Oliver Mayer’s work “Waltz among the Shadows” will be presented at the Angela Peralta Theater on March 21st and 22nd This theatrical show tells the story of Juventino Rosas and Angela Peralta two important characters in the musical history of Mexico soprano Nathalie Peña Comas who will play La Ruiseñor and Quetzal Guerrero as Juventino Rosas carried out research into the life of Juventino Rosas with one of the few books that exist for his part Alberto Barboza undertook the task of searching in CDMX for books on the subject knowledgeable about the history of Juventino Rosas regarding the compositions he has with pianist and composer Scott Joplin so that Oliver Mayer could write characters and scenes based on the emotions he feels when he listens to his music in this version the compositions of Angela Peralta are also added He added that Juventino Rosas and Scott Joplin were born in the same year Juventino in Guanajuato and Scott in Texarkana and both performed at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago the orchestra with which Juventino Rosas performed was very successful “Solace a Mexican Serenade” is a composition by Scott Joplin in which music scholars clearly hear the influence of Juventino Rosas Juventino had the opportunity to go on tour to Cuba and during his stay he died of illness the following year explains the director of “Vals entre las Sombras” This production aims to highlight the talent of Angela and Juventino has choreography by Victor Manuel Ruiz and uses multimedia images It is in Spanish and is rated for teenagers and adults “Vals entre las Sombras” will be presented on March 21st and 22nd at 8 pm at the Angela Peralta Theater Tickets are on sale at the theater box office LOS ANGELES — This city’s acclaimed Latino Theater Company opens its Spring 2024 season with the world premiere of Ghost Waltz by prolific playwright Oliver Mayer (Blade to the Heat featuring a cast of eight actor/musicians directed by Alberto Barboza under the supervision of music director Alberto López It opened May 4 (seen Cinco de Mayo) and plays through June 2 librettist and professor at USC’s School of Dramatic Arts He offered his reflections on Juventino Rosas and the play “Juventino Rosas’ waltz Sobre las Olas (Over the Waves) is perhaps the most famous song of its generation coaxing even the wallflowers to dance and sway It is easily on par with his contemporary Johann Strauss Jr.’s masterwork “The Blue Danube”—to the point that Strauss Jr is often mistakenly credited with having composed Sobre las Olas Is it simply because Strauss hailed from Vienna that has kept Juventino Rosas from his rightful place among the great melodists “I wrote Ghost Waltz…to recover the composer’s story This excavation into Rosas’ life follows a tune that has been haunting me throughout much of my career: Why whitewash so many artists of color Why erase the rich history of who we are?” and was born in 1868 in Santa Cruz de Galeana to parents who were Otomí in ethnicity and language A powerful scene in the first act shows father and son traveling musicians playing for coins on the streets of Mexico City with few kind words to say about the blancos who treat the Native peoples so disparagingly The young Juventino doesn’t understand the language himself That town in the eastern part of the state and a statue of him stands in the central square There is scant verifiable historical information to be found on Rosas Juventino took up the violin and was considered a prodigy An early scene in the play depicts him trying to enter a music conservatory in Mexico City under the tutelage of an Austrian Jewish Professor Zeiss (who himself has experienced bigotry in his life) but prejudice against Indigenous races prevented him from continuing his studies which traveled to perform in Chicago in 1893 for the World’s Fair In Chicago there also appeared the ambitious young African-American musician Scott Joplin The playwright surmises they must have met to share musical ideas and thoughts about the nature of their work and the likelihood they’ll never be remembered “people will just care what’s between the notes,” not who wrote them or how much money we ever made from them at the beginning of their heroes’ journeys,” Mayer postulates with visions of as-yet-unwritten operas and symphonies dancing in their heads.” The wife of Mexican president/dictator Porfirio Díaz gifted him a grand piano Rosas joined an Italian-Mexican musical company that toured Cuba but sadly Rosas contracted spinal myelitis and died there at Surgidero de Batabanó on July 9 In 1909 his remains were transported back to Mexico which 30 years later later were removed to Mexico City’s Rotunda of Illustrious Men Ghost Waltz also imparts a great deal about a world-famous singer of opera and classical song born in the city of Mazatlán named Ángela Peralta known as the “Mexican Nightingale.” Born over two decades before Rosas she trained in Italy and sang leading roles at La Scala and as far afield as Lisbon Mayer makes her a romantic love idol to Rosas who dreamed she would sing some of his songs which was cut short when she and her company appeared in Mazatlán in 1883 and most of them In 1937 her remains were also relocated to the Rotunda of Illustrious Men though their meeting and crossing paths over their short and mostly not contemporary lives is a conjecture the playwright richly explores a frame around the stage bears the Latin expression “Ars longa the contrast between the two artists is instructive but for the sake of her career Peralta used a thick coat of white powder to disguise her complexion and adopted a classist Eurocentric posture to separate herself from others she pronounced beneath her both their names and accomplishments eventually became whitewashed and virtually erased Their experience oddly mirrors another incident which also involves the playwright Oliver Mayer: “Many years ago [2010], I wrote the libretto for an opera called America Tropical about the great 1932 mural by David Alfaro Siqueiros on Olvera Street in Los Angeles that was literally whitewashed by the all-white city council and town fathers for its political content Not only was the image taken forever from us A 14-foot-tall Indio crucified on a double cross foretelling the fate of his violent erasure the double injustice of past and present bigotry.” That mural has been re-painted in recent years and is now available to be seen Commissioned by Latino Theater Company and developed in the company’s Circle of Imaginistas playwriting group Ghost Waltz is an act of recovery for Juventino Rosas that not a great deal is known about Rosas One of Mayer’s strategies is to dip into the vivid world of Mexican folklore where duendes Juventino’s father and musical inspiration a renowned voodoo enchantress from New Orleans where the relationship between Scott Joplin and the Mexican composer deepens The whiteface used to depict the skeletal spirits à la Day of the Dead is a loud echo of the whiteface performers felt they had to use to pursue their careers spirits also appear in the European repertoire such as in the excerpted Erlkönig by Schubert So, as in the opera El último sueño de Frida y Diego (The Last Dream of Frida and Diego) No one is truly alone on Earth when the spirits of the dead are readily accessible for advice Mayer introduces generous portions of music spirituality and dance to fill out the story where factual information is lacking multi-instrumentalist and composer Quetzal Guerrero best known as QVLN and a classically trained violinist Pianist extraordinaire and Steinway artist Ric’key Pageot And Latin Grammy nominee rising star soprano Nathalie Peña–Comas plays Ángela Peralta the “Mexican Nightingale,” and regales us with art songs and Viennese waltzes as well as arias by Verdi and (ahistorically) Puccini The fictional characters include Don Jesús portrayed by actor and composer Eduardo Robledo known for his work with El Teatro Campesino and the San Francisco Mime Troupe; Professor Zeiss played by Cástulo Guerra; Joplin’s young companion Bethena (actress dancer and violinist Ariel Brown); and Creole clairvoyant Marie Laveau (Monte Escalante) Bass player Juan Perez rounds out the cast The creative team includes production designers Cameron Jaye Mock and Emily Anne McDonald (set costumes and projections) and sound designer Nathan Davis suggesting that the story we are about to witness has been covered over in some dusty attic for decades and only now can we remove the sheet and see what we have been missing Production stage manager Yaesol Jeong is assisted by Mikayla Bettner My impression of this production was that as a kind of double biographical portrait of Rosas and Peralta the play is somewhat didactic and the dialogue a little stiff The characters don’t have the time or space to fully emerge in all their flesh and blood when Peralta finally deals more honestly with her racial background we are totally unprepared by any previous questions or doubts and it is told with great imagination and a wonderful score of waltzes Perhaps that’s the simultaneous advantage and the shortfall in the show—what we miss in a cast of not all profession actors and learn some things you probably never knew before that was my experience and I expect it will be yours Ghost Waltz plays on Thurs., Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. and Sun. at 4 p.m. through June 2. The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles 90013. Parking is available for $8 with box office validation at Los Angeles Garage Associate Parking structure, 545 S. Main St., between 5th and 6th Streets, just behind the theater. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (213) 489-0994 or go to the company website A number of feature interviews and articles will go a long way toward introducing the historical cast of characters and their place in history whether or not you are able to attend a performance: Click here to read the essay by playwright Oliver Mayer at Zócalo Public Square Click here to read “This Waltz Once Attributed to Strauss Is Actually by Indigenous Mexican Composer Juventino Rosas,” where you’ll find a scene from Sobre las Olas a 1950 biopic starring Pedro Infante as the composer conducting his world-famous song for a crowd of the Mexican elite Click here to read about Ángela Peralta the “Mexican Nightingale” at Mexican News Daily Click here to listen to the interview with Oliver Mayer on the Playwright’s Spotlight podcast wrote a biography of radical American composer Marc Blitzstein and co-authored composer Earl Robinson’s autobiography He has received numerous awards for his People's World writing from the International Labor Communications Association He has translated all nine books of fiction by Manuel Tiago (pseudonym for Álvaro Cunhal) from Portuguese available from International Publishers NY ‘TE Puna Ora (The Source of Life)’: Film review A Mexican-American priest says faith compelled her to march on May... More than 250,000 turn out nationwide on May Day ‘Sinners’ review: Horror, history, and Black American folklore combine for trailblazing cinema  Amidst capitalist crisis and war, Russian Communists struggle against Putin and the oligarchs Chickens coming home to roost: Remember what Malcolm said U.S. imperialism’s new Cold War against China fosters anti-Asian racism at home Video: Springsteen sings “Nueva Canción” as tribute to people of Argentina, Chile ‘Ghost Waltz,’ Oliver Mayer’s new play at Latino Theater Company an obscure musician who wrote one of the most popular earworms of all time Quetzal Guerrero stepped onstage as Juventino Rosas and started playing a familiar tune on the violin swaying with the melody and easing into a waltz with his feet Other characters around him called the tune a “happy sad” song At first listen, the melody sounds familiar, reminiscent of carnivals or cartoons. In fact, the song is so recognizable because it has traveled the world—including calliopes, video games, and cartoon soundtracks—since it was written in the late 1800s, under the title “Sobre las Olas” (Over the Waves) was all but forgotten after his death at 26 Ghost Waltz in its world premiere with Latino Theater Company at the Los Angeles Theatre Center aims to recover the true story of the beloved song and portray the artists of color who often go uncredited “It’s not unlike an archeological dig,” Mayer said “I’m trying to uncover the bones of a long Mayer hadn’t planned to write a play about Rosas attempting to waltz in his huaraches while a crowd of people dressed in white watched Mayer woke up and wrote a page of dialogue soon recognizing the journey of rediscovery ahead “I feel like it’s my privilege to bring the story to light now,” he said “It feels to me every time we listen to his music Part of bringing Rosas back to life is setting him alongside his contemporaries audiences are also introduced to historical figures like Scott Joplin played by pianist and composer Ric’Key Pageot and Peña-Comas—each a prominent musical artist in their own right—were specifically cast to mirror the energy Rosas and his peers would have brought into a room.  Peña-Comas had no clue who her character represented she uncovered Peralta’s story as the first Mexican opera singer to sing in major European theatres She even went on to form her own company.  “She knew what she had and she used it,” Peña-Comas said Guerrero found Rosas’s background strikingly similar to his own: Both came from musical families The strong connection makes playing his music in Ghost Waltz much more intimate I feel like it speaks to me in a much deeper way than if I was just an actor,” he said.  Barboza—who previously directed a staged reading of the play for Latino Theater Company’s Circle of Imaginistas in January 2023—sought to use music as a guide for the full production Music shapes the sonic environment of Ghost Waltz speaking to the period and the personalities onstage To create the musical landscape and historical context of the show Barboza searched for documentation of the composer He found a book in the UCLA and USC libraries he visited three of the largest bookstores there in hopes of finding more resources about Rosas a professor of cross-cultural studies at USC who confirmed that books on Rosas are scarce Barboza quickly recognized the weight of Ghost Waltz: This would be a play about “recovering people that have been whitewashed,” as he put it “This is a story about a song,” Guerrero said “It’s a story about a song that took wings made its presence known throughout the world and made history Now we get to see how that song was created and where it came from But the decolonization part is the realization that what we’ve been told and what we’ve been taught to think is never the case.” Ghost Waltz takes part in decolonization by giving voice to perspectives that have been excluded One place this shows up is in the subtle intricacies and details Barboza and Guerrero put into their representation of Otomi the Indigenous people who constitute Rosa’s background.  said she found her point of entry into the show’s themes with the line: “A hundred years from now People won’t care about the money you made or the way the notes are written down It’s what’s between the notes.”  She isn’t just talking about the emotional core of the music a Black woman living around 20 years after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the U.S. “It’s impactful for this character to be able to play music and travel and stand on the notion that she is free.” Mayer crafted the characters with great intentionality to ensure their backgrounds are salient in their every move His goal is to remind audiences that while we may now see them as historical figures worrying about getting their next meal and making a living As Rosas comes to life onstage through Guerrero audiences can see and feel how he may have carried himself or filled a room with his music In highlighting forgotten luminaries from the past Ghost Waltz also serves as a reminder to value overlooked people who are alive today.  and it’s great to recover those great inspirations from the past but the truth is the present is what we need to be worried about,” Mayer said “All the people who are doing all the good work and not getting the attention that they deserve—people in this room right now Steven Vargas (he/him) is a multimedia journalist and actor based in Los Angeles whose work focuses on the intersections of media His work can be found in publications like the Los Angeles Times Support American Theatre: a just and thriving theatre ecology begins with information for all. Please join us in this mission by joining TCG which entitles you to copies of our quarterly print magazine and helps support a long legacy of quality nonprofit arts journalism ©2025 Theatre Communications Group Each gift is a stitch in the tapestry that celebrates our resilience Donate to TCG! was killed in action while fighting as a volunteer in the Ukrainian army against Russian forces Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry (SRE) confirmed Wednesday González Mendoza joined the International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine just a month before his death He reportedly was killed in a Russian airstrike targeting a Ukrainian military position Before joining up, he reportedly had been part of the Mexican National Guard and made money by working informally in a parking lot in his hometown a municipality about 40 km southwest of San Miguel de Allende in the state of Guanajuato The SRE said in a press release that it is providing consular assistance to his family and working with the Ukrainian government to repatriate his body to Mexico The ministry also clarified that he was not a member of the Mexican armed forces many people took to social media to express their condolences to his family and to praise his bravery for volunteering to fight for Ukraine’s freedom His family expressed its gratitude for the support received from the Mexican government they described him as a loving and caring person who was passionate about helping others “He was always willing to lend a helping hand and was always there for us when we needed him A video of González Mendoza’s grandmother talking about the family’s loss was posted on social media. Interviewed on Grandparents’ Day on Wednesday Edith García said the family was informed a week ago of his death He really wanted to help people,” his abuela said and recently when he arrived [in Ukraine] he contacted his mother and told her that he was helping a lot of elderly people That was all we knew…until they gave us the news [of his death].” Earlier this year, various news sources, including the New York Times reported that over 20,000 foreign volunteers from 52 countries had joined Ukraine’s fighting forces The New York Times led a 2022 article with an anecdote about a Mexican army veteran named Luis who was inspired to join up after he “saw a photo of a wounded pregnant woman being carried out of a Ukrainian maternity hospital after a Russian airstrike and was reminded of his sister.” citing reports from the Russian Embassy in Mexico reported that eight Mexicans had taken up arms for Ukraine from the beginning of the conflict through March 14 of this year The newspaper Excelsior said the figure was 16 and that three of the Mexicans had been confirmed dead as of March But Mexico’s government has refused Ukraine’s requests for military aid though it did offer to help Russia and Ukraine negotiate a peace plan The news of González Mendoza’s death first emerged on a Telegram platform dedicated to information about the war The channel included links to his social networks where he reportedly described himself as an “experienced killer.” The Juventino Rosas community noted that a rosary and mass will be held on Saturday for González Mendoza who was 21 years old according to some news sources and 20 according to others “He was a young volunteer soldier who gave his life for Ukraine’s fight for freedom,” noted journalist Gia Santos a contributor to UkraineToday and other media outlets “May his sacrifice be remembered forever.” ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. 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All rights reserved A case involving a near-deadly Tulare County home invasion has come to a close The suspects accused of the crime are all facing serious prison time.  accused of shooting a man in front of his wife and children was sentenced to 81-years-to-life in prison.  He will most likely die behind bars.  Tulare County Judge Joseph Kalashian sentenced Enrique Carrizales to prison for his part in a violent gang-related home invasion attempted robbery.  The robbery took place more than five years ago in Badger.  Carrizales and four other known gang members — all wearing black masks and armed — "kicked down the door to the victim’s house," prosecutors said Inside the home were two young children and their parents.  The masked intruders found the mother and her two children at the kitchen table The men demanded the woman give them money.   he rushed to his wife and children but was stopped short by the armed men.    The father wrestled the gun away from one of the men but was shot in the shoulder The injured man moved to the hallway to try and protect his family when he was confronted by Carrizales Carrizales pointed a shotgun at him and shot him in the stomach "The victim survived his gunshot wounds and endured multiple surgeries spanning over a year," prosecutors said.  The defendants once again demanded money but the family refused Tulare County sheriff’s deputies arrived just in time and were able to stop two vehicles speeding down the mountain from Badger.   He was later captured in Washington and transferred back to Tulare County to stand trial.    a jury convicted Carrizales of one count of attempted murder with great bodily injury and the use of a firearm one count of conspiracy to commit home invasion robbery two counts of attempted home invasion robbery and one count of gang conspiracy to commit the crimes Carrizales’ co-defendants Michael Serna and 10 years in prison for their roles in the crime More: Questions surround Visalia shooting, home invasion More: Visalia police track down a suspected robber More: Toy gun used in Visalia robbery leads to arrest 30: “El Marro” – José Antonio Yépez Ortiz Leader of the Cártel Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL) Arrested in Guanajuato José Antonio Yépez Ortiz (aka “El Marro”) was arrested by elements of the Mexican Army (Sedena) in Guanajuato on Sunday 2 August 2020.  “El Marro,” which means the sledgehammer or mallet is the leader of the Cártel Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL)  The CSRL are widely known for their role as ‘huachicoleros’ or participants in the illicit fuel trade.  The CSRL has been embattled for the past year as government forces sought its leader’s arrest and it fought against its rival the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) for control of Guanajuato’s illicit economy “El Marro” ha sido capturado. En operativo coordinado de fuerzas federales y estatales (“El Marro” has been captured. In a coordinated operation of federal and state forces). Source: Fiscalía General del Estado de Guanajuato (Guanajuato State Attorney General). 2 August 2020, https://twitter.com/FGEGUANAJUATO/status/1289903921389957121?s=20 Key Information: Dave Graham, “Mexico nabs ‘El Marro’, fuel theft king blamed for surge in drug violence.” Reuters. 2 August 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-drugs/mexico-nabs-el-marro-fuel-theft-king-blamed-for-surge-in-drug-violence-idUSKBN24Y0EX: Yepez was arrested in the early hours of Sunday by soldiers and state officials during a raid on a house in Guanajuato a central state that has become the main flashpoint of record gang violence …Guanajuato’s government said security forces captured Yepez and five other suspected gang members in a village called Franco Tavera in the Santa Cruz de Juventino Rosas municipality a few miles north of where the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel was born Key Information: Kate Linthicum, “Mexico arrests ‘El Marro,’ gang leader at the center of a bloody cartel war.” Los Angeles Times. 2 August 2020, https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-08-02/mexico-arrests-el-marro-gang-leader-cartel-battles: first made headlines for reportedly stealing more than $1 million worth of fuel a day from the many pipelines radiating from a government-owned oil refinery in the city of Salamanca His cartel became the most powerful of the country’s many fuel-theft gangs and later branched out into other illegal enterprises his group ran afoul of the Jalisco New Generation cartel one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Mexico Key Information: Azam Ahmed, “Mexico Seizes Crime Boss El Marro, Under Pressure to Cut Violence.” New York Times. 2 August 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/02/world/americas/mexico-el-marro-caapture.html: While the arrest of José Antonio Yépez delivers a major blow to a cartel analysts say officials lack a cohesive strategy against debilitating crime… …The Santa Rosa de Lima cartel began its reign in the state of Guanajuato pilfering oil from pipelines that crisscross that area of central Mexico and siphoning off amounts estimated at one point to be valued at nearly $2 million a day which analysts say was largely run as a family crime group challenging both the government and much larger and more diversified criminal groups Yépez has often lashed out at his enemies and even threatened the president himself if federal troops were not withdrawn from his native state where they had been sent to fight fuel theft Key Information: Carlos Álvarez, “Detienen en Guanajuato a ‘El Marro’, capo ‘huachicolero’, líder del Cártel de Santa Rosa de Lima.” Zeta. 2 August 2020, https://zetatijuana.com/2020/08/detienen-en-guanajuato-a-el-marro-capo-huachicolero-lider-del-cartel-de-santa-rosa-de-lima/: presunto líder del Cártel Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL) principal responsable del robo de combustible o “huachicol” en el estado de Guanajuato fue detenido la madrugada de este domingo 2 de agosto así como de la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública y la Fiscalía General del Estado “El Marro” será trasladado al Centro Federal de Readaptación Social (CEFERESO) Número 1 según lo confirmó el titular de la de Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana (SSPC) Federal Key Information: Héctor De Mauleón, “‘Everything has a beginning and an end. Mine has already arrived,’ El Marro told the agents.” El Universal. 3 August 2020, https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/opinion/hector-de-mauleon/todo-tiene-un-principio-y-un-fin-el-mio-ya-llego-les-dijo-el-marro-los: Termina así una etapa negra en Guanajuato: la década del Marro queda un infierno por venir: la disgregación del Cártel de Santa Rosa en pequeñas y feroces células la absorción de su estructura por un nuevo grupo dominante: el Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación y que lleva años peleando por el control de los ductos Expertos en temas de seguridad creen que habrá en el estado un nuevo coletazo de sangre: ya sea por el reacomodo del Cártel de Santa Rosa o por la “limpia” que el Cártel Jalisco emprenderá en los lugares que El Marro deja acéfalos Pero sobre todo es preciso que se desnuden las redes de corrupción que desde Pemex y el sindicato hicieron posible a José Antonio Yepez Key Information: Verónica Espinosa, “‘En todo Guanajuato sigue mandando el Marro’: mensaje colocado sobre dos cadáveres en Celaya.” Proceso. 3 August 2020, http://ow.ly/ayQR50APRV6: Dos cuerpos humanos envueltos en bolsas de plástico y amarrados con cinta fueron abandonados en dos distintos puntos de Celaya ambos con mensajes supuestamente firmados por el Cártel de Santa Rosa de Lima aquí y en todo Guanajuato sigue mandando el señor Marro” se leía en las cartulinas de colores fosforescentes que fueron colocadas junto a los dos cadáveres Los restos humanos fueron abandonados horas después de que se conoció la captura del líder de esa organización criminal, José Antonio Yépez Ortiz en una presunta casa de seguridad donde tenían secuestrada a una mujer… …Dos cuerpos humanos envueltos en bolsas de plástico y amarrados con cinta fueron abandonados en dos distintos puntos de Celaya ambos con mensajes supuestamente firmados por el Cártel de Santa Rosa de Lima.