US again halts imports of Mexican cattle over screwworm concerns: Thursday’s mañanera recapped

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July 10, 2025

President Sheinbaum at the podium of her morning press conference — Tomato tariffs, cattle exports and the Mexican job market were topics of interest at Sheinbaum's Thursday presser. (Saúl López Escorcia/Presidencia)

A new screwworm case in Mexico, job losses and the looming expiration of a tomato trade agreement were among the issues President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about at her Thursday morning press conference.

Here is a recap of the president’s July 10 mañanera.

Sheinbaum: US decision to once again halt Mexican cattle imports due to screwworm threat ‘totally exaggerated’

On Wednesday, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins had ordered “the closure of livestock trade through southern ports of entry effective immediately.”

In a statement, the USDA noted that Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality (Senasica) reported on Tuesday “a new case of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Ixhuatlán de Madero, Veracruz in Mexico, which is approximately 160 miles northward of the current sterile fly dispersal grid, on the eastern side of the country and 370 miles south of the U.S./Mexico border.”

“This new northward detection comes approximately two months after northern detections were reported in Oaxaca and Veracruz, less than 700 miles away from the U.S. border, which triggered the closure of our ports to Mexican cattle, bison, and horses on May 11, 2025,” the USDA said.

The department said that while it “announced a risk-based phased port re-opening strategy for cattle, bison, and equine from Mexico beginning as early as July 7, 2025, this newly reported NWS case raises significant concern about the previously reported information shared by Mexican officials and severely compromises the outlined port reopening schedule of five ports from July 7-September 15.”

“Therefore, in order to protect American livestock and our nation’s food supply, Secretary Rollins has ordered the closure of livestock trade through southern ports of entry effective immediately,” the USDA said.

At her press conference on Thursday, Sheinbaum expressed her disagreement with the decision.

She said that upon finding out about the new screwworm case in Veracruz, the United States government took, “from our point of view” a “totally exaggerated decision to once again close the border.”

“In any case, what do we do? Well, the technical teams immediately get back to work to demonstrate that [the screwworm situation] is under control and that everything that scientifically and practically should be done is being done,” Sheinbaum said.

A man at a podium presents a map of Mexico showing the location of screwworm cases, mainly in the Yucatán Peninsula. — Francisco Javier Calderón, director of the food and agriculture sanitation agency Senasica, said screwworm remains confined to Mexico’s southeastern states. (Saúl López Escorcia/Presidencia)

She said that Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegué — who didn’t attend Thursday’s press conference due to illness — is in “permanent contact” with Secretary Rollins, and “we hope that the border will be opened again very soon.”

Sheinbaum said that the latest screwworm case in Veracruz was attended to “immediately.”

“As the director of Senasica rightly says: veterinarians arrive, there is a team, there is a care protocol; sterile flies are released so that this pest does not spread. So, all the protocols are being followed,” she said.

Sheinbaum seeks to allay concerns about job losses

A reporter noted that Mexico lost more than 46,000 formal sector jobs in June, the third consecutive month that the size of the country’s formal sector workforce shrank.

Sheinbaum declared that “the trend will change,” asserting that public and private infrastructure projects as well as housing projects “will enable employment to grow.”

She highlighted that the number of people in formal sector jobs at the end of June was higher than a year earlier, and therefore there has been job growth over the past 12 months.

Monterrey, NL — Infrastructure projects and the construction of new housing will boost Mexico’s employment rate, Sheinbaum said. (Shutterstock)

The president is correct, although the formal sector workforce only added 6,222 jobs in the 12 months to the end of June, representing an annual growth rate of just 0.03%, according to the Mexican Social Security Institute.

Sheinbaum attributed job losses in recent months to the “tariff decisions” of the United States, which has imposed duties on imports of steel, aluminum and cars from Mexico.

“But we have Plan México, which is going to work,” she said, referring to the government’s ambitious economic initiative.

“And this year, in particular, the trend will change due to construction [projects], among other things,” Sheinbaum said.

“Any country in the world, when it has a situation like these, immediately activates construction,” she said, adding that the government will build 182,000 homes in Mexico this year.

She said that the construction of new houses “will help us a lot” in job creation.

“And it must be said that [vehicle] exports increased in June. So a part of exports that could have declined due to tariff measures is recovering,” Sheinbaum said.

No deal yet to avert US tomato tariff

A reporter noted that Mexico’s agreement with the United States on tomato exports is set to expire on July 14, paving the way for the U.S. to impose tariffs on Mexican tomatoes.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced in April its intention to “withdraw from the 2019 Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico.”

Tomato producers in Mexico — Another tariff deadline is coming up: This time, the U.S. plans to impose duties on tomatoes unless an agreement is reached by July 14. (Dassaev Téllez Adame/Cuartoscuro)

“… With the termination of this agreement, Commerce will institute an antidumping duty order on July 14, 2025, resulting in duties of 20.91% on most imports of tomatoes from Mexico,” the department said.

Sheinbaum said that Mexican authorities “have worked a lot with the United States government” and that “tomato associations from different parts of the country, particularly Sinaloa, have also been working and have been in contact” with U.S. authorities.

However, no deal to avert the imposition of the tariff has yet been reached.

Sheinbaum said that between 70% and 80% of tomatoes consumed in the United States are exported from Mexico and therefore “it’s not easy to substitute them.”

“Firstly, due to the quantity, the volume, and secondly due to the quality,” she said.

“… They’re going to get angry if they produce elsewhere, but tomatoes from Sinaloa are difficult to replace,” Sheinbaum said.

“So, beyond the decisions that the United States government takes, it’s not so easy to substitute [Mexican tomatoes], they’re going to have to continue importing,” she said.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

How the Mexican security minister’s slip of the tongue rankled Salvadoran President Bukele

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MND Staff

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July 10, 2025

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A small plane flies over the ocean — The plane at the center of the controversy was detected in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of El Salvador. (Omar García Harfuch/X)

An apparently innocent mistake escalated into something of an international incident on Wednesday.

