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Why are fewer Mexicans having children? Financial strain, security concerns and fears for the future

By
María Ruiz
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5
Mexican family portrait
Why are some young adults in Mexico electing not to have children, or to have only one or two? MND undertook an exploratory survey to find out. (Courtesy)

Mexico’s national statistics agency, INEGI, recently released the results of the 2025 Intercensal Survey, showing that the country’s population has surpassed 130 million. The findings also reveal a striking trend: fertility rates have fallen considerably nationwide, with Mexico City recording the lowest rate, at just 0.8 children per woman.

Mexican families have changed over the decades. In earlier generations, larger families were more common, partly because of limited access to contraception and family planning services, lower levels of education among women and a more rigid division of labor. Men were generally seen as breadwinners, while women handled most household and caregiving responsibilities.

These were the reasons 13 people gave for not wanting to have children. (Mexico News Daily)

In an exploratory survey conducted by Mexico News Daily, 13 of 35 respondents said they did not want children. Participants were men and women ages 25 to 35 who were single, in relationships or married, and lived in nine cities: Mexico City, Toluca, Monterrey, Querétaro, León, Ensenada, Cancún, Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende. They were contacted through social media and asked one open question: “Do you want to have children? Please explain your answer.” The sample is not nationally representative, but it highlights recurring concerns: insufficient income, housing, public safety, health, the climate crisis and the lack of a stable partner.

Financial strain and absent support systems

Luis, 34, lives in Querétaro with his girlfriend. He explained why he has not considered having children:

“I had a privileged upbringing. I went to private school, had enough to eat and never lacked anything. But today, I can’t provide those things for someone else, so bringing a child into the world feels unfair. There’s no guarantee of a stable future, either. My job doesn’t guarantee a steady income or the pay raises I would need to live without financial hardship. And the outlook is bleak: water shortages, housing problems, rising costs and so on.

“Another issue is that we both work, and our families live in Toluca, so we don’t have a support network to help us care for our children. We would have to rely on daycare and extracurricular activities, which would mean additional expenses. Finally, I don’t want to repeat the way I was raised. I had everything I needed materially, but not emotionally, and I’m not ready to break those patterns yet.”

Of the 22 respondents who said they wanted children or were considering having them in the future, some said they had not yet found a stable partner or wanted to become more financially secure first. Three people in this group reported health or fertility problems that had prevented them from conceiving.

Vanesa, 29, lives in San Miguel de Allende and has been married for two years.

Endometriosis and fertility: A growing challenge for women in Mexico

“Yes, I want to have children, but first I would like to own a home so I can feel more secure,” she said. “I’m also afraid of global warming. I worry that by the time my child is 15, there could be a water crisis.”

Reasons behind decisions to remain child-free

The 13 respondents who did not want children cited financial pressures, insecurity in Mexico and global problems as their main reasons. Many said they did not earn enough to support a family. Others felt that conditions in the country would make it difficult to raise children in a healthy, safe environment. Wars, global warming and water shortages also influenced their decisions. A smaller number said they did not feel ready to become parents or lacked the patience or skills to care for a baby.

Milé, 34, is single and originally from Querétaro.

“I don’t think I have the skills or resources to be a mother,” she said. “Finding a man my age who wants to share that responsibility would also require me to be honest with myself and able to contribute equally. My jobs haven’t provided social security coverage, either, and I wouldn’t have the financial means to support children. I think bringing children into the world under these conditions would be selfish and irresponsible.”

Respondents who already had one or two children said that number was enough to provide a decent standard of living and, above all, give their children the attention they deserved. Some mothers said they did not want to experience pregnancy and its hormonal changes again because of the physical toll. Fathers said their incomes barely covered the cost of raising one or two children.

One respondent pointed to limited living space, describing a three-bedroom home with one room for the parents and one for each of two children. Housing constraints were another reason not to have more children. Some respondents also said that both parents needed to earn an income to support the family, making a return to paid work an economic priority for mothers.

Why parents are stopping at two children

(Mexico News Daily)

Paul, 31, is married, has two children and lives in León. He explained why he and his wife decided not to have more:

“My wife and I decided to stop at two children, and it wasn’t a decision we took lightly. When you imagine starting a family, you often don’t think about numbers, square footage, school fees or how many chicken nuggets fit on a baking tray. You just think, ‘I want a lovely family.’ Then adulthood comes along and says, ‘Yes, that’s lovely. Now do the math.’

“That’s when we began to realize that having children involves much more than loving them with all your heart. There’s food, clothing, school, doctors, activities, vacations, birthdays, toys, transportation and all those little things that stop being little once you have children.

“We want to give our children a good life, but we also want some financial peace of mind rather than constantly calculating how to make it to the end of the month. We also believe that having two children allows us to give them time, attention and energy in a way that works for our family. We don’t want more children simply because there’s ‘room’ for them. We want to enjoy the children we have, support them, watch them grow, be present and give them the best we can within our means.”

Raising a family of four

How much money does a family of four need to live in Mexico?

The answer depends on where the family lives and its lifestyle. For this report, we focused on five of the cities where respondents lived: Mexico City, Querétaro, León, Monterrey and San Miguel de Allende.

Drawing on the National Household Income and Expenditure Survey (ENIGH), labor-market information from Data México and reference prices, Mexico News Daily estimated that a family of four living in an owner-occupied home in these cities needs between 29,500 and 48,000 Mexican pesos per month. This budget covers everyday needs such as food, clothing, public school expenses, transportation, personal hygiene products, utilities, communications and health care, while setting aside money for emergencies.

(Mexico News Daily)

The following table breaks down expenses by category and compares costs across the five cities included in this article. Monterrey has the highest basic utility costs, while León has the lowest overall costs among the cities examined.

How do average wages compare?

Data México reports average monthly earnings in these cities, including both formal and informal employment.

The comparison reveals a gap between average earnings and the estimated budget for a family of four. Even two average incomes combined fall short of the amount needed to cover the projected expenses and save for emergencies. To make up the difference, some families seek additional income by selling products through catalogs or preparing food for sale. Others cut spending on health care, food and recreation.

(Mexico News Daily)

Insecurity in Mexico

Safety concerns weighing on parents

Eduardo and Ana are married but have not yet decided whether to have children. They live in Metepec and regularly travel to Toluca for work.

“I don’t want children for one simple reason: insecurity,” Eduardo said. “The country gets worse every year, and more people go missing every day. If I’m already worried about the situation, I can’t imagine being responsible for a little person. I would rather avoid that worry.”

Perceptions of insecurity also emerged among respondents’ reasons for not having children. The 2026 National Survey of Victimization and Perceptions of Public Security (ENVIPE) does not measure an individual’s risk of becoming a crime victim, nor does it replace crime-rate data. It does, however, show that 74% of adults considered their state unsafe during the survey period.

In latest national survey, Coahuila is ranked the safest state in Mexico

The highest proportions were recorded in Estado de Mexico, at 90%; Morelos, at 88.7%; Tabasco, at 87.6%; Guanajuato, at 85.9%; and Puebla, at 83.3%. The lowest were in Coahuila, at 27.8%; Yucatán, at 35.5%; and Aguascalientes, at 41%.

Rising crime and missing persons statistics

The 2026 ENVIPE, which covers crimes committed in 2025, reported the highest estimated crime incidence rates in Mexico City, at 68,154 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants; Puebla, at 41,876; and Mexico State, at 40,915. The survey’s crime categories included theft and robbery, fraud, extortion, threats, assault, kidnapping and sexual offenses.

According to a report by the Mexican Institute for Human Rights and Democracy (IMDHD), Mexico’s national missing persons registry listed 134,257 people as missing as of May 16, 2026. That number rose to 135,048 by June 16. The report recorded 12,632 disappearances in 2024 and 12,373 in 2025, and indicated that the trend in 2026 pointed toward similarly high numbers.

Eduardo and Ana are married but have not yet decided whether to have children. (Courtesy)

As of May 16, 2026, the five states with the largest cumulative numbers of registered missing persons were Mexico State, with 14,648; Tamaulipas, with 13,787; Jalisco, with 12,765; Michoacán, with 7,782; and Nuevo León, with 7,476. Together, they accounted for 42% of the national total, according to Red Lupa’s analysis of the National Registry of Missing and Unlocated Persons (RNPDNO).

Mexico recorded 11,586 victims of intentional homicide from January through August 2026, according to figures reported by the federal Security Cabinet and the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System. Although President Claudia Sheinbaum highlighted a decline in homicides earlier in the year, safety concerns remain part of many Mexicans’ daily lives.

Motherhood as a choice

The evolution of women’s roles

Women have always worked and played an important role in society. The Industrial Revolution, which began in the mid-18th century, expanded their participation in factory work and paid employment. During World War I and World War II, their roles in industry became even more prominent as many filled jobs left by men who had gone to fight.

Over time, advances in labor rights, greater access to higher education and the availability of contraception expanded women’s opportunities and their ability to make decisions about their lives, including whether to become mothers, when to have children and how many to have.

Motherhood is now a choice, not an obligation. Women may pursue a career, raise a family or do both. For some of the mothers interviewed, returning to work was both a financial necessity and a professional choice.

Personal perspectives on motherhood and career breaks

Milé, a single woman originally from Querétaro, doesn’t intend to have children. (Courtesy)

Zayra, 32, lives in Monterrey with her husband and their two children.

“At first, I only wanted one child so I could give them the attention and care they needed for their development. But six months later, I became pregnant again,” she said. “It was a shock because I didn’t know how I would manage twice the expenses. I had my second child, but I decided to undergo sterilization so I wouldn’t have any more.

“I made that decision because I struggled badly with hormonal changes during both pregnancies, and there were concerns about preeclampsia. Having children is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you, but it’s also a lot of work and very tiring. Finances also play a role in deciding not to have another child.”

Kiev, 32, is from Querétaro, married, and has two daughters.

“Yes, I’ve thought about having one more, but I’ve practically ruled it out, mainly for financial reasons. Babies are very expensive,” she said. “On top of that, my house only has two bedrooms, and we would need to expand it sooner to live more comfortably.

“Then there’s the career break I’m taking. I wanted to look after the house and the babies myself, with the intention of returning to work once they’re a little older. Having another baby would add more years to that break.”

Rejecting social scripts and facing future challenges

Paul and Daniela have two children, but have decided not to have more. (Courtesy)

Marcela, 34, lives in Querétaro with her partner and has decided not to have children.

“I don’t like children. I’ve never known how to interact with them or spend time with them, so having one seems strange to me, and I find it difficult to play with them. I don’t have a maternal instinct,” she said.

“I also don’t want to feel obligated to follow a social script of getting married and having children. I firmly believe children should be fully wanted and planned for, not something you have ‘just because’ or because it’s the next step.

“The third reason is the situation in Mexico and the world in general. The thought that having a child would mean never feeling at ease again because of the country we live in and its insecurity — especially if the child were a girl — is a major factor.

Wages, security and the environment

“There’s also the economic situation. Wages make things difficult, and building financial security keeps getting harder. Add the environmental situation, the wars happening now and tensions with the United States, and I can’t picture a bright future for a child.”

Declining fertility poses long-term challenges for Mexico. An aging population will require more health care, caregiving services and sustainable social protection systems. But the answer is not to pressure people into having more children. For those who want to start a family, the challenge is to create conditions that make raising children compatible with stable earnings, affordable housing, childcare, safety, reproductive health care and a more equitable division of caregiving responsibilities.

The interviews in this report do not represent Mexico’s entire population, but they reveal a shared tension. For many people, the question is no longer simply whether they want children, but whether they can have them without sacrificing their stability, health, careers or peace of mind.

María Ruiz is the Director of Digital Marketing at Mexico News Daily. She enjoys photographing her hometown of San Miguel de Allende in her spare time.

Spider-Man 2099 has a Día de Muertos secret in his origin story

By
Alan Chazaro
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0
Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City with elaborate skulls.
Mexico City's iconic Day of the Dead celebrations have inspired at least one superhero. (CDMX.gob.mx)

There may not be another superhero who is more globally renowned or imitated than Spider-Man (sorry, Superman and Batman, but you can sit this one out).

In my neighborhood’s main square, there is a man who regularly dresses up as Spider-Man and web-thwips his way into photos for a few pesos. Driving around Mexico, I’ve seen motorcyclists wearing Spider-Man-themed helmets. There’s even an official spinoff Spider-Man character, nicknamed Arácnido Jr., who hails from Mexico City and has a luchador father.

It’s not just Mexicans who love El Hombre Araña, though. Right now, Spider-Man is at an all-time commercial high.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has been the most commercially successful blockbuster of the year so far. As of writing, the movie has generated more than US $923 million globally, beating out “Toy Story 5” and “The Odyssey” as the highest-grossing film of 2026, to date. In July, the movie’s star cast members even visited Mexico City to promote the film.

A futuristic webslinger with Mexican roots

Add to that a newly reinvigorated generation of Spider-Man fanatics with the children’s animated series “Spidey and His Amazing Friends” — a show that currently ranks as the third-most-watched show for kids between ages 2 and 5 (including my son, who is obsessed), with billions of streaming hours on Disney+.

Across every metric, Peter Parker is a tried-and-true hit.

Becoming a kid again: How Mexico has unleashed my inner childhood superhero

But what about Marvel Comics’ other Spider-Man? The one who lives in a futuristic 2099 version of New York City (creatively renamed Nueva York) and is of Mexican Irish descent? I’m talking about Miguel O’Hara.

Created by Marvel in 1992 as part of a larger effort to refresh the brand and reconfigure its legendary characters with a larger “Marvel 2099” wave of alternate-universe storylines, O’Hara is a geneticist working for a mega-wealthy corporation, Alchemax. Rather than being bitten by a radioactive spider as the original Parker is, O’Hara is researching the by-then-archaic Spider-Man of former New York City (fourth-wall meta stuff, I know) and attempting to replicate that Spider-Man’s powers for the greedy Alchemax corporation, a private entity that happens to govern the United States through its wealth and militant force.

The unusual origin of the Day of the Dead suit

Like any true superhero origin story, O’Hara is unexpectedly turned into Spider-Man 2099 when a villainous Alchemax colleague throws O’Hara into the mutation machine that is conveniently set to the original Spider-Man’s specifications. O’Hara gets zapped. He transforms. He learns how to wield his powers and manage his personal relationships across hundreds of issues. The usual.

Spider-Man 2099 Marvel comic book cover
Spider-Man 2099’s spider suit is equipped with Unstable Molecule Fabric (UMF) to deal with rowdy Day of the Dead crowds in Mexico. (Marvel)

Here’s the unusual part, though: O’Hara — or rather, his alter ego Spider-Man 2099 — is equipped with a Day of the Dead costume rather than a traditional Spider-Man onesie.

Early on, the comics (created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi) establish that not only is O’Hara of Mexican descent, but that he took a trip down to Mexico City for a “The Jetsons”-style Day of the Dead.

There are multiple allusions to it in the opening issues of the series, with a backstory that goes something like this: A pre-superpowers O’Hara returns to his mother’s homeland south of the border (her name is Conchata, and she also appears as a character early on). There, he attends a festive Day of the Dead celebration. In this dystopian future, there is a special fabric referred to as “UMF” — or Unstable Molecule Fabric, as explained in the series — that is both indestructible and highly versatile, something O’Hara deems necessary for the rowdy Día de Muertos crowds and festivities in 2099.

Dystopian fashion and geometric design

I know all of this because I ordered a 1,384-page omnibus of “Spider-Man 2099” and have been reading it for weeks.

“Only thing I own made from UMF is this death’s head costume I brought when I went to Mexico last year for the Day of the Dead festival,” O’Hara says in issue No. 2. In the background, silhouettes of festivalgoers dressed as skeletons and demons wander as he recalls: “Festival can get pretty wild. I wanted something extra sturdy.”

The suit itself is futuristically cool, for lack of a better description, though not overly Day of the Dead-themed. It features a bright red skull-like design at the center of the chest, which extends into stripes that flare down and outward in the opposite direction, wrapping around the shoulder in a shape that loosely resembles a spider’s many legs with a geometrically balanced aesthetic. The base of the suit retains a much deeper shade of blue than the original webslinger.

Spider-Man 2099 Marvel comic book cover
Spider-Man 2099’s suit features a bright red skull at its center. (Marvel)

In all, it retains the essence of Spider-Man’s original garb, with subtle nods to Day of the Dead aesthetics.

Reincarnation and honoring the fallen heroes

O’Hara’s suit and abilities are rounded out with razor-edged retractable talons for climbing surfaces and annihilating his foes, and spikes protruding from his forearms, which seem to be a menacing suit accessory. Though not overtly Mexican or Day of the Dead in its presentation, if you squint, you can sense minor inspirations from Mexico’s Indigenous past and geometric design work.

Simple, but striking. Creative, but balanced.

Mexico in Numbers: Day of the Dead

The Day of the Dead theme does, however, emerge in the storyline — with additional references to Mexico, and even an entire issue titled “Day of the Dead.” In it, O’Hara takes a trip to Mexico City, where he battles zombies who have been mass-reincarnated by Fernando Morgez, a Mexican character who had hoped to revive his late sister, Anita, but brought back more than he anticipated.

Mexico’s Day of the Dead is a series undercurrent

The idea of life and death, reincarnation and honoring the deceased is an undercurrent throughout the entire series. In the 2099 timeline, the Avengers are more myth than reality, with previously indestructible characters like Thor and Peter Parker’s Spider-Man being remembered as deceased gods who are revered and worshiped by cultish hordes of followers.

That is, the world’s heroes of yesterday have fallen, and the living must find ways to cope with that remaining void.

In that sense, the series certainly has touches of Mexico’s Day of the Dead — a remembrance of those who are no longer physically present, but perhaps offer spiritual hope and a connection to, if not preservation of, the past.

Alan Chazaro is the author of “These Spaceships Weren’t Built For Us” (Tia Chucha Press, 2026), “Notes from the Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge” (Ghost City Press, 2021), “Piñata Theory” (Black Lawrence Press, 2020), and “This Is Not a Frank Ocean Cover Album” (Black Lawrence Press, 2019). He is a graduate of June Jordan’s Poetry for the People program at UC Berkeley and was selected as a Lawrence Ferlinghetti Poetry Fellow at the University of San Francisco. His work can be found in NPR, The Guardian, SLAM, GQ, L.A. Times, and more. He is currently based in Veracruz.

‘MND Hits the Streets’: A perspective from our CEO

By
Travis Bembenek
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People wave Mexican flags behind text reading "MND hits the streets" and "Mexico News Daily"

At MND, we have a team culture that encourages everyone to continue to innovate and bring new ideas to our readers. It is precisely that culture that has brought you recent new content ideas like:

  • MND Intelligence — to help you better understand Mexico through indices, data, numbers, and surveys
  • MND Tutor — to help you learn Spanish!
  • MND Kids — to help your kids or grandkids learn about Mexico in Spanish or English
  • El Jalapeño — to give you a light-hearted, satirical perspective on the news

It has also led to the creation of our MND TV YouTube channel and our “Confidently Wrong” podcast.

Now, we are excited to bring you another new video series: “MND Hits the Streets.” The idea is to bring you the perspectives of everyday people on a range of topics related to Mexico. The MND team is hitting the streets to talk to people of all ages — locals, foreign residents, tourists and businesspeople — about how things are going in the country.

We hope this series will help you learn more about Mexico by hearing directly from people on the ground. Some of their views might shock or surprise you, but we hope you’ll ultimately be entertained by what you hear and inspired to learn more.

Check out the first episode of “MND Hits the Streets,” about President Sheinbaum, on our MND TV YouTube channel or by clicking the link below. And look out for more episodes coming soon!

MND Hits the Streets: Claudia Sheinbaum

Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.

Shirley Manson’s Garbage to headline free Zócalo show next month

By
MND Staff
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Alt-rock band Garbage - lead singer Shirley Manson screams at the camera, with bandmates in jackets behind her
Garbage, formed in 1993, has played in Mexico 16 times since 1996. (Joseph Cultice / Sacks and Co.)

Garbage in the Zócalo! And for free?

No, we’re not talking about a sanitation worker’s revolt or some weird twist to recycling and reusing household waste.

The American rock band Garbage will play a free concert in the Zócalo on Saturday, Nov. 14, the final show of their North America tour which kicked off back in September 2025.

Lead singer Shirley Manson, aka “The Godmother of Rock,” said the show will mark the close of 30 years of traditional, continuous bus-touring for the band, saying long-term heavy touring has become economically and personally unsustainable.

Shortly after the Mexico City mayor’s office jumped the gun (officials shared the announcement through the government’s official X account before deleting the post), Garbage confirmed the gig on Instagram.

“Well. The news got leaked so here we are — a little off balance and rushing to catch up,” the band wrote. “We were going to announce this show tomorrow, but someone has beaten us to it.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by 🩸garbage🩸 (@garbage)

Overcoming the spilled beans, Garbage — which has sold 17 million albums worldwide — declared they were enthusiastic about the invitation.

“We are so immensely proud and deeply honoured to have been invited by the Mexican Government to play in Mexico City on the 14th of November at Mexico City’s most prestigious venue – The Zócalo,” the band said.

Manson also heaped praise on the band’s Mexican fans for supporting the group since their first visit in 1996. Since then, Garbage has played in Mexico 16 times, including three shows last year (April 4 in Zapopan, Jalisco; April 6 in Monterrey and Nov. 14 in Mexico City).

“We are one of the most fortunate bands in the world to have enjoyed playing in Mexico since we first arrived on the scene but this is the absolute cherry on the top of what has been a passionate and 30 year long love affair,” the Instagram post said.

Formed in 1993 in Madison, Wisconsin, the band’s four-member line-up has remained unchanged: the Scottish lead singer Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson (guitar, bass, keyboards), Steve Marker (guitar, keyboards) and Butch Vig (drums, percussion).

With reports from El Financiero, Consequence, Chilango and Billboard

Mexico reduces fishing restriction area by 86% to focus on vaquitas’ known habitat

By
MND Staff
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6
A man holds a small vaquita porpoise in his arms
The vaquita is the world's smallest dolphin. Its population in the upper Gulf of California — the only known habitat — may be as few as seven. (VaquitaCPR)

Mexico has reduced the zone where gillnets are banned by 86%, saying the smaller area will ease restrictions on fishermen while focusing conservation efforts on protecting the nearly extinct vaquita.

The new rules, which went into effect Thursday, shrink the restricted area in the Upper Gulf of California from 11,106 square kilometers (roughly the size of Jamaica) to 1,562 square kilometers (slightly larger than Mexico City).

The fin of a vaquita porpoise emerges from the water
The vaquita is the smallest porpoise in the world and can grow to roughly 1.5 meters, weighing 30 to 55 kilograms. (Paula Olson / NOAA)

Last year, scientists estimated that just seven to 10 vaquitas remained in the Upper Gulf of California — the species’ only habitat across the globe. The vaquita is the world’s smallest porpoise.

President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the change as a way to protect biodiversity while supporting fishing communities whose livelihoods have been constrained by the restrictions. 

The Environment and Natural Resources Ministry (Semarnat) said the boundaries follow recommendations from the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita, based on sightings and monitoring over the past two decades — such as a 2019 count showing 22 remaining vaquitas.

The population collapse from about 600 in 1997 has been driven by vaquitas becoming entangled and drowning in gillnets, large mesh nets that are often set illegally for totoaba, a fish whose swim bladder is prized in China.

Within the newly revised zone, fishermen may use only approved gear — no gillnets.

Within the larger area, a 225-square-kilometer Zero Tolerance Zone will retain its boundaries and total ban on fishing, but the new decree authorizes a transit channel for qualifying, small fishing boats. Gillnet fishing remains prohibited along that route.

The agreement also requires boat monitoring systems and identification markings for gillnets used outside the prohibition zone.

Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho, a marine biologist and senior adviser at the San Diego–based National Marine Mammal Foundation, said that concentrating enforcement could help save the species.

“It is difficult to enforce a ban over a very large area, which includes vast areas with no recent records of vaquitas,” he told Reuters. “If you lose a ring, you don’t search your entire house. You focus on where you lost it.”

However, another scientist, biologist Gerardo Ceballos of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), told Reuters that authorities lacked the technical and logistical capacity to enforce even the smaller zone.

The changes come after a July meeting in which UNESCO gave Mexico six months — until Feb. 1, 2027 — to report on concrete steps to protect its Gulf of California World Heritage site, including the vaquita, and address threats from proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects.

However, the new decree does not cite UNESCO as its impetus.

It explicitly links the revisions to Mexico’s commitments under CITES, an international treaty intended to ensure wildlife trade does not threaten species’ survival. The document cites a Feb. 5 decision for Mexico to pursue the revisions, before UNESCO’s July meeting.

Adult vaquitas grow to roughly 1.5 meters (5 feet) and weigh about 30 to 55 kilograms (65 to 120 pounds).

A training expedition in May recorded sightings and acoustic detections; however, the next full observation survey isn’t planned until May 2027.

With reports from Reuters, Reforma and SDP Noticias

Rotting meat stench from US-backed screwworm fly plant triggers protests in Chiapas 

By
MND Staff
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2
An industrial facility in a lush Chiapas forest with a sign reading "Planta de Producción de Moscas Estériles del Gusano Barrenador del ganado en Metapa"
The plant, inaugurated by President Claudia Sheinbaum and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in June, breeds sterile flies used to fight the spread of the screwworm parasite. (Presidencia)

Residents of a small Chiapas town took to the streets again on Thursday to demand the relocation of the sterile fly production plant used to control the New World Screwworm (NWS).

Protesters in Metapa de Domínguez have complained about the smell emanating from the plant since it began operating in June. Locals describe the foul odor as akin to rotting meat and say the plant’s proximity to homes and schools poses a health risk.

They ended a three-day sit-in in early September after government officials agreed to address their complaints.

Residents told Reuters that the smell now regularly wafts across the town, even disrupting classes at nearby schools.

Mercedes Becerra de la Cruz, a local truck driver, said protesters want the plant relocated.

“We don’t care about the investment; we want this plant moved, because the smell is overwhelming,” Becerra told Reuters.

The protest comes less than four months after President Claudia Sheinbaum and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins inaugurated the US $51 million facility, a key part of the bilateral effort to ​halt a screwworm outbreak that has disrupted the cross-border cattle trade since November 2024.

The Mexican government described the sterile fly plant as critical to protecting Mexico’s livestock industry, public health, the environment and the food sovereignty of both nations.

Millions of pest flies are raised inside the controlled, biosecure laboratory, where their larvae are fed a nutrient-rich mixture (e.g., eggs, milk and powdered hemoglobin) that mimics an animal’s open wound. The pupae, or adult flies, are treated with radiation to make them sterile.

Because female screwworm flies mate only once, mating with a sterile male results in no offspring, eventually crashing the wild population.

Sterile flies are the main defense against screwworm, a parasite that burrows into the flesh of warm-blooded animals and can be fatal if untreated.

As the smell has worsened, reaching ranches several kilometers away, residents said the government has not kept its September promises leaving them no choice but to protest again.

“We hope the commitment to reduce the fetid odors will be fulfilled no later than Dec. 16, otherwise we might be forced to undertake road blockades and other pressure tactics,” one resident told Diario del Sur newspaper.

With reports from Reuters, Diario del Sur and Forbes México

Mexico’s telecom sector shifts again as Televisa buys AT&T for US $2 billion

By
MND Staff
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0
AT&T building
Coming on the heels of Spanish multinational Telefónica's announcement that it is exiting Mexico and leaving its Movistar brand behind, AT&T will be the second foreign telecom to abandon Mexico this year as it sells its Mexican mobile telephone business a little more than 10 years after it bought out Iusacell. (Shutterstock)

In a major, though expected, telecom shake-up, Grupo Televisa and Fintech Holdings have agreed to acquire AT&T’s mobile telephony business in Mexico for US $2 billion. 

The announcement was made on Oct. 13, though the deal is subject to regulatory approval. However, the parties expect to finalize the transaction during the first quarter of 2027.

When they do, a consortium will be formed in which Televisa and Fintech — the latter an  investment firm owned by Mexican businessman David Martínez — will each hold a 50% stake.

The move had already been anticipated by industry members. For a year, the U.S. subsidiary had signaled its intention to sell its Mexican franchise as part of a broader strategy to concentrate its investments in the United States, where it seeks to expand its fiber-optic and 5G mobile networks. 

According to Televisa, AT&T will receive the payment in cash upon the closing of the transaction, subject to adjustments and other contractual and contingent benefits. The buyers will finance the acquisition through a combination of their own funds and secured debt, with no recourse against the consortium.

For Televisa, the transaction represents an opportunity to incorporate a large-scale mobile operation into its existing portfolio of fixed-line connectivity and pay-TV services. AT&T Mexico has approximately 24.7 million subscribers and ranks as the second-largest mobile operator in the country.

The deal could turn the media giant into the first company to achieve a setup known as “quadruple play,” meaning it would offer bundled internet, television, fixed-line, and mobile services. The aim would be to strengthen its competitive position against Telcel, which is part of América Móvil, owned by business tycoon Carlos Slim.

“[Televisa’s] position is significantly strengthened by this transaction, with a view to the coming years,” head of Spectrum Intelligence Rolando Alamilla told the  newspaper El País.

 The telecommunications market in Mexico is now concentrated among a handful of companies. More than half of all mobile phone users are served by Telcel, followed by AT&T, Movistar and Grupo Walmart (Bait). 

During her Thursday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she viewed the transaction as “a good thing,” and explained that the acquisition of AT&T by Televisa and Fintech Holdings will help competition and improve internet services in the country.

“What we want is for there to be competition, for investment to take place, and for the internet to be better,” added Sheinbaum.

With reports from El País and Forbes

El Jalapeño: Foreigner who opens message with ‘buenas tardes’ accidentally gains three aunts

By
El Jalapeno
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Arthur Pendleton, a new arrival in San Miguel de Allende, soon picked up three unofficial "aunts" and an extended family thanks to his mastery of one key aspect of the Spanish language. (This image was generated using AI tools)

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

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, Guanajuato — A recently arrived resident of San Miguel de Allende who attempted to adhere to local etiquette by opening a WhatsApp message to his neighbor with a proper “buenas tardes” found himself fully integrated into a local family structure, added to a multi-generational group chat and assigned three distinct aunts within two hours.

Arthur Pendleton, 38, had originally intended to send a brief text asking for the phone number of a reliable plumber to look at a slow-draining sink. Remembering advice from an online guide to Mexican social norms, Pendleton typed “Buenas tardes, Don Héctor, espero que se encuentre muy bien” before posing his question.

Within days of his arrival in San Miguel, Pendleton was added to the “Familia García y Amigos 2026” WhatsApp thread. (This image was generated using AI tools)

“I expected a phone number or a quick thumbs-up,” Pendleton said Monday, adjusting to the rapid expansion of his domestic commitments. “Instead, Don Héctor called immediately, invited me to Sunday lunch, introduced me to his sister Doña Rosa, and within 20 minutes she had brought over a container of caldo and called me mijo.”

By 3 p.m., Pendleton had been added to a WhatsApp group titled “Familia García y Amigos 2026,” which generates roughly 140 messages a day consisting primarily of animated morning greetings and detailed updates regarding regional weather patterns.

According to family members, the transition was a direct consequence of basic civil protocol.

“If someone sends a message that simply says ‘Send plumber number,’ you give them a number,” explained Doña Rosa, who confirmed she considers Pendleton family despite having only interacted with him once prior when he was standing near a gas truck. “If someone takes the time to say buenas tardes, that is family; and you cannot let family fix a sink on an empty stomach.”

Sociologists who study diplomatic integration note that while foreign residents often fear social isolation upon moving abroad, the primary hazard in Mexico is accidentally agreeing to attend a child’s first communion within 45 minutes of asking for directions.

At press time, Pendleton confirmed he had been assigned to bring extra ice to Christmas dinner, with Doña Rosa reassuring him that he only needed to show up “si se puede, no te preocupes,” an expression that legal scholars confirm leaves zero grounds for absence.

Check out our Jalapeño archive here.

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US commerce secretary’s resistance to cutting tariffs stalls trade talks with Mexico

By
MND Staff
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Howard Lutnick in 2025
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has thrown a wrench in the ongoing U.S.-Mexico trade talks by insisting that significant tariff relief be taken off the table, according to The Wall Street Journal. (Shutterstock)

Mexico’s trade talks with the United States have stalled as a direct result of U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s opposition to tariff cuts, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Citing people familiar with the negotiations, the Journal said talks were at an impasse due to disagreements ​over the U.S. tariffs on vehicles, steel and aluminum from Mexico.

USTR Jamieson Greer July 2026
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has been leading the trade talks along with Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard, but is reportedly experiencing some tension with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick after the latter stepped in to voice opposition to tariff cuts that had been close to being agreed upon. (Mario Jasso / Cuartoscuro.com)

The report said Lutnick has opposed significant cuts to the 25% tariff on Mexican cars and the 50% tariff on steel, aluminum and derived manufactures (finished products made of steel and aluminum). Such levies were imposed by the Trump administration for what it called national security reasons and are administered by Lutnick’s department.

Mexico is on record as citing tariff relief as its top priority in trade negotiations with the U.S.

The Journal traces Lutnick’s intransigence to pressure from U.S. domestic industry, which has told the Trump administration that reducing tariffs would harm businesses and lead to layoffs. 

Lutnick is not leading the negotiations with Mexico, but according to the Journal his presence is creating tension with the man who is  — U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

It is the second time Lutnick has disrupted advanced negotiations with a North American partner, the report said, apparently referring to Canada. But he has now re-inserted himself into Trump’s trade agenda after being sidelined through most of 2026 as Greer gained more prominence.

Sources told the newspaper that the two countries appeared close to finalizing a deal that would have reduced the U.S. tariffs in exchange for a series of concessions from Mexico. 

Mexico had already agreed to suspend for five years the 10% tariff it applied to imports of parts and components intended for vehicle assembly. This concession also seeks to reduce assembly costs, attract investment in new production lines and strengthen supply chains, especially as the automotive industry has been contracting.

Finalizing this bilateral deal would pave the way for further talks on renewing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is currently under review. 

Officials from both countries denied that the bilateral talks had stalled. Mexican officials and numerous business executives had expressed optimism about an imminent agreement.

On Wednesday, Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard updated federal deputies about the perceived progress in the bilateral trade talks.

During his meeting with members of the Social Economy and Cooperativism Promotion Committee and the Economy, Commerce and Competitiveness Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, Ebrard told the lawmakers that President Claudia Sheinbaum’s leadership had helped  Mexico consolidate itself as the country with the best conditions for accessing the U.S. market.

Just two weeks earlier, after meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at the National Palace, Ebrard declared that “Mexico is ever closer to reaching new trade agreements with the United States and does not expect to lose the favorable position it maintains with other Washington partners.”

Ebrard was scheduled to meet with the same two legislative committees on Friday.

With reports from The Wall Street Journal, El Universal, Reuters, El Economista, LopezDoriga.com, La Silla Rota and The Latin Times

Officials urge caution as Category 3 Hurricane Trudy approaches Pacific coast: Friday’s mañanera recapped

By
MND Staff
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National Meteorological Service chief Fabián Vázquez gestures at a projection of the path of Hurricane Trudy along Mexico's Pacific coast
National Meteorological Service chief Fabián Vázquez said Hurricane Trudy could near the coast of Jalisco and Colima this weekend as a major hurricane. (Presidencia)

Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds

  • 🌀 Hurricane Trudy to approach Pacific coast this weekend: Fabián Vázquez, head of the National Meteorological Service, said the Category 3 storm will pass about 65 kilometers off the coast of Colima and Jalisco on Saturday night or early Sunday. He urged coastal residents to stay alert, warning that “any movement to the right or the left can change meteorological conditions a lot.”
  • 🏥 Sheinbaum says IMSS developing “comprehensive program” for healthcare workers: The president said IMSS director Zoé Robledo is evaluating a plan that would include a bigger pay raise “within the limits of what’s possible,” plus the regularization of positions. Workers rejected an offer of a 2.9% pay rise and a 3.9% increase in benefits on Wednesday, and are seeking a 10% pay raise. Sheinbaum didn’t say whether IMSS would meet that demand.
  • 💻 Sheinbaum predicts tech exports will keep growing: Asked about the UN forecast that Mexico’s export revenue will rise 26% in 2026, the president pointed to electronics, with plants being expanded to meet U.S. data center demand. She also said Mexican auto industry export revenue had partially recovered despite U.S. tariffs.

Why today’s mañanera matters

A hurricane off Mexico’s Pacific coast, a plan to address public healthcare workers’ demands and strong growth in Mexican exports were among the important topics discussed at President Sheinbaum’s Friday morning press conference.

According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Trudy was about 380 kilometers southwest of Acapulco, Guerrero, at 9 a.m. Mexico City time on Friday. Trudy — a Category 3 hurricane at 9 a.m. — is forecast to approach the coast of western Mexico this weekend.

Meanwhile, the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) is working on a plan to respond to the grievances of healthcare workers, who protested across Mexico on Tuesday to demand higher pay, better work conditions, increased funding for healthcare and an end to shortages of medicines and medical supplies.

Sheinbaum indicated that IMSS would improve its pay offer, but didn’t say whether it would agree to the 10% raise workers are seeking.

Late in the press conference, she offered an upbeat assessment of Mexico’s export sector, which is a significant contributor to GDP.

Hurricane Trudy to approach Mexico’s Pacific coast this weekend 

Fabián Vázquez, head of the National Meteorological Service, reported that Hurricane Trudy was “relatively far” from Mexico’s Pacific coast on Friday morning.

However, Trudy will approach the coast of Colima and Jalisco on Saturday night or early Sunday as a Category 3 hurricane, he said.

“It’s going to be very close, it’s going to be 65 kilometers from the coast,” Vázquez said.

“We have to be very careful because any movement [of the hurricane] to the right or the left can change meteorological conditions a lot,” he said, warning of strong winds and large swells.

Vázquez called on residents of coastal areas of Colima and Jalisco to take care and stay alert over the weekend “because on Sunday there could be a major hurricane off the coast.”

Sheinbaum: IMSS is working on a ‘comprehensive program’ to respond to healthcare workers’ demands

A reporter asked the president whether she was confident that the government could soon reach an agreement with IMSS employees, who, in a vote on Wednesday, formally rejected an offer of a 2.9% pay rise coupled with a 3.9% increase in benefits.

Sheinbaum noted that IMSS and the National Social Security Workers Union (SNTSS) held talks on Thursday, adding that IMSS director Zoé Robledo is “evaluating” a “comprehensive program” in response to the demands of workers.

"No al 2.9" reads a sign held by IMSS healthcare workers protesting at Mexico City's Angel of Independence on Oct. 15, 2026
IMSS healthcare workers gathered at the Angel of Independence in Mexico City Thursday, the day after they voted to reject a 2.9% pay increase negotiated by union representatives. (Estrella Josento / Cuartoscuro)

She said the IMSS proposal would include not only a bigger salary increase, “within the limits of what’s possible,” but also “the regularization of positions” — i.e. making temporary jobs permanent — and measures to address other worker demands.

In a video message on Thursday morning, Robledo said that IMSS and the SNTSS would “analyze alternatives to develop a better proposal within the framework of what’s possible.”

Sheinbaum predicts that Mexico’s tech exports will continue to grow 

A reporter noted that the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean is forecasting that Mexico’s export revenue will increase 26% in 2026, the second highest projected growth among 33 countries in the region. She asked Sheinbaum what the growth in exports means for the Mexican economy, which recorded 1.2% annual growth in the first six months of 2026.

“The export of electronics has increased a lot and plants in Mexico are being expanded due to the demand from data centers in the United States,” Sheinbaum said without explicitly answering the reporter’s question.

“And [electronics exports] will probably keep growing,” she added.

Sheinbaum also said that “a part of the [Mexican] automotive industry” had “recovered” in terms of export revenue, “despite [U.S.] tariffs” on vehicles.

Mexican exports hit record $81B in July, up nearly 44% on AI-driven manufacturing boom

She highlighted that Mexico isn’t just exporting to the United States, but also to European countries and Japan, among other nations.

Mexico exported goods worth a record US $549.4 billion in the first eight months of 2026, a year-over-year increase of 29.3%.

Mexico News Daily reported last month that, despite the record performance, analysts point out two concerns: the predominance of the U.S. as Mexico’s main buyer and the country’s reliance on Asia as an indispensable supplier for the fast-growing computer industry.

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

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