Drivers and motorcyclists who drive, park or block Mérida’s new bicycle lanes can soon expect to be fined. State authorities have said that the fines will be between 521 and 695 pesos. It has not been specified if the new fine is applicable to persons on foot who misuse the lanes. Although the new bike…
In a joint press conference, Yucatan’s governor and Mérida’s mayor unveiled a mobility infrastructure project that affects how traffic flows throughout the city. With the Mérida 2050 Agenda, the project comes with a price tag of 750 million pesos and is expected to generate over 11,000 new jobs. Features of the plan include the construction…
Like in much of the world, having celebrities run for office is a fairly common occurrence in Mexico. Especially now, since the advent of electoral reforms. Actors, comedians, YouTubers, wrestlers and beauty queens can all be found in the official ranks of most political parties. Prominent examples include Cuauhtémoc Blanco, famed soccer player turned Governor of…
Women in Yucatán makeup 84.8% of the unemployed population, according to a recent report. The data published by Mexican NGO, Acción Ciudadana Frente a la Pobreza, raises serious concerns regarding the status of women and their participation in the state’s economy. María Ayala, chief researcher at Acción Ciudadana Frente a la Pobreza, stressed the importance…
Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission, the CFE, reported that 242 of its workers had died of COVID-19 as of Feb. 8. The power utility also stated that it had confirmed 1,099 cases of the virus within its ranks. Of the currently infected workers 22 remain hospitalized, 12 of which are in stable condition and 10 are…
Season 2 of “Luis Miguel, la Serie” is expected to drop on Netflix this March. This is good news if you’re learning Spanish — especially the Mexican variety. The Netflix and Telemundo show follows the life story and career of Mexican superstar singer Luis Miguel. The first season of the show proved to be a…
Temporary alcohol bans, curfews, closed beaches and masking have all been hallmarks of the COVID-19 pandemic in Yucatán. Most people in Yucatán have accepted these regulations. But it is not uncommon to see locals and tourists walk around town, or go jogging along a sidewalk, without face masks. So what does the law actually say about…
Residents in northern Mérida are angry over plans to build Infiniti, a seven-tower luxury development replete with a lake. Complaints center around an alleged lack of transparency regarding zoning regulations and concerns over traffic, privacy and the environment. “We don’t understand how the city can approve upwards of 250 new tower apartment units in an…
Given the pandemic and the cancelation of their matches, professional wrestlers have had to find other sources of income. Some have gone into food sales while others taken on jobs as drivers. “My life changed completely. I had been in this business for such a long time, but the pandemic forced us all to take…
A Mexican politician has launched a “reto peek” campaign to combine animal welfare and the human desire to lose weight. The challenge gets its name from the Yucatec-Mayan word peek, or dog. Sen. Ramírez Marín launched the challenge by promising that he would donate one kilogram of dog or cat food for every documented kilogram…
An organization based in Mérida is fighting to improve the quality of life of Yucatán’s transgender community. The nonprofit, called Yucatrans, is headed by Miranda Abigail Trillo Herrera, who for over 15 years has advocated for the rights of transgender men and women. “Currently we are focusing our efforts on offering medical aid to individuals…
An hour-and-a-half south of Mérida and 20 minutes from Uxmal is Kabah, a Maya archaeological site in the Puuc region of western Yucatán. Kabah, which means “powerful hand,” is one of the city-states directly referenced in the Maya text known as the Chilam Balam of Chumayel. On approach, the right hand side of the highway…
Yucatán took the lead in 2020 as the most democratic state in Mexico. The recently published results come from a study conducted by several organizations, including the German political consulting firm, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and Mexico’s electoral authority, INE. However, the news is not all positive, as the study points to a slightly overall erosion…
Film production in Yucatán got its start in 1938 with the film “La Golondrina,” which was about Alma Reed, an American journalist who fell in love with the state’s famous governor, Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Since that time, film crews have come and gone, but Yucatán remains a bit of a backwater when it comes to movie…
Residents in Hunucmá are tapping into their legal resources in land claims against poultry giant Bachoco. The disputed properties are part of an ejido, an area of communal land collectively used and maintained by a group of people. Although since the ’90s it is possible to sell ejido land, the process is often difficult as it…
Traffic features known as pedestrian islands are being built along several of Merida’s main avenues. Pedestrian islands are safety features consisting of small sections of pavement or sidewalk where pedestrians can stop before crossing the road. They are often seen on roads with high speed limits where it may be difficult to cross on foot. …
Faced with a deluge of challenges, Mexican airlines, hotels and resort destinations have slashed prices in hopes to attract domestic travelers. Tougher international travel regulations have made domestic travel more important than ever for Mexico’s tourism and hospitality industries. Budget airline tickets from Mexico City to Mérida or Cancun were as low as US$4, before…
Critics claim Canada’s cancellation of all flights to México and the Caribbean is unfair to the region as it favors destinations such as Florida. Others consider the targeting of Mexico and the Caribbean as particularly unfair to those with family in the region. “What for one person may simply be a flight on their way…
The COVID-19 death rate continue to rise in Yucatán. In January, 253 people in Yucatán lost their lives due to COVID-19, elevating the total to 3,156. January also brought with it 3,533 new infections, which account for 11.7% of the total infections documented in the state. The total death rate has also worsened, going from…
Mayor Renán Barrera Concha has announced the cancellation of Mérida’s 2021 Carnaval, which had already been scaled back to a virtual program. The Mayor made the announcement via Twitter, promising that the Carnaval’s budget will be used to fight the pandemic and reactivate the economy. The move comes just a few days after the Mayor…
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has announced the launch of a COVID-19 vaccination registration website. The website is mivacuna.salud.gob.mx — but as this story was posted, it was down, presumably from heavy traffic. For now, the website is only accepting registrations for people aged 60 years or older. Aside from the age range, other requirements…
The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout have forced at least 40 private schools in Yucatán to permanently shut down. Mexico’s association of private schools has expressed grave concern over the situation and has warned about an educational gap that will result from the closures. Private schools in Mexico are plentiful and attended by students…
The birth of a jaguar cub in Mérida’s city zoo was announced on Mayor Renan Barrera Concha’s Twitter account. The feline, which is endemic to the Yucatan, has become an endangered species due to factors such as habitat loss. The birth of jaguars in captivity is an uncommon occurrence, with the previous birth being recorded…
Medical students on Monday marched on Merida’s Paseo de Montejo to protest unsafe conditions. The protestors demanded answers for the deaths of three colleagues, among them Mariana Sánchez, who was murdered in rural Chiapas, where she interned. The protestors carried signs reading “do I have to die before the university does something?” and “Mom, sorry…
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