Isthmus corridor project secures US $4.5B in potential investment

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June 22, 2023

dignitaries applauding presentation on planned Isthmus of Tehuantepec project in Mexico — The corridor, a chain of 10 industrial parks to be built between the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz, has attracted investment from manufacturers of semiconductors, electronics and auto parts. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

The new industrial corridor planned for the Isthmus of Tehuantepec has already secured 52 letters of intent to invest from Mexican and foreign companies, representing US $4.5 billion.

The Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT) is a proposed chain of 10 new industrial parks between the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz, designed to attract investment in Mexico’s poorer and less-developed southern region.

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor. — The Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor will consist of 10 industrial parks connected by a rehabilitated railway.

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec connects the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. President Lopez Obrador has said it could eventually rival the Panama Canal.

Carlos Sedano Rodríguez, head of the CIIT’s Investment Promotion and Commercial Development Unit, said that the projects secured so far ranged in value from US $10 million to US $500 million each. Ten are from developers, and the other 42 are from companies that want to establish manufacturing plants in the industrial parks.

On Tuesday, the Economy Ministry announced a new round of public bidding for two-year concessions in five of the so-called “development poles” along the corridor, with registration of interested parties open from June 26 to 30.

The Finance Ministry previously announced a range of tax incentives to attract companies to the corridor, including a complete exemption from income tax during the first three years of operation and a 50% to 90% reduction during the subsequent three years. Business operations within the corridor will also be exempt from value-added tax (VAT).

Governor of Veracruz, Mexico, Cuitláhuac García Jiménez — Governor of Veracruz Cuitláhuac García Jiménez spoke this week with business delegates from Taiwan interested in nearshoring their manufacturing operations to Mexico. (Twitter)

The CIIT specifically aims to attract companies dedicated to electronics, semiconductors, car parts, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, electric power generation and distribution, information technology, metals and petrochemicals. However, Sedano stressed that other projects would also be considered.

Interested companies include semiconductor manufacturers from Taiwan. A delegation of 20 Taiwanese companies came to Mexico on Sunday to explore investment opportunities. They agreed to create a working group between Mexico and Taiwan to identify segments of the supply chain that could be moved to Mexico, taking advantage of the nearshoring phenomenon that has seen production processes move closer to U.S. markets.

Although northern Mexico has been the primary beneficiary of nearshoring, thanks to its location and established industries, an advantage of investing in the CIIT is the region’s plentiful water supply. Northern Mexico suffers recurrent, severe droughts.

“We [in the CIIT] have excess water, especially on the side of Veracruz, and Oaxaca is not bad [either],” Sedano said. “We can count on [having] water.”

The government has also sought to boost the attractiveness of the CIIT with plans to modernize the railroad and highways between Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, and Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, and to expand the ports in both cities.

The Navy has contributed to the corridor project and will control it once it is finished. President López Obrador has pledged that, although the trade corridor seeks to attract foreign investment, it is a “matter of sovereignty” that it should be administered by federal bodies.

With reports from Forbes and El Financiero

Volaris closes deal with Airbus for 25 new planes

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MND Staff

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June 22, 2023

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Volaris plane in Mexico City — The new flight will operate twice a week beginning on July 3. (Octavio Hoyos/Shutterstock)

Mexican low-cost airline Volaris has closed a deal with Airbus to purchase 25 planes, while its fellow low-cost carrier Viva Aerobus could reach an agreement with the French plane manufacturer later this month.

On Tuesday, Volaris announced it is ordering 25 A320NEO (New Engine Option) narrow-body planes as it pushes to expand its operations on domestic flights and with destinations in the United States and Central America. The purchase comes as part of an agreement reached this past October, according to news outlet Aristegui Noticias, and leaves 143 planes yet to be delivered

Airbus plane — Volaris plans to have an all-Airbus NEO fleet by 2028. (Wikimedia Commons)

“These aircraft will support the company’s long-term business viability, as well as our sustainability strategy,” CEO of Volaris Enrique Beltranena said during the 2023 Air Show in Paris.

The new planes will help the airline boost its goal of operating an all-Airbus NEO fleet by 2028. With more than 170 planes of this style, Volaris currently has the most A320NEO aircraft in Latin America.

Since its launch in 2005, the Mexican carrier, considered by specialized media to be the largest in the country, has only operated Airbus aircraft.

Meanwhile, Viva Aerobus is reportedly negotiating a deal with Airbus for at least 90 narrow-body jets of the same family. Sources told Reuters on Wednesday that the transaction will fall outside the Paris Air Show, the world’s biggest air exhibition.

Viva Aerobus plane — Viva Aerobus is another Mexican low-cost carrier in the market for more planes. (Viva Aerobus/Twitter)

According to sources, negotiations between both companies have taken place alongside the ongoing airshow and report it is likely both companies will close a deal for approximately 90 aircraft and announce it this week.

Reuters reported that Airbus declined to comment and that Viva Aerobus was not immediately available. The airline previously told Reuters it had an ongoing order of A321NEO with Airbus with deliveries until 2027. The carrier said it has not signed a new deal with any manufacturer.

Viva Aerobus has long been a battleground in the fight for market dominance between Airbus and Boeing. In 2013, the airline switched from Boeing to Airbus with an order for 40 Airbus A320 jets worth up to US $4 billion after a fierce competition between the two aviation giants.

Prior to the start of the Paris Air Show, sources told Reuters that Airbus is favored to win again.

Both Volaris and Viva Aerobus registered historic numbers of passengers in 2022, together transporting more than 50 million travelers. Both have also expanded their network this year and have added new domestic flights.

With reports from Aristegui Noticias, Reuters, Reuters and The Logistics World

2 new CDMX hotel options offer central locations and a wow factor

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Lydia Carey

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June 22, 2023

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San Fernando doorway — San Fernando Hotel in Condesa has been recently renovated by Texas-based hotel group Bunkhouse and is now a major contender for best hotel in the neighborhood. (Chad Wadsworth)

Mexico City has come roaring back from any pause the pandemic may have caused in local tourism. Dozens of new hotels are opening in the next 12 to 18 months in the capital, and while it can be a blur scrolling through everything on offer, two hotels opened this month that I’m especially excited about.

Both are great for travelers who want both a unique hospitality experience as well as access to the city’s central neighborhoods and their attractions.

Volga Lounge — Both hotels bask in high-end design. Hotel Volga, with its industrial architectural elements, has a hypermodern vibe. (Lydia Carey)

While not technically brand new, San Fernando Hotel in Condesa has been recently renovated by Texas-based hotel group Bunkhouse and is now a major contender for best hotel in the neighborhood.

Inside a 1947 Art Deco beauty, designers from Bunkhouse carefully curated a look that incorporates some of the building’s finest elements — beautiful stained glass, casement windows, an undulating geometric staircase — with more modern amenities like high-speed Wi-Fi, updated bathrooms and a sexy new bar and lounge on the first floor.

Small touches like the handmade pendant lights from local artisan Julie Bramely-Sanchez and a chandelier by award-winning Mexico City designer Rebeca Cors are the result of the design team’s commitment to a uniquely Mexican style that’s firmly rooted in the city.

The new bar and lounge, with its jewel-toned furniture and colorful Pop Art really takes advantage of the hotel’s incredible location — a few feet away from Parque México, the neighborhood’s most prestigious park, and on a street that sees heavy foot traffic in the heart of Art Deco Condesa. San Fernando’s outdoor tables and its open entryway beckon you in off the street for a drink, creating a space for locals and visitors to rub shoulders among the low-lit couches.

San Fernando Bar — San Fernando’s cocktail menu only takes a few risks — options like pox liquor from Chiapas and craft mezcals among them — but it offers a solid range of classic and house cocktails. (Chad Wadsworth)

The cocktail menu isn’t exceptionally risky, but Bunkhouse have anchored it with elements representing the mexicanidad of its location — e.g. Indigenous pox liquor from Chiapas and a roster of several different mezcals — and they have a solid list of classic and house cocktails.

The food menu consists of small plates that are more international in tone, such as watermelon salad with mint feta and pistachios, charcuterie boards and a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich. Three new rooftop suites are available, and rooms come in a variety of sizes and arrangements, including a six-person suite for large groups.

The best rooms are the king-sized singles outfitted like tiny retro apartments — be sure to ask for one with a private balcony.

Moving from the historic to the hypermodern, Volga has opened just off of Reforma Avenue in the Cuauhtémoc neighborhood. Brought to Mexico City by the same folks who opened Casa Polanco last year, Volga’s industrial chic design can be credited to JSa, one of the city’s most renowned young architectural firms. It has designed other gems like the Carlota and Umbral hotels.

Volga Hotel CDMX — Volga is designed by JSa, who are behind some of the most exciting architectural projects in the city. (Lydia Carey)

Volga seeks to be both a base for your Mexico City journey and a journey of the senses in and of itself, with curated playlists, local artwork, an omakase chef’s table, DJs in the lobby and rooftop yoga.

Like other hotels in the Hamak Hotels portfolio, Volga attracts an international crowd of fashionistas, design lovers and creatives looking to rub shoulders in the basement speakeasy or take in the skyline from the rooftop pool. Rooms are arranged around a U-shaped air shaft that dominates the center of the building. The tiny triangle-shaped balconies hidden behind wood-slatted windows give guests the option of joining the fun or tucking away into their own private space.

Simple and sleek, the black-and-white interiors give the rooms a timeless look, and regardless of their limited square footage, the tall ceilings, exposed beams and open design make them feel expansive.

There’s a lot going on here — events, classes, “happenings,” even a concept store, but it also has a great location for seeing some of the city’s best attractions — the historic downtown, Reforma Avenue on Sunday morning (when the street is closed for several hours to encourage outdoor recreation) and the Chapultepec park museums.

The San Fernando has rooms starting at US $200 a night and going upwards of $450, while all rooms at Volga are set at US $360 a night, with rates subject to change in the near future.

Architecture and ambiance are an integral part of each hotel’s draw, but their excellent locations also provide access to some of the city’s best sites and eateries, making either a great and convenient getaway.

Lydia Carey is a freelance writer and translator based out of Mexico City. She has been published widely both online and in print, writing about Mexico for over a decade. She lives a double life as a local tour guide and is the author of Mexico City Streets: La Roma. Follow her urban adventures on Instagram and see more of her work at www.mexicocitystreets.com.

Court: anyone ‘with capacity to gestate’ can dispute abortion laws

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MND Staff

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June 22, 2023

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Women marching in Sept. 2022 for abortion rights in Chiapas — Women marching in favor of decriminalizing abortion in September in Chiapas, one of 21 states in Mexico with laws making abortion a crime. The Supreme Court ruling paves the way for more citizens to challenge such state laws, even when not currently trying to obtain an abortion. (Isabel Mateos Hinjosa/Cuartoscuro)

The Supreme Court (SCJN) has ruled that all women — as well as other people “with the capacity to gestate” — can challenge state laws against abortion, whether they are pregnant or not.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the SCJN noted that the decision came after two lower courts handed down contradictory rulings on whether the condition of being a woman or “person with the capacity to gestate” was sufficient to “recognize their legitimate interest” to challenge laws that establish abortion as a crime, even if the complainant isn’t pregnant.

Justice Jorge Mario Pardo Rebolledo of Mexico's Supreme Court — Justice Jorge Mario Pardo Rebolledo presided over the Supreme Court session in the first chamber on Wednesday. (SCJN)

First trimester abortion is legal in 11 of Mexico’s 32 federal entities but remains an offense in the other 21 even though the SJCN ruled in 2021 that the criminalization of abortion is unconstitutional.

The SCJN said that its first chamber determined that laws that penalize abortion affect the cultural and social rights of people with the capacity to gestate, contributing to the creation of an adverse environment in which to exercise their human rights.

Such laws promote the belief that having an abortion is not the right thing to do from an ethical standpoint and “increase stigma for those who turn to these medical services,” the court said.

The SCJN said that its first chamber determined that while laws that punish abortion “directly affect pregnant people,” they also have an impact on “those who have the capacity to gestate” but are not currently expecting a child as they send “a discriminatory message” to them.

Activists celebrate decriminalization of abortion in Quintana Roo in 2022 — Activists celebrate in Quintana Roo in October after the state Congress passed legislation decriminalizing it in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Many states passed such legislation after a 2021 Supreme Court ruling that such laws are unconstitutional. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

Laws punishing abortion have an impact on “their right to choose their life plan” and on “their sexual and reproductive rights,” it added.

“… The chamber concluded that the sole condition of being a woman or person with the capacity to gestate is sufficient to recognize” their right to file a legal challenge against the classification of abortion as a crime “without the need” to be immediately subject to relevant laws, the SCJN said.

Challenging state based laws against abortion on the basis that they are unconstitutional could result in a complainant being granted an injunction that authorizes the termination of a pregnancy and thus exempts them from punishment.

