The town of San José de Gracia is known for their endowment in clay their decorative pieces have always been emblematic of the environment around them—the raw material for their art was sourced directly from local mountains that San José de Garcia would become the birthplace of “pastillaje,” a ceramic technique that has cultivated its own legacy within Mexican art Thin strips of clay are pinched to create ornamental patterns often to resemble the texture of pineapples or flowers Bañuelos invites viewers out of the conventions of a traditional workshop and into a playful presentation inspired by his own search for personal freedoms While each piece plays with structure and form, they also experiment with color, boasting unique hues mixed with intention. “El Sol” and “La Luna” feature cherry red and high-gloss black, while the “Saturno” is finished in Marva’s signature tapioca en jacaranda glaze. “Luminaria Eclipse,” made in collaboration with LaLuisa The exhibition is crafted in collaboration with multigenerational ceramicists in San José Gracia underscoring the community-driven innovation at the heart of Bañuelos’ work Perhaps the most striking is the “Piña Anana Cempasúchil,” a 80-centimeter pineapple-shaped sculpture that pays homage to the legacy of pastillaje ceramics The piece captures Bañuelos’ marriage of heritage innovation evident throughout his work ‍Marva Studio will also debut their Casa Marva in Mexico City this May The new space embodies Bañuelos’ longstanding principles of community-driven development artists collaborations and community programming Stay up-to-date with exclusive events and content We use cookies to analyze user behavior in order to constantly improve the website for you. Learn more All figures in United States Dollars ("USD") or the "Company") is pleased to report results for the fiscal year ended December 31 2024 demonstrating improved profitability at the San Jose de Gracia Mine highlighted by the achievement of positive operating margins and net income for the three months ended December 31 Revenue for the full year 2024 totaled $46.5 million Achieved Net Income for Q4 2024 of $0.1 million compared to a net loss of $8.0 million in Q4 2023 Gold production of 6,775 ounces in Q4 2024 was up 19% from 5,676 ounces the previous quarter and up 25% from 5,405 ounces in Q4 2023 Production for the full year 2024 totaled 25,677 ounces of gold which fell within the Company's revised guidance Milled throughput of 67,670 tons in Q4 2024 representing a 9% increase compared to 61,900 tons in Q3 2024 and a 50% improvement over 45,151 tons in Q4 2023 Milled throughput for the full year 2024 was 256,676 tons representing a 30% increase over 2023 Daily mill throughput average of 704 tons per day in 2024 "2024 was a significant year for DynaResource and I am extremely proud of the progress made at our San Jose de Gracia Mine as this new management team makes its mark on the Company Through significant capital investment and operational improvements made strategic and sustainable sequential growth in output throughout the year leading to record throughput levels and most importantly restored profitability in Q4 of 2024 The financial success can be attributed to the steadfast approach to financing and restructuring the Company has gone through AISC cash cost targets and higher gold prices we look forward to improving the bottom line With the continued improvements in the mine's operating capabilities and the path to profitability being strongly demonstrated we are hopeful that the true value of the Company will be realized." Quarterly Results for the Three and Twelve Months Ended December 31 (1) Gold concentrate sold during the period is not equal to gold concentrate recovered during the period due to timing of shipments to buyer and due to buyer's payability discount for the purchase of gold concentrate and due to any adjustment from dry weight and assay in provisional settlements with the final assays Summary of Site-Based Processing and Operational Activity the Company has remained focused on developing and implementing the optimization program at the San Jose de Gracia mine aimed at increasing process plant throughput and recoveries and improving maintenance and equipment usage with the goal of improving efficiencies and profit margins at San Jose de Gracia Operational results for the quarter demonstrated significantly improved efficiencies as a result of the ongoing optimization program with a steady improvement as the quarter proceeded with metal production of 2,626 ounces of gold in October 2,182 ounces in November and 1,968 ounces in December In Q4 2024 total metal production of 6,775 ounces of gold was a 19% increase from 5,676 ounces the previous quarter and a 25% increase from 5,405 ounces in Q4 2023 Milled throughput for Q4 2024 was 67,670 tons Milled throughput for the full year 2024 was 256,676 tons representing a 30% increase over 2023 annual milled throughput of 198,518 tons The increase in ounces produced during the quarter was a result of the increase in feed grade from 3.78 g/t in Q3 2024 to 4.12 g/t in Q4 2024 The average head grade for the full year 2024 was 4.07 g/t The slight decrease in grade is a result of the planned reduction of certain high-grade zones in accordance with the mine plan as well as higher dilution experienced in the processed material the Company opened a new development area at San Pablo and opened a new mining deposit which is expected to yield higher-grade material at depth Through significant capital investment made in 2024 including several upgrades to the plant and increased underground development and access to working faces the Company has improved the utilization and productivity of current infrastructure A new vibrating screen was installed in the crushing circuit in August 2024 which has resulted in a more consistent and overall improved mill performance which is demonstrated by September's performance of an average of 770 tons per day produced production averaged 825 tons per day with further improvements expected Improvements to the flotation circuit have led to improvements in grades with steady month-over-month increases in the metallurgical results achieved metallurgical test work with new reagents also resulted in an optimized flow sheet and demonstrated the ability to deliver up to a 79% recovery The Company is working to improve the consistency of plant recoveries through ongoing metallurgical test work aimed at increasing overall gold recoveries at San Jose de Gracia This work program includes the re-establishment of a primary gravity gold circuit with the installation of three new Falcon gravity concentrators to recover a significant portion of free gold available in the San Pablo San Pablo Sur and La Mochomera mining zones Recent metallurgical test work indicates a 95% recovery of gold to gravity and flotation concentrates The Company is targeting 80% total recoveries following the installation of the gravity circuit Detailed activities from the three main deposits include: At the Tres Amigos vein north zone a new ore drive was completed in the upper levels enabling further access to this high-grade vein via a new mining face Mining from this face was incorporated into Q3 and Q4 2024 production and will continue throughout 2025 as mining this is currently one of the main sources of high-grade ore to the mill This newly gained access will also enable diamond drilling deeper with a lateral extension toward this untested north and south extension with the goal of increasing mineable inventory Throughout Q3 and Q4 2024 the Company continued active mining from multiple faces at the San Pablo deposit while continuing development work on the access to the San Pablo deposit San Pablo Viejo and San Pablo Sur are expected to remain the primary sources of gold production through 2025 and 2026 the South Extension at the 500 level presents an exciting high-grade opportunity potentially yielding a "Gold Bonanza" in the short to mid-term The mine is well-positioned for the future with a focus on developing new reserves and expanding deeper into the La Mochomera vein The La Mochomera vein is also expected to be an important source of gold production during 2025 and 2026 and with particularly interesting high-grade opportunities at depth which is also open With a successful Q4 2024 demonstrating more normalized operations the Company believes that San Jose de Gracia is well positioned for 2025 The steady increased rate of production resulted in 2024 full year production meeting the Company's updated guidance While the Company made significant headway in the last half of 2024 the continued effort to optimize operations will remain focused on improving ore to the mill La Mochomera and the Tres Amigos ore bodies will continue to be the main contributors to production in the year ahead Development in these areas will also be a key focus for the Company to access high-grade zones and new mining faces As a result of the capital investments made to the mine and mill exploration expenditure in Q4 2024 remained minimal limiting available high-grade resources ready for short term mining exploration will drill targets that are expected to continue to grow the existing high-grade ore resources and increase mineable inventory The Company expects to start near-mine extension drilling on the property in July 2025 (Q3 2025) and expand to surrounding areas by year end Exploration will focus on growing the known resources at San Jose de Gracia The Company plans