The payments will go to suppliers, including small businesses along the Gulf Coast and in Chiapas.(Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
State oil company Pemex plans to settle a debt with suppliers totaling up to US $6.4 billion between March and April, according to Rocío Abreu, the head of the Chamber of Deputies’ Energy Commission.
Abreu told the newspaper El Economista that the figure represents about a quarter of its total debt to suppliers.
“This month, we will disburse US $3 billion followed by $3.4 billion next month,” Abreu said in an interview with El Economista during the commemoration of the 87th anniversary of the state oil company’s expropriation at the Pemex Tower in Mexico City.
“We’re working with Petróleo Mexicanos, but also with the Finance Ministry, to ensure this benefits small, medium-sized, and large businesses,” she said.
As for the origin of the funds, Abreu explained that while part of the funding comes from Pemex, the federal government will also contribute. Additionally, a bank factoring plan allows those with outstanding debts to convert their invoices into collectible assets backed by Pemex’s promise of payment.
Pemex local suppliers in Ciudad Carmen, Campeche, last year protested the lack of payment by the state oil company — a recurring problem in past years. (Petroleros al Aire)
At the end of last year, Pemex’s debt to suppliers exceeded US $25 billion, reaching historic highs with a 26% annual increase.
According to El Economista, Pemex’s supplier debt increased after President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in October of last year. The new administration temporarily paused several payments to review their origins and negotiate agreements with the Finance Ministry to avoid placing an overwhelming short-term financial burden on Pemex.
In an interview with Radiofórmula, Rafael Espino de la Peña, president of the Mexican Association of Petroleum Service Companies (Amespac) — which includes multinational companies such as Baker Hughes, Emerson, Halliburton, and Grupo México — said that Abreu’s statement is encouraging.
“Any payment is welcomed. It is always encouraging to hear that a payment will be made, but we’re waiting for it to actually happen,” he said.
Espino noted that Pemex made no payments in the last three months of the previous administration — which ended in September 2024 — and that the situation remains unchanged since Sheinbaum took office, as unnecessary reviews of payment delays occurred despite each project having a budget allocation for contracting.
According to Espino, SMEs have shut down due to insufficient financial resources as they awaited payment. He also noted that the recent drop in Pemex’s liquid hydrocarbon production is linked to a reduced supply of goods and services caused by the company’s failure to make payments.
“[Lack of payment] seriously compromises production,” Espino highlighted “Production has been declining because [capital expenditures] were reduced.”
Mexico and Canada last met in September, a dynamic face-off that resulted in a draw. (FMF)
Mexico’s national soccer team squares off against Canada Thursday night for the Concacaf Nations League (CNL) semifinals, a match of considerable significance for coach Javier Aguirre and his squad.
El Tri tangles with the Reds at SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles with a trip to the CNL championship game on the line. The victor advances to Sunday’s final to face the winner of the Panama-USA semifinal contest, which will be played earlier Thursday afternoon.
The teams will face off Thursday night at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. (Concacaf)
Mexico has reached two of the three previous CNL finals, losing both times to team USA. Canada has one CNL final on its résumé, also losing to the U.S.
Aguirre — in his third stint as El Tri boss — would like nothing more than to come home with the hardware since this might be the only time he has a top-choice roster at his disposal until the 2026 World Cup.
This summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup coincides with the FIFA Club World Cup, and participating Liga MX sides Monterrey, León and Pachuca are permitted to add six reinforcements each. It is not inconceivable that national team players would be popular targets.
As such, though a loss to Canada would not be the death knell for Aguirre, it could cause palpitations at Soccer Federation headquarters. Executives there are desperate for positive results ahead of a World Cup which Mexico will co-host.
Extended Highlights: Mexico 2-1 Canada - Gold Cup 2021
Historical dominance on the wane?
Mexico has won 21 of 36 matches against Canada, losing just five times, and El Tri has not lost a knock-out game to Les Rouges in 25 years. In those 36 games, Mexico has outscored Canada 75-24.
In fact, Mexico is on a three-game winless skid against Canada, including a stunning 2-1 loss to the Reds in a November 2021 qualifier.
In the last meeting between these North American rivals on Sept. 10, 2024, Canada battled El Tri to a scoreless draw in an entertaining, though chippy contest, that each team believed it should have won.
And last year, Canada’s coach, the American Jesse Marsch, guided the Reds to a surprise fourth-place finish in the 2024 Copa America, the best finisher among Concacaf clubs.
Game notes
Thursday’s match marks the first time Mexico and Canada meet in the CNL Final Four, but it will be their seventh clash in Concacaf tournaments. El Tri won five of the previous six.
Mexico might be seen to have a slight advantage with regard to fitness Thursday night.
Of Aguirre’s 23-man squad, 10 players are based in Europe with 13 performing for LigaMX sides. On the other side of the pitch, 15 of Jesse Marsch’s players ply their trade in Europe while the remaining eight play in MLS, which just kicked off its season.
Head coach Javier Aguirre returned last year for his third go at leading the Mexican men’s soccer team. (Fernando Carranza García/Cuartoscuro)
European leagues are heading down the stretch run of their seasons and Liga MX clubs have already played 12 games, but each MLS side has played just four matches. As such, the eight Canadians playing in MLS might not be in ideal game-shape just yet.
Still, Canada boasts two stars with UEFA Champions League experience this season. Striker Jonathan David (Lille) and speedy wingback Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) are difference-makers.
Other key contributors are midfield general Stephen Eustaquio (Porto) and Cyle Larin (Mallorca). Eustaquio played briefly with Mexico’s Cruz Azul.
