International

Mexico’s southern border becomes the most insecure area in the country

The main city on Mexico’s southern border, Tapachula, has become the municipality with the highest perception of insecurity in the country, in the midst of the organized crime dispute over the control of drug trafficking and people from South America, activists tell EFE.

Nine out of 10 inhabitants of this city, 91.9%, perceive that this city is unsafe, which places it in first national place in the National Survey of Urban Public Security (ENSU) published this week by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEgi).

Roberto Alejandro García, representative of the entrepreneurs of the Pedestrian Trail in Tapachula, assured EFE that the municipality is one of the most unsafe in the country for the last three years in the face of crime and the lack of control of migrants on the southern border.

The business leader said that “lately they kill people even in the center, either with bullets, machetes, stabs, and not only in the center, but in all the surroundings and colonies (neighborhos).”

“Now, currently, there are deaths every day in Tapachula, because the authorities are not able to cover Tapachula. We have 20 years with the same amount of elements that monitor, that is an irresponsibility of the state and federal government,” he said.

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Between a ‘war’ and the high flow of migrants

Tapachula is the second largest city in Chiapas, a state on the southern border where the National Indigenous Congress (CNI) warned on Monday in a statement of a “civil war” scenario due to forced displacement, homicides and forced disappearances that occur in the face of organized crime disputes.

On the other hand, the mayor of Tapachula, Yamil Melgar Bravo, said last week that the municipality concentrates 60% of migrants in Mexico, where irregular migration rose by 193% year-on-year in the first half of the year to exceed 712,000 people nationwide, according to the Government’s Migration Policy Unit.

Teodoro Vázquez Castillo, general secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Federation of the State of Chiapas, regretted that all citizens are worried because they perceive “horrible” security.

“One of the factors is migration and the rest, I don’t know if with it, brings the boom of drugs, smuggling of women, of migrants who are extorted. All the northern gangs came to operate in Tapachula, I don’t know if there is no authority that marks a stop,” he said.

Promise of attention at the southern border of Mexico

The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, denied on Tuesday that there is an atmosphere of “war” in Chiapas, where she said that her government is working so that “there are no displacements and pacify and avoid extortion and crimes that are occurring.”

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But the director of the Center for Human Dignity (CDH), Luis Rey García Villagrán, pointed out that the southern border faces a crisis of insecurity and human rights, since citizens do not have confidence in any of the police corps, the streets are in dim and the surveillance cameras never work.

“The robberies of passers-by, extortion, executions, shootings, mass kidnappings, express kidnappings that did not exist, there are many canteens, drug sales,” he said.

The activist said that in Tapachula there is a fluctuating population of 70,000 unregistered people of more than 20 nationalities, so “corrupt” policemen, he denounced, take advantage of migrants.

The director of the ‘Belén’ shelter, César Augusto Cañaveral, asked for security for the migrant shelter, which also fears being a victim of organized crime.

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International

Air Canada suspends JFK flights amid soaring fuel costs linked to Iran conflict

Air Canada announced on Friday that it will suspend its flights from Montreal and Toronto to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport from June through late October, citing rising jet fuel costs driven by the conflict involving Iran.

“Since the beginning of the conflict with Iran, some routes and less profitable flights have become economically unviable, so we are making adjustments accordingly,” the airline said in a statement.

Despite the suspension, the carrier confirmed it will continue operating 34 daily flights from six Canadian cities to New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.

Air Canada expects to resume its JFK operations after October 25.

Meanwhile, Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz amid a temporary ceasefire in the region. However, jet fuel shortages could persist even if the truce holds.

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Fuel accounts for between 25% and 30% of operating costs for most airlines, and carriers worldwide have responded to the crisis by raising fares and suspending select routes due to safety and profitability concerns.

International

UK braces for potential CO₂ shortage amid Middle East tensions

The government of United Kingdom is preparing contingency measures amid fears of a potential shortage of carbon dioxide (CO₂), which could impact the agri-food industry if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, The Times reported on Thursday.

According to the newspaper, officials assessed this scenario during a recent crisis meeting aimed at evaluating the consequences of a prolonged conflict, triggered on February 28 by joint attacks from United States and Israel against Iran.

Under this scenario, CO₂ supplies—primarily a byproduct of fertilizer production using natural gas—could fall by up to 18%, affecting multiple sectors including agriculture and food production.

The gas is widely used in the slaughter of pigs and poultry, as well as in extending the shelf life of packaged foods. Breweries could also face disruptions due to reduced availability.

“I don’t want to comment on a leak, but now that the information is out there, I hope people feel reassured knowing we are working on it,” said Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in remarks to Sky News.

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While a drop in CO₂ supply is not expected to cause major shortages in supermarkets, it could limit product variety, The Times noted, citing access to internal government documents.

To mitigate the impact, authorities are considering prioritizing CO₂ supply for critical sectors such as healthcare and civil nuclear energy, where it is used in cooling systems for blood reserves, organs, vaccines, and electricity generation. The government may also request domestic producers to increase output.

Central America

El Salvador and Paraguay approve 2026–2028 cooperation program

The governments of El Salvador and Paraguay approved the 2026–2028 Cooperation Program, which includes six joint development projects, according to Salvadoran Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adriana Mira.

Mira stated that El Salvador will act as the “main provider of cooperation,” contributing five initiatives focused on road infrastructure, tourism, and local development. She also noted that one of the projects will be led by the Paraguayan side, although no further details were disclosed.

The agreement was reached during the Second Meeting of the Joint Commission on Technical and Scientific Cooperation between both countries.

According to Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the First Meeting of the Political Consultation and Bilateral Coordination Mechanism was also held, with the participation of Vice Minister Víctor Verdún.

In an official statement, the Paraguayan government reported that both delegations agreed to identify mechanisms to promote competitiveness, economic growth, and market access. They also committed to signing agreements related to air transport cooperation.