Viruses in the hantavirus family of pathogens are generally transmitted by rodents. The Andes hantavirus, however, can be transmitted from human to human, making it the focus of preventive measures. (Unsplash)
Mexico has issued a preventive hantavirus alert, although no cases of the emerging deadly virus have been recorded in Mexican territory.
The alert was issued by the National Committee for Epidemiological Surveillance (Conave) to all medical units in the country, following the confirmation of a hantavirus outbreak on May 2 onboard an international cruise ship sailing the South Atlantic Ocean.
After the preventive hantavirus alert was issued, Health Minister David Kershenobich stressed that no cases have been documented in Mexico and that the probability of a human-to-human-transmitted breakout is very low. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
The purpose of the warning is to help hospitals, laboratories and epidemiological surveillance units to quickly detect any possible imported cases.
“Although the risk to the country is low, timely detection remains crucial due to the high lethality of the disease, its rapid clinical progression, the diagnostic difficulty in early stages, and the need to implement strict isolation measures in suspected cases,” Conave said in its warning.
Preventive measures such as reinforced surveillance in hospitals and laboratories are vital, Conave said, given how easily a virus can spread from “international mobility, global air traffic, exposure to international travelers and the documented capacity for person-to-person transmission.”
Following the report, Health Minister David Kershenobich confirmed on his X account on Tuesday that Mexico had no registered cases of the Andes hantavirus to date, and that the country maintains ongoing epidemiological surveillance in accordance with international health protocols.
What is the Andes hantavirus?
The hantavirus is a zoonotic pathogen primarily transmitted through contact with the urine, feces or saliva of infected rodents. The Andes hantavirus (ANDV) is the only hantavirus with documented evidence of human-to-human transmission.
Although infrequent, human-to-human transmission is associated with close physical contact, exposure to respiratory secretions or saliva and prolonged stays in enclosed or confined spaces.
Hantavirus infection can trigger hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a disease characterized by rapidly progressing acute respiratory failure and a high mortality rate. The incubation period can be long, ranging from four to 42 days after exposure.
In its initial phase, patients may experience fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches and gastrointestinal discomfort, such as nausea and vomiting. Subsequently, between four and 10 days after onset, the condition usually worsens with respiratory distress, cough and chest tightness, and can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure or death.
Health authorities warn that no specific approved antiviral treatment exists, so the medical approach is limited to critical life support measures and oxygen therapy.
Mexico rose from the fourth-most complex jurisdiction for businesses in 2022 to third in 2025 and second in 2026. (Unsplash)
TMF Group, an administrative services provider, launched the 13th edition of the Global Business Complexity Index (GBCI) on Tuesday, ranking Mexico as the second-most complex country for doing business.
The GBCI analyses 81 jurisdictions representing over 90% of the world’s economy, ranking them from most (1) to least complex (81) for doing business. Based on 292 indicators per jurisdiction, the index assesses challenges businesses face across accounting and tax, entity management and human resources requirements.
The Global Business Complexity Index (GBCI) assesses challenges businesses face across accounting and tax, entity management and human resources requirements. (TMF Group)
“World political fragmentation and economic spread mean that businesses are adding jurisdictions to their supply chains, increasing the complexity of their governance,” wrote TMF Group’s CEO, Mark Weil, in the report. “It also means that they have to deal with more uncertainty in those regulations.”
“Investors seek simplicity, but above all, certainty in the rules they operate under. We encourage governments to improve their ranking by acting on both,” Weil added.
Top and bottom 5 jurisdictions in 2026 (1 = most complex, 81 = least complex)
Denmark, Hong Kong and the Netherlands have historically ranked as low-complex jurisdictions and remain in the bottom five this year, thanks to their stable, simple regulatory environments and robust digital infrastructure.
Several Latin American countries ranked among the most complex jurisdictions this year, with Mexico in second position, Brazil in third and Colombia in sixth.