[3] José Antonio “N” alias “El Marro” Detenido (José Antonio “N” alias “El Marro” Detained). Source: Source: Fiscalía General del Estado de Guanajuato (Guanajuato State Attorney General). 2 August 2020, https://twitter.com/FGEGUANAJUATO/status/1289906825295327232?s=20 and elements of the state (including the government of Guanajuato state and its constituent municipalities Guanajuato seems an implausible location for an organized crime hotspot but its oil pipelines and refinery at Salamanca have made it a key battleground in a highly diversified organized crime landscape which now includes huachicoleo (oil theft) as a core component.[4]  The arrest of El Marro may have significant implications for the levels of violence in the Guanajuato and the balance of power in Mexico’s criminal economy.  If the CJNG gains control of Guanajuato this could alter the nature of the illicit petroleum trade drug trafficking, and the relationship between the CJNG and other criminal cartels with elements of the state  If the CSRL is able to survive El Marro’s capture and transition leadership the contest between the CSRL and CJNG may continue Mexican organized crime groups such as Los Zetas diversified their drug portfolios into new activities like extortion and oil theft as scholars have pointed out for some time now.[5]  Mexico had long derived high percentages of government revenue from the state oil monopoly Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) with that percentage peaking at 40% of government revenues in the 2000s under the Vicente Fox Sexenio (administration)  With the rise of oil theft and declining production (due in part to reduced exploration) that percentage began to drop and Pemex suffered from significant internal theft and clandestine pipeline taps.[6]  Other Mexican organized crime groups moved into the oil theft business and the CSRL emerged.  The CSRL was primarily involved in hydrocarbon theft and then diversified into other criminal enterprises.[7]  Since the 2010s the number of clandestine taps has drastically increased as has violence related to the petroleum theft market in states such as Guanajuato a senior research fellow at the Brookings Institution pointed out in a recent interview for this note that the Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) administration has focused on economic nationalism with Pemex playing a major role in the vision of the future of the country in lieu of a focus on new technologies such as solar and other energy alternatives the fight against oil theft appeared to be the sole focus of the new government the government claimed oil theft was down by more than 90% the administration was forced to focus on a myriad of other activities—such as migration enforcement— due to pressure from the Trump administration the administration’s reliance on anticorruption measures has not generated the resources needed for serious state capacity or socio-economic redistribution reforms.[9] In roughly 2017—although earlier narcomantas from the CJNG in 2013 claim their arrival and intent to “cleanse” the state—the Cártel De Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) began a coordinated campaign to wrest control of the state of Guanajuato and major refinery at Salamanca from the CSRL.[10]  According to the Justice in Mexico Project the CSRL had been a subsidiary of the CJNG and announced its independence under the leadership of El Marro in 2017.[11]  Guanajuato rapidly became one of the most violent states in Mexico as pitched battles between organized crime groups became common is based on Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) open source data collection and demonstrates the high levels of violence in Guanajuato relative to other states in Mexico over the last year and half.[12] Table 1. Relative Violence in Guanajuato Compared to Other States. Source: Authors’ Elaboration using “Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED);” https://www.acleddata.com proved adept at fighting the better resourced CJNG as he had with previous incursions of the Zetas and Caballeros Templarios.  Both organizations proved tactically sophisticated using Colombian papa bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) primarily in the areas of major oil theft conflict.[13] the Sinaloa Cartel has long operated there in low-profile fashion  Sinaloa operators were present in the state since the Ignacio “Nacho” Coronel era (pre-2010) when the CJNG was still part of the Sinaloa cartel operating as a paramilitary apparatus calling itself the Matazetas.  The Sinaloa operators grew “lazy” and did not expand markets.[14]  Thus they were unprepared when the battle-hardened CJNG entered the state in the 2010s.  Once the CJNG scored victories across the country in new areas the Sinaloa Cartel sponsored rivals to keep it weakened  El Marro sought support of theSinaloa faction led by Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García after the extradition of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera in 2017 to the United States.  That support did not materialize as it didn’t meet Mayo Zambada’s strategic imperative despite Sinaloa and the CSRL being mutual enemies of the CJNG and the CSRL’s violent business model.[15]  Assessing the Aftermath of El Marro’s Capture  there will be “significant fragmentation going forward  Extortion is likely to become democratized  Likewise for fuel theft.”[17] Professor David Shirk agrees stating “I think this is the beginning of the end for the CSRL or be obliterated by CJNG in El Marro’s absence.”[18] If the CJNG can establish a clear hegemony and “monopoly on violence” in Guanajuato violence there may go down.[19] For Felbab-Brown “the best that can be hoped for is a quick CJNG victory” that might reduce violence but could embolden the CJNG vis-à-vis their proclivity to engage in violence against the state.[20]  That would trigger a stronger state reaction against the CJNG that could eventually lead to its fragmentation though that is a medium to long term possibility It may also be possible that the CJNG victory or at least recognition of its dominance may establish a new more pacific equilibrium via agreements between organized crime groups.  Falko Ernst Senior Fellow of the International Crisis Group sees reason to be optimistic in terms of short term violence reduction due to the ability of the CJNG to take advantage of El Marro’s arrest: “The CJNG’s regional office has successfully gotten Marro’s lieutenants in line giving them the choice between lead or alignment  My sources say they accepted-for now But this is no guarantee for long-term stability.  The degree to which outside powers—national actors like the Sinaloans or regional groups like the Nueva Familia and the Viagras—will attempt to strike deals with the lieutenants so as to throw a monkey wrench into the CJNG’s ambitions for regional hegemony.”[21]  via agreements and a new criminal equilibrium a tenuous short-term peace may be established in the wake of El Marro’s arrest.[22] None of the security experts interviewed for this Strategic Note thought that the El Marro arrest was due to or would be followed by a well-calibrated law enforcement and military response.  Felbab-Brown sees little evidence of the AMLO Administration improving high value target (HVT) policy by proactively mitigating the violence the HVT approach triggers in Mexico She observed that no prepositioned troop or Guardia Nacional (GN) forces were moved into place before or immediately after the event.  She argues such actions would give the state the capacity to control the criminal dynamic in the aftermath The state is insufficiently resourced to address the narco-problem while “the AMLO administration has dropped the ball on police reform and the creation of the National Guard [NG] has damaged functional and well-performing federal police units often placing capable personnel into dysfunctional units.”[23] “Nothing has really changed on the institutional front: same police forces Case in point: in the week after the capture of El Marro almost 70 people were killed in Guanajuato.  Not much of [a] change.”[24]  According to Falko Ernst: “There is no such thing as a sound strategy to reestablish state-based order in Guanajuato or for that matter Mexico’s other high-conflict areas.  So for now it looks like a win for the CJNG – It’s come a step closer to building hegemony over Guanajuato already being sold as a win for the Lopez Obrador administration which is desperate to sell good news vis-à-vis the 2021 elections [whatever] they may be caused by and how shaky the ground upon which they’re built.”[25] All of the area specialists interviewed observed that federal and state cooperation in Guanajuato was particularly weak with many citing political reasons or key individuals as having conflict with federal institutions.  Alejandro Hope pointed out that Marro’s arrest was “mostly a federal job and they just threw a bone at the state government.  As far as I know there is still a lot of mutual bad blood the Army does not trust Attorney General Zamarripa at all.”[26] Similarly Shirk “doubt[s] that state forces in Guanajuato are working particularly well with federal forces.”