¡Hola amigos! Just when it seemed tensions between Mexico and the U.S. couldn’t escalate further, they did.

This week, officials warn the USMCA review could drag on far longer than expected, more labor strikes are on the horizon, and Sheinbaum insists S&P was wrong after the agency downgraded Mexico’s outlook, saying the economy is doing well.

Plus, what Mexico actually requires for residency income and savings, the tax realities of living abroad, and the Mexican president who held a full state funeral for his amputated leg.

And now, an emotional support animal before we discuss presidents preserving body parts.

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❓México Trivia

Which lagoon in Mexico is home to one of the planet’s rarest living ecosystems?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

📣 México News Roundup

📉 Standard & Poor’s (S&P) revised Mexico’s credit outlook from stable to negative, warning the country could face a sovereign downgrade within the next 24 months. 

🏛️ President Sheinbaum said S&P “got it wrong” after the ratings agency lowered the outlooks for Mexico, PEMEX, and CFE from stable to negative.

🇺🇸 The New York Times dropped a bombshell report that the U.S. Justice Department instructed federal prosecutors to build criminal cases against Mexican officials using anti-terrorism laws. 

🕵️ President Sheinbaum dismissed risks to Mexico after former Sinaloa officials Gerardo Mérida and Enrique Díaz surrendered to U.S. authorities last week.

🚛 Transporters, teachers, pensioners, and families of the disappeared are planning a massive protest march in Mexico City on May 20 to demand better security and government support. 

📚 President Sheinbaum said her government will negotiate with the teachers union (CNTE) after it announced a national strike and Zócalo sit-in starting June 1 that could disrupt FIFA Fan Fest events.

📦 Mexico’s Economy Minister said the USMCA review won’t likely be resolved by the July 1 deadline, warning the trade pact could face 10 years of annual reviews instead. 

🏦 On Monday, President Sheinbaum confirmed Mexico’s UIF froze the bank accounts of former Sinaloa governor Rubén Rocha after U.S. authorities issued arrest warrants for 10 people tied to the case. 

⚖️ A Mexican judge ruled that owners of Azteca Stadium’s VIP boxes can still use, rent, and resell them during the World Cup despite FIFA control of the venue.  

👑 Spain’s King Felipe VI has accepted President Sheinbaum’s invitation and will attend Spain’s World Cup match against Uruguay in Guadalajara. 

🍎 Your Health Pulse

The Healthcare Reality of Moving around Mexico

When relocating to a new city, or even renting somewhere for a month or two, it’s worth understanding the local medical landscape before you need it.

Healthcare in Mexico can vary dramatically depending on where you are. In larger cities like Mexico City, Guadalajara, or Puerto Vallarta, you’ll find a range of private hospitals, specialists, imaging centers, and advanced emergency care.

It can be a very different story in smaller towns.

Some may only have a basic Centro de Salud with limited hours, minimal equipment, or no ambulance coverage. Others may not have critical emergency tools, such as defibrillators, immediately available. 

Before settling somewhere new, it’s worth asking:

• Where is the nearest hospital?

• Is there a private hospital nearby?

• How well stocked is the Centro de Salud?

• What ambulance service covers the area?

• Where do residents actually go during emergencies? 

Especially in smaller towns, having the direct number for local police, Protección Civil, the ambulance service, or nearby hospitals can save valuable time.

Before you need care, ask questions, join local Facebook or WhatsApp groups, and learn where residents actually go during emergencies.

Visit the facilities ahead of time or at least know where they’re located.

Whether you’re in a major city or a pueblo, understanding the local healthcare landscape ahead of time can make an enormous difference during an emergency. 

📍Immigration Essentials

Income vs. Savings: Understanding Mexico’s Economic Solvency Rules

When applying for residency in Mexico, foreigners are typically asked to prove economic solvency through either monthly income or savings/investments. (There are exceptions and alternative pathways, which we’ll cover next week.)

Mexican consulates calculate these financial requirements using UMA (Unidad de Medida y Actualización), a government benchmark used for official calculations in Mexico – not actual living costs.

That means the income requirements for residency are often much higher than what many people actually spend living in Mexico.

Applicants must qualify under ONE financial route. You cannot combine income and savings to meet the requirement.

