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What’s news in San Miguel de Allende?

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Karla Parra
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San Miguel de Allende town center
A child math prodigy, a new road and an unmissable festival all dominate the headlines in San Miguel de Allende this week. (wallpaperaccess)

From the colorful Los Locos parade and an international book fair to progress on infrastructure and global academic honors, San Miguel de Allende is buzzing with celebrations and expansion this June. Here’s the latest news and events shaping the city.

Día de los Locos Returns June 15 with colorful traditions

Dia de Los Locos - San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Prepare for San Miguel de Allende to be transformed by joy, mischief and costumes.

This year, the beloved parade honoring San Antonio de Padua takes place on Saturday, June 15, at 10 a.m.

Known locally as the “Convite de Locos”, which roughly means “Parade of the Crazies”, this San Miguel festival is a playful, lively procession where participants wear imaginative, colorful costumes ranging from clowns, devils and animals to politicians and everyday items like mops.

The tradition dates back to the dances held by gardeners in honor of Isidore the Laborer, the patron saint of farmers, and Paschal Baylón, patron of cooks. During these celebrations, they’d distribute the fruit of their orchards, an act that explains today’s handing out of candies. Originally, dancers would wear scarecrow costumes to surprise onlookers but by the 19th century, the costumes evolved into clowns and masks. These locos take part in many festivities, with the Convite de Locos in honor of San Antonio de Padua becoming one of the most important, a joyful expression of cultural identity, community, and creativity. 

The procession will begin at the historic Church of San Antonio and travel through the streets of Zacateros, Hernández Macías, Insurgentes, Aparicio, Núñez and San Francisco before culminating at the Jardín Allende. Arrive early, bring a chair, stay hydrated and don’t be surprised if a few lollipops rain down on you!

International Book Fair returns in early June

(Gob. de San Miguel de Allende)

San Miguel is hosting its second Feria Internacional del Libro, a week-long celebration of literature and community. You can attend this free, family-friendly event from June 2 to 8, at the Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez. 

The fair will feature 23 book-selling booths showcasing a range of editorial offerings for all tastes and ages. Authors and readers will get to meet and greet, teen writers can narrate their own stories, and children can participate in interactive activities that nurture their love of reading. As organizers explained, the goal is for every participant to connect with new voices, amplify perspectives, and expand their reading universe. 

Sponsored by the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL) and the municipal government of San Miguel, this event promises to delight bibliophiles and casual readers alike. 

Concerns over timely completion of Bulevar La Libertad

(Screen capture)

The ambitious modernization of Bulevar La Libertad, a 30.5-kilometer road connecting Dolores Hidalgo with San Miguel de Allende, is reportedly about 71% complete. Officials recently toured the site, highlighting progress in the concrete paving on both sides of the road, with 1.6 km still to be completed under the current construction contract. Guanajuato’s Secretary of Public Works, Juan Pablo Pérez, emphasized the project’s complexity, citing over eight kilometers of retaining walls, pedestrian bridges and ongoing topographic and hydraulic work.

Despite the advances, Morena deputy Luis Ricardo Ferro Baeza warned that the latest July 31 completion date — a ten-month extension from the original timeline — may be too optimistic. Key elements, like lighting, signage and bike lanes are still pending. Ferro stressed the boulevard’s importance to tourism and mobility, noting that local businesses have also been negatively impacted during construction, with several closing along the route.

One major complication is a land dispute with the community of La Cieneguita, which led to the removal of nearly three kilometers of road as part of the project. That section, Deputy Ferro explained, will likely never be fully completed as originally designed. Still, the project promises to bring much-needed improvements to enhance urban mobility and safety on this important route. 

San Miguel student ranks top 3 globally in math contest

Sebastián Bustamante Cano, a nine-year-old third-grade student at San Miguel’s Instituto Latinoamericano Bilingüe, has achieved international recognition by securing third place in the Mathematics Challenge of the Mexican Association of Schools (AMCO) Summit 2025. The May 24 event, held in Guadalajara, brought together over 11,000 students from more than 12 countries, challenging participants in mental calculation and problem-solving skills under tight time constraints. 

Sebastián stood out for his exceptional speed and precision, advancing through five hours and eight rounds among 60 finalists in his category. His outstanding performance not only earned him a spot among the top three but also placed Mexico in the international education spotlight.

Cleviá Hotel opens in San Miguel, blending luxury with local art and legend

A hotel lobby
(Clevia San Miguel de Allende)

Last April, San Miguel de Allende’s hospitality scene welcomed Cleviá San Miguel, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection and the city’s first-ever Marriott hotel. Located on Josefina Orozco, this boutique hotel offers 74 rooms and 42 residences, all centered around a picturesque courtyard with a mirror-like pool. 

Cleviá opened its doors with a focus on art, culture and community. An on-site gallery showcases works by local and national artists, and guests can dine at Ayolí, the hotel’s signature restaurant led by acclaimed Chef Eduardo Osuna. Diners can expect traditional Mexican fare with a “cosmopolitan twist” reflective of Mexico’s rich culture and complexity. 

