Mexico's slate of major marathons in the capital and other urban areas attracts tens of thousands of runners. But it's the everyday casual runners — a quarter of the population, according to a recent survey — that make Mexico a world leader in running popularity. (Cuartoscuro)
Mexico isn’t known as a country of runners, but perhaps it should be.
A recent survey from Statista Consumer Insights 2025 places Mexico as a global leader in running popularity with 24% of respondents stating that they at least occasionally go for a run or jog.
Any discussion of running’s popularity in Mexico must include the Rarámuri people of the Tarahumara Mountains in Chihuahua, for whom running is a way of life. (Ultra Caballo Blanco/Facebook)
The poll asked Mexicans about their favorite sports activities, and running came in at the very top. Surfing, more associated with Mexico among a certain segment of the U.S. population, ended up at the other end of the ranking, right down there with flying kites.
Globally, Mexico topped such countries as China and Spain, both with 19% of respondents saying they occasionally go for a run, followed by Brazil (18%) and Germany (17%).
The United States (8%) and Japan (6%) reported the lowest levels, indicating that economic development does not influence the popularity of running.
One segment of the Mexican population that enjoys fame as runners is the Indigenous Tarahumara people, who run long distances regularly with minimal foot protection. Their name in their own language, Rarámurí, means “people who run.”
Running is one of the most accessible physical activities, as it requires neither specialized facilities nor large investments, making it an accessible option for broad segments of the population.
Furthermore, in urban settings, it is a practical way to incorporate exercise into a daily routine.
Mexico’s high level of running popularity becomes more impressive when taking into account the findings of an earlier poll. In 2024, Statista revealed that 43% of Mexican respondents occasionally ran or jogged.
Mexico’s lead in running also reveals its potential as a strategic market for sporting brands specializing in running gear and clothing.
Dozens of marathons, half-marathons and other races are organized across Mexico each year. From thematic holiday races to traditional marathons, some of the most popular races each year include the Mexico City Marathon, the Mexico City Half Marathon, and the marathons of Monterrey, Guadalajara, Cancún, Baja California and Mazatlán.
Carlos Torres Vila, chairman of the Spanish bank BBVA, kicks off BBVA México's National Meeting of Regional Advisors in Mexico City on Tuesday. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
Productivity in Mexico is lower now than it was 25 years ago, according to economist Santiago Levy, who asserted on Tuesday that the lack of productivity growth is the main reason why the Mexican economy hasn’t grown at a faster pace.
At the same event, Carlos Torres Vila, the chairman of BBVA, a multinational Spanish bank, declared that Mexico is in a favorable position to attract high levels of investment — despite the low productivity levels.
“Economic growth has relied mainly on the accumulation of capital and materials, rather than on efficiency, innovation, or technological progress,” the bank added.
In Mexico City on Tuesday, Levy — a former vice president of the Inter-American Development Bank and ex-federal official who led the Mexican Social Security Institute between 2000 and 2005 — described the decline in productivity as “the tragedy of Mexico.”
Low productivity, he argued, is the main reason why the Mexican economy hasn’t expanded more quickly during times of macroeconomic stability supported by free trade agreements — including NAFTA and the USMCA — and the modernization of export sectors. Annual growth in Mexico was below 1% last year and below 2% in 2024, but the economy did expand more than 3% in 2023 and 2022.
Levy asserted that while some companies in Mexico — especially export-oriented ones that benefit from the USMCA — are very productive, many others have low levels of productivity. He said that most of those in the latter category are informal businesses, meaning that they don’t pay taxes and don’t provide benefits to their employees.
Citing his own calculations, Levy said that one peso invested in a formal sector company makes a 39% higher contribution to GDP than a peso invested in an informal business. If all the money invested in informal businesses over the past two decades had been invested in formal companies, productivity levels in Mexico today would be 27% higher, he asserted.
In addition, per capita income would be 17% higher, the economist said.
Levy pointed out that the proportion of formal sector workers has only declined five percentage points in the past two decades, and said that the number of informal businesses has grown in the same period.
According to BBVA, productivity in the United States “is driven by intangibles — software, R&D and highly skilled human capital — while in Mexico only 13.8% of workers have higher education, limiting productivity and perpetuating informality.”
