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Hainan Airlines relaunches Tijuana-Beijing flight

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MND Staff
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The Hainan Airlines Tijuana-Beijing flight will restart on July 19.
The Hainan Airlines Tijuana-Beijing flight will restart on July 19. (Hainan Airlines Global/Facebook)

Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines is relaunching a direct flight between Tijuana and Beijing starting July 19. The route was suspended in January 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The flight, which will operate two times per week on Mondays and Fridays, will cover an intercontinental distance of 10,250 kilometers and will have a duration of approximately 12 hours.

TIJ has seen great growth thanks to the Cross Border Xpress (CBX) bridge, which connects the Mexican border city with Southern California.
TIJ has seen great growth thanks to the Cross Border Xpress (CBX) bridge, which connects the Mexican border city with Southern California. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)

At the press conference announcing the flight, Baja California’s Tourism Minister Miguel Aguiñiga Rodríguez emphasized that his administration has focused on connecting the border city of Tijuana to new international destinations. By the end of 2024, Aguiñiga said that in addition to Beijing, Tijuana (TIJ) will offer two more international routes: to Phoenix and Las Vegas in the United States. These three international routes will join the 40 national routes that TIJ currently operates.  

The Pacific Airport Group (GAP), which operates 12 airports in Mexico’s Pacific coast states, has previously said that this flight is part of a growth strategy to turn Tijuana into an international hub connecting Asia with Central and South America. 

In an interview with the air industry magazine A21, GAP’s director of institutional relations Alejandra Soto said that the Tijuana airport has seen great growth thanks to the Cross Border Xpress (CBX) bridge, which connects the Mexican border city with Southern California. According to Soto, the bridge makes Tijuana an attractive access point to the United States from Asia and Central America.  

Before it was suspended, Hainan Airlines’s Tijuana-Beijing route, which also operated twice a week, had an 80% passenger capacity in an aircraft that could accommodate 200 passengers. The relaunched route will be onboard Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircrafts with a capacity for 290 passengers. The airline plans to offer some 1,260 seats per week.

The Tijuana-Beijing flight will be the second direct route between Mexico and China, following the launch of a direct flight between Mexico City and Shenzhen by China Southern Airlines in May. The 16-hour route is Mexico’s longest flight and the fourth longest in the world.  

With reports from La Jornada, Excélsior, El Imparcial and A21

Yucatán peninsula on alert as Hurricane Beryl barrels through Carribbean

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MND Staff
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Hurricane Beryl has set the record for the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in history.
Hurricane Beryl, now moving across the Caribbean, has set the record for the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in history. (NOAA)

Category 5 Hurricane Beryl is currently barreling through the Caribbean, prompting Mexican states in its pathway to issue warnings to residents.

Less than two weeks after Tropical Storm Alberto brought torrential rains across large swaths of the Yucatán Peninsula and northeastern Mexico, current models indicate Beryl, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2024, will be following virtually the same path.

A map of storm winds from Hurricane Beryl and their projected arrival time
Storm winds from Hurricane Beryl will likely hit the Yucatán Peninsula by Thursday. NOAA)

On Monday night, the government of Quintana Roo issued a “Green Alert,” an official low-danger warning that a cyclone is approaching. 

Quintana Roo authorities advised residents to tape up windows, tie down items that could be tossed around by high winds, cut back tree limbs near power lines and make sure drains and sewers are not clogged. Governor Mara Lezama is continuing to issue updates on her social media accounts.

Beryl has set several records already. The second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, Beryl became the first Category 5 storm ever to form in the Atlantic Ocean in the month of June. 

Hurricane Beryl made landfall Monday on Carriacou Island, a small island between Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and has killed at least four people, according to NBC News.

On Tuesday morning, the U.S. National Hurricane Center/NOAA issued a public advisory stating that “Beryl continues moving quickly west-northwestward across the central Caribbean Sea … [and is] expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica on Wednesday.”

The advisory went on to say: “Interests elsewhere in the northwestern Caribbean, including the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, should closely monitor the progress of Beryl. Additional watches or warnings will be required later [Tuesday].”

Mexico’s national weather agency issued advisories to states on the Yucatán Peninsula (Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo) as well as Veracruz to expect heavy rains and lightning storms on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, states along the Gulf Coast were taking inventory after the passage of Tropical Storm Chris, which developed in the Bay of Campeche on Sunday and came ashore in Vega de Alatorre, Veracruz.

