Saturday, July 19, 2025

President-elect Sheinbaum names expanded cabinet appointments

By
MND Staff
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Leticia Ramírez and Arturo Zaldívar walk behind President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum
President-elect Sheinbaum leads Leticia Ramírez and Arturo Zaldívar on stage to announce their new government appointments. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)

President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum announced Thursday that former Supreme Court chief justice Arturo Zaldívar and current Education Minister Leticia Ramírez will be part of her expanded cabinet after she takes office on Oct. 1.

Sheinbaum appointed Zaldívar as general coordinator of policy and government and Ramírez as general coordinator of inter-governmental affairs and social participation.

Zaldívar, who resigned from the Supreme Court last November to join Sheinbaum’s campaign team, will “monitor” the progress of the constitutional reform proposals, “especially the reform to the judicial power,” the president-elect said during a press conference at her Mexico City “transition house.”

“… Remember there are 18 constitutional reforms,” she said, referring to the proposals submitted to Congress by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in February.

“And [there will be] other reforms that we will present in due course. Providing thorough follow-up will be essential,” said Sheinbaum, who won the June 2 presidential election in a landslide.

She highlighted that Zaldívar is a constitutional lawyer and has a doctorate in law from the National Autonomous University. “He has a very extensive résumé,” Sheinbaum said.

President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Thursday that Leticia Ramírez, Arturo Zaldívar and Carlos Augusto Morales López pose with Claudia Sheinbaum
President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Thursday that Leticia Ramírez, Arturo Zaldívar and Carlos Augusto Morales López would make up part of her administration’s expanded cabinet. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)

She said that Ramírez will focus on a range of tasks including liaison with citizens and monitoring the progress of “strategic projects” in collaboration with Lázaro Cárdenas Batel, who will be Sheinbaum’s chief of staff.

Sheinbaum declared that she was “extremely happy” that Ramírez had accepted her offer to join her team. Prior to becoming education minister in August 2022, Ramírez was director of citizen attention in the office of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Both she and Zaldívar will work from Presidencia, as the president’s office is known, in their new roles.

Sheinbaum also announced Thursday that Carlos Augusto Morales López will be her personal secretary. He previously served as Sheinbaum’s personal secretary when she was mayor of Mexico City between 2018 and 2023.

Zaldívar pledges to work with ‘tenacity and loyalty to Mexico’

Zaldívar, chief justice between 2019 and 2022, said he will work closely with Cárdenas, incoming interior minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez and Ernestina Godoy, who will be Sheinbaum’s chief legal advisor.

“I will work with tenacity, with loyalty to Mexico and the president and I’m sure we will be able to provide results that are tangible in the lives of Mexicans,” he said.

Arturo Zaldívar, recently named as part of Claudia Sheinbaum's expanded cabinet, poses with the then-candidate.
Former Supreme Court Justice Arturo Zaldívar resign from the court to join Sheinbaum campaign in 2023. (Claudia Sheinbaum/Cuartoscuro)

“Have no doubt president that I will put all my efforts … into serving you and serving in your project,” Zaldívar said. A close ally of López Obrador, he regularly favored the current government on rulings as a Supreme Court justice.

In his new role, he will be aiming to help guide one of López Obrador’s most controversial proposals through Congress.

The judicial reform proposal — which seeks to allow citizens to directly elect Supreme Court justices and other judges, among other objectives — will be considered by recently-elected lawmakers after they assume their positions on Sept. 1.

A coalition led by the ruling Morena party will have a supermajority in the lower house of Congress, allowing it to approve constitutional reform proposals without the need to court opposition support, but it will need a few additional votes to get such proposals through the Senate.

Sheinbaum has pledged there will be “broad consultation” on the judicial reform proposal before it is considered by the new Congress.

Ramírez: ‘Well-being’ of the Mexican people comes first

Ramírez said that joining the team of Mexico’s first female president is a “great commitment.” However, she added that she would assume her position “with happiness and the conviction to always put the well-being of the people first.”

Sheinbaum has committed to maintaining and expanding the current government’s welfare and social programs, and says that “shared prosperity” will be a “central axis” of her government.

Ramírez said that over a period of almost 30 years, López Obrador taught her that “when you work for the good of the people, no task is impossible.”

Leticia Ramírez, another newly named member of Sheinbaum's expanded cabinet, poses with President López Obrador.
Leticia Ramírez, seen here with President López Obrador, is the current minister of education. (Andrés Manuel López Obrador/Twitter)

Sheinbaum’s cabinet appointees so far

Sheinbaum has appointed 10 women and 10 men to her “legal” or core cabinet. The only ministerial appointments she has not yet made are military ones, namely the minister of national defense and minister of the navy.

The appointees to date are:

Sheinbaum’s expanded cabinet 

The expanded cabinet traditionally includes all members of the legal cabinet as well as the heads of various government agencies and state-owned companies. In the Sheinbaum administration, Zaldívar and Ramírez will also join the expanded cabinet, known in Spanish as the gabinete ampliado.

Sheinbaum announced last week that the director of the Mexican Social Security Institute, Zoé Robledo, will remain in his position after she is sworn in on Oct. 1.

She has not yet announced who will head up other key government entities, including the Federal Electricity Commission, the state oil company Pemex and the National Water Commission.