For Temporary Residency in 2026, applicants generally need either:

• MXN $79,771 / month / around $4,62 USD in monthly income, OR

• MXN $1,344,373 / around $77,712  USD in savings/investments

For Permanent Residency, applicants generally need either:

• MXN $133,733 / month / around $7,731  USD in monthly income, OR

• MXN $5,378,664 / around $310,922 USD in savings/investments

Savings can include more than cash in a bank account. Depending on the consulate, qualifying assets may include savings accounts, investment accounts, retirement accounts, trust funds, and some other investment funds.

Cryptocurrencies and precious metals do NOT qualify.

Financial requirements can also vary slightly by consulate, usually because each consulate may apply a different exchange rate when converting UMA-based figures into local currency.

You can review the official Mexican residency financial requirement regulations here.

🧩 Life in México

Can Americans Really Pay Zero Tax Living in Mexico?

For Americans living in Mexico, taxes are rarely as simple as just leaving the U.S.

The reality is more nuanced, and depending on how you structure things, it can either save you a lot of money…or create a major headache later.

We recently partnered with Savvy Nomad on a new video breaking down:

• When Mexico may consider you a tax resident

• How the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion actually works

• What happens with Social Security and retirement income

• Why domicile and state taxes still matter for Americans abroad

It's one of the clearest breakdowns we’ve seen on this topic for Americans building a life in Mexico.

Watch the full video here

🇲🇽 Viva México

The Mexican President Who Held a State Funeral for His Leg

Antonio López de Santa Anna served as president of Mexico so many times that historians still argue over the exact number. 

In a career defined by spectacle, ego, and political theater, one episode stands above the rest: in 1842, Santa Anna staged a state funeral for his amputated leg.

Santa Anna lost his left leg during the 1838 French intervention, better known as the Pastry War, after cannon fire struck him while defending Veracruz. The injury helped rebuild his reputation after the disastrous loss of Texas, transforming him into a wounded national hero.

At the time, Mexico was still a young nation trying to create patriotic rituals, civic celebrations, and larger-than-life national heroes – and Santa Anna was more than willing to place himself at the center of that mythology.

At first, his leg was buried at his hacienda, Manga de Clavo, in Veracruz. But after returning to power, Santa Anna ordered it exhumed and brought to Mexico City for a far more elaborate ceremony.

The leg traveled in a glass case through the capital in a military procession attended by soldiers, government officials, and cheering supporters.

An enormous monument was built to house the leg, complete with plaques, military symbols, an eagle, and a ceremonial sarcophagus typically reserved for national heroes.

Supporters treated the leg like a patriotic relic, with speeches comparing Santa Anna’s sacrifice to that of the nation’s greatest heroes. Pocket-sized replicas of the monument were even sold around the city as souvenirs.

Critics mocked the entire spectacle, writing satirical poems and denouncing it as the ultimate symbol of his ego. 

And after all that spectacle, Santa Anna did not attend the main ceremony, arriving only after the public festivities had ended.

But whatever patriotic reverence once surrounded the leg did not last.

Just two years later, after Santa Anna fell from power, an angry mob stormed the cemetery, dug up the leg, and dragged it through the streets of Mexico City.

As for Santa Anna’s wooden prosthetic leg, U.S. troops found it abandoned after he fled the Battle of Cerro Gordo in 1847. It remains on display today at a military museum in Illinois.

🪷 Viva Wellness

The Mexican Fruit That Smells Like Cheese

Nanche season has arrived. These small golden fruits, about the size of a large cherry, have a sweet-and-tangy flavor and a pungent aroma often compared to aged cheese. 

Despite the scent, the flavor is bright, fruity, and slightly acidic. Most commonly found in Mexico’s tropical and subtropical regions, especially along the Pacific coast and in warmer lowland areas.

Peak harvest season runs from late spring through summer, when local mercados begin filling with the fruit. Nanche is still mostly gathered from wild or backyard trees rather than commercial farms.

Known scientifically as Byrsonima crassifolia and locally as nanche, nance, or changunga, this small fruit packs impressive wellness benefits.

Nanche contains vitamins C, E, and K, along with minerals like magnesium and calcium that support immune function, circulation, and bone strength.

The fruit’s bright golden skin color comes from carotenoids, antioxidants linked to eye health, reduced inflammation, and protection against cellular damage. Its natural mix of fiber and carbohydrates provides steady energy while also supporting digestion.

Traditional uses of nanche go beyond the fruit itself. In some communities, infusions made from the fruit are used to support digestion, while teas prepared from the bark are commonly used as home remedies for colds and seasonal discomforts. The leaves are also valued for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

Fresh nanche is commonly eaten by the handful, but it also appears in aguas frescas, jams, atoles, and frozen desserts during peak season.

And, in parts of Guerrero and Oaxaca, nanche is also used to make traditional fruit liqueurs.

🎉 ¡Vamos! Events

Guanajuato ¡Sí Sabe! 2026 Grand Final – May 30–31, Irapuato, Guanajuato
Traditional cooks from across Guanajuato gather in Irapuato for the final round of this statewide culinary showcase, serving regional dishes, ancestral recipes, and local specialties. Alongside the food, visitors can expect artisanal drinks, local products, and a chance to explore the diversity of Guanajuato’s traditional cuisine in one place. More info here.

Gumball 3000: Miami to Mexico City – June 5–10, Multiple Cities Across Mexico
Part road rally, part celebrity-driven supercar festival, Gumball 3000 arrives in Mexico for the first time with 100+ supercars traveling from Miami to Mexico City. The 27th edition includes stops in Monterrey and San Miguel de Allende, finishing with a free public festival in Mexico City during the opening week of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. More Info here.

Salsa Fest 2026 – June 12–14, Boca del Río, Veracruz
Veracruz’s big summer salsa festival returns to the Salsódromo of Boca del Río with three nights of free, open-air concerts in a coastal setting. The lineup brings together leading salsa performers from across Latin America, while this year’s edition also includes a tribute to Celia Cruz – the late Cuban singer widely known as the “Queen of Salsa” – performed by Lucrecia and her orchestra. More Info here.

Desfile de los Locos 2026 – June 14, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
One of San Miguel de Allende’s most colorful annual traditions, the Desfile de los Locos turns the historic center into a day-long street party filled with music, dancing, masks, face paint, and participants dressed as superheroes, clowns, devils, and cartoon characters. More info here.

Festival Antojos 2026 – June 13–14, Chihuahua City, Chihuahua
Chihuahua’s popular street food festival returns with more than 100 local vendors serving tacos, burgers, hot dogs, elotes, montados, craft beer, regional wines, and other northern Mexican comfort food favorites. The nighttime event also includes live music across multiple stages, chef demonstrations, and a lively downtown atmosphere built around Chihuahua’s growing food scene. More info here.

Mezcal Fest Monterrey 2026 – June 19–20, Monterrey, Nuevo León
Part tasting event, part World Cup watch party, Mezcal Fest Monterrey brings together more than 30 mezcal houses for two days of unlimited tastings, live music, DJs, food, and guided catas at Casa Vecchia in central Monterrey. The festival will also screen international football matches throughout the weekend, making it an easy place to spend an afternoon between World Cup games. More info here. 

💡 Say It in Spanish

Ahorita le aviso
Translation: I’ll let you know in a bit.

This is one of those phrases that sounds immediate, but may or may not be.

You’ll hear it from contractors, receptionists, delivery drivers, your landlord, and basically anyone who doesn’t have an answer for you quite yet.

Sometimes it means five minutes. Sometimes tomorrow. Sometimes…well, gently lower your expectations.

What happens when the S&P moves 3% during your commute?

We are living in volatile times. While you cannot control the state of international affairs, you can position your portfolio accordingly.

Liquid is one of the fastest growing trading platforms, allowing users to trade stocks, commodities, FX, and more 24/7/365 from their phone and computer.

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🎯 Trivia Answer

Lake Bacalar.

Famous for its brilliant “Seven Colors” of blue, Lake Bacalar is home to living stromatolites – rare microbial formations built by cyanobacteria. Stromatolites as a life form date back around 3.5 billion years, making them some of the oldest known evidence of life on Earth, predating humans, dinosaurs, and even plants.

At first glance, they look like pale underwater rocks or giant cauliflower formations. But they’re actually living structures formed by microorganisms called cyanobacteria, which slowly trap sediment and minerals layer by layer over thousands of years.

Stromatolites now exist in only a handful of places worldwide. These rare formations preserve ancient environmental history and help remove carbon from the atmosphere – much like trees do on land.

But they’re fragile. Tourism, pollution, sunscreen, and physical contact with the formations can permanently damage the organisms.

See these ancient living formations for yourself.

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