Chapala

Óscar Daniel Cruz Ruiz, new director of the Chapala 2022 Women’s National Team, and municipal president Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel during the recording of the presentation video. 

Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).-  Oscar Daniel Cruz Ruiz was presented through a video on social networks on March 10 as the new Technical Director and in charge of the Chapala Women’s National Team for the Jalisco Cup 2022 by president Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel.

The graduate in Physical Culture and Sports who is also the current director and coach of the Centro Educativo de Fútbol de Alto Rendimiento (CEFAR) in Chapala, will be in charge of selecting and directing the women who will represent the municipality in the third edition of the Copa Jalisco, a state amateur soccer tournament. 

Cruz Ruiz expressed his desire to support the sports process as much as the athletes who will be part of it. «We have a lot of enthusiasm and we trust in our generations of girls who have been playing very hard in the municipality, so that everything will flow with good results,» said the new coach.

The first call for the Chapala 2022 National Team auditions was made unofficially a week before the presentation of its Technical Director, supported by the assistant Juan Miguel Siordia Vázquez, however, only four participants came forward.

A day after the presentation, Cruz Ruiz, also a nutritionist, took full charge of the official call on March 11, when he selected more women from Chapala to form the basis of the new team. 

President Aguirre Curiel said he has great confidence in Cruz Ruiz, since in addition to being skilled in the field, he has maintained a great love for the municipality. «He has a great trajectory and above all he loves Chapala, that is why I have asked him to be part of this team…. and I know he can do it,» said the mayor.

The members of the Chapala 2022 Women’s National Team will be presented in a later edition.

Translated by Kerry Watson

The mural is supervised by Juan José Becerra Hernández 

Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).- The new mural, which is still untitled, will extend along Niños Héroes street for 148 linear meters (about 485 feet), starting at the intersection with Francisco I. Madero avenue. It is supervised by muralist Juan José Becerra Hernández, author of ‘Prodigio del Agave.’

The objective of the painting is to «freeze in time» the way of life around Lake Chapala between 1900 and 1920. It includes representative scenes such as the train and the train station, now known as the González Gallo Cultural Center, fishing, as well as the hills of Ocotlán and the steamboats that used to transport food from one end of the lake to the other.

“The goal will be to create a landscape that describes Lake Chapala,” said the author of the work. However, the magic of «Juanjo,» as is his nickname, consists of a technique that makes you feel inside the painting. Ten students have participated in the process so far, of which seven still continue.

Translated by Sydney Metrick

Braulio Esteban «N», was taken to the ministerial agency for alleged possession of narcotics. Photo: Prosecutor’s Office.

An 18-year-old man was arrested in Chapala by officers of the Jalisco State Security Secretariat (SSE), after agents found five packages of the drug known as «crystal.» 

The officers were patrolling the Santa Maria neighborhood Puerta de Horno street at the intersection with Pescadores when they noticed a young man trying to hide. They followed the subject, who tried unsuccessfully to escape. The detainee was handed over to the authorities  which will continue investigating.

Translated by Elisabeth Shields

El lago de Chapala se ubica al 67 por ciento de su capacidad según la CONAGUA. Imagen de la orilla de la playa en Ajijic. Foto: D. Arturo Ortega.

Redacción.- De acuerdo con la Comisión Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA), las presas en Jalisco se encuentran en mejores niveles que el año pasado. La presa Calderón está en un 70 por ciento de su capacidad y el Lago de Chapala al 67.

Cabe recordar que durante el temporal del 2021 el lago ganó 1.90 metros, mientras las presas captaron más del 80 por ciento de su volumen total, sin embargo; el 18 de diciembre inició el deceso de los niveles de los cuerpos de agua del estado.

No obstante, el panorama no es del todo positivo pues investigadores del Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO) con base en sus estudios, así como en el Atlas de Vulnerabilidad Hídrica en México ante el Cambio Climático y los Diagnósticos de la CONAGUA y el Monitor de Sequía Nacional; estiman una sequía aguda para los próximos meses.

Dichos estudios determinaron que, al tres de marzo, el territorio considerado anormalmente seco en 2021, pasó del 24 por ciento, al 46.6 por ciento en el año en curso y al menos 91 municipios de Jalisco iniciaron la temporada de estiaje con una sequía moderada.

Sin embargo, la recuperación de los vasos lacustres ha mejorado con relación al año pasado. Ejemplo de ello es que la presa Calderón que actualmente se encuentra a un 70 por ciento de su capacidad, comparada al año pasado cuando se encontraba al 16. En el norte del estado la presa Vaqueros pasó del 26 al 77 por ciento de su capacidad.

Este hecho ha llevado al gobernador de Jalisco, Enrique Alfaro Ramírez, a compartir un mensaje positivo en redes sociales el 22 de marzo en el marco de la conmemoración del Día Mundial del Agua.

“A pesar de las dificultades que hemos atravesado, hoy tenemos nuestras presas y al Lago de Chapala en niveles mucho mejores que el año pasado, pero no podemos aflojar, si queremos agua para el futuro, necesitamos hacer conciencia y su uso racional como forma de vida”. 

At the end of the party, empty bottles, cigarette packs and snack packages are left along González Gallo Avenue.

Jazmín Stengel(Chapala).- González Gallo Avenue in Chapala is one of the most popular spots where people go to drink and socialize on weekends, which causes a large accumulation of garbage.

According to shopkeepers in the area, the majority of the people who come to party at night are locals. However,  few of them seem to pick up their garbage when they leave, leaving empty liquor and soft drink bottles, cigarette packs and an endless number of snack packages scattered all over the avenue.

Witnesses also said they were aware that the garbage truck passes by at night and very early in the morning. Many of the neighbors are in the habit of taking out the garbage after the garbage collectors have left, which also causes piles of garbage that are left overnight.

There are two main alcohol stores on the avenue, both of which said they help pick up their customers’ garbage before closing after midnight, but they do not always notice the garbage that people leave behind in the early morning.

One of the owners has observed on his security cameras, dogs tearing up the bags on the ground and citizens opening the bags to look for empty aluminum cans and leaving the rest of the garbage scattered on the ground.

The staff of Chapala Park and Gardens Department, together with the Public Waste Department, which has the obligation to keep the area clean start sweeping at 5:00 a.m. but this routine is not always regular, according to the shopkeepers who observe the street through their cameras.

Monday is the most critical day, due to the fact that there are more people partying on González Gallo Avenue the night before, so the garbage increases and the truck tends to pass later in the day. The merchants interviewed assume that this is due to the accumulation of garbage on the malecón, as they have observed the personnel in charge passing by on more than one occasion.

Translated by Christalle Dalsted

The mother of the victim involved in screaming and crying during the demonstration.

Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).-  After the demonstration called by Daniela Baéz, the former student of the Chapala Regional High School who accused him of sexual abuse, a  professor voluntarily resigned from the institution, while the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) stated that it will investigate the case. 

The protest held on March 14, began at the school campus, traveled along the main avenue of Chapala, Francisco I. Madero,  and ended in front of the City Hall building; Approximately 200 people attended with homemade signs, shouting slogans demanding justice .

 The dozens of demonstrators shouted «David harasser, Ramón cover-up»,  referring to the Professor and to the head of the school where the alleged abuse occurred. They also chanted, «The school does not take care of me, my friends take care of me»,  as they marched carrying  banners reading : «Teachers or Pigs?», «Reputation is more important than the safety of the students» and «I want to study without fear», among other messages.

A communiqué issued by the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) on March 15, the day after the demonstration stated that «The professor indicated has voluntarily stepped down and will remain away from his duties until the investigations are concluded.”

In the document, the University emphasized that it had communicated with the affected student, as well as her family, to offer them advice, support  and a guarantee to carry out the due process. 

It was only on Wednesday, March 16, that the victim announced  on social networks that she had formally filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, as well as with the Office for the Defense of University Rights (DDU), an agency of the highest university in Jalisco.

The victim during the demonstration, at the end of her interviews with the media.

During the March 14 march, not only the name of Professor David was heard, but also that of four other teachers from the same high school; however, the director of the Municipal Institute for Women, Alicia Medeles Córdova, declared that this is the only case that has been followed up so far.

The teacher was pointed out by a former student for alleged acts of sexual abuse when she was 15 years old, seven years ago, in 2015.  Daniela uploaded a publication  describing  her case in her social networks. 

In what the young woman has publicly disclosed is that  the  v50-year old teacher David took her on seven occasions over a nine-month period to two houses he rented in the Plaza de Toros and Chapala Haciendas neighborhoods. 

«He would place us naked in front of a computer and touch me or make me touch him. He probably has photos and/or video of us (because the camera always had the light on) «After the first encounter I went to the high school psychologist, Anel Padilla, to tell her EVERYTHING, because she was confused. Her answer was «that if we both wanted to, then it wasn’t bad». 

Today I understand that whether you want to or not, it IS A CRIME. Fortunately at the last meeting a relative of his wife saw us enter the house and went to look for my mom. A letter was filed  in the high school, to leave a record. However, in order to «take care» of me and my «prestige» nothing was done», the young woman  wrote in the filed letter . 

Laguna contacted the professor to request an interview, but the University of Guadalajara forbade him to talk about the case until the investigations were concluded.

Translated w by Patrick O’Heffernan

Photo Credit: Arturo Ortega

Despite last year’s good weather, so far in the dry season, Lake Chapala has lost 44 centimeters of water. It is currently at 69% of total capacity. The average reservoir volume in the state of Jalisco is 80%.

