Mexico maintained its investment-grade credit rating despite the likelihood of an economic downturn. (María Ruiz)
Private sector analysts raised inflation expectations for Mexico for 2025 and lowered GDP growth forecasts to 1% in a new survey by the Bank of Mexico (Banxico) on Tuesday.
The analysts surveyed decreased their economic growth forecast for the year from a median amount of 1.12% to 1%. Meanwhile, they raised their Mexico inflation forecast for 2025 from 3.80% to 3.83%.
World Bank Mexico director Mark. R. Thomas has said that Mexico’s water and energy availability problems, plus insecurity and recent constitutional reforms, are making Mexico less attractive to investors. (World Bank/Facebook)
The analysts also said they expect the peso to weaken slightly this year and next in comparison to the U.S. dollar.
The survey polled 40 analysts between January 23–29, before the announcement of a month-long pause on U.S. tariffs on Mexican goods on Monday. This forecast may be revised depending on whether the 25% tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump on Mexican products are put in place.
A January Banxico survey had already lowered Mexico’s economic growth forecast for 2025 from 1.20% to 1.12%.
Meanwhile, the World Bank expected Mexico’s economy to grow by 1.5% in 2025, and Cepal — the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean — pegged Mexico’s growth rate at 1.2%.
By contrast, Cepal predicted a growth rate of 2.4% for the Latin American region.
In addition to the potential imposition of tariffs on Mexican goods, analysts blamed several other factors for the pessimistic growth forecast.
Mexico is trying to boost Mexico’s growth through President Claudia Sheinbaum’s new Plan México, which she announced last month. It aims to attract outside investment with ambitious infrastructure plans but also support Mexico’s small businesses and expand the regional market for Mexican goods. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartocuro)
Mark Thomas, World Bank country director for Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela, highlighted water availability, energy supply and the cost of land as concerns, as well as insecurity, government policies and constitutional reforms.
However, President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Plan México investment strategy, which she announced on Jan. 14, is expected to spur foreign investment in nearshoring activities and drive economic growth across Mexico over the next three years.
The plan aims to create new industrial corridors over all 32 of Mexico’s states, strengthen Mexico’s regional market, and introduce a law to cut Mexico’s amount of bureaucratic red tape, among other investment-friendly initiatives.
Prime Minister Trudeau announced the news following a phone call he held with President Trump on Monday, in which both agreed to pause new tariffs for 30 days. (Screen capture)
As part of the border security plan it negotiated with the United States on Monday, Canada will designate Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, prompting criticism from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Seeking to avoid U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday said he will implement a CAD 1.3 billion (US $900 million) border security plan and launch a joint task force with the United States to combat organized crime, in addition to labeling Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations.
Friends again? For the next month, at least. (@JustinTrudeau/X)
“We don’t believe that the terrorist designation is helpful,” she said. “There are other forms of cooperation and coordination with respect to our sovereignty that would better assist in combating the fentanyl crisis in the United States.”
Mexico also took steps this week to address its role in the fentanyl crisis in the United States where approximately 107,000 people lost their lives to a drug overdose in 2023.
Peter Navarro, senior trade adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, lauded Mexico’s efforts to crack down on the influx of fentanyl into the United States, and said that Canada had started to understand that it needed to do more.
“Canada is making new commitments to appoint a Fentanyl Czar, we will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, and launch a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl, and money laundering,” Trudeau wrote in a post on X. The Canadian prime minister also signed a new US $200 million intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl.
I just had a good call with President Trump. Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan — reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. Nearly…
Trudeau’s action against drug gangs follows in the footsteps of the U.S. president who, on Jan. 20, signed an Executive Order designating cartels and other organizations as “Foreign Terrorist Organizations and specially designated global terrorists.”
According to the news agency Reuters, Navarro said that Mexican cartels have been expanding rapidly in Canada, turning Canada into “a leading source of small, duty-free shipments of drugs.
