Since the vast majority of the 50,000 BTS fans crowding Mexico City's Zócalo were probably shut out from tickets for this week's concerts, the Korean boys' brief appearance on the balcony of the National Palace was as close as they'll get to their K-pop idols, at least for this year. (Presidencia)
An estimated 50,000 fans of the Korean boy band BTS turned Mexico City’s Zócalo into a sea of purple on Wednesday as the K-pop superstars stepped onto a National Palace balcony alongside President Claudia Sheinbaum.
The appearance — which did not include any singing or music — came one day before the group was to open its “Arirang” world tour at Estadio GNP Seguros. The first of three sold-out shows in Mexico City was set for Thursday night, with others to follow on Saturday and Sunday.
A balcony appearance along with the president was what fans had waited for all day — no music, no singing, no dancing, but a lot of valiant effort at speaking Spanish. (Presidencia)
Fans carrying homemade banners and cardboard cutouts of the band’s seven members began arriving at the Zócalo in the late morning to secure spots for the appearance around 5 p.m.
From the balcony, band member RM, whose real name is Kim Nam-joon, said, “Hello, Mexico. We are BTS. Thank you so much for coming to see us. We can’t wait for tomorrow’s concert. I love you, thank you so much.”
Kim Tae-hyung, known professionally as V, followed by saying, “I don’t speak Spanish very well, but I’ll try.” He then delivered a short message in Spanish thanking fans, saying BTS misses Mexico and praising the crowd’s energy.
Then Sheinbaum spoke, revisiting a statement she had made in March about getting BTS to return to Mexico for more shows. Turning to the band, she proclaimed, “I already told you that you have to come back next year,” prompting a loud roar and exuberant chants from the crowd below.
On Thursday, Sheinbaum took it a step further, saying at her morning news conference that “BTS will return to Mexico in 2027. We will announce the dates soon,” adding that the group agreed to review its schedule.
Virtual queues swelled to more than 1.1 million users worldwide, and fans reported crashes, stalled orders and error messages during presales and general sales.
Sheinbaum said she wrote to South Korean President Lee Jae-myung asking for help securing more dates — and even exploring a free Zócalo concert — to respond to young Mexicans shut out by the stampede for tickets.
City officials said Wednesday’s balcony appearance was coordinated by Culture Minister Claudia Curiel after those exchanges with officials in Seoul.
Recibo con gusto a uno de los grupos más queridos por las y los jóvenes de México: BTS. La música y los valores unen a México y Corea del Sur. pic.twitter.com/OS39Sp0H6g
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) May 6, 2026
BTS has performed in Mexico City twice before as part of large, multi-artist K-pop concerts.
In 2014, BTS appeared in the KBS Music Bank World Tour at Mexico City Arena, along with groups including EXO-K, Beast and Infinite. They returned to the same venue in 2017 for KCON Mexico, which also featured Monsta X, Red Velvet and NCT 127.
For this week’s sold-out shows, individual tickets originally priced around 5,000–5,500 pesos (US $290-$318) for mid- to high-tier sections were listed on resale sites Thursday for roughly 24,000 pesos (US $1,390). Better seats were listed at more than 100,000 pesos ($5,788) each.
Indeed, for many fans, Wednesday’s five-minute glimpse from the Zócalo may be as close as they get to BTS this time around.
"We've already indicted multiple government officials out of Mexico ... And so that's something that will continue," acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a NewsNation interview on Wednesday. (@ATFHQ/X)
A week after a U.S. indictment accusing Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya of drug trafficking and weapons offenses was unsealed, acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche indicated that U.S. prosecutors will file more charges against Mexican politicians.
NewsNation immigration correspondent Ali Bradley highlighted that the Trump administration has “promised to bring consequences to Mexico when it comes to corrupt politicians that might have ties to the criminal cartels” and asked Blanche what consequences there could be for Mexican officials beyond revocations of their U.S. visas.
“… I think that that’s something we’ve done in the past, but we’re certainly going to continue to do that,” he said.
Asked specifically whether “we could see more indictments” against Mexican officials, Blanche responded:
“Sure, yes, and we’ve already indicted multiple government officials out of Mexico, a judge recently as well. And so that’s something that will continue. One consequence of having a lot of the leaders of some of these cartels brought here over the past year … is some of them will likely want to cooperate and that cooperation could lead to additional charges.”
Since February 2025, Mexico has sent more than 90 cartel figures to the United States in three separate transfers. Beyond the people sent to the U.S. in those transfers, many other Mexicans accused of drug trafficking, including two sons of convicted drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera and Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, are in U.S. custody.
