Morita II, located in the northern state of Nuevo León, appears to have been a burial ground, and contains the remains of several people, including infants. (INAH)
The bones were laid alongside fragments of basketry, textiles and fibers, which may have been part of a bundle in which the bones were wrapped.They were found 1.65 meters deep in the south chamber of the cave, known as La Morita II.
One of the bone fragments recovered by archaeologists. (INAH)
So far, specialists have identified hand bones, foot bones, ulna, ribs, and teeth of a baby and two adolescents. The dig forms part of the INAH “Prehistory and Historical Archaeology of Northeastern Mexico” project.
INAH reported that the archaeologists also found 1,500 artifacts, including utensils and tools for domestic ritual use such as awls, spearheads, polished edges, basketry fragments, and cordage. These artifacts were between 2,500 and 4,500 years old.
Head archaeologist Moisés Valadez Moreno, supervising the excavation, suggested that the remains found inside the cave may have been dismembered and placed there as a part of a funerary ritual.
Ancient Indigenous societies of northeastern Mexico sacrificed infants and children with specific malformations or genetic defects, according to INAH. Valadez noted that one of the practices was to sacrifice newborns when their mothers died in childbirth, to bury them next to them.
Archaeological work at the cave has been ongoing for 2 decades, unearthing a trove of early Mexican relics. (INAH)
These bones aren’t the only ones to be found in La Morita II. In 2023, INAH reported discovering human bone remains, mainly those of children, dating back 3,000 years.
Archaeologists have discovered artifacts such as spears and projectile points, dried feces, and seeds, indicating that the cave was used for daily activities. The remains of turtles, snakes, bears, deer, owls, and rodents were also unearthed, along with mollusk elements utilized as beads for necklaces.
The presence of these artifacts distinguishes La Morita II from other prehistoric caves, usually used solely for burial purposes.
This cave is believed to be the site of Mexico’s first cave paintings, dating back over 6,000 years. The discovery of marine mollusks suggests that the cave’s inhabitants had a connection with the Gulf of Mexico, some 300 kilometers away.
The artist and curator’s original plan in Oaxaca was to open a ceramics studio for herself. (Courtesy of Stellah de Ville)
Curator and potter Stellah de Ville fell in love with Mexico the first time she visited Mexico City in March 2020. From then on, the then-Brooklyn-based Australian artist had a life in Mexico on her mind, and when the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns began, she knew she wanted to use the time “not to bake bread but to double down on my art practice.” She quickly made an “emotional and reckless decision” to move to a new country, in her own words. And it’s paid off.
Today, de Ville owns Stellah Gallery in Oaxaca. She had heard about the dynamic art, ceramics, mezcal and textile scenes in the city before visiting, and she and her partner were instantly smitten “by the ancientness of the city, the warmth of the people, the underlying sacredness and awareness of beauty and how it’s folded into the culture so entirely.”
“It was profound for me,” de Ville says of her first trip to Oaxaca, “Time just passes differently there.”
Upon moving to Oaxaca, some of the things that most humbled de Ville were the talent of the local artists, weavers, crafters and potters, and how welcoming they all were. “I didn’t know anybody in the art scene when I got there, but people just started walking through the door and visiting. They’d bring artwork, or I’d go and visit their studios. The tradition of ‘making’ in Oaxaca is unparalleled, and that was so intriguing; people have all this ancestral knowledge about materials, local clays, everything,” she says.
The most surprising thing for her about launching a business in Mexico was getting things off the ground. “It’s an exercise in patience and listening. Things in Mexico happen on their own schedule. You have no control… and you have to be there [physically]. People value your presence, you can’t dial it in and have a proxy. People in Oaxaca listen to each other. It’s important to be in dialogue, ask questions and be prepared to hear answers. And work with local people at every stage. They are invested in the city and make fantastic partners.”
Living in Oaxaca for the past two years, de Ville learned to appreciate living lightly on the land, the worth of precious resources and the openness of the creative community to collaboration. “I wanted to be in a space like that for a long time, and I wasn’t finding it in the Bay Area or New York.”
