Mexican Ambassador to Peru Pablo Monroy. (Cámara de Diputados)
Peruvian authorities have expelled Mexico’s ambassador to the country and accused Mexico of interference in Peru’s affairs, hours after Mexico granted asylum to the family of ousted President Pedro Castillo.
The government of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte declared Ambassador Pablo Monroy “persona non grata” on Tuesday, giving him 72 hours to leave the country, or until Friday. In his Wednesday morning press conference, President López Obrador said that the ambassador would return to Mexico in the course of the day, correcting an earlier statement that he had already arrived. As of Thursday, Monroy was still in Peru.
AMLO condemned Peru’s decision to expel Monroy, calling it a “blunt, police-style” move that “has nothing to do with diplomacy.”
Pedro Castillo waits in a police office after his arrest earlier this month. (Policía Nacional de Perú)
Mexican authorities confirmed that Castillo’s wife, Lilia Paredes, had arrived in Mexico in the early hours of Wednesday morning, accompanied by the couple’s two children.
“Our country has honored its tradition of asylum,” Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard wrote on Twitter. “I applaud the effectiveness of Ambassador Pablo Monroy’s efforts in complex circumstances.”
Peruvian authorities arrested Castillo for “rebellion” on Dec. 7, hours after he attempted to dissolve Congress ahead of a scheduled vote on his impeachment for corruption. AMLO later confirmed that Castillo had tried to seek asylum in the Mexican embassy in Lima prior to his arrest.
On Tuesday evening, Peru’s Foreign Ministry released a statement acknowledging that Lilia Paredes had been granted asylum in Mexico, but asserting that she remained under investigation for “criminal organization.” Peru granted Paredes safe passage to leave the country, but reserved the right to later demand her extradition from Mexico to face charges.
Hours later, Peru ordered Monroy’s expulsion, stating that “the repeated expressions of [Mexico’s] highest authorities about the political situation in Peru … constitute an interference in the internal affairs of the country and therefore violate the principle of non-intervention.”
Tensions between Mexico and Peru have been mounting steadily since Castillo’s ouster. Last week, AMLO joined the leaders of Colombia, Argentina and Bolivia in condemning what they called the “antidemocratic harassment” of Castillo, and insisted that Mexico still viewed Castillo as the legitimate president of Peru.
President Boluarte has attempted to defuse Peru’s political crisis by advancing a plan to hold early elections in April 2024, which was approved by the Peruvian Congress on Tuesday morning. The country is currently gripped by political instability and protests in which at least 26 people have died. Before his expulsion, Ambassador Monroy had been working to support an estimated 450 Mexican citizens stranded in the country.
On Wednesday morning, the Mexican Foreign Ministry assured that the Mexican embassy in Lima would continue to operate normally, under the charge of first secretary Karla Tatiana Ornelas Loera, current first secretary of the Mexican embassy in Peru.
“Mexico firmly believes in dialogue and will continue to maintain open channels of communication with all interlocutors, especially to meet the needs of Mexicans living in Peru,” the statement read.
Colonel Grimaldo Muñoz has been missing since Dec. 10. (Gobierno de Jalisco)
Authorities have confirmed that a vehicle found in Tonalá, Jalisco, belongs to missing Mexican army colonel José Isidro Grimaldo Muñoz, who was kidnapped 12 days ago by the Jalisco Cartel.
The beige Mini Cooper was found with broken windows at the side of a road in Tonalá municipality, Ricardo Sánchez Beruben, general strategic security coordinator of Jalisco, told the press.
He confirmed that the National Defense Ministry (Sedena) continues to search for the missing colonel, contradicting rumors that his body has already been found.
The missing colonel’s beige mini cooper was found on Tuesday in Jalisco. (Tonalá Police)
Grimaldo Muñoz has been missing since Dec. 10. At a press conference on Friday, General Crisóforo Martínez Parra, commander of the 15th Military Zone in Jalisco, stated that the colonel was abducted by armed men simulating a traffic incident, while vacationing in a rural area of Tapalpa, Jalisco.
