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Juan Olivares «Juanito» – July 12, 1944 – May 28, 2022. Credit: Sofía Medeles.

Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- One of Ajijic’s first and most prolific photographers, Juan «Juanito» Olivares, died last Saturday, May 28, 2022. He is survived by his wife Alicia Morales from Ajijic, and three children: Aquiles, Imelda, and Judith. He  leaves behind a historical photo narrative covering almost his entire life

He was born on July 12, 1944 in Ajijic. His parents were Antonio Olivares and Romana Sánchez. In an interview from two years ago, Juanito said that he began his artistic career before his 20th birthday, with a plastic arts course. He used photography to improve his drawing technique, but soon photography became his main medium. Of his success, he explained, «when I was doing well, I would print up to 300 photos. When I started, the photos cost 50 centavos, and they went up to 75 centavos, one peso, two, three, and so on until they cost what they cost today.»

With his steadily increasing reputation, he became a fixture at town festivities, and important celebrations throughout the town. During this interview, he nostalgically mentioned how his work as a photographer was devalued over time, due to the advent of cell phones. Even so, he continued painting and making signs and small landscapes for businesses in town. Until the end of his days he remained in love with his little town of Ajijic, «the landscapes have changed a lot because of the development, but it is still beautiful every moment of the day.”

His collection included photos of old hammocks, fishermen, the lakeshore when it still had no pier, no boardwalk, and other landscapes of many iconic Ajijic sites. Some of what he photographed remains today, but much has disappeared; his body of work is art and history. He photographed traditions that are now almost extinct, such as the Day of the Cross, and the Day of the Altars of Sorrows.

Translated by Amy Esperanto

Lupita Hernández Romero and Moisés Real, creators of «Son del Telar». Photo: La Tradición de Ajijic.

Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).-  With great acceptance and enthusiasm the «Son del Telar» (Sound of the Loom) has premiered, the first one dedicated to the Magical Town of Ajijic.

The musical piece that was created by María Guadalupe «Lupita» Hernández Romero and the musician Moisés Real Gómez, was presented on May 29 with dance and folkloric music in Ajijic’s main square. 

The presentation was framed by a loom. Photo: La Tradición de Ajijic.

The event was attended by more than 150 people. They talked about the sound and the folkloric dance, as well as the making of the costumes that will be used to dance the musical piece that lasts about three and a half minutes. 

The song was presented to the rhythm of the loom, accompanied by Mariachi Nuevo Chapala, and the collaboration of Ballet Folklorico Maya and Ballet Folklorico Huitzillin.

Mariachi Nuevo Chapala was in charge of the interpretation of the musical piece. Photo: La Tradición de Ajijic.

One of the folkloric dances presented during the premiere. Photo: La Tradición de Ajijic.

«From the beginning it was very entertaining, and when it was first presented, it made many of us cry. People were very surprised with the result,» said an attendee of the event.

Ajijic council woman Denisse Ibarra; municipal president Alejandro Aguirre; and office manager Maximiano Macias. Photo: La Tradición de Ajijic.

The song «El Son del Telar» can be found on YouTube and Facebook; in the video you can see the popular characters of the sayacas and places like the square and the Magic Town boardwalk.  The video is by Mariachi Nuevo Chapala. 

«There is no prettier town than my Ajijic, so pretty, full of beautiful girls and lots of sayacas,» can be heard in the song written in honor of the town.  

Translated by Sydney Metrick

Carlos Miguel Real Navarro, new municipal director of the Human Rights Commission in Chapala.

Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).-  The new municipal director of the Human Rights Commission (CDH) in Chapala, Carlos Miguel Real Navarro, expressed concern that «the culture of respect is being lost,» in an exclusive interview with Semanario Laguna.

Since his appointment, which took place on May 26, the lawyer with a master’s degree in Constitutional Law and Amparo ( people’s right to have access to the courts) has observed countless violations of the human rights of the inhabitants of Chapala and its delegations.

Real Navarro believes that education is the basis of everything, and that respect and self-respect must be recognized in order not to harm or cause harm to our human rights. That is why the 29-year-old will focus on education while addressing the present problems. 

