Day of the Dead is arguably the most dynamic unique and spectacular showcase of Mexican culture I’ve spent the last several years enjoying the colorful celebration in Mexico City and it just doesn’t quite capture the family element I’ve been looking for I decided in September that this would be the year that I’d hit the road in search of golder pastures heading to a place that represented both sides of the coin: artistic creation and authentic reverence one of Mexico’s most culturally rich states and home to Atlixco Absolutely dripping in marigolds and Day of the Dead decor this Pueblo Mágico regularly draws tourists for its year-round warm and humid climate It’s about a 30-minute drive from Puebla city and boasts magnificent views of the surrounding mountains including the beloved Popocatépetl volcano Late October is a particularly attractive time of year to visit as Atlixcans truly go all out for the holiday The Valle de Catrinas project started in 2021 with five giant skeleton statues adorning various streets and strategic corners of town that number has jumped to 15 fantastical figures representing important figures in Mexico’s history who ruled Mexico in the late 19th and early 20th centuries leading up to the Mexican Revolution Revolutionary leader Pancho Villa was also represented with a very literal homage to his nickname hotels and restaurants showcased not just catrinas but also elaborate altars for visitors to enjoy Atlixco’s popularity as a wedding destination led locals to create “La novia de Atlixco,” or the bride of Atlixco stylish catrina greets visitors at the entrance of Casa de la Audiencia a 16th-century building that now serves as an upscale hotel visitors uncovered a hidden altar at Xolo Mezcalería Artist Omar Rangel’s monumental altar at Molino de San Mateo wasn’t just a creative masterpiece – it included an interactive screen for visitors to project photos of their loved ones Rangel also constructed a 5-meter-tall altar made solely of bread Just a 40-minute ride away is the charming town of Huaquechula visitors can follow the journey of a soul from death to the afterlife where “causes of death” are written on simple grave markers This poor soul seems to have suffered dire consequences after some WhatsApp messages came to light Souls make their way along the river Apanohuaia on small dodging potential dangers with the help of the small but mighty Xolo dog This is just one of nine harrowing stages the dead must pass in order to reach the afterlife A golden path of flowers insinuates that the afterlife has successfully been reached Some homes were open for the public to enter and pay their respects I couldn’t leave without climbing Mirador de Cristal on Cerro de San Miguel I left my hotel on the outskirts of the Zócalo and made my way uphill Parroquia de Santa María de la Natividad is a few blocks away from Atlixco’s main square and looks like an elaborately-decorated cake The arts and crafts market takes over a small alley just off the Zocalo is full of shops and eating establishments all which were decorated to the nines for the holiday Atlixco is quite lovely to stroll before 9:00 a.m many created by local artist Juan Manuel Martínez Caltenco The uphill walk to the Mirador Cristal is lined with scenic views and beautiful flowers you can Uber about 30 minutes to the center of Atlixco you can take the ADO bus line from TAPO to CAPU ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and Territorial Planning of the State of Puebla (SMADSOT) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Mexico has launched the Local Action Plan for Cultural Heritage Resilience This pioneering plan aims to safeguard and strengthen the resilience of Atlixco's cultural heritage a significant tourist destination that welcomes approximately 1.2 million visitors annually officially presented after the workshop "Towards Cultural Heritage Resilience in the State of Puebla" held on March 31 is the first of its kind globally to use the Scorecard self-assessment tool This innovative tool allows for the identification of gaps and opportunities and the promotion of community participation in integrating specific measures into territorial planning instruments The “Municipal Resilience Program of Atlixco” is structured around three main pillars The first focuses on building an updated and sustainable municipality by integrating cultural heritage into the Municipal Development Plan (PMD) the Municipal Urban Development Program (PMDU) The second pillar aims to strengthen governance processes by improving communication and coordination between municipal sectors to enhance response to threats the third pillar promotes participatory analysis and mapping to identify the exposure and vulnerability of cultural heritage and update the Risk Atlas to take appropriate mitigation and adaptation measures Head of the UNDRR – Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean noted: “Guided by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 this plan integrates specific measures into planning instruments promoting community participation and respect for Atlixco’s rich cultural heritage Advancing the implementation of this Action