With the re-opening of the Ichkabal archaelogical site near Bacalar, the area is expecting increased tourism. (INAH)
The ancient Maya city of Ichkabal — an archaeological site that is larger and has three more pyramids than Chichén Itzá’s Temple of Kukulcán — is poised to become a major Mexican tourist attraction after its scheduled opening to the public next month.
Although Ichkabal was discovered nearly 30 years ago, this will be the first time visitors will be allowed into one of the oldest Maya archeological sites in Mexico.
Located in the southeastern state of Quintana Roo, in the middle of the jungle 43 kilometers (27 miles) from Bacalar, Ichkabal isn’t as easily accessible from cities such as Cancún, Tulum and Mérida as its more famous counterpart as Chichén Itzá is.
The archeological site, located deep in the jungle near Bacalar, Quintana Roo, will be made somewhat easier to reach from popular tourist destinations on the Yucatán Peninsula by the soon-to-be-completed Maya Train, government officials promise. (Gov. Mara Lezama/X)
But with towering structures that have led it to be dubbed “the Mesoamerican Egypt,” Ichkabal will offer an unparalleled glimpse into a city that played a crucial role in the early development of Maya civilization. And government officials are promising easier access once the under-construction Maya Train finishes work on stations in Bacalar and Chetumal.
Covering 30 square kilometers — a footprint three times larger than Chichén Itzá — Ichkabal is one of the largest of Mexico’s archaeological sites still standing and one of the oldest vestiges of Maya culture.
The site is tentatively scheduled to open to the public on Sept. 14.
Work is being carried out to finalize transportation options from the yet-to-be-completed Maya Train station in Bacalar. The drive from the Bacalar station, however — over small jungle roads — will take approximately one hour and 45 minutes.
The site is also 81 kilometers (50 miles) from the Quintana Roo capital of Chetumal, but driving from the still-under-construction Chetumal station will take about two hours and 30 minutes.
¡Buenos días! Con mucha emoción les comento que #Ichkabal muy pronto detonará el crecimiento económico y de infraestructura del sur de #QRoopic.twitter.com/aDQ3Tezc4U
Some images of the soon-to-open Ichkabal, one of Mexico’s oldest Maya archaeological sites, discovered in 1995 but only now becoming accessible to the general public. (Mexico’s Ambassador to Canada Carlos Joaquin/Twitter)
Still, Alan Maciel Vallejo, a researcher with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), predicts that Ichkabal will attract a significant number of visitors, including cruise ship passengers from Mahahual (a nearly three-hour drive away).
Chichén Itzá, wrote the newspaper El País, “has new competition.”
Ichkabal remained hidden beneath the jungle canopy until its discovery in 1995.
Since then, archaeologists have been working to uncover and preserve its monumental structures, built between 350 B.C. and 50 B.C.
The site’s intricate buildings and advanced hydraulic systems — such as a recently discovered cistern used to store water and corn — reveals the city’s importance as a political and cultural hub.
The site’s restoration has been part of the Program for the Improvement of Archaeological Zones (Promeza), a government initiative aimed at preserving and promoting Mexico’s rich cultural heritage. With the support of the Defense Ministry (Sedena), archaeologists are working feverishly to ensure that the site is ready to open soon.
Also, earlier this year, the Yaxchilan site in Chiapas — in the Lacandon Jungle near the Guatemala border — reopened after being closed for five months due to cartel violence in the region.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose state was one of 16 that filed a joint lawsuit against Biden's new Keeping Families Together program, said the program is unconstitutional. (Texas Attorney General's Office)
A federal court in Texas has handed down a ruling that temporarily suspends a United States government program allowing certain undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens to apply for lawful permanent residence in the U.S. without leaving the country.
However, the initiative — which could benefit hundreds of thousands of Mexicans in the U.S. — is not popular among many Republican Party officials, including those in 16 Republican-led states that filed a legal challenge against it.
On Monday — a week after the program began accepting applications on Aug. 19 — Judge J. Campbell Barker of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued an administrative stay that stops the U.S. government from approving applications to participate in the Keeping Families Together program for two weeks.
The duration of the court order could be extended as the court considers the case.
Barker’s ruling came just one week after the Department of Homeland Security began accepting applications in the program that seeks to benefit some 500,000 undocumented adult noncitizens who have lived in the United States for 10 years, are legally married to a U.S. citizen, don’t have a criminal record and are not considered a security threat.
The White House said in June that the program would also protect approximately 50,000 noncitizen children under the age of 21 with a parent married to a U.S. citizen.
The governments of Texas and Idaho — along with attorney generals from 14 states that include Florida, Georgia and Wyoming — filed a lawsuit against the program last Friday. They filed the suit in a court under the jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which the Associated Press (AP) described as “a favored venue for advocates pushing conservative arguments.”
