Mexico and Ecuador face off at the International Court of Justice

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May 1, 2024

International Court of Justice courtroom at the start of hearings — Hearings began in the case Mexico brought against Ecuador on Tuesday at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Ecuador has filed its own suit against Mexico for interference in internal affairs. (UN Photo/ICJ-CIJ/Frank van Beek)

Almost a month after Ecuadorian police broke into the Mexican Embassy in Quito and detained a former Ecuadorian vice president who was taking refuge there, Mexico and Ecuador are involved in a dispute over the matter at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands.

During the second day of proceedings on Wednesday, Ecuador accused Mexico of blatant interference in its internal affairs by providing a safe haven for ex-vice president Jorge Glas, a convicted criminal and fugitive from justice until his arrest at the Mexican Embassy on April 5.

Jorge Glas after his arrest in the Mexican embassy in Quito — Jorge Glas was arrested in a raid on the Mexican Embassy in Quito on April 5, which led Mexico to break diplomatic relations with Ecuador. (National Police of Ecuador)

In that context, the South American nation defended its storming of the embassy, an act that Mexico, and many other countries, said was a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

“Mexico, for months misused its diplomatic premises in Quito to shelter a common criminal,” Andrés Terán Parral, Ecuador’s Ambassador to the Netherlands and the head of its legal team in the ICJ case, told judges at the United Nations’ top court.

The case stems from a lawsuit filed by Mexico for what Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Bárcena described as “the flagrant violations committed by the Republic of Ecuador against the Mexican embassy and its diplomatic personnel on the night of Friday, April 5, 2024.”

In its April 11 filing, Mexico asked the court to award compensation and suspend Ecuador from the United Nations. It also asked the ICJ to take “appropriate and immediate steps to provide full protection and security of [its] diplomatic premises” in Quito in order to prevent any further raids.

Alejandro Celorio at the International Court of Justice — Alejandro Celorio, legal advisor to Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, speaks at the opening of the hearings on Tuesday. (UN Photo/ICJ-CIJ/Frank van Beek)

Alejandro Celorio Alcántara, legal advisor for Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, told the court on Tuesday that Ecuador had crossed “lines in international law which should not be crossed.”

The storming of the embassy came some four months after Glas — who has been convicted twice on corruption charges in Ecuador — took up residence, and a day after Ecuador declared Mexico’s ambassador to the South American nation a persona non grata.

Mexico broke diplomatic relations with Ecuador over the raid. Glas, who served as vice president in governments led by two Ecuadorian presidents, had been granted asylum by Mexico just hours before he was arrested.

Terán told the ICJ on Wednesday that the circumstances that led to police breaking into Mexico’s embassy in the Ecuadorian capital were exceptional.

Members of the delegation of Ecuador in the court — On Wednesday, Ecuador’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Andrés Terán Parral (left), described Jorge Glas as a “common criminal” who had been shielded from justice by the Mexican government. (UN Photo/ICJ-CIJ/Frank van Beek)

He also said that there was no need for the ICJ to take steps to ensure the security of the Mexican Embassy in Quito as “Ecuador has already provided assurances of its own volition, both to Mexico and to this court, that it will respect and protect the premises of Mexico.”

In addition, Terán noted that Ecuador had never previously raided a foreign embassy in its country and asserted it wouldn’t do so again. Prior to the raid, Ecuadorian authorities sought authorization from Ambassador Raquel Serur to enter the Mexican Embassy to detain Glas, but the request was not granted.

Another lawyer for Ecuador, Sean Murphy, told the ICJ that Mexico made “no genuine attempt” to negotiate a settlement with the Ecuadorian government, which — according to an Associated Press report — was “one of the preconditions for the court to impose interim orders.”

AP said that “judges will likely take weeks to reach a decision on Mexico’s request for preliminary orders” relating to the protection of its embassy in Quito. Mexican diplomatic staff deployed to the Ecuadorian capital returned to Mexico after bilateral ties were severed.

The ICJ is not likely to issue a final judgement in the dispute between Mexico and Ecuador any time soon.

Reuters reported that “ICJ cases typically take years before reaching a final judgment and while its rulings are legally binding, the court has no means of enforcing them.”

Ecuador files its own suit against Mexico

Before this week’s proceedings began, Ecuador filed its own complaint against Mexico with the ICJ over what it claimed was an illegal move to grant political asylum to Glas, who is now in a maximum security prison in the Ecuadorian port city of Guayaquil.

Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that Mexico failed to comply with “its obligations not to grant asylum to people who are being prosecuted or are on trial for common crimes or have been convicted by competent ordinary courts.”

Ecuador asked the International Court of Justice to rule that Mexico’s conduct violated several international conventions.

Former vice president of Ecuador Jorge Glas speaking into a microphone — Former vice president of Ecuador Jorge Glas (2013-2017) back in 2015, when he was serving under President Rafael Correa. (Micaela Ayala/Flickr)

The ICJ noted that in its suit, Ecuador “contends that Mexico used the premises of its diplomatic mission in Quito between 17 December 2023 and 5 April 2024 ‘to shield Mr. Glas from enforcement by Ecuador of its criminal law’ in relation to several criminal proceedings and investigations instituted by Ecuador against him, and that these actions ‘constituted, among other things, a blatant misuse of the premises of a diplomatic mission.'”

