A must-visit: the breathtaking Tehuacán biosphere in Puebla

By

-

August 25, 2023

View during a walk through the Bosque de Sotolines — Prickly cacti decorate the panorama at Puebla's largest nature reserve. (All photos courtesy of Bethany Platanella)

It’s a few minutes before noon in Tehuacán, the second-largest city in Puebla state. My friend and I are meeting our guide Martín for a tour of…well…cacti.

My 15 years of working in the travel industry have rendered me a serious skeptic of most tour experiences, and my internal judge is chattering a mile a minute: “The meeting point isn’t clear, the guide sounds too young, no one asked about food sensitivities even though lunch is included….”

With 2,500 reported species of cacti, you’re sure to discover shapes you’ve never seen before within the Tehuacán-Cuicatlan Biosphere.

I shut my inner voice up with a simple “You’re in Mexico, Bethany, let it go” as we pull up to a nondescript bodega with Mountain Dew-colored walls, park the car and start walking toward our guide’s location. I spot him immediately – an unusually tall man (for these parts) wearing a straw cowboy hat, a long-sleeved button-down, and khakis, an outfit quite practical for a day in the sun. He looks to be in his early twenties, and is the owner’s son.

The day’s schedule had been sent to me in advance: A visit to Zapotitlán Salinas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; lunch at a small local restaurant in Tehuacán; time at a pottery studio in Los Reyes Metzontla; a walk at dusk through the Bosque de los Sotolines.

Each stop was to be followed by drives through the cactus reserve. I’m both intrigued and anxious. This is Day 4 of an action-packed 8-day road trip and not only am I tired, but my ability to translate Spanish is hit-or-miss right now.

The three of us get back into the car, pushing away a bag of rotting peaches, empty water bottles and random sweaters, the accumulated items to be expected in a car destined for a road trip. I take the back seat and change from sandals to sneakers as we make our way to the salt mines. Martín begins to explain, with a comforting air of expertise, the lay of the land.

Martín stands next to an oversized agave at the Tehuacán Biosphere in Puebla state.

The Tehuacán-Cuicatlan Biosphere is a protected, ecological reserve encompassing 145,255 hectares (359,000 acres) of dense cactus forest. There are more than 2,500 reported species of cacti, each with distinct looks and properties.

As we drive, I become increasingly aware of how regal and imposing these plants can be. Some are tall, thin and strong, protruding from the ground in clusters like candles on a rolling green birthday cake. Others are short and fat, some spherical like beach balls and several resemble engorged stars. The vistas are breathtaking, and I find myself drifting between Martín’s explanations and this otherworldly land of alien flora.

We arrive at Zapotitlán Salinas and meet Juan Diego. Almost daily, Juan Diego and his predominantly male team continue the tradition of artisanal salt production, selling to locals and the flat’s visitors. The team is small because the product’s price margin is too low to afford to pay more workers, and the work is arduous.. The salinas (salt flats) have been operating for over 2,000 years.

After buying myself an unnecessary kilo of salt, we continue on to lunch which is set to include local treats: insects. My friend and I politely but firmly clarify that despite our full understanding that bugs are considered a delicacy, we cannot eat them. I feel at this point that adding my pseudo-veganism to the mix will further exacerbate the situation and resolve to eat around whatever meat I’m served. Lunch turns out to be delicious, with cactus flowers, hibiscus water, and other regional ingredients included. We even get fried plantains for dessert, a real treat.

A local group of artisans uses naturally found clay to make all types of traditional crockery.

Satisfied, the three of us hop back in the car for a visit to Los Reyes Metzontla.

Millions of years ago, this region was a sea, blessing it with rich clay deposits that artisans use to make pottery. We enter what looks to be part-house, part-studio, and meet a team of three women, accompanied by several children and a puppy, who spend their days creating and selling stunning pieces of crockery in a variety of earthy colors.After showing us the step-by-step process, we are invited to try it ourselves. What looks relatively simple is far from it, my attempt at a bowl quickly turns into an ashtray and then back into a ball of clay. I instead buy a gorgeous water jug to lug home.

The final stop is a walk through the Bosque de Sotolines, named after the sotolín or Elephant Foot variety of tree. There, we meet another local guide, Manuelo. A native to the area and a plant lover, Manuelo takes us on a journey through the medicinal, psychedelic and cultural importance of a variety of greenery that I never knew existed. We see agave plants the size of a small car, leaves whose medicinal properties range from settling upset stomachs to getting rid of oral infections, and thriving Elephant Foot trees that have been standing proud since long before Hernán Cortés’ arrival.

As the sun sets behind the mountains, casting a pinkish hue throughout a vast, cloudless sky, I am suddenly struck by the magnitude of what Mexico actually is; Mexico is everything. Beaches, mountains, lakes, cities, canyons, wine country, pueblos. It’s Indigenous cultures, it’s colonial facades, it’s the Virgin Mary, it’s Quezacóatl, it’s artisanal potters and it’s Carlos Slim. Mexico’s intricate layers are unmatched. It’s truly an incredible place and I’m here for all of it.

In their trip through the biosphere, the writer and her friend found themselves among giant trees, aptly named Elephant Foot trees.

Where to stay: While the city of Tehuacán has significantly more options, we opted to stay at Hotel San Martín in Zapotitlán. It was small, clean and simple, located on a lively little square with next to nothing to do after dark,, which was perfect, because by the end of our journey through the biosphere, nothing was exactly what we wanted to do.

What to buy: Salt, pottery, straw cowboy hats made by Martín, our guide.

When to go: Anytime, though the rainy season could be messy.

How to book: Online at Bio Fan’s website or through Instagram. My experience with the company was very positive, they were easy to book with and provided excellent service.

Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog, or follow her on Instagram.

5 reasons why you should follow the Maya Train project

By

Travis Bembenek

-

August 25, 2023

0

EstacionTulum01-Enhanced-Enhanced-1024x576 — A rendering of the Tulum station on Section 5 of the Maya Train route, which will span 1,554 kilometers. (Secretaría de Turismo/Fonatur)

One could be excused for being cynical about the prospect of effective passenger train service in Mexico.

I have only taken a Mexican train once, and that was in 1996 from Guadalajara to Mexico City. The journey, which takes 45 minutes by airplane or 7 hours by bus, took us 16 hours and 45 minutes.

Despite traveling only an average of 20 mph for the 300-mile journey, the price at 48 pesos (US $8 at the exchange rate back then) made it an irresistible option for a cheap college student like myself.

That train has long since been mothballed, but an entirely new rail network, the Maya Train, is rapidly developing in Mexico’s southeast and connecting cities including Mérida, Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Chetumal, and Palenque.

Why is this project worth keeping an eye on?

1. The Maya Train has been extremely controversial

Countless warnings (and accompanying lawsuits) have been raised since before the project even began. Concerns regarding the destruction of the jungle, the damage to animal habitats, the encroachment on isolated Maya communities, the contamination of fresh water sources and potential destruction of undiscovered Maya ruins.

Each issue has ultimately been “resolved” (in many cases unsatisfactorily, and much to the dismay of many environmentalists). It’s difficult for me to weigh in on this point. This part of Mexico is clearly the most “untouched” and hence needs extra special attention. It also has some of the poorest areas in the country, and is desperately in need of more resources and investment. To help you make a thoughtful assessment for yourself, I would recommend reading up carefully on the project and trying to keep political biases out of the discussion.

2. The Maya Train is one of the largest and most expensive infrastructure projects in the world right now

The latest cost estimates for the over 1,500 km train is US $20 billion. Perhaps most impressively, the train is not being built one section at a time, but rather all seven sections with 34 stations at the same time with the first ones set to begin operation by the end of the year. The federal government claims that already over 114,000 jobs have been created for construction of the train.

Tren Maya. Reporte Integral de Avances Tramos 5, 6 y 7. 07/08/23.

Watch this video on YouTube

3. The Maya Train is spurring additional investment in natural and cultural projects

A few examples include the new 2,249 hectare Parque Jaguar in Tulum, two new Maya Train route artifact museums near Mérida and improvements on many of the 26 archaeological sites along the train route. Some of the most impressive sites which are currently very difficult to access, like Calakmul in Campeche, will now be far easier to visit.

4. The Maya Train is connecting with other massive infrastructure projects in the country.

The train will connect with the Tulum airport, which is being built at the same time and will have the longest runway in the Yucatán peninsula. It is supposed to begin operations in December. The train route will also include a connection with the interoceanic freight and passenger railway project, which is yet another hugely ambitious infrastructure project on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

5. The Maya Train is a litmus test to see if Mexico has the political will and capability of completing such an ambitious project

The world has grown accustomed to seeing massive infrastructure projects carried out successfully in other parts of the world, but less so in Latin America and Mexico. A successful completion and operation of this Maya Train could open the world’s eyes to what Mexico can accomplish, and inspire more bold thinking, new proposals and investment.

The Mexican auto manufacturing industry was first to become a significant global player, the domestic airline industry is now booming. Are trains up next?

Cruise passengers in Cozumel up almost 74% in first half of year

By

Cat Rainsford

-

August 25, 2023

0

Cruise ship in Cozumel — Cruise ship traffic to the island of Cozumel has risen 74% in the first half of 2023. (Cuartoscuro)

Nearly 5 million cruise ship passengers arrived in Mexican ports in the first six months of 2023, with Cozumel, Quintana Roo, continuing to lead the way in the industry’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Navy’s General Directorate of Ports, 2,184,784 cruise ship passengers visited the Caribbean island in the first half of this year, a 73.8% increase from the same period of 2022.

Puerto Maya, Cozumel — Puerto Maya, owned and operated by Carnival Cruises, is one of three cruise liner terminals on the island. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

Cruise visitors to Puerto Progreso, Yucatán, also leapt by 51.4%, to reach 95,827 arrivals, while visitors to Majahual, Quintana Roo, increased by 49.7%, to 896,336. Overall, cruise visitors to Mexico’s Caribbean ports were up 65.3% year-on-year, according to the Navy’s figures, while arrivals in Mexico’s Pacific ports leapt even further, by 89.4%.

A total of 4,968,610 cruise ship passengers arrived in Mexican ports between January and June, an average of more than 27,600 per day.

Vagner Elbiorn Vega, general director of the Integral Port Administration of Quintana Roo (Apiqroo), said that the figures show Mexico’s cruise sector is continuing to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, which paralyzed the industry.

Cozumel received 2.9 million cruise passengers in 2022, representing around 64% of its record-breaking 2019 numbers. Mahahual received 1.2 million, a recovery of about 75%. Between them, these two Quintana Roo ports accounted for around 62% of Mexico’s total cruise ship visitors.

Cruise tourists, Cozumel — Cruise passenger numbers in the wider Caribbean gulf, such as here in Progreso, Yucatán, were up 65.3% on 2022. (Martín Zetina/Cuartoscuro)

Regarding the 2023 figures, Elbiorn Vega told La Jornada Maya newspaper that Apiqroo expects to end the year with 32.4% more passengers than in 2022 – although he clarified that Apiqroo only manages two of Cozumel’s three cruise ship terminals, as Puerto Maya is run directly by Carnival cruises.

A fourth terminal was proposed for Cozumel in October 2020, to be built on the island of Las Golondrinas. However, it has faced strong opposition from local environmental activists. A federal judge granted a temporary injunction against the project in February 2022, which was later struck down.

In May, the Cozumel Island Citizen Collective asked Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama to mediate with the federal government to permanently revoke authorization for the terminal, which they claim was awarded irregularly. They also asked Lezama to hold a popular consultation to establish whether the fourth terminal is supported by Cozumel residents.

With reports from La Jornada Maya and El Economista

Can Dolphin Assisted Therapy help children with mental illness?

By

John Pint

-

August 25, 2023

0

Meeting a dolphin. — Meeting a dolphin at the Recinto Maya Kay. The team at the sanctuary says that exposure to dolphins can help children with profound disabilities. (Maya Kay)

Dolphin Assisted Therapy (DAT) is based on the idea that spending time with dolphins can help treat a range of human health problems. Among the few places in the world that offer DAT (which, experts stress, is not a substitute for medical treatment) is Recinto Maya Kay, located in the little town of Jocotepec, at the northwest end of Jalisco’s Lake Chapala.

By and large, the medical profession pooh-poohs the very notion of dolphin therapy and frequent claims of its efficacy by the parents of children with autism or other disorders.

Luna is one of two dolphins at Maya Kay. — Luna is one of two dolphins that work with patients at Maya Kay. (John Pint)

“There’s no evidence that Dolphin Therapy produces any long-term effects on the symptoms of any major disorders,” state psychologists Scott Lilienfeld and Lori Marino in a report on DAT by Dina Fine Maron, published by National Geographic in 2021.

By evidence, members of the medical profession mean peer-reviewed comparative studies involving large numbers of participants, such as those carried out by pharmaceutical companies.

While such rigorous scientific studies of DAT are perhaps impossible to find, personal testimonies are another story. I asked María José Herrera, veterinarian at Maya Kay, what sort of results she has seen from therapy sessions which take place every day at this compound in Jocotepec.

“Bueno,” said the vet. “When children come to us, we have them lie down in the pool, with their ears in the water so they can hear the sounds generated by the dolphin… The dolphins are sensitive and loving; they seem to sense that there is something special about these children. They serve as a focal point for problems of attention deficit. The children get excited and can’t ignore the fact that the dolphin is there. Its presence makes a big impact.

John Pint tries DAT. “Luna the Dolphin talked to me nonstop the whole time.” (John Pint)

“I’ll give you an example. There’s a little boy who’s been coming here for eight years. I’ll call him Juanito. It seems that at the age of six he couldn’t talk, not at all. So we put him in the water and as a reward for lying there quietly, we told him he could ‘go for a walk’ with the dolphin, which meant he would swim alongside it, holding on to its dorsal fin, which requires certain motor skills. So Juanito was able to do this and he was so happy about it! He was really in ecstasy, and so was his mother, because after each session, we ask the children to tell their parents what they did and what they felt and all this is a big stimulus to get them to talk. At that time, Juanito didn’t speak at all, but after the session, he excitedly told his mother all about it. Well, Juanito’s mother was amazed and kept coming back year after year and recommending this to all her friends.”

Maya Kay has been operating in Jocotepec for six years, according to manager Mauricio Arias.

“Interacting with a dolphin often has a very powerful effect on people,” says Arias. “What is most notable is the dolphins’ sonar, used for echolocation. It has a positive effect on everybody, but especially on children with autism. It strongly affects the social skills of these people.”

The care of wild animals outside their natural habitats, Arias told me, is carefully regulated by the government:

Dolphin therapy at Recinto Maya Kay on the north shore of Lake Chapala. — The care of captive dolphns in Mexico is carefully monitored by the government. (Maya Kay)

“We have special permission to have them — with very particular rules to follow. What we offer is an opportunity to meet dolphins, to interact with them. This encounter with dolphins is not just for people with Down Syndrome, but for everybody.”

Interestingly, the very Natgeo report mentioned above — which states that dolphin therapy doesn’t work — presents dramatic examples of its efficacy:

Jennifer Lansink, says the article, saw results in her daughter Teal, during DAT sessions at the Integrated Intentions Upledger Institute in the Bahamas. Teal was unable to walk unassisted, “but she giggled and appeared happy when a dolphin first rubbed up against her feet.” On the way back home after her second visit, Lansink was amazed and brought to tears to see her daughter stand up unassisted for the first time.

In the same Natgeo story, writer Dina Fine Maron mentions Deena Hoagland, owner of Island Dolphin Care in Key Largo, Florida. While agreeing that there are no scientific studies to back up DAT, Hoagland tells the story of her son Joe, who, as a small boy, suffered a massive stroke, leaving him completely paralyzed on his left side. However, after years of participating in DAT programs she devised, her son dramatically improved.

The use of animals can allegedly help those with disabilities, although there is a lack of evidence to support these claims. (Maya Kay)

“My son’s hand was a fist, and he couldn’t isolate his fingers, so I told him if he could open his hand and rotate his wrist, I would put a fish in it, and he would get to feed the dolphin,” she says.

Joe Hoagland is now 35, married, and working as an animal trainer at Island Dolphin Care, a not-for-profit organization that helps families, veterans, and other individuals facing challenges.

Organizations like Empty the Tanks and World Animal Protection point out that captive dolphin tanks are 200,000 times smaller than a dolphin’s natural range. They state that dolphins are not only capable of feeling emotions like love, joy, and amusement, but “they’re also capable of feeling pain, fear, and suffering. Captive dolphins are living over 50 years in misery, and many captive dolphins respond to their stressful lives with behavior seldom seen in the wild, including grinding their teeth down, bobbing their heads, and swimming in circles.”

Maya Kay staff told me that dolphins like theirs, raised in captivity, could not possibly survive in the wide ocean and that they put constant effort into creating a healthy, varied and stimulating environment for them.

“Our motto is: you can’t love what you don’t know,” says vet Majo Herrera. (John Pint)

“Are our dolphins happy?” asks Mauricio Arias.

“Just look at them!” he says. “If an animal is unhappy it exhibits strange behavior, it goes to hide in a corner. Ours are both healthy and happy. I say, before criticizing, come see what we’re doing here.”

If you want to accept his challenge, you’ll find information on Maya Kay on their webpage.

The writer has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, since 1985. His most recent book is Outdoors in Western Mexico, Volume Three. More of his writing can be found on his blog.

INAH reports on sacrificial victims at ancient Maya site in Tabasco

By

MND Staff

-

August 25, 2023

0

Maya skulls — The skulls, dating from the Late Classic period, appear to have belonged to prominent citizens, who had undergone head-shaping modifications. (INAH)

An investigation of five skulls, discovered four months ago at an ancient Maya temple, revealed that at least two of the individuals had been decapitated in a human sacrifice ritual, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) announced this week.

In April, 13 human burials were found during excavations at the Moral-Reforma Archaeological Zone in the southern state of Tabasco.

Some of the remains were in or near a temple-pyramid structure, and archaeologists dated the burials to the Late Classic period between A.D. 600 and 900. An analysis of skulls, jaw fragments and various bones pointed to decapitation and dismemberment, said Francisco Apolinar Cuevas, the director of the Moral-Reforma archaeological project.

Research over the past few months focused on five skulls and their dental remains, found in front of a stairway of the temple-pyramid structure. It was determined that all came from males, two between 17 and 25 years old, one between 25 and 35, and two between 33 and 45.

With two of the skulls, horizontal cut marks were observed in the craniocervical junction, which includes the bone that forms the base of the skull and the first two bones in the upper spine upon which the head rests.

The cut marks revealed “the use of a sharp object to extract the skull,” said Miriam Angélica Camacho Martínez, an anthropologist from INAH’s Tabasco Center who was in charge of analyzing the remains, “although it is difficult to determine if this injury was the cause of death or if it was done post-mortem.”

The skulls were in several pieces, which suggested that the victims had been decapitated and dismembered. (INAH)

She also pointed out that in evaluating cultural modifications in the set of five skulls, researchers were able to confirm that all the individuals enjoyed a high status in pre-Columbian Maya society (all of them displayed a head-shaping modification done at an early age).

Two of the individuals had jade dental inlays, and some of the deceased were covered with red pigment, she added, without saying what that meant, other than it will help scientists identify which bones go together.

Camacho remarked that analysis will continue on the remains from the April finding and from other excavations at the Moral-Reforma Archaeological Zone. In all, 44 human burials have been discovered in recent months, covering some 1,200 years (from B.C. 300 to A.D. 900).

The excavations are being carried out through the Program for the Improvement of Archaeological Zones (Promeza), and the research is taking place at INAH facilities in Villahermosa, Tabasco.

With reports from MXCity and La Jornada

Explore the treasures in the Museum of the Cultures of Oaxaca

By

Joseph Sorrentino

-

August 25, 2023

0

Gold Mask — The Museum of the Cultures of Oaxaca offers visitors the chance to take a deeper look into the history of one of Mexico's most magical states. Shown here is the gold mask of Xipe Totec, the god of agriculture and sacrifice, among other things. From Tomb 7. (All photos by Joseph Sorrentino)

I’ve visited several museums in Mexico, but none are located in a more beautiful building than the Museum of the Cultures of Oaxaca (Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca) in Oaxaca city.

The museum is housed in the former convent of the Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, which was built in the 16th and 17th centuries. A classic Mexican baroque building, it’ll make you feel like you’re back in the colonial era.

The museum is set in a 16th century Spanish convent.

The former convent, converted into a museum in 1972, has a collection occupying 14 rooms spread across the building’s three floors. It’s a great source for learning about the state’s history, from its earliest settlement up through the modern era.

The “Ancient Cultures” hall (Culturas Milenarias) contains pieces from the first human settlements in Oaxaca. These objects showcase ancient artisans’ astonishing technical skills and the belief systems of the region’s various civilizations.

The second hall, called Tiempos de Florecer (Times of Flourishing), covers the Classic Period, between A.D. 200 and 900, with much of the focus on figures from Monte Albán, the ancient mountaintop capital of the Zapotec civilization. In this era, the Zapotecs, who occupied much of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, achieved their peak artistic expression and developed a calendar and a system of writing.

Artifacts that were found in Monte Albán’s Tomb 7 fill an entire room in the museum, and they’re nothing short of stunning. You’ll find these items, unearthed by archaeologist Alfonso Caso in 1932, in Hall III, “The Treasures of Tomb 7.”

The museum offers relics from some of Oaxaca’s earliest civilizations. This calendar is called “Los Portadores de los Años,” (the Bearer of the Years.) It was a calendar developed by the Zapotecans and adapted by the Mixtecos.

Tomb 7 was one of the richest Mesoamerican burial sites ever discovered, containing around 600 pieces made of a variety of precious and semiprecious materials, including gold, turquoise, silver and amber. Although Monte Albán was originally a Zapotec city, the inhabitants abandoned it around A.D. 900. It was subsequently occupied by Mixtecs, who reused the site’s structures, including the tombs.

Tomb 7 is believed to date from about A.D. 1330. It contained the remains of Mixtec rulers or royalty. While its gold pieces and turquoise skull attract most of the attention, Hall III also hosts a display case containing bones with carvings so small and intricate as to defy belief. The carvings refer to events during the Mixtec dynasty.

Other rooms in the museum display artifacts from other ancient sites that arose after Monte Albán’s collapse in A.D. 900, including that of Yagul, Mitla and Zaachila; the ruins of all three are within driving distance of Oaxaca city.

Hall VII is dedicated to the Spanish conquest, and subsequent rooms to the introduction of Catholicism in Mexico and the emergence of a hybrid Indigenous-Spanish culture and Spanish and modern Oaxacan arts.

A number of artefacts on display were found in ancient tombs, including this statuette of a traditional Xolo dog.

The museum also contains an exhibit about the rebozo, the cloth traditionally used across Mexico to carry babies. There’s also an exhibit dedicated to depictions of the Xoloitzcuintli, the hairless dog believed to guide the spirits of the dead through the underworld. The first floor also contains the impressive Francisco de Burgoa Library and a gift shop.

The building is so large, it seems to go on forever. Plan on a couple of hours to tour the museum, but note that viewing all the rooms in one day isn’t easy. Better to cover fewer rooms or take two days to see them all.

Be sure to look up and around as you wander through the rooms. There are faded murals on walls, carvings of saints and virgins on the ceilings and golden altarpieces and impressive doorways. There’s also a great view of the site’s botanical garden from the upper floors and another of the Church of Santo Domingo.

Figure in Oaxaca museum — A turquoise skull from the Tomb 7 archeological site. The turquoise was glued on with resin composed of copal and amaranth seeds. The skull is known to be a Mixtec ritual object, representing Mictlantecuhtli or the “Lord of the Underworld”. From the Post-Classical period 1250-1521.

The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is 90 pesos (US $5)

Joseph Sorrentino, a writer, photographer and author of the book San Gregorio Atlapulco: Cosmvisiones and of Stinky Island Tales: Some Stories from an Italian-American Childhood, is a regular contributor to Mexico News Daily. More examples of his photographs and links to other articles may be found at www.sorrentinophotography.com He currently lives in Chipilo, Puebla.

Extortion of lime farmers in Michoacán causes prices to spike

By

MND Staff

-

August 25, 2023

0

Things have turned sour in one of Mexico’s top lime-producing regions, where many growers and packers have stopped working, rather than pay extortion money to cartels — causing the price of limes to spike.

In a survey carried out by the newspaper Milenio, the cost of a kilogram of limes in markets of Morelia, the state capital of Michoacán, has gone from 20 to 25 pesos (US $1.19 to $1.49) to 40 to 45 pesos ($2.38 to $2.68) over the past week or so.

Lime farmers say those who refuse to pay have been attacked by cartels. (Juan José Estrada Serafín/Cuartoscuro)

The rise coincides with what has grown to become a ten-day work stoppage in the Tierra Caliente region of Michoacán, which includes a prime lime-producing region in and around the municipality of Apatzingán, and is a hotbed for cartel activity. The Tierra Caliente farms produce around 80% of Mexico’s limes.

Lime growers warned that prices could go up even more if the conflict in the region is not resolved.

Work was halted on Aug. 16 after a rise in extortion attempts by one or more organized crime groups seeking to flex their muscles in an area where cartels also siphon money off avocado producers.

According to some lime growers, cartel members are demanding one peso for each kilo of limes sold, a total of 1,000 pesos (US $59.51) per tonne. Others say they are demanding 2,000 pesos per tonne — 1,000 pesos from the grower and 1,000 pesos from the packer.

Untended lemons — Lime crops are now going untended, affecting output as a result. (Juan José Estrada Serafín/Cuartoscuro)

Earlier this week, Michoacán state prosecutor Adrián López Solís said authorities do not know which group is responsible, in part because growers, pickers and packers are scared to talk, and in part because the criminal groups themselves use “propaganda” and attempt to “blame each other.”

According to Milenio, the suspected groups are the Caballeros Templarios (Knights Templar), which works with the Nueva Familia Michoacána and is seeking to resurface in Michoacán, as well as Los Viagras, a group already known for the extortion of melon and lime producers.

One resident said Los Viagras was responsible for drone attacks on a town of 500 near Apatzingán where extortion was not paid. There have also been reports of burned vehicles.

“We are not going to work right now,” she said. “In my community, everyone is out of a job. We are talking about more than 700 hectares (1,730 acres), with about 30 to 40 ejidatarios [communal landowners].”

The famous lime market of Apatzingán is deserted as a result of the strike. (Juan José Estrada Serafín/Cuartoscuro)

Overall, the 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) of lime farms in the Apatzingán area are drying up due to the lack of irrigation and cutting. The famed Tianguis Limonero (lime market) has become a ghost town. The strike comes at the production peak, said to be right around the corner in October and November.

“They have to reach agreements, because this affects producers and [all kinds of] people, [including] day laborers,” Apatzingán municipal president José Luis Cruz Lucatero said. “A solution has to be found in the very short term.”

Earlier this week, Governor of Michoacán Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla asked those in the industry to provide more information since otherwise they will be “covering up [for] their own extortionists.”

Michoacán officials have asked the state attorney general’s office to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the extortion.

Hipólito Mora led a vigilante pushback against organized crime in Michoacán starting in 2013, but said the security situation was “worse than ever” last year. (Archivo/Cuartoscuro)

One packer confirmed there is a National Guard base in the area, but the soldiers only ride around in their trucks “as tourists.”

The stand-off occurred in the same region where Hipólito Mora Chávez, the founder of a citizen self-defense force, was murdered in June. Mora was himself a former lime farmer who turned vigilante in 2013 and reportedly drove the Knights Templar cartel out of Michoacán. He was attacked by gunmen in Buenavista, a municipality near Apatzingán.

With reports from Milenio, El Universal, Mexicanal and Reforma

Canada to participate as third party in Mexico-US GM corn panel

By

MND Staff

-

August 25, 2023

0

Mexican corn — Canadian officials say they share the U.S. concerns about Mexico's restrictions on genetically modified corn imports. (CRISANTA ESPINOSA AGUILAR /CUARTOSCURO.COM)

Canada announced Friday that it will participate as a third party in the dispute settlement proceedings initiated by the United States over Mexico’s stance on genetically modified corn.

The announcement comes just over a week after the United States requested the establishment of a dispute settlement panel under the USMCA free trade pact to rule on Mexico’s ban on the use of GM corn in tortillas and dough and plan to phase out imports of such maize for use in all products for human consumption and as animal feed.

On July 6, Mexico’s Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro (center) met with trade representatives Katherine Tai (U.S., right) and Mary Ng (Canada, left) for the third meeting of the USMCA trade commission. (Twitter)

Canada’s Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development Mary Ng and Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay said in a statement that Canada shares the concerns of the United States that Mexico is “not compliant with the science and risk analysis obligations” under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Chapter of the USMCA, which took effect in 2020.

“Canada believes that the measures taken by Mexico are not scientifically supported and have the potential to unnecessarily disrupt trade in the North American market,” they said.

Canada participated as a third party in dispute settlement consultations between Mexico and the U.S. over the GM corn issue. Those consultations failed to resolve the differences between Mexico and the United States, leading the U.S. to request the dispute settlement panel.

Mexican Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro told the Reuters news agency on Monday that Mexico won’t make any changes to its GM corn decree before the establishment of the panel.

Raquel Buenrostro, Mexico’s Economy Minister. (Secretaría de Economía/X)

President López Obrador, who believes that GM corn is harmful to human health and poses a threat to native maize strains, asserted earlier this year that Mexico’s decision to phase out imports of GM corn doesn’t violate its commitments under the USMCA.

The Economy Ministry (SE) said last week that it is “prepared to defend the Mexican position before this international panel and prove that national regulations are consistent with the commitments subscribed to in the [trade] agreement and that the measures challenged [by the U.S.] have no commercial impact.”

Most of the corn consumed by Mexicans is grown in Mexico, but large quantities of yellow corn are imported from the United States to feed livestock. Those imports are worth about US $5 billion per year.

U.S. farmers who grow GM corn don’t want to lose access to the lucrative Mexican market and have pressured the U.S. government to act in favor of their interests.

Citing timeframes set out in the USMCA, the SE said it had calculated that the dispute settlement panel will reach a decision some time in 2024.

Mexico News Daily

Aeroméxico to add to Tulum-Mexico City route in December

By

MND Staff

-

August 24, 2023

0

Aeromexico — Aeroméxico will connect Mexico City and Raleigh-Durham starting in July 2024. (Christian Coquet/Unsplash)

The Tulum International Airport isn’t scheduled to open until December, but airlines are already lining up to fly into the Caribbean coast town.

Just hours after Viva Aerobus announced that it will commence flights to Tulum from Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Tijuana in December, Aeroméxico issued a press release saying that it too will start services to the Quintana Roo town on the first day of that month.

Aeromexico CDMX T2 — Aeromexico will shortly begin selling tickets for the new route, which will commence flying in December this year. (José Pablo Domínguez/Unsplash)

“Aeroméxico will begin operations from Mexico City’s International Airport (AICM) to the new Tulum International Airport on December 1, offering more connectivity with the state of Quintana Roo, especially with the southern Riviera Maya,” the airline said.

That’s the date the new airport – which is currently under construction by the army – is scheduled to begin operations.

Aeroméxico said that it will begin the AICM-Tulum service with 14 weekly frequencies to be operated with Embraer 190 aircraft.

“This decision reinforces Aeromexico’s presence in the state of Quintana Roo, where the airline offers connectivity and the best service to and from Cancún, Chetumal, Cozumel and now Tulum, with a total offer of more than 221,000 seats per month, which represents an increase of 6% compared to the current operation,” the Mexican flag carrier said.

Tulum ruins - El Castillo — Tulum is one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations, thanks to its beaches and imposing Mayan ruins. (soft_light/Shutterstock)

Aeroméxico said that itineraries and ticket sales will be available in the coming days.

José Zapata, Aeroméxico’s vice president of sales in Mexico, said that the airline is “very pleased to participate in the inauguration of this airport because, in addition to the fact that it will be a great airport facility, many of our customers have Tulum and the southern Riviera Maya as their final destination.”

The airline’s statement said that the new route “will be an additional alternative for domestic and international travelers from destinations such as Tijuana, Guadalajara, Aguascalientes, Toronto, San Francisco, and Chicago, among others.”

The Tulum airport, first announced by the government in 2020, is about 65% complete, President López Obrador said Thursday.

He said Wednesday that one of the “main flights” of the new state-owned, army-run airline, which is slated to begin flying in December under the Mexicana brand, will be between the Felipe Ángeles International Airport north of Mexico City and Tulum, which is currently served by the airport in Cancún, located 130 kilometers north.

Mexico News Daily

Mexican fans eagerly await arrival of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour

By

MND Staff

-

August 24, 2023

0

The countdown is almost over. The much-awaited Latin American leg of superstar Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour begins tonight, as the Pennsylvania-born superstar prepares for a rapturous welcome in the Mexican capital.

With anticipation amongst Mexican fans building steadily since Swift, 33, announced the tour in June, hundreds of ‘Swifties’ – as Swift’s fans are known – began lining up on Wednesday afternoon, outside of Mexico City’s Foro Sol, where Swift will perform from Aug. 24-27.

A vendor preparing to sell “Taymales” in honor of the U.S. singer. (Por que es Tendencia/X)

“I have been waiting for this moment for 11 years,” Mexican Swiftie Alejandro Chávez, 26, told newspaper El País while lining up outside of the Foro Sol. He and two friends came to Mexico City from the northern state of Chihuahua.

“She’s my favorite artist, my Top 1,” 22-year-old Carlos García told El País. “Since this is her first time in Mexico, I think we all share the same excitement.”

Winner of 12 Grammy Awards, Swift has a varied fanbase that includes men and women, young people, adolescents and even older adults. When the the Eras Tour dates in Mexico were announced, tickets sold out in a matter of minutes and an extra date was eventually added.

The Foro Sol is expected to see crowds of 65,000 people on all four nights, and experts anticipate that the four-night show will net Mexico City over 1 billion pesos (US $59.1 million) in revenue.

The concert will be broken down into ‘eras’ reflecting different albums spanning her 17-year career, complete with 16 costume changes, spoken word passages and guest appearances.

To promote Swift’s music as she arrives in Mexico, music streaming service Spotify posted several billboards across the city with the slogan “Taylor, it was a ‘cruel summer’ waiting to hear you sing in Mexico City,” referencing the singer’s 2019 hit of the same name.

Swift is the only woman on the Forbes’ list of the top 10 highest-earning entertainers, having raked in an estimated US $92 million in 2022. Her Eras Tour is also on track to become one of the highest grossing of all time and is likely to surpass Sir Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour, which currently holds the top spot.

With reports from El País, Infobae, and Forbes