Elaborate ofrendas (alters or offerings) for deceased loved ones are just one part of Michoacán's traditional Day of the Dead festivities. Twitter @Michoacan
Authorities in Michoacán are expecting over 300,000 tourists to flock to the state for this year’s Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) holiday on November 1 and 2.
Pátzcuaro, Morelia, Uruapan and the Lake Páztcuaro islands of Janitzio and Yunuén are among the destinations expecting an influx of domestic and foreign tourists.
In addition to elaborate ofrendas (alters or offerings) in cemeteries and other locations, those destinations have other Day of the Dead attractions such as catrina parades featuring women painted as skeletons and Pirekua (an indigenous Purépecha song form) performances.
Michoacán Tourism Minister Roberto Monroy told a press conference that the annual Day of the Dead celebration is an important economic event for the state given the large number of tourists who arrive. He predicted this year’s holiday will generate 250 million pesos (US $12.4 million) in revenue for local businesses.
“We support the Purépecha communities and municipalities with 4.5 million pesos [US $223,000] so that they can buy the necessary articles to carry out the celebration,” he said, adding that the state government also helps coordinate events in different locations.
Monroy said that the 2017 animated film Coco spurred international interest in Michoacán’s Day of the Dead celebrations, with visitors from countries such as Japan, France and Colombia traveling to the state for the holiday in recent years. “Coco is a gift from Disney for Mexico,” he said.
The tourism minister also said that the Day of the Dead experience in Michoacán is unlike that in any other part of the country.
For his part, Pátzcuaro Mayor Julio Arreola said the celebration in the state is “magical and mystical” and noted that many hotels are already booked out.
Mexico’s Day of the Dead tradition is recognized as intangible cultural heritage of humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
“As practiced by the indigenous communities of Mexico, el Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) commemorates the transitory return to Earth of deceased relatives and loved ones,” the UN agency says on its website.
“… Families facilitate the return of the souls to Earth by laying flower petals, candles and offerings along the path leading from the cemetery to their homes. … The Day of the Dead celebration holds great significance in the life of Mexico’s indigenous communities. The fusion of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Catholic feasts brings together two universes, one marked by indigenous belief systems, the other by worldviews introduced by the Europeans in the 16th century.”
President López Obrador looks on as Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier announces her resignation on Thursday morning. Daniel Augusto Sánchez Moreno / Cuartoscuro.com
Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier has resigned less than two years after taking on the job, telling President López Obrador in a letter that her time to step down had come.
Clouthier, who succeeded Graciela Márquez as economy minister in January 2021, read her resignation letter at the president’s regular news conference on Thursday.
“Dear president, I’d like to take the opportunity with this note to thank you for the great opportunity you’ve given me to walk with you in favor of the fourth transformation,” she said, referring to the profound change López Obrador says he is implementing in Mexico.
“If I can make a comparison with baseball, I was invited to play in the major league, to get to know the country, represent it, play in different positions, sweating profusely in my shirt and never ceasing to do my part in order to score a run for Mexico.”
Clouthier, who managed López Obrador’s 2018 presidential campaign, said that, “as in the game,” one needs to know when it is time to step away. She didn’t cite a specific reason for her resignation, simply saying that her “opportunity to be on the team is over.”
Clouthier – a former federal deputy who was affiliated with the National Action Party for over two decades before joining López Obrador’s Morena party – noted that she had discussed her decision with the president in July and September and said she would now join the porra, or fans of the government and enthusiastically follow her erstwhile “team” while continuing to work for the country as an ordinary citizen.
“I would like to say more but the only thing that comes out of my mouth and heart is thank you,” said the visibly upset outgoing minister.
“Thank you … for allowing me to put my abilities at the service of the country and above all for showing me that when it comes to serving [the people of Mexico] there is no weariness, sickness or barrier that can’t be overcome.”