Skill shortages are reshaping talent strategies globally, with around 80% of jurisdictions reporting difficulty in attracting and retaining talent, mainly in Europe and the Asia Pacific (APAC), according to the report. While current pressures are not as severe in North America as in other regions, it is the region with the highest increase in the perceived level of challenge.
Technology, on the other hand, is making doing business easier in APAC (86% said it was having a positive impact on administrative processes and compliance) and EMEA (81%), while South America (60%) and North America (71%) show lower rates of agreement.
What makes Mexico’s business environment highly complex?
TMF Groupcited frequent regulatory changes, unpredictable administrative requirements, evolving digital requirements and unclear expectations by the tax authorities as the main reasons for Mexico’s high ranking.
While Mexican authorities are embracing digitalization, many procedures still require physical presence or wet-ink signatures. Nevertheless, the Sheinbaum administration has made strides toward simplification, such as the recent creation of a one-stop shop for foreign trade, which will soon integrate 132 administrative procedures into one.
Moving forward, TMF Group expects Mexico’s accounting and tax to undergo the most change, with an increased government focus on tax collection. The adoption of electronic accounting systems could also improve processes.
On March 28, a targeted explosion killed two passengers of a vehicle traveling on the Mexico City-Pachuca highway, one of whom was identified as Francisco Beltrán, an alleged mid-level member of the Sinaloa Cartel who was known as "El Payín." (Shutterstock/social media)
The Mexican government and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have rejected a CNN report that claimed that the CIA “facilitated” a “targeted assassination” of an alleged Sinaloa Cartel member in México state in March.
CNN’s report — published on Tuesday under the headline “Exclusive: CIA escalates secret war on cartels with deadly operations inside Mexico” — claims that the CIA “facilitated” an explosion that blew up a car traveling on a México state highway on March 28, killing the vehicle’s two occupants, one of whom was identified as Francisco Beltrán, an alleged mid-level member of the Sinaloa Cartel who was known as “El Payín.”
“Mexican authorities have maintained extreme secrecy around the explosion, but multiple sources tell CNN that the attack was a targeted assassination, facilitated by CIA operations officers,” CNN reported.
“An explosive device had been hidden inside the vehicle, the State of Mexico’s Attorney General told CNN,” the report said.
CNN also reported that the “Beltran operation was part of an expanded, and previously unreported, CIA campaign inside Mexico — spearheaded by the agency’s elite and secretive Ground Branch — to dismantle the entrenched cartel networks.”
The news outlet said that information came from the aforesaid sources as well as “two additional people familiar with the campaign.”
Again citing its sources, CNN wrote that “since last year, CIA operatives inside Mexico have directly participated in deadly attacks on several, mostly mid-level cartel members.”
In a little noticed comment last week, Trump said that a “land force” was already in place in Mexico to eliminate traffickers but didn’t elaborate on the nature of the force.
“Drugs coming in [to the US] by sea are down 97%,” he said. “And now we’ve started the land force, which…
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) May 13, 2026
“… The level of CIA involvement with operations has varied, according to the sources, from more passive intelligence sharing and providing general support to direct participation in assassination operations,” CNN said, making another explosive claim.
The news outlet didn’t specify what it meant by saying that the car explosion in México state was “facilitated by CIA operations officers.” While it (allegedly falsely) quoted México state Attorney General José Luis Cervantes Martínez as saying that an explosive device had been hidden inside the vehicle, CNN didn’t say who planted the bomb. Nor did it say whether the CIA had collaborated with Mexican authorities on the execution of the explosion that claimed the lives of Beltrán and another alleged Sinaloa Cartel member identified as Humberto Rangel Muñoz.
However, CNN suggested in one part of its report that it hadn’t.
“The operations may also be illegal under Mexican law — without the express permission of the federal government, foreign agents are barred from participating in law enforcement operations under the Mexican Constitution,” the media outlet wrote.
However, the CNN also wrote: “While multiple sources acknowledged that not everyone in the Mexican government is briefed on every operation — sometimes by design to maintain deniability — they also stressed that the CIA tends not to conduct operations unilaterally.”