It also noted that “Ecuador further accuses Mexico of unlawfully granting Mr Glas political asylum and of interfering in its internal affairs.”

No date has been set for hearings in the lawsuit filed by Ecuador.

With reports from Reuters, AP, Milenio and France 24

CDMX poor air quality alert remains in effect for second day

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MND Staff

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May 1, 2024

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hazy Mexico City skyline with view of the Independence Angel — The Mexico City skyline struggles for visibility through a second consecutive day of hazy, polluted air on Wednesday. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

Yearning for a clear day in Mexico City? Residents had no luck with that on Wednesday as the Environmental Commission of the Megalopolis (CAMe) announced, for the second day in a row, that poor air quality conditions would continue in Mexico’s capital.

The intergovernmental coordinating agency oversees environmental protection in Mexico City and neighboring states.

People crossing a pedestrian bridge in mexico city — Heat reaching 30 C and a poor air quality rating made for an uncomfortable Wednesday for residents, who were advised to avoid public events and outdoor recreation throughout the day. (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)

According to the Mexico City Air Quality Monitoring System (SMCA), a high-pressure weather system continued exerting influence over the Valley of Mexico on Wednesday, bringing dry and hot weather with clear skies and intense solar radiation throughout the day.

Temperatures were expected to range between 29 C and 30 C (84 F to 86 F). Due to the lack of wind in the early afternoon, pollutants were expected to stagnate. The evening’s air quality was expected to deteriorate further, reaching “poor” to “very poor” conditions.

To avoid health hazards, authorities urged the public to refrain from engaging in any civic, cultural or recreational activities, as well as outdoor exercise, from 1–7 p.m. Those most at risk from exposure include children, people with asthma and lung diseases, older adults and active outdoor workers.

Just after 3 p.m. today, the SMCA warned of a dangerous level of ozone detected in the Valley of Mexico municipality Cuautitlan Izcalli, located in México state.

Authorities also reminded the public that today’s Hoy No Circula restrictions apply to private vehicles with the following characteristics:

A double-zero (00) or zero (0) hologram sticker and a license plate number ending in 3 or 4 equivalent to a red sticker
A No. 1 hologram sticker and a license plate ending in the number 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 or 9
Any vehicle with a No. 2 hologram sticker

Exempt vehicles include hybrid cars and those with an ecological license plate or exemption-type hologram. Vehicles that carry a valid double-zero or single-zero hologram sticker and have a yellow, pink, green or blue sticker are also exempt.

The Hoy No Circula program, which has been in place since 1989, seeks to reduce emissions in the capital by prohibiting drivers from using their vehicles in the city on a given day of the week.

Air quality in Mexico City is usually poor. The air quality index (AQI) is measured on a scale of zero to 500, with zero being perfect. On a typical day in Mexico City, AQI is around 100, mostly due to pollutants from vehicle emissions.

Over 5 million cars drive through Mexico City every day, releasing carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides into the air. Because the city sits in a high-elevation basin, contaminants rise and hover over the metropolitan area.

The CAMe will issue updated air quality bulletins throughout the day on the social media platform X.

Mexico News Daily

Quintana Roo, Oaxaca and SLP in the lead for economic growth by state

By

MND Staff

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May 1, 2024

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Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Quintana Roo was the only state to record double-digit growth in 2023, bolstered not only by revenue from tourist destinations (like Playa del Carmen, pictured) but by government investment in projects like the Maya Train and new Tulum airport. (Cuartoscuro)

Quintana Roo, Oaxaca and San Luis Potosí recorded the strongest economic growth among Mexico’s 32 federal entities, or states, in 2023, according to data published by the national statistics agency INEGI.

Fourteen states recorded economic growth above the 3.2% annual figure for the Mexican economy as a whole last year, while growth was below that level in 18.

Worker in a BMW plant in San Luis Potosí — BMW is one of the major foreign investors in the state of San Luis Potosí, which had the third-highest GDP growth level of any Mexican state in 2023. (BMW SLP)

The economies of three states — Tamaulipas, Zacatecas and Nayarit — contracted in 2023.

Quintana Roo, the Caribbean coast state home to tourism destinations such as Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, was the only state in the country to record double-digit annual growth last year. Its economy grew 10.2% last year, according to INEGI data.

Oaxaca ranked second with annual growth of 8.3% in 2023, while San Luis Potosí ranked third with an economic expansion of 7.9%.

Rounding out the top five fastest-growing state economies in 2023 were Aguascalientes and Campeche, both of which recorded 5.2% growth.

What are the strongest state economies in Mexico?

The other states that recorded growth above the 3.2% national figure were:

Tabasco, 5.1%
Sonora, 4.9%
Yucatán, 4.8%
Colima, 4.4%
Hidalgo, 4%
Durango, 3.9%
Mexico City, 3.8%
Querétaro, 3.5
Michoacán, 3.5%

Puebla and México state recorded 3.1% economic growth last year, while the economy of Nuevo León — a significant beneficiary of nearshoring investment — expanded 3%.

