Mexican armed forces in the southern state of Chiapas confirmed the deaths of two alleged cartel members operatives an operation in Villa Corzo a municipality 62 miles south of Tuxtla Gutiérrez One of them was Bryan "N," also known as "El Cachorro." Initially believed to be the second-in-command of the Jalisco Cartel in Chiapas it was later revealed he was a plaza boss for the Guatemala-Chiapas cartel confirmed the status of "El Cachorro," saying he and his bodyguard were associates of the mentioned cartel Harfuch added that the suspects extorted merchants and business owners in the area through protection rackets a tactic commonly used by criminal groups to demand money in exchange for protection from threats or violence — often threats they create themselves said authorities learned about the suspects' location after they attacked state police officers that were patrolling the area law enforcement repelled the attack until reinforcements arrived Three officers were injured and later transported to a nearby hospital Harfuch added that authorities seized three firearms a motorcycle and a pickup truck during the operation Videos allegedly showing the confrontation in Villa Corzo began circulating on social media later supported the version of events recounted by state authorities Agencies reported the incident was the result of a confrontation between members of the Guatemala-Chiapas cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel Reports suggest the organization was founded by deserters from the Jalisco Cartel a criminal group that has been in conflict with the Sinaloa Cartel over drug smuggling routes in Chiapas since 2021 the Guatemala-Chiapas cartel is believed to function as a criminal cell aligned with the Jalisco Cartel as most of its operations and attacks have continued to target Sinaloa Cartel cells in the state In a video posted by alleged cartel members in September 2024 a group of armed men claim the Guatemala-Chiapas cartel includes former members of the elite Guatemalan army unit known as the Kaibiles the Kaibiles specialize in jungle warfare tactics and counterinsurgency operations The two main candidates in Mexico's upcoming presidential elections traded accusations of cartel ties in their last debate before the country heads to the polls on June 2 said the current administration lacks a strategy to address violence saying its strategy has been "giving the country to organized crime." defended the policies of the Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) administration not engaging with Gálvez and saying she will strengthen the National Guard that the current president created "The drug war continued until President Andrés Manuel López Obrador arrived and changed the policy of declaring war to building peace," said Sheinbaum which she said have contributed to lowering crime in Mexico City during her tenure as mayor They include creating police intelligence units increasing cooperation between officers and prosecutors and exponentially increasing the amount of security cameras Gálvez made reference to a slogan of AMLO's security policy called "hugs not bullets," which puts the focus on addressing what the government says are the root causes that lead people to join criminal organizations "Hugs for criminals are over." She also promised to reverse AMLO's policies of using the army for activities not related to security such as building railroads Security is at the forefront of the Mexican debate especially as politically-motivated killings have topped 125 this electoral cycle The figure includes more than 20 candidates across the country with the most recent cases taking place on Sunday Two attacks against mayoral candidates in the southern state of Chiapas left nine people dead the prosecutor's office in the organized crime-plagued region said Sunday including a minor and mayoral candidate Lucero López were killed in an ambush after a campaign rally in the municipality of La Concordia The figure is close to the historic high reached when president Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office in 2018 The motivations behind these violent acts are clear, according to a report by The Washington Post: organized crime seeks to install sympathetic leaders in local offices to further their exploitation of Mexican communities Livestock farming is one of the most important productive activities in Mexico. However, traditional livestock production has caused deforestation and loss of biodiversity, worsening the effects of climate change. In this context, the project Biodiversity and Sustainable Agrosilvopastoralist Livestock Landscapes, known as BioPaSOS promotes the use of agrosilvopastoral practices that support biodiversity conservation through the development of climate-smart livestock (CSL) The BioPaSOS project is implemented by CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) in conjunction with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in three intervention areas in the states of Jalisco its actions are focused on the municipalities of Zapotitlán de Vadillo Arriaga and Tonalá—all of which form part of the Sepultura Biosphere Reserve (REBISE-CONANP) BioPaSOS works in partnership with different local actors it has strengthened the capacities of more than 1000 livestock producers and technicians through Farmer Field Schools (FFSs): 19 in Jalisco The implementation of the FFSs has supported the execution of participatory appraisals of production systems which help identify the limitations of productive systems from the perspective of farmers important alliances have been created with livestock producers to establish demonstration modules that function as training and replication centers BioPaSOS promotes a research agenda with academic and research centers that helps identify knowledge gaps and supports decision making it coordinates bachelor- and master-level research This article belongs to the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) Its content is the sole responsibility of the author Stated the organization’s President Miguel Barnet Author: | freddy@granma.cu Santa Clara.