The Iran war is taking a toll on the peso, which further weakened after a lacklustre U.S. jobs report. (Shutterstock)
The peso continued to drop against the U.S. dollar on Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump issued more threats against Iran seven days after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against the Middle Eastern country.
At 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Bloomberg News reported that the peso had lost 0.68% against the dollar, falling 3 cents since Thursday’s close to bring the exchange rate to 17.82 units to the dollar, a seven-week low.
As a result, the peso had declined nearly 4%, pointing to its worst weekly performance since June 2024.
Friday’s trading action came after Trump used his Truth Social network to demand an “unconditional surrender” from Iran.
El Economista newspaper reported that the market is also concerned about U.S. economic indicators that suggest the world’s largest economy might be cooling down “at a complex time due to the war.”
U.S. nonfarm payrolls fell by 92,000 jobs in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pushing the U.S. unemployment rate up to 4.4% from a previous level of 4.3%.
Although the dollar index retreated following the jobs report, the peso remained under intense pressure due to a broader flight from riskier emerging market assets.
Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, told El Financiero newspaper that the depreciation of the peso “is due to an increase in global risk aversion, as there are no signs that the war in Iran will end soon.”
Siller also cited Thursday’s decision by the Republican-majority U.S. House of Representatives, which rejected a resolution to force an end to U.S. attacks against Iran on a 219 to 212 vote — signalling legislative support for the conflict.
Trading Economics reported that the peso’s vulnerability is compounded by energy price shocks due to the war in Iran which has also raised the risk of a global inflationary recession.
El Financiero said Banamex reported that the dollar was selling for 18.26 pesos at 10 a.m., while the purchase price for the greenback was at 17.24 units.
A computer-generated rendering of the light show planned for Mexico City's Zócalo in commemoration of International Women's Day on Sunday, March 8. (Webcams de México / X)
A monumental lighting display will adorn Mexico City’s Zócalo on Sunday, March 8, as part of commemorations for International Women’s Day.
The special lighting will be primarily purple, a color associated with women’s rights movements around the world.
Deputies from the Morena party demonstrate on the Chamber floor their support for the goals of Sunday’s International Women’s Day commemoration. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro.com)
The official X account of Webcams de México shared an AI generated rendering of how the Zócalo will look on the day. The image shows a woman’s face in silhouette on the surface of the square, with her hair blown around her and what seems to be leaves flying from her hand. With it, a projected message will read: “Women, always alive, always free, always equal.”
This sign will be built by women on the evening of March 7.
Buildings surrounding the Zócalo will also be illuminated to create a purple atmosphere in and around Latin America’s largest public square.
The exposition is part of a larger initiative dubbed “Time for Women. Festival for Equality,” which has been running since 2019. The 2026 edition will feature over 100 activities in more than 60 venues throughout Mexico City through April 19.
The activities will include concerts, exhibitions, theater performances, film, workshops and academic sessions that incorporate a gender perspective. Most of these events will be free of charge.
Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada noted that the Zócalo has historically been lit up in much the same way for such major events as Mexico’s Independence Day (Sept.16), Day of the Dead (Nov. 1 and 2), Revolution Day (Nov. 20) and the winter holidays.
“Now in March we will also have a monumental lighting display, and we want public buildings to be illuminated in purple as well,” Brugada said.
In addition to being adorned with lights, the National Palace at the east end of the Zócalo, which serves as President Claudia Sheinbaum’s residence, has already been protected by metal barriers up to 2.5 meters tall ahead of the Women’s Day demonstration on March 8.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said that the placement of the fences is intended to “avoid a confrontation between police and women,” and to protect the building from violent acts during the event.
The two companies say their first order of business will be to increase the number of charging stations in central Mexico and the Bajío region. (Ivan Radic/CC BY-NC 2.0)
Two rising U.S. technology firms have formalized a US $500 million investment agreement to deploy clean transportation infrastructure in central Mexico and the Bajío region.
Invisible Urban Charging Inc. (IUC) and ATX Smart Mobility, LLC will manage an investment to address one of the biggest obstacles to the adoption of electric vehicles in Mexico: the lack of charging stations.
