Postcards from Mexico: On the Paseo de Montejo in Mérida
MÉRIDA, Yucatán, Dec. 7 — Mati’s the ringleader of a group of rambunctious children running around and tearing up the Paseo de Montejo sidewalk on their tricycles and two-wheelers. He’s 5 and already unbearable. No respect for caution or the rules, and heedless of his mother’s warnings, insistent on steering his bike like a dive bomber pilot. Predictably, he falls and faceplants after going down a ramp wildly, and now he’s crying.
It’s a little past 12:30 p.m. on a Sunday, so officially, the ciclovía is now closed, which, perhaps, explains why the boy repurposed a bistro’s wheelchair ramp into an X Games quarterpipe. It’s not my business to tell him how to live his life. But after witnessing about 10 near-misses wherein he and his Fury Road confreres narrowly avoided taking out passersby on the sidewalk, I can’t quite contain my schadenfreude.
A Sunday ciclovía in Mérida
Chief among those spared is a man in a yellow dress shirt, jeans and a straw hat playing acoustic guitar with a harmonica fixed to his mouth. He plucks away plaintively while rust-colored notes slowly wheeze from his mouth, one exhale at a time. Laid before him is an open guitar case that the kids in question whiz by, their parents visibly worn down from chasing them around and steering them away from such obstacles. Despite the distractions, the man continues to play stoically, ignoring the children just as passersby ignore him.
Doing so is quite the feat when considering the leisurely pace of Paseo pedestrians. On most days, it’s a street for a stroll, but on Sundays, it becomes a crawl. Of course, on cue, a barefoot man in a stained shirt passes by, power-walking, his arms swinging freely as he moves by Mati. But he’s the exception to the rule, inexplicably in a rush on a day when most establishments close shop. For the rest, the journey is the destination, which makes it hard to fathom how, moving at a snail’s pace, anyone could convincingly feign not hearing the man and his music.
Vendors and their looky-loos
To be fair, he’s not the only show in town. Vendors line the sidewalks, their plastic folding tables planted a few feet back from the curb. Seated and sweaty, they sell their wares: jewelry, macramé and portraits painted on canvas. Whatever they’ve been working on throughout the week. Others unfurl tarps on which they lay out rows of trinkets, like figurines, small sculptures and hand-carved kimbomba sets. It’s unclear how business goes. Probably tough when you’re shoulder to shoulder with block after block of artisans selling what you’re selling, but maybe with space restrictions, they don’t have much of a say. Still, with foot traffic passing by at the pace of a conveyor belt, they get more than their fair share of looky-loos.
Some of those aren’t even on foot. In what remains of the Sunday cycling road, the avenue is speckled with beach cruisers, scooters, stumbling rollerbladers and languidly pedaled bicycles hooked up to carriages like rickshaws. Whether they’d ever be able to get close enough to appreciate the craftwork displayed on the sidewalk is doubtful, but maybe they’ll see something they like and circle back later. If not them, then the city tour trolley that rolls by before unloading a sizable share of its passengers on the corner of 37th Street. Even without its Comic Sans lettering, rainbow-colored, zigzag stenciling and parade of international flags, it wouldn’t be hard to spot as a tourist tram. The people alighting give it away.
The always identifiable ‘gringos’
In and around El Centro, they’re always identifiable, clad in linen, straw hats and leather sandals if Mexican, and board shorts and tank tops if gringo. Bonus points on Paseo de Montejo for spotting the unfortunate souls who taxied to the wrong hotel and now lug their roll-aboard bags down a stretch of street as long as the Champs-Élysées. Perhaps they’ll partition their procession to buy a hand fan from the squat man wearing a white-collared shirt and socks with sandals, selling fans. Otherwise, best to slip into the shade, join the hordes lounging about at tables in outdoor bistros, sipping flat whites, eating overpriced croissants and people-watching. But enough about me.
A street scene unfolds
These and other musings are interrupted by a “Dele! Dele!”, an elderly man waving a towel anywhere there’s a parking space to be had. He pounces on an elderly lady, instructing her to move her car up a few feet even though she’s parked perfectly and there’s plenty of space elsewhere. For his unbidden service, he’ll request a few pesitos — “alguito pa’ las chelas” — the lady will oblige, and all will be right in the world.
I’m still not sold on his enterprising spirit. Near the curb, three friends pose for selfies in front of a phone they’ve set up in the crook of a tree. Surely, the man with the red towel, with his well-honed eye for angles, could step in and offer his services. Instead, he just paces, occasionally waving his towel at cars as they pass, and nodding to a woman pushing an empty baby stroller. She’s the one Mati’s been waiting for. At last, his ambulance has arrived.
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.
For the first time, Mexico’s inflation is now lower than in the US: A ‘Confidently Wrong’ podcast
High inflation is not good. It is a hidden tax on citizens, it saps business confidence and it acts as a brake on investment. At the national level, a country that persistently runs higher inflation than another tends to end up with a weaker currency, higher interest rates, more volatility and a long-run loss of competitiveness and real incomes relative to the lower-inflation country.
For decades, that has been exactly the case of Mexico and the United States. Mexico has always had higher inflation and, partly as a result, a weaker currency and higher interest rates. In fact, part of the explanation for Mexico’s constant loss of real incomes is this consistently higher inflation.
But now, for the first time in many years (other than for a few months in the post-COVID pandemic period), Mexico actually has lower inflation than the United States. What could this mean for expats and foreign visitors to the country? What could it mean for businesses and investors? And what could it mean for Mexican citizens?
Find out in this week’s episode of Mexico News Daily’s “Confidently Wrong” podcast, as George and I discuss what this monumental economic milestone could mean for Mexico in the coming months and years. This episode will certainly help provide context and perspective on the topic. Enjoy!
Confidently wrong about inflation: Season 3 - Episode 4
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.
The best traditional mercados to explore in Mexico City this summer
Picnic season is here and Mexico City dwellers are all about it. After a prolonged dry season and long sunny days, all we want is to get out there and enjoy our recently renovated green areas. How do you prepare the perfect picnic with fresh and local ingredients? Enter Mexico News Daily’s ultimate digest of the best mercados to visit this summer, as the Mexican capital thrives with the season’s heat.
This selection of places, however, is not limited to food markets. Only in Mexico City can you find markets specializing in century-old books, with stalls just blocks away dedicated to the best heavy metal bands of the last century. This summer is a great time to visit them all.
Mercado de Flores (San Ángel)
South of Mexico City, this emblematic flower market dates back to when “the Carmelite friars cultivated flowers along with fruits in the large orchards of Chimalistac,” per the Mexico City government. For over 300 years, this has been the place in Mexico City for wealthy families to get their floral arrangements, from weddings to Mother’s Day. If you’re looking for a wonderful Sunday morning plan, stroll across the market aisles to buy your favorite summer flowers. Once you’re done, you can have a very chic breakfast at La Petite Lola, at the heart of San Ángel’s main square.
Where: Av. Revolución 1620, San Ángel, Álvaro Obregón.
Mercado de Antojitos (Coyoacán)
As a child, Saturdays meant going to Coyoacán’s historic center to eat quesadillas de frijol con queso at our favorite stand at the Mercado de Antojitos. Oftentimes, my sister wailed to my father, asking for the iconic “character waffles” at the stand in the back, where the same man who had been running it for 30 years made waffles shaped like princesses and cartoon characters for kids. My mom, however, preferred her tostadas de pata. The same vendors from yesteryear still run their businesses. So, if you’re in for a more local culinary experience, do not hesitate to visit Mercado de Antojitos.
Where: Higuera 30, La Candelaria, Coyoacán.
