Saturday, August 16, 2025

18 must-see landmarks on the oldest street in the Americas

By
Bethany Platanella
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2
Palacio de Minería
Mexico's oldest street is a treasure to be traversed. (Shutterstock)

Mexico City is an old city. Not in terms of people, as they’re quite young. As of 2020, 24% of CDMX inhabitants were between the ages of 24 and 35. Neither is it very old in terms of its own age. According to The Economist, the urban sprawl increased 128% between 1990 and 2014. After 1970, its count of four core delegations swelled to 16, meaning a sizable chunk of Mexico City has been newly acquired. 

Still, the heart of Mexico’s vibrant capital is an ancient one, full of stories and legends, tradition and lore. And if the city wasn’t already fascinating enough, here’s another nugget to add to the list: it’s home to the oldest street in the Americas.  

The roadway in a lithograph from the mid-19th century. The old aqueduct is still standing. (Wikimedia Commons)

A statistic I find rather mind blowing, since it’s ranked against the likes of the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Uruguay and Brazil. But it’s true:there is no documented street still in use in the Americas that competes with the one in Mexico City. 

Of the Americas’ oldest roads, Calle Tacuba has outlived them all.

If you’ve been to the lovely and energetic Historic Center, you’ve probably walked along its crooked sidewalks, dodging perfume salesmen and falling for the charms of pretty restaurant hostesses. You may even have made it to the far end in Miguel Hidalgo, where the street is known by a different name, and its borders brush up against the flower-filled cemeteries of Mexico City’s oldest international communities. No matter which of its five sections you’ve roamed, you’re bound to have encountered various forms of architecture, people, food and loads of traffic, both auto and foot.

Let’s start at the start, as they say. It was in 1325 that construction of the Mexica’s glittering empire, a floating paradise in the middle of Lake Texcoco, began. The city flourished quickly, spreading outward from the islands and requiring connections with dry land . Workers broke ground, as it were, on several causeways and dikes which did more than just link the capital to the mainland — they separated salt water from freshwater, supporting an extensive local farming system known as chinampas. 

Tenochtitlán digital view
The causeway that linked the city to the mainland might not exist anymore, but a number of new roads trace its path. (Thomas Kole)

Between 1377 and 1389, the principal causeway was constructed, connecting Tenochtitlan with the neighboring city-state of Tlacopan, its partner in the Triple Alliance. The Mexica would surely have been proud to know that this very road they were building would survive invasions, earthquakes, floods and revolutions and become a gathering place for art lovers and architecture buffs, street vendors and pan dulce addicts, like myself.

Depending on your location, the Tlacopan causeway is now called one of the following: 

  • Calle Tacuba (Historic Center)
  • Avenida Hidalgo (Historic Center)
  • Puente de Alvarado, now México-Tenochtitlán (Buenavista)
  • Ribera de San Cosme (Santa María la Ribera)
  • México-Tacuba (Tacuba)

The 8 kilometer (approximately 5 mile) road stretches westward from the bustling Zócalo to the Panteón Británica in Tacuba. In theory, you could walk its full length, immersing yourself in a fraction of the infinite lifestyles one can find in Mexico’s eclectic capital. What’s more, you can take a little stroll through history, making sure to stop at these must-see landmarks along the way.

Palacio de Minería 

(Turimexico)

Calle Tacuba 5, Centro Histórico

Originally built under architect Manuel Tolsá between 1797 and 1813 to house the Royal Mining School, the Palace of Mines is a cultural center and museum dedicated to the architect himself. Many visitors go just to admire its astounding Neoclassical architecture, and guided tours take place on weekends at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL)

Calle Tacuba 8, Centro Histórico

Mexico’s National Museum of Art showcases an extensive collection of Mexican art from the 16th century to the present. The building is a neoclassical masterpiece in itself, often serving as a cultural hub for exhibitions and educational programs.

Restaurante El Cardenal 

Calle Marconi 2, Centro Histórico

The popular Mexican restaurant housed in the former offices of the capital’s electrical company is a regular favorite for locals and tourists. And with a location adjacent to MUNAL, it makes for a perfect museum-and-lunch pairing. 

Museo del Perfume (MUPE)

(mupemx/Instagram)

Calle Tacuba 14, Centro Histórico

This quirky museum is dedicated to all things fragrance. From the history of perfume to common ingredients to a display of vintage bottles, what most stands out about the Perfume Museum is its incredible interior architecture.

Café Tacuba

Calle Tacuba28, Centro Histórico

Is the food outstanding? Eh. Is the service top notch? Ehhh. Does it matter? Definitely not. Don’t think twice about waiting in line for a table at this historic café, which has been serving traditional Mexican cuisine since 1912. Its charming atmosphere makes it a beloved spot for both locals and visitors seeking authentic flavors.

Palacio de Correos de México

Calle Tacuba 1, Centro Histórico

Yet another palatial gem sitting pretty on Calle Tacuba, Mexico City’s most famous post office is blessed with a spectacular interior adorned with murals and intricate carvings. 

Palacio de Bellas Artes

Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City
(Cuartoscuro)

Avenida Juárez, Centro Histórico 

After defying the disastrous effects of soft soil and the rowdy Mexican Revolution, CDMX’s iconic Fine Arts Museum still stands tall and proud on the edge of the Alameda Central. In addition to original pieces by Diego Rivera and Rufino Tamayo, there is a beautiful theater that regularly hosts opera and ballet concerts.

Panadería La Vasconia

Calle Tacuba 73, Centro Histórico

The oldest bakery in the city is nestled right here on Calle Tacuba and has been serving up traditional pan dulce and other sweet treats since 1870. 

Iglesia de San Hipólito

(Mexico City Government)

Zarco 12, Guerrero

This is way more than a magnificent church. Formerly known as Puente de Alvarado, the area was once a defensive moat protecting Tenochtitlan. It was here that Spanish soldiers, fleeing Tenochtitlan in 1520 under the command of Hernán Cortés, drowned under the weight of the gold they were attempting to salvage. The temple that stands today was started in 1599 and completed in 1740.

Museo de San Carlos

Avenida México-Tenochtitlán 50, Tabacalera

First off, any museum situated in a former palace is worth a visit. Moreover, its impressive collection of European art features renowned artists such as Francisco de Goya and Peter Paul Rubens.

Temple of Saints Cosme and Damian

Serapio Rendon 5, San Rafael

Once upon a time, there was a little pueblo here called San Cosme. It is believed to have originated in 1524 when Hernán Cortés allocated land for orchards and farms. Over the years, a chapel and hospital were built, and in 1672 so were these striking, gold-laden temples.

Mercado de San Cosme

Calle Gabino Barreda 18, San Rafael

Positively overflowing with everything from mangos to mazapan, those looking for a truly local shopping experience cannot walk by this market without ducking in for a minute or 60. Shopping with kids? Drop them off at the onsite daycare center and buy with abandon.

FARO Cosmos

(Mexico City Government)

Calzada México-Tacuba, Tlaxpana

While I invite you to stick around for a show, the real purpose of the stop at FARO Cosmos is the space in which it resides. The historic theater was previously known as the Cine Cosmos, especially famous during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Inside is a monument dedicated to the student movement of 1971, having served as a shelter for students and protestors during repression by the police and military.

Heroico Colegio Military

Avenida México-Tacuba Campo Militar 1-B, Popotla

The dramatic, sprawling campus no longer serves as a military academy, but rather as a military-run museum. Today, visitors can peruse weapons, riding equipment and portraits of famous generals that date back to the Mexican Revolution. 

Capilla Merced de las Huertas 

Calzada México-Tacuba 305, Miguel Hidalgo

The tempered blue-and-white facade doesn’t fully convey the warmth inside this 17th-century church. Historically, it’s regarded as the home of a wooden statue of the Virgin of Tacuba (dating from 1762) which was stolen in 2005. Damaged during the heist, the statue was recovered and guarded by the courts until its careful restoration in 2012. She now sits comfortably in her original abode.

Tree of the Victorious Night

Tree of the victorious night
(Mexico City Government)

Calz México-Tacuba 453, Popotla

On June 30, 1520, the Spanish conquistadors and Indigenous allies led by Hernán Cortés fled Tenochtitlán over the Tlacopan causeway, taking heavy losses. The defeat had a profound emotional effect on the conquistador. So much so that, according to legend, he sat down at an immense, twisted cypress tree on the causeway, put his head in his hands and cried. 

For generations, the event was referred to as La Noche Triste (the Night of Sorrows), with the tree named accordingly, but in 2020 the government renamed the event as the Victorious Night. The tree Cortés supposedly wept under still is still standing, and while it has clearly seen better days, there’s an undeniable energy that exudes.

Popotla

This little hidden gem of a neighborhood is a surprising mix of Porfiriato-era mansions and colorful facades, breezy parks and functional architecture. If you are a fan  of authentic, handmade tortillas, and my guess is that you are, don’t forgo a stop at Tortillas a mano La Reyna on Calle Mediterráneo. 

International cemeteries

Lago Saima 78, Huichapan

Technically the culmination of America’s longest street, the British Cemetery opened in 1824 and operated under British administration until it ran out of space — that is not a joke. You can still visit the British Chapel which is now part of the Juan Ruíz de Alarcón cultural center. Within walking distance are the American, German, and Spanish cemeteries, where you can find the tomb of the beloved Mexican actor Mario Moreno, better known as Cantinflas.

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

 

4 taxi drivers killed by gunmen in Acapulco, Guerrero

By
MND Staff
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2
An ambulance rushes to the scene of a homicide.
Four taxi drivers were shot dead in Acapulco this week. (Margarito Pérez Retana/Cuartoscuro)

Four taxi drivers were murdered in the Pacific coast resort city of Acapulco in a period of just 24 hours this week.

Three of the murders occurred on Monday, while the fourth killing came shortly after taxi drivers participated in a protest on Tuesday during which they called on authorities to put an end to violence in Guerrero state’s largest city.

On Monday, armed men opened fire from a vehicle and killed three taxi drivers at a taxi stand in the Las Cruces neighborhood of Acapulco.

On Tuesday, another taxi driver was gunned down while walking in the beachside Hornos residential district. He reportedly fell into the El Camarón River after he was shot.

Three other taxi drivers were wounded in a separate armed attack at a taxi stand in an inland neighborhood of Acapulco.

Authorities have not arrested or identified any of the perpetrators of the attacks, or speculated on their motives.

The fourth murder occurred after a Tuesday protest against insecurity organized by taxi drivers after three of their colleagues were killed on Monday.

The attacks on Tuesday came after taxi drivers blocked the Vicente Guerrero boulevard to protest insecurity in Acapulco.

According to the Reforma newspaper, protesters complained that Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado hasn’t met with them and presented a security plan for Acapulco.

“We need more reliable security,” one taxi driver told the Milenio newspaper.

“…We’ve seen the security that the urban [transport] vans have. … We need that security [as well],” he said.

In addition to calling on the state government to do more to combat violence in Acapulco, taxi drivers urged the army and National Guard to take action against crime groups.

They held up signs with messages such as “We’re taxi drivers, we demand security” and “We don’t want any more taxi drivers murdered.”

Acapulco has been identified as a priority municipality for the new federal government as it seeks to reduce homicides in Mexico’s most violent cities via the implementation of a new national security security.

In addition to violence, the city has been severely affected by two hurricanes in less than a year. Hurricane Otis devastated Acapulco in late October 2023, while Hurricane John claimed lives and caused major flooding in the city last month.

With reports from Reforma, Milenio, Animal Político and La Jornada 

Search intensifies for Oaxaca activist who fought against gender violence

By
MND Staff
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2
Missing Oaxaca activist and human rights lawyer Sandra Dominguez posing for a photo in a room with a primitive art painting of butterflies. She is smiling.
Among Sandra Domínguez's accomplishments has been the exposing of Oaxaca politicians and government officials who've engaged in discussions glorifying gender violence or otherwise degrading women. (X)

Nearly two weeks after Oaxaca human rights lawyer Sandra Domínguez went missing, state authorities say they have expanded their search for the feminist activist in response to an appeal from the U.N. Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED).

Domínguez — a prominent defender of the Mixe Indigenous peoples native to Oaxaca’s eastern highlands — has been missing since Oct. 4. Colleagues say Domínguez regularly received threats related to her work.

Domínguez’s disappearance nearly two weeks ago has prompted video appeals, demonstrations, and an appeal from the U.N.’s Committee on Enforced Disappearances.

Domínguez, herself of Mixe descent, was last seen with her husband, Alexander Hernández, in a town in northeastern Oaxaca. Family members reported their disappearance on Oct. 8.

On Tuesday, the CED issued a statement urging officials to establish a comprehensive search strategy that includes a plan of action and a timeline to be completed by Oct. 29 and that keeps the missing activist’s family members fully informed. 

Shortly thereafter, state authorities announced they had expanded their search into central Oaxaca, on the opposite side of the Sierra Madre mountains from where the couple was last seen. The couple’s car, however, was found in the neighboring state of Veracruz, 68 kilometers east of their last known location. 

The couple’s phones were also detected in Veracruz before going dead.

On Monday, families, friends and colleagues demanded that Domínguez’s activist work in Oaxaca and the threats she received be treated as the primary line of investigation, according to the online news site Animal Político.

As Domínguez had made enemies of state officials in the course of her work, her family and colleagues accused the Oaxaca authorities of initially slow-walking the investigation. 

Three Oaxaca state officials sitting at a conference table. At the center, standing, is Donato Vargas.
Oaxaca’s peace coordinator Donato Vargas, center, whom Dominguez had previously accused of having taken part in a group chat glorifying gender violence, has been named as a person of interest in Domínguez’s disappearance. (X)

Marina Martínez, Sandra’s mother, recorded a video calling on President Claudia Sheinbaum to find her daughter. The San Isidro Huayápam Mixe community sent a proclamation to Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara, urging him to take a more active role in the investigation.

Joaquín Galvan, a Oaxaca activist and close friend of Domínguez, told the Associated Press that Domínguez often received threats because she handled delicate cases involving either government officials or members of organized crime.

In 2020, Domínguez denounced several state government officials for allegedly participating in misogynist group chats, the AP reported. According to Domínguez, the participants objectified women, often sharing images of Indigenous women along with derogatory comments. 

One official identified as a prime suspect in Domínguez’s disappearance is Oaxaca’s peace coordinator Donato Vargas. Domínguez accused him of participating in a social media chat glorifying gender violence. 

State authorities initially dismissed his involvement in the Domínguez case but now say Vargas is considered a person of interest.

With reports from El Universal, Animal Político, Aristegui Noticias, The Associated Press and El País

Former President Calderón responds to García Luna’s drug trafficking sentence

By
MND Staff
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5
President Claudia Sheinbaum stands at a podium in front of a photo of Felipe Calderón and Genaro García Luna.
In her morning press conference on Thursday, President Claudia Sheinbaum had little good to say about former president Calderón's online response to the García Luna sentencing. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

“I never had verifiable evidence of his involvement in illicit activities.”

That assertion was part of former President Felipe Calderón’s response to the news that his security minister Genaro García Luna was sentenced to just over 38 years in jail in the United States for colluding with the Sinaloa Cartel on drug trafficking operations.

Shortly after District Judge Brian M. Cogan sentenced García Luna to 460 months’ imprisonment and a US $2 million fine in a hearing in U.S. federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday afternoon, Calderón took to X to once again deny knowledge of the ex-security minister’s illegal dealings.

“About the García Luna case, I note: 1) I never had verifiable evidence of his involvement in illicit activities, nor did I receive information to that effect from Mexican or foreign intelligence agencies, which trusted him and interacted with him at the time,” he wrote.

Calderón said that he “hasn’t had access to the evidence and the testimony” presented at García Luna’s trial, but added that he is a “man of the law,” respects court decisions and is in favor of lawbreakers facing consequences for their actions.

The ex-president previously said he had “a lot of doubts” about García Luna’s guilty verdict, which was handed down in February 2023.

Then-Security Secretary Genaro García Luna turns in his chair to speak with former President Felipe Calderón, in a photo taken from behind.
Then-Security Secretary Genaro García Luna with former President Felipe Calderón in 2012. (Iván Stephens/Cuartoscuro)

On X on Wednesday, he stressed that “the fight for the security of Mexicans” during his 2006-12 administration “was not the responsibility of just one person but of A WHOLE GOVERNMENT TEAM that combated crime with all the force of the state.”

Calderón, who launched a militarized “war” on drug cartels shortly after he took office, also said that the conviction of García Luna “doesn’t discredit the brave fight of thousands of women and men [who] defended Mexico from its true enemy, organized crime, even at the risk of their own lives.”

Although homicide numbers increased significantly during his term in government, the former National Action Party president largely defended his security strategy.

“Confronting organized crime as president of Mexico was one of the most difficult decisions of my life. But I would do it again because it’s the right thing to do. The true enemy of our country is organized crime, which kidnaps, extorts and kills citizens, especially our young people,” he wrote on X.

Mexico president Felipe Calderón walks past saluting soldiers
Former president Felipe Calderón led his country into the Mexican war on drugs, after he began deploying the military to combat organized crime in 2006. (File photo)

“My security policy had successes and mistakes. We confronted a powerful enemy that seeks to capture the state — in other words, to control territory by force, seize institutions, corrupt officials and divide and intimidate society. Despite all this, in 2012, when I left government, the state was advancing and organized crime was retreating,” Calderón said.

‘I would have liked to have known about the other life” of García Luna 

In a radio interview on Thursday, Calderón noted that Judge Cogan, when handing down García Luna’s sentence, remarked that the former security minister lived a “double life.”

“I knew about one of those lives. I would have liked to have known about the other life and in good time,” he said.

“Of course it’s a complex, difficult, sorry situation,” Calderón added. “What has happened pains me a lot.”

Sheinbaum: Calderón ‘should apologize’

At her morning press conference on Thursday, President Claudia Sheinbaum characterized Calderón’s social media publication on Wednesday afternoon as “very cynical.”

“… Did Felipe Calderón know [about García Luna’s illegal conduct] or not? He says he didn’t. I invite you to reflect whether he knew or not,” she said.

President Sheinbaum stands on a stage pointing to a projection of a tweet by Felipe Calderón
Sheinbaum called on Calderón to apologize for having had a criminal as a top official in his administration. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

Sheinbaum said that the ex-president “should apologize, at least” for having had a now-convicted and sentenced criminal as his security minister.

She also took aim at Calderón for his declaration that he would adopt the same security strategy if he had his time again.

The president, like her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has been a staunch critic of the militarized “war” on cartels launched by the Calderón administration, blaming it for the high levels of violent crime in Mexico in a period spanning almost two decades.

Since taking office on Oct. 2, Sheinbaum has said on repeated occasions that her government won’t pursue the kind of “war” Calderón initiated after he took office in December 2006.

“The first thing, which is very important, is that Calderón’s war against narcos won’t return,” she said last week.

The Sheinbaum administration will, however, continue to use the military for public security tasks as part of a security strategy that largely perpetuates the so-called “hugs, not bullets” approach used by López Obrador.

With reports from El Financiero, Radio Fórmula and Reforma 

Rail services reform bill passes Congress, ending decades of privatization

By
MND Staff
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7
Yellow railroad locomotive engine car on a railroad track
The constitutional reform bill, which now goes to the states for ratification, undoes a 1990s law that privatized Mexico's national rail company and ended its passenger rail services. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico’s Congress has approved a rail reform bill to reestablish state control over railway services, particularly passenger rail service, clearing the way for President Claudia Sheinbaum to realize her ambitious rail development plans promising passenger train service throughout Mexico.

On Wednesday, the Senate unanimously passed the reforms to Article 28 of the Constitution 123-0, overturning Mexico’s railroad privatization laws enacted in the 1990s and declaring the railway system as a priority for national development. 

Two Mexican senators sitting at their desks on the Senate floor. One is smiling at looking at the other, who looks straight ahead as if watching proceedings.
Unlike many other controversial constitutional reforms the Congress has passed in recent months, the rail reform bill passed unanimously, though opposition senators warned that approval did not come with a blank check. (Cuartoscuro)

Because it is a constitutional reform, the bill now goes to state legislatures for ratification. At least 17 of Mexico’s 32 states must approve the reform for it to become law.

Sheinbaum championed the bill originally introduced in the Chamber of Deputies by her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador, announcing during her campaign and again on Oct. 9 that she was preparing a public investment of 150 billion pesos (US $7.5 billion) to begin the construction of 3,000 kilometers of passenger train tracks during her six-year term.

On Sunday, Sheinbaum inaugurated the Mexico City-Querétaro train project which is in the preliminary studies stage. The president said construction on the 225-kilometer-long track would begin next year and should be operational by 2028.

After unanimously passing the reform bill through committee on Monday, deliberations moved to the floor of the Senate, where support for the revival of passenger services was notable. 

Although participants recognized that modernization of the railroad sector would improve and broaden cargo services while also allowing cargo companies holding concessions for freight rail services to apply for concessions to operate passenger services, the expected boost to the economy from tourism received considerable attention.

Sen. Saúl Monreal (Morena) said the reform would make cargo traffic more efficient, reduce transport costs, increase competitiveness in key sectors and generate more tourism. He also said rail traffic emits 70% less pollution than truck traffic.

Mexico's President Sheinbaum returning the salute of Mexican marines in unform line in a row, with one holding the Mexican flag in a stadium in Queretaro
One of President Sheinbaum’s campaign promises was to bring back passenger rail service across Mexico. This Sunday, she was in Querétaro to launch the Mexico City-Querétaro railway project, which will be built and run by the Defense Ministry. (Presidencia)

Other speakers praised the reform as a chance for the profound transformation of Mexico’s mobility infrastructure and the reactivation of local economies.

While supporting the reform, opposition senators cautioned that they would not grant Sheinbaum a blank check to carry out her rail development plans and insisted that environmental-impact studies for such projects should be mandatory. 

With reports from La Jornada and Infobae

22nd annual edition of the Morelia International Film Festival opens Friday

By
MND Staff
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0
A older man looks up at screen that reads "Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia" at the 2024 Morelia International Film Festival
This year, the prestigious festival runs Oct. 18 - 27 in the capital city of Michoacán. (FICM/Facebook)

Five-time Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola being honored in-person will be one of the highlights of the 22nd annual Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), which opens Friday and runs through Oct. 27 in the Michoacán capital.

The American director, screenwriter and producer is scheduled to receive the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Film Archive Medal for his invaluable contributions to universal cinema, including “Patton,” “The Godfather” trilogy and “Apocalypse Now.”

In addition, the FICM will pay tribute to the 85-year-old with its sixth Award for Artistic Excellence — which was given to the director-actress Jodie Foster last year and previously to luminaries such as American icon Robert Redford, French director Claire Denis and Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, himself a five-time Academy Award winner.

Coppola will receive the latter award on Tuesday when presenting his ambitious new “Megalopolis,” which received a seven-minute standing ovation after its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The US $120 million dystopian epic is about a visionary architect trying to rebuild New York City after a devastating disaster in the near future.

The festival’s opening night film on Friday is “Emilia Pérez” from multiple award-winning French director and screenwriter Jacques Audiard, who is scheduled to walk the red carpet along with two of the film’s stars, Karla Sofía Gascón and Adriana Paz.

A musical odyssey set primarily in a vibrant, pulsating Mexico City, the film weaves together the stories of four women. One of them is a cartel leader (Gascón) who lives publicly as a man but dreams of starting a new life as “Emilia Pérez.” To do so, she hires a struggling lawyer (Zoe Saldaña) to help carry out her longtime plan to fake her death and transition to living as Emilia.

Karla Sofía Gascón as Emilia in "Emilia Pérez," the opening film at the 2024 Morelia International Film Festival
Karla Sofía Gascón as Emilia in “Emilia Pérez.” (Screenshot via FilmAffinity)

Described as a Spanish-language French musical crime comedy — based on an Audiard opera libretto of the same name — the film premiered earlier this year at Cannes, where it won the Jury Prize and its four lead female actresses (the three above plus Selena Gomez) received a combined best actress award.

It is scheduled for a Nov. 1 release in select theaters and then a Nov. 13 debut on Netflix.

Overall, the FICM — one of the world’s preeminent film festivals — will screen hundreds of films from Mexico and around the world at several venues in Morelia’s historic downtown and at a Cinépolis VIP theater. Cinépolis, which traces its roots to a single theater in Morelia in 1971, is once again a major underwriter of the festival.

There will also be virtual screenings through the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE) at nuesrtrocine.mx.

María Novaro, general director of the Mexican Film Institute, noted the FICM has “an annual average of 250 features over the past four years, [placing] it among the 12 most diverse and vigorous film [festivals] in the world.”

A wide range of Mexican features, short films and documentaries will be presented, and there are 14 categories of official prizes, several for Mexican films and one for films produced in Michoacán. Many workshops and forums will be held, including one about Indigenous filmmaking in Mexico.

This year’s festival will pay tribute to late Mexican film director Ismael Rodríguez, known for his collaborations with actor Pedro Infante and for shaping the Época de Oro, or Golden Age of Mexican cinema from the 1930s to the early 1960s.

Pedro Infante along with two young men and and old woman in a black and white scene from the 1947 film "Los tres García."
Pedro Infante in a scene from the 1947 film “Los tres García,” directed by Ismael Rodríguez. (Screenshot)

Several Rodríguez movies, including “Los tres García” (1947) and “Los hermanos del Hierro” (1961), will be screened, as will a newly restored version of Emilio Fernández’s classic “María Candelaria” (1943).

Many of the older films are shown for free in an open-air pop-up cinema in the city’s main square.

Some of the most anticipated new films this year include Netflix-bound “Pedro Páramo” (based on Juan Rulfo’s literary masterpiece), “Disclaimer” (a star-studded psychological thriller by Cuarón) and “Nightbitch” (a horror-comedy about a suburban mom-under-pressure who thinks she’s transforming into a dog).

Other Mexican features to look for include “Sujo,” nominated by Mexico for the Academy Awards’ best international feature film; “La cocina” (“The Kitchen”) by award-winning director Alonso Ruizpalacios; “El hijo de su padre” (“The Son of His Father”); and “Violentas mariposas” (“Violent Butterflies”).

They are among the nine films in competition for best Mexican feature.

The full lineup of films can be downloaded from the FICM website, as can a guide to screening times and locations.

Attendees also will want to check out how to buy tickets, as there are several major changes. Advance tickets are now only available two days ahead of each screening, and seats are no longer reserved. Ticket holders will have to line up before each show and then race to any open seats.

Let the frenzy begin!

Mexico News Daily

Mexican Senate approves energy sector reform bill

By
MND Staff
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2
Pemex's Olmeca Refinery in the Dos Bocas Port in Paraiso, Tabasco. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
BusinessesTabasco. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico’s Senate approved the federal government’s energy reform bill early Thursday, passing legislation that seeks to constitutionally enshrine state dominance in the electricity sector, among other objectives.

Senators with the ruling Morena party and its allies voted to approve the bill shortly after midnight, as did National Action Party (PAN) Senator Miguel Ángel Yunes Márquez, ensuring that the two-thirds threshold to pass constitutional reform proposals was met.

Digital board showing voting progress of the vote on the energy reform bill at 12:25 a.m. Thursday
The reform bill passed easily in the Senate, with a final tally of 86 votes in favor, 39 against, but actual voting took until the early-morning hours Thursday. (Óscar Cantón Zetina/X)

The final count was 86 votes in favor, 39 against and one abstention.

The bill, which was sent to Congress by former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador in February and approved by the Chamber of Deputies last week, will now be considered by Mexico’s 32 state legislatures for ratification.

At least 17 must ratify the reform proposal before President Claudia Sheinbaum can sign it into law. Ratification by a majority of state Congresses is essentially a fait accompli as Morena is in power in more than 20 states. Sheinbaum is expected to sign the bill.

‘A historic error’ 

Promulgation of the bill will result in the revocation of parts of the 2013 energy reform, which opened up Mexico’s energy sector, including the state-owned Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) and state-owned Pemex oil company, to private investment.

While the reform will limit the participation of private and foreign companies in Mexico’s electricity sector, it will not preclude them from playing an important role in ensuring that Mexico can meet demand for power and make the transition to greater use of clean energy sources.

Mexican Senator Ricardo Anaya on the Mexican Senate floor, behind a podium speaking into microphones and gesturing with his index finger.
Senator Ricardo Anaya (PAN) opposed the reform, questioning the benefits of limiting private companies from participating in Mexico’s energy markets. (File photo/Daniel Augusto for Cuartoscuro)

Still, Morena Senator Óscar Cantón Zetina said that the objective of the bill is to “reverse the historic error” made by former president Enrique Peña Nieto’s (2012–2018) energy reform.

In light of its approval, Morena’s leader in the Senate, Gerardo Fernández Noroña, said that it was “another historic day” for Mexico.

Several other constitutional reforms, including one that allows citizens to directly elect all judges and another that placed the National Guard under military control, have been approved by Congress since recently elected lawmakers assumed their positions on Sept. 1.

What are the key aspects of the energy reform?  

  • Once promulgated, the Mexican state via the Federal Electricity Commission will have a constitutional right to generate and supply the majority (54%) of electricity in Mexico. Private companies will share the remaining 46% of the market.
  • The CFE and state oil company Pemex will no longer be called “productive” state companies, but rather “public” state companies. According to a Senate press release, the CFE and Pemex were renamed “productive” state companies on the recommendation of “international financial organizations.” The renaming “distorted the obligation of the state to guarantee the public service of electricity and reduced [its obligation] to the mere obtention of profits,” the statement said.
  • The Bloomberg news agency reported that President Sheinbaum will “gain increased control over Pemex and the national electricity utility” if the reform bill becomes law. The reclassification of Pemex and the CFE from “‘state productive companies’ to ‘public companies’ … would force the companies to prioritize the government’s social and economic objectives over corporate profits,” Bloomberg said.
  • The newspaper El Sol de México reported that CFE and Pemex “will lose their operational autonomy” and will once again “be under government control” after the reform bill becomes law.
  • The bill states that the CFE has the obligation to provide electricity at the cheapest possible price. The CFE will also be able to provide internet services once the bill becomes law.
  • According to the bill, secondary laws will establish how private companies can participate in Mexico’s electricity market. An earlier version of the bill gave the Mexican state sole responsibility for the energy transition. However, that provision was removed, ensuring that private companies can operate renewable energy facilities in Mexico and thus help the federal government reach its renewable energy targets.
  • According to the bill, state energy companies won’t be considered as having monopolies, even if they have complete control of an industry, as will be the case in Mexico’s nascent lithium sector with the state firm Litio para México (Lithium for Mexico).
  • The bill “returns energy sovereignty to the country,” said Senator Cantón Zetina, “given that it establishes that electricity, hydrocarbons, lithium and the internet will no longer be objects of speculation and monopolization by private interests.”

Competing views on the energy reform 

Morena Senator Laura Itzel Castillo Juárez said that the approval of the reform bill provides “firm steps” toward the recovery of Mexico’s energy sovereignty as the legislation reverses changes made in 2013.

During the six-year term of Peña Nieto, the aim of the government was to “dismantle” the CFE and Pemex, “turn them into scrap and hand them over to the highest bidder,” she said.

Green Party Senator Virgilio Mendoza Amezcua said that the 2013 energy reform left the sector “weakened, indebted and at the mercy of [private] economic interests.”

The bill approved by the Senate will allow mistakes of the past to be corrected, he said, adding that it will support the CFE and Pemex, as well as Mexico’s quest to develop the lithium sector.

Shell gas station in Mexico City
Among the provisions of the 2013 reform was allowing foreign companies to explore and produce oil and gas in Mexico for the first time. The new reform limits the share of the Mexican market foreign companies may own. (Moisés Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)

Labor Party Senator Alberto Anaya Gutiérrez noted that “the doors are [still] open to foreign capital” in the energy sector, but said that the reform will ensure that the Mexican state takes the leading role in the nation’s electricity and oil industries.

For her part, PAN Senator Imelda Sanmiguel Sánchez asserted that the reform seeks to “saddle” Mexican citizens with the debts of the CFE and Pemex, the world’s most indebted oil company.

The future of the following generations will be placed at risk “under the nationalist argument of energy sovereignty,” she said.

PAN Senator Ricardo Anaya, a presidential candidate in 2018, questioned the need to limit private companies’ participation in electricity generation.

“We believe it’s folly because in the end what people want are three things: clean energy, number one; cheap energy, number two; and abundant energy, number three,” he said.

“We can’t support the reform while the CFE continues burning fuel oil to generate electricity,” Anaya said.

While former president López Obrador championed the ongoing use of fossil fuels to generate electricity, President Sheinbaum is committed to increasing the use of renewable sources and has pledged to invest some US $13 billion in a renewables-focused energy plan.

On Wednesday, Senator Ricardo Anaya also said that the reform could create difficulties for Mexico at the 2026 review of the UMSCA free trade pact given that it limits foreign investment in the energy sector.

Institutional Revolutionary Party Senator Mely Romero Celis asserted that the reform “subsidizes inefficiency” in the CFE and Pemex and is “a backward step disguised as progress.”

She also claimed that the CFE and Pemex don’t have the capacity to support themselves without collaborating with private companies.

With reports from El Financiero, La Jornada, Latinus, Aristegui Noticias and El Sol de México

Mexico to make its own EV

By
MND Staff
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3
Olinia, which means “to move” in Nahuatl, will be designed as an affordable EV for Mexican families and young people, with competitive prices compared to other available brands.
Olinia, which means “to move” in Nahuatl, will be designed as an affordable EV for Mexican families and young people, with competitive prices compared to other available brands. (Shutterstock)

This week, President Claudia Sheinbaum gave further details about her plans to produce an electric vehicle (EV) that is fully manufactured and assembled in Mexico. 

The president first mentioned the EV during her inaugural speech at Mexico City’s Zócalo on Oct. 1. “Mexicans have creativity, determination and capacity to spare. So, we will produce ‘Olinia,’ a small, 100% electric, accessible car, designed by young people and assembled in our country,” Sheinbaum said.

The project seeks to establish Mexico as a major car producer, a goal of the Technological Development Program for Innovation, one of Sheinbaum’s 100 commitments for her presidency.

Although the country has seen significant growth in the assembly of electric and hybrid vehicles, Mexico has yet to manufacture and export a domestically designed electric vehicle model.

Where will Olinia be manufactured?

During her morning press conference on Oct. 15, Sheinbaum said that Olinia could be produced in Sonora, one of several northern states with low electricity prices.  

After the announcement, Governor Alfonso Durazo Montaño thanked Sheinbaum on his official X account for considering Sonora as a potential production hub for Olinia.

In a follow-up comment, he emphasized Sonora’s suitability for EV production, citing the state’s promising potential to develop its clean energy sector.

Sheinbaum said on Tuesday that her government is considering the northern state of Sonora for the production of the EV Olinia. (Cuartoscuro)

“[Olinia] will represent an important step towards the transition to clean energy in Mexico,” Durazo stressed.

How much will it cost?

Olinia, which means “to move” in Nahuatl, will be designed as an affordable EV for Mexican families and young people, with competitive prices compared to other available brands.

It is expected to cost under 500,000 pesos (US $25,000), a price tag lower than that of EVs currently available in the national market, such as the SEV E-Wan Cross, the BYD Dolphin Mini and the Tesla Model 3.

Is Olinia Mexico’s first-ever EV? 

Although both Sheinbaum and Durazo said that Olinia would be Mexico’s first-ever EV, Olinia will be the second EV model to come out of Mexico. 

Zacua launched production of the first Mexican-made EV in 2018.
Zacua launched production of the first Mexican-made EV in 2018. (Cuartoscuro)

In 2018, Zacua launched its manufacturing plant in Puebla to produce two models of EVs: the Zacua MX2 and the MX3. Both are exempt from paying tenencia (ownership tax) and from verificación (a vehicle inspection only applicable in Mexico City). 

Zacua EVs can be bought in their Mexico City showroom or online. 

With reports from Meganoticias, El Sol de Hermosillo, NMas and El Universal

Mexican slang 101: Chingar

By
Alasdair Baverstock
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4
Mexican slang dictionary: Chingar
It's Mexico's favorite curse word. What does it mean? (Facebook)

Se chingó un chingo de chongos.

It’s the most Mexican of curse words, and a phrasal verb whose meanings span the cultural spectrum. You may not like it, but you’d better make sure you understand it.

lopez obrador
“Que vetes a la chingada wey.” (lopezobrador.org)

The author of The Mexican Slang Dictionary, Alasdair Baverstock, shows you how best to employ this nation’s favorite rude word. We have translated the spirit of each phrase here, but please be aware that the word “chingar” has much stronger connotations, so be careful when and where you use it!

A Chingar a su Madre – expression Aggressive expression indicating that something has reached its conclusion, and that participants and onlookers should depart.

e.g.    Y con eso terminamos, y a chingar a su madre.

It’s finished, please leave.

Chinga! – exclam 

  1. Darn!
  2. Wow!

En Chinga – adj

  1. Hurried, or under pressure.
  2. Busy.

Chinga su Madre! – exclam  ‘To hell with it!’ Used in the context of taking a quick decision.

e.g.      La luz esta en roja, pero Chinga su Madre! Me la como.

The traffic light is red but Fuck it! I’m running the light.

(DEM/Colmex)
@jesrp01 #ohquelachingada entonces que quieres que haga, eh! #parati #foryou ♬ sonido original – JESUS RODRIGUEZ PONCE

Chingada Madre! – exclam Expressing frustration or annoyance. Best translated as ‘Ah damn it’!

Chingadera – noun Something without value or importance.

Chingarle – verb To put effort into something.

Chíngatelo – imperative

  1. Finish whatever you are doing quickly, most commonly used with a beer.
  2. Instructing an individual to steal something.

Chingarse – verb

  1. To steal, shoplift or ‘nick’ something.

e.g. Se estan chingando la lana.

They are stealing the money.

  1. To eat something quickly.

e.g. Se chingó ese bistec.

       They scoffed that steak down.

Se chingó – expression It failed, or it is ruined.

Chingón –

  1. adiVery common expression meaning that something is excellent, or of top quality.

e.g. Ese diccionionario esta chingón!

       This dictionary is great!

  1. nounAn impressive or powerful individual; the best in their own field.

e.g. El es un chingón

       He’s the best.

Chingonería – noun Something of superb quality.

         e.g.    Que chingonería güey!

                   What a great thing dude!

Esau Fernandez fights a bull in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas
This bull is about to have it’s “chingada” both given and taken. (@PrensaEsau/Twitter)

Hecho la Chingada – expression Moving at a very fast pace, most commonly referring to irresponsible motorists.

No me chingues – expression Don’t nag or bother me.

Me lleva la Chingada – exclam Expressing surprise, furstration or anger. In this expression, the chingada can also be substituted for other nouns: la fregada, la tiznada, la trampa, la trompada and also commonly, la verga.

Un Chingo – expression A lot, many or much. Can be used in reference to actions, as well as both countable and uncountable nouns.

e.g.    Ella tiene un chingo de coches.

         She has a lot of cars.

e.g.    El tiene un chingo de dinero.

He has a lot of money.

e.g.    Duele un chingo.

It hurts a lot.

Una Chinga – noun

  1. A task which takes a great deal of effort.
  2. A physical beating.

You can buy The Mexican Slang Dictionary on Amazon in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

MND readers can find the physical book stocked in bookstores:

Mexico City: Under The Volcano Books, La Condesa

San Miguel de Allende: Aurora Books

Alisdair Baverstock is the Mexico City-based author of The Mexican Slang Dictionary.

Live in Mexico City? You might have fake pesos in your pocket

By
MND Staff
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1
Almost half of the phony bills identified between January and September were located in just three federal entities: Mexico City, México state and Jalisco.
Almost half of the phony bills identified between January and September were located in just three federal entities: Mexico City, México state and Jalisco. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)

Double check your change!

More than 200,000 fake banknotes were detected in Mexico in the first nine months of 2024, according to the Bank of Mexico (Banxico).

Hands holding 50 peso notes
The 20 and 50-peso bills, and most 100-peso ones, are made out of polymer, making them more difficult to forge. (Cuartoscuro)

The central bank reported that it identified 224,390 counterfeit bills between January and September.

That means an average of around 822 fake notes were detected every day in the period.

Almost half of the phony bills identified between January and September — 108,835 or 48.5% of the total — were located in just three federal entities: Mexico City, México state and Jalisco.

Almost one-third of the fake banknotes were found in the capital, while more than 10% were located in México state, which includes many municipalities that are part of the Mexico City metropolitan area. Just over 7% of the billetes falsos showed up in Jalisco.

Baja California Sur and Campeche were the only two states where fewer than 1,000 fake bills were detected in the first nine months of the year.

Based on the January-September data, the Bank of Mexico is on track to identify just over 300,000 fake banknotes this year, a figure which would represent a small increase compared to 2023.

Banxico identified 299,476 counterfeit bills last year, a 17% decline compared to the record-high 360,926 fakes that were found in 2022.

What is Mexico’s most counterfeited banknote? 

According to Banxico, the 200-peso note is currently Mexico’s most forged bill.

Two hands count Mexican pesos, a currency that is recovering from a recent depreciation
The most forged bill is the 200 peso note, of which there are two designs in circulation: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and Miguel Hidalgo with José María Morelos. (Cuartoscuro)

Data shows that the central bank has identified 50.9 fake 200-peso bills this year for every 1 million in circulation.

The second and third most counterfeited notes this year are the 500 peso and 1,000 peso bills, respectively.

The 200, 500 and 1,000 peso notes are all made out of paper, unlike the 20 and 50 peso bills, and most 100-peso ones, which are made out of polymer.

In January, Mexico City police arrested two alleged members of a counterfeiting and drug trafficking ring, and seized around 200,000 pesos (US $10,000) in apparent fake cash.

More allegedly counterfeit 500-peso bills were seized in the capital in April.

How to spot a counterfeit note

Earlier this year, the website Mexperience published an article entitled “Tips for spotting counterfeit Mexican banknotes.”

“When you’re handling Mexican banknotes, be sure to feel the paper; it should feel the same as, for example, US or Canadian dollars, British pounds, or euros,” says Mexperience.

“If the note doesn’t ‘feel’ right — paper used for counterfeit notes is often thicker than genuine banknote paper — check for additional security features,” the article continues.

Read the full article here.

Mexican pesos laid out on a car seat next to a shopping bag
Paper used for counterfeit notes is often thicker than genuine banknote paper. (Mexico City SSC).

On its website, the Bank of Mexico says it offers “training to identify security features in Mexican banknotes for financial institutions, legal authorities, government institutions, companies, and the general public.”

The training (Spanish only) can be completed in person in Mexico City or online. More information is available here.

What should you do if you think you have a fake bill?

According to Banxico, “if you have a banknote/coin which you believe is not authentic (presumably counterfeit/forged), do not continue using it.”

“Paying with a counterfeit banknote/coin is a federal crime punishable by up to 12 years in prison. You must turn it in to any bank so that they can send it to the Bank of Mexico to be analyzed. The Bank of Mexico is the only institution in Mexico that can determine whether a banknote/coin is authentic or counterfeit,” Banxico says.

“If at the moment of paying you are told that your banknote/coin seems counterfeit/forged, ask them to return it to you so that you can take it to a bank. Only banks can retain presumably counterfeit banknotes/coins and, in exchange, they must give you a receipt,” the central bank says.

“The bank must then send the presumably counterfeit banknote/coin to the Bank of Mexico to be analyzed,” it adds.

With reports from Expansión

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