Infighting among members of the Sinaloa Cartel has continued following the arrest of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. (José Betanzos/Cuartoscuro)
Violence has spiked in the northern state of Sinaloa in recent days, as organized crime responds to the recent arrests of alleged Sinaloa Cartel leaders Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García and Joaquín Guzmán López.
Ten homicides in the state on Friday and Saturday are linked to organized crime, Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya told a press conference on Monday.
Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha addressed the media on Monday after 10 more cartel-related murders during the weekend. (Jose Betanzos/Cuartoscuro)
There were two more murders in the northern state on Sunday, but they weren’t immediately linked to cartel activity.
“On Saturday there were six [murders] and on Friday there were four. These 10 murders have to do with organized crime groups,” Rocha said.
Among the homicide victims was Martín García Corrales, an accused fentanyl trafficker and alleged “close associate” of Zambada, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera and “Los Chapitos,” as El Chapo’s sons are known.
The recent arrest of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada has triggered infighting between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. (Cuartoscuro)
Earlier last week, an alleged gunman for Zambada known as “El Vampi” and another man nicknamed “Tocino” (Bacon) were murdered in Culiacán.
A faction of the Sinaloa Cartel led by El Mayo and another headed up by Los Chapitos have been involved in a dispute for years.
Rocha said that the current situation in the state is concerning and didn’t rule out an escalation of violence in the coming days. Authorities are alert to that possibility, he said.
Zambada claims he was kidnapped by Guzmán López and his associates, forced onto a private plane and flown to an airport near El Paso, Texas, against his will. He alleges his kidnapping occurred outside the city of Culiacán after he was lured by Guzmán López to a supposed meeting between Governor Rocha and former Culiacán mayor Héctor Cuén, who was murdered on July 25.
Rocha has denied any knowledge of the meeting, and highlighted that he traveled to Los Angeles that day.
Feds beef up security
The federal government dispatched an additional 600 troops to Sinaloa in the wake of the recent homicides. They are mainly deployed to Culiacán and surrounding areas.
Security across Sinaloa has been increased in the wake of rising cartel violence. (José Betanzos/Cuartoscuro)
The Reforma newspaper reported that the strong presence of soldiers in Culiacán on Monday reminded residents of the deployment of troops to the city in October 2019 after the so-called Culiacanazo — a wave of cartel attacks in response to the capture of Ovidio Guzmán López — one of Los Chapitos — who was released by federal authorities amid the mayhem.
The additional 600 troops join 400 soldiers who were deployed to Sinaloa in the days after the arrests of Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López.
Before the two men were taken into U.S. custody, there were already some 2,800 soldiers deployed to Sinaloa, though these have mainly been involved in activities such as the detection and dismantling of clandestine drug labs and natural disaster response.
Rocha said Monday that “the army knows where the hotspots are” and is acting accordingly.
“They have a strategy that I believe is adequate,” the governor said.
Tropical Storm Gilma is expected to dissipate in the coming days, though stormy weather will still cause heavy rains throughout much of Mexico. (NOAA)
More rain is expected for several parts of Mexico this week, according to weather forecasts by the National Meteorological System (SMN).
On Tuesday, a new tropical wave will move between the southeastern states of Quintana Roo and Yucatán, bringing heavy rain along the way. On Wednesday it will reach southern Oaxaca and Guerrero before extending to the Valley of Mexico, Puebla, Morelos and surrounding areas.
The government forecast suggests significant rains are ahead for much of Mexico. (Conagua)
By Thursday, another tropical wave will enter the Yucatán Peninsula and move west between Friday and Sunday to the Valley of Mexico, the Southern Bajío, western Jalisco and Nayarit. Both waves are expected to become unstable and generate strong storms along their path.
Despite the rain, afternoons will continue to be hot in the northwest, north, northeast and the Yucatán Peninsula. In these regions, temperatures are expected to soar over 40 C in Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas and Campeche.
Rain forecast by state
Very heavy rains (75 to 150 mm): Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit and Jalisco.
Heavy rains (50 to 75 mm): Chihuahua, Durango, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche and Yucatán.
Light rains (25 to 50 mm): Baja California Sur, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Puebla, México state and Quintana Roo.
Showers (5 to 25 mm): Baja California, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Mexico City and Morelos.
