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MND Local: Ricky Martin to perform in Zapopan; World Cup qualifying matches are coming up at Estadio Akron, and an artisanal chocolate maker honors Guadalajara

By
Dawn Stoner
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Estádio Akron
World Cup tickets for qualifying games in Guadalajara are on sale and affordable. (Alejan98/Wikimedia Commons)

Fresh from his recent appearance at Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, Ricky Martin is heading to Mexico for a highly anticipated performance at Guadalajara’s Estadio Panamericano (the home venue for Los Charros baseball) in March.

Ricky Martin to perform at Estadio Panamericano in Zapopan

Often referred to as the “King of Latin Pop,” Martin is credited with bringing Latin pop music to mainstream English-speaking audiences. His crossover hits “Livin’ la Vida Loca” and “La Copa de la Vida” sparked a so-called “Latin Explosion” in the late 1990s, helping pave the way for other talented Latin artists such as Shakira, Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias. 

Ricky Martin
Mexico loves Ricky Martin, and the feeling is mutual, as evidenced by the singer’s new eight-city tour. (FunTicket)

The Puerto Rican musician’s last trip to Guadalajara was in 2022, when he performed at VFG Arena as part of his “El Movimiento” tour. Owing to his immense popularity here, the 2026 “Ricky Martin Live” tour plans to make stops in eight Mexican cities, including Monterrey, Mexico City and Mérida, in addition to Zapopan. 

Date: Wednesday, March 18, 9 p.m.

Location: Estadio Panamericano, Calle Sta. Lucía 373, Tepeyac, 45150 Zapopan

Cost: Tickets start at 938 pesos per seat, excluding fees.  

Guadalajara’s World Cup qualifying games approach, with extra security planned  for the main event this summer 

Amidst rumors that FIFA, the World Cup’s governing body, would move qualifying games scheduled for late March from Guadalajara’s Akron Stadium, Jalisco’s Governor Pablo Lemus was quick to quash them.

In speaking about those concerns, Lemus said, “There’s absolutely no intention on FIFA’s part to take any of Mexico’s host sites away.” And concerning Guadalajara’s match schedule specifically, he added, “Not the two playoff matches, or the four World Cup matches.”

Since cartel-related violence swept across Mexico following the death of CJNG drug lord El Mencho, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reiterated the organization’s commitment to holding matches in Mexico.

This past week, President Sheinbaum herself visited Guadalajara to reassure the doubters. During last Friday’s visit, the government announced a new plan to deploy nearly 100,000 security forces during this summer’s tournament, to ensure order and safety for the nearly five million visitors expected.

General Roman Villalvazo Barrios, head of Mexico’s World Cup coordination center, said that the country’s security plan includes 20,000 National Guard troops and 55,000 police officers, on top of existing staff employed by private security companies.

President Sheinbaum at her morning press conference podium
Security was the central theme of a recent presidential presser, which took place in the metro area of Guadalajara, Jalisco. (Gabriel Monroy / Presidencia)

In the meantime, two World Cup qualifying matches will be played at Guadalajara’s Akron Stadium later this month. 

In the first match on March 26, New Caledonia will face off against Jamaica, with the winner advancing to take on the Democratic Republic of the Congo on March 31. The winning team from this series will punch its ticket into the main World Cup draw, joining Group K alongside Colombia, Portugal and Uzbekistan.

In more good news, FIFA released a new batch of tickets this past week for Mexico’s qualifying matches at prices accessible to local fans.

Dates: Thursday, March 26, for the New Caledonia vs. Jamaica semi-final. Tuesday, March 31, for DRC against the winner from the semi-finals. 

Location: Estadio Akron, Cto. J.V.C. 2800, El Bajío, Zapopan, Jalisco

Cost: Available at FIFA.com starting at 300 pesos per seat (about US $17).

With reporting from ESPN and Front Office Sports.

Artisanal Mexican chocolate made with love by a native Tapatía

The creative spark for Guadalajara native Fabiola Zorrero’s journey into the world of cacao began on a trip to Europe before the pandemic. Standing in front of a shelf overflowing with chocolates from Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and elsewhere, she was struck by the absence of any Mexican varieties, despite the country’s abundant cacao production.