With reports from Reforma, Milenio and Excélsior 

Preliminary data shows homicides in 2023 at the lowest level Mexico has seen in years

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

Homicides in Mexico declined last year to the lowest level since 2016, according to preliminary 2023 data published by the national statistics agency INEGI.

There were 31,062 homicides in 2023, INEGI said Thursday, a 6.7% decline compared to the 33,287 recorded in 2022.

The 2022 tally was revised upward from a preliminary count of 32,223. Comparing the preliminary data for 2022 and 2023, the decline in murders last year was a more modest 3.6%.

INEGI data shows that homicide numbers fell for a third consecutive year in 2023 after reaching an all-time high of 36,773 in 2020.

Federal officials including President Andrés Manuel López Obrador frequently highlight that murders have trended down in recent years. They often blame the still high homicide numbers on the security situation they inherited from previous governments.

The current six-year term of government will go down as the most violent in history, with almost 194,000 homicides to date.

Soldiers and forensic services at the scene of a June 2024 double homicide in Cancún, Mexico.
Soldiers and forensic services arrive at the scene of a shooting in Cancún. (Elizabeth Ruíz/Cuartoscuro)

Homicide numbers in Mexico increased sharply after former president Felipe Calderón launched a militarized “war” on drug cartels shortly after he took office in 2006.

The government today continues to use the military for public security tasks, but López Obrador says he is committed to avoiding the use of force against criminals wherever possible.

His administration has poured resources into a so-called “hugs, not bullets” security strategy, in which the root causes of violence are ostensibly combated through employment and welfare programs.

Which states recorded the highest number of homicides in 2023?

Guanajuato ranked as the most violent state in 2023 in terms of total homicides with 3,746, according to INEGI’s preliminary data.

That number — while still very high — declined 13.5% compared to the 4,329 murders recorded in the state in 2022, according to final data. Compared to preliminary data for 2022, homicides fell 12% in Guanajuato last year.

Confrontations between organized crime groups, including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, are the main cause of violence in the Bajío region state. The majority of murders occur in a relatively small number of notoriously violent municipalities, including Salvatierra, Celaya and Salamanca.

Funeral of Terea Mayegual, a madre buscadora killed in 2023 in Guanajuato, Mexico.
Guests stand at the funeral of Teresa Mayegual, an activist for missing people who was shot while riding her bicycle in Celaya, Guanajuato. (Diego Costa Costa/Cuartoscuro)

INEGI data shows that Guanajuato has recorded the highest number of homicides among Mexico’s 32 federal entities every year since 2018. Murders peaked in 2020 at 5,370.

In 2023, a total of 12 states recorded more than 1,000 homicides, preliminary data shows.

They were:

  1. Guanajuato: 4,329 homicides
  2. México state: 2,849
  3. Baja California: 2,642
  4. Chihuahua: 2,396
  5. Michoacán: 1,865
  6. Guerrero: 1,720
  7. Jalisco: 1,550
  8. Morelos: 1,527
  9. Sonora: 1,453
  10. Nuevo León: 1,355
  11. Zacatecas: 1,073
  12. Puebla: 1,001

Mexico City ranked as the 18th most violent entity in 2023 with 658 homicides.

Colima again ranks first for per capita homicides 

With 883 murders last year, the small Pacific coast state of Colima ranked 13th for total homicides, but first when those killings were considered on a per capita basis.

There were 117 homicides per 100,000 residents in Colima last year, a 1.7% increase compared to the 115 in 2022, according to final data.

The state’s per capita homicide rate in 2023 was almost five times higher than the national rate of 24 murders per 100,000 people.

Shipping containers sitting in a port deck in Colima, the Mexican state with the highest per capita homicide rate.
Manzanilla port in Colima is a point of entry for Chinese chemicals that cartels use to make fentanyl, leading criminal groups to vie for control of the area. (File photo)

Mexico’s largest seaport, the Manzanillo port, is located in Colima. Criminal control of the port — a major entry point for fentanyl precursor chemicals from China — is highly coveted by crime groups, as are trafficking routes that run north and northeast from the Pacific coast state.

INEGI data shows that Colima — which had a population of just over 753,000 in 2023 — has been Mexico’s most violent state since 2016, based on per capita homicides.

Including Colima, six states recorded more than 50 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2023. They were:

  1. Colima: 117
  2. Morelos: 77
  3. Baja California: 69
  4. Zacatecas: 65
  5. Chihuahua: 62
  6. Guanajuato: 59

Which states were the least violent in 2023?

Baja California Sur — home to popular tourism destinations such as Los Cabos and La Paz — recorded the lowest number of homicides last year with just 47, according to INEGI’s preliminary data.

An aerial view of Los Cabos in Mexico
Baja California Sur, a major tourist destination and Mexico’s second-smallest state by population, had the fewest homicides in 2023. (Sectur/Twitter)

Compared to final data for 2017 — the last full year of Enrique Peña Nieto’s presidency — murders declined 93.7% in the state last year.

Including Baja California Sur, eight states recorded fewer than 200 homicides last year. They were:

  1. Baja California Sur: 47
  2. Yucatán: 52
  3. Durango: 89
  4. Aguascalientes: 114
  5. Campeche: 115
  6. Coahuila: 129
  7. Nayarit: 144
  8. Tlaxcala: 135

On a per capita basis, Yucatán was the least violent state with just 2 homicides per 100,000 residents last year.

