Fishing for totoaba, an endangered species endemic to the Gulf of California, is illegal in Mexico. (@PROFEPA_Mx/X)
Over the weekend, Mexican authorities operating in the northern Gulf of California dismantled more than 9,000 meters of mesh nets which had trapped 3,500 kilograms of endangered totoaba fish.
The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa), the Navy and the National Fisheries and Fishing Commission (Conapesca) found the illegal nets early Sunday morning near the town of San Felipe, Baja California.
🟩 Retiran más de 9 km de redes ilegales de enmalle de totoaba en el Alto Golfo de California
Se inutilizan 72 ejemplares muertos de totoaba y se libera a siete ejemplares vivos. Este resultado se da en el marco del reforzamiento de las acciones de vigilancia que ha impulsado… pic.twitter.com/GB1DcM12Ia
In a press release, the government reported that 79 totoaba fish were found trapped in the netting, only seven of which were still alive. The authorities released the seven back into the water.
Fishing for totoaba — a species of marine fish endemic to the Gulf of California in Mexico — is illegal. Once abundant in the area, the totoaba — which can reach a size of two meters (6.6 ft) and weigh up to 135 kilograms (300 pounds) — is now considered endangered due to human-related threats, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The primary reason for the recent overfishing of the totoaba is the demand for the fish’s swim bladder, an organ that helps the fish control its buoyancy.
In addition to being considered a delicacy in Asia, traditional Chinese medicine holds that these swim bladders, known as “fish maws,” are believed to have numerous health benefits, including promoting longevity and vitality.
The increase in demand over the past 20 years has caused the price of totoaba swim bladders to skyrocket on the black market — up to US $8,000 per kg, according to the newspaper Milenio — earning it the nickname “cocaine of the sea.”
During the weekend operation, Profepa destroyed more than 23 kg (50 pounds) of swim bladder.
Illegal fishing for totoaba puts the near-extinct vaquita porpoise at even greater risk since they can easily get stuck in fishing nets. (Dolphin Discovery)
The indiscriminate fishing methods have also proven deadly for the elusive vaquita, a species of porpoise found only in the northern Gulf of California that is on the brink of extinction. The most recent vaquita census found only six to eight specimens in Mexican waters.
In 2023, the Mexican government initiated a series of actions to halt illegal fishing activities and protect its last remaining vaquitas.
According to a December 2024 report, Conapesca has established more than 730 random checkpoints, with inspections carried out at warehouses, collection centres, freezers, fish markets and restaurants. The operation includes the inspection of more than 5,190 small vessels upon departure and arrival.
Prior to the recent operation in San Felipe, the agency had destroyed more than 130 fishing rigs, including 38,000 meters of prohibited nets and 30 traps and/or cages.
On Monday, President Sheinbaum pledged that her government "won't tolerate the construction of half-truths or falsehoods" about the Teuchitlán case or any of the more than 100,000 cases of disappearance in Mexico. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
At her morning press conference, Sheinbaum declared that “attending to the problem of missing persons” — there are more than 100,000 in Mexico — is a “national priority” for her government.
Sheinbaum committed to six “immediate” actions to combat the crisis of disappearances in Mexico following a strong civic response to the news of Teuchitlán, Jalisco, last week. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
“The construction of peace and the fight against impunity is a central tenet of my government. That’s why I’ve made the decision to carry out the following immediate actions,” she said.
Sheinbaum’s 6 actions against abductions
The president said that the crime of enforced disappearance in Mexico used to be “perpetrated by the state.”
However, abductions now are “mainly linked” to organized crime, Sheinbaum said.
“In any case, it’s an extremely serious crime that must be prevented, dealt with and punished,” she said.
“That’s why we’ll act within the framework of the law but with the complete force of the state,” Sheinbaum said.
🚨 Sheinbaum responde a manifestaciones por desaparecidos en #México: anuncia acciones de gobierno y reformas para atender problema de desapariciones en el país.
Tras las protestas en diversas ciudades de México y en el extranjero, a propósito de las personas desaparecidas, la… pic.twitter.com/6HW0z8YhWM
The aim, she said, is to bolster the commission’s capacity to respond to missing persons cases.
Sheinbaum also said that the decree will allow the commission to acquire new “technological equipment” to assist search efforts.
2. Legislative reform
Sheinbaum said she would submit two reform proposals to Congress this Thursday.
Her first proposal is a reform to the General Population Law in order to “consolidate” a person’s CURP identity number as their “only source of identity.”
Sheinbaum said that the reform would allow a missing person’s CURP to be checked against “all administrative records in the country” in order to “generate alerts that facilitate the identification of signs of life.”
