Marcelo Ebrard meets with film industry representatives in Hollywood on Monday. (@MarceloEbrard Twitter)
The federal government has struck a deal with six major Hollywood movie studios that is set to benefit the film industry in Mexico.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) announced Monday that in conjunction with state and municipal governments it had reached an agreement with Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. as well as the Motion Picture Association to form a working group focused on growing the film industry in Mexico.
One of Mexico’s most well-known studios is Baja Film Studios, and was used for filming “Titanic” in 1997, as well as many other notable films, like “Master and Commander” in 2002 (pictured here). (Wikimedia Commons)
The central objective is to have more movies and series made in Mexico, where films such as James Cameron’s “Titanic”, Baz Luhrman’s “Romeo + Juliet” and Sam Mendes’ “Spectre” were partially shot.
At a meeting with film studio executives at Netflix’s Los Angeles offices on Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard said that new investment that is expected to flow into Mexico as a result of the working group agreement would create over 1 million jobs.
“More productions, more jobs and wellbeing in Mexico,” he said in a Twitter post.
“Day 1 of the new road we’re going to travel with the Hollywood entertainment industry to grow the creative power of Mexico!” Ebrard tweeted above a photo of the attendees at Monday’s meeting.
Integramos Grupo de Trabajo con Netflix,Paramount,HBO, Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros, NBC Universal y la Motion Picture Association con 50 alcaldes,17 Estados de la República y SRE . Más producciones, más empleos y bienestar en México. Gracias !! pic.twitter.com/UMMQbeHfmW
Marcelo Ebrard with the working group in Hollywood on Monday.
The foreign minister was accompanied by 50 mayors of Mexican cities as well as 17 state economic development ministers, SRE officials and Mexico’s consul general in Los Angeles, Marcela Celorio.
“During the meeting, the great economic impact of the audiovisual industry in Mexico was reviewed,” the SRE said in a statement.
“… The creative industries contribute 54 billion pesos [almost US $3 billion] directly [to the Mexican economy per year] and 42 billion pesos indirectly. At a regional level, the [trade] agreement between Mexico, the United States and Canada (USMCA) has been a fundamental tool for the industry and the protection of intellectual property.”
The SRE also said that the Mexico and United States governments had agreed to include film industry-related issues on the agenda for future High-Level Economic Dialogue meetings.
That move “will facilitate coordination between authorities of both countries to drive growth of the audiovisual sector,” the ministry said.
In addition to playing host to foreign filmmakers and crews, Mexico has its own acclaimed film industry. Several Mexican directors – including the “three amigos” Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo del Toro – have had success with both Mexican and foreign productions.
Italia Prado is a professionally trained pastry chef who had to make dramatic changes to her diet and lifestyle after a diagnosis with celiac disease. (Courtesy)
Italia Prado is a professional pastry chef who was diagnosed with celiac disease 13 years ago. Her gluten intolerance forced her to make changes not only to her diet, but to her life – leading her on an inspiring journey towards becoming a successful businesswoman, founding her own brand and winning Shark Tank Mexico in 2022.
Italia is a passionate foodie from Mexico City, mother of two, who turned this personal challenge into an opportunity when she started whipping up delicious, healthy treats in her kitchen. Today, they can be found in supermarkets and specialty shops across the country.
Entrepreneur Italia Prado with her husband and two children. (Courtesy)
In today’s profile, we learn how Italia has become a healthy cuisine expert and advocate, while also raising a family.
How did your diagnosis with celiac disease motivate you to make healthy food options?
Before I was diagnosed 13 years ago, I felt terrible. I was weak, irritable, losing weight, I had anemia, headaches, stomach pain, and spent most of my time in the bathroom because everything made me so sick.
I quickly learned that not eating gluten was not just a choice but a lifestyle that forced me to change everything, from what I bought, to what I ordered at restaurants – I even started bringing my own lunch to parties! At first, it was very difficult because almost everything contains gluten, but I started to research, to study, to read labels until I became an expert on the subject.
Italia and her partner and husband Franco at Shark Tank Mexico in 2022. (Courtesy)
Around this time in Mexico there were hardly any alternative food options for people with dietary restrictions or those simply wanting to buy healthy (and tasty) food. If you could find anything it was extremely expensive, as it was imported from abroad. Also there was a cross-contamination concern with the products that existed, which is a huge health risk for those with celiac disease.
I realized there was an untapped market waiting to be explored. That was the beginning, and since then, I’ve never looked back. I started experimenting by making gluten-free bread for myself and my neighbors and soon became aware that I wasn’t not the only one suffering from food intolerances, allergies, and chronic health conditions.
In fact, one of my friend’s daughters has type 1 diabetes and one day she asked me to make her some sugar-free chocolate cookies. We checked her glucose before eating 3 small cookies and then again after, and noticed that her glucose levels didn’t increase. That’s how I started expanding into sugar-free products and now those chocolate cookies are our second best-selling item!
