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Which Mexican region is most competitive? New index has the answer

By
MND Staff
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Aerial view of the Tangamanga urban park in the city of San Luis Potosí
Mexico's northeast region — home to San Luis Potosí (pictured here), Monterrey and Torreón — ranked first in attracting investment, attracting talent and retaining talent. (Shutterstock)

Mexico’s northeast — made up of the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas — is the country’s most competitive region, according to the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO).

On Monday, IMCO, a Mexico City-based think tank, published its first Regional Competitiveness Index (ICR), which ranks six regions of Mexico based on their capacity to attract and retain investment and attract and retain talent.

In a statement, IMCO said that the index “understands competitiveness as a regional phenomenon, where the performance of one state influences its neighbors.”

“… The index results confirm that competitiveness is not an isolated phenomenon: advances — or setbacks — in one entity can have spillover effects on its neighbors.”

IMCO used a range of data to evaluate the six regions’ performance on 40 variables across four sub-indexes: attraction of investment, attraction of talent, retention of investment and retention of talent. It consequently determined that Mexico’s most competitive region is the northeast, followed by the northwest.

The Bajío region ranks third, followed by central Mexico, the Maya region and the Isthmus region.

IMCO’s publication of its inaugural ICR in early 2026 comes after economic growth in Mexico slowed significantly in 2025.

The index serves as additional evidence that economic and social development is significantly more advanced in northern Mexico than in the country’s south. The previous federal government, and the current one, have been seeking to remedy that situation, including by building large-scale infrastructure projects in southern and southeastern Mexico, such as the Maya Train railroad and the Olmeca Refinery on the Tabasco coast.

However, IMCO’s ICR and other indicators, such as data on poverty reduction across Mexico, show that there is plenty of work still to be done.

1. The northeast

The northeast ranked first among the six regions in three of the four sub-indexes, taking the top spot in attraction of investment; attraction of talent; and retention of talent.

Its ICR score was 68.18 out of 100, which equates to “high competitiveness,” according to IMCO.

“This performance reflects an integrated ecosystem, where [the northeast region’s] infrastructure, labor market, operational certainty, and productivity reinforce each other and generate a competitive environment,” IMCO said.

Valeria Moy, the think tank’s director, said that the states of the northeast don’t compete with each other or function in an “isolated” way, but rather collaborate.

She said that the northeast region’s ranking on the ICR positions it as “the most attractive [region] for the establishment, operation, and expansion of companies,” and the most attractive region for “qualified human capital.”

According to IMCO’s assessment of the 40 variables across the four sub-indexes, the northeast ranks first among the six regions in 17 of them. They include:

  • Economic diversification.
  • The contribution of exports to regional GDP.
  • Industrial parks.
  • GDP per capita.
  • Homes with running water.
  • Formal sector job growth.
  • Investment in water infrastructure.
  • Perceptions of corruption (i.e. it is perceived to have the lowest levels of corruption).
  • Perceptions of security.
  • Access to health care.
  • Labor productivity.
  • Highway robberies (i.e. the northeast has the lowest rate).
  • Employment informality (i.e. the northeast has the lowest percentage of informal sector workers).

The northeast didn’t rank last among the six regions in any of the 40 variables.

2. The northwest 

The northwest region is made up of the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Sonora and Zacatecas. It ranked second in the attraction of investment and retention of talent, and third in the other two sub-indexes.

Its ICR score was 62.33, which equates to “medium-high competitiveness.”

The northwest ranked first on three of the 40 variables assessed by IMCO, taking the top spot for electricity prices, and natural gas prices, and for having the lowest percentage of residents with incomes below the poverty line.

The northwest ranked last among the six regions for expenditure by companies on security; energy intensity (electricity use-to-GDP ratio); homicides (i.e., it has the highest rate); respiratory morbidity; and changes (i.e., increases) to housing prices.

3. The Bajío 

In IMCO’s ICR, the Bajío region is made up of the states of Aguascalientes, Colima, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Querétaro, Michoacán and Nayarit.

It ranked first in the retention of investment sub-index, third in attraction of investment and fourth in both attraction of talent and retention of talent.

Its ICR score was 54.22, which equates to “medium-high competitiveness.”

The Bajío ranked first on three of the 40 variables, taking the top spot for per capita applications for patents; its unreported crime rate; and for respiratory morbidity (i.e., it has the lowest per capita rate of respiratory diseases).

The Bajío ranked last on just one variable — “income gap by gender.”

4. Central Mexico 

The “Centro,” or Central Mexico, region is made up of Mexico City, México state, Hidalgo and Morelos. It ranked second for attraction of talent, third for retention of talent, fourth for attraction of investment and sixth (last) for retention of investment.

Its ICR score was 49.11, which equates to “medium-low competitiveness.”

Although it only ranked fourth among the six regions, Central Mexico took top spot in eight of the 40 variables.

Centro ranked first for:

  • Foreign direct investment.
  • Educational attainment.
  • Educational coverage.
  • The percentage of the population with higher education qualifications.
  • Skilled labor.
  • Energy intensity.
  • Homicides (i.e. it has the lowest rate, according to IMCO, even though México state and Morelos are among Mexico’s 10 most violent states in terms of total murders).
  • Changes to housing prices.

