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Sheinbaum sees ‘political meaning’ in US visa revocations: Friday’s mañanera recapped

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MND Staff
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After AMLO's son lost his U.S. visa, Sheinbaum called the wave of visa revocations targeting Mexican politicians "a form of interference in Mexican politics." (Presidencia)

Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds

  • 🇺🇸 270,000+ Mexicans deported since Trump’s second term began: The INM reported that 271,193 Mexicans were repatriated from the U.S. between Jan. 20, 2025 and Aug. 13, 2026 — 171,508 by land and 99,685 by air on 816 flights, with over 80% of air arrivals landing in Villahermosa or Tapachula.

  • 🗺️ Chiapas tops deportee origins: Nearly 9% of repatriated Mexicans (23,915) are from Chiapas, followed by Guanajuato, Guerrero, Veracruz and Oaxaca.

  • ⚠️ Visa revocations have “political meaning,” Sheinbaum says: Asked about the U.S. stripping visas from Morena officials — including AMLO’s son López Beltrán and Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila — Sheinbaum called it interference in Mexican politics, arguing the U.S. isn’t applying the same standard across Latin America.

  • 🚫 “Nothing against the president’s son”: Sheinbaum said there is no case against López Beltrán over fuel smuggling allegations. She said that Mexico won’t shield anyone who committed a crime but also won’t open an investigation just because the U.S. revoked a visa.

Why today’s mañanera matters 

At her Friday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed issues related to Mexico’s relationship with the United States.

One was deportations of Mexicans from the United States since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House in early 2025. While the Trump administration has pursued an aggressive deportation agenda, the number of Mexicans expelled from the U.S. last year was, in fact, lower than in each of the years of the Biden administration.

President Sheinbaum at her morning press conference
U.S. relations were a major focus of Friday’s presser, as President Sheinbaum shared deportation statistics and commented on visa revocations. (Presidencia)

Another important issue related to the Mexico-U.S. relationship that Sheinbaum spoke about on Friday morning was the U.S. government’s revocation of visas of Mexican officials affiliated with the ruling Morena party. Her remarks came after one of the sons of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), Andrés Manuel López Beltrán, revealed on Thursday that he had been stripped of his U.S. visa. In a letter addressed to Trump, López Beltrán claimed that the revocation of his visa was politically motivated.

The United States’ cancelation of Mexican officials’ visas adds to the current tension in the bilateral relationship, which has been strained by the CIA’s alleged participation in a drug lab raid in Chihuahua in April without the knowledge and authorization of the Mexican government, U.S. prosecutors’ drug trafficking accusations against Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and other Morena party officials and the Trump administration’s decision to not renew the USMCA, among other issues.

A Morena party governor and Morena mayors are among the Mexican officials who have lost their U.S. visas. The Los Angeles Times reported in June that two other Morena governors have also “been stripped of their U.S. visas amid criminal probes,” but that reporting has not been confirmed.

López Beltrán’s revelation that his U.S. visa has been revoked is another headache for Sheinbaum given that the cancelation inevitably arouses, or increases, suspicions that the ex-president’s son — formerly a top Morena official — has engaged in criminal activities. The president owes at least some of her political success to AMLO, who was her political mentor for years.

Regarding the case against Rocha, Sheinbaum has endorsed the view of the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) that the United States hasn’t presented hard evidence that would warrant the extradition of the governor to the U.S. She reiterated that position on Friday.

More than 270,000 Mexicans deported from US during Trump’s second term 

At the start of the press conference, Sheinbaum told reporters that the government would provide an update on the number of Mexicans “deported or repatriated” to Mexico from the United States during Trump’s second term in office.

She noted that some Mexicans are sent to Mexico on flights that arrive in southern Mexico or at the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA). Others, Sheinbaum acknowledged, are deported directly across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Wherever deported Mexicans arrive, “there is a place to receive them — a Mexico Embraces You space,” she said, referring to centers set up by the government to temporarily house deportees and provide them with a range of assistance and care before they set off to start new lives in Mexico.

Sergio Salomón Céspedes, director of the National Institute of Migration (INM), reported that 271,193 Mexicans were repatriated from the U.S. between Jan. 20, 2025 — the date Trump began his second term — and Aug. 13, 2026.

He said that 171,508 of the deportees entered Mexico by land while the other 99,685 flew into the country.

Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez shares a presentation of numbers related to the Mexico Embraces You program
Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez said the Mexico Embraces You (México te abraza) program has served hundreds of thousands of meal to returning citizens, as well as providing physical and mental health services, travel stipends and social security registration assistance. (Presidencia)

Céspedes said that the latter cohort arrived on 816 flights that touched down at 10 airports: Villahermosa, Tapachula, AIFA, Tulum, Mexico City, Mérida, Oaxaca, Morelia, Campeche and San Luis Potosí.

Data presented by the INM chief showed that over 80% of the deportees transported to Mexico by air arrived either in Villahermosa or Tapachula. The former city is the capital of Tabasco, while the latter is in Chiapas near the southern state’s border with Guatemala.

Céspedes also presented data that showed that 23,915 of the deportees are originally from Chiapas, a figure that represents almost 9% of the total number of Mexicans repatriated since January 2025. The next most common states of origin of deportees are Guanajuato, Guerrero, Veracruz and Oaxaca.