Mexico will rely on polished goalkeeping from Luis Malagón (América) and defensive leadership from midfielder Edson Álvarez (West Ham) and center-back Johan Vásquez (Genoa).
Veteran striker Raúl Jiménez (Fulham) will likely be called upon to lead the attack with wingers César Huerta (Anderlecht), Alexis Vega (Toluca) and Roberto Alvarado (Chivas) tasked with generating offense.
Pedro Ramírez Vázquez had an unparalleled career, with his most famous buildings, such as the National Anthropology Museum, defining the Mexico of today. (Architectuul)
What do the logo of the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games, the National Museum of Anthropology and History and the Azteca Stadium have in common? They were all (at least partly) designed by Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, the man responsible for modernizing Mexico.
Originally from Mexico City, Vázquez designed many of Mexico’s most iconic Modernist monuments during the 1960s and 1970s. His influence in modern Mexico went beyond his role as an architect — he also served as an urban planner and government official, playing a significant part in the country’s transition toward modernity.
Pedro Ramírez Vasquéz, the man behind many of Mexico’s most defining megaprojects. (INAH)
“To think of him as somebody who designed buildings is not to take account of all the roles he played,” Luis Castañeda, a professor of art history at Syracuse University, told the New York Times in a 2012 interview. “He wasn’t the one constructing the models or sketching the drawings; he was the one securing the commission from the president.”
Who was Pedro Ramírez Vázquez?
Ramírez was born on April 16, 1919, in the dying months of the Mexican Revolution. After graduating from architecture at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in 1943, he became a professor of urban design and planning at the Faculty of Architecture.
When Ramírez’s mentor, the politician and intellectual Jaime Torres Bodet became Minister of Education, Ramírez was selected to help develop a low-cost, prefabricated prototype for classrooms and teacher housing. This prototype was used for decades at thousands of rural school sites.
A young Pedro Ramírez Vázquez (left) and Jaime Torres Bodet (right). (Pedro Ramírez Vázquez )
He then held various teaching and public service positions throughout Mexico and was the founder and first rector of the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM). Ramírez also served as Minister of Human Settlements and Public Works from 1976 to 1982 during the government of José López Portillo.
What did Pedro Ramírez Vázquez design?
In 1962, Ramírez completed his masterpiece: the National Museum of Anthropology and History, commissioned by President Adolfo López Mateos. The museum is renowned for its large water feature in the center of its esplanade, a suspended concrete cover, and the lattices that control shades of light into the interior facades of the rooms.
Mexico City’s Anthropology Museum was Ramírez’s magnum opus, and is one of the country’s most recognizable monuments to modernism. (Evan Wise/Unsplash)
Over six decades, Ramírez built other notable landmarks like the Legislative Palace of San Lázaro, the Basilica of Guadalupe — Mexico’s largest pilgrimage site — and the national headquarters of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (which ruled Mexico from 1929 through 2000), and the Museum of the Templo Mayor, among others in Mexico City.
He also designed the logo for Televisa, Mexico’s largest telecommunications corporation.
Outside of Mexico, he designed the International Olympic Committee Headquarters building in Lausanne, Switzerland, Mexican pavilions at several World’s Fairs, the Nubian Museum in Egypt and the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe inside St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City, among others.
His most personal project would be his own house and studio, built in 1958 in the affluent Mexico City neighborhood of El Pedregal. Located south of Mexico City, the neighborhood sits over a solidified lava field and was developed by renowned architect Luis Barragán. It remains one of the capital’s most desirable areas to this day.
Ramírez’s home in El Pedregal. (World of Interiors)
With simple geometric buildings featuring flat roofs and natural materials, El Pedregal seemed like a natural place for Ramírez to build his residence. On one side of the property he built his studio, currently filled with books, pre-Columbian figures, and a yarn painting of his 1968 Olympic logo. On the other side he built his house, where he died on his 94th birthday, on April 16, 2013.
His participation as the head of Mexico’s Olympic Committee
Ramírez led the creation of the largest and most effective graphic and advertising campaign ever developed in Mexico during his time as head of the organizing committee of the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.
“We had to show that we had a graphic language of contemporary communication and Mexican cultural expression,” he said in an interview with Código Magazine in 2008. “We knew that language was not enough. We had to show [Mexico’s image as a modern country] with facts.”
However, despite the enormous success of the design campaign, Ramirez’s image was marred after he defended Mexico’s government over the events of the Tlatelolco student massacre of 1968, which he claimed had been exaggerated by the press.
Reagardless of scandal in his nature country though, Ramírez continued to receive various major accolades, such as the National Art Prize in Mexico (1973) and the Olimpiat Prize, awarded by the International Olympic Committee in Atlanta (1996), and the Life and Work Award by Obras Cemex (2003).
He was also named Doctor Honoris Causa by several universities including the UNAM.
Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.
One beachside convenience store has captured Mexican hearts. Of course it's an Oxxo. (Perfíl Veracruz/Instagram)
If you’ve ever stepped foot in Mexico, you’ve likely encountered one of the country’s most surprisingly defining features: an Oxxo.
With more than 20,000 outlets across the country, they’re one of the few 24-hour convenience stores you can head to in a moment of need. The iconic corner shop — with its hard-to-miss red, yellow and white facade — is seemingly infinite, with locations along the busiest urban streets to every stillwater pueblo. Often, you might walk past an Oxxo just to be greeted by the next, only a few intersections away. And if you’ve lived in Mexico long enough, you’ve probably frequented your neighborhood Oxxo — a one-stop shop for water, snacks, toiletries and monthly phone charges. I am an unabashed racker-up of Oxxo points.
