Monday, April 28, 2025

The mystery behind the invention of the Baja fish taco

By
Chris Sands
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Baja style fish taco
It's known and loved across the Americas, but how did the Baja-style fish taco come to be so popular? (Rubio’s Coastal Grill)

In 1974, a San Diego State student named Raph Rubio took a seasonal break from his studies in psychology and Spanish to accompany friends on a Spring Break trip across the border to San Felipe. The highlight of the trip — at least for Rubio — was the abundance of stands serving delicious fish tacos. Rubio even managed to score a recipe, and by 1983 he was selling a personalized version of the fish taco (dubbed the “original fish taco”) at his first namesake restaurant in San Diego. More restaurants would follow as the Rubio’s Coastal Grill restaurant chain rapidly grew, ultimately topping out at about 200 locations and helping to popularize the fish taco as a staple of SoCal culture and cuisine before recent economic issues necessitated numerous closures.

But, of course, Rubio didn’t invent the fish taco, any more than the owners of the stands in San Felipe did. When he later returned to San Felipe to offer money to the taquero named Carlos who had generously shared his recipe, Rubio discovered he had decamped to Ensenada. This was somewhat fitting, as Ensenada is considered the true birthplace of the modern Baja-style fish taco, and it was likely one of the early pioneers from that city who had brought the invention to San Felipe, kicking off the proliferation of stands that had so charmed Rubio during his Spring Break visit there half a century ago.

How the Baja-style fish taco was born

Corn tortillas, crisp batter, pico de Gallo, gallons of of lime and fresh soft, white fish. These are the humble building blocks of the Baja-style fish taco. (Mercado Negro)

Corn tortillas have been around for thousands of years and fishing dates back even further. So there’s little doubt that fish tacos have been consumed since ancient times. But the Baja-style version – beer-battered, deep-fried fish served in corn tortillas with signature toppings plus a squeeze of lime juice – originated in Ensenada in the late 1950s or early 1960s. 

The dates are uncertain, but locals remember a Sinaloan known as Mario “El Bachigualato” as the first modern vendor of fish tacos. He began selling his tortilla-wrapped specialties sometime around 1960 at the Mercado Negro. No, not the seafood market as it exists today, but a loose collection of about 20 stands centered nearby, where Agencia Arjona now sits, that specialized in the black market sale of freshly caught fish – and street food. This makeshift market was finally shut down by authorities after a decade of use in 1967. But not before it produced two iconic regional culinary creations: the fish taco and a seafood stew called “caldo de siete mares”.

According to the Ensenada-based newspaper El Vigía, Mario’s tacos at Mercado Negro were originally meat-based. However, it was a seafood market, so it was only a matter of time before he gave in to requests and started grilling up fish tacos made from cheap and plentiful “angelito,” or angelshark (Squatina californica). Yes, grilling. The earliest versions weren’t breaded or deep fried, and the only topping was a salsa bandera, a type of pico de gallo that takes its name from the fact that its ingredients (green serrano chiles, onion, and tomato) mimic the colors of Mexico’s flag. 

The evolution of a classic comfort food

The success of Mario’s fish tacos soon brought competition from rival stand owners like Tamaulipas native Zeferino Mancilla Fortuna and Pedro Alvarado, each of whom put their stamp on the evolving Baja-style fish taco. The former, for example, is credited as being the first to apply a batter to his fish, while the latter was a pioneer in frying technique. Alvarado’s stand had opened by 1961, making him the second of the fish taco trailblazers at the market. By 1963, Mancilla had set up shop, too. Other taqueros, like Tomás Jiménez, and Aurora Rojas Aguilar, followed.

It’s been about sixty years since the invention of the Baja-style fish taco, although the exact identity of the inventor remains unclear. (Tacos Fenix)

These early fish taco makers at Mercado Negro were scattered when the market was closed in 1967. “El Bachigualato,” reputedly a hard drinker, had already turned his stand over to a woman named Socorro Negrete Rivera in 1963. She later gave Rojas her start before, like the others, she was evicted. That’s when she decided to take her fish tacos to San Felipe. So she’s the probable starter of the trend of fish taco stands there and hers may have been among those visited by a young Ralph Rubio and friends in 1974. 

Although no definitive link has been established to Japanese tempura, the similarities in deep frying cooking methods that ultimately evolved for the fish tacos suggest some connection. Ensenada, notably, welcomed many Japanese immigrants in the early decades of the 20th century, with fishing a popular industry for recent arrivals. So whether taqueros were asked to make their delicacies a certain way for Japanese customers or were inspired after visiting Japanese homes or fish camps, it’s almost certainly true that the Baja-style fish taco is a fusion food. 

The Essential Ingredients of a Baja Fish Taco

Over time, all the signature elements of the Baja-style fish taco were developed at Mercado Negro. These include a beer-battered and deep-fried whitefish. Boneless angel shark remains popular in Ensenada – as do versions made with shrimp – but other species are acceptable. Rubio’s, for example, has always favored pollock. 

The corn tortilla is not negotiable. Nor is the squeeze of lime – at least for traditional preparations. However, lettuce can be used rather than shredded cabbage to accompany the pico de gallo and a “crema” sauce featuring sour cream. 

