Ethan Jacobs' latest postcard from Mexico is stamped "Cabo San Lucas Marina." (Grand Fiesta Americana)
CABO SAN LUCAS, Baja California Sur, Oct. 25 — It’s quiet and cool off the strip. The abarrotes are just opening, and there’s an old man in a vest up the block pushing a shopping cart full of empty beer cans. That might be mop-up duty from last night’s debauchery, or this morning’s. Stray dogs patrol the streets, trotting from one garbage pile to the next like derelict show ponies. In their glory days, they guarded the now-abandoned buildings that flank the street, too pure for this world with their barbed-wire crowns of thorns.
Baby birds are just waking up, warbling. They were promised a worm, like all early birds, but maybe they’ll settle for the gnats buzzing around my face, plentiful at these hours when it’s still not hot enough for the sun to burn them out of the air midflight.
Long perambulations along the boardwalk that frames the Cabo San Lucas Marina offer a wealth of unusual sights and sounds. (Cabo Adventures)
It doesn’t take much to drown out the noise they make. Every half-minute, buses rattle up the sand-dusted Narciso Mendoza and down the Leona Vicario. As I turn onto Lázaro Cárdenas, I’m presented with a beautiful bouquet of belching tubas courtesy of the music blaring from the back of a black vocho. One doesn’t question who would blast banda music at this hour. “Reveille.” “La 4 x 4.” Same tiger, different stripes.
The soundtrack of the Cabo San Lucas Marina
The playlist in the Cabo San Lucas Marina is different. You might still hear some classics, depending on whose boat you walk by, but the shops and kiosks pander to a different demographic. I still haven’t quite figured out which. Daft Punk begets Murray Head, which begets Katy Perry. Speaking of which, Señor Frog’s is still thriving. Even at this hour, I spot a gringo retiree in board shorts and a tank top loitering in front, presumably curious about hours of operation. He’s in good company.
Along the esplanade, you hear far more English than Spanish. Much of that comes from merchants stumbling through back-of-the-napkin phrases they’ve committed to memory to entice newly arrived tourists to buy their wares. Though I also hear an old woman muttering something to her dog about one of the boats they pass by, so I guess even the dogs here are fluent.
‘A parking lot for yachts’
Along a wall, a line of men wearing Oakleys, long-sleeved shirts and visors sits idly, taking it easy before heading out on whatever excursions they’ll be leading. Nearby, a bored-looking clerk in a dockside store that looks like Cabo’s version of J. Peterman scrolls on his phone, unfazed about the urban sombrero sales quota he’ll need to meet by the end of the day. Even aboard the boats, on the eve of the world’s biggest marlin tournament, local fishermen prattle, hosing down decks and trying to be heard over the dull roar of idling boat engines.
This marina is like a Costco parking lot for yachts, though instead of an associate in a neon vest checking your ID, there’s a tall, wrought-iron gate with an entrance like a cage that only those with a key can get through. I pause to size it up, then look around to see who’s watching. “I could hop that,” I say to myself.
Ethan Jacobs is a freelance writer and writing coach based in Playa del Carmen. He has written extensively in narrative and short fiction formats, and his work has received recognition both domestically and internationally in microfiction, short fiction and narrative essay formats.
Recently, and with much fanfare, Chipotle opened its first restaurant in Mexico. Perhaps not surprisingly, the opening spurred a polarizing debate and discussion about whether a U.S.-based Mexican restaurant chain would do well in the country. Years ago, Taco Bell entered the country and ultimately left in what was considered a disaster.
So what are the arguments for and against Chipotle coming to Mexico? Is it yet another unwanted assault of American culture on another country? Or is it a welcome sign of competition and choice for Mexicans?
Could it lead to lost business for local Mexican restaurants and reduced “authentic” Mexican food options? Or could it create a standard for the trifecta of affordability, service and quality that Chipotle is known for and oftentimes doesn’t exist in many restaurants today? Or perhaps it’s not that big of a deal, and people should move on?
And finally, what does the choice of a ritzy Monterrey suburb as the first restaurant location in the country tell us?
I will admit that while I have been a very frequent customer of Chipotle in the United States, I have actually eaten very few burritos here in Mexico. And the ones I have had have been very different.
In this week’s episode of Confidently Wrong, George and I talk through the arguments on each side of the debate and offer our own thoughts and opinions. Where do you stand on this issue? Check out the discussion here:
Confidently wrong about Chipotle: Episode 5 - Season 3
Travis Bembenek is the CEO ofMexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.
Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) fighters with an improvised armored vehicle in Aguililla, Michoacán in 2021. (Cuartoscuro)
The U.S. Treasury on Thursday imposed sanctions on 39 Mexican individuals and 16 companies it alleges are linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), calling it “the largest action ever taken” against the notorious crime gang.
Shortly thereafter, Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) reported it had identified “indicators related to possible operations with resources of illicit origin, including cash transactions, acquisition of high-end vehicles, jewelry and real estate,” as well as “international transfers, intensive use of credit and debit cards and transactions using virtual assets.”
As a result of this review, Mexico blocked the accounts of the same 55 individuals and companies sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department.
“The coordinated actions between Mexican and U.S. authorities strengthen mechanisms of international cooperation to prevent abuse of the financial system, combat money laundering and weaken the economic structures of organized crime,” the UIF said.
(US Treasury)
Among those sanctioned is Juan Carlos González, aka “El Pelón,” identified by U.S. authorities as the new leader of the CJNG following the February death of his stepfather, cartel founder, Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, who was killed in a federal operation.
The U.S. State Department has offered a reward of US $5 million for the capture of González, who holds both Mexican and U.S. citizenship.
Also sanctioned was the network of associates and subordinates linked to Audias Flores Silva, aka El Jardinero, who was arrested by Mexican authorities in April.
The UIF review found “inconsistencies” in tax records involving the accused, saying “they present characteristics of shell companies or with corporate structures of limited or no apparent economic activity.”
A complaint was filed with the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and the 39 individuals — as well as eight others accused of being part of the same CJNG network — were added to the UIF’s Blocked Persons List (BPL).
The BPL is a public report identifying individuals and legal entities involved in money laundering or terrorist financing. All Mexican individuals and companies are required to immediately suspend any and all acts, operations or services with people or entities on the BPL.
Starlink will be available on all Volaris flights in 2027, but it's not yet known if there will be an extra charge. (Volaris)
Low-cost airline Volaris will soon become the first Mexican carrier to offer Starlink satellite Wi-Fi on board its flights.
Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite network, is known for allowing users to browse the Internet as if they were on the ground. In the sky, users can text, make video calls, listen to music, work remotely, or watch streaming content.
First, we changed the way Mexico flies. Now, we’re changing what flying feels like. The fastest Wi-Fi in the sky is coming aboard with @Starlink
Starlink’s advantage is that it operates via satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), much closer to the planet than older systems, shortening data travel distance, cutting response time delay, and using flat smart antennas to track moving connections.
Volaris expects to have Starlink’s Internet available across its entire fleet by 2027. But it has not specified whether access will be free for all passengers, linked to a loyalty program, or have an additional cost.
The rollout will encompass more than 150 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, on both domestic and international routes.
This announcement is part of a broader strategy by Indigo Partners — Volaris’s holding company — which also includes JetSMART, Wizz Air, Frontier, and Cebu Pacific. Collectively, these airlines plan to install Starlink on more than a thousand aircraft worldwide.
Unlike other connectivity models, the service won’t be managed by the airline, but directly by Starlink through its own system.
Beyond improving passenger experience, the technology seeks to improve communication between aircraft and ground personnel, anticipate maintenance needs before they become failures and better react to unforeseen events.
Said Volaris head Enrique Beltranera, “The airline’s ultra-low-cost model goes hand in hand with an exceptional travel experience, which continues to evolve in line with our customers’ expectations.”
President Sheinbaum met with USTR Jamieson Greer Thursday in Mexico City, where she was given a heads-up on Trump's pending new tariffs set to take effect Friday, and the limited impact Mexico faces. (Presidencia)
The U.S. government imposed new tariffs on 80 countries effective on Friday, but Mexico escaped relatively unscathed.
Taxes on Mexican goods replace the 10% duty U.S. President Donald Trump dictated in February after the Supreme Court invalidated the broad-based tariffs he had applied last year. Those original replacement tariffs were valid for only 150 days, prompting Friday’s new levies.
Despite Trump’s constant tariff threats and negative statements about the USMCA, Mexico and the U.S. continue to pursue trade ties, including an informal discussion this week during USTR Jamieson Greer’s visit to Mexico City.(Presidencia)
U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer informed President Claudia Sheinbaum of the pending decision during a Thursday morning meeting at the National Palace.
