Three other people, including students, were injured in the attack at the Number 13 Secondary School in Ejido La Unión, located north of downtown Torreón.

The alleged aggressors, 18-year-old twin brothers, were armed with machetes and explosives, according to witnesses cited in media reports. School prefect Héctor Rodríguez said that “explosions began in the bathroom” and that students ran to take shelter in classrooms. He also said that the alleged attackers entered the school behind a teacher between the second and third lessons of the day.

The two men were detained after the attack on Thursday morning. Video footage indicates that students helped to restrain the suspects.

Police, emergency services and Civil Protection authorities all responded to the attack in Torréon, located about 250 kilometers west of state capital of Saltillo, near Coahuila’s border with Durango.

The deceased vice principal was identified as Nery Edith Narváez González, who was aged in her mid-fifties. The cause of her death has not been confirmed, but it appears likely that she was stabbed.

Coahuila Attorney General Federico Fernández told reporters that two 18-year-old brothers were identified as the “probable” perpetrators of what he called a “brutal attack.” He noted that they were detained and turned over to the Coahuila Attorney General’s Office.

“What we’re told is that they are ex-students of this school,” Fernández said.

“… These two former students arrived and attacked the institution’s administrative authorities as well as some students,” he said, noting that the vice principal was killed.

Fernández acknowledged reports that the aggressors were carrying explosives, but said that authorities hadn’t confirmed that to be the case.

“They’re talking to us about bladed weapons … and a kind of firecrackers,” he said.

Regarding the possible motive for the attack, Fernández said that preliminary investigations indicated that the alleged aggressors had “feelings” against staff at the school.

He said that one of two students injured in the attack had been reported in “serious” condition.

Asked whether there was gunfire at the school, Fernández said that could be “ruled out for now.”

He said that he and state Security Secretary Hugo Gutiérrez were heading to Torreón to conduct investigative work and determine what weapons were used in the attack.

Federal authorities are assisting the investigation 

The federal Security Cabinet said on social media that it is collaborating with Coahuila authorities to “shed light on “the events at the school in Torreón and “contribute to the development of the investigations.”

“We regret the death of a member of the educational staff and express our condolences to her family, as well as our solidarity with the entire educational community. Three people injured in these events are receiving medical care, and two individuals identified as responsible for the attack have already been detained,” the Security Cabinet said.

The federal Ministry of Public Education (SEP) described the attack as “reprehensible” and expressed its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased woman as well as to the “educational community.”

Fatal attacks are fairly rare at schools in Mexico, but there have been a number of previous cases.

In March, a teenage boy allegedly shot and killed two female teachers at a high school in the Pacific coast port city of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán. At a Torreón primary school in January 2020, an 11-year-old boy shot and killed his teacher and wounded six others before turning his guns on himself.

With reports from Milenio, El Financiero, Reforma and El País

The post Vice principal killed, 3 injured in attack by former students at Torreón school appeared first on Mexico News Daily

Rachel — a Category 3 hurricane as of early afternoon Thursday, with maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h (121 mph) and gusts reaching 240 km/h (149 mph) — was about 415 km east-southeast of Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco.

⚠️ ¡Alerta por tiempo severo! Un #FrenteFrío y un #Huracán detonarán lluvias torrenciales del 28 de septiembre al 4 de octubre 🌧️🌀.

José Martín Cortés con el panorama completo en 🔗https://t.co/MtmR1SPTWb pic.twitter.com/YsjTDgj1P8

— Meteored México (@meteoredmx) September 28, 2026

The center of the storm system was 390 kilometers south of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and was moving west at 6 km/h. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 40 km from Rachel’s center, with tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 260 km.

While expected to increase to Category 4 and remain a major hurricane through Saturday, Rachel’s projected northwestern course suggests it will not make landfall in Mexico.

However, the National Meteorological Service (SMN) is forecasting very heavy rainfall for Nayarit, Sinaloa and southern Baja California Sur (up to 75 mm) through Friday, increasing the risk of landslides, cresting rivers and flooding. 

The National Civil Protection Coordination is urging local authorities and residents of potentially affected areas to follow updates on Rachel’s development. 

State and federal authorities are also on alert in the states of Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco. The Jalisco state government ordered schools closed on Wednesday, but they had reopened on Thursday.

The season’s first cold front has arrived

At the same time, the first cold front of the 2026-2027 season arrived and was poised to cause heavy rains, strong gusts of wind and a drop in temperature in several northern and central states.

According to the SMN, the cold front will move from the northern border towards the northern Gulf of Mexico, its mass of cold air lowering temperatures and stirring up conditions of atmospheric instability.

