Mexico City pueblo is the proud home of the rare chile chicuarote

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May 23, 2023

Most people who hear chile chicuarote won’t know what it refers to; a few may think it’s the full title to the movie by Gael García Bernal.

But chile chicuarote is a small, spicy chile endemic to the Valley of Mexico and one that’s virtually unknown outside of San Gregorio Atlapulco, a pueblo originario in the Xochimilco borough of Mexico City.

Residents of that pueblo are so enamored with this chile, in fact, that they proudly call themselves chicuarotes.

Pueblos originarios like San Gregorio Atlapulco get the designation by the government for having maintained their indigenous traditions. In San Gregorio, that means yearly processions, pilgrimages and fiestas — lots of fiestas — most of them featuring traditional dancers and concheros, traditional musicians.

It also means making salsas with their beloved chile chicuarote.

“The Nahuatl name was chicualoni,” said Javier Márquez Juárez, who has studied and written about San Gregorio’s pre-Hispanic history. “Chi means chile and cualoni means ‘good flavor’ or ‘agreeable spice.’

San Gregorio Atlapulco resident and farmer Ernesto García Zeferino with chile chicuarote plants still in their chapines.

“The fresh chile is green, although when more mature, it turns red. The dried chile is also red and is called chilcostli … It is spicier than the green.”

However, he said the chile wasn’t too picoso (spicy), and Erendira González, another chicuarote, described it as “sweet and spicy.”

Márquez told me that chile chicuarote have only ever been planted in the Valley of Mexico. “They were grown mostly in San Gregorio, Xochimilco, Milpa Alta and Tlahuac. Now, they’re only planted in San Gregorio, where fewer than 10 people plant it.”

All 10 are chinamperos, the name given to people who work the ancient agricultural area in San Gregorio — known as the chinampería.

The chinampería consists of manmade islands — called chinampas — crisscrossed by canals carrying water to the land. There’s evidence that chinampas were first built around 5,000 years ago.

The ones in San Gregorio are probably 1,500 to 2,000 years old. San Gregorio is one of only three towns in which the chinampería is still actively farmed.

Chinamperos in San Gregorio Atlapulco — Chinamperos, people who farm the ancient man-made islands in San Gregorio, put seeds into traditional chapines.

Ernesto García Zeferino is one of the 10 chinamperos who still plant the chile chicuarote. He grows it on chinampas that have belonged to his family for close to 150 years.

“I am the fifth generation in my family to grow this chile,” he said proudly. “My abuelo said it was their daily food. Because they were poor, they ate what they grew.”

He said that he’s one of 40 grandchildren, and the only one to work in the chinampería.

In March, García put several chile seeds into dozens of small mud squares called chapines. In May, the plants were big enough to be placed in the chinampa. I went with him as he headed to his land to do the plantings.

García carried a tray of chile plants to his chinampa, knelt on the ground, and dug a small hole.

“It is important to put more than one plant in a hole,” he said. “If there is only one, it will not produce many chiles. With more plants, there are more chiles.”

He used his hand to measure the distance to the next hole — 1.5 hand widths, about 10 inches, is the right spacing, he says. More plants went into that hole. He continued this process until the end of a row, something that took about 40 minutes.

When finished, he’ll have four long rows of chile chicuarote planted. He estimates that he’ll put about 1,000 chile plants into the ground.

The chile is usually available fresh only in July and August, although the harvest can sometimes stretch into late September. Márquez said that it isn’t popular outside of San Gregorio.

“There is really no market for it. It is a local product. Chinamperos plant lettuce and other things because they can sell [that] anywhere.”

Juan Serralde, another chinampero who grows the chile, said that peoples’ tastes have changed.

Chinampero farmers in San Gregorio Atlapulco, Mexico City — García using his hand to space the chile plants.

“Before, our ancestors ate a lot of chile chicuarote. Now there are other chiles available, like chile poblano, chile de arbol, jalapeños. Those are found everywhere in Mexico. Chile chicuarote is only grown here in San Gregorio. It is not as popular as other chiles because it is not considered modern.”

“People have changed their way of eating,” he said. “They eat hamburgers.”

Chile chicuarote may not be popular, or even known, outside of San Gregorio, but it still has a big role here in the pueblo’s cuisine.

“It is important to save this chile because it is part of the traditional food here,” said Márquez. “Also, it is part of the pueblo’s identity. It is used in mich mole, chile atole, all of the green salsas.”

As with virtually all traditional foods, every home in San Gregorio has a special recipe using chile chicuarote.

Márquez insisted that all you need to make a delicious salsa was about half a kilo of tomatoes and a small handful of chopped fresh or dried chiles (remove the seeds for less heat). The recipe preferred by Gonzalez and her husband Ari Castro Galicia had more ingredients.

While Márquez uses both fresh and dried chicuarotes, Gonzalez and Castro only use fresh ones.

“First, heat the chiles on a comal [a sort of Mexican griddle used daily in Mexican homes],” said Gonzalez. “Then put them in a plastic bag for several minutes. Peel the skin, remove the seeds and tear up the chile. Chop the tomatoes, add onion, garlic, cilantro, lime and salt.”

Although people are happy to give you their recipe, no one can tell you exactly how much of each ingredient to use. When asked, Gonzalez said, “A su gusto [to your taste].”

Los Chicuas

Watch this video on YouTube

San Gregorio’s chicuarote chile farmers are the subject of the short documentary, “Las Chicuas,” which you can view for free on YouTube.

