The dog area in Condesa's Parque España was temporarily closed as officials looked for more evidence of poisoned meet suspected to have caused the death of at least three dogs Tuesday. (Andrea Murcia / Cuartoscuro.com)
Suspected poison hidden inside sausage at Parque España in Mexico City might have killed at least three dogs Tuesday, prompting a criminal investigation and warnings for pet owners in the capital’s Condesa neighborhood.
The Mexico City Attorney General’s Office opened an animal cruelty investigation after dogs became ill following walks in the 105-year-old park.
Residents reported four deaths, according to Uno TV, while Cuauhtémoc borough Mayor Alessandra Rojo de la Vega reported at least three, Infobae reported.
Police found a piece of longaniza, a seasoned sausage, containing a blue pill with white powder inside, La Crónica reported. However, authorities had not publicly identified the substance or established whether it was linked to the dogs’ illnesses.
Residents also reported finding suspected poisoned meat one block from Parque España, at the intersection of Avenida Veracruz and Calle Atlixco, La Crónica reported.
Excélsior reported that five dogs arrived at the Vetme veterinary hospital suffering from seizures, prompting staff to alert authorities. Three died and two remained hospitalized.
Among those that died was Rufián, a 4-year-old Irish setter-golden retriever mix.
“Three minutes after he arrived home, he started convulsing,” said Sofía Suárez, the dog’s owner and the mother of a 2-year-old.
“How am I going to tell my daughter that she doesn’t have a dog anymore? We’d go to the park every morning and every afternoon,” she said.
Two other dogs, a Belgian shepherd named Kiara and a small-breed dog named Siberia, remained hospitalized, Excélsior reported.
Their owner, Brenda Gómez Magaña, told the newspaper that blue capsules were recovered during a stomach lavage. Kiara appeared to be improving, while Siberia remained in serious condition.
Investigators were collecting owners’ statements, examining evidence and seeking help from veterinary specialists. Excélsior reported Tuesday evening that authorities had collected nine pieces of evidence suspected of containing poison.
A neighborhood representative said the park would remain open, but its popular dog run and children’s areas would close pending cleanup. Residents wanted the entire park cleaned once prosecutors authorized the work.
Authorities began preventive patrols. Rojo de la Vega urged visitors to Parque España and nearby Parque México to prevent pets from eating anything off the ground and report information to investigators.
According to SEMAR, Jesús "Chuy" González was the Guasave Cartel's second-in-command, below only Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, aka "Chapo Isidro." (DHS)
Jesús “Chuy” González Peñuelas, an alleged leader of the Guasave Cartel, is believed to have been killed during a clash with Mexican Navy personnel in Sinaloa on Monday, federal authorities said.
In a social media post on Wednesday, the Navy Ministry (SEMAR) said that its personnel, in coordination with federal Security Ministry agents, “repelled an armed attack” near the community of Alfredo V. Bonfil, located in the municipality of Sinaloa in the state of the same name.
Personal naval de la @SEMAR_mx en coordinación con @SSPCMexico, repelió una agresión armada en inmediaciones de Alfredo V. Bonfil, #Sinaloa.
Esta acción derivó de trabajos de inteligencia naval y como resultado se aseguraron 4 vehículos con reporte de robo, 3 armas largas, cargadores y municiones. Durante el enfrentamiento fallecieron 2 personas, cuya identidad podría corresponder a Jesús “N” (a) Chuy Peñuelas operador de 2do orden, solo por debajo de Fausto Isidro Meza Flores (a) Chapo Isidro, líder del Cartel de Guasave y Cesáreo “N”, quedando pendiente la confirmación pericial.
Los indicios quedaron a disposición de la @FGRMexico para las investigaciones correspondientes.
#Marina refrenda su compromiso de contribuir a la seguridad de la población, mediante la coordinación interinstitucional, con apego al marco legal y respeto a los derechos humanos.
SEMAR said that two people died during the confrontation, adding that their “identities may correspond to” González and a man identified as Cesáreo “N”.
In a separate social media post, federal Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said that, “according to the available information,” González was one of the two people killed in the clash with military personnel on Monday.
SEMAR said that “expert confirmation” that González and Cesáreo “N” were the two people killed was “pending.”
The Navy Ministry said that its operation in the municipality of Sinaloa on Monday “stemmed from naval intelligence work.”
During the operation, four vehicles reported as stolen, three long guns, magazines and ammunition were seized, SEMAR said.
Who was Jesús ‘Chuy’ González Peñuelas?
According to SEMAR, González was the Guasave Cartel’s second-in-command, below only Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, aka “Chapo Isidro.”
The Guasave Cartel is also known as the Meza Flores Organization and Los Mazaltecos. It is based in the municipality of Guasave in northern Sinaloa.