The SMN forecasts that the most significant effects of the cold front will last three to four days, impacting the following states: Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Durango, Chihuahua, Sonora and Aguascalientes.

In addition to the colder temperatures, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Durango, Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí could see from 75 to 150 mm of rainfall.

Additionally, these northern and central states could see winds gusting up to 60-70 km/h (37-44 mph) with possible whirlwind formations in northern Coahuila.

With reports from El Informador, The Associated Press and La Crónica

The post Hurricane Rachel and the season’s first cold front bring heavy rain to central and northern Mexico appeared first on Mexico News Daily

The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and Mexico’s Culture Ministry announced the unanimous decision Wednesday. The prize recognizes writers whose bodies of work, written wholly or substantially in Spanish, have enriched humanity’s literary heritage.

Villoro, who turned 70 on Sept. 24, was cited for “the breadth and scope of his work, which encompasses different genres with mastery and rigor,” according to Gaceta UNAM, the university’s official news publication.

The jury also praised Villoro as “a shaper of new readers” whose thought has had “a transcendent presence in essays and journalism in Latin America.” It said his work promotes a dialogue between the present and tradition “from a humanist perspective full of humor and irony.”

The prize includes a sum in pesos equivalent to US $125,000, a diploma and a reproduction of a sculpture by Vicente Rojo.

Villoro is the 11th recipient and the fourth Mexican to win the prize, after poet Eduardo Lizalde in 2016, writer and critic Margo Glantz in 2022 and writer Elena Poniatowska in 2023.

The prize’s other winners include Peruvian Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, who received the inaugural award in 2012, and Sergio Ramírez, the novelist, essayist and former vice president of Nicaragua, honored in 2014.

Villoro’s career has spanned fiction, nonfiction, theater, screenwriting, journalism and literature for younger readers. His work also explores the pleasures and demands of reading.

His 2004 novel “El testigo” (“The Witness”) won Spain’s Herralde Prize, while “El libro salvaje” (“The Wild Book”), published in 2008, has sold more than 1 million copies and been translated into numerous languages.

His subjects extend to violence and everyday apprehension in Mexico, such as this English translation of a 2015 newspaper column in which he recounts a drive to Ayotzinapa, Guerrero, that turns into a reflection on mutual fear amid cartel control.

Additional books include “Dios es redondo” (“God is Round”), about soccer, and “Vértigo horizontal: una ciudad llamada México” (“Horizontal Vertigo: A City Called Mexico”), an essayistic portrait of the capital.

Villoro called the prize “a great surprise, a great honor, but also a commitment,” adding that he regarded awards not as a completed achievement “but as an incentive to keep doing it.”

Established in 2012, the year Carlos Fuentes died, the prize honors the Mexican novelist whose best-known works include “La muerte de Artemio Cruz” (“The Death of Artemio Cruz”), “La región más transparente” (“Where the Air Is Clear”) and the Mexico News Daily-recommended “Aura.”

This year’s jury comprised playwright Flavio González Mello, poet Myriam Moscona, writer and editor Mónica Nepote, novelist David Toscana and Nicaraguan writer Gioconda Belli, the 2025 recipient.

The prize, which became an annual award in 2019, will be presented in November on a date to be announced.

With reports from El Heraldo de México, EFE and Gaceta UNAM

The post Mexican writer Juan Villoro honored with the Carlos Fuentes international literature prize appeared first on Mexico News Daily

The HRC report assesses whether the former president’s constant disparaging rhetoric toward journalists and activists, as well as the alleged espionage carried out by his administration, amounts to a pattern of persecution that could fall under the Rome Statute.

The investigation also examined what role state institutions played in carrying out or enabling targeted killings, enforced disappearances, surveillance, stigmatization and other forms of harassment.

It then considered whether, taken together, these actions constitute crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute, the founding international treaty that established the International Criminal Court, which prosecutes individuals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity from its base in The Hague.

The Berkeley report, entitled “Under Attack: Targeting of Journalists and Human Rights Defenders in Mexico,” makes the claim that Mexico was the most dangerous country in the world for journalists during López Obrador’s six-year term and the second most dangerous for human rights defenders.

The HRC documented 337 killings — 78 journalists and 259 human rights defenders — while also compiling 75 cases involving killings and enforced disappearances.

🧵1/6: After a multi-year investigation, we’ve launched the platform “Under Attack: Targeting of Journalists and Human Rights Defenders in Mexico,” which documents attacks on civic watchdogs during the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. pic.twitter.com/5kU3trgWfx

— Human Rights Center (@hrcberkeley) September 29, 2026

Researchers identified 2,827 instances of rhetoric they characterized as “explicitly disparaging and aimed at undermining the credibility and safety of independent journalists and civil society organizations.”

The report argues that the volume of vitriol “contributed to an increasingly hostile environment for journalists and human rights defenders in Mexico.”

In addition to the confrontational rhetoric, the Defense Ministry allegedly operated unlawful surveillance tools, including Pegasus spyware, to spy on the targeted groups.

In a separate publication, one of the lead authors asserted that although the numbers are indeed staggering, they are not the basis for the central finding.

Instead, Lindsay Freeman points to the “systematicity and the context in which they occurred,” describing the killings as “the visible edge of a broader attack … one the state openly encouraged and rarely punished.”

“The president used his daily press conferences to discredit and attack the press … and networks of fake accounts linked to state media amplified that rhetoric into threats and harassment online,” she said.

Freeman said that the unlawful surveillance, harassment, stigmatization and physical violence could be sufficient for the ICC prosecutor’s office to consider opening a preliminary examination under Article 7 of the Rome Statute.

With reports from UPI, LópezDóriga.com, Proceso and The Daily Californian

The post Report: AMLO government’s targeting of journalists and activists could be crimes against humanity appeared first on Mexico News Daily

Just this week, Mexico’s legacy airline Aeroméxico announced it would suspend flights to Tulum as of today, Thursday, describing the move as a “temporary suspension.” 

Both carriers cited “market conditions”— meaning a lack of profitability —  as the reason for their suspension of service 

“We have had to review the profitability of our routes and temporarily suspend certain flights with lower load factors — including our operations to and from Tulum — starting January 7, 2027,” the airline told the newspaper El Financiero.

Ticket sales to and from the destination will stop this weekend. 

The airlines’ “lower load factors” (i.e. fewer passengers) can be directly linked to the shrinking visitor base to the once-thriving tourist destination, known for its enticing combination of sunny beaches and archaeological sites. 

Data by the Tulum Hotel Association cited by the  newspaper El Economista revealed that occupancy levels by mid-September were 10% lower compared to the same period last year. Beachfront hotels saw occupancy below 20% and all-inclusive resorts below 30%, prompting some to consider operating only during peak season.

Figures from the Tulum airport (TQO) also reflect this downturn. 

El Economista reported that according to the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC), TQO handled 471,500 travelers between January and June — a 33.2% drop from the 705,400 recorded during the same period in 2025. 

Volaris said reasons for the drop in international arrivals include increased fees and other charges related to foreign tourist travel, such as the recent announcement of an increase in the Non-Resident Fee (DNR), which will rise by 35% starting next year.

The DNR fee paid by foreign visitors entering Mexico would rise from 983 pesos (US $54) to 1,334.80 pesos (US $74) if Congress approves the Economic Package proposal for 2027. This fee is included in the ticket price and directly increases the cost of international itineraries.

A price hike in the Airport Use Fee (TUA) was also cited as a cause, which now stands at 300 pesos (US $16) per passenger, as well as costs related to fuel and air navigation services. 

Tulum’s airport was one of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s flagship projects. It began operations in December 2023, nearly eight months before President Claudia Sheinbaum started her term in office. 

With reports from Expansión

The post Volaris will end Tulum flights as airline exodus from the Caribbean coast resort continues appeared first on Mexico News Daily

AMLO’s message, filmed at his home in Palenque, Chiapas, and posted to YouTube and Facebook, was reminiscent of the many lengthy, meandering addresses he delivered at his morning press conferences while president between 2018 and 2024.

🟢 AMLO reaparece y presenta su nuevo libro “Pueblo”

El expresidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador (@lopezobrador_) reapareció públicamente este miércoles mediante un videomensaje desde Palenque, Chiapas, para anunciar la publicación de su nuevo libro, “Pueblo”.

López Obrador… pic.twitter.com/uDKvjoL454

— Rosa Lilia Torres- Noticias (@rosaliliatorrs) October 1, 2026

Beyond his new book — a follow-up to his 2025 book  “Grandeza” (Greatness) — López Obrador touched on a range of topics, including his own health and happiness, the state of social media today, and the performance of Claudia Sheinbaum as president.

Here is a broad overview of AMLO’s message.

AMLO reports he’s happy and doing well 

At the start of his message, López Obrador — who has had a range of health issues over the years — said that he has been doing well.

“Thanks to the Creator, to science, to luck, thanks to life, I’m content, I’m happy, here at La Chingada,” he said, referring to his property in Palenque whose name can be translated as “Hell.”

