Extortion and inflation are top threats to the survival of neighborhood stores, according to survey participants. (File photo)
Mexico’s neighborhood stores (tienditas) have deep roots in their communities, where they often offer local products at accessible prices. But many are at risk of disappearing, as rising inflation, low sales and extortion could lead to their permanent closure, according to a National Alliance of Small Businesses (ANPEC) survey published on Wednesday.
Over 2,300 merchants, mostly women, heads of households and entrepreneurs, were interviewed as part of ANPEC’s Pulse of the Neighborhood Store 2025 survey. Of those surveyed, 77% said they were concerned about the risk of permanent closure and 68% said they’d had to close temporarily, either for a weekday or for a few hours, just to survive.
Roughly 80% of neighborhood tienditas are grocery stores, and half operate out of the owner’s home. (File photo)
Many participants blamed low sales on rising inflation, saying that only one in 10 customers can afford all 24 essential pantry items in the basic food basket, or canasta básica.
Some also said extortion was a major issue, with four in 10 small shops having experienced the crime, either via telephone or by local gangs.
“Extortion is present in almost all commercial activities, from remote neighborhoods to urban areas with greater consumer spending,” ANPEC President Cuauhtémoc Rivera said.
Participants reported selling products at a loss or switching to lower-cost products to stay in business.
The economic pressure has led three in 10 businesses to stop paying for basic services, such as water or property taxes, according to the survey.
“Commerce is experiencing a paradox: the stores are open, but the refrigerators are empty,” said Rivera. “Purchasing power has been shattered, and food inflation dictates every survival decision.”
As soaring inflation has forced consumers to reduce spending, 75% of store owners surveyed said they have lost customers due to them looking for cheaper alternatives.
Eight in 10 small merchants surveyed offer groceries, and 62% businesses were less than 10 years old, with around half operating from home. In addition, around 32% of the shops emerged out of necessity, due to unemployment or layoffs, while 48% were created out of entrepreneurship.
Many of the small shops are widely considered the “fabric of the neighborhood,” according to Rivera.
Most participants — around 90% — said they had not received any digital training and many had no payment terminal or other way to receive funds electronically. However, 72% expressed a willingness to innovate but were unsure how to start. ANPEC said the numbers highlight the need for greater training, as well as national policies that support small businesses and help them grow.
“Giving up is not an option, but resisting requires increasingly more effort,” stressed Rivera.
“This resilience is painful. The small shops endure, not for profit, but out of commitment. They sell at a loss, endure without support, and continue out of pride.”
Heading to Puebla? Here are 10 facts to know before you go. (Gobierno de México)
Puebla, capital of the state of the same name, is full of wonders. It’s home to the spectacular Catedral de Puebla, whose twin bell towers are the tallest in Mexico. It’s known for Talavera pottery, being the birthplace of Cinco de Mayo and the Amparo Museum, which houses one of the most impressive pre-Columbian, colonial, and contemporary art collections. Speaking of museums, Puebla is brimming with them, and visitors can admire everything from baroque art to Renaissance murals between bites of camotes de puebla, a famous local sweet.
Puebla is always a good idea, which is why we’ve compiled a list of 10 fun, quirky facts that will make your next visit to Mexico’s fourth-largest city nothing short of magical.
1. There are hidden tunnels underneath the city — and you can tour them
Puebla’s underground tunnels only recently became known to the general public. (Gobierno de Puebla)
Puebla’s underground is as historic as its UNESCO World Heritage Site historic center. Considered a legend until 2015, a series of stone tunnels were discovered by construction workers while developing an urban remodeling project. The submerged pathways are ten kilometers in length and are tall enough to walk through, reaching a height of seven meters. They’ve served a variety of purposes, from transporting treasures of the Catholic Church to soldiers during the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Tunnels can be toured daily, except Mondays.
2. It’s the only city in Mexico where you can have a pasita
Pasitas are also available at famous bar La Pasita. (Luis Alvaz / CC BY SA 4.0)
Puebla’s most iconic cantina is celebrated for serving up an extremely unique libation. In 1916, the owner of Gallo de Oro, a local grocery store, invented the now-famous liquor made of raisins. To complement the shot’s sweetness, he served it with a small cube of cheese, and that’s how it’s enjoyed to this day. Even if a raisin-based liquor doesn’t tickle your tastebuds, visiting La Pasita is a must. The bar is a museum in itself, stuffed to the gills with trinkets from all over the world.
3. Puebla’s most charming street transforms into an antiques bazaar on Sundays
The Callejón de los Sapos, or Alley of the Frogs, is said to have gotten its name in the colonial era. A nearby river would frequently overflow and flood the alley, attracting frogs. The river no longer exists, but the street does, known for its colorful facades and romantic string lights. Lining the alley are boutique hotels, lively restaurants, and plenty of antique shops that take over the small square from 10 am on Sundays.
