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Senate approves AMLO’s judicial reform to overhaul Mexico’s judiciary

By
MND Staff
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11
Despite attempts by the opposition to dissuade the Senate, the judicial reform passed 86-41 on Tuesday.
Despite attempts by the opposition to dissuade the Senate, the judicial reform passed 86 to 41 on Wednesday, paving the way for its ratification. (Cuartoscuro)

The Mexican Senate approved the federal government’s controversial judicial reform proposal on Wednesday morning, delivering a major victory to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador less than three weeks before he leaves office.

The constitutional bill — whose most controversial aspect is the article allowing citizens to directly elect Supreme Court justices and thousands of other judges — will now be considered by Mexico’s 32 state legislatures. It was approved by the lower house of Congress last week.

In a vote held on Sept. 10, 86 senators voted in favor, 41 opposed the reform and one opposition senator was absent.
In a vote held on Sept. 10, 86 senators voted in favor, 41 opposed the reform and one opposition senator was absent. (Cuartoscuro)

If a majority of state legislatures ratify the bill — essentially a fait accompli given that the ruling Morena party controls more than 20 Congresses — the president can sign the reform into law.

In a marathon “double session” that began on Tuesday in the Senate and continued into the night and the early hours of Wednesday morning in an alternative venue, 86 senators voted in favor of the reform, 41 opposed it and one opposition senator was absent.

Morena and its allies thus achieved the supermajority required to pass the bill, which was approved en lo general, or in a general, broad sense, and en lo particular — i.e. after consideration of individual articles, none of which were modified.

All 85 Morena, Labor Party (PT) and Green Party (PVEM) senators voted in favor of the judicial reform, while the additional vote came from National Action Party (PAN) Senator Miguel Ángel Yunes Márquez, who was accused of being a “traitor.”

Several sources suspect that Yunes Márquez and his father, former Veracruz governor Miguel Ángel Yunes Linares, reached a deal with Morena that would result in the withdrawal of criminal charges against the two men and Yunes Márquez’s brother Fernando. Yunes Linares, a “substitute senator” for the PAN, stood in for his son for a period on Tuesday, but Yunes Márequez, who had requested leave to attend to health issues, returned in time to participate in the historic vote.

The legislative session was relocated to the old Senate building in the historic center of Mexico City after protesters broke into the current Senate building, located on the Paseo de la Reforma boulevard.

Critics of the judicial reform, including United States Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, contend that the direct election of judges will lead to the politicization of the judiciary and eliminate a vital check on executive power.

They argue that Supreme Court justices and other judges sympathetic to Morena will come to dominate the judiciary as the president and the Congress — which the ruling party controls — will nominate candidates.

Morena party members argue that the reform is needed to stamp out corruption in the judicial branch of government.
Morena party members argue that the reform is needed to stamp out corruption in the judicial branch of government. (Cuartoscuro)

There are also concerns that the enactment of the judicial reform will have a negative impact on foreign investment and Mexico’s trade relations, including those with its key regional partners, the United States and Canada. Thousands of court workers have gone on strike to protest the plan, while the Mexican peso has taken a hit due to concern over the reform’s impact on the rule of law and the Mexican economy.

López Obrador and President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum reject claims that the election of judges will result in a loss of independence for the judiciary and argue that an overhaul is needed to stamp out corruption in the judicial branch of government.

Among the other changes in the judicial reform bill are:

  • The reduction of the number of Supreme Court justices to 9 from 11.
  • The reduction of justices’ terms to 12 years from 15.
  • The reduction of the experience required to serve as a justice and judge.
  • The adjustment of salaries so that no judge earns more than the president.
  • The elimination of the Federal Judiciary Council.
  • The creation of a Tribunal of Judicial Discipline that could sanction and fire judges found to have acted improperly or illegally.
  • The use of “faceless,” or unidentified judges, to preside over organized crime cases.
  • An expansion of the crimes for which pre-trial detention can be enforced.

Given the approval of the reform bill in the Senate, it now appears almost certain that Mexico will hold its first judicial elections in 2025. All Supreme Court positions and thousands of other judgeships, including federal ones, will be up for grabs.

Senators express views and trade barbs  

Morena Senator Lucía Trasviña accused opposition senators of being a “bunch of traitors” for voting against the judicial reform, seen as the biggest overhaul to Mexico’s judiciary in 30 years.

She asserted that the judiciary “has been at the service of the oligarchy” and foreign interests for decades.

While Morena defends the interests of the Mexican people, the opposition defends “the illegitimate interests of thugs and white-collar criminals,” Trasviña said.

The senator labeled Supreme Court Chief Justice Norma Piña “a traitor to the homeland,” accusing her of failing to hold the perpetrators of various crimes to account.

“Norma Piña protects the interests of foreigners who have come to loot our resources,” Trasviña said.

Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) Senator Claudia Anaya called on Morena, PT and PVEM senators to stop their insults, demonstrate “restraint” and engage in “frank” but “respectful” dialogue.

A large group of protesters burst into the Senate on Tuesday evening, causing damage to the legislative chamber.
A large group of protesters burst into the Senate on Tuesday evening, causing damage to the legislative chamber. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

Senator Alejandro Moreno, national president of the PRI, declared that it was a “sad day for our Mexico.”

He said that the reform “was approved in the Senate via the worst tricks and under unimaginable pressures and coercions.”

Yunes Márquez, who cast the defining vote, signaled his intention to support the reform in a speech to his colleagues.

“I know that the reform to the judicial power … is not the best. I also know that we will have the opportunity to perfect it in the secondary laws,” he said.

“That’s why, in the most difficult decision of my life, I’ve decided to give my vote in favor of the bill in order to create a new model for the delivery of justice,” Yunes Márquez said.

He said that he hadn’t faced pressure from Morena to vote in favor of the reform, but was pressured to vote against it by his own party.