Security Minister Omar García Harfuch’s declaration on Tuesday that a plane carrying more than 400 kilograms of cocaine came to Mexico from El Salvador provoked a blunt response from Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who denied that the aircraft “touched Salvadoran territory.”

Mexican National Guard troops stand around a small airplane at night — Mexican authorities arrested three and confiscated over 400 kilograms of cocaine after the international smugglers landed in Colima. (Omar García Harfuch/X)

García Harfuch clarified on Wednesday that Mexican authorities first detected the plane 200 kilometers south of the “level” of San Salvador, meaning that the aircraft was flying above the Pacific Ocean off the coast of El Salvador.

That information was also included in a Security Ministry statement issued on July 4, but at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Tuesday morning press conference, the security minister — in an apparent case of misspeaking — said that the plane came from El Salvador.

“In Tecomán, Colima, due to surveillance and protection operations of Mexican airspace, personnel from the National Center for the Surveillance and Protection of Airspace [Cenavi] detected an aircraft coming from El Salvador that was transporting 428 kilograms of cocaine,” García Harfuch said.

He noted that three people were arrested after the light aircraft landed in Tecomán, and told reporters that the value of the cocaine on the plane was 96 million pesos (US $5.15 million).

On Wednesday, Bukele took to social media to refute García Harfuch’s declaration that the plane came from El Salvador.

“FALSE,” he wrote on X in a post that included footage of the security minister speaking at Sheinbaum’s press conference on Tuesday and a map that showed that the plane in question passed El Salvador a considerable distance off the coast of the small Central American country.

Bukele said that at 1 p.m. on July 3, Costa Rica reported the presence of a “suspicious” aircraft northwest of its territory and consequently activated a regional alert through APAN, “a Central American air safety network.”

“According to their own report, the flight path of the light aircraft entered Costa Rica, briefly disappeared from radar, and then reappeared, exiting toward the Pacific,” he wrote.

“Our radars did not register any aerial contact within our airspace. In the attached image, the route is clearly visible: far south of El Salvador and Nicaragua, with no proximity to national airspace,” Bukele said.

He said that the flight path of the aircraft was also confirmed by the United States’ Joint Interagency Task Force South in Key West, Florida.

A map of a plane's route from Central America to Mexico — The plane was detected offshore of El Salvador, according to Security Minister García Harfuch. (Omar García Harfuch/X)

“Their report is clear: the aircraft flew over the Pacific Ocean and never touched Salvadoran territory,” Bukele wrote.

He subsequently provided what he called information that “no media outlet or official source has published: the names and nationalities of the crew members.”

In his X post, Bukele highlighted that the three people who were arrested in Colima are all Mexican.

He then declared that El Salvador doesn’t protect criminals or tolerate drug trafficking.

“We didn’t do it before, we won’t do it now. Nor will we allow attempts to implicate us in operations that don’t concern us,” Bukele said.

“… We demand an immediate clarification and rectification from the Mexican government with respect to the declarations made by its [Security] Minister Omar García Harfuch,” he wrote.

The Salvadoran president also said his government would recall its ambassador in Mexico for consultations on “this situation.”

Later on Wednesday, García Harfuch provided the clarification Bukele sought, writing on X that Cenavi detected the plane 200 kilometers south of the “level” of San Salvador and ordered planes from various military air bases to “intercept the clandestine flight path toward probable landing sites.”

He noted that the light aircraft landed on a “clandestine” airstrip in Tecomán and that National Guard personnel and soldiers subsequently detained three people and seized 427.65 kilograms of cocaine as well as the plane.

“Indeed, those detained are of Mexican nationality,” García Harfuch wrote, noting that they are “being processed for various crimes.”

“We reiterate our respect and appreciation for the people of El Salvador,” he wrote. “These actions demonstrate the commitment of the government of Mexico to combat organized crime.”

Bukele was only half-satisfied with García Harfuch’s response. He reposted the security minister’s post to his X account, but also directed a new message to him.

“Mr. Secretary, with all due respect, the information you share this time, while true, fails to mention that there is no evidence that the aircraft came from El Salvador,” Bukele wrote.

“On the contrary, it was neither a Salvadoran aircraft nor did it have a Salvadoran crew. We can grant you the benefit of the doubt and understand that what was expressed in the press conference may have been a misunderstanding, but we expect a more precise clarification. It must be absolutely clear that there is not the slightest indication that this aircraft departed from our country, nor that anyone in El Salvador is linked to that drug shipment,” he wrote.

As of 3 p.m. Thursday, García Harfuch hadn’t made any additional comment on the matter.

Mexico News Daily

Highway robbery near Guadalajara nets 6 million pesos worth of gold and silver

By

MND Staff

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July 10, 2025

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gold bars — The highwaymen overpowerd two guards and the driver and drove off with the truck and approximately US $320,000 in gold and silver concentrate. (Jingming Pan/Unsplash)

Armed criminals in Mexico hijacked a truck carrying 33 metric tons of gold and silver concentrate last week, prompting President Claudia Sheinbaum to order her Security Cabinet to investigate the heist.

A tractor trailer operated by Fletes Durango was intercepted by two white vehicles with tinted windows south of Guadalajara, the Jalisco state capital, en route to the port of Manzanillo.

The assailants neutralized the security guards and subdued the driver, holding them captive for more than an hour while securing the cargo and driving away with the tractor trailer.

After being released unharmed, the victims walked to the Chapala toll booth, reporting the heist to the National Guard. The truck cab was later recovered about 28 kilometers southwest of Guadalajara in the municipality of Acatlán de Juárez, but the trailer and the cargo remain missing.

Gold and silver concentrates are semi-processed raw materials with a high content of precious metals, making them especially attractive targets for criminals. The value of the stolen cargo is estimated at six million pesos (US $320,000).

The stolen precious metals belong to Grupo Minero Bacis of Durango state, one of the largest producers of gold, silver, zinc and lead in Mexico. The company bypassed state prosecutors and filed a criminal complaint with the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) on Wednesday, four days after the heist occurred.

“This unfortunate event not only affects our operations, but also all the people who depend directly or indirectly on our activities,” the company said in a statement, confirming that it is cooperating with federal authorities.

Sheinbaum said her Security Cabinet is coordinating closely with the companies affected, though no further details on the case have been disclosed.

“We are confident the investigation will be carried out with the necessary rigor to identify those responsible and to ensure justice is done,” Grupo Bacis said.

The incident occurred amid a surge in highway robberies across Mexico. Bloomberg News reported that one robbery attempt occurs on average every 50 minutes.

In the first two months of 2025, robbery attempts spiked by more than one-third compared to last year, Hector Romero, president of Círculo Logístico, an industry group that represents 25 cargo, private security and logistics companies, told Bloomberg.

Highway robberies — a threat to Mexico’s economic security and to foreign investors otherwise attracted by offshoring and nearshoring opportunities — have cost companies billions of dollars in lost merchandise over the past decade.

Last November, U.S. mining company Newmont reported the robbery of over 240 metric tons of gold-silver-lead ore while it was being transported on the Zacatecas-Saltillo federal highway.

Just over a year ago, truckers sought to raise awareness about the risks they face from violent crime while moving goods on Mexico’s roadways by blockading major highways near important logistics hubs.

With reports from Univisión, El Universal and El Financiero

Authorities launch national strategy against extortion to tackle a pernicious and widespread crime

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MND Staff

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July 10, 2025

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Security chief Omar García Harfuch, Attorney General Gertz and other Mexian officials sit on a stage in front of a banner reading "National Strategy against Extortion" in spanish — Army, Navy and National Guard leaders accompanied Security Minister García Harfuch as he announced the new strategy. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)

The federal government is ramping up its fight against extortion, a crime whose incidence has increased more than 80% in the space of a decade.

Security Minister Omar García Harfuch presented a new national strategy against extortion on Sunday, while President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday submitted a constitutional reform proposal to Congress that, if approved, will allow the legislature to establish a General Law Against Extortion.

Mexican security chief García Harfuch at a press conference — García Harfuch unveiled the new strategy at a press conference earlier this week. (Omar García Harfuch/X)

The strategy presented by García Harfuch is based on five core tenets:

Making extortion-related arrests as a result of investigation and intelligence.
The creation of state-based anti-extortion units.
The application of the “victim assistance” protocol by officials attending to victims of extortion.
The training of extortion line telephone operators in crisis management and negotiation.
The implementation of a national extortion prevention campaign.

The launch of the new strategy comes after a total of 4,882 people became victims of extortion in the first five months of 2025, according to official data. That figure represents a 5% increase compared to the same period of last year, and an 82.3% increase compared to the first five months of 2015.

The real number of extortion victims in any given period is much, much, higher as the vast majority of cases go unreported, mainly due to fear of reprisal. According to Francisco Rivas, general director of the National Citizens’ Observatory, more than 99% of acts of extortion are not reported to authorities.

The crime is perpetrated in a range of ways including over the telephone, online and in person. Criminal groups often target small businesses, forcing them to make regular payments known as derecho de piso (or cobro de piso). Farmers, including lime and avocado growers, are also frequent victims of extortion.

People who refuse to make payments to extortionists run the risk of becoming victims of even worse crimes, such as kidnapping and murder.

García Harfuch: ‘We have the task of combating extortion with the strength of the state’

García Harfuch outlined the national strategy against extortion at a press conference on Sunday.

“In this administration, on the instructions of President Claudia Sheinbaum, we have the task of combating extortion with the strength of the institutions of the state,” the security minister said.

He said that detaining extortionists is “a direct way to protect the livelihoods of thousands of working families who, every day, with effort and honesty, build businesses, cultivate the land, transport goods and provide services.”

García Harfuch also said that “extortion is one of the crimes that causes the most damage to society.”

“It doesn’t just compromise people’s safety, but also harms their economic stability and affects their emotional health,” he said.

A small tortilla shop — Small businesses are common targets of extortion rackets, which pull entrepreneurs into dealings with organized crime. (Wikimedia Commons)

Accompanied by the chiefs of the Mexican Army, Navy and National Guard, and Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero, García Harfuch said that the new anti-extortion strategy is possible thanks to the approval of the National Investigation and Intelligence System Law, which passed the Senate last week.

He said that the law will allow authorities to strengthen their investigations into extortion and increase their capacity to dismantle criminal groups dedicated to the crime.

The National Guard, the army, the navy, the Federal Attorney General’s Office, the Finance Ministry’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) and state and municipal authorities will all participate in the fight against extortion, García Harfuch said.

The UIF will focus on investigations aimed at the freezing of bank accounts where the proceeds of extortion are deposited. Authorities will also seek court orders to block telephone numbers used to commit acts of extortion, including, in some cases, by prisoners.

According to a government statement, authorities will carry out “surprise operations in penitentiary centers” aimed at seizing telephone equipment used by prisoners to commit extortion.

Gertz Manero said that authorities already have knowledge of prisons where so-called extortion call centers operate.

Mexico Attorney General Alejandro Gertz — Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero said the government will target extortion call centers in prisons as part of the strategy. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)

“We have identified the jails where telephone extortion [schemes] operate. We’re going to file complaints … against any implicated person and each month we’ll publicly report which penitentiary centers are involved,” he said.

The federal attorney general also said that he would meet with his state counterparts on Aug. 1 to discuss the establishment of “a common information system” in which details of reports of extortion will be stored.

Victims of extortion can report the crime and receive assistance from telephone operators by calling the government’s extortion hotline on 089. Anyone reporting an act of extortion has the right to remain anonymous if they wish.

According to García Harfuch, cashiers at convenience stores and banks will be given training to help them identify and “prevent” deposits by extortionists. Hotel receptionists will be given training to “identify and avoid cases of virtual kidnapping.”

García Harfuch said that the federal government will collaborate with the private sector on the training initiatives.

