Monday, May 5, 2025

What we can all learn from immigrants: A perspective from our CEO

By
Travis Bembenek
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Travis Bembenek moving to Mexico
Travis Bembenek and his wife embarked on the adventure of moving from the U.S. to Mexico. (Courtesy)

Just a few nights ago my wife and I watched the recently released movie “A Million Miles Away” – a true story about José Hernández, the son of Mexican migrants who started as a farm worker, and became an engineer and an astronaut. He was the first Latino to fly to the space station in the NASA space shuttle.

I am not one to cry, but I must admit that it was tough to keep a dry eye throughout much of the movie. I was overcome with a mix of emotions from sheer joy, admiration and respect for the real-life characters of the Hernández family.

I have learned first-hand throughout my life to always bet on hard-working immigrants.  The risks they have taken, the courage, tenacity, and perseverance they have demonstrated to pick up and make such a massive change cannot ever be underestimated.

It was also a classic story of a relentless pursuit of an American dream. A significant inspiration for my wanting to leave a comfortable corporate life in the United States came from working with immigrants.

When we left the corporate world and decided to move to Mexico, I said to my wife: “now it’s time for me to become an immigrant.”

I understand that my circumstances were much different than those of most immigrants, but I still wanted to feel the excitement, the stress, the fear of the unknown, and the need to “just put your head down, work damn hard, and figure things out” that so many immigrants feel.

Travis in San Miguel
Travis lives now in San Miguel de Allende. (Courtesy)

If you think about it, when you become an immigrant, it’s the ultimate bet on yourself – and that’s not easy. When you bet on yourself, there is no one but yourself to blame if things don’t work out well.

For most of my adult life I have been surrounded by immigrants. While growing up, my parents owned a commercial cleaning company in Madison, Wisconsin that I worked at throughout high school and college. The majority of the employees were immigrants, most from Mexico, but also many from other parts of Latin America, Eastern Europe, and even Africa.

I marveled how most of them finished an 8-hour day job to then go directly to work another 8-hour night shift for my parents’ company. Weekend overtime opportunities? They were always the first to raise their hands. I couldn’t help but be amazed and respect their incredible work ethic – while at the same time keeping a strong sense of family and community.

Many of them had left members of their families behind to come work in the United States, yet they maintained a laser-sharp focus on making enough money to go back to their home country. or to help their family members come live with them in their newly adopted country.

Later on, in my professional career and in leadership roles for my company’s Latin American division, we often worked to help our employees who were looking to move to other countries within the region.

First it was the Colombians looking for better opportunities elsewhere, then a huge flow of Venezuelans and Argentinians. I remember countless conversations with the employees and often their families to understand their motivations and ambitions so I could figure out how we could best help them.

It’s hard to forget the looks on the faces of the families as they agreed to take a new job in a new country, an unknown adventure and challenge in a unique way for each member of the family.

I feel that much of present-day wealthier society’s ills come from essentially a “comfort crisis.” If you haven’t read it, the book “The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self” by Michael Easter is a great one.

Immigrants know what it’s like to embrace discomfort – they have personally made the choice to do it. I personally have benefited from and enjoyed the process, despite it not being easy, and I think many others would too.

Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for over 27 years.

But what does it meme? The week in Mexican memes

By
Sarah DeVries
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This week's curated collection of Mexican memes.

If you’re on a quest to understand Mexican humor – or at least to find the best Mexican memes to share with your friends – we’ve got you covered! Here’s this week’s curated collection with a translation, background, any relevance to current events, and hopefully, a good chuckle.

Meme Translation: “Shakira after paying 7 million Euros.” “Me after paying my electric bill.”

What does it meme? If you’ve been following celebrity news, which I highly recommend as a nice respite from the regular news, then you might know that beloved Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira – who, by the way, is responsible for teaching me, like, 20% of the Spanish I know – was charged by Spanish authorities for tax evasion. Luckily, she can pay the bill, and hey, at least she’s not a US citizen.

For most of us, even the regular bills hurt, more so lately as the peso continues to strengthen against the dollar. At least we can laugh about it, right?

Meme Translation: “Were you a good dog?” “Yes! I sat. I was loyal and provided love to my human family.” “And you, were you a good cat?” “You’re sitting in my chair.”

