Pre-Hispanic tombs show Oaxaca town was once a major Zapotec capital

By

-

January 25, 2023

A mural painted on a wall, with human figures and symbols and a red background. — A richly detailed mural was found in the largest tomb. (INAH)

Today, San Pedro Nexicho is just a quiet, 150-person town in Oaxaca’s Sierra Juárez mountains but thanks to new archaeological finds, researchers are increasingly sure that it was one of the largest and most important settlements in the region before the Spanish Conquest.

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has recently uncovered five ancient Zapotec tombs, bringing the total number of burial monuments found in the area to 12. The number and elaborate nature of the tombs show the wealth and importance of the pre-Hispanic settlement, which was once the capital of the Ixtepeji fiefdom.

INAH archaeologists restore murals in one of the tombs. (INAH)

INAH archaeologist Dr. Nelly Robles García said that after receiving an alert of irregular activity in some of the tombs from the Alfredo Harp Helú Foundation (FAHHO), the INAH Oaxaca Center commissioned a group of professionals to appraise four rectangular tombs and one cruciform. These tombs have now been restored and have new covers and accesses.

Work in the field was done between 2015 and 2020, Robles said, adding that the analysis of the archaeological materials is now underway. Upcoming publications on the matter will delve into the importance of San Pedro Nexicho during the pre-Hispanic era with emphasis on its interaction with the Valley of Oaxaca and the Mixteca, she said.

Robles, a specialist in pre-Hispanic cultures of Oaxaca, explained that the largest tomb, identified as Tomb 1, has a cruciform shape, and is located on what once was a residential terrace. When it was discovered in 2010 by someone living nearby, the tomb was found to be looted. However, some materials that were part of the funerary paraphernalia were found and restored, such as a small gold bead and splendid murals. Specialists have rehabilitated the architectural structure and restored the mural painting on the floor.

The tombs of San Pedro Nexicho were occupied between the Classic and Postclassic periods (A.D. 200 to 1521). In this sense, “they will provide us with clues on the themes elite tombs used at that time to add them to the map that include the tombs found in sites like Monte Albán, Atzompa and Suchiquiltongo in the Valley of Oaxaca,” Robles said.

A stone mask or head, approximately 25 cm wide and 40 cm tall, with a ruler for scale. — Though some of the tombs had been looted, investigators found a variety of significant artifacts, including this stone figure. (INAH)

In three of the tombs, few materials were recovered — just a few small pieces like local ceramic miniatures, shell and foreign green stone. But two of the tombs were intact including bone material. Despite poor conditions due to moisture that entered over the last five centuries, these materials will provide data about its former inhabitants.

One of the halls of the Community Museum of San Pedro Nexicho is now home to the first archaeology workspace in the Sierra Juárez, which Robles said will help show that Nexicho, ancient capital of the Ixtepeji fiefdom, was an important enclave on the commercial route of the Zapotec border.

The project to rescue, investigate, register and preserve these funerary monuments was developed by the Ministry of Culture through the INAH Oaxaca Center with financial support from the foundation FAHHO.

With reports from INAH

Athletes’ social media videos stir up controversy for Interior Minister

By

MND Staff

-

January 25, 2023

0

Mexico's Interior Minister Adan Augusto López at event in Sinaloa in 2023 — Interior Minister Adan Augusto López at a recent event in Sinaloa. (Photo: Adán Augusto López/Twitter)

Three names from Mexico’s soccer world sent video greetings on social media to Ministry of Interior and potential Morena presidential candidate Adán Augusto López over the weekend, putting him in danger of violating of federal election rules that prohibit candidates from disseminating campaign-related propaganda before the campaign season’s official start.

Augusto López showed gratitude for the gesture but asked supporters to not repeat such behavior, El País reported.

Two of the messages sent by the players had one thing in common: they made wordplay with the candidate’s last name, Augusto, which is close in spelling to a gusto, an expression in Spanish that refers to oneself being comfortable or pleased.

Circula grabación de futbolistas mandando mensajes de apoyo a Adán Augusto López

Watch this video on YouTube

Giovani dos Santos’ video sending good vibes to Interior Minister Adán Augusto López on TikTok, one of three videos posted around the same time by three famous names in Mexican soccer that caused controversy for Augusto López because it appeared to violate Mexico’s election campaign laws.

