The prickly pear cactus, or nopal, is a symbolic Mexican food that also offers health benefits. (Foto de Miguel Urieta en Unsplash)
For centuries, the nopal cactus – of the opuntia genus, also known as prickly pear – has symbolized resilience and adaptability, much like the Mexican people. In exploring the wisdom behind Mexican cuisine’s tapestry of seemingly modest ingredients, the mighty nopal is not to be missed!
Indigenous civilizations revered the cactus, recognizing its nutritional value and healing properties. It was also considered a sacred plant, appearing famously in the legend of the founding of Tenochtitlan by the Mexica (or Aztecs). The story says that an eagle devouring a snake while perched on a nopal was the sign that the Mexica were seeking to know where to build their city, and the image became the national coat of arms.
The country’s coat of arms includes the nopal cactus, and alludes to the legend of the Mexica founding of Tenochtitlan. (Wikimedia Commons)
What is nopal’s nutritional profile? The nopal’s composition is primarily water, giving it a refreshingly light and crisp texture. With a low caloric value of a mere 27 calories per 100 grams, it also boasts minimal digestible carbohydrates, making it a low-glycemic index food.
Nopal pads are also rich in soluble fibers, like pectins, gums, and mucilage. As a result, consuming nopal has been associated with a sensation of satiety, which aids in weight management and curbs excessive food intake. But wait, there’s more! The nopal’s fiber content can also contribute to regulating blood glucose levels.
The use of nopal in Mexican cuisine stretches back to pre-Columbian times, when it served as a dietary staple for the ancient Mesoamericans. Its versatility and abundance made it a vital ingredient, contributing to the sustenance and survival of these communities.
Fast forward to the present day, and the nopal’s culinary prowess has only grown stronger. In kitchens across Mexico, from bustling taquerías to high-end restaurants, the nopal is celebrated as a versatile and unique ingredient. Its tender pads, stripped of their spines, are sliced, diced, grilled, and sautéed to create a myriad of culinary delights.
The quintessential dish of nopalitos is a chilled salad made of cooked chopped nopal, tomatoes, onions and cilantro that is especially welcome during hot summer months.
My grandma’s cook would always add her treasured copper penny to the boiling pot of nopal, saying that was her secret to preserving their vibrant natural hue. Who knows? There are as many secret tricks as there are kitchens in Mexico.
Salvador Novo, in his fascinating book “Cocina Mexicana o Historia Gastronómica de la Ciudad de Mexico” published in 1967, writes about the nopal, which I translate below:
“Let’s think about the nopal. Let’s approach the contemplation of this strange desert plant that seems to greet passersby, or show them the path. It was born who knows how: sticking out its flat hands, an oval flat face from which one more sprouts, and another from this one, and another. All defended by sharp thorns geometrically installed on thick pads, and yet they are smooth under the numerous violent needles.
Nobody waters it, nobody cultivates it. It sips vital juices from the driest earth, from its rock throne. And one fine day, small red fingers sprout from those broad, flat hands: prickly pears, red as men’s hearts; sheltered, wrapped in the peel, where they briefly repeat, like a soft rhyme, the hostile geometry of their cradle’s thorns, their sustenance.”
So, my friends, let us (carefully) embrace the prickly nopal, and allow it to lead us to a delicious world of good health.
If you’re ready to start preparing nopal in your kitchen, the recipe below is a good place to start.
This simple but satisfying and healthy cactus salad is a great way to introduce nopal into your kitchen. (Shutterstock)
Nopalitos salad
8 medium-sized tender nopal pads
1/2 white onion
4 small tomatoes
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper for seasoning
Cut cactus pads into 3/4-inch pieces. Rinse them 2-3 times under running water.
Place the nopal pieces in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover them and a tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender but still crisp.
Drain and let cool.
Place the cooked nopalitos in a large bowl, add diced tomatoes, chopped onion, cilantro, a pinch of dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine all the ingredients. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and mix evenly.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve chilled.
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]
Dalia, left, danced at the Guelaguetza's finale on Monday. Her gold and black dress was handmade in Jalapa, located in Oaxaca’s Tuxtepec district. (Photos by Mira Vogel)
Every July, Oaxaca plays host to one of the most significant and popular cultural festivals in Latin America. La Guelaguetza — a joyous celebration of the region’s remarkably rich cultural heritage — sees thousands of people from Indigenous and regional communities across the state come together to celebrate their identity and traditions.
What follows is a sensory extravaganza: swirling dancers, mouthwatering food, dreamlike clothing, tireless musicians, carnival-like street parades and infectious smiles are on show during every hour of the weeklong celebration.
A feast for the senses – generations of cooks seamlessly work at their stations at one the festival’s most popular food stands
But behind the colorful parades lies the dedication of individuals, families and communities who spend much of the year preparing for the international spectacle.
As the event grows every year, so does the responsibility of the communities to showcase the very best of their cultures.
Dalia will have the responsibility of closing tonight’s performance. She is one of the region’s most prolific dancers. After a break that forced her to take time off from dancing, today will be her first performance in years.
“I’m so excited to be dancing and performing again in front of huge crowds. I love the rush of excitement.”
Artisan Anthony García prepares his 2-meter-tall traditional figures for this year’s Guelaguetza festivities.
Despite her nerves, she happily finds time to help a younger performer fix their outfit before her show.
On the other side of the city, two men put the finishing touches to one of 20 2-meter-tall figures they have made by hand.
Artisan Anthony García prepares his 2-meter-tall figures for this year’s Guelaguetza festivities.
