When it comes to succulent steak tacos, look no further than the criminally underrated suadero. (Canva)
When it comes to the mighty suadero taco, underrated is an over statement. Slow cooked in pork fat, the tender texture reminds me of a falling apart brisket. Often overshadowed by more popular options like carnitas, al pastor, or barbacoa, it’s time for suadero to get some shine. A cut from in between the belly and leg of the cow, when slow-cooked or braised, it transforms, like a beefy butterfly, into a melt-in-your-mouth explosion of goodness.
What makes suadero especially unique is its subtle, complex taste. It’s less robust than barbacoa and not as heavily seasoned as al pastor, allowing the natural richness of the beef to come through. The soft texture contrasts beautifully with a crispy tortilla and a roasted salsa. Suadero’s flavor profile pairs wonderfully with fresh garnishes like cilantro, onions and a squeeze of lime, which bring brightness and balance to the richness of the meat.
Suadero comes from between the legs and the belly of a cow, and makes for a soft yet tasty steak. (Ruta de la Garnacha)
Though not always the star of the menu, suadero tacos provide an unforgettable taco experience for those who seek depth of flavor without overpowering seasonings. Its tenderness, coupled with simple seasonings like salt and pepper, make it a hidden gem in the world of tacos. Below the suadero recipe, watchout for the roasted salsa recipe I used this time. Dried chilis that I rehydrated, roasted tomatoes and onions, a simple yet satisfying punctuation mark for this love letter to suadero.
Slow Cooker Suadero
Ingredients:
2 lbs suadero beef (brisket, flank, or chuck)
½ cup pork fat
Salt (to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Prepare the beef: Make cross cuts into the suadero
Set up the slow cooker: Add the pork fat around and let it melt. Place the suadero beef into the slow cooker.
Cook on high: Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until it easily pulls apart with a fork.
Season and shred: Once the meat is fully cooked and tender, carefully remove it from the slow cooker. Generously season the beef with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Shred or chop the meat into small sized pieces. After shredding, check again that the meat is properly seasoned.
Optional crisping step: If you like a little texture, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add a bit of the pork fat from the slow cooker. Crisp the shredded suadero in the hot fat for 2–3 minutes until slightly golden.
Serve: Serve the suadero with warm tortillas and your roasted salsa.
Roasted Tomato and Chili Salsa
No taco is complete without fresh, home-made salsa. (Canva)
Ingredients
3 medium tomatoes, quartered
1 large white onion, quartered
3 dried ancho chilis
4 dried árbol chilis (adjust for desired heat)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp lime juice (optional)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
Rehydrate the chilis: Remove the stems and seeds from the ancho and árbol chilis. Place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for about 15-20 minutes, or until softened. Once rehydrated, drain the chilis and set them aside.
Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 425 F (220 C).
Prepare the vegetables for roasting: Place the tomatoes, onion and garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Drizzle the vegetables with vegetable oil, ensuring they are lightly coated. Spread them out in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Roast the vegetables: Roast the tomatoes, onion and garlic in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the tomatoes have blistered and charred, and the onions are soft and browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
Blend the salsa: In a blender or food processor, add the rehydrated ancho and árbol chilis, roasted tomatoes, onions and garlic. Blend until smooth. If the salsa is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of the chili soaking water to adjust the consistency.
Season: Add salt to taste and juice of one lime. Blend again to combine.
StephenRandall has lived in Mexico since 2018 by way of Kentucky, and before that, Germany. He’s an enthusiastic amateur chef who takes inspiration from many different cuisines, with favorites including Mexican and Mediterranean. His recipes can also be found on YouTube.
Navegating a new school is always tough. Navegating a new culture at the same time makes it even tougher, psychologist Jenna Mayhew explains. (Jeswin Thomas/Unsplash)
Jenna Mayhew has been working as a psychologist in Mexico for eight years. At her practice, Hola Therapy, she has made it her mission to help foreigners living in Mexico, Mexicans with a foreign partner, foreigners with links to Mexico and Mexicans with links to foreigners or foreign countries.
Jenna answers MND readers’ questions on the pressing issues of relationships, mental health and navigating changes that come with relocating to and living in Mexico.
