Even though spring is still a couple weeks away, last night was when we "Spring ahead"... advancing the clocks to daylight saving time. And that means that for a short time, here in the Eastern Time Zone, we will be two hours ahead of Mexico City instead of one.
Mexico did not adopt daylight saving time until 1996, and that was mainly because of the strong economic ties with the United States. However, when the United States extended daylight saving time in 2007, Mexico did not follow suite. They still make the switch the first Sunday of April. So for four weeks there will be a two hour time difference.
The Mexican government however did allow municipalities that are 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from the U.S. border to follow the "north of the border" schedule. This is to relieve problems in areas where many people cross the border on a daily basis.
I have read that a citizens' committee in Mexico City last year was considering a proposal to eliminate daylight saving time, saying that it is harmful to people's health and it that it does not save energy. Although that proposal did not go into effect, President López Obrador has long been an opponent of daylight saving time, and has talked about having a "national public consultation" on the matter. So perhaps, if not this year, then in the future, most of Mexico will be two hours behind the eastern U.S. from March to November.
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