World’s largest online math class wins a Guinness record

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December 8, 2020

YouTube math teacher Julioprofe. — YouTube math and physics teacher Julioprofe.

A popular Colombian educational YouTuber and Jalisco’s Ministry of Education joined forces and successfully set a new Guinness World Record for an online math class with the most attendants — 213,586 of them.

And yes, there was a question-and-answer session afterward.

The record to beat was only 1,600 students, but Julio Alberto Ríos Gallego, a civil engineer known online as “Julioprofe” to his 4.39 million subscribers on YouTube, was in it to win. He had already lost a bid for a Guinness record last year when he tried to break the record for the most people attending an in-person math class at Talent Land, an annual conference in Jalisco for inventors and entrepreneurs.

He failed to reach his goal when over 800 of his participants were disqualified.

This year’s online class lasted nearly an hour on the Jalisco Ministry of Education’s virtual forum, Recrea Academy, followed by a period for questions. Ríos, who explains math and physics problems on his channel, spoke during the virtual class about how mathematics applies to other subjects.

“Imagine a box or a kit of tools that accompanies us during our lives,” he said. “Some are simple, others are more sophisticated, but all serve some purpose. Logically in the case of mathematics, these tools are going to serve to resolve situations and solve problems in different fields.”

Ríos received congratulations from Jalisco Education Minister Juan Carlos Flores Miramontes, but perhaps the most heartfelt support came from supporters online, many of whom made visual memes expressing congratulations or hopes beforehand that he would be successful.

“If you complain about the trash content on the internet,” said one Twitter user urging people online to participate in the record-breaking class, “this is the moment to support Julioprofe.”

Source: Milenio (sp)

CORRECTION: The word Columbian may refer to a Yukon River paddlewheeler, a type of grouse or a music hall in Kansas but it was not the correct word to describe Julioprofe’s nationality. He is Colombian.

Government must comply with transparency rules to root out corruption: director

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MND Staff

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December 8, 2020

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Acuña: attacks by president have been a bitter experience.

Without transparency, the government’s quest to eliminate corruption will remain a pipe dream, warns the outgoing chief of the National Transparency Institute (INAI).

In an interview with the newspaper Milenio, Francisco Javier Acuña Llamas said President López Obrador, who has made combatting corruption the central aim of his administration, “must comply with transparency” rules to achieve his goal of a corruption-free society.

Acuña, who will step down as INAI chief on Thursday but remain an institute official for a further two years, said the president’s flagship initiatives are “strict republican austerity” and the fight against corruption.

But “without transparency and access to public information” bringing the two initiatives to fruition “could become an [unobtainable] utopia,” he said.

While López Obrador is committed to rooting out corruption, he is no fan of INAI, asserting even before he took office that it has “done nothing” and is part of a “golden bureaucracy” of underachieving yet high paid officials.

Acuña, who became INAI chief in 2017, told Milenio that being the focus of repeated attacks by the president – he took aim at the institute again on Monday – has been a difficult experience.

Indeed, he said the president’s comments have represented some of the most bitter moments of his term.

And López Obrador’s attacks have encouraged others to be critical of INAI, he said, adding: “He’s the president of the republic! There’s no stronger affront than when he hurls expressions of disapproval [at the institute] and says that we only cost [the government money] and we’re not useful. It’s terrible.”

“To withstand it you have to have a strong stomach and a lot of brains, … never respond in clumsy terms but [you have] to be firm,” he said.

Despite the attacks, Acuña said the INAI he is leaving is in good shape, describing it as “brave” institution that fulfills its duties.

It has on occasion ordered the government to release sensitive information but according to Acuña, INAI has not split from the López Obrador administration or offended it.

“On the contrary we assimilated and what [the institute] has shown is that it can do what it has to do,” he said.

It remains to be seen whether the government’s perception of INAI will change under the leadership of a new chief. For the time being, López Obrador is not showing any signs of letting up on it.

Speaking on Monday, the president said that INAI and other autonomous government bodies were created by past governments “to pretend that corruption was being combatted and that there was transparency.”