Nine states had per capita murder rates below 10 per 100,000 people. They were:

  1. Yucatán: 2
  2. Coahuila: 4
  3. Baja California Sur: 5
  4. Durango: 5
  5. Mexico City: 7
  6. Aguascalientes: 8
  7. Veracruz: 8
  8. Querétaro: 9
  9. Tlaxcala:9

Almost 9 in 10 homicide victims in 2023 were men 

INEGI’s preliminary data shows that 27,221 of the 31,062 homicide victims were men, while 3,578 were women.

In percentage terms, 87.6% of the victims were men, while 11.5% were women. The sex  of 263 victims, or 0.9% of the total, was not specified.

Soldiers and forensic services at the scene of a June 2024 double homicide in Cancún, Mexico.
Soldiers and forensic services arrive at the scene of a June 2024 shooting in Cancún. (Elizabeth Ruíz/Cuartoscuro)

Most murders were committed with firearms  

INEGI’s data shows that 21,739 of the 31,062 homicides last year were perpetrated with firearms. In other words, seven in 10 homicides were committed with guns. That figure increased slightly compared to 2022.

Most firearms used to commit high-impact crimes in Mexico are smuggled into the country from the United States. There is only one store in the entire country where guns can be purchased legally — an army-run establishment in the Mexico City metropolitan area.

Just over 11% of homicides last year were the result of “aggression by unspecified means,” INEGI said, while about 9.5% of murders were committed with “sharp objects” such as knives.

Accounting for 7% of all murders last year, the fourth most common way in which homicides were committed in Mexico in 2023 was via “hanging, strangulation and suffocation,” INEGI said.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])

What’s next for Mexican athletes at the Paris Olympics?

By
MND Staff
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Mexican race walker Alegna González competes in the Paris Olympics
Alegna González was Mexico's top performer on Thursday, when a fifth place finish in the women’s 20 kilometer race walk almost got her onto the podium. (Conade/X)

Hoping to add to the two medals won earlier this week, Mexican athletes competed in archery, swimming, golf and several other events on Thursday, the sixth day of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

As Thursday’s competitions wound down, Mexico stood 34th in the 2024 Medal Table with one silver and one bronze. Prisca Awiti surprised the sporting world by winning the silver medal in the women’s 63 kilogram judo competition on Tuesday, and the women’s archery team claimed a bronze medal on Sunday.

Mexico's women's archery team at the Paris Olympics
The women’s archery team brought home Mexico’s first 2024 metal on Sunday. (Conade/X)

Results from day 6 of the Paris Olympics

The first Mexican athletes to perform on Thursday were Noel Chama, José Luis Doctor and Ricardo Ortiz who competed in the men’s 20 kilometer race walk. Chama finished 13th, while Ortiz was 14th. Unfortunately, Doctor was disqualified.

Next came Alegna González, Alejandra Ortega and Ilse Guerrero who represented Mexico in the women’s 20 kilometer race walk. González came close to earning a medal, finishing fifth with a time of 1:27:14, while Ortega completed the course in 24th place and Guerrero finished 38th.

Female boxer Fátima Herrera and sailor Elena Oetling suffered inglorious eliminations. Herrera lost by unanimous decision in her first-round match while Oetling finished 27th in the first heat of the women’s dinghy race.

A group of race walkers, including Mexican athlete Noel Chama, at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Mexican race walker Noel Chama, center left, finished 13th in his sport’s 20 kilometer event. (Conade/X)

Over at the Olympic swimming pool, Gabriel Castaño finished his preliminary heat in the men’s 50 meter freestyle event in fifth place, earning a spot in the 16-man semifinals with the 11th best time of the morning. However, Castaño did not qualify for the finals, finishing eighth in his semifinal heat.

In the individual archery competition, Carlos Rojas came up short in the first round of the men’s competition, while bronze medalists Ángela Ruiz and Ana Paula Vázquez were also knocked out in the first round.

Which Mexican athletes advanced?

Archery results were better for Matías Grande and Alejandra Valencia. Grande routed his Mongolian rival 7-1 in the first round, then defeated Colombian Jorge Enríquez 6-2 to advance to the round of 16. Valencia, a four-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medalist, defeated both of her opponents on Thursday to advance to the round of 16.

Mexican Olympic archer Alejandra Valencia draws her bow.
Four-time Olympian Alejandra Valencia advanced to the round of 16 in women’s individual archery. (Conade/X)

Grande will resume his medal chase on Sunday while Valencia will face China’s Li Jiaman on Saturday.

In the equestrian team jumping event, Mexicans Carlos Hank, Federico Fernández and Eugenio Garza advanced to Friday’s final round after classifying in 10th place.

At the Golf National course in Paris, Mexican athletes Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz were among the 50 men competing for Olympic gold. Ortiz posted a score of 3-under par and is in sixth place, while Ancer finished his first round in 29th place at 1-under par with three more rounds to play.

What’s next for Mexico’s Olympians?

Several Mexicans will see their first action on Friday as track and field gets under way in earnest.

Diego Real will be competing in the men’s hammer throw and Uziel Muñoz will compete in the men’s shot put.

