Damage in downtown Uruapan, Michoacán. Civil Protection Michoacán
Two deaths were reported in Mexico City after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake occurred just after 1 a.m. Thursday, the largest aftershock of Monday’s powerful temblor.
The National Seismological Service (SSN) said the quake occurred at 1:16 a.m. and had an epicenter 84 kilometers south of Coalcomán, Michoacán. By 4 a.m. Thursday, there had been 1,295 aftershocks of the 7.7 magnitude quake that rocked central Mexico on Monday, the SSN said.
The Mexico City Security Ministry said that a woman died shortly after the earthquake alarm was activated when she fell on stairs in her home and hit her head. A man died of a heart attack after the quake struck.
President López Obrador told his regular press conference Thursday morning that there were no reports of major damage or deaths beyond those that occurred in the capital.
Hablé con el general Luis Cresencio Sandoval, secretario de la Defensa Nacional y hasta ahora sin novedad; se está recabando información. pic.twitter.com/CqBBZjwHpY
President Lopez Obrador conferring this morning by phone with Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval.
National Civil Protection authorities said that the quake was felt in 12 federal entities: Jalisco, Zacatecas, Guerrero, Colima, Michoacán, Guanajuato, México state, Mexico City, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla and Tlaxcala.
Power went out in parts of Mexico City and neighboring México state, but the Federal Electricity Commission reported just after 8 a.m. that service had been re-established.
Mexico City’s earthquake alarm roused slumbering chilangos, as residents of the capital are known, causing many to jump out of bed and evacuate their homes. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said on Twitter that 98% of the loudspeakers that amplify the alarm functioned correctly.
Earthquake lights – a luminous phenomenon that appears in the sky after seismic activity – were visible in Mexico City. The Twitter account Webcams de México and numerous social media users posted footage of the blue lights that appeared to radiate upwards.
From left to right: German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, his wife Elke Büdenbender with President López Obrador and his wife, Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller.
Trade, human rights and the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) were among the topics discussed at a meeting between President López Obrador and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Mexico City on Tuesday.
President Steinmeier, Germany’s head of state and a former vice-chancellor of that country, is in Mexico with his wife for a three-day state visit.
López Obrador said on social media that his meeting with the German president, his wife Elke Büdenbender and representatives from the German public and private sector was “very important.”
“We discussed issues of economy, trade, human rights, justice and peace,” he wrote.
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany in discussions with President López Obrador.
His tweet came hours after he described Germany as an “important partner” and longstanding investor in Mexico during remarks at his regular morning press conference.
The meeting between the two heads of state came after a formal welcoming ceremony at the National Palace, the seat of executive power and López Obrador’s residence. Steinmeier, whose role is more ceremonial than political, was scheduled to visit Mexico over two years ago, but his trip was postponed due to the pandemic. His visit is the first to Mexico by a German president since 2011.
After meeting with López Obrador, Steinmeier told reporters that “the Mexican president offered to step up cooperation on liquid gas,” but didn’t offer additional details.
Germany and other European countries currently face a LNG supply squeeze as Russia has progressively cut off access to the fuel via pipeline. LNG can be transported in tanker ships, but Mexico doesn’t currently export the gas commercially, the news agency Reuters reported. It was unclear whether Mexico planned to begin shipping LNG to Germany, although Steinmeier seemed to suggest that it would.
In addition to meeting with López Obrador, the German president addressed Mexico’s Senate, where he noted that his trip to Mexico had been postponed and acknowledged that the world has changed due to the pandemic.
“… For decades, our countries have stood side by side in both the political and the economic context,” he said. “Our economic relations are strong and close: over 2,100 German companies operate in Mexico, employing some 300,000 people, and I am pleased that many of them are trainees, learning and working in the dual vocational training system,” Steinmeier said.
“There are just under 470 cooperation partnerships between higher education institutions in Mexico and Germany,” he added. “And German companies, too, value the great potential demonstrated by this country, by its young people, in research and development. Our two countries share close ties – 70 years of diplomatic relations speak for themselves – and Mexico is an important, highly valued partner for us.”
Steinmeier also addressed Mexico’s senate on Tuesday.
“The aim must be to keep this partnership fit for the future,” Steinmeier said. “And so it would be very gratifying if the modernized [free trade] Global Agreement between Mexico and the European Union could be concluded soon.”