One of the hotel’s standout touches is the Jardín de los Olivos, where guests receive a decorative brass key to personalize and hang on olive trees to commemorate their stay. Guests can also write down their discoveries of San Miguel alongside their keys, such as new traditions they experienced, or the beauty of the sunset from the hotel’s rooftop. 

“As we open our doors, we are not just bringing a new hotel to the city,” said Brian King, President of Marriott International’s Caribbean and Latin America region, “we are embracing the opportunity to become part of this extraordinary community, creating meaningful connections and unforgettable experiences for travelers and locals alike.” 

Karla Parra is a Mexican-American writer based in San Miguel de Allende. She writes the MND series Hecho en México, authors Coloring Across Lines on Substack and helps organize the annual San Miguel Writers’ Conference. You can find her on Instagram as @karlaexploradora. 

Sheinbaum credits Mexico for decline in US overdose deaths: Tuesday’s mañanera recapped

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MND Staff
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President Sheinbaum June 3, 2025
President Sheinbaum announced on Tuesday that United States Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau — who served as U.S. ambassador to Mexico between 2019 and 2021 — would visit Mexico next week ahead of a visit by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

At her Tuesday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about a range of issues, including the reduction in overdose deaths in the United States last year, upcoming visits to Mexico by U.S. officials, her possible attendance at the G7 Summit in Canada this month and the sharp decline in remittances to Mexico in April.

Here is a recap of the president’s June 3 mañanera.

Sheinbaum: Decline in overdose deaths in US related to reduction in fentanyl trafficking from Mexico 

A reporter noted that the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a decline of almost 27% in drug overdose deaths in the U.S. last year.

“Provisional data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics indicate there were an estimated 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2024 — a decrease of 26.9% from the 110,037 deaths estimated in 2023. Annual drug overdose deaths are projected to reach their lowest level since 2019,” the CDC said in a statement on May 14.

The reporter suggested to Sheinbaum that the information would be of use to her in conversations with United States President Donald Trump, who has frequently railed against the harm caused by narcotics from Mexico and even imposed tariffs on Mexican goods to pressure the Mexican government to do more to stop the trafficking of fentanyl.

The reporter also said she had spoken to some CDC researchers and they told her that “many” of the anti-drug strategies used in the United States over the past year were “copied from the Mexico model.”

Sheinbaum acknowledged the reduction in overdose deaths and said it was “good news for the United States and the world in general.”

Sheinbaum June 3, 2025
Sheinbaum acknowledged Mexico’s role in the decline in overdose deaths while mentioning the impact of the anti-overdose medicine naloxone in the United States. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

All deaths are painful and “a tragedy,” but fatalities due to the “abuse of drugs and in particular the abuse of fentanyl” are particularly sad, she said.

“In addition, there is a decay of the person little by little,” Sheinbaum said.

“So, that deaths by overdose have decreased 27% is very good news,” she said.

The CDC said that “since late 2023, overdose deaths have steadily declined each month,” providing “a strong sign that public health interventions are making a difference and having a meaningful impact.”

Sheinbaum said that a “significant” reason for the decrease in overdose deaths in the United States “has to do with the reduction of the [illegal] passing of fentanyl from Mexico to the United States” as well as seizures of the powerful synthetic opioid in the U.S.

In Mexico, a record amount of fentanyl was seized while the previous government led by Andrés Manuel López Obrador was in office, and large confiscations have continued since the current president was sworn in last October.

Sheinbaum said that the use of the anti-overdose medicine naloxone has also helped to reduce drug-related deaths in the United States.

“Analyses have to be carried out in the United States to see what this reduction corresponds to, but it’s very good that [overdose deaths] have declined,” she said.

In February, Trump thanked Sheinbaum for giving him the idea to launch an anti-drugs campaign, on which he pledged to spend “hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Sheinbaum to meet with Landau ahead of visit by Rubio  

Sheinbaum said that United States Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau — who served as U.S. ambassador to Mexico between 2019 and 2021 — would visit Mexico next week ahead of a visit by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“He’s coming, I understand, between June 9 and 10 to prepare for Rubio’s visit later,” she said.

“… We’re going to speak about a lot of issues,” Sheinbaum said.

Rubio said on May 21 that he “intended to travel potentially to Mexico” in “the next few weeks” to discuss security and other matters.

In an appearance before the United States House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee, he also said that the Mexican government has been “very responsive on our security concerns” and “increased their security cooperation with us.”

Rubio says Mexico is more cooperative ‘than ever before’ in cartel crackdown, aims to stop flow of arms south

Sheinbaum still hasn’t decided whether she will attend G7 Summit in Canada

Six days after Sheinbaum confirmed that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had invited her to attend the Group of Seven (G7) Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15 to 17, a reporter asked the president what was stopping her from confirming her attendance at the meeting.

“There are several issues we have to resolve,” Sheinbaum responded.

Asked whether the arrangement of a meeting with Trump at the summit was one of them, the president only said:

“Until now, what there is is an invitation from the prime minister of Canada to attend the summit, which I’m very grateful for. As I told you, Mexico is not part of the G7 so we would attend as a guest country. I think that in a week, more or less, we’ll assess the situation. You always have to assess the situation in the country in order to leave.”

