MI’s Mexico Foreign Press Chatter – Jul. 31, 2026

August 7, 2026
12:00 pm

Foreign coverage on Mexico

The Riviera Maya has been enduring a particularly bad sargassum season this year (the worst on record, according to Minister of the Environment Alicia Bárcena), which has spurred federal action as the tourism sector powering local economies falters. “Quintana Roo is a state that sells beaches, blue sea and water activities. It affects everything,” according to a local tourism services provider quoted by Reuters. The government’s action plan was covered by The New York Times, which described sargassum as “one of the most pernicious threats” to the national tourism industry: 2 billion pesos ($115 million USD) will be invested in trawling ships and containment barriers offshore to increase collection capacity from roughly 2,000 tonnes a day to 4,000 by 2027.

While most recent economic news in Mexico has been pessimistic and focused on trade tensions, this week brought some cheerier headlines — preliminary INEGI data showed 1.5% GDP growth compared with the previous quarter (the fastest-paced growth since late 2020), though analysts aren’t getting too excited; the manufacturing sector is still weak, with most growth driven by agriculture and services (and strong exports). Kia also announced a US$649 million investment to move EV production from South Korea to Nuevo León, aimed mostly at supplying the domestic market, and Mexico claimed victory in the long-standing dispute with Vulcan Materials in Quintana Roo after nearly all the company’s claims against the government were dismissed by an arbitration tribunal. And after over a year of disruption caused by the screwworm parasite outbreak in Mexico, cattle exports to the US have been allowed to resume in the face of rising beef prices north of the border. “Processors and ranchers in the American Southwest are under intense financial pressure as a result of the existing cattle shortage and lack of imports,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

In security news, the gruesome discovery of 10 bodies last weekend in Zacatecas was covered in the LA Times, which noted that the victims included a former rural mayor, an ex-police commander, a bar owner, a rancher, a fireman, and entrepreneurs tied to mining and construction — sectors heavily targeted by extortion. Five suspects have since been arrested, and Governor David Monreal has vowed (of course) that there will be no impunity.

In lighter news, New York Magazine published a brief write-up about the upcoming opening of El Califa de León’s outpost in Manhattan (no mention that this year, “Mexico City’s most celebrated taqueria” actually lost the Michelin star that catapulted it to global fame). The recent arrival of US chain Chipotle in Mexico — covered in the New York Times this week — has raised questions about how Mexican palates will take to burrito bowls and milder salsas; in this case, El Califa de León’s owner José Andrés Hernández Elizalde is confident that US diners are ready for the heat, saying “we’re not adapting the taco to the U.S. market – we’re bringing the real thing”.

Congratulations to Kate Linthicum, for the past decade based in the Los Angeles Times Mexico City bureau, on receiving the Maria Moors Cabot Gold Medal. The Cabot Prize jury praised her rigorous reporting, deep sourcing and elegant writing, highlighting her ability to explain major regional trends, from populism and democratic backsliding to organized crime and migration, through the experiences of ordinary people. The committee recognized her memorable coverage of U.S.-Mexico issues, including manufacturing relocation and cross-border gun trafficking, as well as her reporting on leaders such as Nayib Bukele, Jair Bolsonaro and Daniel Ortega.

Notable blogs in English on Mexico

In Mexico Decoded, Viri Ríos analysed the uneven distribution of green spaces in Mexico City, known to many visitors as an exceptionally verdant metropolis, but where in reality 72% of neighbourhoods lack access to green areas of any size within 300 metres. The Mexico Political Economist examined the US demands of Mexico in the bilateral trade talks last week, noting that “the result—or dragging out—of USMCA negotiations will certainly continue to be felt well beyond the halls of power.” In CrashOut, Ioan Grillo reported on his conversation with the lawyer for the pilot who allegedly flew the plane that took El Mayo Zambada from Mexico to the US in July 2024 (who was arrested in Mexico in February 2025 and expelled to the US in August). And Miranda Intelligence’s daily Substack covered key developments in energy, fintech, public affairs, and politics in Mexico.

CrashOut Media – Lawyer: Jando Not Arrested After Mayo Flight
MXPE – New USMCA demands on Mexico: A breakdown
Mexico Decoded – Mexico City’s Green Mirage
Miranda Intelligence daily reports on Substack

Photo of the week

Tourists strolled along a shore covered with sargassum at Pelicanos beach in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, on Wednesday.Credit…Fernando Llano/Associated Press

MI’s Mexico Foreign Press Chatter – Jul. 31, 2026

Foreign coverage on Mexico

Notable blogs in English on Mexico

Photo of the week

Top stories on Mexico