Primer: as a US citizen living in Mexico, do I need to file with the IRS?

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May 28, 2022

tax documents — Living in Mexico indefinitely doesn't mean you've necessarily escaped accountability with the Internal Revenue Service. deposit photos

Since the article about the taxpayer registration requirements was published, there have been a lot of questions regarding the tax obligations of foreign residents in Mexico.

This article will not address expats’ tax obligations to Mexico specifically but rather the tax obligations of United States citizens to their home country.

We spoke with Michael Lindstrom, U.S. expat tax specialist and enrolled agent at Living Abroad Tax Services.

What’s the most important thing that people should know?

“U.S. taxes are based on citizenship; you have the privilege of reporting and paying on worldwide income,” Lindstrom says.

Essentially, there are few ways around filing U.S. taxes if you’re a U.S. citizen. But for those who might think, “I already pay taxes to Mexico; I shouldn’t have to pay taxes to the U.S. as well,” be aware: although you may already pay taxes in Mexico, there is no guarantee that you won’t also owe taxes to the United States government.

However, there are a few exceptions: if you are an employee in Mexico but make less than US $12,000 a year, then you do not have filing requirements; if you have no income (in either wages or investments on either side of the border) and are simply living off savings, then you do not need to file.

And finally, if you are living solely off Social Security checks, then there is no need to file (though you’ll want to make sure that they have an accurate address for you, as they may send “proof of life” forms for you to fill out periodically).

All that said, be sure to check with a U.S. tax specialist like Lindstrom to make absolutely sure what your obligations are.

Beyond those aforementioned scenarios, everything else is fair game.

This includes U.S. citizens living in Mexico who are employees of a U.S. company as well as freelancers, who must pay a 15.3% self-employment tax to cover their own Social Security and Medicare payments.

If you’re an employee (not an independent contractor) at a U.S. company, then your company will have already taken out Social Security and Medicare payments before sending you your paycheck, so it’s possible you’ll find out when you file that you owe nothing, or even that you are getting a tax refund.

If you earn less than US $112,000 per year, then you can take the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. (As the name suggests, this is only for earned income in wages or salaries, not on passive income from investments). Keep in mind, however, that this amount is for federal income taxes and excludes you from being able to take certain other credits.

And freelancers or independent contractors earning well below this amount will still be responsible for paying self-employment tax if their freelance income amounts to more than US $433 a year.

Finally, if you have more than a total of US $10,000 in foreign accounts at any point during the year, then you must report it to the U.S. Treasury.

What about property owned in Mexico?

“If you hold your property here in Mexico as your primary residence, you do not owe additional U.S. taxes on it,” Lindstrom says.

If it’s a rental property, however, then you may indeed need to pay taxes on the income generated by it, and if you sell it, then you would also likely pay taxes on the profit.

Many people have heard that the U.S. has treaties with other countries to avoid “double taxation.” This, however, is not as simple (or as accurate) as it sounds, and in the case of Mexico, one cannot simply decide to pay in one country or the other.

“Tax treaties generally reduce the U.S. taxes of residents of foreign countries as determined under the applicable treaties,” Lindstrom says. “With certain exceptions, they do not reduce the U.S. taxes of U.S. citizens or U.S. treaty residents.”

What if you haven’t filed taxes in the U.S. simply out of ignorance or misinformation?

“One program you might qualify for is the Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedure.” This provides a way to regularize one’s standing with the IRS without incurring fines.

If you’re simply feeling defiant and refusing to report to the IRS on principle, be aware that there’s no guarantee your money will be safe in Mexico: you could face heavy penalties and fines, and Mexico can collect taxes from you on behalf of the IRS.

The bottom line?

“Taxes are more complicated than most people think,” Lindstrom says, especially when one is outside one’s own country.

To be on the safe side, consult a tax professional to ensure that you’re meeting all legal requirements regarding your money.

Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sdevrieswritingandtranslating.com and her Patreon page.

Potato, potahto, camote

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Janet Blaser

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May 28, 2022

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I’m an unabashed lover of sweet potatoes — camotes in Spanish — in just about every way, shape or form.

Baked, mashed, fried, chips: you name it, I love it. And one of the wonderful surprises about living in Mexico has been the camoteros, street vendors selling oven-roasted sweet potatoes. On my street, Luis comes every Monday evening like clockwork around 6 p.m. with his little rolling stainless steel oven, its steam whistle announcing his arrival.

Here in Mazatlán, locals like to eat them bathed in sweetened condensed milk, which is way too sweet for me. Sometimes I just get them “natural” and add my own butter and salt. Other nights, I might get a mixed plate of sweet potatoes and plantains, to either eat plain or to cut up and add to a Thai curry made earlier and sitting at the ready on my stove. Especially in the summer, when one is loath to turn on the oven, it’s just so convenient! Also common are candied sweet potatoes, dripping in piloncillo (whole cane sugar) syrup, available in the mercados and in almost every neighborhood store.

