Mexican officials escort Cárdenas during his 2007 extradition process. (PGR/Cuartoscuro)
Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, a former Gulf Cartel leader and founder of Los Zetas criminal organization, was released from prison in the United States on Friday.
Cárdenas, 57, is a native of the northern border state of Tamaulipas. He was detained in Mexico in 2003 and extradited to the United States in 2007.
Cárdenas was arrested in Mexico in 2003. (PGR)
He reached an agreement with U.S. authorities and pleaded guilty in 2009 to the charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and making threats against U.S. federal agents. In 2010, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Nicknamed “El Mata Amigos” (The Friend Killer), the Zetas founder was released early from the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Institute in Indiana for good behavior. The years he spent in jail in Mexico before his extradition to the United States were also taken into account.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) told the El Universal newspaper that Cárdenas won’t be sent back to Mexico, where there are valid warrants for his arrest. A DEA official told El Universal that he is free to go wherever he chooses.
However, other media outlets reported that Cárdenas could be handed over to Mexican authorities. Citing a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) source, the Milenio newspaper said that he was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement upon his release from prison, though the U.S. is not deporting him.
Cárdenas was released early from Indiana’s Terre Haute Federal Correctional Institute for good behavior. (U.S. Bureau of Prisons)
“Osiel will stay in the United States indefinitely or until his migratory situation is fixed,” the HSI source told Milenio.
The Matamoros native was the leader of the Gulf Cartel (CDG) at the time of his arrest, and considered one of the most powerful drug lords in Mexico.
During his 1997-2003 leadership of the cartel, “the CDG controlled a mammoth cocaine and marijuana trafficking empire that rivaled those of other storied Mexican organized crime groups, including the Sinaloa Cartel,” according to Insight Crime, a think tank and media organization that focuses on organized crime in the Americas.
While leader of the CDG, Cárdenas created Los Zetas, which served as the cartel’s armed enforcer wing until it struck out on its own in 2010. Los Zetas initially consisted of deserters from an elite unit of the Mexican army.
Cárdenas founded Los Zetas, which started as the enforcement branch of the Gulf Cartel. Here, a team of Zetas hitmen are seen ambushing a police convoy in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, in 2009. (SSPF/Cuartoscuro)
The group “professionalized Mexico’s gangland warfare by detonating an arms race and introducing a kind of brutal violence never before seen in the country,” Insight Crime reported Friday.
Michael Deibert, a journalist and author who wrote a book about the Gulf Cartel, told Insight Crime that Cárdenas is “arguably the most impactful, though not most famous, narco leader in Mexico.”
Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the DEA, said that he was an “architect of extreme violence” and “his methods have become the blueprint for other cartels in Mexico.”
Insight Crime reported that Cárdenas “has no apparent remaining links to the CDG, which has fractured into smaller groups since his imprisonment.”
“However, the Cárdenas family remains a powerful force in Tamaulipas’ criminal arena,” it added.
San Miguel de Allende is one of the world's best cities. A long time Realtor explains where to find the best property - and how to make sure you close on it. (Shutterstock)
In explaining why we moved to San Miguel de Allende, many adopted sanmiguelenses share an old local adage: “You move to Miami to die, you move to San Miguel to live!” Our city has the largest English-language social and cultural infrastructure of any destination in Mexico; it’s like a summer camp for adults. Unlike most other expat hubs in Mexico, the social scene here does not revolve around which bar has the best happy hour: it’s an educated and active demographic that finds a new life in San Miguel. What you need, is an insiders guide to real estate in San Miguel de Allende, and lucky for you, that’s exactly what we’ve got.
Given that Mexico is likely a foreign market to you — with none of the Zillow, Redfin and Trulia-like tools available up north to assist your research — be sure to connect online before arriving with a reputable Realtor who demonstrates a lengthy history in the real estate market here. Without the knowledge typically available stateside, you’re overly reliant here on your Realtor when it comes to assessing pricing history, appreciation expectations, rental possibilities and neighborhood safety. Choose only one Realtor, but choose wisely: you’ll need a reliable and knowledgeable agent who responds quickly to your needs.
Casa Legorreta is an example of the city’s most expensive listing for US $6.9 million, a Starchitect estate in the heart of Centro. (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Colonial Homes San Miguel)
Neighborhood overview: Location is critical
When beginning your home search, assess your personal needs and desires carefully. Location is critical in San Miguel. Property values are based on the walking distance and sightline to the Parroquia, the world famous, Eiffel Tower-like cathedral that anchors the Jardín de Allende, the main plaza of our Historic Center. Many residents here love the European-like walkability of our dense little village and most want to be within a 15 to 20-minute flat walking radius of the Jardín, since that’s the center of activity. A bulk of the town’s more than 550 restaurants fall within that area, as do the art galleries, shops and gathering places.
