Secretaria de Bienestar is translated into English as “Secretary of Welfare”. Her department is the Secretaría de Bienestar, the Secretariat of Welfare.
Ariadna Montiel was born in 1974 in Mexico City and she studied at UNAM (the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México). She was a member of the PRD, AMLO’s previous party, in which she held several party posts, followed by several posts in the Mexico City government.
Since 2018 she has been a member of MORENA, the party founded by AMLO.
After AMLO’s election in 2018, Ariadna Montiel was named Sub-Secretary of Welfare. On January 11th, 2022, she was named as Secretary of Welfare.
She remained in that post when Claudia Sheinbaum assumed the presidency on October 1st, 2024.
On December 4th, Secretary Montiel announced on Twitter X that “With the Reform to Articles 4 and 27 of the Constitution, in the second story of the Fourth Transformation [Second Phase of the Fourth Transformation Agenda], we ensure that the Bienestar (well-being, welfare) of Mexicans is a right.”
These programs are: 1. Pension for the elderly (65 and above). 2. Pension for the handicapped (0 to 64 years). 3. Right to Therapy for the handicapped, with preference to those under 18 4. An annual budget for the programs. 5. Sembrando Vida (Sowing Life), a program to attend to rural poverty and environmental degradation. 6. Support for small-scale fishing and fish production businesses. 7. Fertilizers for small producers. 8. Guaranteed prices for corn, beans, milk, rice and flour-grade wheat.
As I pointed out in a previous article, President Sheinbaum had pledged this on October 5th.
Secretaria de Gobernación is translated into English as “Secretary of the Interior”, but that doesn’t mean she is in charge of Mexican national parks.
The Secretaria de Gobernación is a very important official. Her department is Secretaría de Gobernación, known as SEGOB, the Secretariat of the Interior.
The Secretary of Gobernación is in charge of the government’s domestic administration and has many responsibilities, including the presentation of presidential decrees and proposals to Congress and the publication of new laws in the Diario Oficial de la Federación.
The Secretary of Gobernación through the SEGOB bureaucracy is in charge of the following programs and departments: 1. The CNI Centro Nacional de Inteligencia, the National Intelligence Center. 2. The National Personal Identification Service 3. The Administration of Mexican federal islands. 4. Policies involving churches and other religious groups. 5. The General Archive of the Nation. 6. Disaster Relief 7. Lotteries 8. General Directorate of Radio, Television and Cinematography 9. The expulsion of foreigners from Mexico.
Mexico does not have a Vice-President but if the President is unable to perform her duties, the Secretary of the Interior would assume them until a replacement is selected by Congress.
So yes, it’s a very important post. The current Secretary of the Interior, Rosa Icela Rodriguez. was born in 1959 in the state of San Luis Potosi.
She later moved to Mexico City where she studied journalism and then worked as a journalist for various media organs.
Rosa Icela Rodriguez served in various posts of the government of Mexico City under Mexico City Chiefs Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Marcelo Ebrard, Miguel Angel Mancera and Claudia Sheinbaum (2 of whom later became president).
Under the national presidency of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), Rosa Icela Rodriguez served as general coordinator of Ports and the Merchant Marine and later she was the Secretaria de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana (SSPC), the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, from 2020 to 2024.
On July 4th, 2024, then-President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum named her as Secretary of the Interior. Rosa Icela Rodriguez assumed this post on October 1st, the day of Sheinbaum’s inauguration as President of Mexico.
If a voter wants to, he or she can become a member of a political party, according to the rules of that party.
The PAN’s problem is that it has so few members that it’s in danger of losing its national party registration.
According the Ley General de Partidos (General Law of Parties), a political party must have 0.26% of the national registration, which would currently be 261,580 members, in order to be registered at the national level.
So how many members does the PAN have? According to its internal party list as of August, it has 302,982 members.
But what counts is the official list of the Instituto Nacional Electoral (INE). The INE list has the PAN at 277,665 members. According to that, the party has just 0.27% of the national registration. If it drops below 0.26% the party loses its national registration.
Is it just a question of updating the INE lists? But that’s only done every 3 years.
And compare the PAN’s figures to the other political parties: 1. MORENA – 2,322,136 members 2. PRI – 1,411,889 members 3. Green Party – 592,417 members 4. PT (Labor Party) – 457,624 members 5. Movimiento Ciudadano – 384,005 members 6. PAN – 277,665 members
Even if the higher figure on the PAN party list were official, the party would still be the one with fewest members.
Note too that parties #1, #3 and #4 are currently coalition allies.
And due to its low membership, the PAN is in danger of losing its national registration.
Why does the PAN have so few members?
In a word, it’s more selective. In order to be a member, you have to take classes on party doctrine and pass exams.
Kenia Lopez Rabadan, a PAN congresswoman, says they plan to recruit more members and they need to change some party rules .
She told Excelsior that “To say what we are, what we represent, I am absolutely clear that we need to be a center-right party. To play at being leftist, there are many parties that want to do that and we have to represent the family. We have to represent human rights. We have to represent this vision of Mexicans who want prosperity and security and health.”
The Excelsior article reports that “With the desire of having more members, since 2022 the PAN has worked on incorporating minorities who do not historically identify with the party, such as members of the Lesbian-Gay community and the distinct indigenous groups. Therefore, the central committee of the PAN decided to create the Secretariat of Equality and Human Development in which belong the LGBTIQ+ groups and the Secretariat of Indigenous and Afromexican Affairs.”
How about Mexico’s security situation? Would campaigning to reduce crime be a winning platform? It might be worth a try.
The media of India has reported activity of Mexico’s Jalisco-based CJNG (Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación) in the territory of that Asian country.
Mexico in Orange, India in Green. Source: BubbleDude22
On October 30th, The Times of India reported this: “The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said it recently busted a methamphetamine laboratory in Greater Noida and seized 95 kg of the contraband worth several crores. The lab, in Kasana industrial area of Gautam Budh Nagar, was being run by a west Delhi businessman and a Tihar jail warden, with a Mumbai-based chemist ‘cooking’ the drug. If that doesn’t recall the American TV series ‘Breaking Bad’, there’s more. NCB said the lab was linked to an infamous Mexican drug cartel, and one of its members oversaw ‘quality control’ at the lab.”
The businessman and warden had gotten together when the former was incarcerated at the latter’s prison for a previous drug-related offense.
“NCB said this Delhi-based syndicate, which produced synthetic drugs for export and domestic consumption, was linked to Mexico’s ‘CJNG’ cartel…CJNG — Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion — has been looking to expand in South Asia, India in particular, NCB said.“
This is not the first India drug bust with a CJNG connection.
“The latest operation comes eight months after NCB busted another meth lab in Feb and arrested nine people, including three Mexican chemists, or ‘cooks’…The cartel operated across Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Rajasthan, and internationally in Dubai, and counted Indians, Mexicans, Canadians and British citizens among its members.“
Dr. Menon wrote this: “The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 29 revealed that it had busted a clandestine methamphetamine manufacturing laboratory with links to a major Mexican drug cartel operating out of an industrial area in Greater Noida and arrested five people, including a Mexican national sent by the cartel – Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, who was arrested along with a Mumbai-based chemist, and a Tihar jail warder. The arrested Mexican national was sent to India to set up the factory and ensure the purity of the manufactured drug before exporting it. He had come to India on a tourist visa earlier this year and was living on rent at a housing society in Noida. NCB conducted a search operation in a factory in Kasana Industrial Area, Gautam Budh Nagar district, on October 25, 2024, and found about 95 kg of methamphetamine in solid and liquid forms. Chemicals like acetone, sodium hydroxide, methylene chloride, premium grade ethanol, toluene, red phosphorus, ethyl acetate, etc, and imported machinery for manufacturing were also found.”
“As the global demand for cocaine and other synthetic drugs is on the rise, drug cartels in Mexico, such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), are creating a global network of criminal enterprises to control the global drug trade. As a response, some US lawmakers have called for a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation of the Mexican drug cartels.”
An Indian defense official had this to say: “Based on the quantity of the consignments and the modus operandi it definitely seems like the handiwork of notorious drug cartels like Jalisco New Generation Cartel (run by El Mencho) and Chinese El Chapo gang leaders. In 2019, we seized similar drugs from the Andaman sea and then El Mencho’s cartel emerged as a key suspect.”
Indian Coast Guard Drug Bust – 5,5oo kilograms of crystal meth. Source: ANI
A November 28th Regtech Times article summarizes the ongoing violence in Mexico’s Sinaloa state, fought between two factions of the Sinaloa cartel. (For previous Mexico News Report articles on the topic, see here, here, here , here and here ).
The violence erupted September 9th and pits one faction led by the son of “El Mayo” Zambada vs. the Chapitos, sons of “El Chapo” Guzman.
Death Toll: “At least 409 homicides related to cartel activity”.
Disappearances: Hundreds missing; in the capital Culiacan 150 have disappeared from September 1st to October 30th. A few of them have turned up alive, others have been found dead. According to another article published the 27th of November, there were 154 disappearances in Culiacan, of which 33 turned up alive with another 14 found dead, which would leave 107 still missing.
University Suspends In-Person Classes – Regtech reported that The Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (Autonomous University o Sinaloa), the UAS, has suspended in-person classes on their Culiacan and Navolato campuses.
Attack on Military Installation – Regtech: “One of the most notable acts of destruction took place when cartel members attacked the C4/ISR center in Sinaloa, a high-tech military facility used for communications and surveillance. Cartel members destroyed over 80 video cameras and other surveillance equipment that were crucial for the security operations in the state. This attack was seen as a direct challenge to the government’s control over the region.”
Military Deployments – There are now hundreds of military personnel in the state. The latest deployment is of 100 Special Forces being sent to the state. Their assigned tasks are to be surveillance and the establishment of new checkpoints.
Recent data show a decrease in foreign arrivals to Mexican tourist destinations Cancun (Caribbean coast), Los Cabos (south end of Baja California peninsula) and Puerto Vallarta (Pacific coast).
From Travel and Tour World: “Mexico’s airports in Cancun, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta have seen a decline in foreign tourist arrivals in recent months. Data from the Mexican National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) shows that foreign air tourism fell by 3.6 percent in July compared to the previous year. This downward trend persisted in August with a 6.2 percent drop and worsened in September, showing a 6.4 percent decrease.“
Here’s a map showing the location of these three destinations:
I’m currently somewhere in Mexico, having flown here this time.
Back to the article: “Between January and October, Cancun and Los Cabos airports experienced an annual decline of nearly three percent in international visitor numbers. Various factors are believed to contribute to this decline. A lack of sufficient promotion of Mexico as a travel destination abroad has allowed other markets to capture a larger share of global tourism. Additionally, rising insecurity in certain regions and a restrictive visa policy affecting countries such as Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru have played a role.“
“The reduction in available flights, particularly due to the suspension of some routes by an airline for engine inspections, has also impacted both domestic and international travel. This limitation on flight options has further contributed to the downturn in tourism.”
“Experts predict that the decrease in international passengers at beach destinations and across the country will continue through the end of the year.”
How important are these three resorts in the Mexican tourist industry? Very important. “Cancun remains the top destination for foreign air travelers in Mexico,second only to Mexico City International Airport. Los Cabos ranks as the second most popular beach destination, followed by Puerto Vallarta. These three airports collectively account for over 95 percent of international air arrivals at Mexico’s beach resorts.”
Additionally, the number of Mexicans traveling outside Mexico has increased: “Meanwhile, the number of Mexican citizens traveling abroad has increased, despite the strong performance of the U.S. dollar against the peso. According to recent INEGI data, 5.4 million Mexicans traveled abroad between January and September 2024. This represents a 19.5 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023, surpassing the 4.3 million travelers from the same period in 2019, prior to the pandemic.”
Here’s something I ran across on Mexico’s Excelsior. They held a beauty pageant in a Mexican women’s prison in Escobedo, part of the Monterrey metroplex in northern Mexico.
The winner was Melissa, awarded 5,000 pesos. The runner-up was Martha, who won 4,000 pesos. In third place was Carmen, who won 3,000 pesos.
The pageant was entitled Mi Belleza Interna, which has a double meaning. It could mean “My Internal Beauty” or it could mean “My Beautiful Inmate”.
It just goes to show you that even in prison women care about their appearance!
According to Excelsior, the contestants “demonstrated their talent in dancing, folkloric dance, singing, modeling and oratory.”
The pageant began with 173 participants and was finally winnowed down to the 3 top places.
I wasn’t even aware of the existence of beauty pageants but I looked it up on the internet and it’s a thing. They’ve been held in various countries.
The articles I saw didn’t tell what Melissa, Martha and Carmen were in for, but here’s a video about a prison pageant in Brazil entitled Killer Wins Beauty Pageant In Women’s Prison. Drop-dead gorgeous?
Back in Mexico, here is a photo of runner-up Martha, but her face is blurred:
From CBS: “Spain has arrested 14 people suspected of links to the powerful MexicanSinaloa cartel as part of a kidnapping and murder probe, police said Sunday [November 17th]. The ring busted by Spanish investigators was mainly made up of Mexican nationals. It was connected to the Sinaloa drug cartel, which is based in northwestern Mexico and has been shaken by weeks of gang infighting.”
