The inauguration of Chipotle's first restaurant in Mexico took place in July of this year. It turned out to be a success even beyond the "honeymoon" phase that often iniflates customer numbers when the opening is new and exciting. (Chipotle México)
Chipotle, the U.S. fast-casual food chain inspired by Mexican and Tex-Mex food, plans to open more restaurants in Mexico after its first branch in the country exceeded expectations.
Mexico’s first Chipotle restaurant opened in July 2026 in the border state of Nuevo León, in the high-end municipality of San Pedro Garza García, part of the greater Monterrey area.
It’s no secret that abundant chips and guacamole are a surefire attractor of American patrons of Mexican food, whether in the U.S. or as tourists in Mexico. Chipotle has apparently confirmed that the appeal of its approach to serving Mexican food in a U.S.-influenced fast-casual style can be popular south of its border. (Chipotle México)
Alsea, a Mexican company that operates the U.S. brand, said it plans to open between three and four additional locations in Nuevo León during the first quarter of 2027, while also preparing for its entry into Mexico City that same year.
According to Alsea CEO Christian Gurría, the public’s positive response to the first restaurant exceeded the “honeymoon effect” associated with the initial excitement surrounding an opening.
“Now that our operation is consolidating and the flow of customers is stabilizing, we remain above [expectations],” Gurría said during a call with analysts cited by Bloomberg Línea.
Chipotle arrived in the country after other Tex-Mex food chains tried — and failed — to establish a market there, including U.S. fast-food mainstay Taco Bell, which attempted to expand into Mexico in the 1990s and the 2000s.
Gurría attributed the favorable reception of Chipotle to a combination of price, quality and portion size. According to Bloomberg Línea, the bowls, burritos and salads on the Mexican menu cost between 150 and 200 pesos (US $7.98 and $10.64).
The expansion of Chipotle is part of the renewal of Alsea’s portfolio in Mexico, which also includes preparations for the arrival of Raising Cane’s, a U.S. chain specializing in breaded chicken tenders. According to Gurría, the brand’s first branch is set to open in the first quarter of 2027.
Beyond Mexico, Alsea operates and develops restaurant and coffee shop chains in other parts of Latin America and Europe. Its portfolio includes brands such as Starbucks, Domino’s Pizza, Burger King, Vips, Chili’s, Italianni’s, P. F. Chang’s and The Cheesecake Factory.
According to Alsea’s latest financial report cited by specialized media Merca 2.0, Starbucks remains one of its largest-scale operations with 1,983 coffee shops across 12 countries, including 976 located in Mexico.
The company operates more than 4,800 units across 12 countries, and trades on the Mexican Stock Exchange.
Local fan favorite Sergio Pérez, better known as Checo, burned some rubber near the Angel of Independence during an exhibition on the Paseo de la Reforma, to the delight of some 100,000 onlookers Wednesday. (Galo Cañas / Cuartoscuro.com)
Formula 1 — the world’s most popular motorsport series — is in Mexico City this week for the 21st race of its 2026 season.
Widely viewed as one of the most vibrant, high-energy and uniquely festive spectacles on the F1 calendar, the Mexico City Grand Prix is expected to attract 400,000 fans to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez this weekend.
Checo missed last year’s Mexico City F-1 race as he was between sponsors at the time, but now he’s back as a member of the new Cadillac team. (Cadillac Formula 1 Team / on X)
For most in Mexico, Guadalajara native Sergio “Checo” Pérez is the star attraction of this year’s F1 event and will be competing in his 10th Mexico City GP. Checo — who missed last year’s race after being released by Red Bull following the 2024 season — will be racing for Cadillac, a constructor in its first year of competition.
Helping make his return to his home country extra special, Cadillac announced on Wednesday that it had signed Checo to a contract extension, keeping the six-time Grand Prix winner with the team through the 2029 season.
Checo has another reason to celebrate. Sunday’s race will be his 300th F1 race, making him the seventh driver in history to reach that number. As if getting to achieve that milestone at home is not enough, Checo also made a special appearance in the capital on Wednesday.
“I know some of you have been here since last night. I really appreciate it,” Checo told the crowd. “You guys are one of the main reasons I came back.”
The what, when and where of the F-1 weekend
For those planning on attending the F-1 race, the Hermanos Rodríguez circuit is inside the Ciudad Deportiva de la Magdalena Mixhuca public park located at the eastern terminus of the Viaducto Río de la Piedad (Viaducto Miguel Alemán). It can also be reached by Metrobus (Line 2) and Metro (Line 9).
As for the event, drivers will take two practice runs on Friday, while the third practice run and qualifying take place Saturday.
The Mexico City GP, featuring 71 laps of the 4.3-kilometer (2.6-mile) track, begins at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Of note, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, 20, could become the youngest champion in series history by finishing in the top nine.
Also competing is five-time Mexico City GP winner Max Verstappen (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023). Sergio Pérez was Verstappen’s teammate from 2021 through 2024.
A new framework for housing reform has been introduced in Mexico City in an attempt to make rents more affordable and to curb gentrification. (Leonardo Gaspar/Unsplash)
Mexico City is tackling a range of issues this week, from housing affordability and suspected dog poisonings to a dramatic car crash caught on camera. Meanwhile, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has teased a future NFL game in the capital, adding to the growing buzz around U.S. sports in Mexico.
Let’s get into it.
Morena’s housing bill aims to curb rent hikes and gentrification
The ruling Morena party and Mayor Clara Brugada put forth a framework on Oct. 22, aimed at stabilizing Mexico City’s ongoing housing rental affordability crisis.
Dubbed the Law on Tenant Relations and Fair, Reasonable and Affordable Rents, the reforms include capping rent increases, prohibiting excessive requirements to obtain a rental, creating an official government office tasked with handling tenant-landlord relations, and building more affordable housing.
In a news release, the administration said the bill is aimed at “curbing gentrification and guaranteeing the right to housing.”
According to the mayor’s office, roughly 2 million people rent their homes in the capital, representing a 54% increase over the past 15 years. Rent, meanwhile, “frequently exceeds 30% of the family income,” a benchmark set by the United Nations in 2020, with prices in some high-demand areas skyrocketing between 100% and 200% over the past decade.
The Morena party and Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada (seen here giving a thumbs up) are pushing for signatures on a bill for housing reform, which would then be presented to the city’s Congress (also pictured). (Estrella Josento/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico City’s government already passed a 2024 law capping rent increases relative to inflation. However, the new legislation goes a step further, barring landlords from raising a property’s rent when it changes from one tenant to another. There is an exception for landlords who undertake significant renovations to a property.
Other reforms included in the legislation
A Bill of Rights protecting renters from excessive rental requirements and discrimination.
A Tenant Relations Ombudsman tasked with providing free legal advice and resolving disputes.
A Digital Registry of Contracts and a one-year lease requirement.
A Social Support Office for Evictions, tasked with ensuring the eviction process is “peaceful and respects human dignity.”
An affordable housing project that aims to build 80,000 new units alongside 120,000 improvement and expansion projects in low-income neighborhoods.
A Public Housing Observatory tasked with monitoring land prices and rental prices across Mexico City’s 16 boroughs.
According to the International Business Times, Morena is gathering signatures for the bill, which it will present to the Mexico City Congress as a show of public support. The proposal is currently being considered by the joint Housing and Administration and Justice committees.
Authorities investigate suspected dog poisonings at Parque España
We reported on this in Mexico News Daily’s regular coverage. However, some stories are so important, we felt it prudent to reiterate here: Authorities are investigating suspected dog poisonings at Parque España in the capital’s Condesa neighborhood.
Simply put, if you or someone you know is a pet parent in the capital (cat walkers, we see you too), please be aware and spread the word.
Parque España in Mexico City’s Condesa neighborhood has been the site of several alleged pet poisonings. (Turismo CDMX)
In a news release published Oct. 27, the Attorney General’s Office of Mexico City announced it is launching an investigation and preventative measures after several dogs became fatally ill while spending time in the park, which features a popular off-leash dog area.
According to the AG’s office, the Citizen Security Ministry (SSC) was called to a nearby veterinary clinic that was treating the dogs. The SSC subsequently canvassed the park and found a blue pill wrapped in a piece of sausage. The pill, which is currently being investigated, has not been definitively linked to the suspected poisonings.
The case is being treated as potential animal abuse and cruelty. While the park is still open, the dog run and children’s areas were closed for cleanup.
“Citizens are urged to report any situation that could put the integrity of animals at risk to 911 or to the SSC Secretary’s Contact Unit, at telephone 55 5208 9898,” the Attorney General’s Office wrote in its news release, “as well as through the accounts @SSC_CDMX and @UCS_GCDMX.”
Tesla crash in affluent Mexico City neighborhood goes viral
A viral video of a shocking car crash in western Mexico City is making the rounds, roughly a week after the incident.
According to video obtained by U.S. media outlet TMZ, a Tesla careens off the road in Cuajimalpa, smashes through a gate and part of another structure before launching off a side patio and ultimately landing somewhere off-screen.