What does it meme? Y’all have probably figured out by now that I’m a sucker for cute animal memes. No matter what language they’re meowing in, cats seem to be known the world over for their entitled attitudes!

 

Meme Translation: “Me: I wasn’t even that drunk.” “My friend: Dude! You cried over the song La Vaca Lola, because she has a tail (a butt) and you don’t.”

What does it meme? “La Vaca Lola” is a beloved children’s song in preschools all over the country, and likely all over the Spanish-speaking world. It goes like this: “La vaca Lola, la vaca Lola, tiene cabeza y tiene cola, y hace muuu!” It’s one of those songs that everybody knows because they learned it as kids, kind of like Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star. So what had that girl upset?

“Cola” can have a few meanings in Spanish, and one of them is, to put it politely, “butt.” I guess it hurts to feel outdone by a cartoon cow!

Meme Translation: “My preferred hobbies: – squeeze, but not strangle; – help the early riser; – make people so they come together; – know why I do things; – have perfect timing; – need another angel in Heaven; – work in mysterious ways.”

What does it meme? Chances are that you recognize some form of these phrases in English; many of them are ways that people describe the wisdom of their favorite god. In Spanish, some of them even rhyme! “Al que madruga, Dios le ayuda.” (In English, that’s “God helps the early riser,” though I prefer another version that I know for certain is true, “El que madruga, no encuentra nada abierto” – “The early riser finds nothing open.”)

Meme Translation: This meme, of course, has no words, unless you look at the signs. The first one says “Pasteles,” (cakes) and the second one likely says “Panadería” (bakery), or possibly, simply “Pan” (bread).

What does it meme? Ah, the famous bolillo: the bread roll you see adorning a tree placed in front of the baked goods section of a grocery store! Bolillos are the kind of bread often used to make tortas. They’re cheap, they’re sturdy, and they can last for a while. Go to Mexico City, and you’re likely to find all kinds of things stuffed between two slices of bolillo. In fact, chilangos (as Mexico City residents are often called), often get made fun of for putting pretty much any kind of food between two slices.

Meme Translation: (on screen) “How do you make a voodoo doll?” “Finally done…oh yeah, that feels good.”

What does it meme? There have been a lot of adorable voodoo doll memes in which kind acts are done to the dolls instead of evil ones, and they are just too sweet and wholesome not to share. Another of my favorites says something like, “Can whoever has my voodoo doll please give it a kiss on the forehead and put a little spending money in its pocket?”

Meme Translation: “She said to do whatever I wanted to her, so I made her my princess.” “Article 12 – In the United States of Mexico no titles of nobility shall be given.”

What does it meme? This is one of my favorite memes of all time and makes me literally laugh out loud. The top panel is practically nausea-inducing with that prince-rescuing-the-loose-woman-teaching-her-to-value-herself trope, so the panel of the Dwight Schrute-like judge saying, basically, “absolutely not” just floors me.

For anyone who’s had to deal with Mexican bureaucracy, most authorities’ lack of a sense of humor…and of romance, at that, is most certainly recognizable.

Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.

A balance between art and nature, Tepoztlán’s sculpture garden

By
Leigh Thelmadatter
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One of the various sculpted fountains on the property shows how the natural surroundings interact with the sculptures. (Alejandro Linares)

Eduardo Olbés began his path to becoming a successful sculptor in his native Philippines. In his youth, he worked as an apprentice to a cabinet maker in Manila, then found his way to Godard University in Vermont, where he studied wood carving.

Life took Olbés to Mexico, where he developed his true passion – stone – preferring to call himself a pedrero (stone carver) rather than a sculptor. Upon arriving in the Pueblo Mágico of Tepoztlán in 1975 at age 24, he knew he had found the place to live and work the rest of his life. For over 40 years, he has produced works from his La Iguana de Oriente (Eastern Iguana) workshop, exhibiting in Mexico City, Manila, Los Angeles, New York and Barcelona. 

Volcán (1997) by Olbés topped with Tepoztlán cloud with Chalchitepetl in the background. (Alejandro Linares)

Olbés’ work is influenced by his origin and heritage but more so by the natural beauty of Tepotzlán’s mountains in northern Morelos. 

About a decade ago, Olbés decided to pay back the area so generous to him by establishing a sculpture park: Dilao.

In 2012, he found land “dripping with beauty,” the artist says, under the watchful grave of Chalchitepetl (Treasure Hill) at the entrance to Tepoztlán coming in from Mexico City. Dilao is from his native Tagalog and means “yellow,” referring to the wildflowers that carpet the site’s five hectares. He quickly began work reforesting much of it, likely saving the land from residential development. 

Dilao officially opened in November 2019, at the height of the wildflower season, featuring 80 works by Olbés himself and a select number of other artists whose work he admires and fits with the garden’s mission. 

Olbés in his La Iguana de Oriente workshop in Tepoztlan (courtesy Dilao/Eduardo Olbés)

However, not all of the garden’s artworks follow the same figurative aesthetics of Olbés. For example, Julio Martínez Barnetche’s work is more abstract and even didactic. Federico Silva’s work in metal tends to be geometric. Valentina Glez. Wohlers creates a mix of classical and whimsy furniture, and multidisciplinary artist Ivan Puig is regarded for his installation work. 

Olbés says that in the past, many sculptors’ work was intertwined with architecture, which formed the context. Much modern architecture leaves classical sculpture behind, so Olbés uses Dilao to show how the outdoors can provide the setting for three-dimensional art. “Dilao is a bridge between nature and art. It’s like a symbiotic relationship;” The plants and landscape contextualize the work, Olbés says. Much of the property allows wildflowers and grasses to grow exuberantly, cut only during the dry season for safety concerns. At the most intimate level, most sculptures are framed by carefully placed plants that create mini-sanctuaries,  inviting visitors to focus on the piece. 

There is no set path to follow in Dilao; in fact, part of the charm is to happen upon a sculpture as you wander. Not only do you get to view the pieces from however many angles you wish, but you are also free to touch them, despite the fact that many are made of semi-precious stones such as jadeite and onyx. 

Dilao is a private and independent initiative that relies on visitors and events to survive. In addition to the sculpture garden, it has an impressive outdoor pavilion with marble floors and tropical hardwood trunks to hold up the roof. A bar and restaurant called Las Nubes (The Clouds) has been added recently, and work on a new parking lot is set to begin. 

Portal Rosa (1995) of Texas pink granite by Olbés in the garden. (Alejandro Linares)

The site has hosted homages to Mexican artists, musical events, dance recitals, weddings and more. Still, Olbés is particularly interested in getting the general public into the site on Tepoztlan’s busy weekends to truly appreciate what the garden offers. Only a couple hundred visitors every weekend offset maintenance costs. 

Dilao is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, rain or shine, with guided tours on Saturdays at noon. The general entrance fee is $100 pesos, which includes parking. 

Dilao has been compared to Edward James’ Surrealist Garden in Xilitla, but one crucial difference exists. Olbés conceived Dilao with a socially conscious perspective: “[Tepoztlán] has been my home for over 40 years and I have to care for it. Here, my children and grandchildren were born. I created Dilao because I care about Tepoztlán and [Dilao] is a letter [to the town] about how much I love it as an artist.” 

Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico over 20 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019). Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily.

Nut mixes: Always a crowd pleaser

By
Janet Blaser
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All of these nut mixes are perfect for gifting, too. (Unsplash)

I love having get-togethers with friends, whether it’s the holiday season or not. And while I can put together a multi-course, sit-down dinner for six and make it look easy, I’m not very good at making snack-type things – appetizers and munchies to eat before the main meal. Those I struggle with. 

Over the years, I’ve compiled a handful of tried-and-true recipes to help me with what seems like such a silly problem. Spiced nut mixes, whether savory or candied, are some of my mainstays. They’re easy to make, always delicious, seem very special, and everyone loves them. Plus, they’re a conversation starter!

Except for the Hot Honey Mix, all of these recipes use raw nuts that are spiced and then roasted in the oven at a low heat. Remember that nuts burn quickly, going from “not ready” to “oh no!” in the blink of an eye. Use a timer and keep a close watch. Because of their natural oil content, nuts continue to cook for a few minutes once you take them out of the oven. Err on the side of caution and do a taste test to check if they’re done.

