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Mexico extends cell phone registration deadline as millions remain unregistered

By
MND Staff
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A Mexico City man checks his phone outside the San Lazaro Legislative Palace.
A Mexico City man checks his phone outside the San Lazaro Legislative Palace. (Mario Jasso / Cuartoscuro.com)

With less than a week to go, a June 30 deadline for pre-paid Mexican cell phone users to link their number to their personal identity has been extended. With less than half of Mexico’s over 140 million phone lines registered, millions of people will now face staggered cutoff dates running from mid-August to late December.

The federal government last year implemented a mandatory mobile phone registry policy on the basis of public safety, saying that associating cell phone numbers with personal identities would help reduce telephone fraud, extortion and other crimes whose perpetrators use anonymous or easily rotated numbers. People who hadn’t registered their pre-paid cell phone line by June 30 were set to face service cuts.

A hand holds a cell phone against a dark background
Officials say the registry will reduce extortion, which is often committed using anonymous, pre-paid phones. (Shutterstock)

However, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) on Thursday announced not one but 10 new deadlines, the earliest of which is Aug. 15.

“Pre-paid lines that until now have not been linked [to their users’ identities] will have a deadline assigned according to the last digit of the telephone number,” the CRT said in a statement.

“Thus, a schedule is established so that, between August and December, each [pre-paid cell phone] user registers their line with their telephone company.”

The new deadlines are as follows:

  • Aug. 15 for numbers ending in 0.
  • Aug. 31 for numbers ending in 1.
  • Sept. 15 for numbers ending in 2.
  • Sept. 30 for numbers ending in 3.
  • Oct. 15 for numbers ending in 4.
  • Oct. 31 for numbers ending in 5.
  • Nov. 15 for numbers ending in 6.
  • Nov. 30 for numbers ending in 7.
  • Dec. 15 for numbers ending in 8.
  • Dec. 31 for numbers ending in 9.

The CRT said that telephone companies will suspend the telephone lines of pre-paid cell phone users who don’t register their lines by the applicable deadline. It said that suspensions will take place within 72 hours after the deadline expires, noting that cell phone users will only be able to call emergency numbers, “citizen attention” numbers and their phone companies, and receive earthquake alerts.

“Once the line is linked [to a person’s identity], the telephone company will reestablish all services (calls, messages and mobile data),” the CRT added.

“We reiterate that the government doesn’t carry out the [registration process],” the CRT said.

“Rather, it is carried out directly with telephone companies, which only associate the name and CURP [identity number] with the user of the cell phone number, eliminating any other data or image used during the registration process,” the commission said.

“If a crime involving the use of a telephone line is committed, the relevant authorities may request information from telephone companies, in accordance with the provisions of the National Code of Criminal Procedure,” the CRT said.

A very boring guide to how to register your Mexican cell phone

Why were new deadlines established?

The main reason for scrapping the June 30 deadline and setting 10 new ones appears to be that tens of millions of phone lines have not yet been registered. Registering such a large number of lines by next Tuesday would be nigh on impossible.

The El Universal newspaper suggested that low cell phone registration rates were the reason for the deadline extension. The newspaper reported that only 43% of some 144.6 million cell phone lines in Mexico have been linked to their owners’ identities.

In its statement, the CRT sought to depict the situation in a positive light.

“The registration of lines has shown sustained and growing growth, and to date, 63 million lines have been registered: 40.2 million pre-paid lines and 22.8 million post-paid lines that do not require a new registration process because they have been associated with a person since they were contracted,” the commission said.

In its statement, the CRT also said that “for everyone’s safety, each telephone number must be [registered] in the name of a person in order to eliminate the anonymity that has allowed [organized] crime to commit offenses such as fraud and extortion.”

“With this measure, Mexico will cease being one of the few countries that allow a [cell phone] chip to be purchased without identification, and will add an international practice that is in force in 166 countries,” it added.

As Mexico News Daily reported earlier this year, critics have voiced several concerns about the mandatory registration of cell phone lines, including ones related to possible mass surveillance and misuse of people’s personal data.

No registration needed for post-paid cell phone plans, officials say

In a social media post earlier this month, the federal Ministry of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation wrote that “if you have a post-paid [cell phone] line, you don’t need to complete any registration as your information is already validated.”

“You’re all set,” the ministry said.

The Science Ministry included a series of infographics in its post, on which it collaborated with the CRT and the federal government’s Digital Transformation Agency.

“Do you have a plan (post-paid) line? You’re already registered,” reads one.

“What is a post-paid line? Those for which you pay a fixed monthly plan,” reads another.

A third infographic reads: “Do I need to register my post-paid line? No. When you contracted your plan, the [telephone] company registered the line in your name.”

With reports from El Universal

The June day with the fewest homicides in Mexico in over a decade, and what it really means

By
María Meléndez
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Mexican flag flying in the breeze over Monterrey
Mexico recently experienced a day with the lowest number of homicides in over a decade. (Jorge Aguilar/Unsplash)

Amigos, you’ve been reading about it everywhere: the homicide rate is significantly down in Mexico. The work that Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch has been doing is clearly bearing fruit. The security strategy has been steady and sustained. That said, critics have pointed out that some of the government’s numbers have been dressed up, and that those who don’t show up among the murdered may well be showing up among the disappeared. Whatever the case, one reality stands: President Sheinbaum’s government is working to contain the violence the cartels have unleashed — violence that we Mexicans have let grow for the past three decades.

Tuesday, June 16

Tuesday, June 16, is, so far, the day with the fewest homicides in Mexico this year, and for quite some time. The figures, according to the Security Cabinet’s preliminary report, are these: 27 homicides across the entire national territory, the lowest daily figure in over a decade. The President said as much in her morning press conference the following day from the National Palace: “I even applauded the security cabinet today, because 27 homicides in a single day is something Mexico hadn’t seen in at least 13, 14 years.”

Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch at a podium addressing reporters
Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch has led the effort to reduce homicides in Mexico, a process that is working, based on recent statistics. (Omar García Harfuch/Instagram)

The most telling data point isn’t the number itself — it’s the geography. Nineteen states closed the day without a single homicide. If we add those that reported only one, 22 of the 32 states ended the day with zero or one homicide. Aguascalientes, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Hidalgo, Michoacán, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Puebla, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Yucatán and Zacatecas reported no killings. That Chihuahua and Michoacán appear on this list is, frankly, remarkable.  

The day’s hotspots were elsewhere: Colima led with four cases, followed by Oaxaca and Veracruz with three each. And here comes an important caveat we can’t gloss over: the June 16 dip is not an isolated event, but it’s also not a linear trend. As Milenio rightly points out, June 14 saw 49 homicides nationwide, so the new minimum has to be read as an exceptional day within a series that still has its peaks and valleys.  

Where is this trend coming from?

The incidence of homicides dropped 46%, with the daily national average falling from 86.9 victims in September 2024 to 47.3 in May 2026. May 2026 had the fewest homicides for that month in the last 12 years. The strategy is producing measurable results. According to Harfuch himself, from Oct. 1, 2024, to May 31, 2026, 56,134 people were arrested for high-impact crimes, 419.3 tons of drugs were seized and 2,407 clandestine labs were dismantled across 22 states.  

The counterweight that can’t be ignored

Amnesty International, in its annual report, documented that during 2025, forced disappearances and missing-persons cases in Mexico rose to 133,500, an increase of 10.5% over 2024. Red Lupa makes the contrast even more concrete: the number of disappeared persons at the start of the President’s term hovered around 115,000; by early 2026, the National Registry of Missing and Unlocated Persons counted 133,485. In just 15 months, the number grew by some 18,000 disappeared people.  

México Evalúa pushes the methodological analysis further. Using an integrated metric that combines intentional homicide, manslaughter, femicide, disappearances and other crimes against life, it estimates that lethal violence dropped 8.6% between 2024 and 2025, but accumulated a 68.2% increase over the past decade. The think tank explains it clearly: disappearances can operate as a mechanism for evading the immediate registration of homicides and generating social uncertainty. The coexistence of intense disputes with increases in disappearances suggests that part of the lethal violence may be displacing toward less visible categories.  

Ricardo Anaya (PAN) and other opposition figures have gone further: they argue that the federal government is dressing up its violence data by reclassifying murders as disappearances, manslaughters and other crimes. I have no way to prove that charge, and I’d rather stick to what the numbers do allow us to say: there is a real drop in homicides, and there is a real rise in disappearances. Both things are true at once.  

The timing of the World Cup 

 

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Amigos, for the past 15 days, it seems the only thing Mexicans can talk about is soccer. Those of you who’ve been living here for several years will agree with me: no World Cup has ever looked quite like this one. Every day is a party. The national mood these days is more cordial, more hopeful and more celebratory than usual.

This is where it’s very tempting to fall into lazy reductions and declare that “idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” and that the drop in violence is linked to the World Cup. But the data doesn’t allow that reading. On June 7, four days before the tournament kicked off, Mexico had already registered 28 homicides; on May 15, almost a month earlier, it was 29. January 2026 had closed with a daily average of 47.3 homicides, the lowest level since daily records have existed in this country. The downward trend started in September 2024 and has been sustained. The World Cup coincides with it, but does not cause it.  

But the World Cup is revealing what happens when Mexicans share a collective project that isn’t mediated by individual economics.

The lesson nobody is drawing

On opening day, I took my dog out for a walk around the neighborhood, both of us wearing our national team jerseys. People smiled at us. A car gave us the classic celebratory honk. It’s not magic. It’s what happens when there is a collective experience — shared, free and sustained — that occupies public space and reorganizes community time for an entire month.

During a World Cup, we call that a “party.” The rest of the time, in normal conditions, it would be called cultural, sports, community and recreation policies. The kind of policy Mexico has been dismantling for the last 30 years.

Let’s look at the numbers from the 2026 Federal Budget. Culture will receive 13.097 billion pesos, 16% less than in 2025. The National Commission of Physical Culture and Sport (Conade), according to its own director Rommel Pacheco, will receive 2.5 billion pesos, a 133-million-peso cut from 2025. The deputy research director for the Center of Economic and Budgetary Research (Ciep), Judith Senyasen Méndez, puts it bluntly: “The emphasis remains on scholarships, because those are the ones with the largest real-terms increases, while areas like culture, sports and upper-secondary and higher education face significant cuts.”  

President Sheinbaum at her morning press conference
President Sheinbaum’s administration isn’t the only one to cut cultural and community programs, a troubling tradition in Mexico for decades now. (Carlos Ramos Mamahua/Presidencia)

This isn’t a one-administration problem. It’s the culmination of a long process. Since the 1990s, Mexican public policy has been systematically eliminating the idea that the State has a responsibility to the community fabric: to municipal cultural centers, to neighborhood sports leagues, to free workshops, to community art schools, to local libraries, to the spaces where a teenager in Guerrero, in Zacatecas, in Chiapas or in Baja California, could find a sense of belonging different from what the cartels offer.

The World Cup is exposing what Mexico typically lacks

What replaced those policies was an exclusively economic logic: cash transfers, individual scholarships and direct subsidies. I’m not saying those programs are bad. I’m saying that a scholarship deposited into a bank account does not build a youth orchestra. A cash transfer does not teach a kid to train in soccer on Saturdays with his neighbors. A subsidy does not turn an empty lot into a lit-up sports court. And when the only thing the State offers a community is money — and nothing to build together — what prevails is the individual pursuit of economic improvement, not the shared quality of life of a neighborhood.