While SEMAR and García Harfuch said on Wednesday that Gonzalez was a member of the Guasave Cartel, U.S. authorities have accused him of running his own drug trafficking organization.
In January 2024, the U.S. Department of State announced a reward of up to US $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of González, saying at the time that he “reportedly leads an independent methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, and cocaine distribution and production organization.”
The State Department noted that González had been indicted on international narcotics charges in the District of Colorado and the Southern District of California.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury said in May 2021 that González and his drug trafficking organization were “among the largest sources of raw opium gum and heroin in northern Mexico, and increasingly are a major distributor of fentanyl to U.S. markets.”
At that time, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated González and his drug trafficking organization as “significant foreign narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.”
The Department of the Treasury said that González oversaw “multiple heroin processing laboratories in Sinaloa” and that “the upper echelons” of his drug trafficking organization (DTO) hierarchy consisted of his family members.
“The González Peñuelas DTO cooperates with other DTOs within Mexico, including acting as an enforcement arm for the various Mexican DTO’s trafficking routes, and is aligned with Mexican drug kingpins Fausto Isidro Meza Flores and Rafael Caro Quintero, both of whom are subject to Treasury sanctions,” the department said on May 12, 2021.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center forecasts that Vance will lose strength and become a post-tropical remnant low on Thursday, potentially approaching Sinaloa between Thursday and Friday. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
Tropical Storm Vance continues to move northward off the coast of western Mexico and is projected to turn toward the coast of Sinaloa, where it could make landfall by the end of this week.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center forecasts that Vance will lose strength and become a post-tropical remnant low on Thursday, potentially approaching Sinaloa between Thursday and Friday. Landfall as a tropical storm is unlikely.
According to the National Meteorological Service, as of 12 p.m. today, Vance was located approximately 365 kilometers west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, and 390 kilometers west-southwest of Punta Mita, Nayarit. The storm had sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour, with gusts reaching up to 85 kilometers per hour and was heading north at a speed of 17 kilometers per hour.
A las 12:00h, la #TormentaTropical #Vance se localiza a 365 km al oeste-suroeste de Cabo Corrientes, #Jalisco, con vientos máximos sostenidos de 65 km/h y rachas de 85 km/h. Se desplaza hacia el nor-noroeste a 17 km/h.
⚠️ Para las próximas 24 horas se pronostican lluvias muy fuertes con puntuales intensas (75 a 150 mm) en Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco y Durango. En Colima, lluvias puntuales fuertes (25 a 50 mm).
🌬️ En la costa de Jalisco se esperan vientos de 30 a 40 km/h con rachas de 50 a 70 km/h y 🌊 oleaje de 2.5 a 3.5 metros. En las costas de Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Nayarit y Colima, oleaje de 1.5 a 2.5 metros.
📲 Consulta solo fuentes oficiales: @conagua_clima y @CNPC_MX.
— Coordinación Nacional de Protección Civil (@CNPC_MX) October 28, 2026
Vance is expected to cause heavy rain across Mexico’s western states.
On Wednesday, rainfall totals of 75 to 150 millimeters are expected in central and southern Sinaloa, Nayarit, Durango, the southern tip of Baja California Sur and the coast of Jalisco.
The coastlines of Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Nayarit and Colima could get hit with sustained winds of 20 to 30 kilometers per hour with gusts of 40 to 60 kilometers per hour and waves of 1.5 to 2.5 meters, while Jalisco could see waves of up to 3.5 meters.
In Baja California Sur, the Public Education Ministry (SEP) suspended all school activities for Wednesday in San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. This suspension applies to all public and private educational institutions at every level.
Given the potential for rivers and streams to swell, authorities warned residents in affected states to avoid crossing watercourses or flooded areas, stay alert to weather advisories and follow the instructions provided by Civil Protection authorities.
Governor Lemus declared that it was "a historic day" for the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, Jalisco and "all of Mexico." (Saúl López/Presidencia)
Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds
💧 Lemus announces “historic agreement” on Guadalajara water: Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus said the federal and state governments will invest 25 billion pesos (US $1.33 billion) in water infrastructure for the Guadalajara metropolitan area. The plan includes the construction of two new aqueducts: one from Lake Chapala (42 kilometers) to Guadalajara and one from the Calderón Reservoir to the San Gaspar treatment plant (31 kilometers). The federal government will contribute 14.5 billion pesos and Jalisco 10.2 billion pesos, with no new debt, privatization or water rate increases. Lemus said work “could” start next year and that the aqueducts should be finished by the end of 2028.
