¡Hola amigos! This week, trade between Mexico and Canada is heating up, Mexico City is considering a new rental law, Banxico surprised everyone with an interest rate cut, and several new flight routes were announced.
Plus, troubling findings from a major study of Mexico's healthcare system, how to spot a real bargain during Buen Fin, and the mysterious disappearance of a woman who helped shape Mexican dance.
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❓México Trivia
Q: Which Mexican revolutionary leader became an unlikely silent-film star while fighting a war in 1914?
Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.
📣 México News Roundup
🇲🇽 President Sheinbaum confirmed plans to meet with China's President Xi Jinping during the November 18–19 APEC summit in Shenzhen, China.
📈 Mexico's annual inflation rose for the third consecutive month in October.
🏦 Mexico's central bank unexpectedly lowered its benchmark interest rate to 6.25%.
🗳️ President Sheinbaum plans to propose changes to how some members of Mexico's Congress are elected, but not until after the 2027 elections.
💻 KIO's planned $1 billion data center campus in Querétaro is on hold until it secures major customers.
✈️ Aeroméxico to launch nonstop flights from Mexico City to Nashville, New Orleans, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, starting June 2027.
🌎 Volaris to launch eight new routes from Guadalajara, Puebla, and Querétaro to destinations in the U.S., Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico starting December 2026.
🏠 Mexico City is considering a new rental law that would limit landlord requirements, protect tenants from discrimination, and require rental contracts to be registered.
🚗 Key negotiations over USMCA automotive trade rules will take place in 2027.
🇨🇦 Trade between Mexico and Canada jumped 16.7% to $26.2 billion in the first eight months of 2026.
⚖️ A Mexican judge arrested in Colombia faces U.S. charges over an alleged $2 million bribe to release a Canadian drug trafficking suspect.
📢 Workers at Mexico's National Electoral Institute (INE) ended their strike after agreeing to a proposed 6% pay raise, with all 841 service locations set to reopen Tuesday, November 10.
Is That Buen Fin Discount Really a Bargain?
Mexico's biggest shopping event runs November 13–17, and there's a free tool worth checking before you grab that deal.
Mexico's consumer protection agency, Profeco, has launched a price checker that tracks 490 products across 400 monitored store locations, including appliances, electronics, furniture, and cellphones.
Compare prices between stores and check price histories dating back to September to see whether that big discount is actually a good deal.
🍎 Your Health Pulse
Major Study Reveals Troubling Gaps in Mexico’s Healthcare System
A major four-year study has uncovered some eye-opening findings: 44.5 million people lacked access to health services in 2024, approximately 82 million prescriptions went unfilled between 2019 and 2023, and Mexico has far fewer hospital beds and nurses than the OECD average.
The report also highlights important differences between public and private healthcare — and outlines reforms Mexico plans to introduce.
🧩 Life in México
In partnership with Proton VPN. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links.
Who Can See What You Do Online in Mexico?
Whether you're checking bank accounts, working from a café, or online shopping at home, your internet activity leaves a digital trail.
Your internet provider can often see which websites you visit. Public Wi-Fi networks can reveal information about your browsing activity. And advertisers track your online habits to build detailed profiles about you.
The good news? You can make that trail harder to follow.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) adds a layer of privacy by encrypting your internet connection and hiding your real IP address from websites.
But here's something worth knowing: not every VPN protects your privacy the same way.
Some providers keep records of your activity, which defeats much of the point of using one.
That's why we use Proton VPN. Based in Switzerland, it has an independently audited no-logs policy, meaning it doesn't keep a record of the websites you visit. Its built-in NetShield feature also helps block ads, online trackers, and malicious websites before they load.
Right now, Proton is offering 75% off its two-year VPN Plus plan for new subscribers, backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
One subscription covers up to 10 devices simultaneously, so your phone, laptop, and other household devices can all be protected. The offer ends November 30.
🇲🇽 Viva México
The Mysterious Disappearance of Nellie Campobello
Nellie Campobello brought Mexico’s colorful traditional dances to the professional stage. But her remarkable life would take a far darker turn.
In the 1930s, Nellie and her sister Gloria pioneered a new approach to Mexican theatrical dance. They studied Indigenous and regional dance traditions, drawing on that research to create original choreography.
In 1932, she helped establish Mexico's first public dance school. It offered professional training rooted in the country’s own cultural heritage.
In 1937, Nellie became its director. She directed the school for more than four decades, shaping generations of performers. Her work was instrumental in creating a distinctly Mexican theatrical style. Among her students was Amalia Hernández, who went on to found the internationally renowned Ballet Folklórico de México.
Nellie had become one of Mexico's most respected figures in dance. She was also an accomplished writer whose 1931 book, Cartucho, portrayed the Mexican Revolution through the eyes of a young girl.
But in the early 1980s, her life began to unravel. A former student, María Cristina Belmont, and her husband, Claudio Fuentes Figueroa, had moved into Nellie's home. They gradually took control of her affairs and isolated her from friends and colleagues.
The couple also gained control of her property, while valuable artworks and other possessions disappeared.
By 1983, friends and relatives were alarmed enough to involve the authorities. They suspected the couple was holding Nellie against her will.
In February 1985, the couple's lawyer, Enrique Fuentes León, brought Nellie before a judge to address the accusations. According to the judge's later account, Nellie briefly gripped the judge's hand before the lawyer and accompanying men took her away.
It was her last known public appearance.
Years passed without reliable news of Nellie. Friends and fellow artists continued demanding answers, eventually forming a search committee called ¿Dónde está Nellie?
Then, in 1998, investigators uncovered the disturbing truth.
Nellie had died on July 9, 1986, at age 85, in Progreso de Obregón, Hidalgo. She had been buried there, but the couple reportedly kept her death secret for twelve years while friends and colleagues continued searching for her.
In 1999, her remains were recovered and she finally received a public farewell at Mexico City's Palacio de Bellas Artes. Her remains were then returned to her birthplace, Villa Ocampo, Durango, for burial.
The couple had faced criminal charges over Nellie's disappearance. Claudio was later sentenced to 27 years in prison, but his conviction was overturned on appeal. The proceedings ultimately ended without a lasting conviction.
She was robbed of her freedom, but not her place in Mexican cultural history. Today, the school she helped establish bears her name and that of her sister: Escuela Nacional de Danza Nellie y Gloria Campobello.
🪷 Viva Wellness
The Nourishing Power of Pozol
Thick, earthy, and surprisingly filling, this traditional corn drink has helped people stay refreshed in southeastern Mexico for generations.
Known as pozol, it gave Indigenous travelers the nourishment they needed for long journeys.
With roots in the Maya-Chontal communities of Tabasco, pozol is made from ground corn, sometimes blended with roasted cacao. It's mixed with water and traditionally served cold.
Much of its nutritional value comes from how the corn is prepared.
Before grinding, the kernels undergo nixtamalization, an ancient process also used to make tortillas and tamales. Cooking corn in water with food-grade lime (calcium hydroxide) softens the kernels and increases their calcium content.
Nixtamalization also makes niacin (vitamin B3) easier for the body to absorb. This helped prevent pellagra, a disease caused by niacin deficiency, in communities that relied heavily on corn.
Pozol provides carbohydrates for energy, along with some protein and fiber. These qualities help explain why pozol was so valuable to people working long hours in a tropical climate.
Pozol agrio is a fermented version of the traditional drink. Lactic acid bacteria break down sugars in the corn dough, giving it a distinctive sour flavor. The process can increase levels of some amino acids and vitamins.
Today, pozol remains a refreshing staple in Tabasco and Chiapas, often served chilled in a jícara, a traditional gourd bowl. Depending on the variety, you might taste toasted cacao, earthy corn, or the tang of fermentation.
🎉 ¡Vamos! Events
Festival Internacional de Jazz y Blues 2026 – November 11–15, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
San Miguel’s jazz and blues festival marks its 32nd edition. The five-day festival features New Orleans bluesman Eric “Slim” Miller and singer Mar Vilaseca. Hear gypsy jazz from Hot Club of San Miguel. A Sting tribute closes the festival. A free jazz-history concert and film screenings accompany ticketed evening performances. More info here.
Festival Gourmet Internacional 2026 – November 12–22, Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit & Tepic
More than 50 chefs transform Puerto Vallarta’s dining scene with menus created especially for the festival. Guest chefs join local kitchens at over 25 restaurants. Try a Gourmet Safari spanning three restaurants in one evening. Highlights include a star-chef gala and beachfront barbecue with wine tastings. Events require separate bookings. More info here.
Festival de Música de Morelia 2026 – November 13–22, Morelia, Michoacán
Morelia welcomes musicians from 13 countries for ten days of classical music. Asia is this year's focus, alongside a French Baroque circus spectacle. Hear Mexico's National Symphony Orchestra, international soloists and chamber ensembles. Free concerts, traditional floral carpets from Patamban and food from 12 countries are also part of the festival. More info here.
Noche de las Estrellas 2026 – November 14, Nationwide
Mexico’s largest free astronomy festival invites everyone to explore the night sky. Look through telescopes at the Moon and Saturn, weather permitting. More than 100 locations nationwide host science talks, workshops, and family activities. Mexico City venues include Chapultepec and UNAM, while Guadalajara welcomes visitors to its Centro Cultural Universitario. More info here.
Festival de Vermut GDL 2026 – November 14, Guadalajara, Jalisco
Heads up, Negroni and Martini fans! Discover Mexico’s growing vermouth scene. More than ten producers offer guided tastings of their different varieties. Learn to create your own blend in a vermouth-making workshop. Live music and food complete the evening. Admission costs MX$350, including a welcome vermouth and commemorative tasting glass. More info here.
Torneo Charro El Ricachón 2026 – November 18–22, Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco
Mexico’s traditional equestrian sport brings five days of competition near Guadalajara. Watch charro teams compete in roping, riding, and other skilled events. Wednesday features young competitors. Saturday brings women’s escaramuza teams performing synchronized horseback formations. More info here.
Pacífico Surf Open Cerritos 2026 – November 19–22, Playa Cerritos, Baja California Sur
Watch more than 120 surfers compete on Cerritos Beach in a World Surf League qualifying event. Mexican contenders face international rivals, earning points toward professional surfing’s top tiers. Beyond the waves, enjoy surf films, beach cleanups, a local market, and live music. Competition runs 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Admission is free. More info here.
💡 Say It in Spanish
Ocupar vs. Necesitar
In Spanish 101, we're taught to use necesitar when we need something. But in parts of Mexico, especially the north, you'll often hear ocupar instead.
Yes, ocupar usually means “to occupy” or “to take up space.” But in everyday Mexican Spanish, it can also mean “to need.”
So if someone asks:
¿Ocupa ayuda? / Do you need help?
¿Ocupa algo más? / Do you need anything else?
They're simply asking whether you need something, not whether you're occupying anything. Of course, you can still use necesitar. The useful thing is knowing what ocupar means when you hear it.
Need Health Insurance in Mexico?
Finding the right coverage doesn't have to be complicated. Get connected with a vetted insurance broker who can discuss your needs, explain your coverage options, and provide a quote.
🎯 Trivia Answer
A: Pancho Villa
In January 1914, while leading his División del Norte during the Mexican Revolution, Villa signed a contract with the American Mutual Film Company. The deal gave filmmakers exclusive rights to film his troops in battle, while Villa would receive 20% of the resulting film revenues.
The company even supplied him with a special general's uniform to wear on camera! Some scenes were reportedly reenacted to give audiences more dramatic footage.
In May 1914, Mutual released The Life of General Villa, a silent movie combining real footage of Villa and his troops with dramatized scenes. Villa appeared as himself, while actor Raoul Walsh portrayed him as a younger man.
Unfortunately, the original film is now considered lost, but some historical footage survives.
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