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MND Local: Dengue cases drop in Jalisco and Mexico’s first openly gay mayor is killed while visiting Guadalajara

By
Dawn Stoner
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0
La Minerva sculpture in Guadalajara
Jalisco health authorities have made progress this year in curbing dengue cases, but a high-profile assassination of Mexico's first openly gay mayor in Guadalajara has garnered more headlines. (Roman Lopez/Unsplash)

This week in Guadalajara, there is good news on seasonal dengue cases, while global challenges are taking a toll on Canadian airline WestJet. Finally, we look at the life and death of Mexico’s first openly gay mayor.

Dengue cases down 90% in Jalisco this year

Dengue cases in Jalisco are down sharply from a year ago, with only 90 reported year to date compared with 917 during the same period last year. Of the confirmed infections this year, seven were classified as severe (hemorrhagic) dengue, 51 were nonsevere cases, and the remaining 32 were classified as cases with warning signs.

The drop in dengue cases in 2026 reflects a concerted public effort to eliminate breeding sites, fog high-risk areas before the rainy season, encourage residents to prevent standing water around their homes through a public health campaign and expand monitoring across the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area to track mosquito density and the presence of the virus.

That said, eight deaths are under investigation statewide, with dengue infections suspected as the cause. According to Jalisco Health Secretary Héctor Raúl Pérez Gómez, the highest risk is concentrated in coastal and tropical forest areas, specifically Cocula, Teuchitlán, Atengo and Chiquilistlán, where most cases this year have been identified.

Gómez also reported that ovitraps — used to detect the presence of the dengue virus — tested negative in areas that drew large crowds during the recently concluded World Cup events, including around Estadio Akron and fan fest sites across the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area. This suggests there is likely no active dengue virus in those locations, despite the presence of mosquitoes.

He added that there are currently no reported cases in Jalisco of two other mosquito-borne diseases — Zika or chikungunya — despite recent outbreaks of chikungunya in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Jalisco’s rainy season runs through late October, and infection risk typically rises from late July through September, when dengue cases historically peak.

WestJet suspends nonstop flights between Guadalajara and Calgary

Canadians heading to Mexico this winter will have fewer routes to choose from. WestJet, Canada’s second-largest carrier, is suspending its Calgary-Guadalajara route from Oct. 19, 2026, through April 24, 2027.

WestJet airliner during takeoff
Canadian airline WestJet is suspending service on its flight to Guadalajara, starting this fall and continuing to spring 2027. (calgaryplanes.com/Wikimedia Commons)

The changes come a week after WestJet confirmed 20 route suspensions to the United States amid fare increases driven by rising fuel costs tied to the ongoing war in Iran and weakening demand. Demand-side pressures have also been linked to a widespread avoidance of U.S. travel by Canadians in response to President Donald Trump’s posture toward Canada during his second term.

“These route updates better align capacity with demand while maintaining operational reliability,” the airline said in an online statement.

In addition to service cuts, WestJet is dealing with a labor dispute involving about 4,400 unionized flight attendants, who recently voted to strike after 10 months of unsuccessful contract negotiations.

The flight attendants have been without a contract since the previous agreement expired Dec. 31, 2025.

Mexico’s first openly gay mayor shot and killed in Guadalajara

Benjamín Medrano Quezada, Mexico’s first openly gay mayor, was shot and killed July 7 while leaving an ice cream shop in the Santa Elena de la Cruz neighborhood on Guadalajara’s north side.

The 59-year-old served as mayor of Fresnillo, Zacatecas, from 2013 to 2015 and later as a federal deputy in Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies, representing Zacatecas’ 1st District.

 

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The assailant shot Medrano Quezada multiple times in the face before fleeing on a motorcycle. Another report suggested there may have been two attackers. Authorities have not announced suspects or a motive.

“We express our deepest condolences to his family and friends, and we accompany them in this moment of grief, wishing them strength in the face of this irreparable loss,” the Fresnillo City Council said in a statement.

In addition to his political career, Medrano Quezada was a singer and owned a gay bar in Fresnillo. In 2022, he was accused of embezzling public funds while serving as president of the board of trustees for the National Fair of Zacatecas in 2019. A complaint filed by the Zacatecas State Public Administration Secretariat alleged he embezzled more than 60 million pesos (about US $3.4 million). Medrano Quezada later missed a mandatory hearing, prompting authorities to issue an arrest warrant.

The Zacatecas attorney general told U.S.-based outlet MundoNow that a judge overturned the warrant in 2025, meaning Medrano Quezada was not a fugitive at the time of his death.

Despite being openly gay, Medrano Quezada held conservative views and opposed same-sex marriage and adoption. In 2013, he said: “Our idiosyncrasies do not allow it. Not because we lack the capacity to do it, but we cannot go against doctrines and customs.”

MND Writer Dawn Stoner is reporting from Guadalajara.

Discovering Mexico: San Luis Potosí

By
MND Plus
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2
(Mexico News Daily)

San Luis Potosí is for you if you like: Nature, colonial architecture, weird British artists.

San Luis Potosí is a state that challenges most assumptions about Mexico’s geography. From its UNESCO-listed capital, where more than 500 historic monuments line 42 streets, to the waterfalls and subtropical canyons of the Huasteca Potosina, it offers a spectrum of landscapes that still feel hidden from both domestic and international travelers. You can spend the morning on the Calzada de Guadalupe — one of the longest pedestrian avenues in the Americas — and the afternoon paddling upriver toward a 105-meter curtain of water, then return to the city for gorditas and an evening walk past Baroque façades and wide, tree-shaded plazas.

What makes San Luis Potosí compelling is not only its visual variety but the way nature, history and a touch of surrealism intersect. In the east, jungle rivers feed emerald pools and cascades at sites like Tamasopo and Puente de Diós, while deep in the Huasteca, a concrete labyrinth at Las Pozas turns a hillside into a walkable surrealist dreamscape. On high desert plateaus, the abandoned mining town of Real de Catorce and the sacred landscape of Wirikuta add pilgrimage routes, ghostly mining ruins and wide, open skies, underscoring that this is a territory with as much spiritual resonance as scenic appeal. Between one of Mexico’s largest urban parks, canyon rivers, cave-like water formations and mountains revered as a place of origin, San Luis Potosí invites visitors not just to see nature, but to engage with a state that deserves to be as recognized as an equal to legendary regions like Oaxaca and Guanajuato.