“Overcoming this trap requires greater public and private investment, modern infrastructure, quality education, and a strategy that embraces innovation, digitalization, and artificial intelligence as engines of development,” the bank said.
Levy called for the construction of a national consensus in favor of gradual reforms to labor, tax and social protection policies, arguing that Mexico cannot achieve inclusive growth without tackling the divide between formal and informal workers.
Torres Vila: A time of ‘enormous opportunities’
In his opening address, Torres Vila declared that, “We live in a time of profound transformation” and “uncertainty,” but also a time of “enormous opportunities.”
Torres Vila emphasized that Mexico has the potential to “strengthen its productive base.” (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico, he said, “has the conditions to attract investment, strengthen its productive base, further integrate into global value chains, and boost its growth potential.”
Torres Vila highlighted that more than 80% of Mexican exports enter the U.S. tariff-free, and said that Mexico has highly competitive labor costs. He also said that Mexico’s proximity to and economic integration with the United States, its industrial capacity, its macroeconomic stability and its talent are all significant advantages.
“All of this puts Mexico in a privileged position to harness the opportunities stemming from nearshoring and the restructuring of global value chains,” Torres Vila said.
He acknowledged the federal government’s efforts to attract investment via Plan México, the ambitious economic initiative whose goals include making Mexico the 10th largest economy in the world by 2030. Torres Vila noted that the plan also seeks to strengthen the domestic market, lift wages for workers and support sustainable and inclusive growth.
Among other remarks, the bank executive stressed that Mexico needs investment in infrastructure, innovation and technology in order to realize its potential. He asserted that “BBVA has the scale, technology, talent and commitment to help turn that potential into reality.”
“… We believe in Mexico, in its industrial capacity, in its talent, in its integration with North America, in its companies, in its potential and we want to continue being the bank that accompanies this growth,” Torres Vila said.
Despite authorities' best efforts to get the river that feeds the falls to reach the site, visitors over the holiday weekend saw mostly bare rock where heavy ribbons of water once plummeted. (Facebook)
Cascada de Tamul (Tamul Waterfall), one of the most visited tourist sites in the Huasteca Potosina region of east-central Mexico, has run practically dry amid extreme heat and disputed water use.
The situation has alarmed tour operators, government officials and nearby communities in San Luis Potosí and neighboring states.
In its full glory, as seen here, the Tamul Waterfall is one of the region’s most important tourist attractions, and a source of wonder and awe for all who see it. (Huasteca Potosina/Facebook)
An impressive 105-meter (344-foot) waterfall located atop Santa María Canyon, Cascada de Tamul is one of the state’s top natural attractions and a pillar of the region’s ecotourism industry.
According to reports in the Mexican media, images shared on social media show large sections of exposed rock where visitors are used to seeing several thick ribbons of water pouring over the cliff.
Authorities and business leaders say the crisis worsened in April despite emergency steps implemented on April 5 to halt the extraction of water from the Gallinas River upstream of the falls.
Not long after that temporary halt ended, members of the Gallinas River Basin Committee, led by the National Water Commission (Conagua), agreed to a total suspension of extraction for irrigation. It began on April 27 in an effort to restore the river’s flow before the May 1 Labor Day holiday weekend in Mexico.
Hotelier and committee member Carlos Solares called the decision “unprecedented” and noted that Mexico’s National Water Law “stipulates that no river should be allowed to dry up and that all activities must be suspended.”
However, he also expressed disappointment and confusion about why the cascading waters did not return over the three-day holiday weekend. Rather than reaching the falls location, the river’s flow was absorbed into the rocky riverbed about a kilometer upstream, he said.
“On other occasions, when the agricultural suspension begins, the flow is recovered,” he lamented.
San Luis Potosí Gov. Ricardo Gallardo Cardona said floodgates had been closed in irrigation areas and warned that he would seek sanctions against farmers who may have taken more water than permitted.
“We are going to put pressure on the farmers to let the water flow,” he said.
In addition to the irrigation issues, there has been a heat wave in the Huasteca region, with temperatures climbing above 40 degrees Celsius (about 104 Fahrenheit) on multiple days.