5. The Maya region 

The Maya region is made up of the states of Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Yucatán. It ranked fourth for retention of investment and fifth in each of the three other sub-indexes.

Its ICR score was 34.19, which equates to “medium-low competitiveness.”

The Maya region ranked first for “average age” (i.e. its residents are the youngest); strikes (i.e. it has the fewest); gender income gap; crime (i.e. it has the lowest rate); coverage of childcare centers; and infant mortality (i.e. it has the lowest rate).

It ranked last for economic diversification; industrial parks; patents; formal sector job growth; economic participation; electricity prices; incoming population flows; and the percentage of residents with incomes below the poverty line (i.e. it has the highest rate).

6. The Isthmus region 

For IMCO’s ICR, the Istmo, or Isthmus, region (named after the Isthmus of Tehuantepec) is made up of the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala and Veracruz. It ranked fifth for retention of investment and sixth in the three other sub-indexes.

Its ICR score was 26.66, which equates to “low competitiveness.”

The Isthmus region ranked first for growth in the number of “economic units” with more than 50 employees; kilometers of highways per 1 billion pesos of GDP; and expenditure on security by companies.

It ranked last in 15 variables, including:

  • Foreign direct investment.
  • GDP per capita.
  • Homes with running water.
  • Educational attainment.
  • Skilled labor.
  • Investment in water infrastructure.
  • Labor productivity.

Observations and proposals from IMCO 

IMCO identified a number of “obstacles” that hinder regional competitiveness, including high levels of employment informality (more than half of Mexico’s workers are employed in the informal sector), insecurity and “high wage inequality,” which has a negative impact on talent retention.

IMCO described its Regional Competitiveness Index as a “key tool for guiding public policy, strengthening regional cooperation, and unlocking the collective value of the country’s regions.”

In that context, it offered proposals to the private sector, to state governments, and to the federal government.

For the private sector:

  • Establish “regional training hubs” for the training of workers at a “regional scale.” Such hubs, IMCO said, could be established by consortia of companies and industrial parks. The establishment of the hubs would “strengthen talent retention through coordinated investment in human capital,” and allow training costs to be shared, the think tank said.
  • Design operational strategies with a “regional focus,” including by “structuring supply chains, the location of suppliers and investment decisions” in a way that considers the region as “one single ecosystem.”
  • Maximizing the return on capital invested by “diversifying toward emerging sub-sectors” that are experiencing “rapid growth.” In addition, IMCO said that private companies should “align” their investment portfolios with the federal government’s Plan México initiative in order to take advantage of federal incentives and “co-investment mechanisms in strategic sectors such as energy and logistics.”

For state governments: 

  • State governments in each region should “align agendas” in order to “compete as a region,” rather than as “isolated” entities, IMCO said.
  • They should “consolidate common priorities,” such as reducing informality, improving access to health care and guaranteeing water supply in urban areas.
  • They should seek to reduce dependence on federal support and “strengthen regional resilience.”

For the federal government: 

  • The federal government should “orient programs and incentives” toward the development of regional projects.
  • Federal support for “nearshoring, logistics and technical training should prioritize projects that connect leading states [in competitiveness] with lagging entities.”

As part of Plan México, the federal government is already developing new “Economic Development Hubs For Well-Being, located within larger industrial corridors focused on specific sectors. Each of the corridors stretches across three or more states, and all focus on sectors including renewable energy, manufacturing, logistics, agriculture and tourism.

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

Panchito, the wandering elephant seal, makes his annual landing in Mexico, this time in Nayarit

By
MND Staff
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elephant seal on Nayarit beach
Panchito rests his 3,330-pound body on a Nayarit beach while young waders keep a respectful distance. (Facebook)

A massive southern elephant seal has been drawing crowds in recent days after hauling itself onto several beaches in the Pacific Coast state of Nayarit — marking the latest Mexican “vacation” for a marine wanderer nicknamed Panchito.

Tourists, vendors and residents alike watched in amazement as the seal, weighing approximately 1.5 tonnes (3,330 pounds), came ashore Tuesday at Los Ayala beach in the municipality of Compostela.

As the massive animal sprawled out on the sand, civil crews and environmental officials quickly cordoned off the area to keep onlookers at a distance.

Since 2020, the male seal, formally known as Panchito Cortés, has been making annual round trips of more than 15,000 kilometers from his cold home waters off the southern tip of South America — a super-long journey that is highly unusual.

Mexico News Daily covered his 2024 visit to San Felipe, Baja California, where he also returned in the summer of 2025, according to news reports.

Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) generally spend most of their year at sea and come ashore periodically to rest, molt or breed, sometimes thousands of kilometers from their core range. 

Panchito has also been spotted on the beaches of La Paz and Mulegé, both in the state of Baja California Sur facing the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez).

Other places he is treated as a returning VIP include beaches in Sonora and Nayarit, where he’s been this week. Communities sometimes organize 24-hour brigades to protect him.

Panchito was first seen for a few hours on Sunday on two beaches in San Blas, Nayarit, before getting back into the water and then reappearing on Tuesday on Los Ayala beach.

Onlookers were kept behind security tape as firefighters, Civil Protection and the Federal Attorney’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) monitored his condition. Authorities reported the seal was healthy and moving without difficulty.

