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Mexico and immigration issues take center stage in US presidential debate

By
MND Staff
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U.S. President Biden and Trump debate issues like immigration, border security and more from behind podiums on a stage.
U.S. President Biden and Trump on stage at Thursday's debate in Atlanta, Georgia. (CNN/YouTube)

Mexico was both an implicit and explicit topic in an acrimonious presidential debate in the United States on Thursday night, as President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump squared off on issues such as immigration, border security and the fentanyl crisis.

Biden, 81, is the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee, but his performance at last night’s debate led to increased speculation that he could be replaced by a younger candidate.

US President Biden and Trump on stage at the U.S. presidential debate.
Insults and accusations flew as the current and former U.S. presidents faced off Thursday night debate. (Joe Biden/X/CNN)

Trump, 78, is certain to be the Republican Party’s presidential candidate, even though he is now a convicted felon.

Illegal immigration into the United States from Mexico is set to be a major issue in the Nov. 5 presidential election, while the opioid crisis — mainly fueled by illegal fentanyl smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico — is also a significant concern for many voters.

Mexico and the United States collaborate on immigration issues and the fight against fentanyl, but some politicians in the U.S., especially Republicans, argue that Mexico isn’t doing enough to stem the flow of migrants and narcotics across the two countries’ shared border.

Below you’ll find a selection of remarks made by Biden and Trump during Thursday night’s presidential debate relating to immigration and other issues between Mexico and the United States.

Immigration and border security 

U.S Customs and Border Protection encountered a record high of almost 2.5 million migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2023, which ended in September.

Arrests of people crossing illegally from Mexico into the U.S. reached a record monthly high of almost 250,000 last December, but the numbers decreased significantly in the first five months of 2024.

Migrants typically enter Mexico at the country’s southern border with Guatemala before making the long, arduous and dangerous journey to the northern border on buses, atop trains, in tractor trailers and on foot. Mexican authorities detain and deport significant numbers of migrants, but many others make it to the northern border before attempting to make asylum claims in the United States or cross into the U.S. illegally.

An immigration agent checks cars at Mexico's border with Guatemala, representing an issue discussed at the US presidential debate.
Many migrants cross into Mexico via its southern border with Guatemala before making their way to the United States. (Cuartoscuro)

Biden on immigration

“When … [Trump] was president, he was … separating babies from their mothers, putting them in cages, making sure the families were separated. That’s not the right way to go,” Biden said early in the debate.

The U.S. president claimed “there are 40% fewer people coming across the border illegally*” since he issued an executive order in early June that prevents migrants from making asylum claims at the U.S.-Mexico border at times when crossings between legal ports of entry surge.

* PBS News fact-checked the statement and determined that it was “mostly true.”

Trump on immigration

“We had the safest border in the history of our country [when I was president]. … All he had to do was leave it. He decided to open up our border, open up our country to people that are from prisons, people that are from mental institutions, … terrorists,” Trump said.

He later said that Biden “allowed millions of people to come in here from prisons, jails and mental institutions,” a remark PBS News determined was significantly exaggerated given that just over 100,000 noncitizens with criminal convictions were arrested in the past three years.

On Biden’s June 4 executive order, Trump said:

“Now all of a sudden he’s trying to get a little tough on the border, he came out with a nothing deal and it reduced [immigration] a little bit. … It’s insignificant, he wants open borders. He wants our country to either be destroyed or he wants to pick up those people as voters. And we just can’t let it happen.”

A group of mostly Black migrants, some of whom maybe be undocumented foreigners, walks down a Mexican highway under a bright sun.
Biden’s June 4 executive order blocks asylum claims when Border Patrol detains more than 2,500 people. (Mireya Novo/Cuartoscuro)

Trump also asserted that “because of [Biden’s] ridiculous, insane and very stupid policies, people are coming in and they’re killing our citizens at a level that we’ve never seen.”

“We call it migrant crime*. I call it Biden migrant crime,” he added.

* Reuters reported in April that “a range of studies by academics and think tanks have shown that immigrants do not commit crime at a higher rate than native-born Americans.”

Trump and Biden debate the fentanyl crisis 

Around 107,500 people died from a drug overdose in the United States in 2023, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fentanyl — large quantities of which are manufactured by Mexican cartels with precursor chemicals imported from China — were responsible for almost 70% of the overdose deaths.

Mexican agents confiscating boxes of fentanyl packets
U.S. officials recognized that the current Mexican government has seized a record amount of fentanyl. (Cuartoscuro)

In recent years, Mexican and U.S. authorities have increased their cooperation on the fight against fentanyl, and the issue has been a key focus of bilateral security dialogue.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged last month that the current Mexican government has seized “a record amount of fentanyl” — more than eight tonnes between December 2018 and May 2024.

Some Republicans, including Trump, have advocated the use of the U.S. military in Mexico to combat Mexican drug cartels, two of which — the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel — pose “the greatest criminal threat the United States has ever faced,” according to Drug Enforcement Administration chief Anne Milgram.

