The Mexican multinational appliance manufacture announced its investment plans on Thursday. (Tasnim News Agency/Wikimedia Commons)
Mexican multinational home appliance company Mabe will invest US $668 million in Mexico between 2025 and 2027 to refurbish and expand its 15 factories in the country.
Thursday’s investment announcement came during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s daily press conference. Sheinbaum thanked Mabe for its confidence at a time when Mexico is facing U.S. tariffs.
Mabe’s General Director of Corporate Affairs Pablo Moreno said the company, which designs, produces and distributes home appliances to more than 70 countries, is committed to Mexico.
“We are convinced that Mabe’s growth is Mexico’s growth,” Moreno said. “We will continue to innovate and invest for the country, for its talent and for its industrial capacity.”
With this latest addition, Mabe will have invested US $1.1 billion in Mexico since 2023.
Moreno said the investment will “not only strengthen Mabe’s innovation, design and product development capabilities, but will also boost the national economy, while also generating opportunities and consolidating the national supply [of home appliances].”
Corporate director Pablo Moreno shared the news at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Thursday morning press conference. (Presidencia)
“Our objective is clear,” Moreno said, “to keep Mexico as a global reference in household appliances … by investing in technology, sustainable processes and our employees. … because we believe in Mexico’s potential. We believe strongly not just in our products, but also the potential of Mexico and its skilled labor force.”
Mabe’s announcement came as Mexico weighs a response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, which went into effect Wednesday. The government plans to respond after April 2, when a wider range of tariffs on Mexican products could go into effect.
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said that Mabe’s investment will be maintained with or without tariffs, even as the company is a significant exporter of appliances to the United States.
Mabe boasts a strong presence in the North American market, primarily refrigerators, gas and electric ranges, and dryers. It also has manufacturing investments in the U.S. and Canada, a legacy of a strategic alliance with General Electric that lasted from 1987 through 2016.
Mabe is known for its refrigerators, stoves and dryers. (Mabe)
Ebrard said Mabe’s investment falls neatly within Sheinbaum’s ambitious Plan México, whose goals include making Mexico the 10th-largest economy in the world, reducing reliance on imports from China and other Asian countries and creating 1.5 million new jobs.
“This investment is not only pivotal for creating jobs but also for industrial development, illustrating Mabe’s commitment to the national economy,” Ebrard said.
Ebrard also highlighted the strategic approach of increasing local production and reducing reliance on imports from Asia.
Puerto Escondido was recognized for its world-class waves and critically important coastal ecosystems. (Shutterstock)
A hidden gem no longer, Puerto Escondido has been selected as the 14th World Surfing Reserve — a prestigious title that acknowledges the area’s world-class waves and ecological significance.
Situated in the southern part of Oaxaca state, Puerto Escondido has a coastline that features eight unique waves and some of the best beach breaks in the world, including Playa Zicatela and Punta Colorada.
Surfers line up as a big swell rolls into Playa Zicatela, one of Puerto Escondido’s most famous waves. (Edwin Morales/Save the Waves)
The break at Zicatela, often referred to as the “Mexican Pipeline,” includes powerful and consistent waves that are regarded as a treasure in the surfing world.
The 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) stretch designated for the honor was selected by the Save The Waves Coalition, a 24-year-old international nonprofit dedicated to protecting surf ecosystems around the globe. The new status is expected to be officially bestowed in early 2026.
“Puerto Escondido reflects the quintessential surf ecosystem, incredible world-class waves, a biodiverse environment with important ecosystems for coastal resilience, and a united community willing and able to defend the place they love,” Save The Waves CEO Nik Strong-Cvetich said in a press release.
Beyond Puerto Escondido’s much-loved waves, the coastal ecosystems of Zicatela and Colorada have critically important terrestrial and marine biodiversity that they host. For example, each serves as a nesting habitat for three sea turtle species: olive ridley, black and the critically endangered leatherback.
Nearby mangrove forests at Punta Colorada and Laguna de Chacahua National Park provide habitats for iguanas, crocodiles and other wildlife, playing a crucial role in water filtration, flood prevention and carbon storage.
The list of World Surfing Reserves includes Isla Todos Santos, a big-wave break located on an island 12 miles off the coast of Ensenada in Baja California.