Marine biologists can identify Panchito by distinctive markings, notably one on his chin. Five months ago, he was identified as being approximately 10 years old by the news site La Voz de la Frontera.

Officials stress that elephant seals are wild, protected animals that need quiet to rest and molt. They are urging people to stay at least 10 meters away, avoid feeding or touching the seal, respect barriers and report any problems to authorities.

Panchito is not to be confused with the much smaller Pacific harbor seals that call Baja California home.

With reports from Aristegui Noticias, El Heraldo de México, La Jornada and La Voz de la Frontera

Opinion: Could Mexico make America great again? Why ‘value added’ matters more than gross trade

By
Pedro Casas Alatriste
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Truck carrying cars
Despite a patchwork of tariffs affecting cars, steel and non-USMCA-compliant goods, most Mexican exports to the U.S. remain duty-free. (Cuartoscuro)

By this time around, you should be asking yourselves: Well… and when is this guy going to write about the flagship industry of the region? The time has come, so let’s talk about the auto industry.

I find this industry fascinating. It’s full of mysticism, culture, myths, half-truths, misunderstandings — and an impressive ability to trigger political debates.

Because of that, I do have to emphasize that I’m not an auto-industry expert. So, to all my friends out there who are: you are more than welcome to correct me publicly if I say something misleading.

Now, let’s start with a couple of fun facts and interactive questions to guide this conversation.

First: if I asked you, what is the average age of a new car buyer in the United States? What would you think it is? (Literally, pause for a few seconds.) Most people guess 30-something.

Reality check: it’s about 53 years old. Think about what that implies.

Second: what would you guess is the trend in global demand for cars? Rising? Falling? Considering that the world’s population keeps growing and poverty has generally been declining, you’d think demand would be skyrocketing. But global vehicle sales have been surprisingly… flat-ish.

Over the last decade, the world has moved from the mid-80 millions to the high-80 millions in annual light-vehicle sales — growth, yes, but nowhere near “explosion.” In other words: the market isn’t expanding enough to let everyone win comfortably, as we used to.

So what happens when demand stagnates, the buyer gets older, tech changes everything (EVs + software), and costs keep rising? You get a global knife fight over market share. And that’s where China enters — big time.

China isn’t just “making more cars.” It’s pushing exports hard, especially as competition intensifies at home. In 2023, China became the world’s largest car exporter, surpassing Japan, and has maintained that position into 2024 and 2025. The strategic point isn’t just volume — it’s price and scale. China can flood markets with lower-cost vehicles and components, and that puts pressure on everyone: the U.S., Europe, Japan, Korea… and yes, Mexico. In a world where the pie isn’t growing fast, the player with scale and cost advantages can start eating other people’s lunch.

Now here’s the part that matters for this series: North America does not compete with China as three separate countries. We compete as one production system — or we don’t compete at all.

A car is not “made in one place.”

In North America, it’s assembled through a supply chain that zig-zags across borders. Some components can cross borders as many as eight times before becoming a finished vehicle. That’s not a bug in the system. That is the system.

This is also why the “Mexico exports cars to the U.S., therefore Mexico is stealing jobs” argument is — at best — incomplete.

The deeper reality is that regional production supports regional jobs. One estimate in the material I reviewed puts total automotive employment across the three countries at 5.1 million, with 7 out of 10 jobs located in the U.S. The U.S.-Mexico auto relationship isn’t a normal buyer-seller relationship. It’s co-production.

That’s not just a nice sentiment or a sexy slogan. It changes the economics.

Here’s a key example: Mexico is the #1 destination for U.S. auto parts exports. In 2024, Mexico imported US $72.2 billion in auto parts from the United States — about 31% of total U.S. auto parts exports worldwide. That means when Mexico produces and exports vehicles, a huge amount of that value is actually pulling demand for U.S.-made components, machinery, engineering, design, logistics and services.

And this is where we get to the trade deficit debate (yes, again — because it always comes back).

On a gross basis, the bilateral auto trade deficit can look enormous. But when you measure trade the way grown-ups should measure production — by value added — the story changes dramatically. One analysis I’m using here shows a gross U.S. deficit with Mexico in the auto industry of $108.9 billion (July 2024–June 2025), but only $19.8 billion when measured in value-added terms — an 82% reduction!

That’s the whole point: in a co-production system, gross flows exaggerate imbalances because they count the same value multiple times as it crosses borders. Value-added measurement asks the better question: who actually contributed what to the final product?

Now, zoom out: if North America is this integrated, why does China matter so much?

Because when you buy a vehicle or component from a tightly integrated regional partner, it activates your own upstream network. When you buy it from far away, it just doesn’t. Today, imports to the U.S. from Asia or Europe face the same baseline tariff treatment, which is lower than tariffs imposed on Mexico. Still, they don’t generate North American integration — and therefore represent a greater loss to regional (and obviously, American) production networks.

shell of a car on the assembly line
Automakers in Mexico manufactured nearly 8 million cars between 2024 and 2025, of which approximately 80-90% are exported. (Shutterstock)

So the strategic thesis is simple (yeah, right):

  • The global market is getting tougher (slow growth, shifting demand, massive tech transition).
  • Consumer patterns are changing alongside generational transition.
  • China is pushing hard with scale and price.
  • North America’s best response is not to argue about who “wins” inside the region.
  • It’s to build a more competitive regional platform — faster, cheaper, more resilient and more innovative than the alternatives.