These high temperatures plus a moderate drought in the region are contributing to the river drying up rather than recovering.
Tourism operators say visitor numbers and the destination’s image have suffered, with ripple effects as far as Tamaulipas.
Guadalajara is alive with art, music and dance this month, thanks to the Festival Cultural de Mayo. (Festival Cultural de Mayo)
For those with the stamina to endure Guadalajara’s brutal seasonal heat, there can be rich rewards, starting with a blockbuster lineup for this year’s May Cultural Festival. A new Architecture Walk is also being unveiled in downtown Guadalajara, while trouble is brewing for a beloved animal shelter in Zapopan.
The May Cultural Festival returns with an exciting lineup
This month, Guadalajara offers an incredible array of cultural activities to suit a variety of tastes and budgets, thanks to the 2026 Festival Cultural de Mayo, which brings locals and visitors dozens of events spread out over three weeks that showcase modern dance, classical music, immersive art exhibitions, circuses and more.
360 AllStars bring a high-energy circus-like atmosphere of music, artistry and spectacle to Guadalajara this month. (Matt Loncar/360 AllStars)
Featuring more than 400 artists from Mexico, Canada, Europe, Australia and beyond, performances will be held at 20 different venues around town, with many taking place at the iconic Teatro Degollado. Headlining shows include concerts by the Mariachi Women of Tecalitlán and by the New York-based Grammy-winning Attacca Quartet in the Guadalajara Cathedral, plus a dance performance by the Marie Chouinard Dance Company of Quebec.
Also highly anticipated are the 360 AllStars, who are making their Mexican debut at the festival. This spectacle, created by Australia-based Onyx Productions, is a reimagined, high-energy circus that combines music, artistry and athleticism inspired by urban street culture. The 360 All-Stars have sold out previous runs on Broadway, at the Sydney Opera House and in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Location: Events will take place at various locations around Guadalajara, with most in or near the historic center.
Cost: Some events are free. Paid event prices start at around 150 pesos.
Architectural Walk is inaugurated alongside Parque de la Revolución
Guadalajara’s Alejandro Zohn was a master of brutalism. (Edplp)
In conjunction with the unveiling of major renovations to Parque de la Revolución (popularly known as Parque Rojo) last month, Guadalajara city officials also announced the creation of a new Architecture Walk on Marcos Castellanos Street.
Along the western side of Parque Rojo, Marcos Castellanos spans only three blocks and is bound by Avenida Juárez to the south and José María Morelos to the north. But within this short stretch sit several of the city’s most historically significant architectural landmarks.
At the south end is the handsome Barragán House, built in 1934 by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Luis Barragán Morfín. Although the building has undergone several modifications over the years, it’s notable for a departure from the curved lines and rounded corners that characterized Barragán’s earlier work.
Additional works heading north along this walk include the Molina House, designed by architect Ignacio Díaz Morales, the Rogelio Rubio House, designed by Rafael Urzúa Ariasand the brutalist, multi-use Alejandro Zohn Building.
In launching the Architecture Walk, the city didn’t just rescue these historic gems from the dirt and graffiti that have plagued them in recent years. It also aims to position this area as an open-air museum for visitors, complementing the renewed Parque Rojo, which itself was designed by Luis Barragán and his brother, engineer Juan José Barragán Morfín, back in 1935.
Zapopan city officials disrupt operations at a beloved local animal shelter
The shelter, food and care provided to 240 dogs by Refugio Buenos Chicos is being imperiled by local authorities in Zapopan. (Refugio Buenos Chicos)
After stories began circulating a few weeks ago about a real-life Cruella de Vilin the State of Mexico, it was a cause for alarm to hear that Zapopan’s municipal government has been making life very difficult lately for one of the city’s only reputable dog shelters. Despite having operated amicably in the area for years, Refugio Buenos Chicos (RBC) now faces an uncertain future.
According to Telediario, the Zapopan city council issued an inspection order for the closure of the RBC animal shelter, which would put the homeless dogs living there at imminent risk. The municipal administration initiated this process after receiving an anonymous complaint via social media alleging repeated burning of materials, a charge the shelter’s director, Fabiola Ávila, vehemently denies.