He claimed that INAI from its inception made a pact to not disclose tax reprieves granted during the 2000-2006 government of former president Vicente Fox.

Its “stellar moment,” López Obrador said sarcastically, “was when it resolved to keep secret all the Odebrecht [corruption scandal] information.”

(The Brazilian construction company has admitted to paying multi-million-dollar bribes to the previous government in exchange for lucrative contracts).

The president also railed against the high costs of funding INAI.

“How much does it cost to maintain this institute? … 1 billion pesos [US $50.5 million] a year,” López Obrador said, describing the funds allocated to it as “the people’s money.”

After accusing the officials of INAI and other autonomous institutions of living large on the public purse, the president described the organizations as floreros, or flower vases, insinuating that they are nothing more than an adornment to the real work of government.

López Obrador added that whoever is elected to succeed Acuña as INAI chief must be an honest woman or man.

Having a doctorate from a foreign university isn’t enough to get the job, he said, explaining that the successful candidate must also have “principles” and “ideals.”

Source: Milenio (sp), El Universal (sp)

Tourism makes a gradual recovery in Oaxaca, minister says

By

Michelle Aguilar

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December 8, 2020

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A state official provides hand sanitizer outside the Church of Santo Domingo in Oaxaca city.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of visitors to Oaxaca has been slowly recovering and so have the jobs lost to lockdowns, says state Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Rivera Castellanos.

“We have been going little by little, taking things as they come,” Rivera said. “The most important thing is that we are recovering the jobs lost throughout the tourism industry.”

But the news lately has been brighter: during Day of the Dead celebrations last month there was 30% hotel occupancy even with the state being yellow on the national coronavirus stoplight risk map. It’s a big improvement over September when hotel occupancy in Oaxaca city was only at 10% for the Independence Day holidays, a period when it would normally have been around 60%.

For the winter holiday season, Rivera is optimistically predicting 50% hotel occupancy and about 300 million pesos (US 415.16 million) in economic spillover. That number has been estimated at 86 million pesos for this year’s Day of the Dead holiday; last year the figure was 186 million.

Rivera believes the state’s efforts to gain certification as a healthy tourist destination, which he believes gives people more confidence to visit, are paying off.

In July, the World Travel and Tourism Council added the state to a growing list of tourism destinations it said had demonstrated commitment to the council’s standards of hygiene and sanitation.

But Oaxaca’s tourism industry had already been growing since 2017. In 2019, it surpassed the national average and broke all records for the state, according to Rivera. In the city of Oaxaca, from 2017–2019, average hotel occupancy increased from 30% to 50%. At the end of 2019, the city saw 15 million pesos in economic benefit from more than 5.5 million visitors.

In 2020, up until March, the state was continuing to see high numbers of visitors, he said.

“It has been earning recognition,” said Rivera, “such winner of the award for best city in Mexico and the world, according to the industry magazine Travel + Leisure. Recently we won the Oscar of tourism from the World Travel Awards 2020, as the best destination for an urban getaway.”

It’s hard to tell yet just how much income the state’s tourism industry has lost due to the pandemic. Rivera refers to the losses as “immeasurable.” But he is optimistic that December will continue the current uptick in the state’s visitor numbers and income and says it’s important not to calculate economic losses in 2020 but lives saved.

Sources: Milenio (sp), NVI Noticias (sp)

Four-day festival in Tulum blamed for spreading Covid

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MND Staff

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December 8, 2020

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Masks were in evidence at some events at the Tulum festival.

A four-day festival held in Tulum, Quintana Roo, last month has been blamed for spreading the coronavirus after many attendees, including foreign tourists, fell ill.

The third edition of the Art With Me festival, which describes itself as “a community-driven festival that combines art, music, workshops, wellness and cultural experiences,” was held in the Caribbean coast resort town from November 11 to 15.

A report by the news website The Daily Beast said Art With Me is akin to “Burning Man on the beach,” referring to the annual event that draws tens of thousands of people to the desert of northwestern Nevada for a multi-day festival.

There are “towering art installations, group meditations, and a whole lot of partying,” the report said.

This year’s Art With Me event, which transformed into an electronic music festival at night, went ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic, which as of Monday had claimed the lives of more than 110,000 people in Mexico including almost 2,000 in Quintana Roo.

The festival website contains a list of recommendations to prevent the spread of the coronavirus but numerous attendees including guests and performers told The Daily Beast that almost no one wore a mask and there was little social distancing.

Video footage of nighttime parties at hotels, restaurants and cenotes (natural sinkholes) show hundreds of maskless people dancing in close proximity to each other.

It’s unsurprising therefore that many people are believed to have contracted the virus during the event before falling ill shortly after. Positive cases stemming from the festival have been detected in both Mexico and the United States.

An administrator at the Tulum Hospital told The Daily Beast that “multiple people” with Covid who attended Art With Me have been admitted for treatment. Antonio Romero said the hospital has mainly treated tourists with Covid, saying that it typically receives two to three United States citizens per day as well as larger numbers of patients from South American countries such as Chile and Argentina.

Positive Covid cases that likely stem from Art With Me have also been detected in New York and Miami.

Eleonora Walczak, the founder of a private Covid-19 care and testing company that operates in those two cities, told The Daily Beast that most of the people she tested positive in recent weeks either attended the Tulum festival or had contact with someone who did.

“What I’ve seen in my small cohort are people testing positive after coming back from Mexico – particularly Art With Me in Tulum,” she said.

“I would say that 60-70% of my positives in the last couple weeks in New York City have been a direct result of either people coming back from Art With Me, or who have been directly exposed to someone who attended Art With Me. And I test in Miami as well, and my testers there tell me that a lot of their positives are people coming back from Art With Me.”

Be Svensden, a Danish DJ who performed at the festival, said that he subsequently became ill with Covid and heard of at least 17 other people who fell ill after attending Art With Me parties.

Xwnia Wolf, a Mexican DJ who played two cenote sets, said she hadn’t heard of anyone getting sick after attending her performances but added that she was aware of “so many cases” stemming from another cenote party.

One person who got sick was a woman The Daily Beast referred to by the alias of Michelle. She said she became so ill with Covid that she couldn’t get out of bed.

“I have nothing good to say about this event,” she said.

“They served food too — all open barbecue finger food. Everyone was grabbing with their hands,” Michelle said. “All I will say is that there was not one mask and I got more sick than I ever did in my entire life after that party.”

International visitors to Tulum, which has become a very popular destination for U.S. tourists in recent years, commonly flout health guidelines including the use of face masks even though they were made mandatory by the Quintana Roo governor early in the pandemic.

Svensden, the Danish DJ, said that plenty of carefree partying is happening in Tulum outside last month’s festival – despite a ban on large gatherings of people.

Therefore it doesn’t make sense to single out small Art With Me gatherings as superspreader events “while a whole town full of people was, and still is, partying without masks and clearly not worrying or being careful in the slightest,” he said. “Art With Me and Tulum in general should be the story.”

A representative of a digital marketing company that promotes events in Tulum told The Daily Beast that “people just ignore the fact that there is a virus around.”

“[They] wear masks just because they have to in certain places like the supermarket, and live their lives as always. This happens just in Tulum – the rest of the country seems to be taking it a little more serious. I prefer Tulum’s way.”

Source: The Daily Beast (en)

Mazatlán says no to carnival, though only 1,576 people voted

By

Michelle Aguilar

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December 8, 2020

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carnaval — Mazatlán Carnival parade in 2019.

While only 0.44% of registered voters showed up to cast a ballot at a referendum Sunday, the few Mazatlán citizens who did vote decided overwhelmingly that the city will not hold its world-famous carnival celebration in February.

Local officials stood ready to collect votes with 33,000 ballots at six polling stations. But in the end, only 1,576 people voted on whether the city should hold the festival next year in light of the coronavirus. Of that number, 1,417 — or 90% — voted no.