In addition, Navarro said, Canada must address visa issues that have allowed people on the “terrorism watchlist” to enter the United States.
The actions to bolster border security taken by the respective Mexican and Canadian governments resulted in a one-month delay of the tariffs proposed by Trump.
Praise for Mexico's first female president rolled in on Monday after she announced that she had reached a deal with United States President Donald Trump averting 25% tariffs. (Gustavo Alberto/Cuartoscuro)
An “undoubtable triumph” for President Claudia Sheinbaum. The Mexican president is a “very intelligent” politician. Sheinbaum “played it well.”
Economists, journalists and political scientists praised Sheinbaum’s “intelligent,” “strategic” and “measured” response to Trump’s tariff threats. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
At least temporarily, the deal averted a crisis for the Mexican economy, which is heavily dependent on income derived from exports sent to the United States.
As part of the agreement, Sheinbaum agreed to bolster security at the northern border with the deployment of 10,000 National Guard troops “to avoid the trafficking of drugs from Mexico to the United States, in particular fentanyl.”
“… She got another month, she won time, she won oxygen,” he said.
“… So the countdown begins again. It’s an undoubtable triumph for President Sheinbaum. It’s not easy to face up to the president of the United States, especially when we know he’s a man who knows no limits,” Loret de Mola said.
“The war wasn’t won, but a time bomb was defused, or better said minutes were added to the time bomb’s clock. It didn’t explode,” he said.
Sheinbaum’s management of the looming tariff crisis and the outcome she achieved impressed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“I believe that the president of Mexico is a very intelligent politician,” he told reporters in Brussels on Monday.
“She played it cool,” Scholz said.
On the X social media platform, former Mexican ambassador to China Jorge Guajardo heaped praise on Sheinbaum’s management of the situation.
Que bien la jugó la Presidenta Sheinbaum. Magistral. Si bien los mandatorios del mundo verán en Petro como no hacerlo, verán en Sheinbaum como hacerlo bien. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
“President Sheinbaum played it well. Masterfully,” he wrote.
Guajardo, who also represented Mexico as consul general in Austin, Texas, said that Sheinbaum provided an example to other world leaders on how to deal with a tariff threat from Trump.
While the president said that her administration would respond to Trump’s tariff on Mexican exports with “tariff and non-tariff measures” of its own, she kept the details of the plan under wraps, in contrast to the Canadian government.
Lila Abed, director of the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute in Washington, said that Sheinbaum “has taken a very cautious and strategic approach to the Trump administration.”
Similarly, political scientist Denise Dresser said Monday that the president “kept a very measured tone” after Trump announced his proposed tariffs. Since Trump took office on Jan. 20, Sheinbaum has said she will maintain a “cool head” when dealing with the U.S. government.
Abed, who was quoted in a Reuters report, noted that Sheinbaum has been “taking actions within her government to send a clear signal to the United States that it understands that fentanyl and organized crime are a top priority for the Trump administration.”
🚨 Inicia el Operativo #FronteraNorte con el despliegue de 10 mil elementos del Ejército y la Guardia Nacional en 6 estados del norte de #México. La medida forma parte del acuerdo con EU para frenar delincuencia y migración.
Ten thousand National Guard agents were sent to Mexico’s border states on Tuesday morning as part of the tariff deal Sheinbaum negotiated with U.S. President Trump.
Kevin Hassett, director of the White House’s National Economic Council, said in a television interview on Monday that “one of the things we’ve noticed is that Mexicans are very, very serious about doing what President Trump said.”
The U.S. president wants more action from Mexico and Canada to stem the flow of migrants and drugs to the United States, and would also like to see a reduction in the United States’ trade deficits with its USMCA trade partners.
Abed described Trump’s pause on his proposed tariff on Mexican exports as a “temporary win” for Sheinbaum, which will be “dependent on her ability to produce immediate results on migration and on security.”
One factor in her favor is that encounters between United States immigration authorities and migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border have declined significantly in recent months.