Refugio Buenos Chicos has been operating in the area for at least 15 years and currently provides 240 dogs with shelter, food and veterinary care. According to the shelter’s lawyers, the facility submitted a formal application to the city for an operating license back in January 2026, but the application has yet to receive a response.
Subsequently, local authorities have used the shelter’s lack of legal authorization as a cudgel to threaten it with closure, despite their own culpability for this situation. While there are still no definitive plans to close Refugio Buenos Chicos, city inspectors have moved to restrict access to the facility, preventing veterinarians from attending sick animals there.
Meanwhile, the shelter’s legal team is preparing its response to prevent permanent closure and avoid leaving hundreds of dogs homeless. Their primary objective now is to compel the city to expedite the issuance of an operating license.
MND Writer Dawn Stoner is reporting from Guadalajara.
Our headline finding for April 2026 suggests that the peso was overvalued by just under 3% against the dollar. (Mexico News Daily)
THE MND PESO INDEX™
Tracking the exchange rate people actually experience
MND Intelligence · Inaugural edition
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the MND Peso Index™, the latest addition to the MND Intelligence™ suite of data products from Mexico News Daily. The MND Peso Index™ joins the already-published inaugural editions of the MND Sheinbaum Index™ and the MND Expat Safety Perceptions Index™.
Each month, the MND Peso Index™ measures whether the Mexican peso is overvalued or undervalued against the US dollar by comparing the prices of 20 goods and services in Mexico and Dallas, Texas. Our headline finding for April 2026 suggests that the peso was overvalued by just under 3%against the dollar.
Read on for the full MND Peso Index™ methodology, rationale and findings.
What is the MND Peso Index™?
The MND Peso Index™ is a monthly economic indicator developed by Mexico News Daily that measures whether the Mexican peso is overvalued or undervalued against the US dollar. It does this by comparing the Mexican and U.S. prices of 20 goods and services — from a Big Mac to a Costco membership to a seasonal item that will change every month. The Mexican prices are collected across several cities in Mexico, including Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and León. The U.S. prices are from Dallas, Texas. They are collected online on the same date each month.
We chose Dallas as our U.S. benchmark because cities on the coasts — such as New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco — tend to have significantly higher prices than the rest of the country. Dallas, by contrast, offers a more representative snapshot of everyday pricing in the United States.
Think of the MND Peso Index™ as a real-world purchasing power check: are the same products accurately priced on both sides of the border?
Why did we develop the MND Peso Index™?
The Mexican peso is one of the world’s most traded currencies, yet its exchange rate against the US dollar does not always move in line with what economic theory would predict. Interest rates, inflation differentials and other standard indicators sometimes point in one direction — while the peso moves in another.
The MND Peso Index™ takes a different approach. Rather than relying on financial market signals, it looks at what real people actually pay for real products in Mexico and the United States — and asks a simple question: does the current USD:MXN exchange rate make sense?
The answer gives readers a ground-level sense of where the exchange rate “should be,” based on actual purchasing power rather than traditional currency-movement indicators.
That said, the USD:MXN exchange rate is influenced by a wide range of factors — capital flows, political risk, U.S. Federal Reserve policy, oil prices and investor sentiment, among others. An MND Peso Index™ result showing that the Mexican peso is 10% overvalued or undervalued, for example, does not mean the peso is necessarily set to appreciate or depreciate.
What it does tell us is whether a basket of everyday goods and services costs more or less in Mexico in dollar terms than in Dallas — and that is a meaningful data point worth tracking every month.
How does the MND Peso Index™ work?
For each of the 20 items, the Mexico price in pesos is divided by the Dallas price in dollars. The result is called an implied exchange rate — the rate at which that particular item would cost exactly the same in both cities.
For example, if a product costs 180 pesos in Mexico and US $10 in Dallas, its implied exchange rate is 18.00. That means at 18 pesos to the dollar, the price is identical in both cities.
Each of the 20 items produces its own implied rate. The simple average of all 20 is called the MND Peso Rate. The MND Peso Rate in April was 17.85. That figure is then compared to the official Bank of Mexico (Banxico) exchange rate on the date prices were collected.