That also means being honest about the risks of fragmentation. The same value-added analysis highlights that a hypothetical “move everything to the U.S.” scenario would create serious ripple effects — like reduced supplier output in Mexico, reduced U.S. exports to those suppliers, and knock-on effects across other integrated sectors. In plain English: breaking the system doesn’t magically recreate it somewhere else. It will just break it (both for Mexico and the United States).

Let me land this with one last, practical point: Mexico’s auto engine is already running at scale.

Through November 2025, Mexico produced 3.7 million light vehicles and exported 3.1 million; 80% of those were exported to the U.S. That capacity is not a side dish — it’s one of the main ways North America stays relevant in a brutal global arena.

So yes: the auto industry is the flagship. But the flag it carries isn’t “Mexico vs. the U.S.” It’s “North America vs. the rest.”

And in a world where China is increasingly playing offense, the only smart strategy is to stop treating our region like three separate garages — and start treating it like what it already is: one shared assembly line.

Pedro Casas Alatriste is the Executive Vice President and CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico (AmCham). Previously, he has been the Director of Research and Public Policy at the US-Mexico Foundation in Washington, D.C. and the Coordinator of International Affairs at the Business Coordinating Council (CCE). He has also served as a consultant to the Inter-American Development Bank.

Uber Shuttle launches operations in Mexico City

By
MND Staff
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Uber shuttle service
Uber Shuttle allows users to share vans or buses to specific points such as work areas, universities or airports, without the typical dynamic-demand pricing scheme. (Uber)

Uber Shuttle, Uber’s transportation service in vans or buses with fixed routes and schedules at a lower price than its traditional services, has launched in Mexico City ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

The service, which briefly operated in Mexico City in 2024, offering trips to concerts, has been reintroduced in time for the international soccer tournament. Currently, it operates rides to and from Santa Fe, an upscale neighborhood in westernmost Mexico City.

uber shuttle in Mexic City
Uber Shuttle’s nascent Mexico City service is starting off with rides to and from Santa Fe, but its vans and buses are expected to become a familiar part of the city scene as millions of World Cup visitors start arriving. (@FinanzasMx_/X)

“We’ve been testing this product and making sure it works really well before introducing it into an environment that will have a large influx of people,” Uber’s global Vice President of Mobility Pradeep Parameswaran told El CEO magazine. 

Uber Shuttle allows users to share vans or buses to specific points such as work areas, universities or airports, without the typical dynamic-demand pricing scheme. It operates over fixed routes between specific points and with pre-established schedules, thereby offering a more accessible and predictable alternative for multi-passenger transport, especially during peak hours and large events.

The new service also advertises itself as a safer alternative to traditional bus transportation, as it features a security PIN, which consists of a four-digit code to confirm that passengers board the correct vehicle. This feature is also available in Uber’s car-based services in Mexico. 

Uber’s strategy ahead of the FIFA World Cup also includes dialogue sessions with local and federal authorities to define the operation of its drivers at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM), where the capital’s government also plans to operate its own taxi app. 

Earlier this year, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada announced the development of a mobile application dubbed Taxi CDMX, meant to modernize taxi services ahead of the sporting event.

Parameswaran said that Uber does not consider the Taxi CDMX app a risk or a threat; rather, it sees it as another step toward strengthening urban mobility.

“We firmly believe that Uber and taxis must collaborate to guarantee better services,” he said. Further information about Taxi CDMX is forthcoming.

In Mexico, Uber has more than 300,000 registered drivers, and its users number around 25 million annually. However, the FIFA World Cup, which will take place in June and July, will increase those numbers as some 5 million visitors are expected to arrive in the country for the 13 matches that will be played in Mexico. 

With reports from El Ceo and Expansión

Attorney General: Excessive speed caused fatal Interoceanic Train crash

By
MND Staff
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According to reports, the train traveled at excessive speed during a period of over an hour before it derailed. It is unknown whether the driver — who was arrested on Monday — was properly alerted to his speed or whether the train had any speed control mechanisms.
According to reports, the train traveled at excessive speed during a period of over an hour before it derailed. It is unknown whether the driver — who was arrested on Monday — was properly alerted to his speed or whether the train had any speed control mechanisms. (Carolina Jiménez Mariscal/Cuartoscuro)

Excessive speed was the cause of the Interoceanic Train crash that claimed 14 lives in southern Mexico in late 2025, Attorney General Ernestina Godoy said Tuesday.

In a video message, Godoy said that when the train crashed, it was traveling at 65 kilometers per hour (km/h) on a curve where the maximum “authorized speed” is 50 km/h.

She said that the speed the train was traveling when it derailed in the state of Oaxaca on Dec. 28 was determined via information obtained from the black box, which was located in one of the train’s two locomotives.

In addition to the 14 fatalities, almost 100 people were injured in the crash, which occurred near the small Oaxaca town of Nizanda.

The driver of the train was arrested in Palenque, Chiapas, on Monday. He faces charges of culpable homicide and causing injuries due to his allegedly negligent driving.

Godoy said that the train was inspected after the accident and no defects that could have placed its operation at risk were found.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ernestina Godoy (@ernestinagodoyr_)

On stretches of railroad that the train passed before the accident occurred, it “reduced its speed, which allowed us to know that the braking system was working properly,” she said.

