Services were 4.64% more expensive in February compared to last year. (Shutterstock)
Mexico’s annual headline inflation rate increased in February compared to January, ending a three-month streak of declines.
The annual headline rate was 3.77% last month, up from 3.59% in January, according to the national statistics agency INEGI. Month-over-month inflation was 0.28%.
The uptick in annual inflation was expected: The 3.77% rate is on par with the consensus forecast of analysts surveyed by Reuters.
Despite the increase, headline inflation is still within the Bank of Mexico’s target range of 3% give or take one percentage point. An interest rate cut following the central bank’s next monetary policy meeting on March 27 — even a 50-basis-point one — remains a distinct possibility. The Bank of Mexico’s benchmark rate is currently set at 9.50% after a 50-basis-point cut on Feb. 6.
Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, said on X on Friday morning that the Bank of Mexico is expected to continue cutting its key interest rate in 2025 “to close the year at 8.5%.”
INEGI also reported on Friday that Mexico’s annual core inflation rate, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was 3.65% in February, just below the 3.66% reading in January.
Con esto, se prevé que el Banco de México continúe con los recortes en la tasa de interés para cerrar el año en 8.5%.
— Gabriela Siller Pagaza (@GabySillerP) March 7, 2025
The latest inflation data comes a day after United States President Donald Trump announced he was suspending 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico covered by the USMCA free trade pact until at least early April. The U.S. government imposed the tariffs on Tuesday, prompting the Mexican government to prepare retaliatory tariff and non-tariff measures that President Claudia Sheinbaum would have announced this Sunday.
Inflation data in detail
INEGI reported that services were 4.64% more expensive in February than a year earlier, while prices for processed food, beverages and tobacco rose 3.78% annually.
Non-food goods were 1.75% pricier compared to February 2024, while energy prices, including those for electricity and gasoline, increased 3.57% annually.
Meat prices increased over 10% since last year. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
The highest annual inflation rate for any individual category was that for meat. Consumers paid 10.53% more for beef, pork, chicken and other meat in February compared to the same month a year earlier.
In contrast, fruit and vegetable prices were 5.54% cheaper on a year-over-year basis.
An increase in prices for agricultural products (meat, fruit, vegetables) in recent years — in large part due to adverse climatic conditions including drought — has been a major contributor to high inflation in Mexico. Inflation reached 8.7% in August 2022, its highest level in more than two decades.
Thanks to destinations like Los Cabos, the state of Baja California Sur attracted more foreign tourism investment than any other Mexican state in 2024. (Shutterstock)
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in tourism reached US $2.9 billion in 2024, up 130% compared to 2019, according to the Tourism Ministry (Sectur).
The figure shows a slight increase from the US $2.9 billion Mexico captured the previous year, Tourism Minster Josefina Rodríguez Zamora said.
“Foreign capital investment is an unequivocal sign of the confidence that international investors have in Mexico,” a government press release reads. “It also facilitates creating modern and sustainable infrastructure in the tourism industry, which in turn promotes new jobs that improve the quality of life of Mexicans.”
Three beach destinations attracted the greatest flow of tourism FDI — two along Mexico’s Pacific coast and one in the Riviera Maya.
Coming in first, Baja California Sur attracted US $1 billion, amounting to 36% of foreign investment in tourism. Next was Quintana Roo with US $786.9 million (close to 25% of the total) followed by Nayarit with US $330 million (12%).
Rodríguez said that most of the investment went towards furnished apartments and houses with hotel services, reaching US $1.9 billion. Hotels with other integrated services captured US $798.3 million.
The lion’s share of foreign tourism investment went toward furnished apartments and houses that offer hotel services. (Airbnb México)
Overall, these two sectors accounted for 96% of the total tourism FDI in Mexico during 2024.
Finally, Rodríguez explained that Mexico’s foreign investment in tourism accounted for 8% of the total FDI attracted by the country in 2024. In contrast, tourism FDI between 1999 and 2024 amounted to US $35.5 billion, just under 5% of FDI at the time.
Rubén "El Púas" Olivares (left) and Raúl "El Ratón" Macías (right) are just two of Mexico's great early champions. (Canva)
Few Mexican athletes have enjoyed the global success of the country’s boxers. Since almost the first instant of prizefighters lacing up gloves and commencing battle south of the Río Bravo, Mexican pugilists have experienced significant periods of supremacy on the international stage.
The sport has profoundly affected Mexican society. Over the course of the 20th century, boxing inspired movies, songs and specific notions of Mexican identity. It became a source of civic pride for downtrodden communities, a propaganda tool for politicians and a national obsession.
Boxing holds a special place in Mexican culture, as shown by massive boxing classes promoted by the government of Mexico City in recent years. (Indeporte CDMX)
In part one of our series on the history of boxing in Mexico, we’ll trace the sport from the moment of its arrival, through its first golden age to the eve of Mexican boxing’s second glorious era.