Now a tropical depression, Chris dissipated over eastern Mexico on Monday morning. Chris was the third named storm of the 2024 hurricane season.

With reports from El Universal, La Jornada Maya and NBC News

The 7 best indoor cycling studios in Mexico City

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MND Staff
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Siclo spinning class
Feel the urge to take a spinning class? Try some of Mexico City's best spots to ride - and maybe even party. (Síclo)

Indoor cycling has evolved beyond calorie burning, into a complete and uplifting workout (and sometimes party) experience. In a city as big and cosmopolitan as Mexico City, there are a plethora of options when you want to ride. To save you the hustle of looking for an exhilarating indoor cycling studio, we’ve put together this exclusive guide to the city’s hottest spinning spaces right now.  

From energy-packed coaches to challenging routines in tune with vibrant music and lighting, we’ve found the best spin studios in the city to transform your daily workout routine into an exciting challenge. Happy spinning! 

Síclo 

With 10 locations in Pedregal, Roma Norte, Santa Fe, Lomas de Chapultepec, San Ángel, Polanco and Interlomas, Síclo is one of the largest cycling studios in Mexico City. Its classes stand out for incorporating dumbbells and push-ups that target the muscles in the abdomen and arms. Individual classes start at $220 pesos, with a reduced special rate for Síclo Prime members. 

Beyond Mexico City, Síclo has two branches in Guadalajara. Outside of Mexico, it has studios in Madrid, Perú, Bogotá and Miami. 

Síclo has also developed into a digital platform that offers thousands of online classes from more than nine different trainings.

For more information, visit Siclo’s website. 

Bikla

Using high-tech bicycles and sophisticated audio, video and lighting systems to create an immersive sensory experience, Bikla offers one of the most popular spinning classes in Mexico City.  

The studio also offers online classes so that you can spin anywhere.  With on-demand rides available 24/7 every day, Bikla has one of the best online catalogs in Latin America. 

Currently, Bikla has only one studio at FitHub in Santa Fe. However, the studio has announced a new branch in Polanco, opening soon. 

For more information, visit Bikla’s website.

Rodé Cycle  

 

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With five different locations in Santa Fe, Polanco and Condesa in Mexico City, plus one in México state, Rodé is easy to reach from the capital’s most popular neighborhoods.  

Their 45-minute spinning classes stand out for their rhythmic background music, motivational coaching and unique choreographies. You can either buy individual lessons for 300 pesos or choose from packages ranging from five classes to unlimited lessons per month.

Outside of Mexico City, Rodé Cycle has locations in Mérida, Playa del Carmen, Campeche and León. There are also two Rodé studios in Miami.

For more information, check out Rodé’s website.   

Cycology

 

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Located in Green Plaza Bosque Real in Huixquilucan, México state, Cycology classes provide an indoor cycling experience with varying levels of resistance and speed that simulate an outdoor bike ride. The first class starts at 200 pesos, with prices varying depending on the package users select. 

For pet owners, Cycology offers a pet-sitting service — you can bring your dog and the studio’s staff will take care of it while you spin! 

Cycology is the only cycling studio in Bosque Real. Its location is ideal for those who also live in Interlomas. 

For more information, visit Cycology’s website.

Commando

 

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Inspired by the military spirit, in Commando you’ll be motivated to never give up. With locations in Santa Fe, Prado Norte, Polanco, Pedregal, Interlomas, Bosques de las Lomas and Condesa, Commando offers plenty of alternatives to workout. With international coaches, it’s also easy to find a class in English.  

The studio also has a juice bar specializing in protein shakes. You can order your shake before the class starts or through its website once you become a member.   

The first class at Commando is 250 pesos, and after that, each class costs $350. The studio’s class packages start at five classes for 340 pesos per class, to 100 classes for 290 pesos per class. 

Outside of Mexico City, the studio has two branches in Guadalajara.  

For more information, visit Commando’s website.

Zuda

 

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With cozy interiors and a relaxed atmosphere, Zuda combines the peaceful feeling of a spa with the motivating vibe of a gym. It’s cycling studio offers two spinning programs: Soul, in which you pedal to the music’s tune following a personalized choreography, and Ruta, a strength and speed training.

Zuda is also home to Mood, a restaurant from the Carolo group that offers a healthy menu ideal for any after-workout routine. 

The studio has two locations in Mexico City: Plaza Lilas in Bosque de Las Lomas, and Prado Norte in Lomas de Chapultepec.

For more information, visit Zuda’s website.

Fitspin

 

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Another pet-friendly studio, Fitspin has three locations in Bosques de Las Lomas, Lomas de Chapultepec and Polanco. Outside of Mexico City, it also has a branch in Cancún. With energetic and uplifting tunes, Fitspin calls its spinning classes #biciantro, a combination of a nightclub and cycling. 

Following that party spirit, the studio offers a Happy Hour with a post-workout beer following the 10:15 a.m. weekend class. If you don’t own spinning shoes, they will provide a pair for you. 

Prices start at 330 pesos per class, with reduced prices if you buy a package of three or more classes.  

For additional information, visit Fitspin’s website.

Have we missed your favourite spinning class? Let us know in the comments below!

Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.

Mexican Boogeymen: The Nini

By
Sarah DeVries
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A nini
The "Ninis," young, unemployed Mexicans not in education or training, are a common target for public ire. (Ivan Stephens/Cuartoscuro)

There are many cultural archetypes in Mexico. Like everywhere, they tend to be polarized: universally revered, or universally despised.

Revered? Look no further than the all-sacrificing, all-involved mother, her children her highest adoration.

Children are, of course, treasured by Mexicans everywhere. Until they don’t get a job, anyway. (Isaac Esquivel/Cuartoscuro)

Despised? In today’s article, we’ll be talking about the infamous figure of the “nini.” Sometimes written as NINI, it stands for “ni estudia ni trabaja” (doesn’t study, doesn’t work).

NINIs, NINIs everywhere

First of all, it’s important to note that when people use this term, they’re referring to young people. Officially, a “nini” is a young person between the age of 18 and 24. As of 2022, they made up about 20% of the population in that age bracket (some sources count ages 14-28).

They’re Mexico’s answer to the Anglo figure of the “bum,” except they’re not the stereotypical 50-something dude. The stereotype here is young, lazy, disrespectful, and (usually) male. Dudes sitting around staring at their phones in the middle of the day is not what anyone wants to see around here.

But who are they really?

In reality, most NINIs in Mexico are women. Part of the reason for this is simple biology. If you get someone pregnant, your life can, in most cases, go on as it normally would. If you become pregnant, then your opportunities become quite a bit more limited.

So too, if you suddenly have the duties of “wife” thrust onto you. Though hard to believe, there are plenty of communities in which the “selling” of minor daughters to husbands is not unheard of. Unfortunately, sexism still abounds in many places of the country. It’s not great for creating opportunities for young women.

Crime

As you might guess, organized crime also has a way of swooping in to fill the vacuum. In areas of the country where educational and economic opportunities are low, recruiting, unfortunately, becomes much easier.

For a little perspective, organized crime is the fifth highest employer in Mexico. As you’d probably guess, no one lists “Las Zetas” as their employers in official polls.

Attempts at solutions

AMLO was elected in 2018 in part with a mandate to help NINIs. His ideals came from the heart, but the policies that sprung from them fell far short of their goal. The initiative “Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro” (Young People Building the Future) was popular. It was and is a scholarship program for young people to get paid while they learn a trade. However, the already small budget for it shrank quite a bit during the pandemic. With schools and workplaces closed, many young people missed out on vital years of development.

AMLO at morning press conference
President López Obrador has tried (unsuccessfully) to remedy the Nini problem.  (Cuartoscuro)

Still, he tried. He bet on not disturbing organized crime in the hopes that they’d cool down. Conclusion: unsuccessful. He ensured that the minimum wage was raised several times during his term. He was not responsible for the pandemic, of course, but the missed opportunities and lack of government support during that time hurt many.

Half a bet that didn’t pan out, half bad luck? Anyway, it’s back to the drawing board for now.

Mejor nada

Even for those young people who work hard to finish school (though secondary is required), opportunities can be slim.

Even college graduates can expect to see low offers for professional posts. That is, if they have the proper connections. If they’re from poor families and don’t have a “palanca” to help them get a leg up, meaningful opportunities are slim.

Meanwhile, employers paying minimum wage complain that they can’t find quality workers.

