The Riviera Nayarit extends 200 miles, from San Blas, Nayarit to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. (Unsplash)
A new flight connecting the city of Tepic in western Mexico with Los Angeles could soon be a boon to Pacific coast beach destinations along the Riviera Nayarit.
This week, Mexican aviation authorities began conducting test flights from Tepic, in the state of Nayarit, to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). These trials became possible upon completion of a 2.5 billion-peso (US $145 million) renovation project at the Tepic airport.
Aviation authorities completed the first Tepic-LAX flight on Friday. (Miguel Ángel Navarro/Facebook)
The trade magazine Aviación 21 reported that the funds were used to modernize the existing terminal, build a new state-of-the-art, 42-meter-high control tower, extend and recondition the runway to be 3.1 kilometers, as well as other improvements. The runway extension was key in earning authorization for international flights.
A new terminal is also under construction at the Tepic airport, added Aviación 21, at an additional cost of 1.6 billion pesos (US $93 million) and should be operational in a few months. State and national highways are being rehabilitated to facilitate access to the airport from destinations up and down the Nayarit coast.
The renovations could expand operations to include international routes to and from Canada, the United States, Central America, South America and Europe, reported the newspaper El Financiero.
In announcing Tuesday’s test flight to Los Angeles, Nayarit Governor Miguel Ángel Navarro posted to Facebook: “Nayarit is transforming itself, it is opening up, it is developing … This test flight is the first of several that will demonstrate the project’s viability and earn it certification.”
The domestic airline Volaris has been granted the rights to the Tepic-LAX route. El Financiero reported that Volaris began its operations in Tepic back in 2012 with a flight to the border city of Tijuana, claiming at the time that it planned to extend service to Los Angeles, as well.
Los Angeles is a popular destination for nayaritenses. El Financiero reported that an estimated 1 million Nayarit natives live in southern California. The most recent census shows Nayarit’s population is just over 1.2 million.
The modernization venture aims to make the Tepic airport the international point of entry for the nearby Riviera Nayarit which extends south toward Puerto Vallarta. Most tourists who arrive at this vacation hotspot today come in via the Puerto Vallarta airport located about 168 kilometers south of Tepic.
If you’ve ever strolled through the streets of Mexico, especially in smaller cities, you’ve likely observed the absence of pedestrian signs, resulting in people crossing the streets wherever they please, sometimes at the risk of their own safety. Whenever we witness this danger, we instinctively shout “aguas!” and immediately prevent someone from being hit by a car.
Ok, I am being a bit dramatic, but it is not that far from the truth. Apart from getting into the details of this useful word, I’m going to explain another useful Mexican slang word used to prevent you from coming to any harm.
“Aguas!”
The expression originates from colonial-era Mexico City. During that time, people would throw waste and dirty water from their windows onto the streets below. To warn pedestrians of the impending danger, those above would shout “¡Aguas!” (waters), indicating that people should watch out for the dirty water. Over time, this warning evolved into a general cautionary phrase used in various contexts to alert others to potential hazards.
Example Usage:
“¡Aguas! Hay vidrio roto en el suelo.” Watch out! There’s broken glass on the ground.
“Aguas con ese tipo, parece peligroso.” Be careful with that guy; he seems dangerous.
Abusado translates to ‘Watch out!’ or ‘Be careful!’ in English. It’s used as a warning to someone to be cautious and avoid potential danger, and it is used in the imperative form of the verb. For example, if someone is walking on a slippery surface, you might say ‘Watch out! Don’t slip, be careful!’ which in Spanish could be “¡Abusado! ¡No te vayas a resbalar, ten cuidado!”
More examples:
“Abusado! La estufa está caliente.” Watch out! The stove is hot.
“Abusada eh!” Be careful, okay?
Both of these Mexican slang expressions convey a message of caution and you can use them interchangeably.
Paulina Gerez is a translator-interpreter, content creator, and founder of Crack The Code, a series of online courses focused on languages. Through her social media, she helps people see learning a language from another perspective through her fun experiences. Instagram: paulinagerezm / Tiktok: paugerez3 / YT: paulina gerez
The resurgence of Cabo Pulmo is one of Mexico's greatest conservation success stories. (All photos by Cabo Adventures)
This article contains exclusive discounts for readers. Mexico News Daily is not affiliated with Cabo Adventures.
In the early 1990s, the effects of overfishing caused the residents of Cabo Pulmo, a small fishing village in the municipality of Los Cabos, to take an unprecedented step: they asked the government for help. In 1995, they received it, and Cabo Palmo became a marine Protected Natural Area (ANP), and fishing within the borders of its 7,111 hectares was prohibited.
What happened next is one of modern history’s most remarkable conservation stories. In a single decade, Cabo Pulmo’s depleted fish diversity and lack of large predators were restored. Beyond restored. Between 1999 and 2009, marine life grew by a staggering 463%, the largest such increase ever measured. Today, Cabo Pulmo boasts the greatest abundance of any area in the Sea of Cortés, with over 800 species of marine life present.
