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.
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)
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.”
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
A hazy Monday in Mexico City in March. The metropolis’ altitude and pollution levels are going to have an impact on your skin. (Victoria Valtierra Ruvalcaba/Cuartoscuro)
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 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.
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.
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) weeklylove letters or follow her Instagram account,@a.e.i.wellness.
"The Black Swan" Is a modern adaptation of the classical ballet, which will be performed May 11 - June 4 at the Chapultepec Castle. (Nitzarindani Vega/INBAL)
“The Black Swan” at Chapultepec Castle
Every Thursday to Sunday until June 4, Chapultepec Castle’s esplanade will become the setting for a free contemporary adaptation of the classical ballet “Swan Lake”, by La Infinita Compañía, called “El Cisne Negro”, or “The Black Swan.”
The show debuted May 11.
Dancer and choreographer Rodrigo González, winner of two Lunas del Auditorio Nacional awards (given to the best live performers in Mexico), oversees the choreography. With this reimagining, he seeks to create a contemporary retelling of Swan Lake by modernizing the original classical ballet’s themes.
The contemporary retelling gives the original ballet a modern twist. (La Infinita Compañía/Facebook)
The show, which uses Tchaikovsky’s original score, is performed by 20 dancers. The set design features moving platforms and a floor made to look like water.
The principal dancers include Carlos Coronel, who plays Prince Siegfried, as well as Paulina del Carmen (Odette), Arturo Huerta (Von Rothbart), Domingo Rubio (Odette’s father) and Lilia Castaños (Odette’s mother).
The performances start at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and Sundays at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the museum box office and through Ticketmaster.
The Illusionists arrive in Mexico City
“The Illusionists” has arrived in Mexico City for the first time since 2019, where the Broadway show will have a run at the Telcel Theater May 31–June 2.
The show has broken box office records around the world and dazzles audiences of all ages with a powerful mix of the most outlandish and jaw-dropping acts. The audience can expect to witness amazing acts of grand illusion, levitation, mind reading and vanishing by eight illusionists.
The Illusionists will perform mind-bending magic, illusions and escapes in front of a live audience. (The Illusionists/Twitter)
Among the performers is Argentinian Aryel Altamar, considered Latin America’s best mentalist, who has hypnotized whole groups of audience members.
The show will also bring Aaron Crow, who is the reigning World Champion of Magic and has appeared on the popular reality TV show “Britain’s Got Talent.”
Mexican Joaquín Kotkin, recognizable by his signature half-beard, will also be onstage, performing what have been described as “chilling” illusions. Mexican magician Leonardo Bruno will also appear.
The only woman in the show, Amsterdam’s Sabine Van Diemen, is described as “one of magic’s most extraordinary and talented performers.”
Matt Johnson, Mark Kalin and Florian Sainvet round out the eight illusionists on the bill.
A monologue inspired by Joan of Arc
Every Thursday from May 25 to June 29 in the Casa de la Paz Theater, actress María Aura will stage “God Will Make You Invincible With This Sword,” a theatrical monologue in which she revisits the figure of Joan of Arc to explore feminism and the problems that Mexican women experience today.
“This is our story, a review of her [Joan of Arc’s] life that comes to the conclusion that her fight should not be for the king, not for the Church but for women,” Aura explained to the newspaper Milenio.
María Aura stars in the monologue “God Will Make You Invincible With This Sword,” a contemporary retelling of the story of Joan of Arc.
The script, written by Aura’s husband Alonso Barrera, seeks to raise awareness for those women who are no longer with us and to give a voice to all women.
Aura said that she came up with the monologue idea after reading many stories about women and hosting roundtables with other actresses and writers.
“It has been a very painful process,” she said, “but also a very beautiful one as we know that we are doing something.”
The incident occurred near the corner of Álvaro Obregón Avenue and Morelia Street in Roma Norte on Saturday. (ProtoplasmaKid/Wikimedia Commons)
Shots were fired in the upscale neighborhood of Roma Norte, Mexico City this Saturday. A video of patrons at popular La Docena restaurant hiding under tables was uploaded to Twitter, where it quickly went viral.
