Sections 1-4 of the Maya Train are already completely open. (Isabel Mateos Hinojosa/Cuartoscuro)
The federal government has once again pushed back the scheduled completion date for the Maya Train railroad: it will now be fully operational in September, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Monday.
Sections 1–4 of the 1,554-kilometer-long railroad — which link Palenque, Chiapas, to Cancún, Quintana Roo, via Tabasco, Campeche and Yucatán — are already open, as is the northern part of Section 5, which connects Cancún to Playa del Carmen.
The Maya Train, which is partially operational, is one of the legacy projects of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, left, but he may only just barely see it completed before he leaves office on October 1. (lopezobrador.org.mx)
However, trains have not yet started running on the southern part of Section 5 between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, or on Sections 6 and 7, which will link Tulum to Escárcega, Campeche, and include stations at Bacalar and Chetumal.
López Obrador said Monday that the construction of a cable-stayed bridge will delay the opening of Tramo 5 Sur, as the southern part of Section 5 is known.
“We already inaugurated [the section] from Cancún to Playa, … but we can’t connect to Tulum because of the cable-stayed bridge, which will take time. We think we’ll finish it at the end of August,” he told reporters at his morning press conference.
López Obrador acknowledged that steel and cement pilings pierced through the roof of a limestone cave during construction of a section of Tramo 5 Sur and said that authorities are “repairing everything and resolving the problem.”
As a result of the damage caused by the pilings, a decision was taken to build a cable-stayed bridge with a span of 200 meters in order to avoid damage to caves, cenotes (water-filled sinkholes) and subterranean rivers, the president said, although he previously announced such a bridge in January 2023.
“In other words, we’re not going to install columns, … it’s going to be a cable-stayed bridge, and this means a delay. … We could have drilled and installed piles, but we said, ‘No, we’re going to look after this area,’ and that’s why [we’re building] the bridge,” López Obrador said.
Photo shared by environmentalists in January showing the Maya Train’s pilings piercing the limestone ceiling of a cenote on Section 5 of the railway, which connects the international airports in Cancún and Tulum. (@gchristy65/X)
He said that the entire railroad — including “all the stations” and train sheds and workshops — will be completely finished by September, his final month in office before a new president is sworn in on Oct. 1.
López Obrador has said on repeated occasions that the construction and operation of the Maya Train railroad will help generate economic prosperity and well-being in the five states through which it runs. It connects cities and towns in Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, Quintana Roo and Chiapas, giving passengers access to less-visited parts of Mexico’s southeast.
The president believes that many tourists who fly into Cancún will use the train to head to inland destinations on the Yucatán Peninsula — an area with numerous archaeological sites, pretty colonial cities such as Valladolid and Izamal in Yucatán and plentiful cenotes, among other attractions.
However, it remains to be seen how much long-term demand there will be for tourist services on the railroad, which is also set to be used by freight trains at some point in the future.
The spider monkey was found during a raid on a home in Mexico City's Gustavo A. Madero neighborhood that turned up guns and drugs as well as counterfeit bills. The primate will be sent to a facility run by the federal environmental agency Profepa, authorities said. (SSC CDMX)
Cocaine, crystal meth, counterfeit bills and weapons were among the items seized over the weekend in a major security operation conducted by Mexico City authorities, arresting 61 people in the capital’s Gustavo A. Madero borough.
But perhaps the most surprising confiscation was that of a spider monkey, found during the series of raids on various homes on Friday and Saturday.
Just some of the 61 people who were arrested in the Gustavo A. Madero borough of Mexico City on Friday and Saturday. Police believe the counterfeit operation was putting fake 500-peso bills into circulation. (SSC CDMX)
The primate was taken into protective custody by the city’s Animal Vigilance Brigade (BVA) for later transfer to the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa), said Mexico City’s Ministry of Citizen Security (SSC) head Pablo Vázquez Camacho during a Monday press conference.
Vázquez also provided other details of the operation: officials seized 944 doses of cocaine powder, more than 240 doses of rock cocaine, 11 kilograms of marijuana, half a kilogram of marijuana in 65 bags, and dozens of bags of crystal meth and methamphetamine, Vazquez said.
Authorities also confiscated four short firearms, ammunition, seven cell phones and several stolen vehicles.
One major development was the arrest of three alleged members of the Los Arroyo criminal group. At a residence in the neighborhood of CTM Atzacoalco, authorities discovered a counterfeiting operation that included 42 sheets printed with 500-peso bills, cutting tools and seven fake ID cards, as well as the recovered spider monkey.
Investigators believe the gang put the fake bills — which were cut by hand using a utility knife and a school ruler — into circulation in local flea markets.
Also present in the home where the monkey was taken into custody were two altars and various objects related to Santa Muerte — a folk saint who represents death and is often associated with Mexico’s criminal subculture.
The operation took place in several neighborhoods of Gustavo A. Madero and included the execution of 10 search warrants. The residential area is known as the home of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, El Tepeyac National Park and the huge Tianguis San Felipe market every Sunday. The market is said to be the largest in Latin America.
The three candidates - from left, Salomón Chertorivski, Clara Brugada and Santiago Taboada - at the second debate held on Sunday in Mexico City.
The contest to become the next mayor of Mexico City is tightening, according to a recent poll that found that the gap between the two leading candidates is just five points.