Once you adjust the recipe to your taste, Castro said, “Put some in a cheese or chicharron taco.” It also goes well on sopes.

So why did San Gregorio’s residents become known as chicuarotes? There are several explanations that can be found online. One is that the chile is known to be hard and resilient, like the pueblo’s residents.

But, said Castro, “Nobody really knows why we are called chicuarotes. Chicuarote is synomous with ‘terco,’ which means ‘stubborn.’”

When asked if people from San Gregorio were stubborn, he didn’t hesitate.

“Si,” he admitted. “We are tercos.”

Joseph Sorrentino, a writer, photographer and author of the book San Gregorio Atlapulco: Cosmvisiones and of Stinky Island Tales: Some Stories from an Italian-American Childhood, is a regular contributor to Mexico News Daily. More examples of his photographs and links to other articles may be found at www.sorrentinophotography.com He currently lives in Chipilo, Puebla.

This prolific Mexican inventor was also once Public Enemy No. 1

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Sheryl Losser

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May 23, 2023

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Mexican inventor Victor Ochoa — Victor Ochoa was one of Mexico's prolific inventors. He was also a staunch opponent of dictator Porfirio Diaz. (Smithsonian)

Although their names may not be well known outside of Mexico, many Mexicans have been instrumental in the creation of inventions that have changed lives around the world. These developments in medicine, technology and aeronautics are often believed to have originated in other countries but were in fact invented by people from Mexico.

Chemist Luis Miramontes was still a college student at Mexico’s Syntex Corporation that discovered how to synthesize the synthetic hormone norethisterone, paving the way to the creation of the world’s first oral contraceptive pill. Guillermo González Camarena was just 23 years old when in 1940 he received the world’s first patent for a color television system.

Luis Miramontes in a lab — Luis Miramontes, a Mexican scientist and one of the inventors of the contraceptive pill. (Wikimedia)

But perhaps the most fascinating and prolific Mexican inventor was Victor Ochoa. A multifaceted character, Ochoa was by turns an inventor, revolutionary, journalist, union organizer, miner, business owner and a fugitive from the law in both Mexico and the United States.

Ochoa was born in Ojinaga, Chihuahua in Mexico but was raised in El Paso, Texas. In 1889 he obtained U.S. citizenship and began a life of political and social activism. In 1891, he held a meeting where he delivered a speech about the need for self-protection and fair wages to a group of 300 Mexicans living in El Paso. At the same time, he helped organize La Unión Occidental Mexicana to preserve Spanish as a language and promote cooperation and support among the Mexican community.

When he discovered that Mexican President Porfirio Díaz had ordered the confiscation of land owned by his family in Chihuahua, Ochoa became a revolutionary. Believing the Porfirio Díaz regime to be a monarchy, Ochoa decided that Díaz needed to be overthrown.

Ochoa organized his own army of several hundred Mexicans living in El Paso and led what may have been the earliest uprising against Díaz. He and his men would go back and forth between El Paso and Chihuahua, attacking federal soldiers. On one of their raids, he and his rebels were ambushed by Díaz’s army, who killed most of his men and arrested Ochoa.

Mexican inventor and revolutionary Victor Ochoa — Victor Ochoa photographed in the late 19th century, when he was not only coming up with inventions but also leading rebel activity against Mexico’s dictator Porfirio Díaz. (Smithsonian)

Historians believe that he escaped by stealing a military uniform. Ironically, however, Diaz’s soldiers mistook him for a deserter and chased him for 300 treacherous miles through the mountains until he finally eluded them.

Díaz offered a $50,000 peso reward for Ochoa’s capture, dead or alive. Evading bounty hunters, Ochoa took refuge in Fort Stockton, Texas, but was eventually arrested by American authorities for violating U.S. neutrality laws. He got himself acquitted and returned to the border to resume his insurgent activities.

Although he was continuously on the run, evading arrest on both sides of the Rio Grande, Ochoa declared to the U.S. press that he would continue his efforts to overthrow Díaz and fight for the rights of the Mexican people.

Ochoa was arrested once again in 1895 by the Texas Rangers for violating federal neutrality laws. He was sentenced to 2½ years in the Kings County Penitentiary in Brooklyn, New York, and lost his U.S. citizenship.

Díaz insisted he be extradited to Mexico, but President Grover Cleveland refused. During his incarceration, Ochoa began his career as an inventor, sketching his ideas on pieces of paper.

Pliers — Ochoa’s patented “clincher plyers.” (Smithsonian)

After his release, Ochoa spread rumors of his own death to throw off bounty hunters and settled down with his family in New Jersey to begin transforming his sketches into actual inventions.

Among them were an adjustable wrench which he called “clincher plyers”; the reversible motor; a magnetic brake for streetcars, which he sold to the American Brake Company; a fountain pen design, which he sold to the Waterman Company; and a pen design featuring a pocket clip that he sold to the American Pen and Pencil Company. The windmill he designed created enough electricity to light a house.

But the star of his inventions was one of the earliest aircraft prototypes, what he called a collapsible monoplane, or the Ochoa Plane — a glider with folding wings that he mounted on two bicycle frames. To develop his inventions, Ochoa founded the International Airship Company and the Ochoa Tool & Machine Company.

On February 15, 1906, years after his release from prison, his friend U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt granted his application for a pardon and restored his American citizenship. Ochoa continued to monitor political developments in Mexico from New Jersey. One day, however, he suddenly disappeared, leaving behind his inventions.