Sheinbaum: U.S. government’s revocation of visas has a ‘political meaning’

A reporter asked the president about the U.S. government’s cancelation of the U.S. visa of López Beltrán, a former secretary of organization for Morena who is now aiming to be elected as a federal deputy at elections next year. Among the other officials who represent Morena — the party founded by AMLO — and who have also been stripped of their U.S. visas is Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda, who in a recently-leaked telephone conversation said she was willing to cooperate with U.S. authorities, apparently in order to avoid possible criminal charges in the United States and extradition to that country

Sheinbaum said that her opinion is that “this cancelation of visas … essentially has a political meaning because it’s not at the same level for all countries” in the region, various of which have right-wing governments that earlier this year joined a “counter cartel coalition” established by the United States.

“… We can do a review of what happens in other countries of Latin America and what happens in our country,” she said, tacitly expressing her view that Mexicans and indeed Mexico are being specifically targeted by U.S. authorities.

“This is a form of interference in Mexican politics. This is my opinion because I don’t see another reason,” Sheinbaum said.

“And who uses this [for their advantage]? The Mexican right,” she said, referring to parties such as the National Action Party.

The Mexican right, Sheinbaum added, is becoming “increasingly subservient to the United States.”

Sheinbaum: ‘There is nothing against the president’s son’

Later in the press conference, a reporter asked the president whether she had any information linking López Beltrán to an investigation into a tax evasion/fuel smuggling (huachicol fiscal) scheme.

“There is nothing against the president’s son,” Sheinbaum responded.

“If there was an FGR investigation, we, as I have said, are not going to provide cover for anyone if they committed a crime,” she said.

“But nor are we going to open an investigation because the United States takes away a visa,” Sheinbaum added.

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

Beyond mezcal and tequila: 5 traditional drinks with pre-Columbian roots

By
MND Staff
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Mexican corn-based beverages
Many of Mexico's most traditional drinks, like much of its traditional food, comes from corn. (Fundación Tortilla)

Beyond tequila and mezcal, Mexico hides a universe of traditional drinks that are little known outside of the regions where they originated. These beverages tend to have pre-Columbian roots and are made from corn dough, featuring varied ingredients including cacao, wildflowers, fruits and more.

Indeed, there’s a lot more than meets the eye in Mexico’s gastronomy scene. Here are some of the lesser-known Mexican beverages that you’ve probably never heard of.

Pozol 

 

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Hailing from Mexico’s Maya region, pozol is one of the country’s most celebrated pre-Columbian non-alcoholic beverages, still enjoyed by many today.

With a thick consistency and brownish color, this beverage was highly praised in pre-Columbian times as a source of stamina for Indigenous travelers, providing nourishment and quenching thirst in the humid conditions of Mexico’s south.

The drink is prepared by cooking corn with lime, rinsing it, and grinding it to create a dough, which is then whisked into water until fully dissolved.

Nowadays, there are many varieties of pozol — all of them featuring an earthy flavor. The most popular types of pozol include brown pozol (with cacao), white pozol (without cacao), sweet potato pozol and sour pozol (with fermented corn).

The beverage is served cold.

Where to find it? Southern and southeastern Mexico, primarily in the markets of Chiapas, Tabasco, Veracruz, Oaxaca and the Yucatán Peninsula, including Yucatán and Quintana Roo.

Tascalate 

Traditional in Chiapas, tascalate is made from toasted corn, cacao, chile and axiote, among other ingredients. (Pequeño mar/Wikimedia Commons)

Originally made from toasted corn, cacao, chile and achiote, Indigenous communities in pre-Columbian times associated tascalate with religious properties and love, believing it fostered the blossoming of affection.

Following the Spanish conquistadors’ arrival in the region, new ingredients like cinnamon, annatto and piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar) were added to the mix, resulting in a sweet beverage, lightly spiced and smoky.

The drink, whose name comes from the Náhuatl taxcalatl, meaning “tortilla water,” is traditionally made by toasting tortillas or corn, which are then ground into a fine powder before they’re mixed with cocoa, cinnamon, annatto and sugar.

The resulting reddish-orange powder is then dissolved in water or milk, whisked to create a frothy texture, and served cold.

Where to find it? Despite efforts to commercialize it beyond its borders, tascalate is only produced in the southern state of Chiapas, where it is sold in markets, traditional restaurants and public squares.

Chone 

Originally from southern Mexico, chone is a thick, reddish and aromatic beverage primarily made from cooked corn and a wide variety of ingredients including guajillo chile, rosita de cacao (cacao flower), achiote, pixtle (mamey seeds) and piloncillo.

Featuring sweet notes, a floral-vanilla aroma and the mild, smoky heat of the guajillo chile, chone is a celebratory drink reserved for special occasions like religious ceremonies and community gatherings.

To prepare it, corn kernels are boiled in water, ground and mixed again with water to form a light dough. This dough is returned to the heat and is later strained through a cloth napkin to achieve a finer texture.

Where to find it? Chone is only found in the state of Oaxaca, with a strong popularity in the communities of Santa María Atzompa, San Bartolo Coyotepec and Villa de Zaachila.

Tepache

Tepache
Beat the heat with a refreshing glass of tepache, made from fermented pineapple rind. (X, formerly Twitter)

The increasingly popular tepache is a lightly fermented and fizzy drink with a dominant flavor of ripe pineapple, piloncillo and spices that originated in pre-Columbian times and was used as a medicinal elixir for the sick and frail.

With sweet and sour notes, tepache is the only alcoholic beverage on this list — albeit with less than 2% alcohol.

Indigenous communities from different parts of Mexico prepared it in the original way using tender corn, for which it was named tepatli, meaning “corn drink.” Nowadays, tepache is prepared with pineapple instead of corn, and thanks to its low alcohol content, it is thought more of as a refreshing beverage rather than an alcoholic drink.