The issuance of injunctions in states where abortion has not been decriminalized could pave the way for the legalization of the termination of pregnancies in the first 12 weeks.

Puebla, Sonora, Chiapas and Nuevo León are among the states where abortion hasn’t been legalized, except in cases of rape or a risk to the mother’s life.

With reports from Aristegui Noticias

Inflation slows to 5.18% in first half of June

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MND Staff

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June 22, 2023

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Limes in a Mexican supermarket — Inflation is on a downward trend but it's still far from the 3% rate the Bank of Mexico would like to see. (ProtoplasmaKid/Wikimedia Commons)

Inflation in Mexico slowed to its lowest level in over two years in the first half of June, but still remains well above the central bank’s target.

The annual headline inflation rate was 5.18% during the first 15 days of the month, the national statistics agency INEGI reported Thursday.

INEGI graph showing inflation trajectory in Mexico — This graph shows the annual trajectory of inflation from the first 15-day period of June to the next each year since 2014. The dark green line represents headline inflation, while the light green shows core inflation. (INEGI)

The rate, down from 5.84% in May, is the lowest since March 2021, and slightly below the 5.3% consensus forecast of analysts surveyed by the news agency Reuters.

The Bank of México (Banxico) targets inflation of 3% with tolerance for variation of one percentage point in either direction.

Mexico’s core inflation rate, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was 6.91% in the first half of June, a decline of 0.48 percentage points from the end of May. That figure was below a 7.02% forecast of analysts polled by Reuters.

The publication of the latest inflation data on Thursday morning comes just hours before members of the Banxico board convene to discuss monetary policy.

Person smoking in Mexico City — Processed food, beverages and tobacco were 10.67% more expensive in May than a year earlier, according to INEGI. (Victoria Valtierra Ruvalcaba/Cuartoscuro)

With inflation slowing but still higher than desired, the central bank is widely expected to keep its benchmark interest rate at the record high level of 11.25%.

After the bank’s board voted unanimously in May to keep the rate at 11.25%, Banxico said it “considers that it will be necessary to maintain the reference rate at its current level for an extended period.”

In the same statement, the central bank predicted that headline inflation will fall to 4.7% by the end of 2023 and continue declining next year to reach 3.1% in Q4 of 2024.

INEGI’s data shows that processed food, beverages and tobacco were 10.67% more expensive in May than a year earlier, while meat prices rose 2.81% and the cost of fruit and vegetables was up 3.67%. Inflation for those products was lower than that reported at the end of May.

The cost of non-food goods rose 5.65% annually, while services were 5.23% more expensive. Those figures also declined compared to May.

Energy costs, including those for gasoline and electricity, fell 2.6% annually in the first half of June.

Bank of Mexico governors — The Bank of Mexico’s governors board meet Thursday to discuss monetary policy. They are expected to keep Mexico’s benchmark rate at 11.25%. (Presidencia and Galo Cañas Rodríguez of Cuartoscuro)

At his Thursday morning press conference, President López Obrador — whose government entered into an anti-inflation pact with the private sector – said that the decline in inflation reported by INEGI was cause for celebration.

“Some people might say: ‘How does that help me?’ Well, a lot, because your income goes further,” he said.

“… If inflation is up, you buy less, your income isn’t enough. So this is an achievement and … the peso remains very strong. The economy is doing very well, there are jobs and the people are happy in the countryside and in the cities,” López Obrador said.

With reports from El Financiero, El Economista and Forbes México

Huevos motuleños: art meets flavor in the Yucatán’s best breakfast

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Ethan Jacobs

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June 21, 2023

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Huevos-motuleños-20 — Adding plantain or (for the brave) a hot pepper can elevate this already loft dish even further. (nutmegnanny.com)

You hear the crunch of the base tortilla as soon as you cut in. Slathered in a thin layer of refried black beans, then fried once more, it’s the bedrock of one of the Yucatan’s most iconic dishes: huevos motuleños.

The dish became a southern Mexico breakfast staple way before any of our times, and it’s only grown in popularity over the years.

Motul municipal hall — Motul, Yucatán, the home of huevos motuleños. (Alejandro Linares Garcia/Wikimedia)

Named after the Yucatán city of Motul, it’s a work of art: a baroque brunch on a crispy tortilla canvas that’s a melange of reds, yellows, and oranges, dotted pink — and green for good measure — because art is play, and who doesn’t like to play with their food?

When the side of your fork slices in and runny egg yolk oozes out, it’s like the breaking of a dam, transforming the base of your plate into a reservoir of burnt orange. It’s a feast for the eyes — and don’t get me started on the flavor.

One hundred years ago, when Yucatán governor Felipe Carrillo Puerto walked into La Sin Rival eatery with artist Diego Rivera, Mexico’s education minister José Vasconcelos and writer Jaime Torres Bodet — among others — he couldn’t have known the role he’d play in changing the face of Mexican gastronomy.

As the story goes, while entertaining his guests during a trip to the Yucatán, they made a stop to eat at the famed Motul culinary institution. Carrillo asked the chef to bring out his favorites: eggs, refried beans, ham and peas.

Jorge Siqueff Febles (far right) is credited with creating the authentic huevos motuleños for Yucatan’s governor, Felipe Carillo Puerto. (midcitybeat)

Short on plates, the chef, Jorge Siqueff Febles, opted to pile all the ingredients onto one platter, layering them between fried tortillas and covering them in salsa. The guests loved it, and when Vasconcelos asked Carrillo — a native to Motul — what he called the dish, he told Vasconcelos: “These are the authentic huevos motuleños.”

Since then, the dish has evolved, undergoing countless iterations in the face of changing circumstances. In Carrillo’s days, Motul was a sizable mercantile hub, its proximity to the Caribbean coast facilitating trade between locals and European merchants. As a result, early versions of the recipe called for Spanish jamón serrano as opposed to the cubed ham used today; the state had no meatpacking industry at the time.

Siqueff also tinkered with the preparation of onions that went into the sauce, frying them first in olive oil brought in by foreign merchants. Occasionally, fried sweet plantains were added, which became so popular that patrons demanded it each time they ordered it — that and the lone habanero pepper that sits atop the dish.

What makes this dish so special is its balance, despite it being a plate full of contrasts. The fried tortilla — dry and crisp — sits beneath soft, creamy eggs and a runny tomato salsa, whose acid shares the spotlight with the salt of the tortilla-bean combination, the sweetness of the plantains and the savory sensation of each mouthful of eggs.

huevos motuleños dish — The crunchy, colorful, rich huevos motuleños have become of Mexico’s most iconic – and best – breakfast dishes. (great-taste.net)

Those brave enough to nibble on the habanero before digging in will tell you that the eggs and refried beans are the perfect neutralizers for heat, allowing you to tiptoe to the edge of setting your mouth on fire before taking refuge in one satisfying bite after another. And if you go to the right place — a certain second-floor spot in Motul’s 20 de Noviembre market — that burnt-orange reservoir you’re left with gets sopped up with a basket of freshly baked bread.

The fact that one plate can play host to so many unique components — seemingly the end-product of a basket of mystery ingredients beyond the imagination of cooking shows like “Chopped” or “Masterchef” — is a marvel. But maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised.

Often, it’s the things we least expect to work well that end up pairing perfectly. And in that way, on this plate, art mimics life.

Ethan Jacobs is a freelance writer and writing coach based in Mérida. He has written extensively in narrative and short fiction formats, and his work has received recognition both domestically and internationally in microfiction, short fiction, and narrative essay formats.

Leatherback sea turtle nests in Tulum for first time in 36 years

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MND Staff

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June 21, 2023

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leatherback turtles at Xcacel-Xcacelito turtle sanctuary in Tulum, Mexico — The sea turtle was spotted at the Xcacel-Xcacelito turtle sanctuary during the nesting season, an encouraging sign for the currently endangered species. (Wikimedia Commons)

A leatherback sea turtle, the largest turtle species in the world, was spotted in the Xcacel-Xcacelito turtle sanctuary in Tulum for the first time in 36 years, the Institute of Biodiversity and Protected Natural Areas of the state of Quintana Roo (Ibanqroo) reported.

The turtle sighting happened during the nesting season between May 1 and June 16.

Leatherback turtle — The largest turtle species in the world, leatherbacks are unique for their distinctive leathery shell. (NOAA)

Located 45 km south of Playa del Carmen, Xcacel-Xcacelito has been a protected natural area since 1998 and is considered a wetland of international importance, also known as a Ramsar site. The area covers 362 hectares of jungle, beaches, mangroves, cenotes and coral reefs and has become an important tourist destination in Quintana Roo.

According to the Ramsar Convention, Xcacel-Xcacelito has the highest breeding index in the state and in all of Mexico for the green sea turtle.

Between 1996 and 2022, the sanctuary recorded 54,214 white or green turtle nests and 9,030 loggerhead turtle nests. Some 4.7 million white or green turtles and 712,000 loggerhead turtle hatchlings have been released in the sanctuary since.

The leatherback sea turtle can weigh between 750 to 1,000 pounds and grow as long as 5 to 6 feet. Named after their tough rubbery skin, these turtles have existed in their current form since the age of the dinosaurs.

The area of Xcacel-Xcacelito, where the leatherback was seen nesting, is a Ramsar site that functions as a turtle sanctuary. (Government of Quintana Roo)

Once dominant in every ocean except the Arctic and Antarctic, the leatherback has rapidly declined in many parts of the world and is listed under the Endangered Species Act. In Mexico, leatherbacks have been found both in the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico. Coastal development, however, has limited the areas where turtles can nest and forage, resulting in habitat loss.

“In collaboration with various sectors of society, strategies and concrete measures are being developed to protect these endangered species, as well as to promote scientific research and continuous monitoring of their population,” Ibanqroo said.

Mexico is one of the most important turtle nesting sites in the world: six of the world’s seven species of sea turtles nest on Mexico’s beaches.

The two main turtle nesting areas are the Baja California Peninsula in the Pacific and the Yucatán Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico.

With reports from La Jornada Maya and Lector Mx

2 killed in Mexico City bus station shooting following failed robbery

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MND Staff

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June 21, 2023

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Central del Sur shooting June 20 2023 — An attempted robbery at Mexico City's southern bus terminal left two dead and two wounded on Tuesday. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)

Two presumed criminals were shot and killed by employees of a private security company at a bus station in Mexico City on Tuesday.

Mexico City Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said on Twitter that cash-in-transit personnel responded with their own gunfire when they were targeted in an attempted robbery at the Central del Sur bus station in the southern borough of Coyoacán.

As many as four people attempted to rob the cash-in-transit company Transval at the Central del Sur bus station in Mexico City. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)

“Two probable culprits lost their lives,” he wrote.

The Mexico City Attorney General’s Office said that two others were wounded. The newspaper El Financiero identified them as employees of the cash-in-transit company Transval.

As many as four alleged criminals reportedly participated in the attempted robbery. Mexico City authorities didn’t say whether police made any arrests.

Videos posted to social media show people running for cover and hiding under seats in the bus station as gunshots ring out.

In a separate incident later on Tuesday, two people were shot in the parking lot of a McDonald’s restaurant in the Mexico City neighborhood of Juárez.

A 16-year-old youth and a 46-year-old man were in a luxury SUV when they came under attack, according to the Mexico City Security Ministry.

Both were taken to hospital for treatment. The man later died, the news magazine Proceso reported.

Two men, both aged in their 30s, were detained in connection with the attack. A taxi driver told the El Universal newspaper that they had been chasing and shooting at the vehicle from a motorcycle.

With reports from El Financiero, El Universal and Proceso

Helicopter contracted by Pemex crashes in Gulf of Mexico

By

MND Staff

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June 21, 2023

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Pemex offshore drilling — A Pemex oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. (Pemex/Twitter)

A helicopter owned by a firm that provides transport services for state oil company Pemex crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off the Campeche coast Wednesday morning.

The pilot and co-pilot appeared to be unaccounted for at 3:00 p.m. Mexico City time, but at least one newspaper reported that they had died.

Helicopter from Heliservicio — The company Heliservicio provides helicopter transport services for Pemex. (Heliservicio)

No one else was onboard the aircraft when it came down at 6:43 a.m. approximately 11 nautical miles from Ciudad del Carmen, according to a Pemex statement.

The state oil company said that a helicopter owned by Heliservicio was involved in a “regrettable accident” near the Bay of Campeche while flying to Gulf of Mexico oil platforms.

A helicopter featured on the Heliservicio website is emblazoned with the message “at the service of Pemex.”

Pemex said that an emergency response plan was immediately activated following the accident and that two navy vessels were dispatched to search for and rescue the pilot and co-pilot. The state oil company also said that the cause of the crash was under investigation.

The newspaper El Financiero said that it was told by a source – which it didn’t name – that the pilot and co-pilot didn’t survive the accident.

Pemex has numerous drilling rigs and oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, including the Bay of Campeche.

With reports from El Financiero

Ancient Maya city discovered in Campeche

By

MND Staff

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June 21, 2023

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Lidar image of ancient city — Researchers used LiDAR imaging to survey the ancient city, deep in the jungle of Campeche. (INAH)

Fifteen-meter high pyramids, numerous cylindrical stone columns and a ball court are among the features of an ancient Maya city recently rediscovered amid jungle in the southeastern state of Campeche.

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) announced the “discovery” of the “monumental site”, which has been named Ocomtún, which means “stone column” in the Yucatec Mayan language.

Archaeological site in Campeche — Archaeologists believe the site dates to the Classic period, which lasted from A.D. 250–1,000. (INAH/Cuartoscuro.com)

The pre-Hispanic city is located within the Balamkú ecological reserve in the municipality of Calakmul.

A team of researchers led by Slovenian archeologist Ivan Šprajc reached the site by traversing 60 kilometers along logging paths covered with thick vegetation, INAH said in a statement issued Tuesday.

Prior to their expedition, experts from the University of Houston’s National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM) used the laser surveying method known as LiDAR (light detection and ranging) to scan the area where Ocomtún was located.

NCALM’s images were of “great assistance” to the researchers as they indicated the “probable” presence of “archaeological relics,” INAH said.

Archaeologist Ivan Šprajc — Slovenian archaeologist Ivan Šprajc led the research team exploring the Ocomtún site. (INAH)

Šprajc, who is well known for his work at and study of Maya archaeological sites, said that the “the greatest surprise” on the recent exhibition in Campeche “turned out to be the site located on a ‘peninsula’ of elevated land surrounded by extensive wetlands.”

The “monumental core” of Ocomtún “covers more than 50 hectares and has several buildings of large dimension, including several pyramids over 15 meters high,” he said.

Šprajc said that “the site served as an important center at the regional level, probably during the Classic period,” which lasted from 250-1,000 AD.

Ceramics collected at the site appeared to be from the late Classic period of 600-800 AD, the archaeologist said, adding that an analysis of the samples would provide more reliable information about the occupation of Ocomtún.

Finding at Campeche site — A column found on the site. (Ivan Ṡprajc/INAH)

Šprajc, who was quoted in the INAH statement, said that the numerous stone columns must have been part of entrances to upper rooms of the buildings that make up the ancient Maya city.

In the southeast of the site, there are three plazas, or squares, surrounded by “imposing buildings,” he said.

“Between the two largest plazas a group of several low and long structures stretches out, almost in concentric circles. There is also a ball court,” Šprajc said.

A calzada, or road, connects the buildings in the southeast of the site to the northeast of the ancient city, where the “most voluminous” structure is located. Šprajc described the building as an approximately 10-meter high rectangular “acropolis” with sides measuring 80 meters. Atop the northern part of the structure is a pyramid, its apex 25 meters above land.

Šprajc also said that “construction elements” removed from buildings at Ocomtún were found in places of worship within courtyards and plazuelas (small squares) at the site.

Findings at Campeche site — This stone has been identified as an altar by the archaeologists. (Ivan Šprajc/INAH)

Their removal reflected “ideological and population changes in times of crisis that finally, by the 10th century, led to the collapse of the complex socio-political organization and the drastic demographic decline in the central Maya lowlands,” he said.

The archaeologist also noted that he and his team explored structures similar to those at Ocomtún in an area extending to the La Rigueña River. Various groups of structures were found, “which in some cases include a ball court and central altars in others,” Šprajc said.

Some of those structures might be markets or “spaces used for community rituals,” he said, adding that future investigations will be required to determine their function.

The laser mapping and exhibition that led to the re-discovery of Ocomtún were carried out as part of an INAH project called “Ampliando el panorama arqueológico de las Tierras Bajas Centrales mayas” or “Broadening the Archaeological Panorama of the Central Maya Lowlands.”

“The initiative seeks to increase knowledge of a vast area practically unknown to archaeology,” INAH said, noting that the uninhabited, jungle-covered 3,000-square-kilometer zone occupies the central part of the state of Campeche.

Among the other Maya sites in the Yucatán Peninsula state are Calakmul, Edzná and Becán.

Mexico News Daily