Gee, if only there were something more they could do!

I often think about how I’d feel if I were a young poor person. Perhaps I’d watched an aunt or an uncle work their butts off only to toil 6 days a week plus overtime to barely provide for their families.

It would almost seem not worth the effort.

Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.

Illegal Mexico-US border crossings hit three-year low after Biden’s executive order

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MND Staff
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A stretch of the Mexico-US border wall in the desert
Fear and intimidation isn't the right response to the U.S.'s immigration woes, Bembenek writes. (Greg Bulla/Unsplash)

United States President Joe Biden’s new border policy appears to be working.

Illegal crossings into the United States from Mexico declined in June to their lowest monthly level in more than three years, according to preliminary U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data obtained by CBS News.

CBS reported that CBP processed approximately 84,000 migrants who crossed the Mexico-United States border without authorization in June. That’s the lowest number since January 2021, the month Biden took office.

The number of migrant apprehensions last month represents a 29% decrease compared to May, when CBP made 118,000 arrests.

Biden issued an executive order on June 4 that prevented migrants from making asylum claims at the U.S.-Mexico border at times when crossings between legal ports of entry surge.

The new asylum rule — described by the New York Times as “the most restrictive border policy instituted by Mr. Biden, or any other modern Democrat” — has allowed U.S. immigration officials “to more quickly deport larger numbers of migrants,” CBS reported.

U.S. President Joe Biden at a press conference
In early June, Biden announced new restrictions on asylum seekers at the Mexico-US border. (White House)

However, migrant apprehensions were falling even before the new rule took effect. Border Patrol agents arrested 141,000 migrants in February; 137,000 in March; and 129,000 in April.

A major reason for the decline this year — after arrests reached a record monthly high of almost 250,000 last December — is that Mexican authorities have ramped up enforcement against undocumented migrants.

The National Immigration Institute recently said that almost 1.4 million undocumented foreigners were “rescued” and taken to detention centers or facilities operated by the DIF family services agency in the first five months of the year. In addition to sending migrants to detention centers, Mexican immigration authorities “round them up across the country and dump them in the southern Mexican cities of Villahermosa and Tapachula,” the Associated Press reported in June. 

Following a meeting with U.S. officials in December, Mexican authorities also increased efforts to stop migrants boarding northbound buses and trains.

CBS suggested that yet another factor in the decline in recent months of migrants crossing the Mexico-U.S. border is the increase in temperatures in spring and summer. Migrants often attempt to enter the U.S. in remote desert regions where the heat can be deadly.

However, Biden’s executive order — which includes exemptions for unaccompanied minors — is the main reason why migrant crossings fell again in June, unnamed senior U.S. officials told CBS news.

CBS reported that “in the past week, the average of daily migrant apprehensions fell below 2,000 — or nearly half of May’s 3,800 average, internal CBP data show.”

A group of migrants, mostly men, line up in front of two border agents in green uniforms near the border wall on June 6, two days after Biden issued the executive order.
U.S. Border Patrol officers process a group of migrants near the border wall on June 6, two days after Biden issued the executive order. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)

“That number is also close to the 1,500 threshold the Biden administration set to suspend the asylum restrictions,” it added.

Andrew Selee, president of the think tank Migration Policy Institute, acknowledged the downward trend in border crossings this year. However, he highlighted that the biggest month-over-month drop occurred in June.

“The numbers have been going down before the presidential announcement, but they went down a lot more afterwards, so I think you have to give some credit to that,” he said.

“We have to assume, if nothing else, that in the short term it has dissuaded some people,” Selee added.

Biden highlighted during last Thursday’s presidential debate in the U.S. that illegal border crossings had declined since he issued his executive order on June 4.

Former U.S. president Donald Trump described the reduction as “insignificant” and accused Biden of wanting “open borders.”

“He wants our country to either be destroyed or he wants to pick up those people as voters. And we just can’t let it happen,” Trump said.

