The greater Tijuana area's rapid growth has led to major water scarcity problems and an expensive distribution system that transports Tijuana's water supply from the Colorado River. (Shutterstock)
The northern Mexico state of Baja California is betting on desalinization to solve the Tijuana area’s drinking water scarcity, and after five years with a planned project at a standstill, efforts to build a desalinization plant in Rosarito are finally moving forward again, according to state officials.
After two years of legal wrangling between the state government and Consolidated Water — the firm fired from the original project to build the plant — the two parties came to a resolution this summer that saw the Mexican government purchase the 201,000-square-meter parcel of land in Rosarito. The parcel, valued at just over 596 million pesos (US $30.06 million), is now owned by Mexico’s National Infrastructure Fund (Fonadin).
The Morelos Dam in the Mexicali Valley, from which water from the Colorado River must be transported from to supply Tijuana. (Tercero Díaz/Cuartoscuro)
The dispute first arose in 2019, after the state government unilaterally canceled its contract with Consolidated Water. The company sued the state to recoup US $51 million, and as Consolidated Water owned the plant site land parcel the project came to a halt as the legal dispute lingered.
The suit was finally resolved in international arbitration this summer, and the state is now in the process of seeking bidders for the project, which would be essentially the same as the one specified in the original contract, Baja California’s Finance Minster Antonio Moreno Mexía said.
The state now plans to invest US $690 million in building the desalinization plant with a new bidder, Moreno said, adding that the boost in available water is expected to solve water scarcity problems for over 2.1 million people in Tijuana, Rosarito and southward toward Tecate city for about a decade.
Tijuana and its suburbs have expanded rapidly into urban sprawl over the last 40 years, which has exacerbated water scarcity. Tijuana presently gets most of its water from the Colorado River, which is also drawn from by cities over the border in the United States, and whose water supply, by all accounts, is shrinking.
In addition, this system requires significant energy to transport water approximately 100 kilometers (about 62 miles). The Baja California State Water Commission expects the desalinization plant to reduce electricity demand associated with water distribution by up to 36%. The new system would eliminate the need to treat the Colorado River water to make it potable, state authorities say.
The plant will be fed 8.8 cubic meters per second of seawater and is expected to produce 4.4 cubic meters per second of drinking water. Any residual salt water will be returned to the sea.
While addressing the region’s water scarcity would seem at first glance unproblematic, the project has its critics, who say that a desalinization plant should be the option of last resort, citing a negative impact on the environment and the costs of construction.
Alfonso Cortez Lara, the Director of the Mexicali Unit of the College of the Northern Border, suggested that the state government should instead invest in improvements to water distribution infrastructure.
Approximately 30% of Tijuana’s water is lost due to leaks in the system, he said.
“Colectivo C733 exemplifies the power of collective action and collaborative design to rapidly respond to urgent urban needs,” the award's jury said. (C733/Instagram)
The Danish Henrik F. Obel Foundation has granted the 2024 Obel Award to a body of 36 public works by the Mexican architectural design firm Colectivo C733.
Promoted by the Agrarian, Land and Urban Development Ministry (Sedatu), the projects restored vulnerable urban and rural areas across Mexico through a collaborative and community-focused approach.
“Colectivo C733 exemplifies the power of collective action and collaborative design to rapidly respond to urgent urban needs,” the jury said. “Their ability to transform 36 communities through thoughtful, resource-efficient and dignified architectural interventions is a blueprint for future public works projects worldwide.”
Each year, the Obel Award establishes a focus. For this edition, the jury sought projects that were designed not only for the community but with the community. “Colectivo C733 points towards new approaches to the practice of designing and shaping our collectively built environment,” the Obel jury wrote.
Founded in 2019, Colectivo C733 is made up of the architecture practices of Gabriela Carrillo (Taller Gabriela Carrillo) and Carlos Facio & José Amozurrutia (TO), along with Eric Valdez (Labg) and Israel Espin. The firm is known for creating modular, flexible and cost-efficient designs that allow for different combinations and contextualized variations, depending on the local environment.
The award’s judges said that the collective’s success is particularly remarkable given that they completed in 36 months what would have initially taken years, all within a “complex” social, political, environmental and financial context. Bringing together 30 architects and a multidisciplinary team of consultants, they compressed the process within a timeframe “practically unheard of by today’s standards.”
The winning 36 projects include works in the following communities across Mexico: San Blas, Tulum, Tapachula, Bacalar, Ciudad Acuña, Matamoros, Ayoxuxtla, Nacajuca, Tamulté, Xpujil, Balancán and Tenosique. Colectivo C733’s Casa de Música, in Nacajuca, Tabasco, also won the 2023 Work of the Year award granted by ArchDaily to the best architecture in Latin America and Spain.