Boxing arrives in Mexico
Ritualistic boxing in Mexico dates back to Mesoamerican civilizations including the Olmec and Zapotec. But the version of the sport practiced here today, based upon the now-ubiquitous Marquess of Queensberry Rules, originates in 19th-century England. Though it was hoped that rule changes such as the introduction of standardized gloves and timed rounds would legitimize boxing and dampen growing calls for its prohibition, they failed to stem boxing’s declining popularity in Britain. And as the sport was pushed further underground, many of its practitioners sought new opportunities in the United States, and eventually Mexico.
According to historian Stephen Allen, boxing in Mexico dates back to at least 1887, when an illegal match was stopped by authorities who deemed it an expression of moral degradation. Nonetheless, it’s believed that illicit fights continued into the 1890s, often patronized by British and American expatriates.
When dictator Porfirio Díaz gave boxing his approval in 1894, the sport gained an air of respectability. Though it was not until the 1910s, amidst the disarray of the Mexican Revolution, that its popularity surged. After the revolution, the Mexican government sought to use major sporting events to bolster its perceived stability on the world stage. Boxing featured heavily in this strategy, and major fights were held at Mexico City’s Frontón Nacional throughout the 1920s.
The Mexican government quickly moved to showcase boxing as a national pastime. (Gaceta UNAM)
Though most of these contests featured fighters from north of the border, the gymnasiums and rudimentary governing bodies established during this period laid the foundations for Mexico’s first generation of spectacular boxers. By the late 1920s, Mexico City was producing its own array of noteworthy talents, a number of whom would come to represent Mexico’s first golden age of boxing.
The first golden age of Mexican boxing
Mexico’s first golden age of boxing is widely regarded to have lasted from 1933 to 1936. While the improved caliber of Mexico’s best fighters meant that many plied their trade in the United States, this period also witnessed a large number of high-quality bouts — featuring both Mexican and international competitors — at Mexico City’s Arena Nacional. Domestic fans were able to watch the best fighters in the world, including their own compatriots, and crowds at the Arena frequently filled its 30,000 capacity.
Notable among Mexico’s heroes of the golden age is Luis Villanueva Páramo. Known affectionately as Kid Azteca, Páramo is credited with popularizing the infamous Mexican liver punch: a hook to the right side of an opponent’s body which, when landed properly, bludgeons the liver and incapacitates its sorry proprietor for the duration of the ten count. The shot remains a key component of the acclaimed Mexican style of boxing almost 100 years later.
The Champion without a Crown
Though perhaps the most fitting symbol of the first golden age is Rodolfo “El Chango” Casanova. Casanova moved to Mexico City with his family after his father, an officer in the military, was killed during the Mexican Revolution. They lived in the working-class neighborhood of La Lagunilla, where Casanova worked numerous jobs as a child before eventually discovering boxing.
Rodolfo “El Chango” Casanova. (Mexicanos en el boxeo/Facebook)
Casanova’s rise was phenomenal: within six months of his first professional bout he was beating established opponents before crowds of up to 20,000 people and impressing fans in both Mexico City and Los Angeles. But the excesses so often concomitant with success were to be his undoing. Newspapers soon bore tales of Casanova’s nocturnal habits, his excessive drinking, and an alleged romantic affair with Hollywood starlet Mae West. In spite of his prodigious talent, Casanova never became world champion.
The allegorical appeal of Casanova’s rise to glory and subsequent fall from grace made it the subject of the 1945 film “Campeón sin corona.” Casanova sought remuneration from the film’s producer, Raúl de Anda, before embarking upon a 50-hour hunger strike outside the National Palace. The two never reached a settlement, and de Anda’s film enjoyed box office success and critical acclaim while Casanova lived out the rest of his life in poverty.
Mexican boxing’s interregnum
A final, symbolic footnote to the first golden age was written on the site of the Arena National. With the international success of Mexican fighters dwindling towards the end of 1936, the venue that had hosted some of their greatest accomplishments burned to the ground, in suspicious circumstances, in February of the following year.
However, the ensuing decades were not entirely devoid of ceremony. While the next era of Mexican boxing lacked the romance of those which enveloped it, it would not be without its own distinguished figures.
Barrio Bravo de Tepito continues to uphold a proud pugilist tradition to this day. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
The spiritual home of Mexican boxing could conceivably be pinpointed to a single square-kilometer block of the country: the Mexico City neighborhood of Tepito. The ”barrio bravo” is renowned for its combative residents and unforgiving boxing gyms that have produced a number of world-class fighters.
Today, the symbol for the Tepito metro station is a boxing glove. In the early twentieth century, when Mexico City’s political and social elites condemned the neighborhood as a bastion of crime, illiteracy and moral degeneracy, its champion fighters provided a valuable counterpoint for Tepito’s proud and defiant community.
The Tepiteño fighters and a history of Mexican boxing legends
Tepito’s list of famous sons includes names like Rubén “El Púas” Olivares, Carlos “El Cañas” Zarate and the aforementioned Kid Azteca. But its most loved is arguably Raúl “El Ratón” Macías. His 1954 fight against the American Nate Brooks drew over 50,000 spectators to Mexico City’s Ciudad de Deportes to watch him claim the North American bantamweight title. Many of the city’s higher-ranking professionals are said to have sent employees to stand in line for tickets at the box office a week ahead of the fight.