to prioritize drilling high grade underground targets that can readily be brought into the mine plan as well as the continued regional program to better understand the potential of the significant land package at San Jose de Gracia planning for deeper and lateral drilling in between the San Pablo and Tres Amigos veins has highlighted the potential for extending the high-grade underground resource at San Jose de Gracia especially in zones that were previously thought to be discontinuous such as near faulting and has identified the opportunity to develop San Pablo La Mochomera and Tres Amigos exploration potential the Company seeks to explore high grade potential toward south to Palos Chinos and Purisima historical mines which operated over 100 years ago as high-grade mines A new tailings dam was completed during Q3 2024 with a total estimated storage capacity of 670,751 cubic meters distributed in two stages to hold additional future tailings for approximately 3.0 years The use of the third stage storage facility is underway and planning for the fourth stage is in process On behalf of the Board of Directors of DynaResource About DynaResourceDynaResource is a junior gold mining producer trading on the OTCQX under the symbol "DYNR" DynaResource is actively mining and expanding the historic San Jose de Gracia gold mining district in Sinaloa For Information on DynaResource, Inc. please visit www.dynaresource.com Investor Relations:Katherine Pryde, Investor Relations Manager+1 972-869-9400info@dynaresource.com CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27 A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and actual results and future events could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements Although DynaResource believes that the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on reasonable assumptions readers cannot be assured that actual results will be consistent with such statements readers are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking information DynaResource expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/247572 SOURCE: DynaResource, Inc. Sign Up Company Profile Mining and Metals Mayordomo Emilio Martinez walks towards the entrance of the San José de Gracia church while moving cleaning materials out of the church in the village of Las Trampas on Wednesday The restoration project for the Spanish Colonial church built in 1760 was completed last month Mayordomo Emilio Martinez talks Wednesday about the work done inside San José de Gracia Church including the cleaning of the altar screens and religious artwork as part of the restoration project author of a book about New Mexico's historic churches and one of the developers of Nuevo Mexico Profundo walks down the aisle of the San José de Gracia on Wednesday whose arm was repaired during a restoration project so he could hold up a carved baby Jesus once again seen at San José de Gracia church in Las Trampas A neighbor of the San José de Gracia church in Las Trampas leaves after a visit Wednesday "It's still a living church … but right now it's mainly a museum in the sense that people just come to see it," said mayordomo Emilio Martinez The nearly 250-year-old house of worship in Las Trampas had fallen into disrepair That's when a nonprofit came to the community's aid Email notifications are only sent once a day the beloved San José de Gracia Church in this tiny mountain village along the High Road to Taos had fallen into serious disrepair The structure is the veritable soul of this mountain village; the embodiment of all who’ve come before in Las Trampas a community of about four dozen people located 44 miles north of Santa Fe But in a battle with time and Mother Nature aided by other volunteers who would pitch in when they could would plaster the towering Spanish mission church with mud and shore it up with handmade adobe bricks in spots that needed it most on a regular basis But the work to preserve the historic building was piecemeal — too big and expensive of a project to do all at once Mayordomo Emilio Martinez recalls a group stopping to look at the church which is on the National Register of Historic Places and remarking they had seen four old men working on the church “There were four old men that were doing the work in their 70s and 80s While researching a book about historic churches in New Mexico author Frank Graziano realized some sanctuaries in the state were in a “precarious situation” as a result of shrinking populations “There’s not enough people for a congregation to have Masses at the churches and so they’ve kind of gone into disuse and disrepair,” he said ‘Are there ways that I could give something back by doing something to try and help or save at least some of these churches?’ ” The question evolved into Nuevo Mexico Profundo a nonprofit group that seeks to restore culturally and historically significant sites in New Mexico The group recently celebrated the completion of an all-encompassing $200,000 restoration and preservation project at the church that included a complete overhaul outside and conservation of religious artifacts and devotional art from 18th and 19th century santeros inside expressed gratitude to the donors who made the project possible we get to do only do one portion at a time,” she said while taking a break from sweeping “By the time we had finished the south side we’re starting all over again with the east side And it’s just going around and around this beautiful structure Graziano said the project started with the restoration of altar screens and other religious art inside the church in 2022 Maybe we could raise enough money to restore the building that all came together and now we just finished it,” he said All of the windows were removed and restored with UV protection All of the canales in the church were replaced There was some seepage into the north wall They stabilized the parapets and then they remudded the entire church and all of the churchyard walls,” Graziano said The conservation work inside was “incredible,” he said which is completely insane,” Graziano said including several altar screens and Stations of the Cross The art conservation was done by master santeros Victor Goler and Felix Lopez santero Nicolas Otero and Las Trampas resident Clarence Vigil Before and after photos of the artwork show dramatic differences “There’s also a bunch of bultos and statues and they conserved all of those as well,” Graziano said “It’s really interesting to see the before and after like how they pop when they’re done with the conservation.” A wooden statue of Saint Joseph at the front of the church forcing parishioners to lay the baby Jesus who was supposed to be in his arms next to the statue After one of the santeros sculpted a new hand Baby Jesus is back in the arms of the statue of Saint Joseph A historic marker outside the church indicates it was built between 1760 and 1776 “Parishioners periodically re-mud the adobe walls which are as much as six feet thick,” the marker states “It is considered one of the best preserved examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in New Mexico.” “the nearest church was almost ten miles away at Picuris,” according to the National Park Service “The church still retains most of its original 18th century features with its wide-plank wooden floors and the strong adobe walls that have been preserved and continually re-plastered,” according to the park service’s website “The unique and original transverse clerestory window in the nave casts light on the sanctuary and altar said seeing the finished product was been incredibly rewarding “There’s a lot of distrust of outsider good intentions and for good reason Then once people see what you’re doing and that it worked out just to have the project done and the community love it because it could’ve gone sideways Graziano said he made friends and acquaintances all over the state when he wrote Historic Churches of New Mexico Today I had a lot of wealthy friends in Santa Fe and I felt like I could be a bridge,” he said Martinez said the church restoration was bittersweet it’s been done by the community for [nearly] 250 years,” he said “We can no longer say the community has been doing it for that many years.” Losing that tradition has caused Martinez heartache who grew up in the neighboring community of Vadito and “married into the community,” said he feels a tremendous amount of responsibility for the upkeep of the church “There’s folks buried in here [under] the floor you’re greeted by that spirit of commitment that was in the church,” he said “It’s kind of a charge that the people that are in the church are telling you Mass used to be celebrated at the church the first and third Sunday of each month but most services ceased after the coronavirus pandemic and never returned “It’s still a living church … but right now it’s mainly a museum in the sense that people just come to see it,” Martinez said a descendant of the 12 Spanish families who founded Las Trampas said the church is the heart of the community the first thing you see is the church right in the middle of the plaza,” she said Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon recently completed a $200,000 restoration and conservation project at San José de Gracia church in Las Trampas had fallen into disrepair despite community members' efforts to maintain the historic structure • The project included remudding the exterior and churchyard walls shingling the steeples and the conservation of religious artifacts and devotional art inside the church As is so often true in the history of New Mexico people coming together can make the difference — this time Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Receive a list of headlines from the latest edition of The New Mexican in your inbox every morning get a preview of The New Mexican's big Sunday stories and review highlights from the week Stay informed of the latest local news by receiving emails as soon as news is posted online Stay up to date with news from the Capitol during the legislative session and follow New Mexico politics throughout the year A guide to outdoors opportunities and profiles on peoples' connections with places Keep up with what's going on in the local business scene Receive the latest episode of "Conversations Different" in your inbox every Tuesday.  Taking the temperature of New Mexico's environmental issues local prep sports and more every Wednesday Contests and special offers from The Santa Fe New Mexican and advertising partners Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account DynaResource Inc (OTCQX: DYNR) has announced a significant technological advancement at its San Jose de Gracia project in Mexico which currently produces 800 tons of gold-bearing ore daily The company plans to implement new gravity circuit technology during Q2 2025 which is expected to substantially improve gold recovery rates from the current mid-70% to over 80% with potential increases up to 95% based on recent test work The announcement was made through CEO.CA's 'Inside the Boardroom' series featuring an interview with Rohan Hazelton who discussed the company's vision and strategy for implementing this technological upgrade DynaResource Inc (OTCQX: DYNR) ha annunciato un significativo progresso tecnologico nel suo progetto di San Jose de Gracia in Messico che attualmente produce 800 tonnellate di minerale aurifero al giorno L'azienda prevede di implementare una nuova tecnologia di circuito gravitazionale durante il Q2 2025 che dovrebbe migliorare sostanzialmente i tassi di recupero dell'oro passando dall'attuale percentuale media del 70% a oltre l'80% con potenziali aumenti fino al 95% basati sui recenti test effettuati L'annuncio è stato fatto attraverso la serie 'Inside the Boardroom' di CEO.CA che presenta un'intervista con Rohan Hazelton il quale ha discusso della visione e della strategia dell'azienda per implementare questo aggiornamento tecnologico DynaResource Inc (OTCQX: DYNR) ha anunciado un avance tecnológico significativo en su proyecto de San Jose de Gracia en México que actualmente produce 800 toneladas de mineral de oro al día La empresa planea implementar una nueva tecnología de circuito gravitacional durante el Q2 2025 que se espera mejore sustancialmente las tasas de recuperación de oro del actual 70% medio a más del 80% con aumentos potenciales de hasta el 95% según los recientes trabajos de prueba El anuncio se realizó a través de la serie 'Inside the Boardroom' de CEO.CA que presenta una entrevista con Rohan Hazelton quien discutió la visión y estrategia de la empresa para implementar esta mejora tecnológica DynaResource Inc (OTCQX: DYNR)는 현재 매일 800톤의 금광석을 생산하고 있는 멕시코의 San Jose de Gracia 프로젝트에서 중요한 기술 발전을 발표했습니다 이는 현재 70% 중반에서 80% 이상으로 금 회수율을 상당히 개선할 것으로 예상되며 이 발표는 CEO.CA의 'Inside the Boardroom' 시리즈를 통해 이루어졌으며 DynaResource의 사장 겸 CEO인 Rohan Hazelton과의 인터뷰가 포함되어 있습니다 그는 이 기술 업그레이드를 구현하기 위한 회사의 비전과 전략에 대해 논의했습니다 DynaResource Inc (OTCQX: DYNR) a annoncé une avancée technologique significative dans son projet de San Jose de Gracia au Mexique qui produit actuellement 800 tonnes de minerai aurifère par jour L'entreprise prévoit de mettre en œuvre une nouvelle technologie de circuit gravitationnel durant le Q2 2025 ce qui devrait améliorer considérablement les taux de récupération de l'or avec des augmentations potentielles allant jusqu'à 95 % basées sur les récents travaux d'essai L'annonce a été faite à travers la série 'Inside the Boardroom' de CEO.CA présentant une interview avec Rohan Hazelton qui a discuté de la vision et de la stratégie de l'entreprise pour mettre en œuvre cette mise à niveau technologique DynaResource Inc (OTCQX: DYNR) hat einen bedeutenden technologischen Fortschritt in seinem Projekt in San Jose de Gracia in Mexiko angekündigt das derzeit täglich 800 Tonnen goldhaltiges Erz produziert im Q2 2025 neue Gravitationstechnologie einzuführen die voraussichtlich die Goldrückgewinnungsraten von derzeit etwa 70% auf über 80% erheblich verbessern wird mit möglichen Steigerungen von bis zu 95% basierend auf aktuellen Testarbeiten Die Ankündigung wurde durch die Serie 'Inside the Boardroom' von CEO.CA gemacht in dem er über die Vision und Strategie des Unternehmens zur Implementierung dieses technologischen Upgrades spricht Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 10, 2025) -  CEO.CA ("CEO.CA") the leading investor social network in junior resource and venture stocks shares exclusive updates with CEOs of junior mining explorers Founded in 2012, CEO.CA, a wholly owned subsidiary of EarthLabs, Inc. is one of the most popular free financial websites and apps in Canada and for investors globally - with industry leading audience engagement and mobile functionality Millions of people visit CEO.CA each year to connect with investors from around the world share knowledge and view impactful stories about stocks As a media partner at investor events around the world CEO.CA provides coverage of the companies shaping the future of mining meeting with industry leaders to learn more about their vision and strategy Meet the Executives Shaping the Mining Landscape whose San Jose de Gracia project in Mexico produces 800 tons of gold-bearing ore daily Watch as Hazelton reveals how the company's new gravity circuit technology is expected to dramatically improve gold recovery rates from mid-70% to greater than 80% and potentially as high as 95% as indicated by recent test work.DynaResource(OTCQX: DYNR) Cannot view this video? Visit:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=968vfBoRy6k Tune into 'Inside the Boardroom' each week and be part of the conversation that's shaping the business landscape. Visit CEO.CA or our YouTube page for hundreds more executive interviews from CEO.CA here Interested in showcasing your company on 'Inside the Boardroom'? Get in touch with our team at sales@ceo.ca for further details and opportunities.About CEO.CA The leading community for investors & traders in junior resource & venture stocks CEO.CA is one of the most popular free financial websites and apps in Canada and for small-cap investors globally -- with industry leading audience engagement and mobile functionality CEO.CA has brought millions of investors together from over 164 countries to discuss their portfolio holdings and find new investment opportunities Download our App on iOS or Android marketplace or visit us today at CEO.CA to set up your free account CEO.CA is a wholly owned subsidiary of EarthLabs, Inc. CEO.CA Email: hello@ceo.ca Website: CEO.CA OTC Best Market "(OTCQX") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release The information regarding any issuer contained or referred to in any interviews conducted by CEO.CA has been furnished by such issuer directly and neither CEO.CA nor any of its affiliates or principals assumes any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such information or for any failure by an issuer to ensure disclosure of events or facts which may affect the significance or accuracy of any such information securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein This news release contains forward-looking information which involves risks uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information Forward-looking information in this news release may include statements regarding exploration results and exploration and/or development plans of companies featured on the CEO.CA platform Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future currency risk and the other risks involved in the applicable exploration and development industry and those risks set out in the public documents of such companies filed on SEDAR or elsewhere from time to time Undue reliance should not be placed on such information which only applies as of the date of this news release and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all CEO.CA disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/248123 Already have an account? Login Mayordomo Emilio Martinez cleans up leftover materials outside of the San José de Gracia church in Las Trampas following the completion of a restoration project Mayordomo Emilio Martinez smiles while speaking of the history of the San José de Gracia church in Las Trampas on Wednesday Martinez was married to his wife in the church in 1977 and since 1984 has worked with other caretakers to look after the historic building author and one of the developers of Nuevo Mexico Profundo looks out past the wooden door and carved entryway of the San José de Gracia church in Las Trampas on Wednesday The doors are said to have been made by carpenter Juan Manuel Romero of Vallecitos that was cleaned during a restoration project at San José de Gracia church in Las Trampas on Wednesday The original key to the San José de Gracia church in Las Trampas seen on Wednesday Genevieve Sandra Sandoval sweeps and cleans up the sacristy after restorations were complete at San José de Gracia A detail of the paintings and carving work of the altar screen at the San José de Gracia church