81-year-old Kate Burt (center) hasn't let age slow her down, founding Opera Guanajuato in her adopted home. (Facebook)
In 2009, at age 65, New York City mezzo-soprano, stage director, costume designer and high school theater teacher Kate Burt moved to the city of Guanajuato. While studying Spanish, she approached the University of Guanajuato and asked if she could audit theater and voice classes.
“Sitting in on classes that focused on voice, music and theater was my way of learning vocabulary related to things I loved,” she says. “I just listened until I could talk.”
Learning Spanish through music
Burt’s introduction to theater in Mexico was via the pastorela, a traditional folk play. (Edgar Negrete/Cuartoscuro)
After a year, she not only knew how to say “B minor” in Spanish but also had gotten to know many key people in the local performing arts community.
Knowing Burt had designed costumes for little theaters in the U.S., the director of a Guanajuato children’s theater workshop asked her to create angel wings for an upcoming pastorela. Burt sewed the 2-meter-high wings on her treadle sewing machine, hand-painting the cloth feathers.
When the wings were finished, she started to climb into a taxi to go to the theater and realized they wouldn’t fit, so she slipped them on over her clothes and walked across town to the theater.
“I imagine I looked muy rara,” Burt chuckled. “Lots of folks pointed and stared and asked why I was wearing them. I think it was good publicity for the pastorela.”
Getting involved in theater
On the way, she ran into the University of Guanajuato music school’s director of voice, who asked her if she would teach acting skills to voice students. Although she didn’t know it yet, teaching acting skills for three semesters would lead Burt to start directing and producing plays and operas in 2012.
Burt’s involvement with theater led to her founding of the Opera Guanajuato. (Facebook)
“It was so hilarious that I decided to look for actors to perform it,” she said. “I learned so much colloquial Spanish directing that play.”
When Burt came to Guanajuato, she had no plans to start an opera company.
“But it seemed strange to me that a city with so much culture, theater, a superb orchestra and beautiful venues had virtually no opportunities for singers to perform,” she said. “The organization evolved slowly. Little by little, we built scenes, did small productions — and then larger ones.”
The birth of Opera Guanajuato
Burt is now the director of Opera Guanajuato (OG), an associación civil (non-profit) that she founded in 2018, whose mission is to provide opportunities for Mexican singers, actors, musicians, dancers and designers to participate in opera and theater productions.OGalso offers one or two scholarships a year to help talentedsingers with limited means.
Almost all the adult and children’s choir members are Mexican, giving them the once-rare opportunity to perform. OG holds open auditions, and Burt listens to singers from all over the country. They producetwo to three plays or chamber operas a year, including “Hansel and Gretel,”“The Magic Flute,”and“Amahl and the Night Visitors.”They offer the productions not just in Guanajuato but also in other towns in the state, like San Miguel de Allende and Irapuato.
Opera in the park
Burt has used her creativity in other ways as well, like offering opera scenes in Guanajuato’s Mercado Hidalgo, where singers would appear among the tortilla and cheese puestos.
Burt has ensured that opera is taken to the people, including performances in Guanajuato’s Mercado Hidalgo. (Facebook)
“The reaction was tremendous,” she says. “People sometimes say, ‘We can’t go to the theater — the show times don’t work for us — but please bring them back to the market.’”
She believes children are a conduit for helping the public become familiar with opera.
“When we involve children, they bring their aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins — the whole family — to the theater. Many who had never been to an opera say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know about that. When is the next one?’”
Challenges to overcome
The biggest challenge at first, of course, was language. She chuckles over the mistakes she made, like asking a waiter for el cuento (a short story) instead of la cuenta (the check).
“The poor waiter looked terrified!” Her friend corrected her and they all had a good laugh.
After mastering Spanish, “there was the process of understanding that Mexican culture is very distinct from my culture, and requires a foreigner to listen sensitively and ask open questions.”
Given her belief in children as the best conduits of opera, Burt has also been active in concerts, like this one at the Casa de la Cultura in Guanajuato. (Facebook)
Another challenge has been dealing with the tax structure and administrative demands, involving extensive unanticipated paperwork. She relies on an accountant to deal with SAT, Mexico’s IRS. The accountant is one of four part-time staff, along with a choral director, an administrative assistant, and a publicist, all of whom have other full-time jobs. Soloists, pianists and orchestra musicians are also paid.
To pay their salaries, OG does private fundraising, and Burt — who owns a rental house in Colorado — invests some of her own money into the company.
“We would love to have a permanent home where we could rehearse and perform,” she says.
Taking advantage of local support
If you have an idea, she suggests gettingtoknow local people who have an interest in your area of expertise. Find out what they’re already doing, ask open questions, listen respectfully and see where an unfilled need exists.
With local support, you, too, might start something as exciting as an opera company.
Louisa Rogers and her husband Barry Evans divide their lives between Guanajuato and Eureka, on California’s North Coast. Louisa writes articles and essays about expat life, Mexico, travel, physical and psychological health, retirement and spirituality. Her recent articles are available on her website, authory.com/LouisaRogers.
