“Emilia Pérez” received 10 nominations, including for best musical/comedy film, best non-English film and best screenplay. Audacious French filmmaker Jacques Audiard, who based the 132-minute movie on an opera libretto that he wrote, is nominated for best director.

The film’s other nominations are Spaniard Karla Sofia Gascón for best actress in a musical/comedy film; Americans Zoë Saldaña and Selena Gomez, each for best supporting actress; best original score; and two entries in the best original song category.

“The Brutalist,” in which an architect grapples with his past, including Holocaust trauma, received the second most nominations with seven.

“Emilia Pérez” premiered last year at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won a Jury Prize and its four lead female actresses (the three above plus Mexican Adriana Paz) received a combined best actress award. The Times of London has declared it “one of the year’s best films.”

It also served as the opening night film in the Morelia International Film Festival in October and has already accumulated 55 awards and 149 nominations from various festivals and cinematic entities around the world.

Netflix acquired its distribution rights in North America and the United Kingdom, and since Nov. 13 has been streaming the film in those regions but not in Mexico.
According to reports, the film will open Jan. 23 in theaters in Mexico, where it has received the “Cinépolis Guarantee,” assuring moviegoers of the film’s quality. This, however, has led to debate in Mexico, with some social media users criticizing both the film (see below) and Cinépolis’ decision to support it.

“Emilia Pérez” follows the journey of four women in Mexico, each in search of their own happiness. The film is primarily in Spanish, although as this trailer reveals, several scenes feature English, notably those involving Gomez and Saldaña.

Gomez, born in Grand Prairie, Texas in 1992, is an American singer and former Disney Channel star whose father’s family is from Monterrey, Nuevo León. She has spoken often about her pride in her heritage, and she regularly celebrates her Mexican roots through her work and music (and by having learned to speak Spanish).

In “Emilia Pérez,” Gomez plays Lola, an influential friend to the lead character, the former cartel leader Emilia, after she transitions to a woman. Emilia, portrayed by Gascón, faces a rocky road as she navigates her identity and challenges as a woman.

Saldaña plays a lawyer that Emilia hires to help carry out her longtime plan to fake her death and undergo gender-affirming procedures.

The film is a musical odyssey set primarily in a vibrant, pulsating Mexico City. The soundtrack has been nominated for a Golden Globe, as have the songs “Mi Camino” and “El Mal.”

Because the film mixes the musical genre with gender identity and forced disappearances in Mexico, it has been criticized by some for its lack of sensitivity in addressing such delicate issues.

There also has been backlash because the main characters are not portrayed by Mexicans. Casting director Carla Hool has stated that although Mexican actresses were scouted, the best options proved to be European and American — a comment that generated social media accusations of racism and lack of representation.

Gascón fueled the criticism by calling the detractors “gatos,” which translates to “cats” but in this context is an insult, probably implying that the critics lack independent thought and are acting ignorantly.

In the category for best motion picture that’s a musical or comedy, “Emilia Pérez” will be competing against the box office smash “Wicked,” the sometimes funny drama “A Real Pain,” the dark romantic comedy “Anora,” the tennis-love triangle “Challengers” and the Demi Moore movie “The Substance.”

Winners will be chosen by 334 entertainment journalists from 85 countries.

The 82nd Golden Globes will be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser for the first time. Paramount+ will livestream the ceremony, which will be televised in the United States by CBS starting at 7 p.m. Mexico City time.

With reports from Infobae, El Sol de México, Russh and Reuters

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Elected to office on June 2 and sworn in on Oct. 5, Brugada announced the strategy during the inauguration of the city’s first Agua Bienestar purification plant in the Coyoacán borough on Monday.

The plant is going to help solve water problems, as well, the Morena party member noted. Starting next Monday, 19-liter garrafones (jugs) of purified water will be sold mainly to low-income residents and those in areas that suffer from chronic shortages — for only five pesos (US 24 cents) each, with an additional 80 pesos (US $3.83) up-front cost for the reusable plastic jug.