A new trade agreement between Mexico and the EU was reached in 2018, but it hasn’t yet been ratified by lawmakers.
Continuing his address, Steinmeier condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and declared that “the democratic world,” including Mexico, must stand together in opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s “brutal violation of the rules.”
“If we, Germans and Mexicans, are to emerge stronger from this conflict, if the democratic world is to emerge stronger from this conflict, then we must maintain a common line,” he said. “We must be united in our response to an aggressor who is trying to replace the strength of the law with the law of the strong.”
Steinmeier also spoke about environmental issues, including climate change and declared that the world is grateful that Mexico is “a pioneer in seeking an international biodiversity agenda for the UN.”
“We are grateful that you are protecting your country’s vast treasures for the benefit of the whole of humanity,” he said, although Mexico’s government has faced criticism for its alleged lack of concern for the environment and global warming.
“In doing so, you are, in fact, protecting the livelihoods of all people, whether they live in Mexico City or Berlin, Islamabad, Kyiv or Moscow. I firmly believe that if we work together, we can slow down climate change with its repercussions,” the German president said.
Steinmeier also said that Germany wants an enhanced partnership with Mexico, declaring that “we want to expand our social, political and, not least, economic ties.”
“That is why I am here – and that is why I thank you for the honor of addressing the Senate,” Steinmeier said.
For his part, Senate President Alejandro Armenta Mier highlighted that two-way trade between Mexico and Germany was worth almost US $25 billion last year. He also said that Mexican lawmakers are working through the ratification process of the new free trade deal with the EU with a view to approving the agreement and thus contributing to “the strengthening of the ties” between Mexico and Germany.
Aleksander Tokarz creating plans for reconstruction after the 2017 earthquake. Photos: Aleksander Tokarz
Who really could blame those who decided to leave Mexico after S19 (more commonly known to expats as the earthquake of 2017) destroyed their basic sense of safety? But not only did many foreigners decide Mexico was worth it, some found in it a reason to let Mexico change them for the better.
This is the story of one of those people.
Polish architect Aleksander Tokarz’s Mexico story is a bit unique. He and his mother migrated to the United States when he was eight, shortly after the end of the Cold War. He spent the next 15 years of his life there, growing up and then getting a degree in architecture at the California College of the Arts.
The 2008 financial crisis made him return to Europe, where, as a Polish citizen, he had the right to work. He developed his career and got a master’s degree over five years.
Volunteers learning to build for a housing project in México state after the earthquake.
Returning to the New York area, he found out the hard way that he had lost his permanent residency in the U.S. Uncle Sam told him to leave or be deported.
Tokarz decided not to return to western Europe because, well, life can be difficult for Polish people there. Almost like throwing a dart onto a map, he saw that Mexico City was the largest metropolis in Latin America and close to his family in the U.S., so he went.
Once there, he simply knocked on the doors of architectural firms. His confidence paid off, and he landed a job in 2015 with one of the firms frantically trying to save the Texcoco-based Mexico City airport project.
Candidate and then incoming president Andrés Manuel López Obrador was threatening to cancel it; the firm’s strategy was to have it so far completed by the time he took office that he would not dare.
That strategy did not work.
What it did do was create an extremely high-pressure work environment, affecting Tokarz’s mental and physical health.
The quakes of September 2017 were like a one-two punch. The first on September 7 rocked and damaged his 12th-floor apartment in the Roma neighborhood. Then, on September 19, he and his coworkers were told to keep working when the city did its annual earthquake drill at 11 a.m. But two hours later everyone spilled out into the street among falling windows and facades on Reforma avenue.
Tokarz ran to his apartment, only two blocks away, to find that his building, already damaged before, was far worse. He was able to stay in the building, but without water, electricity or elevator.
Tepalcingo chapel, the project that changed Tokarz’s life.
The architect had reached his limit.
“I finally cracked; I quit. After two years of intense work, I stepped away from the project and left the office. I needed this time to reflect about who I was, how I was going to get healthy again…” he said.
Such a process for him did not mean leaving architecture. Instead, he found his skills in desperate need since so many suddenly needed to rebuild.
Tokarz was impressed by the outpouring of support among neighbors, foreign residents and international organizations but found that it was too focused on Mexico City when communities in Puebla, Morelos and even México state had been devastated.
