Mexico City is home to dozens of haunted sites, including the Posada del Sol Hotel, seen here. (Rolloid.net)
Mexico City has no shortage of haunted spots.
While Leigh Thelmadatter has previously provided us with a great list of some of Mexico City’s most famous haunted houses – including “La casa negra”, “La Moira” and “La casa de las brujas” –here are three more sites for intrepid ghost hunters to explore during this spooky season.
La Casa de Tía Toña, hidden deep inside Chapultepec forest, is said to be the site of the murders of several children. (Amino)
La casa de Tía Toña
Hidden deep in Chapultepec Forest section 3, lies “La casa de Tía Toña” (Aunt Toña’s house). Just who exactly Aunt Toña was is unclear, but local legend says she was a woman of great wealth.
As the story goes, Toña lived alone in this enormous forest mansion and adopted a number of orphaned children for company. For several years, these children stole precious jewels and money from the house, driving Toña insane.
One day, she had enough, and beat the orphans to death, before throwing their bodies in a ditch behind the house. Some say that at night, visitors to the house can hear the screams of the children and the sound of Toña’s voice, as she scolds them for their misdeeds.
Callejón del Aguacate
Callejón del Aguacate, where the soldier is said to have killed a child before taking his own life. (Shutterstock)
As one of Mexico City’s oldest neighborhoods, it’s natural that Coyoacán has its share of ghost stories.
Rumor has it that shortly after the end of the Mexican Revolution, a decorated soldier was taking a walk through the leafy suburb to clear his head of everything that he had witnessed while at war.
On his walk, he encountered a young boy who was enthralled by the soldier’s medals. Every time the soldier walked down the street, the child would beg the soldier to play with him. One night, the soldier lost his patience (and his sanity) and killed the boy. Wracked by guilt, the soldier then hanged himself from the avocado tree that gave the alleyway its name.
Today, the street is a popular square, lined with cafés – although some nights, residents have reported hearing the boy asking passers-by to play with him.
Hotel Posada del Sol
The terrifying altar inside room 103. (Rolloid.net)
This hotel in the once-grand Doctoresneighborhood has played host to not one, but two tragedies.
While the hotel’s architect and proprietor Fernando Saldaña is said to have hanged himself in the courtyard of the hotel in the 1940s, it is what happened in Room 103 that is the most interesting.
Inside the Room is an altar, complete with sweets, toys, and a photo of a girl who was found dead inside the hotel. Legend has it that her spirit was trapped inside the hotel, and her ghost has never been able to leave the grounds.
Ghost hunters at the site today beware – it is said that Saldaña still patrols the halls, to guard his hotel against those who would do it harm.
Blonde hair is delicate, so freshen up with a dry shampoo or just warm water and a little conditioner to get the sweat out of it. (Canva)
Wondering how to keep up your blonde hair in Mexico, in a hot climate where there’s continual sunshine and swimming!? We found some of the top stylists in Mexico who shared their tips and advice on what to look for in a stylist and how to optimize the radiance, shine, health and color of your blonde hair, in between trips to the salon.
Can I really get good blonde highlights in Mexico?
The struggle is real! Over the years I’ve spent living in Mexico, I’ve encountered many blondes – both foreign residents or visitors – who insist on getting their hair done ‘back home’. The good news is, apparently that’s changed! Struggle no more.
With all those gorgeous blondes from all over the world now flocking to Mexico, I knew there had to be stylists out there maintaining many-shades-of-blonde hair. Three hairstylists working in CDMX, San Miguel de Allende and Merida weighed in on the importance of a skilled colorist, investing in a few excellent products, optimum maintenance and the absolute necessity of owning a hat.
So let’s get down to blonding business!
Meet three stylists for blondes in Mexico:
Ronit Sabban, aka ‘the blonde whisperer’, runs an independent studio in Polanco, CDMX.
This Washington DC transplant trained in Maryland, taught hairstyling in partnership with RUSK and continues to attend conferences to brush up on current techniques and trends. She’s been in the business of blonding for 30 years, and has clients from the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and Europe. “I love color and blondes are my niche”, Ronit tells MND. According to one of her clients, Dr Jesse Schwartz, a dermatologist in Mexico City, she’s “the best hair colorist ever! She uses the highest quality products and is a total treat to spend time with.” She even recommends Ronit to her patients.
Tal Fisher, a stylist from Montreal, runs a home salon in San Miguel de Allende.
Tal has a delightful coming-to-hair story. ”I watched my mother and brother cut hair in the living room and drink tea with their clients afterwards. It’s the only thing I know how to do well”. He studied with Vidal Sassoon in London, the Harvard of hair schools, ‘to learn from the best’. After a career boasting invitations to New York fashion week by the mega brand, Moroccanoil (they sponsor the Oscars and Eurovision) and being the only Canadian to win the Wella ‘TrendVision Award’, he moved to San Miguel, feeling “tired of the rat race and want[ing] a good quality of life”. Every 3 months, he takes off to Merida for a few weeks, where he works at a salon collective, Naty Does Hair. Elle Daily, a Bay Area creative living in Mexico says. “He’s a real artist. My platinum changes tones. I might want punk or I might want pretty, so I trust Tal.”
You have to use the best products, and never skimp! (Canva)
Lawrence Demirjian, moved from the Bay Area and has a home studio in San Miguel de Allende.
