The lab was the largest discovered so far during AMLO's term. (Semar/Cuartoscuro)
A massive drug lab hidden in the mountains of Sonora was uncovered last week by the Mexican Navy (Semar) and dismantled over the weekend.
According to reports, the lab is the largest seized during the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who took office Dec. 1, 2018.
Officials seized over 35 tonnes of methamphetamines ready for sale, plus chemicals that could be used to produce an additional 41 tonnes of illegal drugs. (Alfonso Durazo/Facebook)
In announcing the bust on Sunday, officials said they had seized just over 35 tonnes of methamphetamines (crystal meth) ready for sale, plus chemicals that could be used to produce an additional 41 tonnes of illegal drugs.
Combined, the potential street value of everything seized was more than US $600 million, according to Semar.
The “megalaboratory” was found in the municipality of Quiriego in southern Sonora, about 425 kilometers south of the state’s border with Arizona at Nogales.
The raid was a joint effort among elements of the Navy, the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and state officials.
Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo visited the site of the bust over the weekend. (Alfonso Durazo/Facebook)
To put the bust in perspective, Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo said the largest illegal drug laboratory previously recorded in Sinaloa last year, had 13 reactors, although reports at the timeput the number at 23.
The newly located Sonora lab had 72 reactors, 102 condensers and 32 centrifuges.
Vehicles, motorcycles, trailers and various materials related to the production of synthetic drugs were also found at the site, but authorities said they did not arrest any suspects, nor did they find any weapons or cash.
José Rafael Ojeda Durán, the head of the Mexican Navy, said the operation prevented more than 1 billion pills from reaching the United States, Canada, Australia, China, Spain, Japan and various European countries.
The lab was located in a mountainous region near the tri-border point of Sonora, Chihuahua and Sinaloa, an area where factions loyal to the Sinaloa Cartel – and run by sons of imprisoned cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera – are known to operate.
“Indeed, we believe it is run by the Sinaloa Cartel,” Ojeda said of the lab.
The laboratory is believed to have been operated by the Sinaloa Cartel. (Semar/Cuartoscuro)
The discovery comes on the heels of a meeting last Thursday in Mexico City led by the White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall and attended by representatives from Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.
A White House transcript of the fourth meeting of the Trilateral Fentanyl Committee noted that the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to reducing the movement of illicit synthetic drugs (especially fentanyl) and firearms, and to fighting human trafficking.
One of the primary actions agreed upon was “increasing collaboration on the control of precursor chemicals and equipment related to illicit drug production.”
The seizure of the Sonora lab came one week after two armed attacks were reported in the area. The attacks, one on a family and the other on a group of day laborers, resulted in seven deaths and the arrest of three alleged gang members. It is unclear whether there is a connection between the arrests and the raid.
The strongest of the earthquakes had a magnitude of 5.3. (SkyAlert)
The cities of Mexicali, Tijuana and Tecate, Baja California were hit by a series of earthquakes early on Monday.
The first earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale, occurred at 12:36 a.m. Its epicenter was located 3 km from El Centro, a city in Imperial County, California.
The first of this morning’s earthquakes occurred in El Centro, California. (USGS)
At 2:32 a.m., Mexico’s National Seismological Service (SSN) reported another earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 and a depth of 10 kilometers southeast of the Santa Isabel municipality in Mexicali.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), over 20 aftershocks occurred between 12:36 and 5:24 a.m. Monday, with magnitudes ranging between 3.5 to 4.8.
As a precautionary measure, Baja California Governor María del Pilar Ávila Olmeda ordered schools in Mexicali to close on Monday so that authorities could assess the safety of school infrastructure.
She added that no damages had been reported so far. According to local media, the Health Ministry reported that the state’s hospitals have been operating normally.
In an interview with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the head of the SSN Arturo Iglesias Mendoza explained that the term “earthquake swarm” refers to the occurrence of multiple earthquakes in the same region within a short period of time. Typically, these earthquakes have similar magnitudes.
This could help explain the cluster of earthquakes that happened today between Mexico and the United States, which seem to have originated from the San Jacinto fault system, one of the most active faults in Southern California.
