Zacatecas, down 83%, leads nationwide reduction in homicides: Tuesday’s mañanera recapped

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September 9, 2025

Sheinbaum mañanera 9 September 2025 — President Sheinbaum commended her security cabinet for the continuing decline in murders. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Tuesday morning press conference began with a video link to Nuevo León, where the federal transport minister and other officials were inaugurating construction of a new railroad between Saltillo, Coahuila, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.

The president subsequently ceded the floor to security officials, who presented the latest data on murders, arrests, drug seizures and firearm confiscations.

Homicides down 32% in August compared to final month of AMLO’s presidency

Marcela Figueroa Franco, head of the National Public Security System, reported that there was an average of 59.2 homicides per day across Mexico in August.

She highlighted that the figure represents a 32% decrease compared to September 2024, the final month of the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The number of murders reported last month was the lowest total for any August in the past 10 years. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

The data for August is preliminary, and such data is usually revised upward.

Figueroa noted that there were 27 fewer homicides per day on average in August compared to September 2024. She also said that the number of murders reported last month was the lowest total for any August in the past 10 years.

Among Mexico’s 32 federal entities, Zacatecas recorded the largest reduction in homicides between September 2024 and August 2025. Murders decreased 82.9% in Zacatecas, while San Luis Potosí and Quintana Roo recorded reductions of 71% and 67.7%, respectively.

Figueroa said that murders in 28 entities were lower in August than in September 2024.

Murders declined almost 25% in first 8 months of 2025

Figueroa also reported that there was an average of 68.4 homicides per day across Mexico in the first eight months of 2025.

The figure represents a decline of 24.7% compared to the average daily murder rate between January and December of 2024.

Over half of all murders this year were committed in just 7 states

Figueroa presented data that showed there were 16,612 murders in Mexico in the first eight months of 2025.

More than half of those homicides — 51.1% — were committed in the following seven states:

Guanajuato: 1934 homicides (11.6% of the national total)
Chihuahua: 1,207 homicides (7.3%)
Baja California: 1,184 homicides (7.1%)
Sinaloa: 1,182 homicides (7.1%)
México state: 1,095 homicides (6.6%)
Guerrero: 979 homicides (5.9%)
Michoacán: 913 homicides (5.5%)

Rounding out the top 10 most violent states in terms of total homicides between January and August were Jalisco, Sonora and Morelos.

Mexico City recorded the 13th highest number of murders among Mexico’s 32 federal entities. There were 571 murders in the capital in the first eight months of the year, above the national average of 519 homicides per state.

Seven states recorded fewer than 100 homicides between January and August: Yucatán (18), Durango (40), Coahuila (52), Aguascalientes (74), Tlaxcala (82), Campeche (84) and Baja California Sur (96).

Homicides are trending down in Guanajuato

Although Guanajuato remained Mexico’s most violent state in terms of total homicides in the first eight months of the year, and in August, murder numbers are trending down.

Figueroa highlighted that the daily average number of murders in the Bajío region state in August — 5.58 — was 56.1% lower than the daily rate in February.

She said that murders began to trend down in Guanajuato after the arrest of various “generators of violence” in March.

Security minister: Crime cell arrests reduced Guanajuato homicides by 45%

Federal Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said in late March that nine people who were arrested were “members of a crime cell linked to a group dedicated to kidnapping, fuel theft, drug sales, armed attacks and principally homicides in the state of Guanajuato.”

The Santa Rosa de Lima crime organization has been engaged in a turf war with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Guanajuato in recent years. Much of the violence in the state is linked to that conflict.

More than 32,000 arrests for ‘high-impact’ crimes in 11 months

García Harfuch reported that “more than 32,400 people have been arrested for high-impact crimes” since the Sheinbaum administration took office on Oct. 1, 2024.

He also said that over 16,000 firearms and 245 tonnes of drugs have been seized in Mexico in the last 11 months.

In addition, the army and navy have dismantled 1,400 methamphetamine labs across 22 states, García Harfuch said.

Sheinbaum congratulates her security cabinet

After the security presentations, Sheinbaum called for the homicide data to be displayed once again.

“In August, 27 fewer people lost their lives [per day] due to homicide compared to September 2024,” she noted.

“Congratulations to the security cabinet and to everyone for their daily work. This reduction is very significant,” Sheinbaum said.

Headed up by the president, the security cabinet includes officials from the Security Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Federal Attorney General’s Office, the army, the navy and the National Guard.

Sheinbaum has attributed the decline in homicides achieved during her administration to the implementation of a new security strategy, which is based on four key pillars including the consolidation of the National Guard and the strengthening of intelligence gathering.

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

Moody’s boosts Pemex’s rating, citing its ‘very high’ government support

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MND Staff

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September 9, 2025

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Pemex offices — Moody’s said that Pemex will need roughly US $7 billion a year in funds between 2026 and 2027, which the Mexican government says it will help it obtain. (Cuartoscuro)

The credit rating agency Moody’s increased the rating of Mexico’s state-owned oil and gas firm Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) by two notches, from B3 to B1, on Monday, citing the Mexican government’s “greater commitment” to helping the company meet its financial obligations through 2027.

The decision marks a major change in the perception of Pemex’s credit risk, as President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration aims to leverage its 2025-2035 Strategic Plan to alleviate financial pressure on Pemex.

oil rigs in the gulf — Capital injections from the government, including US $12 billion in bonds in July and a $4.4-billion investment fund in August, played a role in Pemex’s credit rating rise. (Special/Cuartoscuro.com)

The government issued US $12 billion in bonds to help Pemex in July, before establishing a 250 billion-peso ($4.4 billion) investment fund for the oil company in August.

