What’s in a name? The history of appellations of origin in Mexico

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September 6, 2023

Bartender serving tequila — Tequila has an appellation of origin, meaning the name can only be used for spirits made in specific regions of the country. (Shutterstock)

Inexpensive bottles of tequila are ubiquitous in Mexican supermarkets and convenience stores, but you may have noticed that the word “tequila” is nowhere to be found on their labels. You’re much more likely to find licor de agave (agave spirit) printed there. That’s because there are legal restrictions on what products are allowed to use the name “tequila.”

What is an appellation of origin and when did Mexico adopt it?

A man on horseback rides through an agave field in Amatitlán, Jalisco. — A man on horseback rides through an agave field in Amatitán, Jalisco, in the heart of tequila country. (David García Sandoval / Unsplash)

That restriction is called an appellation of origin (AO), or denominación de origen in Spanish. The concept originated in Europe with the aim of protecting certain highly respected foodstuffs from copying and modernization. The most famous example of this is champagne; officially, the name can only be applied to sparkling wine produced in Champagne, France.

Mexico adopted the concept when it signed onto the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration in 1964. This agreement and a web of related treaties means that participating countries respect each others’ declarations of AO, meaning that “tequila” just about everywhere has similar protection as it does in Mexico.

AOs are managed by the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) as they are the property of the Mexican government.

Tequila received an AO in 1974, according to the Official Daily of the Federation or the Diario Oficial de la Federación, and it has become the gold standard as to how valuable the designation can be in making a product desirable worldwide. Since then, 17 other products have received the status. Among these are five kinds of liquor, three varieties of coffee, and several other agricultural products. Three non-food items also have AOs: Olinalá lacquerware, Chiapas amber, and Puebla and Tlaxcala talavera.

An amber fossil in the Amber Museum in San Cristóbal de las Casas — Chiapas amber on display at the Amber Museum in San Cristóbal de las Casas. (Alejandro Linares García)

AO-designated products and economy

According to figures from Mexico’s Merchandise Trade Balance, exports of goods with AO amounted to approximately US$4.475 billion, with much of that coming from the sales of tequila and mezcal alone. But obtaining an AO for a product is not easy as the process is complicated and costly. Mexico considers a number of factors in granting AO status, but the most important is that the product under consideration has a unique character that is tied to a geographic region and is generally known as being from that region historically. Other factors such as environment, workmanship, and culture can also be considered. A product’s name will often indicate its region, though not always.

Changes and considerations for AO products

Receiving an appellation of origin does not mean that changes to a product are out of the question. Intense pressure to supply the world with tequila means that Mexico has modified its AO to include spirits made with blue agave grown not only outside of the fields of Tequila but outside Jalisco altogether: tequila can now be made with agave grown in Michoacán, Nayarit, Guanajuato, and even Tamaulipas, on the other side of the country. Small batch production of tequila has all but disappeared in favor of industrial-scale production, and efforts have even been made to make the blue agave harvestable before the seven years needed for it to reach natural maturity.

Agave hearts in preparation to be cooked for mezcal. (Archive)

Mezcal is the AO with the largest geographical definition in the world. Historically, it simply meant a distilled liquor made with agave — tequila, for example, is technically a mezcal — but the term can legally be used in Mexico to label a spirit made in parts of Guerrero, Guanajuato, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Oaxaca, Tamaulipas or Michoacán Whether the “mezcal” uses a particular kind of agave is not a factor.

Perhaps truer to the original intent of AOs are very regionally specific alcohols like bacanora, the various agricultural products, and even the above mentioned handcrafts, as these are not subject to the same pressure to meet demand as tequila and mezcal are. There aren’t the market pressures to tempt the industries to change their ways of production and issues like original materials and production techniques remain significant factors.

Could the appellation of origin be doing more harm than good?

The loosening of requirements to retain AO status under market pressure is one criticism of how Mexico handles the matter. Another has to do with day-to-day regulation, which IMPI delegates to non-profit organizations in the relevant business sector. This has become a problem with mezcal, as several years ago the one organization tasked with this dissolved and three others have since fought to take over. Who has the right to decide which products get the label has become contentious in no small part due to mezcal’s phenomenal growth over the past decade.

Another criticism is that AO status disproportionately benefits large producers with the resources to obtain an AO in the first place and make sure their own products carry the certification. It is extremely valuable as the federal government has programs to facilitate exports of AO products, another costly bureaucratic hurdle.

Talavera ceramics — There is a dispute between several states over the appellation of origin for talavera. (Shutterstock)

Politics plays a significant role in the establishment of AO’s and who and what can be included. When sotol received its AO in 2002, it specifically excluded that made on the Texas side of the border, even though the exact same plant grown in the exact same Chihuahua Desert is used. It took some negotiation with the U.S. to get such exclusion recognized. The same AO also excludes sotol produced in northern Zacatecas because producers there did not participate in the original process, according to Roberto Palacios of Sotol Excéntrico in Coahuila.

In recent decades, there has been a dispute between Puebla and Tlaxcala on one hand and Guanajuato on the other over the use of the word talavera for the two pottery traditions. Guanajuato producers refuse to call their wares anything else despite the legal restrictions.

One alternative to the AO is the collective brand name, which allows a group of producers to market their products together as authentic, but with fewer requirements. Smaller producers have been pushing IMPI to expand such labeling, especially in the face of international copying of Mexican textiles, among other products.

Lastly, the most significant criticism of this geographical indication is that AO may simply be not much more than a marketing ploy, given how little attention is paid to conserving tradition, and the fact that copycats and false advertising remain rampant with Mexican products, especially domestically.

Mexican products with AO

Mezcal
Charanda
Bacanora
Sotol
Raicilla
Chiapas coffee
Veracruz coffee
Pluma coffee (from Oaxaca)
Papantla vanilla
Morelos rice
Grijalva cacao
Yucatán Habanero chili peppers
Yahualica chile de árbol chili pepper
Chiapas ataulfo mangos
Olinalá lacquerware
Chiapas amber
Puebla/Tlaxcala Talavera

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.

Marcelo Ebrard says Morena candidate selection polling ‘must be redone’

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MND Staff

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September 6, 2023

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Marcelo Ebrard at press conference — Marcelo Ebrard at a press conference where he called on his party, Morena, to repeat the polling process ahead of the announcement of results. (Cuartoscuro)

Former foreign affairs minister Marcelo Ebrard on Wednesday called for the ruling Morena party to repeat the polling process to select its 2024 presidential candidate due to alleged irregularities.

Ebrard is one of six presidential aspirants who participated in the contest to represent Morena and its allies at the June 2, 2024 presidential election.

Morena candidates — From left to right, the Morena contestants: Manuel Velasco, Marcelo Ebrard, Adán Augusto López Hernández, Claudia Sheinbaum, Ricardo Monreal and Gerardo Fernández Noroña. (Morena/Twitter)

Morena is due to announce the winner Wednesday night. Former Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum is the clear favorite to win the nomination.

Ebrard questioned the legitimacy of 310 of 2,360 questionnaires supposedly completed by people who were asked to nominate their preferred Morena candidate.

“I’m not talking about fraud, but about incidents,” he said without specifying what they were.

“I say this to the party president [Mario Delgado], who says everything is perfect. This mustn’t occur in Morena. Of 2,360 questionnaires, [there are] 310 with inconsistencies; they say that represents 14%,” Ebrard told a press conference attended by a large group of supporters.

Polling “must be redone,” said the ex-foreign minister, who complained of other irregularities and unfair treatment during the Morena selection process.

In a video posted to social media later on Wednesday, Ebrard said that Mexico City police had prevented his representatives from entering a part of the World Trade Center where polling ballots were being counted.

“There is proof of this,” he said, asserting that they were blocked from entering because he proposed repeating polling due to “serious inconsistencies” in the entire process.

“Every day [Morena] seems more like the PRI of old,” Ebrard said, referring to the once-omnipotent Institutional Revolutionary Party, which became synonymous with corruption during its seven-decade rule of Mexico in the 20th century.

One of Ebrard’s representatives, Alberto Esteva, said that the ex-foreign minister will challenge the result of the polling process.

Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo, president of Morena’s national board, said that none of the incidents or inconsistencies Ebrard referred to would modify the results of a polling process he defended as being above board.

Morena’s soon-to-be announced candidate will face off against Senator Xóchitl Gálvez, who will represent the Broad Front for Mexico opposition alliance at next year’s election.

With reports from Reforma

Peso weakens against US dollar for 5th consecutive trading day

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MND Staff

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September 6, 2023

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Pesos and dollars — The dollar has gained strength against the peso in the last five days, following steady appreciation of the Mexican currency throughout this year. (Steve Johnson/Unsplash)

The purchasing power of people with US dollars in Mexico remains significantly less than it was at the start of the year, but considerably greater than it was when the peso hit its 2023 peak in late July.

If you exchange US $100 today, you should get close to 100 pesos more than you would have received just over a month ago.

An exchange in Mexico — This year has been marked by a strong appreciation in the peso against the dollar, but that appears to be slowing. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

The Mexican peso depreciated for a fifth consecutive day on Wednesday, trading at 17.6 to the greenback in the early afternoon after closing at 17.42 on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg data.

Exchanging US $100 at the 17.6 rate nets the changer 1,760 pesos, whereas a transaction involving the same amount on July 28 would have yielded just 1,662 pesos based on the Mexican currency’s strongest position on that date.

With a USD:MXN exchange rate of about 19.5 at the start of the year, anyone exchanging a bill bearing the likeness of Benjamin Franklin would have pocketed approximately 1,950 pesos, or almost 200 pesos more than they would get today.

The peso reached its strongest position against the US dollar since late 2015 on July 28, but weakened almost 2% in August and has continued to decline in early September.

The last time the dollar closed stronger than 17.6 was May 31, according to Bloomberg.

Analysts at Mexican bank CIBanco said that the slide of the peso that began late last week with a decision by Mexico’s Exchange Commission to reduce a six-year-old hedge program aimed at reducing currency volatility “intensified” on Wednesday due to weak economic data out of Europe and China and decreased appetite for risk assets.

“The negative bias toward assets of greater risk” – such as the peso – “stems from the idea that central banks, including the [U.S.] Federal Reserve, will have no other choice than to maintain their restrictive monetary policies to avoid a rise in inflation,” they said.

The peso’s depreciation on Wednesday increases the probability of a “sustained depreciation in the short term toward 18 pesos per dollar,” Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, said on the X social media site.

At 2 p.m. Mexico City time, the peso had appreciated slightly from today’s low to trade at 17.57 to the dollar.

With reports from El Financiero

Hurricane Jova intensifies to Category 4 in Pacific

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MND Staff

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September 6, 2023

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Acapulco Mar de Fondo-3 — Jova is a major hurricane as of Wednesday afternoon and could cause waves of up to 3 meters on the coasts of Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima and Michoacán. (Cuartoscuro)

Hurricane Jova has strengthened into Category 4 according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). While it is not expected to make landfall, the storm will impact weather conditions in several western states of Mexico.

Currently located at some 565 miles (910 km) south of Baja California and moving in a west-northwest direction at 15 mph (24 km/h) with winds of up to 130 mph, Jova is a major hurricane, but there are currently no coastal watches or warnings in effect as of Wednesday afternoon.

Hurricane Jova in Pacific Ocean — Hurricane Jova’s predicted trajectory as of Wednesday afternoon. (Conagua Clima)

The National Meteorological Service (SMN) has forecast heavy to very heavy rains with gusts of wind in Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima and Michoacán. Waves up to 3 meters tall are expected to hit some coastlines of these states.

The population in these areas should take precautions as heavy rains could reduce visibility on stretches of roads, increase the levels of rivers and streams, and potentially cause landslides, floods and flooding.

Jova has strengthened rapidly. On Tuesday morning, it became a named tropical storm and some 24 hours later, it was designated a Category 2 hurricane. As of 3 p.m. MDT on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center had categorized Jova as Category 4, but the hurricane is expected to begin losing strength by Friday.

Jova is the tenth tropical cyclone of the 2023 hurricane season in the Pacific, where between 16 and 22 tropical storms have been forecast for the season.

With reports from Conagua, CNN and El Informador

Brazilian fintech Nubank to launch personal loans in Mexico

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MND Staff

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September 6, 2023

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nu-office — Nu México has expanded rapidly since starting to offer savings accounts and debit cards in the Mexican market earlier this year. (Nu México)

Nu México, a subsidiary of a digital bank based in Brazil, announced this week that it will now offer personal loans to customers in Mexico.

Online-only neobanks such as Nubank are growing in popularity in Mexico, where many adults don’t have traditional bank accounts.

Nubank bank card — Brazil’s Nubank has been only been operating in Mexico since November, but has already seen enormous success with its digital offerings. (Nubank)

Earlier this year, Nu México began offering savings accounts and debit cards, and in less than one month, clients in Mexico had opened 1 million savings accounts with total deposits of 1 billion pesos (US $58 million at the time), Nubank announced.

According to Nubank, some 90% of these deposits were kept in a separate space within an account where a customer can hold funds and receive a 9% annual return.

Nubank is one of the largest financial technology (fintech) firms in Latin America, according to Reuters. Co-founder Cristina Junqueira has said that Mexico, the region’s second-largest economy, is the company’s second-most-important market and has excellent growth potential.

The new product, which is not yet available, will allow customers to obtain personal loans in less than five minutes through the Nubank app, the company said in a statement.

NU HQ MX — The app ofers convenient banking service, to a market which still struggles with access to traditional banking services. (Nubank)

“By expanding our portfolio with personal loans, we are giving Mexicans more options to achieve their goals,” said Iván Canales, general director of Nu México. “We give the customer full control over their loan, with no hidden fees or conditions.”

In Mexico, only 68% of the population between the ages of 18 and 70 have some type of formal financial product (savings, credit, insurance or retirement account), according to the 2021 National Survey of Financial Inclusion (ENIF). In that same age segment, only 49% have an account at a bank or financial institution.

“Around 20% of the adult population [using] smartphones in Mexico has already applied for a Nu product,” Canales said. Its offerings also include a credit card. “We look forward to continuing to expand our footprint in the country.”

Loans through the app are still in a test phase, but when they are available to the public, they will be just like Nubank’s other products — 100% digital. The company didn’t release any information about the interest rates that will be charged on the loans.

Nubank reports that it has more than 85 million clients in Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. Last month, according to Reuters, it reported a record revenue of US $1.9 billion for the second quarter. Its stock, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has surged nearly 80% this year, Reuters added.

With reports from Reuters and Business Insider México

Foxconn announces new partnership with Chihuahua state

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MND Staff

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September 6, 2023

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Foxconn Ciudad Juárez — Foxconn has invested US $500 million in their Chihuahua operations. (Grupo HB)

Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn and the government of Chihuahua have formed a “strategic partnership” they say will “contribute to the prosperity” of the northern border state and its residents.

In a press release dated Aug. 28 but posted to the Foxconn website on Tuesday, the Taiwanese firm also known as the Hon Hai Technology Group and the Chihuahua government announced a partnership “aimed at advancing talent training, fostering innovation technology, and promoting sustainable energy development in Mexico’s largest state [by area].”

Foxconn plant in Chihuahua — Foxconn has one plant in Chihuahua, and may be investing in two more according to Reforma newspaper. (Government of Chihuahua)

Foxconn – which manufactures electronic products for companies such as Apple, Sony and Nintendo – and the state government led by National Action Party Governor Maru Campos said their partnership “reflects a shared vision” to “elevate” Chihuahua’s industrial capabilities, “empower its workforce and contribute to sustainable economic development.”

“By combining expertise and resources, the effort is anticipated to drive positive change, shape the future of manufacturing, and contribute to the prosperity of Chihuahua and its residents,” the joint press release said.

The two parties said their alliance will focus on:

1) Seizing opportunities from nearshoring, the relocation of companies to Mexico due to its proximity to the United States and other factors.

2) Empowering human talent and driving innovation.

3) Collaborative Efforts in Electricity Development.

With regard to the first objective, Foxconn and the Chihuahua government said their partnership will focus on “optimizing supply chains, enhancing infrastructure, and fostering an environment conducive to growth and innovation.”

They said that “the thriving landscape of nearshoring” – reflected by record foreign investment in Mexico in the first half of 2023 – “presents immense opportunities along with unique challenges for the State of Chihuahua.”

Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos — Maru Campos, the PAN governor of Chihuahua. (Maru Campos/X)

The statement noted that Foxconn – which describes itself as “the world’s largest electronics manufacturer and leading technological solutions provider” – has already invested US $500 million in Chihuahua, where it has one plant and plans to open another two at which 5,000 additional employees will work, according to a Reforma newspaper article.

The company and the Chihuahua government didn’t say how much they were investing in their new strategic partnership.

With regard to the second objective, the press release said that Foxconn is “committed to nurturing a talent pool equipped with cutting-edge skills to meet the demands of the evolving ICT [information and communication technology] and automotive industry.”

The private-public partnership will “aim to develop training programs and initiatives that will empower the workforce and position Chihuahua as a hub for innovation-driven manufacturing,” the statement said.

Thirdly, Foxconn, in partnership with the Chihuahua government, “aspires to enhance energy efficiency, explore renewable energy sources, and support sustainable power solutions,” the two parties said.

“This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to environmentally responsible practices and driving positive change for the business community in San Jerónimo and [Ciudad] Juárez,” they said.

Samuel García in Taiwan — Nuevo León Governor Samuel García has also courted Foxconn, meeting with company executives on a tour of Taiwan earlier this year. (Samuel García/X)

Foxconn makes computers for clients including HP and Dell at a plant in the San Jerónimo area of Ciudad Juárez, located opposite El Paso, Texas.

Nuevo León Governor Samuel García said in May that Foxconn – which makes products including iPhones, iPads, Kindles, GoPro cameras, PlayStations and the Xbox 360 – would open a plant in that northern border state.

After a meeting with the governor in Taiwan, the company said that García “comprehensively introduced the environment and opportunities for electric vehicle development in his state,” where Tesla is preparing to build a multi-billion-dollar gigafactory.

Mexico News Daily

Authorities detail how gang targets people exchanging cash at CDMX airport

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MND Staff

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September 6, 2023

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Authorities arrest suspects in murder case — Three arrests have been made in the homicide case, with two of the suspects, who were part of a gang preying on people who exchange cash at the airport, seen here. (Cuartoscuro)

A federal security official on Tuesday outlined the modus operandi of a criminal gang that has targeted people who exchange money at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and last month allegedly murdered an Indian man.

At President López Obrador’s morning press conference, Deputy Security Minister Luis Rodríguez Bucio spoke about the murder on Aug. 19 of 35-year-old Ketan Shah, who worked in Mexico City as a pharmaceutical company executive.

Crime scene in Mexico City — The homicide occurred on Aug. 19 on the Viaducto freeway. The victim was shot 11 times. (Cuartoscuro)

The deputy minister said that Shah was shot 11 times on the Viaducto freeway shortly after changing US $10,000 at an AICM currency exchange.

The car in which the Indian national was traveling with another person was intercepted at around 11:30 a.m. by four men on two motorbikes, Rodríguez said.

Shah didn’t understand the men’s demand to hand over the cash as he didn’t know Spanish, he said.

“This caused confusion and in the end one of the assailants shot him 11 times,” the deputy minister said.

Luis Rodríguez Bucio at press conference — Deputy Security Minister Luis Rodríguez Bucio outlined the criminal gang’s modus operandi at the Tuesday morning press conference. (Gob MX)

After reporting that three people including a man who allegedly shot Shah had been arrested in connection with the case, Rodríguez explained the modus operandi of a gang that has targeted people who have exchanged money at AICM currency exchange businesses, which attract Mexican and foreign residents of Mexico City due to their favorable rates.

He said that the gang is divided into four “teams,” each of which has specific roles in an operation whose central aim is to mug people carrying recently-exchanged cash.

The first team is usually made up a man and a woman who monitor AICM currency exchanges and select victims, Rodríguez said. They subsequently provide information about people who have exchanged “significant amounts” of cash to a second team of two or three criminals, he said.

Information conveyed by telephone about the physical appearance and clothing of people who have exchanged money allows them to be identified by the second team, whose members follow the selected victims to their vehicles.

Man arrested in connection with murder of Indian citizen — One of the alleged gang leaders and accused murderer of Shah was arrested on Aug. 31. (Omar García Harfuch/X)

That team gives a third team details about the cars, and its members – “six to eight people who use motorcycles and vehicles” – follow them and then rob people carrying large amounts of cash exchanged at the airport.

A fourth group of criminals known as the “cooling team” is tasked with getting the cars and motorbikes used in the muggings off the streets, Rodríguez said, adding that the vehicles are usually hidden at addresses in Mexico City and neighboring México state.

He said that authorities arrested a man and a woman on Aug. 29 for their “probable participation” in the murder of an elderly man in México state, and explained that they subsequently confessed to belonging to a crime group and having participated in the operation that ended with the murder of Shah.

Rodríguez said that the man and woman belonged to the second team that follows victims to their cars at AICM.

On Aug. 31, Josué Elías “N,” also known as “El Gemelo” (The Twin) was arrested in Mexico City, he said, noting that he is the alleged murderer of Shah. The deputy minister said that Josué Elías had told his imprisoned brother in a telephone call that he had shot the Indian national.

Mexico City Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said in an Aug. 31 post on the X social media site that the alleged murderer was the leader of a crime group “dedicated to violent muggings.”

Ketan Shah peace march in Mexico City — A peace march was held in Mexico City on Aug. 26 in honor of the victim, Ketan Shah. (India in Mexico/X)

Citing a recent Defense Ministry report, the newspaper El Universal reported Aug. 21 that there are at least 10 gangs that have targeted tourists after they exchanged money at AICM. There were 10 reported cases last year, El Universal said.

The Indian Embassy in Mexico called the murder of Shah “an extremely regrettable and heart-wrenching incident” in a Facebook post, and thanked Mexico City authorities for their “assistance and action” in the wake of the crime.

Members of the Indian community in Mexico City participated in a “peace and solidarity march” to commemorate Shah’s life on Aug. 26.

Mexico News Daily

Voces de Guiraa’: Giving disabled children a voice

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Gordon Cole-Schmidt

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September 5, 2023

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Voces de Guiraa’ helps children with cerebral palsy to learn to communicate. The service is especially valuable in a country where many struggle to access mental health services. (Gordon Cole-Schmidt)

The names of children mentioned below have been changed to safeguard their privacy.

María was only a few months old when the seizures started. As electrical energy flooded her brain, the convulsions rendered her body and mind unresponsive to her family around her. As she grew older, María struggled to stand, walk, and communicate. After multiple tests, she was finally diagnosed with cerebral palsy, the most common movement and motor disability in children.

According to the Cerebral Palsy Guide, an online resource produced by expert writers and researchers, early intervention is critical when helping children with cerebral palsy. There is no cure for the disease, but certain medical treatments and therapy can make a big difference for a child suffering from symptoms. Anti-convulsant drugs, for example, can also help with mood swings and emotional outbursts, which María was particularly prone to. The medicine, however, is very expensive.

Like many families who have a child with a disability, María’s parents were forced to choose between the many treatments and medical services she needed to help treat the severity of her condition based on the cost. Lacking financial support, the outlook for María’s development was bleak until news of her case reached Viridiana Pacheco. A young speech therapist originally from Mexico City, Pacheco had just relocated to Oaxaca to work with disadvantaged children. She describes the moment she heard about María:

“There was one case seven years ago that really built the foundations of Voces de Guiraa’ and what I wanted to do in Oaxaca. There was a girl (María) who needed medicine to help with her convulsions. We organized a meeting to see how I might be able to help her with her development.

In her first session, her parents told me the convulsions were getting worse. María was incredibly sensitive, angry, and confused. It was really hard, and at times, impossible to work with her.”

Viridiana works with a child. (Gordon Cole-Schmidt)

Pacheco knew the life-changing impact that cerebral palsy medicine could have on María’s daily life, especially when combined with therapy. Soon after meeting with María, Pacheco began reaching out to her contacts and asking neighbors and old friends for support, but before long, she hit a brick wall. One evening in 2016, she explained her frustration to Amy Burns and Tim Shepherd, two friends who had moved to Mexico from the United States and Australia, respectively.

“I remember seeing how touched Amy and Tim were when I told them about the case,” Pacheco says. “They told me that they would do whatever they could to pay for her treatment.”

The following day, Amy and Tim began an online fundraising drive. Not long after, enough money had been raised to pay for María’s anticonvulsant drugs as well as years of speech and physical therapy.

Buoyed by the wave of interest, the trio wanted to help more children in Oaxaca and decided they would create a charitable organization, Voces de Guiraa’, to help more families benefit from financial and emotional support. Since its foundation in 2017, Voces of Guiraa´ (meaning ‘together’ in Zapotec) has raised tens of thousands of dollars for children in Oaxaca to receive medical care and therapy for cerebral palsy, which would not have been accessible otherwise.

Early intervention is essential in many cases of developmental disabilities. (Gordon Cole-Schmidt)

The problem of financing care is certainly not just limited to families in Mexico. In the U.S., soaring care costs are creating greater difficulties for families of children with disabilities. A recent poll carried out by the Disabled Children’s Partnership of over 2,000 parents and carers found that just one in three children with a disability are getting enough support from their educational settings; just one in five have the correct level of support from their health services, and one in seven are getting adequate social support.

In the United Kingdom, recent reports by the Department of Education, published at Bedford Today, uncovered a sharp drop in the rate at which children with disabilities receive education, health, and care plans. The disability charity Sense said delays in creating these plans will see thousands of young children “fall through the cracks” of the welfare system.

While government support is available in Mexico, long waiting lists for treatment in poorer southern states, including Oaxaca, mean it can take years for a child with disabilities to be correctly diagnosed and receive a treatment plan. If children with disabilities do not receive the care they need from the earliest age, they can “suffer incredibly when they are older,” according to Pacheco.

Children with disabilities can find themselves trapped and pushed to the outer boundaries of society from a young age. Rejected for being seen as different, they are also often targets of physical and mental abuse which can lead to damaging psychological consequences throughout their lives.

Without the power to talk and express themselves, children suffering from motor disabilities can become voiceless victims, frustrated and disheartened by their inability to communicate. Developing emotional connections becomes a lofty ambition, and exclusion and segregation become an accepted part of their daily routine.

Seeing how much Pacheco’s first case (María) meant to her, and how it had started a chain reaction that created her foundation, I’m tentative to ask what became of María’s story. Resolutely, Pacheco replies:

“I am so proud of her! [María] is 9 now and is talking, interacting, and communicating with people. She is a completely different person to the young child that I met 6 years ago. She has confidence, and balance and has control over her life and became so receptive to therapies as she grew older.”

Viridiana Pacheco hopes more and more people will talk about the benefits of therapy for children with disabilities in Mexico. A deeper discussion of the positive effects of therapy on the most vulnerable and in-need children can only help to break down bureaucratic barriers to state funding and public awareness, which will undoubtedly change the lives of children with disabilities for the better.

Gordon Cole-Schmidt is a public relations specialist and freelance journalist, advising and writing on companies and issues across multi-national communication programs.

Julio Urías, Dodgers Mexican star pitcher, arrested in Los Angeles

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MND Staff

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September 5, 2023

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Julio Urias — Julio Urías is one of Mexico's biggest baseball stars. He was arrested for felony domestic violence on Sunday. (Arturo Pardavila III/Wikimedia)

Julio Urías, one of the best Mexican-born players in Major League Baseball (MLB), was arrested and charged with felony domestic violence Sunday night.

The left-handed pitcher, who had a MLB-best 19-3 record in 2021, was arrested in Los Angeles near BMO Stadium, where Los Angeles FC was playing a soccer game against Inter Miami and its new superstar, Argentine Lionel Messi. Urías, 27, was among the celebrities who went to see the game, a list that included Britain’s Prince Harry, actors Will Ferrell, Leonardo DiCaprio and Selena Gomez.

Inter Miami and Messi — Urías was attending an Inter Miami soccer game featuring all-time great Leo Messi (left) prior to his arrest. (Inter Miami CF)

But what might have been a nice night out for the native of Culiacán, Sinaloa — he moved to the United States in his youth after being scouted and signed by the Dodgers at age 16 — ended with him being arrested around 11 p.m.

“We are aware of an incident involving Julio Urías,” the Dodgers said in a statement released Monday, with no follow-up as of early Tuesday. “While we try to learn the specific details of the case, the pitcher will not travel with the team. The organization has no further comment at this time.”

The Dodgers played at home on Sunday afternoon, had a day off Monday and were scheduled to play the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night. Urías last started on Friday night at home against the Atlanta Braves.

According to ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan, Urías was released from a Los Angeles prison at around 4:45 a.m. Monday after posting $50,000 bail and has a court date on Sept. 27. An MLB spokesman said the league is aware of the arrest and will conduct its own investigation.

Daisy Perez — Daisy Pérez, Urías girlfriend. It is unknown if she was the victim of the alleged assault. (LA Dodgers/X)

This is the second incident of this type for Urías. In 2019, he was arrested after allegedly shoving a woman to the ground in a Beverly Center parking lot. That time he served a 20-game suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy.

As of Tuesday morning, it was unknown if Urías’ girlfriend, Daisy Pérez, was involved in the latest incident. Pérez, 26, is also from Culiacán and is reportedly a model.

In November 2020, shortly after the Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series, Urías and Pérez visited the National Palace in Mexico City and met President López Obrador.

Pérez also threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium this season, before a game at which the Dodgers gave away bobbleheads of Urías, nicknamed “El Culichi” for his hometown of Culiacán.

Urias and AMLO — Urías, pictured here with Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador, is one of Mexico’s most popular baseball stars. (X)

Urías has an 11-8 record with a 4.60 ERA this season for the Dodgers, who are comfortably in first place in the National League West. He has struck out 117 batters and walked 24 in 117⅓ innings. He is under contract with the Dodgers until the end of this season, having signed a US $14.25 million deal earlier this year.

The Dodgers are no doubt on edge over the Urías charges. From the middle of 2021 to early 2023, the team had to deal with pitcher Trevor Bauer’s unprecedented 324-game suspension over sexual misconduct allegations. Bauer was put on paid administrative leave by the Dodgers in July 2021 and then suspended by the MLB after a San Diego woman said he beat and sexually abused her; Bauer, who was released by the Dodgers and is now pitching in Japan, has been accused of sexual assault by four different women.

With reports from Infobae, Marca, NBCNews.com and El Debate

Chichén Viejo archaeological site opens to the public

By

Cat Rainsford

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September 5, 2023

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ChichenViejo3 — The Chichén Viejo complex is located about a few kilometers from the iconic Temple of Kulkulcán at the Chichén Itźa complex in Yucatán. (INAH)

Chichén Viejo (Old Chichén), a newly-restored section of the Chichén Itzá archaeological site, opened to the public on Sunday following its inauguration on Saturday by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The site, once a housing complex for the city’s Maya elite, is located a few kilometers from the structure known as El Castillo or the Temple of Kukulcán, the step pyramid which is an icon of Chichén Itzá. Chichén Viejo has been closed to the public while undergoing archaeological research and restoration for over 25 years. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) had said in 2021 that the site would open in 2022.

El Castillo at Chichén Itzá — A ceremony was held on Saturday night at Chichén Itźá, with President López Obrador and other officials in attendance. (Mauricio Vila/X)

“The site was open from 1988 until 1997 when excavations began that were consolidated in recent years thanks to the Program for the Improvement of Archaeological Zones (Promeza), which comes out of the Maya Train,” José Osorio León, director of Chichén Itzá, told Spanish news agency EFE.

President López Obrador traveled to the site’s inauguration on Saturday aboard the first carriages of the new train, which recently finished safety testing in Cancún and were performing a test trip around several stations on the Yucatán Peninsula.

AMLO used the inauguration speech to reiterate his vision that the controversial Maya Train should strengthen Mexico’s cultural identity and knowledge of its Indigenous history, as well as stimulate tourism in the southeast of the country. He also highlighted the greatness of the ancient Mayan culture, exemplified by the splendor of Chichén Viejo.

Chichén Viejo is one of 13 housing complexes surrounding the ceremonial center of Chichén Itzá. It is made up of 27 buildings dating from 650 to 700 A.D., which saw their cultural peak between 900 and 1200 A.D. Most of the structures are residential buildings and temples. The largest is the Palace of the Phalluses, which contains a house with 11 vaulted rooms and Puuc and Maya-Toltec decorations.

Chichén Viejo will only allow limited visitors at first, in groups of up to 50 per day. (INAH)

“In this majestic building the origin and life of an important character is displayed, it shows their struggles, sacrifices and rituals,” Osorio León explained. He added that the site will give visitors “a clearer perspective of how Maya society lived, as it will show the power that the elite had.”

Other important structures in Chichén Viejo include the Temple of the Initial Series; the Temple of Sacrifices; the Temple of Atlantean Columns; the Temple of the Owls; the Gallery of the Monkeys; and the Turtle Platform. Many of these sites are named for the sculptures and depictions of animals they contain.

The site has faced repeated access issues, with a planned key access road passing through privately owned land. On Aug. 14, local media reported that owners of the land denied entry to restoration workers and placed signs threatening to prosecute trespassers. Authorities had to rush to open an alternative 1.2-kilometer access road for the inauguration to take place as planned.

Although the site is now officially open to the public, Osorio León said that permission to enter will be restricted in order to maintain greater control of the site. It will initially be open only on certain days, to groups of around 50 people per day.

With reports from Milenio, El País and Por Esto