See out 2025 with a bang at these top Puerto Vallarta community events! (Vallarta Adventures)
Puerto Vallarta comes alive this holiday season with a dazzling array of events that promise excitement and unforgettable experiences. There’s something for everyone, so join the community as it embraces the spirit of celebration and prepares to welcome the new year with open arms.
If you’re looking for the best of things to do in town during the December but also fancy taking a bite of Vallarta’s vibrant social scene, why not consider one of these activities?
December 16: Cirque du Soleil LUDO at VidantaWorld
Introducing Cirque du Soleil LUDÕ at VidantaWorld Nuevo Vallarta
Step into something completely new for the area, the debut of Cirque du Soleil LUDÕ. Opening December 16 and running through 2026, this immersive experience blends acrobatics, underwater visuals, gourmet dining, and a storyline that pulls you right into its world. It’s unlike anything Banderas Bay has seen, and it’s a perfect way to break from the ordinary.
December 20: VRBAN Vallarta 2025 starting on the Malecón
CARRERA VRBAN VALLARTA 6TA EDICIÓN
Channel your festive season energy into VRBAN Vallarta, a 10 km urban race that zigzags through sand, pavement, stairs, narrow streets, and some of PV’s most iconic spots. It’s like a real-life obstacle course through the city.
Register via Facebook (Vallarta Sobre Ruedas), at Xisco Bikes (Av. Los Tules 168, Local 8-A, Fluvial Vallarta), or by calling 322.172.1154.
If a rootin’-tootin’ good time is what you’re looking for, look no further than A Country Christmas presented by ACT2PV! Join Bobbi Goddard and her merry band of friends for an unforgettable evening filled with jingle-twangy tunes, side-splitting laughter, and holiday spirit that’ll have you two-stepping in your boots. More than a show, it’s a “Hard Candy Christmas!”!
Effie Passero and Branden & James will light up the beautiful Teatro Vallarta in Centro for a special “Night Divine.” Hosted by Sutton Lee Seymour, the event is a mix of beloved holiday classics and songs from Coldplay, Moulin Rouge, Snow Patrol, The Eagles, Adele, Rent, and more.
This trio is a favourite in this neck of the woods, so get your tickets now through the Teatro Vallarta website.
December 31: New Year’s Eve in Puerto Vallarta
(Villa de Palmar)
Wrap up the year, with a huge celebration along the Malecón. Puerto Vallarta turns into one big street party, packed with live music, dancing, and fireworks that light up the bay at midnight. After a month of concerts, creativity, and cardio, there’s no better way to welcome 2026 than right here in Puerto Vallarta.
Whether you’re captivated by the magic of Cirque du Soleil, participating in the exciting VRBAN race, or enjoying a festive night filled with music and laughter, each event is a step towards a memorable celebration. As we bid farewell to 2025 and count down to a new year, may the remainder of this month fill your heart with joy and set the stage for a wonderful 2026 ahead!
Charlotte Smith is a writer and journalist based in Mexico. Her work focuses on travel, politics, and community. You can follow along with her travel stories at www.salsaandserendipity.com.
Last year, India exported US $5.73 billion of goods to Mexico, while Mexico exported US $3.01 billion of products to India. (Shutterstock)
Accelerated trade talks between Mexico and India could be on the horizon after steep new tariffs that could hit India especially hard were approved by both houses of the Mexican Congress.
The new tariffs, meant to strengthen Mexican manufacturing and reduce trade imbalances, are aimed at countries without free trade agreements with Mexico. Besides India, those countries include China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Despite attracting criticism from business groups, Mexico’s government expects the tariffs to bolster local industry and protect employment.
The new tariffs could be as high as 50% and were said to be introduced to appease the United States ahead of the review of a regional trade agreement, the USMCA, in 2026.
“Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop,” the Federation of Indian Export Organisations’ Director General Ajay Sahai stated.
The higher duties will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
In response, India is pushing for a free trade agreement to avoid around US $2 billion worth of Indian exports being subject to the new tariffs, Rajesh Agrawal, India’s trade secretary, said on Monday.
