Pride parades - such as this one in Puebla - are an important part of any city's Pride celebrations. Mexico City will hold theirs this Saturday. (Mireya Novo/Cuartoscuro)
To celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride month in Mexico City, the capital is hosting an array of parties, marches and other activities. Here’s a roundup of some of the best events taking place this weekend, including:
Mexico City’s Pride Parade
The centerpiece of many cities’ celebrations is the annual Pride parade, and Mexico City is no different: around 40 groups will march from the Angel of Independence monument along Reforma Avenue to the Zócalo.
According to newspaper El Financiero, the objective of the march is to give greater visibility to marginalized groups within the LGBTQ+ community, including those living with HIV, older adults, people with disabilities and sex workers. Participants will also be demanding legal and social recognition of transgender and nonbinary identities.
The motto of this year’s march is “Freedom, justice, dignity. We will never be erased!”
Updates and live streaming of the march can be found on the MarchaLGBTCDMX Twitter account.
Workers in the capital’s Iztapalapa neighborhood paint a crosswalk in rainbow colors on Friday in honor of June LGBTQ+ Pride month. (Edgar Negrete Lira/Cuartoscuro)
Where: The Angel of Independence monument on Reforma Avenue
When: Saturday, June 24, 10:00 a.m.
Queer Film Festival at the Cineteca Nacional
The Cineteca Nacional film archive is hosting a queer film festival throughout June, featuring six films centered on the LGBTQ+ experience. All screenings will be free at the Cineteca’s open-air theater. The screening schedule can be found here.
The Cineteca Nacional film archive is hosting a queer film festival throughout June, featuring six films centered on the LGBTQ+ experience, including Lux Æterna. (Lux Æterna)
Where: Cineteca Nacional, Av. México Coyoacán 389, Xoco, Benito Juarez
When: June 10–June 29
The International Festival for Sexual Diversity
The International Festival for Sexual Diversity (FIDS) is celebrating its 36th year by exploring the theme of “morality.” The Museo Universitario del Chopo will host an exhibition exploring moral offenses, both through the perceived immortality of the queer population by some sectors of society and through the immoral oppression of these communities by state actors.
This year’s International Festival for Sexual Diversity has an exhibit running until June 25 at the Museo Universitario del Chopo museum that examines morality — frequently used as a weapon against the LGBTQ+ community. (Museo Universitario El Chopo)
Where: Museo Universitario del Chopo, Calle Dr. Enriquez González Martínez 10, Santa María La Ribera, Cuauhtémoc
When: May 25–June 25
La Dominga Brunch
An LGBTQ+ brunch, La Dominga offers an afternoon (and early evening) of food, drinks and drag, at the heart of Roma Norte.
Performances by Minina Campbell, Kali Kaoz, Chroma and Alanna Campbell, provide a full afternoon of fun, without ever needing to leave your brunch date.
Mixing a leisurely Sunday afternoon brunch with drag shows, La Dominga is an inventive and engaging way to spend the afternoon. (Tripadvisor)
Where: Foro Roma, on Coahuila 92, in the Roma neighborhood
When: Sunday, June 25, 2:30 p.m.
México de Colores Dance Performance
The LGBTQ+ dance company, México de Colores, will host a performance exploring different sexualities and pride in difference. The company contends with themes such as discrimination, machismo and anti-LGBT+ behavior.
México de Colores is a dance group who combine traditional Mexican themes with themes of inclusivity. (Facebook)
Where: Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris, Donceles 36 in the Historic Center
Abbe Hamilton rappelling into the remote La Grieta section of Sistema Huautla. (Niles Lathrop)
In the 1960’s, a group of cave explorers from Austin, Texas, got the idea that the state of Oaxaca was the right place to search for that really deep cave they had long dreamed of finding.
They had been studying the mountainous areas of Mexico for some time, looking for just the right combination of factors: thick limestone, lots of annual rainfall and a lack of surface streams, which would indicate subterranean drainage.
La Sierra Mazateca, which houses the Sistema Huautla. (PESH)
Once they pinpointed Oaxaca’s Huautla area, which sees 100 inches of rainfall every year, they acquired stereo aerial photos and spotted large cave entrances with visible streams flowing into them. They also noted that there was a newly constructed road into the area.
The stage was set for a major discovery.
Starting in 1965, they were soon exploring three beautiful and challenging caves near Huautla: Sótano de San Agustin, La Grieta and Nita Nanta. In time It became clear that these and other caves they kept finding were interconnected, all part of one big cave system, which eventually became known as Sistema Huautla.
More and more cavers from the United States, Mexico and around the world were attracted to Huautla, and in 2013 an international team of cave divers rappelled down chasms as tall as skyscrapers to reach a depth of 1,554 meters, making Huautla the deepest cave not only in the Americas but in the entire western hemisphere.
700 meters deep inside Sistema Huautla’s San Agustín Pit. (Bill Stone)
In 2022, new explorations in Huautla recorded the total length of the system to 100.7 km of passages. To get a little (nine-minute-long) taste of what it’s like to move through America’s deepest cave, watch this English-language YouTube video showing some of the most breathtaking areas of Huautla.
Also at the end of 2022, Bill Steele, who has been organizing expeditions to Huautla since 2014 — and has a cave tarantula from the area discovered in 2018 named after him — put together a comprehensive report on the discoveries made by scientists over the years from deep inside the labyrinth of pits and passages beneath the little town of Huautla.
And some of the discoveries are surprising…
“In 2014,” says Steele, two of us expedition leaders rappelled into a 160-foot-deep entrance pit to recheck the cave for undiscovered additional passages. We found one. Following airflow, we reached a room with large bones. Knowing they weren’t cow or horse bones, photos were taken of them with scale. Back in Texas I tracked down the name and contact information of a prominent Pleistocene paleontologist with INAH in Mexico City.”
Skull of a shrub-ox, which lived during the early Pleistocene, found in a Huautla cave. (PESH)
The paleontologist, Dr. Joaquin Arroyo-Cabrales, asked Steele if he could send a graduate student to see the cave.
“The next year,” says ¨Steele, “The student — now Dr. Ivan Alarcón, an INAH paleontologist — made an incredible find. His trained eye paid off. While we were showing him the obvious large bones in this chamber of the cave … he saw the top portion of a large skull barely protruding out of the dirt on the floor.
“He began digging the soft dirt with his bare fingers. Once he saw what it was, he said, ‘I want to live here!’”
Dr. Alarcón had discovered the only skull that has ever been found belonging to a Pleistocene ground sloth.
Meizonyx salvadorensis, extinct for 13,000 years, had only been previously identified via a mandible found in El Salvador 40 years before.
“The rest of its skeleton,” says Steele, “is still in the cave, and there are plans to retrieve it on an upcoming expedition. There are many other extinct animals to be studied in this treasure trove of ancient bones, and we are consulting with and supporting the right collaborators.”
Another animal that entered a Huautla cave and never exited includes Odocoileus lucasi, the American mountain deer, which was adapted to steep slopes and cliffs. The remains of several of these deer, extinct for over 11,000 years, are described by cavers Roy Jameson and Frank Binney:
“Cueva de los Pájaros,” they say, “was probably a natural shelter for the American mountain deer. In any case, it was certainly a death trap. At least four individuals jumped, fell or perhaps were driven by predators down the entrance pitch of 40 feet.
American mountain deer skeleton from a cave in Nuevo León, now on display at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. (Dawn Pedersen)
“Two steep mud banks contain skid marks terminating in tracks. One fully articulated and several partly articulated skeletons of the mountain deer are present, along with scattered bones of at least one other individual. So, they had tumbled down into this final chamber and were not able to get out.”
Participants in the Huatla System Speleology Project (PESH) have long wondered just how old the caves are that they are exploring. Fortunately, a technique exists for measuring the decay of uranium-234 into thorium-230, and this has proven highly successful with cave stalagmites.
When Steele contacted Dr. Matthew Lachniet, a top researcher in the field of paleoclimatology, Lachniet told him that there is no existing paleoclimate data for the part of southern Mexico where Huautla is located.
“Dr. Lachniet,” recalls Steele, “asked that we bring out a sample stalagmite from deep in the cave system for himto analyze, to determine the quality of the uranium isotope content. One of our teams during the 2018 expedition climbed up ropes from deep in the cave system carrying a 16-inch-long stalagmite.”
Stalagmite from Sistema Huautla that is being studied to understand ancient climate change. (PESH)
The scientist found the quality of the sample “really fantastic,” says Steele, so, in 2022, an even better stalagmite sample was brought out. This one had a tip that was 114,000 years old and a base that was 342,000 years old.
Layers in between, like tree rings, told the story of the climate in this part of Mexico, of monsoons and glacials.
“I’ve rarely seen tropical stalagmites this good,” wrote Lachniet. “The dating is exceptional in this cave. It could be the Rosetta Stone for Mexico’s paleoclimate!”
“Dr. Lachniet,” adds Steele, “intends to join our next expedition.”
The writer has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, since 1985. His most recent book is Outdoors in Western Mexico, Volume Three. More of his writing can be found on hisblog.
A break from the punishing heatwave that has gripped Mexico may finally be at hand. (Margarito Pérez Retano/Cuartoscuro)
The heat wave that has gripped Mexico over recent weeks may finally be easing, but extreme temperatures still persist in the north, and heavy rains could bring new problems to the south of the country.
TheNational Meterological Service (SMN) announced on Thursday that the “anticyclonic circulation” that brought June’s extreme temperatures will weaken from Friday, meaning Mexico’s third heat wave of the year is technically over.
As demand for air conditioning and refrigeration soared, many areas of the country suffered power outages. In Monterrey (pictured here), a team from the Federal Electricity Commission performs repairs after overloaded power lines shorted in the heat. (Gabriela Pérez Montiel/Cuartoscuro)
However, much of the country will still see temperatures over 40 C (104 F) during the weekend, even exceeding 45 C (113 F) in northern states such as Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California. These regions may also see winds of up to 80 km/h, with possible dust storms or tornadoes.
Temperatures over 30 degrees will remain the norm across Mexico, including in Mexico City, and authorities continue to advise the population to minimize sun exposure, drink plenty of water, and look out for children, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.
Meanwhile, a low pressure channel will move across the south of the country, causing heavy rain, lightning and strong winds. While this may bring relief to many, the SMN warns intense rainfall could cause landslides and flooding in parts of Oaxaca, Chiapas and the Yucatán Peninsula.
By Monday, the interaction of these weather systems could spark the first cyclone of the season on Monday, in the Eastern Pacific Basin, off the coasts of Guerrero and Oaxaca.
President López Obrador reassured Mexicans that the national power supply remains stable despite reports that the grid had only a 6% margin of reserve last week. (lopezobrador.org.mx)
In his Thursday morning press conference, President López Obrador assured the population that Mexico still has enough energy supplies to meet demand, which increased by an estimated 5% during the heat wave. There have also been reports that the National Energy Control Center saw demand for electricity reach 94% of total capacity.
Some media outlets have reported signs of energy shortages in the states of Michoacán, Sinaloa, Guerrero, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz, Tabasco and Yucatán, with several businesses forced to close their doors and others unable to operate air conditioning, fans or refrigeration.
AMLO also said that only one death had been registered as a result of the heat wave, despite the Health Ministry previously reporting eight heat-related deaths between January and June 14. The president’s statement also modified his insistence on Tuesday that “we don’t have a valid report that lives have been lost due to excess heat.”
Alejandra Flores and Jorge Vallejo are the team behind Quintonil, recently named Mexico's best restaurant by World's 50 Best Restaurants. (Instagram)
Pueblos Mágicos make best small towns list
Magical Towns Sayulita, Nayarit, and Tepoztlán, Morelos, made it on the coveted 50 Most Beautiful Small Towns in the World list by Condé Nast magazine.
The magazine praised Tepoztlán for its “beautifully designed sites” such as Dilao, a sculpture garden by artist Eduardo Olbés, and the greenhouse-inspired cocktail bar Margarita Concept. It also highlights the area’s Aztec ruins.
Tepoztlán, a magical town located near Cuernavaca, made it onto Condé Nast’s 50 Most Beautiful Small Towns in the World list. (Wikimedia Commons)
One day is enough to visit Tepoztlán, but Condé Nast “you may find yourself wanting to linger…”
Sayulita, a beach town on Mexico’s Pacific coast, “offers an authentic slice of Mexican life with a colorful town square, indie boutiques, seafood-hawking food stalls, and quiet beaches,” Condé Nast says.
New Hyatt luxury hotels announced for Cancún
Two new Cancún luxury hotels will open in early 2024.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced the upcoming Hyatt Vivid Grand Island, an adults-only resort, and Dreams Grand Island, a family-friendly 616-room luxury resort, to be built in partnership with Mexican developer Grupo Murano.
Hyatt and Mexico’s Grupo Murano are jointly opening adjacent hotels in Cancún in 2024. (Hyatt)
Together, the resorts will offer 19 cuisines in their restaurants and access to a 26,000-square-foot spa, a fitness center, multiple pools and a beach club.
Mexico City is world’s 21st most expensive city to live in
Investment firm Julius Bar’s 2023 Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report reveals that Mexico City is the second most expensive city in Latin America and the 21st most expensive in the world.
Mexico City has become a popular destinations for digital nomads, and living costs are beginning to reflect that. (Depositphotos)
Mexico City’s results are in part driven by the peso’s strength against the dollar and hotel price increases, which have spiked, reflecting its “importance as a leisure and business travel destination,” the report says.
Still, more than half the goods and services in Mexico City are cheaper than the global average, notably health insurance, prime real estate and private education, it says.
“These three key lifestyle elements […] make Mexico City an appealing place for the wealthy,” the report adds.
Mexico City has three restaurants on World’s 50 Best list
Quintonil, Pujol, and Rosetta again made it on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, with Quintonil making the top 10.