A flying machine from Victor Ochoa — One of Ochoa’s flying machines, with foldable wings. (Smithsonian)

He had returned to El Paso to continue his political activities, combining them with journalism; he founded two newspapers, El Hispano-Americano and El Correo del Bravo. Documents from the archives at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian show that Ochoa was incarcerated again at the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, on February 18, 1917, and released on May 1, 1918.

While in Leavenworth, Ochoa continued to market his inventions, even writing the Navy to suggest that they use his Ornithopter as a prototype for designing airplanes.

Ochoa was also a miner, acquiring two gold mines in Sonora. He went into a business partnership on the mines with two men who offered to help him enlarge his gold mine production. They later double-crossed him, stealing all his gold and horses and leaving him to die in the desert.

According to interviews given by his son Stephen Ochoa, in 1936, his father was walking down the street in El Paso with the police chief when he saw his two former business partners coming toward him; they drew their guns. Ochoa was unarmed but grabbed the chief’s gun and killed them both.

Two men holding a prototype aircraft with a bicycle frame, another of Ochoa’s inventions. (Smithsonian)

Ochoa was once again brought before a judge, who determined that the shootings were justified but told Ochoa that given that the two dead men were from influential families, it might be best if Ochoa returned to Mexico. Ochoa took the judge’s advice and moved to Sonora in 1936.

Between 1901 and 1922, Ochoa was a prodigious inventor, even while leading an uprising, evading the law and being incarcerated. In addition to his patents in the United States and Mexico, he received patents in nine other countries.

This remarkable man is believed to have died in 1945 in Sonora with his wife Amanda Cole — granddaughter of painter Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School for artists — at his side.

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.

AMLO responds to reports a senior official was victim of espionage

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MND Staff

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May 23, 2023

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The president looks on as Deputy Interior Minister Alejandro Encinas, head of the Ayotzinapa truth commission, speaks on Thursday. — Deputy Interior Minister Alejandro Encinas, head of the Ayotzinapa truth commission, has investigated the military's involvement in the 2014 student massacre and disappearance. Daniel Augusto / Cuartoscuro.com

President López Obrador on Tuesday responded to a media report that claimed that Deputy Interior Minister Alejandro Encinas has been a victim of espionage.

The New York Times reported Monday that the deputy interior minister for human rights, population and migration has been spied on repeatedly with the Israeli-developed Pegasus spyware system, which can infiltrate and extract information from cell phones.

AMLO press conference — AMLO said his government – unlike previous administrations, such as under ex-security minister Genaro García Luna (pictured) during the Calderón presidency – has not spied on anyone. (Cuartoscuro)

The newspaper cited unnamed people who spoke to Encinas about the hack as well as a forensic analysis conducted by the University of Toronto-based Citizen Lab, which has researched and reported on the use of Pegasus in Mexico.

The Times said there is “no definitive proof” which government agency used Pegasus to infiltrate Encinas’ phone, but added that “the military is the only entity in Mexico that has access to the spyware, according to five people familiar with the contracts.”

Encinas has accused the military of involvement in the abduction and presumed murder of 43 students in Guerrero in 2014, and declared bluntly earlier this year that five men killed in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas were “executed” by soldiers.

The Times said that the deputy minister “has been one of the few people willing to criticize the military from inside” López Obrador’s government.

General Jose Rodriguez Perez, accused of ordering killing of Ayotzinapa students — Retired general José Rodríguez Pérez was one of the members of the military implicated in the investigation into the Ayotzinapa case by Deputy Interior Minister Encinas. (Sedena)

Asked about the newspaper’s report at his morning press conference, the president said that Encinas had spoken to him about the espionage allegation, and that he told him to not “attach importance” to it because “there was no intention [of the government] to spy on anyone.”

López Obrador said he didn’t know whether Encinas had actually been spied on before repeating his assertion that his government doesn’t spy on anyone, a claim at odds with an investigation published late last year that found that the Defense Ministry (Sedena) used Pegasus spyware against journalists and human rights defenders in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

The president acknowledged that Encinas told him that he had “probably” been a victim of espionage.

“By who? … It’s not known. … What we have to be very conscious of is that nobody should be spied on; that was done before in the time of [former security minister and convicted drug trafficker Genaro] García Luna, when The New York Times and The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal … said nothing and the media outlets in Mexico even less,” López Obrador said.

Tomás Zerón (left), is wanted in connection with the Ayotzinapa case as well as the purchase of Pegasus spyware. Here Zerón is pictured with former attorney general Jesús Murillo Karam, who was detained in August. (Gob MX)

The president, who has allocated a wide range of non-traditional tasks to the military during his 4 1/2 years in office, said that the claim Encinas was spied on wouldn’t be investigated simply because “we don’t spy” and “we’re not the same” as previous governments.

“We don’t torture and in this government there are no massacres [by federal security forces] as there previously were, and human rights are respected,” López Obrador said.

The publication of The New York Times report came a week after the Federal Attorney General’s Office announced that it is prosecuting the former head of the now-defunct Criminal Investigation Agency, Tomás Zerón, and three other ex-officials in connection with the “illegal” purchase of the Pegasus spyware system in 2014.

The Centro Prodh human rights organization said on Twitter Tuesday that it was regrettable that López Obrador was “playing down espionage that his administration carries out against human rights defenders, journalists and … even the deputy minister for human rights.”

“… Everything points to the army being behind the current use of Pegasus. Our solidarity with … Alejandro Encinas and his team. The attacks against him show that his human rights work has faced internal obstacles,” the organization said.