Rocha — who is currently on leave as the Federal Attorney General’s Office assesses the U.S. allegations against him and conducts its own investigation — is accused of colluding with the “Los Chapitos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, which is led by sons of Guzmán Loera. Nine other current and former Sinaloa-based officials, including a Morena party senator and the mayor of Culiacán, are accused of drug trafficking in the same indictment. Rocha, who also represents Morena, denies the U.S. allegations against him.
Blanche: ‘We have a very good relationship with the Mexican government’
After noting that an indictment had been filed against Rocha in the southern district of New York and indicating that more allegations against Mexican officials were likely forthcoming, Blanche added:
“By the way, we have a very good relationship with the Mexican government right now. I mean I think they recognize the importance of their relationship with us, and also that that relationship depends on cooperation and support in the immigration space, combating drug trafficking and things like that.”
Indeed, President Claudia Sheinbaum has repeatedly said that her government is willing to cooperate with the United States on security as long as Mexican sovereignty is respected. However, she has made it clear that said cooperation doesn’t extend to handing over Rocha to the U.S. without hard proof demonstrating his probable guilt.
On repeated occasions, Sheinbaum has said that the superseding indictment published online by the U.S. Department of Justice is almost entirely devoid of “proof” against Rocha and the nine other defendants. Last week, she said that a handwritten list in the indictment that allegedly shows how much officials received in regular bribes from “Los Chapitos” is just “a sheet of paper.”
‘Send proof’: Sheinbaum reiterates her message to US authorities
At her Thursday morning press conference, Sheinbaum was asked to respond to Blanche’s statements indicating that more indictments will be filed against Mexican politicians.
“Proof,” she responded.
“… What have we said? Send proof because the extradition treaty or [the bilateral agreement] on mutual trust and collaboration has to do with sending proof,” Sheinbaum said.
🚨 “Envíen pruebas”, responde Claudia Sheinbaum luego de que el fiscal Todd Blanche advirtiera que habrá más acusaciones contra políticos mexicanos.
La presidenta insistió en que las detenciones deben apegarse a la ley mexicana; “también queremos que ellos cooperen y no han… pic.twitter.com/0ilLTAVybV
A strong first quarter of 2026 was followed by an even stronger April, pushing car sales in Mexico for the four months over the 500,000 mark, a new record. (AMDA)
Car sales in Mexico topped the 500,000 mark in light vehicle sales during the January-April period for the first time ever, according to the national statistics agency INEGI.
The sales figure represented a 4.8% increase over the same period in 2025 and topped the previous record for January-April set in 2017 when 493,823 light vehicles were sold.
Guillermo Rosales, president of the Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors, cites as a key factor in Mexico’s healthy domestic sales a “hyper-competition” among quality manufacturers vying for customers. (AMDA)
Key to breaking the half-million mark was an especially strong April when light vehicle sales reached 118,859, which INEGI said was an 8.6% improvement over April 2025 sales. The 381,632 vehicles in the previous three months had represented an increase of 3.7% over the first quarter of 2025.
Guillermo Rosales, president of the Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors (AMDA), said a primary factor driving car sales is “hyper-competition” among automotive brands. Adding to that healthy competition was the arrival of Chinese electric vehicles that stand out for their level of technology and connectivity.
Also helping, Rosales said, was that the 50% tariff on vehicle imports from countries outside North America has not yet raised vehicle prices.
Among domestic automakers, Stellantis (up 15.8%), Hyundai (up 13.7%), General Motors (up 6%) and Volkswagen (up 5%) enjoyed the biggest sales increases.
Nissan, No. 1 in sales in Mexico with a 17.3% market share, remained stable with just a 0.1% increase in April, while Toyota and Lexus boosted their cumulative market share to 8.1% by selling a combined 10,713 light vehicles in April.
Last month’s sales performance exceeded AMDA’s forecast of 113,124 units by 4.8% and was the best April for light vehicle sales since 2013.
Furthermore, AMDA speculated that since some brands (including Chinese carmakers BYD, GAC and Chirey) do not report their figures to INEGI, the overall April 2026 performance (including imported vehicles) might have actually been closer to 127,000 units. If accurate, this would represent an increase of 8.5% compared to April 2025 and would set a new record for sales in the month of April.
The newspaper El Economista reported that some Chinese brands enjoyed triple-digit growth last month, including Geely (283%), Changan (101%) and Jetour SOUEAST (610%). However, El Economista said Great Wall Motors and MG sales declined.
