President Sheinbaum's Kutsari Project seeks to strengthen Mexico's semiconductor industry. (Maxence Pira/Unsplash)
The United States will partner with Mexico in a new semiconductor initiative whose ultimate aim is to strengthen and grow the Mexican semiconductor industry, U.S. authorities said Thursday.
The U.S. Department of State announced that it would partner with the Mexican government to “explore opportunities to grow and diversify the global semiconductor ecosystem” under the five-year US $500 million International Technology Security and Innovation Fund, which was created by the CHIPS Act of 2022.
The U.S. government is aiming to reduce reliance on China and Taiwan for semiconductors, or chips, and partner with rising chip manufacturer Mexico. (Intel Guadalajara)
The U.S.-Mexico chip partnership will “help create a more resilient, secure, and sustainable global semiconductor value chain,” the State Department said in a statement.
The department said that an initial phase of the partnership would include “a comprehensive assessment of Mexico’s existing semiconductor ecosystem and regulatory framework, as well as workforce and infrastructure needs.”
“Key stakeholders in the Mexican ecosystem, such as state governments, educational institutions, research centers and companies will participate in this analysis in conjunction with Mexico’s Secretariat of Economy. The insights gained from the assessment will serve as the basis for potential future joint initiatives to strengthen and grow this critical sector,” it said.
The announcement of the partnership comes as the U.S. government seeks to reduce reliance on China and Taiwan for semiconductors, or chips, which are used in the manufacture of a range of products including cars, electronics and medical devices. The State Department highlighted that the manufacturing of such products “relies on the strength and resilience of the semiconductor supply chain.”
Thus, strengthening the Mexican semiconductor industry to supply chips to companies in North America makes a lot of sense.
Taiwan is currently the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, accounting for 50% of total production, according to the international freight platform ShipHub. China ranks fourth behind South Korea and Japan, and ahead of the United States.
The global semiconductor industry is expected to see sales of US $588 billion in 2024, according to Deloitte. (Vishnu Mohanan)
The State Department said that “the United States and Mexico are key partners in ensuring the global semiconductor supply chain keeps pace with the digital transformation underway worldwide” and “this [new] collaboration” between the two countries “underscores the significant potential to expand Mexico’s semiconductor industry to the benefit of both nations.”
It also said that the U.S.-Mexico semiconductor partnership “will build on existing cooperation under the bilateral High-Level Economic Dialogue and trilateral North American Leaders Summit process.”
“This partnership will also support the work already underway to bolster regional competitiveness in semiconductors, including workforce development, in the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity,” the department added.
Former foreign affairs minister Marcelo Ebrard revealed in September 2022 that the United States had invited Mexico to take advantage of massive U.S. investment in the semiconductor industry.
“They already authorized an approximately US $50 billion [semiconductors] program and they’re inviting us to participate,” he said after talks between high-ranking Mexican and U.S. officials.
In October last year, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a “joint semiconductor action plan” between the U.S. and Mexico “to accelerate our integration” and “scale our efforts to attract new investment.”
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a joint U.S.-Mexico semiconductor action plan in October 2023. (Anthony Blinken/X)
Mexican Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Bárcena said at the time that the two countries had “a very clear strategy — for this region to become the most powerful region in the world in the production of semiconductors and conductors.”
Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro said that the collaboration with the U.S. represented a “significant opportunity” and highlighted that the development of the semiconductor industry in Mexico would create “better paying jobs.”
Writing in Forbes last month, the co-CEO and head of business development at the Texas-based Nearshore Company said that “Mexico’s advantages for chip manufacturing go beyond its geographical proximity to the U.S.”
“Over the years, Mexico’s technological capabilities have been on the rise. While traditionally viewed as a low-cost, labor-intensive manufacturing hub, the presence of automotive and aerospace companies in the region … has been the driving force behind transforming Mexico’s manufacturing labor force from one that is labor intensive only, to now include more advanced manufacturing skills,” wrote Jorge González Henrichsen.
“As the semiconductor industry expands in North America, I believe it will attract high-skilled professionals, further bolstering Mexico’s capabilities and transforming the border region into a thriving, advanced manufacturing ecosystem,” he said.
Local authorities have largely taken the side of the musicians, seeing banda as a major influence on the city's identity. (Dania Robles/Cuartoscuro)
A group of foreign tourists are enjoying an acoustic guitar performance on the terrace of a seafront hotel in Mazatlán when their experience is abruptly interrupted by a very different genre of music — banda sinaloense, to be exact — emanating from the nearby beach.
A video of the event — as well as a photo of a sign at a luxury condominium banning the hiring of musical groups on the beach in front of the building — recently triggered an online, and offline, debate between people who support the right of banda musicians to play loudly and proudly on the beaches of Mazatlán and those who would like the city’s playas to be more peaceful places.
The beaches of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, México are known for live groups that play “Banda” music. Now gentrification pushed by hotel owners, business men & politicians have made an “anti-noise” coalition to prohibit live music on the beach, largely to appeal to influx of 🇨🇦tourists. pic.twitter.com/zbbR8wCZGz
Gentrification, the importance of preserving traditional Mexican music and the “welcomeness,” or otherwise, of foreign tourists in Mexico have all formed part of the debate.