That’s why the World Cup is revealing. For one month, Mexicans are getting what we don’t have the rest of the year: a collective project not mediated by money, an excuse to occupy the street and a sense of belonging that doesn’t require individual achievement. And we behave differently. When a young person in Colima, in Guanajuato or in Veracruz weighs his life options, he doesn’t weigh them against an abstraction called “the rule of law.” He weighs them against what his community concretely offers him. If the only thing his colonia offers is absence — of sports courts, of workshops and of meaningful adults other than his exhausted mother or the cartel lookout on the corner — the calculation is very easy to make. And he makes it badly, but he makes it.

The General Law of Physical Culture and Sport, in its Article 2, establishes among its purposes the promotion of physical culture, recreation and sport in the general population as a means of crime prevention. The law says it. The budget denies it.  

June 16 was good news

And we should celebrate it. Harfuch’s strategy is working; the arrests are piling up and the seizures too. But good days are not built solely on military intelligence. They are also built with orchestras, with sports courts, with reading clubs, with art teachers who come to the neighborhood twice a week and with boxing coaches who don’t charge a fee because the municipality pays their salary.

That is what Mexico dismantled in 30 years. And that is what no Harfuch, however good his work, will be able to rebuild from an intelligence room.

Community and culture programs are needed to sustain lower crime rates

Guadalajara fan fest June 11
The World Cup has brought Mexicans together, as at this Fan Festival in Guadalajara. The question is, why can’t communities function better regularly? (Ivan Villegas/Chivas)

The World Cup will end on July 19. The streets will empty again. And the question, amigos, is whether we will be able to read what the tournament is showing us these weeks: that the Mexicans do know how to share a project, do know how to occupy the streets cordially and do know how to build community when someone gives us the pretext and the space. What we need is for that pretext to exist year-round. Not once every four years.

We did it once before, when the Mexican Revolution ended. The newly formed Mexican State, under the cultural leadership of José Vasconcelos, sent painters, writers and playwrights traveling across the country with a single idea: to build a sense of belonging to the Mexican nation. The murals you see in every public building today are what’s left of that bet — a bet that the State could be a builder of shared meaning, not just a distributor of resources.

If we want Tuesday, June 16, to be the first of many, we are going to have to stop thinking about security only as arrests and begin to think of it as what it also is: a cultural policy, a sports policy and a community policy. In other words, a policy of the public sphere. 

Maria Meléndez writes for Mexico News Daily in Mexico City.

 

Mexico in Numbers: All about the southern border

By
MND Staff
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3
A sign the Chetumal crossing on Mexico's southern border reads "Welcome to Belize / Bienvenido a Belice"
Cars cross the Chac-Temal International Bridge, which connects Mexico and Belize south of Chetumal, Quintana Roo. (Amaranta Prieto / Cuartoscuro.com)

In last week’s “Mexico in Numbers” article we presented 10 facts about the Mexico-U.S. border. This week, we shift our focus to Mexico’s other land borders, those it shares with the Central American nations of Belize and Guatemala.

To enhance your knowledge of Mexico’s southern border, here’s a quick crash course in 10 numbers.

959

This is the length in kilometers of the Mexico-Guatemala border, according to national statistics agency INEGI. The border runs from the Pacific coast in the municipality of Suchiate, Chiapas, to the tripoint monument between Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. The monument is located near Pioneros del Río Xnohá, a community in the municipality of Calakmul, Campeche.

The length of the Mexico-Guatemala border is just under one-third (30.5%) of the length of the Mexico-U.S. border, which measures 3,145 kilometers. The Mexico-Guatemala border includes stretches of the Suchiate and Usumacinta Rivers.

288 

This is the length in kilometers of the Mexico-Belize border, according to INEGI. The border, largely formed by the Hondo River, runs from southwestern Quintana Roo to Boca Bacalar Chico, a maritime canal south of Mahahual, a Caribbean coast town in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco, Quintana Roo.

The Mexico-Belize border is just under one-third (30%) the length of the Mexico-Guatemala border. The Mexico-U.S. border is about 11 times longer than the Mexico-Belize border.

Infographic showing the length of Mexico's southern border

1,247

This is the length in kilometers of Mexico’s entire southern border — i.e., the sum of the lengths of the Mexico-Guatemala border and the Mexico-Belize border.

The Mexico-U.S. border is just over 2.5 times longer than the combined length of the borders between Mexico and Guatemala and Mexico and Belize.

4

This is the number of Mexican states on Mexico’s southern border. Three states — Chiapas, Campeche and Tabasco — border Guatemala. Quintana Roo is the only Mexican state that borders Belize.

23

This is the number of Mexican municipalities that border Guatemala and Belize. Located on Mexico’s border with Guatemala are 18 municipalities in Chiapas, two in Tabasco and two in Campeche. The only Mexican municipality that borders Belize is Othón P. Blanco, Quintana Roo, where the state capital Chetumal is located.

5.7 million 

This is the approximate size, in hectares, of the Great Maya Forest Biocultural Corridor, an area spanning parts of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize that is dedicated to protecting and preserving the biodiversity and cultural heritage of the region.

The corridor is the result of a historic agreement between Mexico, Guatemala and Belize that was signed by the leaders of the three countries in Campeche in August 2025.

8

This is the number of official border crossings between Mexico and Guatemala. On the Mexican side, seven of those crossings are in Chiapas and one is in Tabasco.