Back home in Guadalajara, she decided she needed to change that. Zorrero began her quest at home during the pandemic, with no prior cooking or chocolate-making experience. 

She bought a small volcanic stone grinder from Colima, along with some cacao beans from Chiapas, and started tinkering in the basement of her father’s house. 

Fabiola Zorrero
Fabiola Zorrero founded Chocolate Metiche, the Guadalajara-based brand. (Chocolate Metiche)

Relying on tutorials, research, and plenty of trial and error, Zorrero mastered everything from harvesting to chocolate bar production. During her early experiments, Zorrero learned to appreciate that cacao is a living thing, with a tremendous array of flavors and varieties influenced by the soil and climate in which it grows, as well as how it’s cultivated.  

An urban project with rural roots

When Zorrero launched Chocolate Metiche (Chocolate Busybody in English) in 2021, her goal was to produce the most sophisticated chocolate in Mexico. And while her products are made in a bustling urban metropolis, their roots are in the Mexican countryside. 

Zorrero works primarily with cacao from Tabasco and Chiapas, two regions where farms are typically small in scale and use natural methods. To ensure exceptional quality, she visits the farms herself to observe their processes and taste each batch of cacao selected for Chocolate Metiche’s products. 

Every chocolate bar and drink sold at her small shop in the Arcos Vallarta neighborhood of Guadalajara is made from scratch in a nearby workshop, using only fermented Mexican cacao.

Zorrero’s attention to detail has paid off. 

In 2023, Metiche won two silver medals at the Chocolate Awards Mexico. One was for a 75% cacao bar developed in collaboration with the women-led Finca Las Delias in Tabasco. The other was for a 74% cacao bar containing marigold and almonds. 

A gastronomic project with a social mission 

Chocolate Metiche
Chocolate Metiche makes great chocolate, but has a social component, too. (Chocolate Metiche)

Beyond her culinary success, Zorrero also sees Chocolate Metiche as a business on a social and ecological mission.

On her Instagram page, Zorrero observed, “Being a cocoa farmer is synonymous with being a guardian of the biosphere. The green areas where cocoa grows are home to endemic species, and the protection of these reserves is vital for the development and well-functioning of the ecosystem.”

On a more basic level, she derives deep satisfaction from the joy and connection her chocolates bring to customers. As she noted recently in an interview with El Mural, “I like this idea that the chocolates I make are shared as a ritual; you open a bottle of wine, prepare some tea and share it with people.”  

Dates: Sundays and Mondays, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m; Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Location: Av. José María Morelos 2256, Colonia Arcos Vallarta, Guadalajara

Cost: Chocolate bars start at 140 pesos.

MND Writer Dawn Stoner is reporting from Guadalajara.

Mexico partners with big tech to combat digital violence against women: Wednesday’s mañanera recapped

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MND Staff
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CIUDAD DE MÉXICO, 11MARZO2026.- Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, presidenta de México; Citlalli Hernández Mora, secretaria de las Mujeres; Crystel Guadalupe Arellano Moreno, coordinadora nacional de Transformación Digital de la Agencia de Transformación Digital y Telecomunicaciones; Laura Margarita Reyna de la Garza, gerente de Asuntos Públicos para Latinoamérica Hispanoahablante de TikTok; Daniela Guerra, líder de Creadores y Responsabilidad para YouTube Hispanoamérica; Sofía Sánchez Velasco, gerente de Relaciones con Gobierno y Políticas Públicas para Google México, Centroamérica y Caribe; y Eliana Pérez Gaffney, líder de Políticas Públicas para México de Meta durante la firma del acuerdo de colaboración voluntaria con plataformas digitales para combatir las violencias en el ámbito digital, en la conferencia matutina en Palacio Nacional.
The partnership, announced today, allows Mexico's Ministry of Women to be in permanent contact with Google, TikTok and Meta (owner of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram). (Camila Ayala Benabib/Cuartoscuro)

Today’s mañanera in 60 seconds

  • 🤝 Mexico reached an agreement with Google, Meta and TikTok to combat digital violence against women — with X declining to join, citing no Mexican offices. Nearly 11 million women experienced online harassment in 2024, per INEGI.
  • ⚖️ Sheinbaum opted not to sue Elon Musk over his cartel accusation, but said her team will reconsider if he attacks her again.
  • 🎖️ The president will travel to Jalisco for a private tribute to 28 security personnel killed during and after the Feb. 22 operation against CJNG leader “El Mencho.”

