Security Minister Omar García Harfuch speaks at President Sheinbaum's Tuesday press conference about Ryan Wedding, a Canadian who U.S. officials think may be hiding in Mexico from California authorities. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)
At President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Tuesday morning press conference, federal officials responded to questions about two high-profile men who are on the lam and believed to be in Mexico.
Ryan James Wedding is a former Canadian Olympian who is wanted in the U.S. by the FBI for international drug trafficking and attempted murder. (FBI)
‘From shredding powder to distributing powder cocaine
Last Thursday, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced that former Olympic snowboarder and Canadian national Ryan James Wedding, 43, had been added to its “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List.”
“At present, Wedding is wanted for allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking network that routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and other locations in the United States, and for orchestrating multiple murders and an attempted murder in furtherance of these drug crimes,” the FBI said.
The FBI said that “investigators believe that Wedding is residing in Mexico but have not ruled out his presence in the United States, Canada, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica or elsewhere.”
It noted that “in June 2024, Wedding and his second-in-command, Andrew Clark, 34, also Canadian, were charged in an indictment out of the Central District of California with running a continuing criminal enterprise.”
Canadian Andrew Clark, accused of being Wedding’s right-hand man in his drug trafficking operation, was extradited from Mexico by the Central District of California after his arrest in Guadalajara in October. (Central District of California Attorney’s Office)
Akil Davis, the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said that Wedding, who represented Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics, “went from shredding powder on the slopes at the Olympics to distributing powder cocaine on the streets of U.S. cities and in his native Canada.”
Asked whether Ryan James Wedding is in the crosshairs of the Mexican government, Sheinbaum called on Security Minister Omar García Harfuch to respond.
García said there is an ongoing investigation into Wedding and highlighted that Mexico is collaborating with the United States on the case.
“But he is not [Mexico’s] only target,” he said.
Federal security forces arrest people who are subject to extradition orders “every week,” García said.
Wedding’s case is not “special” in comparison with those of other suspects wanted in Mexico, the security minister said.
“He’s another criminal with an extradition order who is on a list like others we have detained,” García said.
In late January, FBI “Ten Most Wanted Fugitive” Arnoldo Jiménez was arrested in Monterrey, Nuevo León. He is accused of murdering his wife in Illinois in 2012 less than 48 hours after getting married.
On Mexican authorities’ radar is former Michoacán governor Silvano Aureoles, in 2024, seen here at the National Electoral Institute offices in Mexico City to witness the registration of Xóchitl Gálvez as a presidential candidate. He is wanted by Mexico on corruption charges. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)
Among the other FBI “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” who have been arrested in Mexico is notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was taken into custody in northern Mexico in 2022. He was also among the 29 cartel figures extradited to the United States last month.
Appearing with Wedding on the FBI’s current “10 Most Wanted Fugitives” list is Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, also known as “El Chapo Isidro.”
According to the FBI, he is “the alleged leader of the Meza-Flores Transnational Criminal Organization, a heavily armed, major drug-trafficking organization based in Sinaloa, Mexico.”
‘Sooner or later we’re going to arrest him’
A reporter raised the case of former Michoacán governor Silvano Aureoles (2015–21), who is wanted on corruption charges, including ones for embezzlement and the carrying out of operations with resources of illicit origin.
Sheinbaum referred the reporter’s questions to Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero.
Mexico’s Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero said that “there was clear embezzlement of enormous dimensions” on the part of Aureoles and his alleged accomplices. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)
Gertz said there is a longstanding investigation into Aureoles due to “a series of complaints” related to the construction of “jails” (cárceles in Spanish) in Michoacán.
A motive for the abduction and murder of nine young people — reportedly students — in Oaxaca has not been disclosed by government officials, but authorities are investigating the possible involvement of municipal police. (Carolina Jiménez/Cuartoscuro)
The Pacific coast of the southern state of Oaxaca is known as an idyllic part of Mexico, a region where domestic and foreign tourists alike frolic on the beautiful beaches and enjoy the laidback lifestyle with nary a care in the world.
But that image has been damaged, if not shattered, in early 2025, due to the occurrence of crimes that are sadly all too common in Mexico: mass kidnappings and murder.
Seven of the 10 young tourists who were abducted in late February in Oaxaca. (Social media)
More recently, 10 young people from the central Mexican state of Tlaxcala were abducted in separate incidents in Zipolite, where Mexico’s only official nudist beach is located, and in the resort region of Huatulco, also situated on Oaxaca’s Pacific coast. They were on vacation in Oaxaca when they disappeared, according to various media reports.
The dismembered bodies of nine of those people — four women and five men aged 19 to 29 — were found on March 2 in and near an abandoned vehicle located hundreds of kilometers away in a municipality in Puebla on that state’s border with Oaxaca.
