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How fragile is Chacahua’s lagoon ecosystem? A conversation with locals on the Oaxaca coast

By
Millie Deere
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Chacahua Lagoon National Park in Oaxaca
Chacahua Lagoon in Oaxaca faces a number of challenges, from climate change to local corruption, but overcoming problems is nothing new to the community's long-time residents. (Conanp/Rashid Mahklouf)

A bus from Puerto Escondido. A minibus, aka colectivo, from Rio Grande. Then a lancha, or small boat, across the water to Zapotalito. One more open-air truck and you’ve made it.

Laguna de Chacahua sits along the western coast of Oaxaca, part of the state’s more than 300 milePacific coastline – a lagoon ecosystem padded with jungle flora, where the network of mangroves roots the island in its gurgling brackish tides.

A barrier island 34 miles from the popular beach destination of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca, Chacahua Lagoon has been a national park since 1937. (Pawel Kozak/Unsplash)

It is part of the municipality of Villa de Tututepec de Melchor Ocampo and around 100 miles down the coast from the popular beach city of Puerto Escondido. In the daytime, the high sun smelts the soft sand and rocks while hammocks loll idly in the low breeze. After sunset, bioluminescent plankton set the water aglow in a neon blue glacé.

Technically, Chacahua is a barrier island, meaning it is not entirely separate from the mainland but is only accessible by boat. The community is predominantly Black and Afro-Indigenous, partially linking back to the Spanish enslavement of Africans and their forced labor in Mexico in the 16th and 17th centuries. But many residents make their way over from the mainland to surf, fish and enjoy the more relaxed pulse of daily life.

“Here, you can be whatever you want to be,” Augusto, an architect living in Chacahua, tells me.  “And nobody is going to look down on you; you’re living in a free place.”

‘The sea is starting to reclaim the land’

But it isn’t all peace in paradise. Coastal environments and their communities are facing increased exposure to natural hazards. 

The rainy season from June to September brings storms and natural climate variations, but Oaxaca state’s geography, situated along Mexico’s southwest Pacific coast, leaves it particularly vulnerable to climate change. Pacific hurricanes and Atlantic basin tropical systems pose a dual threat, alongside the increasing reality of heavy rains, droughts, and rising temperatures and sea levels.

While it is difficult to find more localised data for the island, average yearly temperature in Oaxaca City rose by 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) between 1994 and 2024. While this figure may seem small, it represents a rapid change over three decades, even at the local level. 

Global sea level rise has been affecting the coast of Oaxaca, and Chacahua is no exception. Drawing from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report, NASA’s Sea Level Projection projects extreme sea level rise along Oaxaca’s Pacific coast, and the lagoon’s low relief offers little defense.

Sitting in a cabana just 100  meters inland, Augusto points towards Playa Chacahua. “The sea is starting to reclaim (the) land. That’s why the houses over there are collapsing.”

Houses in Chacahua have been collapsing as rising sea levels have started to reclaim or erode coastal land. (Anaclara Vardiero/Unsplash)

It was Hurricane Pauline in 1997 that dramatically shifted the landscape of Chacahua, the lagoon rising to such a level that a new inlet was created and swathes of the beach were eaten away. Today, the beach faces an ever-greater risk due to the damaging erosion.

‘Everyone fishes sooner or later’

Fishing is integral to life in Chacahua, and the catch is diverse – shrimp, puffer fish, oysters, blue crabs, and red snapper by the Bajo Este. “There are all kinds of fish,” Antonio says. “There’s a bit of everything here.”

Antonio started fishing at the age of 8 with his grandfather. At 17, he began fishing for sharks; tiburoneros (shark fishermen) use a simbra, a 14-kilometre-long (9-mile) fishing line with around 300 hooks every 18 meters.

“We’d head out along the Guerrero coast, going out toward the horizon where the sun sets … to where you can’t see a thing anymore,” Antonio tells me. “Transatlantic ships pass through there. We’d stay one night and head back the next day.”

The population is no more than 800 and, according to Antonio, more than half of its residents are fishermen.

“Everyone fishes sooner or later,” he says. But security isn’t promised. “Later, some move onto other jobs because fishing is just a matter of luck.”

Santiago was born on the island and has been a fisherman for 20 years.

Sun setting over Chacahua Lagoon in Oaxaca
At least half of the residents of Chacahua fish for a living, and many more tried it before moving on to other jobs. (Austin Curtis/Unsplash)

“Because of the rains and the storms that come, it’s more dangerous now. It’s more dangerous than compared to before. It used to be a good life.”

The ecocide of the Chacahua-Pastoría Lagoons is a key culprit, with toxic chemical influx from local oil-crop industries, as well as chemical waste from a lime-oil factory beyond Zapatalito. Shrimp and fish populations are declining. Locals have faced the consequences of diminishing catch and have even demanded government action.