If the MND Peso Rate is higher than the Banxico rate, prices in Mexico are higher on average, relative to Dallas, than the official exchange rate would suggest — meaning the peso is overvalued. If the MND Peso Rate is lower than the Banxico rate, prices in Mexico City are lower on average relative to Dallas — meaning the peso is undervalued.
What did the MND Peso Index™ tell us in April?
In April 2026, the MND Peso Index™ implies that the current exchange rate slightly overvalues the Mexican peso.
The Mexican and Dallas prices were collected on April 23, 2026. The mean implied exchange rate across all 20 items — the MND Peso Rate — came in at 17.85 pesos per dollar, compared to the Banxico spot rate of 17.36 on the same date.
The gap between those two figures indicates that the peso was modestly overvalued on April 23.
What’s cheaper and more expensive in Mexico?
Of the 20 items in the April basket, 10 were cheaper in Mexico than in Dallas and 10 were more expensive — an equal split. While the basket split evenly, the items that were more expensive in Mexico were pricier by a wide enough margin to push the index to a 2.83% overvaluation of the peso.
The full breakdown is in the table below.
(Mexico News Daily)
The most affordable items in Mexico relative to Dallas were in services and memberships. The cinema ticket was the cheapest item (-63.9%) relative to Dallas, followed by the Costco Gold Star membership (-46.8%) and internet service (-44.2%) — reflecting Mexico’s comparatively low cost of domestic services. Petco grooming (-40.4%) and Spotify Premium (-38.4%) also came in significantly cheaper in Mexico.
On the other side, branded consumer goods carried the steepest premiums. Castrol motor oil (+99.1%), Kirkland diapers (+76.4%), and the Flexon garden hose (+53.9%) — the seasonal item for April — were the three most expensive items in Mexico relative to Dallas. Listerine mouthwash (+36.8%) and Kirkland dog food (+30.0%) also stood out as notably pricier.
The full basket cost 7,363.83 pesos (US $424.18) in Mexico compared to $449.30 in Dallas — about 5.6% cheaper overall in Mexico. However, this headline figure can be misleading as simple totals are heavily influenced by a handful of high-priced items, which can skew the comparison.
The MND Peso Index™ avoids this distortion by giving each item equal weight. Rather than asking “how much does everything cost in total?”, it asks “at what exchange rate would each item cost the same?” — and then averages those answers. That is why the index shows a 2.83% peso overvaluation even though the raw basket is cheaper in Mexico.
The MND Peso Index™ is not a cost-of-living index: it is a currency valuation tool, designed to measure where the peso should be, not what it costs to live in Mexico.
(Mexico News Daily)
* Price sources: Mexico prices were collected from the websites and apps of Walmart México, Costco México, AutoZone México, Telmex, Cinépolis, Petco México, and the Mexican outlets of McDonald’s, Starbucks, Netflix, Spotify and Microsoft. Dallas prices were collected from their U.S. equivalents. The Banxico Fix rate of 17.36 published on April 23, 2026 was used as the official exchange rate reference.
Mexico Infrastructure Partners has an extensive portfolio of highway investments in Mexico, including the Mayab Highway connecting Mérida and Playa del Carmen. (MIP)
Mexican investment management company Mexico Infrastructure Partners (MIP Real Assets) is seeking to invest more than US $12 billion in various projects in Mexico, including renewable energy and highway projects.
Bloomberg reported that MIP Real Assets is “working to raise money, including about $6 billion in equity and $6 billion in debt, for its five-year pipeline of projects.”
It said that the company is “lining up investments from major institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds and Mexico’s pension funds.”
MIP Real Assets confirmed on LinkedIn that it is planning to invest more than $12 billion in renewable energy, highways, digital infrastructure and midstream (oil and gas) projects.
“At MIP Real Assets, we are deeply committed to Mexico’s long-term development through high-quality investments in energy and infrastructure,” the company said.
Bloomberg reported that around $8 billion of the firm’s planned investment would go to renewable energy projects. It said that some $2.5 billion would go to highway projects, $1 billion to midstream opportunities and $500 million to digital infrastructure.
Bloomberg described the planned investment as “one of the most ambitious private-sector programs yet” in Mexico as “President Claudia Sheinbaum pushes for more development.”
