New Mexico-US security program is ‘good for the country,’ Sheinbaum says: Thursday’s mañanera recapped

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September 4, 2025

President Sheinbaum at the podium of her morning press conference — The new commitments include more intelligence sharing but no new troop deployments, President Sheinbaum said at her Thursday press conference. (Presidencia)

A new security cooperation program announced by the Mexican and U.S. governments on Wednesday was a key focus of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Thursday morning press conference.

Sheinbaum responded to several questions about the initiative, which was announced after the president met with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the National Palace in Mexico City on Wednesday morning.

The new Mexico-US security program is ‘good for the country,’ says Sheinbaum

Sheinbaum said that the “cooperation program on border security and law enforcement” that was announced on Wednesday entails collaboration and cooperation between Mexico and the United States “in various areas,” including intelligence and training.

She said that Mexico and the United States will share information with each other to help authorities combat criminal threats in their respective countries.

Mexican and U.S. authorities already share intelligence, but there now appears to be a joint commitment to ramp up that cooperation.

It also appears that more joint training exercises will take place.

Sheinbaum and Rubio announce establishment of new bilateral security group

Sheinbaum indicated that Mexican military personnel will travel to the United States to undergo training offered by the U.S. armed offices and suggested that U.S. personnel could come to Mexico to receive natural disaster response training from the Mexican Army and Navy.

Rubio said on Wednesday that “joint training” is an important part of bilateral security cooperation and that Mexico and the U.S. plan to “amplify” that aspect of their security relationship.

Sheinbaum said that the meeting with Rubio was “very cordial” and contended that the result of it — a new security program that includes the establishment of a “high-level implementation group to meet regularly and follow up on mutual commitments” — is “good for the country.”

Sheinbaum spoke about a security agreement, but a ‘program’ was announced. What happened?

A reporter told the president that there was an expectation that there was going to be a “signed agreement” between Mexico and the United States, possibly with “more commitments” and a broader scope than what was announced on Wednesday.

“Did something change?” the reporter asked.

“There is a program,” reiterated Sheinbaum, who in recent weeks spoke about a new bilateral security agreement that she expected to be signed soon, before modifying her language last week to talk about a security “understanding.”

Sheinbaum takes questions from a crowd of reporters raising their hands at a press conference — Sheinbaum fielded questions about the shifting terminology around the new security program. (Presidencia)

She acknowledged that she had spoken about an agreement, but told reporters that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained to her that “bilateral agreements that are signed have another characteristic,” one that includes “other diplomatic and foreign policy procedures.”

“… Perhaps I expressed myself poorly, … but the work program that was agreed yesterday was always on the table,” Sheinbaum said.

Sheinbaum: Rubio didn’t ask for more US agents to be allowed into Mexico

A reporter asked the president whether Rubio had requested that more U.S. agents be allowed to come into Mexico to join the fight against Mexican drug cartels.

“No, no, it wasn’t an issue,” Sheinbaum responded.

“They know that we have a protocol to approve agents from the different [U.S.] agencies. … We have a constitution that addresses that and the National Security Law. So, it wasn’t an issue in the talks,” she said.

In 2020, Mexico’s Congress approved legislation that regulates the activities of foreign agents in Mexico, removes their diplomatic immunity and allows for their expulsion from the country.

The legislation was seen as being aimed primarily at United States Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, who have long operated in Mexico.

Mexico not planning to send additional troops to the border region

Sheinbaum said that an additional deployment of Mexican troops to the northern border region is not part of the new Mexico-U.S. security program.

She said an additional deployment is not currently “necessary,” and stressed that the United States hasn’t asked for more troops to be sent to the northern border region.

Sheinbum points at a letter announcing a bilateral US-Mexico security program — The new security commitments do not involve troop deployments, a measure President Sheinbaum described as not currently necessary. (Presidencia)

The federal government deployed 10,000 National Guard troops to the border region in February as part of an agreement Sheinbaum reached with United States President Donald Trump that resulted in a one-month “pause” on a 25% tariff the U.S. government planned to impose on imports from Mexico.

The tariff took effect in March, despite the National Guard deployment, but USMCA-compliant goods were promptly exempted from the duty.

Which Mexican officials officials will participate in the Mexico-U.S ‘high-level implementation group’?

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the Mexican and U.S. government said they had “established a high-level implementation group to meet regularly and follow up on mutual commitments and actions taken within their own countries, including measures to”:

“Counter the cartels
Strengthen border security and eliminate clandestine border tunnels
Address illicit financial flows
Enhance collaboration to prevent fuel theft
Increase inspections, investigations, and prosecutions to stop the flow of drugs and arms.”

On Thursday, Sheinbaum said that five Mexican officials (or their proxies) will represent Mexico in the group:

Security Minister Omar García Harfuch.
Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla Trejo.
Navy Minister Raymundo Pedro Morales.
Foreign Affairs Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente.
Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero.

Sheinbaum: US commitment to combat arms trafficking to Mexico is ‘very important’

Marco Rubio on Wednesday declared that the U.S. government will “stop the flow of armaments” to Mexico and other Western Hemisphere countries.

On Thursday, Sheinbaum said she wasn’t aware if any other U.S. official, while in Mexico, had publicly acknowledged “the importance” of the U.S. authorities taking action to stem the flow of firearms to Mexico, where cartel members and other criminals commonly use illegally imported weapons to commit crimes including murder.