In 2013, local fishermen’s collective, supported by the Human Rights Ombudsman of the People of Oaxaca (DDHPO), produced a report regarding violations against the inhabitants of Zapotalito, Chacahua, La Pastoría and El Corral details the public health risks, loss of livelihood and environmental degradation that communities have faced due to federal infrastructure projects, such as Irrigation District 110 and breakwaters in the Boca de Chacahua.

The resilience of mangroves

Part of a roughly 51-square-mile national park designated in 1937, Chacahua Lagoon is surrounded by a network of mangrove corridors, anchoring the island in verdant, woody tresses. Mangroves are trees or bushes that thrive in brackish tidal waters, often where a river meets the sea, offering nesting grounds for a diversity of wildlife.

The red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), black mangrove (Avicennia germinans), white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), and buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) are also essential to maintaining the health of the local ecosystem.

Their long, complex root systems are adapted to survive in low-lying waters, optimising oxygen absorption and filtering out saline contamination. They endure conditions that are virtually impossible for other plants, and their resilience is recognized by the locals.

Angél runs a grocery shop in the central square. His family has been living on the island for generations. The salinity of the sea is getting worse, he concedes, but “the mangroves are strong. We don’t have to cut them that much.”

“The mangroves are doing well,” Antonio agrees. “They’re tough. When they fall, they land upright,” due to their roots.

Locals in Chacahua, like the abundant mangroves, are tough, have strong roots and are known for their endurance. (Pawel Kozak/Unsplash)

The resilience of locals

Perhaps Antonio and Angél aren’t giving themselves enough credit. In reality, mangroves are vulnerable to climate change, specifically increasing salinity, hurricane events, and worsening El Niño patterns. But it’s the locals who demonstrate climate resilience every day, in working as a community to restore the things that Angél says the government is neglecting financially and administratively.

“The effort is made every day; it’s part of life here on the island,” Augusto says. “People engage in what’s called tequio, voluntary community work to help the environment.”

In the same way, the fishermen are taking it upon themselves to try and mitigate the marine pollution, but there is a limit to what can be done without wider support.

Tequio “takes place because people love their land,” Augusto explains, but as Angél marks, the climate is getting hotter, the sea saltier, and the water warmer.

Chacahua stands at a delta, between its traditional past and an uncertain future due to numerous issues, including pollution, tourism and gentrification. (Saul 2099/Instagram)

On top of this, the briny waves of gentrification are lapping at the island’s shores. Lavish cabanas with their polished wood walls and hiked-up rent are beginning to rear their haute heads.

Tourism has also been shown to worsen pollution. In Mexico’s Caribbean coast, the tourism sector accounts for one-third of the region’s total waste, and light pollution has been proven to pose threats to turtle populations, of which species such as the Leatherback are populous in Chacahua.

What’s in store for Chacahua?

Oaxaca has been strongly affected by hurricanes Otis, John, Erick, and Boris in the last four years. 

While federal budgeting continues to be an issue for Natural Protected Areas across Mexico, local cooperatives, in tandem with the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP), are taking measures to respond to growing tourism in the state of Oaxaca and have made major steps in wildlife protection and sustainable infrastructure, but the direct effects on Chacahua are yet to be comprehensively reported.

Looking into its climate future, Chacahua is standing at a delta. It goes without saying that the community has demonstrated its climate resilience through supporting mangroves, keeping the waters around the island clean, and reconstructing and relocating seafront buildings.

However, without sufficient government support, the effects of environmental jeopardy and injustice may ultimately uproot the mangrove system and local way of life to an irremediable degree.

Millie Deere is a freelance journalist.

How Múcara became one of Mexico’s best restaurants

By
Alan Chazaro
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Plates at Múcara in Xalapa, Veracruz
Old-school Veracruz cuisine with a modern twist is the focus at Múcara, one of Mexico's best restaurants. (Múcara/Instagram)

If you flip through the Guía México Gastronómico — an annual 200-page book that maps a flavorful constellation of Mexico’s most delicious restaurants, from the northernmost corner of Baja California to the southernmost point of Chiapas — you’ll find it: Múcara.

Off the page, the restaurant is located on a steep, narrow road in the historic center of Xalapa, Veracruz, tucked away — somewhat inconspicuously — between a comic shop, a tamalería, apartments, cafés and bars crammed with college students. It’s easy to miss. In fact, if you were to pass by for the first time, you’d likely skip right past it.

Lesterloon Sánchez Trinidad, chef from Xalapa, Veracruz
Chef Lesterloon Sánchez Trinidad opened Múcara as a showplace for the cuisine of Xalapa, Veracruz. (Lesterloon Sánchez Trinidad)

And yet, the intimate fonda, which seats a maximum of 20 diners at seven tables, has quietly risen to become among the most notable restaurants in the country — and is the first in Xalapa’s history to garner such prestigious national recognition, as designated by an editorial board of influential food critics, journalists, sommeliers and hospitality experts in Mexico.

