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Puebla town seeks denomination of origin for vanilla crops

By
Lydia Carey
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A farmer tends her vanilla crop in Puebla.
A farmer tends her vanilla crop in Puebla.

Residents of Chililix, Puebla, high in the Sierra Norte of the state, are hoping to join their neighbors in achieving denomination of origin status for the vanilla they grow and harvest there. In this small town in Puebla’s Hueytlalpan municipality, many residents still speak their indigenous language, Totonaco, and most making a living from farming the coffee and other crops that grow in their high mountain terrain.

Until a few years ago, the vanilla that grew here was just another one of the verdant green trees that grew besides the waterfalls and the orange trees. But a program administered by the Ministry of Rural Development (SADER) has many residents now believing vanilla might be their future so they are petitioning to be added to the list of 39 other municipalities in Puebla and Veracruz where this vanilla is endemic.

Like Champagne in Champagne, France, or Tequila in Tequila, Jalisco, a denomination of origin will not only provide an international spotlight on these small producers but, they believe, will mean more assistance from local authorities.

Farmers must both protect their crop from theft (which generally happens in December when the fruit is rip to pick), and other threats — rot due to excessive rain, the fungus stem rust, bella moths, and firebugs — all which threaten the health of the vanilla trees and the viability of the yearly harvest.

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Salvador Gómez, a SADER technician working with residents toward their certification, says the denomination of origin will also mean that local authorities are pressured to keep the land where the vanilla is grown safe and healthy, both physically and biologically, that it will help to preserve traditional farming techniques, and certify originality for international buyers.

He also believes the designation will mean that producers in Hueytlalpan will be able to make more formalized sales to larger buyers, instead of simply bartering or selling in the local market.

Gómez, along with a technical team from SADER, is working with locals to ensure their vanilla crop is healthy and prosperous. They are teaching them how to properly pollinate their plants, how to make and use organic compost, how to separate coffee plants and vanilla plants to avoid insect infestations and how to use pesticides to control any infestations that appear.

Local producers attending these workshops hope to produce between 30 and 40 kilos of vanilla a year that they can sell in powder or liquid form. Many families were formerly coffee producers but have switched to  vanilla production either as a substitute or in addition to that crop.

María Pérez has been producing vanilla for four years and says she appreciates that it can be grown in a much more reduced space than other crops. Another grower, María Jiménez, hopes that by cultivating vanilla she can make enough money to send her children to college. Cecilia Galicia and her husband Martín Fernández once farmed only coffee, but last year they produced 23 kilos of vanilla to sell.

The high price of vanilla in the market and the fluctuation of coffee in the past few years have likely influenced many of these small farmers to convert to vanilla production. They are counting on denomination of origin status to be the push they need to succeed in their new venture.

With reports from El Sol de Puebla

Big reductions in electricity, water use expected in Puerto Vallarta’s new terminal

By
MND Staff
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Puerto Vallarta's new airport terminal.
An architect's conception of Puerto Vallarta's new airport terminal.

The Puerto Vallarta International Airport has begun constructing a new terminal that officials say will be a net-zero energy building — the first of its kind at any airport in all of Mexico and Latin America, according to the newspaper Milenio.

The new terminal 2 will be equipped with solar panels that will help save 4 million pesos (US $197,000) per month in electricity costs, and there will be a water reuse plan that is expected to reduce water consumption by at least 35%, the project’s lead architect told Milenio.

Benjamín Romano, the founding director of Mexico City–based LBR&A Architects, also said the terminal will have a smaller footprint than originally anticipated, which means less spending on the installation and maintenance of an air-conditioning system, as well as lower construction costs overall.

The building is drawn to be 61,200 square meters (659,000 square feet), with additional space for adjoining car rental lots, parking lots and roads.

“When I saw the jungle, I made the decision to reduce the [size of the] building,” Romano told Milenio. “We can’t avoid having eight gates of 42 meters, because that’s what a plane measures, but the rest we decided to make it smaller … Between the footprint of the conceptual plan and the one we did, there is 54% less impact on the environment.’

For example, he said, “some trees with gigantic roots” that were found on the property will not have to be removed.

Construction began earlier this year and is tentatively scheduled to be completed in two years, according to Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), which is overseeing the project. However, one report from when the project was first announced in 2019 said it won’t be completed until 2025.

Milenio wrote that the building is not only “recognized as a beautiful aesthetic work,” but that it will also have “a high level of functionality,” will be sustainable and that its goal in the medium term is to be zero energy.

Romano told Milenio that there will be zero wastewater, as all water will be reused within the daily processes of airport operations. A system for converting water flow into electricity will be installed, he said, which will help reduce energy costs, as will solar panels on the roof.

According to a report last year in Vallarta Lifestyles magazine, the new terminal will be a “net-zero smart building” with “an energy saving of 40.78% and a [tap] water saving of 58.3%.”