Mexico City is home to many millions of people, including foreigners attracted by the lifestyle. (Alcaldía Cuauhtémoc)
A2024 New York Times report notes that Mexico is home to over 1.6 million U.S. citizens — the largest American community abroad. But it’s more than Americans: Argentinian, Spaniard, Chinese and Russian populations have all grown significantly, with Mexican authorities reporting a64% year-on-year increase in Russian migrants in 2024. The stereotypical CDMX immigrant — a digital nomad typing furiously from a café while nursing the same almond-milk cappuccino for hours (yes, I’m describing myself) — isn’t the full story.
This article follows eight foreigners who’ve chosen Mexico City as home: a Siberian artist, a British designer, an American photographer and business owners from Venezuela to Israel. What they discovered is a city of contradictions: welcoming yet isolating, affordable yet expensive, home and foreign all at once. And somehow that’s exactly what keeps them here.
Why they left their old life behind
Everyone who moves to Mexico City has different reasons for doing so. (Roman Lopez/Unsplash)
Anastasia’s move to Mexico City wasn’t entirely intentional. The multidisciplinary artist and sustainable streetwear designer had been living in New York for six years when she visited family in Russia. Upon her return, her U.S. visa was unexpectedly denied. Despite everything she owned still being in New York, she decided to move to Mexico City — permanently.
“What once felt like an abrupt disruption became one of the greatest gifts of my life,” she said. “I never felt that I fully belonged in my country, and I always knew my life would unfold across different parts of the world. Mexico felt like a warm embrace — a true home.”
In Venezuela, Orlando was earning US $38 a month. He left partly out of necessity, partly in search for the right place to build a career: San Francisco, Santiago, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Bogotá. It was years of bouncing between cities before settling in Mexico City eight years ago, where he founded Meaningful, a 25-person growth marketing studio.
“I wanted to reconnect with my Latino roots and the Venezuelan community,” he said. “Mexico gave me all of that.”
An injury during a trek in Japan left U.S. citizen Logan with medical bills and drained savings. The cheapest flight west landed him in Mexico City. “Everything felt in flow. Life was working out here.”
The writer, photographer, and filmmaker has been here ever since.
Mexico City has an appealing energy and vibe (Jezael Melgoza/Unsplash)
Love brought Luke from Nottingham, England, seven years ago after meeting his Mexican wife while she studied abroad. They now await their first child.
Is it still more affordable than living north of the border? Alexander, a German-born U.S. citizen who runs a bespoke events agency in Mexico, thinks so, though he acknowledges the privilege.
“You can have a better life when making U.S. dollars, but let’s not forget that things are getting more expensive.”
This is particularly impactful for families. As mental health clinic owner Jessica points out, earning potential often drops when moving here, and with children, costs multiply in unexpected ways. In Australia, where she’s from, childcare and schools operate on the assumption that both parents work — systems are heavily subsidized and organized around full work days. In Mexico, roughly 18% of public schools participate in after-school care programs.
The assumption is that family members are available for support, and, if a parent works, the family probably has access to Mexican social security benefits (IMSS), which include free healthcare. Without that built-in network, expats end up paying for nannies, inconvenient school days and private healthcare. The affordability equation changes significantly as circumstances shift.
The cost of living shouldn’t be the reason anyone moves to Mexico. (Luis Dominguez/Unsplash)
But everyone interviewed agreed on one thing: The cost of living shouldn’t be your primary motivation. Orlando, who works with clients like DoorDash and Raycast, puts it directly.
“Come here to continue producing, creating wealth and building happiness for yourself and the people around you,” he said. “Don’t come just to settle and chill, especially if you’re young.”
Logan was even more blunt.
“Pick a better reason!” he said. “Only stay when you fall in love with it.”
The benefits of living in Mexico City
Nearly everyone mentioned Mexico City’s warm, welcoming energy. Logan said he’s watched life unfold without the usual struggle.
“I’m shocked by how I’ve found projects here,” he said. “It often feels like I’m being pulled into things when, all my life, I’ve pushed to make anything happen for myself.”
Mexico City welcomes those with ambition and plans. (Oscar Reygo/Unsplash)
Luke, who runs the motion design agency Only the Bold, assumed creative meetups would be easy to find in a city this size. Even though he arrived before the pandemic, he discovered that in-person networking events were hard to find. So he and a Mexican friend started Motion Design México together to fill the gap. Rotem, an Israeli who left international tech to open Pasta Mestiza, found meeting people the easiest part of the transition.
The quality-of-life shift was universal, especially for those fleeing fast-paced cultures. Alexander left U.S. stress behind:
“Back home, everyone seems to be stressed, working like crazy just to pay bills. Once I came here, this all changed. I feel happier and more relaxed.”
Daily rhythms reflect this slower pace. Monica, a New Yorker who opened Curiosa Cafe in Mexico City’s Condesa neighborhood, starts mornings walking her dogs through Parque México. Orlando does the same along tree-lined Avenida Ámsterdam. Alexander works from coffee shops he’s not tried yet and then explores new neighborhoods when done for the day. And Mexico taught Anastasia something unexpected: the beauty of spending more time alone.
Do expats feel welcome?
But feeling welcome and feeling at home are different things. Everyone interviewed has built a real life in Mexico City. Whether they feel truly accepted is more complicated.
Rotem felt welcomed from the start, but the real test came during the peak of the Israel-Palestine war.