Did you always know you would work in the food business?
Yes. I have degrees in business administration and as a baking and pastry chef from The Culinary Institute of America. Actually, before I got married I used to sell cakes to friends, catering companies, and restaurants.
I had plans to open up my own pastry shop, but I had to put everything on hold since two children were born premature. I spent the first 7 years of their lives in doctor’s offices and finding them the best therapies – it was hard.
As soon as they were stronger and healthier, that’s when I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Although it was a shock at first, it was also a relief to know what was going on with my body. This is when I became a health coach, took healthy baking courses, and decided that it was time to follow my passion. I started working 24/7 on developing the best gluten-free and sugar-free products.
Has food always been an important part of your life?
Absolutely! Food has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was just a little girl, I used to spend hours in the kitchen baking.
Italia wanted to create gluten-free foods that were also delicious. (Courtesy)
I remember setting up stands right in front of my house and selling homemade cookies and cakes to neighbors and anyone who walked by – it was the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey.
What was your first breakthrough?
In 2018 I went to a health and wellness trade fair in Mexico City. I had a stand with some of my products and that’s where nutritionists and doctors discovered me. They loved the flavors and the wide variety that I could offer their patients.
After that event, they started calling me for my products to sell in their clinics and stores. From there my work spread through word of mouth, and that’s how we got into Costco, Walmart, HEB and Chedraui Select stores.
What inspired your slogan, “nutritious can be delicious”?
It was crucial for me that all of my products were not only healthy, but tasty. It’s unfair for those who are on a diet, dealing with an illness, or forced to follow dietary restrictions to have to settle for bland or unappetizing food. We not only came up with the slogan, we live by it.
You launched “Healthy Brand” just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. How did this affect your business?
Actually, it was an incredible time for us – we doubled our sales! We had a shipping distribution service in Monterrey and Mexico City so we already had the logistics in place.
Our eCommerce model was already working well, and then during the pandemic it exploded. People started worrying more about what they eat, and looking for products that would optimize their health.
Has it been difficult to juggle family life and launching a business?
Yes, being a businesswoman, raising two young children, and trying to make space for the little time I have with them has been the most challenging thing. At first, I started alone in my kitchen here in Querétaro, and then converted our laundry room with some personal savings and the support of my family.
It was an unusual path for a young Mexican woman to take, especially with the added responsibilities of motherhood. But I was determined to make it work and pave the way for other female leaders in Mexico.
Italia’s products have made it into major retailers in Mexico and she plans to expand into the U.S. (Courtesy)
As the business kept growing to meet the demand for my products, I started hiring employees. I made a conscious decision to employ mostly women, as I wanted to create job opportunities for other women like myself. Currently, 80% of my workers are women. It’s a small contribution to supporting other women and their families, but it’s a start.
As we continued to expand, I had to invest in bigger facilities to fulfill our increasing orders. It was then that my husband, Franco, moved back to Querétaro and became a valuable partner in helping me grow the business even more.
What is next for you? Where do you see yourself and your project in 5 years?
Expanding into the US market and being in Whole Foods would be amazing. We’re already making our way into City Market here in Mexico, but I’d love to see our products at all the top retailers.
Expanding into plant-based products is a huge trend that really excites us. While Keto was a big hit, we want to broaden our focus to include healthy eating in general, and that means offering more plant-based options. Ultimately, my goal is to help people feel better about themselves, make delicious healthy food options, and encourage a healthier world – that’s what drives me.
On a personal note, it’s so important for me to have more time with my family and find moments to exercise, which means learning to delegate more effectively. I’m really trying!
If you’re curious about Italia’s delicious keto, low-carb, sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan and healthy treats, check them out here.
President Lopez Obrador was responding to statements made by U.S. State Department officials on Monday about Mexico's citizen protests against a newly passed electoral reform bill. (Moisés Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)
Democracy is in better shape in Mexico than in the United States, President López Obrador asserted Tuesday after the U.S. Department of State released a statement on Sunday’s protests against the federal government’s recently-approved electoral reform package known colloquially as “Plan B.”
“With all respect, I say to Mr. [Antony] Blinken of the State Department that there is currently more democracy in Mexico than in the United States,” the president said at his regular news conference.
At his press conference on Tuesday, the president responded to the U.S.’s concerns by saying that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken should go back and read Alexis de Tocqueville. (Photo: Presidencia)
“… When I say that we have more democracy than them it’s because the people rule here and the oligarchy rules there,” López Obrador said.
He said he was willing to have a debate on the issue and claimed he had “evidence to prove there is more liberty and democracy in our country.”
The president’s remarks followed the publication on Monday of a statement from U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price on the “protests against electoral overhaul in Mexico.”
“Healthy democracies benefit from strong institutions and a plurality of voices,” Price said. “The United States supports independent, well-resourced electoral institutions that strengthen democratic processes and the rule of law.”
Around the world, the United States has “witnessed challenges to democracy that have tested and are testing the strength of independent electoral and judicial institutions,” Price said, adding that in Mexico, “We see a great debate on electoral reforms, on the independence of electoral and judicial institutions, that illustrates Mexico’s vibrant democracy.”
Approved by the Senate last week, the López Obrador-backed “Plan B” electoral reform laws will slash the budget of the elections oversight body, the National Electoral Institute (INE), and therefore force the dismissal of staff, diminish its capacity to sanction politicians who violate electoral laws, curtail its autonomy and close some INE offices, among other consequences.
“Healthy democracies benefit from strong institutions and a plurality of voices,” U.S. Department of State spokesman Ned Price said in a statement published on Twitter on Monday. (Photo: screen capture from @Ned Price/Twitter)
Price said that the United States respects Mexico’s sovereignty but “we believe that a well-resourced, independent electoral system and respect for judicial independence support healthy democracy.”
López Obrador advised the United States — specifically the State Department — to concern itself with what’s happening in Peru rather than “meddling” in Mexico’s affairs.
AMLO has repeatedly denounced President Pedro Castillo’s removal from office by the Peruvian Congress last December and described the government of President Dina Boluarte as illegitimate and “spurious.”
The United States ambassador in Peru, Lisa Kenna, is “the adviser of the coup plotters who trampled on freedoms and democracy in that country, ousting the president and imprisoning him,” he said Tuesday.
AMLO greeting ex-Peruvian president Pedro Castillo in 2021 during the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. He said at Tuesday’s press conference that the U.S. should concern itself with what’s happening in Peru rather than “meddling” in Mexico’s affairs. (Presidencia)
López Obrador said that the United States still hasn’t abandoned the 200-year-old Monroe Doctrine and considers itself “the government of the world.”
“They always interfere in affairs that don’t concern them,” he said while defending U.S. President Joe Biden and his support for “equality” among nations.
The president — who has rejected claims that the electoral reform places the staging of free and fair elections at risk while touting the billions of pesos in annual savings it will generate — also took the opportunity to denounce the United States’ media coverage of Sunday’s protests.
“Yesterday, for example, the newspaper that is possibly the most influential in the world in economic and financial terms, The Wall Street Journal, had eight columns and a photograph on the march of the corrupt because that newspaper and others in the United States protect the mafias of economic power in the world,” he said.
The non-oil exports revenue for January was US $39.88 billion according to INEGI. (Depositphotos: Port of Manzanillo, one of Mexico's most important commercial ports).
The value of Mexico’s exports increased 25.6% in January compared to the same month of 2022, the national statistics agency INEGI reported Monday.
Mexican products worth US $42.59 billion were shipped abroad in the first month of the year. The annual percentage increase in the value of exports was the highest since February 2022.
The value of vehicle exports surged 64.9% in January compared to the same month in 2022. (Government of Mexico)
INEGI said that revenue from non-oil exports was $39.88 billion in January, or 93.6% of the total, while oil exports were worth $2.71 billion.
Within the former category, manufactured goods brought in the lion’s share of the export income. Their value increased 28.3% on an annual basis to $37.32 billion, or over 93% of the non-oil total.
Vehicle exports contributed $13.6 billion to that amount, their value surging 64.9% compared to January 2022, while other manufactured goods brought in $23.7 billion in revenue, a 13.8% increase compared to a year earlier.
Agricultural exports, including alcoholic beverages, increased 9.8% to $1.9 billion while mining exports rose 9.6% to $655 million. Oil exports increased 8.9% to $2.7 billion.
The value of all exports was up just over 6% compared to December.
The value of agricultural exports also rose, coming to US $1.9 billion in revenue. (Juan José Estrada Serafín / Cuartoscuro.com)
“The results are very good news in light of the risky environment prevailing at the beginning of 2023,” said Monex analyst Daniel Arias.
The World Bank is forecasting economic growth in 2023 of just 0.9% in Mexico, 0.5% in the United States and 1.7% globally.
Imports to Mexico also increased in January, rising 16.3% to $46.71 billion. Mexico was consequently left with a trade deficit of $4.12 billion in the first month of the year. That figure is 34% lower than the $6.28 billion deficit recorded in January 2022.
Non-oil imports were worth $41.16 billion in January while oil imports (refined fuel) totaled $5.55 billion, INEGI said. The former increased 15.7% compared to January 2022 while the latter rose 20.6%.
Cuatro Volcanes Craft Distillery and Gastropub in Tlaxcala city is a family affair, run by the Vargas Mendoza siblings, including chef Celeste, left, and distiller Ernesto, right, and another sister, Getzany, not pictured. (Photo: Lydia Carey)
Whiskey is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Mexican spirits, but a nascent movement is happening here, and why not? Mexico is the land of corn, so why couldn’t its native corn make a Mexican whiskey comparable to the classics north of the border?
