Two sisters are shooting to stardom in the construction and design industry

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October 4, 2023

B3A4EBE9-C6AB-4ABD-89EC-393D87CF84B7 (1) — Project Acapulco by RA diseño+arquitectura. (Courtesy)

RA diseño+arquitectura, founded by sisters Paola and Karla Rodríguez Arango, has gained recognition and industry accolades, having completed around 180 projects consisting of homes and apartments, restaurants, spas and other commercial projects for both Mexicans and foreigners. Their work has expanded from Mexico City to Puebla, Cuernavaca, Valle de Bravo, Toluca, Acapulco, Querétaro, Morelia, San Miguel de Allende, León, Guadalajara, Mérida, Tulúm, Puerto Escondido and San Luis Potosí, and always reflects the regional environment, culture and work of the local artisans. But how did this story of female success in a male-dominated environment begin?

Growing up in a creative family

Project Durango by RA diseño+arquitectura.

As children, Paola and Karla loved observing their father and grandfather, both realtors and property developers, in their work meetings. “We listened intently to their discussions with the engineers, architects and designers,” says Paola, who was always fascinated that beautiful spaces could be created out of nothing but an idea. Karla remembers their mother sharing her innate love of beauty, aesthetics and interior design with her daughters. “We grew up with a creative, witty and sensitive spirit in our family.” It made perfect sense that both girls were headed for creative careers with a myriad of options laid before them.

Breaking cultural barriers

Both sisters studied at the Universidad Iberoamericana, where Paola majored in International Relations and Karla studied Industrial Design. After receiving her MBA from the London Business School, Paola returned to Mexico to join the sales team at Random House’s Mondadori imprint. “Little did I know that this whole journey would eventually pave the path for a career in design and construction”, she says, having been greatly impacted by how France and England’s cultures influenced their public and private spaces, architecture and lifestyle.

Working in the cerebral, corporate environment of Mondadori, Paola soon realized she was missing her love of creative design. It was at that point that her father invited her to collaborate on real estate development projects in San Miguel. To solidify her change in direction, Paola furthered her studies at CENTRO Interior Architecture, in interior design.

Meanwhile, Karla focused her natural talents on studying the design potentials of materials such as wood and metal and working with shapes, silhouettes and ergonomics. She too spent time abroad, studying drawing, sculpture and photography in Florence and design at the Polytechnic Institute in Milan, culminating in a master’s degree in Visual Merchandising and Window Display. Like Paola, she believes that her international studies gifted her a unique opportunity to transcend cultural barriers and create a common language through design.

The stage was set for a synergy between the sisters, a mode of work that would see the pooling of their artistic talents and business acumen.

Design projects that won attention

When Karla returned to Mexico City, Paola’s construction venture was expanding. One of her many projects in San Miguel de Allende, Casa Zen, was featured on TV in “House Hunters International,” gaining instant credibility with a wider audience. Family and friends began asking her to design their homes, studios, short term rentals, kitchens, restaurants or offices.

Karla’s venture into furniture design and manufacturing landed her the role of Visual Presentation and Display Coordinator at Casa Palacio, Palacio de Hierro’s home goods store. From there, working with her sister was then simply an organic progression to work with her sister, as clients requested further architectural and interior design. Their company, RA diseño+arquitectura studio was founded with their first formal project in 2017. “In the beginning, we played all the office roles; client relations, project development, presentations, quotations, execution of plans, logistics, supply, installation, assembly, post-sale follow-up – you name it!” says Paola.

Karla chimes in: “Since we manufacture custom furniture, we deal with the carpenters, blacksmiths, upholstery, design materials like glass, stone, lighting fixtures and textiles. We also buy decorative items but do assembly in-house. That takes a lot of logistics, planning and coordination to deliver every project turn-key!”

The sisters have enjoyed rising to this feat of multi-tasking, logistics and planning. They say it’s their love for creativity and design, as well as a respect and care for each other and their work, that continues to evolve their exciting journey together.

Breaking the mold in a man’s world

In Mexico City, construction is an industry solidly dominated by men. “We deal with a lot of clichés and gender stereotypes where workers and clients both often assume that our projects are just a hobby, that women don’t possess this kind of technical knowledge,” Paola and Karla report. “There’s this weird attitude that our job involves images on Pinterest, rather than actually sourcing and manufacturing the design to execution, with years of prep and studies,” they continue.

Paola goodheartedly bemoans the daily challenge, adding that she organizes her days around her kids. “I was burning the midnight oil, working till 2 or 3 a.m. to work without any interruptions.” Their work involves building, remodeling, designing and manufacturing as well as running a company team as joint CEO’s and general directors. “Again, on-site, it’s interesting that the male workers take a bit of time to warm up to this fact. They see us as interior designers, they’d much rather take orders from a male architect, even if RA studios has hired him!” Paola continues. It is time to open up this field not just for women but for any young aspiring professionals.

“We have always been very empathetic and supportive of each other, we share and enjoy the demands and provocations! So working together is the icing on the cake,” Karla laughs.