“I had never seen in the PAN such a crude attempt at imposition and subjugation,” Yunes Márquez said.

He said he was subjected to “threats and aggression” from those who “wanted to force me” to vote against the reform “without analyzing it or debating it.”

Senator Marko Cortés, the national president of the PAN, expressed his discontentment with Senator Yunes Márquez, saying he should have let his party know he was going to “betray them.” (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

Senator Marko Cortés, the national president of the PAN, accused his colleague of betraying the party.

“You should have been more decent, my dear friend. You should have taken our call and told us: ‘I’m going to betray you,'” he said.

Cortés also accused the government of reaching an “impunity pact” with the Yunes family.

Senate President Gerardo Fernández Noroña, a Morena senator, accused opposition parties of letting protesters into the Senate building.

A large group of protesters burst into the Senate on Tuesday evening, caused damage to the legislative chamber and shouted chants in support of opposition senators.

“The judicial power will not fall,” they said. “You are not alone,” they told opposition senators.

AMLO: ‘Nothing’ was negotiated with the Yunes family 

At his morning press conference on Wednesday, López Obrador said that it is public knowledge that he has “differences” with members of the politically powerful Yunes family, but denied that the government reached a deal that resulted in Yunes Márquez’s vote in favor of the judicial reform proposal he sent to Congress in February.

“Absolutely nothing” was negotiated, he said. “… I can tell you I didn’t speak with Mr. Yunes or his son.”

López Obrador said that Morena’s leader in the Senate, Adán Augusto López, “possibly” spoke with them, but asserted “that is his job” as a legislator.

“I sent the initiative and it’s the lawmakers who have to do their work,” he said, before advising “oligarchs” and opposition politicians to “look for another interpretation” of why Yunes Márquez voted in favor of the judicial reform.”

“The oligarchs who felt they were the owners of Mexico and their spokespeople should look for another interpretation that is not as simplistic as give and take, that of the bargaining chip, the mafioso relationship,” López Obrador said.

“… What must be thought is that this reform is needed.  … [Yunes] is a politician who considered it a good idea to act in this way and it wasn’t necessarily in exchange for an amount of money or [due] to a threat,” he said.

López Obrador also said that he is “very happy” with the approval of the judicial reform, and declared that Mexico “will provide an example to the world.”

Mexico will become one of a small group of countries where judges are elected by citizens.

The New York Times recently reported that “the closest parallel to what Mexico’s president is proposing is Bolivia’s experience with electing judges after enacting a new constitution in 2009.”

“But even in Bolivia’s case, the changes didn’t apply to the entire judiciary, focused instead on how some of the most powerful judges can be elected by popular vote instead of being selected by Congress.”

Yunes Márquez (at right) said that he hadn't faced pressure from Morena to vote in favor of the reform, but was pressured to vote against it by his own party.
Yunes Márquez (at right) said that he hadn’t faced pressure from Morena to vote in favor of the reform, but was pressured to vote against it by his own party (the PAN). (Cuartoscuro)

Sheinbaum: The election of judges will ‘strengthen’ Mexico’s justice system

In a post to social media on Wednesday morning, President-elect Sheinbaum congratulated the senators “of our movement” for approving the judicial reform.

“With the election of judges, justices and magistrates, the delivery of justice in our country will be strengthened,” she wrote.

“The regime of corruption and privileges is increasingly being left in the past and a true democracy and true rule of law is being built,” said Sheinbaum, who will be sworn in as Mexico’s first female president on Oct. 1.

“Demos means people, kratos: power. The power of the people,” she wrote.

In a social media post last week, Sheinbaum asserted that the judicial reform won’t “affect our trade relationships or private national and foreign investment.”

“In contrast, there will be an improved rule of law and more democracy for everyone,” she said.

“… Our interest is nothing more than a more democratic and fairer Mexico. That was the popular mandate.”

With reports from El Universal, Reforma, Milenio, El Financiero, El País and Reuters

Transport your tastebuds from Tenochtitlán to the Taj Mahal with this queso Oaxaca naan bread

By
Stephen Randall
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4
Cheese-stuffed naan bread, which can use queso Oaxaca
Feeling adventurous? Why not try this cheesy, doughy goodness that represents the best of two very distinct cultures. (Famartin/CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Naan is hands down my go-to bread to make at home. Endlessly versatile, it’s a blank, fluffy canvas to experiment with. Today I want to share my version of naan stuffed with queso Oaxaca. This surprisingly easy to make naan would work well for a giant taco — just pick your favorite filling. 

One of the first mentions of naan can be found in the “Ain-i-Akbari,” a record of the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar the Great, which refers to naan being eaten with kebabs or kheema — kheema being a mix of minced meat, spices and veg. Think of it as an ancient Indian bolognese. 

Originally from India, naan spread first across Asia and then the globe. (Shisma/CC-BY-SA 4.0)

The word “naan” simply means “bread” in Persian. Cooked in a tandoor oven, naan became a staple in Indian cuisine, especially in northern India. Over time — as delicious things do — it spread across the world, evolving with regional variations. Today, naan is typically leavened with yeast or yogurt and served as an accompaniment to curries and kebabs.  It has also found its rightful place in fusion recipes — and, in some ways, is the perfect dish to describe Mexico News Daily.

The yogurt in the naan dough adds moisture and a slight tang, making the bread soft and flavorful. The yeast creates lightness, ensuring the naan puffs up when cooked, giving it the iconic texture that I crave on a weekly basis. Queso Oaxaca’s mild, buttery flavor and excellent melting qualities make it ideal for the hidden surprise, as it stretches and oozes just like mozzarella, but with a distinct Mexican flair.

