Members of the philharmonic band are short 10 wind instruments.
Members of a youth philharmonic band in Oaxaca were deprived of 10 wind instruments when thieves ransacked a community center on June 29.
One clarinet, two saxophones, four trumpets and three trombones were stolen from the band in Santa Ana-Ne’äm, Santa María Tlahuitoltepec, 117 kilometers east of Oaxaca City in the Sierra Mixe, home to the indigenous Mixe people.
The case came to light when the band made a public denouncement, and simultaneously put out a plea for help. “We are kindly calling for the support of the whole population of Tlahuitoltepec … for assistance to recover the instruments of the young musicians,” it read.
The Culture Ministry condemned the theft and said the act could inhibit the children’s education. “We stand in solidarity with the girls, boys and young musicians … Acts like these threaten the comprehensive development of children and youth in Mexico,” it said in a statement.
This isn’t the first time a philharmonic in Oaxaca has been left without its instruments. In December 2019, the Philharmonic Band of San Pedro and San Pablo de Ayutla was robbed of 26 instruments. On that occasion, the instruments were replaced by donations organized on social media.
The Mixe people live in the eastern highlands of Oaxaca. They are considered to be culturally conservative, which has helped them preserve their language whose speakers number an estimated 90,000. The group call themselves ayuujkjä’äy meaning “people who speak the mountain language” rather than Mixe, which is probably derived from the Náhuatl word for cloud: mīxtli.
Scene of the ambush in Tuxtla Gutiérrez in which a Sinaloa Cartel plaza chief was killed.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is making its presence felt in Chiapas, a state coveted by drug, arms and human traffickers due to its long border with Guatemala, but one that has largely avoided the kind of cartel violence for which some other states are notorious.
Presumed CJNG gunmen killed five suspected members of the Sinaloa Cartel in the state capital Tuxtla Gutiérrez last Wednesday.
The Jalisco sicarios ambushed the Sinaloa operatives in La Gloria, an affluent neighborhood of Tuxtla, a city of approximately 600,000 people where gun violence is rare.
One of the five slain men was Ramón Rivera, a Sinaloa Cartel plaza chief in Chiapas and son of Gilberto Rivera, a trafficker known as “the lord of the southern border” who was arrested in Guatemala in 2016 and extradited to the United States a year later.
Carmen Villa, head of the Citizens Security Observatory in Chiapas, said the armed attack was an abnormal event for Tuxtla and the entire state.
A victim of the violence last week in the Chiapas highlands.
She acknowledged there have been armed confrontations in Chiapas but asserted that disputes in the state are generally not between drug cartels. The cartel violence that plagues many parts of Mexico is a “very distant reality” for Chiapas residents, Villa said.
“… My reaction [to last Wednesday’s attack] and perhaps that of bystanders was very naive; many were filming the shootout, many people didn’t believe what was happening. … I don’t know what is worse – not having the preparation to react or to get used to [cartel violence] and know what it’s about. … It was definitely something extraordinary and sadly I believe it won’t be a one-off experience,” she said.
Meanwhile, a criminal group allegedly affiliated with the CJNG seized control of a town in the Alto de Chiapas (highlands) region last Wednesday and subsequently clashed with police and military personnel.
Los Ciriles took control of Pantelhó and it wasn’t until Thursday that state and federal security forces arrived in the town, located 120 kilometers northeast of Tuxtla. They were ambushed on arrival, the newspaper Reforma reported, and nine police and soldiers were wounded.
Los Ciriles are also believed to be responsible for the murder last Monday of Simón Pedro Pérez López, a human rights activist who was gunned down in front of his son.
Pedro Faro, director of the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center, claimed that Los Ciriles also have links to the Democratic Revolution Party, which is in office in Pantelhó.
He told Reforma that the criminal group has instilled fear in residents for years and committed 13 murders since March last year.
“… It has threatened, harassed and murdered people in … [their] homes. They’ve gone looking for them because they haven’t wanted to collaborate with the criminal group,” Faro said. At least 65 people have fled Pantelhó out of fear, he added.
According to federal authorities, the CJNG, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Gulf Cartel are the three main cartels operating in Chiapas, which has a border of more than 650 kilometers with Guatemala. The Sinaloa Cartel has long controlled much of the border area and is the dominant criminal organization but the CJNG appears intent on muscling in on its territory to expand its influence, as it has already done in some other states such as Guanajuato and Michoacán.
