President Claudia Sheinbaum, accompanied by Welfare Minister Leticia Ramírez Amaya, presents a student with a Bienestar bank card to access the Rita Cetina Scholarship. The scholarship pays 2,500 pesos a year to families of students in public primary schools, and offers bimonthly payments starting at 1,900 pesos for families of students attending public secondary schools. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar / Cuartoscuro.com)
In her second annual report speech on Sept. 1, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that federal welfare, social and employment programs would benefit almost 43 million Mexicans in 2026.
In other words, about one in three Mexicans was slated to receive money from a federal program, among which are pension schemes, employment initiatives and scholarships for public school students.
Sheinbaum held up the reach of the various programs as a major achievement of her government, which, like its predecessor, has embraced the motto, “For the good of all, the poor come first.”
“Me dediqué a servir al Pueblo. Me siento muy orgulloso, muy contento, de que atendimos a todos, escuchamos a todos, respetamos a todos, pero les dimos preferencia a los más necesitados. ‘Por el Bien de Todos: Primero los Pobres’”.
Spending one trillion pesos on government welfare, social and employment programs — as the government is doing in 2026 — not only allows the Sheinbaum administration to provide monetary support to millions of disadvantaged Mexicans, but also shores up political support for the president and the ruling Morena party, according to analysts.
Three weeks after Sheinbaum delivered her Sept. 1 speech, the national statistics agency INEGI published a report on the results of its 2025 Intercensal Survey, which contains a wealth of data, including national and state statistics on the percentage of households that receive income from government programs.
Four of the five states with the highest percentage of households with at least one person receiving monetary support from federal and/or state authorities are among the five states where Sheinbaum obtained her highest vote shares in the 2024 presidential election. They are Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Tabasco — poor southern states whose residents have benefited in large numbers from the federal programs launched by the government of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and continued by the Sheinbaum administration.
In this “Mexico in Numbers” article, we present the INEGI data on households that received payments from government programs in 2025.
In 2025, 41.4% of Mexican households had at least one member who received monetary income from a government program, according to INEGI. That figure rose 16.2 points from 25% in 2020.
In 3 states, more than 50% of households have a government program beneficiary. Those states are:
Guerrero: 57%
Oaxaca: 56.9%
Chiapas: 53%
Government programs reach 40% to 45% of households in 8 states. Those states are Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Puebla, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Durango and Tlaxcala.
Government programs reach 30% to 40% of households in 9 states. Those states are México state, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Querétaro, Chihuahua, Coahuila and Baja California Sur.
Government programs reach less than 30% of households in 3 states. Those states are:
President Sheinbaum demanded a "very throrough investigation" into allegations that police beat and tortured protestors at Guadalajara's water contamination protests last weekend. Presidencia)
Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds
🚓 Sheinbaum says CNDH now investigating alleged police abuses at Guadalajara protest: The president said the National Human Rights Commission will examine “the use of water [cannons] and gases in the march” and the arrest of young people who were beaten at Sunday’s protest against water contamination. Police allegedly tortured some of the 39 people detained.
🚨 Sheinbaum backs protection of citizens after Morelos frees alleged crime boss: Asked about the release of José David Vergara, an alleged leader of the Pueblos Unidos criminal group, hours after his capture Monday, the president said, “The important thing is the protection of citizens.” Morelos authorities freed him to secure the release of three kidnapped police officers. Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said the decision was taken to save lives.
🛂 Government proposes 17.8% increase in entry fee for foreigners: Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez confirmed the proposal to raise the Derecho de No Residente by 175 pesos in 2027, from 983 pesos to 1,158 pesos (about US $63). The increase, which requires congressional approval, is 50% lower than originally proposed. Of the revenue, 57% would go to the Ministry of National Defense, 15% to the National Migration Institute and 28% to the federal treasury.
Why today’s mañanera matters
At her Thursday morning press conference, President Sheinbaum weighed in on two significant events in recent days: Abuses allegedly committed by police at a protest in Guadalajara on Sunday and the release of a man identified as a criminal leader just hours after he was captured on Monday in the state of Morelos.
A day after saying that her government “cannot allow there to be police forces in Mexico that repress and torture,” Sheinbaum acknowledged that the nation’s human rights watchdog is investigating the conduct of Jalisco state police at Sunday’s protest against water contamination in the Guadalajara metro area.
Also of note at today’s mañanera was the government’s confirmation that it is proposing to increase the fee non-resident foreigners pay to enter Mexico by 17.8%.
CNDH investigating possible human rights violations at Guadalajara protest
Police used water cannons and tear gas against protesters and allegedly tortured some of 39 people who were detained during the demonstration.
On Wednesday, Sheinbaum said that the CNDH has to conduct a “very thorough investigation” into allegations of torture.
Dozens of Guadalajara residents were detained by police after state officials authorized the use of water cannons and tear gas at Sunday’s water contamination protest. (Fernando Carranza García / Cuartoscuro)
“The issue of torturing young people is something that has to disappear in our country,” she said.
“… How is it possible that in 2026, there is still torture of young people by police?” Sheinbaum asked.
On Thursday, she said that the CNDH will investigate “the use of water and gases in the march” and “the arrest of some young people, who were primarily beaten.”
“CNDH is now doing its work in Jalisco,” Sheinbaum said.
“The objective is to guarantee an expeditious and impartial investigation … into the alleged acts of repression committed by state security officers,” the commission said.
‘The important thing is the protection of citizens,’ Sheinbaum says after alleged crime boss is freed
A reporter asked Sheinbaum about the decision by Morelos authorities to release an alleged criminal leader captured hours earlier. State authorities freed José David Vergara, an alleged leader of the Pueblos Unidos criminal group, on Monday to secure the release of three kidnapped police officers.
Sheinbaum said she didn’t want to create controversy about the decision, but added that “the important thing is the protection of citizens.”
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said Tuesday that the decision taken by Morelos authorities was motivated by the desire to “save lives.”
“There were a lot of civilian people in the streets,” he said, suggesting that their lives could have been endangered by a violent reaction from the Pueblos Unidos criminal group if Vergara wasn’t released.
Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez confirmed that the government is proposing that the Derecho de No Residente (DNR) — an entry fee charged to non-resident foreigners entering Mexico, with some exemptions — increase by 175 pesos next year, from 983 pesos to 1,158 pesos (about US $63).
Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez joined the conference by video link to discuss the proposed increase in tourist entry fees. (Presidencia)
She noted that the proposed increase — subject to congressional approval — is 50% lower than the hike that was originally put forward.
According to a bill that proposes the DNR increase, 57% of the revenue raised will go to the Ministry of National Defense, 15% will go to the National Migration Institute (INM) and 28% will go to the federal treasury.
According to a Tourism Ministry statement, “173.70 pesos of the additional 175 pesos would be allocated to the INM to strengthen technological infrastructure, border security, and immigration control systems.”
Thinking of buying a dream home in Mexico? There are some things prospective buyers ought to know first, particularly if they intend to borrow for the property purchase. (Baja Properties)
As the cost of living rises faster than incomes, paying for everything in cash — especially big-ticket purchases — is becoming increasingly difficult for many people.
In a recent MND financial survey, just 3.6% of respondents said they had borrowed money to make a major purchase in Mexico. Yet more than half said they had lent money to someone while living here, and 22% of those lenders had loaned more than US $3,000.
Borrowing money is not common among foreign residents in Mexico, according to a recent MND survey, but may prove necessary for the purchase of a home. (Scott Graham/Unsplash)
While the survey was not scientific, the fact that many MND readers engage in private lending suggests plenty of financial need in Mexican society that traditional banks are not meeting.
To be clear, it isn’t all bad. Access to formal credit in Mexico has improved in some areas, particularly with auto sales, but remains much more limited in others, such as housing.
So, what financing options are available for those looking to buy property in Mexico? Below, I’ll explore the possibilities, from conventional mortgages to alternative financing.
It may surprise you to learn that only 10% of home purchases in Mexico today involve a mortgage. The other 90% are paid for in cash or through alternative financing methods.
One reason so few buyers use mortgages is that Mexican commercial banks are very cautious, viewing large home loans to ordinary people as too risky. So, they require large down payments and charge high interest rates. As a result, buying a home with a mortgage is simply unaffordable for many Mexican residents.
At the same time, property prices in Mexico — especially in major cities and popular coastal towns — have risen to levels that are high relative to local incomes. This makes access to mortgage financing more important than ever for people hoping to buy a home.
Who offers mortgage loans in Mexico?
Santander is among the banks that offer mortgage financing in Mexico. (Shutterstock)
In general, U.S. banks do not finance properties in Mexico. To obtain a mortgage here, buyers must work with a Mexican bank that originates loans.
The most active lenders are some of the nation’s largest banks, including BBVA México, Banorte, Santander México and HSBC México.
Mortgage rates are steep and many applicants get denied
In the first half of 2026, mortgage loans from Mexican banks ranged from 8.8% to 11.35%, depending on the lender, with the total annual cost (CAT) including the rate, bank fees and insurance between 11% and 13.9% per year.
Mortgage rates vary based on the amount requested, down payment size, loan term and the quality of your credit profile. Since loan terms are complex, bank regulator Condusef (National Commission for the Protection and Defense of Users of Financial Services) offers a Mortgage Loan Simulator to help consumers more easily compare offers.
Besides high borrowing costs, down payments are also typically higher in Mexico than in the U.S. or Canada. It’s common on a resale property for the buyer to put 20% to 30% down, though some lenders require 30% to 50% if the buyer is a foreigner. One exception is developer-financed properties, which often accept 5% to 10% down initially.
Mexican banks typically offer mortgage loan terms ranging from 10 to 25 years, with 20 years being most common. The entire process takes anywhere from three to five months — so patience is essential.
Getting approval for a mortgage in Mexico is not guaranteed and the process can take up to five months, making patience a virtue for applicants. (Tierra Mallorca/Unsplash)
Even after a long wait, success is not guaranteed.
According to El Economista, only one in four mortgage applicants in Mexico is successful. I’ve seen these low odds play out firsthand, as my husband and I purchased our home in Guadalajara only when the initial buyer was denied a loan and backed out of the deal.
Getting a mortgage in Mexico as a foreigner
Most Mexican banks offer mortgages only to foreign nationals who hold legal permanent residency. Those with temporary residency — and tourists — though legally permitted to buy Mexican property, cannot secure mortgages here, for lack of credit history.
The application process typically involves review and approval by the bank’s credit department, followed by a property appraisal and legal review.
While requirements differ, most lenders ask for the following documents from borrowers:
Identification: Official ID (passport, CURP)
Proof of income: Usually recent pay stubs, tax returns or income statements
RFC number: Mexican tax ID
Credit history: A good credit score is essential
Credit reference letter: From a financial institution you do business with abroad
Down payment: Anywhere from 30% to 50% of the property value
Medical certificate Confirming that the applicant is in good health
It’s also important to know that Mexican banks require that borrowers hold homeowner’s insurance. This must be secured before your loan can be approved. If you buy property here without a mortgage, the choice of whether to buy an insurance policy is up to you.
Alternatives to traditional mortgages
There are options for those who can’t get a bank-approved mortgage in Mexico, but buyers should beware of agreeing to staggered payments for homes that have not yet been built. (Jose G. Ortega Castro/Unsplash)
Developer financing for new or not-yet-built properties
This is another option popular with foreign residents who are unable to pay all cash upfront. To attract buyers, most developers accept staggered payments for the purchase.
For example, you might be asked to put 30% down when you sign a contract, with additional payments required in 6- or 12-month intervals, with those future payments being financed by the developer. Because these loans aren’t done through traditional banks, they may carry higher interest rates.
Because I’ve heard plenty of horror stories about Mexican developers who take investors’ money and fail to deliver the property, I would steer clear of any real estate project not yet built. Legal recourse for property deals gone sideways is slow and arduous — and just not worth the risk in my opinion.
Cross-border mortgages
A newer option in Mexican housing finance is mortgages involving a bank in the borrower’s home country that lends money for property purchase in Mexico. For a U.S. citizen, this would entail taking out a dollar-based mortgage originated in the United States.
One company in the cross-border mortgage business is Moxi, which offers dollar-based mortgages for up to 30-year terms at fixed interest rates. The catch is that the minimum loan size is US $250,000, and borrowers are expected to put at least 35% down on the purchase.
These lenders are generally willing to work with legal foreign residents or visitors on tourist visas. However, those with non-resident status typically pay higher interest rates.
Because cross-border mortgages have such high minimums, they are only useful to those intending to buy luxury properties in Mexico, meaning those valued above US $460,000 or roughly 8,404,265 pesos.
Government-backed loans
For those with formal employment (including foreign residents) in Mexico, public financing is another option for accessing housing credit.
Infonavit, the Mexican federal institute for workers’ housing, is the largest mortgage lender in Latin America with more than 12 million mortgages on its books. There are numerous criteria to qualify, but anyone with a steady employment history whose employer has been regularly paying into the mandatory public housing fund is a strong candidate.
Borrower benefits include lower interest rates than commercial mortgages (3.69% to 10.45% right now), fixed rates over the life of the loan, and loan terms ranging from one to 30 years. An interesting twist with Infonavit loans is that lower earners pay lower rates while higher earners pay higher ones, the opposite of commercial lenders.
The catch with these public loans is that the amount borrowed cannot exceed 2.935 million pesos (US $131,087).
To wrap up, taking out a mortgage in Mexico is a major decision. Before moving ahead with a property purchase in Mexico with financing, I recommend seeking the opinion of a qualified financial advisor.
From tipping and working with local contractors to moving money into Mexico from abroad, check out more from MND’s “Mexico and My Money” archive.
MND writer Dawn Stoner is reporting from Guadalajara.
Venezuelans make up the largest community of foreign residents in Mexico City, and the foods they've brought with them are now a staple of the local dining scene. (Frederick Medina/Unsplash)
According to the International Organization for Migration, by December 2024, more than 7.89 million Venezuelans had left their homeland in the last 25 years, making it the second-largest population displacement in the world.
While Colombia is far and away the most common destination for displaced Venezuelans, the official INEGI census in 2020 counted more than 52,000 Venezuelans living in Mexico, while Milenio reported in 2025 that, at nearly 26,000, they now make up the largest group of foreign residents in Mexico City, not counting undocumented arrivals. Studies show that most Venezuelans obtain visas and permanent residency cards if they can, suggesting they intend to stay, work and live in Mexico City long term.
While this community is less than 1% of the city’s 9 million residents, you can note their influence if you pay attention — Venezuelan flags fluttering outside of restaurants in Narvarte and Polanco, arepa flour on the shelves of local grocery stores, Venezuelan accents calling out wares for sale along the streets of the Centro Histórico. Most of these immigrants arrived over the last decade, the years of deepest economic and social upheaval in their home country. But a small number of Venezuelans have been in Mexico since the mid-20th century.
In 1948, a small group of Venezuelan exiles came to Mexico fleeing the military coup that toppled democratically elected Rómulo Gallegos. This wave of around 1,000 immigrants and their families was led by Gallegos himself (besides being the ousted president, he was also the country’s most well-known novelist) and Andrés Eloy Blanco, Venezuela’s most celebrated poet and chancellor of the deposed government. It was an era when Mexico welcomed thousands of Europeans escaping World War II and Latin Americans fleeing political unrest in their countries.
Decades of migration and pivotal shifts
From then until the early 2000s, only a small trickle of Venezuelans moved to Mexico, with many working in the oil industry in places like Veracruz and Tabasco. However, when leftist Hugo Chávez was sworn in as president in 1999, many Venezuelans, particularly middle-class professionals who feared his policies, started leaving. They came with visas, passports and degrees, ready to start a new life elsewhere.
That was when Glexsy Abreu arrived in Mexico. She had been introduced to her soon-to-be husband years before, but now she was making a permanent move to Mexico City from Maracaibo. In Mexico, she would have to completely start over when her hematology degree from Venezuela was not accepted, and she couldn’t practice as a doctor. She worked for seven years at the Venezuelan Embassy issuing passports, and she says she watched the flow of immigrants from her country slowly increase into the 2010s.
The influx reached a pivotal moment in 2015, when global oil prices crashed and the quality of life in Venezuela plummeted. The country experienced one of the most dramatic exoduses of its residents to date, with many working-class and low-income residents simply walking out of the country on a treacherous journey north.
Policy shifts and shelter in Mexico City
For many of these migrants, Mexico was not their intended destination. Most had their sights set on the United States. In 2022, Mexico and the U.S. announced a bilateral agreement that the U.S. would accept 24,000 Venezuelans who could prove they had financial support. Those who attempted to enter illegally would be sent back to Mexico.
Comandante Pollo is one of Mexico City’s top stops for Venezuelan specialties like guasacaca salsa. (Comandante Pollo/Instagram)
In the fall of 2025, the population of a government-run shelter in Mexico City’s Tepito neighborhood was almost entirely Venezuelan women and children. Most had walked across the Darién Gap, a harrowing trip that took them through a 60- to 100-mile stretch of dense rainforest, swamps and steep mountains on the border between Colombia and Panama.
The women made it to Mexico just as border restrictions in the United States started to tighten, and so they made the choice to remain in the capital. By 2025, many had been living and working in CDMX for several years. In March 2024, the Venezuelan government offered free flights to anyone who wished to repatriate, and these women took advantage of the program. They moved into the shelter to wait for their flights home. By December 2025, they were all back in Caracas.
Building new lives through regional cuisine
Other immigrants, in particular middle-class professionals, had less dramatic exodus stories. Freddy Soto from the Ocho Tres Cinco restaurant in Roma Norte had already been traveling between Miami and his hometown of Maracaibo near the Colombian border. When his wife was offered a television and film production job, they decided to move to the capital and try their luck in Mexico. A few years later, they opened their restaurant.
Freddy draws the inspiration for the menu at Ocho Tres Cinco from his hometown, a tropical destination that sits next to one of Venezuela’s largest oil reservoirs in Lake Maracaibo. Their specialty is the agüita de sapo, an extra-crispy arepa stuffed with slow-roasted beef and deep-fried cheese drowned in a sauce made from beef broth thickened by hours of slow cooking.
It’s washed down with a refreshing papelón — an iced-tea-like drink made with unrefined cane sugar (piloncillo) and lemon juice that you will find in almost every Venezuelan restaurant on the planet. My personal favorite is at Páramo House in Mercado Roma, where it’s made almost effervescent, with less sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Staples, flavors and shared traditions
Similar to Mexican cuisine, corn is fundamental to Venezuelan cooking, and foods like arepas (a thick corn patty), hallacas (a regional corn tamal), and cachapas (a type of sweet corn pancake) are common on menus and in kitchens. But there are also lots of tropical flavors like plantains (both sweet and savory), tangy, fresh regional cheeses, tubers like yuca and tropical fruits.
Then there are black beans and rice, common to most Caribbean cuisines, as well as various preparations of slow-cooked meats. One of Glexsy’s favorite dishes to make at home is asado negro — beef coated in a sweet-and-savory papelón sauce.
Some of the country’s most well-known recipes include tequeños (a kind of cheese stick that looks like pigs in a blanket and is sometimes filled with guava paste), pastelitos (a small, savory fried pie), and pabellón criollo, which is the national dish.
Every regional cuisine has its distinctiveness, and those closest to the border with Colombia include a lot of cross-border borrowing of flavors and techniques.
Expanding culinary landscapes across the capital
One of the best Venezuelan flavors is guasacaca salsa — a bright, intense blend of garlic, cilantro, parsley, vinegar and other spices. I had it recently at Comandante Pollo, a new restaurant in Colonia Roma dedicated to the flavors of Caracas. The traditional rotisserie chicken marinated in mojo de ajo and citrus is a bright alternative to the cumin-oregano-achiote-rubbed rotisserie chickens of Mexico, and the yuca fries with guasacaca salsa were unbeatable. The sweet plantains with shredded queso fresco and papelón honey were also fantastic.
These days, Venezuelan kitchens are spread across the city — in Polanco, Narvarte, Del Valle and other colonias. Some are great and some lack sazón.
As the community grows, so do the options, providing the city with yet another delicious culinary addition to all the others we’ve discovered through this series on Mexico City’s immigrants and their food.
Lydia Carey is a freelance writer and translator based in Mexico City. She has published extensively both online and in print, sharing her insights about Mexico for over a decade. She lives a double life as a local tour guide and is the author of “Mexico City Streets: La Roma.” Follow her urban adventures on Instagram and see more of her work at mexicocitystreets.com.
Members of the conservation nonprofit Conibio Global have turned over hundreds of fragments of suspected space debris collected from a beach near the U.S. border. (Jesus Elias Ibarra Rodriguez/Facebook)
High tides are slowing efforts to remove suspected SpaceX debris found on Playa Bagdad — a stretch of Mexican coastline in the northeastern border state of Tamaulipas — where environmentalists reported collecting more than 200 fragments in the first 400 meters of a cleanup.
The conservation nonprofit Conibio Global said on Facebook it had delivered another bag of suspected space debris to Mexico’s federal environmental protection agency (Profepa).
🚀 #EsNoticia | ¿Qué está llegando del espacio a las costas de #Tamaulipas?
En Playa Bagdad, reportan nuevos fragmentos que presuntamente provienen de cohetes de #SpaceX.
La ONG Conibio Global pide investigar su origen y posibles daños ambientales. Mira esto.
The organization suspects the fragments came from SpaceX’s 14th Starship flight, launched Sept. 28 from Boca Chica, Texas — just across the border from Bagdad Beach, which takes its name from a historic port destroyed by hurricanes in the late 1800s.
However, the origin of individual pieces has not been confirmed.
In June 2025, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico’s Environment Ministry (Semarnat) and other ministries would investigate debris reported on Bagdad Beach. At the time, hundreds of metal and plastic fragments had washed ashore following a Starship test flight launch.
In response at the time, SpaceX said tests of Starship materials found no chemical, biological or toxicological risks, and that it had offered Mexico resources and assistance to help recover debris.
As for the most recent cleanup, the newspaper Milenio reported that Conibio Global aimed to survey 50 kilometers of coastline, about 31 miles.
Inspections so far have identified insulation and coating materials. Environmentalists said waves, rain and currents could carry more fragments ashore.
Conibio Global warned that turtles, dolphins, birds and other marine animals could ingest debris or become entangled.
It called on authorities to identify the fragments, investigate potential environmental harm and require those responsible to repair any confirmed damage.
It also sought investigations into reported structural damage to homes and schools and declining fishing catches. However, reports do not establish causal links to SpaceX launches.
Playa Bagdad lies on Mexico’s Gulf coast, south of the Rio Bravo’s mouth. Known as the Río Grande in the United States, the river originates in Colorado and forms the entire 2,018-kilometer border between Texas and Mexico.
At Tuesday's protest in Mexico City, workers said they were formerly considered "heroes" because of their work during the COVID pandemic, but have now been "forgotten on the payroll." (Camila Ayala Benabib/Cuartoscuro)
Thousands of Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) workers took to the streets of Mexico City and other cities across Mexico on Tuesday to demand higher pay, better work conditions, increased funding for healthcare and an end to shortages of medicines and medical supplies.
In the capital, around 7,000 workers, including doctors, nurses, orderlies, social workers and administrative staff joined a so-called megamarcha (mega-march), which set off from the IMSS-run Siglo XXI National Medical Center in the Doctores neighborhood at 4 p.m. and made its way to IMSS offices on Paseo de la Reforma, the tree-lined boulevard that runs into the historic center.
🔴“¡Presente!” Con un pase de lista, manifestantes mencionan a los estados donde trabajadores del IMSS se movilizan para exigir un aumento salarial, mejores condiciones laborales y el abasto de medicamentos e insumos médicos en las unidades de salud. https://t.co/hOiEVTO42z
“Don’t get sick because there are no supplies” and “Listen up people, this is your fight too” were among the slogans chanted by the protesting workers.
IMSS workers protested in virtually every state across Mexico on Tuesday, and additional demonstrations were held on Wednesday, including in Mexico City. Among the cities where protests were held on Tuesday were Monterrey, Guadalajara, Tijuana, León and Mérida. Some IMSS derechohabientes (beneficiaries) and other supporters of healthcare workers, including members of various unions, also participated in the protests.
Thousands of IMSS workers have made it clear that they reject an offer of a 2.9% pay rise coupled with a 3.9% increase in benefits. Instead, they are demanding a 10% increase to their base pay.
IMSS workers reportedly turned out in large numbers to vote on the proposed pay rise on Wednesday. The newspaper Reforma reported that workers “fear the result might not reflect the will of the voters because the union is the judge” — i.e., members of the National Social Security Workers Union are overseeing the voting process.
At Tuesday’s protest in Mexico City, workers said they were formerly considered “heroes” because of their work during the COVID pandemic, but have now been “forgotten on the payroll.”
In addition to higher pay, IMSS workers have a range of other demands. They include:
The adequate supply of medications and medical supplies in IMSS hospitals and clinics.
The hiring of additional healthcare personnel in order to ease excessive workloads.
Respect for their labor rights, including their right to speak out about problems in IMSS healthcare facilities.
Modifications to the Social Security Law to guarantee the ongoing financial viability of IMSS.
Changes to their pension system.
Additional upgrades to IMSS healthcare infrastructure. (The government has been modernizing hospitals.)
IMSS workers are also calling for the resignation or dismissal of Rafael Olivos Hernández, head of the National Social Security Workers Union. Workers have accused Olivos of pressuring them to accept the 2.9% pay rise on offer and violating union statutes. Some workers also called for the dismissal of IMSS chief Zoé Robledo.
Protesters are calling for the resignation of IMSS chief Zoé Robledo, pictured above, and union head Rafael Olivos Hernández. (Moisés Pabloa/Cuartoscuro)
Outside the IMSS offices on Paseo de la Reforma, disgruntled IMSS workers said that their fight for better pay and conditions is just getting started. They pledged to keep up the pressure with future protests if their demands aren’t met.
Vinicio Martínez, a spokesperson for protesting IMSS workers, told Reforma that protests could be “intensified” and that “activities that are a little bit more drastic” could be carried out “until our voice is heard.”
‘There are no syringes, [rubbing] alcohol or diapers. We’re short-staffed, too’
Workers who protested in Mexico City on Tuesday offered firsthand accounts of the conditions they face in IMSS healthcare facilities.
A nurse from the No. 30 General Hospital in the Mexico City borough of Iztacalco told the La Jornada newspaper that no one is called in to cover for staff who are on vacation or off sick.
“We don’t know why,” said the nurse, who asked to remain anonymous.
“We’ve had deficiencies for years and the quality of [medical] supplies has declined significantly,” she said.
The same woman rejected the proposed 2.9% pay increase, saying that it would only increase her fortnightly salary by 109 pesos (about US $6).
“That would be my raise if the union proposal is supported,” she said.
“I’m a single mother, I have a son at university and a daughter at primary school. It’s an insult to the work we do.”
IMSS workers took to the streets in Cancún on Tuesday with signs demanding better working conditions. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
José, a nursing student who works at the No. 32 General Hospital in the capital’s Coyoacán borough, told La Jornada that basic supplies are lacking.
“There are no syringes, [rubbing] alcohol or diapers. We’re short-staffed, too,” he said.
José also denounced the heavy workload medical personnel face, saying that it affects the quality of care they can provide.
América Barragán, a nurse from Jalisco who traveled to Mexico City to participate in Tuesday’s megamarcha, told Reforma that the public healthcare system lacks funds, medicines, medical supplies and personnel. She said that hospitals are overwhelmed by patients, who face long waits to receive specialized care.
“The demand to treat more patients in less time affects both working conditions and the quality and timeliness of medical services,” Barragán said.
She said that the problem won’t be resolved by demanding greater productivity from healthcare workers. Instead, more resources need to be allocated to healthcare, more workers need to be hired and hospital infrastructure needs to be upgraded, Barragán said.
She called on authorities to respond to IMSS workers’ demands with concrete solutions.
Sheinbaum: Workers’ ‘legitimate demands’ are being addressed
Asked about IMSS workers’ protest at her Wednesday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum initially responded by showing aerial footage of the Mexico City march.
“We took it from social media; it’s not filmed by the government or anything, but rather …by people who had drones,” she said.
“It’s important for everyone to reach their own conclusions,” Sheinbaum said before presenting footage that showed that the march stretched for quite a distance, but the crowd was relatively thin.
“That was the protest,” she said, adding that everyone could do “their own count of how many people participated.”
Sheinbaum said on Tuesday that her government would address workers’ legitimate demands, but rejected claims that there is a “crisis” in Mexico’s health system. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum went on to say that IMSS workers’ “legitimate demands” are being addressed. She conveyed the same message at her Tuesday morning press conference, during which she said resident doctors’ salaries would be increased and acknowledged that the government has work to do to improve the distribution of medications and medical supplies to public hospitals.
On Wednesday, Sheinbaum said that Robledo, the IMSS director, has been instructed to draw up an “action plan” to “immediately” address “all the legitimate demands of IMSS workers.”
“… When there is a legitimate demand, we’re listening,” she said.
Sheinbaum noted that IMSS workers would vote on the proposed pay rise on Wednesday.
“A union consultation is taking place today to see whether [the pay rise] offered by IMSS management is approved or not. It was already approved in Congress, but as there were people who didn’t agree an open consultation is taking place,” she said.
“I asked the Mexican Social Security Institute to ensure that it is totally free,” Sheinbaum said. “… We’re going to wait for the results.”
Mexico had been among the world's top 10 economies for five years around the turn of the century, but has since slipped to No. 15. It is expected to reach no higher then No. 12 by 2030. (Rogelio Morales / Claroscuro)
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has thrown cold water on Mexico’s ambitious plan to return to the world’s Top 10 economies by 2030 by declaring in its latest World Economic Outlook, released on Tuesday, that the goal is unlikely to be reached until at least 2031, if then.
Citing underinvestment as a major factor, the IMF indicated that the expected maximum GDP growth rate over President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first term (ending in 2030) is 2.2%, not enough to reach 10th place among world economies. Sheinbaum had announced that goal shortly after her first 100 days in office two years ago in presenting her Plan México, which has guided Mexico’s economic policy since.
In announcing its 2026 World Economic Outlook, the IMF declared the world economy surprisingly resilient, but with an uncertain future. It also noted that Mexico’s projected annual growth rate toward the end of the current decade will be lower than the Latin American average. (IMF)
The IMF expects the average annual rate to reach 1.7% during President Sheinbaum’s term, compared with 0.9% under her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador and 1.9% under Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018).
On October 2, the IMF revised its projections for Mexico’s economic growth to 1.5% in 2026 and 1.8% in 2027. It is projected at 2% in 2029, 2030 and 2031, which is lower than the average for Latin America and the Caribbean, which is is expected to exceed 2.5% in those years.
Mexico had held a top 10 position from 1999 to 2004, but by 2025 it had slipped to 15th. It is expected to rise to 13th this year, overtaking Australia and Spain, and is likely to remain there until 2030, when it will displace Russia to reach 12th place.
What Mexico needs to do to move up
In its report, the IMF stressed Mexico’s need to increase private investment by closing infrastructure gaps, reducing regulatory burdens and uncertainty and strengthening trade integration. It also highlighted the need to improve security, combat corruption and reduce informality.
The director of analysis and strategy at the Mexican financial institution Kapital, Alejandra Marcos Iza, cited a lack of investment, moderate consumption and the ongoing United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) negotiations as limiting factors for economic growth, suggesting that ongoing uncertainty surrounding trade fragmentation and U.S. tariffs has hindered new productive projects.
Meanwhile, a Bank of Mexico survey published in July, which assessed the opinions of 42 economic analysis groups from the national and international private sectors, highlighted governance issues as a major hindrance to economic growth, including public insecurity, the lack of the rule of law, internal political uncertainty and corruption.
MEXICO CITY — Naturalization officials confirmed Thursday that a 34-year-old applicant who submitted his final paperwork for Mexican citizenship was immediately, involuntarily infused with the complete lyrics, pitch-perfect phrasing, and emotional gravity of José Alfredo Jiménez’s ranchera classic “El Rey.”
According to witnesses inside the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE) office, applicant Mark Miller was signing the final page of his administrative petition when his posture visibly shifted. Miller then closed his eyes, tilted his head slightly backward, and spontaneously articulated the nuanced vocal differences between Jiménez’s original 1971 recording and Vicente Fernández’s iconic 1973 cover version.
Not only did Miller suddenly realize he knew the words to “El Rey,” but the distinction between versions from the song’s originator, José Alfredo Jiménez (pictured here), and its most famous performer, Vicente Fernández, was imprinted on his soul. (Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata/Wikimedia Commons)
“I went to hand the clerk my residence card, and suddenly I was overcome by an absolute certainty regarding the exact moment to hold out the syllable in ‘re-e-ey‘,” said Miller, who had previously required a smartphone display to navigate basic verse structures at social gatherings. “I also felt a deep, ancestral understanding that while ‘Chente’ brought unmatchable vocal power to the track, José Alfredo’s version remains the definitive one.”
SRE officials stated that the phenomenon, colloquially referred to by immigration lawyers as the “subliminal cantina effect,” is a standard bureaucratic side effect of the naturalization pipeline. While native-born citizens absorb the complete national songbook passively during childhood family gatherings, naturalized residents typically receive the entire catalog in a single, concentrated neurological download upon biometric verification.
“It is a completely standard administrative outcome,” said SRE spokesperson Ana Luisa Peralta. “Once the background check clears, the applicant’s mind and body automatically integrate ‘Por Tu Maldito Amor,’ the mandatory world-weary vocal inflections for ‘Camino de Guanajuato,’ and the emotional capacity to belt out ‘Querida’ as though they were personally as heartbroken as Juan Gabriel back in 1984.”
Department sources noted that Miller’s files have been cleared for final processing, provided he can successfully complete the mandatory exit physical, which tests an applicant’s ability to distinctly trill their r’s without warm-up exercises.
The government drew up the decree after a fatal Oct. 1 machete attack at a school in Torréon, Coahuila, that was allegedly perpetrated by twin 18-year-old brothers who authorities say were exposed to violent content and extremist ideology online. (Juan Carlos Ramos Mamahua/Presidencia)
Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds
📱 Sheinbaum signs decree to curb harmful online content for minors: Social media sites and online forums will be barred from displaying or recommending content to minors that “generates or promotes” hate speech, violent extremism, self-harm, eating disorders, cyberbullying and illegal conduct. Platforms must also verify users’ ages, classify content by age group and offer parental supervision tools. The decree, drawn up after an Oct. 1 machete attack at a school in Torréon, Coahuila, takes effect one month after its publication in the government’s official gazette today.
🚓 Sheinbaum orders CNDH probe into alleged police torture in Guadalajara: The president said the National Human Rights Commission must conduct a “very thorough investigation” into allegations that Jalisco police tortured people detained at Sunday’s water contamination protest. “How is it possible that in 2026, there is still torture of young people by police?” she asked.
⚖️ Sheinbaum defers to judges on ex-INM chief Garduño’s exoneration: Asked about Francisco Garduño’s exoneration over the 2023 Ciudad Juárez detention center fire that killed 40 migrants, the president said, “It’s what the judges determined.” Lawyers for the victims will challenge the ruling.
Why today’s mañanera matters
At her Wednesday morning press conference, President Sheinbaum signed a decree that will bar social media sites and other online forums from displaying or recommending content to minors that “generates or promotes” hate speech, violent extremism, sexual exploitation or violence, suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, cyber-bullying and illegal conduct in general.
Also of note at today’s mañanera was Sheinbaum’s response to allegations that Jalisco state police tortured people who were detained in Guadalajara on Sunday during a protest against contaminated water. One woman said that police beat her and stepped on her bare feet, causing fractures.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus said Tuesday that all 39 people detained during Sunday’s protest had been released. He said that police used excessive force and made “unjust arrests.”
He also said that “serious mistakes that must be investigated and sanctioned” were made.
“… No one should have been exposed to violence,” Lemus said.
Sheinbaum signs ‘safe digital environments’ decree
Presidential legal adviser Luisa María Alcalde told reporters that she and other officials met with representatives of social media and other tech companies to discuss the “decree to guarantee safe digital environments for girls, boys and adolescents,” which was presented by the government last Friday.
“Far from demonstrating resistance, they perfectly understood the need for an instrument of this nature,” she said.
Alcalde said that the decree will be published in the government’s official gazette today and take effect one month later.
The decree will oblige social media sites to detect and “immediately” remove “accounts and content that promote or generate violent conduct,” she said.
📲 SHEINBAUM FIRMA DECRETO PARA QUE PLATAFORMAS DIGITALES EVITEN DIFUNDIR CONTENIDOS VIOLENTOS
La presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum da un mes a las plataformas digitales para avanzar en la regulación de contenidos que inciten a la violencia, contra niñas, niños y adolescentes.
⚠️ Advirtió que, si las medidas no funcionan, se promoverá una reforma legal que establecería SANCIONES.
Aclaró que no se trata de censura, sino de garantizar espacios digitales seguros. 📱🫡🫡
Alcalde said that social media sites will also have to “classify content” by its appropriateness for different age groups, verify the age of their users and “establish supervision tools” for mothers, fathers and legal guardians of minors.
Before signing the decree, Sheinbaum noted that social media and “digital platform” companies agreed with the government’s initiative.
“The only thing they asked for was a month to prepare their platforms so that this is a reality,” she said.
Sheinbaum said that the government’s Digital Transformation and Communications Agency will monitor social media sites to ensure that companies are complying with the decree.
“If we see they aren’t complying, we would move onto a law which would involve sanctions for the platforms,” she said.
Sheinbaum orders investigation into allegations of police torture in Guadalajara
“Yesterday I was asked about the issue of torture in Jalisco. … What happened in Jalisco can’t be allowed,” she said.
“… In addition to the use of streams of water and tear gas [against protesters], the issue of torturing young people is something that has to disappear in our country,” Sheinbaum said.
“A police force cannot torture anyone,” she said.
Sheinbaum said that the CNDH investigation should examine “who gave the order” to torture detainees and interview “the victims.”
“… How is it possible that in 2026, there is still torture of young people by police?” she asked.
“… We, who came from the fight against [government] repression, cannot allow there to be police forces in Mexico that repress and torture,” Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum responds to exoneration of former INM chief
“It’s what the judges determined,” Sheinbaum responded.
Several subordinates of former INM director Francisco Garduño still face charges for criminal wrongdoing in connection with the fire. (Juan Ortega/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum said that “a very thorough investigation” that examined “the responsibilities of each person” in connection with the fire was carried out. She then reiterated that the exoneration of Garduño was a decision made by “judges.”
According to authorities, the fire started when two detained migrants set a mattress alight to protest poor conditions in the INM detention center. Those two men survived the blaze and face homicide charges.
The Federal Attorney General’s Office began criminal proceedings against Garduño in April 2023, alleging that he failed to fulfill his duty to “supervise, protect and provide security to the people and facilities” under his control.
In September 2025, the former INM chief issued an apology to victims and relatives of the deceased.
There were “human rights violations that never should have happened” due to “omissions by personnel of the [INM],” he said at the time.
The Associated Press reported that Garduño “called for ‘those responsible’ to be punished and for reparations to be made without recognizing his own responsibility in the tragedy.”
Despite the hurricanes this season, Puerto Vallarta will be ready to celebrate Día de Muertos. (Visit Puerto Vallarta)
By the time you read this, Puerto Vallarta will be recovering from its third consecutive hurricane in the last few weeks. First came Polo, then Rachel, and now Simón — a Category 3 storm currently making its way up the Pacific coast. Luckily, the storms’ eyes stayed offshore, sparing the city the worst impacts. Still, our malecón and beachside resorts have taken a beating from intense tidal surges and waves; many neighborhoods have flooded, and we haven’t been able to safely enjoy the beach since Sept. 23, when the first red flags were raised.
Needless to say, many residents — myself included — are feeling a bit of a hurricane hangover these days and are thinking less about going out on the town and more about helping our communities recover.
After taking a beating from a trio of recent hurricanes, Puerto Vallarta residents are focused more on recovery than nightlife. (Carolyn Hancox/Unsplash)
So instead of entertainment listings, this week’s events roundup highlights a few volunteer opportunities and organizations that provide disaster relief and organize cleanup efforts after major storms and throughout the year. Whether you live in Puerto Vallarta permanently, seasonally, or just vacation here from time to time, there are ways you can help residents recover through these groups.
We’ve also thrown in what we know so far about Día de Muertos happenings. Even though we’ve been thrashed around by storms lately, this is still Mexico, so the celebrations will go on come hurricanes or high water.
Disaster relief, cleanup and community support organizations
Vallarta Cares
Vallarta Cares is a local charity that mobilizes food, water, hygiene and medical supply distribution to communities affected by natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods and other emergencies. The organization also operates a year-round soup kitchen that serves hundreds of meals daily, provides weekly medical services, including free dental services, and organizes medical brigades throughout the year.
Vallarta Cares was also recently awarded first place in the interior of Jalisco category for the 2026 Premio a la Generosidad Jalisco. You can inquire about volunteer opportunities and make a donation through its website.
Limpia Tu Mar organizes trash cleanups along Vallarta’s beaches, rivers and at sea. Since its inception in 2017, the group’s cleanup brigades have removed more than 900 kilograms (1,984 pounds) of plastic, 125 kilograms (275 pounds) of styrofoam, 350 kilograms (771 pounds) of glass and 5,000 kilograms (11,023 pounds) of general garbage from the sea. Each week, volunteers set sail on boats from Puerto Vallarta to remove floating trash from the ocean.
Limpia Tu Mar also hosts one of Mexico’s largest environmental awareness events, the annual International Trash Fishing Tournament. This year’s tournament is coming up Oct. 18, and registration is still open if you want to participate or help sponsor the event. With all the recent storms washing tons of trash and debris into the bay, we could use all the help we can get to clean it up.
Local collection centers and cleanup brigades
If you are in Puerto Vallarta during hurricane season (June through November), local collection centers (centros de acopio) are often set up at community centers, fire stations and churches on short notice to organize relief efforts. Joining local community and business groups on social media is one of the fastest ways to find pop-up volunteering needs immediately following a storm.
One such brigade I join regularly is the Banderas Bay Project, started by local real estate agent Luis Salazar, which organizes monthly trash pickups around Boca de Tomatlán, one of the harder-hit areas from the recent storms.
Planning for Día de Muertos
A monumental Catrina will once again be present for Day of the Dead celebrations in Puerto Vallarta this year. (Visit Puerto Vallarta)
This year, the city is participating in the statewide Festival de Las Almas (Festival of the Souls), featuring more than 350 free events across 11 municipalities in Jalisco from Oct. 24 through Nov. 2.
In Vallarta, the city is planning 28 free events and experiences Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 along the historic center, Los Arcos, Muelle de Los Muertos, Isla del Cuale, and, of course, the Malecón, which will again feature a monumental Catrina. The giant beauty has adorned the Malecón for the past several years, each time designed by a different Mexican artist. According to the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board, this year she will be adorned with waves, whales, manta rays and bougainvillea.
If you do plan on heading downtown for the festivities, I recommend going early before the crowds get too big. Last year, we waited until after dark to go see the Catrina and were stuck in traffic for more than an hour trying to drive from the Marina to the Malecón.
Concierto de Día de Muertos
A special Day of the Dead concert is being performed this year by the Vallarta Symphony Orchestra. (Puerto Vallarta Institute of Musical Arts)
The Vallarta Symphony Orchestra will perform with the choirs of Puerto Vallarta and the University of Brasília for special Día de Muertos concerts on Oct. 30 at the Iglesia Reina de la Paz in Marina Vallarta at 9 p.m., and on Oct. 31 at the Haramara Auditorium at Universidad Tecnológica de Bahía de Banderas in Nayarit at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased from IAMPV.