Biden on the fentanyl crisis

“[The entry to the U.S. of] fentanyl and the byproducts of fentanyl went down for a while. And I wanted to make sure we use the machinery that can detect fentanyl, these big machines that roll over everything that comes across the border, and it costs a lot of money. That was part of this deal we put together, this bipartisan deal,” Biden said.

“More fentanyl machines, more being able to detect drugs, more numbers of agents, more numbers of all the people at the border. And when we had that deal done, he went and he called his Republican colleagues and said ‘don’t do it. It’s going to hurt me politically,'” he continued.

“He never argued it’s not a good bill. It’s a really good bill. We need those machines. … And we’re coming down very hard in every country in Asia in terms of precursors for fentanyl. And Mexico is working with us to make sure they don’t have the technology to be able to put it together*. That’s what we have to do. We need those machines.”

* As The New York Times noted, it was unclear what Biden meant when he said that “Mexico is working with us to make sure they don’t have the technology to be able to put it together.”

He was possibly referring to Mexican authorities’ efforts to stop criminal groups from obtaining pill presses and other machinery used in the production of fentanyl. 

Biden’s assertion that Mexico is working with the United States on the fight against fentanyl is correct.

A car passes through a scanner along the U.S. border.
Biden emphasized the role of technological border solutions, like giant scanners to detect drugs hidden in vehicles that cross into the U.S. (Josh Denmark / U.S. CBP)

Trump on the fentanyl crisis

“We were doing very well at addiction until the COVID came along. We had the two-and-a-half, almost three years of like nobody’s ever had before, any country in every way. And then we had to get tough. And it was the drugs pouring across the border, … it started to increase,” Trump said.

“We got great equipment. We bought the certain dog. That’s the most incredible thing that you’ve ever seen, the way they can spot it. We did a lot. And … we were getting very low numbers. Very, very low numbers,” he added.

“Then he came along. The numbers — have you seen the numbers now? … The amount of drugs and human trafficking in women coming across our border, the worst thing I’ve ever seen, at numbers that nobody’s ever seen — under him because the border is so bad. But the number of drugs coming across our border now is the largest we’ve ever had by far.”

* Drug overdose deaths in the United States have increased during the Biden administration compared to the Trump years. The number of overdose deaths last year was 17% higher than 2020, the last full year of the Trump administration, and 52% higher than 2019.

Trump’s immigration plan: Deport undocumented migrants en masse  

Trump was specifically asked about his plan to deport large numbers of undocumented migrants, which could affect millions of Mexicans who live and work in the United States.

“President Trump, … you’ve said that you’re going to carry out, quote, ‘the largest domestic deportation operation in American history,’ unquote. Does that mean that you will deport every undocumented immigrant in America, including those who have jobs, including those whose spouses are citizens, and including those who have lived here for decades? And if so, how will you do it?” asked CNN’s Jake Tapper.

After railing against “migrant crime,” Trump accused Biden of opening the United States borders before he declared:

“We have to get a lot of these people out and we have to get them out fast, because they’re going to destroy our country. Just take a look at where they’re living. They’re living in luxury hotels in New York City and other places. Our veterans are on the street.”

For his part, Biden announced new immigration rules last week prior to the presidential debate. The new rules will allow certain undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens to apply for lawful permanent residence without leaving the country. As many as 400,000 Mexicans could obtain permanent residency in the U.S. through the program and eventually become American citizens, according to Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs official Roberto Velasco.

Mexico News Daily  

CDMX launches affordable housing program offering rentals for as low as 2,500 pesos

By
MND Staff
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0
The new program is designed to help young adults find affordable housing in some areas of Mexico City where rents have increased recently.(Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

In a bid to assist young adults struggling to find affordable housing in Mexico City, the capital’s interim mayor, Martí Batres, this week introduced a pilot program to provide low-rent apartments in popular neighborhoods that have been impacted by gentrification.

The announcement comes one month after Mayor-elect Clara Brugada unveiled her ambitious social housing program which she described as the broadest in Mexico City history.

CDMX Mayor Martí Batres announcing a new housing program for students and young professionals
Batres announced that the pilot program will start with 150 units and will target university students and young professionals. (Gobierno de la Ciudad/Cuartoscuro)

For his part, Batres announced that the pilot program will start with 150 units and will target university students and young professionals. Each apartment will measure at least 40 square meters in size, will feature basic services and will be close to public transportation.

The program will be administered by the city’s Urban Development and Housing Ministry (Seduvi). Ínti Muñoz Santini, Seduvi director, said the initial apartments set aside for the program are located in the Doctores neighborhood, just east of the popular Roma neighborhood and south of the Centro Histórico.

Once approved by Seduvi, recipients of the apartments will receive a five-year lease with the option of a single two-year extension. Rents will range from 2,500 to 5,000 pesos/month (US $136 to $273), considerably lower than the 10,000 to 30,000 pesos (US $545 to $1,636) that rents can reach in the Roma neighborhood.

To participate in the program citizens:

  • Must be between 18 and 29 years old
  • Must have a job or be attending university
  • Earn a salary no more than twice the minimum wage, or 591 pesos/day (US $32)
  • Must not own property elsewhere

Batres, whose term ends on Oct. 5, did not say when the program would be launched though he expects it to be under way within a year.