Mercado de Libros Antiguos (Centro Histórico)
Also known as “Tendido de Libros,” this traditional tianguis is rarely heard of in travel guides. It’s definitely an insider’s secret that’s worth a visit. Managed by the Fondo de Cultura Económica, it is placed in a hidden alley between Callejón de la Condesa and Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas in Mexico City’s Historic Center. Between the Palacio de Minería and the Edificio de Correos — both over 100 years old — this alleyway offers first editions of “One Hundred Years of Solitude” alongside lithographs by Remedios Varo. If you’re lucky, you might even find dusty postcards from the last century, a true Mexico City time capsule.
Where: Next to the Postal Palace, in the alley between Callejón de la Condesa and Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc.
Tianguis de los Martes (Condesa)
If you’re looking to experience a traditional open-air market without leaving the Roma or Condesa areas, the Tianguis de los Martes is the perfect option for you. You’ll find it, naturally, on Tuesdays, along Calle Pachuca. All the vendors pride themselves on growing their own produce. Although it’s considerably more expensive than a regular market, it’s one of the few places in the area where Indigenous women sell mushrooms, fruit, vegetables and fresh meat. Always look for fruit that’s in season, as it’s the tastiest. If you’re lucky, you might even get freshly squeezed maracuyá juice.
Where: Mainly across Pachuca Street (between Veracruz and Juan de la Barrera), Condesa, Cuauhtémoc.
Tianguis Cultural del Chopo (Buenavista)
Journalist Andy Hume described the Tianguis del Chopo Market as the “punk market” of Mexico City. I couldn’t agree more. It’s the kind of place where you can get band T-shirts and soak up someone else’s sweat while buying Black Sabbath memorabilia. Looking for Nirvana’s “Nevermind” album? This is the place to get it, straight from the 1990s. If you’re looking for books on Satanism or the dark arts, local vendors can suggest a few titles. Try arriving before noon, as people host free heavy metal concerts after lunch, and it gets really crowded.
Where: Across Juan Aldama Street, Buenavista, Cuauhtémoc.
Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.
Private equity giant Apollo bets US $20 billion on Mexico’s infrastructure buildout
Apollo Global Management, one of the world’s largest alternative asset managers, is planning to launch a fund of up to US $20 billion in private credit to finance diverse projects in Mexico, in a move that seeks new opportunities for its private lending business.
Sources familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity told Bloomberg Online that conversations are underway to finance infrastructure projects through private lending structures, a market that has gained traction as an alternative to traditional bank financing.
Such sources indicated that Apollo offers faster closing times and longer-term financing than commercial or development banks. Bloomberg Online said Apollo declined to comment.
The potential deal comes as President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration seeks to mobilize private capital for priority projects under Plan México, its flagship economic development strategy.
The 2026–2030 Plan México includes a significant boost to transportation, energy, and strategic projects, and opens the door to mixed structures where private capital complements public spending.
Apollo’s potential move also aligns with one of its key long-term priorities, which anticipates that up to US $100 trillion will be needed in the coming decades to finance global digital infrastructure and meet energy demands worldwide.
Bloomberg reported that the asset manager aims to finance a significant portion of this amount, which may require collaboration with Wall Street banks.
Although the initiative is still taking shape and the projects’ pipeline is being defined, initiatives related to power plants, renewable energy, and modernization of the electrical grid have begun to gain momentum.
Apollo has also shown interest in financing Mexican companies, from large corporations to SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) with long-term debt instruments that are usually beyond the reach of traditional banks.
Apollo is not a new player in the Mexican market.
Earlier this year, one of its units structured a US $300 million private placement for a trust managed by Mexico Infrastructure Partners, linked to the power plants acquired by the government from Iberdrola. It also previously participated in the financial rescue of Aeroméxico and backed a bid to acquire Banamex.
Apollo’s potential entry also reflects the expansion of private lending in Latin America.