4. It’s believed to have been created through divine intervention
Angels supposedly guided Puebla’s founders and raised the bell in its cathedral. (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia)
The city’s original name, Puebla de los Angeles, sprouted from a vision. In 1531, Bishop Julián Garcés had a dream in which angels descended from heaven, guiding him to a valley where a new city for incoming Spanish settlers could be built from scratch. Puebla was therefore constructed in this very place, and the city, often referred to as Angelópolis — City of the Angels — boasts a coat of arms featuring a castle protected by angels.
5. Mole poblano was invented out of a desperate attempt to feed an unexpected visitor
You can take authentic mole-making classes at Meson de la Sacristía on Calle de los Sapos (William Neuheisel/CC BY 2.0)
Yet another legend that remains steadfast, it’s said that in 1680, an archbishop dropped in without warning at the Convent of Santa Rosa, now the Museo de Arte Popular. The nuns, with nothing to offer the hungry visitor, fell into a panic. As they prayed for culinary inspiration, the ladies dumped everything they had in the kitchen into a pot: chilis, spices, stale bread, nuts, chocolate and a litany of spices. A few hours later, the unlikely combination transformed into a thick, rich sauce, impressing the archbishop and becoming known as the first mole poblano.
6. It’s home to more historical monuments than any other city in the Western Hemisphere
Puebla’s Historic Center was named a World Heritage Site in 1987. (Diego Delso/CC BY-SA 4.0)
According to UNESCO, Puebla’s Historic Center is home to 2,619 monuments, more than any other city in the Americas. Beyond the quantity, the quality of the colonial architecture has been exceptionally preserved. One of these many landmarks is the Biblioteca Palafoxiana, which was established in 1646 and is considered the first public library in the Americas, with its collection still intact.
7. The last Volkswagen Beetle was manufactured here
The 20 millionth Beetle was manufactured in Puebla in 1981. (Volkswagen Group)
The largest Volkswagen factory outside Germany is right here in Puebla. The historic 20 millionth Beetle — the first car in history to sell 20 million units — was built in Puebla in 1981 and featured silver metallic paint and black side stripes. The last classic Beetle ever built was also rolled off the production line here on July 30, 2003. Currently, the plant employs over 13,000 people and is considered the largest private employer in Puebla.
8. You’ve seen it in Hollywood films
ARRANCAME LA VIDA TRAILER OFICIAL DE LA PELICULA
Puebla’s perfectly preserved colonial architecture has made it Mexico’s go-to location for period films. The historic center has doubled for 18th and 19th-century Mexico and Spain in numerous productions, including major Mexican films like the 2009 “Arráncame la vida” as well as international productions like “Frida” featuring Salma Hayek, “Man on Fire” featuring Denzel Washington and “Vantage Point” with Dennis Quaid, all of whom made an appearance in Puebla for the films’ productions.
9. The Historic Center is decorated with French streetlights
Orientalist design hit Mexico in the late 19th century, along with other French influences. (Rafael Cabrera Orea)
Somewhere around 1,920 ornate French-style street lamps adorn the center of Puebla. These elegant lamp posts were installed during the 19th century as part of a notable European influence during the Porfiriato, when cities like Puebla underwent dramatic urbanization in an attempt to modernize Mexico. The lamps coincided with the adoption of city-wide electric lighting. Local authorities and business leaders at the time preferred French design, so the street lights were imported and installed.
10. The first shots of the Mexican Revolution were fired here – and you can still see them
The Serdán family home, still pocked with bullet holes, is now a museum. (surfeandoelmundo)
On November 18, 1910, the Serdán family home, located at 6 Oriente No. 206, would change Mexican history forever. After receiving an anonymous tip about a revolutionary conspiracy, the forces of Porfirio Díaz’s government surrounded the house and fired a string of bullets into the house’s facade. A violent gunfight followed, and the Serdán siblings, joined by about 17 supporters, resisted the attacks from inside the house. Eventually, law enforcement entered and captured conspiracy leader Aquiles Serdán. Serdán became the revolution’s first martyr and the attack on his home marked the first combat of the Mexican Revolution, which officially started two days later when Francisco Madero launched the Plan of San Luis Potosí. The house now serves as a museum and visitors can see the actual bullet damage that initiated the decade-long conflict.
Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog or follow her on Instagram.
Forget your Kindle. These vintage bookstores in Mexico City will get you reading the old-fashioned way. (Andrea Fischer)
As a person who was raised inCoyoacán, I believe that the capital’s soul is fragmented. Mexico City purposefully scattered the pieces of her essence across her vintage bookstores and stitched them into secondhand books, nestled within their shelves. Locally known as librerías de viejo, or librerías de ocasión, these endemic creatures are in danger of extinction these days.
