All posts by The Eye Mexico

Beach, Village and Urban Living in Mexico. We are a community-based magazine focusing on culture and life in Mexico.
April 2024

Going Out and Under

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By Kary Vannice

Some of Mexico’s most fantastical and fascinating outdoor pursuits aren’t actually outdoors but underground. With over 7,000 recorded cave systems scattered across the country, Mexico boasts some of the most extensive and awe-inspiring underground networks in the world. Beneath its amazing surface lies an even more mesmerizing world waiting to be discovered – a labyrinth of caves, caverns, and underground rivers that weave throughout Mexico, telling the earth’s ancient origin story.

Mexico is, of course, well known for its diverse landscape, from lush green jungles to towering blue mountains, but it’s her vast subterranean realm that can truly captivate the adventurous spirit. Each cave system tells a story of geological evolution, carved out over millions of years by relentless forces of nature.

One of Mexico’s most iconic cave systems is the cenotes of the Yucatán Peninsula. Cenotes are ancient sinkholes formed by the collapse of limestone bedrock to reveal a hidden world of crystal-clear waters and intricate caverns. Exploring the cenotes offers a unique opportunity to swim, snorkel, or dive amidst massive stalactites and stalagmites as shafts of sunlight pour down from surface openings, lighting up the subterranean landscape. If you’re visiting the Yucatán, you can find many guided tours that will safely allow you to experience these hidden wonders.

Venturing further into Mexico’s underground realm, you can explore the sprawling cave systems of the Sierra Madre Oriental on the eastern side of the country. Here, limestone cliffs give way to a network of caverns adorned with stunning formations, including delicate helictites, which, unlike stalactites and stalagmites, look like they were formed in zero gravity. They can extend horizontally or even diagonally across the cave’s surface often ending up looking like sea coral growing out of the depths. Also, in this area, you will find the Cave of Swallows, one of the largest vertical cave shafts in the world. It plunges over 1,200 feet straight down for anyone seeking an adrenaline rush by rappelling a quarter of a mile down into the black abyss.

If you’re looking for a more immersive experience, the Rio Secreto in the Riviera Maya provides a journey through an underground river system that flows beneath the pristine jungle above. Kayaking or floating through the subterranean waterways reveals a hidden world of ancient rock formations and subaqueous chambers where the echoes of dripping water create a symphony of sound that reverberates through the caverns.

But perhaps one of Mexico’s most extraordinary underground landscapes lies deep beneath the surface of Naica, Chihuahua – the Cave of the Crystals. Located 300 meters within the Naica Mine, this otherworldly cavern is renowned for its gigantic gypsum crystals. Some of the crystals inside the cave are as tall as a 4-story building and weigh over 50 tons. Humans in this environment look like tiny ants surrounded by perfectly formed, crystal clear prisms and luminescent shafts of light. The cave’s extreme conditions, with temperatures reaching up to 58°C (136°F), along with humidity levels nearing 100%, created the perfect environment for forming these monumental crystals over thousands of years.

So breathtakingly beautiful, this true marvel of the underground world was featured on the Discovery and History Channels and the Outdoor Life Network in Canada. These programs offered a rare glimpse into this surreal underworld that seems more like a scene from science fiction than reality. Unfortunately, unlike many other underground wonders in Mexico, your only opportunity to experience this mystical landscape is on TV. Discovered initially as part of a mining exploration that required pumps to keep the underground water from filling the chamber, the caves were allowed to re-flood when mining operations ceased in October of 2015. Nevertheless, the mere existence of this extraordinary ecosystem serves as a testament to the incredible geological diversity and untold mysteries that lie beneath Mexico’s surface.

Mexico’s expansive cave systems offer a gateway to a realm where time stands still, and the earth reveals its hidden treasures. Each unique cave system tells a story of geological wonder and cultural significance. You just have to be adventurous enough to look below the surface.

March 2024

Lorena Ramírez: Top Runner of the Rarámuri

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By Julie Etra

Who is this Lorena Ramírez? And why are she and her people such exceptional runners? To understand why Lorena and her family are so exceptional, we first need to understand who they are and where they come from.

Who Are the Rarámuri?
First, a little background. The Rarámuri, or Tarahumara as the Spanish called them, live in the Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon) in southwestern Chihuahua, a state in Northern Mexico; in 2017, there were about 120,000 Rarámuri.

The word rarámuri means “foot runners” in their language (rara = “foot,” muri = “to run”), which follows their ancient tradition of running “on winged feet.” Now mostly confined to the Copper Canyon, the Rarámuri had previously occupied much of Chihuahua, but sought refuge from the invading Spanish in the 16th century. The majority still practice a traditional mostly self-sufficient lifestyle, using little technology, cultivating traditional crops and many, like the Ramírez family, raising livestock. Their homes in the canyons can be pretty basic; some families live in caves or cliff overhangs. They also produce lovely basketry, for sale at major tourist destinations in Chihuahua like Divisadero and Creel.

When Rarámuri runners head off for ultra-distance runs, their choice of sustenance is not energy bars or electrolytes, but rather pinole (a maize-based powder used in a variety of recipes) and tortillas, and they don’t train for these events in any typical sense. Despite their storied fame as endurance runners, they have only recently gained attention on an international scale, competing against world-renowned runners.

