Get ready for Father’s Day with this Mexican gift guide

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June 5, 2025

Father and daughter play in surf — June 15 is approaching: surprise dad with these uniquely Mexican gifts for Father's Day. (Elizabeth Ruiz / Cuartoscuro)

There’s more than enough gift guides on the internet for Father’s Day, which in Mexico falls on the third Sunday of June. But this one’s a little different, as we’ve curated a list of items that celebrate heritage, craftsmanship and flavor to show dad how much you care for him with Mexican gifts for Father’s Day.

Whether he’s into food, fashion or music or simply proud of his heritage, this list will give you original ideas to give your papá something special and very Mexican.

A bottle of Baja California wine

Valle de Guadalupe winery — A winery in Valle de Guadalupe, one of Mexico’s prime wine-growing regions today. (Tomas Castelazo / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Mexico’s reputation as a wine producer has grown in the last few years, thanks in part to Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe, which produces more than 70% of Mexican wine. With Mediterranean-type weather that favors grape growing, this valleywas ranked as the third best wine-growing region in the world by USA Today 10 Best Readers Choice 2022 ranking.

Some of the most recognized and award-winning wines from the Guadalupe Valley include Monte Xanic Ricardo, Monte Xanic Cabernet Sauvignon, , Adobe Guadalupe Gabriel, Emevé los Nietos and Santos Brujos Tempranillo, produced by Mexico’s first certified bodega of organic and biodynamic wines.

Now, if your dad is a wine lover and also a football aficionado, you might want to consider Casillero del Diablo’s special edition bottle. Dubbed Selección Red, these bottles honor the vibrant culture of Mexico and passionate support behind the Mexican national team. The bottles are the result of a collaboration with the Federación Mexicana de Futbol and Soccer United Marketing.

A traditional handcrafted belt

Piteado belt — A piteado belt from Colotlan, Jalisco. (Arturo Ramos)

If you’re looking for something unique and authentically Mexican, look no further than a fajo piteado. These traditional handcrafted belts are typically made of leather and adorned with intricate embroidery using fibers from the ixtle or pita plant, a type of agave. Hence the technique’s name, piteado.

Fajos piteados are often used by charros — Mexico’s answer to the cowboy — and members of mariachi groups. They’re also popular among farmers, ranchers and people living in the countryside in the states of Jalisco, Hidalgo, Guerrero, Estado de México, Zacatecas and Michoacán. The town of Colotlán, Jalisco, is known as the capital of the fajos piteados.

You can find fajos piteados in Bodega Tienda Charra, an online store shipping to all of Mexico.

A guayabera from Yucatán

Two men wearing Mexican "Guayaberas" — Writer Gabriel García Márquez once called the guayabera the national dress of the Caribbean. (Maurice Marcellin / Wikimedia Commons)

For these hot summer months, a guayabera from Yucatán might be the perfect gift for dad.

While these white button-down shirts originally came from Cuba, they arrived in Yucatán in the 19th century, quickly becoming a cultural icon. The guayabera was adapted to the local climate, incorporating regional details and improving its production with materials such as linen and cotton.

From Yucatán, guayaberas spread to other states in southern Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. They’re now widely worn at both formal and casual events, even favored by politicians.

You can find stylish guayaberas in retail stores like Liverpool or Palacio de Hierro. But if you live in Mérida, Yucatán, there ‘s no better place to buy a guayabera than the boutiques along Paseo Montejo.

A personalized tequila or mezcal bottle

Mezcal Desgn offers personalized tequila and mezcal bottles filled with their house liquor. (Mezcal Dsgn)

Have you thought of gifting your father a personalized tequila bottle? If you haven’t, you might want to consider it now.

Consider engraving a bottle with your dad’s name, a family picture a loving quote or one of the unique designs offered by Tequila Dsgn. Bottles come in 350 and 750 ml, and you have the option of buying personalized caballitos, the glasses traditionally used to drink tequila.

Desgn’s tequila is white with silver highlights on the middle body with sweet and citrusy notes, produced from agaves in the highlands of Jalisco. Meanwhile, the company’s mezcal is artisanal and produced from the espadín maguey, cultivated for eight years in the state of Oaxaca.

If you want a Dsgn bottle for Father’s Day, the deadline to place your order on the company’s website is this week.

A guitar from Paracho, Michoacán

Guitars hang from roof in music store — 98 percent of all guitars made in Mexico are produced in Paracho. (Thayne Tuason / CC BY SA 4.0)

Located in the heart of the western state of Michoacán, the small town of Paracho de Verduzco is world-renowned for its guitar production.

Paracho, located 100 kilometers from Morelia, has a long luthier tradition dating back to the 16th century, when evangelizing Spanish friars like Vasco de Quiroga introduced European woodworking and instrument production techniques to the Indigenous peoples of the area. Since then, guitar production is the town’s most important economic and cultural activity, producing 98 percent of all guitars made in Mexico.

Besides its guitars — which include classical, popular, flamenco and Texan guitars — the town also produces a wide range of chord instruments including violins, ukuleles and mandolins.

If you can’t go to Paracho yourself to buy a guitar, you can likely find a distributor in your city or order one online.

Happy shopping and ¡feliz Día del Padre!

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.

US Supreme Court throws out Mexican lawsuit against gunmakers

By

MND Staff

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June 5, 2025

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The facade of the US Supreme Court — In tossing out Mexico's case for punishing the arms dealers supplying the Mexican cartels, the U.S. Supreme Court cited the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act , which shields gun manufacturers from the consaquences of their products. (Anthony Quintano CC BY 2.0)

The United States Supreme Court on Thursday threw out Mexico’s US $10 billion lawsuit against U.S. gunmakers, ruling unanimously that a 2005 law shields the defendants from prosecution.

Justice Elena Kagan said in the Supreme Court’s written opinion that “because Mexico’s complaint does not plausibly allege that the defendant gun manufacturers aided and abetted gun dealers’ unlawful sales of firearms to Mexican traffickers, PLCAA bars the lawsuit.”

confiscated guns — Since January 20, the U.S. says it has confiscated nearly 9,700 firearms bound for Mexico. (Cuartoscuro)

PLCAA is the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which broadly protects manufacturers and sellers of firearms from being held liable when crimes are committed with their weapons.

The Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday came in response to an appeal to a 2024 lower court ruling that was filed by gunmaker Smith & Wesson and firearm distributor Interstate Arms.

In 2021, the Mexican government sued a number of United States-based gun manufacturers and distributors, accusing them of negligent business practices that have led to illegal arms trafficking and deaths in Mexico, where U.S.-sourced firearms are used in a majority of high-impact crimes. Hundreds of thousands of firearms are estimated to be smuggled into Mexico from the United States every year.

The Mexican government accused gunmakers of designing and manufacturing weapons that appeal to cartel members. Colt, for example, has manufactured a pistol embellished with an image of Emiliano Zapata, a hero of the Mexican revolution. Mexico also accused gun companies of “unlawfully designing and marketing their guns as military-grade weapons to drive up demand among the cartels,” Reuters reported.

In addition, the Mexican government claimed that gun violence fueled by firearms smuggled into Mexico from the United States has resulted in a decline in investment and economic activity in Mexico, and asserted that it has had to incur unusually high costs on services such as health care and law enforcement due to gun violence in Mexico.

With the exception of Smith & Wesson and Interstate Arms, the gun companies sued by Mexico had succeeded in having the accusations against them thrown out before the Supreme Court ruling on Thursday.

4-year legal battle comes to an end

The Supreme Court’s ruling came three months after it heard oral arguments in the appeal filed by Smith & Wesson and Interstate Arms against Mexico’s lawsuit.

Those two companies opposed an appeal court’s ruling in January 2024 that the Mexican government’s lawsuit could proceed on the grounds that “Mexico’s complaint plausibly alleges a type of claim that is statutorily exempt from the … general prohibition” of the PLCAA.

Mexico’s lawsuit against Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Colt, Glock and other gunmakers, filed in August 2021, was initially dismissed in 2022 by Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor of a federal court in Boston, who said that U.S. law “unequivocally” prohibited lawsuits that seek to hold gun manufacturers responsible when people use their products for their intended purpose — i.e. to shoot them.

Mexico appealed that decision, which led to the appeal court’s ruling in early 2024.

A display of pistols, automatic rifles, ammunition and clips arranged in rows on a table. — Though some guns are seized at the border — like these weapons confiscated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in March — hundreds of thousands of weapons are still smuggled from the U.S. into Mexico every year. (CBP/X)

Kagan wrote that “the basic theory” of Mexico’s lawsuit was “that the defendants failed to exercise ‘reasonable care’ to prevent trafficking of their guns into Mexico, and so are responsible for the harms arising there from the weapons’ misuse.”

She noted that there is an “exception” to the PLCAA’s “general bar” on lawsuits against manufacturers and sellers of firearms that “applies to lawsuits in which the defendant manufacturer or seller ‘knowingly violated a State or Federal statute applicable to the sale or marketing’ of firearms, and the ‘violation was a proximate cause of the harm for which relief is sought.'”

Kagan wrote that Mexico set for itself “a high bar” in its lawsuit against the gun companies.

“It does not pinpoint, as most aiding-and-abetting claims do, any specific criminal transactions that the defendants (allegedly) assisted. Instead, it levels a more general accusation: that all the manufacturers assist some number of unidentified rogue dealers in violation of various legal bars,” she wrote.

“The systemic nature of that charge cannot help but heighten Mexico’s burden. To survive, it must be backed by plausible allegations of pervasive, systemic, and culpable assistance. Mexico’s lead claim — that the manufacturers elect to sell guns to, among others, known rogue dealers — fails to clear that bar,” Kagan said.

She also wrote that “Mexico’s allegations about design and marketing decisions [of gunmakers] add nothing of consequence” to its suit.

US Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan authored the court’s written opinion, explaining its rationale for rejecting the case. (U.S. Library of Congress)

“Mexico focuses on production of ‘military style’ assault weapons, but these products are widely legal and purchased by ordinary consumers. Manufacturers cannot be charged with assisting criminal acts simply because Mexican cartel members also prefer these guns,” Kagan said.

“The same applies to firearms with Spanish language names or graphics alluding to Mexican history — while they may be ‘coveted by the cartels,’ they also may appeal to ‘millions of law-abiding Hispanic Americans,'” she wrote.

Kagan said that her conclusion “aligns with PLCAA’s core purpose.”

“Congress enacted PLCAA to halt lawsuits attempting to make gun manufacturers pay for harms resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of firearms. Mexico’s suit closely resembles those lawsuits,” she wrote.

Two other justices filed concurring opinions. It was the first time that the Supreme Court had handed down a ruling related to the PLCAA.

The decision is a significant blow for the Mexican government, which sought $10 billion in compensation from gunmakers as well as a court order requiring gun companies to take steps to “abate and remedy the public nuisance they have created in Mexico.”

A "made in the U.S.A." label on a Smith and Wesson gun. — Mexico’s doomed lawsuit argued Smith & Wesson and other gunmakers knew their business practices caused illegal arms trafficking to Mexico. (Shutterstock)

It had wanted the opportunity to prove its case against the defendants in court.

Catherine Stetson, lawyer for the Mexican government, told the Supreme Court in early March that it “need not vouch for Mexico’s allegations, but it must assume they are true.”

“Mexico should be given a chance to prove its case,” she said.

For their part, “firearms makers, led by Smith & Wesson Brands, said the chain of events between the manufacture of a gun and the harm it causes after being sold, transported, and used to commit crime in Mexico involves too many steps to blame the industry,” USA Today reported.

While its lawsuit has been blocked, some consolation for the Mexican government comes from the U.S. government’s recent ramping up of its efforts to stop guns crossing its southern border, seizing nearly 9,700 firearms bound for Mexico between Jan. 20, when U.S. President Donald Trump began his second term, and early May.