In late 2023, then interior minister Luisa María Alcalde announced that the government had discovered in official databases signs of life — albeit not “proof of life” — of almost 18,000 people registered as missing. Providing an example of the kind of thing she was talking about, she said that a girl registered as missing in 2014 had subsequently benefited from a range of government programs and schemes, indicating that she was not in fact missing (or was a victim of identity theft).
The first reform Sheinbaum spoke about on Monday could help authorities identify and locate a person registered as missing if that person registers for a government program, for example.
The president said that her second proposal is a reform to the General Law on Enforced Disappearance. If approved by Congress, the proposed reform would:
Allow the creation of a “Single National Forensic Information Base” that compiles information from state and federal authorities including Attorney General’s Offices.
Allow the creation of a “National Human Identification Platform” that “communicates and updates all administrative and forensic records” held by authorities across Mexico. This platform, Sheinbaum said, would help to “identify signs of life” of missing persons “or even deceased people.”
3. New protocols for ‘immediate’ missing person alerts
Sheinbaum said the government would “incorporate in the law new protocols” that allow “immediate” search alerts to be issued to security forces and authorities across the country when a person is reported as missing.
The president said that the new protocols would also allow authorities to immediately open investigations in missing person cases “without the need to wait 72 hours as still occurs in some states of the republic.”
“… Those 72 hours can be key,” she said later in her Monday morning press conference.
4. Increasing the penalty for the crime of disappearance
Sheinbaum said the government would “put the crime of disappearance (desaparición) on the same level as kidnapping” (secuestro) in terms of seriousness.
While the two crimes are similar, a disappearance, or enforced disappearance, occurs with the authorization, support or involvement of authorities. The abduction of a person by a crime group that colludes in one way or another with authorities, whether they are municipal, state or federal authorities, could be classified as a desaparición rather than a secuestro.
Remarkably, the maximum sentence for a person convicted of the crime of disappearance is less severe than that for a person convicted of kidnapping.
Sheinbaum said she would also seek to make “investigation procedures for the crime of disappearance” uniform across all states of Mexico.
5. The publication of missing persons statistics on a monthly basis
Sheinbaum said the government would publish on a monthly basis statistics on missing persons derived from federal and state investigations into cases of disappearance.
6. Strengthening of the Executive Commission for the Attention of Victims
Sheinbaum said that the government would strengthen the Executive Commission for the Attention of Victims in order to better provide “accompaniment, support and advice” to the families of missing persons.
Sheinbaum pledges no impunity and no concealment in Teuchitlán case
After outlining the government’s “six immediate actions against the crime of disappearance,” Sheinbaum turned her focus to the Teuchitlán case involving the discovery this month of burnt human remains along with more than 150 pairs of shoes and other discarded personal items at a property in the state of Jalisco.
The property in the municipality of Teuchitlán has been variously described as an “extermination camp,” an “apparent mass killing site” and even “Mexico’s Auschwitz.”
Reading from her prepared statement, Sheinbaum said that her government is “committed to providing certainty and truth” to the families of missing persons whose remains might be at the Teuchitlán ranch linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
On Monday, the president pledged that her government “won’t tolerate the construction of half-truths or falsehoods” about the Teuchitlán case or any other case.
“We will always stand for truth and justice,” she said.
Mexico News Daily
Editor’s note: This story previously misstated the year that 43 Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College students were disappeared in Guerrero, Mexico. This occurred in September 2014, not September 2024.
Spring is Jacaranda season in Mexico City. Here are the very best places to have a contemplative experiences surrounded by glorious trees. (Andrea Román/Pexels)
March paints Mexico City in purple, both for thefeminist resistance movements and the jacaranda awakening in spring. Very much likeTatsugoro Matsumoto, the Japanese gardener who introduced the species to Mexico, we capital-dwellers are eager to watch the jacarandas bloom with the coming of spring every year.
The city’s busiest arteries, like Avenida de los Insurgentes and Paseo de la Reforma, suddenly bloom with a canopy of light purple flowers. The blooming is so bountiful that these great avenues are carpeted with a bed of fallen flowers. The best part is that you can watch the trees, heavy with blossom, almost anywhere in town.
The jacaranda tree is ubiquitous around Mexico City, where it was first brought to Mexico from South America in the 1930s. (Alfonso Aguirre/Unsplash)
Watching these majestic trees from a quiet spot is a simple joy. If you’re not very much into crowded places and are really looking for a more contemplative experience of the jacarandas, here’s an insider’s digest of the best residential places to watch the trees in all their lilac glory.
