In a culture in love with humor, why can’t Mexico’s politicians take a joke?

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April 2, 2022

Jose Ramon Lopez Beltran — AMLO's son José López Beltrán could teach his dad about thick skins: politicians mocked his luxury home with a Lego-style version; he said he wants one for his son.

My kid cannot take a joke.

Don’t get me wrong. She’s plenty funny and great at making jokes in that obvious and exaggerated eight-year-old kind of way. But under no circumstances does she consider being a target of the joke acceptable (unless she’s the jokester, of course) — no matter how good-natured or lighthearted it might be.

This is too bad, as she’s growing up in one of the jokiest cultures I’ve encountered. “Lisa,” I tell her. “You live in one of the most bromista countries in the world. If you don’t learn to chill a little bit, you’re going to have a Very Bad Time, fair or not.”

In the meantime, I try my best (like we all do, right, fellow parents?) to find that balance between the two seemingly mutually exclusive facts that we know we must impart to our children: one, that they are unconditionally loved and exceedingly unique and special; and two, that they are no better than anyone else.

The jokes are usually in service to this second lesson, meant to be gentle and lighthearted reminders that none of us are actually perfect and right at all times.

Those without children might be surprised to know that most kids (in non-abusive homes, anyway) actually have to learn that they’re not naturally flawless beings. Frustration with that fact can be harsh, but a good sense of humor can help them to take at least some things in stride.

Humility isn’t a natural trait, but it makes the world go round, so here we are. A good-natured joke or two can help smooth out those jagged lessons.

Like most people, I’m a fan of comedy. It feels good to laugh! But boy oh boy, are we all ever on edge these days.

Laughter is a pleasant way of losing control. (Notice how people say “I lost it!” when describing a bout of uncontrollable laughter?) But as Will Smith learned after the Slap Heard ʼRound the World, the line between losing control in a positive way and a negative way can show itself to be exceedingly thin.

And as every comedian from medieval court jesters to Chris Rock and Mexico’s Chumel Torres can tell you, a joke might get a laugh or it might get you in serious trouble. And in this very sensitive and on-edge world where we’re all feeling pretty darn cranky (and about to “lose it” in a bad way) most of the time, comedy is changing. The types of jokes that people find acceptable to laugh at are shrinking.

This isn’t necessarily a complaint but my own personal “wow, so many things have changed — I must be getting old!” reflections of bafflement.

I came of age cracking up at the no-holds-barred wit of Sarah Silverman’s standup routines, Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, and celebrity roasts, as well as watching movies like American Pie and Scream that I very much doubt could be made today since they partially relied on tropes now seen as racist or sexist.

We can be funny, of course, without making fun of other people. And it’s especially a positive thing for famous people with large audiences to be sensitive to the feelings of others. But if comedy is truly about pushing boundaries in unexpected and absurd ways — then how do we both keep that going and follow all these newer rules?

Is simply not laughing and instead rolling our eyes not enough of a response when we hear a joke we don’t like?

I’ve been thinking about this question since it was announced that Chumel Torres, who became well-known for a sort of “Mexican Daily Show” program on YouTube, was being investigated for gender-based violence after making fun of Morena party Senator Bertha Alicia Caraveo Camarena on his show for supporting AMLO in the face of a scandal about his son’s opulent home in the United States. On the episode in question, among vitriolic humor at her expense, he referred to her as “mamacita” (cute chick). Caraveo acknowledged to the press this week that she had filed the report with authorities against Torres with the federal Attorney General’s Office.

My immediate response was to roll my eyes. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that I consider jokes about powerful politicians to be a necessary public service. It’s both a way of reminding those in power that we’re watching rather than ignoring them while they do as they please. It’s also a way of making sure average citizens have a notion of what’s going on in the political arena even if they don’t read the paper for three hours every day.

Not all politicians can take a joke, though. AMLO seems to have set the tone for his party in being particularly thin-skinned, although he doesn’t seem to have trouble personally with being flat-out mean in response — no humor-casing necessary.

That said, there’s a bit of nuance to unpack in the senator’s response: I personally think it’s fair to say that Torres was taking aim at her in her role as a politician; she responded, however, as if she were being attacked for being a woman, which I don’t believe was the case.

And anyway, she’s in the public eye. She’s one of the few people around here who is actually actively running the country. And people who say they’re our public servants when really they’re our rulers deserve major scrutiny and criticism when they mess up; it’s simply part of the job.

Perhaps she and AMLO could take a cue from President Obama, a master at knowing just how to deal with jokes at his expense — my favorite was when he announced he’d do even better than showing his birth certificate and would show a birth video … then put on the Simba presentation scene from The Lion King, to wild laughter and applause.

It’s OK to not laugh, and to feel hurt or mad instead. It’s good for jokesters to apologize when they realize they’ve hurt someone. But the real power move is when the target comes up with the perfect comeback that helps us all to take ourselves a little less seriously.

So let that papacito Chumel have it, Senator. Think of a good one. He can take it.

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

More than just colorful, turmeric adds dramatic flavor and complexity

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Janet Blaser

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April 2, 2022

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Tumeric milk — Many know turmeric only in its powdered form, mostly to add color to dishes.

One chef-friend told me this, then another. By the time a third strongly suggested the same thing, I was on my way to the mercado. I ran into yet a fourth chef-friend, visiting from Vancouver, who also encouraged me to get the real thing.

“It makes a huge difference,” he said. “You’ll never use powdered again.”

It was turmeric we were talking about, (cúrcuma in Spanish) an essential Indian spice used by billions of people all over the world. If, like me, you’ve only cooked with the powdered version, you’re in for a delightful surprise.

For many of us, turmeric’s only use has been in its powdered form, to add an earthy ochre color to dahls, soups and curries. Fresh turmeric, though, drastically changes the flavor landscape, adding a rich, bright complexity — especially when paired with coconut milk — and helps balance spicier seasonings.

Turmeric’s flavor also works in egg dishes, marinades for chicken, pork and beef, hot cereals and bean dishes. It elevates a basic like chicken noodle soup or Basmati or brown rice to something memorable. It makes a delicious, pretty and nutritionally advantageous tea or hot drink.

“Golden milk” (haldi doodh in Hindi) is a traditional Indian drink recently “adopted” by health food aficionados due to turmeric’s ability to increase antioxidants and build up the immune system. Many people drink the tea every day or take it in capsule form. Basically warm sweetened milk with turmeric, it can include black pepper, fresh ginger, black tea and cardamon too. I’ve included a recipe here, but feel free to adjust the ingredients to your taste.

Fresh turmeric rhizomes are easily and inexpensively available in Mexico. Like ginger, the plant flourishes here.

The “fingers” are straighter, smaller and thinner than ginger, and under the thin skin, the flesh is bright carrot-orange — which immediately stains anything it comes in contact with. Chefs strongly suggest using disposable latex gloves and considering carefully what cutting boards and implements you use when cooking with fresh turmeric. Like fresh ginger root, turmeric fingers can be frozen and then grated when needed.

Please take the warning about turmeric staining seriously; if you think beets are bad, fresh turmeric is even worse. Skin, fabric, wood, light-colored silicone spatulas (sigh) … all will turn orange. Use latex gloves or plastic bags over your hands. Some say scrubbing your skin with sugar will help remove the stains, but I’ll go with gloves!

Golden Milk

¼ cup water
½-inch piece fresh turmeric, grated OR ½ tsp. dried turmeric
1½ -inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1 cardamom pod
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
3 black peppercorns
½ Tbsp. honey
1 cup milk (dairy, coconut or nut)
1 black tea bag

Place water, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns and honey in small pan over low heat. Bring to simmer; add milk and teabag. When milk is steaming, add more honey if desired. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a cup.

Crunchy Turmeric Chickpeas

1 (15-ounce) can, drained OR 2 cups dried chickpeas soaked overnight, drained
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-inch piece fresh turmeric, grated, OR ½ tsp. turmeric
1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Salt

In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add turmeric, ginger and black pepper, stir and cook 1 minute. Add chickpeas. Continue cooking, stirring to coat in spices and oil, until chickpeas are crispy and golden on edges. Season well with salt. Serve immediately.

Turmeric Fried Eggs with Kale, Yogurt & Bacon

4 slices cooked bacon
1 bunch curly kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn into large pieces
5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
Salt
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
4 eggs
½-inch piece fresh turmeric, grated OR ½ tsp. dried turmeric
For serving: red pepper flakes, lime wedges

turmeric chickpeas — Fried till crispy in turmeric, pepper and ginger, these chickpeas make a great side dish — or even a quick meal over some rice.

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Spread kale on baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. oil, massage into leaves and season with salt. Bake 5–7 minutes, tossing halfway through, until lightly browned around edges and crisp-tender.

Season yogurt with salt. Divide among plates. Top with the bacon and kale.

Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add eggs one at a time, gently shaking skillet to keep them from sticking together. Tilting skillet toward you, spoon oil over egg whites, cooking until set. Remove from heat, keeping skillet tilted.

Add turmeric to oil and gently baste eggs. Divide eggs among plates; drizzle with remaining oil and lime juice, sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve.

Grilled Pork Chops with Pineapple-Turmeric Glaze

½ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup honey
¼ cup rice vinegar
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp. toasted sesame oil
½ tsp. ground turmeric
Four (1-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops
Salt

Heat grill; oil grate. Bring pineapple juice, honey, vinegar, mustard, red pepper, sesame oil and turmeric to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until reduced to ¾ cup, 10–15 minutes. Cool. Set aside half of sauce for serving.

Season pork with salt. Grill over direct heat until browned all over, about 3 minutes per side. Continue grilling, turning and basting with the sauce until it’s charred and coated with a thick layer of glaze, about 4 minutes.

Check internal temperature of pork. If needed, continue grilling. Let chops rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with reserved sauce.

Creamy Turmeric Pasta

½ lb. spaghetti, fettucine or capellini
1Tbsp. butter
1 large shallot OR ½ large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. ground turmeric
½ cup half-and-half
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley/chives

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, reserving about ½ cup pasta cooking water.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot/onion, garlic, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until golden-brown, 3–4 minutes.

Add turmeric; stir to toast, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in half-and-half. Bring to a simmer. Whisk in 1 cup Parmesan.

Add pasta and reserved pasta cooking water. Toss to coat; sprinkle with fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

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.

Tree of life sculptures by artisan Tiburcio Soteno put Metepec on the map

By

Leigh Thelmadatter

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April 2, 2022

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Mexican artisan Tiburcio Soteno — Tiburcio Soteno in 2017 at his workshop in Metepec, México state. Alejandro Linares Garcia

On March 20, 2022, Mexico’s world of folk art lost one of its masters.

Tiburcio Soteno was not just a fine ceramicist, he was a central figure in a community’s struggle to maintain its identity in the face of sprawling urbanization.

For almost all of its history, Metepec, México state, was a rural farming community with an important pottery industry dating back to the pre-Hispanic period. Today, if you go into the town’s historic center, you can see that rural heritage in the church and the masonry houses, whose mortar joints are decorated with small pebbles to create a unique look.

However, that ancient charm stops abruptly a couple of blocks from the church as you enter an unending sea of often unpainted cinder block construction. Land prices driven up by local growth and the rise of bedroom communities catering to those working in the western part of Mexico City means that farming is all but extinguished here.

But pottery manages to hang on.

Abstracted tree sculpture by Tiburcio Soteno with pre-Hispanic images related to fertility. ANGM 142/Creative Commons

The oldest forms are utilitarian, especially the making of pots called cazuelas, which are often used for cooking mole sauce and rice. But in the last century, in response to changes in the market, many of the town’s artisans began shifting to decorative items, such as sun-and-moon wall decorations and mermaid figures.

But perhaps Metepec’s most important contribution to Mexican folk art is its “trees of life” sculptures.

Originally decorated candle holders, these winding, ornate tree sculptures have since taken on a life of their own, even losing spaces to put any candles. The most traditional of these is a tree with leaves and animals representing the Garden of Eden and figures of Adam and Eve. However, they have since evolved to include other themes; even the tree part itself can be stylized to the point that it becomes an abstract geometric support structure.

Metepec’s trees of life are most popular in central Mexico, including Mexico City, but are also well-known worldwide among Mexican folk art collectors.

The Soteno family has been instrumental in the development of these sculptures. Both of Tiburcio’s parents were potters, but it was his mother, Modesta Fernández, who began to experiment with more decorative pieces in the first half of the 20th century.

Her success changed the family’s fortunes.

Tree of life sculpture by Oscar Soteno — Four-meter tall tree of life made by Tiburcio Soteno’s nephew Oscar Soteno, who learned from Tiburcio, on display at the Museum of Folk Art in Mexico City. Alejandro Linares García

All of Fernández’s children went into ceramics, and all started working when they were children. However, Tiburcio became the most recognized for his technique, creativity and innovation.

Over a six-decade career, he created numerous mermaids, Nativity scenes and even soldier figures. However, it is his work with the trees of life that earned him the title of “Grand Master of Folk Art” and led him to being included in Fomento Cultural Banamex’s prestigious registry of Mexico’s best artisans.

I was extremely fortunate to meet Maestro Tiburcio a few years ago at his family’s workshops. Like many intergenerational artisan clans, there is an informal apprenticeship system by which the next generation grows up with their hands in clay. A gracious host, Tiburcio gave us a full tour and demonstration. The fact that he had created works for museums and other collections around the world never went to his head.

His trees’ structures consist of a wire “skeleton,” over which clay is molded by hand. Then comes the arduous work of creating and placing the nearly infinite number of elements: for Tiburcio, only a few highly repetitive elements, such as leaves, were done with molds; everything else, including all the painting, was done freehand.

Tiburcio and his family have made pieces as small as several centimeters to those over five meters high, each with their own technical challenges. But it was their creativity that brought in commissions to create unique tree sculptures, such as ones based on the Laura Esquivel novel Like Water for Chocolate, on Dante’s Inferno, on the life of Juana Inés de la Cruz, and on the 2010 Bicentennial of Mexico’s Independence.

In fact, their success has led to most of the family’s business being special orders.

Tree of life detail — Detail of an image of God on a traditional tree of life being made by Tiburcio Soteno. Alejandro Linares García

Tiburcio was instrumental in passing on his mother’s innovative spirit. Rather than resting on laurels, he encouraged following generations to continue to improve and innovate. The family is so prominent in Metepec because there are four generations of clay-working Sotenos.

And Tiburcio’s sons Carlos, Saul and Israel are all noted artisans, as is nephew Oscar, all with pieces in noted public and private collections in North America, Europe and Asia.

The maestro may no longer be with us, but he ensured that his legacy always will be.

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.

Meth, John Kerry and Lego: the week at the morning press conferences

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MND Staff

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April 2, 2022

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amlo-tuesday — President López Obrador takes questions at his Tuesday press conference. Presidencia de la República

Last weekend was a busy one, even by President López Obrador’s standards. It took him around the Valley of México to a bridge in Morelos, a gas plant and hospital in Hidalgo, a ceremony in Puebla, a soccer pitch in México state and the mayor’s office in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa borough, the most populated municipality in the country.

Monday

First on the agenda: democracy and how to do it. The president highlighted a referendum in Uruguay on Sunday as participatory democracy done right, but mocked a tiny leaflet used by the National Electoral Institute (INE) to promote the upcoming vote on his performance.

“You have to search for those leaflets like Dora the Explorer,” he said, referring to the character from an old children’s cartoon.

Set to be democratized was the presidential Boeing 787 Dreamliner: the president said the still unsold US $218 million jet could be chartered for weddings, 15th birthday parties and work events, as the government still couldn’t find a buyer.

INE advertising was the butt of jokes at Monday's conference. — INE advertising was the butt of jokes at Monday’s conference. Presidencia de la República

Lithium, however, wasn’t for sale. López Obrador hopes to make it a national asset through the electrical reform and said Bolivian authorities were working to help Mexico exploit its lithium reserves.

Later in the conference, AMLO cited a left wing icon who’d come to know both Bolivia’s rulers and Mexico’s treasures well. “Che Guevara said when he visited Palenque: ‘It’s the jewel of the Americas,'” the president proudly recounted, referring to the Argentinian revolutionary whose life was ended by Bolivia’s security forces.

Tuesday

The president was back to his side job on Tuesday, hawking lottery tickets. For 200 pesos (US $10) hopefuls were in with a chance of winning a lot on a beach in Sinaloa or a luxury car seized from criminals.

On a falsely reported shooting in Cancún, AMLO noted the media’s capacity for invention and assured that security was in good order.

“Mexico is a country with tranquility and with peace. Violence is limited to very few regions of the country. It has more to do with confrontation between gangs … Mexico is a safe country of good, hardworking people,” he said.

With the energy reform still in the offing, the president delivered an announcement on his next proposed reform. National Electoral Institute councilors should be elected by citizens, he said.

“I’m going to propose that it be the people who elect electoral councilors and magistrates directly … I hope it will end the issue of elitist agreements contrary to the interests of the people,” the president added.

Wednesday

Elizabeth García Vilchis, as per her weekly duty, debunked the media’s errors and fibs that had caught her eye. She said Mexican migrants returning from the United States couldn’t have been charged bribes because they hadn’t made formal legal complaints and added that those who don’t consider Lake Texcoco an area of natural beauty had financial interests in the canceled airport there.

García assured that the Maya Train wasn’t damaging to the environment compared to the mining, pig farms and tourism promoted by previous administrations and mocked journalists who she said erroneously reported a shooting at Cancún airport.

A miniature Lego model of the controversial home of López Obrador’s son had been exhibited by lawmakers from the National Action Party (PAN). The president showed his amusement: “A Lego of José Ramón’s house … What creativity. Such cuties,” he mocked, before adding there was nothing untoward with his son’s living arrangements. “José Ramón is 40 years old, he’s married. He rented it with his wife. 100,000 pesos [US $5,040] per month. I wouldn’t do it, but he’s independent,” he said.

On Wednesday, Elizabeth García Vilchis took aim at opponents of the Maya Train. — On Wednesday, Elizabeth García Vilchis took aim at opponents of the Maya Train in her weekly segment. Presidencia de la República

On a video allegedly showing navy personnel manipulating a supposed crime scene related to the 2014 disappearance of 43 student teachers, the president said that Navy Minister Rafael Ojeda had no involvement. Investigations are ongoing into the disappearance of students from the Ayotzinapa teachers’ college in Guerrero in 2014.

Thursday

Drugs were the topic of choice for Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval and he started with a brief history lesson: U.S. drug demand grew in the 1970s leading to marijuana and opioid production in Mexico; in the 1980s the focus switched to cocaine and in 2009 methamphetamine laboratories in Mexico mushroomed, he said. Recently, marijuana production in Mexico has dropped due to U.S. legalization of the drug, he explained.

Cresencio added that the government had eradicated marijuana and opium poppy fields 7,000 times the size of Mexico City’s Aztec Stadium, mainly in Sinaloa, Durango, Chihuahua and Guerrero.

Cocaine, he said, came to the country from South and Central America: 73,834 kilograms have been seized during the administration. He detailed that the base substances to make methamphetamine and similar drugs were coming from Asia through ports on the Pacific. Cresencio said 127 labs had been busted by the current administration, mostly in Sinaloa.

The president said the government was considering legalizing “nondestructive drugs with light effects, as is the case with marijuana,” but that an internal agreement hadn’t been struck, and later confirmed he was meeting with U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry and 20 U.S. business representatives to discuss the electrical reform.

Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval shared information about the status of the drug trade and history of drugs in Mexico on Thursday. Presidencia de la República

The tabasqueño said he’d stand strong on his proposals. “There are many technocrats who think that the state must be diluted and that everything has to be solved by the market. No … Good politics was invented to bring order to chaos,” he affirmed.

Friday

López Obrador offered his version of events following his five-hour meeting with Kerry and U.S. business representatives.

“They felt well attended and satisfied, because it’s not true that [the electricity reform] promotes dirty energy sources … it’s not true we don’t want to produce solar, wind and hydroelectric energy,” he said.

He added that there would be no new coal plants in Mexico and that the three in operation were running at 50% capacity.

“Compared to the coal energy produced in China or the United States, it’s nothing,” the president insisted, before highlighting the construction of Latin America’s biggest solar park in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora.

“There weren’t really any protests, they were very respectful,” López Obrador added of the meeting with Kerry and company.

However, the president hinted that the meeting was not entirely cordial. The U.S. proposed that a working group participate in the reform, but the suggestion was rebuffed.

“They raised it and I remained silent … It wasn’t accepted … for a group to watch over our activities,” the president revealed.

Mexico News Daily

Face masks no longer required outside in CDMX, Tamaulipas

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MND Staff

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April 1, 2022

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Though masks are no longer required in outdoor public places, the city government still recommends their use indoors.

Authorities in Mexico City and Tamaulipas have announced that face masks are no longer required in outdoor public spaces due to the diminished COVID-19 risk.

Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said in a video message Friday that the local Health Ministry had advised that the coronavirus risk in the capital is currently “very low.”

“This allows us to remove face masks outside,” she said, adding that her government continues to recommend their use inside.

In Tamaulipas, the state Health Ministry announced Wednesday that face masks would be optional in outdoor public spaces starting Friday. The ministry said on social media that the decision was taken due to a reduction in coronavirus cases numbers, hospitalizations and deaths in Tamaulipas.

Authorities in Coahuila, Nuevo León and Quintana Roo have already dropped mask mandates for outdoor areas.

Smiling public officials, including Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, took off their face masks as they announced that it was no longer required to use them outside. Screenshot

According to COVID-19 data published by the federal Health Ministry on Thursday, there are just under 2,200 active cases in Mexico City and only 139 in Tamaulipas.

There are an estimated 9,420 active cases across the country. That figure was above 300,000 at the peak of the fourth omicron-fueled wave in January.

A total of 150,906 new cases were reported in March for a daily average of 4,868. That’s a 76% decline compared to the daily average of 20,216 cases in February and an 84% reduction compared to January, the worst month of the pandemic for case numbers.

COVID-19 deaths also declined in March, but not as significantly. An additional 4,867 fatalities were reported last month for a daily average of 157. That’s a 64% drop compared to the daily average of 431 in February and a 27% reduction compared to January.

Mexico’s accumulated case tally increased to just under 5.66 million on Thursday, while the official death toll rose to 323,016, the fifth highest total in the world.

More than 85.6 million Mexicans are vaccinated against COVID-19 and 93% of that number are fully vaccinated, the Health Ministry said Thursday. Over 36.3 million adults have had booster shots.

Mexico has not offered shots to minors aged under 15 with the exception of those aged 12 and older with an existing health condition that makes them vulnerable to serious illness.

A federal court ruled in February that children as young as five have the right to be vaccinated, and health regulator Cofepris has approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine for those aged five to 11.

However, the government has not indicated it will offer shots to all children between those ages, meaning that parents have to go to court – or another country – to access vaccines for their young sons and daughters.

Mexico News Daily

Nuevo León youth officially recognized as non-binary

By

MND Staff

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April 1, 2022

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Edie Galván, officially non-binary. — Edie Galván was excited to be recognized as non-binary 'in a state as conservative as Nuevo León.'

A Nuevo León resident has won the right to be legally identified as neither male nor female, becoming just the second officially recognized non-binary person in Mexico.

A judge in the northern border state ruled in favor of Edie Galván Villareal’s application to be legally recognized as non-binary.

The judge ordered the young person’s birth certificate be altered so that NB for non-binary appears. The ruling, handed down earlier this week, comes after the Guanajuato Civil Registry Office issued an updated birth certificate to a non-binary person in February.

Galván acknowledged the legal victory in a post on Facebook. “Friends I can’t contain my excitement. I will legally be Edie and my non-binary identity will be recognized by the state,” the Monterrey resident wrote in a post on Wednesday.

“I’ve been crying from the excitement for about half an hour. Seeing my name on my INE [voting card], seeing my gender identity on my birth certificate are things that I never imagined possible,” Galván wrote.

“… The fact that the process was so easy and obstacles weren’t put in my way gives me a lot of hope for the future. Being the first person recognized as non-binary in a state as conservative as Nuevo León fills me with excitement and I really don’t have words to describe everything I feel right now. I would like to hug 13-year-old Edie and say everything will improve in a few years,” wrote the 23-year-old university student.

“… Thanks to my friends and loved ones who encouraged me to complete the process, … thanks to the legal team of [the civil society organization] El Clóset LGBT, thanks Edie for never giving up and venturing into the unknown. I love you and I love myself trans.”

With reports from Milenio

Zacatecas state police strike, demanding dismissal of their own chief

By

MND Staff

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April 1, 2022

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Police gathered outside the state public security ministry on Thursday morning.

Most Zacatecas state police began an indefinite strike Thursday to demand the dismissal of the state’s police chief.

About 800 of 1,000 officers stopped work to pressure authorities to remove former army general Adolfo Marín Marín as Zacatecas minister of public security.

The strike comes after Marín dismissed seven officers on Wednesday. At least five of those were among a group of officers who petitioned authorities for better working conditions at a meeting on March 20.

Officers have called for a meeting with Governor David Monreal, and say they won’t return to work until Marín is gone. They say they fear more unfair dismissals if he remains public security minister.

The striking officers are also demanding the dismissal of three other high-ranking police officials.

At protests earlier this month, some police asked for hazard pay and benefits for their families in the case of their death. Twitter

Police went on strike for two days last month to demand that Deputy Security Minister José Anciano Medrano, police force director Israel Reyes García and state forces division chief Lisbeth Takahashi Castañeda be removed from their positions.

They accuse those officials, all of whom previously worked with the now-defunct Federal Police, of corruption. Marín agreed to dismiss the officials at the March 20 meeting, bringing last month’s strike to an end. But he didn’t follow through: all three remain in their positions, police officers said.

Since 2020, the Zacatecas state police force has been divided into two groups, the newspaper La Jornada reported. One group is made up of approximately 800 police considered career officers of the Zacatecas state force, while the other group consists of some 200 officers who transferred into that force from the Federal Police.

While members of the former group strike, municipal police, the National Guard and the army are carrying out public security tasks in Zacatecas, a highly violent state where the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel are engaged in a turf war.

The newspaper El Universal reported in November that eight municipalities in Zacatecas had few or no police because officers abandoned their jobs due to high levels of violence.

With reports from La Jornada and Milenio

6 heads on the roof of a car: a grim reminder of who’s in charge in Chilapa

By

MND Staff

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April 1, 2022

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Six heads were found on top of a car in Chilapa, Guerrero on Thursday. Twitter

Authorities are investigating yet another multiple homicide after six human heads were left on the roof of a car in Chilapa, Guerrero, on Thursday.

State police responded to reports of the grisly scene early Thursday morning. Other human remains were found in bags inside the car, which was parked on the main thoroughfare of Chilapa, a small city about 60 kilometers east of the state capital Chilpancingo.

A sign was hung between two trees on the sidewalk next to where the car was parked.

“In Chilapa it’s strictly prohibited to sell and consume crystal, kidnap, collect extortion payments and steal,” it said.

“This will happen to all those who go around doing bullshit. All these crimes warrant capital punishment and the rules are enforced because they’re enforced. This plaza has an owner and is respected.”

A banner left near the severed heads laid out <i>plaza</i> rules that residents are expected to follow. A <i>plaza</i> is a geographical area controlled by a cartel or a sub-unit of a cartel's area of influence. — A banner left near the severed heads laid out *plaza* rules that residents are expected to follow. A *plaza* refers to an area controlled by a criminal organization. Twitter

It is unclear who perpetrated the crime and who the victims are, but a criminal group called Los Ardillos and another called Los Rojos operate in Chilapa and have been engaged in a turf war for years.

The former and community police are also engaged in an open war, El País reported. Community police told that newspaper that Los Ardillos are the main instigators of violence and responsible for at least 38 murders and 18 abductions since 2015.

The Guerrero Attorney General’s Office said it had opened an investigation into the murder of the six unknown victims.

Los Ardillos and Los Rojos continue to operate in Chilapa despite the National Guard and the army having had a permanent presence in the municipality since January 2020. Their deployment – which has encountered some resistance by residents – followed the murder of 10 indigenous musicians in Chilapa that month. Los Ardillos allegedly committed that crime.

Children as young as six have received combat training from Chilapa community police so they are able to defend themselves in the case of an attack by a criminal group.

The latest incident of violence in the troubled municipality followed recent massacres in the neighboring states of Michoacán and Puebla.

Twenty people were killed at a clandestine cockfight in Zinapécuaro, Michoacán, last Sunday, as many as 17 were executed on the street in the town of San José de Gracía in the same state on February 27 and nine people were murdered inside a house in Atlixco, Puebla, on March 9.

With reports from El País and Reforma

Has the internet brought the ‘Age of Rage’ to your online expat group?

By

Janet Blaser

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April 1, 2022

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internet trolls — Participants in a Mexico News Daily reader survey told us that the meaner, ruder elements of online culture also show up on Mexico's expat forums. Asiandelight/Istock

It starts with an innocent question asked in an expat forum or Facebook group: is there a dry cleaner in town? Where can I find tofu? How much is a taxi to the airport?

Instead of helpful answers, what often follows is a harsh volley of sarcastic or cruel remarks, insults and abusive comments. Before you know it, the original question is drowned out by a thread of slurs, attacks and name-calling.

“I’ll be chatting on a Oaxaca group about something, and suddenly what I’ve said gets twisted out of context, or becomes an excuse for someone (maybe many people) to rant. Most often it’s folks who don’t live in Oaxaca, who may not even exist, who are roaming around the internet trying to rile people up. Actual real-life Oaxaca is a friendly city.”

That opinion comes from one of 150 people who answered a Mexico News Daily survey asking if they’d been the target of abusive comments or trolls; another 200 or so responded to posts I made on a dozen online Mexico expat pages. They shared their experiences, advice and perplexity as to why this happens so often.

To encourage more candid answers, respondents could answer anonymously.

internet trolling — With the internet’s cloak of anonymity, people can be emboldened online to behave in ways they wouldn’t necessarily in person. AlexanderPavolv/Shutterstock

Trolling has been a recognized (and unfortunate) part of online exchanges since the start of the internet. It’s not something that only occurs on expat pages, and we’re not talking about people complaining about life in Mexico.

Psychologists explain that trolling’s specific intent is to upset as many people as possible, challenging common-sense morality and social values. Trolls revel in triggering people and making them fight among themselves about what’s acceptable, harmful or funny, which often has nothing to do with the original post.

“People have gotten very defensive, demeaning and name-calling when I don’t agree with their opinion,” wrote one respondent. “There’s literally no question that won’t elicit an abusive response from someone. And that’s what it is: abusive. I feel like sh*t for days after getting trolled. It feels like it’s changing the nature of communication.”

It’s puzzling why our survey results showed that 89% of respondents said they had not experienced abusive comments or trolling even though almost everyone acknowledged it was a problem, claimed to see it regularly and/or gave advice about how to deal with it. Also, that 89% figure goes against international statistics and common knowledge.

However, in reading through the responses, it occurred to me that maybe it’s because most MND readers who contributed to this article are not spending much time online or are only members of one expat Facebook page that’s relevant to them.

Certainly, some said they have learned not to interact online anymore with fellow foreigners.

“The key to happiness in Mexico is avoiding other expats, especially those who pretend to know everything yet cannot speak any Spanish,” wrote a respondent. “Stay away from other gringos and you will be 200% happier.”

“Trolling” was first added to the Oxford English Dictionary in the early 1990s and its definition was updated in 2006 to: “to post a deliberately erroneous or antagonistic message on a newsgroup or forum with the intention of eliciting a hostile or corrective response.”

Psychology Today explains that it’s not just being aggressive.

“It’s also a specific attitude, in insulting and threatening someone online not because of a strong disagreement,” it wrote, “but with the precise aim of actively causing emotional harm and as much overreaction and self-righteousness in other people as possible.”

“I’ve had my meaning completely twisted,” wrote a respondent to our survey. “What often happens is, the longer commenting continues on a post, the farther off the rails it goes.”

Not surprisingly, our survey provoked a few unnecessarily negative remarks as to why trolling occurs. “Because they’re poorly moderated or are run by lefties too crazy to be allowed to remain in the States,” wrote one person.

Expat Exchange Mexico forum — In their ideal form, expat forums offer newcomers support, community and an invaluable source of information about life in Mexico. expatexchange.com

This elicited a quick retort from another respondent. “Speaking of poorly moderated … This is the exact kind of post [that] this survey was created to understand.”

A recent Psychology Today article pointed to a lack of eye contact online that allows people to “hide behind a cloak of anonymity” in a faceless crowd. Some people then feel emboldened to break social rules and act in ways they would never act in real life.

“I’m all for free speech, but free speech doesn’t grant a person the right to be rude and uncivilized,” wrote a respondent, adding that just because someone has different views doesn’t give you the right to denigrate them. “The unfortunate thing about the internet is it affords people a level of anonymity they don’t have when face-to-face. They can be as nasty and ugly as they are in real life but aren’t allowed to be in public without showing their true selves to the world for fear of being ostracized and shunned for their behavior.”

Many had the same opinion about who these trolls are and why they do what they do.

“There are people out there who are miserable and want to make others miserable too” was a common response.

Administrators of expat forums and Facebook pages had lots to say.

“A lot of them are seniors and just f*cking cranky,” responded Beverley Wood, co-author of the bestselling book, The Move to Mexico Bible.

After living in three cities in Mexico for a total of almost a decade, she’s noticed that “the gringos are grumpiest and troll-like more where there’s a concentration of them.”

Eric Streit, who moderates three Facebook pages based in Mazatlán, has a zero-tolerance policy for “negative people who say rude things.”

“When somebody reports a post — if it’s rude, if there’s name-calling, if it’s negative — I immediately delete the comment and block the rude person forever,” wrote Streit. “No second chances.”

“It’s a surprisingly small world on these expat forums,” he added. “There are instances where moderators of various forums compare notes and discuss a particularly jerky person. “Sometimes that person will be banned simultaneously from all the forums, leaving them with no place to complain — and no way to spread their negativity.”

Several folks explained why they can’t resist responding sarcastically.

internet anger — Find yourself dealing with a troll? Read below to learn some steps you can take to stop them or at least not be upset by them. Fizkes/Shutterstock

“Many of us are just fatigued by lazy newbies who keep asking questions without doing any research,” wrote one.

“There is nothing wrong with a saucy retort,” justified another anonymous respondent. “We’re all adults here. Presumably.”

Survival strategies abound. Some people on expat groups just ignore the trolls and naysayers; others have stopped posting online at all, often after particularly nasty exchanges. “As soon as I get the answer I need, I delete the question and lick my wounds,” wrote one respondent.

“Anytime a comment starts a negative conversation, I remove my original post,” wrote another.

“There are those who are in Mexico for financial reasons, and it’s not working for them. They’ll hijack a conversation quicker than anyone — they’re lonely, they’re unhappy, they’re trapped,” said one person.

“You just have to move on and not engage when comments become toxic,” advised another. “The juice sometimes isn’t worth the squeeze.”

Troll tactics: some advice

How do you handle trolls? Experts say the most important thing to remember when dealing with them is to understand what they’re trying to do: upset you. These tips may help you prevent that from happening:

Assume good faith. Before supposing the worst, try making a kind suggestion or response. Maybe someone is just having a bad day and didn’t realize how snarky their comment sounded.
Keep your sense of humor. You may be able to joke them out of their misbehavior.
Ignore them. A troll’s objective is to make people angry and hijack the conversation. Don’t “feed the troll” by responding to their comments. The sooner you extinguish the trolling, the better.
Report the troll to a forum or site administrator, moderator or owner. Treat the matter as what it is — someone testing your boundaries and waiting for you to bite.
Compliment the troll. This simple gesture may be enough to throw them off balance and get them to stop.
Use the “cool” tactic. When a troll posts, simply respond with the word “cool,” and continue the conversation you were having. Repeat as often as necessary.

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.

AMLO promised electrical reform changes to encourage investment: Kerry

By

MND Staff

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April 1, 2022

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kerry-climate — U.S. Special Envoy John Kerry spoke with reporters after his meeting with President López Obrador on Thursday.

President López Obrador insisted that he won’t make changes to his proposed electricity reform a day after a high-ranking United States official said he had committed to doing so.

U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said Thursday that López Obrador pledged to make changes to his constitutional bill in order to encourage investment and promote clean energy, but the president contradicted that assertion Friday morning, declaring that the bill would “stay as it is” because it already takes the United States’ concerns into account.

Speaking to the newspaper Reforma after meeting with López Obrador at the National Palace in Mexico City, Kerry said the president made it clear that he wants U.S. companies to be in a position to invest in Mexico’s energy sector.

He said López Obrador is eager to remove any obstacles in the constitutional bill that would hinder investment.

In its current form, the bill proposes guaranteeing 54% of the electricity market to the state-owned Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), leaving a share of just 46% to private and foreign companies.

The Thursday meeting included President López Obrador, U.S. Special Envoy John Kerry, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, U.S. industry leaders and Mexican energy officials. Twitter @lopezobrador_

Kerry didn’t say whether López Obrador was prepared to change that ratio, but the president’s remarks Friday made it clear that he wasn’t.

The bill, which requires support of two-thirds of lawmakers to become law, was sent to Congress last October but has not yet been put to a vote. Its approval requires the support of at least some opposition lawmakers as the ruling Morena party and its allies don’t have a two-thirds majority in either house of Congress.

The special envoy told Reforma that Mexico and the United States agreed to a range of environmental and investment principles at Thursday’s meeting, at which U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar, nine U.S. company chiefs, Mexican Energy Minister Rocío Nahle and the heads of the CFE and Pemex were also present.

Kerry said he hoped those principles would be included in the final wording of the proposed reform. He said that the bill in its current form violates the USMCA, the North American trade pact that superseded NAFTA in 2020.

The United States says the bill, if passed, would violate competition provisions in the free trade agreement. A law that contravenes the three-way agreement would provoke “a clear response” from Washington, Kerry said.

United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, among many other U.S. officials, has also raised concerns about Mexico’s energy sector policies. Tai told U.S. senators Thursday that her office is “looking at all available options under the USMCA to address” those concerns, “specifically with respect to the competitiveness of the North American energy market, as well as the competitiveness of Mexico’s own energy industry.”

Kerry, who also met with López Obrador in February and October, told Reforma that U.S. and Mexican officials agreed that they have to work together on the process of transformation toward the greater use of renewable energy. The two countries announced an agreement in February to create the U.S.-Mexico Climate and Clean Energy Working Group.

López Obrador renewed his commitment to work together with the United States and Canada to combat climate change, Kerry said. The former secretary of state and 2004 presidential candidate acknowledged that there are still issues that require work but pledged that Ambassador Salazar and other U.S. officials will collaborate with the Mexican government to ensure that the electricity reform empowers rather than restricts the clean energy transformation.

“We still have some concerns and we hope they can be dealt with in the coming days,” Kerry said.

He also said that López Obrador spoke about renewable energy and outlined his plan to modernize hydroelectric plants to make them more efficient. Kerry added that the president made it clear that solar and wind energy have a big future in Mexico.

Earlier on Thursday, the U.S. climate czar told reporters outside the National Palace that “the energy reform issue is on the table here in Mexico,” a claim that López Obrador dismissed on Friday.

“We put forward with our ambassador … ideas for how that reform can best reflect the possibilities of moving forward effectively. We agreed to have a team led by … [Ambassador] Salazar here in Mexico that will work with the White House and our office in order to try to make sure that whatever comes out of the reform effort will reflect the best ability to try to move forward,” Kerry said.

The president spoke about energy policy and the proposed reform at his Friday morning press conference, contradicting statements that Kerry had made the day before. Presidencia de la República

López Obrador said on Twitter that the meeting with Kerry was “friendly, necessary and beneficial,” but contradicted the U.S. official at his Friday morning press conference.

“[The bill] is staying as it is because it includes [provisions to address] what they’re worried about, the energy transition,” López Obrador said.

He also said that the U.S. company chiefs made no complaints about the proposed reform during a five-hour meeting at the National Palace, claiming that “they were very happy.”

The president told reporters that he rejected a United States proposal to have a U.S. group watch over the process of enacting his government’s electricity reform.

“They came to pull our ears, … to get us to accept the participation of a United States government group to review everything related with our bill; well, as is logical, we couldn’t accept that,” López Obrador said.

“… Perhaps they thought that this was going to be accepted, … that we were going to accept a group almost supervising our actions. That couldn’t be accepted. It’s as if I went to the United States and proposed to President Biden that he reduce the price of gasoline in the United States by decree. He would rightly say to me, ‘And why are you butting in?’”

López Obrador called on opposition lawmakers, especially those with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), to “rebel” and support the electricity bill.

“They should put themselves on the side of the people, be authentic representatives of the people. Putting themselves on the side of foreign companies would be a disgrace. They should remember what … [former president Lázaro] Cárdenas said – he who hands over the country’s natural resources to foreigners is a traitor to the homeland,” he said.

“How can the PRI act against the ideology of General Cárdenas?” the president asked.

Cárdenas nationalized Mexico’s oil industry in 1938 and it wasn’t until an energy reform took effect in 2014 that foreign and private companies were allowed to return.

“[Lawmakers] have the opportunity to defend the public interest, … if this reform isn’t approved, private companies, especially foreign ones, will continue prospering [at Mexico’s expense],” López Obrador said, before reaffirming the need to strengthen the CFE.

With reports from Reforma, Milenio and El Universal