No convenience store (or maybe any store at all) is more ubiqutous for Mexicans than the Oxxo. (Wikimedia Commons)
And yet, despite their sheer ubiquity and de facto symbolism of national identity, they’re not all exactly alike. In fact, there’s specifically no Oxxo like the one located in Boca del Rio, Veracruz. That’s because the increasingly popular location is a one-of-one singularity with an array of funky offerings and unbeatable real estate that has already captured the attention of Mexican customers, social media influencers and regional outlets.
The main draw? It’s located at the land’s end, on the edge of Mexico’s eastern shore, with a natural vista point of the Gulf of Mexico’s extensive horizon and its flanking Malecón that leads to the famous port of Veracruz. It’s practically on Playa Boca Del Rio, a popular beach just south of the city of Veracruz and around the corner from a pirate museum. For Jarochos — the people of Veracruz, known for their seafood and diving skills — it’s fitting, if not essential, to have an Oxxo on the beach. And it draws both out-of-town visitors and regular patrons from the community alike.
It’s one thing to step foot inside a traditional, nondescript Oxxo in Mexico City or Guadalajara, but the Boca del Río Oxxo is making rounds on local news and among Mexicans, who seem to appreciate its coastal quirks. Apart from the killer view with a calming sea breeze — there are benches placed outside of the shop with a panorama of the water — this Oxxo apparently offers Zumba classes. As if that’s not enough, fresh elotes are regularly sold in the outside lot.
The magic doesn’t end there. This past February, for Valentine’s Day, this specific location transformed into an Instagram-friendly lover’s lane, playing on the “XOXO” factor of their name and adorning their storefront with giant neon hearts, a heart-shaped sunglasses-wearing Cupid and an entirely pink and red paint job. The seasonal effort drew even more visitors and further cemented the Boca del Río outlet’s reputation as the best, if not most outlandish Oxxo in all of Mexico. Though the decorations have gone down, plenty of videos have circulated of them.
Once heralded as a tourist destination, the port of Veracruz’s allure has declined in recent decades much in the way Acapulco’s glory days are behind it as a party-going Mexican beach town for socialites. But Veracruz still retains a handful of gems,lechero-loving coffee culture notwithstanding.
I recently visited the city with my mom, who grew up in the state capital of Xalapa, about 90 minutes from the famous port. It was a drenchingly hot afternoon, the kind of heat where you have no choice but to take your shirt off, and as we were making our tourist rounds, strolling the beach, I suddenly came face to face with the quirky shop.
At the time, I hadn’t known that it was a cult favorite for locals, but you can imagine how heaven-sent it feels on a day like that to be blessed with a shop where you can pick up a cold beverage without leaving the beach. It’s the kind of thing that feels like a mirage. Afterwards, I kept wondering to myself if it actually existed; if that Oxxo was real or a dream. Trust me, when you walk in heat like that for kilometers, you’ll start to question lots of things. It wasn’t until I recently saw it popping up all over Mexican social media accounts that I remembered how cool (and uncommon) that vibrant little beach hut Oxxo is.
It’s not much, but here in Veracruz, any spot with air conditioning and beverages is welcome in unexpected moments.
Alan Chazaro is the author of “This Is Not a Frank Ocean Cover Album,” “Piñata Theory” and “Notes From the Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge” (Ghost City Press, 2021). He is a graduate of June Jordan’s Poetry for the People program at UC Berkeley and a former Lawrence Ferlinghetti Fellow at the University of San Francisco. His writing can be found in GQ, NPR, The Guardian, L.A. Times and more. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, he is currently based in Veracruz.
A comparsa at the 2018 Mesoamerican Congress of Living Community Cultures, who support Caravana Quetzalcoátl. (IberCultura Viva)
A colorful wave of music, theater, dance and creative expression is about to sweep across Mexico as the Caravana Quetzalcóatl winds its way through cities, towns and Indigenous communities this spring. This isn’t just any cultural festival — it’s a vibrant, continent-spanning movement that transforms public spaces into stages, streets into galleries and neighborhoods into cultural laboratories.
From March 9 to April 10, the Caravana Quetzalcóatl will bring a kaleidoscope of artistic expressions to communities throughout Costa Rica and Mexico, culminating in a grand convergence in Mexico City. This cultural odyssey represents the blossoming of a living culture movement that first gained official recognition in Brazil in 2004, when musician-turned-culture-minister Gilberto Gil and his team pioneered the groundbreaking Puntos de Cultura program.
The caravan is travelling from Costa Rica to Mexico City, via a number of different destinations. (Victor Ibarra)
The roots of the Living Community Cultures movement
“What Celio Turino did was create a framework for cultural practices already bubbling up in neighborhoods,” explained Luisa Velasquez, who coordinates cultural programs in Guadalajara. “Rather than impose culture from above, they recognized and amplified the incredible creativity already thriving in communities.”
This revolutionary approach caught fire across Latin America, sparking a movement that celebrates collaboration over competition and champions culture as a fundamental right that belongs to everyone— not just those who can afford tickets to elite venues. And now, that movement has gone on the road.
Named after the feathered serpent deity that has inspired Mesoamerican cultures for millennia, the Caravana Quetzalcóatl embodies transformation and connection. Like its mythological namesake, it bridges worlds, connecting rural with urban, traditional with contemporary and grassroots initiatives with institutional spaces.
A caravan to the capital
“The caravan emerges as a response from many people and collectives,” said Paulina Ibarraran of Chiquihuite Cultural in Mexico City. “With this journey, we seek to reclaim open participation and the right to democratic co-creation, ensuring that no voice is silenced.”
