Saturday, October 4, 2025

Guanajuato emerges as prime location for medical device industry

By
MND Staff
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The state of Guanajuato has a young workforce, central location and infrastructure to offer as a destination for the medical device manufacturing industry. (Entrada Group)

Which country has the youngest population out of the three USMCA trade partners? That’s right – the indisputable answer is Mexico.

According to the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook, the median age of the almost 130 million people who call Mexico home is 29.3, whereas the median is 38.5 in the United States and 41.8 in Canada.

Entrada Group
The median age in Mexico is 29.3 years old, making for a competitive workforce. (Entrada Group)

Mexico’s youthful population is a significant asset to the country’s labor market, as large numbers of young men and women frequently graduate from universities and other training institutes and promptly look to use their newfound knowledge and recently-developed skills in formal employment.

The motivation of young Mexicans to succeed in the workplace and their adeptness with new technologies are among a range of other reasons why they are desirable employees, including for foreign companies setting up in Mexico to take advantage of the country’s proximity to the United States, the world’s largest economy.

While many major companies, both Mexican and foreign, are based in Mexico’s most populous hubs – Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey – at least partially because of the presence of large talent pools, certain other regions of the country are also attractive places to operate due to factors such as their location, the available infrastructure, their experience with and openness to particular economic sectors, and their own young, educated and motivated workers.

One such region is the Bajío, especially the state of Guanajuato, where automotive manufacturing is a major driver of the local economy. Aerospace sector manufacturing has taken off in Guanajuato recent years, while the production of medical devices could be the next big thing.

Entrada Group
(Entrada Group)

For obvious reasons, medical device manufacturing is an important sector, especially as the world’s population ages. Additional investment in Mexico’s large and growing medical devices sector will help to meet the growing demand of healthcare providers in the USMCA region and beyond – and could be a lucrative enterprise at the same time.

Whether a company is looking to establish a new plant to make medical devices, or contract out manufacturing of those products on an as-needed basis, Guanajuato is an attractive option.

Guanajuato: A Prime Destination for Medical Device Manufacturing 

Situated about 250 kilometers northwest of Mexico City and bordering the states of Jalisco, Michoacán, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí and Querétaro, Guanajuato is an enviable location for medical device manufacturers. There are plenty of reasons for this, the most important of which are outlined below.

  • Guanajuato is Mexico’s leading non-border state for exports, and has a long history of manufacturing high-quality products across a range of industrial sectors.
  • There is less competition for top-tier talent than in northern border states – and labor costs are lower.
  • Guanajuato boasts a skilled and experienced manufacturing workforce, equipped with the expertise to drive success and deliver desired results on time.
  • The state is actively seeking investment from Mexican and foreign medical device manufacturers.
  • A new medical device cluster – Mexico’s first outside the border region – has recently formed. (More on this later)
  • Robust rail infrastructure and efficient highway connections facilitate the transport of finished products to the northern border and seaports.
  • Proximity to Guadalajara – a hub for medical device original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and component providers – means that companies can get what they need when they need it.
  • Bajío-based manufacturers and suppliers of auto parts are actively exploring new opportunities to diversify their businesses and reduce their reliance on a single sector. They have the experience and capacity required to quickly pivot to the fabrication of high-quality medical device components.
  • The state has been governed by the traditionally business-friendly National Action Party (PAN) for almost 30 years.
  • Covering an area slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maryland, Guanajuato is Mexico’s sixth most populous state with over 6 million residents. The large population ensures the ongoing presence of a large, educated talent pool.
  • Educational institutes such as Universidad De La Salle Bajío and Instituto Sanmiguelense offer courses in fields that are highly relevant to the medical device manufacturing sector, such as biomedical engineering and industrial engineering.

Guanajuato’s Life Innovation & Technologies Cluster

Eight companies, including US-based Entrada Group and Lumitex, have joined forces to create Guanajuato’s Life Innovation & Technologies Cluster, which launched officially earlier this year and will hold an inauguration event in late September.

