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.
Is AI coming for our jobs? Writer Sarah DeVries has been experiencing some anxiety about this question in recent months. (Illustration by Angy Márquez)
Last week, I headed to the Registro Civil with — finally! — all of my divorce paperwork ready to be processed. After three long years, it was happening, and, oh boy, have I been ready to officially, legally move on!
Alas, when I arrived, there was a problem: my foreign birth certificate (a document which only recently has been required for divorce, I’m told) had not been apostilled and officially translated — that is, it hadn’t been translated by a perito traductor, literally a “translation specialist,” who is authorized to translate and guarantee the faithful translation of official documents.
I cried, kind of hard.
When I got married at that same Registro Civil, after all, back when I was just barely starting to call myself a translator, the officials were accommodating.
“Oh, you can just translate your birth certificate for us yourself, it’s fine!” the lady told me.
I did and felt immediately proud to have had my translation accepted by an official government entity, however informally. Motivated, I decided I’d try to become a perito traductor myself.
The path to that coveted position, however, ended before it began: on the call for applications that a friend sent me, the first item on the list of requirements to apply was to be a Mexican citizen.
Honestly, it was their loss; I’m awesome.
I was disappointed but didn’t let it stop me. Since then, I’ve become an official translator for some great media organizations, a handful of very low-paid translation agencies (not my fave) and lots and lots of Spanish-language TV shows for the major streaming services.
I have no idea who the English-speaking (and apparently non-Spanish-speaking) audience is for Colombian soap operas, but apparently it’s a big enough group to warrant English subtitles for all of them.
I really love translating. Let me count the ways!
It takes a lot of logic and linguistic know-how, of course, but it’s also creative, like trying to recreate the final product from a recipe without any of the original ingredients. It needs to taste the same, smell the same and feel the same, but it must be produced with completely different elements than the original.
And there’s a lot that needs to be addressed when translating: First and foremost, what’s the purpose of the translation? If it’s to entertain, then more creative license can be taken, a fun spot where one’s writing skills enter the picture as well. (Literary translation is where I find great satisfaction in that area, and I would point you in the direction of some really fun material if it weren’t for NDAs.)
If it’s to give instructions, then it needs to be straightforward and simplified: no flowery language wanted that might confuse the reader. For legal or medical purposes, there are often two steps: firstly, figuring out exactly what the message is in the original language, and secondly, finding the equivalent jargon in the target language.
It requires a delicate and careful sensibility as anything “off” could trigger serious consequences.
There are plenty of other questions to consider as well: What if the original writing is…not good? If it’s filled with mistakes (which definitely happens), do you replicate the sloppy style or “clean it up” for the translated version? (I personally clean them up; I just can’t send in work that’s not grammatically sound or is full of mistakes.)
There can be varying levels of extremes on this question. I was recently asked to translate from an unedited audio transcription, for example, and it was a literal nightmare — void of even a tiny bit of punctuation that might give clues as to the meaning of what was being said.
In such a case, you don’t want the English version to sound like an essay (that is, if you figure out what they’re trying to say in the first place) but rather conversational. But to what degree do you insert all the repeated words, the stutters, the skipping around of narrative?
Depending on the purpose of the translation itself, you may get a little room to play, or it could entail parameters of a nearly military nature. But however it’s ultimately done, it’s so, so, satisfying: looking at one’s perfect translation is like putting the final piece of a puzzle into its place. Ahh.
But for all this love I have for my craft — part science, part art — I’m nervous. Machine translation is getting better. It’s not human-quality better, but might that only be a matter of time?
Google Translate 10 years ago was comically terrible. Nowadays, it does a pretty decent job with most things, though the original text still needs to be perfect in order for Google to spit out something of any kind of quality.
Artificial Intelligence (which I believe is badly-named; it should be called Collective Intelligence since it uses all the human material we’ve managed to preserve so far) seems poised to — at least eventually — render my work as a writer and translator unnecessary in fields that are already precarious career-wise: full-time salaried positions in these areas are essentially nonexistent, and most people who do them are freelancers or else contract workers who are called freelancers.
Will peritos traductores eventually be replaced by AI programs as well? Will we all feel comfortable with so much content void of the human touch?
For now, I’m still safe. AI doesn’t have a human brain, and it reduces the quality of pretty much any translation. Will people care, though, if translations are bad but basically understandable?
I’m betting that they will, at least for important things.
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com
Pay for public school teachers, cocaine addiction and alleged corruption in the judicial branch were some of the topics AMLO covered in his daily press conferences. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez / Cuartoscuro.com)
Money was a recurring theme at President López Obrador’s morning press conferences, or mañaneras, this week.
The president announced a pay rise for teachers, denounced the United States’ government’s funding of groups he claims are opposed to his government, celebrated the appreciation of the Mexican peso and proposed the public disclosure of the wealth of Mexico’s judges, who he frequently criticizes for living large on the public purse.
The president toured new customs installations in Reynosa, Matamoros and Nuevo Laredo last weekend. (AMLO/Twitter)
The vocal champion of austerity prides himself on being Mexico’s foremost advocate for those who have the least dinero – the nation’s poorest – though he also has time for the super-rich (as long as they earned their money legally), as he demonstrated again recently by meeting with billionaire businessman Carlos Slim.