Afterward, Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard explained that the 10% tariff does not affect approximately 80% of the products Mexico exports to the U.S.
“Mexican products that comply with the terms of the US-Mexico-Canada trade pact (USMCA) will remain tariff-free,” Ebrard said.
The other 20% involved previously established sectoral duties — including those applied to specific non-USMCA goods, steel and vehicles — that were already set at 10% and therefore will essentially be unchanged.
There is a possibility that Mexico could be subject to an “excess capacity” tariff — an obscure provision of a 1930 trade law that applies to countries that “put undue burdens on U.S. imports.” This is likely to be addressed during ongoing USMCA negotiations.
The new U.S. tariffs seek to address what the Trump administration claims are unfair trade practices in an effort to restore some of the rates struck down by the Supreme Court.
The USTR conducted investigations seeking to establish that some countries had failed to take steps to curb forced labor, with the alleged worst offenders now facing a 12.5% tariff rate. However, the forced-labor compliance requirements do not affect Mexico, Ebrard said.
“All products we exported within the USMCA have zero tariffs, with the exception of steel, some vehicles and products exported outside the treaty,” she said. “Mexico remains exactly the same as we were a week ago.”
Greer and Ebrard discussed topics ranging from steel and aluminum and derivative products, automobiles, economic security, labor, agriculture and electronic payment services.
Sheinbaum said her meeting with Greer served as “an assessment of how far the talks have come, to learn more about what the U.S. is proposing, and to consider the timeline.”
City Clerk Moisés Ríos Pérez, seen here with provisional Mazatlán Mayor Minerva Osuna Zavala, says he's hoping the 900 new troops, bringing the total to more than 1,300, will allow authorities to station security personnel throughout the entire city.
(Mazatlán Municipal Government)
A contingent of 900 Mexican Army troops arrived in the early hours of Thursday at the port of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, as part of a security reinforcement in response to a series of armed attacks in recent weeks.
City Clerk Moisés Ríos Pérez said the newly arrived soldiers bring the total number of troops for the enhanced security operations to more than 1,300.
Ríos explained that the Public Security and Defense Ministries, and other authorities involved in daily security meetings, are working on accommodating the new troops before defining their operational deployment.
“Nine hundred arrived at midnight yesterday; we are struggling to relocate them at the moment,” Ríos told local media. “But we’re hoping that with this new number we can now deploy them throughout the municipality . . . to prevent more [violence].”
The security reinforcement, a joint effort among federal, state and municipal authorities, comes in response to a surge in violence that has marked the start of the summer holiday season in the port city and tourist destination.
Between July 12 and 18, local media reported Mazatlán recorded seven homicides and one femicide, in addition to a shooting and suspected explosive attack on a home. On July 17 and 18 alone, six armed attacks were reported in less than 24 hours, leaving four dead and three wounded. Days later, between July 22 and 23, five more people were murdered in less than a day.
Investigations by the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) are underway to clarify the homicides and to identify the victims and the perpetrators.
Since September 2024, Mazatlán has been the scene of armed attacks, kidnappings, disappearances, and murders.
Some of the new personnel will be stationed in areas such as Germán Evers and Urías, while another group will guard the federal highways leading to Durango and Nayarit. The effort aims to protect both residents and tourists arriving at the destination during peak season.
On Friday, Sheinbaum shared new national survey results showing that fewer Mexicans feel unsafe in their cities, as well as highlighting a drop in the homicide rate in Morelos. (Presidencia)
Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds
🎤 Cuernavaca cabinet meeting: Sheinbaum held her Friday presser in Morelos, spotlighting a 54% murder-rate drop under Gov. Margarita González, credited to the federal Plan Morelos.
📊 Security perception improves: INEGI’s Q2 survey showed 59.8% of respondents feel unsafe in their city, down from 61.5% in March and 63.8% in December.
🚨Temoac mayor murder: Federal agents are aiding Morelos prosecutors probing the killing of Mayor Valentín Lavín Moreno, who had alleged ties to local crime groups; his in-laws were arrested Thursday.
📰 Oaxaca journalist killing: Federal prosecutors took over the case of slain journalist Alejandro Leyva at Oaxaca’s request; Sheinbaum tasked the AG with meeting Leyva’s family.