With reports from CBS News 

With one goal in three games, Mexico makes a ‘disastrous early exit’ from the Copa América

By
MND Staff
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Two Mexican soccer players in red uniforms go after an Ecuadorian player in white with the ball, before Mexico was eliminated from the Copa América.
Mexican defender Gerardo Arteaga and midfielder Orbelín Pineda take on Kendry Páez of Ecuador. (FMF)

This year’s Copa América soccer tournament was held up as a golden opportunity for Mexico’s men’s national team to finally come alive after years of disappointing finishes on the national stage. Instead, head coach Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano’s squad scored only one goal in three games and was eliminated in the first round after it played to a 0-0 tie against Ecuador on Sunday night in the Phoenix, Arizona, suburb of Glendale.

ESPN called it “a disastrous early exit.”

The result in front of 62,565 fans — most of them draped in green, red and white and vigorously rooting for the three-colored team known as El Tri — brought back memories of Mexico also failing to advance past the first round of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. There, the team also had a record of one win, one loss and one tie, and scored just two goals in more than 270 minutes of play.

“Since 2019, Mexico has gone from failure to failure,” wrote the newspaper El País.

The sports newspaper Diario AS said the team is “going through a crisis of results that calls its future into question.”

“The only thing they do is make themselves ridiculous,” TV Azteca commentator Christian Martinoli said on the air. “This is another resounding failure.”

The Ecuadorian goal keeper jumps to push a shot away from the net during a Copa América game, as Mexican fans watch with shocked expressions behind the goal.
Mexico’s offense fails to put one in Ecuador’s net in the game that cinched the Mexican team’s elimination. (Federación Ecuadoriana de Fútbol)

Mexico entered its final group-stage game on Sunday needing a victory to advance as Group B’s second-place team. The squad opened promisingly with a 1-0 win over Jamaica but then lost 1-0 to Venezuela.

After their tie, Mexico and Ecuador each had 1-1-1 records, but Ecuador advanced thanks to outscoring its opponents 4-3, while Mexico’s aggregate was 1-1.

Venezuela surprisingly won the group with three victories and advanced to the quarterfinals along with Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay (and three other teams, pending more first-round results on Monday and Tuesday).

Based on the world FIFA rankings coming into the tournament, Mexico (15th) was the heavy favorite in a group that also included Ecuador (30th), Jamaica (53rd) and Venezuela (54th). The next rankings on July 17 will probably see El Tri drop a few spots.

Although El Tri is one of only six countries that has qualified for every World Cup since 1994, the team has won only 10 of 24 games since Lozano took over as head coach last year.

His tenure started in July 2023 with Mexico winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup, a tournament for the region that covers North America, Central American and the Caribbean.

But since then, Mexico has five wins, six losses and four ties in 15 games, and a particular thorn in its side is a winless 0-4-2 record against the U.S. in tournament play since 2019.

Mexico's national mens soccer team coach Jaime Lozano.
The Mexican team’s weak performance has some fans doubting El Tri coach Jaime Lozano. (Cuartoscuro)

Copa América was a chance at redemption.

Held at NFL stadiums throughout the U.S. after Ecuador backed out as host country, the tournament for South American teams often offers guest invitations to other countries. This year, Mexico was one of six teams invited.

And now, they’ll be one of eight teams heading home after the first round.

In their last four Copa América appearances, Mexico has been eliminated three times without advancing.

Just one goal against either Venezuela and Ecuador would have been enough to advance into the quarterfinals, but despite an offensive barrage by Mexico and many chances in each game, El Tri was unable to convert.

While public opinion indicates Lozano is not up to the task of leading the team into the 2026 World Cup — which Mexico will co-host along with the U.S. and Canada — the Mexican Football Federation’s director of men’s national teams said otherwise.

Duilio Davino stated in a post-game press conference that Lozano will maintain his job.

“The project continues,” the FMF bigwig said. “In two weeks, Jimmy will present us with an evaluation of what happened in the summer … We’ll talk with him about everything we can improve … but there are also positives.”

With reports from La Jornada, El País, FoxSports.mx, Marca, Diario AS and ESPN

What’s next for the Maya Train? President-elect Sheinbaum plans for the railroad’s future

By
MND Staff
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Claudia Sheinbaum, AMLO and Mara Lezama sit in a car of the Maya Train.
President-elect Sheinbaum, President López Obrador and Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama ride the Maya Train, which is now scheduled to be completed mid-September. (Claudia Sheinbaum/X)

President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum has given her seal of approval to the Maya Train railroad after taking two train trips in recent days with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Sheinbaum, who will take office Oct. 1, and López Obrador traveled from the Edzná Station in Campeche to the Teya Station near Mérida, Yucatán, on Friday.