Sweet potatoes, it turns out, are not really potatoes at all (and not the same as yams, either). Regular potatoes are tubers in the nightshade family; sweet potatoes are considered a root vegetable and from the morning glory genus. Kind of obviously, sweet potatoes have much more natural sugar than a regular potato — more than 10 times as much — and more carbs, fat and calories too. Whatever; they’re delicious.

sweet potato fries — Crispy with just a touch of sweetness!

The word camote comes from the Náhuatl camohtli; in some parts of Mexico and other South American countries, sweet potatoes are known as papa dulce, batata or patata dulce. Interestingly, in the Phillipines they’re called kamote.

They’re eaten all over the world, and the combination of their high nutritional value, ease of cultivation and storage and basic yumminess makes them popular from China to Africa, Japan to Spain, Italy to Peru, India to Mexico. You kind of can’t escape them!

Just a note about baking sweet potatoes at home: yes, you can use the microwave, and that’s fast and easy. But you’ll get a much better texture and decidedly better flavor if you slowly roast them, preferably wrapped in foil to trap steam, which allows the natural sugars to caramelize and the starch to convert to sugar.

The website Serious Eats, one of my go-to sources for reliable food and recipe information, suggests freezing sweet potatoes before baking them for the best flavor. Is it worth the effort? You be the judge; here’s the link.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled
2 Tbsp. olive or coconut oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper

Cut sweet potatoes into sticks ¼- to ½-inch wide and 3 inches long. Rinse and soak in cold water for 1–3 hours to remove starch. Heat oven to 400 F (200 C).

Drain potato sticks and pat dry. In a bowl, toss with the oil, spices, salt and pepper. Spread potato sticks on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake until brown and crisp on the bottom, about 15 minutes, then flip and cook other side until crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately. — nytimes.com

Shrimp & Sweet Potato Hash

3 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks
3-4 Tbsp. olive/coconut oil
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 medium onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 tsp. chili powder
1 lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, cut in half
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). In large bowl, toss potatoes with 2 Tbsp. oil, 2 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. black pepper. Spread potatoes on two baking sheets. Bake, tossing occasionally, until potatoes are golden, crisp around edges and tender, about 35 minutes. In large skillet, heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and bell peppers. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeños and chili powder; cook 2 minutes more.

Add shrimp. Cook, tossing occasionally, until shrimp is just opaque, about 3 minutes. Add lime juice, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Mix shrimp mixture with sweet potatoes in a large bowl; add salt to taste. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Sweet potato chili with a Mexican twist.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Slow-Cooker Chili

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 can whole black beans
1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1-2 canned chipotles in adobo, plus 1-2 Tbsp. of the sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
Juice of ½ lime
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp. EACH cumin, garlic and onion powder
Salt and pepper

Put everything in crockpot; cook on high for 8 hours. Alternatively, cook in saucepan over medium heat for 1 hour or longer, stirring occasionally, until sweet potato is tender and flavors meld. Serve garnished with avocado, cilantro, crema, etc.

Sweet Potato Hash Browns

Crisp, salty, buttery and addictive…

1 large sweet potato, scrubbed and dried
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Salt

Using the large holes of a box grater, grate sweet potato onto a paper towel. Use the paper towel to gather the sweet potato shreds, then squeeze to wring out excess moisture (there won’t be much). Dump into a bowl, add cornstarch and mix to combine.

Set your largest nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add ½ Tbsp. butter. Swirl pan to coat in butter. Once butter stops foaming, sprinkle in shredded sweet potato in a thin, single layer. (The thinner the layer, the crispier the hash browns.) Sprinkle all over with salt.

Use a spatula to press down so all shreds come in contact with the pan’s hot surface. Once potatoes begin to crisp and brown on the bottom, after 3–4 minutes, carefully flip small sections over. Cook until other side is deeply brown, 3–5 minutes more, flipping sections as needed.

— nytimes.com

Janet Blaser is the author of the best-selling book, Why We Left: An Anthology of American Women Expats, featured on CNBC and MarketWatch. She has lived in Mexico since 2006. You can find her on Facebook.

Getting to the city of angels: the week at the morning news conferences

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MND Staff

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May 28, 2022

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President López Obrador spent last weekend with indigenous groups in Sonora. He got reacquainted with the Guarijíos and Mayos on Friday, caught up with the Yaquis on Saturday and dropped in on the Seris on Sunday.

Monday

Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez addressed crime in her monthly report. She said federal crimes were at their lowest rate in four years and that homicides had fallen in 33 of the country’s 50 worst municipalities, but conceded that extortion had risen in the first four months of the year.

Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said it was much safer to be in the armed forces than under previous governments and that 97% of the people in service felt “proud, or very proud,” to represent their institutions.

The president said there was still plenty of time for dialogue with U.S. organizers before the Summit of the Americas on June 6. “At least they’ve acted in a respectful manner. There hasn’t been a total, categorical rejection,” he said, referring to his demand that all Latin American leaders be invited.