Brugada announced her city-wide plan during the mayoral campaign to formalize and register deeds so as to provide juridical certainty to Mexico City homeowners, especially in low-income neighborhoods.

During a meeting with notaries public on May 20, Brugada said the goal is to regulate informal housing developments that have sprung up over the past several decades.  Brugada’s administration will begin by carrying out a survey to evaluate the situation with regard to deeds and the registration of buildings and homes across the entire city.

The Ninth Notary Services Survey found that in 2022, only 51% of Mexico City property owners had a deed to their home. 

With reports from El Financiero, Expansión, Via Tres, El Economista and ContraRéplica

Opinion: A big picture view of Mexico’s present and future in uncertain times

By
Agustín Barrios Gómez
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A fisherman in Morelos
Despite the uncertainties faced by Mexico following the elections, Agustín Barrios Gómez is hopeful about Mexico's long-term future. (Cuartoscuro)

I am proud that Mexico will have its first female president. I am even more proud of the fact that she comes from the Mexican Jewish minority, a community that numbers a mere 58,876 citizens.

My Mexico is a country of racial diversity, where members of any minority should be able to aspire to the highest offices in the land, and I am glad that our future president reflects that.

Agustín Barrios Gómez
Agustín Barrios Gómez, former Mexican Congressman. (Courtesy)

However, as a firm believer in both economic and political freedoms afforded by liberal democracy, as well as a staunch advocate for strong and independent institutions, I am worried by her party’s legislative agenda.

As of 1997, Mexico built what became the most sophisticated electoral system in the world, which gave the country free (if not always fair) elections, for nearly thirty years. I think we run the risk of losing those very real democratic gains.

I also think that we run the risk of squandering the immense opportunities afforded by the nearshoring phenomenon. Simply put, if Mexico were to liberalize its energy industry and quickly shore up at least some of its serious public security issues, the country could join the ranks of the developed world within a decade.

With a much stronger economy and some political will, the rule of law would be within reach and Mexico could finally fulfill the dreams of so many of its people in ways that it hasn’t been able to until now. As an added benefit, this would also mean that Mexico would no longer export its people, meaning that one of the main drivers of the dangerous radicalization of the U.S. electorate would be gone. It is no stretch to say that a prosperous Mexico would improve the chances of a prosperous and more peaceful world.

But it looks like this is not to be; at least not in the short term. Instead, Mexico joins in the worldwide zeitgeist, entering a period of — you guessed it — increased uncertainty.

What used to be shared values of equality of opportunity in the context of economic and political freedom are no longer in vogue for majority voting blocs around the world and Mexico is no exception.

In what is proving to be an uncanny repeat of the 1930s, xenophobic authoritarianism is on the march pretty much everywhere, even in those countries where freedom and democracy were formerly a given. Whether you believe in the theory of 80-year historical cycles and the overproduction of elites, or in the powers of the planets to mold our fate, this is a world that has stopped making sense. Particularly for people who, like me, came of age during what was supposed to be “the end of history.” Our optimism regarding markets, democracy and enlightened self-interest, the pillars of Pax Americana which were to lead us into a new Golden Age, is over.

For those of us who care about Mexico’s future, this leads to a number of recommendations. The first is to love Mexico for what it is, and not for what we want it to be. As the son of a Mexican diplomat who grew up in several countries (including Switzerland), I have heard versions of Mexico’s obituary for as long as I can remember. And, yet, the country remains one of the most attractive places in the world to invest and to live in, hosting (by far) the largest community of U.S. expatriates in the world.

While it is true that we could well be seeing the end of an independent judiciary, the basic ingredients that make living in Mexico attractive, its destinations, culture, people — and its food — look to endure. In fact, if the latest international rankings are to be believed, there is even an argument to be made that they will improve.

Second, it’s important not to have expectations based on our biases. Mexico is guaranteed to break your heart, but it will also make you fall in love with it. Sometimes these two things will happen on the same day. Just like everywhere else, this country has important challenges, but the world doesn’t need more Mexico catastrophizing. Observations and constructive criticisms are welcome, but no one benefits by propagating the old “Mexico is doomed” trope.

That goes double for expatriate Mexicans who, despite owing their family and fortune to Mexico, speak ill of their country from their perch in the Woodlands, or Miami. Harmful words are never a good look.

As the world enters a period of increased volatility, perspective is more important than ever. Europeans peer over Poland’s eastern border (which is also the border of NATO and the European Union) and see war being waged by an expansionist Russia. In Asia, China is also engaged in a frenzy of saber-rattling hostility.

Here in North America, we have many challenges, including a dangerous concentration of political power and organized crime in Mexico, as well as alarming political polarization in the United States. Add to that, the “polycrisis,” which is a bizarre metastasis of existential threats that include, but are not limited to, nuclear war, bioweapons, accelerated global warming and artificial intelligence.

In this context, the results of Mexico’s election, for good, or ill, are a footnote. I do not believe that the basic ingredients of what makes Mexico one of the top international destinations will change. And for those of us who want to contribute, we can always do so  as individuals, through being positive and productive members of our communities. 