Where to Find the Perfect Baja Fish Taco

While it may not be the original Baja-style fish taco location, Tacos Floresta has made fans out of hungry locals and food critics alike. (Tacos Floresta)

Aficionados of Baja-style fish tacos will find no shortage of great options. Delicious versions can now be had throughout the Baja California peninsula, from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas. But for those who want to visit the dish’s ancestral home, the oldest extant fish taco purveyor in Ensenada is thought to be Tacos Fénix, which first opened in 1970. It’s still a mecca, nearly as popular with tourists as it is with locals. Tacos Floresta, only a block from Tacos Fénix’s location on Espinoza, also has a long history and many passionate advocates, including the popular food magazine Bon Appétit. 

Can’t wait for your next trip to Baja California? California is close enough. Rubio’s Coastal Grill, after all, has been serving fish tacos there for more than 40 years, nearly as long as the taqueros who inspired its founder across the border. 

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.

Tired of Roma and Condesa? Here are six colonias to take you off the gringo circuit

By
Bethany Platanella
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2
Mexico City no gringos
Get out of your expat bubble and into the real Mexico City by checking out these amazing neighborhoods. (Travesias)

Newsflash! Mexico City is so much more than Roma, Condesa and the Historic Center. While these neighborhoods are indeed captivating, they don’t even scratch the surface of CDMX’s breadth of personality. There are a minimum of 1,806 more neighborhoods in the capital, some of whose development can be traced far beyond even the Mexica, and plenty are worth exploring. It’s time to break out of the comfort zone of Avenida Masaryk and Calle Orizaba and experience Mexico City as it should be appreciated: with no gringos.

Put on your walking shoes and discover a handful of Mexico City’s often-overlooked nooks and crannies, starting with six of my favorites that you may have never heard of.

Escandón, Miguel Hidalgo

Escandón is rapidly developing as the international crowd flocks to the area, but is still close to what Roma and Condesa were 40 years ago. (Bethany Platanella)

Named after the wealthy family who bought the land during the Porfirio era, the Escandón neighborhood is broken into Section I and Section II. My suggestion is that you visit Section I, specifically Calle José María Vigil which is a world of its own. If you take some time to linger over an organic juice at Lavandula Café, you’ll see that everyone on the block knows each other. 

Across the street is a breathtaking yellow and green house that upon further inspection is actually a bakery given away only by a small, rickety sign swaying in the wind, donning the acronym PAN in faded letters.  Pop over to Section II for a nightcap at the 80-plus-year-old Pulquería La Pirata.

What and where to eat: An honest-to-god salad at Lavandula Café.

Nueva Santa María, Azcapotzalco 

Parque Revolución in quiet, leafy Azcapotzalco. (Gob. de CDMX)

If Santa María la Ribera and San Miguel Chapultepec were to join forces and start a family, the offspring would be La Santa María. The neighborhood is centered around Parque Revolución, a vibrant urban lung where you’ll find an outdoor market on the weekends. 

The residential streets that extend from the park are named after plants and flowers and home to families, young couples and affectionate grandparents. Bike beneath the chirping birds through its canopied streets, especially Nueces and Platanales, perhaps stopping for a coffee or a taco en route.

What and where to eat: A to-go vegan tamale from Corazón de Tamal to eat in the park.

San Pedro de los Pinos, Benito Juárez

For a neighborhood so close to fashionable districts like Reforma, San Pedro de los Pinos is surprisingly slept on. (Gob. de CDMX)

I didn’t even know this adorable little gem existed until an acquaintance moved there. I biked the 30 minutes from the Angel of Independence on Reforma and was immediately taken by the multicolored architecture and the extremely chill vibe. There’s a beautiful church just off the main square and a massive, bustling market dedicated almost exclusively to seafood. 

If hanging at the park after some Sinaloa-style tacos gobernador doesn’t appeal to you, knock back a tipple instead at Cantina La Reata de Oro. Before you do, don’t miss your chance to marvel at the spectacular Escuela Secundaria Tomás Garrigue Masaryk, a former convent turned all-girls high school in 1930.

What and where to eat: Mercado San Pedro de Los Pinos for fresh fish tacos.

Mixcoac, Benito Juárez

Once a rural suburb, Mixcoac still retains some of the colonial charm that once attracted Conquistadors to the area. (Mexico Travel Channel)

Nestled next to San Pedro de los Pinos lies a pre-Mexica agricultural center once known for its fertile land and access to water. Years later, Mixcoac became a military and trade hub for the conquistadors, eventually eaten up by the urban sprawl of Mexico City. 

Today, parts of it still retain hints of days past, with cobblestone streets and historic buildings dotting the landscape, kike the Parroquia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, built in 1595. Relax in its well-preserved Gómez Farías Plaza and definitely do not miss a pop into the gloriously discrete San Juan Bautista church.

What and where to eat: A famous gordita at Taquería Hermanos Luna, or maybe take it to go to enjoy in Parque Hundido.