Sedena alleges that a local cell of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), commanded by a criminal known by the alias “CR,” is responsible for the kidnapping.
“With data collected from CJNG members and other sources of information, it has been possible to establish a defined perimeter, within which Colonel Grimaldo has most likely been moved and where we are directing our search efforts,” Martínez Parra said on Friday.
Grimaldo Muñoz currently holds the position of colonel in the General Staff of the Sixteenth Motorized Cavalry Regiment based in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. He previously served as commander of the regiment’s Urban Dragoons, but was removed from the post in May after reports of excessive use of force by the personnel under his command.
Nevertheless, Martínez Parra emphasized that the colonel had built up a strong professional record, but gave no indication of the motive for his abduction. Nuevo Laredo is currently dominated by the Northeast Cartel, an offshoot of the Zetas with no known ties to the CJNG.
“In addition to being an excellent soldier and a good citizen, [Grimaldo Muñoz] is a father, husband, son and brother, so his disappearance causes great pain within his family and within the armed forces,” Martínez Parra said.
Grimaldo Muñoz’s kidnapping is the second time in less than a month that a Mexican army officer has been attacked by cartels. On Nov. 24, General José Silvestre Urzúa Padilla, commander of the National Guard in Zacatecas, was killed while conducting an operation against organized crime groups in the state.
Several industry figures have weighed in to the media their opinions that AMLO's proposed reform to allow cabotage would harm Mexican airline companies. (Canaero)
The Mexican aviation industry has reacted with alarm to a proposal by President López Obrador to allow foreign airlines to operate domestic flights, saying it would leave national airlines unable to compete.
“With the cabotage that will be authorized to foreign airlines, regional routes will be expanded, they will have more facilities in connecting flights and air services will be of better quality and efficiency at the lowest cost,” the initiative said.
But the proposal has generated pushback from trade organizations and industry experts, who argue that it would put Mexico’s aviation industry at risk.
Secretary General of the Mexican Aviation Pilots’ Union (ASPA) Humberto Gual called AMLO’s idea that cabotage will promote competition among Mexican airlines “erroneous.” (Photo: Humberto Gaul/Twitter)
“Although it is banned practically everywhere in the world, the Mexican government seeks to authorize [cabotage] with the misconception that foreign companies will encourage competition,” said José Alonso, press secretary of the Mexican Aviation Pilots’ Union (ASPA).
“On the contrary,” Alonso said, “cabotage opens the door for these foreign airlines to harm Mexican aviation because they will take profitable routes, not those offered by the government. And with fewer Mexican routes, [there will be] less work for Mexicans,”
On Friday, the National Chamber of Air Transport Services (Canaero)released a statement that argued that a better path forward would be to focus on recovering Mexico’s Category 1 safety rating from U.S. aviation authorities.
“In Canaero, we reiterate our willingness to find solutions that allow the recovery of Category 1, encourage the development of aviation and promote the use of airport infrastructure without jeopardizing the loss of thousands of jobs, as well as the economic and social growth of the country,” Canaero said.
Mexico lost its Category 1 rating in May 2021 after a review process by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration between October 2020 and February 2021 found that Mexico’s civil aviation authority did not comply with International Civil Aviation Organization safety standards.
AMLO wants to create a new airline managed by the same military-run company, Olmeca-Maya-Mexica, that currently manages the Maya Train, AIFA and the new Tulum airport.
AMLO’s proposed changes must be debated by both Mexico’s legislative chambers before passing into law. If the changes became law, the new military-run airline, to be known as Mexicana de Aviación, could be operational by the end of 2023.
Viva Aerobus employees mark the airline’s inaugural flight from Felipe Ángeles International Airport in March. It was among the first airlines to fly out of the new airport after a campaign by the federal government to convince airlines to use the new airport. (Photo: VivaAerobus)
Mexicana de Aviación is also the name of a defunct private Mexican airline company often known simply as Mexicana Airlines. It ceased operation in 2010 and was legally declared bankrupt in 2014.
The president said at his Monday press conference that he already has government officials looking into the process of buying the brand name from the airline’s former owners.
AMLO also hit back at the Mexican aviation industry during Monday’s conference, accusing the airlines of exacerbating aviation problems by resisting transferring routes to the AIFA.
He also seemed to imply that he might withdraw the cabotage part of the bill if the Mexican airline industry increased the number of flights through AIFA.
“We are going to seek to reach an understanding with the airlines,” he said. “There are several options. One is to help us not to saturate the current airport [the Mexico City International Airport] by having [routes run through] Felipe Ángeles Airport, because there is a kind of resistance [to doing so], although they say there isn’t.”
“The other option is cabotage.”
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport, in AIFA’s first six months of operation (March to September), the airport had a total of 3,376 flights. In September, AIFA saw a significant increase in passenger traffic due to several new routes opening during that month.
Government officials initially accused ticket sales and distribution company Ticketmaster of overselling the Dec. 10 and 11 Bad Bunny concerts in Mexico City. (Depositphotos)
Ticketmaster did not oversell tickets for the Bad Bunny concerts in Mexico City, Ricardo Sheffield, head of the Federal Consumer Protection Office (Profeco), said on Monday.
Instead, Profeco said that the reason that 2,000 people were denied access to the Puerto Rican star’s concert on Dec. 10 and 11, was failures of the venue’s ticket-scanning devices caused by spotty internet access.
During López Obrador’s morning conference on Monday, Sheffield told reporters that “it is ruled out there was an overselling of the tickets” because in a meeting held with Ticketmaster last week, Profeco saw video footage showing all the empty space where concert-goers could have been seated, if they had managed to enter the stadium.
While frustrated fans were denied entry to the sold-out concert, Azteca Stadium remained half-empty. (Twitter)
In an interview in Radio Formula after the concerts, Sheffield assured listeners that Ticketmaster had knowingly oversold tickets and, to cover it up, had claimed the excess tickets were falsified. “On Friday, an unprecedented number of fake tickets, purchased outside our official channels, were presented at the entrances,” Ticketmaster said at the time.
Sheffield did not mention false tickets at Monday’s appearance, but rather confirmed Ticketmaster’s statement that the problem was due to signal issues with the scan machines.
He also reported that 2,000 people had submitted complaints to Profeco regarding the Ticketmaster fiasco, with 110 complaints related to Saturday’s concert and the rest related to Friday’s.
Sheffield also confirmed Ticketmaster has started issuing full refunds to all people affected, plus a 20% compensation in accordance with Mexican law. He invited anyone who has yet to receive compensation to call the Profeco consumer attention line.
The head of Profeco also said that Ticketmaster has agreed to change its cancellation policy in Mexico to align it with its current policy in the United States, Canada and the European Union. Under the new policy, full refunds plus the ticket’s convenience fee will be reimbursed if a concert is canceled.
Ticketmaster’s failure reached such a scale, that on Dec. 14, Mexico’s president López Obrador publicly invited Bad Bunny to give a free concert in Mexico City’s Zócalo. “I got emotional,” said the president, “after seeing so many sad young people who were denied entrance [to the concert].”
Bad Bunny has yet to respond to López Obrador’s invitation.
Zacatlán is famous for its apple orchards, and apple wine has been a tradition there for 200 years. (Photo: Sectur)
Zacatlán de las Manzanas, Puebla, is, as its full name suggests, is known for its apples. The pueblo’s located just over two hours almost directly north of Puebla city, in a region known for abundant rainfall — good for growing apples.
Eighteen different varieties of apples grow in the orchards surrounding Zacatlán, so it’s perhaps not a surprise that Zacatlán is famous in Mexico for its apple wine.
It started with one man, Spaniard Melchor Cabrera, who arrived in the pueblo in 1777 and soon afterward began planting apple orchards.
“They knew how to make wine in Spain since forever,” said Germán Morales Viveros, a descendant of Cabrera’s and the eighth generation of his family to run La Primavera Vinos y Licores, which opened in 1920 and is the oldest operating wine and liquor producer in Zacatlán.
Germán Morales Viveros, the eighth generation of his family to make apple wine in Zacatlan, is a descendant of Spainard Melchor Cabrera, who first planted apple orchards in the Puebla town. (Photo: Joseph Sorrentino)
Apple harvest in Zacatlán typically starts in mid-July and goes until the beginning of August.
“This year, the harvest was delayed a lot because the climate has changed,” Morales said. “It has not been as cold as before, and this affects the growth and maturation of the fruit.”
Morales makes the apple wine in a small building that also houses the Museo del Vino (Wine Museum), located at Corregidora 11, a short distance from Zacatlán’s Zócalo. La Primavera uses 25 tonnes of apples each year to make its wine.
“We use Red Delicious, Gala, Perón or Golden Delicious,” Morales said. “There are acidic and sweet apples, and we mix them to give the wine a special flavor.”
The apples are first ground up and pressed to extract the juice, which is then placed in white oak barrels, where it’s left to ferment for one to two weeks.
“The fermentation is all-natural,” said Morales. “We do not use chemicals. We seal the barrels well so no air gets in and so the juice does not turn to vinegar.”
After fermentation is complete, the liquid is siphoned off, leaving the sediment behind, and put in another barrel to age further.
After two years, the wine — which comes out red and slightly sweet — is finally ready.
A La Primavera employee presses ground apples to extract their juice. (Photo: Joseph Sorrentino)
I’m no wine connoisseur, so I can’t say that the wine had hints of eucalyptus or cut grass, with undertones of old leather (actual terms used to describe wine). Unsurprisingly, it did taste like apples, and I liked it more than I like sidra, a hard cider immensely popular in Mexico but which I find too sweet.
Morales learned the craft by working alongside his father, who passed along secrets for making the wine in the family for over 200 years.
“I learned the whole process — from using the grinder and the press to knowing when the wine is ready. It is necessary to taste the wine because [each time] it is never going to be the same. [That’s] because it’s artisanal. We make adjustments so that there are not many differences [in taste].”
Morales has seen many changes over the years:
“I remember when I was a child, there was an apple that ripened in the middle of June, and now it does not exist,” he said.
And although Zacatlán wines continue to be popular, Morales expressed concern about the industry’s future.
La Primavera has a variety of wines and liquors made from apples and other fruits available at its small on-site store. (Photo: La Primavera Vinos y Licores)
“Many orchards have been lost because they have not been replanted,” he explained. “Young people do not want to work in the fields. There are other opportunities for them. They go to the city to study, to have other careers. They say, ‘I do not want to dirty my hands in the orchard. It is better to be a teacher.’
“Working the fields is very hard, a lot of work. It means getting up early, getting your boots and clothes dirty.”
Nevertheless, Morales believes his daughter, Daniela, will continue with the business. “I am 70% sure she will. If not, some other relative will.”
The other part of Morales’ business is making licores (liquors) from five other fruits, including blackberry and peach. There’s one made with coffee (my favorite) and two cremas (cream liquors).
“Cremas are made because people demand it,” said Morales. “But it’s not very profitable for us.”
The Museo del Vino opened in 2016. Tours cost a mere 20 pesos. There are photographs and antique wine-making machines on display, but it’s also where the wines are still made. After the tour, it’s possible to taste (and purchase) the wines and licores.
Zacatlán, a Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town), also has plenty to do not related to wine. In town, there’s the Clock Museum, a lovely Zócalo (main square) featuring a floral clock and a colonial-era Franciscan monastery that was built in 1562 and now houses the municipal cultural center and a library.
Besides the Pueblo Mágico’s wine-related attractions, there are also plenty of ways to enjoy yourself just strolling around, including Zacatlán’s many mosaics. (Photo: Joseph Sorrentino)
A short walk from the Zócalo is an overlook offering some beautiful views of the valley below. Across from the overlook, and along several nearby streets, are walls covered with murals, by artists commissioned by the municipality.
And not far away from town, you can also check out Cascadas Tulimán (Tulimán Falls), an ecotourism site in Potrero De Quetzalapa, a town in the Zacatlán municipality. Here you can can traverse a suspension bridge, do zip-lining or just walk around and see the gorgeous waterfalls.
Also nearby is Chignahuapan, one of Mexico’s “Christmas towns” famous for its Christmas ornament artisan factories. It’s also known for its thermal baths.
Worth visiting year-round but especially now, the town’s factories make beautiful Christmas ornaments that are created from hand-blown glass and painted individually. You can buy them downtown at this time of year or take a tour of one of the factories like the Castillo de la Esfera, and buy them there. Then relax from all the walking around with a massage, sauna or a nice soak at one of Chignahuapan’s many thermal waters resorts, where you can pay a day rate to pamper yourself.
In all these places, of course, there are also plenty of restaurants and coffee shops to linger at in between the sightseeing.
Three people have been arrested for the murder of Mexican actor Andrés Tirado, his brother, musician Jorge Tirado, and their uncle José González, who were found dead in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City on Sunday.
Mexico City authorities discovered the three men’s bodies in a house on Medellín Street, in Roma Norte, two days after they were reported missing. Friends of the young artists had been circulating messages on social media since Sunday morning, pleading for help to find them.
“They were found tied hand and foot, with brown tape on their heads,” local journalist Carlos Jiménez reported on Twitter.
Authorities have detained Blanca, 65, along with her daughter and son-in-law. The three suspects in a legal battle with the victims for ownership of the property where both the victims and the suspects all lived. (FGJ)
The brothers’ aunt, Margarita María Ochoa, who was with them when they were last seen driving through Roma on Friday, remains missing.
Authorities have detained a 65-year-old woman, her daughter and her son-in-law in connection to the crime. The three had originally given witness statements to the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office, but were arrested after contradictions between their statements aroused suspicions.
Initial investigations revealed that the detainees were in a legal dispute with the murdered men over ownership of the house in Roma where the bodies were found. All six lived in the house, on separate floors, and had claimed titles to it after the previous owner died.
Authorities allege that the detainees allowed armed men to enter the house, who first held the three men prisoner and then murdered them.
“We regret and condemn these events,” Claudia Sheinbaum, head of Mexico City’s government, said on Twitter. “There are people detained and in the course of the morning the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office will be reporting on the advances in this painful homicide.”
Andrés Tirado, 27, was an up-and-coming actor and a graduate of the University Theater Center of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He had performed in various theatrical productions, including “King Kong Cabaret,” “Palinuro en la escalera,” “El arte de la comedia” and “Rentas congeladas,” and starred in the short film “Peña de lobos.” Jorge Tirado, 35, worked in music and was the manager of folk musician Augusto Bracho.
“We express our deepest condolences to family, friends and artistic community for the painful death of these young artists,” the Mexico City System of Theaters said on Twitter.
Popocatépetl activity registered early Monday morning (Government of Morelos)
The Popocatépetl volcano registered intense activity over the weekend and into Monday morning, according to the National Coordination of Civil Protection (CNPC). The CNPC’s monitoring system, the National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred), recorded 12 explosions, 3.3 hours of tremors, and 196 gas or ash emissions within a 24-hour span.
“In the last 24 hours, through the Popocatépetl volcano monitoring systems, 196 emissions were accompanied by water vapor, volcanic gas, and slight amounts of ash. Also, 199 minutes of low-amplitude and high-frequency tremors were recorded yesterday, along with 12 minor explosions,” Cenapred reported on Sunday.
Webcams de México recorded the impressive volcanic activity, which can be seen in several videos shared on their Twitter feed.
Impresionante explosión del volcán #Popocatépetl hace unos minutos, 6:39 hrs.
Webcams de México is a system of stationary cameras in place across the country which capture the beauty of its major cities, tourist towns, and natural areas. However, government officials also frequently use the camera system to monitor natural disasters and the resulting damage.
Popocatépetl’s rumblings represent a Phase 2 Yellow Alert, which indicates an increase in activity and warns of light to moderate ashfall in surrounding towns, and the possibility of mudslides and pyroclastic flows (made up of lava, ash, and hot gas).
The CNPC warned nearby populations not to approach the volcano, and to be aware of the possibility of mud and debris flows in the case of heavy rain. It also requested that residents close doors and windows, avoid wearing contact lenses, cover water containers and food, and to wear a face mask in the case of respiratory illnesses due to falling ash. A population of 25 million people resides within 100 km of the volcano.
The new routes are JSX's first venture into international operations. (JSX)
Passengers of semi-private jet company JSX are now able to travel to Los Cabos from the United States.
Besides offering luxury flights within the U.S., JSX now offers a route to Los Cabos from Los Angeles Airport (LAX) and as of Dec. 16, from Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL) as well. The two routes are the carrier’s first international services.
Unlike other private carriers, JSX doesn’t require a membership to book a flight. Planes offer first-class-style seating, free drinks and gourmet snacks. Checked baggage is also included, and small pets can fly for free provided they fit in an under-seat carrier.
Since JSX flies out of private jet terminals, passengers go through expedited security checks, avoiding TSA security. That means the boarding process for international passengers bound for Los Cabos takes around 40 minutes.
With rates starting at $599, the LAX round trip to Los Cabos operates on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, while the DAL flights operate on Monday, Friday and Saturday.
Brittani Walker (left) and Rosita Lemus are both accomplished cartoneria artisans from Guanajuato state chosen to team up in "Piñata Masters." They'd never worked together before and were selected for the show despite not specializing in piñata making. (Photo: Netflix)
Although the piñata is famous, there are still elements about it and the people who make them that are unfamiliar.
Enter the streaming giant Netflix, with the aim of promoting this aspect of Mexican culture, but with a very U.S. twist: a reality-TV competition pitting seven pairs of piñata makers from all over Mexico against each other for a million-peso prize.
In English, the show is called “Piñata Masters,” debuting on Netflix on December 23. It offers a 1-million-peso prize for the best and most creative piñata making. The Spanish-language version is called “Dale, Dale, Dale” after the first words in the song of encouragement spectators at a party sing when it’s someone’s turn to hit the piñata.
The piñata is the best-known papier mache object made in Mexico, with makers found everywhere in the country. Although originally developed for the Christmas season, their later association with birthdays has created a huge market spawning piñatas in many sizes, shapes and colors.
Lemus is a third-generation cartonería artisan. Her work has won over 70 awards and recognitions. (Photo: Rosita Lemus/Facebook)
The show invited piñata makers from places such as Guadalajara, Mexicali and Michoacán, but one all-female team from the state of Guanajuato — Rosa María Lemus Méndez and Brittani Yari Walker Morales — stand out for several reasons.
First of all, they were the all-female pairing. Walker says the dynamics of their team was a little different.
“It was a lot of fun because we didn’t focus so much on the competition but rather how people reacted to our work… and those reactions made me very happy.”
Secondly, the fact that they both come from Guanajuato, which has unique traditions in working with paper and paste — called cartonería in Mexico — means that they are not born and bred piñata makers: cartoneros (cartonería artisans) can and do make piñatas but do not specialize in them the way piñateros (piñata makers) do.
More familiar with the making of papier mache skeletal figures, dolls and other toys, as well as giant puppets called mojigangas, the two bring a different sensibility to their work and found themselves needing a little guidance.
Mojigangas, or larger-than-life papier mache dolls, have a long artisan tradition in Guanajuato state, where both women are from. Many artisans here who work with paper-and-paste focus making masks, dolls and skeletal figures instead of piñatas. (Photo: Alba Rebecca/Unsplash)
“It is necessary to understand that there are differences in tradition between piñateros and cartoneros. We both learned a lot from the other maestros…” she says of their competitors on the show.
The two young women have been friends for years and represent the future of papier mache craft in central Mexico. But even they have differences among them: the pair represent two distinct trajectories in the craft — one that preserves traditions handed down for generations and the other that takes them into new directions.
Lemus, who hails from the city of Celaya, is a third-generation cartonera, a descendant of the famous Bernardino Lemus, whose papier mache dolls are known for their fine craftsmanship and decoration. She has won over 70 awards and recognitions for her work.
Walker, a first-generation craftsperson with “only” seven years experience, is from the nearby city of Salamanca, where both tradition and innovation are welcomed in part because the craft was revived here in just this century. Yet she won the cartonería National Doll Prize in 2017.
Brittani Walker painting a cartonería mask. (Photo: Brittani Walker/Facebook)
Her work, exhibited and sold in many parts of Mexico and in the United States, reflects the reality of life as a Mexican woman. She has a preference for depicting women — from historic figures such as Frida Kahlo or everyday housewives.
The work of a piñatero or cartonero is often solitary, with the craftsperson in control of the process. But for this program, all of the papier mache artists had to modify how they work, negotiating with another creator and meeting the demands of filming the show.
“It was a little complicated because Rosita and I have very different work styles and approaches to cartonería,” Walker said. But their friendship allowed them to have mutual respect for each other as professionals, she said.
That respect extended to their relationship with the other teams.
While it certainly was a competition, with a significant amount of money on the line, Walker and Lemus found support from the piñateros they competed against, who were even willing to give them tips.
Brittani Walker’s papier mache depiction of Frida Kahlo. Her work won the cartonería National Doll Prize in 2017. (Photo: Brittani Walker/Facebook)
One tip in particular they shared was how to decorate with pieces of colored crepe paper, a standard decoration on piñatas, but cartoneros generally decorate their pieces with paint.
The show’s filming came after a long casting process, which brought agents to Walker’s door who then recommended she work with Lemus at the Mexico City filming.
The time pressures were intense, with the filming going on for 16-hour days, with contestants often needing to start and finish pieces in only hours — cartoneros typically require days and even weeks. Add to all that the fact that they had to keep the whole project as secret as possible.
“Seeing myself in a video that would be aired made me laugh because it seems so strange, especially after a month or so later and remembering what everything was like when we did it,” Walker said.
But all that effort has already started to pay off. Lemus in particular has gotten a lot of attention from the Guanajuato state press. She says that it proves that nothing is impossible with hard work and belief in oneself.
Walker called it “an incredible experience” because of Netflix’s global platform with millions of subscribers. “We can promote the concept of cartonería worldwide to places where they know nothing about what can be done with this material,” she said.
"¡Dale, dale, dale!" | Tráiler oficial | Netflix
Netflix trailer for “Piñata Masters,” which in Spanish is called “Dale, Dale, Dale.” One of the show’s gimmicks is that the piñatas are judged by Mexican kids.
“My hope is that the show gives cartonería more visibility in other countries to help its preservation here in Mexico… that people appreciate its magic.”
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.
Always serve Champagne well-chilled! A bucket of ice will do the trick.
I set out confidently, list in hand, to get what I needed for a Champagne brunch I was hosting on the weekend. Ingredients for dishes I would prepare, both savory and sweet; a salad (hello farmers’ market!); fresh-squeezed OJ for mimosas; and, of course, Champagne.
But which Champagne? Confronted with bottles from France, the U.S., Mexico and Spain, plus Italian prosecco, I was pretty lost. Did more money necessarily mean better quality? Is prosecco the same as Champagne? What about Spanish cava and Mexican espumosos, from Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe?
I retreated home to my computer — sans Champagne — to figure out what was what. I knew the name Champagne can only refer to sparkling wine produced in a certain part of France, safeguarded by an AOC (Appellation Originale Contractualisée) or Designation of Origin.
It’s an age-old process that’s carefully protected and controlled; the first regulations were established in 1887, but Champagne as we know it has been documented since the early 1500s. Champagne must be labeled with the AOC mark, the name and address of the producer and the town or village where it’s from.
Champagne vineyards in the Reims countryside in France.
This protected beverage must be made utilizing the méthode Champenoise, a vinification process invented in the northeastern French province of Champagne, about 100 miles east of Paris. Distinguished by a secondary fermentation in the bottle — rather than barrels or tanks — and a double inoculation of yeast, Champagne must use a blend of pinot noir, pinot munier and Chardonnay grapes grown in that province.
Utilizing those three base wines, each vineyard has its own closely guarded formulas and signature blends, or cuvees, drawing on hundreds of specific grape varietals. Like any other wine, the terroir (how much sun, moisture, temperatures, etc.) influences the taste and flavor profile of the grapes and the finished beverage.
Champagnes are aged a minimum of 15 months; the longer the aging, the more flavorful and aromatic it will be. The distinctive metal casing over the large, secure cork traps the fermentation caused by carbon dioxide being produced — what creates those famous bubbles.
Folklore has it that after inventing Champagne, Dom Pérignon invited his fellow friars to taste the new beverage by exclaiming, “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!”
After bottling, Champagne is aged in the chilly air of hundreds of miles of underground caverns and tunnels built into the chalk hills beneath the fabled vineyards and towns of the area, which also served as bomb shelters during the German attacks of WWI. Official estimates say that at any given time, there are 200 million bottles aging below ground, mostly around the historic cities of Reims and Epernay. UNESCO declared the houses, cellars and hillsides of Champagne a World Heritage Site in 2015.
All of this is fascinating, but I still didn’t know which Champagne to buy for my brunch.
Like most things, you get what you pay for. Long-time producers — Ruinart, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot and Moët & Chandon, all founded in the 1700s — have the most experience and thus produce better Champagnes. The oldest still in operation is Gosset, since 1584.
Moët & Chandon is one of France’s oldest Champagne houses, founded in 1743.
Within those brands are many categories and sub-brands, so read labels carefully.
Buy the best you can afford — and then taste conscientiously. Consider doing your own side-by-side tasting, with a few brands and a prosecco or two for good measure.
Champagnes have varying degrees of sweetness; if it’s labeled “brut” (which means “dry, raw, unrefined”) it has less than 15 grams of added sugar per liter; “extra brut” and “brut zéro” will be even drier. Ready to be confused? Champagnes labeled “extra-dry” or “extra-sec” have more sugar — lots more sugar — than bruts.
Experts advise against adding orange juice or anything else to Champagne; if you’re going to do that, they say, use a less expensive sparkling wine. (Oops.) You want the full Champagne experience — which means unadulterated, chilled well and served in tall flutes that keep the bubbles in as long as possible and allow the velvety fragrance to be released slowly and seductively.
Frequently asked questions:
Are Champagne and sparkling wine the same?
Champagne is sparkling wine — but not all sparkling wine is Champagne. Italian prosecco, Spanish cava and Mexican espumosos and Freixenet (a Spanish brand that also has vineyards and a winery in Querétaro under the name Freixenet México) are some of the many sparkling wines produced in countries other than France.
While not the same sophisticated flavor profile or complex hands-on production process as authentic Champagne, they’re delicious nonetheless, and the cost is more digestible: US $15–$20 for prosecco vs. US $40 and up for Champagne.
So what should I buy?
If you want real Champagne, do some research and then buy the best you can afford, considering also the level of dryness or sweetness. The older, popular and reputable French Champagne houses offer a variety of different price points as well as varying degrees of sweetness, flavor, aging and vintage or non-vintage years.
Costco in Mexico carries Veuve Clicquot, a respected French brand; a high-end example would be Moët & Chandon’s premium Dom Pérignon, a vintage Champagne produced only during good to excellent years.
What’s the fastest way to chill Champagne?
Don’t chill it in the freezer; the sudden temperature change can dull the flavor, and those sparkly bubbles too. If possible, refrigerate Champagne at least three hours before serving.
In a hurry? Use the classic bucket-of-ice-water method; adding a little salt to the ice water will further accelerate the chilling process.
How should I open Champagne?
That distinctive and explosive cork-popping is not the best way (although it may be the most fun!) You lose lots of the precious bubbles, which are a good part of the reason you’re drinking Champagne to begin with.
Instead, first remove the foil and wire piece. (If the bottle is wet, wrap a towel around it.) Then simply twist the cork gently but firmly until it opens. Voila!
Can you store an opened bottle of Champagne?
Rumor has it that dropping a raisin into an open bottle of Champagne (or any sparkling wine) just before drinking will revive its effervescence. Why? The raisin acts like a carbon dioxide magnifier, creating more bubbles with what’s left in the bottle. This only works for a few minutes, so drink up!