By 2000, this recovery had been recognized, and Cabo Pulmo was elevated to the status of a national park in Mexico. Five years later, UNESCO named it a World Heritage site, and in 2008, it was declared a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Of course, it isn’t just the incredible density and diversity of fish that has made Cabo Pulmo one of the world’s most acclaimed dive sites. Did we mention the living coral reef? At 20,000 years old, Cabo Pulmo’s remarkable offshore reef system is the oldest of the three found along the Pacific coast of North America.
Cabo Pulmo: Where is it and how do you dive there?
Cabo Pulmo is on the East Cape of Los Cabos, a belly-shaped coastal arc that extends over 70 miles from San José del Cabo north to Los Barriles using the old Camino Cabo Este. Cabo Pulmo is about 45 miles from San José del Cabo via this rugged scenic route, or 60 miles if you take Highway 1 to La Ribera, then south. The latter route may be longer, but it’s faster because the roads are better.
The entrance to Cabo Pulmo requires graded dirt road driving from either direction, but less of it is necessary via La Ribera. That’s why dive operators from Cabo San Lucas go this way when bringing divers for day-long adventures. Cabo Pulmo remains a small village, with only about 120 residents. Yes, it is possible to stay here, as solar-powered vacation rentals and Airbnb properties are available for laid-back beachfront sojourns. Snorkel and dive equipment and guides, meanwhile, are provided by respected local companies such as Cabo Pulmo Divers.
Getting there from Cabo San Lucas
By far the most popular option, however, are day trips from Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo and the Tourist Corridor which connects them. This is where the highest concentration of hotels and resorts are found and premier local activities companies like Cabo Adventures and Adventures in Baja will pick up guests from their accommodations option of choice, transport them up to 80 miles to Cabo Pulmo for snorkeling or diving expeditions and then return them to the lobby of their hotel.
Cabo Adventures, for example, typically picks up guests at about 7 a.m. and returns them by 5:30 p.m. About half of this eight-plus-hour adventure is spent getting there and back, with a box lunch served on the way.
Premier dive sites in Cabo Pulmo
Cabo Pulmo’s reef system is extensive, with numerous offshore dive sites at varying depths. Highlights include El Vencedor, which features the remains of a tuna boat sunk 85 years ago that has since become a haven for a rich variety of marine life; El Bajo, a long reef bar home to 12 of 14 of the world’s coral species as well as sea turtles, mobula rays and other denizens; Los Cantiles, a favorite for shark sightings whose name references its cliff-shaped rock formations; and El Islote, famed for its incredibly colorful sea fans and white gorgonian, as well as colorful tropical fish like angelfish and Moorish idols. The so-called “tornado of bigeye jacks,” where these fish breed, is also notable for its sheer density.
What more can divers expect to see in the way of marine life? Bigeye jacks and tropical fish; five of seven extant species of sea turtles; bull and blacktip and whitetip reef sharks; eels; and mobula, cownose and eagle rays are all commonly seen, but the animals you spot can vary according to the season. Bull sharks, for example, are currently less visible due to the presence of transiting orcas, confirms Karen Bradfield, guide and owner of Adventures in Baja.
What sustainable tourism looks like in Cabo Pulmo
Cabo Pulmo is now a top international dive destination, and steps have been taken to ensure it remains a sustainable one. According to Armando Martínez Perea, scuba diving manager for Cabo Adventures, visiting divers can visit Cabo Pulmo without a guide, and only about 20 dive shop operators in the region are credentialed to provide them. Only small groups no larger than six divers are permitted, with the total number of allowable divers per day and month constantly being evaluated by park officials. Individual dive sites are also evaluated to ensure the most popular locations aren’t oversaturated. Guides are informed on a daily basis of which of the myriad underwater sites they may visit.
Yes, you must be a certified diver to dive Cabo Pulmo, but nearly every regional dive operator offers credentialing programs. Snorkeling is an alternative option, although it’s not nearly as magical.
How much does it cost?
Adventures in Baja charges US $295 per person for two tank dives, with transportation and lunch included, although a minimum of two divers is required. Cabo Adventures offers a similar rate, at least normally. A 35% discount is currently being offered to Mexico News Daily readers who use the code MEXICONEWS35 when booking via the agency’s website at least three days in advance of their dive trips.
Lower rates still are available in Cabo Pulmo, of course, since the cost of transportation doesn’t have to be accounted for. There is a national park fee, too, though it’s less than US $4. However, you have to figure out a way to get there first, which will likely include renting a car with four-wheel drive to handle the dirt roads into Cabo Pulmo. There is no bus service or other public transportation that will take you there.
But no matter how you get there, rest assured: it’s definitely worth the trip.
Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.
A crane in the process of placing a bridge segment on an elevated stretch of the tracks collapsed Wednesday. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
For the fourth time this year, the project to build a long-awaited Mexico City-Toluca commuter train has been halted by a mishap.
Toluca is a city in México state.
Another crane failure on the Mexico City-Toluca commuter rail project occurred in January in the same Mexico City borough of Álvaro Obregón, causing part of a concrete arch to fall, damaging two vehicles. There were no injuries. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
La Jornada newspaper reported that a 200-meter long, 800-ton crane collapsed Wednesday morning in the Mexico City borough of Álvaro Obregón. The crane was placing a bridge segment on an elevated stretch of the tracks when the accident occurred.
