Marco Verde, one of Mexico's greatest hopes for 2024 Olympic gold, was ultimately unable to beat Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev of Uzbekistan. (Conade/X)
Mexican boxer Marco Verde settled for a silver medal in the welterweight (71 kg) category at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday, losing to Uzbekistan’s Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev by unanimous decision.
Verde and Muydinkhujaev matched up evenly, but the Uzbeki was quicker to the punch with a solid right jab and too often made contact when counter-punching with his left. Verde stalked his opponent throughout the match, but Muydinkhujaev moved in and out of reach effectively.
Muydinkhujaev won all five judges’ cards in the first and second rounds, forcing Verde to be more aggressive in the third round. The 22-year-old Verde chased his Uzbeki opponent around the ring as Muydinkhujaev — who the referee cautioned for not fighting — was content to stay out of reach.
The judges ruled that Verde won round three, but lost 29-28 on all five cards.
After a strong performance in the first two rounds, Uzbekistan’s Muydinkhujaev danced out of Verde’s reach in the third, earning a rebuke from the referee. (Conade/X)
The medal is Mexico’s 14th in Olympic boxing, the second most — behind diving — of any single Olympic event.
Diver Alejandra Estudillo, 19, took sixth place in the 3-meter springboard event, an unexpected achievement for her Olympic debut. (Conade/X)
Estudillo started slowly in the finals, but steadily climbed up the scoreboard, clinching sixth with a spectacular final dive. The Olympic debutante was only 17 points adrift of bronze medalist Chanh Yani of China.
In the men’s modern pentathlon event, Emiliano Hernández qualified for Saturday’s bonus fencing event by finishing in third place in Friday’s laser run, a competition that combines running and shooting. Depending on his fencing performance, Hernández could qualify for the final pentathlon event — equestrian show jumping. Another Mexican, Duilio Carrillo was eliminated Friday after completing the laser run in 15th place.
In women’s kayak, Karina Alanis and Beatriz Briones finished third in the consolation final of the 500-meter doubles. The so-called Final B featured the competitors who finished 9th through 16th in the semifinals.
Golfers María Fassi and Gaby López were on the links Friday, taking part in the third round of the women’s tournament at the Le Golf National. However, neither golfer is in medal contention. López in 32nd place with a respectable 4-over par and Fassi sitting at 18-over par in 57th place heading into Sunday’s final round.
In track cycling, Daniel Gaxiola was knocked out of the women’s sprint in the round of 16 while Yuli Verdugo failed to advance out of the preliminary round.
The Maya Train and the Interoceanic Train are a couple of the higher-profile passenger train projects taken on President López Obrador's administration. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that it will cost her government an additional 83 billion pesos (US $4.4 billion) to complete and extend the Maya Train and Interoceanic railroads, the two major rail projects of the current administration.
Construction of both projects began during the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a train enthusiast who will soon conclude his six-year term.
Speaking at a press conference after meeting with current and incoming governors of southern and southeastern states, Sheinbaum said that an investment of around 35 billion pesos will be needed to adapt the Maya Train railroad so that freight trains can run on it.
Freight trains will run on the same tracks as passenger trains, but require “additional infrastructure” including intermodal terminals and freight storage facilities, she said.
Sheinbaum, who will be sworn in as Mexico’s first female president on Oct. 1, also said the Maya Train railroad will be extended to the Yucatán port city of Progreso, located north of Mérida on the Gulf of Mexico.
She said that the project to add freight capability to the railroad will take 1-2 years to complete.
Sheinbaum shared the cost projections after a meeting with the governors of southern and southeastern states. (Claudia Sheinbaum/X)
López Obrador recently said that the entire Maya Train railroad will open “at the end of August” or in “the middle of September.”
The Mexican government has already invested at least US $20 billion in the railroad. An average of just over 1,200 passengers per day used it during the first seven months of operation, a figure well below the government’s targets.
Investment of ‘around 48 billion’ pesos needed to complete Interoceanic rail project
Sheinbaum said that the completion of the Interoceanic Railroad project will be another priority for her government.
Sheinbaum said that her government will complete additional lines to the border with Guatemala, and through Tabasco to the port of Dos Bocas, where the new Pemex refinery is located.
Sheinbaum said her administration will add a line to the Interoceanic Railroad to connect to Dos Bocas, Tabasco — the location of a new Pemex refinery. (Gob MX)
Raymundo Morales, director of the Interoceanic Train project, said in late 2023 that the 328-kilometer-long FA Line between Palenque and Coatzacoalcos via Dos Bocas would begin operations in June 2024.
He also said that the 476-kilometer-long K Line between Ciudad Ixtepec, Oaxaca — a city about 60 kilometers north of Salina Cruz — and Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas, on the border with Guatemala, would open in the final quarter of this year.
However, the timeline for the FA Line — which will connect to the Maya Train railroad — was not met, and, based on Sheinbaum’s remarks, that of the K Line won’t be either.
The president-elect said that the completion of the two lines will also take 1-2 years.
It will cost “about 48 billion” pesos to finish them and complete other complementary Interoceanic Railroad projects, Sheinbaum said.
The Interoceanic Railroad is the cornerstone of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec infrastructure project, which will also include a chain of industrial parks.
