Sunday, October 19, 2025

The MND News Quiz of the Week: October 11th

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News quiz
(Mexico News Daily)

What's been going on in the news this week? Our weekly quiz is here to keep you on top of what’s happening in Mexico.

Get informed, stay smart.

Are you ready?  Let’s see where you rank vs. our expert community!

Mexico's new "Pay de Limón" bill will bring harsher penalties for people guilty of what crime?

Mexico's Caribbean coast is shrinking every year. How much beach is it losing on average?

Citigroup is selling its stake in Banamex. Who's buying?

Which Colombian singer has just launched their own tequila brand?

...keeping with our musical theme: Jalisco rocker Fher Olvera has been presented with a custom guitar by which legendary luthier?

Mexico are through to the quarter finals of the U20 FIFA World Cup. Who will they face for a spot in the semi final?

Which Mexican bank has been liquidated by regulators, after accusations of money laundering?

Which city is set to host the 10th World Forum of Mexican Gastronomy?

New recycling rules are coming to Mexico City in 2026. What are they?

Thursday saw rain in 31 of Mexico's 32 states. In which state did it not rain?

Do you have friends who are ‘Confidently Wrong’ about driving in Mexico? A perspective from our CEO

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MND CEO Travis Bembenek and George Reavis, a longtime resident of Mexico and founder of MexEdge, break down what's legitimate versus misled in this week's podcast episode.

One of the most common questions I hear from people about Mexico is, “Is it safe to drive there?”

People always want to know how we get around locally, and if we drive the three hours from SMA to Mexico City when we go there. Another popular question is if I have ever been stopped by the federales?…and if so, if I had to bribe them to continue on my journey?

Driving in Mexico is a complicated topic, and of course, everyone has different experiences doing so.

The constant? It is nothing like driving in the U.S. or Canada. It is not always easy and requires advanced planning and patience, but it can be extremely rewarding and beautiful. Renting a car is often stressful and frustrating. And when you learn that, up until 2018, Mexico City only required a written test and a fee before granting 16-year-olds a license, you might hesitate before merging into the chaos.

I have often been given, and even more often heard, advice for driving in Mexico that was confidently wrong.

I have shared my driving experiences in previous articles:

But given the consistently wrong comments we hear on this topic, we decided to make this week’s episode of Mexico News Daily’s Podcast on “Confidently Wrong about driving in Mexico.”

Check it out and let me know what you think! Do you agree with our thoughts and recommendations? Please share!

You can listen on our YouTube channel, Mexico News Daily TV, below or here on Spotify.

Confidently wrong about driving in Mexico - Episode 6

Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.

What will Los Cabos look like in 10 years?

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Land's End in Cabo San Lucas
Some things, like Land's End, never seem to change. Others, like Los Cabos' explosive population growth, have created a constant state of flux. (Unsplash/Tatiana Bernardi)

There is no end in sight for the explosive population growth that has taken Los Cabos from 44,000 residents as recently as 1990 to over 350,000 by 2020. In fact, according to estimated growth models, the population is projected to nearly double again by 2035. 

That means in 2035, only a decade from now, Los Cabos is poised to be home to between 600,000 and 650,000 residents. Obviously, this kind of sustained growth at such a high rate comes with serious infrastructure challenges, some of which — like traffic and housing and water supply shortages — are already obvious to residents. 

Population growth in Los Cabos
The population arrow for Los Cabos is still shooting nearly straight up, with the population expected to hit 650,000 by 2035.

But assuming population trends continue, and there’s no reason to think they won’t — Los Cabos, for example, continues to maintain an annual 14-16% growth rate well above the national average — I thought it would be interesting to take a peek into the future and see what will be different about Los Cabos a decade from now, and what may still be the same.

What is the plan for Los Cabos?

The first thing to note is that a governmental plan is in place to manage this significant growth. The first iteration of this appeared in 1999 under the title “Plan Director de Desarrollo Urbano de San José del Cabo y Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S.” It aimed at a responsible development of tourism infrastructure for the destination. However, by the time the second edition appeared in 2013 as “Plan Director de Desarrollo Urbano (PDU 2040),” the focus had shifted to responsible and sustainable residential growth by the year 2040 (hence, the title), with emphasis on such topics as expansion vision, designated growth areas, managing housing and water crises and infrastructure upgrades.

