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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2025 with these Mexican Netflix series

By
Carolina Alvarado
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Announcement for National Hispanic Heritage Month.
There are plenty of biographical series to binge during National Hispanic Heritage Month this year. (National Education Association)

Hispanic Heritage Month returns from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, as it does every fall, and as always, it’s a great opportunity to commemorate and delve deeper into Hispanic and Latin cultures. 

During this month of celebration, it’s impossible not to pause and reflect on the significant contributions of these communities. If you don’t have plans yet, one of the best options may be to binge-watch biographical series and learn about the stories of exceptional Mexican artists who, over time, have become symbols of the nation’s cultural identity. From singers to painters, comedians and many others, salute Hispanic Heritage Month with the following titles.

Luis Miguel: La Serie (2018)

Luis Miguel La Serie | Trailer Oficial | Netflix

We begin our Hispanic Heritage Month selection with a biographical series about Luis Miguel, one of the most successful and renowned singers in Latin American history. For those unfamiliar with him, Luis Miguel has vocal abilities comparable to Freddie Mercury, won his first Grammy at the age of 14 and has never left the stage or been out of the spotlight since.

Based largely on the singer’s authorized biography “Luis Mi Rey” (1997) by journalist Javier León Herrera, “Luis Miguel: La Serie” is directed by Humberto Hinojosa and Natalia Beristá and traces the life of the “Sun of Mexico” from his adolescence – marked by the figure of his father, Spanish singer Luisito Rey – to his rise to international fame, without neglecting the inevitable ups and downs of the music industry.

With thirteen episodes in its first season, eight in the second, and six in the third and final season, the Netflix series shows the artist’s more human side and is an extremely revealing portrayal of him.

Chespirito: Sin Querer Queriendo (2025)

Chespirito: Sin Querer Queriendo | Tráiler Oficial | Max

The master of family comedy and white humor, Roberto Gómez Bolaños (1929-2014), widely known as “Chespirito” (Little Shakespeare), wrote his autobiography, entitled “Sin Querer, Queriendo: Memorias,” in 2006. Almost two decades later, his children, Paulina and Roberto Gómez Fernández, adapted it for television with extraordinary attention to detail. 

Over eight episodes and in a dramatic yet comedic tone, “Chespirito: Sin Querer Queriendo” strives to unravel the creative, personal and professional universe of one of the most beloved and versatile Latin American television stars. One of the most successful aspects of Max’s biography is that it delves into the life experiences, actions, decisions and misadventures that shaped Chespirito’s creative vision and, in the process, reveals the essence of the human being behind the iconic yellow heart and checkered cap.

With inspired photography by Marc Bellver and Diana Garay, and a script that lifts the spirits of even the most cynical viewer, you’ll have a great time watching the story of the Mexican who forever transformed Spanish-language comedy and television.

Hasta que te conocí (2016)

"Hasta Que Te Conocí" (2016) TV Serie | Official Final Trailer HD (Sub Eng)

In life, there are figures whose legacy becomes legend, and this is the case of Alberto Aguilera Valadez, known artistically as Juan Gabriel (1950-2016). Unique in his style and overflowing with passion for music, the Michoacán singer-songwriter left a deep cultural mark around the world, with a prolific career that spanned more than 1,750 compositions and 150 million records sold. 

Nominated for International Emmy Awards and starring Julián Román, the series “Hasta Que Te Conocí” recounts more than 60 years of history and carefully highlights the crucial moments and relationships that shaped Juanga’s life and stardom. Through a profound and honest narrative, the 13-episode biographical series covers everything from his modest origins in a peasant family to his years of artistic and commercial glory and his consecration as “El Divo de Juárez.” 

As an indispensable part of Mexican music history, the life of Juan Gabriel is undoubtedly an ideal choice to watch during Hispanic Heritage Month. 

Becoming Frida Kahlo (2023) 

Becoming Frida Kahlo | BBC Select

More than 70 years after her death, the greatness of painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) remains intact. Recognized as one of Latin America’s most important visual artists, her brutally personal work continues to transcend borders and remains a cultural reference point for millions of people. Fortunately, the biography “Becoming Frida Kahlo” respects this legacy and strives to remain faithful to her groundbreaking and rebellious profile.

This three-part docuseries, produced for BBC Two, offers a compelling portrait of Frida Kahlo as a woman, intellectual, artist and symbol of her homeland. Carefully constructed and thoroughly researched, the series explores the numerous traumas Kahlo overcame, the origins of her pictorial identity and her complex relationship with muralist Diego Rivera, whom she married not once, but twice. Through home movies, intimate photographs and entries from Kahlo’s diary, the project allows us to experience firsthand the life of the artist and her close circle.

María Félix: La Doña (2022)

Trailer | MARIA FÉLIX, LA DOÑA | 21 de Julio por ViX+

No list of Mexican artists would be complete without María de los Ángeles Félix Güereña (1914-2002), known in the world of performing arts as “La Doña.” Félix was not only one of the most legendary stars of Mexican cinema, but also a cultural phenomenon who challenged social conventions and helped redefine femininity in the “seventh art.”

