The Maya Train budget in 2024 is a hefty 120 billion pesos, bringing it more than 200% over original estimates for the project. (Cuartoscuro)
Construction of the Maya Train will require 120 billion pesos (US $6.9 billion) for 2024, bringing the total budget 207.5% above the projected costs in 2020.
Based on information contained in the federal government’s budget package for the coming year, total public expenditure on the Maya Train will amount to over $480 billion pesos (US $27.7 billion).
President López Obrador went for his first supervisory tour aboard the Maya Train on Sept. 1. (lopezobrador.org.mx)
On Friday, the Finance and Public Credit Ministry (SHCP) submitted next year’s government budget to the Chamber of Deputies. Regarding the proposal, Interior Minister Luisa María Alcalde said on Monday that the funding is primarily destined for President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s major infrastructure projects. One of these projects is the controversial Maya Train, which is expected to be completed before the end of AMLO’s term in October 2024.
“These projects include […] the Maya Train project, communication and transportation routes for the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, for the Mexico-Toluca interurban train, [and] the suburban train to the Felipe Ángeles airport,” Alcalde said.
The funding for the Maya Train will be managed by the Defense Ministry (Sedena), and will go towards the train’s construction and operation, and to the provision of “medium to long-term attention to the demand for railway services, and to strengthen the connectivity of the national railway system,” according to Sedena. In addition to the funding request of 120 billion pesos, the military company that will run the train requires an additional 5.9 billion pesos for operating costs.
In April, the Senate approved a series of bills promoted by President López Obrador, including a reform that allocates the Defense Ministry’s income derived from tourism for the federal government’s flagship projects, like the Maya Train.
The Maya Train will be operated by a Defense Ministry company. (Gob MX)
Under this new law, the Defense Ministry collects 80% of the Non-Resident Tax (DNR) revenue, a fee charged to foreign tourists who enter the country by sea, air or land. Before the law was changed, the DNR was funneled partly into the National Tourism Promotion Fund’s (Fonatur) budget.
However, the 2024 federal budget proposes that the totality of DNR revenue should now be reserved for the Maya Train.
Overall, reported criminal activity is down to its lowest level in over a decade, according to the survey. (Cuartoscuro)
An estimated 21.1 million Mexicans aged 18 and older were victims of crime last year, a figure that accounts for more than one in five adults in the country.
That alarming (but also encouraging) statistic – and many others – was calculated by the national statistics agency INEGI after it conducted its 2023 National Survey on Victimization and Public Security Perceptions (Envipe).
Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez has highlighted declines in homicide numbers and other indicators of decreased criminal activity this year. (Gob MX)
The results of the annual survey – which was conducted earlier this year in over 102,000 households – were published Monday. Here’s what you need to know, set out in an easy-to-follow Q & A format.
How much of a problem is crime in Mexico?
A total of 26.8 million crimes were committed in Mexico in 2022, according to INEGI estimates. While that number sounds – and is – high, it is in fact the lowest in over a decade.
The figure is 4.6% lower than the total number of estimated crimes in 2021, and 20.5% lower than the estimate for 2014, which was the worst year of the past decade.
Homicide numbers are still very high in Mexico, even though they declined 10% in 2022 compare to the previous year. (Omar Martínez Noyola/Cuartoscuro)
Per 100,000 residents, there were 22,587 victims of crime last year, which is the lowest per capita rate in over 10 years. The per-capita rate was slightly higher for men and slightly lower for women.
What are the most common crimes in Mexico?
The crime with the highest incidence in Mexico last year was fraud with 5,770 victims per 100,000 people. INEGI pointed out that the defrauding of bank customers and consumers in general falls under this category of crimes.
The next most common crimes were:
Robbery or assault on the street or on public transport.
Extortion.
Verbal threats.
Total or partial vehicle theft.
“Other crimes,” including kidnapping and sex crimes.
Home burglaries.
“Other robberies.”
Battery.
What about homicide?
While murder isn’t among the most common crimes committed in Mexico, tens of thousands of people are killed here every year.
Separate data published by INEGI in late July shows there were 32,223 homicides last year, a decline of almost 10% compared to 2021.
Where is crime most (and least) prevalent?
Residents of Mexico City and México state were victims of crime at higher rates than anywhere else in the country last year, Envipe found.
Over three in 10 chilangos (CDMX residents) and mexiquenses (México state residents) were crime victims in 2022, INEGI said. On a positive note, the per-capita victim rate declined in both entities compared to 2021.
Tlaxcala had the third highest per-capita victim rate followed by Querétaro, Aguascalientes, Nuevo León and Puebla.
The five states with the lowest per-capita victim rates were, in order, Chiapas, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Tamaulipas and Michoacán.
Are perpetrators of crime being held to account?
By and large, no. Of the 26.8 million crimes estimated to have been committed last year, 92.4% weren’t reported to law enforcement authorities or weren’t formally investigated, INEGI said.
Do Mexicans feel unsafe in the state in which they live?
By and large, yes. Almost three-quarters of Mexican adults – 74.6% – described the federal entity in which they live as unsafe, INEGI said.
The “perception of insecurity” was highest among residents of Zacatecas. Based on the Envipe results, it is estimated that 91.9% of people who live in the northern state consider it unsafe.
A peace march in Jerez, Zacatecas – the state that rated worst in citizen perception of safety this year. (ADOLFO VLADIMIR / CUARTOSCURO.COM)
The per-capita victim rate in Zacatecas was the sixth lowest in the country last year, but violent crime is a significant problem in the state due to the presence of cartels. That reality is no doubt a major factor in the “feeling” of insecurity identified by more than nine in 10 zacatecanos.
