Sunday, April 27, 2025

Highway blockade brings traffic to a standstill between Mexico City and Puebla

By
MND Staff
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Semi-trailers wait in long lines on the Mexico-Puebla highway, before the blockade ended on Saturday.
Protesters lifted the blockade Saturday morning, after five days. (Alaín Hernández/Cuartoscuro)

Protesters blockading the Mexico City-Puebla highway and a road that connects to it halted more than 100,000 tractor-trailers and caused economic losses of over 10 billion pesos (US $531 million), according to business groups.

Some 200 residents of the municipality of Santa Rita Tlahuapan, Puebla, commenced a blockade of the Mexico City-Puebla highway and the Arco Norte toll road on Tuesday.

Residents of Santa Rita Tlahuapan shut down the Mexico City-Puebla highway on Tuesday
Residents are demanding fair pay for the land that was expropriated to build the highway. (Alaín Hernández/Cuartoscuro)

The residents, among whom are ejidatarios, or community landowners, are demanding fair compensation for land that was expropriated for the construction of the Mexico City-Puebla highway, which opened in 1962 and has been expanded in more recent decades.

Their blockade at Kilometer 74 of the highway remained in place on Friday morning, but one lane is now open in both directions.

The Business Coordinating Council (CCE), an umbrella group made up of various business organizations, said in a statement on Thursday that the blockades of the Mexico City-Puebla highway and the Arco Norte road had brought approximately 130,000 freight vehicles to a standstill, “causing economic losses estimated at more than 10 billion pesos.”

It called on federal and state authorities to “urgently” enforce the rule of law and clear the roadblocks.

The blockades are significantly affecting a range of industries including manufacturing, retail and logistics services, the CCE said, describing the sectors as “fundamental for the country’s economy.”

“Any interruption to their operation has repercussions that extend far beyond the blockade points,” it added.

The CCE, made up of organizations including the Mexican Employers Federation (Coparmex) and the National Agriculture Council, also said that the blockades are affecting the capacity of “thousands of people” to “access essential services, fulfill their work responsibilities and maintain the supply of essential goods.”

“It’s imperative that order is reestablished and that safety and freedom of movement is guaranteed for truckers, workers and all citizens who depend on these roads for their daily activities,” the CCE said.

National trucking association Canacar also cited economic losses of more than 10 billion pesos. Association president Miguel Ángel Martínez told a press conference on Thursday that some products transported by affected freight trucks would be spoiled.

“The trucks have equipment that can cool perishables for 24 hours, which means that they’re already spoiled. … It’s a situation that’s getting more complicated by the minute,” he said.

Martínez said that tractor-trailers could use alternative routes to avoid the blockades, including the Mexico City-Cuernavaca highway, but asserted that those roads don’t have the capacity to accommodate large numbers of trucks. These routes also raise costs because using them increases the distance traveled.

The opening of one lane in both directions on the Mexico City-Puebla highway is not a solution, he said, describing the benefits as “minimal.”

For its part, Coparmex said in a statement that it “understands and respects the historic demands of the Santa Rita Tlahuapan ejidatarios.”

However, “the recurrence of these blockades” not only affects thousands of people, but has “long-term effects on investor confidence and our country’s competitiveness,” the organization said.

“Legal certainty and respect for the law are fundamental for the economic and social development of Mexico,” Coparmex added.

‘We won’t withdraw until we see a signed document’

The newspaper Reforma reported Friday morning that ejidatarios from Tlahuapan were maintaining their protest for a fourth consecutive day.

However, they agreed to leave one lane open in both directions on the Mexico City-Puebla highway “to avoid further impacts on citizens,” Reforma said.

A group of people protesting along the Mexico-Puebla highway
The people protesting have maintained that they weren’t compensated, or adequately compensated, by past governments for their land. (Mireya Novo/Cuartoscuro)

The highway was completely blocked for more than 48 hours before Puebla authorities negotiated the opening of one lane in both directions on Thursday.

Landowners told Reforma they are seeking compensation for 41 hectares of land on the López Rayón ejido that was expropriated for the construction of the highway.

The Associated Press reported that “authorities acknowledge the farmers’ land was taken, and have agreed to pay them, but the two sides cannot agree on how much they are due.”

Reforma reported that ejidatarios discussed the plans for their ongoing protest in a meeting on the side of the highway.

“We’re going to continue,” said one protester. “… We won’t withdraw until we see a signed document.”

Another protester argued that the effectiveness of the blockade had been diminished by the opening up of one lane in both directions.

“What’s the point if cars are now going through? It’s not the same pressure,” he said.

“The truth is I don’t see the same strength, compañeros. Let’s regroup and see how the negotiations go,” said another person.

‘We can’t pay more than an appraisal establishes’ 

At his morning press conference on Thursday, López Obrador asserted that the protesters are “acting with the bad influence” of “lawyers who want to profit” from their compensation claim.

The protesters are reportedly being advised by a lawyer who won a 176-million-peso payout for other ejidatarios from Santa Rita Tlahuapan in 2018.

AMLO said that the government is planning to pay the landowners, but they can't pay more than the official appraisal establishes.
AMLO said that the government plans to pay the landowners, but cannot pay more than the official appraisal establishes. (Pedro Anza/Cuartoscuro)

López Obrador noted that the expropriation of land for the construction of the Mexico City-Puebla highway dates back “decades,” and acknowledged that the people currently protesting have maintained that they weren’t compensated, or adequately compensated, by past governments.