With a Vidal Sassoon training in Chicago and 50 years in the business, he also apprenticed with master colorist Leslie Blancard in New York, and perfected his talents at the L’Oreal school in London. He arrived in San Miguel de Allende 18 years ago from the Bay Area and has gained a loyal local following. Susan Stopford, an English woman living in San Miguel has found her favorite hair stylist in Lawrence. “Being new in town, looking for a hairdresser was a game of chance. Lawrence was highly recommended, and rightly so. He gets my highlights just perfect. I need look nowhere else.”
How do I find the right stylist and keep my blonde hair pitch-perfect?
“Check the credentials. Sassoon, L’Oreal etc. Coloring is a skill. Many Mexican hairdressers simply don’t do blonde hair, what with all that fabulous dark hair around. I’ll encourage any woman to bring along pictures, ideas, and make sure she feels free to talk as much as she likes. Women haven’t been taken seriously for so long. I’m a people person and I love making people happy and beautiful.” Demirjian
“Check out their background. A blonde colorist should have years of experience, and preferably should have training from Europe and the US. What bleach and foils do they use? It’s important the stylist doesn’t bleach over already processed hair” Sabban.
“Take the time to find the right stylist for you. I win some, I lose some! I learned the intimate art of hairstyling from my mother. Women have to really trust you. My salon in Montreal was called ‘Espace Carte Blanche’ because I don’t like to ‘tell,’ but help formulate a client’s vision for their hair out of a ‘blank canvas’” Fisher
What are some of the best products for my blonde hair?
“Not all bleaches are created equally! I use Goldwell, a German brand, that has conditioners built into the product. And don’t let a colorist bleach over already colored hair, that’s called overprocessing and will strip hair. After doing a beautiful highlight service, a clear glaze on top will seal in the color and give it an extra kick of shine. Check your stylist can provide this.” Sabban
“Not all bleaches are created equally! (Canva)
“Invest in just a few excellent products that condition and hydrate; no need to fill your cupboards. Stay away from most supermarket products. I use Olaplex No. 6 which improves texture, reverses damage and reduces frizz. Japanese brand Mucota is expensive but even more amazing in its ability to hydrate and protect.” Sabban
“Use a purifying shampoo. I always use one before I work with a client’s color. Maintain this practice at home, at least once a week, to clean out the dust and the elements, and calcium and minerals in water. I use Legiadria’s Shampoo Ultra Purple.” Fisher
“Use a purple or blue shampoo to maintain color, and to neutralize any brassiness. Blondes usually like to be ashy or beigy, and this will maintain the original tone. Again, I recommend Legiadria’s Shampoo Ultra Purple.” Fisher
“Skip the everyday shampoo. Blonde hair is delicate, so freshen up with a dry shampoo or just warm water and a little conditioner to get the sweat out of it. I recommend Moroccanoil Mexico products.” Fisher
“You have to use the best products, and never skimp! I import my favorite shampoo, conditioners and treatments, as I believe it’s the best for blondes. I use Framesi, an Italian brand.” Demirjian
“Use a hair mask once or twice a week. The range I use and recommend is Davines, The Renaissance Circle, The Wake-Up Circle and The Restless Circle.” Fisher
“Use hair oils – I like Latinoil, Chia Oil hair treatment. And a spray protectant for when you’re in the sun.” Demirjian
“Invest in a leave-on product. After wet, apply Olaplex No.3, which will keep working til dry, strengthen your hair and help with the longevity of your color.” Sabban
Top tips for at-home highlights maintenance
“WEAR A HAT! San Miguel de Allende, for instance, is 6,200 ft above sea level. Protect the condition and color of your hair, by either staying out of the sun, or wearing a hat! At the beach and pool, wear a good cap if you can, and update it every 4 or 5 months.” Demirjian
“Come back for a ‘dusting’! A regular tiny trim of the ends, and a root touch up, every 6 weeks, keeps it healthier, shinier and prevents breakage, even if you are growing the hair longer. You should feel like a star and you shouldn’t have to fight with it!” Sabban
“Use a little bit of conditioner. You don’t need a whole load of conditioner in your hair. Just use a little bit and then comb it through, leave, or rinse out after 5 minutes.” Demirjian
“Don’t overuse hair dryers or curling irons. Don’t use hot water. And don’t change your hair color too often or too drastically. And yes, you can bring and use a hair dryer in Mexico, when traveling from the US, you don’t need an adaptor likeother countries – check before travel. Demirjian
“Do your at-home care! Once a week, do treatments. I love Amika products, which are sulfate free, not tested on animals and smell good. One of the single most important things that blondes can do is to invest in a microfiber towel and then air-dry as much as possible once initial moisture is removed.” Sabban
“Use a water softener. The water in Mexico is generally hard. The cheaper electronic devices and shower heads don’t really work. You need a proper system, like reverse osmosis. But if you need to cheat, a little bit of salt in the water will bleach out the minerals. And if you’re traveling, use a shower filter, to keep your blonde hair lively and not washed out.” Fisher
“If your hair has shades of green, crush two aspirins and add it to your shampoo. Regular aspirin contains salicylic acid, the chemical typically used in face washes. When used on the hair, it counteracts the alkalinity of the chlorine to neutralize the green quickly and easily.” MND handy tip, sourced from top Parisian stylist Christophe Robin,
Good news! Yes, you can maintain your blonde in Mexico!
Whether you’re a resident or visitor in Mexico, after a couple of pandemic years of low-maintenance touch ups, full-throttle healthy, vibrant, silky blonde hair is fast becoming a signature for all the eternal sunshine-y seasons here. Now there’s more demand, there are finally some excellent stylists out there specializing in coloring and maintaining your blonde beauty.
