"Obviously Mexico is a free, sovereign and independent country," President Sheinbaum said in response to Trump's remarks. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
After presentations from Mexican officials, including Energy Minister Luz Elena González Escobar and Pemex CEO Víctor Rodríguez Padilla, President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to questions from reporters at her third press conference of the week.
She weighed in on “tariff talk” and also took the opportunity to wish a happy birthday to Mexico’s best-known septuagenarian.
Pemex CEO Víctor Rodríguez Padilla was among a number of Mexican high-ranking officials that President Sheinbaum had start off her Wednesday press conference. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
She was nowhere near as definitive as Ebrard, but said that the government is looking at “what a tariff would mean for the United States economy.”
That analysis, Sheinbaum said, is being carried out by the Economy Ministry in conjunction with the Finance Ministry and is “very advanced.”
“These numbers are fundamental for the [USMCA] review … in 2026,” she said, adding that they would also be important to have at any other time that Mexico is negotiating with the United States or responding to a tariff threat.
Mexico, the world’s largest exporter to the United States, recorded a trade surplus of more than US $125 billion with its northern neighbor in the first nine months of 2024, but the U.S. does send a significant amount of exports here. Tariffs could therefore hurt producers in a range of U.S. sectors.
Sheinbaum also took time to wish former Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, her mentor, a happy birthday. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
Happy birthday to ‘the foremost political leader of the 21st century’
Prompted by a reporter, Sheinbaum wished a happy birthday to her predecessor, former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who turned 71 on Wednesday.
“For us and the people of Mexico, president López Obrador is a man who dedicated his life to the transformation of our country,” she said.
“I said it when I took office: he is the foremost political leader of the 21st century, at least, and the leader who led the transformation of our country,” said Sheinbaum, a political protégé of the former president, also known as AMLO.
The president said that she and her husband are still living in a private apartment but will move to the National Palace in the historic center of Mexico City “soon.”
“We’ll move before the end of the year,” she said.
Sheinbaum confirmed in September that she would follow in the footsteps of López Obrador and make her residence in the National Palace, the seat of executive power and venue of the president’s morning press conferences.
Smith joined Ontario Premier Doug Ford in calling for Canada to consider cutting Mexico out of the next North American free trade agreement. (Doug Ford/X)
The premier of the Canadian province of Ontario would like to see the USMCA trade pact terminated unless Mexico matches U.S. and Canadian tariffs on Chinese imports.
Doug Ford, premier of Canada’s most populous province since 2018, took to the X social media platform on Tuesday to accuse Mexico of becoming a low-tariff “backdoor” into North America for Chinese products, and to advocate the negotiation of a bilateral Canada-United States free trade agreement “if Mexican won’t fight transshipment.”
The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which established a free trade zone between the three nations in 2020, was the successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It’s up for review in 2026. (Shutterstock)
“Free trade needs to be fair. Since signing on to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, Mexico has allowed itself to become a backdoor for Chinese cars, auto parts and other products into Canadian and American markets,” Ford said.
The situation, he added, is “putting Canadian and American workers’ livelihoods at risk while undermining our communities and doing enormous harm to our shared economic success.”
“If Mexico won’t fight transshipment by, at the very least, matching Canadian and American tariffs on Chinese imports, they shouldn’t have a seat at the table or enjoy access to the largest economy in the world,” the premier wrote.
“Instead, we must prioritize the closest economic partnership on earth by directly negotiating a bilateral U.S.-Canada free trade agreement that puts U.S. and Canadian workers first.”
Ford’s comments came a week after the victory of Donald Trump in the presidential election in the United States, and ahead of the 2026 review of the USMCA, which superseded NAFTA in 2020.
Trump has also railed against Mexico forwarding Chinese products north, saying in an address at the Detroit Economic Club last month that he would seek “strong new protections against transshipment” in the USMCA “so that China and other countries cannot smuggle their products and auto parts into the United States tax-free through Mexico to the detriment of our workers and our supply chains.”
Ford is known in Canada for having also advocated strongly for the federal government to place 100% tariffs on Chinese imports. (Doug Ford/X)
At a press conference on Tuesday, Ford once again made critical remarks about Mexico, saying that it is importing cheap products from China and consequently “undercutting our hardworking men and women, not only here but in the U.S.”
“… They’re slapping a ‘Made in Mexico’ sticker on and shipping it up,” he said.
“… What I’m proposing to the federal government [is] we do a bilateral trade deal with the U.S. and if Mexico wants a bilateral trade deal with Canada, God bless them,” Ford said.
Earlier in July, Ramírez said that Mexico buys US $119 billion worth of products per year from China and sells just $11 billion worth of goods to China.
“China sells to us but doesn’t buy from us and that’s not reciprocal trade,” he said.
The value of Chinese products that are shipped to the United States and Canada via Mexico is not known, but the Financial Times reported in early 2024 that “some Chinese goods” that would have previously been shipped directly to the United States “are still making their way to the country via Mexico — without facing the same levies.”
Finance Minister Rogelio Ramírez de la O says that Mexico buys far more Chinese products than China buys from Mexico and that replacing even a tenth of Chinese imports with North American ones would boost Mexico’s economy. (Presidencia)
Those goods, despite Ford’s claim, do not include Chinese-made vehicles, which could not be passed off as being made in Mexico even with the kind of “sticker” the Ontario premier referred to.
In an article headlined “China circumvents US tariffs by shipping more goods via Mexico,” the Financial Times also reported on data that showed that the number of 20ft containers shipped to Mexico from China increased 28% between the first three quarters of 2022 and the same period of 2023.
Earlier this year, the United States became particularly concerned about an increase in steel and aluminum exports from Mexico.
In a meeting in February with Mexico’s then economy minister Raquel Buenrostro, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai “stressed the urgent need for Mexico to take immediate and meaningful steps to address the ongoing surge of Mexican steel and aluminum exports to the United States and the lack of transparency regarding Mexico’s steel and aluminum imports from third countries,” according to a statement from Tai’s office.
The U.S. is also concerned about Chinese “backdoor” imports from Mexico, particularly electric vehicles. No Chinese companies currently have factories in Mexico, but many sell cars in Mexico, like this Mexico City Great Wall Motor Company dealership. (Octavio Hoyos/Shutterstock)
The United States is also concerned about the possibility of Chinese companies making cars, including electric vehicles, in Mexico and exporting them to the U.S.
As things stand, no major Chinese automakers have plants in Mexico, although some, including EV giant BYD, have plans to establish a manufacturing presence here soon.
Could bilateral trade deals really supersede USMCA?
Yes, but it appears extremely unlikely that the three-way North America free trade pact will be terminated anytime soon.
While Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Mexican exports to the United States, and declared last month that he would “have a lot of fun” renegotiating USMCA, he has not advocated the termination of the pact he negotiated and signed during his first term as president.
“I terminated NAFTA. That’s a pretty big thing. A lot of people said it would be impossible to do. I got it done, and we have a great deal now,” he said in Detroit.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has also previously suggested replacing the North American free trade zone with individualized bilateral trade agreements. (Donald J. Trump/Facebook)
Premier Ford, of course, does not represent the government of Canada, although he said in a subsequent X post on Tuesday that he had spoken to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about “upcoming USMCA renegotiations” and that they “agreed about the need to keep standing up for Canadian and Ontario workers.”
Trudeau himself said Tuesday that “just about all of our partner democracies around the world have expressed varying degrees of concern about Chinese overcapacity.”
Indicating that he wants the USMCA to continue, the prime minister added that Canada would “continue to work with partners like the United States, and hopefully Mexico as well, to make sure that we are united in our desire to protect good jobs.”
For its part, Mexico is certainly in favor of the continuation of the USMCA, under whose terms it became the world’s top exporter to the United States. President Claudia Sheinbaum has said on repeated occasions that the three North American trade partners complement each other rather than compete with each other economically. Indeed, the economies and supply chains of Mexico, the United States and Canada have become increasingly integrated during the three decades since NAFTA took effect in 1994.
In a report on Ford’s remarks, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation said that “booting” Mexico from the USMCA “would be opposed by large companies with business in all three countries.”
In 2017, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, asking for closer ties between the two nations. Seven years later, Trudeau has acknowledged nearly worldwide concern about ” Chinese overcapacity.” (Xinhua)
“It also would be viewed skeptically by some who see Mexico as a political ally in preserving U.S. congressional backing for North American trade,” CBC said.
“The huge commercial flow across the Mexico-U.S. border, along with the enormous Mexican-American population, creates support for the pact among southern U.S. lawmakers with fewer connections to Canada.”
Still, Mexico’s growing trade relationship with China, as well as the influx of Chinese investment to Mexico, could be highly contentious issues at the USMCA review in 2026, especially if the United States and Canada continue to see their southern neighbor as a “back door” to the North American market.
The Sheinbaum administration, however, has demonstrated that it is firmly committed to North America and will not allow its trade and investment relationship with China to adversely affect its relationship with the United States – which imports around 80% of all Mexican exports – and Canada.