🇲🇽🇺🇸 Sheinbaum says Mexico-U.S. trade talks have made “a lot” of progress: The president said Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard spoke this week with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about whether a bilateral deal is “possible” before next Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections. She conceded there are still unresolved issues, saying Mexico wants a “significant reduction” of U.S. Section 232 tariffs on vehicles, steel and aluminum.
🇪🇸 Sheinbaum expresses solidarity with Spain after deadly train crash: Asked about the high-speed train collision near Toledo, which killed at least 68 people and injured more than 50, Sheinbaum said Mexico stands ready to help. She said she would ask Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco whether any Mexicans were affected.
Why today’s mañanera matters
The centerpiece of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Wednesday morning press conference was the announcement of a plan to address the long-running problem of water contamination in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus said that the federal and state governments will contribute funds to the plan, which includes the construction of two new aqueducts.
Also of note at today’s mañanera were Sheinbaum’s remarks about Mexico’s trade negotiations with the United States and her expression of solidarity with the people of Spain, where a train accident killed at least 68 people on Wednesday.
Jalisco governor announces ‘historic agreement’ to address water problems in Guadalajara
Lemus declared that it was “a historic day” for the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, Jalisco and “all of Mexico” given that the Jalisco and federal governments had reached “a historic agreement” to together invest 25 billion pesos (US $1.33 billion) in “the infrastructure necessary to supply quality water to families in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara.”
“The historic legacy that the federal government and the Jalisco government will leave will be to have solved the water problem for the next generations,” he said.
#Mañanera Lemus informó que Jalisco construirá una nueva red de colectores para evitar que el agua que viene de Chapala se contamine en la presa Las Pintas.
Además, detectaron 150 descargas irregulares en el canal, que están siendo clausuradas, y sus responsables serán sancionados.
As a result of the agreement, the federal government will build new aqueducts “for the people of Jalisco,” Lemus said.
He noted that the aqueducts will run between Lake Chapala and Guadalajara, and between the Calderón Reservoir and the San Gaspar water treatment plant, located in the metropolitan area of the state capital.
Lemus said that work on the new aqueducts “could” start next year. He said that the aqueducts are expected to be finished at the end of 2028.
Lemus told reporters that Guadalajara receives 60% of its water supply from Lake Chapala and a “significant part” of that water reaches the state capital via “an open canal built 70 years ago.”
That canal, he said, is “exposed to discharges of wastewater.”
“With the new aqueduct we will take less water from Chapala … and we’ll be able to use 100% of that water without it being contaminated in the journey [to Guadalajara] and without waste due to leaks or evaporation,” Lemus said.
The governor noted that the federal government will contribute 14.5 billion pesos to the 25-billion-peso water infrastructure plan — which includes various projects to complement the new aqueducts — while the Jalisco government will provide 10.2 billion pesos.
He said the investment will ensure that all residents of the metropolitan area of Guadalajara have clean water in the near future.
Lemus said that the state and federal money will be made available through “budget adjustments.”
“There will be no debt, … there will be no privatization and a very important thing is that there won’t be increases to water rates for the metropolitan area of Guadalajara,” he said.
According to information presented by National Water Commission chief Efraín Morales, the federal government will invest 9.3 billion pesos in the 42-kilometer-long aqueduct between Chapala and Guadalajara and 5.2 billion pesos in the 31-kilometer-long Calderón-San Gaspar aqueduct.
Two new aqueducts running from Lake Chapala to Guadalajara and the Calderón Reservoir to the San Gaspar water treatment plant have a target completion date of late 2028. (Saúl López/Presidencia)
Could Mexico and the US reach a trade deal before the US midterms?
Sheinbaum told reporters that Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard spoke to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about trade issues earlier this week. She said the officials looked at whether it was “possible” to reach a bilateral agreement before the U.S. midterm elections next Tuesday.
Sheinbaum said that a lot of progress has been made in Mexico’s trade talks with the U.S., but conceded that “there are still issues on which we haven’t yet reached an agreement.”
“We want a significant reduction of the [United States’ Section] 232 tariffs on vehicles, steel and aluminum,” she said.
“… We haven’t yet reached [an agreement on] what we consider important for Mexico, but there is very good dialogue, very good progress and a very good atmosphere in the communication,” Sheinbaum said.
Mexico and the United States have been seeking to resolve a range of trade-related issues following the U.S. government’s decision in July not to renew the USMCA free trade pact for an additional 16 years.
Sheinbaum expresses ‘solidarity’ with the people of Spain after rail disaster near Toledo
A reporter asked the president about the deadly train crash near the central Spanish city of Toledo.
Sheinbaum expressed “solidarity” with the people of Spain and said that Mexico stood ready to help.
Video shows the immediate aftermath of a deadly high-speed train collision in central Spain on Wednesday that killed at least 64 people and injured 80 others, authorities said.