Monday
There was good reason for Mexico’s public school maestros to celebrate Teacher’s Day, as López Obrador announced they would get, on average, a pay rise of 8.2%.
“No teacher or education worker will earn less than 16,000 pesos [about US $900] a month,” he said, explaining that the amount is the average salary of employees enrolled in the government’s social security scheme.
Public Education Minister Leticia Ramírez at Monday morning press conference. (Leticia Ramírez/Twitter)
“… We’re taking the decision that the minimum [salary] for a teacher will always be the average [wage] that the workers in our country earn. … This decision and the general salary increase will mean that we’ll allocate 42 billion additional pesos to the [annual] budget, to the strengthening of public education in our country. It’s not an expense, it’s an investment,” AMLO said.
The president also highlighted another investment his government is making in the education sector, noting that it is spending almost 96.8 billion pesos this year to fund scholarships for 12.2 million students from poor families.
Financial support of such magnitude has never before been provided “in the history of Mexico,” he said.
During his Q & A session with reporters, López Obrador was asked about an El Universal newspaper report that highlighted alleged corruption at the Institute to Return Stolen Goods to the People (INDEP), the federal agency tasked with distributing funds obtained via the sale of assets seized from organized crime and tax cheats.
“El Universal, which is very sensationalist and alarmist and against us, doesn’t inform, it manipulates,” AMLO said.
“There is no problem [at INDEP], I can guarantee you that, no problem,” he said.
“… There is no irregularity. … On the contrary, a lot of assets have been recovered,” López Obrador said, adding that they have subsequently been sold “for the benefit of the people.”
The president later reported that a government asset that was recently sold, the presidential plane, had arrived in Tajikistan almost a month after the government of the Central Asian nation purchased the luxuriously outfitted Boeing 787 Dreamliner for about US $92 million.
“We weren’t able to sell it [for a long time] because it’s so luxurious. … Now that we sold it to Tajikistan we’re going to build two hospitals, one in the Montaña [region] of Guerrero, in Tlapa, and the other in Tuxtepec, Oaxaca,” he said.
“… If I had used [the plane], we would have spent a lot. The last time president [Enrique] Peña used it, on a trip to Argentina, they spent 7 million pesos just on the [in-flight] internet service,” AMLO asserted.
Tuesday
Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez reported early in the press conference that the average number of homicides per day so far this year is 83, down from 101 in 2018, the year the current government took office.
Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez at the Tuesday morning press conference. (Presidencia)
She also presented data that showed that homicides declined 17% in the first four months of 2023 compared to the same period of 2019, the government’s first full year in office.
“Where are homicides concentrated? In six entities of the country,” Rodríguez said, explaining that 47.3% of all murders between January and April – 4,688 of 9,912 – occurred in Guanajuato, México state, Baja California, Chihuahua, Jalisco and Michoacán.
Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell replaced the security minister at the mañanera lectern and spoke about an issue inextricably linked to violence in Mexico: drugs.
“What we want to emphasize is that there is no happy ending” for habitual drug users, said the addiction prevention czar.
He specifically spoke about the risks associated with the use of cocaine, saying that the drug is “very addictive” and can cause serious health problems including gastrointestinal emergencies, heart attack and stroke.
Later in the presser, AMLO acknowledged that he met with Mexico’s richest person, Carlos Slim, late last week.
Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell, the addiction prevention “czar”. (Gob MX)
“We spoke about the country’s economic situation. He agrees that it’s a good time for investment in Mexico, that there is economic stability, that Mexico is among the most attractive countries for foreign investment,” he said.
López Obrador asserted that his government is largely responsible for making Mexico an attractive place to invest.
“There are several factors that come into play but there is one that is very important – confidence. It is known that there are healthy public finances, that the country isn’t in debt. It is known that that there is no corruption, that’s common knowledge in the financial world,” he said.
“It is known there is an authentic rule of law, not like before [when there was a] crooked state, a state of bribery,” AMLO said.
Continuing his long-running denunciation of the United States government’s funding of what he describes as “opposition” groups, López Obador presented a list of Mexican non-governmental organizations that have received money from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Among those on the list were Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity, which has exposed alleged corruption within the government, and the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness, a think tank.
“Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity – in favor of corruption, I say – US $2.3 million from 2018 to 2021,” López Obrador said, referring to his list.
The president was later asked whether he had sent a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping to inform him of a recent seizure in Lázaro Cárdenas of fentanyl that arrived on a ship that departed China.
López Obrador, who wrote to Xi in March to seek his support in the fight against fentanyl, said he hadn’t yet sent the letter, but stressed that the government wants to reach an agreement with China to “exchange information” about illicit shipments of the synthetic opioid, even though a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson declared that “there is no such thing as illegal trafficking of fentanyl between China and Mexico.”
In spite of that declaration, AMLO asserted that the Chinese government “can help us” in the fight against the trafficking of fentanyl and precursor chemicals and expressed confidence that it would “act responsibly” and in accordance with the “friendship” and “cooperation” between Mexico and China.
Just before the end of his presser, López Obrador highlighted the government’s capacity to provide high-quality and free health care to citizens, and asserted it was able to do so thanks to the savings it has generated by combating corruption.
He urged reporters – and the nation – to “never forget” that “the main problem in Mexico” before he came to government was corruption.