How Múcara became a destination eatery

That is, Múcara is one of Mexico’s best places to eat. And they’ve earned it, despite not being in a buzzy or touristic hub of the nation.

Múcara’s objective is clear. Their menu is about retaining and expanding the overlooked culinary lineage of Veracruz through a delicious balance of elevated-yet-homely dishes — highlighting seasonal ingredients, refined cooking techniques and hyper-regional recipes. Strangely, it’s a radical concept in Veracruz’s capital city, where the dominant foods seem to be burgers, wings, pizza and pasta, and where if you were to ask a local where to find the best traditional Xalapeño bites, the list would be brief. That glaring absence is what inspired Múcara to open in 2016, when Lesterloon Sánchez Trinidad, a lifetime Xalapeño and the founding chef behind Múcara, first launched his vision.

“I wanted people to discover the regional foods from this area; Veracruz food is one of the oldest in the world,” says Sánchez Trinidad. “Veracruz includes the Olmec, and this region has been a historical crossing for Europeans, Asians, Arabs and the world. It’s the cradle of Mexican food. But at the national level, Veracruz is very forgotten. Modernity has caused us to spend our time differently and change our techniques in the kitchen. The previous generation is turning off their ovens, and things are rapidly changing. The history is being lost.”

A life-changing dining experience

At Múcara, that history is potent, and edible. And most of it is life-changingly delicious.

For lunch, that might taste like a courtesy apéritif of tepache de limón (a bold, citrusy shot of fermented lime juice) to go along with a glass of agua de acuyo (a refreshingly sweet and herbal dose of pepperleaf extract), anchored by a round of enchiladas encacahuatadas (a rich portion of four enchiladas, made with in-house tortillas that are rolled up and with filled shredded chicken, then bathed in a very mildly spiced peanut mole and blanched peanuts sprinkled atop).

Múcara sampling of plates in Xalapa, Veracruz
Menu items at Múcara change according to the season, and can also be mixed and matched with another depending upon one’s preferences. (Múcara/Instagram)

There’s also envueltos de plátano (rolled tortillas, stuffed with mashed bananas and drenched in sweet, chocolatey mole); enmoladas de tlatonile (tortillas with chicken and regional tlatonile sauce, brought over from the nearby mountain town of Huasteco, and accompanied with epazote, a tea plant, and chile compeño, a rare pepper that is cultivated in Comapa, Veracruz).

Salads include a rich fig variety or a native peach criollo option. Another standout is the pasta with huitlacoche (house-made pappardelle pasta mixed with flavorful corn fungi, nata, garlic, onion, aged cheese and a touch of olive oil). The menu is relatively compact in its offerings, but at Múcara, it’s about quality and perfection, rather than empty spectacle. It’s about savoring the basics, rather than seeking the bombastic.

Mixing and matching the menu

Of course, aspects of the menu are constantly in flux, depending on the time of year and what ingredients are available from producers and local markets, making it an interactive dining experience where you can jigsaw yourself into nirvana with just about any combination of plates at your table.

Having studied the culinary arts in Mexico City with some of Mexico’s most prominent chefs as a young cook, Sánchez Trinidad — who is relatively young — has compiled and combined over a decade of experience in the kitchen through trial and error. Initially, he opened Nao as a café and pambassería (a small shop that only sold pambazos, the small sandwich of Xalapeño fame, of which he says were prominent in his upbringing but are no longer seen as commonly around Xalapa). Unfortunately, Nao closed during the pandemic, though its closure allowed him to shift his full attention to Múcara, the more ambitious of his projects. That focus has paid off, as Múcara has converted into a decade-long fixture in the city’s culinary scene.

If you go to Yucatán, you’ll easily find 20 or 30 places to eat Yucatán food,” Sánchez Trinidad tells Mexico News Daily. “Same in Puebla for Poblana food. Or in Oaxaca. But in Xalapa, there’s nothing like that. It’s an interesting case study. How is it possible that as a state capital we don’t even know our own cuisine that well? What are our dishes?”

Old-school Veracruz cuisine made modern

On a drizzly Xalapeño afternoon, you can discover the answer to Sánchez Trinidad’s rhetorical question. Múcara is a refuge for the state’s fading past — a slow-cooking, old-school type of joint in modern digs, where no one is rushing the process for the sake of instant gratification, but instead cherishing each bite and all that it offers and imparts about Veracruz’s diverse history. In many cases, Sánchez Trinidad has pulled recipes from his childhood memories of preparing food with his mother and grandmother. His restaurant isn’t just a love letter to his state; it’s an entire library’s worth.

Xalapa Veracruz sign with the city's name
Every delicious bite at Múcara is meant to evoke the rich culinary history of Xalapa, Veracruz. (Oscar Espiritu Glover/Unsplash)

Elegant yet elemental

As a result of his careful attention and thoughtful choices, the meals are orchestral: simple, yet highly calibrated and masterfully executed, highlighting the contradictory pleasures of Mexican cuisine as being elegantly refined while, simultaneously, retaining its most elemental essences.