Godoy also said that no damage was found on the tracks.

She noted that a range of experts across fields, including topography, mechanical and electrical engineering, telecommunications and “industrial safety” contributed to the investigation carried out by the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR).

The attorney general said that investigations will continue to determine whether any other factors contributed to the accident, but as things stand, excessive speed has been established as the sole cause.

The train traveled at excessive speed during a period of more than 1 hour before the accident occurred 

The Interoceanic Train was traveling across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec from Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, to Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, when the accident occurred.

Citing information obtained from the black box, Godoy said that the train, prior to the derailment, reached speeds of 111 km/h on straight stretches of railroad, 41 km/h above the “authorized limit.”

She said that the train rounded the six curves before the accident location at a speed of 52 km/h, slightly above the authorized limit.

Godoy stressed that “speeding on a train is much more dangerous than in a conventional vehicle” due to a train’s weight and mass as well as the radius of the curves it passes through. Consequently, she said, the “centrifugal force increases — that is the force that pushes the vehicle away from its center of rotation, which causes it to leave the tracks and overturn.”

The train that crashed on Dec. 28 — made up of two locomotives and four passenger cars — weighed approximately 400 tonnes and was transporting around 250 people.

The derailment happened as the train rounded a curve on Sunday morning near Nizanda, Oaxaca.
The train rounded the six curves above the speed limit before derailing near Nizanda, Oaxaca. (Especial/Cuartoscuro)

Citing the investigation carried out by the FGR, the newspaper Reforma reported that the train traveled at excessive speed during a period of over an hour, but the driver wasn’t warned about his speeding or “stopped.”

“… Godoy didn’t say why, on the route [the train] covered before the accident — where there were two stops at stations — no alert or automated system was activated to make [the driver] reduce his speed,” Reforma wrote.

Carlos Barreda, a railroad expert, told Reforma that the trains that run on the interoceanic route have speed alert systems and speed control mechanisms. However, he questioned whether they were working.

The previous federal government modernized the railroad across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as part of an ambitious trade corridor project. Former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador inaugurated the line in late 2023.

“Authorities, kings, politicians and rulers have been dreaming” about connecting the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico for “centuries,” he said at the time.

Cargo unloaded at the ports in Salina Cruz and Coatzacoalcos can be transported across the isthmus by freight trains before being reloaded onto a ship to complete its journey to its final destination.

“It’s an exceptional project — it provides an alternative to the Panama Canal,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said in March 2025, referring to the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which includes the modernized railroad between Salina Cruz and Coatzacoalcos.

With reports from Reforma, El Financiero, El Universal, López-Dóriga Digital and Milenio

Court halts work on Royal Caribbean’s mega-project in Mahahual, QR

By
MND Staff
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Perfect Day water park
Once open for business, the 80-hectare "Perfect Day" water park could attract 21,000 cruise ship tourists per day, and employ some 2,500 people for the park’s operation. (Royal Caribbean)

A court in Quintana Roo state ordered a provisional suspension of works by Royal Caribbean on its “Perfect Day” tourism project in Mahahual on Monday, while the potential environmental implications of the project are being assessed. 

The injunction was requested by the civil society organization Defending the Right to a Healthy Environment (DMAS). The group argues that there are irregularities in the authorization of land-use changes provided to the Royal Caribbean cruise line.

DMAS stressed that it is not against the proposed water park but that “we are in favor of respecting the law, urban planning, and the community’s right to a healthy environment.”

Royal Caribbean first presented “Perfect Day” to a group of journalists in October, during which the U.S. firm’s director of innovation, Jay Schneider, said the project is expected to attract up to 6 million tourists a year and transform the fishing village of Mahahual into a stronghold for the American cruise line.

The proposed 80-hectare water park is set to be developed across from the Mahahual cruise ship pier in southern Quintana Roo. The initial plan outlines an operational capacity of up to 21,000 cruise ship tourists per day, as well as 2,500 employees for the park’s operation.

Activists have long raised concerns about the project, saying that the park will worsen infrastructure woes in the 2,600-person town, which is already battling wastewater problems.

On Monday, a federal judge called for a halt to operations on environmental grounds, as the project could damage mangroves, put pressure on water rights and harm existing infrastructure due to its scale.

Developers will not be permitted to work on the project while the injunction is being resolved.

A hearing to assess the possibility of a definitive suspension is expected to be held in the coming days.

When questioned about the potential impact of the project on the mangroves, Schneider said, “We are not going to touch anything in the mangrove conservation area.” 

He went on to suggest that the mangroves are already being damaged by pollution associated with the municipal wastewater treatment plant and that Royal Caribbean aimed to restore the mangroves, as well as construct a new wastewater treatment plant for the community.

With reports from La Jornada and El Financiero

MND Local: Public works and garbage consternation in San Miguel de Allende

By
Cathy Siegner
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San Miguel de Allende
A series of public works will bring improvements to city streets in San Miguel de Allende. (Jezael Melgoza/Unsplash)

About 300 million pesos (US $17.4 million) in combined municipal and federal government funds will be spent on public works this year in San Miguel de Allende, including two major local projects that Mayor Mauricio Trejo Pureco said will have important impacts.