The Mexico City government stated in a press release that there were no injuries and that the only damage was to the crane itself.
“To uncover the cause of the mishap, there will be two investigations: one conducted by Rizzani Echer [the construction company involved] and the other by the city attorney general,” the government said.
Construction in the area will be halted until the investigations are complete, after which the damaged crane will be removed.
How this latest accident will impact plans to open the final two sections of the track this summer is still unknown. The T21 news site reported that during a late February press conference, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador declared that the entire line would be operational by August.
That same day, the president also revealed that the overall cost of the project — construction began in July 2014 during the Enrique Peña Nieto administration — had climbed to 100 billion pesos (US $5.8 billion), up from the 23 billion pesos (US $1.3 billion) López Obrador had announced last September.
Footage captured of the crane collapse as it happened. Mexico City officials said both the city attorney general and the Italian company working on the project, Rizzani Echer, would conduct parallel investigations of the incident. (SDP Noticias)
The president inaugurated Section 1 of the CDMX-Toluca commuter train — called The “Insurgent” — on Sept. 15.
“Finishing the first stage of this project is proof that we will not leave public works unfinished,” López Obrador said at the time.
Seven months later, the commuter rail is still only operating in the Toluca metropolitan area.
The nearly 60-kilometer (58 miles) railway is comprised of three sections.
Section 1 — the western terminus limited to the greater Toluca area — is 36 kilometers (22.4 miles) long and features four stations: Zinacantepec, Toluca Centro, Metepec and Lerma.
Section 2 is primarily a 4.6-kilometer (2.9 miles) tunnel through the Sierra de las Cruces.
Section 3 — the eastern terminus that passes through western Mexico City for 17 kilometers (11 miles) — stops at three stations: Santa Fe, Álvaro Obregón and Observatorio, with connections to Mexico City’s Metro, the local Metrobús and its passenger bus terminal.
La Jornada reported that of the three other accidents on the project this year, two occurred within Section 3, including another crane collapse in January — also in Álvaro Obregón. In that accident, a massive chunk of concrete fell within meters of civilians on the ground.
Television network TV Azteca published a list of accidents associated with the project, dating back to May 2016, including two fatal ones in the past 10 months.
As in the previous survey at the end of 2023, the city of Fresnillo, Zacatecas ranked the worst in Mexico according to residents, with 95.4% saying it is unsafe. (Cuartoscuro)
Amidst a presidential election campaign in which public security is a major issue, a survey has found that well over half of Mexican urban dwellers consider the city in which they live unsafe.
According to the results of the latest National Survey of Urban Public Security, the percentage of Mexicans with security concerns about their city increased to 61% in the first quarter of 2024 from a 10-year low of 59.1% in the final quarter of last year.
Conducted by the national statistics agency INEGI in the first half of March, the ENSU found that 66.5% of women and 54.5% of men consider their city unsafe.
While the combined figure of 61% is up almost two points compared to the previous survey, it is 1.1 points below the 62.1% result of 12 months ago.
Another finding of the latest survey was that only one-third of respondents (34%) consider their municipal government to be very or somewhat effective in solving the most important problems their cities face.
INEGI conducts the ENSU every quarter in cities in all 31 states. Each of the 16 boroughs of Mexico City are considered separately.
Opposition candidate Xóchitl Gálvez launched her campaign on March 1 in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, which again ranks as the city where the highest number of residents feel unsafe. (Xóchitl Gálvez/X)
In March, all three presidential candidates endorsed a “Commitment for Peace” document drawn up by Mexico’s Roman Catholic leadership, although leading aspirant Claudia Sheinbaum also expressed disagreement with the Church leaders’ assessment of the current security situation and some of the peace-building proposals they put forth.
Which cities have the highest and lowest percentages of residents with personal security concerns?
Fresnillo, Zacatecas, once again had the highest percentage of residents who told INEGI that the city was an unsafe place to live. The latest ENSU found that 95.4% of Fresnillo residents consider the city unsafe, a decline of 1 percentage point compared to the previous survey.
Located about 60 kilometers north of Zacatecas City, Fresnillo has been plagued by violent crime in recent years. The results of each of the four ENSUs conducted in 2023 showed that the city of some 240,000 people was considered unsafe by over 90% of residents.
The cities with the next highest percentages of residents with personal security concerns were:
Naucalpan, a México state municipality that adjoins Mexico City. Just under nine in 10 residents – 89.6% – consider the municipality an unsafe place to live.
Zacatecas city, considered unsafe by 89.3% of survey residents.
Chilpancingo, Guerrero, 87.3%
Cuernavaca, Morelos, 87%
Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, 86.6%
The cities with the lowest percentages of residents with personal security concerns were:
Benito Juárez, a Mexico City borough where the (poor) quality of water is perhaps a bigger concern than insecurity for most residents. Around one in 10 Benito Juárez residents — 11.1% — consider the borough unsafe.