“So it’s very important,” she said.

Sheinbaum takes aim at PRI leader

After telling reporters that no plans are currently in the works for her to meet Trump face to face, Sheinbaum noted that Senator Alejandro Moreno, national president of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the instigator of a congressional brawl last week, was in Washington.

PRI chief physically attacks Morena’s Senate leader on the rostrum

On social media on Wednesday, Moreno said that he had participated in “very productive meetings” in the capital, and declared that he and the PRI would “never allow” a “terrorist and communist narco-dictatorship” to be installed in Mexico.

He and some other opposition politicians claims that Sheinbaum and the ruling Morena party are in cahoots with organized crime in Mexico.

Sheinbaum said that Moreno was making a fool of himself by traveling to Washington and claiming that her government is in bed with “los narcos.”

“And here Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, [was] congratulating us for the work we are doing on organized crime and [speaking about] the good cooperation there is,” she said.

Rubio said Wednesday that “the current security cooperation between the United States and Mexico is the “closest … we have ever had, maybe with any country.”

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

Navy vessels resume sargassum collection off the Tulum coast

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MND Staff

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September 4, 2025

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A Mexican Navy sailor on a ship guides a crane bearing a load of sargassum seaweed — A sailor on the Navy ship Natan receives a load of sargassum offshore of Puerto Morelos. Similar ships are now deployed off the coast of Tulum. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

After more than six months out of service for maintenance work, two Navy sargassum collection vessels are operational again off the coast of Tulum, boosting efforts to keep the noxious seaweed off the beaches of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.

While sargassum removal efforts continue on the beaches of the state of Quintana Roo, the Navy (Semar) vessels are designed to collect sargassum in the open sea before it reaches the sand.

A ship filled with massive quanitities of sargassum. Sailors stand on top of the mountains of brown seaweed with rakes — Ships like this one keep seaweed from reaching shore, where it would release noxious gases as it decomposes. (SEMAR/Cuartoscuro)

David Buchanan García, head of the Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (Zofemat) in Tulum, confirmed that the offshore sargassum collection vessels renewed operations a couple of weeks ago.

To improve the vessels’ efficiency, local authorities and federal agencies are installing a floating dock that will facilitate embarkation and disembarkation as they load and unload the seaweed. Promoted by the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp), the project will also improve safety in the daily operations of the naval units.

With these efforts, authorities hope to make more headway in controlling the tourist-discouraging seaweed, which has washed ashore in record-breaking quantities this year.

In May, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) had warned that sargassum levels would increase by 40% compared with previous years. Researcher Leticia Durand Smith, from the UNAM Regional Center for Multidisciplinary Research, warned that the natural phenomenon would reach unprecedented levels, surpassing the records of 2018 and 2023, when sargassum invaded beaches and reefs.

A map of which beaches have sargassum in Quintana Roo — Sargassum levels currently range from moderate to excessive at most Quintana Roo beaches, as of Sept. 1. (Red Sargazo)

In the resort city of Cancún, for instance, officials have reported collecting nearly four times more sargassum this year compared to all of 2024, when 3,700 tons were collected.

“We surpassed last year’s figures since June,” said Antonio Chambé, director of municipal public services of Benito Juárez, Cancún’s municipality. “Today’s figure is historic. We’ve had large amounts of sargassum arriving, especially along the coast from Delfines toward Chac Mool.”

Sargassum is a yellow-brown seaweed that floats in the central Atlantic Ocean for much of the year, providing food, shelter and breeding grounds for various marine species. However, once it reaches the shore and begins to rot, it releases toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, which can be harmful to humans and the environment.

Authorities in Quintana Roo have said that the landing season generally ends in November, when cold fronts begin. The “Everyone Against Sargassum” program will continue until then.

With reports from La Jornada Maya and Reportur

Fintech firm Kapital is Mexico’s latest unicorn, valued at over US $1B after acquiring Intercam Bank

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MND Staff

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September 4, 2025

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nyse — Kapital Grupo Financiero is now one of just a handful of companies in Mexico or even Latin America that has achieved unicorn status. (@ValoraAnalitik/X)

Mexican neobank Kapital Grupo Financiero achieved “unicorn” status on Tuesday after raising US $100 million in a Series C funding round, doubling its valuation to US $1.3 billion. The milestone comes shortly after the bank acquired Intercam Bank, the target of recent U.S. sanctions for allegedly laundering money for cartels.

Kapital joins a handful of Mexican companies that have reached the coveted unicorn status, including used-car seller Kavak, crypto exchange Bitso and fintechs Stori and Plata.

The entrance to Intercam bank — Intercam was one of several Mexican banks sanctioned by the U.S. earlier this year for alleged involvement with organized crime. Kapital, locked into expansion mode, acquired its assets recently to help put it over the US $1 billion mark to qualify as a unicorn. (Intercam/Facebook)

“We are proud to join the small group of unicorns in Latin America,” said René Saul, CEO and co-founder of Kapital Grupo Financiero. “Kapital … reached profitability in less than two years, and our growth continues to accelerate thanks to the combination of a banking license and proprietary software.”

“Unicorn” status — achieved when the valuation of a privately held start-up exceeds $1 billion — indicates exceptional innovation and rapid growth potential, and is a coveted milestone for investors and founders.

California venture capital firm Tribe Capital and Pelion Ventures led the funding round, with support from Marbruck Ventures, True Arrow and Y Combinator.

Kapital Bank will use the funds raised in the Series C round to build an AI-driven financial ecosystem to improve business performance, according to LatAmList, a magazine focusing on startup and venture capital news in Latin America.

A Series C round is a late-stage funding round for a successful startup, typically focused on significantly expanding existing operations to access new markets and geographies.

Investors in Series C rounds — frequently a final step before an initial public offering (IPO) — often include established venture capital firms, private equity firms and other financial institutions seeking substantial returns by investing in a mature, less risky company.

Fintech Futures reported that Kapital previously raised US $40 million in Series B equity financing and a US $125 million debt facility in December 2023, preceded by a $23 million Series A round and $45 million debt facility in May 2023.

The Delaware-incorporated but Mexico City-based fintech company, founded in 2020 by CEO Saul, CFO Fernando Sandoval and managing director Eder Echeverria, has also carried out several high-profile purchases of more traditional banking operations.

CIBanco, Intercam sell off assets as US extends bank sanction deadline

In 2023, Kapital bought Mexican bank Autofin to sidestep the lengthy process of independently applying for a banking license.

The company made headlines last month upon announcing it would acquire Mexican financial group Intercam’s brokerage, asset management and operational banking assets.

Intercam was among the Mexican financial institutions hit by U.S. sanctions in June due to money-laundering accusations.

Reuters reported that Kapital is “working with U.S. and Mexican authorities to ensure compliance in the purchase.” The acquisition also involves a US $100 million investment in banking operations.

Kapital Bank, with operations in Mexico, Colombia and the U.S., offers banking services for individuals, including accounts, investments, and credit.

The fintech company also offers banking services for SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), including business checking accounts, loans, and wealth management tools.

Customers can manage their finances, transfer money and pay bills through Kapital’s online and mobile platforms.

With reports from Reuters, LatAmList, La Jornada and Fintech Futures

Mexican exports to the US continue to grow

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MND Staff

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September 4, 2025

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Two trucks or semi-trailers drive down a highway, possibly carrying Mexican exports to the US — Mexico has exported goods worth over US $45 billion to the United States so far this year. (Shutterstock)

The value of Mexico’s exports to the United States increased 8.2% annually in July to reach a record high US $45.36 billion, according to U.S. data published on Thursday.

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis also reported that Mexico’s exports to the U.S. in the first seven months of the year were worth $309.75 billion, a 6.5% increase compared to the same period of 2024.

The increases in Mexico’s export revenue occurred despite the United States’ imposition of tariffs on a range of Mexican goods this year, including steel, aluminum and cars, as well as goods not covered by the USMCA free trade pact.

Still, the majority of Mexican goods enter the United States tariff-free thanks to the USMCA, which covers trade between Mexico, the United States and Canada. In July, 86% of Mexico’s revenue from exports sent to the U.S. was derived from tariff-free trade, the newspaper El Financiero reported.

The publication of the U.S. data comes a week after Mexico’s national statistics agency INEGI reported that Mexico’s total export revenue in the first seven months of 2025 was $369.43 billion, a 4.3% annual increase.

In 2024, Mexico’s revenue from exports shipped worldwide exceeded $600 billion for the first time ever. The country is on track to exceed that barrier for a second consecutive year in 2025.

Mexico remains the top exporter to the US

Mexico’s exports to the United States in the first seven months of 2025 were worth 34.4% more than those of Canada, which ranked as the second biggest exporter to the U.S.

In the same period, Mexico’s exports were worth 59.7% more than those of China, which was the third largest exporter to the U.S.

Mexico sends a wide range of products to its northern neighbor including vehicles, auto parts, electronic goods, medical devices, fresh food and alcoholic beverages. More than 80% of Mexico’s exports go to the United States.

While the value of Mexico’s exports to the U.S. increased 6.5% between January and July, Canada’s revenue declined 4.4% while China’s fell 18.9%.

In the first seven months of 2025, Mexico had a 15% share of the United States’ total market for imports, ahead of Canada on 11.2% and China on 9.4%.

Mexico’s spending on US goods is also up

The U.S. data shows that Mexico spent $28.99 billion on U.S imports in July and $197.16 billion in the first seven months of the year.

The former figure represents a 1% annual increase while the latter represents a 1.1% year-over-year increase.

Mexico was the second largest importer of U.S. goods in the first seven months of the year, just behind Canada. Among Mexico’s imports from the U.S. are gasoline, natural gas, auto parts, vehicles and corn.

Ears of dried corn in a big pile — Corn, car parts and natural gas are a few of Mexico’s top imports. (Unsplash)

President Claudia Sheinbaum has said that Mexico is willing to look at ways it can increase its imports from the United States. Her government is seeking to reduce reliance on imports from Asian countries, especially China, as part of its Plan México industrial policy.

One of the reasons U.S. President Donald Trump has given for his decision to impose tariffs on imports from Mexico is that Mexico runs a significant trade surplus with its northern neighbor.

In the first seven months of 2025, Mexico’s surplus on trade with the U.S. was $112.59 billion, a 17.7% increase compared to the same period of last year. Trump would not be happy with that result.

Mexico and the United States are each other’s largest trade partner, and the economies of the two countries are highly-integrated.

With reports from El Economista and El Financiero

US seizes over 300 metric tons of meth precursor chemicals bound for Mexico

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MND Staff

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September 4, 2025

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Barrels of precursor chemicals in a warehouse — The head of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said the U.S. worked with foreign law enforcement to "consolidate" the seized shipments in Panama before bringing the chemicals to the United States, where they were stored at the Port of Houston. (USAO-DC)

Authorities in the United States said on Wednesday that they had seized “on the high seas” more than 300,000 kilograms of methamphetamine precursor chemicals. Officials said the chemicals were being shipped from China to Mexico, where they were destined for clandestine Sinaloa Cartel laboratories.

“This is the largest seizure of precursor chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine in U.S. history,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro.

A chemical barrel label reading N-methyl formamide — The U.S. confiscated 1,300 barrels of benzyl alcohol and N-methyl formamide in the seizure. (USAO-DC)

“China was sending over 700,000 pounds [317,500 kg] on the high seas to the Sinaloa Cartel before my office seized them. Because President Trump and Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio declared the Sinaloa Cartel a foreign terrorist organization, we can now strike faster and hit harder,” she said.

The chemicals — benzyl alcohol and N-methyl formamide — were shipped in 1,300 barrels, according to Pirro.

Speaking at a press conference held in a warehouse at the Port of Houston where the seized barrels were being stored, the U.S. attorney said that the chemicals were being transported in two different vessels “en route to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.”

“From China to Mexico. The port of lading was Shanghai, China. The port of discharge — Mexico,” Pirro said.

The U.S. attorney didn’t disclose where “on the high seas” the precursor chemicals were seized. The seizure occurred in late August.

Pirro said that the chemicals would have been used to make 420,000 pounds (190,508 kilograms) of methamphetamine, “which would have a street value here in Houston of US $569 million.”

Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said that a number of U.S. law enforcement agencies were involved in the record seizure, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and ICE.

He said that the chemicals came from the same vendor in China. The announcement of the seizure came the same day that the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said it had sanctioned Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Co., “a chemical company operating in China that is involved in the manufacture and sale of synthetic opioids to Americans.”

Lyons said that after the chemicals were seized, HSI “worked closely with our foreign law enforcement partners to consolidate the shipments in Panama and divert them here to the Port of Houston.”

“Our agents in Panama, Guatemala and Mexico provided significant support to our Homeland Security Investigations team here in Houston throughout this whole investigation,” Lyons said.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stands with barrels of precursor chemicals in a Houston warehouse — Jeanine Pirro, a federal prosecutor, desribed the bust as “the largest seizure of precursor chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine in U.S. history.” (Jeanine Pirro)

He said that HSI used “significant analytical tools and techniques as well as our extensive investigative tools and our deep knowledge about cross-border trade to ensure that we identified these shipments before they got into any illicit hands.”

“This marks the first time a seizure warrant was issued for the material support of terrorism. … We were able to charge someone with material support of terrorism, and that’s the Sinaloa Cartel. The ability to obtain a warrant for this was only possible because of President Trump’s executive order … to designate major drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations,” Lyons said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia obtained the warrant.

The designation of the Sinaloa Cartel as a foreign terrorist organization “provided federal prosecutors in the District the authority to execute the seizure under the terrorism forfeiture provision,” Pirro’s office said in a statement.

‘China’s undeclared war against America’

Pirro said that “every day tonnes of chemicals that are used to create synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl are shipped from China to Mexico in China’s undeclared war against America and her citizens.”

Drug cartels in Mexico ship large quantities of the locally-manufactured drugs to the United States, the world’s biggest market for narcotics.

Pirro said that “every day in funeral homes across this country, we see the tragic consequences of what has happened in this undeclared war.”

“… Before you leave I want to make sure that you look at those 1,300 barrels and I want you to have a visual of dead Americans instead of where those barrels are because that’s what would have happened,” she said to reporters.

The announcement of the record seizure of methamphetamine precursor chemicals coincided with a meeting between Secretary of State Rubio and President Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico City. The Mexican and U.S. governments said in a joint statement on Wednesday that they are committed to working together “to dismantle transnational organized crime through enhanced cooperation.”

Rubio said that that the U.S. and Mexico are “amplifying” their security cooperation as the two countries seek to combat organized crime groups and the narcotics they traffic on both sides of the border and around the world. His visit to Mexico came a day after the the United States carried out a strike on a drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela that United States President Donald Trump said killed 11 “terrorists” that allegedly belonged to the Tren de Aragua criminal organization.

The Sinaloa Cartel is one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Mexico, but it has been weakened over the past year due to a bloody war between rival factions that escalated after the arrest of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in the United States in July 2024.

Last week, Zambada pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in a U.S. federal court in Brooklyn, New York, where he confessed to trafficking huge quantities of narcotics to the United States during a decades-long criminal career.

Mexico News Daily

Xochimilco’s haunted Island of the Dolls steals the spotlight in Lady Gaga’s newest music video

By

MND Staff

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September 4, 2025

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Lady Gaga dressed like a doll in Xochimilco's Island of the Dolls — Lady Gaga joined the haunted dolls of Xochimilco in her new music video, directed by Tim Burton. (Interscope Records)

So that’s what Tim Burton was doing in Xochimilco.