Mexican officials hope to position the Interoceanic Railroad as an alternative freight route to the Panama Canal.Carolina. Jiménez/Cuartoscuro)
The establishment of the trade corridor — touted by the government as an alternative to the Panama Canal — will allow Mexico to become a “world shipping power,” Navy Minister José Rafael Ojeda Durán said in June 2023.
Once freight trains are running between Salina Cruz and Coatzacoalcos, goods shipped from Asia, for example, could be unloaded in the former port and put on a train for a journey of approximately 300 kilometers to the Gulf Coast. The freight could then be reloaded onto another ship before continuing on to the Gulf or Atlantic coasts of the United States.
“Just because we’re going to develop trains in the center and north doesn’t mean we’re going to leave the southeast abandoned. Investment will continue in the southeast.”
Hundreds of Mexican have represented Mexico at the Olympic Games. Here are four who made their country proud. (Batman6210/X)
The story of Mexico’s greatest Olympians begins 124 years ago — and the history of Mexico at the Olympic Games is entwined with the development of the spectacle itself. In April 1896, 241 competitors gathered in Athens for the first modern Olympic Games. It was, in some ways, a grand affair, with the ancient Panathenaic Stadium being completely rebuilt for the occasion. It was also very amateurish. One young man (of the correct social status, of course), John Boland, turned up in Athens on holiday and casually entered the tennis tournament. He took home the gold medal.
Mexico was not represented in Athens but they made their debut four years later in Paris. These games, and the 1904 events in St Louis, were a low point for the Olympics. They were staged as part of the World Fair, with events spread throughout the summer. It was so low-key that some competitors went away unaware that the tournament they had taken part in was part of an Olympic tournament.
That would all change over time, of course. With an increased focus on professionalization and prestige, success at the Olympics became a source of national pride. While Mexico has won dozens of medals over the long history of the Games, here are 4 athletes that stand head and shoulders above the rest.
The Escandón brothers
Mexicos first Olympians
The Escandon family formed the Olympic polo team after being exiled to Paris for their support of Emperor Maximilian. (e consulta)
A Mexican team competed in the 1900 Polo tournament. The tournament was staged early in the summer on a pitch marked out in a local park. Five teams were put together, most of them of mixed nationalities.
The Mexican team was a family affair. Antonio de Escandón y Garmendia had made a fortune in trams and railways during the 1850s but had made the mistake of supporting Emperor Maximilian Habsburg when he accepted the Mexican crown. When the Second Empire collapsed Escandón took his family into exile in Paris.
It was three of his sons, Pablo, Manuel, and José Eustaquio who made up the core of the 1900 polo team and they drafted an American, William Hayden Wright to complete the squad. Wright remains a mysterious character and may have been a jockey. The Mexican team played BLO Polo Club Rugby, lost 0-8, and that was that. It was not until years later, when the first comprehensive Olympic records were compiled, that the Mexican team was listed as bronze medalists.
The Olympics survived the World Fair stage, came of age in London in 1908, and reached new heights in Stockholm in 1912. Mexico did not return to the games until 1924. Baillet Latour, then vice-president of the International Olympic Committee, had toured Latin America the previous year to drum up support for the Paris Games. This inspired the formation of a Mexican National Olympic Committee which sent a squad of 13 to France These were mainly athletes, but included two tennis players and two competitors in the shooting events. Mexico has been represented in every summer Olympics since then but initially with limited success. When the Second World War sent the games into hibernation, the country had yet to win an Olympic title and had taken just 6 medals.
Humberto Mariles Cortés
Mexico’s first Olympic Champion
General Humberto Mariles Cortés riding his horse, Arete. Cortés would have a dramatic life, culminating in a long prison sentence. (Stable Express)
Success in the 1948 Olympics in London — which saw five medals and the first Olympic titles — came from the “upper class” sports practiced in expensive sports clubs. General Humberto Mariles Cortés, who like many of the competitors in the equestrian events, was a military man, brought home three of these medals. His Olympics started in the army town of Aldershot with a silver medal in the three-day team event before heading to Wembley Stadium for the show jumping. Some riders seem to forge a team of equals with their horse, but with Cortés you never doubted who was in charge. He was a bulky, larger-than-life man who dominated his mount. Cortés was riding last and with Mexico in line for a team medal, he took no chances. He was the only leading rider to acquire a time penalty, but only hit one barrier around a tough course, securing both individual and team gold.
Cortes competed in two further Olympics but there would be a controversial end to his life. In 1964 he was sentenced to 25 years in prison after a road rage incident left another driver dead. Released by presidential pardon, he was arrested in Paris in 1972 and accused of drug smuggling. Cortés denied the charges but died in prison before his trial.
Jose Pedraza and Jerzy Hauslabar
Establishing a dynasty.
Jose Pedraza took silver in front of a rapturous home crowd in 1968, sparking a dynasty of Mexican walkers. (Olympedia)
With Mexico hosting the 19th Olympic Games, the hunt was on for home medals, particularly in the prestigious track and field events. An opportunity was identified in the walks, a sport rapidly losing appeal in Western Europe. Could a weak field combine with the high altitude of Mexico City to give Mexican walkers an edge?
One of the numerous foreign coaches who came out to work with the Mexican team was a Polish sailor, war veteran, and walker, Jerzy Hauslabar. Walkers tended to be tall men with long strides. Most of the Mexcans in Hauslabar’s squad were shorter and stockier. The answer was to develop a completely new style, swinging the hips more to fit in shorter, rapid, steps.