Stellah embraces imperfection in her pottery. (Courtesy: Stellah de Ville)
The artist and curator’s original plan in Oaxaca was to open a ceramics studio for herself. However, a few weeks after she arrived, she was walking down the street when she saw a piece of paper attached to a pole advertising a space for rent in Centro, which ended up her gallery space. “I was just saying yes to things,” she said.
The dark, organic and intimate gallery de Ville has created feels almost magical. A slash cut into the ceiling lets in natural light; the front door is often propped open and it’s not uncommon to find an artist painting by candlelight inside. It feels nothing like a space you would find on either coast of the United States.
The gallery’s clay walls were cured in a traditional technique using fermented nopales. “You mix nopales, pigment and clay and make a slurry that ferments and is used to finish walls. It’s wonderful because, unlike latex paint, it breathes and absorbs moisture when it’s damp and releases it when it’s dry. And it doesn’t cost much. It’s really beautiful,” she said.
Since moving to Mexico, de Ville has started working with and incorporating local wild clays and sands into her ceramics and glazes. She’s also embraced imperfection – the extreme heat, aridness, and humidity of Oaxaca can cause clay to crack or degrade. But the biggest way her art has changed is through her evolving relationship with color. “Oaxaca is full of unexpected color combinations and I am working with color in a way I never have before,” she explained.
Oaxacan colors inspire Stellah’s work. (Courtesy: Stellah de Ville)
In the spirit of saying yes to things, the artist has also embarked on a new project in Mexico City and is now splitting her time between the two cities. “We’re renovating a 1930s house in Roma Sur that was used for film production for a decade. She’s a very beautiful, classic Roma style [house] – a beautiful ruin,” she said of the home with space for a ceramics studio, gallery space where she hopes to host guest curators, and rooms to host salons, events and more.
De Ville, who has worked as an interior design consultant, previously renovated a gorgeous house in Oaxaca, too. It’s on Airbnb, but with its chef’s kitchen and gorgeous finishings, she hopes for it to become a hub for visiting chefs who want to explore the food scene, test recipes or even host dinners. “We renovated the house thinking it was gonna be our forever home, and then life happened,” she explained.
Mexico City was also presenting other opportunities. De Ville was offered an artist-in-residency opportunity at LAGOS and is currently showing her ceramics at Chic By Accident.
The longtime lover of the Oaxacan spirit remembers discovering a tiny bottle of delightful mezcal in a cafe in Mazunte last year and reaching out to the makers in Oaxaca City. Soon, they began collaborating on bringing rare mezcals – usually no more than 100 liters – to the public in pretty glass bottles with labels printed on a 200-year-old press. “They are such a pure expression of place. Mezcal is like plant medicine. These were designed to be sipped in small quantities. It’s a way to connect people with Oaxaca,” she said of the mezcal line, appropriately named Stellah Mezcal.
“Our plan for the new house in the new year is to have these ceremonial events where we drink the mezcal out of handmade cups I’m making, like tea ceremonies but with mezcal,” she said.
De Ville followed her artistic intuition to Mexico. By saying “yes” at several pivotal moments, she is building organic, creative collaborations that blend modern sensibilities with ancestral knowledge.
Laurel is a nomadic lifestyle journalist whose favorite stories focus on weird and wonderful travel and culture. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Vice, BBC Travel, Travel + Leisure, South China Morning Post, The Culture Trip and more.
Otros Dreams in Acción co-directors Esme Flores Marcial (far left) and Leni Alvarez (far right) and co-founder Maggie Loredo (center). (Instagram)
Although Americans continue to relocate to Mexico searching for a better quality of life, there are hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizen children and former U.S. residents living in the country today who didn’t choose to move here. These are primarily people of Mexican heritage who were forced out of the United States and are now living in a state of limbo between the two countries.
Organizations such as Otros Dreams en Acción are dedicated to supporting returnees, deportees and new arrivals from the U.S., providing them a place of community, belonging and assistance integrating into Mexican society. That means everything from obtaining travel visas and citizenship to helping new arrivals learn Spanish. Many of ODA’s staff are among those forcibly uprooted from the U.S., such as Madai Zamora Candia.