San Luis Potosí: Mexico’s best kept secret

When talking about the state of San Luis Potosí, it makes sense to start with the capital. A UNESCO-listed historic center of 42 streets and roughly 500 monuments, it pairs colonial architecture with a laid-back urban rhythm that many travelers would never think to seek out here. Plaza by plaza, it reveals itself as a city of wide sidewalks, generous shade and everyday rituals, where grabbing a coffee and wandering past sandstone façades feels less like sightseeing and more like slipping into the local routine.

Beyond the downtown core, a network of former mining villages, vast public parks and quiet neighborhoods extends that sense of lived-in history into the surrounding hills. This is a place where 19th-century industrial heritage sits alongside contemporary art spaces and weekend family outings, giving visitors multiple entry points into the region’s past and present.

Farther afield, the waterfalls and canyons of the Huasteca Potosina introduce a very different version of the state, one defined by jungle rivers, steep ravines and small communities that have built a modest tourism economy around the area’s natural assets. Taken together, these landscapes — urban and rural, desert and subtropical — make San Luis Potosí a destination that rewards curiosity, inviting travelers to look past the usual hotspots and spend time with a corner of Mexico that still feels genuinely undiscovered.

Was Edward James’ magnum opus in San Luis Potosí art or egocentrism?

Las Pozas, the Edward James Sculpture Garden outside Xilitla, is best approached with time and a willingness to walk slowly. Set in subtropical forest in the Huasteca Potosina, the site combines concrete structures, waterfalls and pools across several hectares dedicated to both sculpture and ecological conservation. Visitors follow paths and stairways that weave between towers, arches and platforms, with vegetation and water constantly in view, making the experience feel more like moving through a landscape than visiting a conventional monument.

For travelers, the practical side of a visit is straightforward but worth planning. Entry is limited and organized in timed groups with mandatory guides, so advance reservations and early arrivals are recommended, especially on weekends and holidays. The garden sits above Xilitla, a Pueblo Mágico with basic services, lodging and transport options, which makes it a natural base for exploring the area’s other attractions, including nearby waterfalls and viewpoints.

On the ground, the effect of Las Pozas is cumulative rather than centered on a single highlight. As visitors move between structures and natural features, the combination of sound, humidity, plant life and concrete begins to define the visit as much as any one staircase or tower. It is a place where art, landscape and local stewardship now intersect, offering a distinctive stop on a broader San Luis Potosí itinerary for travelers interested in both nature and the traces of one of surrealism’s more ambitious projects.

Love nature? Here’s where to hike in San Luis Potosí

San Luis Potosí offers a range of hikes that can be tailored to different levels of experience, starting with the Tamasopo area in the Huasteca Potosina. Here, a network of waterfalls, pools and rivers creates a natural setting that functions almost like an outdoor water park, with jumping platforms, bridges and rope swings for those who want more activity, and flatter riverside paths at nearby Cascaditas for visitors who prefer a slower, less strenuous walk. Access involves a roughly three-hour drive from the capital, making it a full-day outing that combines time on the trail with swimming and time by the water.

In the high desert, Real de Catorce serves as the starting point for a more demanding hike to Cerro del Quemado, or Wirikuta, a site recognized as a UNESCO Natural Sacred Area and central to Wixárika cosmology. The route covers around 15 kilometers at altitude and can be done on foot or on horseback, with additional options to visit El Pueblo Fantasma, the ruins of a former silver mine at nearly 3,000 meters above sea level. This part of the state appeals to travelers interested in combining physical effort with an encounter with living Indigenous tradition and the remnants of the region’s mining history.

For those drawn to river travel, the journey upriver to the Tamul waterfall adds another dimension to hiking in San Luis Potosí. After an early start and a stop for breakfast in Río Verde, visitors board wooden boats and paddle against the current for about an hour to reach the base of the 105-meter-high falls, with opportunities to swim and take photos near the cascade and to walk up to La Cueva del Agua, a cave pool set above the river.

This cave in San Luis Potosí was hiding Ice Age giants

For travelers interested in the deeper timelines of a place, the Calera cave system in San Luis Potosí adds a striking layer to the state’s appeal. Known among specialists as the setting for the documentary “Crypt of the Megafauna,” the cave sits in the Sierra del Abra and has yielded fossils of mammoths, giant sloths, saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, camels, bison and other Ice Age animals, after a team led by cave biologist Luis Espinasa went in looking for cavefish and instead found a dense concentration of ancient bones. The work to document the site has involved tight vertical entrances, underwater sections and the use of a remotely operated vehicle nicknamed “Robo-Teddy,” underscoring that this is an active research environment rather than a conventional tourist stop.

While Calera itself is not open for casual visits, its story is accessible through the film and through the broader context of San Luis Potosí’s caves and karst landscapes. For travelers, this makes the region a natural fit for those who combine surface-level hiking and nature trips with an interest in what lies beneath, from cavefish and underground streams to paleontological work that is still ongoing. Local guides and caving clubs occasionally organize specialized trips in the wider Sierra del Abra for experienced participants, which can add a technical component to an itinerary that might otherwise focus on waterfalls and rivers in the Huasteca Potosina.

Even for visitors who never enter a cave, the Calera discoveries contribute to the way San Luis Potosí is understood. Knowing that the same state now known for mezcal routes, hiking to sacred mountains and boating to waterfalls also holds evidence of mammoths and five-ton ground sloths helps situate present-day landscapes within a longer natural history.

San Luis Potosí’s former penitentiary is its best museum

In San Luis Potosí’s capital, one of the most compelling stops for travelers interested in art and history is the Centro de las Artes de San Luis Potosí Centenario, housed in the state’s former main penitentiary. The late-19th-century neoclassical complex, once organized as a panopticon with cells radiating from a central tower, has been restored and repurposed as a cultural center, with courtyards, former cell blocks and corridors now serving as exhibition spaces, classrooms and performance areas. Walking through the main gates, visitors move from heavy stone walls into open-air patios and smaller galleries, where rotating contemporary art shows sit alongside traces of the building’s past use.

Within this larger complex, the Museo Leonora Carrington functions as a museum-within-a-museum devoted to one of Mexico’s key surrealist artists. Opened in 2018, it houses an extensive collection of Carrington’s sculptures, jewelry, engravings, drawings and personal objects, with several courtyards dedicated to large-scale works that visitors can view from multiple angles. Inside, former cells have been adapted to display smaller pieces and archival materials, allowing travelers to move between outdoor installations and more intimate rooms that highlight different periods of Carrington’s career.