President López Obrador and officials at the inauguration ceremony of the Interoceanic Train in Isthmus of Tehuantepec — The federal government has invested significant amounts of money in infrastructure projects in Oaxaca, though the state is still recording low formal job creation. (lopezobrador.org.mx)

Six Mexican states — Baja California, Chihuahua, Veracruz, Morelos, Baja California Sur and Jalisco — registered growth of 2%-2.9%, while the economies of five states — Tlaxcala, Guerrero, Chiapas, Guanajuato and Coahuila — grew at a rate between 1% and 1.9%.

GDP in Sinaloa increased by a modest 0.6% in 2023.

Among the three states where GDP declined last year, Tamaulipas recorded the sharpest contraction, with the economy of the northeastern state shrinking by 1%.

The economy in Zacatecas declined 0.9%, while GDP in Nayarit fell by 0.1%.

What factors helped Mexico’s fastest-growing economies in 2023?

Hugo Félix Clímaco, president of the Oaxaca College of Economists, spoke to the newspaper El Economista about the factors that helped Quintana Roo, Oaxaca and San Luis Potosí record strong economic growth in 2023.

Tourism, public investment and the broad coverage of government social programs all benefited the economy of Oaxaca last year, he said.

The federal government has invested significant amounts of money in infrastructure projects in Oaxaca, including the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec — whose modernized railroad began operations late last year — and the new highway between Oaxaca city and the state’s Pacific coast.

Clímaco said that the 8.3% growth recorded in Oaxaca last year was also a product of its “very small [economic] base.”

“… So when a large public investment is made, like that on highways, the interoceanic corridor and the upgrade of the coking plant at the Salina Cruz refinery, it has a very big impact,” he said.

While Oaxaca recorded strong economic growth last year, Clímaco noted that there are many economic challenges in the southern state including high levels of poverty and the highest rate of informal workers in the country.

Chichén Itzá station of the Maya Train — Quintana Roo received significant government resources in 2023 to complete projects such as the Maya Train railroad and the Tulum airport. (Tren Maya/X)

He also noted that the Oaxaca economy added far fewer jobs in 2023 than that of Quintana Roo, even though the former state has a much bigger population than the latter one.

Just over 9,000 additional jobs were created in Oaxaca last year whereas the figure for Quintana Roo was over 37,000.

The economy of Quintana Roo is heavily dependent on tourism, and thus the double-digit growth the state recorded last year can be attributed in large part to the strong performance of that sector, although it also received significant government resources via spending on projects such as the Maya Train railroad and the Tulum airport, which opened in December.

The number of visitors to Quintana Roo increased 8% to 21 million last year, while the state’s tourism revenue jumped 12% to US $21 billion.

“The challenges for Quintana Roo,” Clímaco said, “are ones of equity, greater inclusion and sustainability.”

“… While it is a tourism paradise, its greatest challenge is preserving this paradise. The environmental impact of the Maya Train can’t be denied, nor can the impact of establishing hotels in the Riviera Maya, sometimes with the destruction of mangroves,” he said.

With regard to San Luis Potosí, Mexico’s third fastest-growing state economy last year, Clímaco said that the state is benefiting from nearshoring investment and manufacturing activity. Located in the industrial-focused Bajío region, San Luis Potosí received over US $1.1 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) last year, making the state Mexico’s ninth largest recipient of FDI.

German automotive manufacturer BMW was among the foreign companies that announced new investments in the state last year.

Clímaco said that manufacturing contributes to 37% of GDP in San Luis Potosí, and noted that the state also has a large agricultural sector.

“One of every five residents … works in the agricultural sector,” he said.

With reports from El Economista

Archaeologists unearth unusual find inside Tulum cave

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MND Staff

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May 1, 2024

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A pre-Columbian chultún was discovered underground at the Tulum archaeological zone — This chultún is the first structure of its kind to have been found underneath the Tulum archaeological zone. (INAH)

A pre-Columbian apparatus that could be of great use today — a system for catching rainwater — has been found in the archaeological zone of Tulum, Quintana Roo. However, this one apparently wasn’t used as a catchment, since it was found inside a cave.

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) announced the discovery this week of a chultún, a bottle-shaped structure used in Maya culture.

A person examines human remains in a Tulum cave — This underground chultún is the latest archaeological find inside the cave which was discovered in December 2023. (INAH)

It is the only structure of its type that has been found “indoors” at the Tulum archaeological zone. Located inside a chamber of the cave tabbed Building 25, or Casa del Halach Uinic, the chultún measures 2.48 meters (8.1 feet) in diameter and 2.39 meters (7.8 feet) deep.

According to field manager Enrique Marín Vázquez, the structure “is made up of a layer of ground coral, 1 to 2 centimeters thick, which formed part of the soil surface, and underneath we found reddish clay. Inside, fillings of medium-sized stones, thick layers of pure ash were found and, in the deepest part, we unearthed human bone remains and burned stones.”

Officials said the discovery could correspond to the first occupation of the site, prior to the Late Postclassic period in Mesoamerica (1250-1521).

