Despite new tariffs, Mexico's trade surplus with the U.S. increased between April 2024 and April 2025. (Shutterstock)
Mexican exports to the U.S. declined in April for the first time in 13 months, while Mexico’s trade surplus with its northern neighbor increased since last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Data from the U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services report for April showed that Mexico had a US $13.5 billion trade surplus that month, up 2.8% from April 2024. However, the surplus this April decreased compared to March, when Mexico registered a US $16.8 billion trade surplus with the U.S.
Mexico exported nearly US $41.7 billion in goods and services to the U.S. in April, 2.7% less than April 2024. The decline is due to the aggressive tariffs that U.S. President Trump placed on Mexican goods outside the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA), according to the website Trading Economics.
At the same time, U.S. exports to Mexico fell year-on-year by 5.2%, down from US $29.4 billion in April 2024 to US $27.8 billion this year.
Even so, Mexico was the top exporter to the U.S. in April and also the top recipient of U.S. goods and services.
The trade report was released as Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard is negotiating with U.S. officials after Trump doubled tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum to 50%. Ebrard criticized the measure which went into effect on Wednesday, calling it “unsustainable.”
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard described the new 50% steel and aluminum tariffs as unsustainable due to the harm they would cause to both U.S. industry and that of its trade partners. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
Before heading to Washington, Ebrard expressed doubt that the tariffs could be sustained over time, saying they would harm industries in both countries, since steel is used primarily for the automotive industry, construction and electronics.
Ebrard called the tariffs unfair, pointing out that the U.S. enjoys a surplus in steel trade with Mexico.
“It doesn’t make sense to put a tariff on a product you have a surplus in,” he said. “Normally, it’s imposed when you have a deficit, not a surplus.”
Even with the decline registered in April, Mexico remains the U.S.’ No. 1 trade partner, with total trade exceeding US $69 billion, representing 15% of U.S. international trade. Canada (US $56.6 billion, or 12.2%) and China (US $33.6 billion, or 7.2%) were second and third, respectively.
Overall, Mexico accounted for 14.7% of all goods and services imported by the U.S. in the first four months of the year, slightly ahead of Canada (13.1%) and nearly doubling China (8.7%). China is the U.S. trading partner most affected by the U.S. tariffs.
Exports to the U.S. from China and from Canada fell more steeply, dropping 19.7% for China and 14.4% for Canada. Canada is the U.S.’ No. 2 trade partner and China is third.
The U.S. trade report also included first-quarter statistics on trade in goods and services by country.Its figures indicate Mexico enjoyed a US $49.2 billion surplus through the first three months of 2025.
Conanp said the Red Rooster III has entered the national park without authorization at least eight times since 2017. (via El País)
Mexico’s ability to defend its marine sanctuaries is being put to the test in Revillagigedo National Park, the largest marine protected area in North America.
According to a report from Mexico’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp), a U.S.-flagged sportfishing vessel has entered the massive, 14.8-million hectare, no-take biodiversity zone multiple times since 2017.
Revillagigedo National Park is a marine protected area surrounding the Revillagigedo Archipelago, a series of four volcanic islands. (via Periódico de Saltillo)
The area is in the eastern Pacific Ocean, about 390 kilometers southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula and approximately 720 to 970 kilometers west of the Mexican mainland.
Conanp said that the fishing boat Red Rooster III — operated by San Diego-based Lee Palm Sportfishers, according to the newspaper El País — entered the park near Clarión Island, one of four islands in the area.
The vessel traveled at 4 to 7 knots, a speed consistent with fishing, and displayed zigzagging movements generally associated with tuna and wahoo (ono) fishing.
“This activity is completely prohibited in Revillagigedo, and it wouldn’t be the only irregularity this vessel has committed,” Fabio Favoretto, a Scripps Institution of Oceanography analyst involved in monitoring, told El País.
Social media posts from the vessel’s January trip showed crew posing with freshly caught tuna, further supporting the allegations.
The area’s four volcanic islands are uninhabited except for two small naval bases and are accessible only by sea, typically from Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, or Manzanillo, Colima.
Often described as the crown jewel of Mexico’s marine conservation efforts, Revillagigedo offers sanctuary to the continent’s greatest concentration of tropical marine megafauna and is sometimes called “the Galápagos of Mexico.”
