July fairs and festivals: Grape treading, Pancho Villa and Veracruz Carnival

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June 21, 2022

The annual fair in Saltillo, Coahuila, begins July 14.

There are fairs, festivals and even firefly shows to keep people occupied around the country next month and even a rather late edition of one of Mexico’s most famous versions of Carnival for fans of the flamboyant celebration.

Sports fans should also look ahead to the Los Cabos Tennis Open in Baja California Sur, which is from August 1-6. There’s a range of packages available and tickets for single days start at 550 pesos ($27). The ATP event welcomes the world’s highest ranking men’s player, Russian Daniil Medvedev; U.S. serve maestro John Isner and No. 9 ranked Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.

• San Juan del Río Fair, San Juan del Río, Querétaro (Now-July 3)

A local festival with traditional events including cockfighting, bullfighting, equestrian shows and fairground rides, but also a modern cultural offering with documentary screenings and music of varied genres: ska, reggae, rock, rap and others, and folkloric dances.

Tickets for concerts in the palenque stadium start at 400 pesos (US $20). Artists include banda outfit Los Tucanes de Tijuana and pop singer Napoleón, who found fame in the 1970s.

Each day has a different theme, including youth, disability, environment, water, business, sport, farming, health and family, children, seniors, Women’s Day, and a day for the arts. General entrance costs 60 pesos (US $3) before 6 p.m. and 100 pesos (US $5) thereafter.

• Viewing of the Fireflies, Nanacamilpa, Tlaxcala (Now-August 14)

For those looking to connect with the natural world, the spectacle of fireflies lighting up the nighttime forest for mating season will return to the Firefly Sanctuary in the town which has become famous for its luminescent insects.

• GNP Paax Festival Classical Music Festival, near Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo (June 29-July 3)

A new classical music festival conceived by renowned Mexican conductor Alondra de la Parra will feature over 100 international artists at the Hotel Xcaret Arte near Playa del Carmen from June 29 to July 3.

Events include two concerts every night at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. as well as presentations of books, chamber music and talks with the creators. Tickets for a single concert start at US $50 (Coral Pass) while a package for five nights at the festival and hotel accommodation starts at US $2,240 (Manta Ray Experience), but shorter packages are also available.

De la Parra said the name “paax” comes from the word for music in Mayan and is phonetically the word for peace in Latin.

• Veracruz Carnival, Veracruz city (July 1-5)

The roots of Veracruz Carnival extend back to colonial times and it was first held in 1866. The celebration in its current form began in 1925, when the first organizing committee and the parade-style festival as it is now known were created.

Expect dance troupes, baton twirlers, drum groups, floats and squads of costumed characters. There will be parades from Saturday through Tuesday: Monday will be free, Tuesday will cost 40 pesos (US $2), while Saturday and Sunday will cost 100 pesos ($5). The festival normally takes place before Lent at the end of February, but was rescheduled to take place in July this year.

• Ultra-Marathon of the Canyons, Guachochi, Chihuahua (July 8-10)

The 25th Ultra-Marathon of the Canyons will take place at the Sinforosa Guachochi Canyon in the heartlands of the Rarámuri, an indigenous group famed for their prowess in distance running. There are distances of 10, 21, 63 and 100 kilometers, with respective participation costs of 650 ($32); 750 ($37); 1,650 ($81.50) and 1,750 pesos ($86.50). To reserve a place click on the distance you’re interested in to be directed to a checkout page.

• Flutist Elena Durán’s Concert for Paul McCartney’s 80th Birthday, Mexico City (July 14)

One of the world’s top flutists, Elena Durán, has played for esteemed guests, including Queen Elizabeth II and the British Royal Family. She also recorded a hit single with other British royalty — the Beatles’ own Paul McCartney, and is putting on a concert to coincide with McCartney’s 80th birthday, and in dedication to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at the Teatro de la Ciudad (City Theater) in Mexico City. Durán will be joined by the Edgar Ibarra Trio to play some of McCartney’s most famous hits. Tickets start at 300 pesos ($15).

• Marlin and Tuna Fishing Tournament, Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit (July 14-16)

Tackle and bait at the ready for the marlin and tuna fishing contest in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit. The organizers are promising big prizes for winning boats, which can be teams of up to four people. There’s a registration fee of 20,000 pesos ($1,000) for each team to take part. There are cash prizes of up to 150,000 pesos (almost $7,500) as well as trophies and high quality tequila. The three day event, when on dry land, is based at the Paradise Village Hotel Marina on the Nayarit coast.

• Jornadas Villistas, a Celebration of Francisco “Pancho” Villa, Parral, Chihuahua (July 14-22)

There’s an element of fun to the Jornadas Villistas returning to Parral, Chihuahua, where the city’s favorite son, bandit come revolutionary general Francisco “Pancho” Villa, is celebrated. Events include a huge meetup of bikers, a horse parade, a reenactment of Villa’s assassination and a contemporary circus. There are also concerts starting from 135 pesos ($6.50) to see banda outfit Los Sebastianes, Lila Downs, who combines pop and traditional forms, rapper Santa Fe Klan and Gloria Trevi, who has been called “The supreme diva of Mexican pop,” among many others.

• Saltillo Fair, Saltillo, Coahuila (July 14-August 7)

Saltillo’s annual festival returns. There’s a lot on offer for kids with a dinosaur exhibition, circus performances, a funfair and cowboy shows. The concert line up is banda and norteño heavy, but also includes local ska band Inspector, members of the Cuban ensemble Buena Vista Social Club and Mexican singer Flor Amargo, who crosses many genres. Entrance costs 70 pesos ($3.50) and there are 2×1 tickets on Mondays and Tuesdays. Seniors and disabled people can enter for 40 pesos ($2).

• Durango Festival, Durango city (July 15-31)

Durango’s festival, known as Fenadu, is back. Performances will come from many of the big names on the festival circuit, like Julión Álvarez, Banda MS and Bronco, as well as rock soloist Siddhartha, Colombian singer Juanes and Mexican rapper Alemán. Funfair rides, circus shows and the coronation of the beauty queen accompany the full range of traditional festival activities.

• Wine Harvest and Grape Treading, Ezequiel Montes, Querétaro (July 16-August 14)

There’s free entry from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. to the La Redonda vineyards for the annual grape treading, part of the process to turn the fruits into juice ready to be transformed into wine. Anyone who attends will be asked to take their shoes off and help crush the grapes. There will be entertainment too, with live music and wine tasting and plenty of opportunities to learn about how wine is made.

• Lagos de Moreno Festival, Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco (July 28-August 14)

The attractive Magical Town Lagos de Moreno in Jalisco brings back its annual festival this year. There will be performances from clowns, ranchera and pop music performances, among other genres, and a whole separate lineup of kids entertainment. It’s a local affair, but still a great opportunity to visit an often overlooked Magical Town, about midway between San Miguel de Allende and Guadalajara.

• Mexico City Half Marathon, Mexico City (July 31)

Lace up your sneakers to join 25,000 runners for the Mexico City Half Marathon. The route starts on Reforma Avenue for roughly half of the almost 22 kilometer track, before the second half takes the runners through Chapultepec Park and finishes at the Angel of Independence statue. To register for the event the price is 500 pesos ($25) for Mexican nationals and $65 for non-Mexicans, and an online sign up is required. All runners pick up an attractively designed medal for participation.

Mexico News Daily

Experts warn of danger to health posed by rotting sargassum

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MND Staff

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June 21, 2022

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removing sargassum from Quintana Roo beach — Those most at risk of health problems are people employed to remove sargassum from beaches, an UNAM scientist said. File photo

A National Autonomous University (UNAM) scientist has warned that rotting sargassum can pose a risk to human health.

Huge quantities of sargassum – a seaweed that emits a foul odor when it decomposes – have washed up on Quintana Roo beaches this year. Twenty-two beaches in the Caribbean coast state were covered with excessive quantities of the weed on Tuesday, according to the Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network, while 21 were plagued by abundant amounts.

When large quantities of sargassum decompose, gases such as hydrogen sulfide – which has a rotten egg smell – methane and ammonium are generated, said Brigitta Van Tussenbroek, a researcher at UNAM’s reef systems unit in Puerto Morelos.

“The one of greatest concern is hydrogen sulfide,” she said, explaining that chronic exposure to the gas can cause health problems, “mainly for people who have respiratory problems.”

According to the United States Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), “just a few breaths of air containing high levels of hydrogen sulfide can cause death.”

“… Exposure to low concentrations of hydrogen sulfide may cause irritation to the eyes, nose, or throat. It may also cause difficulty in breathing for some asthmatics,” the ATSDR said. “… Exposure to low concentrations … may cause headaches, poor memory, tiredness, and balance problems,” it added.

Those most at risk of health problems are people employed to remove sargassum from beaches. The federal Environment Ministry last year published guidelines for sargassum collectors, but they are not legally binding and consequently not adhered to all of the time, Milenio reported. Sargaceros, as such collectors are known, are supposed to wear gloves, boots and face masks when removing the seaweed from beaches, but they don’t always follow that advice, the newspaper said.

Enforceable regulations are needed, said Van Tussenbroek, adding that sensors that measure hydrogen sulfide levels could also help protect sargassum shovelers.

With reports from Milenio

Teotihuacán, ‘the place where the gods were created,’ continues to intrigue

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Joseph Sorrentino

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June 21, 2022

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Quetzcoátl carving at Teotihuacan's Ciudadela — Quetzalcóatl, the feathered serpent god, keeps watch at his temple in Teotihuacán's Ciudadela structure. Photos by Joseph Sorrentino

Although it is one of Mexico’s best-known archaeological sites, the ruins of Teotihuacán in San Juan Teotihuacán, México state, never cease to inspire awe.

One reason why is the way this ancient city’s remains loom so large, not only historically but also physically: on the ruins’ east side, the Pyramid of the Sun, measuring 216 feet in height, stands majestically above the Avenue of the Dead.

About half a mile away, at the northern end of the avenue, stands the Pyramid of the Moon, 140 feet tall and facing south towards the Ciudadela (the citadel), where another, much smaller pyramid — the Temple of Quetzalcóatl — is located.

At its peak, sometime around A.D. 450, the city covered between eight and 14 square miles (different sources give different areas), and its population is estimated at 150,000 to 250,000.

Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan — The Pyramid of the Sun, one of the largest pyramids in Mesoamerica.

This mysterious Mesoamerican city, which still holds secrets, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. If you spend time in Mexico but never made a point of seeing this site, you’re missing an important piece of Mexico’s ancient history. Teotihuacán influenced cities and civilizations throughout Mesoamerica, including the Cerro de las Mesas (Hill of the Mesas) in Veracruz and the Monte Alban site in Oaxaca. It influenced Maya civilization as far south as Guatemala.

This influence may be seen in its buildings and pyramids’ construction methods and by the presence of cruces punteadas (pecked crosses), conventions originating in Teotihuacán and shared by later pre-Hispanic civilizations.

These pecked crosses’ purpose isn’t known — archeologists have postulated everything from astronomical devices to urban maps to games — but their presence in far-flung cities suggests that they were important.

Despite its size, apparent importance and influence, no one knows who built Teotihuacán or why it was abandoned around A.D. 750. Even its actual name remains a mystery.

pre-Hispanic igures found at Teotihuacan in 2014 — Archaeologists are still making new discoveries at Teotihuacán. These figures were among hundreds of artifacts found in 2014 inside the Temple of Quetzalcóatl. INAH

Teotihuacán, which in Nahuatl means “place where the gods were created,” is a name the Mexica gave the city sometime in the 1400s. They also gave Teotihuacán’s pyramids and other structures the names we know.

Carlos de Siguenza y Góngora, a 17th-century intellectual and New Spain’s official geographer, made Teotihuacán’s earliest recorded excavations. More extensive ones followed in the 1880s and continue through the present day, which have allowed archeologists to tease out a significant amount of Teotihuacán’s history.

Teotihuacán was probably settled by 400 B.C., although it didn’t develop into a city until a couple of centuries later. Archeologists divide its history into four periods known as Teotihuacán I, II, III and IV.

During Teotihuacán I, which lasted from 200 B.C. to 1 B.C., farmers began settling around the springs located in the area, and a city began to form. The city expanded tremendously during Teotihuacán II (A.D. 1–350). This growth is believed to have been partly due to the arrival of people from Cuicuilco, a city located in what is now Tlalpan, a borough of Mexico City.

Pyramid of the Moon at Teotihuacan — The Pyramid of the Moon is theorized to have been built between A.D. 1 and 350, after the city’s population grew. Gorgo/Creative Commons

People fled Cuicuilco after a series of volcanic eruptions sometime between A.D. 245–315. During this period, monumental structures like the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun were constructed.

Teotihuacán III (A.D. 350–650) saw the city reach its peak size, population and influence over Mesoamerica. During that era, the city’s believed to have hosted at least 150,000 people and around 2,000 buildings.

Then, during the period designated as Teotihuacán IV (A.D. 650–750), the city began its collapse. Burn marks on a number of buildings had initially led archeologists to speculate that its destruction was due to an invasion, but further investigations have revealed that the burning was restricted to structures occupied by the ruling class.

It’s now believed that the destruction was most likely due to a local uprising against the city’s rulers. By A.D. 750, the city was abandoned.

Carving at Teotihuacan — To this day, we don’t know why Teotihuacán was abandoned by A.D. 750.

Although much remains unknown about the city, excavations and research have yielded significant information.

The Pyramid of the Sun’s purpose is still uncertain, however. But it’s aligned with Cerro Gordo, a sacred mountain in México state, where rain petitions are still conducted by traditional shamans, so it’s possible that the ancient residents conducted similar ceremonies atop the pyramid, where archeologists believe a temple once stood.

According to a paper published by Ivan Sprajc in the journal Latin American Antiquity, the Pyramid of the Sun is aligned to record sunrise and sunset on specific days, allowing it to be used as an observational calendar.

Tunnels and caves were first discovered under the pyramid in 1971. And although its interior has yet to be fully explored, archeologists have found a collection of obsidian, clay fragments and figures in one area and, beneath the pyramid’s summit, two pillars and a figure of Huehueteotl, the god of fire.

mural in Tetitla section of Teotihuacan — Many murals have been discovered in the city’s western Tetitla section, an area believed to be for the elite. Gate 1 is near this section. INAH

The Pyramid of the Moon was built successively from A.D. 1 to 350. A new pyramid was built on top of the previous one, resulting in a larger and larger structure.

The pyramid was the Teotihuacán’s religious center and apparently the site of ritual sacrifices, as human and animal remains have been uncovered there. Its 12 small platforms may have used to view sacrifices.

At the southern end of the Avenue of the Dead is the Ciudadela, a complex occupying over 38 acres. Within is the Temple of Quezalcóatl, the feathered serpent god. Large serpent heads line the staircase leading to the top, and more line the its walls, alternating with figures of Tlaloc, a rain god. Shells and serpents have also been carved into the walls.

All these figures are associated with water or rain. A number of graves of sacrificial victims have been found at the site, including one mass grave containing 130 skeletons.

jaguar mural at Teotihuacan archaeological site — A jaguar mural, one of many paintings that remain on Teotihuacan’s buildings.

Teotihuacán’s buildings were once painted with bright colors and murals, some of which can still be seen. Portions and recreations of other murals can be viewed at the Museo de Murales Teotihuacano Beatriz de la Fuente onsite. The Museo de la Cultura Teotihuacana there contains more than 600 excavated artifacts.

Teotihuacán costs 80 pesos to enter. Parking is extra. Gate 2 provides a spectacular first view of the Pyramid of the Sun.

Plan on two hours to see the ruins and an hour for the museums. Also, the site has precious little shade, so take a good sun hat and sunscreen.

Joseph Sorrentino, a writer, photographer and author of the book San Gregorio Atlapulco: Cosmvisiones and of Stinky Island Tales: Some Stories from an Italian-American Childhood, is a regular contributor to Mexico News Daily. More examples of his photographs and links to other articles may be found at www.sorrentinophotography.com He currently lives in Chipilo, Puebla.

AMLO to bring up case of Wikileaks founder Assange during meeting with Biden

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MND Staff

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June 21, 2022

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amlo and assange — The president has offered Assange asylum.

President López Obrador said Tuesday that he would raise the case of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange when he meets with United States President Joe Biden in Washington next month.

British Home Secretary Priti Patel last week approved the extradition of the 50-year-old Australian to the United States, where he faces espionage charges stemming from the way in which he obtained confidential U.S. government material he published on the Wikileaks website. However, lawyers for Assange – who was arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2019 after holing up there for almost seven years – intend to appeal the decision.

López Obrador told reporters at his regular news conference that he would ask Biden to attend to the matter. “I’m aware that he’s going after tough, severe groups that exist in the United States, … but humanism must also prevail,” he said.

“Mexico will open its doors to Assange if it is resolved to free him,” López Obrador said, renewing his offer of asylum to the Wikileaks founder.

“There are mechanisms to do it. When I wrote to President Donald Trump [to ask him to exonerate Assange] I remember that he was about to finish his term and in accordance with the laws of the United States, presidents have the power to issue decrees to free prisoners – pardoning is a power of presidents,” he said.

López Obrador described Assange – who published troves of classified material on the Wikileaks website including a 2007 U.S. military video dubbed “collateral murder” that shows a U.S. helicopter in Iraq fatally attacking civilians, including two Reuters journalists – as a “prisoner of conscience” who has been “unfairly treated.”

“His crime, in quotation marks, was to report serious human rights violations in the world as well as interference of the United States government in the internal affairs of other countries – that’s what Assange did,” he said.

“He’s the best journalist of our time in the world and, I repeat, he’s been very unfairly treated, worse than a criminal. This is a disgrace for the world,” said López Obrador, known more for attacking journalists rather than trying to protect them.

“A lot of people don’t know that what he did, with an unorthodox investigation, was to gather [diplomatic] cables, reports from United States embassies, that spoke about acts of interventionism and about crimes committed – flagrant violations of human rights, [exposed] not just [in] texts, but [in] images too.”

The president said he hoped the justice system in the United Kingdom would protect Assange but instead the U.K. government approved his extradition to the U.S., a move AMLO described as “disappointing.”

The U.K. has condemned the Wikileaks founder to life in jail, López Obrador charged. “What about liberties? Are we going to remove the Statue of Liberty in New York? Are we going to continue talking about democracy? Are we going to continue talking about the protection of human rights, of freedom of speech?”

AMLO declared that the United Nations and all human rights organizations should be speaking out in favor of Assange, asserting that “there can’t be silence.”

The new Australian government, which took office last month, is facing pressure to lobby Biden and bring Assange home after its predecessor refused to intervene in the case. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Monday that he intends to lead a government that “engages diplomatically and appropriately with our partners” but declared that he wouldn’t make a public demand for the U.S. to drop its prosecution of Assange.

“There are some people who think that if you put things in capital letters on Twitter and put an exclamation mark, that somehow makes it more important. It doesn’t,” he said.

Mexico News Daily

Billions in social spending propel Morena to electoral victory—and perpetuate its hold

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MND Staff

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June 21, 2022

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The government extends its reach with "servants of the nation" to deliver social programs.

The federal government’s welfare largesse has benefited the ruling Morena party at the ballot box, according to the director of an international anti-poverty organization and a think tank chief.

In 2022, the government will distribute more than 446 billion pesos (US $22.1 billion) to some 23 million beneficiaries of 13 social programs, the newspaper Reforma reported. Among the recipients are old age pensioners, young people with educational scholarships and participants in government programs such as the Youth Building the Future apprenticeship scheme and the Sowing Life employment/reforestation scheme.

Gonzalo Hernández Licona, an economist and director of the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network – a global anti-poverty grouping of 61 countries and 19 organizations – told Reforma that the government’s large outlay on social programs affects the decisions citizens make when they cast a vote.

The results of state elections held earlier this month – at which Morena won the governorships in four of six states – demonstrated that, he said. Most of the support for Morena came from people aged 50 and over, said Hernández, a former head of national social development agency Coneval. “It came from the beneficiaries of social programs,” he added.

Miguel Székely, director of the Center for Educational and Social Studies, told Reforma that President López Obrador and Morena – which the president founded – have been very effective at deinstitutionalizing social programs. In other words, he explained, people who benefit from such programs tend to think of the payments they receive as a product of the goodwill of the president rather than a social right.

Unlike previous governments, the López Obrador administration has a battalion of foot soldiers – the so-called servants of the nation – to inculcate that idea, Székely added. The servidores de la nación, who assist the on-the-ground delivery of social programs, also sow fear that welfare programs will end if Morena doesn’t remain in power, the think tank chief said.

The dissemination of such an idea – and more importantly the acceptance of it – creates an obvious electoral advantage.

López Obrador, who has used the maxim “for the good of all, the poor come first” to justify his government’s expenditure on social programs, is constitutionally forbidden from seeking a second term as president, but a perception that Morena must remain in power in order for the welfare largesse to continue could benefit the ruling party’s candidate at the 2024 presidential election.

Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard and Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum are considered the frontrunners in the race to secure the Morena nomination and are already campaigning to do so.

Clara Jusidman, an economist and former Mexico City government official, charged that the government doesn’t just use its social programs for electoral purposes but is dedicated more broadly to perpetuating its power. “The entire state apparatus is turning into a huge electoral machine,” she said.

Some observers, including opposition lawmakers, have described Morena as the new PRI, or Institutional Revolutionary Party, which ruled Mexico for most of the 20th century in what Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa described as a “perfect dictatorship” – and was notorious for vote buying.

Morena president Mario Delgado denied that accusation earlier this month, asserting that Morena hadn’t become a party of the state like “PRI in its darkest period.” For Morena, he added, the purpose of being in power is to transform the country.

With reports from Reforma

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

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MND Staff

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June 21, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With reports from Milenio

17 US companies to invest in clean energy: AMLO

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MND Staff

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June 20, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With reports from AFP and Reforma

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

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Thilini Wijesinhe

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June 20, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Long-awaited Oaxaca highway at 80% completion

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MND Staff

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June 20, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With reports from El Universal

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

By

MND Staff

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June 20, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With reports from Milenio