Trump's newest Mexico-related social media posts and Sheinbaum's favorite new music were also covered at the Monday morning presser. (Presidencia)
At her Monday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about her upcoming trip to Honduras and revealed she was surprised by some of U.S. President Donald Trump’s social media activity over the weekend.
She also gave presidential endorsements to a deceased Mexican singer-songwriter from the state of Guanajuato and an active musical group from Tijuana.
Sheinbaum: It’s an ‘important time’ to talk about Latin American and Caribbean unity
Sheinbaum said that the first reason why she decided to attend the summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Wednesday is “because we love Xiomara [Castro], the president of Honduras, and she invited us and it’s hard to say no to her.”
“She’s very persistent, I already said that, so she convinced me [to go],” she said.
Sheinbaum said on Friday that she would attend the CELAC summit, but only “for around two hours.”
On Monday, the president indicated that she wasn’t initially inclined to attend the regional summit “because we have a lot of work here.”
Over 30 nations are members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). (Ecuador Ministry of Foreign Relations/Flickr)
Being away, even if it’s just for half a day, means that one doesn’t have the opportunity to attend to “other issues,” she said.
Sheinbaum told reporters that the second reason why she decided to attend the CELAC summit is because she believes it’s “an important time to talk about the unity of Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Sheinbaum said she’s not going to Tegucigalpa just to engage with like-minded presidents from the “progressive” side of politics, but rather to discuss “the importance of expanding the Latin America and Caribbean relationship.”
“We’re a region with enormous potential, with a very close culture. And this is part of what I’m going to propose,” she said.
Trump has previously expressed admiration for the strong imagery used in Mexico’s anti-fentanyl ad campaign. (Secretaría de Salud)
Sheinbaum said she sent the videos to Trump a week or so ago, and applauded his decision to share them given the worldwide reach of his social media posts.
“A lot of people in the whole world look at President Trump’s social media,” she said.
Sheinbaum said that Trump’s decision to post the two videos to Truth Social amounted to “recognition” that “the phenomenon of drugs or drug addiction” is not just a matter of combating the trafficking of drugs within Mexico and to the United States, but also of stopping people from taking drugs in the first place.
“There is a substantive part, which is addressing the causes,” she said. “Why does a young woman or young man start to use a drug?”
“Everything,” Sheinbaum responded before giving a shout-out to José Alfredo Jiménez, a long-deceased singer-songwriter from Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, who was known as “El Rey de la Canción Ranchera” (The King of Ranchera Music) or simply “El Rey” — the title of one of his most iconic songs.
“Anything more recent,” probed the reporter.
“More recent? I listen to Grupo Firme,” Sheinbaum said, providing a presidential endorsement of the regional Mexican music band from Tijuana.
“… I also listen to a lot of oldies because they’re from my time. I also like to listen to rock, I listen to rock en español a lot,” she said.
While the Zócalo in Mexico City naturally drew the biggest crowd, modern technology enabled more than 500,000 to participate in the National Boxing Class at other sites across the country. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
President Claudia Sheinbaum led a historic National Boxing Class in Mexico City’s Zócalo square on Sunday, drawing a reported 42,000 participants in the capital alone, with a nationwide attendance of about 500,000, according to the president’s social media.
Beginning at 9 a.m., the event was held simultaneously in public squares in every Mexican state, such as Plaza del Ángel in the city of Chihuahua, where more than 10,000 people participated, and Plaza Mayor in Torreón, Coahuila, where the turnout was 1,500.
President Sheinbaum was an eager participant at the event, and made a point of reminding everybody of its purpose: “Yes to education, yes to sports, yes to peace, yes to love.” (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
The event was not held in 2024, and this year, officials opted to not seek Guinness recertification as the largest boxing class in the world.
According to a press release, the event was part of Mexico’s National Security Strategy, a framework introduced in 2019 during the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
One of its tenets is “Attention to Causes,” which aims to reduce crime, violence, recruitment into cartels and other social ills by various means — one of which is providing opportunities for young people.
The mass class thus served to promote increased youth participation in community sports, including boxing. It was organized with the support of the Mexico-based World Boxing Council (WBC).
The event at the Zócalo, which was beamed to other sites, featured legendary boxing figuressuch as Julio César Chávez, Roberto Durán, Óscar de la Hoya, Marco Antonio Barrera and Mariana “La Barbie” Juárez.
