Articles by MND Staff

Technology

Pemex pipeline spills into Veracruz’s Pantepec River, complicating flood cleanup

The recent heavy rain in Veracruz damaged a section of the Poza Rica-Ciudad Madero petroleum pipeline, leading to a significant oil spill in the Pantepec River, according to the state oil company Pemex. Pemex said in a statement on Tuesday that it had repaired the affected section of its pipeline, which is located in the municipality of Álamo Temapache in northern Veracruz. Pemex said that it responded “immediately” to the pipeline’s “loss of containment” through “the activation of industrial and environmental safety protocols.” It didn’t say when the damage to the pipeline and the resultant oil spill occurred. Torrential rain fell in Veracruz and the neighboring states of Puebla, Hidalgo and San Luis Potosí two weeks ago, causing widespread flooding that has claimed at least 79 lives. A resident of Álamo, a town on the Pantepec River that was severely affected by flooding, told the Associated Press that locals became aware of the oil spill last weekend. “Sincerely, we’re very worried,” Arturo de Luna said. A video posted to social media showed a splotchy spill of oil on the muddy brown water of the Pantepec River. The spill extended into the Tuxpan River, which is part of the same river system. Pemex said that the spill occurred along an eight-kilometer-long stretch of river, but local residents say the damage is more extensive, the news site Latinus reported. Recovery of ecosystem could take years, activist says Alejandra Jiménez, an activist with the water-focused environmental organization Foundation Chalchi, told the Associated Press earlier this week that it was too early to fully assess the impact of the oil spill. However, she said that the recovery of the ecosystem could take years. “The prevention phase didn’t happen, so now they have to keep it from spreading,” Jiménez said. The Pantepec River is a significant river, originating in the state of Hidalgo and emptying into the Gulf of Mexico near Tuxpan, Veracruz. It supplies water for a number of communities including Tuxpan. According to the news magazine Proceso, local residents reported that oil had reached Veracruz Water Commission pumps that supply water to Tuxpan. Residents also reported a “strong smell of fuel,” Proceso said. Containment and cleanup Pemex said Tuesday that federal, state and municipal authorities had collaborated to install two containment barriers and oil-absorbing booms in the Pantepec River. The state oil company also said that “pumping and surface collection equipment” was being used to remove oil from the river. “With the main operations already completed, Pemex continues cleanup and remediation work along the riverbanks and nearby areas. During the day, three additional [containment] barriers will be installed. Specialized personnel are carrying out cleaning tasks, waste collection, and the application of absorbent materials to restore the environment’s natural conditions,” Pemex said Tuesday. In a separate statement also issued on Tuesday, the state oil company said that “more than 180,000 liters of hydrocarbons” had been “recovered” following the installation of oil-absorbing barriers. It noted that more than 600 people, including 500 from Pemex and the Mexican Navy, were responding to the situation. Some of those workers were carrying out operations of “suction and removal of hydrocarbons contained in the barriers,” Pemex said. Oil removed from the river was taken away in Pemex tanker trucks. On Wednesday, Pemex said that “intense” work to contain and clean up the oil spill — including the installation of additional oil-absorbing barriers — was continuing. The state oil company also said that the Poza Rica-Madero pipeline had “safely resumed operations.” For its part, the Navy Ministry (SEMAR) said on Wednesday that the oil spill had been contained. The ministry said that meteorological and tidal conditions were being monitored in order to make any necessary adjustments to “contention, recovery and cleanup operations.” “… This institution is carrying out precise monitoring, employing two airplanes, a helicopter, two drones, seven vessels, and ten vehicles of the Mexican Navy,” SEMAR said. The ministry explained that the navy is conducting “reconnaissance flights as well as maritime and land patrols in the municipalities at greatest risk, such as Álamo and Tuxpan, in order to monitor the movement of hydrocarbons in the Pantepec River through direct observation.” With reports from Proceso, Latinus, El Economista and AP

2 days ago

Technology

Health Ministry announces 8-billion-peso breast cancer prevention program: Tuesday’s mañanera recapped

In the context of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, President Claudia Sheinbaum told her Tuesday morning press conference that her government will make a “very significant investment” in a multifaceted program called the “Universal Care Model for Breast Cancer.” Health Minister David Kershenobich outlined the scheme. Early in the mañanera, Mexico’s Civil Protection chief Laura Velázquez gave a brief update on the floods that have devastated large swaths of the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla, San Luis Potosí and Querétaro this month. Health minister outlines 8-billion-peso breast cancer program Kershenobich told reporters that breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women in Mexico, with “approximately” one death every hour on average. He said that women aged over 40 are most at risk, and highlighted that 25.5 million women in Mexico fall into that category. “That’s why the Universal Care Model for Breast Cancer has been designed,” Kershenobich said. During his presentation, the health minister said that the government will carry out an educational campaign that alerts “the population in general,” and especially women, to risk factors for developing breast cancer, including obesity, alcohol consumption and smoking. He emphasized the importance of the early detection of breast cancer and noted that a separate campaign will encourage women to conduct breast self-exams. Kershenobich also said that the government will carry out a campaign encouraging women aged 40 and over to have a mammogram every two years. “Currently, we have 656 mammography systems in 640 hospitals that treat breast cancer. It is necessary to increase this resource in order to provide care to all women who meet the criteria I just mentioned a few moments ago. To this end, one thousand new mammography systems and one thousand new ultrasound machines will be acquired,” he said. The equipment will be purchased in 2026 and 2027, according to the government. Among other initiatives associated with the Universal Care Model for Breast Cancer, Kershenobich said that “32 hospital units,” where oncological care for women will be provided, will be built, one in each state of the country. The total outlay on the government’s breast cancer initiative will be around 8 billion pesos (US $434 million), according to Sheinbaum. “It’s a very significant investment; it [represents] a before and after in breast cancer care and the objective is to reduce deaths,” she said. More than 100 communities still cut off due to flooding Laura Velázquez reported that 112 communities in three flood-affected states remain isolated. The Civil Protection chief said that 74 of those communities are in Hidalgo, 31 are in Veracruz and seven are in Puebla. Although dozens of air bridges have been established, Velázquez said that authorities had been unable to reach 10 flood-affected communities in Hidalgo. “Today we’ll be arriving in these 10 towns,” she said. The flood-related death toll is currently 76, according to the government’s flood data website. An additional 31 people are classified as missing.

4 days ago

Technology

Tourism to Mexico’s ancient ruins and museums surpasses pre-pandemic levels

The number of visitors to Mexico’s archaeological sites and museums has risen above pre-pandemic levels, Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez Zamora reported Sunday. Attendance at Mexico’s archaeological sites and museums rose to 14.6 million between January and August 2025, reflecting a greater interest in or awareness of the country’s cultural heritage. Mexico’s museums attracted 7.7 million visitors in this period, marking a 17.6% rise over the same period in 2024 and a 3.9% increase compared to 2019, the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic began. This figure consisted of 89% domestic and 11% foreign visitors. Meanwhile, 6.9 million people visited Mexico’s archaeological sites between January and August, with 64% national and 36% foreign visitors. This marks a 4% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The most visited sites were the Maya ruins of Chichén Itzá in the Yucatán Peninsula, with 1.5 million visitors; the Teotihuacán pyramids in México state, with 1.2 million; and the Tulum ruins on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, with 790,000 visitors. Together, visitors to these sites represented 51% of the national total. “The increase in visits to museums and archaeological sites reflects the interest of national and international tourists in learning about and appreciating our cultural heritage,” Rodríguez Zamora said in Sunday’s press release, “which in turn drives local economic development and contributes to the generation of shared prosperity.” According to information from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), Mexico’s most-visited museums so far this year have been the National Museum of Anthropology, the National Museum of History and the Templo Mayor Museum, all of which are in Mexico City. “Mexico’s historical and cultural wealth is one of our greatest tourist attractions,” said Rodríguez Zamora. “Each museum and archaeological site tells a part of our history and allows us to showcase Mexico’s greatness to the world, thus strengthening the arrival of more visitors and the development of cultural tourism in the country.” With reports from La Jornada Maya

4 days ago

Technology

Suspect arrested in connection with murder of Michoacán lime growers’ leader

Hours after the murder of Bernardo Bravo, leader of the Apatzingán (Michoacán) Citrus Growers Association (ACVA), federal authorities announced the arrest of a man accused of extorting the lime growers Bravo was fighting to protect. Security Minister Omar García Harfuch issued a statement on social media early Tuesday announcing that the detainee is allegedly a member of the crime gang collecting extortion fees from lime producers and avocado growers in the region. The suspect was identified as Rigoberto “N,” aka “El Pantano” (“The Swamp”). García Harfuch said the arrest was the result of an operation carried out in conjunction with the Defense Ministry, the National Security Cabinet, the Michoacán governor’s office and the state Attorney General’s Office. The suspect is allegedly the operational chief of the extortionists known as “Los Blancos de Troya,” described as allies of “Los Viagras” — a drug trafficking crime family — and the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Though “El Pantano” has not been charged with the murder, he is suspected of playing a role in Bravo’s death. “The investigation will continue until all those responsible are found,” García Harfuch said. Bravo had been organizing local lime growers to resist the extortion scheme that has long plagued producers in the region. On Oct. 16, Bravo issued a video announcing that the ACVA was preparing to take action at Monday’s Tianguis Limonero (Lime Market) in Apatzingán by preventing “intermediaries” sent by crime gangs from setting prices for the farmers’ limes. Days earlier, Bravo had rejected orders issued by the extortionists that limes only be harvested on specific days (so as to facilitate control) before leading a protest march from the tianguis to downtown Apatzingán. On Oct. 14, Bravo called on President Claudia Sheinbaum and the federal government for help. “We strongly, firmly and respectfully ask the president to recognize that the agricultural sector is in crisis, and … we need funds to continue working,” he said. Six days later, Bravo’s tortured body was found in the front seat of his pick-up truck, killed by a bullet to the back of his head. On Tuesday morning, Sheinbaum promised justice, saying her entire security cabinet was working with local authorities to investigate the murder. State and federal authorities have been battling cartels in the Tierra Caliente (Hot Country) of Michoacán for years. Last year, five lime-packing houses went on strike to protest the lack of security. Even recent arrests have not deterred the cartels. In February, Gerardo “N,” alias “La Silla” — the leader of Los Blancos de Troya — was captured in Apatzingán. In addition to extortion charges, “La Silla” is accused of murdering two agents of the Federal Attorney General’s Office. Just a few weeks ago, Jhon Mario “N”, alias “El Llanero,” was arrested on extortion charges. Earlier this year, Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla inaugurated a military barracks that cost 13 million pesos (US $705,500) in an effort to clamp down on criminal gangs operating in the Tierra Caliente. However, a month later, at least 30 lime farmers temporarily shuttered operations after receiving threats from cartels. With reports from El Universal, Infobae, CBS News and TV Azteca

4 days ago

Technology

Mexican economy contracts 0.6% in September, capping weak Q3

The Mexican economy contracted 0.6% in annual terms in September, according to preliminary data from the national statistics agency INEGI. Reported by INEGI on Tuesday morning in its “Timely Indicator of Economic Activity” report, the contraction in September follows a preliminary data reading of a 0.6% year-over-year decline in August. Final data for August will be published this Wednesday. Economically speaking, it was a poor third quarter for Mexico as GDP also declined in annual terms in July, falling 1.2%, according to final data. If confirmed by final data, an annual economic contraction in the third quarter of 2025 — as appears inevitable — would be the Mexican economy’s first year-over-year decline for any quarter since Q1 of 2021, according to Banco Base’s director of economic analysis, Gabriela Siller. In a social media post on Tuesday, Siller said that INEGI’s data indicates that the Mexican economy grew 0.5% in the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period of last year. Weak activity in secondary sector INEGI’s preliminary data shows that secondary sector activity declined 3% in annual seasonally adjusted terms in September. INEGI estimates that the sector’s output declined 2.7% annually in August, while a 2.8% contraction was reported for July. Mexico’s manufacturing production volume has recently declined, even as export revenue continues to grow. In better news, INEGI’s preliminary data shows that the tertiary sector grew 0.8% annually in September and 0.4% in August, after expanding 0.4% in July. INEGI didn’t publish preliminary data relating to the primary sector in September and August. That sector, which includes agricultural, forestry and fishing activities, contracted 12.2% annually in July. Economy almost stagnant on a month-over-month basis INEGI also published preliminary data on Tuesday that showed that the Mexican economy grew just 0.1% in September compared to the previous month. INEGI estimates that sequential growth was 0.1% in August as well. In July, the economy contracted 0.9% compared to June. The outlook for the Mexican economy Mexico’s Finance Ministry is forecasting growth of between 0.5% and 1.5% this year, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) are predicting expansions within that range. In late September, the IMF revised upward its 2025 growth forecast for Mexico to 1% from a prediction in April of a 0.3% contraction. The OECD also recently raised its 2025 growth forecast for Mexico and is now predicting a 0.8% expansion. The median estimate of 33 economists polled by Reuters this month is that Mexico’s economy will record annual growth of 0.5% this year and 1.3% in 2026. Reuters reported that “key drivers” of the forecasts for the Mexican economy in 2026 are “hopes for a successful renegotiation of the U.S.-Canada-Mexico (USMCA) trade deal and an expected short-term boost from the soccer World Cup to be hosted in the three countries” next year. “Still, already implemented U.S. levies and the threat of more tariffs globally will continue limiting Mexico’s economy while trade negotiations drag on, particularly in most affected sectors like the automotive industry,” the news agency wrote. With reports from Aristegui Noticias, La Jornada, El Economista and Reuters

4 days ago

Technology

Pacific harbor seals vanishing from Baja California waters, study finds

Pacific harbor seals — the playful, whiskered charmers found along the West Coast from southern Alaska to Baja California — are vanishing at an alarming rate from their southernmost range, new research shows. A study found a 61.2% population decline on the Baja California Peninsula over a six-year period, with researchers recording a drop from 7,380 individuals in 2016 to 2,863 by 2022. The study was led by the Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE), a public research institute in Baja California founded by the federal government in 1973. The Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) and the University of the Americas Puebla (UDLAP) also contributed. “This is a decline by colony as well as across the entire area,” said María Guadalupe Ruiz Mar, a doctoral student at CICESE. She noted that colonies have collapsed from 44 in 2009 to just four sites this year, as revealed by aerial surveys conducted from April to June. The species, though not listed as endangered, currently has special protection under Mexican official standard NOM-059, which is currently under review. “It would be a good time to reconsider their conservation status,” said Gisela Heckel Dziendzielewski, a CICESE researcher and director of the study. “Their disappearance is a clear sign that the marine and terrestrial ecosystem is under pressure. Protecting their habitat also means protecting the health of the ocean.” “If food availability is low, seals don’t have the energy reserves necessary to increase the number of pups,” Ruiz Mar added. “If the female isn’t well-fed and doesn’t have enough fat reserves, she won’t carry a pregnancy to term or be able to breastfeed successfully.” Affectionately known as “sea puppies” for their dog-like eyes and playfulness, the Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardii) inhabits nine islands and archipelagos off the Baja Peninsula and parts of the coast. They are not to be confused with the much larger elephant seal, and specifically one named Panchito — a rugged individualist who once again in 2025 traveled thousands of kilometers from his chilly home waters in the Southern Hemisphere to “summer” in Baja California. Pacific harbor seals prefer nearshore coastal environments, especially subtidal and intertidal zones, bays, and estuaries. They frequently hang out on rocky shores, mudflats, sandbars and occasionally glacial ice for rest, molting and pupping. “Seals are very sensitive to disturbance,” Ruiz Mar said. “We believe the presence of people and vehicles during [rock quarrying] causes them to persistently flee into the water and abandon the sites where they rest and breed.” With reports from La Jornada and El Imparcial

4 days ago