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By Michael Lopez

This may be hard to believe, but Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney technically qualifies as "half-Mexican." How is that possible for someone of English, Scottish, and German heritage? It seems Mitt's dad and granddad were both born in Mexico while the family was doing Mormon missionary work.

Apparently Romney's great-grandfather Miles fled to Chihuahua during the late 1800's to avoid persecution for his religious beliefs. He wound up spending several years there and even helped establish multiple Mormon churches throughout the country.

Mitt's dad George was born in Mexico during that period and eventually moved back to America when he was a small child. Clearly it was a small footnote for the Romney family, but it could be a major playing card in this year's election.

In recent weeks, Mitt's has been bringing up his Mexican roots quite a bit when talking to voters. It's an interesting angle, but in our opinion it won’t fly. Romney's been known to preach against immigration reform and has promised to veto the DREAM Act if he were elected President. That certainly doesn't sound very "Mexican" to us.

Would you vote for Mitt Romney in a presidential election? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, George Romney, Immigration, Mexico, Mitt Romney, Mormonism, Politics

By Michael Lopez

Mexican movie fans are in mourning today after news broke that legendary screen actor Pedro Armendariz Jr. passed away from cancer. Known for his commanding presence and dramatic flair, Pedro made quite a mark in America too, with appearances in Antonio Banderas' Zorro movies and Once Upon A Time In Mexico.

Pedro actually came from an acting dynasty. His father, Pedro Armendariz Sr., was a popular Mexican movie star during the 1940's and 1950's. He too crossed over, entertaining American audiences in the classic James Bond film, From Russia With Love.

Armendariz Jr. started his career in the 1960’s and went on to make hundreds of classic Spanish movies. By the 1980's, Hollywood came calling and Pedro began appearing in a ton of star-studded films. He acted alongside Diane Lane in A Walk On The Moon, Brad Pitt in The Mexican, and even nabbed a role in a James Bond flick (just like his dad), appearing in 1989's License To Kill.

Sadly, Armendariz had been battling cancer in the past several months and succumbed to the disease this past weekend. Mexican President Felipe Calderon issued a statement immediately after the news broke, saying Pedro was "a great actor who reflected well on Mexico at home and abroad."

Several of Armendariz' co-stars took to the Twitterverse after hearing the news, expressing their love and sympathies.

"Noooooo! I am filled with sadness!” Eiza Gonzalez posted. "I can not believe Pedro Armendariz is gone. RIP an incomparable talent!"

Lucero wrote,

"I'm so sorry the loss of Pedro Armendariz Jr. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. Much love."

"My deepest condolences to the family Armendariz. We will really miss Pedrito. A marvelous actor and a wonderful human being. Very sad news," Sandra Echeverria Tweeted.

Diego Luna, who will be in Pedro's final film, Casa de mi Padre, also shared some heartwarming memories.

"Pedro is one of those people who made you smile just seeing them," he wrote.

With so many friends and fans, we imagine Armendariz will have quite an emotional funeral later this week. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Were you an admirer of Pedro Armendariz Jr.? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cancer, Casa De Mi Padre, Celebrities, Diego Luna, Eiza Gonzalez, Felipe Calderon, Lucero, Mexico, Movies & CineMás, Pedro Armendariz, Pedro Armendariz Jr., RIP, Sandra Echeverria, twitter

By Michael Lopez

Was X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger held up at gunpoint by Mexican police? That depends on who you believe. The Federales are denying it, but Star Magazine claims to have evidence to the contrary.

According to the magazine, Nicole and her choreographer, Brian Friedman, had assault weapons pointed at their heads after a traffic stop in Mexico. The two had been in the country filming a music video for Scherzinger’s new single, "Try With Me."

"We were held at gunpoint," Friedman claimed. "People next to our cars…there were M16s and Berettas!"

Though Mexican authorities did confirm that Nicole was pulled over, they adamantly denied any gun toting. Either way, it didn't seem to phase the former Pussycat Doll when she appeared on the X Factor Thursday night. She was able to belt through her song, "Pretty," without incident.

Do you think Nicole was really held up by Mexican police? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Brian Friedman, Chisme, Mexico, Nicole Scherzinger, popnews, Pussycat Dolls, Star Magazine, Try With Me, X Factor

By Michael Lopez

The gossip blogs were on fire today after a story broke about Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez' Cabo San Lucas wedding. But the catch is, the boda isn't for them, it's for Selena’s Wizards of Waverly Place buddy, Shannon Larossi.

Larossi was actually a set costumer for Gomez' old Disney Channel show and it appears they've struck up a pretty tight friendship. So much so, that Selena was chosen to be one of Shannon's bridesmaids and may even sing at the wedding.

But, for now at least, it's south-of-the-border Bieber that's attracting the most buzz. The 17-year-old pop star got quite a bit of paparazzi love for baring his chest at the hotel pool.

Selena's bikini bod attracted a lot of attention too. And we can only imagine how glammed up she'll be when she dons a lovely Mexican-inspired bridesmaid dress. Who knows? Maybe it'll encourage The Biebs to "put a ring on it."

Have you ever been part of a wedding court? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, Celebrity Couples, Justin Bieber, Mexico, Selena Gomez, Shannon Larossi, Weddings, wizards of waverly place

By Michael Lopez

Poor Kalimba. This year seems to have brought quite a bit of misfortune into the young singer's life. And tragically, just after he was recovering from discredited accusations by a former girlfriend, news broke out that his aunt was found murdered in Mexico.

According to People en Español, Julia Marichal Martinez was discovered mutilated in her home. Reports claim that her body had actually been dismembered, with her head and hands placed in a discarded bag.

Thankfully, Mexican police have already identified a suspect and will hopefully have enough evidence to charge him soon. Per their reports, the leading "person of interest" is another relative named Alfredo Marichal. Apparently some of his possessions were found at the crime scene.

But surely that doesn't heal all of the pain that Kalimba and his family must be feeling right now. Both he and his sister, singer M'Baila, attended their tía's funeral this past week.

Why do you thin Kalimba has had such a terrible year? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chisme, Julia Marichal Martinez, Kalimba, M'Baila, Mexico, murder, popnews

By Michael Lopez

She may be 44-years-old, but Pamela Anderson can still turn a lot of heads! The former Baywatch star made quite a scene below the border this week as she partied hard at a Playboy Mexico event.

Sporting a tight black dress, Pammy happily gyrated and swung her hair around for tons of Spanish photographers. The event celebrated Playboy Mexico’s lucrative year, which included noteworthy stories about Aracely Arámbula and those high-flying Latina stewardesses!

Though Anderson didn't pose for the mag, she's long been associated with the bunny brand. Many credit her centerfold spread in the early 90's as the kickstart of her career.

Other celebs at the Playboy Mexico party included Facundo and Mario Herrera. But clearly, all eyes at the event were on Pamela. Yelling to the crowd of cheering fans, she happily said,

"Mexico, I love you! I am so happy to be here for this special celebration."

Do you think Pamela Anderson is still as hot as she used to be? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Facundo, Hot Stuff, Mario Herrera, Mexico, Pamela Anderson, Playboy, Playboy Mexico

By Michael Lopez

We mentioned before how Britney Spears has a huge following in Latin America. And now, it looks like she's going to reward three million of her Latin fans with a free concert in Mexico City!

The performance will take place this Sunday at the capital’s Monumento a la Revolución. Federal District Mayor Marcelo Ebrand confirmed the news on his Twitter account, which his 240,000 followers immediately began reposting.

"Confirmarles que Britney Spears estará el domingo 4 a las 1900 hrs en el Monumento a la Revolución en el inicio de navidad," he wrote.

Spears is currently in the midst of a massive Latin American tour to promote her Femme Fatale album. This winter, she's got dates lined up in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. Hopefully, if Brit is feeling generous enough, she'll perform a few freebies here in the states too.