“The origin of the name Múcara comes from a rock (fossilized coral and marine sediments) that was taken out of the sea,” Sánchez Trinidad explains. “They made buildings out of that. The oldest buildings in the Veracruz port are made from it. Churches, forts, everything. Those old buildings remain and haven’t fallen, and that’s what we strive to be for Veracruz cuisine.”

Alan Chazaro is the author of “These Spaceships Weren’t Built For Us” (Tia Chucha Press, 2026), “Notes from the Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge” (Ghost City Press, 2021), “Piñata Theory” (Black Lawrence Press, 2020), and “This Is Not a Frank Ocean Cover Album” (Black Lawrence Press, 2019). He is a graduate of June Jordan’s Poetry for the People program at UC Berkeley and was selected as a Lawrence Ferlinghetti Poetry Fellow at the University of San Francisco. His work can be found in NPR, The Guardian, SLAM, GQ, L.A. Times, and more. He is currently based in Veracruz.

Thank you, Harry Styles: A perspective from our CEO

By
Travis Bembenek
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Harry Styles in concert
Harry Styles is the latest global star to embrace Mexico City, joining a wave of pop stars helping reshape the country's image abroad. (Shutterstock)

A few nights ago, my wife and I watched the movie “Three Amigos” with Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short. Even though the movie was first released in 1986 — 40 years ago! — I recently saw a classic clip of them in my social media feed that inspired me to want to watch it again. The clip was of them ordering a beer in a Mexican bar. The bartender says, “We have no beer, only tequila.” They ask, “What is tequila?”, to which the bartender replies, “It’s like beer.” They proceed to do a shot and have a hilarious reaction. Not exactly Emmy award-winning lines and acting, but funny nonetheless.

I understand that the movie is meant to be a parody and not taken too seriously, but I will admit I was surprised at the overt stereotypical imagery used to portray Mexico. Nearly every man shown was dirty, poor and drunk. Nearly every woman shown was poor, sun-burned and disheveled — except, of course, for the few ladies who fell in love with the “three amigos.” The “bad guys” were also drunk and dirty, but also had lots of guns and made a living from robbing people. In addition to the characters, the images of Mexico and Mexican life were about as negatively stereotypical as you could imagine: poor, dusty, lawless, run-down and in the middle of the desert. People hanging around and drinking in the middle of the day, not hesitating to start shooting people. Of course, this is nothing new. Hollywood portrayals of Mexico in this way first began in Western movies in the 1910’s — over 100 years ago!

Three Amigos movie poster
“Three Amigos” (1986) helped cement decades of Hollywood’s dusty, lawless portrayal of Mexico. (Orion Pictures)

Again, I know some of you are thinking “lighten up Travis, it’s just a comedy film”. I get that, but the decades of stereotypes about Mexico portrayed in movies have had an impact on people’s perceptions about the country and its people. A few months ago, one of our writers wrote an in-depth article about it here: Stereotypes worth 1,000 words: Mexico’s visualization in the media.

And it’s not just Mexico — other countries suffer the same fate at the whims of Hollywood writers and producers.

In the decades after the “Three Amigos” movie, the Hollywood narrative of Mexico changed from the wild west version to the drug lord/narco version. Countless series were made of the cartel leaders, the cartel lifestyle, with “Narcos” from Netflix being the most popular one. In fact, “Narcos” has been one of the most-viewed series ever produced by Netflix. So, for over one hundred years, Hollywood has presented Mexico (not always, but very frequently) as a dirty, lawless location in a Western movie, and more recently as the home of cartels and the drug trade.

Which brings me to the point of my column today: Thankfully, that image is beginning to change. Not by Hollywood, but by musicians (most of them non-American). Over the past two weeks, I couldn’t help but notice in my social media feed all of the images of U.K. mega-star Harry Styles hanging out and enjoying Mexico City. He is in the city to do six concerts over nearly two weeks, and countless videos of him enjoying the city have been popping up. Jogging in Chapultepec Park, going for walks on the tree-lined streets with his girlfriend, eating tacos, standing in line for breakfast pastries — basically, looking and acting like a local and seemingly enjoying every minute of it.

He is the latest artist to do this, but certainly is not the first. Earlier this year, Colombian-born Shakira did a total of 14 concerts (13 in stadiums + 1 free one in the zocalo) in Mexico City. She was seen for weeks hanging out and enjoying the capital city. Also in the past few months, Irish rock band U2 filmed a music video in the city and took time to visit with President Sheinbaum. And Korean mega-K-pop group BTS did a three-day concert series in the city and were seen hanging out and enjoying the sights, as well as visiting with Sheinbaum. Late last year, Dua Lipa — who is Albanian and grew up in the U.K. — spent a week in Mexico City performing three concerts as well. She was seen dancing in nightclubs, eating late-night tacos, and genuinely enjoying the city she calls “one of her favorites in the world.”