(Caravana Queztalcoatl)
In addition to the festivities, Mexico City will host an international seminar titled “A Latin American School of Cultural Policies. ” The seminar will bring together academics, government representatives, and community leaders, many of them active in the Living Community Culture movement, to reimagine cultural policies that truly serve community needs.
Mexico City will serve as the grand finale where all paths converge. “What makes the Mexico City route significant is that we’ll receive all the caravans,” Ibarraran explained. “The South route, the North, those coming from Guadalajara and the Costa Rica route, plus those attending the seminar— we expect approximately 300 to 400 people arriving in Mexico City.”
Across Mexico, the caravan comprises four dynamic routes, each with its own distinctive flavor. The South route winds through the lush landscapes of Chiapas and Puebla, while the Northern route pulses with urban rhythms and border dialogues. The Western route transforms Guadalajara and the Riviera Chapala into a kaleidoscope of over 150 cultural activities, and the route to Mexico City culminates in a grand convergence of artistic energy from across the continent.
Building communities through culture
Beyond the performances and festivities, the caravan addresses real community challenges through creative action. In neighborhoods like Cuauhtepec — a historically overlooked area in northern Mexico City — cultural initiatives have become powerful tools for reclaiming public spaces and building community resilience.
Cuauhtepec, in the far north of Mexico City, is not an area that is traditionally well supported. (Gobierno de la Ciudad de México)
“We’ve been using cultural activities to resist these dynamics,” said Ibarraran. “We’ve created community alternatives to the structural problems we face.”
Sirena Camacho García, the dynamic force behind the Cuauhtepec Book Fair (FLC), has spent 12 years transforming her community through cultural initiatives. “We’ve created a cultural event that doesn’t just promote reading, but makes visible all the cultural processes of the community,” she said with pride. “It’s a space where music schools, dance groups and local artists who are working on community processes can share their work while strengthening our community bonds.”
The caravan itself incorporates festive elements inspired by indigenous traditions, including “fogatas” — animated discussion circles where ideas flow as freely as conversation. “The fogatas are circles that come from an origin in Indigenous communities,” explained Ibarraran. “They’re talking circles — spaces where culture must circulate, must be a dialogue, allowing us to reflect on what we’re thinking or doing in terms of culture.”
When the caravan arrives in Mexico City from April 8 to 10, it will bring not just performances but a carnival atmosphere of cultural democratization. A colorful parade will wind through the Historic Center on April 8, starting at noon with a traditional ceremony before stilt-walkers, dancers, musicians and artists from across Latin America take to the streets in a joyful procession from Centro Cultural de España near the Metropolitan Cathedral to the Teatro del Pueblo.
For Camacho García, the excitement lies in connecting Cuauhtepec’s homegrown cultural initiatives with this continental movement: “Cuauhtepec has generated many grassroots community projects — cultural, environmental, music schools, dance schools — and people are busy making culture,” she explained. “It’s beautiful to be a part of it, to share with other people and territories these living cultures that emerge from our traditions.”
Events on the caravan’s routes through Mexico and Costa Rica. (Caravan Quetzalcoatl)
“In this geopolitical moment when everything seems to be ‘every person for themselves’ and social problems are treated as personal issues, community culture is one of the ways we can reconnect with each other,” Velasquez concluded. “Difficulties — economic, health-related and more — are easier to face collectively rather than alone.”
City guides for the caravan’s Mexican routes
Ruta Sur Kukulkán (March 21 – 31)
The adventure begins with a spring solstice ceremony in Zinacantán, Chiapas (March 21-22), where ancient traditions come alive amidst colorful textiles and marimba rhythms. The celebration continues with vibrant community theater at four independent cultural hotspots in San Cristóbal de las Casas (March 23-24), including Kinoki, Paliacate, la Catrina, and Casa de la Ciudad.
Next, the caravan brings its festive energy to the colonial splendor of Puebla City and Atlixco (March 26-29) with more theatrical performances. The southern journey culminates in the picturesque communities of Atlautla, Ozumba, and Tepetlixpa in the State of Mexico (March 30-31), featuring community theater and a ceremony against the backdrop of iconic volcanoes.
The Southern route begins in Zinacantán, Chiapas. (Adrían Guerrero)
Before joining the grand convergence, the southern route will make a special appearance in Mexico City (April 1-2), with a ceremony at the ancient ahuehuete tree in Chapultepec Park and lively performances at Plaza La Aguilita that will transform these historic spaces into stages of cultural renewal.
Ruta Norte (March 29 – April 7)
The journey kicks off in Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas with “Rapvolución 5.0” (March 29-31), where hip-hop beats and spray cans will transform walls into vibrant murals during this regional urban art gathering.
Reynosa (April 1-2) will host urban art workshops and a talk by Brazilian cultural visionary Celio Turino on “Migration and Community Living Culture.” The creative caravan then rolls into Monterrey, Nuevo León (April 3-4), where industrial landscapes become backdrops for another engaging talk by Turino and the interactive multimedia workshop “How Life Triumphs.”
The northern exploration continues in Ciudad Victoria (April 5-6) and concludes in the ecological paradise of Gómez Farías, Tamaulipas (April 7) with multimedia workshops and dynamic knowledge exchanges that bridge generations through music, graphics and digital storytelling.
This route specially addresses migration issues through artistic expression, making many events accessible across language barriers. The northern route particularly welcomes visitors who don’t speak Spanish fluently, as music, visual arts and multimedia presentations transcend linguistic boundaries in this celebration of border culture resilience.
Ruta Occidente – Guadalajara (April 3-7)
Guadalajara transforms into a spectacular carnival of creativity as it hosts the largest celebration of the caravan with over 150 activities during the 2nd Latin American Festival of Living Community Cultures (FLCVC).