Conducted earlier this month, the El Financiero newspaper’s latest poll found that Clara Brugada, candidate for a coalition led by the ruling Morena party, had 42% support among 800 respondents who are eligible to cast a vote in the June 2 mayoral election.
Santiago Taboada — who will represent an alliance made up of the National Action Party (PAN), the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) — attracted 37% support.
The gap between the two candidates declined three points compared to March, when El Financiero found that Brugada, former mayor of the Mexico City borough of Iztapalapa, had 44% support and Taboada, ex-mayor of the borough of Benito Juárez, had 36% support.
Support for the third candidate, Salomón Chertorivski of the minor Citizens Movement (MC) party, declined to 6% in April from 7% last month.
The remaining 15% of respondents said they hadn’t yet decided who they will vote for on the first Sunday in June, when Mexicans across the country will go to the polls to elect a new president and thousands of other federal, state and municipal representatives.
The three candidates running for mayor of Mexico City are (from left to right): Clara Brugada of Morena, Santiago Taboada of the PAN-PRI-PRD coalition and Salomón Chertorivski of the Citizens Movement party. (Cuartoscuro/X)
Excluding the presidency, the biggest single prize on offer in this year’s elections is considered by many to be the mayorship of Mexico City, the national capital and the country’s largest city. Claudia Sheinbaum, the Morena party’s presidential candidate, is aiming to use her 2018-23 tenure as mayor of Mexico City as a springboard to the nation’s top job.
Brugada more popular among women and the lower class, Taboada favored by men and the middle class
Almost half of female respondents to the latest El Financiero poll — 46% to be exact — said they intend to vote for Brugada, a 60-year-old economist who served as a federal and Mexico City lawmaker before becoming mayor of Iztapalapa, a sprawling densely-populated borough in the capital’s east.
One-third of the women polled said they plan to vote for Taboada, a 38-year-old law graduate who also served as a federal and Mexico City lawmaker before becoming mayor of Benito Júarez, a largely middle class borough south of the historic center.
Among men, support for the PAN-PRI-PRD candidate rose to 40%, while Brugada, who will also represent the Labor Party and the Green Party in the mayoral election, attracted support from 38% of male respondents.
El Financiero also found that 46% of respondents who identified as belonging to the lower class of society intend to vote for the Morena candidate. Founded by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Morena is particularly popular among Mexico’s most disadvantaged citizens, in part due to the welfare and social programs delivered by the current federal government.
About three in 10 “lower class” respondents — 31% — said they plan to vote for Taboada, who represented the conservative PAN as mayor of Benito Juárez.
Support for Brugada fell to 38% among respondents who identified as belonging to the middle class. Support for Taboada among that cohort was five points higher at 43%.
The PAN-PRI-PRD candidate was also more popular than Brugada among respondents aged 18-29 and those with a university education. The Morena candidate prevailed among respondents aged 30-49 and 50 and over, and among those whose highest level of education was primary school or high school.
Water and corruption the focus of the second mayoral debate
El Financiero’s poll was conducted before the second mayoral debate, which was held on Sunday night.
As was the case in the first presidential debate, the leading candidates took the opportunity to launch a number of personal attacks on their main rival.
Santiago Taboada (left) brought water samples with him to the debate on Sunday, accusing Clara Brugada’s party, Morena, of mismanaging the city’s water system. (Screen capture)
But amidst the acrimony and allegations, Brugada, Taboada and Chertorivski did speak about some of the proposals they intend to implement should they succeed Martí Batres as mayor of Mexico City in late 2024.
Brugada
Among the proposals outlined by the Morena candidate were to build new water treatment plants and create a ministry dedicated to the sustainable management of water. As mayor, Brugada said she would guarantee the supply of high-quality water to all homes in the capital — no easy task in a city where the essential liquid is at a premium and many residents currently have limited or no access to running water.
She also said she would create and lead an “anti-corruption cabinet,” which would oversee the Mexico City government’s fight against corruption.
Taboada
The PAN-PRI-PRD candidate said that a government he leads would invest more in water projects than any previous Mexico City administration.
“First we’re going to repair the leaks that Morena was unable to repair in 27 years,” Taboada said, apparently ignoring the fact that Morena has only governed the capital since 2018 and was only registered as a political party in 2014.
After asserting that Mexico City loses 40% of its water due to pipe leaks, the candidate outlined his other planned water initiatives, including one to capture more rainwater.
Water scarcity in Mexico City has led to some neighborhoods going for days without municipal water and depending on deliveries by truck. (Cuartoscuro)
As mayor of Benito Juárez, “I captured more than 24 million liters of water,” he said. “… We’re a generation of change,” he added, apparently seeking to emphasize that he is significantly younger than Brugada.
Among Taboada’s corruption-fighting proposals was one to allow corruption-related complaints to be filed digitally with the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office.
Chertorivski
The MC candidate pledged to invest 17 billion pesos (US $1 billion) in a “zero leak” initiative under which faulty water pipes would be repaired. Chertorivski — a former federal health minister — also promised to guarantee citizens’ right to water.
As mayor, he pledged to make all government contracts public and to hold competitive tendering processes before they are awarded. Competitive bidding for contracts will be the rule rather than the exception, Chertorivski said.
Expounding further on his proposed anti-corruption measures, he said that during his mayorship, Mexico City residents will be able to complete all government procedures online and therefore won’t need to go into government offices.
“No more contact with public servants so that they don’t even have the chance … to be corrupt,” Chertorivski said.