Tropical Storm Gilma expected to dissipate
The SMN forecasts that Tropical Storm Gilma will evolve into a category 2 hurricane off the coast of Punta Eugenia, in the Baja California Sur municipality of Mulegé. At this time, Gilma poses no threat to the country and meteorologists expect it to dissipate by Saturday.
Meanwhile, the National Water Commission (Conagua) is monitoring three low pressure areas in the Pacific Ocean that could develop into tropical cyclones in upcoming days.
The low pressure area closest to mainland Mexico is south of the coasts of Colima and Jalisco. The likelihood of cyclone development is 70% in 48 hours and 90% in seven days. The second low pressure area is southwest of the Baja California peninsula, with a 70% probability of becoming a cyclone in seven days.
The third and farthest zone is likewise southwest of the Baja California Peninsula, with 20% probability of becoming a cyclone in the next week.
Volunteering in the local community can make a huge difference - but don't mistake willingness to help with being a saviour. (United Planet)
While chatting with a woman headed to Hawaii at the San Diego airport, I explained that my husband and I live in Mexico for part of the year. “Are you able to help the folks down there?” she asked. “Help?” I asked, bristling. “Well, I like to connect with people. I don’t know about ‘helping’ them.” I was annoyed by her comment, the idea that Mexicans need help. I did not decide to move to Mexico to be some kind of missionary, but rather to experience a different way of life, culture, language and worldview.
Patronato Pro Niños in San Miguel de Allende is a civil association that helps the welfare of children. (Facebook)
There’s nothing wrong with helping, of course. In fact, I think it’s important wherever we are to contribute to the society where we live. Many expats I know, not only in Guanajuato where we live, but all over Mexico, volunteer their time, energy, and money to support their local communities — and that’s a good thing.
But the attitude that Mexicans need our help and that we are in a superior position to offer it is condescending and disrespectful. Besides, I could use some help myself. In Mexico, I notice how impatient and intolerant I can be. Nothing like living in another culture to wake you up! I thought about this again when I offered to give a series of presentations on personal health to working-class moms through DIF, the Mexican federal government department whose mission is to strengthen the welfare of families. I’d led similar workshops in the United States, so the content of my talks in Guanajuato was not new. But giving them in Spanish was something else!
I prepared for a couple of weeks, working with my Spanish tutor to review my grammar and vocabulary. Then, she and I spent another session discussing the dynamics. How could I engage the audience members and get them involved? What could I expect from the participants? Would they respond to questions or sit there passively? Would they interact when I offered an exercise?
During this period, a new Mexican-American acquaintance with whom I was discussing these presentations unexpectedly challenged me. She said that she thought what I was doing was insulting and that it was inappropriate for me, as an outsider, to offer my expertise.
The Guanajuato DIF, where the workshops were held. (Gobierno de Guanajuato)
I was so blindsided by her criticism that I didn’t dig in and try to find out why. Later I talked it over with my tutor — the last thing I wanted to do was insult people! She disagreed with my friend, pointing out that I wasn’t taking a job away from anyone but simply offering information as a volunteer. Since the director of the agency had welcomed my ideas, it seemed unlikely that I was being offensive.
Painful though my friend’s comments had felt, her feedback did ultimately help me, though I never felt comfortable with her again. I realized I didn’t want to come across as an expert with answers, telling people what they “should” do; rather, I wanted to be a peer, another woman trying to figure out how to take care of her mind and body in a complicated world. And I also wanted to honor the wisdom and intelligence of the women I was addressing. Particularly in a male-dominated, classist-based culture like Mexico, I sense that women often feel inferior, inadequate and “wrong.” If these women did indeed feel that way, would it be possible to help them feel stronger?
With that in mind, I went through the content again and shifted the emphasis so that it was more about reinforcing the healthy habits Mexican moms already had, and less about improvements they could make. For example, in my talk on walking, I started by asking the women how they had arrived at the center where I gave the presentation. All but two had walked. Congratulating them, I said, “I imagine owning a car sounds good, but you’re actually far fitter because you walk every day, rather than many of my compatriots who drive.” And it’s true; in Guanajuato, most residents conduct their lives on foot and by bus.