Mexico City’s Quintonil. (Wikimedia Commons)
Dropping eight positions this year, Pujol is at No. 13, with Rosetta at No. 49. Retaining its No. 9 ranking from last year, Quintonil thus was crowned Mexico’s best restaurant for the first time.
“Focused on fresh, local ingredients and traditional Mexican flavors and techniquesweaved into modern preparations, Quintonil is fast becoming a classic,” 50 Best said.
After working cruise ships and at Mexico City restaurants The St. Regis, Noma and Pujol, owner Jorge Vallejo opened Quintonil with his wife Alejandra Flores in 2012.
“The charismatic duo brings a winning combination of warmth, energy and exceptional food that has diners returning again and again,” 50 Best wrote.
Pujol’s cultish culinary experience, it says, adds “a modern twist to traditional recipes” and “serves them in the most elegant way possible.”
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a 9-2 vote to strike down electoral reform passed in February. Justice Javier Laynez argued the legislation was rushed through the lower house of Congress contrary to the "principle of democratic deliberation." (SCJN)
Six weeks after invalidating the first part of the federal government’s controversial electoral reform package, the Supreme Court (SCJN) has struck down the second more substantive section.
As was the case with the first part of the so-called Plan B electoral reform package, nine of 11 justices concluded that the approval of the second section by federal Congress violated legislative procedure. The ruling Morena party and its allies have a majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, ensuring the legislation’s passage through Congress.
National Electoral Institute President Guadalupe Taddei Zavala, elected in March, inherited an INE diminished in power and budget due to the reform. The Court ruling invalidates those changes. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)
The SCJN ruled that reforms to three laws and a proposal to create another one were rushed through the lower house of Congress without giving lawmakers adequate time or opportunity to understand and debate the legislation.
“The Chamber of Deputies never gave reasons to justify the urgent process,” Justice Javier Laynez said during a court session on Thursday.
“… Lawmakers didn’t have the opportunity to become familiar with the proposals because they weren’t published or distributed with the advance notice required by the rules of the Chamber of Deputies. Most importantly, they didn’t have a reasonable period to become familiar with what they were voting on as, in total, there were reforms to more than 510 articles,” said Laynez, who proposed the abrogation of the laws to his colleagues.
“It’s clear and evident that the principle of democratic deliberation was violated,” he said in reference to deputies’ approval of the laws in just four hours.
Soon after the Plan B reform passed Congress in February, cities all over Mexico saw citizen protests. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)
The justice also cited other legislative irregularities related to the second part of the reform package, including an order from President López Obrador to remove a so-called “eternal life” clause in one of the proposed laws, which would have allowed major parties to transfer votes to their smaller coalition partners to avoid their possible de-registration due to a lack of support at elections.
Justice Yasmín Esquivel and Justice Loretta Ortiz, both of whom were nominated by López Obrador, voted against repealing the second section of the reform package.
Esquivel noted that the laws received sufficient support to pass Congress and consequently argued that a “democratic exercise” had taken place. She accused her fellow justices of violating “the principle of the separation of powers,” and charged that the court’s consideration of the case was “superficial.”
The application of the laws struck down by the SCJN on Thursday was suspended by the court in March just weeks after they were promulgated by López Obrador. Laynez said at the time that the suspension was necessary to protect democracy and voters’ rights.
— Diana Bautista Benmar (@DianaLo91297065) June 22, 2023
The ruling is seen as a win by many Mexicans opposed to what it saw as the law’s attack on democracy and the INE. This meme circulating online Thursday marked with X’s Justices Yasmín Esquivel and Loretta Ortiz, the sole opposing voices. (Twitter)
Approved by the Senate in late February, the second part of the reform package slashed the budget of the National Electoral Institute (INE), limited the powers of the Federal Electoral Tribunal and made changes to key dates related to electoral processes in Mexico, among other effects.
To demonstrate their support for the INE in the face of what they considered an unwarranted attack on and dangerous weakening of the institute, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across Mexico shortly after the second section of the package was approved. The now-annulled electoral reform laws are collectively known as Plan B as a more ambitious constitutional bill aimed at overhauling Mexico’s electoral system failed to attract the two-thirds congressional support it required.
With the Supreme Court having now invalidated the entirety of the reform package, the INE will recover powers it lost or which were diminished during the brief period that the legislation was in effect. The institute’s previous capacity to sanction politicians who violate electoral laws will be restored, its autonomy won’t be curtailed, its funding won’t be cut and it will be able to employee more people and keep regional offices open.
The first part of the reform package involved changes to the General Law on Social Communication and the General Law on Administrative Responsibilities. A key aim was to limit the responsibilities of the INE and its capacity to regulate and sanction political communication.
