Juchitán de Zaragoza lies on the southeast coast of Oaxaca, a state on the Pacific side of southern Mexico. The Juchitán de Zaragoza Temple will be the 26th house of the Lord in the country, and the second in Oaxaca, with the Oaxaca Mexico Temple 170 miles away by vehicle The Juchitán de Zaragoza Mexico Temple was announced by President Nelson on Oct Details about the temple’s groundbreaking have not yet been released The Juchitán de Zaragoza Mexico Temple will be built in or near Juchitán de Zaragoza The site location and architectural rendering have not yet been released Juchitán de Zaragoza Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced 17 new temples during the concluding session of the October 2024 general conference “Why are we building temples at such an unprecedented pace?” asked the prophet who has announced 185 temples — more than half of all temples in the Church — since 2018 Because the Lord has instructed us to do so The blessings of the temple help to gather Israel on both sides of the veil These blessings also help to prepare a people who will help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord!” Latter-day Saints consider each temple to be a house of the Lord and the most sacred places of worship on the earth The primary purpose of temples is for faithful members of the Church to receive peace and spiritual power as they enter into sacred agreements with God in His holy house See below for more information about the Church of Jesus Christ in each location Juchitán lies on the southeast coast of Oaxaca a state on the Pacific side of southern Mexico Mexico has more than 1.5 million Latter-day Saints in nearly 1,900 congregations. Missionary work began in Mexico in 1875 Puerto Montt is a port city in southern Chile This will be the first temple in the region The Dublin Ireland Temple will be the first house of the Lord in Ireland Dublin is the capital city of the Republic of Ireland The restored gospel of Church of Jesus Christ was introduced to Ireland in 1840 when early missionaries baptized the first Irish convert around 4,000 Latter-day Saints call Ireland home in 13 congregations Latter-day Saints in Ireland currently travel to England to worship in temples The Milan Italy Temple will be the second house of the Lord in the country. The first was the historic Rome Italy Temple which was dedicated in 2019 by President Nelson Both the First Presidency and the entire Quorum of the Twelve Apostles participated in multiple dedicatory sessions Italy is home to more than 28,000 Latter-day Saints in nearly 100 congregations Elder Lorenzo Snow of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was among the first missionaries to serve in Italy The first congregation of Latter-day Saints was established in 1966 and the first Italian mission was opened later that year in Florence The Kampala Uganda Temple will be the first temple in Uganda Uganda is home to more than 22,000 Latter-day Saints in about 40 congregations Expatriate Latter-day Saints lived in and held meetings in Uganda in the 1960s The first official congregation was established in the early 1990s The Maputo Mozambique Temple will be the second house of the Lord in the country. The first was the Beira Mozambique Temple, announced in April 2021. Mozambique is home to nearly 25,000 Latter-day Saints in about 70 congregations Missionary work officially began in the country in 1999 a city with a population of more than 50,000 is the seat of Kootenai County in northern Idaho Idaho is home to more than 475,000 members of the Church in over 1,200 congregations Early Church pioneers settled in Idaho in 1855 Several Church presidents are natives of Idaho Queen Creek known originally as “Rittenhouse,” was settled by early Arizona homesteaders Queen Creek was incorporated in 1989 and is in the far southeast of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area There are more than 80,000 residents in the Queen Creek area located in Texas’ westernmost corner in the South Central United States is the seat of El Paso County and the sixth-largest city in the state Texas is home to more than 385,000 Latter-day Saints in more than 750 congregations Missionary work in Texas began in 1843 during the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama Alabama is located in the Southeast United States The Huntsville Alabama Temple will be the second temple in the state, joining the Birmingham Alabama Temple Alabama has over 40,000 members in about 75 congregations Wisconsin, located in the Midwest region of the United States is home to more than 28,000 Latter-day Saints in more than 65 congregations Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin The Milwaukee Wisconsin Temple will be the first temple for the state The Price Utah Temple will be the first house of the Lord in Carbon County Utah is home to nearly 2.2 million Latter-day Saints approximately two-thirds of the state’s population of 3.5 million people The temple in the city of Price will be the 31st temple in Utah either in operation You are about to access Constant Contacts (http://visitor.constantcontact.com) You are now leaving a website maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints We provide the link to this third party's website solely as a convenience to you and security practices that differ from those on our website By referring or linking you to this website we do not endorse or guarantee this content If you would like to stay on the page you are viewing please click Cancel To download media files, please first review and agree to the Terms of Use Download a photo or video by clicking or tapping on it To download all photos or videos related to this article select the links at the bottom of each section conseguiremos fornecer informações de seguro viagem mais relevantes Por favor, atente para o fato de que nem todo o conteúdo está traduzido ou disponível para residentes de todos os países. Entre em contato para maiores detalhes By telling us your country of residence we are able to provide you with the most relevant travel insurance information Please note that not all content is translated or available to residents of all countries. Contact us for full details Putting your perspective to the test is a healthy thing And there are few places better equipped to challenge your assumptions than Oaxaca where a lot of people have been doing things a little differently for a very long time with 16 distinct ethnolinguistic groups – that is 16 indigenous peoples with their own customs traditions and languages – Oaxaca is one of the most culturally diverse places on the planet I got to know Oaxaca and its plethora of peoples well in the half-decade I was based in Mexico. I encountered cultures that were alive not in the donning-fancy-dress-for-the-sake-of-tourist-pesos sense but in ways that continue to shine a light on how we live – and see ourselves – right now The founders of a sophisticated pre-Columbian civilization some 2,500 years ago they've retained many aspects of their cuture I had been living for a month in Oaxaca City when I met Carmelita and Elena at the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad though I was and remain a badly lapsed Catholic the Baroque church had seen more of me than my usual haunts – the mezcal bars – had and the basilica is dedicated to Our Lady of Solitude and placed myself beneath it every other morning and Carmelita and Elena rightly saw in my eyes a willingness to talk dressed like twins in embroidered silk huipils they would join me at the back of the church They were patient with my halting Spanish as we talked about everything and nothing becoming close enough after a few weeks to share confidences “We need to tell you something,” Carmelita said and we hope you won’t feel that we’ve misled you.” and the dark had a confessional quality to it though the caretaker had fashioned a contraption out of a bungee cord and three mismatched flashlights on full beam to pick out the features of Our Lady It made her look as if she were about to be abducted by B-movie aliens The story they told me was a remarkable one a “third gender" born male but living as women “Which is how we are described by professors anyway,” Elena said They were from the Zapotec-majority town of Juchitán de Zaragoza which is a five-hour drive away on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec the narrow waist of land between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean And they were in Oaxaca City to track down muxe friends who they suspected had been taken there by American sex tourists they call Juchitán ‘Hoochie Town’,” said Elena in disgust my friends explained that they had been raised by their grandparents and had worn their current style of dress from a very early age “Many muxes can’t remember being anything else There was never any question that I was one,” Elena said It is considered a blessing if God gives a family a muxe.” No surprise there: though I’d been in Mexico long enough for the mosquitoes to lose interest in me I was far from informed about its southwest corner The muxe has been a fact of Zapotec life since pre-Colonial times was carrying a sack of muxes,” Carmelita said “He was supposed to distribute them evenly across the country But it tore when he got to