Yongmaotai, a Shanghai-based company that specializes in the production of aluminum auto parts, announced that its two Singaporean units would jointly set up "a Mexican project company" to invest in the new plant. (MEXCHAM)
Chinese company Yongmaotai Automotive Technology has announced an investment of around US $63 million to build an auto parts plant in the northern border state of Coahuila.
The Chinese news outlet Yicai Global first reported the planned investment in July, saying that Yongmaotai had announced its intention to spend 450 million Chinese yuan (US $63.1 million) on a new factory in Mexico in order to “mitigate the impact of shifting global trade policies on its European and U.S. customers’ supply chains.”
Yicai Global said that Yongmaotai, a Shanghai-based company that specializes in the production of aluminum auto parts, announced that its two Singaporean units would jointly set up “a Mexican project company” to invest in the new plant and oversee its construction and operations.
Yongmaotai said that the factory would likely take two years to build.
MEXCHAM said that the project is located in Coahuila, but didn’t specify where in the state.
It said that the plant will have “a planned annual production capacity of 25 million lightweight automotive parts, including turbocharger housings.”
MEXCHAM also said that “the construction period is expected to be two years, with production set to begin in the second quarter of 2027.”
It said that according to Yongmaotai’s “2025 semi-annual report,” the project has “already been successfully initiated.”
“Approval and filing procedures are currently underway in China, Singapore and Mexico, while the registration of the Mexican subsidiary is also in progress,” MEXCHAM said on Sept. 18.
The business chamber noted that “Mexico enjoys zero-tariff benefits for auto parts exports to the United States” as it is party to the USMCA free trade pact, which is scheduled to be reviewed in 2026.
MEXCHAM said that Yongmaotai’s investment decision “not only represents a significant step in the company’s global strategy but also injects new vitality into China-Mexico automotive industry cooperation.”
Yongmaotai could avoid US and Mexican tariffs by manufacturing in Mexico
According to Yicai Global, Yongmaotai said in July that the investment in Mexico will “help reduce the adverse effects of changing international tariff policies” on the supply chains of its clients in Europe and the United States.
Having a plant in Coahuila would allow Yongmaotai to avoid tariffs on Chinese goods imposed by the United States, provided that those parts comply with USMCA rules, which could potentially change after next year’s review.
The company supplies parts to automakers, including General Motors and Volkswagen, both of which manufacture vehicles in Mexico, a major auto-producing country, and in the U.S.
Yongmaotai has also announced a plan to build a $50 million plant in Indonesia as part of a strategy to diversify its manufacturing base.
However, it currently appears unlikely that Tesla will actually build its proposed plant in Mexico. In July, Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD, Tesla’s main competitor, canceled its plans to manufacture vehicles here.
In Chicago earlier this month, DHS arrested a Mexican man who allegedly placed a bounty on the Commander at Large of the U.S. Border Patrol Chief. (Shutterstock)
Mexican cartels have created a “structured bounty program” to incentivize violence against federal law enforcement personnel in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
In a statement issued on Tuesday, DHS said that it has “obtained credible intelligence indicating that Mexican criminals, in coordination with domestic extremist groups, have placed targeted bounties on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel.”
The statement is titled “Bounties Originating from Mexico Offered to Shoot ICE and CBP Officers in Chicago.”
DHS said that Mexican “criminal networks have issued explicit instructions to U.S.-based sympathetics, including street gangs in Chicago, to monitor, harass and assassinate federal agents.”
The alleged ‘tiered bounty system’
DHS, citing information obtained from “ongoing investigations,” referred to both a “tiered bounty system” and a “structured bounty program.”
“Cartels have disseminated a structured bounty program to incentivize violence against federal personnel, with payouts escalating based on rank and action taken,” the department said.
DHS said that US $2,000 is on offer for “gathering intelligence or doxxing agents (including photos and family details).”
It said that bounties of $5,000-$10,000 are being offered for “kidnapping or non-lethal assaults on standard ICE/CBP officers.”
The highest tier of the “bounty system” is a payment of “up to $50,000 for the assassination of high-ranking officials,” according to DHS.
The department said that “criminal organizations in Mexico have begun offering thousands of dollars for the murder of federal law enforcement,” but did not identify any groups by name.
Mexican cartels have operatives in the United States, some of whom are presumably undocumented and thus susceptible to arrest and deportation. The Trump administration, via ICE and other authorities, is carrying out aggressive immigration raids throughout the United States, including in cities with large Mexican populations such as Chicago and Los Angeles.
In Chicago earlier this month, DHS arrested a Mexican man who allegedly “placed a bounty on the Commander at Large of the U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino.”
The department said that Juan Espinoza Martínez was a “criminal illegal alien and Latin Kings Gang Member,” and alleged that he appeared to offer a $2,000 bounty for the capture of Bovino and a $10,000 reward “if you take him down.”
Spotter networks
DHS said that in neighborhoods such as Pilsen and Little Village in Chicago — both of which are known as Mexican neighborhoods — “gang members affiliated with groups such as the Latin Kings have deployed ‘spotters’ on rooftops” to look out for ICE and CBP agents.
The spotters, “equipped with firearms and radio communications,” track ICE and CBP movements “in real-time, relaying coordinates,” DHS said.
