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MND Local: Scorpion stings surge across Puerto Vallarta

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The last thing anyone wants is to be stung by a scorpion , which can result in symptoms that range from mild pain to severe, life-threatening reactions. But according to Mexican officials, scorpion stings have increasingly been reported in Puerto Vallarta in recent months. Scorpion stings on the rise Health authorities across the Bay of Banderas region are warning residents to take extra precautions after a sharp spike in scorpion sting incidents during the hotter weeks of spring. Officials say more than 2,000 cases have already been reported this season, with rising nighttime temperatures and dry conditions pushing scorpions into homes, storage areas, gardens and shaded urban spaces. If something this big stings you, it’s going to leave a mark and maybe even require medical attention. (Sippakorn Yamkasikon/Unsplash) Medical workers say the majority of incidents involve people being stung inside residences, often after scorpions hide in shoes, towels, bedding or clothing. Whi...
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How Loreto stood up to the cruise industry and reversed a presidential decree

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When a presidential decree opened the UNESCO-designated Loreto Bay National Park to large-scale maritime traffic, residents of the coastal Baja California Sur town were prepared to fight.  The town of Loreto, with a population of around 20,000, has built its identity around low-impact tourism — and a long-running grassroots movement to stop mega cruise ships from entering its protected waters. That changed on April 10, when President Claudia Sheinbaum, with the support of the Mexican Cruise Association , signed a decree reclassifying Loreto as a deep-sea cabotage port, thereby opening it to more and larger vessels. In the first four months of 2026, Loreto received more than 7,600 cruise ship passengers, up from 1,510 throughout 2025. In addition to the increased pressure on infrastructure, the noise from cruise ships creates a hostile environment for the bay’s native species, such as the endangered blue whale.  Together with fishermen’s cooperatives, tour operators, profession...
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World Cup prep collides with teacher protests at Mexico City’s Zócalo

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Riot police on Monday blocked protesting Oaxacan teachers from entering Mexico City’s main square, the Zócalo, where a FIFA World Cup Fan Festival site is being prepared. The clash signals tense weeks ahead, as more teachers prepare to join protests in the capital. Teachers affiliated with the Oaxaca-based Section 22 of the CNTE teachers union tried to reach the square to set up a protest camp but were unable to get past riot police. They said that the police used tear gas to repel them and claimed that they were pushed and hit by officers. Fuerzas de seguridad usan extintores para dispersar a la CNTE en el Centro Histórico La policía frena el avance sobre 5 de Mayo rumbo a la plancha del Zócalo capitalino pic.twitter.com/9ubEiFIZpT — Manuel Lopez San Martin (@MLopezSanMartin) May 25, 2026 The Ministry of Public Education (SEP) and the Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB) said in a joint statement on Tuesday that Section 22 CNTE representatives had been advised that it was to...
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Bowing to citizen pressure, Sheinbaum revokes decree that had opened Loreto to heavy marine traffic

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Responding to weeks-long protests against a federal decree to turn the Baja California Sur port of Loreto into a deep-water harbor, President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday issued a new order guaranteeing the protection of the flora and fauna of the Loreto Bay National Park.  The new presidential decree not only revokes the original decree, but also orders the creation of a Working Group comprising federal officials, as well as activists and academics who have demanded the protection of this area. At sunset Monday, activists celebrated their victory after the president reversed a previous order that would have resulted in enormous expansion of Loreto’s modest harbor. (Unión Loreto BCS) Sheinbaum issued the original decree — reclassifying Loreto as a deep-sea cabotage port, thereby opening it to large-scale maritime traffic, including cruise ships — on April 10. Residents and activists immediately began protesting the decision, calling on the president to revoke the decree. This ...
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Mexico’s export revenue rose 32.6% in April

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Mexico’s export revenue hit a record high for any month in April, increasing 32.6% annually to US $72.04 billion, according to preliminary data published by the national statistics agency INEGI on Monday . Meanwhile, Mexico’s outlay on imports increased 24.1% to a record-high $67.52 billion. Mexico thus recorded a trade surplus of $4.52 billion last month, more than nine times larger than the $472.35 million median estimate derived from a Bloomberg survey. Mexico’s export revenue total in April was the largest for any month since comparable data was first kept in 1980. The 32.6% year-over-year spike in export earnings was the largest increase for any month since June 2021. Bloomberg reported that “the surge highlights how the country continues to strengthen its role as a manufacturing hub for the U.S. economy as Washington takes a tougher stance on trade.” The Trump administration has imposed duties on Mexican vehicles, steel and aluminum, but the maj...
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Governors Campos and Rocha, both at the center of legal controversies, agree to questioning by Attorney General’s Office

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The Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) has summoned Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya to answer questions related to a U.S. indictment charging him and nine other current and former Sinaloa-based officials with drug trafficking. The FGR has also summoned Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos to an interview in connection with the alleged participation of U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officers in a drug lab raid in the northern state last month. Both governors indicated they will comply with the summonses and appear before FGR officials. Rocha, who is currently on leave, and Campos both deny any wrongdoing. The FGR released a statement on Saturday to announce that it had summoned Rocha, Campos and other current and former officials. They include Rocha’s nine co-defendants, among whom are Senator Enrique Inzunza and Culiacán Mayor Juan de Dios Gaméz Mendívil, who is also on leave. Rocha, Inzunza and Gámez all represent Morena, Mexico’s ruling party. Two oth...
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Mexico adopts FBI’s CODIS system to help identify remains of the disappeared

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Mexico is moving to modernize its forensic identification system as authorities confront an ongoing crisis of disappearances. The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) is implementing the FBI-developed Combined DNA Index System — known as CODIS — by linking 15 state prosecutor’s offices and forensic institutes to a national database, El Sol de México reported last week. The newspaper said its information came from a request to Mexican authorities under the country’s transparency laws, which function similarly to the U.S. Freedom of Information Act. The system was developed by the FBI mainly for crime investigation, but also for linking remains to missing persons, for which it will be used in Mexico. CODIS allows laboratories to compare genetic profiles and match unidentified remains with relatives of missing persons more quickly. According to the National Registry of Missing and Unlocated Persons, maintained by the Interior Ministry (Segob) and cited by El Sol , Mexico has 134,101...
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