Who was Isabel Moctezuma, the last Mexica princess?

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January 15, 2026

Mosaico_de_Isabel_Tecuichpo_en_la_estación_Pantitlán_del_Metro_de_la_Ciudad_de_México_03 (1) — Tecuichpo Ixcaxochitzin was her original first name, which translates from ancient Náhuatl to "Divine Lady" and "Cotton Flower," respectively. (ProtoplasmaKid/Wikimedia Commons)

She was born amongst the royalty. In her blood, she bore the lineage of the highest kin in Mexico-Tenochtitlán, the imperial capital of the Mexica Empire. When the invaders from abroad took the city, however, her noble title meant nothing. Nor did her political career as a Tenochca leader: with the arrival of the Spanish colonizers, she lost everything. Not even her name survived.

Recent historiographical research by the Royal Academy of History, in Spain, has traced her profile back to the archives of Conquest documents, in which she is referred to as Isabel Moctezuma: the last Mexica princess who, despite having direct noble blood, was stripped of her power, her land and her identity upon being baptized in the Christian rite.

Doña Isabel Moctezuma Tecuichpo Ixquixóchitl: the empire’s ‘Cotton Flower’

Tecuichpo Ixcaxochitzin was her original name. According to the UNAM’s Institute of Historical Research, the Náhuatl name translates to “Divine Lady” and “Cotton Flower,” respectively. The —tzin suffix was an extremely reverential way of referring to the royal family — and even goddesses and gods. However, as part of the scorching process of Conquest, this record lost its validity in the territory that was once under Mexica rule. Although her birth name was changed to Isabel Moctezuma, this political figure has been revisited in film, theater and various historical novels.

She was the daughter of Moctezuma II and Empress Consort Teotlacho. For this reason, she was a powerful and respected woman from birth, around 1509. Among her descendants, it is known that Moctezuma Xocoyotzin had a particular fondness for his daughter Tecuichpo. While the city-state was free, they built a strong father-daughter relationship. Given that she was born to such influential figures, in the highest rank of the Mexica royalty, some authors consider her the last empress of Mexico-Tenochtitlán.

A change of sides

The imperial capital was under siege. When Moctezuma II was taken prisoner by the Spanish, Tecuichpo Ixcaxochitzin was the only one who visited him at Cortés’s headquarters.

After nights of torture, the emperor was very weak. He asked the Spanish general to take care of his three daughters, because the Mexica reign had come to an end. If he didn’t leave them in the care of the new rulers, a grim future awaited them. Cortés kept his word, and to protect them, he changed their names to Christian ones.

Now known as Isabel Moctezuma, she was a woman of many men. Ancient codices suggest she was married five times — twice to Mexica emperors and thrice to Spanish generals — and even had a bastard daughter with the invader Hernán Cortés, whom she refused to recognize as her own kin. So yes, harsh, but Doña Isabel Moctezuma knew what she wanted in life

Thus, a new chapter began in her life. Instead of being a lady among Mexica royalty, Tecuichpo assumed the identity of Isabel Moctezuma, in honor of her deceased father. She even took the name of the ruler of Castile across the sea. With the blessing of the colonizing priests, she completed the process of Catholic baptism and secured a few years of peace as a new member of the ruling group.

After the Conquest of Mexico, Isabel Moctezuma had an illegitimate child with Hernán Cortés. (Public Domain)

Her best man was Cortés himself. This was the first marriage recognized by the Spanish. However, before the invasion, she had already been married to Cuitláhuac, the lord of Iztapalapa. After the death of her first husband, the Spanish administrators cared little for her widowhood and arranged another political union with Cuauhtémoc, the last Mexica tlatoani (ruler).

Feathers and precious stones

Cuauhtémoc was accused of treason. Without further ado, the Spanish soldiers executed him in cold blood, after a night of torture. Thus, Isabel Moctezuma was widowed once again. A few months later, Cortés arranged her third marriage with one of his trusted representatives. By then, in 1528, Tecuichpo Ixquixóchitl had become pregnant with his daughter.

Although Cortés did recognize the child, for the former Mexica ruler, the birth of her first daughter always represented an inner conflict. They named her Leonor, and she adopted her biological father’s surname. Although they were in close contact, they lived in different places. While the general managed his conquests from his villa in Coyoacán, Leonor lived with her mother in the perpetual encomienda of Tlacopan.

Daughter of Cortés

Although she shared a home with her mother’s husband, the explorer Alonso de Grado, she never acknowledged him as her father. On the contrary, the young girl was very clear that she was Cortés’s daughter, and understood the social standing that this guaranteed her. At the same time, Tecuichpo Ixquixóchitl retained the respect of her former Mexica subjects, now subjugated by the Spanish armed forces.

Thus, until the end of her days, she earned the respect of the Spaniards for her skill in navigating their circles of power. Shortly after turning 40, however, the former Mexica leader died at her estate in Tlacopan. She was buried according to the traditions of her people, with precious stones and feathers crafted in Coyoacán. In her will, she granted freedom to the Mexica slaves who worked her land and allocated one-fifth of all her wealth to pay off the debts of her servants.

Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.

Sheinbaum responds to scrutiny of Mexico’s monetary policy: Wednesday’s mañanera recapped

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MND Staff

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January 14, 2026

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Sheinbaum during mañanera Jan. 14, 2026 — President Sheinbaum took a question on Wednesday about a paper released by the credit rating agency Moody's asserting that "a premature easing" of interest rates in Mexico "has eroded the central bank's credibility." (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

President Claudia Sheinbaum faced questions on a range of topics at her Wednesday morning press conference, including the Bank of Mexico’s monetary policy, a report by The Wall Street Journal and Mexico’s representation at the upcoming World Economic Forum meeting in Switzerland.