The area offers critical refuge, spawning grounds and migratory routes to a remarkable variety of marine species, including humpback whales, manta rays, dolphins, hammerheads and other types of sharks, yellowfin tuna, and other game and table fish.
A screen capture from the tracking platform Global Fishing Watch shows the route the boat took from San Diego into Revillagigedo National Park. (Conanp)
Studies cited by conservationists indicate that such protected areas can boost adjacent fisheries by 12% to 18% through population spillover. Yet the park’s remote location and vast size make enforcement challenging.
Mexican tour operators are regulated by sustainable wildlife-watching practices when they visit the area, which has increasingly become a mecca for scuba divers.
In 2023, a trip there was chosen by National Geographic’s as one of its top five “adrenaline-pumping adventures.”
Conanp collected its data using the open-access Global Fishing Watch and the A.I.-enhanced Skylight, two advanced digital platforms that monitor and analyze vessel activity at sea, particularly to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
Conanp said it documented at least eight unauthorized entries by the Red Rooster III since 2017.
Despite submitting evidence to Mexico’s Federal Attorney General for Environmental Protection (Profepa) and the Navy (SEMAR), no sanctions have been imposed, El País reported.
The national park protects a wide variety of species including whales, coral reefs, giant manta rays and migratory birds. (Octavio Aburto/Marine Conservation Institute)
Profepa has declined to comment, while SEMAR stated it “does not have any other type of information” beyond satellite alerts. Meanwhile, Conanp officials lament systemic gaps.
“We must act in accordance with international law, but what’s the point of protecting an area by decree if the law isn’t respected?” Benito Bermúdez, Conanp’s regional director, asked in El País.
A 2018 case involving a tourist vessel near Clarión Island ended without penalties despite evidence, highlighting recurring accountability issues.
“There’s no point in having technologies if the legal framework isn’t there,” Favoretto complained.
Experts, meanwhile, urge stronger interagency coordination, swifter legal action and transparency through platforms like Global Fishing Watch, which allow public tracking of vessel movements.
Moreover, Mexico’s government has pledged to update regulations and leverage international partnerships to address jurisdictional complexities involving foreign vessels, according to the El País report.
Masked rioters entered the SNTE headquarters, carried out files and other material, and set them on fire.
(Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
Members of a dissident teachers’ union who have been protesting in Mexico City for more than three weeks escalated their tactics Thursday, vandalizing public buildings, blockading two government pension offices and setting fires at a rival union’s headquarters.
The National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) has been on strike since May 15, demanding a wage increase, pension reform and reinstatement of dismissed teachers.
President Sheinbaum called the striking teachers’ vandalism in Mexico CIty and Guerrero a “provocation,” prompting her to cancel a planned trip to Guerrero. (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)
After pitching tents and occupying several blocks of downtown Mexico City, union members have regularly staged disruptive demonstrations, including toll booth takeovers, roadblocks on major thoroughfares and a lengthy blockade of the Mexico City International Airport.
On Thursday, members of the CNTE from the state of Guerrero took action, as protesters sacked the Mexico City headquarters of a rival teachers’ union — the SNTE — breaking into the building and sacking several offices.
The masked rioters carried out files and furniture and set them ablaze in front of the building, before setting another fire inside the offices. The fire department arrived quickly on the scene to extinguish the flames.
Across town at the government pension headquarters, protesters took hammers and crowbars to the steel barricades surrounding the building. They were unable to get through, but blocked access for several hours. A siege was also undertaken at a separate pension office, lasting four hours.
In separate statements, the Interior Ministry (SEGOB) and the Education Ministry condemned the vandalism, urging the CNTE to return to the negotiating table. SEGOB cautioned that violence and destruction are never a solution and decrease the chances of a timely resolution.
The attack on the SEGOB building occurred after Wednesday’s negotiation session ended with no agreement. CNTE leadership accused the government of intransigence, insisting on pension reform and the abrogation of the 2007 Education Reform that stripped the CNTE of powers and returned them to the federal government.
Several hours later, members of CNTE Section 22, a faction from the state of Oaxaca, announced it was leaving the Zócalo tent city. The move was described as a tactical retreat, but Thursday’s disturbances indicated the protest was not losing steam.