What an incredible change this has been in the portrayal of the country. After decades of Hollywood portrayals of Mexico as a lawless, unsafe, dirty place, you now have real stars genuinely hanging out and having a good time in Mexico. The images appear to be real, genuine, authentic and spontaneous — as different from Hollywood as you can get. It would be easy to have a cynical take on these musicians and simply say that what they are doing is good for their own business. Of course it is, but I would prefer someone making money by getting out, walking around, talking to locals and eating local food rather than presenting a stereotypical, outdated and false narrative.

The World Cup was a similar phenomenon. In the months leading up to the games, the media warned us of the dangers of cartel violence and protests. The reality that we saw was of the visiting fans from Colombia, the U.K., Japan, Korea and many other countries having an absolute blast with locals across the country. It truly felt authentic, which is precisely what made it so fascinating to watch.

So let’s hope that we are beginning to see a new trend of how Mexico is being presented to the rest of the world. If so, I think it will have a hugely positive impact on the country and hopefully finally do away with the negative stereotypes that were so common in past decades.

Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.

KIO Data Centers doubles down on Querétaro with a US $1.3B expansion plan

By
MND Staff
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ebrard and KIO
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard presents KIO CEO Octavio Camarena Villalvazo with the Hecho en México (Made in Mexico) denomination after the Mexican data centers company announced a US $1.3 billion investment to buiild a third data center in Querétaro. (Marcelo Ebrard)

The Mexican data center company KIO will pour more than a billion dollars into Querétaro by 2030 as part of an expansion to meet growing U.S. demand for artificial intelligence and data storage.

KIO will spend up to US $1.3 billion to develop the QR03 project, a new data center in the El Marqués Industrial Park in Querétaro city’s eastern outskirts. The latest expansion is expected to create more than 8,000 jobs, direct and indirect. 

The move has reinforced the central state’s position as one of Mexico’s leading digital infrastructure hubs. Almost three quarters of all Mexican data centers are in Querétaro.

KIO Data Centers CEO Octavio Camarena Villalvazo announced the decision during an event led by Querétaro Governor Mauricio Kuri González and Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón.

Camarena told the gathering that the new infrastructure is part of the company’s growth strategy in a market where data centers are playing a central role in the digital economy. 

“Without world-class data centers, there is no cloud, no smart manufacturing, no digitized data, and no artificial intelligence,” Camarena said. 

The company’s growth plan has already made some progress with the recent completion of phases two and three of QRO2—the company’s second facility in the state—with a cumulative spend of US $170 million. It has also run its first data center, QRO1, for nearly two decades.

At the same time, KIO plans to invest over US $200 million in 2026 for projects and expansions across Mexico City, Monterrey, Querétaro, and Guatemala, with the objective of meeting regional demand for cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure — two segments that have driven up requirements for power capacity and data processing.

Camarena estimated that the company’s project could generate an economic impact of billions of dollars in Mexico due to additional investments. Companies such as AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud, Equinix, ODATA, CloudHQ, Ascenty, and Huawei have operations, projects, or infrastructure in the state.

 A recent projection by the Mexican Association of Data Centers forecast that, by 2031,  around  US $20 billion would be directly spent on data centers in the country. In addition, it forecast a further US $64 billion in indirect investment, with much of that spent in Querétaro. 

With reports from Cluster Industrial, Mexico Industry and El Economista

After 60 years abroad, Mexico confirms turquoise-adorned skull is pre-Columbian treasure

By
MND Staff
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turquoise adorned pre-Columbian skull
The skull — adorned with a striking mosaic of turquoise, shell, jadeite and rock crystal — was returned to Mexico in May 2025 after spending some 60 years in a museum in the Netherlands. (INAH)

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has confirmed that a turquoise-adorned skull returned to Mexico from the Netherlands is a pre-Columbian human skeletal remains from Mexican territory.

Although the exact origin of the skull has not yet been determined, its characteristics and the materials used to decorate it indicate it could possibly be from the Late Postclassic period (1200 to 1521 AD). 

Ongoing analysis being conducted by INAH specialists suggests it likely came from a region that currently includes parts of the states of Puebla and Oaxaca.

The skull — adorned with a striking mosaic of turquoise, shell, jadeite and rock crystal — was returned to Mexico in May 2025 after spending some 60 years in a museum in the Netherlands. 

The piece, acquired on the art market in 1962, had been on display at the World Museum (Wereldmuseum) in Leiden. The process of repatriation began to take shape in late 2023 after the Dutch museum contacted the Mexican Embassy in the Netherlands to address the issue. 

A decade earlier, the Wereldmuseum had begun working with the French Center for Research and Restoration of Museums to determine its authenticity, prompting the decision to contact Mexican authorities.

