Mexico News Today Monday, May 10, 2021

 

MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021

US labor federation files worker petition against Mexico, citing trade deal provisions The AFL-CIO says a Tamaulipas factory employees' case could be a precedent-setting test of union rules in the new US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. FULL STORY

New Covid risk map reflects decline in cases  A feared third coronavirus wave has failed to materialize. The improving situation is reflected on the latest stoplight map, which shows all but three states are at low-risk green or medium-risk yellow. FULL STORY

Migration, corruption, tree-planting on agenda of López Obrador-Harris meeting The president pledged to support the United States' migration policies during a video call with United States Vice President Kamala Harris. FULL STORY Economic stagnation driving Central American migrants    Tens of thousands of desperate families have also fled drought, violence, poverty and extortion in the so-called Northern Triangle as they journey northward. FULL STORY Navy given control of trans-isthmus trade corridor President López Obrador said the mlitary will run the new 300-kilometer Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor between Veracruz and Oaxaca once it's finished construction. FULL STORY Families of Metro crash victims will receive 700,000 pesos in compensation Loved ones of victims who were killed in last Monday’s train crash in Mexico City will receive US $35,160, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum announced. FULL STORY Oaxaca mayor arrested in case of missing British-Mexican citizen Authorities have arrested Lizbeth Victoria Huerta and two other officials, all of whom are suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of Claudia Uruchurtu. FULL STORY Man accused of killing his girlfriend by stabbing her 230 times The 18-year-old was arrested in Baja California Sur on Friday on suspicion of murdering the woman at a garbage dump in.Mulegé. FULL STORY ADVERTISEMENT MEXICO LIFE Is ‘Mexico’ a country? A state? A city? An identity? The answer is yes The Spanish imposed this Náhuatl word when they conquered the Aztecs. What has given it such lasting power through the nation's history, asks Leigh Thelmadatter. FULL STORY THE MND POLL THE STORY: Bitcoin gains traction as vehicle for sending remittances home to Mexico. FULL STORY THE QUESTION:  Are you confident enough in cryptocurrency to use it for payments and money transfers? VOTE HERE LAST POLL: Elections are a month off: will Morena sweep the polls again, winning a majority in the lower house of Congress?  52% think it will.  FULL RESULTS Mothers of the missing hold annual Mother's Day march While families across the country celebrated Dia De la Madre on Monday, women in cities around the country called attention to the cases of their missing children. FULL STORY Gang warfare in Jalisco forces residents to flee town Clashes between Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel cells have driven people out of the municipality of Teocaltiche and into nearby shelters. FULL STORY Narco-tunnel found in front of National Guard base The construction, at least 200 meters long, was discovered in Tijuana at a house directly across from the federal security force's facility. FULL STORY Methamphetamine is new drug of choice in Mexico’s domestic market Mass production has led to drastically lower prices, and its use now rivals other commonly consumed illicit substances in Mexico, such as marijuana. FULL STORY Tecate, Baja California, is now Jalisco cartel country The Jalisco New Generation Cartel has made the city its base of operations in the northern border state, say local security forces. FULL STORY Youth slain in Tijuana after refusing to work for narcos Juan Manuel Delgado Cárdenas, a pharmaceutical chemistry and biology student who was close to graduating from the University of Baja California, was killed after criminals allegedly tried and failed to recruit him to cook synthetic drugs for them. FULL STORY Bitcoin gains traction as cheap, easy vehicle for sending home remittances  The cryptocurrency is increasingly the chosen money-transfer method for many Mexicans who are working in the United States and regularly sending money back here to family. FULL STORY Hyatt announces six new hotels over the next 4 years The chain aims to strengthen its presence in popular locations like Cancún and capture more of the high-end hospitality market. FULL STORY Don Nico pays his 113 pesos in property tax — and wins himself a brand-new car A 74-year-old man in Yucatán was in for a big surprise after he settled up his annual debt with the government, all of 113 pesos, or US $6. FULL STORY Literary Sala to interview Matthew McConaughey in public online event Viewers will get the chance to briefly converse with the actor at the end of his Zoom interview by the San Miguel Literary Sala on May 14, where he'll talk about hils life and his memoir, Greenlights. FULL STORY MEXICO LIFE Arugula transforms a staple dish into a special occasion  With its natural bite, the leafy green is ideal to freshen up your recipe standbys, yet it's subtle enough that its flavor won't take over, Janet Blaser writes in this week's The Tropical Table. FULL STORY

What's Happening in Mexico Right Now?

 What's Happening in Mexico Right Now?

Laura Bronner | Eternal Expat via n.convertkit.com	10:26 AM (21 minutes ago)
to me

Hi Mexico-loving friends,

I hope this email finds you well.

There have been a ton of changes here in Mexico this week with regards to Covid restrictions. There are also a lot of changes ahead for Luke and me as we pack up our apartment here in San Jose del Cabo and prepare to hit the road again!

Traffic Light Changes

For those that are new around here, last year Mexico's federal government created a traffic light system to help businesses and people understand the risks of Covid-19 in each state around Mexico. It was then up to the state governments to decide how to interpret these traffic light colors.

Red means the highest risk of covid and that hospitals are near capacity. It has been interpreted in most states at total lockdown. This Monday will begin the 10th straight week with no states in the red here in Mexico.

Orange is a level below red status and means that there is still a high risk of covid-19 and many restrictions are still in place, but for the most part, hotels, restaurants, and shops are allowed to be open with about 30% capacity (again this depends on the state's interpretation). The states currently in Orange in Mexico are Quintana Roo (home to Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum), Chihuahua, and Tabasco.

Yellow means lower risk level and most places are allowed to have up to 50% capacity. States in yellow are allowed to have fans at sporting events and bars are allowed to be open (in some states clubs are also open in Yellow). Museums and other tourist attractions can be back open with restrictions. The states currently in yellow are Mexico City, Mexico State, Baja California, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, Morelos, Puebla, Querétaro, Tamaulipas, Yucatán, Baja California Sur, and Hidalgo.

There are now more green states than ever. Green means that there is a very low risk of Covid, that many places can have more than 75% capacity and almost all services can resume (including school!). Precautions like masks and temperature checks are still taken, especially indoors. The states that are currently green in Mexico include: Chiapas, Campeche, Coahuila, Veracruz, Jalisco (home to Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta), Guanajuato, Sonora, Nuevo León (home to Monterrey), Sinaloa, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Oaxaca, Tlaxcala and Nayarit (home to Sayulita and San Pancho).

You can read more about these changes in this article.

Updates from Baja California Sur

The last month here in Baja California Sur has flown by. I mentioned briefly above that we are packing up and heading out of San Jose del Cabo. We came for a month and stayed for three. It's been one of the most wonderful places to spend the end of winter/start of spring and I'm so grateful to have found a home here that I know I'll be back to again and again.

In case you missed recent videos about what we've been up to, you can catch up with them here:

• Hiking Adventures and the Best Shrimp Tacos in San Jose del Cabo
• The Most Magical Place in Los Cabos? A Trip to Cabo Pulmo
• Baja's Worst Road?! Driving the East Cape Highway
• An Awesome Mexican Cooking Class

As for what's next? We're grabbing a rental car from Cactus Rent a Car and heading north! There will be stops in La Ventana, Loreto, Bahia Concepcion, and Mulege (and perhaps a few more we stumble upon along the way!). If you aren't already following along on Instagram, that's where I'll be most actively sharing daily updates!

Keep up with what's happening in other parts of Mexico

As things continue to change so quickly and the interpretation of the traffic light system changes state-by-state, the best way to know what's going on in the place you want to visit is to find people who are on the ground there now.

Mexico City is reopening for business in so many ways. Museums are open around the city, restaurants continue with outdoor dining options and delivery, but indoor dining has returned. For more updates about Mexico City, as always I recommend following Ubish Yaren on Instagram. He is doing regular weekly updates about the situation there both on his Instagram and on his YouTube channel. My friend Todd Hata also shares his experiences in Mexico City (among other areas in the country) on his Instagram Todd's Mexico.

For updates about what's going on in Oaxaca, Susan of Brooklyn Tropicali has been sharing her updates of what's going on around the city and the state as she begins exploring a little bit along the coast.

For regular updates about life in Merida and around the Yucatan, check out Mexico Cassie. The Yucatan Times is the local English newspaper in Merida that shares local updates and news reports.

To keep up with what's going on in and around Queretaro, follow Alex of the Backpacking Brunette.

Trisha of P.S. I'm on My Way regularly shares updates about life in Nayarit where she balances time between Nueva Vallarta where she lives and Sayulita where she works. Vallarta Daily is the local English news there where you can learn about any changes in the situation.

Claire's Itchy Feet is a great page to follow for updates about life in both Nayarit and Playa del Carmen where she splits her time. Riviera Maya News is the local English newspaper there where you can keep up with changes.

For updates about Acapulco, follow Raphael of Journey of Wonders.

As always, a great place to keep up to date with news about what's happening all over Mexico in English is Mexico News Daily.

Visiting Mexico Soon?

If you are planning a trip to Mexico soon, I hope you'll have a browse of the different locations on my blog to help you plan your trip!

I also have three extensive guidebooks available for Mexico City (updated this year with tons of new content!), Merida, and Guanajuato!

As always, you can find me most often on Instagram with daily updates and photos, but I also post very regularly on Facebook if you prefer following along there.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to email me by simply hitting reply on this email.

Speak soon,

Laura

Estrella Galicia Santa Cruz Pro pres by Noah Surf House - Day 1

 

Firefly Cinema, Cine Luciernaga, Zipolite · Mother's Day Mango Fest!! Fresh mangoes! Making some mango syrup for respado! Freezing some for frozen mango daiquiris! And then, Fresh Mango Cake!! Two art crafts for the kids! Face painting with Lisa Toa! And a bean bag toss game!! Let's not forget the Coastal Singers from Mazunte!! What a great afternoon!

 Firefly Cinema, Cine Luciernaga, Zipolite

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Mother's Day Mango Fest!!

Fresh mangoes!

Making some mango syrup for respado!

Freezing some for frozen mango daiquiris!

And then, Fresh Mango Cake!!

Two art crafts for the kids! Face painting with Lisa Toa! And a bean bag toss game!!

Let's not forget the Coastal Singers from Mazunte!!

What a great afternoon!