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Read and help
 Articles, Arts & Literature, Ensenada, National

World Book Day 2025: Read, Share, and Make a Difference

World Book Day 2025

Today, April 23, is World Book Day, and there’s no better excuse to open a book—and help someone in the process.

📚 Join the 2025 Reading Marathon

Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial has launched its annual Reading Marathon to promote literacy and support vulnerable communities. It’s simple: for every 20 minutes you read or listen to a book and log at maratondelectura.com, a book gets donated to a child in need.

Penguin Random House Publishing Group
Penguin Random House Publishing Group

🗓️ Active until April 30, 2025, the campaign features:

  • Dozens of eBooks and audiobooks.
  • Categories like Must-Reads, LGBTQ+, Inspiring Authors, and even Horror or BookTok picks.
  • Featured titles include Matilda, The Fault in Our Stars, La Tumba, and Game of Thrones.

Over 61,000 minutes have already been logged, turning reading time into real impact.

How to join:

  1. Register on the site.
  2. Choose a book.
  3. Read or listen for 20+ minutes.
  4. Log your time.
  5. Share it on social media to inspire others.

📖 Baja Celebrates Too

The Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), one of the region’s top public universities, is hosting local events in Ensenada.

  • 📍 April 23 at 1:30 PM – Valle Dorado campus
  • 📍 April 24 at 11:00 AM – Biblioteca Central Ensenada, UABC Campus Sauzal (There’ll be a book-themed quiz and even some Starbucks. Yes, please.)
  • UABC is hosting local events in Ensenada
    UABC is hosting local events in Ensenada
  • UABC is hosting local events in Ensenada
    UABC is hosting local events in Ensenada

🎉 How to Celebrate

  • Join the Marathon – Your reading minutes can donate books.
  • Attend a Local Event – Book fairs, quizzes, and more.
  • Spread the Word – Share your favorite reads using #DíaDelLibro and #MaratónDeLectura.

At the Gringo Gazette North, we love a good book. Especially when it gives something back.

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Governor Marina del Pilar handed over ten electric carriages to local drivers
 Articles, Economy, Ensenada, Tourism

Ensenada Rolls Out Electric Carriages: Tradition Meets Innovation

Ensenada has taken a significant step toward sustainable tourism

On April 21, Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda gave out ten electric carriages to local drivers. These will replace the old horse-drawn ones.

The new rides carry four passengers. They’re quiet, eco-friendly, and best of all, no horses needed.

The state invested 2.75 million pesos through its Department of Economy and Innovation. Officials also plan to install charging stations across town.

#MarinaDelPilar And Claudia A

This move follows a new law in Baja California. It bans animals from pulling carriages for tourism. It also recognizes animals as living beings, not property.

“This is a big day,” said the governor. “We’re ending horse-drawn rides and moving to clean, modern transport—without losing our charm.”

The change didn’t happen overnight. Authorities worked with drivers to find solutions. Now, drivers get to keep their jobs—and horses get to rest.

Jenny de la Cruz, speaking for the group, thanked the state for helping them modernize. She said the change protects a tradition that’s been part of Ensenada for over 40 years.

So yes, you can still ride through Ensenada’s scenic streets. But now, the wheels are quiet—and the animals are free.

Here at the Gringo Gazette North, we love when old traditions meet new ideas. Especially when everyone wins—including the horses.

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Sea lions who eat contaminated seafood become poisoned.
 Articles, Rosarito

Toxic Algae Threatens Sea Lions in Rosarito

Rising Concerns Over Toxic Algae Bloom Impact on Sea Lions

In recent days, at least four sea lions have washed up dead on Rosarito’s beaches. Additionally, seven others were rescued alive—but in serious condition.

According to experts, the cause is a toxic algae bloom. This bloom produces domoic acid, which builds up in fish and shellfish. As a result, sea lions who eat contaminated seafood become poisoned.

Although red tide isn’t new, this recent wave is stronger and more frequent. Consequently, officials and marine groups are raising alarms.

Photo: Courtesy / City of Playas de Rosarito

Moreover, the effects are heartbreaking. One young pup was spotted nudging its mother’s lifeless body. That moment, captured on video, spread quickly on social media.