Juchitán and they all spilled out.” I drove with Elena to Juchitán to see the fabled town for myself Preparations were underway for a four-day vela a celebration of all things muxe and Mass (muxes are allowed to take communion in Juchitán The festival, which has been held each November since the early '70s Las Auténticas Intrépidas Buscadoras del Peligro (the Authentic Intrepid Seekers of Danger) and entrepreneurs who keep an eye out for their own Muxes make up about 5% of Juchitán’s population of 80,000 but they are much more visible there than that suggests Muxes do “women’s work” too they have more freedom to explore their career options Many Juchitán households run on muxe incomes Perhaps that’s why it’s considered lucky to have one in the family Elena introduced me to a few of her friends – some and others who were more radical in the way they presented themselves (who knew a bare chest and a double tutu would be a winning combination?) All were taller than the average Zapotec man When Zapotec parents recognize a “feminine” quality in their boy children they are not just noticing a soft androgyny – a burlier frame can be a factor a club/dance studio that’s been muxe-owned and -operated for 40 years its proprietor and one of the founders of Las Auténticas he was keen to stress the variety of muxe life because they are not men or women – they are muxe Homosexuals who like to dress in ladies’ clothes come to Juchitan because they are persecuted in other towns Every day is Pride here and whatever your sexual orientation or identification the knowledge that there is a place on earth where all who live there are valued and all who don’t are welcome is enormously heartening I was sorry to make my apologies and leave the following morning I plan to return for this year’s vela; to see old friends but also to toast Juchitán’s resilience The town was almost leveled by an 8.1-magnitude earthquake – and 10 strong aftershocks – in 2017 The mayor said the buildings fell “just like dominoes” But I’m told that it’s business as usual for the muxes You can fly to Oaxaca City from Mexico City with Aeromexico for under US $150 ($3,060 MXN) return Buses leave Oaxaca City for Juchitán several times a day for as little as US $19 ($338 MXN) The Vela de Las Auténticas Intrepidas Buscadoras del Peligro happens every year in mid-November Patrick Abboud meets the people who are changing the face of Mexican life and busting stereotypes around food Learn more about our travel insurance and optional extras and how you could benefit when travelling to mesmerizing Mexico and claim online from anywhere in the world With 150+ adventure activities covered and 24/7 emergency assistance Mexican authorities found 331 undocumented migrants in two separate incidents the Mexican Navy and the National Guard carried out a raid on a property in the municipality of Juchitán de Zaragoza in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec where they found 74 migrants — including at least 19 minors — being held for ransom The authorities apprehended two suspects found on the premises — both of whom were described as foreigners — on charges of kidnapping and extortion An unspecified number of “high-caliber weapons” was also found and confiscated Oaxaca Government Secretary Jesús Romero López said the operation was carried out after authorities received an anonymous tip Neighbors confirmed that armed men and a large number of vehicles were present in the area in the days before the rescue operation at a highway checkpoint in the northern state of Chihuahua National Immigration Institute (INM) agents found a large number of migrants packed into two trailers The INM notified the Defense Ministry, which set up a perimeter before moving in on the rig. The soldiers found 257 migrants who were packed into the twin trailers Soldiers maintained control of the scene while INM agents processed the migrants to confirm their legal status The incident at the Sotelo de Juárez checkpoint just south of Ciudad Juárez occurred just two days after Chihuahua police rescued 27 migrants being held in a hotel The migrants — many starving and dehydrated — were turned over to the INM These events occurred as migrants traversing Mexico are being forced to rethink their plans since Donald Trump won reelection as U.S after pledging to carry out large-scale deportations of undocumented migrants According to the news agency Reuters, a migrant caravan of about 3,000 people headed for the United States last week had shrunk to about 1,600 in a matter of days after Trump’s victory President Trump established “policies that left hundreds of thousands of migrants stranded in camps along the Mexican border President Joe Biden adopted a program allowing migrants to seek asylum appointments before reaching the U.S but Trump has promised to end that program many migrants will keep traveling through Mexico with hopes of getting into the United States “People will seek new paths; it’ll be more dangerous but it won’t stop them,” Heyman Vázquez a Catholic priest and pro-migrant activist in Chiapas ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans to build 17 new temples on Sunday In the final session of this weekend's General Conference These newly-announced locations will bring the faith's total number of temples (already built, under construction, or announced) to 367 worldwide Nelson also announced that the Salt Lake Temple's renovation is expected to be done by the end of 2026 The LDS Church's temples are different from its normal meetinghouses in that they are not open to the public; only active members with a current "temple recommend" from their local leader are allowed to worship in temples However, the new "Deseret Peak" Temple in Tooele is currently holding an open house before it gets dedicated. Members of the public, regardless of religious affiliation, can sign up to tour the temple through Oct. 19 “My dear brothers and sisters, do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment! The Lord is indeed hastening His work."Why are we building temples at such an unprecedented pace? Why? Because the Lord has instructed us… pic.twitter.com/uWMOEdMBI4 (Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) President Russell M Nelson announces 17 new temples in a video address at General Conference on Sunday Speaking on Saturday afternoon during the fifth and final session of General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson announced 17 new temples — 10 international and seven in the United States announced or under construction for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint to 367 Below are the all the newly announced locations: The announcement contained the faith’s first planned temples for Ireland For many on the list — including El Salvador Italy and Alabama — the announced temple will Independent church tracker Matt Martinich, who correctly guessed five of the new locations (El Paso, Kampala, Price, Puerto Montt and Santiago were on his top 10 list) said Mozambique is unique in church history for having a second temple announced before the country’s first had a chance to be completed while Sunday he named one for the nation’s capital of Maputo Martinich, who blogs at ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com suggested this was likely because the nation is currently experiencing explosive growth in both cities which are located a 17-hour drive from each other he said it would be incorrect to assume all the announced temples were for locations seeing growth in church membership with satisfying the church’s goal of increasing temple accessibility than meeting demand he didn’t expect to “see announcements to slow down anytime soon.” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) The Aaronic Priesthood end of the Assembly Room of the Salt Lake Temple as of July 31 This is one of the rooms being restored in the temple’s extensive renovation Nelson also offered an update on the massive renovation of the Salt Lake Temple which he said is scheduled to wrap up at the end of 2026 who delivered the news in a recorded message and with help from a desktop teleprompter (“my eyes,” he said “are getting older”) has announced 185 temples — 50.4% of all those planned or existing — during his nearly seven-year presidency “Why are we building temples at such an unprecedented pace?” Nelson asked Because the Lord has instructed us to do so.” He explained that the blessings they provide “help to prepare a people who will help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.” Tooele’s Deseret Peak Temple is set to be dedicated next month. Eight more temples — Ephraim, Heber Valley, Lehi, Lindon, Smithfield, Syracuse, West Jordan and now Price — are either under construction or in planning stages (Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Deseret Peak Utah Temple in Tooele is shown in May 2024 Besides the Salt Lake Temple, the Space Age Provo Temple is being overhauled and will be renamed the Provo Rock Canyon Temple. There are nearly 200 functioning Latter-day Saint temples worldwide. For members, these sacred buildings represent nothing short of Houses of the Lord and, unlike their more common meetinghouses, places where devout members participate in their highest religious rites such as eternal