Why today’s mañanera matters  

With the announcement of an initiative aimed at combating digital violence against women, the federal government once again sought to demonstrate its commitment to improving the lives of Mexican women.

Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female president, has made the enactment of policies and laws that benefit women a priority for her administration.

The president’s decision not to initiate legal action against Elon Musk suggests that she doesn’t want to be distracted by a dispute with the world’s richest person as she continues to deal with a range of challenges, including in the areas of security, trade, the economy and her legislative agenda.

Government announces agreement with tech companies aimed at combating digital violence against women 

Sheinbaum announced early in the press conference that the government had reached an agreement with Google, Meta and TikTok “to prevent and address violence against women in the digital realm.”

“It’s a first agreement, it’s voluntary, but it allows the Ministry of Women to be in permanent contact with the [digital] platforms,” she said.

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO, 11MARZO2026.- Citlalli Hernández, secretaria de las Mujeres, durante la conferencia matutina en Palacio Nacional, donde presentó el primer acuerdo de colaboración voluntaria con plataformas digitales para combatir las violencias en el ámbito digital. Durante su intervención señaló que la violencia digital ha aumentado desde 2024, comentó que el ciberacoso se manifiesta de manera distinta entre hombres y mujeres, y explicó algunas de las estrategias de prevención que se implementarán para atender esta problemática.
According to data collected by Mexico’s national statistics agency INEGI, nearly one-third of cases of cyberbullying toward women were related to sexual requests (29%) or unsolicited sexual content (27.5%). (Camila Ayala Benabib/Cuartoscuro)

“… There are different forms of violence against women on digital platforms and the objective is to address this and for the platforms … to take down images or posts that are related to violence against women,” Sheinbaum said.

The agreement with tech companies is “very good for the country and very good for Mexican women,” she said.

Women’s Minister Citlalli Hernández presented data from the national statistics agency INEGI that showed that 18.9 million Mexicans were victims of online harassment (cyberbullying) in 2024, among whom were 10.6 million women.

She outlined specific actions that Google, Meta and TikTok are already taking to protect women from online harassment, including enforcing community standards and offering support to victims.

Hernández also outlined actions the companies will take to prevent and address online harassment against women. They include strengthening community standards, carrying out campaigns to encourage the reporting of online abuse and increasing collaboration with authorities on the investigation of cases of digital violence.

Hernández said that X — the social media site formerly known as Twitter — was invited to collaborate with the government and join the agreement aimed at combating online gender-based violence. However, the company, which is owned by Elon Musk, declined the invitation on the grounds that it doesn’t have offices in Mexico, she said.

Sheinbaum won’t pursue legal action against Elon Musk 

Sheinbaum told reporters that she had decided not to file a lawsuit against Elon Musk, who last month accused the president of “saying what her cartel bosses tell her to say” when she declared that “returning to the war against the narco is not an option.”

President Sheinbaum ponders a lawsuit against Elon Musk

On Feb. 24, the president said that her legal team was studying the possibility of taking legal action against Musk, the owner of companies such as Tesla and SpaceX.

On Wednesday morning, Sheinbaum said that while she decided against filing a lawsuit against Musk now, she and her team will “re-evaluate” if the South African-born, U.S.-based tycoon levels further accusations against her.

Sheinbaum to attend tribute to security personnel who lost their lives during operation against ‘El Mencho’

Sheinbaum said that she would travel to Jalisco on Wednesday to attend a tribute to security personnel who were killed during and after the Feb. 22 operation against Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader Nemesio Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.

Three soldiers were killed during the operation, while at least 25 National Guard officers were slain in gunfights with CJNG members after Oseguera and a number of his bodyguards were taken down by the Mexican Army.

Sheinbaum said that the event in Jalisco is “private” and will be attended by the families of “the fallen comrades.”

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

Oaxaca rolls out US $40M investment in public safety and victim support as disappearances rise

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MND Staff
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Young women protest gender violence in Oaxaca on Nov. 25, 2025
Out of the 760 people who disappeared in Oaxaca in 2025, 34.93% were women, according to a report by the Mexican Institute for Human Rights and Democracy. (Carolina Jiménez/Cuartoscuro)

The southern state of Oaxaca will spend an unprecedented 712 million pesos (US $40 million) to overhaul its public safety and victim support operations during 2026.

In a press conference announcing the initiative, Governor Salomon Jara Cruz said the new allocation of resources, which will focus on equipment, technology and police salaries, will make Oaxaca’s citizen protection budget one of the nation’s largest for the third consecutive year.  

Karina Barón Ortiz, who heads the Executive Secretariat of the State Public Security System of Oaxaca, explained that this historic investment is made up of a federal contribution of 312.2 million pesos (US $18.36 million) and a state investment of 399.9 million pesos (US $23.52 million).

Barón added that these resources are part of the investment plan for 2026 to strengthen the infrastructure, equipment and operation of security corporations. 

With the investment, the state government will seek to keep its security equipment up to date by purchasing 65 rapid response patrol vehicles, 81 motorcycle patrols, 8,025 uniforms and 2,020 video surveillance cameras, in addition to renewing 430 firearms. 

It will also renovate tactical gear, ballistic shields, and high-end radios, in addition to acquiring drones and medical laboratory products for research.

Crucially, police officers will receive a 17.24% pay increase.

“Beyond the numbers and percentages, this is an act of justice and dignity,” Barón said.  We know that behind every uniform there is a home, daughters and sons who go to school, as well as hopes and dreams.” 

She added, “A well-paid police officer, valued and respected by his government, is an incorruptible police officer, dedicated and committed to the defense of his people.” 

A ‘make your own forensic kit’ workshop sparks controversy

The Oaxaca municipality of Santo Domingo Tehuantepec was the subject of a national controversy after women activists criticized a free workshop scheduled on behalf of Women’s Day, which called on women to prepare their own forensic kits in case of a disappearance.

 

The activity, which was canceled, invited participants to bring a blouse they had worn throughout the day, as well as a recent, unfiltered, printed photograph.  

“The State’s obligation is to prevent disappearances, and on top of not being able to do that, now they are also placing the burden on women to create their own files to determine if they are victims of disappearance,” the Brujas de Mar feminist collective told the newspaper El Universal.

According to the municipality, the event’s administrator has been removed from her position.

A recent report by the Red Lupa of the Mexican Institute for Human Rights and Democracy found that disappearances in Oaxaca are on the rise, having increased by 81.8% in the last three years. 

The report also revealed that out of the 760 people who disappeared in Oaxaca in 2025, 34.93% were women.

With reports from La Crónica de Hoy, Ciudadanía Express and Reporte Índigo

Taxi drivers announce blockade at Mexico City International Airport

By
MND Staff
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Passengers walk through a terminal at Mexico City International Airport
The protest, organized by the taxi organization New Image Land Transportation, A.C., is scheduled to start this morning between 9 and 10 a.m. at the entrance of gate 9 of AICM. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)

Access roads to Terminal 1 and 2 of Mexico City International Airport (AICM) will be blocked Wednesday as taxi drivers protest the government’s ongoing support for ride-hailing apps operating at the capital’s airport. 

Taxi drivers have also warned users that taxi companies at the airport won’t provide transportation services during the entire protest.  

The protest, organized by the taxi organization New Image Land Transportation, A.C., is scheduled to start Wednesday between 9 and 10 a.m. at the entrance of gate 9 of AICM, before moving on to block access roads to both terminals. 

Taxi drivers have said they will block roads for an indefinite amount of time.  

“The entire sector will be present on the airport roads indefinitely, until the authorities give us a written commitment that the current law will not be modified and that the current legal framework will be respected,” the taxi drivers stated. 

Why are taxi drivers protesting? 

The protests follow the introduction of a bill to modify the law and allow the operation of digital transportation platforms (Uber, DiDi) in federal areas, which includes the AICM. Taxi drivers consider the move a direct threat to their source of work and assets.

“Given the lack of enforcement of the law by the Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Ministry (SICT) and AICM authorities, who continue to allow ride-hailing apps to operate within federal areas where the law prohibits it, and given the initiatives being promoted in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies to modify the law and tailor it to suit these platforms, the airport transportation sector has decided to raise its voice,” a statement from the concessionaries’ organization said.

