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Diego Luna’s late-night monologue resonates with Sheinbaum: Wednesday’s mañanera recapped

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MND Staff
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Sheinbaum on Mexicans in U.S.
"If there is a person who committed a crime, action should be taken. But the millions and millions of Mexicans [in the U.S.] aren't criminals. They're heroes and heroines," Sheinbaum said on Wednesday. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)

The heavy-handed arrest of an undocumented Mexican man in the United States on Saturday and a massacre in the state of Guanajuato on Tuesday night were among the issues President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about at her Wednesday morning press conference.

She also acknowledged a monologue delivered by “Star Wars” and “Narcos:Mexico” actor Diego Luna while he was guest-hosting a late-night talk show in Los Angeles on Monday night.

Sheinbaum describes ICE’s use of force against Mexican gardener as an ‘injustice’

A reporter noted that a video showing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents punching 48-year-old Mexican gardener Narciso Barranco has gone viral. She noted that he was detained by ICE in Santa Ana and highlighted that he has lived in the United States for 31 years, is originally from Cuernavaca, Morelos, and is the father of three sons who serve or have served in the U.S. military (Marine Corps).

“What opinion do you have about this?” the reporter asked the president.

“All of that is unfair, it’s an injustice,” Sheinbaum said.

“The Mexicans who live in the United States — the migrants, because they’re not just Mexicans — are people who went to the United States out of necessity and they’ve made their lives there. They are Mexicans and Americans at the same time, even if they don’t have nationality papers, because they’ve contributed to the United States their whole lives,” she said.

“Just imagine, the sons of this person are even part of the United States Army,” Sheinbaum said.

“We’re going to continue defending our brothers and sisters there. The [Mexican] Consulate got in contact with [Barranco] immediately,” she said.

Sheinbaum, having seen the video of the violent detention of 48-year-old Mexican gardener Narciso Barranco, said it was particularly unjust given that his family members were veterans of the United States Army. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)

NBC News reported on Wednesday that “initial videos of the arrest have been countered with videos from the [Trump] administration, which has said Barranco assaulted the officers with his weed trimmer.”

Barranco is undocumented “but has no criminal record,” according to his son, Alejandro Barranco, a Marine veteran who served in Afghanistan.

Sheinbaum acknowledges Diego Luna’s remarks in defense of immigrants 

Having concluded her response to the question about Barranco, Sheinbaum took a moment to “recognize the monologue” Diego Luna delivered while guest hosting the television show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

Luna denounced what he called “the authoritarian policies” of United States President Donald Trump and gave a staunch defense of immigrants in the United States.

Immigrants “are the ones who built this country, they feed it, they nurture and teach its children,” he said.

“They care for the elderly, they work in construction, hospitality, they run kitchens, they’re technicians, merchants, athletes, drivers, farmers. They pay a lot of taxes, … papers or no papers,” Luna said.

According to The Los Angeles Times, with his appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, Luna became the first Mexican to host a late-night talk show in English.

 

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Sheinbaum highlighted that the views he expressed are the same as her own.

His message, she said, was that millions of Mexicans “have given their lives so that the United States is what it is and the city of Los Angeles is what it is.”

“… We’ve said that the Mexicans there have to be recognized, that we don’t agree with the [immigration] raids, that migrants aren’t criminals,” Sheinbaum said.

“If there is a person who committed a crime, action should be taken. But the millions and millions of Mexicans [in the U.S.] aren’t criminals. They’re heroes and heroines,” she said.

Sheinbaum: Massacre in Irapuato is under investigation 

Sheinbaum described a massacre in the city of Irapuato, Guanajuato, on Tuesday as “terrible.”

“It’s a terrible multiple homicide and it’s under investigation,” she said.

The Guanajuato Attorney General’s Office (FGEG) said later on Wednesday that 11 people had been reported as dead and 20 others sustained gunshot wounds and were receiving treatment in the hospital.

Gunmen opened fire during celebrations for the feast day of Saint John the Baptist in the Irapuato neighborhood of Barrio Nuevo late on Tuesday night.

Sheinbaum described the incident as a “confrontation,” although it didn’t appear that anyone shot back at the gunmen who perpetrated the massacre.

She also said children had “unfortunately died,” but the FGEG said that only one minor had been killed.

It said that the 11 people killed had been “preliminarily identified” as eight men, two women and a 17-year-old minor.

No arrests were reported and the motive for the attack was unclear. Guanajuato has been Mexico’s most violent state in terms of total homicides in recent years. The state has recorded more murders than any other entity so far this year, although homicide numbers have trended down.

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

Director Tim Burton tours Mexico City highlights ahead of ‘The Labyrinth’ exhibit opening

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MND Staff
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Tim Burton's "The Labyrinth" is an immersive installation with 28 themed rooms where visitors can view over 200 of the director’s original works.
Tim Burton's "The Labyrinth" is an immersive installation with 28 themed rooms where visitors can view over 200 of the director’s original works. (Tim Burton Exhibition)

Hollywood director Tim Burton was in Mexico City this week to inaugurate his massive exhibition called The Labyrinth, taking time to sightsee along the way.

The Labyrinth is an immersive installation with 28 themed rooms where visitors can view over 200 of the director’s original works, including sketches, sculptures and costumes from several of his movies. 

The exhibition is interactive, giving each visitor the chance to choose their own adventure, meaning no two tours are the same. This feature is meant to give visitors insight into Burton’s creative process.

While in Mexico City, Burton took a trip on a trajinera boat in the Xochimilco canals in the south of the city, accompanied by Mexican celebrities, including Juan Manuel Bernal, the film and telenovela star who won an Ariel for best actor in 2015, and the Uruguayan-Mexican actress Bárbara Mori.  

Burton, director of the films Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish and Sweeney Todd, among others, also visited the Dolores Cemetery in Chapultepec Park, the resting place of many famous Mexicans, like Dolores del Rio and David Alfaro Siqueiros. There, standing before a red-lit chapel, the director spoke about how Mexican culture had influenced him as a child growing up in Burbank, California. 

“I like visiting Mexico because it feels so close to my skin,” Burton said. “I mean, I was born in Los Angeles, so the Day of the Dead, Mexican art and its characters have had a huge impact on me since I was little. I truly believe that art and creativity in Mexico are inspiring. That’s why I love coming here.”

 

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From the cemetery’s lote de los panaderos (Bakers’ Lot), rumored to be haunted, Burton described a long-held appreciation for graveyards

“I used to find [a cemetery in Burbank, California] very peaceful and inspiring. It was the place I used to go to think,” Burton said during the masterclass. “I always found it exciting and spiritual.” 

During his time in Mexico, Burton visited the traditional town of Tepoztlán in Morelos, around 80 km from Mexico City. Tepoztlán is known for its strong pre-Columbian roots, its colonial architecture and the unusual mountain formations around it. 

He also attended a lucha libre wrestling match in Mexico City’s Arena Mexico on Tuesday, taking the time to pose for a photo with some of the stars of the show.  

The Labyrinth will open to the public beginning July 3. The exhibition will be housed at the Lienzo Charro (rodeo) next to the Dolores Cemetery, with tickets available from 450 to 800 pesos (US $24 to $42). 

With reports from UnoTV, El Economista, Donde Ir, Fightful and LOS40

Trump approves expansion of cross-border bridge connecting Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras

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MND Staff
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bridge
The volume of trade between Coahuila and Texas has outgrown the capacity of the Camino Real International Bridge, or Bridge II. The approved expansion is expected to ease that problem within three years. (Shutterstock)

United States President Donald Trump has approved the expansion of the Eagle Pass bridge, a major border crossing between the United States and Mexico.

The project, which is expected to alleviate congestion and boost trade, will double the available lanes (from six to 12) of the vehicular and pedestrian bridge — officially the Camino Real International Bridge, and also known as Bridge II — which connects Eagle Pass, Texas, with Piedras Negras in the Mexican state of Coahuila.

pedestrian along bridge
Traffic on the international bridge between Piedras Negras, Coahuila and Eagle Pass, Texas, both vehicular and pedestrian, is often busy. (Cuartoscuro.com)

“This approval is great news for South Texas,” said Republican U.S. Senator for Texas John Cornyn in a statement. “The expansion of the Camino Real International Bridge in Eagle Pass will help modernize the bridge’s infrastructure and ultimately increase [its] capacity.”

Cornyn had written to Trump in November 2024 requesting the expansion, saying that trade in Eagle Pass increased by more than 9% in 2023, with two-way trade totaling over US $37 billion, making it the fourth-largest commercial crossing in Texas.

Congress recently approved a fast-track permit process for bridges in the counties of Webb, Cameron and Maverick in South Texas. 

The expedited permit process has led to approval of new international bridges in Laredo and Brownsville, Texas, as well as the expansion of the Laredo-Colombia Solidarity International Bridge and the World Trade Bridge in Laredo — and now Bridge II in Eagle Pass. 

Bridge II is expected to be completed in three years, when it should strengthen economic exchange between the neighboring countries. 

The permit for the bridge states that “before beginning construction, the beneficiary must obtain approval from the United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission.” 

During roundtable discussions, the U.S. stressed Coahuila’s recent progress in security and development, which helped facilitate the project’s approval. Coahuila will hold a 30-year concession to operate the bridge.

“We are very pleased with this long-awaited news on both sides of the border,” said Carl Bres Carranza, the local president of the Mexican Employers’ Association (Coparmex). “This presidential authorization to expand Bridge II represents a great step forward for regional economic development.” 

With reports from WCBD News 2, Milenio, Vanguardia and El Sol de la Laguna

Mexico close to striking a deal on US steel tariffs, Bloomberg reports

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MND Staff
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Marcelo Ebrard
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard has traveled to Washington, D.C. on several occasions to negotiate exemptions, or at least reductions, of U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum and vehicles made in Mexico. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico could get a reprieve from the United States’ 50% tariffs on steel imports, but only on exports up to a certain limit, according to the Bloomberg news agency.

The United States imposed 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports in March, and doubled the rate to 50% this month.

Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that trade negotiations between the United States and Mexico are “homing in on a possible quota system to reduce tariffs on a certain volume of steel imports.”

Citing unnamed “people familiar with the talks,” the news agency said that “the developing framework” would “alleviate crushing duties for some of the Mexican steel imports that U.S. automakers and other industries have described as essential.”

Citing two sources, Bloomberg said that a “tariff-free steel quota” could be established based on Mexico’s export volumes between 2015 and 2017.

“That would predate a surge in imports as well as a slowdown tied to the pandemic,” the news agency said.

While the United States has been open to trade negotiations with Mexico, the Trump administration has held firm on its 50% steel and aluminum import tariff. (Instagram)

A quota based on 2015-2017 volumes would equate to about 2.79 million metric tonnes of steel per year, according to data from the United States Department of Commerce.

Citing its sources, Bloomberg said that steel imports from Mexico “under any threshold specified under the deal would avoid the 50% tariff but are still expected to be hit with a 10% baseline charge.”

“… Amounts above it would be subjected to the full [50%] duty, said people familiar with the matter.”

A “tariff-free” or “tariff-reduced” quota of 2.79 million tonnes of steel per year would represent about 88% of Mexico’s steel exports to the United States last year, which totaled  3.19 million metric tonnes.

“Setting the threshold below current demand would ensure a domestic market for American steel while providing some relief to U.S. consumers of the metal,” Bloomberg said.

“At the same time, it would allow the [Trump] administration to provide some reprieve to a U.S. partner,” the news agency said.

“… Tariff-rate quotas have a long history in the U.S., having been imposed to regulate trade in everything from sugar to solar cells,” it noted.

Bloomberg did not report on any negotiations between the United States and Mexico related to the 50% tariff on aluminum.

Despite tariffs, Mexico maintains significant trade surplus with the US

Mexico is the third-largest exporter of steel to the United States, but it imports more of that metal, and aluminum, from the U.S. than it sends to its northern neighbor.

The Mexican government has repeatedly emphasized that Mexico has a deficit with the United States on the trade of the metals, and has thus argued that tariffs on Mexican steel and aluminum are unwarranted.

“It doesn’t make sense to put a tariff on a product you have a surplus in,” Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said earlier this month.

Ebrard has traveled to Washington, D.C. on several occasions to hold trade talks with U.S. officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. He is aiming to negotiate exemptions, or at least reductions, of U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum and vehicles made in Mexico.

On June 4 — the date the 50% tariff on steel and aluminum exports to the U.S. took effect — President Claudia Sheinbaum said:

“In the case of Mexico, firstly, it’s unjust … because as we have said several times, Mexico imports more [from the United States] than it exports in steel and aluminum. Formally, a tariff is imposed when there is a deficit. … Secondly, from our perspective, it has no legal basis because there is a trade agreement.”

The trade agreement she was referring to is the USMCA, which is supposed to guarantee tariff-free trade for most of the goods Mexico, the United States and Canada import from each other.

Sheinbaum said last Wednesday that in a telephone call with U.S. President Donald Trump she proposed a separate “general agreement” between Mexico and the United States covering security, migration and trade.

“I suggested this general agreement and he agreed,” she said.

Sheinbaum said last Thursday that the Mexican government’s “objective” was for the agreement to be signed “very soon.”

With reports from Bloomberg 

Porter Airlines announces new flights from Canada to Cancún, Puerto Vallarta

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MND Staff
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jet flying in front of moon
Porter likes to tout its emphasis on passenger comfort, with no middle seats and free beer and wine served in glassware. (Porter Airlines/Facebook)

Toronto-based Porter Airlines has announced new flights from Canada to two of Mexico’s most popular resort destinations.

Starting in November of this year, the flights will depart from Toronto Pearson (YYZ), Ottawa (YOW) and Hamilton (YHM) airports to Cancún (CUN), Quintana Roo and Puerto Vallarta (PVR), Jalisco.

The Mexican destinations are part of a Porter expansion to Latin American and Caribbean beach spots that also include Nassau, The Bahamas (NAS), Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (GCM), and Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR). 

“These are Porter’s first routes outside of our longtime presence throughout Canada and the U.S,” said Kevin Jackson, president of Porter Airlines. 

The new routes will operate onboard 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. 

These are the services to Mexican cities:

To From Peak weekly departures Start date
Cancún Toronto Pearson 7 Nov. 5, 2025
Ottawa 3 Dec. 17, 2025
Hamilton 4 Dec. 17, 2025
Puerto Vallarta Toronto Pearson 3 Nov. 14, 2025
Ottawa 2 Dec. 13, 2025
Hamilton  2 Dec. 18, 2025

 

“This is a significant development for anyone who wants to fly with Porter to more places and experience our award-winning service that focuses on making flying enjoyable for economy travelers,” Jackson said. 

Jackson was referring to Porter’s emphasis on comfort. There are no middle seats on Porter flights and the free beer and wine are served in glassware.

No other airline connects Hamilton to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, so the new flight is welcomed by Jalisco officials. 

“We are very pleased with the growth of the Canadian market in Jalisco,” said state Tourism Minister Michelle Fridman Hirsch. “This is a key moment to strengthen our ties, highlight the closeness and affinity we share, and make it clear [that] in Jalisco we welcome Canadians with open arms.”. 

She pointed out that with this new route, Jalisco is now connected with 17 airports across Canada.  

Air passenger movement between Canada and Mexico is on the rise, finally surpassing pre-pandemic numbers. According to the newspaper El Imparcial, the 5.3 million passengers between the two countries in 2024 marked a 10.41% increase over the 4.8 million in 2019.

In contrast, Mexican tourism to the United States has recently decreased.

With reports from Business Wire

Officials minimize search collective’s report of 60 bodies found in Morelos mass grave

By
MND Staff
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mass grave near Jojutla, Morelos
Amalia Alejandra Hernández, a member of a search collective called Desaparecidos Tetelcingo y Jojutla, told reporters that 10 to 12 of the bodies were of babies and 10 to 12 were of women. (X)

Amnesty International has expressed its “profound concern” over the “alleged irregular burial” of at least 60 people, including 10 babies, in a mass grave in the central Mexican state of Morelos.

People searching for their missing loved ones said on Sunday that at least 60 bodies had been uncovered in a common grave in a cemetery in the community of Pedro Amaro, located in the municipality of Jojutla, Morelos.

However, the Morelos Attorney General’s Office (FGE) said on Monday that media reports on the discovery of bodies in the grave were inaccurate.

Members of the search collectives accuse the FGE of essentially dumping unidentified bodies in the mass grave in the cemetery in Jojutla, located around 50 kilometers south of Cuernavaca. The deceased persons buried in the grave were presumably victims of murder in most cases.

Amnesty International’s view 

In a statement posted to social media on Tuesday, Amnesty International Mexico expressed its “profound concern about the alleged irregular burial of at least 60 people and 10 babies in a common grave in Pedro Amaro, Jojutla, Morelos.”

“This could represent a serious violation of the right to the truth, justice and reparation for the victims and their families,” Amnesty International said.

The non-governmental organization made five demands of the Morelos Attorney General’s Office:

  • Continue excavations with specialized personnel.
  • Guarantee the participation of search collectives.
  • Carry out investigations and identify the exhumed bodies.
  • Don’t stigmatize or re-victimize those who observe and document (the process).
  • Publish the results of the genetic profiles of all people found.

“Common graves cannot continue being a synonym of impunity,” Amnesty International said.

“The victims and their families deserve truth and justice.”

Searching mother: ‘We hadn’t seen a situation like this before’ 

Patricia García Navaro, a mother whose son disappeared in Cuautla, Morelos, in 2022, told the newspaper La Jornada that the mass grave “belongs to the Attorney General’s Office.”

She accused the FGE of burying the bodies of unidentified people in the grave, and asserted that the bodies hadn’t been subjected to autopsies.

The “fight” now is to determine the identity of the people whose bodies are in the grave, García Navaro said.

“We’ve been here for four weeks and we’re very tired because it’s only us,” she said, referring to herself and other mothers of missing persons.

Romana García Miranda, another madre buscadora (searching mother), told La Jornada that “things are coming out that we never imagined.”

“… We hadn’t seen a situation like this before. We’re not just looking for our children,” said García Miranda, whose son disappeared in 2021.

“We’re looking for everyone who is missing. That’s why we’re fighting so much for the identification [of bodies],” she said.

Attorney General for Morelos Edgar Maldonado
Attorney General for Morelos Edgar Maldonado met with search collective representatives and members on Tuesday to share information and establish dialogue. (@notimpactomor/X)

García Miranda said that the attorney general of Morelos, Edgar Maldonado, had shown only limited interest in their search for their missing loved ones.

“Hopefully he and the entire country hear our clamor [for justice] and join us with a little bit of empathy,” she said.

Amalia Alejandra Hernández, a member of a search collective called Desaparecidos Tetelcingo y Jojutla, told reporters that more than 60 bodies have been exhumed from the mass grave at the cemetery in Pedro Amaro. She said that 10 to 12 of the bodies were of babies and 10 to 12 were of women.

Hernández also said that separate bone remains have been found in the grave.

The common grave has been searched on three previous occasions by search collectives — in 2017, in 2022 and in 2024 —  and scores of bodies were previously exhumed. A fourth phase of excavation of the grave began in late May and continued until June 19 when adverse weather conditions created a safety risk at the site.

The news agency EFE reported that “between 2015 and 2017, [search] collectives and relatives of missing people demonstrated that the Morelos Attorney General’s Office irregularly buried dozens of bodies in common graves, many with signs of violence and without a prior investigation [being carried out], ignoring the relevant protocols.”

Violence in Morelos was particularly prevalent in the second half of the last decade.

The FGE casts doubt on media reports 

The Morelos Attorney General’s Office published a statement on Monday to respond to media reports about the discovery of at least 60 bodies in the grave.

The FGE said that reports referring to the “supposed recovery” of more than 60 bodies and “a dozen skeletal remains” lacked “veracity.”

It asserted that the reports included “unconfirmed information that creates social alarm and disinformation.”

The FGE didn’t, however, provide an alternative figure on the number of bodies found in the grave in recent weeks.

mass grave near Jojutla, Morelos
The grave in question has been searched on three previous occasions by search collectives — in 2017, in 2022 and in 2024 —  and scores of bodies were previously exhumed. (@MarioBeteta/X)

“The technical expert report is currently being prepared and will be presented in accordance with the criteria of responsibility, transparency and strict compliance with the law,” the Attorney General’s Office said.

It said that the report will be presented publicly this week after it has been disclosed to members of search collectives.

The FGE also said that it “maintains its commitment to the victims and the right to truth.”

“For that reason, a new meeting with the representatives of the collectives will be held,” it said.

Attorney General Maldonado met with search collective representatives and members on Tuesday.

The objective of the meeting, the FGE said in a statement, was to “review progress, share information and strengthen permanent dialogue about the exhumation work being carried out at the common grave in the cemetery” in Pedro Amaro.

“During the meeting, the attorney general expressed the institutional will to accompany the processes of truth and justice that the families have demanded for years,” the FGE said.

“… One of the main agreements was to develop genetic profiles of the remains found during the fourth phase of judicial intervention at the ‘Pedro Amaro’ cemetery,” the Attorney General’s Office said.

“… The attorney general reported that the exhumation work, which was temporarily suspended last Friday due to the risk of collapse of a wall adjacent to the excavation area, will resume as soon as the structural safety of the area is guaranteed,” the FGE said.

“In response to requests made, the Attorney General’s Office opened the door to the inclusion of independent experts [in the excavation and exhumation process] and will consider bringing in specialists in archaeology and physical anthropology, with the aim of ensuring a more robust and respectful technical intervention,” it said.

The burial of unidentified bodies in common graves is a common practice in Mexico 

More than 48,000 unidentified bodies lie in common graves in cemeteries across Mexico, a collective of journalists called “A dónde van los desaparecidos” (Where do the disappeared go) said last September.

Thousands of unidentified bodies — many of which correspond to people who were victims of abduction and murder — are typically buried in common graves every year in Mexico, a country where well over 100,000 people are officially classified as missing.

In Morelos, among the other places where the FGE is said to have buried unidentified bodies in common graves is Tetelcingo, located in the municipality of Cuautla. Dozens of bodies were found in a common grave in the town more than a decade ago.

“The Morelos Attorney General’s Office buried bodies of unclaimed persons there [and] unidentified remains,” the newspaper El País reported on Tuesday.

“Afterwards, during search work, relatives [of missing people] continued their investigations to Jojutla, where they found a similar situation,” El País said.

Javier Sicilia, a poet and activist whose son was murdered in Morelos in 2011, has said that “the graves of Tetelcingo and Jojutla are proof of how the state is criminal.”

“… In Tetelcingo and Jojutla it is confirmed that the state also disappears people,” he said.

With reports from Debate, El País and EFE  

Mexico City has rainiest June in 21 years

By
MND Staff
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a woman gets caught in the rain in Oaxaca
¡Aguas con la lluvia! (Carolina Jiménez/Cuartoscuro)

June 2025 has been the rainiest month in Mexico City in the last two decades, drenching the capital with an exceptional volume of rainfall that has battered the city’s battalion of umbrellas to the point of surrender — with three months of rain remaining.

In the past 25 days, more than 220 million cubic meters of water have fallen on the capital, an unprecedented figure in the last 21 years, according to the Ministry of Water and Sustainable Management (Segiagua).

“We’re breaking a rainfall record. This June, which isn’t even over yet, already has the highest rainfall recorded in the last 21 years, and that record may be broken [by the end of the month],” José Mario Esparza, head of the Segiagua, said at a press conference. 

Officials added that no serious damage has been reported thanks to the proper functioning of the deep drainage system. However, trash obstructing hydraulic infrastructure is an ongoing problem in the capital. 

This month’s heavy rains are due to a combination of meteorological factors, including the El Niño weather phenomenon, which increased the number and intensity of tropical cyclones in the Pacific and Atlantic, raising the probability of rainfall above the historical average.

Near-constant rainfall has impacted almost every state during June, with particular severity in Mexico City, where flooding, fallen trees and road damage have been reported following major deluges on June 2, 16 and 22. In Jalisco, all regions exceeded the normal statistical averages for June precipitation. Other impacted states include Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Nayarit, Michoacán, Guerrero, Guanajuato, Puebla, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo.

Authorities have issued alerts for flooding, landslides and rising rivers, recommending that the population take precautions and stay informed about the possibility of continued rain in the coming weeks.

Nationwide, June 2024 was the rainiest month in Mexico since 1941, per the National Water Commission (Conagua). The average of 148.7 millimeters of rain recorded throughout the country one year ago represented 49% more than the usual rainfall total for this time of year (99.8 mm).  

In Mexico City, a total of 154.4 mm of rain would be considered normal for the month of June 2025, according to Conagua. With only five days left in June, we will soon see how much rainfall Mexico City has accumulated.  

With reports from Record and El Financiero

The best hotel I’ve ever stayed at, anywhere in the world — and it’s in Mexico

By
MND Staff
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Aerial view of Hacienda de San Antonio with mountain backdrop including the Colima Volcano
Within eyeshot of the Colima Volcano, the Hacienda de San Antonio provides a remarkable stay on a historic property. (Hacienda de San Antonio)

As expats living in Dubai and far away from our families, opportunities to travel without our six-year-old daughter are rare for my husband and me. But on a return trip to Mexico this spring, we jumped at the chance of a short getaway to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary — and we treated ourselves. 

After years of being obsessed with this hotel, we booked a two-night stay at what is arguably the most extraordinary property we’ve ever experienced: the Hacienda de San Antonio.

The pink exterior of the Hacienda San Antonio with a mountain in the background
The story of the Hacienda de San Antonio dates back to 1879, when it began as a coffee plantation. (Hacienda de San Antonio)

From coffee plantation to hacienda

Set amidst lush jungle in the state of Colima with dramatic views of the Colima volcano, this 19th-century hacienda used to be a coffee plantation owned by German businessman Arnoldo Vogel and his Mexican wife Doña Clotilde Vogel. The story goes that the Arabica coffee produced in these highlands was served to the German royal family. 

In the late 1970s, the hacienda was sold to Bolivian mining tycoon Don Antenor Patiño, who ten years later sold it to his son in law, Sir John Goldsmith. Before acquiring the hacienda, Sir John had bought the property where he would later build one of Mexico’s most exclusive hotels: Cuixmala. 

For years, the Hacienda de San Antonio was the Goldsmith family’s country house until they renovated it and turned it into a luxurious boutique hotel. 

The journey to the hacienda from Guadalajara took 2.5 hours. We traveled there in March, one of the driest and dustiest months in western Mexico, so the scenery wasn’t particularly inviting: sunbaked mountains, leafless trees and brownish hills. However, after passing the wooden sign that read “Hacienda de San Antonio,” the vegetation turned lush and vividly green. 

A warm welcome at the Hacienda de San Antonio

Hacienda de San Antonio | 2024

We drove to the building following a path lined by towering trees and dense jungle. Rays of sunlight filtered through the tree canopy, and birds chirped as if announcing our arrival. At the end of the path, a perfectly groomed green lawn extended in front of us, with the hacienda standing majestically at the far edge. For three days, we forgot it was the dry season.

The hotel staff was already waiting for us at the front entrance. We were greeted with wet wipes scented with lavender from the hacienda’s fields and juice made from the fruits of its orchard.

After check-in, one of the hotel staff members gave us a tour of the property. We began with the chapel, which sits at one end of the building. It was built in 1913 following a volcanic eruption that threatened to destroy the coffee plantations. Doña Clotilde, who had prayed to Saint Anthony for a miracle during the eruption, not only built a chapel in his honor to thank him for sparing her land but also renamed the property after him. 

We then explored the rest of the property. The more we walked around the grounds, the more we felt like leaving the noisy world behind and entering a parallel universe where the hacienda and its grounds kept the real world at bay. 

There’s a sprawling garden with winding fountains inspired by Moorish architecture. A tennis court hidden behind thick vegetation, a living room with a grand piano, huge wooden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and a fireplace for cold nights. The Hacienda de San Antonio also boasts two libraries and a room with chess tables and a bar that makes you feel like a character in a movie from Mexico’s Golden Age of Cinema. But it was probably the checkered pool surrounded by palm trees and bougainvillea where we spent most of our time.

Living off the land

Platter of cheese on a table surrounded by dishes and wine glasses
Rancho El Jabalí produces much of the food served at the hacienda. (Hacienda de San Antonio)

The restaurant served authentic Mexican dishes prepared with produce grown on the adjacent El Jabalí ranch, which is also part of the property. The butter, cream and any dairy products we ate, including Parmesan cheese, were made with milk from the ranch’s cows. The steaks came directly from the hacienda’s farm, as did the honey and most of the fruits and vegetables. 

“We like to serve only the healthiest produce,” Jacobo, one of the hotel’s waiters, told me during our first meal at the hotel. We were sitting on the terrace overlooking the sprawling fountains and hills beyond the property. “Almost all the produce that we use here comes from El Jabalí or from Cuixmala, like the papaya. Except for apples, peaches and some other fruits and vegetables, we grow everything here,” he said. 

We didn’t have time to explore the Jabalí ranch, but Antonio “Toro” Mejía, one of the hotel’s staff members, took us on a short excursion to El Jabalí, one of the property’s two lagoons, on our last day. We started by visiting the waterfall that feeds the lagoon — where I had a quick but refreshing dip — followed by a paddleboarding experience, where I also got a chance to swim. 

This was probably my favorite part of the trip. It was early morning, the air was crisp and the sky was impossibly blue. We were surrounded by wild vegetation and even spotted a few eagles. What more could we ask for? It really put into perspective the way we live now. Why has enjoying some unaltered nature become a paid experience?

But it is what it is, and I would pay every penny again to stay at this remarkable hotel. 

Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.

MND Local: Puerto Vallarta June news roundup

By
Meagan Drillinger
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Aerial view of a winding pier with a circular end extending into clear blue-green ocean, with a sandy beach and a city skyline visible beyond.
June brings a blend of positive developments as well as a U.S. security alert for travelers to Puerto Vallarta. (Emmanuel Appiah/Unsplash)

Development, luxury projects, and security concerns dominate this week’s news along Mexico’s Pacific coast and in Puerto Vallarta. In Riviera Nayarit, hospitality continues to grow with the rebranding of Fiesta Americana Nuevo Vallarta and the upcoming debut of the adults-only Unico 20°105° Hotel Vallarta. 

Meanwhile, Puerto Vallarta is investing in urban revitalization and public health. Among its plans include a new linear park at the Coapinole Lagoon, a project focused on ecological restoration and green space development, and a state-led dengue management campaign to control mosquito-borne illnesses as the rainy season arrives. 

Aerial view of a large beachfront resort with multiple white buildings, winding pools, palm trees and straw-roofed beach cabanas.
The newly rebranded Fiesta Americana Nuevo Vallarta. (Fiesta Americana)

Also, the U.S. State Department has issued a security alert after confirming cases of U.S. citizens being kidnapped through dating apps in Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Nayarit.

Puerto Vallarta to restore El Coapinole lagoon

Puerto Vallarta is taking steps toward a greener future. According to representatives from the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board, the city’s first ecohydrological restoration project is slated to begin in 2026 at El Coapinole lagoon, a neglected natural area in the northern zone of the city. Ecohydrology is an interdisciplinary science that links ecology and hydrology. 

Spearheaded by the administration of Puerto Vallarta Mayor Luis Munguía, this project will restore the lagoon’s ecosystem, which regularly dries out. The restoration will include recovery of surface runoff, removal of sediment buildup and better management of native and invasive species. The plan also prioritizes the protection of wildlife that rely on the lagoon as a habitat.

A turtle on dry, cracked earth with scattered dry leaves and debris.
Despite being located within an urban area, the polluted Laguna del Coapinole is a habitat for many wildlife. (Gov. of Puerto Vallarta)

As part of the restoration effort, the project will lay the groundwork for the proposed Coapinole Linear Park, a green corridor that will connect the lagoon to the underused La Bobadilla Sports Complex. The goal is to provide accessible recreational space for residents in less developed areas of the city. 

Health campaign targets dengue prevention

Ministry vehicles are patrolling neighborhoods to spray a specialized chemical that kills adult mosquitoes, which officials note is safe for humans and pets. 

These efforts appear to be working. While the first quarter of 2025 saw 118 reported cases of dengue fever in Puerto Vallarta, only two new cases were registered in the past week, according to the Tourism Board.

Two new resorts announced for Riviera Nayarit

Riviera Nayarit continues to grow with the announcement of two new resort developments. Grupo Posadas has completed the rebranding of the former Wyndham Altar Nuevo Vallarta, which now operates as the Fiesta Americana Nuevo Vallarta Resort & Spa. Located 20 minutes from Puerto Vallarta International Airport, the beachfront property features 229 suites, new dining concepts led by Chef Gerardo Rivera, ocean-view pools, a wellness spa and family programming. 

An infinity pool with lounge chairs in Puerto Vallarta leads to an outdoor bar area, overlooking the ocean under a clear blue sky.
This September, the highly anticipated Unico 20°105° Hotel Vallarta opens its doors, promising an adults-only, all-inclusive escape. (Unico Hotel Collection)

Separately, AIC Hotel Group has announced a September 1 opening date for Unico 20°105° Hotel Vallarta, the second property under its Unico Hotel Collection. The adults-only, all-inclusive resort will have 141 guest rooms and multiple dining venues, including restaurants featuring Mexican, Italian and Japanese cuisine. Signature UNICO features—such as the Esencia Wellness Spa and Local Hosts concierge program — will also be available.

U.S. issues security alert over dating app kidnappings

The U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara has issued a security alert following confirmed reports of U.S. citizens being kidnapped after meeting individuals on dating apps in Puerto Vallarta and nearby Nuevo Nayarit. 

According to the consulate, some victims were extorted for large sums of money, with family members in the U.S. contacted to pay for their release.

The U.S. alert warns that such crimes are not confined to a single location and warns U.S. citizens to exercise extreme care when meeting strangers, meet with strangers only in public places, avoid private residences or hotel rooms and inform someone of their whereabouts and plans.

Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus responded to the alert by stating that the recent incident involved four foreign tourists who allegedly used a dating app to hire sex workers. They crossed into Nuevo Nayarit, where they were coerced into calling relatives for ransom money. 

Meagan Drillinger is a New York native who has spent the past 15 years traveling around and writing about Mexico. While she’s on the road for assignments most of the time, Puerto Vallarta is her home base. Follow her travels on Instagram at @drillinjourneys or through her blog at drillinjourneys.com

Sheinbaum celebrates her 63rd birthday: Tuesday’s mañanera recapped

By
MND Staff
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At the end of her press conference, Sheinbaum shared cake with the scores of reporters and other people in attendance
At the end of her press conference, Sheinbaum shared cake with the scores of reporters and other people in attendance. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

Reporters broke into a rendition of the Mexican birthday song “Las Mañanitas” when President Claudia Sheinbaum appeared in the Treasury Hall of the National Palace for her Tuesday morning press conference.

Sheinbaum, born in Mexico City on June 24, 1962, celebrates her 63rd birthday — and first as president — on Tuesday.

“Thank you very much,” she told reporters.

“Now, at this age, there is no need for birthdays,” Sheinbaum said.

“… A year older, but what’s important is the youth in one’s heart,” she said.

At the end of her press conference, Sheinbaum shared cake with the scores of reporters and other people in attendance.

More than 1,200 people arrested for ‘high-impact crimes’ in past 2 weeks 

Early in the president’s press conference, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch provided an update on “the most recent advances” in security as a result of the implementation of the National Security Strategy.

Between June 10 and 22, García Harfuch said that authorities:

  • Arrested 1,233 people for high-impact crimes, such as murder and extortion, including 22 “priority targets.”
  • Seized around 8 tonnes of drugs.
  • Dismantled 48 clandestine drug laboratories.
  • Seized more than 1.8 million liters of fuel.

Between Oct. 1, 2024, when Sheinbaum and the current government took office, and June 22, García Harfuch said that authorities:

  • Arrested 24,652 people for high-impact crimes.
  • Seized 178 tonnes of drugs “and more than 3 million fentanyl pills.”
  • Confiscated 12,736 firearms.
  • Dismantled 1,150 clandestine drug laboratories across 21 states.
Between October 1, 2024, and June 22, 2025, Mexico’s Security Ministry reports arresting nearly 25,000 people for high-impact crimes. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

 

Sheinbaum: Mexico not a safe third country, but accepts deportees for ‘humanitarian reasons’

A reporter noted that the United States Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the U.S. government can deport people to “third countries,” i.e., countries other than their own.

Reuters reported that the ruling cleared the way for the Trump administration to “resume deporting migrants to countries other than their own without offering them a chance to show the harms they could face.”

Asked whether Mexico had “accepted the possibility” of being a safe third country or receiving non-Mexican deportees, Sheinbaum responded:

“No. We have not accepted being a third country. If there is a [non-Mexican] migrant that is transferred to national territory, for humanitarian reasons, we have to receive him or her and send him or her to their country of origin if it is the wish of this person.”

Sheinbaum said that the United States has “agreements with practically all countries” that allow it to send deportees “directly” to their nation of origin.

“Therefore, passage through Mexico is not required,” she said.

Sheinbaum noted, however, that Mexico has received over 5,000 non-Mexican deportees from the United States since Donald Trump began his second term as U.S. president in January.

“Since Jan. 20, 65,475 people have arrived to our country: 59,747 Mexicans and 5,728 foreigners,” she said.

“What is done in these cases? They are welcomed [to Mexico], it is seen whether they want to go to their country of origin. If that is the case, they are transferred. If it isn’t, we look for the way to incorporate them [into Mexican society],” Sheinbaum said.

She stressed that Mexico has not signed any agreement with the United States to be a safe third country and asserted it wouldn’t do so.

‘Growth without well-being is not development’

In response to a question about economic growth data, Sheinbaum said that GDP growth is not the only way to measure how an economy is performing.

“No one says we shouldn’t grow, but growth without well-being is not development,” she said a day after the national statistics agency INEGI reported that the Mexican economy grew 0.5% in April compared to the previous month and 1.4% in annual terms.

“So taking … growth of gross domestic product as the indicator of success in the economy is very limited,” Sheinbaum said.

She subsequently noted that the Mexican economy contracted in 2020 due to the pandemic, and growth was “moderate” during the subsequent years of the previous government.

“How do the neoliberals explain that under that scheme, 11 million people came out of poverty [in Mexico]?” Sheinbaum asked, citing World Bank data for the period between 2018 and 2022.

Report: Mexico’s poverty reduction policies outperform all 37 OECD member countries

Under the current government, and during the previous administration led by Andrés Manuel López Obrador, redistribution of wealth has taken place, “something that there wasn’t before,” the president said.

“The single fact that there is [a law guaranteeing an annual minimum] wage increase above inflation has to do with a system of redistribution,” Sheinbaum said.

She added that at “the heart” of the government’s doctrine of “Mexican Humanism” is the “great phrase”: ‘For the good of all, the poor first.'”

“That is what we didn’t have before, but [now] it’s a different economic model in which public resources help investment and help well-being and recognize the rights of the people of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.

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

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