⚖️ Ruffo arrest not political: Sheinbaum denied persecution claims over ex-Baja California governor Ernesto Ruffo’s arrest, tying it to a 12-month fuel theft probe involving his company, Ingemar.
Why today’s mañanera matters
President Claudia Sheinbaum held her Friday morning press conference in Cuernavaca, the capital of the state of Morelos, continuing a practice begun in January of holding regional Security Cabinet meetings on the road to highlight local challenges.
Located just south of Mexico City, Morelos is the third-smallest entity in the republic, with a population of just under 2 million residents.
President Sheinbaum gave her Friday morning press conference from Cuernavaca, state capital of Morelos. (Gobierno de Cuernavaca)
Morelos is grappling with corruption and organized crime challenges, though murder rates have dropped by 54% since Governor Margarita González was sworn in on Oct. 1, 2024 (the same day Sheinbaum took office).
Officials credited Plan Morelos — a joint federal-state security strategy implemented in April — and state-level efforts for reducing high-impact crimes across the state.
President touts improving public perception of security
Sheinbaum highlighted improvement in the public perception of security as reflected in the quarterly survey conducted by the national statistics agency INEGI, saying the results indicate that the public is noticing the advancements her government is making.
So far this year, Mexicans’ perception of insecurity dropped in both the first and the second quarter.
INEGI reported that 63.8% of those surveyed felt unsafe in their city in December, while 61.5% said they felt unsafe in March. That number fell to 59.8% in the latest survey.
The president acknowledged that perception sometimes changes gradually, often depending on whether one or one’s family have been victims of a crime.
“But it also depends on what you hear or read,” she said. “The important thing is that we are delivering results … and the population sees that.”
Federal authorities take over two high-profile murder cases
In stark juxtaposition to the public perception survey, Sheinbaum and Security Minister Omar García Harfuch offered updates on the investigations into Wednesday’s shocking murders.
With regard to the murder of Valentín Lavín Moreno, the mayor of Temoac (just 80 kilometers east of Cuernavaca), Harfuch said federal agents are working closely with Morelos prosecutors “to clarify the events and apprehend those responsible.”
Harfuch added that Lavín, who was shot to death in his City Hall office, was under investigation for possible links to two local crime groups. Lavín’s in-laws were arrested on Thursday, accused of having ties to organized crime.
A few hours before the tragic events in Temoac, journalist Alejandro Leyva was shot to death in the state of Oaxaca.
Federal prosecutors have taken over the case at the request of the Oaxaca authorities, Harfuch said, declining to elaborate further.
Sheinbaum has directed Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez to meet with Leyva’s family and will also consult with journalists. “We have committed to several meetings in hopes of reassuring them that impunity will not be permitted,” Rodríguez said.
In response to a question regarding opposition figures accusing the Sheinbaum administration of political persecution, the president denied that federal prosecutors are targeting political opponents.
Addressing the recent arrest of former Baja California Governor Ernesto Ruffo — a member of the National Action Party (PAN) — Sheinbaum said Ruffo was ensnared in a 12-month fuel theft investigation in which eight others were arrested.
“[Ruffo] is the primary shareholder [of Ingemar, the company accused of criminal activity], but he was not the ‘target’ … and the investigation is ongoing,” she said, adding that any others found to be involved will be pursued equally.
Sheinbaum said the investigation seeks to prove that Ingemar was illegally importing fuel (and evading taxes) and was fraudulently distributing it. “This has nothing to do with politics,” she said.
Father Rubén Pérez Rubio used a pressure washer to spread holy water over a crowd of the faithful in the runup to the town of Contepec's celebration of their patron saint's day.
(Screen capture of video / Facebook)
A Catholic priest in the western Mexican state of Michoacán has gone viral after a video showed him using a pressure washer to spray holy water over a crowd during a patron saint festival.
The footage, widely shared across TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, shows Father Rubén Pérez Rubio standing in the bed of a white pickup truck during celebrations honoring Saint James the Apostle in Contepec, a Michoacán municipality of about 35,000 near the Querétaro border.
Holding a pressure washer (hidrolavadora in Spanish) he directs a stream of holy water (agua bendita) toward dozens of parishioners gathered outside the church on Wednesday.
The unusual method allowed the priest to reach a large crowd at once, with attendees — including women, children and elderly worshippers — reacting with laughter, raised hands and applause as they received the blessing.