The finding occurred during work being carried out by the Program for the Improvement of Archaeological Zones (Promeza).

It is the latest notable archaeological find inside the cave, which was blocked at its entrance by a large rock, on top of human remains, before it was uncovered in December 2023.

The cave has unearthed a trove of archaeological finds, such as the remains of 11 people believed to have been members of an upper class.

José Antonio Reyes Solís, the coordinator of the Promeza research project in Tulum, said two chultúns were previously found outside, and both functioned as catchments.

The latest find, he added, “shows a striking difference” from the other two: Not only was it found inside, but “it has no signs of having stored any liquid,” he said. “Rather, it is believed, it functioned as a storehouse for food and plants, and later, had a ritual use.”

The human remains found are in the process of being investigated, he added. One theory is that they were three infants whose bodies were buried with other materials, such as deer antlers, shark teeth and shell earrings.

INAH is working on a virtual tour that will showcase the recent cave findings at the Tulum National Park.

With reports from La Jornada Maya

Hemp vs marijuana: What’s the difference?

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Camila Sánchez Bolaño

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May 1, 2024

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In the cannabis world, confusion often arises between hemp and marijuana. While both are derived from the Cannabis sativa plant, their characteristics and uses differ substantially. Knowing these differences is crucial to understanding their legal impact, applications and effects on the body.

Hemp vs marijuana: What separates them?

The main differentiator between hemp and marijuana is the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, the psychoactive compound responsible for the “high” associated with marijuana. Hemp is low in THC. Legislation in many countries defines hemp as cannabis plants with less than 0.3% THC by dry weight. Hemp is also rich in cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound that has been associated with a variety of health benefits. Marijuana, on the other hand, is cannabis specifically cultivated for its high THC content, which can vary widely depending on the strain. Some strains of marijuana can contain up to 30% THC or more, making them potentially psychoactive and with significant intoxicating effects.

Cannabis has higher levels of the active ingredient THC, which makes it popular with recreational users. (Esteban López/Unsplash)

Uses and applications

Due to its low THC content, hemp finds its main application in the industrial field. Its fibers are used to make textiles, paper, construction materials, biofuels, bioplastics and various ecological products. Additionally, hemp’s protein- and omega-3-rich seeds are suitable for human consumption and animal feed, as well as for turning into oil with nutritional and medicinal properties.

Marijuana, on the other hand, with its high THC levels, is mainly used for recreational and medicinal purposes. Its psychoactive effects make it a controversial substance, subject to regulations and restrictions in most countries. However, several studies support its therapeutic potential in the treatment of diseases such as chronic pain, epilepsy, nausea and muscle spasticity.

Which one is legal?

The legality of hemp and marijuana varies significantly by region. In general, hemp cultivation for industrial purposes is permitted under specific regulatory frameworks, while marijuana faces a more restrictive legal landscape, with prohibitions and regulations varying by country. We covered marijuana’s legal status in Mexico in a previous article; here, we’ll delve deeper into hemp.

In the Mexican context, hemp — often misunderstood and erroneously linked to marijuana — faces the shadow of prohibition and the stigmas associated with its psychoactive counterpart. However, hemp’s legal status is in transition. While the 2021 Federal Law for the Regulation of Cannabis (LFRC) does not explicitly prohibit the cultivation of industrial hemp, it also does not establish a clear regulatory framework for its planting, cultivation and harvesting. This creates a legal vacuum that hinders the development of this industry. Research on industrial hemp is permitted for scientific and technological development purposes. The processing and marketing of hemp for industrial use is not regulated, which prevents the sale of hemp-derived products in national territory.

Often mistaken for its psychoactive relative, hemp can be unfairly restricted as a result. (Budding/Unsplash)

Progress towards regulation

In December 2021, a bill was presented in the Chamber of Deputies seeking to issue the Federal Law for the Regulation of Industrial Hemp. This initiative is still being analyzed and discussed. In February 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) published a governance agreement to establish a monitoring and control framework for the cultivation, harvesting and transportation of hemp for research purposes.

It is clear that hemp can be crucial in addressing global challenges, from competition for land use to the global food crisis. However, for this vision to materialize, it is imperative to address gaps in research and development. The lack of a comprehensive approach in the existing literature highlights the urgent need for systematic review along the hemp supply chain.

A specific law is expected to be passed in the future to regulate industrial hemp in Mexico, allowing its safe and sustainable cultivation, processing and commercialization. It is important to keep up to date on developments in hemp regulation in Mexico, as laws and regulations may change.

Demystifying confusion

Beyond THC content, other characteristics distinguish hemp from marijuana. Hemp plants tend to be taller and thinner, with thinner, lighter green leaves. In contrast, marijuana has shorter, sturdier plants with broader leaves and a deeper green color.

Hemp has a major role to play in a sustainable future, if sensible regulations are put in place to govern production. (Unsplash)

Understanding the differences between hemp and marijuana is fundamental to eliminating confusion and myths surrounding these plants. Hemp, far from being a psychoactive drug, is positioned as a valuable resource with industrial and environmental applications. Marijuana, on the other hand, continues to generate debates around its recreational and medicinal use, with a constantly evolving legal framework.

