With sea turtles once again nesting on the coast of Chiapas turtle eggs have reappeared on the black market in the southern state The newspaper Diario de Sur reported that poachers are removing olive ridley turtle eggs from beaches in Mazatán a coastal municipality in southern Chiapas that borders Tapachula a dozen eggs sell for around 70 pesos (US $3.40) according to José Alfredo González Gerardo a biologist who collaborates with a Mazatán community group dedicated to the protection of flora and fauna some people see the poaching and sale of turtle eggs as a money-making exercise González said that a single poacher can collect up to 20 dozen eggs in a night and make 1,400 pesos (US $68) by selling them on the black market large numbers of poachers descend on Mazatán beaches to look for eggs Authorities do little to stop the illegal practice and volunteers attempting to protect nests are outnumbered and outpaced by the poachers González said the eggs are subsequently sold in municipalities such as Tapachula People from those municipalities come to Mazatán to remove eggs from turtle nests González said the eggs are illegally sold in public markets and served as snacks in bars and cantinas He attributed the high demand for turtle eggs to the erroneous conception that they are an aphrodisiac There is no conclusive medical evidence that they are The biologist called on authorities to do more to stop the poaching especially on the Emiliano Zapata ejido (communal land) which is easily accessible via a coastal highway that runs through Mazatán the poaching of turtle eggs is punishable by imprisonment of up to nine years as well as large fines Despite a federal ban on the hunting, sale and consumption of sea turtle eggs taking effect over 30 years ago, they continue to be poached, sold and eaten in some other parts of the country, such as Oaxaca’s Isthmus of Tehuantepec region With reports from Diario del Sur ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC Which language would you like to use this site in marks the spot where the journalist Gustavo Sánchez Cabrera was gunned down Inscribed only with his name in white capital letters this modest memorial stands beside a dirt road leading to the village of Morro de Mazatán where Sánchez lived with his wife and their 15-year-old son Sánchez had been riding on his motorbike with his son at about 8 a.m The assassins fired at least 15 nine-millimeter rounds Sánchez was killed despite recently enrolling in Mexico’s federal Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists. The Mechanism condemned his murder and asked the National Human Rights Commission to conduct an independent investigation if the relevant authorities had acted earlier The Commission found that Sánchez had asked to enroll in the Mechanism and submitted evidence of threats and aggressions against him on 2 May 2020 He then survived a shooting that left him hospitalized on 13 July and suffered threats and harassment later that year Yet the Mechanism did not even evaluate his case until 13 January 2021 the Mechanism agreed to incorporate Sánchez under an “extraordinary procedure” in light of the grave danger he faced it must resolve urgent cases of this nature and approve protective measures within hours of receiving the journalist’s request Yet Sánchez received no such protective measures The Mechanism did not assign him bodyguards help secure his home or even provide a panic button Officials said they would give him the phone number of a contact at the Oaxaca state police he could call in case of emergency But they did not even fulfill that promise Sánchez sent the Mechanism screenshots of death threats he had received over Facebook Messenger he told them that the man who shot him the previous year had just fired at him again while he was riding home on his motorbike with his son Sánchez told the Mechanism he had called 911 and the Oaxaca Attorney General’s Office but neither helped him Sánchez repeatedly requested a bulletproof vest, to no avail. On 4 June, he told Reporteros Sin Fronteras that “despite now being under the protection of the mechanism The police always say they have no resources… I don’t know how they’re going to protect me but unfortunately I have to go out to work Sánchez emailed the Mechanism complaining that he had still not received any protective measures More than 13 months had now passed since he first requested protection An official replied: “the notifications corresponding to the protection plan set out by the government board have been made We’re on time for said measures to be implemented.” That was Sánchez’s last interaction with the Mechanism told Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that he had looked anxious and pale in the days before his death because Gustavo wasn’t getting the help he was asking for,” she said for them to come and keep him safe… but he never received a thing.” The Mechanism had installed a security camera and metal bars at their home in response to threats six or seven years earlier but it removed the camera after three years upon deciding that he was no longer at risk The National Human Rights Commission concluded that Mechanism staff were repeatedly negligent and “incurred in serious irregularities and omissions that had a direct impact on his life, physical integrity and personal safety.” Despite having the resources to effectively protect Sánchez and his family, the Mechanism “did nothing to protect them”, leaving them “in a state of absolute defenselessness.” Hiriam Moreno, another local journalist who survived being shot in the nearby port of Salina Cruz in 2019, told Amnesty International and CPJ that Sánchez’s murder was a clear example of the Mechanism’s shortcomings and need for reform. Moreno said the Mechanism had provided him with bodyguards on several occasions, only to withdraw them months later and leave him with only a panic button. This downgrading of his protection was deeply distressing, he said: “I feel the anxiety, insecurity and fear come back. I don’t sleep normally. When I hear a noise at one or four o’clock I get scared.” Describing Mexico as “a graveyard for journalists”, Moreno said the attacks have forced him to self-censor and stop investigating crime and corruption. This has cost him income, while he has also stopped socializing and avoids public places. Sánchez’s family members are also still struggling to come to terms with their new life. “It’s hit us hard because he was the one who provided for us. And my children were really sad, too. Now I have to be both mom and dad… It’s very hard now that he’s gone,” Salinas said. “It could all have been avoided, if the relevant authorities had acted earlier, when he asked for help.” *Duncan Tucker is the Americas media manager at Amnesty International. Jan-Albert Hootsen is the Mexico representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists Together we can fight for human rights everywhere. Your donation can transform the lives of millions. If you are talented and passionate about human rights then Amnesty International wants to hear from you. Migrants funneling through Mexico en route to the US had in the past relied on “La Bestia,” or the beast a cargo train on which they rode as stowaways The nickname was warranted—those who boarded it risked life and limb by traveling on the train’s roof or hanging in between the carriages Mexico has taken a series of measures to keep migrants off the train Mexican authorities have also bulked up border patrols and stepped up deportations So many immigrants are now taking small fishing boats from the municipality of Ocós just south of the Mexican border with Guatemala It’s not a long trip by land; Ocós is about 50 miles (80 km) from the commonly used port of Mazatán it can be more dangerous than “La Bestia.” Last June The once threatened green iguana is now in high demand — as a pet Wildlife Management Units (UMA) in Chiapas expect to raise 35,000 green iguanas this year which was endangered in Chiapas a decade ago due to the culinary popularity of its eggs and meat female iguanas make their nests in sandy caves and lay 50-70 eggs The UMAs focused on raising the species near the Pacific coast in the municipalities of Mazatán replicating those conditions to maximize the reproduction of the reptiles Many of the iguanas eventually find homes in Chiapas said the coldblooded lizards are very docile manageable and suitable as pets for people with little space looking for the company of a calm animal iguanas are being exported for sale from El Salvador to Mexico and the United States bright green creatures have sharp claws and long thin tails and can measure more than two meters in length They have thick scales that cover their skin to provide protection against water and loose skin hanging from their necks iguanas are not demanding as pets: They spend more time sunbathing than eating iguanas need to live under certain conditions with a terrarium offering the correct light The climate in Chiapas meets the right tropical conditions which is part of the reason that pet ownership has boomed in the region Ten-year-old Carlitos Lizárraga said he has enjoyed the company of such a calm pet “It isn’t like a dog or cat that runs around the house destroying things I’ve already had it a year and there are no problems because my grandfather made it a terrarium … it has a trunk and a cave It eats fruits and vegetables that my mother uses in the kitchen … It’s really good for children,” he said Edson Martínez sells small iguanas for 250-300 pesos (US $12.50-$15) from a pet shop in Tapachula He said that people looking to take home an iguana should provide it with an adequate space “We try to raise awareness because these animals grow and at some point they react by instinct,” he warned Martínez added that the reptiles can easily live alongside dogs and cats and are happy strolling around the house With reports from Milenio A shipment of Mexican bananas is on its way to China for the first time ever Thirty-nine tonnes of the fruit grown by producers in Teapa, Tabasco, and Mazatán, Chiapas, left the port in Manzanillo, Colima, on Tuesday bound for the world’s second largest economy, where consumers have already developed a taste for Mexican avocados and tequila federal Agriculture Secretary Víctor Villalobos Arámbula said the opening of the Chinese market to Mexican bananas was the result of the work done by producers to ensure that they meet the necessary phytosanitary Villalobos and a Chinese official signed a bilateral phytosanitary agreement in Beijing in May last year paving the way for the export of Mexican bananas to the east Asian nation The agriculture secretary said on Tuesday that the government will continue to support producers so that more can meet the strict import standards for countries such as China will also oversee compliance with standards to ensure that export volumes increase Senasica chief Francisco Javier Trujillo said that all Mexican banana plantations that will export to China in an initial phase have been certified as being free of pests and having sound agricultural practices A Sader certificate will accompany each shipment of bananas to serve as evidence of compliance with the agricultural conditions to which Mexico and China agreed president of the National Banana Product System Committee said that producers will aim to increase their exports without neglecting the domestic market Mexico is the world’s 12th largest banana producer according to the growers’ association About 30% of production is exported to 43 different countries The United States was the biggest buyer of Mexican bananas in 2018 followed by Japan and the Netherlands Source: El Financiero (sp)