The statement added that the protest seeks to highlight the need to protect the dignity and livelihoods of thousands of Mexican families, who claim they have consistently adhered to current regulations.  

Taxi drivers have warned that if the law is not honored, the organized sector is ready to apply pressure through more protests and blockades.

What should I do if I have a flight?

Severe traffic disruptions are expected on Circuito Interior, Capitán Carlos León, Boulevard Puerto Aéreo and other access roads to the airport.

AICM has advised passengers to arrive at the airport earlier than usual and to check their flight status directly with the airline. Additionally, it advises using alternative parking options, such as the Ciudad Deportiva parking lot in Magdalena Mixhuca, and then taking the free shuttle to Terminal 2. 

With reports from El Financiero, Excélsior and Infobae

An 11th prehistoric skeleton has been found in a Yucatán Peninsula cenote

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MND Staff
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skeleton discovery site
The discoverers believe that the body had been intentionally placed in the underground cave before it was flooded with water some 8,000 years ago. (INAH)

A prehistoric skeleton has been found in the underground river and cave system along Mexico’s Caribbean coast.

Octavio del Río, the cave-diving archaeologist who was among those who made the find, said it is the 11th such skeleton found in the region over the past three decades. Some of the earlier discoveries date back as far as 13,000 years, older than what was originally thought to be the earliest arrival of humans to the Americas (as detailed with a similar but earlier nearby finding that accompanies this article).

8,000 year-old human skeleton discovered by cave divers near Tulum

The discovery was made between Tulum and Playa del Carmen in the state of Quintana Roo, an area that archaeologists consider strategic for research into the earliest inhabitants of North America.

Del Rio, who works with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), told The Associated Press in late February that the skeleton was “found in a flooded cave about 26 feet (8 meters) below the surface after swimming about 656 feet (200 meters) through the cave.”

The intricate underground system that runs beneath the coast of the Mexican Caribbean was flooded toward the end of the last ice age, roughly 8,000 years ago.

It is most probable that the remains arrived at the site when the cave was still dry, Del Rio said. 

The skeleton — which was discovered late last year — was positioned on a dune of sediment in a narrower part of an inner chamber. Del Río said it is virtually certain that the bones were placed there intentionally.

Ongoing analyses and studies will provide more details about the context, antiquity and practices of the region’s ancient inhabitants.

Previous research suggests the area of the finds functioned as a burial site where ritual practices were performed by the first peoples who inhabited the region. The position of the remains reinforces this interpretation.

Luis Alberto Martos, director of archaeological studies at INAH, said this discovery will help clarify how the first settlers arrived on the Yucatan Peninsula and how they used the caves in prehistoric times.

Recent genetic data support the hypothesis of a migration from Asia across the Bering Strait, although there are still indications of possible routes from South America.

In addition to human remains, the underground rivers and cenotes hold the remains of extinct animals, such as giant sloths, saber-toothed tigers and ancestral bears.

Archaeologists hope these discoveries will contribute to understanding how ancient populations adapted to the Yucatán Peninsula while aiding in the reconstruction of Ice Age ecosystems in future research.

Given the ecological vulnerability and archaeological significance of the region, scientists have urged officials to designate the underground area as a protected natural and cultural heritage site, in recognition of its historical and environmental importance.

With reports from The Associated Press, Infobae, Diario Cambio 22 and El Universal

Sheinbaum likely to visit Brazil this year to strengthen bilateral energy cooperation

By
MND Staff
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President of Brazil Luiz Lula da Silva and President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum
At her morning press conference, Sheinbaum said that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has invited her some four times to visit Brazil, Latin America's most populous country and largest economy. (@Claudiashein/X)

A day after speaking to the president of Brazil by phone, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday that it was “very probable” that she would visit the South American country later this year.

At her morning press conference, Sheinbaum said that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has invited her some four times to visit Brazil, Latin America’s most populous country and largest economy.

“Until now, I’ve told him no, but he’s been so persistent that it’s probable I’ll go to Brazil,” she told reporters.

Lula, as the Brazilian president is widely known, wrote on social media on Monday that he had spoken to Sheinbaum by phone. He said that his Mexican counterpart had accepted his invitation to visit Brazil, adding that her trip was expected to take place between June and July.