A fundamental member of this movement is a tiny distillery in Tlaxcala called Cuatro Volcanes, and if you haven’t heard of it, you will soon.
Ernesto learned the craft in the United States, where he took grunt jobs at microdistilleries there until he learned how to do the process himself. (Photo: Cuatro Volcanes/Facebook)
Founded by Ernesto Vargas Mendoza and his sisters Celeste and Getzany, they are not only serving up some of the country’s most exciting new whiskey, but they are also making brandy, gin and rum, all made with endemic corn, fruit and herbs.
Ernesto has long been fascinated by the distillation process, spending time in Oaxaca with master mezcaleros and binge-watching the TV show “Moonshiners” on the Discovery channel when he lived in the United States. His first venture into distillation was buying a cheap whiskey from Costco and trying to age it himself in a barrel he bought online.
After several years of tinkering, his wife Emily said, “Why don’t you just go and work in a distillery? Wouldn’t that be the best classroom?”
They were living in Washington D.C., and after sending out feelers to a half a dozen distilleries, Ernesto’s lack of experience looked like it would leave him empty-handed. Then the owner of District Distilling Company, a now-defunct microdistillery, offered him the chance to start out with grunt work, like labeling bottles.
Perhaps not surprisingly since it was created out of their mom’s home, Cuatro Volcanes has a cozy, among-friends vibe. On the weekends, they frequently run out of seating. (Cuatro Volcanes/Facebook)
Five months in, he was diving into production. After a second stint, at a Maryland microdistillery, Ernesto knew he wanted to make his own whiskey and spirits.
“I wondered why in Mexico, the place where corn was domesticated, we didn’t have any whiskey that was emblematic of Mexico,” he says. “One of the things they say that’s so special about Kentucky is the high level of calcium in the water and the soil — and it’s the same in Tlaxcala.”
So he bought a simple 70-liter still and started making whiskey in his mom’s garage during his trips home to Tlaxcala.
The distillery has made created some unexpected Mexican spirits, like this “mole” gin, and it continues to experiment with new items like prickly pear and absinthe. (Cuatro Volcanes)
“She never thought it would become something serious, I think. She’s never told me, but I suspect she was like, ‘Oh, this is just an itch that they have that will pass, and then I’ll get my house back.’”
But Señora Mendoza didn’t get her house back. In fact, the living room is now filled with oak barrels, and the upstairs patio has been converted in the Cuatro Volcanes Gastropub, where the curious come from far and wide to try Mexican whiskey as well as corn-based gin, rum made from Mexican cane sugar and lots of other experiments that Ernesto and his sisters are still working on in their mom’s garage (now outfitted with four stainless steel stills, 12 fermentation tanks and one tank for mash).
When the siblings started their project, they were determined to buy local, endemic corn at a fair price and use as many local ingredients as they could. Enter their mole gin, laced with cacao, blue-corn whiskey and cane sugar rum made from the same region where their grandfather used to farm in Pantepec, Puebla.
At a spirits event in Mineral de Pozos, Guanajuato in September. Says Ernesto Vargas of what inspired Cuatro Volacanes, “I wondered why in Mexico, the place where corn was domesticated, we didn’t have any whiskey that was emblematic of Mexico.” (Photo: Cuatro Volcanes/Facebook)
“My grandfather was a farmer, but he also grew sugarcane and made his own cane sugar and sold it in the outdoor markets in the surrounding communities,” Ernesto says. “When I was little, I watched him process it.
“The region is still growing a lot of sugarcane, even though they are losing a lot of land that was once dedicated to that crop — because it’s cheaper now to just buy processed sugar. Our cane sugar is 100% artisanal.”
Now this tiny distillery — born from one man’s curiosity and hundreds of failed attempts to make a drinkable whiskey until one December 17 when it finally came out right — is leading a movement in Mexico to produce whiskey with some of the best corn in the world.
The team is also dedicated to making their efforts as environmentally sustainable as possible, using solar power to run the distillery, recycling and conserving water and supporting conservation projects around the world.
The gastropub has become a social and cultural center in downtown Tlaxcala city. (Cuatro Volcanes/Facebook)
“Right now, we are working with Azul.org, which engages Latinx people in ocean conservation in California. They were instrumental in the single-use plastic bag ban in California,” Ernesto explains.
Cuatro Volcanes’ business is now booming as people get to know their products. Their location outside of downtown Tlaxcala means that visitors generally show up just to see them and try their spirits, and more are showing up each day. Despite ramped-up production, they haven’t lost their sense of adventure: they’re currently experimenting with prickly-pear brandy and with making their own absinthe.
Sitting in the Cuatro Volcanes Gastrobar, sipping a Black on Black cocktail — lychee brandy, zapote negro fruit and absinthe — along with a slice of Celeste’s famous huitlacoche pizza, there’s a sense of hometown pride and family. Even Ernesto’s mom ventures out to talk to the clientele that have found their way to this hidden cocktail paradise.
