En Breve Travel: Yo Amo México festival, Islas Marías opening, snow and ice in CDMX

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December 16, 2022

The Rosewood Mayakoba's beachfront resort, "Aquí Me Quedo," with fireworks in the sky above. — At the end of each weekend of Yo Amo México, the event will conclude with a beachfront celebration including live music, guest experiences, fireworks and more. (Rosewood Mayakoba)

Yo Amo México Festival in Playa del Carmen

During the weekends of February and March, the Yo Amo México Festival in Playa del Carmen, Yucatán, will host different activities supported by guests who have one thing in common: their love for Mexico.

Set to happen at the hotel Rosewood Mayakoba, artists, artisans, chefs and mixologists from across Mexico will share the work that led them to become cultural ambassadors of the country.

During the two-month event, each weekend will be dedicated to a specific region of Mexico, covering that region’s gastronomy, mixology, arts, design and more.

Islas Marías will open before Christmas

Mexico’s former penal colony in the Mexican archipelago of Islas Marías will now by an eco-friendly tourist destination. According to President López Obrador, the islands will start receiving visitors before Christmas.

The archipelago, located off the coast of Nayarit, is a UNESCO world heritage site and is conformed of the islands María Madre, María Magdalena, and María Cleofas.

The prison, located in the island of María Madre, closed its doors in 2019 after 114 years of operation. The prison buildings have been renovated and will now operate as a hotel.

The entrance to Puerto Balleto, one of the main settlements in the archipelago. (Víctor Ortíz / Semarnat)

Snow and ice in Mexico City

Mexico City’s Christmas spirit can be found across the city with different shows and activities organized for the holiday break.

For starters, free ice skating rinks have been set up in the boroughs of Cuauhtémoc and Iztacalco, in addition to the permanent ice-skating rink in Iztapalapa.

Ice slides can also be found at Iztapalapa’s Macroplaza as well as a 42-meter-high Christmas tree — the tallest in the country — and a gigantic nativity scene.

Fake snow will also fall over different parts of the city as part of the paseo nevado (snow walk), an attraction that will tour Mexico City throughout the holidays. However, it will permanently be found in the Vicente Guerrero linear park (between Eje 6 and Periférico Oriente) until Jan. 8.

Increased paid vacation approved by the Senate

The Senate in session on Thursday. — The bill, first approved by the Senate in November, has now been finalized. Senado de México

The Mexican Senate unanimously approved amendments to the labor law to double paid vacation days for workers, which passed the lower house of Congress on Dec. 9. Under the new terms, employees are entitled to twelve days of leave after completing their first year of service.

Legislators of all benches agreed the amendment fulfilled “a historic debt” with Mexican workers, who for decades were only entitled to six days of leave after the first year.

The approved law will now be sent to the president’s office for it to be published in the country’s Official Gazette. The new terms will enter into force on Jan. 1.

State of Guanajuato expects more than 1 million tourists for December

From Dec. 16 to Jan. 8, the cities of León, Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende will be the most visited destinations in the state. The local Ministry of Tourism said it anticipates an economic revenue of 3.1 billion pesos (US $158 million).

San Miguel de Allende, recognized as the “Best Small City in the World” by travel magazine Condé Nast, expects a hotel occupancy rate of 42%, slightly lower than that of Guanajuato, which expects a rate of 43%.

The cathedral in San Miguel de Allende — San Miguel de Allende (pictured) along with León and Guanajuato are preparing to receive the bulk of Guanajuato’s holiday tourism. (Miranda Garside / Unsplash)

Different events are set to happen across the state. Luztopía, the largest light festival in Mexico, will open its gates until Jan. 8 at Explora Centro de Ciencias (Explore Science Center) in León. Navidad en el Parque sobre Hielo (Christmas at the Park on Ice) in Silao’s Parque Guanajuato Bicentenario, will also run until Jan. 8 and will welcome guests with an ice skating rink, snow slide and Santa’s house.

For more information, visit guanajuato.mx.

Waldorf Astoria to open in San Miguel de Allende

On Dec. 15, Hilton announced its latest addition to the firm’s luxury portfolio: the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in San Miguel de Allende. With plans to open early in 2025, the property will join Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, Conrad Punta de Mita, Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya and the recently opened Waldorf Astoria Cancun.

The growth of Hilton’s luxury portfolio in the country is part of the company’s broader expansion plans in Mexico, where guests are welcomed at approximately 90 hotels and resorts across 12 Hilton brands.

With reports from La Jornada, La Jornada Maya and La Lista

Mexico in Numbers: Just how big is Mexico City?