The toxin attacks the nervous system. It causes seizures, confusion, and often death. Even though rescue teams responded quickly, they couldn’t save every animal.

Therefore, local authorities are asking residents and tourists not to approach stranded sea lions. These animals may be sick, aggressive, or contagious. Instead, they encourage people to report sightings to 911.

Beaches remain open. However, people with asthma or other respiratory issues should be cautious. Some toxins can become airborne under the right conditions.

Furthermore, seafood lovers should pay attention to local health alerts. Domoic acid can harm humans too—especially when it enters the food chain.

Ultimately, this isn’t just about sea lions. It’s about the health of our coastline. Changing ocean temperatures, pollution, and runoff are part of the problem. If we don’t pay attention, we may be next.

At the Gringo Gazette North, we’ll keep covering stories like this. Because we don’t just love Baja’s beaches—we respect the life around them, too.

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Even in Holy Week, Baja’s security doesn’t take the day off.
 Articles

Driving with California Plates?

This Might Be Why You’re Getting Stopped

If you’ve noticed more checkpoints or patrols giving your car a longer look—especially if you’ve got California plates—you’re not imagining things.

This Wednesday night, Rosarito police responded to a 911 call at Pabellón Rosarito shopping center. Inside a suspicious vehicle with California plates, officers found human remains. Yes—actual remains.

The car was a white Ford Focus, found with its trunk and doors slightly open and visible blood stains. Police quickly secured the area. The Baja State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) is handling the case now.


Even in Holy Week, Baja’s security doesn’t take the day off.

And while the model may not matter moving forward, the plates certainly do.

Local and federal security forces have increased their presence lately, and if you’re driving around Baja with U.S. plates, especially California ones, you may be getting stopped more often. Not because they don’t like you—because they’re working.

It’s not about panic. It’s about patterns. And when something this serious shows up in a car from out of state, every similar vehicle gets a second look—at least for a while.

So if you’re pulled over for a routine check, don’t take it personally. Take it as a sign that Baja’s not letting things slide.

At the Gringo Gazette North, we don’t do bad news—but we do keep our eyes open. If you’re on the road, be cool, be legal, and maybe clean out your trunk—just in case.

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 Articles

Holy Week Shutdown Strikes Again

Yes, You’ll Survive Two Days Without the Bank

If you were planning to do anything remotely bureaucratic this Thursday or Friday, think again. Banks will be closed. Most government offices? Also closed. Why? Because it’s Holy Week, and in Mexico, that means it’s time to hit pause on anything that resembles productivity.

From Thursday (April 17) through Friday (April 18), offices all over the country are locking up and heading out—presumably to the beach, a barbecue, or church (in that order, probably).

So what does this mean for you? If you need to do anything involving money transfers, immigration paperwork, permit renewals, or your favorite pastime—waiting in line at the SAT office—save yourself the heartbreak. It’s not happening.

ATMs should still work (we said “should”), and you might find some banks with limited services at grocery store branches. But anything requiring an actual human behind a desk? Nope.

Post offices, courts, city halls, and other official spots are joining in the national long weekend. You know it’s serious when even the people who stamp your papers are saying “mañana.”

On the bright side, it’s a great excuse to take a break yourself. Go enjoy some sunshine, eat too many empanadas, and reflect on the fact that life in Mexico comes with siestas and government-wide vacations.

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Trump and his taxes
 Articles, Breaking News, Water

Trump Wants to Cut Off Tijuana’s Water


Says Texas Is Thirsty

Just when we thought we’d seen it all, Donald Trump is now threatening tariffs—and yes, even cutting off water to Tijuana.

The reason? He claims Mexico is hoarding water that rightfully belongs to Texas farmers. According to him, 1.3 million acre-feet of water are missing. That’s not just a lot—it’s Texas’s entire sugar crop and citrus farms crying for help.

The 1944 Water Treaty requires Mexico to send water north every five years. Trump says Mexico isn’t keeping up. And now he wants payback: economic sanctions, closed borders, and zero agua for Baja.

