Passenger numbers on Mexico City Cablebús line 78% more than expected

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June 21, 2022

Daily ridership on a public transit cable car line in the north of Mexico City is now 78% higher than anticipated, and passenger numbers are expected to continue to grow, according to the company that built it.

Up to 50,000 passengers per day are using Line 1 of the Cablebús, which connects Cuautepec, a working-class neighborhood in a hilly area of the Gustavo A. Madero borough, to the Indios Verdes Metro and bus station, located some nine kilometers away in the same borough. The line officially opened last July, although cable cars began operating on one section in March 2021.

The CEO of Doppelmayr México, the company that built the line, told the newspaper Milenio that daily ridership was predicted to be about 28,000.

“If we look at the feasibility study, [which was released] when the construction of the system was announced in 2019, it said that we were going to have approximately 28,000 passengers per day. In recent weeks, recent months … we’ve had an average of between 45,000 and 50,000 passengers per day – almost double what the study said,” Konstantinos Panagiotou said.

(The only feasibility study that Mexico News Daily was able to find predicted daily demand of 50,015 passengers. But another report stated that the city government’s tender documents also used the 28,000 daily riders figure.)

“We believe that [ridership] is going to increase,” he added. “The system is ready to reach 160,000 passengers per day, and we believe that we could have very big numbers very soon.”

One regular user is Carlos, who has lived in Cuautepec for the past nine years. He told Milenio that he prefers the Cablebús over other forms of public transit because passengers are not targeted by criminals.

“Cuautepec is a hot spot [for crime] in Mexico City and on public transport there is a lot of pickpocketing, … they take your wallet, your phone, whatever you have in your bag,” Carlos said, adding that robberies in which thieves demand that passengers hand over their belongings are also common on buses.

“Here [on the Cablebús] I feel safer, I travel with greater confidence and I can take my phone out with more peace of mind,” he said.

One downside is that cable car trips are not always as smooth as passengers would like. “The movement scares us a bit at times but it’s tolerable. Sometimes [the cable cars] feel very unstable, kind of like there are waves, there are people who get very scared, … they shout or begin to panic,” Carlos said.

Passengers have also complained about stoppages that leave them suspended in mid-air, but Panagiotou said they are “very short” and don’t present a safety risk.

“I understand that people are not used to being up high 45 meters from the ground … but the system is safe when it’s stopped, there’s no problem,” the Doppelmayr CEO said.

“… The stoppages we have are preventative stoppages – stoppages of one minute, a minute and a half, to check that everything is OK. … It’s not a [system] failure, it’s a preventative stoppage to continue maintaining passengers’ safety,” he said.

There have been no technical failures on Line 1 of the Cablebús since it opened, Panagiotou said. He also said that Doppelmayr – an Austrian manufacturer of ropeways and people movers – hopes to participate in the construction of Line 3, which will link the four different sections of Mexico City’s Chapultepec park. Construction is slated to commence in late 2023.

“Doppelmayr is a company that manufactures cable car systems so where there are cable car projects we’re always interested in participating, especially in Mexico City. … We’re waiting for the tendering process, … of course we’re interested in participating,” Panagiotou said. “… We believe that this line could work both for tourists [and residents] as public transit,” he added.

Line 2 of the Cablebús, which was built by Italian company Leitner Ropeways, opened in the eastern borough of Iztapalapa last August. The first cable car system to be established in the Valley of México metropolitan area was the Mexicable, which began operations in Ecatepec, México state, in 2016.

With reports from Milenio

17 US companies to invest in clean energy: AMLO

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MND Staff

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June 20, 2022

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President López Obrador addresses the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, on Friday. Twitter @SRE_mx

Seventeen United States energy companies have committed to invest in solar and wind projects in Mexico, President López Obrador said Friday.

In a virtual address to the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden, López Obrador presented 10 “actions” Mexico is “implementing in the fight against climate change.”

“… [Action] five – two weeks ago we held dialogue and [reached] agreements with 17 United States companies from the energy sector to guarantee investment earmarked to generate 1,854 megawatts of solar and wind energy,” he said.