Rosales said the market share of Chinese brands has increased by up to 1 percentage point, with total volume rising by a similar amount. Total imports from China have increased by a similar amount.
Expansión magazine attributed this to a more competitive offering in terms of price and equipment, as well as a faster expansion of their product portfolio. This combination has allowed some Chinese brands to overcome the original perception of low reliability that marked their entry into the Mexican market.
President Claudia Sheinbaum leads Welfare Ministry press conference earlier this year alongside Guerrero Gov. Evelyn Salgado and former Welfare Minister Ariadna Montiel (now president of the Morena party, as of Sunday). (Presidencia via Cuartoscuro)
Seventeen years later, the numbers are very different, as major progress has been made in increasing women’s representation in Mexican politics. Federal gender parity laws, including a 2019 constitutional reform dubbed paridad en todo (parity in everything), have supported the progress.
Today, Mexico has achieved virtual parity in women’s political representation, and the country — as everyone knows — has a female president for the first time.
In this week’s “Mexico in Numbers” article, we take a look at women’s representation in President Claudia Sheinbaum’s cabinet, at the head of state governments and in federal Congress. We also compare female political representation in Mexico to that in the United States.
Let’s get into the numbers!
50% of Sheinbaum’s cabinet members are women
Did you know that 11 of the 22 current members of Sheinbaum’s cabinet are women? Women currently serve in the roles of:
Interior minister, generally considered the second most powerful position in the Mexican government.
Welfare minister.
Environment minister.
Energy minister.
Agriculture minister.
Anti-corruption and good governance minister.
Agrarian development and urban planning minister.
Culture minister.
Tourism minister.
Science, humanities, technology and innovation minister.
Legal counsel to the federal executive.
Sheinbaum has not yet appointed a new minister for women after Citlalli Hernández resigned last month, but there is little doubt that the appointee will be a woman. Thus, female representation in Sheinbaum’s cabinet will rise above 50%.
Cabinet-level female representation is much higher in Mexico than in the U.S. Of the 23 people in U.S. President Donald Trump’s cabinet, just five are women, meaning that female representation is 21.7%.
Did you know that 13 of Mexico’s 31 states currently have female governors?
That means that 42% of Mexico’s state governments are led by women. Mexico City is also governed by a woman, Mayor Clara Brugada.
Thus 44% of Mexico’s 32 federal entities have female political leaders.
Morena has 33 female senators out of a total of 67 (49.2% female representation).
The National Action Party (PAN) has 11 female senators out of a total of 21 (52.4%).
The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) has seven female senators out of a total of 13 (53.8%).
The Ecological Green Party of Mexico (PVEM) has seven female senators out of a total of 14 (50%).
The Labor Party (PT) has four female senators out of a total of six (66.7%).
The Citizens Movement Party (MC) has two female senators out of total of six. MC has the lowest proportion of female senators at 33%.
Female representation in the U.S. Senate is just over half that of Mexico’s in percentage terms — 26%, as 26 of the 100 senators are women.
For the first time ever, over 50% of deputies are women
Since the representatives of Mexico’s 66th Congress took office in September 2024, Mexico has had more female deputies than male deputies. Of the 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, 251 were occupied by women in September 2024.
Due to changes in the make-up of the lower house since then, Mexico currently has 253 female deputies, according to the Chamber of Deputies website. Thus, 50.6% of Mexico’s federal deputies are currently women. Before the 66th Congress first convened, Mexico had never had a majority of female deputies.
The president of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, Kenia López Rabadán, stands with current and former female legislators at a March talk on women’s participation in politics. (Mario Jasso / Cuartoscuro.com)
Of the six political parties represented in the Chamber of Deputies, Morena has the highest female representation. Of the ruling party’s 253 deputies, 146, or 57.7%, are women.
Female representation among the deputies of the other parties is as follows:
MC has 14 female deputies out of a total of 28 (50%).
The PAN has 33 female deputies out of a total of 70 (47.1%).
The PRI has 15 females deputies out of a total of 37 (40.5%).
The PVEM has 25 female deputies out of a total of 62 (40.3%).
The PT has 19 female deputies out of a total of 49 (38.8%).
The U.S. House of Representatives currently has 124 female representatives with full voting rights. Thus, 28.5% of the 435 U.S. representatives are women. Female representation in the U.S. House of Representatives is 22.1 points lower than female representation in Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies.
The Kemp's ridley sea turtle, considered critically endangered by the IUCN, is both the smallest and rarest sea turtle in the world. (Conanp)
The 2026 turtle season in Tamaulipas is off to a solid start as authorities in the Gulf Coast state recorded more than 207,000 Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle eggs at the various protected camps along the shoreline.