Creo , esta es opinión mía ya que no he hablado con ella, que el tema de la Guardia Nacional debe haber pesado mucho en su decisión ! Congruencia de Tatiana vs. la incongruencia de López
In addition to the ongoing energy disputes, Tatiana Clouthier’s brother, politician Manuel Clouthier, speculated that recent issues related to the National Guard may have influenced her departure, though he acknowledge he had not discussed the issue with his sister.
Clouthier’s departure comes as the federal government continues to conduct dispute resolution talks with the United States and Canada over concerns about Mexico’s nationalistic energy policies. As economy minister she played a key role in trade talks and in maintaining positive government relations with Mexican business and industry.
Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard said that her resignation wouldn’t affect the energy talks with the U.S. and Canada, which have been “productive,” according to the Economy Ministry.
López Obrador said he respected Clouthier’s decision to resign but nevertheless attempted to change her mind. “We insisted that she stay but she’s a woman with convictions … and she’s taken this decision to leave the Economy Ministry,” he said.
“… We’re going to feel her absence but … she’s always going to continue … defending justice and promoting the democratic political development of our country.”
Asked later in his press conference whether Clothier disagreed with the militarization of Mexico during the current government, López Obrador said that wasn’t the case and that the minister was leaving “on the best terms.”
He said Clouthier’s replacement will be announced Friday. The news agency Reuters reported that a person familiar with López Obrador’s thinking said that Raquel Buenrostro, head of the federal tax agency SAT, was being lined up for the job.
For the time being, U.S. and Canada have declined to convene a panel that could impose punitive tariffs on Mexico. Depositphotos
Mexico, the United States and Canada are making progress in their attempt to reach a resolution over a dispute stemming from the Mexican government’s nationalistic energy policies.
The U.S. Trade Representative in July requested dispute settlement consultations with Mexico under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Canada promptly did the same, saying that it agreed with the U.S. that Mexico’s energy policies were inconsistent with its USMCA obligations.
Mexican and U.S. officials who spoke with the news agency Reuters on the condition of anonymity said Monday that progress in their discussions meant they would continue beyond October 3 — the date on which a dispute panel could have been requested to hear the case.
The USMCA allows a claim to be taken to a dispute panel 75 days after consultations begin. Mexico risks exposure to punitive tariffs on its exports if a dispute panel is convened and rules in favor of one or both of its North American trade partners.
México continuará con los esfuerzos conjuntos para llegar a una solución mutuamente satisfactoria en el tema de las Consultas al amparo del #TMEC. pic.twitter.com/K4U5098fNa
“Mexico will continue with joint efforts to reach a mutually satisfying solution related to the consultation on the dispute of the #USMCA agreement,” the Economy Ministry wrote on Twitter.
While a dispute panel could still be established, Mexico’s Economy Ministry said on Twitter Monday that the “joint efforts to reach a mutually satisfactory solution” — the ongoing talks — will continue.
“Mexico, the United States and Canada have maintained a productive dialogue since the United States and Canada requested consultations,” it said. “… We share the wish of our partners to continue progressing through dialogue.”
Both the United States and Canada are unhappy about delays faced by private energy sector companies to receive permits. They also disagree with other energy sector policies and laws that favor Mexico’s state-owned energy firms, including the Electricity Industry Law, which gives power generated by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) priority on the national grid over that produced by private and renewable energy companies.
However, tensions have eased in recent weeks as Mexican courts suspended some contentious rules, and on signs that Mexican regulators have begun to address backlogs on permits, Reuters reported, citing industry officials and sources.
Francisco de Rosenzweig, a former deputy trade minister, told the news agency that he believes that the Mexican government “has sought to deal with the requests from the U.S. and Canadian governments with a view to a solution that avoids international arbitration.”
Reuters said its sources cited upcoming midterm elections in the United States, inflation concerns and the probability that Mexico would lose arbitration as reasons why neither side wants to escalate the trade dispute by requesting a panel.
In a separate gas pipeline dispute, the CFE lost an international arbitration case to a Canadian company and had to pay compensation of about US $85 million, Reuters reported Monday.
Regarding the energy dispute, a Mexican government source said that U.S. officials warned that pressure on Mexico will increase if substantial progress toward resolution isn’t made.
Rosanety Barrios, an energy analyst and former Energy Ministry official, said there are a number of unresolved issues even though Mexican regulators have attempted to show their willingness to be more flexible.
She suggested that resolution won’t come anytime soon, telling Reuters that Mexico and the U.S. could “kick the can down the road until the next [Mexican] government” takes office. A new Mexican president will be sworn in in late 2024, while the four-year term of the next U.S. president will commence in January 2025.
The city has put up plywood boards to block the entrance to the alleyway.
An alleyway in Guanajuato city where forbidden love is believed to have once flourished was shut off by municipal authorities Wednesday amid a dispute between people who profit from the arrival of tourists to the location.
The lovestruck pair lived in homes in the alley with balconies that are less than 70 centimeters apart, close enough for them to reach each other over the famously narrow alley and lock lips.
Located in the historic center of Guanajuato city, the callejón is now a popular tourist attraction where many couples recreate the kisses Ana and Carlos shared before the former was stabbed to death by her disapproving father.
The famously narrow “Kissing Alley” in better days. Darren Tierney/Istock
Such reenactments are now on hold after authorities erected plywood barriers at the entrances to the alley. A municipal government notice stuck to the barriers said that a construction project had been suspended as a safety measure, but Guanajuato newspaper Periódico Correo reported that there didn’t appear to be such a project going on in the alleyway.
The newspaper said there is an unresolved conflict between the owners of Ana’s house and the owners of Carlos’ house, in which photographers and tourist guides are also involved. Photographers who take and sell photos of tourists visiting the alley recently came to blows after an argument over prices tourists are charged for their services.
Mayor Alejandro Navarro Saldaña subsequently warned that the alley would be closed off if those at odds with each other couldn’t reach an agreement.
While Periódico Correo reported that risks to safety generated by a construction project didn’t appear to be the reason for the closure of the alley, it did note that a resident said that some buildings have structural damage. Municipal Civil Protection authorities “apparently” suggested the closure while the properties are repaired, the newspaper said.
No han querido poner orden con esos fotógrafos que ya se adueñaron del callejón y no puedes tomarte una foto porqué ellos te forman en SU FILA, TE TOMAN LA FOTO Y TE COBRAN y si no lo haces, no te dejan pasar. 😡😡😡 @GtoCapitalTur@GtoTravelMX@GtoCulturalMX@SeguridadGto
“They haven’t wanted to regulate the photographers who have taken over the alley and you can’t take a photo because they put you in THEIR LINE, THEY TAKE YOUR PHOTO AND THEY CHARGE YOU and if you don’t do it, they don’t let you pass,” one Twitter user commented on a widely-shared video of rival photographers fighting in the “Kissing Alley.”
Other reports, and the mayor’s remarks, indicated that the dispute involving the property owners, photographers and tourists guides was the real reason behind the closure of the iconic alleyway.
The military arrived in the town of San Miguel Totolapan in the state of Guerrero, but no arrests have been made. Cuartoscuro
The mayor of a municipality in the notoriously violent Tierra Caliente region of Guerrero was among 20 people killed in an armed attack on Wednesday.
Guerrero authorities reported Wednesday that 18 people were killed and two others were wounded in an attack on the San Miguel Totolapan city hall, but federal security official Ricardo Mejía said Thursday that the death toll had risen to 20.
Gunmen affiliated with Los Tequileros – a crime gang allegedly linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel – are believed to be responsible for the massacre in the small town, part of a region where violence is common and narcos exert significant influence over local politics.
San Miguel Totolapan Mayor Conrado Mendoza Almeda, his father Juan Mendoza Acosta – a former mayor of the same municipality, and other local officials, including police officers, were among those murdered in the attack. The Democratic Revolution Party mayor’s grandfather and brother-in-law – a United States citizen identified as Gustavo Salazar – were also killed.
Mayor Conrado Mendoza Almeda — as well as his father, Juan Mendoza Acosta, a former mayor of the municipality — were among the 20 fatalities. Facebook
Some reports said that Mendoza Acosta – who allegedly colluded with Los Tequileros while mayor – was killed at his home in San Miguel Totolapan rather than at the local government headquarters. Mendoza Almeda was presiding over a meeting when the assailants stormed the town hall and opened fire.
The army, police and the National Guard attended the scene of the crime but no arrests were reported. Guerrero Attorney General Sandra Luz Valdovinos said in a television interview that their arrival was delayed by blockades allegedly set up by the crime group that committed the attack. Her office said that 10 victims had been identified and released a list of their names.
Mejía, a deputy security minister, told President López Obrador’s regular news conference that the massacre occurred “in the context of a criminal dispute” between Los Tequileros and La Familia Michoacana drug cartel.
“A group known as Los Tequileros ruled in that region during a period of time; it was a group mainly dedicated to the trafficking of opium poppies,” he said.
San Miguel Totolapan is in northwest Guerrero, about 65 kilometers north of Iguala. Adapated map/Government of Mexico
Mendoza Alameda is the 18th mayor to be murdered since López Obrador took office in December 2018, according to Etellekt Consultores, which tracks political violence.
In a separate incident, Morelos state Deputy Gabriela Marín was also shot and killed on Wednesday. The deputy, who was gunned down in state capital Cuernavaca, is the eighth state lawmaker to be killed since the president was sworn in almost four years ago.
A cenizo agave grows wild outside the city of Durango. Apaluz
Say the word “mezcal,” and, by far, most people think of Oaxaca. But the obscure state of Durango might just be the Mexican liquor’s next big producer.
Agave spirits can legally be called “mezcal” if they are produced in certain areas of Guerrero, Michoacán, Zacatecas, Durango, Puebla and San Luis Potosí, as well as Oaxaca. The variety of agave species and distillation processes make for mezcal with a wide range of tastes.
Oaxaca dominates primarily because of its long-established tourism industry, which provides name recognition and infrastructure for visiting business and leisure travelers. Durango lacks in both areas, but don’t count on this state’s spirits to stay hidden much longer.
Until very recently, all production and consumption of mezcal in this state was very much a family affair. With agave all around, making mezcal became a common farm chore, with some going a bit beyond to make batches for very local sales.
Juan Matador’s cantina in downtown Durango city is probably the best place to try out Durango mezcal. Juan Matador/Facebook
Primarily consumed at home, children grew up around it not only as libations but also infused with herbs and fruits for medicinal purposes. This tradition meant that vinatas (distilleries)locally commercializing mezcal were not organized in any way. Any mezcal sold in places like Durango city was bought from vinatas by intermediaries.
The idea of commercial mezcal from Durango was pretty much inconceivable until the beginning of this century. The first brands, like Cava Rojas and Lágrimas de Dolores, are only about 15 years old. Even many durangueses today still are not particularly interested in buying a Durango brand; they buy from rural producers they already know.
But the boom in mezcal has had an effect: a number of producers, the government, and others are interested in formalizing at least part of the state’s production for economic reasons. However, there are hurdles related to taxes, quality control and sustainability, which few individual vinatas can take on themselves.
In 2018, a number of the larger vinatas and others formed the Durango Mezcal Cluster (Clúster Mezcales de Durango). Their primary focus is to promote the formalization of mezcal-making in Durango by promoting to new markets those which are already branded and help smaller producers jump the legal and bureaucratic obstacles. Today, they represent the 20 largest producers in the state, as well as another 30 who are in transition.
Durango’s producers are still making mezcal using traditional methods — by cooking agave hearts in an outdoor oven.
Director Olivia Fernández admits the costs of formalization are considerable, but the prices that Durango mezcal can command in the new markets make the effort worthwhile. They have had considerable success. Today, Durango produces 93,000 liters in full compliance with Mexico’s regulations, compared to the 90,000 still produced and sold/consumed informally.
Like with tequila, the most exciting and lucrative markets are foreign. Brands such as 618, Cuero Viejo, Ajal, Izo, and others are now shipped mostly to the United States, but they’re also sent to Japan, Taiwan and Europe.
The distinguishing factor for most Durango mezcal is the use of Agave duranguensis, colloquially known as the Durango agave or the cenizo (ash) agave due to the plant’s color. Its abundance in southern Durango is why most of the state’s mezcal producers are concentrated in municipalities such as Durango, Nombre de Dios, Súchil and El Mezquital.
However, other mezcals are made with other agaves such as Agave angustifolia (maguey de castilla, cacaleño, tepemete), A. asperrima (lamparillo) and A. maximiliana (masparillo). They mostly come from other areas of the state such as the Mapimí/La Laguna region, in the northeastern part of the state, and the Durango-Sinaloa border. Only a few of these are branded, like Ultramundo, made from the lamparillo agave.
Lagrimas de Dolores’s mezcal is grown on a Durango hacienda and distilled on the premises. They have a small store in Durango city where you can sample and buy. Mezcalistas
If Durango mezcal branding is young, mezcal tourism is in its infancy. Nombre de Dios is a Pueblo Mágico in large part due to its association with mezcal. Crowds do come here on weekends to drink and buy the liquor, but the 25 or so producers are in the outlying areas. There are no tours, nor are producers set up to receive casual visitors — yet.
To get your first taste of mezcal in Durango proper, start in the capital, Durango city.
Lágrima de Dolores has a small store on 20 de Novembre street, where you can taste and buy. Nearby is probably the best cantina for the enjoyment of Durango mezcal — Juan Matador. The extremely knowledgeable (and English-speaking!) Ignacio Rodarte, who runs it, refuses to recommend a mezcal without knowing a patron’s particular tastes. The cantina’s ambiance celebrates Durango’s traditional cultures, as well as the former bullfighter who lived in the building.
However, if you are looking for a more modern and youthful vibe, La No 19 on the Constitución tourist corridor also promotes the drinking of mezcal in old and new ways.
Two important Durango mezcal brands — Ajal and Bosscal. Ajal is exclusively exported to Asia.
For those of you unable to make the trip to Durango, finding Durango mezcal gets ever easier. Specialty stores like Mezcalía in Mexico City carry various brands. Several vinatas such as Apaluz, Lágrima de Dolores, Cuero Viejo, Bosscalhave full websites with online stores. More have a presence on Facebook and other social media.
One warning however: Durango mezcal is, almost without exception, far stronger than any tequila and even stronger than its cousins from Oaxaca. Duranguenses tell me quite truthfully that this mezcal is “to be respected,” drunk slowly in sips akin to “kissing” it.
Perhaps one reason to try it now is that it is still made the way it was 100 years ago, with wild agave and traditional techniques. But that is sure not to last. Already the Clúster and others are recognizing the sustainability issue, and other issues, that has plagued tequila and Oaxacan mezcal and are taking preventative measures, such as replanting programs.
But for now, you can easily find Durango mezcal exactly like what Pancho Villa and other revolutionaries drank more than a hundred years ago. Get it while it lasts.
Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico 18 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019). Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily.
The presidential airplane that AMLO has been trying to sell. The National Defense Ministry says they ruled out using it for commercial flights.
President López Obrador confirmed Tuesday that the federal government is considering the creation of a state-owned commercial airline to be operated by the army.
He told reporters at his regular news conference that it’s “very probable” that the proposed airline will begin operations next year.
“The economic viability analysis is being done. … There are a lot of places that can’t be reached by plane because they’re not served by the current airlines,” López Obrador said. “… There are cities where there were flights before but now there are none,” he added.
The president’s remarks came after the newspaper El Universal reported that the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) was working on the creation of a commercial airline that would operate with a fleet of 10 leased planes. The report was based on information El Universal obtained from the hacking group Guacamaya, which recently infiltrated Sedena’s servers and stole millions of emails.
President López Obrador at the morning press conference on Wednesday
The newspaper also said that Sedena is considering the creation of a state-owned tourism company which would operate three hotels along the Maya Train railroad route as well as two museums and two ecological parks.
The airline and the tourism firm would be managed by the Olmeca-Maya-Mexica Airport, Railroad and Auxiliary Services Group, a public company created by Sedena to operate the Felipe Ángeles International Airport, the Maya Train railroad, the Chetumal and Palenque airports and the as yet unbuilt Tulum airport.
Leaked information showed that the cost of operating the airline would be between 1 billion and 1.8 billion pesos (about US $50-90 million) depending on the type of aircraft that are leased. An impediment to the plan is that a company cannot legally operate an airline and airport at the same time, but information obtained by El Universal suggested that the relevant law could be changed without the need for congressional approval – by presidential decree, in other words.
Sedena reportedly considered using the presidential plane for some commercial flights to be operated by the proposed airline, but ultimately determined that doing so wasn’t commercially viable. The government has been unable to sell the luxuriously-outfitted Boeing 787 Dreamliner that López Obrador refuses to use in keeping with his predilection for austerity.
The president said Tuesday that an earlier study concluded that the army-run airline could be profitable. He stressed that more airlines are needed in Mexico because erstwhile flagship carrier Mexicana – which stopped flying over a decade ago – and Interjet have left the market and Aeromar has reduced its flights.
López Obrador also said that the government would facilitate the entry of any other new airlines that wanted to operate in Mexico as long as they are economically solvent and “responsible.”
He said he would like the new state-owned airline to be called Mexicana, provided there are no legal impediments. Naming the airline Mexicana would be to “return a symbol, an emblem, to the nation,” López Obrador said.
“… We have to see if [the name] is public property, we have to do an investigation, but that would be the best name,” he said.
The creation of an army-operated commercial airline would further increase the responsibilities of the military, upon which the president has relied heavily during his almost four years in office.
The results of a poll posted to Twitter by Pascal Beltrán del Río, director of the Excélsior newspaper, suggested that demand might not be all that high. Over 91% of more than 25,000 respondents said they wouldn’t fly on an army-run commercial carrier.
Cars being manufactured at the Audi plant in San José Chiapa, Puebla. Carlos Aranda/Unsplash
The World Bank has adjusted its growth forecasts for the Mexican economy in 2022 and 2023, offering a slightly rosier outlook for this year but a more pessimistic prediction for the coming one.
In a report published Tuesday, the World Bank forecast growth of 1.8% this year, an increase of 0.1% compared to its outlook in June. It anticipates GDP will expand 1.5% next year – a reduction of 0.4% compared to its previous forecast – and 2.1% in 2024.
The World Bank is forecasting 3% growth across the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region this year and a 1.6% expansion in 2023.
“By the end of the year, economic activity will have largely recovered to its pre-pandemic levels, although with substantial variations across [LAC] countries,” the international financial organization said in its report titled New Approaches to Closing the Fiscal Gap.
A chart showing Mexico’s GDP growth from 1961. With pandemic restrictions in place, 2020 was Mexico’s worst year for growth in nearly six decades. Mouse over the graph to see each year’s figures.
“Among the largest economies, GDP in Chile and Colombia is expected to be 10% above 2019 levels, while in Brazil and Mexico it remains unchanged.”
The Mexican economy slumped by more than 8% in 2020 due to the pandemic and associated restrictions before recording almost 5% growth last year.
The World Bank said Tuesday that “strong global uncertainty as a result of the war in Ukraine, higher interest rates in developed countries and the persistent inflationary pressures will impact economies in the region.”
“… Inflation, while for most countries is at OECD levels, will require continued efforts to reduce to previous target levels,” it said.
William Maloney, the World Bank’s chief economist for the Latin America and Caribbean region, approved of the Bank of Mexico’s efforts to tackle inflation, currently at 8.76%.
Presenting the LAC report on Tuesday, the World Bank’s chief economist for the region, William Maloney, noted that inflation in Mexico is high: 8.76% in annual terms in the first half of September. But he expressed support for the central bank’s efforts to combat the unwanted phenomenon.
The Bank of México lifted its benchmark rate by 75 basis points to 9.25% last week, the highest level since a new monetary policy regime was introduced in 2008, after two previous 0.75% hikes.
Maloney noted that the World Bank is not forecasting an economic contraction in the United States despite the Federal Reserve’s aggressive rate hikes in that country, but warned that if the world’s largest economy does go into recession there will be an impact on all other nations in the region, including Mexico.
The Senate on Tuesday approved a proposal to authorize the use of the armed forces for public security tasks until 2028, delivering a crucial victory to President López Obrador, who says that the ongoing presence of the military on the nation’s streets is essential to guarantee peace.
Eighty-seven senators voted in favor of the constitutional bill that seeks to extend the military’s involvement in public security by four years, while 40 opposed it.
Support for the bill was just over the two-thirds majority required to pass a proposal that seeks to modify the constitution. The proposed reform will now face a vote in the lower house of Congress, where lawmakers already approved an earlier version of the same bill.
Senators modified the bill after the ruling Morena party used its majority in the upper house to block a vote that would have killed off the proposal two weeks ago. Senator Ricardo Monreal, Morena’s leader in the Senate, said at the time that the vote was postponed to “broaden the debate and reach agreements.”
Senators voting on the extension of military use for public security on October 4. Senado de la República
The modifications were sufficient to win the support of some Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) senators who opposed the bill passed by the Chamber of Deputies in mid-September.
Among the modifications are provisions that establish congressional oversight of the public security actions of the military and create a fund that will provide resources for the professionalization of municipal and state police forces.
Monreal said that Congress will become a “watchdog” of the armed forces and hold them to account. He described the congressional oversight mechanism as historic and unprecedented. There will be “parliamentary controls” over the armed forces that “haven’t existed until now,” the senator said.
The chiefs of the army and navy will be required to submit regular reports to Congress and could be summoned to appear before lawmakers.
The current government created the National Guard to lead its public security strategy, but three years after it was inaugurated violent crime remains a significant problem in some parts of the country.
Put forward by a PRI deputy, the original bill proposing a four-year extension to the military’s involvement in public security said that that a “solid and effective” police force “is not built overnight” and therefore, while the National Guard “develops its structure, capacities and territorial establishment,” the president of the day can use the armed forces for public security tasks in an “extraordinary, regulated, controlled, subordinated and complementary way.”
Municipal and state police forces – many of which are made up of poorly paid officers who lack training – have long struggled to contain violence on their own.
The National Action Party (PAN) vehemently opposed the constitutional bill, arguing that it would further perpetuate a long-running militarized public security strategy that has failed. The PRD – part of an opposition alliance that also includes the PAN and PRI – had also opposed it, but two of its senators ended up voting in favor of the modified proposal.
On Sunday, the anniversary of the Tlatelolco Massacre of 1968, in which between 200 and 300 student protesters were killed in clashes with the military, participants decried the current militarization of the country. Daniel Augusto Sánchez Moreno/Cuartoscuro
There was a heated debate in the Senate before a vote was held Tuesday night, with PAN senators warning that the ongoing involvement of the military in public security increased the risk that Mexico would see other events like the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre of students in Mexico and the 2014 disappearance of 43 students in Guerrero.
Senator Julen Rementería, PAN’s leader in the upper house, accused Morena of buying votes in order to approve the continuation of a security strategy “that has been a failure.”
López Obrador – who said last month that he changed his mind about the need to use the military for public security tasks when he saw the security problem he inherited – expressed his satisfaction with the Senate’s approval of the bill.
“I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the senators because the constitutional reform was approved yesterday,” he said at his Wednesday morning news conference.
“… We have confidence [in the armed forces] because a different idea about [the need for] absolute respect for human rights now prevails,” said López Obrador, who has used the military for a wide range of non-traditional tasks including infrastructure construction and management of customs, and recently succeeded in putting the National Guard under the administrative and operational control of the army.
“… This [reform] has to do with public security, it’s about protecting citizens even while we’re maintaining the security strategy of attending to the causes of violence,” he said.
San Miguel de Allende is the world’s best small city, and Mérida is the fourth best big one, according to readers of Condé Nast Traveler.
The magazine announced the winners of its 35th annual Readers’ Choice Awards on Tuesday. San Miguel Allende, a colonial city in the Bajío region state of Guanajuato, was also crowned the world’s best small city in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021.
Mérida, the capital of Yucatán, won the same award in 2019, but appeared in the big cities list for the first time this year.
Announcing the results of its latest reader survey, Condé Nast Traveler described San Miguel de Allende – a UNESCO world heritage site since 2008 – as a “jewel” and a “hub for expat artists.”
Mérida’s striking downtown landmark, The Homeland Monument. Mérida has been on Condé Nast Traveler’s list before, but this is the first time the publication considered it a big city. Jorge Ramírez/Unsplash
“This highland city is known for its Spanish colonial architecture and colorful facades. You could spend hours browsing the galleries and pop-up shops at Fábrica La Aurora, a former textile factory that is now home to local artisans,” the magazine said.
It also recommended the Rosewood hotel, calling it a “hidden oasis in the heart of the city,” and the restaurant Áperi, “for one of the best dining experiences in the city, full of fresh flavors from the region.”
Other small cities popular with Condé Nast Traveler readers include Oxford, United Kingdom (voted 10th best); Salzburg, Austria (5th); San Sebastián, Spain (3rd); and Victoria, Canada (2nd).
Singapore was voted the best big city ahead of Bangkok, Thailand; Tokyo, Japan; and Mérida, which has a population of about 1 million.
As one of Mexico’s earliest cities, San Miguel de Allende holds onto its original colonial charm with cobblestone streets, but it’s also got a vibrant modern arts community. Jezael Melgoza/Unsplash
“The streets of Mérida are bursting with the colorful facades of Spanish colonial architecture, but the capital of Mexico’s Yucatan state is also steeped in Mayan history,” Condé Nast Traveler said.
“Centrally located on the Yucatán Peninsula, the city is an easy day trip to UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as the ancient cities of Uxmal and Chichén Itzá, and the beaches on the Gulf shore in Progreso.”
The magazine said that locals of the ciudad blanca (white city) recommend visiting Fundación de Artistas, a nonprofit featuring art exhibits in a 19th-century home and the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, a modern cultural museum in the city’s north.
Mérida Mayor Renán Barrera acknowledged the city’s new accolade in a social media post. “You’re great #Mérida!” he wrote on Facebook.
Condé Nast said a suggested place to visit in Mérida is the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, the Great Museum of the Mayan World. Shutterstock
“We’ve become the fourth best city in the world in the ‘Best Big Cities’ category … in the 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards of the Condé Nast Traveler magazine. We’re still working to be among the best tourism destinations in our country,” Barrera said.
Another Mexican award winner was Isla Holbox, which Condé Nast Traveler readers deemed to be the “top island” in North America outside the United States. The popular tourism destination is located just off the northern coast of Quintana Roo.
Isla Mujeres, located off the coast of Cancún, and Cozumel, southeast of Playa del Carmen, ranked second and fifth, respectively, in the “rest of North America” category for “top islands.”
Condé Nast Traveler readers ranked Mexico as the 36th best country in the world to travel to, with Portugal, Japan and Thailand taking the top three spots in that category.