In response to the viral video, the Citizen Security Ministry (SSC) issued a statement on Monday which says that a thief attempted to steal a high-value watch at gunpoint outside a hotel near the corner of Álvaro Obregón avenue and Morelia street.
When officers arrived at the scene following reports of gunfire, a U.S. citizen reported that an assailant had threatened him with what appeared to be a gun. A number of men at the scene, who reportedly identified themselves as bodyguards, are assumed to be responsible for the discharged weapons.
No injuries were reported as a result of the shooting.
“After a few minutes, [on] Calle Frontera, the officers detained a person whose physical characteristics and clothing matched those described in the complaint, however, the man was not fully identified by the person affected, so he did not appear before ministerial authorities…” said the Monday statement by law enforcement.
The investigation is ongoing to identify and locate the suspect.
A soldier watches over Ferrosur railway facilities that the government took over at 6 a.m. Friday morning, a move the company said came as a surprise. (Ángel Hernández/Cuartoscuro)
President López Obrador on Monday denied that his government expropriated a section of railroad in Veracruz, asserting that it “recovered” a concession granted to a subsidiary of Grupo México, a mining and infrastructure conglomerate owned by billionaire businessman Germán Larrea.
The president published a decree on Friday that ordered the “immediate temporary occupation” of three sections of railroad operated by Ferrosur between Medias Aguas and Coatzacoalcos, Hibueras and Minatitlán, and El Chapo and Coatzacoalcos.
President López Obrador has already given control of the railroad tracks in question to the state-owned Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec company, run by the Defense Ministry. (Moises Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)
The decree declared the combined 120 kilometers of tracks to be of “public utility” and relevant to national security, and ordered their temporary occupation in favor of Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec, a military-run state-owned company working on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor project, which includes the modernization of a railroad between the port cities of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, and Coatzacoalcos.
The operation of the tracks by the state-owned company is required “to satisfy the needs of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec Interoceanic Corridor,” the decree said, adding that they are “ideal for a direct and dynamic railroad operation.”
Grupo México Transportes (GMXT), which runs Ferrosur, said that armed navy personnel occupied Ferrosur facilities along the 91-kilometer Medias Aguas-Coatzacolacos section from 6 a.m. Friday.
“The surprising and unusual takeover … by the armed forces is being analyzed by Group México Transportes, its investors and advisors,” the firm said.
The owner of Grupo México, which owns Ferrosur, is Mexican billionaire Germán Larrea. He has been in the news lately for seeking to buy Citibanamex. (Cuartoscuro)
Speaking at his morning press conference on Monday, López Obrador stressed that Grupo México doesn’t own the railroad tracks, but rather has a concession to operate them.
Private property can be legally expropriated, but “recovering a concession of the nation” is “very different,” he said, even though his decree cited an expropriation law.
Asked whether the takeover would be permanent, López Obrador responded that it would “depend on the attitude of the company.”
He said he had no “personal problem” or “dispute” with Larrea — with whom the president reportedly met twice last week — and asserted that there was no problem with Grupo México’s planned purchase of Citibanamex.
Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Mexican bank Banco Base, said Friday that the railroad takeover could put the bank sale — which had appeared to be a done deal — “at risk.”
López Obrador’s decree said that “market-value compensation” would be paid for the temporary occupation, but the president said that Grupo México wanted 9.5 billion pesos (about US $530.5 million). That amount is not a “fair price” but rather “abuse,” he said.
The tracks in question run through land AMLO wants in order to create a modernized rail trade corridor across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec between the ports of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, and Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, by improving existing rail lines. Some experts say that the planned Isthmus of Tehuantepec Interoceanic Corridor is a pipedream. (Government of Mexico)
López Obrador said that an evaluation would be carried out to determine a compensation payout, “if they are entitled to one.”
Grupo México shares closed 4.25% lower on Friday following the government’s takeover of part of the railroad operated by its subsidiary Ferrosur.
“It’s not exactly inviting for the government to seize a railroad,” said Roger Horn, a senior strategist at SMBC Nikko Securities America in New York.
“This is bizarre even for this administration, where AMLO has for the most part negotiated with the private sector to achieve his policy goals,” added Horn, who was quoted in a Bloomberg report.