Tepache’s preparation is so easy that it can be made at home without any special equipment: The pineapple rinds are placed in water with sugar or piloncillo, and the mixture is left to ferment for around three to five days at room temperature.

Following the fermentation process, the beverage is strained to remove the rinds and spices and is served with ice.

Where to find it? Tepache’s growing popularity means it’s relatively easy to find across the country, including in grocery shops.

Tejuino

Glass of Mexican tejuino
Tejuino is a traditional Mexican drink made from fermented corn, piloncillo, water, lime and salt. (Shutterstock)

Tejuino is a slushy, sweet and tangy drink reminiscent of a very mild, refreshing and slightly fermented corn beer.

Originally from western Mexico, tejuino is made with nixtamalized corn dough, piloncillo and water, and is served cold with lime, salt and ice. Even though it is a fermented beverage, it has nearly zero alcohol content, which is why this refreshing drink is enjoyed by children and adults alike.

The base is nixtamalized corn dough that is diluted with water, cooked like a thick porridge and mixed with piloncillo before being left to ferment for 24 hours to several days, depending on the local tradition.

This brownish drink is served with lime juice, coarse salt and ice or nieve de garrafa de limón (Mexican lime sorbet).

Where to find it? In markets and public squares of the states of Jalisco, Nayarit and Colima.

Gabriela Solís 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.

María Félix hated this portrait by Diego Rivera. Then it vanished

By
Andrea Fischer
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María Félix portrait by Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera's famed 1949 portrait of icon of Mexican cinema María Félix has a long and storied history ... and is now missing. (Amazon)

María Félix was not happy when she received the work of art. After commissioning a portrait of herself from Diego Rivera, the legendary Mexican muralist, she had high expectations of the finished work — which, at first, were definitely not met.

Mexico’s Golden Age film icon wanted to be depicted as a Tehuana woman, with the classical headpiece and garments. However, Rivera did not agree: His beloved Frida Kahlo had already portrayed herself as such, and he had another vision for the portrait of “La Doña,” as Félix was known.

Frida Kahlo photo in Tehuana dress
Frida Kahlo had made a point of representing herself as a Tehuana woman, although she did not come from that culture. (Bernard Silberstein)

Everyone knew Diego was working on that project. With both of them at the peak of Latin American stardom, it was difficult to keep the secret. How is it possible, then, that a portrait of María Félix, hand-painted by Diego Rivera, disappeared for so many years? This is the story of a cursed painting that, as only happens in Mexico, is still missing.

A matter of artistic sympathies

It was well known that La Doña was strong-willed. Filmmakers, photographers and artists of various kinds found that she wanted to do things her way — and no other way. Even Rivera, with his long history of love affairs and alleged fame among women of the time, had difficulty working with her on this piece.

It was 1949. Rivera summoned María Félix to his studio in San Ángel, where he was working on that and other artistic projects. Upon seeing the finished work, La Doña could not hide her displeasure: It was not what she had asked for.

It wasn’t the first time Félix had asked to be portrayed. Immersed as she was in the Mexican art scene, she rubbed shoulders with majestic women, such as Leonora Carrington, Leonor Fini and Remedios Varo, the great witches of Mexican surrealism. All of them, moreover, had made portraits of La Doña who, according to the María Félix Foundation, had celebrated their work as being of global stature.

The case of Diego Rivera’s painting was very different. Although Félix wanted Rivera to portray her as a figure of national pride — the perfect Mexican woman — the muralist had other plans: He was determined to follow his own style (and leave Félix’s suggestions behind). It was no surprise, then, that the portrait struck her as abhorrent. Not only had he not painted her as a Tehuana, as she had requested, but she was also depicted half-naked with her breasts exposed. Years later, in an interview with journalist Jacobo Zabludovsky, the Mexican actress confessed that she “didn’t like Diego’s style, just as she didn’t like Frida Kahlo’s.”

The Mexican actress eventually agreed to the portrait. Only because they were friends, she told Rivera, only for that reason.

Stains of white paint

Although it was well known that Rivera and Félix were good friends, she was certain that the muralist was in love with her. (INAH)

Although she accepted Rivera’s commission, María Félix wasn’t happy with the result. To avoid having her breasts exposed, according to gossip, she asked a mason to apply white paint over the lace Rivera had originally painted. The muralist never found out about this alteration, but only then did La Doña feel comfortable with the portrait. So much so, according to her foundation, that she kept it on display in her living room for years.

As a woman with an extremely high opinion of herself, La Doña was certain that Diego Rivera was in love with her. And it may well be true. Who wasn’t, back then? Strong, self-assured, lucid and talented, she captivated the Mexican art scene with her presence.

Some time after the painting was delivered, Diego Rivera asked María Félix to lend it to him for a portrait exhibition he was organizing. The actress flatly refused, knowing that she had altered the portrait without the artist’s consent.

A short time later, she sold the piece to Dr. José Álvarez Amézquita, who was then building his career in Mexican healthcare politics. What difference would it make, the actress thought. After all, she didn’t even like the portrait, and it was already causing problems at home: Her husband at the time, Alexander Berger, didn’t like the painting either. Unbeknownst to them at the moment, that purchase would cause the painting to wander for decades, until it disappeared from the map completely.

Another pop culture icon buys the painting

Dr. Álvarez Amézquita was not the last owner of the portrait Diego Rivera painted of María Félix. In the 1970s, years after Frida and Diego’s deaths, songwriter and performer Juan Gabriel bought the painting for 15 million pesos. As a devoted admirer of the actress since his youth, he could not have been happier to have the coveted painting in his personal collection.

