Reader beware: Despite the reviews, this is not a four star bedroom. Or is it? (Tripadvisor)
It was a couple of weeks ago that I decided my kid should get some pool time before the start of school. How could I make this happen?
First, I needed to make it happen in Veracruz. My partner has been working there for a few months now, and we wanted to hang out with him. Besides that, swimming in a place where the water isn’t ice cold was also a priority!
All I wanted was a nice swim at a decent pool – but it’s never that easy in Mexico. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
But public pools aren’t really a “thing” around here, and water parks in my area — balnearios — tend to be either really pricey or really grimy. Both, of course, are always crowded.
Some hotels will offer a day pass to use their pools, which is what we typically use in Xalapa. This usually consists of either a flat per-person payment or a consumo mínimo, a minimum per-person restaurant bill. The fancy hotel I had in mind, sadly, was 800 pesos for just an adult day pass. Yikes!
I initially began looking around the Facebook pages of the downtown hotels I knew of. This is, I’ve found, the best way to figure out which hotels you can swim at without having to pay for a room. Soon, though, I had a better idea: why not just book a room and be able to nap and relax right there after? Besides, this would also give us two days of pool time — kind of. I congratulated myself on my genius idea and got to searching.
I settled on a hotel right in downtown Veracruz that showed a four-star rating. The pictures of the pool were gorgeous, and indeed, the pool was gorgeous, if simple. And the deal was fantastic, especially given the rating. Score!
Pictured: A totally different hotel (don’t sue me). (Booking)
The lobby was grand, the staff friendly. They let me park in their hotel parking and start using the pool before check-in time, keeping our bags behind the desk. Because I do not wish to bad mouth the hotel to everyone, I will not be naming it. This article is simply a quick heads up regarding a lesson I learned there: hotel star ratingsaren’t actually standardized. That means that who or what has determined a star rating is anyone’s guess: it might even be the hotels themselves.
I suppose I should have been suspicious when the price of a four star hotel seemed so reasonable. But there’s construction work being done around it, so I figured they were lowering their prices temporarily to get people in the door.
It’s not the first time giving the benefit of the doubt hasn’t worked out for me.
Again, the lobby was beautiful. So far, so good. The front-desk staff was nice enough, but dressed casually. Hmm, I thought. Well, it is hot out there. When they stashed my bag on the floor behind the desk, though, I started to feel suspicious.
But no matter! They were going to let us use the pool! We grabbed our swimsuits, asked for some towels and headed over.
It could have been so easy – head to Veracruz, get in the pool, lie on one of these with a beer and relax. Did that happen? Not without pain. (Dayso/Unsplash)
Absent dressing rooms near the pool, we changed in a regular bathroom, careful to not let our clothes fall into the toilet. Not the most comfortable situation, but whatever. Accustomed to luxury hotels I am not. And besides, my kid had the time of her life in that pool!
When we retrieved the room key and headed up by the old, rickety, elevator, I became suspicious. Four stars for a hotel that has clearly not been updated in the past 30 years?
The room was pretty to look at. But there weren’t enough towels, the beds and pillows were rock-hard and the bathroom had not been thoroughly cleaned.
Later I called down to reception on the ancient phone for room service, but the scannable menus were evidently not the ones they had down in the restaurant. No, I would not like to pay 450 pesos for three empanadas and a cup of tea.
Show me the hotel that doesn’t have one of these in 2024, and I’ll show you a hotel that has definitely misrepresented the number of stars it has. (Nathan Dumlao/Unsplash)
The biggest sin to me, however, was the absence of a coffee maker. No fridge or microwave I could live with, but this was unforgivable.
We made the best of it, and I grouchily waited to leave for breakfast to get coffee.
But my kid — she loved it. She looked right past the grimy bathroom with nary a bathmat in sight, and relished the bathtub. She slept soundly.
In the end, I think I got about what I paid for.
But if we stay there again, I’m packing my coffee maker.
The first cold front of the season and a tropical wave will produce severe weather conditions across 29 of Mexico’s 32 states. (Michael Balam/Cuartoscuro)
Virtually all of Mexico is under alert for heavy rains on Tuesday as the first cold front of the season and a tropical wave combine to produce severe weather conditions across 29 of Mexico’s 32 states.
A broad weather front, reinforced by a mass of cold air, is interacting with the Mexican Monsoon to bring rain and electrical storms to the north. Meanwhile, Mexico’s midsection and southern states will be affected by Tropical Wave No. 20 and humid air drifting in from both coasts.
En el siguiente mapa de #México, consulta las condiciones de #Lluvia, #Viento y #Tolvaneras que se prevén para las próximas horas.
The combined effects of the phenomena will produce warm temperatures throughout the day.
The weather agency Meteored projects that the tropical wave will cause electrical storms and hail storms in western Mexico, while humid air from the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico will clash, resulting in severe weather conditions for central Mexico.
Tuesday’s storm forecast by state
Up to 150 mm of rain: Coahuila, Colima, Durango, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Sinaloa and Tamaulipas.
50-75 mm of rain: Aguascalientes, Campeche, Chiapas, Guerrero, Guanajuato, Oaxaca, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Veracruz and Zacatecas.
25-50 mm of rain: Sonora, Chihuahua, Querétaro, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Morelos, México state, Mexico City, Yucatán and Quintana Roo.
The National Meteorological Service (SMN) cautioned that heavy rains can produce landslides and warned the public to be alert to fast-rising rivers and flooding.
The SMN bulletin also predicts the storms will bring sustained high winds (40-60 km/h) in Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango and Sonora. Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Campeche and Zacatecas can also expect strong winds.
Meteored predicts damp conditions throughout the rest of the week, forecasting intense rains (75-100 mm) up north (Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Durango, Sinaloa) and along both coasts (Nayarit, Jalisco, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco and Veracruz).
Thursday will see more of the same, with 19 states projected to receive at least 50 mm of rainfall.
Similar conditions are expected for the central and western regions of the country through the second week of September with rainfall decreasing during the second half of the month.
The Fuente de los Coyotes pays homage to Coyoacán’s name, often translated as the “place of the coyotes.” (David Polo/Cuartoscuro)
Who lives here
The Historic Center of Coyoacán comprises several smaller neighborhoods, including Villa Coyoacán, Del Carmen, Santa Catarina and La Concepción. Its bohemian lifestyle attracts young families and artists, while its proximity to UNAM makes it a hub for students. According to government data, 23% of the borough’s inhabitants are between the ages of 25 and 49. There is a notable mix of newcomers and families that have lived here for generations, adding to the area’s eclectic feel.
A litany of colorful characters have lived in Coyoacán’s Historic Center, notably Frida Kahlo, León Trotsky, Octavio Paz and Rufino Tamayo — as well as at least three Mexico News Daily staff members.
A brief history of Coyoacán
The Colhuas of Culhuacan transformed the future Coyoacán into an urban center, settling here in the 7th century. In the 15th century the Tepanecs of Azcapotzalco arrived, displacing the Colhuas and establishing the area as a center of trade, agriculture and commerce. At some point, the settlement acquired its current Nahuatl name, which is most often translated as “place of coyotes.”
Coyoacán’s strategic position on Lake Texcoco caught the attention of the Mexica, who soon seized the area from the Tepanecs. Plazas, residential zones and temples were constructed to the chagrin of the conquered Tepanecs, the majority of whom detested the Mexica. In 1521, Hernán Córtes and his allies launched their campaign against the Mexica Empire, they chose Coyoacán as their headquarters, establishing the town of Villa Coyoacán. A strategic location, abundant agricultural resources and local support made the cultural hub an ideal place to become the first capital of New Spain.
The Chapel of Santa Catarina, the home of one of Coyoacán’s most pleasant plazas. (Santa Catarina/Wikimedia Commons)
Coyocán remained its own municipality until 1857, when it was officially incorporated into the Federal District. It retained its small-town and semi-rural character until sometime in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it was swallowed up by the urban sprawl of what is now Mexico City. The borough of Coyoacán, taking its name from the ancient town, was designated in 1928, and is still the physical heart of Mexico City, sitting dead in the center of the metropolis.
A guide to Coyoacán today
Today, the quaint Barrio Mágico is known for its cobblestone streets, colonial architecture and vibrant cultural scene. The weekends are especially lively. Expect streets lined with food carts selling everything from churros to esquites, live music in Plaza de La Conchita and various amusement park-style rides for the little ones. Don’t miss the neighborhood dance party on Sunday evenings at the Jardin del Arte Allende.
The Saturday art market in Plaza Allende is smaller than its more famous cousin in San Ángel, but still worth checking out if you find yourself in the area.
Coyoacán is great if: You love Spanish colonial architecture, colorful facades, traditional festivals and an authentically Mexican community.
Plaza Hidalgo and Plaza de la Conchita: Two lively squares surrounded by cafes, restaurants, street performers and food carts. The church in the center of the square is said by some to be Mexico’s oldest. The two are linked by Calle Higuera, believed to be the first street laid down by the Spanish during the early days of the conquest. Visit weekend mornings for a chance to jam with unofficial resident band KoolBananas, while enjoying coffee and cake from one of the coffee shops that dot the square.
Jardín Centenario: Home of the famous Coyote Fountain.
Avenida Francisco Sosa: A charming, tree-lined street with colonial-era architecture and art galleries. Attractions include the Casa Alvarado — the last residence of Nobel prize winner Octavio Paz, now home to the National Sound Archive — and some of the best coffee and wine stores in the city.
Viveros de Coyoacán: A 39-hectare park and tree nursery with trails and — you guessed it — trees. Thousands of them. Keep in mind that food is not allowed in the park, and security searches bags at the gate.
Honorable mentions: Though not in the Historic Center proper, any visitor to the borough of Coyoacán should see the Anahuacalli Museum, which houses Diego Rivera’s personal collection of pre-Columbian art, and the central campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2007. The surrounding area is also home to major sports teams, notably soccer giants Club América and rugby titans Coyotes.
Viveros de Coyoacán is the borough’s largest park and an urban oasis in the south of the city. (Mexico City Government)
Mercado de Comida de Coyoacán: Located at the tip of Calle Higuera, on the corner with the main square, visitors can make the most of a genuinely authentic street food market.
Tacos Chupacabras: A legendary taco stand known for its special “Chupa Cabra tacos,” which are a mix of chorizo and carnitas, garnished with various toppings.
Mi Compa Chava: The second branch of Chef Salvador Orozco’s Sinaloan-style restaurant is never not packed with seafood lovers. The ambience alone is worth the wait for a table.
Antojitos Lupita at Parque Frida: Locals swear blind that Lupita’s gordita cart, at the corner of Parque Frida Kahlo serves the best tacos and gorditas in Mexico City. Who are we to argue with local knowledge?
El Convento: Set in a 15th-century convent, sip tequila and enjoy high-end local cuisine in what is believed to have been the country’s first nunnery.
Los Danzantes’ Mexico City branch can be found in Coyoacán and is every bit as good as the more illustrious Oaxaca site. (Los Danzantes/Facebook)
One hidden gem
The Callejón del Aguacate, or Avocado Alley. Legend has it that in the 1930s, a uniformed soldier was sauntering down this tiny alley when a young boy, captivated by the soldier’s appearance, asked to play with him. The boy was so insistent that the soldier lost his head and killed the boy.
His regret mounted so much that he did what any repentant murderer would do: supervise the construction of a Virgin Mary statue at the site of the child’s death. In this way, all future visitors to the alley could be given the opportunity to clean their sinful slates by offering prayers to the statue. Some say, if you tune in, you can feel the boy’s spirit wandering the alley.
Have we missed any must-see sights in out Coyoacán guide? Let us know down below!
Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog or follow her on Instagram.
Valeo's investment will focus on integrating skills and competencies from all engineering disciplines, including software, systems validation and electronic design. (@makugo/X)
French automotive supplier Valeo inaugurated an addition to its Technical Development Center in Querétaro on Thursday.
Valeo will invest US $165 million in the new Valeo Mobility Technical Center (VMTC) as part of the company’s plan to invest US $500 million in Mexico over the next four years.
At the inauguration, Governor Mauricio Kuri (center) pointed out that nearly 9% of Valeo’s 113,000-strong global workforce is based in Mexico. (@makugo/X)
Jeffrey Shay, president of Valeo in North America, explained that the investment in Querétaro will focus on integrating skills and competencies from all engineering disciplines, including software, systems validation and electronic design.
Initially, Valeo, which supplies a wide range of products to automakers, will hire a team of 150 technicians but expects to employ more than 500 as the project progresses.
“This expansion … is a reflection of the fact that Querétaro is doing well,” Kuri wrote. “Above all, it reflects the great work that the people of Querétaro do every day. We wish Valeo the best of success in this new stage!”
The governor pointed out that nearly 9% of Valeo’s 113,000-strong global workforce is based in Mexico.
Kuri also lauded Valeo’s commitment to environmental sustainability, calling it a priority of his administration. In 2021, Valeo committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and expects to reach 45% of its objective by 2030.
French Ambassador to Mexico Delphine Borione (left) praised Querétaro’s competitive advantage, calling it an attractive location for French companies to invest. (@FranciaenMexico/X)
Querétaro’s Sustainable Development Secretary Marco Antonio Del Prete said the state is now home to seven specialized automotive technical centers and more than 50 industrial technical centers overall.
“Querétaro is not only becoming a reference point for the auto sector but for industrial design as well,” he said.
Also at the inauguration, France’s Ambassador to Mexico Delphine Borione said Querétaro is one of the most dynamic regions in the world, citing the state’s burgeoning aerospace industry.
Borione described Querétaro as an attractive location for French companies to invest, citing the positive reviews offered by French multinational aerospace and defense corporation Safran and aircraft manufacturing company Airbus.
Marco Hernández, director of Valeo México, said the new center will change the way people think about mobility and automotive technology and will confirm Querétaro’s position as a center of innovation.
“The VMTC is not just a place where we develop advanced technologies,” Hernández said. “It will also be a meeting place for talented people across Mexico.”
With these people and their ideas, “we will create the future of the automotive sector based on software,” he added.
The peso has depreciated considerably against the US dollar since the June 2 elections in Mexico, increasing the value of dollar transfers when converted to pesos. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)
Banxico reported Monday that US $5.61 billion in remittances flowed into Mexico in July, a 1% decline compared to the same month of 2023 and a 9.6% drop compared to June.
Despite the year-over-year and month-over-month declines, the remittances total last month was the second-highest sum ever for the month of July.
Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, attributed the declines to “the deterioration of the labor market in the United States.”
The vast majority of remittances to Mexico come from the United States, where millions of Mexicans live and work.
In the first seven months of 2024, remittances totaled US $36.94 billion, a 2.9% increase compared to the same period of last year.
Mexicans abroad sent a record-breaking US $63.31 billion home last year.
In early 2024, the strength of the Mexican peso diminished the purchasing power of remittances sent to Mexico’s families. However, the peso has depreciated considerably against the US dollar since the June 2 elections in Mexico, increasing the value of dollar transfers when converted to pesos.
🟣Mexico receives a historic amount of remittances, $6.213 billion, with an annual increase of 11.3% (June 2024). Of these, 96% come from the United States. 💸The majority of those receiving remittances live in low-income households.
➡️ https://t.co/0B16CNl8Qxpic.twitter.com/DzsVP1wfdN
More than 6 million Mexicans depend on remittances to make ends meet, according to the bank BBVA. Their value has increased significantly in recent years, rising almost 70% between 2019 and 2023.
BBVA is forecasting that Mexico will receive US $66.5 billion in remittances this year, a figure that would represent 3.7% of the country’s GDP. Mexico is the world’s second-largest recipient of remittances after India.
He often describes Mexican migrants who send money home as “heroes.”
Remittance data in detail
In the first seven months of the year, 99% of the money sent to Mexico in remittances was transferred electronically. The remaining 1% was sent in cash or via money orders.
The $5.61 billion sent to Mexico in July was transferred in 14 million transactions. The average amount of a single remittance was $402, 4% lower than the record high of $419 in June.
A total of $796 million was sent out of Mexico in remittances in the first seven months of the year, a 31.7% increase compared to the same period of 2023.
The lower house of Congress was blocked by court workers protesting President López Obrador's judicial reform bill on Tuesday morning. (Cuartoscuro)
Hundreds of court workers blocked access to the lower house of federal Congress on Tuesday morning as they seek to prevent lawmakers from discussing the government’s judicial reform proposal.
Some 600-700 judicial employees formed human chains outside the Chamber of Deputies in Mexico City, according to reports.
The court workers are attempting to prevent the discussion of the judicial reform in the lower house of federal Congress, where Morena holds a supermajority. (Cuartoscuro)
A debate on the controversial judicial reform proposal — which would allow citizens to directly elect Supreme Court justices and other judges — was scheduled to commence in the lower house at 10 a.m.
Patricia Aguayo, a spokesperson for the court workers, told the Reforma newspaper that she was aware that some lawmakers with the ruling Morena party had stayed overnight at the Chamber of Deputies, but protesters were intent on not allowing other deputies into the legislature.
“We’re forming blockades so that no one enters the Chamber of Deputies,” she said.
Aguayo said she had heard of Morena’s plan to hold Tuesday’s legislative session in an alternative venue.
Patricia Aguayo (left) says the court workers will continue to block access to the lower house of Congress the rest of Tuesday and into Wednesday. (Cuartoscuro)
“They can go to hell to hold their session, but here in the Chamber of Deputies they won’t convene today or tomorrow,” she said.
Morena’s leader in the lower house, Ricardo Monreal, said there are various places where lawmakers could convene to consider the reform bill sent to Congress by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in February.
“On other occasions we moved to [the business district of] Santa Fe, where there are two alternative venues, or we could even convene in a central hotel or somewhere else near the city, we have no problem [doing that]. We don’t want to cause a confrontation, it’s not worth it,” he said in a video message posted to X.
“I’ve asked my colleagues, the deputies, to not try to enter [the Chamber of Deputies],” Monreal added.
Ricardo Monreal, the Morena party leader in the lower house, shared a video on his X account on Tuesday morning. (Ricardo Monreal/X)
The lawmaker posted another video to his X account later on Tuesday morning announcing that the legislative session will be held in the Magdalena Mixhuca community recreational center in the Iztacalco borough.
As of Sept. 1, Morena and its allies have a supermajority in the lower house, allowing them to approve constitutional reform proposals without the support of opposition lawmakers.
Critics of the judicial reform proposal assert that its approval would undermine the independence of the judiciary.
If the bill is approved — which appears likely as Morena and its allies are very close to a supermajority in the Senate — thousands of judges including all Supreme Court justices would be elected next year. Candidates would be nominated by the president, the Congress and the judiciary itself.
President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, who will take office on Oct. 1, supports the reform proposal, which was modified last month.
She has asserted that the sitting president will have less of a say in the appointment of Supreme Court justices, not more, as critics of the bill argue.
Claudia Sheinbaum, seen here with Ricardo Monreal at a press conference, is supporting the judicial reform bill and says it “guarantees autonomy” for the judiciary. (Cuartoscuro)
“The president will no longer have a hand in appointing justices,” she said last month.
“… It’s a very complete process,” Sheinbaum said, referring to both candidate selection and judicial elections.
“It’s new, but it has nothing to do with this idea … that [judges] are now going to be more aligned to the president. … It’s a complete proposal that guarantees autonomy [for the judiciary],” she said.
United States Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said in a Aug. 22 statement that the “popular direct election of judges is a major risk to the functioning of Mexico’s democracy.”
In the first six months of the year, Mexico exported over US $9 billion worth of goods to Canada. (Shutterstock)
While the majority of Mexico’s export revenue comes from products shipped to the United States, earnings from Mexican exports to Canada have increased at a faster rate in recent years, hitting a record of more than $9 billion in the first half of 2024.
The value of Mexican goods exported to Canada has quickly risen in recent years. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
Economy Ministry (SE) data shows that Mexico’s export revenue from products sent to Canada increased 17.2% annually in 2021; 19.3% in 2022; and 15.6% in 2023.
The growth in earnings from Mexican exports shipped to Canada continued in the first six months of 2024, increasing 9.5% annually to reach $9.19 billion, a new record for the period.
While that amount only accounts for just over 3% of Mexico’s total export revenue between January and June, Canada was Mexico’s second largest market for exports in the first half of the year, behind the United States.
Just like Mexico-U.S. trade, commerce between Mexico and Canada is governed by the USMCA treaty. (Cuartoscuro)
As is the case with Mexico-United States trade, trade between Mexico and Canada is governed by the USMCA, the North American free trade pact that superseded NAFTA in 2020.
What does Mexico export to Canada?
Mexico’s top exports to Canada in 2023 were all manufactured in the country’s vast automotive sector.
According to the SE, Mexico’s No. 1 export to Canada last year was cars, followed by transport vehicles, auto parts, engines and tractors.
Cars were Mexico’s top export to Canada in the first half of the year. (Gobierno de México)
Among the other products Mexico exports to Canada are medical instruments, fruit and alcoholic beverages.
The total value of Mexico’s exports to Canada last year was a record high $18.01 billion, according to the SE.
How much does Mexico spend on Canadian imports?
SE data shows that Mexico imported Canadian products worth $13.21 billion in 2023.
Mexico thus recorded a trade surplus of $4.89 billion with Canada last year.
The value of Mexico’s imports from Canada in 2023 was also a record high, as was the size of Mexico’s trade surplus with its USMCA partner.
Meat, wheat and auto parts are a few of the top products Mexico imports from Canada. (Jason Grant/Unsplash)
In the first six months of this year, Canadian imports were worth $6.66 billion. Meanwhile, Canada’s share of Mexico’s market for imports in the period was 2.19%.
Mexico’s trade surplus with Canada in the first half of the year was $2.52 billion.
What does Mexico import from Canada?
According to the SE, Canada’s most lucrative exports to Mexico in 2023 were auto parts, chemical reactants and accelerants, motor vehicles, meat, wheat and aluminum.
Mexico on track to set a new exports record in 2024
As MND reported last week, it appears likely that the annual value of Mexico’s global exports will exceed $600 billion for the first time ever in 2024.
The national statistics agency INEGI reported last Tuesday that the value of Mexican exports in the first seven months of the year was $354.17 billion, a 4.3% increase compared to the same period of 2023.
Mexican authorities hope making rides available to some migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. will result in fewer people making the dangerous journey on foot. (Damián Sánchez/Cuartoscuro)
Two days after three migrants were killed while walking along a Oaxaca highway, the Mexican government announced a plan to provide escorted bus rides to the United States border for migrants who have been granted an asylum appointment by U.S. authorities.
Mexico’s National Immigration Institute (INM) will provide bus service from the southern cities of Villahermosa (Tabasco) and Tapachula (Chiapas) to non-Mexican migrants who have successfully secured an asylum consultation with U.S. authorities.
The CBP One smartphone application is now available in southern Mexico, allowing recent arrivals to begin trying to make a U.S. asylum appointment as soon as they cross the border from Guatemala. (@AgendaMigrante/X)
The new service came about after the U.S. government expanded access to its CBP One app, making it available in southern Mexico on Aug. 23.
Now, migrants eager to make it to the United States can use the app to apply for appointments with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection asylum service as soon as they cross into Mexico from Guatemala.
The Mexican government hopes that the bus rides help discourage some migrants from making the arduous journey north on foot. After last week’s incident in which the three migrants were killed, activists had urged Mexico to do more to protect migrant caravans.
Access to the essential app had previously been restricted to central and northern Mexico, prompting migrants seeking asylum to travel as far north as Mexico City before trying to make appointments.
When CBP One was only available in central and northern Mexico, migrants arriving at the southern border had to travel farther north to make U.S. asylum appointments. (Damian Sánchez Jesús/Cuartoscuro)
According to The Associated Press, Mexico had long been asking the U.S. to expand the app’s access to the south in an attempt to relieve the pressure migrants feel to trek hundreds of miles north to the capital. It is 1,158 kilometers (719 miles) from the border city of Tapachula to Mexico City.
The Mexican government hopes that expanded access to the CBP One app will encourage migrants to wait in southern Mexico instead of seeking shelter in Mexico City, where migrants have set up tent cities in plazas near bus terminals in the capital.
However, migrants — many of whom carry debts for their trip — have complained that there are few jobs available in southern Mexico for a wait that can last months, the AP reported. The lack of work opportunities and inadequate housing in southern cities have pushed migrants north.
Waiting in Mexico City is also safer than waiting at the U.S. border where cartels have been known to abduct and ransom migrants. In addition, some undocumented migrants — even those with appointments — told the AP stories about others being apprehended by Mexican authorities at the U.S. border and being shipped south, missing their appointments.
In addition to the bus service, local, state and federal law enforcement will provide security, and meals will be provided during transit. The government will also provide each migrant with a 20-day transit permit affording them legal status while in Mexico.
These recent events come just as the state of Oaxaca announced it was considering banning migrants after some towns along the preferred route north reported robberies that were attributed to the migrants.
Zarza rings the champions bell after her win at the French national stadium in Paris. (Conade)
Shot putter Gloria Zarza Guadarrama has given Mexico its first gold medal of the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, which opened last week and will conclude on Sunday.
Zarza, a 40-year-old from the state of México, won the F54 shot put on Monday with a top throw of 8.06 meters from her wheelchair. Of seven competitors, she was the only one who cleared the eight-meter barrier, surpassing it twice in her six attempts.
Zarza was the only shot putter in her category to pass the 8-meter mark. (Conade)
The silver went to Elizabeth Gomes Rodrigues of Brazil (7.82 meters), and Nurkhon Kurbanova of Uzbekistan took the bronze (7.75 meters).
F54 refers to a disability classification for people who compete events such as discus, shot put and javelin from a seated position. Many have spinal cord injuries.
Zarza, who has a hip dislocation resulting from polio, took up sports at age 28, starting with basketball and moving into shot put and other field events.
Her winning distance at the Stade de France equaled the 8.06 meters she achieved at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago, which earned her a silver medal there.
“I feel very happy, very pleased [to win] the first gold for Mexico,” said Zarza, a native of San Miguel Zinacantepec, México, who celebrated her 40th birthday on Aug. 20. “I didn’t hold back. I gave everything until the last moment.”
“In the stands, I saw some people carrying the Mexican flag and shouting my name,” she added. “I don’t know them, but how great to know that there are Mexican people here.”
In May of this year, Zarza established she’d be the one to beat in Paris by placing first at the World Championships in Kobe, Japan, with a toss of 8.04 meters. Now three months later, she has a Paralympic gold, as well.
Mexican Paralympic swimmer Haideé Aceves Pérez of Guadalajara has won two of Mexico’s three silver Paralympic medals in Paris. (Copame)
“I have worked hard for this,” Zarza said. “I always told myself that I had to train: There is no escaping the pain, there is no tiredness. I always woke up dreaming of [the gold] medal.”
With six days to go at this year’s Paralympics, the Mexican contingent has one gold, three silver and five bronze medals. Each includes “Paris” and “2024” written in universal Braille.
With a total of nine medals through Monday, Mexico’s team of 37 women and 30 men was tied with Iran for 21st in total medal count. The table was topped by China (85 medals/42 gold) followed by Great Britain (53/29) and the United States (42/13).