These conservation and protection efforts are part of the state’s official environmental policy aimed at protecting biodiversity and preserving species in their natural environment.
The policy includes the surveillance of, monitoring of and protection of the nests, so as to guarantee the reproduction and survival of the emblematic Kemp’s ridley sea turtle on the Tamaulipas coast.
The Kemp’s Ridley is the rarest species of sea turtle and is the world’s most endangered. It is also the smallest sea turtle species with adults typically weighing only 75–100 pounds (35–45 kg) and measuring about 2 feet (60–70 cm) in shell length.
In order to prevent egg looting, authorities have implemented 24-hour surveillance protocols. The round-the-clock observation will also serve to protect females during the spawning process, while also ensuring that the reproductive cycle is completed without interference from humans or natural predators in conservation centers.
Protecting these nests is vital for the survival of the species, since the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is the only sea turtle that nests during the day and does so in large groups, known as arribadas.
The commission’s report says the Altamira camp has the highest number of recorded nests, with 812 nests and 71,495 eggs. The Tepehuajes camp has 533 nests and 47,445 eggs. There are 497 nests and 45,170 eggs at the Ciudad Madero camp; 418 nests and 38,746 eggs at the La Pesca camp; 34 nests and 3,214 eggs at the Playa Bagdad camp; and 13 nests and 1,181 eggs at the Mezquital camp.
The egg count was carried out by monitors — technicians and volunteers from the Secretariat of Urban Development and Environment — who indicated that the massive arrival of the turtles occurred favorably last month.
CPBT spokesman Eduardo Rocha Orozco described the egg count as “extremely positive for the biodiversity of the region.”
President Sheinbaum appeared unconcerned at her Thursday morning presser, saying that Trump's threats to take action against cartels in Mexico were nothing new. She also addressed U.S. allegations against Rubén Rocha Moya, Sinaloa's on-leave governor. (Juan Carlos Buenrostro / Presidencia)
Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds
🇺🇸 Trump’s cartel threat: Sheinbaum brushed off Trump’s latest warning that the U.S. would take action against Mexican cartels if Mexico doesn’t, indicating she wasn’t concerned “because we are acting” against organized crime.
⚖️ Rocha Moya defense: The president rejected Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos’ claim that her government is shielding Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya from U.S. drug trafficking allegations.
🗳️ Clouthier steps down: Tatiana Clouthier resigned as head of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad to pursue the Morena gubernatorial candidacy in Nuevo León ahead of the 2027 elections, consistent with Sheinbaum’s rule that officials seeking office must first leave their posts.
Why today’s mañanera matters
Today’s mañanera was significant as President Claudia Sheinbaum responded directly to U.S. President Donald Trump, who on Wednesday spoke — once again — about the possibility of U.S. forces taking action against Mexican cartels in Mexico.
Mexico’s security relationship with the United States is currently strained due to the revelation that U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agents allegedly participated in a drug lab raid last month alongside Chihuahua State Investigation Agency personnel.
Also of note at the Thursday morning press conference was Sheinbaum’s denial that her government is protecting Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya from drug trafficking allegations in the United States.
In addition, the president revealed that another high-ranking member of her government has resigned.
Sheinbaum acknowledged that Trump said on Wednesday that the United States would take action against cartels in Mexico if the Mexican government doesn’t do so itself.
“Drugs coming in by sea are down 97% and now we’ve started the land force which is much easier and you’ll hear some complaints from some people, like representatives in Mexico and other places, but if they’re not going to do the job we’re going to do the job and they understand that,” he said.
On Thursday morning, Sheinbaum said it wasn’t the first time that Trump had made such a statement, and indicated that she was not overly concerned by it “because we are acting” against cartels and drug trafficking.
🔴#Ahora | “Si no van a hacer el trabajo, nosotros lo haremos”, dice Donald Trump sobre el combate al narcotráfico.
El presidente de EU reafirmó que enfrentará el tráfico de drogas con fuerza terrestre, lo que provocará “quejas” de algunas personas de México y otros lugares.… pic.twitter.com/SY0v0mFA1S
“There is a reduction of almost 50% in homicides,” she said, apparently referring to the decline in murders in recent months compared to September 2024, the final month of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidency.
Sheinbaum also said that 2,500 clandestine drug laboratories have been dismantled during her presidency, authorities have arrested alleged criminals (with “high-impact” arrests numbering in the tens of thousands, according to Mexico’s security minister) and the quantity of fentanyl crossing into the United States from Mexico has declined (based on U.S. data showing a reduction in fentanyl seizures).