U.S. District Court Judge J. Campbell Barker, seen here in 2018 testifying during his confirmation hearing to become the U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Texas, said that the states’ concerns about the Keeping Families Together program warranted further investigation. (US Senate Judiciary Committee)
The 16 states accused the Biden administration of circumventing Congress and creating the program via executive order for “blatant political purposes” in an election year when illegal immigration is a crucial issue in the contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump.
The states specifically challenged the program’s so-called “parole in place” measure, which allows undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States and to apply to work legally before making a formal application for residency, something they must do within three years of being accepted into the Biden administration’s program.
The U.S. government has already had an existing “parole in place” program available to noncitizen family members of active and reserve members and veterans of the U.S. military since 2010 that grants similar benefits — such as the ability to apply for residency from within the U.S., even after having entered the U.S. without authorization, and the right to apply to work legally in the U.S. after being accepted into the program.
The states’ current lawsuit argues that the program is illegal, encourages illegal immigration and amounts to an “amnesty” for undocumented immigrants.
The Texas government — led by staunch illegal immigration opponent and outspoken Biden critic Governor Greg Abbott — said in the suit that it has had to pay tens of millions of dollars per year to cover the expenses stemming from the presence of illegal immigrants in the state, including those related to health care and law enforcement.
In a written ruling, Judge Barker said that the claims filed by the 16 states “are substantial and warrant closer consideration than the court has been able to afford to date.”
He laid out a timetable that could lead to a decision just before the Nov. 5 presidential election in the United States or before the new president takes office in January, AP reported. The judge gave both sides until Oct. 10 to file case briefs.
‘We are going to keep fighting for Texas’
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton acknowledged Barker’s ruling on the X social media platform.
“We have temporarily BLOCKED Biden’s unlawful new ‘parole in place’ program,” he wrote on Monday.
Biden’s unconstitutional scheme would have rewarded over 1 million illegal aliens with the opportunity for citizenship after breaking our country’s laws — and incentivized countless more,” Paxton said.
“This is just the first step. We are going to keep fighting for Texas, our country, and the rule of law,” he added.
In another post, Paxton asserted that “this unlawful scheme is about fast-tracking over 1 million illegal aliens for citizenship and rewarding them with full benefits and voting rights.”
“By federal law, they are NOT ELIGIBLE for parole. That’s why Texas sued,” he said.
The attorney general also contended that the Biden-Harris administration has an “open-borders agenda” that is “destroying this country.”
Migrants at the Mexico-U.S. border. Illegal border crossings have dropped significantly since U.S. President Joe Biden enacted a new border policy in June that no longer allows people who cross illegally into the U.S. and request asylum to stay in the U.S. until their hearing. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
‘America is not a country that tears families apart’
President Biden also reacted to the ruling against his Keeping Families Together program.
“America is not a country that tears families apart,” he said in a statement issued by the White House.
“That is why, in June, my Administration announced new action to keep American families together,” Biden said.
“These married couples — in which one spouse is a United States citizen and the other has been living in America for 10 years or more — include our neighbors who have been working, raising their families, paying taxes, worshipping with us and sending their kids to school,” he said.
The president said that “all” he did “was make it possible for these longtime residents to file the paperwork [for residency] here — together with their families.”
The ruling of “a single district court in Texas” is “wrong,” Biden asserted, adding that “these families should not be needlessly separated.”
“They should be able to stay together, and my Administration will not stop fighting for them,” Biden said.
Immigrant advocates decry ‘devastating’ decision
Jessica Cisneros, an attorney for the Texas Immigration Law Council, an advocacy organization, said that the court’s decision to “halt the federal government from providing relief” to undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens “is devastating to the thousands of Texas families that could have benefited from this program.”
Karen Tumlin, the director of the Justice Action Center immigrant advocacy organization, called the court order against the Biden administration program an “extreme measure.”
Rebecca Shi, executive director of the American Business Immigration Coalition, right, said preventing people from obtaining legal status more quickly when they have already been working and paying taxes in the U.S. for long periods is “bad for the economy and against human decency.” (Rebecca Shi/X)
She claimed that Texas “has not been able to provide an iota of evidence” that it would be adversely affected by the program.
“This is heartbreaking for our clients and the thousands of couples who hope to benefit from this process and be able to live without fear that their family will be separated,” Tumlin said.
Rebecca Shi, executive director of the American Business Immigration Coalition, said that “it is bad for the economy and against human decency to prevent people who have been here working and paying taxes, often for more than 20 years, and married to U.S. citizens, from obtaining legal status more quickly.”
Families back ‘in limbo’
Citing two government officials, The New York Times newspaper reported that in just one week, thousands of undocumented U.S. residents filed applications to participate in the Keeping Families Together program.