A motive for the abduction and murder of the young people — reportedly students — has not been disclosed by government officials, but authorities are investigating the possible involvement of municipal police. Authorities have also said that the abduction of some of the victims could be related to a dispute between rival criminal groups. There is speculation that the victims were involved in criminal activities.
One person has been arrested in connection with the abduction and murder of the young people from Tlaxcala.
The lone survivor of the most recent kidnappings in coastal Oaxaca, Brenda Salas, was located in the state of Puebla early last week. She reportedly told authorities that she and her friend Angie Pérez were abducted by municipal police.
What is the timeline of the disappearances in Oaxaca?
On the final day of February, 21-year-old Lesly Noya and 23-year-old Jacqueline Meza disappeared in Zipolite. On the same day, Raul González and his girlfriend Noemí Yamileth López, both 29, also vanished in the small, bohemian beach town.
Meza was dining at a restaurant near the beach when she was abducted, according to the young woman’s mother.
⛓️🚓 #MañaneraDelPueblo| Omar García Harfuch, secretario de Seguridad, afirma que la Fiscalía de Oaxaca está llevando “una buena investigación” sobre la desaparición de jóvenes de Tlaxcala, cuyos cuerpos fueron hallados en Puebla, tras la captura de un presunto implicado pic.twitter.com/rBDVdBcTM5
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch told reporters on Tuesday that if state authorities were found to be uncooperative or colluding with criminals, the federal Attorney General’s Office would assume the investigation, however, in this case, Oaxaca authorities are carrying out “a good investigation.”
“Please, I’m asking for your help, my daughter disappeared last night, she was kidnapped and until now we don’t know anything,” Andrea Cazares said on social media, according to a report published by the newspaper El País on Monday.
Cazares added that “two little ones aged five and three” are waiting for Meza, presumably the mother of the young children.
At around the same time, two other families were “screaming in desperation” due to the disappearance of two young women in Huatulco, El País reported.
Those families accused municipal police of taking 19-year-old Brenda Salas and 29-year-old Angie Pérez to an unknown location. The two women were allegedly beaten before their enforced disappearance.
Four other young people from Tlaxcala — Guillermo Cortés, Jonathan Uriel Calva, Marco Antonio Flores and Rolando Armando Evaristo — also recently disappeared in coastal Oaxaca. Exactly where they were abducted and where they were subsequently taken to is unknown, El País reported.
A grisly discovery across state lines
On Sunday, March 2, the remains of nine people were discovered in or near an abandoned vehicle in the municipality of San José Miahuatlán, located in southeastern Puebla on that state’s border with Oaxaca. The municipality is located around 400 kilometers from the coastal region of Oaxaca where the 10 young people from Tlaxcala disappeared.
El País and other media outlets reported that the remains belong to nine of the ten young people abducted in coastal Oaxaca. The newspaper El Imparcial reported that authorities identified the nine victims and confirmed they were from Tlaxcala. The bodies reportedly had bullet wounds and showed signs of torture.
El País said that “no one has confirmed” that all of the victims previously knew each other, but “their lives came together in the end.”
— Unidad de Búsqueda de Personas No Localizadas (@FGEO_DNOL) March 1, 2025
A social media post on March 1 confirmed that Brenda Salas had been found alive, making her the sole survivor of the event.
The newspaper noted that the victims came from four municipalities in Tlaxcala that are in close proximity to each other.
“… In a strange event that no authority has yet explained, the attackers left one survivor: Brenda Salas,” El País said.
El País also reported that it was not a “coincidence” that the bodies were dumped in Puebla, just across the border from Oaxaca. By leaving the bodies there, “attention was diverted from the Oaxacan coast and also from its authorities,” the newspaper said.
The newspaper El Universal reported that five of the victims were buried immediately after their bodies were returned to their families in Tlaxcala last week. El Universal said that the relatives of the victims all declined requests for interviews.
Were municipal police involved?
Last Thursday, the Oaxaca Attorney General’s Office (FGEO) announced that it was investigating the “possible involvement” of municipal police officers in the disappearance of four of the young people from Tlaxcala: Angie Pérez, Brenda Salas, Raul González and Noemí Yamileth López.
The FGEO said it had obtained information that suggests that the abduction of the four aforesaid people “could be related to a dispute between criminal cells.”
“With the aim of ensuring that direct and indirect victims have an adequate justice process that allows them to know the truth about what happened, the FGEO is carrying out ministerial work to determine if there is any level of involvement from municipal police officers,” the Attorney General’s Office said.
Authorities announce an arrest
Jesús Romero López, interior minister for the state of Oaxaca, said on Monday that one person had been arrested in connection with the abduction and murder of the young people from Tlaxcala. He didn’t reveal the identity of the person who was detained.