Plan will not only serve to protect Atlixco's cultural heritage but also lay the foundations for a safer and culturally richer future.” The Local Action Plan for Cultural Heritage Resilience of Atlixco represents a collective effort towards the municipality's resilience and sets a significant precedent for the protection and conservation of cultural heritage throughout the region This document is a testament to Atlixco’s commitment to institutionalizing practices that strengthen municipal resilience and protect its rich cultural heritage which proposes to “protect or support the protection of cultural and collection institutions and other historically understand that the risks we face are reduced when there is planning and resilient development processes that allow us to better safeguard our cultural heritage.” developed with the valuable cooperation of SMADSOT is a testament to Atlixco’s commitment to institutionalizing practices that strengthen municipal resilience and protect its rich cultural heritage.  Thank you. If you have 2 minutes, we would benefit from additional feedback (link opens in a new window) Home » Videos » LIVE: Good Friday procession in Mexico (Video) Watch live as Mexicans march in a religious procession to mark Good Friday in the city of Atlixco Residents of a Mexican town decided to take justice into their own hands after catching three men accused of kidnapping and robbing a girl in the small town of Atzitzihuacán the lynching occurred during the afternoon on Dec In a statement sent out by the Puebla government officials confirmed that the three men "died after being detained and lynched by residents for the alleged robbery and kidnapping of a minor." They added that agencies are working to find out what exactly happened and reiterated that "any crime committed will be punished according to the laws in place." Despite multiple reports involving the incident the identity of the three men killed by the angry mob has not been revealed Although no official reports have confirmed it local media says the three men tried to kidnap a five-year-old girl Around 300 people reportedly participated in the lynching Images shared on social media depict the bodies hanging off utility poles and with signs of torture Civilians taking extreme approaches such as lynchings is not new in Mexico Experts say the perception of impunity leads communities to take justice into their own hands According to data collected by doctors Raúl Rodríguez Guillén and Norma Ilse Veloz Ávila political sociology faculty members at the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM) a total of 1,619 lynchings took place in Mexico between 2016 and 2022 Although most cases are centralized in rural areas the issue has quickly spread to more urban areas in Central Mexico 74% of all lynchings during that period took place in six states (Puebla 179 lynchings were reported throughout Mexico according to data complied by the study "Horror Gallery: atrocities and huge impact events," out of which most of them took place in Puebla (27) Mexico's National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) has previously stated that lynchings are "illicit acts" that are the representation of a self-distrust crisis that reflects the lack of trust within society towards authorities Recent incidents are an example of that mistrust as residents of rural communities continue relying on vigilantism four men were lynched and then burned in the city of Atlixco by a crowd that accused them of stealing a vehicle A similar incident took place in the city of Taxco when a woman accused of murdering an eight-year-old girl was lynched along two other men suspected by locals to be involved in the crime Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker A year after the pandemic led authorities in the city of Atlixco to cancel its famous Christmas lights walking tour streets and walls are once again strung with countless lights attracting visitors from all across Mexico where you can buy your live Christmas poinsettias According to Alejandro Pérez López at the city’s tourism office one million people attended the event in 2019 it’s expected to be well attended this year but there are precautions being taken to protect people’s health The lights on the trees and buildings in Atlixco’s zócalo — including the municipal palace and the Natividad de Nuestra Señora church — are turned on around 5:30 p.m the route wends its way up Hidalgo avenue for a short distance the street lit by colorful flowers hanging overhead before continuing along 16 de Septiembre street Don’t worry if you’re as directionally challenged as I am: the route’s well-marked there are few turns and all you really have to do is follow the lights and the crowd it’s a good idea to wear comfortable shoes and also to stay alert: most but not all of the route has been blocked off (although some motorcyclists chose to ignore this part) but the cross streets are open to traffic But it’s worth the little precautions: several of the streets have been turned into colorful tunnels with snowflakes at a plaza named Plazuela de la Danza about halfway up Cerro de San Miguel (St there’s a large gingerbread house featuring an illuminated flower there’s a performance by Payaso Chimbombin Junior “Chimbombin is a character with Mexican humor,” said Jorge Alberto Guerra Moreno “The character was created … when I was four years old when — with my father who is a clown — we started a comic clown duo.” Guerra put “Junior” in his group’s name to honor his father There are nine performers and technicians in the group There’s also a bit of audience participation so if you’re averse to that sort of thing as I am “What I like [about audience participation] is that people dare to come … and they liberate their collective fears,” Guerra said “I like the laughter.” There was plenty of that on the night I attended Strolling to the end of the Villa Iluminada takes a bit over an hour and it’s easy to work up a thirst and an appetite It seemed like almost every other house along the route has turned a room into a small restaurant Daniél Guillermo García was offering ponche (punch) a delicious hot drink that helps warm you as the temperatures dip during the night García was initially reluctant to reveal his secret recipe he did at least give up a list of ingredients “You have to know how to prepare it,” he said The fruit is the most important part so that the ponche does not get watered down.” Another hot drink — my personal favorite — is chile atole spices and pretty much any kind of chile the cook likes The most popular choice in Puebla is probably poblano chiles you’re somewhat obsessed with chile atole — or just want to be able to try it — be sure to buy yours early: the first three stands I stopped at had run out by the time I wanted mine Every family has its own recipe for ponche and chile atole you’ll be happy to know that there is also a plethora of bathrooms available for a mere 5 pesos There are also plenty of options for heartier fare tortas (hearty sandwiches) and gorditas available along the way Four tostadas and two ponches set us back US $7 possibly because of the significant police presence “There is a police officer every 100 meters [a little over 300 feet],” said Max Saavedra he and other municipal officers work double shifts “This is good because I can use the extra money for Christmas,” he said 17 plant vendors were displaying their poinsettias at the Feria de Nochebuena Red ones typically account for 75% of sales the nochebuena was used as medicine,” he said In addition to bringing some much-needed Christmas cheer the Villa Iluminada has a major economic impact on Atlixco: according to the state’s website the event generates about 320 million pesos (US $15 million) Be aware that there’s some confusion surrounding the event this year because there are actually two simultaneous events: the free Villa Illuminada tour starts in Atlixco’s zocalo and a different event called BrillaFest costs between 150 and 600 pesos (US $7 to US $30) • The Villa Iluminada tour runs through January 9 The Feria de Nochebuena plant fair runs through December 12 and is open from 10 a.m • Payaso Chimbombin Junior’s performances take place Monday–Thursday at 7:30 p.m The Huei Atlixcáyotl festival Puebla’s huge event of traditional dance that takes place every September in Atlixco has roots in the pre-Hispanic Nahuatl peoples of the area but it wouldn’t exist today if not for a New Yorker To say Cayuqui Estage Noel has had an interesting and peripatetic life would be a gross understatement Born Raymond Harvey Estage Noel in Buffalo and except for a couple of trips to New York to earn money and a few others to Guatemala acting and anthropology — the latter subject with Margaret Mead — taught any number of topics he was named a “Tesoro Humano Vivo” (Living Human Treasure) by the municipal government in Atlixco for his role in bringing the festival into existence in 1965 After seeing the traditional Guelaguetza festival in Oaxaca he was inspired to create a venue for Puebla’s traditional dance He worked with representatives of Atlixco to arrange the city’s first Atlixcáyotl by visiting surrounding villages and convincing locals to perform in the event he was helping arrange which the state government named in 1996 as part of Puebla’s cultural patrimony is a popular Atlixco event that was just celebrated again this past Sunday for another year While the state government spells the event as the Huey Atlixacáyotl Estage insists that it should be spelled Huei Atlixcáyotl was recently named a tesoro humano vivo (living human treasure) by Atlixco’s municipal government But he’s probably best known in Mexico for organizing the festival Estage originally had no intention of staying in Atlixco the first time he saw it The information about Mexico was that it was [filled with] vaqueros (cowboys) and that wasn’t very interesting cities lost in the jungles — that interested me Guatemala was where he got the name Cayuqui: he was trying to sell a boat to some locals and his Spanish was pretty much nonexistent at the time he dropped his first two given names and replaced them with Cayuqui he met a young man from Atlixco who invited him to visit “I rented a house up on the hill,” he said I bought an oil lamp; I thought it was very romantic I bought my water from an