IUC’s CEO Jake Bezzant (left) was in Mexico City to finalize the partnership with Eduardo Kuri (right), CEO of ATX Smart Mobility. (LinkedIn)
Jake Bezzant, IUC’s CEO,met with Eduardo Kuri, CEO of ATX Smart Mobility, in Mexico City this week to finalize the partnership which he described as “an evolutionary step” aligned with President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Plan México.
According to the two companies, the project will begin with an immediate rollout in the Bajío region in central Mexico, “marking a milestone in the energy transition of Mexican public and commercial transportation.”
In a statement on Linked In, IUC said it will work with ATX “to fund new electromobility infrastructure, starting with 140 electric buses and 38 dual-port IUC DC fast chargers.”
According to Bloomberg News, IUC will “provide funding for charger installations … hardware sourcing and servicing, a software platform for site owners and an app for drivers.”
For its part, ATX will use an AI-driven platform to provide technology that will optimize routes and energy use within public transport systems.
“This isn’t just about chargers or buses,” ATX’s Kuri said in a statement. “It’s about building the full ecosystem — energy generation, charging infrastructure, electric fleets, public transit and AutoTren — in a way that makes the transition to electric mobility inevitable, not optional.”
Kuri believes Mexico “has the fundamentals: high public transit adoption, a growing logistics sector, and increasing international investor confidence.”
The cities that will benefit from the initial arrangement are Querétaro in the Bajío, as well as Puebla and the Mexico City Metropolitan Area.
Kuri said Mexico has a ratio of 280 cars per charger, while the ideal standard for an efficient transition should be 40 cars per charger.
This gap represents the “huge opportunity” on which U.S. investors can capitalize, especially given the massive arrival of Chinese electric vehicle brands, such as BYD and Geely, which are accelerating demand among Mexican consumers.
“If we do what we need to in the fleet segment,” Bezzant said, “it will create an environment where the everyday user will have the necessary infrastructure to easily make the decision to switch to electric.”
The deal also features a partnership with real estate company CBRE Group Inc, which will select sites for EV charging hubs.
The financial backing comes from reputable sources, including DLL Group (a Rabobank subsidiary) and the U.S. firms Redaptive and EIG.
The initial US $500 million is just the beginning, with IUC saying it intends to deploy another US $3 billion in the Mexican market over the next 18 to 36 months.
"Miners are in mourning," reads a banner carried by protesting mining industry workers in Zacatecas in mid-February. The protesters called for more attention and resources for the case of 10 miners kidnapped in Concordia, Sinaloa. (Adolfo Vladimir / Cuartoscuro.com)
The Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) announced March 5 that forensic specialists have genetically identified two additional victims in the case of 10 employees of Canadian mining company Vizsla Silver who were abducted in Concordia, Sinaloa. Seven of the ten workers who went missing on January 23 have now been confirmed dead, with three remaining unaccounted for.
According to the FGR, the two newly identified bodies were recovered from El Verde, a small community in the municipality of La Concordia — the same clandestine grave site where earlier remains were found in early February. After government forensic geneticists identified the bodies, they were returned to the families.
In a statement released the same day, Vizsla Silver confirmed the findings. President and CEO Michael Konnert extended condolences to those affected and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the long-term development of its Panuco silver-gold project and to the community of Concordia.
The kidnapping of the ten engineers, geologists and security personnel — seized by an armed commando from a company housing development in the early morning hours — prompted a massive security response, including the deployment of over 1,000 military personnel ordered by President Claudia Sheinbaum. Authorities have attributed the crime to a cell of the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, with Federal Security Minister Omar García Harfuch stating that initial detainees claimed the workers were mistaken for members of a rival criminal group. Sheinbaum, however, subsequently cast doubt on that account, saying prosecutors had not ruled out the possibility that the company had been targeted as part of an extortion scheme.
The FGR said the investigation remains ongoing, led by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO) with the support of the Security Cabinet. Vizsla Silver, meanwhile, said it continues to cooperate fully with Mexican authorities as search efforts for the three still-missing workers continue.
