¡Hola amigos! This week, Mexico is expanding the emergency alerts sent to your cellphone, a Volaris-Viva merger could put roughly 75% of domestic air travel under one roof, and we break down key takeaways from President Sheinbaum’s latest Government Report.
Plus, what you need to know about counterfeit medications in Mexico, what it takes to become a Mexican citizen, and what foreign home buyers often get wrong about Mexican notaries.
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❓México Trivia
Q: What September observance marks a decision that changed Mexico’s borders?
Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.
📣 México News Roundup
📱 Mexico will expand its cellphone emergency alerts beyond earthquakes later this year, adding warnings for hurricanes, fires, volcanic activity, severe weather and more.
🦟 Confirmed dengue cases are down 37% nationwide from last year, but cases have more than doubled in Sonora and Baja California Sur.
✈️ Volaris will fly nonstop between Cancún and Los Cabos three times a week starting Dec. 1.
🛫 The U.S. and Colombia approved the proposed Volaris-Viva merger, leaving Mexico’s antitrust regulator as the key hurdle. If approved, the combined airlines would control about 75% of Mexico’s domestic air traffic.
🚛 Mexican truckers blocked the Mexicali-Calexico East border crossing last Thursday over U.S. visa revocations, raising concerns the dispute could spread to other crossings.
🛡️ Mexico and the U.S. launched “Operation High Eagle” along the Tijuana-San Diego border to disable drones used by cartels to monitor military and police movements.
🥩 Mexico sent its first pork shipment to Paraguay, opening a new market for Mexican producers.
🧠 President Sheinbaum launched “El ABC de las emociones,” a weekly mental health program for 6.8 million Mexican students.
🌽 Mexico is working to preserve and develop native corn production through community initiatives in Veracruz and Oaxaca.
In Case You Missed It: Government Report Recap
President Sheinbaum delivered her Second Government Report from the National Palace last week, outlining her administration’s accomplishments and where Mexico stands. Here are a few of the key takeaways from her report:
Economy: 60 million people are employed, unemployment stands at 2.7%, and foreign investment hit a record of nearly $35 billion in the first half of 2026.
Wages: The minimum wage has risen 154% in real terms since 2018, while the average formal-sector wage reached a record 20,212 pesos a month.
Security: Homicides have fallen 51% since she took office, equivalent to 44 fewer killings per day.
Healthcare: 33 new hospitals have opened over the past two years, with 152 new health facilities planned over her six-year term.
Infrastructure: Mexico’s 2026 National Infrastructure Plan calls for more than 960 billion pesos in investment in roads, ports, airports, trains, energy, hospitals and schools.
Energy: Mexico imports 75% of the natural gas it consumes. The government is studying whether the country can develop more of its own unconventional gas while protecting water and communities.
Water: She reported the government has “de-privatized” more than 5 billion cubic meters of water — enough, it claims, to supply 90 million people for a year – while carrying out more than 24,000 potable-water and drainage projects across 2,183 municipalities.
U.S. relations: She acknowledged “difficulties” in the relationship but emphasized continued cooperation, while declaring that “cooperation does not mean submission.”
Watch the full Government Report here.
🍎 Your Health Pulse
Counterfeit Medication Reports Rise in Mexico
Between November 2025 and May 2026, COFEPRIS issued 30 alerts involving counterfeit or unapproved medications and another 12 related to pharmaceutical theft.
The medications involved include treatments used for cancer, diabetes, fertility, hormone therapy, and more. Some cases involve altered expiration dates and falsified lot numbers, while stolen medications pose another concern because their storage and transportation conditions can’t be verified.
📍Immigration Essentials
How to Become a Naturalized Mexican Citizen
A Mexican passport, full citizenship rights, and the ability to own property near Mexico’s beaches and borders without a fideicomiso – naturalization comes with some significant advantages.
But do you qualify? And what does the process involve?
From residency and physical-presence requirements to Spanish and history exams, there are several boxes to check, along with a few important considerations that come with becoming a Mexican citizen.
🧩 Life in México
The Mexican Notary: What Foreign Home Buyers Often Get Wrong
When you buy property in Mexico, a Notario Público plays a central role in the legal side of the transaction.
That can create a dangerous assumption for foreign buyers: if a highly qualified lawyer is overseeing the transaction, everything must be covered. Not quite.
Understanding the notary’s actual role, and where it ends, is an important distinction to know before you make an offer.
An Accident Is Not the Time to Find Out Your Car Insurance Falls Short
A car accident in Mexico can mean more than a repair bill – legal costs, an impounded vehicle, and unexpected out-of-pocket expenses.
Whether you have Mexican, U.S., or Canadian plates, a bilingual broker can help you compare options and find the right policy for your needs.
🇲🇽 Viva México
Leona Vicario: The Secret Agent of Independence
At social gatherings in Mexico City, a young Leona Vicario listened as conversations turned to politics and the growing rebellion.
To those around her, she was a wealthy, well-educated young woman from one of the capital’s privileged families. But Leona was far more than the young socialite she appeared to be. She was hiding a dangerous secret.
As she mingled at these gatherings, Leona collected information for those fighting for independence. She passed what she learned on to insurgent leaders.
Leona was part of Los Guadalupes, a secret network supporting the independence movement. But information wasn’t her only contribution.
She used her wealth to provide money, medicine, and supplies. Leona sheltered fugitives. She even convinced a group of Basque gunsmiths to defect to the insurgency and manufacture rifles at Ignacio López Rayón’s camp in Tlalpujahua.
The deeper Leona became involved, the harder it was to keep her activities hidden. In early 1813, authorities intercepted one of her couriers. Warned that her activities had been exposed, Leona fled Mexico City.
Authorities eventually captured her and imprisoned her at the Colegio de Belén de las Mochas. She was only 24 years old.
Despite intense questioning, Leona refused to identify her fellow conspirators. Insurgent allies eventually helped her escape, and she continued supporting the rebellion while living on the run.
Years later, powerful politician and historian Lucas Alamán questioned her motives. He suggested romance, not patriotism, had driven Leona to join the rebellion. Leona fired back, declaring that women were just as capable of being inspired by “the glory and freedom of the homeland.”
She had already put her fortune, freedom, and safety on the line for Mexico’s independence.
Her country recognized her sacrifice, too. During the independence struggle, Leona was honored as Benemérita de la Patria, essentially, a national heroine. Her remains rest alongside other heroes of the movement inside the Monument to Independence beneath El Ángel on Paseo de la Reforma.
🪷 Viva Wellness
Xoconostle: Mexico’s Sour Prickly Pear
Xoconostle isn’t your typical prickly pear. While most are known for being sweet and juicy, this native Mexican fruit takes things in the opposite direction. Its name comes from the Náhuatl words xoco (sour) and nochtli (prickly pear) – and with its firm texture and sharp, acidic bite, the name fits.
Xoconostle has been part of Mexican food culture since pre-Hispanic times, with a long history in traditional medicine. It has traditionally been used for stomach ailments, while xoconostle tea is used to soothe coughs and irritated throats.
It contains calcium, potassium, and vitamins C and K. A single fruit can provide up to 199 mg of vitamin C, more than an orange or peach. That vitamin C supports immune function and tissue repair.
Antioxidants help protect cells from oxidative stress, while vitamin K supports healthy bones and normal blood clotting. The high fiber content aids digestion and helps you feel full. It also has prebiotic properties.
Unlike other prickly pears, xoconostle has a smooth, edible peel. Its mucilage, a type of soluble fiber, may play a role in how xoconostle affects blood sugar and fat metabolism
Research suggests the peel may help control blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes. Studies have also explored its effects on cholesterol and triglycerides, with mixed results.