“Mexico’s primary target is not to hit Indian exports,” Agrawal said. “India has engaged with Mexico to pursue a trade agreement to mitigate the impact promptly.”
According to Agrawal, Mexico and India have had preliminary technical discussions on such a deal following an online meeting between Agrawal and Mexico’s Deputy Minister Luis Rosendo this month.
In 2024, India exported $5.73 billion of goods to Mexico, while Mexico exported $3.01 billion of products to India. Key exports included vehicles, base metals, auto parts and textiles.
The impact of auto sector tariffs
Mexico’s new tariffs are expected to be especially detrimental to India’s auto sector, which exports around $1 billion worth of shipments to Mexico each year, with the import duty on cars expected to climb from 20% to 50%.
In November, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers industry group called for India’s Commerce Ministry to encourage Mexico to “maintain status quo” on tariffs for vehicles shipped from India to its third-largest car export market, according to a letter from an industry group reviewed by Reuters.
“Indian-origin vehicles are not a threat to Mexican local industry as Indian vehicles do not cater to high-end segments manufactured by Mexico for serving the North American market,” the industry group said in its letter.
Sheinbaum told reporters that her government's "vision about how to address drug use is different" from that of the Trump administration. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
President Claudia Sheinbaum is frequently asked to comment on the remarks, actions and policies of her U.S. counterpart Donald Trump.
That was the case again at her Tuesday morning press conference, where she fielded a question on Trump’s decision to formally designate fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, or WMD.
BREAKING: President Trump just declared FENTANYL a WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION.
This critical step unleashes every tool to combat the cartels & foreign networks responsible for flooding communities with this deadly substance—the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18-45. pic.twitter.com/C9YXC53kzK
Among other remarks, Sheinbaum offered her view on an unbecoming episode in the Mexico City Congress on Monday.
Sheinbaum responds to Trump’s designation of fentanyl as a WMD
Asked about Trump’s executive order designating “illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as Weapons of Mass Destruction,” Sheinbaum said that her government will analyze the document as well as its “scope” and “implications.”
Issued on Monday, the executive order states that “illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic” and directs “the heads of relevant executive departments and agencies … [to] take appropriate action to implement this order and eliminate the threat of illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals to the United States.”
Sheinbaum told reporters that her government’s “vision about how to address drug use is different” from that of the Trump administration.
“Of course, crimes must be addressed — that’s why there’s an Attorney General’s Office and that’s why there are judges. But we also have to address the causes of drug use. If the causes are not addressed, … drugs will continue to be used,” she said, adding that she has put that view to Trump.
Classifying a drug as a “weapon of mass destruction” is not enough on its own to stop the use of a particular narcotic, Sheinbaum said.
“If the causes [of drug use] aren’t addressed, it will be one drug or another [that hooks young people],” she said.
“Young people have to be attended to, as we are doing here,” Sheinbaum said, referring to the provision of educational scholarships, employment opportunities and other government initiatives.
Given that much of the illicit fentanyl in the United States comes from Mexico, a reporter said that the U.S. government could use Trump’s WMD designation to “insist” on sending the U.S. military to Mexico to combat drug cartels, an offer the U.S. president has already made.
Sheinbaum reiterated that her government is opposed to any kind of foreign intervention in Mexico, but noted that it is willing to cooperate and collaborate with the U.S. on security matters.
The country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity “are not up for discussion under any circumstances,” she said.
Sheinbaum condemns fight in CDMX Congress
Sheinbaum described the fight that broke out between lawmakers in Mexico City’s Congress on Monday as “very bad.” (Click here to read MND’s story on the melee.)
She called on all lawmakers to abstain from acts of violence.
“You can be against a proposal, you can even take over a rostrum [in Congress] … but resorting to acts of violence is reprehensible,” Sheinbaum said.
Security minister speaks to his Canadian counterpart
Sheinbaum had little information to add when asked whether she could provide additional details about the call on Monday between Mexico’s Security Minister Omar García Harfuch and Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree.