LBR&A, which has designed many eye-catching structures, will be using matatenas as a key design element. Matatenas are jacks, the six-pointed item you try to scoop up in your hand while bouncing a ball in the tabletop game, and their shape will be used as both a visual and structural component of the project.

The Puerto Vallarta airport, officially named the Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport, is located 10 kilometers north of the center of town. Currently it has two terminals, A and B, but they’re in the same building, connected by a long corridor, and the space often gets extremely crowded.

According to reports from GAP, which operates 12 airports in Mexico, the new terminal will have the capacity to move 4.5 million passengers per year. The airport is also investing in a new runway and other improvements, according to a December report in the English-language Puerto Vallarta Daily News.

The construction of terminal 2 will completely change the passenger experience, Cryshtian José Amador Lizardi, the airport’s director, said as quoted in the PVDN. “The surface area and passenger screening lines [will be] more than doubled.” There will also be “50% more telescopic aisles [jetways] and checked-baggage screening systems,” he  added. “All this gives more space to passengers and makes them enjoy their trip more.”

With reports from Milenio

Thieves develop new modus operandi for defrauding ATM customers

By
MND Staff
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A Mexican ATM
The crime has been reported in the boroughs of Cuajimalpa, Tlalpan, Coyoacán and Cuauhtémoc.

Police in Mexico City have been seeing more instances of an ATM crime in which criminals not only get the customer’s money, but also details of their ATM card.

According to the newspaper Milenio, the fraud works like this: First, the criminals place traps inside an ATM to prevent the dispensed money from being accessible to the customer. Then, they place a professional-looking decal near the ATM that offers a telephone number to call for help.

When the ATM user’s money doesn’t come out, they unwittingly call the phony number, after which they are asked for their PIN, their name and other information, such as account number.

In short order, one of the thieves will return to the ATM to collect the money that was “trapped” inside.

A hand holds a strip of black plastic that was used to block the ATM in the background.
One Mexico City ATM user complained on social media that the scam is increasingly common. At this Citibanamex ATM, the slot for dispensing cash was blocked by a strip of plastic, but she was able to remove the barrier, she said. Twitter @karla_CCruz

Such crimes have taken place at various banks in four boroughs of Mexico City, according to the Citizen Security Ministry (SSC), one of the two primary law enforcement agencies in the capital.

SSC officials told Milenio that the fraud is being conducted by a criminal group and cited instances of the crime in the Cuajimalpa, Tlalpan, Coyoacán and Cuauhtémoc boroughs. The police received complaints from citizens and bank workers between June 17 and 18.

Much of the nefarious activity was captured by the banks’ closed-circuit and government cameras, and police were able to pinpoint one particular vehicle that was near or around at least eight ATMs that were hit. After locating that car, police not only arrested three members of the criminal group but also found 56 “doses” of marijuana, a bag of cocaine and 300 pesos inside the car.

Police sources said the same gang is also involved in crimes such as gota a gota, home robberies and theft of bank cards. Gota a gota, or drop by drop, is a form of extortion in which people are granted short-term loans (three or four weeks) at interest rates as high as 40%.

With reports from Milenio and El Heraldo de México

AMLO opens new refinery but production could be more than a year off

By
MND Staff
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President López Obrador tours the refinery as part of Friday's inaugural events.
President López Obrador tours the refinery as part of Friday's inaugural events. Presidencia de la República

President López Obrador on Friday officially opened the new Pemex refinery on the Gulf coast of Tabasco, even though the facility is unfinished and not expected to begin refining oil until late 2023 at the earliest.

Despite that, AMLO declared that the inauguration of the Dos Bocas refinery – officially called the Olmeca Refinery – is “a dream come true.”

The refinery, whose final cost could balloon to as much as US $18 billion, is the first to be built in Mexico since the 1970s. Once fully operational, it will process 340,000 barrels of crude per day, a capacity that will increase national output by 20% and which López Obrador says will allow Mexico to become self-sufficient for fuel and protect itself from global volatility.

“We’re getting ready to stop importing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, in order to be self-sufficient, create employment in the country, and direct these fuels to the internal market and national development,” he said Friday during an opening ceremony attended by cabinet ministers, Pemex CEO Octavio Romero and prominent business figures such as billionaire Carlos Slim.

Tabasco Governor Carlos Manuel Merino Campos, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, President López Obrador and Pemex CEO Octavio Romero celebrate the opening.
Tabasco Governor Carlos Manuel Merino Campos, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, President López Obrador and Pemex CEO Octavio Romero celebrate the opening. Presidencia de la República

“… This is a moment of big change, a major turn, from selling crude oil to transforming the raw material, producing the fuel ourselves, and selling it on the internal market,” AMLO said.

In building the refinery, the president boasted, “we didn’t pay attention to the siren calls, the voices that predicted, perhaps in good faith, that the oil era was over, and that electric cars and renewable energy were arriving en masse.”

