Sanofi recently confirmed an investment of US $50 million to expand its plant in Ocoyoacac, México state, where the company manufactures the probiotic Enterogermina. (Shutterstock)
France is bolstering its economic ties with Mexico by increasing investments in the energy, automotive and health industries, according to French Ambassador to Mexico Delphine Borione.
Speaking at the “France and Mexico: Allies Toward Sustainable Nearshoring” event, hosted by the Franco-Mexican Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI France Mexico), Borione highlighted recent announcements from French companies as evidence of France’s growing commitment to the Mexican market.
At a nearshoring event held by CCI France Mexico, the ambassador stressed that Mexico must address challenges including access to clean energy, appropriate infrastructure, sufficient water and human resources for the industries of the future. (CCI France Mexico/LinkedIn)
In the automotive sector, Paris-based Valeo has plans to spend US $800 million over the next five years to expand and modernize its operations in Mexico.
In the energy sector, green hydrogen giant Hydrogène de France announced an investment of US $2.5 billion in December 2023.
In the health sector, Sanofi recently confirmed an investment of US $50 million to expand its plant in Ocoyoacac, México state, where the company manufactures the probiotic Enterogermina.
“These investments reflect not only the commitment of French companies to the development of Mexico, but also their fundamental role in job creation, infrastructure development and technology transfer,” Borione continued.
While the ambassador acknowledged that Mexico brings great nearshoring opportunities, she said the country must address challenges including access to clean energy, appropriate infrastructure, sufficient water and human resources for the industries of the future.
Still, Borione said that Mexico is an “ideal candidate” for the relocation of multinational companies thanks to its strategic geographic position, its preferential access to the North American market, its robust industrial sector and the quality of its workforce.
Hajer Najjar, general director of the CCI, said that French companies are cautiously watching the political landscape in the United States and Mexico.
“Naturally, it is a challenging period as we do not know the impact that the elections in the United States and the situation of the reform of the judiciary will have on investments, but the companies that are already here are continuing their activities and growing,” Najjar said, adding that Mexico continues to provide the stability that investors are looking for.
Najjar also stressed that Mexico needs to support the development of sustainable finance. “We need investments that support innovative and sustainable projects. The creation of a financial framework that encourages responsible practices and collaboration between the public and private sectors is essential,” she said.
Finally, Brione said that France is the eighth-largest source of investment projects in Mexico, and that the embassy is fully committed to facilitating exchanges between Mexican and French stakeholders to strengthen bilateral economic relations.
This effort aligns with President Claudia Sheinbaum’s vision for nearshoring as a key driver of economic growth for Mexico.
General Motors said Thursday that it "fully supports" the Mexican government's efforts to strengthen regional supply chains. (Shutterstock)
United States automaker General Motors and Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn look set to help the Mexican government achieve its goal of reducing Mexico’s reliance on imports.
Vidal Llerenas, Mexico’s deputy economy minister for industry and trade, said Wednesday that the two companies will announce plans to substitute imports for locally made products later this month.
Deputy Economy Minister for Industry and Trade Vidal Llerenas said Wednesday that GM and Foxconn will announce plans to substitute imports for locally made products later this month. (CAINTRA Nuevo León/Facebook)
GM said Thursday that it “fully supports” the Mexican government’s efforts to strengthen regional supply chains, but it declined to “respond to speculation about future plans.”
The company also said that 90% of the parts it uses for production in Mexico are sourced within North America.
GM has four plants in Mexico, while Foxconn has a presence in Chihuahua, and announced last week that it will build a huge factory in Guadalajara, Jalisco, where it will assemble “superchips” for California-based technology company Nvidia.
Speaking at an automotive industry event in Mexico City, Llerenas said that the federal government is holding talks with other large companies, such as logistics firm DHL and automaker Stellantis, to determine which of their imports could be manufactured in Mexico.
Foxconn announced last week that it will build a huge factory in Guadalajara, Jalisco, where it will assemble “superchips” for Nvidia. (Shutterstock)
According to Reuters, the official also said that U.S. tech company Intel — which has a facility in Guadalajara — has committed to substitute 12% of its imports to Mexico. Heat sinks and thermal trays are among the products it plans to source locally.
Llerenas also said that Mexican appliance manufacturer Mabe is seeking to substitute half of its imports with locally made products.
His remarks came a week after his colleague, Deputy Economy Minister for Foreign Trade Luis Rosendo Gutiérrez Romano, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that the new administration led by President Claudia Sheinbaum wants U.S. automakers and semiconductor manufacturers, as well as large aerospace and electronics companies, to substitute some goods and components made in China, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan.
“We want to focus on supporting our domestic supply chains,” Gutiérrez said.
The WSJ said that the government “is asking some of the world’s biggest manufacturers and tech firms operating in the country to identify Chinese products and parts that could be made locally.”