Sheinbaum rejects claim by Chihuahua governor that government is protecting Rocha
A reporter asked the president about Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos’ remark that she is being criticized for dismantling a drug lab in an operation in which CIA personnel allegedly participated while Sinaloa Governor Rúben Rocha Moya — who is currently on leave — is being protected by the federal government after the U.S. Justice Department accused him of drug trafficking and requested his arrest and extradition.
“What she says is false,” said Sheinbaum, who has argued that the published indictment against Rocha and nine other current and former Sinaloa-based officials lacks hard proof.
She went on to say that “no one is pursued [legally] if there is no proof” against him or her.
“What there is in Chihuahua is collaboration with the government of Mexico [but] they decided to collaborate with the U.S. government outside the constitution and the National Security Law,” Sheinbaum said.
“That’s why the [Federal] Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation,” she said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Tatiana Clouthier resigns from federal government to pursue NL governorship
Sheinbaum announced that Tatiana Clouthier, a former federal economy minister, had resigned as head of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad.
“She did an extraordinary job,” she said, noting that Clouthier worked to support Mexicans in the United States and other parts of the world.
Now, Sheinbaum added, “she wants to go and work in Nuevo León.”
“Remember that I said that everyone [in the federal government] who wants to compete in the 2027 elections has to leave their posts,” she said.
Aventura Camp offers Canyoning for Beginners at El Salto. (Sergi Gómez)
Colima is one of Mexico’s smallest states. In size, it falls between the U.S. states of Rhode Island and Delaware, but harbors enough delightful outdoor sites “to fill a book,” according to local guide Sergi Gómez.
“You have a live volcano, high limestone mountains, jungles, beaches, lakes, waterfalls, canyons and salt flats,” says Gómez, who operates Aventura Camp Colima, which offers excursions of all kinds as well as training in canyoning and caving. Below are a few of Gómez’s favorite spots.
El Salto Cascade
Imagine an absolutely gorgeous waterfall tumbling over a delicately colored sheer cliff, into a pool of cool, crystal clear water, all in full view of an ideal camping spot on a small, sandy beach next to a river made to be swum in. Here you’ll find colorful butterflies, crash-diving kingfishers and flocks of small wild parrots, squawking and clowning. Add canyon walls to give the place privacy, and you’ve got El Salto. Here, Gómez offers a Canyoning for Beginners excursion, including a rappel of 35 meters. Come on a weekday, and you will probably have all of this to yourself.
The Juluapan Piedra: treasure with a view
“Many climbers have heard of the Peña de Bernal,” Gómez told me over a cold Noche Buena beer. “It is said to be the biggest monolith in Mexico, but here in Colima, we have the Piedra de Juluapan. It rises to an altitude of 1,466 meters above sea level, and many local people believe it is Mexico’s second-biggest monolith.”
While Bernal is located next to a highway, Gómez pointed out that reaching Juluapan includes a two-hour hike (one way) through a jungle-like environment, with a total elevation gain of 680 meters. “The route is beautiful,” he tells us, “and always green because here only half the trees lose their leaves. You walk through copal, elephant-ear and silk-cotton trees, but the most striking is the árbol de primavera or pink poui tree.
“Of course, the main attraction is the rocky peak, from which you get a magnificent view of the surrounding hills. People in good shape, with a bit of climbing experience, will find this easy.”
It is said that somewhere beneath the Piedra de Juluapan is buried the treasure of el Indio Alonso, a legendary bandit, as well as the body (and treasure, of course) of legendary King Colimán, after whom, they say, Colima is named.
This is a round-trip walk of 7.1 kilometers, perhaps lasting four hours.
La Piedra de Juluapan: climb to the top for a gorgeous view. (Sergi Gómez)
Manantlán, home of the jaguar
The Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve is extraordinary. Somehow it combines the qualities of a high-elevation pine forest with the exuberance of a coastal jungle. A 90-minute drive from Colima City takes you to the pueblito of Terrero, where you can rent a cabin in the woods. Walking along a path anywhere up here, you’ll pass through trees covered with lichen and moss, their branches heavy with orchids and bromeliads. Beneath the trees, you will see wildflowers and truly exotic mushrooms of every hue, including blue. When you return to your cabin, you may find it completely shrouded in fog.