After CNN published its report on Tuesday, The New York Times reported that Mexican authorities killed Beltrán.
“The C.I.A. provided intelligence and planning support for a recent operation against a cartel operative inside Mexico, but was not on the ground when Mexican authorities killed the man, according to a former official and others briefed on the operation,” the Times reported.
Citing the unnamed former official — presumably an ex-U.S. official — and “others briefed on the operation,” the Times wrote that “the C.I.A. provided intelligence on the cartel operative’s location and was involved in the planning of the assassination.”
“It is not clear to what extent the C.I.A. participated in the planning,” the Times reported.
“But C.I.A. officers were not present on the site of the attack and were not advising the Mexicans in person when the operation was carried out, the former official and those briefed said. They spoke under the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive operation and intelligence collection.”
The New York Times’ report suggests that Mexican authorities carried out an extrajudicial killing. CNN’s report indicates that U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion in January that U.S. forces would begin hitting cartels on land was not an empty threat but rather something that has indeed happened — perhaps even before Trump made the aforesaid declaration. However, Trump said last week that the United States would take action against cartels in Mexico if the Mexican government doesn’t do so itself. That remark appeared to indicate that U.S. forces have not been taking their own direct action against Mexican Cartels, six of which the U.S. government designated as foreign terrorist organizations last year. President Claudia Sheinbaum has repeatedly ruled out the possibility of the U.S. taking unilateral action against cartels, and has rejected offers from Trump to send the U.S. military to Mexico.
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch says his ministry has used U.S. “intelligence” for security operations against Mexico’s cartels, but that the involvement of foreign agents is prohibited. (Mexican Security Cabinet)
Sheinbaum, García Harfuch and CIA reject CNN report
In a social media post on Tuesday, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch rejected CNN’s report.
“Regarding the version [of events] disseminated by CNN about an explosion that occurred in Tecámac, México state, in which the alleged involvement of the CIA in operations against cartels is claimed, the Government of Mexico categorically rejects any version [of events] that seeks to normalize, justify, or suggest the existence of lethal, covert, or unilateral operations by foreign agencies in national territory,” he wrote on X.
García Harfuch also wrote that “operational actions” in Mexico “correspond exclusively” to Mexican authorities.
“Any international cooperation is limited to the exchange of information, institutional coordination and formal mechanisms established by the government of Mexico, particularly through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the institutions of the Security Cabinet,” he wrote.
CIA spokesperson Liz Lyons also rejected CNN’s report.
“This is false and salacious reporting that serves as nothing more than a PR campaign for the cartels and puts American lives at risk,” she wrote on her official X account.
The denials by García Harfuch and Lyons that the CIA was involved in a lethal operation in Mexico may well be true. But if the CIA was indeed involved in facilitating or planning the explosion in México state in late March, the Mexican government and the CIA itself could have their own reasons to deny that it was the case.
On Wednesday morning, Sheinbaum also responded to CNN’s report.
She first noted that the México state Attorney General’s Office rejected that the state attorney general provided information to CNN.
Sheinbaum subsequently described CNN’s report as “really sensationalist” and false.
“Imagine the size of the fabrication,” she said before accusing CNN of lying.
Sheinbaum aclara que son falsas las afirmaciones de CNN sobre la CIA… “imagínense el tamaño de la mentira que hasta la CIA salió a desmentirlo”
La presidenta @Claudiashein salió a aclarar que no es verdad que la CIA esté interviniendo en la lucha contra el crimen dentro de… pic.twitter.com/hlgf1EFZEO
Sheinbaum said it’s “false that CIA agents operate in [Mexican] territory,” although she acknowledged that there are “permits” that allow U.S. agencies to work in Mexico as long as they comply with Mexican laws.
She suggested that CNN’s report was motivated by a desire to cause problems in the relationship between Mexico and the United States. A CNN spokesperson contacted Mexico News Daily on Thursday afternoon, saying in an e-mail: “We stand by our reporting.”