According to data from the Latin American Private Equity Association (LAVCA), 60 private lending transactions totaling US $1.1 billion were completed in Mexico during 2025, a figure lower than in 2024, but considerably higher than that recorded just three years earlier, pointing to a market in the process of consolidation.
Mexico News Daily
US parasite outbreak leads to a Mexican advisory for US-bound travelers
Mexico has issued an advisory for travelers to the United States due to an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal infection that causes severe diarrhea and has been linked to unwashed lettuce or salad greens.
Although the outbreak is concentrated in the states of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, the advisory indicates that cases have been reported in 34 states and have affected 1,645 people in the U.S.
The travel alert, issued by the National Epidemiological Surveillance System (Sinave), classified the risk as medium level, indicating travelers must “practice special and specific precautions.”
Recommended measures include regularly washing hands with soap and water; drinking only bottled, boiled, or disinfected water; avoiding ice of uncertain origin; and limiting the intake of salads, raw vegetables, and fruits that cannot be properly peeled or washed.
In an ironic twist, at least some of the contaminated lettuce responsible for the infectious outbreak that Mexican health authorities are warning U.S.-bound Mexicans about has been traced to a farm in central Mexico.
The Washington Post reports that Taylor Farms, a U.S.-based grower that operates in Mexico and supplies Taco Bell, has voluntarily removed its Mexican-grown shredded lettuce from the U.S. market. Another food supplier, Sysco, has taken a similar step.
The Sinave also recommends that travelers identify in advance the medical services at their destination and avoid self-medication.
According to the advisory, cyclosporiasis is caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, a parasite that affected individuals eliminate through feces, which can lead to contamination of food and water.
Unlike other gastrointestinal infections, the parasite is not usually transmitted directly from person to person.
Symptoms can appear between two days and more than two weeks after exposure and include watery or “explosive” diarrhea, abdominal cramps, loss of appetite, nausea, gas, fatigue, fever, and vomiting.
Although the infection is not fatal, health authorities have said that without treatment, which typically includes antibiotics for seven to 10 days, the illness can last for several weeks.
The Sinave has advised travelers that upon their return to Mexico, they should monitor their health for up to two weeks after the trip.
Mexico News Daily
Sheinbaum vows action on Quintana Roo’s sargassum crisis during Tulum visit
President Claudia Shenbaum traveled to Quintana Roo Thursday evening for a weekend trip focused on reviving Tulum’s tourism industry, tackling a sargassum seaweed crisis that has fouled the region’s beaches and mediating a dispute over entrance fees at Jaguar National Park.
She gave her Friday press conference from the troubled tourist hotspot, which has seen a slump in tourism over the past year, amid elevated levels of violence last year and massive arrivals of sargassum.
Estamos en Tulum, Quintana Roo. Mañana daremos noticias en la mañanera. pic.twitter.com/DvzJoavKkQ
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) July 17, 2026
At the conference, Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez unveiled new measures as part of the Tulum Reborn plan. The tourism plan, launched last November, seeks to kick-start the region’s declining visitation numbers. The new strategies include offering free entry to Jaguar National Park for Mexicans, reduced archaeological site fees, a new public transport system and a program to attract more flights to Tulum International Airport.
Security officials reported a sharp decrease in homicides in the state, and a landmark two months without any homicides reported in Tulum.
Meanwhile, President Sheinbaum and Quintana Roo Gov. Mara Lezama highlighted government efforts to combat the influx of sargassum, which has covered the region’s white sand beaches with stinky seaweed and turned the usually crystaline waters a muddy brown.
On Thursday, Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena said 9,000 tonnes of sargassum are currently reaching Quintana Roo beaches every day.
Sheinbaum is expected to announce a detailed plan to tackle the issue on Saturday. She suggested the solution will involve “fishing out the sargassum at sea” and recycling it.
Collecting the seaweed in the ocean is preferred because once the clumps of brown algae reach the beaches, it begins to rot, generating toxic hydrogen sulfide.