The Mexico branch of press freedom advocacy organization Article 19 said there is “ample evidence” that the army has used Pegasus against human rights activists and journalists, and described López Obrador’s refusal to investigate the armed forces in light of The New York Times report as “regrettable.”

“We condemn that the government maintains complicit silence about military espionage, hides information about the acquisition of Pegasus and covers up its illegal use by the Military Intelligence Center,” Article 19 MX said in another tweet.

Eduardo Bohórquez, head of the Mexican chapter of international nonprofit organization Transparency International, told The Times that “if someone as close to the president as Alejandro Encinas is targeted, it’s clear there’s no democratic control over the spy tool.”

“There’s no checks and balances,” he added. “The military is a superpower with zero democratic oversight.”

Mexico News Daily

Mexico’s farmers seek government help as grain prices fall

By

Cat Rainsford

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May 23, 2023

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A Mexican farmer shows fertilizer to the camera — Many farmers have raised the alarm that the collapse in the price of grain leaves them at risk of ruin in 2023 and threatens the Mexican economy by significantly raising the cost of basic foodstuffs. (Juan Pablo Zamora/Sader/Cuartoscuro)

Farmers across Mexico are demanding the government raise the guaranteed minimum price of grain, arguing that falling prices are threatening their livelihoods.

Representatives met on Friday with Interior Minister Adán Augusto López to request a guaranteed price of 7,000 pesos (US $390) per ton of corn, and 8,000 pesos (US $445) per ton of wheat.

A worker at a Segalmex factory. — Segalmex is intended to help farmers with low annual yields to turn a profit, though many farmers say the guaranteed prices are currently too low for many farmers to operate. (Segalmex)

“We’re not expecting big responses because we don’t see the will of the president or officials to address this serious problem,” Heraclio Rodríguez, a farmer from Chihuahua, told the newspaper El Sol de México.

“They think that because we harvest 500 tons of corn, we’re rich, but no, we are very indebted.”

The farmer said that if an agreement was not reached, farmers would return to demonstrations and consider blockading ports, offices and bridges.

Grain producers from the northern states of Sinaloa, Sonora and Baja California have already spent much of May protesting in support of higher prices, including blockading three Pemex plants in Sinaloa, the offices of the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry in Sonora and the Puente Colorado Bridge in Baja California.

Corn farmer in Mexico — Global grain prices have dropped more than 50% over the last 18 months in large part due to a deal allowing grain to be exported from Ukrainian ports in order to preserve food security. (Dreamstime)

The government food security program Segalmex currently guarantees prices of 6,805 pesos (US $380) per ton of corn and 7,480 pesos (US $415) per ton of wheat but only to small farmers with no more than five hectares of seasonal crops.

In early May, the Rural Development and Conservation Commission recommended the minimum price be raised, in line with farmers’ demands, to protect their investments against the volatility of grain prices.

A new Segalmex program was launched in May to buy a million tons of white corn directly from farmers in Sinaloa at 6,965 pesos (US $390) per ton, but the scheme is open only to those with 10 hectares or less of crops.

Global grain prices have dropped more than 50% over the last 18 months — from an all-time high in March 2022 — largely thanks to a deal allowing grain to be exported from Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea. Although the deal was crucial for global food security, these large fluctuations have undermined farmers’ ability to plan their finances.

Analysts have warned that the current market price for grain in Mexico will leave many farmers unable to recoup their investment in this year’s production. This would have a severe impact on an industry that contributes around 166 billion pesos (US $9.24 billion) a year to the Mexican economy.

It could also potentially threaten next year’s production.

tortillas for sale in Mexico City — Corn is a staple of the Mexican diet, consumed in large part via tortillas. Experts predict if farmers go bankrupt, the price of tortillas could reach 50 pesos per kilo next year. According to the Economy Ministry, the average national price in May was about 22 pesos per kilo. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)

“It’s something we can’t stand for,” Marte Nicolás Vega Román, president of the Confederation of Agricultural Associations of Sinaloa State (CAADES) told El Economista newspaper, warning that many farmers are now relying on credit to bring in their harvest.

“We producers would go totally bankrupt, and a domino effect would be generated.”

The problem is particularly acute in Sinaloa state — Mexico’s largest corn producer, where agriculture makes up 11.9% of the economy. Also hard hit is Sonora, which produces more than 50% of Mexico’s wheat.

But analysts warn the grain crisis could have ripple effects throughout the Mexican economy — undermining food sovereignty, lowering demand for other goods and accelerating food price inflation.

“If the corn producers of this region go bust, next year we’ll see kilos of tortillas at 40 or 45 pesos in Mexico City,” food price analyst Samuel Sarmiento Gámez told El Economista newspaper.

That would be about double the current average national price per kilo for tortillas, currently selling for around 22 pesos, according to the Economy Ministry.

Sarmiento recalled that last year, grain producers responded to a plea from the federal government to raise production to counter inflation.

“The problem is that now, the federal government is stepping aside,” he said.

With reports from El Economista, El Sol de México and La Jornada

Mexican wine is highest scoring white at global wine competition

By

Cat Rainsford

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May 23, 2023

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52897620096_bda4cf467a_c — Wines at the CMB are blind tasted and scored by a team of international judges. (CMB)

A Mexican white wine has been crowned the highest-scoring “international revelation” at the thirtieth Concours Mondiale de Bruxelles (CMB), a prestigious international wine contest held this year from 12-14 May in Poreč, Croatia.