Sheinbaum also rejected The New York Times’ report claiming that Mexican authorities carried out the operation that killed Beltrán and Rangel in México state.
The claim in the report is “absurd,” she said.
Sheinbaum said that the suggestion that the Mexican government has “a special area dedicated to planting bombs to eliminate criminal groups is a fabrication the size of the universe.”
She asserted that The New York Times has a habit of fabricating stories, and “now” CNN is “as well.”
“… We’re always going to tell the truth,” Sheinbaum added.
“… This is our responsibility to the people of Mexico and we always act within the framework of the law, always,” she said.
MEXICO CITY — Education Minister Mario Delgado announced Monday that Mexico’s school year will end on July 15 as planned, reversing last week’s decision to finish six weeks early, while also confirming that the six weeks in question are a waste of everyone’s time but that children must attend them anyway.
“Classrooms are kept open without a pedagogical purpose, just to comply with a count of school days,” Delgado told reporters. “School becomes a forced stay.” He said this at a press conference called to announce that school would continue.
El Jalapeño can report that Delgado had a file labeled “EVIDENCE”, with this picture inside. (This image generated by AI)
Reporters present did not ask Delgado why, if the final six weeks of school are a purposeless indignity to teachers and students alike, he had just spent four days in a national controversy to reinstate them. It is possible they were still processing the opening statement.
To be clear about what Delgado said: the Education Minister of Mexico, addressing the nation on the subject of the national school calendar, described the final weeks of the Mexican school year as a bureaucratic box-ticking exercise with no learning value, in which teachers are stripped of their dignity and children are held in classrooms for no reason beyond satisfying a number on a government form. He said this. Out loud. At a press conference. Having just made the preservation of those weeks the central policy achievement of his week.
He did not appear to notice.
Last Friday, Delgado announced school would end June 5 — six weeks early — for the World Cup and hot weather. President Sheinbaum heard about this the same way everyone else did and said publicly that it was not a final decision. A review was called, which concluded that July 15 stands. This decision was described as unanimous, a word applied to a decision Sheinbaum had already reached on Friday and that Delgado arrived at four days later via a national controversy and two contradictory press releases.
The plan had been pushed by the governors of Mexico City, Jalisco, and Nuevo León — the three states hosting World Cup matches — who were worried about traffic. Their solution to traffic problems in three cities was to close every school in all 32 states of Mexico for 40 days. The other 29 states, which will not host a single match and have also previously experienced summer, were included anyway.
It has since emerged that the 185-day school year is a legal requirement. This means Delgado’s original announcement was not just poorly timed and geographically incoherent but also, technically, illegal. He has not addressed this.
Children across Mexico will return to school tomorrow for eight more weeks of what their own Education Minister has publicly confirmed is a purposeless, forced stay with no pedagogical value. Their teachers, whose dignity Delgado noted is detracted from by the exercise, will be present.
Working parents who had been facing 40 days of unplanned childcare at less than a week’s notice expressed relief at the reversal. The traffic problem in Guadalajara, which started all of this, remains entirely unsolved.
El Jalapeño is a satirical news outlet. Nothing in this article should be treated as real news or legitimate information. Check out our Jalapeño archive here!
It is no coincidence, perhaps, that Mexico’s “phygital” sports team, Quetzales–Armadillos FC, crowned champion of the 2025 Games of the Future in Abu Dhabi (GOTF), chose to name themselves after this majestic bird. The Quetzales squad is at the forefront of a sporting movement that aims to find balance between two universes that until now seemed to operate completely at odds with one another.
“Phygital brings together the physical sports we’ve grown up with and the digital formats that resonate with today’s audiences, creating a single competitive structure that feels both natural and future-facing,” John Hewitt, Communications Director of Phygital International, explained to Mexico News Daily.
Mexico’s world champions
Unlike traditional sports teams, Quetzales bring together players from very different worlds.While some members developed their careers in indoor soccer, also known as futsal, others built their careers in competitive esports.
Consisting of eight players who contribute to the team’s performance across both activities — the roster features brother Eder and Aldair Giorgana, as well as Eddie Sanchez, Magaña, Rodrigo Ulibarri, Joksan, Divine CS and goalkeeper Giovanni R. — it is no surprise that Quetzales has established itself as the futsal team to beat, dominating the discipline.
The Quetzales celebrated their world title in Abu Dhabi earlier this year. (Andrew Jacob/México Quetzales/Instagram)
Winning the 2025 Games Of The Future tournament marked a huge milestone for the Mexican squad, the only one from the country to make it to Abu Dhabi, cementing it as the best team in Latin America.
Requiring gaming skills and physical movement, preparation for the tournament called on players to break out of their comfort zones and develop new skills — both on the pitch and on the screen.
“We anticipated that mastering the digital aspect would be one of the main challenges,” Quetzales said in a statement. “However, the phygital philosophy is not about separating the disciplines but integrating them to create new opportunities.”
A hybrid approach
The result was a new kind of training in which athletes and gamers learned about each other’s skillsets.
“This approach encourages gamers to push themselves further in physical sport, while traditional football players are challenged to test their tactical knowledge and skills on digital platforms,” the team explained.
Moreover, phygital games have merged the enthusiasm for video gaming with the excitement of physical sports, promoting more active habits and counteracting the sedentary lifestyle often associated with gaming.
🇲🇽QUETZALES vs LOS TRONCOS 🇪🇸| FINAL PHYGITAL FOOTBALL | GOTF 2025
“We want to highlight how this balance can positively influence everyday life and health,” Quetzales explained. “Beyond the scoreboard, our strategy focused on the ‘big picture’: Phygital sports as a tool to unite people, expand a global community and encourage a lifestyle that combines the passion for gaming with physical activity.”
The fusion of two seemingly isolated universes has been met with enthusiasm from fans. The Games Of The Future tournament in Abu Dhabi drew over 450 million viewers worldwide and more than 850 participants from over 60 countries.
Moreover, Hewitt said organizers are also seeing a growing interest in hosting future editions of the tournament, with Serbia, Uzbekistan, Brazil and South Africa having already submitted their bids.
Quetzales hope to continue to excel in future competitions
The next tournament is set to take place from July 29 to Aug. 9 in Astana, Kazakhstan, where organizers expect to increase last year’s figures and attract 900 athletes from over 50 countries. Organizers also anticipate drawing a live audience of 100,000 spectators, who will experience the surreal atmosphere of players moving from gaming stations to the pitch, as fans cheer for digital plays and physical moves alike.
Much like the Mexican bird, the squad is focused on continuing to soar in pursuit of their next goal: retaining their championship title in Astana.
Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.
The Hotel Conrad in Punta Mita. Nayarit is one of Mexico's fastest-growing tourism markets. (Fernando Gutierrez/Unsplash)
Sporting glory beckons for the Bay of Banderas, as Puerto Vallarta’s women’s soccer team is preparing for one of its biggest challenges of the season as it faces Zapopan in the semifinals of the 2026 Copa Jalisco.
There are highs and lows for the region’s tourist sector, as the Riviera Nayarit sees continued investment, but as passenger numbers at Puerto Vallarta International Airport continue to decline.
Puerto Vallarta women’s team reaches Copa Jalisco semifinals
The Puerto Vallarta women’s soccer team (seen here in the blue jerseys) has performed well in this year’s Copa Jalisco, advancing to the semifinals. (Facebook)
The matchup has generated strong expectations as the two clubs were the top-performing teams during the group stage. Zapopan finished in first place overall, while Puerto Vallarta secured second, making this semifinal feel like a championship clash even before the actual final.
Puerto Vallarta advanced to this stage after an impressive performance against Lagos de Moreno in the quarterfinals. The coastal squad earned a 2-0 victory on the road in the opening leg and later secured qualification with a 1-1 draw at home. Their balanced attack and solid defensive play have made them one of the tournament’s strongest contenders.
