Is climbing the pyramids at the Teotihuacán religious complex a right reserved to the gods? The INAH says yes. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
In the beginning of times, when nothing was as we know it today, the gods gathered around the sun. When they all took their places, say theancient scriptures, they sat and decided to create the world. Many attempts were made; many beings were created and destroyed. After many efforts, Quetzalcóatl, the feathered serpent god, set out to the underworld to talk to Mictlantecuhtli, the lord of the dead, who had the last bone in the cosmos, needed to create the perfect being.
They settled that the bone must be split in two, so that each of them could keep a part for themselves. Quetzalcóatl returned to the other gods with the coveted piece of bone, which they finally used to create the first human beings. In their honor, when several men and women were created, the newly born humans built a holy city. That was how, according to the Mexica who discovered the long-abandoned city when they migrated into Central Mexico, the magnificent Teotihuacán came to be.
The holy city of Teotihuacán was the largest in present-day Mexico, and the most influential politically and commercially in the Mesoamerican region. (Beatriz Quintanar Hinojosa/INAH)
The National Institute of Anthropology and History’s (INAH) records suggest that this archaeological site in present-day México state was constructed around the year 200 BCE. In the very beginning, farming communities occupied it and built its foundations. However, they quickly established commercial relationships with the neighboring towns, which eventually became the largest commercial network in Mesoamerica. Archaeological remainsshow that this interregional trade reached the Maya, and had major political influence in the Yucatán peninsula during the Preclassic and Classic Maya periods.
We don’t know what the inhabitants of Teotihuacán called themselves: the city’s name, translated as “where the gods were created” or “where men became gods,” was given to it by the Aztecs who found it 1000 years after its foundation. But the Teotihuacanos built the largest city in ancient Mesoamerica, the cultural region spanning from present-day central Mexico to Costa Rica. With an area of over 22 square kilometers, Teotihuacán “was one of the cultural centers of the region,” INAH authorities say, and had “stylistic and architectural influences” that reached the Maya in Guatemala and Honduras.
Why can’t people climb the pyramids anymore?
Mexicans today have a shared awe for the ruins of Teotihuacán. I first went to the site as a child, climbing the Pyramid of the Sun and crying in fear of falling when we had to go down the pyramid’s 238 steps.
Children today, sadly, will not have the same memories as I do. In 2020, INAH authorities announced a new prohibition: visitors would no longer be allowed to climb the structures in the complex.
The author was privileged enough to climb the pyramids while the Teotihuacán site authorities allowed it. Visitors today are not as lucky. (Maciej Cisowski/Pexels)
“Neither the footwear nor the number of visitors (some days saw 15,000 visitors daily) were the same,” writes Alejandro Alcolea, journalist and editor of the scientific magazineXataka México.
The decision was taken to preserve the ancient structures, as happened in other archaeological sites, like Chichén Itzá. Although the pyramids at Teotihuacán were largely reconstructed after excavation in the early 20th century, their preservation is a priority for the INAH, and visitor safety is a consideration as well.
Researchers and the press need special permission to take photos of the pyramid or conduct any activity on the structures. Heavy fines are meted out to those who violate these restrictions.
Depending on the severity of the conduct, fines span from 500 to 100,000 pesos depending on how badly the structure was damaged, and irreparable damage is punishable by jail time. Violators have also faced angry crowds: on March 20, a German visitor who climbed the Temple of Kukulkán in Chichén Itzá, Yucatán was booed and struck by other tourists who had gathered to watch the spring solstice at the complex before being taken into custody by National Guard officers.
You can still see Teotihuacán from up high
If you really want to see the Teotihuacán from above and aren’t afraid of heights, you still have options, namely a hot air balloon ride above the ruins. Nothing compares to the sight of the Teotihuacán valley at sunrise on a cold morning.
Prices start at 2,300 pesos, and you can enjoy the best panoramic view of the site. You can check out the packages and experiences atTripadvisor, and choose whatever fits your needs best.
In any case, you have to be an early bird. The activities start early, and you are usually expected to be present at San Juan Teotihuacán at 5 a.m. The longest ride is about 3 hours long, but you can always choose shorter versions.
If you are taking the hot air balloon ride, come prepared! Mornings are usually chilly, so be advised to bring a jacket with you, and some sunblock, too, because the Sun is heavy as the day continues. As dawn breaks, you’ll surely get a glance at mighty Quetzalcoatl, soaring among the clouds.
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.
Santa Fe was once a municipal dump. Now it's one of the capital's most modern and affluent neighborhoods. (Reddit)
Standing on the western edge of Mexico City, Santa Fe presents a startling vision of modernity. Glass-and-steel skyscrapers rise dramatically against the backdrop of the Sierra del Monte de las Cruces, reflecting the afternoon light off their mirrored surfaces. Logos of the world’s biggest brands — names like IBM, Microsoft and Santander — sit atop these towers, making their mark in the neighborhood now known as Mexico’s premier business district. At its heart lies Parque La Mexicana, an expansive green space with jogging paths, man-made lakes, and manicured gardens, designed to offset the concrete sprawl and provide much-needed green space for residents and visitors alike.
Mirrored towers: Santa Fe’s modern society
Parque La Mexicana is a perfect example of what attracts residents to modern Santa Fe — but it wasn’t always like this. (La Mexicana)
Santa Fe is home to thousands of residents, predominantly upper-middle-class professionals and expatriates. During weekdays, the population swells significantly as tens of thousands of commuters arrive for work. The area has also become an educational hub, attracting students to six major universities located here: Universidad Iberoamericana, Tecnológico de Monterrey, CIDE, Universidad Panamericana, UAM, and UVM.