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MND Staff

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December 16, 2022

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Aerial view of CDMX — An aerial view of Mexico City (Shutterstock)

Everyone knows Mexico City is massive. You might have seen the enormity of its sprawl while flying into Benito Juárez International Airport. If you’ve ridden the metro at peak hour or crammed into the Zócalo for a popular event (say the Paul McCartney concert in 2012), you’re no doubt intimately familiar with the capital’s crowdedness, which, to put it mildly, can sometimes be just too intense.

In this edition of “Mexico in Numbers” (see three others here, here and here) I’ll aim to give you an insight into some of the figures that matter when it comes to trying to make sense of the size of the Mexican megalopolis, the city formerly known as “El DF” — the Federal District — and colloquially called Chilangolandia, chilango being one of a few demonyms for Mexico City residents.

First a very brief summary of some basic history: Tenochtitlán, as Mexico City’s pre-Hispanic predecessor was called, was founded in about 1325, and was one of the largest cities in the world when it was conquered by the Spanish in the early 1520s. During the colonial period between the early 16th and early 19th centuries, Mexico City was the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, before becoming the capital of an independent Mexico in the 1820s.

It was during the next century — the 20th — when the population of CDMX (the official abbreviation of the capital today) really began to explode as people seeking to improve their lot in life flooded into the city, especially from rural parts of the country. Data published by INEGI, Mexico’s statistics agency, shows that the population of the capital was just 500,000 in 1900 but had reached 3.1 million by the middle of last century, a 520% increase in the space of just 50 years. Mexico City gained another 5.5 million people in the next 50 years to finish the 20th century with a population of 8.6 million, while INEGI’s most recent census found that just over 9.2 million people called CDMX home in 2020.

About now you might be thinking, “Wait, Mexico City is way bigger than that,” and you wouldn’t exactly be wrong. The numbers above apply only to Mexico City itself — the 16 boroughs that officially make up the capital — rather than the greater Mexico City metropolitan area, which includes 56 municipalities in México state and one in Hidalgo, according to the Development Bank of Latin America.

The population of greater Mexico City, the ballpark figure you’re perhaps more familiar with, is well above 20 million, pushed up by populous municipalities in México state such as Ecatepec and Nezahualcóyotl (Ciudad Neza), both of which have more than 1 million residents.

In Mexico City proper, Iztapalapa (home to the capital’s main wholesale market) is the most populous borough with 1.8 million residents, while Gustavo A. Madero (where the Basilica of Guadalupe is located) ranks second and is the only other borough with a population above 1 million.

The total population of the 16 boroughs — the 9.2 million total is made up of 4.8 million females and 4.4 million males, 19% of whom are 15 or younger — makes the capital Mexico’s second most populous federal entity after México state, which has a population of just under 17 million. Just over 7% of the country’s 126 million residents (according to the 2020 census) live in the capital proper, but almost one in five Mexicans live in the greater metropolitan area.

Among its megalopolis peers around the world, greater CDMX ranked as the fifth largest in 2018 with a population of 21.6 million, according to a United Nations report. Only Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai and Sao Paulo were found to be bigger.

Let’s wade further into population stats and talk density: In 2020, there was an average of 6,163 residents per square kilometer across the 1,485 km² that make up Mexico City proper, according to INEGI.

While CDMX’s density is no match for immensely crowded cities such as Dhaka, Hong Kong and Mumbai, it is easily the most densely populated entity in Mexico. México state is the second most densely populated entity but with 760 residents per square kilometer, its density is just a fraction of that of the capital.

Where do all these chilangos (people who have moved into the capital from elsewhere) and capitalinos (Mexico City-born residents) live? In 2.75 million dwellings spread across the 16 boroughs, according to INEGI, meaning that an average of about 3.3 people live in each home.

How do they get around? Many drive, according to official data, which shows that there are 5.8 million cars in greater Mexico City, and approximately 4.8 million of them are on the streets on any given day. Another option residents have is to take public transport, and while there are various modes including buses, shared vans, light rail, cable car and the suburban rail system, the mainly underground metro system is undoubtedly king.

A map of Mexico with a zoomed-in pane showing the size and shape of Mexico City, — Small but mighty: over 9 million people make their home in Mexico City proper. (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Mexico City Metro, which opened in 1969 with a single line, runs through 11 of the 16 boroughs and even reaches a few México state municipalities. It has a total of 163 stations along 12 lines and ranks as the ninth busiest metro system in the world in terms of annual ridership, with over 1.6 billion trips taken in 2019.

The numbers that could be cited to help illustrate the immensity, complexity and diversity of Mexico City are virtually endless (like the urban sprawl), but to avoid this piece growing haphazardly like a shanty town, here are just five more CDMX stats to ponder.

At 2,240 meters above sea level, Mexico City is the world’s eighth highest capital.
Approximately 13,149 tonnes of trash are collected on a daily basis in the 16 boroughs, government data shows.
Mexico City has 171 museums, a figure that some reports claim is the highest total for a city after London, although these stats indicate otherwise.
There are more than 1,800 distinct neighborhoods in the 16 boroughs, according to data published by the Chilango magazine.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly — especially if you’re in the capital and hungry — 95% of residents live within 400 meters of a taco stand, according to a 2021 study completed by a geographer from the National Autonomous University.

Culture Ministry budget cut by 50% since 2017

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MND Staff

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December 16, 2022

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Visitors at a recent exhibition of works by Mexican painter Remedios Varo, at the Mexico City Museum of Modern Art, part of the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL). (Mario Jasso / Cuartoscuro.com)

As Mexico has pushed austerity measures under President López Obrador, public funding to the Ministry of Culture has been reduced 50%, a budget review conducted by the news outlet Animal Político shows.

Álvaro Octavio García, an employee of the Baluarte de Santiago Museum in Veracruz, told Animal Político how he and other colleagues have had to personally pay expenses to make ends meet at the museum. He said they have had to buy cleaning products, gasoline for lawn mowers and even light bulbs to light the museum’s entrance — all using their own money.

Similar difficulties have been seen across the country and at all levels within the Ministry of Culture — from the lack of printing paper to obsolete computer systems to lack of gasoline and vehicles to transport architects to archaeological sites, the austerity policy has been hard on both employees and cultural institutions.

“It’s very nice to show up and talk about the importance of Mexico’s heritage, but unfortunately that talk is not reflected in concrete actions,” Luis Ojeda, head of the national union for Culture Ministry architects, told Animal Político.

Convent in Tepoztlán — An INAH restorationist at work at an ancient convent in Tepoztlán, Morelos. As part of the Culture Ministry, INAH has also suffered from the budget cuts.Photo credit: José Morales

Ojeda stressed the sense of responsibility that Culture Ministry employees feel for their work, saying that if he and his colleagues did not properly care for Mexican monuments and historical areas, they “would be facilitating the displacement of historical memory, cultural heritage and elements of identity.”

With no budget for gasoline and transportation units to go to the communities, architects have had to use their own vehicles to meet the requirements of the job, Ojeda said.

In addition to a lack of supplies, lack of staff is also a recurring problem: There are currently only 192 architects responsible for ensuring the conservation of 60 areas of historical monuments and 106,000 historical monuments throughout the country.

Jose Enrique Vidal Dzul, chief of the National Ministry of Culture Workers Union, said that the situation Ministry employees find themselves in is “heartbreaking” because they deeply trusted AMLO’s government to have a more social and cultural vision. “Unfortunately, there is a very cruel disappointment,” he said.

Since 2020, the Bosque de Chapultepec’s Nature and Culture project, in México City — set to become one of the largest spaces for cultural recreation and social integration in the world, according to UNESCO — receives the largest share of the Ministry’s overall funding.

Tatiana Huezo, the director and screenwriter of the winning film 'Prayers for the Stolen,' speaks at this year's Ariel Awards. — Tatiana Huezo, the director and screenwriter of the winning film ‘Prayers for the Stolen,’ won at this years Ariel Awards (“the Mexican Oscars”). But the 2023 Ariel awards will not take place, due to dwindling federal support for cultural events. Facebook @academiacinemx

Prioritizing the project was the subject of constant debate when Culture Minister Alejandra Frausto appeared before Congress in late November. Defending the austerity policy of López Obrador, she said that “republican austerity consists of eliminating superfluous expenses.”

However, Animal Político confirmed that budget cuts and the current austerity agenda have directly affected research and cultural conservation projects, as well the daily performance of staff and the public services the Ministry offers.

Public figures like filmmaker Guillermo del Toro have also lamented the government cuts expenditures, which have affected the Mexican film industry.

Moreover, suppliers to different federal government entities have complained about late payments, as is the case of the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL). El País newspaper reported in November that INBAL was four months behind in payment to the company that manages security in museums.

In an interview granted to El País before the INBAL’s debt went public, the Culture Minister said that under her administration, the funds for museums in the public system had been reinforced. However, as newspaper puts it, the funding doesn’t seem to be enough.

With reports from Animal Político and El País

Mexico’s revenue from international tourism continues to rise

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MND Staff

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December 16, 2022

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Tourists explore the Uxmal archaeological area in Yucatán, in early December. (Martín Zetina / Cuartoscuro.com)

In October, total expenditure from international visitors amounted to US $2.05 billion, 13% more than that registered in the same month of 2021, according to INEGI (the National Institue of Statistics and Geography).

INEGI announced in September that over 36.8 million tourists and visitors spent US $16.48 billion in Mexico in the first seven months of the year. Data from the Tourism Ministry (Sectur) published in December shows revenue from January to October exceeded the same period in 2021 by 49.2% and increased 11.6% compared to the same period in 2019.

In turn, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) reported that Mexico ranked 29th in international tourism spending last year, a figure representing a 19-point rise from 2018 — before the COVID-19 pandemic — when Mexico came in 40th in the world.

The WTO ranking means that in terms of international tourism spending, Mexico has fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels, along with countries such as Portugal, Serbia, Seychelles and Romania.

In a statement, Mexico’s Minister of Tourism Miguel Torruco said he wanted to remind people that “the potential of a nation should not be measured by the number of tourists but by the foreign funds brought in [to the country].”

He added that the WTO data also puts Mexico as the second-most-visited destination by international tourists in 2021, just behind No. 1-ranked France. In 2019, Mexico was the No. 7 most-visited destination by international visitors.

According to data reported by INEGI early in December, in October 2022 more than 5 million people entered the country, of which more than 3 million were international tourists. This figure represents a growth of 15.5% compared to the same period of 2021 and a whopping 44.5% compared to 2020.

Mexico’s tendency to grow goes in hand with the WTO’s regional data which shows that Europe and the Americas have reported the best tourism results for 2022. Furthermore, tourist arrivals in the Americas could climb to 63% or 80% of 2019 levels by year end.

In a global context, there are strong signs of recovery in the international tourism industry, with foreign visitor arrivals worldwide reaching 57% of pre-pandemic levels in the first seven months of 2022, according to WTO. An estimated 474 million tourists traveled internationally over the period, compared to the 175 million in the same months of 2021, the trade organization said.

With reports from El Economista and La Jornada

US nonprofits sue to sanction Mexico for failing to protect vaquita

By

Cat Rainsford

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December 16, 2022

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A closeup of a vaquita, with its body being supported by a person's hand. — Trade body CITES sanctioned Mexico for its failure to protect the critically endangered vaquita marina. (VaquitaCPR)

Three conservation groups sued the U.S. Department of the Interior on Wednesday, demanding sanctions on Mexico over its failure to combat illegal fishing practices that have driven the vaquita porpoise to the brink of extinction.

The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) joined with the Animal Welfare Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council to file the lawsuit in the United States Court of International Trade. It calls for the U.S. to certify Mexico under a fisheries law called the “Pelly Amendment,” which would authorize the U.S. president to embargo Mexican wildlife products.

“We’ve watched the vaquita population plummet over the past decade from 200, to 100, to 60, and now to only around 10,” said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the CBD. “We need economic pressure to force Mexico to finally wake up and stop this little porpoise’s extinction.”

The vaquita is the world’s smallest porpoise, native to the Gulf of California. Its drastic decline is due largely to the porpoises getting tangled in illegal fishing nets used to catch other marine life — notably the endangered totoaba fish, which is coveted for its use in Chinese medicine.

Although totoaba fishing is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and in Mexican domestic law, the practice is widespread in the Gulf of California. It has likely accelerated since July 2021, when the Mexican government scrapped its “zero tolerance” policy towards fishing inside the Vaquita Protection Refuge, instead imposing a scale of penalties based on the number of vessels in the area.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature reported the presence of illegal fishing vessels in the area on 88% days observed between October 2021 and May 2022, and 29 vessels were seen on Dec. 1 alone.

Mexico has already been reprimanded for its failure to protect the vaquita. The conservation groups involved in the lawsuit first requested sanctions on Mexico in 2014, and CITES told Mexico in mid-November that it could face sanctions early next year if it failed to take action.

“Despite international outcry, Mexico has failed for decades to stop illegal fishing in the Upper Gulf of California,” said D.J. Schubert, a wildlife biologist at the Animal Welfare Institute, after the lawsuit was made public. “It is disappointing that the United States has failed to hold Mexico accountable for its dismal record of enforcement when the vaquita is on the precipice of extinction.”

Certification under the Pelly Amendment could potentially stop all Mexican seafood exports to the U.S. These exports were worth nearly $600 million in 2021 — 40% of Mexico’s seafood trade.

With reports from Reuters and InSight Crime

Mexico City legislators come to blows over animal rights

By

Cat Rainsford

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December 16, 2022

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Jesús Sesma of the Green Ecologist of Mexico Party (left) and Jorge Gaviño of the PRD (right) had to be separated by bystanders. (Twitter @amarilloalarcon)

A dispute over an animal welfare bill turned physical in the corridors of Mexico City’s Congress on Wednesday, when two local politicians began hurling insults and blows.

In a video circulated on social media, local deputies Jesús Sesma of the Green Ecologist of Mexico Party (PVEM), and Jorge Gaviño, of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), can be seen trading insults and physical aggressions. The conflict arose when Sesma accused Gaviño of going back on his promise to vote to put the Law on Animal Welfare on the congressional agenda.

The video shows Sesma insulting Gaviño, Gaviño shoving Sesma, and Sesma launching a kick at Gaviño in response. Other people then restrain the two men while they hurl expletives at each other, with Sesma repeatedly calling Gaviño “not much of a man.”

Subsequently, both politicians accused the other of starting the fight.

“Yesterday there was a vote that Deputy Gaviño needed where I offered to vote with him and I asked him if we could have his endorsement to put the Welfare Law on the agenda,” Sesma explained, in a video released shortly after the incident. “Unfortunately, [the welfare law] did not get the vote I would have liked due to the abstention of Deputy Gaviño.”

“Yes, I got angry,” he admitted. “I met him in the corridor, I did not go to look for him in his office. I complained to Deputy Gaviño about the lack of respect for his word and he was the one who took off his glasses and hit me.”

Shortly afterwards, Gaviño released his own video on social media, insisting that Sesma had initiated the aggressions and defending his decision to vote against the initiative.

“After reviewing this initiative, we saw it has several inconsistencies. For example, it empowers municipalities to kill animals, it has something to do with giving more rights to bullfighting,” he said. “We voted to abstain, Deputy Sesma was very upset about that and came to my office to verbally and physically attack me.”

“I apologize for the insults, but the defense of animals is a cause I am committed to, and I will not allow intimidation from anyone,” he added.

With reports from Sin Embargo and Reporte Indigo

My first temazcal made me feel like I’d been reborn

By

Bethany Platanella

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December 14, 2022

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National Maya Temazcal in Cancún. — The writer attended a temazcal in Tepotzlan, a Morelos town known for its spiritual retreats. (Photo: Oleg Anisimov/Shutterstock)

I’m trembling a bit from pure anticipation and excitement. I am minutes away from my first temazcal experience and, to be perfectly honest, I hadn’t even heard of it before officially moving to Mexico this year. Knowing my appreciation for health and wellness, local friends encouraged me, rather profusely, to try it.

So here I am.

Where, exactly?

I’m in the town of Tepoztlán, in a mountainous area of Morelos hailed as both an energetic and spiritual epicenter, the fabled birthplace of Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. I thought it the ideal location to pop my temazcal cherry.

temazcal bath in Joya Ceren in El Salvador — The *temazcal* is a Mesoamerican practice going back centuries, as this *temazcal* bath artifact at the Joya de Ceren archaeological site in El Salvador attests. (Photo: Govt. of Mexico)

The word temazcal, derived from the Nahuatl temazcalli, which may be translated as “house of heat,” refers to both the experience and the hut itself. The tradition is at least 1,000 years old.

Because of its healing properties, it was often practiced before and after battles, sports tournaments, and childbirths. It remains a common ritual in Mexican culture.

While I wait in my fluffy, white robe and a bikini for the shaman to arrive, I fill out a health form, scanning the various conditions listed: blood pressure, heart problems and some others that I can’t translate. Trusting that my health status is up to par, I tick “no” to all and sign my life away just as he appears.

Andrés is native to Tepoztlán and has been leading temazcal ceremonies for at least 10 years. He gets started almost immediately, inviting me to stand before him and close my eyes.

He breaks out in Nahuatl chants while dousing me with sage smoke to clear out negative energies. To purify my mental state, I repeat a few words at his behest before entering the small sweat lodge, inside which we will spend nearly an hour. After a few minutes of ritualistic purging, we enter the hut.

Temazcal in Jalisco — A *temazcal* is frequently spiritual. This leader in Jalisco blows on a conch shell and instructs participants to face the four cardinal directions. (File photo)

Temazcal huts are traditionally made of wood, cement or volcanic stone. Along the rounded walls are benches to sit. Hot volcanic rocks are placed in the center, which produce a thick steam when mixed with water.

Aside from the burning rock, sage or copal (an aromatic tree resin) are added to assist in cleansing the body physically, mentally and emotionally.

Andrés seals the door of the tiny hut, rendering the space pitch black, with the exception of a reddish outline of burning coals. The heat intensifies quickly, and I feel a burning sensation on my skin.

The rule of the temazcal is that once you’re in, you’re in. No one leaves. If it becomes too much, you may lay on the floor to escape the heat. A decade in Miami noticeably increased my tolerance, so I feel completely fine and rather enjoy the skyrocketing temperature.

Andrés hands me an opened aloe leaf to slather on my skin throughout the ceremony. I generously apply the sticky goo to my legs, stomach, neck and face. At times, he pours a bucket of water over my head to temporarily cool me down. Together we breathe, chant and consciously “let go” of our figurative “weight.”

There comes a point where I feel a little snap in my psyche, and I surrender absolutely.

When time is up, I’m instructed to exit through a tiny door to my right. A pang of disappointment shoots through my stomach. Must this magical experience come to an end?

Indigenous ritual in Mexico involved in burning the tree resin copal. — Copal has been used since pre-Hispanic times in Mexico for numerous kinds of indigenous ceremonies. (Photo: Álvaro de la Paz Franco/Creative Commons)

The door opens, and I see it’s actually a small tubular slide, similar to those you’d find in the children’s section of a water park. I hold my nose and plunge into a cold pool, views of the magnificent mountains surrounding me.

After about seven minutes, Andrés guides me out of the pool, wraps me in my white robe and gestures for me to lay down on a wooly blanket. While I stare at the trees above me, he covers me with another soft blanket and hands me a hot tea. It’s beautifully loving and almost parental.

Something strange happens. I start to laugh. Uncontrollably. Every cell of my body is vibrating on high frequency, and I can’t stop giggling. I shake and I laugh and I feel, in a sense, like I’ve been reborn.

Scientific studies have documented so many potential benefits of a temazcal, it’s challenging to list them all. Here are just a few:

Flushes out toxins
Clears skin conditions
Lowers blood pressure
Cleanses and strengthens the respiratory system
Lessens risk of dementia and Alzheimer
Reduces anxiety and depression
Increases attention span
Balances mind, body and spirit

The temazcal experience can be found throughout Mexico. The rituals vary from super luxurious to traditional and rugged. They can be private or with a small group. If you have a specific intention (i.e. increasing blood flow, releasing past trauma) a ritual can be crafted accordingly.

Regardless of your reasons for participating, one thing is for certain. If you live in Mexico, you’ve got to try temazcal!

Bethany Platanella is a travel and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. With her company, Active Escapes International, she plans and leads private and small-group active retreats. She loves Mexico’s local markets, Mexican slang, practicing yoga and fresh tortillas. Sign up for her (almost) weekly love letters or follow her Instagram account, @a.e.i.wellness.

Tesla to announce Nuevo León factory in January 2023, Milenio reports

By

MND Staff

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December 14, 2022

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Tesla's headquarters in Austin, Texas. (Austin Chamber of Commerce)

After the much-discussed visit of Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk to the state of Nuevo León in October, Tesla is set to announce its first vehicle plant in Mexico by January of next year, the news platform Milenio reported on Tuesday.

“Tesla will arrive in Santa Catarina [Nuevo León]. The investment will be finalized in the coming weeks and announced after year end,” read the document that Milenio reviewed. The remarks are in line with hints dropped by Nuevo León’s governor earlier this month; Governor Samuel García said that “historic” investments — supposedly among the largest in the state’s history — would be coming to Nuevo León soon.

The plant, which according to Milenio will assemble cargo trucks, would be built in a strategic quadrant in the municipality of Santa Catarina, near kilometer 51 of the Monterrey-Saltillo highway and 38 minutes away from downtown Monterrey, Nuevo León.

Strategically, Santa Catarina is a seven-hour drive from Tesla’s headquarters in Austin, Texas.

Technology magnate Elon Musk was spotted in Nuevo León, sparking speculation about plans for a new Tesla plant in the area.Creative Commons

Due to a non-disclosure agreement between the parties, the identity of the owner of the land where the factory would be built remains unknown. “It is my understanding that the land has been bought,” an unidentified source told Milenio, “… however it is true that Elon Musk made them sign a non-disclosure agreement.” That same source added that nearby properties “will go up” in price.

Other sources told Milenio that the factory would be built in a racetrack (now stables) that never received a license to operate. Back in 2015, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation had plans to build a theme park in that same spot.

While visiting the area, Milenio reporters found that the factory would be built in the same vicinity as Terralta Residencial & Country Club, where properties are currently sold for up to US $1 million.

Tesla, which was recently granted its own lane at the U.S.-Mexico border crossing in Nuevo León, already has suppliers in Nuevo León that include the Taiwanese companies EnFlex Corp. and Quanta Computer, French firm Faurecia SE, Germany’s ZF Friedrichshafen AG and APG.

With reports from Milenio

AMLO puts diplomatic relations ‘on hold’ with Peru as crisis deepens

By

Cat Rainsford

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December 14, 2022

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Peruvians gather outside regional headquarters of the Department of Lima to protest on Wednesday after Castillo's attempt to dissolve the national legislature. (J Erick Brazzan / Shutterstock)

President López Obrador declared that diplomatic relations with Peru were “on hold,” and said Mexico still considers ousted president Pedro Castillo Terrones to be the country’s democratically elected leader.

Peruvian police arrested Castillo last week. Then on Wednesday, Peru declared a nationwide state of emergency following intensifying protests left seven people dead.

AMLO made the announcement at his morning press conference on Tuesday. The day before, he issued a joint statement with the leaders of Colombia, Argentina and Bolivia expressing “profound concern” at the treatment of Castillo, who was impeached by the Peruvian Congress last week and subsequently arrested.

“For the world it is not news that President Castillo Terrones, since the day of his election, was the victim of an antidemocratic harassment,” the joint statement read. “Our governments call on all the actors involved in the process to prioritize the will of the people expressed at the ballot box.”

Former President Pedro Castillo at a government meeting in January. (Presidencia Perú / Flickr)

“The President [Castillo] won,” AMLO insisted, when pressed by La Jornada newspaper on Tuesday. “What the agreement [the joint statement] proposes, is that the will of the people who elected him must be respected, to recognize that he won democratically and he cannot be removed.”

He stated that Mexico would continue to view Castillo as the president of Peru “until they resolve it there, in terms of legality.”

“Relations are on hold as we wait to see what happens,” he said. “Hopefully a democratic solution can be found.”

Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard explained to the press on Tuesday that this does not mean a severing of relations, as Mexico will maintain its Peruvian embassy. Following the declaration of a state of emergency, Ebrard also announced coordinated efforts to “accelerate the return” of Mexican citizens currently in Peru.

President López Obardor spoke out in support of Castillo at a Tuesday morning press conference. (Presidencia de la República)

Castillo was arrested for “rebellion” on Dec. 7, after he attempted to dissolve Congress and assume emergency powers ahead of a congressional vote on his impeachment for corruption. His former vice president, Dina Boluarte, has assumed Peru’s presidency.

On Tuesday, Boluarte defended Castillo’s ouster, echoing Peru’s constitutional court in denouncing his behavior as an attempted coup. Nonetheless, she moved to ease diplomatic tensions, telling reporters she would call AMLO and other signatories to the joint statement to discuss the situation.

“Diplomatic relations remain the same with these brother nations,” she insisted.

But the tensions have already disrupted regional cooperation. A meeting of the Pacific Alliance countries of Mexico, Peru, Chile and Colombia, scheduled for this week, is currently postponed.

AMLO’s outspoken support for Castillo contrasts with his usual position of non-intervention in the affairs of other countries. He has long been an admirer of the leftist leader, whom he views as an ideological ally.

Following Castillo’s arrest, AMLO confirmed that the ousted leader had attempted to seek asylum in the Mexican embassy in Lima. He has repeatedly called for Castillo’s human rights to be respected and criticized what he calls Castillo’s persecution by Peru’s economic elites.

“We very much regret what is happening, especially for the suffering of the brotherly people of Peru,” AMLO told La Jornada on Tuesday. “We have always maintained that the so-called political leadership and economic interests, the media, are the ones that cause all this instability that harms the people.”

With reports from La Jornada, Reuters, Infobae and El País

For a dose of local culture (and a deal) find your Christmas tianguis

By

Leigh Thelmadatter

-

December 14, 2022

0

Zacatecas, Mexico, Christmas tianguis, or street market — Nativity scene supplies on sale at a Christmas *tianguis* in Zacatecas city. (Photo: Government of Zacatecas)

Love them or hate them, if you have lived in Mexico long enough, you have encountered the chaos of a tianguis, especially now during the Christmas season.

The word generally gets translated into English as “flea market” or “bazaar.” Coming from Nahuatl, it originally just meant “market,” since during the Mesoamerican era, just about all buying and selling happened in public plazas and streets.

Over time, the word’s meaning narrowed to indicate an itinerant street market that appears on certain days of the week or year.

Weekly tianguis tend to focus on people’s basic needs, but annual ones are dedicated to the special products for big holidays such as Day of the Dead and even Mexico’s Independence Day. But by far, the most important seasonal tianguis are those associated with Christmas.