Zamora lived with her family for 21 years in the United States and had recently completed her university degree when she was forced to move back to Mexico — a country she hadn’t lived in since she was three years old. She struggled to get her degree recognized by the Mexican government and her identification card to begin a new life in what was essentially a foreign country for her. She now lives in San Luis Potosí and is an advocate for other displaced Mexicans and U.S.-born children of Mexican nationals as ODA’s Community Engagement and Organizing Coordinator.
“Even though the Mexican government loves to say they support returnees and that they give us an ID when people are deported, they don’t. They give us a piece of paper (known as the “constancia de recepción de Mexicanos repatriados“) that no one accepts. You can’t open a bank account with it, you can’t rent an apartment and you can’t get hired for a job,” said Zamora.
Zamora is one of the hundreds of thousands of Mexicans and U.S.-citizen children of Mexican nationals who are navigating the challenges of integrating into a society that isn’t truly prepared to welcome them back.
“The preconception is that if you return to ‘your country’ it will be easier. You are supposed to know your place. But many people have been away from Mexico for a long time. Half of the undocumented population has lived in the U.S. for more than 17 years. So Mexico is a new place, even if you have Mexican nationality or heritage,” said Dr. Claudia Masferrer, Professor and researcher of migration policy at the Center for Demographic, Urban and Environmental Studies at El Colegio de México.
Dr. Claudia Masferrer speaking at a recent demographics seminar at El Colegio de México. (Courtesy: Dr. Claudia Masferrer)
Returnees, deportees and new arrivals not only face bureaucratic hurdles but also often endure discrimination, family separation, restricted movement between the U.S. and Mexico, emotional distress and culture shock. Some don’t even speak Spanish.
“There are so many layers — from bureaucratic and emotional to territory and place complications. Some people aren’t even returned to where they are from,” said Luisa Martínez, a U.S.-born daughter of Mexican parents who was raised in Tijuana. Martínez is now the Coordinator of Florecer Aquí y Allá — an arts and narrative program supported by ODA. “There are only a few organizations like ODA that focus directly on returned and deported people.”
ODA helps fill the gaps where the government and other NGOs fall short, providing new arrivals assistance with obtaining Mexican citizenship, identification cards, education level validation, employment, housing and much more.
The organization works through a model of “acompañamiento” (accompaniment), meaning they support new arrivals through every step of their journey and continue to be a source of support long after arrival. It’s a holistic approach that recognizes the importance of meeting the varied needs of the community, including their social and emotional needs.
“There is a lot of loneliness when you come back. I never found a support group or someone I could relate to, even though I’ve been back in Mexico for 20 years. Finding ODA and other people that share this experience is important,” said Baruck Racine Arellano, who runs ODA’s Pocha House, a community gathering space in Mexico City that hosts art, writing, poetry and zine-making workshops, book readings and other events.
Community members at ODA’s Pocha House. (Courtesy: ODA)
Since 2018, ODA has provided sustained support to 386 people in Mexico City and hundreds more across the country and the U.S. The organization focuses on both adults and children, including U.S.-born children, about 500,000 of whom currently live in Mexico.
Dr. Masferrer’s research has found that U.S.-born children who have been “de facto deported” along with their Mexican parents experience even greater socioeconomic disadvantages than those who moved back for other reasons.
“U.S.-born minors should be welcomed better; they are the children of Mexican nationals,” said Dr. Masferrer. “There is a general lack of empathy for returnees and other foreigners. If Mexicans were able to welcome back their own, they would be more accepting of other foreign-born immigrants.”
ODA believes that everyone deserves a dignified return. The organization recently published the English-language report “Toward a Retorno Digno,” outlining its policy recommendations for creating the conditions for mobility with dignity in Mexico City and beyond. These include providing direct and unrestricted financial assistance to migrants, ensuring that banks and government agencies accept multiple forms of identity documents, providing shelters and temporary housing for migrants, increasing the minimum wage in Mexico City and implementing a family visitation and reunification program.
Family reunification is one of ODA’s primary areas of focus. Every year, ODA organizes a “Fight for Hugs” campaign, which raises money to help cover travel and legal expenses for people to reunite with loved ones in the U.S. and Mexico. ODA also operates the Visa Justice Program, where they accompany people through the tourist visa application process to try to obtain permission to travel to the U.S., a freedom taken for granted by other U.S. citizens who travel between the two countries with relative ease.