Sheinbaum will also attempt to mediate between hotel owners, merchants and tourism promoters who have expressed dissatisfaction with Jaguar National Park — part of a 2,900-hectare nature reserve and recreational area within the Tulum Archaeological Zone.
Since opening in September 2024, the park has been a source of controversy due to high entry fees and because it has restricted access to some of the area’s most popular public beaches.
Mexico launches ‘Tulum Reborn’ strategy to tackle slump in tourism
Critics say the high fees have contributed to a drop in tourism, prompting petitions to rescind fees and separate the national park from the Tulum Archaeological Zone.
Sheinbaum said she will do her best to resolve the situation.
“We are going to see exactly what is happening … we are going to talk to the hotels, with merchants … and figure out how to settle this,” she said.
With reports from La Jornada and El Universal
Ex-Baja California Governor Ernesto Ruffo arrested for organized crime
Former Baja California Governor Ernesto Ruffo was arrested on Thursday on organized crime, fuel theft and tax evasion charges.
The Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) arrested the 74-year-old Ruffo in Ensenada after what it called “a highly complex investigation.” Ricardo Thompson, Ruffo’s business partner in the company Ingemar, was also arrested.
🛢️🚨 #AlMomento | Comienza el traslado desde Tijuana hasta CdMx de Ernesto Ruffo, exgobernador de Baja California acusado de huachicol fiscal. “No me olviden”, expresó al observar que sus empleados se acercaban al vehículo de la Fiscalía General de la República en el que sería… pic.twitter.com/0ftnwNnET9
— Milenio (@Milenio) July 17, 2026
Ingemar — which Ruffo once said only managed customs procedures — was linked to an operation carried out by authorities in Coahuila a year ago, during which approximately 15.5 million liters of fuel and 129 tanker trucks were seized.
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said Ingemar was under scrutiny for its alleged involvement in what was, at the time, the biggest such bust by the current administration which took office in October 2024. The fuel smuggling network cost the treasury more than US $220 million, authorities say.
Initially, García Harfuch said Ruffo was not a suspect, but the subsequent investigation — which is still ongoing — resulted in an arrest warrant being issued.
When questioned about the bust in July 2025, Ruffo — who claims to be just a minority shareholder in Ingemar — said his conscience was clear.
“The distributors are the ones who handle all the logistics, the movement of the fuel,” he told El Universal newspaper. “The importer only does the customs agent’s paperwork; we are the importer … we don’t even see the fuel, we only see papers.”
Established in 2018, Ingemar registered its primary business activity as providing storage services for hydrocarbons, petroleum and petrochemicals. It also was involved in the purchase, sale, import and export of hydrocarbons, while also acting as a contractor for federal and local governments.
A member of the National Action Party (PAN), Ruffo was elected governor of the border state in 1989, becoming the first opposition candidate to win a state governorship after six decades of rule by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
Prior to that, Ruffo served as mayor of Ensenada from 1986-1989 and was later elected to a six-year term as senator (2012-2018), during which time he served as president of the Northern Border Affairs Committee.
In ta statement, the PAN accused the authorities of applying double standards, referring to the controversy involving the current Baja California governor who is a member of the ruling Morena party.
“It is impossible not to notice that this arrest occurs amidst growing public attention with regard to the case involving Governor Marina del Pilar, who continues to fail to provide sufficient answers regarding the serious allegations against her […] The law cannot be applied differently depending on the person or the party they belong to.”
With reports from El País, El Universal, Proceso, La Jornada and The Associated Press
7.4 earthquake strikes off Chiapas coast, activating a tsunami alert
A powerful earthquake followed by five significant aftershocks rattled southern Mexico on Friday morning, prompting emergency evacuations in major cities and the activation of state and federal security and verification protocols.
President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke to the governors of Chiapas and Tabasco, saying in a social media post afterward that no initial damage had been reported. However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued an alert for Mexico’s southern Pacific coastline and Sheinbaum advised residents of Oaxaca and Chiapas to stay away from the ocean until late afternoon.
The epicenter of the initial earthquake, which the National Seismological Service registered at M7.4 on the Richter scale (with the M standing for magnitude), was located about 58 kilometers off the coast of Puerto Madero, Chiapas.
The earthquake was recorded at just before 8:49 a.m. at a depth of 10 kilometers, and was felt with strong intensity in the Tabasco state capital of Villahermosa about 500 kilometers (310 miles) to the north, as well as in Antigua, Guatemala, about 300 kilometers (185 miles) to the east.
Five aftershocks occurred in the next 68 minutes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey: an M5.3 at 9:14; an M5.1 at 9:19; an M6.0 at 9:20; an M5.0 at 9:30; and an M5.1 at 9:57.
The tremors caused the emergency evacuation of hundreds of workers in various public and private buildings in Villahermosa, as well as the immediate activation of security and verification protocols by authorities.
Personnel from the Energy Ministry, the state-controlled oil company Pemex, the Governor’s Palace and the municipal City Hall took up positions at the designated shelters, while the Tabasco State Civil Protection Institute (IPCET) began structural review work.
Monitoring by emergency services was ongoing throughout the morning, while the authorities urged citizens to remain calm, ignore rumors, follow only official sources and report any potential structural damage to 911.
The federal Security Ministry (SSC) in Mexico City reported that residents in some areas of the capital felt the earthquake, but explained that it was not necessary to activate the seismic alarm because the tremors did not represent a risk to the city.
Even so, SSC agents were conducting patrols and preventive tours in different parts of the city, and helicopter overflights were being carried out.
Additionally, the National Coordination of Civil Protection is maintaining communication with state and municipal Civil Protection units, as well as with members of the National Emergency Committee.
With reports from El Universal, El Heraldo and Informador
El Jalapeño: Pothole situation in Hermosillo improving, Sonoran transit officials insist
All stories in El Jalapeño are satire and not real news. Check out the original article here.
HERMOSILLO, Sonora — Following the recent disappearance of a mid-sized pickup truck into a central boulevard, Hermosillo transit officials and local commuters have praised the municipal government’s new “infrastructure consolidation initiative,” noting that the city’s notorious pothole problem has successfully been reduced to a single, highly efficient sinkhole.
The Municipal Department of Public Works released a statement clarifying that rather than maintaining thousands of minor, tire-damaging craters across the city, consolidating the entire municipality’s asphalt deficit into one centralized, subterranean cavern represents a “94% reduction in overall road-surface anxiety.” Under the new framework, drivers no longer have to navigate an unpredictable obstacle course of minor dips, but can instead focus their attention on avoiding one definitive geological event.
“It’s a night-and-day difference,” said local commuter Eduardo Gómez, who watched his neighbor’s Toyota Tacoma gently descend into the earth on Tuesday morning. “In the past, you had to slalom constantly, which was exhausting and bad for the suspension. Now, we all know exactly where the hazard is. It’s on the boulevard, and it is deep enough to swallow your car. But if you just drive around it, the predictability is a major quality-of-life improvement.”
City planners have reportedly begun reclassifying the incident not as an engineering failure, but as a pioneering urban spatial solution. Plans are already underway to install ladder access and a ticket dispenser at the site, transforming the geological hazard into the city’s first “gravity-assisted, zero-emissions parking structure.”
While some critics have called for the cavity to be filled with concrete, municipal spokesperson Claudia Herrera urged patience, noting that filling the hole would only scatter the asphalt scarcity back across the city’s residential neighborhoods.
“A paved road is simply an unmanifested pothole,” Herrera said, defending the administration’s philosophical approach to civil engineering. “By centralizing our structural challenges, we have made the problem highly visible and easily bypassable … well, except for that pickup truck.”
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