When his star, Jose Pedraza, came into the stadium after 20 kilometers on the roads he was a long way behind the two leading Russians but, cheered on by the home crowd, he used those short steps to race past Nikolay Smaga and then close on Volodymyr Holubnychy. Holubnychy was able to hold on for his second Olympic title but Pedraza’s silver medal— Mexico’s first in athletics — brought the sport of walking both investment and recruits. Inspired by Jerzy Hauslabar and Jose Pedraza, Mexican walkers would win three Olympic titles and seven medals by the end of the century.
Alfonso Zamora
The Olympics nurture a sporting great
Alfonso Zamora - Mexican Power Puncher
Over the years, Mexico has won thirteen boxing medals, including two golds in 1968. However, their greatest Olympic boxing story is that of Alfonso Zamora. Zamora had a street fighter’s style, and in 1972 he brawled his way to the bantamweight final.
His opponent in the final was Orlando Martinez of Cuba. Martinez, like Zamora, had a powerful punch but, having come through the Cuban boxing system he was the better technical boxer. He knocked Zamora to the canvas late in the first round and seemed to have him in trouble again early in the second. Zamora did not lack strength or courage and fought back, seeking the one big punch that could still turn events in his favor. The result was three rounds of athleticism, skill, and sportsmanship with Zamora bringing home a silver medal. The professional game was always going to be his natural environment and within three years Zamora was a world champion having won all of his 29 fights by knockouts.
1984 came around, and with the East European nations threatening to boycott the Los Angeles Games the organizers gave the Olympics a major rebranding. There was big-money sponsorship, the amateur rules were swept aside and the Olympics took on a new level of showmanship. Fans who could watch Michael Jordan in basketball, Stefanie Graf in tennis, and professional stars in the soccer tournament were enthralled by athletes from across the world competing at the very highest level.
For Mexico, the new-look Olympics brought a steady stream of medals, many of which came from the women’s teams. In the diving pool and on the Taekwondo mats stars such asAlejandra Orozco and María Espinoza enjoyed Olympic success and in 2012 the men’s soccer team defeated mighty Brazil for the gold.
Bob Pateman is a Mexico-based historian, librarian and a life term hasher. He is editor of On On Magazine, the international history magazine of hashing.
Protesters lifted the blockade Saturday morning, after five days. (Alaín Hernández/Cuartoscuro)
Protesters blockading the Mexico City-Puebla highway and a road that connects to it halted more than 100,000 tractor-trailers and caused economic losses of over 10 billion pesos (US $531 million), according to business groups.
Some 200 residents of the municipality of Santa Rita Tlahuapan, Puebla, commenced a blockade of the Mexico City-Puebla highway and the Arco Norte toll road on Tuesday.
Residents are demanding fair pay for the land that was expropriated to build the highway. (Alaín Hernández/Cuartoscuro)
The residents, among whom are ejidatarios, or community landowners, are demanding fair compensation for land that was expropriated for the construction of the Mexico City-Puebla highway, which opened in 1962 and has been expanded in more recent decades.
Their blockade at Kilometer 74 of the highway remained in place on Friday morning, but one lane is now open in both directions.
The Business Coordinating Council (CCE), an umbrella group made up of various business organizations, said in a statement on Thursday that the blockades of the Mexico City-Puebla highway and the Arco Norte road had brought approximately 130,000 freight vehicles to a standstill, “causing economic losses estimated at more than 10 billion pesos.”
It called on federal and state authorities to “urgently” enforce the rule of law and clear the roadblocks.
The blockades are significantly affecting a range of industries including manufacturing, retail and logistics services, the CCE said, describing the sectors as “fundamental for the country’s economy.”
“Any interruption to their operation has repercussions that extend far beyond the blockade points,” it added.
Avanza de manera fluida el tránsito vehicular en la autopista México-Puebla, a pesar de que solo ha sido habilitado un carril en cada sentido de manera permanente 🚗🚙 pic.twitter.com/cJkxzVNVmZ
The CCE, made up of organizations including the Mexican Employers Federation (Coparmex) and the National Agriculture Council, also said that the blockades are affecting the capacity of “thousands of people” to “access essential services, fulfill their work responsibilities and maintain the supply of essential goods.”
“It’s imperative that order is reestablished and that safety and freedom of movement is guaranteed for truckers, workers and all citizens who depend on these roads for their daily activities,” the CCE said.
National trucking association Canacar also cited economic losses of more than 10 billion pesos. Association president Miguel Ángel Martínez told a press conference on Thursday that some products transported by affected freight trucks would be spoiled.
“The trucks have equipment that can cool perishables for 24 hours, which means that they’re already spoiled. … It’s a situation that’s getting more complicated by the minute,” he said.
Martínez said that tractor-trailers could use alternative routes to avoid the blockades, including the Mexico City-Cuernavaca highway, but asserted that those roads don’t have the capacity to accommodate large numbers of trucks. These routes also raise costs because using them increases the distance traveled.
The opening of one lane in both directions on the Mexico City-Puebla highway is not a solution, he said, describing the benefits as “minimal.”
For its part, Coparmex said in a statement that it “understands and respects the historic demands of the Santa Rita Tlahuapan ejidatarios.”
However, “the recurrence of these blockades” not only affects thousands of people, but has “long-term effects on investor confidence and our country’s competitiveness,” the organization said.
“Legal certainty and respect for the law are fundamental for the economic and social development of Mexico,” Coparmex added.
