Parents send children to school with hard hats, fearing roof might fall

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October 5, 2018

Students at a Sinaloa elementary school have a new accessory for their school uniforms: hard hats.

Parents of children who attend the school in Palos Blancos, Guasave, are sending their kids to school wearing hard hats for fear that the roof might collapse.

The school principal confirmed the deterioration of the school building, telling the newspaper El Universal that it was built “some 70 years ago” and is not “in the best condition.”

Parents have chipped in to help with minor repairs but the major work needed to renew the roof is beyond their means.

Faculty and parents have filed requests for repairs with municipal authorities and the state educational infrastructure institute, but have yet to obtain a formal response or commitment from them.

The decision to dress students in hard hats and other protective headgear was taken on Monday. A group of mothers was tidying up a classroom when a large piece of concrete fell.

“This has been happening for some time, but is now happening more often. We had decided to keep [the children] from going to school, but that’s not fair,” said Elva Socorro Ojeda López, mother of a third and a fourth-grader.

Another mother, Guadalupe Abigail Olivas, told El Universal that not all kids are wearing protection, “but we are going to get it for them, because this is really a threat.”

Source: El Universal (sp)

Over 1 million electricity customers in Mexico City don’t pay their bills

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MND Staff

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October 5, 2018

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CFE bill payment terminals: many customers simply don't pay.

Four out of every 10 electricity customers in Mexico City don’t pay their bills, according to the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE).

Information submitted by the state-owned utility to the National Transparency Platform on September 23 shows that there are 1.15 million customers in the capital who have accounts with CFE but don’t settle them.

The figure accounts for 41.4% of the 2.77 million electricity customers in Mexico City. The number of defaulters increased by 282% between January 2012 and August 2018.

All told, the unpaid accounts have cost the CFE lost revenue of almost 5.2 billion pesos (US $275.2 million) in the nearly seven-year period.

The company’s debtors are concentrated in 10 boroughs of the capital with the highest number in central Cuauhtémoc followed by Venustiano Carranza and Iztacalco.

Contrary to what might be expected, the increasing number of people not paying for their power consumption is not a product of any dramatic increase in electricity rates.

CFE data shows that prices have gone up by just 3.5% in Mexico City over the past six years, less than half the average 7.75% hike across the country.

Other states with high numbers of people who don’t pay their electricity bills include México state and Tabasco.

In the former, almost two million customers owe the CFE 7.87 billion pesos (US $417.1 million) while in the latter just under 500,000 people are in arrears for almost 8.1 billion pesos.

That means that each defaulter in the Gulf coast state owes the utility an average of 16,507 pesos (US $875).

In Mexico City, México state and Tabasco as well as Chiapas and Veracruz, a large number of customers who refuse to pay their bills are in “civil resistance” against the public utility, a movement that first began in 1995.

President-elect López Obrador said in July that his government will cancel the debts owed to the CFE by such people but stressed that the “clean slate” applied from July 1 — the day he won the presidential election — rather than December 1, when he will be sworn in as president.

Meanwhile, the CFE has said that it will attempt to recover the money owed to it by following the established protocols that apply to unpaid accounts which can include cutting off electricity supply.

Between January and July, the CFE suspended services to more than 3.2 million residential customers across Mexico for failing to pay their bills.

Source: El Universal (sp)

Crocodile captured after spending a day on Puerto Vallarta beach

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César Hernández

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October 5, 2018

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Heavy rains and strong river currents dragged a crocodile from its natural habitat to the beaches of Puerto Vallarta this week, where it roamed for almost a day before it was captured.

The director of the Animal Control Center of Puerto Vallarta told the newspaper Reforma that there had been rumors that as many as three crocodiles had been sighted “but there was just the one.”

“The animal was tired; it was moving around but it doesn’t like seawater, the currents tire it out,” said Armando Rubio.

Animal control staff and the fire department monitored the crocodile’s beach activities, waiting for an ideal moment to catch it.

Measuring 2.5 meters long, the croc was transported to animal control headquarters, where its health was to be assessed. The animal will also be tagged in order to monitor its whereabouts before it is transported back to its upriver territory.

Another crocodile appeared in the resort city this week but it was dead and had been left hanging in a tree along with a message threatening officials that more would be killed if the animals weren’t controlled.

Rubio explained that the incident is still under investigation.

He said there have been 20 reported cases of crocodiles attacking people since 2006 and three of the victims died.

“That figure is really low if we compare it with scorpion stings, of which there are 60,000 cases. People are really demonizing [crocodiles].”

Rubio added that in 95% of the crocodile attack cases, the animal lashed out when it felt threatened.

The mobility of crocodiles increases during the rainy season, a situation worsened by the encroachment on the species’ habitat by humans, he said.

Source: Reforma (sp)

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173 complaints about Scotiabank after issues in systems upgrade

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MND Staff

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October 5, 2018

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Systems upgrade caused issues for some customers.

The number of complaints made against Scotiabank México had risen to 173 by Wednesday after customers encountered problems following a systems upgrade.

The president of Condusef, the financial consumer protection agency that received the complaints, told the news agency Notimex that he expected the number to continue to increase.

Mario Di Costanzo said Scotiabank customers have experienced issues using both the bank’s mobile application and ATMs and that the most common complaint has been about the inability to make bank transfers.

The Condusef chief said that special attention would be given to complaints from customers who incurred late fees because they were unable to transfer funds to pay for expenses such as tuition for their children.

Di Costanzo added that Condusef will seek a detailed report from Scotiabank about what happened and whether customers will be reimbursed, adding that sanctions will be imposed if it doesn’t receive a response.

Scotiabank announced last week that a range of its services would be unavailable between September 28 and 30 but operations would resume Monday, October 1.

The CEO of Scotiabank México said yesterday that the problems some customers have faced was an expected consequence of the process to modernize the bank’s system, adding that in the short term they could persist.

“We could continue to see interruptions but business is back to normal and we are now operating with the new platform,” Enrique Zorrilla Fullaondo said.

He added that the bank has been in contact with affected customers and that charges incurred as a result of any problems they experienced would be waived.

“. . . They are customers that we have developed relationships with and they have been extremely understanding and patient during the enormous process we undertook,” Zorrilla said.

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

Priest sentenced to 15 years for sexual assault of minor

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César Hernández

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October 5, 2018

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'Padre Meño:' 15 years in jail. — 'Padre Meño,' center, will serve 15 years in jail.

A Catholic priest has been sentenced to 15 years in jail without parole for the sexual assault of a minor at a Coahuila seminary.

Juan Manuel “Padre Meño” Riojas Martínez was sentenced yesterday by a court in Coahuila that had issued a guilty verdict last week.

At the time of the crime Riojas was the director of a seminary in Piedras Negras and his victim was one of the minors in his care.

The sentence was handed down in a unanimous decision by the three judges overseeing the case after a seven-hour hearing.

The prosecution sought a sentence of 23 years, while the defense asked for a lesser sentence and an order that the priest wear an ankle bracelet and not serve the time in a penal facility. Both were denied.

Riojas has been in prison since August 2017 when he turned himself in after being a fugitive from justice for more than five months.

Riojas was also ordered to pay compensation, the amount of which will be established later by the court.

The plaintiff in the case, Roberto Javier Calzada Tamez, filed a formal complaint against Riojas in 2017, an accusation that preceded another by Ignacio Martínez Pacheco, who declared that Riojas abused him when he was 15 years old.

Since then, 11 accusations of pedophilia have been filed against Riojas and five other Catholic priests, leading to claims of a veiled “network of pedophiles” in the Catholic church in Coahuila.

The case is considered historic in the northern state as the bishop of Piedras Negras, Alonso Garza Treviño, was summoned as a witness, along with several priests and Riojas himself.

Source: El Universal (sp)

Three airlines add new Mexico flights from US, Canada

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MND Staff

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October 5, 2018

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Swoop is a new Canadian carrier that will fly to three Mexican destinations.

Airlines in the United States and Canada have added new flights to Mexico that serve several destinations across the country.

• Canadian low-cost carrier Swoop will commence a twice-weekly service from Hamilton, Ontario, to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, on January 8, 2019 and a three times weekly service from the same airport to Cancún, Quintana Roo, from January 14.

Swoop will also offer twice-weekly service from Abbotsford International Airport in British Columbia to Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán, Sinaloa, starting January 12 and January 20 respectively.

“Mexico continues to flourish as one of the most popular vacation destinations for Canadians,” said Steven Greenway, president of Swoop, an ultra low-cost carrier owned by the Canadian airline WestJet. It began flying in June, operating Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

While its fares may be low, passengers must pay extra for either carry-on or checked baggage.

• American Airlines announced Tuesday that it will start a new service from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to Durango International Airport on June 6, 2019.

• As of yesterday United Airlines increased its frequency between Newark International Airport in New Jersey and Mexico City to three flights per day.

The airline’s director of sales in Mexico, Rolf Meyer, said there was a high demand for service between the two cities.

Newark Airport is only around 25 kilometers from Manhattan, New York, and 466,000 Mexicans visited the Big Apple last year, Meyer said.

Visitor numbers to Mexico continue to increase and the country is now the sixth most visited in the world.

Tourism Secretary Enrique de la Madrid said in June that international tourism to Mexico is growing at 12% annually and that the upsurge in violent crime had not deterred foreign or domestic travelers from visiting Mexico’s beaches, magical towns and large cities.

Source: Travel Pulse (en)

Gunmen assassinate five police officers in Guaymas, Sonora

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MND Staff

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October 5, 2018

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A police vehicle that was attacked yesterday in Guaymas.

A group of armed men killed five police officers on the main street of Guaymas, Sonora, yesterday, state security authorities said.

Two attacks occurred just after midday on Aquilés Serdán Avenue in the downtown area of the port city near schools and businesses.

Gunmen in a pickup truck first opened fire on a group of six municipal police, killing three.

The three other officers were wounded and transferred by helicopter to the state capital Hermosillo, where one died.

Minutes later, the same gunmen killed a transit police officer on the same street after he tried to halt their escape.

The state Secretariat of Public Security activated a code red alert following the attacks that mobilized the army and federal and municipal forces to search for the aggressors, but no arrests were made.

Yesterday’s attack came just over two months after a video surfaced in which Guaymas municipal police officers appeared to hand over three men to individuals linked to organized crime in the beachfront community of San Carlos.

Former Guaymas mayor Lorenzo de Cima told the newspaper El Universal that according to officers’ statements, four men, who are still missing, were in fact turned over.

One of the men is reportedly a member of the Salazar family, founder of a regional gang known as Los Salazar.

Violence spiked following the incident leading the United States consulate general in Hermosillo to issue a security alert on July 31 for the cities of Guaymas, San Carlos and Empalme. The alert remains in place.

In early August, more than 200 federal and state security personnel assumed policing functions in Guaymas to reinforce security and carry out a surprise inspection of the municipal force.

Source: El Universal (sp)

Cliff divers have their sights set on next month’s world cup

By

MND Staff

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October 4, 2018

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After completing another successful season at the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, two Mexican divers have now set their sights on glory at next month’s FINA High Diving World Cup.

Adriana Jiménez and Jonathan Paredes, who finished second and third respectively in the World Series, are both strong contenders for gold at the event, which will be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on November 9 and 10.

Jiménez, 33, won gold at the 2017 World Cup, which was also held at the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club.

“[I’m going to] work hard this month, I don’t want to leave anything to chance . . . I want to compete the best I can . . . I’ll try to leave the pressure of being the defending champion to one side because if you place pressure on yourself, you don’t enjoy it. One advantage is that I already know the venue . . .” she said.

Paredes, 29, has also experienced success at past FINA world cups, taking home two silver medals, most recently in 2016. However, this year, he hopes to go one better.

“The goal is to get on the podium and win the gold medal . . . It’s one of the only things I’m missing in my sporting career, winning gold at an official competition and I hope that it happens in Abu Dhabi,” he said.

Both Jiménez and Paredes will again compete in the Red Bull World Series in 2019 and also have one eye on the 2019 World Aquatics Championships that will be held in Gwangju, South Korea.

Source: Milenio (sp)

Conditions required improvisation, says coroner of sidewalk autopsy

By

César Hernández

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October 4, 2018

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Coroner takes a call during sidewalk surgery.

Oaxaca coroner Lázaro Ramírez Jiménez says he was forced to improvise when he conducted an autopsy on the sidewalk outside the cemetery at Santiago Jamiltepec.

In an interview with the newspaper Milenio, Ramírez explained that he arrived at the Jamiltepec cemetery late Saturday evening only to find that municipal authorities had already left.

When cemetery staff refused to let him in to conduct an autopsy, the medical examiner decided to improvise and conduct the procedure on the street.

Photos of Ramírez’s pop-up operating theater were posted online and local authorities expressed their concern and denounced his conduct.

Milenio said Ramírez works in the expert services department at the state Attorney General’s office. He completed his medical studies at the Benito Juárez Autonomous University of Oaxaca and recently did training in forensic sciences courtesy of the United States embassy.

Before working for the FGE, Ramírez was director of the regional hospitals in Pinotepa de Don Luis and in Puerto Escondido, both in the state of Oaxaca, where he was described as a “model professional.”

Source: Milenio (sp)

Stock up on water to prepare for shutdown, Mexico City residents told

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MND Staff

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October 4, 2018

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A lot of people will be filling water containers at the end of the month in Mexico City.

More than four million Mexico City residents will have no running water for up to five days at the end of the month due to maintenance of the capital’s main water system.

The suspensions to the Cutzamala system will start on the night of October 31 and continue until November 4, affecting 13 of Mexico City’s 16 boroughs.

Four of those — Miguel Hidalgo, Cuauhtémoc, Cuajimalpa y Álvaro Obregón — will face total cuts during the five-day period, while a further nine will be partially affected.

Mexico City Mayor José Ramón Amieva said the National Water Commission (Conagua) had planned to carry out repair and maintenance work next week but was persuaded to postpone the work.

The dates coincide with annual Day of the Dead celebrations, meaning that many Mexicans will be off work and school for at least part of the period.

The Mexico City government advised residents to prepare for the cut by stocking up on water before it begins, adding that water tankers will be used to supply hospitals, schools, prisons and other public places.

The cut to the Cutzamala system will also affect 13 México state municipalities, including many in the greater Mexico City area as well as the state capital Toluca.

For up to three days after the maintenance work concludes, water pressure is predicted to be weak but the system will return to normal by November 8, authorities said.

Source: El Heraldo de México (sp) , Noticieros Televisa (sp)