A time stamp on the footage, taken from what appears to be a home surveillance video, dates the incident to Oct. 19. The incident occurred in Cuajimalpa’s affluent Lomas del Chamizal neighborhood.
International Business Times reports that the cause of the crash, as well as the condition of those involved, is unknown.
Dallas Cowboys tease future game in Mexico City
With the NFL’s first Mexico City series game of the season less than a month away, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones suggested his team could soon be coming to the capital.
During a post-game interview with ESPN’s John Sutcliffe on Monday, Oct. 26, Jones was asked, on a scale of one to 10, about the likelihood of the Cowboys playing at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca (also known as Estadio Banorte).
“One,” Jones said several times before catching his mistake and changing his answer to an emphatic 10. “We’re coming,” he added.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott doubled down on the enthusiasm, telling Sutcliffe a game in Mexico City would be “exciting.”
The San Francisco 49ers played the Arizona Cardinals at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in 2022. The 49ers return against the Minnesota Vikings this year, and the Dallas Cowboys could be coming soon. (Galo Cañas Rodriguez/Cuartoscuro)
“I know the atmosphere would be electric,” Prescott said. “Viva Mexico!”
U.S. sports have had something of a moment in Mexico as of late.
Ticket demand for the Nov. 22 Week 11 match-up between the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings was extraordinary, with some 840,000 fans registering to get a highly coveted seat, as Mexico News Daily previously reported.
Meanwhile, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver suggested last week that Mexico City could be considered for a future league expansion, telling the Pat McAfee Show, “It’s a shorter flight from New York to Mexico than from New York to Los Angeles, so you can see why we’d be interested.”
Drew Pittock serves as Mexico News Daily’s features director. He is based in Mexico City. Have an idea for a feature story or unique event in CDMX? Send an email to drew.pittock@mexiconewsdaily.com.
Primary school students in Oaxaca city sit at their desks on the first day of school, in a photo from September 2025. (Carolina Jiménez Mariscal / Cuartoscuro)
Last week, we published Part 2 of the MND Mexico Well-being Series, which focused on eight education indicators, including expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP, average class sizes in primary and secondary schools and Mexico’s scores in the 2025 PISA tests.
This “Mexico in Numbers” article is a condensed version of that report — a concise presentation of the key data, complemented by visual features.
As we have previously noted, the MND Mexico Well-being Series — a collection of articles on a range of topics related to well-being — draws on the most recent internationally comparable data, as well as data from the past decade, to assess the state of well-being in Mexico today, and to see what has changed in Mexico during the eight years that the ruling Morena party has been in office.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the key data from Part 2 of the series.
Just 4% of two-year-olds in Mexico were enrolled in early childhood education programs meeting International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) criteria in 2024, compared with an OECD average of 50%, placing Mexico last among 30 countries assessed.
Enrollment among children aged 3 to primary-school entry was 75%, versus an OECD average of 90%, ranking Mexico 42nd of 46 countries.
Both rates declined from 2015, when they stood at 5% and 79%, respectively, widening Mexico’s gaps with the OECD averages.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP
Mexico’s government spent the equivalent of 2.9% of GDP on education in 2023, below the OECD average of 4.2%, ranking it 39th of 42 countries, or fourth-lowest.
Mexico’s spending on education fell from 4.4% of GDP in 2015 — when it matched the OECD average — a decline of 1.5 percentage points.
Educational attainment rates
In 2025, 40% of Mexicans aged 25–34 lacked an upper secondary qualification, down from 55% in 2015 but still well above the OECD average of 12%, leaving Mexico fourth-worst among 47 countries.
Tertiary attainment among the same age group rose from around 21% to 29% over the decade.
In 2025, 28% of young men and 30% of young women held tertiary qualifications — 12 and 24 percentage points below the respective OECD averages — ranking Mexico 39th of 45 countries for both sexes.
Teacher qualifications
In 2024, 82% of preschool teachers, 92% of primary teachers and 87% of lower secondary teachers in Mexico met national minimum educational attainment requirements. Mexico exceeded the OECD average only at primary level, by four percentage points, while trailing it by five points at preschool level and two points at lower secondary level.
All three rates declined between 2017 and 2024, falling by five, five and six percentage points, respectively.
Average class sizes in primary and lower secondary education
Mexico’s primary school classes averaged 23 students in 2024, while lower secondary classes averaged 25 — both two students above the respective OECD averages. Mexico’s classes were larger than those in 30 of 38 countries assessed at primary level and 27 of 38 at lower secondary level.