“We decided to serve justice and pay them for the damage caused during previous governments. But in order to make amends, we have to do an appraisal — there is a federal government authority that does these appraisals,” he said.

“The appraisals are done, we have the money to pay the campesinos but the lawyers say: ‘we don’t agree with the appraisals.’ They want more,” López Obrador said.

“[But] we, as public servants, can’t pay more than an appraisal establishes,” he said.

López Obrador said he wasn’t aware how much compensation lawyers were seeking for their clients, but claimed they are attempting to take the government for a ride.

The president — who frequently defends people’s right to protest — appeared to rule out any possibility of federal authorities using force to clear the highway.

“We don’t repress because it’s better to convince, persuade [people] than repress,” he said.

“I call on the campesinos to not let themselves be manipulated by these lawyers. … We can’t be held hostage by those who seek to profit. … We’re willing to pay them in accordance with the appraisal,” López Obrador said.

It was unclear when the two sides might come to a mutually acceptable agreement.

As it became evident the blockade would continue indefinitely, some passengers started walking toward the nearest exit.
As it became evident the blockade would continue indefinitely, some passengers started walking toward the nearest exit. (Mireya Novo/Cuartoscuro)

Protesters who spoke to Reforma blamed officials from the Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Ministry and the Interior Ministry for hindering negotiations.

“And they don’t inform their boss, the president, well,” said one ejidatario.

“They give him bad information. We respect the president, but he’s misinformed,” he said.

Truckers and motorists endure cold and hunger  

The news station Foro TV reported Thursday that some truckers and motorists had been stranded on the Mexico City-Puebla highway for 46 hours. The cold in the early morning was described as “unbearable” by a reporter.

“They didn’t come prepared at all,” the reporter said. “They don’t have blankets, they didn’t bring food, they didn’t bring provisions.”

Vendors often appear on Mexican highways when motorists face long delays, but some of those stranded in recent days reportedly ran out of money. Some passengers — and even drivers — abandoned the vehicles they were traveling in. The drivers presumably returned to their vehicles once traffic began to move with the opening of single lanes on Thursday.

The protesters also endured cold conditions, but they arrived prepared with tents, blankets and food.

On Friday morning, some heated coffee and warmed tortillas over a fire on the side of the highway as they prepared for another day in the fight for the money they say they are owed.

With reports from Milenio, Reforma, El Economista and El Financiero

Tropical wave and potential cyclone will bring a wet weekend in Mexico

By
MND Staff
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México state, Mexico City, Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala will see torrential rains this weekend.
México state, Mexico City, Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala will see torrential rains this weekend. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

Much of Mexico can expect a wet weekend as a “very active” tropical wave approaches the Yucatán Peninsula and a low-pressure system brews in the Pacific.

The seasonal Mexican monsoon will also deliver scattered but heavy rains through the weekend to Chihuahua, Sonora and Sinaloa up north.

The front of tropical wave 15 extends southwest from the Yucatán Peninsula to the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chiapas. 

This weekend, showers are forecast for Yucatán, Quintana Roo and Campeche, but low-pressure systems stretching north will bring heavier rains up the Gulf Coast to Tabasco and Veracruz. 

The National Meteorological Service (SMN) forecasts that tropical wave 15 will remain active through the weekend, eventually drifting northwest and evolving into a cyclone in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.

Developing in the Pacific is another low-pressure zone associated with a tropical wave moving northwest along the Mexican coast. This system is likely to be impacted by tropical wave 15 and has a 10% chance of developing into a cyclone by Sunday morning, though it is more likely to become a cyclone late next week as it drifts parallel to the coastline toward the Baja California Peninsula.

Still, this system is close enough to Mexico that it will dump considerable rain on states along the southern Pacific coast and into the central plateau.

The weather forecaster Meteorología México projects heavy rains for the Pacific coast states Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacán, Jalisco, Colima and Nayarit. In the central valley, México state, Mexico City, Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala will also see torrential rains this weekend.

Accumulated rainfall (mm) through August 6, 2024.
Accumulated rainfall (mm) through August 6, 2024. (Conagua)

The SMN forecasts particularly heavy rains for Chiapas, Nayarit and Oaxaca (75-150 mm) on Friday, while Campeche, Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Tabasco and Veracruz will see 50-75 mm of rain.

The SMN also advised residents of Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas to expect gusts of wind reaching 70 km/h on Friday. 

Is La Niña here yet?

The NOAA issued a “La Niña Watch” update on Thursday, indicating that while ENSO-neutral conditions have continued in the Pacific this summer, following the end of El Niño in June, La Niña is favored to emerge between September and November, and persist through the Northern Hemisphere winter. 

This means heavy rains are likely to continue in south-central Mexico and also in the northeast through autumn, as tropical waves and cyclones increase in activity.

With reports from Proceso and Meteored

Apúrale and learn these new Spanish idioms!

By
Paulina Gerez
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Man chasing a bus
"Date prisa" and make sure this isn't you! (Aidia)

When it comes to learning a language, it’s always super hard to translate our own sayings and phrases into our target language. However, translating literally does not always do the job, which can be frustrating. But just remember, it is a process of understanding that people just like us, somewhere on the planet, decided to express what we know in a totally different way. So all we have to do is surrender, relax, breathe and learn a new way, with these Mexican Spanish idioms. 

