U.S. Troops Ordered Into Mexico as President Vows 'Not On Our Watch!

MEXICO CITY — In a bombshell interview just weeks before he's out the door, a top Supreme Court justice has slammed the government's controversial judicial overhaul, calling it a "historic error" that will cost the country dearly.

Outgoing Minister Javier Laynez Potisek warns that Mexico is on the verge of destroying its entire system of judicial experience in favor of a popularity contest that will install a tailor-made court beholden to political masters. "I'm not an opponent of the government," Laynez declared, "but I believe that in this reform they made a mistake and it will cost us a lot, a lot as a country."

The outgoing court, which Laynez says was strengthened by a 1994 reform, is about to be swept away on September 1st by a new system where judges are elected by popular vote. Laynez scoffs at the idea, arguing the impartial function of a judge is incompatible with having to campaign and make promises.

In an astonishing admission, the departing justice revealed the court is leaving behind massive unresolved cases, including three blockbuster lawsuits against tycoon Ricardo Salinas Pliego's Grupo Salinas for a staggering 35 BILLION pesos in back taxes. Laynez blames the delay on "legal shenanigans" and stalling tactics from the company's lawyers—a tactic, he accuses, that the federal government itself has copied in other cases.

With the clock ticking on his tenure, Laynez is vacating his office, but not without a final, chilling prediction: international human rights courts will one day condemn Mexico for the reform. The consequence? The state may have to "compensate" the hundreds of experienced judges and magistrates being kicked to the curb.

He says the new court will have to prove its independence. "I would tell you, well, they will prove that, despite that, they are independent," he concluded, dripping with skepticism.

Yankee, Don't Go Home

MEXICO CITY – Hell no, we won't go! That’s the Mexican government’s "blunt" message to Washington after revelations that President Trump secretly green-lit using military force against drug cartels in Mexico.

In a hard-hitting statement, the foreign ministry, led by Juan Ramón de la Fuente, laid down the law: Mexico will not permit American military forces on its territory. The diplomatic smackdown came after The New York Times revealed Trump’s secret directive to use the Pentagon against cartels he branded as terrorist groups.

The government's seven-point communiqué insists that all collaboration must be based on "unrestricted respect for our sovereignties."In a thinly veiled jab at the U.S.'s own internal problems, the statement adds, "Each one must work in its own country to address the causes that provoke addictions and the violence derived from the illegal trafficking of drugs and arms."

The tough talk from Mexico follows Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who also blasted the idea of any U.S. military operation in Latin America without permission as an "aggression against Latin America and the Caribbean."Petro and his Bolivian counterpart, Luis Arce, also slammed the U.S. for issuing a bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, calling it a "colonialist practice."

Storm Batters Capital

MEXICO CITY – A heavy downpour Sunday night unleashed total chaos across the capital, flooding the international airport, knocking out a subway line with an explosion, and turning city streets into raging rivers of—get this—purple water.

The storm sent travelers at the Benito Juárez International Airport scrambling as access roads became impassable and the terminal itself suffered leaks and flooding. The mayhem was so bad that airport operations were temporarily suspended.

Meanwhile, the city's Metro system took a direct hit when a short circuit caused an explosion on Line 2, forcing a suspension of service between the key stations of Tasqueña and San Antonio Abad. The blast plunged terrified commuters into darkness and filled the air with smoke.

If that wasn't enough, freak downpours also swamped the Balbuena neighborhood and the government building of the Iztacalco borough, with reports of widespread flooding and generalized chaos. In a bizarre twist, runoff from a fabric dyeing factory reportedly turned floodwaters in the streets of San Antonio Abad a shocking shade of purple.

Ghost Town Rising

MEXICO CITY – Welcome to San Pedro Mártir, the neighborhood of broken promises. Residents of this southern community in Tlalpan are fuming over a landscape of half-finished public works, abandoned by contractors who say they simply haven't been paid.