México state ranked behind Zacatecas, with 88% of residents calling the state unsafe. The figure for Morelos was 87%, making it the state with the third highest level of perceptions of insecurity.
Baja California Sur (33.4%), Yucatán (37.8%) and Coahuila (44.1%) had the lowest rates.
Are foreign residents and visitors targeted by criminals?
Foreign residents, by virtue of living here permanently or for extended periods, are theoretically more likely to be victims of crime.
Countless foreigners have been relieved of their cellphones while riding the Mexico City metro, for example, but whether they were targeted because of an outward “foreign” appearance is unlikely.
A member of the National Guard patrols a beach in Acapulco, Guerrero. (Carlos Alberto Carbajal / Cuartoscuro.com)
Foreigners may be targeted by opportunistic criminals in some tourist destinations, especially if they are are visibly inebriated, under the influence of drugs or openly flaunting wealth.
However, as The New York Times reported in an “Is is safe to travel to Mexico?” article earlier this year, “an overwhelming majority of visitors enjoy a safe vacation in Mexico, and tourists are largely sheltered from the violence that grips local communities.”
Foreign tourists – including citizens of wealthy countries such as the United States and Canada – sometimes become victims of violent crime, including murder, but these cases are rare.
Cases in which foreign migrants traveling through Mexico are robbed, raped, forcibly recruited or even murdered are much more common.
What does the United States Department of State say about security in Mexico?
The State Department advises U.S. citizens to not travel to six states – Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas – due to crime and kidnapping, and to reconsider travel to seven others.
Some of the cities in those 13 states – such as Mazatlán in Sinaloa and San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato – have sizable foreign populations who don’t live with, or fear, major security problems.
What does AMLO say?
Without citing any hard data to back up his claim, President López Obrador declared earlier this year that Mexico is safer than the United States.
“There is no problem with traveling around Mexico safely. United States citizens know that, and of course our compatriots … [in the U.S.] know that. They’re well-informed,” he said in March.
On Tuesday, federal Interior Minister Luisa María Alcalde said that the government is “very happy” with the INEGI data that shows that the overall crime rate in Mexico declined last year.
“It shows that the strategy of attending to the causes of violence is the correct strategy,” she said.
Fishers from the Playa Norte cooperative in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, pull in their nets shortly after sunrise. (All photos by Eduardo Esparza)
It’s 6:30 a.m. in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, and the sun peaks over the horizon. As most city residents begin their day, a group of fishers from the Playa Norte fishing cooperative has been at work for hours, preparing their gear, fueling up, and motoring out to their lobster nets. They scan the water for white diet Coke bottle caps – the DIY buoys that mark the nets they laid the day before. When they find a bottle, they grab it and start hauling up the attached net.
They’re catching lobster today, but it could be Pacific sierra or snapper tomorrow. Sometimes, in the winter, the fishers take a 6-meter panga (barge) hours offshore in search of larger pelagic fish.
After hauling in lobster nets, fishers carefully detangle and remove each animal before re-deploying the net.
Like many small-scale, artisanal fishers worldwide, the Playa Norte cooperative is on the front lines of environmental and social concerns that have increasingly impacted their work. Patchwork regulation and uneven legal enforcement contribute to the overfishing of some species. As mangroves are cleared for development and estuaries are dammed to make shrimp farms, marine wildlife has fewer protected areas to breed or raise young, making it harder for the environment to bounce back from overfishing. Despite the challenges, small-scale fishers like Playa Norte are still key seafood providers in Latin America. These groups provide 85% of the seafood eaten in the region, according to Julio Berdegué, former regional representative for the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The Playa Norte fishers make enough to get by, though it’s tight sometimes, and fuel costs must be paid even on bad fishing days. However, being part of a cooperative helps decrease the risk of going home empty-handed. Profits are shared among the members, usually depending on how much time, money, and equipment each member has invested.
Farther north, the ostioneros (oystermen) of the Playita de las Barras de Piaxtla Cooperative have a similar arrangement in which they work together to pool resources and share profits. Instead of heading out in fishing boats, the ostioneros swim through the waves to reach rocky embankments where the oysters grow. With just a lungful of air, they dive down to chip oysters off the rocks, one by one. Their catch may then be sold locally or to a distributor.
Fish like dorado, sierra and tuna are also often sold to middlemen who distribute the fish to restaurants and markets nationwide. But some kinds of seafood are just for the local market. That’s the case for pajaritos (half beak), a seasonal delicacy in Sinaloa.
Polineros wait on the beach to help pull arriving boats onto dry land. Their job title comes from the word polínes, which refers to the wooden poles traditionally used to roll boats onto the sand. These days, most fishers use a wheeled dolly.
In May and June, the bright lights that local fishers use to lure the small jumping fish can often be seen twinkling off the coast in the early evening. When the boats return to shore, buyers line up with buckets to fill up with the freshest possible fish. In homes and restaurants, the pajaritos will be pan-fried whole, eaten with salt and lime or rolled into a warm tortilla and made into a taco.
The tradition of fishing for pajaritos is just one of many customs that could fade away or be lost forever without Sinaloa’s small-scale fishers. As in other countries, these fishers preserve cultural and local ocean knowledge. And though working for one of Sinaloa’s industrial fishing companies can yield a steadier paycheck, many continue to choose the freedom and self-determination that artisanal fishing offers.