The good news is, we have Mexico News Daily to help us learn these new ways of communicating. So let’s dive into the Spanish equivalents of some common English phrases. 

Ears
This is what “soy todo oídos” means, right? (Miracle Ear)

I’m all ears

To fully listen and pay attention. Its Spanish equivalent is “soy todo oídos”. 

Examples in context: 

Cuéntame sobre tu viaje, soy todo oídos. (Tell me about your trip! I’m all ears).

Si necesitas que te ayude, soy todo oídos. (If you need help, I’m all ears).

Si alguien tiene una buena idea, soy todo oídos. (So, if anyone has a great idea, I’m all ears.)

It slipped my mind 

To forget something. In Spanish, “se me olvidó”. 

Examples in context: 

Se suponía que debía llamarte, pero se me olvidó. (I was supposed to call you but it slipped my mind). 

Perdón por perderme la junta, se me olvidó por completo. (I’m sorry I missed the meeting, it completely slipped my mind). 

Iba a comprar leche, pero se me olvidó.  (I meant to buy milk, but it slipped my mind).

 

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Shake a leg

To hurry up. You can hear it in Spanish as “apúrale” or “apúrate.” Both mean the same thing but the difference relies on the “te,” used to talk more straightforwardly to the person. You can use them instinctively. We also have “date prisa” or “muévete” which can translate as “move”. 

Examples in context:  

Vamos a llegar tarde, apúrale (We are going to be late, shake a leg!)

El camión ya casi se va, date prisa. (The bus is leaving soon, shake a leg!)

Si no te mueves vamos a perder nuestro vuelo. (If you don’t shake a leg, we’ll miss our flight).

Learning these phrases will make your conversation in Spanish more natural. Remember it is a journey and every new phrase brings you one step closer to fluency. So don’t lose hope, by reading these articles you are already taking action towards improving your Spanish. 

Paulina Gerez is a translator-interpreter, content creator, and founder of Crack The Code, a series of online courses focused on languages. Through her social media, she helps people see learning a language from another perspective through her fun experiences. Instagram: paulinagerezm / Tiktok: paugerez3 / YT: paulina gerez

Fibra Prologis buys Terrafina, expands Mexico industrial real estate presence

By
MND Staff
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Facade of white office building bearing Prologis logo and name
Prologis Fibra is sponsored by Prologis, a transnational real estate investment company operating in 19 nations. Prologis is becoming a force to reckon with in Mexico's real estate market. (yu_photo/Shutterstock)

Mexican real estate investment trust Fibra Prologis has become the biggest player in the nation’s real estate sector upon completing the acquisition of a majority share of Fibra Terrafina, a move that positions Fibra Prologis to capitalize on the growing nearshoring trend.

Fibra Prologis closed on its tender offer proposed on May 17, acquiring 77.4% of Fibra Terrafina’s shares via an unspecified amount of cash and an exchange of CBFIs — certificates of participation in the assets that comprise a FIBRA’S property portfolio, a type of security that can be traded as easily as stocks.

The entrance to an empty warehouse property owned by Fibra Prologis
A Fibra Prologis property in the Prologis industrial park in Toluca, México state. With properties in multiple Mexican states, Fibra Prologis is poised to benefit from Mexico’s increasing nearshoring trend. (Prologis)

Fibra Prologis — sponsored by the San Francisco-based Prologis Inc., the global leader in logistics real estate — outbid Fibra Macquarie, which had increased its original offer in mid-June.

“This investment comes at a unique moment for Mexico, and it demonstrates our long-standing commitment to one of our most important markets,” said Dan Letter, president of Prologis. “We appreciate the vote of confidence by Terrafina’s stakeholders in the quality, sustainability and global connectivity of Fibra Prologis’ logistics portfolio and in our shared future success.”

Héctor Ibarzabal, Fibra Prologis’ chief executive officer, said securing a majority shareholder position in Fibra Terrafina is good not only for shareholders and customers but also for Mexico’s economy.

“Our company’s scale, operational expertise and investments provide an excellent platform to drive Fibra Prologis and Terrafina’s business growth and shared success while strengthening Mexico’s economic prospects and position as an international trade partner,” he said, according to a Prologis press bulletin.

Fibra Terrafina manages approximately 42.2 million square feet of industrial real estate, including 288 industrial warehouses across several key Mexican markets. 

What are FIBRAs?

Fibra Prologis features 236 Class-A logistics and manufacturing facilities in six industrial markets in its Mexico portfolio, according to the company, with holdings totaling nearly 47 million square feet of gross leasable area.

 

Dan Letter close-up posed photo. He's staring straight into the camera with a closed smile.
Dan Letter, Prologis’ president. (Prologis)

About 70% of these properties are located in consumption-driven markets, and about 30% are located in manufacturing-driven markets.The company is a leading owner and operator of Class-A industrial real estate in Mexico.

Class A properties are generally defined in the industry as the most desirable investment-grade pieces of real estate in their market and geographical area.

A FIBRA, or Fideicomiso de Inversión en Bienes Raíces (Real Estate Investment Trust) is a financial vehicle focused both on the acquisition and construction of real estate that is rented in Mexico. It distributes through quarterly dividend payments at least 95% of the profits it derives from rents or property sales.

It is similar to REITs in the U.S., or Real Estate Investment Trusts, which allow investors to earn income from real estate without having to buy, manage or finance properties themselves.