“This surveillance has enabled ambushes and disruptions during routine enforcement actions, including recent raids under Operation Midway Blitz,” the department said.
DHS said that in Portland and Chicago, “Antifa groups have provided logistical support such as pre-staged protest supplies, doxxing of agent identities and on-the-ground interference to shield cartel-linked individuals from deportation.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said that “these criminal networks” — Mexican cartels and U.S.-based groups — are “waging an organized campaign of terror against the brave men and women who protect our borders and communities.”
“Our agents are facing ambushes, drone surveillance and death threats, all because they dare to enforce the laws passed by Congress. We will not back down from these threats, and every criminal, terrorist and illegal alien will face American justice,” she said.
Facebook removes page used to share information about ICE agents
United States Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media on Tuesday that “following outreach” from the U.S. Department of Justice, “Facebook removed a large group page that was being used to dox and target ICE agents in Chicago.”
“The wave of violence against ICE has been driven by online apps and social media campaigns designed to put ICE officers at risk just for doing their jobs,” Bondi wrote.
“The Department of Justice will continue engaging tech companies to eliminate platforms where radicals can incite imminent violence against federal law enforcement,” she said.
Meta, which owns Facebook, said in a statement that the page used for doxing ICE agents “was removed for violating our policies against coordinated harm.”
Mexico City-based Bimbo are the largest breadmaker in the world. (Grupo Bimbo)
If you grew up in Mexico — or have spent any stretch of time here — it’s likely that one of your earliest food memories involves the sight of a smiling white bear in a chef’s hat. That bear isn’t just a brand. He’s the face of Bimbo, the largest baking company in the world. A local legend turned global empire with a reach now spanning 76 countries and annual sales topping US $22 billion. You’ll spot him everywhere: stamped on white bread with soft, cloud-like slices, on chocolate-covered Gansito bars nestled in school lunchboxes, or even on bags of Takis, the spicy rolled corn snack that went viral across continents.
Bimbo’s numbers strike me every time. The company employs over 152,000 people worldwide. It has 13,000 products scattered across iconic banners — from Tía Rosa, Takis, Marinela, Oroweat, Entenmann’s, Pullman, Sara Lee, Barcel and Thomas, to treats bearing the mark of The Cheesecake Factory.
Bimbo’s bread loaves are ubiquitous not only in Mexico but around the world. (Grupo Bimbo)
No other Mexican brand has managed to land so close to the heart — and table — of the everyday household, not even Coca-Cola. Bimbo’s market penetration in the country has matched or even outpaced the beverage giant in recent years. But behind that humble mascot, the story is anything but simple.
El Molino
Bimbo wasn’t dreamed up by foreign investors or MBAs, but by the Servitje family — Catalan immigrants drawn to Mexico’s postrevolutionary promise who first dipped into the bakery business nearly a century ago. In 1928, Juan Servitje Torrallardona opened El Molino, a modest bakery in Mexico City, along with partners Bonet and Tinoco. El Molino quickly became a neighborhood staple, but tragedy reshaped its destiny. In 1936, Juan died suddenly, leaving his teenage son Lorenzo in charge. Lorenzo, then studying accounting at UNAM, abandoned university to steer the business. He inherited both the daily challenge and the quietly ambitious hope that bread, which so often arrived from suppliers tinged with mold and disappointment, could be made fresher, safer and better.
Joining Lorenzo was his uncle, Jaime Sendra Grimau. After years of grappling with unreliable outside suppliers, they decided to bake their own bread — clean, nutritious and freshly wrapped — a goal inspired by trade publications like Baker’s Helper and by the spirit of mom-and-pop ingenuity.
The birth of Bimbo and the power of cellophane
On December 2, 1945, Panificación Bimbo S.A. opened its doors. The founding partners — Lorenzo, Roberto Servitje, Jaime Jorba, Jaime Sendra and Alfonso Velasco — started with 34 employees and four simple products: small and large white loaves, dark rye and toast bread. But the secret wasn’t only the recipe, but the packaging with cellophane, an innovation for Mexican bread. Generic waxed paper hid flaws. Cellophane let customers inspect their loaf before buying, a clear signal that never again would bread be a gamble.
Made in Mexico: Bimbo bread
The name Bimbo emerged almost by accident, inspired by the founders’ children’s love for Disney’s “Bambi” mashed up (somewhat mysteriously) with “Bingo.” They later realized “bimbo” meant “kid” in Italian and sounded like “bread” in Mandarin (“miànbāo”), sweet serendipity that helped the brand’s future exports (whether the bakery knew of the negative connotations of the term in English is unclear).
Osito Bimbo: Mexico’s most famous bear
Branding quickly proved as pivotal as baking. Bimbo’s white bear mascot — the Osito — came to life after Anita Mata adapted a Christmas card illustration, adding a chef’s hat and apron while Alfonso Velasco completed the look. Over the decades, the bear’s image shifted with the cultural mood: black-and-white for postwar thrift, full-color for mid-century optimism, soft lines for a digital age. But his gentle gaze stayed the same, embodying cleanliness, reliability and abundance.