If they had applied for residency before the program commenced, they would likely have had to leave the United States for an indefinite period while awaiting adjudication. Wait times have sometimes stretched on for years, and undocumented immigrants had no guarantee they would be allowed to return to their lives — and families — in the United States.
One Biden program applicant who has been in the United States since he was an infant told the Times that he “felt both relief and anxiety after years of struggle” when he filed his application last week.
“The Government of Mexico is convinced that both nations must continue to promote openness and a willingness to ensure that there are regular pathways for those who intend to emigrate from their countries of origin, in the understanding that migration today is driven by necessity, and avoiding xenophobic or discriminatory actions at all costs.”
“For years, we’ve been caught in a cycle of legal challenges and financial strain, trying to navigate an immigration system that often seems designed to keep families like mine in limbo,” said 34-year-old Ricardo Ocampo Hernández, a Las Vegas resident who has been married to a U.S. citizen for a decade.
Undocumented immigrants whose applications to participate in the program have already been approved won’t be affected by Monday’s ruling, according to a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman who emailed a statement to the Times.
However, Judge Barker’s ruling means that undocumented migrants all over the United States — including eligible family members who had not yet been accepted into the Biden program — now don’t know when, or even if, they will be able to apply for residency without facing the risk of lengthy separation from their families.
Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry (SRE) said in June that some 500,000 spouses and 50,000 children of U.S. citizens could benefit from the Biden scheme, and highlighted that “the vast majority” of that number are “Mexican or Mexican-American.”
Roberto Velasco, head of the SRE’s North America department, said that as many as 400,000 Mexicans could obtain permanent residency in the U.S. through the program and eventually become American citizens.
Shanni Valeria Mora, 16, and Rosa Mendoza Sosa, 17, accepting their prize at an event for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in Sweden. (Premio Nacional Juvenil del Agua/X)
Two students from Oaxaca won the diploma of excellence at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in Sweden during the world’s leading water conference, World Water Week in Stockholm.
Shanni Valeria Mora, 16, and Rosa Mendoza Sosa, 17, designed a filtration system to purify wastewater from textile dyeing and reuse it in vegetable farming in their community of Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca. Their invention seeks to promote sustainability, preserve the entity’s cultural traditions and help it transition towards a circular economy.
¡La espera terminó! ⌚
Nuestras representantes mexicanas, Shanni Mora y Rosa Mendoza ya se encuentran en Estocolmo, #Suecia para el #StockholmJuniorWaterPrize 2024.💧🫶🏻
— Premio Nacional Juvenil del Agua (@premiojuv_agua) August 25, 2024
“Shanni and Rosa are a source of pride for Mexico,” said Jorge Arriaga, executive coordinator of the UNAM Water Network and the Regional Center for Water Security (CERSHI), under the auspices of UNESCO. “They not only represent young people, but also women, Indigenous populations and, above all, the future of science with social significance.”
Their project was chosen from over 30 finalists due to its positive impact on environmental and social issues.
Teotitlán del Valle’s main economic activity is textile production, with roughly 70% of the town’s population involved in this artisanal industry. Noticing the environmental impact of dyeing practices and the threat it poses to local water bodies and soil, Shanni and Valeria found a solution that fosters a deeper connection to their community’s textile heritage.
“In our village, textiles are not just products; they are a testament to our traditions, crafted with techniques passed down through generations,” the students said in a statement.
Teotitlán del Valle’s main economic activity is textile production, with roughly 70% of the town’s population involved in this artisanal industry. (Wikimedia Commons)
The homemade filters are designed for natural and synthetic dyes. In their experiment, the filtered water was later used for the germination of spinach and radish seeds, with further experimentation planned for other vegetables.
“The objective of this project is to establish a sustainable system that enhances family economies and nutrition, contributes to environmental conservation, and provides a viable water reuse strategy for the community,” they said. “By reclaiming and reusing water, we can mitigate pollution while preserving our cultural heritage and supporting our local economy,” the students concluded.
The Stockholm International Youth Water Prize is the most prestigious accolade for student research projects addressing water challenges worldwide. It is organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), a non-profit institute with a wide range of expertise in water governance.
The event will take place on June 14 and 15, 2025. (Edgar Negrete/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s Daniel Suárez has long dreamed about winning a race at Mexico City’s iconic Hermanos Rodríguez racetrack. Next year, the NASCAR Cup Series driver will get his chance.
“It’s been a dream to come back [to Mexico] as a Cup Series driver,” said Daniel Suárez, a NASCAR driver from Monterrey based in the United States. (@Daniel_SuarezG/X)Suárez, a native of Monterrey, joined NASCAR in 2017 after advancing through the NASCAR Mexico series and NASCAR Xfinity which is the second-tier circuit to the organization’s top-level Cup Series.
“Since I moved out of my country … it’s been a dream to come back as a Cup Series driver,” he told The Athletic before Tuesday’s announcement. “And to be able to [race] and be competitive and have a shot to win … that would be … like winning a championship.”
The historic stock car race will take place on the same track where Formula 1 competes. There will also be an Xfinity Series race on June 14.
Adding an international points race to the Cup schedule has long been a goal for NASCAR as it sought to bring its Cup Series to new markets in major metropolitan areas.
“This has been on our radar for a long time,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovation officer. “This is going to be a monumental event for us, the first time we’re going south of the border.”
Though a points-paying race in Mexico will be a first, NASCAR is not new to Mexico.
The Hermanos Rodríguez circuit hosted four races in the Xfinity Series from 2005-2008. (@BenKennedy33/X)
NASCAR — one of the top-ranked motorsports organizations in the world — has sponsored the NASCAR Mexico Series since 2004. The Hermanos Rodríguez circuit has hosted four races in the Xfinity Series from 2005-2008.
Three of Suárez’s contemporaries in the Cup Series won Xfinity Series races at the Hermanos Rodríguez track: Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch.
“I think it’s a great thing for the sport,” Truex, the winner of the inaugural Xfinity race in Mexico City, told The Athletic. “I remember the fans there, it was nuts. They were everywhere. And loud, I could hear them in the car when I won the race. I could hear the air horns and music and whatever the hell they were doing and it was loud. It was crazy how many people were there.”
The Mexico City track, built in 1959, features road course and oval configurations and is considered one of the most popular international racing circuits in the world. Remodeled in 2015, it is 2.67 miles long, boasts 17 turns and sits at an elevation of 7,342 feet. The track was named in honor of racing brothers Ricardo Rodríguez and Pedro Rodríguez.
The bust involved a navy vessel supported by a Panther helicopter. (SEMAR/X)
The largest drug bust of the current government recently occurred when the Mexican Navy seized 5.6 tonnes of suspected cocaine and arrested 15 people after a high-speed chase off the coast of Colima.
A video released by the navy shows go-fast boats speeding across the water before the suspected smugglers were detained. A navy helicopter tracks the vessels.
Approximately 7.2 tonnes of cocaine was seized in two separate drug busts led by the Mexican Navy in Colima and Michoacán. (SEMAR/X)
The Naval Ministry (SEMAR) said in a statement last Friday that personnel on board a navy vessel and supported by a Panther helicopter seized 126 packages containing 5.6 tonnes of “presumed” cocaine after intercepting three speedboats in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Manzanillo, Colima.
That quantity of seized narcotics “represents the biggest confiscation in a single event during the president’s administration,” SEMAR said in reference to the 2018-24 period of government. Photos of the illicit haul were posted to the navy’s social media accounts.
SEMAR said that 1,100 liters of fuel were also seized and 15 “alleged lawbreakers” were detained. The suspects and their illicit cargo were taken ashore and turned over to the Federal Attorney General’s Office, SEMAR said. It didn’t identify the detainees or disclose their nationalities.
In a “second event” outlined in the same statement, the Navy Ministry said that navy personnel seized an additional 32 packages of “presumed” cocaine adrift in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán.
Mexico's Navy confiscates over seven tons of drugs
Those packages — seen toward the end of the navy video — weighed approximately 1.6 tonnes. Navy personnel also seized a “small vessel” with three outboard motors. No arrests were reported.
SEMAR didn’t specify when the two drug seizures took place, saying only that they occurred in recent days.
In a 2021 report, the Organization of American States outlined seven maritime drug trafficking routes between South America and Mexico or Central America. Five of those routes terminated in Mexico, including in the states of Chiapas, Guerrero and Sinaloa.
Rainfall will decrease slightly by the third and fourth weeks of September. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
After a very rainy summer, September will continue to bring above-normal rainfall to most of Mexico, particularly in the central-southern strip and the Gulf coast.
According to meteorological models, the following 16 states are forecast to see above-average rainfall during the first week of September.
Tamaulipas
Veracruz
Tabasco
Campeche
Chiapas
Yucatán
Quintana Roo
Oaxaca
Puebla
Tlaxcala
México state
Morelos
Mexico City
Guerrero
Michoacán
Jalisco
Se prevén #Lluvias intensas en el norte de #Guerrero, y muy fuertes en zonas del occidente, centro, oriente y sur de #México.
Similar conditions are expected for Mexico’s central and western regions through the second week of the month. Rainfall will decrease slightly by the third and fourth weeks of September.
Mexico’s northeast, however, will remain mostly dry.
The National Meteorological System (SMN) has warned that heavy, sudden rainfall could lead to landslides, increased river and stream levels and flooding in low-lying areas, and urged residents of areas experiencing heavier levels of rain to take precautions.
The weather forecast for this week in Mexico
This week, tropical wave 19 will cause strong storms in the Valley of Mexico, the southern Bajío and the Pacific coast in the afternoon and evening hours.
Towards the end of the week, the southeast may see increased rainfall from Thursday through Sunday. These conditions will combine with a cold front north of Mexico near Texas.
The clash between humid tropical air and drier winter air will begin to happen as is typical for September, causing cooler temperatures and heavier rainfall.
Despite the rain, temperatures in the Gulf coast are above average for this time of year.
What’s the weather forecast for Wednesday?
40 to 45 degrees Celsius: Baja California and Sonora.
35 to 40 degrees Celsius: Baja California Sur, Campeche, northeast Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, southeast Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Tabasco, Tamaulipas and Yucatán.
30 to 35 degrees Celsius: Chiapas, Durango, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit, southwest Puebla, east San Luis Potosi, Veracruz and north Zacatecas.
An estimated tens of thousands of fish have died due to severe water depletion in three Chihuahua lakes. (Civil Protection Cuauhtémoc)
What is Mexico’s drought status?
The first half of August saw higher-than-usual levels of rainfall in the northwest, central west, south, and southeast Mexico, reducing drought conditions in these regions.
The northern and northeastern regions of Mexico, however, continued to experience hot to very hot weather, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. The state of Chihuahua recently reported that tens of thousands of fish died after three lakes dried up. Northeast Sonora and some areas in Baja California Sur are also reporting abnormal drought conditions.
Overall, as of Aug. 15, 2024, 34.73% of the country was affected by some level of drought, down 5.4 points from the end of July.
Demi Lovato was one of the stars headlining the Hera Festival in Mexico City. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
In a historic celebration of female empowerment, the Hera HSBC Festival transformed the Hermanos Rodríguez Racetrack in Mexico City into a paradise of musical energy and good vibes last weekend.
The first festival in Mexico to feature a lineup of exclusively female artists from Latin America and beyond drew a spirited crowd of over 48,000 on Saturday night.
The festival lineup included stars like Camila Cabello and Evanescence. (Festival Hera HSBC/Facebook)
Organized by women and aimed to highlight gender inequality within the music industry — and coinciding with the forthcoming inauguration of Mexico’s first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum — the festival featured three stages and extensive seating arrangements to accommodate the large crowd.
There were also dedicated spaces for art installations, panel discussions and interactive experiences, all designed to create an immersive atmosphere celebrating women in the arts. Information booths provided resources for those interested in advocating for equal opportunities and supporting female artists.
The singer Ximena Sariñana, one of the festival’s co-creators, expressed her gratitude, saying,
“Thank you all for coming, for being part of this unique and historic moment!”
Ximena Sariñana (right), here with Paty Cantú, was one of the co-organizers and performed at the festival. (Cuartoscuro)
The powerhouse lineup included American artists such as Kesha, Demi Lovato and Cuban-born Camila Cabello, prominent Mexican performers such as Sariñana, Ely Guerra and Hello Seahorse, and Latin stars such as Bomba Estéreo from Colombia and Daniela Spalla from Argentina.
The festival is named after Hera, queen of the gods from Greek mythology and goddess of marriage, women and childbirth.
One of the festival highlights was Lovato’s powerful rendition of “Confident,” marking her return to Mexico after seven years.
“It feels so good to be back,” said the 32-year-old pop star who has become a symbol of female empowerment. “Thank you for being by my side during the hardest years of my life.”
Kesha made her first appearance in Mexico in a decade at the Hera Festival. (Cuartoscuro)
Similarly, Kesha made her first appearance in Mexico in 10 years. She walked onto the stage drinking a Corona beer and was showered with Dr. Simi dolls — in addition to actual rain showers. (Tossing the Farmacias Similares mascot onto the stage has become a tradition at concerts in Mexico.)
“What’s up, Mexico City?” she said. “Anybody else feeling especially free this afternoon?” she added, eliciting screams from her fans.
Bomba Estéreo closed the festival with their vibrant blend of cumbia, reggaeton and electro-pop.
¡Lxs queremos escuchar!
Hemos leído muchos comentarios sobre nuestra primera edición y queremos seguir mejorando para ustedes. 🪩✨
“Tonight is very special,” vocalist Li Saumet told the audience. “We are here gathered for something that is missing on this planet — feminine energy, balance, creation, intuition, life.”
Ivan Huerta, a 28-year-old attendee, expressed his appreciation for the all-female lineup, telling the Associated Press, “I love it. As part of the LGBT community, I feel more comfortable here. It’s amazing that there’s a festival for [women] and for everyone.”