Fishing net weaving is a traditional skill that remains relevant today; Some fishers make their own nets and others buy them from professional tejedores.The oystermen free dive down to oyster beds with a sharp pick to break off the rock-like mollusk. They collect their harvest in a floating basket made of a net and an intertube.A fisher displays pajaritos (halfbeak), a seasonal delicacy in Sinaloa. Most years, in the late spring, massive schools of the small jumping fish crowd into the coastal shallows during their mating season.
Rose Egelhoff is an associate editor at Mexico News Daily and a freelance writer. She’s on Twitter and the internet. Eduardo Esparza is a professor, filmmaker and professional photographer. Some of his work can be seen on Instagram.
The train connecting Toluca in México state with Mexico City has been in the works since 2014. (Cuartoscuro)
Nine years after construction began, the commuter train that will connect Mexico City with Toluca in México state is ready to launch into limited action.
On Friday, Section 1 of the 58-kilometer (36-mile) line is scheduled to come into operation with four trains. All four of this section’s stations are located in the Toluca metropolitan area, home to 2.5 million people.
Mexico City’s former mayor Claudia Sheinbaum on a train construction site visit in 2022. (Gob MX)
But the train will not yet go all the way to Mexico City. That is expected to occur in 2024, after work is completed on the rail line itself as well as the three stations in the capital’s metro area, including the eastern terminus of Observatorio, where riders will be able to transfer to the Metro system and an intercity bus terminal.
Section 1 of a 23 billion peso (US $1.3 billion) project that has been plagued by delays and cost overruns spans from the westernmost station, Zinacantepec, to the tunnel through the Sierra de las Cruces, which separates the Toluca Valley from the Valley of Mexico. This section’s 36 kilometers (22.4 miles) of track also include the Pino Suárez, Tecnológico and Lerma stations.
Pino Suárez is the station closest to downtown Toluca, and it’s also near the city’s main bus station.
The Tecnológico station is in Metepec, a Pueblo Mágico and one of the nation’s wealthiest municipalities, and will offer connecting shuttle service to the Toluca airport. Lerma is a municipality just east of Toluca and 54 kilometers (33.5 miles) west of Mexico City.
Only the Zinacantepec-Lerma stretch of the Intercity Train will be open during the initial months of the train’s operation. (SCT / gob.mx)
Section 2 of the project is a 4.6-kilometer (2.9-mile) tunnel through the Sierra de las Cruces mountains. Section 3 is the section that needs the most work. Its unfinished rails will cover 17 kilometers (11 miles) and its three stations are not yet completed. The newspaper El Universal reported that the Vasco de Quiroga station is 80-85% complete, Santa Fe is at 64.5% and Observatorio, which will have six levels (two underground, a ground floor and three upper floors) is at only 38.6%.
Luis Deya Oropeza, the deputy minister of infrastructure of the Ministry of Works and Services (Sobse), said there are also five major points of electrified track construction that won’t be completed until December, at best. Rain, bad soil and the route’s passage through some basins that collect water have been a challenge, he noted.
So Section 3 will not be operational at least until early 2024, and perhaps later.
Still, President López Obrador will inaugurate “El Insurgente” on Friday along with the current State of México Governor Alfredo del Mazo and governor-elect Delfina Gómez.
Originally called El Tren Interurbano (The Interurban Train) since its genesis in mid-2014 during the Enrique Peña Nieto presidency, the train line was recently renamed El Insurgente, “in honor and recognition of the father of our country,” López Obrador said, alluding to Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the Catholic priest who had a key role in the War of Independence that ended Spanish colonial rule in Mexico.
In order to maximize investments in Mexico, people might want to consider three things: annual return on investment, capital gains, and the destination's lifestyle. (Pau Morfin/Unsplash)
When foreigners hear the word “Mexico,” they might think of beautiful beaches, vacations, tacos, tequila, street food – “real estate investment” might be pretty far down the list. However, many national and international real estate investors find Mexico attractive. This can be attributed to several factors: geographic location, richness and variety in natural resources and ecosystems, a high return on investment (ROI), and diverse investment options. Whether they want to retire, buy a vacation home or a rental property, Mexico can provide beneficial deals in all cases.
It is known that Mexico’s coasts are beautiful but lively, colorful, and accessible to foreigners from all over the world. However, they are far from being the only worthwhile destinations the country offers. Big cities, such as Guadalajara and Mexico City, are great places to invest in thanks to their constant, stable economic growth, as well as their cultural heritage and a wide variety of social and entertainment opportunities.
Of course, investing in a property is not only high in cost, but it can also be risky. There are many factors to maximize this investment in Mexico; people might want to consider prices, weather, cultural access, capital gains, accessibility, etc. In this article, I will focus on three things: annual return on investment, capital gains, and the destination’s lifestyle.
Of course, many destinations have all three; in this article, I highlight five of them.
Tulum, Quintana Roo
Tulum is a coastal town located in the southeast and the southernmost point of what we call the Riviera Maya. Not far from the border with Belize, Tulum, once a Maya city, is now one of the top tourist destinations in the country. Its beautiful white sand beaches and the clear, blue Caribbean provide a resting place for well-preserved Maya ruins dating back to the 13th century.
Tulum: Beautiful white sand beaches and the clear, blue Caribbean provide a great resting place. (SpencerWatson/Unsplash)
Thanks to the construction of a new Tulum airport and the development of the Maya Train, the area will experience an economic push forward, causing an inevitable rise in real estate demand. Price ranges vary between apartments, houses, luxury homes, and condos.