Since 2015, average primary class sizes increased by one student, while lower secondary class sizes fell by three.
PISA scores
Mexican 15-year-olds scored below OECD averages in all four areas assessed in PISA 2025: reading (408 points), science (414), mathematics (388) and computational problem solving (453), with gaps ranging from 47 to 75 points.
Mexico ranked equal 52nd of 90 countries and jurisdictions in reading, equal 63rd of 91 in science and equal 64th of 90 in mathematics.
Since 2015, Mexico’s average reading score fell by 15 points, its math score declined 20 points and its science score dropped two points. Nevertheless, the gaps between Mexico’s scores and OECD averages narrowed as OECD scores declined more sharply between 2015 and 2025.
Students’ exposure to bullying
In 2025, 19.5% of Mexican students aged 15 and 16 reported being bullied at school at least a few times a month, just below the OECD average of 19.6%. Mexico had the 38th-lowest bullying rate among 88 countries and jurisdictions.
Mexico’s bullying rate declined from 20.2% in 2015 — a fall of 0.7 percentage points — allowing it to move from above to slightly below the OECD average.
NEET rate
In 2025, 19% of Mexicans aged 18–24 were neither employed nor in education or training (NEET), five percentage points above the OECD average of 14%, giving Mexico the joint ninth-highest rate among 41 countries. The rate was 29% for young women, compared with 10% for young men.
Mexico’s overall NEET rate fell from 23% in 2015, narrowing its gap with the OECD average from seven to five percentage points.
President Sheinbaum paid her respects to politician Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, who passed away Wednesday night at the age of 92. (Andrea Murcia / Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds
🕊️ Government pays tribute to Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas after his death: The centerpiece of Thursday’s mañanera was a tribute to Cárdenas, a three-time presidential candidate, co-founder of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) and former Mexico City mayor, who died at age 92. Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez said “Mexico is in mourning,” while Minister for Women Laura Itzel Castillo praised his commitment to democracy and social justice. Asked what legacy Cárdenas leaves for “the left” in Mexico, Sheinbaum answered: “Honesty and democracy.”
🗳️ Sheinbaum says Taddei “betrayed the trust of the people of Mexico”: Three days after Guadalupe Taddei resigned as president of the National Electoral Institute (INE), the president offered a blunt assessment of her conduct. Taddei stepped down after media reports that companies linked to a businessman close to her received lucrative INE contracts. Sheinbaum noted that Taddei was chosen by the Chamber of Deputies, not by the president, and reiterated her support for a comprehensive audit of the INE by the Federal Auditor’s Office.
🖨️ Sheinbaum wants state-owned printer Talleres Gráficos de México to supply “most electoral materials”: The president asserted that “two or three” INE suppliers of items such as ballot papers and ballot boxes are “intermediaries” that don’t produce the materials themselves. Sheinbaum said that next week her government will formally propose turning the government-run printing agency Talleres Gráficos de México into a state-owned company with its own board of directors and “external observation.”
Why today’s mañanera matters
President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Thursday morning press conference came the day after the death of Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano, a three-time presidential candidate (1988, 1994 and 2000), a co-founder of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) and the son of former President of Mexico Lázaro Cárdenas del Río.
Cárdenas, a major figure in Mexican politics who served as a federal senator in the 1970s, governor of Michoacán in the 1980s and mayor of Mexico City in the 1990s, passed away at the age of 92.
Sheinbaum acknowledged his death in a social media post on Wednesday night.
“With deep sorrow, we lament the passing of the engineer Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano, a man of steadfast principles who transformed the political life of our country,” she wrote.
“His role in Mexico’s contemporary history is fundamental. In 1988, he led a peaceful democratic movement that channeled the yearning for change of millions of Mexican women and men. That historic electoral day, in which he should have been recognized as president, marked the beginning of the democratic transformation,” Sheinbaum wrote, alluding to allegations that Cárdenas was denied victory in the 1988 presidential election by electoral fraud.
A tribute to Cárdenas was the centerpiece of today’s mañanera, at which government officials honored his life and political legacy.
Beyond the tribute, Sheinbaum spoke about the allegedly corrupt conduct of Guadalupe Taddei, former president of the National Electoral Institute (INE).
Taddei resigned earlier this week after media outlets reported that companies linked to a businessman with whom she has a close personal relationship had received lucrative INE contracts.
‘Mexico is in mourning,’ says Interior Minister Rosa Rodríguez
Sheinbaum announced at the start of the press conference that the government would pay tribute to “the engineer” Cuauhtémoc Cardenas Solórzano, who obtained a degree in civil engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
“From here we send an affectionate hug to Lázaro, Cuauhtémoc and Camila, his children, and to all the people who were close to the engineer,” she said.
#LoÚltimo 🕊️La presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum anunció que la mañanera de este jueves estará dedicada a rendir homenaje a Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, tras darse a conocer su fallecimiento a los 92 años.
“Hasta siempre, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas”, expresó la mandataria. https://t.co/DNTvdCAtcq
Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez was the first official to speak at length about Cardenas.
“The journey of Cuauhtémoc Cardenas Solórzano has historical significance for Mexico and for the people of the Americas and the world,” she began.
Rodríguez said that his political “struggle” greatly influenced “the Mexico of today.”
Cárdenas was a man who “shaped the transition to democratic life” in Mexico and he “left a mark on the transformation of our country,” she said.
“His example demonstrates that convictions take on meaning when they are placed at the service of the people,” Rodríguez said.
At the end of her address, the interior minister said that “Mexico is in mourning,” but added that Cárdenas’ “teachings, his love of the homeland, his principles and his ideals will remain with us.”
“Long live the great democrat of Mexico, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano,” Rodríguez said.
Minister for Women Laura Itzel Castillo called Cárdenas “a great Mexican” and a “dear friend” of her family.
She said his life was “marked by the strength of his convictions and his commitment to democracy, social justice and the defense of national sovereignty.”
Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez, Minister for Women Laura Itzel Castillo and Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) Director Pablo Gómez Álvarez at Thursday morning’s press conference. (Rosa Icela Rodríguez / X)
“His career is part of the contemporary history of Mexico. His struggle opened paths for democratic participation and he contributed to the transformation of political life in our country,” Castillo said.
After a video tribute to Cárdenas was played, a reporter asked Sheinbaum about the legacy he leaves for “the left” in Mexico and Latin America.
“Honesty and democracy,” she responded.
“Democracy that comes from below, not democracy of the elites,” Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum: ‘I believe that Guadalupe Taddei betrayed the trust of the people of Mexico’
Three days after Guadalupe Taddei resigned as president of the INE, Sheinbaum offered a blunt assessment of Taddei’s conduct.
“I believe that Guadalupe Taddei betrayed the trust of the people of Mexico,” she said. “That’s the way it has to be said.”
Sheinbaum reiterated that Taddei was elected by the Chamber of Deputies, rather than by the president. She also reiterated her support for a comprehensive audit of the INE by the Federal Auditor’s Office.
In 2023, during the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Taddi was elected via sortition — also known as selection by lottery — as none of the candidates for president of the INE had the support of the required two-thirds of lawmakers in the lower house of Congress. At the time of her election, questions were raised about her family links to both the government and Morena.
Sheinbaum says state-owned company should supply ‘most electoral materials’
Electoral materials suppliers linked to José Alfredo Hernández Casillas — the businessman who is reportedly a close friend of Taddei — received lucrative INE contracts.
Sheinbaum asserted that “two or three” companies that received contracts to supply materials such as ballot papers and ballot boxes to the INE didn’t actually produce the materials themselves but rather acted as “intermediaries.”
She told reporters that “most electoral materials” should in fact be made by Talleres Gráficos de México, a government-run printing agency.
To that end, Sheinbaum said that next week her government will formally propose turning Talleres Gráficos de México into a state-owned company with its own board of directors and “external observation.”
Moving to Mexico comes with many challenges, but at some point, ordinary life starts to creep back in. (Arturo Ruiz/Unsplash)
In July, I spent two weeks in New York visiting family. By then I had been living in Querétaro for almost two years, and the trip gave me an extended stretch away from the daily life I had built here. I enjoyed seeing people I love, moving through places tied to an earlier part of my life, and hearing English everywhere without having to work for it.
Somewhere during those two weeks, I began thinking about going home, and I realized that the place I meant was Querétaro.
I noticed the language only after it had already formed in my head. Home has always been a complicated word for me, attached to places, people and periods of my life that do not fit together as neatly as they once did. New York holds family and history for me, and Santa Fe was home before I moved to Mexico. Both remain part of me in different ways.
When the visit was ending, though, I was ready to return to my house, my routines and the life waiting for me in Querétaro.
Finding standard ground in new routines
The author now has a new house in Querétaro, and a new home in Mexico. (Mark Arcuri)
Much of my first year in Mexico was organized around the experience of having moved. There were residency matters to settle, work to reconsider and a language I could use only imperfectly. I was learning how to do ordinary things in a place where the assumptions behind those things were often different from the ones I had known. Even buying bread could become a small encounter with the fact that I had crossed a border and was learning how to live on the other side of it.
I wrote about one of those encounters in my first Mexico News Daily column, when I described standing in a panadería three weeks after arriving and realizing I had answered the wrong question twice. At the time, that moment helped me recognize that I had crossed from visiting Mexico into living here.
I understand that crossing differently now. Becoming a resident happened fairly quickly. Becoming someone whose life is here has taken longer.
William Bridges spent much of his work distinguishing change from transition, a distinction that has occupied me professionally and personally for years. Change describes what happens in our circumstances. Transition is the internal process through which we gradually reorganize ourselves around what has happened. A person can move on a particular day, carry boxes into a new house, complete the required paperwork and still need considerable time before the new life begins to feel inhabited from the inside.
I spent much of my first year somewhere in that internal reorganization. Querétaro was the place where I lived, and I remained aware of living in Querétaro. I noticed differences constantly. I compared things with the U.S. more often than I realized, translated language in my head and carried an ongoing awareness that I was still learning the rules. The newness was sometimes exciting and sometimes tiring, and in either case it reminded me that I was elsewhere.
That awareness has begun to recede. I still notice Mexico, of course, and some days I notice it a great deal. My Spanish remains a work in progress, and I continue to encounter situations that remind me how much I have to learn about the culture I entered. Increasingly, though, a day in Querétaro is simply a day. I work, decide what to eat, answer messages, run errands, spend time with people I care about and go to bed without having spent much time thinking about the country in which any of it occurred.
When I imagined moving to Mexico, I naturally imagined the parts that made Mexico different. I thought about the pace, the language, the culture and what it might feel like to build a life here. What I could not imagine was the eventual disappearance of much of that self-consciousness. A life becomes familiar through repetition, through doing ordinary things often enough that they become part of the day instead of evidence that the day is happening somewhere new.
Building history through small moments
I saw another version of that recently in my own house. For nearly a year, my dining room table was simply there. Then I finally set it, and the room looked inhabited in a way it had not before. A week later, two kittens, Frida and Georgia, came to live with me, and suddenly there were food bowls to fill, veterinary appointments to arrange and two small creatures learning the boundaries of a house they seemed determined to investigate completely.
Their arrival made the ordinariness even more visible to me. I did not experience adopting them as another milestone in my relocation to Mexico. I experienced it as bringing two kittens home. They entered a life that already existed here, and within days they became part of its routines. I now spend considerably more time wondering what they are getting into than thinking about the fact that all three of us happen to be doing this in Querétaro.
My relationships here have changed in much the same way. Friendships now have history. There are conversations that refer back to other conversations, familiar jokes, plans that get made and changed, and the ordinary accommodations people make when they know one another well enough to stop explaining everything. My second column grew out of recognizing how much being known here had changed me. Home seems to take shape partly through that accumulated familiarity, when a place contains people who know something about who you are and expect you to still be there next week.
Accepting the ongoing learning process
There’s no calculation for the amount of time it will take for the realization to sink in that Mexico is now your home. It’s different for everyone. (Zion Arellano/Unsplash)
Mexico can still stop me in the middle of an ordinary day. Yesterday I was at the dentist when a Paquetexpress delivery driver called because he had a package for me. What I understood afterward was that he was asking a very simple question: Was the gate I was trying to describe gray? Under the pressure of a phone call, with no gestures or context to help me, I could not get there. We eventually understood enough of each other to call it a draw, and he left the package. A few minutes later I was back to whatever I had been doing, amused at how quickly an ordinary day can remind me that there is still plenty I am learning.
Perhaps this is the part of relocation we talk about less often. We spend a great deal of time thinking about leaving, arriving, adjusting and belonging. Eventually the move itself begins to occupy less of the story. The new country becomes the place where birthdays happen, friendships acquire history, kittens move in, groceries need buying, packages get delivered after imperfect phone calls, work gets done, and you leave for a while and find yourself thinking about going home.
That was the word that caught me in July. By the end of the visit, I was ready to go home, and there was no question in my mind where I meant.
Mark Arcuri, PhD, is an integrative wellness coach, Associate Dean, and writer based in El Refugio, Querétaro. His first book, “A Life Aligned: The Journey to Allowing the Magic in Your Life” (A Life Aligned Press, 2026), is available in paperback, ebook and audiobook, and opens a trilogy on the inner work of transition. The second, “Paradise (re)Discovered,” arrives this fall. Learn more at drmarkarcuri.com.
Mexico’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade Luis Rosendo Gutiérrez Romano (right) and India’s Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal signed the ToR, which sets out a roadmap for negotiations. (India Commerce Department)
India and Mexico signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) for negotiations on a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) on Monday, as the two nations seek to expand bilateral trade and investment.