She also responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that the USMCA free trade pact provides “no real advantage” to the United States. (Read Mexico News Daily’s report on Trump’s remarks and Sheinbaum’s response here.)

Here is a recap of Sheinbaum’s Jan. 14 mañanera.

Sheinbaum praises Bank of Mexico governor, as Moody’s asserts that Mexico’s monetary policy has ‘lost credibility’

Asked about the importance of maintaining a “healthy distance” between the federal government and the Bank of Mexico (Banxico) and its formulation of monetary policy, Sheinbaum said that the autonomy of the central bank is “very important.”

She went on to praise Banxico governor Victoria Rodríguez, saying that she has done a “very good” job as governor of the central bank.

“She’s a very professional woman, very studious,” Sheinbaum said.

Banxico governor Victoria Rodríguez Ceja. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

The president subsequently noted that Rodríguez, “with the support” of Banxico’s deputy governors, has been lowering the central bank’s benchmark interest rate.

Indeed, the bank’s board cut the key rate by 300 basis points in 2025, even though inflation remained well above Banxico’s 3% target throughout the year. The bank’s interest rate is currently set at 7%.

Sheinbaum’s remarks about Rodríguez and Banxico came two days after the economic research subsidiary of credit rating agency Moody’s released a paper asserting that “a premature easing” of interest rates in Mexico “has eroded the central bank’s credibility.”

“Building credibility requires a significant amount of time and effort, but losing it is relatively easy,” states the Moody’s Analytics document, authored by the company’s director for Latin America, Alfredo Coutiño.

“Unfortunately, Mexico’s monetary policy has lost credibility in recent years. Neither the market nor analysts believe that the current policy is effective in achieving the inflation target,” Coutiño wrote.

“… To achieve inflation convergence and, consequently, restore credibility, the central bank needs to manage monetary policy with a strong commitment to price stability. This means making a decisive shift: reversing monetary easing,” he wrote.

Sheinbaum: US has never pressured Mexico to arrest Morena politicians with suspected cartel ties

A reporter asked the president about a Wall Street Journal report that, citing unnamed sources, said that high-level Mexican security officials “have held a series of private meetings since [Venezuelan President Nicolás] Maduro was deposed where they discussed the possibility of untenable demands from Trump beyond U.S. military action, including the potential arrests of politicians from Sheinbaum’s party the U.S. believes have cartel ties.”

Sheinbaum said that the idea of arresting Morena party politicians has “never” been raised by the U.S. government, not in security meetings between Mexican and U.S. officials nor in her numerous telephone conversations with Trump.

The governor of Baja California, Marina del Pilar Ávila, with her husband Carlos Torres, a politician and member of the ruling Morena party. — Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila and her husband Carlos Torres both lost their U.S. visas in 2025. (@MarinadelPilar/X)

Last year, the president described reporting from Reuters that the Trump administration is pressuring Mexico to go after politicians with suspected narco ties as “completely false.”

On Wednesday morning, a reporter noted that it has been said that the U.S. government is pressuring Mexican authorities to investigate people such as Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and former Tabasco governor Adán Augusto López Hernández, currently Morena’s leader in the Senate.

Sheinbaum said that only “some media outlets, and not the media” in general, “say that.”

“… The Wall Street Journal report, [although] I don’t know exactly what it said, … has nothing to do with what was spoken about in [Monday’s] call [with Trump],” she said before reiterating that the detention of Morena party politicians has “never” been raised in talks with the U.S. government.

Environment minister to represent Mexico at WEF meeting

Sheinbaum told reporters that Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena will represent the Mexican government at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, later this month.

She said that Bárcena will speak about “development with justice” as well as the “Mexican model” and environmental issues at the meeting.

The environment minister has plenty of experience on the world stage, having served as foreign affairs minister between 2023 and 2024 and Mexico’s ambassador to Chile before that.

Bárcena also served as executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean between 2008 and 2022.

Sheinbaum said that Altagracia Gómez, head of the government’s Advisory Council for Regional Development and Relocation, will also attend the Jan. 19-23 WEF meeting in Davos, which will bring together political, business and civil society leaders from around the world.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

Opinion: Could Mexico make America great again? How the AI race changes the game

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Pedro Casas Alatriste

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January 14, 2026

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data center inauguration in SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE — The Brazilian data center firm OData has inaugurated four data centers in Mexico in just three years. (X)

As we all try to figure out how to use some version of GPT to answer emails, Nano Banana to make our Google Slides look prettier and Grok to turn photos into videos — or answer questionable political questions on X — it’s easy to forget that the AI conversation tied to global power and national security is far more complex.

Beneath the memes, prompts and productivity hacks lies a serious geopolitical race. And in that space, the U.S.-Mexico relationship may be one of the most important — and underappreciated — dynamics shaping trade and economic policy in the years ahead.

At its core, AI leadership isn’t just about algorithms. It’s about hardware, energy, data, talent, resilience and national security.

Models don’t train themselves in the cloud — they require massive computing power, physical servers, advanced chips, secure supply chains and uninterrupted infrastructure. In that sense, AI looks a lot more like manufacturing than software. And that’s where North America — and especially Mexico — enters the picture. The USMCA’s digital trade framework is becoming a national security tool, not just a trade one — governing data flows, infrastructure and trust in ways that directly shape AI competitiveness (Inter-American Dialogue).

As tensions with China persist and export controls on advanced chips tighten, the United States faces a simple challenge: how to scale AI infrastructure fast, securely and close to home. This is a race where the digital world is moving more quickly than the physical one. AI leadership ultimately rests on semiconductors, and today roughly three-quarters of global chip manufacturing capacity remains concentrated in East Asia, with advanced production highly exposed to geopolitical risk (US-Mexico Foundation). (No need to revisit what happened during COVID).

One concrete example: Mexico is now home to major investments in AI server and “superchip” assembly. Nvidia’s next-generation GB200 servers are being assembled in Jalisco through Foxconn, alongside a growing ecosystem of suppliers relocating from Asia. These facilities aren’t designed for the Mexican market — they’re built to serve North American strategic needs. This is nearshoring not as a buzzword, but as an AI supply-chain strategy. To understand why infrastructure location matters so much, it helps to look at where the physical backbone of the digital economy actually lives.

AI doesn’t live in the cloud — it lives in data centers. And those data centers are highly concentrated geographically, making location, energy and connectivity strategic assets.

Hardware, however, is only half the story. AI also runs on data centers — lots of them. Mexico is rapidly becoming an extension of the North American digital backbone. Multibillion-dollar investments from Microsoft, AWS and others are turning cities like Querétaro into critical nodes for cloud and AI workloads. Enabled by USMCA digital trade rules, these data centers operate within compatible regulatory and privacy frameworks, allowing U.S. firms to expand capacity, improve latency and build redundancy without leaving the region.

This distributed infrastructure matters for resilience. AI systems can’t afford downtime.

In scenarios ranging from cyberattacks to natural disasters or energy stress, having computing capacity spread across the continent strengthens continuity. Mexico and Canada aren’t alternatives to the United States — they are fail-safes. And Mexico’s comparative advantage in this ecosystem isn’t about replicating advanced chip fabs, but about strengthening the assembly, testing, packaging and integration layers that make AI hardware scalable and resilient across North America (U.S.-Mexico Foundation). This isn’t happening by accident. Mexico’s next phase of industrial and digital policy is explicitly aligned with this opportunity.

CFE opens 269-MW combined cycle power plant in Querétaro to boost Bajío grid

Mexico’s industrial and digital infrastructure plans — including data centers, energy, and advanced manufacturing — are increasingly aligned with North America’s AI and nearshoring strategy.

Then there’s talent. AI leadership ultimately depends on people, not just machines. Mexico produces thousands of engineers and computer science graduates every year, many already embedded in North American firms and research ecosystems. Mexican universities graduate over 130,000 engineers annually across degree levels, along with nearly 3,000 master’s graduates in computer science or related fields — the highest number in Latin America. Talent mobility under the USMCA, combined with shared standards and regulatory coordination, accelerates innovation while keeping critical capabilities inside the region.

Seen through this lens, AI becomes a familiar story. Just like manufacturing, trade and energy, the United States doesn’t need to “do it all alone.” It needs a trusted, integrated regional system that lowers risk, increases scale and preserves strategic autonomy. Mexico is not a competitor in the AI race — it is an enabler.

(Just as a footnote, AI related to physical security enforcement, arms and potential war is a huuuge topic, of which I’m not capable of writing about, but keep that in mind as well.)

AI dominance won’t be decided by who writes the best prompt. It will be decided by who controls the full stack: chips, servers, energy, data, talent and trust. The upcoming 2026 USMCA review isn’t just a procedural milestone — it’s a narrow strategic window to lock in North America’s AI advantage before other models define the rules instead (Inter-American Dialogue).

In AI, just like in trade, the future isn’t about decoupling from your closest partners.
It’s about building with them.

Catch up on parts 1-4 of Could Mexico make America great again? here:

Pedro Casas Alatriste is the Executive Vice President and CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico (AmCham). Previously, he has been the Director of Research and Public Policy at the US-Mexico Foundation in Washington, D.C. and the Coordinator of International Affairs at the Business Coordinating Council (CCE). He has also served as a consultant to the Inter-American Development Bank.

World Bank sees slowing growth in 2026 for the Mexican and global economies

By

MND Staff

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January 14, 2026

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note taking with bills — While the forecast of 1.3% growth is down from the October estimate of 1.4%, Mexico can hope for the same resilience the Bank predicts for the rest of the world, which is expected to catch a break by 2027. (Shutterstock)

The World Bank’s latest estimate is that the Mexican economy will grow by 1.3% in 2026, a decrease from its 1.4% October forecast and a more significant reduction from the 1.6% growth it predicted for 2026 in January 2025.

According to the World Bank’s semi-annual Global Economic Prospects report released on Tuesday, the lower forecast is largely owing to the upcoming review of the USMCA free-trade agreement, which puts its trade with the U.S. under threat.

On a global level, the World Bank expects output growth to slow slightly to 2.6% in 2026, compared to 2.7% in 2025, but shows resilience by rising back up to 2.7% in 2027.

The organization revised its 2026 GDP forecast upwards by two-tenths of a percentage point from June estimations, which still puts it in the slowing category, since the final 2025 growth will be four-tenths of a percentage point higher than previous forecasts.

The recent global improvement reflects better-than-expected growth in the United States despite tariff-driven trade disruptions, according to the World Bank. It expects the U.S. to achieve a GDP growth of 2.2% in 2026, an improvement on its 2.1% in 2025.

Nevertheless, the sum of the forecasts implies that the current decade is performing weakly and could end with the slowest global growth since the 1960s. That possibility carries with it real-world pain, with higher levels of unemployment in emerging markets and developing countries, according to the World Bank.

World Bank ups growth forecast for Mexico and Latin America

Global GDP per person in 2025 was 10% higher than it was on the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Bank’s chief economist, Indermit Gill, said in a statement. This marks the fastest recovery from a major crisis in the past 60 years.

However, many developing countries are being left behind.

“While nearly all advanced economies will be richer in per capita income than they were before the pandemic, one out of four developing countries — and more than a third of all low-income economies — will be poorer than they were five years ago,” stressed Gill in his own italics.

Even though growth in emerging markets and ⁠developing economies is forecast to decrease from 4.2% in 2025 to 4% in 2026, those percentages mark a two-tenths and three-tenths of a percentage point increase from June forecasts.

Meanwhile, China’s economic growth rate forecast for 2026 remains unchanged from 2025, at 3.7%, according to the World Bank.

With reports from Reuters, El Economista and Proceso

Macario Martínez, the street sweeper-turned-songwriter, will give his first major solo show in León

By

MND Staff

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January 14, 2026

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Macariop Martínez 2026 — Macario Martínez, 23, was working in sanitation for Mexico City when a song he recorded, "Sueña lindo, corazón," went viral. Now he's a budding star. (macariomartinez_/Instagram)

Macario Martínez, the former Mexico City street sweeper-turned-viral sensation, will play his first major solo concert on Jan. 28 at the León State Fair 2026, one of the largest cultural events in Mexico.

The singer — whose video of his song “Sueña lindo, corazón” (“Sweet dreams, sweetheart”) went viral earlier this year with more than 14 million views — is scheduled to perform on the same bill with Latin Grammy winner Paloma Morphy and indie rock band Little Jesus.

León state fair theater — The León (Guanajuato) State Fair naturally has its local importance, but it has evolved into a major festival venue, where the Foo Fighters have already packed the 20,000-capacity house in this year’s edition. (@guanajuato/on X)

Tickets range from 920 to 1,265 pesos (US $52 to $71) and the concert will be held at Foro del Lago, a venue at the Guanajuato state fairgrounds.

His first large-scale, ticketed, festival-style show will mark a new milestone for Macario, who has been on a rapid rise from an unknown 23-year-old when his song went viral a year ago.

The former sanitation worker now counts more than 300,000 monthly Spotify listeners, and his songs are featured on over 37,000 playlists. In October, he performed on NPR’s celebrated “Tiny Desk Concert” series at the network offices in Washington, D.C.

His León concert is part of a lineup that has already included Foo Fighters, the post-grunge rockers from Seattle who played to a packed house of more than 20,000 on Saturday.

Other big names in the 14-concert slate include Dutch DJ Tiësto and alternative rock band Zoé from Cuernavaca, Morelos, along with cumbia stalwarts Los Ángeles Azules from Iztapalapa (a borough of Mexico City) and regional music stars La Arrolladora Banda El Limón from Mazatlán.

The annual Feria Estatal de León (FEL) — or León State Fair — is celebrating the city’s 450th anniversary this year as well as its own 150th edition. It opened Jan. 9 and runs through Feb. 4.

More than 6 million visitors are expected, according to the digital news site Líder Empresarial, with about 85% of its shows and activities free of charge.

The fair’s offerings range from family spectacles like Disney’s “Where Dreams Are Born” to “Illusion on Ice Quantum,” a futuristic skating show.

Macario’s highly anticipated debut will be on the same bill as Morphy, a singer-songwriter from Mexico City highlighted by Billboard magazine as a Latin “artist on the rise.” Three years ago, she left her career as a criminal lawyer after gaining popularity for her TikTok song covers, and in 2025, she won a Latin Grammy for best new artist after the release of her debut album, “Au.”

For more details on the fair, visit FeriadeLeon.mx.

With reports from La Silla Rota, Quadratín Bajío, Líder Empresarial and Milenio

US ambassador praises Mexico’s cartel arrests amid Trump’s pressure for more action

By

MND Staff

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January 14, 2026

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U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson in a security meeting — "Actions like these transcend borders," the ambassador wrote. (@USAmbMex/X)

Donald Trump believes that Mexico needs to do more to combat cartels, but his ambassador in Mexico City is full of praise for what is already being done.

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson posted twice on social media on Tuesday to acknowledge arrests made by Mexican security forces.

In an initial post on X, Johnson responded to Security Minister Omar García Harfuch’s announcement of the arrest in Mexico City of six members of Tren de Aragua, a transnational crime group from Venezuela.

“Actions like these transcend borders,” the ambassador wrote.

“By dismantling transnational criminal networks, regional security is strengthened and communities are made safer. We recognize @GabSeguridadMX for these arrests in Mexico City, which help ensure accountability and contribute to safer nations.”

Later on Tuesday, Johnson acknowledged an announcement by the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) of the arrest of four alleged Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) members in Jalisco and Nayarit.

Los arrestos de individuos vinculados al CJNG realizados por @FGRMexico en Jalisco golpean a esta organización narcoterrorista que genera violencia y envenena con sus drogas a nuestras comunidades. Colaborando haremos que la justicia prevalezca y juntos construiremos un futuro… pic.twitter.com/Idg87QIUNy

— Embajador Ronald Johnson (@USAmbMex) January 14, 2026

“The arrests of individuals linked to the CJNG carried out by @FGRMexico in Jalisco strike at this narco-terrorist organization that fuels violence and poisons our communities with its drugs,” he wrote on X.

“By working together, we will ensure that justice prevails and build a brighter future together.”

Both Tren de Aragua and CJNG were designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. government last February. Since the designation early in Trump’s second term, Mexico has come under increased pressure from the United States to do more to combat criminal organizations in Mexico and the drugs they traffic across the northern border.

Johnson’s remarks on Tuesday came the day after President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke by telephone to Trump, a call she requested in light of the U.S. president’s declaration last Thursday that the United States would begin hitting cartels on land — a move that would be an escalation of the U.S. military’s war on drugs at sea.

After the call, Sheinbaum — a staunch defender of Mexican sovereignty and an ardent opponent of any kind of U.S. intervention — said that the possibility of U.S. military action in Mexico could be ruled out.

She noted that Trump recognized her government’s security efforts, including the arrest of more than 40,000 suspects and the dismantlement of almost 2,000 drug labs over the past 15 months. However, she also acknowledged that he told her that more can be done to combat cartels and offered additional U.S. assistance to her government, such as a U.S. army deployment to Mexico.

From Oct. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2025, Mexico’s security ministry — led by Omar García Harfuch — arrested 40,735 people, seized more than 318 tonnes of drugs and 21,357 firearms and dismantled 1,887 laboratories. (@OHarfuch/X)

Amid the security-related tension between Mexico and the United States, it is a boon for the Mexican government to have the U.S. ambassador publicly recognizing its anti-crime efforts — as well as its willingness to cooperate with the Trump administration.

In another X post on Monday, Johnson wrote that the relationship between the United States and Mexico is the “most cooperative and mutually beneficial … in decades.”

In the same post, he said that “there’s still much to be done,” but added that “together we can build a brighter future for our citizens.”

Given that a unilateral U.S. strike on cartels in Mexico would almost certainly undermine the “mutually beneficial” bilateral security cooperation, the U.S. ambassador could be a strong advocate within the U.S. government for not risking the relationship with Mexico via an unrequested attack south of the border.

Ten months ago, before he assumed his current role, Johnson — who on Tuesday won praise from Sheinbaum for the support he has provided to the Mexican government — said he believed that on “any decision to take action against a cartel inside Mexico, our first desire would be that it be done in partnership with our Mexican partners.”

US ambassador wins Sheinbaum’s praise: Tuesday’s mañanera recapped

However, he also said he was aware that “President Trump takes very seriously his responsibility to safeguard the lives of U.S. citizens and should there be a case where the lives of U.S. citizens are at risk, I think all cards are on the table.”

In sum, Johnson’s remarks last March are indicative of where things currently stand: Trump, for now at least, appears to have backed away from his declaration that the U.S. would begin targeting cartels in Mexico, favoring instead ongoing bilateral security cooperation while continuing to push the Mexican government to authorize the entry of the U.S. military.

While security collaboration between Mexico and the United States may deepen as a result of the U.S. president’s threat last Thursday, and the Mexican government appears likely to further ramp up its anti-crime efforts given that Sheinbaum admitted on Monday that her administration could do more, some semblance of the status quo looks set to remain in the near term.

But as we saw on Jan. 3 in Venezuela — where President Nicolás Maduro was captured in a swift U.S. military operation — situations can change very quickly.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

Water back for almost all in Tijuana and Rosarito, after days of outage

By

MND Staff

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January 14, 2026

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pipeline repair in Tijuana — Obsolete and poorly placed pipelines presented challenges for the repair work to the water system serving Tijuana and Rosarito Beach. (Comisión Estatal de Servicios Públicos de Tijuana/Facebook)

Drinking water has been steadily returning to Tijuana and Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, as of last Sunday, after several days of a major outage.

The shortage affected approximately 691 neighborhoods in Tijuana and Playas de Rosarito due to interconnection and rehabilitation work on the Florido-Aguaje Aqueduct, a key infrastructure component that supplies water to more than 1.3 million residents in the region.

water pipeline Tijuana — The work that cut off water in 691 neighborhoods was for interconnection and rehabilitation of the Florido-Aguaje Aqueduct, a key infrastructure component that supplies water to more than 1.3 million residents in the Tijuana-Rosarito region of Baja California. (Comisión Estatal de Servicios Públicos de Tijuana/Facebook)

“Since Sunday, we’ve been re-establishing service to all the neighborhoods affected,” said Jesús García Castro, head of the Tijuana State Public Services Commission (Cespt). “Everyone should be back online by early this week.”

Water supply was gradually restored starting at 6 p.m. on Sunday, with authorities warning that it would take up to 36 hours for full restoration. That same day, Cespt reported that water service had been restored to over 300 neighborhoods in Tijuana.

On Tuesday, Cespt reported that 5% of the affected areas were still limited to intermittent water flow, marking a week since the outage.

The president of the Downtown Merchants Association, Guillermo Díaz Orozco, told the newspaper El Sol de Tijuana that hotels and restaurants without storage tanks have been the most affected, with estimated economic losses of up to 15%.

Households have also been affected, as money that was destined for food and other goods had to be diverted to buying water.

“Our routine is disrupted,” Ana García, a resident in one of the affected neighborhoods, told El Sol de Tijuana. “We avoid cooking to prevent creating a mess, and this also impacts our finances, since we have to eat out. We can’t maintain proper hygiene.”