Chimalistac, Álvaro Obregon

Chimalistec, one of the capital’s oldest settlements, needs to be experienced to be believed. (Vibe Adventures)

One will never truly understand the many sides of Mexico City until stepping foot into the fairy tale that is Chimalistac in the borough of Álvaro Obregón. Historians believe the Tepanecs lived here as far back as the 1330s until they were overthrown by Mexica in 1430. When the Spanish invaded the city, they established orchards and farms that thrived in Chimalistac’s lush environment. 

Walk around its uneven cobblestone streets, below towering trees and over stone bridges that once sat atop tributaries of the Río Magdalena, Mexico City’s last living river. Pop into the tiny Cámara del Secreto chapel, built in 1626, and check out Carlos Slim’s Mexican History Museum.

What and where to eat: Whatever you want in Coyoacán or San Ángel. There’s nothing here but houses, churches, flourishing flora and a large trickling fountain. 

Popotla, Miguel Hidalgo

Popotla: Mexico City no gringos
Popotla feels like a separate town inside the big city. (Bethany Platanella)

When Popotla popped on my radar  through a guided tour, I was instantly smitten. It’s a small town in a big city, with stout, colorful houses adjacent to elegant Porfiriato-era mansions. Aside from the sprawling former Military Academy and Casa Cañitas, Mexico’s most haunted house, Popotla is best known for the remains of the Tree of the Night of Sorrows — officially renamed the Tree of the Victorious night in 2021. 

It was under this tree that Hernán Cortés rested and, according to legend, wept, after being run out of Tenochtitlán by the  Mexica in June 1520. An enormous cypress that lived until the 1980s, the tree is the symbol for the Popotla metro station. Of all the spots on this list, Popotla is the one that is most likely to deliver the “no gringo” experience you’ve been looking for in Mexico City.

What and where to eat: A quesadilla at Tortillería la Reyna, a nondescript corner locale famously immortalized in watercolor by Bolivian artist Ricardo Pérez Alcalá.

Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog, or follow her on Instagram.

Remittances break more records in first 6 months of 2024

By
MND Staff
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1
U.S. dollars
Mexicans received more remittances this past June than any other month on record. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico is on track for a record-setting year in 2024, after more than US $6.2 billion in remittances flowed into Mexico in June — the highest monthly total since records were first kept in 1995.

The Bank of México reported Thursday that remittances — the vast majority of which come from the United States — totaled $6.21 billion in June, an increase of 11.3% compared to the same month of 2023 and a 10.5% jump compared to May.

The total was 6.9% higher than the previous monthly record of $5.81 billion in October 2023.

Over the course of June, Mexico received 14.8 million individual remittance transactions averaging $419 each. Analysts attributed the record inflow to the depreciation of the peso after the June 2 elections.

Given that Mexicans abroad didn’t know whether the weaker peso would persist or whether it would be “transitory,” they likely sought to take advantage of the more favorable exchange rate by sending more dollars than usual to their families in Mexico, according to analysts at the bank BBVA.

Alberto Ramos, head of Latin America economics at Goldman Sachs, also said that the record high remittances total was the result of the depreciation of the peso in June.

Posted currency exchange rates outside of a bank in Mexico in June 2024
A relatively strong dollar in June likely helped make for a record-setting month.(Cuartoscuro)

The peso’s weakest position in June was 18.99 to the US dollar, representing a depreciation of 10.4% compared to the 17.01 USD:MXN exchange rate at the close of markets on the Friday before the elections.

Remittances are a major source of foreign income for Mexico, and many families depend on them to meet their essential needs. They help spur consumer spending in Mexico, which is especially welcome when economic growth is slowing, as was the case in the second quarter of the year.

The vast majority of remittances come from hard-working, honest Mexicans who President Andrés Manuel López Obrador often describes as “heroes.”

However, the think tank Signos Vitales said in a report last year that around 7.5% of the more than US $58 billion in remittances sent to Mexico in 2022 could be linked to drug trafficking.

Remittances topped $31 billion between January and June 

The Bank of México also reported that $31.34 billion in remittances flowed into Mexico in the first six months of 2024, a 3.7% increase compared to the same period of last year.

Mexico received a record $63.31 billion in remittances last year, a 7.6% increase compared to 2022.

People line up in Chiapas, Mexico, to receive remittances from the U.S.
Families from the Chiapas Highlands line up in San Cristobal to receive remittances from the U.S., in 2021. (Isabel Mateos Hinojosa/Cuartoscuro)

It appears likely that Mexico will set a new record for remittances in 2024, especially considering that the peso is currently weaker than it was in the weeks after the elections.

Mexico is the world’s second largest recipient of remittances after India.

Outflows of remittances also up, but still dwarfed by inflows

The Bank of Mexico reported that $111 million in remittances was sent out of Mexico in June, a 26.2% increase compared to the same month last year.

That figure is equivalent to just 1.8% of the total that flowed into Mexico in June.

In the first six months of the year, outflows of remittances increased 33.5% annually to $687 million. That figure is equivalent to 2.2% of total inflows in the same period.

A growing number of migrants are settling in Mexico and finding jobs here, a situation that has contributed to the increase in outflows of remittances this year.

With reports from El Economista and El Financiero 

Earthquake alarm goes off in Mexico City by accident

By
MND Staff
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1
People stand in the street with dogs and babies after the Mexico City earthquake alarm went off.
Residents evacuated to the street as Mexico City's earthquake alarm began to wail. (Victoria Valtierra Ruvalcaba/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico City residents rushed out of buildings early Friday afternoon when the capital’s earthquake alarm went off.

But it turned out to be a false alarm.

At 1:09 p.m. — 29 minutes after the alarm sounded — the Center for Seismic Instrumentation and Registry (CIRES) issued a statement saying that the alarm’s activation was a mistake.

“During the preparations for the next National Drill that will take place on September 19, we activated by mistake the signal of the Mexican Seismic Alert System today at 12:40,” CIRES said.

The National Seismological Service confirmed on X that no major earthquake that would warrant the activation of the alarm had occurred.

Before reporting the accidental activation of the alarm, CIRES said that an earthquake had in fact occurred near the Puebla-Guerrero border. That post to X was later deleted.

Mexico City Mayor Martí Batres also deleted a social media post referring to an apparent earthquake.

While earthquakes are no laughing matter, there were some humorous responses to CIRES’ post informing citizens that the alarm’s activation was accidentally.

“At least pay for the bolillo [bread roll],” wrote X user Lizzet Arriaga.

That was a reference to the Mexican adage “un bolillo pa’l susto,” or “a bollilo for the fright.”

NBC News reported in 2023 that there is “a scientific basis to support this ancient custom” of eating a bollilo after a fright, as the consumption of one “mitigates the feeling of anguish and emptiness in the stomach,” according to gastroenterologist and researcher Nayeli Ortiz Olvera.

Another social media user suggested that a participant in the government’s apprenticeship program, Youths Building the Future, accidentally activated the earthquake alarm.

“Damn youth destroying the future,” wrote an X user called Jerry Solís.

“Hopefully your work contracts aren’t rescinded by mistake,” wrote user @javosanl. 

Mexico City’s earthquake alarm is amplified through loudspeakers situated across the capital. It usually sounds about a minute before a quake, although the time varies depending on the location epicenter. It gives residents a brief window of opportunity to evacuate to the safety of the street and thus avoid the risk of a building collapse.

The last earthquake that caused major damage in Mexico City was the 7.1 magnitude 2017 Puebla earthquake, which occurred on Sept. 19 of that year.

The temblor, which occurred on the 32nd anniversary of the destructive 1985 Mexico City earthquake, killed 370 people and injured over 6,000.

Mexico News Daily 

Mexican synchronized divers win silver at Paris Olympics

By
MND Staff
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0
Corporal Olvera and Private Celaya are among a group of high-performance military athletes participating in these Olympics.
Corporal Olvera and Private Celaya are among a group of high-performance military athletes participating in these Olympics. (Comité Olímpico Mexicano)

As Day 7 of the Paris Olympics was winding down on Friday, Mexico earned its second silver silvers of the Games thanks to a dazzling performance by divers Osmar Olvera Ibarra and Juan Manuel Celaya Hernández.

Challenging heavily favored China for the gold in the synchronized 3-meter springboard event, Olvera and Celaya’s powerful and elegant moves had them atop the leaderboard at times, before the duo finished in second place.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Panam Sports (@panamsports)

With nine days left before the closing ceremony, Mexico now has two silvers and one bronze medal, just one medal short of the country’s total haul from the 2020 Summer Games, held in 2021 in Tokyo (no gold, no silver, four bronze).

Olvera, a 22-year-old native of Mexico City, and Celaya, a 25-year-old who was born in the Monterrey metropolitan area, accumulated a score of 444.03. The Chinese pair Long Daoyi and Wang Zongyuan, back-to-back world champions, took the gold with 446.10 points, while Great Britain’s team secured the bronze with 438.15 points.The Mexican duo are coached by Ma Jin, who left her native China 21 years ago to become coach of the Mexican national diving team as part of a decades-old Chinese program that pairs coaches with sports teams of other countries.

Jin had a plethora of obstacles to overcome, such as learning a new language and leaving behind her 11-year-old son, whom she didn’t see again until he was 17.

In five Olympics with Mexico, her divers have won four silver medals and three bronze, making the diving team one of Mexico’s most successful Olympic squads along with archery and weightlifting.

Osmar Olvera and Juan Manuel Celaya
The Mexican duo performed complex dives at the Games. (Conade/X)

Olvera and Celaya made history by becoming the first Mexicans to win a medal in the synchronized 3-meter springboard competition.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador took time during a Friday meeting with his security cabinet to congratulate the duo, noting that “they gave satisfaction to all Mexicans.”

He stressed that the competition was “very close” and that the judges “had to make a very difficult decision, because the Mexican duo performed very well, as did the Chinese [duo].”

“So we congratulate them, and keep going [Mexico], because more medals are coming,” the president added.

The Defense Ministry (Sedena) also congratulated the duo, as Corporal Olvera and Private Celaya are among a group of high-performance Mexican military athletes participating in these Olympics.

In the third and fourth rounds of the competition, Olvera and Celaya received standing ovations from the crowd for a pair of dives with high degrees of difficulty. Their final dive had a 3.9 degree of difficulty, making it the most complex dive of the competition.

Their silver medal marked the 16th time in Olympic history that Mexico medaled in the sport of diving. Overall, it was Mexico’s 76th medal in the history of the Summer Olympics.

With reports from El País, El Economista and La Jornada

July rains boost low water levels in Mexico City’s reservoirs

By
MND Staff
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1
A rainy July day in Toluca, near Mexico City.
A rainy July day in Toluca, México state. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro.com)

​​Reservoir levels in the Cutzamala system, the complex inter-basin transfer that supplies Mexico City with approximately a quarter of its water, have seen an important recovery thanks to above average levels of rain in July.

After record-breaking heat waves in the spring and severe drought conditions across the country, last month saw abundant rainfall in Michoacán and México state — home to the Cutzamala system’s largest reservoirs.

According to the head of the Valley of Mexico Water Basic agency, Cutzamala system reservoirs received 191 millimeters of accumulated rainfall in July, more than July’s historical average of 181 millimeters.

These conditions led to increased infiltration and runoff in the region’s forests, rivers and streams, significantly fueling the Cutzamala system.

In the latest report by the National Water Commission (Conagua) on July 30, the Cutzamala reservoir system was at 32.4% capacity, equivalent to 253.69 million cubic meters of water. At the end of June, the reservoir system was at 26.9% capacity.

These figures are similar to those reached in July last year when the storage level was at 267.9 million cubic meters. However, it is still far below the historical average for late July: 62.2% or 486.4 million cubic meters.

Water treatment facilities, part of the Cutzamala reservoir system, which supplies Mexico City.
The Cutzamala water treatment and reservoir system supplies a quarter of the water used more than 8 million people living in Mexico City. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

To keep the taps running in Mexico City, the Cutzamala system relies on seven reservoirs, six pumping plants, 322 kilometers of canals and tunnels, and a large water treatment plant. The system’s three main reservoirs are Villa Victoria and Valle de Bravo in México state, and El Bosque in Michoacán.

According to Conagua’s report, the storage capacity of the El Bosque reservoir has seen the largest recovery in its levels. It increased from 30.9% on July 1 to 43.2% with 87.35 million cubic meters.

The Valle de Bravo reservoir — the system’s largest with a capacity for 394.4 million cubic meters — rose from 27% to 30.4% with 119.87 million cubic meters. In March, this dam was at its lowest level since 2016, at merely 28% full.

Finally, Villa Victoria went from 22.4% to 25% with 46.47 million cubic meters.

This positive trend is also observed in other reservoirs across Mexico. Conagua reported that of the 210 reservoirs in Mexico, 29 have surpassed 100% storage, 36 are between 75% and 100%, 49 are between 50% and 75%, and 96 are below 50%.

To facilitate the operation of the drainage system in the Valley of Mexico, Conagua is carrying out cleaning and de-silting actions in several sections of the Cutzamala system. Throughout this year, it has removed close to 27,000 tonnes of garbage and over 421,600 cubic meters of silt, for which it has urged residents to properly dispose of garbage as it hinders the drainage system’s operation and causes puddles and flooding risks.

With reports from El Sol de Toluca, Meteored and El Financiero

Traffic chaos on highways to Manzanillo port blamed on inept authorities

By
MND Staff
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Trucks stranded on the highway to Manzanillo
One truck driver died after reportedly suffering a heart attack. He was unable to receive medical attention because of the severe traffic delays. (Hisoymario/X)

Some 5,000 tractor-trailers and other vehicles were stranded for as long as 24 hours between Wednesday and Thursday due to congestion on highways leading to the port in Manzanillo, Colima.

One tractor-trailer driver reportedly died of a heart attack while stuck in traffic, while the occupants of many other vehicles endured hunger and thirst during the lengthy delay.

The congestion caused delays up of up to 24 hours starting on Wednesday. (Vox Populi Noticias/X)

Federal Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez told a security cabinet meeting on Friday morning that “failures in the customs system” at the port in Manzanillo caused traffic to come to a standstill.

She said that more than 5,000 freight trucks faced lengthy delays. Entrances to the port area were opened at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Rodríguez said.

The newspaper Reforma reported that Mexico’s National Customs Agency was forced to close the port to tractor-trailers at 5 p.m. on Wednesday due to failures in its system after a storm in Manzanillo on Tuesday caused power outages.

However, the Manzanillo Port Community (Copoma), which represents the companies that use Mexico’s largest port, said in a statement on Thursday that all Customs systems as well as other information systems in the port were working correctly and had not experienced “any kind of failure or problem.”

The port of Manzanillo, Colima
Manzanillo is Mexico’s largest port and is today managed by the Mexican Navy. (Cuartoscuro)

The Naval Ministry (SEMAR), which manages the port, also said in a statement on Thursday that all systems were working “without any kind of problem.”

The news magazine Proceso reported that freight truck drivers and others accused port authorities of causing the traffic chaos, asserting that they were unable to access a large truck holding yard because it had been leased to private interests.

Whatever the cause of the congestion, the delays proved costly for transport companies.

Jorge Montufar, an official with the national trucking association Canacar, estimated the losses at 100 million pesos (US $5.2 million).

Cranes also reportedly out of action at Manzanillo port 

In addition to reporting on failures in the customs systems at the Manzanillo port, Reforma said that some cranes used to handle containers were out of action.

Yax Tzel Nolasco, a representative of the Manzanillo Freight Truckers Union, said that a broadband internet outage at the port prevented the operation of cranes at two port terminals.

Reforma reported that the traffic jam caused by problems at the port extended around 63 kilometers from Manzanillo to Tecomán, a coastal municipality that borders the state of Michoacán. Federal Highway 200 runs between the two cities. Reforma also said that a few secondary highways in Colima were clogged with traffic.

Videos were posted to social media showing the extent of the congestion.

In addition to trucks, cars and buses, some of which were transporting tourists to Manzanillo, also faced lengthy delays.

Miguel Ángel Landeros, president of the western Mexico branch of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, said that it is currently “high season” and as a result, 20-25% more containers are arriving at the Manzanillo port, placing additional pressure on customs and port authorities.

“They didn’t anticipate that a situation like this could occur. … The appointments given by the [port] terminals couldn’t be attended to and trucks began to accumulate,” he said.

Truckers: Inability to access holding yard caused highway ‘collapse’

Proceso said it received a document from truckers, freight brokers and logistics operators in which they accused the National Port System Administration (Asipona) of causing the traffic jam in Colima. They claimed that Asipona leased to private interests a 170-hectare holding yard, where trucks were previously directed to park before entering the port.

Stranded truckers told the newspaper El Universal that it was the “worst highway congestion” they had ever experienced.

Manzanillo Mayor Griselda Martínez attributed blame to various agencies, including Asipona.

Mayor Griselda Martínez of Manzanillo
Mayor Martínez of Manzanillo posted a video message saying that port authorities as well as federal authorities were to blame. (Griselda Martínez/Facebook)

In a video message on social media, she said that “this emergency situation was caused by the lack of capacity of terminals inside the port, the lack of attention from customs, the lack of logistics on the part of Asipona and the lack of capacity of the National Guard to operate highways.”

The mayor said she would file a complaint with the Colima Human Rights Commission “against those who repeatedly cause these highway collapses.”

The problem is the highway, not the port, says SEMAR 

A statement issued by the navy, which also bears the Asipona logo, said that entrances to the port precinct were “free” and terminals inside the port were “empty.”

The navy called on operators of “external” holding yards to “speed up” the entry of freight trucks in order to clear the highway more quickly.

“The highway collapse is … outside the port,” the navy said before calling on municipal authorities to “take coordinated actions with the National Guard” and Asipona “that contribute to the clearing of highways.”

The Manzanillo Port Community also said that “the main problem” is on highways outside the port. Copoma also said that the entrances to the port were clear and terminals were empty.

Heart attack victim unable to reach hospital due to traffic chaos 

Various media reports said that a truck driver suffered a heart attack at the wheel of his vehicle and died before he received medical attention. The traffic prevented the rapid transfer of the driver to the hospital. Some reports said the victim was “foreign,” but no further details were given.

Security Minister Rodríguez acknowledged the reports of the driver’s death at the Friday morning security cabinet meeting.

Many other people stranded on the highway endured long periods without food or water.

Manzanillo authorities eventually dispatched Civil Protection personnel to hand out food and beverages to truckers and other motorists. Some motorists took to social media to request food and water, and at least one person called on Manzanillo residents to go out to the highway — on motorbikes, perhaps — to sell food and drinks.

“You will sell whatever you take, they’re hungry and thirsty, including my brother,” the person wrote on social media.

With reports from Reforma, Proceso and Aristegui Noticias 

Harman expands with new investments in Querétaro and Ciudad Juárez

By
MND Staff
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0
The company's new plants will create over 1,400 direct and indirect jobs.
The company's new plants will create over 1,400 direct and indirect jobs. (Harman Querétaro)

Harman, a U.S.-based electronics technology company and independent subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., is investing in two new manufacturing plants in Mexico through its automotive division Harman Automotive.

The new facilities are located in the Bajío state of Querétaro and in the northern border state of Chihuahua.

The new Harman plant in Querétaro is the company’s fourth facility in the state.
The new Harman plant in Querétaro is the company’s fourth facility in the state. (@AlertaQro/X)

New Harman plant in Querétaro to create 1,100 jobs 

The plant in Querétaro is the company’s fourth facility in the state. With an investment totaling US $115 million, the new factory will manufacture entertainment systems for vehicles and create 1,100 new highly specialized jobs.

CEO of Harman Michael Mauser said that the company’s facilities in Querétaro manufacture highly complex equipment, high-end audio systems and telematics units for automakers. He added that the state’s plants have evolved towards engineering, advanced manufacturing and research and development. 

Marco Antonio Del Prete Tercero, head of Querétaro’s Sustainable Development Ministry (Sedesu), stated he feels great satisfaction from the fact that the company has chosen the state for the fourth time, and highlighted their shared values regarding employees’ well-being and care for the environment.