Lady Gaga released a new music video on Wednesday that was directed by Burton and filmed in the southern Mexico City borough of Xochimilco, where the singer and director were spotted earlier this year.

Lady Gaga - The Dead Dance (Official Music Video)

Watch this video on YouTube

The video — “The Dead Dance” — is linked to the singer’s role on Season 2 of the Netflix hit series “Wednesday.”

The song was introduced last week during a fan event for “Wednesday” led by Lady Gaga. The singer plays Rosaline Rotwood, a mysterious but legendary teacher at Nevermore Academy, the school that the title character, Wednesday Addams (of The Addams Family), attends.

The video was filmed on La Isla de las Muñecas (“The Island of the Dolls”), a chinampa within the Laguna de Teshuilo located in the canals of Xochimilco. A chinampa is an artificial island, or floating garden, originally used for intensive agriculture in ancient Mesoamerica, particularly by the Aztecs. Chinampas are still in use today.

The Island of the Dolls is notable for the multitude of dolls of various styles and colors that can be found throughout the chinampa. In 2022, Guinness World Records recognized the island as hosting the world’s largest collection of haunted dolls — approximately 4,000.

Lady Gaga’s video opens with the singer emerging from a wall alongside several haunting dolls, as if she were a doll coming to life.

Legend has it that a young girl drowned in the canal and her body was found among the water lilies alongside La Isla de las Muñecas. Owner Julián Santana believed the girl’s spirit haunted the island, so he began collecting dolls from the garbage and the canals. For the better part of 50 years (until his death in 2001), he arrayed the dolls on huts and hung them from ceilings and trees to ward off evil spirits in hopes of obtaining better harvests.

The island’s caretaker — Santana’s nephew Javier Romero Santa — claims unexplained cries can still be heard today. “At night, we tour the place … and we hear a young lady cry, or a moan,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2022.

Mexican digital newspaper SDP Noticias went so far as to speculate that Lady Gaga could be cursed as a result of touching some of the dolls — considered by some a lack of respect — during filming of the video.

Lady Gaga and Tim Burton — Gaga and Burton are also collaborating on the current season of the Netflix hit show Wednesday, directed by Burton. Lady Gaga appears as Rosaline Rotwood. (Netflix)

Tim Burton was in Mexico City in June to promote the opening of his exhibition “The Labyrinth,” at the Lienzo Charro Constituyentes in western Mexico City. He also visited the canals of Xochimilco, likely scouting “The Island of the Dolls” as a location for Lady Gaga’s video.

Whispers about the “The Dead Dance” video emerged in early July, according to Variety magazine, when outlets reported that she had been spotted filming something with Burton in Xochimilco.

Lady Gaga had previously been in Mexico in April when she performed two concerts at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros.

“Wednesday” has a strong Mexican connection through its lead actress, Jenna Ortega, who is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent. The show also explores the fictional Gomez Addams’ Mexican heritage.

The Netflix series also features Mexican music in its soundtrack, such as “La Llorona” and “Un Mundo Raro” by the late beloved Mexican singer Chavela Vargas.

With reports from El País and The Wrap

Mexico introduces instant ‘Wellness Coffee,’ sourced from Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz and Guerrero

By

MND Staff

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September 4, 2025

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Sheinbaum holds a jar of Mexican government Wellness Coffee — Wellness Coffee will be distributed through government stores starting in central Mexico, President Sheinbaum said at her Wednesday morning press conference. (María Luisa Albores/X)

Mexico’s Food for Well-Being program has introduced a new product to its inventory: “Wellness Coffee.” This product follows the recent launch of other “Wellness” foods like honey, chocolate, and beans.

In Mexico, where instant coffee is more popular than ground coffee, the new product is aimed at appealing to the majority of consumers.

Jars of instant Wellness Coffee — The government chose an instant coffee presentation, saying the vast majority of Mexican families prefer instant over ground or whole bean coffee. (Presidencia)

“I would like to explain to you why we’re launching instant coffee: because 84% of Mexican families prefer instant coffee,” said María Luisa Albores González, head of the government program Food for Well-Being, during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Wednesday morning press conference.

Albores said that the coffee will be available in three presentations: a 50-gram jar priced at 35 pesos (US $1.86), a 90-gram jar for 65 pesos (US $3.46) and a 205-gram jar will be priced at 110 pesos (US $5.86).

Although the Mexican standard allows instant coffee to contain up to 30% non-coffee ingredients, the Wellness Coffee is a “pure product,” Albores noted.

“It [the product] has no additives or colorings, no artificial flavors, and its only ingredient is coffee,” she said, adding that the blend is predominantly Arabica and parchment coffee, with a small proportion of Robusta.

Albores explained that the beans are harvested using agroforestry systems that benefit both the environment and the local economy.

This initiative required an investment of 59.4 million pesos (US $3 million) to purchase 913.56 tons of coffee, primarily sourced from producers who are members of the government’s Sembrando Vida (Sowing Life) program. According to Albores, the coffee is purchased at a fair price from over 6,600 small producers in Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz, and Guerrero, with 50% of these producers located in the region known as the Guerrero Mountains.

She further added that six of every 10 producers are women.

“It’s very meaningful for us to know that we’re working with Indigenous peoples, with Mixes, Mixtecs, Nahuas and Otomis,” Albores stated.

Like other products in the Food for Well-Being program, the Wellness Coffee will be marketed nationwide through the Wellness Stores network, with a distribution occurring in stages. The product will first arrive in central Mexico, including Mexico City, México state, Michoacán, Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala before rolling out in the rest of the country.

Mexico News Daily

What’s on in Oaxaca in September

By

Anna Bruce

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September 4, 2025

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ryan-doyle-kO-USq1pmR4-unsplash (1) — Catch an exhibition, a concert or even celebrate independence this month. (Unsplash / Ryan Doyle)

September is one of the quietest months in Oaxaca, which can make it the perfect time to visit the city and surrounding villages. Although the fiestas aren’t in full flow, it is a calmer time to come and experience the wealth of attractions, crafts and cuisine the city has to offer. There are often afternoon rains, and temperatures are cooler in the evening, so it’s a good idea to pack some layers.

Del Agave al Altruismo

Meant to raise awareness and funds for animals in need, this event is hosted by the charity Furry Tails of Oaxaca. The organisation works with local communities to improve the well-being of cats and dogs by reducing the population of street animals and by providing them with access to health services and forever homes through fundraising, education and community outreach. Included is an opportunity to meet the team managing the charity, plus a raffle, snacks and cocktails.

Date: Sept. 4, 5-10 p.m.

Location: In Situ Bodega, Reforma 306, Oaxaca, Centro, 68000

Cost: Free

Somos Oaxaca

Inauguration of “Somos Oaxaca,” a series of photographs by Terry MacCormack taken between 1972 and 1977. MacCormack is a photographer and painter from British Columbia, Canada. He has exhibited his photography in Mexico, Canada and Wales, and focuses on whatever catches his eye, from the play of light and shadow to street scenes, people, landscapes and abstractions. Much of his work is thematic, and he prefers to work on projects of 20 or more images that document his interests.

Date: Sept. 12, 7 p.m.

Location: Biblioteca Henestrosa, Calle Porfirio Díaz, esq Morelos 115

Cost: Free

Anniversary of Niños Héroes

Ninos Heroes statue — (Wikimedia Commons/YoelResidente)

The Niños Héroes (Boy Heroes) were six military cadets killed in the Battle of Chapultepec, one of the last battles of the U.S.-Mexico War in 1847. This anniversary is celebrated as a national holiday in Mexico, honoring their sacrifice.

Date: Sept. 13

Location: Throughout the city, with ceremonies in schools and government buildings

Cost: Free

Independence Day

Miguel Hidalgo — (Wikimedia Commons/Joaquín Ramírez – Mediateca INAH)

The most significant event happening this month is Mexico’s Independence Day, celebrated nationwide on Sept. 16. This day commemorates the moment when Miguel Hidalgo, a priest and leader, called for Mexico’s liberation from Spain in September of 1810. It was the precipitating act that ultimately led to freedom from Spanish rule in 1821. In Oaxaca, people gather in the main square to hear the traditional “Grito,” followed by festivities throughout the city.

Dates: September 15-16

Where: Zocalo

Cost: Free

Character creation and development workshop

If you enjoy literature, theater, film and illustration, and want to learn how to give your characters greater personality, this workshop is for you. Writers learn narrative theory and tools to discover who their character is based on a fictional situation. Learn the fundamentals of character creation and development while harnessing creativity.

Date: Sept. 20, 2 p.m.-5 p.m.

Location: Casa Bestia, Díaz Quintas 111, Ruta Independencia

Cost: 2,000 pesos

Tito Double P. – ‘Ay Mama’ Tour

Jesús Roberto Laija García, known professionally as Tito Double P, is a Mexican rapper, singer and songwriter. The cousin of fellow musician Peso Pluma, in 2021, he began posting videos of himself singing corridos on social media. Then, in August 2024, he released his debut studio album “Incómodo,” which debuted at number 20 on the U.S. Billboard 200. He’ll be performing at the outdoor stadium overlooking Oaxaca City.

Date: Sep. 24, 7 p.m.

Location: Auditorio Guelaguetza, Oaxaca, Mexico

Cost: Tickets start at 355 pesos

Kikaw Kik installation in celebration of Mexican National Cacao Day

Cacao illustration — (Wikimedia Commons/Bernecker, A.)

“Long live cacao!” This exhibition from Oaxacan artist Miguel Sánchez shares a personal reflection on the new world of cacao and chocolate, from the historical to the social. Supported by Flor Heras.

Date: Sept. 25, 7.30 p.m.

Location: MACCO, C. Macedonio Alcalá 202

Cost: Free

Jorge Medina and Josi Cuen – “Juntos”

Both artists have launched successful solo careers. Medina is a Mexican singer and songwriter known for his two-decade tenure as the lead vocalist of La Arrolladora Banda el Limón. Born in Sinaloa in 1974, Medina began his career singing with various groups before joining La Arrolladora in 1996. After leaving the band in 2017, he launched a successful solo career, releasing his own music and touring globally. Cuen is known for his brand of regional Mexican music, with its distinctive fusion of traditional and contemporary styles.

