U.S. and Mexican soldiers assigned to the 19th Motorized Cavalry Regiment rescue a simulated casualty while conducting training during exercise Fuerzas Amigas 2022 in Reynosa. (U.S. Army)
A group of United States soldiers is currently believed to be on Mexican soil – not to combat cartels, as some U.S. lawmakers have proposed – but to undertake a joint training exercise with the Mexican army.
On the request of the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena), the federal Senate granted authorization to President López Obrador to allow 12 members of the United States army to enter Mexico to participate in a training exercise at the Mexican army’s National Training Center in Saucillo, a municipality in southeastern Chihuahua.
Mexican soldiers training. (@Sedena/Twitter)
The exercise was scheduled to commence Thursday, April 6 and will conclude on May 11.
The Senate authorization, outlined in a decree published in the government’s official gazette on Wednesday, gave López Obrador the power to allow the U.S. soldiers to enter Mexico on April 5 and depart the country on May 12.
The Mexican and United States armies have participated in joint training exercises before, including one last October at a military facility in Reynosa, Tamaulipas.
The aim of that exercise, according to the U.S. army, was to “foster and strengthen the existing military-to-military partnership between the U.S. and Mexican militaries while conducting disaster response operations along the U.S.-Mexico border.”
Sedena hasn’t disclosed any specific information about the current training exercise, which is taking place at a time when some Republican Party lawmakers, such as Senator Lindsey Graham, are advocating the use of the United States military in Mexico to combat cartels that smuggle fentanyl and other narcotics into the U.S.
López Obrador has categorically rejected that proposal, but has indicated his willingness to continue cooperation with U.S. authorities in the fight against drug trafficking.
“We’re going to continue helping because it’s a matter of humanism and [illicit fentanyl use] is a pandemic that greatly affects United States residents, particularly young people,” he said Tuesday.
“Cooperation between governments for the benefit of our people should be maintained, but [we say] no to subjugation, no to subordination, because Mexico is an independent, free, sovereign country.”
Illegal gillnet fishing has brought the world's smallest cetacean to near-extinction. WWF
Mexico is in negotiations to reverse trade sanctions imposed for its failure to protect the endangered vaquita porpoise.
President López Obrador sent eight officials from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) to Geneva, to discuss the sanctions with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The vaquita porpoise is threatened by the use of gillnets, in which they can become entangled and drown. (@DefensaAnimal/Twitter)
CITESsanctioned Mexico on March 27, preventing member countries from trading with Mexico in 3,148 species of animals and plants.
The measures are intended to pressure Mexico into protecting the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, whose numbers have dropped to as few as ten in the wild. It is the world’s smallest cetacean (the family of marine mammals including dolphins and whales).
The vaquita is native to the Gulf of California, where it is threatened by illegal fishing. The porpoises often die tangled in nets used to catch totoaba fish, which are highly coveted on the Chinese black market for their supposed medicinal properties.
Mexico has receivedmultiple warnings for its failure to crack down on this illegal fishing. It proposed a draft action plan on Feb. 27, which CITES dismissed as inadequate.
The week after the sanctions, while negotiating in Geneva, Semarnat released a statement saying they were working with the Navy and the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry to review fishery protection measures.
“In recent days, more than 4,700 meters of totoaba nets and a boat were secured and destroyed,” the statement said.
It added that concrete blocks had been installed to deter illegal boats from entering the vaquita’s core habitat and that new technologies were being introduced to promote sustainable fishing methods.
However, Mexican officials have also protested that sanctioning Mexico for illegal totoaba fishing is “inequitable.”
“Mexico is not solely responsible and is not the only one that should have to spend on this,” the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection, Blanca Alicia Mendoza Vera, told Expansión newspaper.
She argued that CITES should create a fund to prevent illegal totoaba fishing and require market and transit countries, such as the United States and China, to contribute.
“We require the participation, support and collaboration of transit and destination countries,” she said. “Cooperation must be close and determined, not only in speech, but also by providing resources.”
The Dashing model hybrid SUV will go on sale in Mexico in 2024. (@sh_fred/Twitter)
Chinese state-owned automaker Jetour intends to invest around US $3 billion in Mexico to install a plant at which electric and gasoline-powered vehicles will be made.
Víctor Villanueva, the company’s director in Mexico, announced the plan at a brand launch event last week.
Victor Villanueva at the Jetour Mexico branch launch event. (@HolaJetourMX/Twitter)
“[The plant] will be in a strategic place, maybe the Bajío [region] or Aguascalientes. There are several options, it’s not decided yet,” he said.
Several foreign automakers, including General Motors, Honda and Nissan, already have factories in the Bajío region, which includes the states of Guanajuato, Querétaro and Aguascalientes.
José Centeno, a board member at LDR Solutions, a partner of Jetour, said that the site of the new plant will be decided in the next two months. The plant, which is expected to begin operations some time in 2024, will be Jetour’s first in the Americas.
Centeno said that the company intends to manufacture gasoline-powered vehicles in Mexico for the South American market, and electric vehicles for sale in the United States and Canada.
Jetour is also aiming to capture a share of the Mexican vehicle market even before it establishes its plant here. Villanueva said that the automaker will begin sales on April 15 and intends to “change the image of China” from one of an “imitator” to one of an “innovator.”
Jetour said in late March that it would establish 30 dealerships in 21 cities and regions throughout Mexico. The first vehicles to hit the Mexican market will be the Jetour X70 SUV and the X70 plus SUV.
The former will sell for 489,900 pesos (about US $27,000) while the latter will cost 629,000 pesos (about US $35,000), according to the Jetour México website. The “Dashing” model, a hybrid SUV, is set to go on sale in Mexico in 2024.
Jetour is hoping to attain a 3% share of the growing SUV market in Mexico, where the Chevrolet Capita was the best selling vehicle in that category last year.
Security forces in Guanajuato released footage of the rescue of the first group of 35 found near Matehuala.(@SeguridadGto/Twitter)
At least 105 people held against their will were located at various locations near Matehuala, San Luis Potosí on Thursday and Friday. The search operation began after 23 people, described initially as tourists by some media outlets but later confirmed to be migrants, were reported missing after departing San Felipe, Guanajuato on Monday evening.
As of Friday afternoon, the state prosecutor’s office in San Luis Potosí said that they had rescued the 105 victims, including the original group missing from Guanajuato, in five operations in the area. One death was reported by the authorities; one of the group’s two drivers, 36 year-old Joel Juárez Sánchez, was apparently killed by the kidnappers. Two suspects were also detained.
Helicopter teams from 3 states formed part of the 20-hour search-and-rescue operation. (@diegosinhue/Twitter)
Two helicopters from Guanajuato’s Ministry of Public Security using infrared search-and-track technology were deployed in the operation to find the missing people, which was directed by a team that included the Mexican army and the National Guard, plus state and local authorities.
The first group of 35 people was reportedly found with three rented vans in a high desert area off the San Luis Potosí–Matehuala highway in the northern part of the state. México Highway 57 is a main route between Mexico’s central and northern states. Law enforcement also found a bus carrying 46 people that had apparently been hijacked on its way towards Nuevo León. The remaining victims were found at a hotel and a safehouse.
That the abductees were migrants – reportedly from El Salvador, Venezuela and Honduras, and also from Mexico – was only discovered after they were rescued. According to officials, the group was looking to reach the northeastern state of Coahuila, before attempting to enter the United States.
On Tuesday, one of the group reportedly contacted the car rental company to say they had been kidnapped, and that their captors were asking 60,000 pesos ($3,292 US) for each of them. The ransom demand was not confirmed by San Luis Potosí authorities, a spokesman said.
36-year-old driver Joel Juárez Sánchez was found dead, reportedly killed by the kidnappers. (Twitter)
The group had been held hostage by armed men in five vehicles, authorities said.
Further confusion occurred on Wednesday, when authorities reported the rescue of 16 people wandering on a highway near Matehuala. They were believed to be part of the abducted Guanajuato group, but hours later officials said they had departed from the state of México before being robbed in the area.
As for the rescue on Thursday, the San Luis Potosí state prosecutor’s office said officials rescued people “who were being held captive by a group of offenders” and that “five trucks and a series of weapons were seized and [were handed over to] local and federal authorities.”
The office added: “As far as it has been possible to clarify, the vast majority of these victims were being transported due to a labor-migration situation, which could be confirmed after interviews with the aggrieved.”
The migrants were said to be in good condition after being held hostage, authorities added. Some of them said they had come from the state of Guanajuato, and identified themselves as migrants traveling for work, a San Luis Potosí spokesman said.
Group photo of the women featured in "Mujeres que dejan huella," a new book about women working in the high-tech industries of Guadalajara. (John Pint)
“Mujeres que dejan huella” (Women Who Leave a Mark) by Macamen Navarro and Alejandro Figueroa is a book about women working in the high-tech industries of Guadalajara. But it’s not just for techies or business people.
“Don’t get me wrong,” says co-author Macamen Navarro, “We think just about anybody would find this book interesting, but we particularly hope that it will inspire new generations of girls in Mexico. This book is about women who are making a difference.”
The book “Mujeres que dejan Huella” presents the stories of 26 leading women in the high tech industries of “Mexico’s Silicon Valley.”
“We want to tell their stories to motivate even more girls to take up a career in this field because in Mexico only 30 percent of high-tech students are women. And when it comes to those currently holding high-tech jobs, the number is far smaller. So, we’d like to see many more girls get interested in this sector.”
“At the same time, we want both men and women in the field to learn something about their colleagues. For example, I belong to CANIETI, the National Chamber of Electronics, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, and I noticed that it’s always men who are getting promoted there. When I ask, ‘Why is that?’ they reply: ‘Because there aren’t any women for us to promote. Just give us one name!’”
“Well,” Navarro told me with a broad smile, “here I’m giving them 26 names of women who are successful and well placed. These are vice presidents and directors of global companies, making important decisions every day, right here in Western Mexico.”
During the interviews, Navarro asked the women what games they played as little girls, if they suffered from bullying, or at what moment they became aware of the skills they possessed.
Dina Grijalva, Director of CANIETI West, with authors Macamen Navarro and Alejandro Figueroa. (John Pint)
“All of this,” she told me, “can help mothers today to identify what abilities their children have right from when they are little, and to direct them toward careers where they could be successful and not force them into fields where they don’t have skills.”
Navarro spent just over an hour asking questions like these. “And with [their answers], we put together each woman’s story,” she says.
If you ask such questions to children, you may not get much of an answer, but, Navarro discovered, if you ask those same questions later in life, people may end up using their self-awareness as a tool to connect things.
“This,” said Navarro, “may bring up all kinds of unexpected emotions, because it awakens deep, hidden feelings. For example, one of these women suffered from cancer. When I asked her about it, she began to cry, but she said, ‘This is strange, I’ve talked about my cancer many times, but I’ve never felt what I’m feeling right now.’ And I told her, ‘It’s because I brought you back to when you were a little girl. You are remembering a happy child playing, studying, having a boyfriend, getting a job, getting married, having children – happy, happy, happy. And then suddenly there’s a strong shock, and it’s that jump from one thing to the other that catches you by surprise.”
Macamen Navarro Ledgard is Chief Delivery Officer at Qualtop, Guadalajara, a leader in Information Technology and Software Development. (John Pint)
Navarro then read me a story from a chapter dedicated to a woman named Claudia Covarrubias.
As a child, Claudia wanted to attend school, but to do so, she had to leave her parents and go study in the pueblo of El Grullo, Jalisco, located 140 kilometers southwest of Guadalajara.
When the day came for Claudia to leave her family, she cried all morning and all the way to El Grullo.
Every Monday she would have to go to an internado, a boarding school, in El Grullo and stay there until Friday.
On one of those Sundays, before Claudia set off to El Grullo, her father took her aside to talk to her. He and his wife wanted to give their daughter a chance that they had never had, a chance to go to school. But they didn’t want to force her.
Her father proposed that Claudia ask herself exactly what she wanted to do with her life. If she wanted to continue going to school, she could get up early on Monday and knock on her parents’ bedroom door. Or, she could keep sleeping, and whenever she got up, her mother would start teaching her how to do all the household chores, as well as all the jobs related to running a rancho.
That night, Claudia couldn’t sleep. She imagined herself in the future, wearing huaraches, and married at a young age to a Norteño who worked in the USA and only came home to get her pregnant. Then, she remembered the times her father talked to her about finances and Wall Street. Suddenly, in her mind’s eye, Claudia saw herself in New York, wearing a pearl necklace and chic high heels.
Quote from Claudia Covarrubias of Hewlett Packard: “If you dream, you can be successful, but for big dreams there’s no discount.”
That very night, at 11 years old, Claudia made the most important decision of her life. She got up at 5 a.m., got ready to go to school, knocked on her parents’ door, and swore to them that never again would she cry about having to go to El Grullo.
“Today,” said Navarro, “this woman is the Chief Financial Officer for Latin America and Global Channel Finance Lead of Hewlett Packard Enterprise.”
Navarro told me that every time she asks little girls who their role model is, they always mention people like Gandhi and Marie Curie.
Navarro likes to reply, “They were truly great people, but they are dead. Instead, these 26 women are alive. You can get to know them; you can ask them questions; you can follow them on social media. They’re here among us and they are working on the technology that we use today and that we will use in the future.”
“I’ve judged competitions where girls present software applications they’ve developed on their own,” continued Navarro. “And after congratulating them for their ingenuity, I’ll ask a girl: ‘What carrera (career) are you thinking about? What are you going to study?’ She’ll think for a second and then say: ‘I’m going to study accounting.’ And I say, ‘But why?’ And she will reply: ‘That’s what my father wants me to study.’”
Navarro always asks, “But why don’t you study technology?”
And the girls say, “My father says that’s not for women.”
“That,” concludes Navarro, “is why I wrote this book: so when a girl hears ‘That’s not for women,’ she can hand the book to her father and say: ‘Mira, Papá, (Look, Dad) here are 26 women working in technology… and I bet they’re making more money than their accountants.’”
Anyone interested in acquiring “Mujeres que dejan huella” should contact Patricia López at CANIETI [[email protected]], or by telephone, 333 030 7206.
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.
Firefighters battled until the early hours of the morning to bring the fire under control. (@JefeVulcanoCova/Twitter)
A fire ripped through a large section of Mexico City’s main wholesale market Thursday night, but no fatalities or injuries were reported.
The Mexico City Fire Department said just after 1 a.m. Friday that the fire at the Central de Abasto in the eastern Iztapalapa borough had been completely extinguished.
Despite damage to 43% of the containers section, officials have announced that the Central de Abasto will open as usual on Friday. (@VenegasUrzua/Twitter)
Some 200 firefighters from nine fire stations responded to the blaze.
The market said in a statement that the fire broke out at about 7 p.m. in the “empty containers area,” where cardboard boxes, wooden crates and other receptacles are sold, but didn’t identify the cause of the blaze.
The Central de Abasto said that 5,640 square meters of the 13,000-square-meter empty containers section – 43% of its total area – were affected.
The “timely intervention” of firefighters and security and civil protection authorities ensured that no lives were lost and no one was injured, the market said. The fire was declared extinguished around 12.40 a.m.
Considering the size of the fire and the quantity and type of material in the area, the blaze was put out “quite quickly,” said Mexico City fire chief Juan Manuel Pérez Cova.
The market’s statement said that the Central de Abasto and its entire community “express their profound solidarity” with the vendors from the empty containers area who suffered “material losses.”
It also said the market would operate normally on Friday, although the empty containers area will be closed.
The Central de Abasto is spread across 327 hectares, an area 51 times bigger than the capital’s central square, according to the Mexico City government, which describes the facility as the world’s largest market.
A wide range of fresh produce and other goods are sold at the market, where thousands of workers labor from dawn to dusk 365 days a year.
Cancún's beaches will be filled with tourists over the holiday break. (@GobQuintanaRoo/Twitter)
More than 1.2 million tourists are expected to flock to the state of Quintana Roo, home to popular resorts including Cancún, Tulum and Playa Del Carmen, over the Easter break.
Maria Lezama Espinoza, governor of Quintana Roo, said that the state was on track for a successful year.
Tulum is one of Quintana Roo’s most iconic destinations. (@GobQuintanaRoo/Twitter)
“Statistics tell us that 2023 will be a great year for the destinations of the 11 municipalities; the number of visitors to the archaeological zones has grown by up to 25 percent,” she said.
Quintana Roo is a popular tourist destination thanks to a combination of outstanding natural beauty and fascinating history. Areas such as the Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve – a UNESCO heritage site – give visitors a glimpse into the region’s rich biodiversity, and the hundreds of cenotes, or water-filled natural sinkholes,also attract many visitors.
The world-famous ruins at Tulum, overlooking the Caribbean, is one of the state’s major historical attractions, along with the Cobá and Muyil ruins.
Twenty-seven cruise ships are expected to arrive at the island of Cozumel – off the coast of Playa Del Carmen – in the first week of April alone. This is a 20% increase over the number of ships registered in 2022. Thousands more will fly into Cancun from the United States and cities across Mexico.
Authorities say cruise ship traffic has so far been 20% higher than in 2022. (@AshishSPatel/Twitter)
Data from the Tourism Ministry suggested that there had already been nearly 2 million tourists in the first month of 2023 alone – with significant growth in visitors to Holbox, Bacalar and Cozumel.
In preparation for the holidaymakers, authorities have cleared more than 8,000 tons of sargassum – the foul-smelling seaweed that has blighted beaches in the area in recent years. As of Friday, the Sargassum Monitoring Network reported 8 of 100 beaches in Quintana Roo as sargassum-free, and 53 having “very low” levels.
“The analyses have allowed for a prediction of a decline in the sargassum biomass for 2023, even reaching the levels registered in 2019,” according to Jaime González Cano as reported by Infobae. “But atmospheric conditions and the behavior of ocean currents are important factors in the accumulation and distribution of seaweed along the Quintana Roo coastline.”
Photo from atop the Great Pyramid showing the entire plaza. (Joseph Sorrentino)
When Teotihuacán, one of the largest and most powerful pre-Hispanic city-states collapsed around 750 A.D., a number of other city-states were ready to step in and fill the void. One of them was Xochicalco, which may even have had a role in Teotihuacán’s fall.
What’s left of Xochicalco, which was once one of central Mexico’s most important commercial and religious centers, is spread across three hills, about 38 km (25 miles) southeast of Cuernavaca, Morelos.
The feathered serpent motifs found in Xochicalco speak to the cultural influence of Teotihuacán. (Joseph Sorrentino)
According to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), Xochicalco, whose Nahuatl name means “In the Place of the House of Flowers,” was founded between 650 and 700 A.D. by the Olmeca-Xicalancas, Mayan traders from Campeche.
At its peak, it’s estimated that the city covered just over 700 hectares (1,750 acres) and was home to a population of between 15,000 and 20,000. Xochicalco existed for a relatively brief period of time: the city was burned and destroyed around 900 A.D., possibly by an internal uprising.
Xochicalco was built on three levels. The lowest level contains the residences where most of the population lived. This level is surrounded by walls, indicating that the city was built with defense in mind. The next level contains an area called the Market Ensemble, centered around the Plaza of the Stele of the Two Glyphs. This plaza contains two temples, one on the east side and one on the west, with the titular stele standing on a small altar between the two. Evidence suggests that this plaza was the city’s original ceremonial site.
Ancient ancient roads lead from the valley below up to this site, perhaps indicating that, rather than being a place restricted to elites and priests, it was open to residents.
The Stele of the Two Glyphs is believed to have been erected in honor of the god Quetzalcóatl. (Joseph Sorrentino)
The stele’s two glyphs have been translated as “10 Reed” (although one source translates it as “10 Cane”) and “9 Reptile Eye,” which are dates. There was no information at the site as to what the dates represent, but it’s thought that the stele was erected to honor Quetzalcóatl, one of Mesoamerica’s most important pre-Hispanic gods. The god was so important, in fact, that standing nearby is the impressive Temple of the Feathered Serpent, another name for Quetzalcóatl.
That temple, which may have been dedicated to the warrior caste, is sculpted with eight stylized serpents, two on each side, that are covered with feathers. These carvings were certainly influenced by Teotihuacán, where similar carvings can be found. Shells are also depicted on the temple’s sides, representing water and likely Tlaloc, the god of rain and water.
Among several of the serpents’ undulations are seated figures that are thought to depict Mayans because of their deformed heads – cranial deformation was practiced by Mayan elites. Glyphs representing speech come out of the figures’ mouths, possibly signifying praise.
The Great Pyramid, the tallest structure in Xochicalco, is located on the north side of the ruins and was dedicated to Tlaloc. The highest level of the city contains more temples and other buildings – most likely residences for priests and the ruling class – and the Ramp of Animals, which was paved with 271 stone slabs engraved with images of birds, mammals, serpents and insects. Visitors can’t walk on the ramp and it can be a little difficult to see the carvings clearly, but some of the stones can be observed in the site’s museum.
Xochicalco had three ball courts which are thought to have been used during religious ceremonies. Variations of the ballgame were played across ancient Mesoamerica. (Joseph Sorrentino)
Three ball courts are located in the northern, eastern and southern parts of the ruins. It’s thought that each of these served a different function, although all are believed to have been utilized during religious ceremonies.
One of Xochicalco’s most amazing features is a cave on the west side of the city known as the Cave of the Astronomers. Whether the cave is natural or man-made is unclear, but it was used as an observatory and was almost certainly a place where religious ceremonies were held.
A chimney-like structure called a zenith tube was built into the roof of the cave, allowing observers to track the sun’s movement and the solstices. This tube lets in a beam of light during the sun’s zenith – a time when the sun is directly overhead – each year on May 14 and 15 and again on July 28 and 29 (there are many photographs of this phenomenon online).
Several sources indicate that direct sunlight enters the cave for 105 days (between the April 30 and August 15), leaving 260 days when the cave is in darkness – the Mesoamerican sacred calendar comprised thirteen months of twenty days each, for a total of 260 days. Although most scholars believe this cave was used to track the sun’s movements, at least one researcher has argued for that it served as a lunar observatory.
Unfortunately, the sign pointing to the cave had “Temporarily Closed” stamped on it when we visited.
Xochicalco’s museum has six exhibition galleries displaying numerous objects excavated from the ruins. Interestingly, it was the world’s first ecological museum upon its inauguration in 1996: the interior is illuminated by natural light, rainwater is collected in an underground cistern and wastewater is treated and used to water the gardens surrounding the museum.
The Red Lord, a seated figure who represents the patron god of the ruling class. (Joseph Sorrentino)
Xochicalco was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 and is definitely worth a visit. Some basics to be aware of: come with a full tank of gas because there are very few gas stations on the highways leading to the ruins. When you arrive, go to the museum to buy your ticket, which is $90 pesos ($5 USD). There are some trees around the ruins but not much shade, so bring a sun hat, sunscreen and lots of water. We went in late March and were surprised at how hot it was; we sucked down a liter of water between us.
Figure on just under two hours to cover the ruins. Bring snacks and maybe lunch. We went to Cuentepec, about 20 minutes away, and only found one stand selling quesadillas. There are many small stands along Route 166 that serve simple fare and at least two restaurants in Alpuyeca, about 30 minutes from the ruins.
The festival is expected to draw nearly 8 million people over 3 weeks. (@FNSM_Oficial/Twitter)
The headliners for the 2023 Feria de San Marcos (San Marcos Fair) include stars such as Ricky Martin, Rod Stewart, Maluma and Bizarrap, who will take the stage at the annual festival.
Held in the state capital of Aguascalientes starting April 15, the fair will also host Tigres del Norte, Pepe Aguilar, Black Eyed Peas, Christian Nodal, among other well-known performers.