A filled 19- or 20-liter garrafón in Mexico generally retails for 48 to 60 pesos (US $2.30 to $2.87), although self-fill purification stations can cut the cost to about 13 to 26 pesos (US 62 cents to $1.24).

This part of the strategy aims to alleviate financial strain on families who are hit harder than others because of repeated water woes in their areas. The program will initially serve 738 neighborhoods and districts lacking sufficient water infrastructure that are sometimes subject to rationing.

“I want to make it very clear that Agua Bienestar solves part of the problem, but the underlying problem — the problem of water scarcity — will be addressed with sectorization, redistribution, infrastructure, water balance and sustainability,” Brugada said. “That is the way we are going to solve things.”

Brugada said a good start is reducing by 50% the city’s reliance on water from the Cutzamala System, so the three main reservoirs that feed it can recover.

Though abundant July rains in Michoacán and México state — home to Cutzamala’s largest reservoirs — helped boost CDMX’s water supply, drought conditions persist and the Cutzamala System currently is operating at 65% capacity.

The National Water Commission (Conagua) has noted that the Cutzamala System supplies around 28% of the capital’s water. This summer, the system was briefly shut off for repairs.

“At least for two years, we will receive only half of what Cutzamala supplied us last year, ensuring its long-term viability,” the mayor said.

Brugada also detailed plans to infiltrate more rainwater into aquifers, which supply 70% of Mexico City’s water.

She said investment will focus on reviewing, maintaining and improving well infrastructure; setting up water-treatment facilities in more communities; and implementing automated systems to monitor and resolve water supply issues promptly.

Brugada said 15 billion pesos (US $718.5 million) will be allocated for these water initiatives; that’s out of the 291.5 billion pesos (US $13.98 billion) that she proposed last week for Mexico City’s overall 2025 budget.

“A large part of the resources will be used to guarantee that the existing wells function and provide the amount of water that should be,” she said.

Brugada’s government aims to construct at least one purification plant in each of CDMX’s 16 boroughs, with some areas receiving up to four. This expansion, supported by 30 million pesos (US $1.45 million) at the outset, is expected to produce 200,000 jugs per month by the end of 2025.

“We’re prioritizing areas where water scarcity and poverty intersect,” Brugada said, adding that no individual application process is required. “This is about addressing systemic inequality in water access.”

“This is an immediate step to support those who need it most while we work on long-term solutions,” added Mario Esparza, Mexico City’s minister of water management. He also assured residents that the purified water meets the highest quality standards.

Brugada said her administration is committed to resolving water shortages citywide by 2027, in equitable and sustainable ways.

With reports from El Universal and La Jornada

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Coupled with the prospect of tariffs being slapped on exports to the U.S. under President-elect Donald Trump, tequila’s glory days in the United States seem to be in peril.

“The tequila industry is set for a very turbulent 2025,” Trevor Stirling, an analyst with the financial management firm Bernstein, told FT.

“Much more new spirit is being distilled than is being sold, and inventories are starting to accumulate,” he added.

Half a billion liters of surplus tequila in storage

According to FT, Mexico was sitting on more 525 million liters of tequila in inventory at the end of 2023.

Also, about one-sixth of the 599 million liters of tequila produced last year remained in inventory — according to figures shared with FT by the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) — although some of that is being aged in barrels rather than waiting to be bottled or sold.

U.S. consumers’ thirst for tequila has grown rapidly over the past decade, in part due to a host of celebrity-backed brands such as comedian Kevin Hart’s Gran Coramino, model-influencer Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila and actor George Clooney’s Casamigos.

Another such brand, Santo — founded by celebrity chef Guy Fieri and rocker Sammy Hagar — was reportedly victimized by a heist in the U.S. last month that netted the thieves more than 24,000 bottles of the stuff.

Despite the robbery, demand for tequila in the United States has fallen over the past 18 months, with FT citing two reasons: a decline in the pandemic spirits boom and imbibers cutting back on their drinking due to higher prices.