Chef Celeste Vargas Mendoza complements the cocktails with intriguing food concoctions using local ingredients.
Live-edge wooden tables cluster around the bar up front, with drinking gourds and clay xoloitzcuintle dog statues scattered about. Ernesto mans the bar, Celeste the kitchen, and even Emily helps out serving tables when the crowd starts to grow. Their only problem now is what to do on the weekends, when it gets so packed that they run out of seats.
But maybe that means that Señora Mendoza will finally the get that apartment her children promised her, and that Cuatro Volcanes will take over the rest of the house at Tepoxtla #12 as their project grows.
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.
You've made the decision to stay in Mexico long-term, i.e., more than six months. It's time to apply for a visa de residente — a resident visa, which generally allows you to stay a year or more in the country legally. (Photo: Shutterstock)
As many digital nomads have discovered during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mexico gives visitors from many countries a generous six-month (180-day) stay here simply upon arrival. But what if you’re interested in staying in Mexico for the long-term — say, for a few years, or maybe for the rest of your life?
If you’re looking to settle in Mexico for more than 180 days, then you need to apply for a residency visa. You apply for a residency visa not in Mexico but at a Mexican consulate in your home country.
You’ll also need to make sure you can pass Mexico’s financial solvency requirements. This article is a basic guide to what those financial solvency requirements are for the temporary and permanent residency visa.
Any financial solvency requirements will be based on a calculation using Mexico’s minimum wage, which recently went up again, by 20%, to $207.44 pesos (about US $10.80) per day. So be sure that any calculations you make reflect the new minimum daily wage.
Also, before we get into more specifics down below, another thing to bear in mind is that each consulate has different ways of converting the minimum wage into euros, U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars or whatever the currency is where you are from. How much your requirement will depend on the calculations of whichever consulate you use to apply.
So please take this guide as a general compass to kick-start your visa process, and reach out to the consulate where you’ll be applying for exact financial amounts.
While currency conversions may vary from consulate to consulate, the value of income, savings and investments you must demonstrate to qualify for a residency visa is based on a single factor: Mexico’s daily minimum wage. (Photo: Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)
Temporary or permanent residency visa: which do I need?
A temporary residency visa can cover a period of more than 180 days to up to four years — how many years is at the discretion of Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) after you get your visa. Generally speaking, you are eligible to renew your temporary visa for four consecutive years with little fuss.
A permanent residency visa is for those looking to stay in Mexico indefinitely. It is generally granted to foreigners who plan to be retirees in Mexico (you must be 65 or older for this) or else people who are dependents of a Mexican permanent resident or citizen, or who are the parent or child of a Mexican citizen.
In both cases, applicants must demonstrate financial solvency to guarantee to Mexico that they have the means of providing for themselves and any family members that are coming with them.
Financial solvency requirement for the temporary visa
If you’re applying for a temporary residency visa, to prove financial solvency, you must demonstrate one of the following:
SALARIED INCOME: your income during the past three months must equal or be greater than 100 days of the general minimum wage (as applied in Mexico City), and you must also show proof of current, stable employment outside Mexico for at least one year.
PASSIVE INCOME: the total amount of your investment, savings and pension income over the last 12 months must have an average monthly balance equal to 300 days of the general minimum wage applicable in Mexico City.
What if I need a temporary visa to study in Mexico?
If you’re enrolled in Mexico at a higher education institution, the financial requirements for a temporary visa are significantly lower. You must submit proof of stable employment or pension income or scholarship income over the past three months, and it must equal 60 days of the general minimum wage.
You must also submit proof of your current study program from the higher education institution.
What if I have a family?
A family moving to Mexico can apply for temporary residency, but be aware that there will be a financial solvency requirement for each adult and each minor child. Ask your consulate for specifics.
I own real estate property in Mexico. Does that qualify me for a residency visa?
Many foreigners are under the impression that owning real estate in Mexico means that getting a Mexican visa is guaranteed. Not necessarily so in practice. (Photo: Jonathan Beckman/Unsplash)
Possibly. There’s no guarantee that owning a home or other real estate in Mexico will alone qualify you for residency. Consulates appear to have discretion when it comes to using this as a qualifying factor.
But if they do allow it, you’ll need to provide an original and a photocopy of the property’s Escritura Pública (the official deed to the property granted before a Notary Public in Mexico). The value of the property stated on the escritura must exceed 40,000 days of the general minimum wage for it to be considered.
Note: real estate ownership will only ever qualify you for a temporary residency visa.
Can I get a residency visa if I have investments in Mexico or conduct business in the country?
Yes, but it only qualifies you for temporary residency.
If you’re an investor in a Mexican company or conduct business in the country, the amount of the investment or value of business conducted must equal 20,000 days of the general minimum wage.
How to show proof: provide original and photocopied documents of one of the following:
The company’s Articles of Incorporation (Acta Constitutiva), granted before a Notary Public in an Escritura Pública (a deed).
Your título de acciones (stock certificates) from the company.
A letter from the company’s administrative body (e.g. a board of directors) or another competent official from the Mexican company outlining the company assets owned by the applicant.
A document proving the applicant owns company assets (this could be physical assets like machines and equipment or intellectual property like ownership of the company’s trademark).
Documentation proving that you are conducting economic or business activities in Mexican territory. Documentation could include but isn’t limited to:
Contracts, service orders, invoices, receipts.
Business plans, licenses and permits
A certificate issued by the Mexican Social Security Institute proving that the applicant employs at least three workers.
Financial solvency requirement for the permanent visa
If you’re applying for a permanent residency visa, you need to show:
Proof of investments or bank account statements with an average monthly balance equivalent to 20,000 days of the general minimum wage during the last 12 months, or
Proof that the applicant has a pension with a monthly income after tax greater than the equivalent of 500 days of the general minimum wage during the last six months.
Where do I need to submit the documents?
Applying for a visa doesn’t happen in Mexico but in your home country, at the Mexican consulate, like this one in San Diego, California. (Photo: Shutterstock)
In the Mexican consulate office abroad nearest to you, except when the consulate specifies you need to send them to the Mexican Embassy in your country.
Be aware that in all cases, consulates expect that you will provide your own photocopies of the documents you are submitting. Don’t expect them to make copies for you when you get there.
Your consulate may even ask to keep originals. If you don’t want to give up your original documents, ask ahead if a certified copy granted before a Notary Public (copia certificada ante Notario Público) can be accepted as an original. A certified copy is considered to be equal to an original unless in specific cases mandated by the authorities. So make sure to ask.
How long will the consulate take to resolve my application?
According to Mexican officials, it will take up to 10 working days in any of the aforementioned cases.
After obtaining my residency visa, are there any other required steps to finalize the residency process?
Yes. If the visa is granted, you must obtain your residency card in Mexico. The deadline to apply for the residency card is 30 calendar days after entering Mexican territory. This can be done at any INM office in Mexico.
Once you have received your visa, there’s still another piece of bureaucracy to do: when you arrive in Mexico, you’ll need to head to any National Migration Institute office within 30 days of entering the country and register to receive your Mexican residency card. (Photo: INM)
Note that this process CAN’T be done at Mexican consulates or embassies. It must be done at an INM office. The consulate only gives you general approval for a visa. INM will be the final arbiter of for how long your first temporary visa will be valid — up to a maximum of four years.
Many foreigners from countries that aren’t required to obtain a tourist visa to enter Mexico (e.g. U.S., Canada, Schengen Area countries; see this link for the full list of countries) are granted at least a year and are eligible to renew upon their first visa’s expiration.
Must I keep the government updated of any change in my status, address or any other?
Yes. You must notify the immigration authority of any change in your marital status, nationality, the address where you live or your place of work within 90 days after said change occurs.
Peru's ambassador to Mexico, Manuel Gerardo Talavera (left), pictured with AMLO in March of last year. (@ElPeruEnMex Twitter)
Peru has withdrawn its ambassador to Mexico due to comments President López Obrador has made about the Peruvian government, but Mexico won’t make any changes to its diplomatic and consular representation in the South American country.
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte announced Friday that she was withdrawing Ambassador Manuel Gerardo Talavera due to López Obrador’s “unacceptable questioning” of her government on repeated occasions.
The president of Peru announced the withdrawal of the ambassador to Mexico on Friday. (@PresidenciaPeru Twitter)
“What happened in Peru is extremely serious,” he said at his Feb. 17 press conference, adding that there were no “legal foundations” for Castillo’s removal and incarceration.
“They don’t respect the will of the people and what there is beneath is a classist, racist attitude because he’s an [indigenous] teacher from the mountains, a humble man,” López Obrador said.
He said last Friday that Castillo’s removed from office by the Peruvian Congress was a “great injustice” and that “the conservatives of Peru” had violated that country’s constitution.
In a televised address, Boluarte charged that López Obrador’s latest remarks violated “the principle of international law about non-interference in internal affairs.”
In response to her decision to withdraw the Peruvian ambassador, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) said in a statement Saturday that the Mexican government regretted Peru’s decision to “reduce the level of diplomatic relations” between the two countries.
However, the Mexican government “will maintain its diplomatic and consular representation [in Peru] to promote the ties between our people and provide attention to the Mexican community in Peru,” the SRE said.
The SRE said it is committed to “keeping the channels of diplomatic communication open for the benefit of both societies” and expressed its hope for a “democratic solution” to the “prevailing disagreements” in Peru.
At least 60 people have died in incidents related to recent political protests in the country, Reuters reported Saturday.
Protests in Peru since the arrest of former president Pedro Castillo have left at least 60 people dead since December. (Twitter @JuanfranTorres)
“Human rights groups have accused [Peruvian] authorities of using firearms on protesters and dropping smoke bombs from helicopters. The army accuses protesters of using weapons and homemade explosives,” the news agency said.
López Obrador, whose government has provided asylum to Castillo’s wife and children, accused the Boluarte administration of ruling “with bayonets and repression – with force.”
The president, who purports to uphold a constitutionally-enshrined principle of non-intervention in the affairs of foreign countries, also said Friday that the decision to remove Castillo was a discriminatory one and related to the presence of “vested interests” in Peru.
“He’d been in office a month or two and [opposition lawmakers] were already requesting his removal because … [they couldn’t] accept that a representative of the poorest people, of the indigenous people won. Unfortunately there is a lot of racism and classism and a lot of vested interests in Peru because it’s a country with a lot of natural resources and the natural resources are coveted by large multinational companies supported by foreign governments,” López Obrador said.
“We’re talking about gas, we’re talking about copper, gold, silver and lithium. In addition, they exploit the people, loot their natural resources [and] there is a lot of poverty. All this is what leads to these decisions to remove legal, legitimately constituted authorities,” he said.
The Maya Train will have 42 vehicles that pass through 34 stations and stops in southeastern Mexico. (Illustration: Fonatur)
The Maya Train, the passenger and cargo rail route that will travel around the Yucatán peninsula, will begin operations on Dec. 1, the military-controlled rail companyTren Maya S.A. de C.V. announced on Monday.
Óscar Lozano Águila, the company’s general director, was one of several officials to report on the progress of the controversial 1,554km rail loop during President López Obrador’s morning press conference.
“It will be one of the best rail systems in the world,” said Javier May Rodríguez, general director of the National Fund for Tourism Promotion (Fonatur). “Its trips will be safe because they will have [state of the art] technology.”
He said 42 trains will operate on the railroad, which will pass through 34 stations and stops in five states — Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo. It will use both ground and air surveillance to achieve its“vision of zero accidents,” May said.
“The systems it has will guarantee that when there is an interruption on the track by a log or a rock, we detect it from the control center and automatically the train stops,” Lozano Águila explained.
He said state oil company Pemex will supply the train’s fuel, which he said would be less polluting than the fuel commonly used in Mexico because it will contain only 10 parts per million of sulfur rather than the usual 500 parts per million.
Óscar Lozano Águila, general director of Tren Maya S.A. de C.V., the Sedena-operated Maya Train company, said the train would operate on fuel produced by Pemex and on electricity generated by the Federal Electricity Commission.
Officials announced in 2020 that the train system would be a hybrid, with some parts of the route running on electricity and some parts on diesel fuel. Lozano’s Monday figure of 10 ppm of sulfur indicates that the train will be using environmentally friendlier ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD), which contains 15 ppm of sulfur or less.
Lozano told reporters that the fuel would be produced at Pemex’s Deer Park Refinery in Deer Park, Texas, and at the Pajaritos refinery complex in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz.
He said the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) will provide the electricity system, adding that this infrastructure will also increase energy availability across the region.
“All this will allow our train to move at 160 km/h for passengers and 109 km/h for cargo,” he said.
Diego Prieto Hernández, general director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), said that the preconstruction archaeological rescue process was already nearly complete in five of the project’s seven sections, with over 45,000 structures registered and preserved.
Among the objects found include a sculpture of a female ruler holding a bound prisoner by the hair, in the archaeological site of Ek Balam.
Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval González said his ministry (Sedena) will allocate 4,931 National Guard members, 28 drones, five helicopters and three air bases to provide security to the project.
The company Maya Tren S.A. de C.V. is operated by the Sedena, and Lozano acknowledged in the press conference that 138 of its 338 staff are military personnel. The Maya Train project has drawn criticism in the past for its tight connection to the military.
One of the four AgustaWestland AW109 military utility helicopters bought by the Enrique Peña Nieto administration in 2013 that will be used to surveil the Maya Train route. The current administration unsuccessfully tried to sell the four helicopters in 2019, according to Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval.
The railroad is also controversial for its potential impact on the region’s jungles, underground cave system and archaeological sites. Environmentalists have brought several legal cases against the project, arguing that it is driving deforestation and threatens the rights of local Indigenous communities.
However, the Maya Train has long been a key project of the president, who has invoked national security to push it forward, despite legal injunctions. AMLO argues the train will boost local development by providing rapid mobility around the region’s 26 archaeological zones.
The train’s planned opening date will mark the fifth anniversary of his taking office.
“We are talking about the communication of the ancient Mayan cities,” AMLO stressed at the press conference. “Without a doubt, it is the most important train — ecologically, touristically and archaeologically — in the world.”
Tesla will provide more details on its manufacturing investment in Nuevo León tomorrow. (@Tesla Twitter)
Tesla will build a plant in Monterrey, Nuevo León, President López Obrador announced Tuesday after speaking with CEO Elon Musk a day earlier.
“The plant will be set up in Monterrey with a series of commitments to address the problem of water scarcity. It’s good news, the entire Tesla company is coming. … I understand that [the plant] is going to be very big,” he told reporters at his regular news conference.
Elon Musk (pictured) and President López Obrador spoke on Friday and Monday about Tesla’s investment in Meixico. (Creative Commons)
López Obrador said last week that Nuevo León wasn’t the best option for the electric vehicle manufacturer because “there’s no water” in the northern border state, where harsh water restrictions were implemented last year amid a severe drought.
However, he said Tuesday that Tesla had committed to using recycled water in its entire manufacturing process, even for car paint.
“I spoke with Elon Musk on two occasions via videoconference, Friday night from Chetumal and yesterday morning. He was very receptive, understanding our concerns and accepting our proposals,” López Obrador said.
The construction and operation of the new plant will entail “considerable investment” and generate a lot of jobs, he added without offering specifics.
López Obrador said that Tesla’s first plant in Mexico will entail “considerable investment.” (@Tesla Twitter)
López Obrador said that Tesla will provide additional information about its investment on Wednesday, when the Austin-based company has an investor day, and that additional commitments will be announced next week. The automaker’s plant in Nuevo León will be its first in Mexico.
“I want to thank Elon Musk, who was respectful, attentive and understood the importance of addressing the water problem,” López Obrador said.
The announcement that Tesla will build a plant in Monterrey brings to an end a lengthy period of conjecture about the company’s intentions. Musk visited Nuevo León last October and met with Governor Samuel García, triggering speculation that Tesla would set up a factory in the state.
Hidalgo later emerged as a possible location for a Tesla plant, partly because of its proximity to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport, while other states such as Michoacán and Veracruz sought to lure the automaker.
García – a young Citizens Movement party governor who frequently touts the foreign investment that has flowed into Nuevo León since he took office – declared on Twitter Tuesday morning that the establishment of a Tesla plant in the state capital is a victory for Mexico, Nuevo León and “all of us.”
“[We’re] very happy. Thank you very much to the president and to Elon Musk for the confidence,” he said in a video message posted to his Instagram account.
García asserted last Friday that Nuevo León had enough water to accommodate a Tesla plant.
“We’re going to work hand in hand with Tesla to clarify and prove that [the company] doesn’t use water destined for human consumption. What they use is treated [water] and [the amount] is minimal,” he said.
The Musk-led company also faced concerns about water scarcity when planning a new factory it opened in Germany last year.
A growing number of foreign companies are investing in Mexico to take advantage of the country’s proximity to the United States, its free trade agreement with the U.S. and Canada and the availability of affordable skilled labor.
AMLO shared this photo of a sculpture at the Ek Balam site along with a blurry image of a creature in a tree that he speculated could be an "alux." (@LopezObrador/Twitter)
Little known outside the Yucatán Peninsula, the alux has captured headlines around the world the last few days after President López Obrador shared a photo he claimed was of the mythological Mayan creature on Saturday.
Although many thought it a joke, it wasn’t clear if AMLO was serious or not.
Les comparto dos fotos de nuestra supervisión a las obras del Tren Maya: una, tomada por un ingeniero hace tres días, al parecer de un aluxe; otra, de Diego Prieto de una espléndida escultura prehispánica en Ek Balam. Todo es místico. pic.twitter.com/Tr5OP2EqmU
On his social media accounts, AMLO shared two images with the post:
“I share two photos of our supervision of the Maya Train works: one, taken by an engineer three days ago, apparently of an aluxe; another, by Diego Prieto of a splendid pre-Hispanic sculpture in Ek Balam. Everything is mystical.”
Internet users quickly reacted to the alux image stating that the same photograph has circulated on the internet for at least two years now. The ongoing controversy over the environmental impact of the Maya Train also stirred up chatter online as the president’s post went viral. And it left many wondering: what is an alux?
An ancient Mayan clay figurine that may represent an alux, or elf-like mythical creature. (Wikimedia Commons)
Considered a mischievous woodland spirit in Mayan folklore, the aluxes (a-loo-shez) are small goblins or elves said to live in natural places such as jungles, caves or cenotes. According to legend, these goblins dress as people and play tricks on those who do not leave offerings when building a house or preparing soil for the milpa (corn field).
A few comments on the post even warned that AMLO should not have published the alux photo without proper protocol. That is because aluxes are said to be very helpful if treated with respect and offerings, but if scorned, they can exact revenge.
In 2010, aluxes were blamed for Elton John’s stage collapse at the ancient site of Chichén Itzá, after organizers supposedly failed to ask the mythic creatures for permission to hold the concert.
The Public Works Minister at the time, Francisco Torres Rivas, said that unlike the concerts of Plácido Domingo and Sarah Brightman, Elton John didn’t follow the sacred ritual to ask for permission.
“The aluxes are tougher (más cabrones) than INAH [National Institute of Anthropology and History],” another official commented.