From the big city to the entire country (with loudspeakers)
Bimbo began from humble beginnings as a business started by Catalan immigrants in Mexico City. (Grupo Bimbo)
Marketing innovation kept pace with industrial advances. In 1949, Bimbo’s “truck 38” rumbled out of Mexico City, fitted with loudspeakers and a phonograph, turning bread delivery into performance and spectacle. By 1955, Bimbo had grown to 700 employees and 140 custom delivery vehicles, serving city and countryside alike, a logistics system as modern as any in North America.
As Bimbo reached new customers, its product portfolio grew too: Bimbo Bear Donuts, Bimbollos, Medias Noches and Colchones bred familiarity with American-style convenience snacks and local flavor alike.
Gansito and the factory revolution
In the 1950s, Bimbo branched into pastries. Its Marinela line, launched in 1954, would change corner stores forever. After much trial and error, Marinela debuted Gansito in 1957 — a chocolate-covered snack cake filled with strawberry jam and cream, with chocolate sprinkles and a duck mascot. Its slogan, “Recuérdame” (“Remember me!”), struck a cultural chord, and soon Gansito symbolized not only a snack but care from home, especially in the school lunchbox. By the mid-1970s, Marinela was churning out a million Gansitos a day.
These innovations required scale. In 1972, Bimbo opened the largest bakery in Latin America, in Azcapotzalco, Mexico City, with technology so advanced it could produce one-and-a-half loaves per second and included a staff soccer field and company museum. Two years later, an adjacent Marinela plant joined the complex, demonstrating Mexico’s commitment to the very cutting edge.
Multiplying brands, multiplying routes
The 1970s saw brand development explode. Bimbo launched Tía Rosa (sweet breads, tortillas), Suandy (butter cookies), acquired Ricolino (chocolates/candy), and created Barcel, soon the source of Takis, the trailblazing spicy snack that went on to conquer international shelves and screens. By the end of the decade, Bimbo included three companies, 12 plants and 15,000 employees. In the years to come, these numbers would only multiply.
Going global: the Sara Lee milestone
Going international began in Guatemala in 1989. But the watershed moment came in 2010, when Bimbo purchased Sara Lee Bakery’s North American operations for $959 million. Suddenly, this Mexican company owned 41 bakeries, 4,800 delivery routes, the Sara Lee brand and 13,000 more employees, making Bimbo Bakeries USA the biggest baking company in America and flipping the script on global business. Mexico was no longer just an exporter of talent and tradition but a buyer, reshaper and leader even in markets once seen as unreachable.
Takis: the viral Mexican snack
Takis have become a marketing phenomenon thanks to he bold tastes of Gen Z. (Grupo Bimbo)
Barcel was originally a small salt snack division, but it created Takis — rolled, spicy tortilla chips — now a global sensation among Gen Z worldwide. Takis didn’t merely sell millions; they sparked social media trends and viral campaigns from the UK to America. They’re now a symbol of Mexican innovation, proving that Mexican flavor — and Mexican risk-taking — can beat global players at their own game.
Facing crisis, pandemic and regulation
Recent years have put Bimbo’s adaptability to the test. During the COVID-19 pandemic, home consumption soared. The company’s reach helped it learn quickly. When China’s lockdowns hit, Bimbo implemented temperature checks and strict protocols for employees globally. In Peru and Colombia, sliced bread sales jumped up to 40%, as the sandwich became the go-to meal for families spending more time at home.
Then came Mexico’s NOM-051 label law in 2020, requiring front-of-package warning labels for high fat, sugar or sodium content, and banning cartoon mascots like the Osito from non-compliant products. Bimbo responded by reformulating recipes, moving mascot imagery to compliant items, and engaging consumers on new, healthier products.
Sustainability: bread for the next century
Today, Bimbo is far more than an industrial food giant. It is also a leader in sustainability, aiming for net zero emissions by 2050 and already sourcing more than 92% of its electricity from renewable sources. By 2025, all its packaging will be recyclable, biodegradable or compostable, a target Bimbo is already 94% of the way towards achieving.
The company has blazed trails in regenerative agriculture, with more than 170,000 hectares of corn and wheat transitioned to sustainable cultivation across four countries. Water productivity is up, CO₂ emissions are down, and hundreds of farmers have received training to make these goals a reality. Its vehicle fleet includes 4,200 electric trucks — the largest in Latin America — showing that even old-school bread delivery can go green.
At the heart of Mexican homes
A 2024 Kantar survey ranks Bimbo ahead of Coca-Cola in Mexican household penetration, the first time a food brand has achieved this in modern memory. Bimbo’s products appear at breakfast, at school, at family celebrations, everywhere. The Osito’s face evokes childhood and nostalgia with an intensity matched only by his international presence.
Bimbo’s brands and mascots evoke nostalgia for anyone who has grown up in Mexico. (Grupo Bimbo)
Young & Rubicam’s study found that Bimbo ranked as “the closest brand to Mexicans,” not only recognized but beloved, shaping rituals and routines for generations. Whether it’s pan dulce in the morning, a Gansito at school, or Tía Rosa tortillas at lunch, Bimbo doesn’t just sell food; it sells trust.
Recognition, revenue and forward motion
International accolades — Time magazine’s “World’s Best Companies,” Forbes sustainability rankings — keep stacking up. With US $21.8 billion in sales for 2024, Bimbo is the largest in its sector worldwide, holding a 4.3% share of the global bakery market (compared to Mondelez’s 3.4%). In the U.S., Bimbo Bakeries has grown from a 29% to a 31% share of a $47 billion market.
Expansion continues. In 2025, Grupo Bimbo acquired Don Don in Southeast Europe, pushing its reach further still. It is also committed to removing all artificial coloring from its products by 2026. Innovation never stops, rooted always in an old promise: “Make good bread, with care, for every home.”
The bread that unites Mexico
Bimbo’s journey is the story of a Mexico in motion: not content, not insular, but continually inventing itself. From a family grief to a global force, from waxed paper to cellophane to biodegradable packaging, from a lunch-table favorite to a stock market standout, the story of Bimbo is really about what’s possible when tradition and ingenuity are allowed to rise together.
Eight decades after its founding, the Osito Bimbo remains, smiling gently, a symbol of how a local dream, handled with care and vision, can grow into global belonging. Grupo Bimbo’s name pulses through small town bakeries, state-of-the-art factories and the most cosmopolitan supermarkets of North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Its millions of loaves, cakes and snacks thread together schoolchildren, commuters, workers and families in a bread network that circles the planet.
The next time you break a Bimbo roll, spread it with butter, or reach for a Gansito on a busy afternoon, remember: you’re tasting something much bigger than a snack. You’re sharing in the unlikely, ongoing revolution of a Mexican company that learned, from hardship and hope, how to feed and charm the world.
María Meléndez is a Mexico City food blogger and influencer.
The Morelia International Film Festival brings top actors and directors from across Mexico and the wider world of cinema. (FICM)
Local and world-famous movie stars walked along Morelia’s colonial streets last week as the 23rd Morelia International Film Festival (FICM) kicked off its 10-day celebration of Latin American cinema, running through Sunday.
On Friday night, Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho, winner of this year’s Best Director Award at Cannes, walked FICM’s red carpet before presenting his latest film, “O Agente Secreto” (“The Secret Agent”).
Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Batel (FICM co-founder), Emilie Lesclaux (Producer “The Secret Agent”), Kleber Mendonça Filho (Director “The Secret Agent”), and Daniela Michel (FICM cofounder) on the FICM red carpet. (Vera Sistermans)
“I think this is an exciting moment, and I hope that this afternoon, a man or a woman is working on a new film that might be in Morelia next year,” said Mendonça earlier that day, commenting on the state of modern filmmaking in Brazil.
During the inaugural weekend, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Film Archive honored Mendonça and Argentine director Lucrecia Martel with medals recognizing individuals who have enriched world film heritage. Previous recipients of this award include Willem Dafoe, Jodie Foster and Alexander Payne. Medal recipient Martel also presented her latest movie, “Nuestra Tierra” (“Our Land”) during the weekend.
The festival also featured French Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche, known for her role in “The English Patient.” Binoche presented her new film “In-I: In Motion.” On Monday, Charlie Kaufman, Oscar-winning writer of “Being John Malkovich” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” hosted a Q&A after a screening of “How to Shoot a Ghost,” a short that is the result of his fourth time in the director’s chair. .
Among other stars present was Spanish director Pablo Berger, whose Oscar-nominated animated film “Robot Dreams” was projected on one of Morelia’s central squares.
Before the screening, Berger unveiled his personalized cinema seat, in a FICM tradition honoring its most notable guests.
“Yesterday, I was at ‘The Secret Agent’ screening and felt envious watching Kleber take his seat. Now I get to sit in mine too,” a delighted Berger exclaimed to the crowd.
Pablo Berger unveils his cinema seat. (FICM)
During the inaugural weekend, a total of five seats were added to the collection — which can be found at the Morelia Cinépolis Centro — and five more will be unveiled as the festival continues.
Promoting Mexican talent
The FICM is known for its efforts to promote local filmmakers, with its competition fully focused on Mexican productions. This year’s judging body, which includes Berger and other prominent industry figures, will evaluate 102 films competing across multiple categories.
Among the films competing for the feature film award are David Pablos’ “En El Camino” (“On the Road”), produced by renowned actor Diego Luna, and Fernando Eimbcke’s “Olmo,” which explores themes of adolescence, migration and palliative care. Brad Pitt’s entertainment company, Plan B, produced Eimbcke’s movie. Plan B is behind acclaimed films like “12 Years a Slave” and the recent “F1.”
The 2025 edition of FICM also boasts a large selection of Michoacán-made short films; an Indigenous Peoples Forum, featuring 10 productions directed by Indigenous people; and the Film Projects Development Lab for Indigenous and Afro-descendant Filmmakers.
This year, 10 filmmakers from across Mexico, from Yucatán to Colima, took part in the fully funded third forum. For four days, experts from the film industry offered guidance on the participants’ projects in workshops and personal advisory sessions. Meanwhile, the filmmakers also learned from one another, sharing experiences and insights.
SENTIMENTAL VALUE - Official Trailer - In Theaters 11.7
“The idea is to be able to make the voices and the gazes of the Indigenous filmmakers visible,” said Andrea Stavenhagen, one of the coordinators of the lab. “The more voices and more diversity we have within the film industry, the more enriching it will be. If cinema is culture, and culture is a reflection of ourselves, it has to be inclusive of all those voices.”
Stavenhangen hopes to see some of this year’s projects return to Morelia in a couple of years, this time on the big screen.
“Sueños Que Migran” (“Dreams That Migrate”) by Tzotzil Maya director Xun Pérez Pérez, who participated in the first edition of the Indigenous Film Lab, serves as an example. This Monday, Pérez’s film was shown at Impulso Morelia, a platform at the festival for films currently in postproduction.
Jodie Foster and Stellan Skarsgard to showcase their films
Although the inaugural weekend has come to an end, there are still plenty of events to enjoy before the festival ends Sunday. There will be daily screenings of competing films, leading up to the awards ceremony on Friday.
Of special note, on Saturday, at the Cinepolis Las Americas cinema, American movie star and director Jodie Foster will present the French black comedy “Vie Privée” (“A Private Life”), in which she stars and which was an official selection at Cannes this year. Also, veteran Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård will showcase “Sentimental Value,” directed by Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier, at the historic Teatro Matamoros.
The participants, organizers, and some of the experts of this year’s Laboratorio de Desarrollo de Proyectos Cinematográficos para Cineastas Indígenas y Afrodescendientes de México. (Vera Sistermans)
Internationally known Mexican movie star Gael García Bernal will participate in a Q&A along with a special screening of “Amores Perros” to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film, which was García Bernal’s breakthrough role. That’s happening at the Cinepolis Centro on Thursday.
Individual tickets to the upcoming functions can be bought two days before their showing at the ticket offices, on the FICM website, or on the Cinépolis website, where you can also purchase passes for either six or eleven movies (which must be collected in person). These passes allow you to enjoy a selection of showings from the FICM’s impressive program, along with kilos of popcorn at a discounted price, provided there is still availability when redeeming your vouchers at the cinema.
Vera Sistermans is a freelance journalist and security analyst based in Mexico City. Her work mostly focuses on Indigenous culture, violence, and resilience.
David Martinez is a Colombian journalist with a background in digital media and radio production. Before making the jump to content writing, he worked as a radio journalist in Argentina for over four years, covering global affairs, Latin American culture, and economics for different outlets.
Every day is a party at Mango Deck on Medano Beach, which is why it's one of Cabo San Lucas' most iconic destinations. (Instagram)
Mango Deck is unquestionably one of the bars and restaurants most associated with Los Cabos tourism. Centrally located on Playa El Médano, the biggest and most popular beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mango Deck is enormously popular, albeit best-known as a “daylife” rather than a nightlife destination (it’s open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.).
However, despite its reputation for free-flowing drinks, particularly during Spring Break, Mango Deck has always been both a bar and a restaurant, offering some of the best food on the beach. Plus, it’s an activities center, meaning you can not only enjoy fresh seafood, ice-cold cervezas and cocktails here but also, for example, rent a waverunner or enjoy other water-based activities. It’s a sort of all-in-one vacation experience.
Much of the enduring popularity of Mango Deck is due to its hard-working and fun-loving staff. (Mango Deck Cabo)
To delve deeper into the history and evolution of Mango Deck, I went to the most knowledgeable sources: owner Ricardo Araoz Gamiño and his son, Garrit Araoz Wilkes, who serves as general manager. Here’s what they had to say.
When was Mango Deck first opened? Whose idea was it?
Mango Deck opened in 1998. It was Ricardo’s idea, along with his friends Luis, Jesús, Gabriel, David and José.
Did the beachfront land come from an ejido, or was it via permission from [Profepa] or some other government agency?
The beachfront location was requested from Zofemat, which is the agency in charge of these areas. (Zofemat, or Zona Federal Marítimo Terrestre, manages Mexico’s coast up to 20 meters from the high tide line. It has exclusive access to grant licenses, permits and concessions within these areas.)
I remember, Garrit, you once told me about Médano Beach when you were a kid, and how there were different names for different parts of the beach. Can you provide our readers with some historical context on what Playa El Médano looked like before the opening of Mango Deck?
The area was always known as El Médano. The names of the beaches were more to identify where exactly you were. There was Hacienda Beach, formerly in front of the Parr family’s Hacienda Hotel — the first hotel in Cabo San Lucas, opened by Abelardo “Rod” Rodriguez in 1963 and subsequently sold to fellow Los Cabos hotel pioneer William Matt “Bud” Parr in 1977.
Rafa Beach was what we called the area in front of Rafa Sandoval’s house, which is now the access point between Hacienda [Beach Club and Residences] and Corazón [Cabo Resort and Spa]. There was also Brujita Beach, formerly located where Andromeda Divers is now; Planta or Empacadora Beach, the small bay in front of what remains of the old cannery, bordered by the old pier that [Hurricane] Odile [in 2014] demolished; and Sanai Beach, the beach on the other side of the pier.
Mango Deck has become incredibly popular for several reasons. One of them is as a destination for students on Spring Break. When did that Spring Break popularity begin to happen, along with the contests, shots from Big Johnson, and other fun activities?
The popularity with students began around 2003, when the Spring Break Cabo company approached us with an offer to bring them there, including a food and beverage package. In the beginning, there was no Big Johnson [a mustachioed, bandolier-wearing host who dispenses tequila shots], nor any host.
Much of our development has been through trial and error. The entertainment started with Batucas, a manager who brought a microphone to test the new equipment and began greeting people and telling jokes. Big Johnson was created by Carlos Peralta. The contests were started by Jonathan, Víctor and Raúl, some of the first MCs we had.
SPRING BREAK 2018
Speaking of activities, Mango Deck is a sort of a vacation all-in-one, in that it’s a bar, restaurant and an activities center. Was it always like that, or has it evolved over the decades?
It started as a restaurant-bar, with less than half of what it is now, a few tables under the roof, a few more on the beach and, at most, 20 lounge chairs on the beach. We had two activity rental locations nearby, and we thought, “Why not try it?” And that’s how, at the time, we ended up with Mango Deck waverunners.
How has the menu at the restaurant changed through the years, and how would you describe your food selection now?
We started with a fairly basic menu. It was mainly comfort options — burgers, chicken fingers, chicken wings and sandwiches. With the tastes of our customers, ideas from Cristina, our chef, and feedback from staff, we have grown, and today we have more regional flavors with a homestyle touch.
What’s the house specialty?
Our signature menu items are the sole sandwich, the Mango Deck roll, the molcajete and the Mango cowboy burger.
What percentage of people order food versus those who just come for drinks?
We could say it’s 40% on one side, 60% on the other. Most of our guests order something to eat with their drinks.
Do you have a signature cocktail, or are cubetas of ice-cold beer the staple?
Although Mango Deck is our signature drink, we take it upon ourselves to make buckets of beer famous. Our margarita is amazing too.
What kind of activities can people arrange at Mango Deck?
All of them! We have an activities team that is up-to-date on everything the destination has to offer for activities.
A rare quiet moment at Mango Deck, before the crowds show up. (Los Cabos Tourism Board
I remember after Category-4 Hurricane Odile in 2014 that Mango Deck, like many places locally, was very hard hit. What was that recovery like, and would you say it made the business stronger in the long run?
Like everyone else, the impact was very strong. It destroyed half of the restaurant, the entire deck area, like the entire town. We were without electricity for 15 days, with the advantage that we had a generator, but we could only use it occasionally due to the fuel shortage. All of us who worked there took shifts to clean the restaurant and keep everything clean. We had three shifts because some stayed overnight to work. We ate lunch and breakfast here. The team itself set a rule that no one, not even the managers, broke. If you arrived at lunchtime, you had to do something to sit at the table. That team of men, women — young and not-so-young — made Mango Deck much stronger than it already was. In 10 days, we had everything ready to reopen, but the permit arrived about 15–20 days later.
The popularity of Mango Deck is pretty staggering. You have over 100,000 followers on Facebook, for example. Why do you think people love Mango Deck so much, and why has it been so enduringly popular?
It’s always been a place where you can leave your stress and worries at the door, where everything is good, people know you, know your name and we’re always happy to have you back. Where you feel better than at home.
Any current promotions or special events coming up?
We have our Deckpechado night every two weeks and — already on the way — our New Year’s Eve party. As with the bucket of beers, we take responsibility for making theme parties come back strong.
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.
Sheinbaum said that assistance will be provided to residents of affected municipalities soon after the census, which began yesterday, is finished in each local area. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
At her Tuesday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that the death toll associated with the flooding in recent days in Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla and Querétaro remained at 64.
Another state affected by flooding is San Luis Potosí. However, that state hasn’t recorded any rain-related fatalities.
Scores of communities remain cut off due to flooding
Jesús Antonio Esteva Medina, minister for infrastructure, communications and transport, reported that many communities in states where major flooding occurred in recent days are still cut off.
He said that 77 communities in Puebla remain isolated, along with 57 in Veracruz and “two or three” in Querétaro.
Sheinbaum said that “there are isolated communities” of varying sizes. Some have 500 residents, others have 1,000 residents and some are larger, she said.
Esteva also reported that there are more than 200 “incidents” and “interruptions” still affecting state highways in flood-affected states.
He said that 115 of those incidents and interruptions — including flooding and landslides — are being attended to, while 144 are yet to be addressed.
Esteva also said that 39 bridges remain “affected” by flooding and landslides, while two “interruptions” on federal highways have not yet been cleared.
Thousands of workers, including army and navy personnel, are working to clear affected roads, while 41 helicopters are delivering food, water and other supplies to isolated communities, according to information presented by the federal minister.
Sheinbaum said that state governments, the army and the navy are ensuring that people affected by flooding are getting the help they need.
Damage census is underway
Welfare Minister Ariadna Montiel Reyes reported that a census to assess damage in communities affected by flooding had commenced.
“We’re giving priority to the communities that were most affected and which we can already reach,” she said.
“Yesterday we attended to 30 municipalities,” Montiel said, adding that the census has not concluded.
She said that a total of 800 government workers (known as servants of the nation) would carry out the census in Poza Rica, a flood-affected municipality in Veracruz.