This is a tourist-friendly spot, given that there is a public area with benches in front of Palacio de Bellas Artes to sit and simply watch the trees in full bloom. Continue walking through Avenida Juárez up to Hemiciclo a Juárez in Alameda Central, beautifully framed by flowers in the background. You can also sit on the benches and enjoy a nice ice cream while you watch the trees — if you’re feeling adventurous, try the ones in the “carritos” or street carts. My personal suggestion is ‘nieve de limón,’ which will both quench your thirst and cool you off
Ever since President Obregón allowed the planting of jacaranda trees across Mexico City, capitalinos have awaited their purple bloom in spring. (Roberto Lozano/Pexels)
If you’re willing to take in the full jacaranda experience and enjoy walking at your own leisure, consider heading to Reforma Avenue. Reach The Angel of Independence and fill your eyes in purple wonder. And yes, that is exactly what spring feels like in Mexico City.
On a side note, please consider that spring is warm in Mexico City, with expected temperatures of 25 to 30 C (77 to 80 F) this year. If possible, I would strongly suggest bringing a bottle of water and a pair of shades to avoid heat strokes. Remember, spring is thedriest season in town, so take your precautions.
Quiet spots to Jacaranda watch in Mexico City
I’m not a people person. At all. Much less am I someone who likes crowds. Instead, I enjoy quiet moments of contemplation, particularly when jacarandas are in full bloom in Mexico City. Believe it or not, you can find places in our chaotic capital that offer these experiences for quiet introverts like myself.
If you’re staying in town for a while (or live here), I would strongly suggest visiting residential neighborhoods in which jacaranda trees grow. Here are some of my personal favorite spots to enjoy the blooms.
Colonia Narvarte
The Jacaranda corridor in Concepción Beistegui is simply one of the most magnificent I have seen in my entire life. (Muaaz/Pexels)
If you really want to see Jacarandas in full bloom, head straight to Concepción Beistegui street, in the heart of Colonia Narvarte. Just in front of Centro Universitario de México (CUM), a corridor of light purple flowers arches the street. It is certainly a sight to see, particularly during the first weeks of April.
If you search for CUM in your Google Maps app, the address that will pop up is Nicolás San Juan 728, Narvarte Poniente. However, that is not where you will find the jacaranda corridor. Instead, head to Concepción Beistegui Street and prepare to be flabbergasted by the natural beauty of the trees as they tower from the sidewalks and break the road with their strong roots.
You can take a leisurely walk across the alley and then have a lovely latte atCafé Buendía, which you can pair with their wonderful homemade pastries. Try brunching at their wonderful terrace, sheltered by the shade of native plants of the borough. My personal favorite is their banana and chocolate bread, but they also have absolutely vegan and gluten-free options available every day.
Jacaranda Corridor:C. Concepción Beistegui, Narvarte Poniente, Benito Juárez, 03020 Ciudad de México, CDMX.
Buendía Panycafé: Anaxágoras 630-B, Narvarte Poniente, Benito Juárez, 03020 Ciudad de México, CDMX.
Hipódromo Condesa
If you’re staying in the Roma-Condesa area, there is a good chance your window will be filled with Jacaranda flowers in the morning. (Angel Rkaoz/Pexels)
Just picture it: a nice, warm chai latte in the morning, watching the sunrise behind the branches of the jacaranda trees, heavy with purple flowers. My favourite is Orquídea Café, a lovely coffee shop on Amsterdam Avenue facing the neighbourhood’s iconic median strip. However, you can try practically any coffee shop on the circuit, as they’re all guaranteed to be a nice setting for your Jacaranda contemplation endeavours.
If you’re more of a forest-bather — and enjoy a nice stroll — I would strongly suggest walking around the Amsterdam circuit. Decades ago, horses ran across present-day Ámstedam Street. Now, Mexico City dwellers can enjoy the sight of magnificent Jacarandas during a warm spring afternoon.
Orquídea Café: Ámsterdam 147, Hipódromo, Cuauhtémoc, 06100 Ciudad de México, CDMX.
Chimalistac
Jacaranda trees feel like a natural part of Chimalistac’s colonial architecture. (Andrea Ayala/Pexels)
Chimalistac is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved corners of the colonial era in Mexico City. Located south of the capital, both its civil and religious buildings are often framed with several jacaranda trees: quarry walls and purple flowers — it’s the quintessential spring postcard from the Mexican capital.
This picturesque colonial corner in Mexico City is the perfect hybrid between Coyoacán’s bohemian demeanour and San Ángel’s elegant feel. Most of the homes are still residential, and often have private areas which — ironically — you can easily access by car. In all of these, you can get glimpses of jacaranda trees without the rush of the city’s tourist hot spots.
After paying a due visit toParque El Tagle, where you can feast upon the jacarandas covering the sky, my personal choice would be to head to “Octavio Paz” library. Head directly to the second floor, to the library’s cafeteria and grab a table with a panoramic view. As an introverted insider’s suggestion, rest assured: this will be the ideal place to be with one’s thoughts — and simply fill one’s gaze with the mystical sight of jacaranda trees in full bloom.
