Roughly 340 students attend the school, located in the Magdalena Contreras borough of Mexico City. (Escuela A Favor del Niño)
The Escuela A Favor del Niño (AFN) in Mexico City was recognized with the international World’s Best School Prize in the Community Collaboration category, becoming the first Mexican institution to receive this award.
AFN is a charity school that offers preschool and primary education. It earned the award for its comprehensive, community-driven model focused on supporting marginalized students.
Director Daniela Jiménez Moyao credited the win to the hard work of the school’s teachers, families and students. (World’s Best School via Eje Central)
School Director Daniela Jiménez Moyao said the recognition represented a “historic moment” for her community and for education in Mexico. She said it is “a testament to the collective efforts of families, teachers, allies and children who inspire us every day to continue transforming lives.”
The model, which is one of a kind in Mexico, seeks to defuse structural problems — like poverty, malnutrition, fragile health and weak family ties — with shared care networks. It combines formal education with socio-emotional care, physical health and nutrition.
The publication Infobae reports that 100% of recent graduates have been accepted into high-performing secondary schools, their grades remain high and family engagement exceeds 80%. After graduating from AFN’s primary school, students continue to receive continuing support from the program as they continue on to high school.
AFN is located in San Jerónimo Lídice, a neighborhood in the borough of La Magdalena Contreras in Mexico City. It serves more than 335 students with an extended 10-hour school day and ongoing teacher training.
The Escola Estadual Parque Dos Sonhos, in São Paulo, Brasil, was the only other school in Latin America to recieve an award. It was recognized in the “Overcoming Adversity” category for becoming a “sanctuary” for students exposed to poverty, violence and pollution.
The other winning schools include the Franklin School (Jersey City, United States) for innovation, Arbor School (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) for environmental action, and SK Putrajaya Presint 11 (Malaysia) for supporting healthy living.
The award-winning schools will attend the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E on Nov. 15 and 16 to share their best practices with global education leaders.
World’s Best School Prizes is a prestigious international educational award established by T4 Education in 2022 to recognize best practices and innovations in education around the world.
Sheinbaum emphasized on Wednesday that her government has a responsibility to keep its promises to the people of Mexico, outlined in 100 commitments she made one year ago. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
President Claudia Sheinbaum was congratulated by reporters shortly after she appeared in the Treasury Hall of the National Palace for her Wednesday morning press conference.
Sheinbaum, in turn, congratulated the press corps for “enduring the first year of [her] mañaneras.”
‘The most important thing is to maintain conviction’
A reporter asked the president what “single adjective” she would use to describe her first year as Mexico’s president.
“Now, you’ve really made it hard for me,” Sheinbaum responded.
“… We come from a social movement, from the fight for democracy, from the fight for the well-being of the people, from the fight for freedoms,” she said.
“And I believe that the most important thing is to maintain conviction,” Sheinbaum said without directly responding to the reporter’s question.
“… There is a conviction of service to the people above all else,” she said.
Like her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Sheinbaum has made providing support for Mexico’s most disadvantaged citizens — especially through welfare programs — her government’s raison d’être. She is also committed to improving the lives of Mexican women.
The president alluded to that commitment in a video she shared to social media on Wednesday to mark the completion of her first year in office. Among Sheinbaum’s remarks included in the video are:
It’s time for women. All of us women are arriving [to the presidency] and that’s very, very powerful.
I’m convinced that we are on the verge of a new era, that of the rebirth of Mexico.
I will not fail you.
I’m [just] another citizen in this magnificent country, with a responsibility that the people gave me.
Mexico is a free, independent and sovereign country.
‘We have to achieve the 100 points’
Sheinbaum told reporters that her government has a responsibility to keep its promises to the people of Mexico.
“We committed to 100 points, we have to achieve the 100 points,” she said.
Those commitments included reducing high-impact crimes such as homicides, developing new passenger railroads, lifting the minimum wage on an annual basis and commencing the production of lithium “with our own technology.”
The greatest challenges Sheinbaum has faced … will be revealed on Sunday
Asked what challenges she has faced during her first year as president, Sheinbaum told reporters they will have to wait until Sunday.
What has Sheinbaum missed the most during her first year as president?
A reporter asked the president what she has missed the most “from her daily life” during the first year of her presidency.
“Perhaps being more with the family,” Sheinbaum said.
“… One always sacrifices that part. I would like to spend more time with my grandson,” she said.
Sheinbaum’s stepson from her first marriage has a young son. The president, who married for a second time in 2023, has a daughter from her first marriage, which lasted almost 30 years.
San Luis Potosí Governor Ricardo Gallardo recently made a working visit to Japan and opened up a state trade office with that country in his ongoing effort to atttract even more Japanese investment to his state. (Ricardo Gallardo/X)
The recent announcement by Japanese manufacturer Daikan that it plans to spend 7 billion pesos (US $380 million) on a third plant in San Luis Potosí is the latest confirmation of the Bajío state’s ability to attract more Japanese investment than any other Mexican entity.
In fact, Governor Ricardo Gallardo Cardona, recently returned from a work trip to Japan, said he expects Japanese investment in San Luis Potosí to increase significantly as part of a broader strategy to attract new projects from Asia amid the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. He predicted that his state could attract at least 10 new investments in what remains of 2025, primarily from Japan.
Daikin’s plan to add a third plant to its San Luis Potosí operations underscores the success that the state has had in attracting Japanese investment. (Daikin.com.mx)
Following a recent work trip in Japan, Gallardo said that a key component of the state’s strategy is the new San Luis Potosí Representative Office in Tokyo, the only such office maintained by any Mexican state. Its function is to facilitate bilateral relations and to attract Japanese capital.
According to Gallardo, the representative office will soon be able to serve more than 50 Japanese companies operating in San Luis Potosí.
“Opening this office in Tokyo and strengthening our relationship with Japan will create opportunities for employment, development, and investment for the benefit of the people of San Luis Potosí,” Gallardo said, highlighting the cultural, academic, and economic benefits this initiative will bring.
He noted that during his visit in September, he held meetings with high-level officials and representatives from various organizations. These included the Japan External Trade Organization, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Mexican Embassy in Japan and corporations such as Zensho Holdings.
These discussions were focused on investment projects in key sectors, including automotive, electromobility, agribusiness, and technology. Also discussed was the relevance of the Mexico-Japan Free Trade Agreement, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Daikan’s third plant in San Luis Potosí is expected to create 3,500 jobs during its initial phase, with the potential to balloon to 6,000 jobs over the next two years.
Taking Mexico's Tourist Fair to China gave tourism authorities and entrepreneurs a rare opportunity to hold a variety of meetings with their Asian counterparts to promote Chinese tourism across Mexico. (Jefatura de Gobierno CDMX)
Mexico is famous for its Tianguis Turístico (Tourism Fair) and for the first time it hosted one in Beijing, China, on Sept. 25 and 26, gathering representatives from travel agencies, tour operators and other companies in the tourism industry, as well as government officials and future tourists.
The fair’s main objective was to encourage the arrival of Chinese tourists to Mexico, who already form an increasingly important market for Mexico, with China being one of the top 10 sources of international travelers to the country.
A number of Mexican states — such as Guerrero, Baja California and Nayarit — had a chance to share samples of their culture with potential Chinese tourists. (@Jorge_Zamora/X)
Last year, between January and November 2024, Mexican airports served 188,000 Chinese tourists, totaling 52,000 more travelers than in the same period last year. This figure, which is the highest since records began, places China as Mexico’s largest Asian source of tourism.
Attendees included delegates from Baja California, Chiapas, Mexico City, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Michoacán and Nayarit, and officials from the Maya Train and Mundo Maya Group.
The Mexican officials held meetings with China’s Culture and Tourism Minister Sun Yeli, seeking to foster collaboration in the tourism industry. They also held bilateral meetings with tour operators, airlines, hotel companies, Chinese travel agencies, and tourism-focused digital platforms.
“These efforts are essential to strengthening strategic alliances that enhance air connectivity and market Mexican destinations,” the Tourism Ministry said in a statement, adding that the meetings’ objective was to promote tourist packages that integrate culture, gastronomy, nature, and authentic experiences, “to ensure a continuous flow of quality visitors.”
The fair also offered more than 300 diners the opportunity to taste typical dishes prepared by Mexican chef Paola Vargas. Likewise, the Mexican Academy of Gastronomy awarded the “M Seal,” which is granted to Mexican restaurants abroad that meet certain authenticity standards related to ingredients, techniques, processes and personnel trained in Mexican food.
Overall, the fair hosted 141 business meetings and six gatherings between Mexican states and Chinese provinces to promote cooperation agreements. Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez Zamora highlighted the event’s importance in strengthening bilateral relations and promoting Mexico as a world-class cultural, natural, and gastronomic destination.
The name options for the firefly draw from the legacies of five Mexican women who “illuminated the country's history with their wisdom, strength and legacy,” as noted by Mexico's environmental agency. (Sedema)
A new species of firefly has been discovered in Chapultepec Forest, and residents of Mexico City and beyond are being asked to help give it a name.
The find emerged from the 2024 BioBlitz, a local scientific and citizen observation project in Chapultepec Forest — the historical and more ecologically focused name for the monumental green space in the nation’s capital that has been developed into Chapultepec Park.
Researchers confirmed that specimens from the genus Photinus collected in the forest did not match any known species.
With this addition, announced last week by officials from Mexico City’s Environment Ministry (Sedema), the capital now counts 17 firefly species — among the 300 or so in all of Mexico.
To mark the discovery, the city has launched a public vote to decide the insect’s scientific name. People can cast ballots through Sunday, Oct. 5 on the Plaza Pública platform.
The name options draw from the legacies of five Mexican women who “illuminated the country’s history with their wisdom, strength and legacy,” as noted by Sedema.
The ballot “Mexican Women Who Enlighten Us” consists of:
Irene Elena Motts Beal: A 20th-century pioneer in the teaching of biology who created natural science textbooks.
Magdalena Cervantes Castañeda: An Indigenous teacher with a vast knowledge of medicinal plants and a teaching methodology that encourages her students to become teachers.
Malinalli Tenepal: A slave in the early 1500s whose talent for languages enabled her to be a translator and mediator between the Mesoamerican peoples and Hernán Cortés.
María Sabina: A well-known healer in the early 20th century with a deep knowledge of traditional medicine.
Rosario Castellanos: One of the most important Mexican poets and essayists of the 20th century.
The name of the winner will be adapted in the official species name of the insect, such as Photinus irenemottsae or Photinus malinalliae.
In 2024, a group of scientists and citizens collected specimens of fireflies in Chapultepec, later discovering that one of the fluorescent bugs was a completely new species. (Bosque de Chapultepec)
Mexico ranks second in the world for firefly diversity, with about 300 documented species, though eight in 10 Mexicans under 25 have reportedly never seen a firefly.
Fireflies face mounting threats across the country. Researchers warn that populations have been falling due to climate change, loss of humidity in soils, pesticide use and habitat destruction. Additionally, light pollution is a growing concern in urban zones, as it specifically disrupts firefly mating signals.
Chapultepec Forest remains one of the last refuges in the capital where summer rains bring visible swarms of bioluminescent beetles — luciérnaga in Spanish, meaning firefly or lightning bug in English — signaling ecosystem health.
Scientists stress that protecting firefly habitats in Chapultepec Park and the nation’s other firefly hotspots — such as areas in the states of Tlaxcala, Michoacán and Puebla — is the most effective way to ensure fireflies continue to illuminate Mexico’s nights.
The Bank of Mexico (Banxico) reported on Wednesday that incoming remittances totaled US $5.57 billion in August, a decline of 8.3% compared to the same month of 2024. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
The inflow of remittances to Mexico declined in annual terms for a fifth consecutive month in August, while income from the international monetary transfers was also down in the first eight months of the year.
The Bank of Mexico (Banxico) reported on Wednesday that incoming remittances totaled US $5.57 billion in August, a decline of 8.3% compared to the same month of 2024.
On a positive note, remittances increased 4.6% compared to July to reach their highest monthly total this year. The August total also exceeded expectations.
Banxico data also shows that Mexico received $40.46 billion in remittances in the first eight months of 2025, a 5.9% decrease compared to the same period of last year.
The annual decrease in incoming remittances was the first contraction for the same period in 12 years and the largest decline in 16 years. Income from remittances — money that helps millions of Mexican families make ends meet — is on track to decline in 2025 for the first time in more than a decade.
The vast majority of remittances to Mexico are sent by Mexicans who live and work in the United States, where the Trump administration’s deportation agenda has created fear among the large Mexican migrant community and caused some people to limit their movements outside their homes.
Analysts have partially attributed the decline in remittances to Mexico this year to fear of going out to work among U.S.-based Mexicans, of whom 4.3 million are “unauthorized” immigrants, according to the bank BBVA.
The United States will begin imposing a 1% tax on outgoing remittances funded with cash on Jan. 1, 2026.
Remittances data in detail
Banxico data also shows that:
A total of 13.87 million individual remittances were sent to Mexico in August, a 7.2% decline compared to the same month of 2024.
The average remittance to Mexico in August was $402, an annual decline of 1.2%.
In the first eight months of 2024, 102.88 million individual remittances were sent to Mexico, an annual decline of 5.2%.
The average remittance to Mexico between January and August was $393, an annual decline of 0.7%.
Over 99% of remittances in the first eight months of the year were sent to Mexico electronically.
Remittances sent out of Mexico in August totaled $91 million, a 12.1% annual decline.
Outgoing remittances between January and August totaled $778 million, a 13.5% annual decline.
Other need-to-know economic data
The USD:MXN exchange rate was 18.36 at 12:15 p.m. Mexico City time on Wednesday, representing a slight depreciation for the peso compared to the closing rate on Tuesday.
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is up for a formal review in July 2026, but internal discussions have already begun. (Shutterstock)
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Tuesday that much of the negotiations during the 2026 review of the trilateral USMCA free trade pact will be bilateral rather than between Mexico, the United States and Canada.
His remark came after United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that the USMCA negotiations will “probably” be more bilateral than trilateral.
Mexico’s economy minister addressed comments made by the U.S. Trade Representative suggesting that the United States would pursue bilateral trade agreements in place of a trilateral agreement at the USMCA review next year. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
Speaking to reporters at an event in Mexico City, Ebrard said that USMCA-related talks “always have high bilateral content for natural reasons.”
He said it is “inevitable” that the USMCA review will include bilateral negotiations, as there are distinct bilateral trade relationships within the framework of the trilateral pact.
“For example, we’re the main exporter of tomatoes [to the United States] and in contrast, Canada’s main export is lumber,” Ebrard said.
“… There are many bilateral issues on our part, not just with the United States but with Canada as well,” he said.
“With … [Canada], for example, we have many issues regarding mines, but there are also other [issues] that are trilateral, like the dispute resolution system,” Ebrard said.
“That’s probably what the U.S. trade representative was referring to,” he added.
Trade between Mexico, the United States and Canada is worth nearly US $2 trillion annually, according to the USTR.
The USMCA trade pact has been significantly undermined this year by Trump, whose administration has imposed tariffs on a range of imports from Mexico and Canada, including steel, aluminum and vehicles.
According to the news service World Trade Online, Greer said that “the U.S. expects coming negotiations about the future of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to be conducted on a more bilateral basis as Washington seeks to address trade frictions with each partner.”
The newspaper El País reported that he said that the negotiations will “probably” be bilateral.
Jamieson Greer, who heads the U.S. Office of the Trade Representative, said on Tuesday that “the U.S. expects coming negotiations … to be conducted on a more bilateral basis as Washington seeks to address trade frictions with each partner.” (@USTradeRep/X)
United States President Donald Trump is unhappy that the U.S has large trade deficits with both Mexico and Canada, and has used tariffs to pressure the governments of the two countries to do more to stop the flow of narcotics, especially fentanyl, across their borders with the U.S. He has indicated that he wants to “renegotiate” the USMCA, not just review it.
Robert Lighthizer, U.S. trade representative during the first Trump administration, has indicated that the revision of the USMCA “will be far tougher than most investors and strategists expect,” according to Bloomberg columnist Juan Pablo Spinetto.
“That was my takeaway after hearing the former U.S. Trade Representative speak this week in Mexico City to a group of business leaders, academics and government officials,” Spinetto wrote in a column published last Friday.
“What was meant to be a routine six-year revision of the treaty, in force since 2020, is quickly morphing into a full-blown renegotiation, one that will demand exceptional patience and negotiating skills from Mexico if it hopes to reach safe harbor,” he wrote.
In a report published last month, the United States Department of State said that the Mexican government has not issued USMCA “implementing regulations in several areas, according to investors, complicating the operating environment for the telecommunications, financial services, and energy sectors.”
Fireworks, religion and history collide in San Miguel de Allende's "La Alborada," a festival unlike any other in Mexico. (Tres Cervezas)
Fireworks displays are at the epicenter of polarizing conversations among those passing through or planting roots in San Miguel de Allende. “But, why must they do it at such odd hours?” many newcomers wonder, voicing their exhaustion from being kept up by the earth-shattering nightly blasts. The simplest answer? It’s a tradition.
Never does this cultural patrimony ring louder or feel more ubiquitously explosive than during La Alborada, or “The Dawn,” San Miguel’s annual citywide festival honoring collective faith in the triumph of good over evil. Kicked off with a boisterous cascade of rocket-like illuminations at daybreak, the multi-day merriment will spill into nearly every street from Oct. 3-12 this year.
San Miguel de Allende is noted for its vibrant and diverse festivals, including La Alborada. (Unsplash/Shane Lei)
What to expect for this year’s festival
Flanked by a sea of massive paper stars, this year’s 101st iteration of the event honoring San Miguel de Allende’s patron saint begins on the eve of Friday, October 3, with drummers and dancers leading lively parades. The modern-day presentations of La Fábrica la Aurora factory workers’ visions of devotion from the 1920s will then transform into a sparkling spectacle that extends beyond downtown into El Teatro del Pueblo, the refurbished site of the county fair.
Local families will get priority access to the Feria before 7:30 p.m. As San Miguel de Allende Mayor Mauricio Trejo expressed at the Feria’s opening ceremony, “The fair is for San Miguel de Allende, although all of Guanajuato is invited. To enter, they must present a valid voter or student ID, driver’s license or any other document that proves they reside in San Miguel de Allende. After that time, people from the rest of the state will be admitted,” Trejo told the crowd, an unprecedented turnout of 55,000 fairgoers at the Feria’s 2025 inaugural event.
So grab your earplugs and prepare for nine days of uninhibited entertainment, profoundly immersive cultural exhibitions and unmissable star-studded concerts!
One hundred charro-clad mariachis will perform on demand in San Miguel de Allende on Oct. 1. (San Miguel de Allende Gobierno Municipal)
If the town square, El Jardín Allende, had to be summed up in a single sound, it would be the jubilant clash of its “warring” mariachis, racing nightly to be the first to fulfill song requests from lovers, travelers, and partygoers, hoping to collect a few hundred pesos in exchange for their briefly wondrous, on-demand concerts. It’s rather fitting then that these bands will pause their civil rivalries during the festival known for rejoicing in the vanquish of evil (Lucifer), by the city’s namesake, San Miguel Arcángel. On Wednesday evening, as the excitement for La Alborada rises palpably, approximately 100 charro-suited musicians will serenade the masses of revelers gathered for one night of fine-tuned folkloric harmony. Free of charge; no tickets required.
Edén Muñoz is among the top-tier musical acts performing at this year’s La Alborada festival in San Miguel de Allende. (Visit San Miguel)
This year, the Feria is welcoming an impressive lineup of top-tier musical acts. On Thursday, Edén Muñoz, who set the record for the most songs for a regional Mexican band or solo artist to have reached the top spot on the Billboard charts, Gloria Trevi (who headlined the inaugural concert on September 20). The year’s most anticipated celebration of culture and entertainment kicked off with a passionate speech from Mayor Trejo, calling on his fellow Miguelenses to come “raspar la bota” (scrape the boot) at the family fair. With a modest entry fee of 25 pesos, the feria offers free rides and games once you’re inside, hoping to instill an ambiance of inclusion, diversity, and unbridled fun.
San Miguel de Allende’s annual La Alborada festival has been going strong for 101 years. (El Vergel)
A light show that appears to shower from the heavens will begin at 4:00 a.m. on Oct. 4, followed by an Xúchiles procession later in the afternoon, whose Indigenous Chichimeca origins pay homage to fallen ancestors. Floral and cacti offerings towering nearly one and a half stories high will be made as the steps of pre-Hispanic dances are stamped into cobblestones. The festivities extend through mid-October, culminating with the iconic El Paseo de San Miguel, during which the archangel’s images are carried throughout the city’s numerous temple sites.
For those who wish to join in celebrating more than 100 years of piousness-turned-party like the locals do, the 2025 edition of La Alborada will spark curiosity, shedding light on how the Miguelenses and their customs have shaped this UNESCO World Heritage Site’s lasting legacy.
The Mexican legends themselves are making a starring appearance at the Feria. (Los Ángeles Azules)
As millennials and Gen X get swept up in the nostalgia of classic hits like “Como Te Voy a Olvidar” and “Nunca es suficiente,” featuring the inimitable Natalia Lafourçade, these living legends will carry the torch of their romantic rancheras to the next generation. Bring on the accordions, the synthesizers, the five-part harmonies and the electro-cumbia fusion. San Miguel Arcángel is patiently waiting to be reunited with the living at this celestial fiesta.
Date: Oct. 4, 9 p.m.
Location: Teatro del Pueblo
Cost: 25 pesos
Simone Jacobson is a Burmese American cultural connector, toddler twin mama and writer based in San Miguel de Allende. By day, she is the Content Director forWell Spirit Collective. In all other moments, she strives to raise compassionate children who never lose their curiosity, tenderness and radiant light. Read more by Simone here.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum, the nation's first-ever woman president, arriving at Mexico's National Palace after being sworn in at the Chamber of Deputies. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
With her right arm stretched out in front of her, she pledges to govern in accordance with the Mexican Constitution. The green, white and red presidential sash, adorned with the coat and arms of Mexico, is placed over the chest of a woman for the first time ever. A chant of ¡presidenta, presidenta!rings out in the San Lázaro Legislative Place in Mexico City.
“On June 2 of this year, the people of Mexico, democratically and peacefully, said loud and clear: ‘It’s time for transformation and it’s time for women,'” says the 66th president of Mexico.
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo assumed the presidency on October 1, 2024. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
All this happened on Oct. 1, 2024.
That’s right. One year has now passed since Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo was sworn in as the first female president of Mexico, marking the commencement of what Sheinbaum calls the “second story” of the fourth transformation of Mexico, a political project initiated by her predecessor and political mentor Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO).
To mark the occasion, Mexico News Daily is publishing a series of articles about Sheinbaum and her first year in office. Among them is a two-part overview of the first year of Sheinbaum’s presidency — 12 months of the first Mexican administration to be led by a woman in 12 numbers.
This is part 1. Part 2 will be published tomorrow, Oct. 2.
3
This is the number of new welfare programs the Sheinbaum administration has introduced.
The federal government has maintained all the welfare programs created by the López Obrador administration, including the Youths Building the Future apprenticeship scheme and the Sowing Life tree-planting employment initiative. Furthermore, it has added:
A “well-being” pension program (Pensión Mujeres Bienestar) for women aged 60-64. (3,000 pesos every two months)
A health care scheme (Salud Casa por Casa) in which doctors, nurses and other health workers visit the homes of seniors and people with disabilities to conduct health checks.
It is difficult to overstate the importance of the government’s welfare programs, both in terms of the monetary commitment to them and the impact they have, and have had, on people’s lives.
Sheinbaum said in her Sept. 1 state of the nation address that the government is allocating 850 billion pesos (US $46.4 billion) to welfare programs in 2025 alone, and highlighted that 32 million families benefit from them. In August, she said that the programs and the increases to the minimum wage in recent years were the main reasons why more than 13 million Mexicans were lifted out of poverty between 2018 and 2024.
Welfare programs have also been a crucial driver of the widespread support for the president and the ruling Morena party, especially in poor southern states such as Chiapas, Oaxaca and Guerrero.
Sheinbaum, like her predecessor, is well aware of this. Adding new welfare programs allows the president to consolidate support among her base, and put her own stamp on the national social agenda.
What they’re saying
The Economist:
“The lack of health-care coverage is not the only way in which the very poorest are worse off under Morena. Thanks to the new universality of handouts, they also get a smaller share of public resources than they used to.”
Welfare Minister Ariadna Montiel Reyes:
“13.4 million people have exited poverty; Mexican humanism is our roadmap. In the second story of the Fourth Transformation, under the leadership of our president Claudia Sheinbaum, we continue implementing and expanding the welfare programs that today are rights of the people of Mexico.”
5
This is the number of foreign countries Sheinbaum visited during the first year of her presidency.
Sheinbaum completed four international trips during her first year as president, visiting five countries: Panama, Brazil, Honduras, Canada and Guatemala.
In August, Sheinbaum crossed Mexico’s southern border to travel to Flores, Guatemala, where she met with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo. Subsequently, with Arévalo and Belizean Prime Minister Johnny Briceño, she unveiled an agreement creating an international area called the Great Maya Forest Biocultural Corridor.
The president’s international travel during her first year in office shows she is more willing than her predecessor to represent Mexico on the world stage and engage with different countries around the world.
In Rio, she proposed an ambitious global reforestation program and met one-on-one with some of the world’s most powerful leaders, including then U.S. president Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Sheinbaum was the only woman leader at the G20 summit in Rio. (Claudia Sheinbaum/X)
In Canada, she declared that “economic well-being and cooperation for development are acts of shared responsibility of all nations,” and — amid an immigration crackdown in the United States — spoke out in defense of the “hardworking and honest” Mexicans in U.S.
As president, Sheinbaum has not yet traveled to the United States or met face-to-face with U.S. President Donald Trump. But a trip to Washington D.C., and a one-on-one meeting with Trump, could be in the cards in 2026.
What they’re saying
The Wilson Center:
“[Sheinbaum’s] participation in the G20 summit represents Mexico’s reengagement with major international forums after years of withdrawal under former President López Obrador.”
This is the number of autonomous government agencies that were disbanded as a result of a constitutional reform approved by Congress late last year.
The constitutional reform that paved the way for the disbandment of seven autonomous government agencies was one of the most controversial legislative moves during Sheinbaum’s first year in office.
The National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and the Protection of Personal Data (INAI), the Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece) and the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (Coneval) were among the agencies that were eliminated, their functions absorbed into other government departments.
Sheinbaum defended the disbandment of the agencies, touting the move as a cost-saving measure that would also reduce corruption.
However, critics claimed that the motivation for the elimination of the agencies — an initiative submitted to Congress by AMLO — would eliminate important counterweights to government power and represent a backward step for democracy. The reform was seen by many as an attempt to concentrate power in the executive branch of government.
Sheinbaum, unsurprisingly, has denied that the aim of the reform is to increase her own power and discretion.
What they’re saying
Senator Alejandro Moreno, national president of the Institutional Revolutionary Party:
“There was a lot of duplicity, opacity and even cases of corruption within these autonomous bodies. … In addition to being a very onerous expense for the people, they became white elephants.”
9
This is the number of justices on the bench of the Supreme Court after Mexico held its first-ever judicial elections in June.
Another highly controversial reform, the judicial reform, was approved by Congress just before Sheinbaum took office, but the impact of the constitutional amendment will be felt during this term of government.
Among them are nine Supreme Court justices, who assumed their positions on Sept. 1. All of them are affiliated with, seen as sympathetic to, or were at least tacitly supported by the ruling Morena party.
The popular election of judges, from Supreme Court justices to local judges, is a landmark in Mexico’s judicial history. A second round of judicial elections is scheduled to take place in 2027. The impact of the first round of elections — essentially whether Mexico’s judiciary is changed for better or for worse — will be something to watch closely during Sheinbaum’s second year in office.
The president has staunchly defended the reform put forward by her predecessor, arguing that judicial elections were needed to renew a judiciary plagued by corruption and other ills.
Critics of the reform argued that the election of judges, at a time when Sheinbaum and the ruling Morena party is extremely popular, would result in the nation’s courts being stacked with government sympathizers, thus eliminating a vital check on executive and legislative power. The future rulings of Mexico’s judges and justices, especially in cases involving government policies and projects, could reveal whether that argument is substantiated or not.
What they’re saying
Norma Piña, Supreme Court justice from 2015-25, chief justice from 2023-25:
Felipe Calderón, president of Mexico from 2006 to 2012:
“The judicial branch is [now] in the hands of militants and supporters of Morena. Some of them [the judges] were lawyers of narco-traffickers, others are people without experience.”
President Sheinbaum:
“Our adversaries say there is authoritarianism but how [can there be] if it is the people who decide [who the judges are]? Democracy is government of the people by the people for the people. And now the judicial power will serve the people of Mexico and the nation as it should have always done.”
12
This is the percentage by which Mexico’s minimum wage increased in 2025.
Supporting a healthy annual increase to the minimum wage is a clear way that governments and presidents can show they are on the side of workers and not subservient to the interests of the top end of town.
Shortly after she was sworn in, Sheinbaum said she would like to see 12% annual increases to the minimum wage throughout her presidency.
“We’ll be working toward that, seeking a consensus so that it can be a reality,” she said last October.
Supporting double-digit annual increases to the minimum wage, along with an outlay of close to 1 trillion pesos on welfare, adds credence to the Morena party slogan “For the good of all the poor come first.”
“During the entire neoliberal period, which Mexico lived from 1982 to 2018, job creation was spoken about, the salary didn’t matter. Furthermore, they boasted to the whole world that Mexico had cheap labor — that was the competitiveness of the country. What happened then? Reduction of salaries, the minimum wage didn’t increase.”
The El Economista newspaper (Aug. 20, 2025):
“Reaching a minimum wage of 9,437 pesos in 2026 – and 11,796 pesos in 2030 – seems technically possible and politically viable. The challenge lies in what is not seen in the figure: the impact these adjustments may have on labor costs, inflation, and employment dynamics, especially for small businesses. The goal is set, but the challenge will be to not lose balance along the way.”
25
This is the percentage by which homicides declined in the first 8 months of 2025 compared to last year.
At President Sheinbaum’s morning press conference on Sept. 9, security official Marcela Figueroa presented data that showed that there was an average of 68.4 homicides per day across Mexico in the first eight months of 2025. The figure represents a decrease of 24.7% compared to the average daily murder rate through 2024.
Federal officials, including Sheinbaum, were even more eager to highlight that homicides in August were 32% lower than in September 2024, the final month of AMLO’s six-year term, or sexenio.
Sheinbaum asserts that the reduction in homicides achieved during her presidency is proof that her government’s security strategy is working. The government unveiled a new security strategy shortly after it took office last October. It is based on four key pillars:
“If Mexico wanted help with the cartels, we would be honored to go in and do it. I told … [Sheinbaum] that. … She’s so afraid of the cartels, she can’t walk. … I think she’s a lovely woman, the president of Mexico is a lovely woman, but she is so afraid of the cartels that she can’t even think straight.”
‘Tis the season! Spooky season has arrived in Mexico City, and here’s how to enjoy it at its fullest in October 2025. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico is getting ready for the Day of the Dead. And we can all feel it. In preparation to welcome the souls from our beloved departed, we start designing our altars, tending cempasúchil flowers and buying sacred copal scents at our closestlocal market. If you’re all about getting into the Spooky Season mood in the Mexican way, you can’t miss what’s on in Mexico City this October 2025.
From the spectacular Catrina parade to the traditional Chocolate and Coffee Fest, the capital’s main streets and galleries will be full of the season’s colors and joys. Here’s our monthly digest.
A journey to Mictlán
Lights, art, photography and videos will take visitors on a journey across the Mexica underworld, the Mictlán. (FantasyLab)
“Mictlán means eternal resting place of the dead,” Ayaotekatl, a representative of the Tepanec tribe in Azcapotzalco, once told UNAM’s Gaceta magazine. Both folk and pop culture in Mexico have adopted this mythical place as part of their Day of the Dead celebrations.
A great example of this is Fantasy Lab’s “Un viaje al Mictlán” (A Trip to Mictlán) immersive exhibit, where visitors will be able to explore the nine levels of the Mexica underworld. The idea is to simulate the journey that the Mexica believed the soul undertakes to arrive at its eternal resting place.
Dates: Runs through Nov. 17
Location: Av. Patriotismo 229, San Pedro de los Pinos, Benito Juárez
No one can say no to the Pan de Muerto + Café de Olla combo. (Alcaldía de Xochimilco/Trajineras de Xochimilco)
The scent of Day of the Dead’s traditional pan de muerto is starting to fill the air in Mexico City, and we love it!
You can have a proper taste of this traditional sweet bread in Explora Xochimilco’s trajinera tour, which will feature Catrinas, cempasúchil flowers and pre-Columbian live music in the Xochimilco borough’s canals. Enjoy local altar design, sample traditional beverages and listen to ancient legends that still haunt the Xochimilca collective unconscious.
Dates: Oct. 3–Nov. 9
Location: Av. Patriotismo 229, San Pedro de los Pinos, Benito Juárez
Coffee and Chocolate Fest: Day of the Dead edition
There is nothing better to warm the heart than a good café de olla or a glass of champurrado. (Maira Tulia Pérez Bocanegra/Cuartoscuro)
October in Mexico just isn’t October without hot chocolate and cempasúchil flowers, and the Coffee and Chocolate Fest knows it. The host of this festival, the National Museum of Popular Cultures, has made an open (and very wholesome) invitation to the public on its social media: “Let’s welcome our beloved departed with lots of love, coffee and chocolate,” following the centuries-old tradition of welcoming the souls of loved ones home on Day of the Dead.
With that in mind, several workshops,cacao ceremonies and storytelling sessions will be held at the museum, suitable for all family members.
Dates: Oct. 10, 11 and 12
Location: Museo Nacional de las Culturas Populares. Av. Hidalgo 289, Del Carmen, Coyoacán
Cost: Free
International Book Fair at the Zócalo
For the nostalgic who still like to read on actual paper, the Zócalo International Book Fair is a dream come true. (Isabel Mateos/Cuartoscuro)
It’s time to bring those extra pesos: the Zócalo International Book Fair (FIL Zócalo) is coming to Mexico City in October! Staged out in the open on Mexico City’s main square, the Zócalo, you’ll get access to a ton of free activities, workshops and talks, plus a chance to snatch the best deals on physical books you’ll get this year. Major international publishing houses like Random House and Taschen have had auction prices in past editions, which can be pricey even online.
Last year, over 300 publishers participated in FIL Zócalo, so there will be plenty to choose from! Try arriving before noon, because it can get really crowded.
Dates: Oct. 11–19
Location: Plaza de la Constitución
Cost: Activity and workshop fees may vary, but they’re mostly free
Alebrije parade
Originally from Oaxaca state, alebrijes will take over Mexico City this October. (Carl Campbell/Unsplash)
For almost two decades, the Museum of Popular Arts (MAP) has organized an annual alebrije contest. Winners get to prance with their pieces throughout the capital’s main avenues in the historic center, where thousands of spectators cheer on their mystical designs.
Starting at 12:00 p.m., the parade begins at the Zócalo, continues along 5 de Mayo, Juárez and Paseo de la Reforma avenues before concluding at the Independence Angel monument roundabout. Traditionally, once the parade is over, artists are expected to exhibit the alebrijes along Paseo de la Reforma Avenue. This year, the exhibition runs until Nov. 9.
Date: Oct.18
Location: From the Zócalo to the Ángel de la Independencia
Cost: Free
Medieval Fairies and Goblins Festival
The Medieval Festival’s attendees enjoy dressing up as knights, princesses and fairies. (KAMELOT El Castillo del Rey)
Yes, I know. In an earlier post for MND, I wrote about how there wereno Middle Ages in Mexico. However! We Mexicans do still love some medieval fantasy!
Elves, goblins, dragons and tons of cosplay will fill the Ex-Convento del Desierto de los Leones for the eighth edition of the Medieval Festival. Set in a 17th-century monastery, this event is your annual chance to sample homemade root beer, magical sweets and walk around in enchanted forests.
Date: Oct. 19
Location: Carretera México-Toluca 05050, Cuajimalpa de Morelos
Cost: Entrance fees start at 200 pesos for adults. Seniors and people with disabilities get a 50-peso discount.
Mega-Catrina Parade
Hundreds of catrinas will parade in different thematic groups in Mexico City’s raucous Mega-Catrina Parade on Oct. 26. (Fernando Carranza/Cuartoscuro)
Scheduled this year for Oct. 26, the always entertaining Mega-Catrina Parade features hundreds of catrinas and catrines representing different Mexican art forms — including dance and performance art. The 2025 parade will begin at the Independence Angel monument and end at the Zócalo.
It’s worth noting that the Mega-Catrina Festival and the Day of the Dead parade are two separate events. The date of the latter event has not yet been confirmed.
Date: Oct. 26
Location: From Avenida Paseo de la Reforma to the Zócalo
Cost: Free
A literary afternoon with reading aloud
A literary afternoon in one of the most beautiful cultural venues in southern Mexico City? Yes, please! (Pretextos literarios por escrito)
There are a few spaces in Mexico City where you can hear readings of contemporary Mexican literature. However, the magazinePretextos literarios por escrito, which bimonthly publishes the country’s new narrative and poetic voices, also arranges public talks with the launch of each new issue, in some of the capital’s best cultural venues.
In October, the magazine’s board will celebrate its 58th issue with a talk at the iconic Casa Juan Rulfo, in the colonial neighborhood of Mixcoac, where participants can hear the authors themselves narrate their pieces aloud. October’s guests are to be announced. Follow the magazine’s Facebook page for announcements.
Watch the Amalia Hernández Ballet live at Castillo de Chapultepec
The show will pay tribute to the traditions of the states of Veracruz, Jalisco, Michoacán and Oaxaca. (Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández)
Among the things to do in Mexico City in October is an unmissable performance led by the Amalia Hernández Folkloric Ballet. Presented at the Islet of Chapultepec Lake, the “Death in Mexico is More Alive Than Ever” show brings the very best of Mexican traditional dance to the stage, with a Day of the Dead theme.
Roughly 100 Day of the Dead ofrendas are designed and constructed across Mexico City’s Ciudad Universitaria for this event. (Isaac Esquivel/Cuartoscuro)
Every year, the National University of Mexico’s Mega-Ofrenda installation is themed to a different icon of Mexican art or history. Art icons like Remedios Varo and José Clemente Orozco have been among the many inspirations for this annual altar, designed and built by UNAM’s students.
