Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helú, formerly the richest man in the world, appeared with his son Carlos Slim Domit at the National Palace to attend Sheinbaum's first annual government report in September 2025. (Moisés Pablo / Cuartoscuro.com)
More and more Mexicans are joining the ranks of Forbes’ richest people, and their fortunes are worth more than ever.
Twenty-four Mexican business people made the 2026 Forbes Billionaires List, which this year featured 3,428 people from around the world. Taken together, the Mexican billionaires had a combined worth of US $267.3 billion, up 61.4% compared to the fortune they had amassed as of last year. That’s more than the Mexico’s entire public sector external debt, which stood at US $234 billion in late 2025.
Carlos Slim, the richest man in Mexico
Topping the list of the wealthiest Mexicans is Carlos Slim Helú, 86, and his family.
Slim, who was the richest man on earth for four consecutive years between 2010 and 2013, now ranks No. 16 with a fortune that stands at US $125 billion. Slim’s wealth now surpasses that of Bill Gates, who stands at No. 19.
According to Forbes, Slim’s fortune grew 51% in one year and doubled in the last five years from US $62.8 billion in 2021 to $125 billion today.
Slim made his fortune in the telecommunications sector, although his empire has expanded to infrastructure, construction, energy, real estate, trade and finance. He is best known for controlling Latin America’s largest mobile telecom firm América Móvil (which also owns Mexico’s leading phone company Telmex), and his conglomerate Grupo Carso. Slim’s personal net worth is equivalent to 6.7% of Mexico’s GDP.
Germán Larrea
Mexican businessman Germán Larrea, president of the mining, transportation and infrastructure conglomerate Grupo México, arrives at a business leaders meeting hosted by President Claudia Sheinbaum in late 2025. (Galo Cañas / Cuartoscuro.com)
Following Slim is Germán Larrea Mota Velasco, 72, and his family at No. 30. Larrea is worth $67.1 billion, up 134% from $28.6 billion last year, Forbes reported.
Larrea, who rarely appears in public, owns a diverse range of companies across multiple sectors. He amassed his wealth after he inherited the Grupo México mining conglomerate, which has expanded under his leadership to include railway transport companies such as Ferromex, as well as movie theaters (Cinemex) and various infrastructure companies.
Which other Mexicans made the list?
Other notable names include Alejandro Baillères Gual and family at No. 140 (Palacio de Hierro, Seguros GNP), María Asunción Aramburuzabala and family at No. 372 (Grupo Modelo), Carlos Hank Rhon at No. 934 (Grupo Hermés) and Fernando Chico Pardo at No. 1,137, who recently acquired a 25% stake in Banamex.
Aramburuzabala stands out as the only Mexican woman on the list, consolidating her position as the wealthiest woman in Mexico.
Sheinbaum discussed Wednesday's taxi protests, electoral reform and the whereabouts of El Mencho's Tapalpa lover on Thursday. (Gabriel Monroy / Presidencia)
Today’s mañanera in 60 seconds
🗳️ Sheinbaum’s electoral reform proposal was rejected in the Chamber of Deputies after Morena allies PT and PVEM withdrew support. She’s now pushing a “plan B” focused on cutting privileges in local congresses and municipalities, and expanding citizen referendums.
🚕 The president sided with taxi drivers protesting at the Mexico City airport, calling their grievance against Uber a “valid argument” — taxistas pay airport fees, ride-hailing drivers don’t. A proposal would move app pickups away from terminals, just three months before the World Cup brings millions of tourists to Mexican airports.
🔍 Sheinbaum said she doesn’t know the whereabouts of El Mencho’s romantic partner, who was with the CJNG leader before the Feb. 22 operation that killed him. She promised an update later.
Why today’s mañanera matters
At her Thursday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged that her electoral reform proposal didn’t pass the lower house of Congress and consequently outlined a “plan B” initiative.
The rejection of the proposal — which was effectively dead on arrival in the Chamber of Deputies — is a significant blow for the president, although she asserts that she fulfilled her commitment to the people of Mexico by simply submitting it to Congress.
Sheinbaum is presenting her “plan B” as a strong alternative to her original electoral reform proposal. However, the new bill, if approved, will not achieve the same far-reaching electoral changes she had hoped to make.
Today’s mañanera was important as Sheinbaum offered the first details on her “plan B,” and addressed other highly-topical issues, including the taxi drivers’ protest that took place at the Mexico City International Airport on Wednesday.
“We already knew they weren’t going to approve it,” she said.
Indeed, many lawmakers with the Labor Party (PT) and the Green Party (PVEM) — both of which are allies of the ruling Morena party — had expressed their opposition to the constitutional reform bill, whose objectives included reducing the size of the Senate, changing the way plurinominal (proportional representation) deputies are elected and lowering election costs, including by cutting funding for political parties. Opposition parties also opposed the reform proposal.