marriage. For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support 801-237-2900 or email subscribe@sltrib.com sltrib.com © 1996-2025 The Salt Lake Tribune Muxes — pronounced “mu-shay” are born biologically male but live and embody traditional feminine characteristics and roles in their society wears a blue headdress in her garden ahead of the street parade in Juchitan de Zaragoza (Mirja Vogel / For De Los) A town legend paints one story of how muxes were created the second female and the third contained a mix and from the thousands of seeds that spilled onto dry earth grew the muxes — Mexico’s third gender describe to us “the gift” of having a muxe in the family which stands in direct opposition to the West’s gender binary has been part of the rich indigenous culture in southern Mexico for more than 2,000 years Multigenerational crowds of attendees carry flowers as tributes in Juchitan de Zaragoza. (Mirja Vogel / For De Los) While other analogous communities like the hijras of India and the two-spirit people of North America exist, the striking muxes of Mexico are the only known community of its kind in the world abuse and threats are plaguing the community They were the first openly nonbinary magistrate in Latin America Thousands took to the streets to protest their death and murder for which nobody has been charged Two muxes make final outfit checks at home before joining the celebrations in Juchitan de Zaragoza Felina Santiago’s home is the starting point of the street parade which signals the beginning of the 72-hour-long celebration (Mirja Vogel / For De Los) This year known locally as a “vela” attracted a record-breaking 10,000 people said: “We are strong and will not show our fear we celebrate our identity and showcase the courage of our community.” Fireworks light up the stage as muxe Elvis Guerra calls for equality and justice for victims of gender-based attacks (Mirja Vogel / For De Los) Later in the night echoed Santiago’s speec by demanding the thousands in the crowd to “continue the fight for equality.” Gordon Cole-Schmidt is a freelance journalist and writer working on international stories from his base in Mexico His work has been published in major publications around the world Mirja Vogel is an international photographer based in Mexico She has more than 15 years of experience working across three continents as a photographer and photojournalist Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker "We have learned to be resilient and work together," Arminda del Carmen Ríos Castillo 21.5% of the population describes themselves as indigenous there is an indigenous population of more than 2 million 600 thousand people more than 1 million 300 thousand are women The Organization of Women Entrepreneurs of the Isthmus (OMEI) is a cooperative of women artisans from the community of Juchitán in Oaxaca It was created in 2019 by women who graduated from the first generation of UN Women's Avancemos por la Igualdad (API) which seeks to equip women with valuable tools for economic empowerment OMEI is a clear example of the leadership and resilience of the women of Juchitán The social cohesion that directly impacts the entire community is also one of the main objectives of the API programme which began in 2018 with the global partnership between UN Women This collaboration focuses on women's economic empowerment in communities affected by the 2017 earthquake in Mexico City and Juchitán de Zaragoza Overcoming the fear of creating my own business  Arminda Del Carmen Ríos Castillo is 40 years old it was through API modules that she focused on the training for learning how to build her business "My biggest challenge was overcoming the fear of entrepreneurship because before the training and they were just for me; I used to think that perhaps people would not like what I was doing but with the tools we were given in the training I feel more confident and want to continue walking and learning together with the other women in the organization," Castillo said all women must have the opportunity to access tools and knowledge that allow them to improve their sales strategies and support the growth of their businesses women must be part of the response and recovery of their communities as they were in the areas affected by the 2017 earthquake in Mexico or in the current COVID-19 health crisis "I have seen that many sales have dropped in different commercial sectors and lack of security have caused people to rethink our order of priorities when it comes to making a purchase But as part of what we learned in the API courses Together the members of OMEI made donations of masks that we made with our own resources and that were delivered to the General Hospital transportation companies and private doctors," said Arminda Having the tools to make my business grow  graduated with the first generation of API Building her business has not been easy for Sofia she used to go out on the streets with other women to sell her accessories to women and girls Although she wasn't looking for any specific program she always wanted to learn different sales strategies "My biggest challenge has been building a network of customers Entering the market cost me too much since my product is not very common and is not considered as a basic necessity item I already had my hair accessories for girls page I put into practice each one of the lessons from the training to improve my sales strategies," said Sofia Ivonne Sofia Ivonne believes that in order to encourage more women in Juchitan to create or grow their businesses it is essential to support each other by buying what is manufactured or made locally here in Oaxaca "I would advise women not to be afraid of failure that many times there may be mistakes or bad decisions and we have another opportunity to do it again," concluded Sofia Ivonne Economic empowerment and personal growth as part of good mental health  The current members of the OMEI organization are 13 women who decided to be part of the API programme during a crisis that greatly affected Juchitán de Zaragoza Most of them mentioned that before entering API's programme they went through a period of depression that had them immobilized she was not looking for any specific program She got to know them through the radio and decided to take them as an occupational task to get out of her depression and made a resolution not to miss any classes "My biggest challenges were the lack of knowledge of social media and technology not having enough money to invest and start a business since we had lost everything in the earthquake; before the API training I had a massage and holistic treatments practice I also painted children faces' during parties," said Edith Gomez four years after the hardships of the 2017 earthquake she realized that these tools are important for economic and emotional self-improvement "I think that the country would be a much better place if most women were more independent I want to make OMEI grow together with my colleagues and become the first cooperative in the whole Isthmus for handicrafts and everything handmade I want to help more women to sell their products at a fair price and without intermediaries so that more women can empower themselves and fulfill their dreams," Edith concludes To have confidence in my products and sell them at the price they deserve Most of the members of OMEI were making handmade crafts as a hobby or as a family tradition to earn some extra money long before joining the organization or taking the API programme But in the specific cases of Alma Rosa Castillo Figueroa in charge of the sub-direction of Marketing in the area of Packaging at OMEI it was difficult for them to give them a fair price and value for all the work they did when it came time to sell their products such as selling certain products at certain times I was embarrassed to offer my products to people I didn't know and today I know that all those people on social networks can be potential customers for me Now I don't offer typical clothing (that's my line of business) and anything that can be sold to get an extra income," said Alma Rosa "I was interested in the course where they taught me how to calculate percentages and costs of my products because I didn't know all that Now I know how to charge the cost of my products I have a better organization in my business and the sale of traditional costumes" training and using social media has helped them inside and outside OMEI to continue bringing their handmade products to more customers Both agree that more women should have access to this type of tool and that they should not be afraid to push themselves to start a business The women entrepreneurs that make up the OMEI organization are:  Arminda del Carmen Ríos Castillo finance manager; Sofía Ivonne Guía Regalado human resources manager; Isabel Ortega Segura public relations manager; Noemi Luis Zarago events manager; María de los Ángeles Piña Hernández assistant director of marketing in the area of quality control; Ana Luz Arreola Robles and Alma Rosa Castillo Figueroa assistant director of marketing in the area of packaging; Maira Rosado López assistant director of public relations in the area of culture; Erika Peralta Jiménez assistant director of public relations in the area of ecology; and