Cooking the naan on a cast iron skillet replicates the high heat of a tandoor oven, ensuring a crisp exterior while keeping the inside soft and gooey. Brushing the naan with butter adds richness and brings the entire dish together. The combination of these two distinct culinary traditions results in a comforting, cheesy bread that feels familiar yet excitingly new, making it an ideal fusion dish for any occasion.

Queso Oaxaca-stuffed naan

Ingredients

For the naan

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

For the filling

  • 1 cup shredded queso Oaxaca 
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional, if you like a bit of heat)

For cooking

  • 2 tbsp melted butter or ghee for brushing
  • 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
Queso Oaxaca is Mexico’s most famous (and delicious) cheese and it works well as a replacement for Indian paneer. (Flor de Alfalfa/Facebook)

Instructions

1. Make the naan dough

  • In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets frothy.
  • In a larger bowl, combine the flour, salt and yogurt. Slowly add the yeast mixture and olive oil. Knead everything together for about 8-10 minutes until you get a soft, smooth dough.
  • Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rest for 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size.

2. Prepare the filling

  • Shred the queso Oaxaca and mix with cilantro and chili flakes, if using. Set aside.

3. Stuff and shape the naan

  • Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into 4-6 equal pieces.
  • Roll each piece into a small ball, then flatten it into a disc. Add a generous amount of queso Oaxaca in the center of each disc.
  • Pull the edges of the dough together to seal the filling inside, creating a stuffed dough ball. Gently flatten the stuffed ball into a thick oval or round shape, taking care not to break through the dough.

4. Cook the naan

  • Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat for at least 10 minutes.
  • Roll out the stuffed dough balls to about 1/4-inch thickness.
  • Place the naan on the hot skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form on the surface. Flip and cook the other side for 2-3 more minutes until golden and cooked through.
  • Brush each naan with melted butter or ghee. Sprinkle with garlic powder for extra flavor if desired.

5. Serve

  • Serve your queso Oaxaca-stuffed naan warm, perfect for dipping in salsa, guacamole or your favorite curry.

Pro tip: toss these on the grill for a smokier flavor!

What did you think of this cheesy, doughy goodness? Did you do anything different that worked out well? Let us know in the comments.

Stephen Randall has lived in Mexico since 2018 by way of Kentucky, and before that, Germany. He’s an enthusiastic amateur chef who takes inspiration from many different cuisines, with favorites including Mexican and Mediterranean.

Pemex and CFE could collaborate on green hydrogen project

By
MND Staff
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0
A rendered image of the concept of a hydrogen plant, with four silos saying H2 on them, surrounded by windmills and solar panels
Mexico's state electric company, the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), is considering a partnership with the state-owned Pemex oil company in which they would jointly produce green hydrogen for Pemex's use and to export for sale. (Illustrative/Shutterstock)

Mexico’s state-owned Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) is looking at the possibility of entering into a partnership with state oil company Pemex to develop a green hydrogen project, according to a CFE official.

Iris Cureño, head of the CFE’s priority projects division, told Bloomberg Línea that the state-owned electricity company sees Pemex as a “commercial partner” with which it could create various green hydrogen “synergies,” given that the state oil company is Mexico’s largest user of hydrogen.

Entrance sign to Pemex's Salina Cruz refinery in Oaxaca, white with gold letters.
The best existing site for locating a green hydrogen production plant in Mexico, says Iris Cureño, head of the CFE’s priority projects division, is Pemex’s Antonio Dovali Jaime Refinery, better known as the Salina Cruz Refinery in Salina Cruz, Oaxaca (Cuartoscuro)

“It could be a synergy where CFE produces hydrogen [for Pemex] or just the renewable energy for its processes,” she said.

“… The most important thing is that [the green hydrogen] is used where it is produced,” Cureño said.

Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced through the electrolysis of water with renewable energy.

Cureño told Bloomberg Línea that the best place to develop a green hydrogen project would be Pemex’s refinery in Salina Cruz, a port city on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca.

She noted that Pemex, in its 2023 sustainability plan, outlined a long-term business  opportunity to produce green hydrogen for both domestic use and export. The plan cited the opportunity to form a green hydrogen joint venture with the CFE.

Oil refineries use hydrogen to produce fuel with lower quantities of sulfur, which helps to reduce contamination. Most refineries use natural gas to produce hydrogen, which is colorless, odorless, nontoxic and highly combustible.

a hydrogen fuel cell up close
Green hydrogen holds the promise of cleanly produced energy with no emissions, but even Pemex’s Cureño admits that costs associated with green hydrogen production are still “very high.” (RIT)

Whereas the common process to create hydrogen generates carbon dioxide, there are no emissions associated with the production of green hydrogen.

Incoming Pemex CEO Víctor Rodríguez Padilla said late last month that the state oil company would play a “fundamental role” in developing renewable energy sources, declaring that it “won’t limit itself to making oil and gas condensate as it has always done.”

But any effort to produce green hydrogen “faces multiple challenges,” Bloomberg Línea reported. The first is the lack of specific regulations in Mexico, the news site said.

The Energy Ministry issued green hydrogen guidelines earlier this year, but Cureño said that a regulatory framework is still needed to govern the production, domestic commercialization and exportation of the gas.

The CFE official also said that the costs associated with green hydrogen production are currently “very high.”

She said that the state-owned electricity company is collaborating with academics in Mexico to develop Mexican technology for the production of green hydrogen to avoid reliance on expensive imported equipment.

Luca Ferrari, a geoscientist at the National Autonomous University, told Bloomberg Línea that obstacles to the success of green hydrogen lie in the low energy efficiency, high production cost and corrosive properties of the gas.

President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum is committed to developing more renewable energy sources in Mexico, one of the few points of difference between her and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has championed the ongoing use of fossil fuels.

Sheinbaum, who will take office Oct. 1, has pledged to invest more than US $13 billion in a renewables-focused energy plan.