Sheinbaum said that if she does decide to go to the summit, she would attend for just one day.

“We’re going to assess it and we’ll let you know,” she said.

Decline in remittances ‘probably’ related to Trump’s ‘new immigration policy,’ says Sheinbaum

Sheinbaum acknowledged that remittances to Mexico declined 12.1% annually in April, the largest year-over-year decrease for any month since 2012.

“We’re working to see what the reason is,” she said, adding that the government is collaborating with U.S.-based migrants’ associations to find out why remittances declined.

“Until we have more information, we can’t say what the reason is,” Sheinbaum said.

She said that the number of Mexicans who have recently returned to Mexico (including due to deportation) is not “so significant” that it can explain the decline in remittances in April.

“So we have to find out exactly what’s happening. It’s probably something that has to do with the new immigration policy that President Trump has implemented. But we’re not getting ahead of ourselves, we’re not speculating,” Sheinbaum said.

In a post to X on Monday, Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, said that the decline in remittances in April was due to the “deterioration of the labor market in the United States and migrants’ fear of being deported,” which leads to them “avoid going out to work and/or send remittances.”

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

Coca-Cola Mexico returns more than 4 million cubic meters of unused water

By
MND Staff
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Coca-Cola logo
The Mexican Coca-Cola Industry says it's on board with President Claudia Sheinbaum’s National Agreement for the Human Right to Water, which promotes efficient use of water in production processes. (Tom Radetzki/Unsplash)

The Mexican Coca-Cola Industry (IMCC) has committed to returning more unused water from its water concessions, with the aim of becoming “water neutral” and reaching “100% regenerative water use” by 2030.

The IMCC says Coca-Cola has already returned more than four million cubic meters of water and plans to comply with President Claudia Sheinbaum’s National Agreement for the Human Right to Water, which promotes efficient use of water in production processes by facilitating the voluntary return of water volumes that are not being used by industry.

Mexico’s new national water plan to review over 100K water concessions

According to the director of the National Water Commission (Conagua), signatories, including Coca-Cola, have committed to returning a total of 126 million cubic meters of water.

“We already return more water than we consume,” said Patricio Caso, Director of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at Coca-Cola Mexico, in an interview with the media outlet La Jornada. “Our commitment is to being water neutral.”

In its 2024 Integrated Report, Coca-Cola FEMSA (Coke’s parent company in Mexico) announced that it had replenished 100% of the water used in its operations, as part of its long-term sustainability strategy. It also outlined progress in recycling, energy efficiency and climate emergency response.

The IMCC plans to invest over 150 million pesos (US $7.8 million) in a program aimed at promoting water development in the watersheds where it operates in Mexico, including in projects to reinject aquifers and increase soil permeability.

It has also established water collection systems in 700 schools across Mexico. 

The IMCC says it uses 1.47 liters of water for every liter of soft drink produced, which is lower than the average of up to two liters used by competing firms, according to the company. 

Coca-Cola has been criticized for its water use

Coca-Cola’s water-saving promises come after the IMCC has long been criticized for its heavy water use, with 175 of its facilities located in areas facing “high levels of water stress.” 

Coca-Cola is the most popular soft drink in Mexico, accounting for around 70% of Mexico’s soda production and sales, with extensive production and bottling operations across the country. 

Coca-Cola says it uses 1.47 liters of water for every liter of soft drink produced, which is lower than the average of its competitors, according to the company. (Coca-Cola)

One bottling plant, operated by the food and drink conglomerate Femsa, which holds the rights to bottle and sell Coca-Cola in much of Latin America, is situated in San Cristóbal de las Casas in southwestern Chiapas state. 

Femsa has permits to extract more than 1.14 million liters of water from the nearby Huitepec volcano basin every day. Meanwhile, San Cristóbal’s 200,000 residents are battling water scarcity.

There have been widespread reports of groundwater contamination in San Cristóbal, which have led residents to buy bottled water and soda rather than consume tap water. 

“Water flows toward the money and to companies like Coca-Cola, not to the people,” said Fermin Reygadas, the director of the nonprofit Cántaro Azul. 

Chiapas is the No. 1 consumer of Coca-Cola in Mexico, with Chiapanecos drinking around 683.8 liters of the soft drink per capita each year, compared to around 98.4 liters per person in the United States. 

With reports from La Jornada, Al Jazeera and La-Lista

A modern railway through Central America could link Panama with Mexico by 2035

By
MND Staff
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train line through Central America
Mexico has reportedly already pledged to support Guatemala with 400,000 meters of rails, railroad ties and other materials to help the Central American country reactivate its freight lines and connect to Mexico’s southern network. (Josh Nezon/Unsplash)

A historic train line between Mexico and Panama looks to be moving forward after leaders from six Central American countries presented a US $52 billion regional rail integration plan in Leipzig, Germany.

The Regional Mobility and Logistics Master Plan 2035 outlines the creation of 11 new rail corridors across Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama — with the goal of linking these networks to the Maya Train in southern Mexico and the Interoceanic Train across Mexico’s Isthmus of Tehuantepec. 

The plan, which aims to be completed by 2035, was presented last month at the International Transport Forum 2025 Summit by the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA).

It would enable seamless rail service from Panama to Mexico, opening new trade routes and economic opportunities across the region — including direct access to North American and Asian markets.

The proposed lines between countries are intended for both cargo and passenger service, according to the master plan.

“The talks are advanced, and the Guatemalan government is very enthusiastic about this issue,” Francisco Lima Mena, secretary general of SIECA, told the newspaper Milenio after the May 23-25 summit. “Much of this requires coordinated management at border crossings, so significant efforts are being made.”

Lima Mena said Mexico has already pledged to support Guatemala with 400,000 meters of rails, railroad ties and other materials to help reactivate its freight lines and connect to Mexico’s southern network.

Central American train
The train would connect 11 strategic corridors (mapped here) throughout the Central American region. (SIECA)

And El Salvador has already committed US $1.8 billion to reviving its rail lines as part of the initiative, though broader funding relies on public-private partnerships and international lenders.

Officials say the project is about more than just moving cargo.

By linking remote and underserved communities to major markets, leaders hope to spur economic growth and reduce migration pressures.

“No one migrates for fun,” Lima Mena said. “Everything happens for a reason, and it’s usually economic, and that’s why we have family disintegration … [We want to have] sustainable and decent work. Sustainable jobs can keep families together.”

That’s a big reason why the plan is a good one, he added.

“It’s an important infrastructure plan for the region, and that’s why we have the interest of commercial partners,” he said.

The plan also includes harmonizing technical standards, establishing regional biosafety protocols and creating a permanent regional rail authority.

While Belize is not yet part of the corridors, SIECA noted that its inclusion would be straightforward if momentum continues.

Train projects in Mexico picked up steam under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and have remained a priority under current President Claudia Sheinbaum.

In April, Sheinbaum talked about plans to extend Mexican train service into Guatemala at a mañanera, her daily press conference.

With reports from Milenio and N+

Remittances to Mexico decline 12%, the biggest drop in over a decade

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MND Staff
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dollar remittances
Monetary transfers from the United States to Mexico have represented 3%-4% of Mexico's GDP in recent years. (Timis Alexandra/Unsplash)

Is United States President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda making Mexican immigrants in the U.S. scared to go out to send money home? Bank of Mexico (Banxico) data suggests it is.

Remittances sent to Mexico plummeted 12.1% annually in April, the largest year-over-year decline for any month since 2012.

Banxico reported on Monday that remittances totaled US $4.76 billion in April, down from $5.41 billion in the same month a year earlier. The 12.1% annual decline was the biggest year-over-year drop since September 2012.

In a post to X, Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, said that the decline was due to the “deterioration of the labor market in the United States and migrants’ fear of being deported,” which leads to them “avoid going out to work and/or send remittances.”

Alberto Ramos, head of Latin America economics at Goldman Sachs, also linked the decline in remittances to a hardening of immigration policies in the United States. For its part, analysts at the bank BBVA hypothesized that a weakening of the dollar against the peso in April led to a decline in remittances. Another possible contributor to the decline was that Easter fell in April this year, whereas it was in March in 2024.

The vast majority of remittances sent to Mexico come from the United States, where millions of Mexicans — both documented and undocumented — live and work. Mexico is the world’s second largest recipient of remittances after India.

The slump in remittances in April came after a year-over-year increase of 2.5% in March and a decline of 0.8% in February. Mexico received a record-high $64.74 billion in remittances in 2024, the 11th consecutive year of growth in such transfers.

The decline in April caused the total remittances sent to Mexico in the first four months of the year to fall 2.5% annually to $19.01 billion, Banxico reported. Trump was in power for the majority of this period, having commenced his second term on Jan. 20.

Some of the newly signed executive orders could have a significant impact on the Mexico-United States relationship.
Is United States President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda making Mexican immigrants in the U.S. scared to go out to send money home? Bank of Mexico (Banxico) data suggests it is. (Shutterstock)

During his 2024 presidential election campaign, Trump stated that he planned to carry out “the largest deportation operation in American history” if elected to a second term. More than four months into the second Trump administration, the number of deportations has not yet matched the pre-election rhetoric of the U.S. president.

However, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased deportation raids across the United States and there is evidently fear that Trump’s deportation mission will ramp up even further. Adding to that concern, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reiterated on Sunday that the U.S. government is “going to do mass deportations.”

The publication of the latest Banxico data on remittances came after the United States House of Representatives passed legislation on May 22 that would impose a 3.5% remittance tax on funds sent abroad by individuals who are not U.S. citizens.

The Mexican government is vehemently opposed to the proposed measure, which will become law if approved by the U.S. Senate.

Mexican bank Banorte said in a note that if the tax is approved, “an increase in flows” of remittances to Mexico would likely occur “before it goes into effect.”

The longer-term impact of a remittances tax in the U.S. is “still very uncertain,” Banorte said.

The number of remittances and their average value declined in April 

Banxico reported that almost 12.4 million individual remittances were sent to Mexico in April. The average value of each of those transfers was $385.

The total number of remittances was 8.1% lower than a year earlier, while the average value of a single transfer fell 4.4%.

When converted to pesos, remittances actually increased 

There was some good news for Mexico with regard to the latest data on remittances: their peso-value increased in April in annual terms thanks to a more favorable exchange rate, as the peso was much weaker against the US dollar in April than in the same month of 2024, when the Mexican currency reached an almost-nine-year high against the greenback.

Once inflation was also taken into account, the real annual increase in remittances in peso terms was 5.5% in April, according to the newspaper El Economista.

That’s welcome news for the significant number of Mexican families that depend on remittances to meet their basic needs.

The monetary transfers have represented 3%-4% of Mexico’s GDP in recent years.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, remittances “form the largest single source of foreign income for Mexico, outstripping the income brought in by any other individual source, including foreign direct investment (FDI) from the United States, tourism, and net manufacturing exports.”

With reports from El Economista, El Financiero, Reforma and Reuters 

Mexico City faces worst flooding in years, with more rain on the way

By
MND Staff
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cars stuck in flooding
The torrential rains on Monday created havoc on Mexico City's roadways, trapping a number of cars under water. (Cuartoscuro)

Severe flooding following heavy rainfall on Monday created chaos in Mexico City, México state and other regions of central Mexico, crippling mobility, disrupting public transportation and inundating a hospital.

The Security Ministry (SSPC) reported that rainfall averaged 15 liters per square meter in the capital, however, the northeastern part of Mexico City reported peaks of up to 45 liters per square meter.


The SSPC noted that flooding damage in Mexico City was primarily reported in the following boroughs: Iztapalapa, Iztacalco, Venustiano Carranza, Coyoacán, Cuajimalpa, Cuauhtémoc, Gustavo A. Madero, Tláhuac and Xochimilco.

By early evening, the Iztapalapa, Ignacio Zaragoza, Ermita Iztapalapa, and Tláhuac avenues were virtually inaccessible, with vehicles stalled by rising water, forcing drivers and passengers to wade through it. On Ignacio Zaragoza avenue near Acatitla, the water was so high that several vehicles sank. 

Authorities also reported fallen trees and fences.

The Mexico City Metro partially suspended service on Line A, which operated from Pantitlán to Guelatao while the stations from Peñón Viejo to La Paz remained closed due to water on the tracks. Lines 1 and 3 of the Cablebús also temporarily suspended service due to Monday’s thunderstorm.

At 11:46 CST on Tuesday, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada announced on X that service had been completely restored to Line A of the Metro.

Authorities activated Operation Rains 2025 and the Tlaloque Protocol, deploying emergency teams, technical personnel and specialized machinery to address flooding and rescue trapped vehicles on Monday night.

The Ministry of Integrated Water Management (SEGI AGUA) deployed over 150 technicians and operators, 15 hydropneumatic trucks, four Hercules-type pumping equipment, 14 pieces of emergency pumping equipment, 22 dry vans and three cranes.

Mexico City has experienced similar flooding recently, but in an official statement released on Tuesday, the mayor said, “We had not seen a storm of this magnitude since 2017.”

In México state, heavy rains caused flooding in municipalities such as Toluca, Lerma, Ocoyoacac, San Mateo Atenco, Metepec, Zinacantepec, Chapultepec, Ecatepec, Nezahualcóyotl, Chimalhuacán, Texcoco, Atlacomulco, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Tultitlán, Zumpango, Naucalpan, Tlalnepantla, Valle de Bravo, Ixtapan de la Sal, Tejupilco and Amecameca.

In Los Reyes Acaquilpan, the General Hospital of Zone 53 of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) suffered severe flooding, with water from sewers entering the emergency areas, the waiting room and the pharmacy, reaching up to 30 centimeters in some areas. The water swept away medicines and medical supplies. 

Patients, staff and family members had to climb onto benches to avoid getting wet.

 

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Several major highways connecting the capital with other regions (such as Mexico City-Querétaro, Mexico City-Toluca, Mexico City-Puebla, Mexico City-Pachuca, Mexico City-Texcoco, Mexico City-Cuernavaca and Mexico City-Cuautla) reported complications due to flooding and low visibility, affecting interurban mobility.

Heavy rain is again in today’s forecast for Mexico City and the surrounding Valley of Mexico. Authorities have called on the population to avoid driving in areas with flooding, and facilitate mitigation efforts. Residents can report waterlogging and flooding by calling the H20 line at *426, as well as by calling 911.

 With reports from Infobae, La Jornada and Nmás

After a beer truck overturned in Tamaulipas, locals helped themselves

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MND Staff
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crowd carrying away beer cartons
“In the face of the growing crowd, the security forces were overwhelmed,” the news site Animal Político reported after the incident on Monday. (X)

A tractor-trailer carrying a consignment of beer overturned on federal Highway 85 in the northern state of Tamaulipas on Monday, and local residents arrived quickly on the scene to help … themselves to the cargo, that is.

According to official reports cited by the newspaper Record, the driver of the truck fell asleep at the wheel and lost control of the vehicle, which flipped onto its side on the shoulder of the highway.

The driver was unhurt, but he was helpless to prevent what happened next.

Although the accident occurred along a rural stretch of the Monterrey-Ciudad Victoria highway, dozens of people of all ages scurried to the truck and began carrying off the beer.