For months, projects that were supposed to improve daily life—including a senior center, a library, and a community dining hall—have sat gathering dust. The city's Public Works and Services Secretariat has been blasted for its "lack of follow-up" and failure to pay its bills, leaving locals in the lurch.

The head of citizen participation for the neighborhood, Ana María Torres, says that despite filing numerous official complaints, the projects remain paralyzed. The situation has become a glaring symbol of government inefficiency, leaving residents wondering if the ghost town in their own backyard will ever be completed.

The Billion-Peso Train

ZEMPOALA, HIDALGO – Officials are touting it as the future of travel: a sleek, high-speed train connecting Mexico City to Pachuca, with a stop at the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA). The price tag? A cool 47 billion pesos. The completion date? Sometime in the first half of 2027.

President Claudia Sheinbaum, touring the construction site, promised the train will slash the brutal commute between the two capital cities to just one hour and 15 minutes, carrying 108,000 passengers daily. Currently, the project is at a mere 4% completion.

The plan calls for 15 electric trains traveling at speeds up to 130 kilometers per hour. Sheinbaum praised the military engineers in charge of the job and claimed that since the right-of-way has been cleared, progress will now happen "much faster."For the thousands of workers and students who make the grueling trip daily, 2027 can't come soon enough.

Blood and Politics

MANZANILLO, COLIMA – Six months after a prominent left-wing activist and his wife were brutally gunned down in the port city of Manzanillo, a citizen's collective is now publicly accusing the state government of a "presumed lack of action" and dragging its feet on the investigation.

Arturo Fabián Galván Birrueta and his wife, Rosa María Magdalena Frías Medina, were executed on February 2nd of this year. Galván Birrueta, a co-founder of the ruling Morena party in the state, had become one of the most vocal critics of Governor Indira Vizcaíno Silva and Manzanillo's mayor, Rosa María Bayardo Cabrera, both from his own party.

In a blistering open letter, supporters claim the investigation is moving with "worrying slowness" and that the state prosecutor has a clear conflict of interest, being part of the same political group as the officials Galván Birrueta was criticizing. They are demanding federal authorities take over the case to find the "real material and intellectual authors of such atrocious crimes".

The letter also alleges "tenacious political persecution" against the former mayor of Manzanillo, Griselda Martínez, who was recently expelled from the Morena party by its then-president, Mario Delgado. Her crime? Daring to denounce that money from organized crime was funding the party's campaigns in 2024, including the presidential one. The whole affair paints a grim picture of politics in the state of Colima as "extremely dense, full of risks and impunity".

Nissan Says Adiós

CUERNAVACA, MORELOS – It's the end of an era. Nissan, one of the titans of the auto world, is planning to close its historic factory in Cuernavaca, a casualty of crippling U.S. tariffs and a severe crisis rocking the Japanese auto industry.

The Cuernavaca plant, which opened way back in 1966, is one of seven factories worldwide that Nissan is eyeing for closure as it looks to slash 20,000 jobs globally. The move comes as profits for Japan's top automakers have plummeted a jaw-dropping 97 percent in the first half of the year, with the so-called "tarifuzo" (a massive tariff) costing manufacturers over $4 billion. Nissan is reportedly the hardest-hit of them all.

The crisis highlights a strategic pivot, with rival Suzuki weathering the storm better by focusing on markets in Europe, India, and Latin America, while the U.S. only represents a small slice of its motorcycle business. For the workers in Morelos, however, it's a devastating blow from a global economic battle.

It's Good to Be the King

MEXICO CITY – While you're working, they're tanning. Senators from the ruling Morena party are getting a sweet reward for their "hard work"—two extra weeks of vacation starting this Monday.

According to legislative insiders, the party's coordinator, Adán Augusto López Hernández, authorized the extended break because the upcoming legislative session is expected to be "intense". The generous holiday extension comes after a "tough" extraordinary session in June and July where lawmakers, in some cases, worked into the wee hours of the morning.

One senator, Cuauhtémoc Ochoa, even managed to get a day's leave to get married and was then able to go on his honeymoon. The extra-long summer break for the ruling class politicians comes as the country faces major legislative challenges, including crucial laws on security and justice reform. The possibility of extending the vacation does not, however, apply to the nine senators who are titular members of the Permanent Commission, which operates during congressional recesses.

The Extortion Emergency

MEXICO CITY – Let's get real for a second. While Mexico's cultural renaissance is exploding, a darker reality persists. The government has just launched a nationwide anti-extortion hotline (089) with this chilling protocol:

1. Hang up immediately if you receive an extortion call
2. Call 089 (the exclusive national number)
3. Receive immediate assistance and have the threatening line blocked

The government's blunt warning: "Are you a victim of extortion? Hang up and call 089."

While tourist areas remain relatively safe, the reality is that Mexico's extortion epidemic affects everyone. As one security expert said: "It's not just about protecting tourists—it's about protecting the very soul of Mexico from criminal elements that threaten its future as a top global destination."

Boxing's Best-Kept Secret

SAN NICOLÁS DE LOS GARZA – While American tourists flock to Tulum to "find themselves," a different kind of transformation is happening in San Nicolás de los Garza. Meet Olvera, a 24-year-old boxer from Mexico City who's been training for four years at the CARE facilities, preparing for "the most important competitions in the world."

His message to aspiring fighters? "Dream big. If you believe it's possible, it takes a lot of work, a lot of effort, but everything can be achieved. Don't be afraid of heights, be adventurous, find where to train, listen to coaches—that effort is everything, that's most important."

Documentary filmmaker José Medina has been capturing the raw, unfiltered lives of Mexican fighters in a project that reveals the brutal physical toll of the sport. As Medina told reporters: "They recognize they run risks. They end up with broken noses. I went with someone who had a collection of X-rays, his and his friends'. It's strong and that's why it's worth talking about, humanizing the fighters."

For tourists seeking authentic experiences beyond the typical "cultural tour," Medina's docufiction offers a glimpse into Mexico's beating heart—where dreams are forged in sweat and sacrifice.

From the Mailbag

Chiapas Snubbed

Artisans and their supporters are up in arms after a high-level cultural official, Marina Núñez Bespalova, gave a major presentation on government support for the crafts sector and somehow failed to even mention the state of Chiapas. A letter to the editor fumes that the state's world-renowned textiles, embroidery, and amber jewelry were ignored, and its 11,000 artisans were left out of new training programs. An apology and clarification have been demanded.

Theater for the TikTok Age

Centro Cultural del Bosque Theater troupe Sabandijas is staging a residency called Locura, feminismos y memoria—think “Mujeres al borde” meets Black Mirror. Expect live video art, hysteria cabaret, and a 70-minute museum rave dedicated to a guy named Gabriel Horner. Catch it: August 13–September 21. BYO anxiety meds.

Avoid Manzanillo

Activists warn of "slow-motion murders" in Colima after a critic of the governor was executed. Federal intervention demanded.

Bank Nightmare

A 90-year-old man’s account was FROZEN because his "fingerprints faded." A judge forced the bank to repay him—with interest.

Travel Tips for August 2025

✅ DO visit Guanajuato for the International Film Festival honoring actress Ana Martín (who famously declared: "I don't like acting, but living my characters").

✅ DO check out indigenous language events—FLIN 2025 continues through August.

✅ DON'T ignore the 089 anti-extortion number—save it in your phone before you land.

✅ DO explore beyond tourist zones—real Mexico is waiting just around the corner.

🍳 Parting Shot

A final ode to the egg hoax on X: If you see a 50-peso huevo, it’s either organic, free-range, and blessed by a shaman—or it’s plastic and full of cocaine. Choose wisely.

¡Hasta la próxima!