The Tikkun Eco Center is an oasis of green calm in the midst of one of Mexico's driest areas. The experienced directorial team has helped make the center a vital pillar of the local community. (Tikkun/Facebook)
In the countryside of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, an ancient Jewish tenet guides a modern mission. The Talmudic concept of ”tikkun olam” — Hebrew for “repairing the world” — is a calling to reconnect our souls and spirits and to engage in social and ecological action to mend the damage inflicted on the world.
With this ideal as their foundation, Tikkun Eco Center is committed to community service for environmental restoration. They empower farming communities by reversing desertification, restoring water and food security and transforming barren areas into abundant, thriving ecosystems.
Careful stewardship of the land has brought back lush, verdant plant life to the center. (Sandra Gancz Kahan)
A delightful visit to Tikkun Eco Center for this article was made even more special by the company and guidance of environment enthusiasts Herb and Sally Silver, dear friends of mine. As we drove into the center, the sharp contrast in the landscape was breathtaking. The arid, scrubby terrain we had been navigating suddenly enveloped us in a lush jungle full of organic food, otherwise known as a “food forest.”
Meet the visionaries
We were warmly welcomed by Ben Ptashnik, Victoria Collier and Rebeca Ayala, Tikkun’s directors. Ptashnik was born in Israel, where he was influenced by his early experiences in cooperative agricultural life on a kibbutz. Later, as a Vermont state senator, he championed legislation promoting renewable energy and sustainable agriculture.
Collier, who runs project development and agriculture at Tikkun, deepened her ecological commitment in the early 2000s as the director of Tierra Lucero, a non-profit permaculture center in Taos, New Mexico, addressing the deep food insecurity of rural communities.
Born in Mexico City, Rebeca’s environmental advocacy began at 18 as a teacher in a Zapotec community in Oaxaca. With a degree in Environmental Engineering and a Green MBA, she worked with the Attorney General for Environmental Protection (Profepa) and the Dow Chemical Company, developing efficient models for water treatment plants.
Ben Ptashnik is one of the directors of Tikkun Eco Center and is a champion of sustainable agriculture. (Sandra Gancz Kahan)
A model for sustainable living
Ptashnik and Collier founded Tikkun Eco Center in 2008 in the rural village of San José de Gracia. The center’s 7.5 acres were initially a barren landscape dotted with only a few scattered trees, shrubs and cacti. Like many rural households in Mexico, Tikkun had no reliable access to water, public services or electricity.
With the goal of helping communities adapt to the challenges of the climate crisis, Tikkun is committed to reforestation, watershed restoration and ecological education. The center’s mission is to foster a more resilient and abundant world, where nature and people thrive together. By promoting sustainable practices and restoring vital ecosystems, Tikkun is not just responding to today’s urgent needs but also paving the way for a healthier, more sustainable future.
The lay of the land
The staff at Tikkun created this off-grid farm by constructing three adobe living and working sites that run entirely on solar and wind energy. To ensure a self-sufficient water supply, they set up a system of rainwater capture. The more than 2,000 trees, vines, shrubs, flowers and cacti they’ve planted contribute to a flourishing food forest and orchard. Their organic gardens, spanning over 2 acres, are supported by extensive earthworks and a site-wide drip irrigation system that keeps everything lush and green.
Adding to this vibrant ecosystem are eight interlocking ponds that house tilapia, koi and goldfish; these nutrient-rich waters are later used to irrigate the land. Onsite beehives pollinate Tikkun’s plants. The center’s two plow horses ensure that the soil is tilled gently, without the disruption caused by tractors. Additionally, their permaculture center proudly maintains a vast collection of heirloom seeds and enriches the soil by producing worm compost.
With a flourishing ecosystem came pests – who have in turn become delicious snacks for the chickens that roam the grounds. (Sandra Gancz Kahan)
This flourishing land attracted new species, not all of them welcome. For years, the center, like much of the entire region, battled a ruthless plague of grasshoppers. After trying numerous natural remedies without success, they found a solution in chickens. With the help of three roosters donated by a neighbor, Tikkun’s chicken population grew rapidly. Happy to feast on the all-you-can-eat grasshopper buffet, these chickens played a crucial role in saving the farm while also providing food and fertilizer.
Cultivating connection as a community hub
Tikkun has grown into a vibrant community hub dedicated to education, activism and ecological restoration. The center provides a variety of programs, workshops and retreats designed to cultivate a strong connection to the earth and a sense of environmental stewardship. They focus on advancing social and environmental justice by promoting equitable access to resources and empowering younger generations to take an active role in repairing and nurturing their land.
In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic took a heavy toll on the local economy, Tikkun Eco Center expanded its farm to approximately 5 acres. Aimed at aiding local families in need, they distributed their organic crop of fruits and vegetables to families in the surrounding villages.
In 2021, the center’s community food distribution continued, providing around 4,200 meals per month to people in need. By 2022, Tikkun shifted its focus to restoring the village water reservoir, a project designed to strengthen local water and food resilience so communities could grow their own food. Tikkun Eco Center remains prepared to offer their farm as a food bank in the event of future crises.
The success of the center has also meant that it is able to supply local communities with food grown by volunteers at the site. (Sandra Gancz Kahan)
Leading by example in a global restoration movement
The team at Tikkun believes that the best path forward is to learn from the climate, the water cycle, the soil-food web and vast fungal networks to view the planet as a single, living organism. Tikkun’s restoration practices have demonstrated that the Earth has an incredible capacity to heal.
Their work is part of a growing global movement focused on ecological restoration and climate resilience. While communities in places like Zimbabwe, China and India are making significant strides with expansive restoration projects, the Tikkun team believes that Mexico also needs to embrace these efforts on a large scale. Tikkun is leading by example, showing how earth-healing projects can be successfully implemented to reverse biodiversity loss, water shortages and land degradation.
If you’re inspired by Tikkun Eco Center, you can support their ongoing efforts and get involved by donating or becoming a member. Tours are available to experience their gorgeous oasis firsthand, as are volunteering opportunities. To contribute, visit the center’s website.
Sandra Gancz Kahan is a Mexican writer and translator based in San Miguel de Allende who specializes in mental health and humanitarian aid. She believes in the power of language to foster compassion and understanding across cultures. She can be reached at: sandragancz@gmail.com
When Japanese and Mexican cuisine stops combining so perfectly, we'll stop mixing them up. Until then, here's a recipe for Baja style shrimp tacos with wasabi and pickled ginger slaw. (Jessica Gavin)
Wasabi has always been an this elusive ingredient for me. You see wasabi in the grocery store in a vaguely green box, read the back label, and somehow it’s always horseradish with coloring. It makes me question my reality, what else in my life is a blatant lie!? Whether you’re using the real deal or the fake wasabi powder, the recipe I want to share today is a flavor bomb. Wasabi Beer Battered Shrimp Tacos with Pickled Ginger Slaw., it works because it’s the culinary equivalent of a surprise party — unexpected, exciting, and just the right amount of wild.
First, let’s talk about the shrimp. Coating these little sea critters in a wasabi-infused beer batter, the beer makes the batter light and airy, while the wasabi adds a spicy kick that wakes you up faster than a double shot of espresso. Panko breadcrumbs add the final crispy crunch, making each bite feel like you’re indulging in something far fancier than the time you spent to make it.
Caution: This may turn out to be colored horseradish. Who cares, though? It’s still delicious. (Embassy)
Now, enter the pickled ginger slaw. The pickled ginger, long gone from the days of being disgraced and discarded on the edge of your sushi plate, brings a much needed punch that contrasts with the fried shrimp. It’s like the culinary version of that friend who always shows up with the best one-liners — sharp, unexpected, and absolutely essential to the experience.
The slaw also adds a refreshing crunch that balances out the shrimp’s richness. The rice vinegar and sesame oil give it a delicate Asian-inspired twist, making it the perfect partner in crime for our spicy, crispy shrimp.
In summary, these tacos are spicy, tangy, crispy, and refreshingly crunchy all at once. You’ll want to make these every Taco Tuesday — and possibly even some other days también.
Taco Tuesday just got delicious-ier. (Kikkoman)
Wasabi Beer Battered Shrimp Tacos with Pickled Ginger Slaw
Ingredients
For the Shrimp:
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup cold beer (lager or pale ale works best)
2 tbsp wasabi paste (adjust to how fiery you’re feeling)
Panko breadcrumbs for coating
Vegetable oil for frying
For the Pickled Ginger Slaw:
2 cups shredded cabbage (green or red)
1/2 cup carrots, julienned
1/4 cup pickled ginger, finely chopped
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp sesame seeds
For Assembly:
8 corn or flour tortillas
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Prepare the Pickled Ginger Slaw:
In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, julienned carrots, and chopped pickled ginger.
In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and pepper until well combined.
Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat.
Sprinkle sesame seeds on top, toss again, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors get to know each other.
Make the Beer Batter:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
Gradually add the cold beer, whisking until the batter is smooth.
Stir in the wasabi paste
Coat the Shrimp:
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.
Dip each shrimp into the beer batter, allowing any excess to drip off, then coat it in panko breadcrumbs for an extra crispy texture.
Fry the Shrimp:
Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat.
Fry the shrimp in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each side for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Assemble the Tacos:
Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet
Place a few pieces of fried shrimp on each tortilla.
Top with a generous amount of the pickled ginger slaw.
Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Serve:
Serve the tacos immediately with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the top and let me know what you think in the comments. Enjoy!