— In the current context in which cultural processes are unfolding the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba is called upon to become a space of resistance and to protect the most authentic roots of our national culture speaking during the organization’s annual review meeting in Villa Clara who was accompanied by Julio Lima Corzo and Alberto López Díaz senior Party and government officials in the province respectively; spoke about current and future challenges facing the nation given the global invasion of pseudoculture and the need therefore to promote and revive the very best of Cuban and universal cultural values various representatives of the province’s artistic vanguard highlighted the many problems associated with current modes of cultural consumption and the poor dissemination of the very best of contemporary art the lack of a coherent policy able to enhance the good and eradicate mediocrity author Ricardo Riverón noted that Uneac must encourage healthy debate on the kind of values promoted in certain spaces which are far removed from those belonging to the kind of society we aspire to Fernando Rojas stressed the role of the media in this regard noting that a strategy must be developed which prioritizes and promotes the very best of Cuban and global art Speaking about protecting patrimonial assets choreographer and director of the Danza del Alma Company cited various examples of disrespectful attitudes and damage to institutions by unscrupulous people who commit acts of social indiscipline which are corroding our society today and must be decisively combated.During the meeting which saw participants review the organization’s performance in Villa Clara last year first secretary of the Party in the provenience called on writers and artists to join the “Villa Clara con todos” campaign which seeks to remedy many of the problems highlighted in the encounter and restore pride to the people of Villa Clara The 1st International Biennial of Political Humor will arrive in the Cuban capital on June 14 and will be held in several venues until June 28 During a special operation conducted by members of the Mexican Army and the National Guard, a total of 78 public servants—including local police officers and politicians—have been arrested as of Jan. 24 at the Villafores and Villacorzo municipalities, in the Mexican state of Chiapas The arrests come after the suspects were linked to a extortion network that operates in the rural region located less than 60 miles from Tuxtla Gutiérrez Among those detained were Xochitl Castañón Burguete transit director of the Villaflores municipality municipal secretary René Madariaga and María del Carmen Méndez Moreno a former leader of a moto taxi association Authorities believe these three individuals led a "gang dedicated to extort business owners ranchers and transportation workers," Chiapas Attorney General Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca said Madariaga was the one responsible for meeting with potential victims and allegedly asked them to deposit a fee of about $8 every week directly into Méndez Moreno's account victims were allegedly at risk of being kidnapped or killed located less than a 15-minute car drive south of Villaflores Army and National Guard personnel raided multiple properties that belonged to public servants 26 municipal police officers were arrested said all 39 municipal officers in Villaflores are being investigated including the chief of police identified as José Gregorio Cedeño who was previously sentenced for homicide and drug trafficking charges under a fake name 78 public servants have been arrested in Chiapas including a former member of the Chiapas Attorney General's office that was allegedly in charge of the extortion network Aparicio also revealed that authorities will continue with their investigations as they are aware of more alleged corruption cases among public servants in the area Various issues of interest to the people were discussed during the two-day government visit to Villa Clara which included several sites of economic and social importance and interaction with the population Villa Clara.–Nothing could have been more natural for Villa Clara than the profound debates that took place yesterday during the analysis of the two-day central government visit to the province which included several sites of economic and social importance and interaction with the population in the province The delegation was led by Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez and Salvador Valdés Mesa of Cuba’s Councils of State and Ministers.Transportation problems among other issues of interest to the population confirming that this is a government committed to working for the people president of the Provincial Assembly of People’s Power reported that to date 58% of dwellings damaged by extreme weather events have been repaired all cases of total or partial roof damage will be addressed.In terms of the sugar industry it was reported that production was 38,000 tons short of projections as a consequence of unseasonal heavy rain and Hurricane Irma Valdés Mesa called for redoubling efforts since the country’s needs a good harvest in Villa Clara this year.Roberto Pérez Pérez insisted on the need to solve planning problems in the province while Díaz-Canel emphasized the need to expand production of material goods destined for domestic consumption and export.The Cuban president criticized a lack of vision on the part of the province’s bicycle factory generating economic problems and undermining the confidence of customers.The President cited other examples of issues that must be addressed including those of the dairy industry stated that the province’s infrastructure is largely obsolete and requires significant investment which is being considered; while Valdés Mesa addressed transport issues noting the number of vehicles out of service and questioning use of fuel allocated for passenger transportation with topics dedicated to the analysis of the policy approved for this sector its relationship with the environment and the circular economy Interview granted by Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic advocated on Tuesday that Biomodulin T should be part of primary health care in Cuban communities and that doctors should be prepared there to prescribe it XCuba is a new cell phone app developed by a team of students and professors at Martha Abreu Central University in Villa Clara a new cell phone app (XCuba) developed by a team of students and professors from the Martha Abreu Las Villas Central University (UCLV) The application features information regarding Cuba’s political and electoral system which is also available on the UCLV and National Assembly of People’s Power websites.The tool - which was presented during an event at the prestigious university and attended by students and staff from the institution - features various sections which provide relevant information on important issues for Cuban society such as how the