After acquiring the painting, he wrote “María de Todas las Marías,” and even compared her to the Virgin of Guadalupe. The Mexican public forgave the blasphemy.

María Félix with the Diego Rivera portrait of her which hung in her home
María Félix with her altered version of the portrait, which for many years hung in her living room. (INAH)

Like other eccentricities, the painting remained in the possession of Juan Gabriel’s family for decades. It wasn’t until his untimely death from a heart attack in 2016 that the portrait of María Félix disappeared. Amid the turmoil, confusion and grief over the icon’s loss, the artwork vanished, its whereabouts unknown for the past 10 years.

A national treasure is missing

Much of the investigation revolved around Juan Gabriel’s universal heir, Iván Gabriel. As his only recognized biological son, it was natural that his possessions would remain in his name. However, he for a time had no control over the US $45 million estate his father left — among which was María Félix’s portrait by Diego Rivera.

In 2020, with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a glimmer of hope emerged in the case. Lawyer Guillermo Pous claimed that the painting was in the possession of César Duarte, the controversial Mexican politician. It was never known if he actually had it.

One version suggests that Juan Gabriel’s family sold the portrait to Duarte. However, if this were the case, given the historical and artistic significance of the piece, the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL) would have been required to receive notification. Another version indicates that the painting remains in the possession of Gabriel’s family, in one of their properties in New York or Las Vegas.

Be that as it may, the piece is still missing. Perhaps the fact that María Félix did not want it displayed cast a spell over Diego Rivera’s portrait of her — never to be seen again, not by her, not by anyone.

Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.

Mexico has a trash-dumping problem. Could this new clean-up project from Monterrey be the fix?

By
MND Staff
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Monterrey Tec students and researchers face the monumental task of cleaning up a waterway that's been used as a trash-dump for years. They have a plan. (Monterrey Tec)

You see it across Mexico — on roadways, over vacant lots and along waterways.  But a new project aims to create a model that could help cities tackle the nation’s illegal trash-dumping problem.

In the northern state of Nuevo León, a Tecnológico de Monterrey project is testing whether data, cleanup campaigns and community participation can turn one trash-strewn stream into a model for urban restoration.

Several boys in blue bibs planting and digging on a riverbed in Monterrey, beside trash
One of the first orders of business in a massive cleanup job is to know what it is that you’re trying to get rid of. In the case of the Arroyo Seco-San Augustín waterway, plastics make up more than 70% of the debris, with textiles, tires and construction rubble making up most of the rest. (Tecnológico de Monterrey)

The Arroyo Vivo initiative focuses on the 13-kilometer Arroyo Seco-San Agustín, a waterway where several sections have become illegal dumping grounds. The stream begins in the mountains above Monterrey and flows through the city before joining the La Silla River.

During 16 cleanup days since the project launched in late 2022, Tec de Monterrey researchers and volunteers have removed 21 tons of waste, finding that plastics made up more than 70% of the debris. Textiles, tires and construction rubble were also common.

The project plans to use algorithms to analyze street-level images and photographs submitted by residents, helping identify and estimate the volume of waste along the stream.

It also aims to create a biological corridor along the waterway, benefiting wildlife and nearby residents. Restoring the stream could also reduce pollution and help limit flooding risks in communities along its route during heavy rains.

Researchers are developing three-, five- and 10-year plans, while acknowledging that full ecosystem restoration could take decades.

“It’s a platform with a long-term vision,” said Nélida Escobedo, a Tec researcher. “We’re looking to consolidate a replicable intervention model that will trigger a process of ecological, social and urban regeneration in Arroyo Seco.” 

The problem, of course, reaches far beyond Monterrey. Mexico City officials identified 889 illegal dumps in February, nearly half in the Cuauhtémoc, Iztapalapa and Miguel Hidalgo boroughs.

Nationally, 21% of municipal solid waste was deposited at uncontrolled sites in 2012, according to a 2015 environmental report by Semarnat, Mexico’s Environment Ministry.

The report found that 90% of metropolitan areas used sanitary landfills or controlled disposal sites, but only 4.5% of rural and semi-urban localities used sanitary landfills or controlled disposal sites.

An earlier Semarnat report, using 2011 data, put the rural and semi-urban figure at 13%.

With reports from TecScience and La Jornada

Sheinbaum, Goldman Sachs executive discuss Plan México investment at high-level meeting

By
MND Staff
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President Sheinbaum meets with Goldman Sachs President John Waldron in the National Palace
President Sheinbaum and Finance Minister Edgar Amador hosted Goldman Sachs President John Waldron at the National Palace on Tuesday. (Claudia Sheinbaum/X)

Details surrounding Mexico’s ambitious goals of becoming the world’s 10th largest economy were tabled at a Tuesday meeting between President Claudia Sheinbaum and Golden Sachs president John E. Waldron.

Plan México, the government’s flagship national economic and industrial policy, seeks to create 1.5 million new jobs, reduce imports from Asia, raise total investment to over 25% of GDP, alleviate poverty and create more specialized jobs. The plan also aims to see the Mexican economy soar from the 15th largest in the world to enter the top 10. 

The high-level meeting between President Sheinbaum, senior executive Waldron and Mexican finance minister Edgar Amador Zamora took place at the National Palace, in Mexico’s Historic Center. In a post on her official X account, Sheinbaum shared a photograph of the meeting and explained that they discussed the country’s “favorable perception” and the “good investment opportunities” offered by Plan México. 

However, no further details regarding investments, specific projects or agreements were shared after the meeting. 

Bold plan for future Mexico

Sheinbaum’s bold economic agenda was launched in January 2025 to support and protect Mexican industries amid threats to homegrown manufacturing and local industries caused by globalization. 

One think tank, México ¿cómo vamos?, has questioned whether these lofty goals were on track. In a report published early this year, it found stagnant economic growth and job losses in manufacturing sectors. On a positive note, however, the think tank found improvements in the reduction of poverty for everyday Mexicans. 

“Mexico can advance … [toward the achievement of] these goals if we provide greater legal certainty, openness to investment in the energy sector, and a more robust rule of law,” the MCV report concluded.

Against this backdrop, Sheinbaum’s dialogue with Goldman Sachs served as an opportunity to promote the country to one of the world’s leading investment banking firms. 

Goldman Sachs first moved operations to Mexico in 1994. Since then, it has participated in debt and equity transactions, as well as mergers and acquisitions involving both private companies and public entities.

With reports from El Universal

Avocado operations fully resume in Michoacán after export pause

By
MND Staff
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1
avocados
The U.S. had stopped Mexico from exporting avocados due to threats to the security of inspectors in Michoacán. The move did not lead to any serious rift, but instead both sides talked it out. (Facebook)

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson on Wednesday announced the full resumption of official U.S. government activities — including the processing of avocado exports — in the state of Michoacán.

In a social media post, Johnson said that security measures implemented by the Mexican government led to a positive evaluation of conditions on site, though officials will continue to monitor the situation and adjust operations as needed.

Avocado growing may be a rural, even pastoral, enterprise, but the processing for export requires modern facilities and state-of-the-art equipment. (Adeac)

“I commend the Government of Mexico, particularly its Security Cabinet, for the actions and close coordination that made this full and efficient resumption possible,” he said. “Our priority remains the safety of U.S. personnel and the people of Michoacán.”

The U.S. — which absorbs more than 80 percent of Mexican avocado production — had suspended avocado imports from Michoacán on Aug. 5 due to unspecified “threats” to U.S. interests. It marked the third time in just over four years the avocado trade had been interrupted for security reasons, generating considerable concern among producers and packers due to the importance of the U.S. market for Michoacán’s so-called “green gold.”

In response to the suspension, the Michoacán state government deployed an additional 300 security operatives to avocado-growing regions and, the following day, the federal government ordered more than 1,500 soldiers to Michoacán.

Among the actions implemented were the installation of control points in 17 strategic packing plants and in 29 producing municipalities, while a new intelligence center was established in the city of Uruapan, often referred to as the avocado capital of the world.

Two days later, the suspension was partially lifted. 

Johnson said the outcome of the past week’s developments demonstrates that the security and prosperity of the two neighboring nations can be strengthened by effective cooperation.

Working together, he said, protects the public, food production, supply chains and legitimate trade. He called it “a tangible result of the cooperation advanced by President Trump and President Sheinbaum.”

In contrast, the U.S. Embassy also reiterated its official travel advisory for Michoacán, which designates the state a “Level 4 – Do Not Travel” area.

The Embassy reminded U.S. citizens of some measures they should take if traveling to the western state.

  • Monitor local media for updates
  • Keep family and friends informed of your location and well-being via phone, text and social media
  • Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
  • Call 911 in case of emergency
  • Contact the U.S. Embassy if you need assistance

With reports from El Universal, Informador and Meganoticias

Oaxaca was the right choice for my one big Mexico trip. A review by MND’s summer intern

By
Jared Tucker
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7
Hierve el Agua in Oaxaca.
Hierve el Agua in Oaxaca. (Unplash)

I was considering a lot of places for my one big trip while in Mexico. 

Six weeks ago, I arrived in San Miguel de Allende to start a nine-week journalism internship with Mexico News Daily. I had already travelled to Mexico City, Querétaro and Guanajuato. But there was still so much I had not seen and so many places I wanted to explore. 

I could have gone to one of Mexico’s iconic coastal cities. I could have gone to the Sierra Gorda or visited the caves at Tolantongo, but I landed on Oaxaca. 

The southern Mexican city is world-famous for its historic colonial center, ancient ruins, local cuisine and landscape. It had everything I was looking for in a weekend excursion — and a new direct flight from Querétaro made the trip seamless. 

But once I landed I immediately started to wonder if the city would live up to my lofty expectations, especially after Travel + Leisure magazine rated it the fifth best city in the world. Would the weather cooperate? Would I be impressed with the colonial center after living in San Miguel de Allende? Would Monte Albán — a massive archaeological site adorned with Zapotec pyramids — be too crowded to enjoy?

The most apparent thing when I stepped out of Oaxaca’s minuscule international airport was that it was very different from other cities I had visited in Mexico. It has not adapted for the comfort of international tourists with luxury hotels or pristine streets. It is rugged and sometimes dirty. There is more of an emphasis on adventure than in places like Cancún or San Miguel de Allende, which offer more relaxing vacations. 

Oaxaca is also the third-poorest state in Mexico, with over half of the population living on less than US $62 per month, according to the Borgen Project. Dilapidated infrastructure is commonplace, the poverty of some towns is eye-opening and the social exclusion experienced in the state is evident — not a comfortable experience for a lot of tourists. 

But my experience still lived up to my expectations, and sometimes even blew them out of the water. 

After spending almost two months living in San Miguel and taking a trip to Guanajuato, I did not find Oaxaca’s colonial city center to be particularly impressive. However, it is still full of colorful streets and ornate architecture where massive Catholic churches dominate the skyline. The most impressive church — the Temple of Santo Domingo de Guzmán — features the Museum of Oaxacan Cultures, which is filled with artifacts thousands of years old and features incredible views of the surrounding gardens and mountains. 