Piedras Negras, Coahuila, 19%
Cuajimalpa, Mexico City, 22.5%
Mérida, Yucatán, 23.2%
Tampico, Tamaulipas, 23.6%
Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, 24.8%
Perceptions of insecurity up significantly in 14 cities
INEGI reported that there were statistically significantly changes in perceptions of insecurity between December and March in 18 cities. In 14 of those cities, the percentage of residents who consider their city unsafe rose significantly, while the percentage declined significantly in just four.
National Guard members and marines patrol a beach in Cancún, which saw an increase in the number of citizens who feel unsafe in the beginning of 2024. (Cuartoscuro)
The cities where there were significant increases were:
Mexicali, Baja California, 52.5%-62.7%
Tijuana, Baja California, 62.2%-73.2%
La Paz, Baja California Sur, 22.4%-30.4%
Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, 47.6%-60.7%
Colima city, 70.5%-81.9%
Chihuahua city, 50.4%-59.3%
Iztapalapa, Mexico City, 62.5%-72%
Chilpancingo, Guerrero, 76%-87.3%
Pachuca, Hidalgo, 38.7%-53.7%
Tlajomulco, Jalisco, 62%-72.7%
Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, México state, 58.5%-69.2%
Monterrey, Nuevo León, 58.6%-70.5%
San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, 25.9%-33.9%
Cancún, Quintana Roo, 74.6%-82.4%
The cities where there were significant decreases were:
Milpa Alta, Mexico City, 55.5%-46.6%
Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City, 46.4%-32.3%
Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, 65.2%-56.6%
San Luis Potosí city, 73%-65.7%
The places where Mexicans most commonly feel unsafe
Just under 70% of ENSU respondents reported feeling unsafe while using ATMs on the street, while 63.9% expressed security concerns about traveling on public transport.
More than 50% of respondents said they felt unsafe at the bank, on the streets they regularly use and on the highway.
Crime and anti-social behavior
Just under six in 10 respondents said they had seen people drinking in the street during the first quarter of 2024, 49% reported having witnessed a robbery or mugging, around four in 10 told INEGI they had seen people buying or consuming drugs and 37% reported having heard frequent gunshots.
A quarter of respondents said they had witnessed some kind of gang activity in the city in which they live.
Opinions on security forces
The Mexican Navy is the country’s most effective security force, according to the results of the latest ENSU. Over 86% of respondents said they believe the navy is very or somewhat effective in preventing and combating crime.
The navy and the army ranked higher in public opinion than the National Guard in the INEGI survey. (Cuartoscuro)
Just over 82% of those polled said the same about the army, while the figure for the National Guard was 73.6%.
Just over 56% of respondents said that state police forces are very or somewhat effective in preventing and combating crime, while 49.4% said the same about municipal police.
Citizens’ security expectations
Around one-third of survey respondents — 33.9% — said they expected the security situation in their city to remain “just as bad” during the next 12 months, while 21.5% predicted a deterioration.
Almost one quarter of those polled — 23.5% — said they expected security to improve in their place of residence during the next 12 months, while 19.2% anticipated that the situation would remain “just as good” as it currently is.
Staff of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society on the 2023 vaquita survey mission. Since 2015, the NGO has been working with the Mexican government to protect the vaquita porpoise in the Gulf of California, the critically endangered marine mammal's only habitat. (Conamp/X)
In collaboration with several Mexican government agencies, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society will begin its annual survey of vaquita porpoises in the Gulf of California in early May, it was announced this week.
The independent survey will examine the critically endangered mammalsand how they are getting along in their only habitat — a small region of Mexican waters in the upper Gulf. The expedition will take place May 5–26, conducted by more than a dozen expert observers.
Vaquita porpoise numbers increased slightly in 2023, for the first time since 2021. (Dolphin Discovery)
Since 2015, Sea Shepherd has worked with Mexico to protect the world’s rarest marine mammal by removing and preventing the placement of illegal fishing nets inside the UNESCO-recognized Vaquita Refuge in the Gulf of California.
Last year, the Mexican government and Sea Shepherd signed a historic agreement to expand the region where fishing is banned — also known as the “Zero Tolerance Area” — by over 60%.
The banned gillnets, which ensnare the vaquita, have brought the species to the edge of oblivion.
The vaquita porpoise is the world’s smallest cetacean, a grouping of aquatic mammals that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. With chunky bodies and rounded heads, they measure about 1.5 meters (5 feet) long and weigh up to 68 kilograms (150 pounds), and their lifespan is estimated to be 20 years.
“They also have a round black patch around their eye and black lips that some people think makes them appear to be smiling,” BBC Wildlife Magazine said in February about the vaquita, which means “little cow” in Spanish. “Sadly, they don’t have a lot to smile about,” the magazine added.
The expedition will use specialized acoustic detection equipment to help them better locate the vaquitas, according to Mexico’s environmental agency Conanp. (Conanp/X)
The Mexican entities include the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp).
The expedition will be conducted in collaboration with the Navy (SEMAR) and Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa).
Mexican, American and Canadian experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will also participate. Two ships will be used: “The Seahorse” and the “Sirena de la Noche,” both of which participated in last year’s survey.