Empowering women and creatives

With clients from different backgrounds, contexts and other parts of the world, the power designer sister duo implicitly understand that the space we occupy creates an ambience that influences emotions. “Creating beautiful and comfortable spaces for people that integrate emotions — peace, happiness and delight — motivates me to work harder every day”, Paola says. Karla’s guiding principle is also to “create spaces of warmth that can be lived in.” All that hard work is paying off in great joy and success.

“We hope to pave a path for other women entrepreneurs, proud to be women and proud to be Mexican, despite all the challenges,” Paola concludes. “Why not transform the role of women in our industry? There’s excellent proof we can accomplish that!”

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

Who are the Mexicans in the US Major League Baseball playoffs?

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MND Staff

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October 4, 2023

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ElXNRkbW0AE5TQF — Mexico star Randy Arozarena, one of 10 Mexican players contesting the MLB post-season. (Randy Arozarena/X)

The Major League Baseball (MLB) playoffs began on Tuesday, and seven of the 12 teams that qualified have at least one Mexican player — according to Mexican sports reports.

In actuality, just six of the 10 cited players were born in Mexico, and one, Cuban-born star left fielder Randy Arozarena of the Tampa Bay Rays, is a naturalized Mexican citizen.

The other three played for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) earlier this season, by virtue of having Mexican heritage. Since then, they have sort of been adopted by Mexican fans as native sons, and thus are included in the 10.

The number is three more than last year, prompting newspaper El Economista to write that the playoffs will have a real “mariachi flavor” in 2023.

One glaring omission from the list is Los Angeles pitcher Julio Urías, who was arrested Sept. 2 in Los Angeles on suspicion of domestic violence.

The native of Culiacán, Sinaloa helped the Dodgers win the 2020 World Series, then had a MLB-best 19-3 record in 2021, followed by a 17-7 record and 2.16 ERA in 2022, when he finished third in the Cy Young Award voting for best pitcher in the National League.

Julio Urias — Mexican superstar Julio Urías may be suspended after his arrest for domestic violence last month. (Arturo Pardavila III/Wikimedia)

This year, he was a less glitzy 11-8 with a 4.60 ERA at the time he was placed on administrative leave, but without him, the Dodgers’ starting rotation is on shaky ground for the playoffs.

Urías, meanwhile, is in danger of getting a long suspension as a repeat offender; four years ago, he was suspended 20 games after allegedly shoving a woman to the ground in a parking lot. This time there has been no suspension as of yet, as the incident remains under investigation.

Though only 24 years old, Arozarena will be appearing in his fifth postseason – which includes a World Series appearance in the Rays’ loss to the Dodgers in 2020. In the full postseason that year, Arozarena set MLB records for homers (10) and hits (29).

The Cuban-born batter played winter ball in Mérida, Yucatán, and Navojoa, Sonora, after crossing the gulf on a small boat as a 19-year-old, battling 15-foot waves and eventually landing on Isla Mujeres, near Cancún.

Jose Urquidy of the Houston Astros. (Jose Urquidy/X)

He became a Mexican citizen in 2022 and proudly played for Mexico in the WBC earlier this year. For the Rays this season, the former American League Rookie of the Year made the A.L. all-star team and hit 23 home runs with a .254 batting average and 22 stolen bases.

Arozarena’s teammate Isaac Paredes isn’t as well known, but the 24-year-old from Hermosillo, Sonora had a stellar regular season with 31 homers and 98 RBIs. In today’s playoff opener against the Texas Rangers, Paredes is batting No. 3 in the order, one spot after Arozarena.

The Rays have a third Mexican on the roster: reserve infielder Jonathan Aranda, 25, born in Tijuana, Baja California.

Right-handed pitcher José Urquidy, 28, of the Houston Astros was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. He won a World Series last year with the Astros, though he pitched in only one postseason game. Normally a starting pitcher, he is expected to come in out of the bullpen in the playoffs.

Alejandro Kirk, 24, will be the starting catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. Born in Tijuana, Baja California, Kirk had a fair 2023 season, but he was better in 2022, when he started the All-Star Game at catcher for the A.L. and batted .285 with 14 home runs to win a Silver Slugger Award at his position.

Orioles starting third baseman Ramon Urías, 29, a Gold Glove winner for his defense in 2022, was born in Magdalena de Kino, Sonora.

Mexico Baseball Team at the World Baseball Classic — Mexico’s MLB stars helped the country to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic earlier this year. (@MLB/Twitter)

Dodgers relief pitcher Victor González, 27, was born in Tuxpan, Nayarit, but because the Dodgers have a bye in the first round, they don’t have to submit a playoff for a few days, and González might not be on it.

Austin Barnes of the Dodgers, Alek Thomas of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Taijuan Walker of the Philadelphia Phillies all played for Team Mexico in the WBC this year, and are now often cited as Mexicans who play in MLB. All are U.S.-born but have at least one parent or grandparent from Mexico.

When Walker, 31, a former all-star pitcher, pulled on the Mexico jersey for the first time back in March, he said he felt “chills.”

At age 33, Barnes is the oldest “Mexican” in the postseason. This will be the backup catcher’s seventh trip to the playoffs, all with the Dodgers.