Without the full support of the PT and the PVEM, the bill was unable to pass the Chamber of Deputies.
Sheinbaum said on Thursday morning that her reform proposal also aimed to “reduce privileges in political parties” and the National Electoral Institute, and “strengthen the participation of the people” in democracy in Mexico.
Given that the reform proposal was rejected, Sheinbaum will now submit a “plan B” bill to Congress, as she had indicated she would do.
The president said that her “plan B” has three main objectives:
“Reduce the privileges that persist in local Congresses” — i.e. the legislatures in Mexico’s 32 federal entities.
“Reduce the privileges that persist in municipalities,” of which Mexico has almost 2,500, each with their own municipal government.
“Strengthen public consultation” — i.e. give citizens a greater say on important issues, including via referendums, several of which were held during Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidency.
Sheinbaum presented a pared-back version of her electoral reform proposal on Thursday morning. (Gabriel Monroy / Presidencia)
Sheinbaum: Protesting taxi drivers have ‘valid argument’
A day after taxi drivers protested at Mexico City International Airport (AICM) against the operation of drivers for ride-hailing apps at the airport, Sheinbaum noted that taxistas pay fees for the right to work there.
In contrast, the president highlighted, ride-hailing apps such as Uber do not.
She noted that taxistas are opposed to drivers from ride-hailing apps having the same right to operate at the airport without having to pay any fees.
“It’s a valid argument,” said Sheinbaum, who went on to outline an AICM proposal to establish “a space” further away from the terminals where drivers for ride-hailing apps can “safely arrive” to pick up passengers.
She noted that would allow taxi drivers — “those who pay fees at the airport” — to pick up passengers directly outside the AICM’s two terminals.
Several taxi companies operate at AICM, where passengers are required to pay for their trips inside the terminal before getting into vehicles. Prices are fixed depending on the part of Mexico City passengers are traveling to.
Taxi drivers blocked access to the terminals of Mexico City International Airport (AICM) for three hours on Wednesday, demanding that rideshare apps be blocked from the airport. (Rogelio Morales / Cuartoscuro.com)
Still, Sheinbaum said that taxis that operate at airports across Mexico need to “moderate” their prices “to benefit passengers.”
The protest at AICM on Wednesday came exactly three months before the commencement of the FIFA men’s World Cup, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada. Millions of tourists are expected to arrive at Mexican airports during the five-week tournament.
Where is El Mencho’s lover?
Sheinbaum said she didn’t know what happened to the lover of Nemesio Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, who spent time with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader prior to the Feb. 22 military operation that resulted in his death.
The day after the operation, Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla Trejo said that authorities determined the location of Oseguera in Tapalpa, Jalisco, after a man delivered one of his “romantic partners” to him. He didn’t identify the woman.
Asked whether she had been detained, Sheinbaum said that her government would report on the matter at a later date.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
The downtown center of Cabo San Lucas has seen falling bar and restaurant sales in recent years. (Visual Aerials/Instagram)
For several years now, nightlife in Cabo San Lucas has been struggling, with sales beginning to decline in 2023, then falling precipitously by 50% in 2024, and dropping again in 2025. The reasons for this have been attributed to many factors, from the changing drinking habits of Gen Z to the increasing popularity of all-inclusive resorts, and, consequently, fewer people visiting the downtown center of the Land’s End city.
But now the restaurants are hurting, too, and across Los Cabos. “Our sector has reported a 30%–35% drop in sales compared to last year,” Óscar Morando Villa, president of CANIRAC Los Cabos, the local restaurant association, recently told Tribuna de Mexico. “Many restaurants, as you can see, are offering two-for-one deals, changing their menus, offering brunch — things they didn’t do before — and some are even putting on special buffets,”
Lorenzillo’s Lobster House, a long-time fixture on the Cabo San Lucas marina boardwalk, is one of more than 20 restaurants to close in Los Cabos since the beginning of 2025. (Coventur DMC Los Cabos)
For many restaurants, even these measures haven’t been enough. At least 20 restaurants have closed since 2025. Cabo San Lucas, again, has been hardest hit, losing long-time dining spots like Pancho’s, Lorenzillo’s Lobster House and Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
But San José del Cabo has been affected by closures, too, and it’s now clear that in some fundamental way, the nature of tourism in Los Cabos is changing. The question is: Why?
The rise of the all-inclusives
All-inclusive resorts are thriving in Los Cabos, and there’s no question that this mode of cashless experience — with all needs attended to — is a significant factor in declining bar and restaurant sales. Twenty years ago, there were perhaps a half a dozen or so all-inclusive resorts in the area. Today, there are at least five times that many, including the recently converted Hacienda del Mar in Cabo del Sol, which switched to all-inclusive from the European Plan last summer.
Not only that, but luxury all-inclusives — properties where the on-site restaurants are comparable in quality to some of the best eateries in the area — are also on the rise, from Marquis Los Cabos, Secrets, Breathless and Le Blanc to Pueblo Bonito Pacifica, Paradisus and Grand Velas. The latter, notably, is home to the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Los Cabos, the Sidney Schutte-helmed Cocina de Autor. All of these properties, save Grand Velas, it bears mentioning, are not only all-inclusive, but adults-only.
Who wants to go to Los Cabos for a vacation that lacks any real experience of the local people and culture? Apparently, a significant number of travelers, and this trend can be seen in other Mexican destinations as well. In Cancún, restaurant sales were down 17% in 2025 and at least 15 restaurants closed there last year.
This all-inclusive trend — and there’s little question at this point that it is an impactful one in the travel industry — has spread beyond Mexico and the Caribbean and is now increasingly prevalent in Europe and Asia, too. It’s global and not going away anytime soon, since young people, Millennials and Gen Z are the ones driving demand for this kind of travel.
Luxury all-inclusives like Marquis Los Cabos are changing the face of travel in Los Cabos. (Marquis Los Cabos)
More reasons bars and restaurants are struggling
The popularity of all-inclusives is real. But that’s hardly the only reason bars and restaurants in Los Cabos are struggling. There are also economic reasons, having to do with the real estate boom that has seen rents for both residents and business owners rise inexorably in recent years. That has shrunk the margins for bar and restaurant owners, and forced them to do things they perhaps didn’t want to do, like raise prices beyond what their local customers, as well as some tourists, were comfortable with paying.
Of course, there’s also increasing competition. Over the last few years, food delivery apps like Uber Eats and DiDi have appeared in Los Cabos. You might think these services help restaurants and they do — but not all restaurants equally. For example, those who live in the heart of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, who formerly frequented downtown restaurants regularly, can now order food from restaurants that are located in more outlying areas of these cities, and are typically cheaper to boot.
Yes, the more affordable restaurants on these apps are often those outside city centers, where owners aren’t saddled with exorbitant rents to pay.
Is Cabo San Lucas out of step with Los Cabos’ new luxury business model?
The truth is that bar and restaurant owners are being squeezed from many directions, and that includes from Uber Eats and DiDi, which take a cut for their services. It also must be noted that luxury all-inclusives did not arise in a vacuum. They are part of a larger effort to transform cape cities Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo and environs from fishing getaways — which they were in the beginning of their tourist history — into luxury destinations. It’s not a coincidence that Los Cabos now has the most expensive hotel room rates in Mexico. This transformation was very carefully planned.
Downtown Cabo San Lucas, in particular, seems badly out of step with the trend towards luxury. It’s awash in tacky souvenir shops and spurious pharmacies, “amigo massage” parlors and tequila tasting emporiums. The souvenir shops are reflective of the city’s status as a cruise port capital — one coming off a record year, by the way. Not all news is bad. But most of those other businesses are reflective of an older strategy to market to tourists’ basest desires, one that is outdated and no longer in keeping with the new upscale image Los Cabos wants to portray.
Have you ever noticed that all the strip clubs in Los Cabos are centered in Cabo San Lucas? That’s no accident, nor is the fact that the more sophisticated San José del Cabo is by and large free of the sell-anything vendors that proliferate in downtown Cabo San Lucas.
What can be done to save the downtown center of Cabo San Lucas?
Cabo San Lucas is the most popular destination in Los Cabos, with spectacularly beautiful natural features. Its central downtown area, however, needs work. (Villa del Palmar)
Cabo San Lucas, unlike San José del Cabo — a long-time farming and ranching community before the days of tourism — is a port city. It has always been that way, dating back to the pirates who infested its waters hundreds of years ago. In terms of cruise ships, its fishing charters and tournaments, and yes, its tackiness and licentiousness, Cabo San Lucas is still defined by that port heritage.
But if it wants its downtown center to survive, and in particular its bar and restaurant scene — beloved to us that live here — changes need to be made. The remodeling of downtown Cabo San Lucas, currently underway, is a good start. The city certainly needs an aesthetic makeover. Also beneficial is the Camina Cabo initiative, which will widen sidewalks and promote greater pedestrian mobility in important tourist areas of the city along Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas and around Plaza Amelia Wilkes.
Revitalization efforts
As Tribuna de Mexico recently reported, “Mayor Christian Agúndez Gómez acknowledged that the decrease in visitors, especially foreigners, has impacted the local economy. In response, he assured that the Los Cabos City Council will implement infrastructure improvements and rehabilitate public spaces to revitalize tourism and reactivate commercial activity in downtown Cabo San Lucas.”
Instead of being out of step with what tourists actually want, the city needs to get in step. Today’s all-inclusive guests need good reasons to leave their resorts, and sex and booze, the old standbys in Cabo San Lucas, aren’t working anymore.
Except, of course, during Spring Break, which always seems to arrive just when it’s needed most.
Chris Sands is a writer and editor for Mexico News Daily, and the former Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best and writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook. He’s a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including The San Diego Union-Tribune, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise and Travel, and Cabo Living.
Beyond an eerie, old-fashioned custom, the La Muerte Niña ritual was Mexico’s way of bidding farewell to deceased children. (oakenroad/Wikimedia Commons)
At first glance, it’s difficult to avoid a feeling of rejection by the images. There’s something about the staging, the freshly cut flowers, the grief of the mothers (surely younger than I am) cradling their lifeless babies.
However, after reading the 15th edition of “Artes de México” (1992), a seed of compassion sprouts. While these are undeniably posed images — taking a photograph in the 19th century was an event in itself — the mark of mourning is indelible.
“The death of a young child was not a cause for sorrow,” wrote researcher Brigas Cramer, “but rather a celebration of a festive birth into another life.” (oakenroad/Wikimedia Commons)
Although the babies’ bodies — so tiny, so fragile — are surrounded by flowers and dressed in festive clothing, the faces of their families tell a different story. The question, however, is legitimate: what would lead a family to photograph their newborn babies, so recently deceased? This is how the La Muerte Niña ritual was experienced in Mexico.
A misunderstood farewell ritual
Unlike today, the death of a young child was not a cause for mourning for 19th-century Mexican families. On the contrary, according to the research of anthropologist Sara Bringas Cramer, “newly deceased children were considered ‘little angels’ and, therefore, were celebrated, not mourned.”
According to Brigas Cramer, infant mortality in the 19th century reached up to 30% in Mexico. Specifically, among children aged 0 to 5, deaths were attributed to “smallpox, diarrhea, fever and pneumonia,” per her article inArqueología Mexicana. Therefore, it was common for families to want to keep a memento of their recently departed “little angel.”
“In many photographs of dead children, it is common to see them dressed in white, wearing christening gowns or a saint’s outfit,”she wrote. The similarity between the ropones — a traditional baby gown in Mexico — used to dress the Baby Jesus in the Bajío region and those used for deceased children is striking.
La Muerte Niña
And this is no coincidence. On the contrary, the headdresses, floral arrangements and gowns sewn with gold thread were intended as festive attire. According to the belief, explains poet Alberto Ruy Sánchez Lacy, these babies shed their earthly garments to become, literally, cherubs.
The entire town participated in the event. They brought flowers, food, fragrant herbs, blankets for the body: anything that would contribute to the scene of the child-turned-angel. Since children were “without sin” at the time of death, Sánchez Lacy explains, they immediately became angels. Therefore, “Child Death is that which is seen and experienced with joy … it is not death, but a festive birth into another life.”
For the La Muerte Niña ritual in Mexico, these babies shed their earthly garments to become “little angels.” (INAH)
This collective effort crystallizes in an instant: the moment the photographer presses the shutter and takes a picture. This entire ritual of funerary preparation was known as La Muerte Niña: the definitive rite of passage dedicated to babies transformed into “little angels.”
Free from guilt and sin — an odd Mexican aesthetic
The custom, however, did not begin in 19th-century Mexico. On the contrary, according to art historian Gutierre Aceves, traces of the practice can be found dating back to the colonial era in New Spain. These oil paintings depicted children as if they were asleep, but dressed in garments befitting the highest-ranking officials in the heavenly hosts.
It seems that the practice of portraying dead people is not new in Mexico. A similar practice was common among Catholic nuns, who commissioned portraits of women who dedicated themselves to the service of the Church. They are called “crowned nuns” precisely because of the headdresses made with native flowers, which often grew in convent gardens.
The flower crowns were a direct defiance of death: after a life of cloistered conventual purity, the nuns had conquered death and been resurrected in paradise. This custom spread from religious contexts and migrated to wealthy families who, even then, commissioned oil paintings of their deceased sons and daughters. Sometimes, Aceves explains, they even asked portrait artists to depict them as they would have looked years later — at 6 or 7 years old — had death not intervened.
Mourning mothers
Given all of the above, it is not surprising that, with the introduction of photography into everyday Mexican life, grieving families wanted to replicate this centuries-old custom in a different format. Families wanted to give their deceased babies a sense of permanence. By creating an imaginary garden around the body, they were alluding to rebirth in eternal life.
The publication contains a particularly heartbreaking photograph. A mother holds her baby in a very long, white robe that almost resembles a shroud. The comparison is unavoidable: it is as if she were Mary holding Jesus after his sacrifice. The mother is bidding farewell to her child.
Paintings of children, perhaps at a more advanced age than they were at the time of their passing, were also traditional. (Museo Nacional de Arte)
And as is often the case in funerary contexts, the ritual wasn’t actually for the recently deceased babies. Images like this show that, perhaps, it was more for the mothers who, after months of gestation, welcomed their daughters and sons only to bid them farewell prematurely.
In just a matter of days, four prominent financial organizations — BBVA, Barclay's, Banco de México and the OECD —have agreed that Mexico's economic outlook has improved signficantly. (Camila Ayala Benabib/Cuartoscuro.com)
BBVA and Barclays increased their growth forecasts for Mexico’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) this year from 1.5% to 1.7%, and from 1.2% to 1.8%, respectively, in new outlooks published by the two financial institutions on Tuesday.
The new projections are far higher than the 0.8% GDP growth that BBVA expected for 2025.
BBVA Mexico’s chief economist praised President Sheinbaum for driving mixed-ownership investments in both energy and infrastructure. (Facebook)
Analysts at the two banks credited the Sheinbaum administration’s encouragement of greater private sector participation for the improved projections.
BBVA Mexico’s chief economist, Carlos Serrano Herrera, praised President Sheinbaum for driving mixed-ownership investments in both energy and infrastructure.
“A major bottleneck in the previous administration was the electricity sector,” said Carlos Serrano. “To overcome this, investment is needed, and it will have to be primarily private.”
The OECD and the Bank of Mexico have also raised their 2026 economic growth forecasts to 1.4% and 1.6%, respectively.
Barclays’ chief economist for Mexico and Latin America, Gabriel Casillas, said the upgraded forecasts reflect the anticipated strengthening of the U.S. economy, the acceleration of the global manufacturing cycle and the reactivation of investment.
Casillas also cited the early March 16 start of the United States-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement (USMCA) negotiations as a positive move.
“Because the earlier it starts, the sooner it can end,” said Casillas. “The problem is that the noise that can accompany the negotiations will also arrive sooner.”
However, the exchange rate could remain volatile between now and the end of the negotiations, which are expected to conclude in November, before the U.S. midterm elections, according to Casillas.
The United States has three priorities regarding Mexico in the review: the fentanyl trade, stopping illegal immigration and preventing China from circumventing tariff barriers, according to Casillas.
While the analysts do not expect Mexico to escape tariffs completely, they believe tariffs will remain low.
“We’re going to be left with a tariff of between 5% and 8%,” said Casillas. “President Trump will be able to boast before the November midterm elections that he’s a dealmaker.”
BBVA’s improved forecast is based on the anticipated recovery of investment, resilient consumption and the economic impact of the FIFA 2026 World Cup, of which Mexico is a host country, said Carlos Serrano.
The World Cup could increase Mexico’s GDP minimally, by up to 0.1%, according to estimates.
“Unlike other governments that have hosted World Cups and spent lavishly, increasing their deficits… we won’t see that in Mexico,” Casillas stated.
Pressure from rising oil prices, driven by conflict in the Middle East, could negatively affect short-term economic growth. However, the Mexican government can mitigate the impact through its Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS) on fuels.
“The government will continue to sacrifice IEPS revenue; the important thing is how long it can do so without putting pressure on the fiscal sector,” said Casillas.
Fishermen and divers, organized in an activist group, are demanding an end to a condo expansion project in Puerto Marqués that is killing off large quantities of sea life, including octopuses, mollusks and fish. (Carlos Alberto Carbajal/Cuartoscuro.com)
Fishermen and divers in the Acapulco beach area of Puerto Marqués are accusing a luxury condominium’s expansion project of “ecocide of the seabed,” thrusting a local construction dispute into a push to criminalize large-scale environmental destruction in Mexico.
Members of the Fishermen and Divers Cooperative Society say the project — a new restaurant plus swimming pool — is being built on land reclaimed from the sea in front of Vista Real, a 20-year-old resort-style condo complex in the Punta Diamante corridor.
The Fishermen and Divers Collective of Puerto Marqués isn’t satisfied with raising awareness of the damage that coastal development is doing to the sea. They want the project shut down and the licenses revoked, and will file complaints with Profepo and Semanart to those ends. (Carlos Alberto Carbajal/Cuartoscuro)
During boat tours with reporters this week, they alleged that for about five months, workers have been dumping rocks, rubble, wood and other waste directly into the waters of Puerto Marqués bay.
“They’re building a swimming pool at sea level; you can see the pipes,” local fishermen and divers told the newspaper La Jornada.
The cooperative’s president, Gregorio Pérez Palma, warned that “all that material falls to the bottom and contaminates the seabed. It is damage that can be irreversible,” adding: “We want the construction permit revoked, and we also want the concession revoked, because they are clearly pushing us away from our marine areas.”
The disputed work sits in a protected area southeast of Acapulco’s classic hotel strip and main bay.
Part of the high-end Punta Diamante corridor, Puerto Marqués itself is a low-key beach and fishing community with casual seafood shacks, local water sports and better prices than the “Golden Zone.” It has recently become reachable via water from central Acapulco on the new Navy-operated Marinabús.
Fishermen say the work is going up inside a protected zone where shellfish harvesting is off-limits so stocks can recover. They say snails, seaweed, octopuses, oysters, clams and lobsters reproduce there, and warn it could take 10 to 15 years for the fishery to bounce back if the seabed is smothered like in earlier projects.