Centro Santa Fe, a major shopping destination, anchors the district’s retail offerings. This sprawling commercial hub stands as a testament to Santa Fe’s outsized economic importance to Mexico City. Recent developments, such as the Distrito Santa Fe project, aim to create a more integrated living community. This ambitious plan envisions adding diverse residential options, further enhancing Santa Fe’s appeal.
Beyond this modern façade, deep ravines and informal settlements border the edges of this futuristic capsule of Mexico City. Public transportation remains notably scarce, forcing inhabitants and commuters to rely heavily on cars to navigate the area. This dependency contributes to two significant issues affecting Mexico City’s quality of life: increased traffic congestion and worsening air pollution.
From waste to wealth: Santa Fe’s transformation
The district wasn’t always glittering towers and parks. (Entre Ladrillos)
In the 1980s, the Mexican government had a vision — to transform what seemed like undeveloped space in Santa Fe into a neoliberal utopia. However, the area’s history was far from empty. The steep gulches and unstable volcanic soil had, until then, made it unsuitable for traditional urban development. In fact, by the 1950s, it served as a dumping ground for 3,000 tons of daily waste. The dump operated under Luis Tellez, the government-appointed “dump boss,” with streets named after recyclable materials— “Cardboard,” “Glass,” and “Aluminium” — reflecting the sorting activities that took place there.
Engineers compacted trash and layered sand on top in an attempt to stabilize the ground, enabling building construction. The real boom began in the 1990s with the opening of the Santa Fe Mall. That was quickly followed by an expansion of commercial and residential projects. Upper-middle-class families, corporate expats, and university students started flocking to Mexico City’s trendiest neighborhood, resulting in the mix of residents we see today.
Forgotten communities: The displacement of pepenadores
The transformation of Santa Fe required the displacement of the pepenadores, or waste pickers. Their livelihoods depended on the dump, where they earned income by separating recyclable materials and selling them to local businesses. The relocation process, which started in 1987 and took over 15 years to complete, showcased the human cost of such urban development.
Mexico City’s pepenadores live a precarious existence, surviving on finds in various municipal dump sites, like Bordo de Xochiaco, seen here. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
In Carina Frykman’s essay “The Power of Waste,” we learn that government officials relocated 800 pepenador families to peripheral zones like Tlatel Xochitenco. Aside from the financial setbacks that came with it, the families faced significant challenges, including the dismantling of their tight-knit community and ongoing health issues. Studies highlighted the severe health risks faced by dumpsite scavengers, including respiratory issues, digestive problems, skin rashes, infections, and sexually transmitted diseases.
Cracks in the façade: Santa Fe’s infrastructure challenges
Santa Fe’s rapid development resulted in inadequate infrastructure planning, and today’s inhabitants face a crosshatch of ongoing challenges.
Traffic congestion: The enclave’s car-centric design provides limited access to Mexico City’s subway, trains, or rapid transit bus systems, making transportation a serious issue. At one point, commuters were spending an average of 26 days a year traveling to and from work in Santa Fe. More recently, the government introduced CableBus Line 3 — an aerial cable car system — to alleviate congestion, though with mixed results.
Santa Fe has grown so quickly that infrastructure has struggled to keep up with it. (Expedia)
Health hazards: As one might expect of a garbage dump that wasn’t properly excavated, the decaying trash beneath emits methane, contributing to dangerous PM2.5 levels that frequently exceed World Health Organization safety limits. This is in addition to a dangerously high level of greenhouse gas emissions from the abundance of vehicles.
Water management: Despite Mexico City’s severe water crisis, development proceeded with minimal planning for basic utilities. More than 1,200 luxury homes discharge sewage directly into ravines or groundwater systems due to the absence of a proper sewer network. Many buildings depend entirely on daily water deliveries by tanker trucks because they lack connections to the public water system.
Lessons from Santa Fe’s experiment
Santa Fe’s transformation represents one of Latin America’s most ambitious urban renewal projects — a megaproject that dramatically reshaped Mexico City’s western edge. It also reminds us that anything impressive must start with a solid foundation.
Today, Santa Fe stands as both an achievement and a warning. On the bright side, major international corporations provide employment for thousands. On the dark side, environmental challenges and unstable living conditions, both in and outside of the immaculate haven, remain a struggle. While Mexico City is making recent progress in terms of waste management, Santa Fe, the city built on waste, shows that urban development must address environmental realities, not conceal them. Even the most impressive architectural achievements may ultimately rest on shaky foundations – both literally and metaphorically.
Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog, or follow her on Instagram.
The peso's tumble came after U.S. President Trump announced that a long-threatened 25% tariff on imported vehicles manufactured in Mexico was finally taking effect, after a month of reprieve and uncertainty. (Shutterstock)
The peso closed at 20.30 to the dollar, according to the Bank of Mexico (Banxico), a depreciation of 0.8% compared to its closing position of 20.14 to the greenback on Wednesday.
Major automakers operating in both Mexico and the U.S. now face questions about whether to remain invested in Mexico or shift operations to the U.S. to sell more cheaply to the United States market. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
The depreciation might have been more pronounced if vehicles made in Mexico were to be subject to the full 25% tariff.
As U.S. content in vehicles assembled in Mexico will be exempt from the duty, the effective tariff on Mexican-made vehicles will be lower — 15% on a car with 40% U.S. content, for example.
The peso’s depreciation on Thursday puts the currency at its weakest position since March 10.
The Bank of Mexico’s governing board voted on Thursday in favor of lowering the central bank’s key interest rate by 50 basis points to 9%.
Governors with Mexico’s central bank issued a statement after their meeting on Thursday saying that they had lowered its key interest rate to 9%, given that Mexico’s disinflation project remains “well on track.”