The crash occurred in the province of Toledo when a high-speed train slammed into the back of another train that had stopped, derailing two cars. Both trains were traveling from Madrid to Seville, carrying a combined 544 passengers. The cause of the crash remains unknown.
As of 12 p.m. Mexico City time on Wednesday, 68 people were confirmed to have been killed in the accident, while more than 50 people were reported injured. The crash occurred when a high-speed train slammed into the rear of another train that had stopped on the tracks.
Sheinbaum said she heard about the crash just before she began her Wednesday morning press conference. She said she would ask Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco whether any Mexicans were affected.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its condolences to the people and government of Spain in a social media post, but didn’t say whether any Mexicans had been killed or injured in the crash.
High season is back in Puerto Vallarta and the event calendar is packed, from Día de Muertos celebrations to one of only two PGA golf tournaments held in Mexico. (Cortor Media/Unsplash)
High season is around the corner, and Puerto Vallarta is gearing up to welcome visitors from the north. Tianguis, or outdoor artisan markets, are opening this week; entertainment venues are announcing their winter lineups, and Avenida México on the Malecón just got a facelift.
The season kicks off with Día de Muertos — Mexico’s colorful and joyful tribute to departed souls; the HEAT Latin Music Awards; and a Professional Golf Association (PGA) tournament at VidantaWorld.
The PGA-sponsored Mexico Open at the Greg Norman-designed Vidanta Vallarta course offers a purse of US $6 million, including more than US $1 million for the winner. (PGA Tour)
Read on and mark your calendars with fun things to do only available during high season.
Día de Muertos
Puerto Vallarta will put on another epic Día de Muertos celebration this year with its monumental Catrina on the Malecón (although this year Vallarta will lose its “tallest Catrina in the world” Guinness World Record to Mexico City) and events planned throughout the historic city center from Oct. 28 to Nov. 2.
Highlights include 50 large-scale Catrinas displayed along the Malecón, a lighted boat parade to pay homage to departed fishermen, ballet folklórico presentations at Los Arcos, live mariachi at Plaza de Armas, and a grand parade of Catrinas, Catrines and musicians from the municipal cemetery to the Los Muertos beach pier.
All events are free and open to the public. I recommend getting downtown before sunset if you are driving or taking public transport. Last year, we waited until nightfall, and it took over an hour to drive from the marina to the Malecón, just 8 kilometers away. It’s a beautiful celebration you don’t want to miss.
Artisan market openings
Local artisans and food vendors are busy making, baking and crafting to prepare for Vallarta’s many artisanal tianguis — or outdoor markets — that run during high season. The three main markets are the La Cruz Market on Sundays in Nuevo Vallarta, the Thursday night market at Marina Vallarta, and the Olas Altas Farmers Market on Saturdays in the Romantic Zone.
Visitors can fill their shopping bags with locally made treats, jewelry, artwork and more nearly every day of the week. We’ve made the Thursday night Marina Vallarta market part of our winter dining routine. Some of our favorite goodies are the BBQ pork sandwiches, Oaxacan (banana leaf-wrapped) tamales, baklava, peanut brittle and tamarindo-infused ginger beer. We also love the live entertainment and unique artwork you can find at the La Cruz market.
Artisanal tianguis, or outdoor markets, are a beloved feature of high season in Puerto Vallarta. (Visit Puerto Vallarta)
The Marina Vallarta market opens Thursday, Oct. 29; La Cruz Market on Sunday, Nov. 1; and Olas Altas Farmers Market on Saturday, Nov. 7. Come prepared to shop and eat well!
VidantaWorld Mexico Open 2026
Professional golfers from around the world will compete for a purse of US $6 million at the Mexico Open 2026. The tournament takes place Oct. 26 to Nov. 1 at the VidantaWorld resort in Nuevo Vallarta.
The first Mexico Open was held in 1944 at the Chapultepec Golf Club outside of Mexico City. After 1960, the tournament traveled to different courses around the country. It moved to the VidantaWorld course in Nuevo Vallarta in 2022 when it became an official PGA Tour event. The competition is broadcast internationally and has put Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta on the map for golf fans worldwide.
Among the players competing this year are last year’s Mexico Open champion Brian Campbell, along with previous tournament champ Tony Finau and other top-ranked players such as Wyndham Clark, Lucas Glover and Ben Griffin. Also joining the 120 pros on the course will be local Mexican champs Álvaro Ortiz, Omar Morales and Santiago de la Fuente.
The four-day tournament coincides with the opening of the resort’s Bon theme park on Oct. 24 and a Robbie Williams concert on Oct. 27. Tournament tickets are available on FeverUp, or you can catch it streaming online on the Golf Channel.