The Temple of Santo Domingo de Guzmán is an inimitable Oaxacan spectacle.
The Temple of Santo Domingo de Guzmán is an inimitable Oaxacan spectacle. (Wikimedia Commons)

But the real adventure came the day after I arrived when I boarded a van headed for Hierve el Agua, an incredible rock formation about 90 minutes east of the city with natural hot springs and otherworldly calcified waterfalls. The tour also stopped at ancient ruins as well as mezcal and textile factories. It was a long 12-hour tour, but the unbelievable views and immersion into Oaxaca’s unique culture were well worth it. 

That is the intrigue of Oaxaca: its Indigenous roots are on display everywhere throughout the city, from the street art throughout Centro to the alebrijes lining the artisan shops to the unique food and dress. And just beyond, you’ll find wondrous access to nature. Oaxaca is also one of the few places in Mexico where residents openly speak Zapotec and Mixtec in addition to Spanish. It is an experience that truly cannot be replicated because it is unique to Oaxaca itself.

And the history is some of the oldest in the world. Oaxaca — along with most of southern Mexico — is considered one of six cradles of civilization in the world, where farming was developed independently. The Zapotec people have lived in Oaxaca for thousands of years — with some Monte Alban pyramids dating back 2,500 years.

So did Oaxaca live up to the expectations? Absolutely.

Jared Tucker is a summer intern at Mexico News Daily in San Miguel de Allende and a rising senior at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he is the sports editor for The Daily UW. He was previously a fellow at TheFulcrum.us, where he covered public participation in American democracy.

Why was Mexico’s military rescue brigade barred from entering Colombia? Thursday’s mañanera recapped

By
MND Staff
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Sheinbaum 13AUG26
President Sheinbaum had announced Wednesday that Mexican military personnel skilled in search and rescue would be providing assistance in rescue operations in Colombia after the earthquake on Monday. But at Thursday´s mañanera, she informed reporters that the Mexican rescuers were never able to travel to Colombia due to the refusal of their certification. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)

Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds

  • 🇨🇴 Mexican rescue brigade denied entry to Colombia: Sheinbaum clarified that, contrary to what she said Wednesday, the Mexican Army’s rescue brigade has not actually traveled to Colombia to assist the earthquake response, as the new government of President de la Espriella requested a certification it does not have. It remains ready to deploy.
  • 📦 Aid still flowing: Despite the rescue brigade holdup, Mexico is sending 58.5 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Colombia via Air Force flights this week.
  • 📰 Sheinbaum rejects PAN’s “right of reply” bill: Asked about opposition legislation seeking airtime to respond to statements made at the mañanera, Sheinbaum said the conference is “the people’s space” and that political parties should create their own spaces.
  • 📱 SIM card registration deadline looms: Saturday, Aug. 15 is the deadline for prepaid phone numbers ending in 0 to be linked to a verified identity. Sheinbaum said linking SIM cards to identities will help authorities investigate phone-based extortion.

Why today’s mañanera matters 

At her Thursday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed that the government of Colombia had not approved the entry of Mexican military personnel to assist the response to the earthquake on Monday that toppled buildings in various cities and towns in the South American country.

Reuters reported on Thursday morning that the death toll from the quake had risen to 265, according to the latest figures released by President Abelardo de la Espriella. “Authorities also reported 3,494 injured and 496 missing, as emergency teams continue searching for survivors in the rubble,” the news agency wrote.

Had the earthquake occurred during the presidency of Gustavo Petro, whose four-year term ended last week, rescue personnel from the Mexican military would likely have entered Colombia without any problem. Sheinbaum and Petro developed a close working relationship and are of the same political persuasion. In contrast, the new Colombian president was recently described by France 24 as a “far-right Trump fan.”

Even with Mexico’s official military brigade barred from entry, Colombians are receiving Mexican help in their rescue efforts, as independent volunteer groups such as the Topos are in the country, reportedly without official permission. (Pedro Anza/ Cuartoscuro)

Also of note at today’s mañanera was Sheinbaum’s response to a “right of reply” bill presented by the National Action Party (PAN).

El Heraldo de México reported on Wednesday that the bill aims to “regulate” Sheinbaum’s mañaneras via the issuance of a new law called the Social Communication Law for the Federal Executive Power. The draft law, El Heraldo reported, seeks to “guarantee the right of reply” for citizens who are “slandered” during the president’s weekday press conferences.

Mexican military personnel denied entry to Colombia 

At the start of her press conference, Sheinbaum noted that she said on Wednesday that a brigade of Mexican Army rescuers had traveled to Colombia to assist the response to the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the South American country on Monday.

She clarified that the brigade had not in fact traveled to Colombia.

“They asked for certification,” Sheinbaum said, referring to the government of Colombia, led since last Friday by President de la Espriella.

She said that the Mexican Army rescue brigade “is certified” but the Colombian government is asking for “another certification.”

“… To clarify, the rescue brigade of the National Defense Ministry was not approved by the government of Colombia. It is ready to leave at any time,” Sheinbaum said.

She reiterated that Mexico is sending humanitarian aid to Colombia. Sheinbaum said on Wednesday that the Mexican Air Force would deliver a total of 58.5 tonnes of Mexican aid, including food, medicine and other essential goods, to the South American country this week.

Sheinbaum: Political parties ‘should create their own information space’

A reporter asked the president about the “right of reply” bill put forward by the PAN, Mexico’s main opposition party.

“What they argue in their bill is [that they should] have the same space, with the same dissemination as the mañanera,” the reporter said.

“… They want their right of reply [to statements made at the mañanera] in a space with the same ratings. Will the president’s office be open to this?” she asked.

Sheinbaum responded that “everyone has their own space.”

“This is a space for the people,” she said.

The president had some advice for Mexicans wondering what to do if their cell phones are cut off for not complying with the registration requirement: “They can recover their line simply by registering.” (Unsplash)

“It’s the mañanera of the people. It’s a space where the government of Mexico exercises the responsibility to inform the people,” Sheinbaum said.

“If people watch us it’s because they like the mañanera,” she said. “If they didn’t like it, they wouldn’t watch us.”

Sheinbaum noted that the mañanera — transmitted every weekday from 7:30 a.m. — is one of the most watched live programs on social media.

“This has to do with the way in which we inform … [and] that the people are attentive,” she said.

“A political party can do it as well. They have their right to do so, but each in their own space,” Sheinbaum said.

“… This is the space for the mañanera of the people. If the PAN, the PRI or even Morena wants to have their own space, they should create their own information space,” she said.

“If they don’t have [good] ratings, well, what are we going to do?”

The first deadline to register pre-paid cell phones is this Saturday

A reporter asked the president whether cell phone lines would be cut off this Saturday, as Aug. 15 is the deadline for people with pre-paid numbers ending in 0 to link their personal identity to their number. Pre-paid cell phone users can do so by completing a registration process with their telephone companies.

The reporter said that some 8 million people haven’t yet registered their pre-paid cell phones.

Sheinbaum said that anyone whose telephone service is cut can “recover their line simply by registering.”

“Why was this done? … One of the problems we have in some entities of the republic is extortion. … A lot of these threats are made by telephone,” she said.

Sheinbaum said that having pre-paid phones linked to people’s identity will assist authorities in their investigations into telephone extortion.

“… We’re one of the few countries in the world, maybe the only one, where a SIM card is not linked to a person. So what is being asked? That when you buy a SIM card … you provide your identity in order to take care of each other,” she said.

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

June tourist numbers fall short of World Cup expectations

By
MND Staff
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1
Korean fans wear sombreros reading "Viva Korea" at Guadalajara Stadium at the June 18 match between South Korea and Mexico.
Korean fans at Guadalajara Stadium at the June 18 match between South Korea and Mexico. (Edgar Negrete Lira / Cuartoscuro)

The tourism boom Mexican authorities anticipated from co-hosting the FIFA men’s World Cup didn’t materialize, official data shows.

The national statistics agency INEGI reported on Thursday that 4.11 million international tourists came to Mexico in June, an increase of just 1.1% compared to the same month of last year. The term “international tourists” refers to visitors who spend at least one night in the country.

The year-over-year growth in international tourists was the lowest of any month so far this year, even though Mexico hosted 12 of its 13 World Cup games in June. (The 13th game was July 5.)

Mexican authorities had anticipated that the World Cup would bring up to to 5.5 million additional tourists to Mexico, but that prediction proved to be overly optimistic.

INEGI’s data shows that the number of international tourists who arrived in Mexico by air in June fell 5.3% annually to 1.75 million. Therefore, only 42.6% of the international tourists who came to Mexico in June flew into the country. The remaining 57.4% of international tourists entered the country by land from the United States, Guatemala or Belize.

International traveler numbers increased 2.1% in June, spending rose 5.9%

INEGI reported that just under 8.19 million international travelers came to Mexico in June, an increase of 2.1% compared to the same month of last year. The term “international travelers” refers to both international tourists and international day-trippers.

In June, 4.07 million international day-trippers — including cruise ship visitors — came to Mexico, a 3.2% annual increase. That figure represents 49.8% of the total number of international travelers to Mexico last month. The remaining 50.2% were international tourists.

The most positive takeaway from INEGI’s latest tourism data is that international travelers’ spending in Mexico increased 5.9% annually to US $2.91 billion in June. In May, expenditure declined 0.3% annually.

Spending by international tourists increased 6.3% annually to $2.65 billion in June, representing 91.1% of the total. Spending by international day-trippers increased 1.5% annually to $259 million.

The average expenditure in Mexico of international tourists in June was $645.20 per person, an annual increase of 5.2%. Among international tourists who arrived by air, the outlay per person was almost double at $1,283.80, an annual increase of 9.6%.

International day-trippers spent an average of just $63.50 per person during their visits in June, an annual decrease of 1.7%. Within that category, spending in Mexico by cruise ship passengers was higher at $87 per person, a 7% annual increase.

At President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Thursday morning press conference, Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez said that spending by international travelers in June was the highest this year.

President Sheinbaum and Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez share tourism data for June 2026 at the August 13 mañanera press conference
Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez shared INEGI’s most recent tourism data at President Sheinbaum’s Thursday morning press conference. (Presidencia)

While the overall growth in tourists was modest, she highlighted that visitors from some countries increased significantly in annual terms in June, including Japan (+131.7%); Australia (+89.1%); Colombia (+74.4%); Ecuador (+62.6%); and South Korea (+46.7%).

The national soccer teams from four of those five countries played World Cup matches in Mexico in June. Australia was the only team that didn’t play a match in the country.

The US was the top source of international ‘non-border’ tourists  

INEGI published data that showed that 2.2 million of the 4.11 million international tourists who came to Mexico in June were “non-border tourists” — i.e. they spent at least one night in parts of the country not located near Mexico’s northern or southern borders.

Of those 2.2 million people, almost 1.53 million people, or 69.2% of the total, live in the United States.