Mexico has long urged the United States to stop the flow of what is often called “the iron river” of firearms across the two countries’ 3,145-kilometer-long land border.

With reports from AP and USA Today

MoMA spotlights Mexico’s Golden Age film icon María Félix in New York screening series

By

MND Staff

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June 5, 2025

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A portrait of actress María Félix — Mexican film star María Félix achieved international fame as an actress and style icon despite never accepting a role in a Hollywood movie. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA) will dedicate a film series to Mexican Golden Age film icon María Félix, entitled “María Félix: La Doña.”

This screenings, which will take place from July 11 to 27 at the museum’s Debra and Leon Black Family Film Center, will feature screenings of iconic films starring María Félix between 1942 and 1957, such as “Doña Bárbara” (1943), “Enamorada” (1946) and more.

Actress María Félix in a screenshot from a black and white movie — María Félix appears as the beautiful and strong-willed Beatriz Peñafiel in the 1946 movie “Enamorada.” (Gobierno de Cholula)

This isn’t the first time MoMA has presented screenings dedicated to Mexican cinema in which La Doña — as Félix is known — appeared on screen. In 2015, the venue screened “Enamorada” (In Love), directed by Emilio Fernández, and in 2019, it did the same with “La diosa arrodillada” (The Kneeling Goddess), filmed in 1947 by Roberto Gavaldón. However, this will be the first time MoMA will screen a series dedicated exclusively to Félix.

Defining her as “the greatest international star to emerge from the Mexican cinema’s ‘Época de Oro,’” MoMA said Félix was a “cultural phenomenon who redefined femininity on screen through her portrayals of difficult, domineering women who defiantly operated outside the social conventions of her time.”

The program seeks to recognize Félix’s career to project “the commanding screen presence” that made her an internationally acclaimed actress, despite never participating in a Hollywood film.

“Hollywood never offered me a role that I wanted,” Félix once said. “They would offer me Indian roles that I didn’t like, whereas in my country, I did whatever I wanted.”

María Félix smoking while wearing a large black hat and pounds of gold and gemstone jewelry in the form of reptiles — Félix was known in part for her opulent yet elegant personal style. (Cartier)

Félix preferred to work on projects in other countries, including Spain, Argentina, and France. The French production “French Cancan” (1955) from Jean Renoir, starring Félix, will also be part of the MoMA’s screenings.

The museum also highlights her appealing life off-screen, including “her tumultuous relationship with composer Agustín Lara, close friendships with artistic luminaries like Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and the exotic rumors that fed Mexico’s tabloid press,” which it credits for contributing to the artist’s mystique.

The program is curated by Dave Kehr and Steve Macfarlane, with the collaboration of the director of the Morelia International Film Festival, Daniela Michel, and the programmer Chloe Roddick, in addition to the support of the National Autonomous University of Mexico’s Film Library.

María Félix was born in Álamos, Sonora, on April 8, 1914. From a very young age, her beauty and personality led her to win contests and rise to prominence in society. After her first marriage and the birth of her son Enrique, she moved to Mexico City, where she was discovered by filmmaker Miguel Zacarías. She made her film debut in 1942 with the movie El Peñón de las Ánimas, which launched her to stardom.

Félix acted in over 40 films in Mexico and Europe. She passed away at 88, on April 8 2002. Lara’s famous song María Bonita is dedicated to her.

With reports from El Economista, Biografías y Vida, and Milenio

6 facts about Mexico that upend the stereotypes

By

Louisa Rogers

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June 5, 2025

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A man in Mexico City in shorts, a GAP sweatshirt and a baseball cap jogs through a tree-lined park with two purebred Golden Retrievers on leashes. Behind him in the distance is a man walking a ten-speed bike while talking on his phone. — A man jogs with his two Golden Retrievers in Bosque de San Juan park in Mexico City, whose homicide rate is lower than estimates for the U.S. city of Miami. (Magdalena Montiel/Cuartoscuro)

I first visited Mexico in 1981 and returned four or five more times before 2005, when my husband and I bought a house in Guanajuato. You’d think that with all these years under my belt that I’d be knowledgeable about the country where I live part of my life. I’m embarrassed to admit that until I did research, I believed some of the common — and unflattering — Mexico stereotypes.

Take crime, for instance. Given the cartel violence in Mexico, I would have expected Mexico to be far more dangerous than the U.S. And in certain areas, it is, but not everywhere. Miami is more dangerous than Mexico City. According to the website Howsafeismexico.com, Mexico City’s homicide rate is 9 per 100,000, while Miami’s is 15 per 100,000.

Shoppers browse the selection of weapons at Mexico's only gun shop. — Shoppers browse the selection of weapons at one of only two legal gun shops in Mexico. One of the facts about Mexico that might surprise many foreigners is that most guns used in Mexico’s crimes are smuggled in from the U.S. (Cuartoscuro)

I’m not alone in believing some of the stereotypes. According to 2024 data from the Pew Research Center, 60% of Americans have an unfavorable view of Mexico. If you’ve made the same mistakes I did, here are six facts about Mexico that may surprise you.

1. Guns

Mexico has only two gun stores in the entire country, both on military bases, issuing fewer than 50 gun permits a year. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of arms in the country, because every year, more than 200,000 guns are smuggled into Mexico from the U.S., many of them ending up used by drug cartels.

Ironically, the flow of weapons southbound is empowering the same organizations that smuggle drugs north across the U.S. border.

2. Mexican higher education

Some universities in Mexico are world-class. In 2024, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) ranked 93rd of 1,300 universities in the world, according to the journal Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). In Latin America, it ranked second that year only to the University of São Paulo in Brazil, which ranked 85th.

A young Mexican man in a colorful sweater and white reading glasses and who sports dreadlocks down to his waist looks over the contents of his wallet on campus outside the National Autonomous University of Mexico's campus center. Nearby, a young female student wearing a jacket and backpack walks in the other direction — A National Autonomous University student caught in a quotidian moment near the university’s campus center. (Victoria Valtierra Ruvalcaba/Cuartoscuro)

Meanwhile, for the last eight years, the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico’s MIT, has been ranked in the top 200 out of 1,673 prestigious universities in the world.

While public university students in Mexico have to pay for add-ons like housing, food, textbooks, and their actual diplomas, tuition itself is free; in fact, the Mexican constitution forbids public universities from charging tuition. Wouldn’t debt-ridden graduates in the U.S. dream of that?

Not only that, but the Mexican government is very generous with becas, or scholarships. Several of our Spanish teachers spent a couple of semesters studying in Europe or the U.S., fully paid for by the Mexican government.

3. Mexico’s economy

The 10th largest country in the world, Mexico has an economy ranked in the top 15 globally, according to the World Bank, which classifies Mexico as an “upper middle income economy,” along with such countries as Turkey, Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Colombia.

Unfortunately, while Mexico has a large and relatively diverse economy, it also has growing income inequality.

Two women kissing in the street wrapped in a multicolored rainbow gay pride flag. — Legal equality for LGBTQ+ persons are on an upward trajectory in Mexico. As of 2022, same-sex marriage has been legal throughout the nation. (File photo)

4. Attitudes towards gay and reproductive rights

Mexico supported gay rights long before the U.S., decriminalizing sodomy in 1871, 124 years before the U.S. in 2003. Mexico City was the first Latin American city to legalize same-sex marriage in 2010, and same-sex marriage is now legal in all 32 states of Mexico.

As for abortion, in 2021, Mexico’s Supreme Court decriminalized abortion nationwide, that is, no one can be imprisoned for having an abortion. Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling, however, abortion is still considered a criminal offense in 18 states where state legislatures have been slow to decriminalize it.

5. Average age and gender of top government leaders

Age was clearly an issue in the last U.S. presidential election. If Americans prefer younger candidates, they should move to Mexico! At 62, Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, is 16 years younger than President Donald Trump, who is 78.

The same holds true in the Mexican legislature. The average age in Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies is 48 years old (six years younger than their counterparts in the U.S. House of Representatives). Meanwhile, the average age of Mexican senators is 54 — a full 10 years younger than the average age of U.S. senators, which is 64.3.

Current Chihuahua senator Andrea Chavez Trevino being sworn in in 2021 as a federal deputy. She has her arm extended forward in front of her as she takes the oath of office. Behind her is a massive Mexican flag on the legislature wall. — Chihuahua senator Andrea Chávez Treviño, at 28, is Mexico’s youngest senator. Here she is shown being sworn in as a federal deputy at age 24 in 2021.

As for gender, more than 50 percent of the seats in the Mexican Congress are held by women, one of only six countries in the world holding that status. This places Mexico among the world’s leaders in gender equality in politics. In the U.S., only 28%, or 155 women, serve in the House and Senate.

6. Immigration

While I wasn’t surprised that the largest immigration group in Mexico is U.S. citizens, I didn’t expect the second largest to be Guatemalans. Other large immigrant groups include people from the Spanish-speaking world — Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, Cuba, Spain, El Salvador and Argentina.

Over 2.5 million people of African descent, who came to Mexico as slaves, live primarily in the coastal areas of Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Guerrero. Another million people of Chinese descent live mainly in Mexicali and Mexico City, while about 9,000 Koreans live in Mexico City.

Mexico has one of the largest Lebanese diasporas in the Americas, somewhere between 400,000 and 700,000 people, living primarily in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara. They began arriving in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, seeking economic opportunities and fleeing religious persecution. Well-known Mexicans of Lebanese descent include business magnate Carlos Slim and actress Salma Hayek.

As these facts attest, Mexico not only is endowed with rich traditions, cuisine, art and music but also is a forward-thinking, diverse, increasingly egalitarian and progressive nation.

Louisa Rogers and her husband Barry Evans divide their lives between Guanajuato and Eureka, on California’s North Coast. Louisa writes articles and essays about expat life, Mexico, travel, physical and psychological health, retirement and spirituality. Her recent articles are on her website, https://authory.com/LouisaRogers

Fake news, floods and faith in Mexico’s justice system: Wednesday’s mañanera recapped

By

MND Staff

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June 4, 2025

4

“The times they are a-changin’.”

Bob Dylan wrote the song in the early 1960s but its famous refrain also applies to Mexico today.

A judicial overhaul has commenced. Donald Trump is upending the trade relationship between the United States and Mexico. The use of artificial intelligence is on the rise.

President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about all three of those topics at her Wednesday morning press conference, held just hours after the United States imposed 50% tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum. (Click here to read about Sheinbaum’s response to the measure here.)

The president also spoke about a problem that doesn’t appear likely to go away anytime soon: seasonal flooding in Mexico City.

Sheinbaum enumerates expectations of new justices

A reporter asked the president what she thought of the nine people elected as Supreme Court (SCJN) justices at Mexico’s first-ever judicial elections on Sunday.

Who are the 9 judges elected to Mexico’s new Supreme Court?

“Very good, very good,” she said of the successful candidates, all of whom are affiliated with, seen as sympathetic to, or were at least tacitly supported by the ruling Morena party.

“The people decided, whatever the people decide,” Sheinbaum said, adding that the five women and four men elected to the SCJN are “good” choices.

Once they assume their positions, “they have to set an example … for a profound transformation of the judiciary,” she said.

“A transformation in what sense? That there is justice for everyone in Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.

“From my point of view, they have to set an example of austerity compared to the trappings of the current [judicial] power,” she said.

“They have to set an example of professionalism, of the delivery of justice. They have to set an example of change, honesty, integrity and transparency,” Sheinbaum said.

“Today, they are elected by the people. Now, from September, it’s up to them to set an example to Mexico and to the world that there can be a different system of justice, one that is not based on interest groups, on money, on providing [justice] to some and not to others,” she said.

“They have to become a group of a lot of presence … in the sense that it is noted that in Mexico, a transformation of the judiciary arrived as well. And it’s not a political matter, it’s a matter of honesty, of simplicity, of modesty, of austerity and of the delivery of justice,” Sheinbaum said.

“I think they are going to do very well, very well,” she said.

Sheinbaum empathizes with public transit users affected by flooding in CDMX

A reporter told the president that “thousands of people” had to walk more than nine kilometers in the rain, from the Guelatao metro station in the Iztapalapa borough of Mexico City to the La Paz station in México state, after service on part of Line A of the capital’s metro system was suspended on Monday evening due to flooding.

“They had to walk to get to [La Paz] to take another [form of] transport to get home. There were people who were very angry … because they said, ‘It’s the same every year,'” the reporter said.

“And among them, there was a lady who complained bitterly about you,” the journalist told Sheinbaum.

Metro passengers walking from the Guelatao station in the Iztapalapa borough of Mexico City to the La Paz station in México state, after service on part of Line A of the capital's metro system was suspended on Monday evening due to flooding. — Metro passengers walking from the Guelatao station in the Iztapalapa borough of Mexico City to the La Paz station in México state, after service on part of Line A of the capital’s metro system was suspended on Monday evening due to flooding. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)

“She said ‘you were lying in bed while she was walking like a pilgrim.'”

In response, Sheinbaum said that “of course there is anger when a situation like that occurs.”

“… If you’re stuck in traffic for two hours, if you’re in a hurry to get home, yes there is frustration and anger, it’s understandable,” she said.

Sheinbaum, mayor of Mexico City between 2018 and 2023, subsequently pointed out that “several projects” have been completed to mitigate flooding in the capital, a common occurrence during the annual rainy season.

“For example, in [the borough of] Venustiano Carranza, a very important project was completed to reduce floods in several neighborhoods,” she said.

“And in this case, we’re going to attend to the issue of this flood … in this area, which has a lot of subsidence,” Sheinbaum said, referring to southeastern Mexico City.

“For that reason, as well, this flooding is caused,” she said.

Fake news and AI

A reporter asked the president about a supposed U.S. government statement that purported to identify various “political leaders in Mexico with ties to drug cartels.”

The statement, which has circulated on social media, was denounced as “false” by the United States Embassy in Mexico.

🚨 ADVERTENCIA 🚨
Esta información es falsa. pic.twitter.com/fkJczA7nGz

— Embajada EU en Mex (@USEmbassyMEX) June 3, 2025

Sheinbaum took the opportunity to speak about fake news and the use of artificial intelligence to distort the truth.

She said that AI has been used to create videos that “change what I say.”

“[They use] my voice and publish it as a joke,” Sheinbaum said.

She specifically called out the news outlet Latinus for the practice.

“They use this scheme where I am talking and they change my words. They have the right to criticize [me], but why this use [of AI]? It doesn’t affect me, not in the slightest. I’m just giving an account of what happens,” Sheinbaum said.

“And then there are frauds they do, like calling [on people] to invest in something,” she said.

Early last year, Sheinbaum denounced a video that purported to show her promoting a kind of pyramid scheme as a “complete fraud.”

On Wednesday, she described claims that “one governor, another governor, another governor” have been stripped of their U.S. tourist visas as “fake news.”

More “responsibility and seriousness” is required, Sheinbaum said. “Freedom always entails responsibility.”

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

Mexico’s Museum of Anthropology wins prestigious Princess of Asturias Award for Concord

By

MND Staff

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June 4, 2025

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aztec calendar stone — The Mexica Sun Stone, also called the Aztec Calendar Stone, is one of the museum's most iconic pieces, a must-see for any visitor to or resident of Mexico City. (Unsplash)

The National Museum of Anthropology (MNA) in Mexico City has won the 2025 Princess of Asturias Award for Concord, as the foundation recognized on Wednesday the museum’s contribution to preserving Mexico’s anthropological heritage.

The Princess of Asturias Foundation, a prestigious Spanish non-profit private institution that promotes scientific, cultural and humanistic values, lauded the MNA as “heir to a long-standing tradition of defending and preserving an essential part of humanity’s anthropological heritage (that) simultaneously expresses the hallmarks of a great nation, signs of identity to which its people genuinely relate.”

Men and women sitting on a dais — In announcing the award on Wednesday, the Princess of Asturias Foundation lauded the National Anthropology Museum for its “long-standing tradition of defending and preserving an essential part of humanity’s anthropological heritage.”
(FPA/X)

The MNA opened in Chapultepec Park in 1964 with a design by Pedro Ramírez that was immediately viewed as a valuable example of modernity and the avant-garde. Its mission to research, conserve, exhibit and disseminate Mexico’s most important archaeological and ethnographic collections has made it one of the most important museums in Latin America and the most popular in Mexico City, attracting 3.7 million visitors in 2024.

The Concord Award, announced on Wednesday, is “aimed at recognizing the work of defending and advancing human rights, as well as of promoting and protecting peace, freedom, solidarity, world heritage and, in general, the progress of humanity.”

The foundation has seven other categories of awards: the Arts, Literature, Social Sciences, Communication and Humanities, Technical and Scientific Research, International Cooperation and Sports.

Winners of the Concord Award receive a prize fund of €50,000 (1 million pesos/US $56,900) and a sculpture created by the Catalan artist Joan Miró (1893-1983).

The MNA recently invested 45 million pesos (US $2.2 million) in the construction of five new rooms housing almost 6,000 archaeological, ethnographic and artisanal pieces from the pre-conquest section to an area showcasing Mexico’s contemporary cultural traditions, which opened in January.

Previous MNA distinctions include the Government of the Federal District’s 1808 Medal and the United Mexico Foundation 2010 “For the Excellence of What is Ours” Award.

The award comes a day after the museum had to close early on Tuesday, citing a shortage of security personnel.

Other National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) institutions, such as the Templo Mayor Museum, the Museo del Carmen and the Museum of Interventions, were also closed to the public.

The closure followed a Sunday announcement that the INAH changed its security from the Mexico City Auxiliary Police to a private company.

