Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel with microphone in hand, in front of the San Nicolás de Ibarra community committee. Photo: Jazmín Stengel
Jazmín Stengel-Chapala. The Government of Chapala has canceled the permit to connect 30 new homes in the “San Nicolás” subdivision in the adjacent Vista del Lago development that would allowed it to connect San Nicolás de Ibarra’s water system and well.
«The well will not be touched,» said the mayor of Chapala, Alejandro Aguirre Curiel, before some 300 community activists who met with him on the corner of Juárez and Morelos streets on Monday, April 25. «We are not going to give water to this subdivision, you have my word, we are going to cancel this permit», said the mayor during the meeting which lasted about an hour. They also asked for the dismissal of the spokesperson of the SIMAPA Chapala Council, Ricardo Razo and the Administrator of SIMAPA San Nicolás.
Before those present, who in previous days had protested because the subdivision wanted to connect to the town’s network, Aguirre Curiel committed to regulate all authorized developments in the municipality before issuing any more permits.
Based on density demands promoted under the municipal Urban Development Plan, Curiel action can avoid injunctions by private companies, and require them to supply services to their developments themselves and not connect to the municipal systems.
«So far in our government we have not authorized a single permit nor do we have any in the pipeline, until we regulate all those that are authorized,» he assured the citizens.
Aguirre Curiel insisted that the misunderstandings of the April 20 meeting between authorities and the community were due to the mishandling of information by the person in charge of the delegation and public officials of the City Hall, who should have been clear about denying the connection to the water well from the beginning. The neighbors asked the authorities to respect the official letter that was distributed to record the deal made during the meeting and that the administration of the water be once again managed by the community. They asked to be notified of the income and expenses on a regular basis.
In addition, the residents requested the appointment of Luis Morales Contreras as a member of the Board of SIMAPA Chapala and Irma Reyes Delgado as Administrator of SIMAPA San Nicolás.
Translated by Mary Woods.
The transformer has been leaking for almost a month.Credit: Sofía Medeles.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).– Despite multiple complaints from citizens, the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) has not repaired the transformer located in the Six Corners neighborhood of Ajijic at the intersection of Ocampo and Hidalgo. At the beginning of the month, the transformer burned; it has been leaking liquid since April 2.
Although the condition of the device has caused additional power outages, neighbors agree that the smell is unpleasant. It also poses a danger, as it is highly flammable. «It smells very bad, it is staining the ground, contaminating the soil and with any spark, it can cause a serious fire. CFE just stopped by one day and never came back. We don’t understand why they ignore it, because if it gets more damaged, they will have to invest more to repair it,» said a resident of the neighborhood.
Acting delegate Maximiano Macias Arceo confirmed that there are many complaints about this incident, and that he does not know what is stopping CFE personnel from doing this work. He also said that the Chapala Department of Ecology could apply pressure, since the leaking liquid is harmful to the environment.
Translated by Amy Esperanto
Los hechos se registraron en la colonia Colinas de Chapala. Foto: Twitter.
Redacción.- Elementos de la Fiscalía del Estado de Jalisco (FE) quienes realizaban una investigación en el municipio de Chapala durante la tarde de este martes, lograron la detención de tres personas quienes presuntamente forman parte de un grupo de la delincuencia organizada que opera en la entidad.
De acuerdo con el reporte, al estar realizando actos relacionados con una carpeta de investigación por la desaparición de la adolescente Julissa Esmeralda Oliveros, en la colonia Colinas de Chapala, personal de la Fiscalía Especial en Personas Desaparecidas (FEPD) avistaron la presencia de varios sujetos los cuales portaban armas de fuego.
Al notar la presencia de los elementos, los sujetos intentaron evadirlos; sin embargo fueron detenidos por el personal de la FEPD.
Además de los detenidos, el personal de la Fiscalía de Jalisco aseguró armas de fuego, chalecos balísticos los cuales portaban siglas de un grupo de la delincuencia organizada, una bolsa con estupefacientes, así como un vehículo automotor.
La FE informó que tanto los detenidos como lo asegurado serán puestos a disposición del agente del Ministerio Público de la Fiscalía General de la República quienes definirán su situación jurídica en el término constitucional.
The eight-meter-long crack crossed the width of Vicente Guerrero Street at its intersection with Pedro Moreno.
Editor.- A crack suddenly appeared in the pavement on Vicente Guerrero Street during the afternoon of Tuesday, April 26th. The event was captured by a security camera.
The recording showed the exact moment that the crack appeared, crossing the width of the road at its intersection with Pedro Moreno Street. A cloud of dust rose after the concrete fracture.