HEAT Latin Music Awards
Puerto Vallarta will host the 11th annual HEAT Latin Music Awards gala this year, making it the first Mexican city to do so. The awards ceremony takes place on Nov. 5 at the Puerto Vallarta International Convention Center and caps off a week of art, music and cultural performances in Jalisco.
The HEAT awards honor musicians from across Latin America, with categories for best salsa, tropical and Dominican artist, plus a new category this year for best regional Mexican artist. Since Sept. 24, fans have been voting for their favorite artists via the LosHeatTV mobile app.
Leading the list of nominees is Colombian singer Karol G, nominated for 10 awards including best female artist, best urban artist, album of the year (for “Tropicoqueta”) and best viral song (“Bby WOW”), among others. Bad Bunny follows with nine nominations, and Carlos Rivera and Shakira with seven nominations each.
Smaller than the industry-led Latin Grammys and Billboard Latin Music Awards, the HEAT awards are voted on by fans and focused on more regional Latin American music and digital creators.
So although the high season is around the corner, the temperatures (and music) are still hot in Puerto Vallarta.
And if the HEAT awards get you longing for live Latin and Mexican music, in the next events roundup I’ll feature some of the best places in Vallarta to see local musicians.
Dozens of people were hurt and at least 39 people were arrested during the Oct. 11 protest in Guadalajara demanding clean tap water. (Fernando Carranza García/Cuartoscuro)
“I stopped breathing because they were suffocating me.”
“They subdued me with water, and four or five men came over and grabbed me by each of my limbs and by my hair. Then they said all sorts of things to me: ‘You fucking bitch, you whore, you don’t know what’s going to happen to you.'”
Adriana Gabriela Arreola Dueñas, a lawyer and leader of a collective called “Access to Health, Justice and Education,” and Daniela Álvarez Zepeda, a medical doctor, are among around 10 people who have filed complaints with the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) alleging that they were tortured and unjustly detained by police in Guadalajara on Oct. 11.
The two women recounted their traumatic experiences at a press conference on Monday. Their allegations, and those made by other protesters, are under investigation by the Jalisco Attorney General’s Office (FGE). The FGR has not publicly said whether it has commenced its own investigation.
Police used tear gas and water cannons against protesters gathered outside Casa Jalisco, the official residence of Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus, a representative of the Citizens Movement party. Officers are also alleged to have physically and verbally abused demonstrators. Dozens of people were hurt and at least 39 people were arrested during the protest.
Arreola alleges she was suffocated, partially stripped and kicked in the head
Arreola filed a complaint with the FGR on Oct. 14. She alleges that both she and her 19-year-old daughter were victims of police brutality on Oct. 11.
On Monday, Arreola said that three female police officers grabbed her while she was protesting at Casa Jalisco. She said the officers attacked her, verbally abused her and told her to shut her “snout.”
Arreola said that officers pulled down her pants within the grounds of Casa Jalisco, leaving her semi-naked. She said that one officer kicked her back while she lay on the ground partially clothed. Arreola also said that officers used her own scarf to tie her hands together behind her back. She said police yanked her by her hands to force her to stand up, injuring her shoulders in the process.
Arreola also said that officers sat and jumped on her back, leaving her breathless.
“I stopped breathing because they were suffocating me,” she said.
Arreola also said that a person dressed in civilian clothing — possibly a plainclothes police officer — kicked her in the head.
Álvarez: ‘All we wanted was clean water’
Álvarez, the doctor, said Monday that she was “grabbed” by police officers after she was hit with a water cannon outside Casa Jalisco on Oct. 11. Like Arreola, she said she was subjected to verbal abuse.
Álvarez, who filed a complaint with the FGR on Oct. 15, said she suffered a neck strain and bruises during her violent arrest. She also said that officers took her phone and broke her bag.
Álvarez said that she and other protesters weren’t trying to make any political point when they took to the streets to protest on Oct. 11.
“All we wanted was clean water,” she said.
Detention inside the Casa Jalisco compound
Both Álvarez and Arreola said they were held in a small room inside the Casa Jalisco compound after they were detained. All told, around 40 people — some with bloody injuries — were allegedly held in the room for hours.
During the protesters’ detention, police officers allegedly threatened to “disappear them.” One officer allegedly said they would be taken to a place “where no one will find them.”
Álvarez said that one young woman began to “convulse” inside the “five by five meter” room.
“As a doctor, I tried to go over to her, at least to put her in a safe position. [But] they wouldn’t let me approach,” she said.
Álvarez said that paramedics arrived to assist her, but the woman started convulsing again.
“Police said she was faking, they laughed at her,” she said.
José Francisco Salazar González, a lawyer and academic at the University of Guadalajara, described the small room inside the Casa Jalisco precinct as a “torture center” where there was a “suspension” of detainees’ human rights.