Olympic athlete Uziel Muñoz of Mexico launches a shot put ball.
Uziel Muñoz will compete in shot put on Friday. (Gobierno de México)

On the track, Laura Galván and Alma Delie Cortés will line up for the women’s 5000 meter race, while Jesús Tonatiú López competes in the men’s 800 meter race. In addition, Cecilia Tamayo will be in the starting blocks for a women’s 100 meter preliminary race.

At the Olympic diving pool, Osmar Olvera and Juan Celaya will be chasing medals in the men’s 3 meter springboard competition.

Elsewhere, Alejandra Zavala will participate in the women’s 25 meter pistol competition as well as the women’s 10m air pistol competition.

Also Saturday, Alejandra Valencia and Matías Grande will be participating in the mixed team archery competition. Valencia won a bronze in this competition at the Tokyo Games with Luis Álvarez as her partner.

On Saturday, gymnast Alexa Moreno will compete in the women’s Individual vault event.

Sunday will see two Mexicans in action.

In men’s boxing, Marco Verde faces India’s Nishant Dev in a quarterfinal bout in the 71 kilogram category, while Marcela Prieto will be competing in the women’s road race.

With reports from El Economista, El Universal, TV Azteca, Medio Tiempo and ESPN

Finance minister says reducing Chinese imports would boost North American economies

By
MND Staff
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Lázaro Cárdenas port in Michoacán
Amid increasing competition between the U.S. and China, Mexico must take maximize the advantages of its location in North America, Ebrard said. (ANAM)

Replacing just one-tenth of Chinese imports with products made in North America would significantly boost economic growth in Mexico and the United States, Finance Minister Rogelio Ramírez de la O said Wednesday.

Ramírez, who will continue as finance minister after President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum takes office on Oct. 1, also said that more than half a million new jobs would be created in Mexico if North America replaced 10% of Chinese imports with local production.

Rogelio Ramírez de la O
Finance Minister Rogelio Ramírez de la O spoke at President López Obrador’s Wednesday morning press conference. (Cuartoscuro)

He told President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s morning press conference that GDP growth in Mexico would increase by 1.4 percentage points over current or recent levels if North American production ramped up to a point where 10% of Chinese imports were able to be replaced.

Economic growth in the United States and Canada would increase by 0.8 percentage points and 0.2 percentage points, respectively, Ramírez said.

There would be “very significant impacts for the three countries,” he said, noting that both the manufacture of additional products in North America and their sale to local consumers would spur growth.

The finance minister also said that increased local production would create 560,000 jobs in Mexico, 600,000 in the United States and 150,000 in Canada.

The GDP growth and job creation figures he cited presumably came from government modeling. Ramírez didn’t say how soon he believed North American production could replace 10% of Chinese imports.

In which sectors will Mexico seek to boost production? 

López Obrador told reporters that the federal government “already has a list of what we import the most from China and what can be produced in Mexico and North America.”

Ramírez said that “the products we’ve looked at are all in the manufacturing chain.”

Among them, he said, are medical devices, pharmaceutical products, electronics, metal products, auto parts and electrical and non-electrical machinery.

Medical device manufacturing plant
Medical device manufacturing is one area Mexico is looking to boost domestic production. (Shutterstock)

López Obrador said that the government’s plan to increase production in Mexico and North America had been presented to United States authorities. He claimed that the U.S. government “pirated” the plan and “began to call it … nearshoring.”

“But that [plan] emerged here, from our country,” he said.

Paradoxically, the establishment in Mexico of manufacturing plants operated by Chinese companies could help Mexico, and North America, reduce its reliance on Chinese imports.

Chinese companies already operate in various sectors in Mexico, and many others, including Lingong Machinery Group and electric vehicle manufacturer BYD, have announced plans to open plants here.

AMLO highlights importance of North American self-sufficiency 

Before Ramírez outlined the benefits that increased production capacity would generate for the Mexican economy, López Obrador declared that during his six-year term in office, the United States government and the U.S. business sector came to understand “the importance of being self-sufficient in North America” and “not depending on other continents, other regions of the world.”

“[We need to] produce in North America what we consume, … strengthen America as a continent, starting with what has already begun — the consolidation of North American economic integration. That is going very well,” he said.

President López Obrador with President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
AMLO, seen here with his U.S. and Canadian counterparts in 2023, says that North American economic integration is “going very well.” (Cuartoscuro)

The fact that Mexico has become the United States top trade partner — and the largest exporter to the U.S. after dethroning China in 2023 — shows just how much the country has advanced, López Obrador said.

“However — and this is what Rogelio is setting out — we’re still depending a lot on imports from China, that can be reduced. We’re not talking about eliminating them completely because that wouldn’t be viable, not even in the medium term,” he said.

Ramírez said July 20 that Mexico needs to review its trade relationship with China because it isn’t “reciprocal” given that that Mexico’s imports from China — including significant quantities of consumer goods — far exceed its exports to the East Asian nation.

A cargo ship docked in Mexico with a crane preparing to remove containers containing trade goods from China.
A Hong Kong ship waits to unload Asian goods in Mexico. (SSA México)

“We buy US $119 billion [worth of products] per year from China and we sell $11 billion [worth of goods] to China. China sells to us but doesn’t buy from us and that’s not reciprocal trade,” he said during a speech at an event in San Luis Potosí.

Mexico recently implemented new tariffs on a broad range of Chinese products, but a former Mexican ambassador to China told Mexico News Daily that he didn’t believe they would be a sufficient deterrent.