According to authorities, work on the Florido-Aguaje Aqueduct took some 86 hours. The tasks included replacing pipe sections, repairing leaks and upgrading infrastructure to improve system efficiency and reduce future failures.

García said that the renovation work was unexpectedly delayed by the need to unearth an old storm drain used more than 70 years ago as irrigation for former agricultural areas. Another reason was that houses in the area are located almost on top of the aqueduct.

That renovation work was scheduled to be completed on Saturday morning, but was extended until Sunday evening.

Authorities have asked affected residents to continue reporting water shortages. “We want to thank everyone for their patience and we want to apologize for the delays,” García said.

With reports from El Sol de Tijuana, San Diego Red, El Imparcial, Border Report and Milenio

Mexican right-wing group to host CPAC summit targeting US support

By

MND Staff

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January 14, 2026

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Leader of México Republicano Juan Iván Peña Nader poses for a photo with Matt Schlapp at last year's CPAC. (Instagram)

Mexico’s political right is gearing up for the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February, where fledgling parties hope to garner more support from the United States.

This year, CPAC and the organization México Republicano (Republican Mexico) are holding a summit entitled “Mexico Facing the Fentanyl Crisis and Narcoterrorism” on Feb. 5 and 6, with the hopes of attracting a large audience of Mexican and U.S. politicians.

The group has sent invitations to U.S. government officials, including Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among others.

CPAC was founded in the United States five decades ago and rose to greater prominence in the 2010s when Donald Trump gave a speech that helped launch his political career.

The conference brings together right-wing ideologues and has attracted several Latin American and European far-right political attendees in the past, such as Argentine President Javier Milei and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Its influence in Mexico, while growing, remains confined to a small circle of right-wing voices rather than a broader movement.

Stage at CPAC — CPAC is held annually in February in the United States, in addition to traveling conferences hosted in countries such as Japan, Australia, Argentina, Mexico and this year, Colombia. (CPAC)

Representatives from Mexico’s PRI and PAN parties have confirmed their attendance, alongside former governors from northern Mexico, federal and state legislators and leaders of conservative political parties and civil society organizations.

The conference is taking place at a defining moment for the U.S.-Mexico relationship, given the United States’ recent intervention in Venezuela and the upcoming renegotiation of the USMCA free trade agreement.

Is México Republicano an official party in Mexico?

México Republicano, a far-right organization that openly promotes Trumpist ideology, has been working to become a formally recognized political party since 2023.

Its membership has long been a close supporter of CPAC, and, in November, the group received CPAC’s endorsement during the Circle Retreat and Gala CPAC 2025 at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida.

In November, México Republicano’s president, Juan Iván Peña Nader — a former functionary during the government of Felipe Calderón — said the organization was working against the clock to hold the required assemblies to move forward with its party registration.

“They require 20 assemblies: we’re going to do 25… We have until the last day of February,” Peña Nader told the newspaper Milenio.

The move follows the resignation of former governor Juan Manuel Oliva Ramírez as the organization’s secretary.

Upon Oliva’s departure, he reportedly told newspapers that the organization lacked the financial resources required to advance its political ambitions.

Peña Nader responded to his claims by saying México Republicano “has sufficient funds to organize what it needs to organize.”

“The issue is how much and how to spend it. It’s very expensive and very complicated; we have to make specific, effective moves,” he added.

Another ultraconservative organization in northern Mexico, “México Tiene Vida” (“Mexico Has Life”) — commonly referred to as Vida — recently reported it was close to achieving the thresholds required to earn formal recognition as a national political party, with a reported 220,000 people registered with the organization.

With reports from Milenio and Proceso

MND Local: San Miguel de Allende community roundup

By

Cathy Siegner

-

January 14, 2026

1

Special events happen every month in San Miguel de Allende, and January and February are no exception. Between the end-of-year holidays and before Semana Santa (Holy Week, from March 29 to April 5), San Miguel will host an impressive lineup of concerts, exhibits, plays, neighborhood art walks and public presentations, from the humorous to the serious.

A sampling of these events is detailed below, but first, take a look at some unique artwork gracing the city at two related venues through the end of the month.

Greg Mayer artwork in San Miguel de Allende — Artist Greg Mayer with one of the portraits that has made him a popular figure in San Miguel de Allende. (Emmanuel Ceballos)

The Namuh furniture galleries in Centro and on Camino a Alcocer past the Liverpool department store are featuring, through the end of this month, portraits by Greg Mayer built with painted LEGO and other plastic bricks.

Portraits by Greg Mayer

Mayer buys these plastic pieces by the kilo and paints them in shades of grey and a few other colors to create portraits that resemble optical illusions that are clear from a distance but pixelated up close.

Mayer, who lives in San Miguel and Arizona, said he chose to show his work here to honor “the beauty and dignity of the Mexican people” he observes in his daily life.

“The people at the bus stop, in the mercado and throughout the countryside,” he explained. “I have a deep respect for the quiet strength and grace present in everyday moments, and the work began as a way to honor that in my own home.”

Mayer said he’s drawn to faces that tell a story, and that his favorite is the one he’s currently working on.

“Some of the larger works take months to create, so by the time I’m finished, that piece had better be my favorite,” he said.

Greg Mayer portrait SMA — Another of Greg Mayer’s distinctive portraits. (Emmanuel Ceballos)

One of his favorite portraits, “La Sanadora” (“The Healer”), was prominently featured and quickly sold at the exhibit, which opened Oct. 31, 2025. Namuh owner Cecilio Garza described a “huge turnout” that evening, which he called “very unusual for an unknown artist in San Miguel.”

Mayer, humbled by the enthusiastic response to his work, hopes to have another exhibit here after he returns this spring. For now, you can see his work until the end of January at Namuh’s two locations: at Cuna de Allende 15 and at Camino a Alcocer, Km. 2.2.

Water-related murals unveiled

Erica Dayborn's "Dialogues with Mother Earth" — One of artist Erica Daborn’s “Dialogues with Mother Earth.” (Daum Museum of Contemporary Art)

“Dialogues with Mother Earth,” an environmental art collaboration between San Miguel artist Erica Daborn and the nonprofit clean-drinking-water organization Caminos de Agua, is coming to the Camino al Arte artists’ colony outside San Miguel in the town of Atotonilco on Jan. 15 and 16.

On Jan. 15 from 5–7 p.m., Camino al Arte will host an opening presentation, an artist talk and an exhibition of two of Daborn’s large-scale charcoal murals inspired by prehistoric cave drawings and socially engaged art. The murals will also be on display there on Jan. 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The two events are free and open to the public. Daborn’s new book, “Dialogues with Mother Earth,” will be available to purchase and can be signed by the artist. All proceeds go to support Caminos de Agua’s mission to provide access to safe water in Central Mexico.

Camino al Arte is located at Antigua Via S/N in Atontonilco, Guanajuato.

Winter orchid workshop

A Cymbidium hybrid orchid. (Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons)

A winter orchid workshop will be held Jan. 16 and 17 at the Casamada Hotel Boutique. Information on the care and uses of the Cymbidium orchid in landscaping and gardens will be presented. Each workshop costs 1,750 pesos and includes a brunch, study materials and a Cymbidium orchid to take home. Reservations are required.

The Jan. 16 workshop takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the Jan. 17 workshop takes place from 10 a.m. to noon. Space is limited. Reserve your spot by calling +52 (415) 125-4050.

Casamada Hotel Boutique is located at Potranca 16 in the Guadiana neighborhood.

Plays and staged readings this month

“Me? A Traitor?! Iconic Gen. Robert E. Lee Confronts His Life and Deeds” — A new one-act work from playwright Roger M. Williams, “Me? A Traitor?! Iconic Gen. Robert E. Lee Confronts His Life and Deeds,” will be staged this month. (San Miguel Live!)

Two one-act plays by local playwright Roger M. Williams are coming to the Teatro Santa Ana theatre in San Miguel’s La Biblioteca in Centro on Jan. 16 and 17.

“Gone!” is a humorous look at a U.S. tourist who gets lost in a Spanish city, and the other is entitled, “Me? A Traitor?! Iconic Gen. Robert E. Lee Confronts His Life and Deeds.” Marjorie Burren directs both and the local cast includes Burren, Frank Simons, Rick Franz and Josefina Valentini.

Admission is a 275-peso donation. Tickets are available at the theater box office. The Santa Ana Theater and its box office are located inside La Biblioteca at Insurgentes 25 in Centro.

At the Jewish Cultural & Community Center, veteran actors Fil Formicola and Alan Jacobson will be featured in a staged reading of Harold Pinter’s one-act play, “The Dumb Waiter,” on Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. The community center is located at Calle de Las Moras 47 in the Allende neighborhood.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Donation information is available here.

Andrew Paxman at PEN

Writer Andrew Paxman — British author Andrew Paxman will discuss the murder of Mexican journalists in San Miguel de Allende. (X, formerly Twitter)

British biographer and historian Andrew Paxman, author of the recently published “Mexican Watchdogs: The Rise of a Critical Press Since the 1980s,” will discuss “Who’s Really Murdering Mexican Journalists?” on Jan. 20, at the Jewish Cultural & Community Center, Calle de Las Moras 47 in the Allende neighborhood.

Tickets for the event, taking place at 6 p.m., are 350 pesos. It is part of San Miguel PEN’s winter lecture series, which supports threatened journalists and local literary projects.

Robert Burns Supper

The fifth annual Robert Burns Supper, held to honor Scotland’s most famous poet, returns to The Restaurant in Centro at 6 p.m. on Jan. 21. In keeping with Burns’ heritage, the meal will include haggis, roast beef with all the trimmings (vegetarian and gluten-free options upon request), wine and whisky. Entertainment will include bagpipes and a Scottish sing-along.

Tickets are US $125 and benefit the EEESMA School for the Deaf in San Miguel. More information is available via email here.

Two art walks

Art walk San Miguel de ALlende — Want to see an artist’s studio in San Miguel de Allende? There are two art walks coming up. (Instagram)

Visit local artists’ home studios during the free Guadalupe Art Walk on Jan. 24 and 25 in the neighborhood, which is home to galleries and San Miguel’s mural art district. Paintings, printmaking, sculpture and mixed media will be on hand for browsing and purchase.

The art walk takes place on both days from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Email here for more information.

Meanwhile, dates for the annual San Antonio Art Walk have been announced. It will be happening this year on Feb. 21 and 22 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the San Antonio Art Walk is free.

More information will be available in the February community roundup.

Candelaria Horticultural Fair

Flowers for this year’s Feria de la Candelaria. (Cathy Siegner)

Parque Zeferino, on the northern edge of the city, will be packed with regional growers and vendors selling flowers and plants during this year’s annual Feria de la Candelaria, which opens Jan. 30.

As always, the fair will feature a huge variety of trees, plants and cacti for sale, as well as pots and gardening tools. There will also be free music, dancing and other performances going on each day.