[27]  Falko Ernst said that “whether or not a tentative less violent order emerges depends to a far greater extent on whether the CJNG will be able to keep Marro’s lieutenants in line and whether it will be able to effectively absorb ties to state actors built by Marro.”[28] Ernst raises an important point here.  The stability of CJNG takeover of the state of Guanajuato hinges not just on absorbing organized crime cells but on the ability to insert the CJNG into the same corruption networks to interface with the state we assess that the CJNG will gain significantly from the arrest of El Marro which will likely lead to fragmentation of CSRL  The fragmentation could increase violence and encourage more rival encroachment.  Over the long- term Another long-term ramification of El Marro’s arrest is the potential for the AMLO administration to target the CJNG for its violent confrontations with the state and its more aggressive predatory business model.[30]  The perception that it is gaining hegemony in more areas of Mexico such as Guanajuato could speed up that process a critical tipping point could be achieved allowing the state to fragment the CJNG into smaller pieces so it cannot threaten the state that in and of itself could increase violence which politically would be detrimental to AMLO the long-term story of Marro’s arrest could be part of the broader story of the rise and perceived strength of the CJNG.  This also points to a potential future cycle of an ever-increasing prevalence of criminal violence.[31] The only way to end that vicious cycle will be to increase Mexican state capacity The AMLO administration will need to raise revenues and establish a better national security and law enforcement strategy to address organized crime violence in Mexico The need for better coordination between the Guardia Nacional (GN)and military forces as well as local and state forces in Guanajuato to control the criminal dynamic is also amplified in the aftermath of the El Marro’s high value arrest The present reality on the streets in Mexico signifies that AMLO’s internal security policies are increasingly kneecapped  The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic along with a deepening recession amplify the ongoing criminal insurgencies  Guanajuato is at the epicenter of these conflicts.  As a consequence Mexico is further losing political capacity  Additional economic and personnel resources simply do not exist with the trade and tourism sectors now devastated.[32] The government is losing the competitive extractive revenue battle with the cartels and street gangs Cartel and gang taxes take precedence over public taxation for many of its citizens  The incremental ‘hollowing out’ of the Mexican state and its evident fragility suggest that federal authorities will likely remain reactive bystanders in the raging conflict between the CRSL and the other criminal organizations that have been—or are now being—drawn into it         Azam Ahmed, “Mexico Seizes Crime Boss El Marro, Under Pressure to Cut Violence.” New York Times. 2 August 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/02/world/americas/mexico-el-marro-capture.html Carlos Álvarez, “Detienen en Guanajuato a ‘El Marro’, capo ‘huachicolero’, líder del Cártel de Santa Rosa de Lima.” Zeta. 2 August 2020, https://zetatijuana.com/2020/08/detienen-en-guanajuato-a-el-marro-capo-huachicolero-lider-del-cartel-de-santa-rosa-de-lima/ Verónica Espinosa, “En todo Guanajuato sigue mandando el Marro”: mensaje colocado sobre dos cadáveres en Celaya.” Proceso. 3 August 2020, http://ow.ly/ayQR50APRV6 Kate Linthicum, “Mexico arrests ‘El Marro,’ gang leader at the center of a bloody cartel war.” Los Angeles Times. 2 August 2020, https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-08-02/mexico-arrests-el-marro-gang-leader-cartel-battles Héctor De Mauleón, “‘Everything has a beginning and an end. Mine has already arrived,’ El Marro told the agents.” El Universal. 3 August 2020, https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/opinion/hector-de-mauleon/todo-tiene-un-principio-y-un-fin-el-mio-ya-llego-les-dijo-el-marro-los the title reads: “‘El Marro,’ ‘huachicolero’ capo leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel arrested in Guarajuato.” The text reads: “José Antonio Yépez Ortiz alias ‘El Marro,’ alleged leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (CSRL) the main person responsible for the theft of fuel or “huachicol” in the state of Guanajuato as well as the Ministry of Public Security and the State Attorney General.” … “‘El Marro’ will be transferred to the Federal Center for Social Readaptation (CEFERESO) Number 1 as confirmed by the head of the Federal Ministry of Security and Protection (SSPC) the title reads: “‘Everything has a beginning and an end Mine has already arrived,’ El Marro told the agents.” The text reads: “Thus ends a black stage in Guanajuato: the Marro decade.” … “Unfortunately there is a hell to come: the disintegration of the Santa Rosa Cartel into small and fierce cells or the absorption of its structure by a new dominant group: the Jalisco New Generation Cartel who has spent years fighting for control of the pipelines Experts on security issues believe that there will be a new blood flick [film] in the state: either by the rearrangement of the Santa Rosa Cartel or by the ‘cleansing’ that the Jalisco Cartel will undertake in the places that El Marro leaves leaderless.” … To prevent the fanning the flames it is necessary that the corruption networks that from Pemex and the union made possible to José Antonio Yepez the title reads: “El Marro continues to command throughout Guanajuato:” [reads] message posted on two corpses in Celaya.” The text reads: “Two human bodies wrapped in plastic bags and tied with tape were abandoned at two different points in Celaya both with messages allegedly signed by the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.” … “Let it be clear to you Marro continues to command,” read the phosphorescent colored cards that were placed next to the two corpses.” … “The human remains were abandoned hours after the capture of the leader of that criminal organization from an alleged security house where a woman was kidnapped.” … “Two human bodies wrapped in plastic bags and tied with tape were abandoned at two different points in Celaya both with messages allegedly signed by the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.” [4] Nathan P. Jones and John P. Sullivan, “Huachicoleros: Criminal Cartels, Fuel Theft, and Violence in Mexico,” Journal of Strategic Security. Vol. 12, No. 4, 2019: pp. 1-24, https://doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.12.4.1742 [7] Gabriel Stargardter, “Mexico’s Drug Cartels, Now Hooked on Fuel, Cripple Nation’s Refineries.” Reuters, 24 January 2018, http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/mexico-violence-oil/ [9] Phone interview, Vanda Felbab-Brown [10] Miriam Wells, “Jalisco Cartel Announces ‘Cleansing’ of Mexican State,” InSight Crime. 27 March 2017, https://www.insightcrime.org/news/brief/cjng-announces-cleansing-of-mexican-state/ [11] Laura Calderon et al., “Organized Crime and Violence in Mexico: 2020 Special Report.” San Diego, CA: Justice in Mexico Project. July 2020, https://justiceinmexico.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/OCVM-2020.pdf “Introducing ACLED-Armed Conflict Location and Event Data.” Journal of Peace Research [13] Nathan P. Jones, “The Strategic Implications of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación.” Journal of Strategic Security. Vol. 11, No. 1, 2018: pp. 19-42, https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jss/vol11/iss1/3/ [14] David Saucedo, “Fuerzas de ‘El Mayo’ y ‘El Marro’ Se Unen En Guanajuato En Contra de Un Enemigo Común: El CJNG,” Sin Embargo (Reproduced with Permission from Pop Lab). 18 November 2019, https://www.sinembargo.mx/18-11-2019/3681077 Felbab-Brown delves into an idea about succession that the economics literature calls the principal-agent problem or simply agency problems Shapiro describes this in the context of terror leaders (principals) deciding how to manage their organizations and how best to control their subordinates (agents) who could turn on them at any time The Terrorist’s Dilemma: Managing Violent Covert Organizations.  Princeton Cops and Politicians in Colombia and Mexico Senior Fellow International Crisis Group 9 August 2020.  [22] See Oscar Ramos, “Cartel del narco promete ‘paz’ en Guanajuato, México.” Prensa Arizona. 8 August 2020, http://prensaarizona.com/PrensaAZ/2020/08/08/cartel-del-narco-promete-paz-en-guanajuato-mexico/ Professor David Shirk,10 August 2020.  