Participants in the National Boxing Class enjoyed the presence of legendary practitioners of the sweet science, including one who’s often considered the greatest Mexican boxer ever — Julio César Chávez. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
They shared their passion for the sport with young people from all over Mexico, and with prisoners, too, as the event was held in prisons, as well.
A ponytailed Sheinbaum, wearing a white “National Boxing Class” T-shirt, emphasized sport as a tool for social transformation.
“Young Mexicans say: No to violence, no to addiction,” she said. “The people of Mexico say: Yes to education, yes to sports, yes to peace, yes to love.”
Held on the International Day of Sport for Peace, the class included 45 minutes of drills led by the aforementioned boxers.
Mexican Mauricio Sulaimán, the WBC president, was on the stage as well, where he proclaimed, “Being in Mexico City’s Zócalo is an honor … Seeing that we’re all making history together is something that moves me greatly.”
In Chihuahua, participants trained with WBC female super-bantamweight champion Yamileth Mercado, while other states hosted sessions led by local stars, such as former world champion and current Chamber of Deputies Representative Erik Morales in Tijuana and World Boxing Hall of Fame member José “Pipino” Cuevas in Hidalgo.
The federal government’s “Stay Away from Drugs. Fentanyl Kills You” campaign played on screens during workouts, aligning with Sheinbaum’s strategy to address crime and addiction through sports programs in high-risk cities like León and Ciudad Juárez.
Attendees received white wristbands symbolizing the global #WhiteCard movement — encouraging people to unite through sports — and Sheinbaum signed a “Belt of Peace.” The WBC presented her with a golden glove, honoring Mexico’s boxing legacy as a “nation of champions.”
The search collective Hasta Encontrarles CDMX installed a memorial along Mexico City's iconic Paseo de la Reforma in January, in honor of few of the over 100,000 people reported missing in Mexico. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
The United Nations’ Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) said Friday that it would seek additional information from the Mexican government after receiving information that “seems to indicate” that enforced disappearances is a “widespread and systematic practice” in Mexico.
The announcement drew a pointed response from the Mexican government, which said in a statement that it “rejects the statements of the committee members regarding the alleged practice of enforced disappearance by the state.”
Family and friends of missing people gather in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, for a memorial in March. (Adolfo Vladimir/Cuartoscuro)
According to the United Nations, “an enforced disappearance is considered to be the arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the state or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorization, support or acquiescence of the state.”
The abduction and presumed murder of 43 students in Guerrero in 2014 is one example of a case in which the Mexican state was allegedly involved. There have been many other cases of abduction over the years in which Mexican authorities were involved, or allegedly involved.
The CED’s airing of the allegation that the carrying out of enforced disappearances is a “widespread and systematic practice” in Mexico came during concluding remarks at the committee’s 28th session, held between March 17 and April 4 in Geneva, Switzerland.
“This session was also the occasion to look at another worrying situation, that of Mexico,” said CED chairperson Olivier de Frouville, according to the United Nations’ simultaneous interpretation of his remarks in French.
“… The committee has received information which seems to indicate — substantiated indications according to which … [enforced disappearance] is a widespread and systematic practice … in the territory under the jurisdiction of Mexico,” he said without specifying who provided the information.
The request is a first step toward the CED potentially referring the matter to the General Assembly of the United Nations as article 34 of the convention states that:
“If the Committee receives information which appears to it to contain well-founded indications that enforced disappearance is being practiced on a widespread or systematic basis in the territory under the jurisdiction of a state party, it may, after seeking from the state party concerned all relevant information on the situation, urgently bring the matter to the attention of the General Assembly of the United Nations, through the Secretary-General of the United Nations.”
De Frouville said that the request for information from Mexico “does in no way preempt subsequent stages of the procedure.”
“This request for information will be transmitted in the upcoming weeks to the state party,” he added.
Family of a group of young Sanborns employees who disappeared in 2019 search for evidence in Tepeyac National Park near Mexico City in late March. (Haarón Álvarez/Cuartoscuro)
“… The committee’s aim is to have with the state cooperation and constructive exchanges in order to achieve our joint goal, which is full and complete implementation of the convention,” de Frouville said.
Citing “social organizations,” La Jornada newspaper reported that it is the first time that the CED has initiated the ICPPED’s article 34 procedure.
The CED’s consideration of enforced disappearances in Mexico at its 28th session came after a search collective found evidence early last month that suggested that a ranch in the state of Jalisco was used by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) to kill and/or cremate scores of people.
The CED said in a 2022 report that was informed by a visit to Mexico in late 2021 by four of its members that impunity in missing person cases in Mexico is “almost absolute.