His former Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, chimed in with promises of “escalating consequences.” That’s political code for: “We’re serious. Don’t make us come down there.”

Meanwhile, Texas Senator Ted Cruz jumped in to stir the pot. He called the situation “a man-made crisis” and said Texas deserves better. Of course, he didn’t mention the part about record droughts on both sides of the border.

Created by AI

The U.S. already rejected Mexico’s latest water delivery proposal. That includes water needed for Tijuana. So yes—this could get very real, very fast.

But let’s take a breath. Treaties are tricky, and diplomacy still exists—somewhere. Baja’s not running dry just yet.

At the Gringo Gazette North, we say this: Let’s stay informed, not inflamed. If water’s the next border battle, let’s keep our cool—and maybe a backup jug, just in case.

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Eye on the sidewalk colors before you park!
 Articles, Breaking News, Ensenada, Legal

Parking in Ensenada Just Got Colorful

—Pay Attention or Pay the Price

Planning a stroll down Ensenada’s tourist zone? Better start looking at the sidewalk colors, not just the wine list.

New rules are now in effect: green curbs mean you can only park for two hours. Yes, two. After that, move it or risk a fine. The city made the change after businesses complained that some folks were parking all day. We get it—those tacos are hard to leave.

White curbs? Those are only for loading and unloading tourist buses. Don’t even think about parking your SUV there while grabbing souvenirs.

Why all the paint? Because Ensenada, like most beautiful places, has a parking problem. Officials want to keep traffic flowing and tourists happy. Rotating cars more often means more chances to find a spot—at least in theory.


Parking along Ensenada’s tourist zone—especially Calle Primera—is still a challenge. But with new two-hour zones and clearer curb markings, things are expected to improve. Just keep an eye on the sidewalk colors before you park!

This isn’t just for locals. Expats and visitors are affected too. So, next time you head downtown, keep an eye on the curb. Green? Set a timer. White? Drive away slowly and act innocent.

Local police say they’ll enforce these changes. Whether that means tickets or just warnings remains to be seen. But hey, better safe than booted.

At the Gringo Gazette North, we’re here to help you park smart, not pay dumb. Watch the colors and enjoy Ensenada—just not from behind the wheel too long.

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 Articles, Ensenada, Transportation

Ensenada Will Be The First City in Mexico to Roll Out Local EV Buses

Move over Tesla, Ensenada is getting its own fleet of electric vehicles—and they’re way bigger than a sedan.

That’s right, our little coastal city is making national headlines as the first in Mexico to launch a full fleet of electric buses, designed and built right here in Mexico by DINA and MegaFlux. The shiny new model? It’s called Taruk—which, honestly, sounds like the name of a sci-fi superhero… and we’re here for it.

In the coming months, 80 Taruk buses will hit the streets in the first stage of a mega plan to eventually roll out 345 units across all 78 public transport routes in Ensenada. If you’ve ever tried to get from one end of town to the other during rush hour, you’ll know just how welcome this is.

Mayor Claudia Agatón is leading the charge—pun intended—and she’s not being subtle about it: “Ensenada isn’t just adopting clean tech, we’re writing the manual for Mexico’s energy transition,” she said. “Our port city is going to be the live lab for proving electric public transport works—both technically and financially.”

Taaruk Bus. Photo courtesy of Dyna México

Each Taruk bus can travel 390 km on a single charge, enough for a full 12-hour workday with the AC on full blast. And yes, they’ve already been tested under real-world conditions in Mexico City—because if a bus can survive that traffic, it can survive anything.

But this isn’t just about swapping diesel fumes for cleaner air. The project is Made in Mexico from start to finish—so every bus represents local jobs, homegrown know-how, and a big win for Mexican manufacturing. According to the numbers: each vehicle creates 25 jobs in the supply chain, and 78 out of every 100 pesos spent stays in the national economy. Compare that with imported buses, where most of the cash flies out of the country faster than a tourist spotting a taco stand.

In Ensenada alone, the project has already generated 50 new specialized jobs, with plans to train another 200 technicians before the end of the year. Plus, MegaFlux will install fast and slow charging stations across the city, working with the national electric utility (CFE) to make sure the grid doesn’t blow a fuse.