A mechanical failure likely forced the aircraft's pilot to crash-land on Bacocho Beach. (@ivancp25/X)
A 62-year-old man was killed and five people including four Canadians were injured when a light plane made a forced landing on a beach in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, on Sunday.
A Cessna aircraft carrying a group of skydivers came down on Bacocho Beach at around midday and collided with a structure used as a turtle camp.
According to a statement posted online by state Civil Protection authorities, the 62-year-old victim was on the beach with his wife when the accident occurred. The Associated Press reported that the plane — operated by the company Sky Dive Puerto Escondido — “landed almost on top of the victim.”
Four Canadians aged 60, 59, 41 and 35 and a 40-year-old Puerto Escondido local were injured and taken to hospital for treatment, according to Civil Protection authorities. They were reported to be in stable condition.
Local firefighters and paramedics responded to the incident, and security forces including the army, National Guard and state and municipal police attended the scene.
The five injured people were among 17 people on board the light plane, according to the El Universal newspaper. Citing preliminary reports, Civil Protection authorities said that a “forced landing” was reported, but didn’t mention any reason why such a landing was necessary.
The victim was visiting Bacocho beach when the plane crashed almost directly on top of him. (@SSPC_GobOax/X)
The newspaper El Imparcial de Oaxaca reported that a mechanical failure forced the aircraft’s pilot to land on Bacocho Beach, located west of Zicatela Beach, Puerto Escondido’s most famous surfing beach.
El Imparcial identified the man who died as Armando D.C., a tourist from San Bartolo Coyotepec, a municipality near Oaxaca city. His wife was not injured but was reportedly distraught by the situation.
Authorities didn’t identify the injured people by name.
Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara Cruz said on the X social media platform that his government will provide “all necessary support” to the family of the deceased man. He described his death as an “irreparable loss.”
Australia and Mexico are vastly different from each other, but they also have some things in common that might surprise you. (Google Earth)
As an Australian in Mexico, I sometimes find myself comparing the country in which I live to the one in which I was born and grew up.
Not in the sense that one country is better than the other — I’ve long been an advocate of the “not better, not worse, just different” school of thought — but rather in an objective way: Mexico has a much bigger population, but Australia is significantly larger in area.
Those kinds of things.
Mexico News Daily’s “Australia in Focus” week gave me a perfect opportunity to delve further into data on the two countries — a real treat for someone who is a bit of statistics nerd.
The result of my research is this addition to our “Mexico in Numbers” series of articles, in which I present a selection of data for Mexico and Australia, and make some objective comparisons between the two countries.
Population and demographics
The population of Australia was estimated to be 26.63 million at June 30, 2023, while Mexico’s 2020 census found that just over 126 million people were living in the country.
Thus, Mexico’s population is around five times larger than that of Australia.
Australians, on average, are much older than Mexicans. The median age of Australians was 38.5 in 2022, while the median age of Mexicans was 29 in 2020.
Given the vast distance between the two countries and the absence of traditional ties — such as those between Australia and England or those between Mexico and Spain — it’s not surprising that the number of Australians living in Mexico, and the number of Mexicans living in Australia, is not particularly high.
Australia’s 2021 census found that there were 6,845 Mexican-born residents, about half of whom are Australian citizens. Most moved to Australia this century as the Mexican-born population was just 1,154 in 2001.
Thus, the number of Mexicans who call Australia home increased by almost 500% in the space of 20 years. Concerns about security in Mexico, the opportunity to have “a better quality of life” in Australia and a desire to be close to family members already in Australia were among the reasons Mexicans migrated “Down Under,” according to a 2013 study.
Australian Ambassador to Mexico Rachel Moseley (left) at a recent event with Mexico’s Culture Minister Alejandra Frausto. (AusEmbMex/X)
As for Australian residents in Mexico, there were 695 in 2020, according to the census conducted that year. Almost three-quarters — 72.4% — of those counted were male, while 77.6% of the total were aged between 25 and 39.
Family, work, education and personal reasons were the main things that brought Australians to Mexico. Mexico City has the highest population of resident Australians, with 317, or 46% of the total counted by the 2020 census.