The festivities burst to life on April 3 at 5 p.m. with a comparsa, or circus-style parade, from Plaza Tapatía to Los Dos Templos, featuring stilt walkers, giant puppets, musicians and performers in a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds. The cultural fiesta spreads across multiple venues including Casa Reforma, Coamil Federalismo, Centro Cultural Comunitario Kóokay and the Centro Cultural Calzada, and spills into neighborhoods like the Belisario Domínguez Market area, Santa Tere and Miravalle.
Brazilian cultural philosopher Celio Turino’s inspiring conference on culture and nature will feature the breathtaking Barranca de Huentitán as backdrop on Sunday, April 7. The four-day extravaganza features everything from theatrical performances and concerts to hands-on workshops, film screenings and the intimate “fogatas,” or discussion circles, that ignite conversation around memory, collaboration, celebration and identity. The festival even extends to the lakeside beauty of Chapala with events at Centro para la Cultura y las Artes de la Ribera in Ajijic, Parque La Cristianía in Chapala and the Plaza Principal of Jocotepec.
Ruta Ciudad de México (April 8-10)
Mexico City becomes the grand finale where all caravan routes converge. The cultural crescendo begins downtown on April 8 with a traditional ceremony at noon, followed by an exuberant parade that will snake through historic streets from the Centro Cultural de España to the Teatro del Pueblo, past the ancient ruins of the Templo Mayor.
On April 9, the festival shifts to the eastern district of Iztapalapa, where the innovative Utopía community center will buzz with performances and the nearby Miravalle community — a 40-year success story of neighborhood transformation — will showcase its cultural achievements.
The grand finale on April 10 lights up Cuauhtepec in northern Mexico City, starting with dynamic morning seminars at the Autonomous University of Mexico City (UACM) and culminating in an afternoon festival that will transform the main plaza into a vibrant showcase of local talent, from music schools and dance groups to community artists. Throughout the three days, the International Seminar will bring together brilliant minds including Eduardo Nivón, Néstor García Canclini and Celio Turino to reimagine cultural policies for the future. The celebration concludes with a participatory assembly where a collective manifesto will be crafted.
All events are completely free and easily accessible via public transportation, including the scenic Cablebús that serves Cuauhtepec with panoramic views of Mexico City. Just show up ready to be drawn into the action. Get the full, constantly updated program at the FLCVC website. For those with time to explore, see the Digital Universe on the caravan’s link page.
Tracy L. Barnett is a freelance writer based in Guadalajara. She is the founder of The Esperanza Project, a bilingual magazine covering social change movements in the Americas.
Besides discussing a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol confiscation of smuggled weapons in Texas, President Sheinbaum also brought in her Interior Minister to discuss preparations for Mexico's upcoming judicial elections. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
A weapons and ammunition seizure at the United States-Mexico border, Mexico’s upcoming judicial elections and the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup were among the issues discussed at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Wednesday morning press conference.
Here is a recap of the president’s March 19 mañanera.
President Sheinbaum even heard a question from one journalist asking if she’d devote part her of daily mananeras to updates on preparations for Mexico hosting the World Cup in 2026. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum celebrates seizure of weapons bound for Mexico
A reporter asked the president about the announcement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that it had seized 16 firearms, 26 magazines and 182 rounds of ammunition during an outbound examination of a vehicle at the Del Rio Port of Entry in Texas on Monday.
Sheinbaum described the CBP’s announcement of the firearms seizure in Texas as “very good.”
“… It means that they’re inspecting vehicles that come to Mexico from the United States. … So we see that the [bilateral security] coordination is in fact working,” she said.
“We’re continuing with the [Northern] Border Operation to prevent fentanyl, in particular, from reaching the United States and they’re helping us so that weapons don’t arrive in Mexico from the United States,” Sheinbaum said.
In a statement, the CBP said that three of the 16 weapons seized were “5.56mm AR-style rifles.”
Following Monday’s confiscation, Del Rio Port of Entry director Liliana Flores said “that frontline CBP officers take CBP’s border security mission seriously, and this large outbound weapons seizure reflects our firm commitment and resolve to uphold that mission.”
“Large weapons seizures like these, coupled with ongoing coordination between state and federal law enforcement partners exemplify our continued efforts to help keep our border communities safe and secure, on both sides of the river,” she said.
While the CBP said it seized “a significant cache of weapons, magazines, and ammunition” on Monday, there is plenty more work to be done in order to significantly reduce the number of firearms coming into Mexico from the United States. The Mexican government has estimated that at least 200,000 guns are smuggled into Mexico from the U.S. each year.
Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez shows a sample mockup of what the ballots will look like in the upcoming election of judges across Mexico, as per a constitutional reform passed in 2024. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
No security threats to upcoming judicial elections, says interior minister
A reporter asked Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez whether there were any security risks that could threaten the staging of Mexico’s first-ever judicial elections on June 1.
“No, not at all, but we’re continuing to review [the situation],” Rodríguez said.
“We see that in some places, sometimes the residents themselves don’t allow the installment [of voting centers] due to usos y costumbres,” she said, referring to an Indigenous governing code used in some parts of Mexico.
The interior minister also said that the National Electoral Institute — which is organizing the judicial elections — knows that it “can always count on the support of the [federal government’s] security cabinet.”
“… We will look at what is necessary, everything that is necessary” to guarantee that the judicial elections are not threatened by insecurity, Rodríguez said.
The highly controversial reform prompting the June 1 elections sparked weeks of protests from judicial workers, lawmakers and the general public in 2024. Opponents feared electing judges would breed corruption. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
“That’s the instruction we’ve received from the president,” she added.
