Mexico City records 19% increase in attacks by dogs

By

-

August 3, 2022

aggressive dog — Federal data shows there were 5,665 dog attacks in the capital between January and July, 920 more incidents than in the same period of 2021. Byrdyak/iStock

Dog attacks have increased over 19% in Mexico City this year, with well over 100 victims seeking treatment for their injuries in public hospitals.

Federal data shows there were 5,665 dog attacks in the capital between January and July, an increase of 19.4%, or 920 incidents, compared to the same period of 2021.

Data obtained by the Milenio newspaper showed that 141 people have arrived at the emergency departments of public hospitals to seek treatment for dog bites this year. The number of people who sought hospital treatment for such injuries surged 40.7% last year to 280 from 199 in 2020, when COVID-related restrictions were at their peak in many cities, which seemed to explain a marked decrease in dog attacks across Mexico in that year.

Although none have been reported in 2022, fatal dog attacks have occurred in the capital in recent years, including one that claimed the life of a toddler in the borough of Iztapalapa in 2019 and another in which a grandmother was killed in the Condesa neighborhood in 2020. A pit bull was involved in each attack.

stray dog — It’s believed victims don’t report attacks because they think it’ll lead nowhere or they make a deal with the owner or the canine is an unidentifiable stray.

While dog attacks in the capital are on the rise, few victims file criminal complaints. Only 66 complaints have been filed so far this year, Milenio reported, adding that authorities in Iztapalapa, Gustavo A. Madero, Xochimilco and Azcapotzalco received the most. The complaints resulted in a few arrests, the newspaper reported.

Factors like agreements made between dog owners and victims, the speedy retreat of the former after an attack has occurred and victims’ belief that filing a complaint with authorities is a waste of time are believed to be among the reasons why most dog attacks don’t lead to criminal complaints.

“A lot of situations can be resolved at the time [of the attack] when the two parties reach an agreement in which the owner of the dog that attacked assumes responsibility for the harm [caused],” said Ismael García Valdés, an official with Mexico City’s Animal Surveillance Brigade.

He said the filing of a criminal complaint is more common when a victim suffers serious injuries. Aggressive dogs have been seized and euthanized in some cases.

According to Mexico City law, dog owners are required to compensate victims for any injuries they sustained as a result of an attack by their pet in a public place. However, some victims have had to pay their own medical bills because they were attacked by a street dog or the owner fled after the incident and wasn’t identified.

Besides humans, many dogs have also been victims of attacks by their canine bretheren in Mexico City. According to information on the Facebook page of animal protection association Mundo Patitas, dog owners have paid veterinary bills of up to 20,000 pesos (almost US $1,000) after their pets sustained injuries inflicted by other canines.

With reports from Milenio

COVID’s fifth wave on the wane but some hospitals still seeing high demand for beds

By

MND Staff

-

August 3, 2022

0

Mexico Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell — According to Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell, new cases peaked the week of July 3–9, when new cases averaged 28,000 per day. Presidencia

July was the second worst month of the coronavirus pandemic in terms of new cases, but the fifth wave has now begun to ease, Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell said Tuesday.

Mexico recorded 699,967 new cases last month, the highest monthly total after January of this year, when over 960,000 new infections were registered amid the omicron-fueled fourth wave.

López-Gatell, the federal government’s coronavirus point man, presented data Tuesday that showed that case numbers began to trend downwards in the first half of July. An average of over 28,000 cases per day were recorded between July 3 and 9 – the peak for any week last month – but the daily figure decreased to just under 8,000 between July 24 and 30, a decline of over 70%.

“We now have a very clearly established downward trend,” López-Gatell told President López Obrador’s regular news conference.

people waiting for COVID testing outside Queretaro pharmacy — A line of people waiting for COVID testing at a pharmacy in Querétaro in July.

“… There are fewer cases in a week compared to the previous week, there are fewer cases per day compared to the previous day. It’s expected that this trend … will be maintained until we reach minimal levels [of cases] in this fifth wave,” he said.

A prediction that Mexico could record some 70,000 new cases per day at the peak of the fifth wave didn’t come to pass, although widespread testing has never been a strong suit here.

While the coronavirus has spread rapidly across the country during the fifth wave, COVID-19 has caused far fewer deaths than earlier in the pandemic. López-Gatell said that vaccination has “very significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization and the risk of death, and for that reason we will continue calling on the public to get vaccinated.”

The vast majority of adults and a growing number of children are vaccinated against COVID-19.

The official death toll rose by 2,014 in July with an average of 65 fatalities reported each day. The former figure is 94% lower than the 32,729 COVID deaths recorded in January 2021, the worst month for pandemic fatalities.

An additional 133 fatalities were reported Tuesday, lifting Mexico’s COVID death toll to 327,883 – the fifth highest total in the world. The accumulated case tally rose to just over 6.78 million with over 21,000 new infections reported Tuesday, while almost 137,000 cases are estimated to be active.

López-Gatell said that authorities had expected occupancy in hospital COVID wards to rise in the coming weeks — increases in hospitalizations and deaths tend to lag spikes in case numbers — but noted that it has in fact declined.

“Last week, [occupancy] was at 18% for general care beds. Today, it’s at 16%,” the deputy minister said, referring to the national average.

children being vaccinated in Mexico — The majority of adults in Mexico are vaccinated, and the government is currently focusing on vaccinating children. CDMX Health Ministry

The Health Ministry reported later on Tuesday that occupancy was 15% for general care beds and 6% for those with ventilators.

However, some hospitals continue to face high demand for beds in their COVID wards. Federal data shows that 126 hospitals are currently at 100% capacity for general care beds, while an additional 14 have occupancy rates above 70%. The 126 “at capacity” hospitals are spread across the country, from Baja California in the northwest to Chiapas in the south and Quintana Roo in the southeast.

Federal data also shows that 12 hospitals are at 100% capacity for beds with ventilators, while an additional three have rates above 70%.

In Oaxaca, state authorities reported that general and intensive care COVID units in two hospitals in the municipality of San Bartolo Coyotepec, located just south of Oaxaca city, are completely full. One is a speciality regional hospital and the other is a children’s hospital.

Oaxaca, like all states across the country, recorded a spike in case numbers during the fifth wave, but it is not currently among the most affected states.

Mexico City – the country’s coronavirus epicenter since the beginning of the pandemic – currently has the highest number of active cases in both absolute terms and on a per capita basis. There are over 27,300 active cases in the capital for a rate of just over 300 infections per 100,000 people, federal data shows.

Ranking second to fifth for per capita case numbers are Baja California Sur, Colima, San Luis Potosí and Tlaxcala. Chiapas, Veracruz, Jalisco, Quintana Roo and Michoacán are, in that order, the five states with the fewest cases on a per capita basis.

With reports from Milenio, El Universal and El Financiero

Ancient rulers’ ashes may have been used in the Mayan ballgame

By

MND Staff

-

August 2, 2022

0

crypt found at Tonina archaeological site in Chiapas — Researchers found vessels containing ashes, charcoal, rubber and roots in a crypt at the Toniná archaeological site in Chiapas. INAH

A discovery at an archaeological site in Chiapas has led a researcher to conclude that the ashes of ancient Mayan rulers aided the production of rubber balls that were used in the Mayan ballgame.

In 2020, over 400 vessels containing ashes, charcoal, rubber and roots were found in a pre-Hispanic crypt within the Temple of the Sun at the Toniná archaeological site near the town of Ocosingo.

In a statement published Monday, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) set out a hypothesis based on that discovery that was developed by INAH researcher Juan Yadeun Angulo, who has led research and conservation projects at Toniná for over four decades.

According to Yadeun’s hypothesis, it’s probable that the cadavers of at least three eighth-century Mayan rulers – two men and one woman – were reduced to ashes in order to use them during the production of rubber balls.

Tonina site — The Toniná site near Ocosingo, Chiapas, which includes a ball court. INAH

A “microscopic analysis” of the organic material contained in the vessels indicated that “specialized persons, possibly priests” cremated bodies of high-ranking members of society, INAH said. Yadeun has concluded that the sulfur of the ashes was used to vulcanize, or harden, the rubber used to make the ballgame balls.

Inscriptions on sculptures that delimit a Toniná ball court led the researcher to believe that sulfur in the ashes of the rulers Wak Chan Káhk´, Aj Kololte’ and Káwiil Kaan were used to vulcanize rubber. The first two male rulers died in the second half of the 8th century while the latter female passed away in the first half of the same century.

“It’s enlightening to know that the Mayans sought to turn the bodies of their rulers into a living force,” Yadeun said, referring to the rubber balls that ballgame players moved around a ball court with their hips and thighs.

“… Just as Egyptians tried to preserve bodies, we know here they were transformed in another way,” he said.

“… We have evidence they were incorporated into balls, which were gigantic during the classic period. … The three central discs of the [ballgame] court say that these … [rulers] came back to life 260 days later. They came out of the death cave,” Yadeun said.

Mexico News Daily

Coahuila man turns discarded tires into whimsical furniture

By

Lydia Carey

-

August 2, 2022

0

designs made from tires by Ernesto Palomo of Saltillo — Hobbyist turned artisan Ernesto Palomo says his creations sit outside his house and essentially sell themselves to passersby.

An artisan in the northern state of Coahuila is making the world a cleaner place while putting money in his pocket along the way: he makes pots, decorative sculptures and even furniture out of used tires.

Ernesto Palomo, who lives in the state capital Saltillo, says the project started at home about a year ago, with him simply designing things for himself like outdoor planters and decorative animals. Then his neighbors started to take notice and request not only the items he was making for himself but other designs as well.

That’s how his repertoire expanded to all kinds of furniture and more. “I do it as a way to earn a little extra income,” said Palomo, “and more than anything because there were people asking me to make things for their homes.”

Mexicans throw away 40 million tonnes of tires each year. Only 10% are recycled. According to Mexico’s National Association of Tire Distributors (Andellac), 90% of old tires get thrown into ditches along the side of the highway and into rivers and streams, which exacerbates problems with fires and becomes a public health matter.

chairs made from tires by Ernesto Palomo of Saltillo — Palomo started making furniture at the request of his neighbors.

One of the biggest problems with old tires, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, is that they leach chemicals and heavy metals into the ground that are carcinogenic and mutagenic (meaning they cause cancer and gene mutations).

Palomo has now made a business out of recycling what others throw away and says that he sells usually at least one chair a week, several planters and other items as well. “I take advantage of the tires because they are thrown in places they shouldn’t be,” says Palomo. “I figure out the kind of planter I want to make and then create a design.”

Brightly colored and whimsical, Palomo’s designs sit outside on the front porch of his house and basically sell themselves, as neighbors and passersby are drawn to their ingenious designs.

With reports from Vanguardia

Tourism sector in Quintana Roo expects this summer will be best in 5 years

By

MND Staff

-

August 2, 2022

0

Sargassum on a beach near Playa del Carmen. Tourism is expected to be strong despite presence of the seaweed. deposit photos

Hoteliers in the Riviera Maya aren’t just counting on a return to pre-pandemic levels this August. Managers of high-rise resorts, boutique hotels, all-inclusives and other properties from Cancún to Tulum are predicting it will be the best Mexican summer vacation season in five years.

The Riviera Maya Hotel Association (AHRM) is forecasting occupancies in excess of 85% at its 140 properties comprising more than 40,000 rooms. And the season is officially on. For most public schools in Mexico, the last day of classes was July 28 and the first day back is Aug. 29.

“We are seeing clear signs of recovery with the sustained rise in hotel occupancy and the influx of thousands of visitors eager to visit the Mexican Caribbean after the confinement and restrictions caused by the health emergency,” said Toni Chaves, the president of the AHRM.

Another strong sign was the data from July, which showed hotel occupancy at 80% for the full month and 84% for the July 29-31 weekend, compared to 66% for the full month of July in 2021, according to AHRM.

In coming weeks, according to AHRM estimates, nearly 60% of the visitors will be Mexican nationals.

Chaves stressed that it will be a successful season despite ongoing challenges, such as the washing up of sargassum on the beaches, a shortage of hotel personnel, and highway access and traffic problems in some areas.

As for the sargassum issue, a report in the newspaper Novedades said the beaches of Cancún registered 1,080 tonnes of the brown macroalgae in July, an increase of 260 tonnes over June.

However, the report added, it is being removed daily by approximately 180 public workers and it “is not an impediment for tourists to enjoy the beaches.” Big crowds have been hanging out at the Delfines and Coral beaches, and those are the ones where the most sargassum washes up, pointed out one coastal official.

Sargassum on the shores is most plentiful in July and August, due to the increase in temperature of the waters of the Caribbean Sea, the official added. In addition to workers on the shore collecting the seaweed, boats under the direction of the navy collect it at sea.

With reports from Reportur and Novedades

Residents terrorized in home invasions by attackers in police uniforms

By

MND Staff

-

August 2, 2022

0

aftermath of Laguna Real home invasions, Veracruz city — The attackers overpowered guards at the Laguna Real residential estate, broke into homes and assaulted residents, leaving with cars, jewelry and other valuables. Facebook

State police officers and members of the National Guard — or criminals impersonating members of those security forces — broke into a gated residential estate in Veracruz city early Saturday and burglarized at least three homes, according to residents.

The perpetrators — referred to by residents as the uniformados — allegedly attacked private security guards before entering the Laguna Real residential estate, located near the Veracruz International Airport, in the early hours of Saturday morning. They arrived in six apparently official state police and National Guard vehicles, according to residents, whose accounts were reported by the newspaper Diario de Xalapa.

Residents said the uniformados claimed to have a search warrant, but according to the digital newspaper Al Calor Political, never showed it to anyone. The attackers stole jewelry and two vehicles and caused damage to homes they entered.

Photos posted to the Todos Somos Laguna Real (We Are All Laguna Real) Facebook page showed images of damage to one home and personal items strewn on the floor.

Residents also said that the uniformed men attacked occupants of the homes they burglarized despite the presence of women and children. One victim was hit in the head and stomach on repeated occasions, suffering injuries that required treatment in hospital.

Although residents said they called 911 to report the incident, no other security force members arrived at the gated community, which Diario de Xalapa described as a middle-to-upper-class residential estate.

Residents reported having trouble sleeping after the incident, explaining that they didn’t know whether the perpetrators would return to cause more trouble. They said they filed a complaint with authorities and want the terrifying events to be investigated.

“We don’t want any more peace task forces that the state government and [Governor] Cuitláhuac García Jiménez create,” a post on the Todos Somos Laguna Real Facebook page said on Saturday. “We want action and security for our families.”

A residents’ group specifically called on Governor Cuitláhuac García and the state security minister to intervene to ensure that a thorough investigation takes place. Laguna Real homeowners complained that authorities have so far been silent on the crimes that took place in their residential estate.

“The authorities are mute,” residents said, according to a report by news website Al Calor Político. “Nobody has called us or come to speak with us. … Of course we’re afraid; they practically changed our lives in a few minutes.”

With reports from Diario de Xalapa and Al Calor Político

Mexico City city restaurant investigated for discriminatory practices

By

Lydia Carey

-

August 2, 2022

0

Sonora Grill, the famous steakhouse with almost 20 locations throughout Mexico City, is the latest restaurant to come under fire on social media for questionable practices.

Since May of 2021, the Instagram account @terrorrestaurantesmx has been posting reports by service industry workers about allegedly abusive restaurants across the city, with even famous places like Pujol, Quintonil, La Docena and others having been the subjects of complaints about abusive labor practices and even bodily harm.

Now, Sonora Grill has been accused of dividing its seating at the Polanco location by skin color, with employees claiming that one section was for “brown” people, called the Gandhi section, and another for “white” customers, called the Mousset section. Reports claimed that only certain types of employees could work at the front of Sonora Grill — they had to be tall and white, with a certain “foreign” quality as a bonus.

After these claims came to light, dozens of former and current employees went to social media to call out all kinds of allegedly bad behavior on the part of managers and executive chefs at the restaurant, posting text messages in which employees were told to train their bodies not to need to go the bathroom so often or being told their tips would be taken away as a sanction against various workplace infractions.

The company has responded by denying that it engages in any type of racist or discriminatory practices. “Over the course of 18 years we have developed as an organization in which respect, inclusion, service and love of country prevail.”

It also said, “We work hard to create an inclusive ambiance, both for our clients as well as for our staff.”

Mexico City’s Council on the Elimination and Prevention of Discrimination said Monday that it would launch an investigation into the claims, in order to protect “the legal standards and principles of human rights in the city.”

With reports from El País

Criminal gangs have killed 24 transit drivers in 4 months in Guerrero

By

MND Staff

-

August 2, 2022

0

public transit van in Guerrero with bullet holes in windshield — There haven't been any arrests in any of the 24 cases of drivers killed and the murder of two transit industry association leaders.

Twenty-four public transit drivers and two transport association leaders have been murdered in Guerrero during the past four months, according to a count by the Milenio newspaper.

Milenio reported Tuesday that murders of drivers and the torching of public transit vehicles have occurred in seven municipalities including Acapulco, Zihuatanejo and Chilpancingo. There hasn’t been a single arrest in connection with the crimes, it added.

Rogelio Hernández Cruz, the leader of one transport association, told Milenio that organized crime groups are responsible for the offenses committed against drivers.

“Maybe our sin is to go into neighborhoods” controlled by crime groups, he said. “… We’ve been victims of kidnapping, extortion and many other things. We’re a sector that is highly coveted by organized crime.”

Rogelio Hernandez Cruz head of Guerrero transit drivers' association — Rogelio Hernández Cruz, the head of a Guerrero public transport association, criticized authorities for not doing more to prevent organized crime activity. File photo

According to Guerrero authorities, attacks on public transit drivers are in part motivated by crime groups’ desire to control the industry. They also say that the public transit sector’s failure to give in to threats and support such groups in their fight against state and federal authorities is a factor.

“This is the main cause, the main reason why crimes against public transport [operators] have increased in the state,” said Ramón Celaya Gamboa, a senior official with the Guerrero Attorney General’s Office.

He said that authorities continue to investigate crimes against transit drivers, asserting that no cases have been shelved. The official noted that a range of crime groups operate in Guerrero and could be responsible for the wave of attacks on drivers.

“The Sinaloa Cartel is spoken about, the Jalisco [New Generation] Cartel is spoken about, but its presence hasn’t been corroborated. However, there are factions confirmed to operate in Acapulco, the Sierra Cartel, … Los Tlacos, small cells of Los Ardillos,” Celaya said.

Ramon Celaya Gamboa with the Guerrero Attorney General's Office — A range of crime groups operate in Guerrero and could be responsible for the wave of attacks, said Ramon Celaya Gamboa with the Guerrero Attorney General’s Office.

Hernández said he didn’t know of a single case in which justice has been served for the murder of a transit driver, and criticized authorities for not doing more to prevent such crimes.

In Zihuatanejo, many taxis and public transit vans suspended service in early July due to violence against drivers and threats made by organized crime. Criminals have also targeted other sectors of the Guerrero economy, such as fresh food markets in state capital Chilpancingo, where eight people with links to the chicken industry were killed in the space of a single week in June.

Guerrero was the eighth most violent state in the first six months of the year with 688 homicides, according to federal data presented last month.

With reports from Milenio

International tourism numbers soar 83% in first six months

By

MND Staff

-

August 2, 2022

0

Passengers in Cancun International Airport — With 10.27 million foreign arrivals, Mexico also saw a 1.5% increase from 2019, suggesting tourism is back on track. Sectur

More than 10.2 million international tourists flew into Mexico in the first six months of the year, an 83% increase compared to the first half of last year and a 1.5% uptick compared to the same period of 2019.