Contemporaneous press reports from the fight stress the wide cross-section of Mexican society that turned out to support a young man from the city’s so-called slum. Though Macías earned the affections of the entire nation, he never shirked his role as Tepito’s unofficial ambassador.
Kid Azteca drew tens of thousands to his fights in Mexico City. (Wikipedia)
In stark contrast to the popularity of Macías was the public perception of fellow great Vincente Saldívar. Another Mexico City native, Saldívar claimed the world featherweight title in September 1964 and defended it eight times before his first retirement in 1967. One such defense, made in London against the Welshman Howard Winstone, was televised as part of the first satellite broadcast in Mexican history. Yet Saldívar’s apparent lack of warmth, and his public assertions that he fought for himself and not the Mexican nation, meant he never received the adulation enjoyed by compatriots such as Macías.
Saldívar did, however, earn the widespread approval of the nation’s politicians. While the practice of using boxers’ successes to promote the government was not new, Saldívar’s reputation as an ascetic endeared him to presidents Adolfo López Mateos and Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, both of whom made public displays of their support for the champion.
For elites who had long used athletes to project acceptable forms of Mexican identity and morality, Saldívar’s talent and probity made him the ideal poster boy for national progress. But it would be the next generation of fighters who captured the hearts of the Mexican people.
Though perhaps simplistic, it could be argued that the first golden age of boxing in Mexico lent itself to romanticism, while subsequent decades contained genuine examples of pure sporting achievement. The second golden age would do both.
Ajay Smith is a freelance journalist and ghostwriter from Manchester, England, now based in Mexico City. His areas of specialization include boxing, soccer, political history, and current affairs. Samples of his work can be found at ajaysmith.com/portfolio.
“Picante, pero sabroso”: here’s why trying spicy, hot salsa matters when living in Mexico. (Los Muertos Crew/Pexels)
As a regular diner at the nearby taquerías, my partner constantly asks me to join him for tacos. More than once, we have witnessed foreign customers asking the taquero if the place offers spiceless salsa. Especially in the Condesa and Roma area: “No picante,” they plead with heavy accents. Some play it safe, and just order a side of guacamole.
We understand. Eating spicy food comes practically from the cradle here, in Mexico. There is not even a word for ‘picante’ or ‘enchilarse’ in English: it all falls under the category ‘spicy,’ which can refer to anything related to spices — from Indian masala to Sichuan pepper or Mexican salsa picante. Due to the growing demand for not-hot salsa, however, some local puestos have succumbed to what their customers order.
Don’t be afraid, güera, give in to the power of the chile side. (Los Muertos Crew/Pexels)
Even though one can understand why foreigners seek non-spicy sauces, no joy compares to eating tacos with very spicy sauce. Beyond the fear of missing out, trying “salsa bien enchilosa” is a cultural experience, intimately intertwined with the Mesoamerican voices that can still be heard in Mexican lands.
Honoring the great Tlatlauhqui Cihuatl Ichilzintli
Paleontological remains show that chili has grown in the Americas for, at least, 10,000 years. Specifically, Universidad de Guadalajara researcher Edgar Pulido Chávez explains, “in the geographic, biocultural and climatic zone located between central Mexico and Central America, known as Mesoamerica.” It’s safe to say, then, that my country shares roots, literally, with at least 64 different species of chili, as per the Natural Resources Ministry’s records.
Given the great diversity of species, it was only natural for the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations in present-day Mexico to offer these precious fruits to their gods. “Chili was not exempt from ritual connotations and was part of the offerings made to the gods,” writes archaeologist and editor of Arqueología Mexicanamagazine Enrique Vela. The Mexica even had a goddess of chilis, Tlatlauhqui Cihuatl Ichilzintli — which literally translates as “respectable lady of the great, red chile” from Nahuatl.
A representation of Tlatlauhqui Cihuatl Ichilzintli, the pre-Hispanic goddess of chili, taken from the Florentine Codex. (Héctor Zagal/X)
Beyond the religious aspect of chili, ancient Mexicans already used its spice to condiment their cuisine. Cacao, as a drink, was infused with chili seeds, which made it a bitter and spicy drink — definitely different from hot cocoa or the alleged ceremonial cacao as we know it today. Moreover, spicy salsas have been deeply influenced not only by the pre-Hispanic culinary arts, but also by the European touch that arrived in America during the Colonial times.
This syncretic dance makes “Mexican sauces […] much more than just condiments,” explains the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry, “they are an expression of Mexico’s rich culinary culture.”
¡Que pique! — Why trying spicy, hot salsa matters
Even today, centuries after the Mexica gods ceased to appear on the altars (officially), we Mexicans preserve a mythical relationship with chili and its different species. ‘Enchilarse’ is a part of local tables every day across the country: feeling the hot rush of your taste buds burning is probably the quintessential Mexican experience.