Have you ever seen Britney Spears perform live? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Britney Spears, Femme Fatale, Marcelo Ebrand, Música, Mexico

By Michael Lopez

Something tells us Matt Damon won't be appearing in any PETA ads in the near future. The Contagion star recently smiled for the paparazzi at a gritty bullfight in Mexico's La Monumental stadium.

It's a little unclear what Matt was doing ringside for the toro festival (neither his Latina wife nor his famous friends were spotted with him). Could he have been researching an upcoming matador role? Damon was certainly not talking to the press and even appeared to be incognito, dressed in a dark jacket and baseball hat.

Though bullfights have been a Latin American tradition for centuries, many animal rights groups have criticized the sport, calling it inhumane. In fact, Matt may already be experiencing a bit of backlash for his appearance (and apparent cheering) at the event.

According to The Daily Mail, Damon was just killing time on a day off from shooting his new movie Elysium. Perhaps if he wanted to avoid the bad press, he should've spent the afternoon hanging out with Diego Luna instead.

Do you think bullfights are inhumane? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Bullfights, Chisme, Elysium, MAtt Damon, Mexico, Peta, popnews

By Michael Lopez

This month, the word "Ommm" was blasted for miles from Zocalo square in Mexico City. That's because the nation's capital city hosted what may be the world's largest yoga class.

Organized by the non-profit firm Naam Yoga, the downward doggie celebration included more than 12,000 participants. Eager enthusiasts laid their cloth mats in the middle of the square, then stretched, chanted, and cleared their minds for 60 minutes.

"This truly was an explosion of joy and happiness," said Naam Mexico founder Rebeca Torres. "Many of us were touched and transformed."

Interestingly, this isn't the first time that Mexico has embraced the power of "Ommm." The country recently added yoga regimens into its prison systems as a way to calm inmates. Perhaps if Mexico really wants the trend to catch on, they'll incorporate classes taught by celebrity guests.

Are you a fan of yoga? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cultura, Mexico, Naam Yoga, Rebeca Torres, Yoga

By Michael Lopez

With a new season comes new fashion trends. And while most of the New York supermodels are flossing thick coats and scarves, down below the border it's all about huipiles, bright flowers, and hieroglyphics! Yup, indigenous designs are now the latest Latin American clothing craze.

Over in Mexico, retro tunics have been seen on a ton of runways. Typical patterns include colorful bird imagery, geometric shapes, and plenty of bare midriffs to bump up the sex appeal. According to several of the country's top designers, the trend began popping up during last year's bicentennial celebrations.

"We began to see how people were reassessing Indian art," designer Paulina Fosado told Fox News Latino. "Before, if you were to put something indigenous on, they would ask you 'Why would you wear that?' Now it's in style."

Fosado, who runs a line with her sister Malinali, debuted some interesting twists to the traditional garb at a recent fashion show. Some of their more popular outfits included sewn-in beads, floral embroidery, and just a touch of puffiness to keep things contemporary.

And both Fosado sisters admitted, weaving together the traditional designs is an art form unto itself. For centuries, indigenous seamstresses incorporated tools like the backstrap loom to carefully hand-spin cotton threads between fibers (something we doubt Oscar de la Renta's team has the skill set to do).

And interestingly, to help make the indigenous lines more accessible, designers tend to cut out portions of traditionally sewn material and incorporate them into silk fabrics (which helps with form-fitting "wearability").

Of course, purists tend to believe that the alterations take away from indigenous authenticity. But in the world of mass-produced fashion, that's pretty much a given.

The Fosado sisters (and many other Latino designers) seem to be happy just exposing young shoppers to the style and history of cultures gone by. And the fact that they're charging up to $1,100 for an indigenous designed dress certainly helps things too.

Which fashion styles do you find most intriguing right now? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cultura, Fashion, Malinali Fosado, Mexico, Paulina Fosado, Style