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Mexicanos al grito de guerra: Learning the national anthem and the pledge of allegiance

By
Sarah DeVries
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9
Kids performing the Honores a la Bandera in Mexico
Flag ceremonies are taken very seriously in Mexico, even when kids are the escorts. (Supremo Tribunal de Justicia, Poder Judicial del Estado de Jalisco)

Yesterday, I went to the final Honores a la bandera — flag ceremony — at my daughter’s elementary school. She’s “graduating” next week, so it’s the last one she’ll have participated in at that school.

This one was extra special because the 6th grade “escolta” (escorts?) passed the flag on to the 5th grade ones as a symbolic gesture. Now they’ll be the school “elders” that keep it going! To add to the ceremony of it, a state police band came with trumpets and drums, the leader directing with a spinning trumpet.

Mexican flag blowing in the breeze
Flag ceremonies in Mexico, and as in the U.S., are often accompanied by the national anthem and a pledge of allegiance. (Luis Ramirez/Unsplash)

In schools, every flag ceremony is basically the same. First, the escolta marches forward, directed by one extra responsible kid in military fashion. Parents of whichever group are performing the ceremony are invited to attend, and all are instructed on what to do by another kid: stand at attention, salute and put ourselves at ease.

We say the pledge of allegiance and we sing the national anthem. At my kid’s school, the kids not in the escolta read “fun facts,” some in garbled English. The flag is ceremoniously walked back. The ceremony ends, and then we can all take pictures with our kids before they go back to class.

It’s all very official.

Getting emotional over the flag ceremony

Here’s a video of it. This isn’t my kid’s school … just one of many I found online. This one has a drum line!

It’s hard to describe what a flag ceremony here does to me, even when — especially when? — it’s performed by kids. I cry literally every time.

Granted, I’m a crier. Any kind of ceremony where lots of people are doing the same thing just makes me bawl my eyes out. Ceremonies, concerts, parades — I can’t wear mascara to a single one of them. Lots of people being very serious about something all at once just gets to me.

It’s also just amazing to me that for a culture that is so incredibly bromista (prone to joking) in so many ways, this is something they take deadly seriously. Even among small children, there is no horsing around. Being chosen to be in the escolta is an honor, something kids brag about to their parents when they get home.

Pledging allegiance

It’s also just so touching, in a time when so many things are changing so quickly, to feel what the late Congressman John Lewis called “the spirit of history.” The ideals we pledge during these ceremonies are the same ones that have been pledged for decades. The ceremony is the same one now as it was in the 1980s.

Another thing I find interesting about these ceremonies is that they’re, to use the parlance of the day, “left-coded.” The parents who take off work and show up enthusiastically to these ceremonies are usually the most liberal ones. This makes sense, because Mexico has had “left-wing” governments for most of its modern history, save the years that the PAN was in control.

But it’s interesting to me because in the United States, where I’m from, it’s the opposite. Republicans are the ones who are perceived to “own” patriotism (the same way they “own” Christianity).

Here, everyone gets to “own” it, and they do. The officialness of it surprises me every time.

So let’s examine some of the elements here of the Honores a la bandera. First, there’s their pledge of allegiance (called the Juramento a la bandera), which is pretty dang beautiful. Here it is, in Spanish and English:

English version

Flag of Mexico!

Legacy of our heroes,

Symbol of the unity of our parents and our siblings.

We promise to always be faithful

To the principles of liberty and of justice

Which make our homeland an independent, humane, and generous nation.

To which we give our existence.

How to salute properly

While you recite this, by the way, you hold your right arm out toward the flag, palm down. When I suggested to my partner that this felt weird because it resembled the Nazi salute, he immediately took offense. “But that’s not what it is at all!”

Mexicans: Their official honorific gestures are not up for debate. Nor is the national anthem: you’re not allowed to make fun of it or sing a parody, or change any words. And if you’re a TV or radio station, you have to play it when coming on air or signing off (most stations are 24-hour, of course, so do it at midnight).

The national anthem, I’ll admit, I’ve never completely learned. To be fair, it’s got 10 stanzas, all right? Okay, fine. It’s now only four. But four is still a lot! Still, I should make more of an effort than I’ve made before, at least to learn the one stanza with the chorus that’s typically sung in school ceremonies.

Alas, the lyrics that I do know often make this lifelong pacifist clutch her pearls. One line that always stands out to me: un soldado en cada hijo te dio — “a soldier in every son was given to you.” And technically, that’s true: all Mexican males are required to complete military service once they turn 18 (with a few exceptions).

Singing the national anthem

The version sung for flag ceremonies is short, and I’ll put the lyrics, translation and a video with lyrics here in case you’d like to learn it. It’s certainly time for me to do so!

Here’s a “sing-along” video in Spanish, and below I’ll include an English translation. (Ojo: you can’t sing it in English. Like, legally you can’t.)

