The world's "richest fishing tournaments" return this year in Los Cabos. (Shutterstock)
Two of Bisbee’s annual sport fishing tournaments kick off in Los Cabos this week and next, with combined cash prizes of US $10.5 million.
The 2023 Los Cabos Offshore fishing tournament takes place over Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 21 and will award the top three fishing teams based on the single heaviest qualifying black or blue marlin.
The world-famous Bisbee’s Black and Blue tournament starts on Oct. 25. (Bisbee’s Offshore Fishing Tournaments)
Next week, the 43rd annual Bisbee’s Black & Blue Tournament will take place over three days from Oct. 25 to Oct. 27. Overall top teams and captains’ awards will be given for the five largest qualifying black and/or blue marlin weighed during the tournament.
Registration for Los Cabos Offshore is open Oct. 18-19 with a base entry fee per team of US $1,500. Teams can find registration booths at Luxury Avenue in Puerto Paraiso Mall, Cabo San Lucas, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Black & Blue requires a US $5,000 entry fee per team, and registration will open Oct. 24, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Both tournaments are hosted and organized by the family of the late Bob Bisbee, who founded the first competition in 1981.
Winners at the 2022 Bisbee’s Black & Blue awards banquet. (Bisbee’s Offshore Fishing Tournaments)
In a press conference announcing this year’s event, Tournament Coordinator Clicerio Mercado shared that last year’s tournament saw the participation of more than 160 fishing boats.
“It’s no longer el Bisbee’s chiquito,” or the “little Bisbee’s tournament” it once was, Mercado said.
This year’s tournaments are expected to generate over US $50 million in revenue in Los Cabos, with an anticipated 1,200 attendees, according to Mercado.
The Power of Mexican Spices: Long-believed benefits of 6 of Mexico’s most used spices. (Unsplash)
Mexican cuisine is colorful, flavorful, and deeply cultural. Far more than simply sustenance, it’s a peek into the lives of Mexicans. The backstory of Mexican food is rife with opportunities to learn about local family relations, daily customs, and the country’s highly complex history. In fact, UNESCO added Mexican cuisine to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2010 due to the “comprehensive cultural model comprising farming, ritual practices, age-old skills, culinary techniques and ancestral community customs and manners.”
Authentic dishes like mole, tacos, and tamales artfully weave a longstanding indigenous community’s farming and preparation techniques with the flavors and eating styles of its foreign, often unwanted, visitors. With the introduction of a flourishing international trading system, culinary staples like chilis, corn, and beans adapted to an array of new Eastern products, like European cutlery or unfamiliar spices. However, despite the abundance of outside ingredients available today, most Mexican chefs, from Carlos Gaytán to your “abuela”, rely on the same age-old techniques and regional ingredients as Mexicans once did.
Mexican food is known worldwide for its distinct flavors and ample use of herbs and spices. Yet, these spices have a much deeper relationship with the body than your tastebuds. Many of the most popular spices and herbs are also good for your health. During my interview with Daniela Narchi Harp, a Mexico City-based licensed nutritionist and food scientist, I learned that not only are they full of vitamins, but they also boast antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Regular ingestion has been attributed to reductions in hypertension, tumor development, and unhealthy gut bacteria. “In short, these substances decrease the development of inflammatory and metabolic disorders in individuals, therefore preventing disease,” states Harp.
So, if you’re looking to boost your health naturally, why not start by incorporating the following Mexican spices and herbs into your meals?
El Achiote
What is it:A seed derived from the achiote tree known for its bright orange-red hue.
Achiote. (Gobierno de México)
What are its benefits:High vitamin A, vitamin E, and carotenoid levels.
Used in traditional medicine for:Skin conditions, digestive issues, and respiratory diseases.
Used in Western medicine for: Currently being studied as a potential source for new drugs.
Popular Mexican foods that use achiote include: Cochinita pibil, tacos al pastor and Tikin Xic.
Mexican Oregano. (All recipes)
Mexican Oregano
What is it:Harvested leaves from a small shrub or tree with white or yellow flowers that grow in the Americas.
What are its benefits:According to Harp, oregano is similar to cinnamon due to antimicrobial properties that act as a natural antibiotic. It has also been said to lower lipids, lowering cholesterol levels (LDL) and preventing cardiovascular diseases.
Used in traditional medicine for: Digestive issues, asthma or general respiratory disorders, rheumatism, and microbial infections.
Used in Western medicine for: Oregano oil is a highly concentrated form of the herb and has been studied for its antimicrobial benefits.