Using just reeds and cardboard to create the figures, Anthony García, a 25-year-old artisan from the Trinidad de las Huertas region, tells us:
Dancers take the main stage under bright stage lights before hundreds of seated spectators.
“We create eight different figures to showcase the identity of the eight regions of Oaxaca. Since I started dedicating my life to this craft 10 years ago, I’ve learnt a lot and take huge pride in each figure I make.”
Later in the day, as the sun sets over the Cerro del Fortin, the highest geographical point in Oaxaca city, an elderly musician poses for a photo. He has been performing at the Guelaguetza since he was small, and will walk the same 100 steep steps to the Auditorio Guelaguetza as the sun rises tomorrow morning.
In the sweltering midsummer weeks leading up to the Guelaguetza, the famous mosaic streets of Oaxaca feel quieter. There was a palpable sense of anticipation among the locals and the businesses readying themselves for the celebration.
From the humble lone drummer to the 50-strong dancing troupes, each thread of preparation is being woven together to create the stunning tapestry of identity exhibited every year during La Guelaguetza.
Thousands of people from across Oaxaca come to perform in the annual festival.
On the last day, la Guelaguetza always ends with a bang — literally: rows of 20 fireworks stations are set up for the final celebration: a spectacular fireworks display.
Mirja Vogel is an international photographer based in Oaxaca.
Gordon Cole-Schmidt is a public relations specialist and freelance journalist, advising and writing on companies and issues across multi-national communication programs.
Genaro García Luna, pictured here in 2011, served as federal security minister during the Calderón administration (2006-12). He was convicted on drug trafficking charges by a U.S. jury in February. (Shutterstock)
The sentencing of Mexico’s former federal security minister, Genaro García Luna, convicted on drug trafficking charges in the United States in February, has been postponed until March 1. García Luna could face a prison sentence of 20 years to life.
Former president Felipe Calderón’s security chief was scheduled to be sentenced in September of this year following a postponement in April, but Judge Brian M. Cogan of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York – who also presided over the trial of notorious cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán – has again ruled in favor of defense counsel’s request for an extension. The sentencing date had originally been set for June of this year.
Genaro García Luna, left, when he was Mexico’s security minister during the presidency of Felipe Calderón, right. (Cuartoscuro)
García Luna’s defense team requested further time to review evidence that they believe is favorable to the disgraced politician, who was convicted of collusion with the Sinaloa Cartel during his time in office from 2006-2012.
“After the verdict in February, several individuals, including several former Mexican and American officials, have contacted us with new evidence potentially favorable for the defense,” said César de Castro, García Luna’s lawyer.
The former security minister, who was arrested in Texas in 2019, has long proclaimed his innocence, and De Castro has described the verdict as “shocking”, alleging it was based entirely on the testimony of “some of the most notorious and ruthless criminals this world has ever seen.”
De Castro says that the defense now has access to “thousands of materials, as well as audio and video files potentially relevant to the case.” This evidence was not presented during García Luna’s trial, and delayed sentencing was opposed by the prosecutor’s office, arguing that the defense had “more than three years to talk to witnesses, prepare subpoenas and investigate ways to defend [themselves].”
President López Obrador, seen here at a press conference on March 9, has used the García Luna trial to support his assertions that during the ex-security minister’s tenure under President Felipe Calderón, Mexico was a “narco-state.” (Galo Cañas Rodríguez/Cuartoscuro)
“The delivery of the sentence should not be allowed to be delayed,” prosecutors concluded.
The decision means that García Luna will be sentenced during the heat of the 2024 Mexican presidential election campaigns. The National Action Party (PAN), for whom he served as minister, is part of the Va por México coalition opposing President López Obrador’s ruling Morena party. This high-profile sentencing is likely to become a major talking point.
President López Obrador has referenced the case repeatedly since the arrest of the former minister, highlighting it as an example of corruption under what he calls the “old regime.” In May, the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) obtained warrants for the arrest of García Luna and 60 others for embezzlement of 5.1 billion pesos of public monies.
For his part, Calderón has expressed doubts about the conviction of his security minister and claims he has been the victim of persecution by the media and opposition politicians.
According to a poll by El País newspaper, eight out of ten Mexicans say they believe Calderón should also be investigated over his time in office, in which there was a significant increase in violence and expansion of cartel operations across the country.
Heavy to intense rains have been forecast for most parts of the country, as well as high temperatures in the north and southeast. (Isabel Mateos/Cuartoscuro)
If you’re experiencing wet weather, you’re not alone: according to Mexico’s National Weather Service (SMN), most parts of the country have been or will be dealing with rainfall, as well as high temperatures on Monday.
Low levels of rainfall across Mexico have caused drought in many states, including in Campeche (seen here). Rain is finally forecast in many areas of the country this week. (Michael Balam/Cuartoscuro)
According to the SMN, tropical wave No. 16 was expected to move over the east, south, and center of the country and collide with a low-pressure channel originating in the Mexican southeast, producing heavy to intense rain in Veracruz, Oaxaca and the Valley of Mexico.
The rain won’t help the heat, however, as temperatures in the northern part of the country and the Yucatán Península were expected to hit 45 degrees Celsius (113 F) on Monday.
Heavy to intense rain was also expected in the states of Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, Morelos, Puebla, Hidalgo and San Luis Potosí, with temperatures oscillating between 30 to 35 degrees Celsius (86 to 95 F). Thunderstorms, strong gusts of wind and hail were also forecast for this area.