old man who brought two oil cans of water Estage’s house in Atlixco was ransacked An old woman who had been in the [Mexican] Revolution — she cooked for [Álvaro] Obregón knew [revolutionary] Pancho Villa — she told me about the customs of old Atlixco this is incredible that these people exist We have nothing this fabulous in Puebla.’” dancers from all over the state of Oaxaca converge on the city of Oaxaca in July When he started visiting villages around the state “The dances in the villages were much more interesting than what was in the Guelaguetza I became dissatisfied with the Guelaguetza but it inspired me to start the Atlixcáyotl.” He returned to Atlixco and started talking with people in the nearby villages “No one in Atlixco was interested in going [there],” he said there are people who have gone to Disneyland but they don’t know the villages around here.” he brought the dancers he’d met in the villages to Atlixco for the first iteration of the festival Atlixcáyotl is Nahuatl for either “the Great Fiesta of Atlixco,” or “the Tradition of Atlixco.” “We have about 17 or 18 groups that perform,” Estage said “and each group has at least 20 people — between 20 and 40.” The dances aren’t truly pre-Hispanic “There’s nothing pre-Hispanic today except in the museums but they are influenced by European music and dance.” in a little house made of sticks and mud and with a dirt floor and a palm roof — a place in which he’s perfectly content He was a little vague on his role in the Atlixco festival this year But he is adamant about what the Atlixcáyotl should be he revels in the informality the event still has To see a dog on stage to me is something very good.” He’s lived in Mexico now for almost 70 years and he didn’t hesitate when asked what it was that attracted him to — and keeps him in — Mexico I think they’re the happiest people in the world The best decision of my life was to leave the United States and live here.” Estage says he has everything he needs in Mexico They didn’t get paid very much money but you didn’t need very much money It seems like the man who renamed himself Cayuqui was born in the wrong era that he’d be just as happy — or happier — in a small pre-Hispanic village learning traditions and dances from the village elders and swapping stories with them Mexican authorities have raised alert levels following an increase in the activity of the Popocatépetl volcano and for a while airports halted flights. Popocatépetl (meaning ‘Smoking Hill’ in the native Aztec language Nahuatl) is one of the world’s most closely monitored volcanoes. It rises only about 72km southwest of Mexico City, home to about 9 million people, or around 22 million including the metropolitan area Photograph: Héctor Adolfo Quintanar Pérez/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock Photograph: Cristopher Rogel Blanquet/Getty Images Print SANTIAGO XALITZINTLA residents of this village tucked at the base of one of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes trek up to a cave near its crater to make a peace offering flowers and turkey cooked in sweet mole are meant to placate Popocatépetl the nearly 18,000-foot-high volcano viewed by many here not just as a geological wonder but also as a mythological being whose whims have long shaped the lives of those in its shadows These days, the consensus among villagers is clear: Popocatépetl isn’t happy. For months now, the volcano has been spewing molten rock and shooting massive columns of ash into the sky. The eruptions have grown bigger and more frequent in recent weeks — rattling homes with wheezing exhalations that residents compare to steam escaping from a pressure cooker. Bone-gray ash blankets everything: cars, crops and even the dogs that beg for scraps in the streets. World & Nation hundreds of gay cowboys gather in Zacatecas for a convention that celebrates sexual freedom and romanticizes Mexico’s rural past The sheer quantity of ash — a mixture of rock mineral and glass particles from deep inside the volcano — has prompted officials to ground thousands of flights at airports in nearby Mexico City and Puebla and to suspend school in nearly two dozen municipalities officials raised the volcano threat level to “Yellow Phase 3,” which calls for those who live nearest to the volcano — including the 2,000 residents of Santiago Xalitzintla — to prepare for possible evacuation Although the volcano appears to be more active now than it has been in the last two decades there is no indication that catastrophic eruption is underway a volcanologist at the Geophysics Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico It has been centuries since the volcano last expelled a significant flow of lava the volcano’s long history of destructive explosions and the 24 million people who reside within 60 miles of its crater make Popocatépetl an acute threat Scientists are monitoring seismic activity testing the chemical content of the ash and probing other metrics that predict volcanic activity The federal government has mobilized 7,000 troops in case an evacuation becomes necessary As geology fans gape at video feeds that show incandescent rocks blowing from El Popo’s peak, those