FT wrote that sales of spirits in the U.S. shrank 3% during the first seven months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, based on data provided by IWSR, a leading analyst of the global alcoholic beverage industry.

IWSR, which originally stood for the International Wine and Spirits Record, noted that U.S. tequila consumption fell 1.1% during that span — well below its 4% rise in 2023 and 17% rise in 2021 at the height of the tequila surge, FT reported.

The volume of tequila exported from Mexico reached an apex of 418.9 million liters in 2022, marking the 13th straight year of growth.

Over that span, tequila exports from Mexico increased by 207% — and since 1995 the increase was a whopping 548%.

However, the export volume dipped to 401.4 liters last year, according to data from Statista.com, a 4.2% dropoff from 2022.

Tariffs threaten to deepen the tequila slump

Adding to the emerging tequila slump is Trump’s threat to hit Mexico, the U.S.’s biggest trading partner, with a 25% tariff on its goods.

“It would be shooting themselves in the foot because their consumers would have to pay much more,” said CRT president Ramón González.

FT noted that Mexico relies on the United States to buy 83% of its exports.

Two-thirds of all tequila produced in Mexico was exported in 2023, FT reported, with 80% of that going to the United States. The next two largest export markets were Germany and Spain, with about 2% each, according to FT.

Tequila is protected by a designation of origin. Like French champagne or Italian parmesan cheese, products using the name tequila can be produced only in regions officially recognized by the Guadalajara-based CRT: most of Jalisco and parts of Nayarit, Michoacán, Guanajuato and Tamaulipas.

In addition, tequila must be made of at least 51% blue Weber agave, with an added requirement for “agave tequila” (such as blanco or silver) that all sugars come from blue agave.

Citing research by Bernstein, FT noted that large tequila brands have been cutting prices for more than a year in response to weaker consumer demand.

Moreover, the price of agave has plummeted from about 30 pesos per kilo to between six and eight pesos (for suppliers with contracts), or as low as two pesos on the spot market, according to producers and farmers, FT wrote.

With reports from Financial Times and Reuters

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The zoo’s new director, José María “Chema” Casanova Rodríguez, confirmed Thursday that when he assumed his role on Nov. 7, the giraffe was already absent. Casanova said determining the animal’s fate falls to his predecessor, Diego García Heredia, who oversaw the zoo during the giraffe’s last recorded presence.

La jirafa que anda perdida del Zoo de Culiacán, anda turisteando por la ciudad pic.twitter.com/pSGQflKWe3

— Culiacán, Sinaloa (@EsCuliacan) December 27, 2024

“When I arrived, the [second] giraffe was no longer there,” explained Casanova, who was a Morena city council member in Culiacán, from 2021 to earlier this year. “The [outgoing director] is the one who has to give that answer. As in all zoos … there is a possibility that there was an exchange between zoos, or that there was a death — if so, there should be a necropsy [an animal autopsy].”

Casanova said he has until Jan. 13 to complete a report that includes information about the zoo’s animal inventory and records of animal deliveries and outgoing shipments.

However, he indicated he will present his report a week early, on Jan. 6, so the fate of the giraffe can be clarified.

“I need to finish the handover to determine exactly what happened, not only to the giraffe, but perhaps to all the animals that are or were in the zoo,” he added. 

Input from the former director is expected, and Culiacán Mayor Juan de Dios Gámez Mendívil was reportedly looking to meet with zoo staff on Friday to discuss the situation.

As of Friday morning, there were no reports of theft or disappearance of the giraffe, according to Leoncio Pedro García Alatorre, a public security official in Sinaloa. However, he did say that about three and a half months ago, a citizen called an emergency line to report that people were trying to steal a tiger from the zoo (a complaint that was later determined to be false).

Since then, García said, patrols have been maintained near the zoo, with no anomalies reported.

