Dry conditions have created the perfect environment for a record wildfire season, warns Mexico's federal forest management agency. (Alejandro Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s National Forestry Commission (Conafor) is bracing for an active and potentially explosive wildfire season in 2024.
In the first 18 days of the year, there were already 55 forest fires reported around the country — as many as there were for all of 2020. And those 2020 fires consumed only 421 hectares (1,040 acres) all year compared to the 643 hectares that have already been consumed in only three weeks of 2024, according to data collected by Conafor.
January 2024 alone has already seen more forest fires than the entirety of 2020. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
“We are seeing [this happen] because of how dry the mountains are, and the winds that are literally developing the fires,” Arturo Galindo Cabada, coordinator of Civil Protection in the northern state of Durango, told newspaper La Jornada.
The National Meteorological Service (SMN) reported that 55% of Mexico was in drought conditions at the end of 2023. Last year, the Defense Ministry (Sedena) and the National Water Commission (Conagua) even worked on “seeding” clouds near Mexico City in an attempt to create rain.
Durango is one of the states where dry and windy conditions prevail. Winds of up to 90 kilometers per hour were cited as a cause in some of the five forest fires that Galindo said Durango experienced in the first three weeks of January. Those conflagrations did force some parks to be closed, but overall the effects were minimal, Galindo pointed out.
In a similar time span, from Jan. 1-18, there were nine forest fires in México state, eight in Veracruz and seven in Jalisco, according to Conafor data. The January fires “are getting ahead of us,” Galindo said. “Last year, for example, they started at the end of February.”
The ‘cloud seeder’ that SEDENA has used in an attempt to force rain. (Cuartoscuro)
Last year saw 138 wildfires throughout Mexico that consumed 3,111 hectares (7,688 acres). In the past decade, only 2021 and 2017 had more wildfires, with 176 and 153, respectively. Jorge Israel García Ochoa, Minister of Environment and Territorial Development in Jalisco, attributed the early outburst of wildfires to the long duration of the dry season, even though there was above-average rainfall in the Guadalajara metro area at the end of 2023.
However, “the cold of January is creating a large amount of dry grass, because the cold affects primary vegetation, such as grasses and shrubs,” Valentina Davydova, researcher in the Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Guadalajara, told newspaper El Informador. “Starting in February, high temperatures begin to develop, especially in urban and suburban areas,” she added. “In February and March, we will have a high probability of forest fires.”
Authorities do add a caveat: Many of the wildfires are caused by human recklessness or arson, not necessarily climatic conditions. That’s not to say that climate patterns such as El Niño — a major cause of the decreased precipitation in Mexico last year — don’t play a role.
“If the El Niño phenomenon continues, we will have a prolonged spring, a late start to the rainy season and poor rainfall development within the Central-Western region of our country,” Davydova stressed. Mexico “will continue with drought problems and an increase in the probability of forest fires, and their presence can last throughout the spring period until the month of June.”
Tesla México's new CEO is Teresa Gutiérrez Smith, who most recently served as an executive at Rappi. (Teresa Gutierréz Smith/LinkedIn)
Teresa Gutiérrez Smith, a former executive with Colombian company Rappi, has been appointed as CEO of Tesla México, which is building an electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Nuevo León.
The Mexico City chapter of the Mexican Association of Women CEOs (AMMJE) announced Gutiérrez’s appointment on Tuesday.
A rendering of Tesla’s planned “gigafactory” in Nuevo León. (Tesla)
“We’re sure that this appointment marks the beginning of a new era for Elon Musk’s company,” said Zaira Zepeda, president of AMMJE in Mexico City.
She said that Gutiérrez, who was formerly Rappi’s CEO in Mexico, is a leader committed to “excellence, diversity, female empowerment and the vision of a sustainable future for the benefit of all.”
Several reports said Gutiérrez is replacing Françoise Lavertu as Tesla’s CEO, or country manager, in Mexico, but, according to Lavertu’s LinkedIn profile, she hasn’t worked for the EV manufacturer for years.
The new Tesla México CEO has a degree in chemical engineering from the Ibero-American University in Mexico City and an MBA from IPADE, the business school of the Pan-American University.
Gutiérrez previously worked at several companies including toy company Mattel, as a media and digital marketing director, and food and drink multinational Nestlé as strategic planning manager.
Her replacement as CEO of Rappi in Mexico is Iván Cadavid Silva, a former senior vice president with the company.
The Mexican government's lawsuit is the first made by a foreign country against U.S. gun manufacturers and the Foreign Affairs Ministry estimates it could be worth as much as US $10 billion in damages. (Smith & Wesson Inc./Facebook)
A United States appeals court ruled Monday that a US $10 billion lawsuit filed by Mexico against U.S.-based gun manufacturers in 2021 can proceed, annulling a lower court’s dismissal of the case.