Such a scenario if still a long way off in Mexico, AMLO asserted. The president railed against his “neoliberal” predecessors’ management of the national oil sector, which has long been an important source of government revenue even as Mexico imported large quantities of fuels from the United States.

“They bet on selling crude and buying [fuel] abroad. The leaders sought to destroy the national oil industry. They left the six refineries in a deplorable state,” said López Obrador, whose government is upgrading the existing refineries and purchased Shell’s 50% stake in a Texas refinery that company owned with Pemex.

AMLO has set a goal of achieving self-sufficiency for fuel by 2023, but that timetable could be difficult to meet given that that Dos Bocas – which according to the news agency Bloomberg looks more like a tech campus than a place where dirty crude is processed – might not even begin refining oil next year. According to experts cited by the newspaper El País, the refinery won’t start producing gasoline until the end of 2023 or early 2024. A lengthy period of testing – up to nine months – is needed before extensive refining can begin, and that can’t commence until construction is completed.

Energy Minister Rocío Nahle declared that the refinery has “the most modern technology in the world,” but it can’t yet be put to proper use as the different plants of the facility are not connected to each other. Two people with knowledge of the refinery project told the news agency Reuters that it will be 2025 – after López Obrador has left office – before the refinery will be working at near capacity.

Oscar Ocampo, an energy expert with the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO), a think tank, said before Friday’s inauguration that there was a lack of information about the progress that has been made on building the refinery and when it will be operational.

There have been no public responses to basic questions about the project, he told the newspaper El Financiero. “We’re going to see the cutting of a ribbon and a government report, but we don’t know what’s behind [the ribbon] and this is very concerning given that it’s one of this administration’s priority projects,” Ocampo said.

An overhead view of the the facility.
An overhead view of the the facility. Presidencia de la República

Gonzalo Monroy, an energy analyst and consultant, described the new refinery as a “monument to opacity,” built according to political rather than technical specifications. “To add more layers of opacity, the government used affiliated companies of Pemex” whose work isn’t easy to oversee or evaluate from an accountability point of view, he said.

The refinery was developed by PTI Infraestructura de Desarollo, an affiliate of the state oil company. IMCO said in a note that affiliated companies, unlike subsidiaries of Pemex, “operate under private law and therefore don’t have the same transparency and contracting obligations.”

Meanwhile, Arturo Carranza, an energy expert, predicted that the useful lifespan of the Dos Bocas refinery will be short given that a transition to renewable energy is underway.

But López Obrador, a staunch energy nationalist who was born and raised in oil-rich Tabasco, believes that the heyday of fossil fuels is not yet over, at least in Mexico. In addition to betting big on the oil sector with the construction of the new refinery, his government has made it difficult for private renewable companies to operate in Mexico – although such firms breathed a sigh of relief when an electricity reform that would have guaranteed the state owned Federal Electricity Commission over half the market failed to pass Congress in April.

Analysts have questioned the wisdom of building the new refinery as it has diverted resources from Pemex’s more profitable exploration business. The project has also been controversial from an environmental standpoint, partially because mangroves had to be cleared before construction could begin.

The original estimated price tag was US $8 billion, but Bloomberg reported last month that the value of Energy Ministry contracts for work through to 2024 increased to over $14 billion in May. Bloomberg sources said that the final cost of the project will probably be between $16 billion and $18 billion.

With reports from El País, El Financiero, AP, Reuters and Bloomberg

Lion gives birth to 2 cubs in Veracruz animal sanctuary

By
MND Staff
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A photo of one of the cubs, shared by the mayor of Orizaba
A photo of one of the cubs, shared by the mayor of Orizaba. Facebook / Juan Manuel Diez

Two lion cubs are the newest members of an animal sanctuary in Veracruz after a lioness gave birth last month.

The mother and cubs were isolated for 10 days for their privacy at the Reserva del Río Orizaba (Orizaba River Reserve), a Wildlife Management Unit (UMA). They will join two cubs that were born at the sanctuary in October.

Orizaba Mayor Juan Manuel Diez Francos posted a photo of one of the cubs and credited staff at the sanctuary on social media on Thursday. “It fills me with pride to know that the conditions offered in Orizaba for the care of animals that cannot return to their natural habitats allow for the reproduction of species,” he said.

“Don’t forget to visit the Paseo del río [sanctuary]. The little ones are surely having fun …” Diez added.

The young cubs in a video shared by the Orizaba local government on Facebook.

In the post, Diez also announced that a new unit had been created at the sanctuary to provide improved care for dogs, cats and other animals.

The Reserva del Río Orizaba was created in 2010 and currently houses some 550 animals of 37 species that can be viewed by the public. Each animal wears a chip so that it can be closely monitored by staff.

The UMA has previously provided conditions for reproduction of endangered species, including jaguar, fallow deer and spider monkeys. It houses crocodiles, ostriches, llamas and tigers, among other wildlife.

With reports from El Sol de Orizaba and El Universal

Heavy rain forecast in 3 states after Hurricane Bonnie forms in Pacific

By
MND Staff
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A radar image of cloud cover on July 4 at 9:40 a.m. shows Hurricane Bonnie off the Pacific coast of Mexico.
A radar image of cloud cover on July 4 at 9:40 a.m. shows Hurricane Bonnie off the Pacific coast of Mexico. Conagua

Hurricane Bonnie, a Category 1 storm located off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast, will bring intense rain to parts of five states on Monday, the National Water Commission (Conagua) said.

In a statement issued at 7 a.m., Conagua said that Bonnie – which formed as a tropical storm in the Atlantic Ocean before moving across a narrow section of Central America into the Pacific – was 265 kilometers south-southwest of Puerto Ángel, Oaxaca, and moving west-northwest at 30 kph.

It said that the hurricane – which is not forecast to make landfall in Mexico – would advance parallel to the coasts of Oaxaca and Guerrero and that its extensive cloud bands would interact with two low pressure channels to bring intense rain of 75-150 millimeters to regions of Chiapas, Guerrero, Michoacán, Oaxaca and Veracruz.

Very heavy rain of 50-75 mm is forecast for parts of Puebla, while heavy 25-50 mm falls are predicted for areas of México state, Morelos and Tabasco.

Bonnie – which felled trees, caused widespread flooding and claimed the lives of at least three people in Nicaragua and El Salvador – had maximum sustained winds of 130 kph at 7 a.m. with gusts of up to 155 kph. Conagua forecast gusts of up to 90 kph and swells of 3-5 meters on the coasts of Oaxaca and Guerrero.

The United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) said early Monday that swells on the coasts of southern and southwestern Mexico are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip conditions. With regard to its forecast path, the NHC said that the center of Bonnie is expected to move parallel to, but remain south of, the coasts of southern and southwestern Mexico during the next couple of days.

Although the hurricane is not on track to make landfall, authorities along Mexico’s southern Pacific coast are on alert for risks generated by Bonnie’s proximity. In addition, authorities in Oaxaca are restricting maritime activity due to the dangerous conditions at sea, while those in Guerrero decided to close schools Monday in six of seven regions. More than 750,000 students have been told to stay at home.

Bonnie is the fourth named storm in the Pacific this hurricane season after Hurricane Agatha, Hurricane Blas and Tropical Storm Celia. It was given a name starting with B because it was the second major storm to develop in the Atlantic this hurricane season.

Agatha made landfall in Oaxaca May 30 as a Category 2 hurricane, causing significant damage and claiming at least nine lives. Neither Blas nor Celia made landfall in Mexico.

The National Meteorological Service is predicting more hurricanes than usual this hurricane season. It’s predicting 14-19 tropical storms and hurricanes in the Pacific Ocean and 16-21 in the Atlantic.

With reports from Milenio and Al Jazeera 

‘Hobbit hotel’ inspires imagination while boosting local economy in Xilitla

By
Leigh Thelmadatter
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Hotel Tapasoli's burrow houses
The "burrow houses" of Hotel Tapasoli are based on the shelters built by the lowland paca, a small native mammal. Leigh Thelmadatter

The lodgings at the Hotel Tapasoli aren’t for hobbits, but the misnomer has worked out to the benefit of the community where the hotel is based in the Huasteca region of San Luis Potosí.

By far, most people come to the area to visit Las Pozas, the much-hyped surrealist home and gardens of English poet Edward James, in the Pueblo Mágico of Xilitla. The town proper is packed with small places to stay almost up to the gates of the gardens.

There are some resorts and other lodging up the canyon walls that promise more than just a place to sleep, but I don’t think any of them can surpass Tapasoli, the brainchild of Alberto Muñoz González, in the nearby community of Apetzco.

Apetzco (sometimes spelled Apexco) is a mostly indigenous community also located in the Xilitla municipality, and Tapasoli means “bird’s nest” in Náhuatl. Muñoz had the unusual idea of creating lodgings here that hang from the rather large trees on his family’s land. Their shape and thatching are based on the nests of the Altamira oriole, a bird native to northeast Mexico. Built for coziness and with a camping feel, they have room only for a bed or two and up to three people maximum. Bathrooms and showers are communal and located under the restaurant.  They are not completely rustic, having steel cables for support, waterproofing against the very rainy climate, and mosquito nets.

The design of Tapasoli's "nests" take inspiration from the nests of the Altamira oriole.
The design of Tapasoli’s “nests” take inspiration from the nests of the native Altamira oriole. Facebook / Hotel Tapasoli

They still have six of these nests, but by 2016, Muñoz realized he needed to offer another option.

His next idea was what he calls “burrow houses,” based on homes created by local lowland pacas, small mammals that are also native to the area. Taking advantage of the steep incline on part of the land, with its stunning views of Xilitla below, the rooms are dug into the rock, and then enclosed with a front with a circular door. The rooms have more than a passing resemblance to the houses of the hobbits of “The Lord of the Rings.” In fact, Mexican media simply refers to Tapasoli as the “hobbit hotel.” These “burrows” have been quite successful with 15 now built in a span of only six years. All have one or more beds, a fireplace, bathroom, climate control and Wi-Fi, but no television. All have spectacular panoramic views, and the newest overlook a new artificial pond with two small waterfalls. Although Muñoz insists the hobbits had nothing to do with the design, he does not mind the comparison, finding it rather amusing.

The area is small, but everything you need for an intimate weekend away is right there. The restaurant specializes in dishes from local kitchens in Apetzco, made by local women, no chef. Foodstuffs are local and everything is cooked over traditional wood stoves. Representative dishes include enchiladas huastecas, eggs cooked in banana leaves, roasted chayote and plantains roasted with the peel on and served with cream. Oil and other fats are generally avoided, and are not missed.

“We want people who visit us and stay here to have a unique experience.” Muñoz says.

Left: A cook at work in the kitchen over a wood-fired stove. Right: eggs cooked in banana leaves, black beans and roasted chayote.
At the restaurant, local cooks use traditional methods to prepare enchiladas huastecas, eggs cooked in banana leaves, whole-roasted plantains with cream, and other regional specialties. Leigh Thelmadatter

Over 90% of those who make reservations are women, often looking for a romantic weekend getaway.  He has been in contact with people in other parts of Mexico and even Germany who have expressed interest in building something similar.

Tapasoli does not market itself as an ecological resort, although there are ecological elements. First is that its buildings do not clash or seek to dominate the landscape, but rather blend in.  As few trees as possible have been cut and in some cases, built around. Firewood is used judiciously (as in many homes), and there are composting facilities, rainwater capture, and greywater reuse for plants.

Tapasoli also “blends in” with the local community. Muñoz’s maternal family has been here for over four generations. Before the hotel, they primarily used the plot of land to grow corn, oranges, bananas and coffee, one reason why there are still larger and older trees on the property. Tapasoli sources both supplies and labor locally, employing 47 local people directly and doing business with about 70 others.

Muñoz is not done yet. His immediate project is to rework the nests. New COVID regulations mean he needs to provide separate bathroom facilities for them. But the long-term challenge is getting more people to the hotel. The road to Apetzco from the valley below is in bad shape, apart from the fact that Xilitla itself is not easy to get to. The community has been fighting the municipality for some time to repair the road, and Muñoz is looking into providing transportation from Tampico and Mexico City.

Until then, it is best to use a car and drive up slowly – but it is worth it.

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.

What to expect when you’re moving in Mexico

By
Sarah DeVries
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When it comes to relocating, shuttling boxes to a new place may be easy part.
When it comes to relocating, shuttling boxes to a new place may be the easy part.

We’re moving next week!

I know that most people hate moving. I, however, in a likely very annoying way, am energized by it: there’s just nothing like a fresh start.

The first part – purging my current space of all the things I no longer want or need – is my favorite. It gives both me and my space such a shift in energy that as far as I’m concerned, it’s witchcraft (that works).

The first couple of days after we get the keys to the new place, we’ll take everything we can over in a car. Then later, we’ll have a moving truck transport all the big stuff.

The actual, physical moving is, to me, the easy part.

The part that comes before that though is a doozy. Finding a place to rent is an adventure in and of itself (more on that below), as is deciphering rental contracts and figuring out what needs to happen in order to leave one’s current place. Making sure I was doing everything the way it was supposed to be done was my main concern.

Unfortunately, being an anxious and meticulous goody-goody is very much at odds with the confusion surrounding rental properties in cities like mine, which are not used to dealing with foreigners and their cultural assumptions around the topic.

Because of that, I think a simple article on what to expect paperwork-wise during a move within Mexico would be timely. Here’s what to look out for.

Searching for a new place

If you’re not in a huge hurry to move out of your current place, this part can be quite an exciting adventure!

Mexico does not have a central listing of properties for rent or sale, so the landscape is wide and a bit chaotic. To find something, then, you’ll just have to do some leg work. Facebook Marketplace can be a good starting point, as can Vivanuncios (which is where I found my current house). Properties are rented by either their owners or through real estate agencies, all of whom may or may not have photos to look at online.

You’re also likely to find many places for rent or sale simply by walking around areas that you like! If you see a “For Sale” sign on a place you’d like to rent, go ahead and give them a call: many owners are willing to rent in the meantime rather than simply letting their homes sit on the market making no money, so it can’t hurt to try your luck.

Just remember: if a place is technically for sale, you’ll of course have to move if it sells, which is always a risk. If you have a contract (which are almost always made for a year) then it should be respected until the year is up, but if you’re renting “informally,” which I don’t recommend, then you’ve definitely got less protection. Make sure to clarify whatever you decide on with the owner so that you don’t suddenly find yourself needing a new place within two weeks!

Contracts: lots of bark, unknown bite

The law in Mexico when it comes to property is … complicated. And because the rule of law is one of the country’s weakest institutions in general, it’s honestly a wonder to me that anyone is willing to take the risk of renting at all.