Governor Lemus was apparently not at his official residence when the acts of police brutality and torture were allegedly committed.
Transfer to an FGE lockup
Arreola and Álvarez said that they and other detained protesters were eventually transferred to a Jalisco Attorney General’s Office facility where they were placed in cells. They said they were held in cold conditions and had no access to their phones.
It was not until Tuesday, Oct. 13, that Lemus announced that all the people detained during the protest on Oct. 11 had been released.
Governor Lemus was apparently not at his official residence when the acts of police brutality and torture were allegedly committed. He has called for the removal and punishment of those responsible. (Fernando Carranza García/Cuartoscuro)
He conceded that authorities made “serious mistakes” during the protest. He said those mistakes “must be investigated and punished.”
Arreola, Álvarez and others are calling for Lemus and Jalisco Security Minister Juan Pablo Hernández González to be investigated.
‘It wasn’t me’: Hernández denies he gave an order to use force against protesters
Asked last Thursday who gave police the order to use force against protesters at Casa Jalisco, Hernández responded, “Yo no fui” (It wasn’t me).
” … We have several statements from police officers and commanders; three of the latter are involved, they’ll probably receive a sanction,” the security minister said.
Roberto Alarcón Estrada, the Jalisco government’s strategic security coordinator, told reporters that the names of police commanders who issued orders to use force against protesters couldn’t be disclosed. He said that the disclosure of their names could place them at risk of retaliation by protesters detained on Oct. 11 and/or their family members.
For his part, Jalisco Attorney General Salvador González de los Santos said that the FGE didn’t send any personnel to assist the police operation during the Oct. 11 protest in Guadalajara. The news magazine Proceso reported that his statement was “relevant” given that there have been allegations that officers dressed in civilian clothing were present during the police “intervention” at Casa Jalisco.
On repeated occasions, President Claudia Sheinbaum has denounced the alleged torture committed by police in Guadalajara on Oct. 11.
“… We, who came from the fight against [government] repression, cannot allow there to be police forces in Mexico that repress and torture,” Sheinbaum said.
With a more than 50% increase over last year, cempasúchil production is more than keeping pace with the still-increasing popularity of Day of the Dead traditions, which double as a source of spiritual contemplation for some, and for others, a colorful cultural experience. (Estrella Josento/Cuartoscuro)
The Mexico City area has achieved a record production of 10 million cempasúchil plants — a Mexican variety of marigold that is important for Day of the Dead celebrations — marking a 53.8% increase over last year’s cultivation figure, Mayor Clara Brugada announced last week.
The bright orange flowers were grown by producers on chinampas (artificial islands) in the southern Xochimilco borough of the capital, with support from the city government, which contributed over 8 million pesos (US $428,100) to directly support 597 producers.
Whether loose petals, intact flowers or whole plants, the cempasúchil is essential for altars to lost loved ones. (Cuartoscuro)
The government provided technical assistance, distributed pots, compost and seeds, and carried out work to prepare cultivation areas, rehabilitate roads and provide harvesting facilities.
Growing flowers each year provides vital revenue to rural communities and contributes to the preservation of chinampa gardens and conservation land.
People are advised to purchase plants with a Green Seal, an image indicating that the cempasúchil flowers were grown on conservation land in Mexico City and guaranteeing sustainable production. The flowers are being sold in all 16 boroughs of Mexico City, including markets in Xochimilco, with plants priced at 15 to 30 pesos (US 80 cents to $1.60).
Xochimilco’s head of government, Cirse Camacho, thanked the Mexico City government for its support of the district’s producers, and emphasized the importance of the contribution to the recovery of the region’s agricultural sector following flood damage.
Mayor Brugada also highlighted the free cultural events being held across the city over Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) weekend, from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, including the giant offering in the central Zócalo square, which will showcase a more than 30-meter-tall Catrina figure accompanied by 100,000 cempasúchil plants from the conservation area. A cempasúchil trail will also be set up in Chapultepec Park.
Visitors are also encouraged to go to Xochimilco to see performances of La Llorona or to join the Día de Muertos celebrations in the borough’s neighborhoods, where various cultural traditions will be on display over the weekend, including six theatrical performances at the piers, as well as activities in downtown Xochimilco.
The residents reported spotting near the lime-growing community of San Juan de los Plátanos, near Apatzingán, embedded footprints of "very large animals." (INAH)
Residents who spotted unusual marks in a streambed in the Michoacán countryside have helped lead researchers to at least 50 dinosaur footprints.
Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) announced the discovery Monday, hypothesizing that the tracks were left by three types of dinosaurs: large meat-eaters possibly belonging to the tyrannosaur family, smaller raptor-like predators and duck-billed plant-eaters.