country’s political system works deputies and authorities are elected through different stages of the process She also noted that the app includes photos audio materials and various attachments to explain the different elements of Cuba’s political system electoral law and other important issues for the island’s society During the presentation - which saw the participation of senior Party and government authorities in Villa Clara respectively; as well as deputies to the National Assembly of People’s Power and Presidents of People’s Councils among other guests - Law professors Gustavo Hernández Arteaga and Yanely Delgado explained the importance of the app looking toward upcoming political processes scheduled to take place in the coming months a member of the Cuban Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Commission highlighted the work undertaken by the UCLV’s Application Development Group who have managed to create an interactive and user-friendly platform where younger generations can access this information one of the members of the development team expressed thanks for the trust placed in them to create the app designed for android phones as well as other tools previously developed by the group to facilitate access to the documents of the 7th Party Congress Conceptualization of the Cuban economic model The First Vice President of Cuba’s Councils of State and Ministers also visited the province’s pedagogical institute and a bio fertilizer and pesticides plant — Villa Clara looks set to meet its sugar production plan the entire process must run like clockwork in this decisive phase of the harvest; ensuring efficiency and production quality as well as the commitment of the workforce first vice president of Cuba’s Councils of State and Ministers whilst visiting important facilities in the province first secretary of the Party Provincial Committee in Villa Clara and directors of the Azcuba Enterprise Group at the Ifraín Alfonso sugar mill also a member of the Party Political Bureau learned that 216,000 of a planned total of 270,000 tons of sugar have been processed to date The planned quantity is an achievable figure if the entire process is well planned and executed with efficiency Díaz-Canel inquired as to the causes of delays in certain mills such as the José María Pérez and Abel Santamaría facilities which given failures to fulfill investment plans from which lessons should be taken looking toward future harvests The First Vice President also visited Santa Clara’s Manuel Ascunce Domenech Pedagogical School where he received information regarding the progress being made by the institution and its role in training teachers for the province Whilst speaking with senior staff and students at the school Díaz-Canel highlighted the work of teachers who have graduated from the institution to date and stressed the need to continue training young people as the next generation of teachers while also emphasizing the importance of using multimedia and audiovisual materials provided by the State Díaz-Canel also visited one of the three bio-fertilizer and pesticides plants being built in the country – the other two are under construction in Havana and Granma – which will supply the central region with these products of which a certain portion will also be exported Once the plant is fully operational – which it should be in 2018 – it will be able to produce 1,000 tons of Biorat and the same amount of solid bio-pesticides as well as six million liters of liquid bio-pesticides which will contribute to increasing crop yields and improving soil quality by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers Granma follows events as Cubans vote for delegates to Municipal Assemblies of People’s Power Author: | internet@granma.cu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- over 146,500 voters have cast their ballots in Las Tunas according to the Provincial Electoral Commission -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11:35.- According to María Esther Bacallao secretary of the National Electoral Commission over two million people or 29.18 % of the electorate --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Central Committee member and First Party Secretary in the province spoke about today’s elections are the democratic model created by Fidel Our democracy is one of the cleanest in the world most able and revolutionary individual is chosen,” he noted National President of the Federation of University Students (FEU) Raúl Alejandro Palmero described the election process as a “genuine expression of people’s power.” He went on to note that these are the first elections to take place after Fidel’s death whose example is a source of inspiration for the 300,000 students who will be exercising their right to vote for the first time this Sunday “Fidel is the main architect of the democratic process we are experiencing today,” stated Palmero ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10:25.- These elections are a tribute to Fidel’s life and work a Party Political Bureau member and secretary general of the Cuban Workers’ Federation (CTC) casts his vote Speaking to the press he noted that the CTC has been involved in organizing the election process in order to ensure that everyone can vote 10:20.- Regarding reasons why people will be voting today Lima Corzo noted that 52% of those affected by Hurricane Irma in the province have received materials to repair their homes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10:19.- The Party Secretary in Villa Clara noted that the province has worked hard to ensure that the electoral process run smoothly despite being one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Irma In this sense she noted that the 3,803 nomination assemblies in the province’s 978 circumscriptions went ahead on schedule 10:18.- We cannot fail the Comandante en Jefe on a day like today when so many things for the future of our democracy are being decided one of the cleanest and most participatory in the world President of the Civil Defense Council in Villa Clara 10:07.- Speaking to the press Machado Ventura stated that the Cuban people will continue to move forward despite the tightening of the blockade and harmful actions by the United States 10:05.- The Cuban official also highlighted the important number of women and young people among those nominated The youth is showing signs of a strong identification with the Revolution This genuine sentiment has been seen across the island over these days of tribute to Fidel ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10:02.