As part of a traditional rarájipari event, which is largely spiritual, the male competitors kick a komakali, a baseball-sized wooden ball. The women may compete in a race called ariwete, using hooked sticks to flick a hoop as they run. Although the Rarámuri hunt with bow and arrow, and (rarely) firearms, anthropologists believe the tradition of running may have evolved from “persistence hunting,” with the prey – particularly deer and turkeys – pursued on foot until the animal collapses from exhaustion or heat stroke. Anthropologists have also concluded that running has both social and spiritual significance for the Rarámuri.

The Copper Canyon

The canyon actually consists of six distinct canyons – Urique, Sinforosa, Copper, Tararecua, Batopilas, and Oteros – within the Sierra Madre Occidental (literally, the western mother mountain range). Together, they cover 65,000 sq. km. (±25,000 sq. mi.), more than four times the surface area and almost twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the US state of Arizona. The average altitude is 2,275 meters (±7,465 ft) above sea level; the highest point, Cerro del Mohinora, is 3,306 meters (±10,845 ft.) and the lowest point, at the confluence of the Septentrion and Chínipas Rivers, is around 220 meters (±725 ft.). The average yearly rainfall is 38 cm (±15 inches). The topography is dramatic, with rocky outcrops and vertical, sheer slopes, and has been described as one of the most extreme landscapes in the world.

With the exception of the very bottom of the canyons the rocky formations resulted from explosive volcanic ash flows, ash falls, and mudflow breccias (sharp-angled rocks cemented together), all deposited approximately 20 to 40 million years ago and subsequently carved into canyons by the six rivers that drain from the western flank of the mountains, merging into the Rio Fuerte which flows into the Gulf of California in the state of Sinaloa. The Batopilas River flows through the bottom of the Batopilas (= place of the closed-in waters) Canyon; the small community of Batopilas was founded in 1708 when a large silver ore deposit was discovered by the Spanish explorer José de la Cruz. Although there is a reddish-copper hue in the geologic formations, the area was, and still is, mined primarily for silver and to a lesser extent, gold. Mexico is the largest silver-producing country in the world.

El Chepe

The Copper Canyon is remote, and access to the bottom of the canyon is poor; there are no paved roads and the few dirt roads are not well maintained. After many years of planning and construction, starting in 1861, interrupted by the Mexican Revolution (1910-21), and completed a century later in 1961, the Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico (Chihuahua-Pacific Railway) runs 650 km (±400 miles from Creel in the Canyon to the coast at Los Mochis. The train is called El Chepe (a contraction of Chihuahua al Pacifico), and crosses 37 bridges and travels through 86 tunnels.

The trip is particularly spectacular between Los Mochis and Divisadero. Vegetation is diverse due to the highly variable topography, with oak/pine/fir woodlands dominating at the higher elevations and herbaceous pastures in the riparian areas deep in the canyons, accompanied by subtropical vegetation. Species of agave and cactus dot the landscape in the rocky habitat. El Chepe recently added a new luxury train, mostly intended to accommodate tourists; it features a bar car with panoramic views.

María Lorena Ramírez Hernández

María Lorena Ramírez Hernández, better known as Lorena Ramírez, is a remarkable indigenous marathon runner who gained worldwide renown in 2017 after winning two gold medals in tough Mexican mountain races. One medal was for the UltraTrail Cerro Rojo in the state of Puebla (just over 50 km [±31 mi]), which she ran in 7 hours, 20 minutes, barefoot; the other gold medal was for the UltraMaratón de los Cañones, a brutal 100 km (±62 mi) in Guachochi, Chihuahua, near where she was born. Her time was 12:44:25. She had won the silver medal in the UltraMaratón in 2016, and went on to win a silver in the Ultramaratón Caballo Blanco, in Urique, Chihuahua, in 2018. In 2023, she placed first in the Ultratrail Sierra del Laurel in Calvillo, Aguascalientes, a distance of 42 km (±26 mi) in 5:58:17.

In June of 2017, on the heels of her two gold medals, Lorena became the first Rarámuri woman to compete in a European ultra. The Ultramaratón de Cajamar Tenerife, the “Bluetrail,” is the second-highest race in Europe and a distance of 102 km. (63 mi.). She placed third in 20:11:37.

A Family of Runners

The Ramírez family lives in Guachochi, an isolated valley with no neighbors in the bottom of the canyon. Lorena and her siblings Juanita, Talina, Mario, and Antonio walk five hours to the nearest school and four hours to the nearest grocery. Her brothers attended school while she and her sisters tended to the goats, the center of their pastoral life, while also cultivating corn, beans, squash, and greens among other crops on their farm. The family are for the most part self-sufficient. A perennial creek runs through their property, providing a clean source of water. The women of the family sew their own traditional dresses – Lorena dons a lighter version of the traditional skirt when she competes.

Lorena’s father, Santiago Ramírez, took her to compete in her first race of 7 km (4.3 mi) in the municipality of Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, which she won, having no idea of her capabilities at the time. Although she never dreamed of being a runner or marathoner, she was born into it. She comes from a family of runners, as they run everywhere around their rural property. Her father has won the Ultramaratón de los Cañones three times, the brutal 102-km cross country trail that gave her that second gold medal.