Take away these top tips from the top blondists, get to one of their salons if you’re nearby, and relax – knowing you don’t have to rush ‘home’ to the hairdresser but that Mexico now (almost) prefers blondes!
Henrietta Weekes is a writer, editor, actor and narrator. She divides her time between San Miguel de Allende, New York and Oxford, UK.
At least 5,000 migrants set out from Tapachula at 6 a.m. on Monday. (Damián Sánchez/Cuartoscuro)
A caravan of some 5,000 migrants left the southern city of Tapachula, Chiapas, on Monday, beginning a journey through Mexico that they hope will take them all the way to the northern border and into the United States.
Migrants from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Haiti and Cuba made up the bulk of the large group, according to the newspaper La Jornada. They intend to travel to the northern border and seek asylum in the United States, El Universal reported.
A group of Hondurans march northward. The journey is particularly dangerous for migrants. (Gwendolina Duval/X)
The migrants set off from a park in Tapachula at about 6 a.m. and planned to walk about 15 kilometers to the town of Álvaro Obregón. On Tuesday, they hope to get to Huehuetán, the administrative center of the municipality of the same name.
The Mexico-United States border at Matamoros, Tamaulipas, is over 1,600 kilometers from Huehuetán, while Tijuana, Baja California is almost 4,000 kilometers away.
Migrants typically walk, hitch rides on trucks and jump aboard freight trains to achieve their goal of getting to Mexican border cities.
The journey is a dangerous one. Migrants are frequently preyed upon by criminal groups, whose members have been known to forcibly recruit men and rape women. Traveling in a large caravan might make the trip safer, but such groups typically break up as they move through the country.
The caravan, made up of migrants from across Central and Latin America, hopes to reach the United States. (Damián Sánchez/Cuartoscuro)
Countless migrants have been detected by authorities traveling in hot and cramped conditions inside tractor-trailers, while many have been killed in highway accidents. Other migrants have died or sustained serious injuries after falling from freight trains collectively known as La Bestía (the Beast).
Irineo Mújica of the immigration rights group Pueblo Sin Fronteras (People Without Borders) said that the migrants who departed Tapachula on Monday morning sent a letter to National Migration Institute (INM) director Francisco Garduño to ask for permits that would allow them to travel legally through Mexico to the border. But they didn’t get a response, Mújica said.
He said that the migrants decided to begin their northward journey as there are no jobs in Tapachula and getting documents from the INM and the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) can take as long as a year.
A lot of migrants are forced to live on the streets in Tapachula, Mújica said, explaining that rents and food are both expensive.
A group of migrants gathered in Tapachula to express solidarity with victims of Hurricane Otis in Guerrero on Sunday. (DAMIÁN SÁNCHEZ/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Carlos Eduardo Martínez, a Honduran, told La Jornada he decided to join the migrant caravan because he couldn’t find a job in Tapachula and his appointment with COMAR was three months away.
“I couldn’t keep waiting without money, sleeping on the street, it’s not life,” he said.
“We’re better off making our way up [north] and hoping that the government helps, doesn’t stop us,” Martínez said.
The caravan passed through a migration checkpoint manned by National Guard troops in the community of Viva México “without any restriction,” Milenio reported.
President López Obrador held a summit earlier this month to discuss migration issues with a number of regional partners.(SRE/X)
José Alberto María said he decided to leave Guatemala because he was a victim of extortion while working as an assistant on public buses. He said he was forced to pay around 500 quetzales (about US $64) per week to members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, leaving him with just 200 or 300 quetzales to cover the expenses of his five-person family.
El Universal reported that there are a large number of families, including babies and young children, among the members of the caravan, which was accompanied by police cars and ambulances.
Huge numbers of migrants have traveled through Mexico to the United States over the past year as factors such as crime, poverty and political problems push people out of multiple Central American, South American and Caribbean countries.
President López Obrador hosted a regional migration summit in Chiapas on Oct. 22, after which the governments of 10 countries agreed to draw up “an action plan for development … to attend to the structural causes of irregular migration in the region.”
Calaveritas literarias are short and humorous rhyming poems that describe imaginary situations about a people encountering death. (Canva)
Did you know that in Mexico we write comic poems about death and then we share them with our friends and family for a good laugh?
Yeah, you’re probably thinking there’s something wrong with our sense of humor, but I promise you that these poems are often a loving and cute way of remembering someone who has passed away – except, of course, if you address them to someone in politics!
The calaveritas literarias, which translates to “literary skulls,” are one of the most beloved parts of Day of the Dead. But unlike other customs around Day of the Dead – like the altars for the dead or La Catrina herself– calaveritas literarias are virtually unknown to foreigners.
In today’s article, we’ll explore more about this cherished and humorous tradition and teach you how to write your own calaverita literaria (which will come in handy if you have kids who attend school in Mexico).
What is a calaverita literaria?
Calaveritas literarias are short and humorous rhyming poems that describe imaginary situations about a people encountering death. The subject could be a friend, a family member, or someone in politics, and they may be alive or dead.
If the character is a friend or a loved one, the poem is usually humorous and non-offensive, drawing from their personalities to create a lighthearted and amusing story of their passing.
But if the character is a famous person or a politician, the poem is often used to criticize or satirize them through mockery or irony.
Where does the tradition come from?
According to various sources, the oldest Day of the Dead poem in Mexico was authored by Fray Joaquín Bolaños. The lengthy text is titled “The Portentous Life of Death,” and talks about the bitterness of death in a humorous and entertaining way.
