The Tulum road improvement project supports the town’s growth as a top tourist destination. (Spencer Watson/Unsplash)
A long-overdue road improvement project in the Caribbean resort town of Tulum is “progressing steadily,” according to Mayor Diego Castañon.
Castañon said the completed road will improve connectivity and safety in one of the busiest tourist and service areas in the municipality. He offered a progress report in a video posted to social media on May 23.
La rehabilitación del camino costero avanza para el beneficio de ciudadanos y visitantes. Seguimos trabajando, pues #Tulum lo merece. pic.twitter.com/66IgLybAuG
— Diego Castañón Trejo (@diegocastanonmx) May 23, 2025
The first stage of the project will improve 4,200 square meters of Cobá Sur Avenue and will require an 8.4 million-peso (US $435,000) investment, according to Tulum’s Public Works director Christian Moguel.
Coba Sur Avenue — also known as Avenida Okoót — is an important access road to hotels, archaeological sites and beaches, but it has needed maintenance for years, with residents and business owners joining forces to demand repairs, according to Riviera Maya News.
Repairs on the coastal thoroughfare, which began on May 19, will “provide a decent, functional roadway befitting the grandeur of our municipality,” Castañon said.
Improvements along a key 3-kilometer stretch of the road, include storm drainage, new signage and asphalt resurfacing, which “will change the way we enter, leave and live in our municipality,” the mayor said in a separate May 23 social media post.
The project, which will directly benefit 47,000 people, also features improvements to pedestrian and bicycle lanes, according to the mayor.
Castañon called on residents to be patient, adding that “what’s coming will be much better, and it will be worth the wait.”
The repairs are being carried out in stages to minimize disruption to daily traffic.
The Tulum archaeological site is one of the best-preserved coastal Maya sites, and its short distance from Cancún and the surrounding Riviera Maya has made it a popular attraction in the Yucatán Península.
The resort town in the state of Quintana Roo is renowned for some of Mexico’s finest beaches.
Trump's "fentanyl trafficking" and reciprocal tariffs remain in place for the time being after his administration quickly appealed the ruling. (Gage Skidmore CC BY 2.0)
Mexico on Wednesday appeared poised to get some relief from U.S. tariffs thanks to a decision by a U.S. federal court that blocked President Donald Trump from using an emergency-powers law to impose duties on imports.
However, there is no certainty that the decision will force the Trump administration to withdraw some of its tariffs, as an appeals court agreed on Thursday to allow many of the U.S. president’s sweeping duties to remain in place.
The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that Trump exceeded his authority in implementing two rounds of tariffs earlier this year. (Ken Lund CC BY-SA 2.0)
The appeal court’s decision came after the United States Court of International Trade ruled on Wednesday that Trump exceeded his authority in using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on imports from most countries around the world.
The U.S. president used the IEEPA, a federal law enacted in 1977, to impose his so-called “reciprocal tariffs” on imports from many countries (but not Mexico), and to implement duties on goods from Mexico, Canada and China to pressure those nations to do more to combat fentanyl trafficking.
The United States Court of International Trade said in a 49-page written ruling that the fentanyl “Trafficking Tariffs fail because they do not deal with the threats set forth” in the orders to implement them.
Products that comply with the three-way trade pact can still enter the U.S. tariff-free, but non-USMCA-compliant goods continue to face the 25% duty. Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said in March that between 85% and 90% of Mexican goods exported to the United States wouldn’t be subject to tariffs as a result of Trump’s decision to suspend tariffs on imports covered by the USMCA.
The United States Court of International Trade gave the U.S. government 10 days to complete the bureaucratic process to halt all IEEPA tariffs that are in effect, including the 25% duty on non-USMCA-compliant Mexican products.
Trump’s protectionist policies have created significant global uncertainty in recent months, not least because the U.S. president has made numerous changes to the tariffs he has imposed. That uncertainty will persist until a definitive decision on the legality of the IEEPA tariffs is made.
USMCA-compliant goods exported from Mexico to the U.S. are still subject to 25% tariffs while the appeal works its way through the U.S. court system. (Cuartoscuro)
At her Friday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum was cautious in her remarks about the trade court’s decision, saying that the Economy Ministry would conduct an analysis of the “reach” of the ruling as it will affect tariffs on Mexican goods. She noted that the U.S. government was challenging the ruling.
“We’re going to wait,” Sheinbaum said.