‘We won’t withdraw until we see a signed document’
The newspaper Reforma reported Friday morning that ejidatarios from Tlahuapan were maintaining their protest for a fourth consecutive day.
However, they agreed to leave one lane open in both directions on the Mexico City-Puebla highway “to avoid further impacts on citizens,” Reforma said.
The people protesting have maintained that they weren’t compensated, or adequately compensated, by past governments for their land. (Mireya Novo/Cuartoscuro)
The highway was completely blocked for more than 48 hours before Puebla authorities negotiated the opening of one lane in both directions on Thursday.
Landowners told Reforma they are seeking compensation for 41 hectares of land on the López Rayón ejido that was expropriated for the construction of the highway.
The Associated Press reported that “authorities acknowledge the farmers’ land was taken, and have agreed to pay them, but the two sides cannot agree on how much they are due.”
Reforma reported that ejidatarios discussed the plans for their ongoing protest in a meeting on the side of the highway.
“We’re going to continue,” said one protester. “… We won’t withdraw until we see a signed document.”
Another protester argued that the effectiveness of the blockade had been diminished by the opening up of one lane in both directions.
“What’s the point if cars are now going through? It’s not the same pressure,” he said.
“The truth is I don’t see the same strength, compañeros. Let’s regroup and see how the negotiations go,” said another person.
‘We can’t pay more than an appraisal establishes’
At his morning press conference on Thursday, López Obrador asserted that the protesters are “acting with the bad influence” of “lawyers who want to profit” from their compensation claim.
The protesters are reportedly being advised by a lawyer who won a 176-million-peso payout for other ejidatarios from Santa Rita Tlahuapan in 2018.
AMLO said that the government plans to pay the landowners, but cannot pay more than the official appraisal establishes. (Pedro Anza/Cuartoscuro)
López Obrador noted that the expropriation of land for the construction of the Mexico City-Puebla highway dates back “decades,” and acknowledged that the people currently protesting have maintained that they weren’t compensated, or adequately compensated, by past governments.
“We decided to serve justice and pay them for the damage caused during previous governments. But in order to make amends, we have to do an appraisal — there is a federal government authority that does these appraisals,” he said.
“The appraisals are done, we have the money to pay the campesinos but the lawyers say: ‘we don’t agree with the appraisals.’ They want more,” López Obrador said.
“[But] we, as public servants, can’t pay more than an appraisal establishes,” he said.
López Obrador said he wasn’t aware how much compensation lawyers were seeking for their clients, but claimed they are attempting to take the government for a ride.
The president — who frequently defends people’s right to protest — appeared to rule out any possibility of federal authorities using force to clear the highway.
“We don’t repress because it’s better to convince, persuade [people] than repress,” he said.
“I call on the campesinos to not let themselves be manipulated by these lawyers. … We can’t be held hostage by those who seek to profit. … We’re willing to pay them in accordance with the appraisal,” López Obrador said.
It was unclear when the two sides might come to a mutually acceptable agreement.
As it became evident the blockade would continue indefinitely, some passengers started walking toward the nearest exit. (Mireya Novo/Cuartoscuro)
Protesters who spoke to Reforma blamed officials from the Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Ministry and the Interior Ministry for hindering negotiations.
“And they don’t inform their boss, the president, well,” said one ejidatario.
“They give him bad information. We respect the president, but he’s misinformed,” he said.
Truckers and motorists endure cold and hunger
The news station Foro TV reported Thursday that some truckers and motorists had been stranded on the Mexico City-Puebla highway for 46 hours. The cold in the early morning was described as “unbearable” by a reporter.
“They didn’t come prepared at all,” the reporter said. “They don’t have blankets, they didn’t bring food, they didn’t bring provisions.”
Vendors often appear on Mexican highways when motorists face long delays, but some of those stranded in recent days reportedly ran out of money. Some passengers — and even drivers — abandoned the vehicles they were traveling in. The drivers presumably returned to their vehicles once traffic began to move with the opening of single lanes on Thursday.
The protesters also endured cold conditions, but they arrived prepared with tents, blankets and food.
On Friday morning, some heated coffee and warmed tortillas over a fire on the side of the highway as they prepared for another day in the fight for the money they say they are owed.
México state, Mexico City, Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala will see torrential rains this weekend. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
Much of Mexico can expect a wet weekend as a “very active” tropical wave approaches the Yucatán Peninsula and a low-pressure system brews in the Pacific.
The seasonal Mexican monsoon will also deliver scattered but heavy rains through the weekend to Chihuahua, Sonora and Sinaloa up north.
❇️ADVERTENCIA: #TemporalLluvioso del 9-12/agosto por onda tropical 15, vaguadas y perturbación tropical.
🔴⛈️Lluvias MÁS abundantes
-Nay, Jal, Col, Mich, EdoMex, CDMX, Mor, Gro, Pue, Tlax, Oax, Ver, Chis, Tab, Sin y Sierra Madre Occidental
— 🌲⛈️Meteorología México🌧️🌳 (@InfoMeteoro) August 9, 2024
The front of tropical wave 15 extends southwest from the Yucatán Peninsula to the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chiapas.
This weekend, showers are forecast for Yucatán, Quintana Roo and Campeche, but low-pressure systems stretching north will bring heavier rains up the Gulf Coast to Tabasco and Veracruz.
The National Meteorological Service (SMN) forecasts that tropical wave 15 will remain active through the weekend, eventually drifting northwest and evolving into a cyclone in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.
Still, this system is close enough to Mexico that it will dump considerable rain on states along the southern Pacific coast and into the central plateau.
The weather forecaster Meteorología México projects heavy rains for the Pacific coast states Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacán, Jalisco, Colima and Nayarit. In the central valley, México state, Mexico City, Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala will also see torrential rains this weekend.
Accumulated rainfall (mm) through August 6, 2024. (Conagua)
The SMN forecasts particularly heavy rains for Chiapas, Nayarit and Oaxaca (75-150 mm) on Friday, while Campeche, Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Tabasco and Veracruz will see 50-75 mm of rain.
The SMN also advised residents of Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas to expect gusts of wind reaching 70 km/h on Friday.
Is La Niña here yet?
The NOAA issued a “La Niña Watch” update on Thursday, indicating that while ENSO-neutral conditions have continued in the Pacific this summer, following the end of El Niño in June, La Niña is favored to emerge between September and November, and persist through the Northern Hemisphere winter.
This means heavy rains are likely to continue in south-central Mexico and also in the northeast through autumn, as tropical waves and cyclones increase in activity.
"Date prisa" and make sure this isn't you! (Aidia)
When it comes to learning a language, it’s always super hard to translate our own sayings and phrases into our target language. However, translating literally does not always do the job, which can be frustrating. But just remember, it is a process of understanding that people just like us, somewhere on the planet, decided to express what we know in a totally different way. So all we have to do is surrender, relax, breathe and learn a new way, with these Mexican Spanish idioms.
The good news is, we have Mexico News Daily to help us learn these new ways of communicating. So let’s dive into the Spanish equivalents of some common English phrases.
This is what “soy todo oídos” means, right? (Miracle Ear)
I’m all ears
To fully listen and pay attention. Its Spanish equivalent is “soy todo oídos”.
Examples in context:
Cuéntame sobre tu viaje, soy todo oídos. (Tell me about your trip! I’m all ears).
Si necesitas que te ayude, soy todo oídos. (If you need help, I’m all ears).
Si alguien tiene una buena idea, soy todo oídos. (So, if anyone has a great idea, I’m all ears.)
It slipped my mind
To forget something. In Spanish, “se me olvidó”.
Examples in context:
Se suponía que debía llamarte, pero se me olvidó. (I was supposed to call you but it slipped my mind).
Perdón por perderme la junta, se me olvidó por completo. (I’m sorry I missed the meeting, it completely slipped my mind).
Iba a comprar leche, pero se me olvidó. (I meant to buy milk, but it slipped my mind).
To hurry up. You can hear it in Spanish as “apúrale” or “apúrate.” Both mean the same thing but the difference relies on the “te,” used to talk more straightforwardly to the person. You can use them instinctively. We also have “date prisa” or “muévete” which can translate as “move”.
Examples in context:
Vamos a llegar tarde, apúrale (We are going to be late, shake a leg!)
El camión ya casi se va, date prisa. (The bus is leaving soon, shake a leg!)
Si no te mueves vamos a perder nuestro vuelo. (If you don’t shake a leg, we’ll miss our flight).
Learning these phrases will make your conversation in Spanish more natural. Remember it is a journey and every new phrase brings you one step closer to fluency. So don’t lose hope, by reading these articles you are already taking action towards improving your Spanish.
Paulina Gerez is a translator-interpreter, content creator, and founder of Crack The Code, a series of online courses focused on languages. Through her social media, she helps people see learning a language from another perspective through her fun experiences. Instagram: paulinagerezm / Tiktok: paugerez3 / YT: paulina gerez
Prologis Fibra is sponsored by Prologis, a transnational real estate investment company operating in 19 nations. Prologis is becoming a force to reckon with in Mexico's real estate market. (yu_photo/Shutterstock)
Mexican real estate investment trust Fibra Prologis has become the biggest player in the nation’s real estate sector upon completing the acquisition of a majority share of Fibra Terrafina, a move that positions Fibra Prologis to capitalize on the growing nearshoring trend.
Fibra Prologis closed on its tender offer proposed on May 17, acquiring 77.4% of Fibra Terrafina’s shares via an unspecified amount of cash and an exchange of CBFIs — certificates of participation in the assets that comprise a FIBRA’S property portfolio, a type of security that can be traded as easily as stocks.
A Fibra Prologis property in the Prologis industrial park in Toluca, México state. With properties in multiple Mexican states, Fibra Prologis is poised to benefit from Mexico’s increasing nearshoring trend. (Prologis)
Fibra Prologis — sponsored by the San Francisco-based Prologis Inc., the global leader in logistics real estate — outbid Fibra Macquarie, which had increased its original offer in mid-June.
“This investment comes at a unique moment for Mexico, and it demonstrates our long-standing commitment to one of our most important markets,” said Dan Letter, president of Prologis. “We appreciate the vote of confidence by Terrafina’s stakeholders in the quality, sustainability and global connectivity of Fibra Prologis’ logistics portfolio and in our shared future success.”
Héctor Ibarzabal, Fibra Prologis’ chief executive officer, said securing a majority shareholder position in Fibra Terrafina is good not only for shareholders and customers but also for Mexico’s economy.
“Our company’s scale, operational expertise and investments provide an excellent platform to drive Fibra Prologis and Terrafina’s business growth and shared success while strengthening Mexico’s economic prospects and position as an international trade partner,” he said, according to a Prologis press bulletin.
Fibra Terrafina manages approximately 42.2 million square feet of industrial real estate, including 288 industrial warehouses across several key Mexican markets.
What are FIBRAs?
Fibra Prologis features 236 Class-A logistics and manufacturing facilities in six industrial markets in its Mexico portfolio, according to the company, with holdings totaling nearly 47 million square feet of gross leasable area.
Dan Letter, Prologis’ president. (Prologis)
About 70% of these properties are located in consumption-driven markets, and about 30% are located in manufacturing-driven markets.The company is a leading owner and operator of Class-A industrial real estate in Mexico.
Class A properties are generally defined in the industry as the most desirable investment-grade pieces of real estate in their market and geographical area.
A FIBRA, or Fideicomiso de Inversión en Bienes Raíces (Real Estate Investment Trust) is a financial vehicle focused both on the acquisition and construction of real estate that is rented in Mexico. It distributes through quarterly dividend payments at least 95% of the profits it derives from rents or property sales.
It is similar to REITs in the U.S., or Real Estate Investment Trusts, which allow investors to earn income from real estate without having to buy, manage or finance properties themselves.
Prologis arrived in Mexico 25 years ago, a move that represented its first international expansion. The company continues to grow its business in the market.
In June 2023, Fibra Prologis announced plans to invest US $700 million in warehouses and parks and, in October of last year, the company acquired two buildings from its parent company that are located in Ciudad Juárez and Monterrey, for an aggregate purchase price of US $106 million, including closing costs.
The Bank of Mexico decision to cut benchmark interest rates to 10.75% despite high headline inflation shocked some analysts. (Wikimedia Commons)
The Bank of Mexico (Banxico) announced a surprise cut to its key interest rate on Thursday, just hours after data showed that headline inflation reached its highest level in over a year in July.
In a split decision, the Banxico board voted to lower the central bank’s benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 10.75%. It was the second cut this year, after a 25-basis-point reduction in March.
In a statement announcing its latest cut, Banxico said that decreasing core inflation “better reflects the inflation trend” than headline inflation, which has been increasing.
It noted that the annual core inflation rate, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, declined for an 18th consecutive month in July to reach 4.05%.
Banxico said that its board “assessed the behavior of inflation and its determinants, as well as of inflation expectations” before three of the five members, including Bank Governor Victoria Rodríguez Ceja, voted in favor of a 25-basis-point interest rate cut.
Banxico said its decision was based on declining core inflation rather than headline inflation. Core inflation does not take into account food and energy prices due to their variability. (Cuartoscuro)
The bank said that headline inflation is still expected to converge to its 3% target in the fourth quarter of 2025, although it acknowledged that its forecasts for this year and next are subject to a range of upside and downside risks.
Banxico said that the upside risks include persistence of core inflation; greater foreign exchange depreciation; greater cost-related pressures; climate-related impacts; and the intensification of geopolitical conflicts.
“The balance of risks to growth of economic activity remains biased to the downside,” Banxico added.
Victoria Rodríguez Ceja, governor of Mexico’s central bank. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)
The bank said that “although the outlook for inflation still calls for a restrictive monetary policy stance, its evolution implies that it is adequate to reduce the level of monetary restriction.”
“Thus, with the presence of all its members, the Board decided by majority to lower the target for the overnight interbank interest rate by 25 basis points to 10.75%,” Banxico said.
The central bank also said that its board “foresees that the inflationary environment may allow for discussing reference rate adjustments” at future monetary policy meetings.
The interest rate cut ‘doesn’t make sense’
Some economic analysts asserted that the Bank of Mexico’s decision to lower its key interest rate lacked logic.
Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Mexico’s Banco Base, said in a post to X that it “doesn’t make sense” for Banxico to cut its interest rate given that it increased its forecast for headline inflation in the final quarter of this year to 4.4% from 4%.
Banco de México subió la expectativa de inflación. Ahora esperan un promedio de 4.4% para el último trimestre del año. Perdón pero no tiene sentido que esperen una mayor inflación y recorten la tasa de interés 🤷🏻♀️ pic.twitter.com/N0koWmhYy3
In a subsequent post, she described the decision as a “mistake” and asserted that it could diminish the central bank’s reputation.
Abraham Vela, an economist and academic, said that simultaneously increasing the forecast for inflation and lowering interest rates was a “monetary aberration.”
Alfredo Coutiño, Latin America director at Moody’s Analytics, wrote on X that Banxico had taken “an unnecessary risk.”
“In the face of turbulent financial conditions and deteriorating expectations for the peso, today’s monetary decision is imprudent and shows a lack of commitment with the top mandate of price stability,” he said.
“… The monetary decision is completely inconsistent with the inflationary conditions. On one side, Banxico ‘significantly’ corrects to the upside inflation estimates for the rest of the year and on the other it eases monetary conditions. Apparently the monetary [policy] work of the three members of the board [who voted in favor of a cut] is not governed by the monetary mandate of price stability,” Coutiño wrote.
“The sole mandate of Banxico doesn’t include economic growth or public finances as a priority,” he added.
Alfredo Coutiño, Latin America director at Moody’s Analytics, called the rate cut and “unnecessary risk.” (Alfred Coutiño/X)
Some analysts predicted that the central bank would cut its key interest rate today, but the majority of those surveyed by both Citibanamex and Reuters forecast that the second reduction of 2024 would come later in the year.