INAH experts examining the scene in the Michoacán riverbed were able to confirm that the prints were left by dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous era, but specific details as to species will have to wait for further paleontological research. (INAH)
The footprints were found in San Juan de los Plátanos, a small lime-growing community in Apatzingán — a municipality of 126,000 in the sizzling lowlands of Michoacán’s Tierra Caliente region.
Raymundo Cervantes Barriga, a paleontologist with INAH’s Michoacán center, inspected the site, where footprints cover about 40 square meters (430 square feet) of sedimentary rock beside the stream.
They measure 12 to 48 centimeters (about 5 to 19 inches) long and up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) wide. Researchers believe additional tracks could extend beyond the area surveyed.
Based on their size, shape, depth and toe impressions, Cervantes tentatively linked the tracks to three dinosaur families known to have roamed Mexico — but it’s too early to say definitively if some of them are, say, T. rex footprints.
The number of species remains undetermined. Researchers say further paleontological analysis is needed to refine those identifications.
Cervantes placed the animals in the Late Cretaceous, which lasted from about 100 million to 66 million years ago, when he said the region had bodies of water where dinosaurs came to feed.
Specialists began documenting the site last week. They have collected rock samples and are making molds and using photographs to create detailed models of the footprints.
The tracks could help researchers study how dinosaurs moved, their travel directions and possible interactions among species, archaeologist José Luis Punzo Díaz said in an INAH press release.
The discovery would bring Michoacán’s recorded dinosaur footprint sites to four, according to INAH, which has registered just over 30 nationwide.
San Juan de los Plátanos is a community of about 1,300, roughly 145 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Morelia, the state capital.
The Apatzingán area has struggled with organized crime and violence, but it is also known for its lime orchards and its Tierra Caliente regional cuisine, namely morisqueta, a paella-like dish of white rice served with beans and tomato-chile sauce, often topped with cheese or meat.
There is also an airport in Apatzingán. Pablo L. Sidar National Airport used to have regional commercial flights but now serves general aviation.
After 20 years removed from Mexican soil, 68 artworks from the Gelman Collection by Mexico's most prestigious 20th-century artists came on loan earlier this year to their country of origin for a well-attended exhibit
in Mexico City. They are now back in Spain. (@ccurieldeicaza/Facebook screenshot)
As the controversy surrounding the prestigious Gelman Collection’s return to Spain continues, President Claudia Sheinbaum intends to strengthen the Federal Law on Monuments and Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Zones (LFMZAAH) to prohibit the permanent export of protected works.
A preliminary draft of the decree protecting and conserving Mexico’s cultural heritage was published on Oct. 15.
President Sheinbaum is seeking to bring Mexico’s current Monuments Law, which does not prohibit sending culturally significant heritage-level works out of the country, in line with presidential decrees that prohibit the export of certain artists’ works. (Monuments of Mexico)
The decree seeks to eliminate contradictions between the existing Monuments Law, which does not contemplate a restriction on exports, and multiple presidential decrees declaring national artistic monuments and prohibiting private owners from exporting works by specified artists.
It would explicitly prohibit the “definitive export of goods owned by private individuals that have been declared artistic or historical monuments under the jurisdiction of the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL).”
The proposal empowers INBAL to investigate, protect, conserve and restore such works in the possession of private individuals to guarantee the right to culture above the right to private property.
To date, 10 separate presidential decrees have declared the works of Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, José Clemente Orozco, Octavio Paz, Remedios Varo, Frida Kahlo and María Izquierdo as national heritage.
However, there are exceptions. The works of Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco can be definitively exported if they go to museums.
As for Frida Kahlo’s works, the permanent export of her easel paintings, graphic works and technical documents in the hands of private individuals and within Mexican territory has been prohibited since 1984.
As many of Kahlo’s works were already outside the country when the decree was issued, and as the exact location of some remain unknown, it is “essential to safeguard the pieces still in the country,” the new proposal asserts.
Sheinbaum’s proposal is time-sensitive as the Supreme Court is set to take up a challenge to the 1984 Kahlo decree filed by the owner of the painting “Self-Portrait with Medallion.”
There is precedent to countermand these decrees. In 2010, collector Andrés Blaisten obtained an injunction against the prohibition of the export of the works of María Izquierdo and that specific decree was declared unconstitutional.
If the Court resolves the matter before Sheinbaum’s reform is enacted, it must determine if its ruling applies only to the 1984 decree and if it only applies to the party filing the injunction.
And if it rules in favor of the decree, it must explain why it deviated from the 2010 decision, while also raising the constitutional question of how a presidential decree supersedes a law passed by Congress.
The tension between property owners and heritage laws has become palpable in recent months thanks to the Gelman collection controversy, which involves the transfer of 160 of its 300 works to Banco Santander in Cantabria, Spain.
