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Mexico in Numbers: Which states have the most welfare beneficiaries?

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In her second annual report speech on Sept. 1 , President Claudia Sheinbaum said that federal welfare, social and employment programs would benefit almost 43 million Mexicans in 2026. In other words, about one in three Mexicans was slated to receive money from a federal program, among which are pension schemes, employment initiatives and scholarships for public school students. Sheinbaum held up the reach of the various programs as a major achievement of her government, which, like its predecessor, has embraced the motto, “For the good of all, the poor come first.” “Me dediqué a servir al Pueblo. Me siento muy orgulloso, muy contento, de que atendimos a todos, escuchamos a todos, respetamos a todos, pero les dimos preferencia a los más necesitados. ‘Por el Bien de Todos: Primero los Pobres’”. Última Mañanera del presidente @lopezobrador_ . pic.twitter.com/reAmS0qjgR — Michael Oviedo (@Mike_Oviedo) September 30, 2024 Spending one trillion pesos on government welfare,...

The IMF casts doubt on Mexico’s chances of cracking the top 10 of world economies by 2030

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has thrown cold water on Mexico’s ambitious plan to  return to the world’s Top 10 economies by 2030 by declaring in its latest World Economic Outlook , released on Tuesday, that the goal is unlikely to be reached until at least 2031, if then.  Citing underinvestment as a major factor, the IMF indicated that the expected maximum GDP growth rate over President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first term (ending in 2030) is 2.2%, not enough to reach 10th place among world economies. Sheinbaum had announced that goal shortly after her first 100 days in office two years ago in presenting her Plan México, which has guided Mexico’s economic policy since. In announcing its 2026 World Economic Outlook, the IMF declared the world economy surprisingly resilient, but with an uncertain future. It also noted that Mexico’s projected annual growth rate toward the end of the current decade will be lower than the Latin American average. (IMF) The IMF expects the ...

First migrating monarchs are spotted in Coahuila

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The monarch butterfly’s annual migration from southern Canada to central Mexico is in full swing, with the first sighting confirmed in the border state of Coahuila last week.   Linabeth Flores with the Mexican NGO Profauna confirmed, “We can now officially say that the migration is here.”   The monarch butterflies undertake a perilous southward migration each year from Canada, through the United States, and to Mexico starting in late August to reach their winter resting spot in the pine forests of Michoacán before the bacchanalian breeding season. New generations then migrate north to the Canadian Prairies for spring and summer.   Sightings so far have been concentrated in the cities of Acuña, Múzquiz, Monclova and Cuatro Ciénegas and are expected to increase in the coming days. At the Higher Technological Institute of Múzquiz, several monarchs were spotted feeding on polocote (Mexican sunflower) and pomegranate blossoms.   Before this year’s migration began, two dozen monarch b...

In a first, 2 longtime searchers for missing relatives — mother and daughter — earn official certification

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After years of searching for missing loved ones, Ceci Flores and her daughter have obtained government certification recognizing their skills, a first for relatives confronting Mexico’s disappearance crisis. Flores announced last week that she and her daughter, Milagros de Jesús Valenzuela Flores, had received the credentials, issued by Mexico’s National Council for Standardization and Certification of Labor Competencies, an agency affiliated with the Education Ministry. Ceci Flores, founder of Madres Buscadoras de Sonora. (Searching Mothers of Sonora/Facebook) The certification recognizes expertise developed by families who search for missing relatives while pressing authorities to investigate their disappearances. Flores, 53, has become a leading voice for Mexico’s searching families since her son Alejandro disappeared in 2015. She later founded Madres Buscadoras de Sonora (Searching Mothers of Sonora) and was named to the BBC’s list of 100 inspiring and influential women in 202...

4 Mexican bars are among this year’s World’s 50 Best

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Mexico is home to four of the best bars in the world, according to the 2026 edition of The World’s 50 Best Bars , with two of them ranking in the top 10. Here are the Mexican bars that made the list.  h Handshake Speakeasy – Mexico City (No. 6) Crowned The World’s Best Bar in 2024, Handshake Speakeasy has maintained its high global ranking thanks to its culinary approach to mixology.   Located in the heart of Mexico City’s Zona Rosa, the establishment was founded by Rodrigo Urraca, Marcos Di Battista, and Dutch bartender Eric van Beek, who is responsible for its creative cocktail program.   “Hands down, the legend of Handshake Speakeasy speaks for itself,” The 50 Best Bars said, highlighting the bar’s special take on the classic piña colada.  Bar Mauro – Mexico City (No. 10) Located in the Roma Norte neighborhood, Bar Mauro secured 10th place and won the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award 2026, which honors the highest-ranking of the bars that enter the top 50 for the first time...

Did the killing of ‘El Mencho’ in February change the cartel he led? US report offers clues

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The death in February of Nemesio Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes did not lead to “large-scale fragmentation” of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), but there are signs that “some structural weakening” of the criminal organization “may have occurred,” according to a U.S. State Department-affiliated security body. Osegeura, the founder and erstwhile leader of the CJNG, was fatally wounded during a Mexican military operation in Jalisco on Feb. 22 . Within hours of the operation to capture “El Mencho,” CJNG members erected narco-blockades and set vehicles, buses and businesses ablaze across many states. (Juan José Estrada Serafín/Cuartoscuro) In an Oct. 9 report titled “CJNG After El Mencho ,” the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) — a public-private partnership between security professionals from global U.S. organizations and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service — noted that ...

FT: Trump raised energy deals with Sheinbaum amid stalled trade talks

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U.S. President Donald Trump has pressured Mexico to sign energy deals with U.S. companies, “triggering alarm in Mexico City,” according to the Financial Times (FT). The British newspaper’s reporting is based on information it received from three people said to be familiar with a telephone conversation between Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in mid-September. Citing two of its sources, the newspaper said that the United States’ “new request on energy” contributed to a delay of a formal round of trade talks which were scheduled for September and which have not yet been rescheduled. (Camila Ayala Benabib/Cuartoscuro, Shutterstock) “Donald Trump has pressed Mexico to ink energy deals with U.S. companies as trade talks between Washington and its largest trading partner stall, triggering alarm in Mexico City where foreign investment in the sector is highly sensitive,” FT wrote in a report published last Friday . “The U.S....