There are concerns that organized crime groups could seek to influence the outcome of the judicial elections in order to install judges that are sympathetic to their interests and thus hand down favorable rulings and/or lenient sentences in cases involving their members.
It is that kind of corruption that the federal government says it is aiming to get rid of in the nation’s judiciary with the election of new judges, including Supreme Court justices.
A reporter asked the president whether she could dedicate part of a future mañanera to providing an update on the progress the Mexico City, Jalisco and Nuevo León governments have made in preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada.
“Yes,” responded Sheinbaum.
“We’re going to meet soon with [Mexico City Mayor] Clara [Brugada]; she’s very advanced on a lot of issues, and Rosa Icela [Rodríguez] has been reviewing all the 2026 World Cup issues,” Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum added that Nuevo León Governor Samuel García and Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus have also been “very involved” in the preparations for the World Cup, which will be held in June and July of 2026.
Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada welcomed FIFA official Jürgen Mainka in October. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara will host matches at the quadrennial tournament, the world’s most-watched sporting event.
Sheinbaum said that FIFA president Giovanni Infantino will soon come to Mexico to assess the country’s World Cup preparations himself.
“I don’t remember the date, but he’s going to come soon. We’re working [on the World Cup], and with pleasure we’ll present [the progress that has been made] so that everyone knows what to expect,” she said.
The new version of bloodless bullfighting has the backing of President Claudia Sheinbaum and Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada — as well as the nation's bulls. (Diego Simón Sánchez/Cuartoscuro)
Lawmakers in Mexico City altered the course of bullfighting history by voting overwhelmingly Tuesday to prohibit the killing of bulls and the use of swords or other sharp objects that could injure them.
The legislation, approved by a 61-1 vote, effectively transforms the spectacle into “violence-free bullfighting” or “bloodless bullfighting” — though the new law applies only in Mexico City, at the site of Plaza México, the world’s largest bullring.
Plaza México has been the nation’s premier bullfighting venue since 1946, but there will no longer be blood on the sand. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
“Today we take a step toward a new relationship with animals — one where coexistence is not based on domination but on respect,” Daniela Álvarez, president of the Committee on Constitutional Issues and Citizen Initiatives, told the newspaper El Universal. “This reform does not aim to erase history but rather to write a new chapter in which tradition and compassion walk hand in hand.”
“The spectacle of blood cannot be justified as art or tradition,” she said. “Culture evolves, and we have the responsibility to transform it in favor of animal welfare.”
No more violent bullfights, or variations in which bulls traditionally suffer injuries or death — such as rejoneos (bullfighting on horseback), novilladas (featuring novice bullfighters and younger bulls) and becerradas (training exercises).
Creating the concept of a “violence-free bullfighting spectacle.”
No killing of the bull inside or outside the bullring; the animals will be returned to their herd once the spectacle is over.
The protection of the bulls’ physical integrity, avoiding mistreatment before, during and after the event.
Eliminating the use of sharp objects such as banderillas, swords and lances, allowing only the use of the cape and the muleta (the smaller red cloth used toward the end).
Putting padding on the bull’s horns to avoid harm to people or other animals.
Limiting each bullfight to either 15 minutes, according to several sources, or to 30 minutes, according to the newspaper El País.
Opponents of violent bullfighting made their case to members of Mexico City’s Congress on Tuesday. Since 2009, more than 20 initiatives have been introduced seeking to ban bullfighting in the city. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
Tuesday’s vote appeared to be an attempt to broker a compromise between two warring sides of the debate. Since 2009, more than 20 initiatives have been introduced seeking to ban bullfighting in Mexico City.
Plaza México, also known as Monumental Plaza de Toros, has been hosting bullfights since 1946 and is the only functional venue for the sport in Mexico City. It has a capacity of 41,200 but has at times accommodated over 50,000 spectators.
The new legislation, which arose from a citizen initiative presented in September 2024, sparked angry protests from bullfighting supporters and matadors, some of whom tried to breach a police barricade outside the government building. One person carried a sign that said “Being a fan of bullfighting is not a crime. It’s a point of pride.”
Long considered a tradition and a pastime in Latin America and on the Iberian Peninsula, bullfighting has come under criticism for animal cruelty because bulls are usually killed at the end of the fight. Animal rights groups say that approximately 180,000 bulls are killed every year in bullfighting worldwide.
“It’s an activity where the fighting bull dies in a bullring. That’s its nature … It is a beast,” one bullfighting fan yelled into a megaphone outside city hall.
Opponents of the legislation bemoan the loss of a long tradition, as well as what they claim to be tens of thousands of jobs in jeopardy. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
Arturo Saldívar, a professional bullfighter who was also protesting, expressed concern about the future of his profession and the survival of the fighting bull breed.
Estimates from the Mexican Association of Bullfighting Entrepreneurs indicate that 40,000 direct jobs and 80,000 indirect jobs are at risk because of the changeover.
Moreover, the decision will hurt local businesses and tourism. Restaurants and hotels near the Plaza de Toros have traditionally seen sales increase by up to 60% during bullfighting season, according to the newspaper Expansión.
“Violence-free bullfighting” is also practiced in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Tanzania, parts of Bolivia and in California at traditional Portuguese festivals. However, most of those practices are not legally recognized or as formally structured as the new regulations in Mexico City.
Activists are now turning their attention to getting similar laws passed in other Mexican states or cities. According to Humane World for Animals, previously known as the Humane Society, bullfighting is banned in Sonora, Guerrero, Sinaloa, Coahuila and Quintana Roo, but it remains legal in every other state and has been granted status as “an intangible part of cultural heritage” in at least eight states.