The New York-based trade court’s ruling came in response to lawsuits filed by various businesses and 12 U.S. states.
Trade court ruling doesn’t affect US steel, aluminum and auto tariffs
While Mexico will get relief from the 25% IEEPA tariffs currently in effect for non-USMCA-compliant Mexican goods if the U.S. government’s appeal is ultimately unsuccessful and it is forced to halt those duties, current U.S. tariffs on foreign steel, aluminum, vehicles and auto parts are not affected by the trade court ruling on Wednesday.
Those tariffs were imposed for national security reasons in accordance with Section 232 of the United States Trade Expansion Act.
Mexican steel, aluminum and hundreds of products made with those metals currently face 25% tariffs when exported to the United States. United States content in vehicles assembled in Mexico is exempt from the 25% tariff the U.S. imposed in early April, lowering the tariff on Mexican cars to 15% on average, according to Ebrard.
Tariffs on aluminum, steel and cars were not affected by Wednesday’s ruling. (Shutterstock)
Mexican auto parts that comply with the USMCA are exempt from the 25% U.S. tariff on parts that took effect earlier this month.
Mexico is currently trying to negotiate better trading terms with the United States — i.e. the removal or lowering of the tariffs currently in place.
Born in Xalapa in 1920, Chedraui is Mexico's largest locally-owned supermarket chain. (Larry D. Moore / CC BY 4.0)
Mexican grocery store chain Chedraui has announced a 3.5 billion-peso (US $181 million) expansion plan in the northern state of Tamaulipas.
Chedraui said it plans to open 13 new stores over the next five years. Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal welcomed the announcement, confirming in a social media post that the expansion is expected to create more than 6,400 jobs.
Con la llegada de 13 nuevas tiendas y una inversión de 3,487 millones de pesos por parte de Grupo #Chedraui, generaremos más de 6,400 empleos en Tamaulipas. Este es el resultado de seguir construyendo confianza, desarrollo y bienestar social con una visión humanista. pic.twitter.com/ph3BdzUOfg
— Américo Villarreal (@Dr_AVillarreal) May 28, 2025
During a meeting at the governor’s mansion with Chedraui president Alfredo Chedraui, Villarreal said the investment will strengthen “the economic and social development” of Tamaulipas.
“This is the result of continuing to build trust, development and social well-being with a humanistic vision,” the governor said, reiterating his commitment to facilitating investment procedures that provide certainty to the private sector.
“We hope this is just the first of many meetings,” Villarreal said to Chedraui and the company’s expansion manager Eduardo Durán. “We’ll see you again at the inauguration of the first new store.”
Chedraui currently operates 37 stores in Tamaulipas and plans to open the first two new stores by the end of this year in the Gulf Coast cities of Tampico and Altamira with an investment of 1.2 million pesos (US $62,000). These stores are expected to generate more than 1,160 jobs, authorities said.
Other cities where the company plans to open stores include Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, Ciudad Victoria, Reynosa, Ciudad Mante and Valle Hermoso. Altamira and Tampico will get additional new stores before the expansion project is complete.
The Veracruz-based supermarket giant sells groceries, apparel and non-perishable items in 462 stores across Mexico, while also operating stores in the U.S. states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Nevada.
The grocery store chain reported net sales of 74.4 billion pesos (US $3.8 billion) during the first quarter of this year, a 14.8% increase over the same period in 2024, according to Retailers Magazine. Sales in Mexico grew by 3.7%, boosted by the company’s “Mi Chedraui” loyalty program, which boasts 13.3 million registered clients.
Chedraui’s investment will create more than 6,400 jobs in Tamaulipas over five years, officials predicted. (Chedraui)
Chedraui opened 15 new stores during the first quarter of 2025, including 13 “Supercitos” (small markets in dense neighborhoods), and digital sales accounted for 3.4% of all domestic sales.
Alvin is likely to degrade into a tropical depression before hitting Baja California Sur over the weekend. (NOAA)
Tropical Storm Alvin became the Northern Hemisphere’s first named storm of the year on Thursday after it formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean, off the coast of the Mexican state of Michoacán state.
Alvin formed at 9 a.m. almost 600 km off the coast of Punta San Telmo in Michoacán. At the time, it was moving northwest at a speed of 17 km/h with maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h, according to Mexico’s National Meteorological Service (SMN).
The United States National Hurricane Center reported that the storm is likely to bring heavy rain and strong winds to Mexico’s west-central coastline through the weekend.