Referring to the two weeks since Trump took office, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a video message on Monday that “already illegal crossings are down 95%.”
Sigue a la baja el tipo de cambio. Comoquiera no hay que confiarse. Un mes es muy poco tiempo y seguro Trump seguirá amenazando a México con el arancel. pic.twitter.com/Uft7CTLjtb
Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, warned on Monday that one month is a “very short” period of time, and asserted that it was “certain” that Trump would continue to threaten to impose tariffs on Mexican exports.
However, Sheinbaum said she told Trump that she was “sure that in this month we’ll be able to achieve … good results for your people [and] good results for the people of Mexico.”
Trump said on Monday that he likes Sheinbaum “very much” but stressed that “we have to stop fentanyl from coming in … and we have to stop the illegal aliens from coming in.”
“… They’ve agreed to put in 10,000 soldiers, permanently, like for ever, … at their side of the border and stop fentanyl and illegal aliens from coming in to our country. They have a big incentive to do it,” he said.
“Other than that we’ve agreed to talk and consider various other things. We haven’t agreed on tariffs yet, and maybe we will and maybe we won’t,” Trump said.
“She has been successful in her negotiation strategy,” Abed said, according to Reuters.
“Her being cautious but at the same time strategic and proactive, in terms of trying to derail tariffs, is something that has been really welcome within Mexico,” she said.
The peso appreciated nearly 5% over the course of the day Monday. (Shutterstock)
The Mexican peso strengthened against the US dollar on Monday after United States President Donald Trump agreed to pause his planned 25% tariff on Mexican exports for one month.
The peso depreciated to above 21 to the dollar on Sunday bottoming out at nearly 21.30 early Monday ahead of the planned commencement of the tariff at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.
However, the peso was trading at 20.35 to the greenback at 4 p.m. Mexico City time, according to Bloomberg, a 4.7% improvement compared to the low it reached earlier in the day.
As part of the deal, Sheinbaum agreed to “reinforce” Mexico’s northern border with the immediate deployment of 10,000 National Guard troops.
Trump said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and his nominee for Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick would engage in negotiations over the next month with “high-level representatives of Mexico.”
Analysts with the bank BBVA said on Saturday that “if the 25% tariff prevails, the peso could initially exceed 24 pesos per dollar with a subsequent correction to 23 pesos per dollar at the end of the year.”
Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, predicted Sunday that the peso would depreciate to 23 to the dollar with the imposition of the planned 25% tariff on Mexican exports. If the tariff remains in place for “several months,” the USD:MXN exchange rate “could reach new historic maximums,” she wrote on X.
On Monday, Siller noted that the peso had appreciated, but warned that one month is a “very short” period of time, and asserted that it was “certain” that Trump would continue to threaten to impose tariffs on Mexican exports.
Sigue a la baja el tipo de cambio. Comoquiera no hay que confiarse. Un mes es muy poco tiempo y seguro Trump seguirá amenazando a México con el arancel. pic.twitter.com/Uft7CTLjtb
The BBVA analysts said that “if tariffs are avoided, the peso could appreciate to around 19.5 pesos per dollar” and the Bank of Mexico’s benchmark interest rate could fall to 7.5% by the end of the year.
The central bank kept its key rate at a record high of 11.25% for a year between March 2023 and March 2024, a factor that contributed to the strength of the peso against the dollar for an extended period.
Wise, formerly known as TransferWise, has officially entered the Mexican market. (Wise/Facebook)
International money transfer company Wise announced its official entry into Mexico on Jan. 30 in an effort to tap into the country’s vast remittances market.
The new service will allow Mexican nationals to send money in and out of the country via a fully digital process using Wise’s app or website, where all features are accessible in one place.
In a press release, Wise said its services “are designed for Mexican nationals who need to send money abroad, enabling a transparent, fast and seamless method for international money transfers.”