- Machado Ventura noted that despite the impact of Hurricane Irma elections have been proceeding well thus far and congratulated the over country’s over 200,000 electoral authorities 10:00.- Second secretary of the Party Central Committee and a Vice President the Councils of State and Minister there were two things Hurricane Irma was unable to destroy: the mythical Ceiba tree adored by locals and which today stands taller have been lining up at the Camilo Cienfuegos Polytechnic Institute – today a polling station – to choose representatives from their area to the Municipal Assembly of Peoples Power ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- decorated Hero of the Republic of Cuba Orlando Cardoso Villavicencio stated that in a world as complicated as the one we live in today where elections take place amid corruption and unrest it’s good to see so much peace and transparency in Cuba In Cuba elections are a celebration of truth and dignity ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 09:36.- The President of the CEN highlighted the importance of the trial run conducted on November 19 which allowed mechanisms to be adjusted and pre-arranged alternatives implemented in order to ensure elections today run smoothly 09:30.- Polling stations opened at 7am this morning and so far elections have proceeded without problems President of the National Electoral Commission (CEN) 08:40.- Cuban television is providing special coverage of elections from across the country --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Party does not propose candidates and there are no electoral campaigns ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 08:18.- Polling stations are open today from 7am to 6pm If all voters have cast their ballot before 6pm the President of the local Electoral Commission will announce the end of voting ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 08:16.- Neighbors pay tribute to Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz at the polling station where he usually voted; recalling anecdotes and memories of the revolutionary leader The space also features an exposition of photos of the historic leader of the Cuban revolution participating in elections stated Díaz-Canel after casting his ballot 08:10.- These elections send a message to the world of unity around the revolutionary process a message that Cuba will not waver in the face of external pressure or the forces of nature 08:08.- The Cuban official noted candidates are individuals with strong values from local communities and nominated directly by the people on the basis of their merits 08:06.- We have arrived at this point and once again shown the mobilizing capacity of the Revolution who went on to highlight the success of the electoral process thus far He also stressed the importance of this stage of the process as it represents the foundation of Cuba’s system of governance 08:04.- First Vice President of the Councils of Sate and Ministers of Cuba 8:00.- The Foreign Minister noted that although these are the first elections to take place without the physical presence of Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz they represent a tribute to the ideas he defended throughout his life a Party Political Bureau member and minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba stated that today is a special day in which the legitimacy of the Cuban electoral system is being demonstrated 07:52.- In order to take part in elections Cubans must be registered to vote which automatically happens when an individual turns 16 years of age and a Constitutional right enjoyed by all citizens over eight million Cubans are expected to come out to vote for 12,515 delegates to Municipal Assemblies of People’s Power ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 07:32.- Teresa Amarelle noted that the election process represents a tribute to Fidel on the first anniversary of his passing --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- a member of the Party Political Bureau and secretary general of the Federation of Cuban Women cast her vote this morning Speaking to the press afterwards she highlighted the commitment of Cuban women to the electoral process 07:25.- The process to nominate candidates for municipal delegates took place from September 4 through October 30 2017 with the participation of 6,746,867 voters or 78.35% of the electorate -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 07:18.- In Cuba citizens can vote once they reach 16 years of age provided that they have lived in the country for at least two years before elections ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 07:10.- This round of elections features 27,221 candidates 9,637 of which are women (35.40 %) and 5,307 young people (19.49 %) Cubans will vote for delegates to Municipal Assemblies of People’s Power from among which delegates to provincial assemblies and Parliament will be chosen A strong magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit 25 km (15 mi) away from San Cristobal de las Casas, Estado de Chiapas,  Mexico 2025 at 2.28 am local time (America/Merida GMT -6) The quake had a moderate depth of 260 km (162 mi) and was felt by many near the epicenter A moderate magnitude 4.0 earthquake occurred in the North Pacific Ocean 109 km (68 mi) from  Mexico in the afternoon of Saturday The quake had a very shallow depth of 22 km (13 mi) and was felt by many near the epicenter The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would A moderate magnitude 4.0 earthquake occurred in the North Pacific Ocean 85 km (53 mi) from  Mexico in the early morning of Saturday The quake had a very shallow depth of 16.1 km (10 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so) San Cristobal de las Casas has a high level of seismic activity Based on data from the past 55 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900 there are about 66 quakes on average per year in or near San Cristobal de las Casas San Cristobal de las Casas has had at least 3 quakes above magnitude 7 since 1900 which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently probably on average approximately every 40 to 45 years The quake had a moderate depth of 160 km (99 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so) San Cristobal de las Casas was shaken by 1 quake of magnitude 5.8 There have been also 2 quakes below magnitude 2.0 which people don't normally feel The quake had a moderate depth of 260 km (162 mi) and was reported felt by some people near the epicenter.