The Christ buried among the dust of the years carried in the cendal with a paper in which was inscribed «El Señor de la Esperanza» (The Lord of Hope).
The bloody arm and half of the face was the only thing that could be seen of the crucified figure. He was buried in the middle of the old floorless cellar in the temple of San Cristobal Zapotitlán. A mound of ant dirt and dust accumulated over the years covered the figure.
A yellowed piece of paper that fell when the cloth was removed said «Señor de la Esperanza» (Lord of Hope). The cloth was also stained and when touched it broke into pieces. The rickety cross was a pale green color; the Christ figure was complete.
Ruben Solano Gonzalez had dreamed of that Christ without knowing him. He pointed to him precisely, when he went to the temple in search of that crucified one who in his dreams was asking to be taken out of there. Ruben was sick, but his insistent words said that behind the altar was the one who asked him to come out into the light. He had looked for the sisters of the Magdalena Sofia house, he had told his father; it was the sacristan Genaro Reyes Gallardo who took him to him.
-That’s him,» he told him.
A few months later, Ruben died.
-If you want to leave, no one will say anything,» said Genaro to the Christ who was waiting under that sheet of dust, while with the help of a couple of children he undertook the rescue.
Then he placed him in the baptistery; when the nuns saw him, they only asked where the Christ had come from. The priest also gave his approval. That was about 40 years ago.
Genaro became very fond of him, and received miracles from the Christ. Even when he retired for a while from his work in the church, he thought of him with religious fervor.
Upon his return to the village, Genaro found that the priest on duty had baptized him as «Dulce nombre de Jesús» (Sweet name of Jesus). And having performed a miracle on him, the parish priest organized a triduum, 3-days of prayer to honor him. Over the years, the triduum became a novena (a 9-day prayer celebration), and every second Sunday of May the bells tolled in his honor and a mass was celebrated.
In 2022, almost four decades after that discovery, the Señor de la Esperanza receives the honors and fervor of the parishioners, although with a different name.
At 5:00am the first rocket in his honor goes off. The faithful, mostly women, make their way through the cobblestone streets, some carrying a candle. The musicians of the town begin to arrive at the meeting point, today it is to the east.
One of the women in charge of the day walks in front of the procession carrying a one meter high Christ. There are only 25 of us walking towards the temple accompanied by the music.
When they arrive at the church, they are greeted by the ringing of bells and another barrage of rockets.
The Señor de la Esperanza is now dressed in a brown cloth with the chalice and the Holy Shroud in the center, in the middle of a light blue; two days of hard work took the Jocotepec worker, Don Pedro Mendoza Navarro, to weave each thread of wool to give the crucified the premiere on his day.
The voice of a woman stands out and others second her in the final chant, which with difficulty reaches the end because several can be heard coughing; the last minutes are a concert of coughs, which are compensated by the hot cinnamon and the pieces of bread offered at the end by those in charge of the day.
For the procession, the Señor de la Esperanza is adorned with a blaze of golden rays and placed on the platform of a pickup truck. At his side is again Genaro Reyes, who has decorated the mobile altar with white and yellow chrysanthemums for its travels through the main streets of the town, leaving faces dazzled with fervor.
Today he is accompanied by the faithful armed with their flowered and multicolored parasols, as well as with mariachi, the band, and the dancers who honor him.
Upon arrival, the eyes of the faithful are absorbed in the battered face of Christ, the countenance of a woman who is in front seems to be transfigured and the crucified seems not to want to enter when a group of about five men with difficulty enter the temple with the statue on their backs.
-Long live the sweet name of Jesus! shouts a woman’s voice.
-Long live the Lord of Hope! shouts another.
-I think he wanted to get out, because I was able to do it with the help of two children. And now they can’t,» says Genaro.
It is said that many priests who have visited the parish have been very struck by his face, by its realistic deathly appearance; by the deep pain in its half-open eyes and the drama of its fainting body.
They say that according to a restorer who came to see it, the figure was carved by hand in hollow wood, that its fleshy side is covered by a fine paint and the teeth that can be seen through its half-open lips are made of ivory.
Now it is before the eyes of all that Christ who waited for who knows how many years in oblivion, carrying his name girded on the cloth, waiting perhaps for the voices invoking his name.
“Long live the Lord of Hope!”
Translated by Kerry Watson
The accused used physical and psychological violence to commit the abuse on repeated occasions. Photo: Prosecutor’s Office.
Editorial Staff.- Joshua A., who gave mathematics tutoring classes to a minor and allegedly sexually abused him, is facing criminal proceedings after the evidence provided against him by the Regional Special Prosecutor’s Office of District V based in Chapala.