Rowdy Tellez, 28, was somewhat surprisingly left off the Milwaukee Brewers’ roster for the first round. He blasted 35 home runs last season, but slumped in 2023, hitting only one home run in 62 games after returning from a forearm and finger injury. Born in California, the 6-foot-4, 270-pounder played for Mexico in the WBC due to his heritage.

The playoffs begin with the best-of-3 wild-card round. The two teams with the best record in each league — Baltimore and Houston in the A.L., Atlanta and Los Angeles in the N.L. — get a bye into the next round. The postseason could end as late as Nov. 4 if the World Series goes a full seven games.

Mexico News Daily

IMF updates Mexico’s economic growth forecast to 3.2% in 2023

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MND Staff

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October 4, 2023

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bandera mexicana_shutterstock_Marisa Martinez Tarran — The IMF also predicted growth of 2.1% in Mexico's GDP in 2024. (Shutterstock)

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised its 2023 and 2024 growth forecasts for Mexico after its staff made an official visit to the country and identified a range of strengths in the Mexican economy.

The financial organization expects growth of 3.2% this year, up from a 2.6% forecast in July. The outlook for 2024 is an economic expansion of 2.1%, up from a 1.5% prediction three months ago.

The federal government predicts GDP growth of 3.6% for 2023, just above the IMF’s forecast of 3.2%. (lopezobrador.org.mx)

Mexico’s economy grew 3.6% in the first half of 2023, according to preliminary data published by the national statistics agency INEGI in late August.

In a statement issued Tuesday at the end of its official staff visit, the IMF said that the Mexican economy “is in the midst of a broad-based expansion.”

It said that the predicted 3.2% growth in 2023 would be led by “robust private consumption and investment” and observed that there is “notable strength in service sectors, construction, and auto production” in Mexico.

“This has led to record-low unemployment rates and record-high manufacturing capacity utilization rates. The authorities have commendably kept public debt in check. Monetary policy is rightly focused on bringing down inflation,” the IMF added.

The minimum daily wage has almost doubled during AMLO’s term, which has boosted individual spending power. (lopezobrador.org.mx)

The Fund noted that “fiscal policy will loosen” in 2024 as the government increases public spending to complete infrastructure projects and cover other commitments, but said that the impact on growth “will be limited by binding capacity constraints, a continuation of tight monetary policy, and slowing growth in the U.S.”

The 2.1% growth forecast could be exceeded if there is “stronger-than-expected growth in the U.S. or a larger-than-expected fiscal multiplier,” the IMF said.

A fiscal multiplier “measures the effect that increases in fiscal spending will have on a nation’s economic output, or gross domestic product,” according to Investopedia.

The IMF said that “an increase in global risk aversion, a higher path for interest rates in the advanced economies, or delays in implementing key infrastructure projects in Mexico would weigh on output” in 2024.

Industrial growth spurred by nearshoring in northern cities like Monterrey, Nuevo León, has paved the way for Mexico to become a major player in the global supply chain. (David Liceaga/Unsplash)

The Fund said that “the ongoing reshaping of global supply chains is an important opportunity for Mexico” and noted that the country’s “proximity to, and deep trade links with, the U.S. make it a key location for the ‘nearshoring’ of production for the U.S. market.”

“However, capitalizing on this potential and competing with other production locations will require addressing Mexico’s long-standing structural challenges while continuing to pursue prudent macroeconomic policies,” the IMF said.

Taking full advantage of the nearshoring opportunity and “securing sustainable and inclusive growth in a complex global environment” will require “higher and better-targeted public investment, better governance, increasing access to domestic sources of finance, increasing female labor force participation, and pivoting consumption toward cleaner sources of energy,” the Fund said.

Mexico News Daily

Polls show AMLO maintained strong approval rating in September

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MND Staff

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October 4, 2023

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AMLO Texcoco — President López Obrador still enjoys significant support from the general public, with an approval rating of 58%, according to a poll from newspaper El Financiero.(Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)

President López Obrador has the support of almost six in 10 Mexicans as he begins his final year in office, poll results indicate.

A poll conducted by the El Financiero newspaper found that López Obrador had an approval rating of 58% in September, while one carried out by the company Mitofsky for El Economista detected 59% support for the president.

AMLO waving — The popularity of the president has remained consistently high throughout his term. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)

AMLO’s approval rating increased slightly compared to the polls’ findings a month earlier. He has maintained support of above 50% throughout his presidency, according to El Financiero poll results, with his popularity peaking at 81% in the first quarter of 2019.

The publication of the latest results comes as López Obrador enters the final 12-month period of his (almost) six-year term. He will hand over the presidential sash to his successor on Oct. 1, 2024, five years and 10 months after he was sworn in.

Published on Tuesday, the Mitofsky/El Economista poll results show that support for AMLO is strongest in southern and southeastern Mexico and certain northern states. His approval rating was 60% or higher in 16 of Mexico’s 32 federal entities including Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Durango, Coahuila and Tamaulipas.

The only entity where López Obrador’s approval rating was below 40% was Guanajuato – the only state where he didn’t win the popular vote in the 2018 presidential election.