The 2023 lineup is as star-studded as ever. (@FNSM_Oficial/Twitter)
The fair is one of the oldest and most important popular events in modern Mexico, and was first held as far back as 1828. It features a range of traditional activities, including charrería (Mexican rodeo) bullfighting, cockfighting and horse racing.
The fair also presents cultural and international exhibitions, displaying a variety of different Latin American cultures and fashions. The 2023 edition features Spain and Guanajuato, with pavilions displaying the best that these regions have to offer.
The event will take place across 90 hectares and boasts both Latin America’s largest mechanical clock – with a 27-meter face – and the historic mid-17th century Temple of San Marcos.
Entry to the festival is free of charge, although some major events may have an additional cost.
The festival will run from April 15 to May 7 and is expected to attract nearly 8 million visitors across three weeks.
Previous editions have also seen performances from artists such as AC/DC, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Rammstein and Marc Anthony.
The Maya Train is one of President López Obrador's signature infrastructure projects. (@TrenMaya/Twitter)
Visionary development, or destructive white elephant? Few infrastructure projects have generated such heated debate in Mexico in recent years as the Maya Train (Tren Maya), President López Obrador’s long-promised railroad in the Yucatán Peninsula.
This edition of Mexico in Numbers lays out key numbers about the scale and impact of this controversial project.
How big is the Maya Train?
The finished railroad will have 1,554 km of track and 34 stations. It will pass through 40 municipalities in five different states – Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo.
How the train compares to other international trains by length.
According to Alstrom, the company contracted to build the trains, the rail line will have 42 trains in operation that can move at a top speed of 176 km/h for passengers and 120 km/h for cargo.
The government hopes to move 200,000 people per day by 2030.
This would mean a construction time of 1,306 days – or just under 3 years and 7 months. But this may be optimistic, since in February, only around460 km of track had been completed – just under 30% of the total.
How much will it cost?
Theestimated cost of the project is around 300 billion pesos (US $16.5 billion) – nearly 150% more than its original estimate of 120 billion pesos (US $6.6 billion).
In 2023, the Maya Train project will be a major expenditure for the López Obrador administration — nearly the amount it will spend on social welfare programs and about one-third of what it will spend on education.
As for ticket prices, these will be calculated per kilometer and are expected to range between 50 pesos per sector for locals and 1,000 pesos for tourists.
How many people are involved?
The government claims that the Maya Train has already created at least 114,000 jobs in the southeast of Mexico. The company in charge of the project, Tren Maya S.A. de C.V., employs 338 staff, of whom 138 are military personnel.
The Defense Ministry (Sedena)announced in February that it would allocate 4,931 National Guard members, 28 drones, five helicopters and three air bases to provide security to the project.
What is the archaeological impact?
The Maya Train’s construction has been accompanied by a huge project to register and preserve archaeological sites in the affected areas, employing around 500 archaeologists.
By March 2023, the National Institute for Anthropology and History (INAH)had registered 46,416 historical dwellings, 1,795 artifacts, 490 skeletons, and 1,261 natural formations such as caves and sinkhole lakes.
This map of the Maya Train sections shows the major archaeological sites found along the route. (INAH)
What is the environmental and social impact?
The Maya Train has been controversial from the beginning. It has already faced atleast 50 lawsuits seeking to stop its construction, according to a statement by made by President Lopez Obrador in February. Most have been brought by environmental organizations and grassroots groups who fear its impact on the region’s jungles, wildlife, cenotes (sinkhole lakes) and indigenous communities.
The Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA) says the railroad will affect13 national protected areas, plus nine state and municipal natural reserves. 53% of the route runs through communal ejido lands, which could spark social conflict.
It could also cause 2,500 hectares of direct deforestation and raise the annual rate of deforestation in the region by a quarter over this decade, according to the Mexican environmental watchdog group Net-Zero Deforestation Observatory.
The government claims it will counter this impact through the social and environmental program Sembrando Vida (Sowing Life), which plans to reforest around500 million trees in southeast Mexico.