With reports from Expansión and El Universal

Two Baja California restaurants add to Mexico’s harvest of Michelin stars

By

MND Staff

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June 4, 2025

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restaurant workers behind a counter — Lunario and Olivea Farm to Table are two Baja California restaurants from the Ensenada area honored this year with a Michelin star. (Lunario Restaurante/Facebook)

Two Baja California restaurants have been awarded the coveted Michelin star, joining five newly starred Mexico City eateries as the Michelin Guide Mexico 2025 announced its latest honors.

The newest awardees join 16 other Mexican restaurants — from the Baja California Peninsula to the Yucatán Peninsula — that received stars last year, marking an unprecedented wave of recognition of Mexico’s renowned culinary excellence by the world’s premier restaurant rating organization

Restaurant entree in a pan — Lunario, in El Porvenir, is known for its seasonal menu that incorporates fresh ingredients from the restaurant’s own garden, farm and beehives. (Lunario Restaurante/Facebook)

Olivea Farm to Table, located in Valle de Guadalupe, near Ensenada in Baja California, was one of the new recipients of a Michelin star this year. Chef Eduardo Zaragoza’s cuisine is recognized for its approach of using organic and seasonal ingredients from local producers. Dishes that stand out include the catch of the day with celeriac puree or grilled octopus on white mole.

Featuring an a la carte menu plus a vegetarian and a seafood menu, the restaurant also received the Michelin Green Star for its commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly practices.

Lunario, in El Porvenir, also near Ensenada, was also recognized with its first Michelin star. Led by chef Sheyla Alvarado, it’s known for its seasonal menu that incorporates fresh ingredients from the restaurant’s own garden, farm and beehives.

Open from Thursday to Sunday, Lunario features two multi-course tasting menus with a seasonal, contemporary and plant-based approach. The Baja oyster duo, mixing sweetness and spiciness, or the blue corn sope served with carrot puree, smoked shrimp and bougainvillea, are menu favorites.

The Michelin star chefs at the 2025 award ceremony in Mexico City on Tuesday night. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

Besides Baja California, several Mexico City restaurants received their first star, along with two existing starred restaurants that received a second one. Pujol by Chef Enrique Olvera and Quintonil by the husband-and-wife team Jorge Vallejo and Alejandra Flores, both in Mexico City, received a second star.

Meanwhile, the new restaurants that received a star included Expendio de Maíz, Masala y Maíz and Máximo.

Similar to the unpretentious El Califa de León (which kept its first star), Expendio de Maíz is a low-key restaurant with no sign, no menu and only four communal tables under an improvised roof on the sidewalk. Yet, the Michelin Guide praised its maíz-based creations, including tortillas, huaraches, sopes and more.

Meanwhile, Masala y Maíz, under the leadership of Chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval, blends Mexican cuisine with flavors from Africa and India. Dishes that stand out include shrimp from Veracruz or the samosa (savory pastry) filled with suadero (thin-cut fatty beef).

Combining Mexican cuisine with French and international influences, Máximo, by self-taught cook Eduardo García and his wife Gabriela López, uses an innovative technique in blending different cuisines and flavors. Dishes include the abalone toast with pepita sauce and the octopus ceviche with tiger’s milk.

The Michelin-starred restaurants in Mexico that retained their distinction from the year before are:

Animalón (Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California)

Damiana (Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California)

Le Chique (Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo)

Cocina de Autor RM (Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo)

Ha’ (Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo)

Cocina de Autor Los Cabos (Baja California Sur)

KOLI Cocina de Origen (Monterrey, Nuevo León)

Pangea (Monterrey, Nuevo León)

Levadura de Olla (Oaxaca)

Los Danzantes (Oaxaca)

Rosetta (Mexico City)

Sud 777 (Mexico City)

EM (Mexico City)

Esquina Común (Mexico City)

Taquería El Califa de León (Mexico City)

Conchas de Piedra (Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California)

Mexico News Daily

US embassy debunks viral ‘narco-politician’ list

By

MND Staff

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June 4, 2025

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A fake statement by the U.S. Embassy in Mexico — The circulation of the fake statement on social media and the U.S. and Mexican embassies' denunciation of it came after Marina del Pilar Ávila revealed last month that the United States had revoked tourist visas for her and her husband, Carlos Torres Torres. (X)

The United States Embassy in Mexico denounced as “false” a supposed U.S. government statement that purported to identify various “political leaders in Mexico with ties to drug cartels.”

The embassy published the “false” statement to social media on Tuesday in a post that included a five-word message:

“WARNING. This information is false.”

The Embassy of Mexico in the United States also denounced the statement as “false.”

“About the supposed information that circulates on some [social media] accounts regarding a statement of the [U.S.] Department of State about Mexico, this embassy confirms that it is completely false,” it said.

Which politicians were named in the fake statement?

The statement denounced by the U.S. and Mexican embassies includes a U.S. Department of Homeland Security seal and has the heading “DEPARTMENT OF STATE POLITICAL LEADERS IN MEXICO WITH TIES TO DRUG CARTELS.”

It states:

“The State Department has confirmed the implementation of a secret sanctions mechanism targeting Mexican political figures identified as having ties to drug cartels. Marina del Pilar [Ávila], the Governor of Baja California, for her association with the leader of the ‘Los Rusos’ drug cartel in Baja California.

Ruben Rocha Moya (Sinaloa)

Américo Villareal (Tamaulipas)

Samuel García (Nuevo León)

Layda Sansores (Campeche)

Ricardo Monreal Ávila (Ex-Governor, Zacatecas)”

Rocha, Villareal, García and Sansores are current state governors. Monreal is the leader of the ruling Morena party in the lower house of Congress.

🚨 ADVERTENCIA 🚨
Esta información es falsa. pic.twitter.com/fkJczA7nGz

— Embajada EU en Mex (@USEmbassyMEX) June 3, 2025

The context

The circulation of the fake statement on social media and the U.S. and Mexican embassies’ denunciation of it came after Marina del Pilar Ávila revealed last month that the United States had revoked tourist visas for her and her husband, Carlos Torres Torres.

The Baja California governor asserted she hadn’t done anything wrong, declaring that the revocation of her visa was “an administrative decision, not an accusation.”