The Mexican monsoon over the northwest, coupled with low-pressure channels over the west and northeast and moisture from the coasts, was also expected to bring rain to these regions, along with scattered showers in the Baja California Peninsula.
Low temperatures of zero to 5 degrees Celsius (32 to 41 F) were predicted to affect mountainous areas of México state, Hidalgo, Puebla and Tlaxcala.
The SMN has warned that torrential rains could increase river and stream levels and cause landslides and flooding.
The May data showed employment in construction grew by 1.8%, worked hours by 7.3%, and average wages by 3.6% over last May. (Unsplash)
In May, the Mexican construction industry registered its highest production value since 2019, according to a survey conducted by the national statistics agency (INEGI).
According to the National Survey of Construction Companies (ENEC), the production value registered a monthly increase of 7.8% and an annual growth of 18.2%, making for three consecutive months of growth.
According to another recent INEGI poll, 60% of Mexicans who found formal work in 2022 did so in the services sector, which includes construction jobs. (Depositphotos/Photo by Kasto)
Month-on-month, employment grew by 1.1%, worked hours by 0.4%, and average wages by 1.6%. Compared to 2022, employment grew by 1.8%, worked hours by 7.3%, and average wages by 3.6%.
The survey also showed that the civil engineering subsector registered the highest performance, surpassing the building subsector by 2.5%. This result is linked to the construction of President López Obrador’s flagship infrastructure projects like the Maya Train.
Nearshoring is also thought to have boosted the construction sector’s growth as the relocation of multinational manufacturing companies has brought increased industrial construction in the central and northern regions of the country.
In an interview with the newspaper El Economista, analyst Ricardo Trejo said that May’s good results are likely due to both investment in the public and private construction industry, as well as INEGI’s updated survey methodology.
This new methodology takes 2018 as the reference base year, has a test framework of 19,450 companies (integrated from the Mexican Business Statistical Registry), includes construction companies with a production value of over $73 million pesos per year (US $4.3 million) and over 250 workers.
After analyzing the INEGI’s report, Grupo Financiero BASE said that “at an annual rate, most of the construction sectors have shown growth, except the category of ‘other constructions,’ which fell 10.03% in May.”
In an independent report published in May, Grupo Financiero BASE found that this subsector had recorded two months of deficit at an annual rate. Meanwhile, construction works related to water, irrigation and sanitation increased by 65.2%, registering 13 consecutive months of growth.
Works relating to transportation and urbanization grew by 62.1%, registering their second month of growth after 14 consecutive months of deficit, and projects related to electricity and telecommunications registered 10 months of growth, with a 59.94% increase over May of last year.
It's ok to change our idea of a "perfect fairytale life," even if that means leaving Mexico behind for something new. (courtesy of Janet Blaser)
Lately, I’ve been wondering if, like many, I’m seeking some sort of “happily ever after,” or perfect fairytale life. I was recently accused of precisely that, and it made me consider if it is indeed the case.
But if it is true, so what? Is that a bad thing? I think not.
To want to be happy is a basic human desire. And if a place makes us happy, then it makes sense that we would want to spend time there, or even for that place to be home. In my case, Mexico has made me so happy, in so many ways, for so many years, that it is indeed my “happy place.”
In the preface to my book, I used a quote from British author W. Somerset Maugham’s “The Moon and Sixpence” that perfectly captured my feelings about living in Mexico.
“Sometimes a man hits upon a place to which he mysteriously feels that he belongs. Here is the home he sought, and he will settle amid scenes that he has never seen before, among men he has never known, as though they were familiar to him from his birth. Here at last he finds rest.”
Until now, that’s how I’ve felt about my move to and subsequent life in Mexico. Of late, though, I’ve felt unsettled because despite the aforementioned happiness, I’ve started to wonder if my time in Mexico is coming to an end or if a snowbird lifestyle might suit me better.
I’ve lived in Mexico, mostly in Mazatlán, for 17 years now. That’s a long time to be in one place, so maybe I’m just ready for a change.
I also miss my family — three grown kids and their spouses and children — more than ever. Is this just part of getting older? Having never been this age before, I don’t know how I’m “supposed” to feel, or sometimes, even how I do feel. My older friends say this is all “normal,” but it’s new for me and not always a comfortable place to be.
On top of everything else, I’ve had a couple of unexpected serious health issues that catapulted me into an unnerving face-to-face with my mortality and my future, prompting an even deeper look at what really matters.
These are all worrisome thoughts.
I see myself embarrassed and hesitant to talk about this with friends. To some of them, moving back to the United States is seen as a “failure,” and they have no qualms about saying that. It makes me wonder why we supported each other unconditionally when we moved toMexico, but now that I’m considering another momentous life transition, it’s hard to find the same support. Why is this a decision they want to judge and the other wasn’t?
After almost two decades, it stands to reason that my needs and desires are changing; I’m a radically different person than I was when I moved here at age 50. My parameters and priorities have all evolved and changed and will keep evolving and changing as time goes on. That feels “normal” to me.
Mexico isn’t perfect, I’m not perfect and life here isn’t perfect either. There are problems and challenges and difficulties, just like anywhere, but all in all, Mexico has worked out pretty well for me, and I have no regrets about making that decision when I did.
As far as moving back to the United States, it’s hard to imagine ever living there full-time again. (Truth be told, I don’t think I could afford to anyway.) But that doesn’t mean I’m not open to other options, like that pseudo-snowbird life I mentioned earlier (house trade anyone?)
