Ebrard launches campaign to defend Mexico’s reputation in US

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March 14, 2023

Mexico's Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard, center. — "We are not going to allow Mexico to be pushed around," Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard told Mexico's diplomats in the U.S. at a ministry meeting led by Ebrard in Washington D.C. on Monday. (SRE)

Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard has instructed Mexico’s ambassador and consuls in the United States to begin a campaign in defense of Mexico in light of the “unacceptable attacks” on the country by Republican Party lawmakers and ex-officials.

Ebrard met with Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma and 52 Mexican consuls at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington D.C. on Monday.

Mexico's Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard and Mexico's diplomats in the U.S. — Ebrard asked Mexico’s ambassador to the United States Esteban Moctezuma and all U.S. consuls to hold informative meetings with the Mexican community and political actors, and to submit a weekly report. (SRE)

“We are not going to allow Mexico to be pushed around,” the foreign minister told the diplomats, according to an English-language press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE).

Ebrard, the statement said, told Moctezuma and the consuls “to begin a widespread information campaign in defense of our country after the unacceptable attacks by legislators and former officials of the Republican Party.”

“In order to prevent a narrative based on lies that harms our country … gain[ing] force,” the SRE statement said, “… Ebrard asked the ambassador and consuls to hold informative meetings with the Mexican community and political actors, and to submit a weekly report.”

“At the request of the consuls, informational materials will be made available at the consulates and provided to the local media,” it added.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham is at the forefront of a group of Republicans calling for the United States to declare Mexican cartels foreign terrorist organizations, setting up justification for military attacks on cartels inside Mexico.

Ebrard’s instruction to diplomats came after Senator Lindsey Graham said he would introduce legislation to “set the stage to use military force if necessary to protect America from being poisoned by things coming out of Mexico” and former attorney general William Barr expressed support for Congressman Dan Crenshaw’s proposal for the U.S. armed forces to be used against cartels in Mexico.

“America can no longer tolerate narco-terrorist cartels. Operating from havens in Mexico, their production of deadly drugs on an industrial scale is flooding our country with this poison. The time is long past to deal with this outrage decisively,” Barr wrote in The Wall Street Journal.

Other Republicans have also advocated the use of the U.S. military to combat Mexican criminal organizations such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel.

President López Obrador threatened last week to launch an “information campaign” in the United States so that Mexican residents “know about this treachery, this aggression from the Republicans toward Mexico.”

Mexico's Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard in Acapulco — At an event in Acapulco on Sunday, Ebrard told audiences that U.S. forces would only be sent to Mexico “over my dead body.” (Marcelo Ebrard/Twitter)

“If they continue with this attitude we’ll insist that not one vote from Mexicans, from Hispanics, [is cast in favor of the Republican Party],” he said.

According to the SRE statement, Ebrard and the U.S.-based diplomats “reviewed the recent attacks by several legislators and former Republican Party officials, who have sought to blame Mexico for the fentanyl crisis in the U.S. and who have in some cases gone to the extreme of proposing that the U.S. intervene in our country.”

However, Mexico has in fact been “the United States’ main ally in the fight against fentanyl”, Ebrard said.

“Proof of this is that, so far in this administration, Mexico has seized a record amount of the drug — more than six tonnes — that has prevented hundreds of thousands of potentially deadly doses of fentanyl [reaching the United States],” Ebrard said, adding that the fight against fentanyl has cost the lives of hundreds of Mexican security force members.

“With this cost in human lives, how is it that these men dare to question our commitment or, even worse, to call for intervention in our country?” the foreign minister said.

At an event in Acapulco on Sunday, Ebrard declared that U.S. forces would only be sent to Mexico “over my dead body.”

Mexican military seizing fentanyl and crystal meth — Mexico has been the U.S.’ “main ally in the fight against fentanyl,” Ebrard told the convened diplomats on Monday, and said it has prevented hundreds of thousands of potentially deadly doses of fentanyl from reaching the United States. (Cuartoscuro)

“We will never allow the force of another country, whoever it may be, to be used in our territory,” he said.

On Monday, Ebrard said that Mexico and the United States are working within the framework of the bilateral Bicentennial Framework to combat fentanyl trafficking and associated deaths as well as arms trafficking.

He also noted that Mexican and U.S. security officials would meet in Washington next month to identify additional ways to cooperate in the fight against arms and fentanyl trafficking.

Mexico News Daily

AMLO: ‘Mexico is safer than the United States’

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MND Staff

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March 13, 2023

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President Lopez Obrador of Mexico — His opponents made political hay with the recent killings of Americans in Matamoros, and a Los Angeles reporter attended his press conference to ask if Americans are safe in Mexico. But the president insisted that his country is much safer than the U.S. (Andrea Murcia Monsivais/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico is safer than the United States, President López Obrador said Monday without citing any hard data to back up his claim.

His assertion came in response to a question from a United States-based reporter at his morning press conference.

U.S. reporter Octavio Valdez told President Lopez Obrador at a Monday press conference that after the recent kidnappings of four Americans in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, many U.S. residents are wondering if it’s safe to visit Mexico. (Twitter)

“Is traveling to Mexico safe at the moment with everything we’re seeing, with all these [travel] alerts and these very regrettable events?” asked Octavio Valdez of Los Angeles-based television station Univisión 34.

“Mexico is safer than the United States,” López Obrador responded.

“There is no problem with traveling around Mexico safely. United States citizens know that, and of course our compatriots … [in the U.S.] know that. They’re well-informed,” he said.

His remarks came 10 days after four U.S. citizens were attacked and kidnapped in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and just over two weeks after another American was killed in Nuevo Laredo in the same state when he came under fire from soldiers. Two of the foursome were found dead while one of the others was shot.

4 Americans kidnapped in Matamoros, Mexico — From left to right: Latavia McGee, Eric James Williams, Shaeed Woodward and Zindell Brown. McGee and Williams survived the attack and were returned to the U.S. Woodward and Brown were killed. The Gulf Cartel is suspected to be responsible for the attack.

Over 550 other U.S. citizens are reported as missing in Mexico, The Washington Post reported Friday, while the whereabouts of over 100,000 Mexicans is unknown.

The U.S. Department of State advises U.S. citizens to not travel to six Mexican states including Tamaulipas, to reconsider travel to seven others and to exercise caution when traveling to 17 entities, including Mexico City.

Campeche and Yucatán are the only states where “normal precautions” are advised, a fact pointed out to the president by Valdez.

If Mexico was as dangerous as the United States claims, López Obrador responded, large numbers of Americans wouldn’t be coming to live in Mexico City and other parts of the country.

“These past years is when the most Americans have come to live in Mexico. So, what’s happening? Why this paranoia?” he said.

López Obrador also noted that large numbers of tourists come to Mexico, despite warnings from the governments of the United States and other countries.

Tourists in Punta Cancun — Tourists enjoying the beach in Cancún last month. The president pointed out that many foreign tourists come to Cancún despite travel advisories issued by their governments. (Elisabeth Ruíz/Cuartoscuro)

“Do you know how many flights land and take off [in Cancún] every day? More than 700. Tourists are arriving in Cancún like never before,” he said.

United States citizens can easily be found in the southern states of Oaxaca and Chiapas and in restaurants in trendy Mexico City neighborhoods such as Roma and Condesa, López Obrador added.

While he repeated his claim that Mexico is safer than the United States — and even added the determiner “much” — the president didn’t refer to any crime statistics to support it.

On one key measure — homicides — statistics show that Mexico is in fact significantly more dangerous than its northern neighbor.

Data published by the World Bank shows there were 28 homicides in Mexico per 100,000 people in 2020, compared to just seven per 100,000 in the United States.

In recent years, the total number of homicides has also been higher in Mexico — where there were almost 31,000 murders in 2022 — than in the United states. In terms of population, Mexico – where the 2020 census counted about 127 million residents – is about two-fifths the size of the U.S.

Homicide data for Mexico between 1990-2020.

A significant percentage of homicides in Mexico – up to 70%, according to a recent United Nations study – are related to organized crime, meaning that many of the victims are presumed criminals. Gang-related shootings in bars are relatively common, but targeted or random armed attacks in places such as malls, supermarkets and schools are rare.

While foreign tourists and residents have been murdered and abducted in Mexico, data indicates that most international visitors and residents are not affected by violent crimes such as homicide and kidnapping.

Mexico News Daily

You don’t need to pursue happiness if you’ve already caught it

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Joseph Sorrentino

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March 13, 2023

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Drawing by Miguel Angel Gomez Cabrera — When you're sitting in a smelly garbage truck and you can still laugh and have a great time, then you've figured out something essential. (Miguel Ángel Gómez Cabrera)

I was sitting in a micro, which is what they call the small, green buses in San Gregorio Atlapulco in Mexico City. They’re not really “micro” in the sense that they’re tiny; they’re just smaller than a full-size bus.

But they’re bigger than combis, which are the vans that also carry passengers. Why people call these buses micro but the smaller vans combis is one of those questions that sometimes keeps me up at night.

So I was sitting in this micro when a garbage truck passes us and it happens to catch my eye.

Now, garbage workers in Mexico (or “sanitation engineers” as they were called for about 10 minutes when I was a kid) tend to be fearless. They don’t usually wear gloves or any kind of protective clothing. No masks. Their clothing trends toward the filthy side. They usually cling to the side of a truck as it barrels along.

I often see them eating lunch while standing next to a truck overflowing with trash. How they’re able to stand the smell is beyond my comprehenesion. Clearly, a very tough job undertaken by some very tough people.

On this particular day, as I’m sitting in the micro and the garbage truck passes us, I notice three people sitting in the very back. As in, the very back where the garbage is stuffed. The truck is full. Of garbage. And they’re sitting right at the edge of the pile, probably on top of some of it.

I don’t know if this was a family, but it could’ve been.

They were two men and a boy: an older man in his late 50s, another man looking to be in his late 30s and a kid around 10. So, yeah, I figure it could’ve been three generations. I like to think that it was.

What really caught my attention was the kid, who was talking animatedly. He must have been telling funny stories because the other two men were laughing. Hard. This is while they’re all sitting at the edge of a pile of trash in the back of a garbage truck which, I’m certain, smelled awful.

Talking and laughing like they hadn’t a care in the world. Just having a grand old time. And it was impossible to see them and not question just what in the hell the rest of us are doing, especially us Americans who are constantly pursuing happiness.

I had the feeling that those three guys, sitting there in the back of that garbage truck, they weren’t pursuing happiness. Somehow, and I really wish I knew how, they’d caught that son-of-a-bitch.

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.

Protesters call for release of soldiers accused of Nuevo Laredo killings

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MND Staff

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March 13, 2023

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At least 40 people in an urban setting. Many wear dark green and are waving Mexican flags or carrying hand-written signs. — Protesters gathered in Mexico City on Sunday to show support for the soldiers accused of murder. (Andrea Murcia / Cuartoscuro.com)

Mexicans on Sunday took to the streets in numerous cities to call for the release of four soldiers accused of murdering five young men in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, late last month.

The soldiers were detained and ordered to stand trial after opening fire on a pickup truck in the early hours of Feb. 26. Five men including a United States citizen were killed in the incident and one other man was wounded.

The victims, reported to be returning home from a party, were apparently unarmed, and there didn’t appear to be a motive for the attack.

Despite that, citizens in at least 15 cities including Mexico City, Nuevo Laredo, Oaxaca, Cuernavaca, Querétaro, Puebla, Acapulco and Veracruz participated in demonstrations to show their support for the four soldiers involved in the Nuevo Laredo incident as well as other members of the armed forces imprisoned on charges or convictions that they acted illegally in the line of duty.

The protests were promoted on social media using the hashtag #AlEjércitoNoSeToca (Don’t touch the army), a play on the #ElINENoSeToca (Don’t Touch the INE) slogan around which marches in defense of the National Electoral Institute were organized in late February.

Current and ex-soldiers and their family members were among hundreds of people who marched from the Angel of Independence monument to Mexico City’s central square, the Zócalo.

A protester dressed satirically in a mask and suit as President López Obrador stands in front of a tricolor banner with a crowd waving Mexican flags behind. In the distance is the Mexico City Angel of Independence landmark. — An AMLO impersonator stands at the front of the crowd at the Sunday protest in Mexico City. (Andrea Murcia Monsivais / Cuartoscuro.com)

Among the messages on signs they carried through the streets of the capital were: “Release our soldiers”; “We demand more support for soldiers and fewer human rights for organized crime; and “In memory of the soldiers who died waiting for an order to shoot that never came.”

The demonstrators also shouted for “freedom” and “justice” for imprisoned military personnel and advised soldiers in a chant that “the people are with you.”

Rosalio López, a retired military man and leader of the Mexico City march, declared that protesters were “defending the ideals of the people of Mexico” and condemned President López Obrador for not doing the same.

“You are the supreme commander of the armed forces, you should be looking out for the interests of the people, of the Mexican army, but you’re not,” he said.

A group of roughly a dozen people wearing dark green hold Mexican flags and protest signs outside a colonial-style stone building. — A group of veterans and military families protest in the port city of Veracruz. (Moisés Pablo Nava / Cuartoscuro.com)

In a swipe at the federal government’s non-confrontational “hugs, not bullets” security strategy, López said that if the president doesn’t want the armed forces to protect people they shouldn’t be given weapons.

“Give them a comb and some scissors so that they can go and cut hair. Don’t give them weapons,” he said.

López Obrador last Friday condemned the planned march in Nuevo Laredo, saying that its aims were not at all “right” or “healthy.”

“It’s supposedly to defend the army, no! Don’t anyone be fooled, it might even be promoted by [organized] crime itself,” he said before adding to his criticism by claiming that none of the organizers had identified themselves.

The president, who has relied heavily on the military for public security and a range of other non-traditional tasks, has frequently defended the conduct of the armed forces during his government, asserting that the kind of human rights abuses perpetrated in the past are no longer tolerated.

But the head of the Nuevo Laredo Human Rights Committee claimed after the Feb. 26 incident that “the Mexican army is out of control.”

“Prosecutors have to clear up what happened and the president must stop protecting [the soldiers],” added Raymundo Ramos, an alleged victim of army espionage.

With reports from El Universal, Sin Embargo, El Financiero, Animal Político, Reforma, Reuters and Milenio

Mexico in Numbers: the nation’s tallest skyscrapers

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MND Staff

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March 13, 2023

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The skyline of Reforma Avenue — The skyline of Torre Reforma, at the heart of Mexico City. (Arup)

Most of Mexico’s iconic buildings and structures are not skyscrapers: the Palace of Fine Arts and the National Palace in Mexico City; the Hospicio Cabañas, a former orphanage and hospital complex in Guadalajara; and myriad pre-Hispanic structures such as the Temple of Kukulcán at Chichén Itzá and the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacán.

One exception is the capital’s Torre Latinoamericana (Latin American Tower), which was Mexico’s tallest building from 1956 to 1982.

Infographic on Torre Latinoamericana — The Torre Latinoamerica, also known as the the Torre Latino, still boasts Mexico City’s most popular viewing platform even though it hasn’t been Mexico’s tallest building since 1982.

While other Mexican skyscrapers — called rascacielos in Spanish — are not as well-known as the Torre Latinoamericana, there are now close to 30 that are taller than the emblematic tower in the historic center of Mexico City.

In this edition of Mexico in Numbers, read about Mexico’s five tallest skyscrapers, located in two cities: Monterrey, capital of the economic powerhouse state of Nuevo León, and Mexico City, the nation’s capital and most populous city.

Concept art of the Torres Obispado in Monterrey, NL — Tower 1 of the Torres Obispado is the tallest building in Latin America. (Nest)

No. 1: Torres Obispado

The Torres Obispado (Bishopric Towers) are two side-by-side skyscrapers in Monterrey.

Soaring 305 meters into the air, the loftier of the two — Torre 1 — is Mexico’s tallest rascacielos.

Built by the developers Ancore and Nest, the towers were completed in 2020 at a cost of 2 billion pesos (about US $111.3 million at the current exchange rate).

Torre 1 has 64 floors, eight of which are occupied by the Hilton Garden Inn Monterrey Obispado. The skyscraper is not only the tallest in Mexico but also the tallest in Latin America.

Torre 1 is the 27th tallest skyscraper in North America and the 173rd tallest in the world, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

Torre Koi in Monterrey, NL — The Torre Koi is the second tallest skyscraper in Monterrey, NL. (Victor M. Torres)

No. 2: Torre Koi

Located next to Monterrey in the affluent municipality of San Pedro Garza García, Torre Koi is the runner-up in the national tallest building stakes. The mixed-use skyscraper is 279.5 meters high and has 64 floors.

According to Luis Fernández Ortega, a partner and design director with VFO – the firm that designed the building – Torre Koi is an architectural symbol of the economic progress of Monterrey.

The skyscraper is the 46th tallest in North America and the 303rd tallest in the world, according to CTBUH.

Torre Mitikah, Coyoacan — Torre Mítikah is located in Benito Juárez borough. (Mítikah)

No. 3: Torre Mítikah

Mexico’s third highest skyscraper is one of its newest: Torre Mítikah, located in the Benito Juárez borough of Mexico City, was only completed last year.

The 267-meter-high rascacielos houses retail and office space as well as some 600 apartments and amenities for residents.

Designed by César Pelli — a deceased architect who designed notable buildings such as the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the World Financial Center in New York — Torre Mítikah is the 57th tallest skyscraper in North America and the 385th tallest in the world, according to CTBUH.

The development was — and is — opposed by many local residents, especially because of the amount of water it requires.

Torre Reforma, CDMX, the third tallest building in the capital — The Torre Reforma is the second tallest building in Mexico City. (Torre Reforma)

No. 4: Torre Reforma

The second tallest skyscraper in Mexico City and the fourth tallest in the country is the Torre Reforma, located on Paseo de la Reforma — the capital’s most emblematic boulevard.

This rascacielos is 246 meters high, making it the 92nd tallest in North America and the 641st tallest in the world, according to CTBUH.

Designed by Mexican architect Benjamín Romano, it won the International High-Rise Award — a prestigious prize awarded in the city of Frankfurt, Germany, every two years — in 2018.

“The prevailing problem of earthquakes in Mexico City calls for an intelligent support structure concept, which lends the 246-meter-high office tower its striking appearance,” said the German Architecture Museum, which jointly awards the prize.

It also said that Romano had placed Mexico City “on the world map of groundbreaking high-rise architecture.”

Chapultepec Uno, Reforma, CDMX — Chapultepec Uno in Mexico City, home to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. (@porcelainwindow/Instagram)

No. 5 Chapultepec Uno

Rounding out the top five tallest skyscrapers in Mexico is Chapultepec Uno, also located on Paseo de la Reforma.

The high-rise soars 241 meters into the Mexico City sky, making it 101st tallest skyscraper in North America and the 723rd tallest in the world, according to CTBUH.

Built by the real estate development company T69, the mixed-use tower is partially occupied by the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

As its name suggests, the skyscraper overlooks Bosque de Chapultepec, a huge park that is home to a castle, zoo, museums and other attractions.

With reports from Infobae

Mexico upsets USA 11-5 in World Baseball Classic

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MND Staff

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March 13, 2023

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Meneses celebrates as he hits a second home run against the United States. (MLB/Twitter)

The Mexican national baseball team swept the United States aside in the pools stages of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with a shock 11-5 victory in Phoenix, Arizona.

The defending champions and third-ranked U.S., boasting nearly US $2.1 billion of talent, were overcome by an aggressive display of batting, spearheaded by two home runs from Joey Meneses Ramírez.

Mexico lost to Colombia in the opening round — Mexico recovered after losing to Colombia in the opening round of the World Baseball Classic.(MLB/Twitter)

The almost 47,500-strong crowd went wild when Culiacán, Sinaloa native Meneses, who only began to play Major League Baseball with the Washington Nationals in August 2022, hammered a second home-run more than 125 meters into the heart of the Mexican-dominated crowd. “I have never played in an atmosphere like that,” said Mexico pitcher Patrick Sandoval, who tightly controlled the U.S. batters throughout the confrontation, limiting them to a single run. “I’m still fired up from it.”

The two teams, who share a long history of sporting rivalry, met on the diamond for the first time in 10 years.

The Mexican team, currently ranked fifth in the world, have their eyes on the top prize — the 2023 championship. “We have the mentality of winning,” Meneses said. “We know there are teams with more stars but we have more want. We want to show everyone there’s a lot of talent in Mexico.”

Despite slipping to a 5-4 defeat against Colombia in the opening round of the tournament, Mexico is now in an excellent position to qualify from their group, which also contains Great Britain and Canada. They sit third in Group C, with an average of .500 across their two games so far.

While Mexico has been energized by their victory, the U.S. team faces a selection headache after coach Mark DeRosa used all 8 pitchers. The pitch limits, which are designed to prioritize player health and reduce injury, mean that the United States must find 27 more outs in the group, without exceeding the 65 pitch-per-player limit.

The Mexican crushing of the U.S. is not the first big shock of the tournament, as Chinese Taipei — the world’s second-ranked side, was eliminated after a 5-way tiebreaker in Group A.

The World Baseball Classic, which is being held in the United States, Japan and Taiwan, is scheduled to move onto the quarter-finals stage on March 15.

With reports from MLB and Excelsior

Ex-president Calderón has ‘doubts’ about García Luna conviction

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MND Staff

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March 13, 2023

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Calderón speaks at a conference — Former president Calderón described himself as a "man of the law" and decried "persecution" by political opponents. (Felipe Calderón/Twitter)

Former president Felipe Calderón has expressed doubt about the conviction of his erstwhile security minister on drug trafficking charges because the case against him was “based on testimony from confessed criminals.”

A jury in the United States last month found Genaro García Luna – security minister in the 2012-18 government led by Calderón – guilty of colluding with the Sinaloa Cartel.

A banner is displayed in the Chamber of Deputies, accusing Calderon of collusion with the Sinaloa Cartel. — Many in Mexico, particularly those in opposition parties, believe that PAN president Calderón was aware of García Luna’s cartel connections. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

Among those who testified against García Luna were cartel figures such as Jesús “El Rey” Zambada, brother of current Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, and Sergio “El Grande” Villarreal Barragán as well as former Nayarit attorney general Edgar Veytia, who in 2019 was sentenced to 20 years in jail in the U.S. for drug trafficking.

In Madrid, Spain, on Monday, Calderón described himself as a “man of the law” and said he respects rulings handed down by courts as long as they “act in accordance with the law.”

However, he added that he had “a lot of doubts” about García Luna’s guilty verdict.

“I would have expected to see what the prosecutors announced [they would present]: videos, recordings, photographs, bank statements, deposits, but the truth is none of that was shown,” the former president told reporters at a tourism and aviation event in the Spanish capital.

“Everything was based on testimony from confessed criminals, the majority of whom we pursued, captured and extradited during our government,” he said.

Calderón also said that the Mexican government is using García Luna’s conviction to ramp up its “persecution” of him.

“It’s clear that in Mexico there is political and media persecution against me. They’re even trying to use the ruling to exacerbate the persecution – it’s almost personal on the part of the government,” he said.

President López Obrador claims that the conviction of García Luna – who has yet to be sentenced – is proof of the existence of a “narco-state” during the Calderón administration.

On the same day that the jury reached its guilty verdict, the former National Action Party president asserted that he had “fought with complete determination against crime” and “never negotiated with nor made pacts with criminals.”

Calderón, who launched a militarized war on cartels shortly after he took office in late 2006, also claimed that he was tougher on organized crime than any other president, combating “all [groups] that threatened Mexico including the so-called Pacific Cartel,” as the Sinaloa Cartel is also known.

With reports from Reforma, Aristegui Noticias, Milenio

Renowned Mexican actor Ignacio López Tarso dies at 98

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MND Staff

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March 13, 2023

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Ignacio López Tarso is remembered at Bellas Artes — A memorial service was held in the Palacio de Bellas Artes to remember the legend of Mexican cinema. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)

Beloved Mexican actor Ignacio López Tarso, who starred as the hungry peasant Macario in the 1960 film of the same name, has died at age 98, his family reported over the weekend.

López Tarso was in approximately 50 films between 1954 and 1984, and had a long career in Mexican television, including more than 10 roles after he turned 80 — with two more in his 90s.

Ignacio López Tarso receives an award — López Tarso receives a recognition award in Mexico City in 2015. (Wikimedia Commons)

In 1973, he won an Ariel Award for best actor, the Mexican equivalent of an Academy Award, for his role in “Rosa Blanca”. This 1961 film was set in 1937, a year before national oil expropriation under Lázaro Cárdenas, and portrayed the story of a Mexican landowner’s battle with a U.S. oil company intent on acquiring his property. However, the film was banned in Mexico until 1972, apparently because the subject matter was contrary to the vision of then-president Adolfo López Mateos.

López Tarso received the Ariel de Oro lifetime achievement award in 2007 and was honored several times at the TVyNovelas Awards, which recognize the best television shows and telenovelas in Mexico. He also recorded a handful of albums on which he recited Mexican corridos, folk stories told in song, and had a long career in the theater.

He was one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, which spanned from 1930 into the 1960s. He shared the silver screen with luminaries such as María Félix, Dolores del Río and Silvia Pinal and was directed by legends such as Roberto Gavaldón and Emilio Fernández.

On its Twitter account, the Mexican Ministry of Culture lamented the death of “one of the greatest actors in Mexico.”

A poster for the film 'Macario' — López Tarso played the title role in ‘Macario’, a film which saw critical success at Cannes.(Azteca Films Inc.)

Citing his “enormous legacy” in a tweet expressing their “great sadness,” López Tarso’s family noted that they considered themselves “lucky” to have received his “advice, hugs, smiles, support and trust” over the years. “He died in peace and contentment,” they added.

His son Juan Ignacio Aranda, also an actor, told the media last week that his father had been hospitalized for pneumonia and an intestinal occlusion, according to the newspaper El Universal. Seven years ago, he had surgery to treat a tumor in his large intestine, reported the Latin Times.

Born in Mexico City in 1925 as Ignacio López López, he spent his childhood in several cities — including Veracruz, Hermosillo, Navojoa, Valle de Bravo and Guadalajara — because of his father’s job. As a teen, he began to train to be a priest but left the seminary at age 17 and a year later began military service. At 24, he made his debut on the stage.

López Tarso had an impressive physique and an elegant voice, which lent his characters a grandiose touch. At times moustachioed, he was regarded as having great range and versatility.

His role as the title character in “Macario,” a film regarded as a masterpiece of Mexican cinema, cemented his status as an icon. The dreamlike black-and-white movie — in which a starving peasant meets a series of mystical visitors, including Death himself — was the first Mexican feature to be nominated for an Academy Award for best foreign language film, and it also played at Cannes in 1960. Directed by Roberto Gavaldón, arguably the best Mexican director, “Macario” can be seen for free on YouTube with English subtitles. “Rosa Blanca,” also directed by Gavaldón, is available for free on YouTube, both dubbed in English with Spanish subtitles, or in Spanish with no subtitles.

Other award-winning and notable films he had big roles in include “La sombra del caudillo” (1960), “El hombre de papel” (1963), “Días de otoño” (1963) and “Pedro Páramo” (1967), with small roles in “Juana Gallo” (1961), starring the great María Félix, and “Nazarín” (1959), directed by the legendary Luis Buñuel.

In 1984, eight years after his final Mexican film, he starred as a town doctor in his only Hollywood film, “Under the Volcano,” the story of a British diplomat in Mexico on the eve of World War II, directed by John Huston and starring Albert Finney and Jacqueline Bisset.

López Tarso was also a PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) federal deputy in Congress from 1988 to 1991 and served as a leading member of actors’ guilds and unions.

With reports from El Sol de Puebla, Infobae, and Associated Press

It’s time for tofu!

By

Janet Blaser

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March 11, 2023

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Fried tofu sandwich — Marinated in pickle juice, this crispy, batter-dipped fried tofu sandwich rivals anything you can make with chicken.

Tofu has come far since it made its slow white way into the kitchens of the Western world.

While tofu is a mainstay in Chinese, Japanese and other Asian cooking, it wasn’t really until the 1960s that it was embraced in North America, when the hippie counterculture adopted it as a “nonviolent” protein source.

The stigma of tofu is pretty much gone now, especially as the medical reasons for a plant-based diet have piled up. It’s a great source of protein, relatively inexpensive and incredibly versatile in the kitchen.

Tofu — which is soybean curd — works equally well in savory or sweet recipes. The bland, white block-in-a-box is only one of its many forms, all of which have different textures, subtle flavor differences and uses. My first experience eating homemade soft tofu was mind-blowing; I had no idea how fresh it could taste, nor how melt-in-your-mouth soft and creamy it would be.

That said, in Mazatlán at least, that kind of fresh tofu is not to be found, nor are unadulterated soy milk or raw soybeans to make it myself. The best I can find are the packages, either in aseptic boxes or in refrigerated plastic containers with water. Both those varieties work OK for most recipes but are nothing like tofu that’s freshly made. Should you ever get the chance to eat that, grab it and rejoice!

One of the most basic tofu-cooking skills is how to make it crispy. The secret is that it needs to be as dry as possible before you start cooking with it. Pouring boiling water over the tofu before pressing and cooking helps to get the water out. Coating the tofu before sautéing with a thin layer of cornstarch also helps it cook up crispy.

Place whole or cut blocks of tofu in a single layer in a colander or strainer and pour boiling water over them. Let drain, then carefully place tofu on a cutting board or plate between paper towels. Press down firmly with your hand to get rid of the excess moisture (unless, of course, you have a tofu press). You may need to change the paper towels once or twice. Pat the tofu dry; cut into the desired size. Let air-dry for 30 minutes to 4 hours.

Chocolate Tofu Pudding Pie

This can also be made as pudding in small individual ramekins. Feel free to use a premade crust.

To make the crust:

10-12 whole graham crackers
3 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
1 Tbsp. plain soy or almond milk

To make the filling:

¾ cup sugar
¾ cup water
1 lb. silken tofu (1 lb. = 454 grams / 1 box = 349 grams)
8 oz. high-quality dark chocolate or chips (at least 60% cacao), melted
1 tsp. vanilla
⅛ tsp. salt
Optional: 1½ tsp. cinnamon
Garnish: chocolate shavings, whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly spray a 9-inch pie plate or 4–5 ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.

tofu pudding pie — No one will guess this decadent and rich chocolate pudding pie is made with tofu!

In food processor or blender, process graham crackers till finely ground to make about 1¼ cups crumbs. Add sugar and salt, drizzle in coconut oil and soy/almond milk, and pulse until mixture begins to clump together. Dump crumbs into pie plate. Using your fingers, press them into the sides first, working down to the bottom. Bake 8–10 minutes until firm and slightly golden. Set aside to cool.

In small pot, combine sugar with ¾ cup water; bring to boil and cook until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. Purée tofu, sugar syrup, melted chocolate, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, if using, in food processor or blender until smooth. Pour into cooled crust or ramekins; press plastic wrap directly onto top of pudding. Chill until firm, at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Garnish with chocolate shavings and whipped cream and serve.

Super-Delicious Crispy Fried Tofu Sandwich

1 (14-oz.) package extra-firm tofu, drained
1½ cups pickle juice
1 Tbsp. hot sauce (like Sriracha)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. red-pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. neutral oil
½ cup Dijon mustard
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. EACH onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne
1 tsp. salt, plus more as needed
1 tsp. black pepper
Neutral oil for frying
For assembly: 6 soft rolls, mayonnaise and hot sauce, shredded green cabbage, dill pickles

Press and dry tofu as explained above. In large bowl, combine pickle juice, hot sauce, mustard and red pepper flakes.

Heat oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat until shimmering. Sear tofu to form a golden-brown crust, 4–5 minutes per side. Immediately drop hot tofu into pickle juice mixture. Refrigerate and marinate at least a few hours or overnight.

When ready to fry the tofu, mix mustard with ¼ cup water in a medium shallow bowl until consistency of heavy cream; set aside. In large shallow bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, spices, salt and pepper.

In Dutch oven or sturdy pot, heat 2 inches of oil over medium heat. Set a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Remove tofu from brine; pat dry. Dip tofu in mustard mixture, turning until coated all over, then the flour mixture; dip it again in the mustard then flour, until twice coated. When the oil temperature reaches 350 F, carefully place the battered tofu into the hot oil and fry, flipping as needed, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. (Don’t crowd the oil or the temperature will lower and the tofu won’t cook quickly enough.) Transfer fried tofu to wire rack; sprinkle with a little salt.

To assemble the sandwiches for serving: toast the buns, then spread them generously with mayo and dot with hot sauce, if desired. Top with fried tofu, cabbage and pickles. Eat immediately.

Makes 6 sandwiches.

honey siracha tofu — Serve these deliciously spicy tofu bites with rice, on top of a salad or as a healthy snack.

Honey-Sriracha Bites

Serve with rice, in a stir-fry or as part of an Asian-inspired filling for tacos, burritos or quesadillas.

14 oz. extra firm tofu
2 Tbsp. sriracha
2 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. soy sauce, divided
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 green onions, sliced

Drain and press tofu as described above.

In small bowl, combine sriracha, honey, 1 tsp. soy sauce and red pepper. Set aside.

Cut pressed tofu into ½-inch cubes; pat dry. Whisk oil and 1 tsp. soy sauce in large bowl. Gently stir in cubed tofu until well coated. Gently stir 1 tsp. cornstarch into tofu. Repeat until all the cornstarch has been added.

In a nonstick skillet, set over medium heat, cook tofu about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown and crispy on all sides. Pour sauce over the tofu; stir and cook for 1–2 more minutes, until glaze is thick and sticky.

Janet Blaser is the author of the best-selling book, Why We Left: An Anthology of American Women Expats, featured on CNBC and MarketWatch. She has lived in Mexico since 2006. You can find her on Facebook.

Mexico’s history — and perhaps its future — is written in silver

By

Leigh Thelmadatter

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March 11, 2023

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1888 8-real silver coin — An 1888 8-*real* silver coin issued in Mexico. (Centpacrr/Wikimedia Commons)

For all the hype about “Aztec gold” in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, Mexico’s classic measure of wealth has been silver — and it may be its future.

Prized equally on both sides of the Atlantic, Tenochtitlán overlords demanded the metal as tribute from places like Taxco, Guerrero, long before the Spanish arrived.

When conquistador Hernán Cortés entered the capital, Moctezuma hoped to placate him with gifts, including large quantities of gold and silver. However, the strategy backfired, making the Spanish more determined to take over.

Although Mexico did (and does) have gold, its vast deposits of silver have been central to its history and economy since.

Mexico’s first boom in silver production ran from 1555 to 1580 as the Spanish rapidly ventured out from Mexico City to establish mines in places well-known today: Taxco, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, etc. They were often guided by the local indigenous people. A get-rich-quick mentality meant that other economic activities in Mexico would develop slower.

Lacking machinery, the Spanish pressed the indigenous people for backbreaking digging, but they did introduce more-efficient mercury refining. The Spanish crown got miners coming and going — Spain was the only reliable source of mercury, plus miners had to pay a percentage of the refined silver.

map of silver mines in colonial U.S. and Mexico — Map of the main branch of the Camino de Tierra Adentro, which linked the colony’s mines in the north to Mexico City. (U.S. National Park Service)

As Mexico produced far more silver than it could possibly use, the metal became the basis of currency here, in Spain and even some other parts of the world. The first colonial money was the real, later the peso, both originally set up as units of silver.

With the easy-to-reach deposits exhausted, mining waned but never ended through the rest of the colonial period. When reachable ore was depleted, some mining towns like Guanajuato survived, and even thrived, as commercial centers on main highways. But much of mountainous Mexico is dotted with former mining towns that still struggle today.

The silver flowing eastward over the Caribbean was a huge attraction for Europeans who either did not find precious metal outside of Spanish America or could not establish large colonies. Piracy thrived, with isolated islands and the coast providing certain Englishmen, French and Dutch refuge, which is one reason why these languages can be found in various parts of the Caribbean.

Mexico’s independence freed its mining from Spanish control but did not resolve its technological or economic issues. The century is marked by civil war and invasions, which made large-scale mining almost impossible.

Despite its serious faults, the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz in the last decades brought stability and foreign investment in heavy mining machinery. Supposedly depleted mines were reworked farther downwards, and new mines were opened. This second major boom would last into the Mexican Revolution and made its mark culturally in places like Pachuca, Hidalgo.

Silver was the country’s most important mining export until the discovery of oil, most being sold to the U.S. and Europe. Today, Mexico is still the world’s main exporter, producing over 135 million ounces of refined silver in 2022.

Most of Mexico’s mining continues to be done by foreign companies: U.S. and Canadian firms have technologies to dig even deeper and refine silver from old slag heaps. Almost all this mining is done in the northwest, in states such as Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango and the main producer — Zacatecas.

These operations are not without controversy. There are longstanding complaints that foreign companies do not respect Mexican laws regarding the environment and workers’ rights. Communities near mines have clashed with both companies and the government.

Geologist Sol Pérez Jiménez of of the National Autonomous University states simply that there is no such thing as environmentally friendly mining; it negatively impacts agriculture, water supplies and community health.

Nonetheless, from 2010 to 2017, mining projects grew from 677 in 2010 to over 1,209 in 2022; 1,190 are foreign-operated.

With all this silver, it may be surprising that the peso is no longer backed by it. As late as the 1940s, 95% of money in Mexico was coins consisting of at least some silver content, but massive inflation in the 1980s prompted the government to mint and print money without it.

Asociación Cívica Mexicana Pro Plata asserts that this makes Mexico too economically dependent on the dollar, and the organization advocates a return to a silver-backed peso. Business magnate Hugo Salinas Price agrees, saying that “the dollar is on its deathbed” and that silver and gold are crucial for Mexico in a tumultuous world.

from book "Mexico, the Wonderland of the South" — Early 20th century miners still used donkeys and large stone wheels to crush silver ore. Photo from the book “Mexico, the Wonderland of the South” (1909) (Photographer unknown)

Silver is important to Mexico in at least one other way — tourism. Many Pueblos Mágicos in the mountains of central Mexico are former mining towns. During their boom years, impressive houses, churches and other structures were built, then later abandoned. The result is man-made charms located in natural scenery. Pueblos of this type include Mineral del Monte, Real del Monte, Tlalpujahua and Mapimí.

Several tourist routes connecting old mining towns with other attractions include those in the Sierra de la Cacachila in La Paz, Baja California Sur, and Taxco and Olinala in Guerrero. But the most important of these is Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It connected major mining centers from Santa Fe, New Mexico, southward to Mexico City.

Even if the mines were good and done many years ago, there are towns that use their mining history to maintain a silverwork industry, especially in jewelry. The most famous case is Taxco, although, interestingly, their silverwork is a revival spurred by American William Spratling.

Perhaps a better, thoroughly native tradition is Mazahua silver earrings from México state, which were originally made from coins saved by prospective grooms then served as “wedding rings.”

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.