“May my magnanimous mercy pour out its grace upon you all,” the priest says in Spanish in the video.
Local accounts cited by El Universal and other media outlets say the approach was intended to ensure no one was left without holy water during one of the municipality’s most important annual religious celebrations, which draws large numbers of residents and visitors.
The video quickly went viral, generating thousands of comments and sparking debate about the balance between tradition and innovation in religious practice.
Some social media users praised the priest’s creativity and practicality, saying the method helped engage the community and adapt to large crowds.
Others questioned whether using a pressure washer diminished the solemnity of a ritual typically performed with a traditional aspergillum.
Additional criticism focused on what some described as a waste of holy water and a lack of reverence.
Still, many commenters framed the act as a lighthearted moment that reflected a more accessible and modern approach to religion.
As of Friday, Pérez Rubio had not publicly commented on the viral video.
Saint James the Apostle, or Santiago Apóstol in Spanish, is honored across Latin America and Spain as a patron of pilgrims and towns whose July 25 feast day blends Catholic ritual with local tradition.
In Michoacán, patron saint festivals for him typically feature special Masses, processions through the streets, music and cultural activities.
From the pink spires of the Parroquia of San Miguel Arcángel (pictured) to Ángela Peralta Theater and Benito Juárez Park, San Miguel de Allende's landmarks reflect centuries of history. (Shutterstock)
San Miguel de Allende’s colonial streets and centuries-old architecture bear the names of some of Mexico’s most prominent historical figures. From leaders of the revolution to artists and architects, San Miguel is a living history lesson around every turn. So when you are strolling the gardens in San Miguel’s parks or walking down some of its most historic streets, here are the prominent figures that give their names to San Miguel’s most iconic sites.
Ignacio Allende
Ignacio Allende, a leader of the Mexican Revolution against Spain and the namesake of San Miguel de Allende, is the most prominent Mexican historical figure born in San Miguel.
Mexican revolutionary hero Ignacio Allende was born in 1769 in San Miguel, known at the time as San Miguel el Grande. (INEHRM)
The son of wealthy Spanish colonists, Allende enlisted with the Spanish army in Mexico before joining the underground independence movement. Eventually, Allende was named lieutenant general of the Revolutionary Army with Miguel Hidalgo y Castillo serving as Captain General.
The two succeeded in winning early victories, but were pushed back towards Guadalajara after failing to march on Mexico City. Hidalgo and Allende, despite greatly outnumbering the royalist forces, were defeated at the Battle of Calderon Bridge in Jalisco. This caused the insurgent troops to oust Hidalgo as their leader and install Allende as the head of the revolution.
Allende attempted to move north towards the United States in the hope of making powerful allies with the Americans. However, he was ambushed by royalist forces and taken to Chihuahua, where he was tried and executed by firing squad on June 26, 1811.
San Miguel de Allende was named after him when it became a city in 1826. The Plaza Ignacio Allende in Centro and the Instituto Allende on Salida a Celaya bear his name. Municipalities in six other Mexican states, including Chihuahua, Nuevo León and Jalisco are named after him.
Benito Juárez
Benito Juárez was a revolutionary who became the Indigenous president of Mexico in 1861. (Pelegrín Clavé/Wikimedia Commons)
Benito Juárez is one of the most famous historical figures in Mexican history, becoming the first Indigenous president after winning the Reform War and helping to fight off monarchist troops during the French invasion. Benito Juárez Park, about two blocks south of the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, is named after him.
Juárez walked nearly 30 miles to Oaxaca City when he was young to find work, eventually becoming a lawyer. He became the governor of Oaxaca in 1847, but was later exiled by the dictator Antonio López de Santa Anna and he fled to New Orleans, Louisiana.
Juárez later returned as a member of the Reform Party, but was imprisoned as Mexico began to fracture in civil war. After the conservatives won early battles, the liberals regrouped and were able to triumph. Juárez then became the first Indigenous president after assuming the role in 1861.
His problems were far from over, however, as the French — at the invitation of Mexican monarchists — invaded central Mexico and installed Austrian royal Maximilian as emperor. After fleeing north and narrowly escaping death, Juárez received a massive loan from the United States that reinvigorated the Republican troops, eventually forcing the French to flee.
Juárez once again assumed the role as the leader of Mexico, and executed Maximilian despite pleas for clemency. Juárez served for over 14 years as president before dying of a heart attack while still in office in 1872.