About the Henrik F. Obel Foundation
The Obel Award recognizes outstanding architectural contributions to social and ecological development around the world. The winning projects should offer seminal approaches to urgent problems and a commitment to the common good.
The award is granted every year by the Henrik F. Obel Foundation, founded by an endowment left by Henrik Frode Obel (1942 – 2014), a notable Danish businessman who devoted his entire fortune to creating a foundation that rewards exceptional works of architecture.
The reliefs were located to the west of Ball Game II, a space where the city’s inhabitants would have played a ceremonial ball game. (Gibrán Huerta/INAH)
Mexico’s archaeologists continue to uncover treasures in the lush forests of the Yucatán Peninsula.
In the Dzibanché Archaeological Zone in Quintana Roo, archaeologists have unearthed two platforms with stucco reliefs that reveal new details about the Kaanu’l dynasty, which ruled over the territories that today comprise Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.
The ancient vestiges feature representations of ancestors, mythical animals and other figures of power. (INAH)
In a statement, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said the discovery offers “new insight” into the workings and worldviews of this powerful Maya dynasty, which ruled during the Early and Late Classic periods, between 250 and 650 AD.
What do the reliefs in Dzibanché represent?
Archaeologists believe their most recent findings date back to the Early Classic period (500-600 AD), coinciding with the rise of the Maya city of Dzibanché.
“This is a great finding for us,” archaeologist Sandra Balanzario Granados, head of the Archaeological Site Improvement Program (Promeza) in Dzibanché, said. “Although we had [found] stucco reliefs on larger buildings, we would never have thought of finding such decorated façades on a ball court with such profound meanings as these ones apparently have.”
The findings consist of two platforms located west of Ball Game II, a space where the city’s inhabitants would have played a ceremonial ball game. The stucco reliefs feature three scenes. The first depicts two guardians flanking a pedestal that, in pre-Columbian times, would have supported a sculpture. The glyphs on this pedestal reference a ruler of the Kaanu’l dynasty.
Of the reliefs, archaeologist Sandra Balanzario said, “We would never have thought of finding such decorated façades on a ball court with such profound meanings.”(INAH)
The second scene depicts figures that allude to ancestors who seem to inhabit the night sky, surrounded by stars and snakes. Epigrapher Alexander Tokovinine said these are elements characteristic of both Maya and Teotihuacán iconography.
Archaeologists think that the absence of a central sculpture on the relief suggests that it may have been removed by the city’s inhabitants centuries ago.
The third scene depicts a group of mythological animals associated with constellations.
“One feature shared by all three scenes is the representation of intertwined snakes, which indicates that we are looking at images with which the rulers of Dzibanché sought to reaffirm their ancestry or lineage,” the INAH said, adding that in pre-Columbian Maya societies, the hierarchs were seen as representatives of the gods on Earth.
The reliefs were found in the Dzibanché Archaeological Zone in Quintana Roo. (INAH)
The Kaanu’l dynasty eventually disintegrated and split into two groups — one remained in the Dzibanché settlement while the other settled in Calakmul, a city located in today’s state of Campeche.
Sedena said that the soldiers returned fire "in defense of their physical safety" and killed 19 aggressors. The other gunmen managed to escape, the ministry said. (José Batanzos/Cuartoscuro)
Mexican soldiers killed 19 suspected members of the Sinaloa Cartel after they were attacked by more than 30 gunmen near Culiacán on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry (Sedena) said.
Sedena said in a statement that the troops came under fire in a rural area 11 kilometers east of Culiacán while arresting “alleged criminal cell boss,” Edwin Antonio Rubio López, who was identified as being a member of a Sinaloa Cartel faction loyal to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who was arrested in the United States in July.
The army seized 27 firearms, ammunition, bulletproof vests and helmets and seven vehicles after the shootout. (José Batanzos/Cuartoscuro)
“During the event, an attack against military personnel by more than 30 individuals occurred,” the Defense Ministry said, identifying the aggressors as members of the “Los Mayos” faction and bodyguards of Rubio López, known as “El Max” and “El Oso” (The Bear).
Sedena said that the soldiers returned fire “in defense of their physical safety” and killed 19 aggressors. The other gunmen managed to escape, the ministry said.
“In this incident, the military personnel acted in strict accordance with the rule of law and with full respect for human rights and the National Law on the Use of Force,” Sedena said.
The army seized 27 firearms, ammunition, bulletproof vests and helmets and seven vehicles after the shootout, according to the Sedena statement. Soldiers also took possession of a property in Plan de Oriente, the community where the confrontation took place.
Por segunda vez en un mes, han sido lanzados volantes en #Culiacán que vinculan al gobernador Rubén Rocha con ‘Los Chapitos’. Los volantes incluyen nombre y logo de ‘La Mayiza’. pic.twitter.com/AVLI0YSqTI
Cartel faction “La Mayiza,” which is presumably operated by one of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada’s sons, issued a warning in Culiacán on Tuesday stating that they will “not rest” until they “put an end to every abuse committed by ‘Los Chapos’ for which they must take down the government that is supporting them.”
Sedena said that Rubio López — who has previously spent time in prison on murder and weapons charges — was turned over to the Federal Attorney General’s Office in Culiacán, which will determine his “legal situation.”
The Defense Ministry said that the suspect “actively participated” in the recent wave of violence in Culiacán as the “Los Mayos” and “Los Chapitos” factions of the Sinaloa Cartel engaged in a fierce war.
Guzmán López, who flew with Zambada to the United States and is now also in U.S. custody, is a son of convicted drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán and one of the leaders, or ex-leaders, of “Los Chapitos.”
The Sinaloa Cartel infighting has claimed scores of lives in Culiacán and other municipalities of Sinaloa in recent months, and generated significant fear among residents of the northern state.
Like her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador, President Claudia Sheinbaum has pledged to avoid violent confrontations with criminals wherever possible.
Shortly before she was sworn in as president, she said that responding to the high levels of violence in Sinaloa with “firepower” would only trigger a “war” in the northern state.
Former President López Obrador banned the use of GM corn for human consumption in a 2023 decree. (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s Agriculture Minister announced Tuesday that his agency has a plan to reduce the consumer price of corn tortillas by 10%.
“We are going to invite [producers] to come to a national agreement on corn and tortillas, with a very ambitious goal of reducing the cost of tortillas by 10% in real terms throughout the duration of this government’s term in office,” Julio Berdegué, head of the ministry known as SADER, told reporters at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s daily presidential press conference.
The plan was announced on Tuesday by Julio Berdegué, head of the Agriculture Ministry. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
The price of tortillas rose by 61.7% during President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s term (2018–2024), making today’s average price of corn tortillas per kilogram 23.17 pesos (US $1.16).
Berdegué’s stated commitment to reduce the price of one of Mexico’s most popular staple foods — dubbed by officials as the National Plan for Corn and Tortillas — is just one part of a new comprehensive federal plan announced at Tuesday’s press conference to advance Mexico’s self-sufficiency in food crops, support Mexican farmers, guarantee food security for citizens and promote nutritious diets.
Another part of the plan announced Tuesday, the Production for Well-Being program, has as a core tenet the support of 2.02 million small and medium-scale farmers, chiefly in the production of staple crops such as corn, beans, sugar cane, coffee, cocoa and honey.
Another initiative in the plan is the Harvesting Sovereignty program, an initiative to boost the production of corn, beans, rice, milk, sorghum, onions, tomatoes and chiles in Mexico.
Mexicans consume around 1 million metric tons of beans a year, 300,000 of which are imported. Sheinbaum’s government would like to change that by helping farmers cultivate almost 1.9 million acres of land with certified high-quality legume seeds. It also aims to increase rice production in Mexico by 250,000 metric tons a year by supporting the development of 148,263 acres of land.
Sader has identified 1,200 low-income municipalities where small and medium-sized commercial farming is prevalent to participate in the project. To support these priority areas, the ministry will offer a combination of credit facilities, commercial assistance and social programs as incentives.
Berdegué emphasized that while the government’s plan aims to encourage more staple crop production, it also is committed to doing so with a lower environmental impact, acknowledging that 75% of the country’s water is currently used for agriculture.
Day of the Dead is almost here - so perfect your Pan de Muerto recipes now! (Adolfo Vladimir/Cuartoscuro)
Pan de muerto, or “bread of the dead,” isn’t your everyday loaf; it’s a sweet offering that embodies the tradition of honoring the dearly departed. Its origins trace back to the Aztecs: they made a flatbread made from amaranth seeds, offered various foods to the dead, much like our Day of the Dead altars have today. Ancient civilizations were not squeamish when it came to the dead, what with all the human sacrifices and such. The Romans, for instance, turned death into a full-blown spectacle with their gladiator combats, all while spectators chomped down on their Roman version of hot dogs and popcorn. The Aztecs, also known to sacrifice a few folks here and there, would sometimes perform these rituals on top of their pyramids with large obsidian knifes.
The reasons behind these sacrifices, as described by Spanish accounts, need to be taken with a grain of salt. The Spanish didn’t speak the local language fluently, and it served them well to paint the locals as “murderous savages” to justify conquest. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived, the Aztec Empire was at its peak, and they had a lot of war captives. The mass sacrifices that the Spanish witnessed may have been more a practical means of dealing with enemies than purely a religious ritual to appease gods.
It is that time of the year and Pan de muerto is everywhere! (Unsplash)
Back to the bread! The Spanish brought over wheat, and it was slowly adapted by the locals. Pan de muerto also gets its signature flavor from orange zest, which is meant to symbolize the zest of life — yes, even after you’re long gone, there’s still room for a little citrus kick. The sugar on top is a reminder of the sweetness of life and death. If you’re going to the afterlife, you might as well go with a sugary grin.
During Dia de Muertos, Pan de Muerto is placed on ofrendas (altars) alongside candles, marigolds and tequila, because even the dead deserve a good time. As you munch on this rich, sweet bread, just remember: it’s a delicious nod to the past, where offering a snack was preferable to, say, offering your neighbor. Enjoy it — life, death and bread have never tasted this good.
Pan de muerto
Ingredients
For the bread
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp orange zest
1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm milk (110 F / 45 C)
1/4 cup warm water (110 F / 45 C)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
For the topping
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
Activate the yeast: In a small bowl, combine the warm water and yeast. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and orange zest.
Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, and then add the warm milk and the activated yeast mixture.
Form the dough: Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and pour in the wet ingredients. Add the softened butter a little at a time, mixing until the dough comes together.
Knead the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time.
First rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
Shape the bread: Punch down the dough, then divide it into two pieces—one large for the base, and a smaller portion to create the decorations. Shape the larger piece into a round loaf. With the smaller piece, roll out dough strips pressing down in the shape of a peace symbol to get two skinnier parts and three fatter parts. Boom, you have made bone shaped dough. Place them decoratively over the top.
Second rise: Place the shaped loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover lightly with plastic wrap or a cloth, and let it rise again for about 40 minutes to 1 hour.
Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Once the dough has finished its second rise, bake it for 30-35 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
Add topping: Let the bread cool slightly, then brush it with the melted butter. Sprinkle the granulated sugar (mixed with cinnamon, if using) generously over the top.
Enjoy Your pan de muerto: Serve your pan de muerto with hot chocolate or café de olla as part of your Día de Muertos celebrations. Enjoy this treat while honoring your loved ones!
StephenRandall has lived in Mexico since 2018 by way of Kentucky, and before that, Germany. He’s an enthusiastic amateur chef who takes inspiration from many different cuisines, with favorites including Mexican and Mediterranean. His recipes can also be found on YouTube.
What do you do when your child needs to talk to a professional, but is concerned about attending therapy? (Talkspace)
When your children look like they need a little help but won’t accept it, what do you do? Can you make your son go to therapy if he doesn’t want to? Jenna Mayhew has been working as a psychologist in Mexico for eight years. At her practice, Hola Therapy, she has made it her mission to help foreigners living in Mexico, Mexicans with a foreign partner, foreigners with links to Mexico and Mexicans with links to foreigners or foreign countries.
Jenna Mayhew (center) and the team at Hola Therapy. (Jenna Mayhew)
Dear Jenna,
I’m a 45-year-old single Dad living in the south of Mexico. My son is 11 years old and lives with me. He’s had a couple of really rough years. His school has recommended that he go to therapy and I agree, but he’s told me doesn’t want to. I tried talking to him about how it can make him feel better. He told me doesn’t want to talk to a stranger and doesn’t believe it can help him. How can I get him to go?
Concerned Dad
Dear Concerned Dad,
It’s great to see your dedication to your son’s well-being. Navigating the world of mental health can be challenging, especially for children who may feel hesitant about therapy. Many parents struggle with this step — it’s like there’s a speed hump to get over before the therapy even starts.
Here are some evidence-based strategies to help you encourage your son towards therapy:
Providing parental support is the most important part of helping your children deal with their problems. (Talkspace)
Understand his concerns: Children often fear the unknown. I see you’re already talking to him about his feelings towards therapy and that’s great. Keep the conversation going. Ask open-ended questions to explore his reservations, like “What do you think could go wrong?” According to research from the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), understanding a child’s perspective is crucial for addressing their anxieties about seeking help.
Normalize therapy: Let him know that therapy is a common practice, and many people benefit from it. Sometimes focusing on what happened, rather than on them as a person reduces the stigma. Instead of “I see you’re not doing well at school and therapy could help”, shift the focus onto “You’ve been through a lot. When people experience things like that, therapy can really help them.”
Reassure and support: Remind him that it’s okay to feel nervous about talking to someone new. He doesn’t have to share everything right away, such as “You don’t have to share anything you’re not ready to share, you can wait until you trust them, it’s at your pace.”
Be a role model: Share your own experiences with stress and coping mechanisms, and talk about any support you’ve sought. This can reinforce the idea that everyone, including adults, sometimes needs help. “I really struggled too. But I’m so glad I’ve got someone to talk to.”
Empower him in the process: Involve him in the selection of a therapist. According to a study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, children are more likely to engage in therapy if they feel they have some control over the process.
Introduce the therapist: Have a brief meet-and-greet to see if it’s a good fit. This can demystify the experience and make it less intimidating.
Consider family therapy: Sometimes, participating in therapy together can help bridge the gap. Family therapy can create a shared space for discussing feelings, which might make him more receptive to the idea of individual therapy afterwards.
For my most controversial recommendation — consider a reward for going the first one or two times. Many people take issue with rewards and punishments, but when intrinsic motivation is low, a little external motivation can give the push that’s needed. For many kids (and adults!) the first appointment is the hardest. Once they’re through the door and have had a session or two, they quickly realise how much they enjoy it and engage happily in the process.
Finally, you can also consider “parenting therapy” just for yourself. You’d be amazed at how effective therapy can be for a child even when it’s done only with the parent! You learn skills to create a ‘therapeutic environment’ for your child, and the therapeutic benefit trickles down to them through you.
Good luck and I wish you both the best on this journey.
Jenna
Ask your questions
To submit your question to Jenna, leave a comment on this article with the heading “QUESTION”. Please include as much detail as you would like to about yourself (age, location etc) and why you are interested in the question.
Jenna Mayhew is an Australian psychologist based in Mexico and is the founder of Hola Therapy, a bilingual practice dedicated to supporting the immigrant and cross-cultural communities in Mexico. Hola Therapy provides therapy in-person and online across Mexico and worldwide.
Hola Therapy aims to give back to the community and one way they achieve this is by providing by clinical and financial support to the Misión México Foundation. Misión México Foundation is a charity in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. They provide a stable, therapeutic environment for some of the state’s most vulnerable children, with a focus on safety, emotional recovery and education.
If you have enjoyed the “Ask Jenna” column, please consider giving back by making a small donation to the Misión México Foundation (you will see a “donate now” button at the top of their webpage).
President Sheinbaum holds up a copy of Mexico's Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) on Tuesday, where newly approved federal legislation is published upon being promulgated by presidential decree. (Galo Cañas Rodriguez/Cuartoscuro)
President Claudia Sheinbaum asserted Tuesday that the recently enacted judicial reform — which allows citizens to directly elect all judges in Mexico — will be an “example to the world” in how to create a robust judiciary.
“If [there is] something we’re doing in Mexico that is going to be an example to the world — even though they say otherwise at Harvard — [it is] the election of the judicial power. It will be an example because it’s the people choosing their judges, magistrates and Supreme Court justices,” Sheinbaum told her morning press conference.
Sheinbaum insisted at her daily press conference Tuesday that she is in compliance with federal law by refusing to follow a federal judge’s order. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)
Her reference to Harvard came in response to remarks made by Mexican Supreme Court Justice Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortiz Mena at a Harvard Law School forum on Oct. 10.
“This is a very dramatic change,” Gutiérrez said at that forum. “At the very least, we will have an enormous period where the courts will not be predictable because all district court judges and all circuit court judges will have to be elected.”
“Now the requirements to be elected … are — and I kid you not — having a 3.0 grade point average — our constitution says that now — and five letters of recommendation from your neighbors. If you meet those requirements, you can be proposed to the Supreme Court, provided you win an election,” he said.
Gutiérrez’s mention of the requirement for judicial candidates to have letters of recommendation from their neighbors elicited laughter from the audience — and his fellow panelists.
Asked on Tuesday what her response to the laughter was, Sheinbaum gave a frank response.
“Nobody should make fun of Mexican men and women,” she said.
Desató risas en Harvard la explicación del ministro Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortiz Mena que, para la elección de jueces, es requisito presentar 5 cartas de recomendación de vecinos.https://t.co/Nfva0XzDo1
— 3ra Región Asociación Magistrados y Jueces del PJF (@asocmj) October 22, 2024
Mexican Supreme Court Justice Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortiz Mena speaking about Mexico’s judicial reform to fellow panelists at an event hosted by the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School.
“… It’s up to me to defend my people, my country and my homeland, and all Mexicans as well,” Sheinbaum added.
“The Harvard [Law] School might be very well-known, but it would be good if the Harvard [Law] School did an investigation about the corruption in the Mexican judicial [system],” she said.
The president pointed out that some judges are elected in the United States and emphasized that in some U.S. states, they are even elected “by political party,” a reference to partisan judicial elections.
“We’re going to provide an example to the world with the reform to the judicial power, I’m certain,” Sheinbaum reiterated.
Those elected will be “good, qualified judges,” she said, stressing that there will be an “open, transparent” selection process for judicial candidates.
“… The election of judges is responsible,” said Sheinbaum, who like former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has argued that a judicial overhaul is necessary to rid Mexico’s judiciary of corruption and other ills, and to ensure that it is at the service of the majority of Mexican people, rather than an elite minority.
“… We’re building a true rule of law in our country,” she said.
Criticisms of the judicial reform
The main criticism of the judicial reform provision that allows the direct election of judges and Supreme Court justices — from candidates put forward by the president, the Congress and the judiciary itself — is that choosing judges by popular vote will erode the independence of Mexico’s courts and remove a vital check on government power.
Critics of the reform argue that courts could come to be dominated by judges sympathetic to the agenda of the ruling Morena party, which is immensely popular in Mexico, as demonstrated by the June 2 election results. They also contend that investment in Mexico will decline due to a lack of certainty about whether the rule of law will be upheld.
Sheinbaum’s initial response late last week prompted judicial workers to protest at the Senate in Mexico City in support of Nancy Juarez Salas, the Veracruz judge who issued the order, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Norma Piña. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
López Obrador submitted the judicial reform proposal to Congress in February, and Sheinbaum expressed full support for it before she was elected in a landslide on the first Sunday in June, allowing her to make the case that the reform is what the majority of Mexicans wanted.
“The people of Mexico took a decision, which was [in favor of] the reform to the judicial power,” the president said Tuesday.
The first round of judicial elections is slated to take place next year, with a second round to be held at the same time as Mexico’s midterm congressional elections in 2027.
Before the judicial reform was approved, the New York Times reported that “the closest parallel to what Mexico’s [ex-] president is proposing is Bolivia’s experience with electing judges after enacting a new constitution in 2009.”
“But even in Bolivia’s case, the changes didn’t apply to the entire judiciary, focused instead on how some of the most powerful judges can be elected by popular vote instead of being selected by Congress,” the Times said.
A man votes in the national elections in June in México state. Sheinbaum, who won the presidential election by a landslide, supported the judicial reform before becoming president, allowing her to say that the majority of Mexicans support the reform measure. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
“… The experiment in Bolivia has drawn widespread criticism both at home and abroad. Political leaders were able to get judges sympathetic to their views elected to such powerful positions in the judiciary, then used the courts to go after their opponents,” the Times said.
Sheinbaum: Judge who ordered withdrawal of judicial reform decree is ‘breaking the law’
At her morning press conference on Tuesday, Sheinbaum once again spoke about a federal judge’s order to remove from the nation’s Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) the decree signed by López Obrador last month to promulgate the judicial reform bill.
“For there to be a constitutional reform, it has to be approved by two-thirds of the Chamber of Deputies, two-thirds of the Senate, the majority of state legislatures … and once that occurs, the constitutional change comes. And the Amparo [Injunction] Law says [the court order against the judicial reform decree] is inadmissible,” Sheinbaum said.
“In other words, the Amparo Law can’t be applied against … reforms to the political constitution of the United Mexican States. The judge knows that,” she said.
“… It’s she who is breaking the law. It’s she who is compromising the rule of law. We’re following the constitution. And the constitutional reform was approved as it is,” Sheinbaum said.
“… Look, this is the Official Gazette of the Federation,” the president said as she held up a physical copy of the government bulletin.
“This is how it is — printed. … It’s also published on the internet. … The judge … says remove [the decree]. What does ‘remove’ mean? Do we have to tear out pages from the constitution? Is that what the judge is asking? Mutilate a [copy of the] official gazette?” Sheinbaum asked.
She asserted that “there is no precedent for a judge asking to eliminate” a constitutional reform decree from the DOF.
“What does ‘eliminate’ mean?” Sheinbaum asked. “Do they want us to return to fascism? Burn and break books?”