ROI in Riviera Maya is around 6.6 percent yearly, and Tulum has some of the highest projected capital gains in the country, 7-11 percent. Between 2019 and 2021, the average ROI from renting in Tulum was between 8 and 15 percent.
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
Puerto Vallarta: Culinary excellence and luxury resorts make it a highly attractive and beautiful destination. (Taly Torres/Unsplash)
Puerto Vallarta is another coastal town to the west and right about the country’s middle. It is located in the state of Jalisco and adjacent to the Riviera Nayarit, which includes other beach towns such as Sayulita, San Francisco, Punta Mita, and San Blas. Puerto Vallarta’s beaches, culinary world, and luxury resorts make it a highly attractive and beautiful destination. Additionally, The Puerto Vallarta International Airport facilitates tourism and ensures the town remains connected to the rest of the world.
Thanks to the high influx of tourism, the cultural and leisure offerings, and the geographic area, Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit are becoming one of the biggest real estate markets in the country and the rest of the world. Investing in one of these properties could provide an annual ROI of 8 percent.
Mérida, Yucatán
Mérida: Nowadays, it is considered one of the safest places in Mexico to live and visit. (Estefania Cortes/Unsplash)
Mérida is located in the Yucatán Península, in the southeast of Mexico, and a 30-minute drive from the coast. It is surrounded by important archaeological and historical sites and stationed in the middle of the most important exporting, importing, and tourism ports in the southeast of Mexico. This, in combination with the boom in real estate demand and development it has experienced in recent years, makes Mérida a very attractive option. Additionally, it is considered one of the safest places in Mexico to live and visit.
Mérida has a significant amount of foreign investment, which has caused an improvement in the quality of its developments. Plus, according to El Financiero, this destination has an availability of more than 47 thousand estates to be purchased.
Properties at this destination have a projected capital gain of 12 to 20 percent, which could go as high as 25. The ROI in Mérida is currently around 8 percent.
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara: Its culinary street world is endless, and its museums provide more than a fair share of entertainment and culture.(Román López/Unsplash)
Guadalajara is the capital city of the state of Jalisco, located on the west coast and the birthplace of mariachi and tequila. The city is also home to 5.3 million people, according to the 2020 national census. Guadalajara offers a big city feel without being overwhelming, with sound public transportation systems and walkable distances. It is affordable, picturesque, and delicious, only 4 hours away from the coast. Its culinary street world is endless, and its museums provide more than a fair share of entertainment and culture.
Guadalajara is also the fourth city with the country’s biggest residential real estate demand (Real Estate Market & Lifestyle) due to its booming business opportunities and the low risk of investments. Properties in Guadalajara have a capital gain that varies based on their area, between 4 and 10 percent.
Mexico City
Mexico City is one of the world’s most extensive and most populated cities, and there’s a reason why. With an ever-changing flourish of businesses, corporations, start-ups, shops, stores, and restaurants, it provides many job opportunities and a lifestyle rich in variety and entertainment. As big and overwhelming as it can be, it is divided into many different areas with its own personality. It varies in visual and architectural design, population, attractions, food, employment types, etc.
Mexico City: Provides many job opportunities and a lifestyle rich in variety and entertainment. (Carlos Aranda/Unsplash)
Mexico City holds a unique historical and modern duality: it embraces centuries of history and cultural heritage while simultaneously providing an immense hub for design, art, and technology. It is no wonder it attracts so many people, temporarily and permanently.
ROI on properties in Mexico City is currently around 9.96 percent, and their expected capital gain within the city varies based on what borough (alcaldía) the property is on.
Should I invest in Mexico?
Whether investors are looking for a temporary or permanent stay, a residence or renting opportunity, a beach or city life, history or modernity, Mexico has it all. The boom in real estate the country is experiencing is only expected to grow in years to come, which makes right now the perfect time to look into these destinations.
All places mentioned in this article have different aspects to consider; some are excellent for renting, while others are better for appreciation. Yet, with thorough research, Mexico can be an excellent investment opportunity.
Montserrat Castro Gómez is a freelance writer and translator from Querétaro, México.
Marcelo Ebrard came in as the runner-up to Claudia Sheinbaum in Morena's polling to select a presidential candidate for 2024. (DANIEL AUGUSTO /CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Former foreign affairs minister Marcelo Ebrard has formally denounced alleged irregularities in the presidential candidate selection process used by the ruling Morena party and indicated that he will leave the party if his concerns aren’t addressed.
Morena, which was founded by President López Obrador with the assistance of Ebrard and others, announced last Wednesday that former Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum won the polling process to determine the party’s candidate for the June 2, 2024 presidential election.
Marcelo Ebrard at a press conference where he called on his party, Morena, to repeat the polling process ahead of the announcement of results. (Cuartoscuro)
Ebrard, who finished second in a field of six aspirants, questioned the legitimacy of the polling process hours before the results were announced, citing “incidents,” irregularities and “serious inconsistencies.”
The ex-foreign minister formalized his complaint on Sunday, sending a 41-page document to Morena’s National Commission for Honesty and Justice in which he calls for the poll results to be nullified and for the process to be redone.
Morena officials have defended the polling process and ruled out any possibility that it could be repeated.
Among the alleged irregularities Ebrard says occurred were preferential treatment of Sheinbaum by Morena’s Polling Commission, the federal Ministry of Welfare and government and party officials; the placing of undue pressure on citizens; effective vote-buying; violence and intimidation on the part of pro-Sheinbaum groups; the disappearance of ballot boxes and generally lax oversight of the polling process; and the provision of information about polling locations to Sheinbaum’s team.