“I informed the president last night that we decided to increase the number of colleagues [in Poza Rica] in order to make quick progress with the census,” Montiel said.
Montiel said that government workers would get to “every last corner where we need to conduct the census,” despite some communities still being cut off.
Sheinbaum said that assistance will be provided to residents of affected municipalities soon after the census is finished in each local area.
“We’re not going to wait,” she said.
Sheinbaum stresses importance of cleanup efforts
Sheinbaum said that “cleanliness” and “sanitation” have to be guaranteed in all flood-affected areas in order to “avoid any increase [in cases] of dengue, mainly, especially in places of higher temperature.”
Cleanup teams are prioritizing the removal of standing water, which could create breeding grounds for a dengue outbreak and worsen the crisis. (Jessamyn Nezario Mendo/Cuartoscuro)
Standing water creates ideal breeding grounds for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the primary carriers of dengue.
Sheinbaum said that “a lot of machinery” has been sent to flood-affected areas to assist the cleanup efforts.
She also said that more government workers are traveling to flood-affected municipalities to help clean streets and homes.
“I repeat, machinery is arriving because municipal machinery is not sufficient to collect [all] the trash,” Sheinbaum said.
It took about 100 bakers to make the 2,581 loaves of pan de fiesta needed to spell out the name of the state in large enough letters to set the Guinness World Record. (Gobierno de Tlaxcala/X)
Bakers in the tiny central Mexican state of Tlaxcala broke a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest pan de fiesta (party bread), assembling 2,581 pieces to form the state’s name in a public plaza Monday.
The feat united about 100 bakers from San Juan Huactzinco and San Juan Totolac, who baked thousands of walnut-flavored loaves to claim the title. Those municipalities are where pan de fiesta originated.
Tlaxcala Gov. Lorena Cuéllar displays the certificate for the Guinness World Record her state earned, and a loaf of the pan de fiesta that made it possible. (Gobierno de Tlaxcala/X)
According to state officials, a Guinness adjudicator confirmed the record at an event marking the 500th anniversary of the state capital, also called Tlaxcala but officially known as Tlaxcala de Xicohténcatl.
Pan de fiesta is a staple in regional festivals and patron saint celebrations in Tlaxcala, Puebla and other areas of central Mexico.
Traditionally sweet and walnut-flavored, it’s decorated with egg wash and sesame seeds. Local bakers offer other flavors, such as pine nut and egg cream.
The Guinness recognition is at least the third for Tlaxcala, following previous records for the world’s longest tapete (in this case, a colorful, sawdust carpet laid out in a public area for processions and festivals) and the largest variety of tacos de canasta (tacos stored in a covered basket to keep them warm and steamy until sold).
Adjacent to Mexico City and the state of Puebla, Tlaxcala is located in the central highlands.
As for the state’s latest record, Tlaxcala Mayor Benjamín Atonal Conde called it “a true brotherhood between the two municipalities.” Guinness official Alfredo Arista said the project took six months of preparation and met strict safety, hygiene and quality rules.
“This belongs to all the people of Tlaxcala,” declared Gov. Lorena Cuéllar Cisneros.
The record is just the latest in a long line of quirky and culinary records set throughout Mexico.
More than 230 of them are recognized by Guinness — although the official number is tough to pin down — but others are simply undertaken for civic or state pride, or to fuel tourism.
The number of EVs shipped by Mexico to the United States in 2024 was 145,000, 10,000 more than the 135,000 exported to the U.S. by Japan and South Korea. (Shutterstock)
Mexico has become the leading exporter of electric vehicles to the United States, surpassing automotive giants such as Japan and South Korea, according to the third EvolvX Mexico Mobility Report conducted by Latam Mobility.
The report, presented this week, reveals that Mexico exported some 145,000 electric vehicles (EVs) to the U.S. last year, mainly models by General Motors, Ford, Stellantis and Toyota. The figure represents threefold growth and exceeds the number of units exported by traditional auto export leaders Japan and South Korea, at 135,000 each.
In addition to increasing its export capacity, Mexico doubled its EV production in 2024, creating a need for more stations for Mexican EV owners to charge their vehicles, as shown here. (Ernest Ojeh/Unsplash)
In addition to increasing its export capacity, Mexico doubled its production in 2024, reaching 220,000 units.
And it appears headed to surpass that total this year. Data from the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (INEGI) reveals that Mexico’s production of EVs and hybrid vehicles has reached 214,203 units through September, representing a 39.3% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
“This change confirms Mexico’s strategic role as a key player in the clean mobility supply chain in North America, supported by its competitive manufacturing base, human capital, and expanding charging infrastructure network,” Rebeca González, co-founder of Latam Mobility, said.
González added that international investment in Mexican advanced-manufacturing plants and the strength of the national automotive industry were key factors for its growth.
The EvolvX report says that Mexico has one of the highest ratios of EVs per public charging point in the world, with 40 units per charger. That ratio reflects an accelerated pace of adoption of electricity-powered vehicles but also demonstrates an urgent need to expand the charging network.
“Mexico faces similar challenges to Australia or New Zealand, characteristic of markets transitioning from moderate growth to massive expansion,” González explained. “The challenge and opportunity for the country will be to align its manufacturing leadership with a charging infrastructure that matches its potential in sustainable mobility.”
