Take a visual tour of Mexico — from a mass wedding in Veracruz to a Wixárika ceremony in Zacatecas — with this selection of pictures from the week.
The first time I walked into a Mexican pharmacy, I stood still in the doorway for a few beats.
Why was it so small? Where was everything? No candy aisle, no greeting card aisle, no sexual health or feminine hygiene products aisle. In fact, there was nothing that could even be called “an aisle.”.
For such a cramped space, it was incredibly confusing.
I soon learned the ropes, and now, my fine readers, it is time to pass that knowledge on to you. Here’s what to remember when it’s time to go to the pharmacy in Mexico:
Farmacias Similares, by the way, is where you might find someone dressed up in a Dr. Simi mascot costume, a staple of modern Mexican culture. As far as I’m concerned, their medicines are just as good as any others, though I have had doctors tell me not to buy certain medicines there, so apparently there are medical professionals out there who have their doubts, valid or not.
The next tier would include chains like Farmacias de Ahorro and Yza, which may or may not come with an attached consultorio (Farmacias de Ahorro usually does, and theirs is free). At these pharmacies, there is a little “store” area with items you can pick up and examine, though these are restricted to a fairly small variety of toiletries and over-the-counter medicines. Condoms are mercifully available in this area now as well (you had to ask for them at the counter when I first arrived in Mexico). On the shelves, you can also find things like nail clippers and lip balm, and maybe a few snacks and refrigerated drinks. A few different brands of baby formula and diapers are available behind the counter, as well. Most independent pharmacies are similarly stocked.
Finally — this is a long “item” for a list, I know — are larger pharmacies like Farmacias Guadalajara and Farmacias San Pablo, which are the most similar in terms of selection to a place like CVS, though without as much variety; I’d include grocery store pharmacy areas in this tier, as well. Medicines tend to be a little pricier, but if you need to get more specific toiletries or other things on the same trip that you might normally look for in a tiendita or grocery store, these pharmacies can be very convenient.
Lastly, homeopathic pharmacies are in their own class, and there’s usually a homeopathic doctor available if you choose to go that route.
Like with many things in Mexico, a trip to the pharmacy will be a different experience than you’re probably used to, one in which you’ll need to interact with the people who work there to get what you need. Thankfully, you’ll likely find people to be as helpful and accommodating as they are elsewhere. Happy shopping, and get better soon!
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.
In December, I wrote my first article for Mexico News Daily in which I shared several quotes that resonated with my journey and what I have learned in moving to Mexico and buying Mexico News Daily.
The outpouring of comments and support I received from many of you was humbling —thank you for that!
I thought I would share some additional details about a few key realizations that led me to those lessons. I love reading inspiring books but often, they are “in retrospect” with a clean start and finish. As a result, I can struggle to find them relatable or to apply the what I’ve learned to my life in real-time.
With that in mind, I want to continue to share my ongoing process: my journey of Mexico and Mexico News Daily as I see through my art, to engage with you while I am in the thick of it. I encourage you to share your journey and experiences in the comments to help inspire and energize others as well!
It has taken me a decade to realize that true self-care starts with being brutally honest with myself. A decade ago, one of my yoga teachers suggested I read Louise Hay, and I learned about the power of affirmations.
It took me a while to literally look into the mirror, to learn to look into my own eyes, to “sit and talk” to myself, to listen, to ask questions, to check-in, to probe deeply, to discover my values, to figure out what mattered to me. Self-care starts with self-love. Eventually, this journey led to more self-awareness. This is why, to me self-care is not about going to a spa or getting a massage or taking a vacation — while that might provide temporary relief, it doesn’t lead to personal growth.
In this context, self-care is a hard, messy, convoluted, continuous process of self-reflection that most of us would rather avoid. However, whenever I have pushed myself to go through this, it has been incredibly rewarding, energizing and calming. I think it is because it tethers me and makes me feel comfortable in my skin. It has helped me protect myself against the noise and influence of social media. It has kept me curious and driven me to be the best that I can be. It took the pandemic for me to realize that I was not prioritizing self-care and since then, and especially since my move to Mexico, I have been working hard to prioritize that. It has become my daily practice.
The pandemic shut-down gave me the space to push myself to get uncomfortable, to get in touch with myself again, and to check if I was on the path I wanted to be on — everyday. The thing is, as we age, life humbles us and we begin to realize how much nonsense we have wasted time on — often in an effort to gain external validation.
Aging brings maturity, wisdom and experience; we increasingly realize that our existence is finite. Isolation during the pandemic made me think much more about the environment I had created for my life over the previous years: If I was so happy, why didn’t I get up in a good mood every day? If I liked my work so much, why did I feel so exhausted at the end of every day? Pretty soon it was evident that I was riding on a negative “energy-bank” balance more often than not.