The cloud forest of Manantlán offers the best of the mountain and the jungle. (Sergi Gómez)
In these limestone mountains, there are hundreds of caves, most of them vertical pits up to 200 meters deep. This is the home of jaguars, mighty waterfalls and Zea diploperenis, the plant from which native peoples hybridized corn, long, long ago. There are five ecosystems in Manantlán and over 2,900 species of plants have been identified here, as well as 110 species of mammals and 336 species of birds. “This is a truly unique site,” says Sergi Gómez. “I’ve traveled around to all of Mexico’s national parks, and in my book, Manantlán is the most beautiful.”
Want to escape from your daily drudgery? One night in Manantlán will give you a whole new outlook on life. As Aldo Santana, a local villager, says, “Come, touch the land, feel the wind; drink where the deer drink; listen to the melodies of the mountain which change with every season; immerse yourself in a work of art that could only have been created by La Gran Madre who, in this very place, gave us the gift of maize.”
The Fire Volcano
Many points in the Sierra Lalo offer an excellent view of the Volcán de Fuego volcano. (John Pint)
El Volcán de Fuego is Mexico’s most active volcano, its last eruption occurring in 2023. For a good look at the volcano — from a safe distance — you may want to rent a cabin on the shores of lovely Laguna la María, a crater lake only eleven kilometers away. By night, you may see streams of lava coursing down the volcano’s slopes (if it’s in active mode), and by day, you can visit one of many small coffee farms in its shadow. Near here, Sergi Gómez leads a walk through the Suchitlán Barranca (ravine) to a humble organic coffee plantation. A cup of their volcanic java will help soothe your nerves as you cross two hanging bridges on this route. This excursion takes five to six hours altogether, and you walk six kilometers.
The Zacualpan Springs
These are karst springs of crystal-clear water originating in the mountains of Manantlán. This beautiful canyon is a great place for hiking, biking, rock-climbing or horseback riding, and guided tours can be arranged to several picturesque places. All these activities end, of course, with a refreshing splash in the river, where the local people have created pools by building simple dams of rock walls.
To have the place to yourself, Sergi Gómez recommends heading there at 8 a.m. and returning at around 1 p.m. The drive from Colima City takes about 25 minutes.
John Pint has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for more than 30 years and is the author of “A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area” and co-author of “Outdoors in Western Mexico.” More of his writing can be found on his website.
Mexico's Indigenous Wixárika people have been fighting mining concessions in Wirikuta for 15 years, and despite a partial legal victory, the battle goes on. (INAH)
A recent federal court ruling ordering the cancellation of dozens of mining concessions in Wirikuta — one of the most sacred territories of the Wixárika people — marks a significant legal milestone after 15 years of struggle. But Indigenous authorities say the decision falls short, leaving key parts of the territory still vulnerable to mining.
The Consejo Regional Wixárika has now filed an appeal, seeking the cancellation of all remaining concessions and full protection of the sacred landscape.
A recent legal ruling cancelled 44 mining concessions in Wirikuta, the sacred land of the Wixárika people. But 34 more remain in force, and are considered an existential threat. (Gobierno de México)
Mining concessions in Wirikuta
The ruling stems from a long-running legal battle over mining concessions in Wirikuta, culminating in a March decision by the Fourth District Court in San Luis Potosí in the amparo case filed by Wixárika communities in 2011. The court ordered the cancellation of 44 mining concessions located within the boundaries of the state-designated protected natural area, recognized the Wixárika people’s right to self-determination and their “indissoluble” relationship with the territory, and established requirements for prior consultation in future projects.
However, the ruling left intact more than 30 concessions — 20 of them linked to the Canadian transnational First Majestic Silver — a key omission that prompted the Consejo Regional Wixárika to file an appeal.
The decision comes less than a year after Wirikuta and the Wixárika pilgrimage route were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a designation that renewed calls by Indigenous authorities to cancel all mining concessions across the territory.
For Wixárika leaders, the stakes are existential.
“They (Wirikuta lands) are very important to us, and we cannot allow them to be destroyed. Because if they are destroyed … the Wixárika people will vanish,” said Maurilio Ramírez Aguilar, coordinator of the Consejo, in a recent interview.
A sacred geography
Wirikuta, located in the high desert of San Luis Potosí, is not simply a place, but part of a living spiritual system rooted in pilgrimage, ceremony and ancestral knowledge.
“These are sacred places where the deities have remained … and it is for this reason that the Wixárika people … prepare every year to go to Wirikuta on pilgrimage,” Ramírez Aguilar explained. “They go on foot, leaving behind offerings … candles, arrows, Eyes of God … and wherever there is water … they gather it to bring back that holy water.”