The incoming government needs to do more to “help Mexican industry withstand this tsunami of Chinese imports,” Jorge Guajardo said.

In his address in San Luis Potosí, Ramírez suggested that stronger measures against Chinese imports may be coming.

The finance minister also said that Mexico has “great opportunities to produce more” and by doing so will “maintain our industry, our jobs and our salaries.”

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])

The magic of Yucatán’s stunning cenotes

By
Stewart Merritt
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Dive into a refreshing world of history, as Mérida's cenotes - sinkhole pools - beckon the adventurous. (Roberto Nickson/Unsplash)

The capital of Yucatán state and the largest city in Mexico’s southeast, draws visitors for its rich cultural heritage, stunning colonial architecture, and proximity to Maya ruins such as Uxmal. More than history, Mérida is near a number of cenotes that deserve to be visited.

These natural limestone sinkholes, filled with clear freshwater, offer a chance to dive into the geological and cultural history of the Yucatán Peninsula. This article will take a look at the cenotes near Mérida and offer a guide on this unique way to beat the Yucatecan heat. 

Uxmal archaeological site, with main pyramid in background and a colonnaded building in foreground
While Yucatán is famed for its Mayan history, there is more to the peninsula than just pyramids. (INAH)

How to visit

You can go it alone and try to explore the cenotes through your own wits and gumption. Though the joy of leading your own adventure may be offset by the difficulties in finding cenotes in the vast jungle, where GPS can often falter.

Another option is to find a guide in a town in a cenote-rich area like Homúl.  Roadside guides will jump to their feet the moment they see your car approaching town, waving a laminated offer sheet with prices. If you choose to stop, prepare to negotiate price and number of cenotes to visit. 

Personally, I’ve had better luck ignoring the aggressive guides on the outskirts. I prefer driving into town and asking a shopkeeper if they know anyone who can show me around.  I’ve made much better connections with honest, personable locals who are happy to while away an afternoon showing off their favorite local spots. 

If you have the resources, you can go the luxe route and find a local tour agency that can arrange everything for you, up to and including transportation to the site, private, guided tours, food and the pleasure of enjoying your own personal cenote. There are also a number of haciendas that feature cenotes on their grounds, offering the visitor the chance for a truly private, luxury escape.

Gazebos around a cenote
It’s not uncommon for luxury hotels and haciendas to offer their own private cenotes for guests to enjoy. (Roberto Carlos Roman/Unsplash)

Fact and fiction

Plenty of rumors swirl around the cenotes. Locals like to warn you to be careful when swimming, as there are dangerous currents that connect the cenotes and can drag the hapless swimmer under. It’s a scary thought, but one with little basis in reality: the flat Yucatán plain has none of the steep elevation changes necessary to form a current. 

Another rumor, likely promulgated by local guides, is that the water in the cenotes has elevated levels of calcium, which makes swimming more difficult and necessitates the use of life jackets. Although there are higher levels of calcium in the water in Yucatán, this has no effect on a swimmer’s buoyancy.

In all likelihood, these and other rumors spread with the good-hearted intention of keeping swimmers safe. Though there have certainly been drowning incidents in cenotes, the reasons are the same as those at a public swimming pool: head injury, panic, swimmer fatigue and visitors simply misjudging their abilities in the water. Though they may feel infantilizing, lifejacket rules enable more people to enjoy the cenotes, so wear yours and respect the local rules.

Top cenotes to explore near Mérida

Cenote Xlacah

Located at the Dzibilchaltun archaeological site, Cenote Xlacah is one of the most accessible and historically significant cenotes near Mérida. This open cenote, whose name means “old village” in Mayan, is perfect for a refreshing swim after exploring the nearby ruins. The clear, shallow waters make it ideal for families and those new to cenote swimming. 

A diver in the Xlacah cenote
Archaeological studies of Xlacah began in the mid-1950s and lasted for close to a decade. (Benjamín Magaña/Cuartoscuro)

Cenote Yokdzonot

About 18 kilometers from Chichén Itzá, Cenote Yokdzonot is a less well-known cenote managed by a cooperative from the local community of the same name. This cenote offers a more tranquil experience compared to the often crowded cenotes near major tourist attractions. The community’s eco-friendly initiatives ensure the cenote is well-preserved and pristine.

Cenotes of Cuzamá

This trio of cenotes in the town of Cuzamá — Chelentun, Chansinic’che and Bolonchoojol — are accessible by traditional horse-drawn carts. Each cenote offers a unique experience, from the crystal-clear waters of Chelentun to the dramatic light beams filtering into Bolonchoojol. The journey to the sites is an adventure in itself, traveling through the jungle in your cart with birds screeching above and mosquitos whining below.

Cenote San Ignacio

Cenote San Ignacio
The Cenote San Ignacio offers everything from romance to mystery. (Cenote San Ignacio)

Unlike many other cenotes, the Cenote San Ignacio in Chocholá is entirely underground, creating an intimate and otherworldly atmosphere. The cenote is well-lit, allowing you to fully appreciate the stunning stalactites and stalagmites that adorn the cave. Aboveground, the site also offers amenities such as a restaurant and hammocks for lounging.

Cenote Kankirixche

Cenote Kankirixche is a stunning, larger cenote whose name means “tree of yellow fruit” in Maya. Located in Abalá, the cenote features a large cavern with beautiful stalactites and crystal-clear waters. Its relative seclusion ensures a peaceful and immersive experience, making it a favorite among those looking to escape the crowds and connect with nature.

