Taste of Mexico: Pozole

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June 21, 2025

A bowl of pozole — Pozole, Pozole, let me count the ways. (Canva)

Summer has fully arrived in Mexico City, and that brings a wonderful transformation. Everything turns vibrant green, the air is filled with the fresh scent of rain, and the weather becomes delightful. It’s one of the most beautiful seasons for morning walks, as long as you return before the afternoon showers. These rains help cool down the high temperatures and signal the ideal time to enjoy a bowl of pozole.

Pre-Hispanic Tlacatlaolli

An aztec codex depicting humans being cooked and eaten — The secret ingredient is cilantro (and an entire human). (Wikimedia)

In Mexico, pozole is traditionally eaten during celebrations, such as Independence Day dinner. This practice is believed to be linked to the dish’s predecessor, Tlacatlaolli. The word “Tlacatlaolli” comes from Nahuatl and translates to “maize of man.” It was a ceremonial stew that was consumed only by warriors, important priests, and tlatoanis (rulers). This dish held sacred significance and was made from human meat that was cooked with maize.

Yes, I know — it sounds awful and nauseating. However, within its original context, it becomes more understandable. Unlike our largely secular lives today, Mesoamerican societies were deeply spiritual, and their daily lives were closely linked to their religious practices. This connection is easily understood when you realize how dependent they were on nature. Due to its importance for survival, different aspects of nature were deified, leading them to have gods and goddesses for everything: the sun, the moon, the wind, water, earth, war, rebirth, death, beauty, and fertility, to name a few. Their gods resembled humans in that they were not perfect or eternal.

They believed that human actions were essential for keeping the gods alive. In this context, human sacrifices were seen as a way to “feed” the gods. If the gods were to die, the people would also face dire consequences. Although it may seem contradictory from our perspective, sacrifices were deemed necessary for humans to keep the gods happy and maintain order in the world.

During certain ceremonies — although there is no academic consensus on which ones — priests, as intermediaries between gods and humans, elite warriors, and specific tlatoanis could eat a bowl of Tlacatlaolli to establish a connection with their gods.

From Tlacatlaolli to Pozole

Can you imagine the horror the first Spaniards felt upon witnessing someone being cooked in a pot? They would have been just as horrified as we would be today. These scenes were used as evidence to portray the Aztecs as savages, far removed from God’s grace, which justified the banning of anything indigenous as sinful and the urgence of the Spanish Conquest. However, the friars recognized potential in the dish—substituting warrior flesh for pork.

And so, pozole was born. The word “pozolli” in Nahuatl means “foamy,” which refers to the way maize foams when boiled with lime. This transformation also meant that the dish was no longer exclusive to priests, warriors, or rulers; it became a dish for everyone.

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The Patriotic Dish?

Pozole is a traditional dish that is essential during Mexico’s national holidays, but its popularity isn’t solely due to its cultural significance or any direct connection to Independence Day. A more practical reason is that cacahuazintle maize, or hominy, is harvested in September, making it more accessible and affordable to obtain and buy.

Thanks to modern conveniences, you can enjoy pozole any time of the year, which we are thankful for. Here’s a simple recipe that does take some time to prepare, but it’s worth every minute.

Traditional White Pozole Recipe (4 servings)

Vegan tip: If you follow a vegan diet, substitute meat with sautéed shiitake or oyster mushrooms. Sautéing them beforehand ensures they don’t release too much liquid into the broth.

Main Ingredients:

• 1 kg of precooked cacahuazintle maize (or 1 large can of pozole maize)

• 1 kg of pork (ribs and loin) // 2 chicken breasts // 500 g sautéed mushrooms

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 medium onion

• 4 bay leaves

• ½ tsp dried marjoram

• Dried oregano

• Salt to taste

• 5 liters of water

Toppings:

• Finely chopped lettuce

• Sliced radishes

• Diced white onion

• Dried oregano

• Limes

• Tostadas

Preparation:

1. The broth: In a large pot, bring water, garlic, onion, and salt to a boil. Add the maize and cook for about 1 hour, or until the kernels “pop” open.

2. Cook the meat: In the same pot, add large chunks of pork or chicken and simmer for 90 minutes until tender. (If using mushrooms, skip this step.)

3. Removing ingredients: Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the pot along with the onion, garlic, and bay leaves.

4. Optional. Recaudo: Blend the cooked onion, garlic, marjoram, and ¾ cup of the broth until smooth. Return this mixture to the pot.

5. Shred the pork or chicken meat or prep your mushrooms.

6. To serve: Serve the dish hot in deep bowls. Add meat, chicken, or mushrooms, and top with lettuce, radish, onion, oregano, lime, and tostadas..

Friends, despite its dark origins, pozole is a delicious dish that you absolutely shouldn’t miss. It’s perfect for days when you need a little extra comfort. Honestly, it’s so good that

I’ve even started adapting jazz classics to sing its praises.