in Las Trampas following a restoration project on Wednesday An angel painted on a wooden panel that was repaired during a restoration project at the San José de Gracia in Las Trampas A detail of the paintings and carving work of the altar screen at the San José de Gracia Drawings said to be done by children from the community on the beams of the entrance to the San José de Gracia church in Las Trampas or "the Company") is pleased to announce the November 2024 operating results at its San Jose de Gracia Mine in Sinaloa highlighted by 2,182 ounces of gold production and an average of 770 tons per day November 2024 production highlights include: "November results continue to reflect the operational changes the Company has been implementing at San Jose de Gracia in particular strong underground mine development which increases the flexibility of our daily mine operations," stated Rohan Hazelton we had the mill operating at the elevated rates we saw in the previous month and our grades continue to stabilize The Company expects to see greater improvements in the coming months as we remain focused on optimization and prudent cost management The Company now estimates full year production to be approximately 25,500 to 26,000 ounces of gold." Summary of key operational performance for the month and YTD is provided in the tables below: Plant and MillThe plant has been operating at higher throughput levels since the installation of the new vibrating screen was completed in August 2024 November operations were impacted by power outages on the main regional grid electrical supply system which negatively affected the tonnes processed and the metal recovery November average mill throughput was 770 tons per day ("tpd") with maximum rates achieved of 870-880 tpd The company has procured additional diesel generation on site to mitigate the impact of the grid power interruption Metallurgical testing continued during the month with new reagents trialed These trials are strongly indicating the ability to deliver recoveries of 78.5-79.1% from the plant flotation circuit The company is also investigating increased overall gold recoveries via the installation of a Gravity Gold circuit Previously at the mine (2019 to 2020) a Gravity Gold circuit was used in the processing flowsheet and this circuit recovered approximately 30% of the gold produced MiningDuring November the team continued to focus on better understanding the potential of key areas in the underground mine through structural geology interpretations Current production efforts on the 500 Level are yielding promising results with an active ore drive showing high-grade gold potential This work highlights the significant opportunity to further define and exploit high-grade zones in this area Mapping and sampling continued in the 3 operating mines including the San Pablo 500 South Level (high grade zone) as part of exploration drifting and Tres Amigos 590 South Level as part of the exploration program These investigations included the Ceseñas historical mine and Mochomera 533 N-S Level the plan includes deeper and lateral drilling between the San Pablo and Tres Amigos veins to potentially extend the high-grade underground resource at San José de Gracia Exploration efforts will also target the development of San Pablo South towards Mochomera which has potential to connect with the historical high-grade Palos Chinos and Purisima mines These initiatives aim to build on both modern geological insights and historical mining data to maximize the resource potential of the property To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5274/234654_418e18ac34e13859_002full.jpg To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5274/234654_418e18ac34e13859_003full.jpg To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5274/234654_418e18ac34e13859_004full.jpg For Information on DynaResource, Inc. please visit www.dynaresource.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/234654 Seemed to have emerged from the earth while baring an industrial precision that locks the layering of different orthogonal volumes, Casa Nandi is an expression of profuse warmth and calculated restraint. The two-storied residential architecture by Mexican practices Fino Lozano and Moro Taller de Arquitectura reveals a muted edifice in concrete and rammed earth located in San José de Gracia, a town in the Mexican state of Michoacán de Ocampo The building locates its domestic functions on the ground floor whereas the upper storey is a terrace that captures panoramic views of the landscape with poetic tropical floral accents dotting the edifices stands out yet settles in the place it belongs to features extensive wooden panelling and austere surfaces A pared back aesthetic clubbed with the bare minimum utilities defines the space “The project,” the design team adds, “seeks as its main objectives to be economically and environmentally viable. We developed bio-construction techniques that contribute to composing a work that mimics the landscape and takes into account the simplicity of the place.” As per the studio further attention has been given to “making the most of the built orientation to generate an illuminated but private atmosphere which is naturally ventilated and has moments of harmony and tranquillity for its inhabitants.” Describing the airy vibe of the house and the material layering of its walls, the studio explains, “We proposed a sustainable and simple structure, which at the same time works to generate large clearings inside the house, with a base of pine wood beams and on them a handmade mud brick that receives the slab filled with concrete This exposes the natural mud and the wooden beams in the lower bed without the need to cover the material that by nature is pleasant.” The resulting aesthetic delivers a warm monochromatic edifice in which sharp edges and soft corners are equal and aplenty; the contrasts build the base for a reflective sanctuary probing and research have been key to Zohra's work at STIR A formal education in architecture and a fond connection with storytelling brought her here She believes that the best piece of writing comes out of ‘non-action’ she loves travelling and tuning into culture-related podcasts From vernacular knowledge to modern sustainability Middle Eastern pavilions serve as living archives of architectural thought offering fresh frameworks for global adoption STIR engages with the curators of the Togo Oman and Qatar pavilions—debuting at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025—on representation the book presents a fictional story depicting algorithms exercising control over humans and how this affects the built environment Tipnis shares how the toolbox democratises the practice of restoration via DIY resources to repair tangible urban heritage made of common building materials Exclusive preview for subscribers. Learn More Make your fridays matter. Learn More © Copyright 2019-2025 STIR Design Private Limited Please confirm your email address and we’ll send you a link to reset your password All your bookmarks will be available across all your devices Password must be 8 characters long including one capital letter By creating an account, you acknowledge and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy by STIR Select the Conversation Category you would like to watch Please enter your details and click submit Single account access for STIRworld.com,STIRpad.com and exclusive STIRfri content Verification link sent to check your inbox or spam folder to complete sign up process by Zohra Khan | Published on : Jul 15 WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY Sofia Aldinio Many of us are grappling with the knowledge that climate change has the catastrophic potential to completely alter life as we know it But absent from the conversations about carbon emissions and extreme weather events is an intimate exploration of the ways in which the climate crisis is eroding cultural traditions as both livelihoods and lives are forced to change and entire communities are left with little choice but to migrate for their survival Across the Northern Baja Sur Region of Mexico, local cultures that have been shaped by people living directly off the land for hundreds of years are at risk of disappearing within our lifetime The starkest example of this can be found in San Jose de Gracia once thriving canyon community of multi-generational families where now only 21 people remain The community was once a flourishing food oasis thanks to a robust fresh water spring that traveled through the heart of San Jose de Gracia—a rare commodity in the barren Baja landscape the spring is no more than a trickle as the rainy season grows shorter and less productive The waterfalls and ponds in which families swam have been replaced by evaporated divots in the Earth the majority of the town has moved on in pursuit of a less challenging life was born and raised in the San Jose de Gracia community “there is a very real chance that this community will disappear and with it their stories and secrets of living a life completely off the land.” Chencha is full of rich tales about the place she is from as well as localized medicinal herb knowledge “My biggest fear is that San Jose disappears and dies when I am no longer on this Earth I ran barefoot and made mud cakes—we were the happiest kids on Earth.” Things are different now none are young families because of the difficulty of sustaining a life in the region there is a very real chance that this community will disappear and with it their stories and secrets of living a life completely off the land.” over 70 kids were enrolled in a four-classroom school in San Jose de Gracia Parents grew food and valuable materials for buildings which were traded for fish from the coastal communities But when that way of life turned unsustainable and parents and kids migrated to bigger towns and cities in search of more reliable opportunities the four-classroom school—located in the middle of the tight-knit community—was left behind For years the building remained little more than abandoned rooms cluttered with old textbooks It’s only recently that a handful of residents have returned to their birthplace to live off the grid converting old classrooms into livable spaces using simple solar power systems came back to reconnect with their childhood and place of birth They recall this place as no other on Earth Where food will grow and water will flow from the stream Where kids will run barefoot up and down the canyon with waterfalls gracing them from above—and where the meat from a hunt is shared with the entire community “When you were little you could tell when the rain would come As Santos points out—the land is made fragile by its exposure to unprecedented changes in the weather patterns and consequently the opportunity for a viable community to call it home Tropical storms and hurricanes pose the biggest threat as the deluge of water can easily sequester an already isolated community through damage to the two dirt roads that connect the region to the north and the south tropical storm Lester swept a number of the lower houses right out of the canyon and the artifacts and belongings that were part of this community were also lost they are leaving behind a rich cultural heritage and traditions shaped by the landscape itself And as that landscape becomes less hospitable to life memories of these cultures are also likely to be lost the last members of San Jose de Gracia are witnessing a climate catastrophe unfold in real time they are also likely to be the last ones to inhabit this small community the last keepers of San Jose de Gracia’s cultural heritage look towards an uncertain future as climate change threatens to erode their past Editor’s Note: This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center and Diversify Photo through the Eyewitness Photojournalism Grant receive a complimentary subscription to Atmos Magazine Atmos is a nonprofit media organization focused on the cross-pollination of climate and culture delivering award-winning journalism and creative storytelling through a biannual print magazine Our mission is to re-enchant people with nature and our shared humanity We inspire cultural transformation and illuminate solutions to heal and protect the planet—now Security forces didn’t attend the scene of a massacre in Michoacán on Sunday until almost five hours after it occurred giving the perpetrators ample time to clean up and remove the bodies As many as 17 people were killed in a firing squad-style execution after they were forced to leave a wake they were attending in the center of the town of San José de Gracia According to Michoacán Attorney General Adrián López Solís but state and federal security forces didn’t reach the crime scene until 8 p.m Mayor Jorge Luis Anguiano said that the multi-homicide was reported to local authorities at about 5 p.m. but he ordered the three municipal police officers on duty not to confront the heavily-armed perpetrators because they were outnumbered and outgunned “… We didn’t approach the scene until backup arrived because we didn’t have the capacity,” he told the newspaper Reforma Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla said Monday that the massacre wasn’t reported to state authorities until three hours after it occurred An investigation is underway to determine why it took so long for them to be notified The crime scene had been cleaned by the time state and federal security forces arrived bags filled with body parts and another bag with cleaning product containers “The crime scene had already been manipulated,” López Solís said The delay in notifying state authorities “could be explained by the lack of a report from the first responders who … should have been the municipal police,” the attorney general said and they didn’t activate the alert services of the state security system,” he said The aggressors apparently took away the slain bodies in the vehicles in which they arrived authorities haven’t confirmed the number of victims Unofficial reports put the number between 10 and 17 a presumed drug trafficker known as El Pelón The news website Infobae reported that he was a member of the Familia Michoacana criminal group but he apparently switched allegiances and later worked for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel El Pelón was attending a wake for his mother in a private home and was accompanied by alleged fellow criminals Deputy federal Security Minister Ricardo Mejía said Tuesday that Abel N – a CJNG operative known as “El Viejón” and “El Toro” – killed Alejandro G allegedly killed El Pelón’s brother in a San José de Gracia cantina in 2018 allegedly settled that score by murdering El Viejón’s brother last December and other people attending his mother’s wake San José de Gracia is the municipal seat of Marcos Castellanos located in the northwestern corner of Michoacán on the border with Jalisco the CJNG is involved in a turf war with the Cárteles Unidos in Michoacán but that conflict is mainly centered on the state’s southwestern Tierra Caliente region While last month’s military operation succeeded in displacing the powerful Jalisco cartel from one of its strongholds, it didn’t appear to weaken it in any way. Violence spiked in Colima, which borders the Tierra Caliente region, in the days after the CJNG was ousted from southwestern Michoacán suggesting that cartel members had crossed into that state Michoacán was the third most violent state in the country last year with over 2,700 murders. Governor Ramírez, who took office last October, said recently that pacifying the state might take six years Sunday’s massacre epitomizes the vast challenge he faces ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC San José de Gracia may look like many other small towns in Michoacán kitchens and living rooms of almost all its citizens lurk rare and beautiful orchids “All of us are addicted to growing them,” a local man told me “and this is why we started holding orchid exhibits here many years ago.” San José held its Orchid Festival the first weekend of every February The event was canceled both in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic “They toned it down quite a bit,” reports visitor Rodrigo Orozco the whole plaza was festooned with orchids and crowded with people They had even erected a big stage where local girls were dancing in bikinis In keeping with pandemic control guidelines this year’s event was more of an expo and less of a spectacle with attendance by many of Mexico’s experts not only in growing orchids One of these was Enrique Navarro Olivares, owner of OrquideasGDL an online store operating out of the town of Tlajomulco “What’s your specialty?” I asked him By this I mean they’re not endemic to Mexico our country has a huge biodiversity of orchids and many of the participants in this expo specialize in growing them but we are interested in species from other parts of the world Our challenge is to bring in species from Brazil One of the orchids Navarro had on display was a cymbidium which I knew from past visits to San José was one of the favorites of the townspeople “The cymbidium,” Navarro told me it grows particularly well in this part of Mexico because the climate is the same.” Navarro says that this all started when somebody brought a few plants of the species here from the United States Other people told me that this event took place more than 80 years ago at an altitude of 1,990 meters — just over a mile high — and soon people appeared People in San José are crazy about cymbidiums because they get such great results “This has spurred them on to looking for other species and this interest has now spread to other communities in the area.” I was surprised to learn that Navarro is an architect but I kept collecting more and more plants I realized that we also have a great climate in Tlajomulco for growing orchids and that there is a huge market for them I discovered that this is not only a very good business it’s also a really beautiful business; in fact where you not only share your life with these marvelous flowers but with marvelous people “These orchid growers turn out to be ranchers a magnet that brings together all kinds of people who otherwise would have nothing in common The genus Cymbidium is called the boat orchid in English and has over 50 species plants in this genus are prized for their long-lasting sprays of flowers The Australian orchid nursery calls it the king of orchids these orchids are cool-tolerant and hardy and will grow in most temperate locations worldwide The Royal Horticultural Society rates them as one of the least demanding of indoor orchids but warns that they do best in climates with cool nights you might still consider making a visit to San José de Gracia at any other time of the year It’s only a 17-minute drive from the extremely popular Mazamitla and in the plaza you will find examples of what locals insist are the most beautiful orchids in the world you might wander over to the town hall to see a curious “cartoon mural” depicting San José’s most illustrious sons said to be the inventor of microhistory — writing histories that focus on a single place Pueblo en vilo: Microhistoria de San José de Gracia which was translated into English by John Upton as San Jose de Gracia: Mexican Village in Transition González also founded the Colegio de Michoacán one of the most highly esteemed institutes of education in western Mexico Then you can go shopping because it just so happens that San José is the number-one producer of milk in the entire state of Michoacán local entrepreneurs insist that this is the best place in all Mexico to buy cheeses yogurt and other milk products like chongos (a dessert made with curdled milk please note that local people told me (repeatedly) that right here in San José de Gracia you will find the prettiest women in all Mexico The writer has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, since 1985. His most recent book is Outdoors in Western Mexico, Volume Three. More of his writing can be found on his blog a nonprofit organization that seeks to save and restore historic cultural sites in Northern New Mexico Mayordomo Emilio Martinez talks with a group of tourists at San José de Gracia on Wednesday Victor Moreno climbs atop the roof of San José de Gracia in Las Trampas on Wednesday Moreno is part of a crew restoring the 263-year-old church Madjid Amidousche tours San José de Gracia on Wednesday after traveling the High Road to Taos with his wife were one of a handful of tourists who stopped at the church when they noticed its doors open — an unusual occurrence Gilberto Perez hands an adobe brick to Ever Moreno on Wednesday while restoring the parapet of San José de Gracia in Las Trampas Restorations on the 263-year-old church began last week under a $200,000 donation from Nuevo Mexico Profundo Workers place adobe bricks on the parapet of San José de Gracia a 263-year-old church in Las Trampas undergoing renovation Victor Moreno climbs atop the roof of San José de Gracia in Las Trampas on Sept Many of the graves surrounding San José de Gracia in Las Trampas have lost their ancestral lineage due to time and weather Workers restoring the historic church worked around the graves to replaster the mud on the church's exterior No one has been buried on the historic grounds in more than a century Mayordomo Emilio Martinez has volunteered as a caretaker at San José de Gracia since 1984 Other volunteers also take turns looking after the historic church The $200,000 project at San José de Gracia church is the largest ever funded by the nonprofit Nuevo Mexico Profundo LAS TRAMPAS — It isn’t any ordinary weekday in this tiny village nestled in the mountains along the High Road to Taos The doors to the mid-18th century San José de Gracia church are open — a welcome but uncommon sight toting wheelbarrows of a mud and straw mixture — a centuries-old recipe created to resurface the 263-year-old Catholic church Adobe bricks are handed from one worker to another in an effort to shore up the parapet “Everything we put on the wall comes down with the rain and the snow,” says the church’s mayordomo “We get the dirt from down in the community The community gets everything ready for us The people who live here have been doing it for 250 years.” Martinez recently gave the mud recipe to Michael Roybal the Santa Fe contractor providing the labor on the church restoration project It is the same one used when parishioners began construction on the church in 1760 is the largest ever funded by Nuevo Mexico Profundo The author and tour guide created the organization with handful of others in 2019 after writing Historic Churches of New Mexico Today the group launched Profundo Heritage Archive now housed at the University of New Mexico’s Center for Southwest Research Graziano also preserves the histories of the churches through tours scheduled via the organization’s website, nuevo-mexico-profundo.com which Graziano regards as one of the best-preserved examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in the state began last year with an effort to conserve the church’s mid-19th century artwork After the remudding is completed in November workers will turn their attention to the windows and reshingle the steeple projects approved by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe on Friday it’s in magnificent shape for being 250 years old,” Roybal says adding his workers also will carve and replace the viga canalis on the pitched roof “You want to go slow at first with work like this You can’t do a whole lot of work at one time,” he says “That’s the nature of working with mud and straw.” As workers weave their way between the centuries-old graves adjacent to the church across the street in the dirt parking lot of an abandoned schoolhouse and store dozens of firefighters gathered in the early morning light to see how recent heavy rains dampened the last of the smoldering embers of the El Valle Fire The community was evacuated just a week before as the menacing fire crept over a nearby ridge But the crisis passed without harm to the town or church and preparations are being made not only to restore the sanctuary being held this weekend in the same dirt parking lot a fresh fall garden bounty and homemade biscochitos is quickly becoming tradition in the town which was established in 1751 by a handful of families who built a wall to protect themselves from attacks from Utes Comanches and Apaches and who later volunteered to build the mission church Las Trampas today has fewer than 50 residents — but enough to maintain the church and there is not enough of a congregation in the villages to support the churches,” Graziano says “This is a mission church with the mother church There aren’t enough people to attend masses Visitors to San José de Gracia usually find its doors locked and they’re kept that way 90% of the time except on holy days It’s one of the reasons Nuevo Mexico Profundo was created Martinez’s own history runs deeply with San José de Gracia He married his wife here in 1977 and has cared for the church with other mayordomos since 1984 painted altars and intricate handcarved saints “No photography is allowed,” he reminds the guests then another from the south of France and yet another from Denmark They’re followed by a van full of tourists following the High Road to Taos “I’ve been coming by this church for 30 years and in all my years maybe it’s been open five times,” tour guide Mark Miller tells his guests The strange markings in the wood under the choir loft were created by children to keep them occupied during attacks “That was told to me by an eighth-generation villager,” he boasts “No one really knows what they are,” he says The tourists eventually gather around Martinez who offers no shortage of stories on the church’s history or the area The large floor planks were made on site with hand tools candelabras and statues all were created by the volunteer work of human hands The church’s walls are lined with paintings depicting the stations of the cross A painting of the Last Supper hangs near the main altar and two side altars feature paintings that rise to the ceiling the Lady of Mount Carmel is depicted holding Jesus above souls reaching for salvation from the fiery flames of hell; in another the trinity of three Christs is depicted with triangular halos a depiction no longer approved by church standards two artisans and an apprentice painstakingly replaced peeling paint using syringes and glue before cleaning the pieces inch by inch with cotton balls You have to be so gentle with them,” says Clarence Vigil who apprenticed alongside santeros Felix Lopez of Taos and Nicolás Otero of Los Lunas says he isn’t an artist but volunteered to learn the process He’s been attending the church since he was a boy but to see those santos up close and to be able to work on them and see their faces … the colors underneath were beautiful,” he says adding that when the santeros went to clean the brown dress of Mary they discovered an original rainbow-like dress underneath Martinez talks about the church’s traditions the statue of Christ impaled on the cross comes down and is brought into the middle of the church the handcarved statue of Mary is dressed in black a mid-December celebration of the birth of Jesus and so the community relies on its hermanos de penitentes to lead followers “When the community was formed there weren’t any priests here how do you celebrate all these?” Martinez says By a group of men who lead the community with processions and chants and rosary service.” Martinez tells visitors they’re walking on the graves of the departed the very souls who built and maintained the church ”There are graves everywhere here,” he says but they have lost the lineage of their ancestors When they gave the authority to build the church They made a promise to the bishop that they would maintain the church •Restoration has begun on San Jose de Gracia a 263-year-old church in Las Trampas hailed as one of the most perfectly preserved Spanish Colonial churches in the state •Tours of the church are available through Nuevo Mexico Profundo •The church has never had a priest and has relied on community volunteers to build and maintain it inevitably have fascinating stories to tell To answer these questions I sat down with Jim Cook, co-author of the blog “Jim and Carole’s Mexican Adventure” and long-time leader of a group of explorers unofficially known as the Hacienda Hunters based in the Lake Chapala area but ready to track down haciendas wherever they may be found Like many foreigners living around Lake Chapala, Cook and his wife Carole started exploring the area guided by Tony Burton’s book “Western Mexico: a Traveler’s Treasury.” Here are some of the recommendations One of the sites recommended by Burton is the plaza of San Isidro Mazatepec located 45 kilometers northwest of Chapala where visitors can see the entrance to the well-preserved casa grande (main house) of what was once a hacienda “and one party member needed to find a restroom So she went to a peanut seller in the plaza and asked if any public restrooms were nearby You can use the bathroom in my house,’ and he pointed to the casa grande I can’t do that because I’ve got my friends with me here.’ And the young man replied Cook and friends trooped up to the beautifully preserved casa grande and minutes later sat in the courtyard sipping wine with the young man translating between them and his mother “when all of a sudden the big door swings open and a whole mob of relatives visiting from Houston come in… and now we’re in the middle of a big family reunion party with us as the guests of honor!” “You’ve got to come back and stay with us a while “was my first introduction to that famous Mexicanism: mi casa es su casa and things have gone pretty much the same way on all the hacienda hunts we have been on since.”  the group began looking for more haciendas “There is surprisingly little information out there,” said Cook “but I eventually understood that almost every little pueblo you find was—in the past— a hacienda they were broken up after the Revolution when the land was redistributed So the casa grande and the subsidiary buildings are now repurposed maybe the community church and the casa grande may now be City Hall or a community center Another thing you can keep an eye out for is a double row of palm trees in a straight line They will mark the main drive to the former hacienda.” Since many of these pueblos are at the end of rough brechas (dirt roads) Cook started looking for people with four-wheel-drive high-clearance vehicles to recruit as Hacienda Hunters “I had a group of people who were hacienda addicts We usually had three drivers of four-wheel drive vehicles I learned after a while that a caravan of more than three vehicles is too complicated and with more than four people in a car for an all-day adventure Cook looks for information on the hacienda they want to visit “Sometimes there’s a lot and sometimes there’s nothing at all Once or twice I’ve run into haciendas whose names I never found out Hacienda hunting requires a lot of research.” Getting inside the hacienda is usually easy if the owner is there “Virtually all of them are very proud of their hacienda and they know something of its history so they immediately invite us in and take us around it’s a little trickier because the caretaker is there to stop you But even the caretakers will sometimes say so I’ll just let them walk around.’”  Jim and Carole’s Mexican Adventure – which has had more than one million page views from people living in 130 countries – includes well-researched descriptions and gorgeous photos of 35 haciendas Even more dangerous may be the comments in italics sprinkled throughout each blog relating what you see among the ruins to the bigger picture of Mexico in days gone by The Cooks’ description of the Hacienda in Mazatepec might put you at risk of becoming a historian: “Under the encomienda system set up by the conquistadors with Crown approval this system involved an exchange: protection from hostile tribes by the Spanish owner in return for required labor nobody bothered to ask the indigenous people if they agreed to such an exchange Those who resisted faced extreme punishment including death 500 such ‘protected workers’ labored to produce the wheat that was then the primary product of Hacienda San Isidro Mazatepec.” Here’s an example from the blog posting on the Mazatepec Hacienda: “Oscar seemed to have a special affection for this horse He spoke quietly as he stroked this beauty I was curious about Oscar and his family and asked him why they lived in Houston rather than Mexico ‘It is for the children,’ he answered ‘Things up north move much more quickly and that is good for them.’ I considered this for a few moments ‘I moved down here for just the opposite reason It might turn you not only into a historian but also a philosopher The writer has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for more than 30 years and is the author of A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area and co-author of Outdoors in Western Mexico. More of his writing can be found on his website Prosecutors say they cannot determine how many were killed because attackers cleaned up the scene and removed any bodies Mexicans have been left wondering what happened to about a dozen men who disappeared after they were seen lined up against a wall by drug cartel gunmen In a video apparently filmed by a resident of the town San José de Gracia in the western state of Michoacán and posted on social media bursts of gunfire broke out and smoke covered the scene and most observers assumed all the men – perhaps as many as 17 – died But prosecutors said Monday that they cannot say how many were killed because the attackers cleaned up the scene washed the sidewalk and carted away any bodies Investigators found only a bag full of brains and shell casings at the scene The chief prosecutor of Michoacán state said members of the rival gang went to the funeral looking for the hitman who authorities identified only by his first name State prosecutor Adrián López Solís said that the hitman apparently died at the scene and that any other bodies were piled into pickup trucks and carted off by the attackers Other videos posted on social media showed two or three bodies tossed into a pickup truck López Solís said the attack occurred only a few blocks from the town hall where three local police officers were on duty He said the police neither went to the scene nor sounded an alarm contending that “they didn’t have sufficient force” to intervene Local police in Mexico are often out-gunned and out-numbered by cartel gunmen. There have been a string of recent attacks at funerals in Mexico, as cartel gunmen seek to exterminate members of rival gangs who attend the services. the mayor whose township includes San José de Gracia said that before the attack a large convoy of vehicles was seen entering from neighboring Jalisco state He said local police didn’t have the firepower to intervene “Seeing the number of presumed criminals that were there and given the rules of engagement “We do not have the firepower to handle this type of situations municipal governments are left exposed,” he said As many as 17 people were killed in a massacre in Michoacán on Sunday afternoon The victims were lined up along the facade of a house and shot dead after armed men forced them out of a wake they were attending in the town of San José de Gracia Authorities haven’t disclosed the number of fatalities but unofficial reports put the number of victims between 10 and 17 A video shot from an elevated point some distance away shows a group of people lined up in the street before a rapid series of gunshots rings out The area where the victims were standing is engulfed in smoke after the firing squad-style execution removed the bodies and took them to an unknown location It appears to be the worst massacre in recent years in Michoacán Eleven bullet-riddled bodies were found in Tangamandapio, Michoacán, last November, while 14 state police were ambushed and killed in Aguililla in late 2019 A gunfight was reported near the scene of Sunday’s massacre but there were no reports of additional victims The area is controlled by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) adding that the victims are presumed to be members of Cárteles Unidos which is engaged in a turf war with the CJNG The Michoacán Attorney General’s Office (FGE) said in a statement that it had opened an investigation into the crime Spent bullet casings from firearms of four different gauges were found at the scene and a motorcycle and two cars in the same location were damaged by bullets The FGE also said that the location where the massacre occurred had been “recently washed.” containers of cleaning products were found in a bag,” it said National Guard and police responded to reports of the massacre but no arrests were reported The Michoacán government called on San José de Gracia residents to report any information that could assist efforts to detain the perpetrators of the brutal multi-homicide Ejecutan a 17 personas quienes se encontraban en un velorio en San José de García , Michocán. ¡17 ejecutados! pic.twitter.com/xoDuCSr3ya — Azucena Uresti (@azucenau) February 28, 2022 President López Obrador said that authorities were continuing to investigate the crime and that more details would emerge later in the day “There is evidence that there was a confrontation López Obrador said there was talk on social media that 17 people were murdered but expressed some doubt that the number of victims was so high “I wish with all my soul that it is not as they are announcing … More will certainly be known today,” he said Asked whether the video of the massacre may have been manipulated … it won’t be as is being disseminated.” The president subsequently criticized the media for reporting the high death toll “as a fact” when all the information about the crime is not known With reports from Reforma and El País Animals 24-7 March 31, 2022 By citizens died and a fourth was critically wounded at an illegal cockfight on March 27 about halfway between Mexico City and Jalisco citizens were among the 20 dead and six reported survivors in killings that Mexican authorities told media were apparently undertaken as revenge for the masacre of 17 people at a funeral in nearby San José de Gracia on February 27 The gunmen who conducted the San José de Gracia massacre took the bodies of the dead with them dead in the Zinapecuaro attack was Jose Abiel Alvarez Senior Despite the distance from Zinapecuaro to Phoenix Jose Abiel Alvarez Senior was identified by the Michoacán Prosecutor’s Office as owner of El Paraiso the unlicensed cockfighting arena where the shootings occurred “The Paradise,”  meant that the victims went to Paradise before they died Killed with Jose Abiel Alvarez Senior was one of his sons Salvador Alvarez identified himself on Facebook as “Organizador de Eventos at Palenque Rancho El Paraíso.” Falling with the Alvarez father and son was self-identified cockfighter Daniel Stalin Martinez Equihua of Morelia who promoted his cockfighting activities on at least two Facebook accounts and was on Salvador Alvarez’s Facebook “friends” list “They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time,”  posted Alvarez son and brother Jose Abiel Alvarez Jr citizen killed in the Zinapecuaro cockfight massacre was Melissa Silva             (See Wildfires, COVID-19, & cockfighting besiege Monterey County and More cockfighters than stars in Doris Day/Clint Eastwood country?             Critically injured was Melissa Silva’s younger sister Their brother Alex told media that they journeyed to Zinapecuaro “two or three times a year” on vacation to visit relatives “They were there for vacation to celebrate the holidays,” said the victims’ brother “They were there for a couple of months.” “The two sisters are the oldest and youngest of a family of nine children  who grew up in the western suburbs [of Chicago specifically Warrenville.] They were in Mexico with their parents Melissa Silva “leaves behind four children ages 20 12 and 10,”  reported Ricardo Tovar for KION-TV of Monterey Melissa Silva “was found dead by her parents moments after the massacre,”  Tovar added “They arrived shortly after the bullets stopped and found my older sister was already dead,”  brother Alex Silva told Telemundo Chicago  “A meter away was my younger sister on the floor as well They got ambushed by a bunch of guys with high caliber weapons Invitation to a cockfight at El Rancho Paraiso “Alex was also in Mexico at the time his older sister Melissa was killed and his younger sister Arleth was critically wounded in the mass shooting He was told of his sister’s murder over the phone by their mother.”  ‘Melissa… Melissa’s dead  She’s right in front of me,’  I said ‘What are you talking about  What’s going on with my little sister?” What was going on with both sisters is that they traveled 2,017 miles south from Watsonville and 2,050 miles south from Chicago where by definition there are no innocent bystanders Nothing humans do involving animals is more often associated with murder than cockfighting even where cockfighting is fully legal and openly practiced  “Two children ages 11 and 16 were among four people killed in Ensenada  when gunmen stormed a crowd of several hundred spectators gathered to watch a cockfight,”  reported Sandra Dibble for the San Diego Union-Tribune “An additional 15 people were wounded in the attack,”  which occurred at the Póker Palenque cockfighting arena The death toll from the Póker Palenque murders was exceeded several times over on November 9 Recounted Allen Garcia for Agence France-Presse  and five others were wounded when a gunfight erupted between armed civilians at a cockfight in Cuajinicuilapa (See Why is cockfighting the blood sport most often linked to murder?) The others killed at the cockfight were partially identified by Michoacán Prosecutor’s Office as male victims José Andrés M.;  Jose H.;  Erik Salvador M.;  Damian M.; Federico L.;  Juan Pablo L.;  Jesus Horacio L.;  Miguel Angel M.;  Alejandro Michel G.;  Carlos Alberto M .;  Jose Martin A.;  John Ignatius G.; and Juan Jesus M.;  Jennifer Karina T.;  and Martha Elba P. plus a man known so far only as “El Chapo de Guatemala.” Mexican media reported that the Zinapecuaro killings are believed by police to have been directed in particular against an alleged regional head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel  who switched allegiances from his former affiliation with another drug gang called the Familia Michoacana “That day an event open to the public was held in which around 40 cockfights were held without betting and supervised by the National Section of Breeders of Fighting Birds  which was organized for genetic selection purposes,”  reported the Reuters news service “After the palenque closed its doors to the general public,”  more than seven hours later “armed men entered the place aboard a Sabritas fried food truck  which had been stolen days before,”  Reuters said “At the same time and in a coordinated manner  was used to maintain a blockade outside the building and thus prevent the victims from escaping from the scene  the assassins abandoned the vehicle in which they arrived and fled the scene in cars stolen from the victims.” erupting toward the end of 2020 and featuring many previous murders may have begun with a dispute over control of an extortion racket that terrorized eastern Michoacán merchants Among the killings were a videotaped beheading in February 2021 and the March 25 2022 murder of an alleged extortionist who charged poultry sellers in the village of Maravito a fee of five pesos for each kilo of chicken they sold The Zinapecuaro murders came a week after Philippine president Rodrigo Dutero announced that his government would not suspend “e-sabong,”  or online betting on cockfights despite the disappearance of at least 34 cockfighters between April 2021 and January 2022 (See FBI raids alleged Kentucky cockpit; 31 cockfighters “disappear” in Philippines.) “All are alleged to have been involved in bout-fixing,”  reported Philip Conneller for the web site Casino.org  “whereby the performance of one bird is sabotaged for the benefit of a gambling ring All are believed to have visited cockpits owned by e-sabong operator Lucky 8 Star Quest before their disappearance.” Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email March 31, 2022 at 8:40 am Cockfighters and their supporters are violent people who put themselves in situations of danger to themselves May the cockfighters and their allies NOT rest in peace Karen Davis, PhD, President, United Poultry Concerns. http://www.upc-online.org March 31, 2022 at 11:32 am The US needs to send its military INTO Mexico to exterminate every single Mexican gang member April 1, 2022 at 12:16 am March 31, 2022 at 3:26 pm March 31, 2022 at 8:04 pm What exactly was “tragic” here other than the organized chicken abuse that attracted the deserving-victims in the first place There is only so much sympathy and compassion to go around in this world to foolishly waste it on trash April 1, 2022 at 12:02 am Sympathy and compassion are not limited quantities is that sinners can redeem themselves through doing good deeds that one’s karma can be improved through doing good deeds is that many of the most effective animal advocates have themselves participated in various forms of animal exploitation and abuse before an awakening of some sort changed their outlook The late animal rights philosopher Tom Regan often reminded his audience that he had begun his adult life working as a butcher; Showing Animals Respect & Kindness founder Steve Hindi points out that at age 34 preceding his 33 years of dynamic activism against cockfights We do not know what the future of any of the people killed at the cockfight in Zinapecuaro might have been; what we do know is that no one will now ever know that many of them had family & pets whom they appeared to love and care for though their compassion did not extend to gamecocks and that nothing is lost by mourning that their lives were wasted as well as the lives of the birds they misused April 1, 2022 at 6:54 pm then the worst criminals of history should have been pardoned and given a second chance Who knows what good works a rehabilitated Bundy Most were reportedly good family men and some owned pets April 1, 2022 at 10:14 pm If any person truly believes that a 16-year-old (or a 36-year-old) who attends a cockfight is in the same category of moral reprehensibility and possibility of redemption as serial killers and the worst mass murderers in history that person has such a skewed perspective on human nature as to be incapable of persuading anyone to change any behavior I am reminded of being told in the fifth grade at the Seventh Day Adventist school I attended that if one drank beer I got kicked out of class for observing that if the penalties for drinking beer & committing murder were the same why should any beer drinker not commit murder too March 31, 2022 at 7:06 pm .there are no innocent bystanders.” When you play with fire These people knowingly placed themselves and their family members in danger so it’s difficult to feel any sympathy for them; but I do feel sorry for all the birds who suffered and died for someone’s gain and entertainment Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker