Localidades

Faced with water shortages in San Juan Cosalá, citizens opt to get containers for water. Photo: Alma Serrano

Alma Serrano (San Juan Cosalá).- The drought is worsening and the solutions have not arrived. Inhabitants of the delegation of San Juan Cosalá continue to suffer from the shortage of drinking water. 

After the collapse of the Zaragoza well in March of last year and the usual shortage typical of the hot season, the people of San Juan Cosalá have had to adapt to living with the limited availability of water. 

«I bought a tub that holds about 200 liters of water to conserve it when there is nothing. We use it to wash dishes normally, and when there is no water in the water tank, we also use it for the bathroom, because there is not always enough to wash clothes, so in the house we wash practically what we need because we don’t know when we will have no  water,» commented a 60 year old resident. 

Although both the operator of Agua Potable, Samuel Tolentino Alvarado, and the delegate, Carlos Vázquez Reyes, said that they were working to solve the problem, so far the shortage persists. 

Citizens say that they have had at least four months with little water and they are dissatisfied with the action to solve the problem.

«It’s been a long time and  you get tired of hauling water, of being aware of when there will be water, of managing and prioritizing it, and there has been no solution,» said an annoyed resident. 

It was last March 13 when the municipal authorities announced the collapse of the Zaragoza well due to a failure in the motor, severely affecting the supply of drinking water to the homes in San Juan Cosalá.

«The motor was damaged because the well is throwing a lot of sand and the sand gets inside the motor, and while it is being sucked up it  jams it. The operators have to remove the motor and maybe they will restore the well or build a new structure to put in another motor», explained Samuel Tolentino, the  water operator.

Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan

The cleaning under the bridges will be done with pickaxes and shovels. Photo: Ajijic 2021-2024 Delegation.

Sofía Medeles.- The clearing of bridges and streams in Ajijic has begun, after months of being requested by the inhabitants of La Cristina, La Canacinta and Alceseca because they were still obstructed by debris from the mudslides that occurred in October of last year.

Acting Ajijic delegate Maximiano Macias Arceo said  that the work began by opening the natural channel of the streams with an earth moving machine. However, under the bridges, they will have to do it with a pickaxe and shovel. They began on April 28 from the western limits of the municipality, in the stream of La Cristina.

Macías Arceo stated that their route will be from west to east, up to the area known as «the three bridges.» In total, eight bridges will be cleaned.

The bridges have been almost totally obstructed since October 2021. La Canacinta bridge with several stones and debris in the riverbed. Photo: Sofia Medeles.

The clearing of the riverbeds and bridges is a concern to the residents of these neighborhoods. Several interviewees stated that they feared that, in case of heavy rains, the large amount of dirt, mud and large stones that were still on them would cause problems. 

«Let’s hope that they restore them to ground level, as they were before the mudslides, because many things could come loose if a strong current comes down, such as the boulders that were left there. I don’t doubt that there are logs or dead animals that have been there all these months. At least they didn’t wait until the rainy season,” commented a neighbor who lives in Alceseca.

Translated by Sandy Britton

Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel with microphone in hand, in front of the San Nicolás de Ibarra community committee. Photo: Jazmín Stengel

Jazmín Stengel-Chapala.  The Government of Chapala has canceled  the permit to connect 30 new homes in the “San Nicolás” subdivision in the adjacent Vista del Lago development that would allowed it to connect San Nicolás de Ibarra’s water system and well. 

«The well will not be touched,» said the mayor of Chapala, Alejandro Aguirre Curiel, before some 300 community activists who met with him on the corner of Juárez and Morelos streets on Monday, April 25.  «We are not going to give water to this subdivision, you have my word, we are going to cancel this permit», said the mayor during the meeting which lasted about an hour. They also asked for the dismissal of the spokesperson of the SIMAPA Chapala Council, Ricardo Razo and the Administrator of SIMAPA San Nicolás. 

The Neighborhood Meeting was attended by more than 100 residents of the town. Photo: Patrick O’Heffernan

Before those present, who in previous days had protested because the subdivision wanted to connect to the town’s network, Aguirre Curiel committed to regulate all authorized developments in the municipality before issuing any more permits. 

Based on density demands promoted under the municipal Urban Development Plan, Curiel  action can avoid injunctions by private companies, and require them to supply services to their developments themselves and not connect to the municipal systems.

«So far in our government we have not authorized a single permit nor do we have any in the pipeline, until we regulate all those that are authorized,» he assured the citizens. 

An Expat joined the residents during the talk. Photo: Patrick O’Heffernan

Aguirre Curiel insisted that the misunderstandings of the April 20 meeting between authorities and the community were  due to the mishandling of information by the person in charge of the delegation and public officials of the City Hall, who should have been clear about denying the connection to the water well from the beginning. The  neighbors asked the authorities to respect the official letter that was distributed to  record the deal made during the meeting and that the administration of the water be once again managed by the community. They asked to be notified of the income and expenses on a regular basis.

In addition, the residents requested the appointment of Luis Morales Contreras as a member of the Board of SIMAPA Chapala and Irma Reyes Delgado as Administrator of SIMAPA San Nicolás.  

Translated by Mary Woods.

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

Los hechos se registraron en la colonia Colinas de Chapala.  Foto: Twitter. 

Redacción.- Elementos de la Fiscalía del Estado de Jalisco (FE) quienes realizaban una investigación en el municipio de Chapala durante la tarde de este martes, lograron la detención de tres personas quienes presuntamente forman parte de un grupo de la delincuencia organizada que opera en la entidad.

De acuerdo con el reporte, al estar realizando actos relacionados con una carpeta de investigación por la desaparición de la adolescente Julissa Esmeralda Oliveros, en la colonia Colinas de Chapala, personal de la Fiscalía Especial en Personas Desaparecidas (FEPD) avistaron la presencia de varios sujetos los cuales portaban armas de fuego.

Al notar la presencia de los elementos, los sujetos intentaron evadirlos; sin embargo fueron detenidos por el personal de la FEPD.

Además de los detenidos, el personal de la Fiscalía de Jalisco aseguró armas de fuego, chalecos balísticos los cuales portaban siglas de un grupo de la delincuencia organizada, una bolsa con estupefacientes, así como un vehículo automotor.

La FE informó que tanto los detenidos como lo asegurado serán puestos a disposición del agente del Ministerio Público de la Fiscalía General de la República quienes definirán su situación jurídica en el término constitucional.

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

Opening ceremony on Friday, April 22. Photo: Sofia Medeles.

Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- The first Earth Day commemoration in Ajijic which took place on April 22, 23 and 24 t was a success although participation was lower than the organizers hoped for.  The three-day event consisted of a series of conferences and other activities designed  to raise awareness about the  need to care  for the environment.

Between  150 to 200 people attended each day for a total of 500 and 600 people,  mostly adults although there  were also interested children.  

The first day began with an opening ceremony asking permission to the elements and deities to allow the participants to respectfully carry out the programmed activities. During the closing ceremony on the last day, a tribute and offering was made to Lake Chapala.

The conference speakers included activists who work to safeguard the integrity of both the lake and the mountains,  such as Manuel Villagómez Rodríguez, Luis Valdivia Ornelas, Raquel Gutiérrez Nájera and the  local resident Julio Carmona. There were also music and film presentations, and tables for information and sale of ecological products.

«I think the event was effective both in the professional and academic quality of the presenters, said Noris Binet, who added that, “ I think it was very ambitious to do it in three days since it demands  consistent participation by the  public.”

Binet explained that, “ There were three relevant focuses of the event: that battles of this type can and have been won, that Lake Chapala urgently needs to become a Ramsar site, that a mapping of endangered and reserved areas needs to be done  that clearly  defines where not to buy or build, something the Expats requested I a petition.  ( Lake Chapala is listed on the RAMSAR Information Service as RAMSAR  as  Ramsar Site no. 1973. For its extensive  wetlands).

Sihara Casillas Gaeta, another of the organizers, commented that this type of event helps people to learn about the type of land in which they live,  about the local aquifers, and to take stock of how corruption has contributed to the deterioration of natural water reservoirs, which helps  convince people to be more vigilant.