The federal Tourism Ministry (Sectur) reported the arrival of almost 10.27 million international tourists at the nation’s airports between January and June.

Surpassing the 2019 January to June figure of just under 10.12 million is especially significant for the tourism industry, which was hit hard by the pandemic and associated restrictions even though Mexico never prohibited or restricted the entry of foreigners as part of efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Citing Interior Ministry data, Sectur said that 6.66 million United States tourists flew into Mexico in the first half of the year, a figure that accounts for 65% of all international air arrivals. U.S. arrivals were up 50.5% compared to the same period of last year and 19.1% higher than in 2019.

Cancun International Airport — Cancún saw the most arrivals between January and June of 2022, according to Mexico’s tourism agency, followed by Mexico City. Arkadiusz Warguła/IStock

Canada provided the second highest number of visitors with almost 860,000 tourists from that country touching town on Mexican soil between January and June, a whopping increase of 1,443% compared to the same period of 2021.

The increase is so high because tourism from Canada collapsed early last year after the Canadian government reached an agreement with the main Canadian airlines in late January 2021 to temporarily suspend flights to Mexico and Caribbean countries due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mexico still has some ground to make up to reach pre-pandemic numbers for Canadian tourists: over 1.4 million flew into the country in the first half of 2019.

Sectur reported that Colombians made up the third largest cohort of international tourists arriving by air between January and June. Over 412,500 Colombians flew into Mexico in the period, a 191.9% increase compared to last year and a 49.1% hike over 2019.

Cancún Airport received more international tourists than any other airport in the first half of the year with 4.82 million arrivals, Sectur reported. The Mexico City International Airport ranked second with 1.97 million arrivals while the Los Cabos Airport was the third most popular among international tourists with 1.12 million landing there.

All three airports recorded significant increases in international arrivals compared to the first half of last year. Data also showed that almost eight in 10 international tourists who flew into the country between January and June arrived at the airports in Cancún, Mexico City and Los Cabos.

Other international airports, such as those in Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puerto Vallarta and Mérida, received a total of 2.34 million international tourists in the first half of the year, a 79% increase compared to the same period of 2021.

Mexico News Daily

College of engineers rejects AMLO’s claim that Mexico City airport is sinking

By

MND Staff

-

August 2, 2022

0

Terminal 2 at the Mexico City airport 'is firmly anchored to the ground,' engineer says.

Contrary to claims made by the federal government, there are no problems with the foundations of Terminal 2 at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and the building isn’t sinking, according to the president of the College of Mexican Aeronautics Engineers (CIMA).

President López Obrador asserted last week that the 15-year-old terminal has structural damage, is sinking and needs to be shored up to ensure it doesn’t collapse. He even raised the possibility that the terminal might need to be rebuilt. His remarks came after the government announced funding of 46.5 million pesos (US $2.3 million) to repair structural damage in both terminals at AICM, Mexico’s busiest airport.

In an interview with the Reforma newspaper, CIMA president Jesús Navarro Parada countered the government’s assertions, claiming that Terminal 2 hasn’t sunk even one millimeter and that there is no issue with the foundations that support it. He said the terminal is supported by cement-filled steel columns that reach bedrock some 50 meters below the ground’s surface.

“It means that the building is perfectly anchored to the ground, it doesn’t move,” Navarro said. “… [But] we have to remember that the city and all the adjoining neighborhoods are sinking 10 to 12 centimeters per year,” he added.

López Obrador said last week that the ground on which Terminal 2 was built “wasn’t the most suitable,” and also criticized the previous government for undertaking an airport project on an ancient lakebed in Texcoco, México state, but Navarro said that modern engineering can overcome challenges posed by different types of land. The Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam was built on swampland and has been operating for years, he said.

“AICM has been there for more than 50 years and the land where it was built is the same [kind of] land where the Texcoco airport would be” if the current government had not canceled the project, the engineer said.

“Anyone who looks at an old map will see that it’s the same. So any land issues are solved by modern engineering,” Navarro said.

The CIMA chief predicted that Terminal 2 will be able to continue to function for many years to come – as long as it is maintained as required.

With reports from Reforma