A visit can be folded easily into a day spent in the historic center, as the complex sits within walking distance of other museums, churches and plazas. Depending on the timing, visitors may also encounter festivals and events such as the annual wine fair held in the courtyards, adding a contemporary social dimension to a space that once served a very different function.

San Luis Potosí, Where Nature Feels Like a Dream / Sub English

How to get there

By air:

San Luis Potosi International Airport: The airport offers flights to Mexico’s main metropolitan hubs, plus international links to Dallas-Forth Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Chicago.

Aguascalientes: A similar international selection, Houston, Dallas-Forth Worth, Chicago and Los Angeles, plus domestic destinations across Mexico. Located 168 km (104 miles).

Zacatecas: Though the airport is modest, it offers flights to Los Angeles, San Jose, Dallas and Chicago. Domestically, the airport links to Guadalajara, Mexico City and Tijuana.

By road: 

San Miguel de Allende: 170 km (105 miles), roughly a 2 hour drive.

Mexico City: 411 km (255 miles), roughly a 4 and a half hour drive

Laredo, Texas: 727 km (452 miles), roughly an 8 hour drive.

Guadalajara: 344 km (213 miles), roughly a 4 hour drive.

Mexico News Daily

How new routes and renovations are reshaping air travel in Mexico

By
María Ruiz
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4
(Camila Ayala Benabib/Cuartoscuro)

As Mexico stepped onto the global stage as a 2026 World Cup host, the country has been undergoing another transformation: an airport and air connectivity boom that’s changing how residents and visitors move around the country and the world. From record numbers of new routes to long-delayed terminal upgrades finally materializing, 2026 is turning into a watershed year for Mexican aviation.

This guide walks through the most significant infrastructure upgrades and new international connections so far — from Cancún’s 17 new routes to Viva’s debut at JFK’s New Terminal One and Volaris’ massive U.S. expansion — and what they mean for travelers, tourism and Mexico’s wider economy.

An unprecedented wave of airport upgrades

Here are all the major airport upgrades in Mexico in 2026 so far

Mexico is in the midst of an airport building and renovation drive on a scale not seen in recent memory, driven in large part by the 2026 FIFA World Cup and sustained growth in tourism and business travel. Federal and airport authorities have earmarked billions of pesos to upgrade terminals, expand runways and modernize security and baggage systems at key hubs, including Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.

At Mexico City International Airport (AICM), a roughly US $500 million renovation program is racing to upgrade a nearly century‑old facility while keeping it fully operational. The first phase has focused on new terminal façades, refreshed waiting areas, renovated restrooms and updated baggage carousels, with officials indicating that most passenger‑facing improvements would be ready in time for the World Cup, while more technical and back‑of‑house work continues into late 2026.

Monterrey’s General Mariano Escobedo International Airport (MTY) is also undergoing a major transformation, with about US $400 million going into expanded gates, larger aircraft aprons and upgraded terminal spaces. This reflects not only its role as a World Cup gateway but also its growing importance as a nearshoring and business hub in northern Mexico.

Cancún: 17 new ways to reach the Caribbean

Cancún rings in the New Year with 17 new international flights 

Nowhere illustrates Mexico’s surging connectivity better than Cancún and the broader Mexican Caribbean. Seventeen new routes are being rolled out between late 2025 and mid‑2026, linking Cancún and nearby Cozumel to a wide range of U.S., Canadian and even European cities.

On the U.S. side, airlines such as Breeze, Frontier, Southwest, Sun Country and others are adding seasonal and year‑round routes from cities including Charleston, Norfolk, New Orleans, Providence, Tulsa, Charlotte, Chicago Midway and Raleigh‑Durham. Many of these routes are designed to feed winter sun demand and the summer World Cup travel surge, offering more nonstops that bypass traditional hubs.

Canada and Europe are also better connected. New flights from Toronto, Hamilton, Charlottetown and Fredericton deepen Canada–Caribbean ties, while Aer Lingus’ new Dublin–Cancún service marks the first non‑stop link between Ireland and Mexico’s Caribbean coast. Cozumel, often overshadowed by Cancún, gets a direct seasonal route from Calgary, giving Canadian travelers a new way to reach the island without transiting through other Mexican hubs.

Viva Aerobus lands at JFK’s New Terminal One

Viva to connect Mexico City and Monterrey with JFK’s New Terminal One

In New York, Mexico’s airport moment is converging with one of the largest U.S. terminal projects: JFK’s New Terminal One (NTO). Viva Aerobus — now branded simply as Viva — will become the first Latin American airline to operate from this massive new facility, underscoring the importance of the Mexico–U.S. leisure and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) market.

Viva will launch nonstop flights linking NTO with two key Mexican metros: Mexico City, via Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) north of the capital, and Monterrey, via Monterrey International Airport. Operating from a state‑of‑the‑art terminal with ample low‑cost carrier‑friendly infrastructure gives Viva a competitive foothold in one of the most coveted transborder markets, while also offering Mexican travelers easier access to New York City through a modern, well‑connected gateway.

For AIFA, which has struggled to attract international long‑haul traffic and robust domestic connections, the Viva–JFK link is a symbolic win. Although the German carrier Lufthansa has openly ruled out moving any of its Mexico City operations to AIFA due to limited connectivity and infrastructure, low‑cost point‑to‑point routes like Viva’s highlight the airport’s potential niche in specific markets.

Lufthansa’s bet on Mexico City–Munich

Lufthansa plans more weekly CDMX-Munich flights, but rules out AIFA connections

At the other end of the price spectrum, Lufthansa is doubling down on Mexico’s premium long‑haul segment. The German airline plans to increase its Mexico City–Munich route from three to five weekly flights starting in the winter season, pending approval from Mexico City’s slot‑constrained main airport.

The move would add hundreds of extra weekly seats between central Europe and Mexico, complementing Lufthansa’s existing daily Frankfurt–Mexico City service. If demand holds up, the airline has signaled its intention to keep the five weekly Munich flights as a permanent feature rather than a purely seasonal expansion tied to the World Cup.

What it all means for travelers and the economy

For travelers, the immediate impact is more choice: more nonstops, more origin cities, and in many cases more competitive fares as low‑cost carriers expand in parallel with legacy airlines. For tourism‑dependent regions like Quintana Roo, the new routes represent a lifeline that spreads risk beyond traditional markets and seasons, while for industrial hubs such as Monterrey and Guadalajara, improved connectivity supports nearshoring, trade and business travel.