In sum, it behooves us to appreciate everything that Mexico offers, even if circumstances are forcing us to also be mindful of a world that is more dangerous and less predictable than it should be.

Agustín Barrios Gómez is the founder of International Capital Partners, a former Mexican Congressman, and a member of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI).

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mexico News Daily, its owner or its employees.

New archaeological museum opens at Edzná site in Campeche

By
MND Staff
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Edzná archaeological site, Mexico
Edzná was a powerful regional capital from 400 to 1000 A.D. (Shutterstock)

The archaeological site of Edzná, excavated over the course of the past 65 years, now features a museum housing archaeological pieces and vestiges recovered from the former regional Maya capital.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum inaugurated the new museum on Friday, highlighting the project’s aim to provide greater context and understanding of the rich Maya cultural heritage.

The Site Museum in Edzná, Campeche
The new museum showcases archaeological pieces and vestiges recovered from the former regional Maya capital. (@INAHmx/X)

Edzná, located 55 kilometers southeast of the city of Campeche, was inhabited as early as 400 B.C., evolving into a major city by 200 A.D. The diverse architectural styles located in the area around the main plaza indicate that it was a powerful regional capital from 400 to 1000 A.D.

The most remarkable structure at Edzná is the 40-meter-high temple in the main plaza, but the site also features groupings such as the Grand Acropolis and structures including a ball court and a 31-meter-high structure known as Cinco Pisos.

Due to its low-lying location, inhabitants of Edzná built a complex hydraulic system to direct surface water into a lake. The system featured a dam and irrigation canals.

While delivering an update on INAH activities, INAH Director Diego Prieto said that the Edzná Site Museum will not only serve as a space for the exhibition of recovered artifacts, but also as a living testimony of the cultural and archaeological wealth of the Maya civilization.

Prieto said the museum and the recent restoration work at Edzná are the product of the federal Archaeological Zone Improvement Program (Promeza) that was developed to take advantage of excavations done for the Maya Train project.

Promeza provided funding for the exploration of the territory and the verification of photogrammetric and LiDAR images, as well as for the prospecting, excavation and registration of archaeological materials.

After analysis and classification, some of the recent finds will be displayed at the new Edzná museum and other museums that are part of the network of recently created sites in ancient Maya cities in southeastern Mexico, including new facilities at Palenque, Moral-Reforma, Kabah, Dzibilchaltún, Tulum and Calakmul. 

With reports from La Jornada and El Sol de México

Jennifer Clement’s new book is a love letter to Mexico

By
Camila Sánchez Bolaño
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Jennifer Clement
Author Jennifer Clement discusses her latest book "The Promised Party" and what it means to remember Mexico, with Mexico News Daily. (Facebook)

Award-winning author Jennifer Clement is deeply influenced by her life experiences in Mexico and New York. Her new book, “La Fiesta Prometida” (The Promised Party), is an intimate and nostalgic reflection on her past, social and cultural changes and the Mexican identity. Speaking to Mexico News Daily, Clement shared her inspirations, the central themes of her book and the importance of memory.

Through our conversation, we explored how these fragmented memories and personal experiences intertwine to form a rich and complex tapestry that reflects the reality of two distinct cities and eras.

“Growing up in Mexico, I knew the end of love was everywhere.”

Cover of The Promised Party
The Promised Party by Jennifer Clement (Facebook)

From her childhood in Mexico City, Clement felt the omnipresence of the end of love. In “The Promised Party,” this feeling is expressed through the losses and heartbreaks that are a fundamental part of the narrative and the author’s life.

The work also reflects a kind of personal odyssey. In the last chapter, Clement explores her return to Mexico after spending much of her adult life in the United States. She describes Mexico as having “a particular anarchy, where we know that all is lost.” This fatalistic perspective is something deeply rooted in Mexican identity and resonates with legendary Mexican poet Sor Juana’s sonnets against hope.

“Those were other times. Art was above anything else at that time.”

Clement also delves into common family dynamics of the era and the central figure of Chona, her nanny, who played a more significant maternal role than her own mother: “Chona was really, in profound terms, my mom, much more than my mom,” she explained. At a time when parents were often absent and art was above all things, her relationship with Chona became an emotional pillar. This parental absence, was a characteristic of Clement’s generation, contrasting with the current generation’s greater concern and attention to their children. “If one looks at the history of Mexican intellectuals and artists, notably many, they have stories with their children that are tragic and very sad.” 

The author also discusses how the unusual permissiveness of the past provided her with unusual experiences, such as her visit to the public baths with Chona: “How did they allow it? I was like some kind of strange creature there, inside the steam bath where the poorest people in Mexico went because they didn’t have bathrooms.”  

Mexico City in the 1970s
The Mexico City of the 1970s was a very different place to the capital of today. (Internet Archive)

These memories are part of a larger mosaic that reflects the extreme poverty and illiteracy of the time. Clement uses these fragments to create a collective memory that encompasses her personal life and the capital’s history. “Yes, it’s my story, my memory; it’s how I became a writer, the path I took; but it’s also a book about times: that time in Mexico, that time in New York.”

The city as a character

In Jennifer Clement’s literature, the city is not only a setting but a character in itself. Thus, Clement constructs the narrative of The Promised Party in fragments, reflective of the way in which human memory works.

The book is divided into two parts: Mexico City and New York City, covering the first 27 years of Clement’s life. This non-linear structure allows for a deeper exploration of the chance experiences and influences that shaped her life and writing career. “The book also has a lot to do with luck, chance, and fate. It starts with Burroughs and ends with Burroughs, with this very strong scene where he tells that all is lost.”

Clement’s life has been eventful. From her chance meeting with Basquiat’s girlfriend while they were working as waitresses in New York at a Mexican restaurant, to the stories told by notable figures such as Ana Maria Xirau and Elena Poniatowska, each fragment contributes to a narrative rich in context and meaning.

Jennifer Clement, Elena Poniatowska, Guillermo Arreola and Braulio Peralta.
Elena Poniatowska, Guillermo Arreola and Braulio Peralta with the author (Facebook)

“I had such an exceptional childhood and youth. I met and was influenced by so many people. And there is chance, when my parents arrived in Mexico, of all the thousands of streets they could have chosen to live on, they chose the same street where Frida and Diego lived. I would bathe in Frida’s now famous bathtub, but at that time, she wasn’t famous; there was no recognition on my part that I was in Frida Kahlo’s bathtub; it was my friend’s house and my second home. The same with Basquiat. Nobody was famous; the only famous person in New York was Andy Warhol,” she muses.

“And I talk about it in the book: the amount of Basquiat’s work, Suzanne and I threw away. We would be multimillionaires now, but it wasn’t important to us. It was the crap the ex left behind.” 

“This book, deeply, is an act of love for Mexico.” 

One of the most powerful themes in The Promised Party is Clement’s unconditional love for Mexico. “It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, a Mexican outside of Mexico will only think about Mexico.” This love manifests itself in her constant desire to return to her country despite having lived in places like New York. Clement describes this feeling as a Mexican inevitability, a need to be in Mexico despite the difficulties. This love is also reflected in Mexico’s cultural richness, something the author proudly highlights, mentioning the painters, architects, musicians, sculptors and writers who have put Mexico in a prominent place in the global art scene.

Despite the challenges that might be involved in publishing Mexican-themed books in English and abroad, Clement has managed to capture the interest of publishers worldwide. The Promised Party has already been sold to be published in several countries, including Mexico, the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Sweden. This global interest underscores the relevance and universal appeal of the stories and experiences she tells in her work.

The Promised Party is more than just an autobiography; it is a celebration of memory, an exploration of identity and a testament to Jennifer Clement’s undying love for Mexico. Through her narrative fragments, Clement manages to weave a story that resonates with the nostalgia and complexity of a life lived between two worlds. This book preserves not only her personal memories, but also the stories and historical context that could be lost in the passage of time.

The book is now available in England and the United States. The Promised Party will debut in Mexico in July. In addition, the rights have already been sold to an English filmmaker to make the movie. And Spielberg bought The Widow Basquiat. “There will be two projects about these books and this era coming soon.” 

Camila Sánchez Bolaño is a journalist, feminist, bookseller, lecturer, and cultural promoter and is Editor in Chief of Newsweek en Español magazine.

Schneider Electric CEO in Mexico says he ‘believes’ in nearshoring

By
MND Staff
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Schneider Electric's "Smart Factory" in Monterrey, one of four plants forecast to reach net-zero status in 2025.
Schneider Electric's "Smart Factory" in Monterrey, one of four plants forecast to reach net-zero status in 2025. (se.com)

Two weeks after Schneider Electric inaugurated a US $29.4 million plant in Monterrey, the CEO of the French multinational’s Mexican and Central American operations declared his faith in nearshoring.

Jesús Carmona, CEO of Schneider Mexico and Central America, recently told the newspaper El Economista that he is bullish on nearshoring, insisting that the impact in Mexico over the next 30 years will be enormous.

Jesús Carmona, CEO of Schneider Mexico and Central America.
Jesús Carmona, CEO of Schneider Mexico and Central America. (se.com)

“I believe in nearshoring because I see [its impacts] every day,” he said. “The first place to feel its impact was Monterrey, but we see it in other northern cities and in the Bajío [region]. I have no doubt it will reach southern Mexico as well.”

Describing how Schneider’s presence in Mexico doubled between 2021 and 2023, Carmona said there are three reasons for his company’s accelerated growth here: “nearshoring, increasing demand for efficient solutions to electrical energy needs, and the great abilities of Mexican labor.”

Schneider employs 1,600 people across Mexico in 10 plants, with 1,000 of those workers hired in the past four years. Last year, Schneider invested US $72.5 million in its Mexican energy automation services.

At the June 13 inauguration of the new plant known as Monterrey 4, Schneider’s director of operations in North America, Agustín López, said that the new plant in Monterrey — its fourth facility in the northern Mexico city — would strengthen its local economic ecosystem by 17%–20% over the next two to three years. 

“We are always trying to optimize our technological capital via the development of a campus,” he said. “That’s why we build these production centers.”

Monterrey 4 will eventually create 460 jobs (257 people are on the payroll at present) and will be focused on the manufacture of specialized products, such as low-voltage electrical distribution boards — essential for hospitals, data centers; digital companies and organizations with high energy consumption. 