For people who have experienced deportation, and for almost all Mexican citizens, the freedom to travel between Mexico and the U.S. is severely restricted. People who have been deported are automatically banned from traveling to the U.S. for 10 years. Any Mexican citizen wishing to travel to the U.S. must go through an expensive and time-consuming visa application process and interview, and permission to enter the U.S. is not guaranteed.
“People coming to Mexico from the U.S. and other wealthier countries must realize the privilege they have and the difficulties for others. What you carry with you and how you contribute as a guest to this country comes with the responsibility of having that mobility,” said Luisa Martínez. “Mexico is providing people with a more manageable and cheaper life. Ask yourself: where do you put your income and how can you support a more equitable distribution of money and resources?”
People interested in supporting ODA’s work and its Visa Justice and Fight for Hugs campaign can donate directly to the organization via Paypal.
Debbie Slobe is a writer and communications strategist based in Chacala, Nayarit. She blogs at Mexpatmama.com and is a senior program director at Resource Media. Find her on Instagram and Facebook.
In Eagle Pass, Texas, vehicular processing will resume at Eagle Pass International Bridge 1 at 7 a.m. local time.
In San Diego, California, San Ysidro’s Pedestrian West operations will resume at 6 a.m. local time.
In Lukeville, Arizona, the Lukeville Port of Entry operations will resume at 6 a.m. local time.
In Nogales, Arizona, the Morely Gate border crossing operations will resume at 10 a.m. local time.
San Ysidro’s Pedestrian West crossing between Tijuana and San Diego will resume operations at 6 a.m. local time on Thursday. (Jerry Glaser/US CBP)
The CBP closed the crossings to redeploy personnel amid a surge of migrant arrivals to the United States’ southern border. However, the number of migrants entering the U.S. between ports of entry fell in the week after Christmas.
Citing an internal U.S. government report it reviewed, Reuters reported that “U.S. border authorities arrested an average of 6,400 migrants per day over the past week, … a steep decline from the levels before Christmas.”
Encounters with migrants exceeded 10,000 on several days earlier in December.
The CBP said it “will continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation.”
“We continue to assess security situations, adjust our operational plans, and deploy resources to maximize enforcement efforts against those noncitizens who do not use lawful pathways or processes – such as scheduling an appointment via [the mobile app] CBP One – and those without a legal basis to remain in the United States,” the agency said.
President López Obrador said that “important agreements” were reached at the Dec. 27 meeting, and subsequently noted that railway crossings and the border bridges were being reopened “to normalize the situation” on the 3,145-kilometer-long border between Mexico and the United States.
The Eagle Pass crossing in Texas, which has become the center of a political debate over immigration, will also reopen to vehicles. (Cuartoscuro)
At a briefing with reporters on Tuesday, a senior U.S. official who spoke with the press on condition of anonymity said that the Mexican government has increased enforcement against migrants in recent weeks, including by moving some to the south of the country and resuming repatriation flights to Venezuela.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) said in a statement on Tuesday that the Mexican government “welcomes the resumption of operations” at the four border crossings set to reopen on Thursday.
The reopening “will benefit the economies of both countries, a situation that was addressed at the December 27 meeting in Mexico City between President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and a delegation of top U.S. officials led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken; Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas; and White House Homeland Security Advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall,” the SRE said.
The ministry said it had been “in constant communication with CBP authorities at the federal, state and local levels in order to receive timely information and resume commercial operations at these crossings as soon as possible.”
With upcoming elections in both Mexico and the United States, migration is set to be a major issue on both sides of the border in 2024.
A group of Republican Party lawmakers including House Speaker Mike Johnson is visiting the border at Eagle Pass on Wednesday.
Central and northern Mexico can expect freezing temperatures and frost in the first week of January. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
The new year will see more icy weather in mountainous parts of northern and central Mexico, as cold front 24 moves in over Baja California.
According to the National Meteorological Service (SMN), minimum temperatures may reach -15 degrees Celsius on Wednesday in the mountains of Chihuahua and Durango, and -10 degrees Celsius in Baja California, Sonora and Zacatecas. In Baja California, snow and sleet are predicted, gradually moving west by Thursday.