The linear crack was approximately eight meters long, crossing the street from side to side and causing slight damage to the property on the corner. A crew from the Civil Protection and Firefighters was there to remove the debris as soon as possible.
The cause of the crack has not been reported. Some social network conversations indicated that it was a fracture in the concrete due to the heat. Others attributed it to the geological faultline that crosses the municipal capital that has previously caused damage to hundreds of homes, as well as the historically important building, the temple of Señor del Monte, and the former Paulino Navarro school.
Translated by Nita Rudy
By: Patrick O’Heffernan.
Regional Mexican bands and Latin Acts were shot through the program at Coachella Music and Art Festival last week– twenty Latin acts including four regional Mexican bands.
Near the top was Banda MS from nearby Mazatlán, which got the packed crowd moving with their first hit El Mechón», followed by songs like » El Color de Tus Ojos», «Hermosa Experiencia» and bit of «Qué Maldición», originally recorded with Snoop Dog. Much of the crowd seemed to know the lyrics pretty well, at least from the YouTube videos I have watched (I wasn’t there) .
Latin-Grammy winners Groupo Firme from Tijuana energized a screaming crowd of thousands with their hit “El Toxico” on Day 2. Sunday was the Coachella debut of Natanael Cano, who combines rock, rap and pop and corridos, and Ed Maverick from Chihuahuan with his singer-songwriter folk, alternative and rock music mashups.
Other Latin acts included Karol G, Niki Nicole, Anitta, Alaina Castillo, Nathy Peluso, and the Latin-Canadian Jessica Reyes along with American- Mexican bands Chicago Batman, Cuco, Ela Minus, Omar Apollo, Pabllo Vittar, and The Marias .
So why all the Latin acts and four Mexican regional bands at Coachella this year? A few Latino artists have performed at Coachella since its inception in 2001, including Café Tacvba, Julieta Venegas, Nortec Collective and Los Ángeles Azules, but they really broke through in 2019 with the flamenco fusion artist Rosalía, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin in Main Stage prime spots.
The numbers tell us why Mexican and Latin acts were there this year. MRC, which tracks music trends, revealed in its 2021 Year End Report that Latin music album consumption in the U.S. grew by 21.1% in 2021, more than any other core music genre. The number of Latin albums bought and streamed in the US hit 48.2 million and generated more than US$886.1 million, making Latin music the #5 most-consumed music genre NOB.
Latin bands are now for everyone. Whether it’s Bad Bunny, Karol G, Banda MS, or anyone playing reggaeton, research shows the audiences are of mixed cultures. Spanish lyrics are not a deterrent – people love the Latin beats even if they don’t get the lyrics.
Mexican/Spanish music has been around the US since before there was a US, when colonists from Mexico introduced the guitar to Florida and the Southwest of what is now the US. By the 1930’s California radio stations were playing norteño and mariachi for farm workers. Cuban music landed in New York City in the 40’s with Arsenio Rodríguez, Desi Arnez , and La Lupe. During the rock revolution Latinos were there with songs like “La Bomba”, and “Tequila”, and bossa nova.
This year the regional Mexican band Groupo Firme sold out 7 nights at Staples Center in LA, only one night shy of the record set by Adele, a sign that American music audiences – especially younger fans –resonate with Mexican regional sounds.
So the regional Mexican and Latin bands on the program at Coachella last week were following, not leading, the audience. Coachella2022 was another footstep in the progress of music sin fronteras – music without borders. !Viva musica de Mexico!
Opening ceremony on Friday, April 22. Photo: Sofia Medeles.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- The first Earth Day commemoration in Ajijic which took place on April 22, 23 and 24 t was a success although participation was lower than the organizers hoped for. The three-day event consisted of a series of conferences and other activities designed to raise awareness about the need to care for the environment.
Between 150 to 200 people attended each day for a total of 500 and 600 people, mostly adults although there were also interested children.
The first day began with an opening ceremony asking permission to the elements and deities to allow the participants to respectfully carry out the programmed activities. During the closing ceremony on the last day, a tribute and offering was made to Lake Chapala.
The conference speakers included activists who work to safeguard the integrity of both the lake and the mountains, such as Manuel Villagómez Rodríguez, Luis Valdivia Ornelas, Raquel Gutiérrez Nájera and the local resident Julio Carmona. There were also music and film presentations, and tables for information and sale of ecological products.
«I think the event was effective both in the professional and academic quality of the presenters, said Noris Binet, who added that, “ I think it was very ambitious to do it in three days since it demands consistent participation by the public.”
Binet explained that, “ There were three relevant focuses of the event: that battles of this type can and have been won, that Lake Chapala urgently needs to become a Ramsar site, that a mapping of endangered and reserved areas needs to be done that clearly defines where not to buy or build, something the Expats requested I a petition. ( Lake Chapala is listed on the RAMSAR Information Service as RAMSAR as Ramsar Site no. 1973. For its extensive wetlands).
Sihara Casillas Gaeta, another of the organizers, commented that this type of event helps people to learn about the type of land in which they live, about the local aquifers, and to take stock of how corruption has contributed to the deterioration of natural water reservoirs, which helps convince people to be more vigilant.
Jane Custer, who was in charge of translations at the event, said that she was very pleased to see the Mexican and foreign communities of Ajijic together in one place acquiring knowledge to protect the Lake and the environment.
Noris stated that, in the coming years, she believes the event could improve in terms of local participation, involving neighbors and members of indigenous communities, talking about their problems related to environmental issues. She plans to produce an official document summarizing the most important points of the event to be presented to government authorities, as well as the creation of a citizen and academic observatory to monitor and denounce environmental destruction.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
Abandoned wooden modules in the Municipal Market of Jocotepec each costing $7,500 pesos, Photo: Héctor Ruiz.
Héctor Ruiz Mejía (Jocotepec).- They threw in the towel. The street merchants who were relocated to the upper floor of the Municipal Market of Jocotepec decided to abandon their stalls after months of low sales.
Vendors interviewed by Laguna said that after a little more than three months of «going through an odyssey» to receive some solution or support from the City Hall to cushion the difficult economic situation they suffered after being relocated, they have opted to move to other places to sell their merchandise.
«I actually had to look for a job. This is over. We tried and fought, but we were left with no response and no support. So I too, like everyone else, am leaving,» commented one of the last vendors.
Semanario Laguna toured the second floor of the building last Tuesday, April 26th , at noon and found that, despite the more than ten million pesos invested in a rehabilitation project that would «give life» to the commercial space, it was empty.
Products such as cooked nopales, cambray onions, chopped and bagged vegetables, avocados and radishes, to mention a few, which not only energized the streets and sidewalks of the town, but were the livelihood of more than 30 families selling on Morelos Street on the outskirts of the market, are no longer for sale.
In addition to looking for another livelihood, some of the affected vendors opted to move to other parts of the town, and even decided to «try their luck» in the neighboring towns of Ajijic and Chapala to continue doing the only thing they know: selling products on the sidewalk, an activity they were no longer allowed to do in Jocotepec.
«It is a shame that they are leaving, I always used to buy my nopalitos and vegetables here with the lady, but when they moved her, it was difficult for my mother and me to go up there; and now we will have to look for someone else,» commented one of the consumers.
Of the ten wooden vendor stands installed on the upper floor of the market to relocate the street merchants, costing approximately $7,500 pesos each, only two are now being used.
City Hall has remained tight-lipped about the situation. After several meetings, negotiations and even a demonstration, officials are aware of the monetary difficulties faced by the affected merchants from the beginning of the relocation, but has not issued any statement on the matter.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
Feminist groups in the region and the Facebook social network have also spread alleged kidnapping attempts
Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).- The Facebook post of an alleged attempted kidnapping of a student of a language academy and the report of the disappearance of a teenage girl in Chapala, has motivated a group of local women to ask the authorities to guarantee their safety.
The women have organized themselves to collect signatures and ask the authorities for the signage of safe spaces in stores, public and private transport, free courses for self-defense and advertising on the lakeshore to make society aware of the violence to which they are exposed in their daily lives. Several measures are already active in Chapala,sbut the women say they need more.
The women also ask for counseling and protection for victims, free psychological care, a hotline for emergencies and the activation of the purple patrol of female offices.
However some of the measures they ask for have been active in Chapala since the beginning of this administration. For example, there is a purple patrol with six trained female officers that respond to public safety emergency numbers 24 hours a day. The Women’s Institute, located at 69 Niños Héroes Street in the municipality, provides free counseling and follow-up to victims.
The cases that have been reported include the April 22 Facebook post of the private language school People Bilingual Training that one of its students was grabbed by men handing out flyers at the Chapala bus station, who tried to pull her into a parked car in front of the station. The student was helped by a woman selling vegetables and managed to escape.
According to the publications and victims consulted by Laguna, many young women have been chased or stalked by men in cars.
Although one of the threats have been reported to Chapala Public Security or formal complaints filed in the Public Prosecutor’s Office about kidnapping attempts or pursuits of women, Chapala Public Security Commissioner Sergio Conzuelo Ramirez has already ordered stepped-up security strategies and increased citizen information to work on the prevention of crime against women.
Jalisco Strategic Coordinator of Public Security Ricardo Sanchez Beruben said he was not aware of any alleged attempt to kidnap women, since none of the alleged victims have formally filed a complaint.
Sanchez Beruben said that the audio messages that circulated a few days ago warning of the kidnapping of women by criminal groups have circulated in different states of Mexico since 2019.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
Course «Literature of Mexican Women Writers»
Day: April 28, May 5, 12, 19 and 26
Virtual literary course taught by Charlotte Carranza
Place: Virtual course Information: 331-273-1110
Schedule: 6:00-8:00pm
“Caballito de Palo” Stick Horse National meeting
Day: Saturday, April 30
National Circuit of Escaramuzas
Place: Lienzo Charro de Ajijic
Schedule: 12:00 noon
Cost: Family event Free of charge
With the Soul of a Child
Day: Saturday, April 30
Art exhibition
Place: Sol y Luna Gallery, Río Bravo #10A Ajijic
Hours: 6:00pm Cocktail
Cost: Free admission
Agave
Day: Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1
Workshops exhibitions tastings
Place: Calle Colón #29 Ajijic
Hours: Saturday 5:00-9:00pm and Sunday from 12:00 to 6:00pm
Cost: Free admission
5k and 10k races
Day: Sunday, May 1st
Athletic Race
Place: Santa Cruz de la Soledad Chapala delegation
Time: 8:00 am
Cost: $260 pesos Registration at Taco Mexicano
Fishing Tournament
Day: Sunday, May 1st
Fishing Tournament
Place: San Antonio Tlayacapan boardwalk
Schedule: 8:00 – 2:00pm
Cost: Kayak $200 Shore $150 Purchase tickets 332-077-9832 / 331-287-2022
Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra
Day: Wednesday, May 4
Presentation of the most important orchestra in Mexico
Place: Templo del Señor del Monte Jocotepec
Time: 8:00 pm
Cost: Free admission
Wine Forum 2022
Day: May 7 and 8
16 wineries tastings culinary tastings musical presentations
Venue: Chapala Yacht Club
Cost: From $540-1,000 pesos, Children under 12 years old free of charge
Traditional Mother’s Day Festival «Adolfo Rayo»
Day: Tuesday, May 10
Cultural activity with mariachi contests and gifts for mothers
Place: Atrium of the parish of San Francisco de Asis Chapala
Schedule: 8:00pm
Cost: Free of charge
Joco Loco May
Day: May 14 and 15
Cultural festival with more than 22 musical acts and other artists
Place: Casa Joco – Calle el Chante 5 Jocotepec
Hours: 12 noon to midnight
Cost: Tickets available on Facebook Casa Joco or through email jocotepeccasajoco@gmailcom $500 pesos each day or $800 pesos for both
Vaccination day for dogs and cats
The Municipal Government through its Directorate of Ecology in collaboration with the Secretary of Health Jalisco will carry out an anti-rabies vaccination day in Chapala and its delegations
Cost: Free of charge.
Translated by Kerry Watson
Diversos operativos de búsqueda de la Fiscalía resultaron en la localización de 44 personas en Jalisco. Foto: Notisistema.
Redacción.- La Fiscalía Especial para Personas Desaparecidas (FEPD) de la Fiscalía de Jalisco (FE) reportó la localización de 44 personas desaparecidas durante la semana del 25 de abril al 1 de mayo pasado, tras diversos operativos de búsqueda.
La FEPD informó que del periodo del 23 al 29 de abril, fueron judicializadas 6 personas contra las que existen datos de prueba suficientes que hacen presumir su probable responsabilidad en la comisión de delitos en la materia, por lo que se espera que en breve sean vinculadas a proceso y las pesquisas continúen.
De las acciones implementadas, la Fiscalía Especial destacó la labor de Alerta Amber Jalisco, toda vez que mediante indagatorias con perspectiva de género, fueron localizadas 15 niñas, niños y adolescentes que contaban con reporte y ya se encuentran sanos y salvos con su familia.
La FEPD refirió que durante la semana del 23 al 29 de abril, tuvo acercamiento con 595 ciudadanas y ciudadanos que acudieron a solicitar información, por lo que les presentó avances con respecto a sus indagatorias, además de que se les brindó la atención jurídica necesaria, entre otros aspectos.
© 2016. Todos los derechos reservados. Semanario de la Ribera de Chapala