Mexico’s National Meteorological Service (SMN) issued a forecast early Monday warning of high temperatures throughout the country, and advising the public to avoid prolonged exposure to solar radiation and stay hydrated.

Para este lunes se pronostican #Lluvias fuertes en #Chiapas y el noreste de #México, así como #Chubascos en #SanLuisPotosí, #Jalisco, #Michoacán, #Guanajuato, #Querétaro, #EdoMéx y #Oaxaca pic.twitter.com/X7ep9AQU3E

— CONAGUA Clima (@conagua_clima) June 3, 2024

Originally forecast to last from May 20-28, the third heat wave will continue to scorch the country throughout this week, in particular the northern and coastal regions of Mexico. Heat alerts were issued for 12 of 16 Mexico City boroughs over the weekend.

The report forecasts temperatures in excess of 45˚C for states in the northeast and along the Gulf Coast. Included in this list are Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, San Luis Potosí and Chiapas.

States in the northwest and along the Pacific Coast can expect temperatures in the 40˚ to 45˚C range. These states include Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Sonora, Colima, Durango, Jalisco and Nayarit.

The weather agency also issued heavy storm alerts for Chiapas, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, alerting local authorities to be prepared for up to 50 mm of rain. In addition, México state, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí could see 25 mm of rain.

Residents in these states were cautioned about the danger of landslides and flooding, and were advised to be attentive to warnings issued by the authorities.

Meanwhile, the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially started on June 1 and is forecast to run through Nov. 30. This is the most aggressive Atlantic hurricane season the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has ever forecast. 

NOAA tracked four tropical waves moving between Africa and the Caribbean last week, but no tropical cyclone activity developed. This is the second time in three years that there were no pre-hurricane season storms, Fox News reported.

The Atlantic Basin could see up to 25 total named storms (the average is 14), up to 13 hurricanes and up to seven major hurricanes this year. The Pacific hurricane season officially began on May 15, and meteorologists expect 15-18 storm systems this year.

The main reason why this Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be particularly intense is a combination of high sea surface temperatures and the onset of the La Niña climate phenomenon. This is predicted to bring increased rains to parts of Mexico this year, a relief after the extensive drought experienced during El Niño in 2023 and into this year.

With reports from Excelsior, Fox News and NBC Channel 12 News

The post Third heat wave lingers as hurricane season starts in the Atlantic appeared first on Mexico News Daily

The incident inside a vehicle was captured on video and posted to the social platform X this week by an account created this month with the handle @subdiplomatic.

British Ambassador to Mexico, Jon Benjamin, points a semi automatic weapon at concerned Mexican staff member. In a context of daily killings in Mexico by drug dealers, he dares to joke. @DailyMirror @guardian @TheSun @TheEconomist @Telegraph @DailyMailUK @FCDOGovUK pic.twitter.com/1obqgsNnTD

— Subdiplomatic (@subdiplomatic) May 28, 2024

“British Ambassador to Mexico, Jon Benjamin, points a semi automatic weapon at concerned Mexican staff member. In a context of daily killings in Mexico by drug dealers, he dares to joke,” says a message above the five-second clip.

Citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, the Financial Times reported Friday that Benjamin lost his job “soon after the episode in April.”

The newspaper noted that Benjamin no longer appears as the ambassador to Mexico on the U.K. government website, with the former deputy head of mission, Rachel Brazier, now listed as the chargé d’affaires.

The Times said that “foreign officials visiting dangerous parts of Mexico typically travel with armed staff for protection.”

Thus, the weapon Benjamin pointed at an embassy employee likely belonged to security personnel protecting him as he toured northern Mexico, parts of which are notorious for cartel activity.

The U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said that it was aware of the incident and has taken “appropriate action.”

“Where internal issues do arise the FCDO has robust HR processes to address them,” the government department said.

The Financial Times said that Benjamin “remained a Commonwealth and Development Office employee after his removal as ambassador.”