Team Contango’s Spartan’s Revenge walked away with the largest single payout in the history of the “world’s richest fishing tournament.” (Bisbee’s)
On Wednesday, Oct. 21, as 175 fishing boats streamed out of the Cabo San Lucas Marina during the iconic shotgun start of Bisbee’s Black and Blue — aka “the world’s richest fishing tournament” — a group of protesters lined the shore.
But they weren’t protesting the tournament. In fact, crew aboard some of the fishing boats participating in the tournament were among those displaying signs of peaceful protest. At issue was a new schedule of dock fees from the Cabo San Lucas Marina, already considered the most expensive in Mexico.
Why tourism service providers are protesting in Cabo San Lucas
The Cabo San Lucas Marina is no stranger to drama. On Apr. 11, 2024, the government-owned Administración del Sistema Portuario Nacional (ASIPONA) seized control of the port from IGY Marinas — which had managed it for the previous 20 years — stating that the latter’s permit had expired, and that they now had a 50-year concession to the marina granted by Mexico’s Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR).
But IGY Marinas’ parent company, MarineMax, has disputed the legality of these actions in Mexican courts, claiming that the takeover of the marina itself was illegal, and that renegotiation clauses in its operational contract weren’t properly honored.
Two years later, however, ASIPONA remains firmly in charge, despite complaints about the lack of cleanliness and infrastructure improvements around the marina, and outrage at the new fee schedule — the reason for the recent protests — which raises the rates for various dock fees by a reported 200% to 500%.
The charge of uncleanliness is undeniable: “The marina is currently full of trash and smells bad,” said tourism service provider and protester Javier Ontiveros, per El Sudcaliforniano. “It lacks security services, and the ground is uneven — I’ve even seen elderly people fall while disembarking from cruise vessels. We are asking that a portion of the revenue collected be allocated toward infrastructure maintenance.”
But it’s the massive fee hikes themselves, published on the first of this month and made without any consultations with tourism service providers, that are the most distressing to locals.
The squeeze continues for tourism service providers
This has not been a banner year for tourism in Los Cabos. Through September, international air travelers — the most valuable type of tourist to the local economy — are down by 8.4%. But that only tells part of the story.
For five straight months, the number of international air travelers has plummeted: decreasing by 10.5% in May relative to the same month in 2025, 14.2% in June, 16.6% in July and August, and 14.7% in September.
Dock fees for fishing boats and other tourism service providers have risen substantially in Cabo San Lucas. (IGY Marinas)
Since each of these high-value tourists is expected to spend US $1,157 on average, the 294,800 fewer international tourists that have flown into Los Cabos this year relative to last year represent a loss to the local economy of about US $340 million.
This is important context for the recent protests, since tourism service providers who have made less money this year are now being asked to pay substantially more for operating costs.
Another exciting Bisbee’s tournament in Cabo San Lucas
Despite the backdrop of protests, Bisbee’s Black and Blue delivered another memorable tournament, with 175 teams competing for a US $7.4 million purse. As it turned out, an overwhelming amount of that money would go to just one team.
Although it was their first time in the tournament, Team Contango’s Spartan’s Revenge caught the first fish brought to the scales on the first day of fishing: a 491-pound blue marlin boated by team member Kevin Miranda after a 2.5 hour fight. The fish was immediately worth $US 1.9 million due to daily jackpots.
“It was the best day on the water ever,” said Miranda’s teammate, George Kypreos, per Bisbee’s. “It was sunny and beautiful and the water was flat. We were like on a yacht (a 60’ Viking). We saw a few other boats in the distance, but we were pretty much alone. And that was the big one for everybody!”
One qualifier, one big winner
But after three days of fishing, when no other team could beat the standard set by the 491-pound blue, or even muster a qualifying marlin, life got better and better, and the fish became worth more and more money: US $5,629,300, to be exact; or the largest single payout in the 46-year history of the event.
In total, 38 qualifying marlin were caught during the tournament, but 34 of them were released. And of the four brought to the scales, three failed to meet the 300-pound minimum limit.
This 491-pound blue marlin was worth more than US $5.6 million to the team that caught it. (Bisbee’s)
“El Niño certainly did a number on us, fishing-wise,” explained the tournament’s director, Wayne Bisbee. “But in true Bisbee’s fashion, the teams had fun and I’d like to thank all of them for fishing with us again. Congratulations and well done to Contango’s Spartan’s Revenge for a nice marlin and for setting the payout record for that catch.”
Chris Sands is a writer and editor for Mexico News Daily, and the former Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best and writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook. He has also contributed to numerous other websites and publications, including The San Diego Union-Tribune, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise and Travel, and Cabo Living.