Ebrard alleges various forms of misconduct on the part of Claudia Sheinbaum’s team as well as by Morena officials. (Gobierno de la Ciudad de Mexico/Cuartoscuro)
The irregularities are “fully proven” and “place the certainty of the vote in doubt,” Ebrard said in the document submitted to the honesty commission, which was supported by evidence such as photographs and video footage.
He added that “physical violence and pressure” directed at people conducting the polling process or “electors” is cause for the nullification of that process under Morena party rules if those things had a “determining” impact on the result of the vote.
At a brief press conference on Monday after he met with hundreds of supporters, Ebrard said he will leave Morena if he is not satisfied with the party’s response to his complaint.
“We’re presenting a complaint … with total conviction that what I’m saying is true,” he said.
President López Obrador and Marcelo Ebrard have a long political history going back to Ebrard’s position as Mexico City’s Public Security Minister during AMLO’s term as mayor from 2000-2005. (Gob MX)
“What course of action we take will depend on the response from Morena. If these different circumstances, incidents, that occurred in the [polling] process remain the same, I would no longer be interested in being in Morena,” said Ebrard, who stepped down as foreign minister in June to focus on his presidential ambitions.
“… If from their point of view, everything that we’ve presented … didn’t happen … then my decision would be to no longer participate [in Morena] because I don’t endorse that conduct, these practices. I’ve been fighting against them for many years,” he said.
“… We mustn’t allow these practices, which are a virus, to be in the bloodstream of Morena because they’ll have a devastating effect,” Ebrard said.
“… I have enormous affection for President López Obrador, I’ve been his most loyal collaborator, I would never harm him for political purposes, but I have to say this because it took a lot of work to organize and form Morena,” he said.
Ebrard said he wasn’t interested in getting a consolation prize from Morena, such as one of the proportional-representation Senate seats the party will be allocated after next year’s election.
“I have the greatest respect for popular representation, but it’s not my objective to get a senatorship or [another] position, my objective is for this to be resolved,” he said.
Marcelo Ebrard (left), with other aspirants to represent Morena in 2024 (Adán Augusto López, Claudia Sheinbaum and Ricardo Monreal) at the beginning of the candidate selection process in June. (CNM/X)
Ebrard said he will embark on a month-long national tour next Monday to “meet again with those who supported us.”
“We’re going to organize and formalize our national political movement,” he said without specifying what his end goal was.
Ebrard said last week that he wasn’t planning to run as an independent candidate for president, but he hasn’t ruled out contesting the election next June. One possibility is that he will reach an agreement with the Citizens Movement (MC) party to run as its candidate.
The MC is the only significant party to have not yet selected a presidential candidate for next year’s election.
Samuel García and Nuevo León officials inaugurate the new Puerto Colombia checkpoint. (nl.gob.mx)
A new international border checkpoint has opened between Nuevo León and Texas, which Nuevo León’s governor claims will be “the safest and fastest customs office in North America.”
GovernorSamuel García was in Puerto Colombia over the weekend to inaugurate the new checkpoint at the Laredo–Colombia Solidarity International Bridge. The checkpoint was designed with advice from the United States Office of Customs and Border Protection and will be operated by the National Guard and Fuerza Civil, the state police of Nuevo León.
García’s promise to install a checkpoint Puerto Colombia caused Texas governor Greg Abbott to ease increased inspections on the Laredo–Colombia Solidarity International Bridge last April. (nl.gob.mx)
The checkpoint has five vehicle lanes – two for cars and another three for trucks – with a check booth for each lane. It also includes an office, two holding cells and an enclosure for sniffer dogs.
García stressed that the checkpoint will ensure that all traffic crossing from Mexico to the U.S. complies with the laws of both countries, in accordance with an agreement made last year with Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
“I want to send a greeting and endorse my commitment to the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, that we made a year and a half ago,” García said. “Today we are sending a very strong signal that there will be no crimes and no bandits here.”
In April 2022, the Mexico-Texas border wassnarled for a week after Republican Governor Abbott ordered Texas state troopers to carry out additional inspections on every commercial truck crossing from Mexico. While the inspections caused hours-long delays and even sparked fears of food shortages in the U.S. state, the Texas Tribune reported that they found “zero drugs, weapons or any other type of contraband.”
“We are going to triple exports. We are going to break employment records,” García said. “In just two years, we’ve quadrupled foreign investment.” (nl.gob.mx)
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller echoed that assessment at the time, telling NPR that “[Abbott’s] people have no authority to open the trucks” and could only look at basic vehicle safety. NPR estimated that Abbott’s order inflicted billions of dollars in U.S. trade losses.
The gridlock only eased after Governor García agreed toinstall new checkpoints on the Mexican side of Nuevo León’s nine-mile border with Texas. The bridge is one of 28 crossings linking Texas with Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Chihuahua.
“If Nuevo León can assure security … and patrol the border to help Texas, and Texas can help us with more merchandise, with more commerce, we will do it,” García said at the time.
At the inauguration of the Puerto Colombia checkpoint, García stressed that the need for a safe and efficient customs office between Mexico and the U.S. is now greater than ever, as the nearshoring phenomenon sees ever more companies setting up plants in Mexico to be closer to U.S. markets.
“We committed to Governor Abbott to have this checkpoint, so that when we reach 10,000 daily crossings, which is going to be very soon, he will be assured that the 10,000 will be checked and monitored by dogs, cameras and X-rays and can enter [the U.S.],” García said.
Nuevo León is home to several major nearshoring projects, including a planned new Tesla gigafactory outside of Monterrey. Governor García has been avocal advocate for his state as a site for nearshoring investment, predicting that the relocation of manufacturing could spur annual economic growth of up to 10% nationwide.
Alejandra Márquez Abella, director of the best picture winner, "Northern Skies Over Empty Space", celebrates after the ceremony. (EDGAR NEGRETE LIRA/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
After nearly being canceled due to what the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (AMACC) has called “a serious financial crisis,” the 2023 Ariel Awards celebrated the best in Mexican cinema on Saturday night in a new location — Guadalajara.
Following some six decades in Mexico City, the 65th installment of the “Mexican Oscars” was held at Guadalajara’s historic Teatro Degollado.
Renowned Mexican director Alejandro G. Iñárritu at the Ariel awards, where his film “Bardo, False Chronicles of a Few Truths” took home eight awards. (EDGAR NEGRETE LIRA/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
The big winners included “El norte sobre el vacío” (rendered in English as “Northern Skies Over Empty Space”), which won best picture, and “Bardo, False Chronicles of a Few Truths,” which took home eight awards, including best director (Alejandro G. Iñárritu) and best actor (Daniel Giménez Cacho).
“Bardo” was the night’s biggest winner. The surreal tale of a renowned Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker who returns to Mexico after living in Los Angeles received 12 nominations, the third most behind “Huesera” with 17 nominations (four wins) and “El norte sobre el vacío” with 16 nominations (two wins).
The best actress Ariel Award for best actress went to veteran actor Arcelia Ramírez for her role in “La civil” as Cielo, a mother-turned–raging activist after the Mexican authorities offer no support in her search for her kidnapped teenage daughter.
“This Ariel is for the women who, unfortunately, in this country are searching for their missing children,” a visibly moved Ramírez, 55, said upon receiving the award. “I hope that Mexico moves toward a justice system that does not allow [for] even one more Cielo in this country.”
The best picture winner is a story about a rancher in northern Mexico who battles members of a drug cartel. (AMACC/X)
On the red carpet, actress Verónica Toussaint said it was “incredible that there are so many women nominated tonight” – especially for best director (four of five nominees were women) and best picture (directors of four of the five nominated films were women).
“That makes me happy and it is something historic,” said Iñárritu, 60, a four-time Oscar winner who is known for “Amores perros” (2000), “21 Grams” (2003), “Babel” (2006), “Birdman” (2014) and “The Revenant” (2015).
Though Iñárritu won the award for best director, it was a woman, Alejandra Márquez Abella, 41, who directed the best picture, “Northern Skies.” The film is based on a true story of a rancher and grandfather who tries to protect his land against a cartel.
Filmed in the states of Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, the film marked the Ariel Awards’ third straight best picture directed by a woman, following Fernanda Valadez’s “Sin señas particulars” (“No Identifying Features”) in 2021 and Tatiana Huezo’s “Noche de Fuego” (“Prayers for the Stolen”) in 2022.
The horror film “Huesera” took home the best debut feature award. (AMACC/X)
Meanwhile, director Michelle Garza Cervera, 35, and her film “Huesera” (“The Bone Woman”) triumphed in the categories of debut feature, original screenplay, makeup and special effects. Her blockbuster film is a horror story about a woman who’s been trying for some time to have a child, only to be haunted by something very creepy shortly after finding out she is pregnant.
“Huesera” can be found on Amazon Prime Video in Mexico, as can “Northern Skies Over Empty Space.” “Bardo” can be watched on Netflix and “La civil” is available on Star+.
Last November, the AMACC announced that it was in a financial crisis and that it was suspending the 2023 Ariel Awards “until further notice” – causing an uproar in Mexico’s film industry.
Film critic and former director of the National Cinematheque Leonardo García Tsao said that the López Obrador administration “has shown that it is not interested in culture, it is only interested in baseball.” Filmmaker and six-time Ariel Award winner Guillermo del Toro decried the “systematic destruction” of the Mexican film industry in a Twitter post last year that was retweeted by nearly 24,000 people.
However, following Saturday night’s ceremony, the AMACC has announced it will seek to make the awards show a traveling affair. The state of Nuevo León, which has Monterrey as its capital city, has shown interest in hosting the 66th edition next year.
Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro, seen here with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, represented Mexico at the G20 summit this year. (Secretaría de Economía/X)
Mexican Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro was among the dignitaries who descended on New Delhi, India, last weekend for the 2023 G20 Summit, the eighteenth meeting of leaders of the world’s largest economies.
Here are five “Mexico-relevant” takeaways from the summit, which was perhaps most notable for a softening of the language used in reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the decision to admit the African Union as a 21st member.
Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro traveled to the G20 summit this year. President López Obrador has not attended any of the summits during his term. (Secretaría de Economía/X)
By not attending, AMLO (once again) showed where his priorities lie
While heavy hitters such as United States President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese Premier Li Quiang discussed global issues, President López Obrador was thousands upon thousands of kilometers away in South America, where he met with Colombian President Gustavo Petro to review the fight against drug trafficking and joined Chilean President Gabriel Boric to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of former Chilean president Salvador Allende.
Since becoming president in December 2018, AMLO has attended exactly zero G20 summits, demonstrating through his non-attendance that he – as he often says – is squarely focused on issues at home.
The president – who frequently asserts that “the best foreign policy is domestic policy” – showed this year that he is more interested in regional issues (such as migration flows, the drug trafficking problem and possible economic integration) than global ones.
U.S. President Joe Biden, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and South Africa’s President Cyrus Ramaphosa were some of the world leaders in attendance at the summit. (The White House/X)
In fact, during his presidency, López Obrador has only traveled abroad to other Western Hemisphere nations.
Another factor in his decision to skip this year’s G20 summit, and many previous meetings of world leaders held outside Mexico, may be his stated dislike for lengthy air travel.
Buenrostro is a highly trusted member of cabinet (and well placed to promote Mexico as a nearshoring destination)
Former foreign affairs minister Marcelo Ebrard – currently licking his wounds after his presidential ambitions were greatly diminished if not entirely quashed when Claudia Sheinbaum was announced as the ruling Morena party’s candidate – represented López Obrador (and Mexico) at previous G20 summits and numerous other meetings of world leaders.
Buenrostro is a key member of López Obrador’s cabinet and has been prominent in advocating for nearshoring investment in Mexico. (Secretaría de Economía/X)
With his successor, Alicia Bárcena, in South America with AMLO, Economy Minister Buenrostro was assigned the not insignificant task of leading Mexico’s delegation to the Republic of India.
The decision to send Buenrostro to India is an indication of her high standing in the López Obrador administration and could also be linked to her suitability to selling Mexico as a destination for foreign investment.
During the G20, the economy minister participated in a meeting with the leaders of the MIKTA (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey, Australia) group and spoke about the need to support each other to “take advantage of the relocation phenomenon,” according to an Economy Ministry post on the X social media site.
While the G20 summit isn’t an investment forum, having one of the government’s top nearshoring advocates talking to world leaders about the advantages Mexico can offer to foreign companies is not inconsequential.
It’s worth remembering that Buenrostro previously headed up the federal tax agency SAT and thus knows the tax system – and the tax incentives on offer in certain parts of the country – inside out.
Mexico raised issues that are directly relevant to the lives of Mexicans
According to a joint statement issued by the Economy Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mexico at the G20 Summit “achieved the inclusion of priority issues”, including:
The fight against poverty and inequality.
Inclusive development, with gender equality as a cross-cutting theme.
The fight against trafficking in small arms and light weapons and against international illicit drug chains.
The promotion of safe and regular migration.
Increased cooperation to eradicate the trafficking of cultural property and the appropriation of the living cultural heritage of indigenous peoples.
Poverty, gender inequality, violence perpetrated with firearms smuggled into the country and migration are among the most pressing issues Mexico faces today, affecting tens of millions of Mexicans in myriad direct and indirect ways.
Mexico highlighted the issues of poverty, migration and illegal trafficking of weapons at the summit. (SRE/X)
Their inclusion on an agenda for a meeting of the world’s most powerful countries – in addition to issues such as the war in Ukraine and climate change – will always be better than non-inclusion.
Mexico’s large economy gives it access to an exclusive club
The G20, of course, is a group made up of the world’s largest economies. Mexico qualifies as the world’s 14th largest economy with GDP of approximately US $1.4 trillion in 2021, according to the World Bank.
As one of the developing countries within the G20, Mexico has an enviable opportunity to advocate for the global south, and took advantage of it in New Delhi.
In addition to the issues cited above, Buenrostro “highlighted the importance of eliminating debt for poor countries and ensuring that middle-income nations [can] get loans at the same interest rates as developed countries,” according to an Economy Ministry (SE) statement.
Membership in the G20 also gives Mexico an opportunity to sell itself on the world stage – and not just as a destination for investment.
In New Delhi, Buenrostro touted the government’s employment/reforestation scheme called Sembrando Vida (Sowing Life) and outlined progress the López Obrador administration has made in combating poverty and corruption.
While AMLO was absent, world leaders in India last weekend at least heard about the priorities his government is pursuing.
A fashion faux pas?
Buenrostro’s choice of footwear during her first G20 appearance – black Crocs – was a hot topic among Mexican social media users over the weekend.
“It’s an embarrassment,” journalist Carlos Lara Moreno wrote on X.
Claudia Villegas, another journalist, posted a photo to X that showed that another person at the same New Delhi event was also wearing Crocs.
The shoes Buenrostro wore at her first appearance at the G20 drew attention from media back home. (G20/X)
“Strange, isn’t it? Could it be that they [both] left their shoes [at the entrance] as an act of respect? In India, footwear used outside is considered dirty and impure and is always removed before entering a home. … The same can be said for temples and other places considered sacred,” she wrote.
The government, as of Monday evening, hadn’t made an official comment on “Crocgate,” which may have received more coverage in the Mexican media than the G20 Summit itself.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
Traditional rugs in Teotitlán del Valle.
(Ana Luisa Gamboa/ Unsplash)
A long history of Zapotec weaving
Zapotec weaving is an ancient art form that has been passed down from generation to generation for more than 2,000 years. The Zapotec civilization arose in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca in the 6th century BCE, building great cities like Monte Albán and Mitla. Roughly 400,000 Zapotecs — who call themselves Ben’Zaa, the Cloud People — live in Mexico today. As their ancestors did, modern Zapotecs use weaving as a way to preserve their traditions, history, stories and spiritual beliefs.
Luis Ruiz explains the symbolism behind this traditional-themed Zapotec rug. In the middle is the Eye of God. Above and below the Eye of God is the Greca (Greek) design which represents the Cycle of Life.
One of the oldest weaving tools used by Indigenous people is the backstrap loom, which is used by attaching one end to a tree or post and wrapping the other end around the waist. The weaver sways their body back and forth to change the tension in the threads. Without wool-yielding domestic animals, Mesoamerican weavers made textiles with plant fibers and cotton and traditionally only men were allowed to weave in the Zapotec culture.