Read more about the Mexico City mayoral candidates and their proposals in this recent MND article.
Local women from the Purépecha indigenous community dismantled pumps and hoses placed in Michoacán's Zirahuén lake, which has lost three feet of water depth, according to the Environmental Ministry. (Indigenous Community of Zirahuén/Facebook)
Indigenous villagers living alongside Zirahuén lake in the western state of Michoacán dismantled illegal pumping equipment this week that was siphoning water from the lake to irrigate nearby avocado farms.
After a Supreme Indigenous Council meeting of the local Purépecha community authorizing action, female members from the lakeside town of Zirahuén on Monday dismantled and destroyed four pumps and hoses siphoning water from the lake, apparently for use by nearby avocado orchards.
One of the pumps at Zirahuén lake. They were spotted over a week ago by a sub-agency of the federal Environmental Ministry. Residents said they took matters into their own hands because the government was too slow to act. (Indigenous Community of Zirahuén/Facebook)
At the same time, the Naval Ministry (SEMAR) was tasked with protecting and rescuing the emblematic Lake Pátzcuaro about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) to the northeast, which had also been targeted by water thieves, the El Financiero newspaper reported.
The clandestine water theft operation at Zirahuén lake was detected more than a week ago via satellite surveillance carried out by the Forest Protection Agency (Guardian Forestal), according to the newspaper La Voz de Michoacán. The agency — an arm of the Environment Ministry (Semarnat) — uses satellite imagery to fight illegal logging.
In early April, local Michoacán and federal authorities had established a joint operation to halt illegal pumping from Lake Pátzcuaro, but the huachicoleros (the slang Mexican Spanish term for criminals who illegally siphon oil or water) simply moved their enterprise to Zirahuén lake.
When authorities failed to react quickly to reports of illicit pumping at Zirahuén lake, the indigenous Purépecha communities that live around the lake took matters into their own hands.
Afterward, the Supreme Indigenous Council issued a statement defending their decision and decrying the inaction of authorities, declaring that they “are still waiting for support from the police to put a stop to the theft of water from the lake.”
Purépecha communities in both Zirahuén and Pátzcuaro have long complained about the illegal activities of avocado farmers. While the farmers make millions, community members told the newspaper El Financiero, the lakes suffer tremendously from the illegal siphoning.
Zirahuén residents have raised concerns that avocado farms in the mountains surrounding Zirahuén lake have been polluting Zirahuén for years with farming chemicals. (Juan José Estrada Serafín (Cuartoscuro)
Zirahuén residents have also been raising concerns for years that avocado farmers situated in the mountains surrounding Zirahuén lake are also responsible for polluting the lake with farming chemicals applied to avocado crops. During the rainy season, they say, chemical residue is carried down the mountain and ends up in the lake.
Concerned residents of lakeside communities that depend on the waters for their livelihood have watched the level of Zirahuén lake drop 3 meters in water depth due to drought and huachicoleo (water theft).
The local fishermen’s union has implemented conservation measures to preserve the lake and the surrounding flora and fauna, for instance, fighting to prohibit motorized crafts from being used on the lake, according to the news agency Quadratín Michoacán.
Community leaders also worry that the diminishing water level will negatively impact tourism, also a concern for residents of cities beyond the immediate vicinity of the lake. Quadratín reported that 60% of fishermen, restaurateurs and tourism operators who rely on Zirahuén lake live in the city of Salvador Escalante, which is 15 kilometers (9 miles) to the east and Zirahuén’s municipal seat.
Meanwhile, Semarnat personnel have begun dredging operations at the endangered Lake Pátzcuaro as part of its recuperation efforts.
In a related move, Semarnat took steps to protect more than 33,000 hectares of land in the Pátzcuaro Valley by designating it a Natural Protected Area. The preservation of this land — including a reforestation project — would benefit the lake as it would serve as a recharge zone and would reduce soil erosion that chokes the lake.
Another Michoacán lake just north of Zirahuén — Cuitzeo lake — is also dying out. A February report indicated that it has lost 70% of its water over the past 25 years.
Bold colors, straight lines and clean walls. These are some of the key features used by Luis Barragán, one of the most prominent architects of the 20th century who revolutionized Mexican architecture of the time.
Today, Barragán’s iconic collection of homes is symbolic of Mexico’s coolest neighborhoods, with many becoming art galleries and hotels as his legacy of simple design lives on.
Casa Orozco (Casa Orozco)
Who was Luis Barragán?
Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, in 1902 to a prosperous Catholic family of hacendados (landowners), Luis Barragán is the only Mexican to have won the Pritzker Prize, the highest award given to an architect.
Although his international fame came after he settled in Mexico City, where he lived until his death in 1988, his early life in Guadalajara and the time spent in his family’s haciendas in the countryside played an essential role in shaping the architect’s style.
“My work chronicles my father’s ranches during my childhood and adolescence. I strive to modernize them while preserving the enchantment and nostalgia of the past,” Barragán once said.
“The lessons contained in the popular architecture of the Mexican provinces have been a source of permanent inspiration for me: its whitewashed walls; the tranquility of its patios and orchards; the color of its streets and the humble grace of its plazas surrounded by shady portals.”
The simplicity of provincial Mexico was a major inspiration for Barragán. (Casa Estudio Luis Barragán/Facebook)
His travels in Europe also influenced his work. After graduating as a civil engineer and architect in 1923, he journeyed for two years through the continent, learning about the prevailing urban and architectural planning of the time.
In Paris, he was introduced to the Art Deco movement, and while in Granada’s Alhambra, he recognized characteristic elements of Mexican architecture, such as high walls, small windows, interior gardens, and inward-facing houses.
Upon returning to Mexico from Europe, Barragán’s style flourished in the homes he designed in Guadalajara between 1927 and 1934, during the early years of his career, largely as a response to the popular Tapatío design movement of the time.
While not internationally renowned, these residences established the aesthetic that would later be apparent in Barragán’s further works — a style that would later earn his Mexico City residence, Casa Estudio Luis Barragán, recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The list is organized in chronological order. If you would like to walk the route and see these buildings for yourself, follow our guide to the Barragán Route.
The Barragán Route
Here is a list of Baragán’s most memorable designs in Guadalajara, known as the Ruta Barragán. Most are in or close to the Colonia Americana, voted Time Out’s 2022 “coolest neighborhood in the world.”
Casa Robles León, 1927
Casa Robles León, Barragán’s first house. (RevisionesGDL)
Barragán’s first project was restoring a private residence on Madero Street, owned by Emiliano Robles León.
Even though it was a renovation of an existing property, Luis Barragán, who was only 25 years old, started to showcase his distinctive style in this house.
The house’s exterior boasts eclectic architectural features from the 19th and 20th centuries, while the interior features Moorish and Mediterranean elements in the stairs, new arches and roof. The design also draws inspiration from Ferdinand Bac’s work.
Robles León commissioned more work from young Barragán, helping him develop his talent before settling in Mexico City.
Casa González Luna, 1928
The Moorish inspired Casa Gonzalez Luna is now a cultural center. (Wikiarquitectura)
In 1929, Barragán received a commission to design the residence of Efraín González Luna, a prominent Mexican lawyer and politician in Guadalajara.
The house is particularly noteworthy for its spaciousness combining Arab and Andalusian elements with inspiration from local architecture. This house reflects Barragán’s early exploration using the placement and sizing of openings to create intimacy.
Declared an Artistic Monument of the Nation by the Ministry of Culture (Conaculta) and the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA) in 2006, the house is now the Casa ITESO Clavigero Cultural Center.
Casas Robles Castillo, 1928
Casa Robles Castillo was the first complete design built by Barragán. (RevisionesGDL)
One of the architectural gems of Guadalajara, this residence at the corner of Vallarta Avenue and Argentina Street was the first house built by Barragán. He designed it in 1926 — he was 24 years old — and completed it in 1928. It includes two houses, which Robles Castillo commissioned for rental purposes.
The property was declared a Building of Relevant Artistic Value in the Cultural Heritage Inventory of Jalisco and showcases the fundamental principles of Barragán’s work.
Through this design, Barragán distanced himself from the trend of designing French-style estates that had been prevalent since the late 19th century and instead incorporated Mediterranean design elements blended with features of Mexican architecture and locally sourced materials.
Casa Cristo, 1929
Casa Cristo was built for the president of Guadalajara. (Barragán Foundation)
In 1929, Gustavo R. Cristo, then municipal president of Guadalajara, commissioned Barragán to build his house.
Casa Cristo is known for its striking Moorish-style designs, characterized by bold colors, stylized arches and the prominent use of tiles on walls, ceilings, and cornices. This early work of Barragán is notable for his mastery of color and light, and the seamless continuity of exterior and interior spaces from the porch to the rooftops.
Casa Cristo currently serves as the headquarters of the College of Architects of the State of Jalisco.
Casa Franco, 1929
Lovers of Barragán’s work can now stay in Casa Franco, which operates as an Airbnb. (Airbnb)
This house, situated in Colonia Americana, is one of Barragán’s most Moorish-influenced works, which can be seen in the design of the doors, carpentry and patios. The superb control of light, one of Barragán’s staple aesthetics, is also notable in this residence.
If you want to take the opportunity to stay in the Casa Franco, it is now an Airbnb.
Featuring a small raised front garden, this property creates a subtle but decisive separation from the sidewalk to create intimacy, a distinctive feature of Barragán’s work.
Casa Orozco is a great work of modern architecture said to have been a creative collaboration between two of Jalisco’s greatest artists — Orozco and Barragán.
The house is currently the home of the Sala Silenciosa Gallery.
Casa Robles León, 1934
Casa Robles León, Barragán’s final major work before his move to the capital. (RevisionesGDL)
Commissioned by Robles León as well, this house faces Parque Revolución, which was also designed by Barragán (although it has since been partially demolished).
Casa Robles was one of the last residential works of Barragán in Guadalajara before he moved to Mexico City.
Other notable works by Barragán
Barragán helped design several public spaces in Guadalajara, including the Calvario Temple in Jardines del Bosque, for which he refused to take credit because it was built with alterations to Barragán’s original project.
Barragán primarily worked in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and other cities across the country. He has additional works in the United States in California, Florida, Texas, New York and Illinois.
Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the Red Bull Soap Box race, where participants risk life, limb and sanity as they compete to send homemade creations downhill. (Red Bull Soap Box)
Iran-Contra, Monica Lewinsky, and, of course, Watergate. What do they all have in common? The scandals pale in comparison to the 1973 Soapbox Derby cheating affair, which nearly ended a tradition known all over the world. A car design that included an electric magnet to give an extra jump off the start caused 14-year-olds everywhere to weep at the blatant interference by pesky adults. Luckily, the derby is still rolling along, but such an event will never rock Red Bull’s version of the race, the Red Bull Soap Box derby, as the adult contestants are encouraged to comport themselves like, well, 14-year-olds.
The event’s judging criteria say it all. The winners will be assessed on speed (duh), creativity, and performance. The latter two conditions give the officials wide discretion, and if a racer decides to create and, say, motorize and be first across the finish line, the design and performance better be up to snuff.
The Red Bull Soap Box race is much more “Wacky Races” than “Formula 1.” (Red Bull Soap Box)
For instance, food-themed cars are always popular. Past examples include giant hotdog cars, frying eggs, and a table set for an Italian dinner while the co-pilot fed spaghetti to the driver.
As for the performance, most teams have a cheesy dance before mounting the car. These usually include collections of hip-thrusting in skimpy outfits, but one contestant went to the length of having a Jurassic Park raptor fire up the crowd before the dinosaur-themed vehicle burst out of its cage for the race. This earned 33/40 from the judges, so clearly, dancing in a speedo alone is not enough. Mexico is ready to impress the crowds after a seven-year absence from the event, and no group is more prepared than Team Camote.
The sweet potato cart with a need for speed
Team spokesman Santiago Bladinieres says, “We are going to be the sweet potatoes that are [driving] the car.” Uh… huh?
Those who live in the city limits will be familiar with the ear-splitting whistle that announces the arrival of piping hot camotes. This dish of sweet potatoes baked in a mobile fifty-five-gallon drum might remind ex-pats of the ice cream truck of their youth – that is, if the ice cream truck caused long-term inner ear damage. While the race may see its share of taco, burrito, michelada, or margarita-themed cars, crafting a vehicle that pays homage to such a distinctively local delicacy is an inspired choice for design.
Team Camote’s (hopefully) winning design for the 2024 Mexico City event. (CR1 Engineering)
The team spent all their free time at CR1 Engineering, where they constructed the car. The workshop gave them access to tools and even welding lessons. Santiago, his brother, and two additional teammates are currently about halfway through construction. They will be ready for the race on April 27 in Santa Fe, where an expected 14,000 fans will arrive early in the morning to set up lawn chairs, enjoy food vendors, and, of course, plenty of Red Bull.
Santa Fe gets ready for the Soap Box derby
This year’s race at Parque La Mexicana is filled with excitement, not only because it has been so long since the last race but also because it is merely the fourth time the race has been held in Mexico. This seems a bit odd, considering Mexican’s well-known love for festivals that lean on the absurd. Forty-five teams registered to compete, and the roster of teams filled in record time.
Red Bull organizers take pride in the fact that many teams are family affairs, where fathers and sons, moms and daughters, combine skill, showmanship, and craziness to celebrate the race’s return.
But do not think one can pop a toddler into a canister and push it down the hill. Young racers must be at least fifteen years old, while elder racers are free to risk their already long-lived lives.
Ridiculous costumes are encouraged as part of the fun. (Red Bull Soap Box)
One cardinal rule in the vehicle’s design – beyond the indispensable flair – is the inclusion of brakes. This singular serious stipulation paves the way for entrants to prioritize speed, although it soon becomes evident that some cars might have been better left as blueprints. The spectacle of crashes, particularly those of a ludicrous nature, ranks high on the audience’s list of favorites.
For those planning to attend, an early arrival offers the best vantage points. Photographers, take note: adjust your camera’s shutter speed to at least 500fps. This ensures you capture the whirl of three, four or five wheeled foods as they zoom past at speeds of over 35 miles per hour, creating a feast for the eyes unlike any other.
It may not be Formula One, but when was the last time one of those cars looked like a plate of nachos?
Jimmy Monack is a teacher, photographer and award-winning writer. He profiles interesting people all around the world as well as writing about and photographing rock concerts. He lives in Mexico City. www.jimmymonack.com
The Mexican Association of Data Centers (MEXDC) expects investments of up to US $9.2 billion dollars in the data center sector over the next five years. (Shutterstock)
Over the next five years, Mexico could see as many as 73 new data centers that would boost the local industry’s global status and address the growing need for digital services across the country, according to the Mexican Association of Data Centers (MEXDC).
The MEXDC said last week that over the next five years it expects investments of up to US $9.2 billion dollars in the sector, El Financiero newspaper reported.
“Mexico is increasingly attractive to the data center industry,” said MEXDC president Amet Novillo. “We have seen such tremendous growth recently that we have become one of Latin America’s primary technology hubs.”
The MEXDC also expressed the goal of transforming data centers into an essential, or mission critical, industry.
A data center is a building or a dedicated space used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. It generally includes redundant or backup components and infrastructure for power supply, data communication connections, environmental controls such as air conditioning and fire suppression, as well as various security devices.
Mexico could have more than 200 data centers around the country within 5 years. (Taylor Vick/Unsplash)
Novillo told reporters that there are 166 such centers in Mexico, making it one of the top 10 data center hubs in the world. The industry has developed so quickly that the MEXDC has grown from seven to 75 members since being founded a year ago, newspaper El Economista reported.
The MEXDC is in contact with the Economy Ministry (SE), the Infrastructure and Communications Ministry (SICT), and the Federal Telecoms Institute (IFT) to ensure the government recognizes the essential nature of the data center industry to Mexico’s economy and grants it privileged access to electricity and water.
The existing data centers require about 305 megawatts per hour to operate, whereas the new data centers are likely to be significantly larger and thus require up to 400% more energy (up to 1,492 megawatts per hour, said Novillo) to function properly.
Novillo told reporters that in addition to the US $9.2 billion in investments forthcoming, indirect investment in the same five-year time period could reach US $30 billion. In addition, more than 68,000 people would be hired to build the 73 new data centers which would provide employment to more than 24,000 people by 2029.
He also estimated that the industry’s expected contribution to Mexico’s economy by 2029 could exceed US $75.5 billion, or 5.2% of GDP.
After nine years without a concert in Mexico, Madonna is back for five live shows at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City.
The first two sold-out concerts were on Saturday and Sunday, with three more to go for the “Queen of Pop.” They will be on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and all 16,500 or so tickets for those shows were snapped up in a hurry, as well.
The concerts mark the end of a long, worldwide tour for the 65-year-old legend — almost. The Celebration Tour will still have one more show: a free May 4 concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The tour began July 15, 2023, in Vancouver, and the shows in Mexico will be numbers 76 through 80. As Madonna’s first retrospective tour, it serves as sort of a documentary about her amazing four-decade career.
Each show includes more than 25 songs over nearly 3 hours. The stage designs pay homage to different areas in New York, where Madonna began her career, and the dancers wear outfits inspired by those worn by the cultural icon throughout her career — including the Marie Antoinette dress she wore at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1990.
According to media reports, the “material girl” arrived in Mexico City on Tuesday of last week, along with at least one of her six children, 18-year-old daughter Mercy James. Another adopted daughter, 11-year-old Estere Ciccone, has appeared in some performances of “Vogue” on the tour as a DJ and dancer.
The Celebration Tour, Madonna’s first retrospective tour, looks back on a career that spans four decades. (Madonnaphotos/Flickr)
On Wednesday, Madonna had a private, catered event at the Frida Kahlo Museum. Located in the city’s Coyoacán borough, the Blue House is a favorite spot for visiting celebrities, such as Argentine singer-songwriter Nicki Nicole, whose now-ex Peso Pluma planned a private dinner for her there in 2023.
Of Madonna’s show on Saturday night, the Mexican newspaper Excelsior wrote: “16,500 people packed the Palacio de los Deportes to pay tribute with ovations and applause to a legacy that goes beyond music and that touches on religion, sexuality, preferences, bodies and that only she can do all of this — grouped together in a completely inclusive celebration, where no one is different.”
The show began with Michael Jackson’s 1979 hit “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough” booming over the speakers, at which point Madonna was introduced by Bob the Drag Queen. She took the stage at 10:38 p.m.
Her first song was “Nothing Really Matters” from the 1998 “Ray of Light” album. Descending from a circular platform, she was dressed in black and wearing a crown. The next song was 1982’s “Everybody,” one of her earliest releases, followed by “Into the Groove” from the 1984 album “Like a Virgin” and featured on the soundtrack of the 1985 film “Desperately Seeking Susan,” starring Madonna.
Madonna spoke a lot to the audience, mostly in English, at one point saying, “When I was a girl, I discovered Frida Kahlo and I grew very interested in this woman, in her face, her clothes and her deep gaze … The first time I learned about her, she drove me crazy and she is my inspiration.”
She concluded that anecdote by saying, “Gracias, muchas gracias.”
The Latin America director of Moody's credited the economic growth to increased political spending heading into the June elections. (Shutterstock)
The Mexican economy in February grew at its fastest month-over-month rate in more than three years, according to official data published on Monday.
In other good news for the economy, the federal government said Sunday that in the first 3 1/2 months of 2024, foreign companies announced their intention to invest more than US $36 billion in Mexico in coming years.
Economic growth in February
The national statistics agency INEGI reported that the Global Indicator of Economic Activity (IGAE) — a monthly indicator of GDP growth — increased 1.4% in February compared to January.
That was the best month-over-month result since September 2020, when the economy grew 2.7% compared to the previous month.
INEGI also reported that the IGAE increased 2.6% in annual terms in February.
The primary sector, which includes agriculture, led the way in February economic growth. (Secretaría de Trabajo)
The strong month-over-month result came after a 0.9% contraction in January — the fourth consecutive month that the Mexican economy shrank compared to the previous month.
Data shows that the primary or agriculture sector grew 16.5% in February compared to January, while the tertiary or services sector recorded a 1.2% expansion. The secondary or manufacturing sector contracted 0.1% compared to January.
Compared to a year earlier, the primary sector expanded 5.8% in February, the secondary sector grew 1.5% and the size of the tertiary sector increased 3.2%.
Alfredo Coutiño, Latin America director at Moody’s Analytics, said on the X social media platform that “as expected” the Mexican economy in February began to “be stimulated by the expansionary phase of the political cycle … in anticipation of the commencement of the political campaigns” ahead of the June 2 elections.
“Due to the preparation for the beginning of campaigns, political spending began to flow in the economy, boosting transport, printing, media and wholesale commercial activities and especially construction,” he wrote.
Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at the Mexican bank Banco Base, predicted on X on Monday that annual growth in the first quarter of the year will be 1.84%.
Earlier in April, the IMF lowered its forecast for the Mexican economy due to contraction in the manufacturing sector and slowdowns in the economies of some trade partners. (IMF)
Almost 100 investment announcements so far this year
The Economy Ministry (SE) said Sunday that foreign companies made 93 investment announcements for Mexico between Jan. 1 and April 15. As a result of those announcements, US $36.15 billion is expected to flow into the country in the next two or three years, the SE said.
The top five investment announcements in the Jan. 1 to April 15 period were made by Coca-Cola bottler and convenience store owner FEMSA ($9.96 billion); Amazon Web Services ($4.96 billion); DHL Supply Chain ($4 billion); e-commerce company Mercado Libre ($2.45 billion); and Walmart ($2.13 billion).
One of the multi-billion-dollar investment announcements came from Amazon Web Services, which plans to build several new data centers in Querétaro. (Wikimedia Commons)
The SE said that United States companies made investment announcements totaling $19.47 billion in the period. That figure is equivalent to 54% of the $36.15 billion in announcements so far this year.
German companies (15% of the total) and Argentine companies (12%) were the next biggest investors based on announcements in the Jan. 1 to April 15 period.
The SE also said that 54% of the money announced this year is set to go to the manufacturing sector, while the transport, media and retail industries are slated to get 14% each.
Querétaro, where Amazon Web Services plans to open a cluster of data centers, is set to be the biggest beneficiary of the projects announced so far this year. Almost $5.8 billion is expected to flow into the Bajío region state based on investment announcements in the first 3 1/2 months of the year. That figure is equivalent to 16% of the total investment announced between Jan. 1 and April 15.
México state and Nuevo León are slated to get 13% and 10% of the $36.15 billion total, respectively, making those states the next biggest beneficiaries.
FDI in Mexico is expected to grow in coming years as companies act on their investment announcements and more foreign firms relocate here as part of the growing nearshoring trend.
Did you know that Brits introduced Mexicans to soccer? (British Embassy, Mexico City/Facebook)
Mexico and the United Kingdom celebrated 200 years of “friendship” in late 2023, although the two countries weren’t exactly on friendly terms throughout the entirety of the two-century-long period.
In this article — the first of Mexico News Daily’s “Global Mexico: U.K. in Focus” series — I’ll take a look at the ups and downs of the Mexico-U.K. relationship over the years as well as the state of commercial and government ties between the two nations today.
Despite their differences, Mexico and the United Kingdom have a strong partnership. (British Embassy, Mexico City/Facebook)
It’s safe to say that the U.K. and Mexico are now firm friends and partners — and have been for some time — despite the differences they had in the past.
It is also worth remembering that the U.K. and Mexico were, in a way, neighbors for an extended period as British Honduras — today the independent country of Belize — was a crown colony from the 1780s until 1964.
In addition to maintaining a long-running diplomatic and commercial relationship with Mexico, the U.K., a constitutional monarchy made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, has made a significant cultural impact on the country, especially in the realm of sports.
A brief history of Mexico-UK relations
The United Kingdom recognized Mexico as a sovereign nation soon after it obtained independence from Spain in 1821.
Near the end of the following decade, the British intervened in the so-called Pastry War between Mexico and invading French forces and effectively brokered an agreement that brought the conflict to an end.
Just over 20 years later, Mexico-U.K. relations soured when Benito Juárez, the Mexican president at the time, suspended payments to creditors in Britain, France and Spain. In 1861, those three countries signed the Convention of London, under which they agreed to take joint action toward securing repayments from Mexico.
The New York Times reported at the time that the monarchs of the three countries felt compelled to act due to the “arbitrary and vexatious conduct of the authorities of the Republic of Mexico.”
The U.K., France and Spain sent navy ships to Mexico and occupied Veracruz, but British and Spanish authorities withdrew their forces in 1862 when they became aware that French Emperor Napoleon III was seeking a regime change in Mexico, an objective he ultimately achieved with the establishment of the Second Mexican Empire in 1864.
While Maximilian I was emperor of Mexico (1864-67), and for a number of years after his rule, diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Mexico were suspended. However, the bilateral relationship was reestablished after Porfirio Díaz became Mexican president in the late 1870s.
Diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Mexico were suspended during the rule of Maximilian I.
Relations were suspended again after president Lázaro Cárdenas nationalized Mexico’s oil industry in 1938, expropriating British oil companies in the process. By that time, the U.K. was a significant investor in Mexico, having injected money into sectors including rail transport, mining and oil.
Bilateral relations were reestablished once again in the early 1940s amid the Second World War, when Mexico’s president was Manuel Ávila Camacho and Winston Churchill was serving his first term as British prime minister. Shortly afterward, Alfonso Rosenzweig Diaz became Mexico’s first ambassador to the U.K. and Charles Bateman was appointed as the first British ambassador to Mexico.
In 1942, Mexico officially became a wartime military ally of the United Kingdom when it declared war on the Axis powers after losing oil ships in the Gulf of Mexico to German submarine attacks.
Mexico-U.K. relations remained largely amicable throughout the second half of the 20th century, a period that saw the first direct flight between Mexico City and London (1966) and an increase in trade between the two countries.
Exactly 40 years later in 2015, the Queen hosted Mexico’s president at the time, Enrique Peña Nieto, and his then-wife Angélica Rivera, at a state banquet.
“Prince Philip and I have fond memories of our visits to Mexico in 1975 and 1983 and we were delighted that, only a few months ago, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall enjoyed such an unforgettable visit to your country,” the Queen said in a speech at the banquet.
“… As we have seen many times, when the dynamism and creativity of our two countries are combined, whether that be in business, science, education, sport or culture, the results are extraordinary,” she said later in her address.
Margaret Thatcher, U.K. prime minister from 1979 to 1990, visited Mexico in 1981, attending the International Meeting on Cooperation and Development — the so-called North-South Summit — in Cancún before traveling on to Mexico City.
Twenty-two heads of state including Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Indira Gandhi joined in Cancún for the North-South Summit in 1981. (Wikimedia Commons)
Carlos Salinas de Gortari, Mexico’s president from 1988 to 1994 traveled to the U.K. in 1990, and at an official dinner hosted by Thatcher declared that his visit enabled “a new diplomatic, economic and cultural proximity between the two countries.”
The bilateral relationship in the 21st century
The United Kingdom and Mexico currently have a robust commercial relationship, with two-way trade worth $5.71 billion in 2023, according to Mexico’s national statistics agency INEGI. Mexico’s exports were worth $2.91 billion last year, while imports from the U.K. were worth a slightly lower $2.78 billion.
Mexico’s top export to the U.K. in 2023 was turbojets, turbo-propellers and other gas turbines. Other exports included mobile telephones, alcoholic beverages and data-processing machines.
The United Kingdom’s top export to Mexico was cars. Other exports included medications, alcoholic beverages and ferroalloys.
The United Kingdom government said last month that “Mexico was the U.K.’s 40th largest trading partner in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2023, accounting for 0.4% of total UK trade.”
U.K. Ambassador to Mexico Jon Benjamin said in a 2022 interview that the objective in reaching a bilateral free trade agreement is to triple the value of trade between the two countries.
Meanwhile, the U.K. was the seventh largest foreign investor in Mexico last year, with investments totaling $936 million. Among the British companies that operate in Mexico are HSBC and Unilever.
The U.K. was the seventh largest foreign investor in Mexico last year, with investments totaling $936 million.
Beyond trade and investment, the U.K. and Mexico collaborate in a range of international organizations and forums including the G20, the OECD and the United Nations.
One of the many areas of cooperation between the two countries is climate change mitigation.
“The U.K. and Mexico are committed partners in tackling climate change to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and encourage inclusive economic growth,” according to the U.K. government. “Our shared ambition is reflected in the UK-Mexico Partnership for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth.”
Liz Truss, U.K. prime minister for a short period in 2022, visited Mexico in 2021 when she was foreign minister.
“Our relationship with Mexico has huge potential. It could open vast new opportunities for businesses, support jobs across Britain, and help ensure we play a key role in an open and dynamic Indo-Pacific,” Truss said before her visit.
In September last year, member of parliament Dan Carden — now the U.K.’s trade envoy to Mexico — noted that “for several decades, the United Kingdom and Mexico have enjoyed a close and fruitful relationship, the continued success of which will be predicated on the principles of cooperation and mutual respect.”
In January, the two countries held an inaugural Multilateral and Human Rights Dialogue.
“Mexico and the United Kingdom discussed opportunities to strengthen our broad cooperation at the multilateral level, including in preparation for the “Summit of the Future,” progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, UN governance and financing, and peacekeeping,” Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
British Ambassador to Mexico Jon Benjamin and Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Bárcena. (@UKinMexico/X)
According to information supplied to Mexico News Daily by the British Embassy in Mexico, the embassy is “working on establishing robust partnerships with Mexican authorities in issues of cybersecurity,” assisting state governments to “navigate the complexities of decarbonization” and collaborating with Mexico “on democratic principles and the rule of law,” among many other initiatives.
“Through innovation, collaboration and shared values, the Embassy is paving the way for a more prosperous, sustainable, and inclusive partnership between the United Kingdom and
Mexico, grounded in mutual respect, trust, and, most importantly, friendship,” the embassy said.
British cultural influence in Mexico
English miners working in the state of Hidalgo introduced football, or soccer, to Mexico in the 19th century and the country’s first official football club was established in 1901 in Pachuca, known as Mexico’s cuna del fútbol (cradle of football).
Given the immense popularity of soccer in Mexico today, it is fair to say that the United Kingdom’s most significant cultural contribution to Mexico has been the introduction of the world’s most popular sport.
However, British influence in Mexico by no means ends there. In addition to soccer, Cornish miners introduced British food to Mexico, most notably pasties, or pastes, as they are known here. A specialty of Hidalgo, pastes today often contain distinctive Mexican fillings such as mole and tinga de pollo.
“When it comes to the Beatles, Mexicans just can’t seem to let it be. The group split up in 1970, but it might as well have been yesterday for the masses of fans who come together whenever they can to celebrate John, Paul, George and Ringo,” The New York Times reported in 2016.
“Mexico City’s top classic-rock radio station dedicates two hours every weekday to Los Beatles. The second of two lengthy museum exhibits here of Beatles memorabilia closed recently. Small towns have named streets after the band’s members,” the Times report continued.
A Beatles exhibit in Monterrey organized by the British Embassy in 2017. (Gabriela Pérez/Cuartoscuro)
Other British artists have made a mark on — and in — Mexico, including surrealist painter and novelist Leonora Carrington, who lived in Mexico City most of her adult life. One of her sculptures — “How Doth the Little Crocodile” — adorns Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City’s most emblematic boulevard.
And of course that extremely successful British export — the English language — is spoken by Mexicans all over the country, and is especially prevalent in the north, primarily due to the region’s proximity to a certain superpower that threw off the yoke of the British almost 250 years ago.
