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MND Local San Miguel de Allende: New forum, migrant aid and local honors

By
Cathy Siegner
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High-angle view of San Miguel de Allende during the day.
San Miguel recently hosted an inaugural social welfare forum, while some of the city's first responders earned national honors. (Jorge L. Valdivia/Unsplash)

Collaboration is on the agenda for a new community organization, a local NGO recommends ways to help migrant children, a photography exhibit from Cervantino is in town, and the city and a local Red Cross team recently won major awards. 

Here’s the latest on some of the many community activities happening in and around San Miguel de Allende.

San Miguel Forum aims to link philanthropy, NGOs 

A new community organization focused on addressing challenging social issues by enhancing collaborative efforts held its bilingual inaugural event Oct. 6-9 at the Instituto Allende in San Miguel.

The San Miguel Forum drew 88 invited attendees evenly split between foreigners and Mexicans, said Larry Cooley, one of the group’s cofounders. Participants included international philanthropists, implementers and policy-makers interested in scaling solutions to societal challenges in six areas.

A speaker addresses a crowd at the inaugural San Miguel Forum.
The inaugural San Miguel Forum held Oct. 6-9 at the Instituto Allende drew local, national and international participants. (Eugenia Tinajero)

These areas — dropout prevention, hospice/palliative care, girls’ empowerment, youth employment, and water and watersheds — were joined by the overarching issue of community cohesion, which Cooley said turned out to be the most popular theme.

“It seemed important (due to) the gentrification of San Miguel, so some sense of belonging and some sense of community identity didn’t get lost in the shuffle,” he said. “It has different manifestations in different places. With people from outside, it was different than within San Miguel.”

According to a media release issued after the inaugural event, the forum’s goal “is not simply to identify problems, but to connect people and resources around solutions that can grow to match the scale of the need while remaining locally appropriate and sustainable.”

Three organizers of the San Miguel Forum are pictured at the event.
Larry Cooley (left), leader of the San Miguel Forum program, Robin Loving, forum community relations leader, and Bill Graham, forum organizer and administrator. (Kathryn Graham)

Cooley said foreigners who attended the inaugural event had an interest in scaling efforts, as well as an interest in Mexico, and that organizers wanted to focus on issues that were “really topical for Mexico now.”

Private philanthropy is being called upon to do a lot more these days, he said, and it needs to find ways to collaborate with government and the private sector to solve societal problems at scale.

“Mexico is ahead on many, many things but is behind on that part,” Cooley said. “Philanthropy’s role at scale is trying to find ways to influence what governments are doing but doing it better and include people who are not being included.”

The San Miguel Forum is planning a second gathering in San Miguel in November 2027. For more information, contact info@sanmiguelforum.org.

Ways to help migrant children, courtesy of local NGO

The San Miguel-based Latin American Relief Fund (LARF) is recommending a number of ways to assist migrant children in both Mexico and the United States. As the group’s October newsletter discusses, thousands of children have been separated from their families when parents are either detained or deported from the U.S.

LARF recommends supporting the ABBA migrant shelter in Celaya, which will celebrate its 11th anniversary next month. ABBA provides children with education, rehabilitation and therapy, while helping them acquire the documents required to enroll in school or access other services in Mexico.

Life on pause: The children left in limbo after their parents’ deportation to Mexico

 

LARF also recommends these U.S. organizations that help migrant children:

  • The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, which supplies trained staff and volunteers to act as independent child advocates.
  • The Acacia Center for Justice, which provides lawyers for unaccompanied children. 
  • Each Step Home, which funnels donations to a commissary account for families held in a Dilley, Texas, detention camp.

Centro gallery hosts photography exhibit from Cervantino

The facade of an art gallery at the Instituto Allende.
An exhibit of Yolanda Andrade’s photography is currently on display at the Galería Meridiana 101º inside the Instituto Allende. (Cathy Siegner)

The 54th annual Cervantino Festival in Guanajuato, held Oct. 3-18, is again sharing artistic offerings with other cities in Mexico. Last year, San Miguel was a host city for live music performances and film screenings from the festival’s Cervantino Circuit schedule.

This time, a photography exhibit called “Imaginarios” features the work of Yolanda Andrade Salas. Her photography reveals “the complexity of urban life, popular culture, diverse identities, and the everyday gestures that construct collective memory.”

The exhibit will be shown through Jan. 10, 2027, at Galería Meridiana 101º inside the Instituto Allende, Ancha de San Antonio 22 in Centro.

4 Mexican bars are among this year’s World’s 50 Best

Condé Nast Traveler readers rate San Miguel 4th-best city

The 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards from Condé Nast Traveler magazine ranked San Miguel No. 4 on the list of the 10 Best Small Cities in the World. It was rated No. 5 last year.

Victoria, Canada, was No. 1 on this year’s list, followed by Puerto Vallarta; Florence, Italy; San Miguel; Lucerne, Switzerland; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Porto, Portugal; Amalfi, Italy; Venice, Italy; and San Sebastian, Spain.

San Miguel did much better in Travel + Leisure magazine’s 2026 World’s Best Awards, coming in at No. 1 for the second year in a row. 

Local Red Cross team shines in national competition 

Three members of San Miguel's Cruz Roja Mexicana are pictured at a competition.
Cruz Roja Mexicana in San Miguel provides a wide variety of services, including emergency response. (Cruz Roja Mexicana)

Cruz Roja Mexicana, the local Mexican Red Cross organization in San Miguel, was recently named No. 7 across the country in a National Vehicular Rescue Competition. The competition tested emergency rescue team members on their rapid response, technical skill and preparedness.

Team members were challenged with a timed simulated motor vehicle accident and had to use extraction equipment, apply patient care techniques and work together to achieve the desired results. They were congratulated by municipal and community leaders for the impressive national achievement.

Cathy Siegner is an independent journalist based in San Miguel and Montana. She has journalism degrees from the University of Oregon and Northwestern University.

How one elotero’s 40-year journey reflects Mexico City’s economy

By
Andrea Fischer
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A man rubs his corn on the cob with lime and seasoning.
An elote is generally the full corn on the cob with seasoning or sauces, while esquites are corn kernals in a cup (Dassaev Téllez Adame/Cuartoscuro.com)

For roughly four decades, Don Pedro’s alarm has gone off at 3 a.m., Monday through Friday. 

Aiming to leave his home in Atlacomulco, in northwestern México State, by 4:30 a.m., that’s just enough time for the 54-year-old elote vendor to get ready and pack up his car before making the three-hour commute to Central de Abasto in Mexico City’s southern Iztapalapa borough.

Here, Don Pedro stocks up on everything he needs to operate his traditional elote cart for the day: mayo, grated cheese and ground chili peppers — both hot and mild.

With his ingredients in tow, Don Pedro drives, on average, another hour to the corner of Avenida Ámsterdam and Avenida Michoacán in Mexico City’s well-to-do Condesa neighborhood, the same corner he’s operated on for 40 years.

A family business

Don Pedro always knew he wanted to be an elotero, a traditional corn vendor in Mexico City. Like his father before him, he wanted to be an entrepreneur — specifically in the Condesa neighborhood, back before it was trendy. 

“I arrived here at age 13 to help my dad, and now, the business is mine,” Don Pedro tells me. 

Together with his nephew, Jorge, the second-generation elotero spends about three hours cooking the day’s corn, setting up his stall and chopping limes, all the while watching passersby stroll along the sidewalk. 

A hand pours corn kernals (with spices etc) into a white plastic cup to serve.
Esquites are known by many different names across Mexico, including chasca in Aguascalientes. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro.com)

Sometimes, José, his only son, comes along. Just as Don Pedro inherited the corn-selling business from his father, he hopes José will similarly follow in his entrepreneurial footsteps. 

For now, the family wants for nothing. Since Condesa became fashionable, the business “has grown a lot,” Don Pedro says proudly. When asked exactly how much, he laughs, avoiding specifics with a simple, “We’re doing very well.”

Condesa has long been considered the “darling” of Mexico City’s Cuauhtémoc borough. Even so, it’s vastly different from when Don Pedro started selling on his corner in 1985. 

“It used to be pretty quiet,” he explains. “Now, I always have customers.” He pauses for a moment to sell a cigarette to a woman. She pays him 10 pesos and leaves.

On a good day, a steady stream of customers waits to buy prepared corn, esquites and his fantastic Dorilokos — the perfect blend of various Doritos flavors, mayo, spicy sauce and corn kernels. 

Although Don Pedro has his regulars, the crowds visiting Parque México just a few blocks from his stand constantly bring new faces. Even foreign customers try hard to make themselves understood, usually in the universal language of gestures and pointing. 

“They even ask for the spicy chili,” Don Pedro says with a laugh.

Mexico City food cart on the street corner with a pink umbrella. In the backgroudn there are green trees and hedges.
A food cart on wheels, generally accompanied by a loudspeaker to advertise their food, is ubiquitous in Mexico City. (Andrea Fischer)

Two economies inextricably linked

Don Pedro is just one of thousands of other street vendors who make the daily, round-trip six-hour commute from México State into Mexico City for work.

Together, they make up what’s called the “informal economy,” a hodgepodge of businesses and sectors that operate on the periphery of Mexico’s formal economy. 

The International Labour Organization (ILO) recently defined the informal economy as “part of the market economy because it produces (legal) goods and services to be sold or for which another form of remuneration is received.” 

But the organization added an important caveat: “They are not recognized or protected by legal and regulatory frameworks.”

The distinction has led some critics to accuse vendors like Don Pedro of evading taxes and state regulations, largely because they operate cash-only enterprises.

Someone stirring a big clay pot full of corn kernals, with the sign saying something like "delicious corn"
A street vendor serves “delicious corn” in Mexico City. (Andrea Fischer)

However, that glosses over a much larger issue. 

According to an economic census produced by INEGI, Mexico’s national statistics agency, informal retail businesses in Mexico City account for 62.7% of commercial establishments, which in turn made up roughly 25% of the country’s national GDP last year. Likewise, more than 55% of Mexico’s entire workforce is employed in the informal sector. 

“The informal and formal economies are part of the same mechanism,” says Dr. Yerko Castro, coordinator of the graduate program in social anthropology at the Universidad Iberoamericana (CDMX). 

Put another way, they are not strictly separated, despite what Mexico’s tax system might suggest. Rather, “one feeds the other,” as Castro describes it. 

The murky legality of the informal sector

It’s true that Don Pedro, like so many others in his industry, doesn’t accept bank transfers or card payments, meaning he doesn’t pay income or value-added taxes.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s illegal. 

According to the Federal Consumer Prosecutor’s Office (PROFECO), businesses may choose not to accept card payments or bank transfers. The office states that it is illegal to charge an additional percentage for transactions made via payment platforms, primarily because the “provider is required to clearly and visibly disclose the final price of the goods, products, or services offered to consumers.” 

Viewed this way, operating a cash-only enterprise like Don Pedro’s is a strategy to save a percentage of sales that would otherwise be lost entirely.

What’s more, Don Pedro needs cash. 

At the Central de Abasto, his suppliers don’t accept card payments or bank transfers, either. Consequently, he needs cash to purchase his supplies early in the morning. 

This, despite the fact that Central de Abasto is one of the largest wholesale markets in Latin America — and certainly one of the most important in the capital — handling a daily volume of roughly US $24.6 million, according to Deutsche Welle.

It’s a self-perpetuating cash-only cycle that runs Mexico City. 

A small market stall lists prices of each item on a large board above food stuffs. People are waiting in line for service below.
The informal economy is a pillar of daily urban life in Mexico. (Andrea Fischer)

More broadly, PROFECO does not classify the country’s informal economy as illegal in the strictest sense. 

After all, street vendors like Don Pedro — or entrepreneurs selling clothing and other goods at street markets — are not selling illegal products. Serving food, offering cleaning or repair services, and not accepting bank transfers or card payments are practices permitted by Mexican authorities. 

All told, it may constitute an administrative or tax violation, but does not rise to the level of a criminal offense. 

At the same time, the worker does not enjoy any of the legal protections that would come with operating a formal business. To combat irregularities and provide some security for workers, the Mexico City government doles out permits for conducting business on public streets. 

In practice, though, the application process, which moves through the authorities in each individual borough, is often restricted, subject to availability and a patchwork of regulations depending on location.

Between the system’s complex bureaucracy, the murky legal ground, and frankly, minimal knowledge that such permits even exist, many informal economy vendors continue to operate without one. 

‘Ya nos la sabemos’

While carrying cash is becoming increasingly less common, people are willing to withdraw money to buy elotes and other Mexican street antojitos. That’s because the informal economy is stitched into the fabric of Mexican culture and everyday life.

“Ya nos la sabemos,” as we locals like to say.  “We know the drill by now.” 

Born and raised in Mexico City, I can confidently say that few pleasures compare to heading out just after nightfall to buy esquites for dinner. In fact, it is a quintessential experience for anyone living in the Mexican capital. 

Mexico posts best jobs growth of 2026, but informal sector drives the gain

If it isn’t esquites, it’s tamales, pan de dulce de canasta, prepared potato chips from a street cart, or the countless other treats that make up the city’s informal food sector.

These are the experiences that carry significant emotional weight and form core memories, and the impact of businesses like Don Pedro’s cannot be overstated. 

Aside from propping up the wider economy, as evidenced by the INEGI survey, these vendors are the glue that holds entire communities together. Come rain, thunder, lightning or wind, Mexico City’s informal retail trade supports a vast number of Mexican families, whether they be vendors or customers. 

Simply put, these businesses are an integral part of the capital’s soundscape and cultural fabric, regardless of the moralizing debate over their formality. 

Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.

US sanctions horse racing network tied to the Northeast Cartel

By
MND Staff
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Racing gates at Club La Molienda, a cartel-linked horse racing track in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
Starting gates at Club La Molienda, a horse racing track sanctioned for ties to the Cartel del Norese in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. (Treasury)

In a new round of sanctions, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has targeted a horse racing enterprise allegedly run by the Cartel del Noreste (Northeast Cartel) as well as the group’s broader criminal network.

Treasury announced on Tuesday that its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had sanctioned four individuals and eleven entities connected to the Cartel del Noreste (CDN), a Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas-based criminal group that was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government in February 2025.

“Those designated include individuals and businesses involved in quarter horse racing, construction, trucking, and the oil and gas sector, highlighting the cartel’s diverse commercial footprint,” Treasury said in a statement.

“… CDN has a long history of money laundering through the American Quarter Horse racing industry,” the department said.

“Between 2008 and 2012, Z-40 and Z-42 bought and sold racehorses with drug money and trained and raced them in the United States,” Treasury said, referring to Miguel Angel “Z-40” Treviño Morales and Óscar Omar “Z-42” Treviño Morales, brothers and founders of the CDN, which grew out of the notorious Los Zetas crime group.

“Over a 30-month period, Zetas-affiliated front persons and shell companies spent $16 million in New Mexico, Oklahoma, California, and Texas to support the operation and laundered upwards of $22 million for the cartel,” Treasury said.

Mug shots of CDN founders and brothers Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales and Óscar Omar Treviño Morales
CDN founders and brothers Miguel Ángel and Óscar Omar Treviño Morales began using horse racing to launder drug money as early as 2008, the U.S. Treasury said. (Treasury)

“In June 2012, the U.S. Government seized 455 horses at an Oklahoma horse farm, racing venues, and training farms. CDN’s involvement in horse racing continues to this day.”

One of the 11 sanctioned entities is Club La Molienda, described by Treasury as “a horse racetrack, restaurant, and bar located on the outskirts of Nuevo Laredo that is controlled by CDN.”

“As the most prominent racetrack in Nuevo Laredo, La Molienda generates revenue for CDN, charging entrance fees for those racing their horses at the track as well as for spectators,” the department said.

“CDN leaders and members purchase horses, including many from the United States, to race at La Molienda. La Molienda is controlled by Z-40 but is ultimately overseen by various CDN leaders and associates while Z-40 is incarcerated in the United States.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the sanctioning of individuals and entities connected to the CDN “exposes Cartel del Noreste’s exploitation of the horse racing sector to launder illicit proceeds and finance cartel operations.”

“This action marks Treasury’s most significant effort to date to disrupt Cartel del Noreste’s financial infrastructure,” he said.

Treasury said on Tuesday that “as a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.”

It noted that “OFAC coordinated on this action and previous actions against CDN with the Government of Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit [UIF].”

OFAC has previously sanctioned individuals and entities linked to various Mexican criminal groups, including the CDN, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel.

A ‘horse racing enthusiast’ and ‘a current CDN plaza boss’ among the 4 sanctioned individuals  

The four individuals sanctioned by OFAC on Tuesday are:

  • Gamaliel Garza García, described by Treasury as “a Mexico-based businessman, horse racing enthusiast, and an associate of CDN.” Treasury said that Garza García is involved in horse racing in both Mexico and the United States, noting that his horses race at “some of the most prestigious tracks in California and New Mexico,” and at Club La Molienda.
  • Gamaliel Garza Elias, Garza Garcia’s son. Treasury said he was being designated for his involvement in CEGESA, a construction company owned by Garza García that has allegedly “been utilized by CDN to funnel money to election campaigns of CDN’s preferred political candidates.” Treasury said that Garza Elias has “delivered cash to fund election campaigns for CDN’s preferred political candidates in Mexico.”
  • Pablo César Guajardo Álvarez, identified by Treasury as “a current CDN plaza boss of Nuevo Laredo and former leader of CDN’s sicarios.” Treasury said that Guajardo was arrested in 2020 for his connection to the January 4, 2017, assassination of Ricardo Martínez Chávez, a high-ranking law enforcement official in Tamaulipas, and four other public servants, “but has since been released.” It also said he has “been involved in arms trafficking on behalf of CDN.”
  • Francisco Javier Inzunza Partida, described by Treasury as “a dispatcher for Tamex.” Treasury said that Tamex Leasing (or Tamex Logistics) is a “Tamaulipas-based trucking company involved in the smuggling of narcotics into the United States.”

Like Club La Molienda, Tamex is one of the 11 entities sanctioned by OFAC, most of which are located in Tamaulipas.

The other nine are all owned, controlled or otherwise linked to Garza García. They include various construction and fuel and gas companies as well as a concrete company and a “Quarter Horse racing barn” in Nuevo León.

In addition to allegedly funneling money to “election campaigns of CDN’s preferred political candidates,” CEGESA has “corruptly obtained government contracts and then sub-contracted that work to CDN-affiliated individuals,” according to Treasury.

“CEGESA is a major recipient of government contracts in the north of the country, including from the governments of the municipality of Nuevo Laredo and the state of Tamaulipas,” the department said.

Treasury said that Garza Garcia also controls Cuadra San Dibanh, “an Anahuac, Nuevo León-based Quarter Horse racing barn.”

“Cuadra San Dibanh frequently races at La Molienda and other major racetracks throughout Mexico,” the department said.

With regard to Tamex, Treasury said that the company’s truck yard in Nuevo Laredo “has been the originator of at least two cocaine shipments bound for the United States.”

In its statement, Treasury also said that “CDN’s stronghold sits directly across the border from Laredo, Texas, the busiest port of entry (POE) on the southern border, where nearly 40 percent of all commercial traffic between the United States and Mexico crosses.”

The U.S. department said that the cartel’s “deep entrenchment in cross-border industries, combined with CDN’s ability to infiltrate local governments, steer public contracts, and manipulate regional elections, undermines legitimate authority and destabilizes communities on both sides of the border.”

Mexico News Daily 

A Tamaulipas teen built a fire extinguisher that puts out flames using sound

By
MND Staff
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Ángela Karime Venegas Hernández
Student inventor Ángela Karime Venegas Hernández is representing Mexico at the International Science and Invention Fair (DGETI)

A 17-year-old from the northeastern state of Tamaulipas is competing at an international science fair in Indonesia this week with a device she spent a year developing — a fire extinguisher that snuffs out small flames with sound instead of water or chemicals.

Ángela Karime Venegas Hernández is representing Mexico at the International Science and Invention Fair with Vortex Tech, a prototype developed with the help of her uncle, José Arturo Hernández Muñoz.

Angela
Angela Venegas, standing alongside her invention, is congratulated by Tamaulipas Education Minister Miguel Ángel Valdez García (Tamaulipas Education Ministry)

Her school, CETis 78 in Altamira, Tamaulipas, announced her participation in the fair being held this week at the University of Indonesia in Depok, near Jakarta.

Photographs shared by Mexico’s federal technical education agency showed Venegas wearing traditional Mexican clothing at the fair.

Venegas told the newspaper El País that a video of a large, roughly 4-meter (13-foot) sonic cannon extinguishing a flame — with air movement, not water or chemicals — inspired her to investigate whether she could build a smaller device.

She and her uncle, who holds a master’s degree in science, according to the Tamaulipas Education Ministry, spent about a year developing five prototypes, building on earlier experiments by others.

Just to create the first prototype — one that could extinguish a candle — took two months, not including preliminary research, she told the newspaper.

Vortex Tech uses a 12-volt battery, a frequency generator set to 30 hertz, an amplifier and a speaker. A modified bucket channels the output toward a flame.

According to Venegas’ explanation, the sound generates swirling rings of air that disrupt the oxygen supply sustaining combustion, extinguishing small flames within seconds.

The technology remains experimental. The newspaper El Universal reported that it works on small, nearby flames and does not replace conventional extinguishers for large fires.

Tamaulipas education officials said the project also includes thermal sensors designed to detect a developing fire and automatically activate the sound-based extinguishing system.

The state Education Ministry said Venegas advanced through regional, state and national competitions before qualifying for Indonesia. It also pledged support for her and her uncle/adviser’s participation.

With reports from El País, El Heraldo de México and El Universal

2,500-year-old astronomical observatory in Puebla confirmed to be the oldest in Mexico

By
MND Staff
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Stone ledges form a hill at the site of an ancient astronomical observatory in Puebla
The structure's settlement is shaped by the observation of the surrounding landscape, such as the nearby mountain peaks, as well as the astronomical horizon. (Alberto Diez / INAH)

A pre-Hispanic solar observatory in the municipality of Teteles de Ávila Castillo in the Sierra Norte region of Puebla has been confirmed to be the oldest in Mexico, dating back more than 2,500 years.

According to research carried out by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), a monumental architectural complex named “Grupo E” functioned as a solar astronomical observatory and is the oldest of its kind in Mexico.

puebla pre-Hispanic observatory
A view of the east structure of the observatory, with the sun rising behind the Chignautla mountains. (Alberto Diez)

Researchers believe the settlement’s inhabitants incorporated astronomical observations into the planning of their ceremonial buildings more than two millennia ago.

Heritage Daily —a digital publication specializing in archaeology, anthropology and palaeontology — says the discovery “provides remarkable evidence of sophisticated astronomical knowledge among ancient Mesoamerican civilizations.” 

INAH says it is the first discovery of its kind outside the Maya region and is comparable to the observatory at the archaeological site of Uaxactún in Petén, Guatemala, which has been identified as the first and defining archetype for ancient Maya astronomical observation complexes.

While both the Uaxactún and Teteles complexes are believed to date to the Middle Preclassic (from 1200 to 400 BCE.), the Uaxactún structure is approximately twice the size of the one in Puebla.

Researchers have confirmed that the original layout of the “Group E” settlement (also known as Tetelihtic) and the orientation of its pyramidal structures are based on an understanding of celestial bodies.

Archaeologist Alberto Diez Barroso said the ancient settlement is an outstanding example of pre-Hispanic urban planning — shaped by the observation of the surrounding landscape, such as the nearby mountain peaks, as well as the astronomical horizon — making it “a significant point of reference for Mesoamerican studies in this field.”

Tetelihtic consists of a quadrangular courtyard flanked by two platforms at its eastern and western ends. The eastern platform is elongated (90 m from south to north by 40 m from east to west), while the western structure is smaller (46 m from north to south by 27 m from east to west) and served as an observation point.

The elongated platform does not mark the equinoxes at its center, however.

“It apparently served to establish the beginning of the pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican calendar in February and the harvest period in October, making it a complex and unique feature,” Diez said.

However, the eastern platform did function as a solar calendar; observations have confirmed that, from its front, one can track the sun’s path at dawn during the equinoxes and solstices.

Archaeologists believe the finding could provide insights into the cultural relationship between the Huastec and Maya groups during the early stages of human settlement in the Sierra Norte as it serves to confirm the Maya ethnolinguistic roots of the Huastec groups. 

A Maya presence at Teteles may date back as far as 3,000 years — a possibility suggested by the Puebla observatory.

With reports from INAH, Heritage Daily and Ambas Manos

Mexico targets cheap Chinese bicycles with six-month anti-dumping duty

By
MND Staff
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A young man on a bicycle pops a wheelie as he rides down Paseo de La Reforma in Mexico City.
A young man on a bicycle pops a wheelie as he rides down Paseo de La Reforma in Mexico City. (Camila Ayala Benabib / Cuartoscuro)

Mexico has imposed a provisional anti-dumping duty of US $68.60 per unit on adult bicycles originating from China, after the Economy Ministry preliminarily determined that Chinese bicycles were being sold below fair market value, harming domestic manufacturers.

The measure, which took effect on Oct. 13, will remain in place for six months and will apply to adult bicycles with a wheel size larger than 20 inches, including urban and mountain models, with or without gears, as well as unassembled units. Electric bicycles and racing or road bikes are excluded from the measure.

The decision traced back to an anti-dumping investigation requested in April 2025 by the National Association of Bicycle Manufacturers and the companies Mercurio, Veloci, Benotto and Línea Siete. The investigation formally began in August of that year.

According to preliminary results, Chinese bicycles accounted for 95% of Mexico’s imports of adult bicycles in 2024. Apparent national consumption of Chinese bicycles rose from 53% in 2022 to 61% in 2024, while the average price of imports fell 35% during that period.

In 2024, Chinese bicycles cost 27% less than their domestic counterparts. According to the Economy Ministry, this difference pressured the Mexican industry to reduce prices by 4% to stay competitive.

As more low-cost Chinese bicycles entered the country, Mexican manufacturers saw a significant drop in business. The Economy Ministry found that between 2022 and 2024, adult bicycle production fell by 34% and domestic sales declined by 32%. Meanwhile, employment dropped by 29%.

Sales revenue in the domestic market fell by 36% in the same period, while the industry’s operating profits swung into the red, a 111% drop. These figures led investigators to conclude that low-priced Chinese imports caused material harm to Mexican manufacturers.

During the six months that the preliminary duty will remain in effect, interested parties may submit evidence for or against the measures, while the investigation continues to determine whether to establish more permanent duties.

The provisional anti-dumping duty is part of a broader trend toward increased trade protection in Mexico. According to data from the Economy Ministry, imports falling under the 1,463 tariff classifications subject to new levies — approved in December 2025 — declined by 23% between January and May 2026, compared to the same period the previous year.

China, the primary supplier of the goods subject to duties, was the hardest hit, as its tariffed goods fell by 28% — from $10.1 billion to $7.2 billion.

With reports from Milenio and Diario de Tabasco 

American Airlines is the latest carrier to drop service to Tulum

By
MND Staff
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American Airlines plane
American Airlines is phasing out its Miami-Tulum route as well as its Charlotte-San José del Cabo service. (Unsplash)

American Airlines is dropping flights from Miami to the Yucatán Peninsula destination of Tulum as part of its cutback of several international routes, including its Charlotte-Los Cabos service. 

American (AA) — the largest U.S. airline by passenger numbers — joins other major carriers, including Aeroméxico and Volaris, in dropping or pausing routes to the resort town on the state of Quintana Roo’s Caribbean coast.

Tulum opened its international airport in December 2023 with much optimism. But after the subsidies granted to startup airports ran out and Tulum itself started seeing a drop in hotel occupancy, airlines in the last year have begun to reduce or end service to the Quintana Roo resort and cultural destination. (Tulum International Airport)

AA had already announced that its Miami-Tulum route would be on seasonal pause through Nov. 19, after which it would continue again until Dec. 1. The current plan is to then resume service one last time from Dec. 17 to January 5, 2027, before stopping it completely.

Los Cabos is also slated for service cuts

AA ended its service to Tulum from Charlotte, North Carolina, in February, 2025, less than a year after its launch. Next year, the only AA route from the U.S. to Tulum will be from or through the Dallas/Fort Worth hub.

American has also announced plans to remove its Charlotte-San José del Cabo route from its future schedule, after its current seasonal pause. The route was originally planned to return to normal operations in November, but the schedule now reportedly shows only sporadic operations.

That limited service will end in August of 2027. A possible motive for the discontinuation is that the route’s flights on average were just  73.69% full between June 2025 and June 2026.

 With reports from Simple Flying 

Rachel death toll rises to 8 in Baja California as newly formed Hurricane Trudy heads for Jalisco coast

By
MND Staff
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ensenada hurricane relief
Security officials and citizen volunteers search for fellow Baja California residents gone missing owing to torrential rains unleashed by Hurricane Rachel. (Omar Martínez / Cuartoscuro.com)

While Pacific Coast residents are still reeling from the passage of Polo, Rachel and Simon, the newly formed Hurricane Trudy threatens to bring more chaos and disruption to the region.

Eight deaths have been attributed to Hurricane Rachel, while at least four people remain missing and the military has been actively carrying out search and rescue operations. And Simon, lurking near the Jalisco coast south of the tip of the Baja California Peninsula, is expected to remain a Category 1 hurricane through Friday.

Hurricane Trudy static cone prediction as of 4pm CST October 15
A graphic released by the National Hurricane Center shows the location and projected course of Hurricane Trudy, as of Thursday 4 p.m. CST. (U.S. National Hurricane Center)

In light of the devastation, President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday activated the Defense Ministry’s  DN-III emergency protection plan and the Navy’s “Plan Marina.” 

Sheinbaum also ordered the Interior Ministry to stay in close contact with the Baja California governor in order to provide any support that may be needed, especially as Simon is expected to move toward the peninsula on Saturday.

Last month, Polo — the second most-intense Pacific hurricane on record — made consecutive landfalls on the peninsula and then mainland Mexico on Sept. 29.

Now comes Trudy, which became a hurricane before dawn Thursday. 

The storm system was located about 300 miles (480 kilometers) southwest of Acapulco and 445 miles (720 km) south-southeast of Manzanillo, Colima, while registering maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h), with gusts of 93 mph (150 km/h).

According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), Trudy is undergoing a period of rapid intensification as it moves northwest at 9 mph (15 km/h) and is expected to bring heavy rains to Oaxaca and Guerrero today (Thursday).

Forecast models project it will become a major hurricane as it approaches the coast of southwestern and west-central Mexico this weekend, bringing rainfall of 4 to 8 inches (101 to 203 millimeters) through the weekend across Colima and Jalisco states.

Meanwhile, Simon remains virtually “frozen” a few hundred kilometers west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, and is expected to continue orbiting in place with sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and gusts of 95 mph (150 km/h).

Sustained winds were about 130 miles (210 kilometers) per hour as the week began, and the storm’s inner core was brushing up against the Jalisco coast. 

The topography of the Sierra Madre mountains appeared to temper Simon’s intensity and shrink the size of its wind field, the NHC said. Still, as the storm system weakened from a Category 4 to Category 1 it delivered heavy rain and flooding to coastal areas, including the port city of Manzanillo, Colima.

With reports from La Jornada, The Associated Press, El Economista, Meteored and CNN en Español 

International tourist spending grows 8% in August despite a dip in arrivals

By
MND Staff
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Airline passengers wait in line with baggage at a United kiosk at Cancún International Airport
Passengers wait to check baggage at Cancún International Airport. (Shutterstock)

International tourist arrivals in Mexico declined year over year in August for the first time in almost a year, according to official data, even as total expenditure by international tourists increased by over 8%.

The national statistics agency INEGI reported Wednesday that 3.76 million international tourists came to Mexico in August, a decline of 0.5% compared to the same month of 2025.

San Ysidro border crossing in San Diego/Tijuana
Over half of August’s international tourists entered the country by land. Pictured: The San Ysidro port of entry in the San Diego-Tijuana metropolitan area, where over 100,000 people cross between Mexico and the U.S. every day. (File photo)

International tourists are classified as foreign residents who spend at least one night in Mexico during their visit to the country.

In August, 1.39 million of the 3.76 million international tourists flew into the country, a decline of 6.5% compared to a year earlier. International tourist arrivals by air declined during every month between February and August.

The remainder of the international tourists in August entered Mexico by land, with most of that cohort staying within the northern or southern border region. INEGI’s data shows that two-thirds (67.1%) of the tourists who came to Mexico in August and traveled beyond the border regions are residents of the United States.

The year-over-year decline in international tourist arrivals in August was the first annual decrease since September 2025.

Humberto Molina, an expert in tourism economics at the consultancy firm Grupo Empresarial Estrategia, attributed the decline to a range of factors, including the presence of sargassum on Mexican beaches, insecurity and a lack of tourism promotion.

International tourist expenditure increased 8.1% in August 

While in Mexico in August, international tourists collectively spent US $2.16 billion, an increase of 8.1% compared to the same month of 2025.

Each international tourist spent $573.30 on average, up 8.6% from August 2025.

Individual expenditure by international tourists who flew into Mexico was more than double that amount at $1,269.60, an increase of 15.2% compared to August 2025.

International tourists who flew into Mexico collectively spent $1.77 billion while in the country, a figure that accounts for 82% of total international tourism expenditure.

Despite decline in international tourists, international traveler numbers reached a record high in August 

While international tourist numbers declined 0.5% year over year in August, international traveler numbers increased 1.3% to reach 7.98 million, the highest figure on record for the month of August.

INEGI’s international travelers category includes international tourists and international day-trippers (excursionistas internacionales). The latter enter Mexico by land or sea but don’t stay the night. International day-trippers include cruise ship passengers and people who spend a few hours in Mexico after entering the country via border crossings with the United States, Guatemala and Belize.

Just over 4.2 million international day-trippers came to Mexico in August, an increase of 3% compared to the same month of last year. Around 81% of the international day trippers (3.43 million) entered Mexico by land, while 785,558 came into the country by sea. Sea arrivals increased by 12.3% compared to August 2025, while land arrivals rose 1.1%.

Total spending by international travelers in Mexico in August was $2.4 billion, a 7% increase compared to a year earlier. International tourists spent 90% of that amount, while international day-trippers contributed the other 10%.

While expenditure rose in dollar terms, it declined 5.51% annually in real peso terms, according to Banco Base analysts, who took inflation and the USD:MXN exchange rate into account. The USD:MXN exchange rate was 17 at the end of August compared to 18.66 a year earlier.

More than 32 million international tourists came to Mexico between January and August 

INEGI data shows that 32.68 million international tourists came to Mexico in the first eight months of 2026, a year-over-year increase of 3.9%.

International traveler numbers rose 6.3% annually in the same period to reach 67.69 million.

In a statement, Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez said that data from the first eight months of the year indicates that “Mexico could end 2026 with a record in international tourist arrivals.”

“Mexico is in vogue and we’re continuing to work so that more people visit us, get to know our cultural and natural wealth and contribute to the well-being of communities,” she said.

Total expenditure by international travelers in Mexico was $24.15 billion between January and August, an increase of 0.9% compared to the same period of last year.

Mexico is one of the world’s 10 most visited countries, ranking sixth or seventh in recent years. One of the goals of the federal government’s Plan Mexico economic initiative is to make Mexico one of the world’s top five tourism destinations by 2030.

With reports from El Economista, La Jornada and Reporte Indigo

MND Local CDMX: Brugada’s big plans, a sinking city and methane mitigation

By
Drew Pittock
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A building facade on a block in Mexico City.
Mayor Clara Brugada recently addressed some of the challenges facing Mexico City, while also highlighting its "utopian" possibilities. (Jimmy Hu/Unsplash)

In this week’s MND Local for CDMX, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada touted her administration’s accomplishments and outlined future priorities during her second annual “state of the city” address. Meanwhile, new research highlights the capital’s ongoing sinking problem, and officials are pursuing efforts to reduce the city’s methane emissions.

Let’s get into it. 

Mayor Brugada delivers 2nd ‘state of the city’ address

Mayor Clara Brugada speaks in Mexico City
Brugada’s “state of the city” address was her second since taking office in 2024. (Camila Ayala Benabib/Cuartoscuro)

Earlier this month, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada delivered a “state of the city” address, touting her administration’s accomplishments across various sectors, including social services, security, infrastructure and healthcare. It was Brugada’s second such address since she assumed office on Oct. 7, 2024. 

The theme of Brugada’s speech was “utopias,” which she said are the cornerstone of her administration’s policies. 

“We want to build the city of Utopias, the city where all possible utopias fit: the utopia of well-being, democracy, social justice, fraternity and freedom,” Brugada, who belongs to the ruling Morena Party, said.

She touched on several future priorities and projects the administration intends to carry out, including criminal justice reform that centers on reintegration, establishing three new public universities outside Mexico City’s core, and constructing five new high schools that serve the city’s Indigenous population.

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Utopian visions

Meanwhile, she touted myriad accomplishments over the past two years, such as a 48 billion peso (US $2.6 billion) investment in the city’s metro system, resulting in 100 kilometers of electric bus routes. She also pointed to 1 million square meters of public space that have been reclaimed, 600 new public women’s spaces, a 1 billion peso (US $54 million) investment in agriculture, and an 85% increase in social programs, which now cover 2.6 million people across the capital, among other things. 

“Let’s continue building all possible utopias,” Brugada said during her address, per La Gazzetta DF. “Let’s strive for more, for much more. With the memory of those who fought before and the hope of those who will come after. This is our city, this is our time, this is our history, and we are writing it together.”

While Brugada’s approval rating currently stands at 60%, according to the most recent polling from El Financiero, her tenure has not been without controversy. 

During her speech, Brugada touted a significant reduction in crime over the past two years, including a 24% dip in “high-impact crimes” and four consecutive months with homicides at historic lows. However, her administration’s failure to hold anyone accountable for the assassinations of two of her deputies in 2025 continues to dog her legacy. 

Mexico City is sinking … still

Construction workers making the Concordia housing complex safe for residents despite sinking in 2009
Mexico City’s sinking problem has consequences, including construction projects to ensure housing complexes remain safe for residents. (Ivan Stephens/Cuartoscuro)

A new study published Oct. 12 in “Nature Cities” suggests that areas of Mexico City are sinking as much as 8.5 inches per year, while the citywide average sits somewhere around 0.3 inches per year. 

The study, led by Shengli Tao and Xie Hu of Beijing’s Peking University, used high-resolution satellite data collected over nine years, from 2014 to 2023. Of the 465 cities across 107 countries that were surveyed, Mexico City recorded the fastest localized sinking. 

The 8.5-inch figure hovers around a similar analysis published in May, which found that Mexico City is sinking by nearly 10 inches (about 25 centimeters) a year and has sunk by nearly 40 feet over the past century.

That study relied on NASA satellite data from NISAR, a joint U.S.-India satellite project. NISAR uses advanced radar imaging — effectively a microscope in space — to measure changes in Earth’s land, ice, sea level rise and groundwater.

It’s a different approach from Tao and Hu’s team, which used satellite interferometric synthetic aperture radar, which basically functions like a ruler that measures ground movement over time. 

Mexico City details methane mitigation efforts

Methane impact presentation
Methane mitigation was a major focus at the recent Mexico Climate Week forum, hosted in Mexico City. (Camila Ayala Benabib/Cuartoscuro)

Meanwhile, Mexico City is attempting to tackle a significant driver of global warming — methane emissions. 

Earlier this month, the city hosted Mexico Climate Week, which included a session dubbed “Accelerating Methane Action in Mexico City.” The event brought together domestic and international stakeholders representing government, academia, civil society and the private sector. 

According to Ricardo Cepeda of the U.S.-based nonprofit C40 Cities, methane mitigation efforts are one of the best, most demonstrable ways to slow climate change in the near future. 

“The objective is not to create more strategies, plans or projects,” Cepeda said. “The objective is to reduce methane emissions.”

Despite Cepeda warning governments off endless strategy meetings, Maritza Florez, who works with Mexico City’s Environment Ministry, did just that, detailing the capital’s methane mitigation strategy. It includes preventing food waste, expanding composting infrastructure and developing four additional treatment facilities for organic waste.

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While much of the infrastructural onus lies with city leaders, residents are encouraged to develop composting and food waste prevention initiatives in their own communities. 

“Methane mitigation is the brake for climate change,” said Mexico City Environment Ministry Secretary Julia Álvarez Icaza, adding that better waste management and separation systems are key to controlling the capital’s methane emissions.

“When waste is not mixed, it can be valued and utilized. When it is mixed, it becomes garbage,” Icaza said.

Drew Pittock serves as Mexico News Daily’s features director. He is based in Mexico City. Have an idea for a feature story or unique event in CDMX? Send an email to drew.pittock@mexiconewsdaily.com.

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