President Lopez Obrador, considered the Plan B reform’s architect, has been a fierce critic of the INE since taking office and had never met with its councilors until this month. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
The second part of the package entailed modifications to the General Law on Institutions and Electoral Procedures; the General Law on Political Parties; and the Organic Federal Judicial Power Law. It also created a General Law on Means to Challenge Electoral Matters.
The second part was considered the most damaging to the INE and its capacity to oversee elections, although López Obrador rejected claims that the package he put forward was a threat to democracy in Mexico.
The president has been a fierce critic of the INE and its predecessor, the Federal Electoral Institute. At least part of his dissatisfaction with the country’s electoral authorities stems from his losses at the 2006 and 2012 presidential elections. López Obrador maintains that he was a victim of electoral fraud in both contests.
He has already indicated that he will attempt to enshrine his desired electoral reforms in the constitution if the ruling Morena party and its allies win a supermajority in both houses of Congress at elections on June 2, 2024. The sitting period of the new Congress will begin in September 2024, the president’s last month in office.
Ex-INE president Lorenzo Córdova, seen here handing the reins to Taddei in April, had warned repeatedly in the last two years that the government sought to hobble the autonomous elections oversight body. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
After meeting with all 11 electoral councilors including Taddei at the National Palace last week, López Obrador declared that a “new stage” had begun in the federal government’s relationship with the elections oversight body.
The SCJN’s latest electoral reform decision, and other rulings that have angered López Obrador, would appear to make a similar rapprochement between Mexico’s top court and the nation’s preeminent political figure nigh on impossible.
This boutique hotel in the heart of colonial San Miguel de Allende won a Condé Nast Traveler Reader's Choice award as one of the top 10 hotels in Mexico. (Courtesy)
If you’re searching for an oasis that embodies an unparalleled authentic Mexican experience, the award-winning boutique hotel Hacienda El Santuario in San Miguel de Allende should be top of your list.
You’ll find yourself stepping into a Mexican treasure. The three 16th-century buildings, one of them a convent, exude timeless charm, elegance and taste, with fine art and design from the owners’ museum-quality collection on display.
The welcoming facade of Hacienda El Santuario. (Courtesy)
This is a family-run hotel dating back four generations, and is known for its warm and delightful staff.
Located in the heart of the centro histórico in this UNESCO World Heritage city, the hotel’s entryway is a picturesque, lush courtyard terrace with a fountain. Here, a flower-covered bar, La Samaritana, serves house-made aguas frescas (fresh fruit waters), made from a range of local fruits and nuts. This is the perfect place to relax after a stroll in the nearby park. Or one can slip next door into their enchanting boutique, where you’ll find an impressive selection of Mexican art, design and clothing.
This tranquil property offers 29 individually designed and fully-equipped rooms, ranging from the petite suite to grand master suite.
The rooms are connected by ancient stone staircases, beautiful covered terraces and common gardens and lounging areas with fine rugs and antiques.
The bar at Hacienda El Santuario. (Courtesy)
In the dining courtyard, a hundred year-old bougainvillea tree provides a splash of color and shade over this former convent cloister.
It’s a treat to be able to peek into the brightly tiled open kitchen from the dining patio, and watch Filomena – who has worked with the hotel group for thirty years – and her team, cooking traditional Mexican dishes.
You can taste the experience and love in the home-cooked sopa azteca, molcajete, flautas and the outstanding arroz con leche, which paired with an organic Oaxaca coffee, is the perfect Mexican dessert!
Isabel Castro, one of the owners, is very proud of El Santuario being voted one of the top ten best hotels in Mexico in Condé Nast Traveler’s Reader’s Choice awards. Their sister hotel in town, Real de Minas, is the longest running and one of the most successful hotels in the state.
The kitchen of El Santuario. (Courtesy)
“We want our guests to feel as if they’ve come to stay in a very special Mexican family home, where they can soak up the historical ambience, the architectural features, my mother’s art collection, primarily from Michoacán and Oaxaca, the unique personality of all the rooms and traditional Mexican cuisine and drinks.”
“The original touches are important to us; the shrine to artworks showing La Virgin de Guadalupe, the library which houses antique Mexican books, the mural in the bar. We host a talented guitarist who plays for an hour each evening and for Sunday brunch.
“El Santuario is really a celebration of the rich beauty of our country, and we want to share that with the diverse international crowds who visit our city.”
The hotel’s standout room might be the intimate, art deco style bar, La Sanmiguelada, which offers house cocktails, local mezcal and pulque. The entirety of the walls are painted by the celebrated Mazatlán muralist, José Luis Arias.
Salón Corazón Amarillo at El Santuario is an event space for up to 50 people. (Courtesy)
“The pandemic was the perfect time to invite him to paint his story of Mexico,” Isabel continues. “Here you can see representations of local festivals, like the Fiesta de Los Locos, and famous figures such as Hidalgo and El Pípila, or Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.”
There are also a few private event areas like El Salón Corazón Amarillo, which can seat 50 people. This room’s signature yellow wall serves as the backdrop for a breathtaking display of catrinas, brightly colored Mexican folk art skeletons. The charming roof terrace has the same capacity, perfect for an evening dinner party, and boasts by far one of the most spectacular views of the city.
The rooftop views at El Santuario are some of the city’s best. (Courtesy)
“We’re remodeling our spa up here on the rooftop,” Sofia, one of the managers, tells me.
“You can also enjoy our “little garden” in the corner, where we’re growing rosemary, tomatoes, cilantro and manzanilla (chamomile). The family owners, Grupo México Real, love nature. They have another hotel, Agua Bendita, a nature sanctuary, and a regenerative farm outside the city. They like to bring that vision in small ways to this urban oasis also. That’s why there are many water features, plants and flowers to enjoy throughout El Santuario.”
“Our third level terrace is a perfect spot to read, relax, enjoy conversation or even host a reading, surrounded by the beauty of a Mexican garden. We host weddings and parties, where guests can relish the variety of different spaces, and stay in their chosen corner of the hotel.”
It’s this attention to detail and the colorful, markedly Mexican style of the design, gardens and cuisine, that really delights at El Santuario, and makes it stand out from the other hundreds of boutique hotels in the city. Upon arrival, you’re even invited to choose an organic homemade soap and a china dish for your bathroom from an antique treasure chest!
One of El Santuario’s spacious suites. (Courtesy)
Perhaps its former history as a convent lends this hotel such an air of serenity and beauty, but it’s the masterful eye and sensibility of a seasoned local hotelier family that has created a truly rich and original hospitality experience.
For more information:
Hacienda El Santuario, Aldama 41, Col Centro, San Miguel de Allende, GTO 37700
Tel: + 52 415 980 0192
Henrietta Weekes is a writer, editor, actor and narrator. She divides her time between San Miguel de Allende, New York and Oxford, UK.
The corridor, a chain of 10 industrial parks to be built between the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz, has attracted investment from manufacturers of semiconductors, electronics and auto parts. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
The new industrial corridor planned for the Isthmus of Tehuantepec has already secured 52 letters of intent to invest from Mexican and foreign companies, representing US $4.5 billion.
The Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT) is a proposed chain of10 new industrial parks between the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz, designed to attract investment in Mexico’s poorer and less-developed southern region.
The Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor will consist of 10 industrial parks connected by a rehabilitated railway.
The Isthmus of Tehuantepec connects the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. President Lopez Obrador has said it could eventually rival the Panama Canal.
Carlos Sedano Rodríguez, head of the CIIT’s Investment Promotion and Commercial Development Unit, said that the projects secured so far ranged in value from US $10 million to US $500 million each. Ten are from developers, and the other 42 are from companies that want to establish manufacturing plants in the industrial parks.
On Tuesday, the Economy Ministry announced a new round ofpublic bidding for two-year concessions in five of the so-called “development poles” along the corridor, with registration of interested parties open from June 26 to 30.
The Finance Ministry previously announced a range oftax incentives to attract companies to the corridor, including a complete exemption from income tax during the first three years of operation and a 50% to 90% reduction during the subsequent three years. Business operations within the corridor will also be exempt from value-added tax (VAT).
Governor of Veracruz Cuitláhuac García Jiménez spoke this week with business delegates from Taiwan interested in nearshoring their manufacturing operations to Mexico. (Twitter)
The CIIT specifically aims to attract companies dedicated to electronics, semiconductors, car parts, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, electric power generation and distribution, information technology, metals and petrochemicals. However, Sedano stressed that other projects would also be considered.
Interested companies include semiconductor manufacturers from Taiwan. A delegation of 20 Taiwanese companies came to Mexico on Sunday to explore investment opportunities. They agreed to create a working group between Mexico and Taiwan to identify segments of the supply chain that could be moved to Mexico, taking advantage of the nearshoring phenomenon that has seen production processes move closer to U.S. markets.
Although northern Mexico has been the primary beneficiary of nearshoring, thanks to its location and established industries, an advantage of investing in the CIIT is the region’s plentiful water supply. Northern Mexico suffers recurrent, severe droughts.
“We [in the CIIT] have excess water, especially on the side of Veracruz, and Oaxaca is not bad [either],” Sedano said. “We can count on [having] water.”
The government has also sought to boost the attractiveness of the CIIT with plans to modernize the railroad and highways between Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, and Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, and to expand the ports in both cities.