“If corruption is banished, the country emerges, it moves forward – it’s the blooming of Mexico,” AMLO said.
“We don’t need to put the country into debt, we don’t need to raise taxes, … none of that … because the amount [officials of past governments] stole was tremendous.”
Wednesday
Introducing the weekly “Who’s Who in the Lies of the Week” segment, López Obrador claimed that 99.99% of the media is against his government.
The remaining “very few” media outlets are not in favor of the government, but they “report and don’t manipulate,” he said.
Media monitor Ana García Vilchis took aim at the United States-based Mexican journalist Jorge Ramos, asserting that the Univision anchor “invented a migration crisis” by saying on television that 150,000 migrants were waiting in northern Mexico to cross into the United States in the lead-up to the expiration of the Title 42 migration expulsion policy.
U.S. and Mexican authorities had prepared for an increase in attempted migrant crossings upon expiration of Title 42 on May 11. (Cuartoscuro)
She said Ramos had no source for his claim and denounced the figure he cited as false.
“What is true is that about 26,000 people have been counted at border crossings with the United States. … Both the government of Mexico … and United States authorities are working together to avoid mass crossings … and to protect [migrants’] safety and human rights, in contrast to what Jorge Ramos says,” García said.
AMLO fielded a question about a proposal from Morena Deputy Ignacio Mier to hold a public consultation, or referendum, on his plan to change the constitution to allow citizens to directly elect Supreme Court justices and other judges.
The president said he supported the referendum idea, but added:
“We have to look at the legal procedure because it seems … consultations can’t be carried out once the electoral processes begin. If there is time [to hold one before the 2024 election period begins] … it would be good because … we all have to participate in cleaning up … [and] purifying public life.”
López Obrador also said it’s a “fact” that “the judicial power, almost in its entirety, from top to bottom, is rotten.”
“It only serves tycoons and criminals, it doesn’t impart justice for the benefit of the people. So we have to renew it,” he added.
A British journalist who writes for a socialist newspaper spoke in glowing terms about the “fourth transformation” López Obrador says his government is carrying out in Mexico, and asked the president whether Mexican embassies could do more to inform foreigners about it.
“Yes, more information from the foreign service about what is happening in our country is needed,” AMLO said before noting that not all of Mexico’s diplomats “agree with our project.”
“… There are diplomats who have a different background because the neoliberal model lasted a long time in Mexico – 36 years,” he said.
“… [But] in general all those who work in the foreign service have acted responsibly, even when they don’t completely sympathize with our project. There haven’t been any acts of betrayal. … Those who do help us a lot in disseminating what is taking place in Mexico … are Mexican migrants,” López Obrador said.
In addition to the daily mañanera, the president noted that his government employs a tactic that is reminiscent of the representatives of some evangelical churches to inform Mexican citizens of the government’s work and invite them to participate in the “transformation” he’s leading.
“One of the recommendations we follow is to go house to house, knock on the door, take a leaflet, a newspaper, and speak with the people,” he said.
“‘I’m so-and-so, I’ve come to invite you to participate [in our movement] so that corruption is banished from Mexico, so there is justice and so that together we can achieve a change,'” he added, offering an example of the kind of pitches that are put to “the people.”
Thursday
National Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval reported early in the presser that 49 migrants reported kidnapped in San Luis Potosí had been located.
Sixteen of that number were found on previous days while 33 were located just after 3 a.m. Thursday near the border between San Luis Potosí and Nuevo León, he said.
“All were transferred to the National Immigration Institute office in San Luis Potosí,” he said.
Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval gives an update on the abducted migrants on Thursday. (Gob MX)
The army chief said that no one had been arrested in connection with the disappearance of the migrants, among whom there were 11 children.
López Obrador later said that he had complete confidence in Sandoval, despite reports by Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity about his extravagant expenditure on overseas travel and his purchase of a luxury apartment.
“Among other characteristics, other virtues, the general is an honest, incorruptible person”, he said.
Asked about the recent appreciation of the peso, AMLO said that the strengthening of the currency “generally helps us.”
“For example, there is a percentage of foreign debt that is in [US] dollars, so this means a reduction in the amount of the debt [in pesos],” he said.
López Obrador acknowledged that a weaker dollar can hurt Mexican exporters, but stressed that “a strong peso is better than … [a] devaluation” of the currency.
“… Although the conservatives don’t like it, the peso is the currency that has appreciated the most in relation to the dollar in the time we’ve been in government. Now the Mexican miracle and the Mexican dream are being spoken about again,” he said.
Responding to another question, AMLO pledged that all of his government’s infrastructure projects – among which are the Maya Train railroad, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor and the Olmeca refinery on the Tabasco coast – will be completed when he leaves office at the end of September 2024.
“We don’t want to leave projects unfinished,” he said.
“We’re going to finish all of them, rain, thunder or lightning. With all the obstacles they put in front of us we look like steeplechase runners,” AMLO said, referring to impediments such as court orders.
“We run, an obstacle [appears] and we jump it. They put another one in front of us and we jump it as well,” he said.
Friday
“Today we don’t have a presentation. We’re going to answer questions, although not for very long because we’re off on a tour, we have to go and supervise [construction of] the Maya Train [railroad],” AMLO said at the beginning of a presser that lasted more than two hours.
López Obrador noted that he issued a new decree on Thursday that established five infrastructure projects and assets, including the Maya Train railroad and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor, as matters of national security and public interest.
The decree – which was published after the Supreme Court struck down a similar albeit broader 2021 decree – is necessary to protect the projects from “senseless, irresponsible, corrupt [and] unpatriotic” people who could stop them via the obtention of court orders, he said.
López Obrador asserted that there is “no legal provision” in the decree to “deny information” to citizens about the projects. Claims to the contrary constitute anti-government “propaganda,” he said.
“… Just imagine, benefits for the people of the southeast [could be] canceled due to nothing more than the caprices of the corrupt elite,” AMLO said.
“Why are we concerned? And why was the decision taken to make these projects actions of national security. Because those who are bringing injunctions against all these projects are receiving funding from the United States government, and we can prove that,” he said.
López Obrador once again railed against the Supreme Court, which has also recently struck down part of his electoral reform package and legislation that allowed the National Guard to be placed under the complete control of the Ministry of National Defense.
“It’s completely against us and the transformation of the country, … [it’s] part of the same conservative and corrupt group,” he said.
“… We got here as a result of the votes of a majority of Mexicans, but we inherited the judicial power from the old regime and it’s practically intact – it’s the same old judicial branch, we have to renew it,” AMLO said.
Responding to another question, López Obrador revealed that the government had received information about the presence of “armored vehicles” of the kind “the United States army uses” in the northern border city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, where two United States citizens were killed earlier this year.
“What are they called? Hummers, yes. … They’re investigating why they were in the city,” he said.
AMLO discusses armored vehicles in the border city of Matamoros at the Friday morning press conference. (Gob MX)
“Nobody knows how they crossed [the border from the United States]. … They’re investigating how they crossed to Mexico,” chimed in Jesús Ramírez, AMLO’s communications chief.
“Maybe they’re those that they withdraw [from military use] and sell. In any case, we have to investigate,” López Obrador said.
Toward the end of his presser, the president once again turned his mind to the nation’s Supreme Court justices and proposed that information about their financial positions – their assets and overall wealth – and those of other judges be made public.
“I believe that all citizens have the right to know about the wealth of public servants, there’s no reason to hide it,” he said.
AMLO told a reporter that if he uncovered any information about the assets of “justices, magistrates and judges,” – many of whom he asserts earn excessive salaries and are corrupt – he would disseminate it at his morning pressers.
“Transparency is a synonym of democracy. Transparency is a golden rule of democracy. So let everything be known,” he said.
“… The more informed people are the better, because this also leads to a better society,” AMLO said.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
Outside center, Ireland’s Nicholas Leen (center), Coyotes player, celebrates victory against the Querétaro Roosters in the semi-final. (Roberto García)
Coyoacán’s Coyotes Rugby Club will face Naucalpan’s Tazmania in Oaxtepec, Morelos this Saturday, with the national Segunda title at stake in an all-Mexico City affair.
Rugby Union – the more popular 15-man version of the game – is growing rapidly in Mexico, with 42 Major League clubs across the country, including from Mexico City, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, Nuevo León, Coahuila, Veracruz, Guanajuato and Puebla. Internationally, the country has made significant progress in the last few years, with the national team reaching 50th in the world – and one of the top five teams in Latin America.
Coyotes came out 25-23 winners in last season’s semi-final matchup. (Coyotes Rugby Club)
Mexico City also held an international Rugby 7s short-form tournament last week, after competing in the HSBC 7s world championship in South Africa.
Coyotes, last year’s beaten finalists at Playa del Carmen’s Eek Balam, return to face Tazmania, the team they defeated at the semi-final stage last year. The southern Mexico City team has had a strong run in the playoffs, dispatching Cholula Salvajes and Querétaro Roosters on their way to the championship decider.
Among the players lining up for the showdown are 10-year Colombian national team veteran, and club captain Javier Castellanos. Castellanos, who has competed at the highest level, is optimistic about leading the team out in what he calls “one of the most memorable moments of my sporting life.”
“I know Coyotes is a strong team…the boys are anxious for the battle ahead, and I know we’ll be able to look into each other’s eyes proud of a job well done,” he continued.
The talismanic Coyotes fly-half George Adams is also fully fit, as Tazmania prepares to bring a team studded with international experience to the national final. (Roberto García)
Coach Sean Lovesey, a veteran of former English Premiership side London Scottish is preparing his final game at the helm, before departing the club.
“After losing last year we want to go one better,” coach Sean Lovesey told Mexico News Daily. “Each game we got better and stronger. We have prepared and practiced. We know what we need to do to win.”
Saturday’s final marks the swansong for a number of key Coyotes players, including former All-Ireland GAA keeper Nicholas Leen, the mercurial outside centre who, alongside full-back René Rendon, has lit up the playoffs, with a hatful of tries and an aggressive defense that has seen only 3 tries conceded during the entire playoff run.
The matchup will not be easy, with two former Coyotes players – Valentin Figueroa and Eric Salto – having switched allegiances to Tazmania, regarded by many as favorites to win titles in both of the major Mexican leagues this season.
Mexico’s national side – the Serpientes – have broken into the top 50 international sides. (Federación Mexicana de Rugby)
Naucalpan-based Tazmania, who comfortably beat National Politechnic’s Burros Blancos in the semi-finals, is one of the oldest and most important clubs in Mexican rugby, providing an array of home-grown talent to the Mexican national side.
Despite this, Castellanos is confident of Coyotes’ chances when the two teams kick off at 4 p.m.
“If we keep our focus, our discipline and play together; we will certainly come out of the pitch next Saturday as winners,” he told Mexico News Daily.
Coyotes travel to the final courtesy of the support of Mexico News Daily, who have funded the team coach from Coyoacán to Oaxtepec.
The final will be streamed live via theRugby Mexico YouTube channel.
The route to AIFA airport will be an extension of existing Suburban Train service between Cuautlán and Buenavista. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
Technical studies for the CDMX-Querétaro passenger train are expected to conclude within five months, President López Obrador’s government has confirmed.
The company Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), via its subsidiary Mexican company Kansas City México, will conduct the studies with the goal of presenting an initial plan for the management, cost and financing of the project by the end of the year.
Kansas City México, a Mexican subsidiary of Canadian Pacific Kansas City, already operates much of Mexico’s existing overground rail network, and the Mexican government is keen to determine whether it is possible to extend existing rail services all the way to the capital. (William Hamlin/Twitter)
Although the project — which has been around before Lopez Obrador’s time in office — was originally conceived as a high-speed railway connecting to the two states, Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Minister Jorge Nuño’s recent statements indicate that the present government might have a different vision in mind.
“We don’t need a high-speed train, which would be very expensive, but a commuter train, such as the Suburban Train, to arrive in less than an hour-and-a-half to Querétaro,”.
The Suburban Train is a commuter line that runs from Cuautitlán, a suburb north of Mexico City in México state, to Buenavista station in central Mexico City’s Cuauhtemóc borough.
President López Obrador first announced the possible collaboration with CPKC on 2 May. Although the company is primarily involved in freight transport, it was chosen for the project because it already holds concessions for cargo services on the Juárez-Morelos railway line from Mexico City to Querétaro.
Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Minister Jorge Nuño stressed that a high-speed train connecting the two states is not what’s needed in the region, but a commuter rail, not unlike Mexico City’s Tren Suburbano (Suburban Train), which connects México state with the nation’s capital. (File photo/Presidencia)
“They are going to analyze the proposal we made to them. We want to have a passenger train to Querétaro because the road is saturated,” AMLO said at the time.
The idea of a high-speed passenger train from Mexico City to Querétaro, 250 km to the northeast of the capital, was first raised by President Peña Nieto’s administration. A US $3.75-billion construction contract was awarded to a Chinese-Mexican consortium but revoked in 2014, and the project was suspended due to budget cuts.
President López Obrador revived the project in October 2020 by including it in an investment package to be developed with the private sector.
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum — a leading contender for the presidency in 2024 — has alsoexpressed her support for the project as a priority for the next federal government.
Following the confirmation of Kansas City México’s collaboration, the general director of the Mexican Association of Railways Iker de Luisa Plazas, expressed his support for the project but warned a high-speed rail connection would require a different route from the current proposal.
He also stressed that a railroad should be seen as just one element of a wider project to improve urban and intercity transport in Mexico.
One previous vision of the proposed Mexico-Queretaro train route would have also linked it to another rail project yet to get off the ground, the Bajio Train project. This vision, rejected by the Infrastructure Ministry, would have connected Guanajuato state to Mexico City as well. (Info-Transportes)
“An important factor to consider is that demand for mobility is occurring a lot [within] cities, to a greater extent than between cities,” he said. “There are 20 subways and light-rail lines in Mexico City and the metropolitan area, as well as in Monterrey and Guadalajara. It is important to modernize and expand these systems.”
“Each project must be studied and analyzed for its viability and to determine its characteristics, technical challenges and estimates of necessary investment, which is what the government has contemplated for the Mexico-Querétaro passenger train,” he added.
Railway consultant Alfredo Nolasco agreed, stressing that careful study is required to ensure such projects do not become unsustainable burdens on public finances.
“We must leave behind the romantic idea of long train journeys and think about their viability in distances not so long that they compete with airplanes, nor so short that they compete with the bus,” he toldEl Economista newspaper.
“A medium-speed passenger train is a good solution, like the one intended for Querétaro, but there is a very high infrastructure cost that must be considered.”
Los Cabos in Baja California Sur is known for glitz, but there are also options for families to explore. (Lydia Carey)
Baja Califonia Sur’s meteoric rise as one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations has meant lots of glitz, luxury resorts and sunset champagne on yachts.
And while all those things are at your fingertips, it’s also a great place to travel with a family, with a laid-back aesthetic that imbues the entire region and tons of great activities for every age group.
Family fun in the pool at El Faro beach club. (Lydia Carey)
The best way to maximize your stay and get around Baja Sur easily is to rent a car and drive. Road-tripping in Mexico might not sound relaxing, but you’d be surprised at how mellow it is in Baja. Only a handful of major highways run through the southern part of the state — all of which boast gorgeous views — and traffic is almost non-existent. Rent a car at the airport in Los Cabos or La Paz and you can visit four or five destinations in just as many days.
La Paz is a mellow seaside town which, despite being a tourism hub, still maintains a provincial, down-to-earth vibe. Rent some scooters to explore the waterfront and its family-style restaurants: visitors and locals stay out until late in the evening and the festive atmosphere is almost as nice as the views of distant lights across the water.
During the day you can swim at the downtown beach, though most locals don’t. Beaches outside of town like Balandra or Tecolote are nicer for a full day of fun and sun.
Delightful cafes, breweries and restaurants abound in La Paz. Most of the good ones are off the main tourist drag, so spend some time exploring around the city’s central plaza and other non-waterfront areas as well – try local favorite El Toro Güero for seafood tacos under an open-air palapa dining room.
Cacachilas Ranch is the perfect place to enjoy the expansive landscape surrounding small town La Paz. (Cacachilas Ranch)
Just south of La Paz is the Cacachilas Ranch, great for adventurers of all ages.
Cacachilas is a carbon-neutral eco-ranch where you can mountain bike, hike, ride mules into the desert, pet the goats the ranch used to make it incredibly delicious cheese, and end the day with a dip in the pool and a hot chocolate around the fire pit.
Each family or group gets their own personal guide for the duration of their stay who helps to arrange age- and skill level-appropriate activities.
The guides at Cacachilas are so well-versed in the ecology around them they can zero in on the particular interests of your family – be it birding, stargazing or sustainability – and ensure you have a good time learning about them along the way. The ranch has 10 luxury tents for glamping – the best way to camp – as well as family rooms with bunk beds.
Kids can meet the goats at Rancho Cacachilas. (Lydia Carey)
Head south to Los Cabos and you’ll find a plethora of options for what to do and where to stay. If you’d rather lie by the pool and let someone else entertain the kids, stay at an all-inclusive hotel like Hacienda Encantada Resort & Residences. Their full-time staff will arrange the pool volleyball tournaments, lead bike tours and encourage you to make a fool of yourself at karaoke nights.
For adults, there is a world-class spa and a tequila museum with impromptu tequila tastings. For all age groups there are pickleball and tennis courts, a putting green and many swimming pools and splash pads.
Hacienda Encantada also runs a supervised kids’ club with activities every day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you want to stay a little closer to the action, you can book at Marina Fiesta Resort & Spa, their sister property. Located in downtown Cabos, Marina Fiesta opened in the 1990s as one of the city’s hospitality trailblazers. The resort sits are right on the downtown marina, making it a great base camp for exploring Cabos or taking a boat out to see the famous Los Cabos arch.
The view from Hacienda Encantada. (Lydia Carey)
There are endless tours and activities in Los Cabos, from whale-watching to snorkeling to kayaking, but if you want something a little deeper culturally, book a tour with Dharma Expeditions.
Daniel, the local guide who started Dharma, works with local ranchero communities. Originally poor Spaniards who came with the Jesuits to settle Baja California, rancheros formed close ties with the indigenous Pericú people, the original inhabitants of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Rancheros are considered to have “replaced” the Pericú since that group’s cultural extinction, keeping their ethnobotanical knowledge alive.
Daniel will take your group hiking in the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve, beach walking or on a city tour, each accompanied by a cultural component. The hike, for example, is followed by a traditional meal at a local’s home; the sunset beach walk where you can see sea lions follows a nopal cactus harvest and cooking class. It’s a great way to do something a little off the beaten path, and support local communities at the same time.
A hike with Dharma Expeditions will be a memorable family adventure. (Lydia Carey)
From glitzy Los Cabos enjoy the breathtaking views up the coast to Todos Santos, a small-town bohemian haven, beloved by surfers in the 1960s and ‘70s. Since the 1990s, the town has seen more and more tourists visit quiet streets. Todos Santos has definitely ratcheted up the level of its restaurants and accommodations over the years, but the same laid-back vibe it was known for 50 years ago permeates its dusty desert streets and local market stalls.
Todos Santos Eco-Adventures runs both maritime and landlubber tours in the area that include kayaking, hiking, sea lion watching, and stargazing in the desert. They even offer a Family Fun week of camping and activities in the fall and spring. The town has several great beaches for spending a day in the sand, but if you want something a little more pampered check, out one of the local hotel beach clubs like El Faro, run by the Guaycura Boutique hotel: they have an infinity pool, restaurant, spa and lots of beachside cabañas and lounge areas.
There are also great eats in Todos Santos these days: visit Javier Placencia’s Jazamango, the Italian favorite Tre Galline or beach-inspired Landi’s, just north of town.
This mini-itinerary is just a start for all there is to do and see in Baja Sur for families, but it’s a good first step to getting to know the area and planning your next trip down the peninsula.
Lydia Carey is a freelance writer and translator based out of Mexico City. She has been published widely both online and in print, writing about Mexico for over a decade. She lives a double life as a local tour guide and is the author of Mexico City Streets: La Roma. Follow her urban adventures on Instagram and see more of her work at www.mexicocitystreets.com.
The New Yorker took in the sights of Mexico City before her performance at the National Auditorium. (Alicia Keys/Twitter)
Luis Miguel tickets sell out again
Additional tickets to Mexican superstar Luis Miguel’s Mexico City dates have again sold out, this time within 90 minutes of going on sale, as he tours for the first time since 2019.
The Mexican pop star will be touring 43 cities this year. (Wikimedia Commons)
The Mexican artist, who has sold more than 90 million records during a more than 40-year career, is embarking on a tour of the Americas, including stops in the United States, Mexico and Argentina.
His most recent album, “México Por Siempre!” (Mexico Forever) was an homage to classic Mexican songwriters and went triple platinum in Mexico.
Miguel is set to play concerts in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Querétaro, Monterrey, Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosí, León, Puebla, Oaxaca and Veracruz as part of his “Luis Miguel Tour 2023.”
Following the release and sale of additional tickets, every single concert on his tour of the Americas is now completely sold out.
MrBeast, one of the largest and most successful personalities on YouTube, has expanded into branded fast food and snacks. (MrBeast Burger/Twitter)
MrBeast hamburgers in CDMX
Official MrBeast hamburgers are now available for delivery in Mexico for the first time, thanks to the startup Foodology, best known for the Bamboo Wok and Avocalia brands.
Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is the fourth-largest vlogger on YouTube with 153 million subscribers. Like many social media stars, he has branched out into licensed merchandising, including hamburgers and chocolate bars.
The company’s goal is to sell 300,000 hamburgers in its first month of operation, in the cities of Monterrey, Saltillo, Guadalajara, Mérida, Puebla, and Mexico City.
“We are very excited to bring MrBeast Burger to Mexico. The launch of this brand is a milestone and a new era in the food delivery market in Mexico. Thanks to Foodology’s technology and processes we are able to launch it in six cities. with 40 locations in a matter of months,” said Director of Foodology Mexico Juan Esteban Abadia.
El Brujo Mayor was well known for his annual predictions, covering many aspects of Mexican society. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
“El Brujo Mayor” dead at 84
The family of astrologist and occultist Antonio Vázquez, better known as “El Brujo Mayor” (The Old Wizard) revealed this morning that he had died at the age of 84. Vázquez reportedly passed on May 18 after a respiratory illness.
The astrologist, from the Caribbean state of Veracruz, was known for his annual predictions on the Televisa TV network, many of which would often come true. Predictions included potential political assassinations, potential curses laid upon celebrities and career opportunities for leading Mexican actors.
His ashes will be displayed at his store in Mexico City’s Santa María de la Ribera neighborhood, near the Kiosko Morisco. The store was a central hub for El Brujo and his fans.
Cancún government cancels concerts that “promote violence”
The city government of Cancún has banned the performance of narcocorridos, a popular genre of music that some believe glorifies drug-related violence.
The ban comes after unrest at two recent concerts, which has left authorities concerned for public safety.
The new legislation has already taken effect, starting with the cancellation of a concert by Grupo Firme, which had been scheduled for July 1, and the removal of Sinaloan singer El Komander from a concert that was due to take place tonight.
El Komander was meant to perform in Cancún, but new rules preventing the performance of narcocorridos — songs which glorify cartel violence — have seen his performance cancelled. (El Komander/Wikimedia)
The decision has divided area residents, with supporters applauding the legislation and calling for an end to the glorification of violence and drug trafficking, both of which have escalated in Cancún recently.
Musicians and fans of the groups, however, have suggested that the move amounts to censorship and that the right to freedom of expression is being limited.
Walmart wants 20% of produce to come from small growers
Supermarket behemoth Walmart is aiming to secure 20% of fresh produce from small growers by 2030 in Mexico. The chain operates more than 2,750 outlets in the country, including the Superama and Bodega Aurrera brands.
The company currently sources 9.7% of its produce from local growers. These foods include limes, avocados, mangos, tomatoes and melons, many of which are grown in Michoacán and Oaxaca. To reach its goal, Walmart will identify potential suppliers close to major distribution centers, which it says will lead to reduced emissions in the supply chain.
The scheme will also ensure that growers are paid market prices within a week of delivery, providing sustainable support for local suppliers.
Grocery chain Walmart are looking to more than double their current levels of local produce in stores. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
The supermarket chain will also buy directly from farmers, cutting down on unnecessary middlemen.
Alicia Keys arrives in CDMX
New York’s Alicia Keys performed in front of almost 10,000 fans at a sold-out concert at Mexico City’s National Auditorium on Wednesday.
Keys performed three sets, two comprised of her classic hits, such as “Empire State of Mind,” “Unthinkable,” “Karma,” “No One” and “Wasted Energy,” alongside Mexican singer Ángela Aguilar.
“This is beautiful. What an incredible moment, how beautiful,” Keys told the audience. “… This magic, this beautiful moment, this spectacular connection that we had, was ours. I love you Mexico City.”
After his 2021 decree that established his administration's infrastructure projects as essential to "national security" was struck down on Thursday, AMLO issued a new decree that established these projects as "strategic". (Gob MX)
Another battle in the war between the federal government and Mexico’s top court played out on Thursday.
President López Obrador responded to a Supreme Court (SCJN) ruling against a 2021 decree that sought to fast-track and protect the federal government’s infrastructure projects by issuing a new similar decree.
Mexico’s Supreme Court is composed of 11 judges. The court ruled Thursday that a presidential decree from November 2021 is unconstitutional. (SCJN)
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a decree issued by the president in November 2021 that established the government’s infrastructure projects as matters of public interest and national security is unconstitutional.