The certificate presented to Louisa as thanks for her work with the DIF. (Louisa Rogers)
Meanwhile, there were several surprises in store for me. After my presentation on mindful eating, one participant approached me, asking if I could offer a workshop on overcoming emotional eating. A woman after my own heart! And in the session on stress, two house cleaners said that their favorite time of the day was being alone in their client’s home, so they could finally enjoy solitude. And I thought Mexicans always preferred to be surrounded by family!
At the end of the series, I was deeply touched when the coordinator of the program honored me with a certificate and the gift of a red shawl.
Of course, I hope the women in my audience came away feeling empowered by the themes we discussed. But the talks also benefited me. As we discussed areas that mattered deeply to all of us, these women, through their honesty and sharing, helped me gain insights into their lives and into Mexican culture. Thanks to them, I’m learning, and what could be more exciting than continual learning in my adopted home?
Louisa Rogers and her husband Barry Evans divide their lives between Guanajuato and Eureka, on California’s North Coast. Louisa writes articles and essays about expat life, Mexico, travel, physical and psychological health, retirement and spirituality. Her recent articles can be found on her website.
It might be very immoral. But also, it might be a lack of nuance. Sarah DeVries explores society's complex relationship with our history. (Channel 4)
Here’s a lesson I’m trying to instill in my daughter: don’t take yourself (or anything) too seriously.
How successful have I been? Honestly, not very; she’s a serious, sensitive kid. Think of a Mexican Wednesday Addams, but one that smiles and plays occasionally. She’s also super cool and smart in ways that I will never be, and I know that some of the things that drive me a little nuts now will serve her well when she’s grown.
Wednesday Addams in pink and a facemask, that is. (Sarah DeVries)
As for me, super intense people downright repel me. It’s okay to be passionate about things, but also, freaking relax. Everyone just seems so worked up lately, you know?
Norm MacDonald in his last show, Nothing Special,summed up all this newly intense energy well. To paraphrase: When I was young, people had, maybe, six opinions. And most of them were about food!
What they did to us
Back to my daughter. She’s at an age now (10) where she’s starting to decide, firmly, what she thinks is good and bad. When you’re a kid and don’t have a lot of experience in the world, it’s easy to be an absolutist. “This is good, and this is bad.”
Really, though, nuance seems to be in short supply in general, even for those far older than 10.
We found ourselves facing exactly this situation last week when, on our way home from Veracruz, we decided to stop in La Antigua.
Ironic. Cortés could conquer Mexico, but now his empire has been conquered by these trees. (La Antigua/Government of Mexico)
La Antigua is tiny little town on a river which happens to be home to one of the first “Casas de Cortés.” Its structure has been preserved, but as happens in many places in Veracruz, the trees have taken over. “This is ours now.”
It’s just as well. Who loves Cortés?
Not my kid, that’s who. She spent most of the time walking around the ruins talking about how terrible the conquest had been. Yes, I said. It was bad. But also, it wasn’t quite as simple as you’re imagining, and certainly not a battle between “all good” and “all evil.”
What do Mexicans think of Cortés?
She seemed to consider my boring lecture about how things went down for a few minutes. But then she launched into how she didn’t like Spaniards because of “what they did to us.”
Now, just hold it right there.
Humans are humans everywhere, and who happens to be the more powerful ones in any given point in history isn’t even all that important. It’s not who the powerful are as people; it’s the fact of being powerful. Being powerful makes humans feel and act a certain way.
Was it Cortés’ Spanishness that led him to conquer Mexico, or a lust for power – and should the Spanish of today be held responsible for it? (Gaceta UNAM)
Given our vast cultural differences, you’d think we’d all treat power vastly, vastly differently. But as anyone who’s studied history knows, that’s not the case. Our entitled behavior when we’ve got a leg up on others is embarrassingly universal.
Besides, modern-day Spaniards, goofy accents aside, are perfectly nice people. The only Mexican thing they want to conquer these days are the hearts of cute Mexicans.
Meaningless activism
This “We hate the Spaniards because of what they did to us,” of course, did not originate with my daughter. It’s a sentiment I hear quite a bit, and one I have little patience for. Admittedly, it draws out my defensiveness too, because I know that we gringos aren’t far behind in line for the chopping block.
And I do not want my daughter thinking that it’s cool to disown half of who she is. She was upset the day her friend from school had said a nuclear bomb should be dropped on the United States. I will not let her get close to agreeing with that statement.
Monuments to Spanish hegemony are frequent targets for activists across Mexico. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
How easy “activism” is when you don’t even have to do anything other than act mad! When I hear that particular complaint, I can’t help my usual quip. “If you hate them so much, then why don’t you boycott them? Learn some indigenous languages and then stop speaking Spanish. And stop worshiping the gods they brought you.”
That, of course, would require a lot of effort, and it’s not practical. Not the language part, anyway. I think this is exactly why we should learn to acknowledge our complicated history. Sometimes, you just have to sit uncomfortably with things.
Besides, there are plenty of problems to solve right now. We can use those passionate, worked up feelings for actually fixing things rather than wasting them on some vague sense of resentment. You know, problems we’ve currently got in front of us. Solutions that will benefit us, and our kids, and (hopefully) future generations.
So I don’t care how bored and fed up she gets. She’s getting a lot of lectures on nuance and the human condition.
The Catholic Church called on Sheinbaum to focus on reconcilation as Mexico, like many countries, faces an era of political polarization. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
The Catholic Church in Mexico has urged President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum and other incoming politicians to prioritize the construction of national reconciliation in a recently published editorial.
“We call on our president-elect, her working group and all elected politicians who will soon take office to promote during this period of transition the path toward building a reconciliation with solid foundations, which helps to overcome the conflicts that divide us, strengthens national unity and opens the doors to dialogue and mutual listening. We are convinced that in this way we will achieve social peace,” the editorial said.
Sheinbaum will be sworn in as Mexico’s first female president on Oct. 1, while federal lawmakers elected at the June 2 elections will assume their positions a month earlier.
The Catholic Church also invited citizens “to join this collective effort for reconciliation because the construction of a united country requires the joining of efforts.”
“In addition, the majority of reconciliation activities occur in small groups, in families, among friends, at work, and from there they grow until they strengthen into an action that can unite millions,” the editorial said.
The editorial appeared in Desde la Fe, the official magazine of the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico. (Desde la Fe)
While Sheinbaum and the ruling Morena party won comprehensive victories on June 2, there is little doubt that Mexico is a politically polarized nation.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has maintained high approval ratings throughout his six-year term, but millions of Mexicans believe that he — and the president-elect — pose a threat to Mexico and its democratic institutions, in part due to the constitutional reform proposals the president submitted to Congress earlier this year and which Sheinbaum supports.
In its editorial, the Catholic Church sought to explain what real reconciliation would entail.
“When we talk about reconciliation we’re not referring to a fragile peace, much less a forced embrace or a commitment that only seeks to please groups that think differently. A reconciliation that has these individualistic foundations and with partial interests runs the risk of breaking quickly,” the Church said.
It also said that “the path to reconciliation is not about a fight between good or bad or “a clash of ideologies.”
“It means learning to walk together,” the Church said.
“When we talk about reconciliation we’re referring to coming to terms with events that have hurt us, that have caused suffering,” the editorial said, without offering specific details.
“… We’re talking about coming together to renew ourselves and grow together. Finding ourselves in that place where we stop thinking selfishly and individually in order to recognize ourselves as brothers, looking into each other’s eyes, embracing our histories and differences,” the Church said.
The publication of the editorial coincides with Pope Francis’ call for prayers for political leaders in August, specifically that they “be at the service of their own people, working for integral human development and for the common good, especially caring for the poor and those who have lost their jobs.”
The Catholic Church in Mexico suggested that readers of its editorial should ask God for “the gifts” required to be “builders of peace and reconciliation.”
There is considerable expectation that Sheinbaum will be less confrontational than López Obrador, who often uses his morning press conference to attack political opponents, a tactic that many say foments, or at least contributes to, divisiveness in Mexico.
In March, Sheinbaum and the two other candidates who contested the presidential election endorsed a “Commitment for Peace” document drawn up by Mexico’s Roman Catholic leadership.
However, the then Morena party candidate and now president-elect expressed disagreement with the Church leaders’ assessment of Mexico’s security situation and some of the peace-building proposals they put forth.
200 endangered sea turtles were seized by federal regulator Profepa at Mexico City International Airport. (Profepa)
Officials from the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (Profepa) conducted a seizure of 200 turtles at Mexico City International Airport (AICM) after their export paperwork was found to be incorrect.
The passenger was traveling with 193 live specimens of broken-breasted turtle (Kinosternon acutum), one dead, and six live specimens of broken-chest scorpion turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides). They were all traveling under documentation that corresponded to the white-lipped broken-breasted turtle (Kinosternon leucostomum).
The surviving turtles were sent to a federally managed facility. (Profepa)
The illegal pet market is one of the main factors contributing to the extinction of species in their natural habitat.
In Mexico City metro area alone, Profepa said, between 150 and 200 exotic animals are seized every year. Mexico City Profepa chief Lucio García Gil told newspaper La Jornada that the most common species seized in the capital include exotic birds such as macaws or parrots, reptiles, primates and big cats. These are owned by wealthy families, merchants and even drug lords.
One such example was a monkey named “Botas,” a who belonged to notorious cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Mexican law permits the ownership of exotic wildlife provided they are acquired from authorized firms and proper care is provided
In Mexico, illegal possession and trafficking of turtles can result in up to nine years in prison and fines ranging between 74,400 pesos to 744,000 pesos (US $3,981 to $39,810).
Survivors of the attack sought refuge in nearby homes before their van was set on fire. (X)
An armed attack on a vehicle transporting migrants early Sunday morning left one child dead and eight adults injured in the northern border state of Sonora, according to the state’s Attorney General’s Office (FGJES).
The incident occurred near the Tubutama-Sáric highway junction around 1:15 a.m. on Aug. 18, when unknown assailants opened fire on a van carrying migrants.
The deceased minor was a boy from southern Mexico, officials said, and the wounded included Mexicans and people from Ecuador and Africa, according to the Associated Press, despite earlier reports that the victims were from Haiti.
After the attack, the surviving victims — five men and three women — sought refuge in nearby homes, fearing further violence. Later, the injured were transported to a nearby health center for treatment.
No age was given for the deceased minor.
A video of the van being hauled away shows that its windows were shattered and that it had been set on fire.
Matan a niño en ataque a migrantes en Tubutama, Sonora
FGJES also noted it was “deploying security forces from all three levels of government,” including the National Defense Ministry (Sedena). “A coordinated operation involving ground and air support is underway.”
As of early Monday afternoon, FGJES had not provided any updates on social media.
The incident occurred near the remote municipality of Tubutama, located in a sparsely populated region known for its rugged terrain about 50 kilometers from the U.S. border. The area is subjected to conflicts between criminal groups, largely due to its proximity to drug trafficking routes.
More than 500,000 travelers have used the new Tulum airport, according to Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama. (Mara Lezama/X)
The Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport in the Caribbean resort city of Tulum has seen over half a million passengers since its opening on Dec. 1, 2023, according to Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama.
The governor spoke at President López Obrador’s morning press conference last week. (lopezobrador.org.mx)
“But what’s really impressive is the progression of that growth,” Lezama emphasized.
In March, the month it inaugurated its first international route, the Tulum airport saw over 5,000 international passengers. The following month, the number jumped ten-fold — increasing to 53,000 — and in July, the Tulum airport received over 88,000 international passengers.
Overall, counting national and international flights, the airport saw flight operations increase from 316 in December to 1,040 in July, or approximately 35 flights per day.
“In just four months, the number of international passengers multiplied by 16 and the projection is fabulous,” Lezama said. She added that if the trend continues, the airport could close the year with total domestic and international passenger traffic of 1.4 million.
Tulum airport has now become the 10th busiest in the country. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
The increase in international passenger traffic puts Tulum airport as the 10th terminal with the most international passenger traffic among Mexican airports, representing 0.7% of the market share. It is also the second airport in Quintana Roo — behind Cancún — with the most international passenger traffic, surpassing older airports like Cozumel and Playa del Carmen.
Currently, three domestic airlines and five international carriers operate at Tulum airport. International destinations from Tulum include Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami in the U.S., Montreal and Toronto in Canada, and Panama City in Panama.
Upcoming flights to Tulum airport
New routes operating from Tulum include the following:
Frankfurt-Tulum, starting Dec. 12 and operated by Discover Airlines.
Minneapolis-Tulum, starting Jan. 11, 2025, operated by Delta Air Lines.
Detroit-Tulum, starting Jan. 11, 2025, operated by Delta Air Lines.
Ignacio Mier, Morena's chief in the lower house of Congress, announced the changes at a Friday press conference. (Diputados Morena/X)
Federal court employees in Mexico went on strike Monday over President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s proposed judicial reform bill. The strike comes just after Morena, the president’s party, announced a series of modifications to the proposal on Friday.
If the judicial reform passes Congress, it will allow Mexicans to directly elect Supreme Court justices and other judges starting next year.
The ruling Morena party submitted to Congress on Friday a modified version of the constitutional reform proposal President Andrés Manuel López Obrador sent to the federal legislature in February.
Ignacio Mier, Morena’s leader in the Chamber of Deputies, told a press conference that the judicial reform proposal filed with the Constitutional Points Committee of the lower house has more than 100 changes from the original draft submitted by López Obrador.
Despite the changes, the key objective of the initiative remains — to allow citizens to elect judges. Candidates would be put forward by the sitting president, lawmakers and the judiciary itself. An equal number of men and women would have to be nominated.
Under the proposal, the justices of the Supreme Court and other federal judges would be elected rather than nominated. (CDMX Servicio de Medios Públicos)
Critics of the reform argue that it would jeopardize the independence of the judiciary and reduce checks and balances on executive power. López Obrador — an outspoken critic of the judiciary — denies the charges.
Mier said Friday that one modification allows for the staggered election of judges, but all 11 Supreme Court justices would be elected in 2025.
“It’s going to be gradual, it’s going to staggered. There will be an extraordinary election in 2025 [and] there will be another ordinary one at the same time as the federal [midterm] election in 2027. … The 2025 election will be to elect all justices of the Supreme Court and 50% of judges,” he said.
Mier said that various technical committees would ensure that candidates meet the legal criteria to be judges.
“This guarantees legal certainty and a justice system that guarantees the people of Mexico access to justice,” he said.
Mier said that the revised reform proposal would be made public in 10 days.
Juan Ramiro Robledo Ruiz, a Morena deputy and head of the Constitutional Points Committee, said that all current judges will be able to participate in elections.
Morena Deputy Juan Ramiro Robledo, leader of the Constitutional Points Committee, speaks at Friday’s press conference. (Diputados Morena/X)
“There won’t be campaigns” ahead of the elections but the candidates will have the opportunity to outline their merits at debates organized by the National Electoral Institute, he said.
As it seeks to change the constitution, the judicial reform proposal requires the support of at least two-thirds of lawmakers in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate in order to be approved.
Recently-elected lawmakers assume their positions on Sept. 1. Morena and its allies, the Labor Party and the Green Party, will have a two-thirds majority in the lower house.
However, they will be three votes short of a supermajority in the Senate. That means they will need to rely on the support of a few opposition senators to pass constitutional bills.
Still, the reform could conceivably be approved before López Obrador hands over the presidential sash to Claudia Sheinbaum on Oct. 1.
The president submitted 20 reform proposals to Congress in February, including ones aimed at disbanding a number of autonomous government agencies and incorporating the National Guard into the military.
Court workers go on strike over proposed judicial reform
Court employees across Mexico commenced strikes early Monday to protest the judicial reform proposal.
Federal court workers on strike Monday in Mexico City. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
Among the states where indefinite strikes began are Mexico City, Nuevo León, Puebla and Yucatán. Various unions representing judicial employees organized the nationwide job action.
Court workers in Mexico City who spoke with the El Universal newspaper said they are “defending Mexico from the abuse of authoritarian power.”
They said they would attend to urgent judicial cases, including ones where people’s lives were potentially at risk.
Videos posted online showed some workers placing chains around gates to courts and other judicial complexes shortly after strikes began at midnight.
The judicial unions said in a statement that the judicial reform seeks to “subjugate the federal judicial power.”
The judiciary, they asserted, is “the only counterweight” to executive and legislative power and “the guarantor of the rights of all people of Mexico, against the abuses and arbitrary actions of authorities.”
Con este comunicado, trabajadores del Poder Judicial iniciaron el #ParoNacional e hicieron un llamado a la población para unirse a su causa pues alertan que la reforma pretende someter al Poder Judicial como contrapeso. #apartadomexpic.twitter.com/IrUfxVraPZ
The judicial workers’ union released a statement warning that the proposed reform would “subjugate” the judicial branch, compromising its ability to act as a check on the executive and legislative branches.
The unions also said that the proposed reform poses a threat to the rights of court workers as it “seeks to eliminate the judicial career” based on “a system of merit.”
In addition, they said that judicial workers — of whom there are some 55,000 in Mexico — haven’t been given the opportunity to express their views on the reform, asserting that they were denied access to forums where it was discussed.
AMLO: Workers who continue to strike support corruption
At his morning press conference on Monday, President López Obrador said that court workers have the right to protest. He also defended his government’s judicial reform proposal.
“It doesn’t affect the workers. On the contrary, it benefits them. Let’s see if tomorrow or the day after it can be explained again,” he said, indicating that an official would outline the proposal at one of his upcoming pressers.
“… All this so the workers aren’t manipulated, so that the federal judicial workers have information. We’re not against the workers of Mexico, we’re against corruption and privileges,” said López Obrador, who has accused judges of serving the interests of the elite and described the salaries earned by some as “exaggerated and offensive.”
If workers decide to continue to strike even after they have the information to be presented by the government “they will serve as lackeys of those who are part of the corruption in the judicial power,” he said.
The Supreme Court and other courts have handed down various rulings against government projects and policies in recent years, angering the president.
López Obrador has claimed that Mexico’s judiciary is “at the service of a greedy and corrupt minority” of Mexican society as well as the country’s “conservative” political parties.
He has asserted that the nation’s judicial system needs to be overhauled, and believes that allowing citizens to elect Supreme Court justices and other judges is a key part of that process.
The Misión México Foundation event will offer attendees the chance to participate in a silent auction, sip cocktails and attend an expert panel on immigration in Mexico. (Misión México)
Traveling is all about connecting with people and places in a meaningful way, and sometimes that means giving back to the communities that have welcomed us with open arms. That’s why Mexico News Daily is partnering with the Misión México Foundation (MMF) to host a cross-cultural evening with panel discussions on immigration and how to ethically give back to your new community. All proceeds will go to MMF, which works to provide Chiapas’ most vulnerable children with safe homes and high-quality education.
If you’ve ever found yourself falling in love with the warmth and culture of Mexico, you might have also felt the urge to give something in return. But figuring out how to give back ethically can be tricky — especially when you hear about donations going astray or well-meaning expats getting caught up in harmful systems.
Take Jenna Mayhew, a psychologist who made the leap from Australia to Mexico. Like many new arrivals, she was keen to make a positive impact but found navigating the world of ethical giving a bit overwhelming. After doing her homework and connecting with the Misión México Foundation (MMF), she discovered a reliable way to make a difference.
Who are the Misión México Foundation?
The Misión México Foundation, based in Tapachula, Chiapas, started as a small house for orphaned children and has blossomed into a long-term care home for some of the state’s most vulnerable kids. These are children who’ve been removed from their families by the government and have no chance of returning home. MMF provides them with stable, therapeutic housing throughout their childhood and even supports them as they move into independent living.
It’s not just about providing a roof over their heads. MMF ensures the children are educated, bilingual, and given the tools to pursue their dreams — whether that’s becoming a doctor and opening a clinic in their community or working to improve their local economies as an entrepreneur or community leader.
MMF provides trauma-informed, long-term care internationally overseen by a team of experts. The foundation ensures these kids receive the compassion and support they deserve. MMF’s reach also extends beyond the children’s home, helping immigrants passing through Chiapas and supporting other vulnerable groups, like young mothers in need.
If you’re in Mexico City on Aug. 22, why not join us? The event takes place at Zuzu Restaurant in Roma Norte, starting at 7:30 p.m. Mexico News Daily CEO Travis Bembenek will join a panel to discuss the ins and outs of immigration to Mexico and how we can all meaningfully contribute to our communities.
For just 500 pesos, you’ll get a cocktail, appetizers, and the chance to be part of something special. You’ll hear from Travis, along with Mexican women’s rights advocate Karina Ojeda Valle and visual artist E.FLO. Plus, there’s a silent auction and a presentation by MMF Director Melissa Biggerstaff.