The Boston-based United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit overturned Judge F. Dennis Saylor’s dismissal of the case against gunmakers including Smith & Wesson, Barrett Firearms, Beretta and Glock.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts had dismissed the lawsuit in 2022 and the Mexican government appealed. (UScourts.gov)
In dismissing the case in September 2022, Saylor, chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, said that U.S. law “unequivocally” prohibits lawsuits that seek to hold gun manufacturers responsible when people use their products for their intended purpose.
He said that Mexico’s case couldn’t surmount a provision in the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) that protects gun manufacturers from lawsuits over “the harm solely caused by the criminal or unlawful misuse of firearm products … by others when the product functioned as designed and intended.”
Mexico appealed the decision, arguing that the PLCAA only prevents lawsuits over injuries that occur in the United States and does not protect gun manufacturers from liability over the trafficking of weapons to Mexican crime groups.
Alejandro Celorio Alcántara is the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s legal counsel and he described the appeals court decision as a “great triumph for Mexico” in an interview on Tuesday. (Alejandro Celorio A/X)
The appeals court ruled Monday that “Mexico’s complaint plausibly alleges a type of claim that is statutorily exempt from the PLCAA’s general prohibition.”
“We therefore reverse the district court’s holding that the PLCAA bars Mexico’s common law claims, and we remand for further proceedings,” U.S. Circuit Judge William Kayatta said in a 60-page written ruling.
Kayatta said the appeals court found that “Mexico’s complaint adequately alleges that defendants have been aiding and abetting the sale of firearms by dealers in knowing violation of relevant state and federal laws.”
The appeals court ruled that the case must return to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Mexico’s reaction to the ruling
On the X social media platform, Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Bárcena described the appeal court’s decision as “great news.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) said in a statement that “Mexico welcomes the ruling,” adding that the appeals court was “very receptive to the sophisticated arguments presented by our country in defense of its interests and those of its people.”
“Once the case returns to the lower court, Mexico will present evidence to demonstrate the defendants’ negligence and seek reparation for the damages, which will be determined by the judge,” the SRE said.
Mexican officials have estimated that damages could be as high as US $10 billion if the lawsuit is successful.
In its statement, the SRE noted that “Mexico’s lawsuit is the first brought by a foreign state against the gun industry in U.S. courts” and described the appeal court’s ruling as “unprecedented.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Bárcena hailed the U.S. court’s decision to allow the lawsuit to proceed. (SRE/X)
In its lawsuit, the government alleged that gunmakers design weapons to appeal to criminal organizations in Mexico.
“Mexico is denouncing these promotional practices, along with other examples of negligence, like multiple weapons sales to a solo buyer, and the absence of background checks,” it said in a court document filed in 2021.
Steve Shadowen, a lawyer for the Mexican government, said Monday’s ruling is “an important step forward in holding the gun industry accountable.”
“It should now be clear that those who contribute to gun violence must face legal consequences, regardless of borders,” he said in a statement.
Jonathan Lowy, president of the U.S. organization Global Action on Gun Violence and co-counsel for Mexico along with Shadowen, said the ruling is “a huge step forward in holding the gun industry accountable for its contribution to gun violence, and in stopping the flood of trafficked guns to the cartels.”
“Not only did the Court recognize the right of another country to sue U.S. gun companies, it also pierced the unfair legal shield that gun companies have been hiding behind since 2005,” he added.
A blow for U.S. gunmakers
The New York Times reported that the appeal court’s decision “is one of the most significant setbacks for gunmakers since passage of a federal law [the PLCAA] nearly two decades ago that has provided immunity from lawsuits brought by the families of people killed and injured by their weapons.”
Larry Keane, a top official with the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSFF), the United States gun industry’s main trade association, said on X that the NSFF disagrees with the decision and is reviewing its legal options.
Gun manufacturers have denied any wrongdoing and assert that Mexico’s lawsuit does not adequately demonstrate an exception to their protections under the law. (bestpawntucson)
“Mexico should spend its time enforcing its own laws and bring Mexican criminals to justice in Mexican courtrooms, instead of scapegoating the firearm industry for their unwillingness to protect Mexican citizens,” he wrote.
Gunmakers have denied any wrongdoing. Their lawyers, Reuters reported “say Mexico’s lawsuit is devoid of allegations the gun manufacturers’ gun sales themselves did anything that would create an exception to PLCAA’s broad protections.”
Gun violence in Mexico
In the 60-page appeals court ruling published Monday, Judge Kayatta acknowledged the plaintiff’s argument that “Mexico has strict gun laws that make it ‘virtually impossible’ for criminals to obtain firearms legally sourced in the country.”
“It has one gun store in the entire nation and issues fewer than fifty gun permits a year. Despite these strong domestic regulations, Mexico has the third-most gun-related deaths in the world,” he wrote.
“The number of gun-related homicides in Mexico grew from fewer than 2,500 in 2003 to approximately 23,000 in 2019. The percentage of homicides committed with a gun similarly rose from fifteen percent in 1997 to sixty-nine percent in 2021. The increase in gun violence in Mexico correlates with the increase of gun production in the United States, beginning with the end of the United States’ assault-weapon ban in 2004,” Kayatta said.
National Guard and members of the military with weapons and ammunition confiscated in Zacatecas in December. (Cuartoscuro)
In 2023, there were 29,675 homicides in Mexico, according to preliminary government data that will likely be revised upward. A majority of murders in Mexico are perpetrated with firearms and linked to crime groups, including powerful drug cartels such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel.
Kayatta acknowledged that Mexico’s lawsuit “details a steady and growing stream of illegal gun trafficking from the United States into Mexico, motivated in large part by the demand of the Mexican drug cartels for military-style weapons.”
“For example, Mexico claims that between seventy and ninety percent of the guns recovered at crime scenes in Mexico were trafficked into the country from the United States,” he wrote.
The government estimates that hundreds of thousands of guns enter Mexico illegally every year, while data from the Federal Attorney General’s Office obtained by the El Economista newspaper last August showed that the number of firearms estimated to have been brought into Mexico illegally since 2012 is more than 20 times higher than the number of guns seized by authorities in the same period.
Río Secreto is a gorgeous cave where you wade in crystal-clear water, winding your way through shimmering stalactites. (Río Secreto)
Cancún is a planned city, developed by entrepreneurs as an alternative to Acapulco. At its inception in 1970, the 22-kilometer-long island had only three residents, all caretakers of a coconut plantation. The name Cancún means “full of snakes,” and there used to be 60 species registered on the island, though today they are all gone, and Cancún is now full of hotels, which, in turn, are full of tourists instead.
Well, and tourist guides.
One of Cancún’s coolest guides is Darío Ferreira, co-founder of the Nature Geek Squad: local experts in creating ecologically responsible, off-the-beaten-path adventures.
“Tell me a bit about hiking in and around Cancún,” I asked Ferreira. “What would you recommend for people who love nature?”
“There are places to go walking or cycling in Cancún.” he replied, “and they are working on creating parks, but for me, this is not senderismo (trail hiking). So I’m going to tell you about a few places I love to go to, not far from Cancún, where you can really appreciate nature.”
Punta Laguna: monkeys and more
The first place on Ferreira’s list is Punta Laguna, the gateway to the Otoch Ma’ax Yetel Kooh (Home of the Monkey and Puma) National Protected Area, a one hour 40 minute drive from Cancún.
Here you will find a vast array of plant species including sapodilla trees, which produce chicle (gum), and the ceiba, which the Maya believe is a pathway for souls to reach heaven, with its roots reaching into the underworld and its branches holding up the sky.
Punta Laguna also showcases deer, raccoons, armadillos, margays, coatis, agoutis, peccaries, and very elusive jaguars and pumas, but most people go to see howler and spider monkeys (which are an endangered species).
However, this park is also home to 158 species of birds, including the osprey, the great curassow, the toucan, and the very colorful ocellated turkey.
The park guides (whose services are highly recommended, but optional) all come from a nearby Mayan village which offers visitors a glimpse of a disappearing indigenous lifestyle,
The village is actually an ejido (rural co-op) called Najil Tucha and all revenue from tourism is divided among the families, all of whom speak Mayan. The guides say they are there to protect the environment from “human predators” who used to collect animals to sell them abroad. Some 35 families live in the village and since 1994 they’ve been monitoring the wildlife behavior and striving to preserve the environment.
Visiting hours are from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, but around 3 p.m. is the best time to see monkeys.
If you plan to visit Punta Laguna, you ought to bring comfortable, lightweight clothing, long pants, and good hiking boots. Biodegradable sunscreen and bug spray are recommended, but, says Darío, should be rinsed off before you get in the water. Here you can also kayak in a lagoon and visit a fascinating cenote, so don’t forget to bring a swimsuit.
If you want to stay overnight at Punta Laguna, you have two choices. You can camp on a platform near the lagoon or stay in a Mayan “hut.” Note that they do have bathroom facilities (eco-bathrooms) on site.
In conclusion, says Darío Ferreira: “Punta Laguna is an incredible place!”
Muyil: Unwind into a moving meditation
Another of Ferreira’s favorite sites is Muyil, at the edge of a lagoon in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Preserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located 153 kilometers south of Cancún. Here he and his fellow Nature Geeks have found wonderful places to hike and boat outside the established archaeological area.
“In the lush and tangled jungle,” explains Ferreira, “we begin with a boat ride through natural channels, slowing down to view intertwining mangrove roots eye to eye, home to nurseries of juvenile fish and host to many air plants such as orchids and bromeliads. Once we park the boat at a dock, we jump into one of the channels and let the natural current carry us through the magical mangrove tunnel. The water is fresh and just the right temperature, the shade of the trees is perfect and the calming sounds of birds and water allow us to let go and unwind into a moving meditation.”
Puerto Morelos Botanical Garden
Looking for blue butterflies? This morpho is waiting for you in the Puerto Morelos Botanical Garden. (Butterflieandmoths)
Only a 36-minute drive from Cancún lies the Puerto Morelos Botanical Garden –one of Mexico’s largest – where you’ll find two kilometers of trails introducing you to local orchids, bromeliads, ferns, palms, cacti, and Mayan medicinal herbs.
You’ll also find colorful birds and plenty of animals, including spider monkeys and iguanas.
Along your route, you’ll cross a 130-foot suspension bridge, and if you wish, you can climb a scenic lookout tower which will give you a great view of the jungle all the way to the sparkling waters of the Caribbean.
You’ll also have a chance to visit a chiclero camp, which will take you back to the days when the sap of the chicle tree was extracted and boiled down into what we now call chewing gum.
The park is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The secret river
To this short list of outdoor sites near Cancún, allow me to add an underground attraction. Río Secreto is a gorgeous cave where you wade in crystal-clear water, winding your way through shimmering stalactites.
If you love nature and you’re heading for Cancún, I suggest you call Darío Ferreira – who speaks perfect English – at +52 984 139 3271 (Whatsapp) or on his US number at 512 423 5975. He can organize a nature tour for you (including “a snake spotting hike”) but is also happy to give you tips at no charge about places you can visit on your own.
The writer has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for more than 30 years and is the author of A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area and co-author of Outdoors in Western Mexico. More of his writing can be found on his website.
Casa Dominga, a project that conveys the design and color vision of Maye Colab. (Instagram)
In 2022, interior designer Maye Ruiz had the opportunity to choose the color of the year for 2023 with Comex, the most important paint brand in Mexico and Latin America. That solidified her as a color expert — and now people increasingly associate her with color. Just take a look at her Instagram account to understand what this is all about.
Maye Ruiz is one of the most relevant and irreverent Mexican interior designers of our time. The designs created by her firm, MAYE, are rebellious and question social conventions, going beyond the soberness of beige, and flooding life and spaces with color. “I love that gradually people are more open to the transformative power of color because color is a fantastic tool even if you don’t have a lot of budget.”
Space was conceptualized by Maye Ruiz and Mario Ballesteros, two of the creatives of Comex Trends 2022. (Instagram)
As a child, Maye delighted in decorating and rearranging her grandmother’s house in León, Guanajuato, and other spaces where she felt at ease. Later, she discovered she could turn her passion into a career and chose to study Environmental and Spatial Design at La Salle University. “I worked for a long time in León, so my early projects were related to footwear. Moving to Mexico City broadened my horizons, and I began to get involved in projects with a more global vision.” There, Maye learned that designing something beautiful is not enough; it must tell a story, and each element must have a purpose. “Spaces tell stories, and that is what gives projects relevance.”
Maye’s philosophy is rooted in the premise that interior design is an art that goes beyond trends and what is currently fashionable. “I’m obsessed with finding a balance between technical or ergonomic aspects, the client’s taste, and trends, which I believe are important to consider because ultimately your work has to position itself on a timeline,” says the interior designer, who, like a true Libra, always seeks balance.
For Maye, it’s not just about following trends; it’s more about “going to the root of trends and creating from there, applying your own filters and language,” says the designer, who has turned her own style into a personal brand: Clients who want color in their projects want Maye to create them.
Casa Coa is located in one of the most emblematic streets in San Miguel de Allende. (Instagram)
Color Specialist
“I remember a lot from when I was studying, visiting textile stores and exploring their catalogs. I mean, seeing a catalog with a thousand colors makes my heart beat faster. I’ve never understood why people choose beige when there’s all of this life in color.”