“[Action] six – stemming from these agreements, the creation of solar parks on Mexico’s border with the United States, as well as the construction of energy transmission networks that allow electricity to be exported to California and other states of the United States, is being explored,” López Obrador said.

López Obrador said the US private investment would lead to the generation of nearly 2,000 megawatts of solar and wind energy.

The president didn’t say how much money the U.S. companies had committed to invest in Mexico, where the government he leads has been more hostile than welcoming to private renewable energy firms.

Among the other climate change-fighting actions cited by López Obrador were the modernization of 16 hydroelectric plants; Pemex’s investment of US $2 billion to reduce its methane gas emissions by up to 98%; the construction of a 1,000-megawatt solar farm in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora; and the planting of fruit and timber-yielding trees on 1 million hectares of land by means of the Sembrando Vida (Sowing Life) employment/reforestation program.

“[Action] 10 – we maintain the commitment to produce, by 2024 at the latest, 35% of all the energy we consume in the country from clean and renewable sources,” he said.

A National Action Party (PAN) deputy said he wasn’t convinced the 17 United States energy companies López Obrador spoke of will end up investing in Mexico because the president has a tendency to say yes to something only to say no later.

“Let’s see if they comply or not with the [clean] electricity commitments, because … [the government] has taken decisions before that are contrary to [the interests of] the country,” said Ignacio Loyola, a member of a congressional energy committee and a former governor of Querétaro.

“There have been contradictions in [energy] policy, … the position the country is in to generate electricity and sell it to the United States has been wasted, they’ve bet on fossil fuels when we should no longer do that. That’s why I won’t believe the president until I see what he has announced is a reality.”

Citizens Movement party Deputy Manuel Herrera said it is contradictory for López Obrador to be talking about welcoming U.S. energy companies to Mexico at the same time that the Energy Ministry is taking steps to force private companies to purchase gas from Pemex and the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE).

“The Energy Ministry agreement violates free competition, it’s … a blow to the private sector. … There’s no consistency between what is said and what is done. The president is going one way and his cabinet another, which affects the country’s image and the relationship with the United States,” he said.

The U.S. was a vocal critic of a constitutional bill that would have overhauled the electricity market to favor the state-owned CFE and thus limited the participation of private and foreign energy companies, but it failed to attract the two-thirds support it needed to pass the lower house of Congress.

With reports from AFP and Reforma

Ancient site of Kohunlich boasts visual feast of stucco masks and more

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Thilini Wijesinhe

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June 20, 2022

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Kohunlich, ancient Maya site in Mexico — One of Kohunlich's main attractions is its large stucco masks, which depict features of the Maya sun god Kinich Ahau.

Kohunlich may not be as famous as the Yucatán Peninsula’s more well-known archaeological sites, but it is nevertheless a must-see! The display of stucco masks on one of its temples alone will mesmerize you.

You can combine a trip to Kohunlich, located around 68 kilometers from Chetumal, with visits to the archaeological sites Dzibanché and Oxtankah. We visited these sites from Bacalar.

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) says Kohunlich is derived from a former English name for the site, “Cohoon Ridge,” meaning “hill of corozos,” referring to a type of palm tree. According to INAH, the site’s earliest occupation dates to around 500–300 B.C., and its development occurred during A.D. 600–900. It was eventually abandoned sometime during the 12th or 13th century.

Archaeologist Raymond Merwin first reported finding the site in 1912, and one of the plazas is named after him, but INAH says excavations didn’t begin until the late 1960s. At that time, burials and offerings were also discovered.

Kohunlich site, Temple of the Masks — The Temple of the Masks is easily recognized by its thatched roof.

The masks, which bear features of the Maya sun god, are probably its biggest attraction, but there are many buildings in various architectual styles here, so expect to spend a few hours visiting — and don’t forget to enjoy the site’s natural beauty, greenery and wildlife.

Once you enter the site, you will see its largest building, called the Acrópolis. It has a notable stairway towards the west. Among other purposes, it is thought to have served as an elite residence.

Make time to see the rooms of the Acropolis’ upper courtyard: some rooms feature platforms that look like resting spaces; they offer beautiful views of the site. Toward the Acrópolis’ southwest is an annex that was a housing complex. It features interesting graffiti in one of the rooms.

The Palace structure, also considered an elite residence, is definitely worth seeing, as is the nearby residential complex, which researchers speculate belonged to important artisans who produced primarily shell-based products.

South of the Acrópolis is a large plaza called the Stelae Plaza, where civic and ceremonial events are believed to have taken place. This is the heart of the site. East of this plaza is the Building of the Stelae, with three stelae – carved stone slabs – on its stairs. West of the plaza is a large building called The King, with ruins of a temple on top. The rear of this building, towards the entrance to the site, is also worth seeing.

South of the Stelae Plaza is the Grandstand, which looks like an ancient version of a present-day grandstand. It has a long platform with a large central stairway. It’s easy to imagine the ancient Maya viewing events in the plaza from these steps.

Next to the Stelae Plaza is Plaza Merwin, named after the archaeologist who first reported finding the site. This plaza is thought to have held smaller ceremonies. A notable structure here is the Building of the Eleven Doors, built on a platform featuring eleven doorway-like apertures.

East of Plaza Merwin is the ball court where the ancient residents played their ball game, which is thought to represent the revolving cycles of life and death.

Maya site Kohunlich, the Acropolis structure — Researchers think this structure, known as the Acrópolis, was used by the ancient Maya as elite residences.

The jewel of this site is its famous Temple of the Masks, a pyramid structure with a temple on top. This building has a thatched roof, so you can easily keep an eye out for it. There are five well-preserved masks here, but INAH says there were once eight.

The magnificent stucco masks sit on either side of the building’s stairway. They have fascinating features, including nose rings, as well as the remains of original paint. According to INAH, these masks depict real characters with features of the sun god Kinich Ahau. You will not tire of admiring these spectacular ancient creations, allowing you to visualize what a beautifully decorated city it must have been.

The site has more residential buildings worth visiting. Near Plaza Merwin, you’ll find the Pixa’an Complex, which may have been elite residences. But perhaps the more interesting residential structure is the one located towards the south of the site, called “The 27 Steps,” named after its stairway. It is also speculated to have housed elite members of Kohunlich. You can take the stairs to the top, but be sure to climb with care.

In addition to many more structures to see on the site, Kohunlich also allows you to see signs of the water system that the ancient residents built to utilize rainwater. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for birds and other interesting wildlife — like howler monkeys.

Finally, if you’re a big fan of visiting Mexico’s ancient ruins, take advantage of Kohunlich’s convenient location near another fascinating Maya city — Dzibanché, which is only a 45-minute drive away.

Thilini Wijesinhe, a financial professional turned writer and entrepreneur, moved to Mexico in 2019 from Australia. She writes from Mérida, Yucatán. Her website can be found at https://momentsing.com/

Long-awaited Oaxaca highway at 80% completion

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MND Staff

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June 20, 2022

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Oaxaca Governor Alejandro Murat speaks with a highway construction supervisor. Twitter @alejandromurat

A highway in Oaxaca that will slash travel times between Oaxaca city and southern state’s Pacific coast is nearing completion after 20 years of delays and failed attempts.

Governor Alejandro Murat said the 102.4 kilometer Oaxaca-Barranca Larga-Ventanilla highway was 80.2% finished and that work was continuing between Barranca Larga and Ventanilla. Once in operation, the highway is set to link the state capital to the popular tourist destination of Puerto Escondido, cutting travel times from six to 2 1/2 hours.

The two lane highway will have a hard shoulder, 10 bridges, three tunnels, two toll booths, nine exit roads and a viaduct.

Murat, who was supervising construction, said that four sections were still being worked on: one section is at 94.6% completion and another is at 87.7%. However, Murat added two other sections remain further from completion, at 67.8% and 64.6%. In April 2021, Murat predicted the highway would be completed on March 21 of this year.

San Sebastián tunnel, part of the Ventanilla-Barranca Larga highway. Twitter @alejandromurat

Murat said that work and conciliation groups would be set up with communities negatively impacted by the construction to “search for a solution to their social and infrastructural demands.”

Land disputes have marred progress on the highway: there have been deadly flare ups between the communities of Sola de Vega and San Vicente Coatlán over a long running dispute, which the newspaper Reforma previously reported has taken more than 50 lives over about 60 years.

The highway crosses the municipalities of Ejutla de Crespo, Yogana, San Vicente Coatlán, Miahuatlán, San Pablo Coatlán, San Sebastián Coatlán and Santa María Colotepec.

On his tour of the highway, Murat supervised construction of a bridge in Colotepec and the San Sebastián tunnel, on Section II of the highway.

The government will be looking forward to the once unlikely completion of the highway. The 20-year-old project has seen presidents come and go: Vicente Fox, Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto all failed to fulfill their promises to complete it.

With reports from El Universal

Demand for gold jewelry in US is good news for Mexican artisans

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MND Staff

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June 20, 2022

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Just over 15% of Mexico's gold exports in 2021 went to the United States.

Mexican jewelers have a great opportunity to capitalize on growing demand for gold jewelry in the United States, according to the head of one industry association.

Gold jewelry sales in the United States increased 26.1% last year to a record 149.1 tonnes, World Gold Council data shows. U.S. sales in the first quarter of this year totaled 26.4 tonnes, almost matching the record set in the same period of 2021.

The president of the Jalisco Jewelry Chamber told the newspaper Milenio that the increasing demand is good news for Mexican jewelers because the United States is their largest export market.

“Throughout history, the United States has always been our main client, especially for gold and silver jewelry and for the very specialized jewelry that is cowboy jewelry,” Álvaro Azpeitia Covarrubias said.

“This sells a lot, especially in the states near Texas. However, we’re aware that the … [demand for] jewelry, especially gold jewelry, is growing and that gives us the opportunity to attack,” he said.

Economy Ministry data shows that 15.3% of Mexico’s gold exports in 2021 went to the United States, but the figure will likely increase this year due to the high demand for jewelry north of the border. Jewelry sales generate tens of billions of dollars in revenue annually in the United States, but what share Mexico has of that market is unclear.

Azpeitia said that Mexican jewelers’ production and sales are expected to increase 4% in 2022 compared to 2019 due to greater demand abroad.

One way in which Mexican jewelers have sought to increase their sales in the U.S. is by attending the JCK Show – North America’s largest jewelry trade event – which took place in Las Vegas earlier this month. Another way is through use of the Jalisco Jewelry Chamber’s Capital Joya platform, described as a “business to business technological tool that connects potential specialized buyers with the most representative jewelry companies in the jewelry sector in Mexico.”

Jewelry trade shows like JCK in Las Vegas are an important driver of sales, Azpeitia said. JCK

Azpeitia said that most of the 25 jewelry companies with a presence on the site – which was launched last year – are very small or small businesses. Fifteen thousand buyers have used the platform, of which 10% were foreign, he said. The Mexican jewelry sector’s use of technology allows it to be more competitive with gold exporters from other countries, Azpeitia said.

Tapping into the U.S. market for gold jewelry is appealing to Mexican jewelers given that it is much larger than that at home. Mexico’s market was less than one tenth the size of that in the U.S. last year with demand for gold jewelry totaling 12.8 tonnes. Sales increased compared to 2020, but remained 23% below 2019 levels.

Azpeitia said that the loosening of coronavirus restrictions aided the partial recovery because the industry depends on weddings, 15th birthday parties, christenings and other celebrations for part of its revenue. In an August 2021 interview with Mexico Business News, the Jewelry Chamber chief said that jewelry trade shows are also an important driver of sales.

“At the Chamber of Jewelry, we are resuming the exhibitions that were put on hold for more than a year because of the pandemic. These events are very important for us because they generate up to 70% of our members’ annual sales,” Azpeitia said.

He noted that 70% of Mexican jewelry is made in Jalisco and described the state as “a national leader in the production and marketing of jewelry, accounting for up to 70,000 jobs in the sector.”

“…We believe that Jalisco is the national benchmark in this sector,” Azpeitia added. “In Guadalajara alone, we have 15 jewelry centers with 1,500 points of sale.”

With reports from Milenio

AMLO rejects charges of criminal ties; calls them inventions by the opposition

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MND Staff

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June 20, 2022

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'They're not the same,' said president of former security minister García and current minister Rodríguez, implying corruption by the former although he has not been convicted of a crime.

President López Obrador on Monday rejected claims that he has links to organized crime, asserting that his government – unlike its predecessors – doesn’t allow officials to collude with criminals.

Investigative journalist Anabel Hernández and veteran politician Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, among others, have recently claimed that López Obrador and the ruling Morena party are in cahoots with organized crime. The president on Monday didn’t specifically refer to those claims but rather to an unspecified study that linked him to organized crime.

“I was looking at a study the other day … [that said] I had links to organized crime,” he told reporters at his morning press conference. “They can’t prove anything because we have principles, we have ideals and what I consider most important in my life is honesty,” López Obrador said.

He recycled one of his favorite analogies, comparing the process of eliminating government corruption to sweeping a staircase from top to bottom. “And we’re making progress bit by bit, but we still have two years and two or three months left [in government], so we’re going to continue cleaning,” López Obrador said.

Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez, who presented a security report at Monday’s press conference, is not the same as Genaro García Luna, he said, referring to former president Felipe Calderón’s allegedly corrupt security minister, who is awaiting trial in the United States.

“The important thing is that collusion is not allowed, authority mustn’t associate with crime, the line has to be well marked, authority is one thing, [organized] crime is another,” López Obrador said. The president subsequently claimed that his adversaries make up claims that there is collusion between his government and organized crime “to attack us.”

He also said that social media users and the “experts of conservatism, the [opposition party] spokespeople” parroted the claim in the study linking him to organized crime. “… It’s possible that this is managed from abroad,” AMLO added.

The president has previously claimed that Mexico was a narco-state during the administration of Calderón, who was in office from 2006 to 2012.

Former Michoacán governor Silvano Aureoles made a similar claim about Morena after the ruling party won elections in several Pacific coast states last year.

“What a coincidence that they won big in … the Pacific corridor. Who let them?” he said in an interview with the Financial Times last July. “It’s terribly dangerous that Morena is becoming a narco party and the president is looking the other way when the most important issue for people is security. … Morena has become the instrument of organized crime,” Aureoles said.

Mexico News Daily

Post-COVID recovery eludes 28 of Mexico’s 54 airports

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MND Staff

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June 20, 2022

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Aeromexico airlines plane — Stats from four regions of Mexico and the government-owned corporation Airports and Auxiliary Services show some airports struggling to recoup traffic numbers.

Though it might seem like air travel is getting back to normal, more than half of Mexico’s 54 major airports had lower passenger traffic between January and May of this year than they did for the same time period in 2019.

Among the 28 airports that have not returned to pre-pandemic levels are Mexico City’s Benito Juárez Airport (AICM), Guadalajara, Monterrey, Acapulco, Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa, Manzanillo, Mérida and Cozumel. (Benito Juárez is CDMX’s old airport, as opposed to the new one, Felipe Ángeles International Airport.)

However, some airports have taken an upward turn. Tijuana was the first to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, followed by Cancún, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta and Huatulco — with some of those even setting new all-time highs for passenger flow.

The figures come from airport operators in four regions of Mexico (the southwest, the central-north, the Pacific and Mexico City) and from the government-owned corporation Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA).

Passengers disembarking a Viva Aerobus plane in Mexico — The collapse of Interjet in 2020 gave Volaris, Aeroméxico and VivaAerobús airlines more passengers, but for airports. it’s represented a loss due to some Interjet routes disappearing.

While an uptick in tourism has helped figures rebound in some areas, “some airports are not driven by the recovery of leisure travel,” said Alejandra Marcos, aviation analyst at Intercam. “Not all airports depend on tourism.”

For example, she said, the Monterrey International Airport relies heavily on business travel. “It depended 50% on business travelers, but all those executive meetings were solved with digital platforms,” she said.

The airports that haven’t rebounded are mostly small or medium-sized, and they’ve been negatively impacted by the airlines’ decision to terminate some routes during the pandemic.

Marcos said the airlines in general have refocused their efforts on “airports with the highest demand, such as those in Tijuana, Cancún and Los Cabos. So we see an uneven recovery.”

Despite all of that, Mexican airlines Volaris, Aeroméxico and VivaAerobús are flying more travelers than before the pandemic, according to Jonathan Félix, an aviation sector analyst at Verum. However, he added, this is because Interjet ceased operations in 2020. “The market was divided between three instead of four,” he said.

Félix said while business travel is down, pleasure travel is on the way back and will only get better during the summer months. Analysts expect that during the next quarter, some lagging airports will exceed pre-pandemic passenger traffic, but there won’t be a full recovery until 2023, El Universal reported.

“They are on the right path,” Félix said. “It is a very resilient sector, despite going through the worst crisis in the history of aviation.”

The list of 28 lagging airports includes Chihuahua, Culiacán, Tampico, Torreón, Veracruz, Villahermosa and Manzanillo, in part because their routes have not been fully replaced since the departure of Interjet.

Guadalajara International Airport received 32,000 fewer passengers between January and May of this year compared to the same period in 2019.

Mérida’s spot on the unenviable list might be surprising to some, given its location near Cancún and other tourist spots. However, the Mérida International Airport depends more on business travel than leisure travel, Félix said.

With reports from El Universal

Newborn suffers injury after cell phones illuminated cesarean during power outage

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MND Staff

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June 20, 2022

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After the error, the baby received medical attention at a different hospital. — After the incident, the baby received medical attention at a different hospital. DepositPhotos

The family of a baby boy fear he could lose his hearing in one ear after it was badly cut during a cesarean section performed at a private hospital under the dim light of cell phones during a power outage in Baja California earlier this month.

Karla Araceli Urizandi Martínez, 19, gave birth to Julián Adriel in the Clinica Internacional de Especialidades (CIE) in Mexicali on June 6. A medical team performed the C-section under the glow of cell phones after the lights went out in the hospital, which didn’t make use of any alternative power source.

According to a Reforma newspaper report, Urizandi’s operation was originally scheduled to commence at 11 a.m. but she wasn’t anesthetized until 12:40 p.m. The power outage began at 12:48 p.m. but the doctor, David Santoyo Alanís, reportedly decided to proceed with the cesarean against the expectant mother’s wishes because she had already been anesthetized.

“I don’t want to be operated on [in the dark], I don’t want to die,” Urizandi told Santoyo, according to Reforma. The doctor subsequently informed her husband that the hospital had its own source of power and that the operating room where the C-section was to take place was illuminated, a claim Reforma described as a lie.

The cesarean was illuminated by the light of cell phones. Twitter @fdiaz2050

The medical team led by Santoyo proceeded with the operation and due to a lack of light, cut the baby’s left ear as well as part of an infantile hemangioma, commonly known as a strawberry mark.

Sonia Martínez Andrade, Urizandi’s mother, told Reforma last week that her grandson was receiving medical treatment at another hospital. Testing will determine whether his sense of hearing has been affected. The whole left side of his head swelled up due to the injury he sustained.

Martínez accused the medical team of negligence, and told Reforma that Santoyo hasn’t accepted responsibility for cutting the baby’s ear. “He told my son-in-law, ‘They cut his ear, it wasn’t me,’” she said.

Martínez also said the doctor left the operating room before her daughter’s abdomen had been sown up. A different doctor tried to reconstruct the baby’s ear, she added.

Urizandi’s family filed a complaint with the Baja California Attorney General’s Office, but no action has yet been taken against members of the medical team or the hospital. The CIE has operated in Mexicali for almost 30 years, having been established in 1993.

While Santoyo and other members of the team that performed the C-section could be sanctioned for medical negligence, the hospital could face consequences – including a large fine and a temporary or permanent closure – for failing to meet minimum infrastructure requirements. Hospitals are required to have alternative sources of power, and to use them in case of a power outage.

With reports from Reforma and El Imparcial

Homicides spiked to 2,833 in May but they were down compared to last year

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MND Staff

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June 20, 2022

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May was the most violent month so far in 2022 with over 2,800 homicides.

Statistics presented by Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez Monday showed that there were 2,833 homicides last month, a 6.8% increase compared to March, which had been the most violent month of the year with 2,653 homicides.

Murders last month increased 10.9% compared to April, although that month had one less day. Compared to May last year, homicides declined by 5.5%.

Rodríguez noted that last month was the least violent May in five years. She also observed that murders declined 7.8% compared to the most violent month on record – July 2018 – when 3,074 homicides were recorded.

murder scene in Mexico — According to federal statistics, 48% of the 12,737 homicides in the first five months of 2022 occurred in just six states.

“We continue to work with a lot of coordination and strategy to control organized crime,” the security minister told President López Obrador’s morning news conference.

Rodríguez also presented data that showed there were 12,737 homicides in the first five months of the year for an average of 84 per day. The graph showed that homicides were down 10.8% compared to the same period of 2021, 13.2% lower than in the first five months of 2020 and 10.4% below the number recorded in the January through May period of 2019.

Another graph showed that 48% of the 12,737 homicides in the first five months of the year occurred in just six states. Guanajuato was the most violent state in the period with 1,292 homicides followed by Michoacán with 1,204; México state with 1,067; Baja California with 1,039; Jalisco with 816; and Sonora with 732.

Yucatán was the least violent state with just 18 homicides between January and May, while Aguascalientes recorded 22 and Campeche registered 31. Of the 32 federal entities, Mexico City was the 16th most violent with 304 homicides.

Guanajuato, which has been Mexico’s most violent state in recent years, recorded a 31.7% increase in homicides between April and May, with the total number of victims rising from 227 to 299. Among the violent incidents in May was an attack on a Celaya hotel and two adjoining bars that claimed 10 lives. Among the criminal groups that operate in Guanajuato are the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, the latter of which began as a fuel theft gang before diversifying into other crimes.

Rodríguez also presented data for a range of other crimes. Among those that declined in the first five months of the year compared to the same period last year were drug trafficking, tax crimes, femicide, assault, home burglaries and vehicle theft. Among those that increased were firearms offenses and extortion – a crime that particularly affects business owners.

Mexico News Daily

13 die in transit vehicle crash on Mexico City-Querétaro highway

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MND Staff

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June 20, 2022

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Minibus crash on Mexico City-Queretaro highway — The accident happened in the Polotitlán municipality in México state on Saturday morning.

Thirteen people died and eight more were injured, including at least one minor, on the Mexico City-Querétaro highway on Saturday morning when a transit vehicle crashed into a tree and rolled over, the federal highways agency Capufe and municipal police said.

The minibus veered off the highway near the community of El Ruano in Polotitlán municipality in México state, 160 kilometers north of Toluca. One report said the passengers were on a pilgrimage from Texcoco, México state, to Celaya, Guanajuato.

Some of the passengers were found lying on the road after they were thrown from the vehicle on impact.

At least eight people, two of whom were gravely injured, were taken to the San Juan del Río General Hospital in Querétaro. There was one 16-year-old girl among the injured, but the identities of the two badly wounded people were not confirmed. At least one of the 13 fatalities died in hospital.

The authorities investigating the incident have not ruled out that the driver could have been speeding before the crash.

With reports from El Universal, Aristegui Noticias and NTV Noticias