International tourism has generated more than $2.2 billion in foreign exchange for the Salvadoran economy during the first seven months of 2025, according to the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur).

Tourism Minister Morena Valdez stated on Thursday that this figure reflects a favorable development of the tourism sector so far this year.

“Over $2.2 billion by July, and we estimate more than $3 billion in foreign exchange by December 2025. I believe we will perform quite well,” Valdez said in an interview with Frente a Frente.

These figures do not include the 91,000 international tourists received during the August holidays, who contributed $60 million to the local economy, according to the government.

The accumulated results by July represent 73.3% of Mitur’s estimates for foreign exchange generated by international tourism in 2025.

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During the same period, tourism authorities recorded 2.3 million international visitors, which is 57.5% of the more than 4 million visitors projected by the government by the end of 2025.

Authorities have recently adjusted the tourism target: at the beginning of the year, Mitur anticipated 4.2 million visitorsafter receiving 3.9 million in the previous year.

The scandal involving two former state officials from Tabasco, southeast Mexico, linked to drug trafficking and now fugitives, has added tension to Mexico-U.S. relations, which had already been strained by President Donald Trump’s threats to send troops across the border to target cartels.

At the center of the controversy is the current coordinator of the Mexican Senate, former governor of Tabasco, and former Secretary of the Interior, Adán Augusto López Hernández, a close ally of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018–2024), along with his then-security secretary, Hernán Bermúdez Requena.

According to the Mexican weekly Proceso, published two weeks ago, the criminal ties of the former officials were reported in 2022 by Mexican intelligence services during López Obrador’s administration when López Hernández was Secretary of the Interior.

Bermúdez Requena, known as ‘El Comandante H’, was appointed Secretary of Security in Tabasco in 2019 by then-governor Adán Augusto López Hernández, from the ruling Morena party, and is accused of being a leader of the criminal group ‘La Barredora’, a cell linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

On July 22, Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, confirmed that a warrant and Interpol red notice had been issued against Bermúdez Requena, who had been under investigation since 2024 for his links to organized crime.

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On August 14, Pope Leo XIV reaches his first 100 days as pontiff, a period marked by prudence, a reserved profile, and a strong inclination toward Vatican diplomacy. Since his election on May 8, the U.S.-born pope, who will turn 70 in September, has avoided major structural decisions, choosing instead to observe and listen before acting.

Among the most visible changes compared to his predecessor, Pope Francis, is a return to liturgical tradition: he has resumed wearing the red mozzetta, white pants under the cassock, and residing in the Apostolic Palace. He has also reinstated the Corpus Christi procession through the streets of Rome and resumed vacations at Castel Gandolfo.

So far, Robert Prevost has appointed only his personal secretary, leaving adjustments within the Roman Curia for later. Experts, such as Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio, suggest that the pope should not be judged by immediate breaks or continuities with Francis, but rather by his long-term leadership style.

Ines San Martín of the U.S. Pontifical Mission Societies notes that Leo XIV “has spent these months listening more than speaking” and anticipates the first personnel changes may come in September. His style, inspired by Saint Augustine, emphasizes spiritual life, friendship within community, and charity.

On the international stage, the pontiff has reinforced his image as a mediator. He sent Cardinal Robert Sarah to official events, offered the Vatican as a venue for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, spoke with Vladimir Putin, and received Volodymyr Zelensky twice. He has also condemned attacks in Gaza and reiterated his call to halt armed conflicts, rearmament, and the environmental crisis.

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With a balance between tradition and prudence, Pope Leo XIV faces the next stage of his pontificate with expectations that his first strategic decisions will arrive in the coming months.