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Peru breaks diplomatic relations with Mexico

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The Mexican Embassy in Lima, Peru
Peru said it would cut diplomatic ties with Mexico after a former prime minister was granted asylum at the Mexican Embassy in Lima. (Wikimedia Commons)

The government of Peru announced its decision to sever diplomatic relations with Mexico on Monday after a former Peruvian prime minister who is accused of rebellion was granted asylum at the Mexican Embassy in Lima.

Peruvian Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela announced the decision, telling journalists that the government of Peru had found out earlier on Monday that Betssy Chávez, who served as prime minister under former President Pedro Castillo, had fled to the Mexican Embassy.

Peruvian politician Betssy Chavez
Former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chávez faces charges for her alleged role in former President Castillo’s failed attempt to dissolve Peru’s Congress in 2022. (Betssy Chávez/Facebook)

“Today we learned with surprise and deep regret that former prime minister Betssy Chávez, the alleged co-author of the coup d’état attempted by former president Pedro Castillo, is being granted asylum at the residence of the Mexican Embassy in Peru,” de Zela said.

“In response to this unfriendly act, and taking into account the repeated occasions in which the current and former presidents of that country have interfered in the internal affairs of Peru, the Peruvian government has decided today to break diplomatic relations with Mexico,” he said, referring to Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Claudia Sheinbaum.

The decision to sever diplomatic ties with Mexico was subsequently confirmed via the official social media accounts of the Peruvian President’s Office, occupied since last month by President José Jerí.

Karla Ornelas, Mexico’s top diplomat in Peru, will have to leave the South American country in short order.

Chávez faces criminal charges related to her alleged role in former President Castillo’s failed attempt to dissolve Peru’s Congress in late 2022 when lawmakers were preparing an impeachment vote against him. She was imprisoned in June 2023, but “released by a judge in September while her trial was underway,” Reuters reported.

The news agency also reported that the ex-prime minister “has denied knowing about Castillo’s plan to dissolve the legislature” almost three years ago. The Peruvian Attorney General’s Office has accused Chávez of being an accomplice in the crime of rebellion against the powers of the state, the Associated Press reported.

Prosecutors requested that she be sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Castillo, a former teacher and union leader who was sworn in as president in July 2021, was ousted by the Peruvian Congress in late 2022 and has been detained since Dec. 7 of that year on charges of rebellion and conspiracy, among other crimes. Peruvian prosecutors accused Castillo of attempting to promote a coup.

Later in December 2022, then-president López Obrador declared that Mexico’s diplomatic relations with Peru were “on hold,” and said that his government still considered Castillo to be the leader of the South American nation.

He said that Castillo had faced “an atmosphere of confrontation and hostility” from the beginning of his “legitimate presidency” due to “the interests of the economic and political elite.”

AMLO puts diplomatic relations ‘on hold’ with Peru as crisis deepens

López Obrador accused Castillo’s successor, Dina Boluarte, of “usurping” the presidency of Peru.

Sheinbaum has also expressed support for Castillo, claiming that he was the victim of a “coup,” rather than the instigator of one, and calling for him to be released from prison and given “a fair trial.”

While Castillo is in prison, his wife and children are in Mexico.

In September, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress of Peru approved a motion that sought to declare Sheinbaum a persona non grata due to her refusal to recognize Boluarte — ousted last month on grounds of “permanent moral incapacity” — as the legitimate president of Peru. However, the Congress itself has not approved the motion.

Mexico’s Foreign Ministry responds 

In a statement issued on Monday, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) said that “Mexico regrets and rejects the unilateral decision of Peru to break diplomatic relations as a response to a legitimate act.”

The SRE said that Mexico granted “diplomatic asylum” to Chávez in “full” accordance with international law, and cited the former prime minister as saying that she has been subject to “repeated violations” of her human rights as “part of a political persecution of the Peruvian state” since her arrest in 2023.

“According to the Caracas Convention, the only party empowered to assess the nature of the persecution against asylum applicants is the asylum-granting State, Mexico in this case,” the SRE said.

“… Mexico reaffirms that, as recognized by the General Assembly of the United Nations, the granting of asylum cannot be considered an unfriendly act by any other State,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Sheinbaum at her morning press conference
President Sheinbaum described the Peruvian government’s actions as “out of proportion” at her Tuesday morning press conference. (Saúl López Escorcia / Presidencia)

“For the reasons stated above, Mexico rejects Peru’s unilateral decision, as it is excessive and disproportionate in response to a legitimate act by Mexico that is consistent with international law, [and] which in no way constitutes interference in Peru’s internal affairs,” the SRE said.

At her Tuesday morning press conference, Sheinbaum acknowledged that Peru had decided to break off diplomatic relations with Mexico.

“From our perspective, it’s completely out of proportion, but it’s a decision they’re taking,” she said.

Sheinbaum said that the Mexican Embassy in Lima had asked the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the decision and was told that “only” the diplomatic relationship was being severed, and not “the consular” one.

“In any case we’re going to wait to receive the [official] notification,” she said.

Sheinbaum stressed that Mexico’s trade relationship with Peru would continue. The two countries are part of the Pacific Alliance trade bloc along with Chile and Colombia.

Mexico will now have an absence of diplomatic relations with two South American countries, as the Mexican government severed ties with Ecuador in April 2024 after Ecuadorian police broke into the Mexican Embassy in Quito seeking to detain a former vice president of the South American nation who had been promised asylum in Mexico.

After Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa’s re-election earlier this year, Sheinbaum said  there were no plans to restore diplomatic relations with the South American nation.

With reports from Reuters, AP, El País and Milenio

Nuevo León, Yucatán and México state lead the country in economic growth

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Toluca at night
México state, whose capital Toluca is shown here, is Mexico's largest state by population and one of three that have achieved 17 straight quarters of economic expansion. (@mvazquez71/X)

Three Mexican states — Mexico state, Nuevo León and Yucatán — are leading the nation in economic expansion, with 17 consecutive quarters of growth each, according to data from Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI). 