Francisca Ruíz Gómez Copyright © UN Women It's the sort of place where it's not out of the question to want to start planning your next trip as soon as you land But outside of the bucket list destinations of Oaxaca City and the beaches of Puerto Escondido lies a little-visited town far down the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region—where the land pinches together before funneling off into Chiapas and the Yucatan—called Juchitán de Zaragoza RELATED   Chefs Aren't the Secret to Mexico City's Top Restaurants " and is known most famously for its muxes—an accepted third gender category unique to the Oaxaca region and the indigenous Zapoteca culture are days-long throwdowns of dancing and mass-scale cooking by armies of helpers; the food itself is like nothing you've ever seen in the rest of Mexico Plunge into this visual tour of Juchitán's food culture to understand why it belongs on the itinerary for your next trip to Mexico Todd Coleman is the creative director and editor-at-large for Tasting Table. Follow him on Instagram at @toddwcoleman a seafood restaurant near a lagoon outside of Juchitán de Zaragoza dig into crabs cooked in an adobo of achiote A cook in a fonda inside of the market near the town square ladles out a bowl of caldo de pescado (a rich A selection of botanas (or "little snacks") including fried fish and corn cakes called garnachas a water buffalo pulls a wooden cart past the row of fruit stands that lines the road into Juchitán de Zaragoza built out of mud and thatched twigs away from the main house a fruit seller stokes a fire to make battered fried fish in a spicy tomato sauce and it makes its way into virtually every dish This pico de gallo is mixed with tiny dried shrimp The salsa is most often served on baked corn tortillas Made from fresh corn masa and filled with shredded chicken and tangy salsa verde these empanadas were fried in large batches for a festival a group of women take a break from cooking to socialize at the home of their mayordomo—the woman elected to run all of the food preparations for that night's festival A festival cook stirs a mole—a sauce made from ground nuts and chiles—in a large cazuela over a blazing wood fire Two cooks mix a large batch of puré de papas a baked potato casserole (very much like ensalada rusa but baked until a crust forms on top) who have gathered all day to cook for a vela (or celebration) that night band together to squeeze all the lime juice necessary The brightly colored salsa is made from guajillo chiles (made by drying mirasol peppers) and peanuts a Zapotecan drink made from whipping together fermented corn and chocolate into a creamy foam A young boy dressed in his finest caballero outfit rides his horse in a massive parade called a regada de frutas held during the festival time between May and September Fishermen preparing to go out on the lagoon near the resto A September 7 earthquake collapsed Oaxaca’s Mercado Juchitán It was the golden hour in Juchitán de Zaragoza — a city of 100,000 people in the Istmo de Tehuantepec region of southern Oaxaca — and the ruins glowed like amber a traditionally indigenous neighborhood of bakers and fishmongers in the city’s south crowded with cots and broken Acapulco chairs and the occasional television sets attached by long orange extension cords to electricity sources hidden behind empty For those who still had their jobs, like Dalia Vasquez Sanchez, who sells smoked mullet in the municipal market, the day had just ended. For most, there had been no work since the night of Thursday, September 7, when an 8.2-magnitude quake — the strongest to hit Mexico in a century — struck off the coast in the neighboring state of Chiapas eliminating the primary source of income for most families in the Septima “There used to be so many of us there selling fish,” Vasquez said that evening as she returned to the half-collapsed house where she’d grown up and where her mother still lives I had seen the market. Before the night of the Oaxaca earthquake — not to be confused with the earthquake that shook Mexico City just two weeks later — the Mercado Municipal had been Juchitan’s raucous it occupied half of the same 150-year-old structure that housed the city’s government offices and was at least as central to Juchitan’s daily workings as its neighbor government workers came through for hearty lunches of roast chicken and fried fish and housewives came to do their daily shopping families and courting couples would mill about its whitewashed archways where stalls set up at dusk to sell bupu a drink of warm white atole topped with a thick cool foam of bittersweet chocolate and cinnamon frothed tall with flor de mayo a traditional drink for the Zapoteca indigenous people here in Juchitan and around the market each day to sell stewed iguana gathered illicitly from the nearby Pacific coast Stalls spilled into the surrounding streets piled high with smoked fish the crisp tortillas baked on the hot interior walls of a clay oven called a comezcal and eaten at every meal in the Istmo vendors sold costume jewelry and elaborately embroidered dresses for the velas the traditional parties that take place here throughout the year and reach their peak in spring It was those parties that had drawn me to Juchitan the first time around the shell of the new market slouches behind the blank space where the old market once stood like an abandoned rust belt warehouse behind an empty parking lot the municipality that suffered the worst damages in the quake every major religious structure was damaged tumbled off its tower to land upside down on a parked car in the courtyard The 17th-century presbytery exploded off the back of the structure According to the office of the municipal president nearly 15,000 of the city’s 20,000 homes were damaged The death toll in Juchitan came to 37 people as many people told me in the course of my time there and imagine how many would have died in the mercado has been selling with her mother and grandmother starting when she was 10 years old (Alberta Within three days of the market’s collapse she and her mother and about 500 other vendors had found a new place to work setting up makeshift stalls in the central plaza just meters from where the market once stood A canopy of tarps came up beneath the canopy of trees; puestos narrowed the pedestrian paths like plaque in an artery Not everyone is happy about the new arrangement “The Municipal president” — Gloria Sánchez — “she said she wanted to move us out to another place but who’s going to go all the way out there to buy?” Maricela says “So we had a meeting with all the vendors and decided we wouldn’t move We stayed there camped all night and that was the last we heard of it.” When I spoke to Presidenta Sánchez a few weeks later she told me that the question of the market’s relocation has more to do with where it will be rebuilt and others think we need to take advantage of this opportunity to move it out of the center and decongest the area,” she says I know how important it is for people to have a place to continue with their businesses even though the Plaza isn’t an appropriate place to sell food.” She denies that the municipal authority ever made an attempt to evict the vendors from their current location “They call it informal commerce and they’re trying to dislocate that but there’s been a market in that spot since the pre-Hispanic period,” says Carlos Sánchez Martinez “The centro is very important for indigenous people so I don’t see it as being possible to just move that culture away to some other place It might be ‘informal,’ but for us it’s the best way to do business — the most humane.” But “development” is hardly the only threat to the market and its merchants Four years of drought has meant a scarcity of fish in the nearby Laguna de Santa Cruz Fishmongers like Dalia and Maricela purchase their fish at dawn each morning from the wholesale market that takes over several blocks of the neighborhood Mullet and tuna that once came by the truckload from the fishing towns of the Istmo now comes largely from the Gulf Coast 130 miles to the north in the state of Veracruz As fish travel greater and greater distances to get there “Now people want cheap things,” says Dalia’s mother “They say there’s no work and no one has any money — and after this it’s even worse.” Dalia says their sales have dropped by 50 percent in the weeks following the earthquake Many of their neighbors haven’t worked in weeks too afraid to leave their ruined homes unattended “It’s been two years that there’s been no shrimp here,” says Roberto Santiago Gimenez by the hollow shell of what used to be his family’s home across the street from where Dalia’s mother and daughter set their fish out to dry “Every person has his work — he can’t do anything else If you have your work you can’t just do other work.” His younger brother has spent the last several years in construction “We used to live more in peace — not like now.” Rumors of delinquency — some well-founded — have only escalated since the earthquake But most people here reserve their ire for the municipal president who’s been decisively framed as the antagonist in the unfolding drama of disaster relief Some rumors about corruption circulating in the Septima — that Sanchez has filled her house with stolen dispensa in order to distribute it closer to the 2018 elections for instance — border on the hysterical and are a reflection of the general distrust of the government common across all of Mexico Other claims speak to a deep sense of abandonment within the Septima Many here say that the presidenta hasn’t so much as set foot in the district since the earthquake though Sanchez says she’s gone personally to every neighborhood in the city to distribute aid door-to-door and has sent representatives into every alley in every district Those who were present at the Market “junta,” as Maricela called it say she sent a representative from the finance department to announce their impending eviction rather than coming herself Sánchez says that no such event took place undermined by the state and federal governments (both are run by the Institutional Revolutionary Party the greatest political power in the country; Sanchez governs for the opposition) and overwhelmed by the demands of her own people but over time people insist that the authority deal with all their demands immediately.” Given the scale of the disaster the city was still awash in rubble as engineers continued their inspections to evaluate damage Reconstruction hadn’t even begun at the hospital Architects from the National Institute of Anthropology and History had only just begun strategizing the main church’s restoration had been Juchitan’s largest primary school Presidenta Sánchez says the municipal government still doesn’t know what position it will take on the potential relocation of the market much less how long it will take to set reconstruction plans in motion is the only place in Juchitan where things have begun to feel normal vendors still hawk their goods and thumb their noses at authority It’s a glimpse of Juchitan as it once was and may never be again “We’ll stay here in the Plaza until we have somewhere else to go,” Dalia told me on the day we met I asked how long she thought that might be as though at a funny joke she’s heard one too many times The smile faded as she wrapped a pair of smoked fish in pink paper and slipped them into a plastic bag “We’re still fighting every day,” she told me Michael Snyder is a freelance journalist and Associate Editor for Roads & Kingdoms based in Mexico City. Nadia del Pozo and Felipe Luna are independent photographers currently based in between Mexico and Spain. Editor: Erin DeJesus The freshest news from the food world every day Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again. Print 1 JUCHITÁN DE ZARAGOZA powder and other touches to the face of the soon-to-be-enthroned Queen Elvis as she holds forth about the singular nature of her community — the muxe — in this remote slice of southern Mexico The muxe (pronounced MOO-shay) are Zapotec people who view themselves as neither man nor woman but instead a distinct “third gender.” Identified as male at birth they embody female characteristics — in presentation behavior and professions — which once earned them contempt and scorn in general they are accepted — even admired — on their home turf explains that the muxe stand in solidarity with burgeoning gender rights movements worldwide pronouncing themselves trailblazers of cultural preservation and inclusion in a rural bastion of Catholicism “We share the same fight as the LGBTQ community,” said Guerra lawyer and head of a company producing fabrics with Indigenous motifs She sat patiently as ardent beauticians prepared her for her formal investiture a highlight of the three-day festival — or vela — that celebrates muxe culture here every November I think it should be written LGBTQM,” she said But the November slaying of Jesús Ociel Baena a nonbinary magistrate and prominent LGBTQ+ activist in the central state of Aguascalientes was a reminder of continuing intolerance and crime against gay A muxe procession during the annual festival in November (Samuel López Amezquita / For The Times) Police called the killing a murder-suicide saying the judge’s partner stabbed the victim before killing himself But the magistrate’s family and advocates have voiced skepticism citing threats against the activist and Mexico’s long history of ignoring or covering up crimes targeting individuals because of their gender or sexual orientation Muxe representatives condemned the magistrate’s killing while demanding that police reinvigorate the stalled inquiry into the 2019 homicide of a beloved muxe leader who was stabbed to death in his home here in Juchitán in Oaxaca state on the isthmus of Tehuantepec helped pull the community out of the closet Known for wearing guayabera with neon-bright flower prints and a cascading array of gold jewelry he was at the forefront of the battle to end discrimination and allow the muxe to stage their galas with participants in female dress “How many more deaths of LGBTQ people — both the well-known and the anonymous — have to occur to wake up the collective conscience the rage?” asked Felina Santiago Valdivieso Speaking to an audience of thousands at the Nov we all run a risk simply for being who we are.” Muxes had long been prevented from wearing women’s clothing in formal parades and were often denied educational opportunities and jobs the muxe launched what they view as a liberation movement including public protests and appeals to police and politicians left-wing movements were sweeping the isthmus — a part of Mexico with a long and proud history of rebellion and cultural independence providing an opening for the muxe to throw their support behind political reform “We were persecuted,” said Edgar Cacique Ruiz a muxe who was a close associate of Cazorla “It was only through constant battles and activism that our way of dressing was accepted and that our sisters can now dress like women.” The muxe say they managed to maintain their essential character — often clandestinely — despite centuries of hostility and repression from Spanish and Mexican authorities (Samuel López Amezquita / For The Times) the battle doesn’t end “until we have equality and every muxe child is permitted to go to school dressed like a girl.” Across the globe, there are examples of other Indigenous communities like the muxe who don’t fit into the standard binary gender matrix. Among them are the hijras of South Asia the kathoeys of Southeast Asia and the fa’afafine of Polynesia members of these groups say their gender identities date back centuries Many Mesoamerican cultures, including the Zapotec civilization that dominated this region for centuries, were more accepting of gender diversity than the Spanish who arrived in the 16th century, researchers say. Spanish conquistadors expressed outrage about same-sex relations among Indigenous peoples burning idols extolling homosexuality and even executing practitioners “The Spanish saw everything through a colonial an anthropologist at the University of Oregon who has studied the muxe “All across Mexico and Latin America there is evidence of the Spanish being very upset about anyone who didn’t conform to what we would now call heterosexual The muxe say they managed to maintain their essential character — often clandestinely — despite centuries of hostility and repression from Spanish and Mexican authorities a gender identity … in a society that remains totally machista,” said Guerra “We are also protecting our Zapotec Indigenous culture and language.” The origins of the term muxe remains somewhat opaque but it is often thought to be linked to mujer the Spanish word for “woman.” Individual muxes select their own pronouns The muxe population numbers in the thousands, experts estimate, but there is no census. Many gay and trans people in Mexico City and elsewhere call themselves muxes — though community leaders here say only Zapotec people from the isthmus can qualify Mexican immigrants in Southern California organized an annual gala — Vela Muxe Los Angeles — and coronation of a queen between 2013 and 2019 Muxes Alexis and Mística march arm in arm alongside a street parade in Juchitán de Zaragoza in November “Even though I am not muxe from the isthmus for me the word implies respect and tolerance,” said Lía Maritza Sánchez County restaurant worker who is a native of Oaxaca and was named queen of the 2014 muxe ball in L.A “I proudly call myself muxe,” Sánchez said The saying goes that almost every family here on the isthmus includes a person who identifies as muxe Although not all parents initially embrace muxe offspring — fathers often object — many come to view them as a blessing A traditional muxe role is to look after aging mothers and fathers as other siblings leave home “Our life commitment is to take care of our parents until the last days of their lives,” Santiago explained Santiago was born 57 years ago and named Angel a common name given to boys in Spanish-speaking countries But “from the time I reached the age of reason “And my brothers and sisters and all my family knew just like someone else is born a woman or born a man.” For the festival, Santiago donned an elaborately embroidered garment featuring yellow, black and red geometrical designs with a lacy white hem. The Tehuana dress — originating among Zapotec women on the isthmus — was famously adopted by Frida Kahlo wearing female attire and makeup is a matter of aesthetic choice and a societal shout-out of pride But the look is only the most visible aspect of a complex occasionally adding mascara or nail polish indicative of how many muxes now own their own businesses my colleagues at work — they all accept who I am,” she explained one has to fight from one’s own trench,” said Díaz Martínez who was wearing a flower-print outfit with red and yellow blossoms in her headband during the November festivities I had to leave the closet and be accepted.” Juchitán Mexico’s narrowest point between the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico is a key smuggling corridor for U.S.