The winning wine – Cenzontle Blanco 2019 – is produced in Valle de Guadalupe by enologist Jesús Rivera, for Finca El Empecinado. It is made with grapes from Baja California and aged in French oak barrels.

It was awarded the highest score in its category out of 7,504 competitors from 50 countries, after a blind tasting by 304 judges.

The wine is described as a medium-bodied fusion of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Palomino, with aromas of pineapple, green apple, peach, mandarin, guayaba and notes of butter. It is a canary yellow color with golden flecks.

This is Rivera’s third prize-winning entry at the CMB, after his first winning white in 2016, followed by a red in 2019. He is the first competitor in CMB history to win the contest’s highest award with both a red and a white wine.

A total of 85 Mexican wines were given medals at the awards. Besides Cenzontle Blanco 2019, other winners of the highest Grand Gold medal were the Vino Santo Domingo 2017, another Baja California wine, and Tres Raíces Pinot Noir 2021, from Guanajuato.

Next year’s CMB will be held from June 7-9 in Guanajuato, Mexico. It will be the first time the competition has been held in the Americas.

With reports from Reforma

A corner of Belgium in Mexico: Meet Marie and Paul

By

Henrietta Weekes

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May 23, 2023

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Waffles de Paul — The tiny shop offers authentic Belgian delicacies including waffles and chocolate. (Courtesy)

Charm. Quality. Family. Authenticity. These are the words that sprang to mind when I walked through the little door at Mesones 56 in San Miguel de Allende’s historic center, and into Los Waffles de Paul.

This utterly delightful mother and son team from Belgium – Marie Pascale-Gérard and Paul – make a mean waffle. And I mean, melt in your mouth, like I’ve never tasted before, waffle. There are hundreds of interesting eateries now in San Miguel de Allende, but this menu is unique and delectable, including not just signature Belgian waffles, but also chocolat chaud, chocolate mousse, sweet coffee and chouquette. As you will learn in the interview below, they are just getting started!

How did you get here, Marie?

Back in my day in Belgium, one went away for a year at age 18 to gain life experience. My father had been captivated by some Mexicans he’d met, and suggested Mexico, so I said, why not?

I ended up in Celaya, with three host families, and had the adventure of my life. I fell in love with Mexico.

I studied law back in Belgium, got married, had three kids, became obsessed with food and cooking, then moved to NY, then Montreal and Geneva, and yet I always had this yearning for Mexico.

Well, now my youngest is 20 years old. He’s full of creativity, but he suffers from dysphasia (a language disorder) – and that’s a hard path, especially in Europe – so we decided last year to invent a new life. I set my mind to return to Mexico, where it’s warm and happy, where I feel something truly different is possible, by 2023. And I decided to build a business. Something my son could create. Something unique to us, that could continue into the future as a family legacy.

Why San Miguel de Allende?

I visited San Miguel in the late ’80s, when I was living in Celaya. It was different then, the expat scene – just bohemians, art, fun. I remember there was a fantastic nightclub! And going home in the wee hours of the morning…

When I first had this idea to move somewhere new with my son, San Miguel struck me as the ideal place for a small, family business. It’s beautiful, historical, large enough to be “happening”, small enough to have a close-knit community.

The cathedral in San Miguel de Allende — San Miguel de Allende is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Mexico’s most well-known colonial cities. (Miranda Garside / Unsplash)

Brussels and Montreal are such international cities, and New York is New York, but San Miguel is really a mecca for young families, entrepreneurs, dreamers. It’s easy to integrate here; the Mexicans are generous, curious, and it feels like there’s room for everyone – if you make an effort to fit in and learn the language too!

Marie, tell me about these waffles. Why have I never tasted a waffle like this?

These are real Belgian waffles! We make a Liège waffle. There are two traditional kinds of waffles from Brussels and this is the street version. It’s therefore round, not rectangular.

We have the authentic mix shipped to Mexico, and delivered here by truck. We’re playing with the Belgian clichés – waffles and chocolate – the mousse, the spread, the hot chocolate, the chouquette (an empty profiterole with pearl sugar on top).

Our story and where we’re from is what makes us, and brings authenticity to our business. In fact, our family business back home, Couplet Sugars, is one of the most successful sugar companies (selling to Kellogg’s now). The sugar comes from the white beet, not sugarcane, and we invented pearl sugar. It’s a different sweetness, and the pearls don’t melt! So that’s the crunch you get. Our business is our story, and that’s why I’ve put up our family photos going back six generations.

Liege waffles — Authentic Liège waffles and pearl sugar. (Courtesy)

And of course, there’s the chocolate sauce, the drinking chocolate. We use our favorite Belgian chocolate. And we sweeten our special coffee with pearl sugar too. We recently decided to name this coffee after my mother, “café Martine.”

Paul, you’re the namesake of Los Waffles de Paul. How does it all feel?

I love it! My Mum and I have set this up together from start to finish, and I’m loving getting to know all the different people here, learning Spanish, figuring out our next steps. My Mum is brimming with ideas, and she’s always been an amazing cook. We love brainstorming together.

Being a business owner here feels exciting, there’s so much possibility. Everyone responds so well to our little cafe and all the quirks. I feel at home here and yes, I want to stay!

I’m the seventh generation in a family dynasty of confectioners sugar and this seems like an original way to continue that legacy. I think our ancestors would approve of the Mexican reception so far.

By the way, my actual name is Aymeric, but my fifth name is Paul, and my Mexican “tía”, Gaby – well, my Mum’s host’s sister from her time in Celaya – said, “use that, the Mexicans will be able to say it!”