The accused used physical and psychological violence; and the crime was allegedly committed on repeated occasions during the month of December 2021.
The last aggression occurred last April 24, in a home located in the Sabinos II neighborhood, in the municipality of Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos, where said subject was carrying out school instruction to the victim.
Fearing that the accused would cause him greater harm, the victim kept silent; however, his brother found out about what happened, so he asked for help from his mother who, seeking access to justice, reported Joshua A.
The man was captured by agents of the Investigation Police of District V, who placed him at the disposal of a Supervisory Judge, who ordered him to stand trial, considering that the evidence was well-founded.
In addition, the judge ratified the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Joshua A. to remain in preventive custody for one year, as a precautionary measure.
Translated by Kerry Watson
Restaurant at the pier, being remodeled for its next opening… Photo: Sofía Medeles.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- The announcement of the upcoming opening of a restaurant in the controversial building located on the Ajijic pier, where the malecon begins, has generated a stir and mixed opinions among the Ajijic residents.
The opening of an Argentinean restaurant is emblazoned on a large advertising banner placed on the building . This has displeased some residents because, according to them, this type of billboard is not allowed in Pueblos Mágicos, especially in the main square or tourist area.
The government of Chapala has not commented on the matter and, as of the closing of this edition, has not said if the business has the licenses and other requirements to operate, such as the safety of the diners or the basic services to operate.
Several Ajijic residents were interviewed about the issue in an unscientific sample and most of them were against it. They felt that the concessionaire, Fabio Rizzo, was appropriating public space and abusing the rights of local people.
«This concession should be reviewed. Mr. Rizzo feels he owns the federal land and believes he is doing us a favor by letting us have the malecon. A business of this type could lead to the situation of the Piedra Barrenada (tourist-food zone of San Juan Cosalá), we do not want it to be replicated in Ajijic”, said one resident interviewed by Laguna..
“As local residents we can ask for support from the authorities to review the concession and what its permits allow. A more drastic action would be to campaign to prevent people eating there,» said a member of Pueblos Unidos de la Ribera, a group that has been in charge of stopping the invasions of federal land in Lake Chapala.
Rizzo has on several occasions stated that his permit covers not only the restaurant area, but 3,362 meters including part of the boardwalk and the Parque de la Amistad.
Not everyone interviewed opposed the concession. Some of those questioned said that although it is not the best way to set up a business, they are not opposed to it, since they believe it is a good attraction for tourism, as well as a source of work for those who live in Ajijic. «If everything is in order, go ahead,» said Adán, a local resident.
Whether or not the permit , licenses and services for the restaurants were in order was constantly talked about during the interviews.
«Many of us want the city council to tell us if they granted licenses because everything is in order, and if the restaurant has the necessary services and what are they going to do with the sewage, and how is the building in terms of security?» said another local resident named Blanca.
This building was constructed in 1988, initially it was intended to be built on the dock, however, due to opposition from town residents, the location was changed to where it is currently located.
Rizzo Jasso has claimed that the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) granted him the authorization to use the area for 50 years. The property has had different restaurants over the years; however, they all ended up closing.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
Jalisco is the fifth state in the country to eliminate the mandate for use of masks in open and closed spaces. Photo: El Financiero.
Laguna Staff.- After two years of pandemic the state of Jalisco has eliminated the obligatory use of Covid masks – cubrebocas – as of May 10.
The move was proposed by Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez and accepted by the Health Board in view of the low rate of contagions and hospitalizations in the state. However, the public was urged not to lower their guard.
«These indicators make us think that we can take a careful step forward while understanding that this is not over. But we have made the decision to eliminate the mandatory use of masks in our state,» said the governor.
The provision also applies to schools, colleges and study centers in response to the insistent demand of parents due to the discomfort of masks during the hot season.
«We have made the decision in the Health Board that masks will only be mandatory in public transportation and in the health infrastructure of our state, particularly in hospitals. We are also recommending people who have symptoms of any type of respiratory disease to use them, and not to be careless,» said Alfaro Ramírez.
The Ministry of Health of Jalisco (SSJ) reported a decrease in hospitalizations due to Covid-19, with an average hospital occupancy of 15 people, as well as the low positivity in tests during the last five weeks. The Ministry is retaining the mandate in specific spaces and population groups, and public transportation and health facilities, including laboratories.
The SSJ also said people are free to use masks if they wish. Likewise, institutions or establishments may require the use of masks in accordance with their recommendations.
Jalisco is the fifth state in México to rescind the mask mandate in open and closed spaces. The other four are: Baja California, Guanajuato, Nuevo León and Guerrero.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
By Patrick O’Heffernan
The 2000 presidential election was one of the closest and most controversial in US history, and expat votes largely determined its outcome. Everything hinged on Florida where Bush’s lead has shrunk to 300 votes. But in the totals there were hundreds of overseas ballots that had arrived past Florida’s deadline for mail in ballots. Florida election officials rejected these ballots, giving Gore the lead. The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida famously (or infamously) overturned the rejections, giving Bush Florida with a 537-vote lead and giving him the presidency, based on overseas ballots.
The current election season is now underway as state primary candidates in several states are on the airwaves battling it out. And those primaries are more important than ever because of demographic shifts and gerrymandering. States have redrawn 327 of the US House’s 435 districts in the redistricting process so that only 26 of those districts are considered to be highly competitive. When the court battles are over, that number may rise to 35 competitive seats, meaning that in the remaining 400 Congressional seats, the primary election determines the winner.
So voting now in the primary elections in your state may be the only chance you get to weigh in on Congressional candidates. The same is even more true for the state legislature and is also true for a number of governorships. The lesson is that NOW is the time to register and vote, not in November (do that too!). If you are registered, get your ballot and mail it or email it in. If you are not registered, go to VotefromAbroad.org and register. If you don’t know, go to VotefromAbroad.org and find out. And if you are confused, go to the VoteFromAbroad tent at the Lake Chapala Society Monday morning for all the help you need.
Expat voters can and have determined elections. Now is the time to vote.
Appointment site of SAT for RFC cards.
Patrick O’Heffernan and Catherine-Claire Blythe. Do you have RFC number? Do you know if you do? Do you know what it is and that you need one? If the answer was no to any of there questions, read on.
The 2022 Tax Reform law passed by México now requires all citizens and legal residents (Permanente or Temporal) to have a Registro Federal de Contribuyentes (English: Federal taxpayer registration), known simply as an RFC number.
Plus, if you do business in México– even if you are only a customer of CFE or the water company or an internet provider – you need to fill out a form Constancia de Situación Fiscal (English: Proof of Fiscal/Tax Situation), which companies will soon be asking you for, if they have not already.
The RFC number and the Constancia de Situación Fiscal will be used by the Mexican government to track income and potential money laundering, but they will be used for many other things. Without an RFC number on your CFE bill, you won’t be able to sell your house or buy a car. Without an RFC number you won’t be able to open a bank account, and in some places, sign up for an internet service. So, you can’t blow it off.
This is a NEW REQUIREMENT FOR EVERYONE over the age of 18. who lives in México, full time or part time, whether or not you earn money in México. If you have a Temporal, a Permanente or a CURP, you must get an RFC number. Some people who have been here awhile may have been assigned an RFC number, so you should go online and check if you have one (see video link in the box).
If you don’t have an RFC, you have to actively go through a process to get one. The process is complicated, although you can hire someone to help you. But at some point you will have to personally visit a Mexican tax office so they can obtain biometric information of physiological characteristics like – but not limited to – fingerprints, iris patterns, or facial features.
The process for the Constancia de Situación Fiscal is much simpler and is done completely online, although you can hire someone to help you with it, too.You will need your RFC before filling out the Constancia de Situación Fiscal form.
You get an RFC number by physically showing up at an office of the Mexican equivalent of the American IRS, called the Sistema de Administración Tributaria (English: Tax Administration System), known by its initials, SAT. You must go in person, with your documents, so they can obtain your biometric information. And you have to do it by July 1,o 2022.
The nearest SAT office to Lakeside is in Guadalajara at Calz. Lázaro Cárdenas 2305, Las Torres, Guadalajara 44920.
For an RFC, you must get an appointment, which you can do online at http://citas.sat.gob.mx. You will need your CURP number (if you don’t know your CURP number, see below). Follow the steps on the site for a personal RFC (not a business RFC). If you don’t speak Spanish, use Google Translate to convert it to English or have a bi-lingual friend help you.
Fill in your info, follow the steps which will bring you to a calendar to use to schedule an appointment, but you will likely see a notice telling you there are no appointments available. If so, enter your email address to be put into a “virtual line” for the next available appointment. You will get an email confirming that you are in the virtual line and to monitor your email for your date. If you actually can make an appointment, take it because it may go away in a few seconds as thousands of people are trying to get them.
For the Constancia de Situación Fiscal, you can complete the process online, but you must have a RFC number first to fill out the Constancia de Situación Fiscal. Note that the Spanish word «Constancia» simply means “proof” in Spanish and there are other documents with the word «Constancia» on them . You need a document whose full title is Constancia de Situación Fiscal. You can go to satid.sat.gob.mx and fill out the correct form.
As this is a new process and involves taxes, whether or not you pay them in México, it might be helpful to check with an attorney or accountant who is familiar with Mexican tax law and the new RFC process.
While it may be convenient to use online translation to fill in the forms in English, SAT has not clarified if this is acceptable and a safer course may be to get help filling in the forms in Spanish until SAT clarifies this. Since the form for the Constancia de Situación Fiscal requires that you video yourself repeating some information in Spanish, you might want to get coaching in proper pronunciation.
Additionally, the Mexican government has not addressed a number of questions, such as a requirement for those with existing RFC umbers to update them with biometrics, or “snowbirds” with Temporals currently out of the country , an attorney or accountant can help you keep abreast of changes and new requirements.
For this story, Catherine-Claire Bly compiled the information for a Facebook post and Patrick O’Heffernan organized it in Semanario Laguna news style
(Sidebar box)
Videos to help you through the RFC process.
While this is all very complicated, there is help online in the form of videos by Qroo Paul of Two Expats in Mexico. Here ae the relevant videos:
RFC number explained and why you need one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7_bMe2LUYU
How to find out if you I already have a valid, current RFC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B9kUK37lQA
Making an appointment with SAT for an RFC, and paperwork/items to take with you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7_bMe2LUYU
Step-by-step instructions on how to obtain a «Constancia de Situación Fiscal» online.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh2li1L6mA8
Finding your CURP alpha/number if you don’t know it.
Marani Soto Alarcón and her daughter Emilia, for whom the shop is named. Photo: Sofía Medeles.
Sofía Medeles (Chapala).- Despite being young, Ajijic resident Marani Soto Alarcón has achieved a balance between being an entrepreneur and fulfilling her motherly duties while following her vocation as a florist.
Marani is 28 and was born in Las Trojes, Jocotepec. She left her hometown to look for new opportunities, and eight years ago she arrived in Ajijic.
Soto Alarcón said she has always practiced entrepreneurship, from selling shoes in her hometown, to being a beautician, with food businesses and in her current and favorite business, the flower shop «Las Plantas de Emilia,» named in honor of her daughter.
“When I came to Ajijic, I worked in places where I was not as comfortable,” she said. “Since I was a child, I have had a taste for plants, a connection, though it was something I saw as a hobby, not as a way of life.» She recalled that a television program helped her get rid of her fear, and she decided to set up the business she loves so much.
Presenting a revolutionary proposal to traditional flower shops, fused with the sale of plants and accessories for them, Marani opened her first flower shop, motivated by the desire to have economic stability, both for her and her daughter Emilia.
“I found the perfect formula to work and live from what I like,” she said. “I started with nothing, with gifted furniture and a loan of 2,000 pesos that I still haven’t paid to my mom… but it’s nice to see the evolution of the business, and how it has been accepted and valued by customers.”
As for the challenge of being a mom, while holding the growth of her business hand in hand, she describes it as easy. She can manage her time and spend it with her daughter, fulfilling the maternal life as well as the professional life.
“It’s hard to have chosen a profession where holidays are the days with the most work,” Marani said. “One of the busiest days is Mother’s Day, and this is the first year I have seen my daughter. Previously I would see her the next day, but this is a sign that the business is growing and is on the right track.”
Despite her achievements, her professional path has not stopped. She says there are plans to expand Las Plantas de Emilia. Today, she has a branch in downtown Ajijic and one in the San Antonio Tlayacapan delegation, which she plans to move to a larger site within the same town. She may also open a flower warehouse and become a distributor, and there is an opportunity for a high-end line of floral arrangements, also called Boutique de Flores.
“I plan to continue educating myself, taking courses, because it is a business that renews itself, has trends, and needs innovation,” she said. “This is a town used to the traditional, but thanks to the foreign influence, it has become more open to new designs and ways of using flowers.”
Marani offered advice, both to young people and to enterprising mothers. First, lose your fear because it does not get you anywhere – it gets you stuck. Second, find your vocation and do things with pleasure. Third, and more focused on mothers, is to find trusted support to take care of the children.
“At the beginning, the business absorbs your time, so it’s good to have support,” she said. “If you have the potential and the desire, get rid of your fear. Approach people, knock on doors and be kind when you have your business.”
Marani reflected that there is no formula for success, since everyone must follow the path their heart and their decisions indicate. She invited people to visit her at the Ajijic branch, Carretera Oriente #18, or the San Antonio branch on Colón #117. She can satisfy a variety of tastes and work within any budget.
Translated by Mike Rogers
View of Lake Chapala from the shore of the beach next to the Ajijic dock. Photo: Archive.
Editorial Staff. Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez ruled out the construction of a second aqueduct to supply the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (AMG) during his term of office.
«This was my campaign commitment and I stand by it. We are not going to take one more liter from Chapala. We cannot drain the lake to solve the city’s supply problem. That commitment continues. We are not going to build a new aqueduct, but we are going to continue with the maintenance works of the old system,» said the state president.
He made this statement after academics from the Universidad de Panamericana (UP) urged state authorities to inquire about the need to build a new aqueduct to draw water from Lake Chapala.
The governor of Jalisco dismissed this observation by declaring that no more water can be taken from Mexico’s largest lake. The specialist in water technologies, Daniel Sánchez Tapetillo, replied that the second aqueduct would have the function of substituting for the first one in case it failed.
«The second aqueduct is not to take more water from the lake than the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area already has a concession for. To believe that is a mistake. We have a concession of 236.5 million cubic meters a year, that is, 7.5 cubic meters per second. The two aqueducts could never operate simultaneously.»
The specialist assured that, after 30 years of age, the maintenance of the first aqueduct is urgent, because in the event of a failure, 60 percent of the water needed would no longer be supplied. In his opinion the useful life of the current system has already been exceeded.
Sanchez Tapetillo said he regretted that the governor did not listen to the proposals of academics from the University of Guadalajara (UdeG), the Pan-American University (UP) or the Technological Institute of Superior Studies of the West (ITESO), since they are institutions that for years have reviewed the issue and their contributions are to act in time and prevent more than 60 percent of citizens of Guadalajara from running out of water.
Translated by Nita Rudy
Juan Antonio Vázquez Ayala is the new water administrator in San Nicolás de Ibarra.
Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).- The petitions have been heard. Juan Antonio Vázquez Ayala was appointed as the new administrator of the Municipal Water and Sewage System (SIMAPA) in the delegation of San Nicolás de Ibarra, Chapala, at the insistence of the inhabitants.
During the meeting held on April 25 with the municipal president Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel and a committee of officials, the inhabitants of the town requested the replacement of Santiago García as administrator of SIMAPA and of the spokesperson Ricardo Razo, due to alleged mismanagement of the water and its wells, as well as the making of decisions without consulting the people.
Although the petition issued during the meeting by the villagers wanted Luis Morales Contreras and Irma Reyes Delgado included as part of SIMAPA’s municipal council, other people received the appointments.
Vázquez Ayala was appointed as the new water administrator in San Nicolás de Ibarra and will oversee the documentation, organization, procedures, complaints and recommendations that the population has before SIMAPA. In other words, he will act as an intermediary between the demands of the delegation and the central offices of the municipality.
The appointment of the new spokesperson, who will represent the population in the SIMAPA Council, has not yet been approved. However, the neighborhood committee will decide the new person in charge through a general meeting with the people, stated Vazquez Ayala, who took the opportunity to thank the mayor for his participation and the people for giving him their trust.
Translated by Sandy Britton
Members of the Chapala Women’s National Soccer Team during their first game of the Jalisco Cup 2022.
Jazmín Stengel(Chapala).- With a one-goal to zero win against Mazamitla, Chapala takes the first three points of the Jalisco Cup 2022 without conceding any goals.
This year’s Chapala Women’s National Soccer Team is made up of:
Eunice Valeria Ortiz Gomar #1
Elizabeth Cuevas Solis #2
María de los Ángeles Moreno Santana #3
Dulce Casandra Contreras Sánchez #4
María Elizabeth Osorio Ordaz #5
Agali Celeste Espíritu Romero #6
Atzhiry Monserrath Miranda Vázquez #7
Jocelyne Chavarría Lluvian #8
Ana Valeria Torija Puebla #9
Jaqueline Guadalupe Hernández Ortiz #10
Azul Celeste González Navarro #11
Yolanda Guadalupe Campos Gutiérrez #12
María Fernanda Enríquez García #13
Karla Lizbeth Nava Calderón #14
Jocelyn Ortiz Vázquez #15
Jessica Lizbeth Padrón Sanabria #16
Dennis Aguayo Rojas #17
Jennifer Anahí Mora Hernández #18
Teresa Guadalupe Hernández Castro #19
Coaching Staff
Technical Director: Óscar Daniel Cruz Ruiz
Assistant Coach: Jorge Armando López Murillo
Physical Trainer: Ángel Andrés Ruiz Mora
Translated by Mary Woods
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