Mexico’s medal haul includes two silver medals by swimmer Haideé Aceves Pérez, a 31-year-old from Guadalajara, Jalisco. She placed second in both the 50-meter and 100-meter women’s backstroke events in S2, a category for athletes who have limited or no use of their arms, hands or legs.
Aceves began swimming as a therapy for multiple arthrogryposis, a congenital disease that causes limitations in arm and leg movement. She’ll also be competing in the S3 100-meter freestyle, starting with heats on Tuesday.
At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Mexico placed 16th in total medal count with 22 (seven gold, two silver, 13 bronze).
Mexico's president gave his sixth and final report to the nation on Sunday. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
Poverty reduction.
The creation of a public health system that is “better” than Denmark’s.
Economic growth above 3% in the post-pandemic years.
The establishment of “the foundations for transformation that the country needed.”
These are some of the achievements — or alleged achievements — that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) highlighted during a two-hour-long address in Mexico City’s central square on Sunday.
In front of a large crowd of supporters exactly one month before the end of his six-year term as president, the 70-year-old Tabasco native delivered his sixth and final report to the nation, an annual State of the Union-style address.
López Obrador — an indefatigable orator who has held weekday morning press conferences throughout his presidency — declared near the end of his lengthy speech that he would retire next month with a “calm conscience” and as a “very happy” man.
“First of all, nothing makes me happier than having achieved … the reduction of poverty and inequality in the country,” the president said. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
“First of all, nothing makes me happier than having achieved … the reduction of poverty and inequality in the country,” the president said.
“I’m also relaxed about leaving office because she to whom I will hand over the presidential sash … is an exceptional, experienced, honest, well-intentioned, good-hearted woman who supports the foundational principles of our movement of transformation,” López Obrador said.
“[She’s an] authentic defender of equality, of freedom, of justice, of democracy, of sovereignty. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo — presidenta!”
‘100,000 Mexicans are lifted out of poverty every month’
AMLO, a self-styled champion of Mexico’s most disadvantaged people, asserted that an additional 100,000 people per month fell into poverty during the six-year terms of former presidents Felipe Calderón (2006-12) and Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-18).
Mexico’s president-elect “is an exceptional, experienced, honest, well-intentioned, good-hearted woman who supports the foundational principles of our movement of transformation,” López Obrador said of Claudia Sheinbaum, who sat front row.(Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
“In contrast, during our government, 100,000 Mexicans are lifted out of poverty every month,” López Obrador told supporters in Constitution Square, commonly known as the Zócalo.
Poverty increased during the first half of López Obrador’s presidency, largely due to the economic impact of the COVID pandemic, but declined significantly in the second half.
“According to official figures, a rich person earned, on average, 35 times more than a poor person in the times of Calderón. Now the difference has declined to 15 times [more],” López Obrador said.
“The minimum wage has increased more than 100% in real terms, something that hadn’t happened in the past 40 years.”
AMLO also emphasized the financial support his government has provided to millions of Mexicans via welfare programs such as the old age pension and disability support schemes, and employment programs.
Supporters gathered en masse on Sunday to say “Adiós AMLO.” (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
He said that just under 3 million young Mexicans have benefited from the government’s 132-billion-peso (US $6.6 billion) investment in the Youths Building the Future apprenticeship scheme, and that 433,000 campesinos receive monthly payments for their participation in the Sowing Life reforestation program.
“Let it be heard loud and clear, let it resonate far and wide, [Sowing Life] is the most important reforestation program in the world,” López Obrador said.
‘This public health system is now the most efficient in the world’
López Obrador noted that 23 of Mexico’s 32 federal entities have signed on to the government’s universal health scheme known as IMSS-Bienestar.
“This public health system is now the most efficient in the world,” he claimed without providing any hard evidence to back up his assertion.
“I said that it was going to be the best, that it was going to be like [the health system] in Denmark. No, it’s not like [the health system] in Denmark, it’s better,” López Obrador said.
“According to our calculations, we’ve saved around two trillion pesos (US $101 billion) during the six-year term by not allowing corruption,” he said.
During his sixth report to the nation, AMLO asserted that the government’s crackdown on fuel theft has “generated savings of 342 billion pesos.” (National Guard/X)
The government’s crackdown on fuel theft — a crime in which a number of state oil company employees have been found to be complicit — has “generated savings of 342 billion pesos,” AMLO said.
“That amount, 342 billion pesos [US $17.3 billion], is what construction of the Dos Bocas refinery cost the nation,” he said.
López Obrador also highlighted a range of austerity measures his government has implemented, including reducing the salaries of federal officials, eliminating “extravagant” pensions for past presidents and abolishing more than 100 public trusts.
‘Mexico is one of the most attractive countries in which to invest’
Although there are major concerns among investors about the government’s judicial reform proposals and other bills that seek to change the constitution, López Obrador asserted that “Mexico is considered one of the most attractive countries in which to invest and do business” — a view also expressed by some high-profile United States business figures.
What AMLO didn’t mention is that the vast majority of foreign investment in Mexico in 2023 and 2024 has come from the reinvestment of profits from companies that already have a presence here.
Some experts regard the low levels of “new investment” as concerning given that Mexico is supposedly in the midst of a once-in-a-generation economic opportunity as a result of the nearshoring phenomenon.
AMLO noted that Mexico suffered economically as a result of the COVID pandemic, with the economy contracting 8.5% in 2020.
However, despite also suffering from the “global crisis” precipitated by the Russia-Ukraine war, the Mexican economy has recovered, he said.
“From 2021 to now, we’ve grown by 3.4% per year on average. In the six-year period of government, even with the pandemic … we’re going to end with average growth of 1% [per year], something truly exceptional in the face of an extremely difficult economic environment in the country and the world,” López Obrador said.
AMLO celebrated Mexico’s economic growth and competitiveness as a nearshoring partner. (Continental)
“We’re one week away from inaugurating the entire Maya Train, the whole circuit,” he said.
“It will run 1,554 kilometers,” López Obrador said, noting also that the project, which has faced criticism on environmental grounds, involved the construction of 34 stations in five states: Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, Quintana Roo and Chiapas.
The government invested 515 billion pesos (US $26 billion) in the railroad without taking on any debt, he said, adding that the project created more than 660,000 jobs.
Among the other infrastructure projects López Obrador lauded were:
AMLO assured his audience on Sunday that the “whole circuit” of the Maya Train will be inaugurated in one week. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
‘Federal crimes have declined 24.8%’
López Obrador ran through a range of statistics that show that crime has declined during his six-year term of government.
“Federal jurisdiction crimes have declined 24.8%,” AMLO said, comparing 2024 data to that of 2018, the year he took office.
Homicide numbers have declined 18%, he said, without mentioning that more people have been murdered in his six-year term of government than in any other comparable period on record.
López Obrador — who frequently blames persistent security problems on the situation he inherited from previous governments — also cited significant double-digit declines in the incidence of robbery, femicide, vehicle theft and kidnapping.
“During the six-year term, we’ve maintained an average of 1,200 arrests of presumed criminals per day,” he added.
“The National Guard was created, and it has 135,471 well-trained and disciplined members,” said López Obrador, who also highlighted that his government’s security strategy — the so-called “hugs, not bullets” approach” — has led to a decline in confrontations between security forces and presumed criminals.
“In contrast to what happened during the neoliberal governments, the people are not repressed now, massacres aren’t carried out [by security forces], we don’t torture, we don’t kidnap anyone, the violation of human rights isn’t tolerated and a narco-state doesn’t exist like in … the previous six-year period of government [when Calderón was in office],” he said, without mentioning that soldiers and National Guard personnel have been accused of committing crimes, including murder, during his time in office.
López Obrador also said that progress has been made in the case of the 43 students who disappeared in Guerrero in 2014, although there is still considerable uncertainty about what happened to the young men.
‘Raise your hand those who think that it is better for the people to elect judges’
As thousands of people protested his proposed judicial reform on Mexico’s emblematic Paseo de la Reforma boulevard, López Obrador sought to demonstrate widespread support for the controversial initiative via a show of hands.
During his address, the president asked for a “show of hands” of those in favor of his proposed judicial reform. Most obliged. (Alberto Roa/Cuartoscuro)
“Raise your hands those who think that it’s better for the president and the senators to choose the [Supreme Court] justices and the judges. Raise your hands. I don’t see anyone,” the president said.
“Raise your hands those who think it’s better for the people to elect the judges,” he directed his supporters, known colloquially as AMLOvers.
“… This helps to understand the sentiment of the people,” AMLO said after the crowd reacted exactly as he expected.
He subsequently suggested that “our neighbors and friends” in the United States should take notice of the demonstration of support for the reform proposal.
Among those “friends” is U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, who recently earned a rebuke from the president after he criticized the proposed reform in a strongly-worded statement.
‘We’ve set the bases for the transformation that the country needed’
During the closing remarks to his marathon speech, López Obrador declared that his government has “set the bases for the transformation that the country needed.”
AMLO asserted that his administration has separated “economic power from political power” and served as a government that represents all Mexicans, rather than the nation’s elite.
“We need to continue with this policy, [we need] an authentic democracy, not a simulation, not an oligarchy with a facade of democracy,” he said.