Heirs of Parisianbouquinistes, but with an undeniable Mexican bohemian feel, vintage bookstores in Mexico City sell used books, magazines and — if the seeker searches well — even coveted first editions of literary classics. Most of these bookstores offer titles in their original languages. You just have to head, for example, to the English Classics section.
A través del Espejo, a Mexico City icon located in Colonia Roma, announced its closure in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It re-opened, however, in 2023 in a nearby location. (Pedro Anza/Cuartoscuro)
Some of them, due to cold public disinterest and the advent of digital formats, tragically disappeared. For those of us rebels — or possibly hopeless romantics — who actually enjoy reading the old-fashioned way, these are some of the most iconic vintage bookstores in Mexico City.
Librería Las Tres Cruces
Pablo Neruda books for 40 pesos? Yes, please. (SIC/Secretaría de Cultura)
Librería Tres Cruces, part of the Museo Salon Posada, which holds one of the largest collections of the work of Mexico’s most celebrated cartoonosts, is one of Coyoacán’s secret treasures. There is even a local tradition of bringing someone to pick a book, with the promise that that person will bring someone else eventually. I like to believe that this chain of people bringing their acquaintances to the bookstore has kept it alive for decades.
The building — which looks more like an old warehouse than a library — consists of two floors filled with shelves of books. They are strategically divided by genre, as is the case in traditional secondhand bookstores. Librería Tres Cruces is so famous and has such cultural significance that it was recently added to Mexico’s Cultural Information System (SIC).
Tres Cruces 99, Coyoacán, Coyoacán
La Fiera
La Fiera crystallizes Coyoacán’s bohemian and rebellious nature. (Andrea Fischer)
Indomitable: that is how true literature is. Wild, unapologetic, rebellious. And that is exactly what La Fiera, a small bookstore in Coyoacán’s Del Carmen neighborhood is. “Built on friendship and the intention of sharing independently created books,” as stated on theirofficial website, the team crafts “unique objects,” and offers workshops and publishing services.
La Fiera also has an adorable mascot of the same name, which could well be a possum, a raccoon or a rat, or the mélange of these three. I came across a viral Instagram Reel of theirs, where La Fiera (the Beast) guides the viewer straight to the bookstore. I just fell in love with it — as should any bookstore aficionado in Mexico City.
París 101, Del Carmen, Coyoacán
Librería El Gran Remate
Just picture it: you buy a decades-old García Lorca anthology at El Gran Remate, and head straight to the analogue camera shop next door. (SIC/Secretaría de Cultura)
Donceles Street is easily one of the oldest streets in Mexico City. It dates back to 1524, when it is believed to have been laid out. Ever since then, merchants of every specialty have established their businesses there and made it thrive.
Today, Donceles is well known for the dozen secondhand bookstores that line both sides of the street. “Some of the most important, out-of-print and hard-to-find books can still be found here,” assays the government of Mexico City by the Mexico City Government. El Gran Remate is among the most iconic of the city’s bookstores. This century-old business survives in the interior of a colonial building, whose quarry walls still let out dusty sighs.
I found out about Niña Oscura while dating a guy who thought of himself as a poet. And honestly, I wouldn’t have known about this place otherwise: only pseudo-badboys know about vintage bookstores like these in Mexico City. Hidden in a worn-down Porifiriato-era manor, this “librería de paso” — as they describe themselves — hosts poetry readings, creative writing workshops and book presentations by emerging authors. It is said that the original owner’s daughter died here, and the current directors used the legend to imbue the space with an ominous halo — one that invites you to stay and read.
Salvador Díaz Mirón 142, Santa María la Ribera, Cuauhtémoc
El Desastre
“It’s amazing to have a bookstore that’s more than a bookstore,” Salmerón said. (Andrea Fischer)
“Etymologically,” El Desastre’s owner, Alonso Salmerón, told Mexico News Daily, “a ‘disaster’ happens when a star falls [from the heavens] in a place. It’s similar to when you open a bookshop.” Originally a law school graduate, he decided to open a cultural venue while studying a degree in Literature. Located in the residential Colonia Del Valle, Salmerón took a risk and opened during the Covid-19 pandemic. “I had no doubts about opening a bookstore,” he recalls.
Ever since he found the commercial premises for the first store, Salmerón knew that his project “would find a dimension of its own.” Almost half a decade later, El Desastre is situated in a typical Del Valle house, featuring a beautiful garden where readers can enjoy a flat white or a heat-warming matcha latte.
San Francisco 233, Del Valle Centro, Benito Juárez
Under the Volcano
Under the Volcano bookstore was probably what D. H. Thoreau thought his cottage in the woods would be like when he wrote Civil Disobedience or Walden. (Andrea Fischer)
Just around the corner from the famous Citlaltépetl roundabout,Under the Volcano Books exhales its vapors in the form of English books. In this place, I wouldn’t be surprised to find the ghost of Bram Stoker or Mary Shelley in this book-packed room. It’s the kind of place Established on the second floor of the American Legion, this is one of the very few exclusively English-language bookstores in Mexico City.