Tournament organizers have confirmed this year’s Copa Jalisco finals will be played in a home-and-away format at the municipalities represented by the finalists.
Puerto Vallarta passenger traffic in April 2026
Passenger traffic at Puerto Vallarta’s international airport continued to decline during April 2026, reflecting the ongoing impact of the travel disruptions that began earlier this year. According to preliminary figures released by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, the airport experienced a 17% decrease in total passengers compared with April 2025.
During April, the airport handled approximately 542,600 travelers, significantly lower than the 654,100 recorded a year earlier. In the first four months of the year, Puerto Vallarta accumulated just over 2.46 million passengers, representing an 11.3% reduction compared with the same period last year.
Around 255,100 passengers arrived on national flights, a drop of 8.4% from 2025 levels. However, the decrease in international traffic was much more severe. International arrivals totaled 287,500 travelers, which represented a 23.5% fall compared with April of last year.
Nayarit tourism investment and growth
Nayarit continues to strengthen its reputation as one of Mexico’s fastest-growing tourism markets, supported by billions of dollars in upcoming investment projects across the state.
Expanding luxury development in places like Punta Mita, Nayarit, is indicative of the massive tourism investments being made across the state. (Emmanuel Appiah/Unsplash)
The state is expected to receive more than US $8 billion in tourism-related development through 24 major projects. Officials believe these investments will further position Nayarit as a key destination for both domestic and international visitors while expanding its economic opportunities over the coming years.
The projects are expected to generate significant economic benefits, including the creation of new jobs and growth in industries connected to tourism. Areas such as hotels, restaurants, transportation, retail businesses and construction are likely to experience increased activity as development moves forward.
In recent years, Nayarit has gained greater visibility thanks to destinations along the Riviera Nayarit and other coastal and cultural attractions. Officials believe that continued investment will help strengthen the state’s competitiveness within Mexico’s tourism industry and improve the quality of life for many residents through long-term economic development.
Clean drinking water for Potrero de la Palmita
Residents of the Indigenous community of Potrero de la Palmita, located in the Nayarit municipality of Del Nayar, now have access to clean drinking water after the completion of a new purification system promoted by Governor Miguel Ángel Navarro Quintero. The project is part of a broader effort to improve essential services in remote mountain communities across the state.
For many years, local families had struggled with limited access to safe water, making daily life more difficult and increasing health risks. The newly installed system was built with an investment of 13 million pesos and is expected to benefit more than 600 residents. The infrastructure includes a treatment and purification plant, submersible pumps, storage tanks and several public water access points distributed throughout the community.
The project is a long-awaited solution to a basic necessity, with leaders emphasizing that access to purified water will positively affect the health and daily activities of families living in the region. Authorities in Nayarit consider the project an important step toward reducing inequality in rural Indigenous areas.
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.
Thailand's Commerce Ministry takes its country's cuisine seriously, and the four Mexican restaurants were honored only after a rigorous in-person jury assessment. Pictured here is Curry by Po Thai in Tulum. (Thai Select)
Four restaurants in Mexico have been awarded the Thai Select certification by Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce, recognizing their faithful reproduction of the flavors, techniques and ingredients of Thai cuisine.
The awards ceremony in Mexico City was attended by Thai ambassador to Mexico Rooge Thammongkol, who noted that the Thai Select designation serves as a guarantee for diners, assuring them that they will find an experience close to the original taste of Thailand.
According to Thai Select, the certification has been designated to 1,878 restaurants across 71 countries. The selection of the Thai Select restaurants is based on the assessment of a jury, and results in either a casual designation, or the award of one, two or three stars.
This year, Thai Select designated two restaurants in Mexico with the casual honor, and gave two restaurants two stars each.
These are the newly designated restaurants in Mexico:
Galanga Thai House, Mexico City: ** Located in the Cuauhtémoc borough, Galanga Thai house — which is also mentioned in the Michelin Guide — is known for a menu featuring curries, soups and classic Thai dishes. Their menu also features dumplings, mango creations and more.
Apsara Thai Cuisine, Cancún: ** This Riviera Maya restaurant boasts a menu that replicates Thai classic dishes with an emphasis on curry and wok dishes that maintain recognizable Thai techniques.
Kiin Thai-Viet Eatery, Mexico City: Offering an elevated street food experience, Kiin Thai-Viet Eatery fuses Vietnamese and Thai food, recreating the experience of street food stalls in Southeast Asia. With a visible grill and dishes designed for sharing, the restaurant belongs to the same team behind Galanga Thai House.
Bangkok Thai Cuisine, Mexicali: Located in Baja California’s capital city, Bangkok Thai Cuisine offers the classic repertoire of many Thai restaurants in a casual and relaxed setting.
The accord will smooth Mexico's trade with the European Union, its third most important trade partner, and also give it more leverage in dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive trade moves. (Unsplash)
The European Union gave the green light on Monday to a new trade pact with Mexico, just one week before their first bilateral summit in 11 years.
The European Council (EC), representing 27 member states, adopted two decisions authorizing the signing of the Modernized Global Agreement and the Interim Trade Agreement between the two parties. The Mexico-EU agreement negotiations began back in 2016.
The formal signing of the accord is scheduled for May 22 during the EU-Mexico summit in Mexico City, to be attended by President Claudia Sheinbaum. (@claudiashein/X)
The agreement is expected to be signed during a summit in Mexico on May 22, to be attended by President Claudia Sheinbaum, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Following the signing, all EU member states and Mexican states must ratify the agreement for it to enter into force.
“These agreements represent a fundamental step in modernizing the EU-Mexico partnership, replacing the existing framework established in 2000 and reflecting the evolution of bilateral relations towards a comprehensive strategic partnership,” the Council of the European Union stated in a press release.
Currently, Mexico is the EU’s second-largest trade partner in Latin America, while the EU is Mexico’s third-largest trade partner. Bilateral trade surpassed US $96 billion in goods in 2024 and nearly $31 billion in services in 2023.
The agreement is expected to benefit Mexican businesses by boosting market access by eliminating most remaining customs tariffs, improving access to public procurement markets and establishing investment and services opportunities.
The agri-food, machinery, pharmaceuticals and transport equipment sectors are expected to benefit significantly from the new rules.
According to the executive president of the Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors, Guillermo Rosales, the accord will open new doors for Mexico’s automotive industry.
“The agreement will allow both parties to be in a better position to confront the undeniable trend currently in place in the United States regarding restrictions on free trade, the imposition of tariffs, and, in general, obstacles to free trade as we knew it.”
It will also strengthen cooperation on critical raw materials and includes advanced rules on customs and trade facilitation, intellectual property protection, public procurement, digital trade and competition.
The agreement also addresses areas such as digital transformation, security and justice. It includes a comprehensive chapter on trade and sustainable development, with binding commitments on labor rights, environmental protection and climate action.
The new trade agreement is expected to benefit more than 45,000 EU companies that export to Mexico, most of which are small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The EU and Mexico plan to maintain regular high-level dialogue on human rights, security and justice, as well as how to address, prevent and combat corruption.
The first quarter of 2026 registered a 14.9% year-over-year increase in cruise ship tourists to Mexico. (Unsplash)
Mexico welcomed more international tourists in March this year compared to the same month of 2025, according to the latest data by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).
In its report, INEGI said that Mexico received 9.3 million international visitors in March, representing an increase of 11.9% compared to March last year, when the country welcomed 8.3 million travelers.
Out of the total number of international visitors, 4.4 million entered as international tourists, meaning they stayed at least one night in Mexico. This figure also increased by 7.1% compared to last year’s numbers.
INEGI also revealed that the main exporters of international tourists to Mexico continue to be the United States, followed by Canada and various countries of South America.
This rise in international arrivals during March is noteworthy considering the violent events that followed the killing of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes on Feb. 22 in Jalisco. The security operation and its fallout prompted widespread travel cancellations, a decrease in hotel occupancy and estimated losses amounting to millions of dollars, particularly in area tourism destinations like Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta.