López Obrador previously said he won’t attend the Los Angeles summit if any leader doesn’t make the list. On Monday he revealed he still hadn’t received an invitation.

Tuesday

A call for doctors featured early on Tuesday. The head of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), Zoé Robledo, invited medical specialists to apply to newly advertised positions. “Attractive salaries,” were available to “specialist doctors who decide to offer their skills … where it is most necessary, in remote areas, in areas of great marginalization and poverty,” Robledo said, adding there were 13,765 posts.

However, the president said not all unemployed doctors would be willing. “There’s a lot of people in the health sector … who wouldn’t mind going to a hospital in the Lacandon [Jungle, in Chiapas] or to the Tarahumara [Sierra, in Chihuahua] … but there are others that think that the world is the environment where they grew up and that the rest of the country doesn’t exist,” he said.

Health Minister Jorge Varela Alcocer informed that there are 0.7 specialists per 100,000 people in Mexico, which he said should be 1.2 per 100,000.

The president said his predecessors had failed to maintain the health service and were willfully blind to corruption. “They didn’t talk about [corruption] before … I was one of the forerunners that put that topic in debate … if you do an analysis of speeches from 50 years ago to today you won’t find the word corruption, as if it didn’t exist … it’s a plague that we have to end,” he affirmed.

Elizabeth García Vilchis said a photo of Mexican doctors protesting was a "fake." — Elizabeth García Vilchis said a photo of Mexican doctors protesting was a “fake.” Presidencia de la República

Wednesday

The president recalled the good old days of media before handing over to misinformation expert Elizabeth García Vilchis. “In [the newspaper] Reforma there is not one columnist who is not against us. I think it’s a precondition for writing there. Before, in [the newspaper] El Universal there were columnists of all leanings … the editorial section has really reduced in the participation of independent people, writers and intellectuals,” he said.

García informed that a photo of Mexican doctors complaining about the arrival of Cuban specialists was false and introduced a section called “SélvameDelFake” (“Save me from the fake”), a play on words from “#SélvameDelTren,” the name of a campaign against the Maya Train project. García had one of the campaign’s leaders in her sights: she rubbished a claim by actor Eugenio Derbez that a media company had canceled interviews due to his opposition to the Maya Train.

Later in the conference, the president lamented Tuesday’s mass shooting of 21 people at an elementary school in Texas. “I want to take this opportunity to send my condolences, my pain, to convey my solidarity with the families of the young people who lost their lives yesterday … most of them are of Mexican origin, there is no doubt … all that region of Texas belonged to Mexico. Just look at the surnames, they are children and grandchildren of Mexicans,” he said.

Thursday

The president reiterated his asylum offer to imprisoned investigative journalist Julian Assange on Thursday. The U.K. government is set to announce whether Assange will be extradited to the United States.

“We offer asylum and we are in favor of his release because he is being politically persecuted. It’s shameful that a person who discloses valuable information … everything that the elite carried out in secret … is punished for presenting that information … he should be given his freedom,” he said.

“If he wants, his family, lawyers and friends can have asylum in our country,” the president added.

They would likely be among many arriving to Mexico, López Obrador divulged: “There’s a lot of people who want to come back,” he said, referring to Mexican migrants in the United States, and promised that financial advice would be available to returning migrants. That reminded the president of a song about migration: La Jaula del Oro (the golden cage) by norteño band Los Tigres del Norte was played at the conference.

The president takes questions on Thursday. Presidencia de la República

Friday

The president was in Culiacán, Sinaloa, on Friday. He said he was delighted to be in the “progressive state, dedicated to food production with good people, working people … we celebrate that Sinaloa has a good governor, Dr. Rubén Rocha Moya … a professional who comes from the leftist struggle,” he said.

Rocha said Sinaloa was producing vast quantities of corn, mango, beans and chickpeas. On violence, he said the state － where the Sinaloa Cartel remains powerful － had seen 61 fewer homicides in annual terms in 2022.

“Is it going to be the Summit of the Americas, or the summit of the friends of America?” the president asked, after representatives from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua were apparently not invited.

López Obrador added that he would wait for a formal response from the United States before making a final decision on whether or not to attend.

However, confrontation, the president reiterated, wasn’t his style. “We didn’t want to put a lot of peoples’ lives at risk … I gave the instruction to stop the operation,” he said, referring to a 2019 operation in Culiacán when the son of jailed cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán was caught by security forces, but then released due to the threat of retaliation.

Mexico News Daily

Judge orders temporary suspension of bullfights at Mexico City bullring

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MND Staff

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May 27, 2022

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Bullfighting has already been banned in five states. Depositphotos

A federal judge on Friday ordered a provisional suspension of bullfights at Mexico City’s Plaza México, the world’s largest bullring.

Administrative court judge Jonathan Bass Herrera made the ruling in response to a lawsuit filed by Justicia Justa (Fair Justice), a civil society organization. A ruling on a definitive suspension will be handed down next Thursday.

Justicia Justa argued that the staging of bullfights violates a law designed to ensure that women can live their lives free of violence. It also also contended that two laws that allow bullfighting in the capital are unconstitutional because they allow bulls to be treated in a degrading and stigmatizing way.

While the provisional suspension remains in effect no bullfights can take place at Plaza México and authorities are barred from issuing permits for any future bullfighting events at the cavernous 42,000-seat stadium.

Mexico City authorities and Plaza México itself could challenge the ban on bullfighting at the stadium, which has been hosting bullfights since 1946.

There were five at the venue in April and May, while the next event is scheduled to take place on July 2. Spectator numbers at such events are declining in the capital, the newspaper El País reported.

Other groups have filed lawsuits against bullfighting in Mexico City in recent weeks but no other suspension orders have been granted. The Mexico City Congress has been discussing proposals to outlaw bullfighting for years but majority support has remained elusive.

Bullfighting has already been prohibited in five states: Sonora, Guerrero, Sinaloa, Coahuila and Quintana Roo. In contrast, the states of Aguascalientes, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, Querétaro, Zacatecas, Michoacán, Nayarit and Guanajuato consider bullfighting intangible cultural heritage.

At a session scheduled for next Wednesday, the Supreme Court is expected to invalidate a 2019 decree that declared bullfighting and cock fights intangible cultural heritage in Nayarit. Such a ruling wouldn’t prohibit the bloodsports but would represent a strong condemnation of them and indicate an unwillingness on the part of the nation’s highest court to overturn any state-based bans.

With reports from Reforma and Aristegui Noticias

How tiny Talpa, Jalisco, became a Mecca in western Mexico

By

John Pint

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May 27, 2022

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Mural in Talpa de Allende, Jalisco — Mural in Talpa focusing on the religious processions. Viajero sin Rumbo

If the small town of Talpa de Allende, Jalisco, is not in the middle of nowhere, it is just on the edge of it, hidden among the lonely hills of the Sierra Occidental, about two-thirds of the way from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta.

Nevertheless, three million people go out of their way to visit tiny Talpa every year and a great many of them do it on foot.

Most of these visitors are peregrinos (pilgrims), many who hope to receive a blessing or perhaps even a miracle from a statue about 30 centimeters tall known as the Virgen del Rosario (the virgin of the rosary).

This statue was brought to Talpa in 1585 by the indigenous Tarasco people. Made of cornstalk paste, the monument held up well until 1644, when, “worm-eaten, rotting, broken and disfigured,” it was about to be buried, as is the custom for disposing of these religious statues when their useful life has come to an end.

Natural formation La Campana mountain, Jalisco — One of many strange rock formations on La Campana mountain, 23 kilometers east of Talpa.

At that moment, though, says the legend, “a resplendent light burst forth from the image,” knocking out the “undertaker.” When calm was restored, it was discovered that the little Virgin, too, had been restored to her former beauty in the twinkling of an eye and the flash of a heavenly light. Ever since then, say devotees, the miracles have just kept coming.

Many who walk all or part of the pilgrims’ route are devoted to the virgencita, but many others are there simply for the camaraderie that inevitably develops among Mexicans away from home — or they simply would like to say, “I did it! I walked all the way!”

The most popular path by far to Talpa is the 117-kilometer trail that starts in the town of Ameca, located 70 km west of Guadalajara. This route has some long, flat stretches running through oak forests, pastures and scrublands but also includes two particularly steep mountains: El Cerro del Obispo (The bishop’s hill) and the aptly named Espinazo del Diablo (the devil’s backbone).

Pilgrim Lucy Quezada of Zapopan, Jalisco, gave me an idea of what these hills are like.

Our Lady of the Rosary of Talpa statue — The *virgencita* is revered here. Internet

“The Cerro del Obispo is really rough and rocky. It’s up, up, up and up for 700 meters!” she says. “And all this time, the sun is beating down on you. And this is how it goes all day until, at sunset, you reach a little community where for 50 pesos you can sleep on a petate (traditional reed mat) under a little roof and cover yourself with a blanket. Then, the next morning you get up at 5 a.m. and start out again.”

To brighten up the hard journey, several Mexican architects got together and decided to create a variety of monumental constructions along the way, most of them in very remote spots where you would hardly expect to stumble upon works of art.

Perhaps the most striking of these is the Open Chapel of Gratitude by Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao and Dellekamp Architects, located in Lagunillas, Jalisco.

It is said that this route has been the favorite of pilgrims for over 200 years, but for most of that time, the peregrinos had a rough time of it: eating little and sleeping on rocky ground. These hardships, however, were very much in keeping with the spirit of the pilgrimage: enduring pain and doing penance in the hopes of thereby gaining a spiritual reward.

Open Chapel of Gratitude monument, Jalisco — A landmark on the Pilgrims’ Trail: an 18-meter-high sculpture dedicated to the virtue of gratitude. Coolhuntermx.com

Recently, the Jalisco government stepped in to alleviate some of the problems that inevitably occur when crowds of people show up at the same spot out in the countryside. So, during peak periods, such as Holy Week, portable toilets now await the pilgrims at these waypoints as well as garafones (20-liter bottles) of water.

Once the weary pilgrims reach Talpa, they can get a good night’s sleep and nurse their blisters in one of hundreds of hotels offering accommodations for every imaginable price range.

What to do once you have visited the Virgin and rested up from the long, hard pilgrimage?

Here it should be noted that Talpa was recently added to the list of Mexico’s Pueblos Mágicos. Some of that magic can be appreciated simply by strolling down just about any street in town, because wherever you go in Talpa, you’re certain to find murals, very nice murals full of imagination and color.

There are so many that, like me, you may end up calling this town Mural City, Jalisco.

While wandering the streets of Talpa, you will also find plenty of shops and stands selling curious little knick-knacks made of — would you believe it? — chewing gum.

This is the original chewing gum, of course — chicle or chilte, as the local people call it, made from the white sap that oozes out of diagonal cuts in the bark of a “bush” that can grow 10 meters tall. The sap is mixed with water and cooked a long time. Then, when it forms a rubbery sheet, it is kneaded and pounded again and again until it reaches the right consistency to be used for artistic purposes.

Yes, those little umbrellas, baby sandals, and even what look like flowers, are all made of chewing gum, unflavored and designed for pleasing the eye rather than the palate.

Talpa, Jalisco, art made from natural tree gum — A typical souvenir of Talpa, made of natural tree gum *chicle*.

A short distance from Talpa, there are several outdoor sites well worth a visit:

The Bosque de Maples

This Maple Forest, located 20 kilometers south of Talpa, is an oddity and a marvel. Maple trees, which you’d expect to find in Canada, not Mexico, have been living side-by-side with giant ferns, tucked away in a little valley, happily surviving together since Pleistocene times.

A one-kilometer trail takes you on a hike well worth your while through this cloud forest shaded by lichen-covered maples, walnuts and firs, where you will cross moss-covered logs over little bubbling brooks. This particular species of maple (Acer binzayedii) is unique and found nowhere else in the world.

Aranjuez Cascade, Jalisco — After visiting Talpa, you can swim in cool waters at the base of the Aranjuez Cascade.

La Campana

This is a mini mountain 23 kilometers east of Talpa, immediately alongside the highway to Guadalajara. The walk to the top is only 400 meters, but you may have the sensation that you’ve just stepped onto another planet. You will see bizarre wave-like rock formations you’d swear were created by Salvador Dali or Antonio Gaudí. Enjoy!

The Cascade of Aranjuez

You will find this delightful waterfall 10 kilometers west of Talpa, and on a weekday you will probably be the only person enjoying it. The cascade is about 30 meters high and is named after a nearby silver mine. At the waterfall’s foot is a picturesque pool where you can swim to your heart’s content in cold, crystal-clear water.

Video blogger Luis Medina at Jalisco coffee plantation — Video blogger Luigi Medina, right, visits a highland coffee plantation outside Talpa.

To reach the place, ask Google Maps to take you to Cascada de Aranjuez, El Tigre, Jalisco.

The drive to Talpa takes about three and a half hours from Guadalajara and four hours from Lake Chapala. For a more complete idea of what Talpa has to offer, you may want to watch Luigi Medina’s lively and colorful YouTube videos, which are in Spanish: Talpa 1 and Talpa 2.

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.

Talpa de Allende, Jalisco — Bird’s-eye view of Talpa de Allende.

pilgrims arriving in Talpa de Allende, Jalisco — After days of walking, happy pilgrims reach the entrance to Talpa. Lucy Quezada

You may need the help of a rope on some of the steep climbs.

Vendors of stolen gasoline outnumber gas stations 4 to 1 on México-Querétaro

By

MND Staff

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May 27, 2022

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A truck driver stops by an illicit fuel vendor on the México-Querétaro highway.

There are 64 points at which stolen fuel can be bought on the Mexico City-Querétaro highway compared to just 15 gas stations, according to a count by the newspaper Reforma.

Vendors of stolen fuel set up makeshift distribution points on the side of the highway where they sell 25 liters of gasoline for 13 pesos (US $0.66) a liter, a discount of over 40% compared to gas station prices. They also sell 25-liter containers of diesel at similar discounts.

Purchases of smaller quantities of fuel are not possible, Reforma said. Most of the illegal vendors – fuel thieves themselves or supplied by thieves – are located between Jilotepec, México state, and the Palmillas toll plaza in San Juan del Río, Querétaro.

They cover their supplies with black tarps, Reforma reported, but otherwise operate in full view of passing motorists. Nevertheless, the illicit vendors operate with impunity, the newspaper said.

Reforma also reported that stolen fuel is being sold on the Mexico City-Puebla highway. It counted six illegal distribution points in one four-kilometer stretch of highway between Río Frío, México state, and San Martín Texmelucan, Puebla.

San Martín, which has been described as Mexico’s capital huachicolera, or fuel-theft capital, is part of the so-called Red Triangle, a region of Puebla that is notorious for the tapping of state-owned petroleum pipelines.

The sale of stolen fuel is not limited to illicit distribution points. Some gas stations also sell stolen fuel, and some have been shut down for doing so.

President López Obrador acknowledged last week that stolen fuel is still being sold on the nation’s highways despite the government’s crackdown on fuel theft. He called on citizens to “not support these illegal activities that are also very risky.”

Explosions on pipelines that have been tapped by fuel thieves are relatively common in Mexico, with one in Hidalgo in 2019 killing almost 140 people.

The federal government has drastically reduced fuel theft since it took office in late 2018, but data shows that pipeline taps increased 14.6% in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period last year.

With reports from Reforma

33 dolphins found dead on Baja California Sur beach

By

MND Staff

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May 27, 2022

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Profepa inspectors traveled to the area to investigate a report of a massive beaching event. Twitter @PROFEPA_Mx

Thirty-three dead dolphins were found on a beach in La Paz, Baja California Sur, on Thursday, environmental authorities reported.

The common dolphins – 19 males, 11 females and three of indeterminate sex – were found on Playa Calfin, a beach north of the city of La Paz on the Gulf of California coast.

The federal environmental protection agency Profepa said in a statement that its specialists and inspectors along with personnel from a range of other groups traveled to the beach in response to a report of a massive beaching event.

Some of the dolphins were in an advanced state of decomposition, Profepa said, suggesting that they died far from the coast and subsequently washed up on the beach.

En Playas de La Paz BCS. Aparecen cuando menos 10 delfines 🐬 muertos en la orilla de #PlayaCalifin, la que se encuentra 30 km aprox de esta ciudad, entre La Paz y San Juan de la Costa Se dio a conocer por parte de personas que se encontraban en el lugar @SEMARNAT_mx @forceps21 pic.twitter.com/hRuQQWeV28

— Carlos Alfredo Godinez León (@CarlosA94203364) May 26, 2022

On Twitter, users reported seeing dead dolphins as early as Wednesday.

“Upon review of the specimens no wounds, blows or … [human-caused] damage was detected,” the agency said.

It said that samples of the dolphins’ fat, skin, stomach content, livers, kidneys, adrenal glands, lungs, hearts, urine and feces were collected to aid studies to determine the cause of death.

The bodies of two juvenile dolphins will be subjected to autopsies while the other 31 were buried in the area where they were found, Profepa said.

“It should be highlighted that there has been no information of the presence of any algal bloom (red tide), spills or contamination. Profepa will continue carrying out investigations to determine the cause of death of the specimens,” the agency said.

Fifty-nine dolphins beached themselves on another La Paz beach four years ago, 38 of which were rescued. Experts said at the time that bite marks found on the common dolphins indicated they had been attacked by bottlenose dolphins.

With reports from Milenio and TV Azteca

Ancient Mayan city revealed through advances at Yucatán site

By

MND Staff

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May 27, 2022

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The city, which was home to an estimated 4,000 people, was built more than 1,000 years ago.

Palaces and houses are among the 12 structures that have been restored in the restoration of an ancient Mayan city rediscovered near Mérida, Yucatán, in 2015.

Archaeologists with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have been working at the Xiol archaeological site in the municipality of Kanasín for the past eight months.

The city, whose name means “Spirit of Man” in Mayan, is believed to have been built between A.D. 600 and 900. It was rediscovered during construction work at an industrial site.

Palaces, modest dwellings and workshops have now been uncovered and restored. In addition to the buildings, some of which were found in relatively good condition despite their age, the site also has a large public square, which would have been used for ceremonial purposes.

The archaeologists have found palaces, homes, workshops, graves and a large public square in the ancient city.

INAH archaeologist Carlos Peraza said that some of the structures were built in the Puuc architectural style, which is commonly found in the south of Yucatán but not in the north where Xiol is located. Uxmal and Chichén Itzá are among other sites with Puuc architecture.

“We’ve found at least five buildings of this nature [at Xiol],” Peraza told the newspaper Milenio during a media tour of the site on Thursday.

He said in a separate interview with UNO TV that Xiol was built around the same time as Uxmal and Chichén Itzá and the three sites “share a lot of decorative elements.”

About 4,000 people are estimated to have lived in Xiol, which is located about 20 kilometers southeast of central Mérida.

Researchers found both palaces and humble stone dwellings, indicating the presence of various social classes in the city.