Culture Minister Claudia Curiel de Icaza said that the recovery of the skull “demonstrates that collaboration between authorities and civil society can translate into actions of historical justice.” 

Curiel also praised the Nohivi Ñuu Savi collective — an Indigenous grassroots group that focuses on protecting Mixtec rights, history, and culture, and bringing sacred heritage back to Mexico — for their contributions to the repatriation effort. 

The Mixtec peoples are a major indigenous Mesoamerican group inhabiting the Mixteca region spanning the states of Oaxaca, Puebla and Guerrero.

In a press statement, INAH described the skull as being “partially covered with tesserae, like a mosaic, forming the schematic design of a snake on the frontal bone.” Tesserae are individual tiles used in creating a mosaic.

INAH analysis has identified the presence of modern adhesive substances, used to fix some areas of the tesserae, which may be due to a decorative rearrangement or reuse of the same by the original owner, before it was acquired by the museum.

Anthropologist Olaf Bello Cardoso hopes that further studies can serve to identify the person behind the turquoise mosaic and to understand if it was part of an offering dedicated to a principal figure.

With reports from El Cronista, El Imparcial, Ancient Origins and Heritage Daily

Mexico moves past Taiwan as the top AI server exporter to the United States

By
MND Staff
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seerv was
Mexico and Taiwan now share almost the entire U.S. market for imports of servers that only a few years ago was dominated by China. Tech is threatening to become Mexico's primary export sector. (Kevin Ache / Unsplash)

Mexico is quietly becoming a big player in the global AI economy, even surpassing Taiwan as the No. 1 supplier of U.S. AI server imports in the second quarter.

A report by the Economic Studies Department of Grupo Financiero Banamex found that Mexico’s share of U.S. server imports through the first half of 2026 was 34.5%, just behind Taiwan’s 36%. 

Mexico and Taiwan have captured the U.S. market for artificial intelligence data center servers, which had previously been dominated by China. In 2017, China accounted for 60.4% of U.S. purchases of computer equipment, while in the first half of 2026 its share fell to 2%, with all that space being taken over by Taiwan and Mexico.

Taiwanese exports of artificial intelligence servers to the United States grew from US $2.8 billion in 2017 to US $72.2 billion in the first half of 2026. 

During the first half of the year, Mexico exported more than US $60.4 billion worth of computer servers to artificial intelligence data centers in the United States, first surpassing Taiwan in May sales.

In the second quarter, Mexico was supplying nearly 40% of U.S. server imports — selling more components and servers for artificial intelligence data centers than Taiwan — benefiting by having become an assembly plant for Taiwanese computer equipment manufacturers. 

“Mexico has established itself as an assembly platform close to the U.S. market, while design, technological integration and chain coordination activities (for artificial intelligence computing production) remain concentrated in Asia,” Banamex said.

Banamex described the relationship as a regional reorganization led by Taiwanese manufacturers such as Inventec, Wistron and Flex. Earlier this month, Inventec announced plans to invest US $450 million in the border city of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua.

Furthermore, Taiwanese multinational Foxconn — the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturer — announced in April that it is building one of the world’s largest AI server factories near Guadalajara.  

“The recent server boom represents a deepening of Mexico’s manufacturing integration, rather than a displacement of Taiwanese industrial leadership,” Banamex noted.

The recent surge in Mexican exports of servers for artificial intelligence is being interpreted as evidence of Mexico’s success in the most dynamic technology sectors globally.

The shift also creates new exposure to tariffs, while requiring trade-policy changes to address component sourcing and delivery disruptions across the Taiwan-Mexico-U.S. supply chain. The AI boom is reshaping Mexico’s economy, as data servers are going head-to-head with automobiles as the No. 1 export to the U.S. 

With reports from Forbes México, AI Weekly, Channel Insider and Deutsche Welle

Sargassum seaweed levels begin to drop in Quintana Roo after record peak

By
MND Staff
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A man holding a bag wades through piles of sargassum seaweed at an almost empty beach.
Sargassum seaweed blooms are harmful because they smother coral reefs, degrade water quality, and overwhelm beaches, harming tourism. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

Sargassum is beginning to recede from Quintana Roo beaches after peaking in June and July, but the Mexican Caribbean remains on track for one of its worst years on record.

The decline began this month and should become more pronounced in September and October, Esteban Amaro Mauricio, hydrobiologist and director of the Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network, said this week.

The arrival of the seaweed has been erratic, however. Tulum and Mahahual still have major accumulations while Playa del Carmen has seen less. Puerto Morelos, recently clear, received a significant influx this week.

At the beginning of this month, 30 beaches in northern Quintana Roo alone were on red alert for excessive sargassum. Amaro said the network’s latest monitoring report put 22 of the state’s northern beaches in red, 17 in orange, 13 in yellow, 45 in green and three free of the algae.

Tonnes on Quintana Roo beaches

Conditions had improved less in the south, where 30 beaches remained on red alert, with two on orange, three a piece on yellow and green, and two free of sargassum entirely.

