Tuesday, July 8, 2025

12 ‘megaofrendas’ to visit during Day of the Dead weekend in Mexico

By
MND Staff
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Megaofrenda in Mexico City's Zocalo square, of a parade float made to look like a steam locomotive, decorated in papel picada, Mexican marigolds and a larger-than-life figure of a Mexican revolutionary holding a gun and wearing a straw sombrero.
Mexico City hosts many megasized Day of the Dead altars, the most prominent in its Zócalo main square, like this one from 2023. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)

Each year, as part of the Day of the Dead celebrations, cities across Mexico are decorated with marigolds, candles and sugar skulls to honor the lives of the dead. 

Ofrendas — altars to the dead — are created using brightly colored powders and papel picado (decorative tissue paper), and are adorned with photos of deceased loved ones as well as their favorite foods and drinks. 

2024’s megofrenda in the Zócalo, which will be formally inaugurated by Mexico City officials at 7 p.m. Wednesday, features giant-sized traditional “catrina” skeletons. (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)

In addition to the household ofrendas that glow overnight on Nov. 1, several Mexican cities construct giant ofrendas in their main squares during this time of year. Here are some megaofrendas to visit this weekend across Mexico.

Mexico City

Mexico City’s central Zócalo square will become one giant ofrenda featuring larger-than-life catrinas — skeletal figures – inspired by the Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada. 

The lighting ceremony will take place on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. and the ofrenda will be on view through Nov. 3.

Mexico City is host to several other megaofrendas including one at the Anahuacalli Museum, celebrating its 60th anniversary and dedicated to its founder Diego Rivera. This ofrenda opens to the public at 6 p.m. on Oct. 30 and can be visited until Dec. 1. 

Every year, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) proudly displays a massive ofrenda at the Explanada de Universum. This year’s will be open to the public Nov. 1–3 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Alternatively, in the east of the city at the Panteón de Dolores cemetery, there will be a special ofrenda dedicated to deceased pets between Nov. 1 and 3. The cemetery is open between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m but it’s advised to visit early as its gates close promptly at 5.  

San Miguel de Allende 

Several ofrendas will be on display throughout the colonial city of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, over Day of the Dead, the biggest of which can be found in the San Rafael neighborhood from 9 a.m. on Nov. 1, created by the community organization Yo Amo Mi Barrio.

The city is also putting on a variety of associated free events in key sites and neighborhoods throughout town.  

Mérida

In Mérida, Yucatán, the city hall erected a giant altar in the main square on Oct. 26 as part of its Festival de las Ánimas 2024. The ofrenda measures 15 meters in length and six in height and will be open to visitors until Nov. 2. There will also be a full schedule of holiday festivities running through Nov. 8.

A Mexican boy and girl in Day of the Dead style makeup in traditional Yucatan clothing, holding thick white candles in their hands as part of a nighttime Day of the Dead ceremony
In Mérida, Day of the Dead celebrations have a distinct flavor, as they are based on Indigenous Maya traditions around the holiday. Mérida’s activities already started Saturday and will continue through Nov. 8. (Mid City Beat)

Querétaro

Just two hours north of Mexico City in Querétaro, the government is constructing a megaofrenda in the downtown Plaza de Armas, dedicated to police who died in service. There will also be decorations across several of the city’s central squares and streets. 

Puerto Vallarta/Bahía de Banderas

In Puerto Vallarta. on the west coast of Mexico, the local council has erected a giant catrina on the boardwalk to celebrate the Day of the Dead, measuring 25 meters in height. 

A massive ofrenda entitled the Magic Cemetery will also be on view in the Plaza Pública de Valle de Banderas, where visitors can find fantastical tombs, mausoleums, decorated animal statues (alebrijes) and giant skulls.

Oaxaca

Oaxaca attracts thousands of tourists to its Day of the Dead celebrations every year. This year, you can find a giant altar to the dead at the Government Palace in Oaxaca city, which will be open all week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

A total of 700 pots of marigolds will adorn the building along with candles to guide the way. 

Pátzcuaro

Another of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations for the Day of the Dead is Pátzcuaro in Michoacán.

The town is famous for its elaborate decorations and traditional celebrations. This year, there will be a giant ofrenda in the main Vasco de Quiroga square with celebrations starting at 5 p.m. on Oct. 30 and running until the night of Nov. 3. 

Aguascalientes

In Aguascalientes, the Cultural Institute of Aguascalientes inaugurated its Day of the Dead ofrenda on Oct. 25 and visitors can go and marvel at the altar all week. 

This year, the ofrenda is dedicated to the famous Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros on the 50th anniversary of his death. 

 With reports from N+, Donde Ir, Chilango, Milenio, Periodico Correo, 24 Horas Yucatan, Meridiano, Ri Oaxaca, Mi Morelia and El Sol del Centro

Explosion at Tlaxcala steelworks kills 12 employees, injures another

By
MND Staff
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Emergency responders with a water truck at the nighttime scene of an explosion at a Tlaxcala steel mill
Preliminary accounts by the Tlaxcala government said that the explosion early Wednesday morning happened after steel came into contact with water. (Tlaxcala Government)

An explosion and fire at a steelworks in Tlaxcala claimed 12 lives on Wednesday morning, the state government said.

The accident occurred at the Simec steelworks in the municipality of Xaloztoc, located northeast of the city of Tlaxcala.

The online news site Qué Poca Madre published footage it said was of the early-morning explosion.

 

The Tlaxcala government said on social media shortly after 9:30 a.m. that 12 people were killed in the explosion and that one other person was injured. The deceased were working the night shift at the steelworks.

Citing preliminary reports, the state government said that an explosion occurred in a “tower, as the workers call it,” where the steel pouring process takes place.

The steel came into contact with water and that “generated a reaction,” the government said.

Footage posted to social media showed a huge fireball emanating from the steelworks at the moment the explosion occurred.

Municipal, state and federal authorities, including emergency services and the army and navy, responded to reports of the explosion and fire shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday.

“The fire was controlled, and inspections were carried out to verify there are no more risks,” the Tlaxcala government said.

Tlaxcala Governor Lorena Cuéllar expressed condolences to the families of the victims on the social media platform X on Wednesday morning.

It also said that state authorities, including the Tlaxcala Attorney General’s Office, were investigating to determine the accident’s cause.

Tlaxcala Governor Lorena Cuéllar expressed her “complete solidarity” with the victims and their families.

“I deeply regret what happened this morning at the steelworks in San Cosme Xaloztoc,” she said on X.

Simec is a Mexican company that makes a range of steel products, including structural steel, rebar, steel pipe and steel wire. It has steelworks in several Mexican cities, including Guadalajara and Mexicali. It also is the parent company of Republic Steel in the United States ever since acquiring Republic in 2005.

In 2023, Simec decided to close Republic Steel’s aging steel mills in Canton, Ohio, and Lackawanna, New York, indefinitely and move those operations to its more modern, “state-of-the-art” facilities in Xaloztoc.

With reports from El Economista

Last wild axolotls could disappear from Xochimilco’s canals next year

By
MND Staff
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The axolotl's habitat is limited to the canals running through the chinampas (artificial islands) of Xochimilco, one of Mexico City’s southernmost boroughs.
The axolotl's habitat is limited to the canals running through the chinampas (artificial islands) of Xochimilco, one of Mexico City’s southernmost boroughs.(Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

A new study by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) predicts that axolotls will completely disappear from their native Xochimilco canals in 2025.

The axolotl is an endangered Mexican salamander endemic to the lakes and wetlands of the Valley of Mexico (today Mexico City). Its remaining habitat is limited to the canals running through the chinampas (artificial islands) of Xochimilco, one of Mexico City’s southernmost boroughs. However, experts warn they could completely disappear from the wild next year.

A pink ajolotl in an aquarium
A captive ajolotl with leucistic coloring. (Pixabay)

“In 1998, there were 6,000 axolotls per square kilometer,” Luis Zambrano González from the Biology Institute of the UNAM, said in November 2023 during the presentation of the Adoptaxolotl 2024 campaign. “The last census was carried out in 2014 and there were only 36 [per square kilometer].” 

Later, in 2019, an assessment by the International Union for the Conservation of Species found only between 50 and 1,000 axolotls left in the wild. The causes leading to their elevated risk of extinction include pollution, rising water temperatures and the introduction of fish for human consumption to their habitat.  

About the axolotl 

Pale pink or deep black in color, the axolotl has risen to international fame as Mexico’s cutest underwater mascot.

The axolotl has the unique ability to regenerate lost limbs and organs, enabling them to stay “young” throughout their lives. Unlike other amphibians, they never outgrow their larval, juvenile stage, a phenomenon called neoteny.

As a result of this, experts from the Institute of Biomedical Research and UNAM’s Faculty of Higher Education initiated a study in 2021 to identify germ cells that could aid in the potential regeneration of ovaries and testes. This discovery may have applications in fertility treatments.

The axolotl is thought to reach maturity at around 1.5 years and, in captivity, can live for about 10 years. They can grow up to 30 centimeters in length, although their average size is 15 cm. 

AdoptAxolotl is an ongoing conservation campaign to support the Mexican axolotl population in the wild. (UNAM)

Conservation efforts to protect Mexico’s axolotl population

Zambrano has been working on conservation plans to protect the axolotl’s natural environment for over 20 years. He and his team have concluded that the only way to save and study the wild axolotl is through a revival of ancient farming practices — which do not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers — paired with a strategy of converting farmers’ canals into sanctuaries for the axolotls.

Currently, Zambrano and his team are collaborating with chinamperos (farmers) on the latter goal to introduce specimens into areas of the canals that have not yet been disturbed by humans.

Another effort includes the international “AdoptAxolotl” fundraising campaign by the UNAM, through which you can donate directly to conservation efforts.

With reports from National Geographic, Proceso and The New York Times

Alan Glass retrospective opens at Mexico City’s Palace of Fine Arts

By
MND Staff
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Black and white photo of artist Alan Glass laying out the skeleton of some sort of long fish-like animal in his art studio.
Glass, who spent most of his career in Mexico City, was known for using everyday objects to create surrealist works. He also enjoyed incorporating oddities he found in the capital's flea markets and bazaars. (Museum of the Palace of Fine Arts)

The Museum of the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City is showcasing five decades of the work of Canadian surrealist artist Alan Glass, who made his home in Mexico for much of his career.

The new retrospective, “Alan Glass: Surprising Finding” (“Alan Glass: Sorprendente Hallazgo”), opens Wednesday and runs through Feb. 16, 2025.

Experts inaugurate Alan Glass's new exhibit in Mexico City
The museum opened the exhibit Wednesday with an official inauguration. (INBAL)

Born in Montreal, Canada, in 1932, Glass found in Mexico a primary source of inspiration. He moved to the country in 1970 after discovering one of Mexico’s traditional Day of the Dead sugar skulls and lived in Mexico City up until his death in 2023.

The works on display contain biographical references to the artist, from previously unseen automatist drawings created in Paris to rich representations of his most iconic surrealist objects. 

The magazine Time Out Mexico describes the exhibition, which brings together 125 pieces, as “a dreamlike walk with a fascinating collection of works that include painting, drawing, assemblages and video.”

The collection also references key figures in the surrealist genre with whom Glass was connected, including author André Breton in France — who introduced him to surrealism — Chilean-French filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky and British expat surrealist artist and novelist Leonora Carrington, the latter two in Mexico. 

Glass was one of the the last foreign artists associated with the surrealist movement to settle in Mexico. The exhibition features pieces and boxes he built during his life in Mexico City, in which he used ordinary materials, such as buttons, human hair, insects, and matches, as well as curiosities he found in flea markets and bazaars.

The artist’s ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary is a major focus of the exhibit. 

A quick overview to music of some of Glass’s art on display in the Museum of the Palace of Fine Arts.

“Glass found in the local culture an inexhaustible source of material and spiritual inspiration,” the museum noted on its website.

Overall, the exhibition showcases the artist’s creative process and recurrent concerns: nature, desire, travel, the sacred and death. It is curated by experts Joshua Sánchez, Xavier de la Riva, Abigail Susik, and Swedish researcher Kristoffer Noheden. On display in the museum’s Siqueiros, Camarena, Orozco and Tamayo exhibition halls, the exhibit is open to visitors Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

De la Riva and Susik will also hold a free lecture in English about Glass’s art on Nov. 26 at 6 p.m. Reservations are not needed, but attendance is limited to 80 people.  

Mexico News Daily

Pemex posts massive Q3 losses amid ongoing peso depreciation

By
MND Staff
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A Pemex refinery
Commercial associations have tried both public requests and collective organization to pressure Pemex into paying its debts to suppliers. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)

Pemex reported a net loss of 161.33 billion pesos (US $8.04 billion) in the third quarter of 2024, mainly due to a decline in the value of the Mexican peso against the U.S. dollar.

In better news, the state oil company’s refining output increased compared to the July-September period of 2023 and its debt declined to an eight-year low.

The peso weakened more than 13% against the dollar in the past year.
The 161-billion-peso loss is more than double the 79.13-billion-peso loss Pemex reported in the third quarter of 2024. However, the peso weakened more than 13% against the dollar in the past year. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

The state oil company reported its third-quarter results in a filing with the Mexican Stock Exchange and in a statement posted to its website.

Here is the key information:

Losses

  • Pemex said that it recorded an exchange loss of 130 billion pesos (US $6.47 billion) due to its “passive position in foreign currency.” The company said that the loss was caused by a 6.8% depreciation of the peso against the dollar.
  • Pemex also reported a “deterioration of assets” to the tune of more than 30 billion pesos.
  • The 161-billion-peso loss is more than double the 79.13-billion-peso loss Pemex reported in the third quarter of 2024. However, the peso weakened more than 13% against the dollar in the past year, according to data from the London Stock Exchange.
  • Pemex said that neither the foreign exchange loss nor the deterioration of assets represented “cash outflows.”
  • During former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s six-year term (2018-24), Pemex’s losses totaled 1.3 trillion pesos (US $64.6 billion).

Revenue 

  • Pemex’s revenue declined 7.7% annually in Q3 to 426.12 billion pesos (US $21.24 billion). The main cause of the decline was lower crude export sales. Mexico is exporting less crude in order to supply more to local refineries as it seeks to reach self-sufficiency for fuel.

Production

  • Pemex said it produced an average of 1.76 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and condensate in the third quarter of 2024. It said that 31% of that quantity came from “new developments.”
  • That figure represents a decline of 5.7% compared to a year earlier.
A render illustration of an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico
Pemex is partnering with the company Woodside to develop the Trion oil field, as shown in this rendered illustration of the planned development. (Woodside)

Refining 

  • Pemex said the six refineries of Mexico’s National Refining System refined an average of 962,000 bpd of crude during Q3. Including the state oil company’s refinery in Texas, refining output was just under 1.26 million bpd between July and September, Pemex said.
  • Pemex said the total refining output was 18% higher than in Q3 of 2023.
  • Pemex began refining at its new refinery on the Tabasco coast in Q3, but output remains low.

Debt 

  • Pemex said that its debt on Sept. 30, 2024, was US $97.3 billion. The company said that was its lowest level of debt since 2016. It attributed the decline in debt to “federal government support.”
  • Compared to the end of 2023, Pemex’s debt declined by almost US $9 billion, according to the company’s stock exchange filing.

Government assistance 

  • Pemex said it received 145 billion pesos (US $7.2 billion) in government assistance in the three months between July and September.

A new direction for Pemex? 

An internal Pemex document seen by the Reuters news agency last week indicated that the state oil company will develop new business models to attract investment during Sheinbaum’s 2024-30 administration.

The document also shows that Pemex will ramp up deepwater oil exploration, and that the company is aiming to increase its hydrocarbon reserves and ensure their restitution during the coming years.

With reports from Reforma and Reuters 

COP16: Bárcena seeks Indigenous participation to protect 30% of territory

By
MND Staff
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Alicia Bárcena represented Mexico at the 16th Conference of the Parties on Biological Diversity (COP) in Cali, Colombia.
Alicia Bárcena represented Mexico at the 16th Conference of the Parties on Biological Diversity (COP) in Cali, Colombia. (Alicia Bárcena/X)

Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena described her plans to expand Mexico’s protected lands through partnerships with local governments and Indigenous communities at the Conference of the Parties on Biological Diversity (COP) in Cali, Colombia.

The world’s leading biodiversity conference, COP’s 16th edition has been dubbed “The People’s COP,” as it seeks to elevate the role of Indigenous peoples and local communities as guardians of nature.

Speaking at the conference on Tuesday, Bárcena said that Mexico is committed to implementing urgent measures to protect 153 million hectares of land and sea by 2030, equivalent to 30% of Mexican territory, a goal known as “30×30.”

“In Mexico, we have 232 Natural Protected Areas, which today represent 99 million hectares, and by the year 2030, we have to protect 30.8 million hectares of land and 19.6 million hectares of marine areas. It is an immense task,” Bárcena said.

“We no longer have the territory to be able to create the reserves that we did in the past, like Sian Ka’an,” Bárcena continued. “Therefore, we have to act on what we have today. And that is what we are proposing along with Chile … conservation measures known as OEMCs.”

The acronym OEMC stands for other effective area-based conservation measures, which refers to “a geographically delimited area that is not a protected area, which is managed in such a way as to achieve positive and long-term results for the in situ conservation of biodiversity.”

In her COP16 speech, the minister stressed that applying environmental justice is “a big challenge,” particularly for Mexico.
In her COP16 speech, the minister stressed that applying environmental justice is “a big challenge,” particularly for Mexico. (Alicia Bárcena/X)

In her speech, the minister stressed that applying environmental justice is “a big challenge,” particularly for Mexico. Two major obstacles mentioned by Bárcena are the lack of prevention and justice mechanisms to confront environmental crimes by transnational corporations, and the illegal management of natural resources by organized crime.

Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean at COP16

Latin America and the Caribbean are home to six of the 10 most environmentally diverse countries on the planet — including Mexico. The region has around 60% of the world’s biological diversity and a third of the planet’s fresh water. Mexico alone is home to around 12% of the world’s biodiversity.

Of the 196 countries that make up the list of parties attending COP16, however, only 35 submitted complete biodiversity action plans. In Latin America, only Colombia, Mexico, Cuba and Surinam submitted one.

Mexico’s biodiversity action plan

Mexico’s proposal outlines its strategies and actions aimed at meeting the 23 Kunming-Montreal performance targets for 2030. These include participation of Indigenous peoples, control of invasive species, ecosystem restoration and sustainability in agriculture and fisheries. Overall, the strategy encompasses 48 goals.

“It was a very long process involving many workshops with the federal administration, state governments, representatives of Indigenous peoples, academia and NGOs,” Esiquio Benítez, head of international cooperation and implementation at the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Conabio) told the news outlet Animal Político.

Ahead of the event, Bárcena said that following COP16, her ministry will assess the ambition and viability of the 48 goals based on available funding.

With reports from Mongabay, La Jornada and El País

Therapy talk: Jenna on restarting intimacy later in life

By
Jenna Mayhew - Hola Therapy
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Older couple, woman holds man's face, displaying intimacy
Once it's stalled, resuming intimacy can be tricky, even for couples who've spent many years together. (Ian MacKenzie / CC BY 2.0)

Do you live in Mexico, and are you wondering about how to reinitiate intimacy with your partner? Jenna Mayhew has been working as a psychologist in Mexico for eight years. At her practice, Hola Therapy, she has made it her mission to help foreigners living in Mexico, Mexicans with a foreign partner, foreigners with links to Mexico and Mexicans with links to foreigners or foreign countries.

Now, Jenna answers MND readers’ questions on the pressing issues of relationships, mental health and navigating changes that come with relocating to and living in Mexico.

Jenna Mayhew and the Hola Therapy team
Jenna Mayhew (center) and the team at Hola Therapy. (Jenna Mayhew)

Dear Jenna,

Me and my husband are 80 years old and are still active. 15 years ago we were in our sixties and had a satisfying sex life. Then, about seven years ago, he just stopped all affection. He had a penal implant and said it hurt. I said that that was okay; we could still have affection like foreplay.

Well, that never happened. Everything just stopped. He never went to a doctor to see if anything could be done and stopped taking male hormones. When I bring this up, I get an obligatory kiss good night. He shows his affection by doing things for me, but I really need some physical affection. A bit will do.

Mary

Dear Mary,

It sounds like you and your husband have navigated significant changes together over the years. The transition to reduced physical affection can be challenging, particularly when one partner is managing health-related issues and it happens so abruptly. It’s understandable that you feel disappointed by his lack of proactive engagement. He hasn’t followed up medically, nor has he taken up the suggestion of non-penetrative sex like foreplay. It sounds like you feel quite alone when you try to raise this as a need of yours, receiving the brush-off response of an “obligatory kiss goodnight” rather than an authentic conversation.

Firstly, I think you’ve tried some really helpful things already. You sound like you’re compassionate about the medical side and you’ve tried to talk openly with him. So let’s focus on tweaking some of those strategies to rekindle affection in your relationship.

Older couple looking up and hugging in gesture of intimacy
Physical affection can take many forms. (Shutterstock)

Open communication: Start a gentle conversation about your feelings. Let him know how much you miss physical affection and how it enhances your emotional connection. Instead of saying, “You never show me affection anymore,” try “I miss the hugs we used to share.” This softer approach can lead to a more open and less defensive conversation.

Address medical concerns: Encourage him to discuss his reluctance to follow up medically. Is it logistics? It is embarrassment? Is it a belief that nothing can help? If you understand the reason for the reluctance you may be able to support him in finding a solution.

Explore alternative affection: Consider what types of affection feel comfortable for both of you. Many people shy away from affection out of fear it will lead to sexual expectations. Reassure him that physical touch doesn’t have to culminate in sex. Simple gestures like holding hands, cuddling on the couch, or gentle massages can help rekindle that connection.

Express gratitude: Regularly acknowledge the ways he shows affection through his actions. This recognition can reinforce his sense of being valued and encourage him to explore more physical forms of connection.

Remember, rebuilding intimacy can take time, and it’s important to be patient with each other. You’re both navigating this phase of life together, and finding new ways to connect can enrich your relationship. Here’s to a journey of rediscovery and deeper affection.

Jenna

 

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Ask your questions

To submit your question to Jenna, leave a comment on this article with the heading “QUESTION.” Please include as much detail as you would like to about yourself (age, location, etc.) and why you are interested in the question.

Jenna Mayhew is an Australian psychologist based in Mexico, with over 20 years of experience in Australia, England and Mexico. She is the founder of Hola Therapy, a bilingual practice dedicated to supporting the immigrant and cross-cultural communities in Mexico. 

Hola Therapy aims to give back to the community and one way they achieve this is by providing by clinical and financial support to the Misión México Foundation, a charity in Tapachula, Chiapas. They provide a stable, therapeutic environment for some of the state’s most vulnerable children, with a focus on safety, emotional recovery and education. If you have enjoyed the “Ask Jenna” column, please consider giving back by making a small donation to the Misión México Foundation

Melt-in-your-mouth Chamorro: The ultimate Mexican comfort dish!

By
Stephen Randall
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Chamorro pork
Earthy meets creamy with this Mexican pork dish to warm a fall evening. (Canva)

This chamorro en salsa de adobo recipe works like a dream, but it’s not just because pork tastes good (it does). It’s because the soul of the recipe — the adobo sauce — has traveled centuries to land on your plate. Chipotle peppers and achiote seeds, smoky, bitter, and rich, have been used by the ancestors in Mexico to preserve, flavor, and, some say, to tell stories. The sauce is no simple sauce; it’s a mechanism for time travel.

You’ll spend a few hours cooking, maybe thinking, wondering why this process works so well. The pork, seasoned and baked in the oven, is the main protagonist here. The cast? Chipotle and achiote, who came up the ranks from ancient Mesoamerican markets and made it into Spanish-influenced dishes. While you think you’re cooking, you’re actually carrying on tradition — seasoning the pork, baking it low and slow until tender.

A saucepan full of adobo sauce
The secret to a great chamorro is getting the adobo sauce just right. (Canva)

The chamorro itself, that beautiful pork shank, is a humble, tough cut, much like people themselves, until given some care, time, and the right spices to show its true potential. Chamorro wasn’t always something you’d find on a special menu; it was a common food, born from necessity. This cut became essential for any serious feast as Indigenous ingredients mixed with European influences, as practicality mixed with love for flavor.

So here you are, tasting history. And thinking of the ancient cooks who transformed something simple into something extraordinary. And by the time the pork is tender, you might just feel that sense of respect for the process, for the flavors, and maybe, for this brief moment in time you’re sharing with it.

Chamorro with Salsa de Adobo

Chamorro con salsa de adobo

Ingredients:

For the Pork Shank:

  • 1 pork shank (approx. 1-1.5 kg)
  • Salt to taste
  • Mix of garlic powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, black pepper

For the Adobo Sauce:

  • 100g chipotles in adobo
  • 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp ground oregano
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 50g achiote paste
  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Pork Shank:
    Season the pork shank generously with salt and then the spice mix. 
  2. Prepare the Adobo Sauce:
    • Add all ingredients into a blender and blend
    • Cook on stovetop to reduce until the sauce sticks to the spoon like a barnacle on a boat.
  3. Cook the Pork:
    • Preheat your oven to 135°C (275°F).
    • Place the pork shank in a baking dish. Bake for 2.5 to 3 hours, or until internal temp is 93C.
  4. Finish and Serve:
    • Remove from the oven and pour the adobo sauce over the pork. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

Serving Suggestion: Serve your Chamorro en Salsa de Adobo with warm tortillas, rice, or beans — anything that can heroically soak up that bold, smoky adobo sauce. This is no time for forks and plates; you’re meant to scoop, dip, and revel in every bite like it’s the last you’ll have. Let the sauce wander over your rice, wrap itself in a tortilla, cling to a bean. Each bite should feel like a victory over blandness, a celebration of flavor. Enjoy it well, and let me know what you think in the comments!

Stephen Randall has lived in Mexico since 2018 by way of Kentucky, and before that, Germany. He’s an enthusiastic amateur chef who takes inspiration from many different cuisines, with favorites including Mexican and Mediterranean. His recipes can also be found on YouTube.

Shandong Golden Empire invests US $165M in San Luis Potosí

By
MND Staff
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Shandong Golden Empire manufacturing demonstration with a white car frame in a conference hall and blue robotic arms on either side of the frame manipulating auto parts
Shandong Golden Empire will build a major manufacturing plant in Mexico to produce components for the automobile, robotics, wind turbine and aerospace industries. (Shandong Golden Empire)

The Chinese firm Shandong Golden Empire (GEB) announced Friday plans to invest US $165 million in the state of San Luis Potosí. 

GEB will construct a plant in Mexico’s biggest industrial park, Parque Logistik III, located in Villa de Reyes, just south of the city of San Luis Potosí. 

Front wall of Logistik Industrial Park in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. It features the company's name and logo and behind it are flags from Japan, the US, Mexico, and Germany
Shandong Golden Empire will build its San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico’s largest industrial park, the Logistik Industrial Park in the municipality of Villa Reyes. (Logistik)

GEB’s plant will produce equipment and components for the automobile, urban train, robotics, wind turbine and aerospace industries, and aims to enhance industrial and technological development in the state. The investment is part of GEB’s plan for strategic expansion in key sectors, the state Economic Development Ministry said. 

GEB’s is one of 10 investment commitments already made in the state in the last year by Chinese companies, totaling $1.17 billion, according to San Luis Potosi’s Economic Development Minister Jesus Salvador González Martínez, who also announced that the ministry is currently wooing six more Chinese companies to invest in the state, primarily in the automobile and manufacturing sector. 

“Tomorrow, the Minister of Economic Development Minister, Jesús Salvador González Martínez, will meet with the Ambassador of China, Zhang Run, who will visit [San Luis Potosí’s] industrial zone to explore potential investment opportunities. We will strengthen ties, and we expect growth!” the ministry posted on the X social media platform Monday.

San Luis Potosi is part of the central Mexico Bajío region, where several major automakers have longstanding operations, including Toyota, Honda and General Motors (GM). The region benefits from its strategic location in Mexico’s center, as well as from the USMCA free-trade agreement between the U.S. Mexico and Canada, which facilitates exports to the North American market. 

San Luis Potosí state is home to more than 300 auto manufacturing businesses alone, both foreign and Mexican.

In recent years, Chinese companies have sought to build manufacturing or assembly facilities in Mexico in order to benefit from the USMCA free trade zone, although the U.S. has been making moves to prevent Chinese companies from getting around heavy U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods by producing them in Mexico.

In March, Minth México, a subsidiary of the Chinese auto parts company Minth Group, announced plans to build two new plants in the central state of Aguascalientes — also part of the Bajío region — with a combined cost of  $173.5 million. This followed news last December that Chinese Tier 1 supplier Xinquan Automotive planned to invest $100 million in its Aguascalientes plant. 

In the past, González said, the state government had offered companies free land to attract big investors like BMW and GM. However, improved financial incentives, a favorable business environment and straightforward administrative processes have helped attract higher levels of investment to the region in recent years without having to do that, he said.

With reports from Cluster Industrial and El Economista

Sheinbaum’s first month in office marked by mixed security landscape

By
MND Staff
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Sheinbaum during the Oct. 29 morning press conference
Sheinbaum's security cabinet attempted to portray a positive picture of Mexico's security situation on Tuesday, but the reality is much more complex. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

Federal security officials on Tuesday highlighted a decline in homicides and more than 800 arrests since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office on Oct. 1.

National Public Security System (SNSP) chief Marcela Figueroa Franco and Security Minister Omar García Harfuch both presented data at the morning press conference of Sheinbaum, who was sworn in as Mexico’s first female president exactly four weeks ago.

During Sheinbaum's Tuesday morning press conference, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said that authorities have seized 834 firearms, 33,800 kilograms of "different kinds of drugs" and more than 46,000 fentanyl pills this month.
During Sheinbaum’s Tuesday morning press conference, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said that authorities have this month seized 834 firearms, 33,800 kilograms of “different kinds of drugs” and more than 46,000 fentanyl pills. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

They attempted to portray a positive picture of Mexico’s security situation, but the reality remains that various parts of the country are plagued by high levels of violent crime.

The security update on Tuesday came three weeks after the new federal government presented its national security strategy, based on four key pillars, including the consolidation of the National Guard and the strengthening of intelligence gathering.

An average of 75 homicides per day in October 

Figueroa, a former Mexico City security official, said that preliminary data shows that there was an average of 75.3 homicides between Oct. 1 and Oct. 28.

That means there have been more than 2,100 murders in Mexico since Sheinbaum was sworn in.

Figueroa highlighted that the average daily murder rate this month is the lowest for any October since 2017.

She also noted that the daily murder rate this year — an average of 82.32 murders per day between Jan. 1 and Oct. 28 — is more than 18% lower than the daily rate in both 2018 —the year former president Enrique Peña Nieto’s term ended — and 2019, which was ex-president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s first full year in office.

The daily murder rate so far this year is 3.26% lower than the rate across 2023. The rate during Sheinbaum’s first 28 days in office is 8.5% lower than the rate for the year to date.

Guanajuato remains Mexico’s most violent state 

There have been almost 25,000 homicides in Mexico so far this year, according to the data presented by Figueroa on Tuesday morning.

The SNSP chief noted that 49.8% of the murders — a total of 12,400 — occurred in just seven states.

Smoke and flaming debris in the middle of a street where doors to buildings have been blown off. A silhouetted man stands in the street with his back to the camera.
Last week, several police officers were wounded after car bombs went off near Public Security Ministry buildings in Acámbaro and Jerécuaro, Guanajuato. (Acámbaro SSC/X)

The seven states with the highest number of homicides between Jan. 1 and Oct. 28 were:

  • Guanajuato: 2,562 murders (10.3% of the total)
  • Baja California: 1,982 murders (8%)
  • México state: 1,919 murders (7.7%)
  • Chihuahua: 1,660 murders (6.7%)
  • Jalisco: 1,514 murders (6.1%)
  • Guerrero: 1,398 murders (5.6%)
  • Nuevo León: 1,365 murders (5.5%)

Most of the violence in Guanajauto — Mexico’s most violent state in recent years — is the result of confrontations between criminal groups, in particular the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.

Among the most violent municipalities in the state are Celaya and Salamanca. Twelve bodies were found in Salamanca on Oct. 3, two days after four men were killed in an armed attack in the same city.

Last Thursday, three police officers were injured when two car bombs were almost simultaneously detonated near Public Security Ministry buildings in the Guanajuato municipalities of Acámbaro and Jerécuaro.

In addition to Guanajuato, various other Mexican states are currently plagued by turf wars between rival criminal groups or battles between competing factions within the same cartel, as is the case in Sinaloa.

Figueroa acknowledged Tuesday that homicides have increased in Sinaloa in September and October as factions of the Sinaloa Cartel — “Los Mayos” and “Los Chapos” — engage in a fierce battle in Culiacán and other parts of the state.

The long-running battle intensified after the alleged kidnapping and subsequent arrest in the U.S. of Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in late July by one of the sons of El Mayo’s predecessor, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán.

824 people arrested for ‘high-impact crimes’ this month 

García Harfuch, a former Mexico City security minister who survived an armed attack in 2020, said that the new federal security cabinet has “developed lines of action based on the strengthening of intelligence and investigation tasks and close inter-institutional coordination.”

The objective, he said, is to “build peace and combat impunity in our country.”

On Oct. 12, alleged Sinaloa Cartel leader Óscar Melchor, known by the alias "El 18," was apprehended in Saltillo
Several cartel leaders, including alleged Sinaloa Cartel leader Óscar Melchor, known by the alias “El 18,” have been arrested in the past month in attempts to bring the state greater security. (FGE Quintana Roo/X)

García said that 824 people were arrested in the first 28 days of the Sheinbaum administration for having allegedly committed “high-impact crimes” such as murder and kidnapping.

The security minister also highlighted that authorities have seized 834 firearms, 33,800 kilograms of “different kinds of drugs” and more than 46,000 fentanyl pills this month.

He noted that the Mexican Navy seized more than 8 tonnes of cocaine in a single drug bust at sea earlier this month.

García spoke about some of the most significant arrests authorities have made in October, including the detention last week of Edwin Antonio Rubio López, an alleged Sinaloa Cartel leader whom the security minister described as “one of the main generators of violence in Culiacán.”

‘We’ve made progress in the consolidation of the National Guard’

García told reporters that the National Guard — a security force created by the previous federal government and recently put under military control — has played a major role in the new government’s security achievements in its first four weeks.

“The National Guard has contributed in a very significant way in these first weeks,” he said, noting that it has seized drugs, recovered vehicles used by criminals, confiscated firearms and arrested “generators of violence.”

“We’ve made progress in the consolidation of the National Guard and in its surveillance and reconnaissance work,” the security minister also said.

There are 133,000 members of the National Guard deployed across all 32 federal entities, García said. They are patrolling transport infrastructure, including highways, and have a presence in high-crime municipalities, he said.

National Guard personnel have also increased their “social proximity tasks in order to be close to the citizenry,” García said, highlighting that they provided assistance to residents of Acapulco affected by the recent passage of Hurricane John.

A shootout between the Mexican military and cartel members that killed 19.
A shootout between the Mexican military and alleged members of the Sinaloa Cartel left 19 civilians dead on Oct. 22. (José Batanzos/Cuartoscuro)

Major security incidents in Sheinbaum’s first four weeks as president

Sheinbaum faces a wide range of security challenges, including the ongoing conflict in Sinaloa, the dire situation in parts of Guanajuato, a turf war between the Sinaloa Cartel and the CJNG in the southern border region of Chiapas, and the nationwide fight against the manufacture and trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit drugs.

Like former president López Obrador — whose six-year term was the most violent in Mexican history — and other former presidents, Sheinbaum is using the military in the fight against crime. And like her predecessor, the new president has pledged to avoid direct violent confrontation with criminals whenever possible.

However, on Sheinbaum’s watch, the Mexican army has already killed not only alleged criminals but also migrants and innocent bystanders.

The Associated Press reported that the killing of the 19 drug cartel suspects in “a lopsided encounter” in which soldiers “suffered not a scratch themselves” has “awakened memories of past human rights abuses, like a 2014 incident in which soldiers killed about a dozen cartel suspects after they had surrendered.”

However, no evidence has emerged to indicate that the killings occurred after the alleged criminals had surrendered, or had been arrested and disarmed. The confrontation remains under investigation.

Mexico News Daily 

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