They boarded the Maya Train again on Saturday to travel from Teya to the Cancún Airport Station in Quintana Roo.

On Sunday, Sheinbaum took to social media to declare that the as-yet-incomplete railroad is “a historic feat.”

“It’s not just the more than 1,500 kilometers [of tracks] built in five years and the beauty of the trip. It’s the recovery of the archaeological sites, the decree of hundreds of thousands of hectares of Natural Protected Areas, the investment in the well-being of dozens of communities,” she wrote on X.

“… It’s also recognizing ourselves in the grandeur of the Maya culture of then and now. Congratulations to all the companies, engineers, workers and military engineers. What has been achieved is something amazing,” added Sheinbaum.

Conductor standing in doorway of Maya Train railroad car
Sections 1-4 of the Maya Train are already completely open. (Isabel Mateos Hinojosa/Cuartoscuro)

Environmental groups and others have criticized the project, which cut down large swathes of forest to build the tracks. In addition, steel and cement pilings pierced through the roofs of limestone caves along a section of the railroad in Quintana Roo. Experts said the perforations affected the quality of subterranean water and destroyed “archaeological and geological heritage.”

Environmentalists have expressed a range of other concerns about the construction and operation of the US $20 billion railroad, including the potential impact on wildlife.

López Obrador inaugurated construction of the railroad in June 2020, and pledged at the time to complete it in 28 months, or by October 2022. However, the project has faced a range of challenges, including court rulings that have temporarily halted work.

AMLO: Maya Train project will be finished in August or September 

Sections 1–4 of the 1,554-kilometer-long railroad — which link Palenque, Chiapas, to Cancún, Quintana Roo, via Tabasco, Campeche and Yucatán — are already open, as is the northern part of Section 5, which connects Cancún to Playa del Carmen.

Yet to open is the southern part of Section 5 between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, and Sections 6 and 7. The new track will link Tulum to Escárcega, Campeche, and include stations at Bacalar and Chetumal.

In an address on Friday President López Obrador and Sheinbaum inaugurated a new museum at the Edzná archaeological site. Afterward, the president said that the entire Maya Train railroad would open “at the end of August” or in “the middle of September.”

A map showing the planned route of the Maya Train, which forms a circuit around the Yucatán Peninsula.
Three sections of the Maya Train have yet to open: the southern part of section 5 (purple), section 6 (light green) and section 7 (blue). (Tren Maya)

“We’re going to conclude the whole Cancún-Tulum-Chetumal-Calakmul-Escárcega circuit, we’re going to finish the 1,540 kilometers of tracks,” he said.

López Obrador said he was “very proud” of the progress on the project, perhaps his government’s most ambitious infrastructure endeavor. He said it provides improved access to a region of great cultural and historical importance.

“The Maya Train was conceived [as a means] to once again connect the ancient Maya cities,” he said.

“… There is no other region in the world like what the Maya nation was and continues to be. … There isn’t … such a large region where a great culture flourishes. There are [other] important places. There is Athens in Greece, of course, but here there are several ‘Athens’ in just the Maya world,” López Obrador said, mentioning archeological sites such as Palenque, Chichén Itzá and Calakmul.

The president has long argued that the construction and operation of the Maya Train railroad will bring economic and social benefits to Mexico’s historically disadvantaged south and southeast. Sheinbaum has expressed her agreement with that view.

Maya Train could be extended to the port of Progreso 

Sheinbaum told reporters in Yucatán on Saturday that her team and the current government were looking at the funding the Maya Train railroad will require in 2025 in order to consolidate the passenger service, and commence freight services.

She also said she was analyzing a proposal from Yucatán Governor-elect Joaquín Díaz to extend the Maya Train. Díaz hopes to connect the railroad to Progreso, a port city north of Mérida on the Gulf of Mexico.

Díaz, who will be the first Morena party governor of Yucatán, has a so-called “Maya Renaissance” economic plan for the state. The plan includes an extension of the Maya Train railroad to Progreso. Sheinbaum met with the incoming governor in Mérida on Friday.

With reports from El Universal, La Jornada, N+, EFE and Debate

Mexico City’s 46th pride parade draws over 260,000

By
MND Staff
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A flag flies at the 2024 Mexico City pride parade
The Mexico City pride parade has taken place every year since 1979. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

The 46th edition of the LGBTQ+ pride parade in Mexico City drew over 260,000 people to the capital’s streets on Saturday, according to the Mexico City government. 

Attendees included activists, members of the community and the general public. 

Mexico City's 46th LGBTQ+ pride parade seen from above Paseo de la Reforma
The city’s 46th LGBTQ+ pride parade extended from the Angel of Independence to the Historic Center. (Prensa Clara Brugada/Cuartoscuro)

The parade started at 10:00 a.m. from the Angel of Independence. Participants, many dressed in elaborate costumes, continued along Paseo de la Reforma before finally reaching the Zócalo in the Historic Center. 

Unlike previous editions, no concert was held at the end of this year’s pride parade. However, a closing event was held at the Plaza de la Constitución to award special recognitions.

The Mexican actress and model Mariana Seoane was crowned “Queen of the LGBT+ community,” while the actress Lucía Méndez was named “Eternal LGBT Queen.” The singer Kimberly “The Most Precious,” was crowned “Gay Queen 2024.”

The motto of this year’s parade was, “In the face of an oppressive state and an indifferent society: We demand to live with dignity.” 

The Mexico City pride parade has taken place every year since 1979. It aims to advocate for public policies, legislative initiatives and fair judicial processes to ensure justice, freedom and dignified treatment for all members of the community. 

According to Mexico’s National Commission of Human Rights, six out of ten people in the LGBTQ+ community in Mexico have suffered some form of discrimination, while more than half have reported encountering expressions of hate, physical attacks and harassment. Moreover, after Brazil, Mexico is the Latin American country with the second highest rate of murders against trans people. 

With reports from El Universal, Infobae and Marca

Chapultepec Zoo celebrates 34th birthday of Xin Xin, the giant panda

By
MND Staff
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Xin Xin, Chapultepec Zoo's beloved giant panda, turns 34 today
¡Feliz cumpleaños, Xin Xin! (Sedema/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico City and the Chapultepec Zoo are celebrating the 34th birthday of Xin Xin, the giant panda.

Xin Xin is the only giant panda in Latin America and the only one in the world that does not belong to China, as well as one of the oldest of her species. The life expectancy for giant pandas is about 15-20 years. 

At 34 years old, Xin Xin is a success story of the Chapultepec Zoo.
At 34 years old, Xin Xin is a success story of the Chapultepec Zoo. (Sedema/Cuartoscuro)

“This celebration symbolizes the ambition of recovering and conserving threatened wildlife species and those in danger of extinction,” said Mexico City’s Environmental Ministry in a statement.

Xin Xin is the most popular resident of the 101-year-old zoo and visitors come from all around the world to watch her roam and play.

Visitors cluster in the viewing area waiting for Xin Xin to appear, although the waits have become longer as the aging panda now walks more gingerly, fumbles with her playthings less frequently and takes longer naps. 

Officials and caretakers at the zoo take great pride in Xin Xin. 

“It is very important to celebrate [her birthday] because it helps circulate the positive message that Mexico City’s Wildlife Conservation Centers — and Xin Xin, as wildlife ambassador — provide,” said Dr. Fernando Gual Sill, the director of the conservation center. “Visitors learn the importance of conservation, not just of wildlife like giant pandas, but also about Mexico’s native species and those that are threatened by extinction.”

The Chapultepec Zoo has had one of the most successful panda-breeding programs outside of China. Eight giant pandas have been conceived in the zoo since the first pandas — Pe Pe and Yin Yin — arrived in Mexico on Sept. 10, 1975.

Xin Xin was conceived naturally and was born in the zoo on July 1, 1990. Her mother was Tohui, the second giant panda born in captivity outside of China and the first born overseas to survive into adulthood. Xin Xin’s father was Chia Chia who was on loan from the London Zoo for breeding purposes.

Some experts attribute the success of Mexico City’s breeding program to the high altitude, which at 7,300 feet (2,225 meters) is similar to the pandas’ native habitat in Sichuan, China.

With reports from El Universal, El Imparcial and Chilango

Additional remains recovered 18 years after tragedy at Pasta de Conchos mine

By
MND Staff
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The Pasta de Conchos mine in Coahuila
Rescue efforts at the mine resumed in 2020, though additional remains were not successfully retrieved until Friday. (Pedro Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)

The remains of one of 63 Mexican miners whose bodies have been trapped underground for almost two decades have finally been recovered.