“Gentrification isn’t progress, it’s dispossession,” reads a banner hung in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City in July. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
“Some tourists who came to eat in Pasta Mestiza would turn around when they realized I’m from Israel,” he said. “Not one Mexican reacted that way — they were always empathetic, even asking about my family.”
In six years, Orlando said he has had only one negative experience: a bank representative who took issue with his Venezuelan roots.
How long did it take for the city to feel like home? For some, like Anastasia, it was immediate. For Jessica, it’s been more cyclical.
“There are times when it felt like home and times when it didn’t,” she acknowledged.
Rotem captures the duality.
“I have moments where I can still feel on vacation, like being at a wedding and having chilaquiles at 1 a.m., then washing them down with tequila and dancing to banda music. That’s probably something I’ll never get used to — and I’m happy for that.”
Spanish language fluency makes it easier to make friends and fit in. (Christian Rojas/Pexels)
Does Spanish fluency increase belonging? Everyone interviewed has at least an intermediate understanding of the language, although mastery remains elusive for most.
Luke feels language is crucial, especially in social settings, where being able to keep up with fast-paced conversations is the difference between being a spectator and a participant:
“Something that haunts me is that you could replace me with a potted fern, and nobody at the party would spot the difference. At that point, I’m essentially a less aesthetically pleasing version of a houseplant.”
Navigating Mexico City’s systems and challenges
Jessica, who’s lived in Mexico’s capital the longest, experienced something no one warns you about.
“I feel the initial arrival is easier — the romance phase with great weather, affordable rent, friendly faces and delicious fruit. What was harder was not being prepared for how culture shock reveals itself the further you integrate. It’s not something you go through once at the start. It’s cyclical. The hardest times have been much later, in my experience.”
Mexico’s systems are proof of this. In Australia, the U.S., Canada and the U.K., rules-based environments mean that by following regulations, you’ll be protected. Consumer protection bodies can pressure banks and companies to honor refunds or compensate for errors. In Mexico, however, consumer protection agencies like Profeco exist on paper, but fines for illegal behavior go to the state rather than the harmed party — enforcing your rights usually means hiring a lawyer.
Bureaucracy and the amount of traffic can be off-putting. (Roger Ce/Unsplash)
Monica misses the “customer is always right” mentality when dealing with suppliers for her cafe. Opening even a small business involves navigating multiple offices and portals — often in person — that can delay opening for weeks. Mexico’s tax collection agency, known as the SAT, relies heavily on a specific method of electronic invoicing, so a missing or incorrect factura can result in losing a deduction entirely — even if the expense was documented by other means.
For Jessica, this makes running a business feel precarious. The moment one link fails — an unhelpful bank, a supplier who won’t honor a contract, a permit delayed with no explanation — the whole structure wobbles, and there’s no obvious safety net.
Both Monica and Logan also said they faced landlord struggles. Each was threatened with illegal lease termination when higher-paying tenants appeared. Logan fought back.
“I scared him off with a legal text asserting my tenant rights, opening a case with PROSOC [Mexico City’s housing rights agency] and asking for his CFDI [proof that he was declaring the rental income from Logan to the SAT] and facturas, because I suspected he wasn’t paying taxes.”
Luke acknowledges the broader tension.
“The anti-gentrification movement is understandable, but it’s a reminder that you will always be seen as an outsider,” he said, then turned philosophical. “Ultimately, I think the answer is a reflection of your own internal reality, and we can create whatever reality we choose.”
Will they stay?
Most foreigners who move to Mexico City fall in love with the city. But not everyone wants to stay forever. (Bhargava Marripati/Unsplash)
Can they imagine leaving? Some can, but not yet.
Anastasia isn’t quite ready.
“I’m still a bit traumatized by visa experiences, and nothing is ever guaranteed,” she said.
Luke joked he’d need “a world war, another pandemic or free tickets to Disneyland” to consider leaving Mexico. Orlando said he’d reconsider living here if democracy were threatened or if he needed better schools and safety for a future family.
The common thread is family. Rotem thinks about it often.
“The distance from my family is a big factor,” he said. “I believe that at some point I’ll want to spend more time with my parents, helping them when they get older.”
There’s a pull between missing family and wanting to start one’s own. (Roberto Carlos Román Don)
Jessica feels the same pull.
“As my parents age, it’s a thought that is often on my mind. The thrill of adventure is giving way to the pull of family, familiarity and a feeling of security.”
Monica and Logan said they would only leave Mexico for safety crises or family emergencies.
But none are planning exits now. Logan, a year and a half in, is still in the honeymoon phase. Orlando’s gratitude for Mexico has only grown — so much so that he became a Mexican citizen six months ago.
“The more grateful I became, the more it felt like mine,” he said.
Jessica captures it best.
Mexico City is welcoming, but it can also become isolating for those who have moved from other countries. (Carlos Aranda/Unsplash)
“My Mexico journey is far from complete — it’s now a permanent part of my story and my life, and I suspect it will remain so in some form or another.”
Those contradictions promised at the start — welcoming yet isolating, affordable yet expensive, home and foreign all at once — aren’t problems to solve. They’re the reality of building a life in a place that isn’t yours by birth but that becomes yours through commitment.
Luke offers the final word:
“I believe people should be free to move where they want, even for economic reasons,” Luke says. “It comes down to a base human level: Are you being a good neighbor? Contribute something, integrate.”
Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog or follow her on Instagram.
President Sheinbaum discussed her morning phone call with U.S. President Trump at Thursday's press conference, as well as other topics related to trade and national security. (Claudia Sheinbaum/X)
President Claudia Sheinbaum held her Thursday morning press conference after speaking by phone to U.S. President Donald Trump.
“It was a cordial, friendly call, and it lasted about 40 minutes,” she told reporters at the beginning of the mañanera.
Trump also referred to the call in positive terms, writing on social media that it was “very productive” and “went extremely well for both countries.”
“Much of it was focused on the Border, stopping Drug Trafficking, and Trade. We will be speaking again, soon, and ultimately, setting up meetings in our respective Countries. Mexico has a wonderful and highly intelligent Leader — They should be very happy about that!” he wrote on Truth Social.
On Thursday morning, Sheinbaum said that she and her U.S. counterpart discussed “various issues,” including trade and security.
Trump praised Sheinbaum as “wonderful and highly intelligent” after a 40-minute call that both leaders described in positive terms. (Truth Social)
“While we were speaking, his wife arrived, Melania. So I had the opportunity to say hello to her. You already know that I met her in Washington when we were at the FIFA thing,” she said, referring to the World Cup draw in December.
Sheinbaum: Trump acknowledged that Mexico is making progress on security issues
Sheinbaum told reporters that Trump agreed with her that Mexico is making progress on a range of security issues.
“On the contrary, we agreed that [things are] going very well. We’re making a lot of progress on the issue of security,” she said.
Sheinbaum has recently been touting the reduction in homicides in Mexico, including during her Jan. 12 call with Trump. However, the accuracy of the federal government’s data on homicides has been questioned by security experts and non-governmental organizations.
Sheinbaum: Trade negotiations with US are going well
Sheinbaum told reporters that Mexico’s trade talks with the United States are going well.
“There’s nothing concrete yet, but things are progressing very well,” she said.
Mexico is seeking relief from tariffs the Trump administration has imposed on a range of Mexican goods including steel, aluminum and vehicles.
Meanwhile, the Mexican and U.S. governments agreed on Wednesday to “begin formal discussions on possible structural and strategic reforms in the context of the first USMCA Joint Review,” according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
Sheinbaum acknowledged that announcement, and said that Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard — who met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Wednesday — will provide more details next week.
Sheinbaum advocated for maintenance of trilateral trade pact
Sheinbaum said that she and Trump discussed Canada during her call, and noted that she spoke in favor of “maintaining the agreement” — the USMCA — “with the three countries.”
Canada’s growing distance from the U.S. was on display at Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent World Economic Forum address, where he called on middle powers to unite in a clear rebuke of the current U.S. administration. (World Economic Forum)
However, even if Mexico, the United States and Canada don’t agree to extend the USMCA during this year’s review process, the pact would not be terminated until 2036.
Sheinbaum: Neither Cuba nor the arrest of Ryan Wedding were discussed in call with Trump
Sheinbaum said that she and Trump didn’t discuss “the issue of Cuba.”
Bloomberg reported on Monday that Mexico’s state oil company Pemex had canceled plans to send a shipment of crude oil to Cuba this month. Sheinbaum didn’t deny the report, but stressed that Mexico makes its own sovereign decisions regarding oil shipments to Cuba — i.e. not under any duress from the United States.
On Thursday, she indicated that Mexico would continue to send oil to Cuba as “humanitarian aid.”
At her press conference, however, she responded to a Wall Street Journal report that referred to “the FBI’s involvement in the Jan. 22 operation” to capture Wedding. (Read Mexico News Daily’s report here.)
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
Sinaloa state Deputies Sergio Torres and Elizabeth Montoya were attacked by gunmen while in their car. (José Betanzos Zarate/Cuartoscuro.com)
Two state legislators from the Citizens’ Movement party (MC) were attacked by gunmen on Wednesday in Culiacán, the capital of the northern state of Sinaloa.
Representatives Sergio Torres Félix and Elizabeth Rafaela Montoya Ojeda were wounded while in their vehicle near the boardwalk in downtown Culiacán. The incident occurred around noon, shortly after the legislators had left the Congress building.
Sergio Torres served as mayor of Culiacán (2014-2016) and unsuccessfully ran for governor of Sinaloa in 2021. He is considered to be a leading candidate for governor in 2027. (Facebook)
Responding to reports of gunfire, public safety officers arrived shortly thereafter, but the assailants had already fled the area.
Montoya was hit by a bullet and was reported to be in stable condition, while Torres — wounded by shrapnel — is said to be in delicate, but stable condition. Gonzalo Quintero, the lawmakers’ bodyguard who was wounded while attempting to repel the attack, is also in stable condition.
Wednesday’s violence occurred the day after Culiacán police chief Alejandro Bravo was fired upon when he and several policemen responded to complaints about gunfire near the city airport. Bravo’s car was pierced by several bullets, but he was unharmed. The attackers escaped after placing spike stripes in the path of the patrol cars.
Before she was elected as a state lawmaker, Elizabeth Montoya served as a Culiacán city councilmember and state director of the DIF family assistance agency. (Facebook)
Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha immediately ordered the state Security Ministry to conduct a “search and capture operation” to locate those responsible for the attack. A special intelligence unit was also dispatched to the scene.
“I have communicated with the … state Attorney General’s Office so that action is taken promptly and efficiently (as the investigation proceeds),” Rocha posted on his X account.
Rocha also contacted President Claudia Sheinbaum who authorized the federal Security Cabinet to take part in the investigation.
“From the moment the events were reported, direct communication was established with authorities of the Sinaloa State Government and inter-institutional actions were coordinated to support the investigation,” the Security Cabinet said in a statement.
The Security Cabinet analyzed video surveillance footage from the area in an effort to identify the attackers’ escape route.
Torres served as mayor of Culiacán (2014-2016) while with the Institutional Revolutionary Party. Shortly after his term ended, he switched to the MC and unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2021. He is considered to be a leading candidate for governor in 2027.
FBI Director Kash Patel, seen here in a 2025 photo, traveled to Mexico City ahead of Ryan Wedding's arrest last week and flew back to the U.S. with the alleged drug trafficker in tow. (U.S. Justice Department)
President Claudia Sheinbaum asserted on Thursday that a Wall Street Journal report aligned with her government’s version of events regarding the arrest last week of alleged drug boss Ryan Wedding, even though it includes information she has previously rejected and which she continues to deny.
Did accused drug trafficker Ryan Wedding turn himself into the U.S. Embassy, or was he arrested as part of a “high-risk operation”? The Mexican and U.S. government can’t agree. (U.S. Embassy)
“Ryan Wedding was on the run,” the report begins.
“Mexican security forces were closing in on the 44-year-old Canadian — a snowboarder who once competed for Canada in the Olympics but has since landed on America’s most-wanted list for allegedly running a vast cocaine-trafficking network — said Mexican and U.S. officials familiar with the operation,” it continues.
“Long protected by Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, Wedding suddenly had no options. By the time security forces caught up with him in Mexico last week, the officials said, members of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team [HRT] were also involved.”
Citing “some of the officials it spoke to,” the WSJ wrote that “law-enforcement officials made contact with Wedding — presumed to be armed and dangerous — and, in an intense negotiation, reminded him that his associates had been captured and millions of dollars of his assets had been seized.”
“… Eventually, said his lawyer, Anthony Colombo, FBI agents handcuffed Wedding, who was then transported to California and pleaded not guilty in federal court to 17 felony charges, including murder,” the report states.
The WSJ journal didn’t specify whether it was U.S. law enforcement officials, Mexican law enforcement officials or officials from both countries who “made contact with Wedding.”
Nor did it say where FBI agents allegedly handcuffed Wedding.
The publication of the WSJ’s report came six days after FBI director Kash Patel wrote on social media that the arrest of Wedding was the result of “a zero-margin, high-risk operation.”
“Our FBI HRT teams executed with precision, discipline, and total professionalism alongside our Mexican partners to bring Ryan James Wedding back to face justice,” Patel, who was in Mexico at the time of the arrest, wrote on X.
For her part, Sheinbaum says that Wedding turned himself in at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and has repeatedly denied that there was a joint operation to detain the suspect. She conceded on Tuesday that her government didn’t know “the details” of the alleged surrender, explaining that “what we do know is what the U.S. authorities here told the authorities of Mexico.”
This was a zero-margin, high-risk operation.
Our FBI HRT teams executed with precision, discipline, and total professionalism alongside our Mexican partners to bring Ryan James Wedding back to face justice.
In contrast to Sheinbaum’s denial of a joint operation, the WSJ’s report indicates that there was indeed collaboration between U.S. and Mexican authorities on an operation to capture Wedding.
“The FBI’s involvement in the Jan. 22 operation was intended to be a closely guarded secret,” a U.S. official said. Mexico’s laws ban foreign agents from being physically present in law-enforcement operations on its soil and taking part in detentions or raids. The nationalist ruling party in Mexico is particularly sensitive to foreign interference,” states the newspaper’s report.
It also notes that “Colombo, Wedding’s attorney, has disputed Sheinbaum’s version of events, saying that it isn’t true that Wedding turned himself in at the embassy and that U.S. agents absolutely were involved.”
In addition, the WSJ, citing U.S. officials, wrote that Patel, while in Mexico City, was “quietly working with Mexican partners throughout the operation to arrest Wedding.”
Citing “some of the Mexican and U.S. officials” it spoke to, the newspaper also wrote that “the FBI is now mapping out more targets across Mexico and aiming to do joint operations with Mexican forces against top drug-trafficking targets.”
Sheinbaum: WSJ report ‘clearly states what we’ve been saying’
At her Thursday morning press conference, Sheinbaum was asked whether she and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed “the issue of the FBI and the capture of the ex-athlete” in the telephone conversation they had earlier in the day.
“We didn’t discuss the issue,” she responded.
A reporter then mentioned to the president that the WSJ published a report affirming that there was a U.S. “intervention” and that the intention was to keep the United States’ involvement in the operation to capture Wedding a secret.
