21 million tourists flocked to the beaches of Quintana Roo last year, as the state exceeded tourism projections. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
Quintana Roo, home to some of Mexico’s most popular beach destinations including Cancún, Tulum and Playa del Carmen, ended 2023 with record-breaking tourism figures.
Governor Mara Lezama announced that traffic through the Cancún International Airport reached 33.7 million passengers last year, and the state received 21 million visitors, up 8% over 2022. Revenue from tourism was also reported to be 12% higher in 2023, reaching US $21 billion.
Cruise ship traffic to the state was over 6 million for the year. (Cuartoscuro)
According to the Cancún, Puerto Morelos & Isla Mujeres Hotel Association, the Caribbean resort city closed the year with a 91.2% occupancy rate, Puerto Morelos with 88.7%, and the Isla Mujeres’ area with 91.1%.
The state has over 130,000 hotel rooms, and this number is expected to increase in 2024 with the addition of a growing number of vacation rentals.
The state also saw 6.1 million cruise passengers arrive during 2023.
Daily air operation reports at the Cancún airport show that the average number of daily flights in December was between 540 and 600, peaking on Saturday, Dec. 30, with 701 flights.
“It has undoubtedly been a great year for Cancún, with numerous high-level events taking place,” the Benito Juárez Tourism Minister, Juan Pablo de Zulueta Razo said.
In December, plans were announced to update the Cancún airport, with an investment of US $1.4 billion over five years. The opening of the Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport in Tulum last month is also expected to ease congestion at the Cancún airport, which serves as the primary gateway for international tourists visiting Mexico.
Last year, out of the 34.9 million seats on international flights to Mexico, 12.6 million were on routes to Cancún airport, accounting for 36.1% of the overall market.
The president discussed the migrant case by video call with Américo Villarreal, the governor of Tamaulipas, at the Friday morning press conference. (Cuartoscuro)
Federal Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez and Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villareal provided an update on Friday morning on the case involving the abduction on Dec. 30 and release on Jan. 3 of 32 migrants.
Twenty-six of the migrants who were abducted near the border city of Reynosa are Venezuelan, while the other six are Honduran, Rodríguez said. She noted that 12 are women, eight are girls, nine are men and three are boys.
The group of abducted migrants included 12 women, eight girls, nine men and three boys. (JesusRCuevas/X)
A one-year-old girl was not initially counted among those abducted. Rodríguez previously said that Ecuadorians, Colombians and Mexicans were also among those kidnapped.
Federal officials said on Wednesday that the migrants had been “rescued,” but President López Obrador acknowledged on Thursday that they were released by their captors and left in a shopping center parking lot.
No arrests have been made in connection with the abduction, but authorities are confident that their investigations will lead to the kidnappers being taken into custody. The National Immigration Institute will issue visitor permits to the abducted migrants, allowing them to access a range of services.
Here are the key points from the update on the case presented at López Obrador’s Friday morning press conference.
Rosa Icela Rodríguez reported on the migrant kidnapping at the Friday morning press conference. (Rosa Icela Rodríguez/X)
Per Rodríguez’s report
The bus on which the migrants were traveling was intercepted by armed men in five pick-up trucks on the Reynosa-Matamoros highway in the municipality of Río Bravo at approximately 7:30 p.m. last Saturday.
A total of 37 passengers including a baby were on the bus.
The “criminals” forced the passengers to disembark the bus and put 32 of them in their vehicles, leaving behind five people – two Mexicans and three Venezuelans.
The bus driver reported the incident to authorities before completing the journey from Monterrey to Matamoros. Police escorted the bus from Nuevo Progreso to Matamoros.
The migrants were driven along a dirt road for 20 minutes until they were put onto an “old bus” and taken to a property with a warehouse and “a nearby house.”
The migrants were stripped of their cell phones and other “items of value.”
The “kidnappers” called the families of their victims in the early hours of Dec. 31 to demand ransoms.
Some families paid “a part” of the money demanded by the criminals.
Federal and state authorities immediately launched a search operation. Police dogs and drones assisted the search efforts across six municipalities. The abducted migrants’ telephones were traced and authorities interviewed local residents as part of their investigations.