Not to be confused with the charming coastal town of Todos Santos in Baja California Sur, the world-class surfing spot (sometimes called Bahía de Todos Santos) is known for its legendary waves and a big-wave surfing contest (which it is called only if the waves are big enough).
It became a World Surfing Reserve in 2014, five years after the program was launched. Many of the list’s locations play host to events on the World Surf League’s top-level Championship Tour, which in 2025 has a Mexican competing for the first time ever: 22-year-old Alan Cleland Quiñonez of Colima.
Alan Cleland Quiñonez of Colima is the first Mexican to compete in the World Surf League’s Championship Tour. (Conade)
The other places on the Reserve list are Malibu and Santa Cruz in California; Ericeira in Portugal; the Gold Coast, Manly and Noosa in Australia; Punta de Lobos in Chile, Playa Hermosa in Costa Rica; Huanchaco in Peru; Guarda do Embaú in Brazil; North Devon in the United Kingdom; and Oriente Salvaje in El Salvador.
The designation does not provide immediate legal protection, but encourages the formation of a local council to manage long-term conservation strategies, often leading to legal safeguards.
Save The Waves has already been working for several years with community members in Puerto Escondido, which has a population of about 30,000. The coalition has proposed a protection strategy for the mangrove ecosystem at Punta Colorada, addressed ongoing water quality and sewage issues, and sought out solutions to the sand flow and erosion issues at Zicatela.
“Zicatela is not just a beach. It is our identity, our history, our life,” local bodyboarder and community leader Humberto “Beto” Olivera said in the online platform Surfer Today. “Being recognized as a World Surfing Reserve is an honor, but also a responsibility. Celebration is not enough — we must preserve our waves and everything they represent.”
Coco Nogales, 48, a professional surfer who was born in Aguascalientes and raised in Mexico City before eventually moving to Puerto Escondido, added: “Saving the wave of Zicatela would not only benefit Puerto Escondido, but also bring Playa Zicatela back to life.
“It is heartbreaking to see the deterioration the wave and the beach have suffered over the past decade. Obtaining the World Surfing Reserve designation [is] a major step toward restoring its prestige and reclaiming its place among the top 10 waves in the world.”
Despite tariff uncertainty, the peso hasn't been this strong since November. (Shutterstock)
The Mexican peso appreciated against the US dollar for a fourth consecutive day on Friday to dip well below 20 to the greenback.
The peso strengthened to 19.84 to the dollar on Friday morning, before weakening slightly to trade at 19.88 to the greenback at 12 p.m. Mexico City time, according to Yahoo Finance.
The last time the peso was stronger was in November.
The peso has appreciated around 2.5% since closing at 20.36 to the dollar on Monday.
The Monex financial group attributed the strengthening of the peso on Friday morning to the recent Mexico-related comments made by United States officials.
The peso appreciated 1.3% against its Thursday closing rate to reach 19.84 to the dollar on Friday. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Thursday that Mexico and the United Kingdom were “pragmatic and thoughtful” in their response to the United States’ steel and aluminum tariffs that took effect on Wednesday. Unlike Canada and the European Union, Mexico and the U.K. refrained from immediately announcing retaliatory measures.
Lutnick said the way in which the United States deals with Mexico and the U.K. on trade issues will be “better” as a result of their restraint.
For his part, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the Mexican government has taken “very strong measures that we’ve never seen in the past” against cartels and illegal immigration to the United States.
He also said that “we’ve seen a level of cooperation from Mexican authorities that we’ve never seen in the past,” although he added that “it’s not enough” and “we have to do more.”
United States President Donald Trump has used tariffs to pressure Mexico to do more to stem the flow of drugs and migrants to the U.S.
Monex said the remarks of United States officials — it didn’t specify which ones — “mitigated part of the nervousness” surrounding the Mexican peso.
Remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio were credited with having a stabilizing effect on the peso. (Michael Vadon/Flickr)
The strengthening of the peso this week comes after the currency depreciated to 21 to the dollar on March 4, the date the United States imposed 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico and most imports from Canada due to what the White House said was the two countries’ failure to take adequate action against “the influx of lethal drugs” to the U.S.
While the peso’s four-day streak of gains this week puts it in its strongest position in four months, the currency remains much weaker than the 16.30 to the dollar level it reached last April.