The number of eligible voters totaled 350,510 in the 2018 elections.

The municipality held the referendum after Mayor Guillermo Benítez Torres said municipal officials could not come to a decision about holding the event, scheduled for February 11–16, due to concerns about crowding and Covid-19 spread.

“This is to say that citizens decide and not the authorities,” Benítez said upon announcing the referendum. “If you want it to happen, we are all going to share responsibility for what may happen at Carnaval.”

Mazatlán’s 2020 carnival celebration broke records with 1.6 million people attending the seven-day festival. The parade alone had an estimated attendance of 680,000. Forbes magazine has called the carnival — a 122-year-old tradition that features concerts, parades, fireworks displays and other large public events — one of the three most important carnival celebrations worldwide.

Mazatlán currently has 72 active Covid-19 cases, in second place statewide under Culiacán, which has 247.

Source: El Universal (sp)

Day at the beach turns to tragedy as 3 children swept away by waves

By

Michelle Aguilar

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December 8, 2020

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The Veracruz beach where strong currents claimed the lives of three young boys.

Emergency personnel on Monday recovered the body of the last of three brothers swept away and drowned Saturday in strong currents at a Veracruz beach.

The body of 13-year-old Brayan was found washed up on a beach in the community of Las Barrancas, some distance away from where he and his two brothers disappeared in the waters off Antón Lizardo. Both are vacation towns in the municipality of Alvarado, located within the metropolitan area of the city of Veracruz.

The boys had been swimming with their family Saturday around noon near a breakwater when strong currents began pulling the boys, their father and an adult sister. Alvarado Civil Protection personnel enlisted the help of lifeguards and fishermen in the area to save the father and the sister, but the three boys disappeared in the waves.

The father was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

With the continued help of fishermen, officials located 10-year-old Alexander’s body in the vicinity the same day around 4 p.m, and 15-year-old Uriel’s body on Sunday by a breakwater near the Antón Lizardo Naval School.

The family, from Tlaxcala, were swimming despite red flags posted at the beach warning of the dangerous conditions. Waves at the beach this weekend were bigger than usual due to the combination of northern winds and a cold front passing through the area.

Sources: Milenio (sp), ADN40 (sp)

Healthcare workers then seniors are first in line in 5-stage Covid vaccination plan

By

MND Staff

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December 8, 2020

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The first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine is expected this month.

Healthcare workers will be the first people in Mexico to be immunized against Covid-19 under a five-stage national vaccination plan presented Tuesday by the federal government.

Second in line are people aged 80 and over followed by those in the 70-79 age bracket.

Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell, the government’s coronavirus point man, told President López Obrador’s morning news conference that the intention is to administer Covid-19 vaccines to about 75% of the population aged 16 and over by the end of next year.

According to the vaccination plan, the immunization of frontline healthcare workers using the Pfizer vaccine will begin this month and conclude in February 2021.

Health Minister Jorge Alcocer said Monday that people considered particularly vulnerable to a serious Covid-19 illness due to existing health conditions will also have early access to immunization.

The Pfizer vaccine is expected to be approved by the health regulator Cofepris this month and a first shipment of 250,000 doses is to arrive soon after. That number of doses will allow 125,000 healthcare workers to be inoculated as each person requires two shots given 21 days apart.

Mexico struck a deal with Pfizer last week to buy 34.4 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine, which was shown to be 95% effective in phase 3 trials. One million doses are slated to arrive in Mexico in each of January, February and March and a shipment of 12 million doses is expected in April.

In stage 2 of the vaccination plan, which will run from February to April, the government intends to immunize non-frontline health workers and people aged over 60, starting with those 80 or older. Immunization of people aged 50-59 will occur in stage 3 in April and May while those between 40 and 49 are to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in stage 4 next May and June.

In stage 5, the rest of the population will be immunized between June 2021 and March 2022.

López-Gatell said the vaccination schedule creates “new horizons of hope” for Mexico and the world.

“We’ll be working throughout 2021 as the different vaccines appear,” he said, adding that the government already has agreements to purchase three.

Foreign Minister Ebrard: having early access to vaccine is ‘a great achievement’ for Mexico.

The deputy health minister predicted that more vaccines will be approved in 2021, providing the opportunity to purchase additional shipments from different suppliers.

Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard noted that the government has an agreement to purchase 77.4 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine, adding that it will sign a deal this week to buy 35 million doses of China’s CanSino Biologics vaccine.

Phase 3 trials of the CanSino vaccine and four other Covid-19 vaccines are currently taking place in Mexico, he said.

“In a nutshell, we have access to the vaccine,” the foreign minister said. “It will be up to us to approve [each one] or not. We have guaranteed and signed access.”

Cofepris’ approval of the Pfizer vaccine is expected to be facilitated by its likely imminent authorization by the United States Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. The rollout of the vaccine began in the United Kingdom on Tuesday.

In Mexico, the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine could be administered to health workers in Mexico City and Coahuila as soon as next week. That Mexico will be one of the first countries in the world to inoculate people against Covid-19 is “a great achievement,” Ebrard said.

Mexico has been one of the worst affected countries by the coronavirus pandemic, currently ranking 12th for confirmed cases and fourth for Covid-19 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The accumulated case tally increased to 1,182,249 on Monday with 6,399 new cases reported while the official death toll rose to 110,074 with 357 additional fatalities.

Source: Infobae (sp), Milenio (sp)

Judge grants Maya Train suspension order on environmental grounds

By

MND Staff

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December 8, 2020

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An artist's rendition of a Maya Train station in Tenosique, Tabasco.

A district judge in Campeche has granted a suspension order against a 222-kilometer stretch of the federal government’s Maya Train project, ruling that its construction could cause irreparable damage to the environment.

The ruling halts construction of section 2 of the US $8-billion Yucatán Peninsula tourist train. The section is slated to run from Escárcega, Campeche, to Calkiní in the same state.

The decision was handed down in response to an injunction request filed in July by more than 100 environmental and indigenous organizations that argued that construction of the section would cause deforestation and soil degradation and contaminate the Yucatán Peninsula aquifer.

The environmental damage would violate the rights of the indigenous Mayan people who live along the route, they said.

“This train will displace us, it will drastically change our way of life,” indigenous organization representatives told a press conference, asserting that the project was being imposed on them without prior consultation.

Xavier Martínez Esponda, operations director at the Mexican Center for Environmental Law, said that work on section 2 of the project can’t proceed unless a legal challenge overturns the judge’s suspension order.

Several suspension orders have been granted against construction of the train, the government’s signature infrastructure project, but a federal court revoked one in May after it was challenged by the National Tourism Promotion Fund (Fonatur), which is managing the 1,500-kilometer rail project. Fonatur is likely to also launch legal action against the latest ruling.

A consortium controlled by billionaire businessman Carlos Slim was awarded an 18.55-billion-peso (US $937.9 million) contract in April to build section 2 of the project, which will link cities and towns in the states of Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, Quintana Roo and Chiapas.

The project is divided into seven sections including two to be built by the army. President López Obrador officially inaugurated construction in June, pledging that the project will be completed by October 2022.

He said that construction of the railroad, which will also make use of existing tracks, would create more than 200,000 jobs by the end of next year. The president says that its operation will spur social and economic development in Mexico’s neglected southeast.

Experts have warned that its construction and operation poses a range of environmental risks among which are threats to the region’s underground water networks and the long-term survival of the jaguar. But the government denies that the project will have a negative impact on the environment.

Source: El Economista (sp), Milenio (sp)

Homemade seasonings spice up holiday gift giving

By

Janet Blaser

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December 7, 2020

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Homemade seasonings, like this pumpkin pie mix, trump store-bought.

While I can’t be near most of my friends and family this holiday season, I’m finding that making gifts in the kitchen helps me feel connected even though we’re far away from each other.

Cookies are the classic homemade gift (more about those next week!), but these spice blends will be just as appreciated and are easier to give to folks who may have dietary restrictions that you’re unaware of. While putting together spice and seasoning blends may sound simple, there are some tips that will make your finished products really shine.

First and foremost, start with the freshest spices you can find. That means don’t go to any sort of discount outlet to get them. Go to a busy mercado (properly masked and socially distanced, of course) where spices can be found in bulk or freshly ground while you wait. You can also go to a bigger store that has sealed, packaged and dated jars of the spices you need. This is a good excuse to buy a box of kosher salt too.

As much as possible, you also want to grind, grate or crush the spices yourself. Fresh-grated nutmeg, for instance, imparts a brilliant burst of flavor unlike what you get in a jar. A mortar and pestle or molcajete can be used to prepare ground oregano or thyme or to crush the coriander, mustard or cumin seeds. And always grind black, red or other peppercorns yourself for the brightest flavor.

What you can find at places like Waldo’s are small decorative jars in which to put your spice blends. These can also be found at kitchen supply shops, where I always find fascinating things I didn’t know I needed. Tie some red or green ribbon around the tops of the jars and they’re good to go. Feliz Navidad, my friends!

This taco seasoning can also be used in red enchilada sauce.

Jenn’s Taco Seasoning

I tend not to make tacos at home as they seem so much better at my favorite stands, but Jenn swears by this spice mix.

¼ cup ancho chili powder
3 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. cornstarch or 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Mix everything well and store in an airtight container. Two tablespoons of this is equivalent to one store-bought packet.

To make tacos, use 2 Tbsp. per pound of ground beef. Add ¼ cup of water along with taco seasoning. Makes ¾ cup, enough to season six pounds of ground beef.

For Red Enchilada Sauce: Add 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix per 1 cup of tomato puree, plus a bit of vinegar to taste.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Add to cupcakes, quick bread or make your own Pumpkin Spice Latte!

4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. ground nutmeg

Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place up to six months.

Salt-Free Herb Blend

A sprinkle of this perks up chicken, fish, shrimp and vegetable dishes.

4 tsp. sesame seeds
2 tsp. EACH celery seed, dried marjoram, poppy seeds and ground black pepper
1½ tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. each onion powder and dried thyme
½ tsp. each garlic powder and paprika

Store in an airtight container up to 6 months. Yield: 1/3 cup

Flavorful spice mixes are a great way to reduce your salt intake

BC’s Italian Dressing Mix

Also great as a rub for chicken or in soup or tuna salad.

1 Tbsp. dried garlic flakes or powder
1 Tbsp. dried onion flakes or powder
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
! Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
¼ tsp. celery seed
At least 1 Tbsp. salt, or to taste

Mix all spices together. Store in an airtight jar.

To make dressing: In a shaker jar, add 2 Tbsp. of spice mix to ¼ cup vinegar (any kind), 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp. water. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice or a minced fresh garlic clove, if you like. Shake well.

Seasoned Salt

Delicious on everything!

1/3 cup salt
1½ tsp. garlic powder
1½ tsp. celery seed
1½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. ground mustard

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 year. Makes about ½ cup.

BC’s Poultry Seasoning

2 tsp. ground sage
1½ tsp. ground thyme
1 tsp. ground marjoram
¾ tsp. ground rosemary
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. fine ground black pepper

“Everything Bagel” Popcorn Seasoning

2 Tbsp. EACH white and black sesame seeds,
1 Tbsp. EACH caraway seeds, granulated onion and granulated garlic
1½ tsp. salt

Toss seasonings with 6 Tbsp. melted butter and 12 cups freshly made popcorn.

Discount stores are an economical place to find attractive spice jars.

Garam Masala

This classic mixture of spices makes the magic in Indian foods.

4 tsp. ground cumin
1½ tsp. EACH ground coriander, cardamom and black pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. EACH ground nutmeg and dried chili flakes

Store in an airtight container.

Ranch Seasoning Blend

Sprinkle on top of baked or scalloped potatoes, on garlic bread, popcorn or even fish tacos.