Date: Sept. 27, 7 p.m.

Location: Auditorio Guelaguetza, Oaxaca, Mexico

Cost: Tickets start at 920 pesos

Indigo Festival in Niltepec

Niltepec is a small town in the Tehuantepec region of Oaxaca state, about a 5-hour drive from the city. It is best known for the production of the natural blue dye, indigo, which is used in painting and textiles in Oaxacan art and artisanal crafts. This festival is an opportunity to see the process of making this dye, from the plant to final use, as well as to buy the materials and artworks.

Date: Sept. 27-28

Location: Niltepec

Cost: Free

Anna Bruce is an award-winning British photojournalist based in Oaxaca, Mexico. Just some of the media outlets she has worked with include Vice, The Financial Times, Time Out, Huffington Post, The Times of London, the BBC and Sony TV. Find out more about her work at her website or visit her on social media on Instagram or on Facebook.

How a Japanese technique is helping rewild ‘the forest at the end of the world’

By

MND Staff

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September 4, 2025

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6-Grupo-de-vigilantes-ambientales-de-El-Roble — A team of activists in Jalisco are employing Japanese ingenuity in their quest to reforest their home. (El Roble)

In the small town of Juanacatlán, south of the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, a group of local activists is turning to a Japanese gardening technique to fight back environmental pollution. The goal is to transform 4,000 square meters into a thick forest by planting over 12,000 trees.

Dubbed the Forest of the End of the World, the project takes inspiration from the idea of how nature will regenerate itself once humans are no longer here.

A forest in Juanacatalán, Jalisco — Work is ongoing to reformed the Juanacatalán area. (Zona Turistica)

“As things progress, we believe it will be haphazard, featuring a mix of native species. Some areas will have pockets of trees, while others will have clearings. Other areas will have some paths for animals,” founder of the project Enrique Enciso Rivera said.

Rivera explained that the forest follows the Miyawaki method, a reforestation technique developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki (1928-2021), which mimics the natural regeneration of native forests. One of its features is the planting of trees very close together to encourage high density and vertical growth. Forests created with the Miyawaki method grow up to ten times faster and are thirty times denser than conventional forests, fostering resilient ecosystems rich in biodiversity.

Activists have planted trees following this spontaneous approach. Prickly pear cactus trees appear in one section, while just a few meters away, these are interspersed with pulque magueys and pitayas, creating the feeling of a desert fragment among the lush greenery. Further back, other trees are arranged in circular patterns.

The trees used for reforestation come from seeds collected in the nearby hills. The seeds were germinated in the Juan Rivera community nursery in El Salto – a small city near Juanacatlán – before being transported to the forest.

Through this gardening technique, Rivera hopes for the forest to reach the proportions and characteristics of a 100-year-old forest. This would help to combat pollution due to the region’s proximity to the Santiago river, one of the most contaminated rivers in the country.

“I wanted this space to be a lung for the town, and to be a lung, you need a lot of oxygen,” Rivera said.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Un Salto de Vida (@unsaltodevidaac)

Since February, several organizations have sent people to help prepare the land and plant trees. These organizations include: the collective Un Salto de Vida, to which Rivera belongs, students from National College of Professional Technical Education (CONALEP), the National Commission for the Protection of Indigenous Peoples, the Observatory on Socio-Environmental Conflicts and Defense of Activists at the University of Guadalajara (UdeG).

So far, activists have planted around 1,200 trees. As they continue to plant more, they need to care for and monitor the new trees during their first three years, as this period is crucial for their survival.

“After three years, once the trees have established their roots, they will retain moisture and withstand drought. The big challenge is helping them take root, which is why we monitor them,” Rivera explained.

Rivera, 67, has lived all his life in El Salto. He’s dedicated at least 30 years to denouncing the pollution in the region, a fight he has passed on to his daughter Sofia Enciso Gonzalez, and grandchildren.

Along with students from CONALEP, Sofía has installed rectangular vegetable beds among the trees, where they grow beets, lettuce, celery, chilies, and aromatic herbs such as oregano and thyme. With her children, they observe and document and identify the animals and plants in the area on the iNaturalist app. Together they take photographs of fireworms, spiders, grasshoppers, and crickets to keep a record of the insects that now live in the forest.

Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.

What’s on in the Riviera Maya in September

By

Bel Woodhouse

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September 4, 2025

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darren-lawrence-K4BsLPTjKJA-unsplash (1) — Dive, cycle, run, dance and sing throughout September. (Unsplash / Darren Lawrence)

Ooh la la, did I just swoon? I think I did. Mérida’s got it going on this month, with the world’s top-selling salsa artist of all time, Marc Anthony’s concert taking center stage. But there’s more than just the swoon-worthy croonings of Marc Anthony. There’s the bravest race obstacle course, sea turtle season, Mexico’s Independence Day, evening bike rides and much more (just like last month). Let’s not forget the feathered serpent running down the side of the pyramid during the Autumn Equinox, either, or competitors from all around the world running around Cozumel for Ironman.