Peso strengthens after Bank of Mexico announcement
Reuters reported that the Mexican peso depreciated immediately after the announcement of the interest rate cut to trade at 19.01 to the US dollar.
However, the peso subsequently strengthened to reach 18.90 to the greenback at 5 p.m. Mexico City time. That rate represents an appreciation of just over 2% for the peso compared to its closing position on Wednesday.
The Bank of Mexico’s decision to cut its key rate — which will take effect on Friday — will reduce the difference between the Banxico rate and the United States Federal Reserve’s rate from 550 to 525 basis points.
The large gap between the two rates has benefited the peso for an extended period as it has made Mexico an attractive destination for investors, including those engaged in carry trade. In that context, it is somewhat surprising that the peso appreciated on the same day that Banxico announced an interest rate cut.
The central bank’s new inflation outlook
Banxico increased its headline inflation forecasts for the current quarter as well as Q4 of 2024 and Q1 of 2025.
Q3 2024: forecast increased to 5.2% from 4.5% at the end of June.
Q4 2024: forecast increased to 4.4% from 4% previously.
Q1 2025: forecast increased to 3.7% from 3.5%.
Q2 2025: forecast maintained at 3.3%.
Q3 2025: forecast maintained at 3.1%.
Q4 2025: forecast maintained at 3%.
Core inflation forecasts
Banxico made just one change to its core inflation forecasts, making a lower prediction than previously for the current quarter.
Q3 2024: forecast decreased to 4% from 4.1% at the end of June.
In a land filled with stereotypes, what even is a fifí? (Denisse Hernández/Cuartoscuro)
We Mexicans love giving things and people fun nicknames. And few things get as many nicknames in Mexico as stereotypes of other Mexicans.
Living abroad, I’ve come to understand that as much as we dislike stereotypes, they tell us a lot about the society we live in. And Mexican stereotypes are no exception. Understanding them gives foreigners valuable information, not only about the complex world of classism in Mexico but also about Mexican politics, religion and even workplace dynamics.
We have a lot of nicknames for a lot of people. Some of them are actually quite funny. (Cris la huarachita/Instagram)
They’re also a great window into Mexican humor, because as you’ll see, they are a major source of satire.
The following are the most common stereotypes you’re likely to come across on social media, in casual conversations between Mexicans, or even in statements from President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
But the most important question: Which one are you?
Godinez
Do you work in an office? Do you bring food to your job in Tupperware? Do you work a 9 to 5? Then you are a godinez. And if you wear an office badge, you’re in the top ranks.
The telltale sign of a nearby “godinez.” Tread carefully. (Kate Trifo/Unsplash)
Before working from home became a thing, I was once a godinez, too. I used to arrive at the office by 9 a.m., wear formal attire, store my food in the office fridge and have a drawer full of snacks (yes, that included chips and salsa Valentina).
In the morning, my work friends and I would prepare coffee in the kitchen and have our usual dose of I-hate-my-godinez-life conversation before diving right into work, just as any responsible godinez would do.
When I couldn’t make it home for the two hour lunch break, I would eat from my Tupperware or have lunch with my other godinez colleagues at the same old restaurant around the corner.
As any godinez, the quincenas (paycheck day every fortnight) were my favorite days of the month and “ya depositaron” (they’ve paid) my favorite words.
In the drawer of any good godinez, Valentina, candies and a topper are a must. (María Ruiz)
Despite every Mexican knowing what a godinez is (besides a surname) it’s still unclear why we chose this name. What we know is that godinez is not derogatory and is always a great way to add humor to any conversation.
Some examples of godinez in TV shows are Hugo Sánchez from “Club de Cuervos” and Betty in “Betty La Fea” (the original, Spanish language version of Ugly Betty).
Mirreyes
This stereotype only applies to men. But if you’re a woman, read on to find out if your man is a mirrey.
Mirrey is a combination of two words: “mi” which means “my,” and “rey” which means “king.” So, it literally means My King. The term originated as a greeting among the elite young male descendants of Lebanese immigrants in Mexico, spreading across the country through social media in 2010.
Javi Noble from the movie Nosotros los Nobles. He is whitexican AND a mirrey. Double whammy. (Nosotros los Nobles)
It describes a distinct stereotype within the whitexican and fresa realm: rich guys who lead an ostentatious and arrogant life. They wear shirts unbuttoned halfway down. Expensive loafers, lotions and watches. They are typically tanned. Some even call themselves entrepreneurs, making and breaking businesses sponsored by their family’s wealth.
They also use a specific lexicon, calling themselves papá (dad), lord or príncipe (prince) and using suffixes like “uki” and “irri” – they don’t go to Acapulco, they go to “Acapulquirri.” They don’t date girls, they date “lobukis” (chicks/babes).
Actor and businessman Roberto Palazuelos is constantly the object of memes representing mirreyes. Another particuarly notable example is Mexican singer Luis Miguel.
Princes and princesses strive for happiness, not perfection. Except for myself, of course, because I’m perfect. (papipalazuelos/Instagram)
The term mirrey is usually inoffensive because many mirreyes take pride in being one.