If the idea to produce green hydrogen at Pemex’s Salina Cruz refinery eventuates, it could contribute to the development of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as a green hydrogen hub.

López Obrador said late last year that a Danish fund would invest US $10 billion in a green hydrogen plant in Ixtepec, located inland from Salina Cruz on the isthmus between the Pacific coast of Oaxaca and the Gulf coast of Veracruz.

With reports from Bloomberg Línea

Tourist drowns at Cancún’s Playa Gaviota Azul

By
MND Staff
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0
A red warning flag for strong current standing on an empty Gaviota Azul beach in Cancun, Mexico
The victim, a student from Denmark, was reported missing around 7 a.m. Monday morning shortly after going swimming at Playa Gaviota Azul beach with a friend. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

A 27-year-old student from Denmark drowned off the coast of Cancún on Monday, the fifth loss of life at the iconic beach, Playa Gaviotas Azul, this year.

The victim — identified as Sofie Barup Enggard — was on vacation in Cancún from the state of Nuevo León, where she was attending the Tecnológico de Monterrey university. 

A wall bearing 3D letters with the name Tecnologico de Monterrey and the university's logo
Sofie Barup Enggard was on vacation in Cancun, but she was a student at Tecnologico de Monterrey in Nuevo Leon. (University of College/Shutterstock)

Around 7 a.m. Monday, Cancún authorities were alerted to a body floating in the surf in the resort city’s hotel zone. The newspaper Riviera Maya News reported that emergency services arrived shortly thereafter but were unable to immediately locate the victim. 

Police and paramedics were eventually able to pull Barup Enggard’s body ashore, where she was pronounced dead, likely by drowning. Riviera Maya News reported that winds have been strong in the area for days due to the clashing of weather systems that has also brought rain to the region.

Reports indicate the victim and at least one other companion went for a swim on the beach early Monday morning. Strong currents soon had Barup Enggard in distress, and her friend lost sight of her, according to reports.

State prosecutors are investigating the incident, and an autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death. The newspaper Por Esto! reported that the authorities have not ruled out alcohol as a contributing factor. 

This latest incident has revived the complaint that local Civil Protection authorities do not assign adequate personnel to lifeguard duties. Lifeguards are on duty from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and, according to Por Esto!, people will often head to the beach after sundown following a night on the town.

Local resident Belén Salazar said the authorities should do a better job protecting beachgoers, suggesting a more flexible schedule and additional lifeguards. 

A group of six lifeguards on a beach in Mexico carrying a stretcher with an injured man in shorts and no shirt
Barup Enggard’s death has sparked new discussion of an old topic in Cancún: whether authorities provide enough lifeguard coverage. (Illustrative/Civil Protection Cancún)

“The last thing we want is for [Cancún] to be in the headlines like this and scare away the tourists,” she told Por Esto!

“Each individual is responsible for themselves while at the beach,” said Ismael González, “but it is better to have supervision that might prevent the loss of human life, which leaves [Cancún] with a black eye.”

Barup Enggard’s death is the fifth accidental death this year at the popular Cancún beach. 

On March 10, two men taking a break from working on the Maya Train drowned after entering the water at Playa Gaviotas Azul. They were reportedly under the influence of alcohol.

On March 31, a 5-year-old child was swept out to sea while playing at the edge of the surf, and on April 20 a 40-year-old tourist drowned after struggling against the strong marine currents off the coast of the iconic beach.

With reports from Quadratín Quintana Roo, Riviera Maya News and Por Esto!

Are you being rude without knowing it?

By
Louisa Rogers
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19
This sort of gesture might be obviously rude, but there are many other behaviors we take for granted can be seen as offensive in Mexican culture. (Adi Goldstein/Unsplash)

I recently witnessed an uncomfortable situation at dinner with another expat. When the plate arrived, she became irate at the waiter, who brought her something she hadn’t ordered. I have never heard someone from Mexico get angry at a waiter, so her behavior struck me as not only being rude, but culturally tone-deaf, as she had ordered in poor Spanish. I was so embarrassed that I went back to the restaurant the next day and apologized on her behalf. The waiter could not have been more gracious.

She is not alone, of course — we all violate cultural etiquette at times. We may even be wired to assume our own culture is better than others: evolutionary psychologists suggest that since our ancestral roots are tribal, our actions reflect a powerful loyalty to our tribe or social group. 

Raising your voice at service workers is unheard of in Mexico and considered highly offensive. (Freepik)

This, however, doesn’t excuse us from committing repeated cultural offenses. To avoid inappropriate behavior, practice what cross-cultural experts call “cultural competence”: the ability to interact respectfully and sensitively with people of different cultures. Here are eight ways to do that in Mexico.

Study your own culture

This is often easier said than done There’s a famous line attributed to the 1920s American anthropologist Ruth Benedict: “The fish are the last to see the water.” In other words, our own culture can often be invisible to us. U.S. culture, for example, has a fairly direct communication style, which I only figured out after marrying Barry, a Brit, and discovering that my in-laws sometimes interpreted my direct style as rude. 

I, meanwhile, thought they were evasive and even occasionally dishonest. Fortunately, I not only grew to love and understand his family but learned about different communication styles. That came in handy for living in Mexico, another culture that values indirect communication.

Observe the locals 

Study their interactions with each other, their dress, eating styles and table manners, how they greet and say goodbye to each other, their formalities and so on. When Barry and I were remodeling our Mexican house, for example, we noticed the importance of hierarchy and titles when our contractor would address the architect not by his first name, but as “Arquitecto.”

Hierarchy in the workplace, especially towards more learned colleagues, is an important part of Mexican culture. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

Find a trusted guide who can answer your questions 

Spanish teachers can serve as cultural interpreters, as can people with dual Mexican and U.S. citizenship. My first Spanish teacher, for example, explained to me that Mexicans like to tease each other, give friends cheesy nicknames and make jokes about things that in the U.S. would be considered inappropriate, like the time at a concert when one of the musicians referred to another as “gordito” — plump. It’s hard for me to picture an American performer referring to their fellow musician as “Fatty.”

Adopt a curious, listening mindset

My model is the late Fran Peavey, an American political activist and author of the book “Heart Politics.” During the 1980s, she traveled to different cities around the world, sitting in public squares with a placard reading  “American willing to listen.” Scores of people would stand in line for hours waiting to talk to her. 

Weigh carefully whether to raise sensitive subjects with people you don’t know well

In the 1990s, Barry and I spent three weeks in Oaxaca studying Spanish and staying with a host family who had two adult children in their twenties. One of the other Spanish students staying at the house had told me that the 22-year-old son had fathered a child who didn’t live with him and that this was not unusual in Mexico.

On the last evening, we took our hosts out to a restaurant. During dinner, I blithely asked to the mother  “You have a grandchild, don’t you?” No, she said, icily, frowning. “I don’t have any grandchildren.” I realized with a pang that I had crossed a cultural line. 

Avoid stereotypes, which are usually negative 

Americans are loud, Mexicans are lazy, Brits are reserved, Japanese are timid and so on. 

I still cringe remembering a stereotype I repeated the first year I lived in Guanajuato. “Mexicans love to gossip,” I announced at a small gathering, as though I were a modern-day Margaret Mead who had done anthropological research on the culture for decades. Fortunately, a Mexican-American friend took me aside and tactfully suggested I refrain from such comments again.

Gossip might seem it’s like part of the culture, but does that actually make it part of the culture? Be carefully when generalizing. (Marilia Castelli/Unsplash)

Afterwards, deciding I should educate myself about gossip, I looked it up and discovered it’s a universal aspect of all cultural groups. No one has a monopoly on it.

Use self-effacing humor

When Mexicans ask me where I’m from, I say, “Soy estadounidense,” and then often add, “No es mi culpa” — “It’s not my fault.” I don’t feel I’m to blame for being American, and I’m not ashamed of my nationality. But given Mexico’s ambivalent relationship with the U.S., this immediately lightens any possible tension. The person I’m chatting with almost always cracks up, and it breaks the ice.

Expats are not experts! 

Even if I’ve lived in Mexico for many years, I keep reminding myself I’m not an authority on the culture. It’s easy to assume I know more than I do. 

Wherever we’re from, we tend to think our birth culture’s practices and customs are the norm, and to react with surprise — and even occasional anger — when other cultures don’t follow our lead. None of us is immune from making cultural gaffes. The trick is to notice, acknowledge the error, apologize and start over.

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 are on her website, https://authory.com/LouisaRogers

Topes: the bad, the badder and the ugly

By
Sarah DeVries
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16
Warning sign for topes in front of a palm tree
When you see this sign, brace for impact. It's going to be a rough ride. (Dickelbers/CC BY-SA 4.0)

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to drive to Veracruz city, about an hour and a half away from where I live. I left later than I’d meant to, and wound up making most of the trip in the dark.

The toll road between Xalapa and Veracruz is in pretty good shape and is always a fairly smooth drive. I’ve come to enjoy driving fast with the music blaring, especially after being stuck in the congested city, where so much of it can barely be covered in second gear.

This guy probably just hit a tope too hard. (Conor Samuel/Unsplash)

It wasn’t until I got into the city that my heart jumped up into my throat. I was cruising along happily on one of the city’s widest avenues, heading toward downtown. Almost there!

Suddenly, I hit a bump. A big bump. My car — Scarlet is her name — went flying for a beat more than I’d have liked and landed heavily on the other side of a very big, very invisible tope. Luckily, Scarlet and I both lived to tell the tale.

What’s that thing in the road?

Topes, topes, topes.

If you’ve driven in Mexico, you’re certainly familiar with what they are. For those uninitiated among you, they are essentially speed bumps. And they are everywhere.

Everywhere.

A rare well-designed tope. These are distressingly uncommon. (María Ruiz)

The reason topes — pronounced “toe-pay” — are everywhere is, simply, to slow drivers down. The transit police do not have the manpower or training to stop speeders in any meaningful or consistent way. When they do stop someone, it’s usually for a minor infraction like an expired sticker or tinted windows so they can solicit a mordida. That word translates literally as “bite,” but means a bribe. Did I mention their pay is not great? As Damien Cave of the New York Times put it, topes are “suspension-killing wonders that fill a void in law and order.”

We let the road itself do the work of stopping speeders around here. And the way it does the work is by literally forcing drivers to slow down, lest they really, really mess up their cars.

Unfortunately, there’s no standard regulation regarding topes, which vary by state and even municipality, and many don’t follow the standards that do exist. They come in all shapes and sizes and can be found — I cannot emphasize this enough — literally anywhere. That includes the highway, so keep your eyes peeled! Topes can even appear on steep uphill roads, so make sure your zero to first gear game is on point if you’re in a standard.

Remember too that while most of them were likely painted initially, once the paint wears off, they may never be painted again. Look alive!

Topes come in a variety of presentations: let me count the ways!

Sometimes, the first thing you know about a tope is when you hit it at speed. Hope you’re wearing your seatbelts! (Armando Monroy/Cuartoscuro)

The invisible mountain

This was the kind of tope I encountered on the avenue into Veracruz. The main way you can tell it’s there is by noticing the cars in front of you braking at the same spot even though there’s no traffic light. Depending on the time of day, you might also notice its shadow. I must have been spaced out that night, because I saw no clue of its presence until me and Scarlet were flying like Daenerys on her dragon.

Snakes in the gray grass

These are similar to the ones above, but the impact isn’t quite as harsh because they’re smaller. There’s one like this near my house, in fact, that I regularly glide over at 30 kmh without too much of an issue.

Balls of doom

These topes — also known as boyas, or buoys — are made up of a series of metal half-balls that stretch across the road, and they are hands-down awful. If you’re lucky, they’ll be worn down a little by the time you get to them. Or, one or two will be missing, allowing you to spare at least two of your tires with some clever maneuvering. I regularly have to go over some brand new ones, though, and even in first gear and diagonally — a trick for lowering the impact — it feels like I’m driving over bowling balls.

Ridged plateaus

These seem to be gaining in popularity when it comes to new topes. They slope up on each side, and are wide and flat on top. We just got some new ones around the corner from my house. They looked innocent and undramatic enough. But let’s just say that if Scarlet’s belly was itchy, she got a good scratch.

@aztecanoticias Cuatro veículos dañados en tan solo 20 minutos por este mega tope colocado en Puebla. A pesar de que los autos viajaban a la velolocidad sugerida, los daños eran inevitables. Tras el trabajo periodístico realizado por Azteca Noticias, ¡ocurrió el milagro! y ya fue balizado el tope para qu elos conductores puedan ver este enorme tope. Pero, y los daños ocacionados, ¿quién se hará responsable? #FuerzaInformativaAzteca #Tope #daños #automovilistas #irresponsabilidad #vialidad #AztecaNoticias ♬ sonido original – Azteca Noticias

Obstacle course

These can be any kind of topes that have been mercifully worn down or otherwise destroyed, at least in part. The most fun ones let you get both sets of your tires through without elevating your car. On one of my common routes home, there’s one I’ve learned to maneuver so well I don’t even have to slow down!

A variation of this is when there’s a tope that only stretches across half of the road. If you see someone swerving drastically in front of you, they’re likely going around one of these half-hearted attempts at slowing traffic.

Not today, tope!

So be careful out there, folks. Expect that the road will send you flying, and stay alert! And try to have fun with the obstacle course ones.

Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.

Peso panics ahead of Senate vote on judicial reform

By
MND Staff
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The peso was the most depreciated currency today due to the increase in the probability of approval of the reform to the judicial power.
The peso was the most depreciated currency today due to the increase in the probability of approval of the reform to the judicial power. (Isabel Mateos/Cuartoscuro)

The likelihood that the Mexican Senate will soon approve the government’s controversial judicial reform proposal caused the Mexican peso to depreciate to over 20 to the US dollar on Tuesday.

The peso was trading at 20.07 to the dollar at 12:30 p.m. Mexico City time, but depreciated to 20.13 to the greenback earlier in the day, according to Bloomberg.

It closed at 19.89 to the dollar on Monday.

The depreciation on Tuesday came as it appeared increasingly likely that the ruling Morena party and its allies will have the numbers to approve the judicial reform proposal in the Senate.

The constitutional bill, which seeks to allow Mexican citizens to directly elect Supreme Court Justices and other judges, was approved by the lower house of Congress last week, causing the peso to depreciate to over 20 last Thursday.

Morena, the Labor Party and the Ecological Green Party of Mexico have 85 senators — one fewer than the number needed to secure an outright supermajority in the Senate — but there has been speculation that National Action Party (PAN) Senator Miguel Ángel Yunes Márquez, or his father, would vote in favor of the reform.

Yunes, a senator from Veracruz, failed to attend a PAN meeting on Monday night and other PAN lawmakers and officials were unable to establish contact with him.

If he voted with Morena and its allies, the judicial reform would pass Congress and be referred to state legislatures for their ratification.

Yunes Linares, who is under investigation for committing fraud and other crimes, is suspected of having reached a deal with Morena that would eliminate the case in exchange for a vote in favor of the judicial reform proposal.
Miguel Ángel Yunes Linares, who is under investigation for committing fraud and other crimes, is suspected of having reached a deal with Morena that would eliminate the case in exchange for a vote in favor of the judicial reform proposal. (Alberto Roa/Cuartoscuro)

Several sources suspect that Yunes Márquez and his father, former Veracruz governor Miguel Ángel Yunes Linares, reached a deal with Morena that would result in the withdrawal of criminal charges against the two men and Yunes Márquez’s brother Fernando.

Ex-governor Yunes Linares is a “substitute senator” for the PAN, meaning that he can attend the Senate in place of his son and vote in favor of the judicial reform proposal, likely on Tuesday or Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Yunes Márquez requested to step down as a senator to attend to health problems, allowing his father to take his place.

Milenio newspaper columnist Ricardo Raphael claimed in a column on Monday that Yunes Márquez would request leave and that Yunes Linares would replace him and vote in favor of the judicial reform proposal.

“He will be the traitor that was needed to break the opposition bloc,” Raphael wrote.

“In exchange for this defection, [Morena’s Senate leader] Adán Augusto [López Hernández] offered to make the various arrest warrants against the Yunes family disappear,” Raphael added.

Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, said on X on Tuesday morning that the peso was “the most depreciated currency today due to the increase in the probability of approval of the reform to the judicial power.”

On Monday, she said that if the reform proposal is not approved, the Mexican peso could strengthen by “approximately one peso” against the dollar by the end of the year.

If the reform is approved, the USD:MXN exchange rate will increase to 20.50 “first and to 21 pesos per dollar later,” Siller forecasted.

The peso has depreciated more than 15% since the June 2 elections in which Claudia Sheinbaum won the presidency, and Morena and its allies secured large majorities in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, putting them in a strong position to approve the judicial reform proposal and other constitutional bills President Andrés Manuel López Obrador sent to Congress in February.

Concern over the likely approval of the reforms has been a major factor in the depreciation, albeit not the only one.

The peso depreciated to above 20 to the US dollar in early August as fears of a recession in the United States upended markets around the world. An unwinding of global carry trades, including bets on the peso by Japanese investors, has also recently affected the currency.

