimador uses the tool of his trade, a coa de jima, to harvest a mature agave plant to make tequila. (Rudy Prather/Unsplash)

Carl Linnaeus, widely regarded as the father of modern taxonomy, named the plant in 1753 after the Greek word agauē, meaning “noble” or “illustrious,” reflecting its importance among native cultures. Across Mexico’s 68 Indigenous languages, agave has various names. Perhaps the most well-known is metl, from Nahuatl, which forms part of the word mexcalli, the origin of “mezcal.”

Breaking down agave’s many sizes and shapes

While Agave parviflora reaches only 4 to 6 inches in height, agaves in the Salmianae family can grow up to 14 feet tall and as wide as 20 feet.

The octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana) earned its name because its rosette resembles outstretched octopus arms, while Agave parryi looks like a giant artichoke heart.

Jalisco’s Los Altos Tequila Route opens new path for rural tourism ahead of 2026 World Cup

The flower stalk of the agave, called a quiote, can reach up to 33 feet and grow up to 4 inches a day.

The life cycles of agaves differ greatly. While Agave tequilana, also called blue agave, flowers within five to seven years after planting, Agave deserti can live for up to 55 years. The vast majority of agaves, however, are monocarpic, meaning they flower once and then die.

Mezcal vs. tequila

Agave has been used by Mesoamerican and Aridoamerican people since pre-Hispanic times: It was a source of food and fiber, served as a building material, and its spines were made into needles.

More than a dozen spirits and beverages are made from the agave plant, such as tequila, mezcal, aguamiel, pulque, bacanora, comiteco and lesser-known distillates like raicilla, tutsi and tepe.

In Sonora in 1915, the governor banned all alcohol, including the regional agave distillate bacanora, to prevent moral perversion. Although prohibition was lifted in 1919, bacanora remained outlawed in Sonora until it was finally regulated in 1992.

Mezcal is known for its diversity. Up to 50 different agaves can be distilled into mezcal, and 12 states carry the Denomination of Origin.

Roasting of agave piñas — The roasting of agave piñas before they are milled for distillation. (Analuisa Gamboa/Unsplash)

Oaxaca is the country’s main mezcal producer, responsible for 9 out of every 10 liters. The state is home to 35 agave species, which total 22% of nationwide agave biodiversity.

Tequila, meanwhile, can be distilled from only one variety, Agave tequilana. Five states produce tequila. From 2014 to 2023, the area planted with tequila agave increased by 167%, equivalent to 134,329 hectares, with Jalisco growing the most, at about 6,382 hectares annually.

Where do all of Mexico’s agave spirits go?

While mezcal production dropped to 6.9 million liters in 2025, representing a decline of 40% compared with 2024, Mexico’s tequila industry is still going strong.

Mezcal de pechuga: Mexico’s most unusual spirit

In 2025, Mexico produced 17.7% more tequila than the year before. Of the 583.53 million liters of tequila produced, exports surpassed those of the three previous years, totaling 407.98 million liters.

The U.S. is the main tequila consumer worldwide. More than two-thirds of global tequila volume is consumed in the U.S., and more than four-fifths of Mexican tequila exports are sent to its northern neighbor.

Honoring the plant, protecting its soil

The agave plant is built to survive extreme heat and drought.

Madre mezcal bottle — This mezcal, like 90% of those produced in Mexico, originated in Oaxaca. The U.S. is the primary export market for both mezcal and tequila. (YesMore Content/Unsplash)

To absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), it opens its pores at night, when temperatures are lower and less water evaporates. It also helps prevent soil erosion and allows rainfall to penetrate the ground.

Allowing only 5% of agaves (222 plants) per hectare to flower could feed 89 bats per night, contributing to wild pollinator health.

But unsustainably managed agave monocultures pose risks to the environment. As a consumer, look for distillery brands with sustainable practices that can contribute to environmental health.

Simply put, to honor the noble plant is to protect the soil it grows in.

Katy Alivraz is a contributor to Mexico News Daily.

How Mexico and Türkiye connect through food, family and history

By

Louisa Rogers

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October 18, 2026

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Statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Türkiye, on the Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City. — A statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Türkiye, is prominently displayed in Mexico City's Paseo de la Reforma. (CDMX.gob.mx/Sarumo74)

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in a cafe in Kaş, a Turkish seaside fishing town, where I’d just had a dip in turquoise water and was now eagerly awaiting my breakfast. Looking up at the trellis of bougainvillea across from the restaurant, I suddenly had a whiff of San Pancho, the beach town on Mexico’s Pacific coast: same plant life, same seafood restaurants, same handicraft shops, same charming, winding alleys, same vibrant community spirit.

Although Mexico and Türkiye differ in geography, history and religion, they also have many things in common, including strong family values, vibrant, hospitable cultures and rich food traditions.

Hittite ruin in Ankara — Author with Turkish tourists at a Hittite ruin near Ankara, Türkiye. (Barry Evans)

All of this, to say nothing of the fact that Mexico City and Istanbul, two of the world’s great urban centers, are sister cities.

Having lived in Mexico part-time since 2005, I feel relatively educated about Mexican culture. Here is what I observed on a recent trip to Türkiye about the similarities between the two countries.

Family unity

In both societies, families are very close-knit, and people depend on family and neighbors for support in daily life. Just as Mexican extended families gather for Sunday comida, Turkish families meet for a large, multigenerational, leisurely meal over the weekend.

Community

Both countries enjoy a strong “third space” culture. In Mexico, almost every town has its zócalo or plaza, the social hub of the community, along with smaller squares, ample pedestrian space and abundant street life like mime artists, vendors and musicians.

In Türkiye, coffee shops and teahouses are physical and social hubs dating back to the Ottoman Empire, where men traditionally gathered to drink çay (tea) and play backgammon. For women, the public bathhouses, or hammams, function as a social hub. In both cultures, modern espresso bars attract both tourists and digital nomads.

Street food culture

Both countries elevate street food to an art form. In Mexico, not only do you have the famous “three T’s” — tacos, tortillas and tamales — but you can also enjoy donut-like churros, Oaxaca-based tlayudas, elote (grilled corn) and gorditas.

A short history of street food in Mexico

In Türkiye, a favorite street food is the phyllo-based snack börek, filled with cheese, minced meat, spinach or potatoes. Another popular snack is simit, a ring-shaped, circular bread made from two intertwined strands of dough, often covered in sesame seeds. Pide is a crispy, oven-fired flatbread with raised sides containing a variety of tasty toppings, especially cheese.

Late-night cultures

Both countries start their days late, by U.S. standards. I’ve written about my challenges as an early riser in Mexico, where many shops don’t open until sometime between 10 a.m. and noon. Similarly, during our visit to Türkiye, my husband and I found that, outside of Istanbul and other big cities, it was hard to find a cup of coffee before 9 a.m.

Cultural exchanges

Mexican telenovelas are broadcast in Türkiye, and the Turkish equivalent, dizis, are very popular in Mexico. The two countries also showcase each other’s films in different cities, such as the Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF) and the MIKTA Film Festival in Ankara.

Secular cultures, with deep religious roots

Despite having strong religious histories — Catholicism in Mexico and Islam in Türkiye — both countries experienced state-organized secularization periods to strip religious institutions of political power.

In Mexico, secularization began with President Benito Juárez in the 1860s and was reinforced after the Mexican Revolution. Türkiye became a secular state under the leadership of President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1928, when the law declaring Islam as the state religion was revoked.

Both nations recognize the separation of church and state while maintaining a strong faith tradition. In Türkiye, the call to worship is heard several times a day, as are church bells in Mexico.

Major empires with powerful archaeological legacies

Nemrut Dağı, a 2,150-meter-high mountain in southeastern Türkiye, built in 62 BC, is famous for the colossal stone statues and royal tomb on its summit. (Barry Evans)

Both Mexican and Turkish histories are layered with successive, distinct civilizations that conquered, blended and built on one another over millennia.

In Mexico, the Olmecs — regarded as the “mother culture” of Mesoamerica — flourished from 1400 to 400 B.C., followed by the Mayas, the Toltecs and the Mexica.

Meanwhile, in Türkiye, the Hittites flourished during the Bronze Age (1600 to 1200 B.C.), followed by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans.

Both countries are also dotted with awe-inspiring ruins and temples. Mexico contains some of the most important ancient ruins in the world, representing pre-Hispanic civilizations like the Maya, Mexica and Zapotec, while Türkiye has monumental Greek and Roman ruins.

Both civilizations valued large-scale communal spectacles. Mexican ruins almost always include a ball court for ritualistic games, while Turkish ruins feature a Greek or Roman theater or stadium for drama and gladiatorial games.

Geopolitical parallels

Mexico and Türkiye established diplomatic relations in 1927 and elevated them to a strategic partnership in 2013.

The two countries are also “middle powers” — sovereign states that have significant international influence but lack the power of, for example, the U.S. or China. They rank closely in global GDP (gross domestic product), with Mexico at US $1.83 trillion and Türkiye at US $1.64 trillion.

How the Middle East has shaped Mexico for almost 2,000 years

Both countries serve as gateways to vital geographic locations — Mexico as the manufacturing gateway to the United States and Türkiye as a production bridge between Europe, Asia and the Middle East. They each rely on trade agreements with neighboring economic blocs (the USMCA for Mexico, the EU for Türkiye), and both are members of the G20, the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) and MIKTA (a collaborative partnership made up of Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Türkiye and Australia).

Mexico and Türkiye are important trade partners with a bilateral trade volume of US $1.93 billion in 2025.

How to experience Turkish culture and cuisine in Mexico

If you live in Mexico and want a taste of Türkiye, you don’t have to fly all the way there (though you can, easily: Turkish Airlines flies daily from Mexico City to Istanbul, stopping briefly in Cancún).

You can watch a dizi on Mexican TV. If you’re in Mexico City, look for Turkish snacks and sweets in restaurants and bakeries in Roma Norte, Coyoacán and Polanco.

Turkish simit, or bread rings, sold by a vendor — Man selling simit, sesame bagel-like bread rings. (Barry Evans)

And check out the 3.2-meter bronze statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Türkiye, on Paseo de la Reforma. It was installed in 2003 to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Türkiye.

Another tangible piece of Turkish history is the Reloj Otomano, an ornate clock tower decorated with Moorish tiles and mosaics, located in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico. The clock faces alternate between Roman numerals and Arabic script. It was a gift presented to Mexico in 1910 by the local Ottoman immigrant community (which included Turkish, Lebanese and Syrian migrants) to celebrate the centennial of Mexican independence.

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

MND Tutor | Hispanic identity

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MND Plus

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October 17, 2026

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Welcome to MND Tutor! This interactive learning tool helps you improve your Spanish by exploring real news articles from Mexico News Daily. Instead of just memorizing vocabulary lists or grammar rules, you’ll dive into authentic stories about Mexican culture, current events and daily news.

The concept of Hispanic identity highlights how governments and societies define people through broad cultural, racial and linguistic categories. In Mexico, the promotion of a shared mestizo identity helped build national unity but contributed to the marginalisation of Indigenous languages and identities. In the U.S., the Hispanic label groups people from diverse backgrounds together, often overlooking how they identify themselves. Identity labels shape social hierarchies, influence people’s experiences and reflect the power of those who classify others.

Discover more about Mexican identity abroad and why it matters in our latest MND Tutor.

To learn more, read the full article here.

To get started, choose your level of Spanish:

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Let us know how you did!

Check out our complete MND Tutor archive here!

Mexico’s week in review: Guadalajara water protest fallout, IMSS demands and another Pacific hurricane

By

MND Staff

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October 17, 2026

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A woman rides a bicycle past marigolds on Mexico City's Paseo de la Reforma — With two weeks until Día de Muertos, millions of traditional cempasúchil (marigolds) are bringing color and holiday cheer to the streets of Mexico City. (Camila Ayala Benabib / Cuartoscuro)

Protests over contaminated water in Guadalajara and over pay and medicine shortages at IMSS, along with another hurricane approaching the Pacific coast, set the agenda in Mexico the second week of October. Clashes between police and protesters in Guadalajara on Sunday left dozens hurt and 39 arrested, and the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) is now investigating alleged police abuses. IMSS workers demonstrated in nearly every state, rejecting a 2.9% pay offer and demanding 10%.

On the Pacific coast, Hurricane Trudy is forecast to pass by Colima and Jalisco over the weekend, as coastal states continue to recover from a close brush with Hurricane Simon and deadly flooding after Tropical Storm Rachel touched down in Baja California. The week also brought mixed news on the security front: Homicides continue to trend down, but organized crime notched a win after Morelos exchanged an alleged criminal leader to save three kidnapped police officers.

Exports hit a record in the first eight months of the year, but trade talks with the U.S. reportedly stalled over tariff disagreements.

Didn’t have time to catch this week’s top stories? Here’s what you missed.

Guadalajara: Police response under investigation as water crisis persists

A march demanding clean tap water ended Sunday in clashes outside the Jalisco governor’s residence, where police used tear gas and water cannons. State authorities put attendance at about 10,000, while University of Guadalajara researchers estimated about 21,400. The state blamed the violence on roughly 400 people, while human rights advocates accused police of excessive use of force and arbitrary detentions.

On Monday, Sheinbaum condemned “repression” and said Jalisco authorities must explain their use of force, adding that her government does not support privatizing Guadalajara’s water service. Governor Pablo Lemus said Tuesday that all 39 detainees had been released and that police used excessive force and made “unjust arrests.” By Thursday, Sheinbaum said the CNDH was investigating the use of water cannons and gas, and allegations that police tortured some detainees.

Dozens hurt in major protest against contaminated water in Guadalajara

Residents across the Guadalajara metropolitan area have reported cloudy, foul-smelling tap water for months, with poor water quality affecting at least 342 neighborhoods. Governor Pablo Lemus has blamed deteriorating infrastructure and irregular discharges into a canal that feeds the Las Pintas dam. Earlier this month, the state stopped drawing water from the dam for an estimated six months. Water is expected to be rationed through rotating service cuts by neighborhood, and some areas may need tanker deliveries.

IMSS: Workers reject pay offer as government prepares new proposal

Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) workers protested in nearly every state on Tuesday, including about 7,000 in Mexico City. They are demanding a 10% increase in base pay, rejecting an offer of a 2.9% pay increase plus a 3.9% increase in benefits. Workers are also calling for an end to medicine shortages and for higher staffing levels at hospitals. Sheinbaum acknowledged medicine distribution problems at her Tuesday morning press conference while rejecting claims of a “crisis.”

After workers voted down the offer on Wednesday, Sheinbaum said on Friday that IMSS director Zoé Robledo is evaluating a “comprehensive program” with a larger raise “within the limits of what’s possible” and the regularization of positions. She did not say whether it would meet the 10% demand.

Pacific coast hurricanes: Rachel’s toll rises as Trudy approaches

On the heels of Hurricane Polo, Rachel weakened into a Tropical Storm but still caused significant loss of life in Baja California. The death toll rose to eight people this week, with at least four people missing after heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides. Earlier in the week, the army rescued 32 people stranded outside Ensenada by a mudslide, and Hurricane Simon killed a 71-year-old man in Guerrero and caused significant property damage in coastal communities.

Warm waters off Mexico’s southwest coast continue to generate an onslaught of hurricanes, with Hurricane Trudy reaching Category 3 southwest of Acapulco on Friday morning. Fabián Vázquez, head of the National Meteorological Service, said it would pass about 65 kilometers off the coast of Colima and Jalisco on Saturday night or early Sunday, adding that “any movement to the right or the left can change meteorological conditions a lot.” But like the storms before it, Trudy has behaved unpredictably. Friday afternoon, the storm unexpectedly weakened to Category 1.

#AvisoMeteorológico #Trudy se localiza a 220 km al sur de Manzanillo, #Colima, como #Huracán categoría 1 en la escala Saffir-Simpson. Toda la información en https://t.co/ooqhgp4eqF https://t.co/MIIUi38h3p

— CONAGUA Clima (@conagua_clima) October 17, 2026

Security: Baja California tops homicide ranking

Federal figures showed Baja California recorded 1,092 homicides from January to September, just ahead of Guanajuato’s 1,089. Nationally, homicides averaged 42.2 per day in September, down 30.6% from a year earlier. The government says this shows its strategy is working, though analysts and NGOs have questioned whether some homicides are being reclassified as other crimes.

In Morelos, authorities freed alleged Pueblos Unidos leader José David Vergara hours after his arrest to secure the release of three kidnapped police officers. Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said the decision was meant to save lives. Four officers died in a crash while responding to the ensuing unrest.

In other security news, a U.S. State Department-affiliated advisory council reported the CJNG has not fragmented since El Mencho’s death, though some structural weakening may have occurred.

Trade and economy: Stalled talks and a lowered outlook

The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s opposition to tariff cuts has stalled trade talks on the 25% vehicle tariff and the 50% levy on steel and aluminum. Officials from both countries denied the talks had stalled. According to the Financial Times, another factor might be at play: President Donald Trump pressed Sheinbaum on energy deals, contributing to the delay of the next round of formal talks.

Mexico exported a record US $549.4 billion in the first eight months of the year, up 29.3%, which Sheinbaum attributed partly to electronics. Nonetheless, the new World Economic Outlook rated it unlikely that Mexico will reach the top 10 by 2030, projecting 12th place and average annual growth of 1.7% during Sheinbaum’s term.

The week included several major developments in the business world. Grupo Televisa and Fintech Holdings agreed to buy AT&T’s Mexican mobile business for US $2 billion, with closing expected in the first quarter of 2027. It also came out that Mexico’s antitrust commission is expected to approve the Viva-Volaris merger before year-end, concentrating 73% of domestic air traffic in one company.

Looking ahead

The coming weeks will show whether Mexico and the U.S. can restart trade talks that have hit a wall over tariffs on vehicles, steel and aluminum, which Mexico has named its top priority. At home, IMSS and its union are working on a new pay proposal after workers rejected the first offer, and workers have said protests could intensify if their demands aren’t met. The rest of the country is preparing for the cultural and economic phenomenon that is Día de Muertos. Mexico will host millions of tourists and visitors, as families and communities remember loved ones who have passed with food, flowers and ofrendas.

More news from across Mexico

Stone ledges form a hill at the site of an ancient astronomical observatory in Puebla — The INAH confirmed that an ancient solar observatory in Puebla is not only the oldest in Mexico, but also the only one found outside of Maya territory. The structure’s settlement is shaped by the observation of the surrounding landscape, such as the nearby mountain peaks, as well as the astronomical horizon. (Alberto Diez / INAH)

Monarch butterflies have begun arriving in Coahuila on their annual migration, with peak numbers expected within the next week.
Mexico cut its gillnet-ban zone in the Upper Gulf of California by 86% to focus enforcement on the vaquita’s known habitat.
A 17-year-old from Tamaulipas is competing in Indonesia with an extinguisher that puts out small flames using sound.
INAH confirmed that a 2,500-year-old solar observatory in Puebla’s Sierra Norte is the oldest in Mexico.
American Airlines is dropping its Miami-Tulum and Charlotte-Los Cabos routes, joining other carriers cutting Tulum service.

Mexico News Daily

This story contains summaries of original Mexico News Daily articles. The summaries were generated by Claude, then revised and fact-checked by a Mexico News Daily staff editor.

From the archive: AI won’t solve your language learning problems

By

Sarah DeVries

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October 17, 2026

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A friendly AI robot teaches a woman Spanish. — AI made this image, but will it do a good job of teaching you Spanish or translating long strings of Spanish text? (ChatGPT)

I won’t say I’m a complete expert at spotting the work of artificial intelligence (AI) in creative writing, images or videos. Especially as it becomes more sophisticated, I feel fairly certain I won’t be able to.

But as someone who actually spends quite a bit of time writing and reading, I am still usually able to spot what’s written with AI and similar tools. And I’m definitely aware of the limitations of AI when it comes to nuanced, complicated tasks like translation.

For some things, AI is helpful. A friend of mine uses it to practice her Spanish — nice and slow, everything written. Another friend, an experienced teacher, uses it to reduce lesson-planning time.

This Chiapas teacher of his Tzotzil language has a star pupil: ChatGPT

Sometimes you can use it as a thesaurus: “What’s a better word for ‘throb’ that doesn’t sound weird and sexual?”

Sure, AI will make up sources that don’t actually exist, but most people don’t seem overly concerned. When it comes to the environmental impact of the gigantic power grid-draining data centers AI must use, though, I fear we’ll only react properly once it’s too late. Or maybe people will think it’s a fair price to pay for all this convenience.

Admittedly, most of my relationship to AI has not been all that positive and I’m glad that Mexico doesn’t seem to be diving headfirst into the techngology as quickly as the U.S.

As a “service” none of us voted to have, which, on top of that, is using all of our data to “learn,” I feel pretty defensive.