Perhaps I just need to travel somewhere new, in Mexico or elsewhere, to open my mind and re-create myself in a place where I have no history and there are no expectations about who I am or what I might want to do. Judging by the soaring number of people traveling all over the world, I think many of us are feeling that way, especially after the isolation of COVID-19.
For right now, though, I’ll make no decision one way or the other; life will go on as before, and, like I said, for the most part, I’m happy and content. Summer travel, already planned, will take me to visit many of the folks I’ve been missing, and I’ll be looking at life “up there” with different eyes.
This morning, I went for a quick swim at the beach. There was a young American family there, Mom and Dad and two little girls. We chatted and they told me they were from North Carolina, driving around Mexico for a month in their super-outfitted van. They asked where I was from, and when I said I lived here, the woman’s face lit up.
Eyes sparkling, with a smile from ear to ear, she exclaimed, “Do you absolutely love it?!”
Parts of Mexico continue to face severe drought conditions. The government says that it intends to launch another round of cloud seeding to mitigate the effects. (Gabriela Pérez Montiel/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico has seen less rainfall so far this year compared to levels recorded in 2022, reported the National Meteorological Service (NMS).
Between January 1 and July 16, 2023, average rainfall levels fell 30% compared to last year. Moreover, from October 1, 2022, to July 16, 2023, the deficit was 25.6% less than the long-term average from 1991 to 2020.
Specialized aircraft can be used in order to “seed” clouds with silver iodide, forcing rain to fall in areas in need of additional precipitation. (DooFi/Wikimedia)
“From October 1, 2022, to July 16, 2023, 308.5 mm were accumulated, which represents a deficit of 107.2 mm, or 25.8% below the average compared to the climatological period 1991–2020 from October 1 to July 16 (415.7 mm),” the National Water Commission (Conagua) said in its weekly report.
Faced with further low levels of rainfall, the Mexican government has launched the latest phase of a cloud seeding project that could increase precipitation.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), cloud seeding could refill aquifers and rural reservoirs in some regions of Sonora, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, Chihuahua and Aguascalientes by increasing rainfall during the summer and the autumn–winter season of 2023–24.
This technique has been used in Mexico for decades and uses chemicals such as silver iodide to promote rain. In a statement released in 2021, SADER claimed a 98% success rate for cloud seeding and a 40% increase in rainfall.
In Nuevo León, the state government is carrying out cloud seeding operations to encourage rainfall. (Gobierno de Nuevo León)
However, British newspaper The Guardian reported that farmers have said they would prefer the government to invest in ways to more efficiently use water resources.
“We would prefer the government to bring back investment in the irrigation distribution networks to increase efficiency and save water,” a farmer named Álvaro Bous Cabrera told The Guardian.
Scientists from the National Autonomous University (UNAM) have also cast doubt over the effectiveness of the cloud seeding program.
“There’s no evidence that cloud seeding techniques increase precipitation over areas of economic importance, nor is there any certainty outside of targeted zones,” the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences of the UNAM said in a statement. “Ultimately, it is important to mention that the potential use of these technologies must be closely linked to the appropriate management of water resources in such a way that there is an appropriate cost/benefit ratio.”
The “cloud seeder” that SEDENA intends to use to break the drought in Mexico City. (Cuartoscuro)
The lack of rain is also linked to the start of the canícula or “dog days of summer,” Conagua said in a report released on Friday, “when rain decreases and there’s a slight rise in temperature.”
This annually occurring period should not be confused with a heat wave, which usually sees its highest temperatures before the start of the rainy season.
In Mexico, this phenomenon occurs across the country and can lead to heat waves lasting 20 days. Meanwhile, the northwest has seen the start of the Mexican monsoon, which also affects the southwestern United States each summer.
A man set fire to a busy bar in the border city of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, killing 11 people. (Cuartoscuro.com)
A man has been arrested after a gasoline bombing attack that killed 11 in the northern state of Sonora on Saturday night.
The man, who had reportedly been ejected after harassing female patrons, returned to the Beer House bar in San Luis Río Colorado around 1:30 a.m., where he doused the building in gasoline before using a blowtorch to ignite the fuel.
Police investigate the remains of the Beer House bar. There have been reports that fire exits were not operational.(Cuartoscuro.com)
Seven women and four men — including a dual U.S. national — were killed in the ensuing blaze. One of the victims was 17 years old, said state Attorney General Gustavo Ròmulo Salas Chávez. Police believe there were up to 80 patrons in the bar at the time of the attack.
Security footage from a neighboring building shows customers running into the street after an explosion. Local authorities are investigating whether an internal fire exit may have been blocked.
San Luis Río Colorado is on the border with Arizona and is often popular with U.S. citizens during weekends.
“We inform you that a man has been detained at this time by municipal police and is assumed to be responsible for the fire at the Beer House bar,” San Luis Río Colorado Mayor Santos Gonzáles Yesecas announced on his official Twitter account on Saturday. The suspect, who was arrested at a military checkpoint while trying to cross into the United States, has not yet been publicly identified.
The attack is not believed to be connected to extortion attempts by local organized crime gangs.
The president added a new segment to the morning press conferences, railed against "conservative" media and discussed progress on various train project at the week's morning press conferences. (Moisés Pablo Nava / Cuartoscuro.com)
There is no shortage of recurring segments at President López Obrador’s morning press conferences, or mañaneras: an update on the Maya Train railroad every Monday, the regular “Zero Impunity” security report, the “Who’s Who in the Lies of the Week” fake news exposé session on Wednesdays, to name a few.
AMLO decided this week that he needed a new section for himself, but paradoxically – especially for a man with a seemingly indefatigable capacity for oratory – it involves him keeping mum.
The president, here with Governor Alfonso Durazo of Sonora (right), visited several northern states last weekend. (Gob MX)
The president, however, is not about to take a vow of silence. He spoke on a range of topics this week, including an upcoming meeting with the president of Colombia, the government’s as yet unfulfilled plan to move several ministries out of Mexico City and the corruption case involving former Pemex CEO Emilio Lozoya.
Monday
Responding to his first question of the week, AMLO reiterated that he would comply with an order from the National Electoral Institute (INE) to abstain from speaking about electoral issues in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.
However, he expressed his dislike for the INE’s directive, saying that it was “very unfair” that “the group of potentates who felt that they owned Mexico” could speak out against the government and ruling Morena party while “the authorities restrict our freedom … of speech.”
“… Our adversaries would like us to be tied up and silent. They would like to silence us and just speak themselves – talking and talking and talking and lying and lying and lying and slandering, slandering, slandering on radio, on television, in the newspapers,” López Obrador said.
Despite an order from the INE last week, President López Obrador has established a new line of attack against his political adversaries that follows the letter, if not the spirit, of the electoral body’s ruling. (lopezobrador.org.mx)
The president subsequently fielded a question about the Texas government’s installation of floating barriers in the Rio Grande to deter migrant crossings.
“I would just tell our compatriots to not vote for the governor of Texas or the Republican Party lawmakers who support these measures,” AMLO said.
“… I’m sure that these Republican Party politicians from Texas go to church, but they forget what the Bible says. The Old Testament says you mustn’t treat strangers badly,” he said.
Later in his presser, López Obrador asserted that there are “four factors” that have caused the Mexican peso to strengthen against the US dollar.
“One of those factors is the increase in remittances – what our compatriots [abroad] send to their families in Mexico is going to exceed US $60 billion [in 2023],” he said.
AMLO said that the other three factors behind the strengthening of the peso – which remained at under 17 to the US dollar on Monday – were strong foreign investment inflows, “healthy public finances” and “peace, political stability and governability in Mexico.”
He subsequently said there was “another element” that has also had an impact on the peso – “the Bank of Mexico’s policy of increasing interest rates.”
López Obrador later acknowledged that he visited several northern states last weekend including Sonora, where the U.S. company Mexico Pacific Limited is planning to build a natural gas pipeline and liquefaction plant.
“It’s an investment of a United States company in partnership with the Federal Electricity Commission [CFE]. … It’s an investment of about US $13 billion,” he said.
The president with Sonora’s governor Alfonso Durazo (far left) and the head of CFE, Manuel Bartlett (far right) during his tour of the state last weekend. (Gob MX)
“… [The CFE] will be a partner of the complex that will be built in Puerto Libertad and will make a profit,” AMLO said, adding that the money the state-owned company takes in will help it keep electricity prices down.
He said that the gas pipeline will start in Texas and cross five municipalities in Chihuahua and 10 in Sonora before reaching the Puerto Libertad plant, located on the Gulf of California coast in the municipality of Pitiquito.
“The permits were already granted and a consultation is being carried out with the people. [The project] will create about 13,000 direct jobs and 20,0000 indirect ones. It’s a very good investment,” López Obrador said.
Tuesday
A 20-kilometer section of the Mexico City-Toluca railroad – a 58-kilometer-long project begun during the 2012-18 presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto – will begin operations on Sept. 14, announced Jorge Mendoza Sánchez, general director of the state-owned development bank Banobras.
“We’re going to begin with the Zinacantepec to Lerma section, in México state,” Mendoza said, referring to municipalities that border Toluca to the west and east, respectively.
He said that the trip will take 16 minutes with trains running every 10 minutes. López Obrador said in June that trains would begin running along the entire railroad – which was originally scheduled to be finished in 2017 – in the first quarter of 2024.
Behind the mañanera lectern on Tuesday, AMLO said that officials would be presenting updates on transport-related infrastructure projects all week.
“It mustn’t be thought that it’s just the Maya Train and the Isthmus [of Tehuantepec railroads that the government is building]. Of course they’re very important projects, but the same thing is being done in the center of the country – very important projects with public investment,” he said.
The Mexico City-Toluca commuter train will begin first phase operations in September. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar / Cuartoscuro.com)
“That’s a hallmark of this government. … There is public investment … in the creation of infrastructure,” López Obrador said, adding that the projects provide a boost to the construction industry and in turn benefit the economy more broadly and create jobs.
“With public investment and foreign investment the economy is growing,” he said.
Before opening the floor to questions, AMLO thanked United States President Joe Biden for deciding “not to implement any measure against Mexico” for the country’s alleged failure to adequately protect the critically endangered vaquita marina porpoise, which is endemic to the upper Gulf of California.
A Navy patrol vessel monitoring for illegal fishing operations in the “zero tolerance zone,” inhabited by the critically endangered vaquita porpoise. (Semar/Cuartoscuro)
One reporter asked López Obrador about his upcoming trip to Colombia, where he will meet with President Gustavo Petro.
“We’re going to be in Colombia on about the 8th and 9th of September and in Chile on the 10th and 11th,” said López Obrador, who has previously noted that he will visit the latter country to attend events marking the 50th anniversary of the death of former Chilean president Salvador Allende.
“… In the case of Colombia, one of the issues to deal with is cooperation to combat the drug trafficking problem, and also the application of welfare programs because the causes of violence have to be addressed,” he said.
