After slamming conservatives AMLO criticized for being divisive

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April 22, 2019

amlo and romero — AMLO, left: 'conservatives are hypocrites;' Romero: 'enough division.

President López Obrador has lashed out at those who questioned the constitutionality of his instructions to suspend the education reforms, triggering a backlash from opposition lawmakers, past presidents and others.

“They [opposition lawmakers] kept as quiet as mummies when they looted [the public purse] and trampled on human rights and now they shout like town criers that it’s unconstitutional to deliver justice and banish corruption,” the president wrote on social media on Saturday.

“There is no doubt that the only doctrine of conservatives is hypocrisy. Sorry but you are like whitewashed tombs,” he added.

Juan Carlos Romero Hicks, leader of the National Action Party (PAN) in the lower house of Congress and an outspoken critic of a memorandum López Obrador sent last week directing three secretariats to ignore the education reforms, called on the president to stop dividing the nation.

“President López Obrador, I invite you to a reconciliation with all Mexicans. Enough dividing already! The country deserves to move towards a rule of law in order to attend to the times of violence and impunity we’re living through. Let’s build together,” he wrote on Twitter.

Other lawmakers as well as two past presidents, a security analyst and a prominent journalist criticized the president for playing politics during the Easter break, and just hours after 14 people were killed at a bar in Minatitlán, Veracruz.

“These days [are] for retreat and reflection, love and peace, Mr. President,” PAN Deputy Laura Rojas said.

Citizens’ Movement deputy Martha Tagle described López Obrador’s words as a “self-portrait of authoritarianism,” stating that “while the country is shaken by the massacre at Minatitlán, he is lashing out at his critics.”

Former President Vicente Fox took aim at López Obrador in a series of Twitter posts while his successor Felipe Calderón also took a stand against the president.

“What a disgrace that you even use tragedies as a springboard for aggression. Not everything is about you AMLO. Speaking about the people is not governing, attending [to their needs] is,” Fox wrote on Twitter.

Calderón retweeted several posts that were critical of López Obrador including one written by journalist León Krauze, which said: “24 hours haven’t passed since the Minatitlán tragedy and the president of Mexico picks up his phone to write a message against his . . . political adversaries . . . Regrettable.”

Security analyst Alejandro Hope responded to López Obrador’s post by writing, “Mr. President, with all respect, today is not a good day to attack your adversaries or to speak of tombs.”

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

Ex-teachers’ union boss gets her property back; AMLO denies pact

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MND Staff

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April 22, 2019

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President López Obrador has denied that a decision to return assets seized from former teachers’ union boss Elba Esther Gordillo is the result of a “shady deal” between her and the government as claimed by opposition parties.

The newspaper Reforma revealed yesterday that the federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) had returned three properties, three cars, books and art to the former SNTE union chief.

Gordillo’s access to seven bank accounts that were frozen when she was arrested on corruption charges in 2013 was also reinstated.

The ex-union leader commonly known as “La Maestra” (The Teacher) spent almost five years in custody awaiting trial but was released from house arrest in August last year when a federal court absolved her of corruption charges, stating that there weren’t sufficient grounds to proceed with the case.

Two weeks ago, Gordillo – who was charged with embezzling US $200 million from the union she headed – announced that she would seek to regain the presidency of the SNTE, a post she held for 24 years until her arrest.

In response to the news that Gordillo had got her assets back, political figures claimed that the president had entered into a politically convenient pact with the former union boss and that he is not as committed to combatting corruption as he claims to be.

“With this decision, it is confirmed that there is a political pact between Elba Esther and López Obrador. The [president’s] supposed fight against corruption . . . in reality, is not true,” said Fernando Rodríguez Doval, a secretary on the national executive committee of the National Action Party (PAN).

He suggested that the “alliance” was related to Gordillo’s “project” to form a new political party “linked to the López Obrador movement.”

Rodríguez also contended that the decision to return Gordillo’s assets is evidence that the FGR is under the president’s control, adding that “the fact that the Attorney General’s Office has decided not to continue with the investigations tells us that there is no commitment to the fight against corruption contrary to what he [López Obrador] has been saying.”

Ángel Ávila Romero, national president of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), said that “we’re once again seeing the political use of law enforcement institutions,” charging that the return of assets to Gordillo is evidence that the Morena party and the president “are obliged to their political and electoral allies.”

He added: “Elba Esther’s assets don’t correspond to her salary as a teacher or national [union] leader . . . This return of assets is an affront to citizens who are asking for corruption, impunity and the looting of public coffers to be punished.”