Prologis arrived in Mexico 25 years ago, a move that represented its first international expansion. The company continues to grow its business in the market. 

In June 2023, Fibra Prologis announced plans to invest US $700 million in warehouses and parks and, in October of last year, the company acquired two buildings from its parent company that are located in Ciudad Juárez and Monterrey, for an aggregate purchase price of US $106 million, including closing costs.

With reports from El Economista, El Financiero and Bloomberg Online

After a divided vote, Bank of Mexico announces surprise interest rate cut

By
MND Staff
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Bank of Mexico building in Mexico City
The Bank of Mexico decision to cut benchmark interest rates to 10.75% despite high headline inflation shocked some analysts. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Bank of Mexico (Banxico) announced a surprise cut to its key interest rate on Thursday, just hours after data showed that headline inflation reached its highest level in over a year in July.

In a split decision, the Banxico board voted to lower the central bank’s benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 10.75%. It was the second cut this year, after a 25-basis-point reduction in March.

In a statement announcing its latest cut, Banxico said that decreasing core inflation “better reflects the inflation trend” than headline inflation, which has been increasing.

It noted that the annual core inflation rate, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, declined for an 18th consecutive month in July to reach 4.05%.

The annual headline rate was much higher at 5.57%, increasing for a fifth consecutive month in July to reach its highest level since May 2023.

Banxico said that its board “assessed the behavior of inflation and its determinants, as well as of inflation expectations” before three of the five members, including Bank Governor Victoria Rodríguez Ceja, voted in favor of a 25-basis-point interest rate cut.

Fruit and vegetable market in Mexico with prices posted
Banxico said its decision was based on declining core inflation rather than headline inflation. Core inflation does not take into account food and energy prices due to their variability. (Cuartoscuro)

The bank said that headline inflation is still expected to converge to its 3% target in the fourth quarter of 2025, although it acknowledged that its forecasts for this year and next are subject to a range of upside and downside risks.

Banxico said that the upside risks include persistence of core inflation; greater foreign exchange depreciation; greater cost-related pressures; climate-related impacts; and the intensification of geopolitical conflicts.

It also noted that Mexico’s economy slowed in the second quarter, “thus prolonging the weakness that has been observed since the end of 2023.”

“The balance of risks to growth of economic activity remains biased to the downside,” Banxico added.

Victoria Rodríguez Ceja, governor of the Bank of Mexico, which recently announced an interest rate cut.
Victoria Rodríguez Ceja, governor of Mexico’s central bank. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)

The bank said that “although the outlook for inflation still calls for a restrictive monetary policy stance, its evolution implies that it is adequate to reduce the level of monetary restriction.”

“Thus, with the presence of all its members, the Board decided by majority to lower the target for the overnight interbank interest rate by 25 basis points to 10.75%,” Banxico said.

The central bank also said that its board “foresees that the inflationary environment may allow for discussing reference rate adjustments” at future monetary policy meetings.

The interest rate cut ‘doesn’t make sense’

Some economic analysts asserted that the Bank of Mexico’s decision to lower its key interest rate lacked logic.

Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Mexico’s Banco Base, said in a post to X that it “doesn’t make sense” for Banxico to cut its interest rate given that it increased its forecast for headline inflation in the final quarter of this year to 4.4% from 4%.

In a subsequent post, she described the decision as a “mistake” and asserted that it could diminish the central bank’s reputation.

Abraham Vela, an economist and academic, said that simultaneously increasing the forecast for inflation and lowering interest rates was a “monetary aberration.”

Alfredo Coutiño, Latin America director at Moody’s Analytics, wrote on X that Banxico had taken “an unnecessary risk.”

“In the face of turbulent financial conditions and deteriorating expectations for the peso, today’s monetary decision is imprudent and shows a lack of commitment with the top mandate of price stability,” he said.

“… The monetary decision is completely inconsistent with the inflationary conditions. On one side, Banxico ‘significantly’ corrects to the upside inflation estimates for the rest of the year and on the other it eases monetary conditions. Apparently the monetary [policy] work of the three members of the board [who voted in favor of a cut] is not governed by the monetary mandate of price stability,” Coutiño wrote.

“The sole mandate of Banxico doesn’t include economic growth or public finances as a priority,” he added.

Alfredo Coutiño, Latin America director at Moody’s Analytics, an analyst who commented on the interest rate cut
Alfredo Coutiño, Latin America director at Moody’s Analytics, called the rate cut and “unnecessary risk.” (Alfred Coutiño/X)

Some analysts predicted that the central bank would cut its key interest rate today, but the majority of those surveyed by both Citibanamex and Reuters forecast that the second reduction of 2024 would come later in the year.

Peso strengthens after Bank of Mexico announcement 

Reuters reported that the Mexican peso depreciated immediately after the announcement of the interest rate cut to trade at 19.01 to the US dollar.

However, the peso subsequently strengthened to reach 18.90 to the greenback at 5 p.m. Mexico City time. That rate represents an appreciation of just over 2% for the peso compared to its closing position on Wednesday.

The Bank of Mexico’s decision to cut its key rate — which will take effect on Friday — will reduce the difference between the Banxico rate and the United States Federal Reserve’s rate from 550 to 525 basis points.