At a macro level, Mexico’s airport and airline boom reflects a country trying to reconcile aging infrastructure with record demand. Renovations at AICM and expansions at regional airports are racing not just against the World Cup calendar, but against long‑term growth in both domestic and international passenger numbers. Whether the upgrades will be enough — and whether new routes remain viable after the tournament — will largely depend on how well Mexico continues to position itself as both a tourism powerhouse and a strategic aviation bridge between North and South America.

Mexico News Daily 

El Jalapeño: Guadalajara residents to receive contaminated water at ‘very affordable rates,’ state officials say

By
El Jalapeno
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0
Contaminated tap water is common in many Guadalajara neighborhoods, which is why state water officials have agreed to deliver it at "deeply discounted rates." (This image was generated using AI tools)

All stories in El Jalapeño are satire and not real news. Check out the original article here.

GUADALAJARA — State water authorities assured Guadalajara residents Monday that while the tap water delivered to hundreds of thousands of homes currently features a rust-colored hue, a gritty texture and a distinct metallic aroma, it remains an unbeatable value at 80% off the standard rate.

The discount, approved by the Jalisco state Congress, applies to roughly 600 neighborhoods supplied by the Intermunicipal System of Potable Water and Sewerage Services (SIAPA). Officials noted the price adjustment reflects a consumer-first framework where utility fees scale directly with fluid quality, ensuring citizens never overpay for a lack of clarity.

Woman holding up bottle of dirty Guadalajara tap water at demonstration.
A Guadalajara resident proudly displays the only slightly contaminated water that qualified her for an incredible discount. (IMDEC AC)

“We recognize the water arriving at your kitchen sink may not technically meet international definitions of ‘potable,’ but from an inflation-adjusted perspective, this is a remarkable savings opportunity,” said SIAPA spokesperson Fernando Morales, gesturing toward a pitcher of dark amber tap water. “I mean, this water is an amazing bargain, considering what we’re charging for it.”

Under the new policy, state human rights officials will inspect taps across 750,000 households to confirm whether municipal output crosses the threshold from clear drinking water into the deeply discounted sediment class. Residents whose water accidentally runs entirely transparent will, unfortunately, remain locked into the full 100% price rate.

Both quality-dependent fee structures will continue to fund SIAPA operations, including drainage maintenance, administrative overhead and the specialized team tasked with explaining why a bad deal on usable water becomes a fantastic deal when the water is unusable.

Local civic groups, who originally petitioned under the slogan “If there is no clean water, no payment,” expressed quiet amazement at the legislative response. State officials, however, urged the public to focus on the economic upside rather than minor daily inconveniences like boiling laundry.

“Paying zero pesos for murky water would suggest the service has no value,” Morales added, reassuring reporters that the billing software was functioning properly. “By charging a modest 20%, we allow citizens to enjoy the financial triumph of securing hundreds of gallons of industrial-grade sludge at wholesale clearance rates.”

Check out our Jalapeño archive here.

Got an idea for a Jalapeño article? Email us with your suggestions!

Mexico’s critically endangered axolotl proves an international success

By
Bob Pateman
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2
Endemic to the Xochimilco canals of Mexico City, the iconic axolotl is disappearing from the wild ... even as it has never been more popular as a pet. (Fundación UNAM)

The remarkable axolotl is native to the lakes and wetlands of highland Mexico. It is closely related to salamanders, but unlike its amphibian cousins, it does not undergo a complete metamorphosis, remaining an aquatic creature throughout its life. This is reflected in the name, axolotl being a Nahuatl word that has been translated as “water servant” or “water dog.” They have become critically endangered due to a combination of factors, including the loss of habitat and the pollution of the waters that remain available to them. The introduction of carp and tilapia into the lakes to provide fish for the local market also proved a disaster as these predators took a heavy toll on axolotl eggs and juveniles. It is uncertain how many axolotls survive in the wild, but it is probably no more than 1,000, and perhaps much fewer.

The thriving axolotl pet trade

Ironically, while they are disappearing in the wild, there are hundreds of thousands of axolotls being kept as pets in aquariums around the world. It is easy to see why axolotls attract pet owners, for they are amusing animals to look at with their fringed gills and what appears to be an endless smile. Their popularity has increased recently thanks to their appearance in animated movies and video games, most notably Minecraft. They are generally considered good pets in that they are not dangerous in any way, and any diseases they might carry do not pass to humans. Another bonus is that they can live up to 15 years under optimal conditions, so you get value for money.

 

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Even if they are released into the wild, which they never should be, they are unlikely to become a threat to native wildlife. And they do occasionally get released. In April 2026, a young girl looking for frogs and fish in a British river made the first documented discovery of an axolotl living in the wild in Europe. On the downside, they are sensitive animals that require a lot of care, which includes providing a gentle flow of cool water and ensuring minimal light exposure. Anybody keeping them needs to invest in specialized tank filters and be prepared to make frequent water changes. It is feared that many captive axolotls experience stress due to poor living conditions.

Legal controls and regulations

In addition to the ethical demands of keeping axolotls, there are also legal considerations. As a critically endangered species, they have been added to Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES. This means that international trade in these animals is strictly controlled, and restrictions and regulations can change from country to country. In Mexico, you must purchase your axolotl from a certified breeder and have authorization from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to keep them. However, regulations can change from place to place. For example, while axolotls can be kept in many U.S. states, owning one as a pet is illegal in California, Maine, New Jersey and Virginia.

A major concern is not that axolotls make dangerous or difficult pets, but that captivity is changing the animals. A feature that has always attracted considerable attention is the axolotl’s healing ability. It does not heal by scarring, but is capable of tissue regeneration. Entire limbs and tails can regrow over a period of months, and in certain cases even organs can be replaced. Much of the stock now available in the pet trade is thought to have originated from a small number of wild axolotls that were collected for medical research in the late 1880s.

Captive breeding programs

As few if any animals are now captured in the wild, the captive gene pool is small, and it is feared that this has made pet axolotls susceptible to genetic defects that might include a weakened immune system, poorly developed digestive systems and underdeveloped gills. In the wild, axolotls develop different colors but are typically a dark brown, tan or gray, often with dark spots, a color combination that helps them blend into the muddy waters of their native lakes.

In captivity, breeding pairs are deliberately chosen to produce colors thought attractive to the pet trade. At one point, it was thought that captive axolotls might even have been crossbred with tiger salamanders. The result is strains of animals that might look like axolotls but do not necessarily represent any animals found in the wild. Releasing a pink or albino axolotl into a Mexican lake would be like putting a pack of dachshunds into the Serengeti and pretending they are African hunting dogs.

Conservation efforts

This is a vital issue, for if the pet trade has any higher goal, then it is the dream that one day captive stock might be returned to the Mexican lakes. This is one reason that an Axolotl Museum and Amphibian Conservation Center has been opened in Chapultepec Zoo. A recent experiment in releasing captive axolotls has proved remarkably successful. In April 2025, captive-bred axolotls were released into the artificially created wetland of La Cantera Oriente and the animals seemed to do well. They carried small trackers, and not only did all survive the initial release, but those later captured and weighed had put on weight, showing they were successfully hunting. It might work in the axolotl’s favor that they are optimistic eaters, taking anything from worms to insect larvae.

A pink ajolotl in an aquarium
A captive axolotl that displays the characteristic pink coloring that comes from cross-breeding, perhaps with other species like the tiger salamander. (Pixabay)

Attempting to protect populations in the heartlands of Lake Xochimilco is even more ambitious. A decade-long project led by the Ecological Restoration Laboratory of the National Autonomous University of Mexico’s Biology Institute has attempted to do just that. The axolotl has lived alongside humans for many generations and has adjusted to the traditional farming methods practiced since Mexica times. Therefore, the project involved working with local farmers to restore chinampas, those small agricultural islands that once fed the great city of Tenochtitlán.

Hope for the future

It was hoped that these would both provide a haven for axolotls and support sustainable agriculture for the local people. A major problem is that the waters of Xochimilco are no longer flushed clean with spring water from the mountains, so biofilters have to be built. These are stacks of volcanic rocks and reedy plants placed around the chinampas to clean the water and provide shelter from predator fish.

After the early promise with such projects, there was a concern when a couple of adult axolotls were seen to be taken by egrets. This raises the possibility that captive-bred axolotls might lack the survival instincts of those brought up in the wild. However, where there is goodwill, there is hope. Since 2018, Feb. 1 has been celebrated as National Axolotl Day, drawing attention to one of Mexico’s most charming, remarkable and endangered animals.

Bob Pateman lived in Mexico for six years. He is a librarian and teacher with a Master’s Degree in History.

The MND News Quiz of the Week: July 25th

By
MND Plus
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2
News quiz
(Mexico News Daily)

What's been going on in the news this week? Our weekly quiz is here to keep you on top of what’s happening in Mexico.

Get informed, stay smart.

Are you ready?  Let’s see where you rank vs. our expert community!

Which iconic Mexican brand announced this week that it will be offering credit cards?

The second edition of the national “Mexico canta” singing competition organized by the federal government has inspired how many auditions?
Monday’s announcement featured performances by Sergio Maya, the winner of the inaugural México canta contest last year, and Junior H (right).

Mexico has announced regional forums to debate restrictions for minors regarding what?
social media apps on a phone

An outbreak of Cyclospora infections causing “explosive diarrhea” in the U.S. has been linked to what agricultural product sourced from Mexico?
Close-up of green corn stalks and tassels in a field under a cloudy sky, illustrating the modern result of the evolution of corn from teosinte.

Inflation in Mexico this week fell to its lowest level since what year?
Mexican peso 500 peso bills

Conservancy advocates in Oaxaca recently held an event billed as “Night of the” what?
Monarch butterflies dead

Mexican twins won gold in a diving competition this week held where?
The 14-year-old Cueva twins are rising stars in the sport of synchronized diving.

According to a recent “Mexico in Numbers” article, how many Oxxo stores are there in Mexico?
An Oxxo convenience store sign

In business news, which Mexican state leads the way in investment expectation this year?
MOnterrey view

How much of a discount are residents of the Guadalajara Metro Area going to receive if it's determined that their water is contaminated?
Woman holding up bottle of dirty Guadalajara tap water at demonstration.

The men’s World Cup is over, now Mexico’s women are ready for their moment

By
Alan Chazaro
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3
Diana García of El Tri Femenil celebrating a goal in a 9-0 blowout of Surinam
Diana García continues to be a force for El Tri Femenil in another World Cup qualifying cycle. (Gabriela Pérez Montiel/Cuartoscuro)

With the 2026 edition of the men’s World Cup behind us — in which Mexico became the first country to host the sporting event on three separate occasions (1970, 1986 and 2026), leaving an indelible impression on fans worldwide who openly celebrated Mexico’s culture, gastronomy and spirited fandom — the “summer of North American soccer” is coming to a close. Well, sort of. It’s not completely over.

Luckily for fans of fútbol (also known as fút or balompié in Mexico), on-pitch action will resume with a different set of national heroes, as Mexico and the rest of the globe prepare for the upcoming 2027 Women’s World Cup.

World Cup qualifying has already begun

 

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Though the tournament won’t actually take place until next summer — hosted in Brazil, marking the first time the FIFA women’s edition will take place on Latin American soil since debuting in 1991 — the race for the trophy is already underway.

Last winter, World Cup qualifying games began; this fall, North American qualifiers, which determine which teams from the region will compete in the World Cup, will conclude.

Here’s a look at Mexico’s national women’s squad and how they have fared so far on their historically arduous journey for sporting glory.

A history of women’s professional soccer in Mexico

Like all women’s sports around the globe, Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil is relatively new and lags behind its male counterpart league in terms of financial support, national investment, media coverage and, as a result, fandom. Despite those barriers, it has been celebrated as a highly successful effort.

The league was announced in late 2016 and officially played its first game in 2017. Since then, it has quietly developed into one of the world’s leading women’s leagues, with the Associated Press reporting that “women’s pro soccer is thriving in Mexico” and The New York Times citing it as the most-watched women’s league on the planet.

That said, it hasn’t been a path without systemic and cultural resistance. Instances of gender bias, sexism and a massive gap in pay and resources have endured. Last summer, Mexican men’s national team legend and former superstar Javier “Chicharito” Hernández was fined by the Mexican Football Federation for demeaning comments on social media that portrayed women as “failing” and “eradicating masculinity,” prompting a response from President Claudia Sheinbaum. In 2023, former Club América Femenil player Scarlett Camberos chose to leave the team and country due to excessive sexual harassment and cyberstalking.

Liga MX Femenil and the birth of the FIFA Women’s World Cup

Costa Rica vs. Mexico in women's friendly from 2021
Although women’s pro soccer dates from 1970 in Mexico, the Women’s World Cup did not debut until 1991. (FMF / Cuartoscuro)

Though Liga MX Femenil — both its successes and its accentuated reminder of Mexico’s machismo — is relatively nascent, pro women’s soccer in Mexico can be traced back to 1970. Before FIFA’s involvement, an unofficial Women’s World Cup existed as a series of international events independently sponsored by various nations. In those times, Mexico finished in third place at the 1970 World Cup in Italy and ended as runner-up in the largely erased 1971 World Cup in Mexico. It is estimated that the 1971 final at Estadio Azteca drew 110,000 fans. Unofficial tournaments continued throughout the 1980s under non-FIFA-sanctioned entities like the Chinese Taipei Football Association.