However, the Historic Center is not San Miguel’s only walking-distance neighborhood. Investigate others still walking distance like Guadiana — an upscale alternative — or San Antonio and Guadalupe, two historical neighborhoods that have been gentrifying rapidly over the last two decades. Better values can be found in some of the newest neighborhoods to begin that gentrification process, like Obraje and Azteca.
If walking distance is not critical to you, homes in the uphill eastern neighborhoods and further away from the Jardín can often offer better value, more bang for the buck, more land for pets to roam and often more privacy. For example, a home in the tony Beverly Hills-style uphill neighborhood of Ojo de Agua will certainly be pricey, but the cost per square foot value will be better than the Historic Center.
Casa Angel is an example of an upscale but more mid-priced luxury estate at US $3.3 million, located in Guadiana. (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Colonial Homes San Miguel)
Assess your tolerance for the look of an older neighborhood where a seven-figure estate can sit adjacent to a raw-brick home with rebar sticking out of the roof. If that’s not to your taste, tell your realtor to focus on gated communities that boast underground utilities, all-finished construction and a more consistent upscale appearance.
Although several gated communities are available in town, including two golf course communities, a plethora of new gated communities have sprung up on the outskirts of town, especially along the northern road — soon to be a full-fledged highway — leading to Dolores Hidalgo as well as along the highway to Querétaro. Some, like Zirándaro, are master-planned communities with several different sub-communities built by different developers. Others, like Pila Rica, have a master developer but offer a mixed-use concept including hotel and retail. Several vineyard communities exist already, providing a Tuscan-like lifestyle and environment — some with hotels and restaurants on site — while others focus on an equestrian theme and events.
Found your dream home? Here’s how to secure the real estate of your dreams in San Miguel de Allende
Homeownership in San Miguel de Allende is not restricted, unlike in Mexico’s beach and coastal communities, where homes owned by foreigners are held in a trust instead of actually being owned outright. Foreign buyers own their home here with a deed, just like in the United States and other countries. That makes the offer and purchase process much more like what expats are accustomed to back home.
Although newer financing options now exist in Mexico, mortgage interest rates here run about 300 basis points above mortgage rates in the U.S. and require 40% equity from the buyer. This means that the overwhelming majority of purchases here are all cash. Buyers can often take out a home equity line of credit (HELOC) on a low-debt home stateside or borrow a margin loan against an investment account to acquire purchase funds at a lower rate than a Mexico-based mortgage.
Casa Fairway is an example of a fairway-frontage estate on a Nick Faldo golf course for US $1.4 million. (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Colonial Homes San Miguel)
Reputable agencies all work with bilingual contracts — only the final deed must be only in Spanish, as a government-recorded document — but the Spanish side is the legally-binding language should a dispute occur. The traditional closing period is 30 days from offer to closing, and especially unlike the U.S., earnest money deposits are nearly always ten percent of the purchase price. And yes, negotiating down on pricing is often expected, but be sure your Realtor gives you advice on an appropriate negotiation range given your home’s pricing history, location and condition. Vulture investors are always disappointed here: since homes are held debt-free and carrying costs are so low, sellers are seldom pressured to sell at vulture pricing.
Two things should happen immediately once you have a dual-signed offer: have your Realtor’s legal team send you the no lien certificate (certificado de libertad de gravamen) so you know your home is lien-free. And watch for the closing cost estimate from the Notario (notary) — he’s like the title company and closing company rolled into one entity. Closing costs here in San Miguel run roughly 5.1% of the purchase price. 4% is the city-wide acquisition tax, commonly called a transfer tax in other parts of the world.
Home inspections are standard here, but industry protocol is that inspection negotiations focus on habitability issues only, not things like sticky doors, scratched floors or a missing doorknob. Protocol is that you have adjusted your offer pricing for visible deferred maintenance: the inspection only covers issues you cannot see.
Like in the U.S., once you have removed your inspection contingency, you then fund your earnest money deposit knowing it becomes nonrefundable. Be sure your Realtor directs you to an insured and bonded escrow company, since historical escrow companies here in Mexico state your funds are at risk of loss in the boilerplate language.
Casa DeeDee is an example of an affordable traditional Spanish Colonial home for US $649,000, this one located in Allende. (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Colonial Homes San Miguel)
An experienced Realtor will have an outstanding legal team at their side guiding you through additional legal paperwork like the required Foreign Ministry (SRE) permit — all non-Mexicans are required to apply, do so immediately upon acceptance of your offer — or the power of attorney (Poder, in Spanish) that allows buyers to be absent at closing should travel or family emergencies arise. Unlike the U.S., either the actual buyer or their POA must be physically present at closing.
You’ve bought it! Now what?
Your Realtor should have directed you to a reputable property management company: they’ll be your bilingual contact for emergency repairs, paying staff in person and paying utilities and property taxes. They’ll have a team of subcontractors for any remodeling you may wish to do. They can even find you staff should existing staff not stay with the home you purchased. Additionally, most property managers can manage the short-term rental process for you should you choose to rent your home when not physically occupying it. Many homeowners make a substantial return on their investment by renting their home for a few months of the year.
Expect your deed in about six weeks after your closing — your Realtor can help with this. Be sure you receive the physical, city-stamped copy, if you did not, something has gone awry. And remember, your property taxes — now roughly US $270 per $100,000 of value — will be due every spring. Ask your property manager to pay it by January 31 for that 15% discount!
Greg Gunter has been a full-time homeowner and resident expat in San Miguel de Allende since 2009 and is the Broker and Co-Owner of the Warren Buffett-led real estate brand Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, having opened the first and flagship office for the brand in Mexico.
Three migrants were killed and another 15 were injured in Oaxaca when a car plowed into the group.
(X)
Three migrants were killed and another 15 were injured when a car plowed into the group as they walked along a highway in southern Oaxaca on Thursday morning.
A Nicaraguan father and his 8-year-old daughter died at the scene while a 55-year-old man from Ecuador died of his injuries after being rushed to a hospital.
The incident occurred on federal Highway 190 near the town of Santiago Niltepec, Oaxaca. (X)
At least 15 other migrants — four from Honduras, three each from Nicaragua and Colombia and two each from Guatemala and Ecuador — were injured in the incident, according to the newspaper La Jornada. The nationality of the 15th victim was not released.
Ten of the victims are being treated at a hospital in Juchitán, three others are being treated at the General Hospital of Ciudad Ixtepec and two have been treated and released.
The incident occurred on federal Highway 190 near the town of Santiago Niltepec as the migrants walked west across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
State prosecutors are considering manslaughter charges for the driver of the vehicle, who was apprehended at the scene.
The day after the accident, the remaining migrants were in the city of La Ventosa, where members of Doctors without Borders attended to them.
Carlos Gómez, Guatemala’s consul in Arriaga in the neighboring state of Chiapas, visited his countrymen in the Ciudad Ixtepec hospital on Thursday. Afterward, he announced that he would lobby the Mexican government for humanitarian visas on behalf of the victims.
Luis Rey Villagrán García, director of the migrants rights group Centro de Dignificación de Derechos Humanos de Migrantes, took the lobbying effort a step further.
“The Mexican government has the obligation to protect migrants and travelers from extortion, kidnap and accidents,” he said, according to the newspaper Debate. “The best way to do that is to issue humanitarian visas.”
🗣️ “Venía como loco, levantó como a 16 personas”.
Claudia es hermana de uno de los migrantes que resultaron gravemente heridos tras ser arrollados en Oaxaca la madrugada de este jueves.
Hasta el momento se han confirmado 3 personas muertas.
A sister of one of the injured describes the attack on the group. The highways on which migrants travel have dangerously small shoulders that are often used as right lanes.
In response to Thursday’s accident, Irineo Mujica, director of the refugee and migrant rights group Pueblos Sin Frontera, said migrants in Mexico are extremely vulnerable due to the “criminal migration policies” Mexico has adopted because of pressure from the United States.
The security minister emphasized that "narcoblockades" of roads have diminished, and that the National Guard will increase surveillance of the state's highways. (José Betanzos/Cuartoscuro)
Alleged Sinaloa Cartel gunmen opened fire on an army convoy and set fire to vehicles to create blazing “narco-blockades” in Culiacán on Thursday, but no deaths or injuries were reported.
The chaos unfolded in a rural area north of the Sinaloa state capital where accused drug trafficker Ovidio Guzmán López — one of the sons of convicted drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera — was arrested in January 2023.
🚨 #AHORA | Se registran bloqueos en la salida norte de #Culiacán, #Sinaloa, luego de un enfrentamiento entre grupos armados y elementos del Ejército mexicano en la localidad de Jesús María.
There was speculation on Thursday afternoon that the violence was unleashed in response to the capture of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, another of El Chapo’s sons.
However, Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya said that no arrests were made in the area, and also reported that no deaths or injuries occurred.
The flare-up of violence came exactly five weeks after alleged Sinaloa Cartel leaders Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López — another son of El Chapo — were arrested in the United States after flying into an airport near El Paso, Texas, on a private plane.
The Sinaloa Public Security Ministry (SSP) said late Thursday afternoon that it was aware that military personnel were attacked in Ejido Peñasco, a community north of the city of Culiacán.
In another post to X, the SSP said that blockades had been set up on Federal Highway 15 near the community of El Limón de los Ramos, Sinaloa.
Buses, trucks and other vehicles were seized and set alight by alleged cartel members, who also laid spike strips on various roads. Their objective was to prevent additional security forces from reaching an area that the newspaper El Universal called the “land of Los Chapitos,” as the sons of El Chapo are collectively known.
There was speculation on Thursday afternoon that the violence was unleashed in response to the capture of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, another of El Chapo’s sons. (DEA)
Videos posted to social media showed various vehicles on fire, and gunfire could be heard in some other clips. The footage fueled speculation that the state capital was facing another culiacanazo, as each of the deadly cartel responses to separate captures of Ovidio Guzmán in 2019 and 2023 is known.
The Sinaloa Security Ministry and Governor Rocha called on citizens to “remain calm.”
“The situation that has emerged is being attended to and is concentrated outside the city,” Rocha said on X.
He said that security forces of all three levels of government responded to the attack on the army and that “civilians” consequently set vehicles alight. Rocha said that just two vehicles were set on fire, whereas some media outlets reported “dozens” of burning buses and trucks.
Firefighters were eventually able to extinguish the fiery narco-blockades. The burnt-out vehicles were removed and Highway 15 reopened north of Culiacán.
The events of Thursday afternoon disrupted public transport services and caused traffic chaos. The Autonomous University of Sinaloa suspended classes, but some students were reportedly unable to return to their homes due to the narco-blockades and public transport disruptions.
The attack on the army came less than two weeks after the federal government dispatched additional troops to Sinaloa in the wake of a wave of homicides linked to organized crime.
The burnt-out vehicles were removed and Highway 15 north of Culiacán was reopened by Thursday night. (José Betanzos/Cuartoscuro)
Ten homicides on Aug. 16 and 17 were linked to organized crime, and appeared to be the result of Sinaloa Cartel infighting following the arrests of Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López. Zambada alleges that he was kidnapped by Guzmán López, forced onto a private plane and taken to the United States against his will.
Two of “Los Chapitos” are now in United States custody as Ovidio Guzmán was extradited to the U.S. last September. He was first captured in October 2019, but released by federal forces after cartel gunmen carried out a wave of attacks that terrorized Culiacán residents.
At least 10 soldiers and 19 alleged criminals were killed after the second capture of Ovidio Guzmán on Jan. 5, 2023.
"El Mayo" Zambada (left) claims he was kidnapped in Mexico and forcibly taken to the U.S. by Joaquín Guzmán López, son of "El Chapo" Guzmán and brother of Ovidio (right), who was extradited to the U.S. in 2023. (Archive)
The Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) has revealed that the United States told Mexico on Aug. 16 that alleged Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García was taken to the U.S. against his will.
July 23: Ovidio Guzmán leaves high-security prison
The FGR said that Ovidio Guzmán — a brother of Joaquín Guzmán and one of the sons of convicted drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán — was released from a high-security United States prison on July 23, two days before his brother and Zambada were arrested.
The agency said it was unaware of Ovidio’s “current status” and of his location in the United States.
Mexico’s Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez said on Aug. 6 that Joaquín Guzmán López turned himself in to United States authorities after reaching an agreement with his imprisoned brother Ovidio Guzmán López to surrender. That would suggest that they both planned to collaborate with U.S. authorities.
However, after Joaquín pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in a Chicago court on July 30, lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman said his client did not have any prior agreement with U.S. authorities.
Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper Milenio reported on Aug. 19 that U.S. authorities were working with the defense teams of Ovidio, Joaquín and alleged Sinaloa Cartel security chief Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas on an agreement that would allow them to receive more lenient sentences.
August 9: Salazar says Zambada was taken to the U.S. against his will
“When the alleged kidnapping of Ismael [Zambada] by Joaquín [Guzmán López] had already been committed, the ambassador of the United States in Mexico publicly stated on Aug. 9 that Ismael had been taken to the United States against his will,” the FGR said in its statement.
Salazar’s wording, however, was not as definitive as the FGR’s statement suggests. In an Aug. 9 statement, the ambassador said that the evidence at the time of his arrival to the United States “indicates that El Mayo was taken against his will.”
In the same statement, Salazar said that:
Guzmán López surrendered voluntarily.
No United States resources were used to facilitate Guzmán López’s surrender. “It was not our plane, not our pilot, not our people.”
No flight plan was presented to United States authorities before the private plane took off. “We understand that the flight began in Sinaloa and landed in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.”
The pilot is not a United States government employee nor was he hired by the U.S. government or “any U.S. citizen.”
August 10: Zambada declares he was kidnapped
The FGR noted that Zambada’s lawyer, Frank Pérez, released a statement from his client on Aug. 10.
“I was kidnapped and brought to the U.S. forcibly and against my will,” he said.
The FGR has identified this luxurious Culiacán villa as the place Cuén and ‘El Mayo’ Zambada allegedly met on the day of Zambada’s alleged kidnapping and Cuén’s murder. (FGR)
Zambada said he was “ambushed” on July 25 after going to a property outside Culiacán where he believed he was going to help resolve a dispute between Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and former Culiacán mayor Héctor Cuén over who should head up the Autonomous University of Sinaloa. He said that Joaquín Guzmán López invited him to the meeting.
Zambada said, “A group of men assaulted me, knocked me to the ground and placed a dark-colored hood over my head.”
He also said he was tied up, handcuffed and forced into the bed of a pick-up truck before being driven to a nearby landing strip and “forced” onto a private plane.
In the same statement, Zambada asserted that Cuén “was killed at the same time, and in the same place, where I was kidnapped.”