Temperatures of freezing or just below 0 are also forecast throughout Mexico’s high-altitude regions, particularly in the central and northern states.
The SMN warns people throughout these regions to wrap up well, keep hydrated, look out for children, the elderly and the chronically ill, and stay alert to recommendations from Civil Protection and health sector authorities.
Meanwhile, cold front 24 will also cause wind gusts of up to 80 kilometers per hour in the Gulf of California, waves 2-4 meters high on the western coast of Baja California, and possible tornadoes in Baja California, Chihuahua and Sonora.
Gusts of up to 80 kilometers per hour and waves 1-3 meters high are forecast for the coasts of Tamaulipas and Veracruz, moving south towards the Isthmus and Gulf of Tehuantepec on Thursday. Further inland, gusts of up to 60 kilometers per hour and tornadoes are possible in Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.
Heavy rains (25-50mm) are forecast for parts of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla and Veracruz, accompanied by lightning and possible flooding. Intermittent showers are likely in lower-altitude regions of central and northern Mexico, caused by the remnants of cold front 22 over the Gulf of Mexico.
At the other end of the spectrum, maximum temperatures could reach 40 degrees Celsius in low-lying regions of Campeche, Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Tabasco and the south of Veracruz and Yucatán.
In Mexico City,temperatures on Wednesday will range between 8 and 23 degrees Celsius, with colder weather forecast for the far south and east of the city and frost in the surrounding mountains.
Mexicans living and working abroad sent a record high of US $57.79 billion to Mexico in the first 11 months of 2023, an 8.7% increase compared to the same period of 2022.
Last year was almost certainly Mexico’s best year ever for remittances given that the total for the January-November period is just $720 million lower than the record high $58.51 billion in inflows recorded in 2022.
Many Mexicans in rural areas are dependent on the funds sent by family members in the United States. The remittances that flow into the country are an important part of the Mexican economy. (Isabel Mateos/Cuartoscuro)
In 2023, remittances sent to Mexico averaged $5.25 billion per month between January and November, with most of the money coming from the United States, where millions of Mexicans live and work.
Remittances up in annual terms in November, but down compared to October
For the first time in eight months, remittances were below $5 billion in November.
A total of $4.9 billion in remittances arrived in Mexico, a 1.9% increase compared to November 2022, but a 15.5% decline compared to the previous month.
In seasonally adjusted terms, the month-over-month decline was a more modest 4.7%, Banxico said.
On the X social media platform, the director of economic analysis at Mexican bank Banco Base said that remittances tend to fall in November before rising in December as Mexicans abroad typically send more money to their families for the Christmas holiday season.
“However, the decline in November 2023 of 15.54% was very negative, given that during the past five years remittances in November have fallen on average 5.69% in month-over-month terms. The decline in November could have been due to the slowdown in private sector job creation in the United States,” Gabriela Siller wrote.
Banco Base analyst noted that remittances in November are usually much lower than in December, as families send home additional funds for the Christmas period. (Gabriela Siller)
“In annual terms, remittances grew 1.88%, showing a pronounced slowdown compared to previous months,” Siller said, adding that the year-over-year growth was the lowest since April 2020, when remittances “declined 2.04% due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Remittances exceed $63 billion in the 12 months to November
Banxico reported that $63.15 billion in remittances flowed into Mexico between December 2022 and November 2023. That figure is $90 million higher than the total for the 12 months to October.
Siller noted that the rolling 12-month remittances total exceeded $60 million for an eighth consecutive month in November. She also said that the rolling total has been on the rise for 43 months.
However, the increase of $90 million recorded in November was the lowest month-over-month gain in 3 1/2 years.
Strong peso and inflation ‘eat into’ the value of remittances
Siller published a graph that shows that the purchasing power of remittances had declined for 13 consecutive months due to the appreciation of the Mexican peso and high inflation.
The purchasing power of remittances was 12.73% lower in November than 12 months earlier, according to the graph, which was formulated using Banxico data.
Remittances were affected by the strength of the Mexican peso throughout 2023. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)
The peso appreciated by close to 15% in 2023 to end the year at around 17 to the US dollar. The USD:MXN exchange rate was just above 17 on Wednesday morning. Strong incoming flows of remittances have been cited as one factor that contributed to the appreciation of the peso in 2023.
Inflation declined steadily last year, but the headline rate remained above the central bank’s 3% target. Inflation was 4.46% in the first half of December, down from 7.91% in January 2023.
Inflation and the strong peso “continue to eat into remittances even though the increase in [consumer] prices has moderated,” said Jesús Cervantes González, director of economic statistics at the Center for Latin American Monetary Studies.
AMLO reacts to the latest data on remittances
At his morning press conference on Wednesday, President López Obrador declared that Mexicans abroad “are sending remittances like never before.”
He said the government has received an estimate that remittances to Mexico will total $63.2 billion in 2023, a figure that would exceed the 2022 record by 8%.
Cervantes predicted that final 2023 data will show that remittances reached $63.5 billion.
López Obrador frequently describes Mexican migrants as “heroes” in recognition of the substantial support they provide to the economy. Remittances were equivalent to 4.5% of Mexico’s GDP in 2022, with 95% of the money coming from the United States.
In 2022, Mexico was the world’s second largest recipient of remittances behind India, which had inflows of some $100 billion.
The newly-revived Mexicana airline is offering discounted tickets to selected new locations across Mexico. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
Mexicana de Aviación, Mexico’s new state-run airline, has announced discounts on flights to some of its upcoming 14 domestic destinations, including tickets priced at less than 1,000 pesos (US $58).
Discounted destinations include cities in the states of Guerrero, Jalisco, and Tamaulipas, from Mexico City’s Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA).
Guadalajara is among the discounted destinations on offer. (Roman Lopez/Unsplash)
Flights to Acapulco start at 769 pesos (US $45), Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo at 572 pesos (US $34) and Guadalajara at 489 pesos (US $29), including taxes.
The airline, which is operated by the Defense Ministry (Sedena) – which also runs Tulum Airport, the Maya Train and the AIFA – is also offering free seat selection, drinks, carry-on luggage, personal items up to 10kg, and checked luggage up to 25kg. If you want to travel with your pet, either in the cabin or in the hold, there is an extra charge.
Mexicana, which was once the country’s flagship airline, re-launched operations on Dec. 26 with an inaugural flight to Tulum, Quintana Roo. President López Obrador’s government has said the airline will offer domestic flights at a lower cost than other commercial carriers.
Besides Tulum, Mexicana will fly to Tijuana, Monterrey, Puerto Vallarta, Mérida, Mazatlán, Campeche, Chetumal and Tulum from its Mexico City hub.
The airline also plans to offer travel to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas; Uruapan, Michoacán; Huatulco, Oaxaca; and Ciudad Ixtepec, Oaxaca in the future.
Tickets are available directly on Mexicana’s website.
The lion cub was found wandering the streets of Xonacatlán, near state capital, Toluca. (Edoméx Ahora/X)
Authorities in México state faced an unusual challenge on the final day of 2023: catching a lion on the loose in a municipality near state capital Toluca.
The municipal government of Xonacatlán, located about 20 kilometers northeast of Toluca, reported on Facebook that firefighters and Civil Protection personnel had “rescued” an approximately one-year-old lion that was “generating fear” among residents of the Espino neighborhood.
Encuentran cachorro de león en #Xonacatlan, EDOMEX 🦁
– Vecinos advirtieron la presencia de un cachorro de León de un año de edad en la calle Campesinos, en la colonia El Espino
– Bomberos lo rescataron y será valorado en el Parque Ecológico Zacango
– Nadie lo ha reclamado pic.twitter.com/EIkgGiM8yb
The capture came after authorities received an “anonymous report” of the presence of a lion on the street. The animal – a male specimen – wasn’t aggressive and the authorities didn’t have any major problem catching him, according to reports.
The “fast action” of the firefighters and Civil Protection workers “guaranteed the safety of the area,” the local government said, adding that the lion would be immediately taken to the Zacango Ecological Park (also known as the Zacango Zoo) for a health assessment.
In a subsequent post on Facebook, the Xonacatlán government said that “the rescued feline” had indeed reached Zacango Zoo, which is located in the municipality of Calimaya.
“In the name of our Mayor Alfredo González we extend our recognition to the Xonacatlán Fire Brigade and Civil Protection [personnel] for their brave and prompt response to the [anonymous] call,” the post said.