With that realization, I started to evaluate what things in my surroundings gave me energy and what took away my energy. I started making mental notes about family, friends, my work environment, events I attended, things that I had bought, things that I wanted to buy, books I read, hobbies, etc.
Many of us focus on exercise and diet to stay healthy, which is a great start. I am learning that “diet” is not just limited to food — it is related to consumption in general. Consumption is also related to our environment, our surroundings. I didn’t have all of the answers but it was clear that I was not going to find all those answers in the comforts of my everyday routine.
I had to get uncomfortable. Listening to a couple of podcasts on a treadmill one day, I realized that I needed a catalyst to produce a sweeping change in my life, to get in touch with myself again. This led to quitting my current job, moving to Mexico, and ultimately buying Mexico News Daily with my husband.
My epiphany is this: my diet is not just what I eat, it is what I consume: what I hear, what I observe, what I watch, what I read, what I think, and who I spend time with, and how I spend my time. All this either adds to my energy or takes away energy. People who feel good about themselves, help others feel good about themselves — at home, at work or in a community. Remember that and pick your company wisely.
I have always been attracted to Mexico as I feel that there is a certain warmth and energy in the surroundings, no matter which part of the country I am in.
It is a feeling that reminds me quite a bit of my formative years in India. There are many cultural similarities, both cultures like celebrations that revolve around faith, food and family; there is something profoundly grounding about that. Mexicans tend to smile and laugh a lot more, they go with the flow of life more, they deeply value connections with family, friends and community. If I could sum up what I always feel in Mexico in one word, it is: joy.
This country has a lot of poverty and violence, and yet strangers smile a lot more, and greet me a lot more than anywhere else I have been — without expectations. Over the years, I have repeatedly seen humble construction workers, working and smiling while playing music from their cell phones. I have seen groups of strangers laughing, sharing delicious street tacos after work or warm tamales before heading to work. Mexico teaches me to look for joy in little things. Here, joy lives in daily moments, in human interactions, it is not an end goal.
Mexico has given me the space to re-prioritize self-care and re-discover my love of learning. Mexico has taught me to be more aware of my consumption. Mexico teaches me joy. My time in Mexico is reconnecting me with my quest for learning. And all of this continues to give me confidence to be an entrepreneur, despite the daily challenges I face.
Tamanna Bembenek was born in India, studied and worked in the U.S. and lives in Mexico with her husband, Travis. They are the co-owners of Mexico News Daily.
The king and queen are coming to Mexico.
Not Charles III and Camilla of the United Kingdom or Felipe VI and Letizia of Spain, but King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden.
The Swedish Embassy in Mexico announced Thursday that the monarch and his wife would travel to Mexico for a state visit between March 12 and 14.
Carl XVI Gustaf — the longest reigning monarch in Swedish history — and Queen Silvia were invited to Mexico by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the embassy said in a statement.
“The objective of the state visit is to consolidate the good relations between Sweden and Mexico and strengthen economic and political ties, focusing on innovation, cooperation, trade and investment,” it said.
The embassy said that Johan Forssell, minister for international development cooperation and foreign trade, will represent the Swedish government during the visit, and that a business delegation made up of representatives from more than 25 Swedish companies will also come to Mexico.
“A lot of Swedish companies have been operating in Mexico for decades and, with Mexico’s young population and dynamic economy, there are good opportunities to deepen and broaden trade,” the embassy said.
Carl and Silvia’s state visit will commence in Mexico City, where López Obrador and his wife Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller will host an official welcoming ceremony. It will conclude in Yucatán, where the king and queen will travel from Mérida to the archaeological site of Uxmal on the Maya Train, according to the embassy’s statement.
On their first day in the capital, the king and queen will also attend a meeting with López Obrador and Gutiérrez and visit the federal Senate.
On their second day in Mexico City, the king “will formally open the Mexico-Sweden Business Forum, at which issues such as sustainable transport solutions, sustainable mining, the telecommunications industry and health will be discussed,” the statement said.
The king and queen will later visit SOS Children’s Villages and the National Autonomous University of Mexico before attending a lunch with business sector representatives.
There’ll be no time for an after-lunch siesta as the 77-year-old monarch is scheduled to inaugurate the new Mexico City offices of telecommunications company Ericsson.
Carl and Silvia will later meet with members of the Swedish community in Mexico before attending a folkloric ballet performance at the Palace of Fine Arts in the historic center of the capital.
On the third day of their state visit, the king and queen will meet with representatives of the Maya and Yaqui indigenous peoples at Uxmal, according to the embassy. Later in the day, Yucatán Governor Mauricio Vila will have an audience with the royal couple.