Whatever your reasons for visiting the Mérida region, the cenotes are an essential addition to any trip, offering the visitor a journey into the heart of Yucatán’s natural and cultural heritage. From the historically significant Xlacah to the tranquil waters of Yokdzonot, each cenote offers a bewitching experience. And hey, if you are pressed for time, at least stop by Mérida’s Costco, where in the parking lot you can take a look at Ka Kutzal: the world’s only cenote in a parking lot. 

Stewart Merritt is a professor and freelance writer based in Mérida. A native of California, he has been visiting Mexico his entire life, especially the Pacific coast, where he likes to surf. This summer he will marry his Yucatecan fiancé.

Mexico’s 6 stunning UNESCO Natural World Heritage sites

By
MND Staff
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Archipielago de Revillagigedo: Cabo Pearce Socorro Island
From natural island paradises to rugged mountaintops, Mexico has a range of Natural World Heritage Sites worth exploring. (Rodrigo Friscione Wyssmann/Unesco)

Mexico is renowned for its beautiful beaches, colorful towns, delicious food scene and rich cultural offerings. With these many attractions, it comes as no surprise that Mexico ranks seventh among countries with the most sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, with 35 sites to its name. But did you know that out of these, six are natural sites? 

From the diverse ecosystem of the Revillagigedo Archipelago to the lush Monarch Biosphere Reserve and the unspoiled mangroves of the Yucatán Peninsula, here’s the complete guide of Mexico’s natural sites on the UNESCO list to plan your next adventure. 

A school of clarion angelfish swim in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, one of Mexico's Natural World Heritage sites
A school of clarion angelfish, endemic to the Revillagigedo Archipelago. (Robert Wilpernig/Unesco)

Revillagigedo Archipelago

Named after Viceroy of New Spain Juan Vicente de Güemes, Count of Revillagigedo, the archipelago comprises four remote islands and their surrounding waters: San Benedicto, Socorro, Roca Partida and Clarión. It lies in the Pacific, some 400 km southwest of Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula.  

Both the land and seascape of the archipelago boast impressive active volcanoes, arches, cliffs and isolated rock outcrops emerging in the middle of the ocean. The archipelago is known for drawing large concentrations of marine life, including sharks, whales and dolphins. The main attractions are the area’s giant manta rays, which interact with divers in a friendly way that is rarely found anywhere else in the world.

How to get there: Diving cruises depart from Cabo San Lucas and typically last between six and nine days.

El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve

The reserve is managed in collaboration with the Tohono O’odham, the Indigenous people of the region. (UNESCO)

Located in the northern state of Sonora, the El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve are part of the four great North American deserts along with the Chihuahuan Desert, the Mojave Desert and the Great Basin Desert.

The reserve is home to the Gran Altar Desert, North America’s largest field of sand dunes — which reach up to 200 meters in height — and the Pinacate Shield, a dormant volcanic area of black and red lava flows and desert pavement. The combination of these features results in a highly diverse and visually striking desert landscape.

How to get there: Arrange a guided tour to the desert with a local company, including overnight camping experiences. 

Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California

Dubbed the “Aquarium of the World,” the Gulf of California or Sea of Cortez has one of the world’s most varied marine ecosystems. The area is a paradise for divers and scientists: it is home to 39% of the world’s total number of species of marine mammals and a third of the world’s marine cetacean species. 

Extending from the Colorado River delta to the hydrothermal vents of the Guaymas Basin, the site comprises 244 islands, islets and coastal areas, providing dramatic views of rugged scenery, sandy beaches, turquoise waters and desert landscapes.

How to get there: The area is accessible through expedition cruises typically departing from La Paz and Los Cabos in Baja California Sur. 

Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve

The area was designated a biosphere reserve in 1980 and a World Heritage site in 2008. (Carlos Gottfried/Unesco)

Every autumn, up to a billion monarch butterflies undertake an epic journey of up to 4,500 kilometers from Canada and the United States to find refuge in the fir tree forests of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. 

Stretching across 56,000 hectares of Michoacán and México state, the reserve was declared a World Heritage Site due to the significance of the natural phenomenon it hosts. UNESCO has said that “the overwintering concentration of the monarch butterfly in the property is the most dramatic manifestation of the phenomenon of insect migration.”

How to get there: Various expeditions depart daily from Mexico City, México state and Morelia between November and March.

Sian Ka’an

Located on the eastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo, Sian Ka’an boasts diverse tropical forests, palm savannah, one of the most pristine wetlands in the region, lagoons, extensive mangrove stands, sandy beaches and dunes.

Dubbed the “Origin of the Sky” by the ancient Maya due to its aesthetics and beauty, Sian Ka’an is one of Mexico’s largest protected areas. The region is home to mammals like  the jaguar, puma, ocelot and Central American tapir, as well as over 300 species of birds and hundreds of marine species. 

Sian Ka’an’s remarkable concentration of life makes it an important site for scientific research. (Manuel Quesada/Unesco)

Besides its varied flora and fauna, the biosphere reserve stands out due to its cenotes, the region’s famous natural sinkholes, and petenes tree islands emerging from the swamps. 

How to get there: Tourist companies typically offer full-day tours from various destinations in Quintana Roo.

Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino 

Mexico’s largest protected natural area, the Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino is located in the central part of the Baja California Peninsula and is Mexico’s largest protected area. This biosphere reserve comprises the coastal lagoons of Laguna Ojo de Liebre and Laguna San Ignacio and their surroundings, a complex variety of wetlands, marshes, halophytes, dunes, desert habitats and mangroves. 

The reserve’s lagoons are important reproduction and wintering sites for the gray whale, harbor seal, California sea lion, northern elephant seal and blue whale. Moreover, they are the most important breeding ground of the North Pacific population of the gray whale, serving as a refuge for this endangered species. 

How to get there: various tour operators in Baja California offer whale-watching expeditions in the area during whale season, which typically begins on Dec. 15.  

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.

Tropical Storm Carlotta strengthens in the Pacific, veers away from Mexico

By
MND Staff
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Tropical Storm Carlotta satellite image
Tropical Storm Carlotta is likely to become the first Pacific hurricane of the 2024 season. (Zoom.earth)

Poised to become the first Pacific hurricane of the 2024 season, Tropical Storm Carlotta has veered away from the Mexican coast but is still expected to bring rains to western coastal states, from Jalisco to Baja California Sur.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a public advisory on Thursday morning noting that Carlotta was expected to become a hurricane by Thursday night or Friday morning but since the storm was moving west-northwest — away from Mexico — neither coastal watches nor coastal warnings were issued.

NHC Tropical Storm Carlotta trajectory
The trajectory of the storm according to the Thursday morning advisory from the U.S. National Hurricane Center. (NHC)

The NHC projected that Carlotta would turn west on Friday and continue westward through the weekend.

Mexico’s National Meteorological Service (SMN) reported on Thursday morning on its social media account that Carlotta was 635 km south of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and 735 km west-southwest of Manzanillo, Colima, at 9 a.m. The storm was gradually intensifying and moving at approximately 19 km/h, the SMN added.

The SMN post said outer bands of the tropical storm would bring heavy rains to the Jalisco coast (50 to 75 mm) on Thursday, and would also drench the states of Michoacán, Colima, Nayarit and Baja California Sur with about 25 to 50 mm of rainfall.

The SMN warned that the rain could be accompanied by electrical storms and hail.

A fireman on a flooded street in Guadalajara
The state of Jalisco experienced heavy rainfall in July, causing flooding in Guadalajara and other parts of the state. (Cuartoscuro)

The SMN issued flood warnings for the states mentioned and warned the public to be on the watch for mudslides and avoid fast-moving streams and rivers.

Boaters were also advised to exercise extreme caution and residents of the five states directly impacted were told to heed instructions issued by local Civil Protection authorities.

Both the NHC and SMN advised that Carlotta’s winds would generate swells that will affect the coasts of west-central mainland Mexico and the southern Baja California Peninsula beginning later Thursday.

These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions through the weekend, the NHC warned, particularly in Baja California Sur where waves could potentially exceed 2 meters.

The Pacific hurricane season has gotten off to a slow start (Tropical Storm Aletta formed on July 4, the latest date for a first tropical storm there), but weather forecast service Meteored reports that warming ocean temperatures and an increase in the Madden-Julian oscillation is likely to produce potent tropical storms this month.

With reports from AP, Informador.mx and Meteored

Mexican Navy seizes 1.5 tonnes of cocaine found adrift in the Pacific

By
MND Staff
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Bricks of cocaine seized by the Mexican navy off the coast of Acapulco
The Mexican navy announced Wednesday they had seized approximately 1.5 tonnes of cocaine found adrift in the Pacific off the coast of Guerrero, south of Acapulco. (SEMAR/Cuartsocuro)

The Mexican Navy has announced the seizure of some 1.5 tonnes of “presumed” cocaine off the Pacific coast of southern Mexico.

The Ministry of the Navy (SEMAR) said in a statement on Wednesday that navy personnel found 45 packages of “presumed” cocaine adrift in the Pacific Ocean 170 nautical miles south of Acapulco, Guerrero.

Each package contained 30 “bricks” of “white powder with characteristics similar to cocaine,” SEMAR said.

The 45 packages had an estimated weight of 1,500 kilograms, the ministry said.

All 45 appear in a 30-second video clip scored with cinematic music that was posted to SEMAR’s X account.

The ministry highlighted that “the presumed drugs” were turned over to “the appropriate authorities.”

The navy posted this video of the seized cocaine to its account on X.

The navy frequently seizes narcotics at sea. Among its seizures this year was a 3-tonne cocaine bust off the coast of the state of Quintana Roo in May and an almost 2-tonne cocaine interdiction off the Pacific coast in April.

In March, the navy seized numerous packages of white powder that were emblazoned with the Batman logo.

Organized crime groups use a variety of transportation modes to move cocaine from South America to Mexico and then into the United States.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “cocaine is typically transported from Colombia to Mexico or Central America by sea and then onwards by land to the United States and Canada.”

In a 2021 report, the Organization of American States outlined seven maritime drug trafficking routes between South America and Mexico or Central America. Five of those routes terminated in Mexico, including in the states of Chiapas, Guerrero and Sinaloa.