Mexico’s Illicit Drug Networks and the State Reaction “Systemic Violence in Drug Markets.” Crime [32] Kevin Sieff, “Coronavirus hits Mexico’s economy where it hurts most: Oil, tourism, remittances and trade.” Washington Post. 23 April 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/coronavirus-mexico-economy-oil-tourism-remittance-trade-amlo/2020/04/22/ed4b7532-7f68-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html Nathan P. Jones and John P. Sullivan, “Huachicoleros: Criminal Cartels, Fuel Theft, and Violence in Mexico.” Journal of Strategic Security Robert J. Bunker and John P. Sullivan, “Mexican Cartel Tactical Note #41: Cártel Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL) Logo and Symbols Identification.” Small Wars Journal John P. Sullivan and Robert J. Bunker, “Mexican Cartel Strategic Note No. 27: Confronting the State—Explosive Artifacts, Threats, Huachicoleros, and Cartel Competition in Guanajuato, MX.” Small Wars Journal John P. Sullivan and Robert J. Bunker, “Mexican Cartel Tactical Note #40: Cártel Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL) Tunnels in Guanajuato Highlights Tactical Considerations in Underground Operations.” Small Wars Journal Nathan P. Jones, “The Strategic Implications of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación.” Journal of Strategic Security Unlock exclusive members-only ad-free content SIGN ME UP ￫ A Guanajuato state legislator who was hoping to run for mayor of Juventino Rosas was shot in the back and killed Tuesday morning Authorities said Juan Antonio Acosta Cano’s killers shot him seven times from behind then left him for dead in his exercise clothes on a downtown street in the city of Juventino Rosas had registered as a National Action Party candidate for mayor of the municipality where he had served two previous terms from 2006–2009 and 2012–2015 “I profoundly lament the killing of state Deputy Juan Antonio Acosta Cano and vehemently condemn these deeds,” Guanajuato Governor Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo said on social media “I call on the state Attorney General’s Office to investigate this case and bring justice to those responsible.” Attorney General Carlos Zamarripa Aguirre has assigned the case to a specialized Acosta is the second precandidate for the 2021 elections to be killed a Democratic Revolution Party hopeful for mayor of Chilapa de Álvarez was shot and killed on November 25 at his construction materials business It was just a few weeks after he had announced his intention to run for office Acosta’s killing cut short a diverse political career In addition to serving as mayor of Juventino Rosas he had also served as director of municipal services and as director-general of the DIF family services agency for Guanajuato State PAN president Román Cifuentes Negrete said Guanajuato had lost a man committed to Mexico which led the country in homicides last year has carried on into the new year: 119 people were killed in the first 11 days including nine members of a family attending a funeral last week in León for a man believed to be a lower-level member of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel The man himself had been shot and killed the day before considered by many to be territory of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel is bordered to the south by Villagrán and to the southeast by Celaya The two municipalities were the sites of five firefights between security forces and presumed members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel on Monday that left 10 dead Police attributed those attacks on police to the CJNG and said they had found messages to another unidentified criminal group afterward among the vehicles Sources: El Universal (sp), Infobae (sp) This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Shootouts and narco-blockades using burning vehicles rocked the city of Celaya following the arrest of three suspected members of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (CSRL) The arrests took place in the Laja-Bajío district on the outskirts of Celaya, during patrols by the Guanajuato Public Security Ministry (SSP). According to a ministry press release a group of armed men in an SUV opened fire on a routine patrol drugs and ammunition were also seized during the arrests Although the press release did not name the armed group involved unofficial reports indicate that detainees included ‘El Monedas,’ a leading member of the CSRL armed clashes broke out in the communities of Santa Rosa de Lima On the Celaya-Juventino Rosas state highway armed criminals hijacked civilian vehicles and set at least two on fire as well as laying spikes to burst car tires buses and cargo trucks were hijacked across urban Celaya and the surrounding municipalities of Juventino Rosas and Cortazar Burning vehicles were reported on the road to San José de Guanajuato; the Celaya-Salamanca Pan-American Highway; the Cortazar-Salvatierra Highway; the Cortazar-Jaral del Progreso highway; and the Celaya-Apaseo el Grande section of the Pan-American Highway City firefighters attended seven vehicle fires in the communities of Plancarte López Portillo and Los Mezquites in Celaya On the corner of Mutualismo and Constituyentes avenues criminals opened fire on members of the Celaya Fire Department who were rushing to extinguish a blaze killing firefighter Felipe Jiménez Sánchez the SSP insisted on Sunday evening that they had managed to regain control of the situation and reopen the highways Authorities have also deployed intensive ground and air patrols to reinforce security Local media continue to speculate about the identities of the three detainees Some have claimed that the captured ‘El Monedas’ is the son or brother of José Antonio Yépez Ortiz alias ‘El Marro,’ who led the CSRL until his arrest in August 2020 Once a powerful oil-theft gang, the CSRL has steadily weakened over recent years, both before and after the capture of “El Marro.” However Apaseo el Grande and Celaya municipalities of Guanajuato where its conflict with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) drives high levels of violence With reports from El Financiero and Infobae a crime gang boss better known as “El Marro” and allegedly one of the main instigators of violence in Guanajuato bringing an end to a long manhunt for one of Mexico’s most wanted persons State police and soldiers detained the leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel extortion and drug trafficking organization at a property in a small town in Juventino Rosas a Guanajuato municipality about 75 kilometers southeast of the state capital The National Defense Ministry said the arrest of Yépez who was wanted on charges of fuel theft and organized crime security forces arrested eight other people at a farm property in the community of Franco Tavera located just six kilometers from the town of Santa Rosa de Lima Among those detained was a man identified as Saulo Sergio N – allegedly Yépez’s security chief – and other members of the Santa Rosa cartel The security forces freed a businesswoman who was being held captive at the property and seized numerous weapons including a grenade launcher which is surrounded by trees and on which there are two homes Shots were fired during the arrest operation that took place in the early hours of Sunday morning and one person was reportedly wounded Federal Security Minister Alfonso Durazo said that Yépez would be taken to México state’s Altiplano federal prison from which notorious drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán escaped via a tunnel in 2015 The arrest ends a 1 1/2-year-long manhunt for El Marro, whose cartel has engaged in a bloody turf war in recent years with the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) The feud between the two criminal organizations has turned Guanajuato once one of Mexico’s most peaceful states when Yépez became leader of the Santa Rosa cartel authorities have registered more than 10,000 homicides in the Bajío region state including almost 2,300 in the first half of this year The majority of the murders are believed to be linked to organized crime especially the turf war between El Marro’s gang and the CJNG which is led by Mexico’s most wanted man Some analysts say the arrest of Yépez, whose gang issued two threats against President López Obrador, represents a victory for the CJNG and that the Jalisco-based cartel will now unequivocally dominate the criminal landscape in the state Authorities have already arrested scores of Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel members including several of El Marro’s relatives although many of them were subsequently released due to a lack of evidence and irregularities related to their detention federal and Guanajuato authorities used a fleet of drones to search for the criminal leader and monitor his movements once he was located Unnamed government sources told the newspaper that the aircraft, equipped with high resolution cameras, had been used to aid the search for El Marro since April but aerial surveillance was increased after the release of Yépez’s mother in late June because authorities believed the criminal leader would attempt to make contact with her The sources said that authorities tracked Yépez to the community of Franco Tavera in recent weeks noting that three drones detected gunmen stationed at the entry points to the property where he was detained and the arrival of vehicles at strange hours They told Milenio that Yépez had been recently hiding out in rural localities in the Guanajuato municipalities of Juventino Rosas Apaseo el Alto and Apaseo el Grande as well as in the neighboring state of Querétaro The sources said that El Marro had not been in Villagrán the municipality where Santa Rosa de Lima is located They said Yépez and his inner circle had no idea they were being watched by the drones which were made by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems the operation of the kind of unmanned aerial vehicles used in the surveillance of El Marro requires the permission of the United States Department of State because the U.S Marines have an exclusive contract with their manufacturer Milenio also reported that two days before Sunday’s raid the federal government’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) blocked the accounts of 11 people who were part of Yépez’s