Mexico News Daily
This story contains press release summaries generated by Claude. It has been revised and fact-checked by a Mexico News Daily staff editor.
The third Foro Nacional de la Bicicleta will be held in San Cristóbal de las Casas this weekend. (FNBM.org)
On March 11-16, the southern city of San Cristóbal de las Casas will be the site of the 3rd National Bicycle Forum (3er Foro Nacional de la Bicicleta), an event organized by bike-loving community volunteers from throughout Mexico.
Participants from throughout the country will converge on the Pueblo Mágico for a range of activities, including workshops on bike construction and maintenance, demonstrations of bike-generated community energy projects, a graphic arts exhibition focused on women riders, brainstorming sessions on increasing the “right to the city,” a film festival, a rodada — a mass convergence of bike riders and bike tours of the city and region.
The Foro Nacional de la Bicicleta will find an eager audience among San Cristóbal de las Casas’ robust cycling community. (FNBM.org)
Organizing committee member Miguel Alberto Hidalgo said the forum will host bike riders from across the country, along with international guests from Spain, Holland and Italy. Participants will exchange stories of successful integration of bike infrastructure into urban contexts as cities worldwide face the imperative of reducing carbon emissions from cars and of diversifying transport options.
The right to the city and San Cristóbal’s security crisis
The organizing committee was formed by passionate San Cristóbal locals who have been engaged in various activities to promote “the right to the city” over the last few years — occupying urban spaces for recreation and assembly and promoting mobility of all kinds.
Hidalgo runs the Rueda Libre bike workshop in San Cristóbal and was motivated to campaign for a safer and more inclusive city when Italian cyclist and activist Michele Colosio was assaulted and killed in San Cristóbal in 2021. One of the first projects created and driven by Hidalgo and other comrades of Colosio is the San Cristóbal Vía Recreativa, a mass community bike ride through the city.
“Personally, I am involved in the Foro because Michele was my partner,” says Laura Villa, who is also an organizing committee member. “He was a victim of violence who had done a lot for bike activism. He was there at the beginning of the project to create the Vía Recreativa, but he didn’t get to see the end result.”
Villa works with Circotik, which promotes social circus-based recreation for children in San Cristóbal and surrounding communities.
Cycling isn’t just good exercise in San Cristóbal de las Casas; it helps strengthen the community. (Facebook)
Strengthening the social fabric
“When there started to be a lot of violence in San Cristóbal, a lot of people started talking about the need to strengthen the social fabric,” she said.
“But it was more of a discourse than a concrete practice… Weaving the social fabric has to be more of a practice — where we go out, we see and recognize each other” in public space, continued Villa.
“This way we can help reduce the fear generated by the violence too.”
Miguel Hidalgo said that this national forum is being held for the first time in a non-capital city — not just in the oft-overlooked southern state of Chiapas, but in “a municipality that is not the capital city.”
This is particularly important for showing engagement with a peripheral part of the country, he added.
San Cristóbal de las Casas is almost 500 years old. (Alex Quiroz/Unsplash)
The first and second forums were held in the cities of Mérida and Querétaro.
San Cristóbal’s host role comes as the city has been battling to regain tourism income lost from the security crisis. T2028 will be the 500th anniversary of the city’s founding.
Miguel Hidalgo says the city faces particular challenges in basic infrastructure to guarantee the right to the city.
“There’s a lack of accessibility for people with reduced mobility — there are no access ramps,” for example, he says.
He adds that “the quality of the sidewalks” is also a persistent problem for getting around.
Could biking be the key to revival?
Getting more people to ride bikes — and making San Cristóbal de las Casas more bikeable — could be the key to the city’s revival. (Facebook)
Traffic accidents driven by poor street design are also a concern. Misión Cero, a project of concrete company Cemex, has identified a series of so-called “black spots,” where accidents frequently occur, that could be improved by speed-control measures in road design and “adequate pedestrian infrastructure.”