“This sets a negative precedent for investments in Mexico, specifically in regulated sectors,” said Rodolfo Ramos, a strategist at Bradesco BBI, a Brazilian financial services company.
GMXT said Sunday that it remains in negotiations with the government about the concession for the Medias Aguas-Coatzacoalcos section of the Ferrosur railroad.
Vice Admiral Raymundo Morales Ángeles was named in January as the new head of the military-run company that is creating the Isthmus of Tehuantepec Interoceanic Corridor. (Government of Mexico)
It also said that it signed an agreement with the ministries of the Interior and Communications and Transportation in early 2022 that “contemplated the construction of a second [rail] route with operational independence that would be handed over to the Ministry of the Navy for the use of Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec,” the state-owned company.
GMXT said that it began construction of the second route, spending “hundreds of millions of pesos” on the project.
“The total cost of the project would have been settled through … royalties the company pays on a yearly basis. Unfortunately, the agreement was discarded by the government months later,” the company said.
GMXT said it was seeking a new agreement with the government, but noted that the negotiations “face difficult circumstances” given that an “occupation decree” was published and acted upon.
The company said it would continue to provide “quality service” for its clients while the government allows it to operate its trains and maintain tracks on the Ferrosur network.
The railroad takeover came a day after López Obrador issued a decree that seeks to protect five government infrastructure projects and assets — including the trans-isthmus corridor and the Maya Train railroad — from legal action by declaring them matters of national security and public interest. That decree came in response to a Supreme Court ruling against a similar but broader 2021 decree.
The surprise takeover of Ferrosur railroads is reminiscent of an incident in late March when the military showed up unannounced and occupied the Quintana Roo facility of U.S. company Vulcan Materials in the early morning hours along with employees of the Cemex company. (Internet)
The federal government has collaborated with big business, including on an anti-inflation plan, but some of its laws and policies have angered the private sector, especially companies that operate in Mexico’s energy sector.
In 2022, the United States and Canada both launched challenges under the North American free trade pact, the USMCA, against Mexican policies that favor the state-owned Federal Electricity Commission and state oil company Pemex over firms from those countries.
More recently, the United States construction materials company Vulcan Materials denounced the “illegal” takeover and occupation of its Quintana Roo marine terminal by federal and state security forces.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the takeover — which occurred in March and allowed the Mexican company Cemex to use the facility — could have a “chilling effect” on future U.S. investment in Mexico.
Cemex and Vulcan reached a temporary agreement in late March that allowed the former to use the latter’s marine terminal in Quintana Roo. However, Vulcan and the Mexican government still have unresolved issues related to environmental damage the Alabama-based company allegedly caused along the Quintana Roo coast.
The famous Popocatépetl volcano in a photo taken a few months ago, in relatively quieter days. (Photos by Joseph Sorrentino)
I woke up Sunday morning to a world turned gray.
For the last couple of weeks, everything inside and outside my home has been coated with a thin layer of black ash, courtesy of Popocatépetl, the active volcano that’s about 10 miles from my home in Chipilo, Puebla. He’s been spewing ash almost constantly since early May.
The writer’s poinsettia plant covered in El Popo’s ash
On Saturday, for the first time in days, the sky was clear, and I thought the worst had passed. Then, on Sunday, I noticed that the inside of my home was relatively clean but that outside, now everything was covered in gray ash.
A neighbor had told me that the ash was supposed to be good for plants, but several of the potted herbs in my patio are dying, and I think it’s because of the ash. This new, gray ash is making a thicker layer on the plants, so I splashed water on them. A couple of hours later, they were covered again. I think the particles in this gray ash are thicker than those in the black ash because there’s not as much getting into my home.
Outside it’s a different story.
I went for a couple of walks, and it looked like the pueblo was covered with a gray snow. In the distance, it looks like fog has settled in. I could barely make out the towers in Puebla city, which are usually clearly visible, and Popo — whom I can always see from the entrance to my home — has disappeared.
A Chipilo car covered in dust blames the Popocatepl volcano for its condition. “Don Goyo” is nickname for legends’ personification of the volcano.
I don’t know if the ash is muffling sound, but it’s awfully quiet outside. I saw birds but haven’t heard any singing all day, and not a dog has been barking.