Media reports indicated the accident occurred near the villages of Plan de Ayala and Santa Clara. Plan de Ayala has a population of approximately 1,200 people, while Santa Clara is home to less than 500.

Word spread quickly, however, and residents of several communities in the area began showing up for free chelas. As the accident had torn off a large section of the roof of the truck, its contents were readily accessible.

The coveted cargo was plundered swiftly, according to the online news site Punto x Punto, which posted video of the larcenous scene on social media.

The many videos prompted social media users to wonder why it took so long for authorities to reach the scene. 

The news site Animal Político reported that a National Guard contingent actually did arrive while the looting was still in progress, momentarily putting a halt to it, but the troops were unable to contain the crowd as more and more people assembled.

“In the face of the growing crowd, the security forces were overwhelmed,” Animal Político reported. “The multitude tore back the laminated roof of the truck and began to walk off with cartons, cases and bottles of beer, carrying them away on foot or loading up cars.”

The authorities finally secured the site and began forensic studies to determine the cause of the crash. 

State prosecutors reminded the public that looting is a crime and announced that they are studying the videos in an attempt to identify the persons involved.

But this was by no means an unprecedented event. Similar cases of post-accident beer pillaging have occurred in Zacatecas and Campeche.

The authorities did not confirm if the trucking company had filed a complaint over the cargo theft.

With reports from Animal Político and Record

Aeroméxico workers’ strike postponed to June 10

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MND Staff
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Aeroméxico
Aeroméxico's flight attendants were prepared to walk out on June 1 if the airline did not raise its pay increase. (José Pablo Domínguez/Unsplash)

Flight attendants at Aeroméxico announced they would postpone for 10 days a strike they had scheduled to begin Sunday, after weekend meetings with federal labor relations officials helped to produce a better offer from the Mexican airline.

In a last-ditch effort to avoid the June walk-out, the new proposal from Aeroméxico — Mexico’s second-largest airline — prompted the flight attendants to delay the strike threat to consider the counterproposal.

The nearly 3,200 Aeroméxico employees, represented by the Mexican Aviation Flight Attendants Union (ASSA), were demanding a 4.13% wage increase, arguing that salaries for both senior and junior staff have not kept up with inflation.

On May 21, ASSA rejected a salary hike of 2.9% for senior employees and 3.25% for junior workers before meeting with the Federal Center for Conciliation and Labor Registration on May 26-27. The Center — established in October 2022 — is responsible for settling labor law disputes.

Late last week, Aeroméxico improved its offer to 3.93%, but that too was rejected.

After ASSA was granted an audience with a federal labor tribunal and held meetings with the Federal Center for Conciliation and Labor Registration on Saturday night, Aeroméxico countered with a wage packet featuring a 4.3% raise. 

Aeroméxico strike could disrupt flights starting Sunday

Once again, ASSA rejected that proposal, saying the flight attendants were prepared to walk out, but the airline came back minutes later with an offer of a 4.5% increase. The union acknowledged Aeroméxico’s good-faith bargaining and shortly after midnight announced they would postpone the strike to consider the proposal, news that the airline announced on social media.

“Grupo Aeroméxico reiterates its commitment to maintaining open and transparent dialogue to negotiate benefits for its flight attendants that allow the company to continue to be a competitive employer in the industry,” the airline said in a press release.

Negotiations were expected to continue this week and Aeroméxico said all flights would go on as scheduled.

The flight staff’s demands are an effort to recover lost purchasing power due to rising inflation from 2020 through 2024, ASSA says. The original 4.13% wage increase demand is based on annual inflation from May 2024 to 2025.

With reports from El Financiero, La Jornada and López-Dóriga.com

Who are the 9 judges elected to Mexico’s new Supreme Court?

By
MND Staff
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Mexico Supreme Court
Six new and three returning judges will oversee Mexico's judiciary branch starting September 1, 2025. (Suprema Corte de la Nación/Facebook)

Hugo Aguilar Ortiz, a Mixtec man from Oaxaca who is currently an official with the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI), is set to become the next chief justice of Mexico’s Supreme Court (SCJN), after he attracted more support than any other candidate in the election for justices on Sunday.

The 51-year-old lawyer and the other candidates set to become justices are affiliated with, seen as sympathetic to, or were at least tacitly supported by the ruling Morena party, a situation that government critics argue will eliminate a vital check on executive and legislative power.

Hugo Aguilar
A former lawyer for the Zapatista National Liberation Army, the probable president-elect of Mexico’s Supreme Court, Hugo Aguilar, ran on a campaign that advocated for Indigenous perspectives within Mexico’s judiciary. (Hugo Aguilar Ortiz/X)

With 87% of the vote counted, Aguilar’s vote tally stood at just under 4.94 million, ahead of current Supreme Court Justice Lenia Batres Guadarrama on 4.69 million votes, according to the National Electoral Institute (INE).

The candidate who attracts the most votes will be appointed as the chief justice, or presidente, of the SCJN for a two-year term. The nine justices elected on Sunday will assume their positions on Sept. 1.

The approximately 13 million voters who cast ballots on Sunday were required to select five female candidates for justice and four male ones from a field of over 60 aspirants to Mexico’s highest court.