🛜🔴Por la mu3rt3 de nueve personas en los límites de Oaxaca y Puebla, la Fiscalía de Oaxaca ya tiene a una persona detenida, recluida en un penal del Estado confirmó el Secretario de Gobierno Jesús Romero López.
On Monday, Jesús Romero López, interior minister for the state of Oaxaca, shared advances in the case and rejected assertions that Huatulco is an unsafe place to visit.
Romero did say that the person had faced a court hearing, and revealed to authorities key information about the crimes committed, including the motive for those offenses. He didn’t disclose that information.
Romero rejected comparisons to the case of the 43 students who disappeared in the state of Guerrero in 2014.
The disappearance and murder of the young people from Tlaxcala didn’t occur within “a context of social struggle,” he said. Romero also rejected assertions that Huatulco is an unsafe place to visit.
The official said that the FGEO would provide a detailed report on the case in the coming hours, but as of midday Tuesday said document had not been made available to the public.
Is the murder of a Huatulco businessman linked to the case?
On the same weekend the young people from Tlaxcala were abducted, Huatulco businessman and former mayoral aspirant José Alfredo Lavariega was murdered while driving his car in coastal Oaxaca. A note accusing him of being a thief was left in his car.
The Reforma newspaper reported last week that authorities are seeking to determine whether there is a link between Lavariega, who was known as “El Jocha,” and the young people whose bodies were found in and near the vehicle located in Puebla.
One theory, Reforma reported, is that the young people from Tlaxcala traveled to Oaxaca to stay in Lavariega’s hotel.
El País noted that there have been attempts to link the murder of Lavariega on March 1 to the disappearance of the young people from Tlaxcala.
On the same weekend the students from Tlaxcala were abducted, Huatulco businessman and former mayoral aspirant José Alfredo Lavariega was murdered. He had previously been seen interacting with the victims in a video uncovered by Britain’s Daily Mail. (José Alfredo Lavariega/Facebook)
The British tabloid newspaper The Daily Mail is the main source of the theory that there is a link between Lavariega and the nine people found dead in Puebla on March 2.
In what was described as an “exclusive” report published last Thursday, The Daily Mail said it was told by an official at the “prosecutor’s office” — presumably the Oaxaca Attorney General’s Office — that “José ‘El Jocha’ Lavariega invited the victims, members of ‘Los Brujos’ [crime gang], to spend time in Oaxaca” at his hotel.
The newspaper described Lavariega as “an aspiring mayor-turned-gang leader” and said he “committed a cardinal sin in the Mexican criminal world that led to the deaths of nine students.”
It quoted the unnamed prosecutor’s office official as saying that Lavariega and the young people from Tlaxcala were “friends.”
The Daily Mail said that “Lavariega eventually led the young adults to their own carnage by giving them the green light” to commit crimes in coastal Oaxaca, and they subsequently “set out to commit a wave of muggings and thefts.”
“However, it did not sit well with one of the drug-selling criminal groups that operates in Oaxaca,” the newspaper said.
“… ‘And then what happened, happened,’ Daily Mail quoted the official as saying in reference to “the horrific murders and mutilations.”
As of midday Tuesday authorities in Mexico have not publicly said or suggested that the young people from Tlaxcala were involved in criminal activities.
The newspaper Reforma and other Mexican media outlets have also reported on The Daily Mail’s article and video.
El País said that in the wake of the abduction and murders of the young people from Tlaxcala, “an old pattern has been repeated that was created by the government of [former president] Felipe Calderón in the so-called war on drugs: the criminalization of victims of forced disappearance.”
The “justification,” the newspaper said, “is that if they were taken away, they were surely up to something; that if they were killed, they must have done something.”
The department store chain will open over 20 new units of its Bodega Aurrera, Bodega Aurrera Express, Mi Bodega Aurrera, Sam’s Club and Walmart Supercenter stores throughout Tamaulipas. (Shutterstock)
Walmart México and Central America will invest 2.5 billion pesos (US $122.9 million) in the Texas border state of Tamaulipas from 2025 to 2027, the company announced on Monday.
Walmart México and Central America’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs Javier Treviño and its Director of Institutional Relations Rodrigo Flores Amezcua announced plans at an event hosted by Tamaulipas’ Governor Américo Villarreal Anaya, State Economy Minister Ninfa Cantú Deándar and other government representatives at the Tamaulipas state government building.
Javier Treviño, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Walmart México and Central America, announced Walmart’s investment in Tamaulipas along with state Gov. Américo Villarreal. (File photo/Galo Cañas Rodríguez for Cuartoscuro)
“At Walmart México and Central America, we are excited about the growth potential that the future holds for us in the state of Tamaulipas,” Treviño said at the event. “With the investment we are announcing today, we reiterate our commitment to continue supporting the families of the state to save money and live better.”