“Human beings aren’t bad by nature. We’re not born bad, it’s [certain] circumstances that lead some people to take the path of anti-social behavior and those circumstances have to be changed. Inequality and poverty have to be combated, work opportunities and fair salaries have to be guaranteed, young people have to be looked after, cultural, moral and spiritual values have to be strengthened. We have to seek to live in a better society, that is essential to combat the scourge of violence,” AMLO said.
Later in his presser, López Obrador made the seemingly preposterous claim that Mexico-based correspondents of foreign newspapers are under the control of businessman Claudio X. González, former foreign affairs minister Jorge Castañeda and journalist Héctor Aguilar Camín.
“They don’t just manipulate here or try to manipulate or seek to manipulate in Mexico. No, they have connections with the … world press, … The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times. Who runs all that? The same people – Claudio, Castañeda, Aguilar Camín have control of the correspondents of those international newspapers,” he said.
At a press conference earlier in July, the president displayed a cartoon with caricatures of Gálvez, front right, posing with important figures in the Va por México coalition, including ex-president Vicente Fox, front left, and businessman Claudio X González, (back right). (Gob MX)
“… On one occasion the editors of The Los Angeles Times started to sense that something strange was happening because their correspondent in Mexico only sent articles against us … but they have other sources and the people in Los Angeles, and here as well, have a different opinion, supporting the transformation,” López Obrador said.
“So, one of those executives decided to come to Mexico and went to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and carried out a journalistic investigation and interviewed the people and found another reality, which wasn’t what the correspondents – controlled by Claudio and by Castañeda and by Aguilar and by [León] Krauze – described,” he said.
The article the president appeared to be referring to was published last December under the headline “Why is AMLO one of the world’s most popular presidents? We took a road trip through Mexico to find out” and was in fact written by a Mexico-based correspondent for The Los Angeles Times, rather than one of the newspaper’s editors.
Wednesday
AMLO announced early in his press conference that he was launching a new mañanera segment in which he will present the remarks of selected people on issues related to the 2024 elections.
López Obrador said that he “can no longer say much” due to INE’s order to abstain from speaking about electoral issues, and noted that his proposal was to call the new section “No lo digo yo” (It’s Not Me Saying It).
The views of others will be presented “so that the people have information,” he said.
In the video presented by AMLO, Fox said that “lazy people” don’t have a place in government or “the country,” and asserted that citizens should find a job rather than depend on welfare payments.
“As Xóchitl says, get to work cabrones [assholes],” Fox said.
López Obrador called for the remark to be played again, saying that it went to “the heart of the matter.”
“INE, … I have been notified, I’m not going to say [anything],” added the president, who has claimed that Gálvez is opposed to government welfare and social programs.
Mexico City Mayor Martí Batres at the Wednesday morning press conference. (Gob MX)
Mexico City Mayor Martí Batres attended AMLO’s presser for a second consecutive day, and noted that an additional five stations along Line 12 of the capital’s metro system – an elevated part of which collapsed in May 2021, killing 26 people – reopened last Saturday.
Fourteen of the 20 stations along Line 12 – the subway system’s newest line – are now open, Batres said, adding that the other six will reopen in December.
“This means that in December of this year all of Line 12, from Mixcaoc to Tláhuac, will be reopened and completely reinforced,” he said.
During his Q and A session with reporters, López Obrador said that the government didn’t intend to once again raise with its United States counterpart the issue of U.S. funding of what he characterizes as political groups opposed to his administration.
“There is proof that an agency of the United States government gives money to this association founded by Claudio X. González and that they use that money to attack the government I represent,” he said, referring to Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity (MCCI).
The government sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. in 2021, asking it to explain why it has provided funding to MCCI, but “there has been no action on the part of the United States government,” AMLO said.
“We’re going to wait and see. Justice sometimes takes a long time, but it arrives. We’re going to wait,” he said.
Despite that outstanding issue, López Obrador affirmed that Mexico has a very good relationship with its northern neighbor.
“We’re the main trade partner of the United States in the world, foreign investment continues arriving like never before and the economic relationship and the political relationship is very good,” he said.
The president also noted that United States Homeland Security Advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall would return to Mexico next week for meetings with Mexican and Canadian officials.
“The issues [to be discussed are] migration, fentanyl and weapons,” AMLO said before indicating that he was off to eat machaca (dried meat) gifted to him in Sonora as well as “a few coyotas” (empanada-like cookies) for breakfast.
Thursday
At the top of his presser, AMLO asserted that close to 3,000 kilometers of new rail tracks on which passenger trains will run will have been built by the time his term in government ends in late 2024.
The construction of new railroads in Mexico – including the Maya Train railway in the country’s southeast, tracks across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the Mexico City-Toluca link – on such a grand scale is “something not seen in decades due to the neoliberal policy that was applied,” López Obrador said.
Manuel Eduardo Gómez Parra, an official with the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport, reported that the tracks linking the Lechería station of the Mexico City Suburban Train system to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport are scheduled to be completed next February, with testing to take place between April and June of 2024.
Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Minister Jorge Nuño Lara at the Thursday morning press conference. (Gob MX)
Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Minister Jorge Nuño Lara said that a trip to the airport from the Buenavista station in central Mexico City will take 39 minutes.
“We have 10 passenger trains … with space for luggage. … Each train has the capacity to transport 719 passengers,” he said.
Back at center stage, López Obrador said that the government’s “decentralization plan” – the relocation of federal departments from Mexico City to different parts of the country – was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but noted that the Ministry of Energy is now based in Villahermosa, Tabasco, and the Ministry of Health has its offices in Acapulco, Guerrero.