HIMNO NACIONAL MEXICANO | VERSIÓN ESCOLAR CON LETRA

English version:

(Chorus) Mexicans, at the cry of war

make ready the steel and the bridle,

and let the earth tremble at its center

at the resounding roar of the cannon. (repeat last two lines)

(1st verse) Oh Fatherland! May the divine archangel of peace

wreathe your brow in olive,

for your eternal destiny in Heaven

was written by the finger of God.

But should a foreign enemy dare

to profane your soil with his step,

think, oh beloved Fatherland! that Heaven

has given you a soldier in every son.

(repeat chorus)

And even though my daughter is graduating from elementary school, these will be taking place in middle school as well. I’ve got three more years to sing along properly! … if I can stop myself from choking up.

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

The MND News Quiz of the Week: July 11th

By
MND Plus
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0
News quiz
(Mexico News Daily)

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

Get informed, stay smart.

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

According to a recent Mexico by the Numbers article, how many islands does the country have?
The mountains of Isla Tiburón, seen from Sonora, with cactus and desert vegetation in the foreground

Japanese automaker Toyota is moving production of its Tacoma model from Tijuana to what U.S. state?
Toyota has been manufacturing the Tacoma in Tijuana since 2002.

President Sheinbaum recently met in Mexico City with the president of what European country to discuss trade?
President Sheinbaum at her July 9 press conference

Which of the following Mexican cities was not named one of the top 10 in the world by Travel + Leisure?
Cathedral and gardens of San Miguel de Allende

A multi-year plan announced to fix Guadalajara's systemic water issues will have what price tag attached?
rusted tap slowly dripping

A rare sighting of what endangered species was reported in Querétaro this week?
A white and black axolotl in a tank

The World Cup knockout matchup between Mexico and England was the most-watched soccer game this century, with how many viewers?
Raúl Jiménez attempts a bicycle kick during Mexico's round of 16 match against England.

Nominations for the Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences awards were recently announced. What is Mexico’s “Oscar” called?
diego luna waving

Despite a lack of progress on the USMCA, Mexico set a record for exports to the U.S. in May, with a value of how much for the month?
Aerial side view of cargo ship carrying shipping containers for export

Who has replaced Javier Aguirre as the new coach for “El Tri,” Mexico’s national men’s soccer team?

If San Miguel is going to stay the ‘best city in the world,’ it has to up its game: A perspective from our CEO

By
Travis Bembenek
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44
San Miguel de Allende, view of the cathedral from a side street
San Miguel once again won Travel+Leisure's top accolade this year thanks to its "singular blend of history, culture, and contemporary sophistication." (Mark de Jong/Unsplash)

I absolutely love my adopted hometown of San Miguel de Allende. Most of us who live here share a common bond in knowing that we live in a very, very special place. For many who visit here for just a few days, they don’t understand it. They have a great time while here, but they can’t imagine actually living here. They could never understand how the city was once again named “Best City in the World” in this year’s recently released Travel+Leisure magazine annual awards.

How can it be that little SMA — not even in the top 100 largest cities in Mexico — could win Best City in the World for three straight years? Even some of the long-time foreign residents and locals seem to be a bit cynical about the distinction, but they still accept it with pride. For whatever its worth, I am not surprised. I know this place is special — and that’s why we relocated here. SMA is not just a place that you see, but one that you feel — and the more time you spend here, the more you feel it.

An abandoned restaurant around San Miguel's central plaza
Cleaning up the abandoned restaurants around San Miguel’s central plaza is one area of opportunity to make sure SMA keeps winning Best City in the World, Travis Bembenek writes. (Travis Bembenek)

But that doesn’t mean that it is perfect, and every city on the planet is trying to continuously improve for its residents and visitors. San Miguel is no different. The city and its residents undeniably do a ton of things right, but there are also a lot of things that need improvement if it is going to stay on top. Here is my list, in no particular order, of what the city of SMA needs to do to keep getting better and stay ranked as the best city in the world:

1. Upgrade the buses

The bus system is the lifeblood of the city. They are what connect the surrounding and outlying communities with the center city. They are what connect the children to school, families and church services, grandmas and the market, and young employees and their workplaces. It’s an extensive, efficient, affordable transportation system and it gets the job done. But the air pollution belching out of most of the buses is some of the worst I have seen in the world. People in central SMA tend to walk everywhere — kids, grandmas, families — and we are all forced to breathe in the terrible toxic bus exhaust due to an absolute neglect of emission standards and upgrades. It’s shameful. Cities throughout Mexico are upgrading to electric buses; SMA must urgently do the same.

2. Expand the pedestrian-only core by one block in every direction in the central city.

The walkability of the central core is wonderful, but it oftentimes feels too small for the number of people. Expanding the “no car” zone by a block in each direction (say, to Insurgentes Avenue) would allow the core to further blossom. Great European cities have figured this out with amazing results — SMA has to make it happen as well.

3. Turn the “arroyo cachinches” (the river winding around the edge of town) into a beautiful, walkable urban park.

Stretches of it already are being beautified by volunteers, but other stretches of it have no walking path, lots of graffiti, and garbage. A recent volunteer effort by a neighborhood organization picked up 120 garbage bags full of trash in the river in just a two-block stretch! 120 bags of trash!! Leading cities worldwide have recognized that their rivers can be turned into incredible green spaces that allow residents to exercise, breathe fresh air and enjoy nature. San Miguel has an incredible opportunity to do something amazing with the river and make it an attraction for locals and tourists alike.

