As a preventative to potential illegal immigration, the U.S. has asked Mexico to keep its citizens from looking at the border. (This image was generated using AI tools)
WASHINGTON, District of Columbia — Following high-level security talks in Washington on Thursday, U.S. officials formally requested that the Mexican government enact a nationwide buffer zone preventing its own citizens from coming within line-of-sight distance of the international boundary, foreign ministry sources confirmed.
The request, presented by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Mexican Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco, would require an estimated 12 million residents of border communities to either relocate inland or close their eyes whenever facing north.
Although Mexico would not agree to preventing its citizens from even looking at the border, it did agree to install topes on northern-facing footpaths to make approaching the boundary slightly more inconvenient. (This image was generated using AI tools)
According to delegates familiar with the private meeting, U.S. negotiators expressed concern that the mere physical presence of Mexican citizens on Mexican soil creates an operational hazard for illegal immigration.
“The fundamental issue is proximity,” said a senior U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic protocol. “When a Mexican citizen stands on a sidewalk in Ciudad Juárez and looks across the river, it creates an atmosphere of potential movement. We are simply asking Mexico to manage its geography in a way that aligns with our political preferences.”
Under the proposed bilateral security framework, Mexican authorities would establish a 15-kilometer “Visual Exclusion Zone” along the northern frontier. Municipal planners in Tijuana are reportedly evaluating giant canvas curtains to obscure views of San Diego, while residents of Nogales may soon be required to submit weekly affidavits certifying they have no immediate plans to walk in a northerly direction.
Ministry officials reportedly countered by offering to install topes on northern-pointing footpaths, noting that bilateral cooperation has already yielded historic reductions in cross-border foot traffic.
The diplomatic friction comes despite public statements from both governments praising recent progress on counter-narcotics and security integration. In a post on X following the bilateral summit, Velasco noted that existing security cooperation schemes have “yielded the best results in the region,” though he did not clarify whether those results included the eventual depopulation of northern Mexico.
U.S. officials remain hopeful that a compromise can be reached before the upcoming fiscal quarter, proposing that Mexican citizens wishing to live near the border apply for a special domestic presence permit certifying that their proximity is entirely coincidental.
A Canadian couple has spent decades tracking down the best cenotes in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, which they've written about in a new guidebook. (Jared Rice/Unsplash)
For Canadian forester David Palmer, a deep dive into the history and majesty of Mexico’s crystal-blue cenotes has been a decades-long fascination. Palmer and his wife, Doris Demers, are cenote hunters.
Sometimes, this involves visiting two or three per day, during a month-long visit to the country. Palmer says this challenge has been nothing short of awe-inspiring.
David Palmer has dedicated years to finding Mexico’s greatest cenotes. (Doris Demers)
“I’ve never seen a cenote I didn’t like,” Palmer says. “Our aim was to cover the whole [Yucatán Peninsula], physically and geographically, taking in as many cenotes as we could. We’re at about 140.”
Scattered throughout the Mexican states of Yucatán and Quintana Roo, there are believed to be around 10,000 cenotes. However, only around 250 can be visited. That’s because many of these cenotes are buried underground.
The Yucatán has very few permanent surface-level rivers; many of them are subterranean. Rainwater infiltrates the porous limestone landscapes and makes its way into these cenotes and caves.
The name for the natural sinkholes scattered throughout the Yucatán Peninsula comes from the Maya word tsʼonoʼot, meaning accessible groundwater. They have been regular water supplies and also used for sacrificial purposes throughout Mesoamerican history. Without them, the National Institute of Anthropology and History notes, the growth of Maya civilization would have been very difficult.
A guidebook to Mexico’s cenotes
For Palmer and Demers, their great endeavor to hunt down as many cenotes as they could spawned an idea for an English-language guidebook.
On a chance encounter with a fellow Canadian couple who owned a bookstore in Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Palmer said he knew there was an opportunity. The owners told Palmer that, despite growing demand and questions from visitors about an English-language guidebook, they did not have one available for the region’s iconic natural wonders.
“Now that piqued my interest,” Palmer said. “Since we were going around looking at them anyway, we started to keep an account.”
The crystal blue waters of cenote X’Batun in the Yucatán Peninsula. (David Palmer)
He set out to capture their majesty and beauty, one sinkhole at a time. The new book, “A Guide to the Cenotes of the Yucatán Peninsula,” is expected to be published in the coming weeks.
“The caverns may remain hidden for centuries until a probing tree root pokes an opening into the ceiling of the cavern, revealing the wondrous world below,” the book reads. “Sometimes, in sinkhole fashion, an entire section of the surface will collapse into this watery underworld.”
Scientists have established that the Sistema Ox Bel Ha, covering vast stretches of the Yucatán Peninsula, is the longest underwater cave system in the world and the second-longest general cave system ever explored, behind the 686-km-long Mammoth Cave National Park system in Kentucky in the U.S.
Their special place in Mexico’s landscape and cultural identity has been brought into focus over the years through investigations into wastewater management and increased urbanization.
Where are the best cenotes?
Nestled between Calle 37 and Calle 39 in the city of Valladolid, you will find Cenote Zaci.
“It’s 50 meters across and 80 meters deep,” Palmer says. “I thought it was gorgeous, absolutely stunning.”
The most iconic cenote of all may be Zaci, occupying an entire city block in downtown Valladolid. “If you can visit only one cenote, this one is stunning.” (David Palmer)
However, when a local hardware store owner heard those comments, she told him that Zaci was nothing when compared to the magnificent Dzitnup.
“(It’s) 10,000 times better,” the owner told Palmer.
Palmer said some locals took their entrance fees and pointed towards the direction of the cenote. The concerning part for Palmer and Demers was that the entrance was a small hole in the ground.
“Down we went, a little bit warily. We’d never been in an underground one before,” Palmer says.
According to the forthcoming guidebook, “A shaft of light from the hole in the ceiling plays over the shimmering mystical water and some of the most spectacular limestone formations in the region are on display. [It’s] the cenote that made cenotes famous in 1995 when National Geographic featured it on its cover.”
Forget your worries at X’Batun and X’ooch
The world-famous tree roots dangling into Cenote X’ooch have been shared around the globe thanks to travel magazines and nature photographers. (David Palmer)
As you snake your way down the 20-meter stone staircase towards Cenote X’Batun, its glassy water has an alluring quality. Located a stone’s throw from San Antonio Mulix and 50 kilometers south of Mérida, there’s a good reason it featured prominently on Palmer’s list.
“It is an open, low-walled oasis where the jungle comes right down to the gorgeous turquoise water, and so does the bird life,” he said.
Within the guidebook, visitors to this cenote are told to keep their eyes peeled for several bird species, including colorful kiskadees, orioles and motmot.
However, Palmer said people need to take care when approaching the water, as there are slippery steps that require attention.
“Once in the water, it is heavenly,” Palmer said.
Meanwhile, Cenote Xooch’s image is one that has been made world-famous through travel magazines and nature photography. The cascading Alamo tree roots fall into the shimmering blue cenote. It’s an image that continues to go viral through travel influencers. Snorkeling is also very popular at this vast circular cenote due to the clarity and depth.
John Pint has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for more than 30 years and is the author of “A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area” and co-author of “Outdoors in Western Mexico.” More of his writing can be found on his website.
Challenging yourself to speak Spanish in group settings is also an important step. (Credit: Cande Westh via Unsplash)
The goal of our “From the Archive” series is to revisit popular stories that capture the unique history and culture of life in Mexico. This Sarah DeVries article, for example — originally published in November 2019 — explores the leap of faith required when learning Mexican Spanish.
When I first arrived in Mexico, I had two years of college-level Spanish under my belt. While I was an enthusiastic learner, I was also a very self-conscious speaker, terrified of making embarrassing mistakes and generally sounding like a 2-year-old.
I did, in fact, sound like a 2-year-old at first, as there’s simply no way around being a “baby” when one is first learning. Happily, I survived that stage and now speak at least as well as a know-it-all 13-year-old.
Part of my apprehension with the language was the sense that Mexico’s love-hate relationship with the United States would lead to some situations in which I’d be mocked for my accent or mistakes that I would inevitably make.
After all, most people here know very well how Latinos are treated by certain segments of the U.S. population when they’re on the other side of the border, so I’d imagined that the temptation to dish some out to us collectively would be at least a little irresistible.
For the most part, that didn’t happen. It’s also possible that I simply didn’t realize it was happening, but I think most of us humans have a pretty good sense of when others are laughing at us.
Flicking through phrasebooks and grammar books can also help you acquire a new language. (Credit: Bruno Guerroro via Unsplash)
Once in a while someone will have a longish conversation with me (in Spanish) and then say something like, “So, you don’t speak Spanish, eh?” or they’ll point out that they “could tell right away that I was American because of my accent” which always makes me bristle, as I’m pretty sure my accent is, while definitely existent, not obviously American.
(My Mexican friends may disagree with me on that one; I’d ask them, but the answer might be too painful for me to hear.)
There’s some sting in it, but I do my best to chalk up any unflattering comments about my Spanish to cosmic justice and not take it too personally.
In the part of Mexico where I live, English is not considered an essential skill the same way it is in the north or in tourist areas. Because of this, most foreigners in my area do their best with the language: they take classes, they practice, they work hard to get better.
They understand, above all, that learning the language of your hosts, if you are able, is a matter of respect.
When I traveled to Los Cabos recently to visit a friend, I saw how different things were in a town that depends on tourism from their English-speaking neighbors: I was addressed in English at all times, and if I answered in Spanish it almost seemed to startle people, as if they’d come into contact with a dog that had learned to produce human sounds.
For the most part, Mexicans are charmed when we non-native speakers at least try. They’re patient and encouraging, and try their best to be helpful. Mexico really is an ideal place to learn Spanish, as I can’t imagine another place in which more impromptu and consistent support among the general population would be given.
That said, I know many of my compatriots are shy about learning — and especially about using — the Spanish that they know already. I completely understand: there’s nothing that makes us feel quite as vulnerable as not being able to “prove” that we are smart, complex, discerning individuals.
There’s no way around sounding like a simpleton when we’re on that long uphill trajectory, and simply put, it can be a humiliating experience.
But again: at least attempting to learn the local language, if one is able, is a matter of respect. “Well then, what about all the people in the U.S. that haven’t bothered to learn English? I bet you don’t go around preaching to them about respect, do you?”
The short answer is that no, indeed I do not. Because here’s the difference: most people who go to the U.S. without already speaking English are in survival mode, just trying to make it from one day to the next, often working a dizzying number of hours both to both survive, and likely to send money back home.