2

This is the number of official land border crossings between Mexico and Belize. Two international bridges, the Santa Elena International Bridge and the nearby Chac-Temal International Bridge, cross the Hondo River into Belize southwest of Chetumal. The Santa Elena International Bridge is currently being rebuilt.

Infographic showing the 10 border crossings along Mexico's southern border

353,706

This was the population of Tapachula, the largest Mexican city within 50 kilometers of the southern border, when Mexico’s most recent census was conducted in 2020. Tapachula is the first port of call in Mexico for many migrants from Central America, South America and further afield who enter the country via the southern border with Guatemala.

The second largest city within 50 kilometers of the southern border is Chetumal, the capital of Quintana Roo. Its population was 233,648 when the 2020 census was conducted.

8

This is the percentage rate of Mexico’s IVA (value-added tax) in the southern border region. The same rate applies in the northern border region. The IVA in the rest of the country is 16%.

Of course, many other numbers could be included in a Mexico in Numbers article on Mexico’s southern border. Let us know of any that come to mind!

Mexico News Daily 

A win for El Tri and tragedy in Venezuela: Thursday’s mañanera recapped

By
MND Staff
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Reporters raise their hands as President Sheinbaum looks on from the podium of her morning press conference
After celebrating a World Cup win by El Tri, Mexico's national soccer team, President Sheinbaum moved on to international relations, discussing tensions with the U.S., elections in Colombia and Venezuela's devastating double earthquake. (Carlos Ramos Mamahua / Presidencia)

Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds

  • ⚽ El Tri wins again: Sheinbaum opened the press conference by congratulating the national team on its third World Cup victory, then showed a video of celebrations across Mexico — including the crowds that gathered at the Angel of Independence in Mexico City. She capped the moment by gifting a soccer ball to a reporter who correctly predicted a 3-0 win over Czechia.
  • 🌎 Solidarity with Venezuela: Following two powerful earthquakes that killed at least 164 people, Sheinbaum expressed the Mexican government’s solidarity with Venezuela and announced that a Defense Ministry rescue team and health personnel would travel to the South American country on Thursday, with the possibility of additional support to follow.
  • 🤝 Mexico-U.S. relationship: Sheinbaum described the bilateral relationship as “very good” across all areas, while acknowledging points of contention — including deaths of Mexicans in ICE detention centers and U.S. tariffs on Mexican exports. She pointed to Saturday’s joint inauguration of a sterile fly plant in Chiapas, to be attended by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Ambassador Ron Johnson, as evidence of ongoing cooperation.
  • 🗳 Colombia transition: Asked about the election of right-wing President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, Sheinbaum said Mexico will congratulate him and that her government seeks good relations with all countries regardless of ideological differences.

Why today’s mañanera matters

There was no shortage of significant issues for President Claudia Sheinbaum to comment on at her Thursday morning press conference. Among those she addressed were the latest victory of Mexico’s FIFA men’s World Cup team, the two powerful earthquakes that rocked Venezuela on Wednesday, the Mexico-U.S. relationship and the election of a new president in Colombia.

The importance of today’s mañanera came from the breadth of the issues Sheinbaum spoke about. As always, the remarks of the Mexican president on developments that have a direct impact on Mexico and the Mexican people — and on people throughout the region, as was the case today — carry weight.

Sheinbaum congratulates the Mexican team on its third World Cup victory 

“How was the match?” Sheinbaum asked reporters at the start of her press conference.

“Awesome, right? Very exciting. Congratulations to the selección,” she said, using the abbreviated version of the branded name Selección Nacional de México (National Team of Mexico).

Sheinbaum subsequently presented a video showing Mexicans celebrating El Tri’s victory in different parts of the country, including at the Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City, where a huge crowd of revelers once again arrived after the Wednesday night match.

Before moving on to other topics, the president gifted a World Cup soccer ball to a reporter who correctly predicted that Mexico would defeat Czechia 3-0.

President Sheinbaum holds a World Cup soccer ball
The president gifted a World Cup soccer ball to a reporter who correctly predicted Mexico’s 3-0 win over Czechia. (Mario Jasso / Cuartoscuro.com)

Sheinbaum expresses ‘solidarity with the people of Venezuela’ after twin earthquakes

On behalf of the Mexican government, Sheinbaum expressed “solidarity with the people of Venezuela” after two powerful earthquakes rocked the South American country on Wednesday. The death toll from the twin quakes stood at 164 on Thursday morning.

Sheinbaum said that a Ministry of Defense rescue team and “health personnel” would travel to Venezuela on Thursday. She said that additional Mexican personnel could also travel to Venezuela to assist the rescue and recovery efforts.

Sheinbaum offers a summary of the state of the Mexico-US relationship

A reporter asked the president, who turned 64 on Wednesday, to respond to a birthday message from U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson.

On social media, Johnson wrote: “Happy Birthday, President @Claudiashein. I have seen firsthand your commitment to serving the people of Mexico and strengthening cooperation between our countries. I look forward to continuing our work together for the benefit of our nations. May God bless you in the year ahead.”

The message, the reporter said, “is a complete contrast to the narrative that there is a bad relationship between Mexico and the United States, especially on issues related to security.”

Sheinbaum asserted that there is a “very good relationship” between Mexico and the United States across “all issues,” even though the bilateral relationship has recently been strained by the CIA’s alleged participation in a drug lab raid in Chihuahua without the knowledge and authorization of the Mexican government, and U.S. prosecutors drug trafficking allegations against Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and nine other current and former Mexican officials.

“As I have said on many occasions, there are issues on which we don’t agree,” she added.