“ ‘The dismantled criminal network, which is based in Catalonia, is believed to be involved in the kidnapping and death of a man whose body was found in a wooded area’ in the northeastern Spanish region in August, police said in a statement. The victim, whose nationality was not specified, allegedly worked with the gang and ‘had come from Italy for a meeting with several chiefs.’ The victim’s family in Kosovo reported his disappearance to the police after he was abducted between late May and June.The family received a 240,000-euro ransom request ($253,000) and a total of $32,000 was paid in cryptocurrency.”
“The 14 detained suspects were allegedly involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, kidnapping and murder, the statement also said. The detainees, 11 men and 3 women, are between 30 and 70 years old. The Catalonia-based ring received shipments from Mexico containing clothes soaked with methamphetamine, which they then extracted in a Spanish lab, police added.”
With both in attendance at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum met with U.S. President Joe Biden.
According to the White House website, “President Biden met today with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit. President Biden expressed his congratulations on her recent election and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to building a prosperous North America with good paying jobs. The two leaders underscored the importance of maintaining cooperation on migration, security and tackling the scourge of transnational criminal violence, and economic issues, building on the strong bilateral partnership between the United States and Mexico.”
As two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel battle it out in Sinaloa state, recent drug busts in the U.S. state of California show the strong presence of the Sinaloa Cartel in the U.S. state of California.
From a November 11th article on Newsweek: “Authorities have launched a major crackdown on the Sinaloa Cartel, seizing millions of dollars worth of methamphetamine in a series of coordinated raids. Forty-eight suspected members of a Sinaloa Cartel-linked drug-trafficking network have been charged with distributing meth, fentanyl, heroin and cocaine in a joint operation led by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California said in a statement.”
But which faction of the Sinaloa Cartel are we talking about here?
“The individuals were allegedly part of a drug-trafficking organization operating out of the Imperial Valley and Mexicali, Mexico, with connections to ‘Los Rusos,’ the primary armed faction of the Sinaloa Cartel loyal to Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, according to court records.“
It was a big operation.
“The DOJ reported that over 140 federal, state and local law enforcement officers arrested 25 suspects and carried out 15 search warrants across various locations, including Imperial County in California, Yuma in Arizona and Las Vegas in Nevada. Authorities said that 23 additional suspects connected to the case are still at large.“
Charges in the indictments include drug trafficking, conspiracy and bulk cash smuggling. The investigation uncovered more than 8,000 pounds of methamphetamine, along with substantial amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and a firearm.
Once again, these guys are known as “Los Rusos”. They are on El Mayo’s side.
“The faction of the Sinaloa Cartel charged in this indictment is known as Los Rusos, loyal to the notorious drug lord El Mayo, who is currently detained in New York. Jesús Alexander Sánchez Félix serves as the leader of the Los Rusos, which controls drug smuggling routes in Baja California. El Mayo’s loyalists have been engaged in a bloody and violent cartel war against ‘Los Chapitos,’ the sons of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán.“
“For more than a year, authorities say they’ve been investigating Sinaloa Cartel members in California’s Central Valley. On Friday [November 15], they announced that 13 people were arrested and took ‘a major step in disrupting cartel operations in California.’ The investigation started back in April 2023, saying they were investigating members of the Sinaloa Cartel who were responsible for large-scale methamphetamine, fentanyl, and firearms trafficking in the Central Valley and other areas. More than a year later, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office announced a ‘major drug and weapons’ bust.”
“Over a week and a half, starting Nov. 4, authorities served 19 federal search warrants across San Joaquin, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Stanislaus and Merced counties. This operation led to 13 arrests on state and federal charges, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said.”
They got quite a haul from these operations:
“Deputies also say 110 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, 120,000 fentanyl pills, two kilograms of cocaine, a quarter pound of heroin, about $4 million in THC products and roughly $450,000 were seized. They also seized 141 guns, including machine gun conversions, ARs, pistols, rifles, .50 caliper weapons, high-capacity magazines and a suppressor, according to the sheriff’s office. The search also led to the dismantling machine gun manufacturing lab and a methamphetamine conversion lab. The Stockton Police Department, Tracy Police Department, DEA, HSI and ATF assisted in the investigation.”
See photo at the top of the article.
And consider this, how many more such operations are still out there?
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