Beyond offering a more convenient, more affordable and faster way to move money out of Mexico, Wise said it will address the lack of transparency in international payments, referring to it as “one of the biggest challenges in the country.”
According to the news agency Reuters, the new service will strive to address the high hidden fees associated with traditional money transfers.
Efrain Florencia, Wise’s Mexico country manager, said that launching the service in Mexico allows the self-styled global technology company “to disrupt a traditional remittance market by introducing radical price transparency, completely redefining how Mexican nationals send money abroad.”
Wise already supported converting foreign currencies to Mexican pesos. Now, the reverse is also true. (Shutterstock)
Remittances are one of Mexico’s most important sources of foreign currency — the country is the second-largest recipient of remittances globally, according to the World Bank.
Reuters reported that consumers moved around US $168 billion in and out of Mexico in 2024 and Wise believes that could double by 2028.
According to a survey conducted by Wise, Mexicans lost US $446 million in hidden fees when sending money internationally last year. Wise claims banks and other providers in Mexico are concealing up to 10.4% of their costs in hidden fees, which could easily surpass US $500 million this year.
With approximately 37.2 million Hispanics of Mexican origin living in the United States, sending dollars converted into pesos is the third-largest corridor for U.S. customers of Wise, a route that has doubled in the past two years.
At the same time, US $480 million in remittances was sent from Mexico to the United States, demonstrating the importance of this two-way currency route.
“With the potential for further growth, Mexico offers a unique opportunity to serve a large and growing region within Wise’s Americas operations,” the company said.
With the new service, Wise says Mexican nationals will be able to quickly and easily send funds in over 40 currencies from Mexico to 160 countries.
Sheinbaum spent most of her Monday morning press conference detailing her call with Trump regarding tariffs on Mexican goods. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
Applause greeted President Claudia Sheinbaum when she walked onto the stage of the Treasury Hall in the National Palace for her Monday morning press conference.
“You saw the tweet already, right?” the president remarked to reporters, referring to her post on X in which she detailed the agreement she hashed out with United States President Donald Trump that resulted in a one-month postponement of the 25% blanket tariff the U.S. government planned to impose on Mexican exports starting Tuesday.
“Ya vieron el tweet…”
Y en el salón Tesorería de Palacio Nacional con aplausos para la PresidentA @Claudiashein comenzó así la mañanera.
President Sheinbaum began her Monday morning press conference by asking the audience, “You saw the tweet already, right?”
Sheinbaum spoke with Trump on Monday morning, and as part of a deal to avert the tariffs — at least for now — agreed to deploy 10,000 National Guard troops to Mexico’s northern border.
She held her press conference later than normal due to her dialogue with Trump, appearing in front of the press corps after 9 a.m.
Sheinbaum says she requested a permanent ‘pause’ on tariffs, but settled for one month
With various cabinet ministers seated behind her, Sheinbaum detailed her call with Trump, saying they spoke about “issues of common interest.”
“I told him that we have been working together on migration, that there were results,” she said.
“… And then we spoke about his interest and our interest in reducing the trafficking of fentanyl and other drugs to the United States,” Sheinbaum said.
“He made various proposals and finally we reached the agreement … to put more National Guard troops on the northern border to protect the border and avoid the trafficking of drugs and in particular the trafficking of fentanyl from Mexico to the United States,” she said.
On Trump’s insistence on the issue of a trade imbalance with Mexico, Sheinbaum told him, “It isn’t really a deficit … this is the result of being trade partners.” (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum also said she expressed Mexico’s concerns about the large number of firearms that enter Mexico illegally from the United States. She said she asked for the United States’ help to stem the flow of the weapons and Trump agreed to her request.
“And finally he insisted on [raising] the issue of the trade deficit the United States has with Mexico, according to his perspective,” Sheinbaum said.
“I told him that it isn’t really a deficit, that we have a trade agreement and that this is the result of being trade partners. And [I told him] that in any case [the USMCA] is the best way to continue competing against China and other [countries], other regions of the world,” she said.
Sheinbaum said she also spoke about the trade deficit “per capita, which changes the scenario a little bit” given that the United States has a much larger population than Mexico.
She said Trump asked her how long she wanted him to put his proposed tariff “on pause.”
“I said to him, ‘Well, let’s put it on pause for good.’ But he said, ‘How long?'” Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum said she also spoke about the trade deficit “per capita, which changes the scenario a little bit” given that the United States has a much larger population than Mexico. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
“I said, ‘OK, let’s put it on pause for a month and I’m sure that in this month we’ll be able to achieve results, good results for your people, good results for the people of Mexico,'” she said.
“And this was the result of the agreement. So it was a good conversation within the framework of respect and this is the news we have,” Sheinbaum said.
Mexican and US officials to collaborate closely on security and trade
Sheinbaum said that Trump accepted her proposals for Mexican and U.S. officials to work closely together on the issues of security and trade.
“It’s about collaborating, as we have always said, coordinating, without losing sovereignty,” she said.
“… And he agreed in putting together this working group to come up with a plan of action within the framework of our sovereignties,” Sheinbaum said, referring to cooperation on security issues.
“And in the case of trade, I put the same proposal to him: ‘Why don’t we get the Economy Minister of Mexico and your Commerce Secretary to work together,'” she said, expressing confidence that they could resolve differences in the bilateral trade relationship.
“He agreed,” Sheinbaum added.
She noted later in the press conference that there will now be three “high-level” bilateral working groups, with the establishment of those focused on security and trade coming after the formation of one focused on migration.
“At the migration table, we speak about the defense of Mexicans in the United States,” said Sheinbaum, whose government is opposed to Trump’s mass deportation agenda but has developed a plan to assist immigrants sent to Mexico from the U.S.
Sheinbaum thanks business groups, companies, lawmakers and others for support amid tariff threat
A reporter noted that a large number of people spoke out against Trump’s proposed tariff on Mexican exports, including executives of United States companies and authorities in some U.S. states.
Hay mucha unidad en nuestro pueblo; amamos con todo a México. Aquí está su presidenta y un pueblo valiente que defiende a nuestros hermanos y hermanas que están del otro lado de la frontera. pic.twitter.com/HBakdQi6sp
A video sharing all of the letters of support received by Sheinbaum following Trump’s threats of tariffs on Mexican exports.
“I want to say thank you because the truth is that the number of people, companies, business chambers and communities that came out in defense of Mexico and in support of the presidenta was overwhelming,” Sheinbaum said.
“And the truth is that provides a lot of strength when one sits down to speak with the leader of another country, particularly that of the United States,” she said.
Sheinbaum noted that she received ample support in Mexico, including from the National Governor’s Conference, deputies and senators, and “practically all the business chambers,” among others.
“And in the United States, a lot of people came out to speak — politicians, governors, members of Congress — to say ‘the tariffs don’t make sense,’ and also a lot of United States companies came out to say ‘this isn’t a good idea,” she said.
Originally designed as a private residence and equestrian estate, La Cuadra combines elements of modernist architecture with elements that evoke traditional Mexican haciendas. (Barragán Foundation)
Architect Luis Barragán’s famous La Cuadra San Cristóbal estate will be transformed into a cultural center, opening its doors to the public in the fall, the Fundación Fernando Romero has announced.
Mexican architect and philanthropist Fernando Romero is taking on the transformation project via his non-profit foundation, alongside the Egerström family, the original owners of the property. Romero is well known for his mirrored trapezoid Soumaya Museum in Mexico City.
La Cuadra is located northeast of Mexico City in what was, at the time of its construction, a rural area. (Barragán Foundation)
“Our work at the Fundación is driven by the belief that architectural innovation and artistic production can help foster a more just and culturally vibrant world,” Romero said in a statement. “Through a range of programming, we aim to catalyze the power of architecture for the visiting public and celebrate the enduring cultural influence of Luis Barragán.”
Mexican architect Luis Barragán and his protégé Andrés Casillas built La Cuadra San Cristóbal just outside of Mexico City in 1968 as a private residence and equestrian complex. It became one of Barragán’s defining works for its hot-pink façade, geometric design and extensive courtyard.
Barragán is well known for his distinct architectural style, with several properties across Mexico City, including the Capuchin Convent Chapel, his UNESCO-recognized private residence Casa Luis Barragán and the Tetetlán cultural center.
La Cuadra San Cristóbal became widely known to those outside the architecture world following the shooting of a Louis Vuitton editorial campaign published in Vogue in 2016.
One of Barragán’s original sketches of La Cuadra’s courtyard, before the building’s completion in 1968. (Barragán Foundation)
Fundación Fernando Romero acquired La Cuadra San Cristóbal in 2024 with the plan of transforming the 6.7-acre estate into an art and architecture destination. The plan includes a timber pavilion designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, a library, a podcast production studio, a multi-purpose event space, a gift shop and a café.
There will also be a permanent exhibition on Barragán’s life and work curated by Jorge Covarrubias, the architect who restored Barragán’s Casa Prieto López and Fuente del Bebedero.
Fundación Romero is also establishing an artist residency program and additional galleries at the property.
During Mexico City Art Week, which runs Feb. 3-9 this year, La Cuadra will be open to a select group of guests and students as part of the Zona Maco art fair to inaugurate its residency program. Serbian conceptual artist and performer Marina Abramović will carry out an “intervention” in the courtyard during the event.
The complex is expected to open to the public in October 2025.
Beep beep! A fleet of 400 golf carts just gained legislative approval to operate as public transportation in Tulum. (Unsplash)
The state legislature in Quintana Roo has taken a major step forward on last year’s proposal to authorize 400 golf carts for use as public transportation in Tulum — a move that has sparked divided opinions among business owners, residents and taxi unions.
The state’s Mobility Commission last week granted golf cart concessions to four private companies. The low-speed vehicles will operate in various areas, including downtown Tulum, Jaguar Park and the coastal zone.
The approved companies will be able to begin providing golf carts as soon as the decree is published in the Official Periodical of Quintana Roo, the congressional ruling states.
According to the decree, the permits were granted to Roasteryc of Guadalajara (168 units), the Metromobility Group of Cancún (112), Inmomercaqroo of Cancún (90) and CMX Logistic Center of Mexico City (30).
Some of the golf carts — which can seat a maximum of six people — will be operated by a company driver, but others will be for the public to rent and drive themselves. Fares or rental costs have yet to be publicized.
The carts can’t be older than five years and have to meet safety and environmental standards whether running on gasoline, electricity or as a hybrid.
The plan for golf carts was put forward in large part due to Tulum’s explosive growth as both a tourist destination and a place to live. (Mara Lezama vía X)
Currently, a system of combis and colectivos (minibuses and vans) operates within the Tulum municipality, but largely outside of the downtown. “There is no adequate service in the center of town, so tourists, especially, have to travel by taxi,” the online news outlet Novedades Quintana Roo wrote last year.
Legally, Uber is an option in the state, but tensions with taxi unions have rendered service spotty and perhaps risky in Tulum.
The plan for golf carts was put forward last year by the Mobility Institute of Quintana Roo (Imoveqroo) in large part due to Tulum’s explosive growth as both a tourist destination and a place to live.
The golf cart transportation plan in Tulum has faced resistance, however, particularly from the Tiburones del Caribe taxi union.
Union members argue that the golf carts do not adhere to the same regulatory and fare conditions as taxis, putting traditional drivers at a disadvantage. Some also claim that the influx of golf carts will exacerbate existing congestion on Tulum’s main avenues, which already accommodate bicycles, motorcycles, public vans and cargo trucks.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Victor Hugo Diego-Avellaneda, 39, denied having weapons or ammunition as he tried to cross into Mexico at the Eagle Pass (Texas) Port of Entry on Jan. 19.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers then ordered the suspect to submit to a secondary inspection during which agents found 40 rifles, six shotguns, one pistol, 80 magazines and two rifle scopes.
In a formal criminal complaint, Diego-Avellaneda allegedly claimed that he was being paid US $100 for each weapon while also stating that 11 of the firearms belonged to him. The suspect has been charged with one count of smuggling goods out of the United States.
The announcement of the arrest was made by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Texas on Jan. 29, which added that the U.S. Office of Homeland Security is investigating the case.
After Trump accused the Mexican government of having alliances with criminal organizations on Saturday, Sheinbaum wrote back that “if such an alliance exists anywhere, it is in the United States arms manufacturers that sell high-powered weapons to these groups.” (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
News of the arrest came just days before U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order placing 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian exports as a consequence of illegal immigration and drug smuggling across the United States’ borders.
As part of a deal reached Monday to avert the tariffs, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said she agreed to send soldiers to the U.S.-Mexico border. According to Sheinbaum, Trump’s part of the deal includes working to prevent high-powered weapons from being trafficked into Mexico.
In a social media post, Sheinbaum said that Mexico will “immediately reinforce” the Mexico-U.S. border with 10,000 National Guard troops, and the United States will work to prevent arms trafficking.
While Trump confirmed the talks with Sheinbaum in his own social media post, he did not mention the commitment to address arms trafficking at the U.S. border, but mentioned that U.S. Cabinet officials would “attempt to achieve a ‘deal’ between our two Countries.”
I just spoke with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico. It was a very friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican Soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States. These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) February 3, 2025
According to the newspaper El Imparcial, official U.S. data indicates there are 9,000 gun shops near Mexico’s border in the U.S. states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick will comprise the U.S. working group leading the trade negotiations.
Sheinbaum did not yet announce who would be negotiating on behalf of Mexico.
Bacalar Lagoon, a strikingly blue freshwater lake near the Mexican border with Belize, is a popular tourist destination in Quintana Roo. (Dimitris Kiriakakis/Unsplash)
Bacalar, the Riviera Maya’s “lagoon of seven colors,” will be home to a new Marriott resort, according to Bacalar Mayor José Alfredo Contreras Méndez.
Contreras said the news followed meetings between Quintana Roo state officials and Marriott executives held during the International International Tourism Fair (FITUR) in Madrid earlier this year.
According to Contreras, construction of the resort is set to begin by the end of this month and will employ 500 people.
The new Marriott property is located near the coast of Bacalar Lagoon and features 60 low-density rooms to ensure sustainable development and preserve the natural beauty of the lagoon.
While the hotel won’t be directly adjacent to the lagoon, it will have an exclusive beach club for guests.
Contreras added that during FITUR, he held some 100 meetings with tour operators who will be visiting Bacalar in the upcoming weeks. He also announced that new investment projects would be revealed in the coming months, spurred by the increasing tourist interest in the region, particularly following the opening of Ichkabal and the launch of the Maya Train.
With the re-opening of the Ichkabal archaelogical site near Bacalar, the area is expecting increased visitation. (INAH)
Bacalar is a popular tourist destination in Quintana Roo, near the city of Chetumal. Its name comes from the Mayan name Bakhalal, which means “close to or surrounded by reeds.” Bacalar Lagoon is circular in shape and shallow, allowing for comfortable swimming.
The new resort will be joining other Marriott properties in the Riviera Maya.
The resort firm recently opened two all-inclusive hotels in the Yucatan Peninsula: Paraiso de la Bonita resort near Puerto Morelos, which opened last month, and before that, the highly-rated new Almare resort on the Mexican Caribbean island of Isla Mujeres. The latter opened in October and was Marriott’s first all-inclusive resort in Mexico.
Both properties are adults-only hotels and part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection.