The government is eager to attract investment across a range of sectors, including energy, but rules that favor state-owned companies such as Pemex and the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) discourage rather than encourage private and foreign participation.
MIP: ‘We have the projects, we have the partners and we have the capital’
On its website, Mexico Infrastructure Partners describes itself as a “leading independent energy and infrastructure investment manager in Latin America,” and says it owns and operates “$6.6B+ in equity AUM [assets under management] across 37 assets in power, transport, digital, logistics, water and social platforms.”
Regarding MIP’s plans for the next five years, Guillermo Fonseca, a partner at the firm, said in a statement on Tuesday that, “We have the projects, we have the partners and we have the capital.”
Bloomberg noted that the company “has already committed more than $1 billion to a deal to acquire a highway from conglomerate Grupo México and the purchase of a stake in two wind farms from Spain’s Acciona Energia and a U.S. portfolio.”
MIP also operates in Colombia (seen here is the Simón Bolívar International Airport) and Peru. (MIP)
“Renewable energy projects will include new wind and solar installations as well as the purchase of operating assets from developers,” Bloomberg wrote.
“Highway investments will add around 500 kilometers (310 miles) of new construction and 200 kilometers of acquisitions in the Bajío region and the Mexico City-León corridor,” it added.
Bloomberg cited MIP — a Mexico City-based firm — as saying that “more announcements will be made in the coming months.”
There's definitely room here for a few more pharmacies, if you really squint. (This image generated by AI)
All stories in El Jalapeño are satire and not real news.
LOS CABOS — “Ya abrimos” reads the sign over the entrance to Farmacia Alberto, which recently opened on a downtown block of Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas in Cabo San Lucas.
It’s the 10,000th pharmacy to open in Los Cabos — all but one in the last 25 years — and the 7,843rd in Cabo San Lucas, a fact being celebrated by locals as a sign of a strong business economy.
This one, of course, is different from the other 9,999 pharmacies in town. (Farmacias de Mexico)
But Alberto “Beto” González González, the owner of the new Farmacia Alberto, isn’t worried in the slightest, even though there are six competing pharmacies on his block alone.
“We have all the things tourists need, like Viagra and Cialis and condoms and sunscreen,” he said, “and none of the things they don’t: like actual medications for common ailments or illnesses.”
He seemed disappointed when assembled reporters didn’t want to buy anything, but was sanguine about his immediate prospects, given the three cruise ships scheduled to arrive later that day.
An unnamed city official, when asked whether this uniformity of options was perhaps becoming a bit ridiculous, simply smiled and shrugged before asking if residents would rather have more knockoff jewelry stores and “amigo massage” parlors.
The latter, named for the “Hey amigo, want a massage?” pitch given by mostly female employees, is currently the second most popular business establishment in Los Cabos, with 3,652 of them at last count. Grocery stores, of which there was also only one 25 years ago, now rank third at 896.
El Jalapeño is a satirical news outlet. Nothing in this article should be treated as real news or legitimate information. Check out our Jalapeño archive here!
President Sheinbaum and Díaz Ayuso do not have plans to meet while the Spanish mayor visits Mexico. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds
🇪🇸 Madrid mayor’s Mexico visit: Sheinbaum criticized opposition politicians for meeting with Isabel Díaz Ayuso, calling her a “far-right” representative and accusing the opposition of sharing her views, including opposition to welfare programs and a favorable stance toward the Spanish Conquest.
🏛️ Rocha’s leave was his own call: Sheinbaum denied having asked Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha Moya to step aside, saying the governor — who is accused of colluding with the Sinaloa Cartel — chose to take leave voluntarily to avoid affecting Sinaloa and the 4T movement. She confirmed she will meet with interim Governor Yeraldine Bonilla Valverde, but no date has been set.
⚖️ Rocha case: Mexico demands proof: The Foreign Affairs Ministry sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday requesting hard evidence to support drug trafficking allegations against Rocha and nine other officials. Sheinbaum maintains that the published U.S. indictment lacks sufficient proof for arrest or extradition.
Why today’s mañanera matters
At her Wednesday morning press conference, President Sheinbaum commented on two of the most topical issues in Mexico: the visit of the Mayor of Madrid and the drug trafficking accusations against Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya, who is currently on leave.