Guanajuato city, Mexico — Guanajuato saw the lowest approval ratings from the president. In 2018, it was the only state in which AMLO did not win the popular vote. (Alex Person/Unsplash)

The president’s high approval rating in southern and southeastern Mexico – where the government is building several major infrastructure projects including the Maya Train railroad – is unsurprising as he has long enjoyed strong support from residents of that part of the country, where poverty levels are higher than in the more developed center and north.

In contrast, AMLO’s popularity in Coahuila is noteworthy as the state has long been a stronghold of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI. The neighboring state of Durango is also currently governed by the PRI, while the other three northern states where López Obrador’s approval rating is above 60% have Morena party governors.

The Mitofsky/El Economista poll, which surveyed over 56,000 people, also gauged support for AMLO among different sectors of the population. His approval rating was highest among “campesinos” (smallholder farmers), at 70.4%, followed by students, 69.7%; informal sector workers, 62.6%; employees, 60.5% and housewives, 58.8%.

Only 32.6% of surveyed company owners expressed support for the president while his approval rating was also low among professionals, 34%; teachers, 46.4%; retirees, 48%; and public servants, 48.5%.

Southern Mexico, site of several major infrastructure projects like the Maya Train, showed higher approval ratings for AMLO. (Michel Balam/Cuartoscuro)

El Financiero, which surveys 1,100 people for its monthly polls, found minimal deviation in support for López Obrador, but the newspaper did detect notable changes in sentiment toward the government’s performance in specific areas.

The percentage of respondents who described the government’s management of the economy as bad or very bad rose to 52% in September from 44% in August, while negative perspectives on public security increased to 67% from 61%.

The increase in negative assessments of the government’s economic performance was recorded despite fairly strong growth, low unemployment and declining inflation. Violence remains a major problem in some parts of the country, although homicide numbers are lower than they were in the early years of López Obrador’s presidency.

The percentage of El Financiero poll respondents who believe the government is doing a poor job combating corruption rose seven points in September to 47%. Just 31% of those polled said the government is doing a very good or good job in reducing corruption, which is a central goal of López Obrador’s administration.

AMLO saw strong responses for leadership, but his scores fell when respondents were asked if he had delivered on his campaign promises. (lopezobrador.org.mx)

The government’s standing did improve in the areas of social support and education. Fifty-six percent of respondents said the government is doing well in the former area, up from 52% in August, while 49% rated its performance in the latter area positively, up from 46% a month earlier.

The government has spent big on its welfare and social programs, raising pensions for seniors, offering support payments to people with disabilities, providing educational scholarships and establishing employment programs such as the Youths Building the Future apprenticeship scheme and the Sowing Life reforestation initiative.

The improved result in education could be a reflection of the reduction in media coverage of controversial new school textbooks, which created an uproar in August.

The president’s personal attributes may be the key reason why his approval rating remained high in September even as poll respondents marked his government poorly in the key areas of economy and security.

Claudia Sheinbaum, former mayor of Mexico City and Morena candidate for president in 2024, is hoping to succeed the president at next year’s elections. (Cuartoscuro)

Almost six in 10 of those polled – 59% – responded good or very good when asked to assess López Obrador’s honesty, while 53% rated him positively for leadership. However, only 43% of respondents said his ability to deliver results was good or very good.

Former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum will be hoping that AMLO’s enduring popularity will give her an advantage at next year’s presidential election.

Sheinbaum, a political protege and close ally of the president, will represent the ruling Morena party and its allies at the election on June 2, 2024, while Senator Xóchitl Gálvez will be the candidate for the Broad Front for Mexico opposition bloc, made up of the National Action Party, the Institutional Revolutionary Party and the Democratic Revolution Party.

With reports from El Financiero and El Economista

Suspect in Lagos de Moreno kidnapping case arrested in Jalisco

By

Cat Rainsford

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October 3, 2023

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Rogelio M arrest Jalisco — The suspect, identified as Rogelio M., was arrested in connection with the Aug. 11 disappearance of five young men, who are presumed dead. (Fiscalía de Jalisco)

Authorities in the state of Jalisco have arrested a suspect in the case of five men kidnapped from the town of Lagos de Moreno on Aug. 11.

The man, named as Rogelio M., was captured in a joint operation by members of Jalisco’s Special Prosecutor’s Office on Missing Persons (FEPD) and Security and Citizen Protection Ministry.

Forensic team at Lagos de Moreno property — Forensic teams analyze evidence from two different properties in connection to the abduction and murder of five young men from Lagos de Moreno. (Fiscalía Jalisco/X)

Five young men, friends Dante Cedillo Hernández, Roberto Carlos Olmeda, Diego Alberto Lara Santoyo, Jaime Adolfo Martínez Miranda and Uriel Galván were abducted at gunpoint from the San Miguel neighborhood of Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, on the night of Aug. 11.

Days later, a photograph emerged showing the men bound and beaten in the grounds of a nearby farm. A horrifying video surfaced on social media, that appeared to show one of the abductees beating another – presumably under coercion – while two lifeless bodies lay in the foreground. A message seemed to link the crime to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, which is battling the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in the territory.