Public works in San Miguel de Allende

The first project will renovate the exit to Celaya (Salida a Celaya) by fixing the asphalt, widening the sidewalks and adding planters, Trejo said. The other project will improve the corridor along the José Manuel Zavala bypass in the Olimpo area with sports, recreational and community spaces.

Exit sign San Miguel de Allende
Improvements to the Celaya exit are among many public works set to take place in San Miguel de Allende. (Cathy Siegner)

The city has budgeted an additional 210 million pesos (US $12 million) for security expenditures. The mayor said that money will go toward training, technology, tools and uniforms.

No specific timelines for the two public works projects were announced, but Trejo said they will be completed in phases. The goal is to complete them by the end of his current three-year term in October 2027.

Garbage collection changes cause consternation

Bags of garbage were piling up on street corners in several San Miguel neighborhoods over the Jan. 24-25 weekend, sparking confusion and complaints about changes that kicked in after the Tecmed garbage collection concession ended on Jan. 20.

Following the city council’s adoption last fall of an amendment guaranteeing “permanent garbage collection service,” the municipal government announced on Jan. 21 the various days and times that garbage would be collected on 22 different routes across San Miguel.

However, according to comments posted Jan. 22-24 on the city’s Facebook page, the new schedule hadn’t been followed, and there was “garbage everywhere.” Commenters said there had been no garbage pickup at that point in the neighborhoods of San Antonio, San Rafael, El Nigromante, Santa Julia, Itzquinapan and Insurgentes.

The city also announced on Jan. 21 that the big garbage containers that had long been located on Calzada de la Luz between Calle De Volanteros and Calle Hernández Macias had been removed.

Garbage in San Miguel de Allende
Garbage was piling up everywhere in some San Miguel de Allende neighbourhoods recently. (Cathy Siegner)

The announcement said that waste would be received directly at that location between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., Monday through Sunday, but that garbage from those who collect waste from businesses would not be accepted there.

Project diverts organic waste from San Miguel’s  landfill

An effort to divert some of the estimated 60 tons of organic waste sent each day to the landfill north of San Miguel has signed up 700 people so far, according to Composta SMA, a group that comes to subscribers’ homes each week to collect organic waste.

The program has kept 600,000 pounds of organic waste out of the Relleno Sanitario San Miguel landfill and turned it into compost, Composta SMA said. The compost is then returned to program subscribers and farms or is donated to reforestation efforts to restore landscapes and ecosystems.

Composta SMA said that 3,000 people living in the Palo Colorado area near the landfill have to deal with infections, odors and pollution problems, and that the situation isn’t fair.

“If we take organic waste out of the garbage equation, we will automatically give the people there dignified living conditions,” the group said.

Local immigration office relocated

The San Miguel office of the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) has relocated as of Jan. 2 to a building past the bus station on the way to Cieneguita. The building has no address number, but it’s on Carretera San Miguel de Allende–La Cieneguita, Km. 2.4, in Comunidad Los López.

Immigration office in San Miguel de Allende
The new location for San Miguel de Allende’s immigration office (left). (Sonia Diaz)

Those needing to complete immigration processes there will likely have to drive or take a taxi since it’s about 25 minutes from the city center.

The posted hours for the San Miguel INM office are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The telephone numbers are +52 (415) 152-6939, +52 (415) 152-8991 and +52 (152) 152-8985.

Cathy Siegner is an independent journalist based in San Miguel and Montana. She has journalism degrees from the University of Oregon and Northwestern University.

MND Local: Puerto Vallarta sees protests at Los Arcos amid strong tourism growth and other news

By
Charlotte Smith
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4
Puerto Vallarta
From tourism growth to beach protests and more, January has been a busy month in Puerto Vallarta. (Visit Puerto Vallarta)

In Puerto Vallarta, a mix of civic activism, economic expansion and infrastructure policy shifts is shaping early 2026 in the Bay of Banderas, with community groups, businesses and government authorities all in the spotlight.

Protest demands public beach access

Residents of Mismaloya, local tourism operators and environmentalists recently staged a blockade of Federal Highway 200, near the iconic beach zone of Los Arcos de Mismaloya. Protesters demanded unfettered public access to the shoreline after a private company installed fencing and signage on the federal coastal zone. Protesters cited constitutional protections guaranteeing free beach access and called for greater legal clarity on the status of the area. 

Mismaloya beach access protests
Protesters near Puerto Vallarta make clear their dissatisfaction with being blocked from beach access. (Instagram)

Puerto Vallarta City Council member Melissa Madero joined the demonstrators and helped broker an end to the temporary road closure, with promises from the municipal government to engage in dialogue and pursue a formal petition to federal environmental authorities, including the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry (SEMARNAT), for transparency and protection measures. 

The petition demands an official stance from city hall, publication of historical land records tied to the site and a ban on future private concessions or construction in the federal coastal zone.  

In parallel, the Puerto Vallarta City Council has also pushed forward a separate initiative urging SEMARNAT to elevate Los Arcos’ legal status to that of a federally protected natural area (ANP), a move local officials say would safeguard marine ecosystems and shore access against future development pressures.  

City’s tourism numbers remain strong

The protests come as the broader tourism sector continues to show resilience. Local and state tourism data indicate that Puerto Vallarta has maintained robust visitor arrivals through 2025, with significant international and domestic traffic boosting economic activity across hotels, restaurants and tour services.  