However, on Tuesday morning, Sheinbaum said that her visit would have to take place before June, as elections will be held in Brazil this year.

“They have an election this year and I understand [the electoral process] starts in June, something like that. So I would have to go before June because I can’t go … [during] the election,” she said.

Sheinbaum noted that Mexico has a longstanding relationship with Brazil, and highlighted that a Brazilian delegation that included the vice president and businesspeople came to Mexico last year. During their visit, Mexico and Brazil signed various agreements on agriculture, health and biofuels.

Sheinbaum said that the aim of the relationship with Brazil is not to sign a comprehensive free-trade agreement, as such a pact could “harm both countries.”

Instead, the two countries are focused on “complementary actions for our economies,” she said.

“… For example, we’re very interested in ethanol, and we’re working on that [with Brazil] and some other issues of interest for Mexico and … for [Brazil],” Sheinbaum said.

Brazil is the world’s second-largest producer of ethanol, which can be used for a range of purposes, including as a fuel and solvent. Most of the ethanol Brazil produces is made with sugarcane, of which the South American country is the world’s largest grower.

According to a U.K. government document, Brazil’s ethanol program has “not only reduced national dependence on imported energy,” but “also bolstered the economy, created jobs and diversified the country’s renewable energy portfolio.”

Mexico is aiming to reduce its reliance on imported energy, especially gasoline and natural gas.

In his social media post, Lula wrote that he and Sheinbaum on Monday discussed strengthening the economic relationship between Brazil and Mexico, particularly in the energy sector.

He also said he suggested to Sheinbaum that a business event be organized to bring together private sector representatives from both countries “to explore new business opportunities.”

Mexico and Brazil at a glance 

Mexico News Daily 

More Mexicans are riding the rails as train ridership tops 55 million

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MND Staff
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a station of the new light rail connecting Mexico City with the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA)
The new light rail connecting Mexico City with the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) is expected to open to passengers in the coming weeks. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)

Train ridership in Mexico is up, following the completion of two major new train routes and thanks to the ongoing success of Mexico City’s Suburban Train, according to government data. 

In 2025, 55.1 million passengers traveled on Mexico’s six active rail systems, representing a 6.9% increase compared to the previous year. Mexico City’s Suburban Train, which links the northern limit of the city with Cuautitlán in México state, contributed 82% of this increase.

Mexico City’s Suburban Train, which is operated by Ferrocarriles Suburbanos, recorded passenger numbers of 45.1 million in 2025, down 2.2% from the previous year. 

The founder of the consulting firm Spyral, Alfredo Nolasco, blames the decrease on a range of factors, including the development of alternative transport options, the rise in the number of office workers working from home after the COVID-19 pandemic, the growing use of motorcycles and the increase in purchasing power among the lower income brackets.

However, passenger numbers are expected to increase with the upcoming inauguration of the light rail connection from México state’s Lechería station to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) and the gradual adoption of the recently inaugurated Interurban “Insurgente” Train linking eastern México state with the Observatorio station of the Mexico City Metro. 

Now running: El Insurgente train linking Toluca with Mexico City in 45 minutes

After years of delays, the long-awaited train became fully operational in February. In 2025, the then-operational section of the train, which connected Zinacantepec, Toluca, Metepec, Lerma and Santa Fe, saw an 88.8% increase in passenger numbers, which totaled 8.4 million at year’s end.  

The Maya Train, in the Yucatán Peninsula, which became fully operational in December 2024, experienced similar success last year, with passenger numbers increasing by 91.9%, to 1.3 million year on year. 

The ridership of the Suburban, Interurban and Maya Train lines contributed 99.5% of Mexico’s total rail passenger numbers in 2025.

This was followed by the Chepe Express tourist train (connecting Sinaloa with Chihuahua via the famous Copper Canyon) with 179,000 passengers, the Interoceanic Corridor (traversing Veracruz and Oaxaca) with 69,800 passengers, and the Tijuana-Tecate tourist train with 1,700. 

Sheinbaum’s big rail plans

President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced major plans for the expansion of Mexico’s railways, having previously stated the ambitious goal of building more than 3,000 kilometers of railway track for passenger trains before her term ends in 2030. 

Works commenced on the Mexico City-Querétaro and Querétaro-Irapuato train lines last year, which form part of the new Mexico City-Guadalajara-Nogales line. The government aims for the railway line to serve 6 million passengers each year once completed. 