Jane Custer, who was in charge of translations at the event, said that she was very pleased to see the Mexican and foreign communities of Ajijic together in one place  acquiring knowledge to protect the Lake and the environment.

Noris stated that, in the coming years, she believes the event could improve in terms of local participation, involving  neighbors and  members of indigenous communities, talking about their problems related to environmental issues. She  plans to produce an official document summarizing the most important points of the event to be presented to government authorities, as well as the creation of a citizen and academic observatory to monitor and denounce environmental destruction.

Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan

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

Diversos operativos de búsqueda de la Fiscalía resultaron en la localización de 44 personas en Jalisco.  Foto: Notisistema. 

Redacción.- La Fiscalía Especial para Personas Desaparecidas (FEPD) de la Fiscalía de Jalisco (FE) reportó la localización de 44 personas desaparecidas durante la semana del 25 de abril al 1 de mayo pasado, tras diversos operativos de búsqueda. 

La FEPD informó que del periodo del 23 al 29 de abril, fueron judicializadas 6 personas contra las que existen datos de prueba suficientes que hacen presumir su probable responsabilidad en la comisión de delitos en la materia, por lo que se espera que en breve sean vinculadas a proceso y las pesquisas continúen.

De las acciones implementadas, la Fiscalía Especial destacó la labor de Alerta Amber Jalisco, toda vez que mediante indagatorias con perspectiva de género, fueron localizadas 15 niñas, niños y adolescentes que contaban con reporte y ya se encuentran sanos y salvos con su familia. 

La FEPD refirió que  durante la semana del 23 al 29 de abril, tuvo acercamiento con 595 ciudadanas y ciudadanos que acudieron a solicitar información, por lo que les presentó avances con respecto a sus indagatorias, además de que se les brindó la atención jurídica necesaria, entre otros aspectos.

Irregular entrance to a property located in La Canacinta, on Lirios Street. Photo: Archive.

Editor.- At least four cases of alleged attempts of property dispossession have surfaced  in recent months in the municipality of Chapala, thanks to legitimate owners and citizens who  pointed out irregularities in the paperwork of the properties and in the actions of the  authorities and former officials involved.

The last case occurred last Wednesday, April 27, in the area of La Canacinta, west of Ajijic, on Lirios Street, where José Contreras Ortega has owned a property for approximately 55 years, which is now in court because people claiming to own the property have appeared.

Although there has been no resolution of the litigation, the supposed new owners, with the help of lawyers, workers and municipal police -who witnesses said  that they were mocking and arrogant-, forced their way onto the property containing some of Contreras Ortega’s belongings and livestock.

Both José Contreras Ortega and his relatives said that, being an elderly man and unable to read and write, these characters took advantage of him, denying that anyone other than him could read the documents they had, and only giving his family a notice of a hearing to occur.

Machine used for the attempted eviction in La Floresta, in Ajijic. Photo: Facebook.

«They wouldn’t show us anything. If it was real, they would have a judge’s verdict, eviction order or something. They just gave us a notice for a hearing that is scheduled for May. The lawyer is the one who has been handling the case, as my father does not know how to read or write, he just gives him the corresponding payments to do things,» said one of Don José’s daughters. Some other witnesses pointed out that this lawyer has been linked to irregular legal processes.

In the end, the Contreras family opted to take legal action the following day, presenting their evidence and the notification they never received, claiming they thought  that the trial was still ongoing. As a result of this situation, Contreras Ortega had to move their cattle to a property that was loaned to them next to the one where they were originally located.

On  Saturday, April 23, several people affected by the attempted dispossession met to tell their cases to the media. Both the Ibon family from Ajijic and the López family from Santa Cruz de la Soledad, along with a member of the Indigenous Community of San Antonio Tlayacapan, presented their cases, linking the Covarrubias brothers to the dispossession of Ajijic and Santa Cruz, and mentioning several former presidents involved in the Chapala ejido, which has sought to appropriate the communal land of San Antonio.

In this meeting, the names of both municipal authorities and ex-officials, as well as institutions such as the Pension Institute of the State of Jalisco (IPEJAL), were mentioned, which they described as «bribed» or «sold».

All the affected families agreed that they will  publicize all the cases and all those involved, so that precautions and actions are taken against those involved.

Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan