Saturday, May 17, 2025

Mexico-US trade had a record-breaking January

By
MND Staff
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Shipping containers filled with export and import goods at Lázaro Cárdenas port in Michoacán, Mexico
Export revenue grew over 4% in 2024, surpassing experts' expectations. (Cuartoscuro)

Mexico retained the enviable title of top exporter to the United States in January, sending products worth more than US $38 billion to its North American neighbor, according to U.S. government data.

Mexico also remained the United States’ top trade partner in the first month of the year, with two-way trade between the countries increasing just under 1% in annual terms to $64.52 billion, the highest figure ever for the month of January.

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis published data on Thursday that showed that Mexico’s exports to the United States were worth $38.04 billion in January, a 2.8% increase compared to the same month of 2023. That was Mexico’s highest ever revenue total for exports shipped to the United States in the month of January. The value of Mexican exports to the U.S. has now risen during nine consecutive months.

Mexico ranked ahead of China and Canada as the No. 1 exporter to the U.S. in January. While the value of Mexican exports to the U.S. increased, the value of those from both China and Canada fell.

In 2023, Mexico surpassed China to become the top exporter to the United States, ousting the East Asian economic powerhouse from a position it had occupied for two decades.

In January, 15% of all exports to the United States came from Mexico, which ships a range of products to its USMCA trade partner including cars, auto parts, electronics, crude oil, alcoholic beverages and agricultural products.

Woman worker preparing avocados for shipment
Agricultural products, like avocados, are one of the primary exports from Mexico to the United States. (Cuartoscuro)

The total value of those exports easily exceeded the value of Mexico’s imports from the U.S. in January. United States exports to Mexico were worth $26.48 billion, down slightly from a year earlier, leaving Mexico with a trade surplus of $11.56 billion with the U.S. in the first month of 2024. Mexico’s surplus in January was just over 15% higher than it was in the same month of last year.

In 2023, Mexico was the United States largest trade partner for the first time in four years, dislodging Canada from the position it occupied in 2022.

Mexico’s exports to the U.S. were worth $475.6 billion last year, a 4.6% increase compared to 2022, while two-way trade totaled $798.8 billion, up 2.5% compared to the previous year.

Mexico’s exports to the United States and the rest of the world are expected to continue increasing in coming years as more and more foreign manufacturing companies establish a presence here, including firms from China seeking to circumvent U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made goods.

With reports from Reforma and El Financiero

Uff, qué cañón – how to use ‘cannon’ in conversation in Mexico

By
Paulina Gerez
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Learn how to use the Mexican phrase "cañón" in different contexts with our handy guide. (Unsplash)

A simple truth: Mexico is a cannon country! – that didn’t sound good in English so let’s try again in Spanish: ¡México es un país cañón! 

But, what does that actually mean? Well, this is what we are going to be discussing in today’s article since cañón is a slang word that we use all the time and in all kinds of contexts. 

The phrase México es un país cañón means that Mexico is a really cool and outstanding country, like saying Mexico is the bomb! This word is used in a casual, informal environment and is used as an alternative to a bad word. Let’s dive into its usages. 

Navigating Difficulty:

In its most common context, “está cañón” is used to articulate challenging circumstances. Whether facing a formidable task or encountering unexpected obstacles, Mexicans may casually remark, “Hoy estuvo cañón” (“Today was tough”) or “Estuvo cañona la clase” referring to a Crossfit class where people ended up exhausted due to the difficulty of the exercises. This usage reflects the resilience inherent in Mexican culture, acknowledging challenges while embracing the determination to overcome them. 

 

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Exclaiming Surprise:

Beyond difficulties, we use “está cañón” to express surprise or amazement. When talking about an extraordinary experience or encountering something truly impressive, someone might exclaim, “¡Eso sí está cañón!” (“That’s really something!”) or simply “está cañón el pozole” to say that the food is incredibly delicious. This demonstrates the phrase’s versatility in capturing a spectrum of emotions, from astonishment to appreciation.