With reports from El Economista

Mexican flag football star Victoria Chávez is World Games Athlete of the Year

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MND Staff
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Victoria Chávez
Chihuahua city's Victoria Chávez, recently voted the World Games Athlete of the Year, plays for Mexico's national flag football team, which is considered to be a gold medal candidate at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. (Conade)

For the second time in a matter of months, a Mexican woman has climbed to the top of a global sporting podium, as flag football star Victoria Chávez has been voted the 2025 World Games Athlete of the Year.

Her emergence last month from a pool of 30 worldwide nominees came on the heels of soccer player Lizbeth Ovalle winning FIFA’s 2025 Marta Award for her amazing “scorpion kick” deemed the best women’s goal of the year.

Mexican woen's flag football players
Mexico’s top sports authority (Conade) knows it has a good chance of international success in flag football in the two years remaining before the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and will be focusing on the sport during that time.
(Conade)

Chávez, a wide receiver from the city of Chihuahua, captured 50,537 votes in an online fan poll.

She finished ahead of a two-person entry, competitive ballroom dance team Marius Andrei Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska of Germany, and a fellow Mexican, Laura Burgos of Monterrey, Nuevo León, who won gold in muay thai (kickboxing) at the 2025 World Games.

The Germans received 43,528 votes to rank as first runner-up, and Burgos 29,753 votes for second runner-up. All received a trophy and other prizes.

Mexican archer Maya Becerra of Zapopan, Jalisco, was also among the 30 nominees, giving Mexico three candidates for the first time.

The vote honored athletes who excel at the World Games, a quadrennial multi-sport event for mostly non-Olympic disciplines such as squash, tug-of-war and korfball (similar to basketball).

It is a single, gender-neutral award rather than separate men’s and women’s categories. The 2022 winner was Colombian flying disc player Valeria Cárdenas.

The latest World Games were held in August 2025 in Chengdu, China, where Mexico’s women’s flag football team defended its previous title by beating the United States 26-21 on a last-second touchdown catch by the 24-year-old Chávez — a gold-medal victory hailed a day later by President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Mexico also defeated the United States to win gold in 2022, when the COVID-delayed 2021 games were held in Birmingham, Alabama. 

With flag football set to debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Mexico’s women — currently ranked No. 1 in the world ahead of the United States and Great Britain — are expected to contend for gold.

Chávez won the award after a comeback from a serious knee injury.

“It’s a dream come true for me,” she told Mexico’s National Commission for Physical Culture and Sport. “Experiencing all of this with my team surpasses any dream I could have imagined.”

The announcement of her award came just months after Ovalle was declared the winner of the Marta Award for the spectacular 2025 goal she scored while playing for the Monterrey-based Tigres UANL women’s pro soccer team.

The 26-year-old from Aguascalientes currently plays for the Orlando Pride in the U.S.-based National Women’s Soccer League. She joined the club in August on a transfer fee of about US $1.5 million, which set a record for women’s soccer at that time.

With reports from Conecta and IMER Noticias

More than 24,000 illegal firearms seized since Sheinbaum took office

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MND Staff
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The firearms are smuggled into Mexico from the U.S., often after they have been purchased by straw buyers.
The firearms are smuggled into Mexico from the U.S., often after they have been purchased by straw buyers. (Carlos Alberto Carbajal/Cuartoscuro)

Around eight in ten of the more than 24,000 firearms seized in Mexico since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office entered the country from the United States, according to the federal government.

The latest government data shows that authorities seized 24,122 firearms between Oct. 1, 2024 — the date Sheinbaum was sworn in — and Feb. 28, 2026. The Sheinbaum administration has been seizing guns at a significantly higher rate than the previous government led by Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

On Feb. 27, during the president’s morning press conference, federal Security Minister Omar García Harfuch told reporters that “approximately 80%” of the seized guns come from the United States.

He said that in the case of larger-caliber weapons, such as machine guns and Barrett rifles, all of the firearms seized during the current government came from the United States.