Investigators later discovered skeletal remains, weaponry and an oven used to burn bodies at a nearby brick factory. However, forensic analysis showed that the remains did not belong to the five kidnapped men, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

It is the fourth arrest in the case, after Valentín S. was detained on Sep 2., and brothers Enhau A. and Emanuel A. were arrested and then charged on Sep.12., accused of involvement in the disappearance of two bodies found in the same location on Aug. 20, which prosecutors believe was linked to the Lagos de Moreno kidnapping.

Lagos de Moreno victims — The five young men went missing after going to a local fair. (Social media)

Jalisco authorities have not yet established a motive for the abduction, and there is no evidence that any of the five men were involved in organized crime.

The Lagos de Moreno judge who originally handled the case has recently withdrawn from legal proceedings out of fear for his safety. The case was transferred to the courts of the Puente Grande prison complex in El Salto, Jalisco, where the first three detainees are being held.

With reports from El Universal, El Informador and El Financiero

How much do the new Mexicana flights cost?

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MND Staff

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October 3, 2023

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Airplane pushback — The new Mexicana de Aviación has promised to be cheaper than rivals - but will they live up to the promise? (Raul González Escobar/Unsplash)

The new state carrier Mexicana de Aviación has launched ticket reservations to 20 national destinations with special offers celebrating its launch.

The federal government has said that Mexicana’s tickets will cost 20% less than its competition and prices in the carrier’s website do show lower prices than other domestic airlines. A one-way flight from AIFA to Guadalajara, for instance, starts at 519 pesos (US $29) including taxes. Meanwhile, the same flight in Viva Aerobus starts at a price of 1,031 pesos (US $57).

Playa Madera, Zihuatanejo, Mexico — The new airline will offer affordable flights to popular beach destinations, such as Zihuatanejo. (stacyarturogi/Shutterstock)

How much will tickets really cost?

A more thorough price check by Mexico News Daily found that a round-trip Mexicana flight from AIFA to Cancún departing on Dec. 5 costs 1,447 pesos (US $80), including Airport Use Fee (TUA) and additional taxes, seat selection, checked baggage of up to 15 kilograms, one piece of carry-on luggage and a 10-kilogram personal item. The same flight, including one checked baggage of up to 25 kilograms, costs 6,669 pesos (US $371) at Aeroméxico and 6,013 pesos (US $334) at Volaris.

The airline, run by the Defense Ministry under the Mexicana de Aviación brand purchased by the government in January, will operate hubs from the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) in Mexico City and the new Tulum airport, expected to open by year’s end.

The destinations listed on Mexicana’s website include Monterrey, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Campeche, Chetumal, Mérida, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Cozumel, Los Cabos, Hermosillo, Ciudad Juárez, Villahermosa, Huatulco, Oaxaca, Acapulco, Mazatlán, La Paz, Cancún and León.

The airline will have a fleet of 10 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, each of which can transport 180 passengers at a time.

Mexicana old — The government has revived the former flag-carrier and promised to turn it into an affordable airline for all Mexicans, (Rodolfo Angulo/Cuartoscuro)

Tickets are now available to reserve on the Mexicana website, with flights expected to begin in December.

With reports from El Financiero and Expansión

Banners appear in Sinaloa signed by ‘Los Chapitos’

By

MND Staff

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October 3, 2023

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A soldier surveys a narco lab in Tijuana — Neither Calderón's drug war nor AMLO's "hugs not bullets" strategy has managed to eradicate narco-trafficking organizations. (FGR/Cuartoscuro)

A Sinaloa Cartel faction led by the sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán has banned the production and sale of fentanyl in Sinaloa, according to banners that appeared in the northern state on Monday.

Machine-printed “narco-banners” containing a message that allegedly comes from the notoriously violent “Los Chapitos” faction of the powerful cartel were hung from bridges and overpasses in the municipalities of Culiacán, Mazatlán, Guamúchil and Ahome.

One of the banners seen in the state of Sinaloa on Monday, signed “Sincerely, Chapitos.” (Social media)

“The sale, manufacture, transportation or any kind of business involving the substance known as fentanyl, including the sale of chemical products for its production, is strictly prohibited in Sinaloa,” read the banners that ended with “Att:Chapitos” or “Sincerely, Chapitos.”

The banners said the ban on fentanyl-related business was “due to the incessant disinformation from some media outlets and the clear failure of government by not investigating and pursuing those truly responsible for this epidemic.”

They also said that Los Chapitos – who been identified as major suppliers of fentanyl to the United States – have never been involved in the fentanyl business nor ever will be, and warned the public to “beware of the consequences” of not abiding by the ban on the sale and production of the synthetic opioid, which is the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States.

Sinaloa Attorney General Sara Bruna Quiñonez said Monday that authorities were conducting an investigation to determine who put the banners on public display. She asserted that the message was directed to the state government, but didn’t say why she believed that was the case.

The appearance of the banners came almost six months after the United States Department of Justice unsealed drug trafficking and other charges against more than 20 Sinaloa Cartel members and associates, including Los Chapitos: Ovidio Guzmán López, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Sálazar and Joaquín Guzmán López.