The news of the missing giraffe quickly gained traction online, with local residents creating memes that imagined the over four-meter (13-foot) animal in iconic nearby locations, such as the Tomateros baseball stadium and the Forum Culiacán shopping mall.

Some social media users invoked the city’s challenges, with one post reading, “Even the giraffe left Culiacán because of the violence,” according to Quiero TV.

This is the second Mexico giraffe story to garner headlines in 2024. At the beginning of the year, a giraffe living in deplorable conditions in a city park in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, became a cause célèbre before being moved to a spacious safari park in the state of Puebla.

With reports from Potosí Noticias, El Sol de Sinaloa, Contra Réplica, Los Noticieristas and Quiero TV

The post Giraffe reported missing from Culiacán Zoo appeared first on Mexico News Daily

The new landmark regulations in the Federal Labor Law were published Christmas Eve in the Official Gazette of the Federation, which serves to inform the public and ensure transparency. They take effect June 22, 2025.

Congrats to our partners @UNTA_Mexico on delivering a victory for #appworkers #Mexico’s Congress unanimously approved legislation providing labor rights & protections for #platformworkers. UNTA’s organizing, advocacy & win will be a major reference for app workers around the pic.twitter.com/8IY6NSvh5o

— Solidarity Center (@SolidarityCntr) December 24, 2024

The news of the labor law reform protecting gig workers was celebrated both here and outside Mexico by labor advocates.

The reform recognizes, for the first time in Mexico, gig workers as employees, making them entitled to worker benefits and protections under Mexican law — as long they generate a monthly net income equivalent to at least one daily minimum wage in Mexico City. 

For 2024, the daily minimum wage throughout most of Mexico is 248.93 pesos (US $12.31) per day, but it will increase by 12% to 278.80 pesos (US $13.78) starting Jan. 1. (The same increase will lift the daily minimum wage in Mexico’s northern border free zone to 419.88 pesos per day, or US $20.70.)

Gig workers earning below the threshold will remain classified as independent workers but still receive some protections.

Key provisions of the new regulations include:

• Mandatory enrollment in the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), which provides government-run health care to employees in the formal economy. The IMSS has been directed to come up with a plan to incorporate these workers.
• Severance pay equivalent to three months’ salary, plus an additional 20 days of salary for each year of service rendered. 
• Profit sharing for workers logging over 288 hours annually (an average of 24 hours per month). This calculation also considers an activity factor of 75% for each hour of connection, which is equivalent to six hours per day in an eight-hour workday.

All calculations will be based on time actually worked — which can vary greatly for gig workers. The time clock will start when a task is accepted and end when it is completed. 

There will also be proportional benefits, such as vacation pay and Christmas bonuses, although tips are excluded from salary calculations.

The law also requires digital platforms to issue unambiguous worker contracts and to submit payment receipts on a weekly basis.

Platform operators will bear legal responsibility as employers, while users of the apps will face no obligations. Companies can dismiss workers without reinstatement obligations unless collective rights — such as unionization or the right to strike — are violated.

Labor advocates hailed the reform as a milestone.

“This initiative maintains flexible working hours, a fundamental aspect that we have always fought for,” said Sergio Guerrero, head of the National Union of App Workers (UNTA). “The possibility of each worker to decide his or her own schedule remains intact — and this does not deny them from obtaining labor rights, as some have tried to make us believe.”

Over 658,000 platform workers in Mexico are expected to benefit, Guerrero said, adding that the reform will help curb job insecurity. 

“This reform is a victory for the workers,” he said.

Sheinbaum noted that the initiative was worked on jointly by her office, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS), IMSS and the homebuyers’ savings plan Infonavit, as well as workers and the digital platforms.

“This does not exist in most other countries,” she said of the new regulations, adding that their enactment is “part of what we conceive in the Fourth Transformation.”

With reports from Infobae, El Universal and América Economía

The post New labor reform protects rideshare and other platform gig workers appeared first on Mexico News Daily

The panel found that Mexico’s policies were in violation of its obligations under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), most notably in regard to market access.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) office said the panel ruled in favor of all seven U.S. legal claims in the long-running case, “handing the Biden administration a major trade victory in its final weeks,” according to Reuters.

Announced on Friday, the decision comes after years of escalating tensions since Mexico’s initial 2021 decree to phase out GM corn for human consumption — starting with bans against the use of GM corn in tortillas and dough, with a possible future ban on GM corn for livestock, as well.

Mexico has been importing GM corn from the U.S. for years, buying about US $3 billion worth annually. That corn is mainly used to feed livestock.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) notes that more than 90% of corn in the U.S. is produced using genetically engineered varieties, according to a fact sheet produced by the Washington, D.C.-based Wilson Center.

In general, genetic modifications made to plants introduce traits such as resistance to pests, tolerance to herbicides such as Roundup, better nutritional content or faster growth.

While genetically modified organisms (GMOs) remain a subject of debate, the widely used but controversial herbicide Roundup has been classified as a “probable carcinogen,” by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The USTR hailed last week’s ruling, stating it upheld USMCA principles and protected U.S. farmers — as Mexico is the largest market for U.S. corn exports.

According to the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS), an agency within the USDA, Mexico imported US $4.25 billion of corn from the U.S. from January through September of this year, a period in which U.S. corn exports totaled US $10.76 billion.

Mexico’s Ministry of Economy said in a statement on Friday that it does not agree with the ruling, but “will respect the determination, since the USMCA dispute resolution system is a key part of the treaty.” The ministry’s statement stressed that Mexico’s GMO measures were designed “to protect public health and Indigenous rights.”

Over the weekend, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she also disagrees but will now work on promoting reform to the GMO decrees issued under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

“We are going to reverse this decision, because very soon, in February, [Mexico’s Congress is] going to legislate, I am sure, that transgenic corn cannot be planted [in Mexico starting in 2025] and that Mexico’s biodiversity must be protected,” Sheinbaum said.

Both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate are in recess, returning Feb. 1.

In addition to citing unfair trade restrictions, the U.S. argued that Mexico’s restrictions were not grounded in science and that Mexico failed to properly conduct and document its risk assessments on GM crops.

The panel’s final report gave Mexico 45 days to adjust its policies or face potential retaliatory tariffs.

Experts say the GM corn dispute could strain Mexico-U.S. relations as the USMCA faces renegotiation under the incoming Trump administration.

Despite the ruling, Mexico is still planning a gradual transition away from GM corn, though it remains a contentious issue. Analysts predict prolonged debates over the environmental and health implications of biotechnology as Mexico seeks to balance trade obligations with domestic goals.

Part of the equation going forward could be “short corn,” which Bayer, the owner of Monsanto, has been studying in Mexico with hopes of revolutionizing the global corn industry.

With reports from AP, Reuters and CNN en Español

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The billboards, which began going up on Wednesday along major migrant pathways — mostly in Mexico but also in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras — warn that undocumented entry into the U.S. through Texas risks incarceration by U.S. authorities and rape by the traffickers.

One billboard in Spanish translates to “Danger ahead: If you cross into Texas illegally, you will regret it forever.” Another reads: “How much would you pay to have your daughter raped?”

The campaign, which the Republican governor estimated will cost $100,000, is part of Abbott’s broader efforts to combat undocumented crossings along Texas’ 2,018-kilometer border with Mexico — which accounts for two-thirds of the Mexico-U.S. border.

The billboards feature warnings in multiple languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian.

Another message reads: “Your wife and daughter will pay for the trip with their bodies. Coyotes lie. Don’t put your family at risk.” A coyote is an individual or group that facilitates the illegal smuggling of people across borders, often charging significant fees for their services.

“We’re here to expose the truth to immigrants who are thinking about coming here — the truth about the traffickers who assault so many of the women and children along the way,” Abbott said during a Thursday news conference at a private ranch in Eagle Pass, Texas, which can be viewed on the governor’s Facebook page (starting at the 11-minute mark). “Our goal right now, immediately, is not only to discourage them from coming, but to help them understand the consequences.”

The number of migrants caught illegally crossing the Mexico-U.S. border soared to record highs after President Joe Biden took office in 2021. Trump has pledged mass deportations and aggressive border security efforts after he takes office next month.

“There are many people who may make a last-gasp effort,” Abbott said. “The message is: Do not risk a dangerous trip just to be arrested and deported.”

The initiative complements Operation Lone Star, launched in 2021 and which, according to Abbott, has resulted in over 529,000 migrant detentions and nearly 50,000 criminal arrests.

Texas has also allocated 1,400 hectares (acres) of land for detention centers to support Trump’s plans for mass deportations and border wall expansion. “We’d be more than happy to build the wall as long as the federal government pays for it,” Abbott added.

Eagle Pass, Texas — where Abbott spoke on Thursday — was one of the busiest crossing points for illegal migrants a year ago. Then the Texas National Guard installed razor wire, stacked containers and erected other barriers that injure migrants trying to get around them.

According to reports from Human Rights Watch, the operation has caused injuries and deaths of migrants, along with harassment of organizations that provide humanitarian assistance to migrants. The Border Patrol, controlled by the federal government, says that the razor wire cuts off access to the Rio Grande and closes off the spaces needed to process arriving migrants.

However, Abbott’s office points to declines in border crossings as evidence of success.

In a report released Thursday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, it was noted that there has been a “meaningful decrease in unlawful border crossings — including a more than 60% decrease in encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border from May to November.” It tied the decrease to the June 4 Presidential Proclamation on Securing the Border.

“November encounters between ports of entry are now at their lowest level since July 2020,” the release added.

It also noted that “from June 5 through the end of November, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security removed or returned more than 240,000 individuals to over 160 countries, not including CBP repatriations of noncitizens encountered at airports or the northern border.” More than 740 international repatriation flights occurred from June 5 through the end of November, the release noted.

With reports from El País, Reuters, Texarkana Gazette and Fox Texas Digital

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Inspired by the true story of an owl that was trapped in the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree when it was cut down in the forest and transported to New York City, the 25-minute “An Almost Christmas Story” currently can be seen on the streaming service Disney+.

Cuarón, who turned 63 on Nov. 28, is a five-time Academy Award winner who has also won seven BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. His 2018 feature film “Roma” won Oscars for best director and best cinematography. His Oscar for the 2013 space-survival film “Gravity” made him the first Latin American to win the Academy Award for best directing.

“An Almost Christmas Story” was written by Cuarón, director David Lowery (“A Ghost Story”) and Jack Thorne. It was produced by Cuarón, Lowery and Gabriela Rodríguez through Esperanto Filmoj, the TV and film production company owned by Cuarón.

The English-voice cast includes 8-year-old Cary Christopher (“Days of Our Lives”) as the little owl named Moon, John C. Reilly (“Boogie Nights”) as the folk-singing narrator and comedian Jim Gaffigan as Papa Owl, along with Mamoudou Athie (“Jurassic World Dominion”), Phil Rosenthal (“Somebody Feed Phil”) and Natasha Lyonne (“Russian Doll”).

A Collider review describes the short as not another routine Christmastime feature film but as one of “those sweet short-form stories that typically aren’t longer than 35 minutes [such as] ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’ ‘Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town’ and ‘A Year Without a Santa Claus.’”

“An Almost Christmas Story” follows the curious young owl, Moon, who unexpectedly finds himself stuck in a Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Center. In his attempts to escape the bustling city, Moon befriends a lost girl named Luna. Together, they embark on a heartwarming adventure in which they form an unexpected bond and discover the magic of the holiday season.

The short was first seen on the 2024 film festival circuit, including an Oct. 24 screening at the Morelia International Film Festival two months ago.

“An Almost Christmas Story” is the third of Cuarón’s trilogy of Christmas shorts; he also produced “Le Pupille” by Italian director Alice Rohrwacher in 2022 and “The Shepherd” by English director Iain Softley in 2023. “Le Pupille” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Action Short Film, and “The Shepherd” was shortlisted for the same award. 

Disney+ is currently streaming all three shorts, but you have to sign up for a standard or premium plan to view them.

“An Almost Christmas Story” was inspired by the discovery of an owl in the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020. The owl, dubbed Rocky, was eventually returned to his native habitat.

“It occurred to me that it could be a good starting point for a story about a rebellious child who, finding himself lost, rediscovers the importance of solidarity and family; it was very appropriate for Christmastime,” Cuarón told the newspaper Milenio.

Cuarón credited director David Lowery with creating “a really beautiful work” by using an “aesthetic that was not refined, but rather unfinished” — similar to craft projects Lowery made as a child using boxes and cardboard cutouts.

A press release from Disney referred to the short as “the third and final installment of Cuarón’s holiday collection for Disney+.”

However, when asked by Milenio columnist Susana Moscatel about the possibility of him making more holiday shorts, Cuarón was not so definitive.

“I would love to,” he said. “We’ll see what happens. It would be great to continue doing these kinds of stories in this format. I hope we do.”

With reports from Milenio and IGN Latinoamérica

The post The true story that inspired Alfonso Cuarón’s third and (maybe) final Christmas short film appeared first on Mexico News Daily

The individual — a 31-year-old Mexican national identified as Mario “N” — was traveling from Leon, Guanajuato, to Tijuana, Baja California, with his wife and two children when the incident unfolded.

According to authorities, Mario assaulted a flight attendant and attempted to breach the cockpit, citing a recent kidnapping of a close relative and a death threat as motivations for his actions.

Crew members and at least one passenger subdued the suspect while the pilot issued an alert code and diverted the Airbus A320 to Guadalajara International Airport.

Authorities, including the National Guard (GN), arrested Mario upon landing and transferred him to the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) for further investigation. His legal status will be determined by the Attorney General’s Office (FGR).

“The crew subdued the aggressor in accordance with established security protocols,” Volaris said in a statement. At the Guadalajara airport, “GN personnel were already waiting for him.”

The passengers and crew later continued on to Tijuana.

“All passengers, crew and the aircraft are safe,” read a Volaris statement that was posted to the social media site X.

Volaris also announced it had formally filed a complaint to ensure the suspect faces legal consequences.

According to the authorities, the suspect said that upon taking off from León, he received a message that threatened either his own life or his kidnapped relative’s life — it’s not quite clear — if Mario traveled to Tijuana.

According to witness reports, Mario grabbed a flight attendant, threatened her with a pen against her neck, and grabbed the handle to the plane’s door, saying he would jump to his death and take the flight attendant with him.

Another passenger reportedly played a pivotal role in defusing the situation by persuading Mario to release the flight attendant and surrender peacefully. This person said no security personnel were present, and that it was he, with the help of other passengers, who managed to contain the attack.

One witness said the man managed to get the plane door cracked open as passengers could be heard screaming, crying and pleading with him not to open it. Videos of the incident appear to confirm that account.

Another witness said the suspect initially told passengers that he wanted to attract attention because his wife had been kidnapped and was seeking political asylum in the United States.

Authorities noted that the state of Guanajuato, the flight’s departure point, is a region heavily affected by cartel violence, including extortion and kidnapping. It remains unclear if the threats Mario said he had received were connected to organized crime.

With reports from Milenio, AP, KABC-TV, Infobae, The Guardian and Fox 5 San Diego

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It’s the kind of season that could lead one’s team to drop him.

The thing is, Pérez’s team for the past four years, Red Bull Racing, signed him to a two-year contract extension back in June.

With three second-place finishes in the season’s first four races, the driver from Guadalajara had begun 2024 in solid form. That followed second place in the overall 2023 standings behind teammate Verstappen.

During the mid-season break, speculation began over who would be Red Bull’s second driver alongside Verstappen in 2025. With Pérez’s contract expiring at the end of this season, Red Bull team management signed him to the extension in an attempt to provide the Mexican driver with a feeling of stability. Since then, however, Pérez’s season has gone into a tailspin, taking just nine points in the last seven races (compared to 126 earned by Verstappen). In the last race, the Qatar Grand Prix on Dec. 1, Pérez spun out and failed to finish for the third time this season.

His slide, which also includes poor qualifying times, has dropped Red Bull out of contention for a third straight No. 1 finish in the Constructors’ World Championship standings.

Week after week, speculation has grown among fans and media over what Red Bull will do for the 2025 season.

One option is to make Pérez, 34, a driver on Red Bull’s junior team, Visa Cashapp Racing Bulls, and promote 24-year-old Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda, or 22-year-old New Zealand rookie Liam Lawson, to the senior outfit in a direct swap. Another option is to simply cut Pérez and eat his contract. Red Bull also has several development prospects in lower formulae, including Isack Hadjar, who is currently second in F2. 

Media speculation has been so rampant lately that Pérez’s father, Mexican politician Antonio Pérez Garibay, vowed this week via an Instagram post to publicly confront the “lying journalists” who say Red Bull will replace Pérez for the 2025 season.

Pérez Garibay, a Morena party member who represented Jalisco in Mexico’s lower house of Congress, the Chamber of Deputies, for three years until Aug. 31, posted that, come Monday, he’ll be “publishing the list of lying journalists and lying media.”

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That would apparently include veteran pundit David Croft of Sky Sports, who recently wrote: “Our sources indicate that Red Bull don’t want to continue necessarily with Sergio Pérez for next season. And [management is] trying to say you can either go nicely, step down, or we will … make that decision for you.”

According to Motorsport Week, Red Bull “has admitted the decision to renew” Pérez’s contract in June “failed to deliver the desired impact.”

Red Bull boss Christian Horner, who has been a staunch defender of the embattled Mexican, was quick to defend Pérez’s position. “Now, obviously, Checo is our driver. He remains our driver and [is] contracted to the team. … Obviously, this season hasn’t gone to anyone’s plan, particularly with Checo’s performance since Monaco. It’s been very, very tough for him … Once we get this race [Abu Dhabi] out of the way, we’ll sit down and discuss the future.”

Added Horner: “There’s huge respect for Checo within the team. And nobody likes to see him struggling like the way he has.”

Signing Pérez shortly after he had “four podiums in the first five races,” Horner continued, was done “to settle his mind and extend that run of form for the rest of the season … which obviously didn’t work … that’s just life sometimes.” 

It is believed that Pérez brings a considerable sponsorship package with him to Red Bull.

Red Bull is notorious for its ruthless treatment of underperforming drivers, with Pierre Gasly, Nyck De Vries and Daniil Kvyat all removed from the team midway through their contracts in recent years. Motorsports journalists have speculated that Pérez’s contract includes a major payoff if he is cut.

Pérez, who is currently eighth in the 2024 driver standings despite his woes, gave his thoughts on the matter Thursday in the United Arab Emirates: “Nothing has changed since before in terms of what I have said for the whole year. I have a contract for next year, and I will be driving for Red Bull next year.”

Pressed on the matter, Pérez said: “I’ve already said it. Nothing more to add. I have a contract for next year, so nothing more to add … The important thing now is to focus on this weekend.

“It has been very difficult,” he added. “We have had a great car, but a very difficult car to get 100% out of. No matter how good it is, if you can’t get 100% of your performance, you will hardly be able to have good results. That has happened this season.”

In 280 career starts in Formula 1, Pérez has six victories and 39 podiums.

With reports from Sports Illustrated, Motorsport Week and El Financiero

By Mexico News Daily staff writer Andy Altman-Ohr

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