That decree shielded from legal challenges and scrutiny the construction of infrastructure projects in a wide range of sectors, including transportation, telecommunications, customs, water, tourism, health, the environment and energy. It also instructed government agencies to grant provisional authorizations and permits to projects deemed to be of public interest and national security in a maximum period of five working days so as to ensure their timely execution.
The incomplete Maya Train railroad and the Felipe Ángeles International Airport, which began operations in March 2022, were among the government projects whose construction was affected by the issuance of court orders against them before the 2021 decree was published.
On Thursday morning, eight of 11 SCJN injustices voted in favor of invalidating López Obrador’s 2021 decree. The court is scheduled to consider specific parts of the document on Monday.
The 11 members of the Supreme Court, with Chief Justice Norma Piña in the center. (SCJN)
The court said in a statement that the first article of the decree broadened the range of information that can be reserved by the government. The change was made “via an administrative act” rather than through the law and thus contravened the constitution, the SCJN said.
Among other justifications for its ruling, the Supreme Court said that the decree “restricted the authority” of the National Transparency Institute (INAI) to “guarantee compliance with its transparency obligations.”
The court’s ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by INAI, which argued that the decree violated people’s right to access information and that the government exceeded its powers by publishing it.
Justice Juan Luis González Alcántara, who proposed the invalidation of the decree to his colleagues, said there were “sufficient arguments” to reach the conclusion that there was a negative impact on the right to access information.
Supreme Court Justice Juan Luis González Alcántara proposed the invalidation of the decree to the court. (SCJN)
The decree is “unconstitutional” because its “breadth and ambiguity hinder and inhibit access to information … with respect to projects of the government of Mexico,” he said.
Hours after the court handed down its decision, López Obrador published a new decree in the government’s official gazette that established a narrower range of infrastructure projects and assets as matters of national security and public interest.
Those covered are the Maya Train railroad, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor and the Palenque, Chetumal and Tulum airports. The railroad, trade corridor and Tulum airport are currently under construction, while the Palenque and Chetumal airports are operated by the government.
The new decree said that the “construction, operation [and] maintenance” of the projects and assets are matters of national security and public interest.
“Mexico, being one of the largest countries of the world [in area] and the 11th most populated, is exposed to multiple risks and threats including uncontrolled migration flows, organized crime, government corruption, climate change, disturbing phenomenons, the collapse of strategic facilities or critical infrastructure … and problems at the southern and northern border,” it said.
The Defense Ministry has been involved with the construction of the Maya Train and will also be operating the project. This equipment was sent to assist construction in 2022. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
The decree said that the Isthmus of Tehuantepec interoceanic corridor and associated infrastructure are “strategic” due to their location between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Due to their geographical location, the Palenque, Chetumal and Tulum airports are “strategic for surveillance and control of airspace at the southern border, which allows the detection and timely interception of unidentified aircraft that could carry out illegal acts … [that threaten] national security and territorial integrity,” the decree said.
The Maya Train railroad was described as “the most important project of infrastructure, socio-economic development and tourism in the present six-year period of government.”
In a separate designation last year, the government’s National Security Council (CSN) established the Maya Train railroad as a project of national security, a move also designed to prevent it from being stopped or delayed by legal challenges. The CSN made a similar designation for the Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor earlier this month.
López Obrador on Friday said that protecting the five government projects and assets was essential to prevent “senseless, irresponsible, corrupt” and “unpatriotic” people from stopping them, “as has been their intention.”
The development of Mexico’s southeast would be adversely affected if projects under construction are stopped by the “caprices of these fifís corruptos,” or the corrupt elite, he said.
López Obrador asserted that groups that have applied for injunctions against government infrastructure projects are funded by the United States government.
He also asserted that there is no provision in his new decree to “deny information” about the government’s projects and dismissed claims that he wanted to conceal information about the Maya Train, including its cost, because the project is tainted by corruption.
The National Transparency Institute (INAI) cannot issue a legal challenge to AMLO’s decree – as it did against the 2021 decree – since it doesn’t have a quorum. Three commissioners’ positions (of seven) have been left vacant due to an impasse in the Senate. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
“No, we’re not the same, we’re not corrupt. What I consider most important is honesty,” López Obrador said
Establishing the projects as matters of national security and public interest doesn’t mean that information won’t be released about them, he emphasized.
Last month, it ruled that the transfer of control over the National Guard from the civilian Security Ministry to the Defense Ministry was unconstitutional, a decision López Obrador asserted was based on political bias rather than legal criteria.
The president accuses the Supreme Court, and the broader judiciary, of being “rotten” and at the service of criminals and the country’s powerful elite rather than “the people.”
He said last week that he intends to propose a constitutional change so that citizens are tasked with electing the country’s Supreme Court justices and other judges. The success of such a proposal hinges on the ruling Morena party and its allies winning a congressional supermajority at next year’s federal elections.
The transparency institute’s pleno – which cannot currently convene because it has one fewer commissioner than quorum – is the only INAI body with the authority to file the kind of lawsuit required to challenge the latest decree.
INAI, which has been described as “useless” by López Obrador, nevertheless said on Twitter that it is looking at “legal mechanisms to defend transparency and the right to access information about federal government infrastructure projects in the face of the new decree from the executive.”