2 ½ Tbsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. EACH dried dill and dried minced onion
2½ tsp. EACH garlic powder and onion powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1½ tsp. salt

Add 1 Tbsp. of seasoning and 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice to 1/3 cup mayonnaise.

Chinese Five Spice Blend

Add sweetness and warmth to Asian-inspired dishes.

2 Tbsp. anise seed
2 Tbsp. fennel seed
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. whole cloves
2 Tbsp. whole peppercorns

Grind with a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle until mixture becomes a fine powder. Store in an airtight container. Makes about ½ cup.

Janet Blaser has been a writer, editor and storyteller her entire life and feels fortunate to be able to write about great food, amazing places, fascinating people and unique events. Her first book, Why We Left: An Anthology of American Women Expats, is available on Amazon. Contact Janet or read her blog at whyweleftamerica.com.

Pemex rescinds contracts awarded to president’s cousin

By

MND Staff

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December 7, 2020

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López Obrador's cousin was not named on three of the contracts.

The state oil company Pemex has rescinded four contracts awarded to a company owned by President López Obrador’s first cousin.

Litoral Laboratorios Industriales (LLI), a company owned by Felipa Guadalupe Obrador Olán that provides chemical and microbiological testing of oil products, won four Pemex contracts last year. Three of them were awarded after Pemex became aware of Obrador Olán’s relationship to the president and ordered her to abstain from participating in its tendering processes.

The state oil company said Sunday that in addition to canceling the contracts it would carry out an exhaustive investigation into the tendering processes in which LLI participated.

The aim will be to determine who was responsible for awarding the contracts and decide the consequences for not following the company’s regulatory processes and López Obrador’s instructions not to do business with any of his relatives.

Journalist Carlos Loret de Mola revealed last Thursday that Obrador Olán’s company had been awarded government contracts worth 365 million pesos (US $18.3 million) over the past two years.

The president, who has made combatting corruption the central aim of his administration, said Friday that he wasn’t aware of the arrangements.

However, he said Monday that his cousin, whose company has been awarded government contracts as far back as 2013, had entered a consortium with other firms and was not listed as a legal representative on bids submitted to Pemex.

“In Pemex they did not realize or there was omission and they delivered the contract,” López Obrador said, adding that he told Pemex CEO Octavio Romero to act in accordance with the law. “Even when it comes to family, there will be no corruption,” he said.

According to a Pemex statement, LLI participated in one tendering process in October 2019 with a company called Services Inter Lab de México.

A public servant responsible for reviewing the bids noticed that Obrador Olán was listed as one of the interested parties, the state-owned company said.

“The above was reported to the president by the general director of Pemex; the response was categorical in the sense that under no circumstances was the awarding of contracts to any relatives allowed,” Pemex said.

“In response to the presidential instruction, Felipe Guadalupe Obrador Olán was verbally advised that she wouldn’t be awarded the contract and she was ordered not to continue getting involved in Pemex tendering processes.”

Obrador Olán didn’t receive that contract but her company, as part of a consortium with two other firms, was awarded one earlier in October 2019, the newspaper El Universal reported.

Another consortium LLI was part of with six other companies won three additional contracts with Pemex in November 2019. The state oil company said that when she was ordered not to participate in Pemex tendering processes, Obrador Olán didn’t reveal that LLI had already submitted bids as part of another consortium.

It’s not the first time that López Obrador has been placed in a difficult position by members of his family. Two videos showing the president’s brother receiving large amounts of cash in 2015 from a man who became Civil Protection chief in the current government surfaced in August.

López Obrador denied that the payments his brother received were corrupt, saying that the money was “contributions to strengthen the [Morena] movement” and came from ordinary people who supported the party, which he founded in 2014.

However, he said the Attorney General’s Office should investigate.

Pío López Obrador filed a complaint in October against the journalist who brought the videos to light – Carlos Loret de Mola, an outspoken critic of the federal government who has also sought to expose corruption linked to Federal Electricity Commission director Manuel Bartlett and Public Administration Minister Irma Sandoval.

Source: El Universal (sp), Bloomberg (en)