A third edition of this plan is expected to be completed soon, and yes, there is a participatory public element involved. For instance, over 40 workshops were held, involving over 700 participants, to garner input on the future direction of the Los Cabos municipality for the second update in 2013. Public input has also been sought for the third edition, although exactly how much remains uncertain.

If those seem like very small numbers relative to the population and its needs, they are. But decisions on the future of the destination have been made. That they’re already moving forward is evident in several of the upgrades that will be discussed shortly.

Demographics

So, where are the nearly 300,000 or so new residents moving to Los Cabos over the next decade coming from? Contrary to concerns about gentrification, a hot-button topic in Mexico at the moment, there won’t be any mass influx of foreigners, either from the U.S. or elsewhere. Currently, there are just over 17,400 foreign residents in the municipality, representing less than 5% of the total population. About 10,000 more are expected in the next decade, which sounds like a lot. However, due to the overall immigration pattern, this will have no meaningful effect on the percentage of foreign nationals. Rather, the mass of newcomers will be overwhelmingly Mexican, no doubt seeking new jobs and opportunities in a high-growth region. 

Currently, more than half the population of Baja California Sur was born in another state in Mexico, and that trend should continue with new arrivals mainly coming from Guerrero, Sinaloa, Mexico City and Estado de Mexico. Los Cabos, one of only five municipalities in the state, already accounts for a whopping 44% of its total population, and that number should hit 50% by 2035.

Los Cabos demographics chart
Where are all the new Los Cabos residents coming from? Overwhelmingly, from within Mexico.

Tourism Infrastructure

Tourism in Los Cabos is being carefully and expertly managed, with Rodrigo Esponda, managing director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board, noting that the emphasis remains on sustainable growth that maintains the destination’s relatively newly acquired patina as a luxury getaway. 

Still, both the number of hotel rooms and the tourists occupying them could increase significantly over the next 10 years due to increased connectivity and infrastructure upgrades. Currently, there are about 20,0000 available rooms for the four million tourists who visit annually. By 2035, the former figure will certainly pace upwards based on announcements for new resorts, although it’s hard to forecast how much. 

What’s undeniable is that future growth is being facilitated by upgrades underway at the Los Cabos International Airport, to enable it to handle up to 40% more volume, including passengers from the new routes coming from North America, Europe, Central and South America. So, Los Cabos is well-placed to continue its steady tourism growth, while maintaining higher-than-average spending rates.

Traffic and water challenges

Traffic, although certainly a concern at present due to the lengthy but much-needed infrastructure upgrade to the Fonatur roundabout in San José del Cabo, which an estimated 60,000-plus vehicles use daily, is expected to accommodate the expected growth. Not only will a third artery be built between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, called the Eje Interurbano (Interurban Axis), to help divert overflow from Federal Highway 1 and the toll road, but mass transit improvements are also in the works, including the possibility of electric bus service

These improvements should make traffic between the cape cities flow much smoother, although the residential sprawl of overtaxed surface streets is likely to remain a persistent irritant to anyone who wants to go somewhere in a hurry.

The most concerning issue, meanwhile, is likely to be water management. Currently, for example, Los Cabos is running at a deficit of 600 liters per second

Los Cabos water supply and demand chart
Los Cabos is in the midst of a water crisis, one that only looks to be getting worse in the coming decade.

Yes, reinforcements are on the way, including the opening of a second desalination plant in Cabo San Lucas by 2026, plus a few privately owned resort and residential desalination projects by 2027. But demand (see the graph above, which is based on conservative estimates relative to rising population figures and traditional usage) is expected to increase significantly in the coming decade.

Housing concerns

Another area of concern over the next decade will be housing. As I referenced in my recent article on wealth disparity in Los Cabos, there is a dearth of affordable housing in Los Cabos, either homes or rental units. So if it’s bad now, what’s going to happen with up to 300,000 more residents moving in by 2035?

The premier coastal tracts will continue to be reserved for high-end real estate development, with the East Cape of Los Cabos a likely contested patch between long-time residents trying to fight off exploitative growth and environmental degradation, and resort and residential speculators licking their chops over how much pristine land remains. Four Seasons kick-started the luxury rush of the East Cape in 2019 with its impressive Costa Palmas resort and residences. Aman’s Amanvari is coming soon, and high-end hospitality brands Delano and Raffles have announced the opening of East Cape resorts and residences by 2029.