The large gap between the two rates has benefited the peso for an extended period as it has made Mexico an attractive destination for investors, including those engaged in carry trade. In that context, it is somewhat surprising that the peso appreciated on the same day that Banxico announced an interest rate cut.

The central bank’s new inflation outlook

Banxico increased its headline inflation forecasts for the current quarter as well as Q4 of 2024 and Q1 of 2025.

  • Q3 2024: forecast increased to 5.2% from 4.5% at the end of June. 
  • Q4 2024: forecast increased to 4.4% from 4% previously. 
  • Q1 2025: forecast increased to 3.7% from 3.5%. 
  • Q2 2025: forecast maintained at 3.3%.
  • Q3 2025: forecast maintained at 3.1%.
  • Q4 2025: forecast maintained at 3%.  

Core inflation forecasts 

Banxico made just one change to its core inflation forecasts, making a lower prediction than previously for the current quarter.

  • Q3 2024: forecast decreased to 4% from 4.1% at the end of June.
  • Q4 2024: forecast maintained at 3.9%.
  • Q1 2025: forecast maintained at 3.6%.
  • Q2 2025: forecast maintained at 3.3%.
  • Q3 2025: forecast maintained at 3.1%.
  • Q4 2025: forecast maintained at 3%.

Mexico News Daily 

Are you a chairo, a godinez or a fifí?

By
MND Staff
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Fifí
In a land filled with stereotypes, what even is a fifí? (Denisse Hernández/Cuartoscuro)

We Mexicans love giving things and people fun nicknames. And few things get as many nicknames in Mexico as stereotypes of other Mexicans. 

Living abroad, I’ve come to understand that as much as we dislike stereotypes, they tell us a lot about the society we live in. And Mexican stereotypes are no exception. Understanding them gives foreigners valuable information, not only about the complex world of classism in Mexico but also about Mexican politics, religion and even workplace dynamics.

We have a lot of nicknames for a lot of people. Some of them are actually quite funny. (Cris la huarachita/Instagram)

They’re also a great window into Mexican humor, because as you’ll see, they are a major source of satire. 

The following are the most common stereotypes you’re likely to come across on social media, in casual conversations between Mexicans, or even in statements from President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. 

But the most important question: Which one are you?

Godinez

Do you work in an office? Do you bring food to your job in Tupperware? Do you work a 9 to 5? Then you are a godinez. And if you wear an office badge, you’re in the top ranks.  

The telltale sign of a nearby “godinez.” Tread carefully. (Kate Trifo/Unsplash)

Before working from home became a thing, I was once a godinez, too. I used to arrive at the office by 9 a.m., wear formal attire, store my food in the office fridge and have a drawer full of snacks (yes, that included chips and salsa Valentina). 

In the morning, my work friends and I would prepare coffee in the kitchen and have our usual dose of I-hate-my-godinez-life conversation before diving right into work, just as any responsible godinez would do.

When I couldn’t make it home for the two hour lunch break, I would eat from my Tupperware or have lunch with my other godinez colleagues at the same old restaurant around the corner. 

As any godinez, the quincenas (paycheck day every fortnight) were my favorite days of the month and “ya depositaron” (they’ve paid) my favorite words.   

In the drawer of any good godinez, Valentina, candies and a topper are a must. (María Ruiz)

Despite every Mexican knowing what a godinez is (besides a surname) it’s still unclear why we chose this name. What we know is that godinez is not derogatory and is always a great way to add humor to any conversation.

Some examples of godinez in TV shows are Hugo Sánchez from “Club de Cuervos” and Betty in “Betty La Fea” (the original, Spanish language version of Ugly Betty).

Mirreyes 

This stereotype only applies to men. But if you’re a woman, read on to find out if your man is a mirrey. 

Mirrey is a combination of two words: “mi” which means “my,” and “rey” which means “king.” So, it literally means My King. The term originated as a greeting among the elite young male descendants of Lebanese immigrants in Mexico, spreading across the country through social media in 2010. 

Javi Noble from the movie Nosotros los Nobles. He is whitexican AND a mirrey. Double whammy. (Nosotros los Nobles)

It describes a distinct stereotype within the whitexican and fresa realm: rich guys who lead an ostentatious and arrogant life. They wear shirts unbuttoned halfway down. Expensive loafers, lotions and watches. They are typically tanned. Some even call themselves entrepreneurs, making and breaking businesses sponsored by their family’s wealth.

They also use a specific lexicon, calling themselves papá (dad), lord or príncipe (prince) and using suffixes like “uki” and “irri” – they don’t go to Acapulco, they go to “Acapulquirri.” They don’t date girls, they date “lobukis” (chicks/babes). 

Actor and businessman Roberto Palazuelos is constantly the object of memes representing mirreyes. Another particuarly notable example is Mexican singer Luis Miguel.

Princes and princesses strive for happiness, not perfection. Except for myself, of course, because I’m perfect. (papipalazuelos/Instagram)

The term mirrey is usually inoffensive because many mirreyes take pride in being one. 

Fifís

Fifís is a term that we’ve used in the Hispanic world for years to refer to refined people in high-class society. It is even in the dictionary. The Real Academia Española (RAE), the equivalent of the Oxford dictionary in the Spanish speaking world, defines a fifí as “a pretentious person interested in being fashionable”. 

In Mexico, the term was never political and wasn’t used as an insult. But then López Obrador happened. 

President López Obrador began to use the term during his 2018 presidential campaign, to refer to the opposition. He has also used it to accuse the press of being fifí. However, in a morning press conference in July 2022, he changed criteria and narrowed the requirements to be a fifí, arguing that “there are levels of fifís.”

Meet the enemy of the Fifís, President Andres Manuel López Obrador. (Andrea Murcia Monsivais/Cuartoscuro)

According to him now, to be a fifí one must:

1)    Own an airplane.

2)    Own a yacht.

3)    Live in the Mexico City neighborhoods of Las Lomas, Santa Fe “but in La Toscana,” or El Pedregal. He remarked that living in Del Valle (a middle-class neighborhood), “is not enough” to be a fifí. 

López Obrador has also associated fifí with negative traits like selfishness, materialism, unscrupulousness and superfluity, adding that “one must look to improve oneself, but never aspire to be a fifí.”

Calling someone fifí is offensive. However, we have found ways to satirize it.

Now, if fifí defines the opposition of López Obrador, what term is used for his supporters? 

Chairos

Chairo has various meanings across the Hispanic world and four meanings in Mexico alone. One of those meanings (someone who supports socialist causes) has developed into a pejorative noun to describe people who passionately adhere to ideology but lack real commitment to action. 

Since the presidential campaign in 2018, the term has increased in popularity as a pejorative noun for the president’s followers, who largely tend to be low-income and darker-skinned. As such, chairo may have class and racial connotations, too. 

Chairo and fifís are antagonists, frequently appearing on ‘X,’ in political conversations among Mexicans and in López Obrador’s speeches. 

The Royal Mexican Academy of Language has recognized chairos and fifís as antagonist terms.

Earlier this month, López Obrador said that he is a “chairo” president and remarked that he is not a “fifi.” However, he added that he “respects fifís.”

Whether the term is offensive depends on whether you are a proud supporter of López Obrador.

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. You can follow her lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.

Querétaro airport’s international passenger traffic grew over 60%

By
MND Staff
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Front entrance of Queretaro International Airport
International passenger numbers at Querétaro International Airport are way up in the first semester of 2024. (Google)

If you think you’ve seen more international flights at Querétaro International Airport (AIQ) than ever, it’s probably not your imagination: federal data shows a spike in international travelers passing though AIQ in 2024. 

According to data from the Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation Ministry (SICT), the number of international passengers traveling through AIQ went up by 60.3% in the first half of the year to 313,832. In 2023, it saw 195,836 international passengers. 

People waiting for passengers at the international arrivals area of Queretaro International Airport
Querétaro International Airport’s international passenger numbers are increasing enough that the airport has had to respond by increasing its parking areas and reconfiguring its international arrivals area to accommodate more passengers between 2023 and 2024. (Wikimedia Commons)

Domestic passenger traffic at AIQ also increased this year, by a more modest 10.1%, from 563,056 passengers in the first semester of 2023 to 619,678 in the same period of 2024, the newspaper El Economista reported. 

International AIQ travelers represented 33.6% of total passenger traffic at the airport in 2024 (up from 25.8% in the same period of 2023), while domestic travelers represented 66.4% of passenger traffic (down from 74.2% of AIQ’s total traffic), El Economista said.

So far, June has been the airport’s best month this year, with a total of 171,427 passengers (domestic and international) passing through the airport. The monthly average for 2024 at AIQ stands at 155,585 travelers, according to El Economista.

In 2024, with its increase in international travelers, AIQ has become Mexico’s ninth top airport in terms of international passenger traffic. The top airport is the Cancun International Airport, with 32.7% of the market share of international travelers. AIQ has 1.2%.

Nationwide, according to SICT, international passenger traffic grew by 5.5% in June alone, part of an overall growth trend in 2024, in which international passenger traffic increased by 8.8% between January and June.

Cargo down at AIQ

Cargo at AIQ told a slightly different story. According to SICT figures, AIQ handled 37,658 tonnes of cargo from January to June 2024, which made it Mexico’s fifth busiest airport in terms of total cargo traffic and No. 2 in the country in terms of domestic cargo, handling 25,502 tonnes.

Cargo handlers standing on an open plane in front of large cargo on the ground below them.
Overall, Querétaro’s airport has seen fewer tons of cargo pass through in 2024 than in 2023, although domestic cargo numbers are up. (Vota Querétaro)

Nevertheless, total cargo numbers for AIQ in the first semester of 2024 decreased by 6.3% from last year, from 40,184 tonnes in 2023. This is clearly due to a decrease in international cargo handling numbers (down 24.8% in 2024, from 16,615 tonnes in 2023 to 12,156 tonnes in 2024). Domestic cargo at AIQ actually showed a modest increase of 8.2% from 2023 (23,569 tonnes) to 2024 (25,502 tonnes).  

AIQ wasn’t the only airport showing an overall downward trend in cargo traffic in 2024: the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) saw the largest drop in the same period (38.8%), decreasing from one year to the next from 42,996 tonnes to 26,301 tonnes.

Other airports that reported drops in total cargo traffic included Toluca (2.9%), San Luis Potosí (3%) and Monterrey (1.5%).

The SICT attributed the AICM drop to the transfer of international cargo airline operations to AIFA, after President López Obrador issued an executive order in 2023 prohibiting cargo airlines from using AICM in order to ease what Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) declared to be air traffic saturation there.

Cargo handling numbers at AIFA did grow by 7,051 tonnes in the measured period, but that doesn’t account entirely for AICM’s year-to-year drop of 16,694 tonnes.

With reports from El Economista

Power outages in Cancún, Playa del Carmen affect 277,000 homes and businesses

By
MND Staff
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Tourists on a beach in Cancún
The outages affected residents and visitors in Cancún and other areas of Quinana Roo. (Cuartoscuro)

A Wednesday afternoon power outage lasting more than two hours affected thousands of tourists and residents in Cancún, Playa del Carmen and other areas of Quintana Roo, according to the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE).

The power outage, which according to the CFE started at 4:13 pm local time, affected 277,052 power users in Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Isla Mujeres.

Local newspapers and social media users reported issues including traffic light failures, air conditioning malfunctions, tourist service disruptions and problems at hotels and shopping malls. The outages also affected services such as ATMs and mobile internet services.

According to a statement issued by the CFE on Wednesday evening, electricity services were gradually reinstated that same day starting at 4:48 pm. By 6:14 pm, electrical service was back to normal.

The CFE explained that weather damage to a high voltage line running from Valladolid to Nizuc caused the blackout.

However, newspaper La Jornada Maya and El Economista reported that in recent weeks, power outages have been recurring in Cancún and the Riviera Maya. Some business owners in Playa del Carmen told La Jornada Maya that they experienced another power outage on Monday, causing them considerable economic losses.

Power outages affected more than half of Mexico's territory in May
In May, a heat wave and subsequent increase in energy demand strained the national grid, causing blackouts in Quintana Roo and elsewhere. (Jorge Ortega/Cuartoscuro)

On June 21, another series of blackouts occurred in the Yucatán Peninsula. At that time, the National Energy Control Center (Cenace) reported that the operational reserve margin dropped to less than 6% due to the high demand for energy to power air conditioners in homes, businesses and other urban infrastructure.

The region, along with several other states, also experienced power outages during an early heat wave in May.

Sergio León, president of the Entrepreneurs for Quintana Roo Association, said  at the time that the power outage caused losses amounting to 500 million pesos (US $23.6 million). The economic loss caused by Wednesday’s power outage is yet to be reported.

According to the report “Mexico and Electrical Deficits” published by the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO), the Yucatán Peninsula has a fragile electrical infrastructure with a weak interconnection compared to the rest of the country.

Currently, the installed capacity in operation amounts to 5,693.71 megawatts, with some 847 megawatts planned for construction.

With reports from La Jornada Maya and El Economista

Chinese-owned MG Motor to build a manufacturing plant in Mexico

By
MND Staff
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MG Motor signage
Founded in Great Britain in 1924, MG Motor was acquired by Chinese SAIC Motor Corp in 2007 and has made significant inroads in the car market in Mexico. (Shutterstock)

Chinese-owned automotive company MG Motor has announced plans to build a manufacturing plant and research and development center in Mexico.

Zhang Wei, president of MG Motor México, announced the plans on Wednesday in a statement that highlighted that the company has now sold 150,000 vehicles in Mexico just four years after entering the market.

Zhang Wei, President of MG Motor Mexico
Zhang Wei, the president of MG México, said “we’re excited” to turn Mexico into a hub for Latin America. (Zhang Wei/LinkedIn)

“Looking to the future, we’re excited to announce plans to establish Mexico as a hub for Latin America. This includes not just a manufacturing plant, but also a research and development center,” Zhang said.

“This move will allow us not only to produce vehicles, but also generate market intelligence specifically designed for and by Latin America,” he said.

Zhang didn’t say how much MG planned to invest in the plant and R & D Center, where the facilities would be located or when construction will commence.

However, the El Economista newspaper reported that the plant will be located in central Mexico or the Bajío region and produce 100,000 vehicles per year in an initial phase of operations.

MG Motors car on display
MG Motors is one of the top-selling Chinese brands in Mexico. (MG Motors/Instagram)

MG makes internal combustion engine vehicles as well as electric and hybrid models.

Reuters reported earlier this year that pressure from United States authorities had led the Mexican government to refuse to offer incentives to Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers planning to invest in Mexico. United States presidential candidate Donald Trump has pledged to impose heavy tariffs on cars manufactured in Mexico by Chinese companies if he returns to the White House next January.

The announcement by MG —  a company established in the United Kingdom in 1924 and acquired by state-owned Chinese company SAIC Motor Corp in 2007 — comes after major Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD confirmed in February that it will open a plant in Mexico. BYD Americas CEO Stella Li said that the company’s Mexico plant will only make vehicles for the Mexican market, not for export to the United States or other countries.

Zhang said that the decision to establish an MG/SAIC plant in Mexico demonstrates “our commitment to stay and prosper” in the Mexican market and “our dedication to our customers and the country.”

He said MG’s aim is to “make Mexico a pole for growth and expansion for SAIC Group and MG Motor in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Zhang also said that MG stablemate IM (Intelligent Mobility) is planning to sell its premium electric vehicles in Mexico.

With reports from El Financiero, El Economista, Reuters, El CEO and AS

The biggest prize in fishing gets underway for 2024

By
Chris Sands
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Bisbee’s Los Cabos Fishing Tournaments
The biggest prize in sport fishing is back underway, with Bisbee's Los Cabos ready for the 2024 tournament season. (Pelagic)

Everything about Bisbee’s trio of annual fishing tournaments in Los Cabos is outsized. The fish caught by competing teams of anglers are enormous. Qualifying billfish, for example, must be at least 300 pounds, and many, like the record 993-pound blue marlin reeled in at the Bisbee’s Black and Blue event in 1994, are preposterously large. 

The cash purses disbursed to winners are likewise immense. In 2023, the winning team at Bisbee’s Black and Blue, Stella June, received a record-breaking check for US $4.4 million (yes, the check itself was huge, too), representing just under half of the tournament’s 9 million dollar purse. The Los Cabos Offshore (LCO) and East Cape Offshore (ECO) tournaments produced purses of US $2 million and $1.8 million, respectively. That’s nearly US $13 million in combined payouts to teams given out last year — despite scheduling difficulties caused by Hurricane Norma — making Bisbee’s tournaments the most profitable way to spend one’s vacation time in Los Cabos. If you win, that is.

Fishing rods are at the ready in Los Cabos, in the hope of landing a winning catch. (Pelagic)

Naturally, the entry fees are big, too. That’s what generates the headline-grabbing purses. With that in mind, here’s what participants – and those who simply want to watch big fish straining dockside scales – can look forward to for the 2024 editions. 

The East Cape Offshore kicks off Bisbee’s 2024 tournament season

The East Cape Offshore is traditionally the first of the three Bisbee’s organized tournaments to be staged. This year is no exception, with the ECO slated for three days of fishing (July 31st to August 2nd), In fact, by the time you read this, the tournament will have already concluded … likely with record-breaking results.  

Why am I so sure of this? Because that’s been the pattern. The 2023 record purse of US $1,803,300 was substantially more than the $1,286,385 paid out in 2022 (a 40% increase, in fact), and ever since the ECO first surpassed the million-dollar mark in 2020, the trend has been for purses to climb steadily higher, with a new record established almost every year.

The ECO, notably, is the only tournament not centered in Cabo San Lucas. Instead, teams take to the Sea of Cortez from Buena Vista, a small town of less than 1,000 people that has been a legendarily abundant sport fishing destination since the 1950s, to seek their prey. The latter include gamefish like tuna and dorado, billfish like blue, black, and striped marlin, and sailfish and spearfish.

The record 704-pound blue marlin caught at Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore in 2020. (Cortez Cowboy Sportfishing)

Billfish brings the biggest rewards at all Bisbee’s tournaments, with the purses based on the number of participants and the respective entry fees. Across-the-board entry, including daily jackpots, is US $36,000 per team at the ECO and LCO, but $84,500 at the Black and Blue ($144,500 including the daily “Chupacabra Challenge”). These enormous entry fees combined with robust participation (203 teams competed in the tournament in 2023) account for the Black and Blue’s reputation as “The World’s Richest Fishing Tournament.”

The LCO and Black and Blue Tournaments will take place in October

Although the ECO typically takes place in late July or early August, Bisbee’s LCO and Black and Blue tournaments are fixtures of the October calendar, and help to usher in high tourist season in Los Cabos. The former is scheduled for October 14-19 2024, and the latter for October 21-26. 

No, it’s not too late to enter. Registration continues until the day before the shotgun start of each tournament, and there’s no limit to the size of your team save the space available on the boat. Boats can range up to 50 miles from Cabo San Lucas to catch fish. 

Why Bisbee’s Black and Blue is the gold standard of sport fishing

When the late Bob Bisbee Sr. organized the first Black and Blue marlin fishing tournament in Cabo San Lucas in 1982, the purse was a modest US $10,000. But participation and payouts soon skyrocketed upwards. The purse had doubled by 1984. However, the first seven-figure plus payout for an individual team didn’t occur until 2003, when team Que Sera earned a check for US $1.16 million. Many more seven-figure checks have followed, with the success of the tournament leading to the founding of the ECO in 2000 and the LCO in 2002.

Winner’s checks for the 2023 Bisbee’s Black and Blue tournament. (Bisbee’s Offshore Fishing Tournaments)

Is it the richest fishing tournament in the world? The answer is yes. In 2022, the Black and Blue’s US $11.65 million cash purse was the largest ever offered by a fishing tournament. The White Marlin Open in Ocean City, Maryland gave the most ever to its winning team in 2023, $6.2 million, but its cash purse of $10.5 million fell more than a million dollars short of surpassing Bisbee’s record. Bisbee’s has also paid out more during its history – more than US $100 million versus $95 million — than the White Marlin Open, despite holding its first tournament eight years later.

There’s also no disputing the other oft-cited nickname for Bisbee’s Black and Blue: “The Super Bowl of Sport Fishing.” The tournament is more lucrative for its winners than the NFL Super Bowl. The seven team members of Stella June took home US $4.4 million in 2023, an average of over $625,000 each. Players on the 2024 Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs pocketed only $164,000 each. 

Bisbee’s tournaments give back in a big way, too

Bisbee’s tournaments are millionaire makers for winners and bring a lot of positive publicity to Los Cabos, but their value to the community goes far beyond the good press. It’s been estimated, for example, that the economic benefit to Los Cabos was about US $50 million in 2023. This figure includes the money spent by participants on hotel accommodations and boat rentals and the money spent by visiting fans while the tournaments were taking place. 

The fish caught during tournaments also go to a good cause — over 20,000 pounds of fish per year are donated to feed local families — while Bisbee’s non-profit Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fund is dedicated to protecting sporting habitats on land and sea.

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

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