Later, other writers during the Viceroyalty used the Day of the Dead poems to mock the long epitaphs provided to ruling nobles, as an early form of social criticism and mockery. These texts were promptly prohibited, but restored once Mexico gained independence.
In 1913, he published his sketch alongside a Day of the Dead poem dedicated to wealthy Mexican women with European aspirations. In it, Posada made fun of their lifestyle and remarked that despite their supposed airs and graces, death would eventually come for them anyway.
U.S. Congress Librarycalav
The title and first verse of the poem went something like this:
“Those who today are powdered [with makeup] ‘garbanceras,’ will end up as deformed skulls.
“There are beautiful corseted and high-heeled garbanceras,
But they will turn into skulls,
just another one in the bunch.”
Today, these poems are used in Mexican newspapers to mock politicians on Day of the Dead. We are taught to write them at school, where kids are encouraged to read theirs to the class.
What is the structure of a calaverita literaria?
Octasyllabic verses. Usually, these poems are structured as an eight-syllable verse. The stanzas can be four lines or ten lines.
Rhyming verse: The verses can be of two types: A, B, B, A (the last words of the first and last verse sound the same or very similar, as well as those of the two in the middle) and A, B, A, B (which the first and third verses rhyme, as do the second and fourth).
Mention of death: The objective of a calaverita literaria is to present an imaginary situation where the subject encounters death.
According to Mexican writer and poet Óscar de Pablo, death can be referred to as a “calaca [skeleton], grim reaper, bony, skull, catrina or bald, but it always has to be there and always has to take the person to whom the verse is dedicated.”
Personality traits: You must include those character attributes that defined the person subject of the poem.
Humor: They must remind the reader of the inevitable nature of death with humor, love, sweetness, and affection – or with mockery and irony.
Written in the form of an epitaph: An epitaph is a phrase written in memory of a person who has passed away as an inscription on a tombstone.
Surprising ending: You need to consider words that rhyme with defining traits of the subject of the poem and lead the reader to a fantastic ending.
It is important to remember that while Day of the Dead poems may contain irony and mockery, they should not be disrespectful or intended as an offense to the recipient of the poem.
Calaveritas literarias are meant to bring joy and laughter to readers.
Some examples of calaveritas literarias
Every year, newspaper El País releases a collection of calaveritas literarias about Mexico’s major events of the year.
If you’ve written a Day of the Dead poem or verse and would like to share it with us, we encourage you to do so in the comment section.
Issac, Elías, Madahi and Ismael (clockwise from upper left) went missing from their home in Chihuahua on October 28. (FGE Chihuahua)
Four U.S.-born children have disappeared from a town in Chihuahua where they were living with their mother and are now possibly in the United States.
The siblings aged nine to 14 went missing in Lázaro Cárdenas, a town in the municipality of Meoqui, on Saturday, according to the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office (FGE).
All four — three boys and a girl — were born in South Dakota, according to missing person posters published on the FGE Facebook page. Those posters indicated that the youngest child is nine-year-old Elías Gómez Herrera Luis Mendoza and that the three others — Madahi, Ismael and Issac — are 12-year-old triplets.
However, the FGE said in a statement on Monday that Madahi is 13, Ismael is 14, Issac is 12 and Elías is nine. The surname of all four is Gómez Herrera Luis Mendoza.
A message on the missing person posters for each of the four children says that they left their home together and haven’t been seen since. They lived in Lázaro Cárdenas with their mother, who reported their disappearance to the FGE.
“According to people close to one of the adolescents, they may have left of their own volition to return to the United States,” the Attorney General’s Office said.
The FGE said that is is presumed that they left home while their mother was out shopping for food. It said that it had established that the eldest sibling told a person close to him that they planned to go to Oklahoma, “where they are originally from and where their father lives.”
The FGE said it hadn’t ruled out the possibility that the siblings were “being helped by adults” to reach Oklahoma.
Meoqui is in central Chihuahua about 500 kilometers south of the border city of Ciudad Juárez.
The FGE said that it is collaborating with authorities in Mexico and the United States to locate the children.
El Tigre Archaeological Zone in southern Campeche features more than a dozen structures including pyramids, altars and plazas. (INAH)
A circular temple possibly dedicated to the Maya god Kukulcán has been discovered at the El Tigre archaeological site in Campeche, during archaeological rescue work accompanying the Maya Train project.
Speaking at President López Obrador’s Monday morning press conference, the head of the National Institute of Archaeology and History (INAH), Diego Prieto Hernández, said that the find was of “great importance.”
The newly found temple appears to be dedicated to the Kukulcán, the Maya snake deity. (INAH)
“This building broadens our knowledge of the late occupation of El Tigre,” he explained. “Circular structures generally correspond to the early Postclassic period between A.D. 1000 and 1200, when the Maya zone had links with other regions of Mesoamerica, in particular with central Mexico, Oaxaca and the Gulf coast.”
These links allowed for religious iconography to spread between the two cultures, including the feathered serpent deity known in the Mexica (Aztec) world as Quetzalcóatl, which was likely adopted by the Mayas as Kukulcán.
A key historical source on the region is the “Paxbolón Maldonado Papers,” a document produced for the Chontal chief Paxbolón Maldonado in 1575-1576. It describes a settlement known as Itzamkanac that featured temples dedicated to the four main divinities of the Postclassic Maya, one of which was Kukulcán.
According to archaeologist Ernesto Vargas Pacheco, who is leading the current excavation, the discovery of a Kukulcán temple at El Tigre would suggest that El Tigre is the Itzamkanac described in the papers — a theory supported by the site’s cited location and other archaeological data.
INAH director Diego Prieto said the temple was a find of “great importance” that would broaden archaeologists’ understanding of the time period.
The newly discovered structure is a circular building with two levels, once crowned by a temple with a flat roof. It is similar to several others in the Yucatán peninsula, in sites such as Edzná, Becán, Uxmal and Chichen Itzá.
In the press conference, Prieto Hernández again praised the Archaeological Zone Improvement Program (Promeza) that accompanies development of the Maya Train, saying that it is allowing Mexico “to recover the glorious past and cultural present of the great Mesoamerican Maya nation.” The excavations in El Tigre are now 87% complete.
In addition, Prieto Hernández expressed solidarity with the regions of Guerrero devastated by Hurricane Otis, and announced that the Historical Museum of Acapulco would be temporarily turned into an operations center to help those affected.
As the number of dead and missing rises, Acapulco and the surrounding areas await restoration of essential services in the aftermath of Hurricane Otis. (ROGELIO MORALES/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
The official Hurricane Otis death toll stood at 45 on Monday morning, with an additional 47 people missing five days after the powerful Category 5 hurricane slammed into the Pacific coast at Acapulco, Guerrero.
Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado announced the figures at President López Obrador’s Monday morning press conference, saying that they came from the state Attorney General’s Office.
Search and rescue teams in Acapulco work to recover the bodies of victims. (Cuartoscuro)
“We have the regrettable deaths of 45 people and there are 47 people unaccounted for. This is the preliminary report we have so far,” she said.
The number of confirmed deaths is three fewer than the 48 announced by national Civil Protection authorities on Sunday. The National Civil Protection Coordination reported 43 deaths in Acapulco and five in the neighboring municipality of Coyuca de Benítez.
Guerrero Attorney General Sandra Luz Valdovinos Salmerón explained that the new figure refers to the number of bodies in state-run morgues. She said that three foreigners are among the dead.
A United States woman, a British woman and a Canadian man, all of whom lived in Acapulco, were killed, Valdovinos said.
Government brigades are searching for people reported missing in Acapulco and other affected communities. (Rosa Icela Rodríguez/X)
She said that the body of the U.S. woman has been given to her family, adding that “we’re already working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hand over these two [other] bodies to their families.”
It appears inevitable that the death toll will rise significantly in the coming days as more bodies are recovered and officially counted.
Navy Minister Rafael Ojeda said Monday that Otis – which had maximum winds speeds of about 270 km/h when it made landfall – sank at least 29 boats off the Guerrero coast.
Acapulco Bay is full of damaged boats and debris following Hurricane Otis. (Cuartoscuro)
Reuters reported that “dozens of pieces of broken boats dotted the [Acapulco] bay on Sunday, with smashed yachts and dinghies piled up on the shore.”
Alejandro Cortéz told the news agency that he abandoned his yacht when he saw the speed of Hurricane Otis intensifying.
“We ran, we jumped down, and we left the ship all alone,” said the 66-year-old captain, who spoke of seven-meter-high waves.
“And that’s why I’m sitting here now. God gave me that decision,” Cortéz told as he pointed to the sky. He said that some of his fellow workers had shown up alive but others are still missing. “There are many people that still haven’t been found,” he said.
Some 17,000 military and National Guard personnel have been deployed to Acapulco and other affected areas of Guerrero, where they are assisting the cleanup efforts, patrolling the streets and distributing food, water and other humanitarian aid to residents.
NPR reported Friday that in different parts of Acapulco it “saw a large presence of Mexico’s military clearing roads of trees, power lines and mud as well as the country’s national power company attempting to repair downed lines.”
“But NPR did not see any aid in the form of food, water or medical care,” the report added.
Many Acapulco residents complained during the first days after the hurricane hit that they hadn’t received any assistance from authorities, and a large number resorted to looting supermarkets and stores.
In addition, motorists have been attacked and robbed, homes have been pillaged and humanitarian aid has been stolen, according to Reforma.
Residents have resorted to looting warehouses for essential items in some areas. (ROGELIO MORALES/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
The National Guard said in a statement on Friday that it was working with all three levels of government to “implement actions for the reestablishment of public order in the port of Acapulco and in other municipalities of Guerrero affected by the impact of Hurricane Otis.”
The military is now in control of gas stations in Acapulco, where theft was also reported.
Governor Salgado said Monday that 30 brigades are searching in Acapulco and Coyuca de Benítez for people reported as missing. She said that 152 such people had been found and were now in contact with their families. Two Swedish nationals are among those who have been located, Salgado said.
The governor also said that cleanup work – which she described as a “titanic task” – is moving ahead quickly.
“The majority of avenues and the [Autopista del Sol] highway are now passable,” she said.
In Acapulco, Otis caused major damage to hotels, stores, restaurants, shopping centers, apartment buildings and houses, toppled electricity transmission towers, destroyed cars and boats and provoked widespread flooding. A United States-based research company estimated the damage at around US $15 billion. Salgado cited the same figure on Monday.
The Pie de la Cuesta freeway was severely damaged during the hurricane. (ROGELIO MORALES/CUARTOSCURO.CO)
Ojeda said Monday morning that there were no tourists left to be evacuated from Acapulco and nearby areas, but humanitarian flights out of the resort city operated by Aeroméxico, Volaris and Viva Aerobus look set to continue in coming days. The airlines began transporting tourists to Mexico City on Friday, two days after the airport was closed in the wake of damage to the terminal building and control tower caused by Otis.
Deputy Transport Minister Rogelio Jiménez Pons told the El Financiero newspaper that airlines are planning for at least 40 humanitarian flights to evacuate between 3,000 and 5,000 people.
Basic services such as electricity and water supply have not yet been fully reestablished in Acapulco, but power is expected to be back on by Tuesday. The Mexican Chamber of the Construction Industry estimates that it will take at least five years to fully rebuild the city.
The president shared a video to his social media on Sunday discussing the latest in Hurricane Otis aftermath. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)
The federal government said Sunday that almost 274,000 homes in Guerrero had been damaged by Otis. That figure is about 20% higher than the total number of houses counted in Acapulco in 2020. Hundreds of hotels and apartment buildings also sustained damage.
In a video message on Sunday, López Obrador pledged that “we’re going to get Acapulco back on its feet, starting with its people.”
He repeated that message at his morning press conference on Monday.
“Yesterday, I flew over Acapulco and we visited the supply centers. We’re making a lot of progress, we’re going to get Acapulco and its people back on their feet. We’re working on that,” the president said.
Quintana Roo's beaches are sargassum-free and ready for vacationers seeking winter sun. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
Mara Lezama Espinosa, the governor of Quintana Roo, has announced that the seasonal arrival of sargassum – a brown seaweed that has amassed on the coasts of Quintana Roo and other parts of the Mexican Caribbean – has come to an end for this year.
During her press conference last Wednesday, Lezama recognized the efforts of all those who contributed to keeping the beaches clean in Quintana Roo, from the federal government to state employees and private companies.
The state employs dedicated cleaning teams to deal with the sargassum that washes up on the shores of Quintana Roo. (Somos Playa del Carmen/Facebook)
She said that Quintana Roo had installed 8,600 meters of barriers to contain sargassum and collected 22,128 tonnes of the seaweed this year. The state has also acquired 4 sweepers, a tractor and 14 amphibious collection belts.
Monitoring of sargassum levels first began in 2018, after the local government declared a state of emergency due to abnormally high levels of seaweed. Experts have linked the prevalence of sargassum to climate change.
While presenting a report from the National Strategy for Sargassum Care, Admiral Abraham Eloy Caballero, said “this ceremony shows how cooperation achieves results in favor of Quintana Roo and our nation,” adding that since 2019, the government, private entities, NGOs, environmentalists, and civil society have collaborated to address the issue.
The scale of the sargassum problem has meant that even the military is now involved in collection efforts. (Mara Lezama/X)
The Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network forecast in June that there would be low levels of sargassum on the state’s beaches over the summer. Currently, 85% of the beaches in Quintana Roo contain low levels of sargassum with the remaining 15% listed as sargassum-free.
The new routes will offer another way for tourists to reach popular Caribbean resort destinations. (Roberto Nickson/Unsplash)
Spirit Airlines will be the first U.S. ultra-low-cost carrier to offer nonstop flights to the new Tulum airport beginning in spring 2024. Delta Airlines was the first U.S. airline to announce daily nonstop flights to the new airport, which will also launch next March.
“Tulum is an increasingly popular choice for leisure travelers, and our direct flights from Florida will make a getaway to Mexico’s enchanting coastline more accessible than ever, just in time for spring break,” the airline’s Vice President of Network Planning John Kirby said.
The new Tulum International Airport is scheduled to open in December of this year. (Sedena)
Which US cities will Spirit Airlines connect with Tulum?
Spirit Airlines will offer flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Orlando International Airport (MCO).
Spirit considers Florida a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean and said that “the new [Tulum] service adds a one-stop option to guests traveling from 53 cities across the US.”
What will be the flight frequency?
Once approved, Spirit will offer daily flights from both airports.
Spirit will offer travelers the chance to fly directly to Tulum from Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. (Forsaken Films/Unsplash)
How much will tickets cost?
To celebrate its announcement, the airline is providing special one-way fares for travelers heading to Tulum for just US $149, including taxes and fees.
Spirit has said that these fares are available for travel between April 10 and May 21 next year, but a 21-day advance purchase is necessary.
When will flights launch?
The new service will begin on March 28, 2024.
The new routes to Tulum bring the airline’s international service out of Fort Lauderdale to 26 destinations, and from Orlando to 11.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's week was dominated by a natural disaster when Hurricane Otis descended on Acapulco as a Category 5 storm on Wednesday morning. (LopezObrador.org.mx)
The biggest news in Mexico this week was undoubtedly Hurricane Otis, which devastated Acapulco after making landfall as a powerful Category 5 storm early Wednesday morning.
In addition to traveling to the resort city to see the damage with his own eyes, President López Obrador presided over another five morning press conferences, or mañaneras, where he responded to questions about the hurricane and spoke about a range of other issues.
Hurricane Otis pummeled Acapulco on Wednesday. (DASSAEV TÉLLEZ ADAME/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
AMLO to press Biden to hold talks with Cuba
At his Monday press conference, López Obrador said he would lobby United States President Joe Biden to open dialogue with Cuba when he sees him at the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in San Francisco next month.
Speaking a day after the governments of 10 countries agreed at a regional migration summit in Chiapas to propose “comprehensive dialogue about their bilateral relations” to the U.S. and Cuban governments, AMLO said that the aim of the talks would be to “resolve outstanding issues” between the two countries, “especially everything related to the blockade on Cuba, which very much affects the [Cuban] people.”
The United States has maintained an embargo against Cuba for more than six decades.