Parque El Tagle: Arenal 3, Colonia Agrícola Chimalistac, Alcaldía Álvaro Obregón, 01050, Ciudad de México, CDMX.
“Octavio Paz” Library: Av. Miguel Ángel de Quevedo 115, Chimalistac, Álvaro Obregón, 01070, Ciudad de México, CDMX.
Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.
Getting hold of contraception in Mexico is actually quite straightforward if you know how. (Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition/Unsplash)
As I was sitting at a stoplight today, three different men approached my car. They all had spray bottles and accessories for a quick windshield clean. At different times, they all squirted some water on my windshield, only stopping after a significant amount of finger wagging “no” from me.
I didn’t have any change on me, and was not in the mood to search my car desperately for any, either. “No means no, mister!” I muttered to myself when they finally left me alone. “Sheesh.”
Too late. (Archive)
Is this what they’re like in bed too, I wondered? “Come on, I’ve already started! We can’t turn this around now!”
I’m probably not being fair to these dudes. If all the money I got was from people’s volunteer change for a service they didn’t ask for under the blaring sun, I’d probably be pretty insistent, too.
But I was thinking about this article, and about sex, and about pregnancy, and about statistics, and about — of course — birth control options in Mexico.
And looking at the statistics regarding unplanned pregnancies, you’d think birth control is hard to get ahold of in Mexico.
A lack of access to birth control, or just a love for big families? (María José Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
I am not here to judge anyone, of course. Plenty of women and girls who get pregnant did not necessarily have a say in the matter. Unfortunately, laws regarding rape — including statutory — and sexual coercion are about as easy to enforce as most other laws around here are. For many crimes, impunity reigns.
But let’s talk about prevention. For this, we shall pretend that we live in a perfect world in which all sexual encounters are fun, respectful, and consensual. That’s the hope I think most of us have for each other.
As someone who’s spent her adult life in Mexico, I’ve put quite a bit of energy myself into not getting pregnant when I didn’t want to get pregnant. So far, success! Just a few more years till full-on menopause and I’m home free, people!
Despite stereotypes, these are not so hard to find here. (Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition/Unsplash)
Thankfully, Mexico does its darndest to help make avoiding accidental pregnancy possible. Let me count the ways!
Public health services provide birth control in Mexico
It’s free! I first became aware of this at my local clinic when I took my then-baby for her vaccines. There was a table set up with information on sexual health all spread out! Options were many: condoms, birth control pills, IUDs, even those implant things.
Of course, actually walking up to the table to examine options meant doing so in front of the audience of strangers in a waiting room, and therein lies one of the major problems: people, especially young people, want to investigate that kind of thing in private.
A friend who used to live in a small town where many girls got married, pregnant, by 15 spelled it out for me. “The ladies who work at these small city clinics gossip. And for a teenage girl, planning to have sex is seen as almost worse than having sex and getting pregnant accidentally.” Yikes.
While the Mexican government is incredibly progressive when it comes to sexual health as a major component of public health, the culture — especially in some of these small communities — can mean the prevalence of much more conservative views overall. Next!
Vasectomies
Vasectomies are also a free service through public health institutes, and I’ve had several friends who have taken advantage of the service. Mostly, these friends have been urban and educated, because again, health policy is not always a match for culture. I’ve heard just as many men refuse to get their male pets neutered because they wanted to protect their sense of masculinity. My best guess is that these are not the men going in for vasectomies themselves. But they could, and the service is there waiting for them. I wish they’d all go the moment they realize they don’t want more or any kids.
You could also ask Dr. Simi for help.(Farmacías Similares/Instagram)
You can also “get your tubes tied” if you’re a woman at a public hospital, though some will not perform reversible procedures on younger women who don’t have kids.
Private health services
Because of the long wait times, most women who can afford to see a private gynecologist see a private gynecologist. This is good, as it spreads things out a bit. The public hospitals are crowded enough! Most private doctors have up-to-date practices and equipment and can help women make decisions about the ideal birth control for them. IUDs, both hormonal and non-hormonal, are popular choices. They last several years, and last I checked ran at about $2,000 MXN. They can also, of course, perform surgeries and give injections and insert implants.
Unlike in the United States, you do not need a prescription to buy things like birth control pills or patches. You can simply walk in and ask for them! You can obviously buy condoms as well, though you usually need to ask for what you want from behind the counter.
This can be a little awkward if you want to browse — “sorry, could you show me the ribbed ones again?” — though I was delighted one day when I saw a poster board with the different brands literally taped on with their prices written underneath. Adorable and helpful (and unusually for Mexico, extremely convenient for accessing birth control)!