These journeys, carried out across generations, sustain not only cultural traditions but what Wixárika authorities describe as a broader balance between human life and the natural world.
A partial victory after 15 years
The court decision follows more than 15 years of legal and community resistance to mining projects in Wirikuta, including concessions linked to First Majestic Silver.
“There were around 78 mining concessions … and so the Wixárika people decided to file a lawsuit against the Mexican State, demanding their cancellation,” said Sofía Aukwe Mijarez, communications coordinator for the council.
While the ruling cancels more than 40 concessions, it falls short of that demand.
“Our defense has already spanned 15 years … and it is only after 15 years that we are finally obtaining a resolution … and one that is not entirely favorable,” she said.
The legal gap: what remains
Many of the remaining concessions are linked to the Canadian transnational mining company First Majestic Silver. (First Majestic Silver)
At the heart of the appeal is a key limitation in the court’s decision: it applies primarily to concessions located within the officially designated protected natural area.
“Only those located within the protected natural area are being canceled … but Wirikuta is so much more,” Mijarez said.
She noted that areas outside that boundary — including buffer zones and culturally significant sites — remain exposed.
“The 20 pending mining concessions belong to the company First Majestic Silver Corp … and they have not been canceled, which is the primary concern,” she added.
The case also extends beyond a single company.
“We are not fighting against just one. There are more than 17 different mining companies. These are major interests,” she said.
Environmental risks in a fragile ecosystem
Wirikuta lies within the Chihuahuan Desert, one of the most biodiverse desert ecosystems in the world — and one that Wixárika leaders say is highly vulnerable to mining.
“Mining uses a tremendous amount of water … if it were to be carried out, the aquifers would dry up. It is going to contaminate the water, the air, the plants and the animals,” Mijarez said.
But as geographer Tunuari Chávez argues, the deeper conflict in Wirikuta is not only about mining itself, but about a fundamental mismatch between how the law defines territory and how water actually exists.
In his analysis, the most critical dimension of Wirikuta is largely invisible: the groundwater system that sustains life across the region. “Water is not a resource: it is a condition of existence, the basis of dignity,” he wrote.
Water is a condition of existence
That system does not follow the boundaries used in legal rulings. The aquifer that feeds the springs of the Sierra de Catorce — including sacred sites — functions as a connected, underground network shaped by geology, flow and recharge.
Yet the recent court decision evaluates impacts based on surface boundaries, distinguishing between concessions inside and outside a protected area. For Chávez, that approach misses the core risk.
A member of the Indigenous people known as the Wikárika visits the sacred site of Wirikuta in San Luis Potosí to harvest peyote, used in rituals and in daily life. The site’s groundwater is threatened by mining interests. (Iván Stephens/Cuartoscuro)
“Groundwater does not respect polygons … an intervention outside a protected area can alter the system that sustains it,” he wrote.
The concern is not theoretical. Mining operations in the region would likely require pumping groundwater from the same level at which the aquifer forms, potentially lowering water tables and affecting springs that sustain both local communities and ceremonial practices.
In an already overexploited system with limited recharge, such impacts could be long-lasting or irreversible.
Beyond land: a question of rights
Although the Wixárika communities are some 500 kilometers to the west of Wirikuta, leaders emphasize that their claim is rooted in ancestral and cultural rights.
“Although we do not live there, we have an ancestral right to that territory — our ancestors have made pilgrimages there since time immemorial, and it is where our culture has been sustained.”
The court ruling includes provisions for consultation with Indigenous communities going forward — a step authorities acknowledge, but one that raises further questions about implementation.
“Mexico does have the laws — very good ones on paper — but in practice, that is where we are struggling,” she said.
Development without destruction
Wixárika leaders say the conflict is not simply about rejecting mining, but about proposing alternatives.
“It is time to demand decent work — work for which such a beautiful ecosystem does not have to pay the price, which does not have to be destroyed in order (for us) to live with dignity,” Mijarez said.
Ramírez Aguilar said proposals for sustainable development have been repeatedly raised with federal authorities, with limited response.
“We have proposed sustainable development projects, but the government has not addressed them,” he said. “We do see that there is a great need … but we have not been granted them.”
A broader crisis in Wixárika territory
The legal battle is unfolding amid a growing security crisis in Wixárika territories, where residents have reported the presence of armed groups linked to the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación operating from multiple camps, threatening traditional authorities and generating what community members describe as a climate of fear without a decisive state response.