Mexico’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade Luis Rosendo Gutiérrez Romano and India’s Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal signed the ToR, which sets out a roadmap for negotiations, during Agrawal’s official visit to Mexico.
India’s Commerce Secretary Shri Rajesh Agrawal arrived in Mexico City Monday for a two-day visit to advance India–Mexico trade and economic ties. (India Commerce Department)
The move advances an understanding reached by President Claudia Sheinbaum and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada in June 2025 to strengthen the bilateral partnership.
“India and Mexico are ready to turn untapped potential into tangible prosperity through balanced, ambitious and mutually beneficial negotiations,” the Indian Embassy wrote on the X social media site on Monday.
The proposed agreement includes key areas, such as market access for goods, rules of origin, customs procedures, trade facilitation, dispute settlement, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade and trade remedies.
Both countries are aiming to develop a “mutually beneficial and balanced PTA,” India’s Department of Commerce stated, emphasizing that Mexico is an important market for Indian exporters and investors.
Merchandise trade between India and Mexico totaled US $8.74 billion in 2024, with $5.73 billion in Indian exports and $3.01 billion in Mexican exports, resulting in a $2.72 billion trade differential, according to data from the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics.
The development of a PTA will help expand bilateral trade, create business opportunities, boost investment flows and strengthen supply chains. Potential areas of cooperation include automobiles, chemicals, electronics, pharmaceuticals, agri-food, energy, critical minerals, medical devices and advanced manufacturing.
In a February meeting between Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard and India’s Ambassador to Mexico Pankaj Sharma, the two officials also highlighted the need to foster greater cooperation in priority sectors such as science, technology and digitalization.
During the recent visit, Gutiérrez Romano and Agrawal discussed a potential Mexican business mission to India in the first quarter of 2027 to help identify commercial opportunities and further strengthen ties.
In 2024, India’s primary exports to Mexico included light vehicles, with a value of US $880 million, motorcycles ($390 million), base metals ($760 million), auto parts ($740 million), mechanical machinery ($460 million) and textiles and clothing ($410 million).
Meanwhile, Mexico’s main exports to India included crude petroleum oil ($1.7 billion), smartphones ($270 million) and gold ($170 million).
Airbnb founder and CEO Brian Chesky (left) recognizes Mexico's role in motivating the new goal of a million medical-stay benficiaries per year worldwide: "The families [in Mexico] were really satisfied with the service, and we felt there was enough demand to expand it.” (Airbnb.org)
After a successful pilot year in Mexico, Airbnb will allocate US $500 million over the next five years to expand its provision of free accommodations for people experiencing medical emergencies, natural disasters or domestic violence, company CEO Brian Chesky announced on Tuesday.
Building on a new funding model similar to the one used in Mexico, the independent non-profit arm of the online rental platform, under the name Airbnb.org (rather than simply Airbnb), will establish a $500 million fund by contributing 10 cents of its own revenue for every stay booked on the platform, without increasing prices for travelers or reducing payments to hosts.
Airbnb.org has provided 6,300 free nights’ lodging in Mexico for various emergency situations, around 1,500 of which were for medical stays. It’s looking to make that number 1 million per year worldwide. (Airbnb.org)
The dime-per-stay may not sound like much, but the cumulative effect is significant. “We tried to go as far as we could imagine,” said Chesky. “It’s a significant percentage of the company’s annual earnings.”
Airbnb.org has provided approximately 6,300 free nights in Mexico for various emergency situations, around 1,500 of which were for medical stays, according to Chesky.
The program also works with 20 nonprofit organizations in Mexico, including Fundación IMSS, Ronald McDonald House Charities Mexico and Lilo Foundation Mexico, to meet the needs of families of patients requiring specialized care who must relocate to the capital, since almost 40% of the country’s specialized medical care facilities are concentrated in Mexico City.
The program “was successful because the families were really satisfied with the service, and we felt there was enough demand to expand it,” said Chesky.
In May, Airbnb.org announced a $1.1 million contribution to expand its medical stay program in Mexico for three years. This was before the new 10 cents-per-stay fund.
The roots of Airbnb’s accommodations initiative go back to 2012, when a New York host offered her home to people displaced by Hurricane Sandy, encouraging other hosts around the world to do the same in subsequent disasters. Airbnb.org was formalized in 2020 and has had a global reach even before the newly announced initiative.