Her love for color is genuine, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t order. “Just like in a movie or a book, there has to be a main character, secondary character, extras, etc. In an interior, it’s the same; there have to be different shades and saturations, not everything can be on the same frequency,” says Maye, who has also taught at universities such as the Universidad Iberoamericana, Tecnológico de Monterrey, and the Mexico City arts institute CENTRO.
“I love the theme of remastering, of redoing something that already exists. When you see something that looks like what you do, it doesn’t mean they copied you; it’s just that we all draw inspiration from other things, and as Rosalía says, ‘here, God is the best artist.’ So, everything already exists, but everything can be remastered.”
We asked Maye about what specific projects, tips, and tricks might inspire your next interior design project:
What feeds your creativity?
“I am very aware and open to receiving all external stimuli. But I think something super important in space design is context. For example, if I wanted to put a super new porcelain floor in San Miguel, it would look like a mistake because it completely breaks with the context of the city, and that is one of the most important points to consider when designing. Designing a space in San Miguel de Allende is not the same as doing it in Mexico City because they have different materials.”
Casa Dominga
“In 2021, I started my own studio, MAYE, and it was a year of many changes. I started, with my partner Daniel, the Casa Dominga project, which is our home. We began creating that space together, and I would recommend any creative person interested in the world of interior design to experiment in their own home.”
Casa Arca
“The house is located in a colonial house that someone bought in the 1920s and did a renovation inspired by Noah’s Ark. So, on the facade, there are animals. I can’t ignore the incredible story the house has. So, for this project, we used craft animal figures from Guanajuato and Michoacán. It’s an example of telling stories from the context you are in.”
Global Recognition
“My 2023 began with Casa Dominga on the cover of Architectural Digest Latin America. It was very interesting because we worked with a tile brand but in a different context – we made tile furniture. The result, I believe, was the best cover of 2023 for AD because you could feel the soul we put into the project.”
Best Restaurant Design
“We won the best restaurant design award from AD Latin America. It was my first award with my own studio, and it was incredible. In this project, I wasn’t just thinking about creating something beautiful that worked; I also wanted it to connect with people, and it succeeded so much that we got the award.”
Three tips for your interior design project in 2024
This year is one of rebirth. Since 2020, it has been challenging, and I believe that in 2024, we are finally coming up for air. In fact, in different trend forecasts, the most significant palettes are warm – like peach fuzz. Here in Mexico, the two most relevant forecasting researches are reds and oranges. So this year we will see a lot of reds and peaches. So, in your project, color must not be missing, and for those who are afraid: Starting with warm colors is easier and feels better.
You have to see interiors as a whole. You might think, I love this painting, but actually, you have to think about how it will combine with your walls, floors, your sofa, rug, etc. For a space, we don’t choose pieces that will be hung alone, like in a museum, everything you select is part of the same space.
Being an interior designer is like being a curator, and liking something is not a filter; you have to know how to choose. I recommend thinking of spaces as a party, and everything you choose has to go to the same party. That is the art of being an interior designer: being able to detect what goes to the same party and what doesn’t.
Camila Sánchez Bolaño is a journalist, feminist, bookseller, lecturer, and cultural promoter and is Editor in Chief of Newsweek en Español magazine.
Much of the state experienced rainy conditions over the weekend and Monday, causing flooding in Tijuana, Playas de Rosarito, Mexicali and other areas.(Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro.com)
Emergency service workers had a busy day in Baja California on Monday as heavy rain caused flooding in Tijuana and other parts of the northern border state.
South of Tijuana in the municipality of Playas de Rosarito, 10 people were rescued after their vehicles became submerged in water when a canal overflowed and flooded two main roads, said local Civil Protection chief Arturo García Ames.
The news website Zeta reported that people were rescued in various parts of the northern border city, where many roads were affected by flooding. Two people, one an elderly man, were rescued by firefighters when they got into trouble attempting to cross swollen streams in Tijuana.
By midday, emergency workers in the northern border city had responded to over 200 reports, Zeta said. In addition to flooding, there were reports of landslides and damaged electricity infrastructure in Tijuana.
Miguel Ceballos Ramírez, the city’s Civil Protection chief, said that students and staff were evacuated from two private schools due to flooding. The schools, Colegio Bilingüe Rey and Colegio Alamar, are located in the Alamar district of Tijuana.
Social media users shared videos of their experiences with the flooding. At left, a car is swept down the street by flood waters. At right, a trailer makes its way through the flooded Otay customs area near the U.S. border, according to social media reports. (Screenshot/X)
The Baja California government subsequently cancelled Monday afternoon and Tuesday classes across the state.
Some houses in Tijuana were also inundated with water, including properties in the Riberas del Bosque neighborhood. A video posted to the X social media platform by NR Noticias showed residents wading through deep water filled with trash.
Municipal authorities set up two shelters for Tijuana residents who were forced to evacuate their homes. Mayor Montserrat Caballero said on Facebook that authorities were clearing “residue that obstructs the passage of water” and “working and monitoring the streets of the city.”
In another post, she assured Tijuana residents that the city’s emergency services were “active.”
Tijuana residents posted photos and videos of the flooding to social media. One showed a man using a container to remove water from a partially submerged car. Another showed a taxi being swept away by fast-moving floodwaters.
The Reforma newspaper reported that the flooding mainly affected the municipalities of Tijuana, Playas de Rosarito and Mexicali, although Ensenada and Tecate also received a significant amount of rain on Monday.
Ceballos said that 1.5 inches (almost 4 centimeters) of rain fell in Tijuana between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m.
While flooding was the primary concern, the heavy rain also caused power outages in parts of Baja California, including Tijuana and Playas de Rosarito. Over 35,000 customers were affected, according to the Federal Electricity Commission.
Mexicans have been able to enter Canada with just an electronic travel authorization since 2016, but now some Canadian politicians would like to see tighter restrictions. (Shutterstock)
Visa-free travel to Canada for Mexican citizens could soon come to an end, a Canadian cabinet minister indicated on Sunday, although Mexico could stave off the move via diplomatic talks.
Since 2016, Mexicans have been able to enter Canada by obtaining an electronic travel authorization, or eTA.
The lack of a visa requirement has led to an increase in the number of Mexicans seeking asylum in Quebec, according to the premier of that province.
“Mexican nationals represent a growing proportion of the asylum seekers arriving in Quebec, the possibility of entering Canada from Mexico without a visa certainly explains part of the flow of asylum seekers,” Francois Legault said in a letter sent to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week.
Legault urged Trudeau to take action over the flow of asylum seekers into Quebec and provide compensation for costs his government has incurred by taking them in. He said that Quebec’s services were close to “breaking point” due to an increase in the number of asylum seekers from Mexico and other countries.
Canadian Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc said Sunday that he and Immigration Minister Marc Miller were considering visas and other measures for Mexican nationals seeking to enter Canada.
Conservative politician Francois Legault of Quebec urged Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to implement a visa requirement for Mexicans. (Wikimedia Commons)
In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the minister said that he and Miller were looking for “the appropriate way to ensure that people who arrived from Mexico arrived for the appropriate reasons” and that the current arrangement “doesn’t become sort of a side door to get access to Canada” for residency purposes.
“We’re looking at a number of measures that would, in fact, put us in a position to have done what’s necessary to ensure that these flights directly from Mexico don’t become sort of an indirect way to get access to Canada and to claim asylum,” LeBlanc said.
Miller said Monday that the Canadian government is currently in talks with Mexico aimed at addressing the increase in Mexicans seeking asylum in Canada.
Data from Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board shows that Mexicans made 17,490 claims for asylum in 2023, up 134% from 7,483 in 2022.
Miller told reporters that Canada’s economy has benefited from looser entry requirements, but acknowledged the lack of a visa requirement for Mexicans as a likely cause of the increase in asylum claims.
“Mexico is one of our principal economic partners. So any measures that we would take [or that] we would contemplate, would require a diplomatic process that is not yet completed,” the immigration minister said.
“We acknowledge the problem; we acknowledge that Canada has to take action. But there’s some work left to do,” he added.
Miller also said that the rate at which Mexicans’ asylum claims succeed is much lower than the rate for nationals of other countries.
Refugee service providers in Montreal, Quebec’s largest city, have previously said that “Mexican families are fleeing violence, insecurity and a lack of jobs in Mexico,” The Canadian Press reported.
However, “Canada only grants asylum to people it believes cannot safely live in any part of their home country because officials are unable or unwilling to provide those conditions,” the news agency said.
Graciela Olivares at her home in Amatlan de Quetzalcoatl. (Ana Paula de la Torre)
With the prevalence of GM corn impacting the way people eat, learn how Mexico’s intercultural complexity and food wealth is preserved through chemical-free maize farming techniques long before “organic” became trendy.
Graciela Olivares, a 69-year-old woman from the small town of Amatlán de Quetzalcoatl in the Mexican state of Morelos, is known for continuing the tradition of the famous milpa, a millenary system based on polycultures that involves growing corn, beans and squash together in one place. For those fascinated by the richness and diversity of Mexican culture, corn is a key topic, as many historians argue that maize is also the cornerstone of Mexican civilization.
Graciela Olivares making tortilla. (Ana Paula de la Torre)
In fact, the milpa is the foundation of Mexico’s ancient cuisine, which was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2010. Maize, in particular, is found in many diverse forms such as atole, cereal, chilaquiles, chimole, esquites, huitlacoche, molotes, enchiladas, panuchos, peneques, pinole, sopes, tamales, tacos, tlayudas, and, of course, tortillas.
Graciela was born in Milpa Alta, one of the last rural areas within Mexico City. In the past, Milpa Alta was known for growing maize criollo, which was the main agricultural activity in the area. In recent years, however, Milpa Alta has become the country’s main producer of nopal, or cactus.
Graciela has fond memories of criollo corn, a type of maize that has been improved over thousands of years through selection and exchange between Milpa Alta’s inhabitants. Graciela grew up in a family where everyone helped cultivate the milpa, and this tradition continued when she moved to Amatlán de Quetzalcótal with her husband over 50 years ago.
However, things are changing, and the new generations no longer have an interest in working the land.
“The young people don’t see the value of this beautiful corn, of growing their own maize, which is natural, free of chemicals, healthy and delicious,” Graciela told Mexico News Daily.
An organic process thousands of years old
Graciela Olivares and a corn plant. (Ana Paula de la Torre)
For thousands of years, Mexicans grew criollo corn in a completely organic and healthy way. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), organic food is the result of an environmentally friendly agricultural process that does not use fertilizers, pesticides or chemicals on the soil that is harvested: exactly the way the milpa was managed at least until the middle of the 20th century.
According to Graciela, however, many of the villagers in Milpa Alta have stopped using criollo corn, adding insecticides to make the job easier. “I don’t like to use herbicides or chemicals, I feel that if I do, I am poisoning the earth,” she explained.
Without herbicides, Graciela and her assistants have to cut all of the weeds that grow around the milpa by hand — a much harder job. Even so, she feels she is doing the right thing.
Not only is Graciela a guardian of organic corn, but she is also a keeper of the ancient process of nixtamalization used to make tortillas. This process, which consists of adding limestone to a boiling pot of harvested maize, is over three thousand years old. This tradition increases the nutritional properties of corn like calcium, iron and vitamin B3.
During the nixtamalization process, chemical changes occur that make the dough more malleable. In addition, the kernel absorbs calcium and potassium. Heating nixtamalized tortilla dough causes changes in the corn’s main proteins, making the nutrients in the kernel’s endosperm more digestible by the human body.
“The criollo corn, [aided by] nixtamalization makes the tortilla delicious. [The process] also improves its taste, smell and texture. We need to share this knowledge: I think that you are less vulnerable making your own food this way,” said Graciela.
So, why are organic criollo corn and food processes like nixtamalization important?According to the Pan American Health Organization, Mexico leads Latin America in the consumption of ultra-processed products, at 214 kilograms of processed food per person per year. This is indeed a cause for concern, as studies have linked this consumption to diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
Additionally, the use of pesticides in Mexico is alarming. According to the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC), the most commonly used pesticides in Mexico are banned in 34 countries. This highlights the need for more sustainable and organic farming practices to reduce the use of harmful chemicals and protect both human health and the environment.
In this context, the people who preserve native seeds and practice traditional organic methods are indeed playing a crucial role. Not only are they preserving biodiversity and traditional knowledge, but they are also promoting healthier and more sustainable food production. These individuals can be seen as contemporary heroes, as they are contributing to the well-being of their communities and the planet as a whole.
A growing trend: conserving native seeds
The nixtamalization process. (Ana Paula de la Torre)
Graciela Olivares is not alone; in recent years, there has been a growing interest in preserving native seeds in Mexico. Projects like La Casa del Maíz keep more than 45 of the 64 criollo corn varieties in existence, according to the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry (SADER). The Mexican government has also documented at least 26 community seed banks across the country.
Furthermore, government initiatives such as the germplasm banks of the National Center for Genetic Resources (CNRG) play a crucial role in preserving criollo seeds. These initiatives ensure that the genetic diversity of crops is conserved for future generations.
Thanks to the efforts of individuals like Graciela and the support of government initiatives and organizations, Mexico’s criollo corn safeguards the cultural and culinary traditions of this country that have been passed down for thousands of years.
Ana Paula de la Torre is a Mexican journalist and collaborator of various media such as Milenio, Animal Político, Vice, Newsweek en Español, Televisa and Mexico News Daily.
Naasón Joaquín García
is currently serving a 16-year sentence for sexual assault in a California prison. (Joaquín SanLuis/Cuartoscuro)
The leader of a Mexico-based megachurch, who is serving more than 16 years in a California prison for sexually abusing young followers, is now under investigation in the U.S. for possible money laundering and human trafficking, the newspaper Milenio reported on Monday.