More than 7,000 bicycles circulate through San Cristóbal every day.
Hidalgo says improved mobility for bicycle users and people with reduced mobility alike could be key to the city’s revival.
Tourism is “decisive” to San Cristóbal’s economy, he observed.
Poor access to “safe mobility” also reduces the number of people who use the city, including tourists, Hidalgo added.
He notes that bicycle tourism in the region has also been increasing in recent years.
Bikeability — local and national challenges
San Cristóbal de las Casas is a good place for cyclists, thanks to the fact that drivers can’t go very fast. (Facebook)The forum committee is hoping the municipal government of San Cristóbal will adopt federal guidelines on the structure and design of urban spaces. The guidelines establish minimum standards for the construction or rehabilitation of streets from a “safe systems” approach and integrate principles of universal design, accessibility, sustainability and road safety.
To be sure, the forum also comes at a moment when urban megaprojects are sweeping the country, many of which prioritize transport by car and have been critiqued by advocacy organizations on environmental and human rights points.
Dedicated cyclist Linda Lönnqvist has lived in San Cristóbal for the past 12 years and will be attending the forum. Before San Cristóbal, she got around by bike in Manchester and Oxford in the U.K., Dar-e-Salam in Tanzania and in her hometown of Vanda in Finland.
“San Cristóbal has many benefits for cyclists,” she said. “Most streets are one-way, so you have to stop at every corner, and there are lots of blind corners. So anyone on any kind of vehicle has to stop and look around and decide who has the right of way to cross — so you don’t get people coming at you at 80 kilometers per hour.”
Ann Louise Deslandes is an independent journalist and consultant in San Cristóbal de las Casas.
Monarch butterflies make an annual migration from Canada to Mexico. (Derek Ramsey/Wikimedia Commons)
My father died exactly one year ago, which has rendered me sensitive to the life cycle.
What happens to the energy stored inside a body once that body has shut down? In Mexico, the answer rides on the wings of monarch butterflies.
Winged migration
The monarch migration requires future generations to complete, as it’s longer than the average lifespan. (Rhododendrite/Wikimedia Commons)
Each year, millions of the orange-and-black beauties make their way from Canada to Mexico and back again, drifting along high-altitude air currents through dense oyamel and pine forests. Here, they cluster at the tops of trees, where the cool, humid air keeps them from drying out — a deliberate act of survival against a climate that would otherwise kill them.
Their arrival in Mexico in late October to mid-November coincides with Day of the Dead, when the souls of deceased loved ones return to visit their living relatives, eat a good meal and have a tequila or two. The belief that the butterflies carry these souls from Mictlán — the Mexica realm of the dead — back to earth has endured for centuries.
The migration is indeed an environmental cause; in Mexico, it remains a sacred one.
Perhaps it’s fate that brought me to Valle de Bravo’s butterfly sanctuary this year, with the first truly significant calendar cycle of my father’s death coming to a close. The idea that he could be a butterfly actually makes me laugh out loud — if anything, he’s a squirrel — but knowing that one’s energy continues, albeit in another form, resonates on a deeper level.
I can’t wrap my head around death being the absolute end. Earthly life works on too intricate a system for there not to be a bigger purpose, and I think the butterfly migration is a prime example of exactly that.
A generational journey northward
In March, after mating, monarch butterflies travel 2,500–3,000 miles from Michoacán and México state to the northern United States and southern Canada in search of milkweed. While the southward-migrating generation of monarchs survive longer than the usual six-week lifespan — thanks to their bodies going into a lower metabolic state for the fall journey called diapause — it takes several generations of monarchs to complete their return journey northward: The first generation of these monarchs generally makes it as far as Texas, and it’s usually the grandchild that finally touches down in the United States and Canada.
The death of monarchs along the migratory path returns nitrogen to the soil, keeping forests alive. (Steve Corey/Wikimedia Commons)
Along the way, females lay eggs on milkweed before dying on the forest floor — where their decomposing tissue feeds ants, spiders and birds, and their exoskeletons return nitrogen to the soil. I keep coming back to that detail. Without it, the ecosystem would collapse — their death keeps the forest alive.