Translated by Amy Esperanto

Por la ola de violencia registrada en Jalisco, Estados Unidos pidió a sus ciudadanos reconsiderar sus viajes.  Foto: Cortesía. 

Redacción.- El Gobierno de Estados Unidos invitó a sus ciudadanos a reconsiderar visitar Jalisco, debido a la alta incidencia delictiva; la medida no aplica para Chapala y Ajijic. 

A través de un aviso en la página www.travel.state.gov, se indicó que la entidad registra un incremento en delitos violentos, además de disputas entre el crimen organizado; por lo que pidió a sus connacionales, extremar precauciones. 

Asimismo, se señaló que ciudadanos norteamericanos han sido víctimas de secuestro en Jalisco, especialmente en la zona fronteriza con el vecino estado de Michoacán. 

Por su parte, los empleados del gobierno de Estados Unidos tienen prohibido transitar por la frontera del estado, por la carretera 80 al sur del municipio de Cocula y por la estatal 544 ubicada entre los municipios de San Sebastián del Oeste y Mascota.

En contraste, la recomendación de viaje no aplicó para la Zona Metropolitana de Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Chapala y Ajijic. 

The president of Chapala, Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel, listening to the complaints of a local citizen.

Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).– More than fifty residents of the Plaza de Toros neighborhood came to the first «Miércoles Contigo,» a new program where the president of Chapala, Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel, and his cabinet will listen to the complaints and needs of different neighborhoods within the Chapala municipality.

The program, which was one of his campaign promises, began on March 16th. At the first event, water and unsatisfactory lighting, and garbage were among the most recurrent complaints. There were also requests to change the schedule of the little square to close it at night (for safety concerns), as well as the different workshops that the neighbors wish to give to the children of the area. 

According to neighbors, the water shortage has gotten worse since the removal of the stone cistern during the administration of a previous president of Chapala, Jesús Cabrera Jiménez (2010-2012). The cistern had been located in the now small square on Colinas del Manglar.

In response to complaints about the garbage problem, the officials promised to install a large sign informing everyone that garbage should not be left in the small square. This will hopefully prevent people from outside the neighborhood from leaving their garbage in the square.

The purpose of the «Wednesdays Together» program is to listen to the needs of residents so that directors of the various municipal agencies can better solve the problems of each neighborhood, both in Chapala, as well as in the towns and villages that make up the municipality.

Inside the small square, public officials listening to complaints from citizens

«The main function of government is to be in the street with the people, to address their concerns and needs,» said President Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre. He personally attended to each person’s issue, and then referred them to the appropriate municipal official. It is expected that this will be the way it works every week, said the officials who were interviewed. 

At the event, each person who wanted to speak received a numbered card, and a form to write down their complaints, recommendations, and their contact information for follow-up. This three-copy form was distributed as: one to the president, one to the official of the corresponding agency, and one to the citizen

The aldermen present took responsibility to form a neighborhood committee to be in contact with the neighborhood, and follow up on the needs, and requests made. The full calendar of the «Wednesdays Together» program will be announced in the next few days.  

Also present at the event were: General Secretary Lilia Alvarado Macías, Trustee Gamaliel de Jesús Soto Pérez, Commissioner of Public Safety, Sergio Conzuelo Ramírez, Head of the Fire and Civil Protection Unit, Lorenzo Antonio Salazar Guerrero, Head of the Municipal System of Potable Water and Sewage (SIMAPA) Chapala, Fernando Antonio Monreal Mendoza, Head of the Women’s Institute, Alicia Medeles Córdova, among other public officials. 

Translated by Amy Esperanto

 ISSSTE members must continue traveling to the Family Medicine Clinic 3 in Guadalajara for consultations and their medicines, while the Chapala City Council locates an office to  provide for medical care. 

Editor-  After almost two years without medical care in Chapala, the beneficiaries of the Institute of Social Security and Social Services for Workers (ISSSTE), Jalisco Delegation, now have an attending doctor in the municipal seat; however, there is still no clinic for that doctor to provide medical attention.

That is why Elpidio Yáñez Rubio, Secretary General of Section 16 of the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE), sought out the Mayor of Chapala, Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel, to request a space for a medical clinic.

At the March 3 meeting, the City of Chapala agreed to search out three available locations for a clinic. Those locations will be evaluated by the municipal authorities so that medical services for ISSSTE’s members can be re-established.

Elpidio Yáñez acknowledged the current lack of a hospital to provide medical care and promised to conduct a census of ISSSTE beneficiaries to determine the feasibility of the construction of a medical clinic in Chapala.

Before his resignation in July 2020, ISSSTE medical attention in Chapala and surrounding municipalities had been provided by medical surgeon César Flavio Ibarra Soltero for 21 years.  

Translated by MaryAnne Marble