The delegation from South Africa met with Mexican officials to discuss bilateral trade and cooperation. (SRE/X)
Thirty years after establishing diplomatic relations, Mexico and South Africa have pledged to “relaunch their cooperation agenda” across a range of areas.
The commitment came after Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Carmen Moreno met with South Africa’s Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Alvin Botes in Mexico City on Tuesday.
Mexico’s Deputy Minister Carmen Moreno (center) with South Africa’s Deputy Minister Alvin Botes (right). (DIRCO South Africa/X)
They consulted on matters of mutual interest and took stock of the bilateral relationship and its prospects, according to a joint press release.
The press release said that the governments of Mexico and South Africa “reaffirmed the importance of the bilateral relationship,” which began in October 1993, when the apartheid system in the latter country was in the process of being dismantled.
It also said that the respective governments “pledged to relaunch their cooperation agenda in this post-pandemic era in order to reach the political, economic and collaborative potential that a relationship between two countries such as Mexico and South Africa, both so important to the Global South, should have.”
In a separate, more detailed statement, the two countries said they are “determined to increase collaboration” and expressed their commitment to holding ministerial level meetings to “establish guidelines of our bilateral relationship in the following areas: political, economic, commercial, energy, scientific, technical, educational, cultural, sports and the administration of justice.”
Deputy Minister Botes (third from leftt) visited the National Museum of Anthropology while in Mexico City. (Jacoline Schoonees DIRCO South Africa/X)
The statement outlined eight other commitments including one to “promote the development of closer ties between our business communities to help strengthen trade and investment.”
Mexican government data shows that two-way trade between Mexico and South Africa was worth US $1.04 billion in 2022. Over three-quarters of that amount – $799 million – came from South African imports, while Mexican exports were worth $245 million.
The main import from South Africa was unwrought aluminum, while Mexico’s main export to that country was vehicle parts and accessories. South Africa was Mexico’s top trading partner in Africa last year and ranked 48th worldwide, according to the joint press release.
The Ministry of Agriculture said in January that Mexico was aiming to increase the presence of Mexican products in African countries, including South Africa, “in the medium term.”
Among the other commitments Mexico and South Africa made this week were to:
Share best practices in consular services.
Promote and encourage effective reflection on the challenges and opportunities facing the Global South.
Continue promoting open channels of communication between our authorities to share best practices in border management.
Hold informal bilateral consultations in multilateral forums to discuss cooperation initiatives to address global challenges such as sustainable development and inclusive economic growth.
“Convinced of the potential to exchange best practices, we identified areas in which both countries and our regions face similar challenges, such as educating our youths and facilitating opportunities for them to enter the workforce in the formal economy and with well-paid wages; gender equality; the process of desertification and access to water in the context of climate change,” the joint statement said.
Moreno said on the X social media site that the priorities of Mexico and South Africa are “in sync” and described the nation led by President Cyril Ramaphosa as a “great ally.”
Driving to Oaxaca (with a short detour to take in Veracruz) reveals a whole new side to Mexico - one that is too often skipped over. (Bethany Platanella)
I love a good road trip. When my friend C suggested we embark on an adventure from Mexico City to Oaxaca for the Guelaguetza, an annual festival of Indigenous culture, my response was an immediate yes.
We all know by now that Mexico’s landscape is nothing short of spectacular. A drive from CDMX to Oaxaca City (with a detour via Veracruz), with some stops along the way, truly highlights the country’s beauty. As two women traveling, we opted to take the advice of many locals who insisted we drive only during the day. At no point in our journey did we feel unsafe or insecure. If you’re itching for a fun, week-long road trip across some unforgettable landscapes, consider this route to see some of Mexico’s most spectacular sights.
The road to the Guelaguetza was paved with all kinds of hidden delights, including local cheese, which Oaxaca is famous for. (Bethany Platanella)
Mexico City – Puebla City Distance: 106 km/66 mi
Since C was flying in from the U.S., we rented a car from the airport and drove directly to Puebla for two nights. It’s not the most scenic of drives but, traffic aside, relatively easy. The toughest part of the entire road trip was, as expected, driving out of Mexico City.
What we did: We’d both been to Puebla before and skipped most of the standards, which you can read about in my previous article on the city. Instead, we opted for a cooking class in the 19th-century talavera-tiled kitchen of Mesones Sacristía with chef Eufemia Morales. The three of us made arguably the best mole I’ve ever had, which we ate in the hotel’s quirky courtyard, with a side of mezcal.
Where we stayed: My favorite hotel in Puebla is the aforementioned Mesones Sacristía, which has two “houses”. Casa de la Soledad is basically the Mexican home of my dreams, and I always opt to stay there when I visit.