“These actions indicate a change in the government’s approach,” said Moody’s Senior Vice President of Credit Roxana Muñoz. “The rating upgrade reflects a greater commitment by the current Mexican administration to support Pemex.”

Moody’s revised its government support assumption for Pemex upward from high to very high. Meanwhile, it left Pemex’s baseline credit assessment (BCA) at the lowest on its scale, or “ca,” due to the company’s poor stand-alone credit strength.

“Pemex continues to face persistent structural challenges, which we expect will continue to pressure its financial performance,” Muñoz said.

Muñoz explained that the “stable” outlook assigned to Pemex means that Moody’s does not expect a further rating change in the short term. However, it could upgrade the company if it can implement a sustainable strategy and demonstrate a real recovery in its operating performance and cash generation.

“Unless structural measures are implemented to effectively reduce these cash needs, the ratings will remain constrained,” Moody’s stated. “Given the strong ties between Pemex and the government of Mexico, governance risk remains a relevant factor in the rating action.”

Moody’s said that Pemex will need roughly US $7 billion a year in funds between 2026 and 2027, which the Mexican government says it will help it obtain.

“The Finance Ministry reiterates that it will continue to support Petróleos Mexicanos’ financial strategy, complementing the actions the company is taking to improve its operating situation and administrative management,” the Finance Ministry said in a statement.

However, Moody’s warned that a downgrade of the government of Mexico’s ‘Baa2’ rating could also contribute to a downgrade of Pemex’s rating.

The agency also highlighted the need for more details on the potential use of the investment fund to assess its attractiveness to the private sector.

With reports from Milenio, El Financiero and El País

Annual inflation rose in August, but remains within central bank’s comfort zone

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MND Staff

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September 9, 2025

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Agroindustria tomates Zacatecas — The price of red tomatoes fell 11.46% in August, bucking a trend that led to a very slight rise in overall Mexican inflation from July to August. (Adolfo Vladimir/Cuartoscuro)

Consumer prices rose 3.57% through August, remaining within the central bank’s target range for the second month in a row, according to data released by Mexico’s national statistics agency INEGI.

After easing in June and July, the consumer price index (INPC) accelerated by 0.06% from July to August, though still roughly in line with market expectations.

Small eateries, such as loncherías, fondas, torterías and taquerías, felt a small amount of inflationary pressure during August. (Cuartoscuro)

In August 2024 — the final month of the López Obrador administration — monthly inflation was a mere 0.01% while annualized inflation sat at 4.99%.

The increase this August was driven by rising prices in several key consumer categories, including serrano chilies (+34.94%), green tomatoes (+16.71%), onions (6.33%) and beef (+0.67%). Also contributing were higher costs for housing and utilities (0.27%) and price hikes in services such as universities (+1.34%) and small restaurants — eateries known locally as loncherías, fondas and taquerías (+0.63%).

In contrast, prices for avocados (–7.36%), chicken (–4.62%), bananas (–5.23), tomatoes (–11.46%), air freight (–9.76%) and movie theaters (–11%) declined considerably.

Data showed that core inflation — which excludes volatile items like food and energy prices to assess underlying, long-term inflation trends — climbed 0.22% in August (just as it did in August a year ago), remaining stable at 4.23% on the year. Analysts had forecast an annual core inflation rate of 4.21%.

The inflation rebound in August not only indicates persistent underlying price pressures, as noted by Moody’s analyst Alfredo Coutiño, but also highlights the delicate balance between controlling inflation and stimulating the economy as Mexico continues its post-pandemic recovery.

Even so, the latest data suggests that inflation remains within the Bank of Mexico’s target range of 3% (plus or minus 1%). This suggests the central bank may proceed with a 25-basis-point rate cut at its next meeting on Sept. 25, continuing its monetary easing strategy by lowering the benchmark rate to 7.5%.

In the 2026 budget proposal submitted by the Finance Ministry late Monday, inflation for year-end 2026 was forecast at 3%. This would meet the target set by the Bank of Mexico, which projects inflation converging to the target in the third quarter of next year.

With reports from El Economista, La Jornada and El Financiero

Ecatepec, Mexico City’s sprawling neighbor, sets a Guinness World Record for trash collection

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MND Staff

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September 9, 2025

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aerial view of blue trash bags in street — A record-setting volunteer crew of 148,525 gathered trash across Ecatepec and brought it to dozens of collection points, such as this one. (@azucenacisneros/X)

The municipality of Ecatepec in México state set a Guinness World Record on Sunday for the most participants in a one-day public trash-collection event, with 148,525 participants.

Ecatepec, one of Mexico’s most populous municipalities and a large part of the Mexico City metropolitan area, broke the previous record of 146,700 citizen collectors set in 2018 by Tokyo, the world’s biggest city.

woman accepting award from man — Ecatepec Mayor Azucena Cisneros accepts the Guinness World Record award after he city drew 148,525, beating the former record held by Tokyo, a city at least ten times the size of Ecatepec. (@azucenau/X)

The event was organized by the Ecatepec and México state governments. Mayor Azucena Cisneros Coss and Governor Delfina Gómez Álvarez encouraged members of civil society, civil associations and neighborhood groups to join the effort. They also participated themselves, showing up at the event with gloves, sacks and brooms to lead the “A Clean Ecatepec is Safer” campaign.

“We as adults, through example, can send this message to our future generations: to put our trash in its proper place,” Governor Gómez said, stressing the need “to work for others.”

Ecatepec is considered the most dangerous city in México state, with over 90% of its residents reporting that they feel unsafe, according to Mexico’s national statistics agency INEGI. It is also the most polluted. “We must all be part of the solution and contribute so that in Ecatepec there is no more garbage or neglect, and so that our city is an example not of theft or filth, but of positive qualities,” Mayor Cisneros said in a press conference leading up to the challenge.

Organization was a major factor in Ecatepec’s record-breaking mission. Between 2,000 and 8,000 people gathered around each of 73 mass collection points, with 229 schools, churches and neighborhoods serving as meeting points.

Participants only had 15 minutes to collect as much trash as possible from 73 collection points. (@horacioduarteo/X)

Residents cleared trash from streets, plazas, gardens, median strips and public thoroughfares in areas such as the Tolotzin I neighborhood next to Grand Canal, Las Torres Avenue, the Tulpetlac expansion and the Bicentenario sports complex in the Hank González neighborhood.

Trash collecting started at 10 a.m. as whistles were blown. At the end, Alfredo Arista Rueda, the official Guinness World Records judge, announced that Ecatepec had broken the world record and presented the award to Cisneros.

The mayor congratulated those who took part. “When you want, you can unite a community and change things, especially breaking stigmas,” she said. “Ecatepec is a community that seeks to transform its environment.”

With reports from Milenio and La Jornada

Why does Peru want to declare Sheinbaum a persona non grata?

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MND Staff

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September 9, 2025

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The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress of Peru approved on Monday a motion that seeks to declare President Claudia Sheinbaum a persona non grata due to her refusal to recognize Dina Boluarte as the legitimate president of Peru and her support for ex-president Pedro Castillo.

The motion — supported by 12 members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and opposed by six — will be considered by the 130-seat unicameral Congress of Peru in the coming weeks and is likely to be approved given the makeup of the legislature.

A persona non grata designation would prevent Sheinbaum from visiting Peru — although she would be unlikely to do so while Boluarte is in office — and would further sour the relationship between Mexico and Latin America’s fifth most populous country, both of which belong to the four-member Pacific Alliance trade bloc.

The official news portal of the Peruvian Congress reported that the proponents of the persona non grata motion believe that Sheinbaum has demonstrated a “hostile” attitude toward Peru since she took office in October 2024 due to her failure to recognize “the constitutional succession” in the country after Castillo was removed from office in 2022, and by referring to the ex-president as the “legitimate president of Peru.”

On Tuesday, Sheinbaum described the ousting of Castillo as a “coup.”

Ernesto Bustamante, a congressman with the right-wing Popular Force party, said that the motion seeks to punish Sheinbaum for her “high-flown and offensive” statements against Peru.

Congresswoman María del Carmen Alva Prieto said that the motion is not against the Mexican people, “with whom we share a history and friendship.”

Instead, it represents “a legitimate defense of national dignity,” she said.

“Peru demands respect for its sovereignty and its institutions,” Alva said.

The text of the motion refers to remarks made by Sheinbaum as “an unacceptable interference in Peru’s internal affairs and an insult to the national democratic system.”

Congresswoman María del Carmen Alva Prieto said the motion to declare Mexico’s president a persona non grata represents a “legitimate defense of national dignity.” (@PeruEnGinebra/X)

The tension between Peru and Mexico dates back to late 2022, when Castillo was ousted from office by the Peruvian Congress due to “moral incapacity.”

Boluarte, who was Castillo’s vice president, assumed the presidency.

Castillo, a former teacher and union leader who was sworn in as president in July 2021, was arrested after his removal as president and has been detained since Dec. 7, 2022, on charges of rebellion and conspiracy, among other crimes. On that day, “he gave a televised speech in which he declared the dissolution of Congress and his intent to rule by decree,” the Associated Press reported.

Later in December 2022, then-president Andrés Manuel López Obrador declared that Mexico’s diplomatic relations with Peru were “on hold,” and said that his government still considered Castillo to be the leader of the South American nation.

He said that Castillo had faced “an atmosphere of confrontation and hostility” from the beginning of his “legitimate presidency” due to “the interests of the economic and political elite.”

López Obrador also said that Castillo was a “victim of harassment and confrontation” and considered an uncultured “mountain-dweller” by the political and economic elite in Peru.

“… He was always harassed and they weakened him until they managed to remove him,” said AMLO, who accused Boluarte of “usurping” the presidency.

Sheinbaum unconcerned about possible persona non grata designation

At her Tuesday morning press conference, Sheinbaum said that her remarks about the political happenings and situation in Peru didn’t amount to an act of “aggression” against the South American nation.

The Peruvian Foreign Affairs Committee’s approval of the motion seeking to designate the president as a persona non grata came 10 days after Sheinbaum welcomed Castillo’s lawyer, Guido Croxatto, to the National Palace in Mexico City.

In a social media post at the time, Sheinbaum said that Castillo is “unjustly imprisoned in Peru.”

“On behalf of Mexico, I express my deepest solidarity with him and his family, because we know that his situation is not only a personal case, but a serious precedent of political persecution and discrimination in our region,” she wrote.

“The United Nations must act decisively to guarantee respect for human rights and justice. The freedom of Pedro Castillo is also the defense of democracy and the dignity of our peoples,” Sheinbaum wrote.

On Tuesday, she once again noted that she met with Castillo’s lawyer, and stated that “from our point of view,” the ex-president was a victim of “a coup.”

“I showed solidarity with him, that’s what I did. It’s a policy that comes from the government of president López Obrador,” Sheinbaum said.

She noted that Mexico also broke off diplomatic relations with Ecuador due to “the invasion” in 2024 of the Mexican Embassy in Quito, where an ex-vice president of Ecuador was holed up for months until his arrest during the raid carried out by Ecuadorian authorities.