Alvin is the first registered tropical storm in the Northern Hemisphere this year, bringing an end to several months without strong activity. Typically, multiple storms have formed in the region by this time in the year.
A typical hurricane season in the eastern Pacific sees 15 named storms. However, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a below-average eastern Pacific hurricane season, while it forecasts an above-average hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean.
Alvin may potentially strengthen into a hurricane, according to the weather forecaster AccuWeather. However, it is expected to lose wind intensity as it moves over cooler waters and an area of increased wind shear, which typically weaken storms, as it moves toward northern Mexico over the weekend.
.@NOAA‘s #GOESWest 🛰️ was watching as #Alvin, the first tropical storm of the eastern Pacific hurricane season, formed this morning. #GOES18
“While many eastern Pacific tropical storms and hurricanes move west-northwest and eventually fizzle in the open ocean, some do strike land, as we saw in 2023 with the remnant of Hurricane Hilary in the Desert Southwest and with Category 5 Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Mexico,” meteorologist Sara Tonks stated in an online forecast on Thursday.
Hurricane Otis was the strongest ever to hit Mexico’s Pacific coast and Acapulco is still recovering from the widespread damage caused by the event, as well as from Hurricane John which slowed the city’s recovery when it hit in September 2024.
Weather warnings
Alvin is forecast to progress along the following trajectory:
6 p.m. May 29: 580 km southwest of Punta San Telmo, Michoacán, as a tropical storm
6 a.m. May 30: 510 km southwest of Playa Pérula, Jalisco, as a tropical storm
6 p.m. May 30: 436 km west-southwest of Playa Pérula, Jalisco, as a tropical storm
6 a.m. May 31: 360 km west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, as a tropical storm
6 p.m. May 31: 270 km south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, as a remnant low
6 a.m. June 1: 170 km southeast of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, as a remnant low
Mexico’s SMN expects Alvin to cause heavy rains and strong winds in Mexico’s western, central and southern states over the coming days, which could cause river and stream levels to rise, as well as landslides and flooding in low-lying areas.
There are rainfall alerts for 12 states, including Mexico City, Michoacán, Guerrero, Puebla, Jalisco, Colima and Guanajuato. Very heavy rain is expected in Querétaro, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, México State and Morelos.
Meanwhile in the Atlantic, SMN announced on Thursday that it is monitoring a tropical depression in Veracruz that could become the Atlantic’s first named storm of the season. The cyclone is expected to bring rainfall to the Gulf Coast state.
State authorities have deployed Civil Protection agents to assist volunteer firefighting brigades in rural communities. (SEBIDES)
The Sinaloa government is stepping up efforts to control the forest fires that have ravaged rural areas of the state this month, an endeavor complicated by drought and the state’s ongoing security crisis.
Sinaloa is experiencing one of its worst wildfire seasons in recent history. According to the National Forestry Commission’s (Conafor) National Weekly Forest Fire Report, as of May 22, Sinaloa has seen the second-largest area of forest and vegetation burned by wildfires.
…✍️😳🔥🔥🔥🔥😱😯😨😰 URGENTE!
FUERTE INCENDIO 🧯 🔥 EN BADIRAGUATO SINALOA,POBLADORES PIDEN 🆘 AYUDA.
To date, the state has been affected by 11 fires, mainly in the municipalities of Badiraguato, Concordia, San Ignacio, Cosalá and Culiacán.
State and federal authorities, along with volunteer brigades, are working in the most affected areas, especially in Concordia and Badiraguato, where officials report significant progress in controlling the fires with no risk to nearby communities.
State authorities on Thursday announced the deployment of 60 Civil Protection members to firefighting efforts around the state.
“We’re developing strategies, not only as a state government, but also at the state and municipal levels in collaboration with the firefighters themselves. In other words, we’re doing very intensive work, and we’ll continue until these fires are extinguished in these two areas: Concordia and Badiraguato,” said Aurelio Roy Navarrete Cuevas, director of the State Institute of Civil Protection.
So far this year, 55 fires have burned 66,636 hectares in Sinaloa, surpassing states like Jalisco and Durango. Those states had a much higher number of fires – 749 and 273, respectively. With 66,000 hectares affected, Sinaloa has set a new record for the largest area burned since records began in 1970. In 2023, 38,446 hectares were affected; the figure increased to 42,364 hectares in 2024.
The Mexican state most affected by fires this year is Chihuahua, with 409 fires impacting 75,915 hectares of forested land.
Despite the scale of the fires, Sinaloa is among the statest allocating the fewest resources to firefighting. Only 1,129 person-days have been deployed in firefighting efforts, a figure that is significantly lower than other states. For instance, Chihuahua devoted 23,448 person-days while Jalisco devoted 23,253, even though both states had fewer affected hectares than Sinaloa.
The average number of hectares burned per fire in Sinaloa is 1,212, one of the highest figures in the country, surpassed only by Baja California, where the average is 1,458 hectares per fire.
Drought and high winds intensify firefighting challenges in Sinaloa and throughout Mexico. (CONAFOR)
Some reports indicate that some fires have been started deliberately, including with bombs dropped from drones as part of the armed conflict between organized crime groups in the mountainous areas. In the community of Loberas, Concordia, forestry brigades stopped fighting a fire due to bombs and explosives on the ground, which Mexican cartels use in their ongoing conflicts.
The fire crisis in Sinaloa is worsened by one of the most severe droughts of the past 30 years, which has fueled the spread of the flames. Navarrete said that surveillance is ongoing at high-risk areas to prevent potential fires from rekindling, with winds reaching 60 kilometers per hour and temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
Banxico revised the country's economic forecast in its quarterly report, published on Wednesday. (Shutterstock)
The Bank of Mexico (Banxico) has slashed its 2025 and 2026 growth forecasts for the Mexican economy, citing expectations of “sluggish” domestic activity and “significant challenges” related to U.S. protectionism.
The central bank said in its first quarter report that is now forecasting growth of just 0.1% this year, down from a 0.6% prediction in its previous report.
For 2026, Bank of Mexico cut its economic growth forecast to 0.9% from 1.8%.
“Domestic economic activity is expected to be sluggish over the forecast horizon,” said the quarterly report, which was published on Wednesday.
“In addition to the weakness that has already been observed, the global economy faces significant challenges stemming from the changes in U.S. trade policy. Since the previous report, the United States has imposed tariffs of varying magnitude on most of its imports, and the possibility of additional measures remains,” Banxico said.
“There is uncertainty regarding the effects that these actions could have on Mexico’s external demand. For the time being, only a limited effect is incorporated into our outlook, considering the resilience shown by Mexican exports based on the most recent information available, the preferential treatment these exports continue to receive under the USMCA framework, and pending further information on the adjustment mechanisms of domestic exporting firms,” the bank said.
The report was prepared and published before a United States federal court on Wednesday blocked United States President Donald Trump from imposing tariffs on imports under a U.S. emergency powers law, ruling that he exceeded his authority.
The Associated Press reported that the ruling threw “into doubt Trump’s signature set of economic policies that have rattled global financial markets, frustrated trade partners and raised broader fears about inflation intensifying and the economy slumping.”
However, the U.S. president could use laws other than the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday that the Economy Ministry would conduct an analysis of the “reach” of the ruling as it will affect tariffs on Mexican goods. She noted that the U.S. government was challenging the ruling.
“We’re going to wait,” Sheinbaum said.
More than 80% of Mexico’s exports go to the United States, making it particularly vulnerable to U.S. protectionism. Duties currently apply to Mexican steel, aluminum, cars and goods not covered by the USMCA.
The impact of Trump’s trade policy is magnified in Mexico, which sends more than 80% of its exports to the U.S. (Lloyds)
The tariffs on goods not covered by the North American free trade pact were imposed by the United States due to what the White House said was a failure by Mexico to take adequate action against “the influx of lethal drugs” to the U.S. Those tariffs were blocked by Wednesday’s court ruling.
The most recent 2025 forecast from Mexico’s Finance Ministry was growth in the range of 1.5% to 2.3%.
‘A stagnant economy’
Gabriel Cuadra, a deputy governor of the Bank of Mexico, said Wednesday that “after the Mexican economy showed resilience in 2023 and 2024, now in 2025 we’re forecasting an [economic growth] variation close to zero, a stagnant economy with a balance of risks biased to the downside.”
In its report, Banxico mentioned a range of “downside risks throughout the forecast horizon.”
They included:
That uncertainty “driven by the policies that could be implemented in the United States” increases and “negatively affects external demand as well as consumption and investment spending in Mexico.”
That economic growth in the U.S. is lower than expected.
That the reduction in public spending in Mexico “has a stronger impact on economic activity.”
