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…
Aleks Syntek promotes Mérida in new music video for his song “Eclipse Total.” The music video was filmed at several of Mérida’s most iconic locations, such as the main square, the Peón Conteras theater, and the tower at the municipal palace. The singer explained during a press conference, “as the video is titled Eclipse de Luna …
Mexico’s Institue of History and Anthropology has announced that it will open a new section of Chichén Itzá to the public in 2022. The area, known as “Chichén Viejo” or old Chichén, features several ancient structures including an archway and a temple full of phallic figures. Though the existence of these structures has been well…
In the early hours of Jan. 29, yet another fatal accident was reported on the Mérida-Cancún toll highway. On this occasion, one driver lost his life when he was thrown from his vehicle after being struck by a refrigeration truck. On Jan. 24, a 2-year-old was killed and three of his family members were injured…
Mérida Mayor Renán Barrera Concha has announced that the city will not be canceling Carnaval altogether. The carnival is to be a hybrid event, with online components and a festive caravan that will traverse the city. The reported cost of the hybrid Carnaval is to be 13.7 million pesos, or about US$676,693. “This year we…
In a small ceremony, Yucatán Gov. Mauricio Vila Dorsal talked up his administration’s revamping of the boardwalk in Dzilam de Bravo. Improvements to the boardwalk include new LED lighting, palm trees, benches, park equipment and repairs to much of the existing infrastructure. The revitalization effort also saw an improvement to 1.8 kilometers of roads in…
Mexican women have long excelled in the art world both at home and abroad. But there is one name that always seems to come up when someone says the words “female Mexican artist.” That’s right, Frida Kahlo. There is no denying that the legacy of Frida Kahlo is an inescapable force in Mexican art and…
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has authorized the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines by the private sector. But no entity other than the federal government has been able to procure the coveted vaccines. The main obstacle is availability, as countries and companies around the world scramble over an extremely limited supply. Mexico has warned consumers against…
Friends are rallying around a UK celebrity agent who is in a coma at a Cancun hospital due to COVID-19. Terry Mills caught coronavirus presumably in Cancun during a business trip. Mills, who is 38 and a cancer survivor, has developed pneumonia and is in a coma at Playa Med Hospital in Cancun. His friends…
The popular coastal community of Rio Lagartos has unveiled its revamped boardwalk. Local and state authorities hope that the improvements will help attract tourists back to the coastal community in large numbers, once the COVID-19 sanitary emergency has passed. Rio Lagartos is a popular destination for activities such as kayaking, mangrove tours, and observing birds…
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