Sex shops
I know this is kind of a weird entry, but hey — they are into safe sex! They also have many suggestions for how to practice it in a fun way, so really, you can’t go wrong!
So, there are lots of ways to not get pregnant. To gain access to them, of course, there’s a bit of planning and legwork involved. Can we start a public campaign that makes planning for sex as fun-sounding as spontaneity?Public education programs are trying.
Hopefully, the rest of the culture will catch up soon.
Coca-Cola says it is on board with the government-sponsored campaign to eliminate unhealthy food from Mexican schools. (Cuartoscuro)
Coca-Cola stopped selling several of its products in elementary schools across Mexico as of Thursday, the Mexican Coca-Cola Industry (IMCC) announced in a statement last week.
The IMCC “firmly supports this strategy, sharing the goal of contributing to the health care of Mexican girls and boys” reads the statement.
“The IMCC reinforces its commitment not to sell any product in its portfolio that has warning labels or warnings on its front label in elementary schools in Mexico,” it adds.
The IMCC recently joined Mexico’s “Live Healthy, Live Happy” program, a strategy launched by President Claudia Sheinbaum on Feb. 25.
The national strategy aims to ban the sale of ultra-processed and high-calorie food and drink in public and private schools, instead offering healthy alternatives with training being provided to school officials on the menus. It will also promote access to drinking water, raise awareness among parents and pressure the food industry to develop more nutritious products.
According to the National Health Survey, around 98% of Mexico’s schools sell junk food, while 95% sell sugary drinks.
Nearly all Mexican schools are currently allowing sugary drinks on their school grounds. (Isabel Mateos/Cuartoscuro)
Meanwhile, obesity affects around 40% of children and adolescents in Mexico. The program aims to improve the health of 11 million elementary students and reduce public spending on the cost of diseases related to overweight.
Studies suggest that Mexico is the highest consumer of Coca-Cola globally, with an annual consumption rate often estimated at 160 liters per capita.
The policy to ban junk food in schools was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) on September 30, 2024.
The DOF published the following standards for food and drink in schools:
Foods must be of natural origin or minimally processed
Seasonal fruits and vegetables must be offered
For foods of animal origin, only poultry, such as chicken and turkey, is allowed and must be prepared without fat and skin
These foods should be cooked using minimal sugar and oil
Access to drinking water must be guaranteed, free of charge
Caffeinated drinks are prohibited
In October, Education Minister Mario Delgado told reporters at a press conference “We are one of the countries with the world’s highest levels of childhood obesity and we can’t continue like this anymore.”
The new rules on unhealthy food and drink will come into effect on March 29. Schools that do not comply with the ban could be fined between 545 and 5,450 pesos (US $27 and $273).
The sale of drinks with warning labels will also be prohibited in stores and by street vendors in areas surrounding schools.
A government-sponsored health campaign commenced in schools across the country on March 12. The scheme will provide health checks for 35,000 students from 2,094 elementary schools, including measuring students’ height and weight, eye and oral health checks, and the creation of digital records.
President Claudia Sheinbaum prepares to speak at her Monday morning press conference. (Presidencia)
At her Monday morning press conference, Claudia Sheinbaum read out a statement declaring that attending to Mexico’s missing persons “problem” is a “national priority” for the Mexican government.
The president signed off on a constitutional ban on planting genetically modified corn Monday morning. (Presidencia)
Near the end of her press conference, Sheinbaum signed a decree endorsing a constitutional reform that bans the cultivation of genetically modified corn in Mexico. Congress approved the reform earlier this year.
This mañanera report focuses on the responses she gave to questions on three of those topics: the hacking of President Sheinbaum’s cell phone, the United States’ construction of an additional section of border wall and the recent conviction and sentencing of the sister of 2024 opposition presidential candidate Xóchitl Gálvez Ruiz on kidnapping charges.
Sheinbaum’s cell phone and email account were hacked
“Soon after the handover, Ms. Sheinbaum’s cellphone was hacked, according to several people familiar with the matter,” the Times reported last Friday without providing any additional details.
Sheinbaum confirmed on Monday morning that her phone was hacked, but clarified that it is an old phone she no longer uses for communication that is “more personal” in nature.
She also said that a Yahoo Mail account she opened years ago was hacked. Sheinbaum said she didn’t know who provided the information about the phone hacking to The New York Times.
She said that Apple “immediately” informed the government’s Digital Transformation Agency about the hacking of a cell phone with a number she has had for some 17 years.
Sheinbaum’s phone was hacked earlier this year, shortly after 29 cartel figures were extradited to the U.S. (Gobierno de México)
“Now, which telephone was it? Do you remember that during the [2024 presidential election] campaign a telephone number of mine came out? It was my number, one that I still keep, a number that everyone knew,” Sheinbaum said.