Sheinbaum seized on the opportunity to criticize Mexican opposition politicians for meeting with Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who represents and leads the conservative People’s Party of the Community of Madrid. She also emphasized the ideological differences between the political movement she leads — the “fourth transformation” or 4T — and the Mexican opposition.
With regard to the case against Rocha — a political ally of the president — Sheinbaum reiterated her view that the U.S. allegations are not supported by hard proof in the superseding indictment published online last week. She continues to steadfastly defend the 4T movement, which includes the ruling Morena party, and Mexican sovereignty, declaring that it is up to Mexican authorities to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to arrest Rocha and nine other Mexicans accused in the same indictment.
Sheinbaum comments on Madrid mayor’s visit to Mexico
After asking reporters what the first name of the mayor of Madrid is, Sheinbaum declared that Díaz Ayuso — who is currently visiting Mexico — is “one of the representatives of the far-right in Spain.”
“[She has said] ‘How are they going to give money to the people?” Sheinbaum said.
“What other statements has she made? ‘We have to acknowledge Hernán Cortés. How is it possible that Hernán Cortés isn’t recognized — these Indians needed to be civilized,'” she said, purporting to paraphrase Díaz Ayuso.
Sheinbaum said that the Madrid mayor “has the right to come to Mexico,” but added: “That doesn’t mean there is no debate about what she says.”
“We don’t close the door to anyone. She has the right to be here, but it’s important to know what she says, who she meets with and who brought her [to Mexico],” she said.
“… [Mexican] mayors and governors from the opposition are showing off photos with her. What does that mean? That they think like her,” Sheinbaum said, referring to political leaders such as Governor Teré Jimenez of Aguascalientes and Alessandra Rojo de la Vega, mayor of the Mexico City borough of Cuauhtémoc.
“In other words, [they support] the recognition of Hernán Cortés, [they think] that there shouldn’t be welfare programs, that the poor are poor because they don’t work,” she said.
“That’s the view [they have], the view of conservatism here,” Sheinbaum said.
The president asserted that Mexican opposition politicians brought Díaz Ayuso to Mexico as their “guest” in order “to promote what she thinks.”
“And they think that this is the best thing for Mexico. It’s a national project [they’re proposing] — that there aren’t welfare programs, that we recognize Hernán Cortés, among other things,” Sheinbaum said.
“… There is another national project that at least 70% of Mexicans support,” the president said, referring to the “fourth transformation” (4T) political project she leads.
Sheinbaum: Rocha made his own decision to take leave as governor
“We haven’t agreed on a time, but of course we have to continue helping the people of Sinaloa and the interim governor that the [state] Congress appointed,” she said.
Sheinbaum rejected the suggestion that she asked Rocha to step down, stressing that the governor made his own decision to take leave.
She acknowledged Rocha’s stated rationale for his decision.
“He said, ‘I’m requesting leave while the investigation continues because I don’t want to affect the people of Sinaloa or the [4T] movement to which I belong,” Sheinbaum said.
“It’s a decision he took,” she said before noting that the mayor of Culiacán — who U.S. prosecutors also accuse of drug trafficking — also took leave.
“… It’s a matter for them, it’s not a matter for the president,” Sheinbaum said.
SRE sends diplomatic note to US seeking ‘proof’ in Rocha case
Sheinbaum reiterated that Mexican authorities have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to provide “proof” that Rocha and nine other Sinaloa-based current and former officials engaged in drug trafficking in collusion with the Sinaloa Cartel. The president last week endorsed the view of the Federal Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) that there is a lack of hard proof to detain Rocha and the other suspects for the purpose of extradition to the U.S.
On Wednesday morning, she said that view is “perfectly rational.”
“Give us proof because there is no proof,” remarked Sheinabaum, who has said that without proof Mexican authorities cannot arrest or extradite the 10 suspects.
She said that the SRE on Tuesday sent a diplomatic note to the United States to request that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York provide proof to Mexico to support the accusations against Rocha and the other nine defendants.