A methane explosion at the Pasta de Conchos coal mine in Coahuila claimed the lives of 65 miners in February 2006. Only two bodies had been recovered until Friday, when additional remains were brought above ground.

A memorial for the 65 miners killed in a 2006 explosion at the Pasta de Conchos mine in Coahuila
The remains of 62 miners have yet to be retrieved from the site of the accident. (Pedro Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)

Specialized rescue workers including National Guard personnel entered one of the chambers of the now-defunct mine late Friday afternoon and retrieved the remains of one miner.

The newspaper El Financiero reported that one “apparently complete” body was recovered.

As of Monday morning, authorities hadn’t released any official information about the recovery operation.

The remains were reportedly taken to a morgue in Saltillo, where DNA testing will seek to establish the identity of the victim. Family members of the deceased miners said it would take three weeks for a positive identification to occur.

Coahuila Attorney General Gerardo Márquez Guevara said that the Federal Attorney General’s Office would lead the efforts to identify the remains.

Relatives were present at the former Grupo México mine in the municipality of San Juan de Sabinas when the remains were recovered on Friday.

Martha Iglesias, daughter of deceased miner Guillermo Iglesias, told El Financiero that she and other family members saw the “complete skeleton” of one victim.

The recovery of the body came two weeks after the Interior Ministry (SEGOB) announced that human remains had been found in a mine chamber 146 meters underground.

The federal government presented a "Justice Plan for Pasta de Conchos" earlier this month in San Juan de las Sabinas.
The federal government presented a “Justice Plan for Pasta de Conchos” earlier this month in San Juan de las Sabinas. (Manuel Rodríguez Muro/Cuartoscuro)

“After more than 18 years since the terrible event, and four years since rescue work began on the instructions of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, it was possible to reach one of the places where records indicate 13 miners were working on the day of the accident,” SEGOB said in a statement on June 12.

Family members are hopeful that more bodies will be recovered in the near future.

Claudia Escobar, widow of Raúl Villasana, said it was “very moving” to see the remains of one of the victims brought above ground.

“It’s like a dream come true for us — a very difficult dream because it’s reopening a wound and everything we went through [after the miners were killed],” she said.

The federal government announced a “Justice Plan for Pasta de Conchos” earlier this month, and is already providing a range of assistance to the families of the victims.

Family members would like to see Grupo México held accountable for the Feb. 19, 2006 tragedy. The company, a conglomerate with interests in various sectors, is led by billionaire businessman Germán Larrea.

The Centro Prodh human rights organization has asserted that substandard security conditions at the Pasta de Conchos mine exacerbated the effects of the methane explosion.

It said that “security failures” were reported at the mine since 2000, and that in a “final inspection” carried out in July 2004, 43 “direct violations” of security and hygiene regulations were detected.

Forty-eight remedial measures were ordered, many of which were “extremely urgent,” Centro Prodh said.

“However, authorities failed to supervise the correction of the defects detected,” the NGO said.

Shortly after the accident, Grupo México recovered the bodies of two miners but suspended its rescue efforts in April 2007.
Shortly after the accident, Grupo México recovered the bodies of two miners but suspended its rescue efforts in April 2007. (Pedro Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)

Grupo México carried out a rescue operation after the accident, but was only able to recover the bodies of two miners. The company suspended its rescue efforts in April 2007, saying at the time that continuing the operation would place rescuers’ lives at risk.

Centro Prodh noted that the families of the victims asserted that “the reason for the suspension” of the rescue operation was that if the bodies were recovered, “the terrible work conditions in the mine would be revealed and this would result in criminal and economic penalties, and even the withdrawal of the company’s [mining] concessions.”

Almost one year after the accident, the widows of the miners won an injunction that gave them access to internal Grupo México documents, which revealed it had been operating the Pasta de Conchos mine under less than optimal safety conditions since at least 2000.

However, no company representatives, or government officials, were held legally responsible for the deaths of the 65 miners.

More recently, 10 miners died in an accident at the El Pinabete coal mine in Coahuila in 2022, and two miners were killed last year in an accident at another mine in the northern border state.

With reports from El Financiero, Milenio, Reforma and Radio Fórmula

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