This is Mexico; there are always dogs barking.
As I took my walk, little puffs of dust rose everywhere I stepped. Cars that pass by leave a spray of ash behind them.
Stores have closed their doors in an attempt to keep out the ash, but it’s futile. It gets in through doors and windows, if they’re not sealed tight. And it’s really impossible to seal them tight enough.
After my walks, my eyes were stinging from the ash, it felt like my sinuses were clogged and mouth was filled with grit. My throat felt a little raw. An advisory has been sent out that people should wear masks, and many people are doing that. Unfortunately, I forgot mine. I’ll remember the next time I go out.
Friends have asked if I feel nervous living near an active volcano. Until now, I never really have. He’s a constant, he’s impressive but he’s in the distance and you sort of forget about him. Until he does something to make you remember he’s more than just a presence.
The writer’s town of Chipilo, Puebla. Skies have been so gray that the mountain isn’t visible.
Mexico has a “stoplight” system for announcing risk from El Popo: green, yellow and red. Green is safe, yellow is alert and red signifies danger. We’re at yellow right now.
I have a similar system to measure my level of worry. Green is calm, yellow is concerned and red is scared. Right now, I’m also at yellow—concerned — and seriously hope it goes no higher.
Between Saturday and Sunday, the active Popocatépetl volcano, which straddles the states of México, Puebla and Morelos, experienced nearly 19 hours of tremors and saw six explosions, according to the National Center for Disaster Control. (Mireya Novo/Cuartoscuro)
The alert level for the Popocatépetl volcano — which has registered several explosions and hundreds of exhalations of water vapor, gases and ash in recent days — was lifted to yellow Phase 3 on Sunday.
National Civil Protection chief Laura Velázquez Alzúa told a press conference that the alert level for El Popo — as the volcano located approximately 90 kilometers southeast of Mexico City is colloquially known — was raised from yellow Phase 2 on the advice of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the National Civil Protection System.
Satellite imagery of the volcano’s activity captured recently by the European Space Agency. (ESA)
Mexico’s “traffic light” volcanic alert system has three stages with phases within each one: a green stage indicative of “normality,” a yellow “alert” stage and a red “alarm” stage.
Velázquez said that the yellow phase 3 alert — one notch below red Phase 1 — indicated low to intermediate “explosive eruptive activity,” low to moderate ashfall, “significant” growth of lava domes and the possibility of magma expulsions.
She said that mild to moderate explosions that hurl incandescent rock fragments within the volcano’s crater were expected, and that “significant explosions” that launch fragments a “considerable distance” were possible.
The National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred) said in a statement on Sunday that “31 exhalations accompanied by water vapor, volcanic gases and ash” were recorded in the previous 24 hours. It also said there had been 1,136 minutes (almost 19 hours) of tremors and six explosions.
Communities surrounding the volcano have experienced environmental consequences of El Popo’s elevated activity, including respiratory symptoms from the omnipresent ash moving through the atmosphere and entering people’s homes. (National Guard)
The National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) posted a video to Twitter Monday morning that showed El Popo’s activity between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.
“Tremors and the emission of ash remained constant throughout the night. Currently a reduction in high-frequency tremors is registered … [and] the constant emission of water vapor is observed,” the CNPC said.
Ashfall from Popocatépetl volcano, which straddles Puebla, Morelos and México state, caused the closure of the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) for several hours on Saturday morning. AICM resumed operations at 10 a.m. while AIFA followed suit an hour later.
Some residents of Puebla city were determined not to let El Popo’s activity interfere with their lives despite the presence of ash on the ground Sunday that looked like snow. (Mireya Novo/Cuartoscuro)
Schools in the vicinity of the volcano canceled in-person classes last week and those in 40 municipalities in Puebla and seven in the state of Tlaxcala were ordered to remain closed on Monday.
The Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) said Sunday that members of the National Guard, army and air force had joined forces with municipal, state and federal Civil Protection personnel to form a Joint Popocatépetl Task Force.
The ministry said in a statement that 3,430 troops in that task force were on alert in case of increased activity at the volcano. Sedena said that 3,125 members of the Support Force for Cases of Disaster were also on alert to respond to “any emergency that arises.”
AVISO 🌋
Derivado de la constante actividad del #Popocatépetl, continúa la caída de #ceniza en la ciudad de #Puebla#México 🇲🇽
-Si puede quedarse en casa, hágalo, no salga
-Si sale, use cubrebocas y lentes
-Barra la ceniza y póngala en bolsas de plástico
-Cuide a sus mascotas pic.twitter.com/00LAQPj5go
— Geól. Sergio Almazán (@chematierra) May 21, 2023
Grey skies in Puebla city, as ash from Popocatépetl continues to fill the air and fall to the ground.
“In case it is necessary, the Joint Popocatépetl Task Force will put into practice emergency plans … with the objective of supporting the evacuation of communities that could be affected [by increased volcanic activity],” Sedena said.
It said there are 42 established evacuation routes via which over 127,000 people from 51 communities in the states of Puebla, México state, Tlaxcala and Morelos could be evacuated in a “timely” manner. The ministry said that the task force would carry out an evacuation drill from the community of Santiago Xalitzintla, Puebla, at 12:30 p.m. on Monday.
Velázquez advised Civil Protection authorities to be ready for any increase in activity at El Popo, including by preparing shelters for evacuees. She also advised citizens to follow a range of recommendations to protect their health, including covering their mouth and nose with a mask or handkerchief to avoid inhaling ash and closing windows at their homes.
Activity at El Popo, which is also known as “Don Goyo,” resumed in late 1994 after a 56-year hiatus. Major eruptions in December 2000 led to the evacuation of over 40,000 people who lived in the vicinity of the volcano.
Popocatepétl, which means “smoking mountain” in Náhuatl, is Mexico’s second highest volcano at about 5,450 meters (Pico de Orizaba is the highest). It is the country’s most active volcano and one of the most active in the world, with frequent explosions and exhalations recorded since activity resumed almost 29 years ago.
Waiting for naturalization papers at a ceremony in Mexico City. (Presidencia de la República Mexicana)
In both perception and reality, Mexico is currently a net “sender” when it comes to migration, as images from the U.S.-Mexico border remind us.
Although Mexico has never received the large number of immigrants the way countries like the U.S. and Argentina have, foreigners have indeed come here looking for a better life, with many of the benefits and challenges such influxes create.
According to Mexican government statistics, less than 1.2 million of Mexico’s nearly 127 million residents are foreign-born — this despite the fact that its tourism industry brings over 38 million visitors each year.
Oddly, the U.S. State Department estimates that 1.6 million Americans alone live in Mexico at least part of the year. The discrepancy is likely due to different definitions of “resident.”
Americans are considered the largest immigrant group by Mexican authorities, accounting for over 66% of the total. In second place right now is Venezuela with only 6%. Interestingly, most who get official permanent residency are from South America.
These and other statistics are a snapshot of the political and social realities that shape immigration to Mexico, always subject to change.
Chinese restaurant owner in Mexicali, which has one of Mexico’s historically-important Chinatowns (credit Wonderlane from Seattle via Wikimedia Commons)
Like immigrants the world over, Mexico’s arrivals factor in economic, political, cultural and social issues in their decision to come. We could add digital technology, as it allows migrants to keep ties back home as well as provides ways of making a living in Mexico.
One difference between immigration to Mexico and say, the United States, is that Mexico attracts migration from countries both more and less affluent than it is.
The arrivals of the conquering Spanish and the relatively short-lived importation of African slaves did add new peoples to Mesoamerica, but “immigration” by its modern definition started in the 19th century, with the arrival of French, British, Chinese, Japanese and later, North Americans. They have impacted Mexico’s economy, culture, politics, law and international relations.
This history has been woefully understudied even in Mexico itself, as the word “migración,” even here, conjures the thought of people leaving for the U.S.
European industrialists began arriving soon after Independence, looking for opportunities, especially in textiles and mining. But it was not always smooth. The first French Intervention (1838–1839) occurred when Paris intervened in Mexican affairs on behalf of French living in the country.
Late in the 19th century, foreign investment was heavily encouraged by the Porfirio Díaz regime, looking to modernize Mexico’s economy. Generous concessions were made to foreign companies in mining, oil, agriculture and more, who brought experts and even common workers to the country. One lasting legacy from this time period is Mexico’s obsession with football/soccer, which can be traced to British miners in Hidalgo.
English may be gone from the streets of Pachuca and Real de Monte, but the Mexicanized version of the Cornish pasty lives on. (credit Hippietrail via Wikimedia Commons)
The jewel of modernization at the time was the railroad, and Chinese laborers were brought over for the back-breaking work of laying the lines. These immigrants founded Chinatowns up and down the west side of the country, but they were never accepted. When the Mexican Revolution broke out, Chinese nationals (along with Mexican spouses and children) were subject to expulsion to China and the U.S., and even violence.
On the flip side, Mexico has provided asylum on various occasions, such as to Russian Jews in the 1880s. But the most famous example is the migration of Spanish and other European artists and intellectuals fleeing fascism and war in the mid-20th century, whose impact on Mexican art and letters cannot be overstated.
Over the 20th century, the makeup of foreign residents changed radically. At the beginning of the century, most were from Spain, whose citizens still enjoy advantages under immigration law. But in the mid-century, Americans would begin to dominate, forming enclaves such as San Miguel de Allende and Ajijic.
Most are economic migrants, but unlike economic migrants in the U.S. and Europe are. The attraction for those from developed countries is a lower cost of living along with the ease of flying home. This initially brought retirees on fixed incomes, but in the last decades, digital nomads have become prominent with the ability to work online.
More “traditional” economic migrants to Mexico are generally from Central and South America and increasingly, the Caribbean, but people have come here from just about everywhere on the globe. Many are passing through trying to get to the United States, meaning that Mexico may be such migrants’ first or second choice.
Some are welcome, like the uptick in unemployed young professionals from Spain after the global financial crisis in 2008, but many are not. Although race is a factor, especially for those from Asia and Africa, the issue is most commonly socioeconomic class.
Detail from “La Huida” by Remedios Varo 1961. Surrealist painters like Spaniard Remedios Varo found refuge in Mexico after the Nazis took over France.
Immigration law continues to evolve since the country’s independence. Invasions by the French, the Americans, and the loss of Texas, have led to laws restricting the rights of foreigners (most notably property rights and political speech), along with a kind of “second-class” status for naturalized citizens. But most importantly, perhaps, is that Mexican immigration law favors those with economic means and from developed and/or Spanish-speaking countries.
With immigration issues causing problems on both of Mexico’s borders, Mexico’s laws and policies are likely to evolve, especially as the social, political and economic situation in the United States changes. One hundred years from now, who migrates to Mexico might be very different from those coming today.
Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico over 20 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019). Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily.
“Plant-based beverages” can be made from any number of grains, beans, seeds and even some vegetables.
It’s taken me awhile to get used to the array of “alternative milk” options if I go out and order a coffee somewhere, and I’ll admit it’s still somehow irritating.
I understand these choices are a godsend if you’re lactose-intolerant or follow a vegan diet, But for the rest of us, I wonder if any of them are really “better” than good ol’ cow’s milk, leche de vaca. Hemp seed milk? Hazelnut milk? “Pea-based beverage?” Why?! What it is that consumers are trying to avoid — or get?
Watching as dairy products in general have become the symbol of all that’s bad with eating, I’ve tried to understand why. Maybe because I’ve had access to fresh, unadulterated milk from dairies near several of my homes (and still now here in Mazatlán), I see it as a wonderful food, way down there on the food chain. But if you’re buying commercially produced milk from a grocery store, you’re getting an entirely different product.
It is super-processed in ways most folks aren’t aware of; while pasteurization destroys any harmful bacteria, homogenization — spinning the milk at high speeds to break down butterfat particles and distribute them evenly throughout the milk — is unnecessary and creates fatty particles tiny enough to clog one’s arteries.
And why add so many vitamins? Let milk just be what it is.
Dairy milk has gotten a bad rap in recent years, in part because the process to make it safe and palatable for consumption can also make it less heart-healthy.
Milk is a multibillion-dollar industry, but since 1975 sales have dropped significantly.
Beginning in the 1990s, the popularity of plant-based milk surged with the invention of oat milk by a Swedish company. Before then, almond and soy milks were the most popular, but oat milk’s creaminess, ability to froth in specialty coffee drinks and use in baking quickly brought it into the public eye.
Oats are also more climate-friendly than almonds in terms of how much water is necessary to grow the plant. As with so many food trends, oat milk became synonymous with healthy, conscious eating — although that perspective is changing, aided by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration’s new regulations as to what can be labeled “milk” and a new awareness of the extra ingredients in most plant-based beverages.
Part of those new regulations state: “Any plant-based milk product with the word “milk” in its name should include a statement explaining how the product compares with dairy milk. For example, the label on alt-milks could state ‘contains lower amounts of vitamin D and calcium than milk’ or ‘contains less protein than milk.’”
As part of a new heart-healthy diet, I’ve been trying to eat less fats and more soy, and so I have looked for soy milk with nothing added. Hah!
The best I can find is the organic brand Güd, which is still only 12% soy, water, sunflower lecithin, calcium carbonate, salt and vitamins E, B2, A and D2. Thankfully, it has no extra oil, which is often added to make the beverage thicker.
Whatever kind of alt-milk beverage you choose to make yourself will have to be strained thoroughly.
Sadly, if you read the labels of most plant-based beverages, especially those available in Mexico, the ingredients lists are long, complicated — and unnecessary. Extra sugars, including corn syrup; the aforementioned vegetable oils, stabilizers and modifiers, calcium, proteins, minerals… all to make them “measure up” to dairy milk standards in taste, texture and nutrition.
Food for thought: some nutritionists wonder why the standard is dairy milk as opposed to human milk.
The solution is just to make plant-based beverages yourself — and it’s actually really easy. Oat milk is a little tricky, but these simple tips will help you make the perfect beverage:
Don’t soak the oats; it can make the oat milk slimy.
Blend on high speed just enough to combine but not to be completely smooth. Overblending can also cause the dreaded slimy texture with oat milk.
Use basic, whole rolled oats, not steel-cut oats or quick-cooking oats.
If heated on its own, oat milk will thicken and become gelatinous. It works fine when added to hot beverages like tea or coffee, though.
Oat milk’s texture and flavor make it perfect for your favorite coffee drink.
Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend for about 10–15 seconds. Don’t overblend! Using a fine mesh sieve, strain mixture into a jar. Use a spoon or spatula to gently stir and press the pulp against the sieve. (You may want to strain it twice to get rid of more starch.)
Stir in salt and any other additions. (Use blender a second time to add berries or dates.) Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge up to 5 days. If the liquid separates, just shake the jar to combine. — AmbitiousKitchen.com
Homemade Almond Milk
1 cup raw almonds (soaked overnight in cool water or 1-2 hours in very hot water)
5 cups filtered water (less to thicken, more to thin)
Pinch sea salt
Optional: 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 whole pitted dates, 1 Tbsp. honey, 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder, ½ cup berries
In recent years, the most popular alternative milk, almond milk, has fallen out of favor due to the amount of water needed to grow the nuts.
Process the soaked almonds, water, salt and any optional ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until creamy and smooth, 1–2 minutes.
Strain over a fine-mesh wire sieve, using a thin cotton dish towel or a piece of clean muslin. After pouring in the blended almond mixture, carefully gather the corners of the fabric, twist tightly around the pulp and squeeze hard until all the liquid is extracted. Discard pulp.
Transfer almond milk to a jar or covered bottle and refrigerate. Best when fresh, but will keep when refrigerated for up to 5 days. Shake well before drinking, as it tends to separate.
Homemade Rice Milk
½ cup brown rice
2 cups water
Pinch salt
Optional: Honey, maple syrup, sugar or other sweetener, ¼ tsp. vanilla
In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast rice, stirring frequently until fragrant and just starting to color, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or jar and add 2 cups water. Set aside to soak for 10 hours.
When soaking is complete, pour rice and water into blender, add salt, sweetener and vanilla (if desired), and blend at highest setting until rice grains are no longer visible, about 2 minutes.
Using a nut milk bag or cloth covered fine-mesh strainer, strain rice milk into a glass bottle or jar. Chill thoroughly before serving. Shake well before each use.