Today, Minister Anandasangaree had a productive call with Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, on strengthening bilateral security and advancing shared priorities, including progress on the Canada-Mexico Action Plan. pic.twitter.com/FDHMoaK3X5
“The minister already reported [on the call]. It’s part of the relationship we have with Canada,” she said.
García Harfuch wrote on social media that he had a “frank and productive” conversation with Anandasangaree aimed at “strengthening bilateral security between Mexico and Canada.”
“We’re advancing on shared priorities and on the Canada-Mexico Action Plan, with the conviction that international cooperation is fundamental for security and the well-being of our nations,” he wrote.
One of the pillars of the plan is “peace and security.”
According to the Canadian Embassy in Mexico, “Canada and Mexico collaborate through security and safety institutions to share information and best practices on key issues such as police surveillance and crime prevention, border security, and migration.”
“The Royal Canadian Mounted Police receives Mexican police officers at the Canadian Police College to reinforce their capacities on a regular basis,” the Embassy states on its website.
“In addition to operational exchange, our governments meet formally each year to update and exchange information of mutual interest such as combating drugs and crime, cybersecurity and cybercrime, emergency management, border and prison security, and rehabilitation.”
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
WIth the arrival of the superflu in Mexico, the Health Ministry is recommending that the population make an extra effort to take the precautions associated with the flu season, including flu shots and voluntary masking. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
With winter around the corner, flu season is underway in Mexico, and the government has reported numerous cases so far of the familiar seasonal influenza A H3N2. One of those cases has received special attention because it is the first appearance of the A H3N2 variant known as subclade K, commonly referred to as “superflu.”
The seasonal superflu is highly contagious and can cause severe symptoms. While it is not a completely new virus and is not more deadly than other flu strains, it is infecting a significant number of people in the U.K. and U.S. and placing stress on healthcare systems.
Health Minister David Kershenobich joined President Claudia Sheinbaum at Tuesday morning’s mañanera to urge Mexico’s residents not to forsake their annual flu shots this winter, especially given the possible threat of a new variant of the seasonal flu virus. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
Superflu patients may experience extreme fatigue, often accompanied by headaches, nasal congestion or runny nose, chills, and sweating. High fever, generally above 38°C (100.4 °F), can be expected, as well as a persistent dry cough that can last up to two weeks.
Other frequent symptoms include sore throat and muscle and body aches.
The National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER) confirmed on Friday that the variant had been diagnosed in a single patient in Mexico. According to INER, the patient responded well to antiviral treatment, didn’t show any further complications and has fully recovered.
As of Tuesday, INER hasn’t reported any new patient carrying the superflu virus.
Health Minister David Kershenobich said the subclade K virus does not pose a threat to Mexico, as the country is equipped with enough resources to protect the vulnerable population against it.
“We have enough vaccines,” Kershenobich said during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s daily morning press conference. “And whenever someone has influenza, we have the capacity to treat it with enough supply.”
Kershenobich added that the government has been administering the Mexinvac vaccine — developed in Mexico — since 2024, and that it has enough supply to face the A H3N2 virus and its variant.
Mexico’s Health Ministry noted that the superflu’s clinical management is the same as that of any influenza type, and the primary prevention measure continues to be vaccination.
“These vaccines are effective in reducing risks, preventing complications and hospitalizations, and protecting health, especially of children, older people, pregnant women, health personnel, and people with comorbidities,” the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Health authorities have also said that the National Epidemiological Surveillance System (SINAVE) maintains constant monitoring to recognize unusual patterns or new subtypes of the virus, allowing for timely intervention in the event of outbreaks.
The new accord calls for improvement projects to be developed (and paid for) on the Mexican side of the border, including a sediment basin for polluted runoff capture and improved treatment plant capacity. (@usibwc/X)
Mexico and the United States on Monday signed an agreement intended to solve the border sanitation problem plaguing the San Diego and Tijuana metropolitan areas.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the signing of Minute No. 333 targets the decades-long Tijuana River sewage crisis that has been a point of contention between the U.S. and Mexico.