The British Embassy in Mexico City hasn’t publicly commented on the affair.

The Financial Times reported that the @subdiplomatic X account is “apparently controlled by employees of the embassy angry over mistreatment of local staff.”

One post says that the “British Embassy in Mexico has a history of hiding things to the public including how Jon Benjamin’s attitude of being ‘above everything’ has resulted in the systematic harassment of Mexican staff.”

Another post says that the embassy’s Mexican staff members are “terrified of speaking up about these injustices because internal whistleblowing tools are broken and favor British Diplomats.”

“They are afraid to lose their livelihoods if they speak up,” the post adds.

A @subdiplomatic post from last Monday says that the embassy is “apparently trying to cover [up] the [gun-pointing] scandal just a week ahead of the Mexican elections.”

On his LinkedIn page, Benjamin describes himself as a “diplomat of 38 years standing” and says he has been “part of the Foreign Office’s senior management since 2002.”

He previously served as U.K. ambassador to Chile and Ghana and before that had postings in Indonesia, Turkey and the United States.

Benjamin became British ambassador to Mexico in 2021 and frequently posted updates about his activities to social media.

“Entering Sinaloa, the 29th of Mexico’s 32 States I’ve visited so far,” he said in a LinkedIn post last month.

The Financial Times said that Benjamin didn’t immediately respond to its requests for comment on his dismissal and its circumstances. Posts to his X account are currently only visible to approved followers.

With reports from The Financial Times 

The post British ambassador sacked after pointing an assault rifle at embassy employee appeared first on Mexico News Daily

In a report published on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said there were an additional 13 heat-related deaths between May 22 and May 28.

The total number of heat-related deaths in May thus rose to 56. The other five occurred in April.

Most of the 61 deaths were caused by heat stroke, according to the Health Ministry, while a few were attributed to dehydration.

Mexico is currently going through its third heat wave of the year, while the second also occurred in May.

On Friday, the National Meteorological Service (SMN) forecast temperatures over 45 C for parts of Campeche, Chiapas, Guerrero, Michoacán, Morelos, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Zacatecas.

Heat-related deaths up over 1,000% compared to the same time last year

By late May last year, the Health Ministry had only registered five heat-related deaths across Mexico, meaning that this year’s death toll is currently up 1,120% in annual terms.

However, 2023 was by no means a mild year. There were three heat waves in Mexico last year, according to the SMN, the longest and deadliest of which occurred last June.

Mexico’s heat-related death toll soared to 421 by the end of the official “hot” season in October 2023. That figure was 10 times the number of heat-related deaths in 2022.

Which states have recorded the most heat fatalities this year?

The Health Ministry said that Veracruz has recorded the highest number of fatalities this year with 16.

Tabasco ranks second with 11, followed by San Luis Potosí (9), Tamaulipas (9), Oaxaca (4), Nuevo León (4) and Hidalgo (4).

Chiapas, Campeche, Guanajuato and Sonora have recorded one heat-related death each.

The Health Ministry also reported 1,346 recorded cases of heat-related illnesses so far this year. Just over 65% of those cases — 881 — were heat stroke, 32% of the total were dehydration and 2.5% were sunburn.

The case-fatality rate for heat-related illnesses in Mexico so far this year is 4.52%, the Health Ministry said.

With reports from El Economista 

The post Over 60 heat-related deaths in Mexico so far this year, Health Ministry reports appeared first on Mexico News Daily

But as this piece by Bethany Platanella revealed, the two countries do have certain things in common, including a reverence for ancient grains — rice in Japan, corn in Mexico — and a penchant for public displays of religious devotion.

In this Japan and Mexico data comparison — the latest edition to our “Japan in Focus” and Mexico in Numbers series — you’ll see that the two countries have some other similarities, as well as some significant differences.

Population

Japan and Mexico currently have similarly-sized populations, but they are set to diverge in coming years.