Additionally, the report revealed that in Mexico, eight out of every 100 buses sold in 2024 were electric, compared to just over 1% in 2023.
Overall, the Mexican automotive industry represents one of the pillars of bilateral trade with the U.S., with annual exports exceeding US $78.5 billion and a share of nearly 40% of total U.S. automotive imports.
Violence in the state of Sinaloa has reached new levels over the last 13 months as factions of the Sinaloa Cartel battle for control, which is likely the main reason for a drastic dip in foreign direct investment. (José Betanzos Zárate/Cuartoscuro)
Data from the federal government indicates foreign direct investment (FDI) in the violence-wracked state of Sinaloa has shrunk considerably this year, but state officials insist business confidence remains high.
Amid a civil war between factions of the Sinaloa drug cartel that surpassed 13 months last week, investor confidence is wavering, according to the news magazine Expansión.
Despite a drop in FDI from US $262.8M to $34.3M in the first six months of 2025, Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha insists that business confidence in his state is high and points to a recent Moody’s credit-rating upgrade as proof. (José Betanzos Zárate/Cuartoscuro)
Economy Ministry data indicates FDI in Sinaloa plummeted 87% during the first six months of 2025, shrinking from US $262.8 million in the same period last year to US $34.3 million this year.
The United States, traditionally the biggest foreign investor in the state, contributed US $17.6 million in January-June 2025, down from US $129 million during the same period last year.
Governor Rubén Rocha’s administration insists confidence in the state’s ability to meet financial commitments and maintain responsible management of its public debt is strong.
His claim earned support on Monday when Moody’s boosted Sinaloa’s credit rating from “negative” to “stable.”
David Moreno, the state’s undersecretary of Planning, Investment and Financing, said the upgrade reflects the financial discipline demonstrated by the Rocha administration, which has strengthened operating income and controlled public spending.
“Our outlook for the next six to 18 months is stable, according to the rating agencies,” he said. “This establishes Sinaloa as a reliable state for national and international lending agencies.”
Sinaloa’s Economy Ministry says the state has attracted US $1.7 billion in foreign investment since Rocha took office in November 2021, 85% of the governor’s goal of US $2 billion for his entire term.
“Governor Rocha has set a new goal of US $3 billion before his term ends in 2027,” said Economy Minister Ricardo Velarde, identifying the Economic Development Hub project and burgeoning investments in hotels across the state as evidence of Sinaloa’s stability.
The project turns Highway 58 into a four-lane highway and links it with Federal Highway 57 and 85, both of which travel from Mexico City to the U.S. border. (Gobierno de Nuevo León)
Nuevo León Governor Samuel García recently inaugurated the first phase of the Interserrana Highway, one of the biggest active infrastructure projects in Mexico, with 22 billion pesos (nearly US $1.2 billion) allocated for its construction.
Phase 1 of the project featured the construction of the San Roberto Bridge on Federal Highway 58 in the southern Nuevo León municipality of Galeana. The 853-meter-long bridge — which García inaugurated on Sept. 26 — is comprised of two 220-meter-long ramps and a 400-meter central span, and cost 450 million pesos (US $24.3 million).
The Interserrana Highway project features the modernization and expansion of the 87-kilometer-long, two-lane Highway 58, converting it into a four-lane highway linking Federal Highway 57 with Federal Highway 85, both of which travel from Mexico City to the U.S. border.
García said the modernized Highway 58 will streamline freight transportation in the state and expedite travel to the northern border, while also allowing residents of southern Nuevo León to cut travel times to Monterrey, the state capital, from five hours to three.
The bridge and the new highway are expected to strengthen the local economy by encouraging trade and tourism, García said, making places such as Laguna de Labradores, Puente de Dios, Pozo del Gavilán and the Zaragoza waterfalls more accessible to visitors.
“This highway … will bring significant benefits to families and businesses by attracting visitors … to the southern and citrus-producing regions of our state,” Miguel Flores, Secretary General of the Nuevo León government, said.
Governor García emphasized that the new highway will make places such as Laguna de Labradores, Puente de Dios, Pozo del Gavilán and the Zaragoza waterfalls more accessible to tourists. (Gobierno de Nuevo León)
When completed, the intermountain highway will also connect Nuevo León with the state of San Luis Potosí to the south, improving highway infrastructure between the two states and facilitating the transportation of goods and passengers between the center and north of the country.
San Luis Potosí Governor Ricardo Gallardo said the project will allow for a quicker connection between his state and Mexico’s northern border, but will also benefit Mexico as a whole.
“The new highway connects Highway 57, the busiest in the country, more directly with Monterrey, Nuevo Laredo and other key regions, improving connectivity between central and northern Mexico,” he said.
The business magazine Líder Empresarial said the intermountain highway project will not only reduce travel times in the north, but it will also provide environmental benefits from reduced traffic congestion and provide a boost to nearshoring.
“[The highway] will benefit Nuevo León’s industry by increasing trade and logistics competitiveness between Mexico and the United States … and will improve travel safety, reducing the possibility of vehicle accidents,” it said.
The entire Interserrana Highway project is scheduled to be completed by mid-2027.