She said that current Campeche Governor Layda Sansores gave her that “telephone number,” and a phone, in 2008 during the “Las Adelitas” oil defense protest movement and as a consequence she has a certain “affection” for it.
At the time, Sheinbaum said she had a prepaid cell phone plan.
“I worked in UNAM then … and the credit used to run out … and then people couldn’t call me,” the president said, referring to her days as an academic at the National Autonomous University.
“So Layda, who was a senator then, said to me: ‘I’m going to give you this phone and I’m going to pay for it so you don’t have that problem,'” she said.
“Afterward I made it mine, Layda didn’t pay for it anymore, around three years later I put it in my name,” Sheinbaum said.
The president said she kept the number after she was elected mayor of the Mexico City borough of Tlalpan in 2015 and after she was sworn in as mayor of the capital in 2018.
“A lot of people have that telephone number … but it’s a telephone that I no longer use for my more personal communication, let’s say,” Sheinbaum said.
She said she wanted to keep the number “for communication with the people” — i.e. her supporters and other constituents — and noted that she only responded to “requests” she received to the corresponding phone “every now and then.”
The president said she planned to keep using the hacked phone number or non-sensitive communication, to stay in touch with supporters. (Presidencia)
“That was the phone they hacked,” Sheinbaum added.
“… Who hacked it? We don’t know. They’re investigating, it’s hard to know,” she said.
With regard to her hacked email account, Sheinbaum said she believed that it was “the first email account” she opened.
She said that her Yahoo email address is “very, very old” and a lot of people have it.
Sheinbaum stressed that she has an official email account with “all the cybersecurity conditions of the government and all the rest.”
“… I now have another telephone number that I’m not going to say here for obvious reasons,” she added.
Based on Sheinbaum’s remarks on Monday, it appears that the hackers were not able to obtain any sensitive information pertaining to the activities, discussions and dealings of the current president and federal government.
‘We don’t agree with the wall’
A reporter noted that United States Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that “seven new miles of construction” would be added to the wall on the border between the U.S. and Mexico.
Customs and Border Protection said in a statement on Saturday that that it had “awarded the first border wall contract of President Trump’s second term in office to Granite Construction Co. for [US] $70,285,846 to construct approximately seven miles of new border wall in Hidalgo County, Texas.”
Sheinbaum reiterated that Mexico sees the U.S. border wall as ineffective for stopping migration and drug trafficking. (Greg Bulla / Unsplash)
With respect to the announcement, Sheinbaum told reporters that as “you know, we don’t agree with the wall.”
“We don’t believe that it solves the [illegal immigration and drug smuggling] problem,” she said.
“I remember the conversation that [former] President López Obrador had with President Trump on one occasion. He talked about it here at the mañanera, he told [Trump]: ‘Well, you can build the wall but they will still dig tunnels,'” Sheinbaum said.
“… The best way to attend to migration is by attending to the causes, investing … in the places … where there are people who have to migrate out of necessity. That will always be our opinion,” she said.
“And we have always said it is better to build bridges than walls,” Sheinbaum added.
Sheinbaum declines to comment on case involving presidential rival’s sister
The reporter noted that Jacqueline Malinali Gálvez Ruiz confessed that she used her sister’s name to “attract her kidnapping victims,” and asked the president whether she had any opinion on the matter.
The new hub can process 41,000 packages every hour, three times its former capacity. (Cuartoscuro)
DHL Express Mexico has inaugurated its Querétaro Air Hub facilities, tripling the company’s operational capacity at Querétaro International Airport (AIQ) in Mexico’s Bajío region.
The expansion project cost more than US $120 million and included infrastructure expansion and technology upgrades, establishing it as the firm’s most advanced hub in Latin America.
The US $120-million expansion makes DHL’s Querétaro hub its most advanced in Latin America. (Gobierno de Querétaro/X)
“This hub connects 100,000 packages every night and can connect up to 250,000 packages,” the company’s CEO Antonio Arranz Lara said during the launch on Thursday. “It’s very important to us because it’s the future of DHL Express Mexico.”
Querétaro Governor Mauricio Kuri González attended the event alongside Arranz and DHL Express’s global CEO John Pearson. Kuri symbolically turned on the hub’s mechanical system to inaugurate the facilities.
The upgraded facility has a processing capacity of 41,000 packages per hour. The hub covers over 28,300 square meters, including 15,000 square meters of warehouse space, 13,300 square meters of patio space, 1,200 square meters of office space, 30 airside curtains and 19 landside curtains.
As part of DHL’s “Go Green” strategic line, the project was developed with sustainability in mind. It includes 610 solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system. It was built using local materials and recycled content.
“This not only reaffirms DHL and TL Kapital’s commitment to the environment but also aligns with the airport’s vision of reducing carbon emissions in the short term,” Terminal Logistics Kapital’s general director, Luis Felipe Rivas Villanueva, said.
At present, 12 domestic flights operate daily from DHL Express’s Querétaro Air Hub to the cities of Mérida, Cancún, Monterrey, Ciudad Juárez, Mazatlán, Cabo San Lucas, Torreón, Hermosillo, Chihuahua, Villahermosa, Culiacán and Tijuana, with a total of 33 interconnected cities. There is also one flight a day to the DHL Express hub in Cincinnati in the United States.
Acompañé al Gobernador Mauricio Kuri en la inauguración del HUB de DHL en Querétaro, un gran paso que fortalece a nuestro estado como referente logístico y motor de empleo para nuestra gente. ¡Enhorabuena! 🚚👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/NcgG1Hz0F1
— Liliana San Martin Castillo (@LilianaSanMar) March 13, 2025
DHL Express Mexico first commenced operations at its AIQ strategic location in 2010.
DHL Express’s CEO John Pearson stressed the importance of Querétaro as a trade hub and a significant region for manufacturing investment and logistics connections.
New air and land routes will be added now that the expansion is complete, as DHL Express aims to enhance connectivity between the Bajío region in central Mexico with the country’s north and south.
Puerto Vallarta council members have voted to borrow 181 million pesos to fund infrastructure improvements throughout the city. (Gobierno Municipal de Puerto Vallarta/Facebook)
The Puerto Vallarta Municipal Council last week approved the terms of a 181 million-peso loan (US $9 million) for infrastructure improvements, while also voting to refinance three long-term loans that amount to 312 million pesos (US $15.6 million).
The new loan — sponsored by Alderman Víctor Manuel Bernal — was approved on a 12-0 vote with four abstentions. Bernal identified 21 priority infrastructure projects and said the bulk of the loan will go toward improving and repairing roads in the popular Pacific coast resort in the state of Jalisco.
The council members also voted to unify the new loan with PV’s existing debt, bringing the total owed to 494 million pesos. (Víctor Bernal/Facebook)
Among the roads to be repaved are Avenida México (a main north-south avenue), Avenida Federacíon (a major north-south road further inland) and the access road along Highway 544.
Additionally, bicycle lanes on all the principal roads will be repaired, the iconic waterfront promenade will be refurbished, two linear parks will be built, the Lázaro Cárdenas Park in the city’s Zona Romántica will be remodeled and the Cuale Island park will be rescued. Also, underground cable will be installed in the Colonia Emiliano Zapata which is adjacent to the Zona Romántica.
As for refinancing the three previous loans — contracted between 2017 and 2020 — Bernal said the idea is to unify them into one amortized loan which would lower the interest payments.
If the new loan is authorized by the Jalisco state Congress (as required by law), Puerto Vallarta will have an overall debt of nearly 494 million pesos (US $24.7 million).
The Municipal Council also adopted an Ethics Code for all public officials and created a Diversity Council in formal recognition of the contributions of the LGBTIQ+ community and to promote gender equality. Bernal claimed in a Facebook post that these actions will make Puerto Vallarta “a more just and equitable city.”
The council also tabled a proposal to set aside 100,000 pesos (US $5,000) to establish a gun-buyback program.
Foreign Affairs Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente and Tatiana Clouthier, director of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME) launched the initiative last week. (Gobierno de México)
Mexicans living abroad will be able to access Mexican government information in 15 Indigenous languages thanks to a consular initiative launched last week.
Foreign Affairs Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente and the director of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME), Tatiana Clouthier, launched the Indigenous Languages Consular Protection Initiative last Wednesday.
At the launch event, de la Fuente “confirmed ongoing efforts to enhance protection for Mexican nationals in the United States by using Indigenous languages,” according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE).
The commencement of the Indigenous Languages Consular Protection Initiative comes at a time when undocumented Mexicans in the United States face a potentially higher risk of expulsion due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge to carry out “the largest deportation operation in American history.”
The SRE said that the Indigenous languages initiative “will reach Mexican communities worldwide, particularly in the United States, because safeguarding Indigenous languages directly protects their speakers.”
Increasing the use of Indigenous languages will help the Foreign Ministry better protect Mexicans abroad, de la Fuente said. (Gobierno de México)
“… Foreign Secretary de la Fuente emphasized the ministry’s commitment to both preserving Indigenous languages and using them to advance justice,” the statement said.
“Messages in 15 Indigenous languages will be shown in Mexican consulates, embassies, and representative offices abroad,” the SRE said.