In accordance with the rules approved for Mexico’s first-ever judicial elections, the nine-person bench will be made up of five women and four men.

The nine candidates set to make up the new SCJN bench were all included on “cheat sheets” distributed to voters by people affiliated with the ruling Morena party.

Their election “signifies the end of the independence of the judicial branch,” Diego Valadés, a former Supreme Court justice, told The Washington Post.

With almost nine in 10 votes counted, the top five female candidates are:

  • Lenia Batres Guadarrama: A Supreme Court justice since late 2023.
  • Yasmin Esquivel Mossa: A Supreme Court justice since early 2019.
  • Loretta Ortiz Ahlf: A Supreme Court justice since late 2021.
  • María Estela Ríos González: Top legal adviser to former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) between 2021 and 2024.
  • Sara Irene Herrerías Guerra: Head of the human rights department of the Federal Attorney General’s office.

Batres, Esquivel and Ortiz all became Supreme Court justices during the 2018-24 presidency of López Obrador. The eight other current Supreme Court justices chose not to contest the election on Sunday.

Lenia Batres Guadarrama, who has served on the Supreme Court since late 2023, is one of only three justices who chose to participate in the June 1 judicial elections. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

Herrerías is well ahead of the female candidate in sixth place in the vote count, meaning that the five women listed above will all serve on the Supreme Court.

The top four male candidates are:

  • Hugo Aguilar Ortiz: Indigenous rights coordinator at INPI.
  • Giovanni Azael Figueroa Mejía: A lawyer with a doctorate in constitutional law.
  • Irving Espinoza Betanzo: A lawyer and anti-corruption magistrate in Mexico City.
  • Arístides Rodrigo Guerrero García: A lawyer and former official in Mexico City.

Guerrero is more than 270,000 votes ahead of the male candidate in fifth place in the vote count.

The judicial elections took place due to the approval by Congress last year of a judicial reform put forward by López Obrador, who was an open critic of Mexico’s judiciary and angered by rulings against some of his flagship policies and projects.

Morena got the Supreme Court it wanted 

While political parties were prohibited from explicitly promoting candidates that contested the judicial elections, the ruling party, as noted above, did distribute cheat sheets detailing how they would like citizens to vote. Known in Mexico as acordeones (accordions), the cheat sheets were reportedly used by a significant number of voters, who were required to fill out multiple ballots with long lists of candidates on each.

Given that Morena is a highly popular political party and their supporters turned out in large numbers on Sunday, it is no surprise that candidates affiliated with and/or tacitly supported by the party performed well. While opposition parties were denouncing the election, Morena set its mind to getting its supporters to the polls.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the son of AMLO, “Andrés Manuel López Beltrán, operations chief of the ruling Morena party that his father founded, oversaw the political machine that mobilized millions of working-class voters to participate in Sunday’s novel election.”

And thus, Morena was able to get its preferred Supreme Court candidates elected on Sunday.

judicial vote ballots
The judicial elections took place on June 1 due to the approval by Congress last year of a judicial reform put forward by López Obrador, who was an open critic of Mexico’s judiciary and angered by rulings against some of his flagship policies and projects. (Carolina Jiménez/Cuartoscuro)

José Ramón Cossío, another former Supreme Court justice, told The Washington Post the vote on Sunday “wasn’t a free election, but a takeover of the judicial institutions” by Morena.

President Sheinbaum and other government officials argued that the elections were necessary to renew the judiciary and rid it of corruption and other ills. Most Mexicans agree that the nation’s judiciary needs an overhaul, but many warned that holding elections that were likely to result in aligning the courts with the government was not the way to go about it. Sheinbaum has rejected claims that the judiciary will lose its independence.

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that “diplomats and legal experts said the election could darken the investment climate in Mexico, since businesspeople can no longer look to the courts to uphold the law impartially.”

With a Morena “takeover” of the Supreme Court and other “judicial institutions”, as Cossío put it, the ruling party will effectively control the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government.

Sheinbaum was elected on a Morena party ticket and, in addition to being president, is the leader of the “fourth transformation” political movement founded by López Obrador. She has staunchly defended the 2024 judicial reform as well as virtually all other aspects of the political agenda set by her predecessor before he concluded his presidency last September.

Who is Hugo Aguilar Ortiz?

Born in a small community in the Mixtec region of Oaxaca in 1973, Aguilar completed undergraduate and master’s degrees in law in his native state.

As a lawyer, he once represented the Zapatista National Liberation Army, best known for staging a bloody uprising in the southern state of Chiapas in 1994.

If, as expected, Aguilar becomes the next chief justice of Mexico’s Supreme Court, he will be just the second indigenous person and the second person from Oaxaca to hold that position after former (and highly revered) former president Benito Juárez. He doesn’t have any prior experience as a judge.

The future justice has long been a defender of Indigenous rights as well as a “promoter of the fourth transformation,” the newspaper Reforma reported. He took on his position at INPI in 2018 after working in a range of positions, including as a consultant to the UN Human Rights Office and as deputy minister for Indigenous rights in Oaxaca.