Meanwhile, on the ground in Mazatlán this Semana Santa (Holy Week), there was a protest by banda musicians concerned about measures they believe are aimed at silencing them, which was met with reassurance from the mayor that live music will not be banned on the city’s popular beaches.
Despite the absence of any move by authorities to prohibit musicians from plying their coastal trade, the banda brouhaha has attracted widespread attention in the Mexican media this week. Let’s take a deeper look.
First things first. What is banda sinaloense?
According to the newspaper Debate, “banda sinaloense, also known as tambora sinaloense, is a musical genre that has defined the cultural identity of Mexico, especially in the state of Sinaloa.”
“With deep roots in the 19th century, this musical style has experienced a significant evolution, combining European, Caribbean, United States and Indigenous influences to create a distinctive sound.”
Banda musicians on the beach in Mazatlán. (Rashide Frias/Cuartoscuro)
The website Musicalyst notes thatbanda sinaloense is “a brass-based genre that combines traditional Mexican music with European polka rhythms.”
“The music is characterized by its upbeat tempo, strong brass section, and the use of clarinets, trumpets and trombones. Banda sinaloense is often played at celebrations such as weddings, quinceañeras [fifteenth birthday celebrations] and fiestas” — and at the beach in Mazatlán.
There have been complaints about the presence of banda musicians on Mazatlán’s beaches for years, but the issue hasn’t previously blown up quite as much as it has this week.
The debate over whether banda should be allowed on Mazatlán’s beaches
Writing on the X social media platform above footage of the interruption of the acoustic guitar performance, Mexico-based United States journalist Andalusia K. Soloff noted that “the beaches of Mazatlán … are known for live groups that play banda music.”
“Now gentrification pushed by hotel owners, business men & politicians have made an ‘anti-noise’ coalition to prohibit live music on the beach, largely to appeal to [an] influx of Canadian tourists,” she wrote.
“It’s their country and traditions. Don’t take that away from them,” read one response to her post.
“Ban live music? What?” said another X user.
A musician holding a sign that says “Let us work on the beach” in Mazatlán on Wednesday. (Dania Robles/Cuartoscuro)
Another social media user took a very different view, exclaiming: “Hallelujah. I wish they would do the same over here on the [Baja] peninsula. Pinche [damn] Mexicans and their obnoxiously loud music.”
One of the most prominent voices in the ongoing debate has been Ernesto Coppel, a hotel owner, television personality and native of Mazatlán. He suggested that tourists from the United States, rather than Canada, are the most frequent complainers about banda music on Mazatlán’s beaches.
“We cannot allow this racket of cacophonous noise for even one moment more” Coppel says at the beginning of a video message, referring to loud music all over the city including on public transport.
Loud music is “causing tremendous damage to the city,” he asserts, adding that the banda groups that play on Mazatlán’s beaches are a “scandal” and a “disaster.”
“They don’t allow people to rest. I have a lot of complaints from hundreds of American tourists who tell me, ‘I’m not coming back to Mazatlán because of the racket,'” Coppel says, claiming that they have developed a view of the city as a chafa (bad or cheap) tourism destination.
“We’re all making the effort to invest billions of dollars per year in Mazatlán, in resorts, in hotels, in aquariums, in everything. We urgently need to control the noise. We’re not a fifth-class destination, we’re a first-class destination and that’s how we should see ourselves,” the hotelier continues.
“Enough is enough. … We have to legislate, we have to control this, cut this out. Things can’t remain like this,” concludes Coppel, a leader of the Alianza Antirruido en Mazatlán, or Mazatlán Anti-Noise Alliance, which is made up of at least 20 hoteliers and apartment building owners, some of whom have made similar remarks.
“So because of the gringos we’re going to change the way our brothers from Mazatlán are?” said one social media user in response to Coppel’s video.
“Sinaloa is naturally noisy, but it’s beautiful that way. That’s its charm,” the person added.
#NotiTreceMX en #Mazatlán prohiben la Música de Banda, que porque dicen molestan a los turistas… hubo una manifestación que se salió de control.
los detalles a las 10:30pm
13.1 Tv abierta / 113 Megacable
13 izzi & Totalplay pic.twitter.com/3ICULTbzRb
— RAMIRO ESCOTO DIGITAL (RED) (@Ramiro_Escoto) March 28, 2024
Another social media user complained about the presence of United States tourists in the Sinaloa resort city.
“I’ve just returned from Mazatlán. How awful! It’s full of slovenly gringos. But CHOCK-A-BLOCK. I’m from Sinaloa and I’ve traveled to Maza my whole life, but never had I seen so many gringos. The worst thing is that they speak to you in English as if they were in the United States. How sad,” the person wrote.
Another social media user asserted that “gringos love Mexico” but “without Mexicans and without modern Mexican culture.”
“Mazatlán is literally known as the cradle of banda sinaloense,” the person added.
On social media and in the streets of Mazatlán, “gentrification is being spoken about,” the newspaper Reforma reported, “because preference is being given to people from outside the port, mainly foreign tourists, who have complained about the ‘noise.'”
Of course, not all Americans, or foreign tourists more broadly, dislike banda music. In fact, a number of foreigners in Mazatlán who recently spoke to Mexico News Daily said that they love the genre, with some even choosing to live in or visit the city in order to enjoy banda on a regular basis.
Musicians take to the streets of Mazatlán to play — and protest
A large group of musicians protested on Wednesday against “measures that seek to silence banda music on the beaches of the port” of Mazatlán, the newspaper Reforma reported.
Banda musicians played loudly and proudly in protest against the threat of measures to prohibit them from playing on Mazatlán beaches. (Dania Robles/Cuartoscuro)
Miguel Rubio, a member of a band that regularly plays on local beaches, told Reforma that he wasn’t against authorities limiting the hours in which musical groups can play. However, he rejected any move to ban them outright.
If a band is playing on the beach at three in the morning, “one can understand it is annoying for tourists,” he said.
However, “Mazatlán is the land of the bandas,” Rubio said, insinuating that visitors need to understand that.
Samuel Ramírez, another musician, stressed that his livelihood and that of his fellow band members is dependent on being able to play on the beaches of Mazatlán.
“That’s how we get the daily sustenance for our families,” he said.
In addition to their instruments, protesting musicians carried signs with messages such as “We are hungry, we have family, yes to music!” and “the beach is free.”
While the musicians were protesting peacefully — albeit while playing their instruments — municipal police suppressed the demonstration, Reforma reported.
With “yanks” and “blows,” the officers tried to “silence the instruments,” the newspaper said.
After meeting with hoteliers and authorities, musical groups agreed to not play on beaches before 11 a.m. and after 7 p.m. (Dania Robles/Cuartoscuro)
The newspaper El Financiero reported that a fight between police and musicians broke out when officers tried to arrest one protester.
The response of Mazatlán authorities
After a meeting between local authorities, hoteliers and musicians late last week, the Mazatlán municipal government announced that musical groups had agreed to not play on beaches before 11 a.m. and after 7 p.m. The government also said that only 15 two-person ensembles and 12 larger bandas would be given permits to play in certain areas of certain beaches.
However, Mayor Edgar González Zatarain said Thursday that municipal authorities had issued 56 permits and also given musicians identity cards. He said that permits had been granted to 38 bandas and 18 norteño groups.
The mayor also said that local authorities have always supported banda sinaloense musicians, and acknowledged the contribution they make to the identity of Mazatlán and the city’s culture.
In a radio interview on Thursday, González stressed that municipal authorities hadn’t imposed restrictions on the times bands can play on the beach, highlighting that the musicians themselves had agreed to limit their hours. “There is no established schedule,” he said.
Banda sinaloense has seemingly been played on the beaches of Mazatlán forever — and will continue to entertain (or annoy) beachgoers for a long time to come, including over this Easter weekend when large numbers of tourists and locals will descend on the so-called Pearl of the Pacific.
If you like the beach, but don’t like banda, Mazatlán — to say the least — is probably not the place for you. As one local musician put it, playing banda is a “tradition” in the city, and most certainly not a crime.
Learn more about the Maya Train experience with this personal account of a journey from Mérida to Campeche. (Cuartoscuro)
“The train is delayed,” the official told us. How long? “We don’t know, sorry.”
Why was it delayed? “We don’t know that either.”
The last line was delivered with a shrug, a laugh and the implication that the gringo tourist shouldn’t take it all too seriously.
We settled in to wait, and our patience was rewarded when the train finally did arrive: smooth, fast and spotless, the Maya Train is a gleaming slice of transport delight. It is perhaps the best train system in the Americas, far outpacing for example, anything offered by Amtrak in the United States.
My trip from Mérida to Campeche revealed a train system that, despite having some kinks to work out, shows the potential to be a viable option for travel in the region, with great comfort, aesthetics and a cheerful workforce.
The Maya Train opened on Dec. 15, but has yet to shed the controversy that has been endemic to the project since its inception. On one hand, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his supporters have argued that the train represents a step into the future for a long-neglected region of Mexico. On the other, the project has raised lasting objections from groups across the political spectrum, with some claiming the train is a vanity project that will have negative environmental and social impacts.
The Maya Train railroad crosses five Mexican states. (guiadeltrenmaya.com)
The Mérida-Teya station is located about a 30-minutes drive from the city center, and upon arrival, the station aces its first impression: a beautiful structure with high ceilings and plenty of natural light. The dazzling first impression was clouded, however, when I attempted to determine the steps required to board the train, as the station lacks screens with departure and arrival information or a staffed information desk. Instead, travelers were left floundering, trying to find an official or merely trusting what they’d heard from fellow passengers.
In fact, there was no information in any language other than Spanish, highlighting a problem for international travelers, a group the train is supposed to serve in great numbers. Case in point: as I stood in line, an American approached me and asked if I spoke Spanish and could help him. When I asked him about his Maya Train experience so far, he told me he’d run into problems trying to purchase his tickets on the website, as he read no Spanish, and was confused by the basics of the website interface. Still, he was impressed by the station and excited to try the train.
We waited out the delay by heading over to the twin markets located in the station, a tiny Oxxo and a Go-mart, side by side, offering the expected fare: junk food, water, soda and beer. The prices were the same as a typical convenience store in Yucatán — authorities appeared to have refrained from the price inflation so often seen in transport hubs.
I asked the two Oxxo employees present if they received any special discount on the train. They said no, but they did get a standard discount for being Yucatán residents. That seemed fair enough, until I considered their likely minimum wage salary of 249 pesos per day would put a 688-peso one-way ride to Campeche out of reach. Though both had been working at the station since its opening, neither had taken a trip on the train yet.
Our train was announced, so we passed security and headed to the gleaming white platform — which was pretty but lacked seating — for what turned out to be another 30-minute delay. Shade was at a premium as well, so we passengers did a bovine-like huddle under the awning beneath the fierce Yucatán sun. I approached a man wearing an identification badge for Renfe, the national train system of Spain.
He turned out to be a Renfe employee in Mexico in a consulting role, here to help iron out the kinks of the Maya Train’s daily service. The train has some growing pains to work out, he said, “like this delay we are experiencing now.”
When I asked if he could put a letter grade on the train’s debut he simply said “aprobado” — “pass.” In his two months here, he told me, he was seeing gradual improvement. It was going “about as well as could be expected,” the train employees “seemed quite content,” and he was “optimistic about the train’s future and potential to add service.”
The train arrived and we boarded the brand new car. Every surface shone, not a stitch was out of place and there wasn’t a trace of graffiti or other sign of wear. A train attendant gave a brief speech in Spanish about the location of the bathrooms. There were also two uniformed army personnel — women in their twenties with pistols at their sides — who wandered the aisles and chatted with the passengers: practicing English with the gringos, fawning over babies and asking people about the books they were reading.
In geological terms, the Yucatán Peninsula is an “unconfined, flat-lying karst landscape,” which means the scenery for most of the train ride is limited to the immediate, dry jungle next to the tracks and the distant, green line of the horizon. Without much outside the window to capture interest, if you want to stretch your legs you can move freely between train cars and there’s a small dining car with a very limited selection of snacks and drinks. The prices were steep: a beer was 70 pesos, or about double the usual price off-train.
Surprisingly, the premier-class car shows little difference from the tourist-class car. The only tangible improvement was the seating and legroom, and those differences were trivial. The seats in tourist class are comfortable enough, with sufficient legroom for my perpetually cramped, 6’4 frame. In premier class, there are three larger seats to a row, while in tourist class there are four. Beyond the extra space, there were no other discernible perks.
We arrived in Campeche after a journey that was pleasant and without incident, but the San Francisco Campeche station, like Mérida-Teya, suffered from a lack of signage and general information. There were no taxis outside, but a waiting bus I took to downtown Campeche for 50 pesos.
Overall, the experience on the Maya Train was a positive one for this traveler, as I rode in comfort and speed across the Yucatán plain from Mérida to Campeche.
Sure, there were delays, information confusion and an ad-hoc feeling to certain procedures, but it was all counterbalanced by the excitement of hurtling along the tracks of a new Mexican future.
Adding to the buoyant feeling was a workforce that was cheerful and spoke optimistically about the peninsula’s future. Worries about environmental destruction would wait for another day.
For now, as you so commonly hear in Mexico — “todo bien.”
Stewart Merritt is a university professor and writer from the U.S. who is based in Mérida.
Airline and airport employees celebrate Thursday's inaugural flight. (FL360aero/X)
After nearly four months of anticipation, the first international flight arrived at the Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport in the Caribbean resort city of Tulum on Thursday morning.
Tulum’s new airport — inaugurated on Dec. 1, 2023 — and its ground crew welcomed the nearly 600 travelers who arrived from Dallas on American Airlines flight 1131 at 11 a.m. with a water salute.
The airport is expected to bring a surge in tourism to the already-popular region. (Mara Lezama/X)
The terminal was kept busy as additional inaugural international flights arrived from Atlanta, Charlotte and Miami, with airport officials eagerly anticipating more than 6,100 passengers per week in the next few months. United Airlines service to Tulum from Newark, New Jersey, Chicago and Houston will begin on Sunday.
Reporting from Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, Forbes noted that leisure travelers filled the airport there. America’s Charlotte hub features 30 destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America.
Ralph Lopez Massas, American Airlines senior vice president for Charlotte, told Forbes that all three of the airline’s Tulum inaugurals from Charlotte, Dallas and Miami were booked full.
The new international airport in Tulum is considered a welcome alternative to the crowded Cancún airport and Tulum itself is a popular destination that offers Maya ruins, a picturesque landscape and white sandy beaches.
American Airlines flight 1131 from Dallas, the first international flight to land in Tulum, receives a water salute. (FL360aero/X)
The new routes add up to 22 weekly flights to the Tulum airport and that’s great news for the tourism sector in the state of Quintana Roo.