The Feria de la Candelaria runs through Feb. 13. Admission is free.

Live blues at Cent’anni

Local favorites the Craig Caffall Blues Band is playing at Cent’anni Restaurant in Centro on Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. The show is part of the year-long series of performances associated with the San Miguel International Jazz and Blues Festival.

Tickets for the Cent’anni show are 600 pesos in advance at the restaurant or 660 pesos online here. Cent’anni is located at Canal 23.

Tickets going fast for the Writers’ Conference

Premium all-events passes to the internationally known San Miguel Writers’ Conference in February are nearly sold out. So don’t wait if you have plans to attend this week-long conference for writers, aspiring writers and book lovers alike.

The 21st annual conference kicks off Feb. 11 and runs through Feb. 15 at the Hotel Real de Minas. This year’s conference features keynote addresses from authors Abraham Verghese, Maira Kalman, Rebecca Kuang, Yásnaya Elena Aguilar Gil and Emily St. John Mandel and poet Andrés Neuman.

Panel discussions, workshops, readings and receptions play a major role in the conference, which expects thousands of attendees, including writers, editors, agents and, of course, readers.

More information can be found here.

Cathy Siegner is an independent journalist based in San Miguel and Montana. She has journalism degrees from the University of Oregon and Northwestern University.

Trump says he doesn’t care about USMCA; Sheinbaum says US businesses do

By

MND Staff

-

January 14, 2026

24

G-jJsNEXcAAq8d6 — "I don't even think about USMCA," Trump told reporters during a tour of a Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan, on Tuesday. (@WhiteHouse/X)

Ahead of the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), U.S. President Donald Trump asserted on Tuesday that the trilateral free trade pact provides “no real advantage” to the United States and is “irrelevant” to him.

“I don’t even think about USMCA,” Trump told reporters during a tour of a Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan.

“I want to see Mexico and Canada do well, but the problem is we don’t need their product,” he said.

“You don’t think you’re going to renegotiate USMCA?” probed a reporter.

“Well, I can, it expires very shortly, and we could have it or not, it wouldn’t matter to me,” responded Trump, who in the past has floated the possibility of the United States entering into bilateral trade deals with each of Mexico and Canada.

“I think they want it, I don’t really care about it,” he continued.

.@POTUS at @Ford‘s Dearborn Truck Plant: “I want to see Canada and Mexico do well, but the problem is, we don’t need their product. We don’t need cars made in Canada, we don’t need cars made in Mexico — we want to make them HERE.” pic.twitter.com/yNrKWGi4Vi

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 13, 2026

“No real advantage to us. It’s irrelevant to me. Canada would love it. Canada wants it. They need it,” said Trump, who negotiated the USMCA during his first term as president and in 2019 asserted that it would be “the best and most important trade deal ever made by the USA.”

On Tuesday, the U.S. president also said: “We don’t need cars made in Canada, we don’t need cars made in Mexico, we want to make them here. And that’s what’s happening.”

Trump’s remarks came 5 1/2 months before the commencement of the formal review of the USMCA, which superseded the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, on July 1, 2020.

The U.S. president’s claim that the USMCA “expires very shortly” is not true, as even if Mexico, the United States and Canada don’t agree to extend the pact during the upcoming review process, it would not be terminated until 2036.

His assertion that the U.S. doesn’t need Mexican and Canadian products is highly questionable.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that “the Detroit Three” — General Motors, Ford and Stellantis — “are heavily reliant on supply chains that include significant parts production in Mexico and Canada.”

General Motors president Mark Reuss said Thursday that the company’s “supply chains go all the way through all three countries” and described the integration as a “big strength.”

Beyond the auto industry, various other manufacturing sectors are highly integrated across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The USMCA governs trade worth around US $2 trillion per year. The pact was significantly undermined by Trump in 2025, as he imposed tariffs on a range of goods from Mexico and Canada, including steel, aluminum and vehicles.

Sheinbaum: ‘I’m convinced that Mexico’s trade relationship with the United States will continue’

Asked about Trump’s remarks at her morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum first pointed out that the economies of Mexico, the United States and Canada are “very integrated.”

Sheinbaum Jan. 14, 2026 — Sheinbaum again declared on Wednesday that she is “convinced” that Mexico’s trade relationship with the United States will continue. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

She went on to say that “those who most defend” the USMCA are businesspeople in the United States.

“Of course, Mexico as well,” Sheinbaum added.

Indeed, as Reuters reported on Tuesday, “major automakers including Tesla, Toyota and Ford in November urged the Trump administration to extend USMCA, saying it is crucial to American auto production.”

Reuters also reported that “the American Automotive Policy Council, representing the Detroit Three automakers, said USMCA ‘enables automakers operating in the U.S. to compete globally through regional integration, which delivers efficiency gains’ and accounts ‘for tens of billions of dollars in annual savings.'”

In light of the integration across various sectors in North America, Sheinbaum declared that she is “convinced” that Mexico’s trade relationship with the United States will continue despite Trump’s most recent remarks. She has previously said that she is “very positive” and “very optimistic” about the USMCA review.

On Wednesday, Sheinbaum said she wasn’t going to enter into a debate about trade with Trump, but stressed the “importance” of maintaining the Mexico-U.S. trade relationship “for both countries.”

The Mexican and U.S. presidents spoke by telephone on Monday, but their conversation focused on security issues. Sheinbaum subsequently said that she and Trump had agreed to another call soon in order to discuss “other issues,” including trade.

With reports from Reforma and Reuters