Got 1 min? First Canadian airline announces flights to Tulum

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December 15, 2023

Air Canada has become the first Canadian airline to announce service to the new Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport in Tulum.

Starting in May, Air Canada will connect the sunny destination with Toronto and Montreal, year-round.

Tulum international airpot — The new Tulum airport began operations on Dec. 1 and currently operates only domestic flights. (Mara Lezama/X)

The airline will operate twice-weekly flights between Toronto and Tulum on Fridays and Sundays and the Montreal-Tulum route will operate every Saturday.

Airline Vice President Mark Galardo, said that the new destination reflects “Air Canada’s market leadership and network diversification strategy of adding capacity to in-demand leisure destinations such as Tulum.”

The new airport started operations on Dec. 1 with five daily domestic flights and will receive international flights in early 2024.

“I celebrate this great announcement from Air Canada,” Mexico’s Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco Marqués said, adding that the airport has capacity to receive five million passengers per year, which will “boost the arrival of tourists from our second-most important source market for international tourists.”

Tulum’s new airport comes as the town recently won the Best Beach Destination in Mexico and Central America at the World Travel Awards 2023.

U.S. airlines carriers that have announced flights to Tulum include United Airlines, Delta, American Airlines, Spirit and as of this week, JetBlue, which will offer daily nonstop flights from New York’s JFK airport starting in June.

With reports from Travel and Leisure, Simple Flying and Yahoo Finance

Tourism Ministry says Acapulco has 4,500 hotel rooms available

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MND Staff

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December 15, 2023

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As the end of the year approaches, Acapulco is gearing up to welcome tourists once again with 4,500 hotel rooms now available in 127 hotels, Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco Marqués announced on Wednesday.

This is a surprising amount of hotel capacity, given that the sector initially aimed to have a minimum of 36 operational hotels and 3,500 rooms by April 2024, to host the next annual “Tianguis Turístico” or national tourism fair.

Authorities and businesses in the region have worked tirelessly to restore Acapulco after the destruction caused by Hurricane Otis. (Dassaev Téllez/Cuartoscuro)

Acapulco is recovering from the devastating aftermath of Otis, the strongest hurricane ever to hit Mexico’s Pacific Coast, damaging much of the port city when it made landfall on Oct. 25. The hurricane killed 50 people, with 31 still reported as missing according to government figures.

Which hotels have reopened?

Of the 127 reopened hotels, 58 two-to-four-star hotels are located in the Zona Dorada (Golden Zone). These hotels include major sites such as Emporio, Playa Suites, Jazmín Suites, and others on the Costa Azul (Blue Coast).

In the La Tradicional area, 57 hotels have reopened their doors, including the iconic Mirador Hotel in La Quebrada, where the famed cliff divers’ show has resumed.

In Pie de la Cuesta, Rocío and Acapulquito, hotels and beach clubs have also reopened, including the La Cabañita beach club.

Meanwhile, hotels such as Holiday Inn and Las Brisas in the iconic Zona Diamante (Diamond Zone) have opened rooms for booking.

La Caleta and Caletilla beaches, seen here before the hurricane, are now partially reopened to tourists. (Carlos Alberto Carbajal/Cuartoscuro)

Which restaurants have reopened?

Some restaurants on the Bonfil, San Andrés, Playa Encantada, and Playa Las Gloria beaches have resumed business, as well as restaurants in the Caleta, Caletilla, and La Tradicional areas.

How much has recovery cost?

Torruco said that the unexpectedly fast restoration of parts of the beach destination for the winter holidays was the result of collaboration between the public and private sectors.

The federal government has thus far allotted 61.3 billion pesos (US $3.5 billion) for the reconstruction of Acapulco, although business leaders have estimated the recovery costs could be as high as US $17.2 billion.

Federal support for the rebuilding of Acapulco includes exemptions for electricity payments and tax credits for small businesses. The government has also announced that it will cover 50% of the interest on commercial loans provided to hoteliers.

Torruco called on travel agencies and tour operators to “promote this destination and, together, make Acapulco shine again.”

With reports from Expansión

Government says it has located 16,681 missing persons via new ‘census’

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MND Staff

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December 14, 2023

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Photos of missing people in Xalapa, Veracruz — The crisis of disappearances in Mexico has been increasingly dire since the escalation of the drug war in 2006. Today, President López Obrador's government announced the progress of their updated "census" of missing people. (Cuartoscuro)

The federal government said Thursday that it has definitively established the whereabouts of 15% of more than 110,000 people who were listed on its missing persons register in late August.

At President López Obrador’s regular press conference on Thursday, Interior Minister Luisa María Alcalde announced the results of a “massive” nationwide search for missing persons that was carried out as part of the government’s “National Generalized Search Strategy for Missing Persons,” which is commonly referred to as a missing persons “census.”

Luisa María Alcalde, interior minister — Interior Minister Luisa María Alcalde explains the freshly published missing persons data on Thursday. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)

She explained that “search brigades” were formed in all 32 of Mexico’s federal entities, and that their almost 5,000 members completed over 111,000 visits to homes where it was believed missing people might be living based on information derived from numerous government databases.

In addition to visiting homes, search brigade members made over 86,000 telephone calls to inquire about the whereabouts of missing people, the interior minister said.

“What are the results of this effort? The location of 16,681 people. In other words, in these 16,681 [missing person cases] we are certain of their whereabouts,” Alcalde said.

She said that 3,945 people registered as missing were located in their homes, while 4,134 were found to have died. Alcalde said that 197 people registered as missing were found in prisons across Mexico, while local authorities informed the federal government that 8,405 people had already been located.

Many of the missing are believed to be buried in unmarked graves, complicating search efforts. (Dassaev Téllez Adame/Cuartoscuro)

The combined total of 16,681 located persons represents 15% of the 110,964 people who were registered as missing on Aug. 22.

The interior minister said that the government had managed to “place” an additional 17,843 people registered as missing, but hasn’t been able to locate them. That figure represents 16% of the total number of registered missing persons in late August.

“We’ve found [those people] in databases, but we don’t yet have proof of life because we haven’t been able to find them face to face,” Alcalde said.

She gave an example of the kind of thing she was talking about.

Karla Quintana resigned as the head of the national search commission in August and has since expressed her skepticism of the new government search initiative. (Karla Quintana/X)

“Nayeli” was reported as missing in February 2014 when she was 13 years old, “but we’ve found her in more than seven databases,” Alcalde said.

She said it was detected that the young woman became a beneficiary of the government’s Liconsa milk distribution scheme in 2019 and enrolled in an adult education program the same year.

In 2020, “she entered the Quintana Roo health system,” while in 2021 she “obtained a middle school certificate,” Alcalde said, adding that the government had also found that Nayeli had been vaccinated against COVID, found employment in the Youths Building the Future apprenticeship scheme and, in 2022, updated her registration with the SAT tax authority.

“We’ve tried to find her, we visited her [supposed] address in Quintana Roo, then in Campeche, but we haven’t had success,” said the interior minister, who didn’t mention the possibility that another person, or other people, had used Nayeli’s name and other personal details.

The interior minister outlined a similar scenario involving a man who disappeared at the age of 25 in 2013.

Alcalde also spoke about cases involving supposedly missing people who had been definitively located by the search brigades. Among them was a woman who the interior minister said was kidnapped in 2019 but released the next day.

“We found her in her home in Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua,” Alcalde said.

“… We have other cases … [of people] we found in penitentiaries,” she said before citing former cartel leader Miguel “Z-40” Treviño Morales as an example.

“Z-40 was in the databases as missing, but we all know that this person is shut away in one of the high-security prisons,” Alcalde said.

Altiplano federal prison in Mexico — Some of the people reported as missing have been found to be in government custody. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)

López Obrador has previously asserted that Mexico’s missing persons register isn’t accurate, and advocated a new count.

He said in August that Karla Quintana’s resignation as head of Mexico’s National Search Commission (CNB) may have been “because of the census,” which has been conducted by so-called “servants of the nation” – government officials who have mainly aided the implementation of social programs – and others.

After presenting data on the people that have been found and “placed” by the search brigades, Alcalde told the president’s press conference that there was “insufficient data to identify” 24% of the people registered as missing in late August. An additional 32% of people officially classified as missing – some of whom disappeared decades ago – are identified, “but we don’t have enough clues to be able to do some kind of search,” she said.

“Finally, 12,377 [people], which is 11% [of the register], are confirmed as missing,” Alcalde said.

She added that there were 1,951 “duplicate registrations” on the government register,

Quintana, who became CNB chief shortly after López Obrador took office in late 2018, claimed in November that the aim of the missing persons census was to reduce the number of people listed as such across Mexico, and especially in states governed by the ruling Morena party.

Non-government organization, search collectives and academics have also been critical of the census, warning that the government could be seeking to reduce the number of people officially listed as missing for electoral purposes.

However, the number of people on the register has actually increased since the national search strategy, or census, began. On Thursday, 113,322 people were classified as missing, according to a register dashboard on a Ministry of the Interior/CNB website. That indicates that people are disappearing and thus being added to the missing persons register at a faster rate than they are being located and removed.

Alcalde said Thursday that there has been a “campaign with lies” in which government critics have asserted that it was seeking to “remove missing people” from the register.

Martí Batres at press conference — Mexico City Mayor Batres presented data on missing people in Mexico City at the Thursday morning press conference. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)

“We are not eliminating missing people” from the register, she asserted, adding that the government has been focused on searching and locating such people.

While Alcalde portrayed the government’s search strategy as a success, the El País newspaper reported last week that “a missing person was three times more likely to be found” before the new federal plan took effect in May.

Kidnapping has been, and remains, a problem in Mexico, but data presented by Mexico City Mayor Martí Batres at Thursday’s presidential press conference showed that abduction – which in some cases precedes murder – and other crimes were only responsible for 6.8% of “historical” disappearances in the capital.

“Voluntary absence” and “voluntary absence due to personal problems” were the causes of disappearance in over 80% of missing person cases, while mental illness and accidents were factors in 7.8% and 3.1% of cases, respectively, according to the Mexico City data presented by the mayor.

With reports from Aristegui Noticias

US sanctions the ‘Malas Mañas’ criminal group based in Sonora

By

Cat Rainsford

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December 14, 2023

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Malas Mañas members — The Malas Mañas organization is said to collaborate with the Sinaloa Cartel in trafficking drugs and smuggling undocumented migrants into the U.S. (U.S. Department of Treasury)

The United States Department of the Treasury is clamping down on migrant trafficking over the Mexican border, announcing new indictments and sanctions against the Sonora-based criminal organization known as the “Malas Mañas.”

According to a Treasury press release, the group is commanded by Sergio Valenzuela Valenzuela, plaza boss for the infamous Sinaloa Cartel.

Members of the gang operate on both sides of the Mexico-U.S. border. (Los Pennys/Youtube)

Their human smuggling operations move undocumented migrants, mostly from Guatemala and El Salvador, across the border into Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. They also collaborate with the Sinaloa Cartel to distribute drugs including fentanyl and methamphetamine in the United States.

“Through whole-of-government efforts targeting cartels and smugglers like the Malas Mañas, we are disrupting the illicit financial networks of criminals who profit off of vulnerable migrants and devastate our communities with fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics,” said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas.

Formed in 2016, the Malas Mañas now have members – including enforcers – on both sides of the Sonora-Arizona border.

The sanctions specifically target group members Luis Eduardo Román Flores and Joel Alexandro Salazar Ballesteros. This freezes any assets they have in the U.S. and blocks any U.S. citizens from doing business with them.

According to the U.S. Treasury, Román works for his imprisoned brother – Malas Mañas’ founder Jorge Damian Román Figueroa, alias ‘El Soldado’ – who was sanctioned in Sep. 2021 and arrested in Nogales, Sonora a month later. Román allegedly oversees the gathering of migrants, sets smuggling prices, uses social media to coordinate smuggling arrangements, and receives payments on behalf of the organization.

Salazar is accused of managing the Malas Mañas’ finances and distributing fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine in the U.S.

The sanctions were announced on the same day as an 11-count indictment against five members of the Malas Mañas, which was delivered in Tucson by the U.S. Justice Department on Nov. 29. In addition to the three sanctioned individuals, the indictment also names Manuel José Bernal and Jesús Armando González-Villela on

various charges related to human smuggling, drug trafficking and money laundering. The most serious of the charges carry a minimum jail term of between ten years and life, and a fine of up to US $10 million.

“The facts alleged here illustrate the breadth and diversity of the harmful actions by transnational criminal organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “This case isn’t about just guns, or drugs, or aliens. In our continuing efforts to safeguard and bolster border communities, we look forward to establishing the interconnectedness of these three related crimes.”

With reports from Tucson Sentinel

Japanese investment in Mexico predicted to expand in 2024

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Cat Rainsford

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December 14, 2023

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Anuncio Empresas Derechos Humanos-3.jpg — Japanese Ambassador Noriteru Fukushima praised Mexico's development and hailed nearshoring as a major economic opportunity for the country. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

Nearshoring is expected to increase Japanese investment in Mexico by up to 66% in 2024, according to Noriteru Fukushima, Japan’s ambassador to Mexico.

Speaking during the 33rd Mexico-Japan Business Plenary Meeting, Fukushima said that Japanese companies had invested US $2.4 billion in Mexican plants in 2023 and are expected to invest between $3 and $4 billion in 2024.

Nissan — Japanese companies are on track to invest between $3 and $4 billion in 2024, taking advantage of Mexico’s proximity to the United States. (Margarito Pérez Retano/Cuartoscuro)

“Many from Japan want to know what is happening in Mexico, what’s going to be done in Mexico, what Mexico is going to be like because many companies are coming because of nearshoring,” Fukushima said.

He added that he had explained the strong economic momentum in Mexico so frequently that investors are “tired of hearing those projections.”

“We are reporting in Tokyo that Mexico has power … so I want the people of Tokyo to understand that reality,” Fukushima said.

Large Japanese investments announced in Mexico this year include a $200 million Kawasaki motorcycle factory in Nuevo León and a $328 million upgrade of a Toyota plant in Guanajuato, equipping the factory to build hybrid trucks.

Toyota Guanajuato — Toyota manufactures hybrid Tacoma trucks at their Guanajuato site, which has recently received further investment to increase output. (Cuartoscuro)

Fukushima claimed that Japan has always been the fourth-largest foreign investor in Mexico, after the United States, Canada and Spain. In the first nine months of the year, Japan was the fifth-largest origin country for FDI in Mexico, however, in a roundup by the Economy Ministry (SE) of the $106 billion of investment projects announced this year, Japan did not make it into the list of top 10 investing countries.

This could be set to change in the near future. During her addresses to the Plenary, Melba Pría, Mexico’s ambassador to Japan, emphasized the new opportunities for collaboration that arise from the two countries’ environmental commitments. Mexico aims to produce 35% of its electricity supply from renewable sources by 2024, while Japan is looking to hydrogen fuels as a key element of its plan to decarbonize its economy by 2050.

“Mexico already produces blue hydrogen and is moving forward to produce green hydrogen, there is another [investment] opportunity for Japan,” she said.

She also emphasized the positive synergies between Japan and Mexico’s different economic strengths.

“Japan’s high technology and investment capacity, the creative capacity, the raw materials and the platform of certainty Mexico offers with the USMCA and 13 free trade agreements with 50 countries, put Mexico and Japan in a place of great stability to export to North America and the world,” she said.

The two countries celebrate the 135th anniversary of the establishment of modern diplomatic relations this year, although their trade and cultural links date back to the colonial period in Mexico.

With reports from Forbes México

2 more minor earthquakes strike Mexico City

By

MND Staff

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December 14, 2023

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shefali-lincoln-yNFVWsQicdg-unsplash — Two more small earthquakes have struck in the Álvaro Obregón borough of the Mexican capital today. (Shefali Lincoln/Unsplash)

Mexico City has been hit by successive minor earthquakes for the second time in three days.

A 3.2 magnitude quake shook the capital at 2:13 p.m. Thursday, while a weaker 2.4 magnitude quake occurred two minutes later. The epicenter of both quakes, widely reported as “micro-quakes,” was in the borough of Álvaro Obregón, according to the National Seismological Service (SSN).

Fueron 2 microsismos en #CDMX

-14:13 PM / Magnitud 3.2, epicentro a 3km Noreste de la Magdalena Contreras
-14:15 PM / Magnitud 2.4, epicentro a 4km al sur de Álvaro Obregón pic.twitter.com/zoNdP85epS

— Manuel Lopez San Martin (@MLopezSanMartin) December 14, 2023

Residents of several Mexico City boroughs including Cuauhtémoc, Benito Juárez, Miguel Hidalgo, Iztapalapa and Iztacalco reported feeling the Thursday afternoon quakes.

The Reforma newspaper said that residents of Álvaro Obregón reported feeling a “strong yank” that lasted around five seconds, presumably during the first, stronger quake.

Mexico City Mayor Martí Batres said on the X social media platform shortly after the quakes that no damage had been reported. Authorities carried out their usual earthquake protocols, including conducting inspections from the vantage point of helicopters.

Reforma reported that residents evacuated some buildings, but Mexico City’s earthquake alarm system wasn’t activated.

Mexico City has experienced several small earthquakes in recent weeks. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)

The alarm, amplified through loudspeakers situated across the capital, sounds up to a minute before a sufficiently powerful earthquake begins to be felt, but it is dependent on sensors outside the capital. It can give residents a brief window of opportunity to evacuate to the safety of the street and thus avoid the risk of being caught in a building that collapses.

While there are varying definitions of what a microearthquake is, Wikipedia and at least two online dictionaries say that a micro-quake has a magnitude of 2.0 or less. By that definition, the quakes on Thursday wouldn’t qualify as such, although many Mexican media outlets described them as microsismos.

Thursday’s “micro-quakes” followed four on Tuesday, which also had epicenters in Álvaro Obregón.

Eight buildings in the Benito Juárez borough were subsequently evacuated while specialists from the local Construction Safety Institute determined the habitability of each one.

Micro-quakes with epicenters in Mexico City are relatively common, and many – perhaps most with a magnitude of 2.0 or less – are imperceptible.

Thursday’s quakes occurred a week after a 5.7 magnitude temblor with an epicenter in Puebla set off the earthquake alarm in Mexico City. No damage was reported.

The southern state of Chiapas was also affected by seismic activity on Thursday. One quake that occurred just before midday had a magnitude of 5.5, the SSN said. Its epicenter was 135 southeast of Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas. No damage was reported.

With reports from Reforma

Canadian citizen with criminal history killed in Cancún gym

By

MND Staff

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December 14, 2023

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GBRYchDWYAAvYp7 — Samy Tamouro, a Canadian citizen wanted for an array of criminal offenses, was killed at a gym in Puerto Cancún. (Julio Solís/X)

A man with an international criminal history was the victim of a brazen midday murder inside a fitness center in Cancún on Wednesday.

Identified as Samy Tamouro, the man in his late 30s was shot at least eight times by two assailants who had arrived at the upscale Marina Puerto Cancún shopping plaza on motorcycle, according to Reporteros Ahora on Facebook.

Footage posted to social media showed the assassins arriving at the scene on a motorcycle. (Julio Solís/X)

The shooters went straight for Tamouro, who was working out at the Total Sport gym in the plaza, and gunned him down just before noon. He was taken by ambulance to a nearby IMSS hospital, where his death was confirmed.

Borderlands Beat reported that Tamouro was a “connected drug trafficker” who fled Canada last year after “a convicted hitman responsible for at least four murders” began cooperating with Canadian authorities as an informant.

Tamouro also had “a string of drug trafficking-related convictions and was tied to the infamous Quebec Hells Angels,” added the website, which reports on cartel-related crime.

Tamouro is of Israeli origin, according to the newspaper Reforma, though other outlets have suggested that he originally hails from Morocco. Cancún-based Diario Cambio 22 posted a partial picture of a Quebec driver’s license with his picture, and he was identified as a Canadian in news reports.

The murder occurred at the upscale Marina Puerto Cancún. (Marina Puerto Cancún)

In 2017, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to having gang connections and to receiving approximately US $135,000 from the sale of drugs. The charges came as part of a large-scale investigation into gang activity and drug trafficking in Montreal.

The Montreal Gazette reported that Tamouro was 37 and that evidence linking him to a Hells Angels support gang that engaged in drug trafficking came after a convict, Frédérick Silva, turned informant last year.

Police sources recently said that “some well-known organized crime figures left Quebec” after Silva flipped, the paper reported.

The Quintana Roo Attorney General’s Office stated it has opened an investigation into the shooting, which wasn’t the first time a Canadian with a criminal record was murdered in a region that’s become a hotspot for international crime.

In January 2022, two Canadians — one wanted by Interpol — were murdered at a resort in Playa del Carmen, apparently over debts between international drug and arms trafficking gangs.

With reports from Reforma and AP

Ready for sale season? A guide to home decor shopping in Mexico

By

Henrietta Weekes

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December 14, 2023

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Captura de pantalla 2023-12-14 a la(s) 11.14.07 — Buying furnishings within Mexico is the smart way to go. (Freepik)

Moving to Mexico, moving house or ready for makeover time? The holidays are upon us, and the shopping season is about to go mad! Buying furnishings within Mexico is the smart way to go, as the price of shipping to Mexico can be astronomical, and the delay in shipping goods might mean a Mexican wait (i.e. a looong time).

The Sales are NOW!

November and December sales in Mexico roll over into January, when stores want to move out stock before their new arrivals. The ‘Back to School’ sales in August later in the year are something to watch out for also, but the time for bargains is from now until February!

MND surveyed the scene of best places to buy cool home decor in Mexico – from basic necessities to up-scale, stylish furnishings with wow factor.

So, where do I begin shopping for home decor in Mexico?

It’s true, there are many sites out there, so we found some of our – and our features editor’s – favorites. The cost of furniture in Mexico is about the same as what you would pay in Canada or the U.S. Sprucing up your space with splashes of Mexican handicrafts, art and design elements is going to be a more affordable, and fun, part of your home interior design project.

Inspirational tip: We liked AD Magazine, Mexico’s Architectural Digest, for awesome design ideas.

Handy tips before you begin shopping in Mexico for home decor

Mexico, like the US, has modern and antique furniture ranging from Contemporary to Victorian, and there’s no reason to pay full price when you can get up to 60% and, in some cases, 80% for last-minute bargains.

Bargains

Beyond the regular sales times, the big department stores like Liverpool and Palacio de Hierro have specials all the time, plus brand ambassadors will often be there to offer even more discounts and big blowout sales. Placencia also has sales currently, offering 40% off (and sometimes more) on living room, bedroom, and dining room sets.

Payment Plans

Remember layaway? Some stores like Moblum and Gaia offer payment plan options with PayPal, scheduled bank transfers or recurring credit card payments. So you can splurge on a bulk buy, especially if you’ve got an empty house, or new rooms to fill, and catch up with payments in a leisurely way.

Delivery

Tiffany and Tom Pence moved to Querétaro from Florida in 2018 and report that “deliveries were the most interesting and entertaining part of buying furniture for us. Sometimes the delivery was scheduled 3 days away; other times the deliveries were 2-3 weeks later. Sometimes it was on an official store brand truck, other times on a pickup truck.” So just double-check check you’re clear on the delivery date and get a contact person’s name and number! You’re in Mexico now, and we came for a more relaxed lifestyle after all! It’s just part of it; no sweat.

Identification (yes, take it!) At each store, you’ll need to provide proof of address, and a passport as a form of identification before delivery approval. “My passport has been copied more times in the first 6 weeks here than all my previous years of having a passport. I’m sure my picture is up on the internet or a public bathroom somewhere,” Tiffany Pence says. So – just a reminder!

Give me the best shopping sites, beyond Amazon and Ikea!

Sodimac

It seems to be the most popular furniture and homewares emporium for the Mexican population, according to Similarweb’s traffic analytics. It’s a bit of a quagmire on the website, but bargain hunters and those on a budget can score.

Why shop here? Cheap and cheerful, all the simple basics. Good for kids.

DICO

Basics and bargains! Like Sodimac, the least expensive.

Why shop here? Deals! And cheap beds. Simple furnishings for a rental investment?

Solutions Mexico

We liked this one in Puerto Vallarta and Nayarit, with its invite to, “easily furnish your home in Mexico, whether one piece or your entire home.” They have professional interior decorators who will customize a furniture package and a wide range of gorgeous goods, from mid-range to higher-end.

Why shop here? They offer furnishing tips, over 200 suppliers and shopping tours to Guadalajara, Tonala and Tiaquepaque to hunt for wall art, rugs, decor items and lighting. They offer rental packages for rental owners who don’t want to invest in all their furniture at once, but want to rent their property right away. And their site is in English also, if that helps you!

Gaia Design

Stylish, modern, functional furniture, with a touch of the Scandi design vibe, and an easy-to-navigate website.

Why shop here? 60% off most items right now, free delivery over 12,000 pesos, and an average of 4.6 stars from all the testimonials. They also offer design services and discovery and design advice calls.

Moblum

Mid-range price, modern and stylish furniture from the basic to the more interesting.

Why shop here? Offers immediate delivery, flash sales, promotions, one year warranties. They also have a blog and a roster of interior designers – so you can brainstorm and seek advice.

Moda in Casa

More upscale contemporary furniture, with prices to match. Very stylish – which is immediately apparent on their home page, where the design editor has put some thought into presentation. They have stores in CDMX, Valle de Bravo and Mérida.

Why shop here? “Each piece is made using the best technology and materials in combination with the expert hands of our artisans who craft each piece to be a unique object.” Say no more.

Mobica

Great standard, mid-range modern furniture with a wide selection. Free design services and ‘lookbooks’ to browse through.

Why shop here? They donate to underprivileged children (always a plus point).

Bakan

They specialize in stylish outdoor furniture – from dining sets to banks and benches, umbrellas, and accessories – which combines functionality with good quality and design.

Why shop here? Their exclusive brands have anywhere from 40% to 60% price reductions right now.

Decada

I couldn’t resist these two hip young businesswomen who run this vintage furniture store in Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, where “each piece tells a story.”

Why shop here? Every piece of their eclectic collection is thoughtfully curated and hand picked, from a vast range of styles. Adding just one or two pieces might jazz up your basic items.

Lagunilla Market

If you’re looking for a quirky shopping experience, and a vast range of antique furnishings, head to La Lagunilla Market, a weekly morning traditional public market in Mexico City, located about ten blocks north of the city’s main plaza, in a neighborhood called La Lagunilla. There are three big, distinct zones dedicated to food, clothing, and furniture.

Why shop here? The authentic Mexican experience is full of oddities and genuine Mexican antiques to die for. Take a break between shopping and having tacos and a michelada at the lunch counter!

Mercado Libre

Mexico’s “Facebook marketplace” is just as spectacular in its range of offerings as its U.S or abroad equivalents. Anyone can sign up, and it’s user-friendly. You just need the stomach for hunting, a bit like thrift shopping. Pick your region, and dive in. There are many current bargains, coupon offers and payment plans connected to all the major Mexican banks. Interest free installment plans are also tempting for shoppers on a budget!

So, take a deep breath and enjoy the ride of mixing and matching this huge and eclectic range of home decor on offer in Mexico, that suits your style and your wallet. Sign up for their mailing lists to get final sale alerts and flash sales – happening now – and take advantage of their payment plans and free design or delivery services. And don’t forget Google translate – or your ID!

Henrietta Weekes is a writer, editor, actor and narrator. She divides her time between San Miguel de Allende, New York and Oxford, UK.

Neuroscience unveils the effect of psychedelics on the brain

By

Sandra Gancz Kahan

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December 14, 2023

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bodegon-cerebro-humano-estilo-pop (1) — The "brain reboot" facilitated by psychedelics can lead to more adaptable thinking, emotional breakthroughs and a significant transformation in how individuals perceive themselves. (Freepik)

In the ongoing search for effective approaches to mental disorders, neuroscience is turning its attention to the reasons why people describe psychedelic experiences as profoundly transformative events that produce enduring positive changes in mood and behavior.

Though researchers are still uncovering the full healing potential of psychedelics, some have found that the mind-altering experiences induced by substances like psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca and 5-MeO-DMT provide a way to overcome various mental health issues by resetting brain connections.

The term psychedelic derives from the Greek words “psyche,” meaning soul or mind, and “deloun,” meaning “to manifest.” In essence, psychedelics are “mind manifesting,” and users describe their potential to illuminate hidden aspects of the human psyche.

Psychedelics are emerging as therapeutic tools to aid in understanding the intricacies of the mind with promising applications for improving mental health. One of the most notable aspects is that, unlike psychiatric medications, a single psychedelic experience provides noticeable results and most cases don’t require any further intake.

As reported by the Heroic Hearts Project, an institution that provides psychedelic retreats to US veterans suffering from severe PTSD: ”Fewer than 10% of veterans complete or experience significant improvement using traditional treatments. Preliminary independent research of HHP’s psychedelic programs suggests that over 80% of veterans experience improvement after participating in just one of our psychedelic programs.”

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, which measure changes in blood flow corresponding to brain activity, are being used to understand the effects that psychedelic experiences have at the neurological level. Particularly intriguing is the evidence showing that these experiences temporarily reduce activity in the default mode network (DMN).

Often referred to as the “sense of self” network, this area of the brain plays a pivotal role in shaping our identity. The default mode network is essentially in charge of our thoughts when we aren’t focusing on any particular task, generally directing our attention inward. The DMN helps us maintain a sense of personal identity and construct a self-narrative or autobiographical memory, aligning with the Freudian concept of ego. The ego can be understood as a lens through which we view our place in the world.

Our ability for mental time travel allows us to reflect on the past and project into the future. However, fixating on unsettling memories or concerns about the future, a process known as rumination, can put the default mode network into overdrive. Rumination strengthens the DMN, essentially hard-wiring negativity into the brain. A hyperactive default mode network is associated with various neuropsychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, schizophrenia and OCD.

Studies conducted using fMRI reveal that during a psychedelic experience, activity in the DMN is significantly decreased. When it reactivates, the DMN becomes connected to other regions of the brain that were not communicating. This broader connection phenomenon is known as neuroplasticity.

By temporarily disrupting the activity of the default mode network, psychedelics foster more open and freer communication between regions of the brain that are usually separate. According to the entropic brain hypothesis, the state of consciousness induced by psychedelics mirrors that of early childhood, characterized by awe and wonder and a perception of the world as entirely novel. These findings align with novelist Aldous Huxley’s early reflections on psychedelic experiences, which he envisioned as a “Mind at Large” that provides access to a broader set of brain functions and an unbounded state of consciousness extending beyond the individual into the collective.

Brain imaging shows that this “reset” of neural connections results in a mind that is less constrained, more flexible and less self-referential and egoic. These altered states of consciousness often provide insights, awareness, transcendence and emotional healing, indicating clinical links between changes to the functional connectivity of the DMN and the positive therapeutic outcomes observed.

Another highly transformative aspect of psychedelics is the mystical experience of feeling indistinct from nature or a higher power: an all-pervading sense of oneness. The term “ego dissolution” began to be used in the 1950s to describe the experience induced by psychedelics; the experience itself can range from a feeling of being less absorbed in personal concerns to a profound sense of unity with the universe. As the ego – in psychoanalytic terms – dissolves and loosens its grip on the mind, pathological thought patterns can be replaced by alternate perspectives that can help people break free from mental and social isolation.

David Nutt, director of the neuropsychopharmacology unit at Imperial College London, states: “In the depressed brain, in the addicted brain, in the obsessed brain, it gets locked into a pattern of thinking. Psychedelics disrupt that process so people can escape. With a single administration, we can help people see the world in a different way.”

The “brain reboot” facilitated by psychedelics can lead to more adaptable thinking, emotional breakthroughs and a significant transformation in how individuals perceive themselves. Psychotherapeutic techniques such as mindfulness meditation can be used in conjunction with psychedelics for therapeutic purposes because they modulate the DMN in similar ways and act synergistically.

Mindfulness refers to the awareness that emerges when we deliberately pay attention to the experience of the present moment with curiosity and without judgment. By enhancing and cultivating non-judgmental awareness of one’s thoughts and feelings, mindfulness practices help integrate, deepen and maintain the new perspectives and motivation sparked by the psychedelic experience.

As neuroscience continues to unravel the mysteries of the mind, it is providing growing evidence that the rewiring of the brain induced by psychedelics helps modify thought patterns and increase neurological flexibility, offering hope for those who wish to enhance their mental and emotional wellbeing.

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]

Industry in Mexico hits its best streak of growth in nearly 10 years

By

MND Staff

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December 13, 2023

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Construction Tren Maya — Construction was a major driver of industrial growth in October. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

Industrial activity in Mexico increased every month between March and October, the longest winning streak in almost 10 years.

National statistics agency INEGI reported Tuesday that industrial activity increased 0.6% in October compared to September, the best result since June. That extended the period of successive month-over-month growth to eight months.

Statistics agency INEGI showed increased industrial activity across several major economic sectors. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)

INEGI’s “Monthly Indicator of Industrial Activity,” or IMAI, measures output in the construction, manufacturing, mining and energy/water sectors.

The last time Mexico recorded a longer streak of month-over-month industrial sector gains was in the nine-month period between October 2013 and June 2014.

Construction sector drove growth in October

Data shows that construction activity increased 4.7% compared to September, easily outpacing month-over-month growth in the three other sectors assessed by INEGI.

Mining sector growth was 0.6%, while activity in the electricity/natural gas/water sector increased 0.1%. Manufacturing sector activity declined 0.4% compared to September.

Public infrastructure projects such as the Maya Train railroad and the recently-opened Tulum airport have helped increase construction sector activity, as have private residential, industrial and commercial projects, some of which are related to the the growing nearshoring phenomenon.

And in annual terms

Construction sector activity was also the impetus for a 5.2% annual increase in overall industrial activity in October.

Construction activity surged 27.5% compared to the same month of 2022, electricity/gas/water sector activity rose 7%, manufacturing output was 0.5% higher and mining output edged up by 0.1%.

INEGI also reported annual gains for the 10-month period between January and October.

The construction sector was once again the winner, with activity up 15.1% compared to the same period of 2022.

Within that category, activity related to the construction of civil engineering projects increased by an impressive 80.5%.

Annual growth for the January-October period was 3.7% for the electricity/gas/water sector, 2.1% for mining and 1.5% for manufacturing.

The overall annual increase in industrial activity was 3.9% compared to the first 10 months of last year.

Expert views

Víctor Gómez Ayala, head of analytics at the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO), noted that public spending on infrastructure projects won’t continue growing as it has in recent times.

Román Moreno Soto, an economics professor at the National Autonomous University, highlighted that government spending on public projects will decline by almost 30% next year. That will have an impact on the construction sector, he said.

As a result, ongoing construction sector dynamism “will depend on the capacity of the private sector” to invest, said Moreno, who highlighted the importance of “the relocation of companies” to the overall performance of the industry.

Parallel headshots of Jamie Dimon and journalist Susana Sáenz — Jamie Dimon sat for an interview with business journalist Susana Sáenz on El Financiero Bloomberg TV. (Screen capture)

JPMorgan – whose CEO Jamie Dimon recently lauded Mexico as a nearshoring and business destination – says that the “investment boom” in Mexico’s industrial real estate sector “should continue” as the nearshoring phenomenon gains strength.

Gómez, who was quoted in an El Financiero newspaper report, noted that private investment directed to Mexico’s construction sector is greater than public investment, and said that the prevailing situation would probably continue due to spending by foreign companies relocating here.

As for manufacturing sector activity, the IMCO analyst said that data could be erratic in the near future.

Mexico’s manufacturing sector depends heavily on demand in the United States, and that demand is contingent on the strength of the U.S. economy.

The OECD is predicting that both the United States and Mexico will record lower economic growth in 2024 than in 2023.

With reports from El Financiero