Those residences, however, are for the privileged few. For the many, Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo can expect more sprawl into outlying areas, like the former’s Leonardo Gastelum colonia or El Tezal. Housing initiatives, including those locally endorsed by President Sheinbaum, have largely been stymied due to the difficulty of acquiring tracts of land at affordable prices. More initiatives will certainly be introduced, but the underlying issue remains.

What else could change?

These, of course, are only some of the more immediate concerns. There are others, too. What will a rapidly increasing population mean for farm-to-table food supply, or for the environment, including the spectacular natural beauty and amazing flora and fauna that have made Los Cabos such an attractive destination in the first place? The answers to these questions remain to be seen. Only one thing can be said with certainty: the next 10 years in Los Cabos will be interesting, to say the least. 

Chris Sands is the former Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best and writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook. He’s also a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily.

La Señora: Who is she?

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La Señora television promotion in Spain
The figure of the Señora is an archetype in film, television and popular culture. (Prime Video)

No longer just an indicator of whether a woman is married or not, the concept of a “Señora” has taken on a life (and character) of its own in recent years. Driven by pop culture, social media, television and perhaps a series of strong personalities in daily life, the “Señora” has become a fascinating representation of a certain type of woman in Mexican culture — one that embodies an attitude of both elegance and authority … with a touch of drama. 

The modern-day concept of a Señora has implications that touch upon age, female roles, family, tradition and class. 

So who is this (sometimes infamous) character? What do Mexicans mean when they talk about una Señora? What does it mean to be a Señora today? 

The Señora, traditionally

Cuando te dicen "señora"

In Mexican society, being called “Señora” touches on three interconnected aspects: sexuality, civil status and age. According to research by Hortensia Moreno, an academic at UNAM’s Center for Gender Research and Studies, these connotations reflect gender stereotypes active in Mexican society, despite belonging to an older symbolic framework.

In a Spanish cultural context, a Señora refers to a respectable, mature, traditionally feminine woman. 

My neighbor, Rosario, explains: A Señora is usually a married woman, she says, often someone who has kids. You wouldn’t really call a woman in her early 30s a Señora; it more refers to someone mature, who acts like it. 

The transition from “Señorita” to “Señora” represents a critical moment in Mexican women’s lives, often occurring around age 40, regardless of marital status. This shift carries emotional weight because it’s perceived as indicating a loss of youth. Many Mexican women resist being called “Señora” because it implies they’ve crossed into a demographic associated with diminished social value. 

Despite traditional associations with the term, the definition of a Señora has expanded into a stereotype that is both celebrated and satirized; memes and comedic sketches often feature the “Señora de la colonia” (neighborhood Señora), a woman who gossips, maintains order at social events and upholds traditional values but secretly enjoys luxury and intrigue.

The Señora in pop culture and telenovelas

Maria Rubio
Maria Rubio as Catalina Creel in Cuna de Lobos was the classic Señora figure in telenovelas. (Telemundo)

In Mexican pop culture and telenovelas, this figure is brought to life as a woman of elegance and authority, often wrapped in privilege and dramatized with a flair that makes her unforgettable. She is the matriarch who commands a room with her impeccable fashion, the high-society hostess who enforces etiquette with precision, and the sharp-tongued presence whose wit and sarcasm can both entertain and intimidate. Always poised, always stylish, the Señora moves through stories as both a pillar of tradition and, at times, a villainous force.

No actress captured this archetype more vividly than Mexican actress María Rubio in her role as Catalina Creel in Cuna de Lobos. Catalina is the sophisticated and ruthless matriarch of the Larios-Creel family, known for her trademark eye patch. A refined, commanding and impeccably poised character, her ambition revolves around ensuring her son Alejandro becomes the sole heir to the family’s pharmaceutical empire, eliminating anyone — through lies, manipulation and even murder — who threatens her goals. 

The character’s exaggerated elegance, authoritative nature and high-society demeanor turned her into the definitive telenovela Señora, a figure so iconic that she continues to define the archetype in Mexico’s cultural imagination.

‘Yo no soy una señora’ 

María José - No Soy una Señora

In 2009, Mexican pop star María José reignited the cultural conversation around what it means to be a Señora with her explosive cover of Yo No Soy Una Señora.” Catchy and defiant, the track quickly became a national anthem of female empowerment — pushing back against the very stereotypes that telenovelas and everyday culture have long dramatized. 

While the traditional Señora is imagined as elegant, mature and bound by decorum, José’s lyrics gave life to a woman who refuses that role altogether. When she sings, “Yo no soy una señora, una de esas que tiembla con apenas dos palabras,” José rejects the image of a submissive woman who trembles at a man’s words. Instead, she claims strength and independence, defining herself on her own terms. 

Later, in “Yo no soy una señora, soy de aquellas que pueden darte el alma,” the emphasis shifts to passion and authenticity: She is not bound by respectability or appearances but by her ability to love, give and live fully.

The chorus’ refrain, “Yo no soy una señora” becomes a refusal to be boxed into stereotypes of maturity, propriety or aging. The song turns the archetype of the Señora on its head, offering a counterimage to figures like Catalina Creel. Whereas the telenovela Señora rules with elegance and ruthless authority, José’s protagonist insists on freedom, individuality and the right to live unapologetically. 

In doing so, the song not only became a pop hit but also a cultural touchstone — an anthem for women who refuse to be defined by society’s expectations.

‘In my Señora Era’: A lifestyle movement

@jerlynntorres Tap into your #senora era and let your intention guide you ✨👩🏽‍🍳🇲🇽 . #micasa #rinconcitoenelcielo #mexicana #senoralife #latinachef ♬ Perfume de Gardenias – La Sonora Santanera

If the telenovela Señora once ruled households with elegant menace, and María José’s pop anthem rejected the label altogether, social media has brought us the newest twist: a generation that is embracing the phrase “in my Señora Era.” 

What started as a lighthearted hashtag has become a lifestyle movement that reframes the Señora not as a marker of age or decline but as a symbol of wisdom, comfort and intentional living. 

On TikTok and Instagram, millions of young Latinas have leaned into the archetype of their mothers, tías, and abuelas — showing off slow mornings with cafecito, airing out bedding in the sun or sweeping to old bolero songs — as a way of celebrating traditions once dismissed as ordinary. 

In this reclamation, the Señora is no longer a cliché but an aspirational figure who has traded hustle culture for peace, presence and a joy in everyday rituals.

Hashtags like #SeñoraEra and #SeñoraTok have amassed millions of views while, offline, the movement has inspired groups like City Señoras in New York, where cafecito walks and games of lotería have grown into lively community gatherings. 

Younger Latinas are choosing to launch their Señora Era “early,” transforming domestic rituals into acts of self-care, healing and connection to family traditions termed as “ancestral slow living.”

In the “Señora Era” movement, calling yourself a Señora is no longer to accept a label imposed from the outside. It chooses a way of life that honors tradition while carving out space for balance and joy. 

The evolving Señora

Whether rejected, dramatized or reclaimed, the figure of the Señora continues to evolve, embodying the tensions between tradition and change. In the end, to speak of la Señora today is to recognize a cultural force that reflects how Mexican — and, more broadly, Latino — societies imagine femininity, authority, age and tradition itself. 

Do you have a Señora in your life, or are you channeling your inner Señora? Let us know more in the comments below! 

Monica Belot is a writer, researcher, strategist and adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design in New York City, where she teaches in the Strategic Design & Management Program. Splitting her time between NYC and Mexico City, where she resides with her naughty silver labrador puppy Atlas, Monica writes about topics spanning everything from the human experience to travel and design research. Follow her varied scribbles on Medium at medium.com/@monicabelot.

Islas Marías adds sustainable agriculture and park ranger training to its eco-education initiatives

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islas marías entrance
The prison that occupied one of the islands until 2019 has given way to a tourist facility, which is soon to be joined by educational projects in park management and sustainable farming. (Gobierno de México)

The tourist center on the UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve of Islas Marías will soon be sharing space with an agroecological farm and a park ranger training center.