Fifís
Fifís is a term that we’ve used in the Hispanic world for years to refer to refined people in high-class society. It is even in the dictionary. The Real Academia Española (RAE), the equivalent of the Oxford dictionary in the Spanish speaking world, defines a fifí as “a pretentious person interested in being fashionable”.
In Mexico, the term was never political and wasn’t used as an insult. But then López Obrador happened.
President López Obrador began to use the term during his 2018 presidential campaign, to refer to the opposition. He has also used it to accuse the press of being fifí. However, in a morning press conference in July 2022, he changed criteria and narrowed the requirements to be a fifí, arguing that “there are levels of fifís.”
Meet the enemy of the Fifís, President Andres Manuel López Obrador. (Andrea Murcia Monsivais/Cuartoscuro)
3)Live in the Mexico City neighborhoods of Las Lomas, Santa Fe “but in La Toscana,” or El Pedregal. He remarked that living in Del Valle (a middle-class neighborhood), “is not enough” to be a fifí.
López Obrador has also associated fifí with negative traits like selfishness, materialism, unscrupulousness and superfluity, adding that “one must look to improve oneself, but never aspire to be a fifí.”
Calling someone fifí is offensive. However, we have found ways to satirize it.
Now, if fifí defines the opposition of López Obrador, what term is used for his supporters?
Chairos
Chairo has various meanings across the Hispanic world and four meanings in Mexico alone. One of those meanings (someone who supports socialist causes) has developed into a pejorative noun to describe people who passionately adhere to ideology but lack real commitment to action.
Since the presidential campaign in 2018, the term has increased in popularity as a pejorative noun for the president’s followers, who largely tend to be low-income and darker-skinned. As such, chairo may have class and racial connotations, too.
Chairo and fifís are antagonists, frequently appearing on ‘X,’ in political conversations among Mexicans and in López Obrador’s speeches.
The Royal Mexican Academy of Language has recognized chairos and fifís as antagonist terms.
Earlier this month, López Obrador said that he is a “chairo” president and remarked that he is not a “fifi.” However, he added that he “respects fifís.”
Whether the term is offensive depends on whether you are a proud supporter of López Obrador.
Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.
International passenger numbers at Querétaro International Airport are way up in the first semester of 2024. (Google)
If you think you’ve seen more international flights at Querétaro International Airport (AIQ) than ever, it’s probably not your imagination: federal data shows a spike in international travelers passing though AIQ in 2024.
According to data from the Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation Ministry (SICT), the number of international passengers traveling through AIQ went up by 60.3% in the first half of the year to 313,832. In 2023, it saw 195,836 international passengers.
Querétaro International Airport’s international passenger numbers are increasing enough that the airport has had to respond by increasing its parking areas and reconfiguring its international arrivals area to accommodate more passengers between 2023 and 2024. (Wikimedia Commons)
Domestic passenger traffic at AIQ also increased this year, by a more modest 10.1%, from 563,056 passengers in the first semester of 2023 to 619,678 in the same period of 2024, the newspaper El Economista reported.
International AIQ travelers represented 33.6% of total passenger traffic at the airport in 2024 (up from 25.8% in the same period of 2023), while domestic travelers represented 66.4% of passenger traffic (down from 74.2% of AIQ’s total traffic), El Economista said.
So far, June has been the airport’s best month this year, with a total of 171,427 passengers (domestic and international) passing through the airport. The monthly average for 2024 at AIQ stands at 155,585 travelers, according to El Economista.
In 2024, with its increase in international travelers, AIQ has become Mexico’s ninth top airport in terms of international passenger traffic. The top airport is the Cancun International Airport, with 32.7% of the market share of international travelers. AIQ has 1.2%.
Nationwide, according to SICT, international passenger traffic grew by 5.5% in June alone, part of an overall growth trend in 2024, in which international passenger traffic increased by 8.8% between January and June.
Cargo down at AIQ
Cargo at AIQ told a slightly different story. According to SICT figures, AIQ handled 37,658 tonnes of cargo from January to June 2024, which made it Mexico’s fifth busiest airport in terms of total cargo traffic and No. 2 in the country in terms of domestic cargo, handling 25,502 tonnes.
Overall, Querétaro’s airport has seen fewer tons of cargo pass through in 2024 than in 2023, although domestic cargo numbers are up. (Vota Querétaro)
Nevertheless, total cargo numbers for AIQ in the first semester of 2024 decreased by 6.3% from last year, from 40,184 tonnes in 2023. This is clearly due to a decrease in international cargo handling numbers (down 24.8% in 2024, from 16,615 tonnes in 2023 to 12,156 tonnes in 2024). Domestic cargo at AIQ actually showed a modest increase of 8.2% from 2023 (23,569 tonnes) to 2024 (25,502 tonnes).
AIQ wasn’t the only airport showing an overall downward trend in cargo traffic in 2024: the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) saw the largest drop in the same period (38.8%), decreasing from one year to the next from 42,996 tonnes to 26,301 tonnes.
Other airports that reported drops in total cargo traffic included Toluca (2.9%), San Luis Potosí (3%) and Monterrey (1.5%).
The SICT attributed the AICM drop to the transfer of international cargo airline operations to AIFA, after President López Obrador issued an executive order in 2023 prohibiting cargo airlines from using AICM in order to ease what Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) declared to be air traffic saturation there.
Cargo handling numbers at AIFA did grow by 7,051 tonnes in the measured period, but that doesn’t account entirely for AICM’s year-to-year drop of 16,694 tonnes.