(AMLO, 72, used to joke that he would “go to La Chingada” once he finished his presidency.)

López Obrador said that he, and “many millions” of other Mexicans, are “very happy” with what has been “achieved: a transformation, the fourth transformation of public life in Mexico.”

AMLO founded the ruling Morena party and the broader “fourth transformation” (4T) political movement now led by Sheinbaum.

While he now lives in Palenque and has largely withdrawn from public life, López Obrador said that he occasionally goes to Mexico City to see his wife, Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller, and his sons.

“They come here as well,” he added.

AMLO didn’t make any mention of the scrutiny his son Andrés Manuel López Beltrán is facing over allegations he has ties to organized crime and fuel smuggling. López Beltrán, who revealed last month that his U.S. visa had been revoked, is a former secretary of organization for Morena and is now aiming to be elected as a federal deputy at elections next June. He denies any wrongdoing.

Trump administration strips AMLO’s son of his US visa

Social media platforms are no longer ‘free,’ AMLO says

López Obrador acknowledged that he used to refer to social media — of which he was formerly an avid user — as “blessed.”

“When Twitter and Facebook first emerged, I used to say, ‘Blessed social media’ because we were surrounded by the mainstream media: radio, newspapers, and television,” he said.

AMLO said that Televisa and TV Azteca, as well as “almost all” the newspapers and “almost all” the radio stations, carried out “campaigns” against him and his political allies.

“Then social media emerged, and we finally had a way to communicate. The information blockade was broken. But what happened? How long did social media remain free? Ten years. Now all [the social media sites] are taken over, controlled,” said López Obrador, who in early 2021 criticized social media companies for blocking the accounts of U.S. President Donald Trump after a violent mob of his supporters broke into the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Earlier in his message, AMLO railed against political “publicists” and their use of social media.

“Now there are a lot [of publicists] and they’re very modern now. They manage the platforms, social media, the internet and bot farms — computers to spread lies,” he said.

Is AMLO still in charge behind the scenes?

Early in his message, López Obrador said that he is “retired from politics after nearly 50 years of fighting intensely for justice, freedom, democracy and to transform our country.”

AMLO — who many Mexicans believe continues to wield power behind the scenes — said he decided to abruptly cut off his involvement in politics because he didn’t want to be a “cacique, caudillo, supreme leader or power behind the throne.”

“We shouldn’t be too attached to power or money. Money isn’t happiness, nor is power. Happiness is being at peace with oneself, being at peace with our conscience, and being at peace with others,” he said.

Referring to the end of his six-year term, AMLO said that “the time came” for him to end his life in politics.

“In the two years … since I left the presidency, I’ve spent my time writing here,” he said.

“It wasn’t easy — [I went through] years of intense struggles,” said López Obrador, who unsuccessfully contested the 2006 and 2012 presidential elections before winning a landslide victory in 2018.

Sheinbaum said last month that, “This idea that, behind the president, López Obrador is governing is a very sexist idea.”

“… It has to do with an idea that women can’t govern,” she said.

AMLO describes Sheinbaum as ‘the best president in the world’

Near the end of his message, López Obrador noted that he had dedicated his new book to Sheinbaum, who served as his environment minister when he was mayor of Mexico City between 2000 and 2005.

“I dedicate it to Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, our president and great pride, example of hard work, honesty, rectitude and loyalty to the people,” he said, reading from a page at the start of “Pueblo.”

AMLO said he was “very happy” that the person to whom he handed over the “baton of command” has turned out to be “extraordinary, the best president in the world, including men and women.”

“I’m not one to flatter … [but] the president is exceptional,” he said.

At her Thursday morning press conference, Sheinbaum said she appreciated AMLO’s words.

Mexican history, with a twist

Of course, López Obrador also spoke about “Pueblo,” one of 21 books he has written.

He said that the book has 10 chapters and covers “more than 200 years of political history” in Mexico, starting with Mexico’s independence from Spain and concluding with the ongoing “fourth transformation,” of which Sheinbaum is said to be building a “second story.”

AMLO noted that the book is published by Planeta, which he described as a “very good publisher.”

In addition to Mexico’s independence and the 4T, Lopez Obrador said that Pueblo includes chapters on “the U.S. invasion” — i.e. the 1846-48 Mexican-American War —  the “Porfiriato” (the lengthy rule of Porfirio Díaz) and the Mexican Revolution, among other periods of Mexican history.

With a smile on his face, AMLO said that chapter 9 is called “The neoporfirismo prianista,” focusing on the period between 1982 and 2018 when four Institutional Revolutionary Party presidents (Miguel de la Madrid, Carlos Salinas, Ernesto Zedillo and Enrique Peña Nieto) and two National Action Party presidents (Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderón) governed Mexico.

López Obrador is an outspoken critic of governance in Mexico in the so-called “neoliberal” period between 1982 and 2018, saying in his video message that it was a time of “oligarchy” with a “facade of democracy” and the “handing over the assets of the nation” to private interests.

The post Sheinbaum praise and social media gripes: 5 takeaways from the unveiling of AMLO’s book ‘Pueblo’ appeared first on Mexico News Daily

Included on the upcoming events calendar are highlights such as a museum exhibition showcasing Mexico’s maritime history, a PGA golf tournament, a performance from an internationally known pop star, and a one-of-a-kind eco-friendly competition at sea.

MND Local Puerto Vallarta: Floating billboards, restaurant closures and a key resignation

Our list covers everything from last-minute plans this weekend to big events that will require you to plan ahead before tickets run out.

Here’s a curated list of exciting upcoming events in Puerto Vallarta.

Discover Mexico’s navy history at Museum Night

No plans for the weekend? Don’t panic — we’ve got you covered.

Saturday, Oct. 4, will see the Mexican Naval Museum in Puerto Vallarta host the ninth edition of its “Museum Night” cultural program, a free event dedicated to the 205th anniversary of the founding of the Mexican Navy.

The event will take place from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the museum, located at Zaragoza Street No. 4 in the city center, near the Malecón.

The program is designed for adults and kids alike and will combine historical outreach, recreational activities and exhibits showcasing the Navy’s current operations.

Visitors can expect a Marine Corps booth, information from the Search and Rescue Station (ENSAR), a K-9 unit demonstration, workshops — such as nautical knot-tying, drawing and choreography — and a musical performance by Dan Gutiérrez.

The Naval History Museum opened in 2006 in a colonial-style building that previously served as the Port Authority office. It is adjacent to Los Arcos del Malecón in Puerto Vallarta’s Historic Center.

On your marks, get set — trash collection time!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Limpia tu Mar Puerto Vallarta A.C. (@limpiatumarpv)

If you’re looking for an eco-friendly activity that makes a difference in the environment, look no further than the International Trash-Fishing Competition, an event that seeks to catch floating waste instead of fish.

The competition will take place Oct. 18, starting from Los Muertos Pier in Puerto Vallarta, with activities scheduled between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Organized by nonprofit Limpia Tu Mar (Clean Your Ocean), this initiative is back for its third edition with a capacity of up to 40 vessels.

Participation is open to visitors and residents alike, who will have to form teams consisting of five participants each. Children over 8 years of age are welcome as long as they’re accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

The activity focuses exclusively on floating waste classified into three categories: plastic items made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), glass and expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam). This year’s goal is to collect at least 1.5 tons of waste.

Team registration costs 5,000 pesos (about US $271) and includes a boat, equipment, caps and a collection kit. The call for participants also seeks volunteers for both onshore and on-board roles.

The registration deadline is Oct. 6. You can register here.

Get your tickets to see Robbie Williams)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Vallarta es Música (@vallartaesmusica)

Puerto Vallarta is rarely a stop for international pop stars’ world tours. That will change Oct. 27, when British pop star Robbie Williams performs live at the VidantaWorld Vallarta–Nuevo Nayarit esplanade as part of the VidantaWorld Concert Series.

The show, which is set to start at 8 p.m., is part of Williams’ Britpop Latin American tour, which sees the 52-year-old singer visiting cities such as Bogotá, Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Querétaro and São Paulo.

The concert will be part of a weeklong lineup of entertainment, sports and themed activities at Vidanta, running from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1.

In addition to Williams’ performance, the schedule includes the partial opening of BON Luxury Theme Park, performances of LUDÕ by Cirque du Soleil, Day of the Dead activities, and the VidantaWorld Mexico Open (more on this ahead).

Williams’ performance will headline one of the main event nights during the week leading up to the tournament.

Concert tickets are still available at the VidantaWorld Concert Series website. But hurry, because they’re selling fast.

The Mexico Open at Vidanta returns for its fifth edition

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Where To Go Vallarta (@wheretogovallarta)

The 2026 VidantaWorld Mexico Open will bring together the elite of professional golf from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 at the VidantaWorld Vallarta course, located within the VidantaWorld Vallarta–Nuevo Nayarit complex.

This marks the fifth consecutive year the destination has hosted this official PGA Tour tournament, considered one of the premier professional golf events in Mexico.

Designed by Greg Norman, the course is set in the area between the Ameca River, the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean, offering stunning natural views.

The golfer’s guide to Mexico – Where to play the country’s best courses

The competition will feature 120 players, a US $6 million purse and 500 FedExCup points, attracting PGA Tour stars as well as top golfers from Mexico and Latin America.

Visitors can choose between general admission and several hospitality packages. General admission includes access to the course, Fan Zone, Fan Shop and food area, while hospitality options are available at holes 1, 4, 9, 10, 17 and 18.

Tickets can be purchased at the official VidantaWorld Mexico Open website.

Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.

The post MND Local Puerto Vallarta: From Robbie Williams to trash fishing appeared first on Mexico News Daily

This “Mexico in Numbers” article is a condensed version of that report — a concise presentation of the key data, complemented by visual features.

As we noted last week, the MND Mexico Well-being Series — a collection of articles on a range of topics related to well-being — will draw on the most recent internationally comparable data, as well as data from the past decade, to assess what has changed in Mexico during the eight years that the ruling Morena party has been in office.

A “Mexico in Numbers” companion piece will complement each article in the series.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the key data from Part 1 of the series.

* The data in Part 1 of the MND Mexico Well-being Series, and hence the data in this article, comes from the OECD’s Health at a Glance 2025 report. The OECD report includes health and healthcare data for the 38 OECD countries, as well as OECD partner and accession countries in some cases.

Life expectancy at birth

Mexico’s life expectancy rose only marginally, from 75 years in 2015 to 75.5 years in 2024, leaving it 5.6 years below the OECD average of 81.1 years. In 2024, Mexico ranked 46th of 49 countries on this measure.

Avoidable mortality

Mexico recorded 418 avoidable deaths per 100,000 people in 2023 — almost twice the OECD average of 222 — to rank 40th of 44 countries, or fifth worst. Its preventable mortality rate rose about 10% between 2013 and 2023 to 243 deaths per 100,000 people, while the treatable mortality rate increased about 15% to 175.

Obesity

Some 36% of Mexicans aged 15 and over are obese, 10 percentage points above the OECD average of 26% and the second-highest rate among the 14 countries with measured data, behind only the United States (41%). Mexico’s obesity rate has risen from 33.3% in 2015, although its combined overweight-and-obesity rate has remained broadly stable at above 70% over the past decade.

Healthcare coverage

Mexico provided coverage for a core set of health services to 78% of its population in 2023, 20 percentage points below the OECD average of 98% and the lowest rate among 40 countries assessed. Coverage has deteriorated over the past decade, falling from 92.3% in 2015.

Health expenditure as a % of GDP

Mexico spent 5.9% of GDP on health care in 2024, 3.4 percentage points below the OECD average of 9.3%, ranking 42nd of 49 countries. Spending rose only marginally from 5.8% of GDP in 2016.

Health expenditure per capita

Mexico spent US$1,588 per person on health care in 2024, compared with an OECD average of US$5,967, which is 275% higher. Mexico ranked 43rd of 49 countries on this measure. Although real per-capita spending grew at an annual average of 2.1% between 2019 and 2024, Mexico’s spending gap with the OECD average widened slightly from 2016.

Hospital beds

Mexico had just 1 hospital bed per 1,000 people in 2023, compared with an OECD average of 4.2, ranking last among 44 countries assessed. The ratio was unchanged from a decade earlier.

Satisfaction with healthcare availability

In 2023, 56% of Mexicans said they were satisfied with the availability of quality healthcare where they live, eight percentage points below the OECD average of 64%. Mexico ranked 27th among 38 countries. Satisfaction increased only marginally from 55% in 2014.

Mexico News Daily 

The post Mexico in Numbers: Health and healthcare appeared first on Mexico News Daily

• 🇲🇽 Sheinbaum marks two years in office: Speaking on the second anniversary of her swearing-in as Mexico’s first female president, Sheinbaum acknowledged the milestone at the start of the mañanera, noting that her government has now been in office for two years.

• 📖 Sheinbaum thanks AMLO for his book dedication: Asked about López Obrador’s 80-minute video message on Wednesday launching his new book, “Pueblo” (People), which he dedicated to her, Sheinbaum called his words “very moving.” She said she hasn’t yet got a copy but hopes to get one today.

• 👧🏽👦🏽 Sheinbaum says girls and boys now know ‘it’s possible’ for a woman to govern: Asked what has changed for women since she took office, the president said her election changes children’s “mentality” about who can lead a country. She cited the pension scheme for women aged 60 to 64, the constitutional enshrinement of women’s rights and a new anti-femicide law as government achievements, and said there is now “a before and an after” for women in Mexico.

• 📊 Sheinbaum cites strong approval ratings at the two-year mark: She asked for recent poll results to be displayed, showing a 74.9% approval rating in a FactoMétrica survey and 70% in an El Financiero poll. Sheinbaum attributed her popularity to her “principles,” including “not betraying the people.”

Why today’s mañanera matters

Claudia Sheinbaum held her Thursday morning press conference exactly two years after she was sworn in as Mexico’s first female president. She acknowledged the milestone at the start of the mañanera, noting that the government she leads has now been in office for two years.

Sheinbaum noted that her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, spoke about her during an 80-minute video message on Wednesday, during which he launched his new book — a political history of Mexico called “Pueblo” (People).

🚨AMLO dedica su nuevo libro a Claudia Sheinbaum

Andrés Manuel López Obrador anunció que dedica su nuevo libro, “Pueblo”, a la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum, a quien calificó como un “orgullo” y un ejemplo de trabajo, honestidad, rectitud y lealtad al pueblo.

El expresidente… pic.twitter.com/eckb8HamNq

— Azucena Uresti (@azucenau) October 1, 2026

Speaking from his home in Palenque, Chiapas, AMLO noted that he had dedicated the book to his successor.

“I dedicate it to Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, our president and great pride, example of hard work, honesty, rectitude and loyalty to the people,” López Obrador said, reading from a page at the start of his book.

He subsequently described Sheinbaum as “the best president in the world, including men and women.”

While an assertion that Sheinbaum is the best president in the world is, of course, subjective, it is a fact that she is Mexico’s first female president.

Now two years into her six-year term, Sheinbaum spoke about the significance of her election to Mexico’s top job and also highlighted that she has broad support from the Mexican people, per opinion poll results.

Sheinbaum thanks AMLO for book dedication 

Sheinbaum noted that López Obrador launched his new book on Wednesday.

“President López Obrador surprised us yesterday with his new book. I don’t have it yet. I hope to go and buy it today,” she said.

Sheinbaum described AMLO’s video message as “very moving.”

“I really appreciate his words,” she said.

“The whole message is very good. He puts what we’re going through in context,” Sheinbaum said.

Sheinbaum: Girls and boys now know ‘it’s possible’ for a woman to govern Mexico 

A reporter reminded Sheinbaum that she said “It’s time for women” in her inaugural speech as president, and asked her what has changed for women in Mexico in the two years since she took office.

Sheinbaum first spoke about the significance of having a female president for the first time in Mexico and what that means for “the new generations.”

She said that girls and boys now know it’s possible for a woman to lead the country. Consequently, children’s “mentality” changes, Sheinbaum said.

She said that when she was growing up it seemed “impossible” that Mexico would have a female president because all the presidents were men. Sheinbaum then noted that in addition to having a woman president, Mexico now has a significant number of female governors.

She highlighted some of her government’s achievements for women, including the establishment of a pension scheme for women aged 60 to 64, the enshrinement of a range of women’s rights in the Mexican Constitution and the formulation of a new anti-femicide law.

Sheinbaum asserted that with her arrival to the presidency, and her government’s implementation of pro-women policies, there is now “a before and an after” in the public and private lives of women in Mexico.

2 years into her term, Sheinbaum remains a very popular president

After speaking about her government’s pro-women initiatives, Sheinbaum asked for the results of recent polls to be displayed.

One poll conducted by the company FactoMétrica found that the president has an approval rating of 74.9%.

Another poll conducted by the El Financiero newspaper detected a 70% approval rating for Sheinbaum.

Sheinbaum said that her high approval rating is related to her “principles,” including “not betraying” the people.

Like AMLO, Sheinbaum says she has three guiding principles as president: “Don’t lie, don’t steal and don’t betray the people.”

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

The post Two years in, Sheinbaum touts approval ratings of up to 75%: Thursday’s mañanera recapped appeared first on Mexico News Daily

Santa María la Ribera gets a new theatre experience

A new artistic hub has officially set up shop in Mexico City’s Santa María la Ribera neighborhood. Dubbed Centro Cultural Casa Hechale, the new space occupies a 110-year-old home that was transformed into a multidisciplinary facility, hosting everything from artist residencies and theatre performances to sonic explorations and community events.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by CASA HECHALE (@casahechale)

The project, Hechale Productions, is the brainchild of Héctor Zavala, a seasoned bilingual theatre director and performer with deep roots in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. 

“This is not simply about opening a venue in another city,” Zavala said, per Broadway World. “It is about creating the conditions for artists to stay with a question long enough for it to become a piece of work — and to encounter people, languages and histories that may change the direction of that work.”

Centro Cultural Casa Hechale will serve as a “working cultural center and a place of exchange.” Its flagship program is AWAKEN YOUR ARTIST, a weeklong residency for artists from Mexico City and abroad to “examine not only how they make work, but also where their artistic instincts come from and what experiences have shaped their voices,” according to industry outlet Broadway World. 

MND Local CDMX: Ghosts, zombies, Xolos and Día de Muertos

“Artists often move between cities because the work requires it, but the structures that support that movement are not always there,” Zavala said. “Casa Hechale is our attempt to build one of those structures: a place with memory, but also a place where something not yet known can begin.”

Mexico City issues protective orders for 10 trees 

Mexico City’s Environment Ministry issued nine decrees on Sept. 28, formally protecting 10 trees across six boroughs and recognizing their environmental and symbolic importance. 

The decrees include special protections that limit development in the immediate vicinity of the trees, such as infrastructure work, excavations and installations, or anything else that could threaten their trunks, roots, crowns or branches. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by LJA.MX Noticias México | Historias para ti 💫 (@somoslja)

The trees, located in Benito Juárez, Coyoacán, La Magdalena Contreras, Azcapotzalco, Xochimilco and Tlalpan, include seven Montezuma cypress trees, one white cedar, one olive tree and one oak tree.

These trees are so important, both ecologically and symbolically, that some of them even have names:

• “Ahuehuetlán” in Parque de las Américas
• “Atlahuitl” in Coyoacán
• “Cedro de Padierna” in La Magdalena Contreras
• “Los Gemelos de San Álvaro” in Azcapotzalco
• “Molotla,” “Teuhtli,” “San Cristóbal Xallan,” and “Tlalnahuac” in Xochimilco
• “Diamante Tepeximilpa,” a roughly 400-year-old oak tree in Tlalpan

“Beyond their physical characteristics, some of these trees are linked to ancient settlements, agricultural traditions, and territorial landmarks that have given identity to neighborhoods and Indigenous communities,” the Environment Ministry noted in a news release. “Their continued existence allows the connection between these communities and the natural environment that has accompanied them throughout history to remain alive.”

Corn producers also receive protections

It’s not just trees that are being protected. Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada recently announced 10 actions to protect the region’s corn producers, as well as the crop’s diversity and availability.

“These ten actions form a single public policy for the defense of corn,” Brugada said Sept. 29 during the opening day of a corn festival in Mexico City’s Historic Center. “We support those who plant it, we protect the seed, we care for its diversity, we bring producers closer to consumers, and we take native corn from the milpa to the tortilla and from the tortilla to the table.” 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Clara Brugada (@clara_brugada_m)

Brugada added, “Defending corn is defending a chain of life: the seed, the land, the producer, our food, our sovereignty, our culture.”

‘Operation Limpieza’ spells game over for some CDMX vendors

Authorities in Mexico City recovered more than 470 counterfeit products from three shopping centers that cater to gamers and other fandoms, totaling more than 1.2 million pesos (roughly US $70,000).

Authorities raided Friki Plaza, Fan Center and Plaza Meave, all located in the Historic Center and serving the capital’s gaming, anime and manga communities, on Sept. 29 in a sting known as “Operación Limpieza.” 

Mexico City removes all street vendors from its Historic Center — for now

According to El Universal, the enforcement action targeted 15 stores across the three plazas and netted 477 products valued at more than 1.2 million pesos, including video games, consoles, accessories and collectible figures.

The operation was carried out by the Naval Ministry (SEMAR), the Citizen Security Ministry (SSC) and the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI).  

Aside from the obvious copyright infringement and intellectual property rights issues, authorities warned that some counterfeit products could carry health and safety risks, since they don’t undergo the same quality assurance processes as commercial products. 

“The commercialization of counterfeit products can affect those who develop and produce original goods, distort competitive conditions, and create risks for consumers, who may purchase products without guarantees of origin, quality or safety,” IMPI said in a statement. “Therefore, monitoring and verification actions are part of the institutional work to promote respect for intellectual property rights and contribute to a legal commercial environment.” 

Operation Limpieza is something of a catch-all term for the Mexican government’s attempts at combating counterfeit goods and piracy. A similar operation was carried out in Coahuila in December 2024, while several more targeted Mexico City and the state of México in May 2025.

Drew Pittock serves as Mexico News Daily’s features director. He is based in Mexico City. Have an idea for a feature story or unique event in CDMX? Send an email to drew.pittock@mexiconewsdaily.com.

The post MND Local CDMX: From a new theater to a crackdown on counterfeit games appeared first on Mexico News Daily