Localidades

Chapala generó 76 nuevas plazas formales durante abril, según el IIEG. Foto: Archivo. 

Redacción.- Durante el mes de abril pasado, Chapala se colocó en la lista de los 20 municipios con mayor generación de empleos; mientras que Jocotepec se integró a los de mayor pérdida. 

Esto de acuerdo a las cifras presentadas por el Instituto de Información Estadísticas y Geográfica del estado (IIEG), sustentadas en  la base de datos del IMSS de los trabajadores asegurados.

Chapala ocupó la posición número 13 con 76 nuevos empleos formales generados durante abril, 59 de ellos permanentes y 17 eventuales; esta categoría fue liderada por Autlán de Navarro con 514 trabajadores, Tonalá con 454 nuevos empleos y Guadalajara con 401 asegurados más. 

En contraste, Jocotepec se posicionó en el sexto lugar de la lista de los municipios que mayor pérdida registraron con 271 empleos formales menos, 167 eventuales y 104 permanentes;  Zacoalco de Torres fue el que mayor pérdida tuvo con -925 trabajadores, seguido de Tlaquepaque con -835 y  Zapotlán el Grande con -741 empleos formales.

A nivel estatall, Jalisco perdió 2 mil 61 plazas formales durante abril de 2022, principalmente del sector de la agricultura, ganadería, silvicultura y pesca. Pese a esta caída, durante el primer cuatrimestre el estado generó 34,716 empleos nuevos, colocándose como la segunda entidad en el país con la cifra más alta en generación de empleo formal en el acumulado anual.

El robo se efectuó en la parroquia de San Francisco de Asis. Foto: Archivo.

Redacción.- Dos hombres fueron detenidos por presuntamente robar más de 6 mil pesos en una iglesia de Chapala. 

Personal de la Fiscalía Regional puso a disposición de los jueces que los requerían con una orden de aprehensión por el delito de robo calificado.

Se trata de Yahir Alejandro G. y Víctor Alfonso C., quienes fueron  detenidos en la calle Isla del Presidio al cruce con De los Maestros, de la colonia Gastronómica, en el municipio de Chapala.

Los hechos por los que fueron capturados ocurrieron la semana pasada y, de acuerdo con las indagatorias estas personas ingresaron a la iglesia de San Francisco de Asís, forzaron un lucernario de monedas que se encontraba a pie de una imagen católica y extrajeron la cantidad de 6 mil pesos, motivo por el cual les resultó la orden de aprehensión.

Ambos fueron puestos a disposición del Juez de Control y Juicio Oral del Quinto Distrito Judicial, quien resolverá su situación jurídica. Las personas detenidas serán tratadas como inocentes en tanto no se emita una sentencia en su contra.

First honors to the flag at Urban School 699, Ignacio Zaragoza.  

Alma Serrano (San Juan Cosalá).- For the first time since the two years of suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic, last April 25 the honors to the flag were resumed in the schools of San Juan Cosalá. 

The first honors of the year were held at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, April 25 in the courtyard of the Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary School. The honors to the flag were also held at the entrance time at the Encarnación Rosas and the Urbana 1107 Gabriela Mistral.

Luis Morales, teacher at Escuela Urbana 699 Ignacio Zaragoza explained that the civic act was resumed after both the Governor of Jalisco, Enrique Alfaro Ramírez, and the Secretary of Education, Juan Carlos Flores Miramontes, authorized it. 

Translated by Sydney Metrick

The DIF building, located on Degollado Street in Chapala. (Photo: Jazmín Stengel)

Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).- The Office for the Protection of Children and Adolescents (DIF) Chapala has custody of 39 minors, but none can be adopted until DIF obtains processes of parental authority–a relative’s legal permission, a necessary requirement for adoption. 

DIF initiated nine processes of parental authority last year. According to DIF, five of the 43 children in their 12 Chapala shelters have been handed over to close relatives. 

In Mexico, if these processes are not initiated by the custodial authorities, either through ignorance or unwillingness, the children are at risk of remaining in shelters without the possibility of access to a family, said Paloma Ventura Valenzuela, head of the children’s ombudsman at the municipal level.

For the minors who have not undergone the process granting parental rights to access adoption, the procedures are more complicated, because in most cases the child’s relatives are untraceable or their sociolegal situation does not allow them to give up the parental rights of the child, which complicates the process for the authorities to acquire it legally, said Ventura Valenzuela.

Consequently, the children’s files remain open for years in the Public Ministry with the investigation incomplete. Additionally, many governmental administrations overlook the children’s situation, failing also to provide the social-work services to support the investigations. Some have not received reports in more than 12 years, said Emmanuel Anthony Frutos, operating director of the children’s shelter Love in Action of Chapala.

Translated by Mags Petela

The violent event was recorded during the early evening of April 25. Photo: Twitter.

Editor.- A man and a woman were fatally wounded while drinking in a bar on the Guadalajara-Morelia highway, in the municipality of Tuxcueca, on April 25.

Municipal police responded to the scene in San Luis Soyatlán after gunfire was reported at approximately 6.20 p.m.

Inside the bar, agents found the deceased male victim with gunshot wounds to the head and chest. The injured woman was taken to receive medical attention but died upon arrival at the aid station.

The bodies were transferred to the region’s amphitheater for the autopsy required by law. The victims were not immediately identified.

Various shell casings were found at the scene of the shooting. Evidence was secured with the support of experts from the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences.

Translated by Alan Ferguson

Boys and girls playing their instruments. Credit: Courtesy.

Alma Serrano (San Juan Cosalá).- The photography group known as «Social Art,» commemorated Children’s Day with a photo session on the boardwalk of San Juan Cosalá. About 20 children participated, members of Colores Que Dan Vida, and the School of Music, were photographed on April 19th.

A child plays with orange pigment powder. Credit: Courtesy.

Josué Mondragón Rentería, a representative of the group of ten photographers, says that this initiative arose with the purpose of celebrating the children of the delegation in a dynamic and fun way. It was important to show the dedication and contribution of the children to the cultural development of their community, He added, «time spent in the arts and culture can change and improve the quality of life of children.»

Two children, covered in pigment-stained clothes, throw pigment powder toward each other, in the spirit of fun and creativity. Credit: Courtesy.

The children were photographed playing music, and being creative in what they love to do. More than a commemoration, they were free to play and experiment on the theme of “the meaning of art.” 

A young child enjoying their face, covered in blue paint. Credit: Courtesy.

Bertha Mendoza Díaz professes great fervor to the image of the Lord of Huaje

María del Refugio Reynozo Medina.- Seventy-three-year-old Bertha Mendoza Díaz is originally from Jocotepec. She and her brother Cándido Mendoza Díaz grew up seeing the loving devotion to the Lord of Huaje by their parents. The Lord of Huaje is one of the two sacred images of Christ revered in Jocotopec. The other is the Lord of the Mountain.

Their father, Cirilo Mendoza Valencia, one of Jocotepec’s artisan woodworkers taught the trade to Cándido. Cándido, in addition to being a woodworker, is a musician and has been a high school art teacher for 24 years.

Bertha Mendoza Díaz talks about the testimonies of faith.

Because of his great devotion, Cirilo Mendoza always wanted to be one of the organizers of the feast of the Lord of Huaje. Around 1970 he heard that it would be the last year that the Lord of Huaje would be celebrated due to lack of economic resources. 

Don Cirilo went to the parish of Señor del Monte (Lord of the Mountain) to ask to borrow some banners and candlesticks because the precinct of the Lord of Huaje did not have any.

Don Cirilo asked the priest permission to borrow what he needed. The priest told him, “If any of the things are lost, you will pay for them. Don Cirilo replied, “If it is necessary for me to stay and sleep with him, I will.» 

Cándido Mendoza Díaz is a laborer, musician, high school art teacher and professes a love for the Lord of Huaje instilled by his parents.

On the evening of the eve of the feast, a group of helpers set out to close the door when the decorating was finished. The door remained stuck open and could not be closed, even with the help of the others. Don Cirilo remembered that he had promised to stay overnight with the Lord. His sympathetic helpers, Ángel Paz, Benito Inés and Catarino Olmedo went to get their personal items to join Don Cirilo for a sleepless night.  When they returned, ready to settle in, they tried to close the heavy wooden gate one more time. Before everyone’s eyes, the gate closed. “He was testing us,» said one of the helpers.

The first celebrations that honored this Christ were only two days: Saturday and Sunday occurring the days after the January feast. Then the celebration of a novena (nine-day prayers and celebration) was added.

Mrs. Bertha continued with her love for the image of Lord Huaje and was very close to the activities of the temple. Although in the temple a loving contemplation was not always experienced.  She remembers a priest named Emeterio Romo, whose actions were very strange.  He was allergic to flowers. He used to say, why are you having so many parties?”  When he was asked to authorize a party, he was reluctant.

“They are our images of Christ,» the women would tell him. 

On one occasion in 1975 Bertha found out that a meeting was being held to change the date of the feast.  She and other people did not agree and tried to prevent it. In the end, the celebration date was changed to the current one in May.  But the first year of the change they celebrated in January and May. 

Mrs. Bertha jealously guards all the images of the Lord of Huaje that come into her hands

That last January celebration has been referred to as the feast of the excommunicated, referring to the people who participated in it. The first time the celebration was held in May, the organizers sent a summons to the organizers of the January celebration, through the presidency, so that they could borrow the platform. Tempers flared and the two groups were fighting for the platform. The platform was shared and that year the Lord of Huaje had two celebrations and many faithful gathered around the image.

Many stories are shared about this Christ figure. Someone once said that he opened his lips. Some say that sometimes it becomes very heavy to carry him.  Or that sometimes the photos taken of him do not come out.

One time a man promised some banners, but he did not pay for them. One afternoon someone came to the man’s house carrying some banners. “Here are the ordered banners,» he said, and he asked for payment.

