Michiel Desmet shows off his handbike in Cherán, Michoacán, which as this article went to press has traveled over 9,000 km in three countries. (Photos: courtesy of Michiel Desmet and Chiara Maffina)
European bikepackers Michiel Desmet and Chiara Maffina have braved blazing sun, pouring rain and fierce winds to break the world’s record in distance traveled by handbike, but despite their exhaustion, they could not resist Mexico’s charms.
The pair recently made an 8,600-km journey together from Alaska to Baja — he on a handbike and she on a conventional mountain bike carrying most of their gear — to help Desmet set a new Guinness World Record for distance handbiking.
Maffina and Desmet stop to let someone take their picture outside of Tepic, Nayarit.
Fresh off their record-breaking victory, the pair have continued their trip a bit longer, deciding to tour through Baja California, Sinaloa, Michoacán and Campeche and more. They will be here another month, taking in more of the country that has greeted them with such support and enthusiasm.
They will be in the country until March 24.
In 2013, avid traveler Desmet found his world in a tailspin when his bus in Thailand crashed and a spinal cord injury put him in a wheelchair.
“I had to reevaluate my whole life.” he said.
The Belgian needed to find some sense of his former freedom.
“That freedom came in the form of a handbike,” he said, which he found much faster and more travel-friendly than a wheelchair.
This led to the idea of breaking the world record for handbike riding.
He settled on a Alaska-to-California route, with the distance more than enough to break the former record of 5,421 km set in 2002.
“But I could not do it alone, nor did I want to,” he said.
Enter Italian-born Maffina. Also a traveler, she met Desmet in Portugal. Shortly afterward, Desmet proposed the Alaska-to-California trip, which she thought was crazy.
Nonetheless, the two agreed to a trip in which she would ride a conventional mountain bike alongside Desmet on his handbike, and they began preparations. Physical training was important, but the main issue was logistics.
Desmet on hot and sunny Playa de Coyote in Baja.
First there was fundraising for basic expenses. They used crowdfunding sites and got grants from organizations such as the King Baudouin Foundation. Most importantly, they worked out the bare minimum necessities of food, camping equipment and medical supplies since Maffina would have to carry just about everything; the handbike had limited space.
The two left Anchorage in June 2022 under the name Vid Expedition. The original goal was 6,500 km, which would be easily attained before arriving at the Mexican border.
As they got to Oregon, they met bikepackers who recommended Mexico, especially Baja. One major attraction of Mexico for both Desmet and Maffina was that they were tired of Canada and the U.S., which they felt was too much like Europe.
So they crossed the Mexico-U.S. border at Tijuana and continued on, zigzagging the peninsula — San Felipe, Mulegé, etc., until they made it to La Paz. They smashed the record with 8,600 documentable kilometers but decided that enough was enough.
Yet, instead of ending the trip, they decided to focus on seeing Mexico, combining biking with buses and even hitchhiking.
Desmet’s and Maffina’s success is in no small part because of the generosity of locals, who have offered food, water and shelter in all three countries, but Mexico has been particularly generous, the pair said.
Just south of Lake Chapala, the two stopped on a field road in Michoacán. They and their bikes almost always attract the attention of local children.
One of the first issues they faced in Mexico was the difficulty in getting the large quantity of catheters that Desmet needs. Unable to use legal channels, they met a Russian immigrant in La Paz that drove them to the border at Mexicali (and back) and asparagus harvesters who crossed illegally to get their package in Calexico, California. The Mazatlán ferry company waived their fare in exchange for a presentation at a rehabilitation center.
Once on the mainland, the two avoided main roads as much as possible. From Mazatlán to San Blas, they literally hugged the shoreline, riding on local roads and low tide-exposed beaches, negotiating with local fishermen to cross isolated rivers and coastal islands.
“We were often alone on the beach with just the birds,” says Desmet. “It was so beautiful.”
This meant that they spent a lot of time in local villages, attracting a lot of attention. Swarms of children would approach them and their bikes. Locals offered food and other support. When a part on Desmet’s bike broke, a local took them to Tequila, where a replacement was made.
In eastern Michoacán, a local man not only put them up in their home for the night but also insisted on taking them to see the monarch butterflies.
Although they stayed as much as possible with Warm Showers hosts (a volunteer support for bikepackers), in various places they needed to find somewhere to camp. One good bet has been with local parish churches, who allowed them to set up for the night on their grounds.
Maffina entering Mexico through the border crossing in Tijuana.
When I interviewed the couple, they were staying with a Warm Shower host, preparing for the last leg of their journey: a bus ride to Campeche, with a month to be spent riding around the Yucatán Peninsula to see what they can of the region before they fly back to Europe.
In the end, they estimate that they will have cycled about 10,000 km.
Despite warnings about Mexico being dangerous, Desmet and Maffina’s experience biking throughout the country has been extremely positive. They are full of stories about generous people who just want to be a small part of their adventure. They found the highly isolated areas in Baja very safe to camp as “…there was absolutely no one around to bother us.”
Maffina loved the lonely stretches of road in many places, but others were simply inadequate for cycling of any kind, and cycling at night was out of the question. Desmet recalls that he hit one of Mexico’s infamous “invisible” speed bumps, causing a shoe to fly off. It got stuck in his disk brake, causing smoke from the friction.
But that is nothing, the couple says, compared to the aggression they got from drivers in Oregon and California who would deliberately drive too close.
Would they come back to cycle Mexico again? Absolutely.
They still accept donations, needing help with video editing, especially the footage from Mexico. Those interested in helping financially can head to Patreon or to Go Get Funding.
Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico over 20 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019). Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily.
CORRECTION: Due to editorial error, the original version of this article mischaracterized the itinerary of the trip that Desmet and Maffina took to break the Guinness distance handbiking record.
White and black sesame seeds taste almost the same but create entirely different looks.
While “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” could be the song sesame seeds usually sing, their crunchy, nutty flavor perks up many a dish.
You’ll find them in basics like bread and rolls; in sweets like brittles, bars and cookies; and in an international roster of savory dishes that includes everything from tahini and tuna poke to salsas and crusted fish and poultry.
Japan and China prize sesame oil; Arabic countries make hummus and halvah and use tahini (sesame seed paste) in all sorts of dishes; in France and Sicily, a plethora of traditional breads and breadsticks depend on the little seeds — also called benne — for their crispy, nutty flavor.
This popularity is partly because the sesame plant grows easily in tropical climates, needing little care. It is drought- and heat-tolerant and well-suited for cultivation in desert areas like India and Africa, which produce the most.