President López Obrador with the leaders of Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and Honduras. (Presidencia de la República)
“Regardless of the differences [between the U.S. and Cuba] … that exist for political and ideological reasons, this measure of cutting off a country inflicts a lot of harm on human beings and is a flagrant violation of human rights because it prevents those who live in Cuba from being able to have food supplies … and from being able to purchase oil, fuel and other goods,” López Obrador said.
“So it’s important for dialogue to be reopened. It was possible in the time of president Obama, he even visited Havana and sanctions were removed. However, economic and commercial exchange is now closed and there is no bilateral dialogue,” AMLO said, adding that he hoped talks for “fundamentally humanitarian reasons” could be held as soon as possible.
A pro-woman president?
Asked later on Monday about the National Electoral Institute’s (subsequently confirmed) plan to oblige political parties to nominate women in at least five of nine gubernatorial elections to be held next year, López Obrador expressed support for the idea.
The president at an event with female members of his cabinet, and former Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, celebrating International Women’s Day this year. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)
“I’m pro-woman,” declared the president, who told reporters last year that he gets up at 5 a.m. every day to prevent violence against women.
He added that he was “always” in favor of “giving more preference to women.”
AMLO, who hopes that a woman – Claudia Sheinbaum – will succeed him as president next year, has maintained a cabinet of men and women in roughly equal numbers throughout his presidency, but former interior minister Olga Sánchez asserted in 2020 that there was “considerable” misogyny in the federal security cabinet, a remark she later revised.
While he regularly expresses his support for women and emphasizes the importance of women’s issues, López Obrador has been criticized for not doing enough to combat gender-based violence, and has even been accused of having a woman problem.
The president, however, has described claims that his administration is anti-women as a “vile manipulation” of reality.
Monday morsel
The Tulum airport will open Dec. 1 and the maiden flight of the new state-owned airline Mexicana will take off from the Felipe Ángeles International Airport on Nov. 30, AMLO said near the conclusion of the presser.
Homework for Supreme Court justices
On Tuesday morning, after once again railing against the high salaries and privileges of Supreme Court justices, López Obrador came up with 10 questions for the ministers of Mexico’s highest court.
Norma Piña is the chief justice of the Supreme Court and a target of López Obrador’s criticism. (SUPREMA CORTE DE JUSTICIA DE LA NACIÓN/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Why do you earn 700,000 pesos a month?
Why aren’t judges, magistrates or Supreme Court justices ever punished for corruption?
Why did you “agree to, promote and support” the desafuero (stripping of immunity from prosecution) of the current president when he (I) was Mexico City mayor?
Why, instead of punishing white-collar criminals, do you release them and return stolen goods to them?
Asked about the murders on Monday of 12 police officers and a municipal security secretary in Guerrero, López Obrador conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased.
“What happened in Coyuca de Benítez is very regrettable, it was practically an ambush on police. I send a sincere, affectionate hug to the families of the police officers. It hurts a lot when a human being loses his or her life, whether it’s a police officer or any person,” he said.
“But we’re attending to [the situation], there is now a National Guard deployment of about 300 troops [to Coyuca de Benítez],” AMLO said.
The president got a COVID-19 booster and influenza vaccine on Tuesday. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)
Among Mexico’s 32 federal entities, Guerrero has recorded the second highest number of police murders in 2023 with 34, according to Causa en Común, a Mexico City-based non-government organization that tracks killings of officers.
Tuesday tidbit
At the end of the press conference, a nurse rolled up the president’s left sleeve and administered COVID-19 and influenza vaccines. “It’s better to prevent, much better. … The vaccines are very safe and they help,” AMLO said just before he got his shots.
Ethical social mobility
“I’m in favor of social mobility,” AMLO declared during his Wednesday press conference.
“What is social mobility? It’s the child of a campesino, a laborer, a shopkeeper, a professional, being able to climb the social ladder with work, with study, in accordance with the law,” he said before asserting that the opportunity to move from one social class was “destroyed” by neoliberal policies implemented by previous governments.
The president discussed his views on social mobility at the Wednesday morning press conference. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)
“… We want millions of Mexicans to come out of poverty and … we’re working on that, but we want them to be part of a middle class with values, with human principles, not classist, not cunning, because sometimes [those who who move to a higher social class] are even worse than those who inherited fortunes, they become enemies of their own people, their own class,” López Obrador said.
A bright future for Sonora
“Sonora has a lot of future, it’s currently growing and it’s going to grow more,” AMLO said later on Wednesday. “I believe that the development of Sonora for new generations is guaranteed. And I’m going to speak about five or six factors.”
AMLO with the Sonora governor, Alfonso Durazo, in February. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)
The “hard-working” and “entrepreneurial” people of Sonora, the presence of lithium in the state and the construction of a solar plant and other energy projects there are all advantages, López Obrador said.
In addition, a permit has been issued for a gas liquefaction plant in Puerto Libertad and Sonora borders Arizona and Arizona is a “production center for semiconductors,” he said, adding that the port of Guaymas is “very important.”
“With all the industrial reconversion, one of the most in demand mining resources will be copper because the entire automotive industry will need three to five times more copper than what is currently used,” he said. “And where’s the copper?”
Wednesday wisdom
“Who produces wealth?” AMLO questioned at one point in the presser. “Only those who invest capital? No, workers do as well and sometimes that isn’t taken into account.”
A “totally devastating” hurricane and an enjoyable (albeit muddy) walk
AMLO said that an off-duty soldier was among the dead and that three navy marines were missing.
President López Obrador himself got stuck in mud on the way to visit the disaster zone on Wednesday. (Presidencia)
Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado joined the press conference by phone and declared that Otis “has been totally devastating for our port,” where hotels, stores, restaurants, apartment buildings and houses were rendered “denuded shells” by the almost 300 km/h winds, according to one report.
Near the end of a press conference dominated by information about the situation in Guerrero, López Obrador recounted a story from his overland journey to Acapulco on Wednesday to inspect the damage caused by the hurricane.
He noted that he was forced to abandon the vehicle he was traveling when it reached a blocked section of the Autopista del Sol, the highway that links Acapulco to central Mexico.
“We got stuck yesterday and we walked. I really enjoyed it because I hadn’t walked for a long time, I had a problem with my heel and the doctor told me that I’d be able to walk a kilometer in five or 10 days because it hurts a lot. Those of you who have had this [problem] know what I’m talking about,” AMLO said.
“But yesterday I walked about three, four or five kilometers after we got stuck and my heel was fine, it held up without problem. And then … on the other side there was a mining company truck and they gave me a ride … to Acapulco,” he said.
A “relationship of respect” with a presidential aspirant
Toward the end of the Thursday presser, a reporter asked the president about Nuevo León Governor Samuel García’s decision to take leave to seek to compete in the 2024 presidential election as a candidate for the Citizens Movement party.
“I support Samuel because he’s the governor of Nuevo León. In addition, we’ve had a good relationship of respect, even though … the origins of our organizations are different,” López Obrador said.
“In government we’ve acted in a coordinated way and I can’t say more than that. The political-electoral part [of public life] no longer corresponds to me, I just always wish the best for Samuel,” he said.
AMLO said on Wednesday that he and Nuevo León Governor Samuel García have had a “good relationship of respect.” (Cuartoscuro)
García’s inclusion in the presidential contest could split the anti-Morena vote, benefiting the ruling party candidate – and López Obrador protégé – Claudia Sheinbaum.
Thursday trivia
At one point in the presser, AMLO mentioned Manuel González Flores – Mexican president from 1880 to 1884 – describing him as a “buddy of Porfirio [Díaz]” and clarifying that he was born in Tamaulipas, not in Spain like “his critics said.”
“We were lucky, nature, the Creator, protected us”
Early in the Friday presser, National Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval reported that the Hurricane Otis death toll remained at 27, with four other people still missing.
The president discusses damage caused by Hurricane Otis. (ROGELIO MORALES /CUARTOSCURO.COM)
López Obrador later said that the total number of deaths “shouldn’t be so significant,” but added that the loss of even one life is “regrettable.”
“I believe that we were lucky, nature, the Creator, protected us, even with the fury of the hurricane,” he said.
“… Everything indicates that … there weren’t so many [deaths] in the face of such a strong, such a powerful phenomenon – a Category 5 hurricane that didn’t come in through an unpopulated area, it entered via the [Acapulco] bay, where 800,000 or 1 million people live,” AMLO said.
“Yes, there is a lot of material damage but fortunately we’re not recording much loss of human life,” he said.
Asked whether authorities gave adequate advance notice to Guerrero residents and tourists, López Obrador first noted that the hurricane was an “extraordinary phenomenon” whose rapid strengthening was unprecedented. He then told reporters that he had been monitoring the situation and posted a message to X, formerly Twitter, at about 9 p.m. Tuesday warning that Otis was forecast to make landfall as a Category 5 hurricane between Acapulco and Técpan de Galeana between 4 and 6 a.m. Wednesday.
The hurricane slammed into the Pacific coast at Acapulco at 12:25 a.m., according to the United States National Hurricane Center.
The military was deployed to restore access to the roadways linking Acapulco with the capital. (Dassaev Téllez/Cuartoscuro)
AMLO concluded that residents and tourists did receive sufficient warning, and said they took shelter as best as they could.
He also said that Guerrero authorities did all they could to prepare for the arrival of the hurricane and to warn residents of the danger.
López Obrador told reporters that loud speaker messages were broadcast in Acapulco prior to Otis making landfall and asserted that “there were no people in the street” when the hurricane arrived. “That helped a lot,” he said.
Relations with Spain remain “on pause”
Former foreign affairs minister Marcelo Ebrard and Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister José Manuel Albares supposedly relaunched the relationship between Mexico and Spain last December almost a year after López Obrador declared a “pause” in bilateral ties due to what he described as a lack of respect from the European nation.
But AMLO told a Spanish reporter on Friday that he hadn’t yet pressed play, confirming that the relationship remained “on pause” even as the Mexican Embassy in Madrid continues to operate and despite two Mexican Air Force planes using the Spanish capital’s airport to evacuate Mexicans from Israel earlier this month.
Mexican citizens evacuated from Israel were welcomed in Madrid by the Mexican ambassador to Spain. (SRE/X)
“With all due respect, do you know that the Spanish dominated Mexico for three centuries and a king never visited us during those three centuries? … It was utter contempt and just imagine how much Mexico, so-called New Spain, contributed to the crown,” he said.
López Obrador said that Mexico has a “very good relationship with the Spanish people,” but doesn’t like “the arrogance of the current representatives of the monarchy.”
He wrote to the king of Spain (and Pope Francis) in 2019 asking “that they make an account of the injustices and apologize to the indigenous peoples [of Mexico] for the violations of what are now known as human rights.”
“We’re all going to work for the rehabilitation, the reconstruction of Acapulco,” López Obrador said. “… We won’t leave Acapulco until … normality returns.”
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