-bound illicit drugs and undocumented migrants But it is still a relatively safe place for the muxe compared with other areas of Mexico where violence against LGBTQ+ people is not uncommon “I could never dress like this in Veracruz who returned to Juchitán for the vela and wore a black gold and white garment with a matching headpiece though it is customary for some to care for children of siblings “A muxe cannot divulge the love that she has for a man,” Ximénez said noting the taboo that still largely precludes discussion of muxes’ sex lives The muxe say it is unusual for members of their community here to seek hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgeries “We don’t have confusion about our identity,” Santiago said On the second day of the festival the muxe file into the spartan confines of St. Vicente Ferrer Church, a makeshift chapel temporarily replacing Juchitán’s 17th century church — still under repair because of extensive damage in a 2017 earthquake that battered the isthmus (The muxe were widely praised for organizing food handouts and other aid after the earthquake.) Vicente Ferrer is the patron saint of Juchitán born in the 14th century in current-day Spain masculine and a third sack with a combination of the two The annual Mass here is a signature part of the festivities Juchitán is a grueling, five-hour drive from Oaxaca City past parched Sierra Madre peaks spiked with maguey, the raw ingredient of mezcal. The regional libation is much in abundance during the three-day blowout of processions, dance parties and general merriment. Ox-drawn carts and pickups, festooned with balloons, flowers and paper mache, ferry muxes as they toss toys, condoms, plastic bowls and other gifts into the arms of revelers packed along pageant routes. The bowls have a purpose: to scoop up servings of mescal punch from a 55-gallon drum at a downtown park, where celebrants dance as a brass band blares away. Muxes who dress up for the festival invest a lot of effort — and money — in the enterprise. A different outfit is de rigueur for each of three or four major events. A complete ensemble for the ball alone can cost more than $2,000. Chiffon, bangles, sequins and all manner of frills and baubles are ubiquitous, and six-inch heels appear to be compulsory. A DJ churns out a steady stream of pop classics, including ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.” No ticket is needed to enter this year’s ball — set in an outdoor livestock facility — but men are required to bring a case of Victoria beer, which costs about $15. A meringue band, fireworks, confetti showers and a light show animate the jamboree. But the much-anticipated highlight is the pasarela, or catwalk: Muxes and non-muxes stroll along runway space cut through the pulsating crowd. Muxe who dress up for the festival invest a lot of effort — and money — in the enterprise. A different outfit is de rigueur for each of three or four major events. (Samuel López Amezquita / For The Times) Approaching the stage with a glittering entourage, Queen Elvis wears a billowing pink skirt fitted tight over a white petticoat, a sequined wrap, and a cabbage-sized blue bow slung from her waist. The mayor of Juchitán, who assists his elderly mother up the stairs to the stage, is tasked with positioning the hefty, jewel-encrusted crown on the queen’s head. Then Guerra takes the opportunity to rail against gender violence. “No more minutes of silence,” Guerra says to the crowd, where cellphones are held high to record the investiture. “No more silence for our heroes — because even today there are still those who use the shield of ignorance to continue assassinating us.” The muxe, she adds, are long past the stage of accepting just being tolerated. “Tolerance, no: Respect,” the queen insists. “We demand respect. Because we have earned it. And deserve it.” Special correspondent Cecilia Sánchez Vidal in Mexico City contributed to this report. Foreign correspondent Patrick J. McDonnell is the Los Angeles Times Mexico City bureau chief and previously headed Times bureaus in Beirut, Buenos Aires and Baghdad. A native of the Bronx, McDonnell is a graduate of Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism and was a Nieman fellow at Harvard. Travel & Experiences Climate & Environment California World & Nation At least 91 people were killed by the massive earthquake that struck off the coast of southern Mexico on Thursday (7 September) More than a third of the dead were residents of the town of Juchitan de Zaragoza where more than 5,000 homes were destroyed Photographs show small homes and buildings in the town completely levelled by the quake which struck the narrowest portion of Mexico on the isthmus of Tehuantepec The town's streets are littered with the rubble of buildings that collapsed during the magnitude 8.1 earthquake – the most powerful to strike the country in 85 years including a magnitude 5.2 jolt early on Sunday Local officials said they had counted nearly 800 aftershocks of all sizes since the big quake and the US Geological Survey counted nearly 60 with a magnitude of 4.5 or greater The tremor rattled Mexico City and shook the neighbouring countries of Guatemala and El Salvador but the Oaxacan town of Juchitan bore the brunt of the disaster Injured residents are being treated at a makeshift hospital at a school gymnasium The hospital's regular building was damaged Maria Teresa Sales Alvarez said it was "chaos" when the earthquake struck the single-storey building but staff moved patients outside and transferred most of those who required specialised care to other facilities Teams of soldiers and federal police with shovels and sledgehammers have fanned out across the town to help demolish damaged buildings and search for survivors or bodies buried in the rubble many teens from religious or community groups in surrounding towns that were not as severely hit have turned out in force to distribute water and clothing or lend a hand Help has been slower to arrive in Union Hidalgo a town of about 20,000 people about 30 minutes to the east All the deaths were in three neighbouring states clustered near the epicentre that lay about 70 km (40 miles) off the coast while in Chiapas the count reached 16 and in Tabasco four people lost their lives President Enrique Pena Nieto has declared three days of national mourning and pledged to rebuild shattered towns and villages some residents interviewed expressed frustration that the poor southern regions were still not getting the help they needed from the richer north and centre of Mexico It was the strongest to strike there in a century a 7.1-magnitude earthquake shook Mexico City on September 19 toppling structures and prompting evacuations across Mexico’s capital Direct Relief responded as quickly and expansively as possible helping survivors overcome enormous challenges and working to prevent any further loss of life As the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Chiapas recorded fatalities and massive infrastructure damage from the first quake Direct Relief staff already in Mexico City quickly responded The organization had been preparing for Hurricane Katia’s landfall when the initial earthquake struck thus staff in-country were able to coordinate responses to both disaster situations Direct Relief has many connections and partners in the country from previous relief efforts: sending medical supplies in the wake of Hurricane John in 2006 providing aid to a pediatric hospital and clinics in response to a 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak airlifting medical supplies again in 2009 in the wake of Hurricane Jimena helping cities prep for subsequent years’ hurricane seasons and working with organizations such as Partners In Health and the Baxter International Foundation and Asociación Gilberto on mobile health initiatives supporting preventative care Direct Relief arrived in Juchitán de Zaragoza and began working with state and federal governments to bring large-scale shipments of medication and medical supplies to hospitals in the region Direct Relief worked with Mexican government officials who could facilitate gathering lists of needs from local medical centers and get permits in place for large-scale medical shipments from the U.S A second quake struck Central Mexico with 7.1 magnitude force on September 19 the anniversary of a devastating earthquake in 1985 that had left 10,000 people dead more than 370 deaths were reported in the aftermath of the second 2017 quake Students had been practicing earthquake drills just hours before the second quake struck Direct Relief’s response to the crisis caused by the initial quake was already well underway at that point in coordination with Mexican and local governments Contacts reported major concerns after the second quake in the state of Morelos where a number of hospitals had collapsed in high-density urban areas Patients were moved to a nearby park in at least one case lying on stretchers beneath the trees with IV bags at their side handwritten lists of needs were compiled on butcher paper taped to walls Direct Relief offered support and an Emergency Health Kit to Mexico’s operational-response officials The organization has Donataria Autorizada status from the Mexican government allowing Mexican companies to receive tax benefits for donations FedEx and Baxter made significant early contributions Direct Relief volunteers began distributing bags of personal care items in Hueyapan in partnership with the Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas included 10 vehicles and more than 30 volunteers who distributed nearly 450 individual hygiene kits to 13 towns and villages affected by the earthquakes with only tarps for protection from the blazing sun and torrential rain representatives from Direct Relief partner organization Mexfam drove into the fishing village of Santa María Xadani in Oaxaca to deliver 10 large tents to families who lost their homes in the earthquakes While not historically one of Mexfam’s primary directives providing temporary shelter became a priority in the days after the quakes Full recovery of homes could take years in some cases as the owners must salvage what they can from the ruins and set aside materials to rebuild bit by bit coordinating on the distribution of goods via Mexfam’s fleet of vans In municipalities such as Juchitán de Zaragoza catastrophic damage struck half of the Municipal Palace at least 30 percent of residential structures and 90 percent of the city’s largest hospital The hospital’s primary storage facility collapsed in the first earthquake taking a month’s worth of medications with it Medications were stored in the bleachers in the relocated hospital temporarily staged in a local school’s gymnasium/auditorium A temporary hospital was up and running on an empty baseball field near the city’s northern edge by the time the second quake hit but stocking medications for the hospital and 118 health centers around the region remained a critical issue Direct Relief’s Mexico team worked in conjunction with the state government to find a new storage facility a large warehouse not far from the temporary hospital in Juchitán Mexican health officials immediately began using the space to store and organize medications from individual donors about half of the floor space in the cavernous hangar-like space was filled with donations Medications gathered at the warehouse would be used to serve not only the temporary hospital in town but also regional hospitals across 5 towns and traveling medical teams headed to smaller municipalities where daily tremors continued more than a month after the first quake As plans were made to rebuild the general hospital with 30 more beds this facility provided a way to channel medical resources to patients scattered around the region Direct Relief worked closely with pharmaceutical companies and Mexico’s medical service to see that medical workers on the ground had timely access to needed medications such as IV antibiotics and analgesics As conditions evolved after the earthquakes struck moving from trauma injuries such as fractures to minor problems and lacerations from exposure to damaged structures and stagnant water with flare-ups of untreated chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes becoming a concern Direct Relief and Mexfam worked together to assess new ways to balance day-to-day work toward Mexfam’s organizational goals—including sex education and pre-and post-natal care—with imperatives of disaster relief Mexfam stepped in to perform procedures such as appendectomies and cesarean sections through its Ixtaltepec clinic while continuing to address its reproductive health mission and Direct Relief sponsored a dental clinic for dozens of children in Zacazonapan Schools distributed information and divided visit days by age numbered tickets were distributed to 120 families some of whom traveled from smaller villages up to 2 hours away This clinic was part of a larger 3-year effort aimed at connecting residents in and around Mexico City with health care Most of the children would be seeing a dentist for the first time This was one of the 72-plus communities in Mexico state that Asociación Gilberto was able to reach in 2017 using funds from Baxter International Foundation The Driving Your Health program was established in 2015 to help expand access to health care and increase early detection of potentially serious health conditions directed funding toward establishing mobile glucose test sites in Mexico City raising awareness and providing a pathway for diagnosis a center for pediatric cancer that has helped more than 9,000 children with limited resources used its funding to purchase a bus to transport patients from its center in southern Mexico City to hospitals around the city The process of recovery from the earthquakes at the one-year mark reflects the social and economic disparity that exists throughout the country in many ways In the wealthy neighborhoods of Mexico City with just a few empty lots resulting from collapsed structures or damaged buildings still awaiting demolition the recovery for communities located outside of the urban center of the capital with the earthquake’s damage augmenting community vulnerabilities including the precariousness of building construction and infrastructure systems Direct Relief has worked closely with local health authorities in Oaxaca and Morelos to ensure that the supply channel for critical medical aid is expanded in preparation for future disasters Working relationships are critical to establish and expand prior to emergencies as they are tested during disasters Direct Relief has sent $3 million ($58,153,990 MXN) worth of specifically requested emergency medical resources through 21 shipments to multiple healthcare facilities in Ciudad de Mexico and Oaxaca; and has granted out $213,860 ($4,138,191 MXN) in cash to support partner organizations working directly with those affected by these deadly and destructive earthquakes Relief and recovery shipments delivered to partners in Mexico contained essential medicines for acute and chronic diseases; insulin and supporting supplies; first aid and wound care supplies; general clinic supplies; diagnostic equipment items; and tents for emergency medical centers Direct Relief is currently working with partners to offer additional grant assistance valued at over $450,000 ($8,447,528 MXN) to help them continue to rebuild after the earthquakes and prepare for future disasters The unprecedented back-to-back earthquakes experienced in Mexico will leave lasting effects on the country and its people Direct Relief has learned that strong local preparedness and recovery plans are needed to respond effectively to disasters Direct Relief had established an extensive national network of government and non-profit healthcare providers which allowed it to quickly and effectively respond to both short and long-term medical needs the aftermath of the quake proved catalytic for Direct Relief’s service-provider network prompting organizations in ten states to formalize agreements to receive donated goods As Mexico continues to improve its national emergency response system Direct Relief pledges its support through expanding its in-country partner network to aid in the reconstruction of critical health infrastructure as well as by supporting organizations providing emergency training for health professionals to ensure that they are well prepared for any future emergencies A full 100% percent of the contributions received for Mexico earthquake assistance efforts are restricted for exclusive use to assist health organizations working with people affected by the earthquakes Direct Relief recognizes the generous support of national and international donors with the majority of funding received from individuals and health companies in the United States Direct Relief does not receive any financing from governmental institutions Within the first 24 hours of the first earthquake Direct Relief modified its online donation page to ensure (1) that the organization’s policy regarding designated donations for the Mexico earthquake was prominently featured for all visitors a person would be required to choose whether the donation was intended to be designated for Mexico earthquake relief or for another specified purpose or location This practice was adopted several years ago to avoid potential confusion about donors’ intentions particularly following high-profile emergencies which often spur spontaneous online financial contributions from a generous public wanting to help Direct Relief is obliged to honor the intention of donors who make contributions and this practice ensures that donors express their intent when making a gift Direct Relief is scaling up its response efforts in response to extreme weather events throughout the US and globally 10 Best Charities Top US Charity Nonprofits Seoul Peace Prize sale and consumption of sea turtle eggs and meat the longstanding practice is still tolerated in Juchitán de Zaragoza located in Oaxaca’s Isthmus of Tehuantepec region alongside more customary marine fare like fresh red snapper and bright blue crabs Mexico’s federal penal code imposes a penalty of up to nine years in prison as well as a fine of up to 300,000 pesos (US $15,300) for the illicit trafficking of sea turtle eggs and/or meat “I don’t agree with the tolerance of it in Juchitán It’s an environmental crime and the federal government is working to regulate those illicit practices.” just enough to get by,” said one egg vendor in the wholesale seafood market who preferred to remain anonymous “I agree that we should conserve sea turtles but the fishermen have to support their families “The eggs are prepared either boiled or sun-dried and served on crispy tortillas called totopos,” said the anonymous vendor “It bothers us that the government tells us not to buy or sell turtle eggs,” she went on to say when the local fishermen see a turtle in the water They let it go on its way,” the vendor said “They know that the turtles are an endangered species and that they need to be protected The extraordinary and the everyday jostle for attention in the South African photographer’s examination of Mexican culture “Mexico’s anarchic, visceral energy got under my skin and sucked me in,” he recalls. “There is an acceptance that life has no glorious victory, no happy ending. Humour, ritual, a strong sense of community and an embrace of the inevitable make it possible to live with tragic and often unacceptable situations.” Read moreIn his Mexican portraits and landscapes,about to go on show at a London gallery, the mood moves between the heightened everyday and the grotesque: weatherbeaten peasants in work clothes, a woman dressed like Frida Kahlo blood-covered faces and a man wearing a crown of thorns the complex nature of Mexican culture reflected through an outsider’s eyes as a mixture of ritual role-playing and various degrees of exaggerated reality “to the fabulousness of the banal and the banality of the exotic.” In Mexico Pieter Hugo: La Cucaracha is at Huxley-Parlour Gallery, London, W1 from 19 Feb to 14 Mar This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025. The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media. “This outfit took me two hours to prepare, with my makeup and clothes and my wig, and my waist-trainer,” he says. Across town, through the blanched walls of the church and past the bustling marketplace, an older man layers golden necklaces over his starched white button-down, while his maid hands him a pair of black slacks. Elsewhere, a woman pulls on tight pleather shorts and puts pasties on her exposed breasts, preparing for a performance. Skin … Subscribe to Narratively to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives. \u201CThis outfit took me two hours to prepare, with my makeup and clothes and my wig, and my waist-trainer,\u201D he says. Across town, through the blanched walls of the church and past the bustling marketplace, an older man layers golden necklaces over his starched white button-down, while his maid hands him a pair of black slacks. Elsewhere, a woman pulls on tight pleather shorts and puts pasties on her exposed breasts, preparing for a performance. Skin \u2026 You don't have permission to access the page you requested. What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed. the Interoceanic Corridor will connect ports on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Mexico in numerous ways President Andres Manuel López Obrador is looking to the US for support on the project But Indigenous communities are fighting the decision Wind generators near the Indigenous town of Juchitán de Zaragoza in Mexico US Climate envoy John Kerry was welcomed in Mexico this week, with an official ceremony honoring the birth of Mexico’s first Indigenous president, Benito Juárez, 217 years ago. We celebrate the beginning of Independence for Mexico López Obrador is hoping to attract US investment Kerry this week signaled that the Biden administration is on board, and willing to invest in more than 10 wind and solar farms Local residents say the wind farms already established in Oaxaca by foreign companies have disrespected communal land rights; and failed to benefit the local community; and polluted the environment And Indigenous groups are not happy about López Obrador’s interoceanic development project. One group of residents blocked a major highway in the region just ahead of Kerry’s visit. Others marched on the capital of Oaxaca and occupied the main plaza on Monday. “We won’t let you remove us from our lands and violate our rights,” said an Indigenous leader in a video shared on social media. In the video, he stands with a group of protesters in front of a rail line that should be under construction. But they’ve been blocking it now for nearly a month. Carlos Beas Torres is a leader of UCIZONI — the Union of Indigenous Communities of the Northern Isthmus — which is battling the development project “The Mexican government is imposing this project on Indigenous territories The population was not consulted,” Beas Torres said “They are removing people from their land.” He said that he himself is being threatened. This week, a letter signed by dozens of Mexican groups demanded that federal and state authorities stop harassing Beas Torres and his Indigenous organization “This megaproject is looking to completely transform our region and our culture,” Beas Torres said But officials say the project is a win-win. Oaxacan Gov. Salomón Jara Cruz said earlier this month that the Interoceanic Corridor would transform Oaxaca “We will be a geopolitical and strategic point for global commerce.” Experts say the corridor could eventually ship 1.4 million containers a year and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs President López Obrador said he’s going to encourage foreign companies to set up in the region He said there will be state subsidies and plenty of jobs The Indigenous town of Juchitán de Zaragoza is along the development corridor Martín Esteva Martínez drives a mototaxi here But he’s also in his final years of a degree in electrical engineering He’s concerned about what this huge development project could mean for the region’s Indigenous culture But he also said it could be positive for Oaxaca: “Many new companies are going to come here There’s still a long way to go, though, and economists like Juan Carlos Moreno-Brid at the University of Mexico question the plan’s true viability we haven’t seen one investment project from a private firm beyond the infrastructure that the government has been building No plant or company has yet to commit to the project,” he said but currently there are many uncertainties.” Indigenous communities have promised to continue to fight delivered to your inbox every weekday morning Thanks to our sponsor PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402 SALT LAKE CITY — An Orem man serving as an LDS mission president in Mexico is recovering after he was shot in the legs Monday during an armed robbery at a Subway restaurant in the city of Juchitan de Zaragoza President Lynn Richard Madsen leader of the Mexico Oaxaca Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "President Madsen sustained injuries to both legs from a single gunshot," Eric Hawkins said He is receiving medical treatment and is expected to make a full recovery." his daughter wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday afternoon Kayla Madsen Jarrett's post said her father was shot in the calves during the robbery leaving four bullet holes," she wrote He will be at the hospital for observation for a few more days but I'm sure he'll make a full recovery We know the Lord is watching over him right now and we are all very thankful that this incident wasn't worse Thanks in advance for all your prayers." A report published by a Mexican news outlet said Madsen was with three missionaries at the restaurant when two males between the ages of 16 and 18 approached the building on a motorcycle One entered with a pistol drawn and began to take the belongings of employees and guests One guest objected and in the ensuing confrontation The report included a photo of Madsen being taken from the restaurant on a stretcher The shooting took place at 6 p.m. on Monday, according to another report the couple was living in the Orem Utah Stonewood Stake near Utah Valley University and owned LDM Enterprises Broadcast Consulting Email: twalch@deseretnews.com 43,000+ global companies doing business in the region 102,000+ key contacts related to companies and projects news and interviews about your industry in English A moderate magnitude 4.0 earthquake hit 39 km (24 mi) away from Juchitan de Zaragoza, Estado de Oaxaca,  Mexico 2025 at 8.08 pm local time (America/Mexico City GMT -6) The quake had a very shallow depth of 4.4 km (2.7 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so) A strong magnitude 5.0 earthquake occurred in the North Pacific Ocean near the coast of  Mexico in the morning of Thursday The quake had a very shallow depth of 19.4 km (12 mi) and was felt over a large region The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would.