However, the INEGI data reveals that the tourism industry as a whole has remained strong, with other parts of the country not only compensating for the drop but also pulling the figure upwards, thanks to an international demand that has been growing strongly since 2022.
One of the fastest-growing segments that contributed to the upward trend was border tourism, which increased by 33.9% annually, rising from 1.4 million to 1.9 million visitors. The cruise ship industry also contributed, with a 14.9% year-over-year increase in cruise ship passengers.
Rodríguez also added that the number of cruise ship arrivals grew during the first quarter, with Mexico recording 1,080 cruise ship arrivals, representing a 4.8% increase compared to the previous year.
The destinations that saw the largest growth include Huatulco, Oaxaca, which doubled the number of arrivals by registering 12 cruise ships and 20,045 passengers during the first three months of the year, followed by Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, with 117 cruise ship arrivals and 428,799 passengers, and Puerto Chiapas, Chiapas, with seven arrivals and 12,663 passengers.
Despite the increase in international arrivals, total tourist spending in March was down 3.4%, declining from US $3.6 billion to $3.5 billion. Average spending per visitor also fell 13.7% year-on-year to $378.1.
The births occurred within the Cuatro Ciénegas herd of American bison that were introduced to the area in late 2025. The group is expected to reach 55 bison by the end of this year. (Fundación Pro Cuatrocienegas)
Three American bison calves have been born in recent weeks at the El Santuario Ecological Reserve in the state of Coahuila, marking a milestone in the species’ return to northern Mexico.
As one conservationist commented on the reintroduction of bison to northern Mexico: “It’s not just about bringing in a charismatic animal. It’s about restoring critical ecosystem functions that no other species can perform.” (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas)
The calves, born in late April and early May, weighed between 15 and 20 kilograms (33 to 44 pounds) and are in good health, according to the foundation officials. They expect the herd to grow to at least 55 animals this year.
“Each bison that is born reinforces the return of this species to the country,” said regenerative agricultural specialist Gerardo Ruiz Smith, director of the Pro Cuatrociénegas Foundation.
He also referenced a recent birth at a ranch within the Cuenca Los Ojos protected area in Sonora. It occurred in late April just weeks after a herd of 29 American bison were moved there from Chihuahua as part of a binational effort to restore the species to its historic range after roughly 160 years of absence.
Once widespread across northern Mexico, American bison disappeared from the region due to overhunting, agricultural expansion and livestock grazing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The species is now considered endangered in Mexico.
The Cuatro Ciénegas herd of American bison is the country’s third, following earlier reintroductions at the Janos Biosphere Reserve in Chihuahua (since moved to Sonora) and the El Carmen nature reserve in Coahuila.
Conservationists describe bison as “ecosystem engineers,” essential to grassland health. Their grazing promotes plant diversity, reduces fire risk by consuming dry matter and helps disperse seeds and retain soil moisture.
“It’s not just about bringing in a charismatic animal,” Ruiz Smith said. “It’s about restoring critical ecosystem functions that no other species can perform.”
Ruiz Smith is the founder of Agroasis, an agriculture business focused on restoring arid landscapes through holistic land planning, grazing, Keyline Design and agroforestry systems. He also teaches at Mexican universities.
The bison’s return “is not only an ecological achievement,” said Juan Luis Longoria, director of culture for Pro Cuatrociénegas. “It reconnects the Ndé Nation (commonly known by the imposed term ‘Apache,’ which comes from a Zuni word meaning ‘enemy’) with a brother that is part of our identity, our spirituality and our collective memory.”
El Santuario is a previously overgrazed reserve in Coahuila’s central desert about 10 kilometers from the Pueblo Mágico of Cuatro Ciénegas. It’s roughly 3,700-4,000 hectares.
Because the project — which also aims to support wildlife such as pumas, black bears and prairie dogs — is focused squarely on ecology right now, public tourism is being tightly controlled.