This place is so cozy – there are four chairs! Do you plan to expand?

We wanted to start right in the heart of centro histórico but we will be moving to Mercado Carmen (Pila Seca 19) by mid-June. We need the bustle!

We do like the intimacy of this place though, and we’ll have that in our new spot too. We’ve gotten to know our customers – they always return! And we meet new people from all over the world, every day. Feedback from customers inspires us to invent something new; a chocolate fondant cookie, ideas for a savory waffle. Someone recently told me the waffle was so gourmet, they wanted bubbles, a prosecco with it! Which gave us some ideas…

Chouquette at Waffles de Paul — Pearl sugar-studded chouquette at Waffles de Paul. (Courtesy)

We’ve already done some events – the waffles went down well with red wine at a KW Allende realtors event. We’d like to partner with caterers, too. I can see us at weddings, parties or a special family brunch. There is so much going on here in San Miguel! Belgian waffles offer something fun and novel.

Paul, how does this compare to being in Belgium?

I thought maybe we’d see how this went for a year or so, but I love it here. I know we can make it. The culture and the community is so friendly and open. It was hard for me back home, but this, we get to do ourselves, to pioneer our dreams. And I think the Mexican way fosters that.

I love your shirts, and what’s this measuring chart?

Oh yeah, my Mum’s artistic touch! I’ve got my white shirt with “Paul” embossed in gold, and she’s got hers; “la Mama de Paul”. And that chart? Anyone who measures taller than I am gets a free waffle!

Paul is 6 feet 2 inches tall.

Los Waffles de Paul is open 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., every day except Wednesday.

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

Quanta Computer to invest US $1B in Nuevo León

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MND Staff

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May 23, 2023

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Samuel Garcia and Quanto chief — The company has yet to provide details on how the significant investment funds will be used in Nuevo León. (Samuel García/Twitter)

Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Quanta Computer will invest US $1 billion in the northern state of Nuevo León, Governor Samuel García announced on Monday.

Quanta Computer is a Global Fortune 500 company and one of the world’s leading laptop manufacturers. Tesla, which is set to build a gigafactory in Nuevo León, is among Quanta’s clients.

Quanta Notebooks — Quanta is a Taiwanese computer manufacturer. The company is the latest in a growing line of Asian firms to nearshore in Nuevo León, which has seen significant investment in 2023. (Samuel García/Twitter)

García shared the news in a video taken at Quanta Computer’s offices in Taiwan, which he posted on Twitter, saying that the investment will create 2,500 jobs. The deal with Quanta is a result of nearshoring and of the “economic boom” Nuevo León is experiencing, he added.

“Nuevo León’s moment is now,” he later tweeted.

The Nuevo León governor stated in the video that other major Asian manufacturers would also be opening locations in his state, an opportunity he attributed to the current conflict between the United States and China.

“There’s a geopolitical issue, a conflict between the U.S. and China,” García said. “The U.S. has said everyone has to leave China and come to North America, and the big winner is Nuevo León, which is receiving 72% of nearshoring. For Nuevo León, a good year in foreign investment was US $2 billion dollars. This year, we’re aiming for $17 billion at the minimum.”

Garcia looks happy at the Quanto event — The investment was announced by García through his social media accounts. (Samuel García/Twitter)

The Economy Ministry (SE) reported strong preliminary numbers of US $18.6 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexico in the first quarter; Nuevo León was the second-largest recipient of investment (US $2.3 billion) in the first three months of the year, behind Mexico City.

Pedro Campa, Quanta’s vice president of manufacturing operations in Mexico, told Reuters that the company already has invested nearly US $500 million and hired 2,500 employees in Nuevo León.

On Monday, García also met with executives from Taiwan-based Foxconn, a major Apple supplier.

In a statement, Foxconn said that García “comprehensively introduced the environment and opportunities for electric vehicle (EV) development in his state.”

Foxconn is better known for assembling iPhones, iPads, Kindles, GoPro cameras, PlayStations and the Xbox 360.

In line with his plans to turn Nuevo León into a global electromobility hub, García tweeted on Tuesday that he wants to help with the expansion of “any company that wants to invest in electromobility, technology, innovation, science and sustainable energy.”

Last week, García announced a major investment from Kia Motors and Sungwoo Hitech, a deal he closed on the same trip to Asia.

With reports from Reuters

AMLO: government could buy Citibanamex if Grupo México pulls out

By

MND Staff

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May 23, 2023

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Only two buyers plan to submit bids for Citibanamex, which Citi Group hopes to sell. — While nothing has been stated officially, Grupo México is widely seen as the main contender to buy the Citigroup-owned Mexican bank.

President López Obrador on Tuesday suggested that the government could buy a majority stake in the bank Citibanamex if the sale to Grupo México doesn’t go ahead.

The mining and infrastructure conglomerate controlled by billionaire businessman Germán Larrea is believed to be close to finalizing a US $7 billion deal to purchase Citibanamex from the United States-based Citigroup, which announced its intention to sell in January 2022.

billionaire German Larrea — Germán Larrea is the owner of Grupo México, which is currently caught in tensions with the Mexican government after the military abruptly occupied 120 km of railroad tracks owned by the company on Friday. (Moises Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)

However, there was speculation on Monday that Grupo México wouldn’t proceed in light of the government’s takeover of part of the railroad operated by its subsidiary Ferrosur.

At his morning press conference, López Obrador displayed a tweet from a well known journalist that claimed that Larrea had decided against the purchase.