She rejected claims that she is involved in money laundering. The United States government hasn’t revealed the reason why it revoked the tourist visas of Ávila and Torres, who, like his wife, is a Morena party politician.

Citing unnamed United States officials, the U.S. investigative journalism organization ProPublica reported on May 15 that “the Trump administration has begun to impose travel restrictions and other sanctions on prominent Mexican politicians whom it believes are linked to drug corruption.”

“So far, two Mexican political figures have acknowledged being banned from traveling to the United States,” ProPublica said, referring to Ávila and her husband.

“But U.S. officials said they expect more Mexicans to be targeted as the administration works through a list of several dozen political figures who have been identified by law enforcement and intelligence agencies as having ties to the drug trade. The list includes leaders of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s governing party, several state governors and political figures close to her predecessor, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the U.S. officials said.”

US revokes tourist visa of sitting Baja California governor in surprise diplomatic slight

A few days before ProPublica published its report, journalist Salvador García Soto wrote in a column for the newspaper El Universal that the Trump administration, “through its powerful Secretary of State Marco Rubio has commenced the ‘hunt’ for Mexican politicians, which, according to their investigations, have links to drug trafficking.”

García asserted that the Department of State has a so-called “list of Marco” that includes “at least 44 names of prominent officials and politicians” from Mexico with alleged links to drug trafficking, including federal ministers, governors, mayors and lawmakers.

He wrote that the list includes “politicians from all existing parties in Mexico,” but “the majority of those mentioned are active members of Morena, the party of President Sheinbaum, and some have a very close relationship with her and with the ex-president López Obrador.”

Asked on May 15 about a supposed U.S. “narcolista,” or “narco-list,” that includes the names of “narcogobernadores” (narco-governors) and other officials, Sheinbaum responded:

“There are a lot of rumors. They are rumors.”

She said that her government had not received any notification from the United States government about the existence of “lists” of politicians with links to drug cartels.

“In this case, you ask the Department of State and you’re told ‘No, there is nothing,'” Sheinbaum said.

On Wednesday, she expressed surprise that the U.S. Embassy felt the need to denounce the fake statement (and clearly fake at that) that has been disseminated on social media.

For its part, the government of Tamaulipas last month rejected claims that Villareal’s U.S. visa had been revoked.

ProPublica said in its report that the Morena party governor of the northern border state “has been frequently accused of having ties to drug trafficking, which he has denied.”

In early 2024, ProPublica, German state-owned news organization Deutsche Welle and crime-focused media outlet Insight Crime all published reports that said that people working for the 2018 presidential election campaign of former president López Obrador received between US $2 million and $4 million from drug traffickers affiliated with the Beltrán-Leyva Organization and the Sinaloa Cartel.

López Obrador rejected the reports, describing them as “completely false.”

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

Tropical Storm Barbara could take form off the Guerrero coast this week

By

MND Staff

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June 4, 2025

2

Barbara forming — The low-pressure system, now off the coast of Oaxaca, could possibly develop into the second named storm of the season. (NOAA)(NOAA)

Meteorologists are closely monitoring a low-pressure system off southern Mexico’s Pacific coast, which could develop into Tropical Storm Barbara — the second named storm of the 2025 Eastern Pacific hurricane season.

The first was Tropical Storm Alvin, which remained well offshore as it headed north toward the Baja California peninsula in the final days of May.

Uniformed men guarding beach — Even if Barbara doesn’t develop into a full tropical storm, Pacific Coast residents are urged to stay updated and take appropriate precautions if necessary. (Carlos Alberto Carbajal/Cuartoscuro.com).

Alvin quickly weakened over cool ocean waters and had minimal impact once it reached land, although it did eventually bring flooding rain and thunderstorms to the deserts of the U.S. Southwest.

Barbara, as of Wednesday morning, was a system of showers and thunderstorms located 515 kilometers south-southeast of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, with an 80% chance of cyclonic development within seven days, according to Mexico’s National Water Commission (Conagua).

The U.S.-based National Hurricane Center reported that the disturbance is moving west-northwestward at 16 km/h over waters warmed to 28°–29° Celsius, with moderate wind shear.

While there was a 10% chance of tropical storm formation within 48 hours, conditions are expected to have it top out as a tropical depression by the end of the week.

However, if its sustained winds do reach 65 km/h, it will be upgraded to Tropical Storm Barbara, or a hurricane if they reach 119 km/h.

Even without full cyclonic strength, the system is threatening coastal Guerrero, Michoacán and Oaxaca with heavy rainfall (75 to 100 mm) and potential landslides.

Soil saturation from recent rains raises risks of flash flooding and mudslides in mountainous zones, warned Conagua. No coastal watches are active, but residents are urged to monitor updates.

Persiste un 80 % de probabilidad para que se forme una zona de #BajaPresión con potencial ciclónico en los siguientes 7 días, al sur del #Pacífico mexicano. pic.twitter.com/eXPRad1kKK

— CONAGUA Clima (@conagua_clima) June 4, 2025

As noted in the recent article “Pacific hurricane season is officially underway. Are you prepared?” in Mexico News Daily, the 2025 season in the Pacific Ocean began May 15 and is forecast to produce 16 to 20 named storms, including four to six major hurricanes.

The season in the Atlantic began June 1, and both hurricane seasons will end Nov. 30.

Further information can be found in “How to deal with hurricane season in Mexico.”

Authorities emphasize preparedness, advising coastal communities to secure emergency kits and heed official alerts.

Forecasters warn that although early-season systems like Barbara often remain offshore, they can still drive dangerous rainfall.

With reports from Meteored, El Informador and N+

What’s on in San Miguel de Allende in June?

By

MND Staff

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June 4, 2025

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PHOTO-2025-06-03-13-28-56 — (Gobierno de San Miguel de Allende)

As the year hits its vibrant midpoint, San Miguel de Allende comes alive with the first June rains, turning fields lush green and setting the stage for the grape harvests of July and August. Dive into the season with events that splash the city with color, flavor and unforgettable fun!