“What proof do they have? Because what they published is a document of what someone said, with a page … with a handwritten note that says Juanito — 30,000 pesos,” Sheinbaum said, referring to the U.S. indictment.
“That’s how it is,” she said.
“This is public. So what do we say as a government — proof,” Sheinbaum said.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
Under the new guidelines, authorities have a maximum of 30 days to approve or deny strategic projects exceeding 2 billion pesos (US $117 million) within the electronic, pharmaceutical, aerospace, energy or technology industries. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
The federal government announced on Monday a package of measures within the Plan Mexico framework to unlock and accelerate investments, especially large and strategic ones, by shortening authorization times, creating one-stop shops and offering greater regulatory certainty.
In an event at the National Museum of Anthropology that saw the attendance of presidential cabinet members and various business leaders, President Claudia Sheinbaum presented the measures as a direct response to requests from the sector for fewer procedures that stall investment.
“We are accelerating processes, simplifying mechanisms and strengthening legal certainty, because we know that economic development requires clear rules, mutual trust and shared responsibility,” Sheinbaum said.
Meanwhile, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard noted that these guidelines consist of “immediate actions for investment” and involve the participation of the entire cabinet and the state governments.
Under the new guidelines, authorities have a maximum of 30 days to approve or deny strategic projects exceeding 2 billion pesos (US $117 million) within the electronic, pharmaceutical, aerospace, energy or technology industries. For other industries, authorities have a 90-day deadline to respond to proposals.
The initiative also establishes a Presidential Investment Office, tasked with monitoring projects and coordinating the relevant government agencies, and the creation of a one-stop shop for foreign trade, integrating 132 procedures into one. This platform connects the tax and customs authorities, allowing companies to track their transactions through a single system.
Finally, the initiative introduces a single foreign trade file that allows companies to track the submission of required documents and receive permits and notifications without having to make duplicate filings.
In her intervention, head of the Regional Economic Development and Relocation Advisory Council Altagracia Gómez Sierra said that, along with the government’s initiative, the business sector has undertaken three commitments: to generate new jobs; to comply with the law, particularly environmental and social laws; and to start investment projects immediately.
The new rules will enter into force once the corresponding decrees are published in the Official Federation Gazette (DOF), which authorities expect to publish as early as this month.
The train, inaugurated on April 26, connects Mexico City’s Buenavista station with the AIFA, located around 40 kilometers north of the city.
(Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
The brand new train service from downtown Mexico City to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) has quickly become a hit with passengers, having transported 206,515 passengers in its first week of operations, Mexico’s Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation Ministry (SICT) reported on Monday.
The train, inaugurated on April 26, connects Mexico City’s Buenavista station with AIFA, located around 40 kilometers north of the city.
With AIFA 40 km out of town, the need for the rail service was clear. But the apparent popularity indicated by the early passenger figures was welcome news. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
The route includes six new stations — Cueyamil, La Loma, Teyahualco, Prados Sur, Cajiga and Xaltocan, plus the Clara Krause Terminal at AIFA. The Clara Krause Terminal station has six escalators and three longer platforms with capacity for nine trains, according to the SICT’s statement.
The stations are equipped with 294 surveillance cameras and 448 speakers to protect and maintain communication with passengers, the SICT said.
The line operates with 10 trains, each 100 meters long, serving 719 passengers. While initially the route will operate with only four of its 10 trains, running every half hour, the frequency will eventually increase to every 12 minutes, with a maximum capacity to transport 80,000 passengers daily. The journey time from Buenavista to AIFA is around 50 minutes, with speeds of between 65 km per hour and 130 km per hour.
Based on its initial passenger numbers, the train is currently operating at near-maximum capacity. During peak demand, it may be possible to couple two trains together to transport 1,400 passengers in a single trip, according to the statement.
For the first month of operation, a fare of 45 pesos (US $2.60) has been set, which could increase as soon as next month.
The SICT emphasized that the trains operate with the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), which is designed to allow for centralized and standardized speed, controlled distance between trains, track switches and route deviations, all of which enhance operational safety and make estimated travel times more accurate.
The train link forms part of the Morena government’s strategy to recover Mexico’s passenger rail services, which started during the López Obrador administration (2018-2024) and has accelerated with the current Sheinbaum government.