Schneider Electric's recently inaugurated Monterrey 4, an Engineer to Order (ETO) facility.
Schneider Electric recently inaugurated Monterrey 4, an Engineer to Order (ETO) facility. (@SchneiderMX/X)

Schneider Electric, which has been operating in Mexico since 1945, specializes in digital automation and energy management by combining energy technologies, real-time automation, software, and services.

The 183,000-square-foot plant will boost the company’s production in North America as it will be an Engineer to Order (ETO) facility, which manufactures products to customer specifications and engineering designs.

López said that by next year, its four plants in Monterrey will reach net-zero status (a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere). The new plant is also the first in the world in which it will be possible to reutilize scrap metal.

In addition to the new Monterrey plant, Schneider is also building an 11th plant in the state of Tlaxcala.

With reports from El Financiero and El Economista

¡No manches! Learn new Mexican slang words with our video guide!

By
Paulina Gerez
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¡No manches! It's time to learn another new Mexican slang expression! (Kraken Images/Unsplash)

In Mexico, it’s quite common to replace a vulgar expression with a more acceptable, similar-sounding word. This is akin to how Americans might say “shoot!” instead of “sh*t” or “what the heck” instead of “what the f*ck.” The expression “no manches” illustrates this well. It can mean “no way,” “oh my god,” “really?” “Darn,” “Are you kidding” or “come on.” It can also be used as an expression to show that you are following the conversation, much like the more vulgar “no mames.”

By substituting “manches” for “mames,” (which translates to “suck”) the intention is to soften the expression and make it more socially acceptable. The phrase originates from the verb “manchar,” which means “to stain”. However, in this case, it is not used literally. 

A surprised and excited child
“No manches” can also be a great way to emphasize excitement. (Thomas Park/Unsplash)

It can be used in various contexts to express surprise, disbelief, frustration, or to emphasize a statement. Its versatility makes it a staple in Mexican slang. Here are some common ways this expression is used: 

Expressing surprise or disbelief:

A: ¡No manches! ¿De verdad te ganaste la lotería? (No way! Did you really win the lottery?)

B: ¡No manches! Obvio no. (Come on! Of course not.) 

Emphasizing a statement:

A: Acabo de regresar de Bora Bora. (I just came back from Bora Bora.) 

B: ¡No manches, ese lugar está increíble! (Oh my god, that place is amazing!)

Expressing frustration or annoyance:

A: ¡El tráfico está terrible! (Traffic is terrible) 

B: No manches vamos a llegar super tarde! (Darn, we are going to be really late) 

 

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Reacting to an absurd or unbelievable Situation:

A: No manches, ¿cómo es posible que hayas perdido las llaves otra vez? (No way, how is it possible that you lost the keys again?) 

To follow the conversation:

A: Fue un viaje difícil la verdad, no pudimos llegar porque ya no había vuelos disponibles…  (It was tough, to be honest; we couldn’t get there because there weren’t any available flights.) 

B: No manches…  (Oh gosh)

A: Ya sé… (I know…) 

There you have some examples of how to use this expression. Bear in mind that the context, the tone and the intention will determine its meaning and that you can use it in informal situations and with people of all ages as long as you are in a friendly, casual environment. 

Paulina Gerez is a translator-interpreter, content creator, and founder of Crack The Code, a series of online courses focused on languages. Through her social media, she helps people see learning a language from another perspective through her fun experiences. Instagram: paulinagerezm / Tiktok: paugerez3 / YT: paulina gerez 

Bank of Mexico holds key rate at 11%; peso barely reacts

By
MND Staff
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Bank of Mexico building in Mexico City
The Bank of Mexico decision to cut benchmark interest rates to 10.75% despite high headline inflation shocked some analysts. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Bank of Mexico (Banxico) maintained its key interest rate at 11% on Thursday, but signaled that “the inflationary environment” may be conducive to cuts in the not-too-distant future.

Four of five Banxico board members including Governor Victoria Rodríguez voted in favor of leaving the benchmark interest rate unchanged. Omar Mejía, the board’s newest member, voted in favor of a 25-basis-point cut.

It was the second consecutive monetary policy meeting at which the Banxico board decided to maintain the 11% rate. The bank cut its key rate by 25 basis points from a record high 11.25% in March.

The latest decision came after the national statistics agency INEGI published data on Monday that showed that the annual headline inflation rate increased to 4.78% in the first half of June, up from 4.69% across May. That’s well above Banxico’s 3% target.

Headline inflation has been on the rise since March, but the annual core rate — which is closely watched by the central bank — has trended down in the same period.

Banxico said in a statement on Thursday that its governing board “assessed the behavior of inflation and its determinants, as well as of inflation expectations” before the majority vote in favor of leaving the key interest rate at 11%.

Fruits and vegetables at a market in Mexico
The prices of fruits and vegetables have driven an uptick in the annual headline inflation rate in Mexico. (Shutterstock)

The central bank said that the recent depreciation of the Mexican peso “impacts the inflation forecast upwards,” but added that “its effects are partly offset by those associated with the greater weakness exhibited by economic activity.”