Officials from the state Tourism Ministry (Sedetur) told El Financiero that there are nearly 550,000 tourists registered in the Caribbean state with current hotel occupancy exceeding 80% in the region, including 89% in Cancún and nearly 88% in Cozumel. Sedetur expects upwards of 1.2 million vacationers this week, fueled by U.S. college students traveling to the state’s beach resorts for spring break.
JetBlue will begin operating flights to Tulum from New York’s JFK International Airport in June and Spirit Airlines intends to start flying to Tulum from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, beginning this summer. Air Canada will begin operating flights from Toronto and Montreal to Tulum in May, and the first direct flights from Europe are expected to begin arriving in Tulum in December.
Jesus carries the cross, in a scene from the 2023 Iztapalapa Passion Play. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
More than 500,000 people reportedly attended the beginning of the multi-day Passion Play in Iztapalapa, a borough on the eastern outskirts of Mexico City where a re-creation of Jesus’ trial, suffering and death is a tradition that dates back 181 years.
During Holy Week, the center of Iztapalapa is transformed into a biblical Jerusalem that serves as a grand stage for the performances, which included hundreds if not thousands of “Nazarenes” hauling crosses through the streets to the site where the crucifixion is reenacted.
Although Jesus is portrayed by an actor, the Nazarenes are mostly Iztapalapa residents and people from select nearby communities — and according to figures provided by the borough mayor’s office, more than a few of them needed medical attention for injuries to their bare feet.
In all, according to the mayor’s office, 76 people were treated on Thursday night for foot injuries, hypoglycemia and hypertension. The mayor’s office also provided the figure that half a million people were in attendance at 9 p.m.
The annual Passion Play of Iztapalapa is one of the oldest and most elaborate such events in Latin America. Though rooted in strong religious connotations, the event has also become a symbol of municipal pride for a densely populated and high-crime borough that has been referred to as the “dumpster” of Mexico City.
It has also become a major tourist attraction, reportedly drawing up to 4 million spectators over the week in pre-pandemic times. When the play returned in 2022 after being closed to the public for two years, it drew 1.5 million people to the area, borough authorities said.
— Fuerza Informativa Azteca (@AztecaNoticias) March 29, 2024
A live-broadcast news reel depicts the final stages of the crucifixion. (Azteca Noticias/X)
The reenactment of Jesus’ final hours includes various scenes related to Holy Week, such as Jesus leading the Last Supper and washing the feet of the 12 apostles on Maundy Thursday.
His trial at the hands of Pontius Pilate, his martyrdom and his killing are also portrayed, the latter occurring at “Mount Cavalry,” said to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion — this one re-created at the top of Iztapalapa’s Cerro de la Estrella.
Jesus this year is being played by Christopher Gómez, 22, of Iztapalapa, and he will actually be bound to the cross and remain there for 20 minutes on Friday at 3 p.m., said to be the time at which Jesus was crucified.
“To be Jesus requires great physical effort,” declared the athletic Gómez, who began his preparation for the role months ago. “We started running, then we added the cross, which weighs 80 or 90 kilos. We also carried a log to lose feeling in our right shoulder.
“We also did push-ups, since in one of the falls I have to get up with a push-up because the cross falls on me.”
On Thursday, in the main plaza of Iztapalapa dressed up like Jerusalem, the big crowd did its best to follow the proceedings, helped along with loudspeakers and giant screens.
The night ended with Jesus (Christopher) — followed by the “Nazarenes” and their crosses — heading to the Cerro de la Estrella version of Gethsemane, a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem where Jesus underwent the agony of temptation and was apprehended.
That left everything in place for the crucifixion, which will be reenacted on Friday just as it has been in Iztapalapa every year since 1843.
Nine of Puerto Vallarta's 20 beaches were closed as of Friday morning. (Protección Civil Jalisco/X)
Civil Protection officials in the Jalisco resort town of Puerto Vallarta closed nine of the area’s 20 beaches to swimmers due to strong ocean currents that prompted a rescue operation on Thursday.
Authorities came to the rescue of five tourists who were snorkeling in Mismaloya cove — a fishing village about 15 minutes south of Puerto Vallarta. The snorkelers were carried by the undertow out beyond the reef before lifeguards and Civil Protection agents came to the rescue by boat.
In addition to the undertow, high waves induced officials to order red flags raised on nine beaches: Gemelas, Palmares, Olas Altas, Burros, Camarones, Garza Blanca, Hilton, Malecón and Holi beaches were closed on Thursday. Olas Altas had a second flag, a purple one, after a crocodile was spotted in the area.
“We have slightly elevated waves along Vallarta’s beaches as a consequence of afternoon winds,” Blanca Becerra, second-in-command at the State Civil Protection and Firemen’s Unit (UEPCBJ), told Quadratín Jalisco on Thursday. “There are big gusts of wind exceeding 14 kilometers per hour.”
The UEPCBJ also issued an alert to the Easter Week vacationers: “Please heed the warnings and recommendations of the authorities.”
A Civil Protection graphic explains the meaning of beach warning flags: green signals safety and yellow means enter the water with caution and pay attention to directions from officials. Red means entering the water is prohibited, purple indicates the presence of dangerous marine life and black signals that the beach is closed due to highly dangerous conditions. (Protección Civil Jalisco)
Becerra said the undertow was a significant issue, especially in areas where rocky outcrops in the water posed risks for swimmers.
