MI’s Mexico Foreign Press Chatter – Nov. 7, 2025

November 19, 2025
11:01 am

The tragic assassination of Uruapan’s outspoken anti-crime mayor, Carlos Manzo, dominated headlines this week. The NYT called it a “reality check” for the country, as it highlighted the enduring reach of criminal groups. The Washington Post said the killing exposed the erosion of state authority in cartel-dominated state of Michoacán, where extortion and fear rule daily life. Meanwhile, the WSJ stressed the renewed pressure on Sheinbaum at home and abroad as Manzo had criticized the president for the lack of federal intervention, at a time when Washington keeps flirting with unilateral action. The president insisted there will be no intervention, and blamed the militarization policies of past administrations, noted Bloomberg. Following protests, the AP reported that Sheinbaum unveiled new security measures on Tuesday: more federal troops, a strengthened prosecutor’s office, and social programs to rebuild trust.

On other domestic matters, the LA Times published a standout long read on a gold mine in Sonora. The sprawling investigation follows Alejandro Sánchez and U.S partner Jonathan Cooper’s effort to reclaim the mine controlled by “Los Chapitos” and the Deltas. Their operation exposes a maze of bribes, shifting cartel control, and a hesitant and under-resourced military. Elsewhere, the NYT reported that a fire in a discount store in Hermosillo, Sonora, killed 23, with officials ruling it accidental. In Guadalajara, the AP juxtaposed preparations for the 2026 World Cup with volunteers searching for disappeared people just miles away. And the NYT reported that Sheinbaum pressed charges against a man who groped her on the street, calling for an equal process for all women and renewed anti-harassment laws across the country; the episode has also “set off a national conversation about what has and has not changed since Mexico elected its first female leader”.

Diplomatic headlines went beyond the U.S. this week, as Bloomberg reported that Peru severed relations with Mexico after it granted asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chávez, accused of aiding Pedro Castillo’s 2022 coup attempt, the latest escalation since López Obrador denounced Castillo’s ouster as illegitimate. On the U.S. front, Reuters continued to report on the persistent screwworm outbreak; while the U.S. agricultural minister praised Mexico’s cooperation, the border remains closed. Meanwhile, the WSJ covered China’s role in the drug trade, as Xi Jinping promised to Trump a sterner crackdown on China’s opium trade to Mexico and a halt to sales of fentanyl precursors.

Business news centered around Aeroméxico, with Bloomberg reporting that the airline’s much-delayed IPO was oversubscribed tenfold ahead of successful pricing, a strong comeback for Mexico’s long-dormant equity market; analysts hope more listings will follow (Fibra Next just announced its Follow-On). Less positively, Reuters reported that the Trump administration urged an appeal court to deny Delta and Aeroméxico’s request to postpone the January 1^st deadline to dissolve their joint venture, which regulators call “legalized collusion”, as the U.S. crackdown on Mexico’s aviation industry continues

Shifting gears, Day of the Dead celebrations were in focus as the AP spotlighted the artisanal roots and enduring symbolism of Mexico’s calaveritas, sugar skulls that adorn altars each November and represent a joyful remembrance of the dead. The AP also reported on another altar staple, the cempasuchil flower, delving into the increasing pressure the flower’s planters have come under as climate change brings droughts, floods, and pests. Meanwhile, the NYT turned to nature, reporting on a study revealing that spiny-tailed iguanas on Clarion Island are native rather than invasive and covered footage from the Gulf of California that shows orcas hunting sharks, an unprecedented attack in Mexican waters.

Notable podcasts and blogs in English on Mexico

On this week’s MexMoves podcast, Damian and Eduardo speak to Octavio Camarena, CEO of KIO, Mexico’s leading local data-center company, on the company’s ambitious expansion plans, power bottlenecks, and why a successful data-center build-out is relevant to Mexico’s AI competitiveness. Then, French-owned Natixis explain their local asset-management push, driven by rising savings and pension assets. They also analyze GAP’s purchase of CBX; ASUR’s bid for a South American airport bundle; Aeromexico’s IPO; and the investment slump which suggests Plan Mexico is not working – and why U.S. business is pressing Mexico for clear, predictable investment and tax rules.

On Mexico Unexplained, host Robert Britto explores the Yaqui War of 1925-26 in the Sonoran Sierra and the impact on the indigenous group.

Mexico-related Substacks featured Ioan Grillo’s Crashout, which analyzed how the assassination of Carlos Manzo is now part of a long list of martyrs for Mexico’s fight against organized crime. On Viri Ríos’ Mexico Decoded, a collaboration with economist César Hidalgo, explores Mexico’s role in the U.S.-China trade war, gathering data that shows how certain goods cross the U.S.-Mexico border 16 times on average, arguing for a free North American trading bloc. Meanwhile, in Eduardo García’s Materia Gris, data found that Trump’s tariffs have not yet hurt Mexican exports but warned of weakening investment beneath the surface.

Photo of the Week

Flor Jiménez waters her crop of cempasuchil flowers in preparation for Day of the Dead celebrations in Xochimilco, where marigolds are grown on the outskirts of Mexico City, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.

Photo by Claudia Rosel for The AP.

FOREIGN PRESS COVERAGE

Bold Assassinations Are ‘Reality Check’ in Mexico’s Cartel Fight

11/04/25, The New York Times, Jack Nicas and Emiliano Rodriguez Mega

A Mayor’s Assassination Reignites Mexico’s Debate Over Confronting Cartels

11/03/25, WSJ, Jose de Cordoba and Santiago Perez

A mayor in Mexico is gunned down for standing up to the cartels

11/05/25, The Washington Post, Leon Krauze

Sheinbaum Condemns ‘Vile’ Murder, Insists War on Drug Cartels Won’t Help

11/03/25, Bloomberg, Gonzalo Soto

Sheinbaum unveils security plan for Michoacan following protests over mayor’s assassination

11/03/25, AP, Fabiola Sanchez