In addition to mining interests, the Wixárika are also being threatened by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. (Wixárika Research Center)
“There has been a great deal of violence in the Sierra, in Wixárika communities,” said Mijarez. “And as a people, we demand security, we demand justice, because this is a human right — it is the State’s obligation to provide us with security. It is not only about defending the territory, but also about the lives of the people who inhabit these territories.”
Leaders say these conditions add urgency to their demands for protection — both for sacred lands and for the communities that defend them.
“And yes, we have suffered human losses — compañeros have been killed, kidnapped, tortured — all as a result of defending the territory,” said Mijarez.
Tracy L. Barnett is a Guadalajara-based freelance writer and the founder of The Esperanza Project.
Founded in 2015 in London as an app for travelers, Revolut now operates as a digital bank in 40 countries, including in Mexico since January of this year. (Shutterstock)
The digital bank Revolut invested 1.12 billion Mexican pesos (US $64.47 million) in its Mexico operations last month, bringing its total investment in Mexico since launching full operations in January to US $167 million, the company announced Tuesday.
Revolut’s expenditures in Mexico include advertising in some creative spaces. (Revolut Mexico/Facebook)
The company’s total assets increased by 275% in the first quarter of 2026, with deposits totaling 3.753 billion pesos ($218 million), just nine weeks after its public launch. More than 290,000 customers were registered on its Mexico app by the end of March.
“The response from Mexicans has exceeded our expectations,” Revolut Mexico CEO Juan Guerra said. “Clearly, there is a strong appetite for a banking app that offers everything in one place: attractive returns, a credit card, instant transfers within and outside of Mexico, investments and much more.”
Revolut posted a quarterly net loss of 153 million pesos, which aligns with its initial operating phase and expansion strategy in Mexico.
The company reported a coverage ratio that stood at 1.531% in terms of liquidity, which is above the regulatory minimum and marks an increase compared to the previous quarter. Meanwhile, its capitalization ratio reached 141.6%.
Virtually all (99.98%) of Revolut’s loans are classified as Stage 1, which means they are “low risk.” The loan portfolio in this category rose by 44 million pesos (US $2.6 million), with more than 12,000 active credit card customers at the end of March.
In the announcement, the firm emphasized the strong environment of competition between traditional banks and digital finance platforms in Mexico, both of which are vying for users and resources.
Digital banks have become more popular among consumers in recent years thanks to the enhanced accessibility to financial services that they offer, as well as the wide range of products, including credit cards, interest-bearing accounts and debit cards. Other digital banks currently operating in Mexico include Hey, Openbank and Plata.
Mexico's slate of major marathons in the capital and other urban areas attracts tens of thousands of runners. But it's the everyday casual runners — a quarter of the population, according to a recent survey — that make Mexico a world leader in running popularity. (Cuartoscuro)
Mexico isn’t known as a country of runners, but perhaps it should be.
A recent survey from Statista Consumer Insights 2025 places Mexico as a global leader in running popularity with 24% of respondents stating that they at least occasionally go for a run or jog.
Any discussion of running’s popularity in Mexico must include the Rarámuri people of the Tarahumara Mountains in Chihuahua, for whom running is a way of life. (Ultra Caballo Blanco/Facebook)
The poll asked Mexicans about their favorite sports activities, and running came in at the very top. Surfing, more associated with Mexico among a certain segment of the U.S. population, ended up at the other end of the ranking, right down there with flying kites.
Globally, Mexico topped such countries as China and Spain, both with 19% of respondents saying they occasionally go for a run, followed by Brazil (18%) and Germany (17%).
The United States (8%) and Japan (6%) reported the lowest levels, indicating that economic development does not influence the popularity of running.
One segment of the Mexican population that enjoys fame as runners is the Indigenous Tarahumara people, who run long distances regularly with minimal foot protection. Their name in their own language, Rarámurí, means “people who run.”
Running is one of the most accessible physical activities, as it requires neither specialized facilities nor large investments, making it an accessible option for broad segments of the population.
Furthermore, in urban settings, it is a practical way to incorporate exercise into a daily routine.
Mexico’s high level of running popularity becomes more impressive when taking into account the findings of an earlier poll. In 2024, Statista revealed that 43% of Mexican respondents occasionally ran or jogged.
Mexico’s lead in running also reveals its potential as a strategic market for sporting brands specializing in running gear and clothing.
Dozens of marathons, half-marathons and other races are organized across Mexico each year. From thematic holiday races to traditional marathons, some of the most popular races each year include the Mexico City Marathon, the Mexico City Half Marathon, and the marathons of Monterrey, Guadalajara, Cancún, Baja California and Mazatlán.