Mexico City and the surrounding area remained under a Phase 1 environmental contingency warning Wednesday because of high air pollution levels. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico City’s government disseminated an environmental contingency warning for the third day in a row on Wednesday due to a high level of air pollution in the city and surrounding areas.
Air quality is measured on a scale of 0 to 500, with 0 being perfect. On a typical day in Mexico City, the air quality index (AQI) hovers around 100, mainly due to pollutants from vehicle emissions.
— Secretaría del Medio Ambiente (@SEDEMA_CDMX) March 18, 2025
Mexico City’s government published this guide to driving restrictions for Wednesday, March 19, 2025 on the social media platform X on Tuesday.
The Metropolitan Environmental Commission (CAME) reported that on Tuesday, a maximum ozone concentration of 155 parts per billion (ppb) was recorded at 3 p.m. at the Gustavo A. Madero station, which rose to 167 ppb by 4 p.m.
CAME enacted Phase I of the Ozone Environmental Contingency, an initiative aimed at mitigating health risks by reducing the population’s exposure to polluted air, as well as reducing emissions to improve air quality.
The Mexico City Atmospheric Monitoring System indicated that a high-pressure system would continue to affect Mexico’s central region Wednesday. Poor ventilation, high solar radiation and temperatures of up to 28 degrees Celsius will all contribute to the poor air quality.
This is the capital’s third environmental contingency of the year so far. From January to August 2023, the city only registered 55 days of fresh air, meaning air quality was poor 77% of the time.
Restrictions in Mexico City
Metropolitan authorities have encouraged people to stay informed about the air quality levels and heed health recommendations, including avoiding exposure to pollution peaks between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., especially for infants, older adults, pregnant women and those with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
People are advised to avoid outdoor exercise between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., avoid smoking, work remotely where possible, shop online rather than in-store and avoid the use of air fresheners, aerosols, paints, waterproofing products or products containing solvents.
Traffic restrictions have also been imposed to help reduce emissions. Between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m., private vehicles with verification hologram 2, with hologram 1 and whose last digit is 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, or 9, and cars with holograms 0 and 00 with a red sticker, and license plates ending in 3 and 4, must be suspended from circulation between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Restrictions on industrial operations also apply. Certain manufacturing industries must reduce emissions by 40% and suspend maintenance, cleaning and other activities that generate pollutants.
Monitoring Mexico City’s air quality
To get an accurate reading of the air quality in your colonia, visit aire.cdmx.gob.mx, which also offers more information on pollutants by neighborhood.
Mexico exported three million tonnes of steel in 2024, with 2.3 million tonnes going to the U.S. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
The cost of housing construction in Mexico could increase by 3 to 4% this year following the introduction of 25% U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, the Mexican Chamber of the Construction Industry (CMIC) announced on Tuesday.
On March 11, the United States imposed 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, of which Mexico is a top supplier along with Canada and Brazil. U.S. President Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on other Mexican goods starting April 2, which could further contribute to this cost increase.
An increase of 3 to 4% in housing construction costs could seriously impact many Mexicans’ purchasing power. (Andrea Murcía/Cuartoscuro)
The president of the National Chamber of the Housing Development and Promotion Industry (Canadevi) Carlos Eduardo Ramírez Capó said that tariffs have not yet slowed investment in housing projects, although developers are taking greater caution.
“The damage will be directly proportional to the duration of the tariffs if it is imposed. If we have an escalation, if we don’t reach an agreement, and they remain in place for six months or a year, there will be an impact,” Ramírez said in an interview with the newspaper El Economista.
Meanwhile, the CEO of the Mexican Real Estate Bank (BIM) Rodrigo Padilla Quiroz said that no projects have been cancelled so far, though developers are proceeding with caution.
Padilla stressed that it’s not only the rising materials costs that Mexico should be concerned about but also the impact of the United States’ trade policy on employment in the construction sector.
“The biggest concern is a slowdown in [domestic] employment. The greatest impact [of the tariffs] is on families because it postpones their ability to generate property wealth. Without a doubt, the most serious issue is that it will affect Mexicans’ purchasing power,” Padilla was reported saying.
Does Mexico have a housing shortage?
Some developers also suggest that incentives to reactivate construction are lacking in Mexico, which is experiencing a housing shortage of approximately eight million homes.
In 2024, 128,147 homes were built in Mexico, which is the lowest level recorded since the Single Housing Registry began in 2013. Three out of every 10 (33.62%) residential construction projects in 2024 were low-income housing, which had an average value of 521,484 pesos (US $26,000).
In October, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced plans to construct one million new homes countrywide over the next six years with an investment of 600 billion pesos (US $29.7 billion), which could help bolster Mexico’s housing sector.
Will Mexico’s domestic housing market provide enough demand for Mexican steelmakers following new tariffs from their biggest buyer? (Gobierno de la CDMX/Cuartoscuro)
Impact on industry
Mexico produced 18.2 million tonnes of steel in 2024, down from 19.85 million tonnes in 2023, largely due to weaker demand. It exported three million tonnes in 2024, with 2.3 million tonnes going to the U.S.
Mexican steel mills plan to add over five million tonnes of steel production per year by the first half of 2026, according to industry publication Argus Media. However, with a potential decrease in overseas demand, Mexican steelmakers may begin to feel the impact of a sluggish domestic market.
Despite China's dominance in the electric vehicle market, over 80% of Chinese vehicles imported into Mexico are gas-powered. (File photo)
The Chinese government is delaying approval for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD to build a plant in Mexico amid concerns that the company’s smart car technology could be accessed by the United States, according to the Financial Times (FT).
Citing two people “familiar with the matter,” the London-based newspaper reported on Tuesday that Chinese automakers require approval from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce to manufacture outside China and that approval has not yet been granted.
According to the Financial Times, fears of cyber “leaks” to the U.S. are holding up Chinese EV maker BYD’s plans to build a plant in Mexico. (BYD)
BYD, the world’s largest EV company, announced plans to open a plant in Mexico in 2023 and confirmed that intention in early 2024. The Shenzhen-based company said the plant would create around 10,000 jobs and produce 150,000 vehicles per year. BYD Americas CEO Stella Li has stressed that the vehicles would be sold only in the Mexican market — where 40,000 BYD cards were sold last year — but there is some doubt about that assertion.
Citing its two sources, FT reported that Chinese authorities fear Mexico would “gain unrestricted access to BYD’s advanced technology and know-how” if the company were to open a plant in Mexico. They said that Mexico could even possibly allow the United States to access that technology.
“The commerce ministry’s biggest concern is Mexico’s proximity to the U.S.,” one source told FT.
The newspaper’s two sources also said that Beijing is giving preference to projects in countries that are part of China’s Belt and Road initiative, a global infrastructure development strategy.
“Shifting geopolitical dynamics have also contributed to Mexico cooling on the plant,” FT reported.
Trump’s protectionist posture
United States President Donald Trump has given potential investors in Mexico pause for thought by threatening to impose — and then briefly imposing — 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico. Although Mexico has a free trade agreement with the United States and Canada, the USMCA, there is no certainty that Trump won’t reimpose blanket tariffs on Mexican goods at some point in the future.
BYD, whose global headquarters is in Shenzhen, China, insists it has no intention of selling its cars to the United States from Mexico. (BYD)
While BYD has said it has no intention to export EVs to the United States from Mexico, the U.S. government’s increased protectionism could still be a factor in the Chinese Commerce Ministry’s decision to delay approval for the company’s proposed Mexico plant.
The possibility — or perhaps even strong probability — that Mexico will impose new tariffs on imports from China could be another factor.
Trump has accused Mexico of being a “backdoor” for Chinese products to enter the United States tariff-free. Late last year, he said he would “seek strong new protections against transshipment” in an updated USMCA “so that China and other countries cannot smuggle their products and auto parts into the United States tax-free through Mexico to the detriment of our workers and our supply chains.”
The Mexican government denies that Mexico is a transshipment hub, but has nevertheless imposed new tariffs on some imports from China such as textiles and clothing. It has also launched anti-dumping investigations into Chinese steel and aluminum products, while late last month, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that imposing additional tariffs on imports from countries with which Mexico doesn’t have free trade agreements, such as China, was an option.
Sheinbaum and other Mexican officials have asserted that their main motivation for imposing new tariffs is to protect Mexican industry rather than appease the United States. However, the government has also stressed that it prioritizes its trade relationship with the United States — where more than 80% of Mexican exports are sent — and Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard even said that Mexico would “mobilize all legitimate interests in favor of North America” amid the ongoing trade war between the United States and China.
At her Wednesday morning press conference, President Sheinbaum revealed that while BYD has “an investment proposal” for Mexico, its plan “was never anything formal.” (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
In addition to imposing new tariffs on imports from China, the Mexican government has refused to offer federal incentives to Chinese EV manufacturers planning to invest in Mexico, according to Mexican officials who spoke to Reuters almost a year ago. The officials told the news agency that the move was the result of pressure from the United States government, in particular the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The pressure has only increased since Trump returned to the White House in January.
One of FT’s sources said that “Mexico’s new government has taken a hostile attitude towards Chinese companies, making the situation even more challenging for BYD.”
Gregor Sebastian, a senior analyst with the United States-based consultancy Rhodium Group, told FT that “the Mexican government obviously would like to get some of the [proposed Chinese] investments, but [its] trading relationship with the U.S. is a lot more important.”
Sebastian, a member of Rhodium Group’s China Corporate Advisory Team who focuses on Chinese industrial policy and the EV industry, told FT that it doesn’t “make business sense” for BYD to expedite the construction of a new plant in Mexico. He pointed out that BYD would need to import numerous components from China to build cars in Mexico. The Mexican government could impose new tariffs on those parts, increasing costs for BYD.
Stella Li, the BYD Americas CEO, recently told FT that no decision had been made on the company’s proposed plant in Mexico.
“Every day is different news, so we just have to do our job,” she said.
“More study has to be done on how we can satisfy and improve to deliver the best result to everybody,” Li said.
Responding to the FT’s reporting at her Wednesday morning press conference, President Sheinbaum said that while BYD has “an investment proposal” for Mexico, its plan “was never anything formal.”
She said that Chinese companies can invest in Mexico, but stressed that Mexico prioritizes its relationship with its North American free trade partners.
A timeline of developments related to BYD’s proposed plant in Mexico
Stella Li said in February 2024 that the company would select a location for the plant by the end of the year.
Mexican officials told Reuters in April 2024 that pressure from United States authorities had led the Mexican government to refuse to offer incentives to Chinese EV manufacturers planning to invest in Mexico.
BYD México General Director Jorge Vallejo said last June that the company was in final negotiations over the location of its planned EV plant in Mexico.
Former Mexican ambassador to China Jorge Guajardo told Mexico News Daily in June that Chinese companies have “a long history of making investment announcements they don’t follow up on.”
Vallejo said in August that the company had narrowed the list of potential locations for the plant to three states, but didn’t reveal which ones.
Li said in September that BYD hadn’t postponed a final decision about its proposed Mexico plant, indicating at the time that an announcement of the factory’s location was scheduled before the end of 2024.