With reports from El Financiero and Reforma 

Mexico sees 48% reduction in asylum applications in first 8 months of 2024

By
MND Staff
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After three consecutive years at record highs, the number of migrants applying for refugee status in Mexico has sharply declined.
After three consecutive years at record highs, the number of migrants applying for refugee status in Mexico has sharply declined. (Alejandro Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)

The number of migrants seeking refugee status in Mexico in 2024 has diminished significantly while the government takes steps to streamline the application process and provide support and protection for them.

The Mexican Refugees Assistance Commission (Comar) reported this week that the number of migrants seeking asylum in Mexico is down 48% from last year’s record highs, a statistic that aligns with government data that indicates irregular migrant flows are down 66% from 2023.

The majority of the applications were filed in Comar offices in the southern state of Chiapas.
The majority of the applications were filed in Comar offices in the southern state of Chiapas. (Damián Sánchez/Cuartoscuro)

This is a significant development as there were a record number of asylum applications in Mexico in 2023 as well as a record number of documented arrivals. 

As of Aug. 31, 52,395 people had applied for refugee status in Mexico, according to a post on social media by Comar coordinator Andrés Ramírez Silva. Ramírez explained that this figure is 48% lower than the number of applicants in the same eight-month period of 2023.

The majority of the applications were filed in Comar offices in the southern state of Chiapas, Ramírez reported in another social media post, but asylum requests were received in all 32 states of the Republic. 

On Monday, Ramírez announced that beginning Wednesday, migrants in Mexico will be able to track their asylum status online instead of having to go to Comar offices.

On Monday, Comar launched "Comar Digital," which will allow migrants to check their asylum status online instead of having to go to Comar offices.
On Monday, Comar launched “Comar Digital,” which will allow migrants to check their asylum status online instead of having to go to Comar offices. (Damián Sánchez/Cuartoscuro)

The digital platform is available in four languages — Spanish, English, French and Creole — and has earned the approval of the United Nations for its confidentiality and facility of use. Migrants can receive updates and can consult frequently asked questions via their electronic devices.

In addition, an intersecretarial commission comprised of six federal ministries is collaborating with Comar and the United Nations to improve the treatment of migrants in Mexico.

In a statement issued last week, the intersecretarial commission (Ciaimm) said improved coordination among federal agencies has helped reduce human trafficking which often impacts migrants arriving to Mexico’s northern and southern borders. 

In the same statement, Welfare Ministry Undersecretary Raúl Paulín Hernández detailed the success of the three Integrated Welfare Centers established in northern Mexico. These centers — which also benefit from UN cooperation — offer programs that target the health and welfare of migrants, while also helping migrants find jobs.

The Ciaimm also reiterated its commitment to guarantee safe, orderly and regulated migrant and migrant labor flows. 

On Sept. 4, the Foreign Affairs Ministry (SRE) released a book outlining the government’s official migrant policy, providing data reflecting the policy’s results, and an evaluation of the structural causes of migration to and from Mexico. 

The book explains how the government uses statistical analysis to help design public policy in support of migrants and how regional cooperation addressing the structural causes of migration can mitigate these external factors that produce refugees.

One strategy the SRE touted is its effort to institute social programs that have had some success in Mexico, such as Sembrando Vida and Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro, in other parts of Latin America. Thus far, Mexico has helped install these programs in Belize, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haití, Honduras and Venezuela.

With reports from La Jornada and El Universal

Aeroméxico to launch new flights to the US this winter

By
MND Staff
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1
Aeroméxico has recently announced a suite of new flights in an effort to grow its presence in the United States.
Aeroméxico cut wages in the face of steep profit losses during the coronavirus pandemic. (Erik Si/Unsplash)

Mexican airline Aeroméxico unveiled new flights to the United States for the upcoming winter season, in partnership with Delta Air Lines. 

The SkyTeam Alliance member will offer non-stop flights to select cities in the U.S. from two of Mexico’s biggest cities: Guadalajara, Jalisco and Monterrey, Nuevo León. These routes, the airline said, aim to “reinforce” Aeroméxico’s presence in the U.S. 

The entrance of Guadalajara International Airport (GDL), with cars pulling up to drop passengers off.
Guadalajara recently inaugurated a second runway at their growing international airport. (Visita Guadalajara)

New routes to the US from Guadalajara

Planned routes from Guadalajara include the following: 

  • Denver, Dec. 21, 2024-April 20, 2025 one flight a week 
  • Miami, Dec. 19, 2024-Jan. 12, 2025, one flight daily
  • Las Vegas, Dec. 19, 2024-Jan. 12, 2025, six flights a week
  • Orlando, Dec. 19, 2024-Jan. 12, 2025, four flights a week

These routes will be operated on the Boeing 737 MAX.  

Starting Jan. 13, 2025, the frequencies of flights to Orlando and Miami will be reduced to four per week. Flights to Las Vegas will be discontinued.

“Guadalajara is a destination with a long tradition for Aeroméxico. We have been operating here for more than 70 years, and during this time our goal has been to evolve alongside the city,” Pasquale Speranza, Aeroméxico’s vice president of sales said in a statement. 

In addition to its extensive culinary scene, Guadalajara is known for being the capital of tequila and mariachi. The city is also home to the world’s coolest neighborhood according to Time Out magazine.

New routes to the US from Monterrey

Planned routes from Monterrey include the following:

  • Las Vegas, Dec. 19, 2024-Jan. 12, 2025, six flights a week
  • Miami, Dec. 19, 2024-Jan. 12, 2025, one flight daily
  • New York/JFK, Dec. 19, 2024-Jan. 12, 2025, six flights a week
  • Orlando, Dec. 19, 2024-Jan. 12, 2025, one flight daily

Except for the route to Miami which will be operated onboard the Boeing 737-800, these flights will be operated on the Boeing 737 MAX. 

With a metropolitan area population of over five million, the northern city of Monterrey is one of the country’s most competitive cities and the potential home of Tesla’s first factory in Mexico. According to an analysis conducted by organizations from Mexico and Germany, Nuevo León is the Mexican state that is best prepared to accommodate nearshoring investment in the country. 

Other new Aeroméxico routes

In addition to the seasonal flights announced from Monterrey and Guadalajara, Aeroméxico will also expand its winter schedule from other destinations in Mexico, offering more frequent flights to the following U.S. cities: 

  • Cancún-Miami, one daily flight from Dec. 19 
  • Manzanillo-Atlanta, one weekly flight from Nov. 2
  • Manzanillo-Los Angeles, one weekly flight from Dec. 21
  • Monterrey-Denver, one weekly flight from Dec. 21 

The Miami and Denver route will operate aboard the Boeing 737 MAX, the Los Angeles route on the Boeing 737-800, and the Atlanta route on the Embraer E190.

With reports from Aeroroutes, El Economista and Simple Flying

2 dead, 1 injured in Pemex refinery fire in Oaxaca

By
MND Staff
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0
Black smoke pouring out of a refinery in the background, with flames at the base. In the foreground is a river with red pipes spewing what looks like water.
According to preliminary reports from Pemex officials, the explosion at the oil refinery in Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, was caused when the facility's waste treatment system overflowed after unusually heavy rains in the area. (Oaxaca Politico/X)

Two workers died and another suffered burns in an explosion and fire Saturday at Pemex’s Salina Cruz oil refinery on the Oaxaca coast.

The early-afternoon conflagration — which caused much concern among residents in the Oaxaca port city — occurred after heavy rainfall caused drains filled with oily waste to overflow onto walkways inside the complex, plant manager Arturo Recio Espinoza told reporters on Monday. 

Man standing behind a podium that said State Government of Oaxaca and speaking to reporters
Pemex plant manager Arturo Recio Espinoza gave a press conference two days after the accident confirming the deaths of two employees and the hospitalization of another, whom he said was in stable condition. (Screen capture)

For more than 24 hours after the fire, officials with Pemex, Mexico’s state oil company, denied that there had been any deaths, but on Monday, Recio admitted that Mariana Sánchez Bailón, 21, and Erick Martínez Rodríguez, 26, both lost their lives.

The injured person, who was hospitalized with burns on various parts of his body, was identified as Julián Meléndez Martínez, 25.

According to the online news outlet Oaxaca Político, Sánchez was an administrative employee and Martínez was an engineer. Sánchez died while sitting in the back of a pickup truck parked in the complex and Martínez was located near the truck when the explosion happened, the news outlet reported. According to various media sources, Sanchez’s body was desiccated by the intense heat of the explosion.

Recio said the incident led to a “temporary halt” in operations at the facility’s main distillation and gasoline plants but that no other units were affected.

The oil refinery, one of Mexico’s largest, has a crude oil processing capacity of 330,000 barrels per day, according to Reuters. On Monday, however, it was operating at approximately 70% of capacity.

Recio also revealed that the plant’s cleanup-and-repair operation included a pumping procedure that sent sludge onto La Ventosa Beach, about 5 kilometers away. Refinery personnel were hurriedly cleaning up that spill, he added.

Crane hanging over a coking plant under construction at a Pemex refinery in Salina Cruz, Oaxaca
A coking plant under construction at the Salina Cruz refinery. The two employees who died were associated with the company contracted to build this plant at the Salina Cruz refinery, which Pemex hopes will monetize residuals leftover from the refining process, providing new income sources. (Pemex)

The Pemex plant manager also explained that “atypical” rains caused the refinery’s internal drainage and storm management system — which handles industrial waste such as oil and gasoline — to overflow. When the slurry rose to the surface and came into contact with a spark or flame, it caused an explosion and the fire, he said.

“We are in the initial stages of investigation and interviews to establish the root cause of where the fire started,” Recio said Monday.

He also noted that the deceased worked for Eseasa and Pesado, a transport company subcontracted by ICA Fluor, a company responsible for engineering, procurement and construction at the oil refinery. According to El Universal, ICA Fluor is under contract with Pemex to build a coking plant at the Salina Cruz refinery.

Meanwhile, the newspaper El Universal reported that fishermen and oil workers in the area blamed the fire — and the “constant spills that contaminate La Ventosa Bay” — on the refinery’s obsolete sewage and wastewater treatment systems.

These sources told El Universal said that the systems haven’t been operating for at least 10 years, which causes oil and gasoline waste to go untreated. Instead, they said, the industrial waste goes straight into a drainage system that discharges into La Ventosa Bay.

Two pipelines side by side on the shore of a river that feed into a river. They are emitting gray smoke.
Local fishermen and oil workers told El Universal newspaper that the refinery’s sewage and wastewater treatment systems haven’t been operating for a decade and that the refinery pumps untreated waste into nearby La Ventosa bay. (Video capture)

Three months ago, a spill of oily waste covered the beach and flooded its fishing and oyster area, the newspaper reported.

“We are tired,” said fishermen and oyster extractors as quoted by El Universal. “We are going to make decisions in the next few days to show the oil company that it cannot contaminate with impunity.”

Though usually called the Salina Cruz refinery, the Pemex plant is officially named the Antonio Dovalí Jaime refinery in tribute to a late civil engineer from Zacatecas.

This was not the first Pemex oil refinery in 2024 to experience an explosion: in February, state Civil Protection officials in Hidalgo, reported an explosion at Pemex’s Tula refinery — the nation’s most productive — that they said occurred inside its hydrodesulfurization plant, where the sulfur is removed from refined petroleum products using a high-pressure process.

With reports from Proceso, El Universal and Reuters

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