An indictment against the four brothers said their goal was to produce massive amounts of fentanyl and sell it at low prices. Prosecutors said they make huge profits even when they sell pills at a wholesale prices of just 50 cents per unit because production is so cheap.

Ovidio was detained in Culiacán in January and extradited to the United States last month to face charges including drug trafficking and money laundering. The U.S. is offering large rewards for information that leads to the capture of the other three men.

The Guzmán brothers previously denied their involvement in the illicit fentanyl business in a rambling four-page letter sent to the Mexican media outlet Milenio in May.

Some of the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán form the faction of the Sinaloa Cartel known as Los Chapitos. Ovidio Guzmán López was recently extradited to the U.S., but the other remain at large. (ICE)

“We have never produced, manufactured or commercialized fentanyl or any of its derivatives,” they said in the letter, whose authenticity was confirmed by a lawyer for Los Chapitos.

“We are victims of persecution and have been made into scapegoats,” they claimed.

Culiacán-based news website Ríodoce reported in June that Los Chapitos had told fentanyl producers in the state capital to stop making the drug. Not long after that, “bodies were discovered of men who had been tortured and had fentanyl pills dumped on them, in an apparent signal to others,” Reuters reported.

Despite that, two former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials aren’t buying the Guzmán brothers’ latest claim that they are cracking down on the illicit fentanyl business.

“I think the Chapitos started feeling the pressure when they increased the reward for their capture. I think they are trying to create a massive illusion to take the pressure off,” said Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the DEA.

“It’s almost like a big campaign to convince the U.S. they’re not involved. It’s nothing more than pure propaganda,” he told the Associated Press.

Vigil said there is solid evidence that “Sinaloa is the biggest producer of fentanyl in Mexico” and asserted that the cartel won’t stop producing the drug because it is “their big money maker.”

He also said that the broader Sinaloa Cartel “would not go along with” any plan to stop its involvement in the fentanyl business. Reuters reported that it was unclear whether Los Chapitos could enforce a ban on fentanyl-related business across Sinaloa given that Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, another Sinaloa Cartel leader, has criminal control of much of the state.

Leo Silva, a former DEA agent who worked in Mexico, said that the likely aim of the banners was to shift blame for fentanyl production.

DEA chief Anne Milgram called fentanyl the “greatest criminal threat the United States has ever faced.” (Anne Milgram/X)

“It’s a ploy to take the heat off of them,” he told Reuters.

“I don’t see them stopping production. It’s too much money to turn down or turn their back on,” Silva said.

Combating fentanyl production and trafficking is a top priority in the bilateral agenda of Mexico and the United States. The issue is set to be a central focus of the Mexico-U.S. High Level Security Dialogue to be held in Mexico City this Thursday.

Fentanyl pills are produced in clandestine labs in Mexico using precursor chemicals shipped to Pacific coast ports from Asian countries, especially China, according to Mexican and U.S. authorities.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram says that the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel pose “the greatest criminal threat the United States has ever faced” given the large quantities of fentanyl and other narcotics they ship to the U.S.

Earlier this year, President López Obrador wrote to Chinese President Xi Jinping to seek his support in the fight against the synthetic opioid that was responsible for some 75,000 deaths in the United States last year.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson subsequently said that “there is no such thing as illegal trafficking of fentanyl between China and Mexico.”

With reports from Infobae, AP and Reuters

More new flights announced from Mexico to US

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MND Staff

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October 3, 2023

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Aeorméxico is among the airlines looking to increase services to the U.S. in the wake of the return of an FAA Category 1 safety rating, as part of a codeshare agreement with Delta Airlines. (Trac Vu/Unsplash)

New direct flights to the United States have been announced from Querétaro, Mérida, Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Mexico City as Mexican airlines expand their routes in the wake of Mexico’s restoration to an FAA Category 1 aviation safety rating.

According to Marco Antonio del Prete Tercero, head of Querétaro’s Sustainable Development Ministry (Sedesu), the Querétaro International Airport will offer two new daily routes to Atlanta, Georgia and Detroit, Michigan, starting in Q1 of 2024 and operated by Aeroméxico, in partnership with Delta Airlines.

Querétaro International Airport has become the latest part of the Mexican aviation industry to capitalize on the boom in demand for flights to the United States. (Miguel Vega Hernández/Wikimedia)

Del Prete added that Detroit is a business destination and one of the most important cities for the automotive industry, a predominant sector in Querétaro’s economy. Atlanta, on the other hand, is an international hub for Delta Air Lines.

In a separate announcement, Aeroméxico said it would gradually start operating 17 routes to nine new U.S. destinations via a codeshare partnership with Delta.

The new routes, paired with an increase in flights to Aeroméxico’s current destinations, will allow the Mexican carrier to reach close to 60 daily flights to the U.S. by July 2024 — a 35% increase in departures compared to 2023.

Delta will offer 34 daily flights to Mexico starting in July next year, flying to seven different Mexican destinations. Delta and Aeroméxico together will offer over 90 daily flights between the two countries by 2024.