“I’m not going to pay US $7 billion for something they can take away from me tomorrow,” Larrea was quoted as saying by Dario Celis, an El Financiero columnist.

“Later it was known that it’s a lie,” López Obrador said. “But I got excited because [I thought] if he’s not going to buy it there’s a possibility to create a public-private association.”

Mexico's President Lopez Obrador — President Lopez Obrador discussing a rumor that Grupo Mexico owner Germán Larrea had decided to pull out from negotiations to buy Citibanamex, a Mexican subsidiary of Citigroup.

Asked specifically whether the government would consider buying the bank, the president responded:

“Yes, because supposing [the sale price] was $7 billion, they would have to pay about $2 billion or a bit more in taxes. So [there would be] $5 billion left [to pay] and the people of Mexico would be interested in having shares [in the bank].”

López Obrador said that the government could purchase a majority stake in Citibanamex and wouldn’t stand to lose anything because banking is a “perfect business.”

“Do you know how much the banks earned [in Mexico] last year? Two-hundred and forty billion pesos. This bank … is among those that earned the least, but it still must have earned 8 or 10 billion pesos,” he said.

With reports from Milenio, El Financiero and Reforma

FGR obtains warrants for ex-minister García Luna and 60 others

By

MND Staff

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May 23, 2023

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Pablo Gomez, head of Mexico's Finance Intelligence Unit — On Monday, Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit head Pablo Gómez shared at the president's daily press conference details about Genaro Garcia Luna's alleged collaboration with a government official who now works as a Supreme Court functionary. (Moisés Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)

The Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) announced Monday that it had obtained warrants for the arrest of former security minister Genaro García Luna and 60 other people for their alleged involvement in a 5.1-billion-peso embezzlement scheme.

García Luna, security minister during the 2006–12 government led by former president Felipe Calderón, is already in custody in the United States, where he is awaiting sentencing on drug trafficking charges following his conviction in February.

Genaro Garcia Luna, former security minister of Mexico — Former Mexico Security Minister Genaro García Luna is currently in U.S. custody awaiting sentencing there. (File photo)

The FGR said in a statement that a federal judge had issued warrants for the arrest of Genaro “G”, Jonathan Alexis “N”, Mauricio Samuel “N” and 58 other individuals, including public servants, on charges of embezzlement, operations with resources of illicit origin and organized crime.

According to an El Financiero newspaper report, two of the men mentioned by the FGR are Jonathan Alexis Weinberg and his father Mauricio Samuel Weinberg. They have an Israeli background and have operated companies in Mexico, El Financiero said.

“According to information gathered by the journalist Peniley Ramírez, the Weinberg family sold a cybersecurity program called NiceTrack to the Security Ministry through the [now-defunct] Federal Police,” the newspaper said. “This is used to trace information, intercept calls and trace the location of [cell phone] users.”

The FGR said that its investigations found that the 58 unnamed suspects colluded with García Luna “and his partners” Alexis and Mauricio Weinberg to “loot public resources” during the Calderón government from the Security Ministry department tasked with running federal prisons.

The FGR alleges that the money was funneled to public and private sector companies controlled by García Luna and “his partners and accomplices.”

The resources were diverted “through 10 illegal contracts” worth 5.1 billion pesos (US $283.5 million at today’s exchange rate), the FGR said, adding that the money was “stolen through various criminal triangulations at the international level.”

Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit head Pablo Gómez — On March 9, Financial Intelligence Unit head Pablo Gómez unveiled the details of Garcia Luna’s alleged corruption networks. (Moises Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)

The Federal Attorney General’s Office said that it has requested Interpol red notices for suspects that have fled the country and that it will seek international legal assistance “to obtain the return of assets looted from the nation.”

It highlighted that the case is separate from another “multimillion-dollar plunder” that is “also linked to companies of Genaro … [García Luna], his partners and accomplices.”

Pablo Gómez, head of the government’s Financial Intelligence Unit, spoke at President López Obrador’s morning press conference on Monday about irregular Federal Police contracts awarded to companies with links to García Luna during the Calderón government and the 2012–18 administration led by former president Enrique Peña Nieto.

He outlined various contracts that were together worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and named several former law enforcement officials who authorized them.

“All these disbursements were made to a single … conglomerate, a consortium of companies directed in the United States by Mauricio Samuel Weinberg López and Israel Livnat,” Gómez said.

“… We’re talking about a gigantic public money extraction mechanism,” he said, alleging that approximately US $700 million was stolen.

“It’s not a small amount, it’s a very large amount. The Mexican government … has gone to civil courts in the state of Florida, where a large quantity of these assets and money are located. Through a civil lawsuit, we’ll try to have all these resources returned to Mexico.”

With reports from Sin Embargo and El Financiero

Relocating to Mexico? Protect your skin from the change

By

Bethany Platanella

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May 22, 2023

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skin care — If you're a recent transplant to Mexico, you might find that the effects of relocation easily show up on your face. (Unsplash)

In 1992, the United Nations named Mexico City as the most polluted city on Earth.

Pollutants were so dense that chilangos claimed that the toxins in the air killed birds in mid-flight, causing them to literally drop dead on the sidewalk.

The outlandishly high levels of contamination were attributed to the city’s industrialization over the previous half century. Industrialization also led to subways and buses that packed people in like sardines — frustration with which led to a sizable increase of poor-quality cars on the road. A rapidly growing population encouraging constant construction didn’t help matters.

All this was compounded by the unfortunate fact that Mexico City is perched at the base of a valley, making it nearly impossible for toxic fumes to escape its bowl-shaped landscape.

Somehow, Mexico City found reasonable solutions to the problem and it’s now a rare occasion that a dead bird drops onto your dinner plate while dining al fresco along leafy calle Colima.

That doesn’t mean, however, that residents, especially those of us newer to town, can’t feel pollution’s presence.

Maybe it comes as a surprise, but pollution can prove detrimental to your skin. Dr. Andrea de Villafranca, a clinical, surgical and cosmetic dermatologist at Skulptura Clinic in the Polanco section of Mexico City, says that since the skin is our body’s first point of contact with the outside world, toxins can seep in directly and rapidly accumulate, causing everything from eruptions to wrinkles.

Pollution can also affect our skin’s health. When this happens, Villafranca says that “biochemicals can increase the production of free radicals,” which can exacerbate aging, inflammation, dryness and an increase in sebum, an oily substance produced by the sebaceous glands to protect our skin — but overproduction causes oily skin and acne, a situation that regular pollution exposure can trigger, according to some studies.

Pollution’s not the only culprit: if you’re experiencing other significant changes in altitude, food, water and weather, you might find that the effects of relocation easily show up on your face.

Dr. Regina Malo, a dermatology specialist and esthetician in Mexico City, says that the skin is very susceptible to changes in environment, humidity and temperature.

Free radicals causes — Free radicals are good for your body in moderate amounts, but exposure to pollution and other toxins can cause your body to generate too many, which can become a problem. (Stanford University)

“The higher above sea level we are, the greater the sun exposure,” she says. So we must take extra steps to care for our skin if you’re living in Mexico City or anywhere else in the country where you’re exposed to pollution and/or intense sun.

I decided to investigate my options. Firstly, I went the natural route because it’s what resonates with me the most. Mexico is home to a handful of ingredients that can be very helpful for skin, many of which have been used since ancient times.

Mathilde Thomas of the French company Caudalie says that 80% of skin aging is actually caused by free radicals, not by your number of spins around the sun.

Cosmetic chemist Ni’Kita Wilson agrees. “Free radicals attack proteins like collagen and lipids [your skin’s natural protectants],” she says.

Adriana Ruono, founder of Vervan, a natural line of Mexican-made cosmetics, claims that because maize is a source of ferulic acid — a plant-based antioxidant — it has the ability to protect against damage caused by free radicals. (That obviously translates to eating more tortillas, right?!)

She also advocates cocoa (which means I’m going out for hot chocolate!) for its flavonoids that fight sun damage and tamarind for its high vitamin C content, which makes the skin brighter and more radiant. She also uses amaranth as a moisturizing agent.

corn — Natural foods can be a great (and tasty) way to get antioxidants and other nutrients that can help your skin fight off the effects of changes in your environment. (Unsplash)

But sometimes, you just want something a bit stronger.

So I caved and found myself at the entrance to Senshi Derma Clinic in Polanco. The friendly receptionist swiftly guided me to a small room upstairs with lots of photography contraptions. Here, my photo was taken at various angles to analyze with a fancy computer program.

I wasn’t surprised to learn that a decade living in sunny Miami had contributed greatly to the demise of my once-so-smooth skin, and so I was whisked away yet again, this time to the office of one of Senshi’s in-house dermatologists.

We chatted in English about my current concerns and skin care routine before utilizing yet another contemporary gadget known as a SkinScope, invented by the popular skin care products company Skinceuticals.

The machine itself resembles the Steven Spielberg character E.T., with a large, round piece jutting forward where I could put my face and a wrinkly neck-like curtain to cover my head and block out any light. Its purpose was to use LED-UV light to uncover damage underneath my skin, like dark spots and freckles.

I was positively full of them. Mission accomplished.

I then enjoyed a 45-minute facial, bought some heavy-duty SPF moisturizer and floated out of the clinic feeling, well, normal.

My hopes had been that upon completion of my visit, I’d have visibly reduced my age from 38 to 20. It didn’t happen.

SKinscope — The popular luxury skin care products company, Skinceuticals’ proprietary Skinscope, which the author tried at a Mexico dermatologist’s office to assess her skin’s condition. (Skinceuticals)

I went home rather disappointed. Did some work. Went to yoga. Ate veggies. Went to bed.

The next morning, I woke up to the glorious sound of birds chirping outside my window. Not thinking about much aside from feeding my cat, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.

I was positively glowing.

Hm.

An hour later, I met a friend for tea. “Wow. Your skin looks great!” she beamed.

Hmm.

Mission accomplished.

Villafranca says that in order to avoid the possible negative consequences of relocation, patients should use “soap substitutes that help cleanse the skin without overdrying or irritating it.” She recommends unscented creams to hydrate the skin without exposing it to inflammation, along with a serum that contains niacinamide or vitamin C.

If you’re changing your skin care products entirely, it’s important to incorporate the new brands little by little so that your skin can adapt, she said. And like most dermatologists, she insists on the daily usage of a moisturizer with enough sun protection to fight UV rays, prevent sun spots and protect against skin cancer.

This is a regimen that I will follow, in addition to the inclusion of more corn and chocolate into my diet — because every little bit helps, right?

Bethany Platanella is a travel and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. With her company, Active Escapes International, she plans and leads private and small-group active retreats. She loves Mexico’s local markets, Mexican slang, practicing yoga and fresh tortillas. Sign up for her (almost) weekly love letters or follow her Instagram account, @a.e.i.wellness.