The government said in its statement that a “preventive campaign” will be disseminated via “institutional channels” so that all Mexicans “can be protected” from the crime of extortion.

66% of acts of extortion reported in just 8 states

García Harfuch said that 66% of acts of extortion reported during the current term of government occurred in just eight states: México state, Guanajuato, Mexico City, Nuevo León, Veracruz, Jalisco, Michoacán and Guerrero.

The implementation of the anti-extortion strategy will be prioritized in these states “with multidisciplinary attention” to the crime and the deployment of “specialized work teams,” he said.

A harvest worker lifts a box of limes in a Michoacán orchard — Lime producers in Michoacán have faced high levels of extortion in recent years, pushing up lime prices and leading to protests against insecurity in the industry. (Juan José Estrada Serafín/Cuartoscuro)

Yair Mendoza, a security researcher at the think tank México Evalúa, told the news outlet Animal Político that citizens will be able to assess whether the strategy is working by the end of this year.

An indication of success, he said, would be a decrease in extortion, “at least in the federal entities” with the highest incidence of the crime.

General Law against Extortion will oblige states to investigate the crime, even without a victim’s complaint

Sheinbaum’s top legal adviser, Ernestina Godoy, told reporters on Tuesday that the president would sign on Tuesday an “initiative directed to the Congress of the Union” aimed at giving the legislature the “necessary constitutional powers” to draw up “general legislation” that establishes a uniform definition of extortion across Mexico and uniform penalties for those convicted of committing the crime.

Speaking at Sheinbaum’s morning press conference, Godoy said that the proposed General Law against Extortion will establish “very clearly” that extortion must be “prosecuted ex officio” across all 32 federal entities.

That means that state authorities will be required to investigate and prosecute the crime of extortion without the need for formal complaints from victims to be filed first.

Speaking after Godoy, Sheinbaum acknowledged that extortion is a crime “that we haven’t been able to reduce.”

“… So, on Sunday we presented the national strategy against extortion and today we strengthen it,” she said.

President Sheinbaum looks on as Security Minister García Harfuch shares a presentation about the national strategy against extortion at a press conference — President Sheinbaum acknowledged that the government hasn’t made progress reducing extortion rates. (Gabriel Monroy/Presidencia)

Sheinbaum said that as things stand, “it’s the victim who has to report extortion” and in doing so places his or her life at risk.

“So we’re removing that burden from the victim. Who assumes it? The Mexican state,” she said, noting that authorities will have to investigate and prosecute extortion “ex officio,” or on their own initiative, once the General Law against Extortion takes effect.

All of us are the victim. The victim is the state,” Sheinbaum said.

“Why does the Constitution need to be amended? Because there must be the same law for the entire country in order for this to be possible. … A general law means that it covers all states, and that all states are required to legislate in accordance with the general law,” she said.

“In order to have a General Law against Extortion, the Constitution must be amended regarding the powers of Congress. Congress will be able to draw up a General Law against Extortion because of the constitutional amendment we are going to make,” said Sheinbaum, who confirmed she was sending her constitutional reform proposal to Congress on Tuesday.

The ruling Morena party and its allies have a supermajority in the lower house of Congress and a near-supermajority in the Senate, meaning that the president’s proposed constitutional reform will almost certainly be approved, allowing lawmakers to create the General Law against Extortion.

Sheinbaum said she believed that all political parties will support the initiative, declaring that she doesn’t see “why anyone wouldn’t agree.”

She anticipated that the constitutional reform and the General Law against Extortion will be approved before the end of the year.

Once the law takes effect, “all the states must prosecute [extortion] ex officio, like a homicide, for example,” Sheinbaum said.

“… We’re starting with the 089 [extortion hotline], with the [national] strategy [against extortion], and it will be strengthened with the changes to the laws this year,” she said.

With reports from El Economista, La Jornada, El Universal and Animal Político

Inflation eases in June, but not enough to rule out a slower rate-cut pace

By

MND Staff

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July 10, 2025

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meat counter — Rising beef prices helped fuel the 4.32% increase in consumer prices in June. The figure was down from the 4.42% increase in May, marking the first monthly decline in the annual inflation rate since January. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

Annual inflation slowed in June, although core prices remained stubbornly high, prompting speculation that the central bank might slow the pace of interest rate cuts.

According to data from Mexico’s national statistics agency INEGI, consumer prices rose 4.32% in June, down from 4.42% in May, representing the first monthly decline in the annual inflation rate since January.

begetable stand at market — The inflation report for June mentioned zucchini as one of the vegetables whose prices lowered sine the last report.
(Margarito Pérez Retana/Cuartoscuro)

Month-over-month inflation in June itself was .28%, down from .38% in June of 2024.

However, annual core inflation accelerated to 4.24% in June from 4.06% in May, its highest level since April of 2024. Core prices are viewed as a better gauge of price trends because highly volatile food and energy prices are stripped out.

The latest core inflation numbers pose a dilemma for the central bank, or Banxico, with regard to borrowing costs for Mexico, according to the news agency Reuters.

“Core inflation remains sticky, with persistent upward pressure from housing, food services and a seasonal jump in airfares, likely keeping some Banxico board members uneasy,” Andres Abadia, chief Latin America economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told Reuters.

Housing, food, carrot and beef prices led the rise in inflation, while papaya, chile serrano, chile poblano, guava and zucchini prices fell the most, according to INEGI.

What’s in store for July?

Analysts surveyed by Reuters expect July’s inflation rate to sink below 4%, within range of the upper end of Banxico’s target range of 3%, plus or minus 1 percentage point.

Such an outcome would likely cause the central bank to ease its pace of rate cuts. Banxico has shaved 50 basis points off its benchmark rate each of the past four months.

“We anticipate that the Mexican central bank could cut its benchmark rate on two more occasions this year. We project that these cuts will occur in August and September, both cuts of 25 basis points,” analysts at the investment bank Actinver said.

Banxico lowered its benchmark rate by 50 basis points last month, to its lowest rate in nearly three years, though the decision was not unanimous. Jonathan Heath, the lone negative vote at last month’s Board of Governors meeting, has urged a more cautious approach until a more sustained downward trajectory in the inflation rate is evident.

Notes from the June 26 meeting suggest the remaining Banxico governors agree with Heath, eliminating references to further 50 basis point cuts. Instead, they said they would continue to assess the situation.

With reports from El Economista, El Financiero and Reuters

San Miguel, Ensenada and more: These are the five new airports Mexico is planning to build

By

MND Staff

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July 10, 2025

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San Miguel skyline — The Guanajuato state government has officially requested permision for an airport in San Miguel de Allende. (Jillian Kim/Unsplash)

The Mexican airport services agency and state authorities are planning the construction of five new airports in the coming years. These projects seek to boost economic, tourism, and logistical development in different regions of the country and respond to the growing demand for air connectivity.

Carlos Manuel Merino Campos, director of the government agency Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA), said there are at least seven requests for construction or expansion of airports in different areas of Mexico.

A view of several docks along the coast of urban Ensenada, Baja California — In Baja California, the state and municipal governments are pushing for an airport in Ensenada, Merino said. (Yitzhak Rodriguez/Unsplash)

Specifically, the new air terminals would be located in Baja California, Guanajuato, Jalisco and Quintana Roo.

“Our goal is to create regional development hubs and improve the economy in every way,” Merino said.

Merino explained that the Guanajuato government has officially submitted a request to build an airport in San Miguel de Allende — recently named the Best City in the World by Travel and Leisure magazine — aimed at enhancing its tourism potential.

Additionally, Jalisco would have two new airports. One would be located on the Costalegre coast, an area known for its strong tourist appeal, while the other would be in Lagos de Moreno, focusing on logistics and industrial operations due to its proximity to key trade corridors.

The Costalegre airport, known as the Chalacatepec International Airport, is near completion and expected to begin operations by the end of the year.

In Quintana Roo, plans are underway for a fifth international airport, with two possible locations currently being evaluated: the mainland of Isla Mujeres or a yet-to-be-determined area in the northern part of the state.

Merino also revealed that both the state and municipal governments, as well as business leaders, have expressed their intention to build an airport near the city of Ensenada in Baja California.

He noted that overall, developing these projects takes a considerable amount of time, as building an airport involves years of planning, feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments, and making investment decisions. However, he said that for some of these projects, planning and preliminary studies are underway, with meteorological stations already installed to evaluate whether proposed tracts of land are suitable for an airport.

“We need large areas. We are discussing land sizes ranging from 500 to 1,000 hectares to ensure sufficient capacity for the airport expansion,” he said.

A yacht in front of a quiet sandy beach with a palapa — One of the airports planned for Jalisco would serve Costalegre, a developing tourism destination. (File photo)

Meanwhile, the Navy Ministry (SEMAR) is seeking to take over operations at several more Mexican airports via the Navy Airport Group. The Navy currently manages Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and several regional airports, but seeks to expand its portfolio. It has initiated the process of assuming the management and operation of six additional commercial airports in the country. These include the air terminals of Lázaro Cárdenas, Tuxpan, Islas Marías, San Felipe, Guaymas and Puerto Libertad airports.

According to the SEMAR, managing these leisure and business air terminals would boost the economy. However, it said that first the new terminals need infrastructure improvements in order to receive commercial flights on a regular basis.

With reports from Aviación 21, Forbes México and Bi Noticias

The Querétaro Hay Festival turns ten

By

Phoebe Harper

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July 10, 2025

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Hay Festival monumental letters in Queretaro — (webcamsdemexico.com)

For International Coordinator Izara García Rodríguez, this September will mark a proud milestone as the city of Santiago de Querétaro prepares to host the tenth edition of Hay Festival Querétaro.

From September 4 to 7, venues across the city — including the Teatro de la Ciudad, Universidad Anáhuac, Museo de la Ciudad and Jardín Guerrero — will be transformed by a dynamic and inspiring program of nearly 70 different events, including speeches, workshops, concerts and lectures, featuring experts in literature, visual arts, science, environment, cinema, music, human rights and journalism.

The festival’s 2025 programming includes talks by world-class figures in various fields. (Hay Festival)

Accumulating diverse voices through an artfully curated program, the Hay Festival offers a stimulating platform for debate and discussion that addresses the major challenges of our era and opens a window to new possibilities.

Originating in the picturesque United Kingdom town of Hay-on-Wye in 1987, the Hay Festival has become synonymous with a celebration of the arts, ideas and literature. The event was once described by attendee and former US President Bill Clinton as “a Woodstock of the mind.” The festival has since grown to develop an international footprint, with a series of events spanning 30 countries across five continents and reaching a global audience of millions through the Hay Global charitable initiative.

Describing itself as “the antidote to polarization,” the festivals pride themselves on inclusivity, diversity and accessibility through delivering one-of-a-kind events that showcase the power of stories and ideas through both local and international literature, debate, cultural exchange, education and development.

The festivals have amassed serious cultural prestige in the Spanish-speaking world in particular, consolidating innovators and influential voices through inspiring events in host cities including Seville and Segovia in Spain, Medellín in Colombia and more. In her role as International Coordinator, Izara herself oversees three international festivals across Latin America, hosted in Cartagena (Colombia), Arequipa (Peru) and, of course, Querétaro. Over the years, she has witnessed these festivals evolve into what has been described as “one of the most important cultural encounters of the Hispanic world.”

Hay Festival Joven is aimed specifically and exclusively at the university community. (Hay Festival)

Since 2015, Querétaro has provided the perfect backdrop for the event as a state capital with a rich cultural history: the city’s historic center, a UNESCO Heritage site, is the location of the Teatro de la República, where Mexico’s current constitution was signed in 1917. In addition, it boasts a vibrant cultural community, with bookshops, libraries, indie publishers and a network for independent theaters. Home to more than 10 universities and located right in the middle of Mexico, good transport links for national and international travel make Querétaro the perfect location for a cultural festival. Consequently, the past decade has seen the festival flourish in line with the city’s growing reputation as a hub for literature and cultural exchange.

“I would proudly say that Hay Festival has contributed to this reputation, alongside many other cultural festivals happening across the year,” says Izara. This, combined with a strong local footprint of independent bookstores — including two of Izara’s favorites, Cafebrería Pessoa and Punto Y Coma — and a fantastic array of quirky cafes and creative events, cement Querétaro’s place as a center for bibliophiles, writers and thinkers.

“Hay Festival has become an annual fixture of the cultural calendar of the country, thanks to collaboration with many organizations, public and private, civic associations and individuals that have helped us to build what the festival is today,” the festival coordinator continues.

“We like that, despite being a big city, it still has a small town feel. A lot of the events happen in the city center, where you can walk from venue to venue, and the hospitality capacity, including hotel rooms and transport links, etcetera, is great.”

The festival’s tenth edition follows the central theme of Constellations, which aims to foster conversations across various disciplines spanning the environment, democracy and current affairs, music and literature.

With a stellar line-up, some of the starring speakers due to feature this year include the British novelist Deborah Levy, Canadian journalist John Vaillant and Colombian writer Juan Gabriel Vásquez. Other notable participants include the Mexican actor, director and activist Diego Luna, archeologist Eduardo Matos Moctezuma, Afro-Mexican writer and antiracist educator Jumko Ogata, journalist Yuriria Sierra, astrophysicist Julieta Fierro and English musician Glen Matlock, best known as the former bass guitarist for British punk rock legends The Sex Pistols. A host of other speakers can be fully explored in the online program.

The Muaré Experience performance company performs at the 2024 edition of the festival. (César Gómez/Cuartoscuro)

For younger visitors, the Hay Festival Comunitario offers a program of free and open-entry interactive activities for children, young people and adults, while Hay Festival Joven is exclusively aimed at the university community. Here, students can access a wealth of events entirely for free, until full capacity is reached.

With another mammoth year of events waiting in the wings, the future shows no signs of slowing for Hay Festival Querétaro, as the event continues to put Mexico on the global map as a haven for lovers of literature, thought and debate.

Phoebe Harper is a freelance journalist.

Toilets with sinks and neon dog sculptures: The kitschy appeal of Galerias El Triunfo

By

MND Staff

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July 10, 2025

3

A vibrant Mexican-themed home decor display featuring large artificial cacti, bright green patio furniture, sunflowers, a cow statue, and various rustic lanterns and lighting fixtures, suggesting an eclectic outdoor living space. — With 47 stores across Mexico, Galerias El Triunfo is famous for its packed aisles and unapologetically unique decor aesthetic. (Serviexperto)

Galerías El Triunfo is a treasure trove of the strange, the wonderful, and the unashamedly outlandish. More than a home decor store, El Triunfo is a surreal experience where, if you’re not careful, you’ll arrive simply looking for a lamp and end up leaving with a Greek-style bust, a neon dog statue, three baroque-style cherubs and an existential crisis.

Somehow, this store has expanded across the country with 47 branches, bringing its extravaganza to every corner of Mexico. Mexico City alone has 19 stores.

@rubencarpinteiro Amé el último adorno. ❤️ #humor #comedia #risa #galeriaseltriunfo #paratii #parati #foryou #muebles #ideas #decoración ♬ earthquake – JISOO

The chain’s penchant for — let’s call them whimsical — products has made it an easy target for TikTokers and Instagrammers, who love highlighting the odder items at Galerias El Triunfo.

Galerías El Triunfo started 50 years ago as a small crafts retailer. It was founded by Don Fermín, who was “one of the most visionary men to ever walk this planet,” as Ricardo López, the store’s community manager, proudly told me.

“As Mexico began to open up its borders to international commerce, Don Fermín looked abroad for things that were unique,” López said.

And indeed, he found them: The store’s aisles are typically packed with decor items that range from perfectly normal or incredibly useful to extraordinary and, at times, otherworldly.

“Find everything to decorate your space,” El Triunfo’s Instagram handle reads.

And when they say everything, they truly mean everything. There are thousands of items here suitable for homes, offices, hotels, restaurants, bars, beauty salons and every type of shop, business or event. But think of the most bizarre decorative item you can come up with, and you’ll likely find it there.

A toilet seat with a sink included in the water tank? A pot shaped like a shiny two-meter-high heel? Yes to both.

A white, modern toilet with an integrated sink and faucet on top of the tank, designed to save water by reusing sink water for flushing. A "Hot Sale" graphic with "Desde 25% Descuento" (starting 25% discount) and "Mañana Termina Hot Sale" (Hot Sale ends tomorrow) is overlaid on the bottom, indicating a sale at "Galerías El Triunfo Muebles." — A recent offer at Galerias El Triunfo was this toilet, which incorporates a working bathroom sink that drains into the toilet’s tank to use wastewater for flushing. (Galerias El Triunfo)

“We’re always following fashion, colors and trends, and we only look for new, innovative designs that represent something no one has seen before and that make each space it’s used for look unique,” López said. “We base our work on the fashion industry and everything that’s happening around it.”

A visit to Galerías El Triunfo only confirms the store’s commitment to uniqueness. It truly caters to every taste and fantasy. And when clients stumble across some extravagant item, it’s not uncommon to hear them whisper, “Who on earth would buy this?”

This collective feeling among its shoppers has inspired the social media trend “POV: Shopping at Galerías El Triunfo.” With millions of views across TikTok and Instagram, the trend features two people pretending to be a shopper and a store employee.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for a dining table that has butterfly wings instead of legs,” the shopper asks.

“Now that you mention it, we just got that in,” the store worker says, pointing to a dining table that indeed fits the bizarre request.

A bright, modern sunroom with a large wooden dining table and eight chairs featuring rope detailing and white cushions, set under a glass ceiling. Lush green trees are visible through the expansive windows. — Although its quirkier items get all the attention, Galerias El Triunfo wouldn’t be making millions of pesos per year if it weren’t also selling some fairly conventional home decor items, like this outdoor dining table. (Galeria El Triunfo)

The reel then continues in the same format, displaying the most exotic items found in the store.

This trend has prompted thousands of comments from shoppers who’ve had the same type of experience at Galerias El Triunfo, showing the store’s wide popularity among Mexicans. On Instagram, the store’s account has 128,000 followers.

According to the site Data Mexico, Galerias El Triunfo is among the top five businesses in Mexico in what Mexico’s statistics agency INEGI calls the “retail trade of articles for interior decoration” sector. According to INEGI, the sector took in a total 3.37 trillion pesos (US $1.81 billion) in 2024. Other retailers included in this category include the crafts store Fantasias Miguel and Distribuidora Storehome (THS).

“We want to bring our customers new things every day, and make Mexico a more beautiful place,” López said. “We want people who don’t know what to look for to be amazed and turn their spaces or events into something spectacular.”

Be it a party, a wedding or a quinceañera, if it calls for unicorns and baroque chandeliers, Galerías El Triunfo probably has exactly what your event needs — plus a couple of things you didn’t know existed.

COSAS EXTRAÑAS en GALERIAS el TRIUNFO 🤔

Watch this video on YouTube

For a deeper dive on Galerias El Triunfo’s popularity and its offerings, watch this video by Mexican YouTuber Lalo Villar.

Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily.

Sheinbaum gives a masterclass on gentrification: Wednesday’s mañanera recapped

By

MND Staff

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July 9, 2025

19

President Claudia Sheinbaum spent a good portion of her Wednesday morning press conference speaking about gentrification in Mexico City, a phenomenon that has been particularly noticeable in neighborhoods that are popular with foreign residents of the capital, such as Condesa and Roma.

Late in her press conference, she acknowledged the United States government’s decision to postpone the date U.S. sanctions on the Mexican banks Intercam and CIBanco and the Mexican brokerage firm Vector will take effect.

Sheinbaum: Gentrification ‘is not necessarily associated with foreigners coming to live in Mexico’

Five days after a protest in Mexico City against the gentrification of neighborhoods where many foreigners live and stay, a reporter asked the president about the possibility of enacting national laws against exorbitant cost-of-living increases in such communities.

“First, we need to ask ourselves: what is gentrification?” Sheinbaum responded.

She went on to explain that gentrification refers to the displacement of the “original population” of a particular neighborhood with more affluent people who move into “housing of another economic level.”

Sheinbaum acknowledged that gentrification has taken place in parts of Mexico City and “in many other cities of the world.”

"Fuera gringo!" is the battle cry of an emerging anti-gentrification movement in Mexico City. — “Fuera gringo!” is the battle cry of an emerging anti-gentrification movement in Mexico City. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

Sheinbaum said that gentrification is “sometimes promoted from within the government,” and subsequently took aim at former Mexico City mayor Miguel Ángel Mancera, who was in office in the capital between 2012 and 2018.

During his mayorship, land was rezoned to allow larger construction projects, she said.

Offering an example, Sheinbaum — a former mayor of Mexico City herself — said that land use permits were changed in some cases to increase the maximum permitted height of a housing project from three stories to 20.

“So, what happens? Well, it’s very profitable for real estate developers who say, ‘Well, I’ll buy this lot’ and housing is built … in [which there is] a lot of stories in the same building,” said the president, who on Monday asserted that gentrification is an issue of “real estate speculation.”

The construction of such housing increases the number of people who move into certain neighborhoods, “expelling the original inhabitants and … raising the standard of living in those places,” Sheinbaum said.

She said that long-term residents of those neighborhoods have every right to ask: “‘Why is this process of gentrification occurring?'”

“… In Condesa, in Mexico City, or in Roma, there have been various issues that have been occurring for many years, some of which weren’t promoted by the government, but which simply occurred as part of the development of the city — a lot of stores and restaurants [opened] that attracted a lot of people to visit the area, not necessarily live there,” Sheinbaum said.

Later, more affluent people moved into the neighborhoods and contributed to an increase in rents, she said, without specifying the period she was referring to.

“Obviously, processes of gentrification shouldn’t occur if they drive out those who are there originally, [forcing them] to go and live on the periphery [of the city],” Sheinbaum said.

“… It changes the standard of living and creates a division between those who have economic resources and those who don’t. Those who have economic resources are left with the best parts of the city,” she said before stating that gentrification is an issue that must be attended to.

In 7 years, immigration authorities issued over 230,000 residency permits in CDMX

Sheinbaum then addressed the issue of the influx of foreigners to neighborhoods such as Condesa and Roma, a number of whom came to live in Mexico City during the pandemic while working remotely, especially for U.S. companies.

“People who come from other places” to live in that part of the city, regardless of whether they come from other parts of Mexico or other countries, “may be part of the process of gentrification,” she said.

“But a process of gentrification is not necessarily associated with foreigners coming to live in Mexico, in this area, that must be made clear,” Sheinbaum said.

Foreigners, especially Americans, were singled out as a central cause of gentrification in Condesa and Roma by many of the protesters who attended the demonstration last Friday.

Among the messages on the placards they held up at the protest were: “Free us from American gentrification”; “You’re visiting paradise, we’re being pushed out”; “You’re not an expat, you’re an invader”; “Foreigners love Mexico, but hate Mexicans;” and “Dispossession comes disguised as Airbnb.”

‘The phenomenon of gentrification must be addressed’

Sheinbaum subsequently shifted her focus to measures that can be taken to prevent the cost of living in Mexico City — and especially the cost of housing — from skyrocketing.

“How is it done? Through different mechanisms and also by building social housing, which is what we’re doing,” she said.

Sheinbaum highlighted that the new homes the government is building are close to centers of employment rather than on the outskirts of cities, “as was done for a long time.”

“The phenomenon of gentrification must be addressed,” she added.

Sheinbaum said that the federal government will “support” Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada and the mayors of the capital’s 16 boroughs in their efforts to combat gentrification.

“Land use, all that, depends a lot on municipal and state policies, but we’re going to provide support,” she said.

“… In the end what we want is the right to housing and the right to the city, or cities, to be guaranteed. The right to the city is to be able to enjoy all the benefits of a city without being forced out to the periphery,” Sheinbaum said.

She stressed that zoning laws and the issuance of land use permits in Mexico City are a matter for the city government and Congress.

“It’s not a federal matter,” she said.

“How are we attending to the right to housing? With the construction of homes. And we can support all the states and all the municipalities if it is required to guarantee the right to the city and the right to housing,” Sheinbaum said.

The right to the city is to be able to enjoy all the benefits of a city without being forced out to the periphery," Sheinbaum said on Wednesday. — “The right to the city is to be able to enjoy all the benefits of a city without being forced out to the periphery,” Sheinbaum said on Wednesday. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

Pressed as to whether national legislation would be possible, the president highlighted that the Mexican Constitution attributes certain powers to municipalities.

“So the municipalities are autonomous,” she said.

“It’s one thing to prosecute a crime at the federal level and the state level. It’s another thing to encroach on the powers a municipality has. So, rather, this is where we help, we work in a coordinated manner to guarantee the right to a decent life for people in urban areas,” Sheinbaum said.

Sheinbaum acknowledges postponement of US sanctions on Mexican banks

Toward the end of her press conference, Sheinbaum said “it appears that a postponement has been achieved” regarding the date U.S sanctions on the Mexican banks Intercam and CIBanco and the Mexican brokerage firm Vector will take effect.

The United States Department of the Treasury last month accused the three Mexican financial institutions of laundering millions of dollars for drug cartels. A prohibition on transactions between U.S. banks and the aforementioned Mexican financial institutions was set to take effect in the middle of July, but the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Department of the Treasury postponed the enforcement date until Sept. 4.

Sheinbaum indicated that the Finance Ministry (SHCP) would comment further, and indeed it released a statement later in the day.

“The United States Department of the Treasury, through its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), announced today a 45-day extension, until September 4, 2025, for the entry into force of orders that restrict certain fund transfers with three Mexican financial institutions: CIBanco, Intercam Banco and Vector Casa de Bolsa,” the SHCP said.

The ministry said that the decision was “the result of dialogue and collaboration between the Government of Mexico and U.S. financial authorities.”

The SHCP noted that the Mexican government “has assumed the temporary management” of Intercam, CIBanco and Vector, “with the aim of strengthening supervision, ensuring regulatory compliance, and preventing harm to users of the financial system.”

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

10 CJNG members sentenced to 141 years in prison in Izaguirre Ranch case

By

MND Staff

-

July 9, 2025

2

A Jalisco property by the name of Izaguirre Ranch became known as "Mexico's Auschwitz" after search groups found crematoriums, human remains and over 200 shoes at the site. (Fiscalía del Estado de Jalisco/Cuartoscuro)

Ten men implicated in a notorious case involving a ranch in Jalisco where the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) allegedly trained new recruits were sentenced to more than 140 years in prison on Tuesday.

On Monday, they were convicted of kidnapping and murder by a court in Jalisco.

The men, identified as members of the CJNG, were arrested at the Izaguirre Ranch in the municipality of Teuchitlán, Jalisco, last September.

In March, the Warrior Searchers of Jalisco collective found more than 150 pairs of shoes and human remains at the ranch, leading various media outlets to dub the property an “extermination camp.”

However, in late March, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said there was no evidence that the property was “an extermination camp.”

Rather, it was “a training center” for the CJNG, he said.

Search collective calls on authorities to investigate a grisly find in Jalisco

When the 10 men were arrested at the ranch on Sept. 18, authorities found one body as well as two kidnapping victims who were being held captive. Human remains have also been found on the property, but it has not been officially determined how many people they correspond to.

The Warrior Searchers of Jalisco collective has said that its members found “17 sets of charred human bone remains” at the ranch.

Jalisco Attorney General’s Office announces lengthy prison sentence

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Jalisco Attorney General’s Office (FGE) said that the 10 men were sentenced to 141 years and three months in prison and ordered to pay fines of almost 1.3 million pesos (about US $70,000).

The sentencing came after the men were found guilty of kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping and murder following an oral trial. Compared to many cases in Mexico, the conviction of the suspects happened very quickly. The FGE only identified the men by their first names.

It noted that they were arrested after the National Guard went to the Izaguirre Ranch after receiving a report about gunshots at the property.

The FGE said that the National Guard personnel came under attack when they arrived at the ranch and they returned fire.

At the property, the ten now-convicted criminals were arrested and the body of one person was found, the Attorney General’s Office said, adding that two kidnapping victims were freed.

One of those kidnapping victims was allegedly detained by municipal police from Tala, Jalisco, on September 16 and subsequently handed over to CJNG members.

In March, the Federal Attorney General’s Office announced that two former municipal police officers from Tala had been arrested in connection with the Izaguirre Ranch case.

The newspaper El Universal reported on Tuesday that a total of 15 people have been arrested in connection with the case.

They are the 10 men who were sentenced on Tuesday; the aforesaid ex-municipal police officers from Tala plus one more policeman from the same municipality; and two men allegedly involved in the recruitment of new members for the CJNG. The ex-police officers and alleged CJNG recruiters are awaiting trial.

Also connected to the case is a former mayor of Teuchitlán, José Ascención Murguía Santiago, who was arrested in May on organized crime and kidnapping charges and ordered to remain in preventive detention. He is alleged to have collaborated with the CJNG and received payments from the criminal group.

Murguía was mayor of Teuchitlán between 2012 and 2015 and started a second term in 2021, the year the CJNG allegedly began using the Izaguirre Ranch as a training camp. He was reelected in 2024 and was serving as mayor when he was detained in May.

With reports from Milenio, El Universal and El Financiero