It also said that a request for an arrest warrant for Guzmán López on charges of abduction of a person in Mexico in order to hand him over to the authorities of another country had been prepared. The FGR previously said that such actions constitute treason.
August 16: U.S. informs Mexico that Zambada arrived against his will
The FGR said it was informed by the Attorney General of the United States, Merrick Garland, on Aug. 16 that Zambada arrived in the U.S. “against his will.”
The FGR also said that the United States informed Mexico that it was aware of several proposals from Joaquín Guzmán López to turn himself in to U.S. authorities.
Security Minister Rodríguez said in late July that the United States government told Mexico that it was informed on several occasions that Joaquín was considering handing himself in to U.S. authorities, but no deal had been reached when he arrived in New Mexico.
FGR still doesn’t know the identity of the pilot
The FGR said it had been informed that the Beechcraft aircraft on which Zambada and Guzmán López traveled to the United States had been registered in both Colombia and the U.S.
‘El Mayo’ Zambada was brought to the U.S. in a Beechcraft King Air with a fraudulent registration, according to the FGR. (@beltrandelrio/X)
The Attorney General’s Office has requested a range of information about the flight and the aircraft from the United States government, including the identity of the pilot. However, the FGR said it still hadn’t received the name of the person who piloted the plane from Sinaloa to the Doña County airport near El Paso, Texas. It said Thursday that the urgent provision of that information was “essential.”
“Mexican authorities say they have no clue where Ovidio is in the U.S., but he’ll be present on his next hearing on Sep. 9 in Chicago along with his brother Joaquín,” he wrote.
While tequila and mezcal are famed worldwide - and even raicilla is having a moment - there is a fourth, lesser-known (and much stronger) agave spirit waiting to be discovered. (UENI)
Do you love tequila and mezcal? If so, then you’ll be captivated by bacanora, a similarly ancient spirit from Sonora, also crafted from agave.
Bacanora packs a stronger punch than these more famous agave spirits (a list which also includes raicilla), with an alcohol content ranging from 38% to 55%. Perhaps it’s this potency that led to bacanora being banned for 77 years until it was finally legalized in 1992 and granted the prestigious Denomination of Origin label in 2000.
Once illegal, the world is now waking up to the glory of bacanora. (Sunora Bacanora)
This distinctive spirit is made from the Agave angustifolia pacifica, commonly known as espadín or yaquiana, in the town of Bacanora in Sonora. While production began around 300 years ago, bacanora’s roots stretch back much further. Historians believe its ancestor was a fermented agave drink called tehuimas, crafted by the Opata tribe for ritual celebrations.
Bacanora, as we know it today, began to take shape with the arrival of the Spanish, who introduced the alembic still, transforming the production process through distillation.
What makes bacanora truly special?
Bacanora isn’t just another agave spirit. Unlike tequila and mezcal, which can be mixed with cane sugar or other sweeteners, it is made from 100% agave. It also boasts a unique smoky flavor, derived from the use of underground ovens to roast the agave stalks — unlike the steam ovens typically used for other agave spirits. The result is a spirit that combines smokiness with a surprisingly sweet taste.
Agave pacfica, is the only kind of cactus used to make bacanora. (Sunora Bacanora)
But perhaps the most memorable aspect of bacanora is its artisanal production process. What sets it apart from other mezcals is the second distillation of the liquid. The first distillates, known as “The heads,” are collected with a very high alcohol content. This liquid, with clusters of small bubbles called pearlites, becomes bacanora when it reaches between 20 and 30 degrees of alcoholic purity.
When the bubbles quickly disappear, the container is changed, and the final part of the distillation called the tails, is collected, consisting mostly of water. The final step is to blend the bacanora with the heads to adjust its alcohol content, a process known locally as compounding.
Another remarkable feature of the drink is its exclusivity — it can only be produced in 35 municipalities in Sonora. In contrast, tequila is made in several states, including Jalisco and Nayarit, and mezcal in regions across south and central Mexico.
Bacanora is still produced using traditional techniques and fired in pits. (Sunora Bacanora)
Where can you find bacanora in Mexico?
Bacanora is enjoying a resurgence in popularity, especially since receiving its Denomination of Origin in 2000. Today, annual production is estimated at 250,000 to 300,000 liters. However, according to the Regulatory Board, more than half of this comes from unregistered brands, highlighting the spirit’s enduring artisanal nature. To give you a sense of its rapid growth, between 15 and 20 new bacanora brands have been launched in just the past five years.
You can find bacanora in stores across Mexico, including La Europea, La Castellana, and even Sears. Many brands also have websites where you can purchase directly from the producer. For those interested in smaller, artisanal producers, social media platforms like Facebook are excellent resources for discovering new options.
¡Salud!
Ana Paula de la Torre is a Mexican journalist and collaborator for various outlets including Milenio, Animal Político, Vice, Newsweek en Español, Televisa and Mexico News Daily.
President López Obrador's proposed judicial reform is controversial and has led to protests around the country. Recent opinion polls of business leaders and the Mexican public show mixed results. (Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s business community is split over the federal government’s judicial reform proposal, while support among the general population for the plan to allow citizens to directly elect judges has declined.
Octavio de la Torre, president of Concanaco Servytur, at a presentation of the poll results. (Concanaco Serytur/X)
A poll carried out by the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism (Concanaco Servytur) in collaboration with the company Arias Consultores found that 52% of more than 1,000 leaders in those sectors are in favor of the proposed judicial reform, while 48% are opposed.
Just under half of the respondents said they were “very informed” (49.3%) about the proposal, while just over half said they were poorly informed (46.1%) or not at all informed (4.5%).
A separate El Financiero newspaper poll found that 44% of 500 respondents are in favor of judicial elections, down from 64% in January.
The judicial reform proposal is currently the most contentious issue in Mexico politics.
López Obrador’s judicial reform proposal has led to protests around Mexico in recent weeks. (Cuartoscuro)
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who sent the proposal to Congress in February, would like to see the initiative approved before he leaves office on Oct. 1. He is a staunch critic of Mexico’s judiciary, arguing that many judges are corrupt and at the service of the nation’s elite rather than the majority of Mexicans.
Presenting the survey results on Wednesday, Concanaco Servytur president Octavio de la Torre said that the organization he leads has established that “a reform to the judicial power is needed,” but stressed that “the most qualified people” should be candidates in judicial elections.
One of the criticisms of the reform is that it could lead to the election of people without sufficient experience as judges. President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum has asserted that won’t happen.
De la Torre said that it is “essential” that “the best people” adjudicate cases in Mexico’s courts.
Six in ten of 1,043 respondents to the Concanaco Servytur survey believe there is “a lot of corruption” in Mexico’s judicial system, while 75% favored the establishment of an independent body to oversee the conduct of Supreme Court justices, judges and magistrates elected by the Mexican people.
President-elect Sheinbaum, here showing other polling on the popularity of the judicial reform proposal earlier this month, supports the bill but has also urged lawmakers to “not rush.” (Cuartoscuro)
De la Torre said that Concanaco Servytur is drawing up a range of proposed amendments to the reform proposal that will be submitted to recently elected deputies. He said he hoped the proposed modifications will be discussed and “attended to” by the lawmakers, who will assume their positions this Sunday.
Only 28.7% of survey respondents said they had “a lot of confidence” in the current government’s capacity to manage the legislative process of the judicial reform proposal, while that figure rose to 34% with regard to the government of incoming president Sheinbaum, who has advised lawmakers to be “careful with the procedural stage” and “not rush.”
Majority of citizens support appointment of judges over election
El Financiero’s most recent judicial reform poll yielded some curious — and conflicting — results.
Under the proposal, federal judges — including Supreme Court justices, seen here — would be elected from a candidate pool chosen by the sitting president, Congress and the judiciary. (CDMX Servicio de Medios Públicos)
While the number of people in favor of the reform was almost the double the number against it, a majority of respondents said that Supreme Court justices, judges and magistrates should be appointed based on their knowledge, experience and impartiality rather than elected by the people.
The 500 respondents were asked to express their support or opposition for the reform on a scale of 1-10, with 10 meaning “completely” in favor and 1 meaning “completely” against.
Forty-five percent of the respondents were deemed to be in favor of the reform (7-10), while 24% were determined to be against it (1-4). The remaining 31% were either neutral (5-6) or declined to say whether they supported the reform or not.
Using the same scale, respondents were specifically asked whether they supported or opposed the election of judges in elections – the most controversial aspect of a broader reform initiative.
Forty-four percent of respondents were in favor of the direct election of judges, while 38% were opposed. The former figure increased two points compared to El Financiero’s July poll, but declined markedly from 59% in June and 64% in January.
Asked whether judges should be appointed — as is currently the case — or elected, 54% of those polled said appointed versus 42% who said elected. Last month, El Financiero found 65% support for the former option.
Just over half of the respondents — 53% — said they knew “little or nothing” about the reform proposal, while 43% said they knew “a lot” or “something” about it.
Two thirds of respondents approved of the performance of the Supreme Court — which has drawn the ire of López Obrador by handing down decisions against the government — while just one-quarter disapproved of the court’s work.
Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla explains how the new certification program uses satellite technology to detect illegal deforestation. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
The Michoacán state government has announced a new best practices certification for avocado producers, which seeks to reduce deforestation using satellite surveillance.
The voluntary certification, called Pro-Forest Avocado, will guarantee to consumers in the United States and Europe that their avocados come from registered farms that don’t engage in environmentally destructive practices like illegal logging.
Michoacán has introduced a new certification for forest-friendly avocado production. (Juan José Estrada Serafín /Cuartoscuro)
Criminal gangs have long carried out illegal logging operations that threaten the region’s environment, including monarch butterfly reserves. The same groups engage in clear-cutting to illegally extend farming acreage into protected natural reserves. The deforestation has often been linked to Michoacán’s lucrative avocado industry, as criminal groups clear protected land to grow the “green gold.”
Using technology to protect Michoacán’s forests
To implement the avocado certification, Michoacán is working with Guardián Forestal (Forest Guardian), a civil society-led program that uses satellite surveillance and data analysis to monitor forests.
Speaking in Mexico City on Wednesday, Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla explained that Guardián Forestal will help detect illegal deforestation operations and changes in land usage.
Illegal logging is sometimes be the first step in converting pristine forests into valuable agricultural land. (Senado de la República)
Using Guardián Forestal, the new certification program automatically files complaints with the Michoacán attorney general when it detects potential acts of deforestation.
The governor confirmed that there have already been 327 formal complaints identifying illicit deforestation enterprises. State authorities are also handling another 500 cases related to illegal activities affecting Michoacán’s forests and farmers.
Farmers fed up with extortion
Criminal gangs have been terrorizing Michoacán farmers for years, extorting money from the avocado and lime industries in particular. Farmers, distributors and truckers have been victims of threats and violence.
Lime producers staged an eight-day strike at harvest time earlier this month to protest the lack of security. The strike and repeated pleas from industry participants prompted authorities at both the federal and state level to send additional security forces to the region.
Michoacán led all Mexican states in agricultural exports in the first quarter of 2024, according to the newspaper El Economista. Farmers in the western state exported US $1.3 billion of agricultural products — led by avocados, blackberries, strawberries and lentils — from January through March.
Lime producers in Michoacán recently organized a strike in protest of extortion and other criminal activity affecting their businesses. (Juan José Estrada Serafín/Cuartoscuro)
It is this industry that Ramírez wants to protect through the new certification program, a policy he proposed in June. The program aims to halt deforestation by avocado producers and to block trade of avocados grown in unlicensed orchards.
There are presently more than 49,000 hectares of avocado farmland licensed and certified for export, Michoacán authorities say, whereas 819 hectares of avocado orchards failed to meet the certification standards for exportation.
The certification program rewards those avocado farmers who use environmentally sound practices. Ramírez says he hopes the USDA will accredit the state’s certification program.
The arrest operation began with a massive federal raid in the early hours of Aug. 28. (File photo)
Federal and state authorities have taken control of the city of Taxco, including apprehending 58 employees of municipal security agencies after the weekend disappearance of 10 youths who were detained by local officers.
National Guard and army troops descended upon the city famed for its silver jewelry production before dawn on Wednesday with four arrest warrants issued by the Guerrero Attorney General’s Office (FGE).
The historic town of Taxco, Guerrero, is more well-known for its artisan silver working, but it has been struggling in recent years with the presence of cartel turf wars and kidnappings. (Emmanuel Mejia Chang/Unsplash)
While state police secured the perimeter and an army helicopter hovered overhead, federal officers swarmed police headquarters, joined by special anti-kidnapping agents. The invading forces took control of Taxco’s municipal command and control center (known as a C2) while rounding up agents from the municipal police force, the city transit authority and the Civil Protection Agency.
During the operation, one kidnap victim was rescued though it is not clear if the subject was one of the 10 youths who went missing over the weekend.
The FGE issued a press bulletin on Thursday afternoon confirming that 10 suspects are being held on kidnapping charges, including three of the four local police officials for whom the original warrants were issued.
Among those apprehended were six members of Taxco police chief Christopher Hernández’s private security detail. It is not clear if Hernández, supposedly known by the nickname “The Shadow,” is among those in custody. Many Mexican media outlets reported that he was among those arrested, but FGE statements made no mention of his arrest. According to the newspaper El Sur, Hernández could be the target of the fourth arrest warrant.
El Sur reported that Hernández has been accused of having links to the criminal organization La Familia Michoacana.
The 10th suspect — a Taxco police official — was arrested in the nearby town of Cacalotenango.
The mayor of Taxco, Guerrero, Mario Figueroa, was attacked by an armed gunman on a motorcycle in February. He was unhurt, but it was emblematic of the influence of criminal groups in the municipality, which may extend to Taxco’s law enforcement. (Cuartoscuro.com)
The 58 people detained — 48 of whom are officially labeled persons of interest — were hauled away in police vans and were being held in the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the state capital of Chilpancingo, according to El Sur.
Taxco Mayor Mario Figueroa revealed the police action in a press bulletin he issued just before midnight Wednesday. In the communique, Figueroa claimed that the agents did not identify themselves, that neither he nor the municipal authorities were advised of the operation, nor were they told what prompted it.
News reports indicate that the operation was conducted under secrecy because of numerous citizen complaints about the apprehension of 10 local youths, whose whereabouts are unknown after they were detained by municipal agents late Saturday night.
State police initially responded to the citizen complaints, carrying out a small operation near police headquarters overnight Sunday and into Monday morning. There were reports then that one of the missing youths had been shot while trying to escape.
