en inglés

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

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. 

A security camera in the area captured the exact moment when the linear crack broke through the surface. Photo: Screen capture.

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.

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.

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!

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

The thefts are not violent, but rather crimes of opportunity. Illustrative photo: Sofía Medeles.

Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- Purse thefts have been reported in at least 17 places  in Lakeside in  the towns of Ajijic, San Antonio Tlayacapan, the municipal capital of Chapala and San Juan Cosalá,. The thieves have mostly targeted tourists and Expats.

One of the sites of the incidents was  the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) in Ajijic, a popular gathering place for both Expats and local Mexicans. LCS  executive director Luis Pacheco assured Laguna that the  two mishaps were not violent, but rather accomplished  by distracting the victims. 

«The two thefts occurred in LCS were not  violent,. The thieves – a foreign woman and two Latinos  – use a practiced modus operandi. There are at least 17 public spaces and restaurants, or businesses, where robberies of this type have occurred and, in some of them, the  thieves identified are the same ones who operated here,» said Luis Pacheco.

In the Lake Chapala Society property, located in the downtown area of Ajijic, there have been two incidents of this type. Photo: Sofía Medeles.

According to the LCS executive director, the modus operandi of the pickpockets is that the foreign woman approaches to talk to other tourists or Expat residents to distract them, while the other two people create a barrier and grab their  possessions. 

Pacheco pointed out that the person in charge of Ajijic’s office, Maximiano Macías Arceo, Chapala Security Commissioner  Sergio Conzuelo Ramírez, and the municipal president, Alejandro Aguirre Curiel, are aware of the events, so they are working together to create a crime prevention campaign in the area.

This was confirmed by Macías Arceo who said that this campaign would be focused on training restaurant owners, administrators, block chiefs, etc., in the prevention of crime, and that, although there is still no date to start, it will be announced through the department of Social Communication. 

Luis Pacheco  said  that the most important to reduce crimes is to reestablish the social fabric where  neighbors will have co-responsibility and support each other to take care of themselves and educate themselves about this type of crime.

Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan

The character of Pontius Pilate, accompanied by his wife and the women of his palace.

There are a little over 50 actors on stage, including girls, boys and adult men and women. Since last February they began to prepare the representation of the Passion of Christ in the municipal capital of Jocotepec.

A few minutes before the beginning of the Stations of the Cross, the participants take care of the last details gathered in the pastoral house of the parish of Señor del Monte. They arrange their hairstyles and tunics and the leaders give instructions.

The actors leave the parsonage to begin the presentation.

Pedro Gómez Monreal is one of the organizers; also Benjamín Ramos Bautista. The last three weeks have been arduous rehearsals.

Lucia Mendoza is an elementary school teacher, she represents Pontius Pilate’s wife; she is dressed in a pearl-colored dress with satin sleeves and a golden diadem. For the teacher Luci it is extraordinary to be able to transmit a living God through the characters that she and her classmates represent.

The smallest of the actors is carried in his arms.

There is also her father, Don Pedro Mendoza, the wool serapes maker, who yesterday represented the apostle Peter. Today he appears along with men and women of the town.

-Yesterday I cried,» he says, saddened.

«It doesn’t feel good to deny my God, let alone three times».

Angel Gael Ramos also represents a boy from the agitated town that demands the Crucifixion of Jesus. From a very young age he has accompanied his parents and now he does so from the character assigned to him.

Jesus is escorted by the soldiers in his first appearance.

The Jesus Christ of this 2022 edition is represented by Cristian José López López.

The parishioners are already in the atrium waiting. The three stages of the first Stations of the Cross are ready. In the first one, Pontius Pilate appears, played by Pedro Gómez and his wife amidst purple curtains. On another stage is Herod surrounded by his servants. Jesus goes from one stage to another amidst pushing and whipping by the soldiers amidst the shouts of the people.

Herod from his court judges Jesus.

In another painting, there is a huge trunk to which the Nazarene is tied. There he is scourged before the eyes of the actors who represent the enraged mob and the parishioners who live the Stations of the Cross.

A girl of about ten years old, dressed in a brown tunic, watches with anguished eyes; she anxiously pinches a wooden cane that she carries in her hands. 

Jesus about to be scourged.

Amidst mocking laughter and pushing and shoving, the enormous wooden cross is placed on the shoulders of the personage of Jesus Christ. The faithful continue to pray the Stations of the Cross through the main streets of Jocotepec.

The night has fallen, from the celestial vault a round and brilliant moon observes us. Next to the solemnity of the prayers, a woman appears with a tricycle selling corn, chickpeas, peanuts and snacks. Accompanied by a girl, she observes the passing of the Viacrucis and continues on her way. The diner is open, «Today tamales and atole », says a small sign. A woman who dines pauses as the procession passes by. The flower shop is also open and a few people watch the Stations of the Cross from inside.

The characters observe the scourging of Jesus.

On arrival at the church, the crosses of the thieves Dimas and Gestas are raised and the cross of Jesus Christ is being prepared. The people swirl around the final scene, the atrium remains in darkness; the disturbing faces of some of the assistants are illuminated by the lamps outside.

Soldiers place Jesus on the cross without his clothes, holding him by his hands and feet and then lifting him up, supported by thick ropes.

In the midst of the funeral atmosphere, the thunderous reggaeton coming from a Razer type vehicle that passes outside the temple interrupts the ceremony  while the attendees ignore it.

A little girl, anguished, looks at the scourging and mockery directed to Jesus.

The scene is complete, the silhouettes of the three crosses can be seen amidst the foliage of the trees illuminated by a white light that focuses on the faces of the characters.

With a bloodied body, the crucified man pronounces his last words before the anguished gaze of the audience.

-Judas hanged himself,» shouts a male voice.

The soldiers are about to scourge the Nazarene.

And the people turn their gazes to the back stage where the silhouette of a man hangs from a rope.

The agony of Jesus is again interrupted by the Razer with the song that passes by for the second time sporting a bar of colorful light.

The faithful concentrate on the naked and battered figure of the crucified man who, on the verge of expiring, exclaims:

-In your hands I commend my spirit-.

-Into your hands I commend my spirit.

Immediately, a voice floods the scene.

-He is trembling!

And everyone kneels down.

Jesus crowned with thorns.

At the foot of the cross is the character of Mary accompanied by John and another woman.

The young man playing John is indeed weeping bitterly. He takes Mary by the arm with a face bathed in tears, a face that is really living the Calvary and death of the true Son of God and wipes her tears again and again, because for him his companions are at that moment the characters of the sacred scriptures and the atrium of the parish, it is not the atrium, but Golgotha itself.

 Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan

The workshop is coordinated by poet Mario Z. Puglisi. Photo: Alma Serrano.

Alma Serrano.- A literary creation workshop is being offered for all the public as part of the activities of promotion and diffusion of all the arts. It will be offered by the independent cultural center «Voz al Viento» in San Juan Cosalá, headed by its owner, the plastic artist Isidro Xilonzochitl «Xilotl.»

Coordinated by the poet Mario Z. Puglisi, the workshop is aimed at anyone interested in developing technical knowledge and literary tools to be able to write texts in the genres of short stories, poetry or literary essays with greater clarity and quality. 

The workshop is also designed for literature lovers or those who wish to learn a little more about the history of art, the written word, established authors and universal works that even today continue to transmit the wisdom and sensitivity of human beings.

The workshop is divided into thematic cycles that cover one literary genre at a time and week by week, every Wednesday, you’ll learn the literary techniques necessary for a good writer, including the grammatical resources that deepen the understanding of our language; the history of literature with its currents, periods and styles; and the life and work of indispensable writers.

In addition to sharing stories, poems or fragments of novels will be commented upon and discussed by the group in a fraternal atmosphere that promotes the exchange of ideas and reading. 

From April to October 2021, the workshop completed its first cycle dedicated to the genre of poetry with a group of attendees, mostly from San Juan Cosalá and Jocotepec. The group finished with great satisfaction at achieving their proposed goals and who continue to this day forming the group of the literary creation workshop of the cultural center. 

The workshop is held every Wednesday from 7:00 to 8:30 in the evening, in the cultural space located at Calle Porfirio Díaz Poniente #120. 

All those interested in attending the literary workshop and being part of this creative group are asked to request information related to registrations and requirements by WhatsApp message to 331-063-3976, or by message to the Facebook profile Mario Z Puglisi or Espacio de Arte y Cultura Xilotl «Voz al Viento.» «Voz al Viento» will soon start plastic arts workshops taught by maestro Xilotl and aimed at over 12 years of age, beginners and intermediates, with a duration of three months, starting on the following dates: 

Drawing workshop for beginners. Wednesday, May 4 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. 

Graphic workshop with «linocut» technique. Thursday, May 5 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm  

Acrylic painting workshop. Friday, May 6 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm

For more information about these workshops, please call the cell phone number 331- 013-3995 or send a message to the Facebook profile Espacio de Arte y Cultura Xilotl «Voz al Viento». 

Translated  by Sydney Metrick

On April 30, Children’s Day, the first Kite (“Papalote”) Festival will be held in San Juan Cosalá, where between 100 and 150 children are expected to participate.  

Héctor Ruiz Mejía.–  On the occasion of Children’s Day, residents of the community of San Juan Cosalá are preparing to hold the first Kite Festival.

This event will take place next Saturday, April 30 at the San Juan Cosalá boardwalk, with the purpose of reviving the tradition of creating kites to fly them with the spring winds.

According to the organizers, although the original idea was to commemorate Children’s Day by painting and decorating the benches on the boardwalk, in the end it was decided to revive the tradition of the kites.

Organizers then set about the task of finding sponsors and people from the community to support the project, because although the materials are not expensive, «there is a cost, however minimal it may be». 

The response has been good so far. The organizers say that the festival will take place on the boardwalk starting at 10:00 a.m. and is expected to have a total of between 100 and 150 children participating.

The requirement is that the children must be accompanied by at least one adult, since the goal is to provide an opportunity to bring families together, with the adults supporting the little ones in the construction of their own kite, and then learning to fly it together.

The event will be completely free, and children do not need to bring anything with them since all materials necessary to make the kites will be provided by the organizers.

«The only thing children need to come with is the desire to learn and have a good time, because once we finish making the kites, we will go to fly them in the field,» concluded the organizers.

Translated by Rebecca Zittle