Finance Minister Rogelio Ramírez de la O said in late July that replacing just one-tenth of Chinese imports with products made in North America could increase GDP growth in Mexico by 1.4 percentage points over current or recent levels.
Both assassination attempts occurred within a few hours on Thursday afternoon in Mexico City. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
A criminal lawyer was killed and a lawmaker was wounded in two separate armed attacks in Mexico City on Thursday afternoon.
Lawyer Oralia Pérez Garduño was shot dead while driving in the Roma Sur neighborhood of the capital, while Mexico City Deputy and street vendors’ association leader Diana Sánchez Barrios was wounded in an attack in the historic center.
A lone gunman attempted to murder vendors’ association leader Diana Sánchez Barrios on Thursday in the historic center of Mexico City. (Oliver Méndez/Cuartoscuro)
Two men were also shot in the latter attack, one of whom died from his injuries.
After both attacks, the perpetrators fled on motorbikes before abandoning them and disappearing into the Mexico City metro system.
The Mexico City Attorney General’s Office (FGJ) said in a statement that Pérez came under fire while driving near the intersection of Avenida Cuauhtémoc and Viaducto Miguel Alemán.
Two gunmen on a motorbike shot the lawyer, who was driving a Dodge Durango SUV without license plates.
“I saw that she had the window down when they arrived on a motorbike and opened fire,” a witness told the newspaper El Universal.
The gunmen reportedly fired nine shots. The FGJ said it was investigating the murder of Pérez, who had worked for the Mexico City government and had her own law firm.
#Entérate La abogada penalista Oralia Pérez Garduño fue asesinada ayer a balazos a bordo de una camioneta en el cruce de Cuauhtémoc y Viaducto Miguel Alemán, frente a Plaza Delta https://t.co/jue3gmua8j
Oralia Pérez had worked for the Mexico City government and had her own law firm.
Personnel at the Mexico City security command center tracked her aggressors via security cameras as they fled the scene. However, they lost track of them after they dumped the motorbike and entered the Chabacano metro station.
Later on Thursday afternoon, a lone gunman perpetrated an attack on Calle Motolonia, a pedestrian street in the historic center of Mexico City.
Video footage shows that the gunman shot one man before approaching Sánchez, a trans woman and LGBTQ+ rights activist, as she spoke to another man on a motorbike. The aggressor shot the man on the motorbike and subsequently followed Sánchez into the store to which she fled. Inside the store, he reportedly shot the lawmaker in the neck.
The gunman escaped on a motorbike with an accomplice. According to Mexico City authorities, they dumped the motorbike before entering the Balbuena metro station.
Sánchez, a “substitute” deputy currently standing in for her sister, was taken to a hospital where she underwent surgery. The 49-year-old Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) deputy was later reported to be in serious but stable condition.
The man who died in the attack was identified in media reports as Sánchez’s husband, 32-year-old Víctor Alejandro Esquivel Yáñez.
The deputy’s mother said that her daughter had previously received threats from members of Unión Tepito, a crime group based in the notoriously dangerous Tepito neighborhood of Mexico City. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
Sánchez’s mother, Alejandra Barrios Richard, said that her nephew was also wounded in the attack and is in hospital in serious condition. “He was shot in the lungs, they’re operating on him,” she said Thursday night.
Barrios Richard accused the Unión Tepito, a crime group based in the notoriously dangerous Tepito neighborhood of Mexico City, of carrying out the attack on her daughter.
She said that her daughter began receiving threats from the group three years ago.
Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said in a social media post that she had instructed the local Security Ministry to “deploy all necessary resources” to bring those responsible to justice. She also said she directed the ministry to bolster security in the historic center of the capital.
“We regret this violent incident, we’ve offered all necessary support to the families of the victims,” Brugada said.
The history of the Instituto Allende is well known - but the story of the grand building that houses it is no less fascinating. (Instituto Allende)
Founded in 1542 as a Spanish outpost, San Miguel de Allende thrived during Mexico’s colonial period, bolstered by the wealth of nearby silver mines. This influx of riches led to the construction of magnificent mansions, churches, and public buildings, reflecting the city’s prosperity. It was in the days of New Spain that the history of the Instituto Allende truly begins, with a man named Don Manuel Tomás de la Canal.
De la Canal was a wealthy man born in Mexico City to Spanish parents. He moved to what was then known as San Miguel el Grande, drawn by the town’s growing importance as a colonial settlement and its thriving silver trade. In 1734, he built an impressive manor house that reflected his status and ambition. This immense property was not just a residence but a grand estate that included a spacious home, a flourishing orchard, and a vineyard, all enclosed within a massive stone wall. By the time he passed away in 1765, he had built many of the grand landmarks that still stand today.
The Instituto Allende started life as a colonial manor house. (Sandra Gancz Kahan)
A church that never was
In 1809, the Discalced Carmelite nuns of Querétaro acquired the building with plans to convert it into a neoclassical-style church. They hired renowned master architectManuel Tolsá for this task. However, two major challenges prevented the nuns from achieving their goal. First, theWar of Independence broke out in September 1810 causing widespread disruption and halted construction. Second, the nuns lacked a royal certificate from the Spanish Crown, which was required to legally use the building for religious purposes. As a result, their plans were abandoned, and the building sat unused for decades.
War, decline, and near abandonment
The War of Independence (1810-1821) and the Mexican Revolution (1910-1917) took a heavy toll on San Miguel de Allende. The once-thriving silver mines, which had sustained the town’s economy, were forced to shut down, leading to widespread hardship. The social and political unrest of these periods deepened the decline, prompting many residents to leave in search of better opportunities. As people moved away, the town’s grand buildings fell into neglect, and by the early 1900s, San Miguel was on the verge of becoming a ghost town.
Renewed prosperity
In 1926, the Mexican government stepped in and declared the town a national historic monument. This designation marked a turning point, showing a commitment to preserving its heritage. Strict regulations were put in place to protect its colonial charm, setting the stage for the town’s revival.
In 1927, inspired by intellectuals Alfonso Reyes and José Vasconcelos, Peruvian artist and diplomat Felipe Cossio del Pomar visited San Miguel de Allende and was captivated by its unique quality of light. Nearly a decade later, he followed his dream and founded the School of Fine Arts (Escuela Universitaria de Bellas Artes).
Today, the Institute has been returned to former glories by the tireless work of its many benefactors. (Sandra Gancz Kahan)
Cossio established the Bellas Artes school in the former convent of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (now known as “Las Monjas”) that was built in 1765 by María Josefa Lina de la Canal, Don Manuel de la Canal’s daughter. This convent had been seized by the government following the Reform Laws of 1860 and was being used as military barracks.
The journey of Stirling Dickinson
Stirling Dickinson, born in 1909 in Chicago into a prominent family, was a talented artist and architect with degrees from Princeton University. Dickinson and his classmate, Heath Bowman, embarked on a six-month journey through Mexico to write a travel book. Their trip through Mexico turned into a permanent resident situation when José Mojica, a renowned Mexican opera singer and Hollywood star, invited them to visit San Miguel de Allende. They accepted the invitation and were captivated by the town upon arriving in February 1937.
In 1938, Dickinson became the director of the Escuela Universitaria de Bellas Artes. However, his work was cut short by World War II. From 1942 to 1945, he returned to the United States to serve in Naval Intelligence and later in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to the CIA.
After the war, Dickinson returned to San Miguel de Allende. He used his connections to enable veterans to attend the art school on the GI Bill, which funded free education for war veterans. News quickly spread about this new artist’s haven in the mountains of Mexico.
The GI Bill’s role in reviving San Miguel de Allende
Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros was an early superstar – and bête noir – of the Instituto. (Sandra Gancz Kahan)
Stories in Chicago newspapers and other publications began to feature San Miguel de Allende as a destination for veterans looking to study art, live affordably, and enjoy life. Following a glowing feature in the January 1948 issue of Life magazine, over 6,000 veterans applied to enroll, turning San Miguel into a “G.I. Paradise.” This influx of new students and visitors brought much-needed income to local businesses. The town began to flourish with a renewed energy centered around the arts.
However, trouble arose when a dispute over funding between the school’s manager and newly arrived Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros led to a walkout by students and faculty, with Dickinson’s support. In 1946, the Ministry of Education of the State of Guanajuato took over the Bellas Artes school, which now functions as the government-run Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez “El Nigromante”.
Holding on to the vision by founding the Instituto Allende
Despite this setback, the vision for a world-class art school in San Miguel de Allende did not fade. In 1951, Cossio invited Stirling Dickinson, Enrique Fernández Martínez (former governor of Guanajuato) and his wife, Nell Harris, to found Instituto Allende at Don Manuel Tomás de la Canal’s abandoned manor house.
Rodolfo Fernández, long time president of the institute, reflected on those early days: “Cossio had grand ideas, Dickinson was a fantastic promoter, and my father had the political connections, but the school’s true success stems from my mother’s extraordinary administrative vision and talent.”
A thriving artistic hub
A pair of busts commemorating Fernandez and Harris, and their role in founding the Instituto. (Sandra Gancz Kahan)
Instituto Allende became a cornerstone of San Miguel’s cultural life, attracting new residents and tourists drawn by its art programs. The town’s economy flourished with the arrival of expatriates, artists, and students eager to be part of its vibrant arts scene, affordable lifestyle, and welcoming international community.
The high-quality courses offered at this private school continue to attract students from around the world. It is also a popular venue for a wide array of events, especially weddings, owing to its striking architecture featuring a central fountain, high arches and picturesque murals. The institute’s commitment to fostering creativity and education is as strong today as when it was first envisioned, strongly contributing to San Miguel de Allende’s worldwide fame as one of Mexico’s most treasured artistic destinations.
Sandra Gancz Kahan is a Mexican writer and translator based in San Miguel de Allende who specializes in mental health and humanitarian aid. She believes in the power of language to foster compassion and understanding across cultures. She can be reached at: [email protected]
Mexico's oldest street is a treasure to be traversed. (Shutterstock)
Mexico City is an old city. Not in terms of people, as they’re quite young. As of 2020, 24% of CDMX inhabitants were between the ages of 24 and 35. Neither is it very old in terms of its own age. According to The Economist, the urban sprawl increased 128% between 1990 and 2014. After 1970, its count of four core delegations swelled to 16, meaning a sizable chunk of Mexico City has been newly acquired.
Still, the heart of Mexico’s vibrant capital is an ancient one, full of stories and legends, tradition and lore. And if the city wasn’t already fascinating enough, here’s another nugget to add to the list: it’s home to the oldest street in the Americas.
The roadway in a lithograph from the mid-19th century. The old aqueduct is still standing. (Wikimedia Commons)
A statistic I find rather mind blowing, since it’s ranked against the likes of the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Uruguay and Brazil. But it’s true:there is no documented street still in use in the Americas that competes with the one in Mexico City.
Of the Americas’ oldest roads, Calle Tacuba has outlived them all.
If you’ve been to the lovely and energetic Historic Center, you’ve probably walked along its crooked sidewalks, dodging perfume salesmen and falling for the charms of pretty restaurant hostesses. You may even have made it to the far end in Miguel Hidalgo, where the street is known by a different name, and its borders brush up against the flower-filled cemeteries of Mexico City’s oldest international communities. No matter which of its five sections you’ve roamed, you’re bound to have encountered various forms of architecture, people, food and loads of traffic, both auto and foot.
Let’s start at the start, as they say. It was in 1325 that construction of the Mexica’s glittering empire, a floating paradise in the middle of Lake Texcoco, began. The city flourished quickly, spreading outward from the islands and requiring connections with dry land . Workers broke ground, as it were, on several causeways and dikes which did more than just link the capital to the mainland — they separated salt water from freshwater, supporting an extensive local farming system known as chinampas.
The causeway that linked the city to the mainland might not exist anymore, but a number of new roads trace its path. (Thomas Kole)
Between 1377 and 1389, the principal causeway was constructed, connecting Tenochtitlan with the neighboring city-state of Tlacopan, its partner in the Triple Alliance. The Mexica would surely have been proud to know that this very road they were building would survive invasions, earthquakes, floods and revolutions and become a gathering place for art lovers and architecture buffs, street vendors and pan dulce addicts, like myself.
Depending on your location, the Tlacopan causeway is now called one of the following:
Calle Tacuba (Historic Center)
Avenida Hidalgo (Historic Center)
Puente de Alvarado, now México-Tenochtitlán (Buenavista)
Ribera de San Cosme (Santa María la Ribera)
México-Tacuba (Tacuba)
The 8 kilometer (approximately 5 mile) road stretches westward from the bustling Zócalo to the Panteón Británica in Tacuba. In theory, you could walk its full length, immersing yourself in a fraction of the infinite lifestyles one can find in Mexico’s eclectic capital. What’s more, you can take a little stroll through history, making sure to stop at these must-see landmarks along the way.
Palacio de Minería
(Turimexico)
Calle Tacuba 5, Centro Histórico
Originally built under architect Manuel Tolsá between 1797 and 1813 to house the Royal Mining School, the Palace of Mines is a cultural center and museum dedicated to the architect himself. Many visitors go just to admire its astounding Neoclassical architecture, and guided tours take place on weekends at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.
Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL)
Calle Tacuba 8, Centro Histórico
Mexico’s National Museum of Art showcases an extensive collection of Mexican art from the 16th century to the present. The building is a neoclassical masterpiece in itself, often serving as a cultural hub for exhibitions and educational programs.
Restaurante El Cardenal
Calle Marconi 2, Centro Histórico
The popular Mexican restaurant housed in the former offices of the capital’s electrical company is a regular favorite for locals and tourists. And with a location adjacent to MUNAL, it makes for a perfect museum-and-lunch pairing.
Museo del Perfume (MUPE)
(mupemx/Instagram)
Calle Tacuba 14, Centro Histórico
This quirky museum is dedicated to all things fragrance. From the history of perfume to common ingredients to a display of vintage bottles, what most stands out about the Perfume Museum is its incredible interior architecture.
Café Tacuba
Calle Tacuba28, Centro Histórico
Is the food outstanding? Eh. Is the service top notch? Ehhh. Does it matter? Definitely not. Don’t think twice about waiting in line for a table at this historic café, which has been serving traditional Mexican cuisine since 1912. Its charming atmosphere makes it a beloved spot for both locals and visitors seeking authentic flavors.
Palacio de Correos de México
Calle Tacuba 1, Centro Histórico
Yet another palatial gem sitting pretty on Calle Tacuba, Mexico City’s most famous post office is blessed with a spectacular interior adorned with murals and intricate carvings.
Palacio de Bellas Artes
(Cuartoscuro)
Avenida Juárez, Centro Histórico
After defying the disastrous effects of soft soil and the rowdy Mexican Revolution, CDMX’s iconic Fine Arts Museum still stands tall and proud on the edge of the Alameda Central. In addition to original pieces by Diego Rivera and Rufino Tamayo, there is a beautiful theater that regularly hosts opera and ballet concerts.
Panadería La Vasconia
Calle Tacuba 73, Centro Histórico
The oldest bakery in the city is nestled right here on Calle Tacuba and has been serving up traditional pan dulce and other sweet treats since 1870.
Iglesia de San Hipólito
(Mexico City Government)
Zarco 12, Guerrero
This is way more than a magnificent church. Formerly known as Puente de Alvarado, the area was once a defensive moat protecting Tenochtitlan. It was here that Spanish soldiers, fleeing Tenochtitlan in 1520 under the command of Hernán Cortés, drowned under the weight of the gold they were attempting to salvage. The temple that stands today was started in 1599 and completed in 1740.
Museo de San Carlos
Avenida México-Tenochtitlán 50, Tabacalera
First off, any museum situated in a former palace is worth a visit. Moreover, its impressive collection of European art features renowned artists such as Francisco de Goya and Peter Paul Rubens.
Temple of Saints Cosme and Damian
Serapio Rendon 5, San Rafael
Once upon a time, there was a little pueblo here called San Cosme. It is believed to have originated in 1524 when Hernán Cortés allocated land for orchards and farms. Over the years, a chapel and hospital were built, and in 1672 so were these striking, gold-laden temples.
Mercado de San Cosme
Calle Gabino Barreda 18, San Rafael
Positively overflowing with everything from mangos to mazapan, those looking for a truly local shopping experience cannot walk by this market without ducking in for a minute or 60. Shopping with kids? Drop them off at the onsite daycare center and buy with abandon.
FARO Cosmos
(Mexico City Government)
Calzada México-Tacuba, Tlaxpana
While I invite you to stick around for a show, the real purpose of the stop at FARO Cosmos is the space in which it resides. The historic theater was previously known as the Cine Cosmos, especially famous during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Inside is a monument dedicated to the student movement of 1971, having served as a shelter for students and protestors during repression by the police and military.
Heroico Colegio Military
Avenida México-Tacuba Campo Militar 1-B, Popotla
The dramatic, sprawling campus no longer serves as a military academy, but rather as a military-run museum. Today, visitors can peruse weapons, riding equipment and portraits of famous generals that date back to the Mexican Revolution.
Capilla Merced de las Huertas
Calzada México-Tacuba 305, Miguel Hidalgo
The tempered blue-and-white facade doesn’t fully convey the warmth inside this 17th-century church. Historically, it’s regarded as the home of a wooden statue of the Virgin of Tacuba (dating from 1762) which was stolen in 2005. Damaged during the heist, the statue was recovered and guarded by the courts until its careful restoration in 2012. She now sits comfortably in her original abode.
Tree of the Victorious Night
(Mexico City Government)
Calz México-Tacuba 453, Popotla
On June 30, 1520, the Spanish conquistadors and Indigenous allies led by Hernán Cortés fled Tenochtitlán over the Tlacopan causeway, taking heavy losses. The defeat had a profound emotional effect on the conquistador. So much so that, according to legend, he sat down at an immense, twisted cypress tree on the causeway, put his head in his hands and cried.
For generations, the event was referred to as La Noche Triste (the Night of Sorrows), with the tree named accordingly, but in 2020 the government renamed the event as the Victorious Night. The tree Cortés supposedly wept under still is still standing, and while it has clearly seen better days, there’s an undeniable energy that exudes.
Popotla
This little hidden gem of a neighborhood is a surprising mix of Porfiriato-era mansions and colorful facades, breezy parks and functional architecture. If you are a fan of authentic, handmade tortillas, and my guess is that you are, don’t forgo a stop at Tortillas a mano La Reyna on Calle Mediterráneo.
International cemeteries
Lago Saima 78, Huichapan
Technically the culmination of America’s longest street, the British Cemetery opened in 1824 and operated under British administration until it ran out of space — that is not a joke. You can still visit the British Chapel which is now part of the Juan Ruíz de Alarcón cultural center. Within walking distance are the American, German, and Spanish cemeteries, where you can find the tomb of the beloved Mexican actor Mario Moreno, better known as Cantinflas.
Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog, or follow her on Instagram.
Four taxi drivers were shot dead in Acapulco this week. (Margarito Pérez Retana/Cuartoscuro)
Four taxi drivers were murdered in the Pacific coast resort city of Acapulco in a period of just 24 hours this week.
Three of the murders occurred on Monday, while the fourth killing came shortly after taxi drivers participated in a protest on Tuesday during which they called on authorities to put an end to violence in Guerrero state’s largest city.
On Monday, armed men opened fire from a vehicle and killed three taxi drivers at a taxi stand in the Las Cruces neighborhood of Acapulco.
On Tuesday, another taxi driver was gunned down while walking in the beachside Hornos residential district. He reportedly fell into the El Camarón River after he was shot.
Three other taxi drivers were wounded in a separate armed attack at a taxi stand in an inland neighborhood of Acapulco.
Authorities have not arrested or identified any of the perpetrators of the attacks, or speculated on their motives.
🗣️#Acapulco | Taxistas de la ruta de Las Cruces bloquearon los dos sentidos del bulevar Vicente Guerrero para exigir justicia y seguridad luego del asesinato de tres de sus compañeros en un ataque al sitio. 📲https://t.co/PIYBhoXqekpic.twitter.com/rxMBBeyAwT
The fourth murder occurred after a Tuesday protest against insecurity organized by taxi drivers after three of their colleagues were killed on Monday.
The attacks on Tuesday came after taxi drivers blocked the Vicente Guerrero boulevard to protest insecurity in Acapulco.
According to the Reforma newspaper, protesters complained that Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado hasn’t met with them and presented a security plan for Acapulco.
“We need more reliable security,” one taxi driver told the Milenio newspaper.
“…We’ve seen the security that the urban [transport] vans have. … We need that security [as well],” he said.
In addition to calling on the state government to do more to combat violence in Acapulco, taxi drivers urged the army and National Guard to take action against crime groups.
They held up signs with messages such as “We’re taxi drivers, we demand security” and “We don’t want any more taxi drivers murdered.”
In addition to violence, the city has been severely affected by two hurricanes in less than a year. Hurricane Otis devastated Acapulco in late October 2023, while Hurricane John claimed lives and caused major flooding in the city last month.
Among Sandra Domínguez's accomplishments has been the exposing of Oaxaca politicians and government officials who've engaged in discussions glorifying gender violence or otherwise degrading women. (X)
Nearly two weeks after Oaxaca human rights lawyer Sandra Domínguez went missing, state authorities say they have expanded their search for the feminist activist in response to an appeal from the U.N. Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED).
Domínguez — a prominent defender of the Mixe Indigenous peoples native to Oaxaca’s eastern highlands — has been missing since Oct. 4. Colleagues say Domínguez regularly received threats related to her work.
Domínguez’s disappearance nearly two weeks ago has prompted video appeals, demonstrations, and an appeal from the U.N.’s Committee on Enforced Disappearances.
Domínguez, herself of Mixe descent, was last seen with her husband, Alexander Hernández, in a town in northeastern Oaxaca. Family members reported their disappearance on Oct. 8.
On Tuesday, the CED issued a statement urging officials to establish a comprehensive search strategy that includes a plan of action and a timeline to be completed by Oct. 29 and that keeps the missing activist’s family members fully informed.
Shortly thereafter, state authorities announced they had expanded their search into central Oaxaca, on the opposite side of the Sierra Madre mountains from where the couple was last seen. The couple’s car, however, was found in the neighboring state of Veracruz, 68 kilometers east of their last known location.
The couple’s phones were also detected in Veracruz before going dead.
On Monday, families, friends and colleagues demanded that Domínguez’s activist work in Oaxaca and the threats she received be treated as the primary line of investigation, according to the online news site Animal Político.
As Domínguez had made enemies of state officials in the course of her work, her family and colleagues accused the Oaxaca authorities of initially slow-walking the investigation.
Oaxaca’s peace coordinator Donato Vargas, center, whom Dominguez had previously accused of having taken part in a group chat glorifying gender violence, has been named as a person of interest in Domínguez’s disappearance. (X)
Marina Martínez, Sandra’s mother, recorded a video calling on President Claudia Sheinbaum to find her daughter. The San Isidro Huayápam Mixe community sent a proclamation to Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara, urging him to take a more active role in the investigation.
Joaquín Galvan, a Oaxaca activist and close friend of Domínguez, told the Associated Press that Domínguez often received threats because she handled delicate cases involving either government officials or members of organized crime.
In 2020, Domínguez denounced several state government officials for allegedly participating in misogynist group chats, the AP reported. According to Domínguez, the participants objectified women, often sharing images of Indigenous women along with derogatory comments.
One official identified as a prime suspect in Domínguez’s disappearance is Oaxaca’s peace coordinator Donato Vargas. Domínguez accused him of participating in a social media chat glorifying gender violence.
State authorities initially dismissed his involvement in the Domínguez case but now say Vargas is considered a person of interest.
In her morning press conference on Thursday, President Claudia Sheinbaum had little good to say about former president Calderón's online response to the García Luna sentencing. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
“I never had verifiable evidence of his involvement in illicit activities.”
Shortly after District Judge Brian M. Cogan sentenced García Luna to 460 months’ imprisonment and a US $2 million fine in a hearing in U.S. federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday afternoon, Calderón took to X to once again deny knowledge of the ex-security minister’s illegal dealings.
“About the García Luna case, I note: 1) I never had verifiable evidence of his involvement in illicit activities, nor did I receive information to that effect from Mexican or foreign intelligence agencies, which trusted him and interacted with him at the time,” he wrote.
Calderón said that he “hasn’t had access to the evidence and the testimony” presented at García Luna’s trial, but added that he is a “man of the law,” respects court decisions and is in favor of lawbreakers facing consequences for their actions.
The ex-president previously said he had “a lot of doubts” about García Luna’s guilty verdict, which was handed down in February 2023.
Then-Security Secretary Genaro García Luna with former President Felipe Calderón in 2012. (Iván Stephens/Cuartoscuro)
On X on Wednesday, he stressed that “the fight for the security of Mexicans” during his 2006-12 administration “was not the responsibility of just one person but of A WHOLE GOVERNMENT TEAM that combated crime with all the force of the state.”
Calderón, who launched a militarized “war” on drug cartels shortly after he took office, also said that the conviction of García Luna “doesn’t discredit the brave fight of thousands of women and men [who] defended Mexico from its true enemy, organized crime, even at the risk of their own lives.”
Although homicide numbers increased significantly during his term in government, the former National Action Party president largely defended his security strategy.
“Confronting organized crime as president of Mexico was one of the most difficult decisions of my life. But I would do it again because it’s the right thing to do. The true enemy of our country is organized crime, which kidnaps, extorts and kills citizens, especially our young people,” he wrote on X.
Former president Felipe Calderón led his country into the Mexican war on drugs, after he began deploying the military to combat organized crime in 2006. (File photo)
“My security policy had successes and mistakes. We confronted a powerful enemy that seeks to capture the state — in other words, to control territory by force, seize institutions, corrupt officials and divide and intimidate society. Despite all this, in 2012, when I left government, the state was advancing and organized crime was retreating,” Calderón said.
‘I would have liked to have known about the other life” of García Luna
In a radio interview on Thursday, Calderón noted that Judge Cogan, when handing down García Luna’s sentence, remarked that the former security minister lived a “double life.”
“I knew about one of those lives. I would have liked to have known about the other life and in good time,” he said.
“Of course it’s a complex, difficult, sorry situation,” Calderón added. “What has happened pains me a lot.”
Sheinbaum: Calderón ‘should apologize’
At her morning press conference on Thursday, President Claudia Sheinbaum characterized Calderón’s social media publication on Wednesday afternoon as “very cynical.”
“… Did Felipe Calderón know [about García Luna’s illegal conduct] or not? He says he didn’t. I invite you to reflect whether he knew or not,” she said.
Sheinbaum called on Calderón to apologize for having had a criminal as a top official in his administration. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum said that the ex-president “should apologize, at least” for having had a now-convicted and sentenced criminal as his security minister.
She also took aim at Calderón for his declaration that he would adopt the same security strategy if he had his time again.
The president, like her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has been a staunch critic of the militarized “war” on cartels launched by the Calderón administration, blaming it for the high levels of violent crime in Mexico in a period spanning almost two decades.
Since taking office on Oct. 2, Sheinbaum has said on repeated occasions that her government won’t pursue the kind of “war” Calderón initiated after he took office in December 2006.
“The first thing, which is very important, is that Calderón’s war against narcos won’t return,” she said last week.
The constitutional reform bill, which now goes to the states for ratification, undoes a 1990s law that privatized Mexico's national rail company and ended its passenger rail services. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s Congress has approved a rail reform bill to reestablish state control over railway services, particularly passenger rail service, clearing the way for President Claudia Sheinbaum to realize her ambitious rail development plans promising passenger train service throughout Mexico.
On Wednesday, the Senate unanimously passed the reforms to Article 28 of the Constitution 123-0, overturning Mexico’s railroad privatization laws enacted in the 1990s and declaring the railway system as a priority for national development.
Unlike many other controversial constitutional reforms the Congress has passed in recent months, the rail reform bill passed unanimously, though opposition senators warned that approval did not come with a blank check. (Cuartoscuro)
Because it is a constitutional reform, the bill now goes to state legislatures for ratification. At least 17 of Mexico’s 32 states must approve the reform for it to become law.
Sheinbaum championed the bill originally introduced in the Chamber of Deputies by her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador, announcing during her campaign and again on Oct. 9 that she was preparing a public investment of 150 billion pesos (US $7.5 billion) to begin the construction of 3,000 kilometers of passenger train tracks during her six-year term.
After unanimously passing the reform bill through committee on Monday, deliberations moved to the floor of the Senate, where support for the revival of passenger services was notable.
Although participants recognized that modernization of the railroad sector would improve and broaden cargo services while also allowing cargo companies holding concessions for freight rail services to apply for concessions to operate passenger services, the expected boost to the economy from tourism received considerable attention.
Sen. Saúl Monreal (Morena) said the reform would make cargo traffic more efficient, reduce transport costs, increase competitiveness in key sectors and generate more tourism. He also said rail traffic emits 70% less pollution than truck traffic.
One of President Sheinbaum’s campaign promises was to bring back passenger rail service across Mexico. This Sunday, she was in Querétaro to launch the Mexico City-Querétaro railway project, which will be built and run by the Defense Ministry. (Presidencia)
Other speakers praised the reform as a chance for the profound transformation of Mexico’s mobility infrastructure and the reactivation of local economies.
While supporting the reform, opposition senators cautioned that they would not grant Sheinbaum a blank check to carry out her rail development plans and insisted that environmental-impact studies for such projects should be mandatory.
This year, the prestigious festival runs Oct. 18 - 27 in the capital city of Michoacán. (FICM/Facebook)
Five-time Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola being honored in-person will be one of the highlights of the 22nd annual Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), which opens Friday and runs through Oct. 27 in the Michoacán capital.
The American director, screenwriter and producer is scheduled to receive the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Film Archive Medal for his invaluable contributions to universal cinema, including “Patton,” “The Godfather” trilogy and “Apocalypse Now.”
In addition, the FICM will pay tribute to the 85-year-old with its sixth Award for Artistic Excellence — which was given to the director-actress Jodie Foster last year and previously to luminaries such as American icon Robert Redford, French director Claire Denis and Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, himself a five-time Academy Award winner.
The festival’s opening night film on Friday is “Emilia Pérez” from multiple award-winning French director and screenwriter Jacques Audiard, who is scheduled to walk the red carpet along with two of the film’s stars, Karla Sofía Gascón and Adriana Paz.
A musical odyssey set primarily in a vibrant, pulsating Mexico City, the film weaves together the stories of four women. One of them is a cartel leader (Gascón) who lives publicly as a man but dreams of starting a new life as “Emilia Pérez.” To do so, she hires a struggling lawyer (Zoe Saldaña) to help carry out her longtime plan to fake her death and transition to living as Emilia.
Karla Sofía Gascón as Emilia in “Emilia Pérez.” (Screenshot via FilmAffinity)
Described as a Spanish-language French musical crime comedy — based on an Audiard opera libretto of the same name — the film premiered earlier this year at Cannes, where it won the Jury Prize and its four lead female actresses (the three above plus Selena Gomez) received a combined best actress award.
It is scheduled for a Nov. 1 release in select theaters and then a Nov. 13 debut on Netflix.
Overall, the FICM — one of the world’s preeminent film festivals — will screen hundreds of films from Mexico and around the world at several venues in Morelia’s historic downtown and at a Cinépolis VIP theater. Cinépolis, which traces its roots to a single theater in Morelia in 1971, is once again a major underwriter of the festival.
There will also be virtual screenings through the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE) at nuesrtrocine.mx.
María Novaro, general director of the Mexican Film Institute, noted the FICM has “an annual average of 250 features over the past four years, [placing] it among the 12 most diverse and vigorous film [festivals] in the world.”
A wide range of Mexican features, short films and documentaries will be presented, and there are 14 categories of official prizes, several for Mexican films and one for films produced in Michoacán. Many workshops and forums will be held, including one about Indigenous filmmaking in Mexico.
This year’s festival will pay tribute to late Mexican film director Ismael Rodríguez, known for his collaborations with actor Pedro Infante and for shaping the Época de Oro, or Golden Age of Mexican cinema from the 1930s to the early 1960s.
Pedro Infante in a scene from the 1947 film “Los tres García,” directed by Ismael Rodríguez. (Screenshot)
Several Rodríguez movies, including “Los tres García” (1947) and “Los hermanos del Hierro” (1961), will be screened, as will a newly restored version of Emilio Fernández’s classic “María Candelaria” (1943).
Many of the older films are shown for free in an open-air pop-up cinema in the city’s main square.
Some of the most anticipated new films this year include Netflix-bound “Pedro Páramo” (based on Juan Rulfo’s literary masterpiece), “Disclaimer” (a star-studded psychological thriller by Cuarón) and “Nightbitch” (a horror-comedy about a suburban mom-under-pressure who thinks she’s transforming into a dog).
Attendees also will want to check out how to buy tickets, as there are several major changes. Advance tickets are now only available two days ahead of each screening, and seats are no longer reserved. Ticket holders will have to line up before each show and then race to any open seats.
