A chaotic week for federal anti-discrimination watchdog

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June 22, 2020

The offices of anti-discrimination watchdog Conapred.

Not much is going right for the federal anti-discrimination watchdog: its director resigned last week after President López Obrador suggested that the organization should be disbanded, and its website was the victim today of a cyber attack.

Mónica Maccise officially resigned as head of the National Council to Prevent Discrimination (Conapred) last Friday, two days after the Interior Ministry (Segob) asked her to leave the post.

The request for her resignation came after López Obrador suggested that Conapred — which he claimed he had never heard of before — should be dissolved and that Segob should be in charge of all issues related to human rights. Having an anti-discrimination agency only creates unnecessary bureaucracy, he said.

Three members of Conapred’s Advisory Assembly also tendered their resignations after Maccise announced her departure.

López Obrador’s remarks about Conapred came as it was facing a public backlash for an online forum it organized for last Wednesday.

Ultimately canceled, the forum was criticized for both its title – “Racism and/or Classism in Mexico?” – and more fervently because a comedian with a history of making racist and discriminatory comments had been invited to be a panelist.

“We were very critical of the event, first of all, because they presented it as if it were a question,”José Antonio Aguilar, founder of the advocacy group RacismoMX, told the magazine Americas Quarterly (AQ).

Conapred came under harsher criticism for inviting Chumel Torres, a well-known comedian, to participate in the forum.

Torres is quoted as saying that an indigenous Barbie doll would “sweep and mop … just like in real life” and last year mocked the then 12-year-old son of López Obrador and Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller by referring to him with a nickname that alluded to his physical appearance.

Gutiérrez, the first lady, was one of the most influential people who criticized Conapred’s decision to invite Torres onto a panel to discuss racism.

“You invited this person to a forum on discrimination? I’m still waiting for his public apology,” she wrote on Twitter.

Torres, whose HBO show was suspended last week pending a review of allegations of racism, responded by asserting that he had hoped to “build bridges” at the forum.

AQ reported that the comedian offered an “apology of sorts” to Gutiérrez but also blamed her for the cancelation of the Conapred forum.

A day after the forum was to be held, López Obrador renewed his attack on the anti-discrimination watchdog, suggesting that it should have never been created.

“We have to fight racism and discrimination … but we don’t need to create a government agency for every demand,” he said.

The president even claimed that he hadn’t heard of Conapred before the controversy over its forum, and asserted that it hasn’t done anything to benefit the Mexican people.

López Obrador’s remarks and Maccise’s resignation triggered an outpouring of support for the agency.

Aguilar, the anti-racism advocate, told AQ that the council “should have more responsibilities, more capacity, more power, and above all more resources.”

He said “it would be a mistake to think that it could disappear” and that “on the contrary, it should be strengthened.”

The global anti-racism movement triggered by the death of African American George Floyd in Minnesota last month has led to a period of self-reflection about racial prejudice in Mexico, a country where people who have dark skin and speak an indigenous language are much more likely to have lower levels of education and suffer economic hardship, according to a 2019 Oxfam study.

In that context, López Obrador’s insinuation that Conapred has achieved nothing and shouldn’t even exist was bound to spur controversy.

While three members of the Conapred Advisory Assembly quit in the wake of his remarks and Maccise’s apparently forced resignation, other members are seeking dialogue with the government to ensure its survival.

Haydee Pérez Garrido, a spokeswoman for the remaining Advisory Assembly members, told the news website Animal Político that a document has been sent to López Obrador and Interior Minister Olga Sánchez asserting that the elimination of Conapred would represent a step backward in the fight against discrimination.

She said the council should be strengthened while acknowledging that its “regulatory framework, mandate, responsibilities and operational capacity” should be reviewed.

In the document sent to the government, the Advisory Assembly members rejected the president’s claim that Conapred has done nothing to benefit Mexicans.

They stressed that in the 17 years since it was created, the council has made “significant progress in the defense of the rights” of people with disabilities, the elderly, people with different sexual preferences and those of diverse racial backgrounds, including Afro-Mexicans.

Discrediting Conapred and its work amounts to an attack on the “just struggles and demands” of a range of social groups, the Advisory Assembly members said.

“It must be highlighted that the president’s project, supported by the powerful idea of putting the poor first, implies recognizing that many of them [the poor] are in that position precisely because they are victims of discriminatory practices,” the document said.

Convincing the government of its worth is not the only battle currently faced by Conapred.

Hackers took the council’s website offline on Monday morning and at 5:00 p.m. it remained inaccessible.

Anonymous Iberoamérica, part of an international activist/hactivist collective known for cyber attacks, claimed responsibility for the website’s removal. It said that it had hacked the site to protest against federal government censorship.

“The new regime of the government led by Andrés Manuel López Obrador makes use of censorship when it can’t debate with solid arguments that which is not in its interests for the people to know,” it said.

“Anonymous will not allow censorship to once again form part of our everyday life as it did in the past.”

It was unclear whether the decision to target the Conapred website was related to López Obrador’s remarks about the anti-discrimination council last week.

Source: El Financiero (sp), Animal Político (sp), Americas Quarterly (en)

Mexico’s ‘Iron Lady’ cracks whip on multinationals’ taxes

By

Jude Webber

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June 22, 2020

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Buenrostro, the tax agency's 'iron lady.'

As Mexico’s economy descends into its deepest recession in decades, the government has deployed its top weapon to keep tax revenue flowing: a diminutive, sweet-spoken and tough-as-nails official who has squeezed US $800 million in long-contested payments out of big companies.

After taking over at the tax agency SAT in January, Raquel Buenrostro — her surname means “nice face” but her nickname is “Iron Lady” — has proved her mettle by boosting tax revenues 5.6% in the first four months of 2020.

And despite the economic paralysis caused by Covid-19 and Mexico’s history of woefully low tax collection, President López Obrador said state revenues were still up 2.5% in January to May compared with last year. Official data is not yet out.

He called it “a miracle,” and to achieve it, Buenrostro — who is one of the president’s most trusted officials, and rumoured as a potential future finance minister — has trained her sights on big companies, which the government brands as tax dodgers.

She has convinced the Mexican unit of U.S. supermarket group Walmart, Coca-Cola bottler and convenience store operator Femsa, as well as IBM and companies owned by Carlos Slim, Mexico’s richest man, to pay up. Fresnillo, the world’s biggest silver miner and part of Mexico’s Grupo Bal, has also paid just over $205 million in taxes, according to a regulatory filing in the U.K., where it is incorporated.

Former tax prosecutor Diener calls it 'fiscal terrorism.' — Former tax prosecutor Diener calls it ‘fiscal terrorism.’

Walmart and Femsa, in statements to the stock exchange at the end of May, said they were paying 8.079 billion pesos ($374 million) and 8.79 billion pesos respectively. Walmart said it was to “conclude substantial fiscal matters”, while Femsa said its payment “finalized differences of interpretation” over taxes paid abroad. The companies did not admit any wrongdoing.

Carlos Slim has not disclosed any sum. López Obrador announced IBM would pay 669 million pesos and said the auto maker Toyota had made payments as well, although no further details were available.

No one at SAT had immediate comment.

The president, who is crusading to eradicate corruption and has ruled out tax increases, said in April the government would pursue “those who don’t want to pay” via administrative sanctions and criminal charges. He said 15 large companies owing 50 billion pesos in back taxes had been identified, although he did not name them.

Buenrostro, who says steel, pharmaceuticals, food, cars, mining, retail and energy companies have the biggest debts, told the Reuters news agency four or five criminal complaints had been filed against companies, but no details were immediately available.

Experts said the prospect of being in trouble with an authority that had emerged as one of Mexico’s most powerful institutions was enough to convince many people and companies to put their tax affairs in order.

They want to sell the story that the rich don't pay taxes, says Mariana Campos. — They want to sell the story that the rich don’t pay taxes, says Mariana Campos.

But they fear that officials’ big stick — legal reforms last year that allow executives of companies and individuals accused of tax crimes to be jailed before trial — could easily be abused.

“I believe it’s fiscal terrorism,” said Max Diener, a professor and former federal tax prosecutor. He called Buenrostro an “excellent public servant” but feared she had enormous and “very dangerous” discretionary power.

“They are using undue pressure and coercion to get deals,” including “unprecedented” requests for information, said Enoch Castellanos, head of the Canacintra industry group that represents mostly small and midsized businesses.

Castellanos said SAT had started cracking down on businesses that did not make payments by the 17th of every month — a tougher stance than previously. “On the 18th, they start proceedings and apply a fine equivalent to 50% of the debt,” he said.