Pressure for an official FIFA Women’s World Cup mounted, crescendoing in 1986 when Norwegian delegate Ellen Wille famously urged FIFA to legitimize a women’s tournament in a speech that “changed the course of women’s football,” according to the BBC. In 1988, FIFA organized a trial tournament, the FIFA Women’s Invitation Tournament in China. Overwhelming success resulted in the debut of the official Women’s World Cup in 1991 in China.

Surprisingly, since the FIFA era of the World Cup began, Mexico’s women’s team hasn’t shown much promise. That is finally changing.

The road to the 2027 World Cup is off to a perfect start

In February, Mexico’s women’s team kicked off its World Cup campaign in the preliminary qualifying rounds of the Concacaf W Championship. Concacaf is the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, representing one of FIFA’s six continental governing bodies, which divides competition into regional tournaments that funnel teams into the World Cup every four years. Under this format, all North American, Central American and Caribbean teams face off, with the four quarterfinal winners earning direct berths to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Currently, Mexico is among the remaining eight North American countries with a chance to secure a World Cup ticket this year. It can do so by defeating Haiti on Nov. 28 at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium in Texas.

Mexico’s women haven’t reached a World Cup since 2015. Unlike the Mexican men’s national team — which has qualified 18 times dating back to 1930 — the women have appeared only three times (1999, 2011 and 2015). While the Women’s World Cup has taken place only nine times compared to 23 for the men, El Tri Femenil has struggled to assert regional dominance, holding a 33.3% qualification rate compared to the men’s nearly 80% rate over a much longer period.

A thus-far ‘flawless’ qualifying journey

 

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However, this World Cup cycle is proving to be different: Mexico’s women have been perfect in their qualifying run, an unprecedented feat. In 2023, Mexico also went undefeated for the first time at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, en route to claiming its first gold medal, proving this current team’s success is no fluke.

El Tri has topped Group A of the Concacaf W Championship qualifiers with a flawless 12 points — going unbeaten in four matches and scoring 36 goals while conceding zero. That places them among the continent’s strongest units and makes them favorites to advance. While they have primarily played lower-ranked competition — such as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which Mexico defeated 14-0, and Puerto Rico — the core of the 2023 Pan American Games roster remains intact, leading many to consider this the best women’s team Mexico has ever fielded.

‘The Sorceress’ and other Mexico stars to watch

The roster is headlined by Lizbeth “La Maga” Ovalle (whose nickname translates to “The Sorceress”). Having debuted professionally in 2017, the winger — originally from Aguascalientes, who gained fame as one of Mexico’s top scorers with Tigres UANL — set a record in 2025 by signing a US $1.5 million contract with the Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League, making it one of the most lucrative deals in women’s soccer history. That same year, Ovalle won the FIFA Marta Award for “Best Goal of the Year” at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony for her spectacular “scorpion kick” goal.

Behind Ovalle, Mexico boasts a depth of experience and skill with team captain Rebeca Bernal and the formidable striker Charlyn Corral, one of Mexico’s all-time leading goal scorers. Complementing the veteran leadership is “Concacaf Best Young Player” award winner Alice Soto, a 19-year-old dynamic midfielder who debuted professionally at age 13 and has been scoring in Liga MX Femenil ever since.

Why upcoming qualification matters

Against Haiti, Mexico can automatically claim a direct spot in the 2027 World Cup. A loss would send the team to a playoff round for a second chance.

Haiti is coming off its inaugural appearance in the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Les Grenadières, as they are known, are a rising team led by attacking duo Melchie Dumornay and Nérilia Mondésir, supported by a defense that has allowed only one goal during qualifiers.

 

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Though the Women’s World Cup does not begin until next June, the matches will stream on Netflix for the first time, with Mexico’s women primed for their deepest run in tournament history. Furthermore, the 2031 Women’s World Cup will be co-hosted by Mexico, the United States, Costa Rica and Jamaica, marking the first time Mexico will host the FIFA women’s event.

Until then, El Tri Femenil hopes to deliver the nation its first World Cup trophy — regardless of gender.

Alan Chazaro is the author of “These Spaceships Weren’t Built For Us” (Tia Chucha Press, 2026), “Notes from the Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge” (Ghost City Press, 2021), “Piñata Theory” (Black Lawrence Press, 2020), and “This Is Not a Frank Ocean Cover Album” (Black Lawrence Press, 2019). He is a graduate of June Jordan’s Poetry for the People program at UC Berkeley and was selected as a Lawrence Ferlinghetti Poetry Fellow at the University of San Francisco. His work can be found in NPR, The Guardian, SLAM, GQ, L.A. Times, and more. He is currently based in Veracruz.

US crimes against Mexico from an immigrant’s perspective

By
Sarah DeVries
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45
American flag waving in the breeze
It's possible to be proud of your native country and ashamed of it at the same time. (Aaron Burden/Unsplash)

There is nothing like living outside of your native country to make you reflect on the meaning of its actions, especially if your native country happens to be the United States of America.

Living in Mexico, of course, makes you an automatic representative of your country. This is not a fair position to be in, but it is the story of immigrants everywhere. For the most part, I benefit from my country of origin: whereas plenty of people in the U.S. might look down on an immigrant from Mexico, here it is the opposite. Most people expect me to be cool and interesting, and maybe a little sneaky, scary or both.

Donald J. Trump at a rally
Instead of celebrating diversity, the current U.S. president has demonized it. (Donald J. Trump/Facebook)

We may all be individuals, but the human brain only has so much capacity to think of people as individuals. Gather too many foreign individuals into the same place, and the borders between us blur and blend until we are collectively “others.”

Proud and ashamed

Many things about the U.S. make me very, very proud to be from there: like jazz music, the advancement of civil rights and feminism. First in flight. Customer service agents who are mostly empowered to actually help you. Clean public restrooms with toilet paper, for free!

Other aspects of my home country, however, make me feel deeply, deeply ashamed. A less-than-stellar record when it comes to genocide and enslavement, for example. And oh, Lord, influential religious leaders who would love to send us back to those “good old days.” Deliver us!

When it comes to current events, our treatment of immigrants is at the top of my list right now.

In case you have been protecting your peace more than I have and have abstained from the news, here is a sad summary: Donald Trump returned to office with as much of a mandate as you could suppose to reduce the “out of control” immigration in the U.S.

The killing of innocents and deportation of US citizens

More Latinos in the U.S. than ever voted for him. Strangely, they seemed to believe his promise that he would only target and deport “the criminals” among them. Who would not get behind that?

ICE agents detain a "suspect" in New England. (ICE)
ICE agents detain a “suspect” in New England. The agency is under fire for use of extralegal methods and deadly force. (ICE)

As it turns out, there are a lot fewer “immigrant criminals” than most people thought. So, unfortunately for the law-abiders, the net was pretty much immediately cast much, much wider to meet detention quotas set by the administration. It caught mothers and fathers taking their children to school. It caught lots and lots of people here legally, papers be damned. It caught those who were brought as children and have known no other life than that of an American.

On top of the generalized horror of being torn from one’s life, there is the very suspicious fact that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been extremely cagey, caught in lies more than once. It is a fight every time a local official wants to enter a (privately run) detention facility. Those who have come out of them have described the places as unfit for human beings. Rotting food, freezing temperatures and medical needs that are ignored. It is not hard to imagine how over 50 people have died since detentions were ramped up upon Trump’s return, some by suicide. Seventeen of these deaths have been of Mexican nationals (14 in custody, three during “operations”).

A lack of institutional control

Then, of course, there are the vehicle stops and shootings under extremely suspicious circumstances. One of the latest, of course, was that of a Mexican national, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who turned out not to even be ICE’s target. ICE’s story is that he tried to “weaponize his vehicle” against them. Witnesses say it was quite the opposite. The feds had to be blocked from deporting the witnesses. Weird behavior from an institution that has nothing to hide, right?

In short, things are truly out of control.

The U.S. and Mexico are supposed to be allies. What is going on here?

‘A general lack of accountability’

The main thing that is going on, I believe, is that the wrong people are in charge. Unhappy people voted them in, believing their lies about what the source of their unhappiness actually stemmed from. A threadbare social safety net paired with barely-there labor laws that are happy to let people simply fall through the net and onto the concrete pavement? Nah, that cannot be it … transgender people and immigrants, that is who is hurting you!

social media icons
Social media has become yet another political tool whose purpose is not to unify, but to divide. (Getty Images)

Social media — what was supposed to bring us together — and a general lack of accountability to the truth that the internet age has wrought have been excellent at getting people all riled up for stupid reasons.

The U.S. is really pushing it with Mexico right now.

Can Mexico do anything about it?

I personally think that is doubtful, but who knows? I have been wrong before. But if ICE cannot even be held accountable for its on-camera killings of U.S. citizens, who is going to put a boot on its neck over immigrant killings?

And when the offending country has been essentially in charge of international justice for decades, it is hard to tap the brakes. After all, who do you go to for help when the police themselves are corrupt?

Mexico, of course, understands this conundrum in a literal sense. But Mexico also does not claim to be the distributor of justice for the world, either.

Of all the words I might use to describe Mexicans, “proud” would be in the top five. While it seems that a few insults here and there will always be tolerated because of the particular power dynamic the two countries have, you cannot just start letting its citizens die and not even apologize for it.

Mexico files criminal complaints

Sheinbaum at podium
President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed today that the government is acting expeditiously in its decision to file criminal complaints in the United States in connection with the deaths of 17 Mexicans who have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) detention centers or in ICE operations since early 2025. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)

Claudia Sheinbaum, thankfully, is not letting this go. Criminal complaints, cease-and-desist letters to the private companies in charge of detention, the United Nations. They are going at it from all angles.

The Secretariat of Foreign Affairs is “filing a criminal complaint against whoever is responsible.”

But, gosh. “Whoever is responsible.” Hmm. There is our first issue right there.

Would that be the president, for insisting that as many immigrants be tossed out of the U.S. as possible? Stephen Miller, the architect of the whole thing? Agency heads? Those who hire and “train” (or don’t) ICE officers? The private companies who feel no need to provide adequate living conditions? The offending/negligent immigration officers themselves? It truly is a long list of candidates.

The known reality, of course, is that in the end, it is unlikely anyone will be held to account. I mean, we cannot even get the U.S. to acknowledge that it dropped a bomb on an Iranian girls’ school, killing hundreds of children. Sanctity of life, indeed.

‘The twin monsters of incompetence and cruelty’

How are we supposed to get anyone who has been given “free rein” to carry out the president’s signature plan to play fair?

ICE agent in Houston in roundup of illegals
Incompetence and cruelty cannot be immune from accountability, although increasingly in the U.S., it often seems as if they are. (ICE)

One of the biggest crimes that humans commit against each other is allowing the twin monsters of incompetence and cruelty to go on … and right now, those twin monsters have the full backing of the U.S. federal government.

This is what happens when you remove the shackles of accountability from institutions filled with the kinds of people who see the world as a fight between those who hunt and those who get hunted.

And many people who work in ICE fancy themselves hunters; they like to prey on people who are running or scared, or just trying to stay out of trouble’s way. They are hunted by the same types of people who used to catch (and torture) runaway slaves. They sniff out fear and relish the capture.

So here we are, many of us, living in a country that has welcomed us in ways that the U.S. would not dream of welcoming our neighbors. It is a strange and sad position to be in. It is also worth remembering that the tables could always turn.

We are the “others” here, after all.

Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.

Mexico’s week in review: World Cup glow fades as tariffs and security challenges take center stage

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MND Staff
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A woman walks through Mexico City's empty Zócalo, under color banners and World Cup decorations
FIFA fan festival decorations were removed from Mexico City's Zócalo this week after Sunday's final, as Mexico concluded its third stint as a World Cup host. (Andrea Murcia Monsivais / Cuartoscuro.com)

This week marked the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the conclusion of Mexico’s third turn as a host country. The week opened with President Sheinbaum’s attendance at the World Cup final in New Jersey, where brief exchanges with Trump, Carney and other officials set the tone for USMCA review talks that resumed in Mexico City. Sheinbaum later called the tournament a diplomatic success, and world leaders had high praise for Mexico’s performance as a host nation.

As World Cup excitement faded, security stories dominated elsewhere. Zacatecas authorities linked the multihomicide of 10 people, including a former mayor, to extortion and official collusion, while a Sinaloa Cartel kingpin, “El Mayo” Zambada, was sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. While El Mayo’s court case has run its course, infighting within the cartel he once led prompted 900 more troops to deploy to Mazatlán, Sinaloa. The week ended with the annoucement of sweeping U.S. sanctions against an opposing organized crime syndicate, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

On the economic front, inflation fell to its lowest level since 2020 and a new round of U.S. tariffs largely spared Mexico.

Didn’t have time to catch this week’s top stories? Here’s what you missed.

Security: Homicides fall, but high-profile violence persists

México state’s homicide rate has dropped to its lowest level in 19 years, officials said Wednesday, citing a “unified command” strategy that cut daily killings by 58% since September 2024. In Morelos, Governor Margarita González’s administration touted a 54% homicide drop alongside improving public perceptions of safety, even as the state investigated the murder of a mayor with alleged ties to organized crime.

That progress contrasted with events in Sinaloa and Oaxaca. The Zacatecas multihomicide, which included a former mayor of Sombrerete and two Fresnillo officials, is being investigated as a possible case of extortion and collusion between criminals and public officials. In Mazatlán, a string of targeted attacks over the past two weeks left at least a dozen dead, prompting the arrival of 900 additional troops, bringing the security deployment to more than 1,300 personnel. Authorities attributed the violence to the ongoing feud between Sinaloa Cartel factions that intensified after Zambada’s 2024 arrest. Separately, journalist Alejandro Leyva was shot dead in Oaxaca on Wednesday, the second journalist killed in Mexico in less than a week. Federal prosecutors took over the case at the request of state officials.

OFAC infographic showing a map of CJNG jalisco cartel operations in Mexico and the cartel leadership structure
Along with the new sanctions, the U.S. Treasury released updated information about the new leadership structure of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), following the death of its long-time leader, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, in February. (OFAC)

On Thursday, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned 39 individuals and 16 companies linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, including the CJNG’s new leader, Juan Carlos Valencia González, a.k.a. “El Pelón.” The U.S. called it the largest action ever taken against the group, and Mexico’s financial intelligence unit blocked the same accounts.

El Mayo’s sentencing and its aftermath

Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, Sinaloa Cartel co-founder, was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to forfeit $15 billion by a U.S. federal judge on Monday. In court, Zambada urged young people to avoid a life of crime. President Sheinbaum said she agreed with the sentiment but declined to explicitly endorse a message from a convicted trafficker. Mexican officials said Wednesday it remains unclear whether Zambada could ever be transferred to a Mexican prison, a decision that depends on whether the Attorney General’s Office pursues extradition.

Trade and economy: Inflation eases, tariff fights continue

Mexico’s annual inflation rate fell to 3.10% in the first half of July, the lowest for any comparable period since December 2020, driven largely by falling produce prices. Meanwhile, the tariffs Mexico implemented this year on countries without free trade agreements — chiefly targeting China — cut affected imports by 23.2% between January and May, even as overall imports from Asia rose on surging Taiwanese semiconductor purchases.

On the U.S. side, President Trump’s re-imposed tariffs took effect Friday on dozens of countries, but Mexico avoided major new costs: About 80% of Mexican exports remain tariff-free under the USMCA, according to Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard. While dozens of other countries faced increased tariffs, Mexico’s rate remained at 10%. The U.S. gave Mexico a heads-up before the announcement, as U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer visited Mexico City this week to meet with Sheinbaum and press for stricter automotive rules of origin in the ongoing USMCA review, citing a growing U.S. auto trade deficit with Mexico.

Trump re-imposes his tariffs, but Mexico gets a pass

Health, migration and infrastructure

Deputy Health Minister Eduardo Clark reported that 30 public hospital projects have been completed since October 2024, adding 1,474 beds toward a goal of 9,000 by 2030, with 33 more projects due this year. Health officials also moved to calm fears over a U.S. Cyclospora outbreak initially attributed to lettuce from Guanajuato: After the FDA retracted a positive test result, Mexican authorities said there was no evidence of contamination in Mexican-grown produce.

A new report from the Migration Policy Institute found the Mexican-born population in the U.S. has fallen to 11.1 million, down more than 500,000 since a 2007 peak, a decline researchers said could accelerate amid stepped-up immigration enforcement. On infrastructure, the government launched the second construction phase of its passenger rail program, which will link central Mexico to Saltillo and the Pacific coast, while separate data showed Mexico is drawing more international tourists but earning less per visitor as land-crossing traffic outpaces higher-spending air arrivals.

Also this week, the federal government joined Jalisco state officials in announcing a joint effort to rehabilitate Guadalajara’s aging water infrastructure and curb industrial contamination of the Lerma River, while Mexico City announced three regional forums to debate social media and AI regulation for minors.

Looking ahead

USMCA negotiations are set to continue following this week’s talks with Greer, with both sides aiming for interim agreements before year’s end even as the review process stretches toward 2036. Security officials face pressure to build on regional and national homicide declines while containing the Sinaloa Cartel factional violence driving unrest in Mazatlán and elsewhere. Investigations into the Zacatecas multihomicide and the killing of journalist Alejandro Leyva remain open, with federal authorities now involved in both cases.

Also in the news this week

A pair of dancers in a traditional, colorful dress and white suit twirl on a stage in front of hundreds of people at Guelaguetza in Oaxaca.
A pair of dancers twirl at the opening of Guelaguetza, an Indigenous cultural festival that has been celebrated every year in Oaxaca since 1969. (Carolina Jiménez Mariscal / Cuartoscuro.com)

Mexico News Daily

This story contains summaries of original Mexico News Daily articles. The summaries were generated by Claude, then revised and fact-checked by a Mexico News Daily staff editor.

MND Tutor | Lechuga

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Welcome to MND Tutor! This interactive learning tool is designed to help you improve your Spanish by exploring real news articles from Mexico News Daily. Instead of just memorizing vocabulary lists or grammar rules, you’ll dive into authentic stories about Mexican culture, current events and daily news.

According to Mexican and U.S. health authorities, iceberg lettuce from central Mexico is considered safe to eat, with no confirmed evidence connecting it to a recent U.S. Cyclospora parasite outbreak that is the largest in that country’s history, with nearly 2,000 cases already on record. Although the outbreak was circumstantially linked to supplier Taylor Farms, which issued a voluntary recall, U.S. and Mexican health agencies have not found a single verified positive test for Cyclospora in Mexican fields, produce samples or processing facilities.

Discover more about the recent news regarding iceberg lettuce, and why it matters, in our latest MND Tutor.

To learn more, read the full article here.



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