Such powerful weapons are favored by members of Mexico’s notorious drug cartels, such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The firearms are smuggled into Mexico from the U.S., often after they have been purchased by straw buyers. García Harfuch said Feb. 27 that 20% of firearm seizures during the current government occurred in Sinaloa, the main stronghold of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Mexico has long been pushing the United States to do more to stop the southward flow of guns across the countries’ shared border, a phenomenon that created what former foreign affairs minister and current Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard described in 2022 as a “firearms pandemic.”

As the U.S. government has designated six Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, the southward flow of weapons serves to arm terrorists, it could be argued.

Sheinbaum has acknowledged that the Trump administration has ramped up the fight against gun smuggling from the U.S. to Mexico, and last September the two countries launched a new bilateral initiative aimed at disrupting the southward flow of illicit weapons.

However, on Monday, responding to Donald Trump’s assertion on Saturday that Mexico is the “epicenter of cartel violence,” the president indicated that she would like to see an even greater U.S. crackdown on arms trafficking.

“We believe there is something the United States can help us with enormously: stopping the illegal trafficking of weapons from the United States to Mexico,” she said.

Sheinbaum said that “at least 75%” of weapons in the possession of organized crime groups come from the United States, and cited a U.S. Department of Justice report to support her claim.

“If the entry of illegal weapons from the United States into Mexico is stopped, these groups will not have this type of high-powered weaponry to carry out their criminal activities,” she said.

“So that is something the United States can help us with a lot,” she added.

Most homicides in Mexico are committed with firearms, and most of the guns used to commit the crimes come from the United States, according to Mexican authorities.

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.

However, last June, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out Mexico’s US $10 billion lawsuit against U.S. gunmakers, ruling unanimously that a 2005 law shields the defendants from prosecution.

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

At least 3 dead in Mexico City building collapse

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MND Staff
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collapsed bilding in Mexico City
The tragedy happened around 2 p.m. on Monday but the last victim was pulled from the rubble after dawn on Tuesday. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

Three people were killed and another was badly injured when a building that was being demolished collapsed prematurely in Mexico City on Monday.

The accident happened at about 2 p.m. just across from the San Antonio Abad Metro station near the corner of Calzada de San Antonio Abad and Lorenzo Boturino Street about 1.5 miles south of the Zócalo.

rescure workers at collapsed CDMX building
Rescue workers were able to pull out one of the four demolition workers buried in the rubble of the collapsed building, but three others were found dead. (Camila Ayala Benabib/Cuartoscuro)

Media reports indicate there were 57 workers inside the structure when three of the building’s floor slabs reportedly gave way. Fifty-three men made it to safety, but the four victims were buried in the rubble.

Emergency services and Mexico City police officers arrived quickly and cordoned off the area, hastening to stabilize the fallen edifice before trying to locate the missing workers. 

Ángel Miranda, 45, was extricated from the rock pile within an hour, but rescue workers had trouble reaching the other three victims. While Miranda was rushed to Rubén Leñero Hospital, a canine rescue unit was brought to the building site.

Mayor Clara Brugada and Secretary of Comprehensive Risk Management Myriam Urzúa were also on scene to help coordinate the recovery efforts.

City officials stopped traffic on the Calzada as more equipment arrived to help with the search and remove debris. Images of the structure showed fractured and displaced concrete slabs and exposed rebar.

As the search continued through the evening, Civil Protection personnel worked to prevent objects from spilling onto surrounding roadways, and move onlookers to a safe distance. 

Defense Ministry personnel also joined the recovery efforts, but locating the remaining victims proved difficult. 

By 10 p.m., officials confirmed that one of the missing was found dead, adding that it was unlikely that the other two workers would be found alive.

Rescue efforts continued through the night and by 8 a.m. officials confirmed that the two remaining victims had been found, although the workers were still struggling to extricate the final body.

Urzúa said rescuers were working by hand to remove debris from a 300-square-meter area to recover the remains of the final victim. She said the efforts were complicated by the amount of glass that was still inside frames and windows and was at risk of shattering.

Mayor Brugada said her government would provide all the support necessary to help the families of those affected.

The collapsed building was roughly 60 years old, Urzúa said, and had been badly damaged during the September 2017 earthquake and abandoned immediately thereafter. 

The authorities have begun reviewing the documentation to verify that the demolition company has its permits in order and has complied with all applicable regulations.

With reports from Proceso, La Jornada, Infobae and N+

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