The Ramírez family members have won various races without the government’s help, commercial sponsorship, or professional training; they have achieved success due to their talent, perseverance, and lifestyle, which is very physical. To support travel to various events, they receive donations through their Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/mario.ramirez.71066700.

When Lorena first started winning races, she and her family saw the prize money as a way to buy food. They have moved on – in 2019, when she was 22, she was profiled in the excellent 2019 Netflix documentary Lorena, Light-Footed Woman. The executive producer for this 30-minute documentary was the well-known Mexican actor, director, and producer Gael García Bernal (If you have never seen his breakout movie Y tu mamá también [2001], do so. Playa Cacaluta makes a cameo appearance). In 2019, Lorena was also the cover story in Vogue Mexico; in June 2022, she began marketing her brand of running outfits, called Lorena imparable (unstoppable Lorena).

Quiet and unassuming, Lorena says she does not think about anything when she runs, that it just feels good, and she stays focused on the objective of the race: getting to the finish line.

Upon receiving a gift of high-tech running shoes, she rewrapped them, placed the box back in the plastic bag and explained “I don’t think I will use them. The people who do are always running behind me.”

The next Ultramaratón de los Cañones will take place on July 5-7, 2024. Vamos a ver – We shall see.

March 2024

Salma Hayek: A Celebration of Excellence in Hollywood

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By Brooke O’Connor

Who doesn’t like Salma Hayek? Her journey from Mexico’s vibrant streets to Hollywood’s glittering lights is not just a tale of triumph, but a testament to the tapestry of Mexican talent that has enriched the film world for decades.

Born on September 2, 1966, in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, Hayek’s roots run deep in the heart of Mexican culture. Raised in a household steeped in tradition, she developed a passion for storytelling from an early age, immersing herself in the vibrant Mexican folklore and history that would later inspire her work on screen.

Salma’s family has been very supportive and gave her the opportunities she needed to be successful. Her father is Lebanese, a business owner, and a wealthy oil executive. Her mother is of Spanish descent, an opera singer, and a talent scout. Her parents are devout Catholics and sent Salma to the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. There, she was diagnosed with dyslexia, but it didn’t stop her from going on to Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, where she studied international relations.

Her foray into acting began in the bustling streets of CDMX, where she honed her craft in the theater scene before making her mark in Mexican telenovelas.

Hayek’s first television role was in the 1988 TV series Nuevo Amanecer (New Dawn), for which she was nominated for the TVyNovelas award for Best New Actress. Hayek was 23 years old when Televisa cast her in the title role of Teresa (1989-91), one of Mexico’s most successful telenovelas, which established her as a star in the country. The show ran for two seasons and 125 episodes, and she won the 1990 Best New Actress award. With Teresa, she first captured the hearts of viewers with her talent and magnetism, setting the stage for a beautiful career in Hollywood.

Her transition to the United States in the early 1990s marked a pivotal moment in Salma Hayek’s career. Faced with a barrage of skepticism and discrimination due to her Mexican heritage and accent, Hayek encountered many obstacles on her path to success, including her dyslexia. Rather than allowing these challenges to hinder her progress, she confronted them head-on with unwavering determination and resilience.

Her breakthrough came with the 1995 action-packed thriller Desperado, where she captivated audiences with her fiery performance opposite Antonio Banderas. It was a role that showcased her formidable talent, shattered stereotypes, and challenged perceptions of Latinx actors in Hollywood. The people in Hollywood who said her accent would only land her roles as a maid were silenced.

Since then, Hayek has continued to push boundaries and defy expectations with each new project she undertakes. In 2003, she became one of the first Latinas to be nominated for Best Actress by the American film industry’s Academy Awards, the first Mexican actress to be nominated for Best Actress by the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television) awards; she was also nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Globes (the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which has a long history of awards to Latin actors).

Hayek garnered these nominations for her portrayal of the iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo in the biographical drama Frida (2002), a crowning achievement in her illustrious career. Bringing Kahlo’s tumultuous life and indomitable spirit to the screen was no small feat, but Hayek approached the role with a fierce dedication and reverence for the artist’s legacy. Immersing herself in Kahlo’s world, Hayek captured the essence of the enigmatic painter. This authenticity resonated deeply with audiences and critics alike. From Kahlo’s fiery passion to her unyielding resilience, Hayek embodied every facet of the artist’s complex personality with a rare grace and nuance. Not only did her performance earn her widespread acclaim, including the three award nominations, but she also served as a producer for the film.

From her iconic performance in Frida to her powerful roles in films like Traffic (2000) and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), she has become a symbol of Mexican excellence in Hollywood. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and many other accolades.

Yet, despite her global success, Hayek remains deeply connected to her Mexican roots. Whether she’s showcasing Mexico’s vibrant colors and rhythms in her film productions or using her influence to support Mexican filmmakers and artists, she continues to be a proud ambassador for her homeland.

But perhaps her most significant contribution lies in her efforts to uplift marginalized voices in the industry. As an outspoken advocate for gender equality and diversity, she has used her platform to spotlight Mexican culture and heritage, ensuring that future generations of Latinx artists can share their stories with the world.

Salma Hayek’s philanthropic endeavors extend beyond the realm of cinema. Her charitable work includes raising awareness on issues such as violence against women and discrimination against immigrants. She is also a staunch advocate for the naturalness of breastfeeding and women’s rights to feed their children in public without restriction. In a powerful display of her commitment to these causes, Hayek testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary in support of reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act in 2005.

Additionally, she has made substantial financial contributions to organizations that combat domestic violence, including a $25,000 donation to a shelter for battered women in the town of her birth, Coatzacoalcos, and a $50,000 donation to anti-domestic violence groups in Monterrey. As a board member of V-Day, the charity founded by playwright Eve Ensler, Hayek continues to champion women’s and girls’ rights worldwide.

On top of being a champion for women, Salma has a soft spot for animals. She reportedly has up to 50 animals, including rescue dogs, horses, rabbits, geese, chickens, and an owl with whom she meditates daily.

Although Time magazine named Salma one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023, many people criticize her for marrying a man who happens to be a billionaire. They have been married for 15 years and together for 18 years. In 2007, Salma, 41 years old, gave birth to a healthy daughter. Some people rumored it was an arranged marriage, but Salma has always defended their relationship, saying how much she dearly loves him. She has an uncanny way of letting criticism roll off her back.

Salma has always done things her way and has held on to beauty and grace while doing it. She has never taken herself too seriously while at the same time living life seriously. I’m reminded of her words, “People always underestimate me. But if you stick around long enough, act out of conviction, and try to be honorable in everything you do, good things will come to you.”

March 2024

Writers of Literature and Social Consciousness

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By Carole Reedy

This month let’s talk about fierce Mexican women writers who scrutinize the varied plights of humankind, their words dissecting and analyzing society and human behavior. All have the ability to keenly observe, be it in a novel, short story, or essay, offering the reader fresh perspectives with which to view the world.

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
A main contributor to the Spanish Golden Age of Literature (c. 1492-1659 or 1681, depending on who’s defining it), Sor Juana is today still recognized as one of the most important women writers of Spanish and Mexican literature.

Born near Mexico City as Juana de Asuaje y Ramírez de Santillana, a discrepancy exists, even today, concerning her birthdate. There is record of two baptisms, one under the name Juana in 1648 and the other in the name of Inés in 1651.

Sor Juana’s life was a constant battle to get an education not only for herself but for all women. She was active from an early age in her struggle to be educated. As a little girl she often hid in the hacienda’s chapel in order to read her grandfather’s books.

Recognized as a child prodigy, she was educated at home and could read and write in Latin by age three. She wrote her first poem at eight. Although she wanted to enter the university disguised as a male, her mother denied the request while continuing her private teaching at home.

In 1667 Sor Juana entered a nunnery and dedicated her life to writing prose and poetry about feminism, love, and religion. The convent was the only path open to her to enable “no fixed occupation, which might curtail my freedom to study.”

One of the most significant and recommended books about Sor Juana was written by Nobel Prize winner Octavio Paz, entitled Sor Juana: or The Traps of Faith (1982).

Although there is much written information about Sor Juana’s struggles against church and state, as well as her censorship and rejection, the best way to understand her is through her original poetry and prose. There are translations to English for non-Spanish speakers. For a flavor of her philosophy try her famous poem “Hombres Necios” (“Foolish Men.” C. 1689).

Sor Juana died at 46 from the plague while caring for afflicted nuns in the convent.

Elena Poniatowska
Today at 91 years old, Poniatowska is still active in journalism, literature, and politics, though to a lesser degree than in the past. She was one of the founders of the prestigious newspaper La Jornada, as well as Fem, a feminist magazine. She also founded two well-known and strong Mexico City institutions – Siglo XXI, a publishing house, and the Cineteca Nacional, the national film institute.

It is impossible to list the awards Poniatowska has won worldwide or to list all the articles and books she has packed into a lifetime. I will just mention a few that have meant a lot to me in my many years of studying Spanish language and culture, as well as in simply reading for pleasure.

The first book I read cover-to-cover in Spanish was Poniatowska’s novel Leonora (2011), a novel based on the life of her good friend the eccentric surrealist artist and writer Leonora Carrington.

The book has much to offer: a glimpse into the world of surrealism through the Mexican artists and friends of Leonora, a voyage through her disturbed upper-class British childhood and adolescence, and her journey into madness. Scattered throughout are provocative tidbits of well-known personalities from her time in Europe and the US during World War II and then in Mexico, where she spent the rest of her long life.

Poniatowska’s style is straightforward, but not simple. It is a pleasure to read her and especially to learn more about the culture of her era.

Poniatowska’s best known book is La noche de Tlatelolco (Massacre in Mexico in English, 1971), which contains testimonies of the victims of the 1968 student massacre in Mexico City. During the presidency of Gustavo Díaz Ordaz (1964-70), students demonstrated to protest their discontent with the authoritarian government. On October 2, 1968 (ten days before the Summer Olympics were to begin in Mexico City – those Olympics are famous in their own right for a Black Power protest), the military put a stop to the protests. It is estimated that 300 to 500 students who had gathered in the Plaza de Tres Culturas, the main square in the Tlatelolco neighborhood, were shot and killed by the military. Poniatowska’s interviews, charts, and slogans from the student survivors bring the events painfully alive for the reader.

Certainly Poniatowska is and has been a role model for all young women.

Cristina Rivera Garza
Cristina Rivera Garza, one of Mexico’s most prolific and popular writers, was born in 1964 on the US/Mexico border in the state of Tamaulipas. She teaches and writes in both countries and languages, currently living in San Diego and teaching history at the University of San Diego.

Her most recognized work, Nadie me verá llorar (No One Will See Me Cry, 1999) won the prestigious Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize in 2001. This is the tale of the intertwined lives of Joaquín Buitrago, a morphine-addicted photographer with upper-class roots, and Matilda Burgos, a former prostitute of peasant origin who was confined to a mental hospital.

“This touching story plumbs the psychological depths of the morphine addict, vividly portrays life a century ago in Mexico, and has the added appeal of strong female characters,” says Nerissa Moran, a Spanish-language book dealer. The renowned Carlos Fuentes called the book “one of the most perturbing and beautiful novels ever written in Mexico.” Best to read it in Spanish, according to Garza’s fans.

Garza won the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize in 2009 for La muerte me da (Death Gives Me, 2007), a fragmentary and experimental novel in which the narrator discovers castrated bodies, the body and parts separated, and the text undergoes a similar fragmentation. Garza is the only author to win the Sor Juana award twice.

One of her most intriguing books is Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice (2023), a nonfiction work in which she reconstructs the circumstances leading to her younger sister’s murder in 1990. Through differing styles, she creates a book that brings back memories of this young woman who attested “I am a seeker. I want to try new things; maybe more pain and loneliness, but I think it would be worth it. I know there is more than these four walls and this sky, annoyingly blue.”

Valeria Luiselli
“Versatile” is the first word that comes to mind when Valeria Luiselli’s name comes up in conversation. She has lived in Mexico, the US, South Africa, South Korea, India, France, and Spain and has studied dance, literature, and philosophy. She has worked as a librettist for a ballet company, taught comparative literature, and has written for several art galleries.

We know her best, however, as a writer of fine literature, with immigration concerns central to both her fiction and nonfiction.

Luiselli’s book Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions (2017) is ranked number 83 on The Guardian’s list of the best 100 books of the 21st century. One of my favorites, Tell Me How It Ends uses the 40 questions Luiselli, working as an interpreter, asks of undocumented Latin American children in deportation hearings. Luiselli highlights the dichotomy between immigrant dreams and the reality of American racism and fear. This short book is an emotional journey into the process, which includes Luiselli’s conversations with her own children, who ask, “Tell us how it ends, momma. What happens to the children?”

Another journey into the world of immigration is her Lost Children Archive: A Novel (2020), about a family that takes a vacation from New York to Arizona. Although the main theme is immigration and children, other family concerns pepper the journey and it is richly flavored with personal angst and perspective. The parents themselves are awaiting green cards, and the husband is obsessed with Geronimo and with bringing an understanding of the plight of the American Indian to his own children. The marriage appears to be disintegrating.

These are just a few of the legion of women who continue to spark awareness in readers through their inquisitive nature and prudent, yet daring and bold, language skills.

March 2024

Carmen Aristegui: An Unyielding Force in Journalism

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By Kary Vannice

There’s one woman every Mexican president since Felipe Calderón (2006-12) has feared, and that’s Carmen Aristegui, one of Mexico’s most influential and fearless journalists. Known for her sharp, tough demeanor and relentless investigative journalism, Aristegui has become a powerful voice against injustice, corruption, and attacks on press freedom in Mexico.

Aristegui’s 20-plus-year career is marked by an unwavering commitment to truth, transparency and accountability. She has worked in every facet of journalism, print, radio and television. Most notably, she anchored the news program Aristegui on CNN en Español and currently hosts a daily CNN podcast of the same name. In 2012, she started her own news website, Aristegui Noticias, a highly renowned news program in Mexico and Latin America, with a vast viewership of over 45 million people each month.

One of the most notable aspects of Aristegui’s career is her refusal to stay silent in the face of adversity. Shockingly, Mexico has the highest death rate of journalists in the world. When asked about this in an interview, Aristegui said, “It’s a disgrace that persists because it goes hand in hand with the impunity of a country without a justice system willing to punish those responsible. Few of the perpetrators have been prosecuted, which is almost an invitation to murder for those who feel threatened by journalism.”

During her acceptance speech in 2023 for the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Grand Prize for Press Freedom, Aristegui stated: “Mexico is one step away from being considered a country with high restrictions on press freedom, significantly related to the ‘constant’ attacks by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador against the media, journalists, critics and other powers of the Republic.” She went on to say, “When a journalist is murdered, a person is murdered, a professional is murdered, but society’s right to be informed and to know what that journalist had to report is also murdered.”

Throughout her illustrious career, Carmen Aristegui has faced numerous challenges and has been a constant target for those who seek to silence her. Her fearless pursuit of truth and unwavering commitment to investigative journalism have made her a thorn in the side of those in power. Her illegal termination from MVS Radio in 2015, following her report on the conflict of interest concerning home purchases by then-President Enrique Peña Nieto, was a glaring example of the pressures she faced. The termination, widely regarded as an act of censorship, sparked outrage and widespread public protests that resulted in Aristegui’s reinstatement a few days later, but nonetheless drew attention to the vulnerability of journalists in Mexico who dared to expose corruption at the highest levels of government.

Aristegui’s resilience in the face of adversity became even more apparent as she endured not only censorship but also personal attacks and ridicule throughout her career. At the end of last year, she was once again at the center of the high-profile “Pegasus” spyware, used by the Mexican government for covert surveillance of Mexican citizens. She was called to give testimony about how she and her teenage son were allegedly spied on during the years Enrique Peña Nieto was in office.

Her sharp and critical reporting style, aimed at holding those in power accountable, has made her a lightning rod for criticism, yet Aristegui has weathered the storm with grace and determination, refusing to be deterred from her journalistic mission.

Despite the many attempts to undermine her credibility and silence her voice, Aristegui has emerged as a symbol of journalistic integrity and resilience. Her ability to persevere in the face of censorship and ridicule underscores the importance of a free press and the crucial role of journalists in holding the powerful accountable.

March 2024

Editor’s Letter

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By Jane Bauer

“Identity is never singular but is multiply constructed across intersecting and antagonistic discourses, practices and positions.”
Stuart Hall

Who are you? What is the first trait you think of to describe yourself?

Is it your gender?
Is it your nationality?
Your race?
Perhaps a description of the kind of person you view yourself to be?

Tensions feel high lately. Not only in the world we see through our phones and television, but in real life. The conflicts across the world remain a safe distance away, beyond our ability to affect change, other than voicing our outrage and hoping we fall on the right side of history.

There are tensions closer to home, things we can do something about. On the outer edges are the migrants, avoiding the immigration officials as they move towards the unknown. Inside our bubble we cling to our opinions about the situation- no, not just the situation- we cling to our opinions about the people- how we imagine them to be, where we imagine they have come from and where they are going.

On the inner edge we have tensions between the outsiders: the travelers, tourists, digital nomads, snowbirds, expats and gringos versus the locals, nationals, long-term residents, the “Mexico experts,” who are pushing back. Blame for everything that seems to be going wrong is thrown around like a tennis ball or maybe I should say like a pickelball.

Last year I was sitting at my favorite sushi haunt in Terminal 2 of CDMX when the man on the stool beside me attempted to engage me in conversation. I am not the kind of traveler who enjoys idle chitchat with strangers. He was undeterred and proceeded to tell me with a hint of pride that he had been living in Oaxaca City for the past eight years.
‘That’s nice,” I responded out of politeness.
“Where do you live?” he persisted.
“On the coast.”
“How long have you been there?”
“Twenty-six years,” I said turning back to enjoy my unagi.
“Oh. You win I guess,” he said.
“It’s not a contest,” I replied.

People are always having conversations like these, asserting their identity and experience to justify their entitlements and points of view. But who are you really? Take away the cloak of where you happened to be born, where you live, your job, your religion, your gender, the amount of stuff you have collected on your journey and the opinions you have formed, based on the information you have. When you strip those things away, what are you really entitled to, that someone else isn’t?

Aren’t we all just minnows in a school of fish moving through the water on the momentum of each other?

March is usually our Women’s Issue. However, in the spirit of shedding our identities, rather than clinging to them so fiercely, I am calling this the ‘Achievement Issue’. Our writers have profiled people whose accomplishments are inspiring.

See you next month,

Jane

March 2024

An Eye on 2024 Olympians

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By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, planned for July 28-August 11, will provide an opportunity to watch and cheer for 32 Mexican women at the top of their games. More than a few have been competing for decades and are determined to medal. They will be competing in 16 sports. Two Mexican teams in particular are worth attention – artistic swimming (with eight women) and gymnastics (also eight). Since Mexico has not taken home any medals in these team sports in past Olympics, a win would be especially meaningful and a cause for national celebration.

Swimmers

Although Mexico has never medaled in Olympic artistic swimming (aka synchronized swimming), the recent performance of the current team has raised high hopes. This is the first time since 1996 that the whole team qualified for the Olympics. The team won the gold medal in the Pan American games in Chile in 2023. And team member Itzamary Gonzalez along with her partner won a silver medal in the 2023 World Championship for their beautiful duet.

Other team members to watch in Paris who have previously medalled, albeit not in the Olympics, are 33-year-old Nuria Diosdado, one of the team captains, who has been performing since her early teens, and her award-winning duet partner Joana Betzabe Jiménez García, who is 30 years old.

Gymnasts

The Mexico Rhythmic Gymnastics Team will be appearing for the first time in the Paris Olympics. Members Julia Gutiérrez, Ana Flores, Kimberly Salazar, Adirem Tejeda, and Dalia Alcocer were overjoyed to win the silver medal at the 2023 Pan American games. Rhythmic Gymnastics (aka ribbon dancing) has been part of the Olympics since the Los Angeles games in 1984. The competition will be fierce, especially from the members of the teams from Eastern Europe – Russian gymnasts have garnered more medals in the sport than those of any other country. A medal for Mexico would not only be a first but miraculous. In the last Olympics, Israeli gymnast Linoy Ashram snatched the gold from the Russians – so it would not be impossible for the Mexican team to do the same.

A Sailor

A medal in sailing would also be a first for Mexican women. Sailor Elena Oetling Ramírez, a 31-year-old Olympian from Chapala, Jalisco, will be racing against the odds in the Laser Radial class, single-handedly piloting a light-weight single-masted dinghy – her specialty. She was named the top sailor in Mexico after competing in the 2020 World Cup regatta in Miami, but her showing in the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo was less than stellar and she wound up in 32nd place. Honing her skills in the following years in the yacht club in Puerto Vallarta, she finished in 6th place in the 2023 Pan American Games. In Paris, she’ll be competing against sailors from Great Britain and Australia who have garnered multiple Olympic medals in this water sport, and against women from China and the Netherlands, both of whom have earned more than one Olympic medal. But stay tuned to watch Ramírez in the Mediterranean waters off Marseille battle to best her own 6th place showing and wind up on the podium.

The rest of the sports in which Mexicanas are competing (archery, athletics [running], cycling, diving, … taekwondo) are events in which Mexico has taken home medals in past Olympics, so expectations are high that the Mexicana Olympians will once again be on the podium.

Archers

The Mexico Women’s Archery Team solidified their place at the Paris games by earning the bronze medal in the World Games in Berlin last August. The team of Aída Román, Alejandra Valencia, and Ángela Ruiz also won the gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador in 2023. Based on the number of medals won in past Olympics, Mexico ranks 20th in archery. The “three As” team faces heavy competition, but with the formerly unbeatable South Korean team showing recent signs of weakness, a door may be opening to the podium for these Mexicana archers.

They also have a chance of medaling in the individual competitions. Valencia, age 29, who has already won an Olympic bronze, is likely to be on the podium again. Born in Hermosillo, Sonora, Alejandra was an all-around athlete beginning at an early age. She began learning archery at age 9 and has won numerous medals in competitions all over the world, including three golds at the Pan American games and a silver in the 2023 Berlin games (at which her team took the bronze). She also holds a degree in graphic design from the University of Sonora.

Aida and Angela also should not be underestimated. At age 35, this will be Aida’s 5th appearance at the Summer Games, with one silver medal achieved in London in 2012. Born in Mexico City and married with four children, she brings experience and stability to the team and hopefully greater concentration to her game than in some of her past Olympic competitions. At age 17, Angela is just emerging as an archer to be taken seriously. She too started recurve (a form of bow) archery at age 9, in her case in Saltillo. Her first international competitions were not stellar, but she seems to be improving in every match and may reach the top of her game in Paris.

Athletes – Running

The runner Citlali Cristian Moscote was first Mexican athlete to qualify for the 2024 Olympics. Over a year ago, in February 2023, Moscote completed her qualifying run in the Seville (Spain) Marathon, placing fourth in a time only two previous Mexicanas have bested. At age 28, Moscote has been on track to run in the 2024 Olympics for years, placing 6th in the 2019 Summer FISU (International University
Sports Federation) World University Games half-marathon in Naples, Italy; winning the Mexico City half-marathon in 2021; and placing in the top ten in 2022 in the marathon in Eugene, Oregon, in competition with some of the best runners in the world. In the 2023 Pan American Games, Moscote’s marathon pace took home the gold. Moscote was born in San Juan de Lagos, Jalisco, but was primarily educated in Guadalajara. She matriculated at the University of Guadalajara, where she studied marketing and was recognized as a leading runner in competitions for the University.

Divers

We first introduced readers of The Eye to Mexicana divers in an article in the June 2018 issue. We described Paola Espinosa Sánchez from La Paz, South Baja California, and her bronze-medal-winning performance in 2008 in Beijing for the synchronized platform event. This was the first-ever medal for Mexico’s women’s diving team. We also introduced Alejandra Orozco Lorza, now 26 years old, from Guadalajara, Paola’s partner in London in 2012 and their silver-winning duo in the same event. Alejandra will be in Paris after placing 6th in the 2023 World Championships in the individual 10-meter platform event. Her partner, 23-year-old Gabriela Agundez from La Paz, won an individual silver medal in the Tokyo Games and, with Orozco, a bronze in Tokyo for synchronized diving, so it would not be surprising to see both women on the podium in Paris.

We would be remiss to remind our readers that there are women at the top of their games who were not selected to compete in the Olympics due more to the complicated qualification procedures than their lack of expertise. Another award-winning Mexicana diving duo is Paola Pineda, 23, a student at the University of Texas from Guanajuato, and Arantxa Chávez, 32, also from Guanajuato and a Mexican Army athlete. They proudly received the gold medal for their 3-meter springboard synchronized performance at the 2023 Pan American Games as well as individual medals. At the very top of their game, they are sheer perfection to watch – so they will be missed in Paris. And the Mexicana soccer team also won the gold in the 2023 Games in Chile but, given the Eurocentric rules, did not qualify for Paris in 2023. But stand proud for those wonderful women who did make it through the selection process for Paris. Enjoy the Olympic Games and cheer loud enough to be heard anywhere in Mexico.

March 2024

Navigating Progress: A New Highway to the Coast of Oaxaca

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By Randy Jackson

On February 4, 2024, the inauguration of an essential transportation artery for the Oaxaca Coast, including Huatulco, marked a significant milestone in the development of the coast of Oaxaca. La Autopista Barranca Larga-Ventanilla is a toll highway, linking Oaxaca City to the coastal road near Puerto Escondido, approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Huatulco. This highway is expected to reduce travel time from Huatulco to Oaxaca City by approximately four hours and it will integrate the Oaxaca Coast into Mexico’s toll road system.

The construction of this highway over the course of 20 years has faced many challenges. The project was initiated under President Ernesto Zedillo in 1999. However, construction progress experienced numerous interruptions across subsequent presidential terms, spanning administrations from Vicente Fox to Felipe Calderón and Peña Nieto, before its inauguration by the current President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO). on February 4th.

The road isn’t quite finished, but it is in use. One taxi driver I spoke to drove the route the day before inauguration, and the trip to Oaxaca City took 5 hours from Huatulco. The highway is very similar to the road between the airport and Huatulco, two lanes with wide shoulders. It is a toll road but the government has announced it would be toll free for the first year. Some of the final work on the highway includes construction of the toll booths and highway connections to communities along its route.

The Use of Roadblocks

Amid the bevy of news reports announcing the inauguration of this highway were reports of two illegal blockades within 24 hours of the highway opening. One was set up by some members of the municipality of San Jerónimo Coatlán demanding an audit of their former administrator and current municipal president. Another blockade was by the municipality of San Pablo Coatlán, demanding payment for their lands and claiming they would charge a toll themselves.

Anyone familiar with driving on Oaxaca highways is aware of the issue of roadblocks. Highway blockades are an effective tool for municipalities in getting the attention of the state or federal authorities. The setting up of roadblocks within a day of the new highway’s inauguration serves as a troubling sign for users of this highway, although it should be noted that most Oaxacan roadblocks are typically short-term, allowing vehicles to pass through after a few hours. Some however, have been in place for much longer.

Roadblocks had been a major source of construction delays for this highway. Notably, one agrarian dispute between two communities which held up progress for over a year. This community dispute has resulted in up to 28 fatalities since 2008, according to Imparcial News. The expropriation of 13 kilometers of land for the new highway through these communities exacerbated tensions. The deployment of blockades to obstruct construction thrust this conflict into the limelight, capturing the attention of authorities and the wider Mexican public.

The Two Disputing Communities

Situated approximately 95 kilometers south of Oaxaca City, the two communities of Villa Sola de Vega (population 12,350) and San Vicente Coatlán (population 3,512) are both municipalities. In Mexico, municipalities represent the third tier of government, positioned below the Federal and State levels. Villa Sola de Vega spans an area of 680 square kilometers and encompasses 138 villages. San Vicente Coatlán covers an area of 105 square kilometers and includes 8 villages within its jurisdiction.

The communities’ dispute over the ownership of 19,600 hectares of land dates back to 1976. In 2006, The Tribunal Unitario Agrario 21 de Oaxaca (Unitary agrarian court of Oaxaca) ruled in favor of the municipality Villa Sola de Vega. San Vicente Coatlán disputed this, citing a presidential decree in 1754 allocating the land to them. This ruling by the agrarian court resulted in numerous acts of violence between the communities over the years, including the wounding of a state policeman in 2017.

Following AMLO’s election in 2018, he unveiled plans to prioritize the completion of the Barranca Larga-Ventanilla highway as part of his infrastructure agenda. In 2021, he personally visited these two communities, pledging to facilitate dialogue to address the conflict and expedite highway construction. However, by September 2022, the municipality of San Vicente Coatlán announced a blockade of the construction, citing perceived lack of progress toward resolution.

In January 2023, AMLO announced that his administration was in consultation with the two communities, and if a resolution could not be found within one month, an alternate highway route would be used avoiding the lands of these two municipalities altogether.

An agreement was made shortly thereafter and the construction of the highway was completed. The two communities each received 50% of the disputed lands and the Municipality of Villa Sola de Vega was to receive a gas station, a tourist inn, a communal property office, and a water and sewage treatment plant. This settlement demonstrates the effectiveness of blockades, and marks progress for these two communities.

The Road Beyond Inauguration

Although potential roadblocks and more construction delays may haunt this new highway for a time, the significance of this transportation infrastructure looks to be a game changer for Huatulco and the Oaxaca Coast. It promises economic benefits from more efficient transport of goods as well as more tourists, likely many more tourists. The increase in tourism is expected to bring more investments and jobs to Huatulco and the Oaxaca Coast.

New investments and jobs can be stymied, however, without further investments in service infrastructure, potable water and expanded sewage handling in particular. These services are at capacity in Huatulco, and exceeding capacities in Puerto Escondido. For nine years Puerto Escondido has been pumping raw sewage into the ocean, and their potable water system, like that of Huatulco, struggles to meet demand.

With the transition of Huatulco from FONATUR to the State of Oaxaca, any new service infrastructure will be the responsibility of the state. This may prove to be a test for the state government in their commitment to the development of the Oaxaca Coast. But for now at least, the road is open and Huatulqueños anxiously await future announcements of new service infrastructure to navigate further progress.

For contact or comment, email: box95jackson@gmail.com.