“We’ve already started building the customs complex so that the National Customs Agency … [can be based] in Nuevo Laredo, [Tamaulipas],” he said.
“… We’re behind [in the decentralization plan], but we’re going to try to progress as much as we can,” AMLO said, adding that the government has already saved “a lot of money” because it doesn’t have to rent so many buildings in Mexico City and it shut down the offices of international trade and investment agency ProMéxico in cities such as Paris, New York and Tokyo.
Later in his mañanera, López Obrador presented his new “No lo digo yo” (It’s Not Me Saying It) segment for the second time in as many days. On this occasion, he played a video in which Deputy Santiago Creel, an aspirant to the Broad Front for Mexico’s candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, accused the president of “reverse discrimination.”
“In the mañaneras, I’ve been the target of lies and attacks, not only against me but also against my family, the color of my skin, the color of my eyes. It’s reverse discrimination,” said Creel, interior minister in the government led by Vicente Fox.
López Obrador remarked that he wasn’t aware of the concept of reverse discrimination and asserted that he had never attacked Creel’s family or spoken about the color of his skin and eyes.
“It’s a complete lie,” said the president, who last week described the lawmaker as an “aristocrat” and a “fifí”, or posh elite.
López Obrador at the event marking the 100th anniversary of the death of Pancho Villa on Friday. (Gob MX)
Shortly before concluding his penultimate presser of the week, AMLO noted that he would attend a ceremony in Durango later in the day to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of revolutionary hero Francisco “Pancho” Villa.
He also acknowledged that national statistics agency INEGI was anticipating that final data would show annual economic growth of 4% in June.
“It’s good news, we’re growing,” López Obrador said. “… The economy of our country is growing, which is very important. There is no economic stagnation.”
Friday
After greeting reporters, AMLO acknowledged the presence of Estela de Carlotto, president of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, an Argentine human rights organization dedicated to finding children stolen and illegally adopted during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship in the South American country.
“We’re very pleased that you’re here with us. … You are a symbol of resistance, of the defense of human rights and at the same time a defender in Latin America, in the world, of those who suffer due to authoritarianism. May fascism never return to our America,” he said.
Estela de Carlotto at the Friday morning press conference. (Gob MX)
There was an update on another transport project at AMLO’s final press conference of the week, with officials speaking about a new trolleybus line between the municipality of Chalco in México state and the Santa Marta metro station in the Mexico City borough of Iztapalapa.
“This project is a good example of coordinated work between the federal government, the government of México state and the Mexico City government,” said México state Governor Alfredo del Mazo Maza.
The 18.5-kilometer-long line along which “zero emissions” buses will run is expected to be completely finished during the first quarter of next year, del Mazo said.
The governor said later in the presser that 3 million trips are made on a daily basis between Mexico City and neighboring México state, which includes many municipalities within the metropolitan area of the capital.
“It’s estimated there are close to 22 million residents in the metropolitan area … and that’s why building these connectivity projects, these mass transit projects, is important,” he said.
The aim of the new trolleybus line, the Toluca-Mexico City railroad and all other transport projects is to save time and money for passengers, del Mazo added.
During his engagement with reporters, López Obrador said that the amount of US $30 million that the government is seeking from imprisoned former Pemex CEO Emilio Lozoya to compensate for corruption in which he was allegedly involved is “fair.”
“The damage caused to public funds was considerable. Of course, it wasn’t just Mr. Lozoya who was involved … but he himself declared how the relationship with the company Odebrecht was managed,” AMLO said, referring to a Brazilian firm from which the ex-Pemex chief is accused of receiving millions in exchange for awarding it a lucrative contract for work on the the state oil company’s refinery in Tula, Hidalgo.
Later in his presser, the president explained the raison d’être of his new mañanera segment.
As CEO, Lozoya allegedly took bribes from private companies to award at least one contract and buy a property for Pemex at an inflated price. (File photo)
The “purpose” of “No lo digo yo” is to expose what is hidden by the “conventional media,” he said.
“There are a lot of things that radio, television and newspapers don’t disseminate because it doesn’t suit them. … There is a complicit silence in the majority of the media,” AMLO said, asserting that most outlets seek to manipulate rather than inform.
He claimed that the INE is “like the Holy Inquisition” and described the electoral oversight body as an “institute of censorship” given the gag order it imposed on him.
Late in his press conference, the president noted that he would once again travel to Mexico’s southeast over the weekend to inspect progress on the Maya Train railroad.
“In no other place in the world is a public project like the Maya Train being built,” he said.
“In no other place in the world is a 1,555-kilometer railroad being built in 4 1/2 or five years, nor at the cost for which this project is being built. There is no other project in the world that is using such a large workforce,” López Obrador said.
“I have to say this myself – it even seems that I’m bragging a lot … [but] I have to say it because there’s no way the radio and television stations and newspapers are going to say it,” he said shortly before leaving the mañanera stage.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
There's nothing like a simple watermelon drink to take the edge off a hot day. Superior to high-calorie soda or a heavy smoothie!
It’s summertime, and the hot weather in much of Mexico calls for lots of cooling beverages. In the coastal towns especially, the temperature can easily stay close to 90 degrees Fahrenheit through the night — and the days are even hotter.
Ice water and electrolytes are fine, but sometimes you just want something a little more festive. What’s left when you take soda, aguas frescas, smoothies and alcohol out of the mix? Why, mocktails, of course!
The Arnold Palmer is a classic non-alcoholic cocktail, even if the golfer himself usually drank it with a generous slug of vodka.