With regard to the Teuchitlán case, the United Nations’ committee last week issued a range of advice to Mexican authorities, including recommendations that they adequately protect all bone fragments and other evidence found at the property and immediately subject human remains to genetic testing.
📍El Comité vs Desapariciones Forzadas #CED de @ONU_es dicta medidas cautelares a 🇲🇽 por hallazgo en #Teuchitlán. Tras petición de @solidaria_sc y @plataformagto pide entre otras cosas: resguardar el Rancho Izaguirre, resguardar restos y elementos de prueba, análisis genéticos.👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/RBU2meQX7D
Solidaria and the aforesaid platform — which describes itself as an “academic, political and social project for the strengthening of victims’ collectives and movements in Guanajuato” — detailed the CED’s recommended measures in a joint statement.
During the first six months of Sheinbaum’s presidency, almost 16,000 people were reported as missing, of whom 7,825 have not been located, according to official statistics cited by La Jornada in a report published on Sunday.
‘The Mexican government does not consent to, allow or order the disappearance of persons’
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Interior Ministry (SEGOB) said that Mexico, as a state that is party to the ICPPED, “maintains sustained cooperation” with the CED.
SEGOB subsequently noted that the CED said that it would seek information from Mexico related to “the situation of disappearances in the country.”
“… The Mexican state will analyze said request once it is received in order to share the actions and programs that are implemented at a national level to attend to and combat the phenomenon of disappearances in Mexico,” the ministry said.
“The government of Mexico rejects the statements of members of the committee regarding the alleged practice of enforced disappearance by the state. The Mexican government doesn’t consent to, allow or order the disappearance of persons,” SEGOB said.
Current Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez rejected any suggestion that the federal government carries out enforced disappearances. (CC BY-SA 4.0)
“Mexico is committed to the unconditional respect of human rights and addressing the causes of violence. It has also made clear its commitment to combat this scourge and has announced the implementation of forceful actions to this end,” the ministry added.
In an interview with La Jornada, Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez rejected any claim that the federal government carries out enforced disappearances. She also said that there is no “real” figure on the number of missing persons in Mexico because some cases aren’t reported due to lack of trust in authorities, while some people continued to be classified as missing even after they’re found because families don’t report the location of their loved ones.
With regard to the CED chairperson’s remarks, Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) said in a statement that it believes that de Frouville is wrong to suggest that the Mexican state is involved in the carrying out of abductions.
“We believe that the position of the president of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances is completely disconnected from the reasons that cause the persistence of disappearances in our country.”
In effect, what the CNDH said was that dedicated kidnapping rings and members of criminal organizations, such as powerful drug cartels, are responsible for abductions in Mexico — not Mexican authorities.
The Plataforma por la paz y justicia en Guanajuato said that the CNDH’s denial of responsibility on behalf of the Mexican state was “pitiful.”
Despite an increase in March, Mexico's light vehicle exports slumped by 6% in Q1 compared to the same three-month period last year. (Shutterstock)
Mexico’s light vehicle exports fell by 6% during the first quarter of 2025, compared to the same period last year, with Q1 exports totaling 775,866 units, the national statistics agency INEGI reported on Monday.
In its monthly survey, INEGI’s Administrative Registry of the Light Vehicle Automotive Industry (RAIAVL) — which provides information on the sale, production, and export of light vehicles in Mexico — noted that Mexico’s automotive exports had experienced their worst decline for a three-month period since 2021. In that COVID-19 pandemic year, exports fell by 14.1% in Q1.
The fact that exports increased in March just as the partial tariffs were becoming a reality is a bit of good news in an otherwise negative Q1 for light vehicle exports. (Moisés Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)
The drop in light vehicle exports coincided with a rise in overall production. The most recent report shows that Mexico’s automotive industry produced 973,485 light vehicle units in Q1, marking a 4.8% increase compared to January-March 2024. Light trucks accounted for 76.1% of the total production figure, with the rest coming from automobile manufacturing.
The United States is the main destination for Mexico’s light vehicles, contributing 83% of the export market. Meanwhile, 365,025 vehicles were sold domestically, marking a 3.33% rise compared to Q1 of 2024.
In March alone, exports rose by 3.8% compared to the same month in 2024, to 296,964 units, the highest figure since March 2019. Mexico’s light vehicle production also increased, by 12.1% to 338,669 units.
However, the March improvement could not make up for the negative figures seen in January and February, which were blamed on the uncertainty surrounding the beginning of the threats — and later implementation — of tariffs by the United States.
The impact of tariffs on vehicle exports
For a fifth consecutive year in 2024, Mexico expanded its share of the U.S. import market. The value of automotive exports to the U.S. totaled US $181.4 billion in 2024 and contributed 38.5% of the U.S. market for automobiles, an increase from 37.8% in 2023.
The flight results from a major renovation of Puerto Escondido's airport, which recently received a historic investment of 200 million dollars. (@Enel_Aire/X)
Direct flights from the United States to the laid-back beach town of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, are now available as the sunny surf destination seeks to open up to new tourism markets.
The weekly flight, which launched on April 5, is serviced by United Airlines’ partner Mesa Airlines and departs from Houston, Texas, every Saturday.
¡El primer vuelo internacional directo desde Houston ya llegó a Puerto Escondido!
— Saymi Pineda Velasco (@saymipinedav) April 5, 2025
“This direct service benefits Houston in many ways,” head of aviation for Houston Airports Jim Szczesniak said. “It will boost our hospitality and tourism industries while creating new partnerships and economic exchanges between our city and Mexico.”
Operating on board an Embraer 175 with a capacity between 70 and 76 seats, the flight departs George Bush International Airport (IAH) at 9:51 a.m. and lands at Puerto Escondido International Airport (PXM) at 11:35 am. The outbound flight departs Oaxaca at 12:35 p.m. and lands in Texas at 4:17 p.m.
Oaxaca Tourism Minister Saymi Adriana Pineda Velascosaid that this first international flight is a milestone that marks the beginning of a new era for Puerto Escondido.
The flight, she said, results from a major renovation of the airport, which recently received a historic investment of 200 million dollars. This investment includes upgrades to runways, taxiways, commercial aviation platforms, general aviation platforms and access to roads.
Carlos Manuel Merino, the general director of airports and auxiliary services of Mexico, said on his official X account that “this new air link represents a significant tourist and economic opportunity to the center of Puerto Escondido.” Meanwhile, Houston Mayor John Whitmire mentioned in late 2024 that “adding Puerto Escondido to our growing list of international destinations is another win for Houston before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
Tourists disembarking from the first international flight to the Oaxaca beach town of Puerto Escondido on Saturday. (@cmmerino/X)
Puerto Escondido, until recently, had remained relatively unknown to foreign tourists. But its reputation as a laid-back surfing destination has increased tourism in the area.
Thanks to itscoastline featuring eight unique waves and some of the best beach breaks in the world, Puerto Escondido was recently designated aWorld Surfing Reserve — a coveted title that acknowledges the region’s world-class waves and ecological significance.
With a new international flight and airport renovations underway, Pineda expects the airport to receive some three million tourists per year.
Two young photographers were crushed by an unsafe structure on Saturday while covering AXE Ceremonia for the music publication Mr. Indie. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
Two photojournalists were killed at a Mexico City music festival Saturday night when a scissor lift displaying a decorative bear collapsed.
Berenice Giles, 28, and Miguel Hernández, 26, were pronounced dead shortly after the accident, which occurred around 5 p.m. on the festival grounds at Bicentennial Park. The two photographers were also alumni of the National Autonomous University of Mexico’s Aragón (FES Aragón UNAM) campus in eastern Mexico City.
Despite the tragedy and a suspension order from borough officials, organizers of the AXE Ceremonia festival allowed the concert to continue for several hours before the show was finally shut down between 1 and 2 a.m. Sunday.
The organizer Grupo Eco continued posting on social media about the concerts, mentioning later in the day that two people had been injured in an accident.
Late Saturday, Mexico City officials canceled the second day of the festival, ordered Bicentennial Park shut down and announced they would open an investigation. By dawn on Sunday, borough officials had sealed off the park’s entrance and dispatched police to the area.
On Sunday afternoon, friends, colleagues and concert-goers mourned the victims and demanded justice at a vigil outside the gates of the park.
Several in attendance expressed indignation that neither concert organizers nor performers had issued public statements or condolences. The victims’ employer — news and music website Mr. Indie — also came in for criticism for failing to publicly acknowledge the tragedy until Sunday morning.
Friends, colleagues and concert-goers mourned the victims and demanded justice at a vigil outside the gates of Bicentennial Park on Sunday evening. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
By Monday, AXE Ceremonia and artists scheduled to perform at the festival, including Charli XCX and Massive Attack, had released statements on social media lamenting the deaths of the photojournalists.
