Mexico News Report

Foreign Arrivals Decrease at Cancun, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta Airports

Posted on November 26, 2024 by Allan Wall

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.”

Posted in Tourism and Travel | Tagged Cancun, Los Cabos, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta | 1 Comment

Melissa, Martha and Carmen Win First, Second and Third, Respectively, in Mexican Prison Beauty Pageant

Posted on November 22, 2024 by Allan Wall

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 prison 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:

Here’s a photo of third-place winner Carmen, whose face is also blurred:

Carmen, who placed third. Source: Excelsior

Felicidades to Melissa, Martha and Carmen!

Posted in Culture | Tagged Escobedo, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Prison Beauty Pageant | 1 Comment

Criminals Linked to Sinaloa Cartel Arrested in Spain

Posted on November 20, 2024 by Allan Wall

In a recent article I reported on criminals linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel arrested in California.

Now some have been arrested across the pond in Spain, Mexico’s madre patria.

From CBS:
“Spain has arrested 14 people suspected of links to the powerful Mexican Sinaloa 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.”

The Sinaloa cartel has a long reach.

Posted in Crime | Tagged Catalonia, Methamphetamine, Sinaloa Cartel, Spain | 1 Comment

Recent U.S. Operations Target Sinaloa Cartel Activity in California

Posted on November 16, 2024 by Allan Wall

Items confiscated in recent operations. Source: San Joaquin Sheriff’s Department

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.“

Later, a November 15th CBS article reports activity farther north in California:

“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?

Posted in Crime | Tagged California, Cocaine, Fentanyl, Heroin, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada Garcia, Los Rusos, Methamphetamine, Mexican Cartel Presence in the U.S., Sinaloa Cartel, U.S. Law Enforcement | Leave a comment

Jorge Romero New Leader of the Partido Acción Nacional, Can He Make a Difference?

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Allan Wall

The MORENA party is the dominant party of Mexico and a cause of concern for those who think it has too much power. [See The Astonishing Growth and Power of Mexico’s MORENA Party].

The biggest opposition party is the PAN, the Partido Acción Nacional, which recently selected a new party president.

The election was held November 10th, with 300,000 party members throughout Mexico voting. The two candidates were Jorge Romero and Adriana Davila.

Romero won overwhelmingly, 80% to 20%.

Jorge Romero Herrera. Source: Cuartoscuro

Romero is 45 years old, hails from Mexico City and has served in the Mexican Congress.

On November 13th, Romero was presented the constancia de mayoría, the official document declaring him the winner. Romero’s term is scheduled to last 3 years, until 2027.

Romero receives the constancia. Source: PAN website

In his inaugural speech, Romero said that “We are not a social club, we are a political party with a clear objective – to defend democracy and the well-being of Mexicans. Now, more than ever, we should call for unity around our acronym (PAN), around our goals, and the ideas that define us as Panistas.”

One might ask, though, what are the ideas that currently define PANistas? In recent years the party seems to have lost its way.

The PAN has been out of the presidency since 2012, but it’s not just that. It seems to have lost its effectiveness even as an opposition party.

Is Romero going to change that? Let us see…

Posted in Politics | Tagged Jorge Romero Herrera, MORENA, MORENA Party, PAN | Leave a comment

Trump Wins; President Claudia Sheinbaum Congratulates Trump and Calls Trump

Posted on November 9, 2024 by Allan Wall

Donald Trump resoundingly won the November 5th U.S. presidential election. It looks like the greatest political comeback in American political history.

Trump is scheduled to take office on January 20th, 2025.

On November 6th, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum tweeted her congratulations:
I express my most sincere congratulations to Donald Trump, who won the presidential election of the United States of America. In the name of Mexico, our recognition to the American people for the democratic exercise of their electoral campaign. I am certain that we are going to continue working together in a coordinated manner, with dialogue and respect for our sovereignties, to advance on the broad bilateral agenda that links us together.“

On November 7th, President Sheinbaum tweeted that
“We had a cordial call with the President-Elect Donald Trump in which we talked about the good relationship that there will be between Mexico and the United States.”
Here’s the photo of President Sheinbaum accompanying that tweet:

Posted in Foreign Policy, Politics | Tagged 2024 U.S. Election, Claudia Sheinbaum, Donald Trump | 1 Comment

U.S. Election: Trump vs. Kamala. Who is Better for Mexico?

Posted on November 1, 2024 by Allan Wall

Due to the power, wealth and influence of the United States of America, people in other countries are interested in who is going to win a U.S. presidential election. They try to figure out which presidential candidate they think would be better for their country.

So there is much attention given to the U.S. election throughout the world.

The 2024 U.S. presidential election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 5th. This election looks to be a close one, pitting Democrat Vice-President Kamala Harris against Republican former President Donald Trump.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was asked about the U.S. election and its effect on Mexico in an October 8th press conference.

President Claudia Sheinbaum. Source: Mexican Presidential Website

A reporter asked (my translation): “On another topic, President, about the U.S. elections. What would be the best scenario for Mexico, if Donald Trump wins or Kamala Harris wins?”
President Sheinbaum replied: “We are going to work with whichever one wins the election, the presidente [male president] or the presidenta [female president].
Our constitution is very clear in not taking sides for one or the other option; whatever the American people decide, we are going to work with him or her…with whichever of them that wins the election we are going to work well.”

That was a good answer, and realistic. Why publicly pick sides in a foreign election?

The truth is, the president of Mexico has to work with the U.S. president regardless of who it is.
To see why, look at the map:

The U.S. and Mexico are neighbors and trading partners. U.S. prosperity is good for Mexico, and Mexican prosperity and stability are good for the United States.

On the controversial topic of immigration from Mexico to the United States, we can expect the government of Mexico (regardless of party) to defend Mexican illegal aliens in the United States and to complain about any crackdowns on them.

Mexico, however, is not just a source of emigration to the United States. It’s also a thoroughfare for migration, with non-Mexicans passing through Mexico to get to the United States.

Let’s look at how AMLO, the previous president of Mexico, dealt with the current and previous presidents of the United States on immigration policy.

AMLO and TRUMP

From December of 2018 to January of 2021, AMLO (Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador) was President of Mexico while Donald Trump was President of the United States.

Trump and AMLO got along quite well, both policy-wise and personally.

AMLO and Trump at the White House, July 2020. Source: Trump White House Archive

Trump wanted the Mexican government to reduce the quantity of non-Mexicans entering the U.S. across the Mexican border and AMLO did that. AMLO also agreed to the Remain in Mexico policy, under which non-Mexican asylum seekers had to remain on the Mexican side of the border while awaiting asylum hearings.

Aside from the policy, AMLO exhibited respect toward Trump even in the bitter end of the latter’s presidential term. In the aftermath of the 2020 U.S. election, AMLO waited 6 weeks to recognize Biden as the winner and criticized the expulsion of Trump from Twitter.

AMLO and BIDEN

AMLO also got along with President Joe Biden. AMLO and Biden were presidents together from January of 2021 to October 1st of 2024.

The Biden administration’s border policy was radically different than Trump’s. Under Biden, the border was drastically loosened, allowing millions of migrants to enter and settle in the U.S. AMLO went along with this also, and spoke well of Biden for not building more border walls.

But then, in December of 2023, with the border situation looking bad for Biden politically, the Biden administration asked AMLO to once again reduce the quantity of non-Mexicans crossing into the United States. So that’s what AMLO did.

This is not, by the way, some crazy conspiracy theory. AMLO freely admitted it in his 60 Minutes Interview in March.
-Interviewer Sharyn Alfonsi “President Biden called you. He sent his Secretary of State. What did they say to you and what did they ask for from you?”
– AMLO [in Spanish/English translation]: “For us to try and contain the flow of migration.”

CONCLUSION

The real question is not which U.S. candidate is “better” for Mexico, as Mexico has to work with whomever wins. As far as solving Mexico’s problems, that’s the responsibility of Mexico’s own leaders, not the U.S. or any other country, just as it’s up to the U.S. to solve its own problems.

The U.S. is about to choose its next president and President Claudia Sheinbaum has pledged to work with whomever that is, whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. In a similar fashion, previous Mexican President AMLO worked with both Trump and then Biden.

So who’s going to win the U.S. election? That’s the big question now…

Posted in Foreign Policy, Immigration, Politics | Tagged AMLO, Claudia Sheinbaum, Donald Trump, Immigration Through Mexico, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris | 1 Comment

Comet Over Zacatecas

Posted on October 28, 2024 by Allan Wall

This is NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for September 30th, 2024, of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (pronounced Choo-cheen-shahn At-less) over the city of Zacatecas, Mexico. It was taken a few days before September 30th with a drone.

Posted in Geography | Tagged Astronomy, Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, NASA, Zacatecas City | 1 Comment

The Passing of Fernando Valenzuela

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Allan Wall

On October 22nd, 2024, Fernando Valenzuela, a great baseball player from Mexico, passed away at the age of 63 in Los Angeles, California. Valenzuela’s life was a real rags-to-riches story, from poverty to sports stardom.

Fernando Valenzuela was born in November of 1960 in Etchohuaquila, a small town in the state of Sonora, northwest Mexico. His parents were poor campesinos (peasants) and Fernando was the youngest of their 12 children.

Valenzuela became a pro baseball player in 1977, playing in various professional Mexican teams.

In 1978, Los Angeles Dodgers scout Mike Brito went to Mexico to scout another player and saw Valenzuela pitching. That was enough. The Dodgers bought out Valenzuela’s contract and brought him to the United States. Fernando was 18 when he signed with the Dodgers in 1979, and he played on several minor league Dodgers teams until September of 1980, when he moved up to the LA Dodgers, playing under the famous manager Tommy Lasorda.

In his 1981 rookie season as a starting pitcher, Fernando had a spectacular beginning, with an 8-0 record including 5 shutouts.

Fernando won the Rookie of the Year Award and the Cy Young award the same season, plus the Dodgers won the World Series.

The young Mexican player had a unique pitching style, and, as reported in Fernando’s Wikipedia article, “In addition to his skills on the mound, Valenzuela was also an unusually good batter for a pitcher.” Fernando had ten career home runs.

Fernando didn’t speak much English in the beginning of his Major Leauge career, but Tommy Lasorda spoke Spanish and talked to him in that language, and catcher Mike Scioscia learned Spanish in order to communicate with Valenzuela.

Fernando Valenzuela played for the Dodgers until 1991, when he was released in a less than optimal situation. Afterwards, he played in both Mexico and the U.S., but his years with the Dodgers are his most famous.

In 2003, Valenzuela began a new career as a Spanish-language radio commentator for the Dodgers and in 2015 switched to television to do the same thing.

Valenzuela was commentator for the Dodgers until shortly before his death, dying of liver cancer on October 22nd.

Here’s the Twitter X announcement from the official Major League Baseball account, dated October 22nd:
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela. “Fernandomania” swept through baseball in 1981 when the 20-year old rookie sensation began the season 8-0 with a 0.50 ERA. The lefthander capped off his incredible year by winning both the NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards while helping lead Los Angeles to a World Series title. Valenzuela pitched 17 Major League seasons, was a 6-time All-Star, and has the most wins (173) and strikeouts (2,074) of any Mexican-born pitcher. He spent the last 22 years as a Spanish language broadcaster for the Dodgers, who retired his No. 34 in 2023. He was 63.

Here’s a photo of Fernando Valenzuela with U.S. President Ronald Reagan at the White House in 1981:

Fernando at Dodger Stadium circa 1981. Source: George Rose

Fernando Valenzuela is survived by his wife Linda (they’d been married since 1981), two daughters, two sons, and seven grandchildren.

Posted in Sports | Tagged Baseball, Dodgers, Fernando Valenzuela, Los Angeles in California, Sonora | 1 Comment