In a statement, Banxico said that its governing board “deemed that the disinflation process remains well on track and reiterated that the fight against inflation is at a stage where the aim is to bring inflation from its current level, around its prepandemic historical average, to the 3% target.”
“… The board estimates that, looking ahead, it could continue calibrating the monetary policy stance and consider adjusting it in similar magnitudes. It anticipates that the inflationary environment will allow it to continue the rate-cutting cycle, albeit maintaining a restrictive stance,” the bank said.
“[The board] will take into account the effects of the country’s weak economic activity. … Actions will be implemented in such a way that the reference rate remains consistent at all times with the trajectory needed to enable an orderly and sustained convergence of headline inflation to the 3% target during the forecast period,” Banxico said.
When Banxico’s lower rate takes effect on Friday, official borrowing costs in Mexico will be double those of the United States, where the Federal Reserve’s federal funds rate is currently set at a range of 4.25%-4.5%.
The Mexican peso was supported for an extended period by the difference between the interest rate in Mexico and that of the Fed, but depreciated sharply in late 2024 after the ruling Morena party’s comprehensive victory in last June’s federal elections.
However, U.S. content in vehicles assembled in Mexico will be exempt from the duty, lowering the effective tariff on Mexican-made vehicles (See Mexico News Daily’s report here).
Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard phoned in to President Sheinbaum’s press conference from the United States, where he is meeting with trade officials there to try and argue for a trade deal beneficial to Mexico. (Presidencia)
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard joined Sheinbaum’s mañanera via video link from Washington, D.C., where he has been discussing trade issues, including tariffs, with U.S. officials.
Here is a recap of his remarks with regard to the new auto tariff announced by Trump on Wednesday.
‘This is a major change to the trade system’
“Yesterday, as the presidenta already mentioned, President Trump announced … the decision to impose 25% tariffs on vehicles imported into the United States,” Ebrard remarked.
“This is a major change to the trade system in itself,” he said.
Ebrard highlighted that Mexico’s auto industry and auto parts industry are both “very significant.”
“… We export almost 3 million vehicles to the United States [annually] and we supply 40% of all the auto parts that are used here in the United States,” he said.
‘What we have to do is seek preferential treatment for Mexico’
After noting that he and other Mexican officials have met six times with United States Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and on a number of separate occasions with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Ebrard made it clear what Mexico wants from its northern neighbor.
“If they’re going to change the system, if we’re going to go to a system of such high tariffs, what we have to do is seek preferential treatment for Mexico so that we have the conditions to protect jobs and the economic activity of Mexico,” he said.
Asked by reporters on Wednesday whether there were any conditions under which he would lift the auto tariff, President Trump said it was “permanent.”
Vehicles made in Mexico will get a tariff ‘discount’
Ebrard highlighted that the U.S. content in vehicles made in Mexico has increased in recent years.
“In the majority of the brands that are in Mexico, the [U.S.] component is now a more or less significant percentage,” he said.
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard has spent much of the last month in Washington, D.C., negotiating tariff deals. (File photo/Twitter)
Ebrard explained that vehicles made in Mexico will consequently get a “discount” on the 25% tariff announced by Trump.
According to Guillermo Rosales, president of the Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors, a vehicle made in Mexico for export to the United States has, on average, 40% U.S. content. The effective tariff on a vehicle assembled in Mexico with 40% U.S. content would be 15%. Of course, the tariff could be higher or lower than that level depending on the percentage of a particular vehicle’s U.S. content.
The fact that a lower tariff rate will apply to vehicles made in Mexico is “a very important point,” Ebrard said.
Mexican auto parts tariff won’t take effect on April 2
In a fact sheet, the White House said that “USMCA-compliant automobile parts will remain tariff-free until the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), establishes a process to apply tariffs to their non-U.S. content.”
As a result, Mexican auto parts that fall under the North American free trade pact won’t face tariffs on April 2, Ebrard said.
It was unclear how soon the process to apply tariffs to non-U.S. content in auto parts would be established.
Ebrard said that he is engaged in talks with the U.S. secretary of commerce aimed at protecting Mexican auto parts from tariffs.
He reiterated that Mexico supplies 40% of all auto parts used in the United States.
“To say it more clearly, that means you can buy a vehicle made in the United States but it has 40% Mexican components,” Ebrard said. “So we said [to U.S. officials]: ‘How are you going to charge a 25% tariff on Mexican auto parts?”
The auto tariff can’t be charged more than once
Ebrard also said that parts that cross borders within North America several times during the automotive manufacturing process won’t be taxed each time they enter the United States.
“As I once explained in the [president’s] mañanera, … a piston [can] cross the border seven times. Imagine [the cost] if the 25% [tariff], or whatever percentage it is charged, seven times,” he said.
For years, major automakers have divided their manufacturing processes between the U.S. and Mexico, meaning that auto components and partially finished vehicles are shipped between the two countries, sometimes more than once. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
“It was already clearly established that this won’t happen,” Ebrard said.
The economy minister said that the tariff “discount,” Mexico’s desire to avoid tariffs on Mexican auto parts and the establishment of a rule preventing auto parts from being taxed on multiple occasions were the focus of his most recent discussions with U.S. officials.
“In summary, what we’re seeking in the end is that products made in Mexico are better priced than those of any other country, like Germany, Japan, South Korea or any other country that also exports to the United States,” Ebrard said.
“That is the preferential system that the president has asked us to organize,” he said.
In an ‘ideal world,’ there would be no tariffs
Ebrard said that in an “ideal world,” there would be no tariffs on trade, but he acknowledged that choosing to adopt a protectionist posture or not “is a decision for all the countries of the world.”
The economy minister also said that he has personally been treated “very well” by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“Every week, he has welcomed me with pleasure, and he has understood a lot of the arguments we have presented to him,” Ebrard said.
‘Comprehensive response’ to US tariffs coming on April 3
Sheinbaum said that the government will provide “a comprehensive response” to the United States’ tariffs on April 3.
Accountability in the Mexican Military: justice in the Nuevo Laredo case (Carlos Sánchez Colunga/Cuartoscuro)
Four Mexican soldiers were sentenced Monday to 40 years and nine months in prison after being convicted of five counts of homicide and one count of attempted homicide.
The soldiers sentenced were found guilty of indiscriminately firing upon a pickup truck in which seven civilians were riding in the early-morning hours of Feb. 26, 2023. The civilians were returning from a night out in the northern border city of Nuevo Laredo after celebrating the impending birth of one victim’s first child.
The extrajudicial killings by Mexico’s armed forces occurred in Nuevo Laredo in 2023. (Carlos Alberto Carbajal/Cuartoscuro)
Families of the victims celebrated the outcome of the trial but urged federal authorities to stand firm in the face of a likely appeal by the sentenced soldiers.
The defendants remain under guard at a military base in Mexico City. If they lose their appeal, they must serve their sentences in a civilian prison.
The presiding judge also ordered the commander of the XVI Motorized Cavalry Regiment — the soldiers’ home base — to issue a public apology to the families.
The defendants were among 21 soldiers on patrol that February morning. As part of their defense, they declared that they heard a loud bang and opened fire on what they claimed was a fleeing vehicle. Three of the defendants initially said they opened fire to support the first soldier who started shooting.
One of the two survivors testified that the soldiers fired at least two shots at his wounded friends after the pickup had stopped. He also denied that they were fleeing from the soldiers.
Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) investigated the predawn incident and called the shootings unjustified.
The CNDH report concluded that soldiers in four patrol vehicles had followed the pickup based on a “suspicion” and did not follow proper procedure in engaging the vehicle.
“Without giving verbal orders [to pull over], one soldier opened fire into the back of the private vehicle, and three other soldiers did the same to support the first one,” the report said.
Alejandro Encinas, Mexico’s top human rights official at the time of the case, directed the investigation. (Presidencia)
Only four of the 21 soldiers on patrol opened fire, the CNDH said, but they fired a total of 117 shots at the pickup.
The Defense Ministry (Sedena) initially said that the soldiers had heard gunshots, then approached a pickup truck with no license plates and no lights on in the darkness.
“Upon seeing the Army troops, they (the occupants) accelerated in a brusque and evasive way,” Sedena said in a pretrial statement.
In another version of the events, the soldiers said the truck sped away from them and crashed into a parked vehicle. It was only after the crash, the soldiers said, that they opened fire.
Crime scene reports found no evidence of weapons in the pickup after the shootings, and the CNDH report also stated that there was no evidence of any shots fired at the military patrol.
Nuevo Laredo has been the scene of human rights violations by the military in the past, according to The Associated Press.
The U.S. announcement, made Wednesday, will have a major economic effect on the auto industry in Mexico, in which all of the U.S.'s major automakers are heavily invested. (Shutterstock)
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he would impose a 25% tariff “on all cars that are not made in the United States,” but U.S. content in vehicles assembled in Mexico will be exempt from the duty, lowering the effective tariff on vehicles made in Mexico.
The tariff, which will also apply to certain automobile parts, is scheduled to take effect next Thursday April 3, but it appears that Mexican parts compliant under the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA) will not immediately be taxed.
More than 80% of the vehicles exported from Mexico go to the United States, including those made by several U.S. automakers, such as General Motors and Ford. (Shutterstock)
Mexico exported some 2.9 million vehicles to the United States last year, and total automotive exports (Mexican-made vehicles and parts) generated revenue of more than US $181 billion.
More than 80% of the vehicles exported from Mexico go to the United States, meaning that the soon-to-be-imposed tariff will have a major impact on the Mexican auto industry, which includes U.S. automakers such as General Motors and Ford as well as other companies that ship vehicles across the border.
In a fact sheet published on Wednesday, the White House noted that President Trump had “signed a proclamation invoking Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose a 25% tariff on imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts, addressing a critical threat to U.S. national security.”
The White House said that “the 25% tariff will be applied to imported passenger vehicles (sedans, SUVs, crossovers, minivans, cargo vans) and light trucks, as well as key automobile parts (engines, transmissions, powertrain parts, and electrical components), with processes to expand tariffs on additional parts if necessary.”
Trump described the tariff as “very modest” and noted that “if parts are made in America and a car isn’t, those parts are not going to be taxed or tariffed.”
“And we’ll have very strong policing as far as that’s concerned,” Trump said.
“For the most part, I think it’s going to lead cars to be made in one location. Right now, a car would be made here, sent to Canada, sent to Mexico, sent all over the place. It’s ridiculous,” he said.
Asked whether there were any conditions under which he would lift the auto tariffs, Trump said they were “permanent.”
President Trump announces 25% tariffs on all cars shipped into the United States that will go into effect April 2. pic.twitter.com/EUmRJ0Hkaa
The tariff as it will apply to vehicles made in Mexico
The White House said that “importers of automobiles under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement will be given the opportunity to certify their U.S. content, and systems will be implemented such that the 25% tariff will only apply to the value of their non-U.S. content.”
It also said that “USMCA-compliant automobile parts will remain tariff-free until the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), establishes a process to apply tariffs to their non-U.S. content.”
It was unclear how soon that process would be established.
Guillermo Rosales, president of the Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors (AMDA), said that a vehicle made in Mexico for export to the United States has, on average, 40% U.S. content. The effective tariff on a vehicle assembled in Mexico with 40% U.S. content would be 15%.
Given the effective tariff rate on Mexican-made cars will be lower than the full 25%, Mexico will have a “competitive advantage” over other countries and trading blocs, the Milenio newspaper reported.
It will be up to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, right, to establish a tariff assessment process for non-U.S. content that would normally be duty-free under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), but it is not yet clear when that will happen. (File photo/U.S. Department of Commerce)
Ebrard: ‘We have to seek preferential treatment for Mexico’
After highlighting that Mexico exports almost 3 million vehicles annually to the United States and supplies 40% of all parts used in auto plants in the U.S., Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard told President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Thursday morning press conference that the Mexican government will seek to negotiate a better outcome for Mexico.
“If they’re going to change the system, if we’re going to go to a system of such high tariffs, what we have to do is seek preferential treatment for Mexico so that we have the conditions to protect jobs and the economic activity of Mexico,” he said.
For her part, Sheinbaum said that the government will provide “a comprehensive response on what Mexico will do in the face of this situation” on April 3.
The United States has already imposed 25% tariffs on Mexican steel and aluminium as well as goods from Mexico not covered by the USMCA. The U.S. also intends to impose reciprocal tariffs on goods from all its trading partners on April 2.
“We don’t want to give a response to each issue, but rather a comprehensive response,” Sheinbaum said.
She pledged to “protect Mexico, the jobs that are created here and Mexican companies.”
The end of the USMCA?
Rosales, the AMDA chief, highlighted that Trump’s new auto tariff violates the terms of the USMCA, which superseded NAFTA in 2020.
“Trump is changing from a rule of regional integration to a rule of national origin,” said Ildefonso Guajardo, Mexico’s former economy minister who headed Mexico’s USMCA negotiation team during Enrique Peña Nieto’s presidency. (Ildefonso Guajardo/X)
As things stand, vehicles made in Mexico can enter the United States tariff-free under the USMCA provided that they have North American content of at least 75%.
“Trump is changing from a rule of regional integration to a rule of national origin,” said Ildefonso Guajardo, a federal deputy who served as economy minister between 2012 and 2018 and thus headed up Mexico’s USMCA negotiation team during the presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto.
“… It’s a flagrant violation [of the USMCA],” Guajardo said.
For his part, the Latin America director of automotive consultancy Urban Science, Eric Ramírez, said that the new tariff appeared to represent “the end of the USMCA and three decades of integration” between the auto sectors of Mexico, the United States and and Canada.
Ramírez also said that it will be “very complex” to determine what is U.S. content and what is North American content as “there are systems that are completed between the three countries and which cross the border several times” during production.
The White House said that “legislation, pre-existing trade agreements like the USMCA, revisions to the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, and subsequent negotiations have not sufficiently mitigated the threat to national security posed by imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts.”
“These new tariffs aim to ensure the U.S. can sustain its domestic industrial base and meet national security needs,” it added.
The tariff ‘doesn’t make any economic sense’
Trump said Wednesday that his signing of an executive order to implement the new tariff marked “the beginning of Liberation Day in America.”
Tariffs will add about US $6,000 to the retail cost of autos sold in the U.S. but assembled in Mexico, like the Toyota Tacoma, which are manufactured in Apaseo el Grande, Guanajuato. (Toyota)
“We’re going to take back just some of the money that has been taken from us by people sitting behind this desk … and we’re going to charge countries for doing business in our country and taking our jobs, taking our wealth, taking a lot of things that they’ve been taking over the years,” he said.
Mexico had a record-high surplus of US $137.8 billion on automotive trade with the United States last year, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Mexico is the top exporter of vehicles to the United States, ahead of South Korea, Japan, Canada and Germany. According to the White House, “in 2024, Americans bought approximately 16 million cars, SUVs, and light trucks, and 50% of these vehicles were imports.”
Citing data from Capital Economics, The New York Times reported that Mexico’s automotive manufacturing sector accounts for about 5% of the country’s economic activity and employs around 1 million people. Auto manufacturing in Mexico is largely concentrated in the north of the country and the Bajío, meaning that states in those regions face the biggest impact from the new tariff.
Citing Cox Automotive, the Times said that “tariffs would add $6,000 on average to the prices of cars made in Mexico or Canada, a category that includes vehicles like the Toyota Tacoma pickup, gasoline and electric versions of the Chevrolet Equinox, and several models of Ram pickups.”
Óscar Silva, who leads consulting firm Roland Berger’s industrial and automotive practices in Mexico, said that the new tariff “doesn’t make any economic sense” and will end up harming the economies of both Mexico and the United States.
Trump has suggested that the over US $100 billion that his tariffs will bring the U.S. in revenues will be shouldered by foreign countries, but the reality is that companies and individual business owners will be the ones paying. (Continental)
An economic windfall for the United States?
Trump said that the duty will generate hundreds of billions of dollars of revenue for the United States in a short period of time, although the aide who handed him the executive order said more specifically, “We expect that these tariffs will result in over $100 billion of new annual revenue.”
“Anywhere from $600 billion to $1 trillion will be taken in over the relatively short-term period, meaning a year from now,” Trump said. “But starting right away — starting right away — I think we’ll go from $600 [billion] to a trillion within two years.”
So-called “importers of record” will pay the tariff to the United States government.
The New York Times reported that “importers of record [in the United States] can be of any nationality … but Richard Mojica, a customs lawyer at Miller & Chevalier, said that importers of record are typically owners or purchasers of goods, and are ‘usually U.S. companies.'”
“Many U.S. companies have expressed frustration with Mr. Trump’s frequent assertions that foreign countries pay for tariffs, saying they are paying those taxes themselves,” the Times added.
Trump also said Wednesday that the new tariff will encourage automakers and their suppliers to open new plants in the United States.