Sheinbaum said Monday that she hasn’t yet received official notification of the judge’s order and has used the apparent lack of notification to further support her assertion that she is not in contempt of court.
Although she has said that she will not withdraw, remove or “eliminate” the judicial reform decree from the DOF, the president told reporters that she will seek an opinion from the (Morena-dominated) Congress on how to respond to the ruling.
Sheinbaum also said last week that the government would file a complaint against Judge Juárez with the Federal Judiciary Council, while the legal department of the president’s office asked the chief justice of the Supreme Court to direct other federal judges to abstain from issuing any other rulings against the controversial judicial reform.
Veracruz federal judge Nancy Juárez Salas, who ordered the decree to be removed, says that her decision was one against the legislative process around the reform, not the reform itself. (Twitter)
Judge Juárez defends her ruling
Nancy Juárez Salas, a federal district judge based in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, asserted in a radio interview on Monday that — contrary to the government’s view — she does have the right to order the removal of the judicial reform decree from the DOF.
“The argument [Sheinbaum] is using is completely false in terms of saying I don’t have authority and … that a judge can’t be above the people. Here in Mexico, there are three federal powers, each with different authorities,” she said.
“The judicial power is who defends the people from the arbitrary acts of another authority,” Juárez said.
The judge asserted that her ruling is legal because it doesn’t strike down a constitutional reform but is rather a decision against a legislative process.
Juárez issued her order for the judicial reform decree to be removed from the DOF — and thus cancel promulgation — on the basis that the previous government breached a provisional suspension order against its publication.
Indeed, López Obrador promulgated the reform despite a court in Colima ruling against its publication in the government’s gazette.
Juárez said that she was “relaxed” about the ruling she handed down because it was within Mexico’s “legal framework.”
She also said that if the Mexican government doesn’t comply with court orders, there will be “anarchy, where everyone does what he or she wants.”
The judge questioned why the government hasn’t launched a legal challenge against her ruling.
“What really catches my attention is that … the responsible authorities haven’t brought any legal recourse [against it]. … What they should have done due to their nonconformity is exactly that — filed [legal] recourses,” Juárez said.
For her part, Supreme Court Chief Justice Norma Piña said that democracy in Mexico is currently “going through very delicate and very difficult times” as a result of the conflict between the government and the judiciary.
“Human rights are at risk when a power, of any kind, cannot be contained, held back and controlled,” she said.
A constitutional crisis?
Some observers, including legal experts, even claim that Mexico runs the risk of entering a constitutional crisis if Sheinbaum doesn’t comply with Juárez’s order — or future court rulings against the government.
“What [the government] is signaling is that if there is an adverse ruling from the Supreme Court, they won’t comply with that decision. That puts us in a constitutional crisis or on the verge of a constitutional crisis,” said Javier Martín Reyes, a constitutional lawyer and legal academic at the National Autonomous University (UNAM).
“It is not an action in keeping with a democratic government,” he said.
“… I’m only going to comply when I like your ruling, when I believe that it is issued correctly. That’s the message they’re sending,” Martín said.
Juan Jesús Garza Onofre, another UNAM legal academic, said that the president has sent the message that “politics is above the law.”
Tony Payan, executive director of the Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, asserted last Friday that Mexico is already “entering a constitutional crisis.”
Payan wrote on X that Sheinbaum “said she’ll willfully fall in contempt of court after a federal judge orders congressional approval of the dismantling of the judicial branch halted due to legislative procedural violations.”
Mexico City's 2024 Day of the Dead parade will take place Nov. 2, according to city officials. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico City has released the date of one of its most anticipated cultural events each year: the Day of the Dead parade.
Scheduled for Nov. 2, at 2 p.m., the parade will depart from Mexico City’s Puerta de los Leones — the main gate to Chapultepec Park — and travel along major city streets, including Paseo de la Reforma, Avenida Juárez and 5 de Mayo, before finally arriving at the capital’s main square, the Zócalo.
Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada announced the date of the Day of the Dead parade and associated festivities surrounded by colorful decor and people in traditional costumes. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)
At least 5,800 people will participate, divided into 37 groups — featuring seven floats and 16 musical groups. Three floats will pay tribute to prominent Mexicans, including writer and journalist Rosario Castellanos, singer Lucha Reyes and painter David Alfaro Siqueiros.
Throughout the parade route, attendees will be able to admire monumental alebrijes — artisanal sculptures of fanciful creatures — on public display along Paseo de la Reforma, from the Angel of Independence to the Estela de Luz monument. The sculptures will remain on display until Nov. 3.
A gigantic Day of the Dead altar, known in Mexico as an ofrenda, will also be showcased at the Zócalo esplanade from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3. The altar will stand an impressive 17 meters tall and feature a pool covering over 200 square meters.
The altar will also feature 21 cardboard figures, ranging between 6 to 10 meters tall; two monumental trajineras (the traditional decorated boats that the Xochimilco borough is known for), and a chinampa (a pond covered with soil). It will also feature a garden of 10,000 cempasúchil, or Mexican marigold, flowers sourced from Xochimilco farmers.
According to CDMX’s Minister of Culture Ana Francis López, 2005 was the first year there was a larger-than-life ofrenda (often referred to as a megaofrenda) displayed at the Zócalo. Since then, traditional Mexican cartonería (papier-mâché) artists have participated every year in the altar’s design. Last year, the megaofrenda drew over 1 million spectators to the Zócalo.
Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said that Day of the Dead parade and other related festivities in the capital are expected to draw 7 million people and earn over 2 billion pesos (US $100 million) in consumer spending. Mexico City Tourism Minster Alejandra Frausto said that, so far, hotel occupancy for Day of the Dead weekend is at 80% capacity – 10% more than in 2023.
Day of the Dead, or Día de Muertos (not Día de los Muertos), follows the pre-Columbian Indigenous belief that the dead temporarily return to Earth between Nov. 1 and 2. Preparations for this holiday begin in October with the placement of an altar to dead loved ones in people’s homes. The altar is decorated with flowers, fruit, the seasonal pan de muerto bread, salt, cempasúchil flowers, colorful confetti and the deceased’s favorite treats and dishes.
In 2003, UNESCO placed Day of the Dead on its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which recognizes traditional cultural practices around the world as important to preserve.
The Santa Catarina II Industrial Park in Nuevo León, a state where demand for industrial real estate is nearly overtaking supply. (Finsa)
Construction of new industrial parks in Mexico is on the rise, sector leaders noted this week — with the expansion due primarily to nearshoring.
Speaking at Monday’s annual Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin) assembly, Jorge Avalos said 93 new industrial parks are being built, bringing the total in Mexico to 460.
At the annual meeting, held this year in Monterrey, panelists spoke about the optimism of Mexican investors in funding new industrial parks to meet nearshoring demands from foreign companies. (Samuel Garcia/Twitter)
Avalos, president of the Mexican Association of Private Industrial Parks (AMPIP), said there is great optimism in the sector as demonstrated by the 33% increase in investment. He attributed the growth to the growing nearshoring phenomenon in Mexico.
“Never in the 25 years of AMPIP’s existence have we experienced such enthusiasm,” Avalos said. “With US $4 billion in investment this year, we’ve easily surpassed last year’s US $3 billion total.”
Even more impressive, added Avalos — cofounder of the Fibra Mty investment fund, which focuses on long-term real estate investment — is that much of the funding is coming from Mexican investors. Among them is Thor Urbana which recently purchased nine industrial parks in the northern state of Coahuila.
In addition, there is still considerable optimism from abroad with 80 U.S. investment funds participating in the construction projects, Avalos said.
Avalos then shared a conversation he had with Fred Smith, CEO of FedEx, who had asked Avalos how confident he was about investing.
When Avalos told him that his company Fibra Monterrey had invested US $1.5 billion in industrial parks over the past two years, Smith was impressed, Avalos said, remarking that FedEx’s growth rate in the United States was only 3.9%.
Panelist Jorge Avalos, president of the Mexican Association of Private Industrial Parks and CEO of the FibraMTY investment fund, said that investment in Mexico’s industrial real estate sector has already surpassed 2023’s amount by US $1 billion. (T21)
Other speakers at the assembly admitted that there is still work to do in Mexico, however, especially regarding the transmission and distribution of energy, of particular concern because industry and manufacturing already consume nearly 60% of power generated in Mexico.
Residential consumption is at about 24%.
In addition, the rise of nearshoring has prompted an increase in demand for industrial real estate space. This, in turn, will produce greater demand for electricity, said assembly panelist Salvador Portillo, president of the National Chamber of Electrical Manufacturers (Caname).
Portillo said public-private investment projects are the way to proceed because power-generation infrastructure projects could cost upward of US $82 billion by 2038. Projects addressing energy transmission and distribution could cost an additional US $6.4 billion by 2030.
Another factor to consider is the necessity for renewable energy since many manufacturers increasingly require clean energy sources to meet U.S. customer demand for clean energy components in imported goods.