“Minute 333” is hoped to be a step toward the day when signs like this one are no longer needed on beaches in San Diego County. (@BasemeChristian/X)
Monday’s agreement allows the U.S. and Mexican Sections of the International Boundary and Water Commission to jointly develop infrastructure projects and enhanced monitoring strategies.
In a social media post, EPA Administrator Lee M. Zeldin said the agreement outlines “the Mexico-side infrastructure projects … and planning for operation and maintenance of critical sites and systems that will account for future population growth in Tijuana.”
The commission was convened in accordance with Article 3 of the 1944 U.S.-Mexico water treaty, by which the governments “agree to give preferential attention to the solution of all border sanitation problems.”
Minute 333 builds on the July 24, 2025, Memorandum of Understanding Addressing the Sanitation and Environmental Crisis in the Tijuana-San Diego Region (MOU) signed in Mexico City by Zeldin and Mexican Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena.
In the MOU, Mexico agreed to begin work soon on US $93 million worth of improvements to the Tijuana sewage system, while also committing to enhanced maintenance projects.
Minute 333 calls for a number of sanitation projects on the Mexican side that were specified in the MOU, including:
Doubled treatment capacity and installation of an ocean outfall at a wastewater treatment plant in southwestern Tijuana, far enough out to sea to prevent any threat to San Diego beaches.
A sediment basin to capture polluted runoff in the Matadero Canyon watershed that straddles the border.
A Tijuana water infrastructure master plan to ensure that sufficient water infrastructure is planned and constructed commensurate with anticipated population growth.
A new wastewater treatment plant about 5 miles south of the U.S. border.
Implementation of best practices for stormwater management and runoff control to reduce inflow rates and downstream deposition of trash and sediment.
Funds set aside for maintenance.
EPA officials are saying that the improvements will not cost U.S. taxpayers, but Minute 333 does call for a cost-sharing formula for cleaning and sediment-dredging in the Tijuana River.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Mexico with a 5% tariff on imports if it did not resolve the water delivery issue stipulated in the 1944 treaty. A few days later, he demanded that Mexico resolve the water and sewage problems that affect residents of California.
Canada ranked as the fourth biggest foreign investor in Mexico in 2024 behind the United States, Japan and Germany. (Unsplash)
A large Canadian trade mission is set to visit Mexico early next year, with stops scheduled in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara.
Canada’s ambassador to Mexico, Cameron Mackay, told Canadian outlet CBC News in a recent interview that the Canadian government is laying the groundwork for a “Team Canada” trade mission to Mexico next February.
🇨🇦🇲🇽 While in Mexico, Minister LeBlanc and a Canadian delegation of business associations reinforced the importance of strengthening Canada-Mexico relations to ensure continued prosperity and collaboration across North America.#EconomicGrowth#TradeDiversification@CanEmbMexicopic.twitter.com/bPOZBB9156
Mackay told CBC News that hundreds of Canadian businesses have applied to join the mission.
“In terms of the number of businesses who have applied to join the minister and come and look at export opportunities here, it’ll be the biggest … [trade mission] we’ve ever done,” said the ambassador, who arrived in Mexico in 2024 after serving as Canada’s high commissioner in India.
Such is the interest in participating in the trade mission from the Canadian business community that there may not be enough room for all applicants, Mackay said.
“There’s only so much logistical capacity. We really want to make sure that the businesses themselves are export-ready,” he said.
The Feb. 15-20 trade mission will focus on opportunities in the agriculture, advanced manufacturing, information communications technology and clean energy sectors, as well as creative industries.
The mission will take place just a few months before Mexico, Canada and the United States initiate a formal review of the USMCA, the North American free trade pact that superseded NAFTA in 2020.
During Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Mexico City in September, Mexico and Canada pledged to deepen ties and work to strengthen the free trade pact they share with the United States. (Presidencia)
The value of trade between Mexico and Canada is dwarfed by the value of trade between both Mexico and the United States, and Canada and the U.S.
But Mexico-Canada trade has grown significantly in the three decades since NAFTA took effect. Two-way trade was worth almost CAD $56 billion (US $40.75 billion) in 2024, according to the Canadian government, up from less than CAD $5 billion before NAFTA entered into force in 1994.