Cooking class at Mesones Sacristia with local chef Eufemia Morales – a great way to understand the delicious local cuisine. (Behtany Platanella)
Puebla City – Papantla, Veracruz
Distance: 189 km/117 miles
Because we’re both early risers, we had already gone for a final walk through Puebla’s historic center and departed by 7:00 a.m. There is a distinct point on the drive to Veracruz where the atmosphere shifts. It suddenly feels hotter, more humid and much more Caribbean. We drove past fields of lemons and sugarcane and stopped at roadside stands for seasonal duraznos (peaches) and fresh cheese.
What we did: We drove directly to the pre-Columbian ruins of El Tajín. The site is fantastic and relatively free of selfie-driven tourism. Many of the structures are teeming with greenery, some sporting delicate Mesoamerican carvings. Veracruz is the birthplace of the dance of the voladores, and a reenactment is performed regularly at the site’s entrance.
After about 2 hours at the ruins, we drove 15 minutes to Papantla, a pueblo mágico and more importantly, a good stop for lunch. We dined on delicious fresh fish because,when in Veracruz… Then we walked around the cute zócalo and through the mercado. Our plans to drive to the port crumbled quickly with the quickly setting sun.
Where we stayed: Hotels in Papantla leave a lot to be desired, so we stayed in oil-rich Poza Rica at the Rio Vista Inn, a Ramada-esque, traveler-friendly hotel with pumping AC and breakfast included. It’s 20 minutes from Papantla.
A visit to the nearby ruins of El Tajín is worthwhile while staying in Papantla. (Bethany Platanella)
Papantla – Veracruz port
Distance: 245 km/152 mi
The early morning drive to the port was easy. The landscape became increasingly more tropical and lush, somewhat reminiscent of Cuba, with a surprising number of bonsai plants and hats for sale on the roadside. When we arrived at the historic port district, the humidity was thick and the temperature hot.
What we did: Neither of us had been to the historic port of Veracruz before. We followed a friend’s advice to start with a café lechero at La Parroquia de Veracruzand continued on to the local market to buy handmade clothes, vanilla, and licór de almendras. We walked to the zócalo for an excellent seafood feast at Mariscos Villa Rica, complete with a bottle of crisp white wine from Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe. After lunch we meandered around the Historic Center, the malecón – Veracruz’s waterfront district – and finished our evening watching a danzón spectacle accompanied by a live orchestra, alongside hundreds of locals.
Where we stayed: Hotel Emporio, perfectly located on the malecón. I was immediately hooked by its early ‘90s Miami vibe and clean rooms. I loved the full windows and their unobstructed views of the water and the massive cargo ships. At night, families strolled the port until well past midnight, though I couldn’t hear a peep unless I was sitting on my fabulous wrap-around balcony.
The historic Ccnter of Veracruz is a fusion of traditional Mexican and Caribbean culture. (Bethany Platanella)
Veracruz port – Tehuacán-Cuicatlán biosphere reserve
Distance: 265 km/165 mi
The drive back to Puebla state (where the biosphere reserve is located) was gorgeous, a visual journey past palm trees, mountains, Popocatépetl and Pico de Orizaba, until we finally reached Tehuacán’s rolling hills covered in various species of cacti.
What we did: We booked a full-day tour of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán reserve with Bio Fan, which included a visit to the Zapotitlán Salinas salt flats, pottery artisans in a local town, a walk through the cactus forest, and lunch. This tour is easily one of the greatest experiences I’ve had in Mexico, period, and I will expand on it in a future article.
Where we stayed: Hotel San Martín in Zapotitlán, which sat on a very tiny square with one café, a few bodegas, a few regional dining spots, and absolutely nowhere to buy a bottle of mezcal to enjoy on our little terrace. The hotel was simple, small and clean, and our room equipped with a much-appreciated standing fan.
The Biosfera Tehuacán reserve is one of Mexico’s hidden gems, and well worth a visit from anyone in the area. (Bethany Platanella)
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán reserve – Oaxaca City
Distance: 225 km/140 mi
Aside from a quick stop for breakfast and a cup of café de olla, we took a straight shot to our next destination. It was amazing to begin our journey amid fields of cacti and finish in the imposing Sierra Madre de Oaxaca mountain range. Upon arrival, the always-bustling city was exceptionally lively with preparations for the Guelaguetza festival, a colorful celebration of Oaxacan culture. Papel picado adorned nearly every street and locals were dressed to the nines in colorful handcrafted dresses.
What we did: Aside from festival-related activities, we visited the Museo Textil de Oaxaca and the Museum of Oaxacan Painters. We dined on the rooftop of La Rueca Restaurante two nights in a row, with unparalleled views of a warmly lit Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán and the teenagers making out in front of it. One afternoon we strolled through El Barrio de Xochimilco, charming and covered in bright murals. We visited the ruins at Monte Albán and the Jacobo & Maria Ángeles Workshop to see exactly how their incredible alebrijes are carved and painted by hand.
Where we stayed:Hotel Parador San Miguel. It was my second time staying there, because its wonderfully eclectic and traditionally Mexican. The location is unbeatable and the staff, while a bit distant, are very efficient.
Oaxaca is, as always, an example of some of the very best that Mexican culture and art has to offer. (Bethany Platanella)
Oaxaca City – Mexico City
Distance: 462 km/287 mi
This drive was a long one, but extremely pretty. By the time we hit the outskirts of Puebla, we were both hungry and ready to stretch our legs. It would be feasible to stop in Puebla city for lunch if you left Oaxaca early enough, but we decided on a roadside stand instead. It did the trick, and we managed to make it back to CDMX in about 7 hours, including an unexpected, hour-long detour winding through the farmland of Nochixtlán.
Want to spend the night in Mexico City?
Try Hotel San Fernando in Condesa for its ideal location, sleek bar, private rooftop, and trendy design.
And there you have it! My tried-and-true, unforgettable road trip adventure from Mexico City to Oaxaca, and all the fun places to discover along the way.
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.
The United States government claims that a Mexican ban on genetically modified corn is a breach of the USMCA free trade agreement. (Denisse Hernández/Wikimedia)
A feud between Mexico and the United States over genetically modified corn is set to intensify after the U.S. government announced that it is requesting the establishment of a dispute settlement panel to resolve the issue.
The United States is opposed to Mexico’s plan to ban the importation of GM corn for use in dough and tortillas by 2024 and gradually phase out imports of GM maize for any kind of human consumption and for use as animal feed at an unspecified later date depending on supply.
Trade Ambassador Tai (right) has challenged Mexican measures to limit the importation of genetically modified corn into the country, claiming it is a breach of the USMCA free trade agreement signed in 2020. (Katherine Tai/X)
United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced Thursday that the U.S. is seeking the establishment of a dispute settlement panel under the North American free trade pact, USMCA, to rule on “certain Mexican measures concerning biotech corn.”
“The United States is challenging measures set out in Mexico’s February 13, 2023 decree, specifically the ban on use of biotech corn in tortillas or dough, and the instruction to Mexican government agencies to gradually substitute — i.e., ban — the use of biotech corn in all products for human consumption and for animal feed,” Tai’s office, the USTR, said in a statement.
“Mexico’s measures are not based on science and undermine the market access it agreed to provide in the USMCA,” it added.
Mexico’s Economy Ministry (SE) acknowledged that it had been formally notified of the USTR’s intention to settle the matter via a panel and asserted that it doesn’t agree with the United States’ belief that the Mexican government is violating the USMCA.
Tai announced that the United States would look for a ruling on “certain Mexican measures concerning biotech corn.” (Bannon Morrissy/Unsplash)
“The Economy Ministry 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,” the SE said.
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.
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.
“One of the advantages of the USMCA is that it has clear rules to resolve disagreements between trade partners and thus provide certainty to all parties,” the ministry said.
Much of the corn imported from the United States is used to feed livestock. (Martín Zetina/Cuartoscuro)
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 for human consumption doesn’t violate its commitments under the USMCA.
“No agreement in the world allows goods that are harmful to health to be bought or sold,” he said. “In the … [USMCA] there are clauses that protect consumers, just as the environment and workers are protected,” he said in March.
If the panel rules in the United States’ favor and Mexico doesn’t change its stance on GM corn, the U.S. would likely impose punitive tariffs on certain Mexican imports.
President López Obrador believes that genetically-modified U.S. corn presents a threat to Mexico’s corn biodiversity. (Sam Fentress/Wikimedia)
“Throughout our engagements, the United States has been clear that it would consider all options, including further steps to enforce U.S. rights under the USMCA, if Mexico did not return to science- and risk-based biotechnology policies that are in compliance with USMCA commitments. Through the action announced today, we will seek to resolve U.S. concerns fully,” the USTR said.
Tai said that “through the USMCA dispute panel, we seek to resolve our concerns and help ensure consumers can continue to access safe and affordable food and agricultural products.”
“It is critical that Mexico eliminate its USMCA-inconsistent biotechnology measures so that American farmers can continue to access the Mexican market and use innovative tools to respond to climate and food security challenges,” she said.
United States Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that “Mexico’s approach to biotechnology is not based on science and runs counter to decades’ worth of evidence demonstrating its safety and the rigorous, science-based regulatory review system that ensures it poses no harm to human health and the environment.”
Tom Haag, president of the U.S. National Corn Growers Association, said that the U.S. government had “no other choice but to turn to a third-party panel in hopes of quickly rectifying” the GM corn dispute with Mexico.
“We are deeply appreciative of USTR for standing up for America’s corn growers,” he said.
The artifacts date to the Mesoamerican Classic period, dated between A.D. 100-650. (INAH)
Mexico has received word from an overseas diplomat that 20 archaeological pieces — some perhaps more than 1,500 years old — have been handed over to the country by a private citizen in Belgium.
The pieces were delivered to Rogelio Granguillhome Morfín, the Mexican ambassador to Belgium, by a Belgian woman named Louise Du Moulin Maria, who noted that her family had been in possession of the Mexican assets for more than 70 years.
Mexican ambassador to Belgium Rogelio Granguillhome Morfín stands with Louis Du Moulin Maria, the Belgian citizen who returned 20 archaeological pieces to Mexico. (INAH)
In announcing the news this week, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) explained that specialists examined the objects and determined that they were made in the Mesoamerican Classic period (A.D. 100-650) by cultures in the Central Highlands, an area that includes what is now Mexico City. The items will be further inspected after they arrive in Mexico.
INAH noted in a press release that the Mexican embassy in Belgium “will continue to contribute to the priority work of returning Mexico’s historical heritage” through the #MiPatrimonioNoSeVende (My Heritage is Not for Sale) campaign. Launched in 2018, the initiative seeks to prevent the sale of Mexico’s archaeological and historical assets and promote their recovery and return to their place of origin.
Du Moulin said it was thanks to the #MiPatrimonioNoSeVende campaign that she became aware that her family’s objects “belong to Mexico.”For his part, Granguillhome thanked Du Moulin and her family for their willingness to give to Mexico “what belongs to it as part of its historical and cultural heritage.” He also pointed to a “context of good relations” between Mexico and Belgium.
According to INAH, the appearance of archaeological pieces abroad is presumed to be the product of looting, plunder or a chain of illegal acts, and such pieces thus merit being returned to Mexico.
The #MiPatrimonioNoSeVende campaign has seen success in repatriating a significant number of artifacts from various countries around the world. (INAH)
According to the news source Infobae, Mexico has recovered more than 11,500 pieces it considers national heritage during the administration of President López Obrador, who took office in 2018. AMLO’s government has targeted auction houses in New York, Paris, Rome and elsewhere when objects that appear to be part of Mexico’s patrimony are put up for auction. Moreover, Mexico’s demands that foreign governments recover archaeological and artistic pieces have intensified.
Shortly thereafter, it was announced that a massive Olmec structure would be repatriated to Mexico from the U.S after reportedly being stolen in the late 1950s. Known as Chalcatzingo Monument 9 or the “Portal to the Underworld,” the monument is reported to be six and a half feet meters tall and weigh more than 2,000 pounds; it was flown home on a Mexican Air Force plane.
“The approximately 2,500-year-old monument was for decades Mexico’s number one priority in terms of recovering its historical heritage,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement at the time.
Forensic teams are analyzing evidence from two different properties in connection to the abduction and murder of five young men from Lagos de Moreno. (Fiscalía Jalisco/Twitter)
The remains of four people were found Wednesday in a Jalisco municipality where five young men disappeared last Friday.
The Jalisco Attorney General’s Office (FE) said in a statement Thursday that municipal police found burned skeletal remains including four skulls at a property in Lagos de Moreno, a municipality in the northeast of Jalisco.
The state attorney general’s office published photos of a property where police found evidence connected to the five men. (Fiscalía Jalisco/Twitter)
It said that the remains were taken to a government facility for testing and that forensic experts are seeking to identify the victims.
The discovery of the skulls and other bone fragments came two days after the appearance on social media of a horrifying video that appears to confirm the murders of at least three of the five young men who disappeared in Lagos de Moreno.
The charred remains of one person were found Tuesday in a burnt out vehicle that belonged to one of the young men, who were abducted after attending a local fair last Friday.
On Wednesday, the FE said that authorities had secured a different property in Lagos de Moreno where the five men are believed to have been taken after they were abducted at a local lookout. Evidence including blood stains and footwear were found at the property, the Attorney General’s Office said.
The five men who were presumably murdered are aged between 19 and 22 and had reportedly been friends since childhood. Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro said Wednesday that the crime was “clearly linked to organized crime,” but there was no evidence that the men were involved in criminal activities.
With the elimination of Enrique de la Madrid (left), the field of potential nominees for the Broad Front for Mexico presidential nomination is now down to three candidates. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
The Broad Front for Mexico (FAM) opposition bloc has trimmed its field of potential presidential candidates from four to three, eliminating former tourism minister Enrique de la Madrid.
The organizing committee of the FAM – made up of the National Action Party (PAN), the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) – announced Tuesday that Xóchitl Gálvez, Beatriz Paredes and Santiago Creel fared best in polling and will thus pass to the third stage of the alliance’s candidate selection process.
Xóchitl Gálvez remains the frontrunner in the race for the Broad Front nomination. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
PAN Senator Gálvez attracted the support of 38.3% of 6,000 poll respondents, while PRI Senator Beatriz Paredes had the backing of 26%.
Creel, who has taken leave as a federal deputy to focus on becoming the FAM’s presidential candidate, was supported by 20.1% of those polled.
De la Madrid, who served as tourism minister in the second half of the 2012-18 government led by former president Enrique Peña Nieto, congratulated the three remaining aspirants in a social media post and said he was convinced that a “much better Mexico is possible.”
Beatríz Paredes appears to have closed the gap to Gálvez in the latest round of polling. (Beatríz Paredes/Twitter)
The FAM organizing committee said in a statement Tuesday that 3,000 people were polled in person at their homes and 3,000 other people responded to telephone surveys between August 11 and 14 to gauge support for the four presidential hopefuls.
It noted that the first of five regional forums in which the three remaining aspirants will participate will take place in Durango city this Thursday at 8 p.m.
“In the forum called ‘Living in Mexico and exercising rights’ the aspirants will present their visions and ideas on questions of security and justice, the anti-corruption system and the fight against impunity and rights for a decent life,” the committee said, adding that the event will be streamed live on the social media pages of the FAM, the PAN, the PRI and the PRD.
The three-party opposition bloc is scheduled to announce the winner of its selection process on Sept. 3 after additional polling and a direct vote in which registered citizens can participate.
Former CDMX mayor Claudia Sheinbaum and ex foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard both hold a significant polling advantage over all the Broad Front candidates today. (Archive)
Gálvez, an indigenous Otomí woman born into a family of modest means in Hidalgo, is the clear frontrunner in the FAM race, but polls indicate that the leading aspirants to the ruling Morena party’s nomination, former Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum and ex-foreign affairs minister Marcelo Ebrard, are significantly more popular than her.
Voters will go to the polls on June 2, 2024, to elect a new president, eight state governors, the next mayor of Mexico City and thousands of other federal, state and municipal representatives.
The ancient Maya who lived in this region believed that cenotes were the access to points to the underworld. (Nori Velazquez/Amigos de Sian Ka'an)
Say the word “cenote” and images of pristine, sparkling waters usually come to mind. But in Yucatán, around 70% of the state’s cenotes — sinkholes which are sources of drinking water for more than 2 million people — are contaminated with human waste and waste from industrial pig farms, according to the NGO The Grosjean Expedition.
Some nongovernmental agencies also have raised concerns that these unique aquatic biospheres are used as unofficial industrial dumping grounds. The cenotes in Yucatán are connected in an extensive network of natural sinkholes that emerge through the collapse of limestone bedrock, revealing hidden groundwater pools. They are said to be the result of the collision of the same asteroid that killed the dinosaurs and were sacred entrances to the underworld for the ancient Maya.
Biologist and university professor Maria Gabriela González Cruz, 37, believes untreated waste from the large number of pig farms in Yucatán are the biggest threat to cenote conservation. (Mark Viales)
Today, however, they are more widely known internationally as breathtaking swim spots for locals and tourists that give a much-needed economic boost to rural communities.
Sergio Grosjean Abimerhi, Director of the Grosjean Expedition responsible for cenote cleanup operations, raised the issue in February on the dire state of Mexico’s natural wonders. The sub-aquatic archaeologist said that most of the more than 3,000 cenotes registered in Yucatán have ‘problematic’ levels of untreated sewage and traces of feces.
“There is no need to be alarmed, but we must be careful because of the increase of residents in the state who set up new businesses and industries,” he said. “There is more deforestation and there are no longer such diverse species of plants but rather stains of cement. All this accumulates and contaminates the cenotes.”
In July, the Secretariat for Sustainable Development (SDS) stated that 11 cenotes in seven municipalities had been cleared of 891 kilograms of trash this year. Hundreds of volunteers collaborated for the annual cleanup that removed around 4 tons of garbage in 2022 and more than 5 tons the previous year.
Crystal clear cenotes have been devastated by rancid pollution from humans and pig farms. (Mark Viales)
But María Gabriela González Cruz, 37, a biologist and professor at the Universities for Well-Being Benito Juárez in Yaxcabá, Yucatán, believes rural communities should not be chastised. She says blame for the damage done to cenotes falls mostly on the major pig ranches in the jungle that spill unfiltered waste into the water.
“The biggest threat comes from unseen waste dumped by these major industries that destabilize the fragile underwater ecosystem,” she said. “Nobody wants to talk about it, but as soon as you do, you open a can of worms on the potential ecodisaster ahead.”
When it comes to the trash produced by villagers, Cruz believes it comes from a lack of understanding rather than genuine negligence. There’s little difference for some people in the region between throwing an organic banana skin to the ground or a harmful inorganic plastic bottle.
“We are working on spreading this awareness to the community from the university and other schools,” she said. “Many of my students knew contamination had increased but were unsure how to deal with it. Now that they better understand the harmful effects of plastic pollution, they are keen to spread the word and help restore their natural environment.”
Tons of garbage were removed from the contaminated cenote “Ts’ono’ot” in the village of Yaxcabá and is now closed until further notice. (Mark Viales)
The main water source for villages like Yaxcabá comes from neighboring cenotes and is treated with excessively high levels of chlorine due to dangerous levels of contamination.
A few years ago, the village cenote Ts’ono’ot was sanitized by government officials, and some two tonnes were hauled from its depths. They discovered numerous rusty bicycles, TV sets and all sorts of plastic trash, from soda bottles to chip packets and candy wrappers. They even found part of a toilet.
“Nobody knows just how contaminated the water is, but at a certain time of the year, much of the population falls ill with problems linked to drinking dirty water,” she said. “I feel as though the scientists and doctors I have spoken to have their hands tied because of bureaucratic figures who are indifferent to the problem.”
Cruz also laments that once plentiful endemic species of fish, crustaceans and birds evolving in cenote ecosystems have now completely vanished due to excessive pollution.
“Everyone loses with the loss of our cenotes, whether it be the ecosystem, locals or tourists. Contaminated cenotes are a sad conclusion for a prehistoric wonder,” she said. “I feel that with the correct investment, we could find a happy arrangement that can satisfy all who benefit from cenotes.”
According to Jaqueline Torres Zepeda, 37, another biologist working in the region, there is still a long way to go regarding research into the resilience of cenotes and in spreading awareness.
Jaqueline Torres Zepeda, 37, is a passionate activist for cenote conservation and often searches the jungle for unexplored sites. (Mark Viales)
“It is distressing to see such an indifferent attitude from the authorities when it comes to conservation of these natural world wonders,” she said. “Cenotes are unique ecosystems of exceptional beauty with profound ancient history attached to them. We do not know how fragile or resilient they are in terms of pollution and what effect climate change has on them.”
After three years in Yaxcabá, Zepeda understood that practically every remote place she visited in Yucatán had a village cenote at its center. It reinforced her concept that these communities still rely heavily on these bodies of water because of the lack of drinking water treatment facilities.
“It is possible to find cenotes under many of the old churches, which demonstrates the dependence on them during colonial times to sustain expansion,” she said. “Water levels in cenotes have dropped drastically over the last decades due to climate change, which — combined with industrial and human pollution — has caused many of them to become putrid.”
Many cenotes remain hidden in the Yucatán jungle but are still vulnerable to contamination from neighboring industry and garbage dumps because of their interconnected water systems. (Mark Viales)
Zepeda said the evidence of this ecodisaster comes from people who have lived here their entire lives and are witnessing this unfortunate development.
“I have the impression that villagers speak about cenotes as a fond memory. They realize that they were sacred to their ancestors and maintain a profound respect for them. Some people still ask for permission to guardian spirits before entering a cenote. Although the true ancestral meaning may no longer exist, the Maya today continue to recognize their spiritual significance.”
Zepeda is adamant that the focus for authorities regarding cenotes must revolve around conservation, including monitoring and management of the interconnected water system. This information should be provided as feedback on the care of cenote heritage to surrounding communities.
“Yucatán is a paradise for biologists, with its lush jungles filled with countless endemic species,” she said. “But all of this beauty is sustained by the freshwater provided by cenotes.
“If their purity continues to be tainted, I’m afraid of the unfathomable consequences this could have on the local population and surrounding wildlife.”
Why did the Mexica first incorporate hot peppers into their diet? The answer is the same reason we seek out spicy salsas today. (Wikimedia Commons)
Step into a sizzling world where passion and pain entwine. As ancient as the Mexica pyramids and as thrilling as a roller coaster, the history of hot peppers unveils a secret: there’s a reason we love to turn up the heat!
In Mexica cosmology, hot peppers had their own goddess, Tlatlauhqui cihuatl ichilzintli, or “Respectable Lady of the Little Red Chili”, the sister of the more famous Tláloc, god of rain. In 1566, Spanish conquistador Bartolomé de las Casas famously wrote that “Without chili, Mexicans do not believe they are eating.”
The Mexicas are said to have used chile smoke as a disciplinary punishment. (Artes de México/Códice Mendoza)
Over millennia, our Mesoamerican ancestors learned to cultivate and eat chiles, native to South and Central America. Recognizing their different flavors and degrees of spiciness, they learned how to combine them with other ingredients. It is this accumulated wisdom that now makes chiles an icon of our beloved national cuisine.
Archaeological studies in southern Mexico have shown that the use of chiles in Mesoamerica may date all the way back to about 400 BCE. Peppers were an important part of the pre-Columbian diet, along with corn, beans, tomato and squash.
The Mexica of central Mexico used them not only as an essential part of their daily diet, but also for medicinal and even military ends, creating a proto-pepper spray by burning chiles downwind of enemies to gain an upper hand in battle.
Mexicans seem addicted to our beloved chiles, and there’s definitely something captivating about these little devils that grow in a wide range of colors, sizes and pungency. The five hottest chiles in Mexico are the habanero, manzano, chiltepín, chile de árbol, and serrano.
There’s something captivating about these little devils that grow in a wide range of colors, sizes and pungency. (Wikimedia Commons)
In modern times, hot peppers have become a daily delight for many, savored in countries far and wide. Given their modern popularity, it’s intriguing to think that these spicy delights were unknown to the majority of the planet until Christopher Columbus set foot in the New World in 1492 and took peppers to Europe, where they spread to Asia and Africa.
Contrary to popular belief, the chile’s seeds are not the real culprits behind its heat: the magic lies in the fluffy white inner layer known as the placenta or veins. This is the part that produces capsaicin, the chemical compound responsible for the burning sensation.
Wild pepper plants produce capsaicin to protect themselves from being eaten by mammals. From an evolutionary perspective, the plant prefers birds to disperse its seeds throughout the world. And unlike mammals, birds don’t have TRPV1 receptors, so they don’t experience any irritation. Humans, with our peculiar tastes, threw a wrench into nature’s plan. Capsaicin doesn’t deter us; it enthralls us!
Eating hot chile peppers is a form of thrill-seeking that feeds our brain’s desire for stimulation and turns the experience into a twisted delight.
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not actually the pepper seeds that burn, but the white inside flesh. (Wikimedia Commons)
When you bite into a hot pepper, your mouth is engulfed in a sensation reminiscent of a raging inferno. Behind this torment lies a curious twist. When capsaicin hooks up with the TRPV1 receptors in your mouth, it plays a clever trick on your nervous system. It convinces your brain that you’ve come into contact with scorching heat, raising the alarm of a blazing fire in your mouth!
Your brain, ever the cunning survivor, jumps into action. It releases a cascade of feel-good neurochemicals, especially the endorphins that soothe pain. Some scientists believe the endorphin rush is so intense that it surpasses the amount needed to tame the chile’s fury. The scales tip in favor of pleasure over pain, and you find yourself swimming in a pool of tears, sweat and euphoria. A natural high created by increased levels of neurochemicals that boost your sense of wellbeing and make you happier.
If you have spicy dishes regularly, your tongue’s nerves become resilient little crusaders. They build up a resilience to the fiery onslaught, and your heat receptors learn to take it easy. It’s like they’ve enrolled in a capsaicin desensitization course, graduating as seasoned spice warriors.
If you overdose on hot sauce, don’t reach for water but for milk…or ice cream! (Wikimedia Commons)
If you prefer immediate relief, your first impulse might be to gulp down water. Experts say that this worsens the suffering because capsaicin is not water soluble, which means drinking water only spreads the fire. Capsaicin is fat-soluble, so you’ll find relief in a fatty liquid such as milk or ice cream.
So embrace the burn, savor the endorphins and revel in the beauty of chiles, for in every fiery bite, we find a tantalizing reminder that life’s most exhilarating moments often lie just beyond our comfort zones.
Sandra is a Mexican writer and translator based in San Miguel de Allende who specializes in mental health and humanitarian aid. She believes in the power of language to foster compassion and understanding across cultures. She can be reached at: [email protected]
The storm is expected to bring rough sea conditions to Guerrero, Oaxaca, Colima and Michoacán. (Carlos Alberto Carbajal/Cuartoscuro)
Tropical storm Hilary is approaching the Mexican coastline with the potential to hit Baja California later this week, according to the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The storm, currently located off the coast of Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, is producing cloud bands and winds of between 65 to 85 kilometers per hour (40 to 52 miles per hour) – a figure which is expected to rise. A press release from the Mexican National Weather Service (SMN) states that Hilary will bring wind gusts of 70 to 90 kilometers per hour and waves of up to four meters (13 ft) high on the coasts of Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán and Oaxaca. In the press release, the SMN also advised residents in Guerrero, Michoacán and Oaxaca to prepare for heavy rains.
The National Hurricane Center predicts that Hilary is likely to make landfall in the north of Mexico sometime later this week. (U.S. National Hurricane Center)
“Tourists visiting these states and [anyone involved in] maritime navigation in general are recommended to take extreme precautions against the high waves,” warned the SMN.
The forecast also warned of the potential for lightning strikes, landslides and localized flooding in the affected states. The storm is currently following the path of the 1993 Category 3 hurricane of the same name.
