¡Hola amigos! This week, tensions are rising along the U.S.-Mexico border after an exchange of gunfire, a new vehicle recall was just announced, several of Mexico’s major airports are getting serious upgrades, and the peso just had its worst month in more than two years.

Plus, how to navigate Mexico’s rules for foreign documents, emergency numbers you should know, and the fever dream that gave Mexico one of its most fantastical art forms.

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Q: Where did Empress Carlota of Mexico leave a message saying, “Carlota made it this far,” only for a future Mexican president to later add that he'd gone farther?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

🇺🇸 On Sunday, U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson posted on X about a September 26 incident in which U.S. Coast Guard personnel exchanged gunfire with unidentified people near the Texas–Tamaulipas border. U.S. authorities said the first shots came from Mexico.

🪖 Also on Sunday, Mexico deployed 500 Army and National Guard personnel to reinforce surveillance along its side of the Tamaulipas border as part of a coordinated “mirror operation” with U.S. forces.

🇲🇽President Sheinbaum said Mexican authorities have no evidence that the shots came from Mexican territory and have requested supporting evidence from Washington.

🚙 More than 6,500 Ford and Lincoln vehicles are being recalled in Mexico over issues involving backup cameras and rear shock absorbers.

✈️ Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Tijuana, and Los Cabos airports are slated for major upgrades as part of a nearly US$2.8 billion investment in 12 Mexican airports.

🇨🇳 Mexico is courting more Chinese tourists as international air arrivals decline in Cancún, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta.

📈 The IMF raised its 2026 growth forecast for Mexico from 1.2% to 1.5%.

🏠 8 out of 10 people surveyed in Mexico say they cut food spending or delayed medical care in the past year to help pay for housing.

🚗 Major Chinese automakers including BYD, MG and Geely have put manufacturing plans in Mexico on hold amid uncertainty over the upcoming USMCA review.

🥑 Mexico and France are looking to expand bilateral agrifood trade under the new Mexico-EU agreement.

🏥 Eight babies have died at an IMSS hospital in Guadalajara, where outbreaks of Klebsiella bacteria and Candida fungus were detected. The causes of the deaths are now under investigation.

💵 The peso fell 6.38% against the U.S. dollar in September, its worst monthly performance since June 2024. 

📦 Mercado Libre invested 911 million pesos in a new distribution center in Jalisco that will help speed up deliveries across western Mexico and the Bajío.

You need a foreign birth certificate, marriage certificate, diploma, or other document for a trámite in Mexico. Then you’re told it needs to be apostilled, notarized, legalized, or officially translated.

These requirements aren’t interchangeable, and understanding the difference can save you time, money, and unnecessary paperwork.

Read more

Whether you’re new to Mexico or have lived here for years, these numbers are worth saving in your phone.

911: Mexico’s national emergency number for police, firefighters, ambulances, accidents, and civil protection. Call when someone is in immediate danger or urgent help is needed.

088: The Guardia Nacional’s citizen service line for reports involving possible federal crimes, administrative offenses, and incidents on highways and toll roads.

089: An anonymous reporting line for suspected crimes that require investigation but are not currently in progress, such as kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, or human trafficking.

071: CFE’s service line for reporting power outages, voltage problems, fallen electrical lines, and other risks involving the electricity network.

074: CAPUFE’s assistance line for incidents, road conditions, medical assistance, and vehicle problems on highways and toll roads operated by CAPUFE.

078: Ángeles Verdes provides tourist information and roadside assistance on designated routes in all 32 states. Coverage is not universal, so help depends on your location and operating hours.

079, option 1: The Línea de Bienestar para las Mujeres provides confidential legal, psychological, and emotional guidance to women experiencing violence.

For immediate danger or a crime in progress, always call 911.

Skip the endless searching and connect directly with a vetted broker who can match coverage to your needs. Peace of mind starts with the right policy.

Find your broker today

Pedro Linares López was a Mexico City artisan who created piñatas, masks, and other figures from papier-mâché and cardboard.

Then, in 1936, at age 30, he became seriously ill with a fever.

Linares later said that while sick, he dreamed of a strange world filled with fantastical creatures made from parts of different animals. They repeated a single nonsense word: “Alebrije.”

After recovering, Linares began recreating the creatures from his fever dream using the same cartonería skills he had practiced for years. He named them after the word he heard them chanting, and a new art form was born.

The first alebrijes were not an immediate success, and Linares struggled to sell them. But he persisted, and the figures eventually caught the attention of Mexico’s art world.

Among their admirers were Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Both commissioned pieces for their private collections. Their commissions added to Linares’s growing recognition.

Oaxacan artisans later gave alebrijes a very different form, combining fantastical creatures with the region’s existing woodcarving tradition and carving them from copal instead of papier-mâché.

Each wooden figure is shaped by hand, then left to dry for weeks or even months. Once sanded smooth, it is decorated with tiny brushstrokes, dots, and geometric patterns.

Over time, the Oaxacan style has become a thriving craft practiced by generations of artisan families.

In 1990, Pedro Linares received Mexico’s National Prize for Arts and Sciences in the Popular Arts and Traditions category. He died just two years later, but he got to see his creation grow into a beloved Mexican folk art tradition.

Capulín (Prunus serotina subsp. capuli) is a type of black cherry that grows across Mexico’s temperate highlands and has been used here since pre-Hispanic times.

As capulín ripens, its skin deepens from red to dark reddish-purple. That rich color comes from natural plant compounds called anthocyanins, which have antioxidant properties and help protect cells from oxidative stress. Laboratory studies have also found antimicrobial activity in capulín extracts against several types of bacteria and yeast.

Capulín has been used in Mexican traditional medicine for generations. The fruit is traditionally made into syrup for coughs, while preparations from the leaves and bark are used for respiratory complaints. Other remedies have been used for diarrhea, abdominal pain, and urinary problems.

Some parts of the tree, particularly the seeds, leaves, and bark, contain cyanogenic compounds that can be toxic, so medicinal use is best left to experts.

Fresh capulín is sweet with a slightly astringent finish and can be eaten by the handful. It’s also made into jams, candies, and liqueurs, or dried like raisins. In parts of central and southern Mexico, caputamales (or tamales de capulín) are enjoyed as a sweet seasonal treat.

Capulín was once much more common in Mexican kitchens and markets. Today, trees still grow in family gardens, but much of the fruit never reaches market stalls. 

Fewer people are working the land as small-scale farming becomes harder to sustain. Its fruiting season also coincides with the rainy season, when rain and hail can damage the crop.

So if you do spot some capulín at your local mercado, be sure to try it.

Children’s and Youth Mariachi Competition 2026 – October 14–16, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
A new generation of mariachi musicians takes center stage in Puerto Vallarta with groups across Jalisco competing throughout the week. Catch live mariachi along the Malecón, then see the finalists compete at Teatro Vallarta. There’s also a public masterclass. More info here.

La Carrera Panamericana 2026 – October 16–22, Tuxtla Gutiérrez to Zacatecas
Mexico’s legendary classic-car rally hits the road for seven days and 4,002 kilometers. The route crosses eight states, from Chiapas to Zacatecas. Drivers tackle 562 kilometers of timed speed stages. Along the way, the rally passes through Mexico City, Puebla, Querétaro, Guanajuato, and other major stops. More info here. 

Toy Fest Querétaro: Tim Burton Edition – October 17–18, Querétaro, Querétaro
More than 100 exhibitors gather for this Tim Burton-themed edition of Toy Fest. Browse Funkos, Hot Toys, vintage finds, and Burton collectibles. There’s also a cosplay contest, an illustrators’ area, themed live music, and food. It runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Entry is free. More info here. 

Expo Automóviles del Mundo 2026 – October 17–18, Guadalajara, Jalisco
More than 500 cars from different eras and styles gather at the UAG for this two-day celebration of automotive history. Explore standout cars from private collections, meet collectors and experts, and catch special presentations. There’s also a live auction of classic cars and automotive memorabilia. More info here.

Festival Internacional de Santa Lucía 2026 – October 20–November 4, Monterrey, Nuevo León
Festival Santa Lucía brings artists from around the world to Nuevo León. Expect music, dance, visual art, and other performances across multiple venues. It’s a citywide celebration of the arts, with international talent at its heart. More info here.

Ánimas Iluminadas 2026 – October 24, Mérida, Yucatán
More than 15 giant figures transform Parque de San Juan into a striking nighttime display. Inspired by Yucatecan culture and the arts, the monumental sculptures create a colorful celebration of local traditions. The installation opens at 6 p.m. and remains through November 20. It also kicks off Mérida’s Hanal Pixán (Yucatán’s Day of the Dead tradition). More info here.

Mega Procesión de Catrinas 2026 – October 25, Mexico City
Thousands of Catrinas fill central Mexico City for this spectacular Day of the Dead procession. Elaborate costumes, painted faces, and towering mojigangas bring the streets to life. The procession starts at the Ángel de la Independencia at 6 p.m. More info here.

Lograr

Translation: To achieve / To accomplish / To manage to

Hacer is about doing something. Lograr is about achieving it or managing to make it happen. When you accomplish something or get the result you were hoping for, lograr is often the word you’ll hear.

¡Lo logré! — I did it! / I pulled it off!

¡Lo logramos! — We did it! / We pulled it off!

¿Lo lograste? — Did you manage to do it?

Ready to lograr more with your Spanish? 😉 Find trusted Spanish teachers and schools in Mexico, recommended by readers like you.

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A: Grutas de Cacahuamilpa.

Known to Indigenous peoples for thousands of years, the enormous caverns in Guerrero were “discovered” by the outside world in 1833 and soon attracted international attention.

At the time, Cacahuamilpa was even considered the largest cave in the world. Its main gallery reaches up to 100 meters wide and 90 meters high, with formations rising as high as 50 meters.

Getting there was an adventure in itself. In the 19th century, the journey could take several days over difficult terrain, often traveling on foot, horseback or by mule. Presidents, scientists, artists and foreign dignitaries made the trek—and many carved their names into the rock as proof they had been there.

In 1865, Empress Carlota arrived on horseback and pushed farther into the cave than President Ignacio Comonfort had before her.

She later wrote that she didn't want “the Empire” to be left behind there either. She marked her progress with “Carlota llegó hasta aquí” – Carlota made it this far.

Nine years later, President Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada found her inscription, went farther and left a wonderfully competitive reply: “Sebastián Lerdo siguió adelante” – Sebastián Lerdo went farther.

Side note: I just finished a fascinating book about Emperor Maximilian and Empress Carlota – two European royals who somehow ended up ruling Mexico, with tragic consequences. It’s also a fantastic history lesson on 1860s Mexico – the French Intervention, Benito Juárez’s resistance, U.S. involvement and the battle over Mexico’s future. Check it out here. 

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