A close-up photograph of Sam Altman, head of the AI technology company OpenAI. He is wearing a small ear-mounted microphone and speaking at a public event. — Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI, which created ChatGPT, one of the major AI tools fueling the use of AI language translation — and, well, just about everything else. (Steve Jennings/Wikimedia Commons)

And none of us are protected from its effects. We’ve all been tossed into the Wild West without seatbelts or helmets. Even AI company leaders admit that AI “might” end up destroying humanity, but they “have to” move forward.

Do they? Do they have to move forward? I personally heard no booming voice from the sky, and I’ll gladly just go back to using thesaurus.com. Really, it’s fine.

An endless retraining loop

So when I hear people say that they’re using AI to learn Spanish, I bristle somewhat.

My first bristling instinct is admittedly selfish: Nearly every skill I’ve learned while living in Mexico that can actually keep me surviving in the economy is ripe for the AI picking. I’m still a writer, but writing doesn’t pay the bills. Teaching English did for a while. Translating did for a good while, though all that work has now dried up too.

Currently, I’m an audio description writer (kind of like making subtitles for the blind), a job that I love. But I know that it’s only a matter of time before AI gets good enough to swipe that one away too.

How many times can a person be expected to retrain while also juggling all of life’s other requirements? With some predicting that AI will soon be able to do the job of anyone who works in front of a computer, a lot of us might be about to find out.

For now, I’m hanging on as well as I can.

How do we make sure that AI doesn’t make us dumber? A perspective from our CEO

What AI can and can’t do

I keep hearing the same platitude when it comes to jobs: “You won’t be replaced by AI, you’ll be replaced by someone who works with AI.” Cute.

And in the language field, that’s kind of true, I guess? Usually, the “someone who works with AI,” though, is the company itself working with AI so that it doesn’t have to pay anyone.

As someone who’s been involved in many of these human-to-machine transitions, especially in the language field, there are a few things I can say with confidence:

1. AI is not a good transcriber

One of my many professional hats over the years has been legal transcription editor. In many courtrooms these days, AI transcription services are being used to get what was said into printed words. And let me tell you, it does not do a good job, not even the professional-grade software you pay for.

Accents, mumblings, people following the natural cadence of speech all mean that if you want an AI transcript to be legible, you’d better have an experienced editor on hand who can listen closely and write a clean copy. And to use those cool services like a translation app or the new AirPods, people will have to speak slowly and clearly in complete sentences to be understood.

Now, if you and the other person don’t speak each other’s languages at all, I suppose it’s better than nothing. Still, it’s not the miracle it’s made out to be, and misunderstandings are bound to occur.

Two young men and two young women dine and converse around a restaurant table with Mexican food in a bright, tree-shaded courtyard restaurant. — AI provides convenient Spanish practice, but it’s far from flawless and probably won’t know slang and other nuances of the language that native speakers use. (Christian Rojas/Pexels)

2. AI is a pretty good translator… if it’s all transcribed properly (it’s not)

If you’ve got a well-written text with proper spelling and grammar, most AI software will do a fairly good job translating it. What it won’t do is translate style.

Spanish writing, I’ve long said, is the king of the run-on sentence. “Break things up,” I’d advise new translators. “English speakers can’t stay focused reading a sentence that goes on for more than three lines.”

When there’s a dual AI job — transcription and translation — things get stickier. After most of my subtitle translation work dried up, I would occasionally get assignments to “proofread” AI’s translations. Most of the time, it wound up being more work than doing it from scratch would have been, and for far less money. If the transcription was bad, then the translation was bad, and it became quite a bit to untangle.

3. There’s nothing like actually talking to people to learn how to talk to people

For all my grouchiness about AI, the point is not to discourage you from using it as a tool to help with your Spanish learning. Whatever helps you communicate is good, and whatever helps you learn is good. But AI companies are trying to convince us in so many areas that AI is just as good as or better than other humans.

When it comes to language learning, it’s simply not.

While AI might be able to explain every detailed grammatical rule that you like, it can’t build a relationship with you. It can’t be your friend or tell you about its personal experiences, always intrinsically linked to the culture and language around the tellers.

So if you’re able, use the tools you need, but try to learn the language and make friends the old-fashioned way. It’s worth it.

Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.