Accurate and accessible information must prevail so that we can make informed decisions about these two varieties of cannabis and take advantage of their potential benefits in a responsible manner.

If you are a cannabis aficionado, you won’t want to miss the Encuentro Cannábico, the yearly event in Mexico City that brings the entire cannabis community together for conferences, workshops specialized information and much more. This year, the event will be held on April 27 and 28 in the Fernando Montes de Oca Fencing Hall at the Ciudad Deportiva sports complex.

Camila Sánchez Bolaño is a journalist, feminist, bookseller, lecturer, and cultural promoter and is Editor in Chief of Newsweek en Español magazine.

The definitive guide to Cabo San Lucas and Mexican Riviera cruises

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Chris Sands

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May 1, 2024

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Mexican riviera cruses Cabo San Lucas — A cruise down Mexico's Pacific coastline offers sun, sights and adventure. (IGY Marinas)

The Cancún–Tulum Corridor wasn’t the first stretch of México’s coastline to be given the descriptor “riviera,” a word more commonly associated with scenic shorelines in France and Italy. In the 1960s, three decades before the state of Quintana Roo rebranded its most popular beachfront tourist destinations as “Riviera Maya,” Princess Cruises coined the term “Mexican Riviera” to refer to Pacific Coast ports of call.

The Riviera Maya, of course, is a major cruise ship destination in its own right. Of the 9.3 million people expected to take cruises to Mexico this year, nearly 35 percent are expected to visit Cozumel, making it the country’s top cruise port. But the Mexican Riviera, made famous by the participation of Princess Cruises in the iconic television series “The Love Boat” during the 1970s and 80s, retains its enduring allure, with three of its premier destinations – Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, and Puerto Vallarta – projected to be among the top five most visited ports in México this year.

The Mexican Riviera is the original Riviera, despite overtures from Quintana Roo. (IGY Marinas)

How Many Cruise Ships Visit Cabo San Lucas and the Mexican Riviera?

The number of cruise ships that visit Cabo San Lucas varies from month to month and year to year. In 2022, for example, 276 vessels visited the Land’s End city, bringing more than 540,000 passengers. For the math-challenged, that’s an average of 1,956 tourists per ship. Of course, it bears noting that each cruise ship has a different capacity. Oceania Cruises’ Insignia, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ luxurious Seven Seas Grandeur and Seven Seas Mariner all carry less than 750 passengers. For Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Panorama and Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, by contrast, it’s around 4,000 each.

Each of these ships, by the way, visited Cabo San Lucas in January 2023, the busiest month ever recorded for the destination, with over 103,000 shipboard tourists. As did ships representing Princess Cruises, Holland America, Norwegian, and Viking Ocean Cruises.

It was an atypical month in terms of volume, but instructive in that there are typically plenty of options, allowing prospective cruisers to choose the ship that best suits their budget, the number of days they want to spend aboard (five and seven-night cruises from California ports like Los Angeles and Long Beach are lengthy enough to include Cabo San Lucas), and the amount of port time they desire. Navigator of the Seas, for instance, is one of the few ships to offer cruises with overnight stays in the city.

What’s the Best Time to Visit the Mexican Riviera?

There’s only one season when cruise ships aren’t plentiful: summer. In 2023, seven port calls were recorded each month for June, July, and August, and only two cruise ships – Carnival Panorama and Navigator of the Seas – were regular visitors during this slow season. October through April, meanwhile, are the peak months, mirroring the traditional high season for Cabo San Lucas. These seven months saw 217 of the 254 cruise ship arrivals last year.

Cruises are most popular between October and April, with cruises flocking to the sun-drenched coast. (Cabo Adventures)

That’s not to say summer isn’t a good time to visit, as fares are often lower. But the options are limited. These months also fall within hurricane season (May to November), so there is a small possibility – particularly during September – that port visits can be canceled because of inclement weather.

How Much Time Do Passengers Have Ashore?

Cabo San Lucas is a tender port, meaning cruise ships have to anchor in the bay and have guests ferried to a Marina dock where they can disembark. That’s because the Cabo San Lucas Marina can only accommodate boats up to 375 feet long and the average cruise ship is about 1,000.

The time permitted ashore varies from ship to ship. A survey of cruise vessels arriving in April 2024 shows an average of about six hours for passengers to explore the destination. To get the most out of your port call, get in line early for tender transport. It takes only about 15 minutes to get from the cruise ship to dry land, but that doesn’t account for the time that can be spent waiting in line.

Best Shopping, Dining, and Activities Options

Cabo San Lucas offers endless activities, food and shopping for visitors. (Pueblo Bonito Resorts)

Most cruise ships have a list of approved shore excursions for which guests can sign up in advance. These range from snorkeling at Land’s End and fishing for marlin and other game and billfish to spending the day at a local luxury resort. The benefit of approved excursions is that there are no worries regarding overstaying one’s allotted time. The list of potential activities is lengthy, too. Cabo Adventures, which works with cruise ships, notes that all of its activities save those requiring trips to Cabo Pulmo or La Paz are available for cruise ship passengers.