Banxico said that headline inflation is “still expected to converge to the target in the fourth quarter of 2025,” but noted that that forecast is subject to a range of upside risks, including “greater foreign exchange depreciation” and “the intensification of geopolitical conflicts.”

The bank said that its board concluded that “the challenges and risks in both sides of the balance” call for a continuation of prudent monetary policy.

“Looking ahead, the board foresees that the inflationary environment may allow for discussing reference rate adjustments,” Banxico added.

However, it stressed that “actions will be implemented in such a way that the reference rate remains consistent at all times with the trajectory needed to enable an orderly and sustained convergence of headline inflation to the 3% target during the forecast period.”

Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Mexico’s Banco Base, said earlier this week that her team expected two additional interest rate cuts this year, “but toward the end of the year, when conditions are better.”

How did the peso react to Banxico’s rates decision?

Neither the interest rate decision nor President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum’s announcement earlier on Thursday of five additional appointments to her cabinet had a major impact on the USD:MXN exchange rate.

Claudia Sheinbaum in the Mexico City zócalo
The peso depreciated around 8% to the US dollar since Sheinbaum’s landslide win on June 2, which also brought her Morena party and its allies majorities in Mexico’s Congress. (Cuartoscuro)

The peso closed at 18.33 to the dollar on Wednesday, and had depreciated to 18.46 just before the Banxico announcement, the El Economista newspaper reported. At 5 p.m. Mexico City time, the peso was trading at 18.47 to the greenback, according to Bloomberg.

The peso has depreciated almost 8% against the dollar since the June 2 elections due to concerns that the ruling Morena party and its allies will be able to get a range of controversial constitutional reform proposals through Congress.

The Morena-led coalition won a two-thirds majority in the lower house and fell just short of a supermajority in the Senate, putting it within reach of the numbers it needs to approve the proposed reforms.

The Bank of Mexico didn’t mention the election results in its statement, but did say that “the presence of idiosyncratic factors generated high volatility in Mexico’s financial markets.”

With reports from El Economista and El Financiero

Mexico City survived ‘Day Zero’ but reservoirs are still low, despite heavy rainfall

By
MND Staff
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Family walking toward a marina in the Miguel Aleman reservoir in Mexico state. The lake bed they are walking on is cracked mud with no water.
The Miguel Alemán reservoir in Valle de Bravo, Mexico state, is one of the Cutzalama system's three main reservoirs. According to Conagua, it's currently at 26.5% capacity, even after rains from Tropical Storm Alberto. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)

Day Zero has come and gone, and although the Cutzamala system is still delivering water to Mexico City — albeit at a reduced rate — its reservoirs are at historic lows.

Lingering drought and extreme heat prompted pundits to proclaim June 26 as potential Day Zero —  when Mexico City’s reservoirs would be so reduced that the complex interbasin transfer could stop functioning, leaving Mexico’s capital without water.

A tiered water collection system in the Cutzamala water system for Mexico City
The Cutzamala water system must have a certain minimum amount of water or the pumps that send water up 1,100 meters to Mexico City will no longer function. (ObservaValle/Twitter)

Though the projection was overwrought — the Cutzamala supplies only 28% of Mexico City’s water — the shrinking water supply in the system’s seven reservoirs is a legitimate concern.

It was hoped that rain from Tropical Storm Alberto — which slammed into Mexico’s east coast on June 19 and greatly replenished some of northern Mexico’s drastically depleted reservoirs — would replenish the Cutzamala’s reservoirs somewhat. However, accumulated rainfall in greater Mexico City from Alberto was negligible.

The Mexican National Meteorological Service (SMN) forecast heavy rains across the nation this week, but as the newspaper El Financiero reported on Wednesday, Mexico City’s three main reservoirs remain at critically low levels. 

Those three reservoirs — in México state’s Valle de Bravo and Villa Victoria and in El Bosque, Michoacán, — are currently at an average 26.18% capacity, a slight increase over their 26.09% average level before Alberto. However, these numbers represent historic lows for Mexico City’s nearly 50-year-old reservoir system.

To give an idea of how drought and heat have impacted the system, the reservoir levels’ average capacity was 39.5% in January.

Recognizing the dire situation, the National Water Commission (Conagua) reduced the flow in the Cutzamala from 8 cubic meters/second to 6 cubic meters/second last Friday. Twelve of Mexico City’s 16 boroughs and 14 municipalities in neighboring México state are serviced by the Cutzamala system.

Pipa distributing drinking water in Toluca
Many residents of the greater metropolitan area of Mexico City regularly have limited access to running water and must rely on deliveries from water trucks provided by the city government. (Crisanta Espinsa Aguilar /Cuartoscuro)

Conagua said the reduction is necessary to guarantee water over the medium-term because if water in the reservoirs dips below a certain point, the pumps that send the water up 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) to Mexico City will no longer function.

While rain in greater Mexico City has mildly mitigated the Valley of Mexico’s drought conditions, the reservoirs remain in need of replenishment. 

Conagua forecast heavy rains across the country this week, and a tropical disturbance tracking across the Caribbean has a 30% chance of becoming a tropical storm, but it remains to be seen if that weather system — heading toward Chetumal, Quintana Roo — will provide any rain to the Mexico City area.

Although Mexico City’s rainy season is expected to last into September, several studies suggest a genuine Day Zero for the Cutzamala is a real possibility.

A joint investigation conducted by the United Nations and the Autonomous Metropolitan University in Mexico City (UAM) projected that a genuine Day Zero is possible in 2028. 

The Instituto Belisario Domínguez (IBD) — a state-funded research institute — wrote a report indicating that Day Zero talk should go beyond setting a date and instead prompt a discussion about creating a sustainable reservoir system for Mexico City.

The IBD proposed promoting a culture of respect for water (especially via water capture), investing in infrastructure and establishing penalties for wasting water.

With reports from Infobae, El Financiero and Expansión

Claudia Sheinbaum meets with Canada’s Foreign Minister

By
MND Staff
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Claudia Sheinbaum and Mélanie Joly
President-elect Sheinbaum met with Canada's Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly on Wednesday. (Claudia Sheinbaum/X)

The USMCA trade pact, which is up for review in 2026, was a key focus of a meeting on Wednesday between President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly.

Sheinbaum, who will be sworn in as Mexico’s first female president on Oct. 1, received Joly at her “transition headquarters” in the Mexico City borough of Iztapalapa. Mexico’s future foreign affairs minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente also attended the meeting.

Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Claudia Sheinbaum, Mélanie Joly and Graeme Clark
Sheinbaum was joined by her future foreign affairs minister, Juan Ramón de la Fuente (left). Canadian Ambassador to Mexico Graeme C. Clark also attended. (Mélanie Joly/X)

Sheinbaum revealed on X that she spoke about “the future” of the Mexico-Canada relationship with Joly and the “importance” of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the free trade pact that superseded NAFTA in 2020.

“The foreign minister’s main interest is to know our position on USMCA,” she told a press conference on Wednesday.

“We agree with her and the idea of strengthening the agreement,” Sheinbaum said.

The USMCA, the product of trilateral negotiations that began in 2017, is scheduled to be reviewed in 2026. While expressing support for a strengthening of the pact, Sheinbaum said she believed the review would be “minor.”

Signature of USMCA agreement in 2018
Former presidents Peña Nieto and Trump and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed the USMCA in 2018. (Ron Przysucha/U.S. Department of State)

The president-elect also said she and Joly discussed “the possibility of maintaining and increasing [the number] of work visas for Mexicans” interested in working in Canada.

The two countries collaborate on the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, in which tens of thousands of Mexicans travel to Canada to work every year.

Sheinbaum also told reporters that she and Joly discussed Canadian investment in Mexico, and Julian Assange’s release from prison after the Wikileaks founder accepted a plea deal from the United States.

“We acknowledged his fight for freedom of speech and the right to information. We were very pleased that he was finally released,” she said.

For her part, Joly said on X that she and Sheinbaum discussed “how we can continue to strengthen the Canada-Mexico relationship and advance our shared priorities as North American partners.”

The Canadian government said in a statement that the foreign minister congratulated Sheinbaum on “her historic electoral victory that will see her become the first woman president of Mexico.”

The statement also said that Joly, Sheinbaum and other officials “reflected on 80 years of friendship and robust relations between Canada and Mexico.”

“… While highlighting the 50th anniversary of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and its successes, Minister Joly and her counterparts underscored the importance of regular migration pathways for both countries’ economies,” the Canadian government said.

“They agreed to continue to regularly review the broad range of issues affecting mobility, including visa processes, to support safe and orderly migration.”

Among other issues, the Canadian government statement said that Joly and Sheinbaum “discussed the importance of collaborating to advance North American economic competitiveness” and “the need to work together to combat climate change.”

Mélanie Joly and Marcelo Ebrard
Joly also met with soon-to-be economy minister Marcelo Ebrard during her visit to Mexico City. (Marcelo Ebrard/X)

Joly also met with Mexico’s incoming economy minister Marcelo Ebrard, with the former saying on X that they discussed the “importance of working together to advance North American economic competitiveness and how our counties can collaborate to expand trade and investment.”

In an interview with the El Universal newspaper, the Canadian foreign minister weighed in on the proposed judicial reform President Andrés Manuel López Obrador sent to Congress earlier this year.

The proposed reform — which if approved would allow citizens to directly elect Supreme Court justices and other judges — is a decision for the Mexican government, “but at the same time we hope that a country like Mexico respects the rule of law,” Joly said.

She emphasized the need for stability and predictability in Mexico because “it’s difficult to invest in a business environment where there are too many risks.”

Among other remarks, Joly said that Canada, Mexico and the United States have the opportunity to establish a “fully integrated” supply chain and to be “one of the most successful [economic] partnerships in the world.”

With that comes an opportunity “to bring lots of Mexicans out of poverty, increase the middle class in Canada and Mexico, and fundamentally be a hub for talent and innovation,” she said.

“I’m really optimistic, but at the same time we need to do the work. So that’s why I’m here,” Joly said.

With reports from Milenio, Quadratín and El Universal

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