As part of the investment, the company will open over 20 new units of its Bodega Aurrera, Bodega Aurrera Express, Mi Bodega Aurrera, Sam’s Club and Walmart Supercenter stores, which will create over 1,300 permanent direct jobs, according to the executives.
Walmart also plans to launch a program for agricultural producers and local suppliers to strengthen supply chains and support the development of suppliers.
Treviño stressed the importance of Walmart’s close collaboration with the federal government. The company voluntarily participates in the federal Package Against Inflation and Scarcity (PACIC) program, an agreement between several Mexican and international businesses and the federal government that maintains affordable prices for 24 products in Mexico’s basic food basket in the face of inflation.
“We are committed to the federal government, and we share the philosophy of Mexican humanism,” Treviño said, according to the news site Sin Embargo.
Walmart México and Central America first commenced operations in Tamaulipas in November 1995 with the opening of Sam’s Club in the city of Tampico. The company now has 77 stores and clubs in the state, providing 3,800 permanent direct jobs and representing over 6.9 billion pesos ($339.2 million).
Walmart has been in Mexico since 1991. It has been in Tamaulipas since 1995, when it opened a Sam’s Club in the city of Tampico. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
The investment announcement follows a meeting held at the Mexican Embassy in the United States, in Washington D.C. in December 2022, when Walmart executives presented investment plans to Gov. Villarreal and State Economy Minister Ninfa Cantú Deándar.
The government will support Walmart’s growth in the state, said Cantú Monday, stressing the ministry’s commitment to facilitating future expansions.
The supermarket chain’s investment will support economic growth by encouraging trade, generating opportunities for local suppliers and strengthening regional competitiveness, said Villarreal.
The project is expected to help establish Tamaulipas as a strategic investment hub in Mexico.
Coahuila authorities are urging the public to report any further sightings of exotic species to help combat wildlife trafficking and protect the animals. (Juan Ortega Solís/Cuartoscuro)
For the second time in the past four months, giraffes have been spotted roaming freely in Mexico’s northern state of Coahuila, leaving authorities and residents perplexed.
The latest sighting occurred this week in the municipality of Hidalgo. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any video, but this post from early December of giraffes romping through a semi-desert area in the municipality of Sabinas has garnered thousands of online views.
#Viral: Sorprenden jirafas salvajes a policías estatales en brecha en Sabinas, #Coahuila
The sighting was reported in the Carbonífera Region — an expansive area primarily in Coahuila that produces over 90% of Mexico’s coal — by members of the Coahuila State Police, who were on routine patrol on rural roads at the time.
Around the same time, three giraffes were also seen near Coahuila’s border with Nuevo León.
The sightings have raised questions about the regulation of exotic fauna in the region. Authorities are working to determine if someone has legal permits to keep the giraffes or if they are part of an illegal trafficking operation.
The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) has been notified to assess the health of the animals and decide on further actions.
Some speculate that the giraffes might have originated from a ranch belonging to the late businessman Chito Longoria, whose estate spanned across three Mexican states, including Coahuila. Shortly after he died in 2015, his daughter, Janette Longoria, said in an interview that their ranch had giraffes, antelopes and zebras.
However, that would be impossible, and not just because the giraffe would have had to walk over 1,000 kilometers north from the zoo. The most likely scenario, put forth by subsequent reports, is that the missing giraffe died in the zoo due to natural causes two months earlier.
The most recent image of three giraffes roaming rural Coahuila. (@noticiasmiled/X)
Another “tall” tale covered by Mexico News Daily last year detailed the saga of Benito, a 4.3-meter (14-foot) tall giraffe who was living in deplorable conditions at a public park in Chihuahua before being transferred to a spacious safari park in Puebla.
Coahuila authorities are urging the public to report any further sightings of exotic species to help combat wildlife trafficking and protect both the animals and the local ecosystem.
The presence of giraffes in Coahuila’s arid lands has raised concerns about their health and survival.
Cancun International Airport's passenger traffic numbers in February were nearly 270,000 less than the previous month. (Shutterstock)
Air traffic at Cancún International Airport (CUN) decreased 9.1% in February compared to the same month in 2024, according to airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR).
While its numbers have been down from last year over the last several months, Cancún International Airport remains Mexico’s second busiest airport after the Mexico City International Airport (AICM). (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
In February Cancún’s airport saw a total of 2.74 million passengers, a decrease of over 245,000 passengers compared to February 2024. The biggest drop corresponded to February’s international travelers, which decreased from 2.03 million in February 2024 to 1.81 million in February 2025, down 11%.
Domestic traffic through Cancún in February was also down, but far less dramatically, with 680,189 travelers, a 3.6% decline from February 2024.
ASUR, which operates 16 airports in Latin America, continues to face challenges in the Mexican market due to the declining capacity of local airlines and increasing competition, especially with the surge in flights to Tulum International Airport, which is run by Mexico’s military under the name Grupo Olmeca-Maya-Mexica.