What takes a mocktail from, say, a mix of fruit juices, to another level is the addition of ingredients that imitate the specific taste palate of alcohol: bitter, sweet, tingly and drying. Some food experts point to oversteeped black tea — with its strong natural tannins — to mimic the slightly bitter, astringent effect of alcohol. You can also make a tea syrup: brew black tea twice as strong as normal, add an equal amount of sugar and simmer about five minutes till the sugar dissolves.
The classic example is the Arnold Palmer, a combination of lemonade and black tea (recipe below), made famous by the golfer of the same name. Not to say he was a teetotaler — Mr. Palmer also famously spiked his namesake drink with a healthy dose of vodka. At any rate, use twice as many teabags as you regularly would and simmer the tea for about 10 minutes when using it for a mocktail.
Another way to replicate the complex flavors of alcohol in a mixed drink is to add ingredients like chilies, fresh ginger and herbs, all of which can sometimes be found in aguas frescas or fruit coolers. Sugary simple syrups, tonic or soda water and pretty garnishes can all be used to spritz up basic beverages, with an end result of refreshing, delicious cold drinks that hit the proverbial spot, especially at this time of year.
Strawberry-Jalapeño Mocktail
1 quart strawberries, hulled and cut in quarters
½ jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, cut into 4 pieces
¾ cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 cup fresh lemon or lime juice (10-12 lemons,15-18 limes)
3 cups cold water
1 quart ice
Combine strawberries, jalapeño, sugar and salt in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Let rest 30 minutes.
Remove and discard the jalapeño. Set aside 1 cup of macerated strawberries for garnish.
Transfer remaining strawberries and any exuded juices and syrup into a blender. Add lemon/lime juice. Blend on high until smooth.
Push through fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher. Discard solids.
Whisk in the reserved strawberries and cold water. Add ice.
Serve in ice-filled glasses garnished with a strawberry and a jalapeño slice.
Strawberries combined with the mild heat of jalapeño make for a sweet-spicy combination that’s irresistible.
Classic Arnold Palmer
3 black tea bags, such as English Breakfast
3 cups lemonade
Ice for serving
Garnish: 1 lemon, thinly sliced
In a saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat, add the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Let the tea cool completely, about 30 minutes. Combine the tea and the lemonade in a large pitcher. Add lemon slices and refrigerate until cold or serve immediately over plenty of ice.
Makes about 5½ cups.
Long Island Iced Tea Mocktail
12 black tea bags (Assam, Darjeeling, English Breakfast, even Earl Grey)
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 cans (12 oz.) non-alcoholic ginger beer or soda
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 cups ice
Garnish: Lemon slices, mint leaves
Brew teabags in 4 cups of boiling water for 5 minutes. Add vinegar, ginger beer and lemon juice.
Fill pitcher with ice. Pour in tea mixture. Garnish with lemon and mint.
Cucumber-Ginger Mint Cooler
1½ cups packed fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup hot water
2 English or Persian cucumbers*, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
One (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 limes (limones), plus more as needed, for juice and zest
Ice cubes, for serving
* If using regular cucumbers, peel first and scrape out seeds.
In a molcajete (or a medium bowl), with a fork or the back of a wooden spoon, combine the mint leaves, sugar and salt, crushing them together just until the mint is bruised.
Pour in the hot water; stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Allow to steep 5 minutes while you prepare the cucumbers.
Combine cucumbers and ginger in blender. Zest limes over the blender, then halve them and squeeze in the juice. Pour in 1 cup of room-temperature water; purée on high until smooth.
Pour the purée through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing lightly to extract the liquid. Discard the solids, and pour the juice into a pitcher.
Pour mint syrup through the same strainer into a container, pressing to extract the liquid. Add ¼ cup strained syrup to juice. Taste and add more syrup or lime juice to taste.
Refrigerate any leftover syrup for another use. Fill glasses with ice, pour in the juice, garnish with mint and serve immediately.
Chamomile simple syrup is the secret behind this Chamomile Lime Rickey recipe. (Janet Blaser)
Chamomile Lime Rickey
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons Chamomile Simple Syrup*, plus more to taste
Ice
8 oz. (1 cup) seltzer or tonic water
Garnish: thin lime slices
Combine lime juice and Chamomile Simple Syrup in a large glass; stir to combine. Add more lime juice or syrup to taste. Fill with ice, top off with seltzer and gently mix. Garnish with lime slices.
*Chamomile Simple Syrup
This is also great drizzled on waffles, pancakes or French toast or over vanilla ice cream.
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
3 chamomile teabags
Place sugar and water in small saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, add teabags. Steep 10 minutes, then discard teabags. Cool to room temperature.
Store in fridge up to 2 weeks. Makes about 1⅓ cups.
Watermelon Cucumber Punch
1¼ pounds fresh seedless watermelon cubes
2 English or Persian cucumbers†
½ cup fresh lemon/lime juice
4 Tbsp. agave or simple syrup or 3 Tbsp. sugar
Garnish: thinly sliced cucumber rounds
†If using regular cucumbers, peel first and scrape out seeds.
So refreshing!
In a blender, purée watermelon until smooth. Strain and set aside 1½ cups juice. Add cucumbers to blender with 1 Tbsp. water. Purée until smooth. Strain and set aside 2 Tbsp. juice.
In a cocktail shaker, combine watermelon juice, cucumber juice and all other ingredients. Pour into ice-filled glasses and serve, garnished with cucumber rounds. Makes 4 mocktails