A Mexico City street market in 1885 — Mexicans shopping at a *tianguis* in 1885. The open-air markets in Mexico are a tradition going back to pre-Hispanic times.

Found in just about every Mexican city, their appearance indicates that it is time to get ready for the weeks of get-togethers and other events that dominate life in Mexico from Dec. 12 — the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe) to Jan. 6 (Epiphany).

Most of these Christmas markets are set up adjacent to year-round municipal markets, extending the normal mercantile zone for blocks outwards. Larger ones will have hundreds of stands, and just about all tianguis will have more irregular stands and wandering vendors than those with official permits.

Streets and sidewalks are narrowed, even blocked, snarling traffic in the area for both cars and pedestrians. This is especially true in the days before Christmas and Epiphany, when people make last-minute purchases.

Cities often have authorized dates for the market, running from mid-November or the beginning of December until Dec. 24 or until just after Epiphany. Although supermarkets and department stores have begun to follow the United States custom of putting out Christmas decorations as early as August, this is not the case for the Christmas tianguis, which waits until the very important Day of the Dead passes.

Most of the decorative merchandise in these markets will be recognizable to Westerners.

The most traditional are small houses and accessories to set up Nativity scenes, which are still a focal point in Mexican homes at Christmas. The little houses are populated with handcrafted or mass-produced angels, the Holy Family and animals, but one unusual twist is the large, sometimes life-sized, images of the infant Jesus. These have special roles to play on Christmas Eve, Epiphany and Candlemas (Feb. 2).

Perhaps the most visible items in tianguis, especially in larger cities, are Christmas trees, lights and ornaments, which have been gaining popularity since they were introduced in the mid-20th century. Other common items include advent candle holders, poinsettias and wreaths.

Mexico does produce Christmas decorations, especially in Tlalpujahua, Michoacán, and Chignahuapan, Puebla, but imported Asian products are common too, so check the packaging.

Vendor at Mexico City tianguis — Mexico City’s Christmas *tianguis* are among the biggest in the country. (Photo: Government CDMX)

Handcrafted items are relatively hard to find; you need to look either in more rural markets or in tianguis that promote them — these items generally cost too much for most peso-conscious Mexicans.

Mexico also produces live Christmas trees, and most of the ones you see in a tianguis will be domestic since they are cheaper. Items that may seem unusual are hay and moss, which are placed around nativity scenes. I recommend avoiding the moss, as it is often unsustainably stripped from forests.

Christmas tianguis also contain a large number of stalls selling clothing, toys and much more. Vendors take advantage of the fact that people are shopping for gifts and that those with formal employment receive a Christmas bonus in the middle of December, known as the aguinaldo.

The Christmas tianguis is also a great place to try out street food. Many sell tacos to feed hungry shoppers, but there are also seasonal specialties to be found such as tamales, atole (a sweetened hot drink made from a corn flour base), ponche (a hot fruit drink) and buñelos (fried sweet bread).

Interestingly, these tianguis generally do not sell ingredients for the Christmas season’s special meals, e.g. turkeys, romeritos (a type of green, leafy vegetable) and seasonal fruits. But these items are available in the year-round market..

Christmas street market in Tlalpujahua, Michaocan, Mexico — The Christmas town of Tlalpujahua, Michoacán, becomes one big *tianguis* starting in September. (Photo: Alejandro Linares García)

Even if your city doesn’t have a dedicated Christmas tianguis, just about every year-round tianguis in Mexico sets up at least a few stalls for holiday-themed vendors.

A number of cities have notable Christmas tianguis:

In Mexico City, the huge Central de Abastos in the Itzapalapa borough and the Mercado Hidalgo in the Doctores neighborhood have popular Christmas tianguis.
The fireworks markets in Tultepec, Mexico state, north of the Mexico City metro area, also becomes a Christmas tianguis during the holidays.
Guadalajara has about 20 Christmas tianguis, including those at the San Juan de Díos market and at Refugio Park.
The city of Querétaro has a large Christmas tianguis every year downtown at the La Cruz open-air market.
La Paz, Baja California Sur’s downtown area sets up a dedicated Christmas tianguis every year at the beginning of December.
Mérida, Yucatán, has a tianguis that promotes Yucatán handcrafts.

Tianguis are still an important part of Mexico’s economy year-round, especially for the lower classes. They not only provide merchandise at lower prices, they provide needed income and employment that the formal economy cannot provide.

Unsurprisingly, Mexico’s efforts to “clean up” or eliminate them over the centuries has had mixed results at best.

Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico 18 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.