The ocean currents are a real concern in Puerto Vallarta. In January, a 29-year-old from the state of Puebla went missing after going into the ocean. His companion was able to fight the current, return to shore and alert the authorities.
Officials launched a rescue effort using boats, jet skis and divers, but were unable to find the missing swimmer. Others patrolled the beaches in case the victim’s body washed up on the beach. Officials did not reveal if the body was ever found.
The UEPCBJ was maintaining a presence along the red-flagged beaches and officials said they were not sure when tourists might be allowed back into the ocean at those nine beaches.
Becerra urged visitors to consult with lifeguards at yellow-flagged beaches to find out what areas were considered safe and to avoid going into the water under the influence of alcohol. Yellow flags indicate visitors should use caution when entering the water.
Amazon continues to expand its presence in Mexico with another shipping warehouse in Apodaca, Nuevo León. (Shutterstock)
Amazon Mexico this week announced it will open a new shipping warehouse in the northern state of Nuevo León.
The new center, known as MTY2, will be located in the municipality of Apodaca, in the northeastern sector of the Monterrey metropolitan area, and is projected to employ more than 500 people.
“We are very excited about this next step for Amazon in Nuevo León,” Jesús Elizondo, regional director of operations for Amazon Mexico, told newspaper El Economista. “We want to continue contributing to the local economy … as well as the personal and professional development of our employees by providing a safe, diverse and inclusive work space that allows them to cultivate their talents and continue growing.”
The multinational technology and e-commerce giant opened its first facility in Apodaca in 2020, investing 1.5 billion pesos in the state and creating 1,500 jobs to date. In addition to the existing shipping center in Apodaca, Amazon has another warehouse, three delivery stations, a recruitment center and an Amazon Web Services (AWS) office.
The new shipping center will also work to support small- and medium-sized businesses — known as PyMEs in Spanish — across Nuevo León so as to increase e-commerce sales.
Nuevo León, Mexico City, Chihuahua, Querétaro and Jalisco are the entities with the highest percentage of Amazon vendors per inhabitant.
Nuevo León governor Samuel García at another Amazon shipping warehouse in the state in 2022. (Government of Nuevo León/Facebook)
Last September, Amazon opened a new delivery center in Mexico City, its largest in all of Latin America, coming in at 30,000 square meters. At the time, Amazon said it had invested 52 billion pesos (US $3 billion) and employed roughly 40,000 people — 8,000 directly and 32,000 indirectly — in Mexico since launching here in 2015.
Last month, the company revealed that AWS would invest more than US $5 billion in a cluster of data centers in the central state of Querétaro.
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Noemie Bourdin-Habert and Frederic Baron, founders of Esencia Desarrollos, are entrepreneurial French developers with an extensive worldly background in renewable energies and real estate, who share a passion for architecture and a deep respect for nature.
Why Choose ALMA, a residence nestled in the heart of preserved nature?
Huatulco is booming. The city, brimming with culture, nature, clean air, and safe streets, has recently welcomed a new highway which has reduced travel time to Oaxaca City to three and a half hours and boasts an international airport that serves daily flights to CDMX, Oaxaca and Dallas, seasonal flights to major U.S. cities, and several flights per week to Guadalajara and Monterrey. As one of the largest biodiverse environments in Mexico, offering bountiful forests, beautiful beaches, marine flora and fauna, and 10,000 ft mountains, Huatulco is the ideal location for this one-of-a-kind residential project, ALMA.
As construction is projected to commence over the late summer, the value of any one of the forty-six bespoke condos and villas is projected to increase tremendously. Indeed, Huatulco is witnessing a property boom, with an average of 42% increase in value during the construction of high-end residences, and with some values even doubling since the pandemic.
“Architecture is a major art form,” comment Noemie and Frederic, “and our chosen architects are both artists and engineers,” believing that an intelligently conceived holistic environment can elevate your lifestyle radically.
Saltwater pools, wellness center, or concierge service, ALMA has everything you need.
Huatulco’s density regulations are tightly controlled. ALMA’s tallest building only reaches 32 ft, while the tallest trees reach 50 ft, thus keeping the building line well below the tree line and blending into the landscape. The sleek, clean, light structures with abundant glass boast terraces that are masterfully shaded by overhanging green roofs, and the overall design evokes a sense of the landscape’s harmonious flow into the interior spaces.
Setting ALMA apart: what makes ALMA unique in Mexico?
After almost 15 years of working with renewable energy companies in China, Noemie drew a good part of the vision for ALMA from her experience of working to protect the environment. Frederic’s fifteen years of experience in the real estate industry in France saw him work with major brands Bouygues, Vinci, George V, Eiffage, Kaufman & Broad. Their mutual love of the visual arts and the language of form and space have created their combined distinctive architectural eye.
After leaving France, the couple scouted the world for two years, searching for locations that would tick all the boxes for the creation of ALMA. Many locations were overpopulated and overdeveloped, but after traveling through Mexico, they decided instantly that Huatulco presented the perfect framework and conditions for ALMA. “It was the right time and the right space for ALMA to come to life,” Frederic says. Huatulco is also unique in that it offers 90% of its electricity through renewable energies, has one of the cleanest water treatment systems in the country, and 50% of its territory is protected by way of National Parks.