The federal government has authorized the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp) to use an area of ​​more than 70,000 square meters located on Isla María Madre, according to the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) published on Oct. 8.

Islas Marias
The grasslands and scrublands of the Islas Marías Biosphere Reserve are home to endemic species of raccoon and rabbit, and the surrounding waters teem with 21 species of sharks and 10 different ray species. (@jenarovillamil/X)

The Conanp project is part of the government’s National Environmental Restoration Program, whose goal for this year is to restore 5% of the total degraded surface area of ​​coastal and marine ecosystems, 800 hectares of urban parks and forests, and 26,000 hectares of forest ecosystems.

Approximately 26,000 square meters of the Islas Marías project will be designated for “El Rehilete” (The Retreat), a self-sufficient and sustainable food production system. 

The stated aim of El Rehilete is to support the local economy and promote the conservation of natural resources, while teaching a new generation of young people about food sovereignty. 

The remaining 44,000 square meters will be dedicated to the construction of a training center to teach volunteer park rangers about conservation, preservation and management methods for Protected Natural Areas (ANPs).

Islas Marías is a Pacific Ocean archipelago comprising four main islets — María Madre, María Magdalena, María Cleofas and San Juanito — about 94 kilometers (58 miles) off the coast of the state of Nayarit. 

Visitors can tour Islas Marías by purchasing government-regulated tourism packages with departures from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, or San Blas, Nayarit. 

Originally named the Magdalenas Islands after they were discovered by Spanish explorers in the 1520s, the islands were used as a Mexican penal colony from 1905 until 2019. 

Islas Marías earned its Biosphere Reserve status in 2010. Nine years later, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador closed the prison and announced it would be converted into an environmental education center named after the prison’s most famous inmate, José Revueltas, the Durango-born 20th-century author and dissident.

The islands are home to the Tres Marías raccoon (Procyon insularis), the endemic Tres Marías cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus graysoni), 21 species of sharks, 10 different rays, three species of sea turtles and healthy coral reefs.

The landscape consists of grasslands, shrublands and tropical deciduous and subdeciduous forest.

With reports from Milenio, Reforma and Vallarta Adventures

More than 20 fatalities reported from this week’s rain: Friday’s mañanera recapped

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Sheinbaum mañanera Oct. 10, 2025
On Friday, Sheinbaum gave a thorough update on the simultaneous storm systems drenching Mexico. (Juan Carlos Buenrostro/Presidencia)

The heavy rain that fell in various parts of Mexico on Thursday and consequent flooding were a central focus of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Friday morning press conference.

Later on Friday, authorities in four states reported fatalities linked to the rain.

Among the cities and towns affected by flooding are Poza Rica, Veracruz; Álamo, Veracruz; Huauchinango, Puebla; Huehuetla, Hidalgo; and Zihuatanejo, Guerrero.

More than 20 rain-related fatalities  

At the start of the mañanera, Sheinbaum said that national Civil Protection chief Laura Velázquez would join the press conference via video link to speak about “the situation with the rain in different parts of the republic.”

More than 20 people lost their lives in incidents related to heavy rain on Thursday and Friday, according to media reports published on Friday afternoon. At least 16 deaths occurred in Hidalgo, where rain associated with Hurricane Priscilla caused flooding and landslides. There were additional fatalities in Puebla, Veracruz and Querétaro, while a number of other people have been reported as missing.

Sheinbaum noted that it rained on Thursday in 31 of Mexico’s 32 federal entities.

“Only in Baja California Sur did it not rain,” she said.

Sheinbaum at mañanera Oct. 10, 2025
On Thursday, it rained in 31 of Mexico’s 32 federal entities. (Juan Carlos Buenrostro/Presidencia)

Sheinbaum said that particularly heavy rain had fallen in the Huasteca region.

“[In] Veracruz mainly, but Querétaro, Hidalgo and San Luis Potosí were also affected,” she said.

In addition to those states, Puebla and Guerrero received heavy rain on Thursday, Velázquez said.

“In Guerrero, in Zihuatanejo, is where the highest rainfall was recorded, which was 151 millimeters,” the Civil Protection chief said.

Tropical Storm Raymond dumped two months’ worth of rain on the Pacific coast city in one day, according to Zihuatanejo Mayor Lizette Tapia Castro.

Velázquez also reported that:

  • Rain damaged 5,000 homes in the municipality of Álamo, Veracruz.
  • The Jalpan River in Querétaro had burst its banks.
  • Landslides had occurred in Veracruz, Querétaro and Puebla.
  • The Axtla River and the Moctezuma River in San Luis Potosí burst their banks.
  • A school and a hospital were flooded in Puebla.

Velázquez said that shelters had been set up in Álamo, and noted that the army and the navy, along with other authorities, were responding to flooding in different parts of the country.

A woman walks with a member of the Navy through knee-high water after major rainfall in central Mexico
Veracruz, Querétaro, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Puebla and Guerrero were the states most affected by rain this week. (@Claudiashein/X)

She said that the Federal Electricity Commission was working to reestablish power in areas where service had been cut, including in parts of Veracruz, San Luis Potosí and Puebla.

Velázquez said that rain would continue to fall in different parts of Mexico on Friday and advised citizens to be alert to official communication channels and to follow “all the recommendations” issued by Civil Protection authorities.

On Friday afternoon, the newspaper La Jornada reported that 24 people had died in rain-related incidents, while other media outlets reported slightly lower death tolls. With at least eight people reported as missing, it appears likely that the rain-related death toll will rise over the weekend.

Adidas to compensate Oaxaca community whose huarache design inspired its Oaxaca Slip-On sandal 

Also at Sheinbaum’s Friday mañanera, Deputy Culture Minister Marina Núñez Bespalova told reporters that Adidas has committed to compensating the community of Villa Hidalgo Yalalág, Oaxaca, whose signature huarache sandal craftsmanship inspired the German athletic apparel and footwear company’s Oaxaca Slip-On sandals.

Oaxaca threatens legal action against Adidas for its ‘Oaxaca Slip-On’ sandal

After accusations of cultural appropriation, Adidas and the designer of the Oaxaca Slip-On sandals issued apologies in August.

Núñez said that meetings between Adidas and “the affected community” had been held.

Representatives from the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property and Mexico’s copyright office Indautor also attended the meetings, she said.

“Several agreements were reached with the brand,” Núñez said, adding that while “the compensation agreement” cannot yet be announced publicly, it involves Adidas funding “some” infrastructure projects that the community of Villa Hidalgo Yalalág had requested.

She said that there could be “some kind of collaboration” between Villa Hidalgo Yalalág artisans and Adidas at some point in the future.

“But there is already a compensation contract for the community,” Núñez stressed.

Asked whether Adidas would be allowed to sell its Oaxaca Slip-On sandals in Mexico, the deputy culture minister responded:

“No, no. They pulled those shoes off the market immediately; within a week, they were gone.”

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])

Mexico City’s new waste management strategy will require trash separation starting Jan. 1

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trash
Mexico City generates 6,400 tonnes of trash per day and the city is hoping that at least half of that amount will be recycled or reused by 2030. (Damián Sánchez/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico City’s latest attempt to improve waste management in the capital is an ambitious trash separation strategy that aims to ensure that by 2030, 50% of the estimated 8,600 tons of waste generated daily in the city is recycled or reused instead of being sent to landfills or tossed in streets and empty lots.

To achieve that goal, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada has presented the campaign: “Transform your city, each piece of trash in its place.” Beginning January 1, 2026, homes, schools, offices and businesses will be required to separate their trash into three categories: organic waste, recyclable inorganic waste and non-recyclable inorganic waste.

Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada, shown here with some members of the recently created Integrated Waste Management Agency (AGIR) on the day of their swearing in, understands that the success of the plan depends on the good faith participation of the populace. (Clara Brugada/Facebook)

In a ceremony that installed the governing body of the new Integrated Waste Management Agency (AGIR) — officially created in November 2024 — Brugada noted that only 15% of the city’s garbage is properly separated today. 

“Every piece of waste we throw away has a direct impact on the air, water and land,” she said. “Therefore, we believe that with good organization, awareness and determination, we can transform this challenge into a great opportunity to build a cleaner, more equitable and sustainable city.” 

The program’s initial investment will be 400 million pesos (US $21.5 million)  250 million of which will go to the purchase of new waste collection trucks, and the rest to improve the Bordo Poniente recycling plant and to build new plants throughout the city.

For the remainder of the year, Brugada’s government will coordinate an educational campaign to teach residents how to separate their waste.

Brugada said that once this program kicks in, garbage collection will be carried out on a daily basis, as follows:

  • Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday: organic waste (food scraps, garden scraps, etc.)
  • Monday and Wednesday: recyclable inorganic waste (paper, cardboard, glass, PET, aluminum, metals, etc.)
  • Friday and Sunday: non-recyclable inorganic waste, such as sanitary waste, diapers and cigarette butts.

This isn’t the first time the capital has sought to organize its waste management, as garbage separation is a long-standing environmental goal.

In 2003, the local government approved the Solid Waste Law of the Federal District, which established the obligation to separate waste into two basic categories: organic and inorganic. However, the lack of collection infrastructure and weak educational campaigns prevented effective implementation of the law.

With reports from El Universal, Lopez Dóriga, Chilango and TV Azteca

Job creation was up 28% in September, but still down 27% for the year

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albañil
Job creation in September by employers registered with IMSS increased by 28% over September 2024, helping to offset a disappointing year for new employment. (Pedro Anza/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico added nearly 117,000 new formal sector jobs last month, but job creation on the year is still down 27%.

The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) reported that the number of people employed in new formal sector positions increased by 116,765 in September, a 28% increase over the same month a year ago. However, of the new jobs added last month, 50,412 — or 15% — were identified as temporary hires.

Steet vendor
If the informal sector, which more than half of all Mexican workers are part of, is included in the job statistics, Mexico’s current unemployment rate plummets to a near-record low of 2.7%. (Cuartoscuro)

The total of new jobs created through the first nine months of 2025 has reached 333,303, well behind the 456,427 formal jobs created from January to September 2024. The newspaper El Economista reported that 16 states had negative figures for formal job creation last month. 

“The new jobs data through September reflects the second-lowest figure for job creation since 2008, not counting the health emergencies of 2009 and 2020,” Fernando Bermúdez, director of Institutional Relations at the staffing firm ManpowerGroup, told El Economista. 

The IMSS report indicated that overall formal employment is now just over 23.76 million, but that figure drops to 22,571,682 when people working in the digital economy are subtracted. And of this latter figure, 13% of the jobs are temporary positions.

Rodolfo Ostolaza, deputy director of Economic Studies at Banamex, told El Economista that subtracting the number of digital platform workers reveals that “employment has stagnated since mid-2024 … and [reflects] three consecutive months of annual declines.”

An additional concern is that the number of employers registered with IMSS has declined for 17 consecutive months. According to El Economista, IMSS reported 1,039,227 employer registrations with the Institute, a negative annual growth rate of 2.4%. 

The loss of formal employers further strengthens the informal economy, which employs nearly 55% of the country’s workforce, according to the national statistics agency INEGI. 

IMSS only records “formal”  jobs, i.e., jobs registered with the Institute itself.

“Being formal is very expensive in this country,” Ostolaza said.

Still, because it includes both formal and informal jobs, INEGI’s most recent report shows a national unemployment rate of 2.7%, which is close to the historic low of 2.3% recorded in March 2024.

With reports from El Economista, Animal Político and El Financiero

Oaxaca’s ‘most vibrant festival’ returns with over 140 Day of the Dead events

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Participants of Oaxaca's Day of the Dead parade with fireworks in the background
Day of the Dead festivities in Oaxaca take place from Oct. 26 to Nov. 4. (Carolina Jiménez/Cuartoscuro)

Oaxaca expects to welcome upwards of 89,000 visitors for its 2025 Day of the Dead celebration, according to officials who unveiled a packed cultural agenda this week.

Running from Oct. 26 to Nov. 4, the festivities will feature over 140 cultural and gastronomic events statewide.

Some events require registration and fill up fast, so visitors are urged to “book before they sell out,” especially for these five experiences.

Authorities with the Oaxaca Tourism Ministry said the anticipated uptick in visitors marks a nearly 6% jump over 2024, and they are projecting revenues of more than 381 million pesos (US $20.6 million).