Zeferino Gutiérrez
Stonemason Zeferino Gutiérrez designed San Miguel de Allende’s most iconic landmark: the towering neo-Gothic Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel. (File photo)
The towering pink facade of the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel is, by far, the most iconic landmark in San Miguel. It was designed by iconic stonemason Zeferino Gutiérrez, a highly respected master of his craft despite never being trained as an architect.
Gutiérrez, whose previous work only involved steps and altars of local churches, used postcards of iconic European castles to design the iconic facade. He used pink lava stone, which has retained its color to this day and helped transform San Miguel into a world-renowned tourist destination.
Gutiérrez was given a home in San Miguel for his work on the church and continued to design and build places of worship. He designed the original Mercado Ignacio Ramírez on the town’s Civic Plaza, which was later replaced with the iconic statue of Ignacio Allende on a horse.
The typhus epidemic swept through San Miguel during the height of the Mexican Revolution, killing Gutiérrez in 1916. In January 2020, Zeferino Gutiérrez Park opened in San Miguel just north of the Fabrica la Aurora art center, becoming the largest park in the municipality.
Ignacio Ramírez
San Miguel-born politician Ignacio Ramírez was a leading thinker of the La Reforma movement. (INBAL)
Ignacio Ramírez was one of the most prominent liberals of the La Reforma movement, which aimed to create a liberal democracy in Mexico and advocated for the separation of church and state.
The Ignacio Ramírez Cultural Center in the Centro neighborhood bears his name, along with the Mercado Ignacio Ramírez just north of the Civic Plaza.
Ramírez was born in San Miguel de Allende and was raised on liberal values before studying at university in Querétaro. He began publishing liberal newspapers and worked a slew of governmental positions before participating in the reform movement.
When the government of Benito Juárez eventually won power, Ramírez was given a spot in the cabinet where he continued to push for liberal reforms. He was forced out of the capital when the French marched into Mexico City, but continued to publish liberal ideals in hiding. Ramírez was imprisoned by the monarchist government upon his return to Mexico City, but was freed when the empire fell in 1867.
Under President Porfirio Díaz, who seized power in a military coup, Ramírez was named Minister of Justice and was elected to the Supreme Court. He died in 1879 at 60 years old.
Ángela Peralta
Ángela Peralta was one of the most renowned opera singers of the 19th century. (Wikimedia Commons)
Located in the heart of Centro near the Ignacio Ramirez Cultural Center stands the Ángela Peralta Theater, one of the cultural icons of San Miguel.
Peralta, one of the greatest operatic singers in Mexican history, made her debut at just 15 years old in Mexico City before relocating to study in Italy under the bank of a wealthy financier. She made 32 curtain calls in Europe and North Africa, where she was dubbed the “Mexican Nightingale,” before returning to perform in Mexico at the invitation of Maximilian.
On top of her singing, Peralta was a composer, pianist and harpist. Amphitheaters and theaters across the country are named after her in tribute.
Pedro Vargas
Pedro Vargas was an actor and singer during the golden age of Mexican cinema. (Film still via IMDB)
Pedro Vargas, an actor and singer born in San Miguel de Allende, was one of the key figures of the golden age of Mexican cinema from 1936-1956. His former home and his statue sits on the street Salida Real a Querétaro. The house is now a luxury estate, next to the popular lookout of the Parroquia.
Vargas, nicknamed “The Nightingale of the Americas,” left San Miguel at just 14 years old for Mexico City, where he studied at the National Conservatory of Music. Although his career began in the opera, he transitioned into popular song and appeared in over 70 films, eventually performing for U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House in 1942. Vargas also performed extensively throughout Mexico and at major venues in the United States, including Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden.
Throughout his career, Vargas performed lyrical pieces, boleros and ranchera ballads written by some of Mexico’s most celebrated composers, including Agustín Lara. Vargas died in 1989 at the age of 83 in Mexico City.
Jared Tucker is a summer intern at Mexico News Daily in San Miguel de Allende and a rising senior at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he is the sports editor for The Daily UW. He was previously a fellow at TheFulcrum.us, where he covered public participation in American democracy.
Some feelings can only be properly understood in Mexican Spanish. (Marco Carmona/Pexels)
I was raised in a bicultural environment. Not because either of my parents was from abroad, but because I went to a bilingual school my entire life. Most of my teachers were either from the United States or the United Kingdom — so yes, growing up, I learned how to count pennies and quarters, as well as Mexican pesos.
However, I was often curious as to how to translate theuse of usted, for example, which in English does not exist. At a very early age, I remember being unable to express in English some of the feelings I spoke about at home, which were inherently of a Mexican traditional upbringing. Culturally, there were literally no words that could transmit the warmth of an apapacho or the joy of cotorreo in English. As the editors probably know, I often misuse prepositions (I hope it brings them some relief to know I also experience this in Spanish).
Nothing screams Mexico more than a group of girlfriends enjoying themselves cotorreando. (stayhereforu/Pexels)
Beyond my grammatical imperfections and translation confusions, here’s a handpicked guide to some of my favorite feelings you can only experience in Mexican Spanish — from an imperfect Mexican writer to an ever-supportive readership.
Cotorrear
Cotorrear comes from the word cotorro, meaning parakeets, which are widely known for being talkative and outspoken animals. Cotorrear, thus, implies a noisy conversation in whichfriends and family members talk over one another excitedly, about anything and everything, all at once.
People, however, do not cotorrean with their bosses or the police (that would be, to say the least, suspicious). You do so with your close inner circle, because although it is a leisurely talk, it’s usually not just small talk. People cotorrean about their issues, about politics and about how their car landed again at the mechanic.
Apapachar
As happens with most Mexicanisms,apapachar comes from Náhuatl, the official language of theMexica Empire. It translates as people allowing others to care for them with tender displays of affection, such as Grandma’s hug, a nice, warm soup made by Mom, or even just going to a dear friend’s house to talk about a recent loss. “Ser apapachada, apapachado” implies allowing oneself to be vulnerable to a loved one, especially when you’re feeling ill or down emotionally.
Chacharear
Chacharar is just fun. It’s what you do when you’re on vacation and land in the Pueblo Mágico’s wondrous mercado de artesanías, or go on a Sunday stroll toLa Lagunilla market. The word comes from cháchara: “something small, unimportant and of little value,” as defined by theDictionary of Mexican Spanish. I think the best translation is simply “a trinket.”
Chacharear, however, is not like window shopping. You actually get to feel and touch the trinkets in the market, and even get to discuss a lower price with your vendor (oh, the glorious thrill of regateo!). Also, when you’re chachareando, it doesn’t mean you will actually buy any of the things that caught your eye! Actually, you probably won’t — you just do it for the joy of contemplating useless things you don’t need, but you somehow find interesting or amusing.
My mom wanting to chacharear on a Sunday morning is my dad’s worst nightmare. (Cristiano Junior/Pexels)
Achicopalarse
You know when someone is so sad, they actually round their back in a crestfallen way? They’re probably achicopalada, achicopalado. The term comes, again, from Náhuatl achikopa, which has been translated as “feeling inferior.” However, in contemporary Mexican Spanish, the term is used as simply “feeling down.”
You’ll probably feel achicopalada when your boyfriend just dumped you, or when you failed the test you studied so hard for. Or even when your parents unfairly grounded you. People can even feel achicopalados when the sky is heavy with dark clouds, or the weather isn’t that nice, too.
Desconchinflarse
When the blender breaks down, the air conditioner doesn’t work, or the TV screen refuses to turn on, that’s when you know your appliances are desconchinfladas. And it’s sad. Because they’re not beyond repair, they’re simply waiting for you to take them to the shop to be fixed — and maybe you’re just too busy (or lazy) to go.
However, desconchinflarse does not only apply to hardware. Whenever you hurt your leg or possibly strain an ankle, you can also say your foot is desconchinflado. You don’t get to go to the hardware store to repair one of those, though (please, go see a doctor).
Petatearse
Petatearse is possibly the only feeling in Mexican Spanish that every person on planet Earth (and beyond) will eventually face. It comes from the Náhuatl word petate, a rug, and it translates literally as dying. When people in the ancient Mexica Empire died, they were wrapped in a handmade ritual mat before their funeral ceremonies. So whenever you hear someone “se petateó,” it literally means they passed.
However, you would never hear anyone say their grandmother “se petateó.” That would just be disrespectful and rude. Petatearse is a verb people use as slang when referring to someone they don’t know in a mischievous Mexican way. So no, if you receive the news of a dear friend who just lost a family member, do not say “se petatearon.” Please. Ever.