About 110,000 tonnes of sargassum have been collected statewide this year, Amaro said. He projected a total of roughly 150,000 tonnes by year’s end, well above the 94,000 tonnes collected in 2025.

a blue beach with white sand is covered with brown seaweed
The Playa Forum in Cancún, Quintana Roo, was blanketed with sargassum seaweed in late July. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

Amaro said sargassum arrivals should be minimal in November and December but could resume as early as January 2027, as they did this year. In previous years, the season typically began in April or May.

The scale offshore remains enormous. Monitors at one point detected as much as 54 million tonnes of the algae floating between Africa and the Gulf of Mexico, Amaro said, including 4 million to 5 million tonnes off the Mexican Caribbean (coast?) . 

Approximately 5% to 10% of the sargassum nearest the coast reaches beaches, Amaro said.

Hurricanes, tropical depressions and tropical storms could disperse the algae, he said, although officials will keep containment barriers and offshore collection vessels in service.

Tourism impact

The influx has compounded pressures on tourism. Quintana Roo Tourism Minister Bernardo Cueto Riestra said Tulum hotel occupancy had fallen to 15%, its lowest level on record, while Playa del Carmen stood at 30%.

He cited the atypical sargassum arrival and reduced airline frequencies linked to fuel costs.

How sargassum is changing the face of paradise in Cozumel

The problem affects about 30 countries, Amaro added. Sargassum is a natural part of Atlantic Ocean ecosystems, but since 2011, extraordinary proliferations have affected the Caribbean region, with impacts on coastal ecosystems, fisheries and tourism.

Mexico and Japan announced last week they are working to establish a joint sargassum-response program that could include Japanese ocean-monitoring technology, specialized equipment, collection vessels, satellite monitoring and technical training. One of its goals would be turning the algae into products such as fertilizer, biofuels and construction materials.

With reports from La Jornada, Prensa IBERO, Peninsular Caribbean and Reportur.us

Trump administration strips AMLO’s son of his US visa

By
MND Staff
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Andy
Party Organization Minister Andrés Manuel López Beltrán raises his hand during Morena's Seventh Regular Session in March, five months before the U.S. revoked his visa. (Galo Cañas / Cuartoscuro.com)

The U.S. government revoked the visa of Andrés Manuel López Beltrán on Thursday, prompting the son of the former Mexican president to publish an aggressively worded  letter to President Donald Trump on social media.

In the letter, López Beltrán (often referred to as “Andy” by Mexican media) went on the offensive, calling the decision “politically motivated and propagandistic, in the Hitlerian style.” He also dismissed the impact of the action, saying he has no problem not visiting the U.S. during times of “hate, racism and drug addiction.”

Andy insisted there is “no reason whatsoever” for the “crude and perverse act of villainy” against him, declaring that he is guided by “the ideals, principles and honesty instilled in me by my parents and practiced out of conviction in my political work.”

The letter also speculated that Trump could be unaware of the decision, saying that if the U.S. president were aware then it is an “arrogant” action and “demonstrates, as my father recently wrote, that you are now an apathetic leader, much different from the person he knew and dealt with.”

Andy’s father, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, served as Mexican president from December 2018 through September 2024, overlapping with Trump’s first term which extended from January 2017 through January 2021.

Andy was particularly harsh with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and undersecretary Christopher Landau, referring to the latter as “El Quitavisas” (“The Visa Taker”).

Landau, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico during Trump’s first term, earned his “Quitavisas” moniker — and proudly embraced it — due to his aggressive policy of reviewing and revoking U.S. visas for foreign citizens who in his judgment mocked U.S. figures, glorified violence or participated in political corruption.

In recent months, Landau has orchestrated a sweep that revoked visas for over 50 Mexican politicians, most of them linked to the ruling Morena party for which Andy had been the secretary of organization until resigning in July to prepare a run for office next year.

Members of the opposition National Action Party were quick to demand that the Federal Attorney General’s Office initiate an investigation into Andy’s potential involvement in fuel theft and influence trafficking, while insisting the Financial Intelligence Unit investigate his finances.

For her part, President Claudia Sheinbaum dismissed the revocation of Andy’s visa as “a politically motivated decision aimed at interfering in Mexico’s internal affairs.”

With reports from El País, Animal Político, La Jornada and The Associated Press

El Jalapeño: Mexico and Japan to collaborate on new sargassum-themed restaurant chain

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El Jalapeno
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A new Mexico-Japan venture puts Riviera Maya sargassum on the plate, proving that with enough lime and luxury branding, even an ecological crisis can be served tableside. (This image was generated using AI tools)

All stories in El Jalapeño are satire and not real news. Check out the original article here.

MEXICO CITY — Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Japan announced a revolutionary diplomatic initiative Monday, confirming plans to address the Caribbean sargassum crisis by launching a nationwide chain of high-end, eco-conscious restaurants centered entirely around the invasive macroalgae.