The tussle between cartels has the potential to significantly increase homicide numbers, as armed confrontations such as that seen in Tuxtla last week typically result in multiple deaths. Villa, the citizens observatory chief, noted that homicides in Chiapas increased 30% in May compared to the same month last year and femicides, home burglaries and drug trafficking offenses increased by significantly higher percentages.
“The conversation between those of us who analyze security, which is a small circle because Chiapas has other more ‘urgent’ problems’ is that this [new criminal] reality has already reached us,” she said.
Homicides in Mexico reached a record high of more than 34,000 in 2019 – President López Obrador’s first full year in office – before falling just 0.4% last year. Murders did, however, decline 2.9% in the first five months of 2021 compared to the same period last year, an achievement that has been repeatedly highlighted by federal officials.
There were 14,243 homicides between January and May, of which only some 200 occurred in Chiapas. The southern state is far from the most violent in Mexico but recent events indicate that the security situation could be about to worsen.
Combining sweet grapes and savory sausage will change up your standard oatmeal breakfast in the best of ways.
This week in the mercado I came upon a vendor with a small crate of tiny, beautiful red grapes. They were shiny and fresh, in big clusters, with some of the curling vines still attached.
Here in Mazatlán, it’s not common to find produce that has any semblance of “naturalness” — the majority is commercially grown on giant farms and devoid of any trace of actually being grown. I was, to put it mildly, quite thrilled, and actually went back to buy more after I’d tasted how delicious they were.
Perfect! I thought — this week’s column. I had an idea of the kind of recipes I would find but was surprised at how much I didn’t know about grapes as an ingredient — especially about how they transform when cooked or broiled.
I’d had grapes in salads, yes, especially with chicken. In fruit salads and smoothies, duh. But how about in omelets — as a sweet zing in the classic spinach-and-cheese? (Remember to cut them in half so they don’t roll out.) Or as part of crostini, to add a bite of sweetness to an otherwise savory crudité?
Turns out baking or broiling grapes (really, any variety, although seedless is always recommended) turns the already sweet little globes into rich caramelized bursts of flavor, which can then be used in oh-so-many ways. Grapes can also be added to salsa or kabobs and pair well with chicken and beef.
Spread feta or requesón cheese over the bread on these crostini and you’ll have a truly decadent appetizer that few can resist.
Another aha! moment: DIY raisins or, in more formal terms, oven-dried grapes. Since moving to Mexico, this has been one of my pet peeves: the only raisins I can find are small, tough and basically flavorless.
Whenever I go to the States, I bring several bags back in my luggage: sweet, pretty golden seedless ones; big juicy Thompsons; mixed varieties. While I haven’t yet made my own, I read review after review from folks saying they’d done it. I’m excited to try.
When my kids were little, we used to freeze grapes for an easy iced snack; I’d forgotten about that. Be sure to use seedless grapes!
Pull them off the stems, then rinse, disinfect and pat dry. Spread on a cookie sheet and freeze for a couple of hours. Store in a zip-top bag or container.
Many varieties of grapes are grown throughout Mexico; they’ll appear in different areas at different times of the year. (They’re also imported from the United States, Chile and other parts of South America.)
Locally grown grapes will be the sweetest and freshest. Just keep an eye out, ask where they’re grown and be ready to have some fun in the kitchen!
Roasted Grape Crostini
3 cups seedless red or green grapes, halved lengthwise
2 Tbsp. sherry or rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. grated orange zest
24 slices baguette (cut diagonally ½-inch thick)
½ cup shaved Manchego or Romano cheese
Thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Preheat oven to 400 F. Gently mix first five ingredients; spread on a baking sheet. Roast until grapes are lightly browned and softened, 30–35 minutes. Remove from oven, stir in orange zest. Cool. Arrange bread slices on ungreased baking sheet. In broiler or toaster oven, lightly toast both sides. Top with warm grape mixture; sprinkle with cheese and basil.
Optional: Spread toasted bread slices with feta or requesón cheese before adding other toppings.
Grape Slushie Freeze
Using banana makes it creamier.
Handful frozen seedless grapes, any kind
1½ cups pineapple juice
Optional: ½ banana
Ice
Blend everything at high speed.
Roasted Grapes
Eat on their own, or serve in a salad as a dinner side dish or on toast with cheese.
Seedless grapes, any kind
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Toss grapes with just enough oil to coat, salt and pepper; spread on cookie sheet. Bake at 425 F for 30 minutes.
Using a cast-iron skillet works even better to sear in the flavors in this roasted chicken with grapes, rosemary and kalamata olives.
Oven-Dried Grapes (aka raisins)
A dehydrator makes fast work of the process, but this method yields plumper, more flavorful raisins. Be patient!
3 large bunches seedless grapes, stemmed
Vegetable or canola oil
Preheat oven to 225 F. Very lightly grease two rimmed baking sheets with oil (use parchment or a silpat if you have one); scatter grapes all over. (Juice will escape from grapes and may cause them to stick to the pan.)
Bake, checking periodically for doneness, until grapes are nicely shriveled and semi-dried but still slightly plump, 3–5 hours. (Exact time depends on the grapes, your oven and preferred degree of dryness.) Let cool.
Use a thin metal spatula on any grapes that are stuck. Store, refrigerated, in sealed container for up to 3 weeks.
Grape Compote
Serve on top of pancakes, oatmeal, vanilla ice cream and more
3 cups seedless black grapes
⅓ cup sugar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Pinch salt
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Optional: 2 pods of star anise
Bring grapes, sugar, lemon juice, salt and anise, if using, to a boil in a skillet, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat; simmer 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until grapes burst and mixture is syrupy.
Discard anise; whisk in butter. Serve warm or chilled.
Roast Chicken with Grapes and Kalamata Olives
3 lbs. chicken parts with skin and bone
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup seedless grapes
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
Preheat oven to 450 F. Wash and pat chicken dry, season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet (cast-iron if possible) over medium-high heat.
Working in 2 batches, brown chicken on both sides, skin side down first, about 5 minutes per batch. Return pieces to pan, skin side up; surround with grapes, olives and shallots. Roast about 20 minutes until just cooked through and juices run clear. Transfer to platter.
Add wine and chicken broth to pan juices in skillet. Boil for 2–3 minutes, scraping up any brown bits.
If desired, strain sauce, then pour over chicken. Garnish with rosemary.
Savory Oatmeal with Grapes and Sausage
1 cup oatmeal, instant or regular
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. butter
4 sweet Italian sausages
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup red grapes
½ cup fruity red wine
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
Cook oatmeal as directed. Stir in Parmesan and butter; cover and set aside.
Cook sausages in oil 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned all over and partially cooked but still pink in center. Add grapes to skillet and cook, tossing and crushing some with a wooden spoon, until they are browned and slightly saucy and the sausages are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove sausages to a plate.
Add wine and vinegar to skillet, and cook until juices are thickened and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in thyme and butter; season with salt and pepper.
Divide oatmeal among bowls. Divide sausages, grapes and sauce over top.
Health officials in Michoacán have detected an outbreak of the Delta variant in Zinapécuaro.
Coronavirus cases among young, unvaccinated people are driving the resurgence of the pandemic in Mexico as the more contagious Delta strain circulates among the population.
Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell said last week that Mexico had entered a third wave of the pandemic, and state and federal authorities say that a majority of new cases have been detected among young people, most of whom are not only unvaccinated but are also more likely to have relaxed their observance of virus mitigation measures.
Mexico recorded 71,231 new cases in the first 11 days of July for an average of 6,475 cases per day, an increase of 84% compared to the daily average in June. However, reported Covid-19 deaths are down almost 45% to an average of 175 per day this month from 316 in June.
With the exception of young people in some northern border cities – where inoculation of the entire adult population has been prioritized in order to expedite the opening of the border to nonessential travel – the vast majority of those in the 18-39 age bracket are either unvaccinated or have only received one of two required doses.
The coronavirus, including the highly transmissible Delta strain, has consequently found a happy hunting ground among young, unvaccinated Mexicans, who are less susceptible to severe disease but who are nevertheless driving an increase in the hospitalization rate in some states.
According to data from the Mexican Consortium for Genomic Surveillance, 222 of 3,925 virus samples — or 5.65% — that were sequenced between May 1 and June 16 corresponded to the Delta variant, with Baja California Sur – which has recently seen an extremely steep increase in case numbers – Mexico City and México state recording the highest number of cases of that strain.
Authorities in Michoacán reported Sunday that a Delta strain coronavirus outbreak had been detected in Zinapécuaro, a municipality 50 kilometers northeast of the state capital Morelia, and the variant, which first emerged in India late last year, has also been identified in many other states.
Jaime Sepúlveda, executive director of the Institute for Global Health Sciences at the University of California in San Francisco, predicted that the Delta strain will soon become the most prevalent variant in Mexico, as is already the case in the United States and many other countries.
“We know that it’s circulating in Mexico, it will surely be the predominant [strain] soon and it’s a more aggressive variant with regard to its transmission – it’s 40% to 60% more transmissible than previous variants,” he told the news website Animal Político.
Sepúlveda urged the Mexican government to take up the fight to Delta by speeding up the vaccination process.
Coronavirus cases and deaths in Mexico as reported by day. milenio
“Vaccination is individual protection but it’s also collective protection because it prevents the circulation of the virus. The chain of transmission declines substantially with vaccination and it also prevents the emergence of new, even more transmissible and virulent variants,” he said.
At least 70% of the population needs to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to achieve herd immunity, according to World Health Organization chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, but only 28% of the Mexican population have had at least one shot, according to The New York Times vaccinations tracker and just 16% are fully immunized.
Sepúlveda urged people to get vaccinated no matter which Covid-19 vaccine – the Pfizer, AstraZeneca, CanSino, SinoVac, Sputnik V and Johnson & Johnson shots have all been used in Mexico – is on offer.
“All the vaccines offer protection against serious disease and death, all of them; and all of them help to fight against [the emergence] of new variants of the virus,” he said.
The 4 million figure, accounting for about 27% of seniors, appears credible because more than 34% of people in the 60+ age bracket who responded to last year’s National Health and Nutrition Survey said they intended to reject the vaccine while another 11.7% said they were unsure whether they would get inoculated.
More than a quarter of respondents in younger age brackets also said they wouldn’t get vaccinated. Anecdotal evidence suggests that much of the vaccine hesitancy is due to fear of having an adverse reaction after receiving a shot. One 60-year-old woman who spoke with Animal Político said she had decided against getting a jab after reading about people developing blood clots as a result of being vaccinated with AstraZeneca.
(Clotting cases and deaths following vaccination have been reported in many countries around the world but the risk of developing thrombosis after inoculation with the AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson vaccines remains exceedingly low.)
Despite vaccine hesitancy, reaching a vaccination rate of 70% of adults looks achievable – 39% of the adult population has had at least one shot, according to the Health Ministry – albeit challenging, but in order to obtain that level of immunity among the entire population (not considering immunity gained through infection), children will also need to be inoculated.
The Pfizer vaccine has been approved in Mexico for the inoculation of children aged 12 and older but it is unclear when vaccination of minors will begin.
A scene from La Civil, the story of a mother's search for her daughter, kidnapped by cartel sicarios.
A film telling the true story of a mother whose daughter was kidnapped by a cartel in northern Mexico received an eight-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday.
La Civil is directed by Romanian Teodora Mihai and stars Mexican actors Arcelia Ramírez, who plays the mother, Cielo, and Álvaro Guerrero who plays the father. It focuses on pertinent political themes such as femicide, corruption and impunity.
In the 140-minute film Cielo follows clues in the search for her daughter Laura’s whereabouts, who was kidnapped by cartel sicarios.
Both actors expressed their hope that the film would bring positive change. “It is very important to be here and that this issue is seen around the world, that it is talked about, that it continues to be made visible,” said Ramírez.
“It is a subject that moves me and touches me deeply. There is so much to do … I hope this helps in some small way,” Álvaro said.
La Civil new trailer official from Cannes Film Festival 2021
The trailer for the film La Civil.
Mihai said she aimed to explain how violence spreads. “When violence touches you, it stains you. You cannot escape from it. Violence makes you a victim but at the same time it forces you to join its vicious cycle.”
However, she added that she did not want to make the film overtly political. “I do not get into politics because it is not my role. I tell stories and I hope that with them certain topics can be put in the spotlight, open debates and continue to discuss themes that are ever more present in our society.”
Meanwhile, critics have been quick to offer their praise. “La Civil is an important, forceful, necessary film,” Spanish producer Marian Matachana said.
Kleber Götz, a German critic, explained why he believes the film to be so pertinent. “There are many films about this issue and the problem of kidnappings and drug trafficking in Mexico, but this film has something very important, very intense: it is the gaze of those who remain … they have to settle for bones … which they don’t really know belonged to their loved ones, in order to say goodbye,” he said.
“[It is] a tragedy that Mexico is experiencing and that cannot be measured,” he added.
La Civil is running in the Un Certain Regard (from another angle) competition where 20 films with unusual styles and non-traditional stories are presented, and for the Caméra d’Or (Golden Camera) which is for directors presenting their first drama.
According to the National Search Commission almost 90,000 people have disappeared since 2006. Identifying bodies — usually discovered in unmarked clandestine graves — was a key campaign pledge of the president.
Chipilo, Puebla, residents Ana and Mariel Galeazzi shout encouragement at the Italian team during the European Football Championship's first half. Photos by Joseph Sorrentino
There was really only one place in Mexico to watch the UEFA European Football Championship final between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium on Sunday: under a tent with around 500 other people on a street in Chipilo, Puebla, where a huge screen and speakers had been set up.
Chipilo is an Italian pueblo — where the main population is of Mexicans proudly descended from immigrants from the Veneto region of Italy — and so the street was filled with people wearing the Italian team’s jerseys and bearing painted stripes of green, white and red, the colors of the Italian flag, on their cheeks.
The gathering was hosted under a tent outside Il Canton del Italiano restaurant, owned by Paolo Soliman, a well-known soccer fanatic in town. Asked about Italy’s chances as the game was about to start, he sounded surprisingly uncertain.
“Of course I want Italy to win, but England is a very good team,” he said. “I hope Italy will win.”
In Soliman’s defense, things didn’t look good early on: people had barely settled in, had just started digging into their pizzas and paninis, when England scored a goal after two minutes of play. The crowd, initially boisterous, went quiet, the energy leaking out of the tent.
Chipilo’s Margarita Guridi Merlo prays for Italy during the game’s second half.
But that only lasted a short while, as the early goal soon prompted an increase in gestures and shouts directed at the English team and at the referees anytime a call went against Italy. While some of the gestures were likely Italian, one universally recognized gesture directed at England and the refs, involving the use of an erect middle finger, proved to be very popular.
At halftime, England clung to a 1-0 lead. “The first half was bad, very bad,” said resident Ana Galeazzi during the break. “Italy had opportunities, but they did not score. I think they played well, but they did not score.”
Mariel Galeazzi disagreed — and was more succinct in her assessment. “The Italians were stupid.”
Both of them spent most of the first half on their feet, screaming encouragement. “My throat is sore,” said Ana, “but it is worth it.”
When things still weren’t looking good for Italy in the second half, viewer Margarita Guridi Merlo, who had sat quietly in front for most of the first half, decided it was time to ask for divine intervention. “I was praying,” she admitted.
Something she said must have worked because Italy tied the game early in the second half, causing the crowd to erupt in dancing, spraying beer everywhere and screaming “Italia! Italia!” as they waved Italian flags.
Steffen Merlo Guridi reacts to Italy’s win.
Merlo was certain of divine intervention: “I think God is a fan of Italy,” she said, “and he answered my prayers.”
Tension — and, somehow, the shouts’ volume — grew as the second half continued. But with neither team able to score, the game headed into overtime.
When, once again, neither team could score, it went into a shootout. During the break beforehand, residents began singing the popular Italian folk song, “Ciao, Bella,” which seemed to lighten the mood for a bit until tension ratcheted up again as the shootout began.
The crowd on the street went silent whenever an Italian stepped up to shoot — many appeared to be praying — and then exploded into cheers when he scored or when the Italian goalkeeper blocked a shot. They groaned and held their heads in their hands when an Italian player didn’t score or when their goalkeeper allowed a goal and shook their hands and yelled at the screen, hoping to jinx English players as they approached the ball to kick.
Finally, when Italy’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made one last save to seal his team’s victory, there was just the briefest moment of silence, as if people were in shock, before the place exploded.
To say Chipilo’s residents went berserk would be a gross understatement: they stood on chairs and on tables. They hugged and kissed. Somehow, they were screaming even more loudly than before. More beer was sprayed. When Queen’s song We are the Champions blasted out from the speakers, Soliman hoisted Julia, his daughter, on his shoulders and climbed onto a table as people sang along at the top of their lungs.
“It was a very difficult game,” said Steffen Merlo Guridi, who looked spent and relieved afterward. “England was a very strong team, and I was nervous. I had some doubts, but they did it. Italy did it. I’m very, very happy, and I’m proud of Italy.”
Almost immediately afterward, traffic backed up on Chipilo’s main street for almost a mile, full of cars and trucks with people waving Italian flags in victory. The celebration continued long into the night.
The gathering occurred when the coronavirus still poses a serious risk in Mexico. Chipilo residents seemed aware of the risks of assembling in a large crowd, but few people wore masks and with 500 people crammed under a tent, there wasn’t any social distancing. A couple of people expressed concerns although they had attended anyway.
But after a year and a half of a pandemic — the lockdowns, the quarantines and all the rest — it felt as if, for at least a little while, some joy had sneaked back into the world.
A visitor at a Mayan archaeological site. shutterstock
International tourist numbers almost tripled in May compared to the same month last year but were still 23.2% below figures for May 2019.
Data from national statistics agency Inegi shows that almost 2.66 million international tourists came to Mexico in May, a 198.5% increase compared to the 890,642 foreign visitors in the same month of 2020, when much of the world was in lockdown due to the emergence of the coronavirus.
This year’s figure represents a decline of some 800,000 compared to May 2019, when 3.46 million international tourists visited.
Just over 1.5 million of the international visitors in May were tourists who stayed in the country for at least one night while the the other 1.15 million were border tourists.
Of the former, 1.22 million arrived by air, a colossal 3,273% increase compared to May 2020 but a 20.5% decline compared to the same month of 2019. Border tourists increased 54.1% over May 2020 numbers but were down 25% compared to two years earlier.
International tourists spent US $1.59 billion in Mexico in May, a 931.5% increase compared to the same month last year, but expenditure was down 17.9% compared to May 2019.
The average outlay of each tourist was $182, almost triple the $61 spent by each visitor a year earlier and a 67% increase compared to May 2019, when average individual expenditure was $109.
Tourists who arrived by air spent an average of $1,062 each, according to Inegi data, a 42.3% increase compared to May 2020 and a 5.3% jump compared to the same month of 2019.
Mexico, which has kept its air borders open throughout the pandemic and has not required incoming travelers to show negative Covid-19 tests or go into mandatory quarantine upon arrival, was the third most visited country in the world last year behind Italy and France, according to estimates by the World Tourism Organization. It ranked seventh in 2019.
Tourism generally contributes to almost 9% of Mexico’s GDP but its importance to the economy is much greater in states that are heavily dependent on tourists such as Quintana Roo and Baja California Sur.
Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco has predicted that the sector won’t completely recover from the pandemic-induced downturn until 2023.
The Saharan dust clouds in their annual movement across the Atlantic.
The first dust cloud from the Sahara Desert has arrived in the Yucatán Peninsula in the annual meteorological event known as the Saharan Air Layer.
Each year, upwards of 60 million tonnes of dust from arid areas North Africa – made up of particles of iron, silicon, mercury and phosphorus, among other chemical elements – are dragged by wind currents 7,000 kilometers west to the Americas. The resulting cloud will sit above the peninsula until Monday causing misty, reddish skies before heading toward the Gulf of Mexico, Nuevo León and Coahuila. A second cloud will reach the peninsula on July 14.
Days are predicted to be sunnier, while nights and early mornings are likely to be colder than normal. The pattern could continue over the coming months.
The clouds are not expected to cause any risk to affected populations due to their low density although, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), more intense dust clouds can provoke allergies and asthmatic attacks from people who suffer from respiratory problems or immunosuppression. Persistent flu-like symptoms or allergies with no apparent cause have been linked to the natural phenomenon.
Authorities in Yucatán said the effects of the clouds will be similar to June last year: in addition to misty days and reddish skies it will bring a decrease in rainfall causing humidity to drop. Studies also suggest that the dry air from the dust stifles the formation of storms and hurricanes.
The dust also acts as a natural fertilizer and has been found to play a key role in restoring minerals to depleted rain forest soils in South America’s Amazon basin. However, research has shown that it may be harmful to coral reefs if it descends into the ocean before reaching land. One study found that the dust can trigger toxic algae blooms, also known as red tides, that have the capacity to kill large numbers of fish, shellfish, marine mammals and birds.
PAHO recommends that people with “chronic respiratory diseases (COPD, asthma), older adults, pregnant women and children should use respiratory protectors, such as masks or a damp cloth to cover their nose and mouth.”
The World Meteorological Organization also warned of the health risks. “Inhaling dust particles when the weather is hot and dry can damage the mucous membranes of the nose and throat, providing favorable conditions for a bacterial infection,” its advice read.
The dust can also spur the transmission of valley fever in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States.
Guajardo, left, at the conclusion of trade talks with Canadian negotiator Chrystia Freeland and Robert Lighthizer of the US.
Opposition political parties and Mexico’s business community have rallied behind former economy minister Ildefonso Guajardo, whom federal authorities accuse of illicit enrichment.
The federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) announced Friday that a federal judge had ordered Guajardo, economy minister during the entirety of former president Enrique Peña Nieto’s 2012-2018 term, to stand trial.
The FGR said its anti-corruption unit determined that the ex-official “probably” acquired “an unjustified increase to his wealth” between 2014 and 2018, adding that he was unable to prove its legal origin.
The former cabinet minister, who was recently elected as a federal deputy for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and is due to take his seat in Congress on September 1, promptly denied the charge, asserting that the case against him amounted to “political persecution.”
The national leaders of the three main opposition parties all came to Guajardo’s defense, as did the president of the Business Coordinating Council (CCE), an influential umbrella organization representing 12 business groups.
“The political persecution of the Morena government against opponents of its authoritarian regime is absolutely unacceptable,” National Action Party (PAN) national president Marko Cortés wrote on Twitter. “Now it’s Ildefenso Guajardo’s turn. In the opposition bloc we will not be intimidated.”
Jesús Zambrano, national president of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), called the accusations “groundless” and charged that the federal government’s aim was to “break the [PAN-PRI-PRD] legislative coalition because he could play an important role in criticizing this government.”
PRI national president Alejandro Moreno expressed confidence that a judge would absolve the former minister and advised the federal government and Morena to instead focus on prosecuting corruption within their own ranks.
“Instead of using institutions to try and intimidate the opposition, the Morena government should shed light on the evident corruption and electoral crime inside Morena and the federal government. My total support to Ildefonso Guajardo in the face of this new onslaught by the state,” he wrote on Twitter.
“I know Ildefonso Guajardo and we’ve worked together on a lot of issues for the benefit of Nuevo León and Mexico. I trust that he will soon prove to authorities that his honorability and prestige remain intact,” said CCE president Carlos Salazar.
Several other opposition political figures, including former president Vicente Fox and ex-tourism minister Enrique de la Madrid, also took to Twitter to offer their support to Guajardo, who personally responded to many of the messages.
Extraordinary and indefensible that the Mexican govt would decide to go after someone as respected as Ildefonso Guajardo – someone who did such an incredible job as Sec de Economía https://t.co/oIU19ToSr0
“Thanks for the support,” the former economy minister wrote in response to Fox’s tweet declaring “we’re with you!!”
“I trust that the [legal] process will be in accordance with the law and I will be allowed to prove with evidence that the accusation is unfair and without foundation. He who owes nothing, fears nothing,” wrote Guajardo, the former government’s chief negotiator in trade talks with the United States and Canada.
He also responded to a tweet by United States-based Mexico expert Duncan Wood, who wrote that it was “extraordinary and indefensible” that the Mexican government would go after someone as respected as Ildefonso Guajardo, “who did such an incredible job” as economy minister.
“Thank you Duncan for your kind words of support. I’ve worked hard during my more than 40 years of public service to comport myself honorably, ethically and always following the letter and spirit of the law. I’m confident of the outcome and I look forward to continuing to serve my country when I’m sworn in as … [a] federal congressman next month,” Guajardo wrote.
Meanwhile, the FGR rejected Guajardo’s claim in a written statement that the case against him “smells of political persecution.”
That claim is “completely false,” the FGR said in its own statement before rejecting an assertion that it has not allowed Guajardo and his lawyer to see the evidence it has gathered against the former.
The Attorney General’s Office said the Ministry of Public Administration (SFP) – the federal government’s internal corruption watchdog – filed a complaint against Guajardo last October and that its anti-corruption unit subsequently opened an investigation. Guajardo was notified of the case against him in March and granted access to all the evidence supplied by the SFP, the FGR said.
It added that it continued to keep the former economy minister abreast of additional evidence gathered against him up to the date of the court hearing at which he was ordered to stand trial.
“The main accusation” is that Guajardo has a foreign bank account with a balance of just under 8.17 million pesos (US $411,000), an amount the former official asserts came from the sale of a property he and his sister inherited, the FGR said.
However, documentation submitted by Guajardo shows that “his half doesn’t correspond in any way” to the amount he says he received, the FGR said.
“… He has been asked to show the origin of this inconsistency but he hasn’t done so. In the face of such circumstances, the only option … was the judicial trying of this case,” it said.
Five cabinet ministers await their turn at the podium on Tuesday.
Set against the grandeur of the National Palace, the president’s morning conferences, or mañaneras as they are known, start in the early morning, and can last for three hours. They are an exercise in stamina: the 67-year-old president from Tabasco stands for the duration, offering a slow but precise delivery.
Here’s a rundown of the week’s conferences.
Monday
It was straight to business early on Monday: “Does the state really have control of the narcos, who seem to be growing in power in the country?”
Although AMLO, as the president is commonly known, managed to bat away the charge without too much trouble, it proved to be a warning shot.
Enter Jorge Ramos, a highly regarded Mexican U.S.-based journalist, who wasted no time in his questioning. “Outside of the bubble of the National Palace, the country is not in peace and tranquility, Mr. President. One hundred Mexicans are being killed every day … you are still blaming former presidents … do you think the strategy of ‘hugs not bullets’ has been an absolute failure?” he asked.
The president pointed to incremental improvement: a 3% decrease in homicides.
“This is the problem, you are presenting it as something positive and it isn’t positive,” the journalist contested.
Before closing, the pope got a special mention. “We have the enormous pleasure of governing in the time of Pope Francisco,” the president said.
‘Love your neighbor,’ the president told reporters this week.
Tuesday
A big announcement: the third wave of Covid-19 infections had arrived with a 22% spike in cases. However, vaccination had prevented deaths and hospitalizations from increasing in kind. In a related announcement, foreigners residing in Mexico without an identity number (CURP) were informed they could register for a temporary number to get vaccinated.
Questions took the room to Aguililla, Michoacán, the center of a territorial war between rival cartels. The president called for peace in religious terms: “The people, the peasants, the producers, the merchants, the religious, everyone … don’t take the path of violence … Put into practice the principle of love for your neighbor … No to violence, yes to peace, yes to dialogue,” he said.
“I am a pacifist. Even if they make fun of me … I will keep saying: ‘Hugs, not bullets,’” he added, before confirming a negotiations had started to find a resolution to the conflict.
Even criminals, AMLO said, deserved protection. “You could even say: it’s between them … as if they were not human beings … but we have an obligation as the state to protect everyone’s life.”
To drive the point home, the conference ended with a video in which an interviewer quoted former president Felipe Calderón calling for gang members to be murdered.
“I thought he was posh. But no, he’s really tough,” the politician from Tabasco taunted.
Wednesday
The fake news patrol kicked off Wednesday’s conference. A corruption story was confirmed as false: nothing, Ana Elizabeth García Vilchis said, was hidden in an application for funding for the Maya Train project.
Bias, rather than misinformation, was also included in the new weekly feature. Statistics collected by the National Electoral Institute on media coverage for the June 6 elections were recited, and data for each major media organization were revealed.
In the case of Grupo Imagen, the ruling party Morena had been mentioned in a negative light 1,599 times. “Three times more negative mentions than opposition parties,” García declared. True, if each of the National Action Party, the Democratic Revolution Party and the Institutional Revolutionary Party are taken individually. However, if treated as a bloc, which is how the three parties campaigned, then negative mentions were close to even.
Numbers were still on the president’s mind later in the mañanera. “I’m going to show off … a global survey of presidents’ approval ratings. Guess what? It’s the guy from Tepetitán [the president’s hometown], you know who: in first place,” he goaded.
More hot air rounded off the conference. The president announced a new company would be formed to make gas cheaper for consumers.
Thursday
The topic of child obesity switched to football early on Thursday. Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo got the thumbs-up from the president for his spontaneous protest in which he discarded bottles of Coca-Cola in a post-match press conference, and said “drink water.”
AMLO later gave some credence to the idea that there might be a security problem in the country. “We are talking about economic growth, from which jobs are being regenerated, there is well being, but if there is no peace and there is no tranquility, the national project isn’t viable,” he said. In citizen surveys, he added, there are always two principal interests: employment and security.
Later, water returned. Two towns in Oaxaca recently passed four years without water, a journalist said. A legal battle had prevented a resolution from being reached.
“I don’t want to use force, I want dialogue and compromise,” said the president.
Among friends: the president in a jovial mood.
The journalist accused him of standing up a straw man. “Why are you are acting as if I’m asking you to use force?” he said.
Before finishing, the president confirmed his weekend plans. This week it was a whistle stop tour through Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo to check progress on his hallmark project, the Maya Train.
Friday
First on Friday two presentations: one on the profit sharing law, and another on how the National Palace assists protesters that arrive to its doors.
It only delayed the inevitable. The first journalist called upon directed focus on AMLO’s brother Martín Jesús López Obrador, who had been caught on camera receiving a packet of cash from David León, a former advisor to the president and ex-chief of the federal Civil Protection agency.
“If there is proof, he must be reported [to authorities]. All citizens have the responsibility to act and the relevant authority has to rule whether there’s a crime or not,” the president said, adding that he hadn’t seen Martín for five years.
It was an attempt at slander, he affirmed. “… They make it seem that it’s campaign money, political money, money for me – something that’s not true, it’s as simple as that.”
The president later announced that Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez would be making her way to Aguililla, Michoacán, where conflict has raged between rival cartels.
Capping off the week, AMLO reminded the room of his weekend plans in the Yucatán Peninsula, and offered an affectionate touch. “Remember that I don’t travel by private plane … I love you all lots,” he said, briefly before striding away to attend to the nation.