Mexico is also a big producer of sesame seeds, mainly in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero. (Interestingly, most of Mexico’s crop is exported to the U.S. by McDonald’s for its hamburger rolls!) The edible seeds grow in pods that look much like okra and are prized for their high oil content and rich, nutty taste. After pressing sesame seeds to make oil, even what’s left is prized as a livestock feed because of its protein content.
In Mexico, the word for sesame seeds is ajonjolí, and you can find them in bulk in mercados and packaged in grocery stores. Where I live in Mazatlán, there’s one farmer at the weekly organic market who grows sesame seeds.
Nutty, hot and sweet all at the same time, traditional salsa macha livens up anything it touches.
Hulled white sesame seeds are most commonly preferred due to their appearance and slightly sweeter flavor than their black counterparts. Both can be toasted for a more nutty taste and crisper mouth-feel or used to coat fish (most commonly tuna) or chicken before sautéing. Black sesame has a more bitter flavor, although most of us can’t taste the difference; feel free to use whichever suits your fancy.
Where, you might wonder, did the phrase “open sesame” come from, and why does it indicate magic? Well, when sesame seeds are ripe, the pods split open with a discernible pop. Some say that’s the origin of the Syrian folk tale “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” where the phrase was first used as a secret command to open a hidden cave.
While you won’t need any secret passwords to unlock the secrets of cooking with sesame seeds, it can’t hurt to murmur “open sesame” as you try the recipes below.
Salsa Macha
This traditional Veracruz sauce livens up roasted vegetables, grilled meats or even baked potatoes with sour cream.
½ cup raw unsalted peanuts
4 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
2 oz. dried chipotle chiles (1½ to 2 cups), stemmed and seeded
1 tsp. salt, or to taste
1 Tbsp. brown sugar, or to taste
3 Tbsp. white vinegar
Heat some oil over medium heat in skillet until very hot but not smoking. Add peanuts and garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds, until peanuts begin to turn color. Don’t let them scorch! Add sesame seeds and chiles; stir and fry for a minute or until chiles are lightly toasted.
Remove pan from heat. Transfer contents, including the oil, to food processor or blender. Add salt, sugar and vinegar; blend until almost smooth. (Salsa will have a little texture.)
Pour into container; cool. Store in refrigerator up to a week.
Sesame-Crusted Fish with Ginger-Butter Sauce
1 cup sesame seeds
4 skinless fish fillets, 6 oz. each (snapper, dorado, sea bass)
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp. neutral oil, like corn or canola
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. minced or grated fresh ginger
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
¼ cup water
Preheat oven to 200 F (100 C). Heat large, heavy skillet over medium heat; add oil.
Pour sesame seeds on a plate. Season fillets with salt and pepper, then dredge both sides in sesame seeds, coating as much as possible. Brown fish quickly in hot oil, 1–2 minutes each side. Remove fish to plate or baking sheet and place in oven.
When skillet has cooled slightly, place over medium heat. Add butter. Once it melts, stir in ginger, soy sauce and ¼ cup water. Return fish to skillet. Turn heat to medium; cook fish 1–3 minutes until desired doneness, turning several times. (If needed, add 2–3 Tbsp. water.) Fish is done when a knife meets little resistance at fillet’s thickest point.
Serve at once.
Chickpeas and sesame seeds team up to make an easy, exotic and delicious snack.
Crunchy Chickpeas with Sesame and Lime
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and patted dry
1½ tsp. sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. lime zest
Salt
Heat oven to 400 F (200 C). Spread chickpeas evenly on sheet pan. Roast until crisp and golden in spots, shaking pan occasionally, 20–25 minutes. Turn off oven, leaving chickpeas for another 10–15 minutes; check occasionally to make sure they don’t burn.
Meanwhile, toast sesame seeds 2–3 minutes in large skillet over medium heat, stirring often. Set aside; wipe out skillet.
Using the same pan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add cumin, cooking and stirring 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in sesame seeds and chickpeas. Toss until everything is well coated.
Remove from heat, stir in lime zest, season with salt. Serve warm. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.
Black and White Sesame Seed Brittle
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
½ tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. black sesame seeds
3 Tbsp. white sesame seeds
Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. In medium, heavy-bottomed pot, combine butter, sugar, water and salt; cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until mixture reaches 260 F (125 C) on a candy thermometer. Add sesame seeds and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 350 F (180 C) or until sugar mixture is a dark golden-brown.
Remove from heat; immediately pour mixture into prepared pan, spreading into an even layer about ¼ -inch thick. Cool at room temperature until firm. Once brittle has set, break into pieces.
You'll often see Mexicans taking their lives into their own hands by darting across traffic-laden roads that have no stoplights or crosswalks, but this is not a "when in Rome" situation. Use the pedestrian bridge if there is one and you feel safe doing so. (Illustration: Angy Márquez)
Now that I’ve done a few “how to Mexico”-type articles for newcomers, ideas for more have been rolling in! There are many good ones to be addressed (and many I’ll have to do quite a bit of research for).
I won’t go straight through on only these topics — I’m betting there are at least, like, eight or so people who appreciate my social and political commentary as well, and things are happening, people!— but I’ll try to do at least one a month for the foreseeable future.
This week, we’re going to talk about safety.
When most people think about safety in Mexico, they likely assume that staying safe is mostly about avoiding “the bad guys,” a population that’s about the same size pretty much anywhere in the world. While this kind of advice certainly does have a place, for now, I’m trying to primarily stick with the “things you might not know that you don’t know” category.
So, without further ado: a few how-tos (but not an exhaustive list) on safety!
How to not blow yourself up or die of carbon monoxide poisoning
After my last article about gas in Mexico (which is actually a combination of propane and butane and not just propane, one reader informed me), I received several emails from people who had had close calls themselves or knew others who had suffered greatly from preventable accidents involving the gas where they were staying.
Since so many places in Mexico still use gas for so many things in the home, accidents involving it are things we must be on the lookout to prevent. Gas explosions are the more dramatic-seeming of the two, and, while rare, certainly happen.
More insidious is carbon monoxide poisoning, which can happen rather easily and without anyone detecting anything is wrong. This can quickly lead to death or serious medical emergencies.
Old water heaters are often the culprit, but, really, for those not accustomed to noticing the smell of gas, any leak can be dangerous. And if you’re like me, you might lie down to see if you feel better once symptoms start (headache, dizziness, confusion, among others), which in the case of a gas leak, could literally be the death of you.
The solution? In addition to making sure your various apparatuses are in good working order, a carbon monoxide detector or three can be a lifesaver. I’ll admit, I myself have never had one — but after hearing so many stories from you all, I will be getting one very shortly!
How not to get run over (and how to reduce your chances of an accident)
My third-ever article for Mexico News Daily was about some of the bigger differences in driving style down here than what many of us are used to. The short version is: trusting cars to behave the way you expect is a downright bad policy, and the infrastructure necessary for them to behave in predictable ways is not necessarily there anyway.
First tip: if you’re on foot and there’s a pedestrian bridge, always use it if you can and it feels safe to do so; also use crosswalks. You’ll see plenty of Mexicans sprinting across the roads and dodging oncoming cars, but unless you absolutely have to, just…do not. Remember as well that — like everywhere else — drivers are often preoccupied with their cell phones, even when they’re actively driving, and might simply not see you.
Make sure, as well, that you always look both ways before crossing, even on one-way streets. Road signs are sometimes simply seen here as suggestions, and I’ve seen plenty of people “back up” in their vehicles for a full four blocks because they missed a turn or didn’t realize they were on a one-way street until it was too late. You never know!
If you need to cross and there’s no place to do so “officially,” do your best to make eye contact with the lead driver of the oncoming traffic. They’ll usually slow down and either wave you over with their hand or flash their lights as a “go ahead” signal so you can cross, and when they do this, other cars typically take notice and stop as well.
Finally, if you absolutely must cross at a point where there’s no pedestrian bridge, traffic signals or crosswalks, try to do so at the same time as other people, as oncoming drivers will be much more likely to see several people than just one person.
As far as driving goes? This rule has served me so far: drive as if you believed everyone else on the road were both drunk and crying hysterically. Staying far behind other cars on the road and letting people into your lane or past you when they’re desperate has saved me from several accidents so far. Bob Marley’s Greatest Hits is also a favorite nerve-calming driving soundtrack for me!
How to not get your stuff stolen
Anyone anywhere can be a victim of theft, of course, but there are a few things you can do to lower the chances of that happening. Foreigners from countries where financial institutions allow you to dispute charges easily and without question may be taken aback by the response of Mexican banks to a report of theft or fraud: they are (unfortunately) well-known for saying “too bad, so sad” if your card gets stolen and a balance runs up.
So, if you do a lot of walking around and/or make regular use of cozy (read: packed) public transport, it’s a good idea to keep your phone and wallet in front of you rather than in back. While back pockets are comfy storage, they’re relatively easy for others to access, especially in a crowded situation. Keep them in your front pockets instead, or in a bag or purse.
I carry purses quite a lot, and always make sure mine have some important features: zippers or snaps so they can’t be reached into and straps that allow me to keep them right under my arm (when out walking, I prefer messenger bags, which can be pulled to the front if necessary). It’s also a good idea to not carry too much money or especially too many cards with you.
So that’s three big things for now! Stay safe out there, folks, and don’t forget to also avoid the bad guys; I’m campaigning for them to get obvious villain uniforms for easy ID but haven’t succeeded yet. I’ll let you know!
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sdevrieswritingandtranslating.com
President López Obrador covered everything from "mega-projects" to feminism to Tesla at the daily "mañaneras", or morning press conferences. (LopezObrador.org.mx)
It was a patriotic week in Mexico: last Sunday was Día del Ejército Mexicano, or Mexican Army Day, and Friday was Día de la Bandera, or Flag Day.
President López Obrador marked the former with a speech at a military base in México state and the latter with an address at an army-run venue in Mexico City that is home to one of the nation’s banderas monumentales, or monumental flags.
The president celebrated Flag Day at a military installation in Mexico City on Friday. (Graciela López Herrera / Cuartoscuro.com)
Monday
The minister of infrastructure, communications and transportation reported early in the press conference that the rail project to connect central Mexico City to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) in México state was 39% complete.
“There are two points that I’d like to highlight about the suburban train,” Jorge Nuño Lara said.
“One is that it will provide a high degree of certainty to passengers as they will be able to get on at Buenavista station and reach [AIFA] in 39 minutes,” he said.
Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum speaks at the Monday morning press conference. (Gob MX)
“… The second … [is that] AIFA will be the first international airport in Latin America to have a suburban train terminal within it,” Nuño said of the project slated for completion in December.
In other airport-related news, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said that a 475-millon-peso (US $25.8 million) project to repair structural damage in Terminal 2 at the capital’s international airport, or AICM, was on track to be completed in June.
The mayor, a potential presidential candidate, also noted that the federal government has invested billions of pesos in other projects at the AICM, Mexico’s busiest airport.
After a report from federal officials on the construction of sections 5 Norte, 6 and 7 of the Maya Train railroad, Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa made her way to the mañanera lectern for the second time in as many weeks and proceeded to once again heap praise on the ambitious (and destructive, according to critics) infrastructure project.
“Thanks to the Maya Train greater connectivity will be achieved, allowing national and foreigner visitors to arrive at and see beautiful places where it was previously very complicated or practically impossible to reach,” she said.
During his engagement with reporters, AMLO was notified of a video published by the Episcopal Conference of Mexico, a bishops’ association, that expresses the Catholic Church’s concern about the government’s “Plan B” electoral reform, which passed the Senate on Wednesday.
“That’s why … in the Catholic Church our reference is Pope Francis. We’re respectful of all beliefs and in our movement there are Catholics, evangelicals, people of all the religions and also free thinkers, but when it comes to the [Catholic] Church supporting the conservative bloc in Mexico I say no,” López Obrador said.
“This has nothing to do with Pope Francis because he has condemned looters, he has condemned those who exploit and humiliate the poor,” he said, implying that the pope wouldn’t approve of the governments that preceded his own.
Among other remarks, the president declared he was “absolutely sure” that the Mexican people won’t allow the rateros (thieves) of yesteryear – a dysphemism for members of the PRI and PAN political parties – to return to power and reiterated his disdain for the 2006-11 “Fast and Furious” gunrunning scheme in which the United States government allowed guns to be smuggled into Mexico so that the weapons could be tracked and law enforcement officials could locate and arrest crime bosses.
“They were guns that supposedly had sensors and in that way they were going to be able to detect and apprehend drug traffickers. What happened with those weapons? They were used to murder people,” he said.
Tuesday
The first section of AMLO’s Tuesday presser was dedicated to celebrating the 90th anniversary of the creation of the National Bank of Public Works and Services (Banobras), a state-owned development bank.
“It has been a very important institution for the development of Mexico,” the president said before inviting the bank’s general director to speak.
“Banobras was the first development bank created in Mexico and it was created at a very important time in the history of our country,” Jorge Mendoza Sánchez said.
“It was a post-revolutionary time when there were a lot of shortages, inequalities and a lack of basic services, and Mexico had also been impacted at that time by the Great Depression,” he said.
“… During 90 years Banobras has been part of key sectors and the most important projects in our country … like the Mexico City-Puebla highway, the Circuito Interior [ring road in Mexico City], Ciudad Universitaria, the Monterrey Airport and the Torre Insignia in Tlatelolco,” Mendoza said.
Deputy Security Minister Luis Rodríguez Bucio later reported that Mexico had recently extradited five criminal suspects to the United States and that Poland had handed over one accused offender to Mexico.
The outgoing suspects “are required by different courts in the United States for sexual crimes, attempted murder, assault, kidnapping and homicide,” he said.
The incoming suspect is Mihai ‘N,’ who is accused of criminal association and bank fraud, Rodríguez said, adding that he is a partner of Florian “The Shark” Tudor, a Romanian national who was arrested in May 2021 on charges of running a massive bank card skimming operation in Cancún, Quintana Roo, and other Mexican resort cities.
Returning to center stage, López Obrador highlighted his feminist credentials.
“We’re going to continue supporting women. There is proof that they are respected and they participate in the public service in a way never seen before,” said the president, who has been accused of having a “woman problem.”
“In the case of the federal government, practically half the cabinet are women and they help me a lot,” he said.
AMLO later recalled the incarceration of writer José Revueltas on an island in the Islas Marías archipelago in the 1930s due to his political activism in favor of the Mexican Communist Party.
Revueltas, who wrote novels, plays and political essays, was imprisoned “for insulting the president,” he said before reiterating his opposition to a proposal to toughen a century-old law that stipulates the imposition of punishments for the publication of “insults” directed at the president of the day.
José Revueltas was imprisoned twice at the Islas Marías penal colony. (Wikimedia Commons)
“It’s decided [that I’ll file the suit], I’m just doing some research on how the procedure works,” he said.
Wednesday
The day after García Luna was found guilty of conspiring with the Sinaloa Cartel, AMLO was unsurprisingly peppered with questions about the jury’s verdict.
“At the end of the day the lesson we must take away is that these events mustn’t repeat,” the president said.
He then outlined three hypotheses he had previously aired about the case.
“One – that everything was an invention and García Luna was innocent. Consequently Felipe Calderón had nothing to worry about. We’ve now seen that’s not the case,” López Obrador said.
“The second is that García Luna … [is] guilty, but Calderón didn’t know [about his criminal activities]. And the third is that García Luna is guilty with the consent of Calderón,” he said.
“He said that he combated crime with full force … but … what he omitted is the explanation … about why he appointed García Luna [as security minister] and whether he knew or didn’t know [about his criminal activities],” he said.
“… We want information, … that’s the explanation we’re waiting for.”
AMLO raised the possibility that García Luna – who was head of the now-defunct Federal Investigation Agency before becoming security minister – might cooperate with U.S. authorities as a witness and disclose whether he received orders from former presidents Vicente Fox and Calderón or told them about his criminal activities.
The president fielded questions about the conviction of former security minister García Luna on Wednesday. (Mario Jasso / Cuartoscuro.com)
“As president of Mexico, for the good of the country, I would say that hopefully [he does it],” he said.
One reporter probed López Obrador about Morena national president Mario Delgado’s remark that he will ask the National Electoral Institute to deregister the National Action Party – which both Fox and Calderón represented – because “it’s proven that it’s more a criminal organization than a political one.”
“I’m not suggesting that,” ALMO responded. “Of course, the leadership of Morena and the deputies have freedom to suggest things,” he said of the party he founded.
“What I think is that we have to get to the bottom of the matter, and once and for all let it be clear that we suffered for 36 years [due to the actions of] a gang of ruffians,” López Obrador said.
“Tolstoy said: ‘a state that doesn’t provide justice is nothing more than a band of criminals,’ and that’s what we suffered,” he added.
Thursday
“What do you know? I’m at your service,” AMLO told reporters at the top of his presser, acknowledging that the government didn’t have any pre-planned information to present.
In response to a question about the approval of the controversial “Plan B” electoral reform, López Obrador said that the passing of new laws as well as the filing of legal challenges against them – as opposition lawmakers pledged to do – was part and parcel “of democratic political normality” and indicative of “a true rule of law” that didn’t exist under previous governments.
“This reform was approved in the Senate, it will be published [in the government’s official gazette] and then … they’ll file a lawsuit for it to be declared unconstitutional,” he said with an air of nonchalance.
A PRI congresswoman holds up a sign showing her support for the pro-INE march to be held on Sunday. (Mario Jasso / Cuartoscuro.com)
“There is nothing outside the law” in the reform, AMLO asserted, expressing confidence that it won’t be struck down by the Supreme Court.
“Does a woman better guarantee democracy?” a reporter asked.
“Yes, women tend to be more honest, more responsible and fairer than men,” AMLO responded.
He later rejected claims that he has redirected resources from policies and programs that benefit women to the government’s megaobras, or mega-projects, such as the Maya Train and Dos Bocas refinery.
“That’s not true, it’s part of the same campaign of misinformation and slander. On the contrary, … 600 billion pesos are being allocated to welfare programs for 25 million households and the majority of that goes to women,” López Obrador said.
Turing his mind to one of his megaobras, AMLO announced that the Felipe Ángeles International Airport was expected to become “self-sufficient” in December.
“In other words it will reach its break-even point and begin to make profits. We’ll no longer have to allocate public funds [to the airport],” he said.
As for the Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor project between Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, and Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, the government is on the verge of launching a search for tenants of 10 industrial parks, the president said.
AMLO demonstrates the trans-isthmus corridor on a map at the Thursday morning press conference. (Gob MX)
“We’re working on that. In fact, I’m possibly going to Coatzacoalcos on the 17th [of March], I’m going to the trans-isthmus [corridor] on the 19th with United States lawmakers, representatives and senators are coming,” he said.
Investors in the industrial parks, “will have tax benefits – they won’t pay income tax [and] we’re going to lower the IVA” value-added tax in the region, López Obrador said.
Friday
After assuring a reporter that Mexico has a “sufficient supply” of vaccines, AMLO acknowledged that he held separate meetings this week with Morena party national leader Mario Delgado and the wife of recently-ousted Peruvian president Pedro Castillo.
He said he spoke with Delgado about how the ruling party “is going,” but offered few other details.
Morena leader Mario Delgado at a party event in Mexico City (@Mario_Delgado Twitter)
“Don’t ask me [how the party is going] because I’ll say it’s going well and they’ll fine me,” López Obrador said, recognizing his obligation to keep quiet about electoral matters in the lead-up to elections in México state and Coahuila in early June.
He then described Lilia Paredes as an “exceptional” and “humble” woman.
“She came to thank me for what we did for them,” said AMLO, whose government offered asylum to the family of the jailed former leader of Peru.
“She told me about her children, who are studying now. … We’re ensuring that they don’t lack anything, helping them,” he said, adding that Paredes asked the government not to “abandon” her husband, a former teacher and union leader who was president of the Andean nation from July 2021 to Dec. 2022.
“We believe removing him from his post was a great injustice because he was elected by the people,” López Obrador said.
The president later indicated that he agreed with Morena Senator Ricardo Monreal’s view that Mexico was a “narco-state” while convicted cartel colluder García Luna was serving in high-ranking law enforcement positions in the governments led by Fox and Calderón.
Now, however, there is no relationship between the government and criminal organizations, he said. “We’re not associated with or involved with drug trafficking. We’re different,” he declared.
In a wide-ranging Q & A session with reporters that lasted the entirety of an abbreviated 90-minute presser, López Obrador also welcomed news of Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero’s recovery from back surgery and confirmed he would speak “very soon” with Tesla executives including CEO Elon Musk with a view to coming to an agreement about the location of an electric vehicle plant the company apparently intends to open in Mexico.
“We do care a lot about investment in the country because it means job creation but we also want to look after the land, not destroy land and guarantee that people don’t lack water because the people must always be put first,” he said.
López Obrador said earlier in the week that Nuevo León wasn’t the best option for a Tesla plant because “there’s no water” in the northern border state. In contrast, 70% of the nation’s water is concentrated in the southeast, he said before identifying that region of the country as “another option” for the Musk-led EV manufacturer.
Christina Whiteley and her family made a tough decision leaving behind their lives in Canada, but found solace here in Mexico. (Courtesy)
To read writer Christina Whiteley’s story from the beginning, go to Part 1.
Sixteen months have passed since we decided to take a break from our lives in Canada and re-evaluate how we wanted to live our next chapter. It’s been a year since we took the leap and decided to make our time in Mexico more permanent. Although we couldn’t be happier here now, it wasn’t an easy decision.
As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic period, I don’t think anyone got out of the experience unscathed. We lost people in our lives, not just to death, but to division. Systems that were already broken were put to the test, and all the cracks in health care, education and public policy came to light. Many small businesses closed down for good.
Christina’s salon business suffered setbacks during the pandemic. (Courtesy)
2021 was a really difficult year for us. I suffered not one, but two miscarriages. People always praise Canada for the “free” public health care system, but I saw something very different. During this time, my doctor left town and was replaced by someone I had never met.
When I first thought I was pregnant, I called to make an appointment and he wanted to refer me to an OB-GYN, but there was a 2-month wait to see her. I opted for a midwife, and was offered a phone appointment, time and time again due to COVID policies. Although I was very sick, I stayed home to keep myself, the baby and our family safe.
At 13 weeks I went for my first ultrasound – by myself – because my husband wasn’t allowed at the hospital with me, and this was when I found out that I had lost the baby. I called my midwife in the parking lot sobbing and she walked me through how I would tell my 4-year-old daughter that she wasn’t going to be a big sister.
I had no idea the pain that I would have to endure at home by myself. I suffered from postpartum depression, yet I continued to try and push through, for my family and business. When I requested to see a specialist after my second miscarriage, I was told it was a 6 month wait…for yet another phone appointment.
I can’t help but notice a huge contrast in healthcare services that are offered where we live today. In Mexico, locals and residents have an option to use public or private health care. Unfortunately, many locals can’t afford private insurance, but for those who can there are a variety of options, including private international coverage. Our family is very grateful to have access to such options.
I was shocked by how quickly I could be seen by specialists here in Cabo, and how much time and care they would take in the appointment to address every one of my concerns, then walk me through the process step by step. Furthermore, every doctor we have seen has given us their personal phone number to text in case we need anything during our aftercare. This kind of care or service would be impossible to get back home.
In Canada, we felt like the walls were closing in on us. On top of our disappointment and grief, we saw our daughter who was happy, outgoing and smart, starting to become worried, frustrated and anxious.
We were also concerned about the age-appropriateness of some of the topics that were being discussed in her Kindergarten class, so my husband and I made a point of attending the PTA meetings (which were then being held on Zoom). We quickly realized our presence was just a formality and that the school wasn’t interested in parental involvement, nor was it welcome unless it was to bring in money.
We knew we didn’t want these precious young years for her being shaped by people who didn’t have her best interests at heart. We knew that we could do better as parents, so we decided to pull her from school and bring her home. Which also came with its own set of challenges.
Not only did the restrictions and lockdowns change our quality of life, economically, it crippled small businesses like ours. It was a perfect storm. We were fortunate that a few years back, after many conversations, we had already started our journey to professionally reinvent ourselves.
If we wanted a better quality of life, we would have to evolve or go broke. Back then the cost of doing business kept rising, so after years of hard work as a salon owner, I shifted my focus to online business because I knew we could leverage our time and make more money if we upgraded our skills.
Christina’s husband, Ryan (left), managed a bar in Canada. (Courtesy)
I know now moving forward that adaptability, purpose and uniqueness in experience will be a huge shift in focus over the next 10 years as many jobs will be taken over by AI in this new technology-driven economy.
My husband Ryan and I have always had conversations about leveling up our lives. We make business decisions based on who we are and what we believe in. Six years ago that took us from city life to country life, and about a year and a half ago it was our turn for another adventure: giving up our 10 acre hobby farm on Vancouver Island to chase the sun in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Ryan and I had many hard conversations about our belief system, how we wanted to raise our family, how we wanted to support our daughter, and what we wanted our lives to look like.
As soon as we landed in Cabo, we felt different. The energy here was different. We felt happier and the daily anxiety dissipated as soon as our feet hit the ground. We realized very quickly that taking a break from what was one of the hardest years of our lives, was actually the greatest gift we could have given ourselves. This balcony view of our lives had proven to be just what we needed to find clarity in the next right step for us.
Christina Whiteley, founder of Life Transformed, is a bestselling author, speaker and business strategist who leads the 6 Figure Profit Plan Mastermind and hosts corporate retreats where she resides in Cabo San Lucas. She and her husband Ryan, who is a realtor, live for road trips and weekend adventures with their daughter and their dog, Larry.
Giant Daisy Trees demonstrate Darwin’s theory of evolution with their robust adaptability, but they are now threatened with extinction. (Photo: Tui de Roy)
Scientists from Mexico and Ecuador are partnering on a project to help rid the Galapagos Islands of invasive plants.
Thanks to their membership in the Cintana Alliance — a worldwide consortium of cutting-edge universities created by Arizona State University — the Autonomous University of Guadalajara (UAG) was chosen to represent Mexico in this alliance. Partnered with Mexico the International University of Ecuador (UIDE).
They look sweet and innocent, but any gardener knows if you give blackberries an inch, they take a mile! Blackberries are threatening the existence of Great Daisy Trees on Galapagos.
In 2021, these three organizations decided to cooperate on a research project on the Island of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, which described it as “a unique paradise that amazes and inspires the world.”
That paradise, however, is huge; in fact the entire archipelago is one of the biggest nature reserves on the planet, with 19 islands plus countless islets and rocks jutting out of some 60,000 square kilometers of ocean.
Tourism is forbidden on most of the islands, which are uninhabited, but the national park has problems with the few where human beings have settled. Santa Cruz Island is one of them, with the highest population of all the inhabited islands. Its population is about 30,000.
One of the first problems the trilateral team will tackle is a blackberry invasion.
As happens inevitably everywhere, the first colonists to the Galapagos introduced nonnative species of flora and fauna to the islands.
“Unfortunately,” UIDE biologist Cecilia Puertas told me, “many of these introduced species are extremely difficult to eliminate, and there have been many studies on how to control or remove these intruders.
“Goats are relatively easy to deal with, while ants present a huge problem.”
As for plants, the most invasive of the Invaders is la mora, the blackberry, perhaps followed by the guava tree and the cinchona tree, from whose bark quinine is extracted, Puertas said.
Ecuadorian biologist Cecilia Puertas with friend on the Island of Santa Cruz, Galapagos.
“All of these started growing on farms or in orchards, but the seeds were dispersed by birds and other creatures, and now they are growing everywhere.”
The spread of these invasive species, Puertas told me, was so successful that they are now threatening the Galapagos’ native plants.
An example is Scalesia, the endemic “Giant Daisy Tree” of the Galapagos, she said.
“The Charles Darwin Foundation has announced that this tree — not to mention the native birds that nest in its branches — is probably going to disappear entirely due to the blackberry’s presence.”
Several teams of Cintana Alliance researchers proposed creating a pool of projects to deal with problems like this one, from which the most interesting would be chosen. One of these, proposed by José Luis Zavala of the Guadalajara team, suggested a novel approach to the control of invasive exotic plants.
“This project is unusual,” Zavala said, “because it incorporates a solution different from the classical approaches to the problem. We propose to use the invasive plants as a source of biological material for starting a productive enterprise.
The goal is to stop the spread of invasive species while at the same time producing compost useful for local farmers and perhaps even biogas (methane), which could be a new source of clean energy for Santa Cruz.”
A 5-cubic-meter flexible biogas plant in Pune, India. Mexican scientists José Luis Zavala believes that not only can Santa Cruz locals tamp down blackberry plants’ destruction of the island’s Great Daisy Trees, they can make their compost into biogas, a source of cheap, clean energy.
The first stage of the project will use the lab facilities of the Galapagos Biocontrol Agency on Santa Cruz Island.
“Here,” says Zavala, “we will work with students from both universities to investigate the capacity of different plants to produce compost and biogas. Using small-scale bioreactors, we will perform 40 different tests over a period of three to five months.
“During this stage, local people will be invited to participate in the project. We want to give them the tools and knowledge they need so they can take advantage and produce biogas and compost themselves.”
“Just how will the local people be turning plant material into compost and biogas?” I asked the researchers.
“It’s very simple, Zavala said. “They will use containers or pits of 1 to 5 meters in diameter, covered with plastic sheets or balloon material; but you can actually do it at home in a Coke bottle! Try it yourself if you want to understand just what happens.
First, you put water into a blender, he explained. “Next, throw in your plant material and grind it up. Then pour the result into a soft drink bottle and tighten the cap.”
Mexican scientist José Luis Zavala, foreground, carrying out research in Jalisco’s Primavera Forest.
I decided to give it a try, to see if I could produce compost and biogas right in my own home.
I picked leaves from my guava tree and blended them as instructed. The researchers told me that at first, the microorganisms living on the plant tissues would “breathe,” using up the oxygen in the bottle. I would know this was occurring because my plastic bottle would begin to collapse.
This, in fact, happened a week after I started my experiment.
“This means the system inside your bottle is changing from an aerobic to an anaerobic system,” commented Zavala. “And it’s the anaerobic microorganisms that have the ability to produce biogas. So, after the bottle collapses, it will begin to inflate, to go back to its original shape.”
Eventually, I was told, I would no longer be able to squeeze the bottle because it would be pressurized, filled with methane gas, and perhaps could even explode. I didn’t reach this point because it was time for this story to go to press.
Hopefully, Puertas and Zavala’s project will slow down the spread of the blackberry on Santa Cruz and save the Giant Daisy Tree.
Anyone can produce compost and biogas inside a Coke bottle. Here guava leaves have been ground up in a blender.
The spirit of Charles Darwin would surely smile upon such a project, because this particular genus, Scalesia, is known among scientists as “the flora equivalent of Darwin’s finches.”
The finches are famed because Darwin pointed to their many adaptations to support his theory of evolution. Forgotten are the Giant Daisy trees, which show the same ability to adapt and evolve.
Unfortunately, Scalesia may not be able to evolve fast enough to escape the human-generated blackberry invasion. The future of this iconic species may now depend on the enterprising researchers of the UAG and UIDE. I wish them success.
The writer has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, since 1985. His most recent book is Outdoors in Western Mexico, Volume Three. More of his writing can be found on his blog.
Nuevo León's governor, seen here with Jalisco governor Enrique Alfaro, predicted another record year for foreign investment in his state. (Fernando Carranza García / Cuartoscuro.com)
Nuevo León governor Samuel García predicted that foreign direct investment (FDI) in his state could double 2022 figures this year.
While he withheld names due to confidentiality agreements, the governor said his predictions correlate with confirmed investments to be made in his state.
Jalisco governor Enrique Alfaro (center) with Nuevo León governor Samuel García (right) and businessmen at the event. (@Samuel_GarciaS Twitter)
During the second annual business meeting between Jalisco and Nuevo León, held in Ajijic, Jalisco, García stated at a press conference that last year Nuevo León broke records, with FDI totaling US $6.44 billion. However, this figure is higher than the US $4.39 billion reported earlier this month by the governor.
“Practically, two out of every ten dollars [in national FDI] arrived in Nuevo León,” he said. “This year, [Nuevo León] will receive over US $12 billion in investment.”
García stressed that “investment doesn’t come on its own” and that it requires exposure to “show off work, the ecosystem, and everything that is in our states.” He added that when it comes to Nuevo León, “the business environment is unmatched.”
When reporters asked if Tesla “would turn its back on Nuevo León” after news that several Mexican states are vying for the company’s investment, he said he couldn’t answer because of confidentiality agreements. However, he hinted that adjustments were being made to facilitate the arrival of the company, and added he was hopeful that “very soon” important news could be shared regarding “big companies” that will settle in the state.
García also said that nearshoring is an opportunity that only comes every 50 years, and that it’s very important to not let the opportunity pass. “Sectors like auto parts, new technologies and even medicine will grow,” he forecast.
During the joint event with Jalisco governor Enrique Alfaro, an agreement between Nuevo León and Jalisco was introduced to strengthen international trade. García announced they will provide an exclusive lane at Puerto Colombia Customs (at the U.S. border of Nuevo León) to facilitate exports from Jalisco to the U.S.
García said the Jalisco lane will allow merchandise to cross “in five minutes”, since it is a one-stop office for customs authorities from both countries, as well as the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Among the attendees of the bilateral business meeting were former Deputy Minister of Foreign Commerce, Luz María de la Mora, and former Economy Ministers Ildefonso Guajardo, Sergio García de Alba and Eduardo Sojo Garza Aldape.
Businessmen representing companies based in both Nuevo León and Jalisco were also in attendance.
The blaze at the Tuzandépetl Strategic Storage Plant in Ixhuatlán del Sureste, Veracruz, appears to have been the most destructive of the Thursday fires. Photo: Ángel Hernández / Cuartoscuro.com
State oil company Pemex is facing renewed scrutiny of its safety record, after fires at three separate facilities on Thursday left at least eight people injured and several missing.
The first fire started around noon at the Lázaro Cárdenas Refinery, in Minatitlán, Veracruz. Pemex said in a statement that it was caused by the runoff of product onto a hot surface and was quickly put out by firefighters. Five workers were injured, but there was no damage to the plant or interruption of activities.
Four hours later, a second fire broke out just 19 kilometers away, in the drilling equipment of the Tuzandépetl Strategic Storage Plant, in Ixhuatlán del Sureste. Despite the deployment of multiple fire crews, the blaze spread to other wells in the facility and continued to burn throughout the afternoon.
After the fire was brought under control, Pemex reported that three workers were injured and five more were missing. One worker was reported dead: Family and friends of petroleum engineer Carlos Ascensión Morales confirmed Friday morning that Morales had passed away due to the accident. Personnel from the Defense Ministry guarded the entrances to the area through the night and local municipalities opened four shelters.
Also on Thursday afternoon, Pemex issued a community alert for a third fire, in the crude distillation unit at its Deer Park refinery in Texas. The blaze was quickly controlled and the extent of the damage is unclear.
The fires come at a bad moment for Pemex, ahead of its earnings report on Monday. The company is under pressure to boost productivity after more than a decade of annual losses.
It is currently the most indebted of all major oil companies, with a total debt of $105 billion at the end of September, around $8 billion of which is due this year.
Pemex has also faced several major safety scandals in recent years. Most notably, a fire at its offshore rig in the Gulf of Mexico in 2021 caused five deaths and cut Mexico’s oil production by a quarter. The same year, the company drew international criticism after a large gas explosion near its offshore rig in the Bay of Campeche.
National Electoral Institute (INE) President Lorenzo Córdova, center, is the only president that the elections oversight body, established in 2014, has ever had. (Gabriel Pérez Montiel/Cuartoscuro)
The next president of the oversight agency in charge of elections throughout Mexico — including the 2024 presidential election — will be a woman, according to a ruling made by the country’s elections tribunal.
The announcement was made by the Superior Chamber of the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (TEPJF). A magistrate on that body, Judge Mónica Soto, said the decision had nothing to do with quotas, but was based on establishing gender parity and balance.
The decision means that the National Electoral Institute (INE) — an autonomous, national, public institution that organizes elections at all three levels to ensure that they are run cleanly — will for the first time in its history be run by a woman.
The decision was hailed the next day by President López Obrador.
“Women tend to be more honest, more responsible and fairer than men,” the president declared on Thursday morning. “They contribute a lot.”
Whichever woman ends up leading the 11-member National Electoral Institute (INE), she will be replacing the current president, Lorenzo Córdova Vianello, whose nine-year term comes to an end in April.
Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary magistrate Monica Soto, front center left, said after the announcement that it was made not with a quota in mind but with “gender parity.”
Since its creation in 2014 as part of constitutional reform, the INE has been chaired only by Córdova, so granting another man a nine-year term would mean 18 straight years of the agency being headed by a man.
Moreover, the INE’s predecessor, the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE), was chaired by women only in short periods on an interim or a transitional basis.
In choosing the INE’s next leader, its technical evaluation committee will craft what will be a list of five women candidates, and the Congress will have the final say on who ultimately fills the position.
The general council of the INE is made up of a president and 10 electoral councilors. Córdova and three councilors will conclude their terms on April 23, meaning four vacancies will soon need to be filled; the presidency and one other vacancy will be filled by women, and two by men, TEPJF announced.
During the Superior Chamber session at which the ruling was announced, Judge Janine Otálora said that trying to achieve gender parity on a slow, gradual basis is foolhardy, and that the time is right for the country’s main electoral board to be chaired by a woman.
The INE’s new leader will come at a challenging time for the INE: electoral reform that just passed Congress earlier this week will diminish the INE’s role in the electoral process, a move that has divided the country politically. (Yerania Rolón Rolón/Cuartoscuro)
“I consider that the historical context of the integration of the INE demands that the presidency be occupied by a woman [to reflect] the principle of parity and the substantive participation of women” in government, Otálora said. Other TEPJF members supported her argument.
As of Wednesday, 424 people had begun the registration process for one of the four upcoming INE vacancies, including the presidency, though only 35 had completed the process. Applications close on Thursday, Feb. 23.
After a second phase of evaluations, the seven-member INE evaluation committee will create a list of five candidates for each opening by March 26. Current councilors are allowed to compete for the presidency, although re-election to the INE council isn’t allowed, so their term length will have to be addressed.
Candidates cannot be a leader or a member of a political party, and they cannot have run for an elected position in the previous four years.
In his morning press conference on Thursday, López Obrador said that equality for women must be fought for in different fields, not only in politics.
He pointed out that the majority of the beneficiaries of state welfare programs are women, and also denied that resources destined to support women were being cut.
A statue of a player of the ancient pre-Hispanic game of Ulama welcomes visitors to El Quelite. (Photos by Sheryl Losser)
Twenty-five miles northeast of Mazatlán in rural Sinaloa, on the banks of the river Quelite, sits the small colonial town of El Quelite — this place with less than 2,000 people was transformed by rural tourism thanks to the vision of one man: Dr. Marcos Gabriel Osuna Tirado.
Rural tourism is a growing industry in Mexico. It is so important that last year, the UNWTO — United Nations World Tourism Organization — held their worldwide meeting on Rural Tourism in Mexico.
The charming town of El Quelite has dressed up its authenticity with brightly painted houses, multicolored flowers and quaint artisan shops for leisurely browsing.
On the way here — about an hour’s trip — my tour guide Akino Montiel talks about the history of the area. “Quelite is from the Nahuatl word quiliti–a plant or herb that can be eaten,” he says.
Buzzards and hawks fly overhead, and agriculture is abundant.
The first thing we see upon reaching Quelite is the welcoming arch and a statue dedicated to the pre-Hispanic game of Ulama — considered the oldest continuously played team sport in the world — which is still actively played in Quelite and other small communities in Sinaloa.
A typical 18th-century Spanish colonial house in El Quelite with a portico and rocking chairs.
We slowly meander down the streets of the town lined with tile-roofed 18th-century colonial houses painted in bright colors — most decorated with a profusion of plants and bougainvillea. Many of the houses have large porticos in front with several rocking chairs designed to while away the time watching locals pass by. Local shops offering fresh cheese and open doors wafting the smell of fresh rolls and bolillos line the street.
Our first stop is the famous El Mesón de Los Laureanos, owned by Dr. Marcos Osuna. It’s where you will find him most days of the week — supervising the kitchen, greeting friends and customers and regaling everyone with his stories of days long past.
The restaurant in the town’s center is a Spanish-style open-air hacienda. It was Dr. Osuna’s childhood home, which he transformed into a restaurant in 1998 to showcase Sinaloa’s gastronomical specialties.
Through the front door, you enter a room dedicated to Quelite’s history. On the far wall is a mural depicting the arrival of the conquistadors. Another mural depicts the Legend of Los Laureanos. Cases display artifacts of pottery and other items used by the Totorames — the largest pre-Hispanic people in the area.
The first Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1531 led by Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán who enslaved and slaughtered the Totorame and Cahue peoples he encountered as he marched through Sinaloa, decimating them. Diseases brought by the conquistadors then killed 90% of those who remained.
Nuño de Guzmán was followed in 1564 by Captain Francisco de Ibarra — considered much more benevolent. He conquered southern Sinaloa and founded towns along the way to mine the silver they discovered.
The restaurant has four large open dining rooms set with long tables. Dr. Osuna joins us at a quiet table in one of the rooms. Osuna, a gregarious man, is the “unofficial” chronicler of El Quelite — there is no official chronicler or town records.
“When I was growing up, there was no electricity or running water. We had to go to a common well or the river for our water,” he said. “I was the only doctor. Most people would use herbal remedies unless it was something more serious — then they would come to me. It was a very poor community, so if they could not afford to pay, I would not charge them.”
The local economy was — and still is — based mainly on agriculture, cattle breeding and dairy farming.
“We have the best cheeses in Sinaloa,” he says. “Quelite is famous for its food.”
I ask Osuna about the legend of Los Laureanos.
Dr. Marcos Osuna who is the man behind rural tourism in Sinaloa.
“Ah, Los Laureanos,” he says smiling. “The ringleader was José Laureano. Stagecoaches full of gold would come through here from the Sierra Madre mountains on their way to the coast.
“Quelite was a pit stop where they could re-shoe, rest and feed their horses. Los Laureanos were a gang of highwaymen who would rob the stagecoaches and use the gold to help fund the rebels in the struggle for Independence.”
I ask whether it’s a true story. He shrugs and replies, “Who knows? It is the story they tell in Quelite.”
Osuna is a pioneer in rural tourism.
“Around 25 years ago, I noticed that Mazatlecos were coming to Quelite on the weekends to get out of the city for a day. They wanted to experience rural life. So I told the people [of Quelite], ‘We’re going to paint all the houses bright colors and plant lots of flowers to attract tourists.’ Now we are like a chain of links: La Noria, Los Asuna, El Fuerte and other rural towns are all links in the chain.”
Dr. Osuna also tells me about the origin of the song “Qué Bonito es El Quelite” — popular throughout Mexico — composed by Francisco Terriquez.
“A wealthy landowner asked Terriquez to come to Quelite to form a band. While he was here, he fell in love with a beautiful young woman [Felicianna Núñez Chaná], but her father would not let them date — or even meet. Terriquez was inspired to write the corrido ‘Qué Bonito es El Quelite’ — a song about the beauty of El Quelite, unrequited love and lamenting the fact that he must leave.”
Then we eat! No one comes to El Quelite without eating at El Mesón de Los Laureanos. I order a delicious carne asada. The highlight, however, was the cheese served beforehand, the fresh tortillas and the sweet corn tamale for dessert. I now know why El Quelite is famous for their cheeses and local products.
After lunch, I walk around town and visit the 19th-century Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church — named after El Quelite’s patron saint. The streets are lined with stalls of local vendors, and you share the narrow cobblestone streets with people on horseback. I sit in the beautiful palm tree-laden plaza and watch the world go by as I breathe in the peacefulness of this little oasis.
As Akino and I head out of town, he points out a stadium.
“Charros would come from all over to train there, and they would hold competitions for the entire region. It’s no longer used because it was damaged a year and a half ago by the hurricane [Nora].”
Rural tourism is having a major impact on the people of rural Sinaloa, says Osuna.
“It has not only helped the economy and people of Quelite but also people who live in rural areas around Quelite,” he said. “I hire them for my restaurant. They can now come here to sell [items to tourists].”
It’s amazing what a little paint, some bougainvillea, a little refurbishing and a visionary leader like Dr. Marcos Osuna can do to transform a rural town.
Sheryl Losser is a former public relations executive and professional researcher. She spent 45 years in national politics in the United States. She moved to Mazatlán in 2021 and works part-time doing freelance research and writing.