Canada is the largest foreign investor in Mexico’s mining sector, while foreign direct investment of Canadian economies across the Mexican economy totaled more than US $3 billion last year. Canada ranked as the fourth biggest foreign investor in Mexico in 2024 behind the United States, Japan and Germany.
Networking, business briefings and site visits
According to the Canadian government, the trade mission to Mexico will include “networking opportunities with Minister LeBlanc and Mexican business leaders” as well as “on-site business briefings by our Trade Commissioners, senior officials and key local industry experts” and “sector-specific site visits.”
For representatives from small and medium-sized Canadian enterprises, there will also be an opportunity for “pre-arranged business-to-business meetings.”
All participants will go to Mexico City and a second city — either Monterrey or Guadalajara — depending on their sector.
The Canadian government said that the trade mission to Mexico was organized because “Mexico offers a compelling value proposition for Canadian exporters.”
It noted that the USMCA (known as CUSMA in Canada and T-MEC in Mexico) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership “provide Canadian businesses with significant advantages, including tariff-free entry for 99% of Canada-Mexico traded goods, streamlined customs procedures [and] enhanced investment protections.”
Considering trade tensions with the United States, “Canada and Mexico will need each other more than we ever have,” Ambassador Mackay told CBC News.
“We want to be working together and trying to solve problems together,” he said.
“With the pressure that’s on the Canadian business community now, I would say there’s never been a better opportunity and more motivation for Canadian businesses to think about expanding and looking at whether Mexico is a good market for them,” the ambassador added.
* MORE ON THE MEXICO-CANADA RELATIONSHIP:
In 2024, Mexico News Daily published a “Canada in Focus” series focusing on different aspects of the Mexico-Canada relationship. Here are links to three of the articles from that series:
The jet, a Cessna 650 Citation III aircraft, had departed Acapulco, Guerrero, around noon on Monday and was due to arrive at 12:29 p.m. in Toluca, México state. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
The Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) is investigating the crash of a small plane that killed 10 people on Monday as the pilots tried to execute an emergency landing near the Toluca International Airport, about 30 miles west of Mexico City.
During her Tuesday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters that the victims were a family traveling from Acapulco to the México state capital along with the two pilots. Three children under the age of 10 were among the dead.
Investigators say that the pilot of the Cessna 650 Citation III aircraft sent an emergency message to the control tower of the Toluca airport, reporting that they were experiencing problems and he was looking for a place to bring the plane down.
Almost immediately thereafter, controllers in the tower said a plume of black smoke could be seen to the northeast of the airfield.
Authorities say the plane had apparently tried to land on a soccer field about 800 meters from an airport runway. There was a large rut on the pitch, but the plane was apparently traveling too fast to stop and it crashed into the wall of a truck maintenance workshop.
The aircraft exploded, starting a large fire that prompted the evacuation of about 130 people, according to the mayor of San Mateo Atenco, a municipality on Toluca’s eastern edge, but there were no reports of casualties on the ground.
Due to the presence of diesel containers and gas tanks, the authorities cordoned off a four-block area for several hours until the fire was under control.
The crash caused a large fire that prompted the evacuation of about 130 people, with no casualties reported on the ground. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
“The [FGR] is conducting the review, but apparently it was a technical failure,” Sheinbaum said at her Tuesday morning press conference, while also expressing her condolences to the family and friends of the victims.
Residents of the area said it was not unusual to see a plane flying so low since the airport is close by, but one witness said the aircraft appeared to be wobbling from side-to-side.
Federal prosecutors have been joined by forensic experts, and agents representing the Federal Ministerial Police, the Criminal Investigation Agency, the Federal Civil Aviation Agency, the Directorate of Aviation Accident and Incident Analysis and the Directorate of Air Navigation Services in Mexican Airspace.
According to the newspaper La Jornada, the jet is owned by Servicios Aéreos Estrella, which has a hangar at the Toluca airport. It had departed Acapulco around noon on Monday and was due to arrive at 12:29 p.m.