For example, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said last month that Mexico would “mobilize all legitimate interests in favor of North America” amid the ongoing trade war between the United States and China. That war looks set to intensify when Trump returns to the White House in January, and the 47th U.S. president – in an extension of his “America first” ideology – could even ignite a tit-for-tat trade conflict with Mexico by imposing tariffs on Mexican exports, even while the USMCA remains in force.
Interesting times, to say the least, undoubtedly lay ahead, and the USMCA – perhaps in a renegotiated guise – will almost certainly be a part of them.
Indeed, even if all three parties do not confirm their desire to extend the agreement as part of the six-year review in 2026, the USMCA cannot be immediately terminated.
Instead, Mexican, U.S. and Canadian officials “will meet again in the seventh year, and each year thereafter until the 16th year,” according to an article published earlier this year by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
“If they cannot agree by the 16th year” – 2036 – “the agreement terminates,” wrote Baker Institute nonresident fellow Simon Lester.
Mexico's basic food basket (known in Mexico as la canasta básica) includes rice, sugar, egg, tuna, meat, carrots, tomatoes and limes, among other basic foods. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
President Claudia Sheinbaum and Mexico’s business sector renewed the Package Against Inflation and Expenditure (PACIC), aimed at lowering food prices for another six months on Tuesday.
“We want prices to come down for consumers, especially for those who don’t have much,” Sheinbaum said during her daily morning press conference.
The agreement limits the cost of the canasta básica — a selection of 24 basic food products — to 910 pesos. (Tropical Sugar Fruit)
Sheinbaum was referring to Mexico’s basic food basket, or the canasta básica, a total of 24 basic foods considered basic to every household. Among these 24 foods are rice, sugar, egg, tuna, meat, carrots, tomatoes, tortillas and limes.
The group of businesses participating in the agreement — which includes representatives from 19 food production companies and 11 marketing firms, including Walmart, Kimberly Clark and Bimbo — will discuss adding additional products, according to media reports.
The agreement limits the cost of the canasta básica to a total cost of 910 pesos (US $44.23), marking a considerable 12.4% price reduction from the previous year.
After the meeting, the newspaper El Universal reported that Francisco Cervantes Díaz, president of Mexico’s Business Coordinating Council, had said that all the participating companies agreed to continue the anti-inflation package for the next six months and that the scheme had been a “good idea” and had worked very well to date.
PACIC I was established under the previous administration in 2022 when inflation in Mexico was the highest it had been in two decades.
Mexico’s Agriculture Minister announced on Oct. 22, that his ministry had a plan to reduce the consumer price of corn tortillas by 10%. Between 2018 and 2024, the price of a kilo of corn tortillas rose by 65% from 14 pesos ($0.68) to over 23 pesos ($1.12).
The partnership with Jüsto is Amazon’s first-ever collaboration with a 100% digital supermarket.
(Jüsto/Facebook)
Mexican digital supermarket Jüsto recently announced its plans to partner with Amazon to offer Jüsto’s products on the e-commerce giant’s platform in Mexico.
Shoppers at Amazon will soon be able to purchase grocery items ranging from fresh produce to meat, fish, dairy and household products.
Deliveries will be handled by Jüsto from its distribution center in Mexico City’s southern borough of Coyocacán. In the beginning stage, Jüsto will fulfill orders via Amazon in select neighborhoods in the southern part of the capital. Eventually, the service will be available in every city where Jüsto operates.
“The idea is to continue accelerating our operational processes and our technology, but also to expand,” said Ricardo Weder, founder and CEO of Jüsto in an interview with the news magazine Expansión.
“At Amazon México, we are committed to offering our customers an exceptional shopping experience, with a wide selection of products, low prices and great convenience, to become an increasingly complete option for customers in Mexico,” Pedro Huerta, country manager at Amazon México, said in a press release.
Amazon’s first-ever collaboration with a 100% digital supermarket
The move is part of Amazon’s broader global strategy to increase its market share in the grocery industry.
Amazon’s fresh food and grocery service (dubbed Amazon Fresh) has partnered up with supermarkets and food suppliers in other parts of the world. The company’s best-known partnership is with Whole Foods, which they eventually acquired. In an interview with Expansión, Huerta said this partnership has helped Amazon expand throughout the U.S.
In the United Kingdom, Amazon partnered up with Morrison Supermarket and with Lulu Group in the United Arab Emirates. However, the partnership with Jüsto is Amazon’s first-ever collaboration with a 100% digital supermarket.
Shoppers at Amazon México will soon be able to purchase grocery items ranging from fresh produce to meat, fish, dairy and household products. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
“In Mexico, we decided on this strategy because we found a startup that fits very well with our consumer vision, and that also has the required technological skills to operate,” Huerta added.
Through Amazon, customers will have access to Jüsto’s 7,000 products, including the digital supermarket’s private-label products. Orders will be placed via a dedicated storefront on Amazon’s platform, requiring a minimum purchase of 500 pesos (US $24.9), while free shipping will be available for orders over 1,000 pesos (US $48.59), once per month. Amazon Prime members will benefit from exclusive deals.
Jüsto is Mexico’s first fully online supermarket. Founded in 2019 by Ricardo Weder, the company offers products by local producers without intermediaries. It currently operates in Mexico, Brazil and Peru.
In April 2022, the Mexican unicorn raised a round of investment for US $152 million to boost its expansion plans. By 2030, Jüsto seeks to become Latin America’s leading online supermarket.
Germán Reyes Reyes, a former army captain who became interim head of the Chilpancingo Public Security Ministry on Sept. 30, was detained by state and federal security forces for the murder of Alejandro Arcos Catalán. (@FGEGuerrero/X)
The top security official in Chilpancingo was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the murder of the mayor of the Guerrero state capital last month.
Germán Reyes Reyes, a former army captain who became interim head of the Chilpancingo Public Security Ministry on Sept. 30, was detained by state and federal security forces for the murder of Alejandro Arcos Catalán on October 6, the Guerrero Attorney General’s Office (FGE) said in a statement.
The mayor of Chilpancingo, Alejandro Arcos, was murdered on Oct. 6. (Alejandro Arcos Catalán/Facebook)
A judge in Chilpancingo had issued a warrant for his arrest, the FGE said.
Arcos, 43, was killed just six days after he was sworn in as mayor of Chilpancingo, a city of around 280,000 people. His decapitated body was found inside his pickup truck in the state capital. His head was left on top of the vehicle.
Reyes, a former head of the Guerrero Prosecutor’s Office for Serious Crimes, denied he committed the crime during a court hearing on Tuesday.
“I am a scapegoat,” he said, asserting that he had no motive to commit a crime against the mayor.
Reyes also said he knew “absolutely nothing” about the murder of Arcos and didn’t know why he was arrested. “This is a political matter,” he said.
The Chilpancingo government acknowledged the arrest of the security chief in a statement, and expressed its “firm respect” for the investigations into his alleged involvement in the murder of Arcos.
Just hours before Reyes’ arrest, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said that the mayor was apparently killed by the Los Ardillos gang. (Andrea Murcia)
Just hours before Reyes’ arrest, federal Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said that the mayor was apparently killed by the same gang responsible for the murders in Chilpancingo last week of 11 market vendors, among whom were four boys. Harfuch didn’t name the gang, but a local human rights activist said Los Ardillos was responsible for killing the market vendors, the Associated Press reported.
The arrest of Reyes suggests he may have colluded with Los Ardillos, which is involved in a long-running and extremely violent turf war with the Los Tlacos gang in Chilpancingo. The rival criminal groups are vying for full control over a range of illegal activities including drug trafficking and extortion.
If Reyes is convicted of murdering the former mayor, it would be “a stinging rebuke for a policy adopted by cities across Mexico of hiring retired military officers for top local police jobs, on the assumption that they are less prone to corruption,” AP reported.
Arcos’ murder came just three days after Chilpancingo government secretary, Francisco Gonzalo Tapia, was shot dead in the center of the state capital.
On Sept. 27, the former director of the Special Forces Unit of the Guerrero state police, Ulises Hernández, was killed in Chilpancingo. He was to become security minister in the state capital during the mayorship of Arcos.
The uncovering of Marilyn Cote’s apparently fake practice has highlighted the not-uncommon issue of medical impostors in Mexico. (Social Media)
A scandal in Puebla, where Marilyn Cote presented herself as an esteemed psychiatrist with eye-popping credentials, has been the talk of Mexico since late last week.
The uncovering of Cote’s apparently fake practice — at which she promised to cure depression “in six or seven days” and prescribed powerful psychotropic medications without a valid medical license — has highlighted the not-uncommon issue of medical impostors in Mexico.
On her social media accounts, Marilyn Cote posted photographs of herself and her staff that were obviously created using Photoshop.
Moreover, it has prompted real doctors and other officials to advise on how to avoid becoming a victim of such charlatans who find it easy to exploit regulatory loopholes.
That’s standard procedure in cases like this, but things often end there.
However, in part because her case has gone viral, the Health Ministry has given her five days to present valid degrees and medical credentials — or face additional sanctions.
“If she does not comply with requirements by Thursday, administrative sanctions, fines or a 36-hour arrest may follow, depending on the investigation’s findings,” said Araceli Córdoba Soria, head of the Puebla Health Department.
Though Cote has claimed affiliations with prestigious institutions like Harvard, the FBI and the University of Oslo, authorities have found no supporting evidence.
Rather, Cote, who is licensed only in law and psychology, allegedly operated an unlicensed mental health clinic and prescribed controlled medications such as Duloxetine and Quetiapine (Q-Mind) without a valid medical license.
A prescription written out by Marilyn Cote for powerful antipsychotic drugs Neupax and Kastandi. (Instagram)
Cote’s deceptions spanned social media, where she boasted of being “a renowned intellectual in Europe, the United States and Latin America” who could speak several languages (she apparently can’t). She claimed to have doctorates in neuroscience, neuropsychiatry and neuropsychology, and that she spent five years on the behavior analysis unit at Quantico University in Virginia (an institution that doesn’t exist) and was director of the Center for Mental Disorders at the University of Oslo.
What’s apparently true is that she graduated in 2000 as a lawyer from the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, and 12 years later, completed a master’s in criminalistics at Mexico’s Colegio Libre de Estudios Universitarios.
Her false claims began to unravel when a group of health care professionals exposed her online postings of fabricated degrees and certificates, as well as photoshopped images such as a résumé using the Harvard logo and a promo for her clinic that used images of foreign models implying they were on staff.
She showcased these items on her many social media accounts — which she has since shut down.
Her prescriptions bore forged license numbers for medical credentials she never held, enabling her to prescribe powerful antipsychotic drugs and major depressive disorder medications like Neupax and Kastandi.
Though media reports said none of Marilyn Cote’s patients ever filed an official complaint with a government agency, online reviews included numerous complaints, including allegations of false diagnoses and unsubstantiated claims about treating conditions like schizophrenia and depression in a matter of days.
Health policy expert Xavier Tello told the newspaper El País that Cote’s case highlights the systemic gaps that allow such fraud to proliferate. He cited outdated professional validation systems and limited authority for Cofepris to enforce penalties beyond clinic closures. Tello warned that without patient complaints, fraudulent practitioners like Cote can reopen elsewhere.
To check that your medical professional is who they say they are, you can verify their credentials through the National Registry of Professionals linked below.
How to avoid medical imposters in Mexico
To avoid falling victim to such charlatans, experts urge patients to verify the credentials of healthcare providers through the Registro Nacional de Profesionistas (National Registry of Professionals), a public database managed by the Public Education Ministry (SEP).
Users can enter a practitioner’s name or professional ID to confirm their certification and view details like their issuing institution and field of expertise.
Furthermore, discrepancies between listed licenses and those on prescriptions should raise red flags. Cofepris also encourages patients to report suspicious providers using its hotline at (800) 033-5050 or its online portal.
Truly the drink of gods, this chili chocolate martini will rapture you away with every sip. (Shutterstock)
The Olmec Dragon wasn’t actually a dragon, of course. He was a ruler, a god-king. People called him “the Olmec Dragon” because he liked the name, and no one dared to argue. He sat on his stone throne, a steaming cup of dark cacao and crushed chilis in his hand, his nightly ritual. The brew was bitter, hot, and powerful, just the way he liked it. Each sip, he felt, brought him closer to the gods.
But lately, the stars had been acting strange. Lights zigzagged across the sky, flickering like the world’s strangest torch procession. He figured the heavens were simply acknowledging him, their chosen leader. As he sipped his drink that night, he noticed a low hum filling the courtyard. Then, a figure appeared — a shimmering, shifting shape, eyes with as many points as the night sky.
The Olmec Dragon, a god-king of early Mexico. (Wikimedia Commons)
“Dragon,” the figure said, its voice somehow echoing and whispering at once. “We have come to judge you.” The Olmec Dragon wasn’t easily rattled. He tightened his grip on the cup and raised his chin. “Judge me? I am the Olmec Dragon, the god-king of these lands. Who are you to judge me?”
The figure tilted its head, almost amused. “Oh, Dragon. We are the ones who gave you this drink — the brew of cacao and chili. Each sip was meant to prepare you to lift your people, to bring them closer to the stars.” It sighed. “And yet, you kept it for yourself.”
The Olmec Dragon blinked, suddenly feeling small. He looked down at his cup, which now seemed heavier, colder. “I thought… it was mine to drink.” The figure’s eyes softened. “No, Dragon. It was meant to be shared, to guide your people. Now, they will find their own way.”
The Olmec Dragon felt himself lift from his throne, weightless. He looked down one last time at his people, moving below like tiny insects, unaware their god-king was leaving. He drifted into the night sky, just another flicker of starlight. In the end, his people would ascend without him — just as the gods intended.
Chili Chocolate Martini Recipe
(Yosuke Ota/Unsplash)
Ingredients:
1 oz dark chocolate liqueur
1 oz vodka
1 oz cream (or half-and-half for a lighter version)
½ oz chili liqueur (or a pinch of cayenne pepper if chili liqueur is unavailable)
½ oz simple syrup (optional, for added sweetness)
Ice cubes
Cocoa powder or grated chocolate, for garnish
Fresh chili slice or twist of orange peel, for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
Prepare your glass: Chill a martini glass by filling it with ice water while you prepare the drink. Alternatively, place the glass in the freezer for a few minutes.
Mix the drink: In a cocktail shaker, add ice cubes, chocolate liqueur, vodka, cream, chili liqueur (or cayenne pepper), and simple syrup.
Shake it up: Shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds until well mixed and cold.
Serve: Empty the chilled martini glass of any ice water, then strain the drink into the glass.
Garnish: Lightly dust with cocoa powder or grated chocolate on top. Optionally, add a thin slice of fresh chili or a twist of orange peel for extra flair and aroma.
Enjoy: Sip slowly and enjoy the balance of chocolate sweetness with the gentle heat from the chili!
Tips:
Adjust heat: If you like it spicier, add a bit more chili liqueur or a small pinch of cayenne.
Extra chocolatey: Drizzle chocolate syrup around the inside of the glass before pouring in the drink for a more decadent chili chocolate martini.
Cheers to an out of this world (wink), spicy, chocolatey treat!
StephenRandall has lived in Mexico since 2018 by way of Kentucky, and before that, Germany. He’s an enthusiastic amateur chef who takes inspiration from many different cuisines, with favorites including Mexican and Mediterranean. His recipes can also be found on YouTube.
Has the recent election result got you feeling frustrated? Psychologist Jenna Mayhew shares her top tips for dealing with stress and anger. (Rene Deanda/Unsplash)
Have recent political events made you feel stressed or uncomfortable? Jenna Mayhew has been working as a psychologist in Mexico for eight years. At her practice, Hola Therapy, she has made it her mission to help foreigners living in Mexico, Mexicans with a foreign partner, foreigners with links to Mexico and Mexicans with links to foreigners or foreign countries.
Now, Jenna answers MND readers’ questions on the pressing issues of relationships, mental health and navigating changes that come with relocating to and living in Mexico.
Jenna Mayhew (center) and the team at Hola Therapy. (Jenna Mayhew)
Dear Jenna,
I’m an American living temporarily in Mexico. When the U.S. election results were announced, I felt heartbroken, defeated, and angry at everyone who voted for Trump, and everyone who didn’t vote. What’s the best way to deal with news like this when there’s nothing you can do to change the situation?
First, let me acknowledge that the feelings you’re experiencing are valid. Regardless of your nationality or political preferences, when someone enters power with views we don’t agree with and could make decisions that impact our lives, it’s natural to have a strong emotional reaction. It’s important to recognize that you’re not alone in this. In our practice, we’ve seen how deeply these events impact people.
Here are some strategies to help you navigate these intense emotions and find ways to heal:
For many, the aftermath of the election results is akin to mourning. Whether you feel hopeless, fearful, or even betrayed, these emotions are a form of grief. And just as with any loss, it’s okay to cry, feel upset, and take time to process. Grief is deeply personal, and it can be experienced in many forms — from sadness and frustration to numbness or even anger. Don’t rush yourself through it. Allow yourself the space to mourn what you’ve lost, even if it’s just the hope you once had in the future.
2. Stay present
It’s easy to fall into the trap of predicting the future, especially when you’re feeling fearful or uncertain. While it’s important to acknowledge that there are risks and challenges ahead, ruminating on worst-case scenarios only drains your energy and creates unnecessary stress. Acknowledge the uncertainty, but don’t let it paralyse you. Remember, the future is unknown, and worrying about it now only robs you of peace and clarity in the present.
3. Limit the news and social media
One common maladaptive coping strategy we’ve noticed is the endless consumption of news and social media. It’s easy to get caught in a cycle of outrage, fear, and frustration – things that are actively promoted by these platforms. News and social media, especially in the aftermath of events like this, can feel like an addiction, fueling our anger and despair without offering any real solutions.
Take a step back. Limit your consumption. If you need to check in, try to limit it to a set time each day. Try unfollowing or muting accounts that perpetuate feelings of anger and fear. Instead, seek out content that nurtures your mental health — whether that’s peaceful, empowering, or simply relaxing. It’s not about avoiding reality; it’s about protecting your emotional well-being so that you can act from a place of clarity rather than exhaustion or outrage.
4. Channel your anger into action
(Sebastian Herrmann/Unsplash)
Anger is a powerful emotion — it’s the body’s way of signaling that something is wrong and needs to be addressed. While feeling angered by political outcomes is natural, it’s important not to let anger turn into helplessness or inertia. Action is the antidote to that feeling of powerlessness.
But, there’s a balance to strike. Posting angry messages online or engaging in inflammatory arguments can sometimes feel like taking action, but without actual change, this can often leave us feeling more hopeless. Instead, channel your anger into something constructive. Volunteer, donate, or participate in local activism. This doesn’t just apply to U.S. politics — it could be supporting causes in Mexico or your community. Engaging in meaningful action can help you feel like you’re part of a larger solution, rather than a spectator to a painful situation.
5. Practice self-care and nurture your mental health
In times of stress, it’s crucial to take care of your physical and mental health. It’s tempting to slip into self-soothing mode (alcohol, substance misuse, eating junk food, scrolling instead of sleeping, not socialising etc). Do the opposite. Prioritise eating well, sleeping enough, and moving your body. Go for walks in nature, take deep breaths, and find moments of joy — even if they’re small. Your emotional resilience comes from your ability to care for yourself in tough times. Even activists — who spend their lives fighting for change — understand that rest and recovery are vital for sustainable action.
Relaxing walks in nature can help you to regulate your emotions. (Cristina Gottardi/Unsplash)
Self-care is also about creating space to experience joy, especially in moments of despair.
6. Find your community
Even if you feel far from home, connecting with others who share your values or experiences can be deeply healing. Reach out to friends, join supportive groups, or find spaces where you can express your emotions and feel heard. If you’re feeling disconnected from your country of origin, remember that you can still build community in the place you are now. And don’t forget to lean on loved ones—whether that’s family, close friends, or even a therapist. Social connection is key to resilience.
Moving forward: finding a path toward healing
Ultimately, healing is a personal journey. The world has always been full of challenges, but it’s also full of people who fight for change — who channel their anger into action, their grief into transformation. You can take inspiration from them, whether it’s through activism or simply choosing to live joyfully despite the turmoil around you.
This is your chance to decide what action, however small, looks like for you. The grief, anger, and uncertainty you’re feeling are natural, but they don’t need to define you. You have the power to find moments of peace, joy, and connection — even in the most challenging times.
And remember: it’s okay to feel heartbroken, it’s okay to rest, and it’s okay to take time to heal.If you feel overwhelmed, it’s always okay to seek professional support as you navigate this complex emotional terrain. There are resources, people, and ways to heal—sometimes it’s about finding the right path for you.
Jenna Mayhew is an Australian psychologist based in Mexico, with over 20 years of experience in Australia, England and Mexico. She is the founder of Hola Therapy, a bilingual practice dedicated to supporting the immigrant and cross-cultural communities in Mexico.
Hola Therapy aims to give back to the community and one way they achieve this is by providing by clinical and financial support Misión México Foundation. https://www.misionmexico.org Misión México Foundation is a charity in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. They provide a stable, therapeutic environment for some of the state’s most vulnerable children, with a focus on safety, emotional recovery and education.
If you have enjoyed the “Ask Jenna” column, please consider giving back by making a small donation to the Misión México Foundation
President Sheinbaum fielded many questions from reporters about how she planned to react to a second Donald Trump presidency in 2025. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)
Tuesday marked exactly six weeks since President Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in, while Donald Trump will take office as the United States’ 47th president in just under 10 weeks.
At her press conference this morning, Sheinbaum fielded yet more questions related to Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election last Tuesday.
Families line up in San Cristobal, Chiapas, to receive remittances, or money sent to Mexico from relatives working in the U.S. Trump’s threat of mass deportations, if realized, could put a significant dent in remittances – and Mexico’s economy. (File photo/Isabel Mateos Hinojosa for Cuartoscuro)
Among other issues, she spoke about Mexico’s security outlook and briefly mentioned her attendance, and nonattendance, at upcoming international summits.
‘We hope there is no impact’ on remittances, Sheinbaum says ahead of US deportation operation
During her engagement with reporters, Sheinbaum was asked about Trump’s plan to deport large numbers of undocumented migrants in the United States as well as the impact that plan will have on Mexico’s reception of remittances.
In response, she said that the Mexican government is “strengthening” its consulates in the United States in order to better assist Mexican migrants who may be at risk of deportation.
“I say to our brothers and sisters in the United States that we’re always going to defend you; you should go to the consulates,” Sheinbaum said.
She reiterated that her government is hoping to meet with Trump’s transition team before the former U.S. president takes office for a second term in January.
Family in Oaxaca city holds funeral ceremonies on Nov. 5, 2024, for Judith Vianney Toledo Santos, a 29-year-old nurse who was found murdered earlier this month. President Sheinbaum pledged at Tuesday’s press conference that Mexico’s security outlook will improve, but not overnight. (Carolina Jiménez Mariscal/Cuartoscuro)
With regard to the potential impact of deportations on remittances to Mexico, Sheinbaum simply said, “We hope there is no impact.”
That remark could be interpreted as wishful thinking, confidence that Mexico will be able to persuade the Trump administration to reconsider the plan to deport millions of workers or even optimism that the next U.S. government’s actions won’t match Trump’s campaign rhetoric.
The deportation of a significant percentage of those undocumented Mexicans could have a major impact on the remittances totals Mexico receives on a monthly and annual basis and completely cut off a much-needed source of income for many Mexican families.
Mexico’s security situation will improve, pledges Sheinbaum
Toward the end of a security-focused press conference, Sheinbaum asserted that the government, in time, will achieve “results” in its fight against crime.
“We’re going to provide results,” she said, through “coordination” with state and municipal authorities and the government’s national security strategy, which is based on four core tenets including attention to the root causes of crime and the strengthening of intelligence and investigation practices.
The improvement in security in Mexico – where high levels of violence plague various parts of the country – won’t happen “from one day to the next,” but “results” will come, Sheinbaum said.
One reporter asked the president whether she will participate virtually in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ forum, which will take place in Lima, Peru, this Saturday and Sunday.
Sheinbaum responded that a representative from the Economy Ministry will attend the annual meeting but didn’t specify who.
Wise already supported converting foreign currencies to Mexican pesos. Now, the reverse is also true. (Shutterstock)
The Mexican peso depreciated against the US dollar for a third consecutive day on Tuesday, as uncertainty over the impact a second Trump presidency will have on Mexico continues to weigh on the currency.
Donald Trump’s campaign promises to levy heavy tariffs on Mexican exports and order mass deportations have been wreaking havoc with the Mexican peso, which has been surpassing 20 pesos to the dollar since shortly after the U.S. election on Nov. 5. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
At 5:30 p.m. Mexico City time, one greenback was trading at 20.60 pesos, according to Bloomberg.
The Bank of Mexico’s closing rate on Tuesday represented a 1.3% depreciation for the peso compared to its position against the dollar 24 hours earlier.
Janneth Quiroz, director of analysis at the Monex financial group, said on X on Tuesday morning that Donald Trump’s latest announcements about who will serve in his government had affected the peso.
“Trump announced that Mike Waltz will be his national security adviser,” Quiroz said, adding that the federal lawmaker is known for his “aggressive and nationalist comments.”
She also noted that Trump “plans to choose Senator Marco Rubio as his secretary of state.”
The soon-to-be 47th president of the United States announced Sunday that former acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Thomas Homan will be his “border czar.”
Among U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks are Thomas Horman as the incoming administration’s “border czar.” (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)
Analysts at Mexican bank CI Banco said that investors are “very attentive” to Trump’s cabinet appointments, noting that they are concerned about the impact the agenda of the incoming U.S. administration will have on the Mexican economy.
Among the policies Trump has proposed that could have a major impact on Mexico and its economy are tariffs on Mexican exports to the United States and mass deportations of undocumented Mexicans in the U.S.
In addition to uncertainty about the impact of a second Trump presidency on Mexico, a general strengthening of the dollar contributed to the peso’s depreciation on Thursday.
The foreign exchange news website FX Street reported that the expectation that the Bank of Mexico (Banxico) will forge ahead with a 25-basis-point interest rate cut at its monetary policy meeting on Thursday was also a factor in the depreciation of the peso.
However, the peso depreciated significantly after the comprehensive victories of Claudia Sheinbaum and the ruling Morena party in Mexico’s June 2 presidential and congressional elections. Since the recently elected Mexican lawmakers assumed their positions on Sept. 1, Congress has approved a number of constitutional reforms, including a controversial judicial overhaul that allows Mexicans to elect thousands of judges, including Supreme Court justices.