“We have been working hand in hand with the authorities and collaborating with all required requests,” AXE Ceremonia wrote on Instagram on Monday morning. “This unfortunate event deeply saddens us as a community and obliges us all the more to review and strengthen our civil protection and security protocols in order to prevent something like this from happening again.”
By Monday afternoon, the festival had deleted all prior posts from its feed and replaced its profile photo with the color black.
The role of negligence in the fatal incident at Ceremonia
The circumstances surrounding the accident at the music festival are not clear. An official statement issued by the Miguel Hidalgo borough said high winds whipped through the area, which could have brought down the scissor lift that was sustaining the bear-shaped banner.
One scissor lift manufacturer contacted by the news site Animal Político said its operation manual specifically warns against draping banners or signs across the mechanism, because it destabilizes the lift.
Additionally, Animal Político reported that the scissor lift was being moved by a crane when the scissor mechanism — which can weigh more than 5,000 pounds — collapsed. Other reports suggested that it was the crane itself that collapsed.
There are also conflicting reports regarding the time of death of the victims. On Saturday evening, the festival shared a preliminary statement on Instagram saying Giles and Hernández had died from their injuries in the hospital, while the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) wrote on X at 11 p.m. that same day that the victims had arrived at Dr. Rubén Leñero General Hospital without vital signs.
President Sheinbaum on Monday ordered that the Agricultural, Territorial and Urban Development Ministry (Sedatu) review the festival’s concessions following the tragic incident. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
Family members and colleagues demand justice and safe working conditions
At Sunday’s vigil, colleagues of the fallen photojournalists and members of the news media criticized Ceremonia for failing to provide a safe space for its attendees and called on the festival industry to advocate for better conditions for music journalists.
“May there never again be an event without sufficient security protocols and that prioritizes money over the safety of their attendees and workers,” they demanded. “This [festival] will have a different name next year, but will we go again?” said another protester, according to the newspaper El Financiero.
Immediately following the incident, Mexico City’s Civil Protection Ministry blamed Miguel Hidalgo borough officials, who responded that the ministry carried out an official security review of the festival grounds along with borough supervisors on Friday, April 5.
For her part, President Sheinbaum offered condolences to the family members of the victims and ordered that the Agricultural, Territorial and Urban Development Ministry (Sedatu) review the festival’s permits and decide “whether under these circumstances it is feasible to withdraw [Ceremonia’s] concession” to use the Bicentennial Park.
Family members of the victims on Sunday criticized the lack of clarity in the ongoing investigation. The father of Berenice Giles told the news channel Nmás that his family had received no information about the circumstances of Berenice’s death and were concerned the probe would be mismanaged by the corresponding authorities.
Water levels in the Cutzamala reservoirs have increased since this time last year, but Mexico City's water system remains on shaky footing. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
A year after severe drought and lack of rainfall took the Mexico City metropolitan area to the brink of a water crisis, conditions appear much improved in 2025.
The National Water Commission (Conagua) reported that as of April 1, the Cutzamala reservoir system — which provides almost a third of the capital’s water and supplies several suburban areas within neighboring México state — was at 56% capacity.
A year ago on April 1, 2024, supplies were at 34.7% capacity, more than 20% less than current water levels.
Although this is a relief to the millions of people that rely on the Cutzamala for its water, Conagua data shows that the current situation is considerably below average. In 2020, supplies were at 73.3% capacity and, in 2019, the Cutzamala was 82% full.
While the 56.4% figure at the beginning of April is somewhat reassuring, Conagua reported that 5.98 million cubic meters of water was drawn out of the reservoirs during the last week of March. At the same time, no precipitation had been recorded across the extent of the system, which stretches northwest across México state and into the state of Michoacán.
A water truck makes deliveries in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa borough during the 2024 water shortage. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)
On March 25, the Water Basin Organization of the Valley of Mexico (OCAVM) said the Cutzamala system was at 57.2% of capacity, down from 64% in December and nearly 67% in November.
As such, Conagua warns that the panorama remains delicate, especially if the threat of drought rises again. For now, however, Mexico’s Drought Monitor reported that none of Mexico City’s 16 boroughs was experiencing drought.
Additionally, the four-decade-old Cutzamala system is aging badly and earthquakes have caused damage to the pipes. Studies show that more than 40% of the system’s water is lost through leaks.
As part of the plan, Brugada inaugurated a water purification plant that will provide jugs of purified water at reduced price to low-income families who reside in areas — such as the boroughs of Iztapalapa and Xochimilco — that suffer chronic water shortages.
One of Mexico's most internationally recognized architects of the moment is Fernanda Canales, part of a movement of younger Mexican architects who favor natural materials and pay attention to how a space fits into its environment and how it will be used. (Wikimedia Commons)
Mexico has always been rich in architecture. In the last century, this country gave to the world remarkable talents such as Luis Barragán, Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, Teodoro González de León, Abraham Zabludovsky and Mario Pani.
And over the past 15 years, outstanding minds like Tatiana Bilbao, Frida Escobedo, Alberto Kalach and Mauricio Rocha Iturbide have also contributed their unique expertise to the Mexican and international architectural scene. Now, a new generation of young architects is emerging with exciting ideas.
Many younger Mexican architects are interested in building with more natural materials and taking into context a project’s surrounding environment, as well as the people who will engage with the space. (Gabriela Etchegaray)
Movements such as the transformation of traditional houses into modern spaces and the resurgence of Brutalism have placed Mexican architecture in a remarkable position. New talents are establishing their creative studios, earning significant global awards and prompting reflections on the role and function of architecture.
So here we share a selection of some of Mexico’s rising-star architects, who inspire with their talent and fresh perspectives.
Fernanda Canales
Recognized for her personal approach to architecture, Fernanda Canales is also a prolific architecture theorist and critic. She has published significant works, including “Architecture in Mexico 1900-2010: The Construction of Modernity” and “100×100+: Architects of the 20th Century in Mexico.”
Among her notable projects are the Elena Garro Cultural Center in Mexico City and the UDG Performing Arts Center, created in collaboration with the Mexico City architecture firm Arquitectura 911sc and with architect Alejandro Hernández in Guadalajara. Canales has received prestigious awards, including the Dorfman Award by the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
From left to right, Pavel Escobedo and Andrés Solíz. (Escobedo Soliz.net)
Andrés Soliz and Pavel Escobedo
Pavel Escobedo (1988) and Andrés Solíz (1990) founded the Escobedo Solíz studio in 2016. These young architects possess an exceptional vision for architecture, deeply attuned to the sociocultural context and the memory embedded in their projects, making their work both profound and socially responsible.
Their architectural firm has garnered numerous awards, including the Holcim Awards for Sustainable Architecture (2014), the MoMA Young Architects Program (2016), Emerging Voices 2020 from the Architectural League of New York and the Fritz Hoeger Prize Grand Prix award in 2020.
Their work has been showcased at prestigious venues, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the MAXXI Museum in Rome and the Venice Architecture Biennale.
Notable projects include the Casa Nogal in México state, designed with a low budget to reflect the realities of many Mexican families, and Casa Nakasone, built using common and economical materials to create a beautiful home on the outskirts of Mexico City.
Architect Gabriela Carillo’s designs pay close attention to a space’s social context and its environment. (gabrielacarillo.mx)
Gabriela Carrillo
This talented architect began her career in 2011 at the renowned Taller de Arquitectura Mauricio Rocha. Her outstanding contributions led to her becoming a partner in 2011, at which point the firm was renamed Taller Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo.
She currently leads Taller Gabriela Carrillo and has received significant accolades, including the Dorfman Prize and the International Women in Architecture Award in 2017.
Her designs are characterized by a keen sensitivity to context and environment, with notable works including the San Pablo Cultural Center (2013) in Oaxaca, the School of Plastic Arts of Oaxaca (2009) and the Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired of the Citadel (2013).
Héctor Barroso
Héctor Barroso is also known for his desire to integrate his designs with the surrounding environment, considering elements like surrounding vegetation, soil composition and geographic features.
Hector Barroso sees air as a fundamental element of architecture, shaping structures. (Alta Habitat)
His awards include the Silver Medal from the Colegio de Arquitectos de la Ciudad de México and the Sociedad de Arquitectos Mexicanos (CAM-SAM), as well as the Gold Medal from the Segunda Bienal de Jóvenes Arquitectos organized by the Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana.
Among his projects are the Salara Residences in Pescadero, Baja California Sur and the Los Helechos housing project in Valle de Bravo in México state.
Gabriela Etchegaray
Acclaimed architect Gabriela Etchegaray is remarkably versatile, designing everything from buildings to jewelry. She is also a critic and curator, viewing architecture as a social and artistic tool that creates experiences within buildings, landscapes, and cities.
Etchegaray has collaborated with notable architects such as Mauricio Rocha and Michel Rojkind and in 2011, cofounded the art and architecture studio Ambrosi|Etchegaray with Jorge Ambrosi. She is also part of the AMET studio, which focuses on real estate projects that engage in dialogue with their surroundings and promote urban development.
Among her accolades are the Moira Gemmill Award for Emerging Architecture from the Women in Architecture Awards and the Emerging Voices award in 2015 from the Architectural League of New York for Ambrosi|Etchegaray.
Among Mexico City architect Gabriela Etchegaray’s views is that architectural projects create experiences for people engaging with them. (Wikimedia Commons)
Notable projects include the Edificio IT apartment building in Mexico City’s Hipódromo neighborhood, the EM house, a private residence in Querétaro, the pavilion for the Friendly Cultures Fair in 2016, the Antonio Sola apartment complex in Mexico City’s Condesa neighborhood, and the Milagrito Industrial Palenque in Oaxaca, an outdoor facility for making traditional tequila.
Carlos Faci and Marina Leboreiro
Architects Carlos Faci and Marina Leboreiro’s Faci Leboreiro Studio, founded in 2011, is an architecture and interior design studio focused on creating sensory experiences through meticulous space design.
Their project, Estudio Basalto, characterized by the use of basalt stone, oak wood, and marble, won the Grand Prix du Design in Québec, Canada. They have also earned awards such as Mexico’s PRISMA award for interior design and the DNA (Paris Design Awards), the latter of which also recognized their Estudio Basalto project.
Other notable projects include Zeru restaurant in Miami, the 2024 Cesantoni pavilion at the Obra Blanca Expo in Mexico City, and the lobby bar at the Presidente InterContinental hotel in Mexico City’s Polanco neighborhood.
Marina Leboreiro and Carlos Faci are interested in how architecture provides sensory experiences. (facileboreiro.com)
For Faci and Laboreiro, architecture is defined as the spaces carried in the soul, and they describe their style as contemporary, warm and timeless.
At their Mexico City architectural firm Comunal, their approach emphasizes functional, formal and aesthetically appropriate designs that resonate with the essence of a place and the culture and the people surrounding it.
Their accolades include a 2020 honorable mention in the Oscar Niemeyer Award for Latin American Architecture and recognition at the AR Emerging Architecture Awards (AREA) in London.
Mariana Ordóñez and Jesica Amescua emphasize functional designs that resonate with the place where a structure exists, as well as with the culture and the people there. (National Museum of Architecture)
One of their most recognized projects is Social Housing Production: Exercise 01, a communal home in a rural community in Oaxaca built using underutilized natural resources such as bamboo, wood and stone — and credited on their website as being built by the firm and the community of Tepetzintan. They also designed the Bachillerato Rural Digital School in Tepetzintan, a rural school in a Nahua community.
Architectural creativity is undoubtedly thriving in Mexico. What other talents would you add?
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.
"We have the pedal to the metal," the CEO of Nissan México told reporters following last week's presentation of the automaker's 2024 performance. (Nissan México)
Nissan is sticking to its current production and investment plans for Mexico despite the United States’ imposition of tariffs on imported vehicles last week, according to the head of the Mexican subsidiary of the Japanese automaker.
“There is no modification to short-term plans because to a large extent those decisions aren’t short-term ones,” Rodrigo Centeno, president and general director of Nissan Mexicana, told reporters after the presentation of the company’s 2024 results.
Rodrigo Centeno, president and general director of Nissan Mexicana. (Nissan México)
“Moving production tooling is not so easy, it’s a matter that requires a lot of planning and strategy,” he said.
“We don’t have any change on the table at this time. We have the pedal to the metal.”
Centeno’s assertion that Nissan isn’t making any immediate change to its plans in Mexico serves as reassurance for the Mexican auto sector as the company’s CEO Makoto Uchida said in February that the automaker could leave Mexico if 25% tariffs proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump were to take effect.
Nissan has three plants in Mexico — two in the state of Aguascalientes and one in Morelos — from which it exports about 320,000 vehicles to the U.S. each year. The company sold more cars in Mexico last year than any other automaker.
“She’s leading in an assertive, correct, moderate and adult way. I believe we’re doing well and the results are tangible,” Centeno said.
Sheinbaum said on Friday that Mexico is “in a better position than other countries in the world” because the United States didn’t impose so-called “reciprocal tariffs” on its exports, while many goods can still be shipped to the U.S. tariff-free if they comply with the rules of the USMCA. She said that Mexico avoided reciprocal tariffs on its exports to the U.S. due to “the good relationship we’ve built between the government of Mexico and the government of the United States.”
Nissan México’s CEO said “It’s time to work for and with Mexico,” while praising President Sheinbaum for her leadership amid uncertain trade relations with the United States. (Presidencia)
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said last Thursday that Mexico has “preferential treatment” from the United States, and declared that the government’s “goal in the next 40 days is to achieve the best conditions among all countries of the world for the [Mexican] auto industry.”
Centeno said “it’s time to work for and with Mexico” and asserted that Nissan is committed to the country while also having “a significant global vocation.”
Nissan sold more than 255,000 vehicles in Mexico last year, while it made just under 670,000 units at its three Mexican plants, an 8.8% increase compared to 2023.
Cereal-milk ice cream was created in New York City, but we reimagine this nostalgic treat with the flavors of Mexico! (Canva)
The idea for cereal-milk soft serve ice cream was conceived by American Christina Tosi, a James Beard award-winning pastry chef who was intrigued by the milk that infused her cereal. The milk’s incomparable sweetness (you must admit that nothing comes close!) brought back “sweet” memories of her childhood and the cereal and milk that went along with it.
She used it as an ingredient in panna cotta and other desserts, and then she got the notion that it would make a fabulous soft serve ice cream. She opened Milk Bar in New York City with cereal-milk soft serve, which became one of its signature items. The ice cream became a hit, an innovative dessert that appealed to the nostalgia in her patrons, who were also impressed by her use of varied cereal flavors.
If you love this delicious cereal-milk ice cream, it’s Christina Tosi you need to thank. (Christina Tosi)
The original recipe involved soaking toasted cornflakes in milk, straining them, and using the sweet milk as the base for the luxuriously rich ice cream. To top it off, there were also crushed, caramelized cornflakes to go with it.
Tosi then expanded her repertoire, offering packaged pints of ice cream and developing cereal-milk lattes and milkshakes. Even Ben & Jerry’s and Burger King copied her concept. What Tosi did was take a simple idea and turn it into a cult favorite and a modern culinary trend — pretty impressive!
Although cereal-milk soft serve isn’t a staple of Mexican desserts, La Michoacana’s ice cream shops (located throughout Mexico) feature cereal-inspired flavors like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and yogurts inspired by cereal flavors. If you search TikTok videos from Mexico, you’ll find originators making cereal-based ice creams using popular brands like Fruity Pebbles.
So, how do we make our own cereal-milk soft serve? It’s easy, and the recipe I’m including here is for a no-churn variety. I also took the liberty of making it Mexican, by adding Mexican products and spices, etc., which I think is far more tantalizing than the plain sweetness of simple, milk-infused cornflakes. Disfruta!
No-Churn Mexican cereal milk soft serve ice cream
This recipe makes about 4 cups of ice cream. (Canva)
* Mexican brands noted for intense flavor: Villa Vainilla; Vainilla Totonac’s; Molina Vainilla
Pinch (0.36 g) cayenne pepper or chile en polvo
For the ice cream base:
2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream (most frequently found in Mexico as crema para batir)
1 can (14 oz.) (397 g) sweetened condensed milk (leche condensada or lechera)
Pinch (0.36 g) salt
For the toppings:
Dulce de leche, caramel or butterscotch sauce, honey or maple syrup
Crushed Maria (Galletas Marias) cookies or other sweet cookies
Toasted coconut flakes
Lime zest
Fresh fruits like strawberries or mangos
Instructions:
Prepare the cereal milk:
In a bowl, combine cereal, milk, cinnamon, vanilla and cayenne or chili powder.
Let soak for about 30 minutes so that the milk absorbs all the spices and cereal flavors.
Strain through a fine sieve. Press out as much liquid as possible.
Discard the soggy cereal.
Whip the cream:
In a large mixing bowl, using a hand-held or stand mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
Gently fold the sweetened condensed milk and salt into the whipped cream.
Gradually add milk and mix until fully incorporated.
Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container.
Cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper to prevent ice crystals.
Freeze four hours for soft serve and 6 hours for firm ice cream.
Serve:
Drizzle sauces/syrups over ice cream.
Sprinkle crushed Maria cookies, pan dulce, fruits, toasted coconut flakes or lime zest on top.
Deborah McCoy is the one-time author of mainstream bridal-reference books who has turned her attention to food, particularly sweets, desserts and fruits. She is the founder of CakeChatter™ on FaceBook and X (Twitter), and the author of four baking books for “Dough Punchers” via CakeChatter (available @amazon.com). She is also the president of The American Academy of Wedding Professionals™ (aa-wp.com).