INEGI also reported that in June:

  • 303,721 non-border international tourists came from South American and Caribbean countries. That figure represents 13.8% of the total.
  • 124,709 non-border international tourists came from Canada (5.7% of the total).
  • 99,180 non-border international tourists came from Central American countries (4.5% of the total).
  • 77,875 non-border international tourists came from European countries (3.5% of the total).
  • 43,400 non-border international tourists came from Asian countries (2% of the total).
  • 31,002 non-border international tourists came from “other regions” of the world (1.4% of the total).

Tourism minister presents record January-June tourism data 

At Sheinbaum’s Thursday press conference, Rodríguez also reported that a record high 51.1 million international travelers — including overnight visitors and day-trippers — came to Mexico in the first six months of 2026, an annual increase of 7.7%.

She said that numbers of international tourists (referring only to overnight visitors) also reached a record high at 24.5 million between January and June. That figure represents a 4.6% year-over-year increase.

Rodríguez reported that spending by international travelers increased 0.5% annually in the first six months of the year to reach a record high $18.78 billion.

Although the increase in spending was minimal, the tourism minister stressed that expenditure didn’t decline “despite the inflation affecting the United States and the increase in the cost of flights, especially long-distance ones.”

Rodríguez also reported that a record high 6.6 million cruise ship passengers visited Mexico in the first six months of the year, an annual increase of 15.2%. She said that “spending by cruise ship passengers, which is what we’re looking for,” was a record $575 million between January and June, an annual increase of 18.7%.

Rodríguez highlights increase in domestic tourism  

Rodríguez also reported that 53.6 million Mexicans spent at least one night in a hotel in Mexico in the first six months of the year. She said that figure represented an increase of 733,000 people compared to the same period of last year.

Rodríguez stressed the importance of domestic tourism to Mexican destinations.

“Not all destinations are filled with foreign tourists. Rather, a lot of them, 80% of them, depend on us,” she said.

With reports from EFE and El Sol de México

How a Tijuana ceramicist turned desert animals into an interior design concept

By
Ana Paula De la Torre
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1
Two biege sculptures featuring what appears as dogs with black painted markings on blue background
Tijuana ceramicist Sócrates Medina has turned desert animals like these coyotes into a creative interior design concept. (Perro Y Arena)

When Sócrates Medina first started playing around with ceramics, he found it served a therapeutic purpose, helping to channel and manage the ADHD he’d been struggling with. However, he could never have imagined it would become a successful studio with international collaborators across various disciplines.

Medina founded Perro Y Arena, an aesthetic ceramics design studio, in 2018 while living in Los Angeles. Initially, the work was nothing more than a passion project. However, in 2021, the artist moved back to his native Tijuana, a border town roughly 140 miles south of L.A. in the Mexican state of Baja California, to turn his nascent hobby into a full-fledged career. 

 

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Since then, Medina’s creative universe has expanded through collaborations with artists, designers, other ceramic artisans and textile creators. The studio hosts pop-up events in cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, Tijuana and Mexico City.

From desert mythology to the world

Medina’s early ceramic sculptures were inspired by the profound connection between humans and dogs in Mexican culture, such as the once-nearly extinct hairless Colima dog, which Mesoamerican societies revered as a guardian in both the mortal and metaphysical planes.

The creatures Medina looked to largely came from the desert landscapes he calls home. The coyote, for example, has “symbolic significance in Tijuana as a symbol of the border,” Medina says, adding, “I really identify with this animal.”

Over time, his animals have grown more fantastical, borrowing elements not only from Mexican mythology, but also Greek and Egyptian art, while still maintaining an aesthetic defined by minimalist lines that echo desert landscapes as well as symbols from nahualism, or Indigenous shamanic traditions.

The desert as a muse

For Medina, the desert is a natural source of inspiration. 

“When I started focusing on a desert-like aesthetic with a Mediterranean, sandy palette and pale, warm colours, that’s when I began devoting myself 100% to the project,” he says.

Sandy desert colors are a key component in Medina’s design color palette, often juxtaposed with yellow or blue. (Perro Y Arena)

He’s experimented with other colors, such as yellow and blue, but always juxtaposed with his signature sand tone. 

Thematically, every piece evokes the desert’s mysticism. According to Perro Y Arena, the animal figurines invite the viewer “into a spiritual and mythological world where you can dance with coyotes and hares while serenading the moon.”

Living vicariously through his art

Medina’s connection to his craft goes beyond the art of creation. Rather, his pieces serve as something of an alter ego; each sculpture a vessel for personal reflection and quiet introspection.

He explained that when he first started creating his dogs, they represented states of being or attributes he desired for himself. He also feels a deep bond with them, viewing them as a living synthesis of rural and urban creatures.

But his ceramic designs also serve as a philosophical statement, often depicted engaged in meditative activities.

“It’s as if my characters do or become things that I want for myself. I want to be calm, to reflect and to enjoy a cup of coffee,” Medina says. “Sometimes I give them a tattoo or an earring that I’d like to have myself. They’re like a fantasy version of me, an alter ego.”

Ceramic dog sculpture from Perro Y Arena
Medina views the dogs so often used in ceramics as an alter ego and often gives them attributes or adornments he desires for himself. (Perro Y Arena)

Perro y Arena invites us to pause and enjoy the moment. “One of my favorite pieces is an incense holder,” Medina says. “The simple act of lighting and arranging incense is a reminder to make time for ourselves.”

Crows, rabbits, serpents, coyotes and dogs are all part of this unique, handmade collection, which captures a dynamic aesthetic with nothing more than a few lines.

Ana Paula de la Torre is a Mexican journalist and collaborator for various outlets, including Milenio, Animal Político, Vice, Newsweek en Español, Televisa and Mexico News Daily.

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