Among the faults he can point out are complaints about Public Safety, mostly issued during the 2018-2021 administration, where abuses of power and conflicts between hierarchies within the same department were mentioned, as well as from municipal and state officials towards the community. The lack of response to reports of serious crimes and lack of agility in the search for missing persons are other examples.

That is why Real Navarro wishes to use his knowledge to defend his people. «I am a citizen more than anything else.  I like to help and solve people’s problems,» said the official.

Real Navarro has started to manage the first support required by the National Institute for Adult Education (INEA) and the Colegio de Bachilleres del Estado de Jalisco (Cobaej) so that citizens who no longer have access to the primary school system can acquire literacy skills, complete secondary or preparatory education as well as receive workforce training. 

He noticed that minors stop attending school at an early age, so Real Navarro will join the prevention programs managed by the Women’s Institute, Ciudad Niñez (Childhood Legal Services) and the Dif de Chapala (Social Assistance Program). One such program is the Barrios de Paz (Neighborhoods of Peace) program which includes ways to reinforce and strengthen the institutional capacities of the municipality. 

The newly appointed director is aware of the legal situations of the 39 boys and girls of the municipality who are in foster homes. Some of the minors removed from their families between 2018 and 2021 had inconsistencies in the legal process.

In certain cases, the minors were attending school and were being cared for by their grandparents or close relatives. The government decided to remove them without an investigation. The legal process began after they were already in shelters, said Real Navarro. This is a clear violation of the minors’ human rights by the municipal and state authorities at the time.

Real Navarro promised to make sure that the authorities respect their work as public servants. When a public servant receives complaints that show that he does not perform his duties or ignores those duties the municipal General Secretary and Mayor Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel can remove the person from his position as a municipal official. 

Real Navarro is a native of Chapala.  He has dedicated his life to defending the rights of the people as an activist from his private office, in the companies he has worked for, and now as a public official. In addition, he hopes to be named president of the ECOFAM (Esfuerzo y Comisión por las Familias) association this year.

Translated by Nita Rudy

Chapala.- After the final whistle, soccer fans lit fireworks and went out in caravans of cars to parade with flags in hand, one flag waving over the fountain at the main crossroads in the municipal capital of Chapala, Francisco I. Madero Avenue.

The grand final match was screened on the night of Sunday, May 29, free of charge in the parking lot of the Acapulquito restaurant area, located to the east of the municipal capital, with approximately 100 people attending.

Club Atlas FC of Guadalajara won the Liga MX final with a 3-2 aggregate score against Pachuca. It was the third star for the Club and the second National Championship.

Text and photo: Jazmín Stengel. 

Translated by Rebecca Zittle

Police seized a weapon from one of those arrested.

Editorial staff.- In separate incidents, two individuals were detained in Tizapán el Alto when they tried to evade police officers of the State Security Secretariat, who had approached them for a search. Drugs and a firearm were found on one of the suspects.

In the first incident, the state police officers driving along the intersection of Jalisco and Puebla Streets, in the Rinconada de Santa Anita neighborhood, noticed a man riding a motorcycle without a license plate and without a reflective vest or helmet. The suspect accelerated when he caught sight of the police officers.

The uniformed officers stopped the motorcyclist, identified as Santiago «N,» aged 36. After applying the security protocols, the officers found among the suspect’s belongings 11 small packages with granulated material resembling crystal meth, weighing 1.6 grams. The man also had a .357-caliber revolver with six live cartridges strapped to his waist.

The suspect in the second case, René «N,» aged 37, was apprehended at the intersection of Zaragoza Street and Guadalajara-Morelia Highway, in the Villa Emiliano Zapata neighborhood, in the same municipality.

The police officers were passing the location when they saw the man riding a motorcycle, also without license plates, so they asked him to stop to question him securely. Their search revealed 16 plastic bags with crystal meth, weighing 2.3 grams.

Translated by Mags Petela

The demonstrators blocking the road wore white t-shirts, and carried placards asking for the location of a man from the town.

In response to the forced disappearance of the Tuxcueca man, family, friends and neighbors took to the highway on the morning of May 29 to block the road to Mazamitla and Tizapán. The road is usually very busy on Sundays with tourist traffic so the blockade generated a long line of traffic. It was removed at noon.  

The demonstrators wore white t-shirts and carried placards asking for the location of a man from the town who was taken by force by armed people while in San Luis Soyatlán, the second  kidnapping in San Luis Soyatlán on that day.

Translated by Amy Esperanto

Cofepris withdraws products such as Cheetos, Doritos and Oreo cookies, but does not act against illegal pesticides.

The Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks, Cofepris, is acting effectively and quickly to remove products from stores that do not comply with labeling requirements, but has failed to remove illegal pesticides that are still being sold in self-service stores, according to Luis Eduardo Gonzalez Cepeda, president of the Mexican Union of Manufacturers and Formulators of Agrochemicals, A.C., or UMFFAAC.

The UMFFAAC president recalled that in May the public was informed about the health risk of the sale of illegal BOOM! and Max Control brand pesticides in self-service stores such as Home Depot, HEB, Soriana, ACE Hardware, Mercado Libre and Walmart. But Cofepris has taken no action to remove them from the market. 

González Cepeda also said that last April 14, Cofepris announced withdrawal from supermarkets such as Soriana and Chedraui of about 80 products that do not comply with labeling requirements. Among the withdrawn products were Oreo cookies, Cheetos and Doritos. “But when dealing with substances such as illegal pesticides, Cofepris does not act with the same responsibility and effectiveness as any health authority should do,” González Cepeda said. “These are products used in the home, putting children and pets at risk.”

Cristian García de Paz, executive director of Protección de Cultivos, Ciencia y Tecnología A.C., said this serious omission by Cofepris, “Reflects the disparity of criteria with which this agency acts, since it has no problem in publicizing actions to withdraw food products that do not comply with labeling standards, but it gives no importance to such a relevant issue as the sale of illegal pesticides for home use, when they are authorized exclusively for agricultural use, that is, they are sold with registrations that are not endorsed by Cofepris itself.”

García de Paz said illegal products sold in self-service stores are also available online. “This requires firm action by Cofepris to prevent continued access to illegal pesticides and the proliferation of a business that does not respect health regulations, risking the health of consumers who, in a trusting manner, acquire these products for use in their homes,” he said.

Both directors made a respectful, but strong call to Cofepris, to remove from the market illegal pesticides sold in stores and online, given the health risk involved in their sale to consumers who unknowingly acquire products without a valid registration issued by the competent authority.

Translated by Mike Rogers

Moment of the arrest of Leo «N» in Ajijic. Photo: Facebook.

Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- An alleged stalker who was detained by police after he was chased and beaten by angry residents was released from custody after authorities said they had received no official complaints.

The individual, identified as Leo »N», had been accused of taking photographs and posting them without peoples’ consent. He was freed after serving 36 hours for an “administrative offense.”

The alleged stalker was arrested on Tuesday, May 31, outside the Italo hotel where he was staying in the center of Ajijic.  According to Ramón Gabriel Cerna Sánchez, deputy director of Public Security of Chapala, there had  been earlier complaints on social networks about a man with similar characteristics to the individual under arrest.

Ajijic Acting Delegate Maximiano Macías Arceo, said that while he had no precise information about the young man, his behavior appeared to suggest he suffered from mental problems.

The alleged stalker posted images he had obtained without consent. Photo: Facebook.

Several people said they had contacted Macías Arceo to file a complaint against the young man with the Public Ministry. But no complaint reached the ministry, authorities said.

A source at the Italo hotel said the man had stayed there for about  two months. While he was never aggressive or harassing, he was “rather distant.”

One of those whose photos were published said: “It alarms you, because they are exposing your image and what places you travel – along with a serious accusation.

“But from what (was) published, it is evident that he is not very well in the head. His family is the one that should be looking out for him, given his condition.”

Marcela Montaño, a psychologist, said that while she could not give a specific diagnosis, her advice for dealing with a mentally unstable person would be to avoid them to avert a dangerous situation..

Translated by Alan Ferguson

(Izq. a Der.) Matías Ganesh Pantoja Rodríguez, Matías Dehorta Cantolan y Leonardo Ley González, integrantes del top diez en RoboRAVE International 2022.

Jazmín Stengel.- De 490 alumnos participantes a nivel mundial, tres estudiantes de la escuela Educando con Ingenio para los Niños (Edu Wit) quedaron en los primeros diez lugares como los mejores del mundo en esta competencia.

Se trata de Matías Dehorta Cantolan de diez años de edad, merecedor del quinto lugar; mientras que, Matías Ganesh Pantoja Rodríguez con 11 años ganó el tercer puesto; y Leonardo Ley González de 13 años obtuvo el séptimo, en sus respectivas categorías.

La competencia de 48 horas en línea consistió en dirigir un robot virtual por una línea con obstáculos mediante la programación de algoritmos, y sensores, poniendo a prueba la lógica y destreza de los partícipes que competían.

Las categorías fueron divididas por edades, primaria, primaria mayor y secundaria, de la misma manera aumentaron los obstáculos sobre la línea y la travesía.

Fueron 24 los estudiantes chapalenses que participaron en dicha competencia, enfrentándose a contrincantes de diferentes países como China, Estados Unidos, Polonia, Australia, India, Israel, Chile, Argentina, Canadá, Estonia, España, Taiwán, Colombia, Argentina, Haití, Burkina Faso y México.

La escuela Educando con Ingenio para los Niños (Edu Wit) de mecatrónica y tecnología educativa con sede en el municipio de Chapala, tiene pautado participar en competencias nacionales e internacionales cada tres a cuatro meses, según los tiempos de convocatoria, especificó uno de los socios y maestro, Brandon Daniel Malagón Rodríguez.

Se espera que las próximas competencias en las que los alumnos puedan participar sean Jalisco Talend Land y Romo Matrix, ambas de talla internacional. Por el momento, la institución educativa realiza competencias en colaboración con el Tecnológico de Chapala, lo que motiva a los niños y adolescentes a competir contra universitarios.

Más de 45 mujeres de entre 20 a 65 años culminaron sus cursos en la asociación Pro México. Foto: Alma Serrano. 

Redacción.- Mujeres Pro México celebraron la culminación de la tercera generación del programa Segunda Oportunidad la tarde del pasado 8 de mayo en San Juan Cosalá.

El evento se realizó en un restaurante al borde del Lago de Chapala, a la altura de la zona gastronómica de Piedra Barrenada, en donde las 45 alumnas recibieron un reconocimiento por su participación, posterior a un acto honorífico.

Los oficios cursados fueron Costura Artesanal, Deshidratados, Cosmética Natural, Cuidadoras de adulto mayor y Organización de eventos, los cuales duraron alrededor de un año, sin embargo, el equipo Pro México ofrece una formación integral básica continua para las mujeres en cualquiera de sus talleres cursados. 

El evento contó con la participación de más de 100 personas, entre invitados, familiares, alumnas, mentoras y miembros del equipo Pro México. La tercera generación de los talleres finalmente pudo completar el curso, debido a que las dos primeras duraron entre seis y diez meses, por la pandemia del Covid-19. 

Durante la graduación, las mentoras y mujeres del presídium reconocieron y felicitaron a las alumnas egresadas debido al significado que ha alcanzado el programa Segunda Oportunidad en las vidas de éstas mismas. 

En el evento se señaló que, son “45 mujeres dándose una segunda oportunidad para aprender”; y “se han puesto a ustedes delante de todos, decidiendo y han dejado de lado el pensamiento de ‘no puedo’; no esperamos que las cosas sucedan, pensando si Dios quiere, claro que sí quiere”, fueron algunas de las frases expresadas.  

Pro México es la única asociación de la Ribera de Chapala enfocada en el desarrollo de las mujeres ofreciéndoles apoyo personal y emocional.

“Somos el centro de empoderamiento número uno en San Juan Cosalá, 45 mujeres trabajadoras e incansables”, dijo Rosa Arévalo, representante de la asociación. 

El evento finalizó con una pasarela de ropa de manta creada, intervenida y presentada por mujeres Pro México, que puso en alto el valor de todas y cada una de sus mujeres.