He was not the only one to notice. Calls appeared on expat groups in Facebook, looking for volunteers to go out to these areas. This is how Tokarz became involved in the nearly leveled small town of Tepalcingo in southern Morelos, whose 400-year-old church lay in ruins.
Although there was a dire need for housing, residents decided that the first priority was an alternative to the church in order to provide a focus for the community and long-term relief efforts; rebuilding the old church to historical specifications would take too long.
Tokarz’s role here was obvious.
“I arrived and was able to sketch out an idea right then and there.” The new church was built in six months with volunteer labor, donated land and donated materials.
A “Chicken Itza” coop inspired by the Mexican pyramid built with donated wood for Huerto Roma in Mexico City. Huerta Roma
Although there were many requests to do the same in other communities, Tokarz decided that his efforts were most effective when joining with other organizations, especially those creating temporary shelters.
But the church project was both a personal and professional shift for Tokarz. He was no longer interested in megaprojects done by massive corporations. He needed to be hands-on and dealing with the people who would benefit from his work, not just stare at a computer screen all day.
And although he was working just as hard as before, he found his health issues diminishing and energy returning.
The result was a changed portfolio and the founding of Archiguru, an architectural firm that does both non- and for-profit building. His first clients were the owners of the Pinche Gringo BBQ chain, who were impressed with his post-earthquake projects and work ethic. Since 2018, Tokarz has been helping them convert an old factory to a restaurant and corporate offices in the rapidly gentrifying Anahuac I neighborhood.
Tokarz says he has no desire to return to corporate architecture. The 2017 earthquake made him reevaluate his priorities.
He has several “normal” projects, such as a new apartment building in Roma, but it is his community-minded projects that make him stand out. Much of this work has been with Huerto Roma Verde, a community garden project in Colonia Roma. Tokarz has built several structures on their land in Mexico City and is the project manager for their new, ambitious 2.5-hectare facility in Cuernavaca.
He has no desire to return to corporate architecture. The earthquake made him reevaluate his priorities and find a balance in both life and work that is far healthier than what he had before.
He still lives and rents in quake-prone Roma because that is where most of his clients are, but he has become something of an expert in evaluating buildings that have sustained earthquake damage.
Unfortunately, he says, there are many occupied buildings, even in upscale neighborhoods, that have not been properly repaired.
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.
El Popo blowing off some steam at around 7 a.m. this morning. Photos: Webcams de México
It’s been a busy week for Mexico’s agency in charge of civil protection: first there was Monday’s 7.7. earthquake, which was felt in several states, and now the federal authority is exhorting people to stay away from Popocatépetl, a volcano in central Mexico where at least two minor eruptions occurred early Wednesday morning.
The eruptions with low ash content were reported by the National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) in two tweets that included videos showing columns of smoke estimated to be 800 meters high and blowing in a southwest direction.
The first eruption occurred at 4:48 a.m. and the second at 7:17 a.m. CNPC said the volcanic alert traffic light is on yellow, which is phase two. The National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred) also issued warnings to not approach the volcano, which is located in the states of Puebla, Morelos and México.
Falling ash from Popocatépetl was reported shortly after the center of the country was shaken on Monday by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake centered in Coalcomán, Michoacán.
— Coordinación Nacional de Protección Civil (@CNPC_MX) September 21, 2022
Live-action footage of the Popocatépetl volcano this morning shown on Webcams de México.
At 4:20 a.m. the next morning, the volcano emitted an exhalation with low ash content and a plume of smoke estimated to be 1,200 meters. Later that day, there were minor eruptions at 7:39 p.m. and 7:42 p.m.
Cenapred noted that Popocatépetl’s monitoring systems detected 45 exhalations that were accompanied by water vapor, volcanic gases and light amounts of ash in a 24-hour period that started at 10 a.m. Monday (shortly before the earthquake). Additionally, eight minutes of high-frequency tremors were recorded.
Geophysicist Carlos Valdés, former director of Cenapred, said that “if the volcano is in a more or less uneasy situation, an earthquake can modify its behavior and increase activity.”
However, it has not been determined one way or the other if the Coalcomán earthquake had any effect on Popocatépetl or the Colima Volcano,which are both active and periodically exhale ash (and are both in or near the earthquake zone).