Most Americans and Canadians, however, come to Mexico either in vacation or retirement mode. Some, sadly, come because their spouses or loved ones have been deported and they want to keep the family together.
If one is on vacation, of course, learning the language won’t be expected. But if you settle here, an effort must be made.
Find a school, or find a teacher. Find someone to sit and help you practice. Spend time just listening to people with no intention of adding to the conversation. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received for learning a language is literally to pretend to be a baby: listen to the sounds, watch people, let whole social situations piece themselves together and come into focus slowly.
Babies, after all, spend at least a couple of years listening and observing before they try to string together a sentence with more than four words in it.
On my first plane ride into Mexico, my nervousness increased with each sentence given in Spanish by the flight attendants: the more they spoke, the more I realized I wasn’t catching anything at all that they were saying.
Since then, I’ve made about a million mistakes, linguistically embarrassed myself in every way imaginable, and surely sounded much less sophisticated than I imagine myself to be.
But I’ve gained the ability to talk to most people on this side of the world and have developed some of the closest relationships of my lifetime in this language.
Sheinbaum addresses the graduating and incoming classes of the Colegio del Aire air force academy in Zapopan, Jalisco, on Aug. 26. (Gabriel Monroy/Presidencia)
The week of Aug. 24 in Mexico began on awkward footing following a Morena party faux pas in Sinaloa. Rubén Rocha Moya, currently under investigation in the United States for alleged collusion with the Sinaloa Cartel, briefly reclaimed the Sinaloa governorship after months on leave, only to retreat again two days later. Meanwhile, several storm systems dumped rain on most of the country, and an investigation into fuel theft in Tamaulipas turned up a startling menagerie of exotic animals.
Also this week, President Sheinbaum revealed new reforms and a US $6M windfall for Guerrero schools as she prepares to soon give her second annual report to the nation.
Didn’t have time to catch this week’s top stories? Here’s what you missed.
Sheinbaum weighs in on Rocha’s status in Sinaloa
President Claudia Sheinbaum spent the week fielding questions about the fallout from Rocha Moya’s brief return to the Sinaloa governorship from Aug. 21–23 and the future of Sinaloa’s leadership.
At Monday’s mañanera, as Sonora’s cattle trade with the U.S. reopened, she addressed the episode directly for the first time, saying she learned of Rocha’s Friday return through his social media post and had no prior knowledge of his plans. “I didn’t think it was appropriate, to say the least,” she said, later calling the decision “imprudent.” She credited Rocha’s renewed leave request — approved unanimously by Sinaloa’s Congress that Sunday — as “the best thing for Sinaloa,” and dismissed rumors that former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had encouraged Rocha’s return as “political fiction.”
Sheinbaum extended the same standard to other Morena officials swept up in the same U.S. indictment. Asked on Tuesday about Senator Enrique Inzunza — one of 10 Sinaloa-linked officials accused by U.S. prosecutors of drug trafficking ties, who had signaled he might return to the Senate — she said the same principle applied. “Yesterday I gave my opinion on the case of the governor of Sinaloa, who is now on leave. I feel the same way about all 10 cases under investigation by the Attorney General’s Office,” she said. Inzunza subsequently separated from Morena’s Senate caucus on Wednesday, though he remains in office as senator.
Security forces delivered a string of blows against the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) this week. A coordinated operation across Hidalgo, Jalisco and Michoacán from Aug. 21–23 resulted in 20 arrests and the seizure of weapons, drugs and exotic animals tied to the cartel, with authorities raiding 36 properties and confiscating firearms, fentanyl, methamphetamine, 113 vehicles and a drone jammer.
That action followed a separate military-led operation in Michoacán targeting alleged CJNG leader Heraclio “El Tío Lako” Guerrero Martínez last week, which produced roughly a dozen more arrests, including relatives of the suspect. Combined, the two operations brought the week’s tally of alleged CJNG detentions to 32, part of what Security Minister Omar García Harfuch described as an effort to systematically dismantle the group’s operational and financial capacity rather than simply rack up arrests.
Confusion and concern in Mexicali
A U.S. security alert warning of a possible “August 25 threat” in Mexicali created a tense but ultimately murky standoff between caution and normalcy. The alert prompted the U.S. Mission to suspend official travel and activity in the border city, reportedly linked to fears that the crime gang Los Rusos might retaliate after a 120-kilogram fentanyl seizure — roughly 4 million doses — from a property connected to the group.
Mexican officials responded by increasing patrols around public buildings, but as Tuesday came and went without a major incident, the federal security cabinet said it had found no evidence of a specific or imminent threat to the public. Residents described a largely normal day, and the Mexicali-Calexico border crossing remained open throughout, leaving the alert’s basis and its practical necessity still unclear.
Economic data: Record highs alongside warning signs
Trade data added to the good news: July exports hit a record US $81.4 billion, up 43.7% annually, driven by a 134% surge in electrical and electronic equipment shipments tied to U.S. demand for AI and data-center infrastructure inputs. At her Wednesday press conference, Sheinbaum cheered the numbers as proof of a “strong” economy, pointing to record FDI, 60 million people employed and a firm peso, and argued that years of minimum-wage increases had not triggered the inflation or capital flight critics once predicted.
Increasing FDI flows was one of the data points employed by Sheinbaum on Wednesday to back up the strength of Mexico’s economy. (Saúl López/Presidencia)
Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena presented a bill to put environmental justice at the center of Mexican law, proposing reforms to the General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection. The initiative would require more forward-looking assessment of major projects, close loopholes that let developers split projects to dodge full environmental review, strengthen restoration and remediation requirements and add specific protections for environmental defenders and Indigenous, Afro-Mexican, rural and urban communities.
Foreign Minister strengthens ties in South Korea and Washington
Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco kept a packed international schedule this week. In Seoul, he met with South Korean officials and executives from Samsung, Hyundai, LG and Posco to promote investment in technology, semiconductors and education, part of groundwork for a 2026–30 bilateral action plan ahead of a planned visit by South Korea’s president. He then traveled to Washington, where he held his first face-to-face meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. While both sides publicly stressed cooperation against drug and arms trafficking, Bloomberg reported that Washington privately pressed Mexico to do more to stop its own citizens from crossing into the U.S.
Aura farming battles debut in Mexico
A new social-media-driven trend reached Mexican public squares this week: aura farming battles, in which participants strike poses, dance and reference memes to project confidence and style while crowds judge who accumulates the most “aura.” Events popped up at Mexico City landmarks as well as in Xalapa and Torreón, though at least one Veracruz municipality banned the contests in public parks on administrative grounds.
Sheinbaum also unveiled a constitutional amendment that would bar dual nationals from running for president, governor or Mexico City mayor unless they renounce their other citizenship before registering as candidates. The government argues current constitutional language contains a loophole and that the country’s highest offices should be held only by people with unambiguous national allegiance — a proposal likely to draw scrutiny over its impact on Mexican-born citizens with binational ties.
Mexican athletes shine internationally
Cyclist Isaac del Toro won the Tour of Germany, becoming the first Latin American rider to capture the race, finishing 53 seconds ahead of France’s Louis Barré.
The coming weeks will test whether this week’s political and security cracks widen further. In Sinaloa, the ongoing conflict between Los Mayos and Los Chapitos remains unresolved, complicating the search for a permanent successor. Pressure is also unlikely to ease on other Morena-aligned officials named in the same U.S. indictment, amid broader questions about the party’s exposure to organized crime in states beyond Sinaloa. With Sheinbaum’s second annual report to the nation approaching, how she navigates these overlapping crises could shape both her security narrative and her party’s credibility heading into the fall.
Mexico News Daily
This story contains summaries of original Mexico News Daily articles. The summaries were generated by Claude, then revised and fact-checked by a Mexico News Daily staff editor.
The Chuburná region in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. (Credit: Brandon Salabarria via Unsplash)
A proposed luxury real estate development along a protected beach community in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula has sparked protests and backlash online. It’s the latest in a string of projects that activists have sought to stop, saying the developments will have detrimental impacts on their communities.
Las Dunas tourist complex is a planned luxury real estate and tourism venture that aims to encompass 92,000 square meters (more than 22 acres) of virgin beach area less than an hour’s drive from Mérida, the state capital of Yucatán, including more than 70 apartments spread across six towers.
Given its size and scope, activists say the project will have a significant economic and environmental impact on the small beach town, and that it ignores pressing issues that need to be addressed.
“In Chuburná, there are real needs – problems stemming from a lack of basic infrastructure and systematic neglect by the authorities,” Salvemos las Dunas, a local environmental activist group, told Mexico News Daily. “They want to foster the false belief that megaprojects bring economic benefits, but the question is: benefits for whom?”
Signs outside the luxury Las Dunas real estate project explain that the project is closed and on hold. (Credit: Jesse Foley-Tapia)
‘A crime against biodiversity’
It’s not just Salvemos las Dunas that’s sounding the alarm.
Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) denied the project’s initial proposal in December 2023, as the site was deemed highly vulnerable. However, in April 2025, after adjustments were made to the proposal, the project was federally approved.
As the Las Dunas development began to take shape, the outcry from community members and activists was swift. Salvemos las Dunas launched a petition calling for a halt to the project and an official review of the proposed plan.
“[A]bove all, this area is not just a stretch of sand; it’s the history and identity of the people who already live there,” Salvemos las Dunas said.
Their concerns were supported by a three-day inspection led by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) in late July. That report detailed multiple violations of federal regulations, some of which could carry criminal charges.
“Omissions, non-compliance and subsequent damage to species of wild flora and fauna protected by Official Mexican Standards may transcend the administrative scope and constitute a crime against biodiversity,” Profepa wrote in a statement shared with Mexico News Daily.
An aerial view of Churbuná Puerto in Yucatán. (Credit: Jorge Zapata via Unsplash)
Profepa and the government of Yucatán have since paused the project while they verify its compliance. During a press conference in early August, Gov. Joaquín Díaz Mena said that the “protection of Yucatán’s natural heritage will prevail over any particular project.”
Meanwhile, Salvemos las Dunas’ petition to protect the dunes has garnered more than 140,000 signatures. A protest was also held at the Monumento a La Patria in nearby Mérida in late July.
The public opposition to the project appears to be working.
“Given the concern of citizens, the State Government formally requested, since last July 25, Semarnat and the Federal Attorney General’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) to verify the timely compliance with the project authorizations and delivered all the technical information it has,” Yucatán’s government wrote in a statement.
Designia Desarrollos, the development firm behind Las Dunas, declined to comment on the ongoing proceedings.
“This project is completely contrary to environmental protection laws, contravening the human rights that guarantee access to a healthy environment, especially for the residents of Chuburná Puerto,” Salvemos las Dunas said. “The lack of regulation and the ease with which permits are granted to real estate developers have hijacked the state.”
The Chuburná Dunes are an integral part of the coastal ecosystem, recognized as one of the most well-preserved in Yucatán. Hosting various endangered wildlife species, including some that are endemic to Yucatán, as well as a nesting ground for a tortoise species on the brink of global extinction, the current ecosystem is both fragile and consequential.
Among the animals that call the dunes home are the Mexican sheartail hummingbird (doricha eliza) and the Yucateca wren (campylorhynchus yucatanicus), both of which have been granted a protective status, as well as the hawksbill sea turtle (eretmochelys imbricata) and the green sea turtle (chelonia mydas).
The dunes also serve as a natural protector against wind, tides, hurricanes, erosion and other storm systems that frequently batter the area, meaning any damage to them could prove irreversible.
“We believe that progress can be achieved consciously, hand in hand with environmental protection and citizen participation, but above all, by safeguarding the interests of the people, not just a few families in Mérida,” Salvemos las Dunas said.
A stalled Royal Caribbean project
The Las Dunas tourist complex is just the latest in a string of recent developments that didn’t sit well with local activists and conservationists.
Earlier this year, a Royal Caribbean megaproject in Quintana Roo came to a halt after citizens and activists expressed concerns.
The project, known as “Perfect Day,” is a proposed amusement park in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco, in the small fishing village of Mahahual. The famous cruise line had purchased the property, located close to the port of Costa Maya, which Royal Caribbean also owns, for $292 million.
Royal Caribbean officially withdrew its environmental assessment application in May, citing Semarnat’s intentions to deny the project. The company said it was “disappointed” in Semarnat’s decision and would “respect the role of Mexico’s environmental authorities,” but stopped short of saying “Perfect Day” would be scrapped entirely.
“We continue to believe in Mexico, and are optimistic in the potential to advance our investment responsibly,” the company wrote in a statement at the time. “Over the coming weeks, we will re-engage stakeholders to move forward in a way that delivers shared prosperity through the development of essential environmental infrastructure, the creation of thousands of local jobs, and community programs that support the people of Mexico.”
Tren Maya’s 900-mile development
The activism surrounding both Las Dunas and Perfect Day is set against the backdrop of the Tren Maya megaproject, which was completed in 2024 under then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
So far, the 900-mile train route spread across five states in Mexico’s southeast has failed to realize its promised financial benefits for local communities, while also understating its overall environmental impact.
Tren Maya carried its first passengers in December 2023. Since then, 42 trains have been inaugurated, traveling more than 900 miles of track across Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo.
The Maya Train, completed in December 2024, cost roughly 500 billion pesos (US $27 billion) and faced constant criticism from environmentalists who decried the massive deforestation and the damage caused to the fragile ecosystem of the Yucatán Peninsula. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
According to an August 2023 report by CartoCrítica, Tren Maya’s construction spans more than 26,000 acres, requiring deforestation efforts in 61% of the surrounding jungle. The report alleges that 87% of the deforestation was done without the necessary permits.
This, despite López Obrador’s assertions in a 2018 interview that “Not a single tree” would be cut down. Semarnat similarly released a statement in January 2023, saying that “More than 64,000 plants have been rescued with 85% survival.”
However, Priscila Alaniz Uribe, the general director for the Sélvame nonprofit, has a different take.
“About 12 million trees have been cut down, and around 125 cenotes have been damaged,” Alaniz Uribe told Sierra Club in July. “There are 15,000 piles of concrete poisoning the water in underground rivers – water we humans, animals, and plants use to live here.”
Such concerns define the environmental activism that has taken place around the Yucatán Peninsula in recent years.
“This project is completely contrary to environmental protection laws, contravening the human rights that guarantee access to a healthy environment, especially for the residents of Chuburná Puerto,” Salvemos las Dunas said of the project they’re working to stop. “If this area is cleared, it will leave the residents who have cared for their city for years unprotected; not to mention that it is home to endemic species of the area that are in danger of extinction.”
Jesse Foley-Tapia is a writer and photographer living in the Yucatán Peninsula, where he has dedicated his time and energy to shedding light on issues affecting Indigenous communities. His biggest journalistic accomplishment is interviewing Kendrick Lamar in 2010. His work has appeared in The Sun Magazine and BreakThrough News.
You may have seen it: a group of high-flying performers, dressed in a colorful array of traditional garments, climbing a 100-foot-tall pole in a group of four, before diving into the air, upside down, to spin as a human cyclone — held only by a rope tied to their feet — while a fifth member sits atop the pole, performing a ceremonial dance and song with a flute and small drum.
The UNESCO-recognized tradition can be traced back to Tajín, an archaeological site that once served as the capital of the Totonac Mesoamericans from A.D. 800. Today, it is one of Mexico’s most celebrated and active Indigenous rituals, known as the “Danza de los Voladores,” or “Dance of the Flyers.”
Interestingly, the Totonac did not invent the dance — that was likely the Nahua of Central Mexico — but they have preserved it, inextricably linking the practice to their history and culture in the process.
Ancient traditions in the modern world
These airborne avatars of the Totonac people are native to the northern region of Veracruz, where the modern Pueblo Mágico of Papantla can be found, roughly four hours northeast of Mexico City. They are famed throughout the country, with representatives performing their millennia-old routine in tourist centers such as Mexico City’s Bosque de Chapultepec and Xcaret Park in Playa del Carmen.
The voladores maintain their practices and Indigenous language through generations of flyers and community-supported programs, including the Escuela de Niños Voladores in Papantla. They are one of Veracruz’s greatest cultural exports and have inspired an inside joke among Mexicans, who sometimes shout “Papantla, tus hijos vuelan!” when something funny or unexpected happens in daily life.
And yet, as impressive and fun as the voladores are on a sweltering summer day, the region has also gifted Mexico, and the world, even more than its high-flying customs: Papantla is the global cradle and origin of vanilla.
I drove four hours north of Xalapa along the Gulf Coast to Papantla — admiring the decaying majesty of its tropical vastness and curving, mountainous shoreline — to visit the historical ruins and learn about its contemporary tastes.
‘The city that perfumed the world’
Papantla, a town of 55,452 inhabitants according to national census data, was once the global leader in vanilla exports. From 1870 to 1910, the modest pueblo in Veracruz state — located on steep, labyrinthine roads in the middle of a tropical forest — became the epicenter for vanilla, one of the most expensive spices in the global market. Much of it was exported to Europe and the United States, and the region was dubbed “the city that perfumed the world” for the sweet, refreshing scent that vanilla emits.
Sadly, naturally grown vanilla from Papantla — which a researcher at UNAM designated as one of Mexico’s greatest contributions to global cuisine, along with cacao, amaranth, chile peppers and tomatoes — is no longer what it used to be. Nowadays, artificial vanilla dominates, and the market value of small-batch vanilla bean production from Papantla is nowhere near what it once was — in many ways a metaphor for the greater significance of Veracruz as a state.
Vanilla was first domesticated by the Totonac people on the Gulf coast of Mexico. (The Gardener)
The rise and fall of the vanilla trade
Historical documents reveal that vanilla cultivation dates back to the Totonac peoples, who gathered the fruit of orchid plants in surrounding areas before any other known society. Writing in her journal article “The History and Ecology of Vanilla,” Dr. Mariana Hernández Apolinar, a biologist and faculty member in UNAM’s science department, notes that for more than 200 years, “Mexico was the world’s only supplier of vanilla, bringing the country considerable profit.”
That declined in the mid-19th century when Europeans intervened. According to Hernández Apolinar, “it was discovered that vanilla flowers could be fertilized manually. This made it possible to produce the fruit on plantations outside its natural area and led to intensive vanilla cultivation in different tropical regions, making its production intensely commercial.”
Fast-forward to today, and the vanilla economy has been at risk for more than a decade. As NPR reported in 2019, local farmers have found themselves the target of robberies and violence at the hands of organized criminal gangs. In addition, a group of Mexican professors and biologists have outlined how issues of deforestation, soil erosion, shifting weather patterns and the marginalization of rural communities have negatively impacted modern vanilla productivity in the region.
At the same time, efforts to restore vanilla’s potential within the Mexican agricultural sector have been underway, including Papantla’s growing tourism sector.
Originally known as “xanat” or “xanath” in the local dialect, the region upholds a proud legacy of vanilla. Vanilla tours are widely available, allowing visitors to tour nearby plantations that grow the spice. Family-owned shops abound, selling everything under the sun with an added touch of vanilla: ground coffee mixed with vanilla extract, vanilla-flavored cigarillos, vanilla sodas, horchata with vanilla, bottled vanilla concentrate, vanilla-scented candles, vanilla perfumes, vanilla liqueurs and more. Each shop explains the benefits and uses of its products. For example, vanilla’s aroma is considered an effective aromatherapy treatment for stress, while eating it is believed to offer digestive and anti-aging properties.
For a deeper immersion, there are excursions like “The Vanilla Route,” which spans two days of history and includes guided visits to the Xanath ecological park, a 54-acre plot of land that is preserved for sustainable vanilla growing, as well as a visit to a family-owned vanilla farm, where guests can witness firsthand how vanilla is turned into artisanal products.
Savoring local gastronomy
I made it a point to find as much local gastronomy as I could during my visit. I stayed at a small hotel with classical architecture dating back to the 18th century, less than a block away from the town’s main plaza, which stays abuzz at all hours and where street vendors sell goods and regional treats, such as homemade vanilla ice cream and atole morado, an iced, purple corn beverage to stave off the jungle’s humidity.
For breakfast, a trek up the nearby hillsides led to Saberes Ancestrales de la Vainilla, a family-owned business with two locations, one of which offers a vanilla museum and sweeping vista of the town. “Saberes” is the Spanish word for “knowledge,” and embodies the spirit of the restaurant and museum, which was founded to preserve the culinary essence of vanilla in its multitudinous forms.
Here, I began my self-guided tour of Papantla with a café de olla, a traditional coffee brewed in a clay pot and doused with natural vanilla, giving it a rich, natural sweetness to balance the drink’s dark bitterness.
To eat, we had bocoles, a Huastecan dish featuring girthy tortillas made from bean or chicharrón masa stuffed with a protein of choice, as well as espolvoreadas de pipián, a lard-rubbed heap of thick tortillas, served in a pancake-style stack, and topped with ground pumpkin seed powder. The dish is simple, but in its simplicity, the orchestra of corn, pumpkin and oily grease is a representation of Mexico’s indigenous flavors without any unnecessary pomp.
The meal was so good that my family and I returned to Saberes Ancestrales de la Vainilla’s original location near our hotel in the main zócalo, where I ordered a chicken breast simmered in a smoky vanilla-pepper sauce. It was tangy and piquant, reminiscent of an American Southern barbecue dish, but in a tropical context.
For dinner, we visited Nakú, a restaurant named in honor of the Totonac word for “heart.” Its outdoor eatery offers tours and artisanal products, while highlighting an indigenous diet specific to northern Veracruz.
There are hard-to-find dishes like zacahuil, served on Sundays only, and pulaklh, which are regional varieties of tamales with ingredients such as sesame seeds and acoyo, popularly known as hoja santa. Other unique offerings include tachula xa talhtsi, a bowl of buttery beans coated with crumbled pumpkin seeds; liwa xalak kakwin, rabbit in a spicy al chiltepín salsa; and pollo en salsa de vainilla y pulque, chicken bathed in a chilpaya, pulque and vanilla sauce, served with steamed vegetables and a stack of espolvoreadas de pipián.
Any visit to Papantla and nearby Tajín should include more than vanilla. One highlight that may surprise tourists is the murals and work of Teodoro Cano García, a Papanteco sculptor, painter and muralist who was mentored by Diego Rivera and who gifted the town a massive mural depicting the historical evolution of the Totonac people in the town square, to go along with a monument of the voladores de Papantla.
A section of a relief mural by Teodoro Cano Garcia on the side of a church of Papantla. (Alejandro Linares Garcia, Wikimedia Commons)
An overlooked attraction
In addition, the small but impressive Teodoro Cano Museum offers a rare contemporary art space in the pueblo, housing his paintings alongside Totonac artifacts, and is open to the public for free. Regardless of interests, Papantla is a historically significant, if not overlooked, part of Veracruz’s — and Mexico’s — rich past, and remains a culturally informative, intensely flavorful visit that will not break your bank.
Alan Chazaro is the author of “These Spaceships Weren’t Built For Us” (Tia Chucha Press, 2026), “Notes from the Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge” (Ghost City Press, 2021), “Piñata Theory” (Black Lawrence Press, 2020), and “This Is Not a Frank Ocean Cover Album” (Black Lawrence Press, 2019). He is a graduate of June Jordan’s Poetry for the People program at UC Berkeley and was selected as a Lawrence Ferlinghetti Poetry Fellow at the University of San Francisco. His work can be found in NPR, The Guardian, SLAM, GQ, L.A. Times, and more. He is currently based in Veracruz.
Travis Bembenek, Zella and Jared at Mexico News Daily headquarters in San Miguel de Allende. (Mexico News Daily)
Part of our team’s passion for journalism extends to making sure that we do our part to help inspire the next generation of journalists. This summer, the MND team had two students working with us in our San Miguel office — Jared and Zella. The two have completely different life experiences, different personalities and different passions, so it was fun to have them both on the team.
Jared grew up in the Chicago area and is about to start his senior year at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is a journalism major and is passionate about sports journalism. Although he had been to Europe several times with his family, he had never been to Mexico. Despite having taken five years of Spanish in school, his speaking skills were quite “rusty” (to put it mildly). Jared is very much a self-proclaimed introvert.
Zella was born in Manhattan and moved to San Miguel with her family when she was six months old. She then lived in SMA until she was 15 years old, though her freshman year in high school. For the final three years of high school, she is going to a boarding school in California (her parents still live in SMA). For her upcoming senior year, Zella will be the editor-in-chief of her high school paper. She is completely bilingual and very extroverted.
As many people on our team do not have children, it presented an interesting opportunity for us to work with two kids at different phases of their “journalism journey.” At some points this summer, our office in San Miguel had team members aged 17, 21, 27, 28 and 32 (my wife’s and my ages are confidential!). The following is a list of what I learned from our two interns this summer, offered less as a verdict on them and more as a snapshot of the moment their generation is navigating.
1. Artificial intelligence presents a real dilemma for them. On one hand, they see how easy it can make their life, yet on the other hand, they also realize that it can make them overly dependent on it and lazy. It’s like the ultimate superpower, but at the same time you know it carries real risks. We made it clear to them that at MND we would allow zero AI in their writing, but that it is perfectly fine to use for research purposes.
2. Neither one of them wanted to think too much about what AI could do to the journalism profession, the news industry or their career prospects in general. It was refreshing, albeit somewhat concerning, to see them so … naive? In denial? Innocent? … about what AI could mean for them in the future. They didn’t really want to talk about it, so I didn’t push it much.
3. It’s troubling to see how few actual books they read. TikTok or Instagram videos are the new version of reading. Which, of course, is concerning. This isn’t unique to Jared and Zella — it reflects a broader shift in how information is consumed across most of their peer group.
I asked Jared when he last read a non-fiction book, to which he replied, “I don’t think I ever have read one.” So I promptly gave him two books to read: The first was “The Last Emperor of Mexico” by Edward Shawcross, a great book about Maximilian and a fascinating part of Mexican history. He loved it. The second was “Comfort Crisis” by Michael Easter, which is about the mental and physical health benefits of embracing discomfort. I have written previously about how important I think embracing discomfort is, and how important it was to me as I studied abroad years ago. I also see the benefits in it from my wife’s journey to the U.S. from India, as well as from many other immigrants. I don’t think he appreciated the book yet — these things sometimes take time to land — but I find it very unfortunate that many in society seem to be somewhat giving up on expecting kids to read books, especially non-fiction. That is not a good trend.
4. It was fascinating to see how both interns’ faces literally lit up when they were writing. For both of them, writing is clearly a “happy place.” I loved seeing that. I truly believe that writing is a wonderful demonstration of comprehension, communication and logic. If someone is unable to put something in writing, they likely will not be able to communicate it well. And if someone relies too much on AI to do the writing, they likely haven’t comprehended much. Both interns loved writing, loved putting their thoughts into the written word. Seeing this made me equally happy and saddened. Happy to see the passion stirred up in them. Sad to think about how quickly our society is seemingly deprioritizing the importance of reading and writing — crucial tools to create a generation of young people who are well-informed and can intelligently communicate their thoughts and ideas. It left me wondering: Who will read the great writings of this new generation of journalists?
5. American parents and administrators: Relax!! I was shocked at the monitoring, tracking, guiding and checking in that Jared seemed to be subject to. Zella’s parents, having lived in Mexico for years, were much more chill. Just a generation ago, a study abroad experience was a true adventure — a chance to get uncomfortable and disconnect from family, friends and authority. Every family navigates this differently, and there are good reasons parents stay closely connected today that didn’t exist a generation ago. Still, it’s worth asking whether some of today’s students are being given less room than earlier generations had to grow through that kind of independence.
We look forward to welcoming interns again next summer, giving them a chance to learn from our team — and giving us a chance to learn from them.
Travis Bembenek is the CEO ofMexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.
“Confidently Wrong” is back with a new episode from Mexico News Daily, and this time we are doing a deep dive into the realities of receiving urgent healthcare in Mexico. In an earlier episode, we tackled one of the most asked — and most misunderstood — topics: healthcare in Mexico. We reviewed the Expat Healthcare Survey results, digging into the responses of over 700 foreigners actively using healthcare in the country.
After the usual questions about safety and life in Mexico, the conversation almost always turns to healthcare. Do you have a doctor? Is it affordable? Can you trust the system? In that episode, we broke down those questions using real data and real experiences.
The MND team surveyed foreigners living across Mexico to better understand what healthcare here is actually like. From routine dental cleanings to major procedures like heart surgery, respondents shared insights on cost, accessibility and quality of care. While no single survey can cover everything, the results offer a grounded, firsthand look at the system.
In this episode, we do a much deeper dive into the nitty-gritty of the healthcare system. We review the real-life example of George Reavis, my co-host, and his recent heart surgery in Mexico. We discuss the entire process including interactions with doctors, the procedure and health insurance. We also review what went well and what he thinks he should have done better.
I’m sure you will find, as I did, his story extremely insightful and helpful to better understand how to navigate the healthcare system in Mexico. It’s filled with unbiased, real-life anecdotes relevant to anyone wanting to learn more about the realities of receiving urgent healthcare in Mexico.
Check it out below.
Confidently wrong about receiving urgent healthcare in Mexico: Episode 6 - Season 3
Travis Bembenek is the CEO ofMexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.
One of Mexico's gold medals went to its most decorated rower, Kenia Lechuga, who won the lighweight race after finishing second and third in the two previous World Championships. (Conade)
Mexico made history at the 2026 World Rowing Championships, winning two gold medals and a bronze at the event in Amsterdam.
Aylín Ibarra and Melissa Márquez started things off Thursday with a victory in the women’s lightweight double sculls to become the first Mexican rowers to win a gold medal at a senior World Championships.
Alexis López, of San Felipe, Baja California, took home a bronze Medal by finishing third in the men’s lightweight individual sculls. (COM)
ESPN reported that the duo — which won gold last month at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games — dominated from the outset and resisted attacks from Greece, the reigning under-23 world champion, to claim victory with a time of 7:10 minutes.
Mexico had never before won a gold Medal at this event and its rowers had never won more than one medal at a single World Championships.
Kenia Lechuga helped turn that history around by winning the lightweight race, capturing the world title that had eluded her until now. Lechuga — Mexico’s most decorated rower — won silver in this event in 2023 and came home with a Bronze in 2025. She won gold in this event at the 2019 Pan American Games.
On Thursday, the 32-year-old Nuevo León native took the lead from the start aboard her signature pink boat and maintained control to the finish line. She completed the standard 2,000-meter course in 7:29 minutes.
Aylín Ibarra and Melissa Márquez finished first in the women’s lightweight double sculls to become the first Mexican rowers to win a gold medal at a senior World Championships. (COM)
“We are competing fearlessly against the European monarchs,” Lechuga said afterward.
It is believed that this year’s World Championships was the last time Lechuga will compete in the lightweight category as she is expected to focus on the individual sculls leading up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Lechuga competed in the 2016 Rio Games (finishing 12th), the 2020 Tokyo Games (finishing 16th) and participated in the open weight category at the 2024 Paris Games.
Finally, Alexis López earned a bronze medal in the men’s lightweight individual sculls, completing the 2,000-meter race in 6:52 minutes, placing him third behind Greece’s Petros Gkaidatzis and Uruguay’s Felipe Kluver. Gkaidatzis, is the reigning European champion and Kluver was world champion in 2025.
López, a native of San Felipe, Baja California, won four medals at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games — two gold (individual and mixed double) and two silver (men’s double and men’s quadruple).