The venture, which will be called Sargassyum!, aims to rebrand the thousands of tons of brown seaweed washing ashore in Quintana Roo into a luxury dining experience. According to official project briefs, Japan will provide state-of-the-art culinary expertise in marine botany (aka phycogastronomy), while Mexico will supply the virtually limitless, self-replenishing inventory directly from the surf.

people collecting seaweedat the beach
The new restaurant chain will never run out of ingredients, per economic analysts, ensuring long-term profitability. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

“For years, tourists have complained that sargassum ruins the iconic turquoise views of the Riviera Maya,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Fernando Morales during a press conference in the capital. “Through this strategic partnership with our Japanese allies, we are changing the narrative. Guests will no longer look at the shore and see an ecological nuisance; they will see an all-you-can-eat raw bar.”

Initial menu concepts, developed by a joint diplomatic culinary task force, feature dishes such as sargassum tempura, tacos de microalgas Ensenada-Style, and a signature tableside guacamole infused with harvest-fresh sea biomass. Project engineers confirmed that specialized Japanese sensors will monitor ocean currents to deliver live, real-time updates to restaurant kitchen monitors, ensuring the morning’s catch goes from tide line to taco plate in under 20 minutes.

Industry analysts expect the business model to achieve unprecedented profit margins due to negligible supply chain overhead. “Most restaurant chains spend millions securing reliable produce,” noted Mexico City economic analyst Sofia Delgado. “This chain features an automated, climate-driven supply chain that literally dumps tons of raw inventory directly onto the property twice a day.”

Diplomatic sources noted that while the initial rollout will focus on the popular Riviera Maya tourist corridor, future expansions may include a drive-thru model situated directly along beachfront boardwalks. Representatives from both nations expressed confidence that with sufficient lime juice and high-end branding, diners will comfortably overlook the texture and taste.

Check out our Jalapeño archive here.

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Peso breaks below 17 per dollar as the ‘super peso’ returns

By
MND Staff
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mexican bills
Breaking the 17-to-the-dollar barrier, even briefly, has signficant practical effects for the Mexican economy, in that it reinforces the strength of the local currency in international financial markets while also attracting investor attention. (Sandra Gabriel/Unsplash)

The Mexican peso broke the 17-unit-per-dollar floor and was trading at around 16.98 per U.S. dollar in wholesale transactions early Friday before inching up to just over the 17 mark near midday.

For two days, the peso had flirted with dipping below 17, a milestone that reinforces the strength of the local currency in international financial markets while also attracting investor attention.

The exchange rate Friday was 16.9965 pesos per dollar before 8 a.m. Mexico City time. According to the financial portal Bloomberg, the rate represents an appreciation of 0.20% for the peso, equivalent to a drop of 3.39 cents for the U.S. dollar.

The last time the intraday exchange rate fell below 17 was on June 3, 2024, the day after the elections in which President Claudia Sheinbaum and the Morena party won in a landslide. 

By midday Friday, the exchange rate had risen to 17.0389 to the dollar.

The Mexican currency closed on Thursday at 17.0431 pesos per “spot dollar,” appreciating by 0.13% compared to Wednesday’s close. Before Friday’s opening, the peso had gained ground against the dollar in four consecutive days — strengthening by 0.9% — and had appreciated by 5.2% on the year.

According to data from Mexico’s central bank (Banco de México or Banxico), the exchange rate fluctuated between a maximum of 17.07 and a minimum of 17.03 in Thursday’s interbank market.

“The return of the super peso is due to the global weakness of the dollar amid increased uncertainty in the U.S. economy,” Banamex analyst Paulina Anciola told El Universal newspaper.

Other issues impacting the exchange rate include the latest U.S. consumer inflation report (indicating inflation had been momentarily contained), a global environment of lower volatility and investor expectations about the direction of monetary policy of the U.S. Federal Reserve and Banxico.

Anciola also said the peso’s behavior is due to a greater global appetite for emerging market assets, as well as to the attractiveness of the long-term interest rate differential favoring Mexico. The differential is roughly 450 basis points in Mexico’s favor compared with the United States.

Is the peso punching above its weight? The results of our latest MND Peso Index™

“It would seem that the foreign exchange market has already internalized a significant part of the domestic uncertainty, both related to adjustments to the sovereign rating outlook, as well as in the trade arena in the face of the scenario of annual reviews of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA) and so far there have been no episodes of high volatility,” he said.

The private sector consensus forecasts a wholesale exchange rate of 17.90 pesos to the dollar by the end of this year, according to the latest Citigroup survey of 35 banks, brokerage firms and analysis groups.

However, there is evidence that the peso is overvalued. In the most recent MND Peso Index™, which compares prices of a basket of goods and services in Mexico and Dallas, Texas, the peso was found to be overvalued against the dollar by 2.4% in early August.

With reports from Informador, La Jornada and El Universal 

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