No women are exempt from groping … even the president
“Geez,” my partner said one night as we were driving on a cobblestone road. “Does this lady not realize there are sidewalks?”
The young woman in question was indeed walking exactly in the middle of the street. “No, that’s smart,” I told him. “It’s harder for someone to jump out at you from some dark corner if you’re as much in the open as possible. Besides, if anyone tried, others would be more likely to see it happen.”
I also told him about how most women, including me, walk with our keys poking out from our fists when walking alone at night. “If you go for the eyes, they’re less likely to be able to chase you.”
This is part of the wealth of knowledge shared among almost all women, especially urban dwellers.
Incidents of groping
President Sheinbaum’s groping incident — and the subsequent accusations of it being made up — have had me thinking a lot about unwanted touching on the street.
Thankfully for me, it hasn’t happened in a while. Part of the reason, I think, is that I’m older and therefore not as conventionally attractive as I used to be (to random dudes, anyway — I think I’m super cute). I’m also often with my partner and kid. Finally, people pay less attention to others these days now that they can read WhatsApp messages or check Facebook while they’re locomoting. It’s the sunny side of us all being smartphone zombies: creeps sometimes being too distracted to ogle and harass women.
There was a time, though, when I’d get my butt grabbed by a strange man on the street at least once a year. Usually, they’d walk straight past with a smirk, though once I had a particularly scary incident in the early pre-dawn morning. He’d grabbed me under my skirt, no one around, then stared at me for a few seconds as if deciding where to go from there. (Thankfully, my yelling made him “decide” to run off.)
It’s part of the reason I have a marked preference for big, scary-looking dogs. “That’s right! Better cross the street, dude!”
Even now, if there aren’t too many people around, I’ll stop and pretend to look at something on my phone or fidget with my keys until a strange man walking briskly behind me passes. It’s like the kind of response people who’ve been badly bitten by dogs feel when one starts barking. Pounding heart, panic growing: the response becomes physical and involuntary.
A sense of entitlement
The fact that this happened to the president of the freaking country does not surprise me at all. Why? Because I know from personal experience — and so do all women — that there are men out there who simply believe they have the right to do what they want with women’s bodies, the main obstacle being a reasonable chance of getting away with it.
It’s not the majority — thank goodness — but it’s enough for us all to have had experience with the gross shock of it. Multiple experiences, mostly.
It’s not just a problem in Mexico, either. Women politicians all over the world put up with the same behavior.
As for the PRI politician who suggested it was set up as a distraction, I’d argue the accusation itself is a distraction. From what? The fact that opposition to (the very imperfect) Morena movement can’t get good enough proposals together to move people, that’s what.
And it was an ill-thought-out tactic, at that: accuse the woman in question of orchestrating it? Read the room, man.
Security for AMLO and President Sheinbaum
AMLO, the father of the party that has since won a supermajority in Mexico, was famous for, among other things, eschewing bodyguards. He surrounded himself with “citizen helpers” (the “ayudantía,” in Spanish) instead. It’s a great political tactic, especially for a populist: “I don’t want to be separated from the people. I want to be with them.”
“You will have access to me if we’re in the same space” is a great way to convince people you don’t see yourself as above them.
La presidenta has continued this tradition, surrounding herself with a group of ayudantía of her own, and not necessarily with security training.
I love it for PR. I don’t necessarily love it for her actual security. In a country famous for its political assassinations and femicides and machismo, I’d personally want at least one extra layer. Even if it were discrete, it seems some sort of subtle secret service detail would be a good idea.
Scrutiny for the justice system
In any case, that’s her decision. I’m glad she pressed charges, anyway. This gives the justice system a chance to be scrutinized, too: What are you going to do about it? (As of this writing, he’s being held in the sex crimes division of the FGJ after assaulting two other women. Lovely guy.)
Pressing charges was also a great signal to the women of the country: these things are worth making a big deal about. They’re not, as many argue, “part of the job.” If you ask me, that’s a big, important change from the last administration. I generally — mostly — liked AMLO. But one of my biggest complaints about him was that he didn’t seem to take women’s issues seriously enough. Remember his complaints about the women’s protests?
Instituting gender parity in politics was a great move, but if we’re really to achieve equality, it’s got to be on all levels: the macro and the micro.
With Sheinbaum, I’m seeing his antidote: women’s issues are serious, and environmental issues are serious — exactly what we’d been missing.
President Sheinbaum isn’t going to solve the problem of sexual harassment in Mexico. But she is elevating it to the point that it gets the attention it deserves and is setting an important precedent. Through her actions, the message is clear: it’s not something to ignore and be embarrassed about. It’s a crime, and like all crimes, it begs for justice.
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.
The unique style of Los Cabos
The concept of genius loci comes from Ancient Rome, where it translated to the “spirit of the place.” As in, the guardian spirit who looked out for those who lived there. In modern times, however, the phrase has lost its mythological overtones and is now discussed primarily in terms of philosophy and aesthetics.
The premier exponent of this concept as it evolved in modernity was noted Norwegian architect and theorist Christian Norberg-Schulz, whose influential 1979 work, “Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture,” posited that the spirit of a place — any place — emerges from the confluence of several factors, such as geography, history, climate and available materials. From these, a definable style is born, one that is unique to each city or region.
It’s an interesting idea, since almost anyone who has lived anywhere for any length of time begins to note certain architectural elements, interior design motifs and fashions that seem unique to that place, and in some intangible way, reflect its character and personality. Indeed, I’ve long been conscious of what might be called a distinctive Los Cabos style. I’d be hard-pressed to try to define it, but the core elements are unmistakable.