PAN Deputy Daniela Álvarez and Morena Deputy Yuriri Ayala were at the center of the confrontation, grabbing each other's arms and trading a few relatively minor blows before they were involved in a messy moment of hair pulling involving at least four female lawmakers. (Arturo Jiménez/Cuartoscuro)
Hair pulling. An elbow to the stomach. A slap to the head. A scrum of contorted bodies.
It wasn’t a schoolyard scrap, but rather a fight involving lawmakers in the Mexico City Congress.
The chaotic melee played out on Monday during a debate over the disbandment of the Mexico City Transparency Institute (InfoCDMX) and the body slated to replace it.
Unhappy with a Morena party proposal related to the body that will replace InfoCDMX, a group of National Action Party (PAN) lawmakers invaded the dais of the Mexico City Congress.
A physical and verbal clash between PAN and Morena lawmakers ensued.
PAN Deputy Daniela Álvarez and Morena Deputy Yuriri Ayala were at the center of the confrontation, grabbing each other’s arms and trading a few relatively minor blows before they were involved in a messy moment of hair-pulling involving at least four female lawmakers.
Sí, es el Congreso de CDMX en el siglo XXI.
Así la pelea durante la discusion del dictamen que desaparece el Instituto de Transparencia de la capital. pic.twitter.com/ESz8hSPWh0
Green Party Deputy and Congress President Jesús Sesma, the only man on the dais, attempted to disentangle his female colleagues, but wasn’t immediately successful.
The unbecoming episode was caught on camera and, unsurprisingly, went viral on social media.
PAN Deputy Claudia Pérez sustained an injury during the fracas and was subsequently filmed having a cervical collar placed around her neck. She and other lawmakers involved in the clash could face congressional sanctions or possibly even criminal charges.
After the chaotic congressional confrontation, deputies with the Morena party and its allies — which dominate the Mexico City legislature — voted in favor of the disbandment of InfoCDMX, ensuring that the proposal was approved.
The replacement body, which will be part of the Mexico City Comptroller’s Office, will not be a collegial institution with representatives from different political parties, as had been agreed to by members of congressional committees.
A Morena party-backed decision to scrap the proposal to create a body of that nature precipitated Monday’s brawl.
“We’re not going to allow political agreements to be broken when we had agreed that the [new] transparency institute was going to be tripartite,” said Álvarez, the PAN deputy, before the melee began.
Mexico’s National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and the Protection of Personal Data, which was known as INAI, has already been disbanded after the federal Congress voted late last year to eliminate it and six other watchdog agencies. Opposition parties opposed the move, but their lawmakers weren’t involved in any physical confrontations with their Morena party counterparts.
I’m often asked about the latest on tariffs or what’s going to happen next. Honestly? I don’t know. And if we’re all being honest: nobody knows — not even U.S. President Trump.
What we do have are some guardrails and foundations in U.S. policy that won’t change anytime soon. And those at least help us predict, in one way or another, the direction of economic and trade policy — and, more importantly, Mexico’s role in enabling the United States’ economic growth.
From where I stand, there are four big theoretical pillars shaping U.S. policy going forward.
First, the obvious one: the need to move away from China.
Twenty years ago, the U.S. share of global manufacturing value added was nearly triple China’s (26% vs. 9%). Fast forward to today, and China’s share is double that of the U.S. (31% vs. 15%). The global trading map flipped too: two decades ago, nearly 80% of the world traded more with the U.S. than with China. Today, 70% of the world trades more with China than with the U.S.! I won’t dig too deep into why this sets off every economic, political, and security alarm in Washington — I’ll let your imagination do the work.
Second, the re-industrialization of the American economy. This is a deep conversation about shifting the engine of growth from demand to supply — in other words, seeing Americans first as producers, not just consumers. For roughly four decades (think Reagan onward), success was measured by how much the average American could buy. That model required a trade-plus-geopolitics cocktail that pushed manufacturing to the cheapest locations possible while opening trade relationships around the globe. A.K.A. globalization.
The opportunity cost? Outsourced jobs, abandoned towns, and communities left behind — fertile ground for what economists politely call “deaths of despair.” Drugs of every kind filled the gap that good jobs used to occupy. And while buying a cheap T-shirt or a new refrigerator is nice, good jobs restore dignity, family stability and social fabric. Migration policy is part of this story too — but I’ll save that for another day.
Third, a shift toward fair trade rather than free trade.
Beyond the slogan, it means managed, controlled trade instead of an open-door model. The argument is straightforward: under the WTO framework, the U.S. has some of the lowest applied tariffs in the world — lower than Europe, Mexico, Canada, China, Brazil, you name it. Add to that the fact that the U.S. dollar can’t “adjust” trade deficits the way other currencies can, because it’s the world’s safe asset. In other words, classic trade theory simply doesn’t fit the United States. And when you throw in other countries’ industrial and tax policies — like VAT refunds for temporary imports — the feeling in Washington is that the playing field isn’t exactly level. Like it or not, the U.S. isn’t walking away from managed trade anytime soon.
Fourth and finally: national security. I won’t pretend to be a security expert (I know my limits), but everything above directly affects America’s ability to defend itself — from shipbuilding capacity, to critical minerals, to military readiness, to geopolitical leverage. It’s all connected.
So the next question becomes: What does the United States need to actually pull off these new policies — without collapsing under their weight?
The good news is that many of the answers lie with its closest allies and neighbors. Spoiler alert: Mexico plays a starring role.
I know most of us don’t have the time or attention span for long essays, so I’ll dive into Mexico’s opportunity in a separate text. For now, thanks for making it this far — see you soon.
Pedro Casas Alatriste is the Executive Vice President and CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico (AmCham). Previously, he has been the Director of Research and Public Policy at the US-Mexico Foundation in Washington, D.C. and the Coordinator of International Affairs at the Business Coordinating Council (CCE). He has also served as a consultant to the Inter-American Development Bank.
In October, Zelzín Aketzalli launched her 2,000-km hike down the Baja Peninsula from the Mexico-U.S. border at Tecate. She hopes to show off the very best of Northern Mexico on the trail. (Zelzín Aketzalli)
“I’ve been working on this project for seven years,” says Mexican long-distance thru-hiker Zelzín Aketzalli. “It will be a world-class trail running the entire length of Baja California: over 2,000 kilometers long. Those who walk it will discover that Baja is much more than beach, that it has snow-capped mountains, volcanoes, canyons, pine forests, salt flats and desert. In fact, it has plants, trees and animal life that exist nowhere else.”
The project Aketzalli is talking about will connect the Pacific Crest Trail with the new National Trail of Baja California, “empowering the region’s most iconic mountain ranges and its native communities,” she says.
En route through Baja California. Aketzalli hopes to produce a full-length documentary on her groundbreaking trek through Baja California. (Zelzín Aketzalli)
To create the trail, Aketzalli has been bushwhacking since October, starting from Tecate, visiting remote mountains, valleys, and canyons and plotting routes that will be interesting, challenging, and satisfying to future generations of long-distance hikers.
Although aligning the trail with Mexico’s historic Camino Real had been considered, Aketzalli’s chosen route follows mountain paths, avoiding highways while bringing hikers closer to Indigenous communities that can offer food, shelter and guidance.
Bushwhacking in BC
When she began her odyssey on October 19, she got a big send-off in Tecate by Baja California community leaders. Since then, she has been hard at work designing the trail.
“I spend a few days planning my strategy for the next section of the route, most nights camping in the mountains,” said Aketzalli. “And then I spend a few more days meeting and talking with the people in the nearby pueblitos and ranchos. This has become my new routine. It’s a different and deeply enriching way to experience thru-hiking.”
Simultaneously, Quetzal — her trail name — is recording footage for a feature-length documentary film on her creation of the Baja California trail.
Soy Mexicana
“When people see what I’ve filmed,” she said, “they’re convinced I must have a camera operator marching along behind me, but I don’t. I’ve worked out techniques for getting the shot I need, which means I sometimes have to go up and down the same mountain five times.”