That “severe weather phenomena, such as extreme temperatures, cyclones, or droughts, adversely impact the Mexican economy.”
Banxico also cited various “risks to the upside throughout the forecast horizon.”
They included:
That “incoming data regarding U.S. trade policy mitigates uncertainty and signals a favorable resolution that will benefit economic activity in the region.”
That growth in the U.S. is “greater than expected, favoring Mexico’s external demand.”
That “public spending provides a greater-than-expected boost to economic activity.”
Although Banxico is forecasting 0.1% growth, Cuadra conceded that it is possible that the Mexican economy will contract in 2025.
Despite the bad news, Banxico Governor Victoria Rodríguez Ceja said Mexico is not entering a recession. (File photo)
The Bank of Mexico’s forecast range is -0.5% to 0.7%, indicating that it is not completely ruling out the possibility of GDP declining this year.
However, Banxico Governor Victoria Rodríguez Ceja told a press conference on Wednesday that “we are foreseeing a period of weakness for economic activity, but not a recession.”
Rodríguez asserted that strengthening of the rule of law in Mexico and promoting competition in the market are essential to support economic growth.
“It is [also] essential to promote greater investment and productivity improvements in the economy,” she added.
Planning a trip on the Maya Train? This is what we found out when making the epic journey. (All photos by Bel Woodhouse)
It was a joy to ride the rails and complete the whole route of the Maya Train in the process of writing this guide. And yes, I’m talking the whole enchilada, from top to bottm. From my state of Quintana Roo in the east, all the way across the Yucatán Peninsula and southern Mexico, crossing five states to Chiapas in the west. And back again, of course.
We saw everything from the golden city of Izamal to Bacalar’s Lagoon of Seven Colors. Add the stunning rainforests and ruins of Palenque and we explored a total of three Pueblos Mágicos. I got to scratch them off my Pueblos Mágicos scratch map, which is still the most fun way I’ve found to explore Mexico.
The comfortable interior of the Maya Train.
I love that the Maya Train has included stops to or nearby so many Pueblos Mágicos and given us a luxurious way to get there.
So, what do you need to know before you go? Here’s what I learned.
Get tickets early
The ruins at Palenque, whose rail station is the western terminus of the Maya Train.
Ticket lines can be quite long, so plan on getting to the station an hour early if you want a good seat. This will help because buying a ticket takes a while. It’s not as simple as buying a bus ticket, where you state your destination then pay: it took us nearly ten minutes to get two standard tickets.
The ticket office workers take down a lot of information, so have your email address and phone number ready. This will save time and, if you don’t speak Spanish, any miscommunication: we found that most of the time, ticket office workers didn’t speak any English. Don’t worry though, the station managers often do, so there’s usually someone nearby to help out in a pinch.
Alternatively, you can buy your tickets online on the Maya Train website or download the railroad’s app to get tickets before you go.
Check the timetable before you go
At many stations, the Maya Train leaves just once a day, so be sure to check the schedule before heading out.
If you’re leaving from a popular tourist destination like Bacalar, get tickets in the morning: they’re likely to sell out. There, the train only leaves once a day at 5 p.m. and it fills up fast. But the good news is that if you do miss the train, ADO buses leave about every half hour, so you won’t be stranded (but it’s much less fun).
Take the Maya Train bus
The Maya Train has an official associated bus line.
We started out adventure at Cancún airport, because a dear friend flew down from the United States to join me on this adventure. Here, a taxi tried charging us 500 pesos to go to the station. The railroad’s official bus arrived within ten minutes, and it was 35 pesos; less than US $2, so don’t risk getting scammed.
Luckily, along the rest of the route, on all of our stops, the taxis were lovely. If there is no shuttle, bus or other form of transport, don’t be concerned about being overcharged. There is a set price and a lot of stations have a taxi booth that will call for you and tell you the price up front.
It’s really safe
Izamal is the last stop on the Maya Train’s third section and the first on its fourth.
My friend was very impressed with the trip’s safety. Coming down from the United States and being used to some of the unfriendliness of the U.S. news cycle, she felt very safe. More than once, she mentioned the friendliness of the guards on the route.
It’s true. Each time we arrived at a station, National Guard (GN) agents were there along the platforms to greet us, always polite and smiling. When we left a station, they would often wave goodbye.
On the train itself, we noticed there were always a couple of GN agents traveling aboard, smiling when passing you in the aisles. The Maya Train feels like a very safe way to travel around southern Mexico.