During remarks at the launch event in Mexico City, de la Fuente said that through the Indigenous Languages Consular Protection Initiative the federal government seeks to “better protect our compatriots” abroad and to “make Indigenous languages an instrument” that “helps us to be more effective in this task.”
The foreign minister also said it is “clear” that “there is still a lot to do so that in all spaces of the Mexican Foreign Affairs Ministry, both inside and outside the country, it is fully recognized that Indigenous languages are full of life.”
▶️Hoy, en la @SRE_mx, se presentó la campaña “Protección consular en lenguas indígenas” del @IME_SRE, cuyo propósito es fortalecer la atención a las y los mexicanos de pueblos originarios que residen en el exterior y promover la diversidad en las representaciones de México… pic.twitter.com/EP42i1G5oJ
“… They carry knowledge accumulated from centuries of existence,” de la Fuente said.
He also said that “the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum is absolutely committed to the inclusion of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican people and communities in the transformation of the country.”
For her part, Clouthier said she was delighted with the commencement of an initiative that protects the rights of Mexicans abroad who speak an Indigenous language.
“I believe that something we should always feel very proud about is having the capacity to speak more than one language,” she said.
According to the SRE, Clouthier — a former federal economy minister who assumed the top job at the IME earlier this month — highlighted that “while 23.2 million people in Mexico identify as Indigenous, only 7.4 million speak their [Indigenous] language.”
“She emphasized that multilingualism deserves pride and noted the significance of ongoing work to preserve Indigenous languages,” the SRE said.
Tatiana Clouthier, director of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME), emphasized the importance of ongoing work to preserve Mexico’s Indigenous languages. (Gobierno de México)
The ministry also summarized remarks made at the launch event by Alma Rosa Espíndola Galicia, acting director of the National Institute of Indigenous Languages.
She “congratulated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the IME for establishing communication channels with Indigenous migrants that acknowledge their linguistic and cultural characteristics,” the SRE said.
Espíndola “praised the Foreign Ministry for developing public policies promoting inclusion, linguistic justice, and protection for Indigenous migrant communities in the United States,” the ministry said.
A significant number of Indigenous Mexicans have migrated to the United States from states across Mexico.
Citing an Indigenous farmworker study, ABC7 reported in 2021 that “California is home to an estimated 120,000 Indigenous Mexican farmworkers from the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Michoacán.”
“We conclude that the concentration of Indigenous peoples in communities likely indicates economic and social disadvantage, which limits the residents’ possibilities for international movement,” the study said.
The Estadio Azteca sign was partially covered last week, before being taken down to make way for the rebrand. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca, a historic venue for global soccer, has officially been renamed Estadio Banorte as part of a financial agreement to fund its renovation ahead of the men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The stadium, which has hosted two men’s World Cup finals and is set to become the first venue to host three tournaments, will receive a 2.1 billion peso (US $105.6 million) loan from Banorte, one of Mexico’s leading banks.
Renovations are already underway at the stadium, which will host the opening match of the FIFA World Cup in June 2026. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
The loan will be repaid over 12 years and supplements the 1.5 billion pesos (US $75.4 million) already invested by Ollamani, the stadium’s owners.
The renaming marks only the second time in the stadium’s 58-year history that its name has changed. In 1997, it was briefly called Guillermo Cañedo Stadium in honor of a prominent Mexican soccer executive who had just died.
Though fans never fully embraced the change, there are reportedly some traffic signs around Mexico City still pointing the way to Estadio Guillermo Cañedo.
Mexico, the United States and Canada will host the next World Cup, marking the first time it will be hosted by three countries. Teams and matchups in the expanded 48-team tournament won’t be determined until the qualifying process is completed in coming months.
However, FIFA regulations prohibit sponsor names during tournaments, meaning Estadio Banorte will revert to Estadio Azteca for official World Cup branding, and the July 19 final will be played at what FIFA is listing as New York New Jersey Stadium (rather than MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford, N.J.
The decision to rename Mexico’s most famous stadium has sparked significant discontent among fans.
A survey by the digital news source Aristegui Noticias found that only 15.4% of respondents supported the change, while 84.6% disapproved. The backlash has been evident on social media and reflects the deep cultural significance of the original name.
Known affectionately as “the Colossus of Santa Ursula” — for it location in an area of southern CDMX previously known as Santa Úrsula — Estadio Azteca holds memories of legendary World Cup moments, such as Pelé’s triumph in 1970 and Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal in 1986.
The stadium now seats about 83,000 after being scaled back from 105,000.
Renovation work began in late 2024 — meaning the Club América teams in Liga MX (men) and Liga MX Femenil (women) have been playing at other stadiums in the capital city for the time being.