legal and accounting team Funds held in the accounts were related to El Marro’s criminal activities The UIF has previously blocked the accounts of 88 people with alleged links to the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel López Obrador said Sunday that the arrest of Yépez, and corruption cases against former officials including ex-Pemex CEO Emilio Lozoya showed that the government is not “hijacked” by nor at the service of crime groups whether they be bands of white-collar criminals or violent cartels the president reaffirmed his commitment to combating corruption and eliminating impunity “If we cleanse the government of corruption the rebirth of Mexico will be achieved,” he said López Obrador described the arrest of El Marro as “very important” and charged that the Santa Rosa cartel was able to increase its strength and expand due to the complicity of state and municipal authorities “How was it that this cartel grew so much to the point that Guanajuato became the most violent state in the country shady deals with municipal authorities and state authorities and impunity Guanajuato Governor Diego Sinhue said on Twitter that Yépez’s arrest was “a big step toward recovering peace” in the state said that El Marro could choose to cooperate with authorities and as a result implicate government officials in his criminal activities “The process that will follow opens the possibility that Yépez will become a protected witness … To reduce his sentence or to have more favorable prison conditions he [could] give the names of all the politicians and National Action Party [state] authorities in Guanajuato that provided protection to him,” he said Saucedo said that Yépez could become a “Guanajuato Lozoya,” referring to the former Pemex chief’s willingness to collaborate with authorities He said the arrest of El Marro doesn’t mean that the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel has been completely dismantled and predicted that internal disputes among plaza chiefs could lead to an increase in violence Saucedo said that violence could also spike because the CJNG will likely seek to take advantage of the situation and launch a new offensive against its weakened arch enemy in Guanajuato It is probable that the CJNG will move into Querétaro because that state “had a wall that defended it from the Jalisco cartel which was precisely … the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.” if the CJNG succeeds in taking down its rival nothing will stop it from moving into Querétaro “The capture [of El Marro] is a triumph for both the state government and the federal government but the main winner is the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.” I was recently talking to a Mexican friend about people whose work defined our respective countries Other friends trotted out the usual suspects – “William Shakespeare,” “Winston Churchill,” “Isembard Kingdom Brunel” and so on When it was his turn to think of some notable Mexicans my friend began with the same somewhat tired list; Benito Juárez Then he turned to me and said “Did you know a Mexican wrote ‘The Blue Danube?’”  and that was partly because he turned out to be incorrect It turns out that while Mexican authorship of “Blue Danube” is something of a common misconception in Mexico the song he was referring to is arguably even more recognized than Johann Strauss’ Viennese waltz in movies and even in video games like “Forza Horizon.” The tune has become synonymous with good old-fashioned leisure but its composer and an enormous influence on U.S “Sobre las olas” was composed by Juventino Policarpo Rosas Cadenas back in 1888 and is more than the soundtrack to a daring trapeze routine After experiencing a revival in the mid-20th century the song has become a mainstay of classical music and New Orleans jazz bluegrass and tejano – many of the more traditional U.S Guanajuato – now Santa Cruz de Juventino Rosas for reasons that will become obvious – in 1868 Rosas began his career as many aspiring musicians have: on the street Joining up with a dance band in Mexico City the young Otomí composer and his family walked the 180 miles from their hometown to what was then the Mexico City suburb of Tepito when Juventino was just seven years old Success very quickly followed the young violinist he had performed for legendary opera singer Angela Peralta – the “Mexican Nightingale” – and for President Porfirío Díaz young Rosas had an uneasy relationship with the formal musical establishment dropping out of the city’s conservatory twice before taking any formal exams the now-teenaged Rosas toured with a military band on his way to perform at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago The World’s Fair gig was high profile enough to land Rosas a job traveling Cuba with an international crew of musicians he contracted spinal myelitis while touring the island and succumbed to the infection shortly afterward He was buried in Cuba but his remains were later repatriated to Mexico in 1909 Rosas was buried in the Panteón Civil de Dolores cemetery in the prestigious Circle of Illustrious Persons He published 25 compositions in his lifetime – mostly Mexican danzas and European waltzes almost entirely through the Mexican publishing house ​​Wagner y Levien “Sobre las olas” itself was sold for a mere 45 pesos – though it reportedly made its new owner hundreds of thousands when it became a fixture of the European waltz scene “Sobre las olas” did not make much of a splash in Rosas’s lifetime “Only one other waltz vies with the ‘Blue Danube’ for the privilege of being played around the world every day the best-known musical composition among those produced by the Mexican arts.” While the song became a smash hit on the European and Latin Waltz circuits its life in the early 20th century is still more remarkable southern folk genres – particularly New Orleans Jazz and Country and Western – owes Rosas a significant debt and the song became a mainstay for musicians across the country While other traditional Mexican songs often formed part of early jazz repertoire – notably “Cielito Lindo” and “La Bamba” – none has been elevated to the status of Rosas’ magnum opus While it is well known as the classic crooning track “The Most Wonderful Night of the Year,” it is New Orleans Jazz where the song became most notable Jazz scholar Paul Tighe explains how the song became so symbolic of early jazz that British audiences actually wept when first hearing it performed The song was closely associated with legendary jazzman George Lewis – a man who had supposedly never left New Orleans and was therefore one of the purist players of the genre His rendition of “Sobre las olas” was now tied to the legend that he had recorded it while recovering from an attack in a hospital in 1943 “The pedestal that this song was placed on shows it was a major part of the set and is identified with Lewis as early as 1943,” he explains when people saw him – when people heard him for the first time people wept because they thought they were hearing the essence of New Orleans Jazz,” Tighe continues “The song remained prominent in his live performances until his death in 1968.” This was 80 years after Rosas first published the song The adoption of “Sobre las olas” was actually part of a wider trend of Latin music entering the U.S legendary Jelly Roll Morton – one of the progenitors of the New Orleans scene – described the importance of infusing Mexican and Latin sounds into the genre ‘If you can’t manage to put tinges of Spanish in your tunes you will never be able to get the right seasoning for jazz.’” As New Orleans jazz became a starting point for a variety of other southern folk genres the new life that Lewis had afforded it meant that it was borrowed by other artists across a variety of genres Willie Nelson recorded it on his seminal “Red Headed Stranger” album The Beach Boys released it under the title “Carnival” and the Atari video game company released it as the soundtrack to Pitfall II: Lost Caverns (albeit in a very bleepy style) on their Atari 2600 console The song also regained its Mexican roots somewhat The genre would eventually morph into what we now know as Norteño but few songs in the early days of the style better represented the fusion of north and south quite like “Across the Waves.” It is a shame that Rosas has never truly gained the recognition he deserves for his work as a musical innovator The genres that picked up his tune have all become iconic – but whatever the size of their modern audiences they all owe their debt to an Otomí man who lived a short yet brilliant life more than a century ago By Mexico News Daily writer Chris Havler-Barrett A once notorious Guanajuato cartel leader has been handed a 60-year prison sentence for the kidnapping of a businesswoman was the leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel He was arrested on August 2, 2020, at a property in a small town in Juventino Rosas The businesswoman was found on the property and freed Five other cartel members were on trial along with the former leader They are all being held in different prisons with Yépez in the maximum-security Altiplano prison in México state The judgment was announced remotely from Valle de Santiago praised legal institutions after the sentence “We have strong institutions to guarantee justice with the full weight of the law for those who violate it We will not stop until we achieve the … peace that the good people [of Guanajuato] deserve to live in,” he said The Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel has been engaged in a bloody turf war with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) since Yépez publicly declared war in 2017 Guanajuato is destined to be named the state with the most homicides for the fourth consecutive year Celebrations for the New Year were short-lived in the state: in just the first seven days of 2021 President López Obrador has previously questioned the efforts of Governor Rodríguez and Attorney General Carlos Zamarripa to combat crime and violence With reports from Milenio and Infobae An anti-fuel theft operation in Guanajuato has once again been met by a hostile response from residents who set up fiery blockades to repel security forces A navy helicopter flew over Santa Rosa de Lima soldiers and state police carried out an operation on the ground to combat the activities of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel – a gang of fuel thieves – and search for its leader The approach of the security forces prompted residents of Villagrán and the neighboring municipality of Juventino Rosas to set about 20 vehicles alight on several roads and highways in the area Among the highways affected were the Salamanca-Querétaro the Celaya-Comonfort and the Celaya-Salvatierra A state police car was among the vehicles set on fire Guanajuato security official Sophia Huett López said that as with other operations, forces were attempting to locate gang leader José Antonio “El Marro” Yépez Ortiz a stronghold of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel have clashed at least twice with security forces this year On February 23, a group of between 50 and 100 people – mainly women – shouted insults at soldiers and Federal Police in Santa Rosa de Lima, forcing the security forces to retreat In late January, residents also burned vehicles to create blockades on highways after an operation that seized thousands of liters of stolen fuel Two days later, a narco-banner, signed by “El Marro,” appeared in Salamanca warning President López Obrador to remove security forces from Guanajuato or innocent people would die Guanajuato was Mexico’s most violent state in 2018 Complicating the state’s security situation is that there is a shortage of municipal police officers while drones and lapel cameras purchased by authorities in the capital for policing purposes haven’t been used we don’t have trained personnel to fly this kind of equipment that was left by the past administration It’s not only [a lack of] people who are trained protocols are needed so that this technology is used effectively for security issues,” said Carlos Chávez president of the municipal security commission The National Action Party (PAN) councilor added that the number of lapel cameras that were purchased only covers 5% of the municipal police force He said all officers should wear one because they can help to ensure that human rights are respected and allow “irrefutable evidence” to be recorded during all police operations Chávez said that the priorities for municipal authorities were the purchase of more police vehicles and the training of new officers to bolster the force’s ranks Source: Reforma (sp), El Financiero (sp)  The fuel theft gang believed to be behind much of the violence that made Guanajuato Mexico’s deadliest state last year is now expanding into Querétaro and Hidalgo according to federal intelligence officials The Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel has expanded its area of influence significantly over the past two years and now has operational bases in the Guanajuato municipalities of Villagrán also has complete control of the municipalities of Cortazar the cartel has expanded the area of territory it controls – known as the Guanajuato Triangle – from 130 square kilometers to 400 square kilometers despite efforts by both federal and state authorities to combat its activities The two Apaseo municipalities border Querétaro providing a springboard for the cartel to move into that state while it has also begun making its first incursions into Hidalgo The areas targeted by the gang all have one thing in common: Pemex petroleum pipelines run through them As the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel expands its presence – all the while tapping the pipelines to extract fuel which it sells on the black market – violence in the parts of Guanajuato in which the gang operates has surged especially in areas where it is involved in a turf war with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) all three disputed by the two criminal organizations third and fourth respectively for the number of homicides they recorded in 2018 and along with Valle de Santiago accounted for 36% of all murders in Guanajuato The four municipalities also led the state for slayings of police officers. Six traffic police were shot and killed in one particularly violent attack in Salamanca on June 1 last year and two months later three officers were abducted and executed in the same municipality a candidate for mayor was shot dead while campaigning in May last year while the municipality’s new transport director was murdered the same day he took office last October On January 25, the director of the 911 emergency response service in Irapuato was killed after he refused to continue leaking information to the Santa Rosa Cartel and six days later, a narco-banner allegedly signed by Yépez appeared in Salamanca warning President López Obrador to remove security forces from Guanajuato or innocent people will die Explosives, referred to in the narcomanta as a “little gift,” were also left inside a vehicle parked in front of the Salamanca oil refinery but were removed by the army before they detonated Guanajuato recorded 3,290 homicides in 2018, making it the most violent state in Mexico, and ranked third for illegal pipeline taps The federal government is cracking down on fuel theft with a strategy that includes deploying the military and Federal Police to guard petroleum pipelines and other infrastructure owned and operated by the state oil company But despite authorities having a lot of information about the criminal leader known as “El Marro,” efforts to capture him have so far been fruitless and the criminal organization he heads continues to consolidate its power Source: Milenio (sp)  por El sabor de la tradición volvió a conquistar paladares con el arranque del 13° Encuentro de Cocina Tradicional Guanajuato ¡Sí Sabe una celebración de la identidad gastronómica organizada por la Secretaría de Turismo e Identidad de Guanajuato (SECTURI) Este evento anual destaca como una plataforma clave para promover las recetas más representativas del estado preservando técnicas ancestrales y sabores regionales La primera preliminar se llevó a cabo el pasado 6 de abril en el Parador Turístico Sangre de Cristo Celaya y Apaseo el Grande deslumbraron con una variedad de platillos tradicionales destacaron delicias como el Tamal de Coco en Espejo de Cajeta de Celaya las Doraditas de Trigo con Atole de Pinole de Comonfort y el cremoso Jamoncillo de Leche de Juventino Rosas Silao sorprendió con su evocador Beso de Mezquite la creatividad y la tradición se unieron en propuestas como la Pacharela de Tripas con Salsa de Xoconostle de Celaya la Quesadilla Ceremonial de Huitlacoche de Comonfort y el Mole Rojo de Cortázar También sobresalieron la Barbacoa de Cabrito en Pencas Cocida en Fogón de Juventino Rosas y el exótico Cabrito a la Griega de Apaseo el Grande Cada platillo fue evaluado por un jurado especializado que seleccionará a los mejores representantes de cada municipio para competir en la gran final programada para el 31 de mayo en el Distrito León MX Este evento no solo exalta el patrimonio gastronómico del estado sino que también impulsa el turismo cultural y culinario reafirmando a Guanajuato como un destino imprescindible para los amantes de la buena comida Las próximas etapas preliminares se realizarán en los siguientes puntos del estado: May 5, 2025 | este domingo se llevó a cabo la Tercera Preliminar del 13° Encuentro de Cocina Tradicional “Guanajuato ¡Sí Sabe!” El evento reunió a cocineras y cocineros.. May 3, 2025 | , En el marco de su 304 aniversario Cortazar prepara una celebración que conquistará paladares y corazones por igual el Taco y el Cabrito regresa este 4 y 5 de mayo con una propuesta que combina la riqueza culinaria local,.. May 2, 2025 | En el marco de una colaboración inédita entre estados han dado vida a una nueva propuesta turística: la ruta “La Revolución del Vino y el Mezcal” Esta iniciativa conjunta fue presentada oficialmente con la firma de un.. May 1, 2025 | San Miguel de Allende lo ha vuelto a hacer: la ciudad guanajuatense fue reconocida como el mejor destino turístico de bodas en México por la revista México Desconocido Abr 30, 2025 | Como parte de su participación en el Tianguis Turístico 2025 la Secretaría de Turismo e Identidad de Guanajuato en colaboración con Turismo Alternativo en Guanajuato y el Hotel Corazón Mexicano presentó oficialmente la nueva ruta turística “Diego este domingo se llevó a cabo la Tercera Preliminar del 13° Encuentro de Cocina Tradicional “Guanajuato ¡Sí.. han dado vida a una nueva propuesta turística: la.. San Miguel de Allende lo ha vuelto a hacer: la ciudad guanajuatense fue reconocida como el mejor destino turístico de bodas en México por la revista.. 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