“We disapprove of these actions and never condone violence,” she said. “Protests should be peaceful and those who committed these acts of vandalism should be charged.”
Guerrero teachers of the CETEG faction march back to the Zócalo after protesting at the Interior Ministry (SEGOB). (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum called the violence “a provocation” and said the SNTE has a right to take legal action.
Sheinbaum had been scheduled to make an official tour of Guerrero on Friday, but after Thursday’s violence in Mexico City and in Guerrero, and amid reports that CETEG was preparing demonstrations in its home state during the president’s visit, her agenda was altered.
SNTE leader Alfonso Cepeda condemned the attack on his offices and said his union would be filing an official complaint.
After Cepeda criticized CNTE actions, saying “teachers don’t act with violence,” Section 22 issued a public statement calling the SNTE “a political arm of the state.”
For Leonardo Gámez, science has been a constant motivation to create projects that not only advance technology, but also help improve society. (Courtesy photo via Tec de Monterrey)
Leonardo Gámez, a student at PrepaTec Mexico City, was recognized nationally with the 2025 Harvard Book Award.
The recognition is given out by the alumni of Harvard University to high-achieving students in 11th and 12th grade reading classes, from a pool of 2,000 high schools from around the world.
Leonardo credits astronomer Carl Sagan for inspiring him to pursue a career in science, quoting Sagan’s answer to a child who asked him why leaves are green: “I don’t know. Let’s find out.” (@ProfCarlSagan/X)
“I lack the words to express how grateful I feel and how surreal it feels to win an award like this,” Gámez said.
At just 17, Gámez has said he’s always been passionate about science, with a permanent question roaming his mind: “Why does the world work this way?”
“Carl Sagan loved to work, and when a child asked him, ‘Why are leaves green?’ he said the most important thing was not to say ‘because they are,’ but rather ‘I don’t know, let’s find out,’” Gámez said.
During the selection process for the award, he shared his life story, showing how science has been his constant motivation to create projects that not only advance technology, but also help improve the society around him.
As someone who is constantly developing science projects, he created ResQ AI, an application that uses Artificial Intelligence to optimize response times to medical emergencies and provide efficient solutions.
This project took him to the Space Exploration Educators Conference in Space Center Houston, United States, last year. There, before a panel of NASA educators, he presented the potential of AI in space.
He also developed Love Warning, an app designed to help his friends detect when their relationships were becoming toxic. This app was selected to participate nationally in the National Autonomous University of Mexico’s PAUTA science fair.
Gámez, who is nearing the end of his fourth semester at PrepaTec, has expressed his dream to become an astronaut. With this goal in mind, he will conduct research in quantum physics at the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava, Slovakia. He also plans to take the SAT exam to pursue a degree in physics in the U.S.
The mid-sized Chinese airline Hainan is partnering with Volaris, betting on the demand for easier connections between Mexico and China. (Shutterstock)
Mexican budget airline Volaris is teaming up with China’s Hainan Airlines to significantly expand air connectivity between the two counties.
The two airlines announced a strategic alliance on Tuesday which will use the international airports in Tijuana and Mexico City as hubs.
With roughly 42% market share, the budget carrier Volaris is Mexico’s largest airline. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
The agreement partners a full-service carrier, Hainan, with an ultra low-cost carrier (ULCC). Such partnerships are not common practice in the industry and typically rely on code-sharing, allowing the ULCC to use the full-service carrier’s brand and network to reach new markets.
Hainan offers more than 1,700 routes with destinations in Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and Africa. Last year, the Chinese carrier began operating twice-weekly flights to Mexico, one to Mexico City and the other to Tijuana.
The Volaris-Hainan alliance will feature a codeshare agreement, making all flights available through Hainan’s sales channels.
Though still awaiting regulatory approval, the partnership is set to commence in the second half of 2025. It remains to be seen if loyalty integration and premium services will cross over.
Tijuana, the only Mexican airport that offers direct flights to China, will be a hub for the alliance, along with Mexico City International Airport (AICM). (Cross Border Xpress)
Once implemented, the plan will allow Hainan customers to access Volaris’ domestic network — comprising more than 50 destinations — without being required to make multiple reservations, streamlining the travel experience.
This integrated booking system is designed to streamline the travel experience from Asia to Mexico’s interior, allowing for a single reservation covering both segments.
In a press release, Volaris CEO Enrique Beltranen described the agreement as significant, saying the partnership strengthens Volaris’ commitment to providing accessible connectivity.
“We are proud to announce this alliance with Hainan Airlines, a highly prestigious international airline,” he said. “Its strong presence in China opens a wide range of opportunities for tourism and business between Asia and Mexico.”
The alliance represents a significant milestone for Volaris, establishing its first partnership with a Chinese carrier.
Travel Update magazine said the agreement could potentially lead to a reciprocal arrangement, which would offer Mexican travelers enhanced access to international destinations via Hainan’s expansive network.
Volaris’ existing codeshare agreements with Frontier Airlines and Iberia Líneas Aéreas appears to be part of a strategy to broaden the Mexican airlines’ international reach, potentially paving the way for further collaborations.
The agreement boosts Mexico’s international connectivity and, according to Aviación al Día magazine, reinforces Volaris’ position as Mexico’s leading airline in passenger numbers.
Volaris rival Aeroméxico has partnerships with China Southern and China Eastern.
Good news for wine lovers: June brings three major wine-centric events in Mexico City, San Luis Potosí and Guadalajara. (Gobierno de México)
The month of June means three different Mexican wine festivals celebrating local varietals: Zona Vino in Mexico City; the Fiesta Internacional del Vino in San Luis Potosi; and Fevino in Guadalajara.
Zona Vino has become a Mexico City tradition and its 10th edition promises to be one of its best. The event will take place at the headquarters of newspaper Reforma, a beautiful neoclassical building in Santa Cruz Atoyac, Benito Juárez.
On June 7 and 8, starting at 11 a.m., the very best of Mexican and imported wine and gourmet cuisine will be presented in tastings and pairings. International labels such as Vinos Wagner, La Madrileña and La Castellana will be present alongside Mexican wineries like L.A. Cetto and Chateau Camou, among others. These wineries will offer the very best of their vast catalogs and provide an incredible opportunity for event goers to get to know new wineries.
Tickets can be purchased online or on the day of the event on the premises. Event-goers with subscriptions to Reforma can take advantage of special discounts.
Feria Internacional del Vino
¡FESTIVAL DEL VINO 12 EDICIÓN!
On June 6 and 7, San Luis Potosí will host the 13th Feria Internacional del Vino (International Wine Fair). With over 500 different wineries, this event is one of the region’s most important. The event will be hosted in the Centro de la Artes, built as a jail in the 1800s, which held famous inmates including revolutionary and future president Francisco I. Madero.
The event is organized into 13 pavilions that each offer different experiences for attendees. In the Salon de Toneles guests will be led in wine tastings by a team of experts while next door at the Gastronomy pavilion delicious food will be available to accompany your wine. Take them both to go and you can have a picnic in one of the event’s outdoor green spaces.
If you love mezcal there will also be opportunities to try various local brands — San Luis Potosi is famous for its mezcal — as well as mezcal brands from across the country. Beer lovers haven’t been forgotten either. The fair will host booths dedicated to craft beer in addition to well-known international brands like Heineken, one of the event’s sponsors.
All of this will be accompanied by live music as well as a space dedicated to circus arts. This festival is two days full of alcohol, food and art.
The beautiful venue features sculptures scattered throughout, a reflecting pool, an old guard tower and a museum dedicated to surrealist painter and sculptor Leonora Carrington.
This year’s guest country is Argentina, so be sure to try some Argentine wines while you’re there. Among the industry stars in attendance is Alejandro Vigil, who’s become one of Argentina’s most lauded winemakers in the past several years. His time at the Catena vineyard definitely left its mark on the brand, as they are currently considered some of the best wines in the world. Vigil’s new project, El Enemigo, is making waves with its Cabernet Franc and is an absolute must to try at the festival.
Also on June 7 the annual Fevino festival will be back in Guadalajara, this time taking place in the Jardín Parque Ávila Camacho. More than 60 wineries will be in attendance including many from Jalisco; though a newcomer in the Mexican wine industry, the state is producing extremely high-quality bottles.
The Altos Nortes Vinícola, Cerca Blanca, Cava Post Data and La Estramancia wineries are all putting Jalisco on the map and the state even has its own wine route now that includes local cuisine, ceramics and stops for the spirit the state is most famous for: tequila.
As the national wine industry continues to grow and expand, these three festivals will show you just how good a Mexican glass can be.
Diana Serratos studied at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and UNCUYO in Mendoza, Argentina, where she lived for over 15 years. She specializes in wines and beverages, teaching aspiring sommeliers at several universities. She conducts courses, tastings and specialized training.
Puebla city is home to world class museums
housed in historic and innovative buildings. Here are ten of them. (Visit Puebla)
Puebla has always charmed me. The first time I visited, I was immediately impressed by the city’s bold mix of architecture, brightly-tiled facades and churches that, upon entry, swallowed me whole. I strolled down Calle de los Sapos at night, string lights twinkling above me, Skittle-colored buildings to my right and left and, like any good Mexican city, teenagers making out on the public benches along the sidewalks all around. I loved it.
In the years I’ve been living in Mexico City, I often steal away to Puebla. I enjoy the unpredictability of this city of 3.4 million people, but there’s also a certain security here that doesn’t exist in the capital. A Poblano, for example, will generally bring their car to a stop as I cross the street instead of nearly running me over while hurling insults in my direction.
Puebla is a happy place, and despite its obvious European influence, there’s something about it that feels undeniably Mexican. Walk down any street and you’re likely to pass an alleyway where older ladies whip up molotes, a sort of fried masa calzone stuffed with potatoes, cheese or shredded chicken. Sit in the square for a while and you’re sure to catch an impromptu live music performance or, if you’re really lucky, a high-energy Michael Jackson impersonator. Of course, visiting any colonial city wouldn’t be complete without popping in a museum or two. Here are ten of Puebla’s best museums and what makes them special.
Museo Amparo
(Museo Amparo)
The Museo Amparo is located in Puebla’s Historic Center. It’s renowned for an extensive collection of art and artifacts spanning pre-Columbian, colonial, modern and contemporary Mexico. Housed in two meticulously restored colonial-era buildings, one of which was the city’s first hospital, the Museo Amparo offers immersive installations and a broad collection of historical artifacts. It is Puebla’s most well-known museum for a reason, and a must-see for any visitor.
Perfect for: Art lovers, history buffs and anyone interested in Mexican culture
Don’tmiss: The view from the rooftop terrace sweeps over the entirety of downtown, including the recognizable tiled dome of Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Puebla’s most important church.
Museo Internacional del Barroco
(Gobierno de Puebla)
This striking contemporary museum is a visual celebration of Baroque art and architecture from the 17th and 18th centuries. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Toyo Ito, the building houses interactive exhibits and international collections from around the world. Eight themed exhibition halls surround a central courtyard and fountain, serving as a contemporary metaphor for the movement and theatricality of the Baroque period.
Perfect for: Architecture enthusiasts, art historians and families
Don’t miss: Admiring the building itself. The contemporary masterpiece is made up of concrete curves and innovative exhibition spaces, with natural light pouring through the ceiling.
Museo de Arte Popular Ex Convento de Santa Rosa
(Gobierno de Puebla)
Housed in a Baroque building that dates back to 1698, what is now a museum originally served as a béguinage for Dominican nuns before becoming a convent. Over the centuries, the building’s purpose shifted from military barracks to a psychiatric hospital for men and even became an apartment complex before its restoration as a museum in 1973. The rooms inside showcase crafts and traditions hailing from Puebla’s seven indigenous regions, as well as exhibits on Talavera ceramics, traditional festivals and regional dances.
Perfect for: Fans of folk art, crafts and Mexican traditions.
Don’tmiss: The legendary Talavera-tiled kitchen where, legend has it, Sister Andrea de la Asunción created the first mole poblano.
Museo de Arte San Pedro
(Gobierno de Puebla)
A 16th-century hospital, San Pedro is a museum distinguished by an elegant double-arched quarry stone courtyard, said to be the second largest in Puebla. The museum’s five main exhibition halls span more than 1000 square meters and include a permanent gallery of sacred art. Novohispanic and 19th-century art lead the collection, with works by renowned artists such as Miguel Jerónimo Zendejas, Vicente Manuel Talavera, Luis Berrueco and Gaspar Conrado.
Perfect for: Art enthusiasts, colonial history lovers, and cultural event seekers.
Don’tmiss: The recreation of the hospital’s historic apothecary, which served the community for more than 350 years.
Museo de la Revolución (Casa de los Hermanos Serdán)
(Secretaría de Cultura)
Walk through the very home where the first shots of the Mexican Revolution were fired. The Serdán family, accused of stockpiling weapons and planning an uprising against then-President Porfirio Díaz, attempted to resist a government raid on November 18, 1910, which ended in tragedy. Walk through the perfectly-preserved shoe workshop, bedrooms, kitchen and the very spot where Aquiles Serdán hid before he was discovered and killed.
Perfect for: Families and those interested in the Mexican Revolution.
Don’tmiss: The unmistakable bullet holes throughout the house and on the facade, a symbol of the Revolution’s undeniable impact on Mexican history.
Casa de Alfeñique
(Gobierno de Puebla)
Another Baroque-mansion-turned-museum, the Casa de Alfeñique was constructed in the late 18th century and named after the elaborate white stucco facade resembling the traditional Spanish sweet alfeñique, a concoction of sugar, egg whites and almonds. Admire over 1,500 pieces on display across 16 exhibition rooms which include period furniture, Talavera ceramics, religious oils and other pieces illustrating daily life in Puebla during the 18th and 19th centuries, scattered through a charming museum.
Perfect for: Architecture aficionados and regional history enthusiasts
Don’tmiss: The exhibit of historic artifacts including carriages, local gastronomy and period clothing.
Capilla del Arte UDLAP
(Universidad de las Américas Puebla)
This architectural gem belonging to the Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP) features an eclectic French-inspired iron and glass structure imported directly from Paris. Once known as the Fábricas de Francia, the space now hosts a contemporary art gallery, artistic forum and mini reading area, regularly hosting national and international exhibitions, concerts, art cinema, lectures and family-friendly performances, all free to enter.
Don’tmiss: The regular cultural events calendar that includes musical Wednesdays, dance and film Fridays and creative Sundays.
Biblioteca Palafoxiana
(Instituto Nacional de Arqueología e Historia)
This Unesco-recognized library was founded in 1646 and was the first public library in the Americas. Inside are more than 45,000 rare books and manuscripts, including nine books printed before the year 1500 and eight of Mexico’s earliest printed works. The library’s furnishings and organizational structure have remained virtually unchanged for over two centuries, offering a true feel of colonial Mexico’s scholarly world. While it’s hard to categorize, this is probably the most historically important museum in Puebla.
Perfect for: Bibliophiles, researchers and history lovers
Don’tmiss: The 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle, one of the earliest illustrated books in the world and an exceptionally rare incunabulum featuring over 2,000 engravings.
Casa del Deán
(Instituto Nacional de Arqueología e Historia)
A mansion built in the late 16th century, the Casa del Deán is celebrated for housing murals considered among the finest examples of Renaissance art in the Americas. Much of the original structure was destroyed in the 1950s, though two rooms upstairs survived and are adorned with bright frescoes, earning it the nickname of “Sistine Chapel of the New World”. The blend of Renaissance and Indigenous motifs reflects the house’s Spanish owner and the local artists who decorated it.
Address: Calle 16 de Septiembre 505, Centro Histórico
Don’tmiss: The upstairs murals “The Procession of the Sibyls” and the “The Triumphs,” based on the poems of Petrarch.
Museo Fuerte de Guadalupe
(Museo Amparo)
Located on top of a hill in a historic fort, this museum showcases the fortress’s crucial role in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Exhibits trace the site’s evolution from a colonial-era chapel to a defensive stronghold against French invasion. Walk through interactive exhibits, admire 19th- and 20th-century artifacts and immerse yourself in a large outdoor diorama that recreates scenes from the famous battle of Cinco de Mayo.
Address: Av. Ejércitos de Oriente S/N, Centro Cívico Cinco de Mayo
Don’t miss: Panoramic views of downtown Puebla from the top of Acueye Metepec hill.
Bethany Platanella is a Mexico City–based travel writer passionate about local markets, yoga, mangos, and the thrill of new adventures. Discover her latest guides and insider tips at aweekendawayin.com and follow along on Instagram for more inspiration.
Whether cell phones belong in schools, Columbian mercenaries in Mexico and Mexico City museum closures were points of discussion on Thursday. (Presidencia)
The use of cell phones in schools, the arrest of 11 Colombians in Michoacán and the closure on Wednesday of six Mexico City museums were among the topics President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about at her Thursday morning press conference.
Here is a recap of the president’s June 5 mañanera.
Sheinbaum said it was up to individual states to decide whether to prohibit phones in schools or not, but asserted that it’s “important” that they not be used in classrooms or during students’ break time.
“In other words, children should have a space where they don’t have to be using their phone,” she said.
“… There are a lot of studies about the impact the intensive use of cell phones has on girls and boys,” Sheinbaum said, adding that phone usage can contribute to “learning problems and many other issues.”
Sheinbaum said some studies have shown that overuse of cell phones can negatively affect child development. (Moisés Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)
“So it’s important that it not be used. A ban — that’s a decision for each [federal] entity,” she said.
Rather than banning the use of phones in schools, Sheinbaum said that her government favors educating children about why they shouldn’t use the devices in the classroom.
“The will of a person, of the child, is better; that he or she learn why not to use it,” she said.
Sheinbaum acknowledges arrest of Colombians in connection with National Guard deaths
Six Mexicans were also detained in connection with the crime.
Seventeen people were arrested in connection to the deadly land mine explosion, including 11 former Columbian soldiers. (Omar García Harfuch/X)
Sheinbaum acknowledged that a number of Colombians were among the “members of a criminal group” who were arrested. She was referring to the Cártel de los Reyes, based in Los Reyes, Michoacán.
“It’s not the first time that people of this nationality have been arrested [in Mexico]. In Mexico City, when I was mayor, there were also arrests of [people] of other nationalities, but particularly Colombians,” Sheinbaum said.
She said she had spoken to Petro about creating a “high-level group” to examine “security issues between Colombia and Mexico.”
“… There is coordination and we’re strengthening information, the capacity for joint collaboration,” Sheinbaum said.
Asked whether she could confirm the presence of Colombian “mercenaries” in Mexican organized crime groups, she said:
“There have been arrests. … You can ask on Tuesday so that the security minister provides greater details, but there have been arrests in Mexico … [of] people of Colombian nationality.”
Mexico City museums reopen
A reporter asked the president about the closure on Wednesday of various museums in Mexico City due to problems related to the hiring of security personnel.
The National Anthropology Museum and the National History Museum in the Chapultepec Castle were among six museums affiliated with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) that shut their doors.
After unexpected mid-week closures, the National Anthropology Museum and other INAH-run sites reopened Thursday. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum assured reporters that the museums would reopen on Thursday, and that indeed was the case.
She said that “there was a problem” related to the awarding of contracts after INAH ran a bidding process to find new security personnel for their museums.
“That’s why they closed,” Sheinbaum said.
Asked whether private security personnel or police would be on duty at the museums on Thursday, the president said officers with the capital’s Policía Auxiliar, or Auxiliary Police, force would be present.
Hugo Aguilar Ortiz, an Indigenous Mixtec originally from Oaxaca, was the top vote-getter among 60 candidates for Supreme Court seats in the June 1 judicial elections.
(Hugo Aguilar Ortiz/X)
Hugo Aguilar Ortiz, an Indigenous lawyer originally from the Mixtec region of Oaxaca, will be the next chief justice of Mexico’s Supreme Court (SCJN) after 6.1 million people voted for him on June 1 in Mexico’s first-ever judicial election.
According to the National Electoral Institute (INE), Aguilar had 5.3% of the votes, making him the most-voted candidate among the aspiring ministers of the SCJN. Sunday’s election saw approximately 13 million voters (12.3% of all Mexicans eligible to vote) who were required to select five female candidates for justice and four male ones from a pool of over 60 aspirants.
Aguilar has no official party affiliation but he worked with Morena’s Andrés Manuel López Obrador on some of the former president’s major projects. (Hugo Aguila Ortiz/XINE)
Aguilar, 51, will be sworn in before the Senate on September 1 and will assume leadership of the Supreme Court as chief justice on the same day.
Since the election, Aguilar has not publicly declared himself winner. However, in recent interviews, he has expressed feeling “impressed” and “happy, very happy,” due to the historic significance of his election for Mexico’s Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities.
“I am very pleased that the next president of the Supreme Court is an Indigenous Mixtec from Oaxaca, a very good lawyer,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said at Wednesday’s morning press conference. “I have the privilege of knowing him.”
The new president of the SCJN is considered sympathetic to the ruling Morena party, although he has no formal political affiliation. Since 2018, he served as general coordinator of Indigenous rights at the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI), where he coordinated the public consultations of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s flagship projects, including the Maya Train, the Interoceanic Corridor, and the Felipe Ángeles International Airport.
Aguilar was nominated by the executive branch and received support from Sheinbaum, who in February said, “We want an Indigenous person to join the Supreme Court.” Although she did not mention Aguilar’s name, he was the only Indigenous candidate.
Government critics say this affinity will eliminate a vital check on the executive and legislative power.
With a career spanning over 30 years of experience advocating for the rights of the Indigenous peoples, Aguilar’s campaign slogan for the position of Supreme Court Justice was “It’s our turn.” It expressed his view that Mexico needed greater representation of Indigenous voices in the country’s judiciary system.
Before being elected as head of the SCJN, Aguilar had said that if he were to win a seat on the court, he would not wear a judicial robes and would instead wear the common attire of Indigenous communities to give the Supreme Court a new image of multicultural integration.
*Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to Aguilar as the court’s first Indigenous chief justice. That would be Benito Juárez, who served as the chief justice of Mexico’s Supreme Court for a little over a month prior to assuming the presidency in January 1858.
Navy sailors help Playa del Carmen municipal workers remove seaweed from Playa El Recodo in the Carribbean beach town. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
Despite constant efforts by authorities to keep Mexico’s Caribbean beaches clear of sargassum, researchers are expecting record levels of that seaweed to wash up along the shores of Quintana Roo state. Authorities have been battling to keep beaches clear of seaweed to maintain tourism levels, as tourism is the main source of revenue for much of Quintana Roo state.
More than 522,226 metric tons of sargassum could wash up on Quintana Roo’s beaches this year, higher than the record 2018 level, as a large belt of hundreds or even thousands of kilometers long was observed via satellite, extending into the Atlantic, according to scientists.
In May, there were 37.5 million metric tons of sargassum floating in the Atlantic, which is nearly double that of July 2018, according to data from the University of South Florida. The atmospheric conditions were similar in both years.
This is unwelcome news for tourists and the Quintana Roo economy that depends on them. Though the brown seaweed is naturally beneficial to marine ecosystems in the open ocean, it can be harmful to marine life, plants, coral and human health when large quantities reach the coast. As it decomposes, it gives off a foul smell similar to rotten eggs.
Scientists expect the current sargassum belt to advance through the Atlantic between Brazil and Africa before moving north through the Caribbean Sea towards the southern coast of the United States. Brigitta van Tussenbroek, a seagrass researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), described the floating mass of seaweed as “larger than any country.”
Lorenzo Álvarez, a UNAM reef-systems researcher, expects the season’s peak to begin in the next two to three months. However, Álvarez stressed that there has been a lack of continuity when it comes to monitoring the phenomenon.
The clean-up effort
The popular beach destination of Playa del Carmen, about an hour from Cancún, is battling to keep its beaches clear of seaweed.
Playa del Carmen Minister of Environment and Climate Change Samantha Álvarez said that over 100 people are working with machinery on Playa del Carmen’s beaches to remove the sargassum, including municipal personnel, state brigades and 50 marina personnel.
Rodrigo de la Peña, the president of the Cancún, Puerto Morelos and Isla Mujeres Hotel Association, said that nearby Puerto Morelos has also been hit particularly hard.
“It’s tremendous,” De la Peña said, “We have barges working off the coast and (with) machines on some beaches but some of the hotels don’t allow machinery because they are located within natural parks, which forces us to do all the work by hand.”
Meanwhile, in the seaside town of Mahahual, fishermen reported that they have had to halt their activities due to the excess of sargassum.