Psychologist Jenna Mayhew is here to answer reader questions. (Hola Therapy)
Dear Jenna,
I’m a 12-year-old guy from England. My mum is Spanish and we’re both bilingual. We moved to Mexico two years ago because of her job and now I go to a British international school in Monterrey. At school, the kids are divided into groups based on whether they speak Spanish or English.
It used to be easier to mix with both groups, but lately it feels like I have to choose one side or people think I’m being disloyal. Last week, someone from my main group of English-speaking friends told me that if I kept talking to my friends in the Spanish group, she and everyone else would stop talking to me. I’m stuck because I don’t want to only hang out with English speakers, but I also don’t want to lose my main friends. What should I do?
– Bilingual Student
International schools can have a very different social makeup to Mexico state schools. (José Vargas/Cuartoscuro)
Dear Bilingual Student,
School teaches us a lot, but one of the toughest lessons is how to navigate relationships. This is especially challenging in an international school, where you’re surrounded by many cultures and expectations. Of all the ugly ‘isms’ like racism, sexism, ableism and classism, school has its own ‘ism’: groupism. Although this kind of group exclusion might seem to diminish after graduation, it tends to pop up throughout life. We could argue it’s actually the master of all the ‘isms’. The silver lining? School can teach you about the kind of friends you want to have and the kind of friend you want to be and gives you lots of opportunities to practice this.
I understand that you’re worried about losing your friends if you continue to interact with your Spanish-speaking friends. That’s a tough spot to be in. But here’s the key point: no friend should dictate who you can or cannot be friends with. True friends don’t force you to choose between them and someone else. They don’t isolate or threaten you. They don’t push you to abandon your values.
We could easily argue that excluding people based on their native language is morally wrong. I wouldn’t disagree. However, standing up for yourself now is about more far than just doing the right thing. It’s also about how you allow others to treat you and how you respect yourself. This is your chance to practise making decisions based on your own values, not someone else’s expectations. Think of this skill as a muscle — you have to work it out in order for it to grow and become strong. Developing this ‘muscle’ of self respect now will positively impact your life in countless ways.
Yes, you might face some tough consequences, like losing friends. But by sticking to your values and sticking up for yourself, you’ll ultimately gain far more. So stand tall, speak to whomever you wish and if any friends choose to leave over it, then good riddance. Consider it a step towards finding new, more supportive friends. Good luck, and remember, better connections await you.
Jenna Mayhew is an Australian psychologist based in Mexico, with over 20 years of experience in Australia, England and Mexico. She is the founder of Hola Therapy, a bilingual practice dedicated to supporting the immigrant and cross-cultural communities in Mexico and provides therapy in-person and online across Mexico and worldwide. Jenna’s work combines her extensive expertise with a deep commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by individuals in diverse cultural settings.
Benjamin Ting, senior vice president at Foxconn, announced plans to build the Guadalajara plant at Foxconn's annual technology day. (Screen capture)
Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn announced Tuesday that it will build a huge factory in Guadalajara, Jalisco, where it will assemble “superchips” for U.S. technology company Nvidia.
Senior Foxconn executives revealed the plan at the company’s annual tech day in Taipei but didn’t disclose some key details such as the amount being invested in the facility or when it will open.
Foxconn’s “superchip” assembly plant in Guadalajara will assemble chips for U.S. technology giant Nvidia. (Shutterstock)
“We’re building the largest GB200 [superchip] production facility on the planet,” said Benjamin Ting, a Foxconn senior vice president.
Foxconn chairman Young Liu told reporters, customers and partners that there is “crazy” demand for the Blackwell platform.
Similarly, Ting said that demand is “awfully huge.”
According to Reuters, the senior vice president described the partnership between Foxconn — the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer — and Nvidia as very important.
Financial Times reported that Nvidia’s vice president for AI and robotics, Deepu Talla, also attended the Foxconn event in Taipei but said he “gave few details of the 450m-long plant” in Mexico.
The Guadalajara announcement by Foxconn Tuesday is yet another example of technology supply chains turning away from China. (Foxconn)
Liu said that the plant is being built in Guadalajara and asserted that its capacity would be “very, very enormous.”
He did not provide further details, Reuters said.
Financial Times said that the construction of “the world’s largest factory” for GB200 superchips is “a stark illustration of how global technology supply chains are decoupling from China,” although the newspaper noted that Foxconn maintains “several massive factory complexes in China, including the world’s largest iPhone plant.”
Mexico is aiming to capitalize on that decoupling, and many companies seeking to shorten their supply chains to the United States market and take advantage of Mexico’s free trade agreement with the world’s largest economy have recently established a presence here or announced their intention to do so.
One sector the federal government hopes will grow significantly in Mexico in the coming years is the semiconductor industry.
And earlier this year, the U.S. said it would partner with Mexico in another semiconductor initiative whose ultimate aim is to strengthen and grow the Mexican semiconductor industry.
Foxconn also has plans to increase capacity at the Óscar Flores Plant in Ciudad Juárez to produce artificial intelligence servers. (Foxconn Industrial Internet – Planta Oscar Flores/LinkedIn)
According to Reuters, Liu said Tuesday that Foxconn’s supply chain was ready for the AI revolution.
The news agency said that the company’s “other focus is ambitious plans to diversify away from its role of building consumer electronics for Apple, hoping to use its tech know-how to offer EV contract manufacturing and also produce vehicles using models built by [the] Foxtron brand.”
The two officials, Mayor Octavio Bastidias Majarrez and Mayor-elect of Mazatlán Estrella Palacios Domínguez, were both traveling on federal highway 15D when they were robbed. (Facebook and X)
Two public officials in the state of Sinaloa — including the mayor-elect of Mazatlán, Estrella Palacios Domínguez — were attacked and robbed by armed men while traveling Monday on the Mazatlán-Culiacán highway.
Palacios and San Ignacio Mayor Octavio Bastidas Manjarrez were both unharmed, but the separate robbery incidents marked the latest in a string of violent crimes along the state’s roadways, signaling escalating insecurity in Sinaloa.
Palacios and a group of aides were left on the side of the road after armed individuals forced them to abandon their Chevy Tahoe SUV. (@michelleriveraa/X)
Palacios, who is scheduled to be sworn in on Nov. 1, was robbed near the Costa Rica toll booth, approximately 72 kilometers south of Culiacán, while en route to a meeting with state officials. Armed men in a red pickup truck forced her and her companions out of their vehicle, stealing her 2021 Tahoe before fleeing.
Hours earlier, Bastidas was similarly robbed of his truck while passing through the municipality of Elota, a known hotspot for such attacks.
Both robberies occurred in broad daylight on Carretera Federal 15-D — a major highway from the U.S.-Mexico border to Mexico City that many people take to get to Mazatlán.
The incidents reflect a broader surge in violence across the state, which has been battling insecurity for weeks.
On the same day as the attacks on Palacios and Bastidas, Sinaloa recorded three homicides, adding to the state’s grim total of 159 deaths in just 28 days.
The Sinaloa resort city of Mazatlán has seen a dip by half in hotel occupancy and noticeable reductions in other tourism-related sales as the state’s wave of cartel-fueled violence continues. (File photo/Adolfo Vladimir for Cuartoscuro)
Guzmán’s father is Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera — the other cofounder of the Sinaloa Cartel who is currently serving a life sentence in U.S. prison.
Sinaloa Cartel factions loyal to Zambada (known as “Los Mayos”) are reportedly at odds with those loyal to El Chapo and his sons (known collectively as “Los Chapitos”).
Along the same highway, a truck driver narrowly escaped a robbery attempt by evading gunmen, though his vehicle overturned in the process.
And elsewhere in Sinaloa, two charred bodies were found in the municipality of Eldorado, and confrontations between the National Guard and armed civilians have become increasingly common.
The violence has taken a toll on Sinaloa’s economy, particularly in tourist destinations like Mazatlán.
The Mazatlán tourism sector has reported significant financial losses, with hotel occupancy plummeting to 40% last weekend, compared to 85% around Mexico’s Independence Day in mid-September.
Stores and restaurants have been forced to reduce hours, and the temporary closure of at least five businesses has been recorded. Roadside sales aimed at travelers have suffered, as have other tourism-related industries — such as taxicabs and beach activities.
Nautical tourism services have reported an 80% drop in customers for banana boats, catamaran and parasailing.
“Weekends are good for sales, but the last few have been very empty,” said Alfredo Figueroa, leader of Ecotaxis Rojos de Mazatlán. “We hope that the situation will improve soon so that people can feel confident about going out on the road.”
The violence appears to have been triggered by the arrest in the U.S. of alleged Sinaloa Cartel cofounder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, seen here, sparking a struggle for power between rival factions. (Government of Mexico)
Culiacán, in central Sinaloa, is 220 kilometers from Mazatlán in the southwest corner of the Pacific Coast state.
President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her security cabinet was set to visit Sinaloa on Tuesday to assess the situation and collaborate with local authorities, including Governor Rubén Rocha Moya.
Federal officials have emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to restore order, though they acknowledge that solving the problem will take time.
Opposing legislators voted against the reform, arguing that it violates the individual freedom and rights of property owners. (Shutterstock)
Mexico City’s Congress approved a reform to the Tourism and Housing Law imposing limits on real estate rentals through apps and online platforms such as Airbnb.
The reform is part of several recent initiatives to promote balance in the temporary rental market, curb gentrification and support the hotel industry in the capital.
The initiative, presented by interim mayor Martí Batres — and current director of the State Workers’ Social Security Institute (ISSSTE) — also prohibits government-built social housing from being rented to tourists via online rental platforms. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
The initiative, presented by interim mayor Martí Batres a few weeks before his term ended on Oct. 5, establishes a 180-day-per-year limit on online vacation rentals, including Airbnb. It also prohibits government-built social housing from being rented to tourists via online rental platforms.
Opposing legislators voted against the reform, arguing that it violates the individual freedom and rights of property owners, according to Bloomberg.
Deputy César Emilio Guijosa, a member of the ruling party Morena, defended the measure arguing that the growth of digital tourism has generated problems such as gentrification, as some neighborhoods have seen real estate prices rise upon becoming saturated by housing destined exclusively for tourists.
Morena insists the transformation — largely caused by the post-pandemic increase in “digital nomads” — has negatively affected capital residents and unfairly impacted the traditional hotel industry.
By limiting the occupancy of properties to 50% annually, Guijosa said the reform will help mitigate these externalities and regulate the temporary rental market by balancing the competition between temporary accommodations and traditional hotels.
National Action Party (PAN) lawmakers criticized the reform, insisting that it violates the freedom of owners over the use of their property and might encourage a black market for unregulated rentals.
They also pointed out that the law does not clarify how compliance will be verified in one-room lodgings, where applying the 50% rule is likely to be more complicated.
Now a law, the April reform also requires hosts to submit two reports per year specifying property occupancy, with removal from the registry as a penalty for supplying false information. In September, the city congress established fines of up to 21,000 pesos (US $1,120) for violating registry rules.
Querétaro Gov. Mauricio Kuri, center, attended the groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 30 for the new technology innovation center to be built by the Makino corporation. (Mauricio Kuri/Facebook)
Makino, one of the world’s leading companies in advanced manufacturing technology, has broken ground on a new tech innovation center in Querétaro.
“The talent and capacity of the people of Querétaro continue to attract key investments for technological development!” Governor Mauricio Kuri wrote on Sept. 30 on his official X account after leading an inauguration ceremony earlier that day.
Kuri, second from left, listens as details of the Makino company’s planned tech innovation center are explained to him. (Mauricio Kuri/Facebook)
With an investment of 400 million pesos (US $21 million), the new plant will supply production machinery to the automotive, medical, and aerospace industries, the tractor-trailer manufacturing sector, and the household goods and electronics manufacturers. The plant is expected to start operations next year, creating over 200 jobs in the state.
Once the plant begins operations, the company expects engineering projects to be conducted for five machining centers within the first year, each with a capacity of 20 to 25 machines integrated with advanced engineering systems and robots.
The facility will have LEED Gold certification (signaling a project’s comprehensive adoption of best sustainability practices). It will harness sunlight, rain and wind and will have thermally insulated walls.
Head of Makino México, Eduardo Medrano, told El Economista magazine that they believe this project will spearhead engineering services in Mexico and will establish the center as a benchmark in the production of complete manufacturing solutions.
“We manufacture machinery in Japan, Singapore, and China. Makino wants Mexico to create engineering projects to use this machinery technology, generate it with inventiveness, and use Mexican creativity to assemble it with automation,” Medrano said, stressing that it will be an “iconic” project for the state and for the North American region in general.
Makino, Inc. CEO Peter Hoecklin explained that the company’s decision to expand in Mexico results from an exhaustive analysis of global opportunities. Mexico offers competitive costs, a young population, an open economy, and a privileged location, Medrano said..
Meanwhile, Makino’s global president, Shotaro Miyazaki, stressed that Mexico is key to the company’s strategy in emerging markets, with Querétaro standing out for its infrastructure, education, and highly qualified workforce.
Some fishing boats off the coast of Campeche sunk due to the storm surge from Hurricane Milton on Monday. (Michael Balam/Cuartoscuro)
Authorities in Campeche reported one death following the passage of Hurricane Milton, which grazed the northwestern Yucatán Peninsula as a Category 5 storm on Monday.
After intensifying rapidly from a Category 3 to a Category 5 hurricane, Milton dumped considerable rain on Campeche city and caused flooding as far inland as Mérida, the capital of Yucatán.
Así amaneció #Mérida tras los efectos del huracán #Milton. ⚠🌧
En un recorrido se observó algunas calles anegadas, encharcamientos “comunes” que en su mayoría no afectan ni a la circulación de los pocos vehículos que hay en las calles, ni causan perjuicios a las viviendas. pic.twitter.com/bl1d7ZJ7Em
At midnight on Monday, Milton was roughly 100 kilometers north of Mérida but advanced northeast before being downgraded to a Category 4 hurricane.
Civil Protection authorities in Yucatán urged residents to not let their guard down, warning that even though the hurricane had weakened slightly, its volatility suggested it could strengthen again.
Yucatán Governor Joaquín Díaz reported that thousands of residents in several eastern Yucatán cities had sought refuge in shelters on Monday. A hurricane warning remains in effect for Celestún to Rio Lagartos, Yucatán; the area from Rio Lagartos to Cabo Catoche is under a hurricane watch.
Officials exhorted the public to obey official warnings as authorities sought to restore electricity in places where power had been knocked out by the storm. Meanwhile, schools remain closed in Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo, and inland archaeological sites such as Chichén Itzá are closed until further notice.
Update 1100 #MILTON FORECAST TO RETAIN MAJOR #HURRICANE STATUS AND EXPAND IN
SIZE WHILE IT APPROACHES THE WEST COAST OF #FLORIDA…
…TODAY IS THE LAST FULL DAY FOR FLORIDA RESIDENTS TO GET THEIR
FAMILIES AND HOMES READY AND EVACUATE IF TOLD TO DO SO BY LOCAL
OFFICIALS #FLpic.twitter.com/aewkYUOM8g
At 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday, Conagua reported that Hurricane Milton was still drenching the Yucatán Peninsula with intense rain and whipping the northern coast with 180-200 km/h winds while producing dangerous six to eight-meter-high waves.
Conagua also warned about waterspouts off the northern coast of Quintana Roo on the eastern side of the peninsula.
Milton is expected to continue its path northeast toward Florida, where it is expected to make landfall near Tampa Bay before midnight Wednesday. Florida authorities have issued an evacuation order in the face of what is being called a “once-in-a-century” storm.
President Sheinbaum, center, and members of her cabinet were in Tizayuca, Hidalgo, on Sunday to inaugurate construction on the Mexico City-Pachuca train. It's expected to begin operation in 2027. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum was in Hidalgo this weekend to ceremonially inaugurate construction on the planned Mexico City-Pachuca passenger train.
Located about 106 kilometers north of Mexico City, Pachuca is a city in central Mexico and the state capital of Hidalgo. The passenger rail service would connect three states and include a stop at the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) in México state.
The project is just one part of the government’s bigger plans to bring passenger rail service back to Mexico, which hasn’t been available for years. (Presidencia)
The train will depart from Buenavista, north of Mexico City, and will stop at AIFA, Huitzila, Téllez and Pachuca. It will be electric with double electrified tracks along all 106 kilometers of the route.
The AIFA-Pachuca route, like Buenavista-AIFA, will require new tracks to be laid.
With an estimated speed of 120 kilometers per hour and a capacity of 718 passengers per train, the journey between AIFA and Pachuca will take only 20 minutes, half the time it currently takes by car.
Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena said that the project will include green walkways. Air, soil and water quality near the route will also be monitored as part of efforts to make the train an ecologically sustainable travel option, she said.
The commuter railway line seeks to improve access to AIFA while facilitating connectivity for commuters between Mexico City and Pachuca. It is expected to benefit the inhabitants of Zumpango, Tecámac, Nextlalpan, Temascalapa — all municipalities in México state — and Tizayuca, Zapotlán, Zempoala, Villa de Tezontepec, Jaltocán and Pachuca, all located in Hidalgo.
Preliminary studies by the Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation Ministry (SICT) show the commuter train will require an initial investment of 50 billion pesos (US $2.5 billion). As with the Maya Train, the Defense Ministry (Sedena) will be responsible for the project.
Sheinbaum said during the inauguration that she will soon be in the state of Querétaro to inaugurate construction on other commuter train routes. The goal, she said, is to create passenger train routes that extend to the border city of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.
During her presidential campaign, Sheinbaum unveiled plans to build three new train routes based on the model of the Maya Train. In addition to the Mexico City–Pachuca line, plans include a train to connect Mexico City with Nuevo Laredo and Mexico City with Guadalajara.
Her plans also include the expansion of the Maya Train and the Interoceanic to Guatemala.
Sheinbaum’s plan builds on former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s commitment to revive the use of passenger trains across the country. In the past, the Mexican government eliminated passenger train service, but now it is seeking to revitalize it as a viable option to improve mobility.
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch stressed that national security is a "shared responsibility" among all federal entities. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
The new federal government on Tuesday presented its national security strategy, based on four key pillars including the consolidation of the National Guard and the strengthening of intelligence gathering.
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch told President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference that “under the leadership of the president of Mexico, … we’ve designed a national security strategy based on four core tenets.”
García said on Tuesday that the priority “pillar” of the national security strategy will be to attend to the root causes of crime. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
The four “ejes” — axes or core tenets — of the strategy designed to reduce crime in a country with major security problems are:
Attention to the root causes of crime.
Consolidation of the National Guard.
Strengthening of intelligence and investigation practices.
“Absolute” coordination within the federal government’s security cabinet, and with state authorities.
“The first axis is attention to the causes,” said García, who served as security minister in Mexico City between 2019 and 2023 while Sheinbaum was mayor of the capital.
“We will continue with the strategy that began during the government of president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the strategy of attending to the most vulnerable families as a priority, reducing poverty, closing gaps, [combating] inequality and creating opportunities so that young people have access to a better quality of life,” he said.
“This will allow us to move away from crime and the recruitment [of young people] by crime groups,” García said.
Organized crime in Mexico has produced an epidemic of forced disappearance, particularly impacting adolescent boys. (José Betanzos/Cuartoscuro)
One program launched by the previous federal government that seeks to provide work opportunities for young Mexicans and steer them away from a life of crime is the “Youths Building the Future” apprenticeship scheme.
The provision of social and welfare programs is the central aspect of the first part of the so-called “hugs, not bullets” security strategy pursued by the López Obrador administration.
The second part of the strategy’s nickname is a reference to the desire to avoid violent confrontations with crime groups wherever possible.
García said that “the consolidation of the National Guard, within the National Defense Ministry [Sedena], is extremely important.”
The National Guard, a 133,000-member force created during López Obrador’s six-year term, was placed under the control of Sedena last week after both houses of Congress approved a constitutional bill last month aimed at reestablishing military control of the agency.
While highlighting the importance of strengthening the security force, García acknowledged the precarious security situations that prevail in “some communities in our country” as well as the immense “firepower” of organized crime groups.
“We absolutely need a force like the National Guard to provide support … to hundreds of thousands of families in Mexico,” he said, adding that the security force will also support the country’s investigators and intelligence agents.
Although the National Guard is now under army control, García stressed that it is a “police institution,” albeit one with a “military doctrine” and “military discipline.”
García said that the consolidation of the National Guard within Sedena is necessary for the agency to be used to its full advantage. (Margarito Pérez Retana/Cuartoscuro)
“… There are families that today don’t have access to trustworthy municipal police or state police that are completely equipped [to do their job]. That’s where the National Guard will play an important role,” he said.
García rejected claims that putting the National Guard under the control of the army amounted to increased militarization of public security in Mexico.
“It’s false that there is militarization. What we’re doing is taking advantage of the capacities of the National Defense Ministry,” he said.
With regard to “the third axis — the strengthening of intelligence and investigation — the security minister said that the aim is to not just “react” to crimes but to “anticipate” them as well.
The government will use “intelligence” and “the most advanced technological resources to analyze data, identify [criminal] patterns and understand the dynamics in the areas with the highest incidences [of crime],” García said.
“That’s how we can develop the most effective strategies to combat criminal organizations,” he said.
To increase intelligence capacities, an intelligence and police investigation division will be created within the federal Security Ministry, García said.
The division will be supported by forensic experts including analysts, field researchers and intelligence agents, he said.
Speaking about “the fourth axis” — coordination between authorities — García said that insecurity is a problem that is a “shared responsibility” and which requires a “unified response.”
“That’s why we’re going to have absolute coordination between the institutions of the security cabinet,” he said, referring to the president’s office, the Security Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the army and the navy.
García also said that the federal government will coordinate closely with state authorities “when necessary.”
3 objectives for the construction of ‘lasting peace’
The security minister said that the government has also “established three main objectives for the construction of lasting peace in the country.”
Speaking of her administration’s security strategy, Sheinbaum emphasized “prevention, intelligence and presence [of security forces].” (gob.mx)They are:
The reduction of the crime rate, “particularly homicides and high-impact crimes such as extortion.”
The strengthening of “prevention capacities and social proximity of local police.”
To achieve the objectives, “different lines of action” have been developed, García said.
Among them: the strengthening of the national intelligence system and the strengthening of the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System.
García also said there will be a “comprehensive” focus on combating high-impact crimes that starts with law enforcement authorities and is continued by prosecutor’s offices, the country’s courts and the prison system.
In addition, he said that a specific “strategy of intervention” has been developed to combat high-impact crimes in the states of Guanajuato, Baja California, Chihuahua, Guerrero, Jalisco and Sinaloa, all of which have significant security problems.
“From the security cabinet of the government of Mexico, we’re going to work with all the federal entities because we’re convinced that to achieve lasting peace in the country, we must accept that security is a shared responsibility,” García stressed.
“I’ll take the opportunity to give special thanks to the federal attorney general Dr. Alejandro Gertz Manero, for his resolute collaboration … and for providing the operational and investigative capacities of the Attorney General’s Office for the success of this strategy,” he said.
Sheinbaum: the ‘war against narcos’ won’t return
One week after she was sworn in, President Sheinbaum reiterated that her government won’t pursue the kind of militarized “war” against drug cartels that former president Felipe Calderón launched shortly after he took office in December 2006.
Sheinbaum’s presidency is off to a violent start, as organized crime threatens law and order throughout Mexico’s southwest. (Cuartoscuro)
“The first thing, which is very important, is that Calderón’s war against narcos won’t return,” said Sheinbaum, who nevertheless will continue to use the military for public security tasks.
Homicide numbers increased significantly during Calderón’s government before continuing to rise during the 2012-18 term of Enrique Peña Nieto. Murders increased even more in the first half of López Obrador’s presidency, before declining somewhat in the second half of his six-year term.
Seeking to further differentiate her government from that of Calderón, Sheinbaum declared that “we’re not looking [to carry out] extrajudicial executions.”
“What are we going to use [to combat crime]? Prevention, intelligence and presence [of security forces],” she said.
She said that there is also a serious addiction problem in the state, and told reporters that León “is the city with the highest number of poor people.”
“Guanajuato is a state with an average salary below the minimum. Clearly there is a model of development that failed,” she said of a state that has been governed by the conservative National Action Party (PAN) for more than three decades.
During her mayorship, Sheinbaum managed to reduce homicides and other serious crimes significantly in Mexico City.
She, García, other federal officials — and millions of Mexicans fed up with violence and insecurity — will be hoping that the same kind of success can be replicated on a national scale via the implementation of the security strategy outlined on Tuesday morning.
Even if you're thinking of living in Mexico long-term, don't give up your home cellphone number! (Priscilla du Preez/Unsplash)
I have an ambivalent relationship with my cell phone.
It seems I depend on it for everything these days: communication, entertainment, organization. At times I decide — in disgust, always — that I’m going to designate cell phone-free periods.
Look at all these people in the 12th century: living in the moment, not a cell phone in sight. (Wikimedia)
Obviously, that never happens.
For better or worse, we now live in a world in which we must keep our cell phones closer than even our darkest secrets, lest we cease to function. We dutifully do so, but if you’re like me, don’t feel fantastic about it. If we don’t, how will we get our messages? How will we get our news? How will we know what time that one meeting, also on a cell phone, is scheduled?
Your cell phone is you
Like everyone else, I have a smartphone. I even just upgraded! Unlike everyone else — at least when it comes to my paisanos — my cell phone and cell phone number are Mexican.
Cell phones are ubiquitous, including in the process of migrating to the U.S. which requires migrants to use the much-maligned CBP One app. (@AgendaMigrante/X)
For quite a long time, this wasn’t a problem. Mexican cell phone plans tend to be pretty good and are fairly economical. Most phones for sale are “unlocked” and fit a physical SIM card inside, making it easy to change the hardware. Telcel is the most common provider, and Movistar and AT&T can also be found easily. Abandoning one for another is not hard.
For years, I’ve been perfectly happy with this system. My Mexican number is essential for certain app-based services, like my local bank. I send and receive messages through WhatsApp, as most people here do, and can share my number easily.
Did you know that people here give their phone numbers in pairs rather than a three-three-four pattern, by the way? So 219-345-1234 would be said like this: 21-93-45-12-34. It’s been over 20 years and I’m still not used to it. Anyway!
In many ways, my Mexican cell phone is my identifier here.
Unfortunately, my U.S. cell phone number is my identifier there. Oh no!
Revenge of the pick-a-side people
Increasingly, not having a U.S. cell phone as a U.S. citizen is making it impossible to do business in the U.S.
Why? Because one’s U.S. cell phone — and it has to be a U.S. cell phone — is now the preferred and only method of two-factor identification. “Okay, just to make sure it’s you, we’ll send you a code! What’s your cell phone number again? No room for ‘country code,’ by the way.”
So much for my inalienable rights?! (Freepik)
Legally, as a U.S. citizen and tax-payer, I am entitled to U.S. services and products — I think. In my case, it’s quite a gray area: I can be out of the country, but I need to have certain markers of not being out of the country to access certain services. This includes a permanent address and a U.S. cell phone. You’re all here, or you’re all there. Pick a side.
The permanent address is easy enough. My sister is my U.S. home, and therefore lives at my U.S. address. Done.
The cell phone is trickier. As I said, I haven’t had a U.S. number because I haven’t been in the U.S. long enough to justify getting a plan there. Plus, they’re so much more expensive than down here. Why would I?
To get access to my bank and credit card accounts, that’s why.
Sorry, who are you?
My troubles have made me realize that my problem is unique. Few U.S. citizens who still want to use U.S. services have been here as long as I have. And spoiler alert: neither Skype nor Google Voice numbers work for getting codes. Providers know they’re not real, and will not send texts there. My sister’s number works for most other things, but it depends, of course, on her being available. Certain places, though, won’t even send them there; the phone number doesn’t have my exact name tied to it, and they know.
When my Capital One account stopped sending verification codes to my email instead of a phone, I lost online access. To pay my bill now, I have to call.
Unfortunately, that is no longer enough, either. When my card was blocked recently — it happens once in a while — I called to reassure them that yes, it was me, in Mexico.
What my bank thinks I look like without a U.S. cell number, apparently. (Brad Helmink/Unsplash)
This time, though, it happened: in order to confirm it was really me, I had to read back to them the code they sent… to my U.S. phone.
Uh-oh.
What did this mean? It means that my card is still blocked. I had to send them a copy of a state-issued ID that wasn’t a passport. It’s been in review for a week now, with no end in sight. They literally do not know what to do with me.
The lesson for you
So folks, whatever you do: don’t give up your home-country cell phone number. Switch to a cheaper plan, fine. Get a Mexican number, yes. Maybe get a phone with a dual-SIM card space. But don’t, I repeat, do not, be caught trying to use home-country services without a home-country phone.
As for me, I’ll likely be making a trip to the U.S. soon just to get a blasted phone and a number. Because nuance isn’t a thing when it comes to verification codes.
![Speaking of her administration's security strategy, Sheinbaum emphasized "prevention, intelligence and presence [of security forces]."](https://mexiconewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/WhatsApp_Image_2024-10-08_at_9.57.09_AM.jpeg)