All of these nut mixes are perfect for gifting, too. Pack in a pretty jar or cellophane bag tied with a ribbon, and you’re good to go. They’re easier to make than cookies and will be just as well-received. 

Molly’s Candied Pecans

  • 2 cups raw pecan halves
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar 
  • 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, the best you can afford or find
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • ½ tsp. flake sea salt

Heat oven to 325F (165C). Spread pecan halves on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes, until lightly toasted and fragrant; set aside. Boil brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until mixture is foamy and slightly thickened, 2–3 minutes. Add pecans and cook, stirring constantly, until well coated, about 3 minutes. You want to cook the nuts in the syrup long enough that when they cool they will be crunchy. Spread on a prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt; let cool completely. Break into bite-size pieces before serving. Try not to eat them all at once.

Mexican Spiced Chocolate Pecans

  • ½ cup dark brown sugar or grated piloncillo
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 2 Tbsp. minced dark chocolate
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. cayenne 
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp. allspice
  • 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 large egg white
  • 4 cups raw pecans (about 1 lb.)

Preheat oven to 300F (150C). Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate, salt, cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger.

In a large bowl, lightly beat egg white until slightly foamy. Stir in spiced sugar until a smooth batter forms (it will start out looking dry but will loosen as you stir). Fold in pecans until evenly coated. Spread glazed pecans in a single even layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake until nuts are lightly toasted, about 25 minutes.

Let cool, stirring nuts every few minutes to prevent sticking. Once cool, break up any remaining clumps and serve. Nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Perfect Nut Mix. (Unsplash)

Hot Honey Nut Mix

  • 4 cups unsalted, roasted whole nuts (such as cashews, pecans, pistachios or a mix)
  • 1 cup seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame, millet, quinoa, sunflower, nigella or a mix)
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter or coconut oil
  • 1 tsp. red-pepper flakes or cayenne powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. brown or turbinado sugar
  • Optional: ½ tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. ground ginger

Heat oven to 325F (165C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine nuts and seeds. Stir in cinnamon and ginger, if using.

In a small saucepan on the stove or in a bowl in a microwave, combine honey, butter, red pepper flakes or cayenne and ½ tsp. salt. Heat until butter melts. 

Pour the honey butter mixture over the nuts and seeds and stir until well coated. Dump onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out in an even layer. You want the nuts spread out as much as possible.

Bake, stirring occasionally, until nuts are tacky and look and smell toasted, 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle over the remaining ½ tsp. salt and all of the sugar. Let cool on the baking sheet, then transfer to a bowl and serve. Store in an airtight container up to four days. Makes about 6 cups.

Smoky Candied Almonds

  • ½ cup dark brown sugar or grated piloncillo
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp. Old Bay seasoning
  • ½ tsp. black pepper
  • 1 large egg white
  • 4 cups whole, raw, skin-on almonds (about 1¼ lbs.)

Preheat oven to 300°F (150C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or grease with oil or nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, salt, paprika, cayenne, Old Bay, and black pepper.

In a large bowl, lightly beat egg white until slightly foamy. Stir in spiced sugar until a smooth batter forms (it starts out looking dry but loosens as you stir). Fold in almonds until evenly coated. Spread glazed almonds in a single even layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake until nuts are lightly toasted about 25 minutes.

Let cool, stirring nuts every few minutes to prevent sticking. Once cool, break up any remaining clumps and serve. Nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Janet Blaser is the author of the best-selling book, Why We Left: An Anthology of American Women Expats, featured on CNBC and MarketWatch. She has lived in Mexico since 2006. You can find her on Facebook.

‘Tis the season for poinsettias, the Christmas flowers native to Mexico

By
MND Staff
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The Spanish word for poinsettias translates as Christmas Eve, after the time of year in which this Mexican native flower blooms. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Thank you, Mexico!

Thank you, Mexico?!

Indeed, a big reason why it looks like Christmas every December is the appearance of thousands if not millions of bright red poinsettias — Mexico’s gift to the Yuletide world.

Called nochebuena in Spanish, the flowering plant is native to Mexico and is grown predominantly in six states and the federal district. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), the leading producer by state is Morelos followed by Michoacán, Mexico City and Puebla.