Isn’t It a Lovely (Pozole) Day?
By Irving Berlin (unauthorized version)

The weather is frightening,
The thunder and lightning
Seem to be having their way—
But as far as I’m concerned, it’s a pozole day.
The turn in the weather will keep us together,
So I can honestly say,
That as far as I’m concerned, it’s a pozole day—
And everything is okay.

Do you love pozole as much as we Mexicans do?

María Meléndez is a Mexico City food blogger and influencer.

MND Tutor | Charros

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MND Plus

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June 21, 2025

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Welcome to MND Tutor! This interactive learning tool is designed to help you improve your Spanish by exploring real news articles from Mexico News Daily. Instead of just memorizing vocabulary lists or grammar rules, you’ll dive into authentic stories about Mexican culture, current events, and daily life… What better way to learn Spanish?

We often associate cowboy culture with the Wild West of the United States, but Mexico has its own proud tradition of cowboys and wrangling culture. The most magnificent (and culturally important) of these are the charros. While most Mexicans today don’t live the cowboy lifestyle, the heritage it has left behind in the northern regions of Mexico is a part of everyday life.

Discover what a real Mexican charro wedding is like, in the latest installation of MND Tutor.

To get started, choose your level of Spanish:

🌵 Choose your level of Spanish

Let us know how you did!

How do we make sure that AI doesn’t make us dumber? A perspective from our CEO

By

Travis Bembenek

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June 21, 2025

21

An AI robot hand reaches out to touch a human hand — Is AI going to augment human intelligence or replace it? The possibilities, both positive and negative, are endless. (Shutterstock)

My wife and I spend a very significant amount of time learning about artificial intelligence (AI). We have read countless articles, try to catch every interview or podcast from leading thinkers on the topic, and spend a lot of time discussing it with family and friends. We are equal parts fascinated and genuinely scared about the potential impacts that it could have on us as individuals, on our business and on society as a whole.

It’s common to hear that AI will bring about a golden age of productivity, innovation, economic growth and prosperity. It is also quite common to hear that it could create massive disruption in the employment market and even potentially be a risk to the survival of humanity. That’s quite a wide range of potential outcomes!

It’s easy to feel anxiety with such disparate projections — and everything seems to be moving forward so quickly. It feels as if the discussion quickly went from “We need to slow down and understand the impacts of this technology to society,” to “We need to move faster than ever to make sure that American AI beats out Chinese AI.” We are increasingly hearing the question asked: “Do you prefer to have the world and your life run on Chinese AI or American AI?”

Most of what is coming feels out of our control … as if the train has left the station and we just need to hang on for what promises to be a very wild, unpredictable ride. That being said, there are in fact many things that we as individuals CAN control, and the team at MND is committed to doing our small part on what we can to be a part of potential solutions.

We strongly believe that it is more important than ever to make wanting to stay smart a top priority. What do I mean by that? The algorithms of the big tech companies increasingly are developing products that make us dumber. Take social media for example — it’s way too easy to be intellectually lazy on platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. The algorithms of these companies just keep feeding us what we want to see and hear, with the primary objective being to keep us engaged on the platform for as long as possible. Social media is great for a laugh, to make us smile or to watch a cool video of something, but I don’t think many of us feel like we walk away from a long bout of social media use feeling smarter. Entertained, yes. Enlightened, very rarely.

We believe that AI is very quickly ushering in an era in which it is becoming even easier to be lazy and ultimately become … yes, dumber. AI can be great to get us a quick answer to a question, but at what point are we outsourcing too much of our brain to the brains of companies like X, Meta and TikTok? And shouldn’t that question concern all of us?

A phone screen showing various social media icons — Social media companies have increasingly invested in a range of AI applications, from user-facing chatbots to behind-the-scenes machine learning. (Jay Openiano/Unsplash)

So how do we fight this cognitive laziness? How do we exercise our minds when AI increasingly can do so much of the heavy lifting? The most powerful tool we have is one of the oldest: reading. Not just skimming headlines or accepting AI-generated summaries, but engaging deeply with text. Reading builds the mental muscles AI can’t replicate: critical thinking, contextual understanding, and the ability to form a nuanced worldview. It’s how we move from simply knowing a fact to truly understanding an issue.

I believe that the answer lies in part to consciously, deliberately making wanting to stay smart something we value. The team at MND obviously already believes in the importance of reading and staying well-informed. But we also have recently launched several new products for those that take the risks of AI to our brains seriously:

1. MND Quiz: We now have a weekly news quiz that quickly and easily tests you on the past week’s top stories. It’s one thing to scroll through a news headline on social media in seconds, it’s entirely different to honestly assess our depth of reading, understanding, and retention of the content. MND Quiz provides a quick, fun way to do that.

MND Quiz of the week 21/06

2. MND Tutor: Countless studies have shown that learning another language is great for our brain. Sure, AI can increasingly translate everything in real time for us — but is that really the world we want to live in? When I first learned Spanish, I found that reading news articles was a highly effective way to accelerate my progress. Why? The articles are timely, relevant, and as a result provide great real life examples of content that can be easily practiced with Spanish speakers. For those reasons, our team has created a weekly MND Tutor in which we select an article and create a Spanish language lesson, complete with test questions to measure your learning retention. Best of all, we have beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of each lesson so you can find the right tutor for your current level. Duolingo is great, but I am certain that you will find MND Tutor to be a Spanish language accelerator!

A screenshot of Mexico News Daily's new AI-powered search bar in action — MND’s new AI-powered search bar can answer a wide variety of questions and provide articles on the query topic. (Screenshot)

3. MND AI Search: This is an application of AI that we think can really accelerate your learning about Mexico. Over the past 11 years, our team has written over 25,000 articles of content. That is a massive amount of information on just about anything you would like to know about Mexico. That being said, our previous on site search bar, like that of many websites, wasn’t very good at going back and reviewing our archives of content to get you exactly the information you wanted. We are excited to announce that we very recently incorporated Perplexity AI into MND’s search bar. What does this mean for you? It means you can ask the MND search bar on our site literally anything you want to know about Mexico and it will quickly give you the answer to your question along with the most relevant links to MND articles to read. It’s an awesome tool. Check it out and I’m certain that you will be amazed!

Humanity is quickly moving into a new era in which AI is going to be able to do just about anything for us — including much of what we currently use our brain for. The team at MND is united in wanting to stay smart and is excited to be providing you with new tools to help those of you that want to do the same.

In an age of quickly generated artificial answers, we will need to actively challenge ourselves not to just consume information, but also challenge it, question it, and build our own understanding and opinions. So commit to reading at least one in-depth article a day. Search for content that offers a different perspective. Use these MND tools not just as products, but as part of your own personal gym for the mind. A key skill in the future is not just going to be learning what AI can do for us; but also determining what we choose to continue doing for ourselves.

Thank you for subscribing to MND and for supporting the work we do.

Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.

What’s inside that piñata? A guide to Mexican candy favorites

By

Sarah DeVries

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June 21, 2025

7

Elsewhere, you only see chocolate rabbits in stores during Easter season, but in Mexico, Conejos are a year-round favorite. (Arkadij Schell/Shutterstock)

If you’ve been in Mexico for a while, chances are you’ve been invited to — and perhaps attended — a few children’s parties.

Whether or not you know the child being celebrated is truly irrelevant. A party is something their parents throw, and they get a big say in who attends. This is only right because parties are expensive. Sure, at least some of the kid’s friends will be there too. But you’d be forgiven for peeking into a salón de fiesta and wondering why a bunch of beer-drinking grown-ups rented a bouncy house.

A central feature of the Mexican kid’s party — and Christmas party, and New Year’s party — is, of course, the piñata.

Piñatas, as you might guess, have been around for quite a while. Before the papier-mâché varieties of today, for example, piñatas were literally clay pots. For an excellent read on the history of piñatas, check out Leigh Thelmaletter’s excellent article on the subject.

As a parent, I have watched as my daughter and other guests have taken turns trying to smash many a piñata to smithereens. My voice has gone hoarse from singing the “dale dale” song; thankfully, I usually have a beer to soothe it. And of course, my heart has stopped many times as I watched particularly enthusiastic children swing with all their might, even as others rushed toward them, one or two pieces of candy on the ground already.

Piñata candy-collecting is not a sport for the weak. You either rush in there and scoopup candy as fast as you can — or you don’t get candy. My daughter, whom I’ve infected with some of my gringa sensibilities, tends to hang back and grab stragglers, often sharing with smaller kids. This is kind, yes, but it’s also safe: She knows she’ll get a gift bag at the end of the party too. Under no circumstances will she go without.

You might think that once your kids get candy, you’ll get candy. This is true. There’s usually plenty to go around, along with — thank goodness — a big supply of local dentists.

Some of the candy is what we’re already familiar with, like chocolate. There are paletas (suckers) too, of course, and the little pieces of hard candy called caramelos.

But, oh, the variety. Everyone seems to love these things around here, so let’s have a look at what some of the less-familiar ones are!

Miguelitos

Packets of Miguelito Candy — The miguelito is not for everyone. But many Mexicans love this chamoy-flavored candy. (Miguelito)

I have not met a Mexican who does not love miguelitos. My daughter loves them too. I, myself, would rather eat paint chips.

What are miguelitos, you may ask? Well, they’re little paper or plastic packets of powder that, since they’re sold as candy, you would think would be sweet. Basically, it’s a chamoy-flavored powder.

And what is chamoy, you may ask? It’s the stuff on the rim of your glass if you have a michelada, for one. It’s sweet, sour, salty and spicy all at the same time, and Mexicans go nuts for it. In powder or sauce, it goes on fruit, candy, popcorn, the rims of glasses or straight into the mouth. For a fascinating history of chamoy in Mexico, check out this video.

Pelón Pelo Rico

This candy’s existence is based on the conceit that the spiced tamarind pulp coming out of it looks like flowing red hair. (Chedraui)

This is another favorite of pretty much every kid I know, including my daughter, and is in the tamarind candy category. Its presentation is silly: it’s a push-up goo made to look like a little green fellow’s red hair. It’s tangy and spicy, and also a little… salty? Not my bag, but it doesn’t have to be: It’s got tons of fans.

