Flanked by masked socialist front members, police are set free.
Five Chiapas police officers held hostage for three weeks were released Wednesday by the National Front for Socialism (FNLS), even though its demands have not been met.
The officers were detained on July 18 as they were driving past Río Florido, Ocosingo. Members of the FNLS confiscated their weapons and burned their vehicles.
At a release ceremony yesterday in Río Florido, where FNLS members kept their faces covered, a spokesman reaffirmed their demands for the “demilitarization” of Chiapas and the release of jailed FNLS member Javier González Díaz, who is accused of stealing a car.
“The freeing of these five police officers is to demonstrate the goodwill of the FNLS, and the inability of the state government to negotiate,” he said.
The spokesman accused the state of conducting a campaign of political persecution against the organization.
One of the officers said he and his colleagues were not involved in the conflict between the FNLS and the state government.
“We always drove on this highway, we’ve never offended the communities, we didn’t do anything wrong . . .” he said.
Gonzalo Ituarte, a Catholic priest who helped negotiate the officers’ release, said the decision to release them will help resolve the conflict.
The FNLS originally said they would release the hostages in exchange for the release of González, but they did hang on to the confiscated weapons.
Meanwhile, Chiapas prosecutors said earlier this week they would request arrest warrants against members of the FNLS for the theft and arson of 24 police vehicles and delivery trucks belonging to the companies Lala, Grupo Modelo, Pepsi and Sabritas.
Chiapas Attorney General Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca said his office has 113 criminal investigations open into members of the FNLS for crimes including homicide, theft and assault, including the July 26 theft of an armored truck carrying almost 11 billion pesos (US $565 million).
A British-born millionaire suspected of murdering his wife was apprehended in Atlixco, Puebla, on Sunday after four years on the run. Authorities say a true-crime podcast was instrumental in his capture.
Peter Chadwick, 55, a naturalized United States citizen, vanished in 2015 after failing to appear in court for a hearing for the murder of his wife of 17 years, Quee Choo, in their home in Newport Beach, California, in 2012. Chadwick initially told police that a handyman had killed his wife and taken him hostage, forcing him to drive and dump his his wife’s body at a location near the Mexican border.
However, police found bite and scratch marks on Chadwick’s body and blood under his nails and placed him under arrest. A week later, investigators found Quee Choo’s body in a dumpster on a rural road in eastern San Diego County.
However, the suspect had no previous criminal record so the presiding judge determined that he was not a flight risk and released him on US $1 million bail. After he failed to make his court date in 2015, Chadwick became the focus of an international manhunt and was later added to the U.S. Marshals’ 15 most wanted list.
The search was also the subject of a true-crime podcast called Coundown to Capture, which led to hundreds of tips as to the whereabouts of the murder suspect, said Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis.
Finally, investigators received a tip that pinpointed Chadwick’s location in Atlixco, where he was detained by police officers immigration agents, who turned him over to U.S. authorities.
Police said that Chadwick drained his bank accounts before making his escape to Mexico. During his years as a fugitive, Chadwick used aliases and false IDs and even learned Spanish to evade authorities.
Chadwick appeared before a judge on Wednesday, who denied bail.
Bodies hang from an overpass this morning with a narco-banner signed by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel has claimed responsibility for killing 19 people whose bodies were found along a boulevard in Uruapan, Michoacán, Thursday morning, apparent victims of the conflict between the cartel and the gang known as Los Viagras.
Michoacán Attorney General Adrián López Solís told a press conference that the bodies of seven men and two women were found hanging from an overpass on Bulevar Industrial around 5:30am.
Soon after, the bodies of another six men and one woman were found under a pedestrian overpass on the same boulevard. Police later found more bodies in the Ampliación Revolución neighborhood. Many of the bodies had been dismembered.
All the victims had been killed by gunshots.
In a written message left with the bodies, the Jalisco cartel took responsibility for the killings and threatened their rivals, including the Viagras gang, which is a branch of the Nueva Familia Michoacana cartel.
“We want to make clear that whoever helps La Chatarra, Ronal, Ratón, Moto, Mono Verde, Maniaco or Filos will end up like this,” the message read. “Kind people, go on with your routine. Be patriotic, and kill a Viagra.”
Michoacán officials announced plans to increase the presence of security forces and asked the federal government to deploy more National Guardsmen and improve coordination between state and federal forces. The National Guard has been deployed in Michoacán since June.
Uruapan is the state’s second-largest city and one of the top-50 most violent municipalities in Mexico.
Three men have been arrested in Chiapas for the murder last month of two Americans, a doctor and a biologist.
According to police, 74-year-old Renato José Zárate and 71-year-old Lauren Green Faunt had parked their Toyota Matrix on the Tuxtla Gutiérrez-San Cristobal de las Casas highway on July 27 to get out and collect insects.
When the three suspects came along and saw the parked vehicle they tried to rob the scientists. But when the couple resisted, their attackers beat them with metal pipes and shot and killed them.
The thieves took the vehicle to the village of Mumuntik in the municipality of Chamula, where it was later found by police.
Police also found a flashlight belonging to the victims near where the robbery had taken place, and it bore the fingerprints of one of the suspects.
The couple lived in San Cristóbal de las Casas where they owned a restaurant and a hotel. Zárate was a medical doctor while Faunt was a biologist. Both were specialists in entomology, and they often traveled to collect insects. They were also recognized environmental activists who worked to preserve mountain wetlands around San Cristóbal.
Police identified those arrested as Eduardo “N,” Raúl “N,” and Benito “N.” They were detained in the community of La Traya, in the municipality of Ixtapa, and will be held in the Amate Prison as they await trial.
'Listen to us AMLO,' reads the sign on a farm vehicle at one of today's blockades.
One million farmers were predicted to participate in nationwide blockades and protests Wednesday and Thursday to demand the delivery of agricultural sector funding and a meeting with President López Obrador.
Members of four farmers’ groups that together make up the Authentic Front of the Countryside (FAC) will take part in the protest action.
Álvaro López Ríos, leader of the National Union of Agricultural Workers, told the newspaper El Universal that blockades would be set up on major highways from 8:00am today in all 32 states.
He said the protest camp set up on July 22 in front of the National Palace in Mexico City will be “reinforced” and that farmers will demonstrate outside the Interior Secretariat, the federal Senate and the Mexican Stock Exchange.
Members of the four FAC organizations will also participate in a march Wednesday morning from the Angel of Independence on Reforma avenue to the Monument to the Revolution.
López predicted that one million farmers across the country will join the two-day demonstrations.
By 10:30am CDT today there were reports of snarled traffic in several locations around the country.
The aim of the protests is to “create spaces for dialogue” with the president in order to discuss the problems faced by farmers and agree on solutions, he said.
The union leader said that López Obrador has refused to meet with the farmers’ groups and completely cut off their funding, a move he described as a “mistake.”
“How unfortunate that a government that arose from fighting these problems of a lack of dialogue between government and society has assumed [the position] that it criticized,” López said.
He explained that farmers want greater transparency in the allocation of resources for the agricultural sector.
According to the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader), 90% of the 2019 budget for the sector has been used but the farmers’ groups disagree.
“Farmers haven’t seen that money, we don’t know where it is,” López said.
Francisco Chew, a member of the FAC and leader of a group called Social Movement for the Land, also said that many farmers haven’t received the government financial support they were promised.
“. . . They haven’t received the [stored value] cards and they haven’t been supported by [Sader’s] Production for Wellbeing Program . . .” he said.
Speaking at his morning press conference today, López Obrador said the farmers’ groups are upset because the government is allocating resources directly to producers rather than to them as occurred in the past.
“They don’t want to accept it and they think that with the protest, we’re going to back down. It’s a decision we’ve taken, all the support goes directly to the farmers, not to the organizations, not to intermediaries because we have proof that the money that the organizations received didn’t arrive. In other words, it didn’t get to the beneficiaries, it didn’t get to the farmers,” he said.
A kidnapping suspect hangs from a tree in the central square in Cohuecan. The bodies of other victims were left nearby.
Seven suspected kidnappers were killed by residents of the Puebla municipalities of Cohuecan and Tepexco on Wednesday.
According to police reports, the incident started on Wednesday morning when two subjects kidnapped a man identified as Armando Pérez Contreras, a landowner in Tepexco, as he was driving in a pickup truck.
As they were fleeing, the kidnappers met up with two other accomplices and stole a second truck, killing its driver in the process. After they arrived in Cohuecan, a crowd was able to stop the truck and capture two of the kidnappers, whom they killed by hanging them from a tree.
The other two kidnappers were able to escape the crowd and were arrested by municipal police. But the crowd, which had swelled to as many as 180, determined where the suspects were being held and forced the police to turn them over. After the two captives were forced to give up the name of their boss, they were beaten to death.
The mob then found the alleged boss, and beat him to death too.
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But the lynching wasn’t over yet.
Several hours later, angry citizens attacked a police station, removed two people who were suspected of being involved in the kidnapping gang and hanged them.
One of the seven victims has been identified as a 16-year-old.
Puebla Government Secretary Fernando Manzanilla condemned the events, telling a press conference there will be an investigation into the killings and that those responsible will be punished.
“No one can take justice into their own hands,” he said. “These actions are not justifiable, and we ask that the public have trust in our institutions.”
Manzanilla added that the National Guard, the army and state police will remain deployed in the area as authorities take back control.
“The government has decided that state and federal forces will remain in the region with the goal of maintaining peace,” he said.
There have been 180 attempted lynchings in the state this year. Sixteen people have been killed and 209 rescued.
Hotels in Cancún say sargassum is not their biggest problem.
A lack of tourism promotion and the rise in popularity of accommodation booking platforms such as Airbnb are hitting the Quintana Roo hotel sector harder than the arrival of sargassum, according to an industry representative.
“Sargassum is not an issue that is bringing reservations down,” said Roberto Cintrón Gómez, president of the Hotel Association of Cancún and Puerto Morelos.
“It’s definitely the lack of promotion and the vacation rental platforms . . . the rental platforms have had significant growth,” he explained.
The former is the result of the federal government’s decision to disband the Tourism Promotion Council (CPTM) and redirect its funding to the Maya Train project.
Some tourism businesses and local governments have joined forces to fill the vacuum left by the closure of the CPTM, while the federal government announced in April that marketing the nation as a tourism destination would become a responsibility of Mexico’s embassies and consulates.
There are worse things than sargassum, hotels say.
But tourism industry representative rejected the plan.
Sergio González Rubiera, president of the Mexican Travel Agency Association, described the idea as “absurd” and urged authorities to use revenue collected from the accommodation tax to carry out national and international tourism marketing campaigns.
Abelardo Vara Rivera of the Hotel Association of Cancún and Puerto Morelos charged that the use of “tourism diplomacy to promote the country is a big joke.”
“. . . After a few minutes on the internet they’re going to turn ambassadors and consuls into tourism marketing experts? It’s laughable . . . I don’t see any signs, plans or actions to visualize a flattering tourism future,” he said.
The second factor that Cintrón identified as a threat to the hotel sector in Quintana Roo is affecting hoteliers in popular tourism destinations across the country.
An Airbnb rental in Cancún, a bigger problem for hoteliers than sargassum.
There are now more Airbnb listings than hotel rooms in Mexico, research firm Americas Market Intelligence (AMI) said in a new study called Disruption in Mexico’s Hospitality Industry.
“Airbnb has grown rapidly in Mexico in recent years, with listings expanding by 53% in 2018,” said Ricardo Álvarez, a company director.
AMI found that 81% of Airbnb guests in Mexico are satisfied with their lodging experience whereas 74% expressed the same sentiment about hotel stays in the country.
It also determined that Mexican travelers are more likely to recommend specific Airbnb listings to friends than hotels (63% vs 47%) and that 56% of millennials prefer the former over the latter.
Álvarez said that while Airbnb has certain advantages over hotels that have helped it to disrupt the accommodation industry, “hotels also have advantages they can use to retain or expand their market share.”
“They just need to understand them, and research like this could help,” he added.
The Antillean manatee is at risk of extinction in Mexico and Belize due to a lack of laws to protect it, says a Belizean conservationist and biologist.
“. . . Our work is limited by the lack of laws and specific regulations that deal with the problems that threaten the species and provide the protection it needs,” Jamal A. Galves told the news agency EFE.
There are only around 2,000 manatees living in Mexican and Belizean waters, where they face a range of risks that are exacerbated by their curious nature and lack of speed.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, accidental fishing of the species and collisions with boats have caused manatee deaths and contributed to their current status as an endangered species.
The Mexican government has implemented manatee conservation programs since 1991 but despite the efforts to protect the marine mammal, the species now only lives in three regions in the southeast of the country: the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve and Chetumal bay in Quintana Roo, the Alvarado lagoon and Papaloapan river basin in Veracruz and the lower basin of the Grijalva and Usumacinta rivers, an area that extends across parts of Tabasco, Campeche and Chiapas.
The only area that is currently receiving federal financial support to protect manatees and their habitat is the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve.
According to the environmental NGO Wildtracks Belize, manatees have migrated to that country from Mexico during the last five years in search of a better place to live.
Gerardo Ceballos, an ecologist at the University of Arizona, said the migration is completely natural and not the result of environmental problems in Mexican waters.
But Galves disagreed, charging that the sole reason that manatees are leaving Mexico is because Belize offers ecosystems that are “more pristine, healthier and more favorable” for their survival.
However, he added that tourism activities in Belize, including tours that allow visitors to swim with manatees, threaten the species.
“It’s good for the economy but often bad for the manatees . . .” Galves said.
To ensure the ongoing survival of the animal, Ceballos said, Mexico and Belize need to work together and establish a comprehensive conservation plan.
Temple and volcano view atop Cerro de la Estrella National Park.
Mexico City is 900 square kilometers, making it the fifth largest city in the world based on area. It’s so big that it has multiple national parks inside its borders.
That’s fortunate because they give beleaguered residents some respite from its frenetic hustle and bustle.
Here are two that are well worth a visit.
Parque Nacional Desierto de los Leones
Supposedly named for dandelion fluff that blows in the breeze in the surrounding hills, Desert of the Lions National Park is one of the quickest and most gratifying deep-forest escapes you can make in the city’s hallowed hills.
That’s one explanation of a multitude for the “lion.” The “desert” part seems to have more to do with the general distance from the city, rather than any lack of water. There are several brooks and waterfalls throughout the park.
It appears that the park, stretching between the boroughs of Cuajimalpa and Álvaro Obregón, had never been inhabited, at least not full-time, until the Order of the Barefoot Catholic Carmelites arrived in the early 1600s. Choosing to escape the city and meditate in proper silence, the shoeless brothers established a convent on the grounds in 1606.
But, because of humidity and constant temperature variation, the convent fell into a cycle of disrepair and repair until it was finally abandoned in 1810 as the War of Independence spread through the outskirts of the city. Desierto de los Leones became Mexico’s first protected forest reserve in 1876 and then a national park in 1917.
The convent still stands in beautiful dilapidation and is worth the visit alone. There are grills and picnic tables along the path, if you’ve planned a picnic. But diving directly into a forest of pines, firs and oaks is why we’re here.
A part of the Sierra de las Cruces mountain range, the park’s elevation runs between 2,600 and 3,700 meters, and is an ideal place to lose the city on foot, horse or mountain bike. There’s an impressive amount of wildlife so near the city: bobcats, foxes, white-tailed deer and peregrine falcons, along with endemic and endangered reptiles, though you’re not likely to see many.
But the escape from humans and the overpowering cityscape is simple at Desierto de los Leones. Bring a picnic basket or Oxxo bag and find a quiet hill off the trail. Just don’t leave anything behind.
The convent at Desierto de los Leones.
It’s a striking hike through massive pines. By personal account, the restoration and conservation projects within the park have been successful. A friend that joined me on the hike said it was much tidier than he remembered from the 90s. Unfortunately, these days you can’t get a beer to go from any of the shops or restaurants at the convent parking anymore.
• Enter the park off Highway 15D onto Camino a la Venta, continuing onto Calz. Desierto de los Leones. You’ll arrive at the first parking lot and plenty of trails but continue. Pass the grills and picnic tables to the last parking lot nearest the convent. You’ll know when you’re there.
Parque Nacional Cerro de la Estrella
Parque Nacional Cerro de la Estrella (“The Mountain of the Star”) in Iztapalapa was designated a national park in 1938. Originally it had 1,100 hectares, but the spread of the city has reduced it to a still quite striking expanse of 200 hectares.
Upon arrival, it’s rather annoying that the road — Camino Cerro de la Estrella — is cut off by a police blockade just as you arrive at the park. Turns out that the cordon helps keep squatters from further encroaching on park space. The only cars on the road are park employees or groups of kids heading to the museum.
The Museo Fuego Nuevo (“New Fire Museum”), just a couple of minutes’ walk up the hill, is a petite, charming and very well-managed cultural and archaeological center.
The lush trails of Cerro de la Estrella National Park.
Every 52 years, the two Aztec calendars — the Tonalpohuall (ritual), with 260 days — and the Xiuhpohualli, with 365 days (annual) — converge and restart on the same day. On that day at the Xiuhmolpilli temple on top of the current park the “Binding of the years” ceremony would be performed. It was renamed the “New Fire ceremony” by the Spanish.
It will be a while, but mark your calendar for October 2027 in order to visit the temple during the time of “Binding of the years.” No New Fire Ceremony has been advertised. It’s probably just as well, since the ceremony involves the removal of someone’s heart.
The museum is dedicated to the archaeological and cultural history of the park including explanations of the two calendars and the history of the Teotihuacan, Toltec, Chichimeca, and Culhua-Mexica cultures. Human remains have been discovered on the site dating back 9,000 years, and there are over 100 caves, many with evidence of human habitation.
From the museum it’s a steep 15 to 20-minute walk to the temple. There are meandering trails on the sides of the mountain or shortcut trails straight up, once you have your bearings. When the smog is limited, the view of the city is breathtaking. The walk among eucalyptus, pine and cedar provides great views, regardless of pollution.
There is the noise of some circular saws in the distance and the showerhead spray-like “suzz” of mass traffic, but it’s amazingly quiet in this tiny forest just a few hundred meters above the city. Once you reach the fenced-in area at the top, follow it to the opening. From there turn left to the caves or go straight up to the temple platform for 365-degree views of the city sprawling before your eyes.
•Museo Fuego Nuevo is located just above Camino Cerro de la Estrella and San José, Iztapalapa. Parking is available on San José. The park is open Tuesday-Sunday, 9:00am to 5:00pm. The national park continues beyond the museum and is open daily, 5:00am to 7:00pm.
Authorities in Jalisco have detained the former secretary of education for embezzling US $1.5 million in connection with the purchase of a property in the United States.
Police arrested Antonio Gloria Morales for alleged acts of corruption committed during his time in office from 2010-2013.
Gloria oversaw the purchase of property for Casa Jalisco Chicago, which was intended to strengthen ties between Jalisco and the United States Midwest, where an estimated 700,000 people originally from Jalisco were living at the time.
The property was purchased for $3.5 million but an investigation later found that the real cost of the building was only $1.5 million.
The state attorney general’s office said police arrested Gloria after he was seen in the Ciudad del Sol neighborhood of Zapopan.
Former education secretary Gloria.
Casa Jalisco was purchased during the administration of governor Emilio González Márquez, for whom Gloria first served as a personal secretary. Gloria is also past president of the National Action Party in the state.
The warrant for Gloria’s arrest was issued by a judge during the term of the last governor, Jorge Aristóteles Sandoval, but he froze the warrant and tried to sell the property.
His successor, Enrique Alfaro Ramírez, suspended the sale and reactivated the warrant for Gloria’s arrest soon after taking office.