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.
As Congress considers constitutional changes to Mexico's judicial system, legislators are debating the exact requirements of a Senate supermajority. (Dassaev Téllez Adame/Cuartoscuro)
One small step for President López Obrador’s judicial reform proposal, one sizable leap backward for the Mexican peso.
The Constitutional Points Committee of Mexico’s lower house of Congress approved a proposed judicial reform on Monday, paving the way for all 500 recently-elected deputies to vote on the constitutional bill once they assume their positions on Sept. 1.
The proposed judicial reforms have been a source of anxiety not only for some Mexicans but for US leaders and investors. US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, seen here, called the reform bill’s provision for direct popular vote of judges “a major risk to the functioning of Mexico’s democracy.” (Ken Salazar/X)
Meanwhile, the peso — which has taken a battering since Claudia Sheinbaum and the ruling Morena party won comprehensive election victories on June 2 — depreciated close to 2% against the US dollar on Tuesday to trade at 19.78 to the greenback at 4 p.m. Mexico City time.
Causing the most concern both in Mexico and abroad is the bill’s provision that would allow Mexican citizens to directly elect thousands of judges, including the nation’s 11 Supreme Court justices.
United States Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar asserted last week that the “popular direct election of judges is a major risk to the functioning of Mexico’s democracy.”
Meanwhile, members of the Constitutional Points Committee approved a modified version of the reform bill that AMLO sent to Congress in February. Deputies with the ruling Morena party and its allies voted in favor of the proposal, outnumbering the opposition lawmakers who voted against it.
The committee made one additional modification to the proposal, adding a “jueces sin rostro,” or “faceless judges” clause, which aims to protect the identity — and therefore the safety — of judges presiding over cases involving organized crime.
The bill is expected to pass the Chamber of Deputies as Morena and its allies — the Labor Party and the Ecological Green Party of Mexico — will have a two-thirds majority when the new Congress convenes next week.
In the Senate, the Morena-led coalition will be just short of the supermajority required to pass constitutional reform proposals on its own, but finding a few extra votes to get the judicial reform proposal through Congress is considered achievable if not a fait accompli.
Opponents of the judicial reform proposal say that the direct election of judges from candidates nominated by the sitting president, the Congress and the judiciary itself threatens the independence of Mexico’s justice system. Judicial elections, in some cases, would coincide with political elections, a situation that critics believe could lead to politicization of the judiciary.
On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of United States senators issued a statement in which they said they were “deeply concerned that the proposed judicial reforms in Mexico would undermine the independence and transparency of the country’s judiciary, jeopardizing critical economic and security interests shared by our two nations.”
If the proposal is approved, all 11 justices of the Supreme Court — which has handed down rulings against the current government’s policies and projects — could be replaced next year, potentially delivering a majority bench that is sympathetic to the agenda of incoming president Claudia Sheinbaum.
López Obrador, a frequent critic of the nation’s judges, argues that the reform is necessary to eradicate corruption within the judiciary. He would happily accept the approval of his proposal as a parting gift before he leaves office on Oct. 1 and retires to his ranch in Chiapas.
Paulina Rubio, a deputy with the National Action Party, expressed concern that the next federal government could condition the continuation of its social programs on support for judicial candidates put forward by Sheinbaum.
“I’m already imagining the servants of the nation intimidating the people [who benefit from] the social programs, [telling them] that if they don’t go out to vote for the president’s candidates, they’ll take away the social programs — that’s the problem,” Rubio said, referring to low-ranking, on-the-ground government officials who assist the delivery of multiple welfare and employment schemes that Mexico’s current government has instituted in the last six years.
President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, right, seen here at a private meeting on Tuesday with the newly elected Deputies in the lower house of Congress, has expressed her approval of the judicial reform and sought to assure the public that the choosing of judges would be “transparent.” (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
The Morena Party and AMLO say such programs are bringing about Mexico’s “fourth transformation” — one that is lifting up Mexico’s most economically disadvantaged.
Sheinbaum — who is committed to continuing AMLO’s policies and building “the second story” of the so-called fourth transformation that he initiated — said last week that the process to select judicial candidates would be “very transparent” and that prospective judges would have the required experience to do the job.
“The president will no longer have a hand in appointing justices,” she said.
“… It’s a very complete process,” Sheinbaum said, referring to both candidate selection and judicial elections.
“It’s new, but it has nothing to do with this idea … that [judges] are now going to be more aligned to the president. … It’s a complete proposal that guarantees autonomy [for the judiciary],” she said.
!["It’s been a dream to come back [to Mexico] as a Cup Series driver,” said Daniel Suárez, a NASCAR driver from Monterrey based in the United States.](https://mexiconewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GPlj_E-aUAAa2tx.jpeg)