Turtle season in Isla Mujeres

leatherback turtles at Xcacel-Xcacelito turtle sanctuary in Tulum, Mexico — (Wikimedia Commons)

It may be slow season in Cancún, but that’s brilliant news for you. You won’t have to battle crowds to see hundreds of hawksbill, green and loggerhead sea turtles arrive on Isla Mujeres. It’s sea turtle season there as they are returning to their protected nesting beaches. Plus, eggs laid in July are ready to hatch now. So you might see babies! Jump on a ferry from Cancún (it’s only a 20-minute ride over to the island) and witness this wonderful natural occurrence.

Date: September

Location: Isla Mujeres

Cost: Free, or price dependent on the local guide

Lighting of Patriotic Lights

Palacio Municipal in Tulum — (Tulum Travel Blog)

Watch Tulum come alive with lights on September 4th. It’s the city getting into the spirit of the upcoming Independence Day as it lights up with patriotic colors to mark the start of the celebrations.

Date: Sept. 4

Location: Tulum

Cost: Free

Powerful photo exhibit

The Palacio Cantón Museum in Mérida has a new exhibition for September: “Donde la ceniza hizo nido (Where Ash Made Its Nest).” It’s a powerful collection of photogravures exploring the relationship between loss and memory through visual language. The exhibit promises to transform remnants into visual memory, poetically evoking what burns away and what endures.

Date: September

Location: Palacio Cantón Museum, Meridá

Cost: 95 pesos

Nighttime bike tour

I’d love to do this, especially as the heat of the day cools off. On the first Saturday of each month, this nighttime bike ride has become a classic Mérida tradition! Enjoy a ride along Paseo de Montejo, creating a memorable evening with friends or family. The avenue is lined with restaurants and beautiful architecture. So, after your ride, why not wrap up the night with dinner to enjoy one of the charming restaurants?

Date: Sept. 6

Location: Paseo de Montejo, Meridá

Cost: Free, if you have a bike

Aktun Chen adventure

Someone entering a cenote in Mexico — (Aviv Perets/Pexels)

My favourite place in the Riviera Maya, this place is amazing. Being low season, Aktun Chen is offering good discounts on everything, including ziplining, underground river snorkeling, swimming in the cenote, and the best of all, the underground cave walk. I’ve done it, I loved it, and it’s one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Voted third on National Geographic’s “Top Underground Walks of the World.” Plus, there’s a zoo and wildlife area to explore.

Date: Any day in September

Location: Aktun Chen Eco Park, near Akumal.

Cost: 15% off individual activities, or 20% off packages

Independence Day on Isla Mujeres

Fireworks on Isla Mujeres — (Isla-Mujeres.net)

Under the stars in the Mexican Caribbean is a beautiful place to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day. Join the fun of street fairs, amazing food and traditional dance, and enjoy the island night for El Grito and the subsequent fireworks display. The Mexican Navy marches with pride and the island is decorated with the green, white and red colors of the Mexican Flag.

Date: Sept. 15-16

Location: Isla Mujeres town square

Cost: Free

Bravest Race obstacle course

This one is something I want to do, and it’s fun for the whole family. It features a 6-kilometer course with over 50 obstacles in Xplor’s The Bravest Race: The Origin. Go through jungle, caves and trails crafted to test your strength and endurance. They say it’s in four stages to represent the cardinal points and cycles of the universe, so I’m thinking it’s like “Survivor” meets “The Amazing Race.” Am I crazy, or does that sound like great fun?

Date: Sept. 21

Location: Xplor Park, 4 miles south of Playa del Carmen

Cost: 1,700 pesos

Ironman 70.3 Cozumel

2024 IRONMAN 70.3 Cozumel

Watch this video on YouTube

My favourite event of the year (along with the full Ironman in November). Come join me on my beautiful island to cheer on the Ironman. Cozumel is an Athlete’s Choice Award-winning destination for this half Ironman. Entrants come from all over the world to complete. Swim in the warm Caribbean waters, cycle past beautiful jungle and wild beaches, and run on flat, wide roads. You can see the event schedule here. And if you see me around, be sure to stop and say hola.

Date: Sept. 21

Location: Cozumel Island, Riviera Maya

Cost: Free for spectators, US $456.50 entry fee for competitors

Autumn equinox

I’ve visited Chichen Itza a few times and want to go again. Why? Because equinoxes and solstices are amazing cycles in the Mayan calendar. The fall equinox occurs when shorter days create a shadow phenomenon. The illusion of a serpent descending the Pyramid of Kukulkan. This astronomical spectacle symbolizes the feathered serpent god’s movement to the underworld. It’s an amazing reflection of the Maya’s advanced understanding of astronomy.

Date: Sept. 22

Location: Chichen Itzá

Cost: Adults 648 pesos, children (ages 3-12) 100 pesos

Marc Anthony in Mérida

I’m a huge fan, and I can hear a million other women scream in delight and swoon at this news. Latino pop star Marc Anthony, the top-selling salsa artist of all time, will be bringing the Yucatán to its knees with his romantic songs in September. A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award, and twenty-nine-time Lo Nuestro Awards winner, he has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide. So, be quick to grab your ticket. I have a feeling they’ll be going fast.

Date: Sept. 25

Location: Parque de Beisbol Kukulcán, Merida

Cost: Prices vary depending on seats

Mexico Correspondent for International Living, Bel is an experienced writer, author, photographer and videographer with 500+ articles published both in print and across digital platforms. Living in the Mexican Caribbean for over 7 years now she’s in love with Mexico and has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon.