¡Hola amigos! This week, Mexican lawmakers have been busy with new rules on everything from protecting children against trafficking to restricting the political rights of dual citizens. Meanwhile, protests over water and healthcare are making headlines, and somehow, nearly $70 million in imported crude oil has gone missing.

Plus, what to do if you lose your Mexican residency card abroad, what it really costs to move your household goods to Mexico, and how a kitchen mishap supposedly gave us one of Mexico’s most beloved dishes.

And with so many communities still reeling from Polo and Rachel, and Simon now adding to the devastation, our hearts are with everyone affected by these hurricanes. To those still in harm’s way, please stay safe, look out for your neighbors, and take care of each other, amigos.

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Q: What landmark constitutional reform took place in Mexico 73 years ago this week?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

🏨 Mexico’s Congress approved a reform requiring hotels and tourism businesses to verify adults’ legal relationships with accompanying minors to combat child sexual exploitation. Those without proper documentation must be denied service and reported to authorities.

🛢️ U.S. records show nearly 600,000 barrels of crude oil were exported to Mexico in June. The only problem is Pemex says it has no record of importing them.

🏥 IMSS workers plan nationwide protests today to demand higher pay, more staff and adequate medical supplies.

📵 Mexico’s Senate unanimously approved a bill to fine companies up to 2.3 million pesos for persistent, unwanted marketing calls. The bill now heads to the Chamber of Deputies.

💳 Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies approved a bill that would require businesses and government agencies to offer more digital payment options instead of relying on cash. It now heads to the Senate.

🇲🇽 Mexico has approved a constitutional reform that will bar dual citizens from serving as president, state governor or Mexico City mayor starting in 2028.

📱 President Sheinbaum plans to block violent and sexually explicit social media content for minors and will host a live chat with young people on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook this week to hear their views.

⚖️ Mexico’s Senate has extended its committee review of a proposed national femicide law to continue consultations with victims’ families, specialists, and civil-society organizations.

🇲🇽 President Sheinbaum says Mexico’s trade agreement with the U.S. and Canada isn't ending despite Trump’s push for a separate deal with Mexico. 

🚨 Thousands protested dirty tap water and shortages in Guadalajara on Sunday, as clashes with police led to tear gas, water cannons, and dozens of arrests.

💳 Revolut plans to increase its total investment in Mexico to US$250 million by 2027.

🍷 Mexico is developing a certification seal to help consumers identify authentic Mexican wines as domestic production grows.

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Losing your Mexican residency card while traveling abroad can create serious complications when it's time to return to Mexico.

Here's what many residents don't realize: You can't simply re-enter Mexico as a tourist and sort everything out later.

Doing so could put your Temporary or Permanent Residency status at risk.

Find out what you need to do before returning to Mexico, and the important deadline you can't afford to miss once you're back.

Read More

Whether you're planning a move to Mexico or already living here and want to bring down your belongings, a very important question is, how much will it cost?

But here's something that might surprise you: moving twice as much furniture and household belongings doesn't necessarily cost twice as much.

And selling half your possessions might not save nearly as much as you'd expect.

Chuck Bolotin, CEO of Best Mexico Movers, has put together a new 2026 guide showing how moving costs are calculated, with estimated prices for six different routes to destinations across Mexico.

Before you start selling your precious household goods without knowing how your cost is determined, find out how it works, what you could be paying, and where you might save money.

Check out the 2026 Moving Cost Guide

A nervous cook at Puebla's Convent of Santa Clara was preparing an elaborate banquet for a visiting bishop.

As the bishop's arrival neared, she rushed around the kitchen, checking every dish. Suddenly, she stumbled against a table. Chocolate intended for dessert and other ingredients tumbled into a spicy sauce prepared for turkey.

The sauce was ruined. Or so the nuns thought. With no time to start over, they reluctantly served the dish. To their astonishment, the bishop loved it.

At least, that's how one of mole poblano’s origin stories goes. The legend places the incident around 1730, but there's no historical evidence to confirm the tale. 

Another story places mole's creation at Puebla's Convent of Santa Rosa, where nuns supposedly combined chilies and cacao to impress a visiting viceroy.

The dish's history is far richer than any single legend.

The word mole comes from the Nahuatl molli, meaning sauce. Centuries before the Spanish arrived, Indigenous cooks across Mexico were already grinding chilies, seeds, tomatoes, and herbs into flavorful sauces.

During the colonial era, Puebla's convent kitchens didn't just feed the nuns. They also prepared lavish meals for wealthy patrons and important visitors. These elaborate meals offered opportunities to experiment with new ingredients and recipes.

Alongside the nuns worked Indigenous servants and enslaved women of African descent. Their work was part of the wider culinary exchange that shaped colonial Puebla.

Here, Indigenous culinary traditions met new ingredients such as almonds, cinnamon, cloves, and sesame seeds, introduced through colonial trade. Cacao, already familiar to Indigenous peoples, also became part of the sauce.

Making mole took hours of work. Chilies were toasted, seeds and spices ground on a metate (grinding stone), then everything simmered together.

Over generations, these ingredients and techniques came together in the complex, deeply flavored sauce we know as mole poblano.

Explore Puebla's legendary food scene with Eat Mexico's Puebla Food Tours.

Explore abandoned haciendas overtaken by vines. Follow winding paths past remote cenotes deep in Yucatán's tropical forest.

Welcome to Camino del Mayab. 

Opened in late 2020, this 130-kilometer trail can be explored on foot or by mountain bike. Some sections once transported henequén, the agave fiber that fueled Yucatán's plantation economy.

Today, these historic pathways are creating new opportunities for locals.

Developed by EcoGuerreros Yucatán in partnership with Maya communities, the Camino connects 14 communities and 39 community-based ecotourism initiatives. Its goal is to create jobs while preserving cultural heritage.

The project reports that 80% of its income goes directly to participating communities. Local guides share their knowledge of the forest. Village families earn income preparing traditional Yucatecan meals and providing accommodations.

The initiative also helps protect forest areas on communally managed land, known as ejidos.

The trails also offer visitors something valuable: it's a chance to escape screens, traffic, and daily distractions. To slow down and enjoy being outdoors.

There's no need to complete the entire route. Explore a shorter section or take on a multi-day adventure. Guided hiking, cycling, and self-guided options are available.

Sometimes, the most rewarding path to wellness isn't about how far you go. It's about what you experience and what you contribute along the way.

Panzaland 2026 – October 17, Monterrey, Nuevo León
More than 30 restaurants and food vendors take over Explanada Sopladores at Parque Fundidora. During the festival, hourly “Alertas Panzonas” signal complimentary food from participating stands. There’s also live music, drinks, and activities throughout the festival. Tickets start at MX$299. More info here.

XXVI Festival Internacional de Marimbistas – October 22–25, Multiple Cities, Chiapas
The marimba is the sound of Chiapas, and this festival puts it center stage. Around 100 participants will bring together traditional and contemporary marimba music. Performances will take place across several municipalities, including Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Chiapa de Corzo. More info here.

Cielo Mágico 2026 – October 23–25, Santiago, Nuevo León
Hot-air balloons, live music, and spectacular light shows come together at Cielo Mágico. See the balloons inflate and take flight at sunrise, with concerts after dark. This year also brings a luminous art installation from Burning Man to Nuevo León for the first time. Camping is available. More info here.  

TEDxSanMiguelDeAllende – October 24, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
The “Threshold of the Future” theme explores how today’s shifts will shape tomorrow. Speakers will explore advances in AI and science, environmental challenges, and social change. After four years away, TEDx returns to San Miguel with speakers bringing very different perspectives on the future. More info here.

Paseo de las Ánimas 2026 – October 30, Mérida, Yucatán
Young and old dress in white, with calavera-painted faces and candles in hand. Hundreds join this moving Hanal Pixán procession through Mérida. It begins at the Cementerio General and continues through the historic center. Altars and traditional food line the route. Festivities run from 6 to 11 p.m. More info here.

Festival de Día de Muertos: La Puerta entre Dos Mundos – October 30–November 1, Bosque de Chapultepec, CDMX 
Experience an immersive Day of the Dead festival with La Puerta entre Dos Mundos. Walk a path lined with art installations, traditional altars, and live musical performances. Every night at 7:45 PM and 9:45 PM, spectacular drone shows light up the sky over Lago Mayor. More info here. 

This week's lesson comes from Spanish Paulina, one of the reader-recommended teachers featured in The Insider's Guide to Spanish Teachers in Mexico.

Want to tell someone you just did something in Spanish? There's a simple pattern you can use: Acabar de + infinitive.

For example:

Acabo de comer. I just ate.
Acabo de llegar. I just arrived.
Acabo de hablar con Juan. I just spoke with Juan.

Notice that we're using the present tense of acabar, even though we're talking about something that happened in the past.

We can also change acabar depending on whom we're talking about.

¿Acabas de llegar? Did you just arrive?
María acaba de salir. María just left.
Acabamos de terminar. We just finished.

You can use this pattern with just about any verb. Simply conjugate acabar, add de, and follow it with the infinitive.

It's an easy way to talk about something that just happened without having to learn another past tense.

Want more practical Spanish like this?

Qroo Paul's Spanish focuses on teaching the patterns behind Spanish so students can create their own sentences instead of memorizing phrases. His courses are available anytime, allowing students to learn at their own pace, with a supportive forum where they can ask him questions directly.

Website: www.skool.com/qroo 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@QrooSpanish

A: Women gained the constitutional right to vote and run for office in federal elections.

On October 17, 1953, President Adolfo Ruiz Cortines enacted constitutional reforms recognizing women's political rights nationwide. But the victory was decades in the making.

As early as 1923, women were winning elections in Yucatán, while San Luis Potosí briefly granted women municipal voting rights that same year. In 1947, women gained the right to vote in municipal elections across Mexico.

The 1953 reform was the breakthrough at the federal level, but Mexican women wouldn't cast their first votes in a nationwide federal election until July 3, 1955, nearly two years later.

That election also brought Mexico its first women elected to the federal Chamber of Deputies – another milestone in a struggle that had begun generations earlier.

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