Inaugurated in December 2023, Tulum saw over 1 million passengers a year after it began operations, surpassing expectations for passenger traffic.
The passenger traffic decline at Cancún’s airport is part of a wider trend observed at ASUR’s Mexican airports. ASUR reported an overall 7.5% dip in passenger traffic compared to February 2024.
Except for Mérida, Minatitlán, Oaxaca and Veracruz, all airports operated by ASUR saw decreased total airport traffic in February compared to last year. Airports with declining numbers included Cozumel (-18.9%), Huatulco (-6.1%), Tapachula (-13.5%) and Villahermosa (-104%).
In contrast, ASUR’s airports in Colombia and Puerto Rico, reported an increase of 3.3% and 8.6% respectively.
Cancún International Airport appears to be struggling with the opening of the Tulum International Airport in Dec. 2023. Despite some upticks during its high season in December and January, has struggled to maintain an upward trajectory in passenger traffic.
Regarding international flights, Puerto Rico’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan (SJU) showed significant growth, with a 19.2% increase, while ASUR’s airports in Colombia saw an overall 11.3% rise. Meanwhile, ASUR’s total passenger traffic across Mexican airports declined in both international and domestic flights, by 10.6% and 2.9% respectively.
But not all airports in Mexico are seeing passenger traffic decreases.
Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), which operates 12 airports in Mexico and two in Jamaica, reported a 2.6% rise in its Mexico market. Passenger traffic at GAP’s airports in Guadalajara and Tijuana increased by 5.8% and 2.7% respectively.
However, traffic at GAP’s Los Cabos International Airport and Puerto Vallarta International Airport decreased by 3.8% and 1.8% respectively.
The victims in the Oaxaca bus crash were reportedly supporters of the Morena party who were returning from President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Sunday rally in Mexico City. (Estación Foto/Cuartoscuro)
At least 19 people were killed when a bus flipped over in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico on Monday morning, just a few hours after an accident involving a bus and a tractor-trailer in northern Mexico resulted in the death of 14 passengers.
The bus traveling through Oaxaca was carrying more than 40 people when it crashed into a ravine near the town of Santo Domingo Narro. (Estación Foto/Cuartoscuro)
Authorities were still investigating the cause of the accident, which occurred just outside the small town of Santo Domingo Narro, the Oaxaca government said in a statement.
“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families, to whom we will provide the necessary support and assistance during this difficult time,” he said, adding that “Our government personnel continue to work and provide support to those injured.”
State Interior Minister Jesús Romero said the bus was carrying more than 40 people — including young children — and was en route from Mexico City to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the southern part of the state.
“To the families and loved ones of those who have tragically passed away, we express our deepest condolences. Our deepest sorrow and solidarity are with you at this time. We assure you that you are not alone. We are working hand in hand with the relevant authorities and institutions to provide you with the care you require.”
A two-day shopping excursion from Durango to McAllen, Texas, ended in tragedy Sunday night when the bus hit a tractor-trailer head-on near Velardeña, Durango. (@AlTiempoDgo/X)
Up north in the state of Durango, 14 people died after a tour bus crashed with a tractor-trailer and quickly caught fire near the town of Velardeña before dawn on Monday. Ten passengers managed to exit the bus but the intensity of the blaze prevented them from rescuing those still trapped inside.
The 10 survivors were transported to a hospital in the nearby town of Cuencamé, nine of them treated for minor injuries.
The bus — operated by Aser Tours of Durango city — was part of a round trip, two-day shopping excursion from Durango to McAllen, Texas. The bus had left McAllen for the return trip on Sunday night and was two hours northeast of Durango city when the accident occurred.
Aser Tours released a statement on its Instagram page saying it will offer support to victims. The bus company also claimed that the operator of the tractor-trailer was at fault in the crash.
Durango state authorities are still investigating the cause of the accident.
Mexico's southeastern states require major investment in order for the region to take full advantage of its available energy and water resources, according to a new UNAM report. (Fernando Carranza/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s southeast requires at least 17 billion pesos (US $833.5 million) over the next five years to address climate change impacts and the growing water crisis, according to an analysis from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
The states of Veracruz, Tabasco and Chiapas require greater federal and state resources to address water security, according to researchers. (Asipona Veracruz)
“The analysis suggests a 30% increase in investment for infrastructure in rural areas, with the aim of reducing disparities with urban areas,” the Water Advisory Council’s president Raúl Rodríguez Márquez said in a statement.
However, rapid population growth, industrial development, extensive agriculture and inadequate water management infrastructure have led to water scarcity, pollution and unequal access, according to the report.
The region also faces climate challenges like more intense floods, droughts and soil erosion.
The authors suggest that Mexico’s existing water management system is outdated and in need of an update.
“Since the first National Water Plan in 1975, a high concentration of hydraulic infrastructure and investments in water and sanitation was identified in the center and north of Mexico, leaving the southeast behind,” stated UNAM Water Network’s technical coordinator Fernando González Villarreal.
The analysis also highlights the lack of recognition of community organizations, reduced technical capacities of regional institutions and the low levels of investment in the region’s water infrastructure development and maintenance.
The executive coordinator of the UNAM Water Network Jorge Alberto Arriaga Medina said that the region requires greater federal and state resources to address water security.
“And at the same time,” he added, “systems for transparency, accountability and citizen participation should be strengthened so that investments reach their destination for the benefit of all people.”
Chiapas’s watersheds face major threats from overpopulation, mining, logging and poor or non-existent urban planning. (Isabel Mateos/Cuartoscuro)
The authors also recommend improving early warning systems for flooding and enhancing compliance with territorial regulations to prevent construction in flood-prone areas.
The Southeast’s economic potential
Thanks in part to the abundance of energy and water resources, Mexico’s southern states are attracting increasing attention for nearshoring activities and higher levels of foreign investment, according to the economic consultant Alejandro Delgado Ayala.
“The south is beginning to gain relevance, especially Veracruz because it has water, it has a port, it has electricity, it has natural gas and it has many engineers because of the whole petrochemical sector; for us, Veracruz is a big player,” Ayala, a managing partner at the firm GCR Consultores, told the publication El Economista.
The states of Veracruz, Chiapas and Tabasco together have a population of around 16 million people and contribute over 8% of Mexico’s GDP.
During the first half of 2024, Veracruz attracted $1.5 million in new investments, according to Economy Ministry data.
Photographer Janet Sternberg has turned her lens on Mexico and the everyday, with fascinating results. (All photos by Janet Sternburg)
These words are found in the Introduction to San Miguel de Allende residentJanet Sternburg‘s photography book. I found them striking: “In Mexico, so much lives together.”
“So much photography is about isolating what is, framing it in its uniqueness, its apartness. In Mexico, so much lives together, with a greater tolerance for ambiguity and a sense that nothing should be isolated.”
Looking at Mexico, Mexico Looks Back is an honest look at the magical elements that expats in Mexico might take for granted after some time in the country.
Sternburg’s book,Looking at Mexico, Mexico Looks Back is the perfect illustration of this and a beautiful example of bicultural and bilingual collaboration. While the photographs are her own, the commentary is by a friend drawn in by her photos: Jose Alberto Romero Romano.
And this is part of what makes the book so unique. First, all of the commentary is given in both English and Spanish. And second, the commentary is by someone who is from Mexico, who sees the images not as things foreign and strange, but as familiar. Romero’s poetic prose — sometimes description, sometimes stream of consciousness — provides a fascinating glimpse into the feelings and associations behind the images.
In a world now filled with AI images and glossy brochures of resort living, it’s refreshing to see scenes unposed. Throughout the book, walls stand. People go about their business. Objects sit on surfaces. The subjects of the photographs simply do what they will, without regard for the camera. “Leaving things be” when it comes to an aesthetic field like photography can constitute a radical act.
This book does not allow the perception of Mexico to be consumed by caricature: no smiling child with perfect teeth holds up perfectly formed artesanías before a frothy green background. No slick “top ten reasons to move to Mexico” marketing copy. These photographs and commentary are simply “slices of life”.
Below are excerpts of some of my favorite photographs with their commentary in English:
“When I was a little boy in the shower, my grandmother used to scrub me with these. I remember water on the floor. These pads are called “estropajos” and they’re something that Mexicans have in common. At first to a child they’re big and hard, but this changes with time. After they’re used for a while, they get softer and their name changes to “zacatitos.” Now they have become part of our identity. They make us feel a connection to being Mexican.”
“This man is not a warrior. He is a dancer, maybe during the day he’s a taxi driver. But when he wears this mask, the crocodile talks through him. This gives him power.”
“This is very personal. For the person who made it, it doesn’t matter who likes it. Even if other people think it’s horrible, he doesn’t care. “It’s what I like.” It’s not there as a car, it’s his unique identity.”
“My grandmother does the same thing. It’s not like she’s casually sticking a photo in a frame. She puts as many as twenty or thirty small photographs along the side of a picture. After the natural birth of our son at home, my wife felt exhausted. My grandmother remembered how it felt when she had her child, and offered my wife a traditional remedy to recover the energy of her body and soul. She said, ‘Take a bath with flowers.’ It worked. My wife got better. She was accepted by my grandmother. This is why a photograph of my wife is included among the others. My grandmother is saying to the Virgin, ‘Please take care of my son, and his wife and child.'”