Mexico – it may come as a surprise – could fit into Australia almost four times over.
Australia is divided into six states and two mainland territories, whereas Mexico has 31 states and a 32nd state-like entity in Mexico City, the national capital. Mexico could easily fit into Australia’s largest state, Western Australia, whose area exceeds 2.5 million square kilometers.
Mexico is significantly smaller in land area than Australia. (TheTrueSize.com)
Australia’s highest (mainland) mountain, the 2,228-meter-high Mount Kosciuszko, is dwarfed by Mexico’s highest peak — that of the 5,636-meter-high Pico de Orizaba, an active stratovolcano on the Veracruz-Puebla border.
Around 40% of Mexico’s territory is classified as desert or semi-arid land. That territory includes the Chihuahuan Desert, which covers more than 500,000 square meters of land in northern Mexico and southern United States.
The IMF estimates that Australia’s nominal GDP was US $1.69 trillion last year, while that of Mexico was placed at $1.81 trillion.
While the overall size of the two economies is similar, per capita GDP is much higher in Australia given the country’s significantly smaller population.
Per capita GDP in Australia was just over $65,000 in 2022, according to the World Bank, while it was just under $11,500 in Mexico.
Mexico’s economy is currently growing more quickly than Australia’s. Preliminary data published in late January showed that GDP in Mexico increased 3.1% in annual terms in 2023, while growth in Australia was 2.1% in the 12 months to the end of September.
Indigenous languages
More than 250 Indigenous languages were spoken in Australia at the time of British colonization in 1788, but the number had declined to 150 by 2021. Many of those languages have a small or very small number of speakers.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, just under 77,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people reported speaking an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language in 2021.
More than 7.3 million Mexicans speak an Indigenous language, according to the 2020 census, a figure that accounts for about 6% of the population.
Mexico’s Indigenous-language speaking population is larger than Australia’s, although Australia has more linguistic diversity. (Gob MX)
Thus, there are around 95 Mexicans who speak an Indigenous language for every Australian who can communicate in a native Australian tongue.
Biodiversity
Both Australia and Mexico are among 17 “mega-diverse” countries identified by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre of the United Nations Environment Program.
Mexico and Australia are both among the world’s “mega-diverse” countries, home to a huge variety of animal and plant species. (The Swiftest)
According to the Global Biodiversity Index, developed by the research firm The Swiftest, Mexico is the world’s fifth most biodiverse country and Australia ranks sixth.
The rankings are based on the number of bird species, amphibian species, fish species, mammal species, reptile species and plant species.
Mexico is home to 29,051 species across those six categories, while Australia has 26,772 species, according to the biodiversity index.
Brazil, Indonesia, Colombia and China are the world’s top four most biodiverse countries.
Shark attacks
There have been a few headline-making shark attacks in Mexico recently, but data shows that they are much more common in Australia.
A map of confirmed unprovoked shark attacks from 1580 to today. The United States, Australia, South Africa, Brazil and New Zealand are the top five sites. Mexico is number eight on the list. (International Shark Attack File/Florida Museum)
According to the Florida Museum’s “International Shark Attack File,” there have been 706 confirmed unprovoked attacks in Australia since 1580 (more than 200 years before British colonization), and 42 attacks in Mexico in the same period.
This article is part of our Australia in Focus series. You can read the rest of the articles here.
Travis Bembenek, CEO of Mexico News Daily with his wife Tamanna at the Australian Embassy in Mexico City. (Courtesy)
There is so much going on between the United States and Mexico — and with Canada in the USMCA treaty — that it is easy to forget that Mexico has dynamic, fascinating and long-standing relationships with many other countries from around the world. Mexico’s profile continues to rise globally, and there are many great stories to tell.
Our team at MND is committed to reporting more and more on these stories. The motivation behind our “Global Mexico” series is to bring you a new perspective on Mexico in a global context — beyond the daily headlines that focus mostly on US-Mexico relations. Every country has its own different and unique relationship with Mexico, and we think it’s important to understand these stories to fully understand the country and its future.
This series will focus on the relationships between Mexico and key countries from around the world. We have been working very hard over these past few months — meeting with different embassies, chambers of commerce and social associations to uncover the stories behind “Global Mexico.”
We will share with you — through the interviews and reporting we are doing — the thoughts and perspectives of leaders, as well as important initiatives, investments and experiences of people from around the world in Mexico.
It’s important to remember that Mexico has been a world leader in free trade for years, with agreements currently signed with 50 nations. Countries from around the world increasingly are connecting with Mexico for myriad reasons — business, political, cultural, tourism and lifestyle. The stories behind these connections are fascinating.
What our team has covered so far is informative, educational and inspiring. We are committed to helping you better understand Mexico and its position on the world stage.
Our first series, “Australia in Focus,” launched on February 5, and you can read all of the articles here.
Our second series “India in Focus” launched on March 11, and the full series will be updated here daily. More countries are in the works for the months to come. Stay tuned!
Thank you for supporting MND and helping us get better every day.
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for over 27 years.
All of Mexico’s Indigenous peoples struggle with issues like language loss and political and economic marginalization.
How did two countries figure out that harnessing the power of Indigenous culture on opposite sides of the Pacific is perfect for Mexican-Australian relations?
But as Mexican Secretary of Culture Alejandra Frausto Guerrero notes, “The best ambassador that we have outside the country is our culture.”
The demographic basis of Indigenous diplomacy
Few countries are as rich in Indigenous cultures as Mexico or Australia, and both nations are legally committed to their preservation and ancestral rights in the 21st century.
Mexico has 68 recognized Indigenous ethnicities, grouped primarily by language. The largest of these are Mesoamerican and speak varieties of language families including Nahuatl, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, Mazatec, Otomí and Totonac.
All of Mexico’s Indigenous peoples struggle with issues like language loss and political and economic marginalization. As younger generations have sought to integrate into Mexico’s dominant modern society, cultural erosion has also become a pressing concern for these communities.
Across the Pacific in Australia, census data shows that over 160 Indigenous languages are spoken at home. As in Mexico, however, language does not necessarily mean ethnicity, as other factors like history and cultural practices come into play.
Indigenous Australians today face many of the same challenges as those in Mexico do. The Australian Human Rights Commission recognizes that “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to be one of the most vulnerable groups in Australia.”
On the positive side, sociopolitical changes in both countries in the 20th century led to a greater appreciation for original peoples, both historically and as part of Mexico’s and Australia’s modern cultural identities. Although Indigenous people in Mexico and Australia remain highly vulnerable, both countries have implemented social and political efforts to conserve these cultures and protect their social and economic rights.
Relations between Mexico and Australia have grown closer over the years. (Cámara de Diputados)
Growth of Mexico-Australia relations
While both are home to ancient cultures, formal relations between the two countries date back only to 1966. Both nations are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and other intergovernmental organizations.
Australian Ambassador to Mexico Rachel Moseley notes that these ties have grown significantly in the past decade or so, with the Australian embassy’s activities in this country doubling. Mexican federal deputy Carolina Dávila Ramírez notes that “We share a profound pride in our roots which have enriched our identity, social reality and worldview.”
This pride was further prompted by the two countries’ growing economic ties. In 2022, trade between Mexico and Australia totaled almost US $2 billion, with Mexico exporting about $1.2 billion of automobiles and parts and importing about $8 million in grain and other agricultural products.
Cultural exchanges have been fairly typical, with Mexico sponsoring exhibitions of work by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and Mesoamerican artifacts. It also sends thousands of students to study at Australian universities.
But in 2020, the two countries signed a unique memorandum of understanding (MOU), the Memorandum of Understanding Between the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples of the United Mexican States and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies of the Commonwealth of Australia. This document is based specifically on the two countries’ Indigenous populations, a diplomatic angle few countries could ever contemplate.
What the Memorandum of Understanding does
Foremost, the MOU recognizes the “integral place of Indigenous Peoples historically and currently in both countries… as well as their contribution to the diversity and richness of our respective cultures.”
The exchange is primarily managed by the federal-level agencies dedicated to Indigenous affairs in both countries. In Australia, that entity is called the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). In Mexico, it is the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI). In addition to working to conserve knowledge of their respective Indigenous peoples and their material cultures, both institutes research and document these peoples’ modern realities.