“We have both witnessed the possible pitfalls of eco-design in our careers. Solar panels alone are not enough; you need a strong commitment and a collaboration between architects and engineers that promote intelligent design and artistry for an exceptional daily living style, combined with a visionary local governance.”
The picturesque Huatulco coast is the perfect location for those looking to live in harmony with Mexican nature.
ALMA prioritizes nature and sustainable living
ALMA sits amidst a stunning topography of canyons and hills sloping towards the Pacific Ocean, with south-facing views. It grants each property its own distinctive view and ambiance. ALMA’s creators emphasize the importance of a low-density, year-round living experience. “More than that,” says Noemie, “we want our residents to feel happy and peaceful here beyond one season.” Having lived in Huatulco for over three years themselves, they are familiar with the climate, season after season, and the particularities of the region, so have worked carefully with the architects around these criteria.
Living deeply connected to nature, ALMA has alternatives to air conditioning artfully factored into its design. Whilst air conditioning is available, natural cooling features (cross breeze, cooling green roofs, shade and materials) allows for choice, and the reduction of electricity consumption. Luxury amenities and materials co-exist with sustainable design to offer large terraces with integrated greenery and a fresh saltwater pool in each villa. Abundant light, a source of happiness in the home, and temperature versatility is also catered to by well-shaded floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and mosquito screens, essential in these latitudes.
Parking spaces integrated into each lot foster privacy and provide greater convenience than a large community parking lot, common to a residential complex. “From every angle, we wanted each property to feel separate and unique, whilst benefiting from the amenities and services of communal living,” Noemie tells us.
Additionally, they have designed two stunning floating infinity pools, 82 and 108 feet respectively, which skim the cliff’s edge and boast magnificent ocean views, as if merging with sky, ocean, and forest simultaneously.
ALMA is an intimate development, allowing you to truly connect with Huatulco’s abundant nature and blur the boundary between the indoors and outdoors.
ALMA: safety, privacy and a glimpse into the community
ALMA has so far attracted residents who possess an appreciation for architecture and nature but who are also looking for security, privacy, exclusivity, amenities, and services. Noemie tells us, “We are so thrilled to have welcomed a resident base, 25% of which are Mexican, 25% American, 25% Canadian and 25% European – which include younger entrepreneurs, families and retirees.” Residents tend to embrace an active, outdoor life and may work locally, but that hasn’t excluded the international crowd or part-time legacy investors, “although we are definitely seeing a trend towards full-time living,” Noemie continues.
ALMA’s entrance through a low canyon pass sets the inviting ambiance with its discreet, cacti-covered security fence. A concierge service offers 24-hour security, a private beach shuttle service, access to private chefs and information about local excursions and services. ALMA’s wellness center offers a cool environment amidst greenery, with massage services, sauna, a jacuzzi, a cold plunge pool, and a sizable gym. Proximity to Huatulco means shops and restaurants are an easy trip, while in the other direction, nature’s beauty is easily accessible: National Park, mountains, virgin beaches and bays, mangroves and smaller towns and villages.
Investing in ALMA: Projections on Value Increase and Real Estate Potential
It’s a perfect time to invest in this stunning and innovative low-density community. Huatulco is more of a hot spot than ever in its history, yet still at a fraction of property values in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, or Los Cabos.
Starting at US $675,000 for a two-bedroom condo to around $1.7 million for the four-bedroom grand villa, ALMA presents a distinctive modern vision for living, as low density architect-designed communities and single family homes are commonly seeing a better increase in property value than other types of residences. Noemie and Frederic note, “Buying at this earlier stage of the project, you’re looking at the highest increase in property value.”
“ALMA’s success has been contingent on its setting within Huatulco, which has the right DNA for it,” Noemie and Frederic conclude. Whilst its design may not be unique in the world, it is certainly rare to find this standard of sustainable luxury anywhere, and the creative dream team hopes to set a precedent in the market and a lifestyle example in Mexico to follow.
North America's 50 Best Bars is a celebration of all that is great about mixology. The 2024 awards will take place April 23rd at Rosewood San Miguel. (Zapotebar/Instagram)
The world of gastronomy has long been celebrated, but what about the realm of cocktails and bars? Get to know North America’s 50 Best Bars, a prestigious ranking that shines a spotlight on the continent’s most exceptional drinking establishments.
We enjoyed chatting with Emma Sleight, Head of Content for North America’s 50 Best Bars, to uncover the story behind these illustrious awards and the vibrant bar scene they celebrate. This year’s award ceremony will be held in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
For the second consecutive year, the 50 Best Bars in North America contest will be held in San Miguel de Allende. (North America’s 50 Best Bars)
How did the Best Bars Awards start? What prompted the focus on drinks and bars?