“A lot of foreign car companies, a lot of companies are going to be in great shape because they’ve already built their plant. But their plants are underutilized, so they’ll be able to expand them inexpensively and quickly. But others will come into our country and build and they’re already looking for sites,” he said.
Shakira is on track to become the first solo artist to sell out seven consecutive shows in the CDMX venue formerly known as Foro Sol. (OCESA/Cuartoscuro)
Global pop superstar Shakira is making history on the Mexico portion of her “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” world tour, with massive crowds in three cities and a run of sold-out Mexico City concerts that’s on the brink of a record.
The 48-year-old Colombian known as the “Queen of Latin Music” has packed the house for her first four dates at Estadio GNP Seguros. With three more shows there Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it’s all but guaranteed she will become the first solo artist to fill the Mexico City venue for seven consecutive performances.
Shakira strikes a pose at the Estadio GNP Seguros after the first show of her current run in Mexico City. (Shakira/Facebook)
In all, she is expected to draw 455,000 to the stadium formerly known as Foro Sol. And that’s on top of the 100,000 she drew for two sold-out shows in Monterrey’s BBVA Stadium March 12-13, and the 90,000 for two sold-out shows at Akron Stadium in metro Guadalajara March 16-17.
When Shakira, a singer and songwriter who has achieved Madonna-like success in both the Spanish and English markets, first announced her 2025 Mexico tour dates last October, only one show was scheduled for each of those three cities. But tickets sold out quickly and more shows were added.
Now, even more have been added.
It was announced late Wednesday that Shakira will return to Mexico near the end of the summer to perform Aug. 29 in Mexico City, Sept. 2 in Querétaro, Sept. 6 in Zapopan (adjacent to Guadalajara) and Sept. 12 in Puebla — all at big stadiums.
Presale tickets for Banamex cardholders will begin Friday, with general ticket sales the next day. And with dates left open between the new concerts, there’s a chance even more shows could be added.
Even without any additional shows, Shakira will reach the milestone of eight concerts on one tour at Estadio GNP Seguros — an achievement that surpasses all other international icons, including Paul McCartney, Metallica, Coldplay and even Taylor Swift.
The winner of four Grammys and 15 Latin Grammys, Shakira is known for many hits, but her all-time most popular song is “Hips Don’t Lie,” a duet in which hip-hop pioneer Wyclef Jean repeatedly sings “Shakira, Shakira.”
SHAKIRA || BZRP Music Sessions #53
Through four shows in Mexico City, one of the highlights was Shakira sharing the stage with Grupo Frontera, winner of two Latin Grammys last year. She and the Texas-formed band, which is deeply rooted in Mexican genres, performed “(Entre Paréntesis),” a song from her 2024 album.
“I really wanted to give you all a surprise,” Shakira told the media afterward. “Every day, I strive to give you something more because the Mexican audience has been so loyal, so loving, and has lifted me up every time I needed it. I wanted to surprise you with something that would fill your hearts.”
“(Entre Paréntesis)” joined “Ciega, Sordomuda” and “El Jefe” as songs Shakira has added to her recent concerts as a heartfelt tribute to Mexico, where her concerts have featured multiple outfit changes, scintillating dance numbers, and diverse setlists including rock, ballads and mariachi music.
The singer expressed her gratitude to the Mexican fans, stating that their support has been a source of strength and inspiration throughout her career.
Just about the only ebb was a torrential rain on Tuesday night that left 60,000 fans scrambling for cover and nearly derailed the party. But when Shakira finally took the stage at 10:20 p.m., the atmosphere was electric and concertgoers, braving the downpour, danced and sang along.
Later, Grupo Frontera hit the stage as Shakira donned a sombrero and danced to the norteño beat.
As for the economic impact, Shakira’s concerts in the nation’s capital are projected by the Mexico City chamber of commerce to generate 3.247 billion pesos (US $159 million), as cited in the online newspaper Infobae.
That figure — which includes ticket sales, revenue from hotel bookings, local commerce, and food and beverage consumption — surpasses the impact from Taylor Swift’s 2023 Eras Tour concerts in Mexico City, although that was only four concerts.
The USS Spruance leaves San Diego, on Saturday. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Claire M. Alfaro)
The U.S. government has deployed another warship to waters near Mexico as part of President Donald Trump’s call to secure its southern border.
The USS Spruance is the second Navy destroyer that served in the Red Sea to be ordered to support the U.S. Northern Command’s mission.
Spruance departed U.S. Naval Base San Diego on Saturday, just days after the USS Gravely deployed to the Gulf of Mexico as part of the U.S. military’s response to Trump’s executive order declaring a national emergency at the border.
Gen. Gregory Guillot, the commander of U.S. Northern Command, said the deployment will focus on combating maritime-related terrorism, weapons proliferation, transnational crime, piracy, environmental destruction and illegal seaborne immigration.
“With Spruance off the West Coast and USS Gravely in the Gulf of America, our maritime presence contributes to the all-domain, coordinated DOD response to the Presidential Executive Order and demonstrates our resolve to achieve operational control of the border,” he said.
Spruance will patrol in U.S. and international waters near the Mexico-U.S. border from its homeport of Naval Station San Diego. Just like Gravely which is based at Mayport, Florida, Spruance will also include a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment (LEDET) to assist with maritime interdiction missions.
The USS Spruance prepares to leave port in San Diego. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Claire M. Alfaro)
The deployment of two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers represents “an unprecedented concentration of naval assets for border security operations,” Newsweek reported.
The Arleigh Burke-class are U.S. warships known as multi-mission surface combatants, capable of engaging targets on, above and below the surface. They can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups and replenishment groups.
Spruance returned to its homeport just before Christmas after serving five months with the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, during which time it operated in the Red Sea.
Gravely also operated in the Red Sea last year. Both warships were deployed to counter attacks by Houthi rebels based in Yemen on both commercial shipping and U.S. warships operating in the region.
The maritime-based strategy is in response to the expectation that criminal organizations adapt to heightened border security measures on land. Detecting and interdicting illicit drug traffickers on the high seas involves significant inter-agency and international coordination, the U.S. Coast Guard says.
The idea is to make sure that maritime routes are not seen as more attractive alternatives for smugglers who are increasingly utilizing sophisticated vessels, including remote-operated submersibles, to smuggle drugs into the U.S.
Previous joint operations involving the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard have yielded significant results, Newsweek reported. Last year, the collaboration efforts prevented nearly 15 tons of cocaine from entering the U.S.
Our round up of local news takes a look at some of the major stories in Baja California Sur this month. (Grand Solmar)
Baja California Sur (BCS), one of the last two territories admitted as a state in 1974, has seen extraordinary growth over the past decade, with its population surging by over 25% between 2010 and 2022. Much of this growth has been due to the boom in Los Cabos. This new MND Local news feature will look at newsworthy items related to population growth and tourism — which contributes a staggering 40% to the BCS economy — not only in Los Cabos but in La Paz, Loreto and other areas of the state.
Los Cabos is trying to solve its traffic problems
Traffic at the Fonatur Glorieta in San José del Cabo is usually far worse than this, which is why a new overpass will be built, with work starting in 2025. (Ayuntamiento de Los Cabos)
One of the most noticeable side effects of Los Cabos’ remarkable growth — the population has grown from 40,000 to 350,000 since 1990 — is its consistently congested traffic. This shouldn’t be surprising, considering streets were laid out when the municipality had far fewer residents than it does now.
Local officials are working to address the issue, and some traffic-alleviating measures are in the pipeline. One of these, an overpass at the FONATUR Glorieta in San José del Cabo, has been greenlit by the Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation Ministry (SICT) , with work on it set to last 10 to 12 months once construction begins in May or June of this year.
This roundabout, notably, sees more traffic than any other intersection in Los Cabos, with an estimated 60,000 vehicles daily. An overpass should help in the long run, although it’s unknown what up to a year of work will do to traffic in the interim or what alternate routes will be used during construction.
An overpass isn’t the only solution to traffic woes that could be in the offing. A new roundabout has been proposed at the Salomón de la Cruz intersection in the El Tezal neighborhood, just outside Cabo San Lucas, which is experiencing high traffic, particularly during rush hour. However, more studies are planned before this project moves forward.
Whale shark tours suspended in La Paz
Swimming with whale sharks tours have been suspended in La Paz, Baja California Sur’s capital city, due to low numbers of the species. (NOAA/Unsplash)
Swimming with whale sharks tours have been suspended in La Paz, which, along with the Yucatán Peninsula, is one of only two areas in Mexico where such interactions with these enormous fish is possible.
The activity was suspended on Jan. 27 due to the presence of too few whale sharks, less than a dozen, in the refuge area off the tip of the El Mogote peninsula, where they migrate each year to feed and breed. Considering there were 44 reported whale sharks in the area only a month before the closure, authorities are mystified by the low numbers and suspect it may be related to changing ecosystem dynamics or migratory patterns. Whale shark season in La Paz typically runs from October to May.
The suspension, which has continued into March, has obvious tourism impacts, but the whale sharks’ health and continued well-being within their habitat are being prioritized. Although there are between 130,000 and 200,000 whale sharks worldwide, their numbers have been declining and the species is considered endangered, per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
This is not the first time the swimming with whale shark tours have been shuttered in La Paz, as a similar moratorium was declared as recently as February 2023.
Loreto deeply in debt
The municipality of Loreto is deeply in debt and seeking repayment solutions. (Ronival)
Considering the booming economy in much of BCS, it’s rather startling to find out the municipality of Loreto is 180 million pesos in debt, as was recently reported by Tribuna de México. The Loreto city council and Oomsapas, the municipal agency in charge of the water supply, are responsible for the arrears. The municipality’s debt has been rising in recent years, reaching as high as 358 million pesos (US $17.6 million) in 2024, and Mayor of Loreto Paz del Alma Ochoa Amador has been working with state and federal authorities to try to find solutions to pay off the debt while still honoring its obligations to workers.
Loreto, of course, was the first capital of the Spanish province of Las Californias. Along with Los Cabos, it was identified by Fonatur, Mexico’s tourism development agency, as one of the nation’s “Integrally Planned Tourist Centers” (CIPs) back in 1976.
But despite its long history and amazing attractions — from blue whale season to its offshore islands, TPC Danzante Bay golf course and historic nearby cave paintings — it has never generated tourism development near the level of Los Cabos. The latter now receives about four million visitors annually, whereas Loreto has never welcomed more than 200,000, drawing 185,711 visitors in 2023 per state government figures. However, there is no reported indication that tourism numbers have anything to do with the municipality’s problematic finances.
An unusual whale watching season across BCS
Climate change may be affecting the gray whales who come to BCS to calve. (George Wolf/Unsplash)
Whale watching is big business in Baja California Sur, and it’s in the interests of everyone in the regional tourism industry that whale populations remain healthy. It is encouraging, then, that gray whales, important seasonal visitors to many locales in BCS have rebounded, with their numbers growing significantly in recent years. This fact has translated into some stunning sights, including the spotting of 50 gray whales enjoying themselves in Cabo Pulmo in February of this year.
However, there are some concerning numbers, too: not necessarily the 40 whale deaths this season in BCS, since this is considered normal relative to their population and the numbers logged in previous years. What’s at the very least unusual is the number of young adult whales that are dying and the low calving rates being noted.
The reason for both likely has to do with climate change. Gray whales typically feed in the Arctic before heading to BCS during wintertime to breed. Malnutrition due to ecosystem changes and prey availability during their feeding in Arctic or Sub-Arctic latitudes led to an upsurge in “unusual mortality events” reported between 2019 and 2023. Despite better overall population numbers, this issue appears to be persisting.
“Skinny whales are seen, not like other years, but there is still not enough food in the areas where they eat and that could affect their fertility,” points out Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS) researcher Jorge Urbán Ramírez, per Sudcaliforniano.
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.
As I stood in line at a local Guanajuato supermarket, watching a boy about the age of 8 buying a three-liter bottle of Coke, I remembered the opening scene in the 2012 documentary, “Globesity” a film exploring the explosion of global obesity and how it is specifically affecting Mexico, Brazil, India and China. The scene depicts a Mother’s Day celebration at an elementary school in Chiapas, where moms, teachers and kids are chatting in the schoolyard, drinking not bottled water but Coke. According to the film, one reason for the prevalence of Coke in Chiapas is that in some communities Coca-Cola strategically priced its drinks slightly less than bottled water. It’s perhaps no wonder that obesity in Mexico is something of an national crisis.
Residents of Chiapas drink more Coke than anywhere in the world, in a country that is fourth in the world in the consumption of soft drinks. Residents of San Cristóbal de las Casas drink more than two liters, or half a gallon, of soda a day on average. This consumption has been tied to the water crisis in the state, where just 7 percent of households believe their water is safe to drink, according to a 2023 Inegi survey. 80 of the state’s 124 municipalities lack adequate access to potable water, with Indigenous communities worst affected. The problem is exacerbated by corporate water consumption, a situation which has often been described as Coca-Cola selling Chiapanecans’ own water back to them as soft drinks. Not surprisingly, the mortality rate from diabetes in Chiapas increased 30 percent between 2013 and 2016, and the disease is now the second-leading cause of death in the state after heart disease.
In Chiapas, sugary drinks can be easier to find than bottled water, something which has had a devastating effect on community health. (Marcos Arana)
While Chiapas is the biggest consumer of Coke, overweight is a health issue across the country. According todata from the National Health and Nutrition Surveys in 2021, over 37% of Mexican school age children were overweight or obese.
Diet culture and obesity in Mexico
The phrase “diet culture” refers to a system of beliefs and expectations that values thinness, creates an obsession around food and exercise and stigmatizes overweight. In the United States, diet culture often leads to anxiety and shame. I know this intimately, because my mother put me on the first of many diets when I was 11. Although I wasn’t heavy, she was anxious that I might gain weight, because she had been taunted as a teenager for being plump. While my mother’s obsession was extreme, today it’s just one of many examples of the bizarre diet culture that is completely normalized in the U.S.
Although obesity is a serious problem in Mexico, the diet culture is much less prominent than in the U.S. On the list of the world’s top ten most diet-obsessed countries, Mexico, unlike the U.S. (#1) and Canada (#7), is conspicuously absent. According to my Spanish teachers, anxiety about being overweight exists in Mexico and has increased since the advent of social media. Nonetheless, Diet Cokes and Pepsis aren’t crammed on supermarket shelves; the media isn’t filled with one diet after another; and moms haven’t let go of the age-old custom of taking their kids to a “tiendita” after school to buy a treat.
Nearly all Mexican schools are currently allowing sugary drinks on their school grounds. (Isabel Mateos/Cuartoscuro)
Does Mexico’s more relaxed attitude help bring about weight loss?
Whileresearch shows that fat-shaming doesn’t help a person lose weight — in fact, quite the opposite — a relaxed, compassionate approach to a person’s obesity isn’t a complete solution, either. It turns out parents can be too relaxed. A2016 study, for example, showed that while Mexican mothers correctly perceived their overweight children to be overweight, they weren’t concerned about it because they viewed it as something temporary that the child would outgrow. By and large, this is not true: Onestudy found that 70% of kids who were overweight at age seven remained overweight as adults.
A 2015 study of 1380 low-income households in Mexico City found that childhood overweight was seen as a normal, even desirable condition: overweight children were seen as “taller, stronger, more of a leader, healthier and smarter than normal and thin children.” The study’s authors noted that mothers and grandmothers tended to define nutrition practices and that grandparents were strongly influenced by memories of a time when overweight children had better chances of surviving malnutrition and disease.
Government action
The Mexican government has now introduced warning labels on unhealthy foods, as a measure to inform the public about their nutrition. (Archive)
Since 2014, the Mexican government has taken steps to address the overweight and obesity epidemic. That year, it launched campaigns to combat the obesity epidemic, including taxes on sodas and high-calorie snacks, successfully reducing sales of sugar-sweetened beverages.
In 2020, three state legislatures in Mexico passed laws banning the sale of sugary drinks and high-calorie packaged foods to minors. Oaxaca was the first, followed by Tabasco and Colima. That year, the government enacted a law requiring manufacturers to mark the packaging of foods high in saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, sodium or calories with informational labels.
And as of April, schools in Mexico will no longer be allowed to sell any snack that has a warning label showing it has high amounts of salt, sugar or fat. Those that don’t follow these rules will be subject to fines.
These are a good start, but the complexity of the problem remains enormous. For example, the law prohibiting schools from selling “comida chattara” (junk food) does not apply to vendors outside the school grounds. A recent report by the Education Ministry (SEP) found that 77% of schools had such junk food stands nearby.
I view the Mexican child obesity crisis with a mixture of anger, cautious optimism and compassion: anger at the self-serving greed of multinational corporations, optimism that the Mexican government is taking the initiative to address the issue and compassion for the challenges and complexity that Mexican parents face when they try to feed their children well.
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 can be found on her website.