Describing Outstanding Individuals:

In a unique twist, “está cañón” or “es cañón” is also applied to describe individuals with exceptional qualities. When someone possesses remarkable skills, talents or stands out in a crowd, we can say “Ella está cañona” (“That girl is outstanding”). In this context, the phrase acquires a positive connotation, meaning that someone is really good at doing something celebrating uniqueness and excellence.

Acknowledging Adversity:

Whether referring to intense weather conditions, traffic congestion, or a challenging phase of life, we might state: “El tráfico está cañón hoy” (“The traffic is tough today”), “está cañón el calor/sol” (It’s crazy hot today/the Sun is really strong).

Affirmation: 

It is similar to saying “sure,” “absolutely,” or “you bet” in English. When someone uses cañón in this context, they are expressing confirmation or agreement with what has been said or proposed.

For example:

Person A: “Está padre, ¿no?” (It is cool, right?)

Person B: “¡Cañón!” (Absolutely!)

This word serves as more than a linguistic tool. It reflects the Mexican spirit, emphasizing perseverance, resilience, and the ability to find humor even in challenging circumstances.

Paulina Gerez is a translator-interpreter, content creator, and founder of Crack The Code, a series of online courses focused on languages. Through her social media, she helps people see learning a language from another perspective through her fun experiences. Instagram: paulinagerezm / Tiktok: paugerez3 / YT: paulina gerez

It’s Women’s Day! 5 books by Mexican women about the history of Mexico

By
MND Staff
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0
Laura Esquivel (left), Elena Poniatowska (center) and Sofía Segovia (right) are some of the most important Mexican women writers of the last century. Each have provided critical perspectives on Mexican history.

Shaped by pre-Columbian traditions, Spanish colonization and Catholicism, Mexico is a diverse and intricate country that is impossible to comprehend just by visiting or living here. To understand Mexico, one must read their way through it.

Each book in this list is set in a different period of the country’s history, from the early years of the Spanish conquest to the Mexico of today. 

Written with a strong female voice, each book offers a glimpse into the challenging context in which women and other vulnerable groups have lived. With richly researched plots and vivid descriptions of the past, these five books are sure to give you a new appreciation for Mexico’s woman authors.  

The books are presented in chronological order (according to their settings) and include both historical fiction and journalistic accounts of events in Mexico’s history. 

1. Malinche (2006) by Laura Esquivel

This book tells the fascinating story of one of the most controversial figures in Mexican history: la Malinche, the Indigenous woman many Mexicans decry for her role in the Spanish conquest of Mexico.  

The novel follows the life of Malinalli (later known as La Malinche), from being given away as a slave to acquiring a significant role as the interpreter and lover of the Spanish conquistador, Hernán Cortés. 

Malinalli believed that the gods sent Cortés to liberate her people from Mexica rule. With her assistance, Cortés was able to form strategic alliances with communities under Mexica rule, which ultimately led to the fall of Tenochtitlán. 

As the love affair between Malinalli and Cortés unfolds, readers gain a deeper understanding of key historical events that contributed to the Spanish empire’s victory over the Mexica empire, and why, centuries later, La Malinche was accused of treason. 

If you’ve ever heard the word malinchista in Mexican slang, now you know it was inspired by the story of La Malinche to refer to those who prefer “foreign” over Mexican.

2. Like Water for Chocolate (1989) by Laura Esquivel

Another entry from Laura Esquivel, “Like Water for Chocolate” (Como Agua para Chocolate) alludes to being at a boiling point, as water must be to make hot chocolate.

A lyrical and charming magical realism novel, this story accurately portrays rural Mexico’s social landscape during the Mexican Revolution in the 1910s. The book was also included in our must-read Mexican classics list.

Through homemade recipes in monthly installments, the story depicts the forbidden romance between Tita and Pedro, cursed from the start by Tita’s family. As the youngest of the family, Tita must never marry to care for her widowed mother.

The magical recipes that Tita cooks take the readers into the life of a household run by women as they navigate life with a tyrannical mother capable of frightening a Revolutionary army.  

An instant international bestseller, Like Water for Chocolate has resonated with a large audience thanks to the creative way it depicts universal themes like love, treason, passion, family traditions and food.   

3. In The Shadow of the Angel (1995) by Kathryn Blair

Taking place during three transformational decades in Mexico City, “In The Shadow of the Angel” (A la Sombra del Ángel) tells the captivating true story of Antonieta Rivas Mercado, daughter of the famed architect Antonio Rivas Mercado, who built the Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City. 

The story is told by Kathryn Blair, the wife of Antonieta’s only son, and is based on interviews she conducted with her husband Albert and the rest of Antonieta’s surviving family.  

It begins when Antonieta, at the age of 31, takes her life in Notre Dame, Paris. What led Antonieta to commit suicide? The book then jumps back in time to Antonieta’s birth. It follows her life through Porfirio Díaz’s regime, the Mexican Revolution and the country’s first attempts to become a democratic nation.   

With a deep love for Mexico, the fine arts and a large fortune, Antonieta played a significant role in shaping the country’s cultural landscape while also fighting for women’s rights, indigenous rights and education.

4. The Murmur of Bees (2015) by Sofía Segovia

Following in the path of Latin America’s tradition of magical realism, Segovia takes us to a remote place near Monterrey, Nuevo León, amidst the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution. 

The epic story touches on love, loss, pain, hope and several societal issues, including national identity, traditional values, women’s roles, revenge and ambition.

The book begins in the early 1900s when a baby surrounded by bees is found under a bridge by Nana Reja, the Morales family’s nanny. Despite the superstition and hate that surrounds the child – due to a hollow in his face that prevents him from speaking – the family adopts the baby.

Simonopio, as he is named, grows up to develop a fantastical relationship with bees, who protect and guide the boy amidst the turbulent times of the Revolution and the fundamental changes the Morales family is destined to experience.

5. Massacre in Mexico (1971) by Elena Poniatowska

Massacre in Mexico chronicles the lives and deaths of Mexican students who protested police repression a week before the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. The massacre occurred during a peaceful rally on Oct. 2 in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in Tlatelolco, Mexico City, during the government of President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz.

The book is a journalistic collection of testimonies from students, parents, workers and others who were part of the movement or witnessed the events. The text is divided into two parts, with an annex containing a chronology.

According to Mexico’s National Commission of Human Rights (CNDH), the massacre in Tlatelolco was the culmination of several state crimes that could be considered crimes against humanity.

La Noche de Tlatelolco, as it is known in Spanish, has helped bring to light a disturbing episode in Mexico’s authoritarian regime, highlighting a larger wave of repression against social movements in Latin America.

Gabriela Solís is a Mexican lawyer based in Dubai turned full-time writer. She covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her life in Dubai in her blog Dunas y Palmeras.

Aeroméxico-ITA Airways codeshare deal boosts Italy-Mexico air connectivity

By
MND Staff
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0
Photo of Florence skyline
Thanks to the deal signed Thursday, Aeroméxico passengers flying from Mexico City's AICM will more easily connect to 15 Italian destinations, including Florence, pictured here. (Shutterstock)

Starting this Sunday, it’ll be easier to fly between Mexico and Italy thanks to a new codeshare agreement between Aeroméxico and ITA Airways.

The deal signed Thursday will allow Aeroméxico passengers flying from Mexico City International Airport (AICM) to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (FCO) to connect with a single ticket to 15 other Italian destinations, such as Milan, Genoa, Florence, Naples and Turin.

Similarly, those flying to Mexico City on ITA Airways will have access to 28 destinations in Mexico served by Aeroméxico.

One of the major pluses: your luggage will be checked straight through from your point of origin to your destination.

Additionally, both country’s flagship airlines will allow frequent flyers to accrue and redeem points with either airline. That’s in addition to benefits they already get as SkyTeam or Elite/Elite Plus members.

Notably, members of Aeroméxico Rewards who have Platinum or Titanium status will be able to use ITA Airways lounges in Italy, check an additional bag for free and get priority boarding. 

The same will hold true for Premium- and Executive-level members of Volare, the ITA Airways loyalty program.

Aeroméxico said it will continue using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for its nonstop Mexico City/Rome route. ITA’s fleet comprises 83 Airbus airplanes.