Aeromexico AICM — The Aeromexico-Delta codeshare will add 34 new destinations to the United States to the airline’s growing portfolio. (Carlos Aranda/Unsplash)

In addition to Detroit and Atlanta flying from Querétaro, the new destinations in the U.S. include Salt Lake City, New York, Los Angeles and McAllen. The participating airports include both international airports in Mexico City (AICM and AIFA), and the international airports of Monterrey, Mérida and Guadalajara.

Finally, low-cost carrier Viva Aerobús announced two new routes to Miami and Orlando, Florida, departing from Mérida.

Viva Aerobus’ service to Orlando begins on July 1, 2024, with three weekly flights, while flights to Miami will start on July 2, with four departures per week.

These new flights add up to the new upcoming routes the budget airline recently announced between Monterrey and 6 cities in the U.S., an announcement that marked Viva Aerobus’ most significant expansion to date.

With reports by El Economista, En El Aire, El Economista.

Tropical storm Lidia to bring rains in western Mexico

By

MND Staff

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October 3, 2023

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Coastal rain — Strong rains are forecast for parts of the Pacific coast although the storm is not expected to make landfall. (Omar Martínez Noyola/Cuartoscuro)

A tropical storm well off the Pacific Coast of Mexico is expected to bring occasional but potentially very heavy rains to eight Mexican states on Tuesday.

The effects of Tropical Storm Lidia will be felt mostly in coastal areas of the western states of Colima, Jalisco, Michoacán and Nayarit, according to an advisory from the National Meteorological Service (SMN). As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, the center of the storm was 510 miles south-southwest of Manzanillo, Colima, and 745 miles south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Its maximum sustained winds were 40 mph, with some higher gusts.

Lidia forecast — The U.S. National Hurricane Center forecast for Tropical Storm Lidia. (NHC)

Effects might also be felt in Guerrero, Chiapas, Oaxaca and even Veracruz, but there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami. Strong gusts of winds are also expected.

The system became the 12th named storm of the Pacific hurricane season when its formation was announced early Tuesday morning.

The NHC was predicting that Lidia would move slowly in a northwest and north-northwest direction “over the next several days,” adding that there were no hazards affecting land.

By Friday, it could evolve into a Category 1 hurricane, with winds from 75 to 93 mph, according to both NHC and SMN. By then the storm is expected to have taken a sharp turn even further away from Mexico’s west coast while remaining well south of the Baja Peninsula.

people walking in Mexico — Residents of coastal Pacific states should prepare for intense showers, warned the SMN. (Isabel Mateos/Cuartoscuro)

The last named Pacific storm to affect Mexico was Tropical Storm Kenneth, which peaked on Sept. 20 with maximum winds of 50 mph, before weakening to a tropical depression.

In September, Hurricane Jova quickly intensified from a tropical storm into a Category 5 hurricane, with winds going from 70 mph to 160 mph in less than 24 hours. However, it remained far from the coast as it went into a weakening trend.

In addition to Lidia, an area of low pressure off the coast of Central America is being monitored by NHC and SMN. “Conditions are expected to be conducive for a gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression is likely to form late this week or over the weekend,” NHC noted.

The storm is expected to come closer than Lidia to Mexico’s west coast.

With reports from El Universal

Pedro and Ricardo Rodríguez: Mexico’s F1 pioneers

By

MND Staff

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October 3, 2023

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The Rodriguez brothers pioneered Mexican motorsport, dazzling racing fans between 1957 and 1970. (Pirelli)

Every October, the world of Formula One comes to the Hermanos Rodríguez track in Iztacalco for the Mexico City Grand Prix. The race is among the most colorful on the calendar, and the award-winning event is a highlight of the annual calendar.

But who were the “Hermanos Rodríguez” and why is the track named for them? Like many tales of mid-20th century motor racing, the story is as tragic as it is glorious – a tale of two brothers, taken long before their time.

Ricardo Rodriguez — Ricardo Rodríguez at the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix. (Joop van Bilsen/Wikimedia)

Ricardo: The prodigy

Ricardo Valentín Rodríguez de la Vega was just 16 when he first raced sportscars for Ferrari in 1957. Having conquered the local motorcycle (and before that, bicycle) racing scene, the young Mexican took on North America’s best sportscar racers – and won.

Ricardo was so young when he first found success that in 1958 he was unable to enter the 1958 24 Hours of Le Mans showpiece because, at just 16 years old, organizers felt he would be unable to handle the intense demands of the endurance race – and the horror of what had occurred in the enormous accident in 1955, in which 83 people were killed was fresh in the minds of many. Never one to be deterred, Ricardo returned two years later and aged just 18, came second in sportscar racing’s most prestigious race.

Success on one of the biggest stages in world motorsport did not go unnoticed, and in 1961, Ricardo became the youngest Formula One driver ever, aged 19, a record that would not be beaten until 2016. He celebrated by qualifying his Ferrari second on his debut.

Racing just once in 1961 – the sport was still in its infancy, and drivers would often race only a handful of events per season – Ricardo returned in 1962, and scored points in Belgium and Germany – no mean feat in an era where just 10 or so cars would finish a race.

The 1962 Mexican Grand Prix: Tragedy Strikes

Desperate to race in his native Mexico to inaugurate the first-ever Mexican Grand Prix – a non-championship event at the new Magdalena Mixhuica track – and so race in which his title-chasing Ferrari team would not compete, Ricardo managed to find a ride in a Rob Walker Lotus-Climax – an incredibly fast but notoriously dangerous experimental car. Ricardo qualified 8th, behind a host of names that would later become legends of the sport.

Tragically, in the warm-up for the race, Ricardo made a mistake at the fearsome Peraltada hairpin, and died from his injuries before he could leave the circuit. Milenio published photos of a lifeless Rodríguez lying in the middle of the track, on the front page, to significant backlash from Mexican society.

The track was almost instantaneously renamed the Autodromo Ricardo Rodríguez in his honor.

Aged just 20, Ricardo – married just weeks before the Mexican Grand Prix, and expecting his first child – had the unfortunate honor of becoming the youngest F1 fatality. His death left many wondering what might have been, as he would surely have won World Championship titles had he survived.

Pedro: The Master

Pedro Rodriguez — Pedro Rodríguez, Mexico’s first Formula One winner. (Formula One)

While younger brother Ricardo stole the limelight, a brief, brilliant flame that propelled Mexico to the center of the Formula One stage, older brother Pedro was considered a somewhat less talented – if still reliable – driver.

As it turned out, this was an incorrect appraisal. Pedro became the first Mexican to win in Formula One (and the only Mexican apart from Checo Pérez). Pedro used to take a Mexican flag and a vinyl copy of the national anthem to races, but after his first win they had no flag, and accidentally played the “Jarabe Tapatío” (Mexican Hat Dance), instead of the national anthem. He rapidly became and rapidly became a national hero and a legend among the sportscar racing community, winning at Le Mans in 1968 and scoring major titles at almost every major sportscar event.

The 1970 Mexican Grand Prix: The passion, the chaos and the hero

In many ways, what happened at the 1970 Mexican Grand Prix is worthy of its own story. A good crowd was anticipated by event organizers, given the location of the track in the center of a large city, but nobody could predict what happened next. An estimated 200,000 fans descended upon the track, fighting police and soldiers to get close to the action and see their hero up close.

1970 Mexican GP — Despite protests from Pedro Rodríguez and Sir Jackie Stewart, fans surrounded the track at the 1970 Mexican Grand Prix, and refused to leave. (Checo Riojas/Pintrest)

Spectators lined the track, climbing – literally climbing over barriers and standing on kerbs to get a better view. Pedro, accompanied by reigning World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart, implored the thronging masses to return to the seating areas behind the Armco barriers, but they refused to move. Fearing a riot if the event were canceled, the race was reluctantly started. Fortunately, the only casualty that day was a stray dog who wandered into the path of Stewart’s Tyrrell car.

Pedro finished in the points and the crowd returned home happy – although the events of that day eventually led to a 16-year cancellation of the race.

The following year saw more success in Formula One – points in Spain and second place in the Dutch Grand Prix – as Pedro and team-mate Jackie Oliver drove the legendary Porsche 917K to utter domination in the World Sportscar Championship. Pedro had won 4 of 9 races that season, coming second in another, and had helped his team to the Championship in 1970, as he prepared to race in the Norisring 200 – an endurance race on the streets of Nuremberg, Germany.

Disaster struck on lap 12 when Pedro pitched into the barriers after a collision. The ensuing explosion killed him almost instantly, and the wreck burned so intensely that several firemen were hospitalized during the rescue attempt.

Chris Amon, March, 1970 Mexican Grand Prix — Chris Amon carefully navigates the circuit during the 1970 Mexican Grand Prix. Any small accident could potentially have killed hundreds of spectators. (Jetex)

He was the third Mexican F1 driver to be killed in the space of 9 years (after his brother, and Moisés Solana in 1969). Aside from the ignominious career of Hector Rebaque and his short-lived Mexican racing team, there would not be another Mexican in Formula One until the arrival of Checo in 2011.

Whether or not he would one day have been crowned as Formula One Drivers World Champion is unknown, but many still regard Ricardo as the greatest Mexican ever to drive in Formula One, and his incredible sportscar record elevates him to the upper echelons of the sport.

Back in Itzacalco, the Ricardo Rodríguez race track was once again renamed – commemorating the fallen brothers and becoming the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez that we know today.

Impact on Mexican motorsport

Magdalena Mixhuica F1 — The then Magdalena Mixhuica racetrack in 1962, at the time of the first ever Mexican Grand Prix. (Wikimedia)

The heroic and tragic tale of the Rodríguez brothers lives on in the annals of racing history – even if they do not get the recognition they deserve outside of Mexico. When he took his third win, at the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix, Checo wore a Pedro Rodríguez tribute helmet, and paid homage to his hero on the radio.

We will never know what might have been for two of the most exciting talents in motorsport, but when the Formula One circus comes to Mexico City again this year – spare a thought for the two young chilangos who made it all possible.

By Mexico News Daily writer Chris Havler-Barrett