The time is now for Mexico to decide how much power AI will have
Artificial Intelligence is coming for us all, and Mexico is no exception.
I’ve discussed the issue a bit here before, like when I argued AI wasn’t a solution to your language-learning problems, for example.
But as Mexico inches cautiously, and as blindly as the rest of us, toward what everyone says is its inevitability, I’d like to revisit it and look at how Mexico is considering handling it.
The people didn’t vote for AI
As I argued last time I wrote about this, it’s important to remember, really above all else, that AI is not something the world asked for. We didn’t vote on it. We’re not getting paid for our contributions to it. In fact, some of us are paying to use it!
It was created with the entirety of (free) recorded available human output … at least what AI tech could get ahold of before the companies that could afford to sued them. All of our information has been free for the taking, mostly in exchange for things like getting discounts at the movie theater snack counter by downloading an app.
As the saying goes, if the service is free, the product is you.
Mexico’s adoption of AI
But as we’ve read over this past year, much of Mexico has been quite happy to adopt AI. Around 40% of Mexican businesses are already using AI. If you include basic services like writing and translation, that number increases to over 70%.
As of 2022, 65% of Mexicans agreed that “AI would positively transform their lives.” Indeed, a rush to “train” people to use AI is ensuing. (As far as I’ve been told from those in the field, “training” is mostly just about teaching people to come up with the right prompts for what they want AI to do — hardly rocket science.)
There’s even an “AI forward” school here in Mexico. Decidedly sadder and, let’s face it, creepier, is the use of AI to create fake videos. Yes, in this particular case, it’s for a good cause, and they’re honest about them being AI-generated — this time — but yikes. Perhaps we shouldn’t make this a habit.
You may have also seen the report that Mexico leads all the other Latin American countries when it comes to AI patents. For what, exactly? Well, that’s not information I was able to find.
And that worries me, because I personally believe that we’re already at a point where this is getting out of hand.
The declaration of ethics and best practices for the use and development of AI in Mexico
Okay, good. This is a good starting place. It doesn’t quite make up for the fact that Mexico hasn’t actually passed any laws yet regarding the regulation of AI. But hey, a list is a start. Right?
For now, I will try to remain optimistic, forgetting about the fact that there are plenty of other good laws on the books that are, essentially, unenforceable. Maybe this will be different. Without further ado, here’s our veritable “10 Commandments of AI” (translated by yours truly, which is a little ironic as AI has rendered my translating skills economically useless):
- AI should expand rights, not reduce them.
- Every decision made by AI must have responsible humans behind it, supported by clear institutional frameworks.
- If a decision can’t be explained, then it shouldn’t be automated.
- Decisions about AI are best made when they’re made collectively.
- AI is only valuable when it generates well-being for people.
- Before automating, we must understand who and what the automation affects.
- Strategic technology must be implemented based on the necessities of the country.
- AI development requires strengthening education and knowledge in the country.
- AI cannot be removed from the country’s linguistic and cultural diversity.
- Data is a public good that must be responsibly protected.
If you ask me, this is an excellent starting point. The list does not bother me at all. In fact, I love the list.
What worries me is that so far, that’s all it is: a wish list.
The lack of regulation over AI
And if you’ve been paying attention since the institution of AI really came on the scene, the AI “gods” — those who decided it would be part of all of our lives whether we liked it or not — haven’t exactly been jumping at the chance to get regulated.
I mean, who wants pesky rules when you’re trying to make a bunch of money under the guise of creating AI to save humanity out of the goodness of your heart? That’s been the attitude of the major AI companies in the U.S., anyway.
But one major difference with the U.S. is that the Mexican government is actually talking about rules. That’s more than I can say about my own country, where they tucked a nice little provision in the “Big Beautiful Bill” (ugh) about states not being allowed to regulate AI for the next 10 years.
But back to the list! It’s a good one. The only thing I’d say is missing is perhaps something about data centers not consuming all our water and electricity?
In the end, we’ve got a long way to go toward an actual legal framework around AI. There are a lot of questions Mexico will need to answer, hopefully through enforceable laws:
- How will we balance the vast requirements of data centers with the water and energy needs of the population? Surely we won’t let AI become the next Coca-Cola. Right?
- How will the country respond to the inevitable job losses that AI causes, should it succeed in doing everything it purports to do? We’re going to need a plan other than “Oh, but it will create more jobs!” Funny, no one can tell us what these jobs will be other than “checking AI’s work.” (I’ve been asked to do it myself, and trust me: it’s not lucrative.)
- How will we make sure that people can tell the difference between AI and human-created content? (Lots of people I know assure me they can tell the difference. I assure you, they can’t. And they wouldn’t know if they couldn’t, because they wouldn’t. See?)
Perhaps, in the end, AI will fizzle. As a friend with multiple degrees in Artificial Intelligence recently told me, most AI companies (like OpenAI, for example) are not actually profitable yet, and much of AI is so error-riddled as to be rendered useless — especially in the area of computer programming. Websites built with AI are more vulnerable to attack, and by all accounts, AI is, currently, simply not trustworthy.
Will it go up in smoke as quickly as it appeared in our lives? Honestly, I hope so. Because for all the fanfare about its ability to “someday” save humanity, that’s not what it was built for. It was built to make money.
And when money is the top goal, humans will necessarily not be. Let’s hope we realize that before this gets too out of hand.
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.
The evolution of Spring Break in Los Cabos
It is one of the world’s most notable migrations. Each March, two million college students flock to select beach-friendly destinations in the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean to engage in the rites of Spring.
The attractions of this largely alcohol-fueled rut are obvious for students, as are the benefits for their favored destinations. The state of Florida alone profits to the tune of US $2.7 billion annually.
Los Cabos isn’t on the same level as Florida hotspots like Panama City or even Cancún, which is traditionally the top Spring Break choice in Mexico. But it is a major destination — the second-largest in Mexico — with about 50,000 students confirmed for 2026, and expected to generate upwards of US $ 40 million in economic impact to local communities. The number of students could actually reach as high as 70,000 this year, depending on how many collegians shift travel plans from Puerto Vallarta to Los Cabos in the wake of recent insecurity in Jalisco.
In any case, it’ll be a lot. But it bears noting that it wasn’t always like this. Spring Break in Cabo is a relatively recent phenomenon.
The history of Spring Break
In 1935, a swim coach at Colgate University in New York named Sam Ingram brought his team to Florida to train over Christmas Break. Soon, other swim coaches were doing the same and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, sensing an opportunity, hosted the first College Coaches’ Swim Forum in 1938. But not over Christmas Break. In March, instead.
By the 1950s, Fort Lauderdale had developed into the first true Spring Break destination, hosting as many as 20,000 college students annually for a week to 10 days of fun in the sun. Then, in 1960, the movie “Where the Boys Are” came out — a paean to Lauderdale’s annual debauch — and the numbers began rising inexorably … not just there, but also in Daytona Beach, which by the end of the 1960s, was attracting over 100,000 students each year.
For the next few decades, Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach remained the Spring Break capitals, and might have remained so had their city officials not tired of the mass drunkenness synonymous with Spring Break and the damage that it caused, and decided to pass stricter laws to curb the behavior of what were now hundreds of thousands of college students. Fort Lauderdale began cracking down in the mid-1980s, and Daytona Beach in the mid-1990s.
This paved the way for other destinations to emerge, including in places like Mexico and the Caribbean, where the drinking ages are lower — it’s 18 in Mexico, compared to 21 in the U.S. — and the atmospheres significantly more welcoming.
How Cabo San Lucas became a Spring Break destination
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Spring Break in Cabo San Lucas effectively became a thing on April 16, 1990. That’s the date Sammy Hagar and his Van Halen bandmates officially opened the Cabo Wabo cantina in Cabo San Lucas, and MTV flew in 10 lucky winners to attend the band’s first performance there.
Throughout the 1990s, Spring Break slowly started to grow in Los Cabos. However, it wasn’t until a scene began to develop around Médano Beach in Cabo San Lucas — helped by beach bars like Mango Deck, which opened in 1998 — that students, mostly in Southern California, started to really take notice.
Then, in the early 2000s, MTV, a ceaseless promoter of all things Spring Break, did Los Cabos another favor. In 2003, the youth-oriented network started airing a show called “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County,” in which privileged teens could constantly be heard name-checking their favorite Baja California Sur tourist destination, and going there for Spring Break. There were even episodes titled “What Happens in Cabo,” “Cabo, Cabo, Cabo” and “Only in Cabo.”
Suddenly, Los Cabos was on the radar of students across the U.S., most of whom, outside the West Coast, had never heard of it before. This newfound popularity, along with the rise of early student travel brands like STS Travel, StudentCity, and, locally at least, Spring Break Cabo, helped the destination evolve from a few thousand students a year for Spring Break to the 50,000-plus that currently visit.
How students experience Spring Break
Student travel-focused brands and the travel packages they offer not only provide students with curated experiences among their fellow collegians but also offer security and on-site staff to deal with any unforeseen issues with accommodations or events. LVIN and StudentCity are among the highest-profile brands offering 2026 packages for Los Cabos.
In 2025, for example, LVIN brought 12,000 students to Los Cabos from over 150 different campuses. This year, it’s offering tiered packages that include shared hotel rooms at properties such as Pueblo Bonito, ME Cabo, Hotel Tesoro, and RIU Santa Fe; open-bar parties and concerts with featured DJs rotating weekly in March, including Matroda, Cloonee, Disco Lines and Bunt. Optional add-ons to packages include airport transportation and bottle service at concerts.
Local security arrangements
In Los Cabos, local authorities are coordinating to ensure the safety of the expected 50,000 to 70,000 Spring Breakers in 2026, focusing their efforts on the three areas where students are apt to congregate: At select hotels, on Médano Beach and at downtown Cabo San Lucas nightspots.
“We have been in contact with business owners who bring young people to the area and with service providers so that they can work together to ensure, as much as possible, the safety of this tourist segment,” confirmed Francisco Cota Márquez, head of the Civil Protection office in Los Cabos, per El Sudcaliforniano.
How to avoid Spring Break in Los Cabos
Social anthropologists will likely find Spring Break in Los Cabos fascinating, but other visitors, well past college age, may wish to avoid it. Doing so is rather easy, as the Spring Break scene is overwhelmingly centered on Médano Beach in Cabo San Lucas, including the bars on the beach — specifically, Mango Deck — and the hotels and resorts where students stay. Downtown Cabo San Lucas nightclubs like El Squid Roe and Mandala are also popular spots with collegians.
A few students choose to stay in San José del Cabo or along La Ruta Escénica, but not very many. So if you’re really looking to avoid Spring Break or competition for resort reservations, those are great areas to stay, as is Los Cabos’ East Cape.
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.
Michelin-starred Masala y Maíz celebrates International Women’s Month with series of one-night-only dinners
There is no shortage of soul-altering food choices in Mexico’s massive, ever-spicy capital. The city’s culinary laurels have garnered ongoing international acclaim, most recently being named as one of National Geographic’s top food destinations on the planet. From streetside stalls slanging lard-rubbed gaonera tacos to pizzerias topping their pies with chilaquiles bathed in salsa verde, Mexico City is the embodiment of a tasteful feverdream.
So, where does the metropolis of beloved Mexican chefs go once they’ve mastered the art of local, regional dishes? They go abroad. Or in the case of Masala y Maíz — a Michelin-starred eatery in the historic center of the city, serving a distinctive amalgamation of Mexican, Indian and African dishes — they’re inviting more international flavors to town. Literally.
Women chefs coming to Mexico City from around the globe
Beginning on March 4, the popular fusion restaurant will be hosting a special month-long series of guest chefs from other nations. In honor of International Women’s Month, the cast of all-women chefs will encompass a diverse range of influential gourmands from notable food institutions around the globe, each presenting their idiosyncratic takes on diasporic eats and communal exchange for one-night-only dinners. Building on Masala y Maíz’s incredible foundation of experimental, bold offerings — including crispy Indian samosas filled with slow-cooked saudero, and corn esquites drowned in Makai Pakka, an East African coconut curry — the guest chefs are certain to wow diners with unique renditions of global ingredients presented in a Mexican context.
Since their inception as a community kitchen in 2017, Masala y Maíz — led by the wife-and-husband duo of Norma Listman and Saqib Keval, who are the restaurant’s owners and founding chefs — has underscored how restaurants don’t merely exist to feed hungry diners, but can also act as a venue through which ideas, cultures and social values can be presented and digested, too. Their collaborative intentionality and efforts have led to features on major platforms like “Chef’s Table“ on Netflix. But at the core, they remain grounded in a joint vision for uplifting diasporic and often marginalized foodmakers.
“We have been doing a celebration for International Women’s Month since we started Masala y Maíz,” says Listman, who originally hails from Texcoco. “Last year we got a chance to cook with my dear friends Ana Castro and Isabel Coss and that ignited the idea to do it on a larger scale.”
An all-star lineup for one-night-only dinners
“(The series is an) opportunity to taste the incredible work of international chefs and their cuisines in a context of collaboration and highlighting Mexican ingredients,” Listman continues. “Most of them will be cooking in Mexico City for the first time.”
Indeed, they’ve assembled a lineup of inimitable all-stars. On March 4, Asma Khan — the London-based, India-born chef and founder of Darjeeling Express, a contemporary gem serving family-style Indian favorites — will kick off the series with Rosalba Morales Bartolo, a renowned Purépecha master-cook from Michoacán, Mexico, whose specialties are rooted in ancestral techniques.
March 11 will bring Heena Patel, the culinary engine behind the Gujarati-centered restaurant Besharam in San Francisco, alongside Ji Hye Kim, a Michigan-based chef with a Korean-heritage focus. They will be joined in the kitchen by Claudette Zepeda, a culinary anthropologist and celebrated chef who straddles her Mexican American identity between San Diego and Tijuana.
Dates to circle on the calendar
The following week, March 18, the Haitian-American chef Cybille St. Aude-Tate, who opened behind Philadelphia’s Honeysuckle last spring, touches down in the Mexica heartland to provide her Black Caribbean plates with Mexican American pastry chef Mariela Camacho, who received Food & Wine’s “Best New Chef” recognition in 2025.
Finally, on March 25, Nite Yun — who is a Cambodian-American foodmaker known for her Khmer cuisine — will be flanked by none other than Reem Assil, a Palestinian-Syrian culinary artist, activist and author who is based in Oakland (the city in which Masala y Maíz’s founders first met).
“Meeting the chefs and cooking together (is inspiring). All of them are chefs I admire so much,” says Listman. “Aside from Reem Assil, I have never cooked with any of them and that is so exciting, not only for me, but also for my team. (We will be) learning and being in community in the kitchen, preparing something super special for everyone.”
Stay tuned for the menu reveals
Though the four menus have yet to be revealed, Listman tells Mexico News Daily that each night will include five to six courses, along with a welcome drink and gratuity included. For each week of the month, each hand-picked chef will curate an international carousel of memorable dining experiences.
“We are working hard to be mindful of the cost, so many people can come,” Listman says. “We are currently working on all the menus and they are so incredibly beautiful.”
Alan Chazaro is the author of “These Spaceships Weren’t Built For Us” (Tia Chucha Press, 2026), “Notes from the Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge” (Ghost City Press, 2021), “Piñata Theory” (Black Lawrence Press, 2020), and “This Is Not a Frank Ocean Cover Album” (Black Lawrence Press, 2019). He is a graduate of June Jordan’s Poetry for the People program at UC Berkeley and was selected as a Lawrence Ferlinghetti Poetry Fellow at the University of San Francisco. His work can be found in NPR, The Guardian, SLAM, GQ, L.A. Times, and more. He is currently based in Veracruz.
Mexico’s week in review: El Mencho’s burial, a sinking peso and the World Cup countdown
In the aftermath of a landmark anti-cartel operation, normalcy began to return to Mexico the first week of March. Drug lord “El Mencho” was laid to rest Sunday, a week after his death — and his cartel’s response — brought everyday life to a halt across the country. Throughout the week, an escalating war in the Middle East rattled markets and stranded citizens abroad, while back at home President Sheinbaum fought headwinds as she and the Morena party attempted to push their electoral reform forward. Through it all, World Cup preparations continued apace for a competition now less than 100 days away.
Didn’t have time to catch this week’s top stories? Here’s what you missed.
The end of El Mencho — and what’s next for the CJNG
The week opened with the burial of Nemesio Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the founder and longtime leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), fatally shot by soldiers on Feb. 22. His body arrived in Guadalajara on Sunday for burial and was interred at a cemetery in the municipality of Zapopan on Monday afternoon, under a strong security presence from the Army, National Guard and state police.
At her Monday mañanera, Sheinbaum noted that after the most intense chaos on the day of the operation itself, things began returning to normal, and by Wednesday economic, school and social activities had largely resumed. Polling vindicated the government’s approach: 82% of respondents rated the actions against El Mencho as good or very good, and the president’s approval rating jumped eight percentage points among those surveyed after the operation.
By Friday, Sheinbaum traveled to Zapopan itself to hold her press conference, and her security minister delivered a blunt assessment. Security Minister Omar García Harfuch confirmed that the CJNG’s power had “definitely” declined, citing 890 arrests, the seizure of 626 firearms and more than 10 tonnes of drugs in Jalisco since October 2024. Homicide statistics offered further encouragement: Jalisco recorded an average of 2.55 murders per day in January 2026, a 47% reduction compared to the final month of the previous administration.
Jalisco bounces back, but tourism clouds linger
Despite the violence, business confidence in Jalisco proved resilient. Though 103,000 businesses reported suffering a negative economic impact from the Feb. 22 operation, the American Chamber of Commerce Guadalajara chapter confirmed unanimously that its member companies had no plans to halt or pause investment. Hotel occupancy, which had cratered to 15% amid the unrest, rebounded to 40% within days, and 95% of events scheduled in Jalisco for 2026 remained confirmed.
In Puerto Vallarta, the Norwegian Bliss cruise ship arrived carrying more than 4,300 passengers just ten days after the killing of El Mencho plunged the port city into crisis. As the first cruise ship since the violence, it was greeted by mariachi music with local officials framing the arrival as proof that Puerto Vallarta was open for business.
World Cup tourism, however, faced a more complicated picture in Mexico City. FIFA released 800 of the 2,000 hotel rooms it had booked for the tournament in the capital in the past 30 days, prompting concern. The Hotel Association’s director, however, said FIFA had simply over-reserved to guarantee availability and that hotel occupancy was still expected to reach 85% by the June 11 opener.
World Cup security plans takes shape
As the tournament approached — less than 100 days away — security preparations advanced quickly. Mexican officials met with FIFA representatives on Wednesday to coordinate security protocols, with the meeting attended by the security, interior, defense and foreign affairs ministers, as well as FIFA’s chief tournament officer in Mexico.
On Friday, García Harfuch unveiled Plan Kukulkán — named after the serpent deity of Maya mythology — as Mexico’s official World Cup security strategy, involving 20 federal departments and close to 100,000 security personnel, including members of the armed forces, National Guard and police.
In a lighter World Cup moment, Sheinbaum announced at her Thursday mañanera a nationwide soccer ball juggling competition for women aged 16 to 25, with the winner earning her personal World Cup opening ceremony ticket — number 00001 — while the president said she plans to watch the opener in the Zócalo with the public instead.
Mexico and the Middle East crisis
The U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran cast a long shadow over the week. Mexico’s Foreign Relations Ministry confirmed that approximately 7,000 Mexicans in the Middle East remained safe, while Sheinbaum called for a return to multilateral diplomacy. By Wednesday — the fifth day of the conflict — 279 Mexicans had been evacuated, with those fleeing overland from Israel, Jordan and Qatar making their way to Egypt and Turkey, where airspace remained open.
The conflict weighed heavily on financial markets. The peso depreciated sharply on Tuesday, falling from 17.28 to around 17.80 per dollar at its worst, as fears of a prolonged war drained investor appetite for risk assets. By Friday, the pressure had only intensified. The peso slid a further 0.68%, reaching 17.82 to the dollar — a seven-week low — after Trump demanded an “unconditional surrender” from Iran and a weak U.S. jobs report added to global uncertainty, putting the peso on track for its worst weekly performance since June 2024.
Economic outlook brightens even as Sheinbaum faces political headwinds
Against the currency headwinds, Mexico’s underlying trade data offered a brighter picture. Export revenue rose 8.1% year-over-year in January to just over US $48 billion — the strongest January performance since 2023 — with manufactured goods accounting for more than 90% of total earnings.
On the political front, Sheinbaum’s proposed electoral reform hit turbulence. The bill, which would reduce the number of senators by eliminating those elected via proportional representation and require proportional-representation deputies to appear directly on ballots, faced opposition not only from conservative parties but also from Morena’s own coalition allies, the Labor Party and the Green Party, who fear the changes would undermine their own electoral survival. The president acknowledged she had a “plan B” but declined to elaborate.
Also this week, Mexico and the U.S. announced that formal USMCA review talks will begin on March 16 in Washington — without Canada, which is expected to join at a later date. The two countries recorded a record-high trade relationship in 2025, with the value of bilateral trade exceeding US $870 billion.
With International Women’s Day approaching on Sunday, Sheinbaum used her Wednesday press conference to acknowledge that while femicides had declined — to 721 cases in 2025 — women still need greater state protection and economic autonomy, and that the government would release detailed data on gender violence and the pay gap later in the month. She also confirmed that barriers would likely be erected around the National Palace on March 8, as in past years, to protect it during the annual protest march.
A separate diplomatic flashpoint emerged at Thursday’s mañanera, when Sheinbaum confirmed that Mexico had sent a diplomatic note to Washington after a Mexican national, 48-year-old Alberto Gutiérrez Reyes, died while in ICE custody at a detention center in Adelanto, California — the ninth such death in ICE custody this year.
On the environmental front, a troubling story unfolded on the Gulf coast. An oil spill first detected off the coast of Pajapan in southern Veracruz spread to affect at least 150 kilometers of coastline across several municipalities, shutting down tourist beaches, halting fishing and threatening turtle nesting areas — while both Pemex and the state governor denied that the company’s infrastructure was responsible.
The week’s most joyful moment, meanwhile, came from Mexico City’s Zócalo early in the week. Shakira drew 400,000 fans to the historic plaza on Sunday night, breaking the all-time attendance record for a free concert there, and wrapping the Mexican leg of her “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” world tour after 31 shows across the country. Sheinbaum confessed at her Monday presser to sneaking a peek through the National Palace window before praising the crowd as “amazing.”
Shakira sets Zócalo record with 400,000 fans in historic Mexico City farewell
Looking ahead, the intertwined threads of this week are unlikely to unravel quickly. The CJNG’s leadership succession remains uncertain and could devolve into factional conflict while the peso’s trajectory is hostage to a Middle Eastern conflict with no clear end date. Electoral reform is testing Morena’s coalition as never before and the World Cup clock is ticking. Mexico is juggling a great deal — and doing so under the watchful eye of the world.
Also in the news this week
- The National Meteorological Service will debut extreme rain cell phone alerts for hurricane season this year.
- Two U.S. firms announced a $500 million investment to build EV charging infrastructure and electric bus fleets across central Mexico and the Bajío region.
- Yucatán installed its first artificial reef off the coast of Río Lagartos, aiming to restore marine habitat and boost ecotourism.
- Rarámuri runner Juana Ramírez will compete in the Nagoya Women’s Marathon, the world’s largest women’s race.
- The federal government will reopen the Toniná archaeological zone in Chiapas after expropriating a parcel from a private landowner who had demanded monthly rent.
- The Cuera Tamaulipeca, Tamaulipas’s traditional leather jacket, received Protected Geographical Indication status.
- Sundance Film Festival will return to Mexico City for a third straight year in April.
Looking for last week’s roundup? Check it out here.
Mexico News Daily
This story contains summaries of original Mexico News Daily articles. The summaries were generated by Claude, then revised and fact-checked by a Mexico News Daily staff editor.
Mexico after El Mencho: The ‘Confidently Wrong’ podcast shares insider perspectives
We are well into our second season of our “Confidently Wrong” podcast. As most of you know, in this second season we are deep diving into the confidently wrong assumptions about raising and educating kids in Mexico. So far, we have interviewed parents from the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Mexico, as well as the leader of an international school in San Miguel de Allende. In upcoming episodes, we will be interviewing school leaders in other cities, teachers from large and small schools, and of course, kids. Stay tuned for those informative episodes coming soon!
This week, given recent events in Mexico, we are taking a break from Season 2 and instead sharing with you two new episodes related to the theme from Season 1 — “Confidently Wrong about Mexico.” In the first one, I take on the topic of crime and cartels in the country. I recently wrote an article on what to expect in the aftermath of the killing of cartel leader “El Mencho” and I laid out my case as to what might happen next.
Confidently Wrong: Mexico, security and cartels
A review of recent history, as well as most pundits and experts, would lead us to believe that the country will now descend into a downward spiral of violence. But I don’t think that will happen, and I give 10 reasons why I think that this time could be different. The article generated such buzz that we decided to do a follow up podcast in which I talk through and explain in more detail my perspective on this topic. Check it out, as this is likely one you are going to want to share with family and friends that are either questioning your living in Mexico or their own travel plans to vacation in Mexico.
The second episode is a more personal one. George and I thought it was important to share our first hand experience on what the hours, days and week after the El Mencho operation was really like. Leading Mexico News Daily, you can imagine that it was an exceptionally busy time for our team — as well a mix of scary, exciting and exhausting. I wrote about it here.
In addition, George and his family and friends actually live very near to where the events happened, so they have a fascinating perspective to share as well. We end the episode by reflecting on what it has been like since the events, and what many people across the country are feeling right now. I am certain that it will provide you with some important context, detail and perspective on life here in Mexico now.
Confidently Wrong Podcast: What hours, days and week after the El Mencho event was really like
Please take time to listen to both episodes, which are also available on Spotify and our YouTube channel. It’s more important than ever to be educated and informed about the country and to share what you know with others. The country needs empathy and fact-based logic right now, not fear mongering, drama and click-bait headlines.
Thank you for supporting MND.
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.
Drug busts, arrests and the ‘definite’ decline of the Jalisco cartel: Friday’s mañanera recapped
President Claudia Sheinbaum held her Friday morning press conference in Zapopan, a municipality in Jalisco that is part of the metropolitan area of state capital Guadalajara.
Early in the mañanera, Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus welcomed the president to the state, before declaring that her presence was very “significant” and showed “great solidarity” with “our state,” where violent cartel chaos broke out 12 days ago in response to a military operation targeting Nemesio Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the now-deceased Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader.
Sheinbaum said that her government is working to achieve peace and security in Jalisco, as well as “the well-being of the residents of this beautiful state.”
Later in the press conference, security officials presented the latest data on homicides and arrests in Jalisco, and outlined Plan Kukulkán, the government’s World Cup security strategy.
Jalisco homicide data
National Public Security System (SNSP) chief Marcela Figueroa reported that there was an average of 2.55 homicides per day in Jalisco in January.
She highlighted that the daily murder rate in January represents a reduction of 47% compared to September 2024, the final month of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidency.
✅ Reducción del 47% en homicidios dolosos en Jalisco gracias al trabajo coordinado entre el @GobiernoMX y el estado.
Enero de 2026 registra el nivel más bajo desde 2015. pic.twitter.com/tNCbNMaOaL
— Coordinación Nacional de Protección Civil (@CNPC_MX) March 6, 2026
However, according to the data Figueroa presented, the daily homicide rate in Jalisco in January was 47% higher than in September 2025, the month with the lowest number of murders since Sheinbaum took office in October 2024.
The SNSP chief also presented data that showed that Jalisco’s daily homicide rate was 4 in 2025, a reduction of 19.5% compared to 2024.
Among Mexico’s 32 federal entities, Jalisco recorded the eighth highest number of homicides in 2025, according to data presented by Figueroa in January.
Arrests and drug seizures in Jalisco
Federal Security Minister Omar García Harfuch reported that between Oct. 1, 2024 — the date Sheinbaum took office — and Feb. 28, 2026, authorities arrested 890 people in Jalisco for allegedly committing high-impact crimes such as murder, kidnapping and extortion.
He said that authorities seized 626 firearms and over 10 tonnes of drugs in Jalisco in the same period. García Harfuch also said that the Army and Navy dismantled three synthetic drug laboratories in the state during the past 17 months.
“These actions have had a significant impact on the operation and financial capacity of the criminal organizations that operate in the entity,” he said.
The most powerful of those groups is undoubtedly the CJNG. It remains to be seen whether the death of the cartel’s founder and longtime leader will result in an increase in violence in Jalisco as El Mencho’s erstwhile underlings vie to succeed him.
Plan Kukulkán
Two days after Mexican officials met with FIFA representatives to discuss security arrangements for the men’s World Cup in Mexico, García Harfuch announced that Mexico’s security strategy for the event is called Plan Kukulkán, named after the serpent deity of Maya mythology.
He said that the plan is designed to “guarantee conditions of protection before, during and after” the World Cup, which Mexico is co-hosting with the United States and Canada. A total of 13 matches will be played in Mexico at stadiums in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
García Harfuch said that the security plan is “coordinated by the government of Mexico,” and will involve the participation of 20 federal departments as well as state and municipal authorities.
“It includes international cooperation mechanisms with the United States, Canada, and FIFA to strengthen information sharing, operational planning, and the timely management of risks,” he added.
Later in the press conference, Román Villalvazo Barrios — the head of Mexico’s World Cup Coordination Center — said that “joint task forces” will be created to manage security in each of the three host cities.
Villalvazo also said that around 20,000 members of the armed forces and the National Guard, and some 55,000 police officers will contribute to the implementation of Plan Kukulkán. Around 20,000 private security guards will also participate in the execution of the plan, he said.
All told, close to 100,000 security personnel will be deployed to carry out World Cup-related security tasks during the five-week tournament.
After the presentations by security officials, Sheinbaum declared that Mexico is “extremely well-prepared” for the event.
The first World Cup match will take place in Mexico City on June 11, with Mexico squaring off against South Africa at Estadio Azteca.
CJNG’s power has ‘definitely’ declined, says García Harfuch
During the Q&A section of the mañanera, a reporter said that around 200 leaders and members of the CJNG have been arrested, although he didn’t specify the period he was referring to. The reporter asserted that the cartel’s power “has obviously declined” as a result of the arrests, an observation that García Harfuch said was “definitely” correct.
🚨 Omar García Harfuch informó la detención de 70 presuntos criminales en siete estados, tras una jornada marcada por múltiples enfrentamientos.
El funcionario detalló que en Jalisco se registraron 27 agresiones contra fuerzas de seguridad, calificadas como “cobardes”.
Los… pic.twitter.com/4o55Yqt8Rm
— Aristegui Noticias (@AristeguiOnline) February 23, 2026
The security minister added that after the violent response to El Mencho’s death, authorities “were able to reestablish peace” in Jalisco “very quickly.”
Sheinbaum made similar remarks on Monday.
While it may be weakened, the CJNG is still considered one of the two most powerful criminal organizations in Mexico, the other being the Sinaloa Cartel. The CJNG operates in the vast majority of Mexican states, but its heartland is Jalisco.
Could the US carry out a unilateral military action against cartels in Mexico?
A reporter noted that U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that the United States was prepared to take unilateral action against drug cartels in Latin America.
The Associated Press reported that Hegseth “urged Latin American countries to take a more aggressive approach against drug cartels, warning that the Trump administration would be forced to act by itself if governments fail to effectively combat criminal organizations that directly threaten the United States and border security.”
“America is prepared to take on these threats and go on the offense alone if necessary,” he told defense officials from 16 Latin American and Caribbean countries during a speech at U.S. Southern Command in Miami.
“However, it is our preference, and it is the goal of this conference, that in the interest of this neighborhood, we all do it together with you,” Hegseth said.
The Guardian noted that officials from “three key nations with a significant share of drug production or trafficking — Colombia, Mexico and Brazil — did not attend” the event in Miami.
The aforesaid reporter asked Sheinbaum whether Mexico has avoided the possibility of a unilateral U.S. action thanks to “the downfall of Nemesio Oseguera,” who was located in Tapalpa, Jalisco, as a result of Mexican and U.S. intelligence.
The president — as she has done numerous times before — pointed out that Mexico and the United States have a security “understanding” that allows bilateral “coordination,” including via the exchange of intelligence. However, each country has to operate “in its own territory,” said Sheinbaum, who frequently asserts that her government will not accept any kind of U.S. military action in Mexico or any other violation of Mexican sovereignty.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in January that the United States would start “hitting” cartels on land in Mexico, but after speaking with her counterpart on Jan. 12, Sheinbaum declared that U.S. military action south of the border could be ruled out.
On Friday morning, she said that Mexico and the United States would continue to carry out security operations in their own territory, and noted that officials from the two countries would gather for another bilateral security meeting soon.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
The Sundance Film Festival announces its return to Mexico City on April 30
The Mexico edition of the Sundance Film Festival is returning to Mexico City for its third consecutive year, showcasing a wide array of independent international film productions.
The festival is a collaboration between Cinépolis, the largest theatrical exhibition company in Mexico and Latin America, and the Sundance Institute, the nonprofit organization behind the Sundance Film Festival.
Marga en el DF (México-EU-República Dominicana, 2026; 21 min), de Gabriela Ortega. La embarazada Marga llega, el día en el que es asesinada Selena, a visitar a su marido médico que vive en el entonces DF, solo para vivir en carne propia la letra de “Como la flor”. #Sundance2026 pic.twitter.com/mvBP1M8tZs
— Ernesto Diezmartinez (@Diezmartinez) January 26, 2026
The event will take place from April 30 to May 3 at Cinépolis Diana, which will serve as the main venue. Additional screenings will be announced as the festival date approaches, but confirmed locations include Cinépolis Mitikah, Cinépolis Oasis Coyoacán, Cinépolis Plaza Carso and Cinépolis VIP Miyana.
“We are excited to be planning another edition of Sundance Film Festival,” Eugene Hernández, the Sundance director of public programming, said. “Our 2026 festival in April will again showcase a selection of new films from around the world for Mexico City moviegoers,” said.
Hernández added that organizers enjoyed getting to know audiences in Mexico City during the previous editions, and that their programming team is curating a selection “that will engage and entertain.”
The screenings include a selection of films originally presented at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, as well as special screenings and activities designed to enrich the audience’s in-theater experience.
Meanwhile, head of Cinépolis Alejandro Ramírez said that “the festival represents a way of experiencing cinema as a comprehensive experience that opens dialogue and integrates different visions of the world and the current context.”
Ramírez added that they want to create a space for dialogue around independent cinema and “to strengthen the local creative ecosystem.”
The third edition of the “Sundance Film Festival: CDMX” will feature films screened this year in the United States in addition to some Latin American productions. Some potential movies to be featured include “La Cazadora” (Suzanne Andrews Correa), “Jaripeo” (Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig), and “Marga en el DF” (Gabriela Ortega).
To learn further details about the festival and its program, follow Cinépolis social media channels.
With reports from Hollywood Reporter
Mexico announces kick-off of formal USMCA negotiations — without Canada
Mexico and the United States have set March 16 as the date to initiate the first round of formal talks in preparation for the Joint Review of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Missing from that first session in Washington, D.C., will be Canada. Mexico’s Economy Ministry (SE) and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said the Canadians are expected to join the negotiations at an unspecified later date.
In a video posted to social media, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said he and USTR Jamieson Greer agreed to begin the discussions “with a perspective of reviewing the USMCA” and enhancing trade integration.
In a March 5 statement, the USTR said “The ministers instructed negotiators to begin a scoping discussion on the necessary measures to ensure the benefits of the Agreement accrue primarily to the parties, including by reducing dependence on imports from outside the region, strengthening rules of origin, and enhancing the security of North American supply chains.”
After these initial talks, the USTR said the two sides would “meet regularly thereafter.”
The bilateral arrangement is not a new development. Last October, both Mexican and U.S. officials said they expected much of the negotiations during the 2026 review of the trilateral pact to be bilateral. In January, it was confirmed that bilateral discussions would indeed be held.
Sources within Mexico’s Economy Ministry told the newspaper La Jornada that Mexico will talk separately with Canada — which has its own strategy with regard to the U.S. — “in the coming weeks.” These talks will focus on strengthening cooperation on trade and security.
According to the USMCA bylaws, the first review of the agreement is scheduled for this year, 2026. If the partner countries agree, the treaty would be renewed for another six years, extending its expiration date from 2036 to 2042.
In the event that there is no agreement this year, successive annual reviews would follow until the parties agree to the renewal.
Mexico, the U.S. and Canada began preparations for this year’s USMCA review process months ago, holding domestic public consultations to assess the agreement’s performance and identify areas for improvement.
The USTR expressed concern about several policies of its partners that it believes undermine the spirit of the USMCA though it also acknowledged widespread support from the U.S. business community for the agreement.
Among the issues the USTR criticized are Mexico’s policy of favoring its state-owned energy companies and its lax labor laws.
The Associated Press noted that the USMCA has allowed Mexico to largely avoid U.S. protectionist measures since many Mexican goods are covered within the trilateral agreement.
However, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, which face a 25% tariff and steel, aluminum and copper tariffs (50%) remain in effect, as does a 17% tariff on Mexican tomatoes.
Still, Mexico has solidified its position as the main U.S. trading partner and vice versa. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, in 2025 the value of trade between the two countries (the sum of exports and imports) exceeded US $870 billion, a record high.
With reports from La Jornada, The Associated Press and El Economista
Peso continues to slide amid Iran war risks, nearing 18 to the dollar
The peso continued to drop against the U.S. dollar on Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump issued more threats against Iran seven days after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against the Middle Eastern country.
At 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Bloomberg News reported that the peso had lost 0.68% against the dollar, falling 3 cents since Thursday’s close to bring the exchange rate to 17.82 units to the dollar, a seven-week low.
As a result, the peso had declined nearly 4%, pointing to its worst weekly performance since June 2024.
Friday’s trading action came after Trump used his Truth Social network to demand an “unconditional surrender” from Iran.
El Economista newspaper reported that the market is also concerned about U.S. economic indicators that suggest the world’s largest economy might be cooling down “at a complex time due to the war.”
U.S. nonfarm payrolls fell by 92,000 jobs in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pushing the U.S. unemployment rate up to 4.4% from a previous level of 4.3%.
Although the dollar index retreated following the jobs report, the peso remained under intense pressure due to a broader flight from riskier emerging market assets.
Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, told El Financiero newspaper that the depreciation of the peso “is due to an increase in global risk aversion, as there are no signs that the war in Iran will end soon.”
Siller also cited Thursday’s decision by the Republican-majority U.S. House of Representatives, which rejected a resolution to force an end to U.S. attacks against Iran on a 219 to 212 vote — signalling legislative support for the conflict.
Trading Economics reported that the peso’s vulnerability is compounded by energy price shocks due to the war in Iran which has also raised the risk of a global inflationary recession.
El Financiero said Banamex reported that the dollar was selling for 18.26 pesos at 10 a.m., while the purchase price for the greenback was at 17.24 units.
With reports from El Financiero, El Economista and Trading Economics