With Peru, “we maintain the same criteria,” Sheinbaum said, adding that the proposal to declare her a persona non grata “doesn’t matter.”

“We’re going to maintain our position,” she said.

Mexico has a constitutionally-enshrined foreign policy of non-intervention in the internal affairs of foreign countries. But that hasn’t stopped Sheinbaum — and didn’t stop López Obrador — from denouncing what she sees as an injustice in Peru.

With reports from La Jornada and El País

Finance Ministry unveils 10 trillion-peso budget with 18% increase to welfare spending

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MND Staff

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September 9, 2025

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2026 economic package presentation — The Finance Ministry anticipates that 82% of Mexican families will directly benefit from welfare programs in 2026. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico’s federal government has proposed a 2026 budget of just under 10.2 trillion pesos, a 5.9% increase compared to 2025.

Finance Minister Edgar Amador presented the 10.19 trillion-peso (US $547.44 billion) spending proposal in a speech to the Chamber of Deputies on Monday night.

“The 2026 Economic Package is a roadmap to build a stronger, more competitive, and fairer Mexico. At its center is the conviction that guides our government: ‘For the good of all, the poor come first.’ With this vision, public finances become a tool to reduce inequalities, expand opportunities, and ensure that growth reaches every region,” Amador said.

The 2026 budget proposal requires approval from the Chamber of Deputies, which is dominated by the ruling Morena party and its allies.

Where will the money go?

As Amador indicated, providing support for Mexico’s most disadvantaged citizens is a key priority of the federal government. The main way that support is provided is through government welfare programs, including three new ones created by the almost one-year-old administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum.

The 2026 Economic Package proposes spending of 987.16 billion pesos (US $52.96 billion) on welfare programs, an increase of 18% compared to this year. The proposed outlay is equivalent to 3% of Mexico’s GDP.

More than half the proposed welfare budget is slated to be used to pay pensions to Mexicans aged 65 and over.

Carlos Slim says it’s ‘totally irrational’ in remarks on government welfare spending

Among the other welfare programs that will be funded with the proposed outlay of almost 1 trillion pesos in 2026 are the Youths Building the Future apprenticeship scheme, the Sowing Life tree-planting initiative, the Rita Cetina scholarship scheme for public school students and the Wellbeing pension scheme for women aged 60 to 64.

The Finance Ministry anticipates that 82% of Mexican families will directly benefit from welfare programs in 2026.

The Mexican government’s outlay on welfare programs has increased significantly in recent years. The proposed spending in 2026 is more than three times higher than the outlay in 2019, the first full year of the six-year term of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO).

The provision of welfare programs — cash transfers in many cases — is a key reason why Sheinbaum and the ruling Morena party are so popular, especially in Mexico’s poor southern states. The president has cited the distribution of government resources in the form of welfare as a key reason why more than 13 million people exited poverty between 2018 and 2024.

Among the other spending proposals outlined in Mexico’s 2026 Economic Package are:

An allocation of 247.23 billion pesos (US $13.26 billion) to Pemex, Mexico’s heavily indebted state oil company. An additional 263.5 billion pesos will be allocated to Pemex to cover its 2026 debt expenses. (The government is aiming for Pemex to become self-sufficient by 2027.)
An allotment of 104.57 billion pesos to new rail projects.
Allotments to existing railroads, including 30 billion pesos for the Maya Train.
An allocation of 61.09 billion pesos to the state-owned Federal Electricity Commission.
A 27.72-billion-peso outlay on highway and road projects.
An investment of 25 billion pesos in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor.
An allocation of 20.76 billion pesos for water infrastructure projects.

Passengers boarding a Maya Train car — The budget for Mexico’s loss-making Maya Train is 30 billion pesos (US $1.6B) in 2026, nearly half of what is to be allotted to the Health Ministry. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

Around 2.4 trillion pesos is slated to go to government departments, including large allocations to the Public Education Ministry (513 billion pesos), Energy Ministry (267.4 billion pesos), National Defense Ministry (170.7 billion pesos), Health Ministry (66.8 billion pesos), Navy Ministry (65.9 billion pesos) and Security Ministry (60.1 billion pesos).

Mexico’s states and municipalities are slated to receive 2.58 trillion pesos in funding, while 1.26 trillion pesos would cover the salaries of government bureaucrats in 2026.

Around 1.64 trillion pesos is slated to go to the repayment of government debt.

The Finance Ministry said in a statement that the 2026 Economic Package is “a proposal of economic policy focused on guaranteeing welfare programs, health care, education and social housing while promoting productive activity through public investment in strategic programs that boost [the] Plan Mexico [industrial policy], under a vision of development based on well-being and humanism.”

Anticipated revenue in 2026

The Finance Ministry anticipates revenue of 8.72 trillion pesos (US $467.6 billion) in 2026, including 5.83 trillion pesos from tax collection. That level of income would represent year-over-year growth of 6.3%.

Amador said that tax collection is expected to increase 5.7% annually in 2026 to reach a record high of 15.1% of GDP.

The Finance Ministry anticipates that the federal government and Pemex will receive 1.2 trillion pesos in oil-related revenue next year.

The Finance Ministry said that the government is aiming to “strengthen tax collection efficiency,” explaining that it intends to use a range of “mechanisms” to prevent, detect and sanction tax evasion. The government is also seeking to increase tax collection through the modernization of systems used in customs.

In addition, the 2026 budget proposal outlines new so-called “healthy taxes” — i.e. higher taxes on products such as sugary beverages, video games and nicotine pouches. The aim of the proposed tax increases is to reduce the use of such products. Lower consumption of soft drinks and tobacco would “counteract the budgetary effects associated with the treatment of diseases linked to the consumption of these products,” according to the Finance Ministry.

🗳📌NUEVO IMPUESTO A VIDEOJUEGOS VIOLENTOS ES POR SEGURIDAD, DEFIENDE SHEINBAUM

El Paquete Económico 2026 levantó polémica por proponer un impuesto especial a los videojuegos con contenido violento.

Al ser cuestionado, Claudia Sheinbaum aseguró que es parte de la estrategia de… pic.twitter.com/OLk0zPWe9e

— Juan Ortiz 🗳️👁‍🗨 (@Juan_OrtizMX) September 9, 2025

The budget proposal said that Mexico’s General Import Tax would be reviewed to encourage domestic production and development, but no additional detail was provided.

It appears likely that Mexico will raise tariffs on imports from China and other countries with which it doesn’t have a free trade agreement.

Economic forecasts for 2026

A number of economic forecasts are included in the federal government’s 2026 budget proposal. They include:

Economic growth in the range of 1.8% to 2.8% in 2026.
Annual headline inflation of 3% at the end of next year.
A budget deficit of 4.1% of GDP in 2026.
Public debt equivalent to 52.3% of GDP.
A USD:MXN exchange rate of 18.9 at the end of 2026.
A Bank of Mexico interest rate of 6% at the end of next year.

A budget deficit of 4.1% would represent a decrease compared to the projected 4.32% deficit at the end of this year. The deficit reached a record high of 5.7% of GDP in 2024.

The Finance Ministry said that the projected downward “adjustment” in the budget deficit will not only permit the maintenance of a “stable public debt trajectory,” but also “offer certainty to the population, markets and the international community about the commitment of the government of Mexico to the fiscal sustainability of the country.”

Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, said on X that “efforts to reduce the deficit are continuing,” but asserted that “the assistance for Pemex and the rigidity of expenditure in areas such as priority [welfare] programs, pensions and the financial costs of debt drown public finances.”

In another post she noted that the proposed budget includes “a transfer of 263.5 billion pesos to Pemex” to pay down the state oil company’s debt.

“This is equivalent to 3.02% of [anticipated] budgetary income in 2026 and 4.51% of tax income,” Siller said.

The Finance Ministry’s predicted economic growth in 2026 is above the forecasts of both the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of Mexico. The IMF is forecasting 1.4% growth in Mexico in 2026, while the Bank of Mexico sees a 1.1% expansion.

“The 2026 Economic Package is a roadmap to build a stronger, more competitive, and fairer Mexico. At its center is the conviction that guides our government: ‘For the good of all, the poor come first.’ With this vision, public finances become a tool to reduce inequalities, expand opportunities, and ensure that growth reaches every region,” Mexico’s Finance Minister Edgar Amador said. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

Amador said that “although global uncertainty persists” — in no small part due to the U.S. government’s unpredictable protectionist agenda — “it is expected to moderate over the course of 2026.”

“This more favorable environment, together with public spending focused on social programs and investment projects that have positive effects on aggregate demand, … supports a prudent growth forecast for the coming year,” he said.

Amador also said that the international environment “opens up opportunities that we must seize.”

Most goods made in Mexico can still enter the United States tariff-free thanks to the USMCA free trade pact. That gives Mexico a comparative advantage over other countries when it comes to attracting foreign investment, which reached a record high in the first half of 2025. Mexico’s proximity to the U.S. — the world’s largest economy — as well as its relatively affordable labor costs and availability of skilled workers also make it an attractive investment destination.

A 3% inflation rate would be on par with the Bank of Mexico’s target. Mexico’s annual headline inflation rate was 3.57% in August.

A 6% interest rate at the end of next year would be 175 basis points lower than the current rate of 7.75%.

Sheinbaum: ‘Fundamental principle’ of proposed budget is ‘republican austerity’

In a letter sent to Congress, Sheinbaum said that the “fundamental principle” of the 2026 Economic Package is “republican austerity” — i.e. “the efficient and responsible use of public resources.”

If the economic package is approved by the Chamber of Deputies, welfare spending in Mexico will account for nearly 10% of the federal budget in 2026. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

The president also said that “an inclusive and honest government is key to recovering citizens’ confidence,” which she asserted was “eroded for decades by neoliberal practices.”

She said that an inclusive and honest government is also required to “build prosperity from below.”

Sheinbaum also stressed that her government remains committed to “the fight against corruption.”

Like her predecessor, the president seeks to be a champion of personal austerity. One example of that is her commitment to traveling on commercial airlines, including on international trips.

After a number of Morena party politicians and officials, including one of AMLO’s sons, came under fire for their luxurious international travel earlier this year, Sheinbaum urged politicians to live modestly, and reiterated her view that “there can’t be a rich government with a poor people.”

With reports from El Financiero, El Economista, Expansión, La Jornada and Reuters

Viva to relaunch Los Angeles-Mérida this December

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MND Staff

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September 9, 2025

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LAX international terminal — Governor of Yucatán Joaquín Díaz Mena said the renewed connection between LAX and MID represents a bridge uniting the communities of California and Yucatán. (AECOM)

Low-cost Mexican airline Viva (formerly Viva Aerobús) announced on Monday that it will relaunch the seasonal direct flight between Mérida, Yucatán and Los Angeles, California, in response to the growing demand from travelers between these two destinations.

The route will operate every Sunday during December and January. According to Tourism Development Minister for Yucatán (Sefotur) Darío Flota Ocampo, the new route will become permanent sometime during the first half of 2026.

Previously, the route operated twice a week during December 2024 and January 2025 on board an A320 aircraft.

The announcement of the route’s return came the same day that Viva Aerobus celebrated its 10 millionth passenger in Yucatán, consolidating Mérida International Airport’s (MID) connectivity.

Governor of Yucatán Joaquín Díaz Mena said the renewed connection between LAX and MID represents a bridge uniting the communities of California and Yucatán, strengthening cultural ties, attracting tourists and creating new investment opportunities.

Díaz Mena recognized Viva for trusting Yucatán with the route, while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to the state’s development and international reach.

millionth passenger to Mérida International Airport — Mérida International Airport celebrated its millionth passenger on Monday. (@huachodiazmena/X)

“We have launched a new campaign called the Mayan Sanctuary, to show the world that Yucatán is an archaeological sanctuary, with Chichén Itzá, Dzibilchaltún, Uxmal, Mayapán and other [ancient] sites; [as well as] a gastronomic and natural sanctuary, with our cenotes, underground rivers, coasts, reserves and protected natural areas such as Ría Celestún and Ría Lagartos,” he noted.

Flota Ocampo also noted that this year will conclude with an intense agenda of actions aimed at positioning Yucatán as one of the most attractive destinations in the world.

“The promotion will focus on highlighting the pillars that distinguish the state: its safety, its renowned cuisine and its cultural richness, factors that have captured the attention of visitors from around the world,” he said.

According to the airport’s administration office, Mérida International Airport registered a total of 351,915 passengers in July 2025, the highest number for a single month since the airport began operations. This figure represents a 9.83% increase over July 2024.

With reports from La Jornada Maya and Por Esto!

Meet Manchas, the leak-detecting dog saving Saltillo’s water supply

By

MND Staff

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September 9, 2025

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Manchas, Mexico's water leak-detecting dog — With a 96% success rate thus far, Manchas has helped the Saltillo water authority repair 230 leaky pipes during his first five months on the job. (Aguas de Saltillo)

Saltillo’s water utility company (AGSAL) has a unique, four-legged way of dealing with the leaks threatening its 3,000 kilometers of pipeline.

While AGSAL’s system has 190 sensors monitoring the flow of water supplying roughly 1 million residents, the hero of this story is a Brittany Spaniel named Manchas (spots). The young, orange-and-white pup has been trained to detect water leaks, helping AGSAL more efficiently repair faulty pipes.

AGSAL says that Manchas’s work prevents the loss of up to 14 liters of water per second (enough volume to supply more than 3,000 families) that would previously have been wasted while the company searched for the exact location of the leak.

Manchas works with his partner, Mariana, and their method of operation is quite fascinating. AGSAL’s sensors detect a leak in one of its pipes and satellite imagery narrows the area to a 400-meter section of the pipe.

Enter Manchas, who walks the line until he detects the exact spot of the leak, whereupon the dog lies down and AGSAL knows exactly where to start digging to repair the leak. Repairs are carried out, in most cases, within no more than 24 hours.

With a 96% success rate thus far, Manchas helped AGSAL repair 230 leaky pipes during his first five months on the job.

Using dogs to address water leaks has proven to be highly effective in countries such as Spain, France, Sweden, Chile and Great Britain.

On Monday, AGSAL invited the public to “meet” the leak-detecting dog, while also sharing some details about Manchas in a social media post, including the following:

Age: Manchas is 1½ years old

Breed: Brittany (or Breton) Spaniel

Favorite Person: His AGSAL partner, Mariana

Special Skill: He can detect leaks more than 2 meters beneath the earth, in different types of terrain!

His Mission: Find hidden water leaks to prevent waste

Aguas de Saltillo (AGSAL) with Manchas — Aguas de Saltillo (AGSAL) brought Manchas on board in March of this year. (Aguas de Saltillo)

Why Saltillo turned to a dog’s nose for water conservation

The Brittany Spaniel is a French breed of gun dog that has been bred primarily for bird hunting. This breed possesses an excellent, highly developed sense of smell, stemming from their original purpose as bird-hunting dogs. It is said that they have 300 million olfactory cells.

Manchas’s heightened sense of smell allows him to detect as little as four drops of chlorine in an Olympic-size swimming pool.

“There are only 25 leak-detecting dogs in the whole world and Manchas is one of them,” AGSAL spokeswoman Marcelo Carmona said in March, shortly after he had begun his mission with AGSAL.

The National Water Commission (Conagua) recently officially recognized Manchas as Mexico’s “Guardian of Water.”

AGSAL says it is considering training a second dog so as to give Manchas adequate downtime and increase the efficiency of its fascinating leak-detecting model.

With reports from Excelsior, Infobae and Radio Fórmula

5 Oaxaca Day of the Dead events you need to book before they sell out

By

Anna Bruce

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September 9, 2025

3

An elderly couple at a grave during Day of the Dead in Oaxaca — Experience Day of the Dead in the heart of Mexico, but be warned: Some events need booking long before you arrive in the city. (Photo Workshop Adventures)

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations begin next month, and if you plan to go to Oaxaca, you should be making plans before you arrive. Visiting Oaxaca for Day of the Dead is a bucket list experience for people from around the world, and the city can get extremely busy; therefore, it is essential to plan your trip well ahead of time.

Day of the Dead is a cultural event where families honor departed ancestors through altars with their favorite foods and marigolds, decorating graves, and gathering in cemeteries for late-night vigils filled with song and dance. The principal days are the first and second of November, but celebrations begin as early as mid-October and continue into early November each year. There are many activities that you can discover just by being present in the city, such as the vibrant street parades known as comparsas (or muerteadas), or the beautifully decorated panteons (cemeteries), where people celebrate their ancestors wth flower and favourite foods, while sharing stories about the departed.

Mexican woman dressed as a Catrina and in white skeletal makeup holding Mexican marigolds — (Marco Ortiz-MOF/Shutterstock)

If you’re planning on being in town for the big week, it is essential to book transport and accommodation in advance. If you want to take one of the various organized tours or attend ticketed events, you will need to book as soon as possible. Many tour operators also provide specialized experiences to help appreciate the diversity and nuance of Oaxaca’s Day of the Dead celebrations.

Here are some of the most popular, and the links to book them today.

Ticketed Events:

Día de los Muertos with Salvadores Mezcal

An immersive experience of art and music with plenty of mezcal!

Salvadores is produced in Tlacolula, Oaxaca at the family-owned Destilario Palacios. To welcome in Day of the Dead this year, they will be launching a limited edition bottle designed by Oaxacan artist Bouler.

During the eventt, Bouler will be painting an interactive mural. Guests will be invited to participate in the painting, as well as see the mural evolve through a virtual reality filter. As guests arrive, there will be an agave oven in process, so that people can experience the process of making mezcal, while tasting a range of different sips from the Salvadores range. The mezcal tasting will be followed by cocktails and dinner accompanied by a performance from Hector Diaz, before a traditional calenda, dancing, and music from DJ Blacktape.

Also includes: Catrina facepainting, Building a Día de Muertos Altar

Where: Salvadores Distillery, Tlacolula, Oaxaca

Cost: 3500 pesos with limited tickets

When: 18 October, pick up from Oaxaca city center at 4 p.m.

25 October: SET Underground “Tierra de los Muertos”

AUDIOFLY - SET Underground "Tierra de los Muertos" Festival experience ~ Oaxaca, Mexico

Watch this video on YouTube

A multi-day festival out by Mitla, Oaxaca, which combines electronic music, visual arts, and cultural experiences to celebrate the spirit of Día de los Muertos. Mitla was known as the “Place of the Dead” because it was a sacred royal burial site and an important religious center for the Zapotec people, who believed the site contained an entrance to the underworld. The name itself, Mitla, comes from the Nahuatl word “Mictlán” or “Mictlan” (meaning “place of the dead”) The festival features live music, dance, theatrical performances, a boutique market, local food, and wellness experiences like sound baths and cacao ceremonies.

The festival aims to celebrate the life, creativity, and spirit of Oaxaca while honoring the tradition of Día de los Muertos. This year’s festival promises to be a feast for the senses, with mesmerizing live music, captivating dance performances and stunning visual art installations.

Headliners: Aera, Ali Farahani, shan nash, Andre VII, Armen Miran, Cabizbajo, Goldcap, Ivory, Konvex, Marques Wyatt, Nandu, Roderic, Theus Mago, Yamagucci, Colossio

Where: Mitla

When: 24 – 26 October

General pass: Early Bird 3500 pesos ends Sep 28

Day of the Dead tours

Where Side Walks End

This award-winning tour provides authentic Catrina makeup workshops, guided visits to the flower-adorned cemeteries, and cemetery visits, providing a deeper understanding of the local customs that make this event so poignant. They also offer a women-only immersive day on November 1st, with a local expert in the history and mysticism surrounding the practices of local women during the Day of the Dead in Oaxaca.

With a range of popular tours, here are some of the major events you won’t want to miss out on:

Marigold Fields Experience

Walk the fields where families source cempasúchil to guide their loved ones home, learning why the harvest happens before Day of the Dead, as a photographer quietly documents the moments you’ll want to remember. Context and respectful guidance are part of the journey.

Mask-Making Workshop

Sit with master artisans who craft the masks seen in local parades, hear the stories that shaped each design, then paint your own piece to carry that story forward. It is hands-on learning with gentle mentorship and lots of meaning.

Cooking Class & Market Experience

Meet vendors in a neighborhood market and learn how food becomes memory during Day of the Dead, then cook dishes like mole, tamales, and chocolate that families prepare to honor their dead. You leave with skills and the context that gives those recipes life.

Mitla & Pan de Muertos Experience

Stand inside Mitla, the city of the dead, and hear how its patterns speak to the afterlife, then decorate your own pan de muerto at a local bakery as an offering you understand from the inside out. History and empathy to traditions keep the emphasis

Oaxaca Day of the Dead Event

Share a table for stories, mezcal, and altar building, learning how remembrance is practiced today before a guided walk to a cemetery where we participate with care. It is an evening about meaning first, then presence.

Various events between October 28 and November 2

Cost: US $135-150 per person

Coyote Adventures

A group of tourists at a colorful day of the dead ofrenda in oaxaca — (Coyote Adventures)

Experiences that connect you with local families from indigenous communities, where you can live the ancestral traditions of Oaxaca.

The Teotitlán del Valle tour takes visitors to communities outside of the glamor of Oaxaca City’s Day of the Dead celebrations. Guests are invited to examine the relationship with death, and deepen their understanding of the impacts of the Spanish conquest on this holiday, how the conquest has molded traditions and rituals, forming a type of syncretism which combines elements of Catholicism with ancient indigenous beliefs. The day begins in the local square and market, then visiting local host families before finally walking to the cemetery to celebrate the ancestors with flowers and candles.

San Gabriel Etla is a small community with approximately 500 inhabitants situated in the municipality of San Juan Bautista Guelache. Here, local families will share their unique cultural customs and Day of the Day rituals. Guests will get to visit a sacred field of marigold flowers in the community and create a bouquet as the sun sets, before walking to the San Gabriel cemetery.The night will end with an exuberant murteada.

Various Dates available from November 1, but are likely to fill soon

Cost: 3000 pesos

Rambling Spirits

Full disclosure, as well as writing for Mexico News Daily, I facilitate bespoke experiences beyond Oaxaca city, typically with a focus on mezcal. If you and your friends are interested in visiting artisanal mezcal distilleries during a visit for Day of the Dead, we can plan a trip for you. This will include mezcal tasting, Oaxacan lunch, and learning about the traditional components of Day of the Dead, including how an altar is prepared.

This is by far the busiest time of year for tours, but various dates are available.

Cost: From 3000 pesos

Anna Bruce is an award-winning British photojournalist based in Oaxaca, Mexico. Just some of the media outlets she has worked with include Vice, The Financial Times, Time Out, Huffington Post, The Times of London, the BBC and Sony TV. Find out more about her work at her website or visit her on social media on Instagram or on Facebook.

How one man brought safety to a working class Guanajuato neighborhood

By

Louisa Rogers

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September 9, 2025

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A mural in guanajuato — At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, one Guanajuato artist took steps to improve his community. (Guillermo Torres)

I’m surrounded by murals of feathered warriors, dynamic Aztec women, and vibrant flowers. This tiny plazita in Guanajuato’s working-class Pardo neighborhood is a jungle of color, made even more attractive by a cluster of inviting benches and Guanajuato’s signature pink cantera stone pavement. I sit down on one of the benches and take photos, enjoying the unexpected rest after an hour of climbing steep alleys.

Although Guanajuato is famous for its landscaped squares, colonial architecture, and flower-filled lanes, this same charm and beauty do not extend to its poorer barrios, which can be littered with graffiti and trash. Pardo, a historic neighborhood of crisscrossing alleys on a hill above the Mercado Hidalgo, is not one of the instagrammable areas of the city, so this small plaza came as a delightful surprise to me. Ever since discovering it, I’ve taken locals and visitors to see this urban mini-retreat.

Artist Guillermo Torres posing with one of his murals. (Louisa Rogers/Guillermo Torres)

I recently learned that the murals, not only in the plazita but throughout the neighborhood, were part of a project called “Cuatro Vientos” (Four Winds), launched by a local resident and artist during the pandemic. “Cuatro Vientos” is the name of one of the alleys in Pardo.

In response to growing delinquency and crime, the residents had formed a committee to address the issue. The city had responded to their concerns by installing paving stones and benches in the plazita, but robberies continued.

At a “vigilancia” (neighborhood watch) meeting, one of the residents, Guillermo Torres, proposed painting artwork on the walls as a way to improve safety in the neighborhood. He suggested first covering any graffiti and gang propaganda on walls, followed by creating murals. Torres understood intuitively what urban sociologists have proven: that removing graffiti enhances a neighborhood by improving public safety, deterring vandalism, and fostering community pride. And although removing graffiti is an important first step, painting a mural is even better, because it makes the area feel welcoming and walkable.

However, the other residents at the meeting were skeptical. Although they knew Torres as a neighbor, they didn’t know he had worked as an artist throughout his career. Even Torres’ dad thought it was a waste of time and that gang members would soon cover the murals again with graffiti. When Torres asked the group who would be willing to offer their wall for a mural, no one volunteered. But finally one man raised his hand, and a project was born.

Torres grew up in the barrio, and still lives there, along with his parents and several siblings. He was drawing by the age of four. As an adult, he taught elementary school for two years, but spent most of his career working as a textbook illustrator. He developed mural experience when teachers would ask him to paint murals on their classroom walls.

Not long after Torres retired, COVID-19 hit. Painting murals in the barrio allowed him to get out of the house. In nine months between 2020 and 2021, working most days from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Torres created murals on 14 walls in the neighborhood.

“Submission eagle warrior, dancing woman” (Guillermo Torres)

“The Cuatro Vientos Project rose from the need to improve the urban environment and to use art as a tool to deter crime,” Torres told me. “It made the artwork accessible to people from all social backgrounds, allowing them to appreciate it and feel a sense of ownership and belonging.”

Partnering with the families to decide what to paint on their walls, he established three criteria: A mural either had to describe the name and history of an alley; illustrate significant people who had lived or currently live in the neighborhood; or depict a film that had been staged near the barrio or in the city. One of the murals, for example, shows wrestlers from the 1972 film, “The Mummies of Guanajuato.”

In another vibrant mural, “Submission eagle warrior, dancing woman,” a young woman is dancing, while a jaguar warrior bends submissively behind her. Torres told me that the families living in this house had been dancers for more than a century.

A third mural depicts a mule loaded with firewood, with two black-skinned children on the ground next to it. Neighbors explained to Torres that several families had historically sold firewood and charcoal brought down from the hills by donkeys and mules. The muleteers dropped the loads on the ground where the children played, causing the kids’ clothes and skin to be covered in soot.

Torres volunteered all his services, including his materials. Because he didn’t want to put financial pressure on his neighbors, he never put out a donation basket, but contributions grew anyway, bit by bit. He spent about 9,500 pesos on the project, of which about 7,000 pesos came back in donations from locals and tourists.

Since the mural project began, safety has improved dramatically. The city provides security patrols in all 14 alleys, along with 24 security cameras. Neighbors report any suspicious activity through a WhatsApp group. Little graffiti can be seen on the alley walls.

Torres now offers occasional tours to interested visitors, continues to paint and teaches art to seniors in different parts of the city.

He is grateful that the project not only reduced crime but helped his neighbors appreciate art. Even his dad changed his mind. “He’d walk around and hear neighbors’ positive comments,” Torres said, smiling. “And then he’d say, ‘My son painted that!’”

Today, five years after the project began, Pardo remains a model of urban renewal.

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