Popular Mexican foods that use oregano include: Pozole, frijoles, mole and carnitas.
Hoja Santa. (Gobierno de México)
Hoja Santa
What is it:Flat, aromatic, heart-shaped leaves grown in Central American regions.
What are its benefits: It is believed to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties, as well as sedative benefits.
Used in traditional medicine for: Aztecs used it as a digestive aid, a stimulant, a pain reliever, and topical treatment for skin conditions. It’s also still used for fever reduction and as a sleep aid.
Used in Western medicine for: There is very little study of Hoja Santa’s health properties within western medicine.
Popular Mexican foods that use Hoja Santa include: Tamales, mole, and many fish dishes from Veracruz.
Cinnamon. (Unsplash)
Cinnamon
What is it:The inner bark of a specific tree, most commonly found in Sri Lanka.
What are its benefits:Antioxidants and antiinflammatory properties, as well as an ability to regulate blood sugar.
Used in traditional medicine for: A natural antibiotic or antidiabetic.
Used in western medicine for: Recent trials have explored the beneficial effects in cases of Parkinson’s and diabetes, as well as its impact on blood and the brain.
Popular Mexican foods that use cinnamon include:horchata, mole, and churros.
*Attention! A copious distribution of cinnamon does not outweigh the ample use of refined sugar in churros and horchata. Consider adding the spice to fruit, soups, or a hot beverage to reap its health benefits.
Epazote
Epazote. (Gobierno de México)
What is it: A leafy green or purple herb grown in Mexico or Central America with a pungent odor, often mistaken for marijuana.
What are its benefits: Significant levels of vitamin A and vitamin C.
Used in traditional medicine for: Treating menstrual cramps, improving intestinal function, removing intestinal worms, calming the nervous system, and increasing milk production while breastfeeding.
Used in Western medicine for:There are few references to studies of its benefits for toothaches and intestinal gas.
Popular Mexican foods that use epazote include: Salsa verde, pozole verde, quesadillas
Cilantro
Cilantro. (Unsplash)
What is it: The leaf of the Coriandrum sativum plant, related to parsley, carrots, and celery. Its seeds are known as coriander seeds.
What are its benefits:Packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, and iron, as well as dietary fiber.
Used in traditional medicine for: Stimulating digestion, reducing inflammation, and regulating blood sugar levels.
Used in Western medicine for: Nothing, yet. Recent studies relate the ingestion of coriander seeds to a decrease in blood sugar levels.
Popular Mexican foods that use cilantro include: Nearly every Mexican dish incorporates cilantro, notably salsas, rice, guacamole, tacos, ceviche, and many more.
All of the herbs and spices listed above can likely be found in your local market. For optimal health, you want to be absolutely sure that what you’re getting is organic or pesticide-free. Many towns and pueblos have organic-specific markets. If unsure, look into local CSA programs that work with “agroecological” farms. Joy Hernandez, who runs Arca Tierra’s online pantry of Mexican products and Canasta (CSA) program, works in tandem with local chinampas in Xochimilco, as well as suppliers from Veracruz to Puebla, to provide clients with pesticide-free food. You’ll find several items above, including seasonal cilantro and cinnamon from Puebla.
Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog, or follow her on Instagram.
There are thousands of hidden cenotes waiting to be discovered close to Chichen Itza. (Unsplash)
When people say cenote, they usually imagine swimming alone in turquoise waters surrounded by natural beauty. But while images of paradise run through our minds, well-known spots tend to be overcrowded and can ruin the experience for some visitors.
Cenotes are natural sinkholes created over the ages as acid rain and sea water dissolved the porous limestone plain we call the Yucatán Peninsula. Paradoxically, although the region receives considerable rainfall and has fertile soil, it is extremely inhospitable to human life because its limestone soil makes its water table inaccessibly low. Some parts of the peninsula, like the Puuc region, have no natural bodies of surface water at all.
Cenote Lol-Ha en Yaxunah. (Turismo Yucatán)
One of the great feats of Maya civilization was managing water supply through engineering works like reservoirs to collect rain. The Mayas also collected water from cenotes: the word itself comes from the Yucatec Maya “dzonot,” or “water deposit.”
Tourist agencies in Quintana Roo say that many of the visitors to the Yucatán Peninsula travel to cenotes, some of which see around 1,500 to 2,000 visitors daily. Additionally, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Chichen Itzá in Yucatán is one of the most popular attractions in Mexico, receiving over two million visitors every year.
There are thousands of hidden cenotes near the ancient Maya city, each with its own distinct flavor and charm. For nature lovers and adventure seekers who prefer to skip the lines, here’s a list of the top five best-kept secret cenotes close to Chichen Itzá.
If there is a place that captures picturesque scenes inspiring legends about the fountain of youth, it would be Lol-Ha. A medium-sized open cenote couched within a quiet village of 800 people, it’s just the place for a relaxing swim away from the crowds. Located just 14 miles from Chichen Itzá, the village of Yaxunah shares its name with a neighboring archaeological site. A key town on an ancient bustling trade route, it is the eastern gateway to the longest known road built by the Maya (over 60 miles). Today, the village is home to the famous Amazonas de Yaxunah, an Indigenous women’s softball team whose players are famous for competing barefoot and wearing a traditional huipil blouse.
Cost: 100 pesos.
How to get there: Taxis and moto taxis from Pisté and Chichen Itzá charge around 100 pesos.
Laguna Verde
The largest cenote on the list is also a place of myth and legend: locals from Libre Unión claim Tzukan, the snake guardian of the cenote, resides in its depths. The serpent spirit is said to create a whirlpool at the center of the lagoon that lifts it vertically into the air. Despite the stories, the Laguna Verde is visited by local families from the nearby villages of Libre Union and Yaxcabá, who come mostly on weekends. Wildlife is abundant on its shores, from tadpoles to colorful fish that harmlessly nip your toes, giving you a free pedicure.
Cost: Free
How to get there: Take a taxi or moto taxi from either Libre Unión (50 pesos) or Yaxcabá (100 pesos).
Located just a few hundred meters from the Laguna Verde, this medium sized open cenote is not for swimming; it’s for exploring. An astonishingly intact Maya mural – warriors and priests are depicted alongside a frog with water droplets over its head – is carved into its stone walls. Archaeologists believe the ancient Maya held frogs as sacred and associated their calls with the coming of rain. Interestingly, both Cenote X’tojil and the Laguna Verde have large populations of frogs sustained by their interconnected ecosystem today.
Cost: Free
How to get there: Take a taxi or moto taxi from either Libre Union (50 pesos) or Yaxcabá (100 pesos).
This untouched beauty is a little trickier to find, but with some help from friendly locals, it is possible and well worth the effort. An open, medium sized cenote, Popolá can be slightly intimidating to swim in because of its remoteness and wild appearance. It was once renovated for tourism but was left abandoned for some years, so the jungle has slowly reclaimed its edges. It is sometimes possible to find native stingless melipona bees hovering over its turquoise waters, occasionally darting down for a drink. This is the closest cenote to Chichen Itzá on the list.
Cost: for around 80 pesos with local guides at the village ministry.
How to get there: Taxis or moto taxis from Pisté and Chichen Itzá charge around 50 pesos.
If you are a bird watcher, the Cenote Cantó is the place to be. This large, semi-open cenote is visited by all types of tropical winged species, from the Yucatan great horned owl to the shining bluish-green-colored Motmot bird. Roughly between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., hundreds of birds that come to the cenote to feed on insects create a kind of vortex as they fly, putting on a serene natural spectacle daily. The water at the bottom may be murky and uninviting, but for those who want to see how crucial cenotes are to the jungle ecosystem, Cenote Cantó is the perfect choice.
Another tricky place to find that may require the services of a local guide.
Cost: Free
How to get there: Walk about 40 minutes or bike for around 15 from downtown Valladolid – there are plenty of rental bikes available.
Some of the cenotes on this list may not be for the faint-hearted, and it is always prudent to take extra caution when visiting those in remote areas.
The brand started its journey in 2018 when Toshiharu Tanamachi (Creative Director) got tired of the monotony in men's clothing. (Photos Montserrat Castro)
This past September saw the runway debut of CDMX-born fashion brand, Tanamachi. Hosted by the Echo Experimental Museum in the Colonia Cuauhtémoc of Mexico City, around 200 people attended the avant-garde event produced by the cultural agency Momo Room.
The long-awaited show lasted around twenty minutes, featuring fifteen models wearing 30 different looks; each one dressed from head to toe in makeup, jewelry, clothing, and allure.
They’re looking to restore the romance and fantasy that once surrounded not only clothing but the clothing industry in Mexico. (Photos Instagram)
Most of the pieces were created from scratch specifically for the show and were brought to life by the models with a fierce and magnetic intentionality. Dresses, shorts, pants, shoes, skirts, tops, coats, boots – all were curated to the viewer’s pleasure, and in a wide variety of colors and fabrics.