Mrs. Bertha professes great love for this crucified man and talks closely with him. On one occasion, her granddaughter had a pickup truck stolen. «Why?» she thought and questioned inwardly; «it was the truck or you,» she heard in her heart.

On one occasion, she thought it was all over, she was diagnosed with a tumor, and the need for intervention was urgent. Before leaving for the hospital, Bertha threw herself at the feet of the crucified one begging for her health. When she was in the hospital undergoing clinical examinations, the doctors found nothing malignant. In her heart, she understood that it was Him. “Do I love Him?” she says to me.

“Do I want it?” she says with a faraway look. “Oh, what if I don’t love him!” she says with a frank smile, very close to tears. “I have not only heard about him since I was in  my mother’s womb. I have lived and loved him.” 

Translated by Nita Rudy

Processions of the Señor del Huaje in previous years.

Héctor Ruiz Mejía (Jocotepec).- After two years of suspension due to the pandemic, the festivities in honor of the Lord of Huaje, in the municipality of Jocotepec, returned.

The activities began April 23, with fireworks shows, regional music in the main square, and  daily processions that have traveled to different localities and neighborhoods of the municipality,  with participation by all parts of society. During the celebration, a carved wooden Christ, three meters high and weighing approximately half a ton, also known as the Santo Cristo de la Expiración, once again walked the streets of the town after two years of prohibitions and confinement due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

This is how the Señor del Huaje Church looks this year, ready for its festivities.

This year carnival games and rides occupied  Miguel Arana Street up to its intersection with Guadalupe Victoria, so that all this week, traffic was affected and those attending had to find alternative places to park.

This Sunday, May 1st, the festivities culminated with the Solemn Procession with the blessed image of the Lord of Huaje, which began at 5 pm traveled through the main streets to return to the mass at 7 pm in the atrium of his chapel.

At the end of the Eucharist, residents enjoyed the music, dances and food stalls, as well as the carnival rides and games and the fireworks display,  produced by the masons’ guild this year.

The cult of the Señor del Huaje is one of the oldest in the region, since its appearance dates back to 1715 in a guaje tree in what today comprises a property located in the town of San Pedro Tesistan. 

Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan

La Policía del Estado realiza recorridos de vigilancia por los municipios de la zona. Foto: SSJ. 

Redacción.- Oficiales de la Secretaría de Seguridad del Estado de Jalisco (SSE) mantienen patrullajes y recorridos de vigilancia permanentes en los municipios que comprenden la región Sureste de Jalisco, como parte del refuerzo de la vigilancia y con el objetivo de brindar seguridad y tranquilidad a las y los habitantes.

La SSE informó que los policías, además de patrullar, realizan acciones de proximidad con la ciudadanía en los municipios de Concepción de Buenos Aires, Manzanilla de la Paz, Mazamitla, Valle de Juárez, Quitupan, Tuxcueca y Tizapán el Alto.

La presencia de la Policía del Estado se da como parte de las acciones de refuerzo a la vigilancia en esta zona, así como en coordinación con las autoridades locales, la Guardia Nacional y la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional para propiciar entornos seguros tanto para los habitantes como para quienes realizan actividades turísticas.

Este refuerzo en la seguridad se da tras los hechos violentos que dejaron  tres personas sin vida y diversos bloqueos carreteros, luego de un enfrentamiento armado acontecido el domingo primero de mayo en el municipio de Mazamitla. 

Photograph of the original truck that had been identified by the Rotary Club Guadalajara International, equipped with the ladder and hoses.  .

Héctor Ruiz Mejía.- The Civil Protection and Fire Department of Jocotepec received the donation of a fire truck. 

The vehicle was acquired through a district grant organized by the Rotary Club Guadalajara International A.C., in conjunction with the other Rotary Clubs of Jocotepec, Ajijic and Chapala.

This is intended to improve the equipment of the fire department, which handles about two thousand reports per year, including firefighting, assistance in accidents and gas leaks.

However, Eduardo Góngora Olmedo, one of the organizers of the grant, commented that, despite «feeling happy» for the contribution to the firefighters, the purchase was not exactly as they had expected.

After the Rotary Club of Guadalajara identified the vehicle in the United States, they made arrangements for its purchase and subsequent transfer to Jocotepec, but when they received it, they realized that it was a different model. Consequently, the purchase price was higher than stipulated, since originally the truck would have cost $20,000 US dollars, which, with the exchange rate in pesos at that time, totalled about 407 thousand pesos. An additional 50,000 pesos to transport it to Mexico brought the total to approximately 457,000 pesos.

Although the actual amount paid was not specified, Góngora Olmedo assured that it was much higher than previously agreed.

He also explained that the model that was thought to have been purchased would have been «much better» equipped, as it had a ladder, hoses and other additional equipment. However, he said that he was satisfied with the truck that the Fire Department now has at its disposal.

In order to raise the funds for the purchase, many people joined the project. Two bazaars were opened where clothes were sold. In addition, the Jocotepec City Hall allocated 150,000 pesos. 

Translated by Sandy Britton