A new clothing and accessories line carrying the brand of former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, complete with the convicted ex-drug lord’s name and signature on every article, is slated to hit shelves this summer.
This week, Guzmán received special permission from the Metropolitan Correctional Center to sign the intellectual property rights to his name and signature over to a company headed by his wife, Emma Coronel.
El Chapo Guzmán: JGL LLC became an official entity today.
Coronel, a former beauty queen, told the news network CNN that the project will be dedicated to securing the future of the couple’s seven-year-old twin daughters.
Alejandrina Guzmán and her El Chapo 701 label.
“I’m very excited to start this project, which was based on ideas and concepts that my husband and I had years ago.”
Guzmán attorney Mariel Colon Miro said the ex-drug lord will not have any role in the company.
“It’s not his project; it’s Emma’s project.”
Another of El Chapo’s lawyers, Michael Lambert, agreed, stressing that Guzmán will not see any of the company’s profits.
“He wanted to be able to set something up — a legitimate enterprise — for the benefit of his wife and his two daughters.”
U.S. authorities have said they will attempt to confiscate billions of dollars that they believe Guzmán’s organization earned as proceeds from drug trafficking, but former federal prosecutor Duncan Levin doubted they would be successful.
“A lot of the assets are in the name of other people. It’s hard to find them, and once you find them, it’s hard to get the buy-in of the Mexican government.”
Levin said the U.S. government could use the new company to seize some of Guzmán’s assets for attempting to make money off his crimes and infamy.
Colon said the enterprise intends to collaborate with fashion designers but Guzmán’s wife will be heavily involved in all aspects of the company, including design.
Design work for many of the products, including baseball caps, T-shirts, denim jackets, sweatshirts and phone cases, is already in progress.
But Coronel is not the only member of the family who has seen the marketing potential of the El Chapo brand. Alejandrina Guzmán, supposedly a daughter, has launched El Chapo 701, whose website advertises myriad products though none appears to be available for purchase yet.
As I sit at my desk attempting to bang out this week’s column, the noise of rotohammers combined with the off-key songs of several laborers fill our crumbling house with a discordance only experienced during a Mexican construction project.
After waiting an anxiety-fueled 22 months for our house deal to close, we finally began our renovation project 10 days ago.
We started with the demolition of several interior walls and the removal of most of the plaster on an exterior wall. Our work crew consisted of three laborers with two rotohammers, one 12-pound sledge hammer, two small hand sledges, a few chisels, two square-bladed shovels and 100 used, woven polyethylene feed bags for the rubble.
The Captured Tourist Woman had never experienced the complete and utter destruction wrought by hard-working Mexicans with power tools and sledge hammers; she was very impressed.
The first staging of scaffold, on an outside wall, was erected before all else. All three assured me they were capable of erecting multiple frames of scaffolding to create a safe working platform. I pointed them to a stack of frames, braces and planks and showed them where to start.
Since the ground below the scaffold setup was level and solid, I felt the assembly would be a simple test of their skills or lack thereof. As I left them to their devices, I envisioned Larry, Moe and Curly faced with a similar task. I was not disappointed by my canny premonition when I reappeared 10 minutes later.
I then worked with the three of them for 20 minutes and we successfully erected the scaffold across the back wall of the house. Sometime after lunch, when they had stripped off the bad plaster at the west end, we needed to move the western-most section of scaffold to the eastern end to access the wall at that end.
However, that scaffold section needed to have the legs extended because the ground dropped off four feet to the sidewalk. I pointed to a couple of six-foot wooden posts and explained the process of attaching leg extensions.
All three were smiling and nodding while assuring me with a repeated chant of “No hay problema.” Again, I left them to accomplish this seemingly simple task on their own.
When I returned a bit later, they had laid the 4×4 posts on two stacks of bricks which resembled something illustrated by Dr. Seuss; all higgledy-piggledy and wiggledy-figgledy. I stopped them before they attempted to stand a scaffold frame on their shaky construction.
I placed one of the posts alongside and parallel with a scaffold leg and explained how the post would be lashed on with multiple wraps of high quality Mexican bailing wire. They all grasped the concept quickly, or at least the part about the use of the wire seemed familiar.
As I watched, they all jabbered their rapid-fire Spanish, heavily laced with local slang, and formulated a plan. Two of the workers each grabbed a side of a scaffold frame and held it up vertically and elevated it to the approximate position it would assume once the posts were added. The third worker then picked up a post and held it against one leg of the scaffold with his shoulder, and then attempted to wrap up the assembly with the wire.
In retrospect, I should have stopped them when the two had picked up the scaffold frame, but my morbid curiosity held me back. By the time I put up my hand, and said alto, the two workers clutching the frame were having a very hard time keeping it in the air.
We found a nice level piece of ground and laid the frame down. I then directed them to lay a post next to each leg, take a rough measurement of the amount of extension required to level out the assembly over the uneven ground. With two workers holding the post tight to the frame, the third wrapped the wire and tightened it with the standard Mexican tie wire hook used for rebar. They found this simple feat of true Mexican engineering quite impressive.
The 45 minutes I had spent observing their antics gave me an accurate gauge of their construction experience, which was minimal at best.
The only thing I ask of any worker is to show up on time and work to the best of their ability. I found that questioning a worker will not reveal their true capabilities or skill level. After all, every albañil (mason) claims to be a tilesetter and every electrician claims to have in-depth knowledge of electrical systems.
And of course, with laborers being at the bottom of the construction hierarchy, their self-proclaimed expertise can be anywhere from digging holes to brain surgery.
To some, my method of testing the three laborers may be perceived as being cruel and unusual, but it quickly cuts to the chase of who can do what.
The next installment of this series will examine several pressing questions. Can old albañiles be taught new tricks? Will the use of modern tools and methods be instantly embraced, or fiercely rejected?
The writer describes himself as a very middle-aged man who lives full-time in Mazatlán with a captured tourist woman and the ghost of a half wild dog. He can be reached at buscardero@yahoo.com.
Smoke in San Felipe after clash between fishermen and the navy.
Three people were injured in a confrontation yesterday between the navy and suspected illegal totoaba fishermen in San Felipe, Baja California.
The Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) said in a statement that a man was accidentally shot yesterday morning as he tried to escape in a vehicle that was towing a boat that had allegedly attacked a vessel operated by an environmental organization.
Occupants of the first boat recovered illegal fishing nets that had been removed from the vaquita porpoise reserve in the upper Gulf of California by Sea Shepherd Conservation Society activists and then returned to San Felipe, said the navy.
There, they boarded a pickup truck and attempted to flee navy personnel but collided with a navy vehicle. One person was shot in the confrontation that ensued, Semar said.
According to local media, the wounded man was 37-year-old Enrique García Sandez. He was taken to a local clinic but later transferred to a hospital in Mexicali with serious injuries.
The news website El Imparcial reported that a 65-year-old woman and a 17-year-old were also injured in the confrontation. The latter, Ricardo Zúñiga, was treated at a Mexicali hospital.
Rosa María Zaragoza González was in the street during the clash and grazed by a stray bullet . She was treated for the injury at a San Felipe clinic.
After the confrontation, Semar said, a group of people protested violently in front of navy facilities. A vehicle and two small boats were set on fire and navy facilities were attacked with Molotov cocktails and other objects.
Although their use is prohibited, fishermen have continued to use gillnets to catch totoaba, whose swim bladder is a delicacy in China and commands high prices.
The vaquita marina, the world’s smallest porpoise, often become entangled in the nets and die.
Swarms of monarch butterflies at the El Rosario Sanctuary.
It had been over eight years since I last visited the El Rosario butterfly sanctuary located near the community of Ocampo, Michoacán, so I decided it would be interesting to revisit the area after hearing several conflicting reports regarding this year’s migration.
Some friends said the trek was disappointing (strange given that the number of monarchs this year was up by 144%) while others I knew raved about the experience.
What I do remember of my first visit was that the climb to the top was long and arduous and took my late husband and I over an hour to do. At the top of the hill there was a single rope, guarded by locals at the entrance so that you did not step over into the sanctuary.
We were instructed to lower our voices in order not to disturb the colony of what seemed like billions of butterflies within arm’s reach. The magical sight of the monarchs rising in the air when the sun peeked from behind the clouds was indescribable, and I remember vividly the sensation of them landing on us.