The Tamaulipas Attorney General’s Office (FGJ) reported the location of the migrants in the municipality of Río Bravo on Wednesday.
The migrants were “immediately” taken to FGJ offices for a medical checkups and all were found to be in good health “without injuries.”
The migrants told authorities they were released due to “the deployment of federal forces in the area.”
“There are very clear lines of investigation to achieve the arrest of the culprits.”
According to Rodríguez, there are “clear lines of investigation” in the case to help authorities arrest the culprits. (Cuartoscuro)
Per Villareal’s report
Three of the abducted Venezuelans also have Colombian nationality, but they chose to receive consular assistance from Venezuelan authorities.
The National Immigration Institute and the DIF family services agency are assisting the migrants. Some of the abductees are continuing to provide testimony to authorities.
There is no evidence to support allegations that police were involved in the abduction of the migrants.
Organized crime groups are seeking “new ways” to make money off migrants as many are now moving through the country on public transport to attend appointments with U.S immigration authorities rather than paying people smugglers for their services. Extortion – of which many migrants have been victims in Tamaulipas and other parts of the country – is one of those ways.
López Obrador weighs in
It is “offensive” and “very irresponsible” to say there was police involvement in the abduction when there is no evidence to support the claim.
Claims that federal forces were deployed to Tamaulipas due to a situation of “ungovernability” in the northern border state are “categorically false.”
“In Tamaulipas, we’ve managed to considerably reduce the crime rate. … We can prove it.”
Report: over 300 migrants kidnapped in six states in 2023
The Milenio newspaper reported Friday that more than 300 migrants, including Mexicans traveling through the country en route to the United States, were kidnapped in Chihuahua, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz, Chiapas, Sonora and Tamaulipas last year.
Migrants are often targeted by criminal groups as they transit through Mexico towards the United States. (Cuartoscuro)
The newspaper, which looked at official data and spoke to human rights advocates, said that at least 150 migrants were kidnapped in Chihuahua in 2023 and at least 100 were abducted in San Luis Potosí, including a group of 49 in the municipality of Matehuala last May.
Milenio said that more than 30 migrants were kidnapped in Veracruz last year and that 17 were abducted in Chiapas in December alone. It also reported that at least 30 Mexicans who left their home state of Oaxaca for the United States were kidnapped by armed groups in Tamaulipas and Sonora last year. Some of the migrants from Oaxaca are still missing.
Migrants are frequently targeted by criminal groups as they travel through Mexico toward the northern border. Many have been forcibly recruited by cartels, while others have been killed.
Spend the best 72 hours of your weekend in Puerto Vallarta. (Meagan Drillinger)
A quick Google search of the best things to do in Puerto Vallarta reveals a laundry list of the classics: hit the beach, stroll through the Malecon, eat and drink in the Zona Romantica. Those are all solid suggestions and should be on anyone’s first itinerary to Puerto Vallarta — they are classics for a reason. But for those of us who live here, they tend to be a little generic and sometimes a little overplayed.
I’ve been calling Puerto Vallarta home for five years now, though my relationship with the city goes back a decade. Despite that, I still find myself discovering new sides and personalities of this place every time I’m home. What’s even better is when I get to show friends and family my Puerto Vallarta — the things that have become my favorites even after so many years of hitting the same cobblestone streets.
Near Puerto Vallarta, there are quiet beaches to rest from the bustle of tourists. (Meagan Drillinger)
So, if you’re looking for an insider’s guide to a perfect weekend in Puerto Vallarta, here is my personal itinerary, which mixes in the classic highlights with little nuggets that you’d only know if you were truly a local.
Friday
You’ll be spoiled for choice when searching for hotels in Puerto Vallarta, but I always recommend that visitors stay at Casa Kimberly. It’s more than just a fabulous boutique hotel — it’s an experience. The opulent Mediterranean-style villa was a gift from Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor, and the two carried on a not-so-secret affair when he was in Puerto Vallarta filming the now-iconic “Night of the Iguana.”
Pass through the wrought-iron gate, head up the stone stairs, and beneath glittering chandeliers — careful not to get locked in the blue-eyed stare of the larger-than-life portrait of Liz hanging in the lobby. Then it’s off to one of the nine individually decorated suites, each of which has sweeping balconies with panoramic views over the terracotta-tiled roofs nestled between ridges of moss-colored peaks, and the cobalt-colored Bay of Banderas below.
After settling in, head towards the buzzy, slightly less touristy 5 de Diciembre neighborhood. This area, brimming with restaurants, coffee shops, and souvenir stands has one of the best beaches in Puerto Vallarta, and with that comes one of the best beach restaurants, El Solar. Grab a table on the sand or the elevated wooden deck for the perfect PV welcome.
Casa Kimberly. (Meagan Drillinger)
The pocket-sized restaurant/bar enjoys one of the best addresses in town, with a prime beachfront location and a menu of fresh seafood, ceviches, salads, and more. I always like to order a Crunchy Salad, Tuna Poke, and the Baja-style Shrimp Tacos. Plan your visit just before sunset so you’ll have the best seat in the house for one of Puerto Vallarta’s epic evening displays.
After you’ve had your fill of fresh seafood, great music, and perhaps a cerveza or two, take your time walking the Malecon back towards Zona Romántica and Casa Kimberly. Be back on your terrace before 9 p.m. to catch the nightly fireworks show over the bay.
Saturday
Morning
It’s an early start to the day as you’ll be taking one of the most beautiful beach hikes in Puerto Vallarta. Walk down from Casa Kimberly’s hilltop perch and follow the cobblestone streets toward Zona Romántica’s Olas Altas Farmer’s Market, held every Saturday. Grab a coffee and a bite to eat at Crema Vallarta, a lovely little coffee shop with hearty breakfast sandwiches and pastries. It’s woman-and-locally-owned, too, which I love to support.
After breakfast, head to the corner of Constitución y Calle Basilio Badillo to grab the white-and-orange bus to Boca de Tomatlan. The bus fare is roughly 10 pesos and the ride is about 30 minutes. From Boca, follow the signs towards the Colomitos hike, which is down the hill from the highway and to the left at the back of the large public parking area.
This 2.5-mile moderate hike takes about two hours from Boca de Tomatlán to Playa Las Animas and hugs the coastline for the entire route. The trail frequently opens up from rocky vistas overlooking crashing surf to some of the most beautiful and undeveloped beaches in the area. You can stop at any of the beaches to take a dip, but I like to save my swimming for close to the end, just before Playa Las Animas.
Afternoon
Before you reach Playa Las Animas you will hit the bohemian beach hideaway of Casitas Maraika. This funky, artsy beach club has a secluded stretch of sand and is only accessible by boat or hike. A collection of hilltop bungalows is available to rent for the night. Still, daytrippers can reserve a table at the beach club for an al fresco lunch that is practically begging to be photographed — impossibly blue water, powder-soft white sand, and a barefoot, boho vibe. This is where I like to spend the afternoon bouncing back and forth between the water and mouthfuls of fish burrito and guacamole.
A delicious shrimp taco at Abulón. (Meagan Drillinger)
When you’ve had your fill, continue to the much more hectic and crowded Playa Las Animas to grab the water taxi back to Boca de Tomatlán. Take a taxi or the bus back to Puerto Vallarta and head to Casa Kimberly for a little rest and refresh before heading out for the evening.
Evening
After a shower (or a soak in your beautiful Casa Kimberly bathtub), head down to the hotel’s The Iguana Restaurant & Tequila Bar for a cocktail. Be sure to steal another glance at that view — it is the best in town.
Then it’s off to dinner — but the good news for your already-tired feet is you don’t have to go very far. A quick walk down the steps just outside the hotel will put you on the banks of the Rio Cuale. Here you’ll find Tintoque, one of Puerto Vallarta’s best restaurants for fine dining.
I say fine dining, but Puerto Vallarta is a perpetually casual town, so the restaurant atmosphere is far from stuffy, white-glove service. Instead, the dining room is chic, but comfortable, with a lovely al fresco patio overlooking the river. The menu here changes regularly, but expect dishes like tuna sashimi with capers, fresh burrata, or short ribs that fall right off the bone.
If you’re still burning with energy, grab a nightcap at dive bar El Soñador, or dance it out to 90s and early 00s hits at Mr. Flamingo’s. You can also head towards Centro for swanky cocktails and a speakeasy vibe at El Colibri.
Sunday
Morning
Today is a day to sleep in, especially if you enjoyed PV’s nightlife to the fullest last night. Have a relaxed coffee on your breezy terrace and watch the boats gently drift back and forth across the bay.
This morning is about mindfulness, spirituality, and healing at the gorgeous Terra Noble. This jungle-shrouded healing center is nestled in the mountains overlooking Puerto Vallarta. The spectacular space feels like it’s out of a castaway-style adventure with tiered terraces, broad palapas, sparkly plunge pools, and thick jungle foliage showing off every shade of green. The center specializes in everything from massage and sound baths to cacao circles, reiki, and temazcal.
Afternoon
Grounded, centered, and showing off a vibrating, newly cleansed aura, it’s time for one last meal in Puerto Vallarta, except that you’ll make this experience many meals in one with a snack-hopping tour around Versalles.
Versalles is one of Puerto Vallarta’s hottest neighborhoods, particularly when it comes to food. This growing neighborhood of locals and expats has seen a high concentration of restaurants opening up at lightning speed. Easily walkable, you can stroll down any of its European city-named streets for a dizzying array of international cuisine.
I like to recommend a stop at El Puerco de Oro, a humble hole-in-the-wall that specializes in one thing only: a super succulent pork belly taco atop a blue corn tortilla. It’s easy to eat three or four of these, but you’re going to want to save some room because the next stop is nearby Abulón, Antojería del Mar. This outdoor seafood eatery is known for its ceviche, tacos, and tostadas. The shrimp tacos al pastor and La Mulata Tostada (spicy tuna, lime juice, chicharron) are two must-orders.
If you still have space to spare, you can visit Lamara for outstanding ceviches and aguachile, or close it out with one of Puerto Vallarta’s very best fish tacos at Marisma Fish Taco.
Loosen the belt a notch or two and take a deep breath. After this whirlwind weekend itinerary in Puerto Vallarta, you can say with absolute conviction that you have seen, experienced, and eaten the very best of PV — and you did it in true insider style.
Meagan Drillinger is a New York native who has spent the past 15 years traveling around and writing about Mexico. While she’s on the road for assignments most of the time, Puerto Vallarta is her home base. Follow her travels on Instagram at @drillinjourneys or through her blog at drillinjourneys.com.
No Kings' Day celebration is complete without a rosca de reyes, or king cake. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
Toy stores and bakeries expect a 10% increase in sales for the celebration of Three Kings’ Day (Día de los Reyes Magos) on Saturday, according to the president of the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism (Concanaco Servytur).
Héctor Tejada Shaar predicted total revenue of 22 billion pesos (US $1.3 billion) from this year’s festivities, up from 20 billion pesos (US $1.18 billion) in 2023. The commerce, services and tourism sectors are expected to be the biggest winners.
Three Kings’ Day is traditionally a day for gift giving, in recognition of the gifts brought by the Three Kings. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
Three Kings’ Day, also known as Epiphany, is a traditional Catholic holiday held on Jan. 6, which celebrates the arrival of the three wise men in Bethlehem to bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. In Mexico, it is celebrated by sharing a sweet, circular bread known asRosca de Reyes. The oval shape of the bread symbolizes God’s eternal love, while the crystallized fruits on its surface symbolize the jewels in the crowns of the three kings.
A small doll is baked into the bread, representing how the holy family hid the baby Jesus from King Herod’s Massacre of the Innocents by fleeing to Egypt. In Mexico, whoever finds this doll must take care of it until Candlemas Day (Día de la Candelaria) on Feb. 2.
Thanks to this tradition, Mexico’s estimated 70,000 bakeries are the biggest economic winners from the holiday. The festival also sees increased demand for milk, chocolate and coffee to accompany the bread.
Many Mexican families also give gifts on Three Kings’ Day, particularly to children. This drives increased toy sales, as well as demand for electronic items, perfume, clothing and shoes.
Tejada celebrated the economic windfall for the sector, encouraging consumers to buy from the formal trade sector to stimulate the economy and obtain quality products.
“The commerce, services and tourism sector is the engine of the country’s growth and an ally in Mexico’s cultural richness, through traditions such as Three Kings’ Day,” he said.
The top car brand in Mexico is Nissan, with over 17% of the domestic market share. (@Nissan_mx/X)
More cars were sold in Mexico in 2023 than in any of the previous five years, according to a report from the national statistics agency INEGI based on information provided by 23 auto sellers.
According to the INEGI data, more than 1.36 million new light vehicles were sold domestically in 2023, an increase of 24.4% compared to the 1.1 million sold in 2022.
The increase in car sales from November 2022 (97,789) to November 2023 (128,961) was 31.9% — the highest one-year increase in 25 years. (Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s all-time record for a single year was 1.6 million in 2016; the 2023 total was the highest since 2018, when 1.43 million cars were sold.
The data was reported to INEGI by the Administrative Registry of the Automotive Industry of Light Vehicles (RAIAVL). It was sourced from 23 companies affiliated with the Mexican Automotive Industry Association, A. C. (AMIA), Giant Motors Latin America and Autos Orientales Picacho.
Guillermo Rosales, president of the Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors (AMDA), said the rebound in 2023 corresponds to three things: the continued recovery of the domestic market since the COVID-19 pandemic, the resumed flow of automotive supply chains and a rebounding supply of semiconductors.
In December, the Mexican population bought 142,959 light vehicles — the highest total in the past 72 months and 16% higher than in December 2022 (123,282). The previous highest-selling month was December 2017, when 159,234 vehicles were sold.
According to INEGI, the leading brand in the Mexican market is Nissan, with 241,000 units sold in 2023 for a 17.7% market share. The top five is rounded out by General Motors (184,000 vehicles; 13.5%), Volkswagen (150,000; 11%), Toyota (104,000; 7.6%) and Stellantis (96,800; 7.1%).
Stellantis includes brands such as Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Peugeot, Fiat, Citroën, Opel and Alfa Romeo.
In April of last year, Rosales stated that he expected a “cooling” of domestic sales for the second half of 2023. He said vehicle sales had achieved a recovery at that point, but that inflation and higher interest rates going forward would bring down sales.
This turned out not to be the case. Sales averaged 121,391 vehicles per month from July to December, which was 15% higher than the 105,514 monthly average from January to June.
The arrival of Chinese brands on the Mexican market has also increased sales according to analysts. (User3204/Wikimedia)
Moreover, the increase from November 2022 (97,789) to November 2023 (128,961) was 31.9% — the highest increase in 25 years when comparing figures that are exactly 12 months apart, according to El Financiero.
The reasons given by the newspaper in November included the acceleration of new financing plans and “the arrival of new Chinese brands to the country.”
Domestic light vehicle production was also up 14% in 2023, according to a separate INEGI report published in October.
Nearly 5.6 million square meters of industrial space was built in Mexico in 2023, as nearshoring drove demand for increased warehousing space. (Mauricio Gutierrez/Unsplash)
More than 350 industrial projects comprising 5.6 million square meters of industrial space were built in Mexico in 2023, driven by high demand from nearshoring.
According to Mexican market analysis firm Solili, the three cities with the greatest rate of construction were Monterrey, Nuevo León, with 1.7 million square meters; Mexico City, with 767,000 square meters; and Saltillo, Coahuila, with 583,000 square meters.
An industrial park in Saltillo, Coahuila, the nation’s second most popular nearshoring destination for companies moving operations to Mexico. (OCV Salitillo)
Monterrey alone saw more than 100 new industrial construction projects in 2023. The city is particularly popular with companies looking to move operations closer to the United States due to the city’s available infrastructure, skilled labor force, and proximity to the U.S. border.
A report byreal estate services firm CRBE in October showed that Mexican companies accounted for 38% of demand for industrial space in Monterrey, followed by Chinese firms with 23% and U.S. companies with 19%.
Other northern cities that saw rapid construction of industrial space in 2023 included Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, with 458,000 square meters of construction initiated; Querétaro, with 519,000 square meters, and Guanajuato, with 344,000 square meters.
“This confirms that the northern region, especially the border with the U.S., has been the most attractive for the phenomenon of expansion and relocation of companies to Mexico for the advantages of better production and labor costs,” Solili said.
The demand for space has driven prices higher – almost 25% in the most popular nearshoring areas. (Arno Senoner/Unsplash)
Industrial developers arestruggling to keep up with this growing demand. In September, Mexico City-based real estate fund Meor reported that less than 2% of built industrial space is vacant nationwide, a figure that is now close to 0% in the north.
This scarcity is driving annual rent increases of up to 25% in some northern cities. With demand for an estimated 13 million square meters of industrial space over the next five years, according to Meor, the pressure is expected to keep growing.
Developers have said that construction is being slowed by factors beyond their control, including concerns about inadequate water and electricity distribution infrastructure in some regions. Meanwhile, other regions are being left behind in the nearshoring boom due to a lack of infrastructure altogether.
“Investment flows are highly focused on some states and manufacturing subsectors,” a recent report by Banco Base found. “There are entities where nearshoring is still a myth, as they have not received new investments. This points to both the importance of labor specialization, and the efforts of governments to bring new businesses to their states.”
The bank estimated that nearshoring currently only accounts for 10% to 20% of foreign investment flows in Mexico, concluding that nearshoring is “a golden opportunity that is not being taken advantage of to the fullest.”
The victim, a Venezuelan national, was taken to hospital for medical treatment. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)
A man was stabbed in the neck and head during an argument at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) early Thursday, authorities said.
A 26-year-old Mexican man was arrested after the early morning attack, while his victim, a Venezuelan national, was taken to hospital for medical treatment.
The aggressor, a 26-year-old Mexican man, was immediately taken into custody. (@cuestione/X)
According to the AICM, an argument between two passengers broke out in the airline counters section of Terminal 2 at around 2:45 a.m. The airport said that a Mexican man subsequently attacked a Venezuelan man with a knife.
The Mexico City Security Ministry (SSC) said in a statement that police arrested the alleged aggressor, who had blood on his hands and was in possession of a knife measuring 25 centimeters.
The SSC said that police immediately requested medical assistance for the Venezuelan man and that AICM paramedics found that he had one wound to the neck and another to the head.
It said that the suspect was turned over to the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office, whose officials first took him to a specialist toxicology hospital and later to another hospital for treatment for a wound on his hand.
However, the suspect “refused to be treated,” the SSC said.
Neither the AICM nor the SSC mentioned the cause of the argument between the two men.
Police spoke with the victim’s wife, also a Venezuelan national, but the SSC statement only said that she requested help and reported that her husband had been attacked.
The criminals apparently used stolen equipment to set up makeshift internet service in the Michoacán towns. (FGE)
A criminal group threatened to kill residents of the notoriously violent Tierra Caliente region of Michoacán if they didn’t pay to use the makeshift internet service it set up, according to the state Attorney General’s Office (FGE).
The FGE said in a statement last Friday that police had acted on three search warrants and seized antennas and “internet connection equipment” that a criminal group allegedly use to provide internet service in towns in the municipalities of Apatzingán and Buenavista. It also said that one person was arrested at one of the properties raided by police.
The media have dubbed the stolen equipment used to install makeshift internet service as “narco-antennas.” (FGE)
Media reports have identified the criminal group as Los Viagras, which was described by former Michoacán Governor Silvano Aureoles as “the most bloodthirsty and dangerous” cartel operating in the state.
The FGE said that criminals forced residents of two towns in Apatzingán and one in Buenavista to contract internet services at “excessive costs” and threatened to kill them if they didn’t.
“After those threats, the residents made monthly extortion payments,” said the Attorney General’s Office, which didn’t report any associated murders.
The FGE told the Associated Press that the criminal group charged approximately 5,000 people between 400 and 500 pesos (about US $25-30) per month for the internet service it provided. Revenue would have thus totaled between 2 million and 2.5 million pesos (about US $117,000-$147,000) per month.
The internet equipment the criminal group used to provide Wi-Fi services, including what media have dubbed “narco-antennas,” were allegedly stolen.
Photos showed that some of the equipment had labels of the company Telmex, a major Mexican internet provider owned by billionaire businessman Carlos Slim.
AP reported that “Mexican cartels have long employed a shadow network of radio towers and makeshift internet to communicate within criminal organizations and dodge authorities.”
Authorities raided properties in Apatzingán and Buenavista, seizing equipment and making one arrest in the case. (FGE)
Los Viagras’ apparent use of its improvised internet service to extort residents is another example of the diversification of crime groups in Mexico, which in addition to the trafficking of drugs are involved in illicit activities such as petroleum theft and extortion, and legal ones such as mining, logging, avocados and even the distribution of beer and soft drinks.
Falko Ernst, Mexico analyst for International Crisis Group, told AP that Mexico’s approximately 200 armed criminal groups are “becoming de facto monopolists of certain services and other legal markets.”
He said that cartels have effectively created “fiefdoms” in areas of the country under their control, and noted that some charge taxes on basic foods and imported products.
“It’s really become sort of like an all around game for them. And it’s not specific to any particular good or market any more. It’s become about holding territory through violence,” Ernst told AP. “It’s not solely about drugs any more,” he added.
The director of Mexico's state oil company said on Thursday that the country could be "practically" fuel self-sufficient by 2026. (Pemex/X)
Mexico is currently heavily dependent on foreign fuel, but it will stop importing gasoline in the not too distant future, Pemex CEO Octavio Romero asserted Thursday, although projections he presented showed that Mexican production won’t meet demand in the coming years and that the soonest self-sufficiency can be achieved is 2027.
“All the oil we produce will be refined [in Mexico] and there won’t be the need to buy gasoline abroad at the end of this administration and the beginning of the next one,” Romero said at President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s morning press conference.
Pemex director Octavio Romero Oropeza reviewed data on Mexico’s oil processing capacity at the Thursday morning press conference. (DANIEL AUGUSTO /CUARTOSCURO.COM)
López Obrador’s term as president will end Oct. 1, four months after the June 2 presidential election.
During the president’s press conference, Romero presented data that showed that Mexico will in fact still have to import fuel in 2025 and 2026, albeit in significantly lower quantities than current levels. Mexican production shortfalls of 39,000 bpd and 3,000 bpd are projected for 2025 and 2026, respectively.
“Gasoline production levels will go above 1.3 million barrels [per day] starting in 2025 to practically reach self-sufficiency in gasoline,” the Pemex CEO said.
Romero made a strikingly similar remark with regard to 2026, acknowledging that Mexican production still won’t meet demand based on current projections.
In 2026, Mexico will have “practically” no deficit (and thus almost no need to import gasoline) if the increase in demand occurs as expected, he said.
Based on the data Romero presented, the first year in which Mexico might actually reach complete self-sufficiency for gasoline is 2027.
The path to self-sufficiency
Romero presented data that showed that Pemex was producing 300,000 bpd of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel at its six refineries in November 2018, the month before López Obrador took office.
The president’s plan to restore Mexico’s oil self-sufficiency not only includes the new Olmeca refinery but also upgrading existing refineries and the former Shell Deer Park Refinery in Texas, now owned by Pemex. (Photo: Pemex Deer Park/Facebook)
The deficit — i.e. the amount of fuel that needs to be imported — was more than three times higher at 956,000 bpd.
Fuel production at the six refineries — located in Oaxaca, Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Veracruz, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas — was 423,00 bpd last year, a 41% increase compared to November 2018.
The fuel deficit in 2023 was slightly lower than production at 625,000 bpd, according to the data presented by Romero.
Pemex is predicting that Mexico’s fuel production will reach 1.232 million bpd in September — López Obrador’s final month in office – leaving a deficit of 62,000 bpd.
Such a level would represent an 88% increase compared to production levels across 2023.
Octavio Romero on a November visit to the Olmeca Refinery, which is projected to be producing 274,000 bpd of fuel in September. (Pemex/X)
There are two main reasons for the significant increase Pemex is expecting.
Firstly, the recently-built Olmeca Refinery on the Tabasco coast is projected to be producing 274,000 bpd of fuel in September, while output from the other six refineries is expected to be 650,000 bpd thanks to upgrades that will be completed this year.
An additional 66,000 bpd of gasoline and other fuel is slated to come from a new coking plant in Tula, Hidalgo, Romero said.
Fuel production at Pemex’s seven refineries and the Tula coking plant is projected to rise in 2025 and remain steady in 2026. A new coking plant in Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, will provide an additional 37,000 bpd of fuel in 2025 and double that amount in 2026, allowing Mexico to further reduce its reliance on foreign fuel.
As mentioned earlier, the projected fuel deficit is 39,000 bpd in 2025 and 3,000 bpd in 2026.
The key to greater fuel production? More processing
Romero said that Pemex was processing 519,000 bpd of crude at its six refineries when the current government took office in late 2018. At the same six refineries last year 794,000 bpd of crude was refined, he said, a 53% increase compared to the start of López Obrador’s term.
According to data presented by Romero, an additional 270,000 bpd were processed last year at the Deer Park Refinery, lifting the state oil company’s refining total to 1.064 million bpd in 2023.
The Pemex chief said that the Olmeca Refinery — which was inaugurated in 2022 even though the facility was incomplete and not processing oil — will refine 243,000 bpd starting Jan. 31.
President López Obrador on a visit to the Olmeca refinery in Dos Bocas in 2022. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)
“What are we thinking for 2024? To reach 1.512 million [bpd]. Why? Because the six refineries are going to go through the rehabilitation we’re doing,” Romero said, adding that the projection is that they will collectively refine 1 million bpd this year.
If Pemex succeeds in increasing crude processing to 1.512 million bpd this year, it will have lifted its refining total by 191% over the prevailing level when López Obrador was sworn in as president on Dec. 1, 2018.
Reaching self-sufficiency for fuel is a highly sought-after goal of López Obrador, but — despite the gains in crude processing and fuel production — it is not one that will be achieved during his presidency, according to the data presented by Romero.
Part of the federal investment in the Maya Train has gone towards the protection and preservation of the cultural heritage along the railway.(INAH/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico has uncovered “the greatest archaeological treasure” of the last few decades, according to the head of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the archaeologist Diego Prieto Hernández.
During the three years of construction on the newly opened Maya Train that runs through the southern states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo, numerous valuable discoveries have been made.
Archaeological rescue work associated with the Maya Train has yielded more than 1.4 million ceramic fragments and over 50,000 movable and immovable objects. (INAH/Cuartoscuro)
Important findings include a solar disk near Chichén Itzá, a sculpture of a corn god in Palenque, a dual Maya stela in Uxmal, the bas-reliefs of a captive taken by a dignitary in Ek Balam, funerary urns, a wealth of potsherds and other significant artifacts.
In a statement, the INAH said that 2023 was particularly “abundant in archaeological discoveries in the Mexican Maya region,” as it performed rescue work in 29 archaeological sites in the path of the Maya Train.
These discoveries have helped archaeologists recover “valuable information and materials that can contribute to a better understanding of the great Maya civilization, its various eras, cultural regions, and artistic and urban expressions,” the archaeologist added.
According to Prieto, the archaeological rescue work associated with the Maya Train has yielded more than 1.4 million ceramic fragments and over 50,000 movable and immovable objects, which include palaces and architectural structures.
He emphasized the significance of certain objects, such as the tomb of Pakal located in Chiapas, and an arrowhead that serves as evidence of an ancient cultural presence in the region.
These findings offer new information suggesting population density in Mesoamerica was higher than previous estimates, particularly in the north of Chiapas, the Tabasco jungle, the south of Campeche and the Yucatán Peninsula. The discoveries have also shed light on the intricate urban communication and trade systems that flourished in the region of Maya influence, spanning across Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.
Prieto told local media that the found artifacts will aid the INAH in piecing together the social structures and beliefs of the ancient Maya, and have the potential to provide new insights into the history of an Indigenous civilization that has survived to this day.
This “unprecedented discovery,” as the INAH describes it, is only the beginning of a “comprehensive research and restoration process aimed at reclaiming Maya history,” Prieto said, noting the importance of preserving the archaeological materials and sites “for the benefit of future generations.”
The artifacts unearthed during the construction of the Maya Train will be exhibited at the Puuc, Dzibilchaltún and Chichén Itzá Archaeological Museums, as well as at the reimagined History of the Maya People Museum in Mérida, which is to be completed in the coming months.