The bathrooms are awesome
Compliments for public bathrooms are not something you hear every day. But the cleaners on the Maya Train do an amazing job.
The bathrooms even smelled good. If you’re like me, then you probably only use public bathrooms when you can’t hold it any longer. It’s not something I look forward to, ever. But the cleaners travel on the train with you and are constantly cleaning both the floors and the bathrooms.
It’s okay to take snacks
Beer and other beverages are available for purchase aboard the Maya Train.
We traveled on the train for long periods. There’s a dining car with a great menu, but we always had a big breakfast off the train. Aboard, we just wanted snacky things, like when you go on a road trip.
So, we had our snacks but — oh no! — that produced a lot of crumbs. If you’re a snacker, you know what I’m talking about. Everything was okay: within five minutes of us finishing our snacks, the crumbs were swept away by the cleaners and our seats were back to being pristine.
The Maya Train is a smooth ride
The ride on the train is smooth enough for accident-free sketching.
If you get motion sickness, as my friend does, you’re in for a treat. We traveled for over ten hours on the train one day and she didn’t once need her Dramamine.
Best of all, I could sketch in my travel journal from place to place. Using a pen. Without mistakes or a rattling train causing boo-boos. That in itself, is amazing to me.
Overall, it was a fantastic trip on the Maya Train. I sincerely hope you take the chance to explore some of the Pueblos Mágicos and other sites along the route. It’s a wonderful way to get around Mexico.
Mexico Correspondent for International Living, Bel is an experienced writer, author, photographer and videographer with more than 500 articles published both in print and across digital platforms. Living in the Mexican Caribbean for over seven years now, she’s in love with Mexico and has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon.
Guadalajara lights up in June with internationally prestigious events like the Guadalajara International Film Festival and a concert by Amalia Rodriguez's Folkloric Ballet, but also local events for all ages. (Conjunto Santander/Facebook)
June will be a sweet month in Guadalajara — literally, as the city hosts two separate June events featuring honey.
In addition to these culinary events, Jalisco’s capital and the surrounding area has several artistic and musical events in store for June, including Guadalajara’s iconic International Film Festival, a world-renowned Mexican folkloric dance concert, a classical-music gala honoring Tchaikovsky and much, much more.
Let’s dive right into it.
The Honey Fair
(Unsplash)
To kick off Guadalajara’s June events, the city will be hosting Guadalajara’s Honey Fair, organized by the Local Livestock Association of Beekeepers of Guadalajara. Attendees can expect a variety of honey-derived products for sale, including pollen, propolis, mead and sweets, as well as personal care products like soaps, shampoos and body lotions.
The event will also feature workshops for kids.
Date: 29 May–June 1 Location: Portales of the Municipal Palace of Guadalajara. Av. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla 400, Zona Centro, 44100 Guadalajara Cost: Free
Guadalajara International Film Festival
(Guadalajara International Film Fest)
The Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) will celebrate its 40th edition in June, with the exhibition of 170 films. This year, Portugal will be the guest country, and the festival will feature 30 Portuguese films.
The opening film will be “Soy Frankelda” (I am Frankelda), the first Mexican feature film to use stop-motion technique, directed by brothers Arturo and Roy Ambriz.
Films will be screened in the city’s FICG Film Library, the Cineforo and the Cinépolis Centro Magno, and Cinépolis VIP Midtown movie theaters.
Date: June 6 to 14 Location: Guadalajara, Jalisco. Cost: Prices vary according to cinema box office
The Mexican Wine Festival (FEVINO) is back in Guadalajara for its 11th year. Bringing together over 60 wineries from across Mexico, the event seeks to bring people closer to the culture of wine.
Attendees will be able to meet producers, learn about their processes, sample different labels and purchase their favorite vintages at special prices. There will also be talks given on wine and on Mexican chocolate.
For an additional price, you’ll gain access to an exclusive lounge area and to private wine tastings. Premium-ticket holders can also attend special gastronomy events, including a tacos tasting with the renowned chef of the Guadalajara restaurant Quelite, Jonathan Davalos. Premium ticket holders also get access to a wine-tasting event with sommelier Sam Cepeda. Check them out on Instagram for more information.
Date: June 7 Location: Ávila Camacho Park, Lomas del Country, 44610 Guadalajara. Cost: Starting at 1,100 pesos (US $56)
Gala Tchaikovski
(Orchestra Sinfónica Nacional de México)
The Santander Performing Arts Ensemble of the University of Guadalajara will put on a classical concert honoring Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky under the direction of conductor Enrique Arturo Diemecke and featuring the Soloists of America Orchestra. The event promises to feature all the maestro’s iconic pieces.
Date: June 8 Location: Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénicas. Anillo Periférico Norte Manuel Gómez Morín 1695, Colonia Rinconada de la Azalea, Zapopan. Cost: Starting at 500 pesos ($26)
Asgard Fest
(Woden Ulfar Festival Vikingo y Medieval/Facebook)
If you missed Avalon Fest, Guadalajara’s annual medieval festival held this past March, don’t miss out on Asgard Fest, put on by the same Guadalajara performing arts company, Woden Ulfar.
This time, the theme is Vikings, featuring combat performances in period Viking costume, opportunities to fight in battle like a Viking, try out archery and more. Listen to live medieval music on period-style instruments or take a souvenir home from the medieval marketplace, featuring artisan items from a range of craftspersons.
The event is open to children and adults. For more information on the location and ticketing, message the organizers on WhatsApp +52 33 2169 0727.
Date: June 7 and 8 Location: Terraza Paraíso. Prolongación Niños Héroes 88, San Agustín. Cost: Starting at 190 pesos (US $9) for kids and 350 pesos (US $18) for adults
Guadalajara Pride
(Gay Games/Facebook)
Two Pride parades will take place this year in Guadalajara, with one happening on June 7 and the other on June 14.
Both will kick off at 3 p.m. from the Minerva roundabout. From there, participants will parade through López Mateos until reaching Liberation Square. Organizers have planned an after-party on Liberation Square after the parade on June 14.
Founded in 1952, the ballet is world-renowned for its efforts to disseminate and preserve traditional Mexican dance, having toured more than 60 countries and 300 cities.
Date: June 15 Location: Teatro Diana. Av. 16 de Septiembre 710, Centro, Guadalajara. Cost: Starting at 300 pesos (US $15)
The price of admission includes a guided tour to see beehives up close, demonstrations of honey extraction, a honey-tasting event and opportunities to taste mead, an alcoholic beverage made with honey.
Date: June 21 Location: Rancho Miel Oro, Carretera La Venta – Tesistán km 3.3 Cost: Starting at 710 pesos per person (US $32)
Indulge your creativity, make new friends and experience art as part of a community with a new theater workshop starting up in Ajijic on June 4.
This free workshop requires a weekly commitment on Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Individuals 16 and older can participate, and no previous experience is required.
Date: June 10 and 20 Location: Centro para la Cultura y las Artes de la Ribera, Carr. Chapala-Jocotepec 168, La Floresta, Ajijic. Cost: Free
Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her lifestyle blog, Dunas y Palmeras.
Will Sheinbaum finally meet Trump in person in June? "We will see," she says. (Gabriel Monroy/Presidencia)
A possible trip to Canada next month, this Sunday’s judicial elections and Mexico’s obligation to deliver water to the United States via the Rio Grande were among the issues President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about at her Wednesday morning press conference.
Here is a recap of the president’s May 28 mañanera.
Sheinbaum invited to G7 Summit in Canada, where she could potentially meet with Trump
She said that Carney invited her to the summit when she spoke to him to congratulate him on his election victory last month.
“We spoke about various issues, including the [USMCA] trade agreement and the relationship with the United States. He invited me to attend the G7 [Summit], which will be in Canada,” Sheinbaum said.
“I haven’t yet taken the decision about whether I’ll attend or not, but it’s a possibility. I thanked him for the invitation,” she said.
If Sheinbaum takes Carney up on the invite, the leaders of the parties to the USMCA free trade agreement could meet for the first time in June. (Mark Carney/X. Archive)
Sheinbaum noted that “Mexico isn’t part of the G7,” a grouping of Canada (which current holds the presidency of the group), France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“They would be inviting us, they are making this invitation [to us] as special guests, let’s say,” she said, adding that she was assessing “the possibility of attending” while considering her responsibilities at home.
The Globe and Mail report was headlined “Carney invites Mexico’s President to G7 summit, raising hopes for sideline tariff talks with Trump.”
When asked about the possibility of having her first face-to-face meeting with the U.S. president, Sheinbaum responded:
“We will see. If we decide to attend, we will inform you.”
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has imposed tariffs on some imports from Mexico and Canada, including steel, aluminum and vehicles.
Regardless of what happens at the G7 Summit, USMCA talks are likely to begin (again) this fall. (Shutterstock)
The USMCA pact, which is supposed to guarantee the free trade of most goods between the United States, Mexico and Canada, is scheduled for review in 2026, but Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard believes formal talks will begin in late 2025.
Sheinbaum, Trump and Carney could make a head start on those discussions if they come together in Alberta next month.
“The election on Sunday is very important. You should participate freely, … [vote] for who you want to vote for, but participate. It’s very important that there is a massive turnout in the election, and there will be,” she said.
“Millions of people will vote on Sunday,” Sheinbaum said, adding that it is “better” for citizens to choose judges than the president and the Senate.
“The people who go out and vote will decide who is the judiciary. And the winners of this election, those who are elected by the people, will respond to the people. That is the big difference,” she said.
Sheinbaum shared a sample ballot for Sunday’s judicial elections. (Gabriel Monroy/Presidencia)
Sheinbaum highlighted that she is “relinquishing” the right to appoint Supreme Court justices in favor of allowing the people of Mexico to decide.
More than 60 candidates are vying to win one of nine Supreme Court justice positions. The bench of Mexico’s highest court will be reduced to nine from 11 after the election.
Sheinbaum said that the new popularly elected justices will be tasked with making decisions about “the issues in the country.”
“… In the end what we want is for there to be justice in the country, that justice isn’t just for those who have money and not for those who don’t,” she said.
“… What we want is for all of us to have the same access to justice, the rich person, the poor person, the person who lives in the north, the person who lives in the south,” Sheinbaum said.
“Progress continues to be made, that is to say, progress is being made on what we committed,” Sheinbaum said.
Mexico has struggled to meet its water delivery obligations during the current five-year cycle of the 81-year-old treaty due to widespread drought that has been particularly severe in the north of the country. Mexico is required to send water to the United States via the Rio Grande and receives water from the U.S. via the Colorado River.
The Mexican government said in late April that the agreement with the United States provides for “immediate transfers of water” from Mexico to the U.S. as well as additional deliveries “during the upcoming rainy season,” which has now commenced.
A National Guard member participates in a February operation in Uruapan, Michoacán. The National Guard is highly involved in security operations in Michoacán and along the Jalisco border. (Juan José Estrada Serafín/Cuartoscuro)
The explosion of a landmine in Michoacán has claimed the lives of eight members of the National Guard (GN), according to federal authorities.
An armored tactical vehicle in which eight members of the GN’s Immediate Reaction Special Force (FERI) team were traveling ran over the landmine on a dirt road in the municipality of Los Reyes Tuesday night, causing it to detonate.
The initial death toll was reported to be six with two GN members injured. The injured troops were reportedly transferred to hospital by helicopter.
Military sources said on Wednesday that the number of fatalities had risen to eight, making the landmine explosion the deadliest since it first became know that criminal groups such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) were using improvised explosive devices in their fight against authorities and each other. At least two of the victims occupied leadership positions within the National Guard’s FERI team.
According to media reports that cited federal sources, the National Guard was commissioned to locate and dismantle a CJNG operations center and training camp in the municipality of Santa María del Oro, Jalisco. The explosion of the landmine reportedly occurred after the FERI members left that location.
Santa María del Oro borders the state of Michoacán, while the municipality of Los Reyes borders Jalisco. The location where the landmine detonated is part of an area where both the CJNG and the Cárteles Unidos (United Cartels) are vying for control, according to the El Universal newspaper.
Images of the destroyed tactical vehicle circulated on social media after the incident. (X)
The Cárteles Unidos is made up of various criminal groups, including the Cártel de los Reyes, based in Los Reyes, Michoacán. According to Michoacán authorities, both the CJNG and the Cártel de los Reyes have recruited former Colombian soldiers who are experts in explosives.
Asked about the death of the GN troops in Michoacán at her Wednesday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum said “it is very regrettable that this occurs — the use of explosive devices.”
“Our solidarity, affection and support to the relatives of the National Guard [troops],” she said.
Sheinbaum asserted that progress has been made on improving the security situation in Mexico, highlighting that the national homicide count on Tuesday was 44.
“Of course we wish there were none. But remember that the average in September last year was almost 80 [homicides per day], 75,” she said.
Murders are declining and there have been “very significant arrests,” Sheinbaum said, referring to the period of almost eight months since she took office.