Between 1996 and 2010, Aguilar represented more than 25 Indigenous communities in Oaxaca in land disputes, political disputes and other matters, according to the Milenio newspaper. He succeeded in establishing precedents in local and federal courts, including the SCJN, Milenio said.

While she didn’t promote any individual candidates, Sheinbaum did say she would like to see Indigenous people serving as Supreme Court justices.

“We want Indigenous representation in the Court, we want justice,” she said during an event in Benito Juárez’s birthplace on March 21, the 219th anniversary of the former president’s birth.

On Tuesday, Sheinbaum said that Aguilar is “a very recognized lawyer” and “has the credentials to join the court.”

On a website that was created to support his candidacy, Aguilar said he “acquired greater awareness” of his identity as a Mixtec person during his adolescence.

He said he also “lived the exclusion and injustices associated” with being an Indigenous person.

“In this context, I had the certainty that my life aspiration … [would be] the fight for justice,” Aguilar said.

During a recent interview with Milenio Televisión, he said that the justice system in Mexico “practically hasn’t existed for Indigenous people.”

“The justice system has functioned to serve other interests. Their rights, ways of organization, traditions and cultural elements haven’t been in the constitution and as a result … [Indigenous people] haven’t been part of the justice system,” Aguilar said.

His campaign slogan was “¡Ya nos toca!” (It’s our turn), expressing his view that now is the time for greater representation of Indigenous voices and perspectives in Mexico’s judiciary.

What will guide Aguilar in his work as chief justice?

On his INE candidate page, the future Supreme Court justice set out his three main proposals.

  1. For justice to be consistent with reality, judicial functions should be carried out in the field, incorporating on-site visits, dialogue with individuals, and an effort to understand the actual situation being presented, without excessive formalities. Likewise, an open attitude should be adopted to learn from others — their uniqueness, context, and reality. In this way, the arguments supporting decisions will not be mere formal reasoning, but will be grounded in reality.
  2. It must be kept in mind that judicial decisions are final, and that no one possesses the absolute truth. In this regard, a multidisciplinary approach should be strengthened by involving specialized bodies in all matters and by expanding and consolidating the role of Amicus Curiae [friend of the court]. Likewise, dialogue with the parties should be prioritized in order to examine disputes more thoroughly.
  3. The judicial function should not be an obstacle to social change. Attention must be paid to the national context when resolving central issues of public life. To this end, republican dialogue should be prioritized between the branches of the Union, the federal entities, municipalities, and Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples and communities.

With reports from Reforma, El Economista, Milenio, The Washington Post, El Financiero and La Jornada

Mexican stop motion film ‘Soy Frankelda’ to premiere at Annecy International Film Festival

By
MND Staff
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Soy Frankelda
"Soy Frankelda" tells the story of Francisca Imelda (Frankelda), a young writer in 19th-century Mexico who, tired of being overlooked for her writing, immerses herself in the world of her own scary stories. (ToonHive/X)

The Mexican stop motion film “Soy Frankelda” (I Am Frankelda), directed by brothers Arturo and Roy Ambriz, will have its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, which will take place in France from June 9 to 15. 

This production marks a milestone for Mexican animation, as it is the first stop motion feature film to be shot from start to finish in the country. It was shot at the independent studio Cinema Fantasma in Mexico City.

Short films and some scenes for feature-length stop motion films had previously been produced in Mexico. Such is the case of Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio,” which had support from Taller de Chucho in Jalisco, though the film was filmed in English and mostly produced in the United States.

“[Soy Frankelda] is our homage to the art of storytelling,” the Ambriz brothers said in a statement. 

“As siblings, we’ve been captivated by fiction since childhood, starting with drawings and games and evolving into literature, theater, cinema and animation. Our passion for creating worlds led us to conceive Francisca Imelda, or Frankelda, a fictional Mexican horror writer from the 19th century. Like her, we have faced frustration from rejection, yet we remain determined to pursue our ambition for creative expression.”

In a statement on social media, the Ambriz brothers’ studio Cinema Fantasma expressed its excitement over this achievement: “It’s hard to put into words how we feel about reaching this moment.” They noted that this project was born “from the tenacity of dreaming big, of not giving up, and of trusting in the power of imagination.” They thanked their team, creative partner Warner Bros. Discovery LATAM and Guillermo del Toro, whom they acknowledged as their mentor in the film’s final stage. 

They also thanked the Annecy Film Festival “for giving us the honor of showing this film to the world for the first time.”

Days before Annecy opens, “Soy Frankelda” will be the opening film at the Guadalajara International Festival (FICG), set to take place from June 6 to 14. 

Trailer 2 Sustos ocultos de Frankelda

“Soy Frankelda” is the sequel to the Ambriz brothers’ miniseries “Frankelda’s Hidden Scares,” which tells the story of Francisca Imelda (Frankelda), a young writer in 19th-century Mexico who, tired of being overlooked for her writing, immerses herself in the world of her own scary stories.

The story, which is streaming on HBO Max, is inspired by Mary Shelly, author of Frankenstein. It consists of five episodes, each one telling a short, scary story narrated by “Frankelda.” 

With reports from Latam.ign, Tribuna Fantasta and Cinema Fantasma

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