The Navy has contributed to the corridor project and will control it once it is finished. President López Obrador has pledged that, although the trade corridor seeks to attract foreign investment, it is a “matter of sovereignty” that it should be administered by federal bodies.
The new flight will operate twice a week beginning on July 3. (Octavio Hoyos/Shutterstock)
Mexican low-cost airline Volaris has closed a deal with Airbus to purchase 25 planes, while its fellow low-cost carrier Viva Aerobus could reach an agreement with the French plane manufacturer later this month.
On Tuesday, Volaris announced it is ordering 25 A320NEO (New Engine Option) narrow-body planes as it pushes to expand its operations on domestic flights and with destinations in the United States and Central America. The purchase comes as part of an agreement reached this past October, according to news outlet Aristegui Noticias, and leaves 143 planes yet to be delivered
Volaris plans to have an all-Airbus NEO fleet by 2028. (Wikimedia Commons)
“These aircraft will support the company’s long-term business viability, as well as our sustainability strategy,” CEO of Volaris Enrique Beltranena said during the 2023 Air Show in Paris.
The new planes will help the airline boost its goal of operating an all-Airbus NEO fleet by 2028. With more than 170 planes of this style, Volaris currently has the most A320NEO aircraft in Latin America.
Since its launch in 2005, the Mexican carrier, considered by specialized media to be the largest in the country, has only operated Airbus aircraft.
Meanwhile, Viva Aerobus is reportedly negotiating a deal with Airbus for at least 90 narrow-body jets of the same family. Sources told Reuters on Wednesday that the transaction will fall outside the Paris Air Show, the world’s biggest air exhibition.
Viva Aerobus is another Mexican low-cost carrier in the market for more planes. (Viva Aerobus/Twitter)
According to sources, negotiations between both companies have taken place alongside the ongoing airshow and report it is likely both companies will close a deal for approximately 90 aircraft and announce it this week.
Reuters reported that Airbus declined to comment and that Viva Aerobus was not immediately available. The airline previously told Reuters it had an ongoing order of A321NEO with Airbus with deliveries until 2027. The carrier said it has not signed a new deal with any manufacturer.
Viva Aerobus has long been a battleground in the fight for market dominance between Airbus and Boeing. In 2013, the airline switched from Boeing to Airbus with an order for 40 Airbus A320 jets worth up to US $4 billion after a fierce competition between the two aviation giants.
Prior to the start of the Paris Air Show, sources told Reuters that Airbus is favored to win again.
San Fernando Hotel in Condesa has been recently renovated by Texas-based hotel group Bunkhouse and is now a major contender for best hotel in the neighborhood. (Chad Wadsworth)
Mexico City has come roaring back from any pause the pandemic may have caused in local tourism. Dozens of new hotels are opening in the next 12 to 18 months in the capital, and while it can be a blur scrolling through everything on offer, two hotels opened this month that I’m especially excited about.
Both are great for travelers who want both a unique hospitality experience as well as access to the city’s central neighborhoods and their attractions.
Both hotels bask in high-end design. Hotel Volga, with its industrial architectural elements, has a hypermodern vibe. (Lydia Carey)
While not technically brand new, San Fernando Hotel in Condesa has been recently renovated by Texas-based hotel group Bunkhouse and is now a major contender for best hotel in the neighborhood.
Inside a 1947 Art Deco beauty, designers from Bunkhouse carefully curated a look that incorporates some of the building’s finest elements — beautiful stained glass, casement windows, an undulating geometric staircase — with more modern amenities like high-speed Wi-Fi, updated bathrooms and a sexy new bar and lounge on the first floor.
Small touches like the handmade pendant lights from local artisan Julie Bramely-Sanchez and a chandelier by award-winning Mexico City designer Rebeca Cors are the result of the design team’s commitment to a uniquely Mexican style that’s firmly rooted in the city.
The new bar and lounge, with its jewel-toned furniture and colorful Pop Art really takes advantage of the hotel’s incredible location — a few feet away from Parque México, the neighborhood’s most prestigious park, and on a street that sees heavy foot traffic in the heart of Art Deco Condesa. San Fernando’s outdoor tables and its open entryway beckon you in off the street for a drink, creating a space for locals and visitors to rub shoulders among the low-lit couches.
San Fernando’s cocktail menu only takes a few risks — options like pox liquor from Chiapas and craft mezcals among them — but it offers a solid range of classic and house cocktails. (Chad Wadsworth)
The cocktail menu isn’t exceptionally risky, but Bunkhouse have anchored it with elements representing the mexicanidad of its location — e.g. Indigenous pox liquor from Chiapas and a roster of several different mezcals — and they have a solid list of classic and house cocktails.
The food menu consists of small plates that are more international in tone, such as watermelon salad with mint feta and pistachios, charcuterie boards and a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich. Three new rooftop suites are available, and rooms come in a variety of sizes and arrangements, including a six-person suite for large groups.
The best rooms are the king-sized singles outfitted like tiny retro apartments — be sure to ask for one with a private balcony.
Moving from the historic to the hypermodern, Volga has opened just off of Reforma Avenue in the Cuauhtémoc neighborhood. Brought to Mexico City by the same folks who opened Casa Polanco last year, Volga’s industrial chic design can be credited to JSa, one of the city’s most renowned young architectural firms. It has designed other gems like the Carlota and Umbral hotels.
Volga is designed by JSa, who are behind some of the most exciting architectural projects in the city. (Lydia Carey)
Volga seeks to be both a base for your Mexico City journey and a journey of the senses in and of itself, with curated playlists, local artwork, an omakase chef’s table, DJs in the lobby and rooftop yoga.
Like other hotels in the Hamak Hotels portfolio, Volga attracts an international crowd of fashionistas, design lovers and creatives looking to rub shoulders in the basement speakeasy or take in the skyline from the rooftop pool. Rooms are arranged around a U-shaped air shaft that dominates the center of the building. The tiny triangle-shaped balconies hidden behind wood-slatted windows give guests the option of joining the fun or tucking away into their own private space.
Simple and sleek, the black-and-white interiors give the rooms a timeless look, and regardless of their limited square footage, the tall ceilings, exposed beams and open design make them feel expansive.
There’s a lot going on here — events, classes, “happenings,” even a concept store, but it also has a great location for seeing some of the city’s best attractions — the historic downtown, Reforma Avenue on Sunday morning (when the street is closed for several hours to encourage outdoor recreation) and the Chapultepec park museums.
The San Fernando has rooms starting at US $200 a night and going upwards of $450, while all rooms at Volga are set at US $360 a night, with rates subject to change in the near future.
Architecture and ambiance are an integral part of each hotel’s draw, but their excellent locations also provide access to some of the city’s best sites and eateries, making either a great and convenient getaway.
Lydia Carey is a freelance writer and translator based out of Mexico City. She has been published widely both online and in print, writing about Mexico for over a decade. She lives a double life as a local tour guide and is the author of Mexico City Streets: La Roma. Follow her urban adventures on Instagram and see more of her work at www.mexicocitystreets.com.
Women marching in favor of decriminalizing abortion in September in Chiapas, one of 21 states in Mexico with laws making abortion a crime. The Supreme Court ruling paves the way for more citizens to challenge such state laws, even when not currently trying to obtain an abortion. (Isabel Mateos Hinjosa/Cuartoscuro)
The Supreme Court (SCJN) has ruled that all women — as well as other people “with the capacity to gestate” — can challenge state laws against abortion, whether they are pregnant or not.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the SCJN noted that the decision came after two lower courts handed down contradictory rulings on whether the condition of being a woman or “person with the capacity to gestate” was sufficient to “recognize their legitimate interest” to challenge laws that establish abortion as a crime, even if the complainant isn’t pregnant.
Justice Jorge Mario Pardo Rebolledo presided over the Supreme Court session in the first chamber on Wednesday. (SCJN)
The SCJN said that its first chamber determined that laws that penalize abortion affect the cultural and social rights of people with the capacity to gestate, contributing to the creation of an adverse environment in which to exercise their human rights.
Such laws promote the belief that having an abortion is not the right thing to do from an ethical standpoint and “increase stigma for those who turn to these medical services,” the court said.
The SCJN said that its first chamber determined that while laws that punish abortion “directly affect pregnant people,” they also have an impact on “those who have the capacity to gestate” but are not currently expecting a child as they send “a discriminatory message” to them.
Activists celebrate in Quintana Roo in October after the state Congress passed legislation decriminalizing it in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Many states passed such legislation after a 2021 Supreme Court ruling that such laws are unconstitutional. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
Laws punishing abortion have an impact on “their right to choose their life plan” and on “their sexual and reproductive rights,” it added.
“… The chamber concluded that the sole condition of being a woman or person with the capacity to gestate is sufficient to recognize” their right to file a legal challenge against the classification of abortion as a crime “without the need” to be immediately subject to relevant laws, the SCJN said.
Challenging state based laws against abortion on the basis that they are unconstitutional could result in a complainant being granted an injunction that authorizes the termination of a pregnancy and thus exempts them from punishment.
The issuance of injunctions in states where abortion has not been decriminalized could pave the way for the legalization of the termination of pregnancies in the first 12 weeks.
Puebla, Sonora, Chiapas and Nuevo León are among the states where abortion hasn’t been legalized, except in cases of rape or a risk to the mother’s life.