Cruise tourism in particular has seen notable growth in recent years, with hundreds of thousands of passengers arriving by sea, underlining Puerto Vallarta’s importance as a regional gateway. Puerto Vallarta consistently lands among Mexico’s top five most-visited cruise ports. Between January and December 2025, it received 453,198 cruise passengers on 143 ships.  

Puerto Vallarta supports the fishing sector

Amid these developments, city leadership has also signaled support for the local fishing sector, approving 300,000 pesos in targeted funding aimed at bolstering small-scale commercial fishing operations and sustaining traditional livelihoods integral to the Bay of Banderas’ coastal economy. 

Cruise ships Puerto Vallarta
2025 was a banner year for the cruise ship industry in Puerto Vallarta. (Visit Puerto Vallarta)

Officials say the investment reflects a broader commitment to balancing tourism growth with community economic needs.  

Fishing communities and environmental advocates nationally have highlighted the importance of sustainable fisheries management as Mexico faces mounting pressures on its marine resources, underscoring why local backing of fishing interests carries both economic and cultural weight.  

Transition to electronic toll passes begins

On the transportation front, a major shift in how drivers pay for highway use is underway across Mexico. Starting this month, the federal toll road system is transitioning toward an electronic tag requirement at many plazas operated by Federal Roads and Bridges and Related Services (CAPUFE) and others, reducing the availability of cash-payment lanes and encouraging motorists to obtain a compatible toll pass instead.  

This change is part of a broader effort to streamline traffic flow and modernize Mexico’s highway operations, but it has prompted questions for residents and visitors alike who frequently travel between Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.

Charlotte Smith is a writer and journalist based in Mexico. Her work focuses on travel, politics and community.

 

No joint operation with US in Wedding capture, Sheinbaum insists: Tuesday’s mañanera recapped

By
MND Staff
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3
Sheinbaum on Jan. 27, 2026
The circumstances of the arrest of alleged drug boss Ryan Wedding were again the topic of discussion at the president's morning press conference, as U.S. authorities contradict Sheinbaum's version of events. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

For a second consecutive day, the circumstances of the arrest of alleged drug boss Ryan Wedding were a topic of discussion at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference.

The Mexican government says that Wedding, a Canadian citizen, turned himself in at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City late last week, but the suspect’s lawyer said Monday that his client didn’t surrender.

“He was apprehended,” said Anthony Colombo, who suggested that the U.S. government executed the capture.

For his part, FBI Director Kash Patel told Vanity Fair that Wedding — who is now in U.S. custody — was detained as the result of a “complex, high-stakes operation with zero margin for error,” in which both Mexican security personnel and FBI agents were involved.

The circumstances of the arrest are of great interest as U.S. agents in Mexico are legally barred from making arrests, and Sheinbaum has said on repeated occasions that her government will not accept any kind of intervention or unilateral action by U.S. forces in Mexican territory.

A violation of Mexican sovereignty by the United States appeared to become more likely after the U.S. military captured Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 3 and President Donald Trump said Jan. 8 that the U.S. would start “hitting” cartels on land.

Sheinbaum responds to finding that Ryan Wedding photo was created with AI 

A reporter noted that a photo posted to Instagram purporting to show Wedding outside the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City was found by a Canadian media outlet (CBC News) to have been generated with artificial intelligence.

On Monday, Sheinbaum said that a post on Instagram by the account “bossryanw” was the “best evidence” in support of the Mexican government’s assertion that Wedding turned himself in at the U.S. Embassy last week.

Sheinbaum stands before an image of Ryan Wedding presented at her morning press conference on Jan. 26, 2026
President Sheinbaum showed a post on Instagram at her Monday presser that CBC News says was artificially generated. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)

A message accompanying the aforesaid photo read: “After seeking guarantees for a fair process, I have decided to voluntarily turn myself in to the authorities.”

Sheinbaum claimed that the message came from Wedding himself, although the Instagram account was likely opened by an “imposter,” according to CBC News.

On Tuesday, the president highlighted that there is no label on the photo stating that it was created with AI.

“Every social network has a policy: when there is a photograph or any information from Artificial Intelligence, a video [for example], it has to have the letters ‘IA’ or ‘AI,’ depending on whether it’s in English or Spanish,” Sheinbaum said.

“In this case, there is no indication that it’s artificial intelligence. That’s the first thing,” she said.

“The second thing, … [to allay] any doubt there might be about this, it’s worth putting up the post that the United States ambassador in Mexico made,” Sheinbaum said.

Ambassador Ron Johnson said in a statement last Friday that “the surrender of Ryan Wedding was a direct result of pressure applied by Mexican and U.S. law enforcement working in close coordination and cooperation.”

Sheinbaum noted that Johnson, in a Spanish-language statement, referred to “la entrega voluntaria” (voluntary surrender) of Ryan Wedding.

“I’m not going to get into an argument with the director of the FBI, nor do I want there to be a conflict,” she said.

“What they, the authorities of the United States, told the Mexican authorities is that there had been a voluntary surrender,” Sheinbaum said, adding that said version of events is what is set out in the statement issued by Johnson.