Second San Miguel de Allende International Book Fair

The 2025 Feria Internacional del Libro en San Miguel de Allende offers a truly enriching week for book lovers of all ages. The Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez “El Nigromante” will host a lively program of events that celebrates literature in all its forms. The program includes book presentations by local and international authors, an origami workshop, classes on how to create comics, puppet shows, poetry recited by the University of Guanajuato choir and author conferences. Everyone can take part in this celebration of creativity and storytelling, where readers, writers and publishers come together in a space filled with ideas, inspiration and connection. Whether you’re attending a hands-on workshop or browsing books at affordable prices, you’ll find plenty to spark your imagination. True to its motto, this fair reminds us that reading brings us together.

Date: June 2 through 8, 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Centro Cultural El Nigromante, Calle del Dr Ignacio Hernandez Macias 75, Centro
Cost: Free

Leonard Brooks at Centro Cultural El Nigromante

Leonard Brooks was a Canadian artist known for his painting, collage and mural practice. After studying art in Canada and serving as a war artist during World War II, he moved to Mexico in 1947 with his wife Reva. They settled in San Miguel, where Brooks became a central figure in the local art scene. Inspired by Mexican culture and landscapes, he evolved from realism to abstract collage art. Brooks also taught art and music, enriching the community. His work bridges Canadian and Mexican artistic traditions, making him a key cultural link between the two countries. An exhibition of his work will be inaugurated at the Centro Cultural El Nigromante on June 11 and will run through until October 12.

Date: June 11 at 5 p.m.
Location: Sala Arte Mexicano, Centro Cultural El Nigromante
Cost: Free

Convite de Locos

San Miguel de Allende is about to go gloriously mad. The Convite de Locos is the city’s most delightfully unhinged celebration. Locals from different neighborhoods form their own dance groups, each with its own music and costume theme. They spend the entire year preparing their outrageous outfits and rehearsing for the big day.

On the Sunday after June 13, the feast day of San Antonio de Padua, they take to the streets in a parade full of color, music and mayhem. Dressed in wild costumes, they dance to booming music and hurl candy into the cheering crowds. The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. from the Iglesia de San Antonio and zigzags through town until it reaches the Jardín Principal. What started as a local tradition has become a must-see spectacle that draws visitors from all over Mexico and beyond. Whether you join the madness or prefer to keep a sane distance, consider yourself warned: it’s locos time!

Date: June 15 at 10 a.m.
Location: Centro
Cost: Free

Literature seminar with Bernardo Esquinca

Meet the Mexican journalist and storyteller Bernardo Esquinca at the literature seminar he will be hosting in La Biblioteca. Esquinca will present his latest book, “La región crepuscular,” in an engaging conversation with Marie Moébius at the Teatro Santa Ana. Known for his masterful fusion of the supernatural and crime fiction, Esquinca received the 2017 Premio Nacional de Novela Negra (National Noir Novel Award) for “Las increíbles aventuras del asombroso Edgar Allan Poe,” and was nominated for the Shirley Jackson Award in 2020.

Date: June 18 at 1 p.m.
Location: Teatro Santa Ana, Biblioteca Pública, Relox 50A, Centro
Cost: Free

Feast of Corpus Christi

The Feast of Corpus Christi, celebrated the Thursday after Pentecost, honors the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. In San Miguel de Allende, the streets and balconies are decorated with red banners, and altars dedicated to the Eucharist are displayed. On Thursday afternoon, a solemn procession from the Parish of San Miguel Arcángel features the priest carrying the Blessed Sacrament, accompanied by pilgrims who pray and sing at each station. Pilgrims often receive blessed bread. Meanwhile, the Plaza Cívica hosts stalls with traditional wooden and cardboard toys, offering visitors a vibrant glimpse into Mexican cultural and religious traditions.

Date: June 19 at 5 p.m.
Location: Centro
Cost: Free

Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” at Casa Europa

Get ready for laughs, scheming and one of the most beautiful arias in all of opera. Performed by Operísima México, Giacomo Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” is inspired by a scene from Dante Alighieri’s Inferno. The story takes us to 13th-century Florence, where the foreseen death of the wealthy Buoso Donati sparks chaos among his greedy family.

Upon discovering their relative left his fortune to a monastery, the family calls on the clever peasant Gianni Schicchi to impersonate Buoso. Schicchi dictates a fresh will, only to leave the best of the inheritance to himself, while the outraged family can’t protest without revealing the fraud. Behind Schicchi’s trickery is a heartfelt motive: to secure a future for his daughter Lauretta with Buoso’s nephew Rinuccio. The opera is famous for the beloved aria “O mio babbino caro,” in which Lauretta sweetly begs her father to help her marry the man she loves.

Date: June 25 through 28 at 7 p.m.
Location: Casa Europa, Calle San Francisco 23, Centro
Cost: 550 pesos

San Miguel y sus Sabores food fair

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A post shared by Oficial Turismo San Miguel de Allende (@turismosma)

Save your appetite and mark your calendar! San Miguel y sus Sabores transforms Parque Juárez into a fun fair for lovers of food and drink. Many of the city’s top local restaurants set up stands around open seating tables at the park’s basketball courts and offer small portions of their signature dishes, all under 70 pesos each. With live music, DJs and the joy of eating with old and new friends, it’s the perfect way to kick off summer.

Date: 27 through 29, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Location: Parque Juárez, Centro
Cost: Entry is free, food prices vary

Anne Frank exhibition at Casa de la Cultura

(Gobierno de San Miguel de Allende)San Miguel de Allende hosts the international exhibition “The Diary of Anne Frank: Notes of Hope” from May 23 to November 22 at the Casa de la Cultura. The exhibit showcases Anne Frank’s story and the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands through texts, photos, videos and interactive materials, promoting memory, empathy and tolerance. Mayor Mauricio Trejo Pureco highlighted its educational and human value, inviting visitors to reflect and foster tolerance in the city. This unique experience offers a heartfelt journey into history.

Date: May 23 through November 22, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Casa de la Cultura, Calle Mesones 71, Centro
Cost: 80 pesos

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