And guess what? Other states are watching closely. Baja California Sur, Jalisco, Nuevo León, Hidalgo, Michoacán… they all want in on the action. No surprise there—the federal government has already set its sights on deploying 3,000 electric buses nationwide in the next few years.

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Sheinbaum stated that, with the Mexico Plan, she aims to recover the production that has been lost in the country. (Photo: Presidency
 Articles, Baja Norte, Economy

Baja California? Holding its breath.

🇲🇽 Mexico Dodges a Trade War (Sort Of) — But Tariffs Still Sting

Baja watches the big game with nosebleed tickets

Trump’s trade policy just got real. The U.S. imposed 25% tariffs on imports from multiple countries, and although Mexico managed to avoid retaliatory tariffs, it couldn’t dodge the hit entirely. Over 50% of Mexican exports to the U.S. are now subject to the new rates.

Mexico’s response? Diplomatic silence. No counterattacks. No panic. Just a quiet commitment to ride the wave without starting a trade war.

SúperPeso

📊 The twist? Mexico is doing pretty well, all things considered.

The peso didn’t collapse. The markets didn’t flinch. And the world noticed: Mexico’s now seen as a stable and strategic partner in a world full of economic tantrums.

🌉 Baja California, however, is in limbo.

Despite being in the ideal location for cross-border trade, we’re still stuck with infrastructure bottlenecks, overloaded ports, and a grid that flickers at the worst times. We could be leading this moment, but instead we’re fumbling to keep pace.

💸 Meanwhile, remittances keep sliding—which hits harder in Baja than people think. The big wins in macroeconomics don’t always make it to the kitchen table.Mexic

📰 At Gringo Gazette North, we believe good news doesn’t always come with fireworks. Sometimes, staying calm under fire is the real headline.

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Tijuana Talent at Harvard
 Articles, Arts & Literature, Border, Tijuana

Benito Del Águila Takes Border Culture to Harvard

—No Wall Can Hold Back Art

Harvard might be thousands of miles from the border, but last week it got a strong taste of Baja’s cultural flavor thanks to artist and cultural promoter Benito Del Águila. He brought the borderlands to the Ivy League during the symposium “Distant Neighbors or Regional Partners?”—a heavyweight gathering at Harvard University reflecting on U.S.–Mexico relations under two new administrations.

While academics, investigative journalists, Indigenous community leaders, and even a coalition of borderland mayors tackled migration and trade, Benito came with brushes, vision, and something Harvard hadn’t seen much of lately: borderland soul.

His talk focused on the power of art as a form of cultural diplomacy. According to Benito, it’s not about red tape or policy—art gets things done the old-fashioned way: by bringing people together. He shined a spotlight on the Tijuana–San Diego art community and how it’s been building bridges way before the diplomats got around to it.

Del Águila didn’t just theorize—he showed real-life examples of how the arts are opening dialogue and encouraging mutual respect between Mexico and the U.S. He also promoted “La Línea que Une – Conexiones Transfronterizas”, an exhibit featuring over 50 artists from both sides of the border who reflect on life in a binational community.

That show is part of Artwalk Rosarito 2025, which, if you haven’t been, is not just a walk—it’s a cultural sprint across gallery spaces that’s fast becoming the go-to art event of the region.

Benito’s participation at Harvard didn’t go unnoticed. Outlets like Flash Cultural Tijuana echoed the event, highlighting his role in pushing for deeper cross-border understanding through creativity and cultural connection.

It wasn’t just about showing off pretty pictures. It was a reminder that culture—unlike certain policies—actually crosses borders. Through art, music, and shared stories, Benito made it clear: when creativity leads the way, people follow.

And while Washington figures out which neighbor gets what, artists like Del Águila are already living in the future—one where Mexico and the U.S. aren’t distant at all.

At the Gringo Gazette North, we say skip the red tape—pass the paintbrush. Benito’s brushstrokes just hit Harvard, and Baja’s voice is louder than ever.

#Harvard

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