“Struck by lighting, this tree is wounded. But it has healed itself. It’s alive. In this photograph, I can see a turning point. In one moment, a bolt can change the structure of the tree, its “personhood,” its identity as a tree. The world becomes before and after the lighting. This is like life, the moment of a child being born that changes everything afterward.”
“Like a telescope, this window is another portal. The moment of a photograph is the moment to open your heart. This is an image at the end; it is also an image of return. Now you go through the portal. The child, me, in a shower, being scrubbed, that is you too.”
As someone who’s never felt quite comfortable with all the glossy promotion of Mexico which so often seems to breeze past the experiences of those who actually live here, I was happy to take a peak into something that felt truly genuine.
The book now lives on my coffee table, ready to be picked up and browsed through when the Instagramafication of the world feels too strong a force.
Easter bunny who? Mexico City doesn’t need egg hunting to have a blast during Spring Break. (Robert Lozano/Pexels)
Born and raised in Mexico City myself, I can tell you: there is no better time to enjoy the city than when it’s empty. And yes, Spring Break is an all-time favorite for that. As capitalinos flee their crazy hometown in search of their beaches of choice, we who are budget-tight or simply unwilling to leave the city can enjoy a traffic-free CDMX. Believe it or not, that can actually happen.
Imagine a car-free Anillo Periférico? Or an un-crowdedCentro Histórico? Well, although this is hard to picture — and might seem contradictory to foreign folk — holidays are usually the best time to have a nice stroll around the capital. This is especially true during Semana Santa, or Easter. In a country that’s 77% Catholic, as perINEGI’s latest surveys, this holiday is dutifully observed as a religious time of penance.
The City hits different when there’s nobody about. (Evan Wise/Unsplash)
People living in Mexico City who are not originally from the capital wish to go home and spend the holidays with their loved ones. And we, born and raised here, often long for a well-deserved break from our daily capitalino lives. This does not mean, however, that Mexico City becomes dull during Spring Break. On the contrary, given that the city will be mostly empty and walkable, here’s our digest of the best staycation plans for Spring Break 2025.
When is Spring Break 2025?
This year, Spring Break in Mexico will start around the second week of April. Namely, the ‘Semana Santa’ vacations will start on April 14, 2025, and end on April 27, as per the Education Ministry’sofficial calendar. Children will be exempted from school attendance for over two weeks this year, which is far more than I got back in the day. This, of course, comes as a very nice surprise for those of us who are definitely not leaving town this year for Easter vacay.
The best plans for Spring Break staycationers in Mexico City
Watch the Pascual full moon from Mexico City’s clear night skies
And no, the moon is not turning pink in April. (Nick Owuor/Unsplash)
Ever wondered whyEaster Day always has a full moon? That is not at all a coincidence: in the year 325 A.D., during theFirst Council of Nicaea, Roman emperor Constantine I established that the first Sunday following the fourteenth day of a new moon would be the day to begin Easter. Namely, the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, who is believed to awaken from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. That’s 2000 years of Christian history for you, in just a paragraph. You’re welcome.
Often referred to as “Pink Moon,” following the Northern Native American tradition, this astronomical occurrence was named “after a species of early blooming wildflower,” asdocumented by the Museum of Greenwich. “In other cultures,” the institution adds, “this moon is called the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon.”
Under the Libra constellation, the Pink Moon will bloom in the summer night sky on April 12, 2025. Although this does not fall strictly under the official Spring Break calendar, you can plan ahead and look for an elevated rooftop to watch the satellite from. It is expected to peak at around 8:00 p.m. that night, so get cozy and enjoy a summertime spectacle while the night’s still young.
Where: Anywhere! Preferably a high place that is not obstructed by public wiring; or any of UNAM’spublic observatories, if you’re a nerd like me. Cost: Absolutely free
Via Crucis: A deeply rooted Iztapalapan tradition
Pasión de Cristo en Iztapalapa 2024: Más de 2 millones vivieron la representación - En Punto
Via Crucis translates from Latin as ‘the path of the Cross,’ naturally referring to the 14 stations Jesus endured during his passion, following the Biblical passage. Every Holy Friday, the people of the Eastern borough of Iztapalapa reenact this sacred journey in which their Messiah atoned for the sins of the world.
Someone plays Jesus, and carries a real cross over their shoulder; someone plays Mary; someone plays Pontius Pilate. You get the idea. There have been 181 editions of this traditional representation, in which, according to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), “the eight original neighborhoods of the municipality (San Lucas, San Pedro, San Miguel, San Pablo, San Ignacio, San José, La Asunción and Santa Bárbara) [organize] in a collegiate and horizontal manner to carry out the representation.”
Over 500 actors and actresses participate in the Via Crucis, as per INAH’s records. There is even a Holy Week Organizing Committee in Iztapalapa AC (COSSIAC), in charge of coordinating the great event every Holy Week. Their goal is “to ensure that it continues in future generations, without distorting its original symbolic meaning,” as they wrote in a statement in 2023, when INAH declared the Via Crucis of Iztapalapa as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mexico. Just the year after, this tradition was declared the same by UNESCO.
At first, I was doubtful as to suggest this experience for the Mexico News Daily readership. Especially that, even for me — raised by a very, very Catholic mother — these parades can be challenging to watch. However, this is one of the quintessential Semana Santa local traditions — and an absolute must-see, if you’re visiting town and are willing to get a glimpse of what the Catholic faith really means in Mexico. If you’re planning on going, avoid bringing children with you — this event can get crowded, is very graphic and can easily be overwhelming for anyone.
Where: Ave. San Lorenzo 312. Col. San Juan Xalpa, C.P. 09850, Iztapalapa, Mexico City. Cost: Free
Jacaranda watching
Mexico City in the spring time means jaracarandas in full bloom. (Juan Antonio López/UNAM Global)
April is not the cruelest month in Mexico City. On the contrary, it is the best time of the year to watch the jacaranda trees (Jacaranda mimosifolia) in full bloom. Even though these beautiful light purple flowers are a fundamental symbol of spring in Mexico, the Jacaranda mimosifolia is not an endemic tree. In 1912, Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki tried to import cherry trees as a diplomatic gift to Mexico. Given the warm weather in the capital, the species did not survive. However, the Japanese don’t give up that easily.
As the Sakura project failed, a Japanese gardener,Tatsugoro Matsumoto, tried planting Jacaranda trees instead. With the coming of spring, the species bloomed healthily. Ever since then, we Mexicans have adopted the Japanese tradition of Hanami: the art of contemplating the flowers in full bloom.
Typical sighting spots include Centro Histórico, in front of Palacio de Bellas Artes or Hemiciclo a Juárez. Despite the un-crowded nature of Spring Break in Mexico City, these can get tumultuous around midday, so take precautions. If you’re looking for a quieter spot, head to Ámsterdam Avenue in Condesa, where a bed of Jacaranda flowers softly covers the median strip.
If you’re looking for absolutely breathtaking sights, dive into Colonia Narvarte, one of the capital’s jacaranda-infused residential neighborhoods. Specifically, to Concepción Béistegui Street, in front of Centro Universitario de México (CUM). With the coming of spring, this fragment of the street appears to be vaulted by a purple-flowered ceiling. If you’re not very much into impactful religious representations, Jacaranda-watching brings an aesthetic ease to the soul.
Where: Across the city, wherever you find parks or tree-lined boulevards, but especially Avenida Ámsterdam, Condesa. Cost: Free
Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.
April brings concerts and festivals to Guadalajara and Lake Chapala. (Shutterstock)
Twenty-seven Mexican cities and municipalities have been recognized as “Tree Cities of the World 2024,” by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Arbor Day Foundation.
The joint accolade contributes to FAO’s Green Cities initiative, which seeks to strengthen green infrastructure in both urban and rural communities.
“The cities recognized for 2024 are leading by example in providing green spaces and infrastructure that help define a sense of place and well-being where people live, work, play and learn,” Zhimin Wu, director of FAO’s Forestry Division, said.
Cities receiving the title include Guadalajara, Mérida and Toluca, which have earned the distinction for six consecutive years, in addition to Durango, Irapuato, Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Zapopan, which have secured the accolade five years in a row, among others.
Meanwhile, Monterrey, Cuernavaca, Hermosillo, Nogales, Oaxaca de Juárez, Puebla, Puerto Vallarta, Sahuayo de Morelos, Tlajomulco de Zúñiga and Zamora de Hidalgo, received the recognition for the first time.
“Tree Cities of the World is more than a recognition program,” program manager Sophie Plitt said. “It’s a rapidly growing global movement, transforming how communities view and value their urban forest.”
Mérida is another city that has won the recognition six years in a row. (Ayuntamiento de Mérida)
This edition marked the largest number of cities ever honored since the Tree Cities of the World program began in 2018, with Tree Cities named in 24 countries across six continents.
Through the recognition, many municipalities have secured funding for community forest management, access to a unique global network of urban forestry professionals, and greater local support for canopy growth. That is the case in Puebla, a city that, through the program, found an opportunity for collaboration between the private sector and the government.
“We found an opportunity to unify diverse collectives — those promoting heritage trees, native plant palettes and urban reforestation — to work together with the government,” said Emmanuel Bolaños Bautista, deputy director of the Department of Protected Areas and Environmental Value for Puebla.
In addition to boasting 27 Tree Cities, Mexico will be hosting July 10-12 the annual meeting of Tree Cities of the World in the city of San Luis Potosí, with conferences and workshops.