“[It was] a large city, people of different social classes lived here, such as priests [and] scribes who lived in these large palaces, but also common people who lived in small constructions” made of stone, Peraza said.

INAH archaeologists have also found tools used to build the city, artifacts such as ceramic pots and ancient graves. “We’ve found about 15 graves, many of them are of adults, both men and women, although we’ve also found those of children,” Peraza said.

Archaeologists believe they could uncover yet more structures at the site as well as a ball court, which are commonly part of pre-Hispanic cities in Mexico.

According to the head of INAH in Yucatán, Xiol could open to the public for free guided tours at the end of the year.

Some buildings were built in the Puuc architectural style, which is generally found farther south.

José Arturo Chab Cárdenas noted that the site was slated to be part of an industrial park but the developer ceded the land to INAH and even funded excavation and restoration work.

“This site shows us that private infrastructure projects are not an obstacle … to conserving our cultural heritage,” he said. “This archaeological site will be a bonus for this industrial project.”

With reports from Milenio, Novedades Yucatán, UNO TV and Diario de Yucatán

With Sheinbaum or Ebrard, Morena has solid lead over divided opposition for 2024

By

MND Staff

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May 27, 2022

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With two years to go before presidential elections, the outlook for Morena's potential candidates is favorable. — Four years after Morena swept into power and with two years to go before the next presidential elections, the outlook for the ruling party's potential candidates is favorable. Twitter @PartidoMorenaMx

The ruling Morena party will easily win the 2024 presidential election if it nominates either Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum or Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard as its candidate, a new poll suggests.

A national survey conducted for the newspaper El Universal by the polling firm Buendía & Márquez pitted Sheinbaum and Ebrard against potential opposition candidates including federal Deputy Margarita Zavala, a former first lady, and Monterrey Mayor Luis Donaldo Colosio Riojas, son of Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta, who was murdered while campaigning for president in 1994.

One thousand people were asked to nominate who they would vote for in six hypothetical presidential races, with potential candidates representing already established political alliances.

The first scenario pitted Sheinbaum as a Morena/Labor Party (PT)/Green Party (PVEM) candidate against Zavala as a National Action Party (PAN)/Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)/Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) contender and Colosio as a Citizens Movement (MC) party hopeful.

The Mexico City mayor garnered 48% support, exactly double that of Zavala, who appeared on the ballot at the 2018 presidential election as an independent candidate even though she pulled out of the race before polling day. Colosio attracted 19% support from poll respondents, with the remaining 9% saying that they wouldn’t vote for any of the three potential candidates or they didn’t know who they would vote for.

A second hypothetical scenario in which Ebrard replaced Sheinbaum yielded a similar result. The foreign affairs minister, a former Mexico City mayor, attracted 47% support, while Zavala, wife of former PAN president Felipe Calderón, improved one point to 25%. Colosio, who served as a state deputy in Nuevo León before becoming mayor of Monterrey, dropped two points to 17%.

Santiago Creel, a federal deputy with PAN who was interior minister during the 2000-06 presidency of Vicente Fox, replaced Zavala as the PAN/PRI/PRD candidate in the next two hypothetical races. He fared worse than the former first lady, garnering 18% support against Sheinbaum and Colosio and 17% against Ebrard and Colosio.

Support for Sheinbaum, a protegé and close ally of President López Obrador, lifted to 52%, while 50% of those polled said they would vote for Ebrard, who announced last July that he would seek Morena’s nomination.

Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum is a close ally of López Obrador, who has lauded her work as mayor. Gobierno de CDMX

Sheinbaum and Ebrard are considered the leading contenders to become Morena’s candidatein 2024, although other possibilities include Interior Minister Adán Agusto López and the party’s upper house leader, Senator Ricardo Monreal.

The Line 12 Metro disaster in Mexico City last year could be a drag on the vote of both Sheinbaum and Ebrard because the accident occurred while the former was in office and the faulty line was built while the latter was mayor.

In the imaginary contests against Creel and the Morena candidates, Colosio attracted 20% support in both, meaning that he finished second.

The Monterrey mayor was also included in the final two mock races in which México state Governor Alfredo del Mazo entered the fray for the PAN/PRI/PRD alliance, which contested the 2021 federal lower house elections as the Va por México coalition.

Sheinbaum and Ebrard dominated again, attracting 49% and 51% support, respectively, in their hypothetical contests against Colosio and del Mazo, a cousin of former president Enrique Peña Nieto.

The potential MC candidate finished ahead of del Mazo in both contests, garnering 21% and 20% support to the governor’s 19% and 17%.

While Sheinbaum achieved the best result in an individual mock scenario – 52% against Creel and Colosio – Ebrard has better name recognition, the survey found.

More than two-thirds of respondents – 68% – said they knew who Ebrard was compared to 53% who said the same about Sheinbaum. Zavala ranked third for name recognition (64%) behind only López Obrador (98%) and Ebrard.

In terms of name recognition, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and federal Deputy Margarita Zavala ranked second and third respectively, outranked only by President López Obrador. Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 4.0

Colosio had 61% name recognition but many respondents were apparently confusing him with his deceased father. Del Mazo was the only other potential opposition candidate with name recognition above 50%.

The poll also found 36% overall support for Morena, compared to just 15% for both PAN and PRI. Eliminating the 21% of people who didn’t nominate a preferred party, effective support for the ruling party was 45%, compared to 19% for PAN and 17% for PRI.

Morena’s allies both attracted 3% support, meaning that support for the Morena/PT/PVEM alliance (without filtering out non-committal poll respondents) added up to 42% compared to 32% for the PAN/PRI/PRD coalition.

López Obrador won the 2018 presidential election with just over 53% of the popular vote.

Sí por México, a political movement opposed to the current government, announced last October that it would seek to get the MC to join an alliance with PAN, PRI and the PRD, which could increase the opposition’s electoral chances.

However, the El Universal poll indicates that Morena will triumph in 2024 even if an opposition candidate is backed by four rather than three parties. Two years out from the election, a dominant opposition flag bearer hasn’t yet emerged, which could be a factor in the opposition’s poor poll results.

Also in the pool of potential opposition candidates are Yucatán Governor Mauricio Vila and Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro, but the El Universal survey indicates that they are not widely known outside their home states.

With reports from El Universal

Tulimán Falls boasts gorgeous views and heart-stopping thrills

By

Joseph Sorrentino

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May 26, 2022

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Cascadas Tuliman — Tuliman Falls is the second-highest waterfall in Mexico. Photos by Joseph Sorrentino

Many people who visit Zacatlán de las Manzanas, Puebla, are attracted by its status as a Magical Town, its murals and its apple harvest season events. But probably not many who visit know that just 20 minutes away is a beautiful ecotourism park, Cascadas Tulimán, or Tulimán Falls.

The site boasts waterfalls, beautiful scenery, easy paths and a variety of activities, including archery and zip-lining.

As you make your way there from the center of Zacatlán, be aware that once you’re off the main highway (Route 119), the road is hard-packed dirt and there are stretches that are steep, rutted and with hairpin curves. Much of the road is narrow, and if another car is approaching someone has to yield. There’s a sign that reads “This is not a high-speed road,” which seemed self-evident but maybe not.

Despite the bumpy ride, if you take it nice and easy, you’ll soon see it was worth the trip.

The park has three zones: Zone 1 leads to the Tulimán falls, which at 300 meters is the second highest waterfall in Mexico. It’s an easy five-minute walk, but expect to get a little wet at the end of it as mist rises off the waterfall.

The trail in Zone 2 is a little more challenging. There’s a sign warning people not to attempt it with heart problems, diabetes or other ailments, but although the trail’s a little steep in places, it’s short. Anyone in halfway decent shape should be able to easily manage it, and there are a couple of benches along the way if you need to take a break.

There’s a particularly enchanting stretch of the trail that’s shaded by trees filled with Spanish moss. It takes about 10 minutes to reach a small pool filled with mineral water where you can soak for a bit (if you’ve brought a bathing suit), and then it’s on to the arbol hueco (the hollow tree).

To get there means crossing the puente colgante (suspension bridge). It’s sturdy, but like all such bridges, it does bounce a bit as you cross. If, like me, you’re not fond of heights, my advice is just don’t look down. It’s worth a bit of terror for the great view of the interesting rock formation below.

Shortly after crossing, at the end of the trail, is the Hollow Tree, which is very tall and, as its name suggests, hollow — well, partly hollow.

Zone 3 has an archery site. For the more adventurous there’s also a zip-line and what’s advertised as a puente extremo (extreme bridge), which is way more challenging to cross than the suspension bridge. There are safety precautions in place — people are attached by rope to the bridge and wear helmets, and there are guide wires to hold onto — but I was relieved that it and the zip-line were closed the day we visited.

The leisurely stroll to La Cascada del Cajón (drawer waterfall) ends at the Unión de Dos Rios (union of two rivers). It’s possible to walk along one of the rivers for a bit.

It takes about two hours to complete a tour of the park. There are places to eat in each zone, and a couple of quesadillas and a cold beer are a perfect way to end the day.

Tulimán Falls is billed as an ecotourism site that’s been designed to promote sustainable development via recreation that minimally impacts the natural environment and protects biodiversity for future generations. There are campsites and cabins in the park for those who want to stay overnight. Admission is 100 pesos (US $5) and, as we were informed at the entrance, includes unlimited use of the bathrooms.

A heads-up about a couple of things: although Zacatlán’s only about 80 miles from Puebla city, it’s about a 2.5-hour drive to get there because of the winding roads. Also, there’s always the possibility of fog. On one of the days we were there, a thick fog settled in, and it became very clear why there are warning signs about it on the highways.

More information about Tulimán and phone numbers may be found at the official Tulimán Falls website on Facebook.