Aeroméxico, which has established 36 codeshare agreements over the past two years, recently announced it would be resuming flights to South Korea on Aug. 1 and that it is expanding its service out of Mexico City’s second airport Felipe Ángeles International (AIFA).

Overall, the expansion of Mexican airline routes is on the upswing, especially since the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration reinstated Mexico’s Category 1 aviation safety rating last September after it had been downgraded to Category 2 for more than two years.

A recent report by Mabrian, a travel and tourism data intelligence company, showed that Mexico is No. 1 in international air connectivity among Latin American nations — by a large margin.

With reports from Reforma, American Journal of Transportation and Europa Press

E-commerce growth in Mexico beats other booming global markets

By
MND Staff
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0
photo of a person's hands holding a credit card and entering information onto a laptop keyboard
The value of e-commerce sales in Mexico skyrocketed to 658.3 billion pesos (US $39 billion) in 2023, more than the usual top countries like the Philippines, Brazil and India. (EC/Wikimedia Commons)

Mexico has surged to the top of global e-commerce growth, experiencing a 24.6% increase in online sales in 2023, according to the Mexican Association of Online Sales (AMVO).

This spike surpasses the growth rates of established e-commerce markets like the Philippines, Brazil and India, placing Mexico at the forefront of a wave of dynamic e-commerce players.

Mexican man on his smartphone passing a poster advertising Mexico's Buen Fin sale
Mexico’s Black Friday-style sales events, such as Buen Fin and Hot Sale, lure deal-seeking Mexicans into brick-and-mortar stores, but increasingly, they also can shop these sales online. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

Booming market, booming users

The value of e-commerce sales in Mexico skyrocketed to 658.3 billion pesos (US $39 billion) in 2023, exceeding the previous record by a significant margin. This growth is fueled by a rapidly expanding user base, with over 69.5 million Mexicans — approximately 52% of the population — now embracing online shopping.

Smartphones are the preferred device for these digital shoppers, with 98% of them having used them for online purchases at least once.

What’s driving growth?

Major sales events here like Buen Fin and Hot Sale —  both similar to Black Friday in the United States — and annual sales near Easter and Christmas have played a significant role. So have increasing internet penetration and widespread mobile phone adoption.

The growth trend is strongest in the southeast and central regions of Mexico, where the surge in e-commerce activity has exceeded 29% growth. At the state level, Tlaxcala, Chiapas and Hidalgo recorded the highest levels of growth.

photo of Mexicans sitting at a bus stop using their cell phones
Just over 50% of Mexico’s population has embraced online shopping, according to the Mexican Association of Online Sales — and 98% of them prefer doing it on a smartphone. (Moises Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)

AMVO noted that the greatest expansion of e-commerce retail was most notable in the second quarter of 2023, largely due to the Buen Fin, Hot Sale and December holiday period.

Consumer preferences and challenges

E-commerce shoppers’ favorite categories were fashion, prepared food, beauty and personal care, electronics and cell phones. These represented the highest volume of purchases, AMVO noted, while kitchen utensils and tools were popular among first-time online buyers.

Also popular are online payment options for electricity, water and internet bills, and using digital banking, online subscription services and telecommunications. 

A combination of online and physical stores is preferred by 70% of users, especially in higher socioeconomic groups, highlighting the importance of omnichannel shopping experiences.

Building trust is also crucial, with good customer service and review options being important for 87% of buyers. Lack of information and transparency are the main reasons that potential customers log off without making a purchase.

Mercado Libre rides the wave

The Argentine e-commerce and financial services platform Mercado Libre reported profits of US $1.2 billion at the end of 2023, a growth of 156% over the previous year. For the fourth quarter of 2023, it reported sales of US $14.5 billion across its various operating markets in Latin America, a year-over-year (YoY) increase of 37.4%. 

Mercado Libre noted that its number of unique active buyers reached almost 85 million in 2023, its biggest annual jump in users in three years. Regarding its Paypal-like digital payment service, Mercado Pago — also used in Mexico by many smaller brick-and-mortar businesses to handle debit and credit card transactions with their in-person customers — growth in 2023’s fourth quarter increased 33% YoY.

According to a Mercado Libre report late last year, Mexico remains a priority market, with about 357 million items sold during 2023’s third quarter, a 38% YoY rise and a 34% jump from the previous quarter.

Amazon’s e-commerce presence in Mexico looms large, but Mexico’s antitrust regulation agency has concerns about it monopolizing the market, along with another online shopping giant, Mercado Libre. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)

Trouble ahead for e-commerce giants in Mexico?

Not all is going smoothly for e-commerce platforms, however. 

In February, the Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece), Mexico’s antitrust regulation agency, reported having identified “possible barriers” to fair competition in the e-commerce market by Amazon and Mercado Libre. Together, the agency said, the two firms control more than 85% of transactions and sales.

In a preliminary investigation, Cofece noted that strong networks between users’ groups limit new entrants into the marketplace and pose a “practically insurmountable challenge for the expansion of the smaller players.”

“This market is very important since more and more consumers are using this option to acquire goods or services since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic” read Cofece’s preliminary findings in the government’s official gazette (DOF). Cofece recommended a program of corrective measures it wants the federal government to require from both companies within six months. One of those measures includes splitting customer rewards programs from streaming services. 

Mercado Libre promised to “abide by the proceedings and applicable regulatory framework, including by cooperating with the relevant authorities, as it has always done.” 

An Amazon representative echoed this statement, telling the magazine Expansión that the company would continue collaborating with Cofece.

Looking ahead, Mexico’s remarkable e-commerce sector growth is expected to continue, solidifying Mexico’s position as a key player in the global e-commerce landscape.

With reports from El Universal, Aristegui Noticias, Reuters and El Economista

Grupo México, CPKC have submitted 8 passenger train route proposals

By
MND Staff
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CPKC cargo train
Canadian Pacific Kansas City has submitted proposals for adding passenger service to two existing railroad routes. (CPKC)

Private rail companies have submitted eight proposals to the federal government to operate passenger trains on railroad routes that are currently only used by freight trains.

The government in January said it had received five proposals from companies interested in operating passenger train services on existing freight tracks, and last week revised the figure to eight.

Jorge Nuño Lara at a press conference
Jorge Nuño provided an update on the passenger train proposals at the Feb. 28 morning press conference. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)

Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Minister Jorge Nuño presented details of the proposals at President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s Feb. 28 press conference. Six come from Grupo México via its subsidiaries Ferromex and Ferrosur and two were submitted by Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC).

According to the information presented by Nuño, Ferromex has submitted proposals to operate passenger trains on four routes:

  • Mexico City-Querétaro-León-Aguascalientes
  • Manzanillo-Colima-Guadalajara-Irapuato
  • Mexico City-Querétaro-Guadalajara-Tepic-Mazatlán-Nogales
  • Aguascalientes-Chihuahua-Ciudad Juárez

Ferrosur has expressed interest in operating passenger trains on two routes:

  • Mexico City-Veracruz-Coatzacoalcos
  • AIFA-Pachuca (AIFA is the Felipe Ángeles International Airport, located north of Mexico City in México state)

CPKC (formerly known in Mexico as Kansas City Southern de México) has also submitted proposals for two routes:

  • Mexico City-Querétaro
  • Querétaro-San Luis Potosí-Monterrey-Nuevo Laredo

The submission of the proposals comes after López Obrador — an avowed train enthusiast — published a decree in November that established the provision of passenger train services as a priority for national development.

The decree said that companies with concessions for freight tracks would be “the first to be invited to present projects for the implementation of passenger train services” on a range of different routes.

Nuño told reporters that the private rail companies that submitted proposals are currently carrying out feasibility studies that are scheduled to be completed in the next five to seven months. They are seeking to determine how much they would need to invest in their proposed projects, he said.

Map of proposed passenger service railways in Mexico
A map showing the proposed routes from private companies Grupo México (Ferromex and Ferrosur) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City. (Jorge Nuño/X)

Getting tracks ready for use by passenger trains might not be cheap, although López Obrador has claimed that it wouldn’t be a costly undertaking.

The consultancy Alttrac estimates that upgrading the 18,000 kilometers of tracks that make up the national rail network so that they can be simultaneously used by passenger and freight trains would cost some 1.8 trillion pesos (US $107 billion).

Passenger trains used to operate all over Mexico, but services fell by the wayside after the privatization of the rail network in the mid 1990s.

President López Obrador on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec train
President López Obrador on an inaugural ride on the isthmus passenger train. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)

In building the Maya Train railroad in Mexico’s southeast and modernizing an existing line across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec between Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, and Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, López Obrador has gone some way towards restoring passenger train services.

However, he would like to see rail travel in Mexico return to its heyday, although he has acknowledged that it will be up to the next federal government to follow through on his initiative, something that Claudia Sheinbaum — the heavy favorite to win the June 2 presidential election — has pledged to do.

Earlier this year, López Obrador asserted that public and private investment in rail projects would create jobs and “reactivate the economy of the entire country.”

He also claimed that reviving nationwide train travel wouldn’t be an expensive exercise.

“What will it cost? Nothing,” he said, adding that the project would involve nothing more than “fixing the tracks up a bit” and “buying passenger trains — just as we did in the Isthmus [of Tehuantepec].”

With reports from AP, El Universal and Reforma

3 women dead, 1 suspect arrested after stabbings in Guadalajara

By
MND Staff
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Campus of the Technological University of Guadalajara with police officers
The attacks were reported to police by a young man who was injured by the assailant on Wednesday. (Screen capture)

A 20-year-old man was arrested in Guadalajara on Wednesday after allegedly murdering two women at a university and another woman at a motel in the Jalisco capital.

A man identified as Gabriel Alejandro “N” is accused of stabbing to death two university administrative workers at the Olímpica campus of the Technological University of Guadalajara (UTEG) late Wednesday afternoon. One of the victims was reportedly 35, the other 40.

A 20-year-old suspect was arrested on Wednesday, not long after the murders of two women at a university campus and one at a motel.

 

It appears they were the first people the aggressor came across after he entered the campus, where security measures are supposedly in place to prevent the unauthorized entry of outsiders. Gabriel Alejandro is not a UTEG student or staff member.

Earlier on Wednesday, the suspect is believed to have murdered a young woman in a room at a motel a few kilometers from the university. The approximately 22-year-old victim was stabbed in the chest and neck, authorities said. Video footage shows Gabriel Alejandro entering the motel a few hours before he allegedly committed the double murder at UTEG.

At the university, the aggressor reportedly pursued students with a knife and a small ax that he used to smash windows. In addition to allegedly murdering the two women, he is accused of wounding a 25-year-old man who confronted him. Panic-stricken students hid in classrooms to avoid the attacker.

The 25-year-old victim — a university employee who witnessed the murders of the two women — left the university after he was injured and alerted police to the presence of the assailant, according to the El Universal newspaper. Police subsequently arrested and disarmed Gabriel Alejandro in a classroom he had barricaded with chairs. A video shows the handcuffed suspect being put into a police vehicle.

Jalisco Attorney General Luis Joaquín Méndez Ruiz told a press conference that authorities couldn’t rule out the possibility that the suspect committed other crimes — perhaps even femicides — before the murders on Wednesday.

He said there was no “apparent motive” for the murders on Wednesday, but noted that an individual had provided information to authorities that indicated that the suspect belonged to an online group where members share stories about crimes of “fanaticism.”

It wasn’t completely clear what that meant, but the news outlet Latinus interpreted the remark as meaning that the group is “fanatical” about “extreme violence.”

It wasn’t clear whether Gabriel Alejandro had disclosed an intent to commit the crimes he allegedly perpetrated on Wednesday.

Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro described the events at UTEG as “the terrible ending of a horror story that is difficult to explain and which dismays us as a society.”

On the X social media platform, he said the suspect perpetrated the attack “without reason” and pledged to not rest until “he suffers the consequences” of his actions. The governor said he was unable to understand just how “rotten our social fabric must be to arrive at tragedies as raw, painful and inexplicable as this.”

UTEG said in a statement that it was “fully collaborating” with authorities in their investigation into “this terrible incident. Classes have been canceled at all of the university’s campuses “until further notice.”

Jalisco is one of Mexico’s most violent states, but most homicides committed there are related to organized crime.

With reports from El Universal, Proceso, La Silla Rota and Latinus

Got 1 min? Zeus, beloved resident cat of National Palace, dies at 11

By
MND Staff
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The tabby, well-known to workers and reporters at the National Palace, increased in fame when he gatecrashed one of President López Obrador's daily press conferences last year. (@carlosmartinh/X)

A beloved cat that called the National Palace in Mexico City home died on Wednesday, prompting reporters on the presidential beat to share fond memories on social media.

Zeus, an 11-year-old gray tabby, was among the many cats who live in the gardens and courtyards at the Palace, the home and office of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. He died from an unspecified illness that had lasted three weeks before his passing, according to officials.

Many reporters paid tribute to Zeus on social media following the news of his demise. Isabella González, a journalist for Latinus, posted a video of Zeus she’d taken at the National Palace. (Isabella González/X)

 

The sociable feline was well-known to the journalists who attended the president’s daily briefings. It even strolled out onto the dais during one such mañanera.

On July 13, 2023, Zeus walked in front of the cameras as Diego Prieto, the director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), was describing archaeological finds uncovered during the construction of the Maya Train in the state of Yucatán. Reporters snickered and Prieto smiled before continuing with his talk. A journalist scooped up the kitty, who offered no resistance, and handed him over to National Palace staff.

Reporters paid tribute to Zeus on Thursday, describing him as friendly, approachable and always open to attention.

On the social media platform X, Shaila Rosagel of El Imparcial lamented not giving Zeus one last squeeze and thanked the cat for all the love and affection he showed. Latinus reporter Isabella González shared a video she had taken while caressing Zeus as he sat in her lap.

All the cats who reside in the National Palace are cared for by veterinarians from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The vets have inserted microchips in each of the resident cats to monitor their health and their vaccination status.

President López Obrador quipped in January that it is the cats who “run things” at the National Palace.  “When there are ceremonies, they stand in front of me and nobody touches them.”

With reports from Infobae and Milenio

Walmart to invest over 1B pesos in Quintana Roo expansion

By
MND Staff
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Photo showing the front of a Walmart store in Mexico
The new stores will provide nearly 1,000 full-time jobs, bringing the total of Walmart employees in the state to more than 5,000, says Walmart México. (Walmart México)

Anticipating an influx of tourists when the Maya Train is completed, Walmart plans to invest more than 1 billion pesos (US $59.3 million) to open 28 stores in the state of Quintana Roo.

“I am pleased to announce that during 2024 and 2025, we will continue to expand in this great state, in this region,” Walmart México Senior Vice President Javier Treviño said. 

The retail giant, which opened its first Quintana Roo store in 1995 — a Sam’s Club in Cancún — will build 25 more stores next year, bringing to 77 the number of Walmarts, Bodega Aurreras and Sam’s Clubs in the Caribbean state.

“Our primary goal is to help people save money and live better,” Treviño added, “We are proud of what we have accomplished in Quintana Roo, and we are excited about the potential for growth here.”

Beyond increasing its presence in Quintana Roo, Walmart also intends to strengthen links with local suppliers and small businesses in the area. 

Treviño told Expansión magazine that the Maya Train, the interoceanic trans-isthmus train, and the growth of nearshoring were all reasons to be bullish on the regional economy. Treviño also told the publication that Quintana Roo’s proximity to the train networks and its ports make it an ideal hub for exports.

Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama at an event announcing the Walmart investments in her state. (Mara Lezama/X)

Treviño also pointed to ongoing housing development projects in the state and new investment in tourism infrastructure as additional reasons for the company’s optimism. The state boasts four international airports: in state capital Chetumal, Tulum, Cozumel and Cancún.

The new stores will provide nearly 1,000 full-time jobs, bringing the total of Walmart employees in the state to more than 5,000. Treviño said 23 of the new stores will be located in the Benito Juárez municipality — home to Cancún — four in the municipality of Solidaridad — which includes the resort town Playa del Carmen — and one in the Tulum municipality.

The company invested nearly US $1.5 billion to remodel existing stores and build more than 160 others in Mexico and Central America last year. Executives at Walmart México told Reuters in February that 160 was the highest number of stores it has added to the region in a single year over the past decade. Upwards of 5 million people shop each day at its more than 3,000 stores across Mexico, the company says.

The company is also planning new investment in México state, funneling 1.2 billion pesos (US $71.1 million) through the end of next year to build 43 stores and two distribution centers.

With reports from Expansion and La Jornada Maya

Inflation resumed downward trend in February

By
MND Staff
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0
Green tomatoes and chiles for sale at a market
The price of green tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables dropped in February compared to January, some as much as 42%. (Cuartoscuro)

Inflation in Mexico declined in February for the first time in four months, increasing the probability that the Bank of Mexico (Banxico) will make an initial cut to its record high interest rate later in March.

The annual headline rate was 4.40% last month, down from 4.88% in January, according to data from the national statistics agency INEGI. The rate is slightly below the 4.44% consensus forecast of analysts surveyed by Citibanamex. The month-over-month increase in consumer prices was 0.09%, the lowest January-to-February spike since 2019.

Meanwhile, the closely-watched core inflation rate, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, fell for a 13th consecutive month in February to reach 4.64%, down from 4.76% in January.

With the decline in headline inflation last month, the downward trend that lasted for nine months between February and October last year has resumed.

While the headline rate remains well above the central bank’s target, the decline in February increases the probability that Banxico will reduce its record high 11.25% benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points on March 21, said Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, a Mexican bank.

The Banxico board will hold its next monetary policy meeting on that date.

The Bank of Mexico building in Mexico City
The Bank of México (Banxico) headquarters in Mexico City. (Shutterstock)

Jason Tuvey, deputy chief emerging markets economist at the London-based research company Capital Economics, said that the latest consumer price figures “leave the path open for Banxico to cut interest rates by 25 basis points later this month.”

Siller is not anticipating an aggressive rate-easing cycle this year, predicting that the central bank will cut its key rate by 100 basis points at the most over the course of 2024. That would leave Banxico’s reference rate at a still-high 10.25% at the end of the year.

The latest inflation data and increased likelihood that Banxico will reduce rates by 25 basis points later this month didn’t have a major impact on the Mexican peso, which has been supported for the past 12-18 months by the wide differential between interest rates in Mexico and those in the United States. The currency was trading at 16.88 to the US dollar at 10 a.m. Mexico City time, on par with its closing position on Wednesday.

What caused inflation to fall in February?

A significant decline in the inflation rate for agricultural products (fruit, vegetables and meat) was a major factor in the drop in headline inflation. The annual inflation rate for those products was 4.77% in February, down from 9.75% in January. Meat was in fact 3.23% cheaper last month than a year earlier, while fruit and vegetables inflation was 15%, down from almost 22% in January.

The month-over-month decrease in prices for agricultural products was 4.60%. That decline was fueled by an 8.43% reduction in fruit and vegetable prices.

Andrés Abadia, chief Latin America economist at the U.K.-based firm Pantheon Macroeconomics, noted that the month-over-month decline in agricultural product prices came after sharp increases in previous months due to difficult climate conditions — namely drought — in “key states” around Mexico.

Meat for sale at a market
Meat prices were actually lower last month than in February of 2023. (Cuartoscuro)

Supply of such products “finally improved” in February, he said.

The price of tomatoes, for example, declined almost 42% compared to January, while green tomatoes, nopales, poblano chilis and squash were also significantly cheaper in February.

The annual inflation rate for processed food, beverages and tobacco moderated to 5.25% from 5.54% in January, while prices for goods in general were up 4.11% in annual terms, down slightly from a 4.37% reading in January.

Meanwhile, the annual inflation rate for services rose slightly to reach 5.30%, while energy prices, including those for gasoline and electricity, were 2.75% higher than a year earlier, well above the 1.41% rate in January.

Tuvey, the Capital Economics economist, said that “the continued strength of services inflation” means that Banxico’s easing-cycle “will be more gradual than most currently anticipate.”

With reports from El Financiero, El Economista and Reuters

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