The cluster aims to promote Guanajuato as a national and global leader in the life sciences field, and will offer expertise across a range of areas to its members and partners.

Members will be able to tap into invaluable information about things such as local regulations, logistical strategies, supply chains, medical device sector-specific manufacturing processes and educational institutes.

Backed by strategic partnerships with Guanajuato’s State Training Institute, state government export promotion agency Cofoce and the Ministry of Sustainable Economic Development, Guanajuato’s Life Innovation & Technologies Cluster is fully committed to fostering the growth of the medical device sector and helping to improve healthcare outcomes in Mexico and around the world.

Find out more about the cluster on its website.

AMLO says meeting with US security advisor was ‘very productive’

By
Cat Rainsford
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AMLO and US and Mexican officials sitting at a table in the National Palace.
President López Obrador and U.S. and Mexican officials including Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Ken Salazar, Rosa Icela Rodríguez and Luisa María Alcalde met at the National Palace Monday. (@lopezobrador_/Twitter)

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has described as “very productive” a meeting with a U.S. delegation on Monday to discuss mutual security concerns such as drug trafficking and migration.

The U.S. delegation was led by Homeland Security Advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar and senior drug control policy advisor Kemp Chester, among others.

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar and Homeland Security Advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall arrive at the National Palace. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

The delegation met at the National Palace with Mexican security officials, including Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodrígez, Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena, Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval and Interior Minister Luisa María Alcalde.

After more than three hours of discussion, AMLO released a statement on social media praising the meeting.

“We are dealing with the migration issue with a focus on respecting human rights and cooperation for human development, as well as [with] the fight against fentanyl and arms trafficking,” he said. “The ‘good neighbor’ policy is advancing without problems.”

Icela Rodríguez also hailed the meeting as “very good,” while Sherwood-Randall described it as “excellent.”

AMLO and Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall.
This visit to Mexico is Sherwood-Randall’s fourth as Homeland Security Advisor. (@lopezobrador/Twitter)

In a press statement released on Tuesday, the Mexican government highlighted several areas of cooperation to combat fentanyl trafficking, including “discovering, disrupting and dismantling firearms trafficking networks.” 

It also praised commitments to address undocumented migration, including expanding legal avenues and joint development work in Central America.

All these issues have been tension points between the two countries in recent months, with the U.S. pressuring Mexico to do more to tackle drug trafficking and undocumented migration. Meanwhile, Mexico has continued to pursue a US $10 billion lawsuit against U.S. gun manufacturers for fueling illegal arms trafficking and criminal violence in Mexico.

Mutual security was also a key discussion topic at the North American Leaders Summit in January. Monday’s meeting aimed to build on agreements reached at the summit. A trilateral meeting will be held with Canadian security officials on Tuesday.

The delegation is Sherwood-Randall’s fourth official visit to Mexico. She last met with Mexican security officials on May 30 to discuss drug trafficking and the migration crisis. At his Tuesday morning press conference, President López Obrador praised her efforts to improve the bilateral security relationship.

“She has been in constant communication with us, and there are very good results in cooperation work,” he said. “We are working very well with the United States government; there are no fundamental differences.”

With reports from Arisegui Noticias and Milenio

Alejandro Martí, prominent businessman and activist, dies at 73

By
Cat Rainsford
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Mexican businesman and activist Alejandro Marti
Founder of the Deportes Martí chain of sports stores, Martí experienced a life-changing event that turned him into a tireless activist for public safety and equal justice. (Diego Simón Sánchez/Cuartoscuro)

Mexican businessman and activist Alejandro Martí, best remembered for challenging Mexico’s political class with the phrase “If you can’t, resign,” has died at the age of 73.

Martí founded the Deportes Martí chain of sports stores, which grew out of a sports stand he ran at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City while still only a teenager.

Alejandro Marti, center, Mexican businessman, with his family.
Martí, center, with his wife and son Fernando around 2008, shortly before 14-year-old Fernando was kidnapped and ultimately killed. The kidnapping changed Alejandro Marti’s life, driving him to become a lifelong activist for public security in Mexico. (File photo/Internet)

The chain was wildly successful, and in the 1990s, Martí expanded his footprint in the fitness industry, launching new sports clubs and gym chains known as Fitness Center and Sport City.