Tamarind is the featured flavor in a few other popular Mexican candies as well, like Pulparindo, which my partner calls his personal favorite. This one is just a bit heavier on the spiciness and saltiness — and it’s chewy, like a fruit roll-up. Salty fruit roll-ups, anyone? There’s also a kind of tamarind pulp sold in an actual plastic spoon to lick off!

Mazapán

Three De la Rosa mazapan discs sit on a counter — No, it’s not marzapan, it’s Mazapán — made with compressed ground peanuts — and it’s delicious! (Karla Hernández / CC0 1.0)

Now that we’ve talked about some of the many things they put salt and chili in, let’s move on to something, in my opinion, much tastier. Mazapán — De la Rosa is the brand — is a round disk of ground peanuts and sugar pressed together. It’s technically a solid, but it has a way of both breaking off and then melting in your mouth that’s just so satisfying.

Obleas

Packaged oblea on a counter — You’ll be forgiven if this Mexican candy reminds you a lot of a communion host. (Daniel Lobo / CC0 1.0)

I was very confused the first time someone handed me one of these. “Is this…two body-of-Christ wafers with caramel in the middle?” That’s exactly what it was.

The cream in the middle is cajeta, a gooey caramel made from goat’s milk; the similar dulce de leche is made from cow’s milk. There are also cajeta suckers, which are delicious, and rollos de guayaba filled with cajeta, which are also worth seeking out, though they can’t typically be found in a piñata. I just wanted to mention them because I love them.

Paleta payaso

If you’re lucky, there will be a few of these in the piñata. The paleta payaso is a chocolate-covered marshmallow on a stick with a candied smiley face.

Unwrapping one is always a comical event, because the face is always misshapen. I remember frowning at one for a good five seconds the first time someone handed me one. But it’s pretty good.

Which Mexican candies do you like?

This article isn’t a complete list — obviously. I tried to stick mostly to things that might seem foreign to… we foreigners.

Even after 23 years, there are some of these candies that I just don’t like: chili and salt with sweet and tart, for example, will never be okay in my book. But most candies, I do like.

So come on, out with it: What are your Mexican faves?

Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.

3 more Los Cabos restaurants recognized in 2025 Michelin Guide

By

Chris Sands

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June 21, 2025

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A fine dining presentation of a dish involving pieces of sushi and fresh fruit on a white plate on a placemat next to a cocktail and tortillas on an artisan stone bowl. — Mezcal, one of the 2025 Michelin Guide's newly recognized restaurants, exemplifies how Los Cabos' culinary scene highlights fresh, local flavors. (Mezcal)

The recent Michelin Guide announcement for Mexico marks the second year the French tire company and identifier of the world’s best restaurants since 1920 has sought the best and brightest across Mexico’s culinary landscape. Last year, 157 restaurants were recognized in the country across multiple categories, with 18 eateries receiving the acclaimed Michelin star. Among those singled out in 2024 were restaurants in Los Cabos and Todos Santos, with the former garnering 13 awards, the latter four.

This year’s announcement, on June 3, saw Mexico’s number of recognized restaurants rise to 181. The country five new one-star restaurants, two of which are in Baja California. Pujol and Quintonil in Mexico City remained ensconced as two-star standouts.

A group of about 30-40 people standing on a stage posing for a photo with a person in a Michelin Man costume at the center. Behind them is a legend on the stage's back wall that says Michelin Guide Ceremony 2025 Mexico — The Michelin awards ceremony for Mexico’s restaurants, held on June 3, saw the number of Mexico’s recognized restaurants rise to 181. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

In Los Cabos, the number of recognized eateries increased to 16. However, still only one restaurant has the sought-after Michelin star: Cocina de Autor Los Cabos at the all-inclusive Grand Velas Los Cabos resort. No new stars were given for the destination in 2025. Todos Santos, an hour’s drive from Cabo San Lucas, maintained its four recognized restaurants but saw no new awards. Nearby El Pescadero still has one Michelin Guide-awarded restaurant.

Which restaurants were added or dropped in Los Cabos and Todos Santos?

Three Los Cabos restaurants received new Michelin Guide recognition in 2025: Mezcal at Montage Los Cabos and Al Pairo at Solaz, both hosted by resorts located in the Tourist Corridor between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, and Límo Heritage Kitchen at Suelo Sur in downtown San José del Cabo.

The two resorts, Montage and Solaz, opened in 2018. Mezcal, the signature eatery at Montage, is, as its name suggests, a haven for traditional Mexican cuisine and mezcal-based cocktails helmed by chef Odín Rocha. At Solaz’s signature restaurant, Al Pairo, chef Martín Arellano dishes up contemporary cuisine with influences from around the globe. Farm-to-table cuisine, a specialty of San José del Cabo, is the focus at Límo Heritage Kitchen at Suelo Sur and its talented chef, Guillermo J. Gómez.

A line chef garnishing small restaurant plates of food in a staging area of the restaurant's kitchen. — Límo Heritage Kitchen in San José del Cabo, one of the three restaurants in Los Cabos newly recognized by the prestigious Michelin Guide, specializes in farm-to-table, authentic Baja California cuisine. (Límo Heritage Kitchen)

The new entries join the 13 Los Cabos restaurants that had already earned the Michelin Guide imprimatur, a list that includes Los Tres Gallos in Cabo San Lucas; Acre, Flora’s Field Kitchen, Lumbre, Omakai and Ruba’s Bakery & Bistro in San José del Cabo; and Árbol, Carbón Cabrón, Cocina de Autor, Comal, Manta, Metate and Nao in the Tourist Corridor.

Meanwhile, Benno, DŪM, Oystera and Tenoch by Paradero Todos Santos are the Michelin Guide-rated restaurants in Todos Santos, with Cocina de Campo by Agricole the lone entry in El Pescadero.

Different recognitions for different restaurants

However, it shouldn’t be supposed that all of these restaurants in Los Cabos, Todos Santos, and El Pescadero were recognized equally, as that isn’t the case. Cocina de Autor Los Cabos, as noted, is the only regional restaurant to receive a coveted one-star rating.

Aside from stars, the Michelin Guide also awards restaurants based on three other categories: Green Star, Bib Gourmand and Recommendations. The Green Star is given to eateries that exhibit a strong commitment to sustainable gastronomy, so it should come as no surprise to Los Cabos residents and visitors that Acre and Flora’s Field Kitchen at Flora Farms, two renowned farm-to-table restaurants in San José del Cabo, received this recognition.

Bib Gourmand, by contrast, is a category that highlights restaurants of very good quality that also offer food at affordable prices. In Los Cabos, Flora’s Field Kitchen also makes that list, as does Metate. Cocina de Campo by Agricole, the only restaurant in El Pescadero honored by the Michelin Guide, made it as a Bib Gourmand.

The last category is Recommended, which simply means that the Michelin Guide thinks a place is well above average, but not quite at the level of a one, two or three-starred restaurant. This category applies to all the restaurants mentioned in Todos Santos and the other 12 restaurants in Los Cabos, including Al Pairo at Solaz, Árbol, Comal, Carbón Cabrón, Los Tres Gallos, Límo Heritage Kitchen at Suelo Sur, Lumbre, Manta, Mezcal, Nao, Omakai and Ruba’s Bakery & Bistro.

No other restaurants outside these destinations in Baja California Sur were honored, so no selections in La Paz or Loreto.

Roasted tomatoes artfully displayed on a serving plate with leaves of fresh basil, surrounded by fat heirloom tomatoes. — The tomato salad at Acre, one of only two restaurants in Los Cabos to receive a Green Star from the Michelin Guide. (Acre)

How Los Cabos came to be one of the few areas in Mexico eligible for Michelin Guide recognition

When the Michelin Guide began including restaurants in Mexico for the first time in 2024, I was shocked by how few restaurants received stars. Mexico, as we all know, is home to one of the world’s great culinary traditions. This is the nation responsible for tomatoes in Italy and for the presence of chocolate worldwide. How could the number be so modest?

It’s an interesting part of the story because aside from Mexico City, only five of Mexico’s 31 states have been included in each of the two Michelin Guide evaluations: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, and Quintana Roo. That covers two of the nation’s three biggest cities — Mexico City and Monterrey — and two tourism powerhouses in Cancún and Los Cabos. But where’s Puebla? Where are all the other states in Mexico that make great food and have great restaurants — which is to say, all of them?

In a soon-to-be-published interview I did with Rodrigo Esponda Cascajares, Director General of the Los Cabos Tourism Board (Fiturca), noted that Los Cabos was given only two weeks in 2023 to decide if it wanted to be included in the initial Michelin Guide ratings in 2024, and that it was only through the efforts of Fiprotur, the private tourism trust in Los Cabos, that the municipality was able to make it happen.

A Mexican man in a blue blazer and light blue dress shirt stands facing the camera with his arms folded over his body. — Los Cabos had to jump through hoops at the last minute in 2023 in order to be included as a destination in the Michelin Guide, said Rodrigo Esponda, director-general of the Los Cabos Tourism Board. (Internet)

Esponda also mentioned how important that was since new areas won’t be able to be included until at least 2026 or 2027. Mexico and the Michelin Guide worked together to determine participation. However, those earmarked for participation had to set up and fund the restaurant assessments and evaluations.

I’d say that Los Cabos and the other places included made a smart judgment. Not only do Michelin-recognized restaurants typically see a bump in reservations and revenue, but it’s a boon to food-driven tourism for the destinations where these restaurants are located.

If other states realize this and participate in 2026 and beyond, then Mexico’s star total will rise. Los Cabos’ restaurants should continue to flourish too, if only because the municipality’s population is growing and so are the number of resorts and restaurants.

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.

Sculpture in England pays tribute to Mexico’s searchers for missing persons

By

MND Staff

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June 20, 2025

1

head of a statue of a searching mother in england — The sculpture "Searching Mother" is a tribute to the mothers and independent search collectives working to resolve the estimated 128,000 missing persons in Mexico. (Arte Sustentable A.C./Facebook)

Mexican and English artists have constructed a sculpture of a searching mother, aiming to spotlight the struggles of families searching for missing persons, often loved ones, in Mexico and to foster international empathy through art.

The monument “Madre Buscadora” — a widely used term in Mexico that translates to “Searching Mother” — was built during a five-day construction marathon in Stoke-on-Trent, a city in central England with a strong working-class tradition.

Pesrons sitting around a tall statue — The “Searching Mother” statue was a collaborative effort by artists on both sides of the Atlantic — the Mexican association Arte Sustentable and the British collective B-Arts. (Arte Sustentable A.C./Facebook)

The effort was part of a 10-day, cross-residency program organized by the Mexican association Arte Sustentable and the British collective B-Arts that took place from May 9 to 19.

Arte Sustentable promotes art as a tool for positive change, with a focus on sustainability, the environment and social justice. Based primarily in Mexico City and Zacualpan de Amilpas, Morelos, the group also supports collaboration and the use of eco-friendly materials.

The sculpture stands nearly 4 meters (13 feet) and is crafted from wicker and cardboard, materials chosen due to the unavailability of traditional Mexican reed in England. The piece also includes a real poster of a missing young woman.

The structure was intentionally left partially uncovered, symbolizing a void, and contains a heart inside as a symbol of resistance and love.

“The figure has braided hair, a hat, a shovel and boots — just like a mother searching the land,” said project leader Carlos Arredondo of the Torito Cartonería workshop in Zacualpan de Amilpas. “The sign she’s carrying represents a young woman who actually disappeared in Morelos in 2014.”

Underscoring the gravity of the subject, the sculpture’s subdued, natural tones mark a departure from the bright colors typical of Mexican cartonería — such as papier-mâché piñatas and Day of the Dead skeletons.

According to published figures, official tallies and independent estimates as of three months ago place the number of missing persons nationwide between 125,000 and 128,000. The total grew by 7.3% in 2023 and a further 6.3% in 2024.

During the exhibition, the public was invited to write messages on ribbons attached to the piece, transforming it into a living work in dialogue with the community.

“People didn’t believe what it meant, but they showed a lot of interest in understanding,” said Bárbara Martínez, a member of the Morelos Human Rights Commission. “They came closer, asked questions, wanted to know more. The empathy was immediate.”

The Mexican team worked side-by-side with B-Arts, which organized the exchange in honor of its 40th anniversary this year. The Mexican team included Arredondo, Martínez, mathematician Lucía López de Medrano, Patricia Contreras of Torito Cartonería and Carlos Báez of Artes Xibalbá.

The team also led a mask-making workshop and participated in an artistic intervention at a Belgian institution for people with mental disabilities.

Toward dialogue between government and families

The unveiling of the sculpture last month in England was followed this week by some big news at home in Mexico: a historic agreement between collectives representing families of missing persons and the government.

After weeks of negotiations, the two sides finally agreed on reforms to the General Law on Disappearances. The government agreed to incorporate 29 key proposals from families, including the recognition of the “social family” as a legitimate subject in search processes.

Hailed as “the first exercise in effective dialogue between the state and the families,” the agreement also calls for the strengthening of forensic capabilities and victim assistance protocols.

“Consensus was built based on the recognition of our experience,” a spokesman for the Movement for Our Disappeared in Mexico (MNDM) said in the newspaper El Sol de México. “This doesn’t resolve everything, but it opens the door to an institutional dialogue that didn’t exist before.”

The reforms are set to be reviewed by the Senate in the coming week, signaling what advocates call a major legislative step in human rights under President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration.

With reports from Excélsior and El Sol de México

Hurricane Erick’s toll in southern Mexico: Friday’s mañanera recapped

By

MND Staff

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June 20, 2025

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Sheinbaum calls on a reporter at her morning press conference — Sheinbaum answered questions about an illegal refinery in Veracruz and the detention of Mexicans in U.S. immigration raids. (Presidencia)

Federal and state officials provided an update on the aftermath of Hurricane Erick at the start of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s press conference.

Sheinbaum herself confirmed one death related to the hurricane before responding to a range of questions from reporters, including ones about the discovery of an illegal oil refinery and the arrest of Mexicans in immigration raids in the United States.

Sheinbaum confirms death of infant due to Hurricane Erick

Sheinbaum noted that an infant drowned in the state of Guerrero when he was swept away by floodwaters after Hurricane Erick made landfall in the neighboring state of Oaxaca on Thursday morning.

The victim was a one-year-old baby boy who died in a swollen river in the municipality of San Marcos, located on the Pacific coast south of Acapulco.

Sheinbaum said that the government of Guerrero was assisting the boy’s family.

She said that there were no other reports of fatalities linked to Erick, which made landfall as a Category 3 storm in the municipality of Santiago Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca, early on Thursday.

After rapid intensification, Hurricane Erick makes landfall in Oaxaca as a Category 3 storm

Earlier in the press conference, National Civil Protection Coordinator Laura Velázquez reported that the hurricane toppled trees and utility poles in Guerrero and Oaxaca and tore sheet metal roofs off homes.

She also noted that rain brought by the hurricane caused flooding in streets and homes.

Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara said that 39 municipalities in the southern state were affected by Erick. He said that the worst affected municipality was Villa de Tututepec, located north of Puerto Escondido.

Jara said that various communities in that municipality, and in Pinotepa Nacional, were inaccessible by road due to floodwaters. He also noted that flooding occurred in Juchitán, a city near Salina Cruz on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

Jara said that the Los Perros River in the city flooded, affecting some 2,000 homes in Juchitán. The governor also noted that Hurricane Erick caused damage to papaya and lime crops in Oaxaca.

“And some boats and motors of fishermen were also affected in Puerto Escondido, Puerto Ángel and Pinotepa Nacional,” Jara added.

National Defense Minister Ricardo Trevillo reported on the military’s emergency aid work in the aftermath of Hurricane Erick. (Presidencia)

National Defense Minister Ricardo Trevillo reported that 9,632 troops were deployed to Oaxaca to attend to the aftermath of the hurricane, while 11,876 were sent to Guerrero.

Some 12,000 troops were also deployed to Chiapas, “which was also expected to be affected,” he said.

Trevillo said that members of the armed forces had completed a range of tasks, including removing trees from roads, providing medical assistance at shelters and distributing food and water to affected citizens.

Sheinbaum said that a census to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Erick will commence once the “emergency period” has concluded. She said that the census will be carried out by the Welfare Ministry, which will determine which citizens are eligible for government support.

“In any case, there is already food and grocery support,” Sheinbaum said.

‘We’re not going to protect anyone involved in the sale of illegal fuel’

A reporter suggested that employees of state oil company Pemex were involved in the operation of a clandestine oil refinery in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, that was shut down this week by federal authorities. She asked the president whether the investigation into the illegal refinery will consider the possible involvement of Pemex workers.

Security forces shut down clandestine oil refinery in Veracruz

“We’re not going to protect anyone,” Sheinbaum responded.

“… We’re not going to protect anyone involved in the sale of illegal fuel,” she stressed.

“… To build a refinery of this type you essentially need chemical engineers,” Sheinbaum said. “They may or may not work at Pemex.”

222 Mexicans detained in immigration raids in past 2 weeks

Sheinbaum said that 222 Mexicans have been detained in immigration raids in the United States since June 6, the date U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out raids at a Home Depot and a textile factory in Los Angeles.

Later in the day, Foreign Affairs Ministry official Roberto Velasco said that ICE has detained 1,154 Mexicans since United States President Donald Trump began his second term on Jan. 20.

“We have knowledge of 111 ICE operations, in which 5,719 people have been detained, including 1,154 Mexican people,” he told a press conference.

In the past two weeks, Velasco said that Mexicans were detained by ICE in cities including Los Angeles and Omaha, and in the town of Vinton, Louisiana.

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

How much tourism is too much? Cozumel weighs whether a fourth cruise dock is worth it

By

MND Staff

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June 20, 2025

11

A massive cruise ship towers over a dock in Cozumel, Mexico while passengers cue to board — The island of Cozumel is one of the busiest cruise destinations in the world welcoming over 4 million cruise ship passengers a year. (Mara Lezama/X)

The on-again, off-again, on-again project to build a fourth cruise ship dock in Cozumel has been paused by the Environment Ministry (Semarnat) which is reconsidering the approval it granted just two months ago.

Advocates for Cozumel’s coral reefs were stunned in April when Semarnat greenlit the project to expand a cruise ship port that would allegedly damage the Villa Blanca Reef, reversing a 2022 decision to cancel the construction.

Four cruise ships docked in Cozumel — Cozumel currently has three docks that can accommodate cruise ships. Each dock has two to three docking slips. (Cuartoscuro)

On Friday, Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena announced that Semarnat would carry out a new environmental impact study with a particular focus on the reef, and the rights of the local population to a healthy environment.

The Villa Blanca Reef is a critical habitat for marine life and a popular site for divers and snorkelers, according to Yucatán Magazine. Construction of the dock over the reef will smother coral formations, displace marine species and degrade water quality, scientists say.

Opponents of the project insist the planned pier would disrupt the island’s delicate ecological balance, undoing 20 years of restoration work.

Emergency responders say the pier project — which would occupy 59,000 square meters of federal maritime zone — would obstruct Coast Guard routes, delaying rescue missions in southern waters.

Among the economic repercussions, long-standing dive operators and scuba training centers would lose access to the reef, effectively shutting down their operations. Snorkeling guides who provide tours in Villa Blanca would also face an uncertain future.

Activists also point out that the location chosen for the new dock lies on the only readily accessible beach for locals.

Residents are also largely against the construction project, according to tourism website Reportur. Many cozmuleños, as residents are known, not only oppose the environmental damage, but also prefer overnight visitors who spend more money than cruise passengers.

“Cruises … offer far fewer benefits per visitor than overnight visitors,” Cozumel resident Rodrigo Huesca Alcántara told Reportur. A visitor who stays five days, eats at local restaurants and pays for tours provides a much larger profit than cruise passengers who visit for just a few hours, he said.

Toni Cháves, president of the Riviera Maya Hotel Association, also criticized the environmental damage the project would cause.

“We don’t live off of tourism,” he said. “We live off of the natural beauty that attracts tourism.”

Fishing boats by the ocean in Cozumel — The proposal for a fourth cruise ship dock has stirred controversy on the island of Cozumel, where a population of 88,000 hosts millions of tourists a year. (Ryan Grewell/Unsplash)

Bárcena’s announcement came just 10 days after Muelles del Caribe said it was beginning construction on Cozumel’s fourth pier that would be capable of accommodating the world’s largest cruise ships.

The latest pause was prompted by an injunction filed against Semarnat’s decision on June 13, after which Semarnat acknowledged that some permits and concessions related to the required environmental impact study have yet to be granted.

Opponents insist their opposition goes beyond the environmental destruction the project would cause. They say the financial benefits of the cruise industry do not trickle down to local residents.

Quintana Roo TV station Canal 12 reported that although the cruise industry generates US $740 million per year, 40% of local residents live below the poverty line.

Opposition to the construction of a fourth pier dates back to 2021. Semarnat approved the 511 million-peso project (US $24 million) in December 2021, but it was halted by a federal judge in February 2022.

With reports from El Financiero, Reportur and Yucatán Magazine

Mexico ranks No. 11 in the world for attracting foreign investment

By

MND Staff

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June 20, 2025

1

German multinational tech company Bosch's manufacturing plant in Toluca — The Economy Ministry sees Mexico's success in attracting foreign investment as the result of favorable geography, competitive costs, a young and talented population, and a strong internal market. (Bosch Mexico)

Mexico held firm as one of the most attractive countries for foreign investors last year, even as global foreign direct investment (FDI) declined for a second consecutive year

An annual report compiled by the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). showed that in 2024 Mexico received nearly US $37 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) — up from US $36 billion in 2023 — to rank 11th in the world. Despite the increase in FDI last year, Mexico slipped out of the top 10, falling two spots from the No. 9 position it held in 2023.

digital tech plant — According to the UN report, Mexico’s ability to consistently attract FDI in recent years bucks a global trend in which foreign investment is tight. (UNCTAD)

In contrast, at the global level, FDI last year was down 11% from 2023, reaching less than US $1.5 trillion in 2024. The decline was driven by losses in developed countries, particularly China and parts of Europe. Global FDI in 2023 surpassed US $1.67 trillion, according to UNCTAD.

The downward trend confirms a deepening slowdown in productive capital flows, the UNCTAD report found.

UNCTAD said shrinking investment funds pose acute challenges to developing countries, including Mexico, while warning that uncertainty is affecting global investment. The report indicated that FDI in developing economies was virtually unchanged in 2024 compared to 2023.

“This is not just a downturn — it is a pattern,” UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan said Thursday.

Whereas foreign investment flows to Latin American and the Caribbean were down 12% last year, UNCTAD reported that “sectoral and country-level gains signal underlying resilience and long-term potential.”

Mexico was second only to Brazil (US $59 billion) in Latin America, thanks to investment in manufacturing and logistics, UNCTAD found.

Mexico was also sixth among developing economies by project announcements in digital economy sectors, attracting US $29 billion over the past five years.

According to Mexico’s Economy Ministry, FDI flows into Mexico have performed favorably during the last 10 years, with a total amount of US $300 billion during the 2011-2021 period.

The Economy Ministry attributes Mexico’s success in attracting FDI to its strategic geographical position, competitive costs, young and talented population, and the size and strength of its internal market.

The UNCTAD report cautions that macroeconomic indicators point to a slowdown, however. Global GDP growth forecasts have been revised downward since the beginning of the year, while projections for capital formation and trade — crucial for value chain-driven investment — have also weakened.

bank building — Multinationals like Spanish bank BBVA have continued to invest in Mexico despite challenging global economic conditions. (Shutterstock)

The report underscores that investment shortfalls are stalling jobs, infrastructure and sustainable development – especially in the least developed and most vulnerable economies.

“Too many economies are being left behind not for a lack of potential – but because the system still sends capital where it’s easiest, not where it’s needed,” Grynspan said.

The report concludes that the investment landscape in 2024 was “shaped by geopolitical tensions, trade fragmentation and intensifying industrial policy competition.”

The slowdown in FDI flows is also being driven by policies restricting foreign investment. UNCTAD reported that in the past decade, the number of countries imposing FDI controls, citing national security, increased from 21 to 46.

With reports from El Economista, Reforma and La Jornada

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Isn’t It a Lovely (Pozole) Day?
By Irving Berlin (unauthorized version)

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