As authorities prepare for sargassum, entrepreneur prepares to build hotel

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February 7, 2019

Vázquez and his sargassum house in Quintana Roo.

Satellite and radar monitoring of sargassum as it approaches the coast of Quintana Roo will begin in the coming weeks and while many might regard the news with dread, a local businessman sees an opportunity.

Sergio Sánchez Martínez, an undersecretary at the federal Secretariat of the Environment (Semarnat), told a recent meeting that the aim of the monitoring program is to generate a daily report about the location of the macroalgae and the direction in which it is heading.

National Autonomous University (UNAM) ocean researcher Brigitta Ine van Tussenbroek said last month that large quantities of sargassum are again likely to wash up on Caribbean coast beaches in 2019.

However, the Quintana Roo Environmental Protection Agency (PPA) says that it is prepared to combat the expected invasion of the smelly, unsightly seaweed and will collaborate with the state Secretariat of Ecology and the Environment (SEMA) and municipal governments to do so.

PPA chief Miguel Ángel Nadal said authorities predict a similar amount of sargassum this year as last, when huge masses of the seaweed invaded the Quintana Roo coastline.

He explained that each municipality will be allocated at least one area to deposit the weed after it has been collected.

Puerto Morelos businessman Omar Vázquez Sánchez is also preparing for this year’s sargassum influx but unlike most, he plans to collect the seaweed to put it to good use rather than discard it.

After building a two-bedroom, earthquake and hurricane-resistant home in Puerto Morelos last year with bricks made out of sargassum and adobe, he now plans to build a hotel in Tulum with the same materials.

Vázquez said that using the seaweed in construction helps to counteract the problems caused by its arrival, adding that it’s environmentally-friendly and reduces building costs.

“We can say that [building with sargassum] is cheaper . . . and this will help to counteract the presence of marine waste on the coast, since as we know, it exceeds several tonnes and it can’t be used for many other things,” he said.

The nursery owner said the Quintana Roo government has shown interest in his plan and that some businesses in the state have made inquiries about purchasing sargassum bricks for future construction projects.

While Vázquez didn’t reveal the exact location of his new hotel in Tulum, he did offer a small clue about its size, explaining that it will require thousands of sargassum bricks.

Source: Riviera Maya News (en)

Social program funds will be delivered directly, bypassing civil organizations

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MND Staff

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February 7, 2019

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Funds will be directed to parents rather than daycares such as this.

President López Obrador announced today that all government social program funds will be delivered directly to beneficiaries to avoid theft.

“No [financial] support will be given to any social organization, civil society or non-governmental organization. Resources for the benefit of the people won’t be transferred through intermediaries. It will all be direct, from the federal treasury to the beneficiary,” the president told reporters at his morning press conference.

“With this we’re going to generate savings of 30% because it’s proven that the full support didn’t get [to beneficiaries]. We have proof.”

The president charged that social program funds were given to civil organizations that used the money to pay staff and rent office space, among other expenses, resulting in some or all of the resources not getting to the intended beneficiaries, such as senior citizens.

López Obrador also said it had come to light that daycare centers had illegally diverted resources they received from the federal government. As a result, their funding will be cut and the money distributed directly to parents.

“There are around 300,000 children enrolled in daycare centers, and it was found that there are doctored reports [that inflate enrollment numbers] . . . and other kinds of irregularities,” López Obrador said.

He explained that parents will be given 1,600 pesos (US $85) every two months for each child in daycare. The bimonthly outlay for the government will be 480 million pesos (US $25.1 million).

“All children at daycare centers will be protected. Direct support will be given to the mothers and fathers, not to the daycare centers . . .” López Obrador said.

The president explained that parents could choose to remove their children from daycare and instead give the money to relatives to look after their offspring.

“Grandfathers and grandmothers can help single mothers, let them get help from their parents to look after their children, that’s family . . .” López Obrador said.

The president also said that the government’s “well-being census” will soon be completed, adding that it has already identified 25 million people who will receive financial aid. The beneficiaries will be issued with a personalized card with which they will be able to access government funds.

Federal Treasurer Galia Borja Gómez said that 300 billion pesos (US $15.7 billion) has been allocated to fund social programs this year.

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

Japanese are the biggest spenders among visitors to Mexico

By

Madison Koen

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February 7, 2019

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Japanese tourists are the biggest spenders in Mexico. — Japanese tourists spend the most in Mexico.

The Mexican government says that Japanese tourists represent the country’s greatest hope for a boost in tourism revenues.

Tourism Secretary Miguel Torruco Marqués said the new government’s strategy to capture more tourist dollars will focus more on attracting big spenders.

“A country’s potential in tourism isn’t measured in the number of visitors to the country, but rather by the amount of money spent, especially in per-capita expenditure,” he said.

Torruco expects tourists to spend approximately US $23.2 billion Mexico this year, nearly 4% more than in 2018. According to the World Tourism Organization, Mexico was the sixth most visited country in the world in 2017, but came in 40^th place in terms of the average amount spent by tourists.

Among the nationalities that spend the most while visiting Mexico, the Japanese were in first place, spending an average of $2,008, not including airfare.

In terms of visitor numbers, Japan was in 17^th place with 140,363 visitors.

Japanese tourists tend to visit Mexico City, Cancún and the Riviera Maya, staying for an average of seven nights. Seven out of 10 visitors chose to stay in four or five-star hotels.

Chinese tourists were the second-biggest spenders, leaving an average of $1,878. They chose overwhelmingly to stay in luxury hotels in Mexico City, Cancún and the Riviera Maya. The Secretariat of Tourism has made special efforts to attract Chinese tourists to Mexicali, Baja California, where Chinese immigrants constructed a historic underground city.

Australians, with an average expenditure of $1,382, came in third place. Most hailed from Sydney or Melbourne and visited Los Cabos, Cancún, the Riviera Maya or Mexico City for about two weeks.

Argentinians also spend a lot while in Mexico. The average visitor spent $1,177 and opted to stay an average of 11 nights in luxury hotels in Mexico City or the Riviera Maya.

German tourists spent an average of $1,021, traveling to the Riviera Maya and the capital for an average of 16 nights.

Tourism Secretary Torruco said he believes that Mexico can encourage even more people to visit and to spend more too.

Source: Informador (sp)

Bee attack leaves one person dead in Ahome, Sinaloa

By

César Hernández

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February 7, 2019

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A swarm of bees attacked two women in Sinaloa.

A swarm of bees attacked two women in Ahome, Sinaloa, on Tuesday night, one of whom died shortly after.

The incident took place in Poblado Cinco in the northern part of the city of Los Mochis.

The two women were talking outside a home when the swarm descended, stinging them all over their bodies.

Neighbors rushed the two to a nearby IMSS hospital where doctors became aware that one of the victims was allergic to bee stings. But they were unable to save her.

There was another death from bee stings last year in the same area. A 25-year-old farm worker was stung while operating a tractor in Sacrificio, Guasave, after he was stung repeatedly by a swarm of bees.

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

Market stand selling school uniforms masked a pipeline tap

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César Hernández

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February 7, 2019

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The market where the pipeline tap was discovered.

Pipeline taps generally occur in rural areas, allowing thieves to go about their business in private. But Mexico City is also proving to be fertile ground: a pipeline running under a public market gave petroleum thieves an almost perfect cover.

Police in the borough of Gustavo A. Madero were conducting a routine patrol in a market in the El Coyol neighborhood when they came upon two men carrying 50-liter gas cans.

After the officers discovered the men were carrying gasoline they had a look at the stand selling school uniforms from which the two had emerged.

Inside were two more men busy extracting gasoline from a buried pipeline. There were 12 50-liter cans of gas nearby.

The four were arrested and their loot seized.

Authorities cordoned off the market while Pemex personnel repaired the pipeline.

Mayor Francisco Chíguil Figueroa said later that the pipeline tap was under control and presented no risk for residents of the northern Mexico City borough. He also made an open call to the public to anonymously report petroleum theft to the toll-free number 01800-228-6960.

Five pipeline taps were uncovered last week in Mexico City inside a tunnel that provided access to five different ducts.

Source: El Financiero (sp)

Betting everything on the Maya Train is the wrong bet and a threat to tourism: Coparmex

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MND Staff

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February 7, 2019

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Employers federation wonders if tourism is no longer a priority for the federal government.

The Mexican Employers Federation (Coparmex) has described the federal government’s decision to concentrate tourism funding on the Maya Train project as “almost suicidal.”

In his weekly bulletin, Coparmex chief Gustavo de Hoyos wrote that the government’s decision to bet “everything” on the ambitious rail project in the country’s southeast is the “wrong bet” and a “high risk.”

Published under the title “Tourism Development Mustn’t Stop,” de Hoyo’s dispatch contended that the government’s intention to focus on “a few projects such as the Maya Train” was a result of President López Obrador’s prerogative alone.

“In many cases, [the projects] lack economic and environmental viability studies and even the support of local communities,” he wrote.

The business leader said that the new federal administration has allocated “nothing to comprehensive tourism development” and that the tourism-related decisions it has taken, such as the cancellation of the new Mexico City airport project and the disbandment of the Tourism Promotion Council (CPTM), are having a negative effect on Mexico’s image and undermining potential for growth in the tourism sector.

“At Coparmex, we reject the weakening or elimination of key organizations for the development of the tourism sector. If excesses were found, correct them. If there was corruption, let it be prosecuted and penalized. But don’t threaten an industry that makes a great contribution to Mexico and [represents] its biggest potential,” he wrote.

De Hoyos pointed out that the tourism industry generates almost one in 10 formal jobs in Mexico and contributes US $21 billion to the economy annually.

He also said that “Mexico’s tourism offerings are very diverse and dispersed across the whole national territory,” adding that it was “not valid” for the government to abandon some regions of the country in its tourism strategy.

The tourism industry, de Hoyos charged, “is a victim of the lack of long-term vision on the part of the [current] authorities.”

The Coparmex chief said that it was concerning that “the federal government has decided to minimize, and in some cases completely eliminate, the work of the institutions” that are responsible for Mexico’s tourism success.

The National Tourism Promotion Fund (Fonatur) has been responsible for the planning and development of tourism projects and the construction and maintenance of basic infrastructure in Mexico’s most important destinations such as Los Cabos and Cancún, de Hoyos said.

But now the new government wants Fonatur to focus exclusively on the Maya Train to the detriment of its other functions, he asserted.

De Hoyos wrote that the CPTM promoted Mexico’s destinations to a global audience but pointed out that while the government has taken the decision to disband it, no “new strategy or organization for the tourism promotion of Mexico” has been announced.

“That makes you think that tourism has stopped being a priority,” he said.

De Hoyos also highlighted that no funding has been allocated for Mexico’s pueblos mágicos this year and that international trade and investment agency ProMéxico is “currently closing its offices” without any consideration being given to the contribution it has made to promoting tourism.

“Mexico is destined to be one of the world tourism leaders in the 21st century. Nobody out of ignorance, near-sightedness or prejudice should diminish that potential,” he concluded.

Source: El Economista (sp)

2 billion pesos later, the trains are still not running in Michoacán

By

MND Staff

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February 7, 2019

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Teachers' blockade in Uruapan, one of two that remain in Michoacán.

Two rail blockades remain in place in Michoacán even though the state and federal governments have released more than 2 billion pesos in funding to pay salaries and bonuses in response to teachers’ demands.

Teachers who belong to the National Front of Struggle for Socialism (FNLS) and the National Democratic Executive Committee (CEND) are blocking tracks in Pátzcuaro and Uruapan after lifting their blockade in the former municipality for less than 24 hours earlier this week.

The CNTE union removed blockades in five other Michoacán locations last week after the state government paid teachers more than 1.2 billion pesos (US $62.9 million) in salaries for the second half of January.

The blockades, first erected on January 14 to protest against unpaid salaries and benefits, have cost the economy billions of pesos.

In December, the federal government transferred 1 billion pesos (US $52.4 million) to its state counterpart to cover teachers’ salaries for that month as well as the first part of their annual bonus and last month, it sent another billion pesos for January wages and the second bonus installment.

Yesterday, Michoacán Education Secretary Alberto Frutis Solís said that a further 95 million pesos has been made available to cover a payment known as Compensación Única Nacional (Single National Compensation) and that 80 million pesos will go to paying stipends to teaching students.

All told, the funds add up to 2.17 billion pesos (US $113.9 million).

Nevertheless, two groups of just under 40 radical teachers each refuse to fall into line with the CNTE union, whose Section 18 leaders reached a preliminary agreement with federal and state authorities that included a commitment to lift the blockades.

In Pátzcuaro, the teachers removed their blockade on Monday night but on Tuesday they returned to the railway tracks while in Caltzontzin, a community in Uruapan, they haven’t moved at all.

Section 18 members accuse the FNLA and CEND teachers of holding up further negotiations with state and federal authorities. Most schools in Michoacán remain closed.

In the 24 days since the blockades began, around 10,000 shipping containers have been stranded and more than 300 trains have been halted.

The Nuevo León industry association Caintra warned that the ongoing blockades are placing jobs at risk in several states including Michoacán, Colima, Guanajuato, México state, Mexico City, Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California.

The association’s president, Juan Ignacio Garza Herrera, told a press conference that Mexico has lost 30% of its port capacity due to the inability of trains to move cargo from Lázaro Cárdenas and Manzanillo. Three million tonnes of freight have been stranded, he said.

Garza claimed that around 50,000 double semi-trailers are needed to transport such a quantity of cargo.

With the blockades estimated to be costing the economy more than 1 billion pesos a day, accumulated losses are now in the range of 25 to 30 billion pesos (US $1.3 to $1.6 billion).

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

17-year-old enters postgraduate program at Harvard University

By

Madison Koen

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February 7, 2019

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A student who became the world’s youngest psychologist at the age of 13 is now off to Harvard University, the first Mexican minor to be admitted to a postgraduate program and also the youngest in 100 years.

At the age of 10, Dafne Almazán Anaya, now 17, began an undergraduate degree in psychology at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM), where she graduated after three years of study.

At Harvard, Almazán will study for a master’s degree in mathematics for teaching.

“My plan is to design and work with models for teaching mathematics to gifted children, which is one of the focuses of the degree,” the young genius revealed in a statement.

She added that she plans to graduate from the Harvard program in one year, which at 18 would see her join the ranks of a select handful of others in the history of the prestigious institution.

Almazán has been a speaker at several national and international professional conferences, including the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children and the American Education Research Association.

She has two professional certificates from Harvard centering on gifted education. In 2016 Almazán was named one of Forbes 50 Most Powerful Women in Mexico, and last year she received Mexico City’s Youth Award.

She was also part of the first generation of the CEDAT intellectual potential program, one of Latin America’s most important centers for the identification of gifted children.

Almazán is fluent in four languages and in her free time has practiced ballet, gymnastics, ice skating, taekwondo and oil painting.

Source: El Financiero (sp)

Pemex workers file new evidence against longtime union leader Romero

By

MND Staff

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February 7, 2019

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A group of state oil company employees has presented new evidence to federal authorities to support a 2016 criminal complaint against Pemex workers’ union leader Carlos Romero Deschamps.

Members of the group known as Active Petroleum Workers Movement in Evolution for a New Mexico yesterday submitted nine pieces of evidence to the organized crime investigation unit (SEIDO) of the federal Attorney General’s office (FGR) to substantiate accusations of organized crime, money laundering, tax evasion and fraud and illicit enrichment to the tune of US $150 million.

The group hopes that the new evidence will prompt the federal government to dust off existing files against Romero and initiate criminal proceedings against him.

“Today we went to the organized crime investigation unit of the FGR to provide some momentum for the complaint filed in October 2016 and to follow up on the investigations [already] carried out,” said Arturo Flores Contreras, the group’s leader.

He claims that Romero and his prestanombres, or front men, have sold 126 convenience stores, 26 factories and 60,000 hectares of ranch land that belonged to the Pemex workers’ union (STPRM).

“We’ve been dispossessed of all the wealth that . . . our fathers and grandfathers built up. That’s why we’re working to recover it,” Flores said.

“This leader, who’s been at the head of our union for 25 years, is being investigated in several ways. We . . . have a robust file against that person and 36 [union] general secretaries, family members and prestanombres,” he added.

Flores told reporters that the previous Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) government led by Enrique Peña Nieto deliberately delayed the case against Romero, who has been at the helm of the STPRM since 1993 and also served as a senator for the PRI between 2012 and 2018.

“The investigations were carried out slowly and negligently . . . which allowed the union leader to evade justice and remain unpunished. That’s why we’ve come to follow up on the investigations and to give impetus to the [criminal] complaint . . .” Flores said.

He added that the more than 300 workers who support the complaint against Romero have faith that the new government will bring him to justice.

“The petroleum workers have full confidence in the anti-corruption policy that the López Obrador government is promoting as an institutional commitment,” Flores said.

“We believe that there is sufficient evidence for him [Romero] to stand trial. And we’re certain that the actions of this new administration will . . . effectively combat corruption in Mexico and punish those responsible.”

Romero has been implicated in various scandals while head of the STPRM including the so-called Pemexgate case in which the union was found to have diverted 500 million pesos to the 2000 presidential campaign of PRI candidate Francisco Labastida.

He has also been criticized for his ostentatious lifestyle, including giving a limited-edition Ferrari to his son and picking up the tab for the lavish wedding of his daughter.

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

Communal landowners want Quintana Roo archaeological site opened

By

MND Staff

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February 6, 2019

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The Ichkabal archaeological site in Quintana Roo.

Communal landowners in Quintana Roo will make a direct appeal to President López Obrador to open an archeological site in the south of the state.

Luis Chimal Balam, head of the Bacalar ejido, or community land, said the landowners haven’t been able to reach an agreement with either the state government or the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to have Ichkabal opened to the public.

The request to the president will be made during his scheduled visit to state capital Chetumal on February 24, he said.

In addition to asking for his intervention to open the Mayan site, the landowners, or ejidatarios, will also ask López Obrador and the federal government to stop the expropriation of their land.

Chimal Balam said that INAH has proposed paying 400,000 pesos (US $21,000) for each of the 121 hectares covered by Ichkabal and the surrounding area that needs to be developed to access the site.

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But the 165 ejidatarios have collectively decided that they don’t want to give up ownership of the land. Instead, they wish to be partners in the development of the archaeological site and direct beneficiaries of the tourism it attracts.

However, the former head of INAH in Quintana Roo ruled out that possibility in December.

“Current INAH regulations do not provide for any scheme of association such as the one ejidatarios are asking for . . . legally it’s not viable,” Adriana Velázquez Morlet said.

The Quintana Roo government has said that the recovery of Ichkabal could attract investment in hotels and real estate to the tune of US $1 billion over the next 15 years.

Located around 60 kilometers west of Laguna de Bacalar, Ichkabal is one of the most important Mayan cities of the pre-classical era. Some of its structures are taller than the pyramids at Chichén Itzá in Yucatán.

The state secretary of tourism believes that the opening of Ichkabal will be a major economic, social and tourism boost for the entire southern region of Quintana Roo.

Source: El Economista (sp)