“If you read the article from the Wall Street [Journal] carefully, it clearly states that Mexico, the security cabinet, … seized some of his assets,” Sheinbaum said referring to the WSJ’s recognition that “in December, Mexican security forces raided a warehouse full of professional-racing motorcycles allegedly owned by Wedding and worth an estimated $40 million.”
Sheinbaum continued to deny the existence of a joint operation to arrest Canadian Ryan Wedding, an accused drug trafficker whose arrest has raised questions about whether U.S. agents have been operating illegally in Mexico. (Daniel Augusto / Cuartoscuro.com)
She subsequently said that while the headline says “one thing,” the “first paragraph” of the report “clearly states … what we have been saying.”
“It was a joint operation then?” the reporter asked. “The action [by FBI agents] was allowed [or was it] only Mexicans?” she probed.
“No, let’s see,” responded Sheinbaum.
“This is very important for everyone and also for the people of Mexico: We’re never going to accept joint operations with the United States, or with federal, state or municipal forces of the United States, in our territory,” she said.
“We collaborate, they give us information, we give them information, but the operations in our territory are carried out by Mexican forces. That has to be made very clear,” Sheinbaum said.
“In the article from The Wall Street [Journal] it is very clear how the process occurred,” she said, appearing to accept the content of the report even though it explicitly states that the FBI was involved in the operation to capture Wedding, something the president denies.
“So, I repeat: I am not going to engage in further discussion with the head of the FBI, but it must be made very clear that we do not accept joint operations,” Sheinbaum continued.
To support her government’s assertion that Wedding handed himself in at the U.S. Embassy, the president, on repeated occasions, has pointed to a statement issued by U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson. She has emphasized that the statement refers to “the surrender of Ryan Wedding,” but hasn’t focused on the fact that it says that said surrender “was a direct result of pressure applied by Mexican and U.S. law enforcement working in close coordination and cooperation.”
Incongruent versions of events
The WSJ exclusive was widely covered by the Mexican media, with various outlets reporting that it contradicted the Mexican government’s claim that Wedding turned himself in at the U.S. Embassy.
🚨 Al parecer Sheinbaum no leyó bien la nota del @WSJ o no leyó más allá del primer párrafo, porque lejos de respaldar su versión, cita fuentes estadounidenses que aseguran que la operación conjunta debía mantenerse en secreto… 👇 pic.twitter.com/byAd1LwbOY
Therefore, Sheinbaum’s assertion that the WSJ report “clearly states” what her government has been saying does not appear to be logical.
Indeed, she appears to have contradicted herself by saying: “In the article from The Wall Street [Journal] it is very clear how the process occurred.”
Vicente Gálvez, a television and print journalist, wrote on social media on Thursday morning that it appeared that Sheinbaum didn’t read the WSJ report carefully or didn’t read “beyond the first paragraph because far from supporting her version [of events], it cites U.S. sources that claim that the joint operation had to be kept secret.”
The circumstances of the arrest of Wedding are of great interest as U.S. agents in Mexico are legally barred from making arrests, and Sheinbaum has said on repeated occasions that her government will not accept any kind of intervention or unilateral action by U.S. forces in Mexican territory.
The circumstances of the arrest remain murky a week after it occurred. With what appeared to be a simultaneous endorsement and rejection of the WSJ report, Sheinbaum hasn’t made things any clearer.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
Grupo Modelo, Mexico's top beermaker and producer of the worldwide favorite Corona, plans to go all-in on riding the World Cup demand for beer, flooding the market with its products not only at the stadiums where the games will be played, but at fan fests and public viewings as well.
(Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro.com)
The nation’s top brewer is betting that beer — traditional cerveza as well as the increasingly popular non-alcoholic variety — will help make Mexico the best host country of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A lesson learned at the last World Cup, when Qatar imposed an in-stadium prohibition, is that non-alcoholic beer has become popular. Said the company’s sponsorship director, “When there’s soccer, there’s beer, and it doesn’t necessarily have to have alcohol.” (Secretaría de Desarollo Económico Oaxaca)
“We have very high expectations of delivering the best experience ever seen at a World Cup, and we think that Mexico will clearly be the best of the three venues,” Alejandro Gershberg, Grupo Modelo’s sponsorship director, told Sports Illustrated México.
And although Mexico will host just 13 of the record 104 matches, authorities expect more than 800,000 fans in stadiums and more than 6 million people at fan fests and public viewing areas nationwide — plus 5.5 million foreign visitors between May and July.
Backed by global giant AB InBev, Grupo Modelo controls some of Mexico’s best-known beers, including Corona, Pacífico, Negra Modelo and Modelo Especial, along with primarily domestic labels Victoria and León.
Corona is Mexico’s best-selling beer and among the world’s top five most-consumed beers.
According to industry sources, Mexican beer accounts for roughly 80% of all beer imported into the U.S. in recent years. Also, Mexico accounts for about 30-36% of the world’s beer exports, which by volume surpasses that of any other country by more than double.
Mexico City-based Modelo employs nearly 30,000 workers at 10 breweries nationwide and also operates bottle-making and malt-processing plants.
The 2022 Qatar World Cup provided an unexpected dress rehearsal for Modelo’s World Cup strategy.
Less than two days before kickoff, FIFA banned alcohol sales inside Qatar’s eight host stadiums, forcing AB InBev to pivot to Budweiser Zero, its non-alcoholic variant, while limiting full-strength beer to fan fests and other approved sites.
Gershberg said that shift “helped demonstrate that when there’s soccer, there’s beer, and it doesn’t necessarily have to have alcohol,” opening the door for wider adoption of products such as Budweiser Zero and Corona Cero.
Non-alcoholic beer has since become one of the industry’s fastest-growing segments. NielsenIQ data cited by Gershberg show no-alcohol beer sales rising at an annual rate of 30% over the past five years, 15 times faster than traditional beer.
The World Cup is also feeding into a broader consumption boom.
The Mexican Franchise Association projects 6% growth in the franchise sector in 2026, driven partly by World Cup-related spending and local promotions (pop-ups, viewing parties, special menu offerings, delivery promos, etc.) tied to the World Cup.
Restaurant leaders forecast match-day sales spikes of up to 15% in the host markets.
Forget resumés and job applications — to get a programming job at Walmart México, candidates just need a gaming account. (Walmart México)
Walmart México is recruiting software developers through the video game Fortnite, marking what the company says is the first time a Latin American employer has used the gaming platform for hiring.
Fortnite, a free-to-play online game with more than 400 million registered users worldwide, has become a cultural phenomenon since its 2017 launch, particularly among younger adults who now make up a significant portion of the tech workforce.
Candidates can Walmart’s custom environment within the online game Fortnite to participate in coding challenges. (Walmart México)
The retailer created a custom environment within Fortnite — essentially a mini-game that players can access using a special code — where job candidates complete coding challenges in Java, iOS and Android. The virtual recruitment tool will remain active through 2027.
The move reflects Mexico’s growing prominence in gaming and technology sectors. Mexico ranked as the second-largest gaming market by revenue in Latin America in 2025, according to market research firm Statista.
It also signals Walmart’s shifting identity in Mexico from traditional retailer to technology employer. The company relocated its IT hub from India to Mexico in 2025, a decision that positioned the country as a focal point for the retailer’s worldwide technology development.
Juan Carlos Alarcón, chief people officer at Walmart México, said the company views gaming skills as transferable to workplace collaboration.
“Imagine, if you can coordinate a squadron in Fortnite, you can probably lead a development team at Walmart,” Alarcón said. “This [gaming environment] allows us to identify talent based on real competencies.”
The recruitment initiative targets Mexico’s estimated 72 million gamers, though the company did not specify how many technology positions it aims to fill through the platform. Candidates who complete the in-game challenges receive a code to apply through the company’s Discord server or website.
The strategy comes as Mexican retailers increasingly compete for technology talent. Walmart has marketed itself as the third-best employer for tech workers outside the traditional software industry, though the organization behind that ranking was not specified in the company’s announcement.
The victims of the Panuco mine mass kidnapping include engineers, at least one geologist, security guards and administrative staff. Little has emerged about the perpetrators, but it's known that the Sinalioa Cartel has long targeted mining operations in the mountains of the state of Sinaloa. (Vizsla Silver)
A Canadian mining company confirmed that 10 employees were kidnapped from one of its project sites in the northern state of Sinaloa last week and announced that it had suspended work on its flagship Panuco silver-gold venture located nearby.
The incident is under investigation, but information remains limited, according to a statement released by Vizsla Silver mining company late Wednesday.
The abducted miners worked with Vizsla-Silver’s highly touted Panuca gold-silver project, and were taken from their housing in nearby Concordia. (Vizsla-Silver)
“Local authorities have been notified, and the Company’s crisis management and security response teams are actively engaged. The Company’s immediate priority is the safety and wellbeing of the individuals involved,” the statement said.
The Sinaloa state Attorney General’s Office also issued a statement saying it has opened an investigation into the kidnappings after receiving a report “of the disappearance of 10 individuals on January 24 in a 911 call from a company representative.”
Relatives of the missing have denounced a lack of communication from the company, as well as an absence of institutional support.
El Universal newspaper reported that the family of one of the missing recounted in a social media post that the events occurred around 6:00 a.m. on January 23.
According to this post, “armed individuals entered the La Clementina housing development in Concordia, where the company housed the workers because it was considered a safe area, and took them away without any information about their whereabouts to this day.”
Among the missing are engineers, a geologist, security guards and administrative staff. Seven of the missing are reportedly from Hermosillo, Sonora, and one is from the state of Chihuahua.
State authorities have launched search operations in conjunction with federal authorities, including the military. State authorities also executed a search warrant on Tuesday as part of the investigation, though no additional details were shared.
The Association of Mining, Metallurgical and Geological Engineers of Mexico (AIMMGM) issued a statement expressing “deep concern over the illegal detention of at least 10 professionals from the mining industry,” urging the authorities to “guarantee their safe return.”
The Concordia site is located near Vizsla Silver’s Panuco venture, a predominantly silver-gold mine with zinc and lead resources that is considered to be an emerging high-grade discovery project.
Located near the city of Mazatlán, Panuco hosts the world’s largest undeveloped, high‑grade silver resource. It is believed to hold 12.8 million proven and probable tonnes grading 2.01 grams of gold per tonne and 249 grams of silver per tonne.
Vizsla Silver, which had been expanding its land position in western Mexico along the highly prospective Sinaloa Silver Belt, projected a mine life of 9.4 years for Panuco and planned to begin production there in the second half of 2027.
The Toronto-based weekly trade journal The Northern Miner said Vizsla Silver shares — which had tripled over the past year — plunged 15% on Thursday morning in Toronto, slashing the company’s market value to about US $2 billion.
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard shared news of the agreement after meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, left, before meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, right. Pictured: The three trade officials pose for a photo after a February 2025 meeting. (Marcelo Ebrard/X)
Mexico and the United States have agreed to begin formal discussions as part of the review of the USMCA free trade pact, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said Wednesday.
The announcement came after U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard in Washington, D.C.
The USMCA free trade deal, which replaced NAFTA starting in 2020, is due for a review and possible update this year. (Shutterstock)
The USTR said the two officials met to “discuss bilateral trade relations and the upcoming USMCA Joint Review,” which Mexico, the United States and Canada must complete this year.
“Both sides recognized substantial progress in recent months and agreed to continue intensive engagement to address non-tariff barriers,” the USTR said.
“In addition, they agreed to begin formal discussions on possible structural and strategic reforms in the context of the first USMCA Joint Review, including stronger rules of origin for key industrial goods, enhanced collaboration on critical minerals, and increased external trade policy alignment to defend workers and producers in the United States and Mexico and to combat the relentless dumping of manufactured goods in our region.”
The USTR didn’t specify when the formal discussions would begin, nor did it say whether Canada would be involved in the talks.
Greer said late last year that negotiations during the USMCA review process would “probably” be more bilateral than trilateral.
“I think they want … [the USMCA], I don’t really care about it,” said Trump, who claimed that the United States doesn’t need goods from Mexico or Canada.
The U.S. trade representative has also said, per Reuters, that “the pact is not equipped to deal with surges of exports and investment from non-market economies such as China into the region.”
Trump has also criticized Mexico and Canada for not doing enough to combat the flow of drugs to the United States. Last March, he imposed 25% tariffs on non-USMCA compliant goods from both countries.
As Mexico seeks tariff relief and to safeguard its trade relationship with the United States, Mexican officials have engaged in ongoing trade talks with the U.S. officials during the entirety of the second Trump administration.
Ebrard has made frequent trips to Washington, D.C., and after his meeting with Greer on Wednesday struck an upbeat tone.
“As you know, it has to be reviewed this year. We’ve already made progress on many issues so that the review is carried out as quickly as possible and goes as well as possible,” Ebrard said.
He said that he spoke about tariffs with Greer, about “how the auto industry is evolving,” and about other issues related to trade between Mexico and the United States.
The economy minister also said they spoke about “critical minerals and the security of supply chains.”
In addition to imposing tariffs on non-USMCA compliant goods, the Trump administration last year imposed duties on a range of other imports from Mexico including steel, aluminum and light and heavy vehicles. Nevertheless, the majority of Mexican goods can still be shipped duty-free to the U.S., which is easily Mexico’s largest trade partner.
Despite Trump’s remarks about the USMCA, President Claudia Sheinbaum remains confident that the trilateral pact will endure.
Even if Mexico, the United States and Canada don’t agree to extend the USMCA during the upcoming review process, it would not be terminated until 2036.
The agreement was negotiated during Trump’s first term as president and superseded NAFTA in 2020. It governs North American trade worth around US $2 trillion per year.
With its new Mexican banking permit, Revolut aims to attract 2 million clients across the country by the end of 2026. (Revolut)
British neobank Revolut has started full banking operations in Mexico, introducing a novelty service for the Mexican market: free remittances from and to the United States.
Founded in 2015 in London as an app for travelers, Revolut now operates as a digital bank in 40 countries. In Mexico, it seeks to reduce the cost of remittances and add over 20 million new users to the financial system — a goal supported by the United Kingdom’s ambassador to Mexico Susannah Goshko.
“[Revolut’s] advance is aligned with the Plan México to close gaps, accelerate digitalization and strengthen the household economy,” Goshko said at a press conference.
Revolut began offering services to select users in Mexico in December under its new banking license, as part of beta phase testing.
Now available to the general public, the license allows Revolut to offer a total of 11 products directly through its app, including debit and credit cards, international transfers and joint accounts for couples.
But Revolut’s most anticipated service is free remittances. According to Guerra, this service will potentially return US $3 billion a year to its clients.
“If we receive US $60 billion a year from our fellow citizens [in the U.S.] and the average cost of the operation is 5%, and we are able to migrate all of that to Revolut and move it for free and instantly, we would be returning US $3 billion a year to the people who need it most in the country,” Guerra stated.
In addition to this service, Guerra said they’ll be releasing new features to the app every two weeks, including accounts for children “very soon.”
The bank aims to reach some 2 million customers across the country in their first year of operations. Globally, they have 70 million.
Guerra described Mexico as a gateway to the rest of Latin America, saying as it will serve as a platform to test user experiences in the region.
To date, Revolut has invested some US $100 million in Mexico, and Guerra anticipated they’ll invest another US $100 million in the next year.