who live along its flanks have watched with respect and a noteworthy lack of trepidation. Soldiers patrol as ash from the Popocatépetl volcano blankets the streets of Santiago Xalitzintla, Mexico. (Marco Ugarte / Associated Press) Residents went on with their scheduled celebration of a saint’s day over the weekend, dancing to a live band as flurries of ash fell, dusting the streets with what looked like snow. And although many complain of sore throats, coughs and irritated eyes, they have mostly continued tilling the earth, tending their horses and otherwise going about life as usual. “We’re used to it,” said Nazario Galicia, an 81-year-old farmer who on a recent afternoon was feeding his donkeys even as truckloads of national guard troops descended on the village to sweep up ash. “Our grandparents lived with the volcano, and their grandparents lived with it too.” Two people wear hoodies and masks to shield themselves from the ash emitted by the Popocatépetl volcano in Atlixco, Mexico, on May 22, 2023. The volcano’s activity has increased over the last week. (Marco Ugarte / Associated Press) Like many people here, Galicia believes the volcano is a kind of deity — they call him Don Goyo — whose behavior is closely linked to human activity. Galicia wondered whether the powerful eruptions in recent days were occurring because townsfolk had been unable to bring their annual offering this spring, when milder bursts from the volcano ruled out an ascent. Or maybe, he said, the volcano was responding to current events, airing its discontent with Mexico’s high levels of violence and corruption. A woman sweeps ash from the Popocatépetl volcano in Santiago Xalitzintla, Mexico. (Marco Ugarte / Associated Press) Popocatépetl and a nearby volcano, the relatively dormant Iztaccihuatl, have loomed large in Mexican mythology since at least the time of Aztecs. Despite spiraling violence and a stagnating economy Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has maintained sky-high approval ratings because he speaks to the working poor they were formed after ill-fated lovers — the warrior Popocatepetl and the princess Iztaccihuatl — died tragic deaths and were turned into stone Popocatépetl’s explosions have displaced humans in the past Archaeologists say a pre-Hispanic settlement not far from Santiago Xalitzintla was buried twice by ash long before the Europeans arrived in Mexico The volcano was dormant for about half of the last century but rumbled back to life with a series of relatively small eruptions beginning in the 1990s adopting new practices such as covering water and food supplies for farm animals to prevent contamination from falling ash have embraced a kind of steely humor to cope with living alongside an ever-present threat Residents of Santiago Xalitzintla a village at the base of the Popocatépetl volcano trek up to a cave near its gaping crater to make a peace offering “We hope it calms down,” said Juana Hernández as she finished off her tacos near the town’s plaza one afternoon this week “Maybe we should sacrifice one of our men,” she said The friends said they haven’t slept much in recent days villagers gather outside in the cold to watch eruptions light up the night sky Many children are scared of the pyrotechnics Some had urged their parents to find them a new place to live scratchy eyes and worry that her family’s fruit trees might not survive the volcano’s blowing debris De Los Santos said she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else After all, in this part of Mexico so prone to natural disasters — where earthquakes can level apartment buildings in seconds — there’s a certain pride that comes with living in proximity to danger the 64-year-old owner of a hat shop in the next town over said life is more exciting under a volcano “The day there’s no eruption,” he said as he whisked ash from several white cowboy hats Cecilia Sánchez Vidal in The Times’ Mexico City bureau contributed to this report Kate Linthicum is a foreign correspondent for the Los Angeles Times based in Mexico City. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map At least nine people were killed and one gravely injured at a shooting in Puebla in the early morning on Wednesday Six men and three women were gunned down inside a house in the Francisco I Another man was shot three times and taken to hospital An argument could be heard in the house before the shootings started Governor Miguel Barbosa said the mass homicide was caused by a dispute between people involved with selling drugs the place where these people were killed was a place for the distribution and sale of drugs … So far the information does not reveal the identity of those executed they are not from Atlixco nor are they from Puebla … It was an execution between gangs people who came to Atlixco to commit crimes of drug dealing,” he said Barbosa added that the killings were a cause for concern with very well-defined convictions about the role that the authorities should play in these events.” The governor added that agents from the National Kidnapping Commission would travel to Atlixco to investigate the killings five people were killed last Thursday in Chalchicomula de Sesma Barbosa said the four men and one woman killed had all been engaged in criminal activity With reports from Reforma In your list of activities for the Day of the Dead you can't miss a trip to Puebla to see this year's giant catrinas They are a spectacle that you must visit 💀 The works measure between 5 and 8 meters in height and will be located in different parts of the municipality; most of them located in the Cabrera area As in each edition the designs follow a theme that of 2024 are historical characters of Mexico such as: 💀 Malinche 🏵️ Morelos 💀 María Sabina 🏵️ Pípila 💀 Miguel Hidalgo 🏵️ Cuauhtémoc 💀 Zapata 🏵️ Porfirio Díaz 💀 Juan Escutia 🏵️ Viajero 💀 Tecuan 🏵️ Pancho Villa a megaofrenda will be set up at the Jardín Histórico el Molino de San Mateo There will also be pieces that will arrive in Los Angeles and Italy it is estimated that there will be 600 thousand spectators of these beauties If you are planning to get to Atlixco by car (starting from downtown Mexico City) take into account that the estimated time to get there is ⌛1 .58 hours 🚗Santa Martha Acatitla/Entronque San Martin Texmelucan – $156 🚗Entronque San Martín Texmelucan/Entronque Periférico Puebla – $48 Get everything ready to make a short trip to this monumental exhibition A Christmas village in Puebla may be the closest thing to a northern Christmas that exists in Mexico the city of Atlixco boasts the largest arrangement of colored lights in Mexico at an event called the Villa Iluminada (Lighted Village) boasts millions of Christmas lights strung up on over two kilometers of old buildings public and private Many of the lights are set up on over 2,000 figures related to the Christmas season the event includes attractions not necessarily related to Christmas as those from the north know it One is the Árbol de los Deseos (Wish Tree) where you can leave messages about what you would like for Christmas a backdrop for professing your undying affection to that special someone One of the highlights of this period is the Desfile de Nikolaus (Nicholas Parade) based on a variant of the Saint Nicholas story a young girl was playing with a box when Nicholas saw her through the window and was curious He asked her what she was doing with the box and she said “Playing with my doll.” But the box was empty The girl also told him that the Three Wise Men could not bring gifts to all children and she was one who did not receive a gift the girl opened her box to find a real doll The parade to honor this legend features floats and people in costume and marching bands Another major attraction is the Magic Circus There is an entrance fee for the parade of between 165 and 270 pesos but it includes access to a pavilion featuring local and gourmet food the event is the most important tourist attraction for the municipality and is expected to bring in over 50 million pesos (US $2.57 million) This year’s event runs from November 22 to January 6 More information can be found on the event’s website (in Spanish) Source: El Universal (sp), El Sol de Puebla (sp) Mexico City residents often forget that they live nearly on the doorstep of one of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes The city’s infamous smog rarely allows even a glimpse But Popocatépetl has dominated the geography and its recent activity makes experts and the government nervous Popocatépetl is both exceedingly majestic and dangerous Its name comes from Nahuatl and means “smoking mountain.”  The Florentine Codex notes that even decades after the imposition of Catholicism on the native peoples in the area pilgrimages to both petition and appease the volcano continued the volcano is often called simply “(El) Popo” and “Don Goyo.” The first is a shortening of the difficult Nahuatl is probably from an early colonial renaming of the mountain it comes from the appearance of an old man near the town of Santiago Xalitzintla who introduced himself as Gregorio Chino Popocatépetl and is believed to be the spirit of the mountain the volcano continues to receive offerings and pilgrimages today just now in the guise of Saint Gregory’s feast day Popocatépetl appears in numerous artworks from the region and is featured in the English-language novel “Under the Volcano” (1947) by Malcolm Lawry If you have seen the image of an Aztec warrior carrying a limp maiden it is a reference to a “Romeo and Juliet”-like story that explains why Popo is active and its “partner” volcano Most modern humans generally dismiss the supernatural but I’ll mention here that Popocatépetl’s crater is the focus of stories of UFOs that may have a base within Don Goyo may no longer command worship — but it still should be respected but none have such a population density living so nearby Popocatépetl is an active stratovolcano — like Hawaii’s Mauna Loa and Indonesia’s Krakatoa — and it’s the second tallest active volcano in North America (5,425 meters) It and Iztaccihuatl separate the Valleys of Mexico and Puebla archeological finds and written records evidence the volcano’s impact on them (us) An eruption is believed to have spurred migrations that resulted in Teotihuacán Eruptions have been recorded as early as the 1300s Hernán Cortés