Latest Mexico News Highlights on 20 March 2023

In today's headlines, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) sparked controversy by claiming that drug addiction is a result of a lack of "apapacho" and love. The president's comments came during a speech on drug rehabilitation programs in Mexico, where he called for a more compassionate approach to addiction.

Meanwhile, AMLO has condemned the burning of Minister Piña's effigy, an act that took place during recent protests in Mexico City. The president has also been involved in talks with US lawmakers regarding migration and security, as well as announcing plans for a security meeting in Washington.

In other news, a businessman was kidnapped in Chetumal in a brazen 40-second operation, while seven people were killed in a clash in Caborca, Sonora. A clandestine grave containing ten corpses was discovered in Michoacán, and a smoke cloud from a Pemex refinery in Cadereyta caused alarm.

Elsewhere, Mexico City has been put on double alert for the return of severe cold weather, while snow fell in Nuevo Leon just hours before the start of spring. The INAH has banned climbing the pyramids of Teotihuacán to welcome spring, while Jalisco has enabled a new procedure to avoid fines for tourists who have not verified their cars.

There have also been reports of police brutality, with officers in Celaya taking customers out of a bar and beating them. Meanwhile, Tijuana police suspended a clandestine party involving 250 minors.

Finally, former President Felipe Calderón has criticized the "VIP guests" at AMLO's recent Zócalo event, while the president of the National Electoral Institute (INE) has expressed hope that the courts will restore democratic order following the recent elections. In addition, six alleged CJNG members have been remanded in custody following a manhunt in Mexico City and Mexico State, while Nuevo Leon has warned of sanctions for Cadereyta contamination.

As always, stay tuned for further updates on these and other stories from across Mexico.