Signature architectural elements
The two most enduring elements of Los Cabos architecture are palo de arco and the palapa. The former style is most associated with rustic yet elegant pergolas, but it can be used to build virtually anything, from furniture to fences. Palo de arco refers to the way flexible yet sturdy branches from small Tecoma stans trees (aka palo de arco) are artfully arranged, without the need for nails to hold them together. The roots of this architectural style date back to the Indigenous cultures of Baja California Sur, and it has persisted through the Jesuit mission period and colonization into the luxury resorts of modern Los Cabos.
The palapa, a thatched-leaf roof made from palm fronds, seems more generic, since it can now be found in beachfront destinations around the country. Although actually, its origins aren’t Mexican at all. The word “palapa” comes from Tagalog, and the structures themselves originated in the Philippines and were shared with Mexico via the Manila Galleon Trade. This global trade route, which helped to connect Spain’s then far-flung colonies, was active from 1565 until 1815. Traditionally, only one or two ships per year would make the trip from Manila to Acapulco, laden with silk, spices, porcelain and other luxury goods from China and elsewhere in Asia that were purchased with Mexican silver.
Yes, Los Cabos was a frequent stop on this route. By the time the crew of these ships completed their months-long journey, they were generally sick from scurvy and running low or completely out of potable water. Thus, they would replenish themselves at the freshwater estuary in San José del Cabo and feast on local fare before sailing on to Acapulco.
These ships, known as the Nao de China in Mexico, would prove irresistible to English pirates, leading to several famous skirmishes in Cabo San Lucas Bay, where the pirates inevitably lay in wait due to the shielding cover provided by the Land’s End headland. The trade route also provided a historical basis for the use of palapas in Los Cabos, although these have only been commonly built here since the 1970s. Like palo de arco pergolas, palapas are now ubiquitous at local beaches and atop restaurants and swim-up bars at local luxury resorts.
It may seem odd that the latter properties would embrace such rustic architectural elements. Still, they contribute mightily to the inimitable style of laid-back luxury that is unique to Los Cabos. Doubtless, they even helped to inspire it. Norberg-Schulz would have certainly thought so, since he argued that these vernacular architectural elements are an integral part of what creates place identities.
Fashion and décor
Geography and climate, two factors Norberg-Schulz noted as crucial in the establishment of a genius loci, have obviously influenced interior design in Los Cabos. The municipality’s 350 days of sunshine annually have made possible the seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces, aided by open floor plans and retractable walls and doors for breezy, uninterrupted flow. Palettes featuring earthy and cool colors also reflect the area’s unique geography, in which mountains and dramatic desert terrains are bounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortés.
The coastline, specifically Los Cabos’ 125 miles of beautiful beaches, is the most notable factor when it comes to local fashion. Beach-friendly attire, for example, is a must-pack for vacationers or must-purchase upon arrival. But just as Los Cabos’ interior design often, as befits a Mexican destination, boasts trademark accents such as Talavera tiles and Mexican-sourced ceramics, textiles and furnishings, regional beach-style fashions among locals and long-time visitors also have an unmistakably Latin flavor.
The annual Los Cabos Fashion Week, for instance, is organized by the Fashion Designers of Latin America, and has been hosted by bastions of casually elegant resort wear like Esperanza, Solas and ME Cabo by Meliá. The latter’s pre-Hurricane Odile White Parties at Nikki Beach were perhaps the best expression of this style, a mix of breezy dresses and stylish guayaberas, poolside cover-ups and collared linen shirts, sunglasses and sandals.
But it’s not just design or fashion that defines the Los Cabos style. There’s a bit of attitude involved as well, the relaxed anything-goes embrace of life at Land’s End, the spirit of the place once captured by such Los Cabos-originated brands as No Bad Days and Die Trying. It’s hard to capture in words, but it would have been recognized by Norberg-Schulz as the genius loci that emerges when geography, climate and culture collide.
Chris Sands is the former Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best and writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook. He’s also a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily.
Mexico’s week in review: Sheinbaum weathers the storm
After violent anti-government protests rocked Mexico City’s Zócalo on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump seized on the unrest, declaring that Mexico has “some big problems” before renewing his threats of military strikes against cartels on Mexican soil. With international media questioning whether President Sheinbaum had lost control of her country, the president who had enjoyed sky-high approval ratings throughout her first year appeared to be facing her first true crisis.
By midweek, however, the Sheinbaum administration was on offense. The arrest of an alleged mastermind in the assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo revealed how authorities had unraveled a cartel chain of command that tried to cover its tracks by killing anyone who could talk — two key witnesses were found dead on a highway, but their phones told the whole story. That breakthrough, combined with the arrest of 54 suspected CJNG operatives in violence-plagued Colima, offered a measure of vindication for a government under fire for its security strategy.
The week closed on lighter notes: Tabasqueña Fátima Bosch was crowned Miss Universe in Bangkok, becoming the fourth Mexican woman to claim the title, while a Frida Kahlo self-portrait sold for US $54.7 million at Sotheby’s, shattering the auction record for any female artist.
Didn’t have time to read this week’s top stories? Here’s what you missed.
Trump threatens military strikes; Sheinbaum invokes history
President Donald Trump made new threats of unilateral military action against Mexican drug cartels.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said that launching strikes in Mexico to stop drugs would be “OK” with him, citing his administration’s recent lethal strikes against alleged drug boats in international waters. When asked whether he would only act with Mexico’s permission, Trump declined to answer directly.
.@POTUS: “We have lost hundreds of thousands of people a year… and much of it comes through Mexico. So, let me just put it this way — I am NOT happy with Mexico.” pic.twitter.com/MzvJreOuEM
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 17, 2025
President Claudia Sheinbaum responded firmly at her Tuesday press conference. “The last time the United States came to Mexico with an intervention, they took half the territory,” she said, referencing the 19th-century Mexican-American War.
Sheinbaum reiterated that she has repeatedly declined Trump’s offers to send U.S. troops into Mexico, emphasizing that while the two countries can collaborate and coordinate, Mexico will not accept foreign intervention.
The president has expressed her disapproval of the Trump administration’s strategy of bombing perceived “drug boats” from Central and South America. Earlier in the week, she announced that her government had reached an agreement with its U.S. counterpart for the Mexican Navy to intercept vessels suspected of transporting drugs in international waters off Mexico’s coast.
Sheinbaum previously spoke out in favor of arresting suspected drug traffickers at sea, rather than killing them. The agreement, she said, means U.S. strikes near Mexican waters are “no longer” happening.
Adding to the tensions, the Mexican Navy removed six warning signs from Playa Bagdad in Tamaulipas after unidentified men arrived by boat and planted them on the beach. The signs declared the area a “Restricted Area” of the U.S. Department of War (formerly Defense) and warned that trespassers could be “detained and searched.”
The U.S. government later acknowledged it had hired contractors to install the signs, with the Pentagon attributing the incident to confusion over the border’s location due to changes in water depth and topography. The International Boundary and Water Commission is now reviewing boundary maps.
‘Gen Z’ protest in Mexico City dominates domestic discourse
A mass protest against insecurity organized by a self-described “Generation Z” movement drew approximately 17,000 people to Mexico City on Saturday, though most participants were older adults rather than young people. The demonstration turned violent when a “black bloc” contingent attacked police in the Zócalo, injuring 100 officers according to authorities.
The protest — which occurred alongside a march by the Sombrero Movement (Movimiento del Sombrero) — was catalyzed by the Nov. 1 assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, an outspoken anti-crime crusader. Protesters demanded greater security, condemned corruption and even called for Sheinbaum’s resignation.
At her Monday press conference, Sheinbaum blamed opposition parties and billionaire businessman Ricardo Salinas for financing the protest, claiming 90 million pesos (US $4.9 million) was spent promoting the march through social media, with backing from foreign right-wing organizations. The government’s “fake news debunker-in-chief” presented evidence alleging coordinated promotion from abroad.
Further bolstering the government’s claims, Morena party president Luisa María Alcalde revealed on Wednesday that Edson Andrade, a key Gen Z protest organizer who had presented himself as nonpartisan, holds a 2.1-million-peso (US $114,800) contract with the opposition National Action Party (PAN). Andrade fled Mexico after the revelation, claiming government persecution.
A second Gen Z march on Thursday — Revolution Day — drew only about 200 participants. In her Revolution Day address, Sheinbaum declared that those who call for violence and encourage hate are mistaken. The president also asserted that various other people are “mistaken,” including those who call for a “foreign intervention” to combat organized crime, those who think “women are weak” and those who believe that the “fourth transformation” political movement she leads is asleep at the wheel.
Arrest made in Mayor Manzo’s assassination
Federal Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced Wednesday the arrest of an alleged mastermind behind Mayor Manzo’s killing. Jorge Armando “N,” also known as “El Licenciado,” was detained in Morelia and is allegedly affiliated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Authorities pieced together the case after discovering the bodies of two men who had accompanied the 17-year-old shooter before the attack. Analysis of their phones revealed a WhatsApp group used to coordinate the assassination, with Jorge Armando “N” issuing instructions.
Security Ministry arrests alleged mastermind behind killing of Michoacán anti-crime crusader
Messages showed real-time updates from the Festival of Candles, where Manzo was shot, and orders to target the mayor even if he was surrounded by other people. Reports indicate Jorge Armando “N” operated under orders from the CJNG’s second-in-command.
FDI hits record high as bond outflows continue
Mexico’s economic data continues to present a mixed picture. President Sheinbaum announced that foreign direct investment (FDI) reached a record US $40.9 billion in the first nine months of 2025, a 14.5% increase over the same period last year and already surpassing all of 2024’s total.
New investment — as opposed to reinvested profits — jumped over 200%, from $2 billion to $6.5 billion.
However, a separate report revealed that foreign investors have withdrawn more than $7 billion from Mexican government bonds this year, marking seven consecutive months of capital outflows. Analysts attribute the exodus to global financial volatility, uncertainty over the upcoming USMCA review and declining interest rates on Mexican instruments.
In trade news, Mexico became the top buyer of U.S. goods for the first time in history, surpassing Canada. Between January and August, Mexico imported $226.4 billion worth of American products, underscoring the deep integration of the two economies.
World Cup updates
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just over 200 days away, Mexico is ramping up preparations on multiple fronts. FIFA announced that Guadalajara and Monterrey will host playoff matches in March to determine the final two teams in the 48-team field, with six nations from five confederations competing.
On Wednesday, the government unveiled a program titled “Social World Cup,” an ambitious initiative featuring over 5,000 activities, including school sports programs, 177 street fairs, the creation of 10,000 murals and attempts at three Guinness World Records.
The program will also offer free public broadcasts of matches and promote Mexico’s cultural and gastronomic heritage to visitors and citizens alike.
99 facts you need to know about Mexico
In honor of World Statistics Day on Oct. 20, Mexico’s national statistics agency INEGI published a small book presenting the 99 facts you need to know about Mexico.
This week, we shared the book’s contents translated into English. Check it out here:
Looking ahead
As the seventh anniversary of the “4T” approaches in December, Sheinbaum faces the challenge of converting strong approval ratings into tangible security improvements that can quiet critics — and keep protesters off the streets.
The arrest of an alleged mastermind in the Manzo assassination demonstrates the state’s growing capacity to answer violence with prosecution, but whether such wins can shift public perception of insecurity remains to be seen.
With World Cup preparations accelerating and trade negotiations looming, the coming weeks will test whether Mexico can maintain its delicate balance between economic pragmatism and political independence.
This story contains summaries of original Mexico News Daily articles. The summaries were generated by Claude, then revised and fact-checked by a Mexico News Daily staff editor.
Should the US help Mexico beat the cartels? A perspective from our CEO
What a week it has been. I have to admit that I continue to be perplexed by the “anti-Sheinbaum and anti-Morena” protests this past weekend in Mexico City. Despite the name, it hardly felt like a bunch of Gen Z’ers (keep in mind Gen Z members are officially 13-28 years old). A close review of videos of the protestors showed many that seemed to be far out of that age range, and it struck me as odd that things got so violent so quickly. I am NOT one to believe conspiracy theories, but something felt really weird about this protest. Violence is a very serious issue in Mexico, full stop. But recent data of Sheinbaum’s first year in office show the most significant reduction in violent crimes in the country in a generation. The reduction comes in only her first year in office against criminal organizations that have become entrenched over decades. So why now?
Then, almost on cue, many news outlets of the U.S. political right and even President Trump himself began to talk about President Sheinbaum supposedly beginning to lose control of Mexico. Trump even referenced the Mexico City protests in his comments earlier this week. Keep in mind that President Sheinbaum currently has one of the highest approval ratings of any political leader in the world and has actually increased her approval rating in Mexico since elected. It’s increasingly clear that there are groups in both Mexico and the United States that are pushing a narrative that violence is spiraling out of control in Mexico, as well as the idea that Sheinbaum’s administration is powerless and/or unwilling to do anything about it.
Trump reacts to Mexico City protest, says military strikes to stop drugs are ‘OK with me’
I have heard from countless Americans that the U.S. should just “get the job done” with the cartels in Mexico. But what does that exactly mean? And why would we think it would be so simple? If it were that easy, why wouldn’t Americans “get the job done” on the U.S. side of the border?
Data shows that the vast majority of drugs enter via the land border and as a result must pass through U.S. border control. Further data shows that the vast majority of those that transit drugs into the United States are in fact U.S. citizens. Once across the border, the drugs travel for thousands of miles to nearly every community of the country. Earlier this week, Trump said that regarding Mexican cartels, “We know the addresses of every drug lord … We know their front door, we know everything about every one of them.” If that in fact were the case, one would think the U.S. would also know a lot about the criminal organizations on the U.S. side of the border and, as a result, do more to stop them. That domestic network — stretching from ports of entry to suburban mailboxes — is the quiet part too rarely talked about.
We all want solutions to the scourge of drugs in communities on both sides of the border, but if there were in fact easy answers, one would think we would already be implementing them. Many people say the root cause of the problem is the demand, and that the U.S. has to focus on that. A valid point. But there is also a very significant supply chain throughout the U.S. that authorities there have been unable to stop. Here is the uncomfortable truth: There is no serious national plan in the U.S. to reduce demand at scale or to disrupt the domestic distribution web that delivers fentanyl, meth and cocaine to neighborhoods from Portland to Pittsburgh — and that vacuum invites more theater than strategy.
If we don’t treat addiction, rebuild community institutions and address the cultural hollowing-out that drives self-medication — family disconnection, loneliness, purposelessness — then “supply-side only” fixes will fail again, just as they have for 50 years. So let’s ground the debate in two realities that can coexist. First, President Sheinbaum has been in office for only one year and is confronting a problem that long predates her administration. Second, early statistics from her first year indicate a meaningful reduction in violent crime and an increase in cartel arrests.
So what should the U.S. do? Blowing up speed boats loaded with cocaine in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean makes for good videos (and Department of War bravado), but will likely do very little to solve the fentanyl problem, and could even increase cocaine trafficking via land routes. So what are some of the potential options with respect to Mexico? Here are a few possibilities:
- Share U.S. intelligence with Mexico (without public knowledge) and trust Mexico to successfully act on it. The obvious concern here is that Mexico in the past has often either leaked the information to the cartels or been unsuccessful in acting on it.
- Share U.S. intelligence with Mexico (with public knowledge) to increase pressure on Mexico to act on it.
- Share U.S. intelligence and weapons with Mexico (without public knowledge) and trust Mexico to act on it.
- Share US intelligence and weapons with Mexico (with public knowledge) to increase pressure on Mexico for results.
- Direct strikes by the U.S. in Mexico. This would require clear legal authority, Mexican government consent, and a definition of victory beyond “hit them hard” — none of which exist today.
Many people I know on both sides of the border would advocate for option No. 5 as the obvious, no brainer choice. But when in the last 50 years has the American military quickly resolved a problem in another country? Vietnam took over 17 years of U.S. involvement. Iraq, over 8 years of U.S. involvement. Afghanistan, nearly 20 years. Even in a world of increasingly sophisticated drone warfare technology, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is nearing 4 years. Two years in, the Israel-Hamas war is being held together by a fragile peace agreement. Even the U.S. war on drugs is now nearing 54 years since it first began in 1971. We now have decades of evidence suggesting that killing a cartel leader or disrupting one cartel organization only leads to new ones taking over — with the drug flow and violence continuing unabated (and often increasing).
I personally think the U.S. has willing and eager partners in President Sheinbaum and Security Minister García Harfuch to reduce the levels of violence and the flow of drugs. That being said, as the recent brazen murder of the mayor of Uruapan, Michoacan, showed, the task is not one to be taken lightly. I believe the U.S. should share both intelligence and weapons (showing trust) while at the same time insisting on and verifying results from Mexico. The U.S. must also show tangible results on its side of the border with increased drug and weapons seizures — which have begun to happen. In parallel, the U.S. should finally articulate a domestic plan including expanded treatment and recovery capacity, cracking down on U.S.-based distribution cells and money laundering, expanding precursor controls and e-commerce enforcement, and investing in community-level prevention. Given that drone weapon technologies are rapidly advancing, it seems logical and reasonable that the U.S. could train Mexico to quickly and effectively use them selectively against cartel targets.
Of course, the unknown of all of this is the response of the cartels. Would they just get out of the drug business? Would they move it elsewhere? Would they accelerate diversification into other industries (avocados, fuel, extortion, etc.)? If these questions are not well thought out well in advance, the impacts could lead to a situation that is even worse than the current one.
The bottom line: Let’s hope that the previous decades of learnings and failures from the war on drugs and U.S. military involvement in other countries increase our degree of cautiousness and care. This is not a problem that a few drone or F15 strikes will solve. The right path would be an increasing degree of collaboration, cooperation and trust between the U.S. and Mexican governments. Hopefully, this would result in continued pressure on the cartels that decreases the level of violence, decreases drug production, and ensures that new areas of crime do not take its place. That would truly be a wonderful development for the citizens of both countries. It will take time, and not be easy, but we can get there if both countries acknowledge that much work needs to be done on both sides of the border.
Which course of action do you think would be most effective? I look forward to hearing your points of view in the comments.
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.
Lake Texcoco recovery continues with over 4,000 hectares now underwater
Three years after it was declared a Protected Natural Area (ANP), Lake Texcoco is showing progressive recovery of flora and fauna, while roughly 4,300 hectares are now covered with water after an abundant rainy season in central Mexico.
Jorge Daniel Fonseca, director of the Lake Texcoco ANP, said that more than 43 million cubic meters of water was collected this year in the 14,000-hectare area which includes Lake Texcoco Ecological Park.
The aim of the ecological restoration project is to expand the lake to 9,000 hectares, a goal Fonseca expects to achieve in a year’s time.
Lake Texcoco was a natural saline lake within the Valley of Mexico, best known for being the site of an island where the Mexica built the city of Tenochtitlan, which would later become the capital of the Aztec empire.
A century after conquering the Mexica (Aztecs) in 1521, the Spaniards built drainage systems and channels in an effort to control flooding and create land for their growing capital, Mexico City.
On March 22, 2022, the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador declared 78% of Lake Texcoco a Natural Protected Area, his goal being to restore the biodiversity lost due to the construction of an airport, which was canceled in 2018.
Since then, efforts have been undertaken to re-grass the land, reforest the area, increase protected green spaces and restore bodies of water as part of the Ecological Park project inaugurated in August 2024.
Lake Texcoco has seen an increase in bird migration this year. Before construction on the airport began in 2014, an average of 150,000 migratory birds, comprising at least 182 species, arrived there annually. That number dipped to 60,000 in 2021.
Fonseca reported that this year more than 280,000 birds — including three new species — had arrived to winter in the Lake Texcoco ANP.
In total, the ANP is home to 76 species of flora and fauna and more than half of the park — 7,981 hectares — is regarded as a priority zone, with 65% of those hectares classified as “extreme priority” due to the biodiversity.
The National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp) is focusing its efforts on ensuring that Lake Texcoco continues to be home to the 580 species of plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals that lived and migrated there until 2021.
The project also involves recovering the surface area utilized by the unfinished airport project. After this year’s generous rainfall, 95% of the construction area has been recovered by the lake.
As Lake Texcoco recovers, rising water swallows the ruins of the canceled airport
Green spaces have emerged from among the rubble of the abandoned structures and the pilings of the canceled project barely rise above a layer of water that reaches up to 7 meters deep in areas.
The architect in charge of the restoration project, Iñaki Echeverría, told Uno TV that parts of the airport and hydraulic projects made for that project are being used to build wetlands.
He is also leading efforts to restore the bodies of water in the Ciénega de San Juan, Lagunas Xalapango, Texcoco Norte and Lake Nabor Carrillo, all within the ANP Lake Texcoco.
With reports from La Jornada, Uno TV and El Soberano
Sheinbaum reflects on Intercam and CIBanco’s demise after US sanctions: Friday’s mañanera recapped
The United States’ money laundering accusations against three Mexican financial institutions and the record inflow of foreign direct investment in the first nine months of 2025 were among the issues President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about at her Friday morning press conference.
Here is a recap of the president’s Nov. 21 mañanera.
Sheinbaum: No evidence that Intercam and CIBanco committed crimes
Sheinbaum said that Mexican authorities have not found any evidence that the banks Intercam and CIBanco, and the brokerage firm Vector, had links to organized crime or engaged in money laundering.
Her statement came in response to a question about whether the “partners, shareholders or owners” of the three financial institutions were under investigation in light of the U.S. government’s accusation that they laundered money for drug cartels.
Intercam, CIBanco and Vector have all ceased to operate in Mexico, effectively killed off by the U.S. government’s allegations and its decision to prohibit transactions between them and banks in the United States. Vector was owned by Alfonso Romo, a wealthy businessman who served as former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s chief of staff for around two years.
Sheinbaum said that information the U.S. Department of the Treasury sent to Mexican authorities didn’t demonstrate any link between the three financial institutions and organized crime, or provide evidence that they had laundered money for cartels.
The information it sent “was not sufficient for Mexican authorities to file a criminal complaint,” she said.
“… The Department of the Treasury hasn’t provided any proof that shows there was something that would warrant a criminal complaint,” said Sheinbaum, who has made similar remarks on several occasions.
In June, the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network accused Intercam, CIBanco and Vector of “laundering millions of dollars on behalf of Mexico-based cartels and facilitating payments for the procurement of precursor chemicals needed to produce fentanyl.”
Soon after, many Intercam and CIBanco customers reported they were unable to carry out transactions involving U.S. banks, even though Treasury’s sanctions hadn’t officially taken effect.
Record FDI indicative of ‘confidence’ in Mexico, president says
Sheinbaum said that the record high foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexico in the first nine months of the year shows there is “confidence in the country.”
The government announced on Wednesday that Mexico received just over US $40.9 billion in FDI between January and September, a 14.5% increase compared to the same period of 2024.
Foreign direct investment in Mexico climbs to record US $40.9B, already surpassing all of 2024
Sheinbaum said that investors are aware of the strength of the Mexican economy, and not just in terms of GDP growth, which has slowed considerably this year. She said they take note of things such as the reduction in poverty and job growth.
“And our proximity to the world’s largest market, the United States, will continue to generate investment in Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.
“Perhaps it will no longer be the [Mexican] automotive industry that grows the most, but now the electronics sector is growing — there is a lot of investment in electronics in Mexico. Why? Because there is very significant integration [of the sector in North America], there is a [North American] trade agreement, and, in addition, the relationship [with the U.S.] is good,” she said.
Sheinbaum said that once the 2026 review of the USMCA is completed, “there will be even greater certainty” for foreign investors.
“There is confidence” in Mexico and “there will be more,” she said.
Sheinbaum confirms she filed complaint against man who assaulted her
Sheinbaum told reporters that she filed a formal complaint with the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office (FGJ) against the man who touched her inappropriately in the historic center of the capital on Nov. 4.
President Sheinbaum files criminal complaint after groping incident on the streets of Mexico City
She said she sent a “document” to the FGJ, explaining what happened to her.
Asked whether it was important for her to formally present the complaint in person at the FGJ, Sheinbaum said she would do so “if necessary.”
“The thing is that the attorney general herself said to me: ‘All you have to do is send [a complaint] and it will be included in the investigation file,'” the president said.
The man who inappropriately touched Sheinbaum as she was walking between the National Palace and the Ministry of Public Education allegedly assaulted two other women in downtown Mexico City the same day. He was arrested and remains in custody as the case against him proceeds.
Sheinbaum said that sexual harassment has to be reported and punished, adding: “It shouldn’t happen in our country.”
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
99 facts you need to know about Mexico: 81-99
In honor of World Statistics Day on Oct. 20, Mexico’s national statistics agency INEGI published a small book presenting the 99 facts you need to know about Mexico.
This week, we have shared the book’s contents translated into English. Check out the other installments for more curious, surprising and eye-opening statistics about Mexico:
81) In 2025, potholes and water leaks were the most frequently reported community problem in neighborhoods and localities, making up 53.3% of reports.
(Source: INEGI, National Survey of Victimization and Perceptions of Public Security – ENVIPE, 2025)
Infrastructure failures such as potholes in the streets and water supply leaks are consistently viewed as top concerns in urban and rural communities. These issues affect daily life, mobility, and public trust in local government, often ranking above crime or public safety in citizen surveys.
82) In 2024, there were 1,203 registered museums in Mexico — 10 more than in 2023.
(Source: INEGI, Museum Statistics – EM, 2023 & 2024)
Mexico’s museum network continues to grow, with art, history and archaeology as the most common themes. Major museums are concentrated in Mexico City, but every state maintains cultural venues. The rising number of museums reflects increasing investment in the arts, heritage and public education.
83) In Mexico, some town names are used repeatedly. The most common is San Antonio, found in 1,440 different locations across the country.
(Source: INEGI, Register of Continental, Insular and Submarine Geographic Names – RNG, 2025)
This widespread naming reflects Mexico’s colonial and religious heritage, with “San Antonio” appearing in towns, villages and smaller settlements throughout almost every state. Locality name repetition is common for saints and Spanish-rooted place names, underscoring the country’s deep geographical and cultural diversity.
84) In 2024, there were 818,000 registered deaths in Mexico: 44.0% were women, and 55.9% were men. In 0.1% of the cases, sex was unspecified.
(Source: INEGI, Registered Death Statistics – EDR, 2024)
Mortality statistics in Mexico continue to show a gender difference, with men consistently making up the majority of recorded deaths — even as life expectancy gaps persist. These patterns are shaped by age structure, occupational risks and differences in the leading causes of death for each sex.
85) In 2025, 61.2% of the population had attended at least one cultural event or performance in the previous year, including concerts, live music, exhibitions, movie screenings and theater plays.
(Source: INEGI, Module on Selected Cultural Events – MODECULT, 2025)
Cultural participation is on the rise, with movie showings, concerts and festivals as the most attended events in Mexico. Recovery in cultural attendance after the pandemic shows renewed interest in public events across age groups and regions, though participation rates remain lower for people with disabilities and Indigenous language speakers.
86) Between 2000 and 2020, the average number of occupants per dwelling in Mexico fell from 4.4 to 3.6 people.
(Source: INEGI, Population and Housing Censuses)
Household size in Mexico has steadily decreased, reflecting demographic changes like lower fertility rates, more nuclear families and increased urban living. This trend brings new challenges and opportunities for housing, city planning, and social services.
Post-AMLO, Mexican household income is up and inequality is slightly down
87) In 2020, 51.6% of Mexico’s population lived in localities with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants.
(Source: INEGI, Population and Housing Census – CPV, 2020)
Despite increasing urbanization, the majority of Mexicans continue to live in small and medium-sized towns and rural communities. These demographic patterns affect access to services, infrastructure and economic opportunities, with significant regional disparities.
88) In 2024, 72.3% of people in Mexico felt unsafe at ATM machines located in public areas.
(Source: INEGI, National Survey of Victimization and Perceptions of Public Security – ENVIPE, 2024)
Public ATM machines are perceived as the riskiest urban locations for crime and assault, with nearly three out of four adults reporting insecurity when using them. This perception remains higher than for public transport, parks or banks — and is even more pronounced among women and in larger cities.
89) Commuting to work often means crossing municipal boundaries in Mexico. In 2020, 14.4% of workers traveled between municipalities to reach their workplace.
(Source: INEGI, Population and Housing Census – CPV, 2020)
Intermunicipal commuting has grown in recent decades as metropolitan zones expand and jobs become more dispersed. This poses mobility challenges for urban planning, transport systems and local labor markets, increasing both travel times and demand for regional coordination.
90) In 2022, 24.5 million head of cattle were registered in Mexico.
(Source: INEGI, Agricultural Census – CA, 2022)
Mexico’s cattle inventory continues to grow, with bovines kept for meat, milk and hides across all regions. Just over half the country’s cattle are concentrated in eight states, led by Veracruz, Jalisco, Chihuahua and Chiapas — making cattle farming a major part of rural economies and food supply.
91) In 2020, Jocotitlán or Xocotépetl, in the state of México, was the active volcano with the greatest number of populated localities around it: 68 towns with 95,000 inhabitants.
(Sources: INEGI, Geology and Physiography – GEOL, 2024; INEGI, Geo-statistical Framework – MG, 2020; INEGI, Population and Housing Census – CPV, 2020)
Jocotitlán is notable both for its volcanic activity and its surrounding communities, making it the volcano with the largest concentration of settlements and residents in its vicinity. Monitoring and risk mitigation for these populations is a local priority, given the potential hazard and socioeconomic importance of the region.
92) In 2022, land dedicated to agriculture in Mexico exceeded 25 million hectares, an area slightly larger than the state of Chihuahua.
(Source: INEGI, Agricultural Census – CA, 2022)
Mexico’s agricultural land spans about 25.7 million hectares according to active productive units, placing it among the country’s largest categories of land use. The extent is comparable to the total area of Chihuahua, highlighting the importance and scale of farming activities in national territory.
93) In 2020, there were 7,364,645 people aged 3 and over in Mexico who spoke an Indigenous language.
(Source: INEGI, Population and Housing Census – CPV, 2020)
Mexico’s linguistic diversity remains significant: These speakers made up about 6.1% of the national population over age 3. The majority live in rural municipalities in the south and southeast, with Oaxaca, Chiapas and Yucatán among the states with the highest shares of Indigenous language speakers.
94) During 2024, there was an average of 1,027 traffic accidents per day in urban and suburban areas of Mexico.
(Source: INEGI, Land Transit Accidents in Urban and Suburban Areas – ATUS, 2024)
According to INEGI’s annual reporting, traffic crash frequency in urban settings remains a major public safety challenge. With over 374,000 accidents recorded for the year, the daily average underscores ongoing issues in road safety, enforcement and urban mobility nationwide.
95) Between April and June 2025, 16.4 million people worked independently in Mexico.
(Source: INEGI, National Survey of Occupation and Employment – ENOE, second quarter 2025)
Independent work — including self-employment, freelancing and those with small businesses — remains a crucial part of Mexico’s labor market. This segment represents over one-quarter of all employed people, and trends in independent work reflect changes in entrepreneurship, informal labor and economic resilience.
96) Meteorological phenomena such as tornadoes are also recorded in Mexico. In 2022, civil protection units attended 66 such reports.
(Sources: INEGI, National Census of Municipal Governments and Territorial Demarcations of Mexico City – CNGMD, 2023; INEGI, National Census of State Governments – CNGE, 2023)
Tornadoes, while infrequent compared to other natural hazards, are documented each year — mostly in northern and eastern states. Civil Protection authorities respond to all tornado reports with emergency management and risk mitigation efforts as part of broader disaster response and community support actions.
97) Of the 6.9 million people who live in a different municipality, state or country now than they did in March 2015, 2.5 million migrated to reunite with family.
(Source: INEGI, Population and Housing Census – CPV, 2020)
Family reunification remains the main reason for internal migration in Mexico, accounting for about 37.5% of all cases between 2015 and 2020. Migration for work is the next most common driver, but family ties are the central force shaping mobility patterns — particularly for women.
98) At the end of 2022, there were 2,458 mayors and municipal presidents in Mexico: 77.0% were men and 22.9% were women.
(Source: INEGI, National Census of Municipal Governments and Territorial Demarcations of Mexico City – CNGMD, 2023)
Men continue to dominate political leadership roles in local governments, with women holding less than a quarter of mayoral or municipal president positions nationwide. Although representation has improved compared to previous decades, progress slowed in 2022, highlighting persistent barriers to gender equity in political participation.
99) In 2023, seven out of every 100 inhabited households in Mexico did not have a kitchen.
(Source: INEGI, National Survey of Demographic Dynamics – ENADID, 2023)
By 2023, 93.3% of Mexican homes had a dedicated kitchen space, marking an improvement from previous years, but about 2.5 million homes still lacked this amenity. The absence of a kitchen is more common in rural, marginalized and low-income regions, which signals ongoing disparities in housing quality and access to basic infrastructure.
Mexico News Daily
A Frida Kahlo self-portrait sells for US $54.7M, a new record for a female artist
Frida Kahlo made history this week as her haunting 1940 self-portrait, “El sueño (La cama)” — which translates to “The Dream (The Bed)” — sold for US $54.7 million (hammer pricxe plus commission), shattering all previous auction records for works by female artists and further cementing her legacy as an icon of both art and resilience.
Bidding at Sotheby’s in New York lasted a brisk four minutes before the hammer fell, marking an unprecedented moment not only for Kahlo but for the broader art world.
A wild week for the secondary art market — and especially for Sotheby’s, which needed some good news.
This evening, a Frida Kahlo painting achieved the record for the highest price for a painting by a woman at auction, not just at Sotheby’s but in history.
$54.7 million (hammer… pic.twitter.com/UFpuabDWUf
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) November 21, 2025
The Thursday sale exceeded projections, which had placed the work’s value between US $40 and $60 million, and easily eclipsed the previous high for a woman artist — Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1,” which fetched $44.4 million in 2014.
“El sueño (La cama)” also topped Kahlo’s own auction record, set in 2021 when “Diego y Yo” sold for $34.9 million.
The buyer of “El sueño (La cama)” remains anonymous, with the auction house confirming the work will be featured in major exhibitions in New York, London and Basel, Switzerland, through 2028.
According to the New York Times, the painting came from a distinguished private collection, where it had remained for approximately 45 years. The previous owner reportedly acquired it at a Sotheby’s auction in 1980 for US $51,000.
Created in the midst of personal turmoil and medical hardship, the painting depicts Kahlo asleep in a carved bed under a canopy topped by a skeleton entwined with dynamite and flowers — a stark meditation on mortality and pain, rendered with unmistakable emotional candor.
The bed, a recurring theme in Kahlo’s art, symbolized both refuge and confinement, shaped by years of illness and recovery after a long metal rod tore through her midsection when a bus she was riding slammed into a trolley car. Only 18 at the time, she suffered severe fractures in her pelvis, ribs, shoulders and spine.
As Sotheby’s explained, “The bed’s structure becomes both a physical support and a metaphysical scaffolding, a stage on which death literally hovers above life. ‘The Dream (The Bed)’ undoubtedly offers a spectral meditation on the border between sleep and death.”
Though described by scholars as distinctly surrealist in tone, Kahlo herself denied the label, famously declaring, “I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.”
Researchers have a new diagnosis for Frida Kahlo, 70 years after her death
The blockbuster sale comes as “Fridamania” has resurged, with the opening of Casa Roja (Red House) — a new Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City — as well as recent exhibits in Chicago and, for the first time, in China.
It also comes amid ongoing debates over missing Kahlo works at top Mexican institutions. A newly published report alleges the disappearance of several paintings and drawings from Casa Azul, the original Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City, sparking calls for transparency from the artist’s estate and the Mexico’s Ministry of Culture.
Kahlo’s art market remains robust, with collectors vying for any piece — no matter how small or minor.
Last year, Christie’s sold a small, 15-inch painting of knickknacks — a 1931-32 work titled “Window Display on a Detroit Street” in English — for US $7.2 million.
And in addition to the US $34.9 million received for her 1949 work “Diego y Yo” in 2021, her intimate “Portrait of Cristina, My Sister” sold for US $14.785 million in 2023 — zooming past pre-auction estimates of US $8 to $12 million.
Kahlo painted the simple composition at age 21, when she was just beginning to eschew the styles of the masters and embrace techniques and colors that would become her trademarks.
With reports from Milenio, El País, The Guardian and NPR
Baja California woman sentenced to 20 years over murder of visiting surfers
A Mexican woman was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in the murder of three tourists during a carjacking in the northwestern state of Baja California last year.
Ary Gisell Silva, 23, pleaded guilty in state court to instigating the violent assault on Australian brothers Callum Ryan Robinson and Jake Martin Robinson, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, in April 2024.
of three suspects awaiting trial for the murder of two Australians and one American who had come to Baja California to surf.
The judge handed down the sentence following an abbreviated trial after Silva had renounced her right to an oral trial. By waiving her right to a full trial, Silva received a reduced sentence.
The judge’s ruling also requires her to pay damages exceeding 54,285 Mexican pesos (US $2,935), with the possibility of further civil compensation for the victims.
Silva offered a tearful apology in court, acknowledging that “nothing I can say will compensate you or give you peace.”
The three men arrested on charges of killing the tourists will be tried at a later date.
Silva did not dispute the prosecutors’ case that she was the first to contact the surfers after noticing they were carrying valuables.
According to the newspaper El País, the Baja California Prosecutor’s Office (FGE-BC) based its case on the testimony of a witness who heard García say, “He has a good cell phone and good tires for my pickup.”
Silva allegedly made the statement while standing alongside the victims’ vehicle, which was parked in the Punta San José tourist area, about a two-hour drive south of Ensenada, Baja California, the witness declared.
The FGE-BC argued that Silva then “instigated her companions” to rob the victims.
Silva testified that the three alleged murderers — identified in court as Jesús Gerardo “N,” Irineo Francisco “N” and Ángel Jesús “N” — tailed the vehicle to the campsite on the beach where the foreigners were staying.
The BBC reported that Jesús Gerardo “N” and Irineo Francisco “N” have ties with the Sinaloa drug cartel, although prosecutors do not suspect any links between the murders and organized crime.
According to the official reconstruction, the surfers were surprised at their campsite by the suspects, who attempted to steal their Chevrolet Colorado and other belongings. When they resisted, the attackers shot each of them in the head.
The suspects then dumped the bodies of the victims in a remote well about 8 kilometers distant.
Forensic experts found traces of blood and drag marks at the campsite and identified an attempt to destroy evidence by burning tents and the vehicle. It took authorities eight days to find the bodies of the three surfers.
Jake Robinson, 33 and a doctor, traveled to the United States in mid-April to visit his brother Callum, 30, who lived in San Diego and played professional lacrosse in the U.S. Rhoad, 30 and originally from San Diego, worked at a technology firm and had plans to get married in August 2024.
The three attended the Coachella music festival in California before traveling to Mexico, arriving at Punta San José on April 27 only to be murdered a few hours later.
With reports from The Associated Press, El País and BBC