María Luisa Albores González, the head of Semarnat, said that one of the main objectives is to count the vaquitas, and especially the young specimens.
Albores also said the participation of nearby coastal communities in the monitoring process will continue. This year, a group of 19 young people from the municipality of San Felipe, Baja California, will be involved.
Last year, Sea Shepherd’s monitoring mission observed between 10 and 13 vaquitas. This figure represented growth from the vaquita’s lowest-ever population in 2021, leading expedition head Barbara Taylor to state that the growth was the most encouraging news ever since human intervention to save vaquitas began.
Pritam Singh, Sea Shepherd’s CEO, thanked the inter-institutional collaboration that he said has achieved a more than 90% reduction in illegal fishing activity in the Zero Tolerance Area.
The conservation efforts are helping not only the vaquita, but also the totoaba fish, another endangered species in the region that is typically the intended target of the banned gillnets, and whose swim bladder is a lucrative black market commodity.
Vaquitas end up as collateral damage, dying trapped in the totoaba fishers’ illegal nets.
Vaquitas, which live in shallow waters, are endemic to an area of 2,235 square kilometers (863 square miles) in the Gulf of California. That’s the most compact range for any cetacean in the world.
In addition to visual monitoring, there will also be an acoustic component to the expedition. Some 30 F-POD sound detectors will be placed to pick up echoes from the porpoises to help the scientists locate them.
“The results of this survey will help guide the next steps in our growing collaboration with the Mexican government to protect the vaquita,” Singh said.
President López Obrador has focused on bolstering state-owned companies CFE and Pemex as part of his nationalistic energy policy. Where will this leave the next president of Mexico? (Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s current administration, now in its final stretch, will leave behind a legacy of a highly controversial and ideological energy policy that in practice halted the progress of the ambitious 2013 energy reform.
As Mexico gears up for its largest-ever elections, Claudia Sheinbaum (Morena), the candidate currently leading the polls, has declared her intention to continue the main policies of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. This includes a vision of Mexican energy policy that considers the current government was stymied in achieving its energy sovereignty objectives due to an “inherited” legal framework — the energy reform of 2013. Recently, the president has proposed a constitutional reform that dismantles, in part, the legal framework of 2013, for which Sheinbaum has expressed absolute support.
In this context, a review of Claudia Sheinbaum’s academic and policy background on energy issues can help us understand the possible future scenarios that could be at play in the energy sector if she wins the presidency in June. While these ideas may not necessarily materialize as public policy, they provide a scenario of how her perception of the sector has been shaped.
What would be similar to and different from the current administration?
From her writings and speeches, it is clear that Sheinbaum shares with AMLO the idea of having strong state-productive companies to promote energy supply security; that a national energy policy should encourage a low rate of energy imports, particularly emphasizing less dependence on foreign natural gas and fuel imports; and that private participation in the energy sector should be allowed, but in second-order behind the state’s role.
On fossil fuels, Sheinbaum has in the past criticized multiple-service contracts at Pemex, the “obsession” with deep-water exploration at the expense of exploration and production in shallow waters and the need to involve foreign companies in these activities. When it comes to electricity, Sheinbaum publicly backed AMLO’s electricity reform initiative, particularly the idea of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) becoming the main electricity generator in Mexico.
So where are the differences? Do they exist?
One area where Sheinbaum seems to differentiate from AMLO’s views has to do with climate change and renewables. There, she has been a longtime advocate of the need for a broader diversification of Mexico’s energy matrix, with a specific focus on increasing the share of renewable energy sources, as well as a deeper commitment to the country’s climate change goals, where she has expressed the need for the country to be more ambitious. For example, during her tenure as Mexico City’s mayor, several of her government’s projects had a personal imprint toward these goals, although she never suggested discomfort with AMLO’s pro-fossil fuel policies in any way.
Hence, if one would want to foresee how a Sheinbaum energy policy would look if she becomes the next president of Mexico, the conclusion would have to be overall continuity. with ideology continuing to shape many policy decisions — with some minor changes.
However, despite any preconceived ideas about the energy sector that either Sheinbaum or her opposition rival Xóchitl Gálvez could have, the inherited challenges that the next administration will face are far more complex than the ones AMLO inherited in 2018. In a nutshell, Mexico faces increasing energy demand due to pent-up demand and nearshoring, coupled with insufficient investment in energy infrastructure, mainly for electricity transmission.
There is also a significant dependence on US natural gas; oil production that has fallen instead of increasing, as the administration promised; a deteriorating financial situation in Pemex; and widespread business distrust primarily caused by abrupt legislative and regulatory changes that halted investments and the function of market mechanisms, such as the oil rounds and electricity auctions.
Therefore, in the end, no matter the ideological views any of the candidates have about energy, reality will play a critical force in shaping the route Mexico will follow in its always highly-politicized energy sector.
This article was originally published by The Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center
Carlos Ramírez serves as the Practice Head of Financial Services and Energy. He previously held a position on Mexico’s Financial Stability Board from 2013 to 2018. During this period, he served as the Chairman of the National Commission of Retirement Savings System (CONSAR), overseeing the regulation of Mexico’s private pension system.
Mónica R. Díaz leads Integralia’s Energy Division, bringing with her extensive experience in Mexico’s energy sector and energy policies. She has a history of working in public institutions and currently provides advisory services to private companies on political and regulatory risks.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mexico News Daily, its owner or its employees.
A pristine Playa del Carmen beach — for now. According to Mexico's navy, a 120-ton mass of sargassum in the Caribbean Sea is drifting toward the resort city, due to arrive in a few days. It will also affect Tulum and Cozumel beaches, the navy said. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
The Mexican Navy (SEMAR) has issued a Level 2 sargassum alert for Caribbean coastal areas for the first time this year.
Sargassum — a type of floating brown algae that provides food, protection and habitat for many marine species — can adversely impact coastal ecosystems, tourism and public health when it’s carried by wind and currents near shorelines, a phenomenon known as an inundation event.
Although Quintana Roo’s beaches have been relatively unaffected by the stinky seaweed this year, signs of it returning were evident already by late March, when this photo was taken in Playa del Carmen. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Sargassum Information bulletin says that massive inundation events can form brown tides near to shore, smothering fauna and flora — including coral reefs.
Sargassum also contains high levels of arsenic and other heavy metals, organic contaminants and marine debris. When it decomposes on the beach, it produces hydrogen sulfide, a gas that smells like rotten eggs. In addition to being unpleasant for tourists, it can cause respiratory irritation.
SEMAR issued the Level 2 alert after detecting an approaching mass of free-floating sargassum that could reach Quintana Roo’s beaches in the next four days. The Navy said that the mass’ front wave has already washed up on shores from Punta Herrero to Playa del Carmen.
SEMAR estimates 120 metric tons of sargassum are headed toward Mexico’s Caribbean coast, saying that Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Tulum’s beaches will likely be affected.
SEMAR’s alert had been steady at Level 1 since last year, although the newspaper La Jornada Maya reported that SEMAR has collected 950 metric tons of sargassum already this month.
In January, the civilian group Sargassum Monitoring registered a nearly 5-million-ton sargassum mass moving westward in the Atlantic that had the potential to hit Mexico with record levels starting in April or May.
One of the navy’s duties is to document — as well as collect — sargassum in the ocean before it heads to Quintana’s Roo’s beaches. (Semar)
Thus far, however, 2024 has been a lower-than-average sargassum impact year. According to the newspaper The Cancún Sun, this has delighted tourists, “as well as local officials who have to pay for the removal and disposal of the microalgae.”
April through June is considered the peak period for sargassum inundation events, and SEMAR is in the process of installing 8,650 meters of floating offshore barriers to catch the algae. Underwater anchors that will hold the barriers in place have been implanted off the coast of the Quintana Roo beaches.
In addition to the anti-sargassum barriers, four beach sweepers, 22 small vessels, 11 seaweed collectors and eight amphibious bands will be used to combat the stinky brown mass, according to news agency Travel Pulse.
Tourists are urged to observe the flag color on their beach and to consult with lifeguards regarding safety conditions when sargassum is present in the water and onshore.
BYD is one of the Chinese EV manufacturers looking to build a plant in Mexico. (Shutterstock)
Pressure from United States authorities has led the Mexican government to refuse to offer incentives to Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers planning to invest in Mexico, according to Mexican officials who spoke with Reuters.
Three officials said to be “familiar with the matter” told Reuters that the government is not offering Chinese EV makers incentives such as low-cost public land or tax cuts.
The sources said that the move was the result of pressure from the United States government, in particular the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
On Wednesday, Trade Representative Katherine Tai said that the United States must take “decisive” action to protect U.S.-made EVs from subsidized Chinese car makers.
A bipartisan group of United States lawmakers wrote to Tai last November in part to request that the U.S. government be ready to “address the coming wave of [Chinese] vehicles that will be exported from our other trading partners, such as Mexico.”
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai in a meeting with Mexico’s Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro in 2023. (Katherine Tai/X)
In December, Mexico and the United States reached an agreement to cooperate on foreign investment screening as a measure to better protect the national security of both countries. The agreement was widely interpreted as a means to stop problematic Chinese investment in Mexico.
A White House spokesperson told Reuters that United States President Joe Biden will not allow Chinese car makers to flood the U.S. market with vehicles that pose a threat to national security.
Incentives for foreign car makers have been generous in the past
Francisco Bautista, a partner at professional services firm EY in Mexico, told Reuters that the Mexican government has previously offered generous incentives to automakers, including free land, water and energy facilities and assistance to hire workers.
He said that such incentives have declined during the government led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who took office in late 2018, although they have been offered to large investors such as Audi.
Several Chinese car makers have announced plans to manufacture in Mexico
No Chinese car maker currently has a plant in Mexico, but several have announced plans to make vehicles here. They include BYD — the world’s leading EV company by sales — Jaecoo and Jetour.
BYD Americas CEO Stella Li said in February that Mexican officials had been receptive to the company’s plan to open a plant in Mexico, despite the concerns of the United States government and U.S. automakers. She said that BYD’s plan was “to build the facility for the Mexican market, not for the export market,” but there is skepticism about that remark.
Reuters’ Mexican government sources said that the last time top officials met with a Chinese automaker was in January when they spoke with BYD executives. The same month, U.S. officials asked their Mexican counterparts to “hinder Chinese automakers,” Reuters said.
Chinese manufacturer BYD was the world’s top electric vehicle manufacturer as of the end of 2023. Pictured: a BYD plant in Hungary. (BYD)
The news agency’s sources, who asked to remain anonymous, said that Mexican officials made it clear to BYD that the government would not offer incentives such as those provided in the past. In addition, the sources said that the officials told the BYD executives that future meetings with Chinese automakers would be put on pause.
Reuters said that López Obrador’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the issue, while the Economy Ministry declined to comment.
One Mexican official told Reuters that in the absence of federal incentives, BYD would seek state government ones, although they are typically not as generous.
Reuters said that states including Durango, Jalisco, Nuevo León and México state are all attempting to lure Chinese automakers and are consequently offering a range of incentives.
More on the United States’ concerns
A USTR official told Reuters that the USMCA, the North America free trade pact that superseded NAFTA in 2020, was not meant to “provide a back door to China and others who may be seeking to access our market without paying … tariffs.”
The U.S. automotive industry, including unions, and the U.S. government are concerned that Chinese car makers could export vehicles made in Mexico to the U.S. without paying the 27.5% tariff that is currently applicable to Chinese cars.
“Chinese automakers can get around U.S. tariffs by setting up shop in Mexico, as long as they meet rules for how much of a vehicle must be produced locally,” Reuters reported.
Mexican state governments have offered incentives to EV manufacturers like Tesla, which is going to build a plant in Nuevo León. (Tesla/X)
Dozens of Chinese auto-parts manufacturers already operate in Mexico. Chinese car makers could source inputs from them and other Mexico-based companies to ensure that they comply with the USMCA requirement of having at least 75% of core vehicle parts originating in North America.
Reuters reported that Mexico “is caught in the crossfire between the world’s two biggest economies and car markets.”
But López Obrador appears to believe that Mexico under his leadership is managing its relationships with both countries successfully. He said in late March that Mexico has “very good” trade relationships with both China and the United States when commenting on steel-related issues that have concerned the U.S.
Mexico has imposed tariffs on some Chinese steel products amid concerns in the United States about an increase in steel exports from Mexico, a move that was possibly the result of U.S. pressure, although Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro asserted that Mexico is not receiving exports from China only to ship them north of the border.
President López Obrador met with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time in November, as Chinese investment in Mexico grows. (Andrés Manuel López Obrador/X)
Reuters’ sources said that while Chinese investment benefits the Mexican economy, the federal government is worried about upsetting its U.S. counterpart ahead of the scheduled review of the USMCA in 2026, when the three parties will decide whether to extend the agreement for an additional 16 years.
S&P Global said in a recent report that “Chinese investment and exports to Mexico are highly likely to become a headline issue ahead of the 2026 scheduled review of the USMCA.”
One source told Reuters that Mexican officials are afraid that the U.S. government could seek to overhaul the pact to Mexico’s detriment.
Mexico will have a new president when the review takes place, while either Biden or Trump — barring a circumstance that precludes them from holding office — will be in the White House.
Tourists are returning to Acapulco's beaches, but the city still bears visible scars of Hurricane Otis, as seen in the damaged buildings in the skyline of this photo, taken on March 23. (Carlos Alberto Carbajal/Cuartoscuro)
Almost six months after Hurricane Otis, the recovery in Acapulco is still far from complete.
But a report published by the Bloomberg news agency on Wednesday paints a rather depressing picture of the situation in the destination that once welcomed Hollywood’s brightest stars. The Expansión news website said in another report that “the port of Acapulco is still fighting to recover” from the devastation caused by Otis late last year.
What’s the current situation in Acapulco?
Bloomberg described “a grim scene” in the city, reporting that most hotels and condo buildings along Acapulco’s beaches are “abandoned, with missing facades and swimming pools full of muck.”
However, plenty of Acapulco hotels have, in fact, reopened: Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco reported in mid-February that the port city had 7,110 rooms available in 167 hotels, and more than 2,000 additional rooms have reopened since then.
Still, the capacity of Acapulco hotels is less than 50% what it was previously, noted Cancún-based tourism academic Francisco Madrid, who was quoted in Bloomberg’s report.
Bloomberg also reported that “more than half the city’s traffic lights aren’t working, streets are cluttered with trash and washed-out roads have left some areas inaccessible.”
Nearly six months after the hurricane devastated the Pacific port, there are still boats washed up on beaches. (Cuartoscuro)
In addition, the news agency said that “many upscale restaurants are shut, and the marina is still filled with half-sunk yachts and other debris.”
Expansión reported Wednesday that “signs of destruction” from Otis are still visible in Acapulco and that “the accumulation of trash in the streets and the slowness of the recovery” are testament to the “long road” ahead.
The news website also noted that Otis dealt a heavy blow to the local economy. Citing official data, Expansión said that Acapulco’s contribution to Guerrero’s tourism revenue has declined to 23% from 65% before the hurricane.
Crime and dengue
Looting was a major problem in the days after Otis hit Acapulco. Now, gangs involved in that looting “remain in control of large parts of the city, mostly outside tourist areas,” Bloomberg reported.
The local traffic police chief was murdered last week. (Cuartoscuro)
Meanwhile, private investment “has so far fallen well short of what’s needed to revitalize the city,” Bloomberg said.
Carlos Slim, Mexico’s richest person, is completing work on his Calinda Beach Hotel and has attempted to get “others to invest in Acapulco,” the news agency said before noting that he has “had little luck so far.”
However, the hotel sector is not without optimism. The CEO of Mundo Imperial, which owns and operates three five-star hotels in Acapulco, told Bloomberg that “Acapulco is going to come back better than ever.”
“We will have a sustainable Acapulco, with better facilities for all the hotels,” said Seyed Rezvani.
But if a “better than ever” Acapulco is possible, it’s clear that its creation is yet some ways off.
In addition to hotels, several other commercial establishments and homes — tens of thousands of which were damaged by Otis – are still awaiting repairs. In many cases, it is unclear when repair work will begin, let alone end.
Many iconic hotels in Acapulco suffered major devastation from Hurricane Otis and have yet to reopen. (Cuartoscuro)
Expansión noted that there are abandoned residential complexes for which no dates for repair work have been set.
While many existing properties await repair, some new ones are being built, including five projects of the Mexican real estate development company Ayya.
“With all the buildings that were destroyed, the demand for new apartments is going to be much higher,” Manuel Athie, a real estate agent with the company, told Bloomberg.
“If we are one of the few companies offering apartments, we will have a great advantage,” he said.
How are tourism-dependent acapulqueños coping?
Bloomberg spoke to a number of acapulqueños, as Acapulco residents are known, including Ofe Quiros, a silver jewelry vendor in the city’s main square.
“We depend on tourism, and people are not coming back,” she said.
After finally recovering from beach shutdowns and diminished travel during the COVID-19 epidemic, Hurricane Otis dealt another hard blow to Acapulco’s vendors, who depend on tourists for their income. (Carlos Alberto Carbajal)
Quiros said she received a 35,000-peso (about US $2,000) grant from the government but noted that it was insufficient to repair the roof and a wall of her home that were damaged in the powerful hurricane.
Life is also tough for Grisanta Sánchez, a 65-year-old hat vendor who on a recent day spent more than six hours on mostly empty beaches. She didn’t make a single sale, according to Bloomberg’s report.
Rosa, a woman in her 50s who braids tourists’ hair and offers massages on the beach, told Expansión she was confident that tourists would begin to return to Acapulco in greater numbers. She said that visitor numbers have increased gradually but that demand for her services — and her earnings — are still well below pre-hurricane levels.
A unidentified grill chef at a local buffet restaurant told Expansión that many tourism and hospitality workers have relocated to other destinations due to the lack of tourists in Acapulco.
“A lot have gone to Los Cabos or Cancún so as not to lose their source of income because work is limited here,” he said. “… I want to go as well, but my wife is sick and just had surgery, so we first have to wait for her to recover,” the chef said.
Expansión reported that tourism sector workers expect it will take around two years for Acapulco to recover from the impact of Hurricane Otis.
Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco at Mexico’s national tourism fair held in Acapulco. (Sectur/X)
However, the Guerrero branch of the Mexican Association of Travel Agencies (AMAV) says that all 21,000 hotel rooms in Acapulco will be ready to receive guests six months from now. Filling them, however, could be a challenge, and local AMAV chief Leví Williams Manzanares predicts that it will take hoteliers an average of three years to recoup their investment in reconstruction work, even as they raise room rates by an expected 10–30%.
A local taxi driver told Expansión he was hopeful that the reopening of nightclubs would help to attract more visitors.
“Currently not even Baby’O is open,” he said, referring to the iconic nightclub that was destroyed by fire in 2021. The club did, however, open during last week’s Tianguis Turístico, when attendees from around Mexico and more than 40 countries descended on Acapulco.
Torruco: tourism fair showed that Acapulco is “being reborn”
There is no doubt that last week’s Tianguis Turístico gave a significant boost to the tourism sector in Acapulco — and the city more broadly.
The Tourism Ministry (Sectur) reported that the hotel occupancy rate during the event was 79.6%, a figure based on the availability of 9,500 rooms. Spending on accommodation and tourism services exceeded 1 billion pesos (US $58.9 million) during the week, according to Sectur.
In a speech at the event’s conclusion, Torruco declared that with the staging of the annual Tianguis Turístico, authorities achieved their “objective” of “showing that Acapulco is on its feet and being reborn in order to once again be a great national and international destination.”
The city will also get a boost from the National Banking Convention, which will take place this Thursday and Friday. Mexico’s three presidential candidates, Claudia Sheinbaum, Xóchitl Gálvez and Jorge Álvarez Máynez, will all speak at the event, which will be held at the Palacio Mundo Imperial hotel.
