One of Mexico's most important religious festivals will require special security measures this year.
Alejandro Flores, the Father of the Sancutary of San Juan Diego in Mexico City, said he expects more than 30,000 pilgrims to visit the Sanctuary over the weekend, according to El Universal.
The festival of San Juan Diego and the Virgin of Guadalupe, which takes place between Dec. 9 and 12, annually draws thousands of visitors to the Sanctuary from all parts of Mexico, Central and South America, and even parts of Africa.
Officials said the city is ready to handle the influx of visitors, but extra security measures will be put into effect in order to ensure the safety of the pilgrims.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Mexican poet robbed
Mexican poet Efrain Bartolome was robbed last Wednesday.
Police are analyzing fingerprints found at Bartolome's home in the hopes that some of them will give them a lead.
Miguel Angel, the Federal District's Attourney General, said law enforcement will review footage from security cameras around the poet's home and interview Bartoome's neighbors, according to El Universal.
Bartolome is one of Mexico's most well-known poets. He has been honored with many awards, including the Carlos Pellicer National Poetry Prize, the Jaime Sabines International Poetry award, and the Literary Arts Legacy Award at the International Latino Arts Awards
Police are analyzing fingerprints found at Bartolome's home in the hopes that some of them will give them a lead.
Miguel Angel, the Federal District's Attourney General, said law enforcement will review footage from security cameras around the poet's home and interview Bartoome's neighbors, according to El Universal.
Bartolome is one of Mexico's most well-known poets. He has been honored with many awards, including the Carlos Pellicer National Poetry Prize, the Jaime Sabines International Poetry award, and the Literary Arts Legacy Award at the International Latino Arts Awards
Monday, December 5, 2011
Taxi Wars
The Federal District is having trouble maintaining control of its own public transport system.
Despite strict guidelines and regulations, unregistered or 'pirate' taxis abound in the District's frontiers, according to El Universal.
Other illegal services, such as bicycle taxis, motorcycle taxis, and even golf cart taxis have found niches in distant areas of the District.
The Secretary of Roads and Transport, or Setravi, has struggled to regulate the taxi system with some success.
For example, taxis that are more than 10 years old are regularly replaced.
Setravi has also managed to standardize taxi fares throughout the District. However, there are problems there, too. Taxi drivers have to deal with rising fuel costs, reducing the effectiveness of 10 percent fares increases every four months.
Some wonder whether Setravi is capable of dealing with the pirate taxis and other problems facing the District's 13,000 taxis.
"The passengers complain about poor service, and the taxi drivers complain about Setravi," Eloisa Alvarado said in a comment left on the article by El Universal.
Despite strict guidelines and regulations, unregistered or 'pirate' taxis abound in the District's frontiers, according to El Universal.
Other illegal services, such as bicycle taxis, motorcycle taxis, and even golf cart taxis have found niches in distant areas of the District.
The Secretary of Roads and Transport, or Setravi, has struggled to regulate the taxi system with some success.
For example, taxis that are more than 10 years old are regularly replaced.
Setravi has also managed to standardize taxi fares throughout the District. However, there are problems there, too. Taxi drivers have to deal with rising fuel costs, reducing the effectiveness of 10 percent fares increases every four months.
Some wonder whether Setravi is capable of dealing with the pirate taxis and other problems facing the District's 13,000 taxis.
"The passengers complain about poor service, and the taxi drivers complain about Setravi," Eloisa Alvarado said in a comment left on the article by El Universal.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Archbishop blames delinquency on the government
Archbishop Juan Sandoval Íñiguez says that the Mexican government itself is responsible for the creation of its own worst enemy.
Íñiguez said today that corruption at all levels of the Mexican government is the primary cause of the rise of so many powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and that unless this corruption is eliminated, the war on organized crime will never end.
Íñiguez said, for example, that salaries for many government officials rise every year, reducing the funds available for education. Mexicans are unable to receive adequate schooling to obtain jobs that will support their families and turn to drug dealing instead.
He specifically cited the congress of Jalisco, a state in central Mexico that borders the Pacific, that for months has failed to disclose spending records, annual budgets, and worker payment records. He said that the congress reports having about 1700 employees, but that nobody is sure what they do or where they work.
Íñiguez also said that the national congress has failed to pass reforms because the legislators only look out for themselves and close friends.
He also said that the judicial system is too corrupt to effectively put criminals behind bars. He indicated that judges too often side with criminals because they are either poor or greedy and therefore susceptible to bribes.
Finally, Íñiguez said businesses and syndicates only look out for their own interests and not the interests of the community at large.