The History of Tanamachi
September’s show represented a new beginning for Tanamachi founders Toshiharu Tanamachi and Mauricio López. In an interview with Mexico News Daily after the show, Tanamachi and López brought some contextual light to the catwalk.
The brand started its journey in 2018 when Creative Director Toshiharu Tanamachi felt tired of the monotony in men’s clothing. “Traditional men’s clothing has been basically the same for three hundred years: a suit coat and pants. (…) There are a thousand variations of a suit coat and pants, but they are still the same pieces from three hundred years ago,” said Toshiharu. His idea is that clothing has no gender, and at the end of the day, clothes are clothes, worn by whoever wants to wear them.
In their disregard for gender – Tanamachi clothes don’t have it. (Photos Instagram)
In the beginning, Toshiharu was more fixated on men’s suits, only working on tailored suits and doing general tailoring services. He would add interesting and different touches to his pieces and used only fabric remnants that he found in downtown Mexico City. “Sometimes we found ten meters of one fabric, sometimes twenty,” he said, meaning that sometimes, Toshiharu had to use more than one fabric on a piece depending on how many scraps he had.
When the pandemic slowed down the world of fashion and the demand for tailored suits, Toshiharu met Mauricio López, who joined the brand as Production Director and, as Toshiharu puts it, did a 180° flip on his business vision. Together, the two realized that if they incorporated ready-to-wear pieces into their tailor-made business model, they would have better access to the fashion market and would be able to explore and create more.
“The vision for Tanamachi has always been good, before and after my involvement. … It has always been a very elegant [style of] tailoring that converges with functionality… [and] modern aesthetics,” said Mauricio.
Now, the team makes tailored pieces, like the ones presented at the fashion show, as well as ready-to-wear items. They are also putting a deeper focus on daily wear, as opposed to pieces that will be worn once a year at an elegant event and suspended in time inside a closet for the rest of the year.
“We also want to make clothes that are functional, that tell a story but that you can also use every day,” Toshiharu said. “We are believers that clothes go further and deeper than something you simply put on. [Clothing] is a way of communicating and can do everything from transmitting emotions to reflecting societal problems of a particular moment in time.”
Backstage: The Fashion Show Story
Their inspiration comes first and foremost from Mexico City. (Photos Instagram)
What story were Tanamachi’s clothes conveying at the fashion show? Put simply, the story of who they are: two gay men living in Mexico City, capital of a cosmopolitan country that has it all, despite remaining largely conservative.
Their inspiration comes first and foremost from the city, which is, according to Toshiharu and Mauricio, “an oasis of openness.” “We don’t get inspired by, I don’t know, French rococo in the sixteenth century,” said Toshiharu, jokingly. “We try to find inspiration in what is real, what surrounds us.”
Not that it’s wrong to look far for inspiration. But at Tanamachi, the creators cherish the rawness of the reality they live in, for good or bad. “That’s what we try to talk about,” Toshiharu continued, “the vices and virtues of Mexico City today.”
In our interview, Toshiharu and Mauricio shared insight on the research they did before their most recent show. In the 1950s, Mexican-German artist Mathias Goeritz designed the space that now harbors the “Echo Museum,” creating it to be a platform for art without precedent in the Mexican and international context. The space has served many purposes, functioning as a nightclub, a site for political get-togethers, an experimental museum, and a restaurant.
As they continued their research, Toshiharu and Mauricio found that Goeritz and the architect Luis Barragán had a secret relationship. The restaurant at the Echo is where they would hang out, a place considered a hub for the queer community in the 50’s.
“We found a quote from Diego Rivera, where he says in a derogatory way: ‘The Echo is just a space for the capital’s homosexuals to parade the runway.’ And we were like, wow! That’s literally what we are going to do,” they recounted excitedly.
Tanamachi chose to illuminate the rooms of the Echo with a touch of its former glory, setting the former scene of the once highly-coveted gay restaurant.
Throughout the space, they placed multiple rectangular tables, set to look like they had been dined at: sets of plates, glasses of wine and whiskey with lipstick smears, ashtrays with fake cigarette butts, and cloth napkins embroidered with Tanamachi’s slogan: “Appearances are worth more than virtues (Más valen las apariencias que las virtudes).” The runway surrounded these tables, giving the lucky guests sitting at them a close-up look at the models.
Accessibility
Since theEcho Experimental Museumis owned by The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the show was free and open to the public.
Elegant tailoring that converges with functionality, converges with modern aesthetics. (Photos Instagram)
One of Tanamachi’s values is making fashion more accessible. They opened registration more than a week before the event, hoping to give anyone interested a chance to attend. “We want to break the stigma, the structure, the elitism and classism that exists in the fashion world. We never wanted to do a runway where we’d only invite the influencers and the somethings-or-others,” said Mauricio.
Next to granting access to the public, Toshiharu and Mauricio prioritize accessibility in two other areas. First, in their disregard for gender – Tanamachi clothes don’t have one. They are for whoever wants to wear them, no matter their gender identity.
Second, the brand offers accessibility in the functionality and durability of their clothing. “You can buy a pair of pants for 3,000 pesos. But for example, our pantashort can be a perfect pair of pants, and a perfect pair of shorts at the same time. Or it can be a hybrid. You can style it based on your creativity,” explained Mauricio.
Thanks to that versatility, the lifespan of a Tanamachi piece of clothing is longer than that of any other piece in your closet. Additionally, the high-quality materials they use make that same piece of clothing more durable.
Appearances are worth more than virtues
“Appearances are worth more than virtues” is what Mauricio and Toshiharu suggest in their fall-winter 2023 collection. “Sometimes, if you dress well, whatever your sense of elegance may be, and whatever your sense of quality, you feel better. Your day changes, the way you face your daily responsibilities changes,” Mauricio explains.
The pair is looking to restore the romance and fantasy that once surrounded not only clothing but the clothing industry in Mexico. “A little of what we want to do and we’re finding it difficult, is to professionalize fashion as an industry [in Mexico]. For it to be taken seriously. So that we can create not only a ‘cool brand in La Roma,’ but a formal company that can generate jobs,” Toshiharu explained.
“We want to give dignity to the industry,” added Mauricio. “Believe it or not, this industry gave us many jobs for a long time. … Now it is somewhat punished. [In the past,] it went really well for us, then really bad, and when it went really bad, the dignity of sewing, designing, creating, was completely lost.”
Among their hopes and dreams for the future is their commitment to remain in Mexico City. The world has its eyes on the city, where there is a constant influx of interested and excited people arriving. “It is a big moment for queer culture and culture in general,” says Toshiharu.
Similarly to the ’50s, when Barragán and Goeritz found themselves succeeding the likes of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, Tanamachi finds itself at the crossroads of the past, present and future of fashion – ready for what’s to come.
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To explore and purchase Tanamachi’s creations, visit:
High-altitude areas in the country experienced low temperatures on Tuesday morning. (Cuartoscuro)
A cold weather front is sweeping Mexico, bringing below-freezing temperatures to four central states, as a low-pressure system off the Pacific coast is predicted to cause intense rains in some regions.
In itsTuesday morning report, the National Meteorological Service forecast temperatures between -5 and 0 degrees Celsius (23-32 F) in mountainous regions of México state, Hidalgo, Puebla and Tlaxcala.
Temperatures between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius (32-41 F) were also forecast in high-altitude regions across the center and north of the country, and even as far south as Chiapas. By contrast, low altitude regions could still see temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 F) in northern states such as Sinaloa and Sonora.
Meanwhile, the National Water Commission (Conagua) warned that a low-pressure area was forming off the coast of Jalisco and Colima, with a 90% probability of becoming a cyclone within the next 48 hours.
Although it is unclear whether the storm will make landfall, it will cause intense rains (75-150 mm) in Colima, Guerrero, south Jalisco and Michoacán; very heavy rains (50-75 mm) in Chiapas; and heavy rain (25-50 mm) in Oaxaca, Tabasco and Veracruz.
Conagua said that these rains would likely be accompanied by lightning and possible hail, and could cause landslides and flooding in low-lying areas. The local population is advised to take precautions and stay alert to instructions from civil protection authorities.
Winds of up to 90 km/h could hit the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and waves of 2-4 meters on the coasts of Oaxaca and Chiapas. Slightly less intense winds and waves are also predicted along Mexico’s eastern coast, easing towards the end of the day.
These conditions are linked to a weather phenomenon known as the “Norte” event, which occurs when polar masses pass through the Gulf of Mexico, often causing storms.
Armando Escárcega (left), alias "El Patrón", was arrested in Delano, California as the alleged leader of a gang suspected of organizing an armed attack on TV anchor Ciro Gómez Leyva (right) last December. (FGR/Cuartoscuro)
The alleged boss of a criminal gang that carried out an armed attack on prominent journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva last December was arrested in the United States on Monday.
The Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) said that the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives detained Armando Escárcega – aka “El Patrón” (The Boss) – in Delano, California.
Ciro Gómez Leyva, one of Mexico’s most well-known journalists, survived what Mexico City Police Chief Omar Harfuch called an assassination attempt. (Photo: Ciro Gómez Leyva/Facebook)
The FGR said that it had asked U.S. authorities to arrest Escárcega for the purposes of extradition, noting that he is accused in Mexico of “criminal association within the criminal cell that made an attempt on the life of the journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva.”
The federal authority, which last month assumed responsibility for the investigation into the crime, said that the suspect was put before a judge “for his extradition.”
Gunmen shot at Gómez, a television and radio broadcaster, while he was driving in southern Mexico City on Dec. 15, but he was not injured.
“At 11:10 pm, 200 meters from my house, two people on a motorcycle shot at me, apparently with the clear intention of killing me,” Gómez said on social media after the attack.
Deputy Security Minister Luis Rodríguez Bucio discusses the arrest at the president’s Tuesday morning press conference. (Screenshot)
“I was saved by the armor plating of my truck … and I have informed the authorities of the matter,” he said.
Numerous media reports described Escárcega as the alleged “intellectual author,” or mastermind, of the attack on Gómez, a news anchor at Imagen Televisión. But the journalist himself said that description wasn’t entirely accurate.
“I saw yesterday that some media outlets … said that the mastermind of the attack was arrested. As far as I understand … that’s not exactly the case,” Gómez said on Radio Fórmula on Tuesday morning.
He said that other people who have been arrested in connection with the attack have told authorities that Escárcega hired them and paid them, both with money and drugs.
Mexico City police during an operation in January that led to the arrest of 11 people allegedly involved in the attempted murder of Gómez Leyva. (SSC/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
“He hadn’t finished paying them for the attack, according to what we saw in testimony,” Gómez said, adding that “El Patrón” is not the mastermind of the crime, but “the coordinator, the boss of what they call the execution cell.”
He suggested that someone “a level above” above Escárcega, or more than one level above, was really responsible for planning the attempt on his life. A motive for the attack has not been publicly disclosed.
The FGR didn’t identify the criminal group to which Escárcega allegedly belongs, but Gómez has previously said that “information obtained by authorities” speaks of a “link” between the gunmen who attacked him and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
Former Mexico City security minister Omar Harfuch – who was targeted by alleged CJNG gunmen in a 2020 attack – said that authorities were investigating a possible link to the Jalisco-based cartel.
Deputy Security Minister Luis Rodríguez Bucio said Tuesday that with the arrest of Escárcega, 19 people have been detained in connection with the Dec. 15 attack on Gómez. At least 11 of that number were arrested on Jan. 11.
Rodríguez said that the FGR, the National Intelligence Center and the federal Security Ministry have collaborated on “investigation and intelligence work” related to the crime.
Mexico City’s former public security minister, Omar García Harfuch, and mayor Claudia Sheinbaum at a press conference in January regarding arrests made in the Gómez Leyva case. (Andrea Murcia Monsivais / Cuartoscuro.com)
Gómez had expressed dissatisfaction with Mexico City authorities’ handling of the case, and requested that responsibility for it be transferred to the FGR.
“The federal Judge Manuel Edmundo Parúaka today agreed to the Federal Attorney General’s Office taking charge of the investigation … into the attack I suffered on Dec. 15. Good news for me, it’s what I requested on Aug. 17,” he wrote on the X social media site in late September.
The amount of sea turtle eggs recovered on the beaches in Los Cabos has doubled compared to 2022. (Shutterstock)
It’s been a promising season for sea turtle conservation in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, with double the number of eggs recovered this year compared to 2022.
Local conservationists said the figures showed the success of the turtle incubation pen in the Costa Palmas tourist resort, in the district of La Ribera.
The Olive Ridley sea turtle nests on beaches in Los Cabos every year. (Wikimedia Commons)
“This season 824 protected nests and a total of 84,000 eggs were recovered, double compared to 2022, in which 403 nests were protected with a total of 41,467 eggs,” said Gabriel Olvera Guevara, head of the Municipal Sea Turtle Protection Program.
Olvera said that the success was thanks to the joint efforts of local authorities and NGOs and the private initiative in the Costa Palmas resort, which invites peopleto donate to local environmental programs.
He added that the turtle hatchlings had started to be released into the ocean over the last few days. Various local educational institutions took part, providing information on the importance of protecting the species.
“It has been a night of intense emergence activity for newborns, around 5,500 Olive Ridley turtles have been released, something that gives us great satisfaction and gratitude,” Carlos Villalobos, of the Sea Turtle Protection Network,said on social media after a night of fieldwork. “Hard work, but very happy to have achieved it.”
Baby turtles on their way to the sea. (Archive)
Five different species ofendangered sea turtle are found on the coasts of Baja California. Their numbers dropped sharply at the end of last century, but are now showing signs of recovery due to dedicated monitoring, education and conservation programs, in which local tourist developments are encouraged to participate.
Similar programs are also in place in other regions of Mexico, such asQuintana Roo andTamaulipas, giving renewed hope to the marine reptiles.
The vaccines against COVID-19 and seasonal influenza will be administered nationwide through March 31, 2024. (CRISANTA ESPINOSA AGUILAR /CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Vaccinations against COVID-19 and seasonal influenza began on Monday at medical facilities throughout Mexico, the nation’s Health Ministry announced.
The Health Ministry said the goal for the campaign is to supply 54.6 million doses — 35.2 million are against influenza and 19.4 million against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Mexico’s population is 128.5 million.
The Deputy Minister of Health Promotion, Ruy López Ridaura, receives a vaccine on Monday at the campaign launch. (Salud México/X)
Who is eligible for vaccination?
The campaign will run through March 31, 2024, but at the start the shots will be only for people over 60, pregnant women in any trimester, medical workers, and those aged between 5 and 59 who have conditions that put them at risk of serious complications.
Children under 5 years will be eligible only for the flu vaccine, not the COVID-19 shot.
Foreign residents with a CURP identity number who fall within the above categories should be eligible for vaccination, but it is advisable to consult local health authorities to confirm.
“Both vaccines have optimal safety and efficacy profiles for the protection of the Mexican population and have approval from the Federal Commission for the Protection against Health Risks (Cofepris),” the Health Ministry noted.
The flu vaccine protects against the four subtypes of the virus that circulate — two of type A and two of type B — the Health Ministry indicated.
Locations where vaccines will be available include the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), IMSS-Bienestar, Security Institute and Social Services of State Workers (ISSSTE), state health facilities and Pemex units, according to the Health Ministry.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect Mexico’s population?
According to the World Health Organization, Mexico suffered the fifth-highest COVID-19 death toll in the world with 334,669, following the United States (1,127,152), Brazil (704,659), India (532,034) and Russia (400,077). However, Mexican officials have previously said that the nation’s tally was likely undercounted.
Mexico suffered one of the highest death rates in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Archive)
According to The New York Times vaccination tracker, more than 65% of Mexico’s population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with vaccines such as Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Moderna and CanSino.
When the government declared an end to the COVID-19 pandemic health emergency in May, Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell reported that nearly 95% of the Mexican population has antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, either via infection or vaccination.
Festival attendees enjoy food, drinks and films in San Miguel de Allende. (FIFF)
The sixth annual Food in Film Festival (FIFF) takes attendees on a culinary and cinematic exploration of San Miguel de Allende’s chefs, restaurants, vineyards and breweries. Paired with a smorgasbord of local food and drink tastings, the three-day event features screenings of six food-related films plus talks by a keynote speaker.
“The films will make you hungry and then you get to eat and drink the best the city has to offer,” explained Program Coordinator Mila Villasana. “This is a festival that entices the senses in all ways.”
Food setup for the attendees. (Photo courtesy FIFF)
This year’s opening event is the Latin American premiere of the indie documentary “Heartbeat,” the story of an emigrant’s tumultuous journey through a multitude of international kitchens in pursuit of his “American dream” of success. The film will be shown in the original languages Portuguese and Bosnian with English subtitles.
Other films included in the festival:
The 2018 film “The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution” is a look at seven women chefs at the forefront of the competitive world of professional cooking.
“Fear No Fruit” is the story of Frida Kaplan, the first woman entrepreneur in the Los Angeles wholesale produce market and her quest to transform American cuisine by introducing more than 200 exotic fruits and vegetables to supermarkets in the United States.
“The Donut King” is a 2020 American documentary about Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy and how he built a multi-million-dollar empire baking donuts in California. Christy’s Donuts became a symbol of success, opportunity and paying it forward – until everything came crashing down.
The French 2017 drama “Back to Burgundy,” called by critics “a moving, profound, funny film,” chronicles a winemaking family’s rediscovery of their roots, the art of winemaking and each other. French with English subtitles.
The festival closes with “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain,” a look at the unique perspective and globetrotting life of the iconic chef, writer and host.
Attendees choose which films they want to see and pay for them individually or in a package. Tickets are available on the FIFF website or at the door, although seating is limited to 100-150 people for each showing and pre-purchase is recommended. Following each film screening, event sponsors will serve food and drinks. Details can be found on the website.
Restaurant sponsors this year include Bocaciega, The Restaurant, Zumo, and Panio, as well as winemakers Vinedos San Lucas and Disruptivo. (Photo courtesy of FIFF)
Restaurant sponsors this year include Bocaciega, The Restaurant, Zumo, and Panio, as well as winemakers Vinedos San Lucas and Disruptivo.
“Our main focus is promoting the culinary world of San Miguel de Allende,” said Villasana. “It’s exciting to see them showcase and put their best foot forward. You really get a taste of what San Miguel’s culinary world has to offer.”
This year’s keynote speaker is award-winning writer and environmental anthropologist Gina Rae La Cerva. She will give the presentation “Feasting Wild: A Journey into the History of Hunting and Gathering,” based on her bestselling book “Feasting Wild: In Search of the Last Untamed Food.” La Cerva will also lead two food memoir writing workshops.
A portion of the FIFF’s proceeds goes to Mano Amiga, a local non-profit providing micro-loans to aspiring female chefs and restaurant owners. This year’s recipient is a mole chef and will be serving at the festival.
What: 2023“Food in Film” Festival
When: Oct. 20-23
Where: El Sindicato Cultural Center, Recreo #4 Zona Centro, San Miguel de Allende
Cost: Films, $350 pesos each. Package price for all six films including three lectures: $1,950 pesos. Workshops, $100 pesos each. Available at the door or on the website through EventBrite.
The Maya Train includes 1,554 kilometers of tracks running through five states. The first sections are scheduled to open in December. (Tren Maya/X)
The Palenque to Cancún sections of the Maya Train are on track to open in two months’ time, General Óscar David Lozano Águila, director of the Tren Maya S.A. company, said on Monday.
At President López Obrador’s morning press conference, Lozano Águila said that 239 kilometers of double track on Section 4, running from Izamal, Yucatán, to Cancún, Quintana Roo, are now 100% complete and currently being leveled.
This map shows Section 4 of the Maya Train, which runs from Izamal to Cancún. (Gob MX)
Work on Section 4 is now focused on finishing the route’s five stations, which are more than 80% complete. The section has already been traveled by President López Obrador, who tookseveral test trips on the train last month.
“We reaffirm the commitment: we are going to inaugurate [the train] in December 2023,” Lozano promised.
He added that 33 of Section 4’s 35 planned vehicular crossings are already operational, as well as 90 out of 92 underpasses and wildlife crossings; 6,585 out of 9,000 electrical poles have also been placed.
Section 4 has already generated 62,000 jobs, of which 72% are held by locals of southeast Mexico and 21% by women. According to Lozano, the national statistics agency (INEGI) has found that 718,000 inhabitants of the region are already benefiting from infrastructure associated with the Maya Train.
Diego Prieto Hernández, director of INAH, said that over 4,000 archaeological structures had been salvaged during the work on Section 4. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
Lozano indicated that the route from Izamal, Yucatán, to Palenque, Chiapas (Sections 1-3) would also be inaugurated on Dec. 15, but gave much fewer details on its progress. The ambitious and controversial Maya Train project has faced numerous setbacks, including technical obstacles, lack of materials, and injunctions from environmental groups.
Diego Prieto Hernández, head of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), alsospoke at the press conference about the completed archaeological rescue work on Section 4.
He said that 4,228 structures had been salvaged during the work, as well as 570 movable artifacts, 16 human burial sites, and 145 natural features containing evidence of human presence.
In addition, Prieto mentioned that the Program for the Improvement of Archaeological Zones (Promeza) had contributed significant new tourist and research facilities to the great archaeological sites of Chichén Itzá and Ek Balam, including several kilometers of interpretive trails with signage explaining their historical significance.
“[The Maya Train] is not just a communication system; it is a comprehensive development project that involves strengthening the identity and inclusion of communities, the sense of belonging, the affirmation of our culture and the greatness of the civilizations that have preceded us,” he said.
