Friday, April 25, 2025

Electoral tribunal green-lights judicial elections, despite legal challenges

By
MND Staff
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The Mexican Federal Electoral Tribunal chambers
Halting preparations for the scheduled June 2025 judicial elections is "constitutionally infeasible," the electoral tribunal ruled. (TEPJF/X)

The National Electoral Institute (INE) is moving ahead with the organization of Mexico’s first-ever judicial elections after the Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF) ruled that suspending said organization is “constitutionally infeasible.”

Judges issued some 140 injunctions ordering the INE to suspend activities related to the organization of the June 1, 2025 judicial elections, at which citizens will elect 881 judges, including Supreme Court justices.

AMLO and Claudia Sheinbaum hold up the signed judicial reform bill
Former President López Obrador signed the judicial reform bill into law shortly before leaving office, despite a court order to halt its official promulgation. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)

As a result of the promulgation of the federal government’s recently-approved judicial reform, all Mexican judges will be elected by popular vote starting next year. A second round of judicial elections is scheduled to take place in 2027.

The TEPJF said in a statement on Wednesday that it had determined that it is “constitutionally infeasible” to suspend activities related to the 2025 judicial elections, but it did not make any rulings against individual court orders.

“In a public on-site session, the Upper Chamber [of the TEPJF] …. determined that the INE cannot stop electoral activities derived from the commencement of an electoral process,” the TEPJF said, noting that the conducting of judicial elections is now a constitutional requirement.

Ruling provides clarity on judicial elections

The TEPJF ruling via a 3-2 decision came in response to a request from the INE for a pronouncement on whether it was obliged to cease activities related to the upcoming elections.

The electoral authority decided on Oct. 15 to suspend the organization of the judicial elections in light of the approximately 140 suspension orders issued by judges, who warned that INE officials who defied their injunctions were subject to punishments including fines and jail time.

The INE said in a statement on Wednesday that it will “comply” with the TEPJF’s ruling —  i.e. resume the organization of next year’s judicial elections.

“This ruling provides clarity and certainty so that the INE can carry out its state function of organizing elections and guaranteeing the political-electoral rights of Mexicans,” the authority said.

INE Councilor Norma Irene de la Cruz told the newspaper El Heraldo de México that “we are now resuming the activities that we had suspended.”

INE Councilor Norma de la Cruz
The INE is now re-starting activities that had been on hold relating to the judicial elections, Councilor Norma de la Cruz said. (INE)

Meanwhile, the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government are working on the processes that will determine who is eligible to stand for election as a judge in next year’s elections.

The news website Animal Político reported that “some preliminary estimates” indicate that the staging of the first judicial elections will cost at least 8 billion pesos (US $402.8 million), a figure more or less on par with the outlay on the elections held in June.

The judicial reform provision allowing judges to be elected from candidates put forward by the president, the Congress and the judiciary itself is highly contentious.

Critics of the reform argue that choosing judges by popular vote will erode the independence of Mexico’s courts and remove a vital check on government power given the likelihood of the election of many judges sympathetic to the ruling Morena party’s agenda.

President Claudia Sheinbaum rejects that argument and contends that judges need to be elected by “the people” to rid Mexico’s justice system of corruption, nepotism and other ills.

A federal judge last week ordered the removal from the Official Gazette of the Federation of a decree that promulgated the judicial reform on the basis that it was published in defiance of a court order against publication.

President Sheinbaum speaks into a microphone on a stage in front of a projected slide showing a selection of highlighted text from the Federal Electoral Tribunal ruling on Mexico's 2025 judicial elections
President Sheinbaum shared the news of the tribunal ruling at her Thursday morning press conference. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

Sheinbaum — who was not yet president when the decree was published — has said that she won’t comply with the order of the judge, Nancy Juárez Salas, arguing that she doesn’t have the authority to issue a ruling against a constitutional reform that has been approved by Mexico’s Congress and ratified by a majority of state legislatures.

Ruling party seeks to protect constitutional reforms with another constitutional reform 

In light of Juárez’s ruling against the promulgation of the judicial reform, Morena put forward a constitutional bill that would prevent legal challenges against constitutional reforms that have already been approved by Congress and ratified by state legislatures.

The so-called “constitutional supremacy” initiative was approved in a joint sitting of the Constitutional Points and Legislative Studies commissions of the Senate on Wednesday and could be considered by the full Senate as soon as Thursday night.

It seeks to change two articles of the constitution to ensure that constitutional reforms cannot be challenged or suspended.

In the Senate, Morena and its allies, the Labor Party and the Green Party, are one vote short of the two-thirds majority required to make constitutional changes on their own, but in recent weeks they managed to find an additional vote to approve several reform proposals initially put forward by former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, including the judicial reform proposal and a bill that sought to place the National Guard under military control.

As with all constitutional reform proposals, the “constitutional supremacy” bill must be approved by two-thirds of both houses of Congress and ratified by a majority of state legislatures before the president can sign it into law.

With reports from Reforma, El Economista, Infobae, Animal Político and El Universal 

3 police injured after car bombs explode outside 2 Guanajuato police buildings

By
MND Staff
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Smoke and flaming debris in the middle of a street where doors to buildings have been blown off. A silhouetted man stands in the street with his back to the camera.
One of the car bombings, in the Guanajuato municipality of Acámbaro, blew out doors and windows. (Acámbaro SSC/X)

Two car bombs were almost simultaneously detonated near Public Security Ministry (SSP) buildings in two Guanajuato state municipalities on Thursday morning, injuring three police officers, one seriously.

Both bombings occurred almost simultaneously, just after 6 a.m. No warning was given before the bombs exploded, 

Guanajuto, Mexico, Mayor Libia Garcia in a small conference room sitting at conference tables in an U shape with two men in suits and a man in military fatigues
Guanajuato Governor Libia García, second from left, met Tuesday with the two municipalities’ mayors and the Defense Ministry about the car bombings. (Libia Garcia/X)

The three officers were wounded when the car bomb exploded outside the Acámbaro police headquarters building of the local SSP complex, damaging the exterior of the police headquarters and two adjacent houses. A female police officer was badly wounded while two policemen were treated onsite for minor injuries.

In the other bombing, a police car exploded in front of the downtown SSP building in the city of Jerécuaro. Only material damages were reported, with local authorities indicating that nobody was injured.

Acámbaro — a city of 56,000 people — and Jerécuaro — population 8,011 — are about 33 kilometers apart in the southernmost part of the state, near the state’s borders with the state of Michoacán.

Security officials in the Bajio-region state have suffered a number of attacks in the past week, and October has been a particularly violent month.

In a different incident, Acámbaro police engaged in a shootout on Monday on a highway on the southern outskirts of the city. The National Guard, the Army and state police officers arrested three men after chasing them through a crop field. Authorities confiscated weapons, tactical gear and an unspecified amount of drugs.

On Tuesday, President Claudia Sheinbaum met with Guanajuato Governor Libia García to discuss security operations, especially regarding the city of Celaya, where three municipal police officers were executed on Oct. 12.

The three victims — part of a group of over 300 former members of Mexico’s defunct Federal Police force hired by Celaya’s former mayor but in the process of being fired by the current mayor — were killed when gunmen opened fire in a bar. Another woman in the bar was also seriously injured.

According to the newspaper Milenio, the Oct. 12 attack brought to 49 the number of policemen killed in Guanajuato this year, 27 of them in Celaya.

The first three days of October were particularly violent in Guanajuato, with 32 people murdered on Oct. 3 alone. Sixteen people were executed in the city of Salamanca, including at least four residents of a rehab center who were slain by a group of armed men that burst into the building. Five others were wounded in the attack, and several patients were kidnapped.

Government Secretary Jorge Jiménez Lona attributed the violence to an ongoing dispute between the Jalisco New General Cartel (CJNG) and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, according to the newspaper El País.

With reports from El Universal, Infobae, Milenio, El Correo and El País

Inflation trended up in early October, driven by rising food prices

By
MND Staff
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Price labels above produce in a Mexican market
The bank's governing board cited declining inflation as a reason for the rate cut. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico’s annual headline inflation rate ticked up in the first half of October, ending a streak of five consecutive 15-day periods during which it declined.

The headline rate was 4.69% in the first half of the month, national statistics agency INEGI reported Thursday, up from 4.50% in the second half of last month and 4.58% across September.

The rate was slightly above the 4.66% consensus forecast of analysts surveyed by Citibanamex.

Consumer prices rose 0.43% compared to the second half of last month, while the annual core inflation rate, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, declined to 3.87% from 3.91% across September.

The latest inflation data comes almost a month after the Bank of Mexico (Banxico) lowered its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 10.50%.

The central bank has cut its benchmark rate by 25 basis points on three occasions this year even though headline inflation remained above its 3% target.

Bank of Mexico facade
Experts predict that Mexico’s central bank will further cut interest rates in November. (Archive)

All of more than 30 banks, brokerages and research organizations surveyed by Citibanamex this week predicted that Banxico will make an additional 25-basis point cut to its key interest rate in November. The bank’s board will hold a monetary policy meeting on Nov. 14.

Inflation for fresh food nears 10%

INEGI reported that the annual inflation rate for agricultural products — fruit, vegetables and meat — was 9.66% in the first half of October, up from 6.76% across September.

Fruit and vegetables were 12.81% more expensive than a year earlier, while the cost of meat rose 6.26% annually.

Annual inflation for services was 5.03% in the first half of October, while energy prices, including those for electricity and gasoline, rose 4.69%.

Processed food, beverages and tobacco were 3.83% more expensive than in the first half of October 2023, while the cost of non-food goods rose 1.74%.

Electricity prices surge as summer subsidies end 

INEGI reported that electricity prices increased 18.07% in the first half of October compared to the second half of September.

The cause of the sharp increase was the end of the summertime electricity subsidies program in various cities including Mérida, Monterrey, Acapulco, Campeche and Cancún.

Other need-to-know economic data 

With reports from El Financiero and El Economista

The stunning traditional houses transformed into modern spaces

By
Ana Paula De la Torre
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Finca el Fortin is one of many restored traditional houses in Mexico. (casitasmx)

As the monumental archaeological sites around the country can attest to, people have been building in Mexico for a very long time. They’ve also been reusing old sites for just as long: the Mexica found people living in the deserted city of Teotihuacán, and the Spanish later used the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlán to build their own cathedral in Mexico City. True to this tradition, recent decades have seen a boom in architects remodeling traditional houses with a contemporary touch while preserving their historical essence.

In general terms, colonial architecture in Mexico developed during Spanish colonization, which began in 1519 and lasted until the first decade of the 19th century. Spanish Colonial houses feature unique construction elements such as high ceilings and rooms arranged around an inner courtyard, typically surrounded by columns. Gabled roofs provided ventilation, while balconies allowed residents to enjoy fresh air while maintaining their privacy and serving as a sign of social status. Baroque and Neoclassicism were this period’s most influential architectural movements.

Guanajuato is one of Mexico’s best-preserved colonial cities. (Feather and the Wind)

During the 19th century, Mexican architecture was strongly influenced by European trends, both in building styles and materials, as the national elite worked to construct an image of a modern country. Neoclassicism remained strong, although there was a mix of styles being worked with. The Mexican Revolution opened a new chapter in Mexican architecture, with postrevolutionary modernization changing the face of the country’s cities. 

What’s referred to as traditional architecture mostly encompasses the periods before the Revolution. When exactly the newer movement of restoring traditional houses began is unclear, but what’s undeniable is that architects are creating breathtaking modern spaces while maintaining local and national heritage. Follow along for some of the most impressive examples of this movement — almost all of which you can book a stay in yourself.

Finca El Fortin 

(casitamx)

This is amazing 16th-century building located within Hacienda Santa Cruz in Morelos. Its main house is an adaptation of the old town’s cathedral. The surrounding sugar cane fields and old ruins, combined with modern elements, create a dreamy composition.

The pool, library, and wooden staircase are beautiful. You can now rent it through an Airbnb experience that allows you to enjoy this historical setting while relaxing on an unforgettable holiday.

Tixnuc

(Catherwood)

Literally situated in the middle of the jungle, Tixnuc is a restored 17th-century hacienda located in the town of Samahil, 45 minutes outside of Mérida, Yucatán. The site lay in ruins for more than a century until a team of six star architects worked their magic: Jorge Carlos Zoreda, Mario Peniche López, Alejandro Vales García, Augusto Quijano, and the firm Muñoz Arquitectos. 

It is a very special place because the architects preserved the ruins with minimal interventions, such as a modern ceiling, doors, and floors and a small swimming pool. Nowadays, this place can be rented for events or vacations.

Casa Vagantes San Sebastián

(casitamx)

This house in Mérida was built in the early 20th century, but you wouldn’t know it from the outside, as its designers have given it a delightful makeover. With a beautiful ceramic floor in shades of yellow and soft brown, the atmosphere will transport you back to the classic homes of the Mérida bourgeoisie. The design is both simple and refined. You can stay here through Airbnb, a delightful experience for your senses, while the pool in the central courtyard provides a refreshing escape.

Casa Escuela

(casitamx)

A former school transformed into a residence for artists in the heart of Mérida, this building preserves most of its original walls, now worn by time. These interact with modern elements such as the furniture, floors, carpentry, a beautiful pool in the central courtyard, and some ceramics incorporated into the structure.

One of Casa Escuela’s unique features is that the facades have been preserved in their original state. You can stay in this house as a guest, use it for events, but its main purpose is to serve as an inspiring place for artists to develop their work through residencies. You will also find workshops, wellness events, and culinary experiences.

Casa Serena

d
(Airbnb)

In the heart of downtown Oaxaca, with a beautiful facade of wooden doors, you’ll find Casa Serena. Discreet from the outside, this house is a stunningly renovated space that combines the layout of colonial houses — such as the central courtyard with an included tree — high ceilings, and open spaces with modern handcrafted furniture and exquisite details like futuristic lamps. 

The colors of the walls, the outdoor bathtubs, the private patio, and the wooden paneling of the rooms create a perfect atmosphere of luxury and history. You can rent it through Airbnb, and it can accommodate up to 12 guests.

Casa Mezcla

(Casa Mezcla)

Mérida’s Casa Mezcla is a 19th-century house that has become famous among lovers of Mexican architecture for being a perfect example of the balance between tradition and modernity. The pool area is inspired by the blend of the old wall and a rustic fountain that leads to a modern pool. 

The design of the central courtyard features a terrace with the classic arch of colonial houses, resulting in a beautiful aesthetic. The furniture is rustic, while the details of the house are very modern. The roof is adorned with plants, and you can enjoy delightful hammocks. You can rent this bed and breakfast through Airbnb or directly on their website.

Casa Moro

This 19th-century neoclassical house preserves the essence of the colonial homes in the old town of Guadalajara. The original floors, high ceilings, two courtyards, a large entrance hall, and some pieces of old furniture, mixed with modern details, create an experience that allows you to feel the atmosphere of the high-class homes of past centuries in Mexico. The house’s design is a great example of how the central courtyard can bring abundant light and air to the rooms. The interventions in Casa Moro are minimal, and this perhaps is its main charm. You can rent it on Airbnb.

Casa Sirena

(OHFA)

A classic in downtown Mazatlán. With its eccentric pink facade, this house has been renovated into a delightful mix of pinks inside, creating a surprisingly peaceful atmosphere. EPArquitectos designed a small swimming pool in the central courtyard that resembles a beautiful fountain from inside the house. The design of the staircase is also an aesthetic jewel made of cement.

Casa Tepeji

Casa Tepeji in Roma Sur
(casitasmx)

Casa Tepeji, in Mexico City’s Roma Sur, is outwarly discreet. On the inside, it’s a work of art thanks to architectural designer Ombeline de Laage. This house lies steps from the house where Alfonso Cuarón filmed his 2018 hit ”Roma.” The ceramic interventions in the patio are astonishing for the contrast of colors they create. The kitchen, roof terrace, spacious bedrooms and handmade furniture designed by Javier Reyes and Chuch Studio are truly remarkable. You can rent it on Airbnb here.

Ana Paula de la Torre is a Mexican journalist and contributor for Milenio, Animal Político, Vice, Newsweek en Español, Televisa and Mexico News Daily. 

Cross-cultural weddings: A gringo’s guide to Mexican traditions

By
Stewart Merritt
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Mariachi serenades bride and groom at wedding. Mexican wedding traditions
Intercultural nuptials provide opportunities to blend U.S. and Mexican wedding traditions. (All photos by Stewart Merritt)

One of the many pleasures of traveling or living in Mexico as a foreigner is finding surprises in the customs that are different from traditions back home, as anything from a trip to the supermarket, to turning on the TV, to getting stung by a scorpion can be a charming or sometimes painful reminder of. These differences extend to one of life’s great rituals: the wedding. As a native of the United States, I recently married a Mexican here in Mexico and have some insights to share with readers. 

Early in the planning stages of the wedding, it became apparent things would be done a bit differently compared to my experiences with weddings in the U.S. When giving us a list of possible haciendas to be used as a venue, our wedding planners — the fantastic team at Tàcito — explained to us regretfully that one of the venues had a closing hour of 2 a.m.. This was a complete non-starter, and was quickly checked off our list, because, in the words of my in-laws: “who has ever heard of a wedding ending at 2 a.m.?” 

Mariachis serenade bride and groom at a wedding. Mexican wedding traditions
The author’s own wedding in Mérida, Yucatán.

Once we chose the venue, the lovely Hacienda San Diego Cutz, we met with the caterers, and set about creating a meal plan that included food to be served during the cocktail reception, dinner, dessert, followed by trays of sliders, pizza and hotdogs for the revelers to be served at 1 a.m., followed by yet another course: 3 a.m. cochinita pibil tortas to cap off the night. 

For wedding attire, as the groom, I had more freedom than at a formal wedding in the U.S., where black suits and ties are standard. My choices ended up reflecting the need to handle the brutal Mérida heat: a beige linen three piece suit to be worn during the ceremony and dinner and a traditional guayabera I switched into when the party began. Nevertheless, I still suffered, and lost an estimated 15 pounds of sweat throughout the course of the day. 

One of my favorite Mexican traditions we included was the addition of the tornaboda, or afterparty, held the day after the wedding. For this, we rented a large house in the countryside, ate tacos, swam in the pool and even had a mechanical bull that was a hit with the kids. The tornaboda gave us a much-needed chance to reconnect with the guests and decompress after a hectic wedding day. 

For an expert perspective, I sought the insights of Kenya Díaz, part of the Tácito wedding planning team, who explained some key cultural differences. “Mexican weddings are centered around a long celebration,” she told me. “it’s what everyone looks forward to. Whereas American guests tend to anticipate things like the cocktail hour, speeches, and cake-cutting.” 

Guests at a wedding seated around a table. Mexican wedding traditions
A blended wedding means hosting guests from all over.

“Mexicans expect the dinner to be short, with the focus on the party,” Kenya says. “Music is another point of difference. It’s a challenge to find a DJ who can keep both Americans and Mexicans dancing throughout the night. That’s why we encourage couples to share playlists of songs that are important to their guests.”

I asked Kenya about some of the more memorable moments blending both cultures. “Speeches by friends or godparents aren’t traditional at Mexican weddings,” she shared, “but one couple — Mexican bride, American groom — asked their friends to prepare funny speeches. The result? A choreographed rap detailing the bride’s most embarrassing moments, complete with a catchy chorus. We still laugh about it today and sing the chorus whenever we reminisce!”

Kenya also shared advice for Americans planning a wedding in Mexico: “Mexicans are naturally welcoming, and we make an effort to include foreign guests and show them what a Mexican wedding is like. Arriving with a party spirit is the best approach for international guests. Learning a few key Spanish phrases will be greatly appreciated. For the couple, incorporating local food into the menu and mixing locals and foreigners at the tables helps make the event a true blend of cultures, where everyone is interacting and having fun together.”

There are a few concepts that Mexican weddings have borrowed from U.S. nuptials. I was amused to hear phrases in English peppered into the wedding planning meetings, such as that special morning ritual known in both languages as the bride’s “getting-ready.” During the planning, we were frequently asked if something was a ”nice to have”” or a  “need to have.” The term “bridezilla” exists in both languages, though, of course, it was never spoken during our planning process or on the wedding day — certainly not by me, and definitely never louder than a whisper. 

Overall, our blended wedding in Yucatán was a roaring success, with both locals and foreign guests delighted by everything from the food to the decor to the wild partying through the night. The one place where the cultural differences were most noticeable was on the dance floor: on the Mexican side, everyone from toddlers and to grandmothers danced with rhythm and grace. For the gringos… well, let’s say that our talents shone in other ways, as we impressed everyone with our capacity to consume prodigious amounts of food and mezcal.

Stewart Merritt is a professor and freelance writer based in Mérida. A native of California, he has been visiting Mexico his entire life, especially the Pacific coast, where he likes to surf. This summer he will marry his Yucatecan fiancé.

Carlos Slim says President Sheinbaum’s plans will boost investment in Mexico

By
MND Staff
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Carlos SLim and Claudia Sheinbaum walking and talking together on a sidewalk in Mexico City
Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, left, seen here at an event with President Sheinbaum in June, had a private meeting with Sheinbaum Tuesday. (Claudia Sheinbaum)

The Mexican economy is currently slowing, but Carlos Slim offered an optimistic forecast for the years ahead after a meeting with President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday.

After leaving the National Palace in the historic center of Mexico City, Mexico’s richest person was asked for his opinion on the current state of the Mexican economy and the outlook for Latin America’s second largest market.

Francisco Cervantes, Claudia Sheinbaum and Carlos Slim all stancing in a room of Mexico's National Palace.
Slim attended the National Palace meeting with Sheinbaum about Mexico’s economy with Francisco Cervantes, head of Mexico’s Business Coordinating Council, a lobbying group for major businesses in Mexico.

“Is a good year coming for Mexico?” asked a reporter.

“Many years. Many years. Many very good years in the future,” Slim said as he slowly departed in his car with Business Coordinating Council (CCE) President Francisco Cervantes seated next to him.

The octogenarian billionaire, owner of companies such as Telcel, Telmex, Sanborns and Carso Infrastructure and Construction, said that the Mexican economy is currently in “good” shape, despite slowing growth this year, and declared that it has “a lot of potential.”

The economy has “a lot of strength for when we start doing more significant things with the United States,” said Slim, appearing to refer to joint initiatives such as the Mexico-U.S. semiconductor partnership.

The magnate — currently the 19th richest person in the world, according to Forbes — said that there will be “a lot of private investment” in Mexico in the coming years, and asserted that 2025 will be a “very important” year as “many” new projects will commence.

Slim said that his companies would collaborate with the government on some projects, but didn’t reveal which ones. Asked whether he would contribute to the construction of new rail projects planned by Sheinbaum, he said he didn’t yet know.

Slim has enjoyed a close relationship with both Sheinbaum and her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Carso Infrastructure and Construction led a consortium that built one section of the Maya Train railroad during the six-year term of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and also contributed to the construction of Line 12 of the Mexico City metro, an elevated part of which collapsed in 2021,  claiming the lives of 26 train passengers.

Cervantes, the CCE president, told reporters that private and public investment was the main focus of the meeting with Sheinbaum.

“Extraordinary meeting with the President Claudia Sheinbaum and the Engineer Carlos Slim to promote national and foreign investment, create jobs and combat poverty,” he wrote on social media.

“… There are a lot of opportunities ahead for our economy and a good future for Mexico,” Cervantes said.

Sheinbaum: Slim will help ‘boost’ private investment in Mexico 

At her morning press conference on Wednesday, Sheinbaum said that she spoke to Slim in “general terms” about “how he sees the country” and “the importance of private investment.”

President Sheinbaum standing at a podium at a press conference with her hands in front of her, gesturing as she speaks. Behind her is the Mexican flag.
At her daily press conference Tuesday morning, Sheinbaum reported that she had stressed to Slim the importance of private investment and of spreading nearshoring’s impact across Mexico. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)

“I spoke to him about the relocation and regional development program we have,” she said, referring to the government’s efforts to attract foreign companies to Mexico and ensure that nearshoring investment is spread across the country.

“He was very interested,” Sheinbaum said before describing Slim as a very “learned man with whom it’s always worth speaking.”

“It was a polite conversation,” she said, adding that it was particularly focused on how Slim can help the government “boost private investment … for the development of the country.”

She reiterated that the aim of investment is not just economic growth but also “development with well-being.”

“So it was a very good discussion, and the truth is he’s going to help us get ahead,” said Sheinbaum, who last week assured Mexican and United States business leaders that their investments in Mexico are “safe.”

Slim predicted in late 2022 that the Mexican economy would boom in coming years as the United States reduces its reliance on Chinese-made products. At the same time, he said that increased investment in manufacturing capacity in Mexico could spur annual economic growth of 6% or higher, almost double the economic expansion recorded in 2023.

The new federal government appears determined to reduce Mexico’s reliance on Chinese imports by increasing domestic manufacturing capacity. Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard recently said that the Sheinbaum administration is looking at “how we can reduce all the imports we have” and aiming to “increase what is produced in Mexico.”

With reports from El Financiero, Aristegui Noticias, La Jornada and Milenio

Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela inspired both US Latinos and fans back home

By
MND Staff
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2
Fernando Valenzuela, wearing a baseball uniform shirt of the Quintana Roo Tigres, stands next to and points at an image on a wall of a larger-than-life version of his baseball shirt for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Valenzuela, who was Mexican by birth and beloved by Latinos in the U.S. and Mexicans back home, was honored in 2019 at the Beto Avila baseball stadium in Cancún, home of the Mexican Baseball League team Los Tigres de Quintana Roo. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

Fernando Valenzuela, the baseball pitcher from Sonora who won Major League Baseball’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1981 and sparked a phenomenon known as “Fernandomania” among Los Angeles Dodgers fans, died on Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 63.

The Dodgers said that Valenzuela died at a Los Angeles hospital but did not state the cause.

Fernando Valenzuela in his Los Angeles Dodgers uniform the Dodgers bullpen, in motion from having just thrown a baseball.
Valenzuela warming up in the Dodgers’ bullpen in 1981. (Jim Accordino/Wikimedia Commons)

The Sonora native — widely considered Mexico’s best-ever baseball player — stepped down from his job as a commentator on the Dodgers’ Spanish-language television broadcast last month, triggering concerns about his health. He was reportedly hospitalized earlier this month.

Born in 1960 in Etchohuaquila, a small town in the municipality of Navojoa, Valenzuela quickly rose to fame as a 20-year-old pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1981 MLB season.

“In 1981, beginning with a 2-0 Opening Day shutout of the Houston Astros in an emergency start, he went on an unprecedented career-opening run, with complete games in his first eight career starts — five of them shutouts,” the Dodgers said in a press release announcing Valenzuela’s death.

“… Immediately, Fernandomania became a fan sensation,” the team added.

Valenzuela’s Earned Run Average, or ERA, during his early-career eight-game winning streak was an exceptional 0.50.

His impressive performances in the 1981 season earned Valenzuela the MLB Rookie of the Year Award and the Cy Young Award, given to the best pitchers in the two leagues that together constitute Major League Baseball. No other player has won the two awards in the same year.

Valenzuela — especially beloved by Latino fans of the Dodgers — went on to play 11 seasons at Dodger Stadium before playing for five other MLB teams, including the Los Angeles Angels and the Philadelphia Phillies. He played his last MLB game for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1997.

During a lengthy and illustrious career, Valenzuela was a World Series champion twice (1981 and 1988), played in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game every year between 1981 and 1986, won the Gold Glove Award for fielding in 1986 and the Silver Slugger Award twice (1981,1983) for his batting exploits.

He was a guest at a White House luncheon hosted by U.S. President Ronald Reagan during a visit by then Mexican president José López Portillo in 1981 and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in May 1981 alongside the headline “Unreal!”

The popular left-handed pitcher was well known for his unique windup and his screwball pitches.

Stan Kasten, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers, said Tuesday that Valenzuela “is one of the most influential Dodgers ever and belongs on the Mount Rushmore of franchise heroes.”

“He galvanized the fan base with the Fernandomania season of 1981 and has remained close to our hearts ever since, not only as a player but also as a broadcaster,” he said.

“He has left us all too soon. Our deepest condolences go out to his wife Linda and his family,” Kasten said.

On social media, the Dodgers’ Twitter account posted an image showing Valenzuela at different stages of his life. Five words appear at the top of the image: “Fernandomanía por siempre. Fernandomania for ever.”

Veteran Dodgers announcer Vin Scully told The Los Angeles Times in 1991 that “Fernandomania bordered on a religious experience.”

“Fernando being Mexican, coming from nowhere, it was as though Mexicans grabbed onto him with both hands to ride to the moon,” said the now-deceased sportscaster.

Los Angeles Dodgers baseball legend Fernando Valenzuela signing baseballs held in front of him by people while a man with a news video camera on his shoulder looks on
Valenzuela, from Sonora, returned to Mexico several times, as recently as 2022, when he was a guest of honor at a baseball clinic for children in Mexico City. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

Valenzuela’s “spectacular start” to his career “ignited the ‘Fernandomania’ phenomenon,” The New York Times reported.

“His games filled Dodger Stadium and ballparks around the league. Merchandise sales rose, television ratings spiked, and media attention, from journalists in both the United States and Mexico, peaked,” the Times said.

“The ABBA hit ‘Fernando’ would play as he warmed up on the mound,” noted the Associated Press.

The Dodgers inducted Valenzuela as part of the inaugural class of the Legends of Dodger Baseball in 2018 and retired his number — 34 — on August 11, 2023, according to the team’s press release on Tuesday.

“Valenzuela has been named to numerous Halls of Fame, including the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame. He was very active in supporting various team and Latino initiatives in the community. He was honored for his work in [the] Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities Program with their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007,” the statement added.

The baseball legend, one of fewer than 150 Mexicans who have played MLB, is survived by his wife Linda, four children and seven grandchildren, according to the Dodgers.

The Dodgers’ social media account posted tributes to the legendary pitcher after his death was announced, including this montage of footage of him pitching in Game 3 of the 1981 World Series.

A remarkable life 

Valenzuela was the youngest of 12 children born to Avelino Valenzuela and María Anguamea, who had a small farm in Etchohuaquila, a rural community known as a ranchería in Mexico.

“Farmland and the baseball diamond were the places that marked the childhood of the ex-player,” according to the Reforma newspaper.

Fernando Valenzuela in a Aguilas de Mexicali baseball uniform, in mid-pitch during a game.
After retiring from Major League Baseball, Valenzuela stayed active in the sport in Mexico, including playing for the Mexcali Águilas in the 2000s. (Águilas de Mexicali/Facebook)

Valenzuela’s birthplace was part of the long version of his nickname: “El Toro de Etchohuaquila,” or “The Bull of Etchohuaquila.” The short version was “El Toro” or simply “Toro.”

Valenzuela started his professional baseball career in Mexico, playing for teams such as the Cafeteros de Tepic – which gave him his first contract at age 17 – the Leones de Yucatán and the Tuzos de Guanajuato.

Legendary Dodgers scout Mike Brito traveled to Guanajuato in the late 1970s to watch a shortstop, Ali Uscanga, play, but “his attention was diverted by the performance of Valenzuela, who struck out 12 batters,” The New York Times reported.

The Dodgers signed Valenzuela in 1979 “and sent him to the minor leagues, where he augmented his fastball and curveball with a screwball he learned from Bobby Castillo, one of the team’s pitchers,” the Times said.

Brito’s scouting report on the man who would become known as “El Toro” said: “This kid is a good Major League prospect” with “a lot of poise” and “good control for a left-handed pitcher of his age.”

Valenzuela made his MLB debut for the Dodgers in September 1980 before going on to have the aforementioned sensational start to his 1981 season that sparked the unforgettable “Fernandomania” phenomenon.

Fernando Valenzuela in a blue suit jacket and jeans holding two fingers up and holding a baseball glove in another hand as he stands inside the Hermosillo Naranjeros baseball team stadium, Estadio Fernando Valenzuela, which is in large red letters in the background of the photo
Valenzuela later in life in the Hermosillo, Sonora, stadium named after him. (Club Naranjeros)

After his long MLB career, Valenzuela returned to Mexico and pitched for a few years in his 40s in the Mexican winter league. In 2003, he returned to the Dodgers to join the team’s Spanish-language broadcasts as a color commentator, and he became a U.S. citizen in 2015.

Forty-three years after his breakout season with the Dodgers, “The Bull of Etchohuaquila” reached the final inning of his life journey, prompting an outpouring of sadness and tributes on both sides of the Mexico-United States border.

“I think all Mexicans are sad due to the loss of Valenzuela,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said at her morning press conference on Wednesday.

“Our solidarity with his family and with all of Mexico,” she said.

With reports from AP, Reforma and The New York Times 

Nat Geo names Guadalajara among the ‘Best of the World’ to visit in 2025

By
MND Staff
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3
Rear view of the Guadalajara cathedral
From cities in Italy to Malaysia and Guatemala, Guadalajara made it to the coveted travel list thanks to its International Mariachi and Charrería Festival. (Shutterstock)

National Geographic magazine has revealed the Best of the World 2025 list, and Guadalajara is included in it for its “quintessentially Mexican music of Mariachi.”  

From cities in Italy to Malaysia and Guatemala, Guadalajara made it to the coveted travel list thanks to its International Mariachi and Charrería Festival, held for two weeks every August and September.   

'El hombre en llamas' (1935-1939), by José Clemente Orozco in Hospicio Cabañas (Guadalajara).
National Geographic magazine has revealed the Best of the World 2025 list, and Guadalajara (Jalisco) is included for its “quintessentially Mexican music of Mariachi.” (Sergio Rodríguez/Unsplash)

“The streets come alive with music,” the magazine’s editor-in-chief Nathan Lump told CNN ahead of the list’s reveal. “That’s going to bring a lot of joy.”

The destinations, selected every year by the magazine’s explorers, photographers and editors, include 25 places around the globe that offer one distinctive feeling, said Lump: joy. 

 “This year, understanding the complexity of the times that we live in and some of the challenges that are present in so many places on the planet”, Lump told CNN, “we wanted to lean into things that we felt like were just really fun, that really kind of tapped into the joy of travel, the excitement of discovery.”

Javier Arroyo Navarro, head of the Chamber of Commerce of Guadalajara, the organizer of the event, told the newspaper El Informador that they feel “very proud” of having been recognized by the world-renowned publication.

“With the sum of our wills”, Navarro stated, “our festival continues to gain prestige worldwide. For all of us, Mariachi and charrería will continue to be a symbol of culture and tradition that transcends borders.”

Rear view of the Guadalajara cathedral
The destinations, selected every year by the magazine’s explorers, photographers and editors, include 25 places around the globe. (Sergio Rodríguez/Unsplash)

Why visit Guadalajara in 2025?

Every summer since 1994, Guadalajara has hosted the International Mariachi and Charrería Festival, bringing together over 500 ensembles to perform at the Teatro Degollado and public squares. The event also features parades, music workshops and exciting rodeo competitions of charrería, Mexico’s national sport. 

Charrería is an art and discipline that emerged from equestrian activities and cattle ranching traditions. While the state of Hidalgo is considered “the cradle of charrería,” Jalisco is one of the sports’ biggest exponents. 

Two charro men, dressed in their typical attire.
Jalisco is known for Mariachi music, particularly in Guadalajara. (Wikimedia Commons)

Moreover, mariachi is the quintessential sound of Mexico, as described by National Geographic. It originated in the late 19th century in central Jalisco and usually features instruments like guitar, guitarrón, vihuela, violin, harp, and trumpets. A defining feature of mariachi is the operatic vocal style of its lead singers.  

Both mariachi and charrería are intertwined: the folkloric attire of the mariachi musicians is largely inspired by the charro costume. The outfit includes fitted trousers adorned with buttons, a short jacket, an embroidered belt, boots, a wide bowtie and the traditional wide embroidered hat. Female “charras” substitute the trousers with a long skirt. 

Charrería and mariachi have been recognized by UNESCO as examples of Mexico’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

With reports from CNN and El Informador

Plans for Tijuana desalinization plant appear to finally be moving forward

By
MND Staff
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4
Running water faucets
The greater Tijuana area's rapid growth has led to major water scarcity problems and an expensive distribution system that transports Tijuana's water supply from the Colorado River. (Shutterstock)

The northern Mexico state of Baja California is betting on desalinization to solve the Tijuana area’s drinking water scarcity, and after five years with a planned project at a standstill, efforts to build a desalinization plant in Rosarito are finally moving forward again, according to state officials. 

After two years of legal wrangling between the state government and Consolidated Water — the firm fired from the original project to build the plant — the two parties came to a resolution this summer that saw the Mexican government purchase the 201,000-square-meter parcel of land in Rosarito. The parcel, valued at just over 596 million pesos (US $30.06 million), is now owned by Mexico’s National Infrastructure Fund (Fonadin).

An acqueduct over a body of water in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
The Morelos Dam in the Mexicali Valley, from which water from the Colorado River must be transported from to supply Tijuana. (Tercero Díaz/Cuartoscuro)

The dispute first arose in 2019, after the state government unilaterally canceled its contract with Consolidated Water. The company sued the state to recoup US $51 million, and as Consolidated Water owned the plant site land parcel the project came to a halt as the legal dispute lingered.

The suit was finally resolved in international arbitration this summer, and the state is now in the process of seeking bidders for the project, which would be essentially the same as the one specified in the original contract, Baja California’s Finance Minster Antonio Moreno Mexía said.

The state now plans to invest US $690 million in building the desalinization plant with a new bidder, Moreno said, adding that the boost in available water is expected to solve water scarcity problems for over 2.1 million people in Tijuana, Rosarito and southward toward Tecate city for about a decade.

Tijuana and its suburbs have expanded rapidly into urban sprawl over the last 40 years, which has exacerbated water scarcity. Tijuana presently gets most of its water from the Colorado River, which is also drawn from by cities over the border in the United States, and whose water supply, by all accounts, is shrinking.

In addition, this system requires significant energy to transport water approximately 100 kilometers (about 62 miles). The Baja California State Water Commission expects the desalinization plant to reduce electricity demand associated with water distribution by up to 36%. The new system would eliminate the need to treat the Colorado River water to make it potable, state authorities say.

The plant will be fed 8.8 cubic meters per second of seawater and is expected to produce 4.4 cubic meters per second of drinking water. Any residual salt water will be returned to the sea.

While addressing the region’s water scarcity would seem at first glance unproblematic, the project has its critics, who say that a desalinization plant should be the option of last resort, citing a negative impact on the environment and the costs of construction.

Alfonso Cortez Lara, the Director of the Mexicali Unit of the College of the Northern Border, suggested that the state government should instead invest in improvements to water distribution infrastructure.

Approximately 30% of Tijuana’s water is lost due to leaks in the system, he said.

With reports from Forbes, Zeta and El Sol de Tijuana

Mexican architecture collective wins 2024 Obel Award for community-forward designs

By
MND Staff
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0
Mirador Graciela Balancán in Nacajuca (Tabasco)
“Colectivo C733 exemplifies the power of collective action and collaborative design to rapidly respond to urgent urban needs,” the award's jury said. (C733/Instagram)

The Danish Henrik F. Obel Foundation has granted the 2024 Obel Award to a body of 36 public works by the Mexican architectural design firm Colectivo C733. 

Promoted by the Agrarian, Land and Urban Development Ministry (Sedatu), the projects restored vulnerable urban and rural areas across Mexico through a collaborative and community-focused approach. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Colectivo c733 (@c733_)

“Colectivo C733 exemplifies the power of collective action and collaborative design to rapidly respond to urgent urban needs,” the jury said. “Their ability to transform 36 communities through thoughtful, resource-efficient and dignified architectural interventions is a blueprint for future public works projects worldwide.”

Each year, the Obel Award establishes a focus. For this edition, the jury sought projects that were designed not only for the community but with the community. “Colectivo C733 points towards new approaches to the practice of designing and shaping our collectively built environment,” the Obel jury wrote.  

Founded in 2019, Colectivo C733 is made up of the architecture practices of Gabriela Carrillo (Taller Gabriela Carrillo) and Carlos Facio & José Amozurrutia (TO), along with Eric Valdez (Labg) and Israel Espin. The firm is known for creating modular, flexible and cost-efficient designs that allow for different combinations and contextualized variations, depending on the local environment.

The award’s judges said that the collective’s success is particularly remarkable given that they completed in 36 months what would have initially taken years, all within a “complex” social, political, environmental and financial context. Bringing together 30 architects and a multidisciplinary team of consultants, they compressed the process within a timeframe “practically unheard of by today’s standards.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Colectivo c733 (@c733_)

The winning 36 projects include works in the following communities across Mexico: San Blas, Tulum, Tapachula, Bacalar, Ciudad Acuña, Matamoros, Ayoxuxtla, Nacajuca, Tamulté, Xpujil, Balancán and Tenosique. Colectivo C733’s Casa de Música, in Nacajuca, Tabasco, also won the 2023 Work of the Year award granted by ArchDaily to the best architecture in Latin America and Spain. 

About the Henrik F. Obel Foundation

The Obel Award recognizes outstanding architectural contributions to social and ecological development around the world. The winning projects should offer seminal approaches to urgent problems and a commitment to the common good. 

The award is granted every year by the Henrik F. Obel Foundation, founded by an endowment left by Henrik Frode Obel (1942 – 2014), a notable Danish businessman who devoted his entire fortune to creating a foundation that rewards exceptional works of architecture. 

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