Despite uncertainty from U.S. tariffs, reduced public spending on infrastructure and moderate investment at the national level, 19 of Mexico’s 31 states plus Mexico City experienced year-on-year growth during the second quarter of 2025. 

Monterrey aerial shot
Monterrey is the capital of Nuevo León, a state whose energetic courting of foreign capital has helped make it another Mexican state with 17 consecutive quarters of positive growth. (@_monicabarrera/X)

The largest increases year-on-year were experienced in Hidalgo (7.1%), Guanajuato (4.5%), Nuevo León (4.2%), Mexico City (3.7%), Michoacán (3.7%) and Tamaulipas (3.3%), according to INEGI data. 

The sharpest year-on-year decreases were seen in Campeche (-13.4% year-on-year), Quintana Roo (-9.6%), Tabasco (-6.8%), Durango (-6.3%) and Oaxaca (-2.7%).

In terms of consecutive quarters with growth, Guanajuato and Colima follow the three leaders with 13 and 11 respectively.

Conversely, Tabasco, Campeche and Quintana Roo were the states with the most consecutive quarters of economic decline, with eight, five and four quarters of contraction 

Some states are “facing a slowdown after the completion of flagship public works projects and the adjustment of federal spending on physical investment,” the financial group BBVA Research states in its 2025 second quarter Regional Sectoral Situation in Mexico

“The completion of the major projects of Dos Bocas, the Maya Train and the Tulum airport led to the removal of civil works and temporary personnel… [leaving] a gap that the operational phase has not yet filled, especially in Tabasco and Campeche.” 

Growth has moderated in Mexico’s north, with stability centered around manufacturing, formal services and residential activity, according to the BBVA report. 

Meanwhile, the south is undergoing a transition from economies of labor and extraction to economies of service and local consumption. Yet the region still lags behind the north in terms of productivity and formalization, said the bank. 

BBVA forecasts a slight economic reacceleration and a decrease in the disparity between states in 2026  as new investments in relocation and manufacturing operations drive greater recovery in Mexico’s north and the central Bajío region.

Meanwhile, the major economies of Mexico City, Mexico state, Jalisco and Nuevo León will likely experience higher economic growth driven by tourism, particularly as hosts of the 2026 FIFA soccer World Cup next summer. 

With reports from El Economista

Mexican writer Gonzalo Celorio wins Spain’s Cervantes Prize for lifetime achievement in literature

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Mexican writer Gonzalo Celorio
Mexican writer Gonzalo Celorio, 77, won Spanish language literature's top award this week "profound and sustained contributions to the enrichment of Hispanic language and culture." (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro.com)

Mexican novelist and essayist Gonzalo Celorio has won the 2025 Cervantes Prize, the most prestigious award in Spanish‑language literature.

He is being honored for more than half a century of writing that blends memory, erudition and love of language.

Spain’s Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, announced the decision Monday in Madrid, calling Celorio’s work “an exceptional literary and intellectual labor that has enriched the language and Hispanic culture.”

The jury praised him for “combining critical lucidity with a narrative sensibility that explores the nuances of identity, sentimental education and loss. His work is simultaneously a memoir of modern Mexico and a mirror of the human condition.”

The prize, which includes a monetary award of 125,000 euros (2.7 million pesos; US $143,570), will be presented April 23, 2026 at the University of Alcalá de Henares by the King and Queen of Spain. The date aligns with the anniversary of Miguel de Cervantes’ burial in 1616, one day after his death.

Celorio, 77, becomes the seventh Mexican to receive the Cervantes Prize — making Mexico the Latin American nation with the most laureates.

He follows Octavio Paz (1981), Carlos Fuentes (1987), Sergio Pitol (2005), José Emilio Pacheco (2009), Elena Poniatowska (2013) and Fernando del Paso (2015) 

The award reaffirms what the writer himself calls the “immense richness” of a language shared by more than 500 million people.

“I receive it with great honor and emotion,” Celorio said. “It honors my literary vocation, my love for the Spanish language and my devotion to Cervantes.”

Born in Mexico City in 1948, Celorio studied Hispanic literature at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), where he has spent his career as professor and dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters.

Also an essayist highly regarded for both his narrative and critical work, he currently directs the Mexican Academy of Language and maintains close academic ties with Spain and Cuba.

He is known for novels such as “Amor propio” (“Self-Love”), “Y retiemble en sus centros la tierra” (“And Let the Earth Tremble to its Core”) and “Tres lindas cubanas” (“Three Beautiful Cuban Women”).

A book cover with a woman in a tower and the words Amor propio and Gonzalo Celorio
Celorio first rose to fame with the novela “Amor propio” (“Self Love”). Published in 1992, it recounts three periods in the life of its protagonist, Ramón. (Tusquets Editores)

The first, published in 1992, is often cited as his breakthrough work, establishing him as a strong voice in contemporary Mexican fiction. The latter, from 2006, is an ambitious tale of family history and Cuban-Mexican cultural ties.

His most recent work, a memoir titled “Ese montón de espejos rotos” (“That Pile of Broken Mirrors”), was published just last month in Spanish only. It reflects on a lifetime of reading, teaching and writing — what he has called the “useless but wonderful luxury” of literature.

Celorio has described Mexico’s cultural connection with Spain as “umbilical.”

“We cannot renounce our Hispanic heritage regardless of what may have happened during the Conquest,” he told El Universal. “They would have to perform surgery to remove half of what we are.”

This year’s Cervantes Prize is the 50th edition of the award, the highest honor in Spanish literature and writing, especially works of fiction, poetry and essays.

The three most recent winners were Venezuela’s Rafael Cadenas in 2022, Spain’s Luis Mateo Díez in 2023 and Spain’s Álvaro Pombo in 2024.

Other prominent winners include Peruvian Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa in 1994, Spanish Nobel Prize winner Camilo José Cela in 1995 and Argentine Jorge Luis Borges in 1979 — along with Mexican Nobel Prize winner Paz in 1981 and Fuentes in 1987.

With reports from CNN Español, El País and El Universal

Sheinbaum: Mexico close to reaching new flight route agreement with US

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airplanes on tarmac
President Sheinbaum says the Mexico City International Airport (also known as the Benito Juárez International Airport) is "saturated" and undergoing renovation, which are the reasons for moving some U.S. flights to the newer Felipe Ángeles Internationl Airport. The U.S. sees it differently. (AICM)

President Claudia Sheinbaum says Mexico can soon reach an accord with the U.S. government regarding U.S. actions taken against service from Mexico City’s two airports due to a dispute over the bilateral air transport agreement.

According to the newspaper El Economista, the Mexican government will talk with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy to present its arguments with regard to the dispute.

airplanes on tarmacs
Viva and Volaris are two Mexican airlines affected by the U.S. action against Mexican flights. (Cuartoscuro.com)

On Oct. 28, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) accused Mexico of engaging in anticompetitive practices by reorganizing airspace, forcing the relocation of cargo operations and making unilateral decisions regarding the reassignment of slots at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM). 

A DOT press release claimed Mexico “has not been in compliance with the bilateral agreement since 2022 when it abruptly rescinded U.S. passenger carriers’ slots and forced U.S. all-cargo carriers to relocate” to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA).

Upon announcing the decision, Duffy stated unequivocally: “Until Mexico stops playing the games and honors its commitments, we will continue to hold it accountable.”

Sheinbaum criticized the decision last Thursday and announced plans to request high-level discussions with the U.S. Secretary of State. 

“Mexico is exercising its sovereign right to manage its airports and airspace,” she said, adding that operational limits at [AICM] were introduced “because the airport is saturated and undergoing modernization.”

Sheinbaum maintains that its aviation decisions are part of a long-term infrastructure strategy rather than a measure against foreign carriers.

“There could be political interests [behind the DOT decision],” Sheinbaum said. “There could be an interest in supporting some companies over others, including American ones.”

DOT insists that by restricting slots and forcing all-cargo operations to move out of AICM, “Mexico has broken its promise, disrupted the market and left [U.S.] businesses holding the bag for millions in increased costs.”

Trump administration revokes 13 flight routes from Mexico to US

Ahead of the call to Duffy, Sheinbaum was set to meet on Tuesday with representatives of Mexican carriers that offer cargo services at AIFA to hear their opinions about operations at the new terminal located roughly 40 kilometers north of downtown Mexico City. 

It was not clear if representatives of US cargo airlines would attend the meeting.

According to El Economista, Shienbaum’s objective is to find out if the carriers are happy at AIFA and to identify any problems related to cargo operations.  

“We are seeking a call with [Secretary Duffy], and a letter will be sent outlining our arguments,” Sheinbaum said Monday, adding that she thinks agreement can be reached in the next 10 days.

The situation is exacerbated by the condition of Mexico’s airport infrastructure, particularly as it prepares to host the 2026 World Cup. 

AICM suffers from maintenance and operational problems requiring an investment of 8 billion pesos (US $430 million) for its renovation, while AIFA has failed to impress as an international hub.

With reports from El Economista and Travel Weekly

Opinion: How a new generation of business heroes is changing narratives about Latin America

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Carlos García Ottati poses in front of a Kavak office
Carlos García Ottati, co-founder of the Mexican used car platform Kavak, is just one example of a new crop of business innovators in Latin America. (Kavak)

Most of what we hear (and tell) about Mexico and Latin America are stories of violence, corruption and self-inflicted wounds. Those stories matter and deserve attention — but they are only part of the whole picture. As host of the It’s More Than Grit podcast, I have met founders, funders and ecosystem builders who, over the last two decades have witnessed another, quieter revolution: entrepreneurs across the region borrowing and adapting proven technologies, infusing them with local ingenuity, and adapting them to local realities on the ground have shaken the stillness of the region. They have built great businesses that scale across borders — and in the process, generated outsized returns, challenged entrenched oligopolies, and improved millions of lives.

These success stories rarely make U.S. headlines but savvy investors — both national and international — have noticed. In fact, a recent report by Endeavor and Glisco Partners found venture capital invested in Latin American startups grew 26% in 2024 to US $2.85 billion. That is more than triple Europe’s growth rate (7%) and a sharp contrast to Southeast Asia where new investment shrank by 34% percent. Last year, Latin America was home to 32 unicorns (startups valued at $1 billion or more), bringing their total valuation to a staggering $71.8 billion. This figure is remarkable given how organized “entrepreneurship” is new to the region.

When organizations like Endeavor began their work nearly 30 years ago, the idea or even the word “entrepreneur” was largely absent from the Spanish or Portuguese vocabularies. Linda Rottenberg, CEO of Endeavor, told me that the prevailing assumption back then was that only the well-connected top families could start companies because most people lacked capital, networks and role models. That has changed radically. Today, a first generation of founders from Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Uruguay have become real household heroes.

These battle-tested entrepreneurs succeeded in spite of the unfair competition, unstable environments, limited infrastructure, and scarce resources to create companies like Clip (Mexico), which allowed street vendors, corner stores and small merchants to accept cards, increase sales and access digital financial services. Kavak (Mexico) eliminated the uncertainty and opacity of buying a pre-owned vehicle for millions of people in a region where their first car becomes their most important asset. Rappi’s (Colombia) urban customers saved time but also got greater access to a wide variety of goods and services. Clara (Mexico), reduced the time spent on bookkeeping to allow business owners to focus on other aspects of the business. Nubank (Brazil) replaced slow, opaque branch-centric processes with faster, cheaper, more transparent and more convenient banking. And, QuintoAndar (Brazil) transformed the way renters and landlords transact by removing paperwork, risks, and other hassles. The list goes on, from fintech to logistics to marketplaces, proving that Latin American startups are worth noting.

Nu México grows 52% in 1 year; credit card holders reach 6.6 million

Even more exciting is the second generation of founders, collaborating in a mature ecosystem and using off-the-shelf machine-learning models, generative Al, computer vision and other digital tools to tackle problems uniquely Latin American: precision farming under climate stress, education in Spanish and Portuguese, healthcare delivery outside major hospitals, financial inclusion for informal workers and smarter urban mobility. These teams could put the region at the forefront of the most important technological revolution of our era and generate enormous economic benefits.

Still, the region faces structural headwinds. By comparison, Southeast Asia — also a region with young populations, attractive demographics and rising middle classes driving consumption and digital adoption — produced dozens of unicorns in recent years. (Estimates generally put the numbers at around 50 to 70, with a combined valuation of roughly US $150-$300 billion range.) Several factors have given Southeast Asia an edge over Latin America. It has higher mobile and e-commerce adoption curves; deeper pools of late-stage capital (including heavy strategic investment from China); more visible public exits; regional champions such as Sea, Grab, and Gojek/GoTo; stronger logistics and digital payments infrastructure; greater English proficiency in the tech workforce; and stable policy environments in hubs like Singapore that actively attract talent and capital. Those advantages lower the friction of scaling and exiting — both of which matter!

That said, the main obstacles are quite familiar but they are not destiny: thin capital markets, inconsistent regulatory regimes across countries, fewer reliable exit channels, macroeconomic volatility, gaps in infrastructure and STEM education, and uneven rule of law. These raise costs and risks for founders and investors, but are not deal breakers.

Of course, it takes more than just grit to succeed. But as Adolfo Babatz, CEO of Clip, once told me, “The difference between a good and a great entrepreneur is that only the great fall in love with a problem, and refuse to give up until they find the solution.” This grit, combined with patient capital and effective government support could deliver the headline stories that rewrite the narrative of Latin America.

We have heroes too. It’s time they take the stage they deserve.

Mariana Campero hosts the podcasts Mexico Matters and It’s More Than Grit for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She is the former CEO of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI).

Report: Trump administration is planning a manned mission to fight cartels in Mexico

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A US soldier in camo surveils a desert valley in New Mexico
A soldier from the U.S. Southern Border Joint Task Force surveils the Mexico-U.S. border from Santa Teresa, New Mexico in the U.S. in April. (Pfc. Sean Hoch/U.S. Army)

The Trump administration has begun planning a “potential mission” on Mexican soil that would target Mexico’s notorious drug cartels, including with drone strikes, NBC News reported on Monday.

NBC didn’t name its sources, saying only that they are “two U.S. officials and two former senior U.S. officials” who are familiar with “detailed planning for a new mission to send American troops and intelligence officers into Mexico to target drug cartels.”

An aerial surveillance image shows a motor boat in the ocean with the word unclassified
The NBC report comes just a week after the US conducted a military strike on a small boat that was allegedly smuggling drugs in international waters off the coast of Mexico. (Pete Hegseth/X)

Citing the two current officials, NBC wrote that “the early stages of training for the potential mission” have begun, and noted that it “would include ground operations inside Mexico.”

However, the news organization said it was informed by the two current officials and one of the former ones that a U.S. deployment to Mexico “is not imminent.”

Citing the two current officials, NBC wrote that “discussions about the scope of the mission are ongoing, and a final decision has not been made.”

During much of 2025 there has been speculation that the United States military could carry out operations against cartels on Mexican soil.

However, President Claudia Sheinbaum has asserted that such operations won’t occur.

In May, she revealed that she had rejected an offer from U.S. President Donald Trump to send the U.S. army into Mexico to combat drug cartels. Sheinbaum said at the time that she told Trump that Mexico’s territory and sovereignty are “inviolable.”

For his part, the U.S. president said in May that “if Mexico wanted help with the cartels, we would be honored to go in and do it.”

On Sunday, the day after the mayor of Uruapan, Michoacán, was assassinated, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on social media that “the U.S. stands ready to deepen security cooperation with Mexico to wipe out organized crime on both sides of the border.”

Mission in Mexico would be secretive, sources say 

Citing the current Trump administration officials it spoke to, NBC News wrote that the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command would provide many of the troops who could be deployed to Mexico for a potential mission against drug cartels.

The same sources said that officers from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) would also participate in a U.S. mission in Mexico.

A MQ-9B SkyGuardian drone
The CIA has already conducted surveillance missions with unmanned drones in Mexico this year, using models like this MQ-9B SkyGuardian. (X)

All four of NBC’s sources said that unlike in Venezuela, where U.S. foe Nicolás Maduro is in power and the U.S. could soon conduct land strikes, the potential mission in Mexico is not designed to undermine the Mexican government.

Still, “the mission currently being planned for would be a break with past U.S. administrations, which have quietly deployed CIA, military and law enforcement teams to Mexico to support local police and army units fighting cartels but not to take direct action against them,” NBC reported.

“If the mission is given the final green light, the administration plans to maintain secrecy around it and not publicize actions associated with it, as it has with recent bombings of suspected drug-smuggling boats, the two current and two former U.S. officials said.”

Again citing its four sources, NBC wrote that the Trump administration “would prefer to coordinate with the Mexican government on any new mission against drug cartels, but officials have not ruled out operating without that coordination.”

Unilateral U.S. action in Mexico would be an affront to Mexican sovereignty and its staunchest defender — President Sheinbaum. Bilateral relations — largely premised on close security and trade collaboration — would certainly be damaged by such action, if not irreparably harmed.

NBC’s report comes a week after the U.S. military carried out at least one strike on an alleged drug boat located in international waters off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast. The attack, one of four strikes on Oct. 27 that killed a total of 14 alleged drug traffickers in the eastern Pacific, was condemned by Sheinbaum.

Mexico searches for lone survivor of US strikes on alleged drug boats that killed 14

In a manner that would be similar to the United States’ recent attacks on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, NBC, again citing its four sources, wrote that “under the new mission being planned, U.S. troops in Mexico would mainly use drone strikes to hit drug labs and cartel members and leaders.”

“Some of the drones that special forces would use require operators to be on the ground to use them effectively and safely, the officials said,” NBC reported.

In April, citing information from six current and former U.S. military, law enforcement and intelligence officials with purported knowledge of U.S. security discussions, NBC reported that the Trump administration was considering carrying out drone strikes on cartels in Mexico.

Seven months later, that has not occurred, but the U.S. government has shown it is willing to use its vast military force against cartels at sea. Trump said last month that “the land is going to be next.”

In 2025, the CIA has already conducted covert drone missions to spy on cartels and hunt for labs where fentanyl and other drugs are produced. The Mexican government said that it requested and approved those missions.

Before he returned to the White House in January, Trump said he was “absolutely” prepared to launch United States military strikes against Mexican cartels if large quantities of drugs continued to flow into the U.S. from Mexico. He has praised Sheinbaum, describing her as “a very wonderful woman,” but has also asserted on repeated occasions that Mexico is run by cartels.

When he was asked on the first day of his second term whether he would consider “ordering U.S. special forces into Mexico” to “take out” cartels, the U.S. president said it “could happen.”

Less than a month later, the U.S. government designated six Mexican drug cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, as foreign terrorist organizations.

In August, Sheinbaum said that an executive order signed by Trump directing the Pentagon to target foreign drug cartels did not pose a risk of invasion to Mexico.

“The United States is not going to send its military into Mexico. We cooperate, we collaborate, but there will be no invasion. That’s ruled out … because, in addition to what we’ve stated in all our conversations, it’s not allowed, nor is it part of any agreement,” she said.

With reports from NBC News 

Archival Tiffany jewels dazzle in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein

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A collage with a photo of actress Mia Goth in a blue dress with a blue gem necklace, along with sketches of the necklace and other accessories
The Beetle Necklace, a one-of-a-kind piece designed by Louis Confort Tiffany in the early 1900s, was worn by actress Mia Goth in her portrayal of Lady Elizabeth Harlander. (Netflix)

Tiffany & Co. has become the first luxury jeweler to partner with a Netflix production, joining forces with Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro for his recently released adaptation of the sci-fi classic Frankenstein.

This historic collaboration marks the first time in nearly two centuries that the New York jewelry house has opened up its archives to bring a cinematic story to life. Through this partnership, del Toro’s singular aesthetic, often fusing Gothic opulence with Mexican craftsmanship, has found a new artistic expression on filmmaking.

Tiffany & Co.—Introducing Guillermo del Toro's Netflix Film "Frankenstein"

“When you think about beauty and elegance, we said ‘Let’s approach Tiffany,’” del Toro said in a short behind-the-scenes video, praising the harmony of the jewelry with the film’s distinctive vision.

The film features 27 pieces of jewelry and sterling silver objects from Tiffany & Co., including necklaces, rings, bracelets, brooches, earrings, charms, silverware and a pocket watch. Of these items, ten are historical pieces from the Tiffany archives, six are vintage silverware, another six are contemporary creations, and five were designed specifically for del Toro’s film production.

Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, in 1964, del Toro has gained international recognition for his unique approach to fantasy, horror and fairy tales, which has been highly influenced by his Mexican upbringing. 

Indeed, when asked in a press conference how he balances human nature, fantasy and terror, he simply replied: “Because I’m Mexican,” amid laughter and applause from the audience.

An intricate diamond necklace
Goth also wore the Wade Necklace during filming. The garland-style diamond necklace was crafted around 1900 by Tiffany designer Paulding Farnham. (Netflix)

“You know, in a sense, no one loves life more than we [Mexicans] do, because we are very aware of death,” del Toro explained. 

“The beauty of life lives in close proximity to the only place we’re all going: Everyone on this planet is on a train whose final destination is death. So, along the way, we will live: We will experience beauty, love, and freedom. I believe that when you suppress one side of the equation — darkness or light — it becomes a pamphlet. When you take darkness into account to tell the story of light, that’s reality,” he noted.

This duality between life and death, between beauty and decay, has long defined del Toro’s filmmaking career. And Frankenstein, which explores new life emerging from the remains of the old ones, mirrors this duality.

That sensibility also echoes in the film’s visual world, where, “a young woman’s fascination with the beautiful creatures that crawl through the darkest corners of the world is reflected in her wasp-waisted dresses and in her elaborately crafted jewelry,” Netflix wrote in a press release.

“I think the relationship they [Tiffany] were able to form with us, and the wardrobe, and their pieces not being out of balance with that, and the wisdom of their suggestions, they enhance the character of Mia, and they enhance the value and the beauty of the picture so much,” del Toro said.

Mexico News Daily

The ‘green gold’ miners from Korea: A forgotten diaspora

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Henequen fields
Henequén fields in the Yucatán, known as “green gold” in the early 1900s. (Mexico es Cultura)

In 1904, under President Porfirio Díaz, American capital rapidly expanded into Mexico’s mines, oil, and railroads. During Yucatán’s henequén boom, the “green gold” made the state one of the richest in the country at the turn of the 20th century. This economic surge created a demand for imported labor — setting the stage for immigration from Asia. Across the Pacific, Korea was entering a crisis of its own. Japan’s victory in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) made the loss of Korean sovereignty seem inevitable. While activists resisted colonial rule, many Koreans sought survival through emigration. Newspapers at the time promised a better life on plantations in California, Hawaii and Mexico.

That same year, on May 14, 1905, 1033 Koreans boarded the British ship Ilford at Jemulpo Port (now Incheon) and arrived at Progreso, Yucatán. They came as contract laborers for the haciendas. Five years later, in 1910, Korea was formally annexed by Japan, leaving them stateless. As the Mexican Revolution dismantled the plantation system, they lost their only source of livelihood. When the hacienda economy collapsed in 1921, about 300 Koreans embarked on a new journey to Cuba, where they found work on sugarcane plantations.

Korean worker in Mexico
Korean worker on a henequen plantation in Mexico. (Rosario Bar)

The 1973 book “Memorias de la Vida y Obra de los Coreanos en México desde Yucatán” by José Sánchez-Pac documents the story of the Korean diaspora in Yucatán. It traces his parents’ years of forced labor under harsh conditions. Martha Lim Kim, a fourth-generation descendant of Korean immigrants in Cuba, tells how the community preserved its identity through her book “Coreanos en Cuba,” reflecting a shared spirit of Korean resilience and Cuban solidarity. Despite the poverty that followed the collapse of the sugar market, Koreans in Cuba continued to send patriotic funds to support Korea’s independence movement.

The seeds of immigrant success

Kim Ik-joo (Joaquín Kim, 1890–1956) boarded the Ilford at the age of 15 and began his new life as a contract laborer at the Chocholá hacienda in Mérida. After four years of labor, he moved to Tampico, where he started a tea business and later opened Mexico’s first Korean-style duplex cafeteria. Building upon his financial success, Kim devoted himself to the vision of a self-governing Republic of Korea. He became a unifying figure among Koreans scattered across the continent until he died in Mexico City, shortly after the Korean War.

Survival in exile: education above all else

Lacking access to formal education, the first generation of Korean immigrants learned new languages and adapted to a new culture. Working alongside indigenous Maya laborers on the haciendas, they first learned the Mayan language before Spanish. Recognizing the power of learning, Korean community leaders in Mexico placed education above all else. Determined to create their own opportunities for education, they established schools across haciendas and marketplaces throughout Yucatán. Language and tradition became their anchor of identity, helping the first Koreans in Mexico gradually open doors to Mexican society.

In 1910, the first Korean national school, Sung-Mu School (숭무학교), was established. The school taught Spanish and the Korean language and history, as well as traditional martial arts such as Taekwondo. Soon after, Jin-Sung School (진성학교) was founded at the Itzincab plantation,  Ui-Seong School (의성학교) in Oxtapacab, and  Ban-Do School (반도학교) in Lepa. In 1917, Hae-Dong School (해동학교) in San Sebastián became the first Korean school to receive official recognition from Mexico’s Ministry of Education. Earlier in 2025, a commemorative plaque was unveiled at San Benito Market, honoring more than a century of cross-cultural legacy by Jung Gab-hwan, the chairman of the Institute for Korean Historical Issues (Latin America Branch).

Mérida: beyond migration, a shared legacy

Today, Mérida is home to the Korean Descendants Association of Mérida, chaired by Duran Kong. As the capital of Yucatán, the city has embraced this history as part of its identity, making Mérida a unique place where the past and present of Korea and Mexico coexist. Landmarks across the city invite visitors to this shared heritage. The Centennial Monument of Korean Immigration, engraved with the names of all 1033 young individuals who first arrived in Mexico, stands as a tribute to the pioneers of the Korean diaspora.

Beside the monument stands the Hospital de la Amistad Corea–México (Korea–Mexico Friendship Hospital), built on land donated by the state of Yucatán in 2005. Today, this public hospital serves as a modest pediatric facility equipped through Korean cooperation programs.

Yoo Young-ho’s blue sculpture Greetingman
Artist Yoo Young-ho’s sculpture “Greetingman” in Mérida is a symbol of the respect between Korea and Mexico. (Rosario Bar)

Avenida República de Corea honors the enduring history between the two nations. In 2021, Korean artist Yoo Young-ho’s blue sculpture “Greetingman” was installed along the avenue. Depicting a traditional Korean bow of gratitude, the figure symbolizes mutual respect between the two cultures. The nearby Esquina El Chemulpo, named after the port of Incheon, carries a poignant memory of a man who once cried out the name of his homeland at this corner — a voice that still echoes through the city.

When Korean history meets Mexican muralism

The Museo Conmemorativo de la Inmigración Coreana opened in 2005 at the Centro Histórico, Mérida, under the direction of Dolores García Escalante. El Muro de la Memoria (Wall of Memory) is a collaborative mural project by Mexico City-based Korean artist Long Bae and Mexican muralist Laite. Incorporating Korea’s traditional dancheong patterns with Mexican cactus motifs, the mural commemorates the 120th anniversary of Korean immigration to Mexico, a country where muralism has long served as a language of collective memory.

Echoes across generations and continents

During a time of rising anti-immigrant sentiment, the story of the Koreans who arrived in Yucatán in 1905 reminds us that migration is not only about survival, but about building sustainable communities grounded in hope. Today, K-pop’s global reach has forged new cultural bridges between Korea and Mexico, allowing those early voices of resilience to continue inspiring generations across both nations. Carrying that legacy forward, HYBE Entertainment, a global K-pop powerhouse, embodies how pop culture can transcend borders and generations alike.

Beyond borders: HYBE’s new chapter in Latin America

In 2023, HYBE launched its Latin America headquarters in Mexico City, marking a major milestone in its mission to globalize K-pop through diversity. As part of this initiative, the company introduced Santos Bravos, its first reality competition aimed at forming a Latin American boy band. Santos Bravos premiered on YouTube in August 2025, with new episodes released weekly. 

The program’s mentors include Kenny Ortega, the acclaimed choreographer best known for High School Musical; Johnny Goldstein, the hitmaking producer who has collaborated with Shakira; and RAab Stevenson, the renowned vocal coach of Justin Timberlake and Rihanna. 

Sixteen young performers from Mexico to Spain have come together on one stage, embodying the rise of K-pop’s global influence. Among them is Kauê Penna, the Brazilian prodigy who won The Voice Kids Brazil in 2020. Together, they unite world-class expertise with emerging new talent to shape the next generation of Latin K-pop artists. Reviving the educational spirit of Korea’s early pioneers, this project fuses the discipline of the K-pop training system with the passion and artistic flair of Latin culture, forging a bold new global K-pop movement.

Rosario Bae is a Korean freelance journalist

PGA Golf’s World Wide Technology Championship tees off in Los Cabos

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Los Cabos golf tournament
Erik van Rooyen tees it up in Los Cabos en route to winning the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship. (Visit Los Cabos)

Spectacular final rounds and dramatic finishing holes have been staples of the PGA-sponsored World Wide Technology Championship (WWTC) since the tournament relocated to the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal course in Cabo San Lucas. 

In 2023, the first year the tournament moved to Los Cabos after 16 years on the Riviera Maya, Erik van Rooyen shot a scintillating 63 on Sunday, capped by an eagle on the 18th hole to earn the win, edging out Matt Kuchar and Camilo Villegas by two shots. In 2024, Austin Eckroat likewise fired a final round 63 and needed all 11 of his birdies to hold off charging challengers. After bogeying the 18th, he had to watch as Carson Young, playing in the group behind, had a 40-foot eagle putt that would have secured the win. It narrowly missed and Eckroat was the one who hoisted the trophy and pocketed the winner’s check for US $1,296,000. 

Austin Eckroat holds the trophy in Los Cabos
Austin Eckroat holds the trophy after winning the 2024 World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos. (WWTC)

Will 2025 offer similar drama? Based on the course layout and its concluding par-5, plus the quality of the field, this year’s tournament should be just as exciting when it returns to El Cardonal on Nov. 6-9. 

Who’s playing the WWTC in 2025?

If you loved the spectacle of the 2025 Ryder Cup, with the U.S. mounting a furious final day charge before falling to the European team 15-13 at Bethpage Black on Long Island, New York, you’ll likely love the WWTC, too. That’s because some of the same faces will be present. J.J. Spaun, winner of the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont and a member of the Ryder Cup team, has already committed to play in the WWTC. So has Ben Griffin, who won twice on the PGA Tour this year before competing in the Ryder Cup. The two players are currently #6 and #11 in the world rankings. 

Luke Donald, the captain of the last two European Ryder Cup teams, both victorious, will also play in Los Cabos, as will Tony Finau, a former Ryder Cup winning team member in 2021 and a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, including at the 2023 Mexico Open. Past champions Austin Eckroat, Erik van Rooyen and Matt Kuchar have also committed. As have Latin American players Camilo Villegas and Nico Echavarría of Colombia, Emiliano Grillo of Argentina and Rafa Campos of Puerto Rico; and Canadians Nick Taylor, Adam Hadwin and Mackenzie Hughes. 

The WWTC also has a history of including Mexican players, although qualifiers for these spots have not yet been announced. The tournament field won’t be finalized until Oct. 31.

What is the FedEx fall schedule?

Regular-season tournaments and the concluding FedEx Cup Playoffs comprise the meat of the PGA’s annual tournament schedule. But the FedEx Cup Fall schedule, which features seven tournaments from September through November, offers a concluding flurry, as tour members fight to keep their cards and playing privileges for the following year. 

In 2026, for example, only the top 100 golfers from the FedEx standings this year will remain fully exempt. That number is down from 125 golfers previously, meaning the competition among golfers to keep their cards is more intense than ever. Pair that with the dramatic set-up of Tiger Woods’ El Cardonal course and it’s a recipe for an exciting tournament, as the last two editions have shown. 

El Cardonal in Cabo San Lucas
The Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal course in Cabo San Lucas has hosted the WWTC since 2023. (TGR Design)

Notably, winners of these seven tournaments — three of which are held outside the U.S., in Japan, Bermuda and Mexico, respectively — get a two-year tour exemption and 500 FedEx points, not to mention, in the case of the WWTC, a trophy shaped like Cabo San Lucas’ iconic Arch, and a check for $1.08 million from the $6 million overall purse. That’s actually a decrease from the purse and winner’s share of the last two, as these were lowered to bring them in line with other FedEx Cup Fall events. 

What’s notable about the El Cardonal course

El Cardonal at Diamante, an upscale residential and resort development on the Pacific Coast of Cabo San Lucas, was the first course ever designed by Tiger Woods, a legendary champion with 82 career victories and 15 major titles on the PGA Tour. 

El Cardonal opened in 2014 and was inspired by the “Old California” courses that Woods grew up playing. It offers unique challenges to tour pros, as well as excellent chances to score, despite its 7,363-yard length. Bookend par-5 holes at the 1st and 18th provide scoring opportunities at the beginning and ends of the rounds, and the fairways are wide. However, players must also contend with elevation changes, desert arroyos instead of traditional rough, and platinum paspalum greens that are larger than the tour average, introducing an added layer of strategic complexity when it comes to pin placements. 

Woods went on to add a 12-hole Oasis Short Course in 2016. His restaurant, The Woods Cabo, opened in late 2023, and his exclusive Legacy Club course is expected to open by the end of 2026, taking over as host of the WWTC by 2027. So his commitment to the Diamante development, where he has a home, is clear. 

Amenity upgrades for spectators and how to watch

The spectator experience for the WWTC will be better than ever in 2025, thanks to several upgrades. Most notable is a Fan Zone featuring food and games. VIP areas on the 17th and 18th — the former hosted by La Lupita tacos — will return, and El Cardonal will also host a golf clinic for kids, as well as a Pro-Am that takes place the week of the WWTC.

General admission tickets are available now for the tournament and will cost US $35 per day or $139 for the entirety of the four-day competition. Admission to the VIP area Tacos on 17 by La Lupita is $199; $399 ($499 on the weekend) for the Skybox overlooking the 18th hole. Access to the clubhouse atmosphere at The Woods Cabo, meanwhile, is available from $139 per day.

WWTC in Los Cabos
The Skybox overlooking the 18th hole is one of several amenities and upgrades available to spectators at the 2025 WWTC.

For those unable to attend the tournament, it will be televised by Golf Channel and Golf Channel Latin America in more than 220 countries and territories. 

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily.

Mayor’s murder triggers protests in Michoacán and a US offer of ‘security cooperation’ against organized crime

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protest Morelia
Morelia, the capital of Michoacán, was the site of a large protest demanding an end to the violence in Michoacán and accusing the state and federal governments of not protecting Mayor Manzo. (Castro/ACG/Cuartoscuro)

The murder of the mayor of Uruapan on Saturday night triggered protests in the central state of Michoacán and an offer of “deepened security cooperation” from the United States over the weekend.

Protests occurred in Uruapan as well as state capital Morelia, where a small number of protesters broke into the state government palace and vandalized the colonial era building.

Manzo funeral
A public funeral was held for the slain mayor near the site of his assassination. (Juan José Estrada Serafín/Cuartoscuro.com)

Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, who won the mayorship of Uruapan as an independent candidate and had urged President Claudia Sheinbaum to ramp up the fight against organized crime, was shot at a Day of the Dead event in the main square in the center of Uruapan, a city of some 350,000 people that is notorious for violence.

Manzo, 40, died from his wounds at the Fray Juan de San Miguel Hospital in Uruapan, Michoacán Attorney General Carlos Torres Piña said in a video message.

A funeral for the outspoken anti-crime crusader was held in Uruapan on Sunday.

In Morelia on Sunday, a large group of protesters marched through the historic center of the state capital. They called for justice for the killing of Manzo — whose alleged murderer was shot dead at the scene of the crime — and demanded that authorities act to put an end to the violence that plagues various parts of Michoacán. The state recorded the seventh highest number of homicides among Mexico’s 32 federal entities in the first nine months of 2025.

Outside the Michoacán Government Palace, protesters shouted slogans such as “Justice for Manzo” and “Enough with all this crime,” according to a report by the La Jornada newspaper.

A small group of protesters described as “infiltrators” and “encapuchados” (people in hoods) in Mexican media reports forced their way into the palace and proceeded to carry out acts of vandalism such as destroying furniture, breaking windows and graffitiing walls. Video footage shows one man climbing through broken windows onto a palace balcony, where he repeatedly rang a bell, eliciting cheers from the crowd gathered below. A fire was also set at a door to the palace, a baroque-style building that was built in the second half of the 18th century.

After the building was breached, police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters gathered outside, according to local media.

The Michoacán Attorney General’s Office (FGE) said in a statement that eight people — both men and women — were arrested in connection with the damage caused to the palace.

Citing a preliminary report, the FGE said that the group of people that broke into the building caused damage to 16 areas of the palace as well as its main door.

Aristegui Noticias reported that the intention of the protesters who broke into the building was to demand the resignation of Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla.

vandals in Morelia
Most of the protests were peaceful but a handful of masked vandals broke into the municipal palace and destroyed furniture and other items. (Asaid Castro/Cuartoscuro()

Protesters accused the state government of killing Manzo and called for Ramírez Bedolla and the Morena party he represents to “get out” of office, according to Aristegui Noticias.

Although the slain mayor had federal protection, protesters accused the Michoacán and federal governments of not providing sufficient assistance to him in the fight he led against organized crime in Uruapan, the hub of Michoacán’s lucrative avocado industry and a hotbed of extortion and violent crime.

In that city on Monday, some 2,000 university students took to the streets to demand peace and justice for the murder of Manzo.

One protester told the Reforma newspaper that “the only thing” students want is peace in Uruapan and across Michoacán so that they can go out at night and not feel unsafe.

An even larger protest took place in Uruapan on Sunday evening, with more than 10,000 people marching through the streets of the city in a mass denunciation of the murder of their mayor, a former federal deputy with the ruling Morena party who served in Congress during the latter half of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s 2018-24 presidency.

‘They killed the best mayor in Mexico’

On Sunday, as people across Mexico continued to observe Day of the Dead, a public funeral was held for Manzo in the same square in Uruapan where he was killed the previous night.

In an eulogy, the slain mayor’s wife, Grecia Quiroz, said: “They didn’t kill the mayor of Uruapan, they killed Mexico’s best mayor.”

She asserted that her husband was the “only” mayor who “dared to speak up” against organized crime and “speak truthfully” about insecurity.

Indeed, Manzo was known for his strong rhetoric against organized crime, and even accompanied municipal police in operations against local gangs and cartels.

Quiroz said that while criminals “silenced his voice, they will not put an end to this fight.”

She pledged to “keep fighting” with “the citizens who are here today” and “who are tired of so much violence.”

With emotion overcoming her, the crowd of mourners broke into a chant of “you are not alone” in a moving display of solidarity and support.

Manzo’s brother, Gabriel Manzo Rodríguez, also eulogized the deceased mayor, delivering a speech in which he called on citizens to continue his brother’s legacy.

Before the public funeral, a funeral procession made its way through the streets of Uruapan led by Manzo’s black horse, whose saddle was adorned with one of the mayor’s trademark cowboy hats. A group of musicians, also dressed in black, followed and played mariachi songs, The Associated Press reported.

Among the mourners in Uruapan was Governor Ramírez Bedolla, who faced cries of “get out” and “get out murderer” from residents after he left the funeral parlor where a vigil was held for Manzo.

Deputy US secretary of state acknowledges murder 

In a social media post on Sunday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote that: “On this All Soul’s Day, my thoughts are with the family and friends of Carlos Manzo, mayor of Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico, who was assassinated at a public Day of the Dead celebration last night.”

“The U.S. stands ready to deepen security cooperation with Mexico to wipe out organized crime on both sides of the border,” added Landau, who served as U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2019 to 2021 during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term.

The deputy secretary of state shared a photo of Manzo with his young son in his arms shortly before he was killed.

“May his soul rest in peace and may his memory inspire prompt and effective action,” Landau wrote.

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson also conveyed his condolences to the family and friends of Manzo.

“We stand together with Mexico as sovereign partners and friends, united in our resolve to ensure justice and strengthen the security that our communities deserve,” he wrote on social media.

Asked about Landau’s remarks at a press conference on Sunday, federal Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said that “all cooperation is welcome.”

Just two months ago, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a visit to Mexico City, said that the U.S. and Mexico were “amplifying” their security cooperation as the two countries seek to combat organized crime groups and the narcotics they traffic on both sides of the border and around the world.

Rubio said at the time that bilateral security cooperation was already “the closest … we have ever had, maybe with any country, but certainly in the history of U.S.-Mexico relations.”

On Sunday, García Harfuch expressed Mexico’s willingness to receive any information the U.S. may have about the attack on Manzo on Saturday night. In addition to the alleged perpetrator killed at the scene of the crime, authorities took two people into custody.

Authorities have not revealed whether they have any information about any alleged criminal affiliation of the suspects, and have not publicly disclosed a motive for the attack.

Various crime groups operate in Michoacán, including the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Cárteles Unidos, an alliance made up of several organizations.

With reports from Aristegui Noticias, La Jornada, La Silla Rota, Reforma and El Financiero