Over eight episodes, the Televisa Univision series for ViX+, “María Félix: La Doña,” explores the life and work of the iconic actress, covering her family dramas, her rise in cinema, her controversial love affairs and the countless sacrifices she made to fulfill her dreams. Sandra Echeverría, Ximena Romo, and Abril Vergara take turns playing the “woman who stole the 20th century” from her childhood in Los Álamos, Sonora, to her final years in Mexico City.

Whether you are a fan of the famous and empowered María Félix or are unfamiliar with her world, this is an inspiring story worth knowing, especially in the context of Hispanic Heritage Month. 

Carolina Alvarado is a Venezuelan journalist and has devoted much of her career to creative writing, university teaching and social work. She has been published in Lady Science, Latina Media, Global Comment, Psiquide, Cinetopic, Get me Giddy and Reader’s Digest, among others.

Grupo México seeks to acquire up to 100% of Banamex from Citigroup

By
MND Staff
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Banamex building
Grupo México says that its offer will ensure the bank’s majority Mexican ownership and strengthen its competitiveness. (Shutterstock)

Mexican conglomerate Grupo México has submitted a binding offer to acquire up to 100% of Banamex from Citigroup, reviving negotiations that had been scrapped in 2023 and proposing alternatives that include partnering with the recent buyer of 25% of the bank.

Owned by magnate Germán Larrea, Grupo México is a multinational conglomerate in the mining, transportation and infrastructure industries. It owns Mexico’s largest mining company and is the country’s leading copper producer. The group also operates the largest national railway network and major infrastructure projects.

German Larrea 2025
Germán Larrea (left), shown here attending President Sheinbaum’s first government report on Sept. 1, is the president of Grupo México. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)

The company notified the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) of its proposal to purchase 100% of Grupo Financiero Banamex, saying that it will maintain the bank’s majority Mexican ownership and strengthen its competitiveness in the country.

“Once Banamex is regulated solely by Mexican financial authorities, it will be able to regain its competitive potential in our financial system,” Grupo México said in the letter addressing the BMV. 

Grupo México’s offer comes just a week after businessman Fernando Chico Pardo, president of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (Asur), announced the purchase of 25% of the bank’s shares. Grupo México left open the possibility of acquiring only 75% of the bank, in order to respect Chico Pardo’s offered investment. 

Meanwhile, Citi noted that it has not yet received an offer by Grupo México, and its only current deal is with Chico. However, it said that if Grupo México submits an offer, Citi will consider it.

“The agreement we announced last week with Fernando Chico Pardo and our proposed IPO remain our preferred path,” Citi said. “If Grupo México makes an offer, we will, of course, review it responsibly and consider, among other risk factors, the ability to obtain the required regulatory approvals and the certainty of closing a proposed transaction.”

This is the second time Grupo México has raised the issue of acquiring Banamex. It first expressed interest in 2023 but the deal fell through. The news of a potential 75-100% stake in Banamex caused Grupo México’s stock price to sink 18.8% on Monday morning. 

Germán Larrea is the second-richest man in Mexico with an estimated fortune of US $46.3 billion, according to Forbes magazine. Carlos Slim is first.

With reports from El País and Milenio

Mexicans detained by Israeli forces to return this week: Monday’s mañanera recapped

By
MND Staff
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Sheinbaum Oct. 6, 2025
Sheinbaum told reporters that her government, via its ambassador to Israel, is in "permanent contact" with the six Mexicans who were taken to an Israeli prison last week. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)

Violence during a march in Mexico City and the upcoming repatriation of six Mexicans who were detained by Israeli forces were among the issues President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about at her Monday morning press conference.

Here is a recap of the president’s Oct. 6 mañanera.

Sheinbaum questions purpose of violence during Oct. 2 march 

A reporter asked the president whether her government had identified the perpetrators of the acts of violence that were committed in Mexico City last Thursday during the annual march to commemorate the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre.

“Firstly, [there was] a lot of provocation,” Sheinbaum said.

“What is the point of this violence? … There were even Molotov cocktails. What’s the point? Who benefits from it? That is what we need to ask ourselves,” she said without answering the reporter’s question.

“What was this group with covered faces looking for? What do they want? Why do they do these … [acts of violence] in a city of freedoms, of full freedom, absolute and complete freedom? What do they want? What were they seeking? A confrontation — from my point of view — with the police,” Sheinbaum said, asserting that the troublemakers wanted another “October 2,” the date on which the Mexican military perpetrated the 1968 massacre.

“… We don’t agree, we’re never going to agree with violent demonstrations,” she said.

“… You can disagree with the government, but this aggression toward people, toward journalists has to be reviewed,” Sheinbaum said, adding that the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office has to open an investigation and identify those responsible for the violence.

Sheinbaum calls out ‘very offensive’ social media post by prominent businessman

Sheinbaum noted that on the same day as the Mexico City march, Claudio X. González, a prominent businessman and government critic, made a “very offensive” post on social media.

Sheinbaum Oct. 6, 2025
On Monday, the president spoke out against violent protests and distanced herself from authoritarianism. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)

Last Thursday night, González posted a computer-generated image to X that showed former president Gustavo Díaz Ordaz sporting Sheinbaum’s trademark ponytail.

Díaz Ordaz was the president of Mexico when the Tlatelolco massacre occurred.

Above the doctored image, González wrote: “Authoritarianism in 1968, Authoritarianism in 2025.”

Sheinbaum said that it was “very important” that Mexico City police didn’t succumb to the violence “provocations” during last Thursday’s march because if they had done so, “they would have fueled” the “narrative” that her government is authoritarian and represses dissent with force.

Sheinbaum: Mexicans detained by Israel will return to Mexico this week 

Sheinbaum told reporters that her government, via its ambassador to Israel, is in “permanent contact” with six Mexicans who were taken to Israel last week after Israeli forces intercepted the boats on which they were traveling as part of a flotilla that was carrying aid bound for the war-torn Gaza Strip.

Sheinbaum calls for immediate return of Mexicans detained by Israel

She said that Mexico is seeking their prompt repatriation before asserting that the six Mexicans — who were placed in detention in Israel — would in fact return to Mexico this week.

She said that her government would disclose the details of their return to Mexico at a later date.

Later on Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) said that Mexico’s ambassador to Israel, Mauricio Escanero, had once again carried out a consular visit to the Mexicans held at the Ktzi’ot Prison.

“They were given information about their upcoming repatriation to Mexico, for which authorization has already been obtained from the Israeli government and which will be carried out in coordination with our embassies in the region,” the SRE said.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

USTR: Mexico not 100% compliant with USMCA

By
MND Staff
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Jamieson Greer
Jamieson Greer made the revealing remarks during a conversation with Fox News journalist Maria Bartiromo at the Economic Club of New York last Tuesday. (@EconClubNY/X)

United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer last week accused Mexico of failing to comply with the USMCA, the trilateral free trade pact that is up for review next year.

He noted that his office is in talks with Mexican officials about the alleged breaches before asserting that “it doesn’t make a lot of sense to talk about extending” the agreement as things stand.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at the Economic Club of New York: Tariffs & Trade Policy

Greer’s remarks came during a conversation with journalist Maria Bartiromo at the Economic Club of New York last Tuesday.

“There are a lot of things that the Mexicans are not doing that they’re supposed to be doing,” he said.

“There are areas where they’re supposed to be complying with the USMCA, where they’re not. This could be energy, telecommunications services, agricultural, all kinds of things,” Greer said without going into specifics.

In light of the alleged situation, the trade representative said that his office is in talks with Mexican officials “about how they can come into better compliance with the USMCA” ahead of the scheduled review of the pact in 2026.

The conversations with the Mexican government are needed, Greer said, “because it doesn’t make a lot of sense to talk about extending the USMCA or updating it when Mexico is not even complying with important parts of it.”

He said that the talks with Mexico have been taking place “fairly quietly.”

“We don’t, you know, have big press conferences about this,” Greer said.

“… Our hope and expectation is that within the next month or so we’ll have a better sense of where Mexico sits on a lot of these issues and we might be in a better position to have a more formal review of the agreement with Mexico,” he said.

The Mexican government has acknowledged that its U.S. counterpart has concerns about compliance with the USMCA, and has indicated that it wants to resolve those concerns before the formal commencement of the trade pact review.

In a speech in Mexico City’s central square on Sunday, President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed confidence that Mexico will reach a “good” agreement with the United States and other trade partners.

She said last month that the USMCA “will continue.”

“Obviously, we have tariffs today on a range of products that give a different consideration [to Mexico’s trade relationship with the United States], but the vast majority of what is exported [to the U.S.] doesn’t have tariffs,” Sheinbaum said on Sept. 18.

“… The three countries agree — obviously Canada and Mexico agree — on strengthening the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement,” she said.

For his part, U.S. President Donald Trump has both questioned whether the USMCA is still needed and indicated that he wants to “renegotiate” the agreement rather than just review it.

Greer questions why there is a trilateral trade pact in North America 

Later in his conversation with Bartiromo, Greer said that the U.S.-Canada trade relationship “is so different from the U.S.-Mexico relationship in so many ways.”

USMCA review will be ‘more bilateral than trilateral,’ says economy minister

“It’s interesting if you look at NAFTA and then USMCA, it’s almost like: Why did we bundle it all together? I mean, the answer is it looks, … it sounds nice, right? It’s like a geopolitical thing,” he said.

“… But the reality is … we have issues with the Canadians that are specific to Canada and issues with the Mexicans that are specific to Mexico. And the Canadians and the Mexicans, they certainly trade between them, but not that much,” Greer said.

“So I think a lot of our actual negotiations going forward will probably be, you know, almost bilateral. There are going to be certain issues that a trilateral solution might be helpful, but I think we’re going to spend a lot of time just one-on-one with each of these countries,” he said.

After Greer’s remarks last Tuesday, Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard agreed that much of the negotiations during the 2026 review of the trilateral USMCA free trade pact will be bilateral rather than between Mexico, the United States and Canada.

Ebrard said it is “inevitable” that the review will include bilateral negotiations, as there are distinct bilateral trade relationships within the framework of the trilateral pact.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

Slim invests US $2B in Veracruz oil field to help nudge Pemex to self-sufficiency

By
MND Staff
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Carlos Slim
Slim's Grupo Carso has more than 18 years of experience in onshore and offshore drilling, as well as platform construction services. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

Carlos Slim signed a US $1.991 billion contract to drill wells over the next three years for Mexico’s state-owned oil and gas firm Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex). 

Under the terms of the agreement signed on Sept. 29, Slim’s Grupo Carso will exploit up to 32 onshore wells in the Ixachi field in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz.

Ixachi gas field
The Ixachi field is considered to be the most important find in more than a quarter of a century and is currently producing some 715 million cubic feet of gas per day. (@dariocelise/on X)

This field — described by the news agency Reuters as one of the most important finds in more than a quarter of a century — is currently producing around 93,000 barrels of oil per day and 715 million cubic feet of gas.

The newspaper El País reported that, to date, a total of 28 wells have been drilled in Ixachi to an average depth of 7,650 meters, with Grupo Carso participating through subsidiaries.

The agreement reflects President Claudia Sheinbaum’s desire to nudge Pemex — a net energy importer — toward self-sufficiency by seeking more private partnerships to support the world’s most-indebted energy company. Pemex has a financial debt of US $98 billion and owes suppliers more than US $20 billion.

Two months ago, Sheinbaum unveiled her 10-year strategic plan for the oil company. Private investors are expected to play a critical role, allowing Pemex to leverage joint venture projects to increase the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons and natural gas.

Echoing this strategy, Carso said in a statement sent to the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) that the purpose of the agreement is “to contribute to a substantial increase in oil and gas production.”

According to the contract, Pemex will make 21 monthly payments for the drilling of these financed wells beginning in January 2027, provided 12 wells are in production. If all 32 wells are producing by the end of three years, Carso can earn the entire US $1.991 billion.

The newspaper Milenio reported that “the source and payment mechanism for the contract will be through the revenue obtained from marketable hydrocarbons from the allocation itself.”

With more than 18 years of experience in onshore and offshore drilling, as well as platform construction services, Grupo Carso boasts a highly qualified workforce.

Additionally, Carso has 19 land drilling rigs of various sizes and three offshore drilling rigs, including a platform and two state-of-the-art semi-submersibles.

Slim and Pemex were in talks about Ixachi as far back as March. At the time, the news agency Reuters reported that Talos México, in which Slim is a majority investor, was in advanced discussions with Pemex and London-based Harbour Energy to jointly operate Zama, a deepwater project in the Gulf of Mexico.

Last year, Slim and Pemex agreed to develop Mexico’s first deepwater natural gas field, Lakach, which had been abandoned twice before because of high cost.

With reports from El País, El Financiero, Milenio and Reuters

Fitch bumps up Pemex’s credit rating to BB+, citing stability

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MND Staff
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0
Typically, earning a rating upgrade with a positive outlook takes between a year and a year and a half. However, in Pemex’s case, the alteration took just one month. (Shutterstock)

Fitch Ratings has upgraded Mexico’s state-owned oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) from a rating of BB to BB+, putting the company just one step away from regaining an investment-grade rating.  

The upgrade by one of the top three credit rating agencies came with a stable outlook and followed the successful completion of a US $9.9 billion tender offer in eight series of securities, with financing from the Mexican government. 

“The transaction indicates a stronger connection between Pemex and the state, which resulted in an increase in the company’s Overall Linkage Score (OLS) assessment,” Fitch stated. “Fitch now rates Pemex just one notch below Mexico’s sovereign rating, rather than the two notches below that led to the upgrade.”  

However, Pemex’s “stand-alone” rating, which assesses the financial situation of the oil company without government support, remained at a high-risk rating of CCC.  

“There is an increasing connection between the sovereign and the corporate sector,” Adriana Eraso, director of corporates for Latin America at Fitch Ratings, told the newspaper El Financiero. “Lending to Pemex is becoming more and more like lending to the sovereign; there is a commitment to the market.”  

On Sept. 5, Fitch raised Pemex to the positive rating of BB, after the Mexican government showed a “greater commitment” to helping the company meet its financial obligations through 2027. 

This followed capital injections from the government, including $12 billion in bonds in July and a $4.4-billion investment fund in August. 

Typically, earning a rating upgrade with a positive outlook takes between a year and a year and a half. However, in Pemex’s case, the alteration took just one month, giving Pemex its highest Fitch rating since 2019. 

Pemex is now expected to continue with its new BB+ rating for the foreseeable future. 

Moody’s boosts Pemex’s rating, citing its ‘very high’ government support

“To further improve the rating, the scenarios are, first, an increase in Mexico’s sovereign rating; the second option is for Pemex to upgrade its stand-alone rating from CCC to BB-, which would take a significant amount of time; or finally, for the Mexican government to guarantee 75% of Pemex’s debt,” explained Eraso.  

Pemex’s grand plan 

In August, Pemex announced the target of achieving fiscal solvency by 2027, as part of its 10-year strategic plan. 

The firm aims to significantly reduce its debt and increase the domestic production of natural gas to help decrease Mexico’s dependence on the United States for the fuel. 

With reports from El Financiero

Mexico’s Caribbean coast is losing up to 2 meters of beach every year

By
MND Staff
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waders at a Cancún beach
According to experts attending a recent oceanography conference at the University of the Caribbean in Cancún, the ongoing disappearance of coral reefs and animal species has inhibited the generation of sediments that help create the area's characteristic white sands. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

Mexican beaches in Cancún, Cozumel and elsewhere along the Caribbean Sea are vanishing at a rate of up to 2 meters per year, a crisis that scientists say is being intensified by unchecked tourism development and inadequate environmental planning.

Oceanographic engineer Rodolfo Silva Casarín, whose research focuses on coastal zones, said last week that diminishing beach width is affecting more than 80% of the Quintana Roo coastline, a stretch that includes the tourist jewel, the Riviera Maya.

A plan is in place to stop the erosion of Mexico’s Caribbean beaches, but scientists are concerned that it only addresses some of the affected areas and therefore might just move the problem to other coastlines. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

While storms and hurricanes naturally reshape coasts, Silva Casarín said human activity — especially the construction of large hotels and population-driven waste pollution — is pushing the system toward collapse.

“The coastal habitat has stopped generating the sediments” that create the iconic white sands, explained Silva Casarín, a specialist in the Oceanography and Coastal Engineering group at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

He said that the coral reefs and marine species that have helped sustain that process are now being destroyed.

With that, he warned that the state of Quintana Roo, which last week received a host of honors at the 2025 World Travel Awards, can no longer bear additional tourism infrastructure without worsening erosion.

His comments came during a conference for students and coastal management engineers titled “Diagnosis and Possible Alternatives for Managing Erosion of the Mexican Caribbean.” It was held at the University of the Caribbean in Cancún, Q.R.

Data from earlier this year highlights the scale of the loss.

Quintana Roo’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (SEMA) reported in January that more than 31.5 kilometers of beaches have already been critically eroded, with up to 7 meters of sand having disappeared from Playa del Carmen, Cancún, Puerto Morelos and Cozumel. 

An 800-million-peso (US $43.6 million) restoration plan is underway, initially targeting 6 kilometers in Playa del Carmen, but officials acknowledged it covers less than half the affected areas.

Silva Casarín criticized past short-term fixes, such as artificial sand fills in 2006 and 2009, for ignoring reef health and accelerating erosion in neighboring zones. He urged coral habitat rehabilitation as the only viable long-term solution.

Adding urgency, NASA has warned that rising sea levels from climate change could submerge several Mexican beaches within decades. “New NASA tool predicts end of Acapulco, Cancun and Cabo San Lucas” read a 2021 headline in The Hill.

NASA has predicted that by 2150, water levels could rise nearly 2 meters in places like Acapulco and over 1.5 meters in parts of Yucatán and Tamaulipas — a threat not only to ecosystems but to tourism economies nationwide.

With reports from El Economista, Infobae and Quinta Fuerza

Sheinbaum vows to defend sovereignty in defiant speech to 400,000 supporters

By
MND Staff
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Sunday's speech from Mexico City's Zócalo was the president's final stop on her nationwide accountability tour. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)

President Claudia Sheinbaum marked the completion of her first year in office with a major speech on Sunday in Mexico City’s central square, where she was joined by a huge crowd of supporters and a large group of federal and state officials.

“We meet again in this magnificent Zócalo, heart of the republic,” she said at the start of a 55-minute address after she was given a glowing introduction by Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada.

Sheinbaum extending her arms out to a crowd in Mexico City's Zócalo
One year after assuming the presidency, Sheinbaum returned to Mexico City’s Zócalo to give an update on her progress. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)

“Here, where history beats, we gather to commemorate together one year of the people’s government, because I do not walk alone, I do not govern alone,” Sheinbaum told a crowd of more than 400,000 people.

“Ours is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people of Mexico,” she said.

Four days after celebrating the first anniversary of her presidency, and standing on a stage whose back wall was emblazoned with the message “the transformation advances,” Sheinbaum defended the legacy of her predecessor and outlined various government achievements, many of which she previously highlighted in her first government report speech on Sept. 1.

Here are seven takeaways from her address on Sunday, for which the National Palace served as a grandiose backdrop.

Sheinbaum remains staunchly loyal to the man who helped her reach Mexico’s highest political post

Very early in her address, Sheinbaum spoke about her predecessor and political mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), who has virtually disappeared from public life since leaving the presidency a year ago, but who nevertheless remains a central figure in Mexican politics, in part because he set much of the president’s agenda via legislative proposals he submitted to Congress last year.

President López Obrador and Claudia Sheinbaum
President Sheinbaum enjoys a political stronghold that was set it motion by her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)

The president described AMLO as an “honest man” who is “deeply committed” to the Mexican people, and asserted that he played a significant role in putting Mexico on “a path of social justice” and “dignity,” on which “social rights, freedom, democracy, and sovereignty” are guaranteed.

“They have tried to divide us, to make us split,” she said, referring to opposition politicians and government critics.

“Their objective is nothing more than to put an end to the transformation movement … but that won’t happen because … [AMLO and I] share values — honesty, justice and love for the people of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.

“… We share a project — Mexican humanism,” she said, adding that her government came to office to “continue transforming the nation for the well-being of the people.”

“Andrés Manuel López Obrador is and always will be an example of honesty, austerity and profound love for the people of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.

She highlighted, as she has done on numerous occasions, that more than 13 million people were lifted out of poverty during AMLO’s six-year term as president.

Sheinbaum is publicly confident that the USMCA review will go well 

Sheinbaum declared that she is “certain” that her government will reach “good” agreements on trade with the United States and “all the nations of the world.”

Canada and Mexico agree to deepen ties ahead of USMCA trade deal review

Mexico, the United States and Canada will conduct a review of their trade pact, the USMCA, in 2026.

United States President Donald Trump, who has undermined the trilateral pact by imposing tariffs on a range of Mexican and Canadian goods, has indicated that he wants to renegotiate the USMCA, rather than just review it.

In a move widely interpreted as an effort to appease the U.S. and thus smooth the way toward a favorable USMCA review outcome, Sheinbaum last month submitted a proposal to Congress that seeks to impose higher tariffs on imports from China and other countries with which Mexico doesn’t have trade agreements.

Sheinbaum wants Mexico to become a ‘country of innovation’

Sheinbaum said that in the coming weeks, her government will present a prototype of the Olinia electric vehicle, which is slated to be built en masse in Mexico in the years ahead.

She also said that her administration will soon provide updates on its National Semiconductor Design Center, as well as projects to build satellites and an unmanned aerial vehicle “produced 100% in Mexico.”

“This is part of an ambitious project that we will present in the coming weeks that we call, ‘Mexico, country of innovation,’ which includes the development of the National Artificial Intelligence Laboratory,” Sheinbaum said.

Sheinbaum has full faith in Mexico’s renewed judiciary 

Sheinbaum said that “19 constitutional reforms and 40 new laws” were approved in the last 13 months, a period that includes the final month of López Obrador’s presidency.

The first of the “most important” legislative changes she mentioned was the controversial judicial reform, which AMLO promulgated two weeks before he left office, and which enabled Mexico’s first-ever judicial elections to be held earlier this year.

“We had free elections for Supreme Court justices, magistrates and judges,” Sheinbaum said without mentioning the low turnout of 13%.

“I take this opportunity to greet the new Supreme Court justices. The era of nepotism, corruption, and privilege in the judiciary has ended, and a new era of legality and justice for all begins. A true rule of law. It is something very profound,” she said.

Sheinbaum names the Gulf of Mexico Train

At the 36-minute mark of her speech, Sheinbaum, while outlining the government’s various infrastructure projects, put the following question to the masses of people gathered in the Zócalo: Who agrees that the train from Mexico City to Nuevo Laredo should be called the “Gulf of Mexico Train”?

After a show of hands, the president declared that a majority of people agreed with the proposal.

Sheinbaum beamed after she mentioned the proposed name of the passenger train that will run along the railroad that will connect the capital to the northern border city of Nuevo Laredo, as its slated moniker is a clear poke at the U.S. president.

Sheinbaum has effectively dismissed as a gimmick Trump’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. On Sunday, she appealed to people’s patriotism when deciding to hold a snap poll on the proposed name of the train, and underscored that on this side of the border, the Gulf of Mexico will continue to be called the Gulf of Mexico, no matter what the U.S. president says or does.

Sheinbaum is determined to show that Mexico is not at the behest of the US

Sheinbaum highlighted that the Mexican Constitution has been amended to read that, “the people of Mexico, under no circumstance, will accept interventions, interferences or any other act from abroad that is detrimental to their safety, independence and sovereignty.”

The president, a tireless defender of Mexican sovereignty, also assured those in attendance at the Zócalo that her government’s security policy “is decided sovereignly in Mexico” and that it only answers to “the people of Mexico” no matter how intense the pressure is from elsewhere.

Although she didn’t explicitly mention the United States or Trump while making the aforesaid remarks, Sheinbaum’s message was clear: Mexico acts in its own interests and takes its own decisions no matter how much pressure is being exerted from Washington.

Whether that is entirely true is highly debatable, but the president is determined to at least generate a public perception that that is the case.

Those who believe that the Sheinbaum administration is yielding to U.S. pressure to a significant extent can point to things such as the deployment of 10,000 troops to the northern border region to stave off a tariff threat, the transfer of 55 cartel figures to the United States and the plan to increase tariffs on imports from China.

Sheinbaum is pleased with her first year in office 

Early in her speech, Sheinbaum ran through a range of data that she asserted was proof that Mexico is doing well economically.

She highlighted that the economy is expected to grow 1.2% this year, unemployment is low, foreign direct investment reached a record high in the first half of 2025 and the USD:MXN exchange rate “remains below 19.”

Toward the end of her address, Sheinbaum said she was “certain” that Mexico is on “the right path.”

She also reaffirmed her government’s commitment to “the Fourth Transformation of Public Life in Mexico,” a political project that AMLO initiated when he took office in late 2018.

The transformation “belongs to the people,” Sheinbaum said.

“… I’m not going to fail you,” she added.

“My commitment is to the people, and continues to be to give my soul, my life, and the best of myself for the well-being of the people of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.

“My commitment is to defend the homeland. My commitment to you is to be a president who rises to the generosity and greatness of our history and the people of Mexico.”

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

‘Pay de Limón’ bill seeks to classify animal abuse as serious crime with longer prison time

By
MND Staff
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Pay de Limón dog
The bill's mascot, “Pay de Limón” (lime pie), survived torture and mutilation by the criminal group Los Zetas in Fresnillo, Zacatecas. (Social media)

A group of animal rights activists has presented a bill to the Mexican Senate that seeks to classify animal abuse as a serious crime and guarantee the rehabilitation of impacted animals.

The bill takes its name from “Pay de Limón” (lime pie), the name of a dog who survived torture and mutilation by the criminal group Los Zetas in Fresnillo, Zacatecas. Her story has become a symbol of the fight against animal cruelty in Mexico.

The proposed law seeks to impose prison sentences of over two years for individuals who commit any act of animal cruelty, with stricter penalties for repeat offenders and cases of severe violence.

“Pay de Limón, who is currently 15 years old, is here thanks to Fresa, who was hit in the face with an axe at a butcher shop just because she was hungry. She’s here thanks to Berenjeno, whose spine was broken with blows from a baton. Pay is here for Nuguet, who was burned alive. Because of Limoncito, whose nose, ears, tail and penis were cut off by children, with his eyes gouged out,” said Patricia Ruíz, founder of the organization Milagros Caninos, which rescued Pay in 2011. 

The initiative also establishes accessible reporting mechanisms and requires authorities to thoroughly investigate crimes against animals. Furthermore, it guarantees medical care, rehabilitation and protection for abused animals.

In pursuing their legal campaign, activists have cited a 1983 study conducted in the United States, observing that animal abuse occurred in 88% of homes in which physical child abuse was being investigated. The study found that if a child is cruel to animals, it may be a sign that serious abuse or neglect has been inflicted on the child by a caregiver. 

“Animal abuse is not an isolated or minor problem,” Jerónimo Sánchez, head of the NGO Animal Heroes and one of the activists who submitted the initiative to the Senate said in a statement. “It is a social barometer that predicts other forms of violence. Every time a case is ignored, a social threat is allowed to grow.”

Senate passes legislation that enshrines animal welfare in Constitution

Local media have also reported data from civil organizations and local prosecutors’ offices showing that more than 200,000 cases of animal abuse are reported each year in Mexico. However, this figure is likely an underestimate, as many cases remain undetected.

Adriana Buenrostro, the political director of Animal Heroes, called on the Senate to include the initiative on the national agenda. 

“The country cannot continue normalizing violence. Legislating animal abuse as a serious crime is not only justice for animals, but also a strategy for security and social cohesion,” she said.

How is animal abuse punished in Mexico?

The penalties for animal cruelty vary widely across Mexico. Most states recommend a minimum prison sentence of six months and a fine, which ranges from 50 to 500 days of minimum wage.

Mexico City, Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Chiapas and Jalisco, among other states, have recently reformed their local laws to impose harsher punishments on abusers and strengthen protections for animals. In July, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada opened a special investigative agency for cases of animal abuse, which will focus exclusively on prosecuting those who commit cruelty against animals as well as those who manage, organize, establish or sponsor spaces intended for the slaughter of animals.

With reports from Infobae, El Comentario, Excelsior and Pulso

The creepiest spots to visit in Mexico City during spooky season

By
Andrea Fischer
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Spooky stuff in Mexico City
Mexico City is no stranger to horrors. Right from the capital-dweller’s most nightmarish fantasies, these are the spookiest spots in town to visit in October. (Wikimedia Commons/Esparta Palma)

“Every decent house in Coyoacán has its ghost,” my father used to warn my sister and me when we were little. Born and raised in the borough’s colonial area, where estates have housed families for generations, he certainly knew what he was talking about. This ancient wisdom can be applied to basically any centuries-old property in Mexico City, in which family members could still haunt their living relatives.

From Colonial Coyoacán to the capital’s emblematic Historic Center, convoluted CDMX is teeming with haunted manors and eerie passageways. Beware! If you venture into these spooky spots in Mexico City, you might encounter a pre-Columbian spirit, looking for revenge for its deceased children, or an ancient demon hungry for human blood. Here’s our digest of the spookiest spots in Mexico City.

‘La Castañeda’ mental hospital (Mixcoac)

An obscure aura of mistreatment and patient abuse hovers over where ‘La Castañeda’ Mental Hospital once stood. (Archivo General de la Nación/Archivos Fotográficos/Hermanos Mayo/ Sobre/CN 1552-3A)

The 19th century was a time of complex socio-political conflicts in Mexico. Although it was one of the first countries in America to ever build public mental institutions, according to the General Archive of the Nation’s records, during the civil uprisings in the 19th century, patients were relentlessly removed from the psychiatric hospitals and “thrown to the streets.” Mainly, to treat the militia.

However, during dictator Porfirio Díaz’s rule, there was a renewed social compromise with psychiatric patients. That was when the government built “La Castañeda.” Cruelly referred to as “The Palace of Madness,” it is said to have housed a large number of patients, regardless of sex, age, nationality or religion.” However, ominous accusations of mistreatment and abuse from the staff to the patients made “La Castañeda” an eerie place to visit. In 1968, former President Díaz Ordaz ordered its demolition.

  • Where? Calle La Castañeda S/N, Mixcoac, Benito Juárez.

Divino Narciso Hall (Centro Histórico)

Former convent Mexico City
Baroque poetess Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was buried in this former convent, which today houses one of Mexico’s most prestigious culinary schools. (Wikimedia Commons/Thelmadatter)

For almost three decades, Sor Juana lived, studied and practiced politics at the San Jerónimo Convent, in present-day calle Izazaga. From her magnificent Baroque chambers, she wrote some of Nueva España’s greatest pieces, along with the time’s most revolutionary gender treaties. “Foolish men who accuse / women without reason,” is to date one of her most famous quotes. No wonder that, in the 17th century, she was a force to be reckoned with.

After her death at the early age of 46, she was buried in one of the convent’s finest halls. When the property was acquired by the López Portillo family in the mid-1970s, this 300-year-old church became an educational institution, dedicated mainly to the culinary arts: the Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana (UCSJ). Although the hall was desacralized when the López Portillo family bought the convent, Sor Juana’s remains were not exhumed. Students say you can still hear her footsteps when visiting the ‘Divino Narciso’ Auditorium, as her final resting place is known today.  If you’re too scared to visit the hall in real life (I would, of course), you can browse its bowels with this 360 tour online, designed by UCSJ!

  • Where? José María Izazaga 92, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc.

Callejón del Aguacate (Coyoacán)

Callejón del Aguacate
Dare to go to Callejón del Aguacate and meet a murdered boy’s ghost? October seems like the time to do it, honestly. (Wikimedia Commons/Ines Suarez R.)

As a Coyoacanense himself, my father took my sister and me to every corner in the borough — and we agreed, oftentimes rather reluctantly. One of those times was when he insisted we go to Callejón del Aguacate, near the borough’s historic center. Tangled between the corners of the Santa Catarina neighborhood, it is said to be the place in which a mentally ill soldier murdered a child by hanging him from an avocado tree. This is thought to have happened in the days of the Mexican Revolution, my father told us.

Ever since then, locals say, supernatural phenomena have been reported in the alley: cars mysteriously running out of gas, cellphones losing signals and the sound of dogs barking in the abandoned houses. As a child, I swore I heard them more than once. The creepy thing is that the tree is still there, standing in the garden of an abandoned house.

  • Where? Aguacate 19-31, Santa Catarina, Coyoacán.

Isla de las Muñecas (Xochimilco)

Isla de las Muñecas
I bet even Lady Gaga was freaked out by what she saw at Isla de las Muñecas when filming her latest music video. (Wikimedia Commons/Wa17gs)

My partner is not a superstitious guy. However, when he first visited Isla de las Muñecas in the Xochimilco canals, he did get “bad vibes,” as he describes it. Run by master chinampero Don Julián Santana, the entire chinampa is decorated with the dolls’ “severed limbs, decapitated heads and blank eyes,” as the attraction’s official website notes.

Legend has it that Don Julián found a drowned girl’s body in a neighboring canal, per the Xochimilco Government, with a doll floating alongside her remains. To honor her spirit, he hung the doll on a tree to mark the girl’s final resting place. Her soul, however, did not rest and continued to haunt him for years. She consistently spoke to him in dreams, telling him to fill his chinampa with wretched doll parts to honor other Xochimilca girls who had been killed by disease or abuse of different sorts. Today, La Isla de las Muñecas is a tourist spot, easily accessible by trajinera.

Andrea Fischer is an editor for Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.

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