Aeroméxico will connect Mexico City and Raleigh-Durham starting in July 2024. (Christian Coquet/Unsplash)
The Tulum International Airport isn’t scheduled to open until December, but airlines are already lining up to fly into the Caribbean coast town.
Just hours after Viva Aerobus announced that it will commence flights to Tulum from Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Tijuana in December, Aeroméxico issued a press release saying that it too will start services to the Quintana Roo town on the first day of that month.
Aeromexico will shortly begin selling tickets for the new route, which will commence flying in December this year. (José Pablo Domínguez/Unsplash)
“Aeroméxico will begin operations from Mexico City’s International Airport (AICM) to the new Tulum International Airport on December 1, offering more connectivity with the state of Quintana Roo, especially with the southern Riviera Maya,” the airline said.
That’s the date the new airport – which is currently under construction by the army – is scheduled to begin operations.
Aeroméxico said that it will begin the AICM-Tulum service with 14 weekly frequencies to be operated with Embraer 190 aircraft.
“This decision reinforces Aeromexico’s presence in the state of Quintana Roo, where the airline offers connectivity and the best service to and from Cancún, Chetumal, Cozumel and now Tulum, with a total offer of more than 221,000 seats per month, which represents an increase of 6% compared to the current operation,” the Mexican flag carrier said.
Tulum is one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations, thanks to its beaches and imposing Mayan ruins. (soft_light/Shutterstock)
Aeroméxico said that itineraries and ticket sales will be available in the coming days.
José Zapata, Aeroméxico’s vice president of sales in Mexico, said that the airline is “very pleased to participate in the inauguration of this airport because, in addition to the fact that it will be a great airport facility, many of our customers have Tulum and the southern Riviera Maya as their final destination.”
The airline’s statement said that the new route “will be an additional alternative for domestic and international travelers from destinations such as Tijuana, Guadalajara, Aguascalientes, Toronto, San Francisco, and Chicago, among others.”
He said Wednesday that one of the “main flights” of the new state-owned, army-run airline, which is slated to begin flying in December under the Mexicana brand, will be between the Felipe Ángeles International Airport north of Mexico City and Tulum, which is currently served by the airport in Cancún, located 130 kilometers north.
Mexico City is preparing for the most highly-anticipated music event of 2023. (Taylor Swift/X)
The countdown is almost over. The much-awaited Latin American leg of superstar Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour begins tonight, as the Pennsylvania-born superstar prepares for a rapturous welcome in the Mexican capital.
With anticipation amongst Mexican fans building steadily since Swift, 33, announced the tour in June, hundreds of ‘Swifties’ – as Swift’s fans are known – began lining up on Wednesday afternoon, outside of Mexico City’s Foro Sol, where Swift will perform from Aug. 24-27.
A vendor preparing to sell “Taymales” in honor of the U.S. singer. (Por que es Tendencia/X)
“I have been waiting for this moment for 11 years,” Mexican Swiftie Alejandro Chávez, 26, told newspaper El País while lining up outside of the Foro Sol. He and two friends came to Mexico City from the northern state of Chihuahua.
“She’s my favorite artist, my Top 1,” 22-year-old Carlos García told El País. “Since this is her first time in Mexico, I think we all share the same excitement.”
Winner of 12 Grammy Awards, Swift has a varied fanbase that includes men and women, young people, adolescents and even older adults. When the the Eras Tour dates in Mexico were announced, tickets sold out in a matter of minutes and an extra date was eventually added.
Tickets to Swift’s original three-night run sold out within minutes, prompting organizers to add a fourth date to the tour. (Taylor Swift/X)
The concert will be broken down into ‘eras’ reflecting different albums spanning her 17-year career, complete with 16 costume changes, spoken word passages and guest appearances.
To promote Swift’s music as she arrives in Mexico, music streaming service Spotify posted several billboards across the city with the slogan “Taylor, it was a ‘cruel summer’ waiting to hear you sing in Mexico City,” referencing the singer’s 2019 hit of the same name.
Swift is the only woman on the Forbes’ list of the top 10 highest-earning entertainers, having raked in an estimated US $92 million in 2022. Her Eras Tour is also on track to become one of the highest grossing of all time and is likely to surpass Sir Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour, which currently holds the top spot.
A rendering of the Felipe Carrillo Puerto airport in Tulum. (Gob MX)
Getting to Mexico’s coolest Caribbean coast destination from the nation’s largest cities is set to become a whole lot quicker.
Budget airline Viva Aerobus announced Thursday that it will commence flights to Tulum from Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Tijuana in December.
Aerial view of Tulum in Quintana Roo state
Flights to Tulum’s as yet unfinished airport from the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) north of the capital are scheduled to commence on Dec. 1. Flights will be daily from AICM and three times per week from AIFA.
Services between Monterrey and Tulum will also commence Dec. 1, while flights to the Quintana Roo resort town from Guadalajara and Tijuana will begin on Dec. 16 and 17, respectively. Monterrey-Tulum flights will be daily, those from Guadalajara will depart three times per week and Tijuana-Tulum services will be weekly except in the December and summer high seasons when they will operate three days per week.
“Now you can fly direct to paradise from $239 MXN [US $14] + $284.55 MXN de TUA [Airport Use Tariff],” Viva Aerobus said on social media. Tickets are already on sale on the airline’s website.
The announcement of the routes comes after Viva Aerobus said in March that it would fly to the Tulum International Airport, which is under construction by the army at a site about 10 kilometers from the center of town.
Viva Aerobus will become the first carrier to service all four of Quintana Roo’s major airports. (Viva Aerobus)
Most visitors to the destination, which is especially popular with young people, currently fly into Cancún, which is about 130 kilometers north. That journey takes close to two hours.
Viva Aerobus said in a statement that the five services announced today are “strategically designed to attend to the growing demand for flights to sun and beach destinations.”
“We’re excited to connect this new airport [to major Mexican cities],” said CEO Juan Carlos Zuazua.
He said that Viva Aerobus will offer passengers low-cost flights to Tulum on new planes with “the best customer service.”
President López Obrador with Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama. (Mara Lezama/X)
The commencement of the flights in December depends, of course, on the Tulum airport being ready to receive them.
President López Obrador said Thursday that the airport is about 65% complete and pledged that the facility, and the government’s new state-owned, army-run airline, will begin operations in December.
He said Wednesday that one of the “main flights” of the new government airline, which will operate under the Mexicana brand, will be between AIFA and the Tulum airport, which will officially be called the Felipe Carillo Puerto International Airport.
December is set to be a big month for the government, with its Maya Train railroad – which will have a station in Tulum – also scheduled to begin operations.
Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama welcomed the news of the upcoming Viva Aerobus flights to Tulum, saying that they will bring more visitors to the state and as a consequence “prosperity to the communities that most need it.”
“What we want [is] for tourism success to be reflected in the communities of the center and south [of Quintana Roo],” she said in a statement.
The Quintana Roo government noted that Viva Aerobus will be the first airline to operate from the four airports the state will have once that in Tulum opens. The others are located in Cancún, Chetumal and Cozumel.
“Quintana Roo is a tourism giant and air connectivity plays a major role in strengthening, even more, the accessibility of all our destinations, attracting new investment, generating jobs and creating shared prosperity in the entire state,” Lezama said.
Quintana was appointed as director of the national commission in 2019 and did not give specific reasons for her departure. (Karla Quintana/X)
The official who led the federal government’s efforts to locate Mexico’s many missing persons resigned on Wednesday 4 1/2 years after taking on the job.
Karla Quintana, who participated in on the ground searches for missing people while leading the National Search Commission (CNB), announced her decision on social media on Wednesday and posted the resignation letter she sent to President López Obrador.
Quintana has joined search collectives on the ground around Mexico during her tenure. (Karla Quintana/X)
In her letter, Quintana wrote that she was resigning due to “current circumstances” but didn’t elaborate. She said that leading the CNB and “working for my country” had been “a challenge and a great honor.”
“During this period, the foundations of not just an institution but also a system and a public policy … [to aid] the search for missing persons and human identification have been built,” Quintana said.
Families of missing people, federal and state authorities, “committed public servants,” and the scientific and international community contributed to that work, she said.
“Challenges in relation to the disappearance of people remain. The efforts of the Mexican state must continue to be directed toward a comprehensive policy of prevention, search and the combating of impunity, with the aim of guaranteeing the rights to truth and justice of missing people, their families and all of society,” Quintana wrote.
Her resignation comes at a time when over 110,000 people are officially listed as missing in Mexico. It is unclear who will take over as CNB chief.
López Obrador acknowledged Quintana’s departure at his morning press conference on Thursday.
“I believe that she concluded a stage, and we’re free [to do as we wish]. She decided to resign and her resignation was accepted,” he said.
“… It might be because of the census,” López Obrador subsequently conceded, referring to a government effort to conduct a new count of the number of missing people.
PAN legislators display the number of disappeared during President López Obrador’s term. (CORTESÍA/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
So-called “servants of the nation” – government officials who have mainly aided the implementation of social programs – have been conducting the census and, according to the president, the results will be published in two or three months.
“Soon we’ll have a report. … In many parts [of the country] there is good news because young people are being found, people who had been considered missing in the original census,” López Obrador said.
“… We want to inform properly and revise censuses and that’s what we’re doing,” he said, adding that some people remained on the missing persons register after they were found.
During the term of the current government, more than 40,000 disappearances have been recorded, a figure higher than the numbers recorded during the administrations of both Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-18) and Felipe Calderón (2000-06).
The United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) said in a 2022 report that impunity in missing person cases in Mexico is “almost absolute.”
Cacao has long been revered as a powerful, sacred plant in Mexico, and shamanic cacao ceremonies can provide transformational experiences. (Unsplash)
As we explore the realm of natural wonders and human traditions, we find a beautiful ritual for those seeking a transformative soul experience:a cacao ceremony. This plant medicine, shared in a circle with others, has been said to open the heart, help heal emotional wounds, and tap into your intuition.
No, I’m not talking about the average chocolate bar – this is a whole other level of cocoa goodness. Cacao ceremonies are a shamanic journey designed to help participants develop a profound connection with their higher selves.
Cacao was used as a form of tribute by the Mexica, as well as in religious ceremonies. (Brewminate)
Picture a ritualistic gathering, a symphony of intentions and energies converging in a circle, orchestrated by skillful guides. There, the participants drink a beverage prepared with ceremonial-grade cacao and water. Then, the group is led through spiritual practices, encompassing the vibration of chants, meditation and breathwork.
What truly lies behind this ceremony? Allow me to take you back 3,000 years to the heartland of Mesoamerica, where cacao seeds had a sacred status and were revered as a gift from the gods.
Archaeological evidence credits the Olmecs for the earliest domestication of cacao plants around 1500 B.C., when humans first fell in love with cacao’s uplifting and revitalizing powers, consumed as a drink. In fact, the word “chocolate” comes from the Classical Nahuatl word xocolātl, meaning bitter (xoco) water (atl).
The Maya also regarded the bean as sacred, calling it “Ka’kau,” or food of the gods. Thought to have been used in the creation of humans, Maya depictions of cacao show gods sprouting from the bean pods. They gathered once a year to give thanks to Ek Chuah, the god of cacao, and honored the plant as a giver of strength, energy and courage, as well as a bridge to communicating with the divine.
(Cacao Ceremony)
It was the Maya who developed the meticulous process of fermenting, drying, roasting, unshelling and grinding the nibs to create cacao paste, the process through which modern-day chocolate is made. Once the Mexica (or Aztecs) adopted cacao, it became a form of currency. Highly valuable, cacao drinks were mainly reserved for the male nobility and religious ceremonies, in which the liquid was poured from one vessel to another to create a frothy drink.
In modern times, ceremonial cacao is considered to be different from other cacao. Heirloom strains of cocoa beans are organically and ethically grown in Central and South America to preserve the essence and phytochemicals for spiritual practice. Upon harvesting, the beans are processed and diluted in water to create a drink which can be flavored with natural sweeteners and spices, but never with refined sugar.
Cacao’s effects on the body and mind have been the subject of scientific research. Friendly with the brain’s “feel-good” chemicals such as serotonin, the theobromine phytochemical found in cacao is a stimulant related to caffeine. Other chemical compounds in cacao have a molecular structure that mimics the effects of cannabinoids.
Theobromine may have nootropic effects, stimulating brain activity and for those who take it ritually, a gentle ascent to realms of elevated consciousness.
Cacao pods. (Larry Garcia Pezo/Unsplash)
But this journey transcends mere chemical reactions. Within the sacred circle, the ancient wisdom of cacao beckons us to rediscover compassion and beauty within ourselves.
For those who seek the ultimate depth, a full ceremonial dose of cacao, reserved for shamanic rituals, ranges between 40g-50g. This experience can be likened to a state between the mundane and the mystical. When combined with intention and support, it will take you on a soulful voyage.
The magic of cacao can also serve as a gentle aid for integrating a psychedelic experience. Some psychonauts who journey with psilocybin say they find solace in cacao, as it eases anxiety during challenging episodes.
The rituals of a cacao ceremony support a spiritual journey for participants. (Alluvia Chocolatier)
While not as intense as psychedelics, the compounds in cacao, combined with ritual and intention, can lead to personal growth and healing. As we gather for a cacao ceremony, we create an embracing space of peer support with fellow voyagers.
The elixir warms the soul, and in its depths, we can find ourselves present, stripped of distractions, bearing our innermost truths. Intentions are set from the start, to which the spirit of cacao answers with whispers of guidance that resonate through the chambers of the heart.
Sandra is a Mexican writer and translator based in San Miguel de Allende who specializes in mental health and humanitarian aid. She believes in the power of language to foster compassion and understanding across cultures. She can be reached at: [email protected]
The new facility will manufacture semiconductors for the automotive industry. State governor Esteban Villegas Villarreal says the plant will create 500 well-paying jobs. (Vishay/X)
U.S. electronic component manufacturer Vishay Intertechnology has opened a new semiconductor plant in Gómez Palacio, Durango, with an investment of US $45 million.
The 18,000 square-meter site, located in the northern La Laguna region, is projected to create 500 skilled jobs and manufacture billions of semiconductor chips each year, mostly for use in the automotive industry.
The new factory was inaugurated by state officials and executives from Vishay. (Vishay/X)
“We are happy with this type of investment,” said Durango Governor Esteban Villegas Villarreal, who attended the opening. “After this inauguration, other companies will arrive, since everyone is looking for semiconductors. This will give this region an advantage, which will continue to spark economic growth and skilled jobs for La Laguna.”
Villegas stressed that the factory, one the first semiconductor plants in northern Mexico, is part of a wave of investment that is “changing the face” of industry in the region.
“The maquiladoras [assembly plants] have their merits and are necessary, but now we are bringing in companies that pay well and offer specialized jobs,” hesaid on X, formerly Twitter.
He reported that his government has already made similar agreements with three other companies, for projects in Lerdo, Mapimí and Tlahualilo.
Governor Villegas also said his recent tour of China – in which he courted a number of semiconductor manufacturers – was a great success. (Diego Villegas/X)
Semiconductor manufacturing has become a vital industry for the 21st century, with a global market worth around US $580 billion. Semiconductors or microchips are used in consumer electronics and the automobile industry. Many companies are now looking to nearshore production of these components closer to markets in the United States, after supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a global shortage.
In September 2022, theU.S. urged Mexico to take advantage of massive U.S. investment in the industry by boosting semiconductor production in the country.
Since then, state governments across Mexico have stepped up talks with international semiconductor manufacturers.Three new plants were announced for Jalisco and Baja California in April, and a group of 20Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturers visited Mexico in June.
Semiconductors were also a key discussion topic during Villegas’ trip to China this month. A delegation of Chinese technology companies is planning to visit Durango between September and December.“The tour we have just made in China will bring great results for the entire state,” Villegas promised at the Vishay inauguration. “We were charged with changing the face of La Laguna, and we are going to achieve it.”
Analysts from the firm CIAL Dun & Bradstreet say that the construction sector has shown significantly higher than expected growth this year, leading to a forecast of 5.5% total growth for the sector. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s construction sector is experiencing an unexpected rebound, with strong performances in May and June generating predictions of 5.5% growth this year.
According to the firm CIAL Dun & Bradstreet, the industry showed year-on-year growth of 8.2% in May and 11.9% in June, the highest rates seen since 2008.
Despite struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant rebound in the sector so far in 2023. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
“Assuming that engineering works continue to grow at high rates, it is estimated that total construction will grow around 5.5% this year,” the analysis reads. “If so, it would represent its best rate since 8.6% [registered] in 2006.”
The report highlights that the sector shrank by 17.3% in real terms as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and hadstruggled to recover due to high inflation. Annual growth of 8.3% in 2021 was discounted in the analysis, attributed to the reactivation of the sector after the collapse during the pandemic. Marginal growth of just 0.3% was registered across the whole of 2022, making 2023’s rebound a surprise to analysts.
Mexico’s construction sector is worth US $133 billion today or 7.6% of national GDP, according to the analysis. It is made up of three sub-sectors: building (67% of the total industry), specialized construction jobs (17.5%) and civil engineering or infrastructure (15.5%).
Of these, the civil engineering sub-sector has performed particularly strongly this year, with 72.7%% annual growth in June (according to national statistics agency INEGI), which CIAL Dun & Bradstreet report is the highest rate since April 1994.
Work on major infrastructure projects such as the Maya train have helped the recovery of the sector, analysts say. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
The leap in the construction sector was the major driver of a 3.6% real-terms annual increase in Mexico’s overall economic activity reported in June by INEGI. Other industries that have performed strongly in 2023 include the generation and distribution of electricity, water and gas (3.7%), mining (2.6%) and manufacturing (0.7%).
Construction was also the strongest month-on-month performer, with 2.2% growth in June, and in the six months from January to June, with 4.2% growth.
The INEGI released asimilarly positive report on Mexico’s construction industry in July, in which it reported that the sector had registered its highest production value since 2019. Employment in the sector grew 1.8% annually, worked hours by 7.3% and average wages by 3.6%.
That report also highlighted the strong performance of the civil engineering sub-sector, linked to President López Obrador’s flagship infrastructure projects like the Maya Train, the Olmeca refinery and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor.
The responsibilities of transparency agency INAI are set to be taken over by the Anti-Corruption and Good Governance Ministry, led by Raquel Buenrostro. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
The Supreme Court (SCJN) on Wednesday handed down a decision that will allow the governing body of the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and the Protection of Personal Data (INAI) to convene for the first time since March.
The Pleno of the INAI, as the autonomous agency’s governing body is called, has been unable to convene since April 1 as it only had four of seven commissioners, one fewer than quorum.
The Supreme Court ruled 3-1 in favor of allowing the transparency institute to convene with only four commissioners. (SCJN/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
That situation, brought about because the terms of previous commissioners ended, has not been remedied as the Senate has failed to appoint replacements. As a result, thousands of appeals related to information requests that were denied or not adequately filled have been left pending.
Earlier this year, the INAI asked the SCJN to hand down a ruling that would allow its Pleno to convene with just four commissioners while they waited for the appointment of additional officials. However, Justice Loretta Ortiz in April declined to issue the ruling the transparency agency sought.
The INAI appealed the decision and on Wednesday the second chamber of the SCJN ruled in its favor by a vote of 3-1.
The court said in a statement that its authorization of the INAI governing body’s operation with just four commissioners would become invalid once the Senate appoints one or more additional commissioners.
PAN Senator Xóchitl Gálvez points to a banner protesting inaction on the INAI commissioner appointments at an April legislative session. (Cuartoscuro)
“Both the constitution and the Federal Law for Transparency and Access to Public Information have a normative design to avoid prolonged vacancies in the Pleno of the INAI. Consequently, it is unviable to paralyze [its] operation … due to a matter related to the absence of the opportune designation of three commissioners,” the SCJN said.
The court said that its second chamber reached the conclusion that the paralysis of the INAI has violated “two fundamental rights” – the right to access information and the right to the protection of personal data.
Thousands of citizens who lodged complaints with the INAI – primarily because they were not given access to government information they requested – have not received responses within the timeframes designated by the law, it said.
The INAI said in a statement that once it has been formally notified of the court’s ruling, the members of the Pleno will be able to discuss and resolve more than 8,000 outstanding matters.
INAI president Blanca Lilia Ibarra hailed the Supreme Court decision that allows the agency to resume its activities. (Blanca Lilia Ibarra/X)
It stressed that each matter involves a person who believes that their right to access information or to have their personal data protected was violated. Those people are waiting for the Pleno to issue a ruling in response to their complaints, the INAI added.
The institute said that the Supreme Court’s ruling demonstrates the importance of having counterbalances in Mexico and a valid rule of law in which respect for the constitution and human rights prevails.
Blanca Lilia Ibarra, president of the INAI Pleno, said in a video message that the court’s decision will allow the agency’s activities to normalize “for the benefit of the human rights that the INAI protects.”
“… From the INAI we acknowledge and celebrate the ruling of the second chamber of the Supreme Court and reiterate our commitment to Mexican society to continue complying with the constitutional work that has been entrusted to us,” said Ibarra, who will have a deciding vote in the Pleno while it operates with only four commissioners.
President López Obrador said Wednesday that his government would respect the decision handed down by the SCJN, but reiterated his disdain for the INAI and other autonomous agencies created by previous governments.
“You already know my opinion about these bodies they created. They were all established to simulate that corruption was going to be combated, that there was going to be transparency, that there was going to be justice,” he told reporters at his morning press conference.
Another problem is that they are a burden on taxpayers, the president said.
“Apart from simulating [and] deceiving … these things cost a lot,” said López Obrador, who declared in 2021 that the INAI is not needed as the federal government maintains “permanent communication” with citizens and guarantees the right to information.
Monterrey is seeing increased demand for housing, as nearshoring creates attractive work opportunities for Nuevo León - though a lack of housing may soon become an issue, analysts believe. (Shutterstock)
The northern city of Monterrey, Nuevo León may require an additional 500,000 homes within the next decade to meet the growing demand fueled by the nearshoring boom in the border state, experts predict.
Mexico is currently proving a popular destination for companies seeking to move manufacturing operations closer to the United States and away from China, a process known as nearshoring. As the trend grows, particularly in Nuevo León, so does the number of residents in major cities.
According to investment group IDEI, nearshoring is responsible for the rise in immigration to Monterrey. (Francisco/Unsplash)
“There is a very large need for housing in Nuevo León of around 500,000 homes in the next 10 years,” Vice President of the International Investment Council (IDEI) Jorge Martínez Páez said in a press conference at the launch of IDEI’s super green bond on the Mexican Stock Exchange.
Páez warned that companies may think twice about relocating to Mexico if there is a shortage of housing options available to employees. Moreover, he said that the real estate industry in Nuevo Leon only has enough housing stock to meet demand for the next two years. “This means that if construction of new homes was to end now, the available inventory could be absorbed in 24 months,” he said.
According to Alberto de la Garza Evia, Executive President of IDEI’s board of directors, 500,000 people outside the state of Nuevo León have moved to Monterrey in the last eight years in pursuit of “the Monterrey dream.” He added that “there are more than 60 companies settling in Nuevo León to manufacture goods that countries like Mexico, the United States, and Europe and Asia need.”
Garza also said that Nuevo Leon’s government is commencing infrastructure work to supply Monterrey with enough water and power to ensure growth in the next 50 years. The city has faced chronic water shortages, which led to a state of emergency due to severe drought in February 2022.
Many are moving to the Nuevo León city in search of the “Monterrey Dream” says IDEI President Alberto de la Garza Evia. (Cande Westh/Unsplash)
Additionally, the state government has also invested more than $560 million pesos (US $33 million) in various infrastructure projects designed to improve mobility in the city, property listing platform Propiedades.com said in a statement.
“Monterrey offers several advantages compared to other cities in the country,” real estate analyst Leonardo González said. “This isn’t only because of mobility, but also because of nearshoring, which has contributed to a greater demand for houses and apartments.”
Xóchitl Gálvez (left) and Beatriz Paredes (right) are the two hopefuls for the opposition coalition's nomination, and Claudia Sheinbaum (center) is leading the polls to win the Morena nomination. (MND)
This morning in San Miguel de Allende, I had the opportunity to meet with and hear Beatriz Paredes present her vision as an aspiring president of Mexico.
Paredes, along with Xóchitl Gálvez, are now the only two remaining candidates competing to be nominated by the opposition coalition of the PAN, PRI and PRD political parties. Earlier in the week, Santiago Creel withdrew from the race and threw his support behind Gálvez. This means that the Frente Amplio por México (Broad Front for Mexico) now has two senators – both women – as the finalists for their nomination.
The nominee (to be announced on Sept. 3) will likely face Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum, the leading candidate competing to represent the ruling Morena party. Sheinbaum is one of six potential nominees, but leading in the polls over her main competitor, former Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard.
I first wrote about why I think it’s worth paying attention to the Mexican presidential race just a month ago after having met Sheinbaum at a breakfast in Leon, Guanajuato. Having had the opportunity to meet Sheinbaum and now Paredes, I am hoping for the opportunity to soon meet and hear more from Gálvez as well.
As I listened to Paredes present this morning, I couldn’t help but think about how, just a few months ago, many Mexicans told me that Mexico is “not ready” for a female president. Yet here we are now with the three leading women candidates. It’s incredible to see Mexico changing so quickly, right before our eyes – even surprising many Mexicans at the speed and depth of change.
These women bring unique and different perspectives to the problems facing the country today. Sheinbaum is the granddaughter of European Jewish immigrants and is 61 years old. Gálvez is the daughter of an Otomí father and mestiza mother and is 60 years old. Paredes was the second woman governor in the nation’s history, began her political career at the age of 21, and is 70 years old.
Sheinbaum studied physics and earned a PhD in energy engineering. Gálvez studied computer engineering and Paredes studied sociology. Given that degrees in political science, law, economics, and business are the usual background for Mexico’s presidents, these candidates promise something different.
How would these women project “Brand Mexico” to the world differently than the previous men who have run the country? How would they handle the relationship with the United States differently? How would they handle security issues differently? How would they take advantage of the nearshoring opportunity? How would these experienced women prioritize healthcare and the environment differently? These are open questions, but fascinating to consider.
Surprises most certainly await us. Just yesterday former president Vicente Fox threw his support behind Xóchitl Gálvez. There are rumors that Marcelo Ebrard could defect to the Citizens Movement (MC) party. An unexpected candidate might yet decide to run.
This election is one that will most certainly energize and excite the Mexican population as much as any other election.
As Paredes said this morning, “every election is important but not every election is historic….this one is historic!”
The country is changing, evolving, growing, and the excitement of what’s to come is palpable. I have often found myself saddened at the state of politics in many parts of the world, including my home country of the United States, but I am genuinely engaged with Mexico’s current political scene.