Naasón Merarí Joaquín García was arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport in 2019 and charged with 19 counts of sex crimes against children. He was convicted in 2022 after agreeing to plead guilty to three of the charges and is now being held in a state prison near Fresno, California.
State prosecutors said Joaquín García used his religious position to have sex with girls and young women, telling them it would lead to their salvation (or damnation if they refused).
Joaquín García remains the leader of the La Luz del Mundo (Light of the World), an evangelical church with five million worldwide followers that was founded in 1926 by his grandfather, Aarón Joaquín González.
Believers consider Joaquín García, 54, to be what he has deemed himself: an “apostle” of Jesus Christ. He took over the pulpit in 2014.
When the church held a service last August — with Joaquín García preaching via a video recorded in prison — it drew an estimated 500,000 people to Guadalajara, where the church has its world headquarters.
Luz del Mundo, or Light of the World, is an evangelical church based in Guadalajara. (Wikimedia Commons)
During the August service, Joaquín García spoke of sinners who have been “plunged into a field of guilt … due to a whim of the flesh … an unhealthy whim.” He added that he often turns to God seeking “mercy and forgiveness.”
Now, U.S. agents with the Department of Homeland Security are investigating Joaquín García for financing his luxurious lifestyle by diverting donations and tithes given to the church, as reported by Milenio.
The case, which is being prepared for trial, also claims the church failed to inform the U.S. Treasury of its income and history of large international money transfers, Milenio noted.
In 2020, Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) gave the Attorney General five complaints against La Luz del Mundo for money laundering, Milenio added. The UIF found that the church had made big purchases of vehicles, real estate and private security.
Moreover, a U.S. grand jury charged the religious leader last October with additional crimes: two counts of possessing and producing child pornography, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
That case stems from an iPad that Joaquín García had with him when he was arrested in 2019, which the FBI said contained videos depicting a 16-year-old girl engaging in sexual activity.
Joaquín García is serving a sentence of 16 years and 8 months at the California Institution for Men in Chino. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to two state counts of forcible oral copulation involving minors and one count of a lewd act upon a child who was 15. In exchange, California prosecutors dropped 16 counts that included allegations of raping children and women, as well as human trafficking to produce child pornography.
If convicted of the two new charges, Garcia would face 15 to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography and up to 10 years in prison for possessing it.
Mexico expects 5.4% more foreign tourists in 2024 thanks to the new Maya Train. (@GobiernoMX/X)
Mexico could welcome over 42 million international tourists in 2024 lured by the new Maya Train in the Yucatán Peninsula, according to Miguel Torruco Marqués, head of the Tourism Ministry (Sectur).
Speaking on Monday at a press conference of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) in Madrid, Spain, one of the world’s largest tourism fairs, Torruco said that Mexico expects 5.4% more foreign tourists than in 2023 and over US $32 billion in tourism revenue.
The Maya Train has transported an average of 800 people per day since its inauguration in December 2023. (@trenmaya/X)
He explained that Mexico aims to exceed the 38.3 million mark of tourists that entered the country last year, generating tourism revenue of US $28 billion with an average expenditure per tourist of US $1,155.
Furthermore, Torruco estimated that 22.4 million tourists would enter the country via air, representing a 1% increase over 2023 and a 14.3% increase over pre-pandemic numbers (2019 and earlier).
Torruco added that the increasing flow of international tourism in Mexico corresponds with enhanced air connectivity, as the country has recently added “412 new direct flights from anywhere in the world to Mexico,” he said.
In reference to the Maya Train and other tourist projects that the federal government has developed during President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration, Torruco said that these are targeted to a new “post-pandemic tourist that seeks fresh and innovative [tourism] products.”
The Tulum airport, opened in December, is also expected to increase international tourism to the region. (Mara Lezama/X)
“These projects seek to develop new products that cater to an increasingly educated and demanding consumer,” Torruco explained.
Ultimately, he said, the primary goal of López Obrador’s administration is to develop new tourism attractions that will generate greater economic benefits for the local population.
However, a month after starting operations, the Maya Train has had some glitches. Online ticket sales were suspended over the weekend, and there were reportedly mechanical difficulties on Friday on the section between Campeche and Cancún that caused delays for passengers.
The National Defense Ministry (Sedena) hasn’t yet given a reason for the temporary suspension. Tickets are available now for sale on the Maya Train website.
At FITUR, Torruco expressed his desire for the Maya Train to offer a unique experience that will allow visitors to connect with nature and learn about the archaeological sites of the Maya civilization. As of Jan. 8, the train had transported 15,500 people on 144 trips, averaging 800 people per day, mostly national tourists and local residents.