President Sheinbaum responded on Friday to comments by Trump's pick for ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro, U.S. Embassy of El Salvador)
President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday rebuffed a declaration from the United States’ ambassador designate to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, that the U.S. military could unilaterally take action against drug cartels on Mexican soil if the lives of U.S. citizens were at risk.
“We don’t agree. He said everything’s on the table, well no,” Sheinbaum said at her morning press conference.
Bombardear México ‘no está sobre la mesa’: Sheinbaum responde a próximo embajador de EU
“Not everything is on the table, nor on the chair, nor on the floor, nor anywhere. Not that,” she said.
Her remarks came after a day after Johnson was questioned by United States Senator Chris Coons about his views on unilateral U.S. military action against Mexican cartels.
“Would you agree that we should not take any military action against cartels in Mexican territory without the knowledge and consent of the Mexican government?”
Johnson — an army veteran and former CIA official who served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump’s first term as president — said he believed that on “any decision to take action against a cartel inside Mexico, our first desire would be that it be done in partnership with our Mexican partners.”
“That said I know that President Trump takes very seriously his responsibility to safeguard the lives of U.S. citizens and should there be a case where the lives of U.S. citizens are at risk I think all cards are on the table,” he said.
“I cannot respond to what the commander-in-chief might decide based on the information he has. I’ve been a private citizen for the last four years, but I think we would prefer to work with our partners in Mexico,” Johnson said.
On the first day of his second term, Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. secretary of state to look at the designation of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. He was subsequently asked whether he would consider “ordering U.S. special forces into Mexico” to “take out” cartels.
U.S. President Trump has been clear that he considers unilateral military action in Mexico an option. (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)
“Could happen,” Trump responded. “Stranger things have happened.”
In July last year, Trump said “absolutely” when he was asked in an interview with Fox News whether “strikes” against Mexican cartels were “still on the table.”
The Wall Street Journal reported on Feb. 28 that in his first call with top Mexican military officials, United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said “that if Mexico didn’t deal with the collusion between the country’s government and drug cartels, the U.S. military was prepared to take unilateral action.”
“Mexico’s top brass who were on that call were shocked and angered, feeling he was suggesting U.S. military action inside Mexico,” the WSJ said, citing “people briefed on the Jan. 31 call.”
For his part, Trump’s “government efficiency” czar Elon Musk wrote on X on Feb. 19 that six Mexican cartels and two other criminal organizations were “eligible for drone strikes” as a result of the State Department’s designation of the groups as foreign terrorist organizations.
U.S. drone surveillance flights over Mexico were conducted with permission from the Mexican government, Sheinbaum said. (U.S. Air Force/Brian Ferguson)
Despite “the libel the White House makes against the government of Mexico” — as Sheinbaum described the assertions — the president has maintained what she calls a “relationship of respect” with Trump in the almost eight weeks since he commenced his second term. Last week, she reached a deal with him that resulted in the suspension of most U.S. tariffs on Mexican goods just two days after they were imposed.
Trump said on social media that he decided to suspend tariffs on Mexican goods covered by the USMCA free trade pact “as an accommodation, and out of respect for,” Sheinbaum, with whom he said he is “working hard … on the border, both in terms of stopping illegal Aliens from entering the United States and, likewise, stopping Fentanyl.”
Sheinbaum has said on numerous occasions that Mexico is willing to collaborate with the United States on security issues, but will not accept any violation of its sovereignty.
She repeated that message on Friday.
“We collaborate within a framework of respect, we coordinate with each other, there is in fact very good coordination. There is very good coordination because there is respect between both countries, and [there is] collaboration within the framework of our sovereignty,” Sheinbaum said.
“… We’re going to continue collaborating, coordinating together. If he’s ratified by the Senate, there will be a good relationship with the ambassador, but, as we’ve said, Mexico is respected,” she said.
The hundreds of shoes, clothing and other personal items found alongside human remains at the Jalisco ranch have put a harsh spotlight on Mexico's missing persons crisis. (Fiscalía del Estado de Jalisco/Cuartoscuro)
Federal and local officials in Mexico have been in damage control mode since last week’s gruesome discovery by a civilian search group at an alleged cartel training base in the state of Jalisco.
On Friday, President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) would take over the case. This came a day after she demanded that Jalisco authorities issue a complete report about the ranch, which was first discovered last September.
“It is imperative that we conduct a full investigation before we jump to conclusions,” she said, adding that the FGR would submit a report next week. Sheinbaum also decried the rush to judgment precipitated by “a couple photos and speculation.”
On Wednesday, Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus met with members of Sheinbaum’s security cabinet, saying in a social media post that his administration had agreed to “joint actions” with the federal government.
Lemus, who has been in office only three months, quickly distanced himself from his predecessor, Enrique Alfaro, who was governor when the ranch was found. Both men are members of the opposition Movimiento Ciudadano party.
A volunteer search collective sounded the alarm on the crematoriums at Izaguirre Ranch in Teuchitlán, months after federal officials discovered the site. (Fiscalía del Estado de Jalisco/Cuartoscuro)
Lemus said he will not allow the scandal to be swept under the rug, regardless of who might be found guilty of crimes, whether “by omission or commission.”
The ranch in Teuchitlán — located 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of the state capital Guadalajara — was discovered by National Guard troops, but the site was not secured even after the state prosecutor’s office conducted an inspection. Officials did not report any findings and the investigation went quiet.
On March 5, the Jalisco Search Warriors, a group of citizens looking for missing relatives, visited the site on a tip. They gained access by simply pushing open an unlocked gate.
Search Warriors leader Indira Navarro accused Alfaro of “trying to hide this kind of situation or discovery,” asking how state investigators with technology and training could have failed to find what her group did “using only pick, shovel and metal bar.”
There are more than 120,000 disappeared people in Mexico, according to government data.
The majority of Chihuahua cases have been discovered in the Cuauhtémoc area, in western Chihuahua. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
Mexican authorities have reported that the measles outbreak in West Texas, which began earlier this year, has now reached the northern state of Chihuahua.
“We are not on alert, we have not declared an emergency; but we are concerned, and we are working hard because measles can spread anywhere in the state,” Dr. Rogelio Covarrubias, head of the Chihuahua Health Department, said.
The majority of Chihuahua’s measles cases have been discovered in the Mennonite communities around Cuauhtémoc. Low vaccination rates among Mennonites over the border in Texas were a factor in the U.S. outbreak, but Mexican officials aren’t sure how many adults in Mexico’s Mennonite communities are immunized against the disease. (Shutterstock)
Most cases were detected in the Mennonite communities north of Cuauhtemoc, 270 miles south of El Paso, Texas. Authorities have confirmed 15 measles cases in a Mennonite community in western Chihuahua. A 16th case has been confirmed in the city of Namiquipa.
Because measles is so contagious, at least 90% of a community must be vaccinated to prevent outbreaks, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends.
Mexican officials are worried because there isn’t an accurate count of how many adults in Mexico’s Mennonite communities are immunized against measles. However, children enrolled in Mexican schools usually get the vaccine.
In Chihuahua, the overall vaccination rate is 75%.
The Undersecretary of Prevention and Health Care, Irma Leticia de Jesús Ruiz González, called on parents to complete their children’s vaccination schedules, and urged adults under 39 years of age to get the measles vaccine if they have not received it.
“It’s essential to recognize that the vaccine is a preventative measure,” Ruiz noted, adding that the vaccine is currently available at all health centers across the various institutions.
Children across Mexico are required to be vaccinated for measles in order to attend school. (Chihuahua Ministry of Health)
Measles is a highly contagious disease characterized by high fever, rash, and, in some cases, respiratory complications that can be fatal. An infected person can transmit the virus to between 16 and 18 people, fueling the rapid spread, explained Dr. Ruiz.
According to the Associated Press, the U.S. outbreak began in a Mennonite community in West Texas with low vaccination rates.
“Many of the children are homeschooled or attend smaller private schools, and many are unvaccinated,”Bill Moss, executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center, said.
Chihuahua health authorities believe residents who have family in Texas or who traveled there, carried the illness back home.
West Texas and New Mexico communities have reported over 250 cases. Two unvaccinated individuals have died from measles-related causes, including an unvaccinated school-aged child. Up until Tuesday, 29 people in Texas remained hospitalized due to measles.
As of March 10, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 32,488 suspected cases and 16,144 cumulative cases worldwide, mainly in Yemen (7,548) India (6,661) Thailand (6,224) and Ethiopia (4,596).
Guadalajara competes on the world stage when it comes to fine dining. Here are 4 of the best. (Erizo de Mar/Facebook)
Most of what I read about dining in Guadalajara tends to focus on old guard restaurants serving Jalisco classics like birria, pozole, menudo, and tortas ahogadas. Often overlooked is the city’s modern, cutting-edge culinary scene.
But there’s plenty for a global foodie to get excited about beyond the tried and true. Below are four can’t miss destinations where Mexican chefs trained in some of the world’s best kitchens deliver modern takes on the classics — or innovate with local ingredients in ways that are entirely their own.
Xocol
Husband and wife chef team Xrysw Ruelas and Oscar Segundo offer cutting-edge cuisine at Xocol. (Dawn Stoner)
Since 2018,husband and wife chef team Xrysw Ruelas and Oscar Segundo have led one of the most creative (and coolest) restaurants in all of Guadalajara.
Located in thehumbleworking-class Santa Tere neighborhood, the restaurant combines a vibrant open kitchen with a single long communal table stretching the entire length of the dining room. Hanging from the black ceiling are hundreds of dried corn cobs usband and wife chef team Xrysw Ruelas and Oscar Segundo part art installation, part political statement.
Around the massive dining table, a festive mix of local foodies and adventurous tourists dine together in the spirit of farm workers breaking bread after a day in the fields.
“Xokol” is the Aztec word for pinto corn. And while corn is a staple of every Mexican kitchen, Xocol’s chefs favor heirloom varieties long absent from the urban culinary scene.
Jalisco is seen as one of Mexico’s most Catholic states, so what better way to pay homage to history than through these virgin-adorned tortillas? (Dawn Stoner)
Xocol’s menu changes seasonally, giving the chefs ample opportunity to showcase the versatility of heritage corn. The menu is divided into three sections: sea, no meat and with meat. While fish and shellfish feature in many dishes, vegetarians are also well cared for at Xocol.
If you find yourself tripping over indigenous words and obscure ingredients (as I do), staff are ready to help with English translations.
Standout dishes from our last visit were a ceviche of snapper bathed in leche de tigre juices with green cactus pear, pumpkin tamales with sea urchin bisque, and wild mushrooms with a side of quesadillas and an earthy mushroom pate.
Whatever you do, please don’t skip the ceremonial taco Mazahua featuring an elaborate design made with indigo colored ink derived naturally from the cochineal insect. This signature dish — a vegetarian taco — is best paired with the complimentary smoky, savory and fiery salsas.
The wine list draws heavily from Europe, with obscure varietals like Gruner Veltliner rarely encountered elsewhere in Guadalajara. There are also local artisanal brews and cocktails, i.e. fermented potions that seemingly emanated from a mad scientist’s lab.
Xocol. Herrera y Cairo 1375, Santa Tere, 44600 Guadalajara, Jal.About US $75 per person.
Alcalde
A top 15 entrant in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, Alcade is the child of star chef Paco Ruano. (Restaurante Alcalde/Facebook)
Ranked #12 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2023, Alcalde sets the standard for cutting-edge contemporary Mexican cuisine in Guadalajara. Head chef Francisco “Paco” Ruano brings stellar credentials, having worked at Mugaritz and Noma before opening the restaurant in 2013.
Alcalde’s culinary proposition is described by Ruano as “cocina franca.” Think traditional Mexican ingredients with precise European-style plating. Diners can choose from an elaborate tasting menu, which changes about four times a year, or the à la carte menu.
On our last visit my favorite plate was the otherworldly octopus in sikil p’aak. This dish riffed on a traditional Mayan recipe originating in the Yucatan, blending ground pumpkin seeds, roasted tomatoes, habanero chilies, onion, garlic and other seasonings. It delivered smoky, savory, spicy and creamy notes so addictive, I would have licked the bowl if not in public.
Another standout was a tostada with sea bass, black beans, and macha sauce of chilies, garlic and oil. Inspired by Mexican street food, this dish was prepared using the Japanese technique kombujime, which involves curing the sashimi with seaweed to intensify its flavor.
Alcalde is heavy on Mexican culinary history — and on style. (Dawn Stoner)
Besides the stunning food, Alcalde’s service is also exceptional. The staff know every nuance and detail about the ingredients, dishes, and drinks. Our waiter suggested a 2022 Clos Roussely Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire not listed on the menu as the ideal match for our dishes. It paired so beautifully with the meal we were still talking about it days later.
Pro tip: Be sure to visit the restroom at some point during your meal. The staircase provides a bird’s eye view into the kitchen where this beautiful food comes together.
Restaurante Alcalde. Av. México 2903, Vallarta Nte., 44690 Guadalajara.Tasting menu about US 148 per person. A la carte also available. Vegan diners accommodated with advance notice.
Erizo de Mar
Erizo de Mar: Haute Cuisine, but paint it black. (Erizo de Mar/Facebook)
The first thing you notice upon walking into Erizo de Mar, which occupies the ground floor of the Bellwort hotel in Colonia Americana, is that everything is black, including the walls, curtains, barstools, tables and chairs.
You might catch yourself thinking…am I in a nightclub? Once seated, it becomes clear that you’ve entered a food temple where nothing is meant to compete with the food.
Led by head chef and owner Alfredo “Freddy” Monteros, Erizo de Mar (sea urchin in Spanish) is dedicated to serving the freshest ingredients from Mexican waters. While still relatively unknown even amongst locals, Erizo de Mar is rapidly gaining a following for creating some of the most inventive food in Guadalajara.
While Erizo de Mar does offer an à la carte menu, we opted for the tasting menu with wine pairings on our most recent visit. If you’re in the mood to splurge, the tasting menu rewards you with a comprehensive meal showcasing the breadth of ingredients and techniques this talented kitchen can deliver.
A testing menu is the best way to get to grips with Erizo de Mar’s sophisticated offerings. (Erizo de Mar/Instagram)
With culinary influences from Mexico, Spain, Italy, Japan, and China (reflecting Monteros’s culinary experience on 3 continents) dishes could easily become muddled. But that’s not the case here.
Top plates from our recent meal were a delicate brioche with white sturgeon caviar and snails, a crab wonton dumpling bathed in a smoky dashi broth with chili oil, and a sea bass pil pil (a Basque technique of cooking fish with its skin on to maximize flavor). For dessert, we enjoyed a light-as-air mascarpone ice cream served with a profiterole filled with hoja santa cream.
Drink options include European and Mexican wines, Spanish sherry, and cocktails featuring distilled agave spirits. One glass worth seeking out is a sparkling white wine from San Luis Potosi made exclusively for Erizo de Mar. It’s the perfect match for briny, salty shellfish.
Erizo de Mar. C. Miguel Lerdo de Tejada 2257, Col Americana, Obrera, 44150 Guadalajara.Tastingmenu about US $84 per person. A la carte also available.
Allium
Allium has developed a deserved reputation for great dining. (Allium/Instagram)
Since relocating to the Providencia neighborhood from Colonia Americana in 2023, Allium has really hit its stride — becoming a go-to spot for local foodies in search of a satisfying meal.
We regularly bring out of town guests here because the food is consistently delicious, fresh, and unique. The atmosphere feels informal and relaxing, with the best tables on the outdoor patio facing a towering rubber tree.
The chef team of Adolfo Galnares and Maria Ortega bring lofty credentials to Allium, with Galnares having worked at 3-Michelin star Arkelarre in San Sebastian, Spain and Ortega at NOBU.
The dishes evolve seasonally, but the foundational elements never change. Dishes incorporate Allium’s own produce as well as ingredients from small, local farmers. Think vegetables from Lake Chapala, cheeses from Antonilco, and fish from Nayarit. Their creations embody the best of contemporary “farm-to-table” dining.
If you happen to visit in springtime, one dish that’s worth seeking out is escamoles (ant eggs). While this may not sound appetizing to non-natives, they’re a delicacy sometimes referred to as “caviar of the desert.” Unlike caviar of the sea, escamoles can only be harvested from Mexico’s central highlands between February to April. They are oh so creamy, nutty, and delicious!
Other dishes I love at Allium are grouper fish with capers and an earthy, rich risotto with huitlacoche and smoked shiitake mushrooms. But honestly, I’ve never left Allium feeling like I “ordered wrong.”
Besides the delicious food, another reason we’re so fond of Allium is their knowledgeable and attentive servers, who share their deep passion for food with guests. For my money, it’s hard to eat better in Guadalajara for such excellent value.
Allium. Av. Providencia 2411-Local 106, Providencia, 44630 Guadalajara. About US 80 per person.
After discovering that life in Mexico was a lot more fun than working in corporate America, Dawn Stoner moved to Guadalajara in 2022, where she lives with her husband, two cats and Tapatío rescue dog. Her blog livewellmexico.comhelps expats live their best life south of the border.
President Claudia Sheinbaum takes a question from a reporter at her Thursday morning press conference. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
Trade wars, Mexico’s low unemployment rate and the president’s taste in music.
Claudia Sheinbaum answered a wide variety of questions at her Thursday morning press conference.
President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday was up for reporters’ questions about almost anything, including her personal music playlist. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
Here’s how she responded to three of them.
Nobody wins in a trade war
Referring to tariffs imposed by the United States and the retaliatory measures announced by Canada, the European Union and others, a reporter asked the president “who comes out on top in this global tariff war?”
“Nobody. Nobody,” Sheinbaum responded.
“The objective that the United States has set out is that the United States imports too much and what they want is to produce more in their country,” she said.
“In the case of Mexico — I’m not going to refer to the rest of the world, it’s up to us to talk about Mexico — there are a lot of studies that show how investment in Mexico by a U.S. company generates three times as many jobs in the United States due to the productive integration there is,” Sheinbaum said.
Workers outside GM’s auto manufacturing plant in Silao, Guanajuato. All three of the U.S.’s major automakers — Ford, GM and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) have extensive manufacturing plants in Mexico. (File photo)
“… An entire car isn’t made here, but rather, one part is made here and another is made there,” she said, adding that the same coproduction system across Mexico and the United States is also used for the manufacture of “many other products.”
“So in the case of Mexico and the United States, what is advisable for us is to continue with the trade agreement,” Sheinbaum said in reference to the USMCA.
“Review what has to be reviewed, but compete as the North American region against the rest of the world,” she said.
“… The productivity of U.S. companies will decline if they stop producing in Mexico, if it comes to that,” Sheinbaum added.
“It’s part of what we’ve been speaking about — a different economic model,” the president said.
“It has to do with favoring the internal market, which is helped through the welfare program and the increase to the [minimum] wage,” Sheinbaum said.
“In other words, … if you earn 100 pesos [per day] you’re going to buy less than if you earn 500 pesos. So [welfare support and higher wages] help drive the economy from below,” she said.
“And the other thing that happened in our country was significant foreign direct investment and also investment from national businesspeople,” Sheinbaum said.
A Mexican flight attendant heads to work at Tijuana International Airport. Mexico has one of the lowest unemployment rates among the OECD countries. (Chris Noyola/Cuartoscuro)
“… And the other very important thing is that public investment was reactivated. In the period of president [Andrés Manuel] López Obrador, it was the Maya Train, the interoceanic train, the [Olmeca] Refinery, the highways and water projects. They also drive private investment. There is a lot of indirect employment that is generated from public investment and that is the model we’re following,” she said.
While unemployment is indeed low in Mexico, the percentage of workers who work in the vast informal economy is very high — 54.5% in the last quarter of 2024.
At 20.05 to the U.S. dollar Thursday morning, the peso hit its best rate against the greenback this year. But that's still much weaker than the nine-year high of 16.30 to the dollar that the peso reached last April. (Canva)
The Mexican peso reached its strongest position against the US dollar so far this year on Thursday morning, appreciating to just above 20 to the greenback.
The peso strengthened to 20.05 to the dollar, before weakening slightly to trade at 20.08 to the greenback at 1 p.m. Mexico City time, according to Yahoo Finance.
The peso strengthened Thursday despite 25% tariffs placed by the U.S. President Donald Trump on Mexican aluminum and steel the day before. (Donald Trump/Facebook)
The 20.05 exchange rate represented a 0.6% appreciation for the peso compared to its closing position of 20.18 on Wednesday, according to the Bank of Mexico.
However, it still appears unlikely that the Fed will reduce the federal funds rate after its monetary policy meeting next week, or even in May. Reuters reported Thursday that traders are betting on the Fed restarting interest rate cuts in June.
The Mexican peso benefits from the difference between interest rates in Mexico and interest rates in the United States, but the gap has closed due to the Bank of Mexico’s recent monetary policy easing, including a 50-basis-point cut to its key rate last month.
Mexico’s peso has benefitted in the last year from the large gap between the interest rates set by the United States Federal Reserve, seen here, and the Bank of Mexico’s rates. However, Mexico’s central bank has been closing that gap in its last several meetings. (Dan Smith/Wikimedia Commons)
While the peso reached its strongest position this year on Thursday, it is much weaker than it was a year ago.
The almost nine-year high of 16.30 to the dollar that the peso reached last April now seems like a distant memory, given the ample turbulence the Mexican currency experienced after Mexico’s 2024 elections, Congress’ approval of a controversial judicial reform, Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election and his subsequent — and many — tariff threats directed toward the United States’ southern neighbor.
The peso remains susceptible to volatility as the United States — easily Mexico’s largest trade partner — adopts a protectionist “America first” approach to its trade relationships with its neighbors and countries around the world.
Mexican artist Fabián Cháirez's exhibit at the Academia de San Carlos in Mexico City opened Feb. 5. It was shut down by court order last week by a Catholic group that claimed discrimination against the Church. (Fabián Cháirez/X)
A federal judge rejected a request by Mexico’s Association of Christian Lawyers to indefinitely suspend Mexican artist Fábian Cháirez’s exhibit, “The Coming of the Lord,” allowing him to potentially resume displaying his work.
Announced Wednesday, the decision marked a significant victory for artistic freedom in Mexico, following a period of controversy when the same judge made an earlier ruling that suspended the Mexico City exhibit temporarily — a decision which many viewed as an act of censorship.
Cháirez’s exhibit was decried by religious groups as blasphemous and an attack on the Catholic Church. Mexico’s Association of Catholic Lawyers filed a legal complaint on their behalf, claiming it constituted religious discrimination. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
Judge Francisco Javier Rebolledo Peña, presiding over the Sixth District Court for Administrative Matters, ruled this week that the demand for guarantees made by the Association of Christian Lawyers (AAC) was without merit.
AAC had accused Cháirez’s work of attacking the Catholic faith, sparking a national debate about the balance between artistic expression and religious sensitivity.
“Censorship in the name of God has returned to Mexico,” wrote Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker Temoris Grecko in the newspaper Milenio, blaming the shutdown of the exhibit on “a religious association and a conservative judge.”
Cháirez, meanwhile, called for a rally last Friday outside the venue that had been displaying the exhibit, the Academia de San Carlos, a 244-year-old institute formerly known as the National School of Fine Arts. It is part of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), which had complied with a provisional injunction last week to close the exhibit within 24 hours.
After the exhibit’s shutdown, artists, civil rights organizations and LGBTQ+ groups joined Cháirez Friday in a rally to support him and his exhibit’s right to be shown publicly. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
Drawing support from artists, writers, and human rights organizations, the rally event featured readings of manifestos and statements in support of creative freedom. Among the supporters were the collective known as Catholics for the Right to Decide, an organization dedicated to defending human rights, particularly those related to sexuality and reproduction.
The Mexico City Council to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination (Copred) also condemned the suspension.
“Religion cannot be used as a weapon to overthrow democratic principles such as freedom of expression,” Copred stated.
Copred emphasized that criticism or artistic representation of religious symbols does not constitute discrimination unless it unjustifiably treats individuals as inferior based on their faith.
Because its scheduled closing date, March 7, had already passed before the suspension was lifted, “The Coming of the Lord” (“La Venida del Señor” in Spanish) has an unclear future.
Cháirez, who is originally from Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, said the lifting of his exhibit’s suspension was a “achievement for the artistic community.” (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
Cháirez announced this week that he will reopen it, with a date and Mexico City location to be revealed on his Instagram and/or Facebook. He’s also already working on a new project called “The Second Coming of the Lord.”
The case has drawn attention to the role of judicial harassment by conservative groups in Mexico, mirroring tactics used by similar organizations in Spain.
After the court’s decision, Cháirez was pleased.
“It’s a victory for social democracy,” he said in the newspaper El País. “I find it quite gratifying, and I think it’s an achievement for the artistic community and for all of us who defend freedoms.”