He only became a well-known public figure, however, after the kidnapping of his son Fernando in 2008. The 14-year-old boy was abducted on his way to school and held for ransom for nearly two months. Despite the Martí family agreeing to pay over 5 million pesos for his release, he was found dead in the Coyoacán delegation of Mexico City on July 31 of that year.

The tragedy pushed Martí to form the nongovernmental organization México SOS, which advocates for better public security. A month after his son’s body was found, Martí was invited to speak to the National Council of Public Security, where he delivered a blistering rebuke that became a symbol of the struggle for a safer Mexico.

“Gentlemen, if you think the bar is too high, if you think it is impossible, if you can’t, resign. But do not continue to occupy government offices, do not continue to receive a salary for doing nothing,” he said.


The eulogies for Martí came from far and wide, a testament to his impact. Activist lawyer and filmmaker Roberto Hernández paid tribute to Martí for using his visibility to support Hernández’s “Presumed Guilty,” a controversial 2008 documentary exposing contradictions in Mexico’s judicial system.

Although no information has been released about Martí’s cause of death, numerous public figures have expressed their admiration and condolences on social media.

José Antonio Meade, former presidential candidate for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in 2018, described Martí as a “brave and committed man” who “turned his pain into a cause and demand for a better country.”

Felipe Calderón, who was president at the time of Fernando Martí’s murder, also hailed Martí as an “exemplary Mexican, enormously committed to Mexico.”

With reports from Milenio and Infobae

Mexico’s mighty nopal is a prickly culinary delight

By
Sandra Gancz Kahan
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Prickly pear cactus
The prickly pear cactus, or nopal, is a symbolic Mexican food that also offers health benefits. (Foto de Miguel Urieta en Unsplash)

For centuries, the nopal cactus – of the opuntia genus, also known as prickly pear – has symbolized resilience and adaptability, much like the Mexican people. In exploring the wisdom behind Mexican cuisine’s tapestry of seemingly modest ingredients, the mighty nopal is not to be missed!

Indigenous civilizations revered the cactus, recognizing its nutritional value and healing properties. It was also considered a sacred plant, appearing famously in the legend of the founding of Tenochtitlan by the Mexica (or Aztecs). The story says that an eagle devouring a snake while perched on a nopal was the sign that the Mexica were seeking to know where to build their city, and the image became the national coat of arms.

Mexico coat of arms
The country’s coat of arms includes the nopal cactus, and alludes to the legend of the Mexica founding of Tenochtitlan. (Wikimedia Commons)

What is nopal’s nutritional profile? The nopal’s composition is primarily water, giving it a refreshingly light and crisp texture. With a low caloric value of a mere 27 calories per 100 grams, it also boasts minimal digestible carbohydrates, making it a low-glycemic index food.

Nopal pads are also rich in soluble fibers, like pectins, gums, and mucilage. As a result, consuming nopal has been associated with a sensation of satiety, which aids in weight management and curbs excessive food intake. But wait, there’s more! The nopal’s fiber content can also contribute to regulating blood glucose levels.

The use of nopal in Mexican cuisine stretches back to pre-Columbian times, when it served as a dietary staple for the ancient Mesoamericans. Its versatility and abundance made it a vital ingredient, contributing to the sustenance and survival of these communities.

Fast forward to the present day, and the nopal’s culinary prowess has only grown stronger. In kitchens across Mexico, from bustling taquerías to high-end restaurants, the nopal is celebrated as a versatile and unique ingredient. Its tender pads, stripped of their spines, are sliced, diced, grilled, and sautéed to create a myriad of culinary delights.

Nopal pad
Nopal pads have been harvested and consumed in Mexico for centuries. (Daniel Lloyd Blunk-Fernández/ Unsplash)

The quintessential dish of nopalitos is a chilled salad made of cooked chopped nopal, tomatoes, onions and cilantro that is especially welcome during hot summer months.