The new funding model launched on Tuesday is expected to serve more than 20 countries. The contributions will only apply to completed stays, not reservations canceled before check-in or to Airbnb Experiences or Services. The goal is to reach 1 million free nights per year for the next four or five years.
According to an Energy Ministry (SENER) report published in August, there were 170 data centers in operation in Mexico in 2023 and 200 in 2025. That number is projected to rise to 230 in 2027 and 243 in 2029. (Wikimedia Commons)
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Tuesday that companies have announced plans to invest more than US $8 billion in data center projects in Mexico.
Speaking to reporters after an event in Mexico City, Ebrard said that the planned data center projects are proceeding as expected.
Ebrard emphasized that data center companies are working with the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) to ensure adequate power supply. (Estrella Josento/Cuartoscuro)
Various companies have recently announced plans to build new data centers in Mexico.
On Tuesday, Ebrard said that investment in data centers in Mexico will allow the country to strengthen its technological capabilities and its participation in the development of artificial intelligence.
“What we’re experiencing is an epochal shift and data centers are a significant part of that,” he said, referring to the rise of AI.
Ebrard acknowledged that the operation of data centers requires additional electricity infrastructure. He said that data center companies are working with the Federal Electricity Commission to ensure adequate power supply. Ebrard said that private investment in electricity projects related to data centers could reach around $400 million.
The economy minister also said that data center cooling systems use less water than they used to. He indicated that Mexican authorities are open to more data center investment in the country.
“I think we’re going to continue encouraging their installation and operation in our country,” Ebrard said.
But, she added, “Mexico does not necessarily have to be the data center [hub] for other parts of the world, because [their operation] requires high energy and water consumption.”
According to an Energy Ministry (SENER) report published in August, there were 170 data centers in operation in Mexico in 2023 and 200 in 2025. That number is projected to rise to 230 in 2027 and 243 in 2029.
“The sustained growth of this infrastructure is driven by the increase in data traffic, industrial digitization, and the expansion of cloud services,” SENER said in its report, titled “Energy Efficiency in Data Centers: Challenges, Trends and Opportunities.”
“Querétaro has established itself as the country’s leading hub, thanks to its geographic location, energy availability, and fiber-optic connectivity,” the ministry said.
“This development has spurred the creation of specialized technology parks and attracted foreign direct investment, primarily from U.S., European, and Asian companies. However, it has also created new challenges in terms of electricity capacity, water supply, and sustainable energy management, underscoring the need to incorporate energy efficiency into the planning and design of these facilities,” SENER said.
Every seat is a "window seat" for those traveling to Tulum via 2018 Nissan Versas from Uber. (This image was generated using AI tools)
All stories in El Jalapeño are satire and not real news. Check out the original articles here and here.
TULUM, Quintana Roo — In a bold display of logistical agility, ride-hailing giant Uber announced Friday that it will step in to replace canceled commercial airline routes to Tulum by dispatching drivers in 2018 Nissan Versas for direct, 22-hour interstate road trips from the United States.
The move comes after major carriers, including American Airlines, Aeroméxico and Volaris, announced reductions or pauses in service to Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport, leaving thousands of vacationers searching for alternative flight arrangements to the Quintana Roo resort town.
After only 22 hours on the road, tourists can enjoy the beachside pleasures of life in Tulum. (Travis Bembenek)
Under the company’s newly launched “UberLongHaul” tier, passengers stranded in hub cities like Miami, Charlotte or Atlanta can bypass commercial aviation entirely and hail a subcompact sedan straight to their beachside hotel lobby. The app automatically calculates toll fees, international border wait times and recommended driver shifts along the 1,400-mile highway route.
“While airlines are constrained by pilot shortages and complex airspace logistics, our driver-partners remain completely nimble,” said Uber regional strategy director Carlos Mendoza. “If a traveler in Florida needs to reach a wellness retreat in Quintana Roo, they shouldn’t be limited by flight schedules. They can simply tap a button and settle into a comfortable subcompact ride through a dozen or so picturesque states in the U.S. and Mexico.”
To accommodate long-haul passengers unused to multi-day highway commutes, participating drivers will provide onboard amenities including room-temperature bottled water, periodic air conditioning and head and neck pillows for sleeping.
Transportation experts have praised the initiative as a practical response to shifts in international transit patterns, noting that while jetliners face strict operational hurdles, a compact sedan can easily adapt to evolving travel demands provided passengers maintain patience through the long journey.
State tourism officials expressed optimism about the service integration, calling it a testament to modern flexibility. “Whether visitors arrive via direct flight or a multi-day highway ride-share, the important thing is that they get here,” said regional transit consultant Maria Gutierrez.