Trump commented on cartel influence in Mexico at the signing of the HALT Fentanyl Act on Wednesday. (Addison McDowell)
U.S. President Donald Trump used a bill-signing ceremony on Wednesday to criticize Mexico once again, repeating his claim that drug cartels have “very strong control over Mexico.”
“Mexican authorities are petrified to show up at their office, to go to work because cartels have a tremendous grip [on the country and its politicians],” he said.
On Thursday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum calmly but firmly rejected Trump’s statements as “imprecise” and declared that her administration is not afraid of the drug cartels.
“We have taken firm action against the cartels,” she said, “and, unlike previous administrations, we have not allowed organized crime to infiltrate our security institutions.”
Sheinbaum said U.S. customs officials have corroborated the progress Mexico is making, including a 50% reduction in fentanyl trafficking on Mexico’s northern border.
Additionally, Sheinbaum instructed the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Security Ministry to prepare a report on all the actions Mexico has implemented in the fight against drug trafficking and the regulation of precursor chemicals. The document will be sent to the U.S. government and members of the U.S. Congress.
Sheinbaum cited a 50% reduction in fentanyl seizures on the Mexico-U.S. border as evidence of Mexico’s progress at tamping down trafficking. (Presidencia)
Trump made his comments during the signing ceremony for his Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act, a priority for the U.S. president, who has cited the illicit flow of fentanyl as one of the reasons for his tariff threats against Canada, Mexico and China.
CNN obtained a White House document on the legislation which says: “Under the HALT Fentanyl Act, anyone who possesses, imports, distributes, or manufactures any illicit FRS (fentanyl-related substances) will be subject to criminal prosecution in the same manner as any other Schedule I controlled substance.”
On Saturday, Trump announced the imposition of 30% tariffs on Mexican imports as of Aug. 1, asserting that Mexico is not doing enough to prevent the region from becoming a “Narco-Trafficking Playground.”
On Monday, Sheinbaum responded by saying the U.S. must “do its part” with regard to the fentanyl crisis, particularly recognizing the demand resulting from the rise in addiction among youth in the U.S.
“As long as they fail to recognize that they have a serious public health problem, this will never be solved,” she said.
The newspaper La Jornada noted that Trump placed the blame for the opioid crisis exclusively on Mexico and the drug cartels, ignoring the role that addiction plays.
Indeed, the first guest invited to speak at the bill-signing ceremony was a man whose son overdosed on fentanyl after getting addicted to opioids, not by illicit drugs but via drugs prescribed by a hospital.
The Mexican president also said the U.S. must do more with regard to the pursuit of suspects on its side of the border and the flow of weapons into Mexico.
“We have long insisted that matters related to controlling the flow of weapons from the U.S. into Mexico must be addressed,” she said, adding that more must be done with regard to the arrest of those involved in drug trafficking in the United States.
One of the elements in the proposed Reasonable Rental Price Index is to force rents to be based on such factors as property value, location and local income levels, rather than on the highest possible profit.
(Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
Calling for rent control and other measures, political leaders in Mexico City have unveiled a sweeping plan aimed at fighting gentrification, a trend where rising rents and home prices push longtime residents out of neighborhoods.
Under “Order 1 for a Livable and Affordable City with Identity and Local Roots,” officials announced measures to cap rent increases, create a rental price index, and regulate Airbnb and other short-term rentals.
Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada, shown here at a cornerstone ceremony in the Gustavo A. Madero borough, supports rent control, citing the need to confront gentrification through public policies focused on housing justice.” (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro.com)
“We have made a firm decision: to confront gentrification through public policies focused on housing justice,” she said.
She cited examples in Berlin, London and Rome where rent stabilization policies have helped preserve affordable housing, adding that “there are areas [in Mexico City] where rent prices have doubled from one year to the next, reaching increases of 100% without objective justification.”
This increase, she said, “leads to the expulsion of residents who have lived in the neighborhoods their entire lives.”
The ordinance — which aims to protect residents’ rights while fostering stable, inclusive communities in rapidly evolving urban neighborhoods — names 14 key actions.
These include establishing a Reasonable Rental Price Index to gauge fair rents based on factors such as property value, location and local income levels.
The government will also enforce a law enacted in 2024 prohibiting rent increases beyond last year’s inflation rate, create a new Office of the Tenant Rights Ombudsman to protect renters from eviction abuses, and propose a “Fair, Reasonable and Affordable Rent Act” to formalize rent controls.
Aiming to reduce inequality and control real-estate speculation, the plan targets neighborhoods in the Cuauhtémoc and Miguel Hidalgo boroughs — areas facing the steepest rent hikes.
“It will include the Hipódromo, Condesa, Juárez, Roma Norte, Roma Sur, Doctores and Buenos Aires neighborhoods in Cuauhtémoc, and in Miguel Hidalgo Escandón in its two sections, and San Miguel Chapultepec first and second sections,” explained Mexico City Planning and Territorial Development Minister Alejandro Encinas.
Additionally, the government aims to boost construction of affordable public housing and provide support programs for vulnerable groups like single mothers and seniors.
Experts note the city’s chronic housing shortage fuels gentrification, with six in 10 residents living in overcrowded homes.
Federico Sobrino, president of the Mexico chapter of the International Federation of Real Estate Agents (FIABCI), said the underlying problem is not Airbnb or foreigners, but rather the lack of new housing in the capital .
“The solution is to allow construction,” he said. “There are those who want to invest in it, but the permit process is closed. This would be perfectly viable if the mayoralties were given the power, but we don’t want to lose central control and all the revenue it entails. This dynamic forces people to move to peripheral areas.”
He said that over the past 15 years, 75% of people in Mexico City who have received housing loans through Infonavit (the Institute of the National Housing Fund for Workers) have been using their loans in the State of México, due to the high cost of purchasing a home in CDMX.
These types of Infonavit loans are intended to help workers buy, build or improve an existing home, making home ownership more accessible.
Though landlords are generally wary of rent controls, real estate professionals acknowledge the need for mechanisms to balance tenant protections and property owners’ interests.
Brugada said that all measures and actions aimed at curbing gentrification in Mexico City “will be discussed with all those who wish to contribute, debate, propose and discuss this issue.”
She added that there will be working groups, forums and meetings — noting that she has already invited the leaders of anti-gentrification marches to participate.
Jolie and Hayek were spotted arriving in Veracruz city on Wednesday, accompanied by members of the state government. (Screenshot/X)
The presence of international film stars Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie caused a stir in Veracruz on Wednesday, though the reason for their appearance has yet to be disclosed.
The co-stars of “Eternals” (a 2021 Marvel Studios superhero film) had earlier been spotted in Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport as they prepared to board the flight to Veracruz.
Sencillas y carismáticas así llegaron las actrices Salma Hayek y Angelina Jolie al aeropuerto de Veracruz donde fueron recibidas por la secretaria de Cultura del estado quien vivió un momento inolvidable ¡Arriba las mujeres! pic.twitter.com/fSfnrFx6C3
Hayek, a native of Veracruz, and Jolie arrived in Veracruz on a commercial flight and were met at the Heriberto Jara Corona International Airport by Xóchitl Molina, the state’s minister of culture, and members of the Tourism Ministry.
Their arrival was immediately made public after a video of the celebrities being greeted by Molina was posted on social media.
Molina accompanied the actresses to a hotel in Boca del Río, a tony municipality just south of the port of Veracruz.
Adding to the mystery, a few hours later Veracruz Governor Rocío Nahle paid a visit to Hayek and Jolie. As she was leaving the hotel, Nahle declined to share any details with reporters who had gathered outside the lobby, saying “Veracruz is fashionable nowadays.”
Last year, Hayek starred alongside Mexican actor Demián Bichir in “Without Blood,” a war drama film written and directed by Jolie.
Hayek, 58, was born in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, about 300 kilometers southeast of Boca del Río. Her family still maintains business interests in the region.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has accepted an invitation to Mexico, President Sheinbaum said. (Cuartoscuro, Mark Carney/X)
President Claudia Sheinbaum said she and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have agreed to strengthen trade collaboration, particularly in light of the tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump set to go into effect on Aug. 1.
“We agreed that the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade agreement (USMCA) must be respected,” Sheinbaum said in her Wednesday morning press conference, adding that she and Carney spoke on Tuesday about negotiating strategies with the Trump administration ahead of the tariff deadline.
Sheinbaum also said Carney had accepted an invitation to visit Mexico, but a date had yet to be set.
“The Prime Minister and the President discussed how to strengthen the Canadian and Mexican economies and enhance their global competitiveness, building on [last month’s] productive meeting at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis,” the statement read.
In a social media post, Sheinbaum mentioned that Carney also expressed his gratitude for the more than 200 Mexican firefighters who travelled to the province of Manitoba “to assist Canadians at this critical time.” Canada is presently fighting more than 400 wildfires, nearly 300 of which are burning in Manitoba.
Fue un gusto conversar nuevamente, primer ministro. Vamos a fortalecer aún más la amistad entre nuestros países, incluyendo la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026. Le agradezco su reconocimiento a la valiente y generosa labor de más de 200 combatientes mexicanos de incendios, quienes… https://t.co/DTObuai7R8
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) July 17, 2025
The two leaders also shared their impressions of the letter each received from Trump in which he announced the new tariffs, a 30% tariff on Mexican imports and a 35% tariff on Canadian goods.
According to El Financiero newspaper, Carney said Canada will focus on ensuring a strong domestic economy as negotiations with the United States intensify. For her part, Sheinbaum said she is confident a trade deal can be reached with the U.S. before the tariffs take effect.
Mexico and Canada avoided most of the reciprocal tariffs Trump imposed in April as imports in compliance with the USMCA were declared exempt for the tariffs.
Also Thursday, Sheinbaum said she met recently with business leaders, including billionaire Carlos Slim, whose family controls firms telecoms giant América Móvil and conglomerate Grupo Carso, along with representatives from breadmaker Bimbo and steelmakers, regarding the August tariffs.
“One of the things I asked them was, ‘Why don’t we lay out, in black and white, the investments you have planned in the United States?’ so they can take part in these negotiations,” she said.
Sheinbaum said there is good communication and coordination with the private sector and with counterparts in Canada and the United States, adding that more details on new investments will be announced in the coming days.
Uber's annunced price increase is up to 7%, with the varying percentage depending on the service provided and the location of the transaction. (Shutterstock)
Mexico’s Labor Ministry (STPS) and Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) have strongly objected to Uber México’s recently announced countrywide fare increase of up to 7%.
In a statement, the STPS called the price hike unfounded and lacking compliance with existing labor agreements for digital platform employees.
Recent labor reforms have granted app workers extended employee rights, which Uber says has made a price rise necessary. (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro.com)
“The Ministry of Labor strongly condemns the unilateral and irresponsible fare increase announced by Uber, of up to 7%, citing, without any basis, costs associated with labor reform for digital platforms,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, Uber Mexico insisted that the fare increase is not for corporate benefit. but rather the result of a “necessary” update in the pricing structure in response to new developments, especially recently enacted labor reforms aimed at gig workers.
“We’ve implemented a necessary update to the pricing structure of trips, increasing by up to 7%, depending on the type of product and city, through the Uber app,” Uber México said in a press release. “It seeks to protect our driver partners’ current earnings and ensure the viability of the platform.”
The labor reform mentioned by Uber took effect in June 2025 and specifically targets workers employed by digital platforms like Uber, Rappi and Didi, among others. It recognizes for the first time their work as formal employment, extending to them labor rights established by Mexican law.
The pilot program requires companies to deduct 2.5% of the monthly income of drivers earning at least the minimum wage — 8,364 pesos per month (US $445) — to provide them employee benefits.
In addition, the Social Security Pilot Program, launched on July 1, allows those workers to register for IMSS benefits.
Uber said it will continue to engage in dialogue with the Mexican government to ensure that adjustments necessitated by the reforms are equitable for all parties involved.
For consumers, the practical effect of the price rise will vary from location to location. Those in areas with the full 7% who have paid 100 pesos every weekday to take an Uber to work and back will pay 535 a week instead of 500.
As of Thursday morning, the date that the new prices will take effect has not been announced.
Grupo Bimbo Director General José Manuel González Guzmán (center) announced the major investment Thursday at President Sheinbaum's morning press conference. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
Mexican breadmaker Grupo Bimbo on Thursday announced plans to invest US $2 billion in seven states over the next three years, generating 2,000 jobs.
The investment will go toward strengthening Bimbo’s infrastructure, according to José Manuel González, president and director general of Bimbo México, who made the announcement during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference.
The seven states that will benefit are Baja California, Yucatán, Nuevo León, Querétaro, Puebla, México state and Mexico City (which is a federal entity with legal standing similar to a state).
González said that in addition to the 2,000 direct jobs, the funding could result in an additional 10,800 indirect jobs. Since its founding in December 1945, Bimbo has created 80,000 jobs in Mexico, with another 460,000 jobs linked indirectly to the breadmaker’s operations.
“We will be celebrating our 80th anniversary this year,” González said, “and we have learned that when Mexicans work together we always make progress.”
González said the investment’s primary objectives are to increase productive and technological capacity, while also improving Bimbo’s research and development divisions.
The funds will boost the company’s sustainability model by modernizing its fleet of electric delivery vehicles and by creating more environmentally friendly packaging for its products. At least 30 factories will be modernized as well.
The Bimbo executive said the development project dovetails with Sheinbaum’s ambitious Plan México, which aims to align private investment with social development and sustainability as it reduces imports and boosts domestic production.
Sheinbaum applauded the Bimbo announcement, saying the investment demonstrates “confidence in our country among national and foreign businesspeople.”
“This is extremely important because it provides certainty for investors and serves to attract other domestic and foreign investments,” Sheinbaum said.
Bimbo will continue to work closely with Mexican farmers, González said. The breadmaker currently acquires 97% of the ingredients needed for its products from domestic sources.
“This investment demonstrates Bimbo’s commitment to the well-being of [Mexico’s] progress,” González said, adding that the company will continue to support government initiatives such as the anti-inflation package aimed at alleviating the prices of consumer goods and the Water Security and Sustainability Agreement.
When asked about the possible effects of U.S. tariffs on Mexican imports that are set to go into effect on August 1, González said he expects the impact will be minimal.
“We don’t believe we will be affected if tariffs are imposed,” González said.
Bimbo has been exporting its products to the United States for more than 20 years. The U.S. and Canada are Grupo Bimbo’s primary export markets, accounting for nearly 50% of its sales.
By a sad coincidence, the announcement came on the same day of the passing at age 97 of Bimbo co-founder Roberto Servitje, a key contributor to the company’s growth over the decades.
San Miguel de Allende is the best city in the world, apparently. The title has made it a magnet for the wealthy, and for those of us who grew up here, continuing to live in the city is almost impossible. (María Ruiz)
After the July 4 anti-gentrification march in Mexico City, gentrification is on everyone’s mind. In Mexico News Daily, Sarah DeVries spoke about this controversial topic as a U.S. citizen. María Meléndez took up the subject as a Mexican born in Mexico City. Now, it’s my turn to speak as a Mexican born and raised in San Miguel de Allende, a city that has perhaps seen more aggressive and rapid gentrification than anywhere else in the country. I have lived here for more than 30 years, my parents are from here, and I went to local public schools in the center of town. I love my city.
I have mixed feelings about the foreign community living in the city. On one hand, I believe that having foreigners live in San Miguel has enriched the community enormously. But I also feel deep sadness at not being able to imagine the house of my dreams in San Miguel because the costs are extremely high. So are food, services and other products that you find cheaper elsewhere. In some ways, living in San Miguel is like living in a golden cage.
The beauty and unique charm of San Miguel has made thousands of foreigners of different nationalities decide to make this city their home. (María Ruiz)
Gentrification in San Miguel has pros and cons alike. Let’s delve into them.
The negative
Displacement of traditions
Those of us who live in San Miguel know the tradition of Friday of Sorrows, the Friday before Holy Week, when owners of San Miguel’s houses open their doors to the public, set up an altar dedicated to the Virgin of Sorrows and give visitors flavored water, popsicles and ice cream. But every year, I have watched as fewer and fewer houses set up their altars downtown.
The typical altars I remember from my childhood have gradually disappeared. Why? Because San Miguel natives no longer live downtown. The people who live there now are foreigners who do not participate in these traditions. San Miguel natives, displaced to neighborhoods and areas farther from the center, have taken the city’s classic traditions with them.
Racism from Mexicans towards Mexicans
Although foreigners are not to blame for this, but rather the Mexican mentality of inferiority, I have witnessed countless times racism or bad treatment of Mexicans by other Mexicans, and the preference some have for foreigners, especially in restaurants where they prefer to serve foreigners rather than their own people. Sometimes I feel that some Mexicans perceive ourselves as second-class and that foreigners are at a higher level — perhaps because the idea of a caste system is still deeply rooted in our subconscious.
Exorbitant housing prices
This is what annoys me most about how beautiful and popular San Miguel is: housing prices have skyrocketed. Outside real estate offices, it’s normal to see house listings priced in millions of dollars. It’s unthinkable to imagine that, with my Mexican salary, I could afford a house in the city I grew up in. The saddest part of this reality is that those houses once belonged to the grandparents of someone I know. It was once normal to go to your aunt’s house two blocks away, but now most people living downtown are foreigners, and San Miguel natives are increasingly displaced to small, expensive homes on the city’s outskirts. All I ask of the government and developers is to create nice, nearby, and affordable subdivisions for San Miguel’s middle class.
Foreigners who do not adapt
San Miguel is a city full of festivities: fireworks here, noise there, music and dancing everywhere, especially during the feast of Saint Michael, the famous Alborada. Many foreigners enjoy and take part in this excitement, but others don’t adapt and complain about the noise. Without its fiestas, San Miguel would lose its identity and essence. Rather than complain, I think foreigners who decide to live in San Miguel should learn why there is that noise and the meaning of the festivals.
No matter the time of the year, in San Miguel there is always fiesta and merriment. (María Ruiz)
Along the same lines, some people have not adapted to Mexican culture. Many expect things to be done exactly — or very similarly — as in their home countries, but Mexico is a completely different country from the U.S. or the countries of Europe when it comes to bureaucracy. I’m not saying I love it; there are many things I wish were different, but you can’t get upset because things aren’t done exactly how you expect. Mexico teaches you patience, enjoying the journey, and slowing down. My recommendation is that before deciding to live in Mexico, you get to know it and accept it — with all its positives and negatives.
“Se habla español”
Since I was a child, I wondered, why do Mexicans have to learn English to communicate with foreigners in our country if we live in Mexico and speak Spanish? Speaking English opens doors worldwide and because it is the lingua franca of our times, but it strikes me that we as Mexicans make a great effort to communicate with foreigners in English, and even feel ashamed if we don’t speak it well, while a percentage of foreigners living in San Miguel don’t even make the minimum effort to learn Spanish — and instead get upset and frustrated if you don’t speak English to understand them. Friends, the least you can do if you are in this country is to learn some basic Spanish to communicate with your neighbor or market vendors. With MND Tutor, you can learn easily and in a fun way. I’m sure that by learning Spanish you will discover a new and interesting worldview.
There are also positive aspects of foreigners concentrating in San Miguel, and this community has made important contributions to the city.
The positive
Rentals and businesses benefit from foreigners
On the one hand, I complain about the high housing prices, but on the other, I see that the sale and rental of houses have benefited hundreds of San Miguel natives, including my family, which has rented a house to Americans for more than 20 years and thanks to that rent, my three siblings and I were able to cover university expenses. Those who invest in restaurants, hotels, rent their houses, offer their services have benefited from the arrival of foreigners to the city and helped the economy move.
New festivals
Some traditions have been displaced, like Friday of Sorrows, but others are born from the union of Mexicans and foreigners, like the GIFF film festival, initiated by Sarah Hoch, a foreigner residing in San Miguel. I have practically grown up with this festival, and since I was little, I remember the excitement of watching open-air films. Participating in this festival allowed me to meet film directors from other countries at El Gato Negro — a famous bar in San Miguel — watch short films and feature films that inspired me to create art as well, and discover very interesting projects. There are also music festivals like Jazz & Blues, the Chamber Music Festival, Opera San Miguel, organized by foreigners or Mexicans from other parts of Mexico, enriching those who enjoy them.
Newcomers promote arts and culture
The city owes a lot to the post-war U.S. artist who called it home. Those days were a far cry from the ultra-luxury city I live in today. (María Ruiz)
As I mentioned before, San Miguel has benefited from foreigners living here by having various festivals, but not only that — it has become an art mecca. This city attracts many artists, some more well-known than others, such as Joy Laville, an English artist, Leonora Carrington, Leonard and Reva Brooks, and Mexican artists like Rufino Tamayo, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Diego Rivera. What city in the world can boast of having seen such figures pass through at different times? It is very inspiring to see galleries everywhere, streets with beautiful murals, and cultural events everywhere.
The generosity of foreigners crosses borders
The vast majority of foreign residents in San Miguel are retired Americans and Canadians who come to Mexico for a second lease on life. With enough time and resources, they have created dozens of nonprofit organizations that help those in need, such as Patronato Pro Niños, which offers medical, dental, and psychological services to low-income children. Or the Special Education School of San Miguel de Allende (EEESMA), which provides quality education to children with hearing problems.
Recently, I met Dr. Billy Williams from Kids First Orthopaedics, and I was moved to hear what he does for children born with orthopedic problems. A group of volunteer doctors comes twice a year from the United States to treat and operate on children born with malformations, transforming their lives forever.
Every year, volunteers from across the world give up their time and help to make San Miguel a better place for everyone to live. (Kids First Orthopaedics)
The Biblioteca Pública A.C. is another clear example of foreigners supporting the San Miguel community. Helen Wale, a foreign resident of San Miguel, found that the city needed a library, so she decided to found one. This library has operated for over 70 years with the help of foreign and Mexican volunteers who give their time, money and effort to keep it running. And it isn’t just a library—it also offers art workshops, English classes, scholarships for youth and children, and many recreational activities.
San Miguel’s prominence as an arts center has much to do with the fact that in the 20th century, the American Stirling Dickinson promoted art in San Miguel together with Felipe Cossio del Pomar, a Peruvian. Simply put, the city would not be the same without the collaboration of all these foreigners and many others who have been part of the city’s history.
Mexico News Daily
I have a job thanks to foreigners in San Miguel. Travis and Tamanna Bembenek decided to come here and invest in a newspaper whose mission is to show how incredible Mexico is. Without these foreigners, I probably wouldn’t be enjoying life with my family here; I would instead be in a big city as part of my career. It is an honor for me to be part of this project that highlights the most beautiful aspects of Mexico, teaching that Mexico is not just violence and drugs but culture, tradition, good people, investments, joy, family, unity, gastronomy, and many things that make me proud to be Mexican.
Without a doubt, San Miguel de Allende is what it is thanks to its people. Mexicans from Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Querétaro and León. Foreigners from the United States, Canada, Spain, England, China and Germany. We all make this small place the best city in the world. Everyone is welcome — you just have to open your eyes and connect with the city that hosts you.
María Ruiz is the Director of Digital Marketing at Mexico News Daily. She enjoys photographing her hometown of San Miguel de Allende in her spare time.