Aketzalli is by profession an engineer and for years has applied her talents to the construction and maintenance of hiking trails, including the technically challenging Hanging Lake Trail in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
Crisscrossing the US… on foot
Aketzalli hails from Mexico City, where she first took up long-distance mountain biking. In 2017, however, she decided to have a go as a hiker on the 4,270-kilometer U.S. Pacific Crest Trail.
This, she realized immediately, was what she was meant to do.
She went on to hike the Appalachian Trail (3,531 km) and the Continental Divide Trail (4,844 km), becoming the first — and so far only — Mexican to achieve the Triple Crown of U.S. hiking.
As her “helper” looks on, Zelzín sets up her tent in the mountains of Baja California. (Zelzín Aketzalli)
Today, Aketzalli offers courses in thru-hiking — meaning doing an entire trail in one go — and is fully committed to making long-distance trails a reality in Mexico. She estimates that her present trail reconnaissance will take at least another four months to complete.
Film festival winner
At the end of November, Aketzalli interrupted her Baja trek and flew to Guadalajara to attend a special short-film festival hosted by Cineforo UDG. Among the participants was the documentary “Zelzin, Huellas que Inspiran” (“Zelzin, Footprints that Inspire”).
The film was shot on the Iztaccíhuatl volcano and its surrounding central Mexico landscapes. The documentary intertwines Aketzalli’s personal journey — growing up in a violent neighborhood in Mexico City — with her achievements in the natural world, to tell a story about resilience and empowerment.
“We won!” said Zelzin. “There were so many excellent entries in this festival… but we won! Making this cortometraje (short film) was difficult because at the same time, I was the protagonist, the producer and the director. For me, this film must be out there for all to see, just as the Baja Trail Project is getting underway.”
Aketzalli is now applying the experience she gained from producing her prize-winning short to filming her groundbreaking trek through the wilds of Baja California.
“It will be a full-length documentary on this most amazing peninsula,” she said, “but I’m definitely paying a heavy price for it. A thru-hiker’s backpack is usually very light, mostly containing food and water. Here in Baja, instead, I’m carrying all sorts of things you need to produce good cinema. I can’t believe I’m actually toting a tripod!”
Early 20th-century botanist Joseph Nelson Rose noted the boojum’s “grotesque, columnar form, rising improbably from the rocky soil,” and he compared its silhouette to a giant inverted carrot, highlighting its eccentricity among desert plants. For another botanist, Townsend Branegee, the boojum looks more like a candle (cirio), “unlike any other in the desert.”
According to the international nonprofit organization Wildcoast, Valle de los Cirios is globally unique.
“There may be no other place that embodies the wild Pacific coastal landscapes of the Baja California peninsula,” it says on its website. “With some luck and a lot of patience, a visitor can catch glimpses of mule deer, kit foxes, bobcats, and stealthy mountain lions that wander among the giant cardon cactus and fantastical cirios, or boojum, trees.”
Gigantic rock-art murals
This pictograph on a cave ceiling in Sierra de San Francisco may be as many as 7,000 years old. (Carlos Lazcano)
For geologist Carlos Lazcano, the 120-kilometer stretch between the missions of San Ignacio and Santa Gertrudis is particularly impressive.
“The canyons are spectacular, and the Sierra de San Francisco shelters ancient rock-art sites with gigantic murals, some over 10 meters wide.”
Another region on the planned trail recommended by Lazcano is Cataviña, a geological and ecological marvel which features “dramatic canyons of white granite hiding turquoise pools of water.”
Irresistible sands
And then there’s the Baja beach. It is so enticing that British schoolteacher Graham Mackintosh couldn’t stop following it. He stepped onto the beach in the 1980s, fell in love with it and then kept on walking — for 4,800 kilometers. To really appreciate those Baja sands, I suggest you read his book, “Into a Desert Place.”
To follow Zelzín Aketzalli’s progress down the Baja California peninsula, occasionally check her on Instagram at @zelzin_aketzalli.
John Pint has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for more than 30 years and is the author of “A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area” and co-author of “Outdoors in Western Mexico.” More of his writing can be found on his website.