"All this creates inequality, resentment, ignorance, misery, hunger, and sickness... From there come the complaints of so many who now stand across Mexico with weapons in hand to do justice and take the goods that Society doesn't allow them to obtain through decent paths, whether it be for lack of education or lack of honorable work," he said.
Íñiguez said that unless the high powers of government eliminate corruption, they would ultimately have to answer to a higher power still - that of the judgement bar of God.
Íñiguez said today that corruption at all levels of the Mexican government is the primary cause of the rise of so many powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and that unless this corruption is eliminated, the war on organized crime will never end.
Íñiguez said, for example, that salaries for many government officials rise every year, reducing the funds available for education. Mexicans are unable to receive adequate schooling to obtain jobs that will support their families and turn to drug dealing instead.
He specifically cited the congress of Jalisco, a state in central Mexico that borders the Pacific, that for months has failed to disclose spending records, annual budgets, and worker payment records. He said that the congress reports having about 1700 employees, but that nobody is sure what they do or where they work.
Íñiguez also said that the national congress has failed to pass reforms because the legislators only look out for themselves and close friends.
He also said that the judicial system is too corrupt to effectively put criminals behind bars. He indicated that judges too often side with criminals because they are either poor or greedy and therefore susceptible to bribes.
Finally, Íñiguez said businesses and syndicates only look out for their own interests and not the interests of the community at large.
"All this creates inequality, resentment, ignorance, misery, hunger, and sickness... From there come the complaints of so many who now stand across Mexico with weapons in hand to do justice and take the goods that Society doesn't allow them to obtain through decent paths, whether it be for lack of education or lack of honorable work," he said.
Íñiguez said that unless the high powers of government eliminate corruption, they would ultimately have to answer to a higher power still - that of the judgement bar of God.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Zeta communication network dismantled
Drug gangs will have a harder time evading the law if they don't know where it's coming from.
Mexican soldiers dismantled a secret communication network spanning four states. They suspect the network was used by the Zetas drug cartel to communicate and locate law enforcement officials.
The network functioned in Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosí, four states in Mexico's northeastern corner. Officials suspect the network could have been used to locate law enforcement patrols in rural areas, thus allowing the cartel to evade them with ease.
Officials captured and dismantled 51 antennas, 43 repeaters, 73 generators, and other equipment such as radios and cellular phones.
A military spokesman said they also seized weapons and tactical equipment.
Hopefully, the military will have an easier time of catching cartel members now that the gangs can't see them coming.
Mexican soldiers dismantled a secret communication network spanning four states. They suspect the network was used by the Zetas drug cartel to communicate and locate law enforcement officials.
The network functioned in Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosí, four states in Mexico's northeastern corner. Officials suspect the network could have been used to locate law enforcement patrols in rural areas, thus allowing the cartel to evade them with ease.
Officials captured and dismantled 51 antennas, 43 repeaters, 73 generators, and other equipment such as radios and cellular phones.
A military spokesman said they also seized weapons and tactical equipment.
Hopefully, the military will have an easier time of catching cartel members now that the gangs can't see them coming.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thee killed in Hermosillo
Three women were found dead today in Hermosillo, a city in Mexico's northern state of Sonora.
Police arrested a man at a nearby party. According to reports, the victims reprehended him for urinating in public. This bothered the man, and he decided to kill the three women.
The police will be giving a detailed report later today.
Police arrested a man at a nearby party. According to reports, the victims reprehended him for urinating in public. This bothered the man, and he decided to kill the three women.
The police will be giving a detailed report later today.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Mexico sides with journalists
Those who silence journalists will now have to answer to the federal government.
Congress voted today to federalize crimes against journalists and organizations who help disseminate news.
The motion came in response to several murders and kidnappings against those who report on drug cartels. The cartels have targeted those who report on cartel activities in an attempt to silence them.
Nazario Norberto Sanchez, a member of the PRD party, said that attacks on journalists "deprives the general public of their right to be informed," according to El Universal.
In July of last year, the government created a special office for the attention of crimes committed against the freedom of expression, which has yet to penalize anyone.
Congress voted today to federalize crimes against journalists and organizations who help disseminate news.
The motion came in response to several murders and kidnappings against those who report on drug cartels. The cartels have targeted those who report on cartel activities in an attempt to silence them.
Nazario Norberto Sanchez, a member of the PRD party, said that attacks on journalists "deprives the general public of their right to be informed," according to El Universal.
In July of last year, the government created a special office for the attention of crimes committed against the freedom of expression, which has yet to penalize anyone.
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