Fast forward many years later to an overnight stay in Morelia and a four-hour drive to El Rosario the next morning. On the way our tour guide for our group of five explained some of the rules and regulations once in the sanctuary, the usual things such as keep your voice low, don’ t litter, stay on the path at all times and refrain from touching the butterflies, even those that were dead.
Butterflies at rest near the sanctuary entrance.
I was impressed by this because one of the many things I had heard about the sanctuary was that not enough care was being taken to guard the colony from the numerous tourists. It was encouraging to see that for this tour company at least, conservation was important.
Driving into the sanctuary, however, was much different from what I experienced before. For one thing, there were far more butterflies at lower altitudes than I remembered. In fact, I was concerned by the number that hit our minivan as we drove very slowly and carefully into the parking lot.
They swarmed the area as we walked to the entrance to pay our 50-peso fee. Nearby, mini-restaurants dotted the area off to one side. Gone, it seemed, were the charming restaurants and souvenir shops that once lined the pathway on the way up or down.
Whereas before our path was crude, the new one was mostly wooden stairs, with ropes along each side to help you along, and several benches on which to rest. The climb would take between 30 and 40 minutes, our guide said, (much less than I remembered) but this time around I chose to go by horseback.
It was an easy switchback climb for the horses, and with the guide running (yes, running) beside my horse, we made it to the top in seven minutes! Even as an experienced rider, I was taken aback by how close it was. Another short walk from where I dismounted, and I was there.
Was I disappointed? Yes and no. Yes, I could easily see the magnificent clumps of butterflies from the path and when the sun came out millions of monarchs rose in the air. No, they did not land on me, which is of course a good thing as human contact is not to be encouraged. But I enjoyed the spectacle for quite some time before heading down.
At a stop off point before the sanctuary a lone butterfly passes by at a lower altitude than is desired.
I was surprised to see numerous mounds of dead butterflies on and around both sides of the path. Coupled with the inordinate number of butterflies in the lower elevations, I decided to investigate the cause.
Moisés Acosta first came to Michoacán as a young man after studying tourism in Mulegé, Baja California Sur. Although not a biologist or an expert in zoology and botany, he somehow landed a position at the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve office due in part of his knowledge in tourism.
Here he dedicated himself to educating people about the dangers facing the monarch population. But he was often discouraged by visitors who disobeyed clear directions not to enter the areas of the colony that were cordoned off.
The complete disregard as to what was needed to protect the monarchs from extinction caused him to reach out to scientists and biologists in the Americas, where he garnered support from non-governmental agencies who have been able to pressure the government of Mexico.
He then decided to build his own butterfly farm, Papalotzin, for educational purposes.
But Acosta suffered many trials when launching the project in Zitácuaro, Michoacán. At one point his sanctuary was burned out. Although nothing was proven, cans of gasoline — suggesting arson — were left at the site.
A young girl covered in butterflies.
The fire occurred right after Acosta contacted authorities about illegal logging in the Sierra Chincua sanctuary in 2015, in which 10 hectares of forest at the heart of the sanctuary were destroyed.
Back at El Rosario, the reason why more butterflies are being seen at lower elevations is due to the creation of artificial watering holes near the sanctuary entrance, Acosta says, explaining that the move attracted the monarchs and prompted them to form colonies too close to the entrance.
Many are now exposed to automobile fumes and human contact.
I also contacted a tour operator I met years before and he sent me to seek answers from a scientist who had much to say about the migration of the monarchs and the preservation of the species.
I learned that the preservation of the monarch butterflies is a project that should be shared equally by the United States, Canada and Mexico if the species and indeed all pollinators are to survive. The pressure to preserve the population is huge but the protection of reproductive habitat is the responsibility of the U.S. and Canada, said the scientist, who wished to remain anonymous.
What happens in the winter months is the responsibility of Mexico. “We need to work together and collaborate to protect the monarchs instead of blaming each other for the decline or danger that the butterflies are in.”
Canada and the U.S., particularly in the prairies and in large industrial agricultural areas, must decrease the amount of herbicides and pesticides they spray on their crops of corn and soy, and use more of the land to plant milkweed for the monarchs on their migration path, he said.
Walking the paths to the top at El Rosario Sanctuary.
Another concern in Mexico are the logging practices of some of the locals. The trees that monarchs favor — and that are vital to their survival — have been subjected to “reforestation” practices by people who stand to gain financially from the effort.
The problem is the Oyamel tree does not do well when transplanted and it’s best if these ecosystems regenerate naturally. As well, the forest needs to be dense. Although it was necessary to clear some of the forest when a recent storm knocked down many of the trees, it is hard to say how many were knocked down and how many were cut.
As overwhelming as all the issues concerning the monarchs sounded, another source, scientist Pablo Jaramillo López, offered some suggestions as to how we can safeguard the future well-being of the monarchs:
1. Government, farmers and citizens need to work together to encourage the planting of local species of milkweed and other nectar flowers in their gardens and fields in the U.S. and Canada.
2. Stop logging practices that will hurt the migration of butterflies and discontinue pumping water into lower altitudes and away from where they would naturally form their colonies.
3. Encourage tourists to visit the sanctuaries between November and January instead of cramming all tours into February and March, thereby decreasing the human impact on the species.
4. Education as to how to behave at the sanctuary.
5. Although there are five sanctuaries in Mexico open to the public now, there are other areas that are not. These should remain so.
The writer is a Canadian who has lived and worked in Mexico for many years.
Edrington executive Juan Barbato, left, and Mexico manager Campos toast the Mexican whisky market.
With the consumption of 1.3 million cases a year, Mexico is the second largest consumer of premium scotch whisky in the world, second only to the United States, according to the Scottish distiller Edrington.
On Monday, the company’s distribution agreement with tequila maker José Cuervo will come to an end. Edrington intends to be its own distributor and make its entire portfolio available in Mexico.
One of the company’s popular brands is The Macallan, a premium single-malt whisky whose sales run about 24,000 cases a year in Mexico, which is now among the top 10 markets in the world for the product.
“We had an international presence in all markets, but we were missing Mexico,” said Edrington México general manager Juan Campos at a press conference this week. “We see a great opportunity for whisky.”
The company wants to double its whisky sales here within the next five years, he said.
Edrington has opened offices in Mexico City and Guadalajara to that end.
Domestic workers at a rally for better pay and benefits. The green glove is a symbol of the movement.
Domestic workers have told the National Minimum Wage Commission (Conasami) that their daily salary should be set between 102 and 550 pesos (US $5 to $28).
Conasami president Andrés Peñaloza told the newspaper El Financiero that talks with domestic workers are currently taking place and that a formal salary proposal will be presented to the commission’s governing body in May.
“. . . They’ve suggested a range that goes from 102.68 pesos up to 550 pesos,” Peñaloza said, but added that some workers have pushed for a daily wage of between 205 and 300 pesos (US $10.50 to $15.50).
The daily minimum wage for all workers increased by 16% on January 1 to 102.68 pesos but data shows that domestic workers earned an average of 155 pesos per day during the first month of this year.
Peñaloza said Conasami will continue to discuss the wage issue with domestic workers in different parts of the country and that it will also take into account criteria recommended by the International Labor Organization (ILO).
There are 2.3 million domestic workers in Mexico, of whom 40% earn the minimum wage and just 3% have access to social security and health care benefits.
In an amparo, or injunction, the SCJN ordered the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) to implement a pilot program in the first half of this year that will ensure that domestic workers have access to the benefits they will be legally entitled to.
Today, the rules under which the pilot program will operate were published in the federal government’s official gazette.
Starting tomorrow, employers will be able to enroll people who work in their homes in the pilot program either through the IMSS website or at its offices.
Employers will be required to pay a monthly fee to IMSS that will give their employees access to sickness, maternity, health care, disability and retirement benefits as well as life insurance.
Contributions paid by employers will vary depending on how many days per month they employ a domestic worker.
If a housekeeper works at two or more homes, his or her employers will share the IMSS enrollment expenses.
The SCJN said that within a period of no longer than three years, all domestic workers in Mexico should be enrolled in a robust and effective social security scheme.
Architectural rendering of the Lake Texcoco ecological park.
The land on which Mexico City’s new airport was to have been located could become the world’s largest urban park, a 35,000-hectare space designed by Mexican architect Iñaki Echeverría.
National Water Commission (Conagua) director Blanca Jiménez Cisneros has proposed implementing the architect’s plan for an ecological park in attempt to replenish the Valley of Mexico’s water supply and vegetation.
Echeverría, a faculty member at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, originally designed the Lake Texcoco ecological park in 2010 as part of a plan to develop and restore 14,000 hectares of the seasonally dry lakebed.
Four years later, former President Peña Nieto’s plans for a new airport sidelined the project, and only a few hectares of recreational areas were developed and opened to the public in 2016.
Following the promise by President López Obrador to cancel the new airport, Echeverría submitted his design for the ecological park to the new administration as an alternativee plan for the area’s development.
The park’s design includes a strong environmental focus that Echeverría dubs “cultural ecology:” the architect’s proposal includes plans for massive reforestation, the reintroduction of native plant and animal species and restoration of the lake to prevent flooding in Mexico City and México state.
The 2010 proposal states that the park was originally envisioned as a “soft ecological boundary” in the face of population explosions from the 1950s until the present, which have transformed the Valley of Mexico’s geography into dense urban spaces.
“The objective is to reclaim this area as the valley’s most important piece of green infrastructure. This infrastructure will be capable of reconciling the city with its geography.”
If built, the Lake Texcoco park would also include areas for water sports, sailing, biking and hiking and a museum suspended above Lake Nabor Carrillo.
It remains to be decided what will become of the partially-built structures at the site of the cancelled airport. According to the law, such projects must restore the site to its original condition.
Although federal officials raised the volcano alert for Popocatépetl to yellow Phase 3 yesterday, the Civil Protection agency says the situation cannot be considered an emergency.
However, vigilance is called for because the volcano’s recent activity is described as atypical, said the agency’s chief, David León Romero.
“Between 1986 and 2018, 86 domes have formed” atop the volcano’s crater, he said, explaining that the domes, made of volcanic material, are like plugs. They contain the volcano’s internal pressure until an explosion breaks them up. “Days later, a new dome is formed.”
León said dome No. 82 formed a few weeks ago and has already broken apart, “but we continue to have explosions. Data tells us that the volcano is behaving differently.”
“Differently means that we have not witnessed an episode of this kind. It does not mean greater activity or greater danger.”
León observed that the recent explosions could be caused by the clogging of a lower section of the volcano’s vent, one that cannot be seen by Civil Protection helicopters flying overhead.
He said a new dome is expected to form soon, which will result in the volcano warning to be lowered to its usual yellow Phase 2.
Meanwhile, federal and state authorities are reviewing evacuation routes and shelters.
Residents in the vicinity of the volcano can keep an eye on things by monitoring the website Webcams de México, which has three cameras pointed at El Popo and are streaming images continuously.
The closest is in San Nicolás de Los Ranchos, Puebla, from which the most informative and interesting images of the volcano have been caught.
The other two cameras are located in the México state municipality of Amecameca, one in the city of the same name and the other at Hacienda de Panoaya.
Civil Protection’s social media accounts are another way to stay informed.
The agency posted today at 10:30am on Twitter that in the previous 24 hours, there had been 119 exhalations, one explosion and one volcano tectonic earthquake.
The yellow Phase 3 alert is the highest warning level before the red phase in which people living near the volcano are advised to be ready to evacuate. Around 275,000 people live within a 30-kilometer radius of Popocatépetl.
One of the migrants' caravans that is currently traveling through Mexico.
The government of Honduras has rejected the claim by Interior Secretary Olga Sánchez Cordero that “a mother of all caravans” is forming in that country, while a migrant advocacy group contends that the term was used as a ploy to justify the implementation of stricter immigration policies in Mexico.
Honduran deputy foreign secretary Nelly Jeréz said yesterday that “there is no indication of such a caravan” and “this type of information” only encourages people to leave the country.
Jeréz’s remarks came after United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen met with Honduran, Guatemalan and Salvadoran officials in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to discuss the issue of migration.
Her department said in a statement that Nielsen signed a multilateral compact with the three Central American countries that aims to bolster border security, prevent the formation of new migrant caravans and address the root causes of the migration crisis.
A day after her own meeting with Nielsen, Interior Secretary Sánchez said Wednesday that “we are aware that a new caravan is forming in Honduras that they’re calling the mother of all caravans . . . and which could be [made up of] more than 20,000 people.”
She also said that the Mexican government plans to set up federal checkpoints on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to halt the flow of migrants as they travel through the country.
But the non-governmental organization Pueblos Sin Fronteras (People Without Borders) contended that the containment belt policy was ordered by the United States government and that Sánchez used the “mother of all caravans” term to justify it.
It pointed out that the interior secretary didn’t provide any evidence or details to support the claim that such a large caravan was gathering.
“The only certainty is that after the meeting with Nielsen, the Mexican government planted the idea of the ‘mother of all caravans’ in its discourse to justify the United States contention order, demonstrating a Mexican immigration policy that is servile and submissive to the Trump government,” Pueblos Sin Fronteras said.
The organization contended that the federal government has “sold out to the interests” of the Trump administration.
“By promoting the idea of the ‘mother of all caravans orchestrated by criminal groups,’ the Mexican government is contributing to a migration crisis that justifies the extension and strengthening of the [border] wall – just what Trump has been looking for,” it said.
Nielsen, left, and Sánchez.
“The discourse of fear and crisis spreads criminalizing, racist and xenophobic sentiment against migrants . . . and coincides with the discourse Trump is using for his presidential reelection. It appears that the Mexican government is part of the election strategy of the current United States administration,” the statement continued.
“The creation of an atmosphere of crisis in migration to Mexico and the United States is conducive to [making] law changes that have a security focus and don’t respect human rights.”
Despite those claims, Sánchez’s indication that federal forces will be deployed to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to stem migration failed to appease President Trump.
He wrote on Twitter yesterday that “Mexico is doing nothing to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants to our country,” adding “they are all talk and no action.”
Today, Trump said that “if Mexico doesn’t immediately stop all illegal immigration coming into the United States through our southern border, I will be closing the border or large sections of the border next week,” reiterating the threat he made both on Twitter and at a rally in Michigan yesterday.
President López Obrador today refused to be drawn in on Trump’s threats, stating “we want to have a good relationship with the United States, we’re not going to argue.”
He added: “this thing about the caravans . . . has a lot to do with politics, electoral matters, that’s why I’m not going to get roped into the issue.”
López Obrador said yesterday that it’s necessary to “review” how migrant caravans are organized, “whether they are spontaneous . . . whether there are political or electoral purposes.”
He also said that “it is legitimate that they [the United States government] are displeased and they voice these concerns.”
Asked whether his government would stop the so-called “mother of all caravans,” the president – who has vowed to treat migrants with respect – was cautious.
“Yes, but everything will be voluntary, nothing by force,” he said, explaining that Central Americans will be offered work on government projects such as the Maya Train.
However, thousands of migrants fleeing violence and poverty in their countries of origin – especially Honduras – have continued to arrive in Mexico’s border cities to attempt to claim asylum in the United States.
Mexico's new National Guard? No, young recruits at the KidZania police academy.
KidZania is the dream child of Mexican entrepreneur Xavier López Ancona. It is based on the observation that children like role play and particularly enjoy playing the parts of professionals such as teachers, firefighters and nurses.
The first KidZania opened in 1999 in Mexico City, and was first named La Ciudad de los Niños. It proved to be immensely popular, so much so that today there are 26 KidZanias in 20 countries with 11 new ones planned for the coming year, including three in the United States.
It is interesting to note that 3% to 5% of KidZania’s visitors worldwide are underprivileged or disabled children who are able to participate without charge.
KidZania raises role play to a whole new level by creating a small city with its own bank, police department, hospital, TV station, shops, etc. and then providing the child with a uniform, professional equipment and training that allows them to try out many different jobs.
Not long ago I spent several hours following six-year-old Paolo Ibarra around KidZania Guadalajara, which opened its doors in December of 2018. First there was the priceless look on his face when he discovered that the entrance to KidZania was a full-size jumbo jet situated inside a shopping mall.
A typical view of KidZania, where the streets are always bustling with activity.
As in any airport, our belongings were run through a scanner. Once we were inside, our pre-purchased tickets were exchanged for wristbands which include a chip that keeps track of everyone who enters the place.
In addition, little Paolo was given a cash stake of the local money, called kidZos, and a credit card. “But you can only activate the card by opening an account at the bank,” he was told.
We stepped out on to the street in KidZania.
Underfoot were artificial cobblestones and overhead a cheerful blue sky with painted clouds, and all around us there was hustle and bustle: a DHL delivery was coming down the street, a fire truck was going the other way, lights flashing and siren hooting; people were pushing their way in and out of an employment agency, window washers were washing windows and through those windows we could see the staff of a TV studio taping a show, would-be pilots operating flight simulators, confectioners making candy, and everywhere, in every direction, lots of bodies on the move — but, in this town, the business people, civil servants and laborers were all kids.
Our map of KidZania in hand, we made our way through the hullabaloo to the bank where a teller activated Paolo’s card. Right next to the bank was the police station.
“Would you like to be a policeman, Paolo?”
‘Just the facts, ma’am,’ insist policemen Paolo Ibarra, left, and partner.
He nodded his head, eyes wide.
Getting a job, however, required getting in line and we noted with surprise Paolo’s willingness — over and over — to quietly wait his turn, for this kid is normally anything but patient.
Once inside the police station, Paolo was issued a uniform and a very official-looking cap and then, as a member of a group of new recruits, he was given instructions by a young adult using audiovisual aids.
A few minutes later, Paolo emerged in the company of an older child who had a clipboard in his hand and a no-nonsense determined look on his face. It was clear the two of them had a mission, with no time to explain any details of it to me.
Off they went, hither and yon, knocking on doors (which instantly opened: they were the police, after all!) and checking things off on their list. Suddenly we heard the siren of a fire truck and — one second later — Paolo and partner were pulling a police-line tape across the street, stopping the flow of pedestrians. Policeman Paolo looked like he had been doing this all his life.
Having been paid for his work, Paolo joined a class at an art studio where he put on a smock and took a painting lesson — which cost him a few kidZos.
Having found an accident victim, the doctor checks his medical bag.
Now he decided he wanted to join the team of paramedics we had seen tooling around the streets in an ambulance. This profession, however, was almost as popular as that of firefighter. “You’ll have to wait in line, Paolo, maybe a long time.”
“I’ll wait!” was the reply.
Eventually — through a window in the hospital — we saw Paolo and five others learning to use a stethoscope and other medical instruments. Soon the squad of paramedics was clambering into the ambulance, off to rescue one of their own members who had volunteered to be the accident victim.
Upon reaching el herido out on the street, it was Paolo who discovered the poor soul was still alive, diligently applying the stethoscope to body parts I’d never expect to exhibit a heartbeat — which had some of us onlookers in stitches. With the help of crutches, the victim made his way to the ambulance and from there to the emergency room.
By now it was time to go, but Paolo stopped off at the department store to spend some of his hard-earned cash (very little, actually) on a bubble-blower.
“Which of your jobs did you like best, Paolo?”
He answered without hesitation: “Doctor!”
[soliloquy id="75025"]
A small screen outside the hospital gives info on what the children might learn as paramedics: “You will learn to listen to patients and to discover their needs while working with a team to deal with emergencies and to apply first aid.”
It also lists the children’s skills which might be improved during this activity: self-knowledge, critical thinking, creativity, communicating, teamwork and motor skills. Among the values it tries to promote are respect, integrity, responsibility and honesty.
The enhanced role play offered by KidZania comes to the children through all five senses. They learn by doing, and in many cases the results will be awarenesses which they will never forget. All this contrasts dramatically with reading a book while seated in a schoolroom.
A video clip on KidZania states that “Kids can do amazing things when they are given the chance.” These words echo those of the great educator Caleb Gattegno, who demonstrated that first-graders can easily do algebra — and have fun doing it — if only placed in the right environment and given the right tools.
KidZania’s pedagogical approach is called experience-based learning, committed to encourage, develop and reinforce children’s expertise, skills and values through the medium of role play, taking as a basis that children “learn by doing.”
Like Gattegno’s teaching approaches, KidZania offers real learning which also entertains. Let’s hope that educators will pick up a few pointers from Xavier López’s creation and help turn the world’s schools into places of learning, just as beneficial and exciting as the KidZania centers popping up all over the planet.
The writer has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for more than 30 years and is the author of A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area and co-author of Outdoors in Western Mexico. More of his writing can be found on his website.