For those who want to explore at their own pace, the biggest and most popular local beach – Playa El Médano – is a favored destination. It’s accessible by following the marina boardwalk around from the cruise dock. This takes about 30 minutes, however, so water taxis are a convenient shortcut. You won’t need to solicit them either. Drivers’ voices will be among the many that vie for your attention on this popular waterfront promenade.

Restaurants and souvenir shops abound on the marina boardwalk and nearby downtown area. Considering Cabo San Lucas’ reputation for great fishing, it should be no surprise that locally caught seafood is a specialty. Solomon’s Landing and Baja Cantina, long-time marina fixtures, are good places to experience this delicious ocean bounty. Mango Deck and The Office on the Beach also offer seafood and Mexican cuisine and are among the top drinking and dining destinations on Médano Beach.

Cabo Wabo Cantina, founded by Sammy Hagar and his then Van Halen bandmates in the early 1990s, is a popular downtown stop for waburritos, margaritas, and souvenir t-shirts. Cobalto Pottery and Zen-Mar Folk Art, located nearby, will appeal to shoppers of a more discerning bent.

What trip ashore would be complete without a souvenir? Cobalto Pottery (amongst others) has you covered. (Cobalto Pottery)

Yes, it is possible to visit San José del Cabo, the other cape city in Los Cabos. Buses, rental cars, taxis, and Uber will get you there. Rental cars allow more freedom and will prove cheaper than Uber and taxis, with the latter notable for their exorbitant rates. A U.S. driver’s license permits you to drive legally locally. The Gallery District is a preferred place to browse for those who make the trip.

Pesos Vs. Dollars

Everyone takes dollars in Cabo San Lucas, so it isn’t necessary to exchange money before your cruise (not every ship provides exchange services onboard) or once you’ve come ashore. However, it’s certainly preferred for those who are budget-minded. Businesses in Los Cabos establish their own favorable exchange rates, so if you pay in dollars you’re likely to lose a few of them on every transaction. This transaction loss adds up. It may only cost you $20 or so during your day in port, but if your cruise features multiple Mexican port visits, pesos are a recommended investment. Visit your bank before getting underway for the best rate.

If you’re using credit cards, foreign transaction fees of 1% to 5% may be applied to each purchase. However, not all local businesses accept these types of payments.

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

Federal authorities protest as El Mencho’s brother released from prison

By

MND Staff

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April 30, 2024

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Mexico's scurity minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez speaking at a podium — Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez said that the video footage of Osguerra's arrest presented to the court by his defense team showed a highly edited version of events in his favor. (lopezobrador.org.mx)

Despite protests from the federal Security Ministry and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Abraham Oseguera Cervantes, brother of Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, was released from prison early Tuesday after a judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to put him on trial.

Oseguera, known as “Don Rodo,” was detained by the National Guard (GN) in the municipality of Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, on April 21. The Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) said they confiscated illegal drugs and two firearms when he was arrested.

Two officers hold the suspect, Abraham Oseguera — Abraham Oseguera, an older brother of CJNG leader Nemesio “El Mencho,” Oseguera, was detained in Jalisco in the early-morning hours of April 21. (Screen capture/X)

Oseguera — who Sedena said was “considered one of the main coordinators of logistical and financial operations” for the CJNG — was set to face drug trafficking and weapon possession charges.

However, at a marathon hearing last weekend that extended into the early hours of Sunday, Judge Rogelio Díaz Villarreal ordered the 70-year-old’s release from the Altiplano maximum security prison in México state after determining that “the manner of [his] arrest was contradictory to what was stated by the authority in its police report.”

The police report said that GN officers arrested Oseguera after entering a property in pursuit of three armed men. Videos presented at the hearing, however, didn’t show any armed men outside the property in question.

What they did show, according to a report by the newspaper Reforma, “was a group of five federal agents who arrived in advance with a battering ram to break the locks of the door.”

“The agents illegally entered the property without a search warrant, and a short time later, a helicopter arrived to transfer the detainee [to Mexico City],” Reforma added.

“… A key element was that the dactyloscopy [fingerprinting] report presented in the hearing concludes that Don Rodo’s fingerprints were not on the two firearms seized from him,” the newspaper said.

'El Mencho,' wanted in Mexico and the US. — Other relatives of CJNG leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera were arrested in 2020 on drug-trafficking-related charges, including El Mencho’s son and daughter. However US officials told Mexico’s government this week that they had no outstanding warrants against Abraham Oseguera, said Security Minister Rodríguez. (DEA)

The judge concluded that authorities lied about Oseguera’s arrest. He also remarked that it is illegal to remove a person from their home without a warrant.

The FGR could not produce evidence from any separate investigation that would have allowed it to press other charges against Don Rodo and keep him in prison, Reforma said.

There have been numerous previous cases in Mexico in which judges have released suspects after determining that their arrests didn’t occur in the way authorities said they did.

Federal authorities respond to the judge’s ruling and Oseguera’s release

The FGR said in a statement on Monday that GN officers were legally “obliged” to pursue the three armed men as they saw them committing “a clearly flagrant criminal act.”

It also said that municipal police officers in Autlán presented a criminal complaint against the GN officers who arrested Oseguera — “demonstrating … the collusion and complicity of local police authorities [with criminals].”