Not to be outdone, Jalisco’s Colima Volcano, which may have been affected by Monday’s earthquake, showed off its might. Mexico’s most active volcano, it’s currently in a passive degassing period.
Any earthquake-volcano effect will only be observable as the days go on, Valdés stressed. “It has been seen in other volcanoes in the world, and also in Popocatépetl,” he added.
After the earthquake, and a 5.3 aftershock in Colima, the National Meteorological Service did issue a special warning due to the activity of the Colima Volcano, which was in the stage of passive degassing.
Additionally, about four hours after the earthquake, Mexico City’s office of Comprehensive Risk Management and Civil Protection (SGIRPC) activated the volcanic alert traffic light (yellow) and announced that ash might fall in any area of Mexico City. Popocatépetl is 70 kilometers (43 miles) southeast of Mexico City and can be seen from the capital depending on atmospheric conditions.
People were asked to stay informed through official channels, cover their noses and mouths with a handkerchief or wear a face mask, clean their eyes and throat with pure water and use eyeglasses rather than contact lenses to reduce eye irritation.
Similarly, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) recommended that people refrain from outdoor activities, keep pets from moving too much and sweep and remove ash from roofs, terraces and streets.
Popocatépetl — known colloquially as “El Popo” and “Don Goyo” — stands at 5,426 meters (17,802 feet), making it the fifth highest peak in North America and the second highest in Mexico behind Citlaltépetl (aka “Pico de Orizaba”) at 5,636 meters (18,491 feet). The Colima Volcano is the 14th tallest peak in Mexico, standing at 3,830 meters (12,566 feet).
Meet Travis Bembenek, the new CEO of Mexico News Daily
Mexico News Daily…..the next chapter begins!
I want to start by thanking our readers for the support that you have given us over these past 8 years. I am very excited to be taking the baton of Mexico News Daily from its founder, Tony Richards, and leading the next laps of our journey. I would like to share with you a little bit about me, the motivation behind the acquisition, and the vision we have going forward.
My first connection with Mexico came during my junior year of college in January of 1996. The NAFTA Free Trade Agreement had been recently signed and there was great enthusiasm in the media about the business opportunities between the US, Canada, and Mexico. I thought that learning about Mexico and learning Spanish in Mexico would be a great complement to a business degree and spent a semester in Guadalajara. From that point on, my life was forever changed.
I fell in love with Mexico’s people, culture, music, history, food, beaches, pyramids – pretty much every aspect of the country. Upon graduation, I made it a priority to stay connected professionally and personally to the country and over the past 25 years have spent at least 25% of my time in Mexico either on business or vacation. On the personal side, my wife and I have traveled extensively throughout the country, got married on the beach in Playa del Carmen, and currently live full-time in San Miguel de Allende.
Professionally, I have been able to be a part of some impactful work in the country in very different ways. I began my career by being a part of the leadership team that brought TAZOS (a plastic round shaped toy) to the country. Anyone who lived in Mexico during the late 1990s and early 2000s certainly would remember the love that most children in Mexico (and in fact throughout much of the world) had for these toys.
I then transitioned to the water industry – and over 15+ years worked in two companies in different global, Latin American, and Mexican leadership roles. In these companies, I led teams that worked with large industrial companies to significantly reduce water consumption in their operations – saving billions of gallons of water in many water-scarce parts of the country.
With Mexico News Daily, it’s time to make an impact in a very different way. My motivation for wanting to acquire Mexico News Daily is actually quite simple: I think that Mexico has incredible potential and is at an inflection point in its relationship with the rest of the world.
More expats than ever – digital nomads, younger families, retirees – are moving to Mexico in cities and towns as varied as Mexico City, Tulum, Merida, and San Miguel de Allende
More businesses from more countries than ever are recognizing that Mexico, especially in a post-Covid world, is a great option for a more balanced and reliable supply chain
More tourists than ever are coming to Mexico and beginning to discover more parts of the country previously undiscovered by most people
More investors than ever are seeing that Mexico – whether in commercial projects, residential real estate, or startups – has great potential
In my frequent conversations with people throughout the country, there is a clear sense that it is a unique and exciting time for Mexico.
Despite these positive trends, most media continue to paint a very simplistic and often extremely negative portrayal of the country and its people. Mexico is not perfect – no country is – but there are many stories to tell beyond those of violence and cartels. Our mission is to broaden our coverage to tell these stories and help increase Mexico’s profile as a premier destination for expats, tourists, businesses, and investors.
In addition to our news coverage of Mexican current events, we will publish additional relevant content on topics of interest to the foreign community in Mexico such as real estate, health care, wellness, tourism, business, culture, and lifestyle. We are investing in the team and technologies to bring you more complete information and a better reader experience.
Stay tuned…it’s going to be a great journey together!
Governor Alfredo Ramírez toured the damaged Community Hospital of Maruata, in Aquila, Michoacán, where an state of emergency has been declared. ARBedolla/Twitter
Michoacán and Colima bore the brunt of Monday’s powerful earthquake, with thousands of homes damaged in each Pacific coast state.
The epicenter of the 7.7 magnitude quake was near the Pacific coast in a part of Michoacán just south of the border with Colima.
More than 3,000 homes in Michoacán and over 2,000 in Colima were damaged, according to authorities. Other buildings, including schools, hospitals and churches, also sustained damage, as did some highways and bridges.
The worst affected municipality in Michoacán was Coahuayana, where over 1,100 homes were damaged and almost 400 completely collapsed. Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla visited the municipality on Tuesday.
A collapsed home in Michoacán is a testament to the effects of Monday’s 7.7 earthquake in the state, which saw over 3,000 homes damaged.
“In Coahuayana, we toured the municipal seat and surrounding areas affected by the earthquake, where we reiterated to residents our fraternal support to repair the damage and attend to their needs,” he wrote on Twitter.
Michoacán authorities approved an emergency declaration for that municipality as well as Coalcomán, Chinicuila and Aquila, all of which are on or near the Pacific coast and close to the border with Colima. The declaration will unlock government resources for repair and reconstruction efforts.
The quake didn’t claim any lives in Michoacán, but numerous injuries – mainly caused by falling objects – were reported.
Ramírez said that 26 people required medical treatment in Coahuayana, but only one person remains hospitalized after suffering injuries caused by a gas tank explosion.
In Manzanillo, Colima, Monday’s quake took part of the facade of a Coppel department store, pieces of which hit a woman who was killed.
“Michoacán is strong, united and standing,” the governor declared Tuesday, adding that land travel is possible throughout the state and that “all the affected areas are connected.”
In Colima, Governor Indira Vizcaíno said that some homes suffered only minor earthquake damage while others were rendered inhabitable by the powerful quake, the third to hit Mexico on September 19 in the past 37 years.
Vizcaíno toured the municipality of Tecomán on Tuesday to inspect damage and meet with victims. The municipal palace was among the buildings that sustained damage in Tecomán, which borders the Pacific Ocean and Michoacán.
“To Colima residents I say: you are not alone. The commitment we have to help from our trench is real, and we will continue working … for you,” she said in one Twitter post.
Monday’s earthquake was felt in several states and in Mexico City but only claimed two lives. Both fatalities occurred in Manzanillo, Colima, where a man died after the roof of a gym collapsed on top of him and a woman was killed when she was hit by a section of a Coppel department store facade that detached during the quake.
The woman, Sonia Sánchez, 61, was laid to rest on Tuesday. Her widower, fisherman Luis Manuel Gómez, said that their home was severely damaged and that he hoped to receive financial support from the state and federal governments to carry out repairs and pay for other expenses.
In addition to the two fatalities, close to 20 people in Colima sustained quake-related injuries.
Meanwhile, aftershocks of Monday’s powerful temblor continue to occur. Mexico’s National Seismological Service said on Twitter there had been 1,049 aftershocks as of 12 p.m. Wednesday, the largest of which was a 5.8 magnitude quake with an epicenter 72 kilometers south of Tecomán just after 3:15 a.m. Tuesday.
U.S. authorities intercepted 2.15 million illegal crossings in FY 2022. It was first fiscal year in which Border Patrol encountered more than 2 million attempts. CBP
United States authorities made over 2 million arrests of migrants near the U.S.-Mexico border in the 11 months to the end of August, the highest number ever recorded during a U.S. fiscal year (which doesn’t end until September 30).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data shows that just over 2.15 million migrants were detained along the United States southern land border between October 1, 2021 – the beginning of fiscal year 2022 (FY2022) – and August 31.
It is the first time that more than 2 million migrants have been apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border during a fiscal year. The FY 2022 figure includes repeat crossers, meaning that the total number of migrants who have been arrested is somewhat lower.
“The large number of expulsions [to Mexico rather than repatriation to countries further afield] during the pandemic has contributed to a higher-than-usual number of migrants making multiple border crossing attempts, which means that total encounters somewhat overstate the number of unique individuals arriving at the border,” CBP said.
Migrants near the Mexico-U.S. border in Tijuana. The pandemic meant U.S. authorities deported some migrants to Mexico rather than their home country, leading to repeat crossing attempts. Barbara Sandoval/Unsplash
The Title 42 emergency public health policy put into place in the U.S. at the start of the pandemic allowed border authorities to send some migrants immediately back to Mexico, rather than to their home countries, which appeared to contribute to high numbers in FY 2022 and FY 2021 because migrants dumped near the U.S. border in Mexico then tried to cross into the U.S. again.
CBP is on track to make some 2.3 million arrests of migrants at the United States’ southern border by the end of September, exceeding the previous record set in FY 2021 by about 35%.
Another reason the U.S. has cited for the increased numbers in FY 2022 is a surge in migrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba.
“Failing communist regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba are driving a new wave of migration across the Western Hemisphere, including the recent increase in encounters at the southwest U.S. border,” CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said in a statement Monday.
“… At the same time, the number of migrants entering from Mexico and northern Central America has decreased for the third consecutive month, as the Biden-Harris Administration works with our partners in the region to address the root causes of migration, facilitate repatriation, and take thousands of smugglers off the streets. More individuals encountered at the border without a legal basis to remain will be expelled or removed this year than any prior year,” Magnus added.
A record high of more than 1.3 million migrants has already been expelled from the United States during FY 2022 after being detained shortly after crossing into the country.
CBP data shows that more than 200,000 arrests have been made at the United States’ southwest border every month since March. The total for last month was 203,597, a 1.8% increase compared to July but a 4.7% decline compared to August 2021.
CBP said that the number of unique individuals encountered in August 2022 was 157,921 and that 35% of the total – 55,333 – were migrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba.
“Individuals from Mexico and northern Central America [mainly Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador] were down for the third month in a row and accounted for just 36% of unique encounters, marking a decline of 43% in unique encounters from those countries compared to August 2021,” CBP said.
Mexican migrants were arrested near the U.S.-Mexico border over 700,000 times in the past 11 months, meaning that they have accounted for about one-third of all CBP detentions so far in FY22.
While Mexico and the United States have cooperated on efforts to stem irregular migration, push factors including poverty and insecurity remain strong here and in many other Western Hemisphere countries, including those mentioned by the CBP.
A judge briefly absolved former Iguala mayor José Luis Abarca and his wife María de los Ángeles Pineda of involvement in the Ayotzinapa 43 case last week.
The former mayor of Iguala, Guerrero, and the municipal police chief that served under him once again face charges related to the 2014 disappearance of 43 teaching students.
José Luis Abarca, mayor of Iguala between 2012 and 2014, his wife María de los Ángeles Pineda and former municipal police chief Felipe Flores Velázquez – all of whom are in prison – were last week absolved of involvement in the abduction and presumed murder of the students after a Tamaulipas-based federal judge ruled there was a lack of evidence to proceed against them. However, the acquittal didn’t allow them to leave prison as they are accused of other crimes.
Abarca and Pineda – once known as the Imperial Couple of Iguala – had been accused of masterminding the kidnapping of 43 Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers College students – who disappeared in Iguala on September 26, 2014 – and being complicit with the Guerreros Unidos crime gang.
According to a report by the news website Aristegui Noticias, lawyers who represent the students’ family members confirmed that a México state-based federal judge issued new arrest warrants for Abarca, Pineda and Flores last Friday.
Former Iguala police chief Felipe Flores Velázquez also was served a warrant for his arrest while in jail on other charges.
The former mayor and ex-police chief face charges of organized crime and forced disappearance in connection with the students’ abduction, while Pineda is solely accused of engaging in organized crime.
In what seems to have been a largely symbolic act, federal agents reportedly executed the arrest warrants in the prisons where they are in custody.
Abarca and Pineda have been in prison since their arrest in Mexico City in November 2014. Pineda’s two brothers were allegedly members of the Guerreros Unidos, an organization that is also implicated in the abduction and presumed murder of the students.
Citing a new report by the government’s Ayotzinapa truth commission, Deputy Interior Minister Alejandro Encinas said in late August that there was evidence that Abarca and Guerreros Unidos leaders “in coalition with some other authorities” ordered the abduction of the students on September 26, 2014.
The case of the Ayotzinapa 43, who disappeared in 2014, has been the subject of multiple investigations through two presidential administrations with little truly resolved.
Abarca – who also faces charges in connection with the 2013 murders of two activists – allegedly ordered an operation against the students because he didn’t want “disturbances” in Iguala and was seeking to recover drugs on a bus they had commandeered to travel to a protest in Mexico City. Encinas indicated that the former mayor believed that members of the Los Rojos crime gang – a rival to the Guerreros Unidos – were among the students.
According to the truth commission report, a person with the moniker “A1” – whom Encinas identified as Abarca – “ordered the disappearance of all the students because they don’t know who’s who.”
The ex-mayor is also alleged to have said, “Kill all of them. Iguala is mine.”
While Abarca and Pineda have long been accused of involvement in the students’ disappearance, and Iguala municipal police officers were accused by the previous federal government of turning the young men over to members of the Guerreros Unidos, authorities now allege that the army also played a central role in the crime.
José Rodríguez Pérez, a retired general who commanded an Iguala-based infantry battalion at the time of the students’ disappearance, and two other army personnel were arrested last week in connection with the crime, while a fourth military man who is also accused of involvement was already in prison. The federal Attorney General’s Office said last month that arrest warrants for the 20 military commanders and soldiers had been issued by a federal judge
Rodríguez is accused of ordering the murders of six students several days after they went missing. Former attorney general Jesús Murillo Karam, considered the key architect of the former government’s allegedly fabricated “historical truth” vis a vis the Ayotzinapa case is also behind bars, having been detained on August 19 on charges of forced disappearance, torture and obstruction of justice.
Another former official sought by Mexican authorities in connection with the Ayotzinapa case is Tomás Zerón, head of the now-defunct Criminal Investigation Agency during the 2012–2018 government of former president Enrique Peña Nieto. Zerón is accused of abduction, torture and tampering with evidence in the investigation into the student’s disappearance, but he left Mexico a few years ago and is on the lam in Israel.
Dr. Sharvari Parjhi examines a child with a sore throat and cough. Photos by Joseph Sorrentino
With beautiful colonial buildings, the impressive Monte Alban ruins and sites like the Santo Domingo cathedral, Oaxaca city is a major tourist attraction. But hidden from view, there is deep poverty.
Oaxaca is Mexico’s third poorest state, one where 66% of the population earns less than US $187 a month, and 22% earns less than $93 a month. People with incomes that low cannot afford even basic medical care.
That’s where Quijotes, a San Antonio, Texas, nonprofit, comes in.
The group has been bringing free medical care to Mexico since 1989. They collaborate with local governments and medical programs, Mexican doctors and medical students. This year, from September 3–10, Quijotes brought to Oaxaca city close to 100 health care personnel and medical supplies worth over US $200,000.
Dr. Javier García shows a patient how to brush properly
“Oaxaca has a large indigenous population,” said gynecologist Lety Vargas, the group’s president, “so we decided to go there. The whole idea behind Quijotes started with the belief of [the literary character of] Don Quijote and the belief that it’s all about fighting off giants — the giants of poverty and poor health.”
Diana Ballesteros, a family medicine doctor and Quijotes’ vice president, has been participating in the drive for 25 years. Over two and a half decades, she’s seen marked changes in people’s health. But they fight challenges as well.
“The number of diabetic cases in Oaxaca has shot up,” she said. “This is because they’ve adopted an American diet.”
Many of the people examined didn’t know they were diabetic, she said.
Dr. Roger Velázquez gives an eye exam.
“It can cause blindness,” said Roger Velázquez, an ophthalmologist. “Elevated blood sugars will damage blood vessels, especially in the eyes.”
About 30% of the patients he saw needed glasses, which are provided free. Juana Rojas came to the clinic because she couldn’t afford new ones.
“The ones I had were very old. I like to read,” she said, “and now I can.”
Jovannah Ortiz, who has a doctorate in physical therapy, saw many patients with arthritis, musculoskeletal pain and muscle weakness.
Dr. Jovannah Ortiz treating a young boy who complained of muscle pain. His mother looks on.
Muscle weakness in babies may have a common cause, explained Sharvari Parjhi, a pediatric physician. “They’re carried in a sling too much,” she said. “They need exercise.”
Visitors were anxious to get dental and nutrition information. Dentist Javier García showed people the right way to brush their teeth while nutritionist Valeria Romero counseled them about diet.
“The biggest problem is soda consumption,” she said. “I tell them, ‘Don’t drink it every day.’”
Fundraisers mainly supply the charity’s budget, said Yolanda Pérez, a retired nurse and the organization’s treasurer.
Sixty-eight-year-old Juana Rojas was happy to have new glasses so she could read.
“All donations go to the project,” she said. “Nothing goes to salaries.” Medical staff pay for their own trips, a cost of around US $2,000 per person.
“The people in this group spend their own money to give this work for free,” said Dr. Liliam Irasema García Pérez, a Oaxacan public health specialist who started working with Quijotes in 1989. “Instead of going to the beach, these people come here to work. They give much hope to people.”
If you’d like to help Quijotes, you can make a donation on their website.
Is Puerto Morelos one of the next hot U.S. real estate markets for vacation homes? Bigwigs from Redfin, Door Dash and other investors are betting on it and other Quintana Roo cities appealing to U.S. buyers. deposit photos
A United States-based real estate startup has launched a website with more than 200 listings of properties for sale in Mexico.
“Buying in Mexico, made simple,” reads a message across the top of the Far Homes website.
“Whether you’re looking for luxury or just want something affordable near the beach, our wide selection of homes means you’re bound to find something within your budget,” the company says.
“And our team of English-speaking experts are here to answer questions and walk you through the buying process so you can decide what’s best for you.”
From left to right, Far Homes founders Max Blumen, Chet Kittleson and Molly Braeunig. Far Homes
Founded by three former employees of the Seattle-based real estate company Redfin, Far Homes is currently focused exclusively on the Quintana Roo market, with listings for Cancún, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Akumal. Prices range from about US $100,000 to $3 million.
Far Homes, which is also based in Seattle, announced last week that it had raised an initial investment of $2.25 million to “simplify international home buying and selling.”
Among the investors are venture capital fund PSL Ventures, Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman and Evan Moore, cofounder of food delivery company DoorDash. The company said it would focus first on Mexico, “with plans to expand to additional markets.”
Far Homes CEO Chet Kittleson told the technology and business news website Geek Wire that Mexico is an attractive market for American real estate investors because prices are cheaper than those in the United States. He said his team detected a notable increase in online searches for homes in Mexico in recent months as many U.S. companies announced work-from-home policies.
Another real estate company said in August that Google searches for real estate-related keywords for Mexico had increased by almost 60% in the last 12 months. Point 2 Homes also said that Mexico had retained its title as “the king of vacation destinations and locations for second homes” for United States citizens.
Kittleson, who founded Far Homes with Max Blumen and Molly Braeunig, said that people who can work remotely are increasingly interested in moving to coastal destinations, such as those in the Riviera Maya of Quintana Roo.
Ben Gilbert, cofounder and managing director of PSL Ventures, said in a statement that “the Far Homes team has identified a clear opportunity in the market.”
“While many now have the flexibility to work from anywhere, most Americans are still priced out of buying a vacation home in the U.S. It’s a no-brainer for many of these folks to buy internationally instead, but [doing so] is too complex today,” he said.
Far Homes is collaborating with about 25 real estate agents in Mexico in order to obtain listings aimed at buyers north of the Mexico-U.S. border. The company “makes its money by charging these realtors when they close a deal through the platform,” Geek Wire reported.
There are already large populations of foreigners — including many U.S. citizens — in several Mexican cities, such as Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende and Mexico City. Another city that has attracted Americans, including homebuyers, is Tijuana, from where residents can commute to jobs in San Diego and thus earn in dollars while paying their mortgage or rent in pesos.
“Stories of migrants crossing from Mexico to the United States in search of a better life are well-known,” The New York Times said in a recent report about San Diego residents moving across the border to Tijuana. “But for the past decade, a reverse migration has quietly been gaining steam: Americans, priced out of the housing market and frustrated with sky-high costs of health care, electricity and basic goods, are increasingly opting to rent or buy homes in Mexico.”