Taxco has been victimized by a wave of violent crime in recent years, with more than 70 cases investigated since Mayor Figueroa took office in 2021. Figueroa himself was the target of an assassination attempt in February. He was unhurt.
Factors dampening Mexico's economic outlook include the possibility of stagnant growth in the U.S. and the risk of expensive extreme weather events in Mexico. (Shutterstock)
The Bank of Mexico (Banxico) has slashed its economic growth forecast for the Mexican economy in 2024, citing weak growth between April and June and a range of downside risks to economic activity.
In its second quarter report, the central bank said it now anticipates GDP growth of 1.5% this year, down from a 2.4% forecast in its Q1 report.
The Bank of Mexico, led by Victoria Rodríguez Ceja, has reduced its economic growth forecast for 2024. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)
Banxico also cut its growth forecast for 2025 to 1.2% from 1.5%.
The bank said it cut its 2024 forecast due to weaker-than-expected growth in the second quarter. Data published in late July showed that the Mexican economy grew just 0.2% in Q2 compared to the first quarter, and 1.1% in annual terms.
In the executive summary of its report, Banxico said that “economic growth is expected to be moderate in 2024 and 2025, supported mainly by domestic spending.”
It predicted that private consumption and, “to a lesser extent,” private investment will continue increasing. However, “the contribution of the latter [to growth] would be lower than previously expected, given the lower dynamism that this aggregate has shown and the environment of uncertainty that persists due to both domestic and external factors,” including the federal government’s judicial reform proposal.
Banxico predicted that domestic spending will drive moderate economic growth into 2025. (Archive)
The bank said that positive effects from public spending — including expenditure on infrastructure projects — are “still expected,” but are forecast to be lower than previously anticipated.
Although Mexico is on track to set a new record for exports in 2024, Banxico said that “external demand will continue making a low contribution to Mexico’s growth during 2024 as the U.S. manufacturing sector is expected to remain weak.”
Risks to Mexico’s economic growth
The Bank of Mexico said that some downside risks to economic activity “have gained relevance” since the first quarter of the year.
“Thus, the balance of risks to the growth of economic activity over the forecast horizon is now considered to be biased to the downside,” Banxico said.
It said that a number of downside risks stood out. They included:
The possibility of lower-than-expected growth of the U.S. economy, “to the detriment of Mexico’s external demand.”
The possibility of uncertainty increasing as a result of election results in different countries around the world (including the United States).
The possibility that public spending provides a lower-than-expected boost to growth.
The possibility that geopolitical conflicts negatively affect the global economy and/or international trade flows.
The possibility that severe weather phenomena adversely affect the Mexican economy.
Banxico Governor Victoria Rodríguez said on a call on Wednesday that “we expect the economy to keep growing in the coming quarters, though at a more moderate pace.”
She also said that U.S. manufacturing should recover and assist growth in Mexico in 2025.
In its latest quarterly report, Banxico noted that its headline and core inflation forecasts have not changed compared to those included in its Aug. 8 monetary policy statement.
Headline inflation, which includes notoriously volatile food and energy prices, declined to 5.16% in the first half of August. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
However, some of the bank’s latest forecasts are different from those in its first quarter report.
Banxico anticipates that the headline inflation rate will be 5.2% at the end of Q3, up from a previous forecast of 4.4%. It sees inflation falling to 4.4% in Q4, a forecast above its previous fourth quarter prediction of 4%.
The central bank anticipates that headline inflation will continue to decline in 2025 before reaching the 3% target in the final quarter of next year. That forecast has not changed compared to the first quarter report.
The central bank has also edged up its core inflation forecast for the end of 2024. It anticipates that the annual core rate will be 3.9% in the fourth quarter, up slightly from a previous forecast of 3.8%.
Banxico sees core inflation trending down in 2025 to reach 3% in the final quarter of 2025.
The bank said that its upward adjustment to its headline inflation outlook “reflects the pressures that have affected non-core inflation.”
Energy prices, like food, are not included when calculating core inflation. (Delta Gas)
“In particular, this revision considers higher than-anticipated variations in the prices of agricultural and livestock products as a result of the supply shocks they have been subject to, as well as greater variations in energy prices, mainly due to the increase in their international references,” Banxico said.
“Given their nature, non-core inflation shocks are expected to fade in the coming quarters. Specifically, supply shocks on agricultural and livestock products resulting from adverse weather conditions tend to reverse relatively fast as production recovers,” it added.
However, the Bank of Mexico also said that the balance of risks for inflation within the forecast horizon is “biased to the upside.”
Among the upside risks is the possibility that the Mexican peso continues to depreciate.
The peso was trading at 19.80 to the US dollar Thursday at midday Mexico City time.
The currency has depreciated about 14% against the greenback since Mexico’s June 2 elections, in large part due to the ruling Morena party’s strong election results and its legislative agenda, including a controversial proposal to allow Mexican citizens to directly elect Supreme Court justices and other judges.