The 50 Best brand is a leading authority in global gastronomy and the international drink scene. It aims to showcase worldwide trends and highlight amazing places to eat and drink, reaching all corners of the Earth. North America’s 50 Best Bars came later, launched in 2022, as a relatively new ranking. It was created to celebrate the best of the region’s drinks industry and spotlight its talent and innovation. North America is undoubtedly a first-class cocktail destination, and the expansion into this region was a testament to the creativity and skill emerging from its drinks industry.
Mexico City’s Rayo Bar obtained 17th place in the 2023 list. (Rayo CDMX/Instagram)
How is the process of choosing the 50 best bars conducted?
The annual ranking is based on the votes of the academy, consisting of 270 gender-balanced anonymous bar industry experts across seven regions within North America. These experts include bartenders, bar managers, drinks consultants, brand ambassadors, drinks writers, historians, and cocktail aficionados. Voting occurs across regions such as the USA Northwest, USA Midwest, USA West, USA South, Canada (East and West), Mexico, and the Caribbean. Each region has its own panel of voters selected by Academy chairs, chosen for their knowledge and reputation in the drinks industry.
Why choose San Miguel de Allende for the Awards ceremony again?
San Miguel de Allende was selected for its burgeoning reputation as a cocktail lover’s destination and thriving hospitality scene. While perhaps less familiar than Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende offers a rich scene of culinary and drinking experiences, perfectly aligning with the ethos of 50 Best to spotlight both renowned and lesser-known destinations. As a UNESCO World Heritage City, it provides the perfect backdrop for celebrating excellence in bars and cocktails.
How does winning this award impact bars and individuals in the industry?
Winning a spot on the list, especially the number one ranking, undoubtedly has an immediate impact on the visibility and reputation of the bar. However, beyond the accolades, the 50 Best Awards aim to foster a sense of community within the industry. Bartenders forge lifelong relationships and friendships through our events, and the awards serve as a platform to champion talent and celebrate the contributions of individuals to the drinks industry.
Can you share more about the upcoming Awards ceremony?
The Awards ceremony will be held on the 23rd of April in San Miguel de Allende. While the list remains confidential until the night of the ceremony, we will live stream the event on our Facebook and YouTube channels, allowing people worldwide to join in and discover the best bars in North America. Last year, we saw a strong representation of Mexican bars on the list, showcasing the diversity and richness of the country’s cocktail culture beyond its capital city.
Handshake Speakeasy, in Mexico City, came third in 2023. (Handshake Speakeasy/Instagram)
As North America’s 50 Best Bars prepares to honor the continent’s top drinking establishments, the excitement is palpable. From the bustling streets of Mexico to the hidden gems of Canada, the bar scene awaits exploration, inviting enthusiasts to raise a glass and celebrate the artistry of mixology. Join the ceremony on the 23rd of April as they will toast to the best in the business and uncover the secrets behind North America’s finest bars.
Camila Sánchez Bolaño is a journalist, feminist, bookseller, lecturer, and cultural promoter and is Editor in Chief of Newsweek en Español magazine.
An employee at work in a factory near Guadalajara. (Gobierno de Jalisco)
Mexico’s unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in almost a year in February, dropping to 2.45% from 2.85% in January.
Data published by the national statistics agency INEGI on Wednesday showed that the economically active population (PEA) was made up of just under 60.9 million people in February and 1.49 million of that number were unemployed. The PEA refers to people in work or looking for work.
The 2.45% unemployment rate was the lowest reading since March 2023, when just 2.4% of the PEA was jobless. The unemployment rate for women was 3.1%, while 2.4% of economically active men were jobless last month.
At 2.58%, the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was slightly higher than the unadjusted rate. However, that rate was the lowest since INEGI began publishing seasonally-adjusted figures in 2006.
The total number of unemployed people in February was more than 235,000 lower than the figure recorded in January.
Many of the people who entered the workforce in February found employment in the informal sector, which added far more jobs than the formal sector.
Job loss in the agricultural sector was offset by growth in the manufacturing sector. (Tomas Castelazo/Wikimedia)
Last month, some 32.4 million Mexicans were employed in the informal sector, in which workers don’t pay taxes and don’t have access to benefits such as health care and paid holidays. That figure equates to 54.5% of all workers.
The percentage of workers in the informal sector declined one point compared to February 2023, INEGI said, but rose 0.4 points compared to January and 0.9 points compared to December.
Jesús Anacarsis López, deputy director of analysis at Banco Base, said that reducing the informality rate is “one of the most significant challenges of the Mexican labor market.”
INEGI also reported that 3.8 million people in jobs were underemployed in February, meaning that they wanted or needed to work more hours. That figure accounts for 6.5% of all Mexicans workers, down from 7.6% a year earlier.
Which sectors added the most jobs in February?
The manufacturing sector added more than 631,000 positions in February, while the services sector workforce increased by almost 433,000 people.
Which sectors lost the most jobs in February?
More than 398,000 jobs were lost in the agriculture sector last month, while the construction sector shed almost 141,000 positions.
Looking ahead
Janneth Quiroz, director of economic analysis at the Monex financial group, said that unemployment will “possibly” continue to fall in the first half of 2024.
She noted that the upcoming elections will create additional opportunities for temporary work, and unemployment could decline as a result.