Buenrostro, a mathematician, had worked in the Mexico City government when López Obrador was mayor, as well as other federal positions. She has emerged as one of the president’s key lieutenants after saving an estimated $9 billion by slashing spending and centralizing government procurement in the government’s first year in office.

When it comes to tax collection, Buenrostro has argued that she is just being fair and efficient. “Everything is in line with the law, everyone has to comply,” she told legislators this month, promising “zero privileges and zero waivers.”

She added: “It’s not fiscal terrorism because people are paying up. Those who feel threatened and pressured are the ones who aren’t.”

Higher collection is a boon for a country where tax revenue represents only 16% of gross domestic product, the lowest level in the OECD. Despite López Obrador’s optimism, tax revenue fell 25% in April, compared with March, as the Covid-19 recession bit. Economists expect GDP to fall almost 9% this year.

“It’s good if they’re collecting old debts, but it won’t be enough,” said Mariana Campos, a public finances specialist at México Evalúa, a think tank.

“Tax collection is obviously going to fall further” because of the economic contraction, said Diana Bernal, a former taxpayers’ ombudswoman. She said SAT was strong-arming some companies into paying even while the sums in question were being disputed in court or still under audit.

“They want to sell the story that the rich [people and corporations] don’t pay tax,” she said. According to OECD data, however, Mexico earns a fifth of tax revenue from corporate taxes, the highest proportion in the OECD.

Buenrostro’s tactics in previous roles have stirred controversy. Her centralized purchases last year created bottlenecks that led to shortages of important medicines, and her power pushed Carlos Urzúa to quit as finance minister in July last year.

Nevertheless, she plans to push ahead, and businesspeople expect her to succeed. “Raquel Buenrostro is very good at collecting,” Bernal said. “But it’s very easy when you have a garrotte in your hand.”

Another municipality turns to tire clamps for traffic violations

By

Michelle Aguilar

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June 22, 2020

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Tire clamps will be used on illegally parked vehicles in Metepec.

Starting July 1, the México state Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town) of Metepec will begin using tire clamps, also known as “boots,” on vehicles in violation of traffic rules such as having been illegally parked.

The clamp will be removable only after the offender pays the city a 435-peso fine, payable either in the city’s tax offices, via select businesses that have agreed to collect the payments or with transit officers who will be equipped with mobile electronic payment devices.

If the ticket is not paid within two hours of the clamp being placed on a tire, the vehicle will be towed to a storage facility until the motorist pays to retrieve it, city officials said.

The measure has ignited controversy, even among members of the municipal council, which says the new policy will improve traffic mobility and pedestrian safety and will help the environment by encouraging people not to use motor vehicles.

According to an article in La Jornada, Metepec has in recent years seen one of the highest increases in registered cars among Mexican municipalities. The article estimated that half a million cars are circulating daily in the city.

In Metepec’s commercial zones and frequently traveled thoroughfares, motorists are known to park illegally, sometimes double and triple-parking, obstructing the flow of traffic, a common practice in many Mexican cities.

Tire clamps are already used in other cities with traffic problems such as Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende and Valle de Bravo, México state. Officials in those cities say the measure has helped reduce traffic congestion and illegal parking.

Source: La Jornada (sp)

State police ambushed in Taxco, Guerrero; 6 officers killed

By

Michelle Aguilar

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June 22, 2020

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Guerrero’s Attorney General’s Office has condemned a “cowardly” ambush by armed civilians of a state police convoy that left six officers dead and five wounded.

State officials said the attack happened shortly after noon Sunday on the Taxco–Amacuzac highway near the community of El Gavilán, part of the Taxco de Alarcón municipality. The attackers hid in trees alongside the highway and opened fire, they said.

The officers were traveling in two trucks headed for the community of San Gregorio in the municipality of Tetipac. After a shootout in which police returned fire, the attackers fled. Investigators later found dozens of spent AK-47 and AR-15 rifle shells at the scene, authorities said.

Local, state, and federal security forces have begun a search for the perpetrators, believed to have been led by a man they identified as Roberto Carlos “Z.”

Violent confrontations between criminal groups fighting for control of municipalities in the northern part of Guerrero have recently killed at least a dozen people, who have often been left on the interstate highway.

Source: El Financiero (sp)

Horchata is a rice-based drink that pairs well with spicy food

By

Janet Blaser

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June 22, 2020

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I can’t remember the first time I tried horchata, but I’m sure it was love at first taste. I do remember being told by the owner of the nearby Taquería Raymundo that it was made from rice, which at the time seemed odd, but hey, at that point many things in Mexico were new to me.

Making horchata is a fairly complex process that involves soaking rice overnight, traditionally with a cinnamon stick, then blending the rice and liquid, straining it and adding sweetener and any other flavorings you might want.

Served frosty-cold with lots of ice, horchata is a popular plant-based drink in Mexico that has increasingly started to appear on upscale menus in the U.S. as an exotic artisan beverage, spawning its own line of signature cocktails. (Mexican Russian, anyone?)

While it pairs well with rum, tequila, mezcal or vodka, it’s also a perfect accompaniment to spicy foods as it provides a bit of relief to the palate. Horchata tends to have a somewhat chalky mouth-feel from the blended rice (that I somehow find appealing) and needs to be stirred often, although there will always be some solids at the bottom of your glass or pitcher.

The history of horchata is quite surprising. It’s said to have originated in West Africa, where kunnu aya is made with tiger nuts rather than rice. The Muslim conquest brought the drink to Valencia in the 13^th century, and from there it traveled across the ocean to the so-called New World. The Spanish horchata de chufa is also made with tiger nuts or “earth almonds,” which are not actually nuts but small round tubers that grow underground, like potatoes.

Making horchata is complicated and is a little time-consuming but the result is better than horchata made from a packaged mix.

In Mexico and Guatemala, horchata de arroz, or simply horchata, is made with soaked and blended rice, water, cinnamon and sometimes vanilla and almonds. Cebada is made in a similar fashion but with barley instead of rice.

Since that first time, I’ve had horchata in many forms, in many places. The easiest, of course, is to buy a pre-packaged mix at any grocery store, add water and sweetened condensed milk, chill and serve. (In taquerías, restaurants, etc. it can often be really, really sweet, so if you make it yourself you can modify the level of sweetness.)

I’ve also happily discovered cocohorchata, a mix of fresh coconut water and regular horchata. Oh my! Returning from a long and lovely beach day at Stone Island, south of Mazatlán, I was hot, sweaty and thirsty. On the spur of the moment I stopped at a combie on the side of the road whose big sign for “COCOHORCHATA BIEN FRÍA!” was irresistible. Refreshing and delicious, it hit the spot and was added to my list of favorite neighborhood venues.

Making horchata is more complicated than you’d think and is a little time-consuming, but the result is eons better than horchata made from a packaged mix. I tend not to write about traditional Mexican dishes that are so much easier to go out to eat than to make at home, but have made an exception in this case. If you want to avoid the overly sweetened and processed horchata-from-a-bag, this is the way to go. Play around with different milks and gentle spicing.

Some recipes call for rice flour, but I’ll warn you away from those; the finished product will not be what you want. If you’re gonna make it, then make it right!

Traditional Mexican Horchata

1 cup uncooked white long-grain rice
5 cups water
½ cup regular milk, almond milk or coconut milk/water
½ Tbsp. vanilla
½ Tbsp. cinnamon or two 5” whole cinnamon sticks
1/3 cup sugar
Optional: 1 tsp. pumpkin spice mix / ½ cup slivered almonds

Pour the rice, water and almonds, if using, into a blender; blend until the rice just begins to break up, about 1 minute. If using cinnamon sticks, add them to rice/water mixture. Let mixture stand at room temperature for a minimum of three hours or as long as overnight. Strain the rice water into a pitcher and discard the rice and cinnamon sticks, if used. Stir in the milk, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar. Chill and stir before serving over ice.

**Dirty Horchata (Coffee Horchata or Cochata)**

2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
½ gallon whole milk
2 cups cold brew concentrate or espresso, for serving

Add the rice and 2½ cups water to a large container and cover. Soak at room temperature for a minimum of eight hours. Pour rice and soaking liquid into a blender, and blend or pulse until all the rice is finely ground, 2 to 3 minutes. Add condensed milk, nutmeg and cinnamon; blend until combined. Pour mixture into a large pitcher or bowl. Add the whole milk and whisk until incorporated. To serve, divide horchata among ice-filled glasses and top with cold brew concentrate, to taste, about 2-3 Tbsp. cold brew for each cup of horchata. –Cooking.nytimes.com

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.

AMLO to reveal ‘monumental’ multi-billion-peso facturas fraud

By

MND Staff

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June 22, 2020

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AMLO: those who evaded payment of taxes will be given opportunity to pay.

President López Obrador said Monday the government will reveal the details of a “monumental” tax fraud scheme this week.

Speaking at his regular news conference, López Obrador said that so-called empresas factureras, or invoicing companies, created a parallel tax collection system that took in an estimated 300 billion pesos (US $13.4 billion at today’s exchange rate) over a period of more than 10 years.

He said that criminal complaints against those responsible for the fraudulent scheme are being prepared and that details of how 50 billion pesos was stolen will be disclosed later this week.

“A kind of parallel Federal Tax Administration [SAT] was created …” López Obrador said.

The president said that small, medium-sized and large businesses as well as individual taxpayers were lured into the fraudulent scheme.

“The majority got involved in this operation innocently and ended up avoiding the payment of [their] taxes,” López Obrador said.

“It’s fraud of the nation. We’re going to announce how it operated, who those responsible are and how many people were victims,” he said.

López Obrador said that the parallel tax system siphoned off up to 30% of the total tax revenue the government should have received. “We’re talking about a monumental fraud,” he said.

The president said the names of businesses that evaded the payment of their taxes won’t be revealed but they will be notified of their debts to the SAT and given the opportunity to settle them.

The government has ramped up efforts to recoup unpaid tax debts, particularly targeting large companies with outstanding multibillion-peso bills.

Earlier this month, López Obrador asked the Canadian government to help persuade Canadian mining companies to pay their tax debts in Mexico, stating that “it’s very clear” that some are in arrears.

Source: Milenio (sp)

Minister’s husband to sue journalist over story revealing real estate assets

By

MND Staff

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June 22, 2020

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The husband of Public Administration Minister Irma Sandoval says that he will sue a journalist who revealed information about his and his wife’s real estate assets.

Journalist Carlos Loret de Mola claimed last week that Sandoval and her husband John Ackerman own six properties worth as much as 60 million pesos (US $2.7 million). He also charged that land on which one of the properties sits in Mexico City was gifted to Sandoval in 2007 by the Mexico City government.

The minister promptly rejected Loret’s estimation of the value of the properties and denied his claim that she received a parcel of land as a gift.

Now, Ackerman, a professor and researcher at the National Autonomous University (UNAM), has accused Loret of libel and invading his and his wife’s privacy.

In a document entitled “The lies of Loret,” he asserted that the journalist disseminated “false and confidential” information that places the safety of his whole family at risk.

Ackerman described Loret as a “professional mythomaniac,” or compulsive liar, and charged that his report hadn’t “discovered anything about anyone.”

The [assets] declaration of the public administration minister is in order “and she reports all … of our assets with complete precision,” he wrote.

“Loret’s report presents this information dishonestly (magically transforming apartments and a plot of land into ‘houses,’ for example), resorts to images that don’t at all correspond to reality and offers fanciful interpretations about the origin of the assets,” Ackerman said.

The UNAM academic claimed that Loret had illegal access to the private version of Sandoval’s assets declaration and as a result publicly disseminated “sensitive and confidential” information that includes the couple’s address and its “physical appearance.”

Such information is not included in the public version of officials’ assets declarations in order to protect their safety and that of their families, he said.

Asserting that a “serious” crime had been committed, Ackerman said that he would file criminal complaints in both Mexico and the United States so that the people responsible for both the leaking and dissemination “of our personal details” are investigated and punished.

Loret made his accusations in a YouTube program he makes for LatinUs, a news website that operates in both Mexico and the United States.

Ackerman also said he would hold Loret responsible for any aggression or extortion his family might suffer as a result of his “irresponsible and criminal report.”

He asserted that his family’s properties were purchased with “savings we were able to accumulate during decades of work” as well as a “generous prize” Sandoval won in a “prestigious” academic competition in 2009.

Source: La Jornada (sp)

Music rings out in Mexico City as 200 mariachis turn out to play

By

Michelle Aguilar

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June 22, 2020

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One of 200 mariachis in Plaza Garibaldi on Sunday.

The sound of mariachi music once again filled Mexico City’s Plaza Garibaldi Sunday morning when around 200 mariachi musicians returned to the iconic square after a three-month Covid-19 shutdown.

The musicians filled the square with music and receive badly needed donated care packages.

Dressed in their archetypal charro suits, the musicians also hoped their presence would publicize the dire economic situation of many mariachi musicians who, thanks to Covid-19 measures encouraging people to stay indoors and not congregate, have seen a devastating downturn in their usual sources of income: weddings, parties, and other large gatherings, as well as the tourists who would normally pass through the city’s public places.

“We want help, we want the people to know that the mariachis live on,” musician Marcos Montes told the newspaper El Universal. “We want to work and need the support of people — perhaps not with handouts but by coming to see us and by hiring us.”

The charity Agrega organized the event, making sure that those who showed up maintained a safe distance as they gathered and played classics like México Lindo y Querido. The musicians also wore masks at the request of the organization.

They represented both genders and all age groups, ranging from children to senior citizens. Jacinto Martínez, 71, said he has spent his entire life as a mariachi.

“I’m the son of a mariachi,” he said. “I was taught to play the violin since age 8, and I don’t know how to do anything else. Now my children are helping me to keep going.”

The distribution of care packages, which are meant to last six weeks, are part of a campaign Agrega calls “Al Pie de tu Ventana” (“Just Outside Your Window”), a reference to the common sight of mariachis hired to serenade people outside their window.

Agrega works with businesses and individuals to raise money and provide food to feed the hungry. It is currently raising money for supplies via the donadora.org fundraising website.

Sources: El Universal (sp)

12 dead after gangs clash, create ‘war zone’ in Caborca, Sonora

By

Michelle Aguilar

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June 22, 2020

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A vehicle burns after a clash between armed gangs in Sonora.

Municipal, state and federal forces continue to patrol the municipality of Carborca, Sonora, as authorities investigate a large firefight between two rival groups that began on the city outskirts around midnight on Friday and left 12 dead and several houses, cars, and a gas station on fire.

Authorities believe the 12 bodies recovered Saturday on the Caborca–Sonoyta interstate highway, all bearing gunshot wounds, are those of men who either confronted or were targeted by armed civilians.

They had arrived in the area around midnight Friday in 50 vehicles and drove around the city taking people from homes by force and setting fires. Authorities did not name the criminal groups involved.

Witnesses to the convoy’s arrival called 911 on Friday night to alert local authorities and also began warning residents on social media to stay indoors, claiming that they would find themselves in a “war zone.” Videos of hooded, well armed individuals firing weapons and setting fires in various locations were posted on line.

Sonora officials confirmed Saturday that they had moved various police units into the area to investigate the incident and protect residents. Police helicopters could be seen patrolling the area.

Officials also said that journalist Raymundo Quiroz Salas, owner of El Aduanal, a digital news site, had been briefly kidnapped while covering the conflict but returned 40 minutes later unharmed, with only his cell phone taken. They also called upon anyone who could provide information relevant to the investigation to call the emergency services number 089, where they could report anonymously.

According to the National Public Security System (SESNSP), the battle for dominance among rival organized crime groups that began in March and April has heightened not only in Sonora but in nine other states: Guanajuato, Michoacán, state of México, Chihuahua, Baja California, Jalisco, Mexico City, Guerrero, and Veracruz.

Sonora was also the site of one of Mexico’s most high-profile organized crime attacks in recent years, when three adults and six children belonging to the LeBaron clan, a large intergenerational family of expats with ties to the U.S., were shot dead in an attack attributed to drug cartels last November. Armed civilians opened fire on family members traveling in three vehicles near the town of La Mora.

Source: Infobae (sp)

To go or not to go: how the virus has affected expats’ travel plans

By

Janet Blaser

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June 22, 2020

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Empty beaches have been a sign of the times.

As Mexico and the United States report thousands of new coronavirus cases every day, air travel options are increasing and cities throughout Mexico are welcoming visitors with open arms.

So we wondered: are you changing your travel plans?

The question was posed on the MND Poll June 8. With almost 1,500 responses, it showed that nearly twice as many folks are putting travel plans on hold until at least 2021 as are set to go this year.

But an informal poll in a popular expat Facebook group said exactly the opposite: many more are planning to return or travel to Mexico this year and have not changed their plans.

“A virus is not going to get the best of me,” wrote JC. “Come hell or high water, if I can travel in mid-August like I usually do, I’m gone!”

A quiet street in San Miguel de Allende.

Others were less adamant, but still calmly determined to return to Mexico in the coming months as usual.

“We’re looking forward to our trip to Mexico this year,” wrote another reader from the U.S. “Our area has flattened the curve. We’ve done our research and feel safe with the safety measures put in place for us … we’re basing our personal decisions on facts and research, not fear and opinions.”

For folks with homes in two countries, the decision is more complex. Many feel the pull of their Mexican communities, which are as much “home” as their residence north of the border.

“We’re hoping for a short trip in October or November to check on workers, the village and our house,” wrote Kevin and Chris. “Our town is still closed, and homeowners are raising funds for the needs of the population. We love our pueblo and our friends of Costa Brava, Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa.”

That sentiment was echoed many times over.

“Our second home is Mexico, and we plan to go this year as usual,” said Gillian. “If the community needs help, we’ll work to help them. We love our friends and neighbors and want to see them.”

Health considerations, age and available medical resources figured strongly in your decisions, and many of you said you were doing extensive research using information from all sides of the border. Those waiting till 2021 to travel are hopeful, but choosing to err on the side of caution despite the heartstring pull of life in Mexico.

“Our 20 years of a winter stay in San Miguel de Allende depends on a cure for the virus,” wrote Vic.

“As a Canadian,” shared Gregg. “I have no plans on traveling to Mexico (or anywhere out of the country) until there’s a vaccination/cure for Covid-19.”

Despite the Mexican government opening up tourist destinations like Puerto Vallarta and Cancún, some potential visitors are also feeling cautious.

Regretfully, wrote one reader, “We’ve pushed out our vacation in Playa until August 2021. This year is a complete wash-out; can’t plan or chance anything.”

David, who splits his time between Ajijic and Denver, said he had planned to visit Madrid and Portugal in May but put that trip off until next year. “A Mexican beach vacation sounds appealing now, but I think it will be months before I feel it’s safe to go,” he added.

Airports have been quiet but that may soon change.

Many who live full-time in Mexico are re-evaluating travel plans too.

“We’ve been in San Miguel de Allende for 17 years and travel a lot in Mexico, the U.S. and internationally,” shared Patricia. “We canceled four trips and don’t plan on traveling until it’s safe.”

Connie, who finished building a house on Lake Chapala this past September, said she won’t return to Mexico until a vaccination “is available to the masses.”

“After living there, I decided the Covid-19 crisis was going to hit harder than I’d hoped, and being a pensioner gringa in a foreign country was not comfortable for me on many levels,” she wrote. Connie, who has taught and lived abroad for much of her life, said she knows countries are desperate for tourist dollars.

“But I can’t risk it,” she said. “So I donate to charities that support my communities abroad and hope we all survive.”

Puerto Vallarta resident Wendy is waiting until 2021 to travel anywhere. “I’ve only been to one friend’s house and the Costco parking lot since March 7 and don’t see things changing for the better any time soon.”

“We’re canceling all our plans to travel around Mexico until after it’s safe to do so,” shared Elaine. “We live here in Mexico and are self-isolating and social distancing at present, and will continue to do so for the next several months.”

Reader David shared what’s probably a common sentiment among full-time expat residents of Mexico. “I live here and ain’t going nowhere.”

Some say the choice is basically six of one, half dozen of the other. Mexico’s Covid-19 situation may be worrisome, but it’s the same in most parts of the U.S. without the added factors of the tumultuous politics, increasing police violence and turbulent protests. (Editor’s note: Yes, that’s all going on in Mexico as well but as foreigners we can’t get involved.)

“We own homes in Mexico and in the U.S.,” wrote Phil from Washington, D.C. “Have been stuck in the U.S. but are headed back to Mexico in 10 days. Absolutely cannot wait. Neither place is “more open” than the other but I’ll take Mexican air, food and culture over what we have here in D.C. all day long.”

Billy, who’s lived in Chapala with his family since last year, says they’re eager to return, hopefully next week. “All good, no worries!” he wrote, noting that Puerto Vallarta has opened “beaches, bars, everything. What could be a safer place than the beach with few people? We’re not afraid and use common sense when necessary.”

Many are waiting and watching to see what happens in the next few months before deciding to travel.

“I love Mexico and I’m looking forward to visit in 2021,” said Michelle. “I’m really hopeful that everything will be ‘better’ around that time. I can’t wait!”

Nancy, who’s hoping to make her annual visit to Mexico in January 2021, feels like there’s still time for “some of the problems” to be resolved.

“The reports are a bit daunting now,” she wrote. “Probably no vaccine by then but maybe treatment? I’m hoping for the best.”

The most philosophical (and maybe logical) outlook came from Diane in Veracruz.

“I live in paradise, so no need to travel until there’s a vaccine.”

Mexico News Daily