If you’re ever brave enough to try hot salsa in Mexico, instead of drinking tons of water to ease the burn, try tasting something salty — that’ll do the trick. (Margarito Pérez Retana/Cuartoscuro)
Because, yes, picante is not a flavor, but a sensation. “Also referred to as pungency,” writes Chávez for The Conversation, “it is an adaptation of the chili plant to defend its fruits from herbivorous mammals and other predators.” That is why, if someone is not exactly used to bathing their food with salsa, their body sweats and they feel the sudden need to drink a lot of water — disclaimer: water will not help.
This happens because the brain literally feels like the tongue is on fire, according to the BBC. When the tastebuds interact with capsaicin, the chemical substance that creates the hot feeling in the mouth, the saliva binds it to receptors called TRPV1. That’s when chilli pepper — and practically anything that you prepare with it — starts to sting or burn.
Even though this article is an open invitation for foreign visitors and people living in Mexico to try a primordial piece in the great mosaic of our cuisine, by all means, do not do something you’re not comfortable with. Again, chilli peppers are naturally designed to defend themselves from predators. If your stomach is simply not used to these kinds of spices, you can easily get stomach aches and have a really bad time in the aftermath — especially in the bathroom, if the editors allow me an eschatological note.
Beyond a worthy-of-mention warning, trying hot salsa does not imply covering your favorite Mexican dishes with it. Trying is just that: trying — probably just a few drops on your next visit to a local market, nearest puesto or taquería. This, of course, leads us to the following question:
If you don’t have friends or family living in Mexico who could offer you a taste of their homemade salsa, local markets are the place to try some authentic hot, hot, hot sauce. (katiebordner/Wikimedia)
Where to try authentic (and spicy) Mexican salsa?
The perfect place to try authentic and spicy Mexican salsas is at a Mexican home, of course. If you’re visiting a friend or have relatives living in Mexico, please ask them to share some of their homemade salsa with you. Especially if it’s made in a molcajete — that is an excellent starting point.
If you’re in your digital nomad era, and definitely do not have Mexican friends or relatives, a local market is your choice. Even Polanco, Mexico City’s most elegant neighborhood, has a local market. If you’re planning on playing it safe, you can always try the quesadillas stand — where they usually serve “vitamin T,” as well: tacos, tlacoyos, tamales and so on. At the bar or the table, you will always find a bowl of salsa verde, salsa roja and sour cream.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can dive into the Ribera de San Cosme to El Califa de León restaurant. This is the first authentic taquería in Mexico to ever receive a Michelin star. You can live the entire experience of ordering your tacos al pastor directly from “el trompo,” that massive spinning top of pork fillet covered in axiote chili. Try arriving early — around 1 p.m. — or you can expect a long line of customers, waiting to try their mythical salsa roja.
If you’re not exactly into the Historic Center experience, you can always try a more easy-going location. Ever been to Coyoacán? If you’re visiting — or living in — chaotic CDMX, this is the borough to try the best Mexican hot salsas in the capital. Go to ‘Mercado de Antojitos’ and sit at the first quesadilla stand you find — you can thank me later.
Things are looking up for the world's best female soccer players descending on Mexico in 2031. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
The United States and Mexico’s joint bid to cohost the 2031 Women’s World Cup currently faces competition only from African countries, after the FIFA excluded Europe from the bidding process on Wednesday. And while Morocco and South Africa have expressed interest, it’s unclear if either plans to submit a bid.
In April, after a last-minute announcement, both nations pulled out of the joint bid to host the 2027 edition. The tournament will be hosted by Brazil, which beat a European cohosting bid from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
Mexico is already hosting the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2026, with the first match at Mexico City’s Aztec stadium. As a result, Mexico and the U.S. agreed to postpone their bid for the Women’s World Cup until 2031, to better prepare. (Wikimedia Commons)
At the time, the U.S. and Mexico explained that the decision was made by mutual agreement, with both nations hoping to better prepare to host in 2031 by expanding agreements and partnerships with the media and engaging more with fans. Furthermore, officials said they expect to learn from the experience of cohosting the upcoming men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup, along with Canada.
“Hosting a World Cup is a huge undertaking — and having more time to prepare will allow us to maximize its impact across the globe,” Cindy Parlow Cone, president of U.S. Soccer, said. “Investment disparities will be eliminated,” she stressed.
“U.S. Soccer, in partnership with Concacaf and its members, will complete the bid process to host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup™,” a statement on the U.S. Soccer official social media channels said. “We are excited by the opportunity to welcome teams and fans, inspire the next generation and grow the game regionally and globally,” the statement said.
Both countries have pushed for the competition to be priced on par with the men’s game to “fully maximize the commercial potential of the women’s tournament,” Parlow Cone said.
Cindy Parlow Cone, head of the U.S. Soccer Federation, better known as U.S. Soccer. (File photo/US Department of State)
No African country has hosted a Women’s World Cup. The same goes for Mexico. However, the U.S. hosted the Women’s World Cup in 1999 and 2003.