“For example, one issue that concerns us and keeps us occupied is the death of Mexicans in ICE detention centers. And we’ve been talking about it with the ambassador and sending the diplomatic notes that are needed, and our consuls in the United States carry out inspections [of ICE detention centers] … to guarantee the protection of human rights of Mexicans in the United States,” Sheinbaum said.

She also noted that the Mexican government doesn’t like the tariffs that the Trump administration imposed last year on a range of Mexican exports, including vehicles, steel and aluminum.

“But that doesn’t mean that talks are interrupted, that we don’t engage in dialogue, that we don’t always seek the best agreement for both [countries], for Mexico and the United States,” Sheinbaum said.

She said that Johnson’s social media post on Wednesday is evidence of the cooperation between Mexico and the United States.

Sheinbaum subsequently revealed that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is traveling to Mexico on Saturday “to inaugurate the sterile fly plant in order to attend to the screwworm plague,” which led the U.S. government to suspend livestock imports from Mexico.

Screwworm parasite arrives at the US border, with new cases in Coahuila and Texas

“We’re going to be together in Chiapas,” she said, adding that Ambassador Johnson will also travel to the southern state for the opening of the sterile fly plant, located in the municipality of Metapa de Domínguez.

“This is an example of the great collaboration there is [between Mexico and the United States]. For the construction of this plant there were resources from Mexico and resources from the United States, and there is constant communication between the agriculture minister of Mexico and the agriculture secretary of the United States in order to address this [screwworm] issue,” Sheinbaum said.

“There is constant dialogue about trade issues,” added the president, who is confident that the USMCA will be renewed for an additional 16 years during this year’s trilateral review of the free trade pact.

There is also frequent dialogue about security issues, Sheinbaum said.

“The government of Mexico does everything in its power to always seek a good relationship with the government of the United States,” she said.

“… We don’t want conflict with any country in the world, and even less so with our trade partners, with our neighboring country,” Sheinbaum said.

Sheinbaum says her government will congratulate the president-elect of Colombia 

A reporter asked the president whether she would congratulate Abelardo de la Espriella on his victory in the presidential election in Colombia. She also asked Sheinbaum how the election of a right-wing government in Colombia would affect Mexico’s relationship with the South American country.

“Obviously we’re going to congratulate the president-elect of Colombia and we always seek a good relationship with Colombia,” Sheinbaum said.

She said that the Mexican government seeks good relationships with all governments around the world regardless of whether it agrees with them on “certain issues” or not.

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

Mexico beats Czechia 3-0, sealing a perfect finish in the World Cup group stage

By
MND Staff
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Mexico´s soccer team tosses Guillermo ¨Memo¨ Ochoa in the air to celebrate after the Czechia World Cup match, the last game of his career.
El Tri celebrates after routing Czechia in its final group stage match, a memorable night that included a farewell tribute to retiring keeper Guillermo ¨Memo¨ Ochoa. (Edgar Negrete Lira / Cuartscuro.com)

Mexican soccer fans celebrated deep into a rainy night after El Tri found the net three times in the second half to ease past Czechia and complete its first-ever perfect group stage performance at a World Cup.

With Wednesday’s 3-0 victory at Mexico City Stadium, El Tri finished atop Group A with a 3-0-0 record and remains one of just four teams yet to concede a goal.

Teen soccer star Gilberto Mora sprints behind the ball at Mexico's World Cup match against Czechia
Teen soccer star Gilberto Mora provided a key pass into the box around minute 60, allowing winger Julián Quiñones to score Mexico´s second goal of the night. (Moisés Pablo / Cuartoscuro.com)

Coach Javier Aguirre’s men can now rest and watch how the Round of 32 knockout bracket fills in, knowing they will face a yet-to-be-determined third-place finisher next Tuesday in Mexico City.

The team’s perfect record and +6 goal differential ensures that El Tri will finish no worse than fifth-best after the group stage, and thus be matched with one of the worst third-place finishers.

A pedestrian first half saw Czechia exert pressure during the first 20 minutes, nearly scoring in minute 8 when a Denis Visinsky shot zipped just wide of Raúl Rangel’s right post.

Mexico opened the second half more assertively: After El Tri survived a series of nervy set pieces deep in its defensive zone, Israel Reyes sent a long clearance to midfield that Luis Romo — hero of Mexico’s 1-0 win over South Korea — brought down in traffic.

Romo fought off three Czech defenders and poked the ball into the path of Cup debutante Mateo Chávez, who was racing forward on the right side. Chávez eluded a last-gasp sliding tackle about 35 meters from goal, dribbled into the box and cleanly beat Czech keeper Matěj Kovář, calmly slotting inside the far post with his left boot.

Six minutes later, a nifty through-pass by teenager Gilberto Mora freed Jorge Sánchez into the box. Kovář got to the ball first but fumbled it and Julián Quiñones pounced, banging home from close range to make it 2-0.

Álvaro Fidalgo added a third in stoppage time, putting an exclamation point on a festive night at the Estadio Azteca that included a farewell tribute to legendary goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

Ochoa, on an El Tri World Cup roster for a record sixth time, was inserted in as a late sub when Mexico was ahead 2-0, eliciting a roar from the 81,000 in attendance. The 40-year-old Guadalajara native who brilliantly back-stopped underwhelming Mexico teams at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups announced last month that he was hanging up his gloves once the tournament ends.

Mexican refs in the spotlight

Earlier Wednesday, César Ramos served as referee in the Brazil-Scotland Group C match, his record-setting ninth World Cup game in charge.

Not only did Ramos, a Sinaloa native, surpass compatriot Armando Archundia’s eight World Cup matches, he is now tied for second-most with Argentine Néstor Pitana.

With considerable opportunity to get another assignment or two, Ramos is only two matches behind the all-time record held by Uzbeki ref Ravshon Irmatov (11 World Cup matches in 2010, 2014 and 2018).

Ramos held the whistle in three games in Russia 2018, four games in Qatar 2022 and now two at the 2026 World Cup.

Another Mexican referee, Katia Itzel García, will make history on Thursday.

Katia García referee
García, 32, is set to become the first Mexican woman (and third woman ever) to be head referee at a men’s World Cup game, after being appointed head ref for Thursday’s Netherlands-Tunisia match in Kansas City. (César Gómez/Cuartoscuro)

García, a Mexico City native, is poised to become just the third woman in charge of a men’s World Cup match, appointed head referee for the Netherlands-Tunisia Group F match in Kansas City.

Just four years ago, France’s Stephanie Frappart was the first woman to serve as center ref at a men’s World Cup. American Tori Penso was in charge of the Czechia-South Africa match just last week, setting the stage for García, who has already served as fourth official for three matches at this year’s World Cup.

Mexico News Daily

MND Local: World Cup delivers early boost for Puerto Vallarta restaurants during low season

By
Charlotte Smith
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Woman holding FIFA World Cup trophy in a Puerto Vallarta restaurant
El Tri haven't taken home the World Cup trophy yet, but the tournament has proven to be an economic boost for restaurants in Puerto Vallarta. (Puerto Vallarta Restaurant/Instagram)

A week into the FIFA World Cup, at least two Puerto Vallarta restaurants are already seeing a measurable impact on their bottom lines.

For both Gina Rae Hendrix, owner and chef at Whiskey Kitchen, and the ownership team of Kimball Shirey, Mary Spencer, Adry Campos and General Manager David Torres at Sports Bar PV, the opening rounds of the tournament have provided a welcome boost during what’s traditionally one of the city’s most challenging periods for the hospitality industry.

The Sports Bar PV staff in front of their Puerto Vallarta bar
Summer may be the slow season in Puerto Vallarta, but for drinking and dining establishments like The Sports Bar PV, there have been fewer empty seats than normal thanks to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Charlotte Smith)

While Puerto Vallarta isn’t hosting any World Cup matches, the excitement surrounding the tournament is drawing fans to local restaurants and bars, creating additional business at a time when many establishments are navigating the realities of the slow summer season.

The World Cup effect

Hendrix says the impact was evident almost immediately.

“From the very first match, we could see a difference,” she said when asked whether the tournament had benefited business. “And I only have one screen.”

At Sports Bar PV, the results have been even more dramatic. According to Shirey, match days have produced customer traffic and significant sales bumps compared with typical low-season business levels.

“The turnout has far exceeded our expectations and we’re grateful for the many patrons,” said Shirey. “It varies day to day, but we’ve seen increases by as much as 70%.”

For independent restaurant operators, even relatively small increases in customer numbers can make a significant difference. That’s especially true during the low season, when daily revenues can fluctuate considerably and many businesses work creatively just to cover operating expenses.

The World Cup is helping restaurants stay afloat during the slow season

At Whiskey Kitchen, those margins are particularly clear.

Hendrix estimates that the restaurant’s daily revenue currently ranges from approximately 2,500 pesos on slower days to around 6,000 pesos on busier ones. Since the World Cup began on June 11, match days have consistently fallen into the latter category.

The figure may seem modest compared to larger venues, but its significance becomes apparent when viewed against the restaurant’s operating costs.

According to Hendrix, Whiskey Kitchen’s daily break-even point is roughly 5,800 pesos. In practical terms, that means many regular low-season days can leave the business operating below the level needed to comfortably cover expenses. On World Cup match days, however, revenues exceed that threshold.

For small business owners, that difference, even when minimal, can be critical.

A needed business boost

Restaurants throughout Puerto Vallarta face a familiar seasonal cycle. Winter months bring an influx of tourists, snowbirds and international visitors, often resulting in packed dining rooms and strong revenues. Summer presents a different reality. Visitor numbers typically decline as temperatures rise, and many businesses experience a noticeable slowdown.

Puerto Vallarta alley, empty of people, as the sun sinks beyond the Bay of Banderas
Puerto Vallarta attracts far fewer people in summer than it does in winter, making it difficult for restaurant owners to cover costs. (Miguel Naranjo/Unsplash)

Fixed costs, however, don’t disappear with the crowds.

Rent, utilities, payroll, inventory and other operating expenses continue regardless of how many customers walk through the door. As a result, restaurant owners often look for opportunities to attract additional traffic during quieter months.

The World Cup appears to be providing exactly that.

Community and game atmospheres

Mexico’s deep football culture, combined with the global appeal of the tournament, creates a unique environment where nationals, residents and tourists gather to watch matches together. For restaurants and bars, that often translates into longer visits, additional food and beverage purchases and a more energetic atmosphere overall.

At The Sports Bar PV, Shirey says patrons are not only showing up in greater numbers but also staying longer.

“The patrons don’t want to miss any of the exciting action,” he said when asked whether customers are extending their visits during matches.

As a venue built around live sports viewing, The Sports Bar PV has seen increased demand for many of its signature offerings.

“We’re a sports bar that specializes in providing the food, drinks and experiences to enjoy sports,” Shirey said. “The buckets of beer, shots of tequila, margaritas, wings and hamburgers are all being enjoyed while watching the World Cup on nine high-definition (HD) screens.”

At Whiskey Kitchen, the benefits extend beyond revenue alone.

The tournament has transformed otherwise ordinary afternoons and evenings into communal experiences.

“Our customers are coming together to cheer for their favorite teams and share in the excitement of the world’s biggest sporting event,” said Hendrix. “It’s great to see.”

A winning formula

That atmosphere can be difficult to create during the slow season, when quieter streets and reduced visitor numbers sometimes affect the energy of local businesses.