During the height of the Zapotec civilization, the people of Teotitlán del Valle in Oaxaca were already known for their weaving. Their woven items were considered so valuable that it is said the Mexica Emperor Moctezuma II extracted an annual tribute of 2,000 blankets and 40 pounds of dried cochineal insects— used to make carmine dye —annually from each of the seven cities he ruled.
In the 16th century, the Spanish conquistadores brought sheep and the pedal loom to Mexico and Zapotecs began using sheep’s wool in their rugs. Male weavers transitioned to the pedal loom, which requires more strength, while women filled other roles in the process: preparing wool, spinning wool into yarn, and dyeing yarn. Eventually, Zapotec women began using the backstrap loom for weaving while men wove more oversized rugs on pedal looms. In the last 60 years, women have become around 80% of backstrap weavers while roughly 75% of weavers using the pedal loom are men.
Today’s Zapotec weaving process and materials
Luis demonstrates the weaving process. The spindles of multi-colored yarn are passed through vertical threads to create the design. Each spindle represents a different color used in weaving the rug.
To learn more about the process and symbolism of Zapotec weaving, I sat down with my friend Luis Ruiz, a fifth-generation Zapotec weaver from Teotitlán del Valle. All 16 members of his family are weavers and still live in Teotitlán, where 80% of residents make their living from weaving. Luis has been a weaver for more than 21 years; his grandfather taught him how to weave at the age of three or four.
Ruiz’s large loom sits prominently in Legado Zapoteco, the small Oaxacan shop in Mazatlán’s Historic Center where he sells his rugs (called tapetes) along with artisanal work produced by several other families. Each family specializes in certain handcrafts like tinwork, black pottery and blankets, and together they form their own co-op.
Ruiz shows me the spindles of different colored yarn he is using in the rug he is currently weaving and demonstrates how to pass them horizontally through the vertical yarn to create designs while using the two floor pedals to change the tension of the threads.
The process of weaving is time-consuming and labor-intensive, Ruiz tells me: “It takes me two weeks to make a simple traditional rug but it can take a month or two to make more complicated designs or custom orders.” There is also the work that takes place before the actual weaving process: sheep, yak and alpaca wool is brushed with paddles and prongs to eliminate any debris and make the fibers lie in the same direction. The wool is then spun into yarn using a spinning wheel. “Each step of the process is typically completed by a different family,” Ruiz says. “Some families clean the wool which another family will spin into yarn. Then it goes to a family that specializes in the dyeing process,” he adds.
The dyes are organic, made from materials including tree moss, pomegranate skins, marigold, madrone bark, West Indian indigo and cochineal, a tiny insect that looks like white fuzz when found on nopal cacti leaves. The female cochineal excretes an acid that produces a deep crimson color, which has made it a hot commodity for centuries as a dye. According to Ruiz, “Some weavers mix their own dye color combinations and have specific colors that identify their rugs. No one else can reproduce that color because weavers don’t share their techniques or their secret dye recipe for the colors they create.”
Symbolism and meaning of Zapotec rugs
Traditional Zapotec rugs share common themes and symbols. Geometric pyramids represent the ancient political and economic center of Monte Albán. The zig-zag pattern represents lightning, which is connected to Cocijo, the Zapotec god of lightning and rain.
Dried cochinilla is used to make the deep crimson color used in traditional rugs.
Ruiz explains the design of a traditional Zapotec rug: “The Geometric spiral called Greca (Greek) reflects the cycle of life according to the Zapotec cosmic vision and can be found on Zapotec pyramids. This theme always has four lines or levels starting at the bottom they symbolize birth and childhood, teenage years, and adulthood, and the top line which is the longest is old age. That line is the longest because at that point you have attained wisdom and know how to appreciate the time you have left. Next is a hooked part of the spiral which is death.”
Arrows are part of some themes due to their importance for hunting and warfare. Stars are the eyes of the gods expressing love to those on Mother Earth. Fish represent abundance and are typically arranged in a vertical line. The bottom fish represents the past and has an eye. If the fish at the top, which represents the future, does not have an eye, that means the weaver is still living.
The Eye of God, very prevalent in many rugs, symbolizes the power of seeing and understanding the unseen. The Eye of God is placed inside a diamond. The top half represents the sky or heaven, the bottom half is hell. If you cover the bottom half of the diamond, you can see a pyramid and the bottom half is a horizontal reflection of the pyramid symbolizing a mirror that reflects our inner life. The Eye of God is sometimes placed inside a rectangle representing the entrance to the spirit world and a sacred place of spirituality.
Zapotec weaving is a very spiritual and personal journey for weavers connecting them to their ancestors, beliefs and inner self. Like many of his generation, Luis sees himself as an artist. The older generation of weavers describe themselves as artisans.
Luis explains his artwork, “Making a rug is very special for me, not only because it is exciting to see the combinations and designs that you can create and the satisfaction of seeing the finished piece, but it also takes a lot of patience and time. During the time weaving the rug we, as weavers, impregnate the rug with our feelings: happiness, sadness, frustration, anger. When we finish a rug, it fills us with joy and it excites us when someone buys it because they not only have a unique piece made by hand, but they also have a little piece of our feelings and time.”
Sheryl Losser is a former public relations executive and professional researcher. She spent 45 years in national politics in the United States. She moved to Mazatlán in 2021 and works part-time doing freelance research and writing.