This year’s Hilary is also expected to strengthen into a hurricane on Thursday, the NHC warned.
The storm is expected to weaken before making landfall on the Baja California and U.S. coasts on Sunday, and will continue north on Monday should conditions persist. It is likely to bring category 4 or 5 rainfall – the highest level on the atmospheric river scale – and up to two inches of precipitation, the U.S. forecaster reported.
Residents of several coastal states have also been warned of rough ocean conditions and waves of up to 4 meters. (Axel Antas-Bergkvist/Cuartoscuro)
“Although it is too soon to determine the location and magnitude of rainfall and wind impacts, interests in these areas should monitor the progress of Hilary and updates to the forecast,” the Hurricane Center said. “Large swells from Hilary will spread northward along the coast of southwestern Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula during the next days.”
Mexico’s SMN also advised residents to remain aware and follow meteorological updates on the National Water Commission’s (Conagua) website and social media channels, should forecasts change.
Jalisco law enforcement have been conducting a search for the missing men. (FGR Jalisco/Twitter)
A horrifying video appears to confirm the murders of at least three of five young men who disappeared in Jalisco last Friday. The two other men are also presumably dead.
Five friends aged between 19 and 22 were apparently abducted Friday in Lagos de Moreno, a municipality in northeastern Jalisco that borders both Guanajuato and Aguascalientes. The abduction is believed to have occurred after they attended a local fair.
The five young men went missing after going to the local fair on Friday night. (Social media)
On Monday, a photograph appeared on social media showing five men kneeling on the ground with tape over their mouths and their hands tied. Two of them had obvious facial injuries, indicating they had been beaten.
A video shows one of the young men – presumably under coercion – beating another of the apparent abductees. Two bloody and lifeless bodies are seen in the foreground of the macabre footage, over which the message “PURO MZ” is superimposed.
The “pure MZ” message is apparently a reference to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, which is engaged in a turf war with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in the region where the murders occurred.
Blanca Trujillo Cuevas, a state government prosecutor who focuses on missing persons cases, said Tuesday that the families of the five men have seen the photograph and video and told authorities that there is a “high probability” that those who appear are their loved ones.
Jalisco governor Enrique Alfaro (left) met with the mayor of Lagos de Moreno and security officials on Wednesday, saying in a message posted to his social media: “The State Attorney General’s Office continues to make progress in the investigation to understand what is behind this brutal event and find the culprits.” (Enrique Alfaro/Twitter)
Given that they are clearly identifiable in the photo, there would appear to be no doubt that the young men are those who disappeared on Friday: Dante Cedillo Hernández, Roberto Carlos Olmeda, Diego Alberto Lara Santoyo, Jaime Adolfo Martínez Miranda and Uriel Galván. There is no evidence that they had any involvement in organized crime.
Early Tuesday, Jalisco authorities located a burnt-out vehicle that belonged to one of the five men. The remains of at least one person were found in the vehicle, which was abandoned on a road between Lagos de Moreno and the neighboring municipality of Encarnación de Díaz. Authorities said that the remains will undergo testing to determine the number of victims and who they correspond to. Another vehicle used by the men last Friday was located on Sunday.
Jalisco Attorney General Luis Joaquín Méndez told a press conference Tuesday that a blood stain was found at a lookout in Lagos de Moreno to which the men traveled after attending the fair. He also said that authorities had secured a property near where the second vehicle was found. Méndez said that weapons, drugs and license plates of vehicles reported as stolen were found at the property, which may have been used by people involved in the crimes committed against the young men.
Jalisco authorities said they would ask the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) to investigate the case given the likely involvement of organized crime. Méndez said that the search for the missing men will continue as forensic testing of the remains takes place.
One of the vehicles belonging to the victims was recovered by authorities in the search operations on Tuesday. (FGR Jalisco/Twitter)
Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro said on Wednesday that he had met with the mayor of Lagos de Moreno and his security cabinet to review the progress in the search for the men.
“At this time that’s the priority and hundreds of officers … are deployed in the region to find them,” he wrote on the social media site X, formerly Twitter.
“The State Attorney General’s Office continues to make progress in the investigation to understand what is behind this brutal event and find the culprits,” Alfaro said.
While the crime is “clearly linked to organized crime, which is a matter of federal purview, we’re going to continue doing our part,” he wrote.
“I hope the FGR and the federal government will do the same,” Alfaro said, adding that the crime has “profoundly hurt Jalisco.”
The case – which triggered a protest in Lagos de Moreno on Sunday – comes after a spate of other heinous crimes in the state, including the murder of eight call center workers in June and a bomb attack in July that killed four police officers and two other people.
Jalisco was the fourth most violent state in the first six months of 2023 with 1,095 homicides, the federal government reported last month.