A bus in san miguel de allende
Upgraded, less polluting buses and expanded natural areas would benefit the health of all SMA residents. (Travis Bembenek)

4. Program more events/activities in the Benito Juárez and Zeferino urban parks.

Both parks are ideal locations for concerts, kids’ events, sporting events, food festivals, movie nights, plant and flower festivals, etc. There is no better example than the recent Sabores de San Miguel (Taste of San Miguel) event in Parque Juárez. This event brings together the young and old and Mexicans and foreigners like few others, and everyone loves it. Why not have it quarterly instead of once a year?

5. Better promote the activities and destinations outside of town.

The mayor recently said that the city “might be reaching its limits on the amount of tourists it can accommodate.” The vineyards, the hot springs, the ranches, the mountains and the surrounding towns all have massive appeal for locals and tourists alike, but most times, few people know what is going on in those areas and even fewer actually go to them. The city government needs to engage these destinations, help promote them, and treat them as partners in offering a broader array of tourist options. Why are there not obvious and well-promoted hiking, mountain biking or horseback riding tours in the surrounding mountains? Why aren’t there monthly Sabores de San Miguel-type events at a different vineyard each month? I am shocked by how few of our vineyards most people have been to. Out of the now 24 vineyards surrounding San Miguel, most people have been to one or two — how can that be?? The city’s tourism strategy needs to be much more comprehensive and wide-ranging, and look far beyond the few blocks surrounding the parroquía.

6. Get the two large abandoned restaurant spaces on the main square opened up again.

How can the best city in the world have abandoned restaurant spaces in two of the four corners of the main square for years? They are an eyesore. Literally right next to one of the most beautiful churches in the world is a restaurant that has been abandoned for years. The city must figure out a way to solve whatever problem exists and get them open and filled with people again!

7. Do not allow Viagra/Cialis/ painkiller tourist-focused pharmacies to put up ugly, obnoxious locations in the central city.

There are plenty of pharmacies serving the needs of local residents in the central city, and they do so in a professional way. For the first time the other day, I noticed an obnoxious new pharmacy just one block from San Miguel’s famous Aldama Avenue (considered one of the top 10 most beautiful in the world). It was like the ones you see every 10 feet in Mexican cruise ship ports, catering to gringos looking to stock up on their generic prescriptions, erectile dysfunction medicine and GLP-1 medications. We don’t need new pharmacies like this one that has opened in the central city.

Pharmacy ads in San Miguel for cialis and other drugs
Pharmacies targeting tourists in San Miguel’s historic center advertise a wide variety of painkillers, steroids and erectile dysfunction medications. (Travis Bembenek)

8. Better engage the foreign community.

San Miguel is filled with foreigners with lots of time, money and experience. They must be better engaged, leveraged and challenged to make the community better. We already have plenty of dog shelter volunteers, but need more people who want to help the city and its residents improve its education, healthcare, entrepreneurial skills, clean water availability, nature areas, etc. Why not create a core of volunteer foreign teachers who commit to helping make sure all young people in the city learn English? English language skills can significantly help young students in the future, and also allow them to find jobs locally and not have to leave the community in search of work.

9. Better engage the media.

There is a huge opportunity for the city to improve how it does at engaging and collaborating with media organizations like Mexico News Daily and others. Instead of working with us to promote the main events and key initiatives of the city, they leave us in the dark like everyone else on what is going on. The monthly event calendar is usually posted late and is missing most of the actual activities that take place in the month. Why not dedicate more resources to leverage media outlets to help promote what the city is planning? I frequently talk to local community leaders planning events who tell me that they receive very little support from the city. This is a big missed opportunity.

10. Find creative ways to raise more taxes for city improvements.

Options exist, like increasing the tax on home sales, higher property tax rates on all new construction, higher property tax rates on future home sales, or higher hotel room taxes. Of course, no option will be popular, and none of them will be easy to implement, but more taxes raised will mean more that can be done to continue to improve the city.

11. Figure out a logical parking scheme for each of the main corners of the city.

Parking in central SMA is becoming absurd. At some lots, rates are now as high as 70 pesos ($4 USD) per hour. Most of these places do not offer a daily rate. In other words, parking rates are nearing $100 USD a day in some lots — that is Manhattan pricing! I frequently hear about how residents not living right downtown are beginning to avoid the central city. Parking is too expensive, it’s too hard to find parking spots — it’s too much of a pain. I can’t tell you how many times I see cars driving around and around looking for parking. As happens in so many cities, increasingly limited and expensive parking results in much more traffic as cars drive around looking for options. SMA needs to take real ownership on this issue and build affordable city lots in different corners of the city. If done right, it would raise revenue for the city, reduce central city traffic, and attract more locals to town to frequent stores and restaurants. The last thing we want to happen is for the central city to become only “for tourists,” and then the surrounding areas for residents. Many cities around the world have figured out this parking problem — it’s time SMA does the same.

12. Get much better at engaging state and federal government.

Both the federal and state governments know that San Miguel is one of the crown jewels of Mexico. I am certain that the city could put together a comprehensive SMA 2030 plan that asks for more resources to help fund specific initiatives and improve the city. The state and federal government understand the huge value for the entire county in San Miguel continuing to receive the recognition it does; they need to do their part in helping continue to improve the city.

It goes without saying that we cannot take San Miguel’s “Best City in the World” status for granted. There are examples around the world of places being “loved to death,” as well as places that became complacent and lost their appeal. SMA needs to up its game and be better taken care of. Most of us would agree that a lot more can and should be urgently done to keep the city on top!

Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.

‘Confidently Wrong about Tourism in Mexico’: A new MND podcast

By
Travis Bembenek
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0
Video thumbnail shows Travis and George cartoons on a Mexican beach with the words "Confidently Wrong about Tourism in Mexico"

With the recent World Cup mania in Mexico, tourists from across the globe descended on the country. On social media, we all saw countless videos of Mexicans and foreign tourists having a great time. So with that in mind, we thought we would ask the question: Does Mexico need more tourists? Perhaps surprisingly to many people who have only been to Mexico’s big beach areas, tourism represents only about 8% of the Mexican economy. Of course at times, some parts of Mexico feel overrun with tourists, but many other amazing destinations are nearly empty.

In this episode of Mexico News Daily’s “Confidently Wrong” podcast, we dig into the topic of tourism in Mexico. We discuss a recent conversation that I had with the Mexican tourism minister, Josefina Rodriguez, and what her team is focused on. We also look at how Mexico tourism numbers compare to other global top tourist destinations like the U.K., Spain and France to get a sense for what the potential could be for Mexico.

Finally, as the world continues to rapidly embrace technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics, countries will need to look for industries that are likely to be less impacted. Tourism is a perfect example of an industry that can not only maintain but likely continue to create jobs and opportunities.

We have all those moments in an airport customs line or waiting to get into Coco Bongo when we felt like Mexico doesn’t need any more tourists … but perhaps that is a “confidently wrong” opinion? Check out the latest episode and tell us what you think.

Confidently wrong about tourism in Mexico: Season 3 - Episode 3

Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.

A planned 95.5 km bypass will improve traffic flow on Hwy 57 near Querétaro

By
MND Staff
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2
The Mexico-Querétaro Highway is the main land route from Mexico City to Querétaro, San Luis Potosí and on north. But the industry-driven growth of both those cities has put a lot of stress on the highway and the hope is that a series of alternatives, including the Querétaro Metropolitan Bypass, will improve conditions. (Rogelio Morales / Cuartoscuro.com)

Construction on the planned 95.5-kilometer bypass around the city of Querétaro to improve traffic flow on the troubled Mexico-Querétaro highway will be privately funded to the tune of 9.57 billion pesos (US $515 million) but probably won’t start until late 2027

Grupo Omega, the project’s concessionaire, said that the Querétaro Metropolitan Bypass “will improve the performance of the Mexico-Querétaro highway, one of the busiest highways in the country, and will reduce traffic pressure in the Querétaro metropolitan area, which concentrates long-distance traffic.”

map querétaro state
A government-released map shows the area in Querétaro state through which the new bypass will pass. (proyectosmexico.gob.mx)

Omega is responsible for the design, construction and operation of the project, and since it operates as a concession, will handle toll collection for a period of 30 years.

The road project will begin at approximately kilometer 142 of Federal Highway 57, at the Palmillas toll booth on the Mexico City–Querétaro section, and will end at kilometer 33 of the same corridor on the  Querétaro–San Luis Potosí section. 

The project also includes a 2.3-kilometer connecting branch to the city of Querétaro, which will start at kilometer 61.7 of the Querétaro Metropolitan Bypass and connect to State Highway 200, which links Querétaro with Tequisquiapan.

It will boast four traffic lanes  — two in each direction — as well as side shoulders, a main road, and intermediate junctions in San Juan del Río, Peña de Bernal, Querétaro International Airport and elsewhere.

Plans for the project also include 158 cross drainage works, 12 overpasses for vehicles, 43 underpasses for vehicles and five railway overpasses, 35 overpasses for agricultural machinery, five bridges and two viaducts.

Beyond its impact on mobility, the bypass is shaping up to be an economic catalyst for communities and industrial corridors in eastern Querétaro state, as well as 12 municipalities in nearby states such as San Miguel de Allende and San José Iturbide in Guanajuato, Polotitlá in Mexico state, and Huichapan, Nopala de Villagrán and Tecozautla in Hidalgo.

Querétaro state Public Works Minister José Pío X Salgado told the newspaper Publimetro that Grupo Omega expects to begin construction at the end of 2027 after it finishes securing the right-of-way, which currently stands at 60%. 

However, he added that the company will try to secure 100% of the right-of-way this year to begin construction as soon as possible. 

With reports from Forbes

Vinci Airports eyes more Mexico investment as it braces for slower global growth

By
MND Staff
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0
An OMA sign at the entrance of Monterrey airport
Monterrey International Airport, OMA's busiest hub, is central to Vinci's continued investment and confidence in Mexico's aviation market. (Shutterstock)

Although jet fuel prices are expected to stunt global air traffic through the remainder of the year, the world’s leading private airport operator remains open to expansion in Mexico.

In Mexico to canvass some of his company’s operations, Vinci ​Airports CEO Remi Maumon de Longevialle conceded that geopolitical tensions and fuel prices were producing “new volatility” in markets around the world.

Vinci ​Airports CEO Remi Maumon de Longevialle
Vinci ​Airports CEO Remi Maumon de Longevialle. (Vinci Airports)

“It’s fair to acknowledge ​that growth won’t reach the same figures as in previous years,” Maumon de Longevialle told Reuters news agency. “But ​there is no specific concern about airlines changing or adjusting dramatically capacities.”

Vinci is not seeing major airline capacity cuts despite fears that carriers could alter schedules more sharply, and the company still views Mexico as a long-term growth market.

Since becoming the main shareholder in Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte (OMA) four years ago, Vinci has invested heavily in Mexico.

Two months ago, Vinci provided US $800 million to modernize and expand infrastructure across OMA’s network of Mexican airports. Roughly half of that was set aside to remodel terminals at Monterrey International Airport (MTY) as that city prepared to host four World Cup matches.

Monterrey International Airport to undergo US $400M renovation

OMA’s modernization strategy ahead of the soccer tournament, which began on June 11, included the deployment of automated customs systems and self-service immigration technologies.

The ⁠terminal expansion plan is on pace to open partially by year-end, with further openings through the end of next year. 

Monterrey is OMA’s most significant hub, and saw a 10.3% annual increase in international arrivals in June. The operator reported that its 13 airports combined handled a total of 2,403,275 passengers in June, a 2.1% increase compared to June 2025.

Domestic traffic is also on the rise: OMA reported a 0.8% year-on-year increase for June while at the same time 22 new routes began operations. OMA Chief Executive ​Ricardo Dueñas told Reuters the company is preparing to invest another US $450 million over the next five years.

This week, Maumon de Longevialle said the company was not ruling out further expansion, citing Mexico’s domestic aviation market, Monterrey’s role as a business hub and what he described as a stable concession framework.

“Mexico is a country of immense potential,”Maumon de Longevialle said in a post on LinkedIn. “We are proud to contribute to its economic and tourism development.”

With reports from Reuters and Líder Empresarial

Former Pemex CEO’s legal troubles deepen with a 4.8 billion-peso corruption complaint

By
MND Staff
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5
Víctor Rodríguez
Victor Rodríguez's May 14 resignation as head of Pemex has been followed by a string of setbacks, including being charged with domestic abuse, a formal complaint of corruption and a public distancing by President Sheinbaum. (Gustavo Alberto / Claroscuro.com)

A day after being remanded to prison on domestic abuse charges, former Pemex CEO Víctor Rodríguez is now being linked to a questionable 4.8 billion-peso (US $277 million) no-bid vehicle-leasing contract while in charge of the state oil company.

A formal complaint about the contract was submitted to the Anti-Corruption Ministry on July 6 and then forwarded to the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF), the Tax Administration Service (SAT) and the federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR).

Pemes station
The shadow of corruption now hangs over two former leaders of Pemex — Emilio Lozoya and Victor Rodríguez — with a complaint against the latter in the hands of three powerful federal agencies — SAT, UIF and FGR.
(Roberto Arcide / Unsplash)

The complaint requests a review of the legality of the procedure by which the contract was awarded, as well as an investigation into the technical and financial capacity of the consortium comprising the companies Arrendo Serv and Impulsa Tu Ganancia to which it was granted. 

The complaint also alleges conflicts of interest and simulation of competition, and requests an investigation into the identity of the final beneficiaries.

According to Pemex’s contract documentation, an exception to the public bidding procedure was made for reasons of national security, public safety and the protection of strategic facilities. 

The contract — which includes the leasing of between 350 and 1,200 specialized vehicles per fiscal year, in addition to maintenance and unit replacement — contemplates a maximum amount of 4.838 billion pesos to be distributed through Dec. 31, 2028.

Proceso magazine reported that among the lines of investigation are the involvement of Carlos Alberto Ulloa (representing Impulsa Tu Ganancia) who was formally accused of misappropriation of public funds, abuse of power and embezzlement in 2020 while serving as personal secretary to then-Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum.

Ulloa is currently the general director of the state-owned medical company Birmex, so his involvement in the Pemex contract is a potential conflict of interest. 

Additionally, the three primary shareholders in the consortium — José Alejandro Reyes Zeind, Kora Naama Conchas Burelo and Alberto Pliego Hernández — allegedly have close ties with Ulloa.

Finally, the Impulsa Tu Ganancia address listed in the contract appears to be bogus. No company personnel were found at the location in Metepec, México state, nor was there any visible identification of its offices.

Ex-Pemex CEO arrested on domestic violence charges

Rodríguez  has been a close friend of President Sheinbaum but she publicly cut ties with him on June 29, saying the full extent of the law would be applied

Rodríguez served as Pemex director from October 2024 through May 14, 2026, when he resigned. Video of Rodríguez physically attacking his wife at their home in the state of Morelos in mid-March surfaced last month and she filed a criminal complaint shortly thereafter.

He was arrested in Mexico City on Tuesday and booked into a Morelos state prison where he remains.

With reports from El Universal, Proceso, El Imparcial and Milenio

A Chiapas zoo welcomes a newborn tapir, a conservation win for the endangered mammal

By
MND Staff
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2
newborn tapir in Chiapas
The newborn is the second tapir born in captivity at ZooMAT, the result of a cooperative effort between the Chiapas zoo, the Chapultepec Zoo and the Central American Tapir Conservation and Reproduction Program. (ZooMAT)

The Miguél Álvarez del Toro Zoo in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, is celebrating the birth of a male Baird’s tapir, a mammal that is classified as endangered.

The birth of the calf is the result of the Central American Tapir Conservation and Reproduction Program, carried out in coordination with Mexico City’s Chapultepec Zoo.

baby tapir and his mother
The baby tapir clearly has a lot of growing to do, but he may never reach the size of his mother, Coco, since adult females are generally larger than males and can reach up to 600 pounds. (ZooMAT)

The zoo, known as ZooMAT, announced the arrival of the baby tapir in a Facebook post:

“Our little one was born weighing 8.4 kilograms and remains with his mother, Coco, who is caring for him naturally and has already allowed him to have his first colostrum feedings, essential to strengthen his immune system and provide him with protection during his first stage of life.”

Zoo officials cautioned that the first few weeks are critical for the development and survival of any wild species, while reporting that “the progress observed so far is favorable.” Meanwhile, the zoo is maintaining remote monitoring and 24-hour security.

ZooMAT said the birth — the second in the zoo’s controlled breeding program — “represents a new hope for the conservation of the Central American tapir.” 

There are four species of tapir — a large, herbivorous mammal with a distinctive flexible, prehensile snout — three of which can be found in the Americas, stretching from southern Mexico, through Central America and into northern South America.

About five years ago, experts estimated that there were fewer than 4,500 mature tapirs in the wild and fewer than 230 in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, according to The Revelator magazine).

The Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii) — known as the “gardener of the forest” because it eats a diversity of plants, fruits and seeds, dispersing the latter in its dung and helping forests regenerate — is threatened by severe habitat fragmentation and deforestation, poaching, vehicle strikes and slow reproductive rates. 

Reproduction of tapirs in zoos is considered rare. ZooMAT biologist Carlos Guichard said the current program came about after an exchange of specimens two years ago when the Chapultepec Zoo loaned a breeding male to ZooMAT in exchange for another specimen not in reproductive condition. 

The first birth — a female — occurred late last year.

With reports from El Heraldo de Chiapas, Uno TV and El Universal

The year Querétaro translated me and taught me a new grammar for living

By
Mark Arcuri
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empty street in Querétaro, México
Moving to Mexico is also a commitment to accepting change and learning a new way of living in the world. (Arturo Ochoa/Unsplash)

It was a Tuesday afternoon, three weeks after I arrived, when I stood waiting for change at a small panadería on Peña de Bernal and realized I had run out of language. The woman behind the counter had asked me something kindly, twice, and I had answered the wrong question both times. She smiled, gave me my change and moved on. I walked outside with a bag of conchas and the unmistakable sense that something in my life had rearranged itself while I was distracted.

The move to Querétaro had taken place a few weeks earlier in full professional life. I was still serving as Associate Dean, still finishing the revision of a book I had been working on for the better part of two decades, still carrying a clinical practice that would, by the country’s terms, be reshaped in ways I had only partly anticipated. The plan, such as it was, had been to bring my work with me, to settle in a slower corner of the world and continue. The city had a different reading of my plan.

Crossing an invisible line

The 18th century aqueduct of Querétaro
The 18th-century aqueduct of Querétaro is as good a symbol as any for the line one crosses when transitioning from visitor to local. (Daniel Uribarren/Unsplash)

You feel it the moment you stop being a person who is visiting somewhere and become a person who lives there. I had crossed that line at the panadería without noticing. The conchas had become Tuesday’s bread. I would buy them again on Friday. Within a month I would have an opinion about which baker on which block did them best, and that opinion would matter to me. The woman behind the counter would call me joven, which she does to everyone, but which I have come to receive as a small daily kindness.

James Hollis writes about the difference between the life we plan and the life that arrives. He has been my teacher in print for 30 years. I have used his framework with hundreds of patients, most of them in midlife, most of them sitting with the question of why the life they built so carefully has stopped feeling like home. I have understood his work the way a clinician understands a useful instrument. Querétaro put the instrument in my hand and asked me to use it on myself.

How life reshapes work

I had written my own book on this ground. “A Life Aligned” grew out of three decades of clinical practice, drawing on Hollis, on Jungian depth psychology and on Joseph Campbell’s idea of the journey we are each summoned to take. The revised edition came out in 2026, after the move. I had imagined the move as a tidy hinge between chapters. The book was finished. The new life was beginning. I would write more, see clients more selectively and build patiently in the city’s own time.

The reorganization showed up in the work first. México has its own grammar around clinical practice, and the work I had built my professional life around began to take a different shape, away from the consulting room I had known for 30 years and toward something more integrative. I started coaching. I started writing more. A second book, “Paradise (re)Discovered,” is now in editing, grown out of those questions. The work was reshaping itself around the life, rather than the other way around.

The cave you fear to enter

Every morning my street is filled with people walking their dogs. Older couples, women with small children in tow, men in their 70s with little dogs on long leashes, the young man who walks six dogs at once. They greeted each other at the corners. Buenos días. Buenos días. Some stopped to talk. Some only nodded. They moved as if the morning belonged to them. The choreography of it, repeated under my window every day, made my Southwestern professional confidence look slightly fevered. I caught myself, more than once, wondering what exactly I had been so busy doing for the past 30 years.

Joseph Campbell wrote that the cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. The line has been quoted into uselessness, and it remains accurate and worth saying. In my clinical work, I have watched people stand at the mouth of that cave for years before going in. Sometimes they go in. Sometimes the cave eventually walks out to meet them. Either way, the threshold is real, and once it is crossed, the old map is of limited assistance.

Learning a new grammar

The statue known as El Danzante Conchero Chichimeca (The Chichimeca Conchero Dancer) is located in the historic center of Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico, right next to the Templo de San Francisco de Asís (Temple of San Francisco).
The iconic El Danzante Conchero Chichimeca statue located in the historic center of Santiago de Querétaro. (Alba Rebecca/Unsplash)

Querétaro has been my cave. I went in willingly, with a moving truck and a residency card and what I believed was a reasonable plan. The work waiting for me on the other side has had less to do with my professional life as I had organized it and more to do with the question of who I am when the institutional scaffolding falls away. Some mornings the answer arrives. Other mornings I am the man at the panadería who has answered the wrong question twice in a row.

For those who have come to Mexico and are sitting with something larger than logistics, I will say only what I have learned so far. The country has its own grammar. You learn it slowly, on its terms. The work it asks of you is real, and the way through it is through. The good news, which is also the difficult news, is that the cave is exactly the right size for the person inside it.

Mark Arcuri, PhD, is an integrative wellness coach, Associate Dean, and writer based in El Refugio, Querétaro. His first book, “A Life Aligned: The Journey to Allowing the Magic in Your Life” (A Life Aligned Press, 2026), is available in paperback, ebook and audiobook, and opens a trilogy on the inner work of transition. The second, “Paradise (re)Discovered,” arrives this fall. Learn more at drmarkarcuri.com.

Sheinbaum reports positive World Cup tourism impact: Friday mañanera recapped

By
MND Staff
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President Sheinbaum at the podium of her July 10 press conference
The president previewed the World Cup's impact on tourism to Mexico and announced that Merlin the duck and his family have a new home to call their own, thanks to Mexico City's public housing institute. (Presidencia)

Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds

  •  ⚽ Tourism impact from World Cup was “very positive,” Sheinbaum says: Asked about the tournament’s effect on tourism, the president said the government is waiting for Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez to compile data from the three host cities before announcing official figures, but described the impact as “completely positive” in terms of visitor numbers and especially what visitors experienced in Mexico. She noted she’s read that people want Mexico to host the World Cup again in 2038.
  • 📞 Sheinbaum may speak directly to Trump about “El Mayo” case: The president said Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office is seeking information from the U.S. Department of Justice about the 2024 capture and transfer to the U.S. of Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. She said she hasn’t sought a call with Trump on the matter but could do so.
  • 🦆 Merlin the “World Cup duck” and family move into new home: Sheinbaum spoke by video link with Karla Gómez, the Mexico City street vendor and single mother who owns Merlin, the duck that went viral last month for wearing a Mexican jersey and sneakers. Gómez, who had been living in a store with her family, received an apartment through Mexico City’s Housing Institute (INVI) after telling Sheinbaum about her living conditions at a mañanera last month. Sheinbaum called the gesture “recognition of her efforts.”

Why today’s mañanera matters

The kidnapping in Mexico of Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and his subsequent transfer to the United States on a private plane has been a hot topic all week after a journalist asserted that he had information showing that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) played a role in the operation.

In light of the report by journalist Luis Chaparro, Mexican authorities accused former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar of lying when he said in 2024 that the U.S. wasn’t involved in the capture of Zambada, who is now awaiting sentencing on drug trafficking charges in the United States. The federal government evidently believes that the FBI did collaborate with Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of “Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, on the kidnapping of Zambada, and regards such collaboration in Mexico as U.S. interference in domestic affairs and consequently a violation of Mexican sovereignty.

Today’s mañanera was significant as President Claudia Sheinbaum said she may speak directly to U.S. President Donald Trump about the Zambada case. While Trump wasn’t in office when the cartel capo and Guzmán López were arrested at a New Mexico airport in July 2024, his administration has interfered in affairs that are solely the domain of Mexicans, according to Sheinbaum. Examples she has cited are the CIA’s alleged participation in a drug lab raid in Chihuahua in April and U.S. prosecutors’ request for the arrest of Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and various other current and former officials accused of drug trafficking in league with the Sinaloa Cartel.

Beyond the Zambada case, also of note at today’s mañanera were Sheinbaum’s remarks about the positive impact of the World Cup in Mexico — which has now concluded its hosting duties — and some happy news related to Merlin, the “World Cup duck,” one of the tournament’s biggest off-the-pitch stars.

Sheinbaum: Tourism during World Cup was ‘very positive’

A reporter noted that the national statistics agency INEGI reported on Friday that the number of international visitors who came to Mexico in May increased more than 5% annually and asked the president whether the World Cup would have boosted tourism even more in June.

Sheinbaum said that the government is waiting for Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez to compile “all the information from the whole country, particularly the three host cities, so that we can announce the impact on tourism.”

Asked whether the impact was positive, the president responded:

“Completely positive, very positive, in the number of tourists who arrived, but especially what they experienced in Mexico. What they experienced here isn’t experienced anywhere else in the world.”

On various occasions, Sheinbaum has spoken about the happiness of Mexican fans and the warm welcome the Mexican people gave to World Cup tourists from around the world. She has asserted that the World Cup atmosphere in Mexico was superior to that of its two co-hosts, the United States and Canada.

On Friday morning, Sheinbaum said she had read that people want Mexico to host the World Cup in 2038.

Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey hosted a total of 13 matches at this year’s World Cup, 12 of which were played in June. Prior to the tournament, the government forecast that 5.5 million international visitors would come to Mexico during the World Cup, but there are indications that the number was not as high as anticipated.

Sheinbaum says she could speak to Trump about ‘El Mayo’ case 

Sheinbaum told reporters that the Federal Attorney General’s Office is seeking information from the U.S. Department of Justice about the capture in Mexico and arrival in the United States of “El Mayo” Zambada.

Salazar denies lying about US role in capture of drug lord ‘El Mayo’

However, she said she could speak directly to U.S. President Donald Trump about the case. Sheinbaum said she hasn’t sought a call with Trump, but could do so.

The two presidents have spoken by telephone on various occasions, but haven’t had a substantial face-to-face meeting, although they did meet at the World Cup draw ceremony in Washington, D.C., last December.

Trump has advocated the use of the U.S. military in Mexico to combat drug cartels, but Sheinbaum has rejected at least one offer from the U.S. president to send American soldiers south.

Merlin, the ‘World Cup duck,’ and family move into a new home 

Sheinbaum spoke by video link to Karla Gómez, a Mexico City street vendor and single mother who is the owner of Merlin, the “World Cup duck,” a duck now known around the world after going viral last month due to its unusual attire (for a duck) — a Mexican soccer jersey, socks and sneakers.

Gómez told the president that she and her family now have a home. She explained that she and her family used to live in a store, but after telling Sheinbaum — who she met at a mañanera last month — about their living arrangements, the president offered to help.

“One good day, God put you in my path, and that was when you asked me whether I needed anything,” Gómez said.

Karla Gómez, her son and their duck Merlin pose with fans
President Sheinbaum arranged for Karla Gómez, her children and their duck Merlin, who charmed fans worldwide, to receive an apartment through Mexico City’s public housing program after learning about their living conditions. (Graciela López / Cuartoscuro.com)

“I explained my situation, I showed you photos of where we lived, where we bathed and you said you would be able to help us. And that was real, you helped us,” she said.

Sheinbaum said that Gómez told her that she wanted to pay for her home, that she didn’t want it as a “gift.”

She explained that as the federal government isn’t building many “viviendas de bienestar” (“well-being” public housing dwellings) in Mexico City, she spoke to Mayor Clara Brugada and the head of the Mexico City Housing Institute (INVI) about the possibility of offering Gómez and her family an INVI home in the capital.

“We asked if there was a possibility of them having access to an apartment? They said, ‘Yes, they have to come and do their paperwork.’ [Gómez] did the paperwork and we’re very grateful because yesterday Clara gave her her home,” Sheinbaum said.

“… We’re very pleased because it’s not just about getting to know the great duck Merlin, who conquered the hearts of Mexicans and many [soccer] fans around the world, but also seeing the people and their needs,” she said.

“We wanted to tell you this great story,” the president said before Gómez, who was holding Merlin in her new home, thanked her.

“I’m more relaxed today because my sons and I are now sleeping in a different place. We’re fine and we’re no longer vulnerable,” Gómez said.

Sheinbaum said that the conveyance of the INVI apartment to Gómez, who sells water and soft drinks on the streets of Mexico City, is a “recognition of her efforts.”

“You are now a symbol of our country and city,” she said. “And I’m very pleased that you can also have well-being.”

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

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