Mexico News Daily 

Cargo train derailment in Jalisco injures 2

By
MND Staff
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A cargo train derailment in La Barca, Jalisco
This is the second train derailment in the same area this year, following a similar incident on Jan. 31. (@TNnoticiasMx/X)

Dozens of cargo containers were scattered along a stretch of railroad track Tuesday morning after a dramatic train derailment near the Jalisco-Michoacán border. This is the second train derailment in the same area this year, following a similar incident on Jan. 31 in which three people were injured and the train caught fire.

At least two people were reported injured from this latest derailment and at least 30 cargo containers were dispersed across the train tracks and the adjacent farmland in the vicinity of San Francisco Rivas just outside the city of La Barca, Jalisco, which borders the state of Michoacán.

According to La Barca Civil Protection authorities, one of the injured, a machinist on the train, suffered minor injuries and was treated and released from the hospital. The newspaper Milenio reported that there was a second person injured in the crash, but the authorities have offered no confirmation.

No information about the content of the containers was provided although National Guard and Army troops were on the scene to establish a secure area surrounding the accident.

The track operator Ferromex said the accident occurred at 4:23 a.m. on “Line I” just east of Lake Chapala, about 106 kilometers south of Guadalajara, the Jalisco state capital.

Ferromex declined to offer information about the possible cause of the crash, but the fact that cargo containers were scattered, upside down and piled on top of each other, suggests the train was traveling at high speed, speculated the newspaper La Jornada.

Other sources reported that the authorities were inspecting the area to rule out sabotage or vandalism.

The train was en route to the Pantaco cargo train station in Azcapotzalco, a borough in northwestern Mexico City.

Ferromex contacted its clients to inform them of the derailment and assure them their agents were on site to remove the containers and repair the tracks. Due to the remoteness of the crash site, the train operator was unable to get cranes and heavy equipment to the scene until Tuesday afternoon. 

“Our people are just now arriving because it is not easy to get here,” a Ferromex spokesman told the Guadalajara-based news site Informador.mx, “and we have to walk the entire scene to assess the situation. We don’t yet know when we might get things back up and running.

All multimodal operations on “Line I” out of Guadalajara have been suspended until the track is repaired and inspected. 

Ferromex operates over 10,000 kilometers of railroad track in Mexico, including six international crossings into the United States. 

With reports from Milenio, El Universal, La Jornada, Excelsior and Informador.mx

Judge orders ‘El Mayo’ Zambada will be held without bond in Texas

By
MND Staff
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Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada
Zambada said he was kidnapped at a meeting near Culiacán and that Cuén was killed at the same location. (Cuartoscuro)

Alleged Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García may have made a fortune during a lengthy drug trafficking career, but he won’t be able to buy his way out of jail in the United States.

Anne T. Berton, a United States magistrate judge in the Western District of Texas, ruled that Zambada must be detained without bond as the case against him proceeds.

A news stand in Mexico City with papers showing arrest of El Mayo Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López
The two alleged Sinaloa Cartel leaders were arrested last Thursday in Texas, though the circumstances of their detention are still unclear. (Cuartoscuro)

The 76-year-old suspect was arrested last Thursday after flying into a small airport near El Paso with Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of convicted drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera.

Last Friday Zambada pleaded not guilty to charges for a range of crimes including drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping and money laundering.

A United States District Court detention order that was signed by Berton on Tuesday noted that the U.S. government’s “motion to detain defendant without bond” was scheduled for Wednesday.

“Prior to the hearing, counsel for the defendant announced to the court that the defendant did not contest the government’s motion,” the document said.

El Mayo Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López
“El Mayo” Zambada (left) and Joaquín Guzmán López are both facing multiple charges in the U.S., including drug trafficking and homicide. Both have pleaded not guilty. (Archive)

“Accordingly, the court finds that there are no conditions or combinations of conditions of release that will reasonably assure the appearance of the defendant or the safety of the community,” the detention order continued.

“It is therefore ORDERED that the defendant be detained without bond and the defendant is hereby committed to the custody of the Attorney General for confinement in a corrections facility separate, to the extent practicable, from persons awaiting or serving sentences or being held in custody pending appeal.”

The document also ordered that Zambada be afforded “a reasonable opportunity for private consultations” with his legal team.

Lawyer Frank Perez has alleged that Guzmán López “forcibly kidnapped” El Mayo and “forced” him onto a United States-bound plane.

Lawyer Frank Perez
Lawyer Frank Perez is representing Zambada. He has claimed his client was kidnapped by El Chapo’s son, Joaquin Guzmán López. (Frank Perez Law)

The circumstances that led to Zambada’s arrest remain murky, but U.S. officials who spoke to The New York Times supported the version of events put forward by Perez.

U.S. officials previously told media outlets that Guzmán López tricked Zambada into getting onto the plane by telling him they were going to inspect clandestine airfields or real estate within Mexico.

In an appearance in federal court in Chicago on Tuesday, Guzmán López pleaded not guilty to the drug trafficking and other charges he faces.

His lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, “criticized — but did not refute —” the allegation by Zambada’s lawyer that Guzmán López “forcibly kidnapped” El Mayo, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

“He’s not being accused of kidnapping. When the government accuses him, then I’ll take notice. When lawyers who are trying to score points with the media make accusations, then I ignore that because it’s meaningless,” he said.

Lichtman also said that his client doesn’t have an agreement with the United States government, as some media outlets have reported.

Mexico News Daily  

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