The monarch butterfly tour experience
The British Society in Mexico organized the trip, chartering a private bus from Mexico City for the 2 1/2-hour transfer westward. I’m sensitive to motion sickness, and by the time we arrived, I was downright spinning from what felt like a near-endless series of hairpin turns.
The entrance is a short walk from the parking area, where we paid 150 pesos for access to the sanctuary. Dozens of stands selling quesadillas, fresh fruit, monarch butterfly magnets, pan dulce and beverages of all kinds line the base of the mountain.
At the ascent’s starting point, visitors choose between hiking or horseback. I chose to hike — about 90 minutes to the top. The first stretch is a steady incline before reaching a platform where walking sticks are available and the trail steepens considerably — this is also where hikers and horses part ways — though the paths briefly reunite higher up with little warning.
The mix of visitors is striking: parents carrying babies on their backs and grandmothers navigating the slope alongside teenagers, some in full hiking gear, others in jeans and heeled cowboy boots.
The soft hum of flapping wings eventually replaced familial chitchat. The pathway narrowed enough that only one person could comfortably fit, and the temperature dropped several degrees. Flutters of color — orange, yellow and black — sparkled beneath the sun with increasing frequency.
In a sense, the process of monarch migration never really finishes. (Kenneth Dwain Harrelson/Wikimedia Commons)
Beneath my feet, dead butterflies lay scattered across the ground, some in small piles, still quite colorful. Above my head, swarms of the living swirled among the trees. I walked slowly, gaze locked on the kaleidoscope of paper-thin wings. And then — a bump: I had gently collided with the person in front of me — luckily, a friend. The line had stopped; most onlookers were too busy documenting the experience through their phone screens to keep walking, and for the next 30 minutes, we were forced to creep along at their pace.
Despite the rampant obsession with documenting every moment, the sense of interconnection was powerful. Here we were, a group of strangers, walking among the dead and the living, both of which contribute critically to something bigger than any of us: the survival of the forest, and everything that depends on it.
Once through the roosting area, we made our way back down at our leisure. The descent took about half the time, not without a close encounter with an overzealous horse. My friend and I beelined to a fruit stand — fresh papaya, watermelon and pineapple for 50 pesos — before poking around the souvenir shops, where she picked up a monarch magnet for 10 pesos.
Two cheeseless quesadillas and a café de olla later, we wandered back to the bus, not without feeding a stray dog and buying a 15-peso loaf of bread for the ride back.
Where to find your own monarch experience
On the bus, I turned it all over in my mind — the crowds, the long ride, the sea of phone screens and — underneath it all — the color and sound of the delicate movements of millions of translucent wings.
This experience is so distinctly Mexican, not only because it takes place here but also because of what Mexicans have always understood about life and death. The migration, in a way, makes life make sense, a concept I’ve desperately been trying to grasp since my father’s death. We’re all contributing to something that never really dies, so maybe we never really die, we just change form.
For those considering a first butterfly experience, Piedra Herrada makes for an excellent day trip from Mexico City. Those looking for a less touristy, more intimate adventure might consider Michoacán’s Cerro Pelón or La Mesa — both require longer, steeper hikes and see fewer crowds – but for an introduction to the migration, this sanctuary delivers. For more information, check out the Mexican government’s biodiversity page.
Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog or follow her on Instagram.
Though Thursday's press conference was primarily World Cup-focused, President Sheinbaum also addressed Mexico's diplomatic note sent in response to the death of a Mexican man who was in U.S. custody. (Saúl López / Presidencia)
Less than 100 days before the start of the FIFA men’s World Cup, preparations for the quadrennial tournament are ramping up.
Among other issues discussed at the mañanera, Sheinbaum spoke about the recent death of a Mexican citizen who was in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Sheinbaum announces competition to win her ticket to World Cup opener
Sheinbaum announced that a competition called “Represent Mexico in the World Cup Opening Ceremony” will be held to find a young woman to represent her at the opening ceremony and match of the tournament, which will take place in Mexico City on June 11.
The winner of the competition will be given Sheinbaum’s ticket — No. 00001 — for the opening ceremony and match at Estadio Azteca. The president received the ticket from FIFA president Gianni Infantino last August.
The competition, Sheinbaum explained, is a soccer ball juggling contest.
Mexican professional soccer player Charlyn Corral Ang, seen here demonstrating juggling at the morning press conference, will serve as one of the contest’s judges. (Saúl López / Presidencia)
“Young women aged 16 to 25 are going to participate,” she said.
“… What do they have to do? Dominadas for one minute,” Sheinbaum said, using a Spanish-language noun for the juggling of a soccer ball.
She said that participants will submit their entries via the website mundialsocial.gob.mx, where they will enter a link to a YouTube video in which they are shown juggling a soccer ball for one minute. Entries can be submitted between next Monday (March 9) and April 10.
Sheinbaum said that the judges of the competition will be professional soccer player Charlyn Corral Ang, referee Katia Itzel García and commentator Gabriela Fernández de Lara.
“The best [soccer ball juggler], whoever is chosen, will represent Mexico at the World Cup opening ceremony,” she said.
Sheinbaum, who announced last year that she would give away her ticket, said that she would watch the World Cup opening ceremony — which will precede the first match of the tournament between Mexico and South Africa — in the Zócalo, Mexico City’s central square.
“I’ll be here in the Zócalo watching … with the people while a young woman represents me at the opening ceremony,” she said during her press conference at the National Palace, which is adjacent to the central square.
“Why? Because I think that a young woman who plays fútbol is a great representative of our country,” Sheinbaum said.
President Sheinbaum’s ticket will go to a young woman soccer player, who will represent Mexico and Sheinbaum at the World Cup opener. (Saúl López / Presidencia)
“Very few people will be able to go to the opening ceremony, very few people. So, I’m going to watch it here with the people and a young woman will represent us, represent me and the people of Mexico,” she said.
Later in the press conference, Sheinbaum said there was a possibility that at least two runners-up would also be able to attend the World Cup opening ceremony.
“Let’s see if we get other tickets. … We’re working on that, let’s see if we can give [tickets] to second and third place, at least,” she said.
Sheinbaum: Mexico sent US a diplomatic note over the death of a Mexican national in ICE custody
A reporter noted that the Foreign Affairs Ministry (SRE) announced the death of a Mexican national in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and asked the president what information she had about the case and whether a “formal diplomatic notice of protest” had been sent to the U.S. government.
Sheinbaum said that a diplomatic note was “immediately” sent to the U.S. government and noted that authorities are supporting the family of the deceased man, identified as 48-year-old Alberto Gutiérrez Reyes, who was originally from Veracruz.
“And the way in which we file a [legal] complaint … [in the U.S.] is through the family. The [Mexican] Consulate can’t do it directly due to legal reasons,” she said.
The SRE published a press release on Sunday, in which it announced “with deep regret the death of a Mexican national while in ICE custody at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California.”
The ministry said it would “demand an immediate and thorough investigation into the conditions that have led to the deaths of Mexicans in this agency’s custody, in order to hold those responsible accountable and ensure no recurrence of such events.”
The SRE also said that “given the seriousness of the situation, the Mexican Consulate in San Bernardino immediately activated its consular protection protocols and communicated urgently with the authorities involved to request detailed information about the circumstances surrounding the death.”
A Mexican national died while in ICE custody at the Adelanto detention center in the High Desert, according to Los Angeles Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez.
Hernandez identified the man who died as Alberto Gutierrez Reyes of Westlake. She claims he died in ICE custody after… pic.twitter.com/lwp50tDA62
“Formal requests have been submitted for the deceased’s medical records, custody reports, and all other documentation necessary to establish a full and clear account of what occurred,” the ministry added.
The Adelanto ICE Processing Center is located around 145 kilometers (90 miles) northeast of central Los Angeles.
ABC 7 reported that Gutiérrez Reyes “lived in L.A.’s Westlake District, according to his family.”
He arrived in the United States in 2001 “in search of better opportunities for his family,” N+ Univisión reported.
Gutiérrez’s wife, Patricia Martínez Hernández, told ABC 7 that her husband had diabetes and high cholesterol. She “alleges the [ICE processing] center knew this but did nothing to help,” ABC 7 reported.
“He would say that he wasn’t feeling well. He wasn’t feeling well. When my son went to go see him Sunday, my son goes every Sunday, he would tell me, ‘Mom, dad’s skin is yellow. His face is yellow.’ Last week, the Sunday before, he told me, ‘Mom, his eyes are yellow,” said Martínez, whose husband was reportedly detained at the ICE center for less than two months.
Citing his family, N+ Univisión reported that Gutiérrez began to suffer from “serious health problems related to the extreme cold and the conditions in the detention center,” located in the Mojave Desert.
The news outlet said that he lost consciousness at around midnight on Feb. 26 and was transported to the Victor Valley Global Medical Center, where he died early on Feb. 27.
Gutiérrez’s death was the ninth in ICE custody this year, according to Eunisses Hernandez, the L.A. council member. The Associated Press reported Thursday that at least nine people have died in ICE custody this year, including a Haitian man who passed away this week.
Cuera Tamaulipeca garments can be designed for men, women and children. (Tamaulipas Culture Ministry)
The Cuera Tamaulipeca, the traditional garment of the northern border state of Tamaulipas, has been legally recognized as a product linked exclusively to its region of origin through Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status.
Granted by the Mexican Institute of Intellectual Property (IMPI), the Protected Geographical Indication protects the product’s name, Cuera Tamaulipeca, and establishes that it may only be used for garments made under the technical and origin conditions registered at the IMPI.
La cuera tamaulipeca es una prenda tradicional que nació en Tula, Tamaulipas. Se hace con piel de becerro o gamuza de venado y lleva grabados de flores blancas y largos flecos. Cada cuera guarda la historia de las manos que la crean y el conocimiento que pasa de padres a hijos,… pic.twitter.com/FYGMi6CfgG
“The Cuera Tamaulipeca is not only a work of art crafted with skill and patience; it is an emblem of the strong, noble, and hardworking character of our people,” Tamaulipas Tourism Minister Benjamín Hernández Rodríguez said.
The official recognition was the result of a technical process carried out by the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas (UAT) to ensure that producers met the criteria required by IMPI. These studies documented the historical and cultural link of the garment with the Tamaulipas highlands encompassing the municipalities of Tula and Ciudad Victoria, where the craft has its deepest roots and most production.
Here, artisans have been manufacturing the Cuera Tamaulipeca for over a century using traditional methods. The jacket is typically made from calfskin or deerskin, featuring light leather prints and floral designs, along with long fringes on the sleeves, back, and front.
Following the Protected Geographical Indication recognition, producers must now use the phrase “Protected Geographical Indication Cuera Tamaulipeca” or the acronym “PGI” on their garments to protect the piece from misuse or imitation and to guarantee buyers an original piece.
Furthermore, the IMPI will work on obtaining international recognition of this Geographical Indication through the international trade treaties and agreements in force in Mexico.
Hernández added that this legal protection represents one step towards integrating the Cuera Tamaulipeca as a central symbol of tourism promotion campaigns at fairs, exhibitions and digital platforms, to showcase the quality, creativity and authenticity of Tamaulipas.
This is the first time a product originating from Tamaulipas has received protection under the Geographical Indication designation.
The PGI should not be confused with the Origin Denomination (DO). While both recognize a product exclusive to a certain region, the DO recognizes the natural and environmental conditions of the area of origin as an essential condition for the existence of such a product, while the PG distinguishes a product due to its reputation and identity in the region.
Creel, which draws its share of tourists for Day of the Dead commemorations, is one of five Chihuahua Pueblos Mágicos that will benefit from a public-private partnership bringing digital payment tools to area merchants. (Chihuahua State Government)
Spanish banking giant BBVA and the state of Chihuahua this week announced an alliance to provide digital services to the northern state’s Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns).
Chihuahua, where 70% of tourism businesses are unbanked and lack tools for cashless payments, is the first state to establish an Avanzamos por México partnership.
“Many tourism businesses here lack the basic tools to compete in a market where visitors demand easy payment options, formality and trust,” Chihuahua Tourism Minister Edibray Gómez said.
The Chihuahua Tourism Ministry (Sectur Chih) said the goal is to promote digitization and financial inclusion, while also boosting tourism, particularly in the state’s five Magical Towns — Batopilas, Casas Grandes, Creel, Guachochi and Parral.
“Promotion and infrastructure open the door [to tourists], whereas quality service and ease of payment prompt the visitor to return,” Gómez said.
Recorriendo México cada día conozco y amo más a mi patria y a mi pueblo. Eso me hace feliz. Esta semana cruzamos más de 700 kilómetros para visitar Guachochi, corazón de la Sierra Tarahumara. pic.twitter.com/VT4kTNh6Yt
In addition to the Pueblos Mágicos, municipalities and tourist locations will also benefit from easier access to banking services for micro-, small and medium-sized tourism businesses, as well as safer and more transparent payments for tourists. Additionally, the program is designed to strengthen financial inclusion through training in digital finance.
“The global trend is towards digital payments, which is why this strategy actively integrates the tourism value chain to modernize it,” Gómez said.
A publicity program will position the “Mexico” and “Magical Towns” brands in more than 8,000 ATMs in Chihuahua, as well as 6,000 self-service kiosks, 4,700 screens, 25 mega-screens and 1,600 branches, in addition to digital channels.
Furthermore, financial access and banking services will be provided for community tourism projects, financial and technological education will be provided to entrepreneurs in the sector, and financial incentives will be offered to tourists such as reward programs, interest-free periods and cashback programs.
The animal welfare policy includes plans for a new 500-dog shelter and aims to increase public funding for independent shelters. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar / Cuartoscuro.com)
In a push to promote responsible pet ownership, Mexico City plans to crack down on dog-biting while aiming to become free of dog feces.
During a canine and feline sterilization service event in the borough of Tláhuac on Tuesday, Mayor Clara Brugada said her government is moving to strengthen animal welfare policy, outlining 10 proposals to “make Mexico City a very animal-friendly city.”
Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada outlined some of her government’s animal welfare policy goals during a sterilization event in the borough of Tláhuac. (Camila Ayala Bernabib/Cuartoscuro.com)
One top priority is to guarantee a city free of fecal matter in public areas, especially on sidewalks. To achieve a poop-free city, the government will target pet owners with an awareness campaign and will enforce fines and penalties that already exist.
Brugada said the government will establish a dedicated phone line so that “citizens can report anyone who does not comply with the measure” of picking up their dogs’ feces.
The mayor also acknowledged that the capital leads the nation in dog-biting incidents. Olivia Garza, a member of the Mexico City Congress, said she intends to submit legislation to address the problem.
Garza said her bill strengthens penalties for dog owners whose pets bite someone else (25-36 hours of administrative arrest and 12-18 hours of community service), while also increasing administrative detention from 24 to 36 hours for owners who walk their dogs without a leash.
“Responsible guardianship is not optional,” Garza said. “Protecting children, the elderly, and animals themselves is an obligation.”
Brugada told reporters that the city’s new pet registration system (launched in June 2023) has attracted 200,000 new canine members since October 2024, reaching 300,000 registrations overall.
“Our goal is to have zero street animals,” she said.
Mobile units that will be sent into all 16 boroughs will not only allow owners to register their pets, but can also provide free vaccinations.
Other goals of the Animal Welfare Plan are to build 100 free veterinary clinics, 200 dog parks (40 new parks are scheduled to be completed this year), a shelter with capacity for 500 rescued animals and a fund for independent animal shelters. The city is also building a new veterinary hospital that is expected to open next year.
Additionally, Brugada said that the city hopes to provide 150,000 sterilizations this year, more than doubling the 65,000 performed last year.