was impressed by the two volcanoes describing them as  “…two marvelously high mountains whose summits at the end of August are still covered with snow so that nothing else can be seen of them a great volume of smoke often comes forth…”  Popocatépetl has had 15 significant eruptions but none (yet) have had major destructive consequences One reason is that its last plinian eruption (i.e extremely explosive — think Mount Vesuvius in A.D when the valleys did not have the population density they have now The area around the Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl volcanoes is the Izta-Popo National Park but unlike parks in the United States and Canada a column of smoke from El Popo has been visible on most days There is always the risk of a major eruption Hugo Delgado Granados of the Geophysics Institute of UNAM Such an eruption could obliterate everything within 15 km and cause serious damage as far as 100 km away — a radius that’s home to about 25 million And urbanization is creeping up the slopes as Mexico City and Puebla continue to grow there is a 12-km exclusion zone around the crater because of fallout Popocatépetl has caused some headaches for airlines but more ash accumulation could snarl land traffic as well — and if rain is involved the resulting sludge would clog drainage systems Lava from Popocatépetl’s crater is not a major threat There is plenty of magma under the valleys but their danger comes from small “pop-up” volcanoes (like Paricutín in Western Michoacán) Volcanoes like Popocatépetl can give some warning of an upcoming eruption warning systems and evacuation plans are essential to prevent tragedies Mexico’s main warning system is a stoplight-like advisory system called the semáforo de alerta volcánica which currently is in yellow (caution) — Phase 2 the general advisory has been as high as yellow-3 (the status just before red) Today, it is possible to see what Popocatépetl is up to 24/7. Popocatépetl’s crater is a favorite of Webcams de México where you can look at it anytime and receive alerts in social media when something interesting happens Although evacuation routes are well-marked a major evacuation would be challenging at best both because of the number of people and due to the fact that the Valley of Mexico is crowded Could Mexico evacuate everyone in time in the worst-case scenario Delgado Granados says that there are many factors to consider but also that monitoring systems and evacuation plans are being constantly upgraded Mexico was able to evacuate 70,000 people in less than three days despite being caught relatively by surprise Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico over 20 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019) Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily Santa Maria Tonantzintla was set to be one of Mexico’s first smart cities – but residents saw it as an attempt to westernise their town and leave tradition behind Lupita Tecual Porquillo had heard a rumour that the plaza was going to be “remodelled”. The 51-year-old grocery store owner lives around the corner from the centre of Santa Maria Tonantzintla, a sleepy town in the state of Puebla, about three hours from Mexico City She assumed “remodelling” meant repairing the plaza’s centuries-old cobblestone pavement In November 2017, heavy machinery arrived to tear out the characteristic cobblestones and replace them with smooth, uniform stone tiles. On 11 January, Tecual Porquillo discovered the municipality had also knocked down the clock tower and stucco bridge – both beloved landmarks in the central plaza. Rumours spread among the residents of Tonantzintla. They heard that a gourmet market would open along the plaza, that ticket booths would appear outside the church to charge for entry, that a building would be demolished to make room for a parking lot for tourists. Some even said that religious processions – a crucial part of civic life – would no longer pass through the plaza. Read moreA meeting for affected residents later revealed that Tonantzintla was to become part of a pilot project: smart cities Last year Puebla’s governor José Antonio Gali Fayad announced a statewide Barrio Smart (smart city) initiative in conjunction with the organisation Alianza Smart Latam the project has “the objective of constructing spaces that benefit citizens through the implementation of technology” speed sensors for cars and free internet access But in being presented with this futuristic-sounding vision it appears that residents of Santa Maria Tonantzintla found themselves caught in a conflict repeated the world over between centuries-old customs and new development trends “We see [smart cities] becoming a society for the people in which citizens actively identify issues in their city.” In Tonantzintla the smart cities proposal became a lightning rod for those concerned about a development that seemed to favour outsiders rather than residents so we don’t have to go all the way to Puebla [city] to go out,” Tecual Porquillo says Residents like Tecual Porquillo don’t understand the true goal of the project who was involved in the design on behalf of the municipality’s secretary of public works “The purpose was to order the urban spaces so that they would function correctly,” he says The tourist buses that pass through Tonantzintla for brief stints each day bring little economic benefit for the town as a whole – the tourists file into the church had to do with improving the streets to better regulate vehicle flow and expanding the plaza to allow for more space for local events The smart city plans in Tonantzintla were formed to benefit the community Photograph: Madeleine Wattenbarger“This was all so that the community would benefit,” Campos says the municipality turned the publicity of the project over to local authorities who represent the interests of residents But Tecual Porquillo says the municipality organised a consultation meeting involving just 15 or 20 residents – not a representative sample The failure of communication and understanding between the municipality planners and locals cuts to the heart of conflicts around urban development: how can planners achieve local buy-in and how can residents truly play a role in determining what happens to their cities Like the vast majority of Latin American towns from the colonial era to the present civically and culturally – is a church set on a plaza Tonantzintla’s church is particularly notable The interior is covered with elaborate gilded carvings in a style that fuses the baroque decorations of the late 17th century with indigenous carvings Tonantzintla’s residents take enormous pride in the church The town is deeply tied to its Catholic and indigenous traditions so even superficial changes like the repaving of the old cobblestone roads signify a departure from culture and identity The smart city proposal – which insinuated that the way things had been was now somehow inadequate – touched a nerve it’s because you don’t love your rootsMercedes Tecuapetla QuecholMercedes Tecuapetla Quechol attributes the changes to a sort of cultural racism Mexicans call this phenomenon malinchismo: a feeling that the foreign “They are ashamed of their roots,” Tecuapetla Quechol says “They saw something they liked in the United States or in Europe Within weeks of the smart city’s construction a group of residents brought complaints against the initiative After discovering that the municipality hadn’t secured the necessary permits from the National Institute of Anthropology and History they filed an injunction that put the project on hold and finally caused the municipality to cancel it I miss the bridge and the clock,” she says “They think this is what tourists want.” After passing through the church and snapping photos of the plaza the visitors return to the bus and drive away to continue on their circuit around Cholula Later that afternoon a priest leads a procession of 10 or 15 people through the plaza A woman scatters flower petals and together a few men support the shrine of a saint Several musicians playing drums and brass instruments follow behind “This is Tonantzintla,” Tecuapetla Quechol says Follow Guardian Cities on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to join the discussion, and explore our archive here A powerful earthquake It was centered southeast of Mexico City in the state of Puebla and caused heavy and prolonged shaking across central Mexico Though the epicenter was about 100 miles from Mexico City At least 19 children were killed when a wing of the private school collapsed Rescuers worked atop a collapsed building in La Roma Rescuers and volunteers at a collapsed building in La Condesa asked for silence so they could hear trapped victims Portions of a high-rise building’s facade sheared off during the earthquake soldiers and volunteers removed rubble and debris from a flattened building in search for survivors The workers attempted to break through the rubble to reach anyone who was trapped Bricks and windows fell from the facade of a building in the capital Sandwiched between the rubble of a damaged building was what appeared to be a mattress Buildings like this one were among the structures that were heavily damaged in the earthquake A toppled facade crushed a car in the city A building in the Narvarte neighborhood was destroyed in the earthquake A full view of the Narvarte building’s remains Marina Franco contributed reporting from Mexico City Para esos días en los que fantaseas con explorar el mundo Travesías nació en agosto de 2001 y desde entonces se consolidó una voz experta en viajes por México y el mundo con especial interés en lo auténtico y una mirada cercana los detalles que hacen de cada viaje una experiencia única y las imágenes que nos inspiran a viajar Check our help guide for more info During an exhibition in Atlixco City, Chrysler de México took cars from all its brands to the city airfield in what is said to be the most important showcase for new models. A couple Challengers and a Viper were chosen by SRT to showcase the performance and technology the brand offers through their latest products We had the opportunity to shoot the car before the show began and it raced Kirby Chambliss on his plane (wow!) enjoy the gallery and share your thoughts on the comments below and website in this browser for the next time I comment.