Ávila also claimed that a memorandum issued by López Obrador last week directing three secretariats to ignore the education reforms implemented by the past federal government was motivated by the former union leader’s criticism of the laws.

“. . . Elba Esther Gordillo made a complaint about the education reform and two days later López Obrador released a memorandum to wind back the education reform. It’s clear to me that the relationship between López Obrador and Elba is of the very highest order and that it extends across the union sphere, the legislative sphere – that’s the extent of the conspiracy between them,” he said.

Speaking at his daily press conference this morning, the president rejected the claims, telling reporters in Veracruz that his government acts transparently and ethically.

“We act on principles, we have ideals, we have moral authority because we know in that way we can have political authority. We’re not like the conservatives and their spokespeople, we’re different. We don’t do deals in the dark, we didn’t lend ourselves to any shady deal, we’re not at the service of any vested interest group,” López Obrador said.

“This is a new government that arose from the people and whose purpose is to put an end to corruption, impunity, influence and all the scourges of politics . . .”

Source: SDP Noticias (sp), Reforma (sp)

Tlapiani, the first telescope to be designed and built in Mexico

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Madison Koen

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April 22, 2019

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For the first time in history, a telescope that is 100% Mexican in terms of design and construction will be used in major scientific studies and the observation of asteroids.

The construction of “Tlapiani,” which means guardian in Náhuatl, has been overseen by scientists at the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL) in collaboration with researchers and students at the university, along with various businesses in the state.

Tlapiani is 90% complete, and scientists hope to finish the remaining work on the telescope by August in order to move it from the university to the Cerro el Picacho in Iturbide with the help of experts from the National Astronomical Observatory in Ensenada, Baja California.

Astrophysics and space science coordinator Eduardo Pérez Tijerina said scientists from several Russian universities will work closely with UANL scientists to monitor space debris, including asteroids, comets and meteoroids; 14,000 tonnes of space debris is estimated to enter Earth’s atmosphere every year.

The program coordinator said the telescope could also be used to observe other space objects, such as extrasolar planets. He added that researchers from Chinese academic institutions had also expressed interest in using Cerro el Picacho for space observation; the telescope’s new home is located 400 meters above sea level and is considered one of the best locations for the observation of extraplanetary objects due to the area’s climate and dependably clear nights.

Pérez Tijerina stressed that the new telescope is the first to be completely designed and built from start to finish in Mexico by Mexicans. Another important telescope in Mexico is the Alfonso Serrano Large Millimeter Telescope in Puebla, which is a binational collaboration between Mexico and the United States.

Upon completion, Tlapiani will join the ranks of other important space research and observation projects in Mexico, such as the San Pedro Martir Observatory in Baja California, the Guillermo Haro Astrophysical Observatory in Sonora and the Puebla telescope.

Source: La Jornada (sp)

Petroleum theft cartel leader arrested in Comonfort, Guanajuato

By

César Hernández

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April 22, 2019

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A suspected leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel was arrested yesterday in Guanajuato by state and federal forces.

The state government said a search of two properties in Neutla, Comonfort, led to the arrest of Eliseo N., known also as “El Titi,” a 23-year-old believed to be a right-hand man to cartel boss José Antonio Yépez Ortiz, and two accomplices.

Police also found at least four bodies, along with 16 firearms, ammunition, a kilogram of marijuana, two packages of what is suspected to be cocaine, bulletproof vests, balaclavas, vehicles and a personal watercraft,

The arrest didn’t go without incident.

A gunfight ensued after several of the gangster’s accomplices attempted a rescue, but police repealed the attack, killing two of the aggressors and arresting a third.

El Titi is believed to have led cartel hitmen operating in Villagrán, Celaya, Salvatierra and Comonfort.

He is also thought to have led an attack on a Celaya police station a few days prior his arrest, in which a gangster was freed from custody.

The Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel is believed to be behind much of the violence in Guanajuato.

Source: Milenio (sp), am (sp)

Canadian man stabbed to death in Progreso, Yucatán

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MND Staff

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April 22, 2019

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Part-time Progreso resident Bruce Allen, who was murdered on Friday.

A Canadian man was stabbed to death in Progreso, Yucatán, on Friday in what police have called a “crime of passion.”

Bruce Ivan Allen, 70, of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, was killed Friday morning inside his rented apartment in the Gulf coast port city.

He received multiple stab wounds to his chest and neck, according to social media posts by friends of the victim.

A Mexican man known by the nickname “El Pelón” (Baldy) was arrested in connection with the murder.

Police said nothing was stolen from Allen’s apartment and that he was found naked on a bed.

Herman Savoie, Allen’s partner of 38 years, found the body and alerted police.

The suspected murderer allegedly stayed with the deceased man the night before the attack, which is believed to have followed a heated argument.

According to media reports, Allen and Savoie had spent the winter in Progreso for several years and were well known in the community, especially in a restaurant district popular with foreigners.

A woman who said that she was the lawyer of the deceased denied the police version of events in a social media post on Saturday.

“Our friends [Allen and Savoie] were the victims of a thwarted robbery by a man who decided to take the life of another. This is the correct version [of events] and not the versions that are circulating on social networks. I am Bruce’s lawyer, rest in peace . . . Herman, I assure you that the bastard who committed this despicable crime will pay for what he did,” she wrote.

The online newspaper Progreso Hoy said it has received emails from Canadian residents of Progreso stating they have been victims of a range of crimes including assaults, robbery and fraud and that municipal and state authorities provide little assistance or security to the city’s large foreign community.

But another said in a Facebook post that Progreso was “very safe.”

Canadian Reg Deneau said, “. . . this type of occurrence is highly unusual in the local community.”

Source: Progreso Hoy (sp), ChronicleHerald (en)

Vehicles left stranded on Sonora beach after surprise high tide

By

Madison Koen

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April 22, 2019

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Saturday's sudden high tide in Puerto Peñasco.

Dozens of vacationers were surprised on Saturday afternoon by a rare high tide that quickly left at least 20 vehicles in the water — some more than half submerged — at La Cholla beach in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora.

The vehicles had been parked on the beach several meters away from the water but were suddenly flooded by the incoming tide.

Beachgoers were left scrambling to rescue their vehicles, along with beach paraphernalia and other belongings.

Hours later the tide finally went out and several motorists were able to successfully drive their vehicles up and away from the beach, while others had to be towed.

A video of the incident on social media drew comments from residents that sudden high tides occur frequently and without warning in the area, often rising dramatically in less than an hour.

Marea viva en playa de Sonora

Watch this video on YouTube

Civil Protection officials said the sudden high tide was caused by strong seasonal winds.

Source: El Imparcial (sp), Sin Embargo (sp)

First quarter sets new homicide record; numbers are up 10% over last year

By

MND Staff

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April 22, 2019

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Mexico has recorded its most violent first quarter in recent history: there were 7,242 homicide cases reported between January and March, an increase of almost 10% compared to the same period last year.

The National Public Security System (SNSP) said there were 8,493 victims, up 9.6% over last year.

In March, 2,410 new homicide cases were reported, a figure that equates to 77 cases a day or more than three per hour. There were 2,455 murder cases in January and 2,377 in February.

The figures for the first three months of the year represent increases of 13%, 15% and 1.9% respectively compared to January, February and March of 2018.

The SNSP data contradicts claims by President López Obrador that his government has “controlled” violence since taking office last December.

crime increases in mexico — Figures in blue are percent increases over last year for (starting from top) kidnapping, extortion, street robbery, femicide, drug trafficking and intentional homicide. milenio

Guanajuato – where the Santa Rosa de Lima fuel theft cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) are involved in a vicious turf war – continues to be the most violent state in the country, with 947 murders reported in the first quarter of 2019.

México state was next, with 769 homicides, followed by Jalisco, Baja California, Chihuahua, Guerrero and Michoacán.

Colima recorded the highest per-capita murder rate, with 7.5 homicides per 100,000 residents followed by Guanajuato, Chihuahua and Baja California, all of which registered a rate of 5.2.

The number of femicide cases reported increased by 15% to 227, while kidnappings and extortion surged by 59% and 51% respectively.

At his morning press conference today, López Obrador predicted that insecurity will decrease in six months because by then the government will have implemented all of its proposed social programs and created the National Guard.

“I believe that all of the programs will be operating in six months, that’s the most important thing. The other action, don’t forget, is that the National Guard will be established . . .” he said.

Speaking in the port city of Veracruz, the president said he deeply regretted the deaths of 14 people who were shot dead in Minatitlán on Friday night and pledged that his government will “guarantee peace” in the state.

López Obrador will today chair a meeting to discuss and coordinate security strategies in the Gulf coast state, which has seen an increase in cartel violence since Governor Cuitláhuac García took office on December 1.

Source: Milenio (sp), ADN Político (sp)

Dog lover’s project installs feeding stations in Oaxaca city

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MND Staff

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April 21, 2019

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The collective and one of their Oaxaca dog feeders.

A love for dogs inspired a young man to pursue a project in Oaxaca city to ensure that animals living on the street have something to eat and drink.

Jonathan Tonatiuh Hernández Eslava, a 24-year-old México state native, paints and installs PVC tubing which functions as feeding stations for street dogs and other domestic animals that don’t have a home.

Two other people contribute to the project which Hernández called Tetheo, a variation of a Náhuatl word that means universe.

The activist told the newspaper El Universal that the idea for his project came after seeing dogs eating garbage and drinking from puddles in the street.

“You grow up in a social paradigm in which it’s normal, that it should be that way, not just for animals but also for people who live on the street,” he said.

“We need to learn the value of life . . . We want to create awareness . . . and a culture of helping animals.”

Hernández and the two other members of his team initially asked municipal authorities for permission to go ahead with their project but even though they got a negative response, they proceeded all the same.

Their first feeder, which was made out of a large water bottle and another plastic container, was placed outside a Oaxaca church last September.

However, it didn’t last long: a parish priest threw it away and was captured on video in the act, drawing the ire of animal rights activists who saw the footage on social media.

After that, Hernández decided to take a different approach by using PVC pipes to make the feeding stations and affixing them to posts.

There are now four brightly colored feeders adorning the streets of Oaxaca city and, according to Hernández, they have been largely accepted by residents because they help to beautify the city.

Each hand-painted pipe features the Náhuatl word for food or water depending on what its feeder section contains as well as a poem in the indigenous language.

Hernández said that promoting indigenous identity and culture is another important aspect of his project.

To ensure there is enough money to buy food and keep the feeders filled, the Tetheo collective carries out fundraising initiatives such as raffles. Locals have also donated money and dog food to the cause.

In the future, Hernández hopes that his project will grow with the assistance of other people who want to improve the lives of street dogs.

“The collective’s intention is for the project to expand to all of Oaxaca . . . The idea is that little by little people will get to know the project and join the initiative by helping us to fill the containers or installing one in their neighborhood.”

Source: El Universal (sp)

Spanish hotelier to invest US $250 million in Riviera Maya project

By

César Hernández

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April 21, 2019

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The Barceló complex on the Riviera Maya where the new hotel and convention center will be built.

The Spanish hotelier Barceló Group will invest over US $250 million in a new resort and convention center in the Riviera Maya of Quintana Roo.

To be called Barceló Maya Riviera, the new all-inclusive and adults-only resort will have 850 rooms, all of which will have hot tubs on their balconies.

Five hundred of the rooms will have a sea view and 110 will be swim-up or junior suites. Five restaurants, five bars and four pools will also be part of the facility.

The project includes a 21,000-square-meter area dedicated to business tourism and a convention center that will accommodate up to 8,000 people. It will be set at the Barceló Maya Grand Resort,

With 22 hotels and 8,156 rooms in its portfolio, Barceló Group is the third largest hotel chain in Mexico.

Source: Milenio (sp)

Temporary migrant employment program begins in Chiapas

By

Madison Koen

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April 21, 2019

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Migrants wait to see immigration agents in Mapastepec.

The National Immigration Institute (INM) said registration began Friday for a temporary employment program for migrants, an initiative of the federal department of Social Wellbeing.

Federal authorities said there are currently 5,365 migrants in Chiapas in refugee camps, waiting for special permission from the Mexican government to stay in the country or continue their journey north to the United States.

The INM said it is overseeing the distribution of medical care, food, water, basic products for children and infants.

Immigration authorities said 1,100 migrants are camped in Ciudad Hidalgo, where the agency serves 3,300 food rations every day. In Tapachula, 1,527 migrants awaiting deportation are given 4,500 food rations, while in Mapastepec, federal authorities continue to provide humanitarian aid to the 650 asylum seekers who remain at the refugee camp.

On Friday afternoon, the INM detained more than 200 Central American migrants in Mapastepec as they stopped to rest and wait for a larger caravan of migrants. Those that managed to evade capture continued towards Pijijian, where they hoped to find temporary shelter and rest.

As the numbers of migrants entering Mexico’s southern border spiked dramatically in recent months, so have deportations by the INM, though Mexican immigration authorities denied that the increase in migrant detentions has been due to pressure by the United States.

As the migrant numbers have increased, the welcome they have received has been cooler.

One Mapastepec resident who said she helped provide food for migrant caravans last year told Reuters that migrants “are pouring on to the land” and regularly ask residents for money, rejecting offers of food.

A recent poll of close to 500 adults by the Center of Public Opinion at the University of the Valley of Mexico (UVM) found that 83% believed that migrants could cause problems for Mexico, and 62% said that they believed Mexico should be tougher on them.

Source: Milenio (sp), Reuters (en)

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