My grandma’s cook would always add her treasured copper penny to the boiling pot of nopal, saying that was her secret to preserving their vibrant natural hue. Who knows? There are as many secret tricks as there are kitchens in Mexico.

Salvador Novo, in his fascinating book “Cocina Mexicana o Historia Gastronómica de la Ciudad de Mexico” published in 1967, writes about the nopal, which I translate below:

“Let’s think about the nopal. Let’s approach the contemplation of this strange desert plant that seems to greet passersby, or show them the path. It was born who knows how: sticking out its flat hands, an oval flat face from which one more sprouts, and another from this one, and another. All defended by sharp thorns geometrically installed on thick pads, and yet they are smooth under the numerous violent needles.
Nobody waters it, nobody cultivates it. It sips vital juices from the driest earth, from its rock throne. And one fine day, small red fingers sprout from those broad, flat hands: prickly pears, red as men’s hearts; sheltered, wrapped in the peel, where they briefly repeat, like a soft rhyme, the hostile geometry of their cradle’s thorns, their sustenance.”

So, my friends, let us (carefully) embrace the prickly nopal, and allow it to lead us to a delicious world of good health.

If you’re ready to start preparing nopal in your kitchen, the recipe below is a good place to start.

Cactus salad
This simple but satisfying and healthy cactus salad is a great way to introduce nopal into your kitchen. (Shutterstock)

Nopalitos salad

  • 8 medium-sized tender nopal pads
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 4 small tomatoes
  • 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper for seasoning

Cut cactus pads into 3/4-inch pieces. Rinse them 2-3 times under running water. 

Place the nopal pieces in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover them and a tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender but still crisp. 

Drain and let cool.

Place the cooked nopalitos in a large bowl, add diced tomatoes, chopped onion, cilantro, a pinch of dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine all the ingredients. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and mix evenly.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve chilled.

Sandra is a Mexican writer and translator based in San Miguel de Allende who specializes in mental health and humanitarian aid. She believes in the power of language to foster compassion and understanding across cultures. She can be reached at: [email protected] 

The remarkable efforts behind La Guelaguetza’s unstoppable spectacle

By
Mirja Vogel and Gordon Cole-Schmidt
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Woman performing at 2023 Guelaguetza
Dalia, left, danced at the Guelaguetza's finale on Monday. Her gold and black dress was handmade in Jalapa, located in Oaxaca’s Tuxtepec district. (Photos by Mira Vogel)

Every July, Oaxaca plays host to one of the most significant and popular cultural festivals in Latin America. La Guelaguetza — a joyous celebration of the region’s remarkably rich cultural heritage — sees thousands of people from Indigenous and regional communities across the state come together to celebrate their identity and traditions. 

What follows is a sensory extravaganza: swirling dancers, mouthwatering food, dreamlike clothing, tireless musicians, carnival-like street parades and infectious smiles are on show during every hour of the weeklong celebration. 

Mexican women preparing food at 2023 Guelaguetza
A feast for the senses – generations of cooks seamlessly work at their stations at one the festival’s most popular food stands

But behind the colorful parades lies the dedication of individuals, families and communities who spend much of the year preparing for the international spectacle. 

As the event grows every year, so does the responsibility of the communities to showcase the very best of their cultures. 

Dalia will have the responsibility of closing tonight’s performance. She is one of the region’s most prolific dancers. After a break that forced her to take time off from dancing, today will be her first performance in years. 

“I’m so excited to be dancing and performing again in front of huge crowds. I love the rush of excitement.”

Preparing papier mache figures for the 2023 Guelaguetza in Oaxaca
Artisan Anthony García prepares his 2-meter-tall traditional figures for this year’s Guelaguetza festivities.

Despite her nerves, she happily finds time to help a younger performer fix their outfit before her show. 

On the other side of the city, two men put the finishing touches to one of 20 2-meter-tall figures they have made by hand. 

Artisan Anthony García prepares his 2-meter-tall figures for this year’s Guelaguetza festivities.