Former player for the Mexican national team and now sports commentator Braulio Luna recorded a similar message: “Sending you my regards, we will always be comfortable (a gusto) with you.”

Club América winger Miguel Layún sent the interior minister this message: “My friend Adán Augusto, sending you a big hug, wishing you all the best for this year. Take care of yourself, and I wish for cool things to come your way.”

Augusto López issued a statement saying that it was not yet the time to use his name promotionally. Both Dos Santos and Layún later said that the messages did not have political intentions.

In Mexico, it is illegal for candidates to start their campaigns prematurely to obtain an unfair advantage. The constitution also says that politicians already in office cannot do anything to try to influence the people’s electoral preferences.

Pro-Claudia Sheinbaum for president in 2024 messaging — An example of the kind of messaging that has appeared all over Mexico promoting Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum as the Morena presidential candidate in 2024. (Moisés Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico’s election campaign laws are strict, but many candidates have tried to get an edge on opponents by violating the ban on early campaigning — in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Two years ago, the Green Party (PV) was accused of paying influencers to campaign early in various 2021 local elections. In December 2022, Claudia Sheinbaum was also involved in a premature campaigning mini-scandal after supporters across Mexico repeatedly put up flyers, signs and paintings and graffiti on walls that read #EsElla (it’s her) or #EsClaudia (it’s Claudia), basically saying that she should be Morena’s candidate for the 2024 election.

The National Electoral Institute (INE) asked Sheinbaum to put a stop to the campaigning activities. Sheinbaum retorted that the INE was not used to having a woman lead the polls and accused the election oversight body of curtailing people’s freedom of speech. President López Obrador accused the INE of censoring Sheinbaum.

The president himself has run afoul of Mexico’s election laws: in 2021 he was given a warning by the National Electoral Institute (INE) for speaking about matters related to “achievements and actions of the government,” during his daily press conferences that “could be classified as government propaganda” during the midterms election season.

Augusto López, although he was named by President López Obrador himself as a likely Morena candidate, remains behind Sheinbaum and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard in the polls. Sheinbaum was the frontrunner for several months, but in a recent newspaper poll, Ebrard was named by Morena voters as their preferred candidate.

Mexico’s presidential election will take place on June 2, 2024, with campaigns to win nominations (known in Mexico as pre-campaigns) starting in December 2023. The nominated candidate campaigns occur between March and May 2024.

With reports from El País.

High US egg prices driving latest trend in contraband smuggling

By

MND Staff

-

January 24, 2023

0

eggs3-jan2022 CBP — A carton of Mexican eggs seized at the Mexico-U.S. border at the El Paso, Texas, checkpoint. (Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

Illicit drugs, migrants and … eggs.

It’s well-known that criminals smuggle narcotics and people across Mexico’s northern border into the United States. Now, people are also trying to move bacon’s frequent companion into the U.S. due to high egg prices in that country.

Jennifer de la O, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) director of field operations, said on Twitter last Wednesday that “the San Diego Field Office has recently noticed an increase in the number of eggs intercepted at our ports of entry.”

“As a reminder, uncooked eggs are prohibited entry from Mexico into the U.S.,” she added. “Failure to declare agriculture items can result in penalties of up to $10,000.”

A short video in the same post said that “uncooked eggs are not allowed to be crossed into the U.S. from Mexico due to risk of bird flu and Newcastle disease.”

The San Diego Field Office has recently noticed an increase in the number of eggs intercepted at our ports of entry. As a reminder, uncooked eggs are prohibited entry from Mexico into the U.S. Failure to declare agriculture items can result in penalties of up to $10,000. pic.twitter.com/ukMUvyKDmL

— Director of Field Operations Jennifer De La O (@DFOSanDiegoCA) January 18, 2023

In an email sent to CNN, CBP public affairs specialist Gerrelaine Alcordo attributed the increase in attempts to smuggle Mexican eggs across the border to the rising cost of the product in the United States.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, eggs were 59.9% more expensive in December than a year earlier and 11.1% more costly than in November. Widespread outbreaks of avian influenza on U.S. chicken farms as well as inflation and supply chain problems have caused the price of eggs to surge.

Alcordo told CNN that increases in attempts to smuggle eggs into the U.S. from Mexico have been seen at crossings between Tijuana and San Diego as well as “other southwest border locations.”

If border-crossers declare they are carrying uncooked eggs, they can “abandon the product without consequence,” the official said.

““CBP agriculture specialists will collect and then destroy the eggs as is the routine course of action,” Alcordo said.

She said that some travelers who didn’t declare the eggs they were carrying were fined US $300.

Eggs in Mexican market — This carton of eggs costs in the U.S. would cost more than US $18. In Ciudad Juárez, it costs US $3.40. (Photo: Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)

“Penalties can be higher for repeat offenders or commercial-size imports,” she said.

It was unclear whether anyone had attempted to smuggle large quantities of Mexican eggs into the United States, where a dozen eggs can cost as much as $7.37, according to a report by National Public Radio.

In contrast, a carton of 30 eggs sells for $3.40 in Ciudad Juárez, according to the news website Border Report.

Alcordo told NPR that shoppers from El Paso – located opposite Ciudad Juárez – are purchasing eggs across the border due to the lower prices. Most of those people don’t realize that taking Mexican eggs into the U.S. is prohibited, she said.

The importation of Mexican eggs to the United States has been prohibited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture since 2012 “based on the diagnosis of highly pathogenic avian influenza in commercial poultry.”

With reports from CNN and NPR

Judge closes cases of 5 of 31 scientists investigated for corruption

By

MND Staff

-

January 24, 2023

0

María Elena Álvarez-Buylla, Director of Mexico's National Council of Science and Technology — Director of the National Council of Science and Technology María Elena Álvarez-Buylla seen here at the inauguration of Mexico's National Vaccines and Tropical Viruses Laboratory in June, accused the 31 scientists of corruption in 2021. (Photos: Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

A federal judge has handed down a ruling that effectively acquits five of 31 scientists and researchers accused of corruption by the federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR).

The FGR alleged in 2021 that scientists and researchers who who were formerly employed by the National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt) embezzled public money, carried out operations with resources of illicit origin, engaged in organized crime and made illicit use of their positions.

The allegations center on 244 million pesos (US $13 million at today’s exchange rate) the Scientific and Technological Advisory Forum, an autonomous government body, received from Conacyt during the 2012–18 government led by former president Enrique Peña Nieto.

In September 2021, National Autonomous University rector Enrique Graue described the charges against the academics as “inconceivable” and “nonsense,” while a petition on the website change.org that attracted over 50,000 signatures demanded “the end of persecution due to ideological and political positions against distinguished members of the Mexican scientific community.”

Earlier this month, a México state-based federal judge ordered the closure of cases against Julia Tagüeña, José Franco, Gabriela Dutrénit, Teresa de León Zamora and Marcial Bonilla.

Julia Tagüeña Parga, left, seen here at a 2019 congressional forum on the National System for Science, Technology and Innovation, was one of the 5 scientists whose case was closed by the court. (Photos: Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

Judge Gregorio Salazar Hernández delivered a sobreseimiento (stay or nolle prosequi) ruling, apparently due to a lack of evidence against the five academics.

Lawyers for the absolved academics said in a statement that the ruling “permanently puts an end” to their “persecution” by federal authorities.

The lawyers, from the Mexico City firm Del Río y Moreno de Leija, also said that the Jan. 13 ruling prevents the FGR from re-accusing the academics of the same crimes.

They noted that the same judge that dismissed the case against the five academics rejected a 2021 request from the FGR for warrants to be issued for the arrest of the 31 scientists and researchers it accused of corruption.

The initial complaint against the academics was filed by current Conacyt director María Elena Álvarez-Buylla.

Alberto del Río Azuara, a lawyer with Del Río y Moreno de Leija, asserted that the FGR “acted hastily” against the academics, “perhaps with information that the complainant provided to it.”

“… The FGR’s request for arrest warrants was overkill,” he told the El País newspaper.

Among the 26 scientists and researchers who remain accused of corruption is Enrique Cabrero, director of Conacyt between 2013 and 2018.

With reports from El País, El Universal and La Jornada

Real estate crowdfunding investment firm Monific gets Fintech Law approval

By

MND Staff

-

January 24, 2023

0

knaj-tulum-proyectos-fondeados-monific — A Monific crowdfunded project in Tulum. (Monific)

The National Banking and Stock Commission (CNBV) last week authorized crowdfunding real estate investment platform Monific to operate as a Collective Financing Institution (IFC) under the Law to Regulate Financial Technology Institutions, also known as the Fintech Law.

The Fintech Law, passed in 2018, seeks to regulate the fintech market in Mexico and reduce the amount of cash in circulation in order to curtail money laundering and corruption, as well as bring more people into the formal economy.

The law required such companies to seek approval by the CNBV to operate in Mexico after it took effect. However, Monific — along with other fintech companies that existed before the law was passed — was allowed to continue operating as long as it applied to become a government-approved IFC.

That application process came to an end at the most recent meeting of the Inter-Institutional Committee, which is made up of authorities from the CNBV, the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Mexico.

Mozper, an unrelated pay card and app that helps parents manage their kids’ weekly allowance, also got a license to operate. Both are the first fintech platforms to be authorized in 2023.

Monific was founded in 2018 by David Agmon Mizrahi and Ted Senado Sacal. (Monific)

Founded in 2018, Monific is a platform that raises relatively small amounts of capital from multiple investors to fund real estate development projects — in Monific’s case, in the tourism industry. Investments can start at $1,000 pesos (US $52) “with an average annual return of 12% to 15%,” the firm told El Economista.

To date, Monific has crowdfunded 12 developments in the Riviera Maya, Bacalar, San Miguel de Allende and Mexico City. It plans to seek funding for six more tourist destination projects worth over 70 million pesos.

Last year was not a good one for real estate crowdfunding in general — due to the world’s uncertain climate, Simon Dalgleish, managing director of the crowdfunding real estate platform M2Crowd told the newspaper El Financiero. In December, he said his platform would miss its funding target for the year by as much as 33%.

“We did not break a record, it was not the best year. From what I have heard from other platforms, yes, it is a bit of the environment, there is a lot of uncertainty, among other factors that are happening in the world, inflation, interest rate hikes, the war in Ukraine, oil prices, ” Dalgleish said.

But Monific’s Agmon said crowdfunding investment in the tourism real estate industry was the exception to 2022’s trend.

The Mexican tourism industry’s post-pandemic recovery boosted crowdfunding investment in hotels, rest houses, tourism-related businesses and short-term rentals, he said. The arrival of digital nomads and the home-office trend in Mexico also helped make such investments attractive. Monific’s number of investors increased from 20,000 to 30,000 in one year, he said.

Thanks to that increase, Monific raised 80 million pesos in investment funds for development projects in 2022, Agmon said in late December, compared to 50 million pesos in 2021.

However, he did acknowledge some harder times ahead.

In the last three months of 2022, the firm saw its investment amount per customer decrease by about 30%, Agmon said, blaming it on the Bank of Mexico raising the interest rate throughout most of 2022. It’s currently at 10.5%.

That, he said, “has hit us on the amount of investment, but it’s temporary,” and expressed confidence that the demand for short-term rentals like Airbnb will continue to allow Monific to raise capital.

With reports from El Economista, El Financiero, Custom Market Insights

Inflation rises to almost 8% in the first half of January

By

MND Staff

-

January 24, 2023

0

shutterstock_2047918436_850 — Fruits and vegetable prices are 9.97% higher than in the first half of January 2022. (Shutterstock)

Headline and core inflation both rose in the first half of January, despite efforts by the federal government and Mexico’s central bank to tame the scourge.

The national statistics agency INEGI reported Tuesday that annual headline inflation was 7.94% in the first half of the month.

The figure – slightly above market expectations – is 0.12 percentage points higher than the annual inflation level recorded in the final month of 2022. It is the highest rate since the first half of November, when headline inflation was 8.14%.

Meat on display for sale at a butcher's stand in a Mexico City market. — Meat prices are up 10% compared to the same period in 2022. Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro.com

The newspaper El País reported that inflation typically rises at the beginning of the year due to increases to the minimum wage – a 20% rise took effect Jan. 1 – and adjustments to taxes on products such as tobacco.

The annual core inflation rate, which strips out some volatile food and energy prices, was 8.45% in the first half of January, up from 8.35% in December. It is also the highest rate since the first half of November, when core inflation was 8.66%.

INEGI data shows that fruit and vegetable prices were 9.97% higher in the first half of January compared to a year earlier, while meat was 10% more expensive. Prices for packaged food, beverages and tobacco surged 14.09% on an annual basis while the cost of non-food goods was up 7.57%.

Prices for services were 5.47% higher, while those for energy including fuel and electricity rose 3.59%.

Total inflation has now been above the Bank of Mexico’s target range of 3% give or take a percentage point for 45 quincenas, or two-week periods.

Inflation remains high despite the government’s implementation of an anti-inflation plan and an aggressive tightening cycle pursued by the Bank of México over the past 18 months.

The central bank’s key rate is currently set at a record high of 10.5% after four consecutive 75-basis point increases last year, followed by a 50 bp hike in December.

The bank is expected to enact an additional, albeit smaller, rate hike after its board meets to discuss monetary policy on Feb. 9.

“It’s expected that the Bank of Mexico will lift its interest rate by 25 basis points on Feb. 9 and additional increases can’t be ruled out,” said Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base.

With reports from El Financiero, El País and EFE

Study puts Mexico’s workforce among top 10 in the world

By

MND Staff

-

January 24, 2023

0

iStock-1346671480 Moises Ortega — ManpowerGroup attributed Mexico's laws prohibiting outsourcing of contingent and most types of subcontracted workers as a factor that improved the Mexican workforce's ranking in 2022. (Photo: Moises Ortega/Istock)

Mexico’s workforce is the ninth best among those of more than 60 countries, according to an analysis carried out by a multinational staffing and recruitment company.

ManpowerGroup’s Total Workforce Index (TWI) scores the workforces of countries on over 200 unique factors grouped under the categories of availability, cost efficiency, regulation and productivity.

“The markets that rank highest … are those with the highest relative performance across all four categories,” ManpowerGroup said.

“Markets that perform well have successfully responded to trends, such as remote workforce readiness, building technology infrastructure and closing skills gaps. They have demonstrated market and geopolitical stability, have relatively high gender participation and are skilling emerging workforces to meet changing demographic realities. High-ranking markets also exhibit favorable regulatory environments,” it said.

Mexico’s performance across the four categories allowed it to rise 44 places from 53rd on the 2021 TWI to ninth on the 2022 edition.

Mexico was the only Latin American country in the top 10, making it a potentially appealing location for companies seeking a productive labor force near the United States while keeping down salary costs, Manpower said. (Credit: Manpower)

It achieved its best score in the cost efficiency category (0.77 out of 1) and also did well in the areas of regulation (0.72) and productivity (0.7). At 0.31, Mexico’s workforce availability score was significantly lower, but ManpowerGroup noted that its standing in that category had improved.

“Mexico is unique because laws that prohibit outsourcing of contingent workers and most types of subcontractors have led companies to pull out of that market. The result is significantly improved access to full-time permanent labor,” the company said in its report.

“… Mexico stands out in terms of being able to support permanent recruitment — whether remote or on-site — for companies looking for opportunities to offshore or nearshore to lower-cost markets.”

María Castro Nevares, a ManpowerGroup executive, said that “the law prohibiting outsourcing of labor in Mexico may have discouraged foreign investment among companies looking to engage contingent labor,” but “any company looking for a large, young skilled workforce can find an abundant permanent workforce at a lower cost than many other markets can offer.”

“This has created a fluid dynamic as American companies look to nearshore and benefit from alignment of time zones and affinity for culture,” she added.

From Manpower’s 2022 workforce report. Mexico scored well in the categories of labor cost efficiency, regulation and productivity. (Credit: Manpower)

Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro said in November that “more than 400 North American companies have the intention to carry out a relocation process from Asia to Mexico.”

Benefits associated with the North American free trade pact, the USMCA — including ones encompassed by the four TWI categories — are a driving force behind the nearshoring trend.

The workforces of Mexico’s two North American trade partners fared even better on the 2022 Total Workforce Index, with that of the United States ranking No. 1 and that of Canada ranking third.

The workforces of Singapore, Ireland, Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel, Philippines and Malaysia also made the top ten.

Mexico News Daily

Government spends 726M pesos on National Guard anti-riot gear

By

MND Staff

-

January 24, 2023

0

National Guardsman in Mexico City — The National Guard were supposed to remain a civilian force, but late last year, they were put under the military's control. (Photo: Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

The federal government spent over 700 million pesos to purchase tactical gear for the National Guard, the newspaper El Universal reported Sunday.

Citing a 2022 tender document, El Universal said that the Ministry of National Defense spent 726.53 million pesos (US $38.6 million) on 17,442 “body protection kits.”

The kits, purchased from the company Avacor, consist of a protective suit, an anti-riot helmet, a gas mask, a shield and a baton, the newspaper said.

The equipment was purchased for National Guard troops who participate in “internal order and national security operations,” according to the tender document.

The National Guard — essentially a militarized police force — was created by the current federal government to replace the Federal Police. It has been used for operations against criminals, protesters and migrants, and over 6,000 of its members are currently patrolling the Mexico City Metro.

The security force was placed under the control of the army late last year, triggering criticism that the move would further militarize the country and lead to more human rights violations.

Feminist march in Puebla — During protests and marches by citizens, public security, including crowd control, is usually handled by civilian forces like municipal and state police, although the military police is used in some cases. But a tender document for the anti-riot gear specified that “National Guard” should be emblazoned on the equipment. (Photo: Mireya Novo/Cuartoscuro)

President López Obrador, who has relied heavily on the military since taking office in late 2018, argued that the National Guard needed to be under the army’s control to prevent corruption and guarantee its professionalism.

News that the government spent over 700 million pesos on anti-riot gear was questioned by some social media users.

Julieta Macías Rábago, a former lawmaker, raised doubts about the compatibility of the purchase with López Obrador’s pledge to never use the military against “the people,” while journalist Salvador García Soto ran a poll that asked Twitter users to nominate the reason for the purchase.

As of 10 p.m. CT Monday, more than 92% of over 350 respondents said that the government made the purchase to have the capacity to suppress protest marches. Only 5% said the aim was to look after National Guard members, while just 2% said the government was concerned about looking after citizens.

Writing on the news site etcétera, journalist Rubén Cortés said that the batons purchased are the same kind that the military police use to “beat protesters.”

“And [the National Guard] had already bought 2.8 million tear gas grenades,” he added.

“The irrefutable fact is that the militarization of 200 civil institutions in Mexico is now going hand in hand with an army and National Guard arms race. They are weapons for domestic use, to use against citizens and not for national defense,” Cortés wrote.

With reports from El Universal

In Mexico, I had to master the art of the 2-minute shower

By

Joseph Sorrentino

-

January 23, 2023

0

“Why,” you may reasonably ask, “is it important to know how to take a two-minute shower?”

Because, like me, you may one day have an apartment in Mexico where the hot water cuts off in about a minute. Well, to be honest, the hot water probably cuts off in just a bit over 45 seconds, but let’s not quibble. And before diving into today’s lesson, let me say that despite the challenges and the rapidity with which I have to wash myself now, the situation in my apartment is a vast improvement over what I had before, when I had no water at all. (On a daily basis, I carried up two 10-liter jugs of water from a well whose water temperature hovered a notch or two above freezing and then heated it on the stove to bathe with.)

Here are a few tips I want to pass on should you find yourself in a situation when hot water is at a premium.

The first thing I must do when showering, obviously, is turn on the hot water, which starts out very cold and turns scalding in a stunningly short period of time. Learning just how fast it happens was a painful lesson I unfortunately had to learn more than once.

Just before it reaches scalding, I quickly turn on the cold water. Now, here it takes some real nuanced knob-turning because too much and the water’s too cold, too little and it’s scalding. Remember, I’m in a race against time, and fiddling with knobs is going to eat up precious seconds.

After turning on the hot water (which, remember, in my case starts out very cold), it’s critical to collect some water in a small bowl. This is critical because soaping up means your hands have soap on them. Ever try turning a shower knob with soapy hands? I have. Not easy. In fact, it’s damn near impossible. There have been days when I’ve forgotten that bowl of water and almost resorted to walking out and getting a wrench. If things have gone reasonably well, which means I’m wet and can now soap up, I move on to the next part. Now the real fun begins.

Turn on the hot and cold water at the same time. Hope that the temperature’s fairly close to optimal; you’re not going to have much time to adjust it.

Grab the soap — gotta clean that face — rinse quickly and grab the shampoo. Now, here it may be a good idea, especially if your shampoo bottle’s more than half-empty, to keep the bottle upside down. You don’t want to lose more precious seconds waiting for the shampoo to slowly drip down.

Lather up that head and begin rinsing off. All of this should not take more than 30 seconds — unless you want to rinse off in ice-cold water.

With luck, and a lot of practice, you’ll master the art of the two-minute shower. Sure, you may miss the sensation of lingering under a torrent of hot water, but just think of all the things you can do with the time you’ve saved by jumping in and out of that shower like a grasshopper.

Being an unrepentant optimist, I’m convinced, daily, that one day, Juan, my landlord and good friend (despite being a Cowboys fan), will fix the problem and I’ll have plenty of hot water. I believe this because whenever I bring it up, he promises to fix it mañana. And when mañana comes, he’ll fix it por la tarde: in the afternoon.

Sometimes my raging optimism convinces me that Juan has finally corrected the problem; there are days when I seem to have an abundance of hot water. And then I make the fatal mistake: I stay a few seconds too long in there.

I’ll be enjoying the warm water, reminding myself to thank Juan for finally taking care of my request, when, without warning, the water turns ice-cold.

When this happens — it’s particularly unpleasant in the winter — I simply console myself by imagining that what I actually have is a Japanese bath, the one where you soak in a hot tub and then plunge into the cold tub. People pay a lot of money for those things, and here it comes with an apartment that’s only costing me US $185 per month.

Like I said: I’m a raging optimist. So I consider myself lucky.

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.

CDMX Metro station evacuated after it fills with smoke

By

MND Staff

-

January 23, 2023

0

Metro Line 7 accident 1-23-2022 — Stranded passengers who had to evacuate the closed Metro station were transferred onto buses. (Metro/Twitter)

Eighteen people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation Monday after a Mexico City Metro station filled up with smoke due to an apparent short circuit.

The incident occurred at the Barranca del Muerto station on Line 7 of the Metro system at about 10:50 a.m.

Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said on social media that 18 people were assessed for smoke inhalation at the San Ángel Inn Hospital. She said that none were seriously ill and later reported that all 18 had left hospital.

Mexico City Civil Protection authorities reported earlier that a total of 30 people were treated for smoke inhalation but that 12 of that number didn’t require hospitalization.

At a press conference late Monday afternoon, Metro Director Guillermo Calderón announced that the incident had been caused by overheating on the track due to a traction cable being missing. He explained that the 750-volt traction cable system is made up of nine cables, but upon inspection, only eight were found.

smoke in metro station — A missing traction cable on the Barranca del Muerto station in the Álvaro Obregón station track caused overheating and eventually, thick smoke, Metro officials said. (Twitter)

Passengers on a train passing through Barranca del Muerto reported hearing an explosion before a thick blanket of smoke filled the station.

Train service was suspended between the Barranca del Muerto and San Pedro de los Pinos stations, but had resumed by mid afternoon. Metro officials said that the incident — which it described as an “atypical event” — was referred to the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office (FGJ) for investigation.

Lía Límón, mayor of the Álvaro Obregón borough in which the Barranca del Muerto station is located, claimed in a video message that the incident was related to a lack of funding for the Metro system.

“The National Guard is useless here,” she said, referring to the recent deployment of over 6,000 troops to provide security in the Metro system.

Metro Director Guillermo Calderon (center) — Metro Director Guillermo Calderón, center, closed Line 7 for part of Monday to lead an inspection to determine the incident’s cause.

“What’s needed are resources to provide maintenance to the Metro,” Límón said.

Monday’s incident came two weeks after a fatal accident involving two trains on Line 3 of the Metro system and a week after two adjoining cars of a train became detached from each other at Polanco station on Line 7.

Authorities have suggested that recent “atypical” incidents were the result of sabotage, and Sheinbaum has expressed confidence that the FGJ will hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

A recent poll indicated that the recent fatal Metro crash had a negative impact on the reputation of the mayor, who denies claims that the subway system is underfunded.

But incidents on the capital’s Metro system in the past two years have tarnished the administration of Sheinbaum, who took office in late 2018.

In addition to this month’s accident and incidents, an overpass collapse on Line 12 claimed the lives of 26 passengers in May 2021. A police officer died in a fire in the subway system’s downtown substation in January of the same year.

With reports from El País, El Financiero, Infobae and Reforma