Moreover, he acknowledged Harman as one of the first companies to join the Circular Economy System of Querétaro. The program involves industry, government and academia in the promotion of initiatives that encourage an efficient use of resources.

Del Prete Tercero recognized the company's participation in the state's circular economy program.
Del Prete Tercero recognized the company’s participation in the state’s circular economy program. (@polemicaQro/X)

Out of Mexico’s 32 states, Querétaro is the biggest recipient of announced investment in the first six months of 2024. Just over US $6.35 billion, or 14% of total investment announcements, is destined for the Bajío state. 

Chihuahua plant to create 340 direct and indirect jobs

Harman’s second new facility, located in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, will focus on the injection of molding plastics and parts in the automobile supply chain.  

With an investment of some US $15.9 million over five years, the plant will create 100 direct and 240 indirect jobs, executives from the company said.

According to Harman’s Senior Operations Director Verónica Morales, the plant will start production with 250,000 units in the first year and expects to reach seven million after five years. It will supply two existing plants in Chihuahua to reduce the need to purchase external components. 

“This new plant makes us a much more efficient and effective company,” Morales said, while unveiling a symbolic plaque at the building’s opening ceremony. 

Harman designs and engineers connected products and solutions for global automakers, consumers, and enterprises. Its brands include AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon, Mark Levinson and Revel. 

With reports from Mexico Industry and Cluster Industrial

Peso sees sharp drop following release of weak US employment report

By
MND Staff
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7
The peso depreciated to 19.16 to the dollar early on Friday, its worst position since mid-June.
The peso depreciated to 19.16 to the dollar early on Friday, its worst position since mid-June. (Cuartoscuro)

The Mexican peso depreciated to well above 19 to the US dollar on Friday morning after official data showed that hiring in the United States slowed significantly in July.

The peso declined to as low as 19.16 to the greenback early Friday, according to Bloomberg data.

Mexican pesos
The Mexican peso’s position on Friday morning represents a depreciation of 14.9% compared to April. (Shutterstock)

At 10 a.m. Mexico City time, the peso was trading at 19.00 to the US dollar.

Compared to its closing position of 18.86 to the dollar on Thursday, the peso depreciated around 1.6% to reach 19.16. That position represents a depreciation of 14.9% compared to the peso’s strongest level this year — 16.30 to the dollar in April.

The currency’s depreciation on Friday came after the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that “non-farm payroll employment edged up by 114,000” in the U.S. in July and unemployment increased from 4.1% to 4.3%, the highest level since October 2021.

Job creation declined 36.3% compared to June. The consensus forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg was that 175,000 jobs were added in the United States in July.

The weaker-than-expected data increased bets that the United States Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in September.

“Traders are now pricing in a 71% probability that the Fed will cut rates by 50 basis points in September, up from 31% before the data was released,” Reuters reported.

On the X social media site, Janneth Quiroz, the Monex financial group’s director of economic analysis, noted that the peso was affected by a “weak employment report” in the United States.

The July employment numbers and separate data showing that manufacturing activity in the United States dropped to its lowest level since November last month are generating fear that an economic slowdown in the U.S. could become more pronounced, Quiroz said.

A slowdown in the U.S. could negatively affect Mexico’s economy and reduce the inflow of dollars to Mexico due to “lower exports, remittances and foreign direct investment,” the analyst wrote.

A construction worker
A slowdown in the U.S. could negatively affect Mexico’s economy by lowering exports, remittances and foreign direct investment. (Anthony Fomin/Unsplash)

As the Mexican peso depreciated against the US dollar on Friday morning, the greenback lost ground against other major currencies. The DXY index, which measures the value of the greenback against a basket of foreign currencies, was down more than 1% shortly after 10 a.m.

CI Banco analysts said in a note that investor sentiment has significantly deteriorated due to fears of a recession in the United States.

Peso now weaker than in the election aftermath 

Other factors have recently weighed on the peso, most notably the comprehensive victory of Claudia Sheinbaum and the ruling Morena party in the June 2 elections in Mexico.

The peso depreciated to as low as 18.99 to the dollar 10 days after the elections on concerns that a coalition led by Morena will approve a range of constitutional reform proposals — including a controversial judicial reform proposal — once recently-elected lawmakers assume their positions on Sept. 1.

Morena, the Labor Party and the Ecological Green Party of Mexico will have a supermajority in the lower house of Congress, allowing it to approve constitutional reform proposals without the need to court opposition support. However, it will need a few additional votes to get such proposals through the Senate.

Sheinbaum will be sworn in as Mexico’s first female president on Oct. 1.

Mexico News Daily 

San Miguel and Puerto Escondido: A tale of two cities

By
Martin Fletcher
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3
The towering spires of San Miguel and sandy beach paradise of Puerto Escondido might appear different at first glance, but closer inspection reveals more in common than you might think

They’re both gems of Mexico living, but San Miguel de Allende and Puerto Escondido couldn’t be more different: the desert of the central highlands and the tropical beaches of the Pacific coast; colonial grid and urban sprawl; a cultural treasure trove and a natural paradise. 

But the two towns’ greatest faceoff comes in the shape of facelifts and tattoos. In San Miguel, residents crowd the benches and cobbled alleys around the Jardín Allende, where mariachi bands serenade matrons sporting the smoothest faces and whitest teeth money can buy. In Puerto, shaved heads and tanned bodies are a wrinkled canvas of fading tattoos.

San Miguel de Allende panorama
Founded in 1542, San Miguel is one of Mexico’s best-preserved colonial cities. (Shutterstock)

Decades ago, artists discovered San Miguel while surfers discovered epic waves in Puerto. Many came and went, but those who remained stamped the towns with their image. They couldn’t be more different.

What San Miguel and Puerto Escondido do share is an iconic status in Mexico. 650 miles apart, they are my two favorite places; each in its own way, each with its own crowd. For me they’re the perfect combination: alternative lifestyles that feed the mind and nourish the body.

One of San Miguel’s many simple pleasures is to peer past ornate wooden doors and discover private courtyards with tinkling fountains and lush gardens overflowing with bougainvillea, jacaranda and myriad climbers. 

In Puerto, life is there for all to see, though the pace is similarly gentle. A stroll along the Zicatela beachfront or through the hilltop neighborhoods overlooking the ocean is to find oneself slowing to the point of immobility. As we ambled at the pace of an aging tortoise, my son laid his hand on my arm and said, “Dad, not so fast.”

Playa Carizalillo in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca
Once a quiet fishing town and a favorite of surfers, tourism in Puerto Escondido has exploded in recent years. The town still retains a quiet, oceanside charm however, and is amongst many visitors top picks. (Mexico Dave)

The men at the next table in El Cafecito are the typical Puerto denizens: one is wearing a faded T-shirt listing the many venues of Pink Floyd’s 1977 world tour while his friend’s long grey hair is gathered in a scraggly ponytail held fast by purple string. In San Miguel, I once overheard an elderly man waiting in line to hear a string ensemble in St. Paul’s church tell his wife “If I ever grow a pony tail, shoot me.” 

My favorite Puerto Escondido restaurants are El Maná, an Italian restaurant in La Punta owned by Franco, an Italian born-again Christian whose angelic wife Adriana makes the world’s best tiramisu, and the Mediterranean eatery El Sultan in Rinconada, with the best hummus and falafel this side of Lebanon. In San Miguel, fabled for its food, I have too many favorites to number. 

The cultural fare in San Miguel is peerless. World class festivals of writers, cinema and opera rival weekly jazz, rock and chamber music events; cinematheques and artist’s open studios compete with museums and art galleries, top-class interior design and furniture stores. 

There are organic farmers markets and local crafts shops, hot springs and charming campo villages. It’s endless.

Puerto, on the other hand, has the beach, the beach and the beach, with natural wonders galore nearby. My favorite is Lagunas de Chacahua National Park; a splash of 1940s California with access by motor launch through a leafy lagoon. Forget the neon bars and condos and urban sprawl of Cancún, Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco, Puerto Escondido lives up to its name: hidden port. There isn’t one franchise store: no Starbucks, H&M or Body Store. No high-rises or massive condo complexes. 

Starbucks San Miguel de Allende may just be the most beautiful in the world. (TripAdvisor)

It isn’t that Puerto has resisted change. Nobody used to want to invest there. It was just a small fisherman’s port with local produce, mom and pop stores and wares brought in from the mountain villages. In that respect the two towns are similar: cozy and authentic. The only franchise store in San Miguel’s Historic Center is a Starbucks, which may well be the world’s prettiest, with its inner courtyard cooled by the stone fountain, spreading ivy and shaded arches.

But change is coming to both. A new highway connecting Oaxaca city to the coast road at Puerto Escondido has cut the drive time from six or seven hours to two and a half. From Mexico City a drive of 14 hours has become a manageable nine. Hotels are under construction, private homes are building extra rooms to rent out and restaurants are hiring staff.

As major travel magazines like Travel + Leisure call San Miguel the “best small city in the world” and Architectural Digest says Aldama Street is the “fourth most beautiful street in the world,” the town is facing an explosion of high-end development. Weekend tourism is booming as nearby Querétaro gains fame as a key industrial hub: its population has soared from 250,000 to 1.5 million in a decade. 45 minutes away, San Miguel is the newcomer’s first choice for a weekend visit. Same for many in Mexico City, a three-and-a-half-hour drive away. 

San Miguel is considering an airport at the edge of town, in addition to the two existing ones within a ninety minute drive. While Puerto has plans to expand its own airport 10 minutes from town. 

Rapid change is coming to both towns and just as quickly, resentment is growing, with complaints from locals of too little water and too much construction. 

Managing that change is the challenge for San Miguel de Allende as well as Puerto Escondido, and the jury is out on how successful they will be. But one thing is sure — they are still my favorite towns.

Martin Fletcher, author and journalist, traveled the world as a foreign
correspondent for NBC News and PBS Weekend Newshour. He has won almost every
award in TV journalism and has written seven books, including Walking
Israel, which won the National Jewish Book Award of America. He has settled
in San Miguel de Allende.

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