Population of Japan 

The Japanese government estimated in October 2023 that the population of Japan was 124.35 million, a reduction of 595,000 people or 0.48% compared to a year earlier.

The Japanese population has, in fact, been in decline for over a decade as the number of deaths exceeds the number of births.

In 2023, Japan’s National Institute of Population and Social Security Research said that the country’s population is “projected to decrease to 87 million in 2070,” a decline of 30% compared to the current level.

“According to the assumption of this revision, the total population will fall below 100 million in 2056, a delay of 3 years from the previous projection,” the institute said.

“The pace of population decline is expected to slow down slightly, mainly due to the increase in international migration,” it added.

Population of Mexico 

The population of Mexico was just over 126 million at the time of the last census in 2020 and exceeded 131 million last year, according to the National Population Council.

In contrast to Japan, the population of Mexico is growing, albeit at a rate that has slowed over the past decade.

On World Population Day last July, the National Population Council said that Mexico’s population “will continue growing slowly” in the coming decades before reaching a peak of 147 million in 2053.

Subsequently, “for the first time in history,” Mexico’s population will start to decline, the council said, adding that in 2070 the population is projected to be 141.4 million.

If the projections for Japan and Mexico are right, Mexico’s population will be 62% larger than that of Japan in 2070, whereas it is currently only about 5% bigger.

Area and other geographical data 

In area, Mexico is more than five times larger than Japan.

Mexico’s territory covers 1.96 million square kilometers, making it the 13th largest country in the world, while the area of Japan is 377,975 square kilometers, making it the 61st largest country in the world.

While Mexico is divided into 32 states (including Mexico City), Japan has 47 prefectures including the Prefecture of Tokyo, the national capital.

Japan is made up of four main islands — Honshu,Kyushu, Hokkaido and Shikoku — as well as more than 14,000 smaller ones, most of which are uninhabited. The country’s fifth biggest island is Okinawa Main Island, located south of Kyushu in the East China Sea.

While Mexico can’t compete with Japan in an island-counting contest, it does have a significant number — more than 1,300.

Mexico’s largest inhabited island is Cozumel, located in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Playa del Carmen, but the country’s biggest island overall is Tiburón Island, located in the Gulf of California off the coast of Sonora.

Mount Fuji, a national symbol of Japan, is the country’s highest peak with a summit of 3,776 meters. Located on the island of Honshu, the active volcano commonly known as “Fuji-san” is two-thirds the height of Mexico’s highest mountain, Pico de Orizaba, an active stratovolcano on the Veracruz-Puebla border. Pico de Orizaba, also known as Citlaltépetl, has a summit of 5,636 meters.

Economy 

Mexico became the the 12th largest economy in the world in 2023, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while Japan ranked fourth.

The IMF estimates that the nominal GDP of Japan was US $4.21 trillion last year, making the Japanese economy about 2.35 times the size of the Mexican economy. Mexico’s nominal GDP was $1.79 trillion in 2023, according to the IMF.

Wealth, as measured on a per-person basis, is three times higher in Japan.

Per-capita GDP in Japan was US $34,017 in 2022, according to the World Bank, while the figure for Mexico was $11,496.

Mexico’s economy grew 3.2% last year while the GDP of Japan increased 1.9%.

Earthquakes 

Earthquakes are common in Japan and Mexico, both of which are situated along the Ring of Fire, described by National Geographic as “a path along the Pacific Ocean characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.”

According to earthquakelist.org, which tallies earthquakes based on data from the U.S. Geological Survey as well as the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, there were 1,839 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or higher in Mexico, or within 300 kilometers of Mexico, in 2023.

Mexico thus ranked second for the total number of earthquakes last year behind Indonesia.

Japan ranked fifth with 903 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or higher.

In 2024, Mexico and Japan currently rank first and second, respectively, for the total number of earthquakes. A 7.5-magnitude quake shook Japan on the first day of 2024, claiming over 250 lives.

The world’s fourth most powerful earthquake in recorded history was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, which struck off the Pacific coast of Japan with a magnitude of 9.

The temblor, which triggered a tsunami, claimed close to 16,000 lives, making it the third deadliest earthquake in recorded Japanese history after the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923 and the Sanriku earthquake of 1896.      

In Mexico, the 2017 Chiapas earthquake, which measured 8.2 on the Richter scale and claimed around 100 lives, was probably the country’s most powerful quake since it became independent in the early 19th century.

However, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, which killed at least 10,000 people, is Mexico’s deadliest temblor on record.

Almost 200 years before that tragedy, an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 8.6 struck the territory now known as Mexico. The 1787 New Spain earthquake, which caused a tsunami, could thus be considered Mexico’s most powerful known earthquake.

Legislatures 

Mexicans will go to the polls this Sunday to elect a new president and 628 federal lawmakers so it’s an opportune time to compare the size of the General Congress of the United Mexican States (its official name) to that of the National Diet of Japan.

Mexico’s lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, has 500 seats, while Japan’s House of Representatives is slightly smaller with 465 seats.

Voters in Japan, like those in Mexico, elect representatives directly, and via a proportional representation system.

Mexico’s Senate has 128 seats while Japan’s upper house, the House of Councillors, has 248.

Thus Japan has a total of 713 federal lawmakers, 13.5% more than Mexico’s 628.

While Mexican presidents are limited to serving a single six-year term, there is no limit to the number of times a Japanese prime minister can be reelected. A single term for a Japanese prime minister lasts a maximum of four years.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites 

Mexico has a total of 35 UNESCO World Heritage sites, 10 more than Japan.

Among Mexico’s UNESCO sites are the historic center of Mexico City, the Maya city of Chichén Itzá, the Pinacate Desert, the Luis Barragán house and studio in Mexico City and the whale sanctuary of El Vizcaíno in Baja California Sur.

Among Japan’s 25 UNESCO sites are Mount Fuji, the Itsukushima Shrine, the Shiretoko National Park and “hidden Christian sites” in the Nagasaki region.

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

This article is part of Mexico News Daily’s “Japan in Focus” series. Read the other articles from the series here. 

The post Japan vs Mexico in Numbers appeared first on Mexico News Daily

The Navy Ministry (SEMAR) said its headquarters in the Ninth Naval Region received an emergency call alerting them to the presence of the two boats. The Ninth Region functions as a Coast Guard and is based out of Isla Mujeres.

Navy ships intercepted the boats, reported the newspaper La Jornada Maya, and pulled the migrants aboard, acting to “safeguard their lives.” The migrants were treated by Navy medics and, upon being taken to land at Puerto Juárez, were turned over to immigration (INM) authorities.

SEMAR did not reveal if the migrants themselves had made the emergency call, or if it came from a third party. The nationalities of the migrants have not been reported, nor is it clear from which country they had embarked or how long they had been traveling. 

This incident at sea comes just over a month after the INM offices in Cozumel received 28 migrants who had been rescued in open waters by a cruise ship.

While en route from Tampa, Florida, to Cozumel, Mexico, a Carnival Paradise cruise liner came upon the migrants drifting in a makeshift boat fitted with a sail about 20 nautical miles (37 kilometers) west of Cuba. 

Upon determining that the overcrowded boat appeared to be in poor condition, the cruise ship executed a rescue and delivered the migrants to the INM offices in Cozumel.

Cozumel is an island off the coast of Quintana Roo about 130 kilometers (81 miles) south of Isla Mujeres.

In the latter case, the 28 migrants — 18 men, nine women and one unaccompanied minor — were identified as Cubans. The INM provided the migrants with medical treatment before transporting them to Cancún where the adults were provided shelter while their immigration status was resolved. The unaccompanied minor was turned over to Family Protection Services (DIF), also in Cancún.

The arrival of undocumented migrants in Mexico rose significantly last year, surpassing by 77% the numbers recorded in 2022, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

With reports from La Jornada Maya and Quadratín Yucatán

The post 51 migrants approaching Quintana Roo coast intercepted by Mexican Navy appeared first on Mexico News Daily

The oarfish was under attack by five sharks, according to the fishermen, when they spotted it off the coast of Cabo San Lucas. The 141-pound fish was snatched from the sharks by Tony Frasconi, who was fishing with friends identified as Ken and Gary.

Marine biologists took the specimen for further study. 

The oarfish family includes three species of elongated fish found in temperate and tropical ocean zones, though they are not usually seen by humans, as they typically range only in the deep sea. Encounters with oarfish likely gave rise to tales of monstrous sea serpents over the centuries, though they are not dangerous to humans. Scientists believe that an oarfish sighting near the ocean’s surface indicates the creature is sick, dying or disoriented.

So far this year, two oarfish have washed up on the coasts of Baja California Sur. The first was spotted in mid-April, and the most recent was in early May in El Sargento. An oarfish was also spotted in the waters of Baja California Sur in July 2020, off the coast of La Paz. 

Oarfish can be very large, with a ribbon-shaped body that resembles a snake more than a fish. The maximum reported length of the regalecus russelii species (reportedly the one found by the fishermen this week) is 5.4 meters, though the giant oarfish species can be as long as 17 meters.  

The giant oarfish is considered the longest bony fish alive, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Some cultures around the world associate oarfish with natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones and hurricanes, which has earned the animal the nickname “earthquake fish” or “doomsday fish.”

While sightings have coincided with these phenomena in various regions of the world, scientists have not found evidence to determine a relationship between oarfish sightings and subsequent natural disasters. 

Oarfish inhabit the Pacific Ocean, with recorded sightings in Japan, the United States and Mexico.

With reports from Milenio and Baja California Sur Noticias

The post Fishermen catch rare oarfish off coast of Cabo San Lucas appeared first on Mexico News Daily

Joaquín Díaz Mena, the Morena party’s candidate for governor of Yucatán, said on social media that he was involved in a car accident while traveling to Mérida on the highway after a rally on Tuesday in Chemax, a municipality that borders Quintana Roo.

In a post to X, Díaz said that some members of his team were injured, but he was fine.

However, in a subsequent voice message posted to X, the candidate revealed that he sustained “some knocks” in the accident in the municipality of Seyé and would spend “a few days” in hospital.

In another post, he said he had a “small fracture” and an injury to his eyelid as the result of a “knock to the face.”

Díaz, widely known as “Huacho,” added that he would later undergo surgery due to injuries sustained in the highway accident.

Citing preliminary reports, the El Financiero newspaper said that the driver of the vehicle the gubernatorial candidate was traveling in became distracted before the highway accident occurred.

The SUV reportedly crashed into a stationary heavy vehicle. A photo posted to social media showed that the vehicle, a Ford Explorer, sustained significant damage.

Díaz, the driver and one other person were taken to a hospital in Mérida. It was unclear what injuries the driver and the other person sustained, but they apparently weren’t life-threatening.

Díaz is aiming to become the first Morena party governor of Yucatán. A recent El Universal newspaper poll showed he trailed PAN-PRI candidate Renán Barrera by more than 12 points.

Claudia Sheinbaum supporters injured en route to CDMX campaign rally  

The Veracruz Ministry of Civil Protection reported on X that 18 people were injured when a bus veered off the road and overturned on the La Tinaja-Cosoleacaque highway in the Gulf coast state.

The injured passengers were taken to local hospitals. The severity of their injuries was unclear, but according to a Morena Senate candidate in Veracruz, they are not life-threatening. Manuel Huerta Ladrón de Guevara said that the injured people were in stable condition in hospital.

Rocío Nahle, Morena’s gubernatorial candidate in Veracruz, said that the bus involved in the accident was transporting Morena members and supporters to Mexico City for Claudia Sheinbaum’s “close of campaign” event in the Zócalo, the capital’s central square.

“I’m in contact with Veracruz authorities to attend to the colleagues from [the municipality of] Oluta, who suffered a highway accident,” Nahle wrote on X.

The accident occurred in the municipality of Cosamaloapan, located in southern Veracruz on that state’s border with Oaxaca. Authorities haven’t commented publicly on the cause of the crash.

Sheinbaum, the heavy favorite to win this Sunday’s presidential election, hasn’t commented on the accident, but she did say on X that she had spoken to Díaz, the injured gubernatorial candidate.

The former Mexico City mayor’s final campaign event was scheduled to start in the Zócalo at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

With reports from El Financiero, Reforma and Animal Político

The post Joaquín ‘Huacho’ Díaz, Yucatán gubernatorial candidate, injured in highway accident appeared first on Mexico News Daily

Reports of wild howler monkeys falling dead from trees in Mexico’s tropical forests began at the onset of the season’s second heat wave, at the beginning of May. While initial reports came from Tabasco and Chiapas, cases of animals suffering from heat exhaustion are also being reported in Veracruz and Campeche.

Semarnat stressed that actions are being taken to prevent more animal deaths. In the municipalities of Hueyapan and Catemaco in the state of Veracruz, the ministry said officials are installing water fountains for monkeys. It also noted that assistance in Tabasco includes mobile care units made up of volunteers from civil society and wildlife experts. The Juárez Autonomous University of Tabasco (UJAT) reported that it would enable an additional mobile unit on its campus in Comalcalco to extend care in the region. 

The Natural Protected Areas Commission (Conanp) also activated an emergency fund that will be used for community and academic initiatives in support of the monkeys.

As for Campeche, authorities established two aid brigades in the towns of Miguel Colorado and Felipe Carrillo Puerto. 

High temperatures are causing monkey deaths

On Sunday, Semarnat reported that it conducted an emergency operation to determine the cause of the monkey deaths occurring in Mexico’s southern jungles.

In addition, the United States-Mexico Commission for the Prevention of Foot and Mouth Disease and Other Exotic Animal Diseases (CPA) conducted a clinical inspection of sick specimens, including some that had recently died. After taking biological samples and sending them to various laboratories for analysis, scientists ruled out emerging diseases or toxicological elements to be the cause.

Semarnat confirmed that the monkeys in Tabasco and Chiapas are dying due to heat stroke caused by the scorching temperatures suffocating Mexico. A lack of rainfall has also led to water shortages in streams and springs, the main sources of water where Mexico’s monkeys live. 

How many monkeys have been rescued?

Specialists and members of various communities in Tabasco, with help from the Federal Attorney General for Environmental Protection (Profepa), assisted seven monkeys in critical condition. They have since been reintroduced to their natural habitat after returning to good health.

With reports from El Financiero

The post Authorities confirm 157 monkey deaths in southern Mexico appeared first on Mexico News Daily

The aim of the law — known in Mexico as la ley seca — is to keep the peace as millions of Mexicans go to the polls to elect federal, state and municipal representatives.

According to the General Law of Electoral Institutions and Procedures, Mexico’s 32 federal entities can ban or restrict alcohol sales on Election Day and in the days leading up to it.

State authorities can also mandate a temporary ban on alcohol consumption, although people who have stocked up beforehand are unlikely to be fined or arrested if they are not caught committing another illegal act.

Will la ley seca apply in your part of Mexico?

Check out the details below (states listed in alphabetical order).

NOTE: as of early Wednesday, information about election-related temporary dry laws was not available for all states.

In some states, la ley seca will apply in some municipalities but not others. In some states with dry laws, restaurants will still be permitted to serve alcohol with food.

Aguascalientes 

A dry law will apply from 12 a.m. on Sunday, June 2, until 11:59 p.m. the same day.

Baja California

Authorities have not yet announced whether la ley seca will apply.

Baja California Sur 

In the municipality of La Paz, alcohol sales will be banned between 6 p.m. on June 1 and 8 a.m. on June 3. Authorities in Los Cabos have not yet announced whether a dry law will apply in their city.

Campeche 

A statewide dry law will commence 12 a.m. Saturday, June 1, and remain in effect until Monday, June 3.

Chiapas 

It is confirmed that an alcohol sales ban will apply this weekend in the municipality of Tonalá. Alcohol sales will likely be banned or restricted in other municipalities in the southern state.

Chihuahua

Alcohol sales will be banned between 5 p.m. June 1 and 11:59 p.m. June 2.

Coahuila 

A dry law will commence at 12 a.m. on June 1 and remain in effect until June 3.

Colima 

Alcohol sales will be banned from 12 a.m. on June 1 and recommence on June 3.

Durango

La ley seca will apply from 12 a.m. on June 1 and remain in effect until June 3.

Guanajuato

A dry law will apply in León, the largest city in Guanajuato, between 10 p.m. on June 1 and 12 a.m. on June 3.

Guerrero

An alcohol sales ban will be in place on both June 1 and June 2.

Hidalgo

A dry law will be in effect on both June 1 and June 2.

Jalisco

Authorities in some municipalities have announced that a dry law will apply. They include Tonalá and El Salto, both in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara.

In Puerto Vallarta, restaurants and bars will be able to serve alcohol until 11 p.m. throughout the weekend, but takeaway sales will be banned.

Mexico City 

Authorities have announced a dry law will be in effect on both June 1 and June 2, but restaurants can serve alcohol with food.

México state

A dry law will be in effect on both June 1 and June 2, but restaurants will be able to serve alcohol with food.

Michoacán

Authorities in most municipalities have not yet announced whether la ley seca will apply. A decision regarding the state capital Morelia is set to be announced on Wednesday.

Morelos

A dry law will commence in Cuernavaca at 12 a.m. on June 1 and remain in effect until June 3. The Morelos government has called on all municipalities in the state to prohibit alcohol sales this weekend.

Nayarit

A dry law will apply June 1–2.

Nuevo León

La ley seca will apply from 12 a.m. on June 1 and end at 12 a.m. on June 3.

Oaxaca

Alcohol sales will be prohibited from 12 a.m. on June 1 until 8 p.m. on June 2.

Puebla

A dry law will apply all day on June 1 and until 8 p.m. on June 2.

Querétaro

A dry law will not apply in the state of Querétaro, according to government secretary Carlos Alcaraz.

Quintana Roo

Alcohol sales will be prohibited in Mexico’s Caribbean coast state on June 1 and June 2. However, restaurants and bars in tourist destinations will likely be permitted to serve alcohol with some restrictions.

San Luis Potosí

A dry law will apply June 1 and June 2.

Sinaloa

Alcohol sales will be banned between 8 p.m. on June 1 and 9 a.m. on June 3.

Sonora

A dry law will apply June 1–2.

Tabasco

Authorities have banned alcohol sales from 12 a.m. on June 1 through 6 a.m. on June 3.

Tamaulipas

A dry law will be in effect June 1–2.

Tlaxcala

La ley seca will apply on June 1 and June 2.

Veracruz

A dry law is in place on June 1 and June 2.

Yucatán

La ley seca will commence at 12 a.m. on June 1 and conclude at 11 a.m. on June 3.

Zacatecas

Authorities have not yet announced whether a dry law will apply.

Mexico News Daily 

The post Will there be weekend alcohol bans for Mexico’s elections? appeared first on Mexico News Daily

In the case of Mexico, education is an area that has been neglected by many administrations, independently of the ruling party. This is aggravated by long-standing national problems including deep poverty, demographic inequality, the gender gap and insufficient education budgets. Students in Mexico consistently score among the lowest in reading literacy, mathematics and science compared to the other 37 nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Regarding the government’s annual budget, in 2014, the OECD noted that Mexico’s annual expenditure per student was well below the OECD average. By 2017, economic pressures caused the Mexican government to cut their education budget even further — by more than 11%. Today, Mexico spends US $3,239 annually per full-time equivalent student, compared to the OECD average of US $12,647. 

What is PISA and why does it matter?

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a valuable tool that goes beyond simply testing students. PISA provides governments with a clear picture of how well their education systems are preparing students for the future. This international benchmark allows countries to identify areas of strength and weakness, fostering collaboration and innovation in education on a global scale. 

For Mexico, PISA provides a tool to assess our educational system, track performance trends and highlight the need for educational reform. After the release of the 2022 PISA results, it is evident that we have an educational crisis, exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on learning outcomes. 

Recommendations from the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) stress the need to prioritize mathematics in academic curricula, enhance resource distribution and implement standardized assessments to address educational challenges highlighted by the PISA evaluation.

In 2022, Mexico’s 15-year-olds scored an average of 410 points in science, lower than the OECD average of 485 points. In mathematics, Mexico ranked in 57th place — out of 81 countries — with 395 points and 49th in reading with 415 points, placing below the OECD and total sample averages. Furthermore, Mexico has one of the highest indexes of mathematics anxiety among OECD and partner countries, indicating challenges in this subject area.

Overall, Mexico’s performance on the PISA assessment reveals areas of improvement needed in educational outcomes and highlights disparities in performance compared to other countries, especially in mathematics and science proficiency levels.

El rezago educativo es un reto para la próxima administración. Las evaluaciones estandarizadas miden los aprendizajes de los estudiantes. De acuerdo con #PISA2022 de @ocdeenespanol, México se coloca por debajo del promedio mundial. https://t.co/Vzos5MPHkx pic.twitter.com/2JzhCEGXfl

— IMCO (@imcomx) April 27, 2024

The PISA test in Mexico: Why we need it

For the first time in 25 years, Mexico is running the risk of not participating in the PISA assessment. 

Due to administrative shortcomings, Mexico is not currently authorized to supervise this year’s test. Mexico’s Education Ministry (SEP) must act now in order to take advantage of the test’s “valuable information on the command of essential knowledge, the implementation of which will take effect next year,” as several organizations exhorted in a letter to the president published by over 100 signatories on May 21. 

Although criticism of the PISA test comes in many forms, one of the most recurring arguments in Mexico is that the test does not take into account the cultural diversity or idiosyncrasy of the Mexican student, much less the national educational system that we want to build. 

Like many other forms of diagnosis and evaluation, the PISA test can be perfected, and in fact, context must be taken into account to decide what to do with the results.

Still, based on the results obtained from the PISA, diagnoses can be made at the country level for the design of public policies. In the PISA 2025 test, for example, emphasis will be placed on scientific education so that there is a diagnosis of how different countries are preparing their students to understand science and the ways in which the field offers reliable knowledge. The idea is that students become informed citizens for future decisions related to their personal health, their family and how all of this relates to the environment and the well-being of the communities where they live. There is also a section of the 2025 test that invites students to show their knowledge of varied perspectives and solutions for the different socio-ecological crises they may face in the future.

The bottom line? PISA, through evaluation and assessment, helps to improve the full exercise of Mexican students’ right to education, in terms of evaluating where we need to invest more resources to improve classroom outcomes.

Patricia Illoldi-Rangel holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and a Master’s degree in Education from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education.

In addition to her research work, Patricia has been actively involved in teaching at various levels. She has served as a professor at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels in both public and private institutions. Specifically, she has taught courses related to STEM subjects, sustainable development, environmental education and educational innovation.

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