On March 15, Carl and Silvia — an 80-year old German native born to a German father and a Brazilian mother — will return to Sweden.
Mexico and Sweden formalized diplomatic relations in 1885, while two-way trade between the countries exceeded US $1.3 billion in 2022.
The king and queen of Sweden previously visited Mexico in 1982 and 2002, while three Mexican presidents including Vicente Fox (2000-06) made state visits to Sweden.
Mexico News Daily
Tesla CEO Elon Musk knows it won’t be easy to compete with Chinese automakers, some of which are owned or subsidized by the Chinese government. Buying auto parts from Chinese suppliers is one way he is aiming to keep up.
Citing unnamed “people with knowledge of the situation,” Bloomberg reported Wednesday that Musk has “invited Chinese suppliers to Mexico to replicate the local supply chain at Tesla’s Shanghai plant.”
The news agency also said that “Chinese auto-parts makers are rapidly setting up plants” on the outskirts of Monterrey to supply the Tesla “gigafactory” that is set to be built just west of the Nuevo León capital in the municipality of Santa Catarina.
“They join the ranks of Chinese manufacturers that opened Mexican facilities in response to Trump-era tariffs — and this new surge has set off alarm bells in Washington,” Bloomberg added.
Musk outlined his concern about Tesla’s ability to compete with Chinese carmakers in a post-earnings call with analysts last month.
Chinese automakers are the “most competitive” on the planet and “if there are no trade barriers established” against the export of their vehicles “they will pretty much demolish most other car companies in the world,” he said. “They’re extremely good.”
Tesla already buys Chinese-owned Mexican-made parts for vehicles assembled at its “gigafactory” in Austin, Texas, as do other automakers in the U.S., where imports of such parts increased 15% last year to reach US $1.1 billion, according to Mexican auto-parts industry association INA.
In 2023, 18 of 33 Chinese auto-parts manufacturers in Mexico exported to the U.S., according to INA.
United States officials are concerned about the entry to the U.S. of comparatively cheap Chinese parts and vehicles — including ones made in Mexico — due to the threat they pose to the American automotive industry and its workers.
In a letter to United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai in November, four members of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party said they were “concerned by how the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is preparing to flood the United States and global markets with automobiles, particularly electric vehicles (EV), propped up by massive subsidies and long-standing localization and other discriminatory policies employed by the PRC.”
“We request that the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) consider whether to launch a new … investigation into these practices and the harm they pose to the American automotive industry and American workers and what actions should be taken to counter the PRC’s industrial strategy to dominate the global automobile market,” they wrote.
The lawmakers also requested that the U.S. government be ready to “address the coming wave of PRC vehicles that will be exported from our other trading partners, such as Mexico, as PRC automakers look to strategically establish operations outside of the PRC to take advantage of preferential access to the U.S. market through our free trade agreements and circumvent any PRC-specific tariffs.”
Among the Chinese automakers looking to open plants in Mexico, according to Bloomberg’s report, are BYD, Chery Automobile Co. and SAIC Motor Corp.’s MG brand. BYD overtook Tesla to become the world’s top electric vehicle (EV) vendor in the last quarter of 2023. BYD Mexico chief Zhou Zou said this week that the company is considering opening a plant in Mexico.
Ambassador Tai responded to the four U.S. lawmakers in a letter in January, saying that the issues they raised were “a priority to the Administration, and we are clear-eyed that China has developed and implemented a plan to target the EV sector for dominance through a wide and evolving range of non-market based policies and practices.”
She said the U.S. government was looking at ways to make existing tariffs “more strategic” and acknowledged that “existing rules of origin” applicable to the automotive sector “have left openings” for Chinese companies operating outside China to benefit from “MFN [most-favored nation] treatment” in the U.S. “or preferential treatment under free trade agreements.”
In December, Mexico and the United States agreed to cooperate on foreign investment screening as a measure to better protect the national security of both countries. That move appeared to be motivated to a large degree by a desire to stop problematic Chinese investment in Mexico. It remains to be seen whether any proposed Chinese investment in Mexico is halted as a result of the bilateral cooperation.
Bloomberg reported that U.S. officials are concerned that “the vast troves of data” collected by electric Chinese “smart cars” could present “hacking or national security threats.”
The news agency reported earlier this month that the U.S. government was considering restricting all imports of electric Chinese “smart cars” no matter where they’re assembled.
This week, Bloomberg said that tax lawyers in the U.S. “have even identified a path through which a Chinese-owned subsidiary based in Mexico could build full EVs that would qualify” for a $7,500 tax credit offered by the U.S. government under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
To qualify, Bloomberg noted, Chinese manufacturers in Mexico would be unable to source battery minerals or components from China. Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. is considering building a plant in Mexico, the news agency reported. Such a plant could allow Chinese automakers to work with a Chinese battery maker without affecting their vehicles’ ability to qualify for the tax credit.
Chinese automakers’ apparent ability to access the tax credit “is a big fear for both U.S. EV manufacturers and government officials,” Bloomberg said.
In addition to United States officials, a union representing Canadian auto-parts manufacturers and the United Auto Workers in the U.S. have also expressed concern about increasing Chinese investment in Mexico.
Mexico currently appears happy to welcome Chinese investment, although it has apparently canceled the lithium mining concessions held by a Chinese company for a large project in Sonora. Lithium, a key component of the lithium-ion batteries used in EVs, was nationalized in Mexico in 2022.
Despite the increase in Chinese investment, China was not among the top 10 foreign investors in the country last year, according to foreign direct investment data published by the Economy Ministry this week.
Kelly Ann Shaw, a former deputy assistant to the U.S. president for international economic affairs and deputy director of the National Economic Council, told Bloomberg that U.S. and Canadian concerns about Chinese investment in Mexico could lead to changes in the USMCA when the next review of the North American free trade pact is undertaken in 2026.
“You could see a situation where, if there is a real problem of Chinese parts coming across the border, whoever is president says, ‘We’re just going to demand more commitment from Mexico to stop that,’” said Shaw, now a partner at the law firm Hogan Lovells.
The Washington Post reported in late January that Donald Trump is “weighing options for a major new economic attack on China if reelected, considering plans that are widely viewed as likely to spark a global trade war.”
“… Privately, Trump has discussed with advisers the possibility of imposing a flat 60 percent tariff on all Chinese imports,” the Post reported.
Trump, or Joe Biden, could seek to rejig the USMCA in a way that eliminates or limits the trade benefits available to Chinese companies operating in Mexico. Amendments could also be made to the Inflation Reduction Act to ensure that EVs made by Chinese companies in Mexico don’t qualify for the $7,500 tax credit.
The Economist said in late 2023 that a growing Chinese presence in Mexico “could backfire if it raises tensions with the United States.”
The British publication also said that if China “is too successful in skirting tariffs it may find its back door” to the United States (i.e. Mexico) “as well as the front entrance slammed shut.”
However, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, Mary Lovely, warned that too many protectionist measures on Chinese vehicles could have a negative impact on innovation and make cars too expensive for many consumers.
“If there isn’t Chinese involvement, how do we keep the industry competitive?” she asked while speaking with Bloomberg.
In Mexico, Tesla is planning to make a new “low-cost” EV that will first be manufactured in Austin. Musk said in December that “the revolution in manufacturing that will be represented by that car will blow people’s minds.”
“It’s not like any car production line that anyone’s ever seen. … It’s a level of production technology that is far in advance of any automotive plant on earth. It’s going to be cool,” he said.
Will that technology give Tesla a competitive edge over its Chinese competitors? Will the U.S. tighten restrictions and/or put tariffs on cars and parts produced by Chinese companies in Mexico?
Only time will tell.
With reports from Bloomberg
2024 is an important year for both the United States and Mexico. Not only is it an election year, but it also marks one year until the end of the 2020-2025 water-sharing cycle. In the specific case of U.S.-Mexico water sharing, the conclusion of the 2025 water cycle will highlight either the continued durability of the 1944 water-sharing treaty or its antiquity — and under new presidential leadership.
Water is an environmental, economic and political factor. It emphasizes partisan divides and discord between the federal government (the Democratic party in the U.S, Morena in Mexico) and local governments (the Republican party in Texas, the PAN or National Action Party in Chihuahua). It is a bargaining chip, a negotiating tool and at times, a leveraging factor. It is set to be an even more prominent figure in politics as the effects of climate change worsen and demand for water grows.
Balancing the needs of citizens, industry and international commitments, such as in the 1944 Treaty, is a recurring challenge, but the change in administration may offer hope for better water management and allocation policies, particularly on the Mexican side of the border.
In the previous water-sharing cycle, which concluded just days before the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Mexico and the United States reached an agreement, with Mexico transferring all the water in the Amistad and Falcon reservoirs to the U.S. The agreement, known as Minute 325, allowed Mexico to fulfill its water obligations to the U.S. and end the cycle without a shortfall, but posed significant concerns about the future of water availability, use and sharing in the region, particularly in the state of Chihuahua and among the state’s farmers. Local protests led by farmers blocking Chihuahua’s dam, La Boquilla, resulted in the National Guard’s presence at the dam and the death of two Mexican citizens.
Four years later, these concerns persist and are even more pronounced and urgent. According to Conagua, Mexico’s national water authority, June 2023 saw 61% less rainfall than the average rainfall recorded in June from 1991 to 2020, in part due to the June 2022 heatwave that impacted vast swaths of the country. Despite decreased rainfall levels, Mexico’s reservoirs were at 44.6% capacity at the end of August last year.
Mexico has again fallen behind on its water delivery to the U.S. and both countries are working to develop a new minute to secure reliable and on-time deliveries of water ahead of the 2025 cycle’s end. According to the IBWC, from Oct. 25, 2020 until Dec. 30, 2023, Mexico has delivered 376,917 acre feet (AF), though Mexico has committed to delivering a minimum of 350,000 AF of water per year (for a total of 1,750,000 AF of water by the end of the cycle). Current numbers, however, indicate that Mexico has allocated less than a quarter of the water it owes, though the cycle is more than halfway complete.
Water allocation and management is a significant issue in Mexico, for citizens and industry alike. A 2012 constitutional amendment guarantees access to water as a fundamental human right in Mexico, yet implementation of this legislation has proven difficult, given water demands. A lack of water is not the issue in Mexico. The UN recommends between 50 to 100 cubic meters of water per year per person. In Mexico, the average is higher, hovering around 550 cubic meters, per year, per capita. Instead, it is the government’s management of water allocation, combined with decreased budgets for utilities management and high levels of water usage in the country’s agricultural sector, that are the root causes of water-related challenges in Mexico, according to José Luis Luege, a former Conagua director.
The Mexican constitution entrusts the municipal-level governments with water management, rather than the federal government. There are nearly 3,000 water operators across the country. As such, there is a fundamental lack of centralization and coordination in the sector. This, combined with decreased budget for water management, has severely hampered innovation and adoption of industry best practices. From 2012 to 2023, there was a 32% decrease in the federal budget for water resources, with the most significant decrease occurring between 2015 and 2017 when the federal government halted subsidies for water investment and instead tasked the municipal government with financing water management and allocation. Approximately 76% of water in Mexico is used for agriculture.
Mexico’s funding and administrating structure for water management has given rise to a “hydrocracy,” where politically connected and powerful individuals and companies “influence in a decisive way the distribution of water, public resources and even the fees paid by users.” In this “hydrocracy,” 2% of water concession holders retain control over 70% of concessioned water resources, according to Agua Para Todos.
Lack of reliable access to water also poses a significant threat to international development in Mexico. Companies, already wary of Mexico’s progressively nationalistic approach toward energy, are becoming increasingly hesitant to invest in a country where reliable access to neither water nor energy can be guaranteed. Talk of allyshoring and nearshoring has gained traction in recent years, but failure to provide reliable access to these basic resources is likely to dissuade further investment.
With the increasing strain that climate change and developing industry have put on water sharing and management, it has become a 21st-century challenge that requires 21st-century innovation. It is easy to recommend “growing the pie” by seeking out innovative sources of water, encouraging water recycling, and fostering increased collaboration and oversight, but there is a desperate need for strategic thinking that focuses on both short and long-term challenges.
In the specific case of Mexico, this thinking must consider the needs of the country’s domestic population, demands of industry and international commitments from the 1944 Treaty without permitting partisan discord to hamper progress. Regardless of who the next president is or what party they are from, water management is certain to be an issue that grows in prevalence and severity as the effects of climate change worsen.
This article was originally published by the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center.
Alexandra Helfgott works in the Office of Strategies at the Wilson Center, researching and writing about supply chains and energy. She also leads the Mexico Institute’s Elections Guide, the ultimate resource for English-speaking audiences on Mexican politics and the current election cycle.
The United States government has filed a new indictment against Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, an alleged leader and co-founder of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York (USAO) announced Thursday that a fifth superseding indictment had been filed in federal court in Brooklyn charging Zambada with “conspiring to manufacture and distribute” fentanyl, knowing that it “would be unlawfully imported into the United States.”
In a statement, the USAO noted that the 76-year-old was “previously charged in multiple superseding indictments with running a continuing criminal enterprise, as well as murder conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl manufacture and distribution conspiracy, as well as other drug-related crimes, through his continuing leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world.”
It said that the latest superseding indictment “extends the end-dates of the continuing criminal enterprise and several conspiracies from May 2014 to January 2024.”
To ensure the success of the Sinaloa Cartel over a period of some 35 years, Zambada has “employed individuals to obtain transportation routes and warehouses to import and store narcotics, and ‘sicarios,’ or hit men, to carry out kidnappings and murders in Mexico to retaliate against rivals who threatened the cartel,” the USAO said.
El Mayo, who led the Sinaloa Cartel alongside convicted drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán for decades, has never been arrested. In an attempt to further incentivize people who may be aware of his whereabouts, the United States in 2021 tripled to US $15 million the maximum reward it is offering for information that leads to his capture and/or conviction.
When announcing the higher reward in September 2021, the U.S. State Department said that Zambada “is the unquestioned senior leader of the Sinaloa Cartel” given that Guzmán had been arrested, extradited to the U.S., convicted on drug trafficking charges and sentenced to life in prison.
Shortly after the announcement, Mexican officials and a former chief of international operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) asserted that the arrest or death of El Mayo would trigger a full-blown war for control of the Sinaloa Cartel, which includes a faction led by some of El Chapo’s sons.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said Thursday that the superseding indictment against Zambada “demonstrates our firm resolve to bring him to justice, just as we did with his former co-conspirator El Chapo.”
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said that “fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat Americans have ever faced, and the Sinaloa Cartel continues to be the largest trafficker of fentanyl into the United States.”
“With fentanyl the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45, we must continue to hold Zambada García and other cartel leaders, members, and associates accountable for the people they have killed,” she said.
Milgram has previously said that the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel pose “the greatest criminal threat the United States has ever faced” given the large quantities of fentanyl and other narcotics they smuggle into the U.S.
Combating the flow of fentanyl into the United States from Mexico is a key focus of the bilateral relationship between the two countries. The United States has recently announced sanctions against numerous alleged members of Mexican cartels, including many who are said to be affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel.
Mexico News Daily
Acapulco’s recovery from the devastation caused by Hurricane Otis in October is going faster than expected, the head of Mexico’s Tourism Ministry (Sectur) said this week.
Miguel Torruco Marqués reported that the port city has 7,110 rooms available in 167 hotels, which exceeds the number initially expected for the first quarter of 2024 by more than 400.
It also means Acapulco is ready and able to receive tourists, as well as host major events such as the Mexican Open men’s tennis tournament next week at GNP Seguros Arena. Eleven of the Top 20 players in the world have confirmed they will take part in the Open, Torruco noted.
An even bigger upcoming event is the annual Mexican Tourist Tianguis, held last year in Mexico City, which promotes Mexican tourism and products. The 48th edition is scheduled for April 10 to 12 at Acapulco’s Expo Mundial Imperial convention center, where more than 900 companies and properties will exhibit their offerings.
Tourist professionals from 33 nations have signed up so far, Torruco said, noting that 500 buyers will be there, including at least 125 from beyond Mexico’s shores, a number he expects to grow.
There was concern there wouldn’t be enough hotel rooms to host the trade fair — or visitors during Easter Week, March 24-31 — but at least 8,000 rooms will be available by then, said Santos Ramírez Cuevas, tourism minister for the state of Guerrero.
Ramírez said that the 19,000 rooms that were available before Hurricane Otis could be available again in the final quarter of 2024, and he stressed that many of them will be refurbished or completely rebuilt — and thus more attractive to tourists.
Government institution Financiera para el Bienestar has helped, Ramírez added, by issuing very low interest loans, payable in two years. He said currently 103 hotels have received a line of credit.
Torruco said 24 large-scale events are confirmed for Acapulco for this year, from the International Mariachi Festival, to a beach soccer tournament, to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide wrestling events.
Those events alone are expected to bring in more than 38,000 tourists, and with cruise ship connectivity now fully operational once again, the cruise calendar will bring in even more, he added.
To tout Acapulco’s quick recovery, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador held his Thursday morning press conference (mañanera) in the city, before moving to a Navy pier to supervise the unloading of 3,234 refrigerators from China.
The government has now delivered 190,750 packages of household goods to families affected by the hurricane, with 59,520 more on their way, Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said. He added that 41,464 refrigerators and 18,742 stoves have been or will be given out.
To speed up distribution, a large collection center was built, along with three smaller warehouses and 10 delivery points. It is hoped that all goods will be distributed by the end of this month, Cresencio said.
Amidst the positive recovery news, Acapulco is experiencing a “growing wave of violence,” according to Milenio newspaper. On Valentine’s Day this week, four people, including two municipal police officers, were killed by gunfire.
With reports from La Jornada and Milenio
When planning a family vacation to Mexico, most people only think of hitting the beach. And why not? Mexico’s beaches are beautiful, fun, easy, and inherently kid-friendly. But have you ever considered taking your family to Mexico City or any of the other great Mexican metropolises?
Since moving to Mexico in 2015, our family has spent nearly every school holiday exploring Mexico’s interior cities and towns. Our first trip was to Guadalajara when our daughter was three years old, and our most recent was to Morelia and Pátzcuaro over the winter holidays. Our travels have also taken us to Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Oaxaca, Zacatecas, Santiago de Querétaro, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, and Mérida, plus countless small mountain towns.
Every time we go someplace new, we are blown away at how family-friendly and accessible Mexican cities and towns are. There are always events, parks and activities – many of them free – that cater just to kids, and we have never been given the stink eye for bringing our daughter to a fancy restaurant.
Exposing our daughter to the beautiful bustle of Mexican cities has helped open her eyes (and ours) to the sheer magnitude of amazing art, architecture, cuisine, history, and cultural celebrations that exist.
Over the years, we’ve come up with some ways to help her enjoy the experience even more. We think of something new to try each trip and enjoy it just as much as she does. As a result, we have developed a deep appreciation for Mexico.
So, if swapping a Mexican beach for a Mexican city rises to the top of the list for your next family vacation, here are some ideas for making the experience even better for you and your kids.
Plan a “Yes Day”: You may have seen the Jennifer Garner movie with the same name. A “yes day” is a day when your kids get to decide the agenda and parents can’t say no. A movie and the zoo on the same day? Definitely. Popcorn for lunch? Sure! Let your kids plan a fun day where they get to do and eat pretty much whatever they want (within reason). You may find you have just as much fun as they do.
Appreciate architecture through art: What better way for your kids to appreciate Mexico’s amazing architecture than by drawing what they see? Kids love to create art. So bring along a small art kit – or purchase supplies at a local papelería (a fun activity by itself) – to give your kids a reason to slow down and appreciate their surroundings. We always plan time in a picturesque plaza or courtyard to draw and color. Now that our daughter is older, she’s getting into journaling, which warms this writer’s heart. So we always bring our journals too.
Plan a scavenger hunt: A great way to help kids learn their way around the city and observe its uniqueness is to plan a scavenger hunt. We like to come up with a few things for our daughter to find (she does the same for us) for a small prize, such as a statue, historical landmark or mural, or something fun and funny – like a dog wearing a sweater (you wouldn’t believe the doggie outfits in Mexico City), a hot air balloon (which frequently fly early in the morning in San Miguel de Allende and Teotihuacan) or her favorite street food cart. We also let her navigate to wherever we are headed using our phones.
Street treat day: You won’t have to plan this, your kids will already be begging to try all the goodies they see for sale from street vendors, such as freshly fried potato chips, fruit cups, paletas (popsicles), churros, tostilocos and more. Mexican street food is a kids’ dream when it comes to treats and snacks! A street treat day can make snacking less about kids begging for goodies and more of a culinary experience for the whole family. You can make it a fun taste test, daring kids (and yourself) to try things they normally wouldn’t. Charales (tiny fried fish), anyone?
Maker magic: Mexico is bursting with hand-made arts and crafts and every town has its specialty – alebrijes in Oaxaca, glass in Tonala, and textiles in San Cristóbal de Las Casas. It’s mind-boggling how many different handicrafts are made in every corner of the country. If you plan ahead, you can often find an artisan or workshop where you can watch the items being made or try to make them yourself, which is infinitely more interesting for kids than dragging them through art boutiques and museums. When we were in Pátzcuaro, we arranged to visit mask maker Felipe Horta in Tocuaro and the Fuente family in Capula who make catrinas for Día de Muertos.
“Splurge” on affordable attractions: Attractions that might break the bank at home – amusement parks, aquariums, zoos, and even the movies – are a lot more affordable in Mexico, so you can splurge a bit when you are here. For example, the Guadalajara Zoo, which is one of the most amazing zoos I’ve ever seen, is just 410 pesos (US $24) for adults and 315 pesos (US $18) for kids for a “diamante” ticket that gets you into all the attractions and special exhibits. Compare that to $72 adult and $64 kids tickets for the San Diego Zoo. We’ve been to countless zoos, movies (complete with popcorn & drinks), live performances, museums, and more in Mexico for a fraction of the price it would have been in the U.S.
Connect with other families: Sometimes your kids need a break from you (and you from them), or they just want to make new friends. Mexico has some great city parks where other families gather – or try finding families to meet with through a local Facebook group. You can also tap local Facebook groups for tips on things to do and see with kids. We’ve also done city trips with other families, which gives kids instant friends and spreads the parenting duties around.
Don’t miss: Other family-friendly features of Mexican cities worth checking out:
I hope these ideas inspire you to think beyond the beach and visit one of Mexico’s great cities. You may be surprised by how much your family will love the experience, maybe even more than the beach!
Debbie Slobe is a writer and communications strategist based in Chacala, Nayarit. She blogs at Mexpatmama.com and is a senior program director at Resource Media. Find her on Instagram and Facebook.
One of my favorite culinary revelations after moving to Mexico was how popular Brazilian steakhouses are here. Mexico has a rich grilling, or asado, tradition so it’s no surprise that the novel experience of a Brazilian steakhouse is celebrated all throughout the country.
The unending torrent of waiters who float to your table offering expertly grilled meats on long, sword-like skewers seemed so foreign compared to the boring Golden Corral-type buffets in the United States that I was accustomed to. There is one cut of beef that always stands out to me in these steakhouses – the “Queen of Steaks,” picanha! This triangular piece of meat, with its cap of fat and luscious flesh beneath, demands culinary reverence.
To experience picanha is to taste a symphony of flavors – umami-full meat, subtly seasoned, is like an orchestrated performance of culinary finesse. In the world of beef, picanha stands as a testament to both artistry and gastronomic science.
The unique grain of picanha allows for optimal rendering of fat during the grilling process, creating a harmonious marriage of crispy exterior and succulent interior. Understanding the meat’s structure is crucial – the fat cap acts as a self-baster, enriching the meat’s flavor and tenderness. The traditional Brazilian style of preparation is cutting the picanha into one-inch wide pieces, skewering with the fat cap facing outwards, and cooking it over a very hot open flame. A simple and beautiful method to enjoy this steak, but certainly not the only way. Today, I want to talk about a very different way to tackle this triangle cut.
Now let’s talk about my favorite way to cook this deliciousness: the reverse sear. Classic winter weather has arrived, a thick “chipi-chipi” of rain is stubbornly hovering over your neighborhood and you don’t feel like cleaning off the grill? No worries, this reverse sear method only calls for an oven and (at least) a 12-inch cast iron pan.
Understanding the science behind the process is key, and reverse searing offers a calculated approach. It flips the conventional script by employing a gentle, low-temperature cooking method to bring out the best in this prized cut of beef, and then a high-temperature, blistering sear for the finishing move. This method will bring the flavors of a Brazilian steakhouse to your kitchen and is perfect for hosting gatherings of any size!
By starting with a “low and slow” heat, the picanha undergoes a transformation – allowing its natural juices to permeate every fiber, rendering a tender and evenly cooked interior. This methodical process ensures that the meat reaches its desired doneness without sacrificing moisture or tenderness, a feat unmatched by traditional searing techniques.
Once the picanha reaches the ideal internal temperature, the grand finale awaits: the sear. It’s the high-heat finish that locks in the flavors, creating a mouthwatering crust that envelops the succulent beef within. For those seeking the epitome of flavor and texture in their picanha, the reverse sear method is an ode to meticulousness, an artful journey that ensures each bite is tender and robust, with an even texture throughout the cut. You may be thinking, without the grill, aren’t we going to miss some of that smokiness? Don’t worry – in this recipe, I use smoked salt!
Ingredients:
1 or more picanha steaks (about 2-3 pounds each)
Coarse smoked salt (I use Maldon smoked salt)
Black pepper (freshly ground, if possible)
Optional: Garlic powder, smoked paprika, or your preferred seasoning blend
Instructions:
Prepare the Picanha:
Preheat your oven to a low temperature, around 225°F (107°C).
Pat the picanha steaks dry with paper towels. This helps ensure a better sear later on.
Seasoning:
Cut the fat cap in a checkered pattern, being sure not to cut too deep beyond the fat. Season the picanha generously with coarse smoked salt. Optionally, add black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, or any preferred seasoning blend. Ensure the seasoning coats all sides evenly.
Slow Roasting:
Place the seasoned picanha steaks on a wire rack set over a baking sheet or in an oven-safe pan.
Slow roast the picanha in the preheated oven until the internal temperature reaches about 10-15°F (5-8°C) below your desired final temperature. This process can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the thickness of the steak and the heat of your oven.
Searing:
Once the internal temperature is near your desired doneness (around 110-115°F (43-46°C) for medium-rare), remove the picanha from the oven.
Preheat your cast-iron skillet to high heat.
Place the picanha steaks directly onto the skillet. Watch the progress extra carefully on the fat cap side, as this side is sneaky and will burn quicker.
Sear each side for 2-3 minutes until a beautiful crust forms on the exterior. This high-heat sear will bring the internal temperature up to your desired doneness – around 130-135°F (54-57°C) for medium-rare.
Rest and Serve:
Remove the picanha from the heat and let it rest in aluminum foil for about 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Slice the picanha against the grain into thick pieces and serve immediately.
This method of reverse-searing picanha results in a tender, juicy interior with a flavorful crust on the outside – they don’t call this the Queen of Steaks for nothing! Adjust cooking times based on the thickness of the steak and your preferred level of doneness. Enjoy your perfectly cooked picanha paired with my favorite traditional Brazilian accompaniment, chimichurri!
Stephen Randall has lived in Mexico since 2018 by way of Kentucky, and before that, Germany. He’s an enthusiastic amateur chef who takes inspiration from many different cuisines, with favorites including Mexican and Mediterranean.