The short explanation is that squatters (or overstayers who simply quit paying rent) have rights, and quite a lot of them. I’ve heard many stories of unprotected (but owned) property being built on and lived in by others, with this result: the law tends to side with those who are physically using the space whether it belongs to them on paper or not.

A lot goes into these (quite long) contracts, but the gist of it is that you agree to pay rent on time every month and to evacuate the property if you don’t. Late payments incur fees, and you have to take care of the property and not make any major changes to it. All this is fairly common in any rental contract, but there are a few other things that go into it as well.

First, you’ll likely need an aval, which is a co-signer. This will sometimes be waved, especially for foreigners who have a reputation for obeying laws, if you pay several months’ rent in advance and sometimes even if you can simply prove steady and high income; basically, they just want to increase the odds as much as possible that they’ll get paid. At least in my city, the aval must be a property owner with property in the same city. Not only do they need to own property, but they need to fully own their property and be up to date on all of their taxes with extensive paperwork to prove it. If they’re still paying for it, then their property couldn’t be seized in the event that the renter didn’t pay or refused to leave because the bank that made the loan would have first dibs. You and your aval will then both need to sign …

Pagarés. This literally means “I will pay,” and many places have you sign 12 of them, one for each month of your contract, to be returned to you each month.

Sometimes there’s a specific item in the contract outlining fees and fines for ending the contract before the year is up. Check for those! I was very nervous about my current contract, as, after looking closely, I discovered that I’d agreed to pay essentially two extra months of rent as a penalty for moving before the year was up. Luckily it wasn’t even mentioned, and I’ve come to understand that for the most part, those are simply there to prevent bad actors.

Out of the old, into the new

Once the contract is signed and the first month’s rent and deposit (which you will very likely not get back) are paid, the place is yours! While you can’t make any major changes (see above), most places are happy to let you paint, install shelving, etc. One thing I really appreciate about renting here is that there are so many ways to really make it your own. It should be passed on to you with all previous bills having been paid (they’ll have the owner’s name on the bills, not yours). Just make sure that’s actually the case.

Beyond those bills, most owners will keep a fairly hands-off attitude toward the house, though they may ask if they can show the house to someone once in a while if it happens to be for sale (something that I do not love). Renters are typically responsible for minor repairs and upkeep of the property, though the owners should step in for anything major like structural damage or the water heater ceasing to work.

And don’t forget about the place you lived before: you’ll need to fix it up a bit!

While the outside parts of the property are not typically the renter’s responsibility beyond regular upkeep and you having not obviously destroyed anything, the inside will likely need some paint touch-ups, some cleaning, and to have any holes from nails filled in. I seem to have gotten lucky: the real estate agency likes the way I’ve painted, so hopefully the next person to rent will be happy with those colors and I won’t have to leave it completely white again like I would in most places (y’all keep your fingers crossed for me!).

If you’ve been a good steward of the property, have always paid on time, and have made a good effort to communicate early and clearly, even the most buttoned-up agents will usually be willing to work with you to make the transition as smooth as possible.

And if you’re like me and like to put out every possible problem that might come up along the way for discussion: just don’t. Keep them in your back pocket in case any issues come up.

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

Mango madness: It’s time to make the ultimate cheesecake

By
Janet Blaser
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Blending fresh mango into the cheesecake batter gives it a delicate color and luscious flavor.
Blending fresh mango into the cheesecake batter gives it a delicate color and luscious flavor. Janet Blaser

Know from the start that I am both a mango and a cheesecake fan. Mango-love goes without saying; as for cheesecake, I’ve made many different styles, from New York to Japanese, and I love them all. But never a mango cheesecake.

This recipe calls for blending mangoes into the filling, resulting in a beautifully colored, softly flavored, totally delicious dessert. Other versions have a layer of mango gel on top, or just sliced mangoes as a garnish, or are “no-bake” recipes. Pshaw! This is the way to go.

Cheesecake depends as much on its ingredients as the cooking method and timing to be successful; I encourage you to follow directions to the tee. Have all your ingredients and equipment laid out and ready to go before you start. There are not that many steps, but they are specific and detailed. If you don’t set up your mise en place first, you will hate me, this recipe and the whole idea of ever making cheesecake yourself.

Do you need a springform pan? Well, there’s something undeniably elegant about a tall, stately, cream-colored cheesecake, brought to the table anchored by the thinnest layer of brown cookie crust. So sure, you can use a regular cake pan, but it won’t be as tall and you won’t be able to unmold it; you’ll have to just cut and serve slices right out of the pan. Whatever pan you use, though, you must still bake it in a water bath to get the texture you’re looking for.

It's hard to go wrong with a fresh, ripe mango.
Juicy, ripe mangoes make a flavorful purée that perfectly balances the smooth creaminess of the cheesecake.

Cheesecake acts like a custard — all eggs and dairy, no flour or leavening — so it must be baked slow and steady at a low, even heat. That’s where the water bath (a bain marie) comes in. No matter what temperature the oven is, the water will never get hotter than 100 C (212 F); without this moist heat, your cheesecake will get rubbery, curdle or overbake. (Take note: Another reason for a rubbery texture is overmixing the batter.) A deep roasting or lasagna pan will work; just check to be sure your springform pan will fit inside.

As far as the crust, I can’t find actual graham crackers anywhere here and hate the artificial taste of most other plain cookies (like Galletas Marías). I prefer Gamesa-brand “Classicas Ricanelas” (a not-too-sweet cinnamon cookie) or their “Barras de Coco.” If you can find a pre-made graham cracker crust in your local big-box store — lucky you! Whatever you use, it’s really not that important. The filling is what we’re after and the crust is simply a vehicle to give it a bit more structure on its way from fork to mouth. Do use Philadelphia brand cream cheese (or make your own). I’ve adjusted the amount in the recipe to allow for the package size in Mexico.

If you’re new to cheesecake-baking, most recipes say to take it out of the oven when it’s set but still a bit wobbly in the middle, meaning if you shake the pan, a two-inch circle in the center of the cheesecake should wiggle. Believe this! The filling will continue to cook a little as it cools. Cook longer and it will be tasty but dry. (A knife inserted in the center won’t work; this isn’t a cake.) You’ll notice the filling pulled away slightly from the edges of the pan and the surface of the cheesecake will no longer be shiny. A cheesecake that’s done will give a little but feel firm if you touch it gently with your finger. Finally, if you have a food thermometer, check the temperature in the center of the cheesecake: if it’s done, it will be 66 C (150 F).

Mango Cheesecake

  • 8 oz. (two 113-gram packages) cookies (see above)
  • ½ cup butter, softened and cut into pieces
  • 2 cups fresh mango purée (unsweetened)
  • Three 180-gram packages + ½ cup Philadelphia cream cheese, softened (1.5 lbs. total)
  • ½ to 1 cup white sugar, as desired
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Juice of 1 small lime
  • Optional: Unsweetened shredded coconut, mango slices for garnish

In a blender, purée mangos; set aside. Heat oven to 165 C ( 325 F).

Dump cookies into a food processor or blender. Process until almost fine crumbs. Add butter and continue processing until mixture clumps together like damp sand. (Push mixture down from sides with a spatula if necessary.) Dump mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly into bottom and up sides. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Place springform pan on two pieces of foil (heavy-duty if possible) laid out in a cross. Crimp edges up around sides of pan to make a waterproof nest. (If using a regular cake pan, no need for the foil.) Place foil-covered pan in the roasting pan. Set aside. In a large pot, bring to a boil enough water to half-fill a deep roasting pan.

Unbaked cheesecake in an aluminum foil "nest"
Ready to bake! Aluminum foil “nest” protects the cheesecake from the water bath. Janet Blaser

In food processor, blender or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, place mango purée; add all of the cream cheese and process till smooth. Add sugar, and with motor running, add eggs one at a time. Add lime juice and vanilla. Process until thoroughly blended. Don’t overmix!

Pour or scrape filling into pan; if you like, decorate the top with unsweetened shredded coconut. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of cake pan and place on center rack in the pre-heated oven. This is tricky! You may want to fill it part way, put the pans in the oven, and then pour in more hot water a cup at a time until the desired level is reached.

Bake until filling is set and wobbles slightly in the center, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. (See tips above.) If needed, bake longer in 5-minute intervals. Remove from water bath. Discard foil and cool on a cooling rack. When completely cool, 1-2 hours, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, resisting the urge to eat it immediately.

To serve, carefully remove from pan and place on a platter before slicing with a knife dipped in hot water. Garnish each slice with a thin wedge of mango.

Janet Blaser is the author of the best-selling book, Why We Left: An Anthology of American Women Expats, featured on CNBC and MarketWatch. She has lived in Mexico since 2006. You can find her on Facebook.

Truck deaths in Texas; thinking like Hitler: the week at the morning news conferences

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MND Staff
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President López Obrador at his Monday press conference.
President López Obrador at his Monday press conference. Presidencia de la República

President López Obrador, 68 years young, spent the weekend in Guerrero. His attention was turned to the virtual world on Sunday where his 15-year-old son Jesús Ernesto was receiving online abuse and being mocked for his weight. “The problem is with me, not with him. Even in the mafia the family is respected,” AMLO derided.

Monday

Was it time to relieve the attorney general of his duties, a journalist asked López Obrador after the president met with Alejandro Gertz Manero. Gertz has repeatedly been accused of collusion and faces legal action from the president’s former legal counsel. López Obrador said he didn’t raise the topic of damning leaked telephone calls with Gertz and added that he’d requested an acceleration of the investigation into the 43 students who went missing in Iguala, Guerrero, in 2014.

“There is a very good relationship, with regards to the separation of powers. I don’t get involved in matters that correspond to the judiciary, only when it comes to matters that affect the population,” the president insisted.

Later in the conference, the tabasqueño was less restrained in his treatment of jailed former security minister Genaro García Luna, and a certain disfavored U.S. newspaper. He charged that The New York Times previously supported the disgraced minister. “The New York Times [was] talking up García Luna’s wonders … at the time. [Saying] that he was like Batman … such newspapers should offer apologies,” he said.

However, one U.S. citizen was enshrined into the president’s good books. “Today the best Mexican basketball player in history is coming,” he said referring to U.S.-born Juan Toscano-Anderson, who became the first Mexican NBA champion earlier this month. “He has Mexico in his heart, in his blood. He is a son of migrants … we’re very proud of him,” he added.

Tuesday

A sense of sorrow accompanied Tuesday’s conference, as López Obrador addressed the dozens of migrants found dead in a trailer in Texas, many of whom he said were Mexican. “These unfortunate events, which have to do with the poverty and desperation of our Central American brothers, and of Mexicans, happen because there is human trafficking and a lack of controls,” he said, before adding a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House was fixed for July 12.

AMLO plans to discuss immigration issues with U.S. President Joe Biden, he said on Tuesday.
AMLO plans to discuss immigration issues with U.S. President Joe Biden, he said on Tuesday. Presidencia de la República

The president assured immigration would be a central topic of conversation at the meeting. “We’ve been insisting on support for Central America and also on increasing temporary work visas and ordering the migratory flow … there is a reality that they have a hard time accepting, especially because of their dogmas and their anti-immigrant policy,” he said of U.S. politicians.

After all, the president added, the U.S. and Canada are in need of migrants: “They don’t have labor power, there’s no labor force, neither in the United States nor in Canada, for them to grow and produce, and not just consume what is produced in Asia … That is an obvious crisis,” he said, before announcing that his wife, Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller, would accompany him to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, principally to discuss education.

Wednesday

The president celebrated the first birthday of the “Who’s who in the lies of the week” section, which examines media misinformation. The section, led since its inception by Ana Elizabeth García Vilchis, has dispelled myths, clarified confusion and had its own occasional struggles with truth.

The head of the National Immigration Institute (INM), Francisco Garduño Yáñez, offered some hard facts. He said the driver of the trailer in which dozens of migrants died in Texas had tried to pass as one of the survivors to evade authorities and added the vehicle passed through two migratory checkpoints in the U.S. before it was discovered.

In her festive section, García denied that planes had been arriving at Felipe Ángeles airport from Venezuela full of undocumented migrants and, in light of a scandal, said Pemex was contractually required to provide ice cubes to workers in hot conditions. The fake news expert also pointed to some suspicious activity on Twitter, where one account had abusively retweeted 4.58 times per minute about AMLO’s son.

Thursday

After the murder of two Jesuit priests in Chihuahua on June 20, the president reiterated his respect for Pope Francis, who he called “a true Christian,” but was less impressed by the reaction of others in the church who’d criticized the government’s security strategy. “Those comments that hugs aren’t enough. What do the priests want? For us to solve problems with violence? Are we going to disappear everyone? Are we going to gamble on war?” the president said.

Mexican advertising executive Carlos Alazraki.
Mexican advertising executive Carlos Alazraki.

López Obrador raised another controversy with religious undertones. “Yesterday I said that Mr. Alazraki is Hitlerian,” he said, referring to a Jewish advertising executive who’d suggested malpractice was the best way to defeat the government.

“There may no longer be Hitler, there may no longer be Mussolini, there may no longer be Stalin, there may no longer be Franco, but the fascist, Francoist Nazi ideas, Stalinism, still exist … Mr. Alazraki is a follower of Hitler’s thinking,” the president affirmed.

“The Jewish community in Mexico considered it offensive,” a journalist returned.

“I have very good friends in the Jewish community,” the president rebutted, before showing a video of Alazraki saying that the more propaganda and lies disseminated against the ruling party, the better.

Friday

There was no conference on Friday as the president traveled to his home state Tabasco to open the Dos Bocas refinery, a project that has run up a hefty bill and could end up costing more than double its original US $8 billion estimate. The president has set a goal of making Mexico self-sufficient in fuel by 2023.

Last month, López Obrador indulged his nostalgia talking about his happy childhood in Tabasco. He recounted walking around barefoot and shirtless in the heat, immersing himself in nature and playing baseball. One of his inspirations is the tabasqueño poet Carlos Pellicer who acted as a mentor, and something of a moral guide, early in his career.

Much of Pellicer’s poetry focuses on his home state and his poem “Esto Soy” (What I Am) addresses Tabascan identity:

I was born of Olmecs and Mayans, and Spanish people,

from the mountain and the sea.

….

I am more water than earth

and more fire than heaven.

In my blood sails

the most ancient of Mexico.

 

Mexico News Daily

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