It was unclear where the lion came from. It is illegal to keep wild animals in one’s home, but the law hasn’t stopped some people from keeping big cats as pets.
Thousands of vacationers descended upon Acapulco for the new year, with the resort city reaching 88% hotel occupancy. (Carlos Alberto Carbajal/Cuartoscuro)
The first day of 2024 saw Acapulco’s beaches bustling with tourists and a hotel occupancy of 87.5%, according to the state of Guerrero’s Tourism Ministry.
This statistic is based on the 4,534 available rooms that the port city managed to prepare for the holiday season despite the damage that Hurricane Otis caused to an estimated 80% of the city’s hotels in October.
After the destruction caused by Hurricane Otis in October, Acapulco is rebounding significantly harder than originally expected. (Carlos Alberto Carbajal/Cuartoscuro)
The Tourism Ministry reported hotel occupancy rates for three areas – “Traditional” (60.6%), “Golden” (97%) and “Diamond” (89.3%). The beaches that recorded the greatest number of tourists were Icacos Beach, Caleta y Caletilla, Tlacopanocha, Hornos and Papagayo.
On New Year’s Eve, hundreds of families gathered along the beaches and the Costera Miguel Alemán boardwalk to celebrate the arrival of 2024. They brought plastic chairs and tables to dine on, and a variety of home-cooked dishes including chicken, pasta, tamales, salad, corn pie and chilate, a cacao-based drink local to Guerrero.
Some others celebrated at the few restaurants that were open, such as the traditional eatery El Anzuelo, which is currently operating at a 20% capacity.
In her New Year’s Eve speech, Governor Evelyn Salgado Pineda encouraged everyone to approach the future with optimism.
The beaches of Acapulco have returned to life, as families spent the new year playing in the waves. (Sectur Guerrero/X)
“Once again, we demonstrated last year the resilience and strength that characterizes our people,” the governor said in her speech. “In times of challenge, we have found ways to stay united, to support each other and to move forward with hope and determination.”
After her speech, tourists and residents were treated to a fireworks and drone show that displayed messages of gratitude for those who chose Acapulco as their holiday destination in December. Some of these messages said, “I love Acapulco,” “Thank you for your support,” “Acapulco is a warrior,” and “Acapulco stands strong.”
Meanwhile, Guerrero’s Pueblos Mágicos of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo and Taxco reported 94% and 98% hotel occupancy rates, respectively.
Acapulco is still in the process of recovering from the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Otis, the most powerful hurricane to ever hit Mexico’s Pacific coast. The hurricane caused significant damage throughout the port city when it made landfall on Oct. 25, resulting in the loss of 50 lives, with 31 people still missing according to government reports.
Prestigious universities and research centers have been working for years to unravel the mysteries of psilocybin and its impact on the human mind. (Igor Omilaev/Unsplash)
Psilocybin has been a trending topic in the wellness world for a few years now. At Mexico News Daily, we wrote about this topic from different angles last year. Here is a round-up of all our features on psilocybin, its legal status, origin and potential health benefits.
Psilocybin-containing fungi have a long history of traditional use in Mexico and have been integral to Indigenous life. Everything you need to know about Mexico’s long Indigenous history and traditional use of Psilocybin-containing fungi.
Prestigious research centers have been working for years to unravel the mysteries of psilocybin and its impact on the human mind. Discover what the scientific world has to say about this alternative healing approach.
Have you been thinking about trying a different healing style? Scientific research into the medical benefits of psilocybin sheds light on its potential to address mental health conditions.
Amanda Feilding, a top psychedelics researcher, talks about her projects for 2024 and we also look back into the Mexican origins of the psychedelic renaissance.
While “magic mushrooms” are illegal to consume today in Mexico, the interest in the therapeutic potential of psilocybin is growing. Read about some first-hand experiences of psilocybin users.
As scientific research continues to shed light on the medicinal properties of psilocybin, its legal status has become of interest. Can you legally consume psilocybin in Mexico?
Camila Sánchez Bolaño is a journalist, feminist, bookseller, lecturer, and cultural promoter and is Editor in Chief of Newsweek en Español magazine.