They also worry that chlorinated water from the pool would add another blow to marine life.
The city is still rebuilding hotels and basic services after successive shocks, including a January earthquake that left more than 400,000 residents without water.
The complaints echo earlier “ecocide” accusations by Guerrero fishermen, who in 2022 blamed a federal power plant for killing some 150 tonnes of sardines with chemical discharges.
Nationally, scholars at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and advocacy groups are lobbying to have ecocide — defined as massive, long-term ecosystem destruction — recognized as an international crime akin to genocide and added to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Fishermen in Puerto Marqués say their bay is a test case — and they are demanding that all three levels of government get cracking.
There is a "theory," the Veracruz governor said, that the oil that has contaminated the coastline of Veracruz and Tabasco is the result of a "natural" seep, or when crude oil and gas migrate up through the seafloor. (Cuartoscuro)
Oil that has contaminated the southern coast of the state of Veracruz may have come from a natural oil seep, Governor Rocío Nahle said Tuesday.
In early March, what appeared to be an oil spill was detected off the coast of Pajapan, a municipality in southern Veracruz that borders Coatzacoalcos. The contamination also affected the Gulf of Mexico coastline in other nearby municipalities. The mayor of Pajapan said last week that fishermen, restaurant owners and tourism were all affected.
The state oil company Pemex promptly denied that it was to blame, saying in a statement that “no leaks or spills” had been detected and that its infrastructure in the region was “operating normally.”
On Tuesday, Nahle said that there were no reports of an oil spill from a petroleum tanker or oil platform.
There is a “theory,” the Veracruz governor said, that the oil that has contaminated the coastline of Veracruz and Tabasco is the result of a “natural” oil seep.
Naturally occurring oil seeps “account for nearly half of the oil released into the ocean environment every year,” the National Ocean Service says on its website.
Nahle said that federal and state authorities are working together to clean up the oil that has reportedly contaminated beaches as far north as Alvarado, a city about 70 kilometers south of the port city of Veracruz.
Oil contamination extends north and south
Bernardo Hernández Guzmán, leader of the Federation of Fishermen of the Port of Veracruz, said Tuesday that a small oil slick had been sighted in waters off the coast of the city. He also said that “almost imperceptible” quantities of oil had been detected off the coast of Boca del Río, located just south of Veracruz.
Hernández said that local fishermen have stopped fishing because the oil damages their equipment, especially their nets. Fishermen in other parts of the state have stopped work for the same reason, a situation that is economically unsustainable.
In addition to spreading north, the oil contamination has also extended south to affect the coastline of Cardenas and Paraíso, municipalities in Tabasco near that state’s border with Veracruz.
Citing environmental organizations and local residents, the news outlet Infobae reported on Tuesday that the oil contamination was affecting approximately 230 kilometers of coastline in Veracruz and Tabasco. Among the affected areas is the Laguna del Ostión (Oyster Lagoon), a large lagoon located between Pajapan and Coatzacoalcos. Infobae reported that at least nine fishing communities depend on the lagoon.
The coastlines of the Veracruz municipalities of Tatahuicapan, Mecayapan and Catemaco have also been affected by the oil contamination. Infobae reported that locals and members of environmental collectives have detected the presence of oil in coastal areas of the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve in Veracruz, which, according to UNESCO, “hosts significant ecosystem diversity and nine types of primary vegetation.”
In the northern part of the reserve — which is home to and visited by a wide array of wildlife — residents found a turtle covered in oil, Infobae reported.
Unhappy with the official response to the contamination, residents of many affected communities, including fishermen and tourism sector workers, have reportedly undertaken cleanup efforts themselves, despite potential health risks due to exposure to the oil.
Greenpeace México said in a statement on Monday that “Indigenous and fishing communities are facing an emergency situation, as they have been unable to carry out their main economic activities, such as fishing and tourism, for a week, which has led to significant losses.”
“In addition, they have had to mobilize to respond to the environmental emergency. This situation increases the vulnerability of families who depend on daily income for their subsistence,” the organization added.
Greenpeace also said that “affected communities and cooperatives” haven’t received any compensation for the economic losses they have incurred.
“The situation has caused distress, frustration, sadness, and anger among the communities, who say they are paying the consequences of an industry [i.e. oil] to which they have not given their consent, which does not share benefits, and which, until now, has not taken responsibility for the damage caused,” the organization said a day before Nahle said that a natural oil seep may be to blame for the widespread contamination.
Mexico City's Zócalo has hosted political rallies, Independence celebrations, protests, fairs and music concerts, but on Sunday it will have a new temporary identity — a soccer pitch for the world's largest soccer class, complete with artifical turf.
(Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro.com)
Mexico City will host a massive soccer practice at the Zócalo on Sunday with the aim of breaking the Guinness World Record for the “world’s largest soccer class” ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The goal is to gather more than 10,000 people to take a soccer class simultaneously, surpassing Seattle’s current record of 1,038 participants.
Two women get a head start on the upcoming soccer mega-practice at the Zócalo that aims to set a new Guinness World Record. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro.com)
Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said the event is part of a strategy to bring soccer closer to Mexicans.
“We want the World Cup to be experienced not only in stadiums, but also in the streets, in neighborhoods, and with the people,” she said in a press conference. “We will turn the Zócalo into the largest football pitch.”
The class, scheduled for the morning of March 15, will be conducted as a group training session of 35 minutes, with coordinated exercises and supervisors to ensure that people remain active as required by Guinness standards. The Zócalo itself is already covered with artificial grass in two shades.
To ensure accurate attendance, participants must collect their kits before the event. Each kit will include an identification number and a chip, both of which are mandatory for entry, along with appropriate sportswear. Each participant will also receive a ball to train with during the class.
Organizers have warned that participants who do not complete the exercises may be disqualified. They have also urged attendees to arrive early to locate their access points, to stay active throughout the session, and, at the same time, to have fun.
Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez Zamora said that the event seeks to bolster Mexico City’s position as a global tourist destination ahead of the World Cup, pointing out that the capital received more than 15 million tourists in 2025.
Overall, Mexico expects to receive 5 million visitors during the sporting event.
According to authorities, the “world’s largest soccer class” event will be the first of several massive activities planned in preparation for the FIFA World Cup, including the creation of “the world’s largest wave” on Paseo de la Reforma.
The Mexican think tank Signos Vitales said in a 2023 report that around 7.5% of the more than US $58 billion in remittances sent to Mexico in 2022 could be linked to drug trafficking. (Shutterstock)
The U.S. government has taken another step in its fight against Mexican cartels, six of which it has designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announced that it had issued an “expanded Geographic Targeting Order (GTO) to help law enforcement combat the illicit activities and money laundering of Mexico-based cartels and other criminal actors along the southwest border of the United States.”
“The GTO subjects certain money services businesses (MSBs) — which provide financial services outside of a formal bank — to enhanced reporting requirements with FinCEN,” the agency said in a statement.
“This important tool ensures law enforcement has access to critical data and can act quickly as they investigate illicit activity.”
The expanded GTO requires businesses such as money transfer companies (Western Union, MoneyGram, etc) and currency exchange offices to “file Currency Transaction Reports with FinCEN for cash transactions between [US] $1,000 and $10,000 occurring in specific counties and ZIP codes,” FinCEN said.
MSBs in the entirety of 12 counties and in certain ZIP codes in two others are required to comply with the expanded GTO. They are:
Maricopa County, Pima County, Santa Cruz County and Yuma County in the state of Arizona.
Bernalillo County, Doña Ana County and San Juan County in the state of New Mexico.
Cameron County, El Paso County, Hidalgo County, Maverick County and Webb County in the state of Texas.
Certain ZIP codes in Imperial County in the state of California and San Diego County in California.
Five of the counties — all three in New Mexico and Maricopa County and Pima County in Arizona — were not included in previous GTOs issued by FinCEN. MSBs in those counties have until April 6 to commence the reporting of cash transactions to FinCEN.
FinCEN said that the “renewed and expanded GTO underscores the Trump Administration’s deep concern with the significant risk to the U.S. financial system presented by cartels, drug traffickers, and other criminal actors along the southwest border.”
It said that the requirement of MSBs in the 14 counties to file Currency Transaction Reports with FinCEN “will empower investigators to develop additional leads and is expected to advance prosecutions through increased scrutiny on funds going to areas of concern.”
“Further, this GTO will ensure local, state, and federal law enforcement can deny individuals and entities associated with drug trafficking organizations access to the U.S. financial system,” FinCEN said.
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said that President Donald Trump “has directed his Administration to pursue the total elimination of terrorist drug cartels to keep Americans safe.”
“For too long, cartels have abused the U.S. financial system to profit from poisoning Americans with deadly fentanyl. At Treasury, we are expanding our efforts to keep drug money out of the United States and to provide law enforcement with additional information to put these traffickers behind bars,” he said.
Mexicans in the United States commonly use MSBs to send remittances to Mexico. While the vast majority of the tens of billions of dollars in remittances sent to Mexico annually is the product of honest work, it is believed that a small fraction of the total is linked to criminal activities such as drug trafficking.
The Mexican think tank Signos Vitales said in a 2023 report that around 7.5% of the more than US $58 billion in remittances sent to Mexico in 2022 could be linked to drug trafficking.
The Trump administration has adopted an aggressive approach to combating drug trafficking organizations in the Western Hemisphere, even attacking alleged drug boats traveling in international waters in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
Trump has offered to deploy the U.S. Army to Mexico to combat cartels, but President Claudia Sheinbaum has turned down his offers, saying that her government is willing to collaborate with its U.S. counterpart on security issues, but will never accept any kind of U.S. military action or intervention south of the border.
From fare hike pushback to International Women's Day marches, there are lots of things going on in Puerto Vallarta. (Instagram)
Headlines throughout the Bay of Banderas area span public safety, services and community resilience. More than 1,000 women marched in Puerto Vallarta, calling for justice and stronger protections. Jalisco is backing down on a transit fare hike and promising aid for vehicles damaged in recent unrest, and Bahía de Banderas is celebrating top-notch water-quality results.
Over 1,000 women march in Puerto Vallarta for justice
On March 8, more than 1,000 women took to Puerto Vallarta’s streets for a large, organized march marking International Women’s Day. The demonstration combined grief, outrage and political demand-making, as participants pressed for stronger government action to confront gender-based violence and femicide, called for transparent investigations of past cases, and held public vigils for victims whose families continue to seek answers.
Speakers and marchers also drew attention to economic injustices tied to gender, particularly the difficulties faced by single mothers when court-ordered child support is ignored or delayed. Protesters urged the enforcement of child-support orders and systemic measures to protect families’ financial stability, arguing that economic accountability is central to broader efforts to protect women and children.
The day included community-focused activities meant to broaden participation beyond the protest route. The Municipal Women’s Institute organized the “8M for Equality” 5-kilometer run, drawing over 400 participants of varying ages and backgrounds to promote inclusion and civic engagement.
City officials, including Mayor Luis Ernesto Munguía González, participated in the event’s opening, and Municipal Women’s Institute director Sarahy Hernández used the gathering to highlight local programs, support services and training opportunities aimed at empowering women across the municipality.
Jalisco cancels public transportation fare hike proposal
After weeks of debate and public pushback, Jalisco officials announced they’d no longer consider implementing a proposed fare increase that would have raised public-transport fares from 11 to 14 pesos. Governor Pablo Lemus confirmed that, effective April 1, the standard fare will remain 11 pesos for all riders.
The government also reiterated protections for vulnerable groups. Student fares at five pesos will continue for students who verify enrollment, and programs offering free transport for older adults, people with disabilities and their caregivers, single mothers who are heads of household, relatives of missing persons, and other eligible groups will remain intact.
Officials emphasized the continued use of the Tarjeta Única al Estilo Jalisco as the platform for accessing these benefits and related services from Mi Bici bike-sharing to social programs and certain state health services.
Puerto Vallarta residents won’t have to walk anywhere unless they want to, thanks to the squashing of projected bus fare hikes. (Unsplash/Nicole Herrero)
Authorities framed the decision as balancing affordability with the need to invest in the state’s mobility infrastructure. Cancellation of the hike followed consultations with community groups and reflected concerns about the potential financial strain on daily commuters, especially low-income residents who rely on public transit for work and school.
Jalisco plans aid fund for vehicles damaged in violence
In response to recent violence that left numerous vehicles burned or damaged across the state, Governor Pablo Lemus announced a proposed financial-aid program to help affected residents recover. Official reports have recorded roughly 600 incidents involving destroyed or damaged vehicles
The proposed assistance fund would be jointly financed by federal and state resources and make economic support available to claimants who register an official report documenting their loss. The program aims to address both documented insurance claims and the needs of uninsured owners who depend on vehicles for income-generating work, such as small business operators, delivery drivers and independent service workers.
In addition to direct aid, state officials are considering measures such as canceling outstanding state taxes or fees associated with the damaged vehicles as further relief. Authorities said the program seeks to be targeted and verifiable, requiring formal documentation to prevent fraud while prioritizing those whose livelihoods were most affected.
The announcement follows calls from community groups and local leaders for concrete assistance as residents assess the economic fallout from the unrest.
Nayarit raises water bar
OROMAPAS, the municipal water utility for Bahía de Banderas, presented a positive public-health update at a recent accountability meeting, showing strong results from ongoing water-quality monitoring. The Nayarit State Health Department recognized the municipality’s efforts through a formal letter acknowledging the Bacteriological Water Quality Program and the oversight role of state sanitary authorities in ensuring proper chlorination and monitoring.
The technical report for January 2026 indicated an average chlorination achievement of 98% across municipal systems, with 97 out of 99 random samples meeting health standards. Inspections and sampling covered neighborhoods and tourist hubs — including Bucerías, Sayulita, San Vicente, Valle de Banderas and Nuevo Vallarta.
Officials said the high compliance rates reflect consistent operational practices and reinforce public confidence in municipal water safety, a key priority for both residents and the tourism industry.
Municipal leaders framed the recognition as validation of ongoing investments in water treatment, monitoring and transparency. They noted continued vigilance is necessary to sustain standards and guard against waterborne illness, especially in areas with seasonal population surges.
Charlotte Smith is a writer and journalist based in Mexico. Her work focuses on travel, politics and community.