There was no joint operation with US, Sheinbaum reiterates 

Sheinbaum told reporters that Mexican authorities were actively searching for Wedding, who was on the FBI’s “10 Most Wanted Fugitives” list prior to his arrest.

However, she stressed, for a second consecutive day, that they weren’t involved in a joint operation with any U.S. authority.

“Now, how exactly did he turn himself in? Well, we don’t know the details,” Sheinbaum said.

“What we do know is what the U.S. authorities here told the authorities of Mexico, and what the United States Embassy published,” she said.

“We have no reason to doubt either the ambassador or what we were told here in Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.

Referring to Patel’s claim that Wedding was detained in a bilateral operation, the president said that was something that U.S. authorities would have to explain.

However, she stressed that her government doesn’t want to get into a dispute with the Trump administration over the issue.

“We always tell the truth, we have no reason to lie,” Sheinbaum added.

Could the US have carried out a covert unilateral operation to detain Wedding?

A reporter asked Sheinbaum whether her government had ruled out the possibility that the United States carried out a “hidden” operation in Mexico to capture Wedding.

“We don’t believe that this was the case as they have to say what they’re doing here in Mexico,” the president said.

“… We believe the ambassador and the publication of the Embassy,” she said.

“… And remember that the National Security Law clearly establishes that every U.S. agent in Mexico has to deliver a report [about what they’re doing in Mexico], and we are not aware of them having done anything other than what they constantly report to the Mexican authorities,” Sheinbaum said.

On Monday, Wedding’s lawyer, Anthony Colombo, stated:

“Look, the Trump administration with the apprehension of Maduro has made clear that we’re in a bold new era with regard to international relations. So one can understand why that statement [saying that Wedding turned himself in] might have been put out, because if the U.S. government is unilaterally going into a sovereign country and apprehending someone, you can understand the concern that that sovereign entity might have. But he was apprehended.”

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

Del Toro’s talent for terror — and tortillas — celebrated at Sundance

By
MND Staff
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0
Del Toro in the kitchen
Del Toro stepped into the kitchen during the party to assist in the preparation of a dinner menu provided by Holbox. (Deadline/Instagram)

Guillermo del Toro’s three-decade-old debut feature is not scheduled to screen at the Sundance Film Festival until Tuesday night, but the acclaimed Mexican director is already making waves at the annual event.

“Cronos,” a 1992 horror movie filmed in Mexico, will screen tonight at the Ray Theatre in Park City, a city in Utah that hosts the Sundance Film Festival every January.

The film — “regarded by many as an early masterpiece,” according to The Guardian — will screen as part of the “Park City Legacy” program of Sundance, which is said to celebrate “the festival’s rich history … through archival screenings of iconic films from previous editions.”

Ahead of the screening, Netflix hosted a party in honor of del Toro, a 61-year-old Guadalajara native known for films such as “Blade II,” “The Shape of Water,” “Pinocchio” and “Frankenstein,” a 2025 movie nominated for nine Academy Awards, including best picture.

Elijah Wood, an actor best known for “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the filmmaking duo known as “The Daniels” and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir were among the guests.

Del Toro took center stage at the Sundance shindig, held at a Park City home, and in the process made several nods to his Mexican heritage.

Backed by a mariachi band, the Oscar-winning director “delivered nearly a full concert with at least seven songs, even coming back for an encore as the crowd enthusiastically chanted, ‘Uno más,” according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter.

Among the songs he sang were “México Lindo y Querido,” a classic ranchera song, and “La Bamba,” a traditional Mexican folk song that belongs to Veracruz’s son jarocho genre.

Del Toro also stepped into the kitchen during the party to assist in the preparation of a dinner menu provided by Holbox, a Michelin Guide-rated Mexican seafood restaurant in Los Angeles.

Video footage shows the filmmaker using a tortilla press to turn balls of masa (dough) into perfectly formed tortillas, which he later used to prepare tacos.

Cronos at Sundance 

A newly restored 4K version of “Cronos” will screen at the Ray Theatre at 8:45 p.m. local time. Del Toro will be in attendance for an extended Q&A session with filmgoers.

The Hollywood Reporter noted that “Cronos” tells the story of an alchemist (in Veracruz) “who creates a device that can give its user eternal life.”

“Four centuries later, the alchemist, now a ghostly white, is killed by debris from a falling building. Enter an unsuspecting antique dealer who comes across the device, only to discover it can restore his youth, even if immortality comes with gruesome consequences,” the publication wrote.

In a review published last year, The Guardian’s film critic Peter Bradshaw wrote that “Cronos” is “a macabre body-horror comedy, perhaps more intriguing than frightening, with a hint of steampunkiness.”

The film, starring Ron Perlman and Federico Luppi, has “a distinctive authorial signature, the work of a very individual film-maker,” Bradshaw wrote.

“Cronos” was filmed in Mexico City over a period of eight weeks in 1992, the newspaper Reforma reported. It cost around US $2 million to make and was partially funded by del Toro himself.

“The film was finished using my credit card, and just as I was paying the last installment, it was declined because I had exceeded my limit, but I didn’t care because we had already finished,” the filmmaker told Reforma.

“I was also on the verge of losing my house because we bet everything we had on this production, but it was worth it because it has been enthusiastically received around the world,” del Toro said.

With reports from Reforma, El Universal and The Hollywood Reporter 

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