“That complicit conduct … was ratified when said police officers were presented as witnesses by the defense for the accused,” the FGR said.

The federal Attorney General’s Office asserted that the “series of fragmented videos” presented by lawyers at the hearing last weekend lacked “chronological sequence” and had no “technical documentation to give them credibility and certainty.”

“… The judge ordered the release of … [Oseguera] based on these very questionable and insufficient videos, while the same judge … failed to place value on the accusations of serious crimes already presented against Abraham “O,” the FGR said, adding that it would appeal the decision.

Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez said Tuesday that the government appealed to the Supreme Court. However, Mexico’s top court did not overturn the judge’s decision to release Oseguera.

Rodríguez also railed against the ruling to release Oseguera, saying that Judge Díaz “gave full validity to the defense’s evidence,” which she described as “edited videos … in which it is presumed there was a manipulation.”

Michoacan police questioning a passenger on a long-distance bus — Municipal police in Tepalcatepec, Michoacán, doing routine patrols. The municipality is plagued by violent attacks by the CJNG in its turf war with the Los Viagras cartel. (Juan José Estrada Serafín/Cuartoscuro)

The security minister said that the government asked United States authorities for information about legal processes or complaints against Oseguera in the U.S. but was informed that there was nothing “outstanding” against him.

“He was therefore released during the night according to the terms ordered by the judge,” Rodríguez said. “This is a state matter that could seriously affect the prestige of Mexico’s institutions,” she added.

President López Obrador — a frequent critic of Mexico’s judiciary — made similar remarks on Monday.

Oseguera left prison in the early hours of Tuesday and disappeared into the night in a private vehicle.

Don Rodo and El Mencho were arrested on heroin trafficking charges in California in the early 1990s, but the latter has never been detained in Mexico. In his late 50s, El Mencho is at the helm of a criminal organization that operates all over Mexico and in many countries around the world.

U.S. authorities are offering a reward of up to US $10 million for information leading to his arrest.

With reports from Reforma, El País, El Financiero and El Economista

Mexican economy reports mixed growth results in the first quarter

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MND Staff

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April 30, 2024

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Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City — While Mexico's quarter-over-quarter growth in Q1 2024 was better than expected according to preliminary data, the annual growth rate of 2% was lower than forecast. (Cuartoscuro)

The Mexican economy grew 0.2% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the final three months of last year and 2% on an annual basis, according to preliminary seasonally adjusted data published by the national statistics agency INEGI on Tuesday.

The quarter-over-quarter growth is higher than the 0.1% median forecast of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, but the annual figure is lower than the expected 2.3%.

Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at the Mexican bank Banco Base, acknowledged on the X social media platform that the quarter-over-quarter growth was higher than expected, but added that the 0.2% expansion was “low” considering that 2024 is an election year, when political spending typically stimulates the economy.

In fact, the January-March result represented the lowest Q1 growth rate since the first three months of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began to have an effect on the economy.

“With … [weak growth] and high inflation, Mexico still has the risk of falling into stagflation,” Siller wrote.

The INEGI data shows that the tertiary or services sector grew 0.7% on a quarter-over-quarter basis between January and March, while the primary and secondary sectors contracted by 1.1% and 0.4%, respectively. The primary and secondary sectors have now contracted during two consecutive quarters, something that hadn’t occurred for around four years.

Maya Train construction Palenque-Escárcega — Government spending on infrastructure projects like the Maya Train boosted GDP growth in 2023, but is expected to slow this year. (Cuartoscuro)

Siller said that the strength of the peso was a factor in the weakness of the secondary sector, which includes manufacturing, as peso appreciation against the US dollar makes Mexican exports more expensive. The peso had a particularly strong March, reaching an exchange rate of just above 16.5 to the greenback late in the month.

On an annual basis, all three sectors grew in the first quarter of 2024. Primary sector GDP increased 1.3%, the secondary sector grew 1.5% and the tertiary sector expanded 2.5%.

Still, the overall 2% annual growth rate was the weakest result for any quarter in more than two years.

INEGI reported earlier this year that Mexico’s GDP increased 3.2% annually in 2023. Government spending on infrastructure projects and investment related to nearshoring helped stimulate the economy.

In a document submitted to the federal Congress in late March, the Finance Ministry forecast that the Mexican economy will grow between 2.5% and 3.5% in 2024.

Earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund revised down its economic growth forecast for Mexico in 2024 to 2.4% from 2.7%, citing “weaker-than-expected” outcomes early in the year.

With reports from El Economista, El Financiero and El País

Officials begin crocodile ‘rescue operation’ in México state lagoon

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MND Staff

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April 30, 2024

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Crocodile sitting atop garbage dumped in Laguna La Piedad lagoon in Mexico state — For years, Laguna La Piedad in México state has been a notorious dumping ground for garbage, old furniture, and more. Three to four years ago, authorities believe, one to three crocodiles were dumped here too. (Foro TV)

Authorities in México state have intensified their efforts to capture a crocodile seen in a lagoon, Laguna de la Piedad, located within the city limits of the Cuautitlán Izcalli municipality, considered a suburb of Mexico City.

Residents of La Piedad neighborhood, north of the lagoon, say they’ve seen at least two crocs, each of which is an estimated 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) in length. Locals told the newspaper El Heraldo that there could be up to four in the lagoon.

Laguna de la Piedad aerial view — The lagoon, which stretches over 208 hectares of México state, has long been the focus of cleanup efforts that have not borne fruit. The waters remain highly polluted. (Autonomous Metropolitan University)

Roberto Romano lives along the lakeshore. He told El Heraldo that he has been seeing crocodiles in the early morning for about four years.

“There is one that is about 3 meters long … and a second that must have been about 1 meter 20 [less than 4 feet long],” he said.

The smaller crocodile has not been seen for some time and is presumed dead.

Although the Laguna de la Piedad is considered an important feature of Cuautitlán, it has been contaminated with effluent discharge for years and is often used as a dumping ground. The newspaper Record published a photo of the crocodile sitting on what appeared to be a refrigerator dumped in the lagoon.

The presence of crocodiles in the lagoon has been an urban legend for years, especially as the condition of the lagoon and its location in the middle of urban sprawl makes it an unlikely spot for a crocodile to settle. But recent sightings have been supported by photographs and drone videos that have circulated on social media and in newspapers.

Mexico is home to several species of crocodiles, but none is native to México state. A Cuautitlán environment official told Record that the animals in the lagoon had allegedly been dropped off there by a man in a trailer some years back. The community has since been feeding the crocodiles, the official said.

Elementos de protección civil, bomberos y personal de la PROFEPA montan operativo para capturar a cocodrilo que se encuentra en la laguna de la Piedad en Cuautitlán, Izcalli, Estado de México.
Con una lancha y redes, personal especializado buscará acercarse y capturarlo para… pic.twitter.com/6EdqKXK4fV

— Uno TV (@UnoNoticias) April 29, 2024

These two short videos give a close-up look at the crocodile, sunning itself on a sofa dumped in the lake as firemen and other authorities attempt to get close enough to capture it.

Agents from the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa), México state Civil Protection units, members of local fire departments, and officials from the Environment Ministry (Semarnat) and the Cuautitlán Police Department began a concerted effort on Monday to capture the crocodile — or crocodiles.

Crocodiles are protected species in Mexico, so the authorities are intent on capturing and relocating the animals instead of killing them.

A Profepa team was paddling around the lake, nets were in abundant supply and officials set up several bait traps along the shore of the 39-hectare lagoon in hopes of capturing the reptiles.

With reports from El Universal, Heraldo de Mexico and Record

Chetumal Bay blue hole is the world’s deepest, scientists say

By

MND Staff

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April 30, 2024

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An underwater sinkhole off the southeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula has been confirmed as the deepest in the world — and researchers haven’t even reached its bottom yet.

The Taam ja’ Blue Hole in Chetumal Bay extends at least 420 meters below sea level, according to a statement by researchers from the National Council of Science and Technology’s (Conahcyt) Investigadores por México program and the College of the Southern Border (Ecosur) who this week published their findings in the periodical Frontiers in Marine Science.

Map of the Chetumal bay blue hole — A map of the location of the Taam ja’ Blue Hole off the coast of the Yucatán peninsula. (Frontiers in Marine Science)

Blue holes are generally circular, steep-walled depressions, and get their name from the dramatic contrast between the dark blue, deep waters of their depths and the lighter blue of the shallows around them.

The Taam ja’ Blue Hole had been named the second-deepest in the world in research conducted in March of last year via bathymetric mapping employing echo sounder technology.

In December 2023, the Conahcyt-Ecosur team utilized a CTD Profiler to measure the water depths within the blue hole and found it “surpassed 420 [meters below sea level] with no bottom yet reached.”

A CTD (conductivity, temperature and depth) profiler is a device with a set of probes that read and transmit water properties to the surface in real time via a cable.

A diver near the blue hole — A diver exploring the Taam’ ja Blue Hole. (Oscar F. Reyes Mendoza/Ecosur-Conahcyt)

The latest research indicates Taam ja’ is significantly deeper than the former No. 1, China’s 301-meter-deep (990 feet) Sansha Yongle Blue Hole, also known as the Dragon Hole, in the South China Sea.

A temperature-salinity diagram was also devised to identify a potential relationship between the waters of the blue hole and those in coastal and open-sea waters in the Caribbean.

The researchers noted different layers of water within Taam ja’, including a layer below 400 meters where the temperature and salinity conditions resembled those of the Caribbean and nearby coastal reef lagoons, reported the website Live Science.

This means that Chetumal Bay and the Caribbean could be connected via a hidden network of tunnels and caves.

“In this regard, the CTD measurements hint at potential undiscovered connections with the seawater of either the coastal reef lagoons or deeper coastal zones of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System,” the Conahcyt-Ecosur team wrote in their research report.

The report recommends further exploration to compare the Taam ja’ Blue Hole’s relationship with regional water bodies, hydraulic connections and water quality dynamics, while suggesting exploration of the biodiversity found within the blue hole.

With reports from La Jornada Maya