Using just reeds and cardboard to create the figures, Anthony García, a 25-year-old artisan from the Trinidad de las Huertas region, tells us:

Dancers at the 2023 Guelaguetza in Oaxaca
Dancers take the main stage under bright stage lights before hundreds of seated spectators.

“We create eight different figures to showcase the identity of the eight regions of Oaxaca. Since I started dedicating my life to this craft 10 years ago, I’ve learnt a lot and take huge pride in each figure I make.”

Later in the day, as the sun sets over the Cerro del Fortin, the highest geographical point in Oaxaca city, an elderly musician poses for a photo. He has been performing at the Guelaguetza since he was small, and will walk the same 100 steep steps to the Auditorio Guelaguetza as the sun rises tomorrow morning. 

In the sweltering midsummer weeks leading up to the Guelaguetza, the famous mosaic streets of Oaxaca feel quieter. There was a palpable sense of anticipation among the locals and the businesses readying themselves for the celebration. 

From the humble lone drummer to the 50-strong dancing troupes, each thread of preparation is being woven together to create the stunning tapestry of identity exhibited every year during La Guelaguetza. 

Guelaguetza performer in Oaxaca, Mexico
Thousands of people from across Oaxaca come to perform in the annual festival.

On the last day, la Guelaguetza always ends with a bang — literally: rows of 20 fireworks stations are set up for the final celebration: a spectacular fireworks display.

Mirja Vogel is an international photographer based in Oaxaca.

Gordon Cole-Schmidt is a public relations specialist and freelance journalist, advising and writing on companies and issues across multi-national communication programs.

Ex-security chief García Luna’s US sentencing delayed until 2024

By
MND Staff
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Genaro García Luna, pictured here in 2011, served as federal security minister during the Calderón administration (2006-12). He was convicted on drug trafficking charges by a U.S. jury in February. (Shutterstock)

The sentencing of Mexico’s former federal security minister, Genaro García Luna, convicted on drug trafficking charges in the United States in February, has been postponed until March 1. García Luna could face a prison sentence of 20 years to life.

Former president Felipe Calderón’s security chief was scheduled to be sentenced in September of this year following a postponement in April, but Judge Brian M. Cogan of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York – who also presided over the trial of notorious cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán – has again ruled in favor of defense counsel’s request for an extension. The sentencing date had originally been set for June of this year.

Genaro Garcia Luna and Felipe Calderon
Genaro García Luna, left, when he was Mexico’s security minister during the presidency of Felipe Calderón, right. (Cuartoscuro)

García Luna’s defense team requested further time to review evidence that they believe is favorable to the disgraced politician, who was convicted of collusion with the Sinaloa Cartel during his time in office from 2006-2012. 

“After the verdict in February, several individuals, including several former Mexican and American officials, have contacted us with new evidence potentially favorable for the defense,” said César de Castro, García Luna’s lawyer.

The former security minister, who was arrested in Texas in 2019, has long proclaimed his innocence, and De Castro has described the verdict as “shocking”, alleging it was based entirely on the testimony of “some of the most notorious and ruthless criminals this world has ever seen.”

De Castro says that the defense now has access to “thousands of materials, as well as audio and video files potentially relevant to the case.” This evidence was not presented during García Luna’s trial, and delayed sentencing was opposed by the prosecutor’s office, arguing that the defense had “more than three years to talk to witnesses, prepare subpoenas and investigate ways to defend [themselves].” 

President Lopez Obrador with image of ex-security minister Genaro Garcia Luna
President López Obrador, seen here at a press conference on March 9, has used the García Luna trial to support his assertions that during the ex-security minister’s tenure under President Felipe Calderón, Mexico was a “narco-state.” (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)

“The delivery of the sentence should not be allowed to be delayed,” prosecutors concluded.

The decision means that García Luna will be sentenced during the heat of the 2024 Mexican presidential election campaigns. The National Action Party (PAN), for whom he served as minister, is part of the Va por México coalition opposing President López Obrador’s ruling Morena party. This high-profile sentencing is likely to become a major talking point.

President López Obrador has referenced the case repeatedly since the arrest of the former minister, highlighting it as an example of corruption under what he calls the “old regime.” In May, the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) obtained warrants for the arrest of García Luna and 60 others for embezzlement of 5.1 billion pesos of public monies.

For his part, Calderón has expressed doubts about the conviction of his security minister and claims he has been the victim of persecution by the media and opposition politicians.

According to a poll by El País newspaper, eight out of ten Mexicans say they believe Calderón should also be investigated over his time in office, in which there was a significant increase in violence and expansion of cartel operations across the country. 

With reports from Milenio and El Pais

Tropical depression predicted to bring rains across the country

By
MND Staff
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people walking in Mexico
Heavy to intense rains have been forecast for most parts of the country, as well as high temperatures in the north and southeast. (Isabel Mateos/Cuartoscuro)

If you’re experiencing wet weather, you’re not alone: according to Mexico’s National Weather Service (SMN), most parts of the country have been or will be dealing with rainfall, as well as high temperatures on Monday. 

But after a record-breaking drought and unusually low levels of rainfall, these weather conditions come as a relief for many.

Low levels of rainfall across Mexico have caused drought in many states, including in Campeche (seen here). Rain is finally forecast in many areas of the country this week. (Michael Balam/Cuartoscuro)

According to the SMN, tropical wave No. 16 was expected to move over the east, south, and center of the country and collide with a low-pressure channel originating in the Mexican southeast, producing heavy to intense rain in Veracruz, Oaxaca and the Valley of Mexico. 

The rain won’t help the heat, however, as temperatures in the northern part of the country and the Yucatán Península were expected to hit 45 degrees Celsius (113 F) on Monday.

Heavy to intense rain was also expected in the states of Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, Morelos, Puebla, Hidalgo and San Luis Potosí, with temperatures oscillating between 30 to 35 degrees Celsius (86 to 95 F). Thunderstorms, strong gusts of wind and hail were also forecast for this area.

The Mexican monsoon over the northwest, coupled with low-pressure channels over the west and northeast and moisture from the coasts, was also expected to bring rain to these regions, along with scattered showers in the Baja California Peninsula.  

Low temperatures of zero to 5 degrees Celsius (32 to 41 F) were predicted to affect mountainous areas of México state, Hidalgo, Puebla and Tlaxcala.

The SMN has warned that torrential rains could increase river and stream levels and cause landslides and flooding. 

With reports from Proceso and El Informador

Construction sector at highest production value since 2019

By
MND Staff
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The May data showed employment in construction grew by 1.8%, worked hours by 7.3%, and average wages by 3.6% over last May. (Unsplash)

In May, the Mexican construction industry registered its highest production value since 2019, according to a survey conducted by the national statistics agency (INEGI).

According to the National Survey of Construction Companies (ENEC), the production value registered a monthly increase of 7.8% and an annual growth of 18.2%, making for three consecutive months of growth.

According to another recent INEGI poll, 60% of Mexicans who found formal work in 2022 did so in the services sector, which includes construction jobs. (Depositphotos/Photo by Kasto)

Month-on-month, employment grew by 1.1%, worked hours by 0.4%, and average wages by 1.6%. Compared to 2022, employment grew by 1.8%, worked hours by 7.3%, and average wages by 3.6%.

The survey also showed that the civil engineering subsector registered the highest performance, surpassing the building subsector by 2.5%. This result is linked to the construction of President López Obrador’s flagship infrastructure projects like the Maya Train.

Nearshoring is also thought to have boosted the construction sector’s growth as the relocation of multinational manufacturing companies has brought increased industrial construction in the central and northern regions of the country.

In an interview with the newspaper El Economista, analyst Ricardo Trejo said that May’s good results are likely due to both investment in the public and private construction industry, as well as INEGI’s updated survey methodology. 

This new methodology takes 2018 as the reference base year, has a test framework of 19,450 companies (integrated from the Mexican Business Statistical Registry), includes construction companies with a production value of over $73 million pesos per year (US $4.3 million) and over 250 workers.

After analyzing the INEGI’s report, Grupo Financiero BASE said that “at an annual rate, most of the construction sectors have shown growth, except the category of ‘other constructions,’ which fell 10.03% in May.” 

In an independent report published in May, Grupo Financiero BASE found that this subsector had recorded two months of deficit at an annual rate. Meanwhile, construction works related to water, irrigation and sanitation increased by 65.2%, registering 13 consecutive months of growth.

Works relating to transportation and urbanization grew by 62.1%, registering their second month of growth after 14 consecutive months of deficit, and projects related to electricity and telecommunications registered 10 months of growth, with a 59.94% increase over May of last year.

With reports from El Economista

Searching for my ‘happily ever after’ in Mexico

By
Janet Blaser
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writer Janet Blaser
It's ok to change our idea of a "perfect fairytale life," even if that means leaving Mexico behind for something new. (courtesy of Janet Blaser)

Lately, I’ve been wondering if, like many, I’m seeking some sort of “happily ever after,” or perfect fairytale life. I was recently accused of precisely that, and it made me consider if it is indeed the case.

But if it is true, so what? Is that a bad thing? I think not. 

To want to be happy is a basic human desire. And if a place makes us happy, then it makes sense that we would want to spend time there, or even for that place to be home. In my case, Mexico has made me so happy, in so many ways, for so many years, that it is indeed my “happy place.” 

In the preface to my book, I used a quote from British author W. Somerset Maugham’s “The Moon and Sixpence” that perfectly captured my feelings about living in Mexico.

“Sometimes a man hits upon a place to which he mysteriously feels that he belongs. Here is the home he sought, and he will settle amid scenes that he has never seen before, among men he has never known, as though they were familiar to him from his birth. Here at last he finds rest.”  

Until now, that’s how I’ve felt about my move to and subsequent life in Mexico. Of late, though, I’ve felt unsettled because despite the aforementioned happiness, I’ve started to wonder if my time in Mexico is coming to an end or if a snowbird lifestyle might suit me better. 

I’ve lived in Mexico, mostly in Mazatlán, for 17 years now. That’s a long time to be in one place, so maybe I’m just ready for a change. 

I also miss my family — three grown kids and their spouses and children — more than ever. Is this just part of getting older? Having never been this age before, I don’t know how I’m “supposed” to feel, or sometimes, even how I do feel. My older friends say this is all “normal,” but it’s new for me and not always a comfortable place to be.

On top of everything else, I’ve had a couple of unexpected serious health issues that catapulted me into an unnerving face-to-face with my mortality and my future, prompting an even deeper look at what really matters. 

These are all worrisome thoughts.

I see myself embarrassed and hesitant to talk about this with friends. To some of them, moving back to the United States is seen as a “failure,” and they have no qualms about saying that. It makes me wonder why we supported each other unconditionally when we moved to Mexico, but now that I’m considering another momentous life transition, it’s hard to find the same support. Why is this a decision they want to judge and the other wasn’t? 

After almost two decades, it stands to reason that my needs and desires are changing; I’m a radically different person than I was when I moved here at age 50. My parameters and priorities have all evolved and changed and will keep evolving and changing as time goes on. That feels “normal” to me.

Mexico isn’t perfect, I’m not perfect and life here isn’t perfect either. There are problems and challenges and difficulties, just like anywhere, but all in all, Mexico has worked out pretty well for me, and I have no regrets about making that decision when I did.

As far as moving back to the United States, it’s hard to imagine ever living there full-time again. (Truth be told, I don’t think I could afford to anyway.) But that doesn’t mean I’m not open to other options, like that pseudo-snowbird life I mentioned earlier (house trade anyone?)

Perhaps I just need to travel somewhere new, in Mexico or elsewhere, to open my mind and re-create myself in a place where I have no history and there are no expectations about who I am or what I might want to do. Judging by the soaring number of people traveling all over the world, I think many of us are feeling that way, especially after the isolation of COVID-19.

For right now, though, I’ll make no decision one way or the other; life will go on as before, and, like I said, for the most part, I’m happy and content. Summer travel, already planned, will take me to visit many of the folks I’ve been missing, and I’ll be looking at life “up there” with different eyes.

This morning, I went for a quick swim at the beach. There was a young American family there, Mom and Dad and two little girls. We chatted and they told me they were from North Carolina, driving around Mexico for a month in their super-outfitted van. They asked where I was from, and when I said I lived here, the woman’s face lit up. 

Eyes sparkling, with a smile from ear to ear, she exclaimed, “Do you absolutely love it?!” 

Without a second’s hesitation, I replied.

“Yes!” I said. “Yes, I do.” 

Janet Blaser is the author of the best-selling book, Why We Left: An Anthology of American Women Expats, featured on CNBC and MarketWatch. She has lived in Mexico since 2006. You can find her on Facebook.

Mexico’s rainfall so far this year is 30% below 2022 levels

By
MND Staff
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Parts of Mexico continue to face severe drought conditions. The government says that it intends to launch another round of cloud seeding to mitigate the effects. (Gabriela Pérez Montiel/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico has seen less rainfall so far this year compared to levels recorded in 2022, reported the National Meteorological Service (NMS). 

Between January 1 and July 16, 2023, average rainfall levels fell 30% compared to last year. Moreover, from October 1, 2022, to July 16, 2023, the deficit was 25.6% less than the long-term average from 1991 to 2020.

Specialized aircraft can be used in order to “seed” clouds with silver iodide, forcing rain to fall in areas in need of additional precipitation. (DooFi/Wikimedia)

“From October 1, 2022, to July 16, 2023, 308.5 mm were accumulated, which represents a deficit of 107.2 mm, or 25.8% below the average compared to the climatological period 1991–2020 from October 1 to July 16 (415.7 mm),” the National Water Commission (Conagua) said in its weekly report.  

Faced with further low levels of rainfall, the Mexican government has launched the latest phase of a cloud seeding project that could increase precipitation. 

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), cloud seeding could refill aquifers and rural reservoirs in some regions of Sonora, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, Chihuahua and Aguascalientes by increasing rainfall during the summer and the autumn–winter season of 2023–24.

This technique has been used in Mexico for decades and uses chemicals such as silver iodide to promote rain. In a statement released in 2021, SADER claimed a 98% success rate for cloud seeding and a 40% increase in rainfall. 

In Nuevo León, the state government is carrying out cloud seeding operations to encourage rainfall.
In Nuevo León, the state government is carrying out cloud seeding operations to encourage rainfall. (Gobierno de Nuevo León)

However, British newspaper The Guardian reported that farmers have said they would prefer the government to invest in ways to more efficiently use water resources.  

“We would prefer the government to bring back investment in the irrigation distribution networks to increase efficiency and save water,” a farmer named Álvaro Bous Cabrera told The Guardian. 

Scientists from the National Autonomous University (UNAM) have also cast doubt over the effectiveness of the cloud seeding program. 

“There’s no evidence that cloud seeding techniques increase precipitation over areas of economic importance, nor is there any certainty outside of targeted zones,” the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences of the UNAM said in a statement. “Ultimately, it is important to mention that the potential use of these technologies must be closely linked to the appropriate management of water resources in such a way that there is an appropriate cost/benefit ratio.”

The “cloud seeder” that SEDENA intends to use to break the drought in Mexico City. (Cuartoscuro)

The lack of rain is also linked to the start of the canícula or “dog days of summer,” Conagua said in a report released on Friday, “when rain decreases and there’s a slight rise in temperature.”

This annually occurring period should not be confused with a heat wave, which usually sees its highest temperatures before the start of the rainy season.

In Mexico, this phenomenon occurs across the country and can lead to heat waves lasting 20 days. Meanwhile, the northwest has seen the start of the Mexican monsoon, which also affects the southwestern United States each summer. 

With reports from The Guardian, El Economista, Forbes Online and El País

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