Gina Rae Hendrix, owner of the Whiskey Kitchen in Puerto Vallarta
Gina Rae Hendrix’s Whiskey Kitchen in Puerto Vallarta doesn’t need any canine advertising this summer. The customers are coming for World Cup action. (Charlotte Smith)

For Hendrix, the World Cup has provided a timely reminder of the value major international events can bring to small hospitality operators.

“Beyond the excitement on screen, the tournament is helping generate sales on days that matter most,” she said.

Shirey agrees that the tournament has become an important source of support during the slower summer months.

“The tournament has been an exciting time for Sports Bar PV, getting to share our facility with so many new friends,” he said. “Certainly, their support is helping our business.

As group-stage play continues and fan interest builds, many restaurant and bar owners across Puerto Vallarta will be paying close attention not only to the scores but also to their own cash registers. If the opening week is any indication, the tournament could offer a meaningful economic boost for local businesses throughout the coming weeks.

Shirey is confident the momentum will continue.

A brief but beneficial alleviation of economic challenges

“One hundred percent,” he said when asked whether he expects the World Cup to remain a significant boost throughout the tournament. “This is an exciting time that will continue to attract many. The world watches as we cheer on Team Mexico.”

Still, he acknowledges that business owners remain mindful of the challenges that will remain once the tournament concludes.

“Concern isn’t the feeling as much as awareness of the current economic pressures affecting our city and industry,” Shirey said. “We’ll focus on providing the best sports bar experience for our patrons and supporting our hard-working staff.”

While the World Cup’s biggest headlines may be coming from stadiums, its impact is also being felt right here, where every extra table filled, every drink served and every cheering fan represents another step toward a successful season.

Charlotte Smith is a writer and journalist based in Mexico. Her work focuses on travel, politics and community. You can follow along with her travel stories at www.salsaandserendipity.com.

Michoacán’s avocado growers celebrate their Protected Geographical Indication

By
MND Staff
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avocado growers
Avocado producers from the Michoacán Avocado Belt were presented a plaque at a ceremony commemorating their region's new official Protected Geographical Indication. (Marcelo Ebrard / X)

The Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) has recognized the Aguacate Franja Michoacán (Michoacán Avocado Belt) as a Protected Geographical Indication, with officials presenting a commemorative plaque at a ceremony on Tuesday.

The declaration was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on May 4. 

Avocado workers
Michocán is responsible for 68% of Mexico’s avocado production, and its sector generates more than 150,00 direct and indirect jobs. (Juan José Estrada Serafín / Cuartoscuro.com)

The move will protect Hass avocados produced in a specific region of Michoacán in Mexico’s Bajío and is expected to strengthen the authenticity, traceability, and positioning of the avocados in national and international markets. 

The Protected Geographical Indication encompasses 31 municipalities in Michoacán where avocado cultivation has taken place since the 19th century. 

The designation applies to Hass avocados grown within the region, whose specific geographic and climatic conditions give the avocados unique qualities, including their oval shape, rough skin, creamy pulp and high oil content, according to the IMPI.  

The protection certifies the origin, quality and reputation of the product, as well as differentiating it from other similar avocados produced outside the recognized area.

The Michoacán Avocado Belt has shifted from traditional avocado cultivating practices to a consolidated agro-industry in recent years. There are now around 48,000 producers, 94 packing plants and an overall business that generates more than 150,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region. 

“We received instructions from President Claudia Sheinbaum to support the economic development of the state of Michoacán,” said Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard during the ceremony. “Geographical Indications are an important instrument for this, as they contribute to generating a social economy and fulfills [Sheinbaum’s] economic vision.”

The endorsement is expected to serve as a catalyst for strengthening the regional and national economies, said Ebrard. 

IMPI Director General Vidal Llerenas Morales said that the granting of the Geographical Indication gives the Hass avocado grown in the region greater value and visibility than other varieties.

Avocados are a highly nutritious fruit, rich in healthy fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals, associated with benefits for the heart, digestion, vision, skin and blood sugar control. The Hass avocado contains potassium, magnesium, folic acid and vitamins C, E, K and B, among other nutrients.

 With reports from Infobae and Mi Morelia

2 possible hurricanes are forming off Mexico’s west coast

By
MND Staff
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hurricane map
A map from U.S. weather monitors shows the two storm systems' proximity to each other off the Sinaloa and Baja California Sur coasts. Though they're not classified as tropical storms yet, let alone hurricanes, they have a 50%-60% of cyclonic development by the weekend. (NOAA)

Mexico’s National Meteorological Service (SMN) is closely monitoring two weather systems in the Pacific Ocean, with concerns that they could develop into hurricanes in the coming days. 

By Wednesday morning, the Tropical Wave 8 weather system was located 760 kilometers southwest of Cabo San Lucas in Baja California Sur and moving in a west-northwest direction at a forward speed of 24-32 km/h. It had a 50% probability of cyclonic development within 48 hours as well as over the following seven days, according to Mexico’s National Water Commission (Conagua). 

The SMN also identified the imminent formation of a second low-pressure area in the same region, with a higher cyclonic development probability of 60% for the next seven days. Both systems are located over warm waters, which could cause them to intensify more.

If these systems strengthen to reach sustained winds exceeding 63 km/h, they will be classified as tropical storms and assigned the names Douglas and Elida, as designated by the official 2026 season list. 

The possibility of a Fujiwhara Effect

Experts are following the situation closely because the proximity of the two storms to each other could lead to a rare phenomenon known as the Fujiwhara Effect, which would happen if they both strengthen and approach each other closely.

The Fujiwhara Effect is named after the Japanese meteorologist Sakuhei Fujiwhara, who was the first to describe the behavior of two tropical storms as they approach each other. 

When two active tropical systems are within approximately 1,400 kilometers of each other, the circulation patterns of both can influence each other, and the systems can begin to rotate around a common point, generating a kind of spiraling atmospheric dance.

One of two things can happen in such a case. Either the stronger storm can absorb the weaker one, increasing its intensity and destructive potential, or, if both systems are of similar intensity, they can orbit each other for several days before separating or potentially merging into a single weather phenomenon. 

The Fujiwhara Effect complicates the prediction of hurricane movements, since meteorological models are not designed to simulate the trajectories of two storms interacting. 

With reports from Informador, Record and Eje Central

Pemex and Brazil’s Petrobras will partner up to boost oil production in the Gulf of Mexico

By
MND Staff
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Pemex and Petrobras heads
Magda Chambriard, president of the Brazilian oil company Petrobras and Pemex CEO Juan Carlos Carpio Fragoso display the Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in boosting Gulf of Mexico oil production that will benefit both countries.

Mexico’s Pemex and Brazil’s Petrobras  — the two largest oil companies in Latin America — have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly boost oil production in the Gulf of Mexico.

The agreement between the two public entities focuses on the deep waters of the Gulf, with the expectation that the technology developed by the Brazilian company for extracting crude oil under thick layers of salt in the Atlantic — the so-called pre-salt — will contribute to the discovery and exploitation of new deposits in Mexican waters.

Sheinbau and Lula
President Sheinbaum met with Brazil’s President Lula (at right, along with the Chilean and Uruguayan presidents) during her trip to Spain in April for the Defense of Democracy Summit, shortly after Lula had first suggested a potentially game-changing working partnership between Petrobras and Pemex, which was signed by both companies in Brazil this week.
(Presidencia / Cuartoscuro.com)

The cooperation agreement comes three months after Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva proposed the idea to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

After the suggestion became public, Lula revealed that both presidents had discussed strengthening the economic relationship between Brazil and Mexico, particularly in the energy sector.

Valid for two years with the option to renew, the newly signed MoU covers three main areas: hydrocarbon exploration and production; the exchange of best regulatory and institutional practices; and industrial transformation such as refining, petrochemicals, fertilizers, gas processing and liquids recovery. 

Technical teams from Pemex and Petrobras will also share geological, seismic, and operational information to identify assets with the potential to increase production, including revitalizing mature fields.

“The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding opens up opportunities for cooperation for the benefit of companies, countries and their people,” Pemex CEO Juan Carlos Carpio Fragoso said. 

Meanwhile, Magda Chambriard, who heads up Petrobras, said that the MoU “is a strategic cooperation instrument with significant potential for Petrobras, which can position the company as a partner of Pemex in a scenario of strengthening oil exploration and production in Mexico.” 

Mexico News Daily

Karim López is Mexico’s first-ever first-round NBA Draft pick

By
Jared Tucker
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Karim Lopez
“It’s something that I don’t take for granted and that I really take with pride, you know, representing all those people and making them proud," López said. (NBA Mexico/Facebook)

Karim López, a 19-year-old basketball star from Hermosillo, Sonora, made history as the first Mexican-born player to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft on Tuesday evening in New York City. He was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies as the 21st overall pick. 

“It’s a great opportunity,” López said in his post-draft press conference. “It’s something that I don’t take for granted and that I really take with pride, you know, representing all those people and making them proud.”

López, a 6-foot-8 forward, left Mexico when he was 14 years old to train at the Jovenut Youth Academy in Spain. He developed his talents in Europe before playing professionally for the New Zealand Breakers of Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL). During his past season with the Breakers, López averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game against older professionals in the NBL. 

After hearing his name called by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, López flashed the inside of his suit jacket, which featured multiple prints of the Mexican flag and other representations of his faith. 

“I’m blessed. I mean, I have no words,” a visibly emotional López told ESPN in the moments after his selection. 

López is just the second Mexican-born player to hear his name called in the NBA Draft after Eduardo Nájera was chosen in the second round (38th overall) by the Dallas Mavericks in 2000. Najera played in the NBA for 10 seasons after a standout collegiate career with Oklahoma. 

Mexican basketball star Karim López set to make NBA Draft history on June 25

Nájera and now López are part of a small roster of Mexican NBA stars that included Horacio Lamas (1996-1998), Gustavo Ayón (2011-2014) and Jorge Gutierrez (2013-2016). Lopez’s father is Jesús Hiram López, who averaged 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game throughout a long career with the Mexican national team. 

López excels at using his size and strength to score near the basket, which has contributed to his near 50% field goal mark. He was a defensive star as well, racking up a combined 66 steals and blocks, the highest marks among draft-eligible young talent from the NBL. 

Draft scouts noted that López still needs improvement in his jump shot, which has become a crucial aspect of top-level play for NBA big men. 

“I love [López’s] frame and physicality. I love that he rebounds and attacks with aggression. But I’m not sure he’s good enough without the ball to make an early impact in the NBA,” The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie wrote in a scouting report. “Still, I’m willing to take the chance late in the first round to find out if he can develop the shot and defense.”

ESPN had a higher outlook on López, ranking him as their top international prospect while projecting him to be taken in the top 14, known as a lottery pick. 

Memphis moved back five spots in the draft to select López in a pick-swap with Detroit. The Grizzlies were a surprising landing spot, as the team was expected to pursue guards after selecting former Duke star Cameron Boozer with the third overall pick — another big who can dominate near the rim. 

López can potentially be an instant-impact player for the rebuilding Grizzlies, who finished the 2025-2026 regular season 25-57 and are currently ranked No. 13 in the Western Conference. 

Mexico News Daily

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