One of the first activities that resulted from the MOU was an exchange of best practices between the two agencies. Through a series of online and presential exchanges of experts in 2023, INPI head archivist Octavio Murillo was pleased to discover that although Mexico does not have anywhere near the resources that Australia has, “We realized that many of the processes we do here in Mexico are very similar to those in Australia… there are the same standards for digitalization, for example. Even though we are not a rich institution, we already have what we need to do a good job.”
Sharing knowledge with the public in both countries
The other major INPI-AIATSIS initiative so far is the staging of various exhibitions in museums and other prominent locations in both countries to educate their respective populations about Indigenous peoples on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
In 2022, the Embassy of Mexico in Australia and AIATSIS presented “Portraits of Indigenous Mexico” at the Australian National University in Canberra, introducing Australians to the wide diversity of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican cultures. The exhibition featured work by famous Mexican photographers including Nacho López, Miguel Bracho and Leticia Olvera.
In Mexico, there have been two important exhibits of Indigenous Australian culture. Last August, the INPI-run Indigenous Museum in Mexico City hosted a documentary project “After 200 years: Photographic Essays of Aboriginal and Islander Australia” which began in 1988 and was updated in recent years. A month later, the Chamber of Deputies hosted the traveling exhibition “ Yuendumu Doors,” a collection of classroom doors painted in 1984 by elders of the Warlpiri people to keep the first generation of schoolchildren educated in Western schools connected to their ancestral culture.
The MOU stipulates much more than talks between experts and cultural exhibitions. It also calls for exchanges among the Indigenous people of both countries in areas like business and higher education. This year, the Australian government named Goreng Goreng public servant Justin Mohamed its inaugural Ambassador for First Nations People. As ambassador, he is tasked with working on international issues as they relate to Indigenous Australia, which includes establishing a University of Indigenous Languages in collaboration with Mexico.
Diplomatic impact
The initiatives that have come out of the AIATSIS-INPI memorandum of understanding have served to raise Indigenous historical and cultural awareness, not just as internal affairs but as international ones as well.
Notable at the two exhibitions in Mexico were the similarities in history and cultures of two sets of peoples separated by a vast ocean. There may be several conclusions to draw from that, but this global perspective is significant and needs to be explored.
Ambassador Moseley notes that Indigenous Australians now have an impact on how their country interacts with the rest of the world. “We see a First Nations approach to foreign policy as one that project our modern diversity… [t]his is particularly relevant in Mexico, which also has a rich indigenous history dating back tens of thousands of years,” She sees Indigenous viewpoints as particularly helpful with environmental issues, including the international management of natural resources.
There is still much more work to be done, including expert and student exchanges, their continued participation in the Indigenous Language Institute together, and even exchanges among Indigenous small business owners. But the basic groundwork has been laid for long-term cooperation in Indigenous issues.
Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico over 20 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019). Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily.
Nixtamalization, a Mesoamerican technique still used to this day, involves soaking dried corn in an alkaline solution, typically made from slaked lime. (Unsplash)
Have you wondered where and when Mexicans think it is appropriate to eat tortillas?
The answer is everywhere and all the time.
Tortillas are placed at the table in baskets, called tortilleros. (Unsplash)
In the ancient lands of Mesoamerica, the Aztecs and Maya were pioneers in cultivating corn. Aztec legend tells a mesmerizing tale of the “Children of Corn,” where the goddess Tonantzin crafted the first humans from the essence of this golden grain. This myth weaves a cosmic connection between Mexicans and their sacred crop, making corn not just a harvest, but also a profound part of their identity.
Even today, corn remains a fundamental element in the diets and cultural identity of people in Mexico and Central America, portrayed as a sacred and life-giving force.
How is corn turned into tortillas?
Nixtamalization, a Mesoamerican technique still used to this day, involves soaking dried corn in an alkaline solution, typically made from slaked lime. This process is crucial in creating masa, the dough, and improves the corn’s nutritional value by enhancing the bioavailability of nutrients, as well as contributing to its distinctive taste. After soaking, the corn is rinsed, cooked until plump, washed to remove excess alkaline solution, ground into masa, and finally shaped into thin discs, ready to be cooked and savored as delicious tortillas.
Corn tortillas are a nutritious choice for a healthy diet. They’re low in fat and packed with complex carbohydrates that provide a steady source of energy throughout the day. Their fiber content contributes to digestion and a feeling of fullness. Corn tortillas are also gluten-free and bring essential nutrients to the table, including calcium, iron, magnesium, and B vitamins.
Tortillas are a matter of national policy
In 2020, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador published a decree that effectively prohibits the use of genetically modified corn for human consumption. The decree also specifically demands that tortilla producers only use corn grown in Mexico. Citing the protection of native corn varieties and public health concerns related to agrochemicals, the decision is framed as a move to safeguard local agriculture and health. This has triggered international tensions due to its potential impact on grain exports from the United States to Mexico.
Tortillas are such a staple food in Mexico, that ensuring affordable tortilla prices has been a longstanding priority for the government. This commitment to affordability is rooted in the government’s aim to guarantee food security and meet the nutritional requirements of the people. Even inflation rates are closely linked to tortilla prices, so essential is the food to everyday life in Mexico.
How do Mexicans eat tortillas?
Tortillas are placed at the table in baskets, called tortilleros, which are often the most cherished item in the kitchen. Every neighborhood has at least one tortillería, where people line up at lunchtime to buy by the kilo.
Mexicans eat tortillas in every possible way. Roll some savory meat or stew into a tortilla, fold it snug, and bam, it’s taco time. Fold a tortilla with cheese, toss it on the grill, and voila, you’ve got a quesadilla. Dip the tortilla in salsa before filling and rolling, and there you have it, an enchilada. Grab some stale tortillas, chop them into bite-sized bits, fry to perfection, smother them in salsa, sprinkle cheese on top and dive into a bowl of tasty chilaquiles!
For cold weather, drop a handful of fried tortilla strips into warm flavorful broth, add avocado and cheese cubes and you have sopa de tortilla. Challenge the sturdiness of a flat crispy tortilla by piling on lots of toppings to enjoy a tostada. In an homage to lasagna, place layers of tortillas, shredded chicken, cheese and salsa in a baking dish and meet pastel azteca.
In Mexican households, the art of making tortillas isn’t just about sustenance; it’s a cherished tradition that unites families around the kitchen table. Often a collaborative effort, particularly among women, the process of pressing masa into perfectly round discs is a ritual that strengthens bonds. And when men return home from their day’s work, the sight of freshly handmade tortillas is a rewarding show of love.
A simple, unassuming tortilla can become a masterpiece, weaving stories of the divine origin, natural resilience and life-giving nutrition that are the sustenance of a nation’s soul. Among the culinary wonders of the world, the tortilla stands tall.
Sandra 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: [email protected]
I don’t know about you all, but I sure remember things better when they’re funny. Hence, it’s a logical conclusion that reading funny things in Spanish will help them stick better in your brain…right?
Whether you’re here to learn some new words, or just here for some good ol’ fashioned Mexican humor, we’ve got you covered with this week’s installment of Butwhat does it meme?
Meme translation: “Someone: Hey, isn’t it tiring being a mom and working?” “No, not at all.”
What does it meme? This is part of an entire genre of memes where women who look completely torn up say something to the degree of “Oh yes, doing everything on my own/motherhood/staying home with toddlers (etc.) is easy!” It’s a favorite of mine, as I’m generally a fan of finding the humorous side (sometimes the darkly humorous side) of tough situations that can’t be changed very easily.
I also appreciate that it’s appearing so much in Spanish for cultures where it’s been, until quite recently, pretty taboo for a mother to admit that being a mother is tough, as opposed to sucking it up and doing one’s best to be perceived as the Virgin Mary (everyone’s ideal mother around here) herself.
Meme translation: “We’ve been fired because they realized we lied in our interviews about speaking English fluently.” “Oh darno :(“
What does it meme? “Darno” is a made-up word, and so is “caracoleishion.” So what gives?
The same way an English speaker might jokingly put an “o” at the end of any word to make it “sound Spanish” (my sister loves doing this: “What do you think of my new plantos?”), so Spanish speakers put the /shun/ (like in the last syllable of “concentration”) sound at the end of Spanish words to make them sound like they’re in English. A good friend of mine who speaks zero English, for example, sometimes says to be funny “Estoy en la limpieshion” (she’s cleaning).
“Caracoles” is a funny way to say something like “darn it” or “dang it” in Spanish, which strikes me as 100% adorable. Snails!
Meme translation: “If a hen is overcome with emotion, does it get person bumps?”
What does it meme? In English, we say “goosebumps.” In Spanish, though, it’s “piel de gallina” (literally “hen skin”).
So what might hens say? We may never know, and that’s the kind of thing that keeps He-Man up at night.
Meme translation: “Why did you leave me on read?” “I was eating.” “For the past five days?” “I was really hungry.”
What does it meme? It’s cute, of course, but the main reason I added this meme is for the key phrase “dejar en visto.” This means to “leave on read,” considered by many — usually depending on their age — to be a grave sin.
My go-to when I’m the one who’s left someone else on read is usually, “I am so sorry, every time I thought about writing you I didn’t have my phone open in front of me and I’d get distracted and forget when I did,” which is lame but true. Maybe it’s time to get a little more creative!
Meme translation: “Entrepreneurship is my passion.” (on truck) “Mobile Motel”
What does it meme? Well, maybe it’s not the worst idea out there. Still, it looks a little grungy.
By the way, an important difference between “hotel” and “motel” down here: while the difference in the US is mostly regarding the price and how nice it is, in Mexico, it’s a bit more marked. “Hotels” are where you go to stay for one or more nights if you’re, say, on vacation or on a business trip.
A motel, however, is the kind of place where they rent the room by the hour (ahem) and you put your car in a hidden individual garage while you’re there, lest someone recognize it and start a trail of gossip. Since many Mexicans live with their parents until they get married, motels can provide the kind of privacy you wouldn’t find at home. And a mobile motel is actually not a terrible idea if no one in the relationship has a car! The one above, however, could still use a little work.
Meme translation: “My parents: What do you want to go to Oaxaca for?” “Me:”
What does it meme? I’m old enough to have seen “Nacho Libre” in the movie theater as a college student, and I loved it immediately. Believe it or not, I still watch it at least once a year, and I have a sister and a friend with whom I regularly quote the movie.
This cult classic about a monk who wants to be a pro wrestler was filmed in Oaxaca, and I would consider a trip to some of the filming sites a very worthy destination — but only if I had my lucha libre mask with me, of course!
Meme translation: “My family: ‘Heaven just got another angel.’” “Me, reincarnated as a rat.”
What does it meme? Mexicans are well-known for many wonderful qualities; that said, the ability to admit that maybe you haven’t been the perfect person you pretend to be (ask yourself how many times you’ve seen someone truly and sincerely take personal responsibility for something bad that happened), is not among them.
So, it’s refreshing to see this kind of sentiment expressed (albeit humorously): “Nah, I’m no angel.”
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.
The army was able to locate Buonincontri thanks to local residents of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, who reported seeing armed in a Tulum taxi pull off the road into the jungle. (Sedena via Noticaribe)
A United States man who was kidnapped from his Quintana Roo home last Sunday was found in a makeshift jungle hut with tape over his eyes and his wrists and ankles bound.
The Quintana Roo Attorney General’s Office (FGE) said Tuesday that 35-year-old Jospeh Constantine Buonincontri had been found, but more details about his rescue emerged on Friday.
Buonincontri was found by soldiers, state police and members of the National Guard in a hut in the middle of jungle in the Quintana Roo municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, according to the FGE and reports that cited state authorities.
A photo published by the Reforma newspaper showed him seated on the ground clutching a water bottle. He reportedly didn’t sustain any serious injuries during his three-day ordeal.
Reforma reported that Buonincontri was violently abducted from his home in Limones last Sunday. Located in the municipality of Bacalar, Limones is about 90 kilometers north of Chetumal, the capital of Quintana Roo, and 50 kilometers north of the town of Bacalar.
On Tuesday, soldiers stationed at a highway checkpoint in southern Quintana Roo were alerted by locals to the presence of armed men in a taxi from Tulum that entered an “opening” in the jungle next to the road, Reforma reported.
Buonincontri was found in a rough shelter in the forest, three days after his abduction. (via Reforma)
Authorities found Buonincontri just 100 meters from the point where the taxi entered the jungle, according to Reforma. By that time, the armed men had apparently left the location.
Buonincontri — who is from New York, according to ABC News — reportedly told authorities that he had been abducted “by unknown people.”
The kidnappers had reportedly sought a US $200,000 ransom. Reforma said that soldiers found traces of marijuana, a tactical vest and AR-15 rifle magazines at the location where Buonincontri was found.
On the day of his abduction, the FGE published an online poster with details on the victim’s physical appearance. Probably the most striking detail was that he was said to be exactly two meters tall. The poster also mentioned that Buonincontri has numerous tattoos, including ones of macaws, an AK-47 and a pit bull.
The Baja California peninsula is slowly gaining on the Yucatán. (Matthew T Rader / CC BY-SA)
Millions of tourists visit Mexican beaches each year – and for good reason. In its 2024 edition, travel behemoth Lonely Planet has determined four Mexican beaches to be among the best in the world.
These are Lonely Planet’s best beaches in Mexico, some of the top 100 in the world.
Holbox, an island in the Mexican Caribbean, is one of Lonely Planet’s top beach destinations in 2024. (Unsplash)
Holbox, Quintana Roo
Located on Holbox Island, north of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Yum Balam nature reserve, Holbox beach (hol-bosh) is known for its fine white sand, turquoise waters and colorful Caribbean buildings.
Known in Mayan as “black hole,” Lonely Planet describes Holbox as “a portal to one of Mexico’s last unspoiled tropical islands.”
Visitors can also explore several spots around Holbox like Bird Island (Isla Pájaros), Passion Island (Isla Pasión) and the Yalahau freshwater pool.
Holbox is no stranger to international awards. In 2023, Condé Nast Traveler ranked it as one of North America’s best islands along with Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, also included in Lonely Planet’s list.
Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres. (playanorte.com)
Playa Norte, Quintana Roo
According to Lonely Planet, once you reach Playa Norte, you won’t want to leave. “Its warm, shallow waters are the color of blue raspberry syrup, and the beach is crushed coral,” the travel expert says.
Ten miles off the coast of Cancún, Playa Norte is located on Isla Mujeres, famous for having the largest concentration of whale sharks on the planet.
Compared to Cancún, Playa Norte is significantly quieter, and both locals and tourists use golf carts, bikes and scooters to move around the beach and the island.
Tulum will be receiving more tourists than ever with its new international airport, which will open to U.S. airlines as early as March 2024. (Wikimedia Commons)
Tulum, Quintana Roo
Tulum is one of the most popular beaches in Mexico, now with a shiny new airport to accommodate the growing number of tourists.
With seaside cliffs overlooking turquoise waters and white beaches, Tulum is one of the few Maya ruin sites with a beach.The main beach is beneath El Castillo, at the bottom of a steep wood staircase, and the second is below the Templo del Dios del Viento (Temple to the God of Wind).
Lonely Planet has said that Tulum captures the visitor’s imagination like no other, “perhaps conjuring visions of pre-Columbian tradesmen arriving in canoes laden with goods, and the Maya workers who received them, contemplating the same bracing views.”
The mushroom-shaped rock formation at Playa Balandra. (Wikimedia Commons)
Playa Balandra, Baja California
Perfect for kids, Lonely Planet describes Playa Balandra as “an enclosed cove beach with shallow deep blue waters.”
Located within a 30-minute drive from La Paz, beachgoers can enjoy tide pools and hike to neighboring coves and arid, cacti-covered mountains.
The beach is home to the famous mushroom-shaped rock formation which recently went viral on Instagram. The rock is the unofficial symbol of La Paz and though the top occasionally falls off, dedicated locals always repair it.