FIFA said it expects to pick hosts for the tournament at its annual congress next year on the eve of the men’s 2026 World Cup.
As for the 2035 Women’s World Cup, FIFA invited bids only from Europe or Africa. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed a 2035 bid, after the Football Associations of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales announced they will submit a declaration of interest to FIFA.
President Claudia Sheinbaum greeted reporters at the National Palace Thursday morning with a broad smile. Earlier, she'd had a successful phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump. (Graciela López/Cuartsocuro)
President Claudia Sheinbaum started her Thursday morning press conference at the decidedly late time of 11:20 a.m. — almost four hours later than usual.
Sheinbaum told reporters that the success of her call with Trump was due to her making him aware of how Mexico’s efforts have reduced fentanyl seizures at the Mexico-U.S. border. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum greeted reporters with a jovial “Buenos días” before walking to her lectern with a broad smile on her face.
“We’re going to read the post of President Trump,” she said, referring to his announcement on social media that “Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement.”
‘We are getting results, President Trump’
Sheinbaum noted that she presented to Trump U.S. Customs and Border Protection data that showed that the quantity of fentanyl seized at the Mexico-U.S. border declined 41.5% to 263 kilograms in February compared to 450 kilograms the previous month. She said that Trump wasn’t aware of the statistic, and attributed it to the increase in fentanyl seizures in Mexico.
Sheinbaum said she also highlighted that her government has deployed 10,000 additional National Guard Troops to Mexico’s northern border as part of a deal in early February that staved off tariffs until March 4.
“I also told him about the meeting in Washington with his security team and our security team, … where a series of cooperation and collaboration agreements were reached,” she said.
Sheinbaum told reporters Thursday that she highlighted to Trump the 10,000 military and National Guard personnel she sent to the Mexico-U.S. border in February to root out illegal immigration and narco-trafficking. (Carlos Sánchez Colunga/Cuartoscuro)
“Then I told him, ‘We are getting results, President Trump,'” Sheinbaum said.
“… ‘Now that you’ve implemented tariffs, how are we going to continue cooperating, collaborating, with something that harms the people of Mexico?'” she said, referring to tariffs, as she continued to recount her call with the U.S. president.
“It wasn’t a threat, not at all, simply: ‘Understand that, for me, the most important thing is my people,'” Sheinbaum said.
“… At the beginning, he stated ‘the tariffs are staying, and we’ll review it later’ … but I kept informing him about the many things we’ve done in Mexico in relation to security, even the decision the [federal government’s] Security Council took to send 29 prisoners to the United States,” she said, adding that she told Trump about other security results her government has achieved, including the arrests of thousands of suspected criminals.
“And finally, he made the proposal to postpone everything until April 2, [with] a different review, the review of reciprocal tariffs,” Sheinbaum said.
A ‘reciprocal relationship’ would be one in which ‘they don’t charge us tariffs either’
Sheinbaum highlighted that the vast majority of goods Mexico exports to the United States and imports from the U.S. are not subject to tariffs thanks to the USMCA trade pact, which superseded NAFTA in 2020. That statement was true until 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, when 25% U.S. tariffs on Mexican goods took effect.
The USMCA stipulates rules, including “rules of origin,” that products must comply with in order to travel across borders in North America without being subject to tariffs.
The trade agreement has allowed for free trade between Mexico, the United States and Canada for almost five years, but it didn’t stop Trump putting tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods two days ago.
Sheinbaum emphasized that because Mexico doesn’t impose tariffs on imports from the United States, a “reciprocal relationship” would be one in which “they don’t charge us tariffs either.”
For now, President Sheinbaum is expressing optimism that Mexico will avoid the so-called “Trump tariffs” permanently. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
In that context, she expressed optimism that tariffs won’t be imposed on Mexican goods when the United States places reciprocal tariffs on imports from other countries next month.
“In any case, we continue to work together,” Sheinbaum said.
“In other words, the Mexico-United States-Canada trade agreement is respected.”
AMLO’s good relationship with Trump a factor in tariff suspension, Sheinbaum says
A reporter asked the president whether she believed that Trump, in deciding to suspend tariffs on Mexican goods, took into account the views of automakers that have plants in both Mexico and the United States.
“It’s very probable that everything had an influence,” Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum also opined that Trump’s previous “good relationship” with former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador was a factor in Trump’s decision to suspend U.S. tariffs on Mexico. (Cuartoscuro)
“Remember the day that … [Trump] announced the tariffs, stock markets in the United States fell and there were a lot of United States businesspeople who said, “This isn’t good for us,'” she said.
“They did their own work to speak with President Trump. Obviously, everything has an influence, and I believe the relationship of respect we’ve had [with the United States] also has an influence,” Sheinbaum said.
She said she believed that the “good relationship” Trump had with former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador was also a factor in the U.S. president’s decision to suspend tariffs on imports from Mexico.
“President Trump obviously remembers that, right? All that has an influence on the good relationship because he obviously knows that [AMLO and I] are part of the same movement and that we have always referred to him with respect,” she said.
‘We favor trade with countries with which we have agreements’
Asked about the future of the USMCA and Mexico’s trade relationship with China, Sheinbaum noted that a review of the trilateral North American free trade pact is scheduled to take place in 2026.
As a result of “all these talks” between Mexico’s economy and finance ministers and the United States commerce and treasury secretaries, “it’s very probable” that “a lot of these things from this review will start to be seen now,” the president said, apparently indicating that changes to USMCA will be made before next year’s review.
“What have we always said? We also have to carry out reviews of the trade agreements we have, due to our sovereignty and our self-sufficiency, and due to the strengthening of our economy,” Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum, left, with Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard, holds up a decree in December that expanded the scope of an existing textile tariff to target cheap retail clothing from China, which has, in recent years, flooded Mexico’s market. (Marcelo Ebrard/X)
“But in the end, we favor trade with countries with which we have [trade] agreements. Remember, we don’t have a trade agreement with China, and we’re importing a lot of products from China,” she said.
Late last month, Sheinbaum said that imposing additional tariffs on imports from countries with which Mexico doesn’t have free trade agreements, such as China, was an option.
She said at the time that the implementation of tariffs on Chinese exports to Mexico wasn’t a “condition” that had been set by the United States, although Bloomberg had reported that “the Trump administration told Mexican officials” including Minister Ebrard “that they should put their own duties on Chinese imports as part of their efforts to avoid tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump.”
Sheinbaum said on Thursday that Mexico “has to review the tariffs” it currently has in place on imports from China, and stressed that her government wants to “recover” and “strengthen” Mexican industry.
“Why? Because that provides employment, strengthens us, generates well-being, reduces violence,” she said.
As part of the ambitious Plan México economic initiative, the government is aiming to reduce reliance on imports from China and other Asian countries in order to protect Mexican manufacturing.
To achieve that goal, it appears almost certain that the Mexican government will move to implement tariffs — or higher tariffs — on Chinese goods.
The grid upgrade will install new power plants in five states across Mexico. (Shutterstock)
Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) announced this week that it will invest US $2.5 billion to develop five new power plants in the coming years.
After Tuesday’s extraordinary session, the CFE Board of Directors also announced it is taking steps to strengthen the electrical grid in the Yucatán Peninsula ahead of the summer season.
Leon, Guanajuato, under blackout conditions last May, when residents across Mexico experienced rolling blackouts. The city of Salamanca, also in Guanajuato, will be one of the recipients of five new power plants CFE will build across Mexico. (Jorge Ortega Hernández/Cuartoscuro)
The steps come nearly a year after blackouts and intentional power outages plagued large swaths of the country in May and August, significantly affecting popular tourist destinations in the state of Quintana Roo such as Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Tulum, as well as in the Riviera Nayarit along the Pacific Coast.
Last May, the Yucatán Times reported that power outages occurred in at least 21 of Mexico’s 32 states, and the National Energy Control Center (Cenace) had declared a state of emergency in the nation’s electricity system on more than three occasions.
Where will the five new power plants be built?
CFE announced that the new plants will be built in the following cities:
Salamanca, Guanajuato
Tula, Hidalgo
Mazatlán, Sinaloa
Altamira, Tamaulipas
Los Cabos, Baja California Sur
All will feature state-of-the-art technology, according to a CFE press release.
The grid upgrade is part of President Sheinbaum’s National Energy Sector Strategy, which President Sheinbaum introduced in November and Energy Minister Luz Elena González can be seen here explaining to reporters. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartsocuro)
In addition to the five states in which the power plants are being built, four other states — Sonora, Durango, Coahuila and Jalisco — will benefit directly, the CFE said, adding that these ventures are the first of 12 strategic projects included in the government’s Plan to Expand Energy Generation over the next six years, the CFE said.
All but the Los Cabos power plant will be combined-cycle operations, which use gas and steam turbines together to produce up to 50% more electricity from the same fuel than a single-cycle plant can manage.
The Los Cabos project will feature an internal combustion power plant that will rely on natural gas. The CFE explained this decision by saying internal combustion operations use less water and Los Cabos is located in a desert zone.
All five power plants will have a 30-year lifespan, the CFE said, and all will be capable of operating with diesel fuel in case of emergency.
Keeping the air conditioning on in the Riviera Maya
The CFE’s plans to enhance the electrical network in the Yucatán Peninsula ahead of the summer heat comes as great news to the state of Quintana Roo.
The tiny state at the eastern end of the peninsula receives about 33 million tourists each year, and its hot, humid climate results in high demand for air conditioning.
Blackouts in May and August last year wreaked havoc at the height of the tourist season. The loss of power resulted in traffic light failures, air conditioning malfunctions and problems at hotels and shopping malls, while also affecting ATM services and even mobile internet services.
To address the Peninsula’s electricity shortages, the CFE said it will install capacitor banks in seven northern substations in Quintana Roo at a cost of 194.4 million pesos. (US $9.6 million). These banks will store and release energy to improve the state electrical system’s efficiency.
To shore up Quintana Roo’s electrical grid, CFE plans to install substation capacitor banks, which store electricity and keep flow more consistent. (Eaton)
Additionally, a three-phase transformer will be moved from Saltillo, Coahuila, to Playa del Carmen at a cost of 49.4 million pesos (US $2.4 million). A three-phase transformer can step up or step down voltage more efficiently due to its ability to handle high power loads.
The CFE did not say when these projects will be completed, nor did it mention if installation of the capacitor banks would affect Quintana Roo’s power supply during installation.
It did, however, say it has also approved a budget of 9.7 million pesos (US $478,000) to reduce technical losses, to modernize Mexico’s distribution substations, to invest in automatic and remote operational capacities and to purchase new equipment, computers and vehicles.
Additionally, the CFE also authorized 137 projects to renovate, substitute and build new substations.
The controversy has opened a debate on the boundaries of art and religious respect in Mexico. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
Visual artist Fabián Cháirez has called for a protest on Friday, the day his controversial exhibition “The Coming of the Lord” was scheduled to close in Mexico City, following its suspension by a federal judge in response to complaints from Catholics and other Christians.
Cháirez shared this poster social media, calling on supporters to protest the judicial order to provisionally close his most recent exhibition. (Fabián Cháirez/X)
The protest is set for 5 p.m. outside the exhibit’s venue, the Academia de San Carlos in downtown Mexico City. The 244-year-old academy, formerly also known as the National School of Fine Arts, is affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Design, which is part of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Having opened to much fanfare Feb. 5, the exhibit features nine large-scale oil paintings that combine iconic religious themes with sexual imagery and eroticism. One painting depicts two males in cardinal attire licking a lit Paschal candle, while another shows two nuns in an intimate pose.
With only four days to go until closing, the show was suspended after the Association of Christian Lawyers (AAC) filed a complaint — reportedly signed digitally by 9,000 people — with the National Council to Prevent Discrimination (Conapred), alleging that the exhibit was offensive and violated the constitutional religious rights.
A federal judge then granted a provisional injunction that ordered the closure, within 24 hours, of the exhibit until the issue is legally resolved. That was followed by a statement from the San Carlos Academy and UNAM’s Faculty of Arts and Design noting that they had complied.
Fabián Cháirez, whose art features homoerotic themes, has once again found himself in the middle of controversy. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
Another hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, when it will be determined whether a definitive suspension will be granted.
Cháirez, 37, denounced the closure as censorship and argued that his right to freedom of expression was being violated.
“The censorship imposed on my work is an act of intolerance that denies the possibility of debate and of finding new ways of interpreting our relationship with the divine,” he said in a statement. “Fear or dogma cannot be allowed to dictate the limits of art.”
His statement also claimed that he had not been notified of the amparo trial, a constitutional legal proceeding designed to protect individual rights and freedoms.
“While it is true that [UNAM] acts as the responsible authority, it is also true that as the creator of said work, I should have been called to the amparo trial,” he wrote, “in order to give my defense and not see my human right to freedom of expression affected.”
He also accused UNAM and the Faculty of Arts and Design for demonstrating “a lack of interest in instilling in the next generation of artists the defense of their work and freedom of expression.”
Several LGBTQ+ rights organizations, including GayLatino and Altarte AC, have expressed support for both the artist and Friday’s protest — which some are saying might set the stage for a larger debate on the boundaries of art and religious respect in Mexican society.
GayLatino condemned the censorship, stating it was “an attempt to erase the voices that make plurality visible and to perpetuate a status quo that denies rights to populations of sexual and gender diversity.”
The Christian lawyers group defended the suspension, arguing that “freedom of expression is limited by the requirement” to not infringe upon or disrespect the religious beliefs, symbols and dignity of Catholics.
And recently, “The Coming of the Lord” — “La Venida del Señor” in Spanish — was symbolically shut down when Catholic protesters entered the gallery on Feb. 19 and made a human barricade in front of what they deemed “offensive images.”
Cháirez has remained defiant, stating, “Today it is my work that is censored, but tomorrow it could be any other artistic manifestation that challenges established thinking.”
All passengers made it to safety, though one person suffered burns. (Screenshots)
Passengers on a city bus in Monterrey, Nuevo León, narrowly escaped tragedy this week, fleeing the vehicle as the flames of a wildfire roared toward it.
This week’s incident — videos of which were published on social media, one from inside the bus and another from outside — occurred in Santa Catarina, a suburb of Monterrey, the capital of the northern state.
En su sección: “Cuenta la gente que el chofer gritó: ¡Atestígüenme!” 😮
Pasajeros tuvieron que descender del transporte público corriendo debido a que el chofer se detuvo cerca de un incendio en Nuevo León
After the bus was overtaken by the fast-moving conflagration, the terrified passengers hurried off the bus, most racing to safety inside the gates of a nearby industrial park.
On one video, you hear rising expressions of alarm at the approaching blaze, urgent cries to stop the bus, frantic screams of “Get out! Get out!” and a frightened child crying, as the passengers hasten toward the exit and scramble away from the bus.
This scene took place in the greater Monterrey metropolitan area where nearly 250 wildfires have been reported this week. Monterrey, the state capital, is a major industrial hub located in a dry valley surrounded by mountains, forests and ecological parks. The Santa Catarina River, which bisects Monterrey, is dry most of the year.
Nuevo León Governor Samuel García said on Wednesday that firefighters had extinguished 236 fires, but there were three active blazes — in Monterrey, García and Santa Catarina municipalities — that were still a concern.
A group of firefighters prepares to continue the battle against the Cerro Topo Chico fire in Monterrey Thursday morning. (Protección Civil Nuevo León)
After initially attributing the fires to high winds and dust storms in combination with the lack of rain, García said Wednesday that the authorities had solid evidence against three suspected arsonists, according to El Financiero.
The governor said one of the suspects confessed to being paid 300 pesos to set a fire in the municipality of García, where the blazes have caused more than 300 million pesos (US $14.8 million) worth of damage.
In Santa Catarina, more than 30 fires were reported, including the one that almost trapped the bus passengers. That fire reportedly started in a vacant lot and, although emergency personnel arrived on the scene swiftly, high winds whipped the blaze out of control.
The bus was traveling south on State Highway 65, which traverses a valley to the west of Monterrey and is populated by residential areas and industrial parks. As the fast-moving fire blasted across the highway, the driver attempted a U-turn. However, a wall of flames surrounded the bus, forcing it to stop and prompting the panicked passengers to flee.
According to UnoTV, a young female passenger suffered burns on one leg, but no other injury was reported.
State authorities have since shut down Highway 65 and an environmental emergency alert remains in effect.
According to a Reuters reported published Thursday, the Mexican state-owned oil company Pemex is in talks with buyers from Asia and Europe, where a source told Reuters, there is demand for heavy crude. (Shutterstock)
State oil company Pemex is seeking to further diversify its crude sales in light of the United States’ decision to impose 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico, according to the Reuters news agency.
Citing information from an unnamed senior Mexican government official, Reuters reported on Thursday that Pemex is in talks with potential buyers in Asia, including China, and Europe.
Recent drone attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure have squeezed available supplies for Asia in 2025. In countries like China and India, Russia has been a top supplier of crude. (Bob63/Shutterstock)
The report — published before United States President Donald Trump announced on Thursday morning an almost one-month pause on tariffs on imports from Mexico — comes a day after President Claudia Sheinbaum said that Mexico will seek other trade partners if U.S. tariffs on Mexican goods remain in place.
The United States imposed 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico and most imports from Canada on Tuesday. The U.S. is taxing Canadian oil at 10%, but Mexican crude is (or was) subject to the full 25% levy.
Reuters reported that 57% of the 806,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude Pemex exported last year went to the United States.
It noted that Pemex exports some crude to Europe and Asia, particularly India and South Korea, but highlighted that “the lion’s share” of the state oil company’s flagship heavy sour Maya oil goes to the United States.
The government official who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity said “the good thing is that there’s appetite for Mexican crude in Europe, in India, in Asia.”
“There’s demand for heavy crude and Pemex crude,” the source said.
Mexican ports like Manzanillo in Colima, seen here, and Salina Cruz in Oaxaca could be exporting a lot more Pemex crude to Asia in the near future. (JRomero04/Shutterstock)
The official said that potential Chinese buyers were “very interested” in purchasing Mexican crude in initial talks with Pemex.
“Demand will decide how these flows are redirected,” the source said.
The official said that Pemex would not give a discount to United States clients in an attempt to retain them while its oil exports to the U.S. are taxed at 25%, as could once again be the case starting in early April. The source said that Pemex buyers in the U.S. haven’t discussed terminating their contracts.
Two other sources at Pemex’s trading arm PMI Comercio Internacional told Reuters that China, India, South Korea and even Japan would be suitable markets for Mexican crude in light of the United States tariffs on Mexican goods. Their assessment took into account higher shipping costs to get Mexican oil to Asia.
One of the PMI sources told Reuters that “only Asia” could take the volume of oil not sent to the United States. That assessment took into consideration the capacity of refineries to process the specific type of crude exported by Pemex.
The two PMI sources also said that Pemex doesn’t have any plans to discount crude to make exports more competitive.
Whether the United States’ tariffs on imports from Mexico will once again take effect in April is unclear. Trump announced Thursday morning that “Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement” until April 2.
The announcement came after Trump spoke to President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Whether Pemex will still seek to sell more crude to buyers in Asia and Europe wasn’t immediately clear.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. (File photo/Wikimedia Commons)
Mexico is aiming to become self-sufficient for fuel and consequently is keeping more crude in the country to refine at Pemex refineries. However, output from Mexico’s older oil fields, most of which are in the Gulf of Mexico, has declined to its lowest level in more than 40 years, Reuters said.
In January, “exports slumped 44% year-on-year to 532,404 bpd, the lowest level in decades,” the news agency reported.