Touted in a press release as “the most vibrant festival of all,” Oaxaca’s lineup of Day of the Dead activities is “one of the greatest symbols of Mexican identity, a celebration that transforms the vision of death into a celebration full of color, joy, flavor and tradition,” said Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, Mexico’s tourism minister.

Highlights include a monumental 250-square-meter sand carpet in the Jalatlaco neighborhood; the Historic Center Facade Competition on Oct. 27; Diverti Muertos festivities; concerts in neighborhoods such as Xochimilco and San Pablo Villa de Mitla; and marigold field tours in Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán and San Antonino Castillo Velasco, where the illuminated fields open at night Oct. 25.

Sporting events such as a state surfing tournament in Puerto Escondido and the Recorrido al Mictlán race on Nov. 2 round out the schedule.

Providing a window into local heritage will be the “Casa Hecho en Oaxaca” exhibition, market fairs at the Oaxaca Gastronomic Center, and displays of 35 altars representing the 16 Indigenous and Afro-Mexican cultures of Oaxaca (in the capital’s main square).

What’s on in Oaxaca in October?

First-time events include electronic music festivals in Mitla, mezcal tastings in Tlacolula and wellness ceremonies.

There will also be old-time favorites such as family altar competitions, the Great Parade on Oct. 31 and a catrina competition.

Ninety-five percent of activities are free and open to all.

As the finalized schedule falls fully into place, officials urge travelers to check for updates: This link includes a lineup of top events and links to official websites.

With reports from El Economista, Estado Actual and Monte Albán Heritage Center

How to get your money out of CIBanco

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CIBanco branch
Don't panic! You have a year to retrieve your money, that is, until Oct. 13, 2026. (Shutterstock)

Mexico’s Institute for the Protection of Bank Savings (IPAB) has revoked CIBanco’s license and has begun to liquidate the embattled financial services provider.

IPAB announced Friday that it will begin paying out insured deposits beginning on Monday, Oct. 13, and advised account holders to visit its official website for information: www.gob.mx/ipab

CIBanco clients with loans or credits can register to receive their funds at the government-managed payment portal beginning Oct. 13. The instructions are as follows:

  1. Visit the IPAB payment portal at www.gob.mx/ipab.
  2. Complete the form with the required information, as shown on your latest CIBanco account statement.
  3. Provide a CLABE account number from a Mexican commercial bank to receive your guaranteed deposits by transfer.
  4. You will receive a confirmation email on the same day that the account holder’s details are correctly registered.

The estimated processing time is 48 to 72 business hours, depending on the bank you have registered to receive the transfer. If you do not have another bank account in Mexico, you must go to a CIBanco branch or an IPAB office to file a physical Payment Request; bank accounts corresponding to a third party will not be accepted. 

The government has also created a website to explain the legal framework for the actions being taken and issued an alert warning about fraudsters.

Notices like this were posted at CIBanco branches on Friday.

Deposits at CIBanco are protected by the IPAB for up to 400,000 Investment Units (UDIs) per person, equivalent to $3,424,262.40 pesos as of Friday.

IPAB cautioned that this coverage only applies to products considered insured deposits, provided they do not fall under the exclusion criteria established in the Bank Savings Protection Act (LPAB). The deadline to complete the liquidation procedure is one year, that is, by Oct. 13, 2026.

Those who do not receive their payment or believe the amount refunded is incorrect may submit a request or claim directly to IPAB offices. 

However, people holding loans with CIBanco must continue making payments, even though the bank is in liquidation.

Click here for a list of the CIBanco branches that will remain open for inquiries, clarifications and requests for payment of secured obligations. They will not be providing financial transactions or services.

IPAB also announced that it does not cover deposits belonging to CIBanco Shareholders, members of the board of directors, representatives with administrative powers and general managers, although they still retain their right to file claims directly.

CIBanco truck
CIBanco will begin paying out insured deposits beginning on Monday, Oct. 13. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) sanctioned CIBanco and two other financial institutions in June, accusing them of laundering millions of dollars for drug cartels

The Governing Board of the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) soon thereafter ordered the temporary management intervention of CIBanco, Vector and Intercam.

After initially staving off sanctions in July, regulators imposed restrictions on the three companies’ international transfers, depositor withdrawals, and banking operations, prompting them to sell off assets in August.

With reports from El Financiero, Animal Político, La Jornada and Infobae