Xoconostle also keeps remarkably well and can be stored for more than three months after ripening.
Fresh xoconostle is in season now, so it’s a good time to put its distinctive sourness to use in the kitchen. It can be roasted with chiles and garlic for salsa or simmered into soups and stews. It can also be used in mole and salads.
🎉 ¡Vamos! Events
Apapaxoa Festival GastroCultural Xcaret 2026: September 18–23, Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo
Chefs representing more than 70 Michelin stars gather for six days of ambitious dining and culture. Expect collaborative dinners, workshops, art, music, and a gastronomic book fair. A spectacular 35-course anniversary dinner accompanies Xcaret México Espectacular. The festival closes with a concert by Emmanuel. More info here.
Tláhuac Beer Fest 2026: September 19, Tláhuac, Mexico City
Dozens of craft breweries come together for this free festival. Expect IPAs, stouts, porters, and lagers, plus live bands and DJs. A cultural corridor brings graffiti and urban art into the mix. There’s also a photography exhibition offering different perspectives on Tláhuac. More info here.
Guadalajara LATE with the Performing Arts 2026 – September 18–27, Guadalajara, Jalisco
Eight free performing arts productions take over four venues across the city this September. The program spans theater, dance, and live music, with shows for different ages. No advance tickets are required. Entry is first come, first served, so arrive early. More info here.
MUBI Fest 2026 – September 18–20, Guadalajara, Jalisco
MUBI’s international film festival makes its local debut at the Cineteca Universidad de Guadalajara. The three-day program includes Mexico premieres, restored 4K classics, and outdoor screenings. Highlights include new films from Nicolas Winding Refn and Hirokazu Kore-eda, plus a screening and Q&A with Argentine director Martín Rejtman. More info here.
Feria Cultural del Añil – September 26–27, Santiago Niltepec, Oaxaca
See how one of Mexico’s most striking natural pigments goes from plant to brilliant blue dye. Niltepec has kept this centuries-old craft alive using traditional techniques. The fair brings the process to life through workshops, art and local makers. More info here.
Vuelta Chapala 2026 – September 26, Lake Chapala, Jalisco
A grueling 232.5 kilometers around Lake Chapala sets the challenge for this cycling event. The route crosses 11 municipalities. Asphalt, cobblestone, and unpaved sections add to the difficulty. The selective field includes experienced riders from Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. More info here.
💡 Say It in Spanish
¿Qué tanto...?
Qué tanto is used when you want to know the amount or degree of something, and its English meaning changes depending on what comes next.
When someone tells you the salsa is “poquito picante,” there’s one question you may want to ask before taking their word for it: ¿Qué tanto pica? (How spicy is it?)
Waiting for the plumber who said he'd be finished ahorita? Ask ¿Qué tanto falta? (How much longer? / How much is left?)
And when a new friend tells you they've traveled all over the country, try ¿Qué tanto conoces México? (How well do you know Mexico?)
🎯 Trivia Answer
A: Día de la Anexión de Chiapas.
September 14 marks the day Chiapas formally declared its incorporation into Mexico in 1824... well, part of it.
Chiapas declared independence from Spain in 1821 and initially joined Agustín de Iturbide’s Mexican Empire. But when the empire collapsed in 1823, Chiapas faced another decision: join Mexico, join Guatemala and the emerging Central American federation, or remain independent.
Ciudad Real – today’s San Cristóbal de Las Casas – and Comitán favored Mexico, while Tuxtla favored Guatemala. When Mexico established its new federation in January 1824, the issue was still unresolved, so Chiapas wasn’t yet part of it.
The decision went to a direct public vote. On September 12, 1824, the vote favored Mexico. Two days later, Chiapas formally declared its incorporation into the Mexican federation.
Congress approved it on October 2. But Soconusco, along today’s Guatemala border, wasn’t included. It remained in political “neutrality” and wasn’t incorporated into Mexico until 1842, nearly two decades later.
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