How poinsettias became a Christmastime favorite

Before the arrival of the Spanish in 1519, the plant was ornamental and grown in the gardens of rulers such as Moctezuma II and Nezahualcóyotl.

A poinsettia shrub 3 or 4 meters tall in a park
The most commercial poinsettias are small, the shrub can actually grow up to 4 meters tall. (Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0)

Many cultures in Mesoamerican considered red to be related to power, and the Mexica (Aztecs) used poinsettia pigment to dye textiles. In those times, green parts of the plant were used to increase breast milk production and help fight skin infections.

Franciscan monks from Spain used the flower to decorate their altars in Mexico and started calling it nochebuena because it bloomed during the Christmas season (Christmas Eve is known as nochebuena in Spanish).

Many of those monks were based in what is the current state of Guerrero, which Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. minister to Mexico, visited at Christmastime 1825. Also an amateur botanist, Poinsett (for whom the plant was named, duh) sent some specimens to the Bartram Botanical Garden in Philadelphia.

When the poinsettias were exhibited there in 1829, they were a huge hit, and their star status grew even more after they were introduced in Europe. They spread from country to country and became a highly recognizable icon of Christmas.

White and red poinsettias in a netted growing structure.
The poinsettia flower’s roots trace back to the state of Guerrero, Mexico, though most of the country’s Christmas flowers are grown in Morelos. (Dassaev Téllez Adame/Cuartoscuro)

How many varieties are there, and where are they grown? 

Although nearly 100 varieties of poinsettia are known, SADER said no more than 30 varieties are grown in Mexico where the red flower accounts for 90% of production. There are also white, yellow, pink and salmon colors, as well as striped and marbled varieties.

In the wild, it grows in states along the Pacific Coast from Sinaloa to Chiapas, and a genetic study traced its roots back to northern Guerrero. It likes dry, tropical forests and altitudes between 1,000 and 2,000 meters.

Growers usually plant seeds in May, as the plants take approximately six months to reach maturity. However, if a cutting, sprig or small plant is used, growth time is reduced to six to 11 weeks.

In Mexico, the plant is also called Christmas Flower, the Star of Christmas, Easter Flower or Easter Fire Flower (it often blooms around Easter time). In Nahuatl, its name is cuetlaxochitl, which means “flower that withers.” Euphorbia pulcherrima is its scientific name.

Poinsettia plants are shrubs or small trees. Its flowers are made up of red bracts (modified leaves), which are often confused with petals.

Poinsettias in an urban area, with Mexico City's statue of the Angel of Independence in the background
Native nochebuenas decorate avenues of the nation’s capitals ahead of the holiday season. (@timeoutmexico/X)

Where to buy them in Mexico during the holiday season

One of the best places is in Mexico City at the Festival de Flores de Nochebuena, which runs through Dec. 17. Thousands will be on sale on Paseo de la Reforma Avenue.

Although one can purchase poinsettias pretty much anywhere at this time of year, one of the advantages to the festival is being able to buy directly from members of the estimated 5,000 rural families — including producers, day laborers and merchants — in the federal district that depend on poinsettias for their livelihood.

The festival will have various varieties, with prices generally range from 20 to 90 pesos (US $1.16 to $5.24), according to an organizer.

In all of Mexico, 2022 production of poinsettias was 21.5 million plants with a value of 902.7 million pesos (US $52.5 million), according to SIAP. That was an increase of 24.2% over the 17.3 million plants of 2021.

With reports from El Economista, Infobae and National Geographic en Español

October remittances highest ever recorded in a single month

By
Cat Rainsford
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Hands push dollars under a bank sill
Mexico is on track to receive a record amount of remittances this year. (Shutterstock)

Remittances to Mexico broke records in October with a total of US $5.81 billion received from abroad – an 8.4% increase over October 2022, and the highest figure ever recorded in a single month.

This brought Mexico’s total remittance receipts for the first ten months of the year up to US $52.89 billion, according to data from the Bank of Mexico (Banxico). This represents 9.4% growth from the same period of 2022.

A weaker dollar, trading at around 17.20 pesos on Dec. 1, has negatively impacted the buying power of Mexicans who receive remittances, or approximately 12% of the adult population. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)

Meanwhile, the remittances sent abroad by residents in Mexico increased 10.1% year-on-year, to reach US $108 million in October. This gave Mexico an overall remittance balance of US $5.7 billion for the month, compared to US $5.26 billion in October 2022.

The average single remittance payment over the month was $397, compared to $403 in September. Around 99% of payments were made by electronic transfer.

Remittances to Mexico have been on a record-breaking trend for several years now. October marks the 42nd consecutive month of year-on-year increases starting in June 2020.

The vast majority of remittances to Mexico come from Mexican immigrants working in the United States. The recent high receipts partly reflect the strength of the U.S. labor market, but the strength of the peso, combined with a high inflation rate in Mexico, has been eroding remittances’ real purchasing power this year.

This means that, despite the historic figures, many low-income Mexican families who rely on remittances to survive are still struggling to make ends meet.

Furthermore, with seasonally adjusted figures that account for predictable seasonal variations, October’s record-breaking remittance receipts actually represent a 1.9% decrease from September’s figure.

Over recent months, several economic analysts have pointed out that the rate of remittance growth is slowing, and can be expected to stagnate further as the U.S. economy weakens and immigration policies tighten ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Mexico News Daily

Interpol issues Red Notice for fugitive mayor of Toluca

By
MND Staff
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Raymundo Martínez Carbajal, mayor of Toluca, was the subject of a recent Interpol wanted notice. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro.com)

Interpol has issued a Red Notice for the mayor of Toluca, who is accused of ordering the unlawful arrest of his ex-father-in-law.

México state Attorney General’s Office (FGJ) sources confirmed that Interpol issued a Red Notice – a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition – for Raymundo Martínez Carbajal on Thursday.

A woman in a striped jacket speaks at a podium
As is common for spouses of mayors, Viridiana Rodríguez served as the director of the municipal family services agency (DIF) until she was let go in April. (Ayuntamiento de Toluca)

The FGJ, whose officers have been searching for the fugitive Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) mayor for a week, asked the France-based organization to issue the notice. The whereabouts of Martínez, who took office in the México state capital last year, are unknown, but México state authorities apparently believe he may have left the country.

Viridiana Rodríguez, the ex-wife of Martínez, reported what has been described as an “express kidnapping” of her father to authorities, and also accused her ex-husband of crimes including physical and sexual violence and making threats toward her and other members of her family.

Her father, Emilio Rodríguez, was detained by Toluca municipal police in May, allegedly on the orders of the mayor. According to the FGJ, no warrant had been issued for his arrest and there was no justifiable cause for detaining him on charges of embezzlement of resources from the DIF family services agency in Toluca, of which Viridiana Rodríguez was previously president.

Rodríguez, who has a son with the mayor, has publicly stated that she feared for her life and those of her parents and other family members after being repeatedly harassed, threatened and attacked by Martínez over a period of 12 years. She also said she has been harassed, threatened and followed by municipal police.

A woman speaks to a camara
Last week, Viridiana Martínez published a video accusing her ex-husband of physical, sexual and psychological violence (Youtube).

Rodríguez claimed in a video message that the arrest of her father was an act of revenge after she left Martínez in February. “They raided his office, beat him and took him out by force,” she said.

The México state chiefs of the three parties of the Broad Front for Mexico (FAM) opposition bloc, the PAN, the PRI and the PRD, urged the FGJ to respect “the constitutional principles of legality and presumption of innocence” in the case involving Martínez.

“The commencement of a political persecution against opposition mayors in México state would be unacceptable,” they said in a statement.

México state Governor Delfina Gómez, who represents the Morena party, subsequently said that “citizens can be sure” that Martínez will be treated in accordance with the law, and rejected the suggestion that the case against him was political persecution.

With reports from El Universal, El País, Reforma, Infobae, Proceso and Sin Embargo

Got 1 min? Tickets sell out for first trip on the Maya Train

By
MND Staff
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Maya Train tests in Campeche
U.S. Republicans said reports from unnamed sources alleged that the Maya Train might have been funded by China. (Cuartoscuro)

Tickets for the first trip on the Maya Train sold out in under an hour on Friday.

The first service on the new railroad will depart Campeche city for Cancún at 7 a.m. on Dec. 16.

Maya Train tickets website
The tickets went on sale on Friday morning and sold out in under an hour on the eticket site. (eticket.mx)

Tickets went on sale at 11 a.m., and 50 minutes later the official Tren Maya account on the X social media platform announced they had all been sold. Some media outlets reported that the tickets sold out in a matter of minutes.

“Thank you for being part of history. … We invite you to board the Maya Train on the next trips,” the Tren Maya post on X said.

Tourist class and first class tickets for the Campeche-Cancún trip were up for grabs on Friday. The former cost 1,166 pesos (about US $68), while the latter cost 1,862 pesos (about US $108).

Purchasers had to join a “virtual line” to buy the tickets on the eticket website. It is unclear when tickets for other trips will go on sale.

Maya Train route
This map shows the Maya Train route, highlighting the sections that will be operational on Dec. 15 (in dark green). (Gob MX)

President López Obrador announced last month that the Campeche-Cancún stretch of the 1,554-kilometer-long railroad would begin operations on Dec. 15.

The section between Cancún and Palenque, Chiapas, will open on Dec. 31, while the entire railroad and its 34 stations will be operational on Feb. 29, he said.

The multi-billion-dollar project will connect cities and towns in five states: Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, Quintana Roo and Chiapas.

The railroad is considered the signature infrastructure project of the current government, and López Obrador – who is aiming to revive Mexico’s once vast passenger train network – believes it will spur much-needed economic development in Mexico’s disadvantaged south and southeast.

The project has faced a range of challenges since construction began in 2020. They include court rulings that have temporarily halted work and ardent opposition from environmental groups, which say that the construction and operation of the railroad pose a threat to wildlife, subterranean rivers and the Maya jungle.

With reports from Latinus, Debate and Milenio

Minimum wage in Mexico set to increase another 20% in 2024

By
MND Staff
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3
AMLO, in a business suit, points at a screen showing a bar chart of the minimum wage over the years
The minimum wage nearly tripled during the administration led by former President López Obrador. (lopezobrador.org.mx)

Mexico’s minimum wage will increase 20% on Jan. 1 to 248.93 pesos (about US $14.50) per day in most of the country.

President López Obrador announced the increase at his morning press conference on Friday.

“This is historic because it means we’re going to achieve what we offered at the beginning of our government – to double the minimum wage in real terms,” he said.

“… What better way to commemorate five years of our government,” said López Obrador, who was sworn in as president on Dec. 1, 2018.

Unions had pushed for a 25% hike to the current minimum wage of 207.44 pesos (about US $12) per day, while the Mexican Employers Federation proposed a 12.8% increase.

The 20% increase, which was also announced by the National Minimum Wage Commission (Conasami), will also apply to the minimum wage in the northern border free zone, lifting the daily rate there from 312.41 pesos (about US $18.20) to 374.89 pesos (about US $21.80).

A red map of Mexico with the northern border free zone in yellow
The minimum wage also was raised 20% from 2022 to 2023. (Conasami)

Based on the new rates, minimum monthly wages will be 7,467 pesos (about US $435) in most of the country and 11,246 pesos (about US $655) in the north.

As of Jan. 1, the minimum daily wage will have increased 182% from 88.15 pesos when López Obrador was sworn in.

The government announced shortly after it took office that a higher minimum wage would apply in 43 northern border municipalities across six states.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported earlier this year that the minimum wage in Mexico had increased by more than that in any other OECD country between December 2020 and May 2023.

Hand taking Mexican money out of a wallet
The minimum wage has more than doubled in the past five years, yet remains low by international standards. (Shutterstock)

Conasami said in a statement that the new minimum wage is “1.73 times the poverty line for income” determined by the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (Coneval).

It said that an estimated 8.9 million working people will directly benefit from the increase.

The current government’s policy of increasing the minimum wage “broke with the old policy of salary contention that allowed the minimum wage to lose 75% of its purchasing power between 1976 and 1999,” Conasami said.

Between 2000 and 2017, minimum wage increases were “almost equal to inflation, to the detriment of the country’s working people and their families,” the council added.

“In addition to making progress with the recovery of the purchasing power of working people, the [government’s] wage policy has given a boost to the internal market and reduced income inequality by gender and poverty,” Conasami said.

On social media on Thursday, López Obrador said that poverty reduction was “the most important achievement” of his government.

Workers in safety vests and hair covers sort mangos from a conveyor belt.
Close to 9 million Mexican workers are expected to benefit from the minimum wage increase. (Gobierno de México)

“No government had been able to reduce inequality like we’re doing,” he wrote.

Data published by Coneval in August showed that the number of Mexicans living in poverty declined by 8.9 million between 2020 and 2022, falling to 46.8 million in the latter year.

Manuel Fuentes, an expert in labor law, said he didn’t expect the upcoming 20% increase to have an overly adverse impact on the finances of small businesses. He also said that “it has been proven” that minimum wage increases don’t lead to higher inflation, which has trended downwards this year after peaking at close to 9% in 2022.

Despite the increases during the current government, Mexico’s daily minimum wage remains low by international standards, and is nowhere near the top in Latin America.

Rodolfo Ramos, a strategist at investment banking firm Bradesco BBI, said that minimum wage policy in future years “will depend to a great extent on the outcome of the [2024 presidential] election.”

However, “regardless of who wins, we expect to continue to see large real increases to the minimum wage,” he added.

With reports from El Universal, El País and Infobae

New Tulum airport opens with 5 daily domestic flights

By
Cat Rainsford
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3
Tulum international airpot
The airport is expected to bring a surge in tourism to the already-popular region. (Mara Lezama/X)

Tulum’s eagerly awaited Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport is now open, with five daily domestic flights operating beginning Friday, and numerous international routes coming soon.

In its first phase of operations, the new airport will receive two daily Aeroméxico flights from the Mexico City International Airport (AICM), and Viva Aerobus flights from the AICM and the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), just north of Mexico City.

The airport will inaugurate international flight service in March 2024. (@MaraLezama/X)

Following his Friday morning presser, President López Óbrador flew to Tulum to inaugurate the new airport, where he gave a speech emphasizing the importance of the project and congratulating its engineers and builders.

Viva Aerobus has said that the first flights will have an average occupancy of 94.5%, underscoring the popularity of the Caribbean destination’s white sand beaches and Maya ruins. The new airport is expecting 700,000 passengers in its first month.

Mexico’s revived army-run Mexicana airline is supposed to start operating from the airport on Dec. 26, and international carriers – including United Airlines, Delta, Spirit and others – will arrive in March.

The first international destinations to connect to Tulum will include the U.S. cities of Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Houston and Newark. But the airport also has the capacity to host flights to destinations as far away as Istanbul, Tokyo and Alaska.

President López Obrador and his wife with Governor Mara Lezama at the opening ceremony.

The airport’s facilities include a 3.7-kilometer runway and a terminal with capacity for 5.5 million annual passengers.

The company in charge of the airport, the National Defense Ministry-run Olmeca-Maya-Mexica Airport and Railroad Group (GAFSACOMM), has said that it may be necessary to expand the infrastructure in ten years, due to high levels of predicted demand.

Felipe Carrillo Puerto International is built on a 1,200-hectare site located 25 kilometers southwest of the center of Tulum. The airport’s development has progressed at a remarkable pace, with planning beginning on Oct. 1, 2022 and construction on June 13.

An additional 300 hectares of land were used to build a 12.5-kilometer road connecting the airport to Federal Highway 307. This will give the facility connectivity not only with Tulum itself, but also with the Tulum station of the soon-to-be-inaugurated Maya Train and other destinations around the Yucatán peninsula.

Felipe Carrillo Puerto International airport will connect with international destinations starting early next year. (@MaraLezama/X)

The project created more than 17,000 civilian jobs, according to the head of construction, Captain Luis Fernando Arizmendi Hernández. The airport is expected to continue generating jobs and investment in the region, not only in tourism, but also in industries such as agri-food and auto supplies.

Although some have expressed reservations about the rapid commercialization of this once pristine and laid-back destination, many people have also voiced optimism about the surge of development it is expected to bring to one of Mexico’s poorer regions.

With reports from Aristegui Noticias, Milenio and La Jornada Maya

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