Mexico

Teenage thieves abused by vigilantes

Sophie Team Observers — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:16:16 +0100

Several hours after five teenagers were caught stealing from a luxury apartment in the Mexican city of Tepic two weeks ago, they were found half naked and severely beaten on one of the city's main thoroughfares. A week later, mobile phone footage documenting the psychological abuse they were subjected to surfaced on YouTube. Who was behind this brutal incident and what role did the police play in it? So far, there's no one answer.

One of our Observers in Mexico, Gabriel Infante brought our attention to this footage.

Video: ‘Hero’ bricklayer shot to death while tackling metro gunman

Team Observers — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:18:48 +0200

When a crazed gunman opened fire in crowded Mexico city metro station on Friday, most people bolted for the nearest exit. But not Esteban Cervantes Barrera, who single-handedly tackled the gunman - and died a hero.

Cervantes, a 56-year-old mason, was one of thousands of people on their way to work when a gunshot rang out in the Balderas metro station in central Mexico City. A man in his wagon had begun shooting indiscriminately after a policeman on patrol tried to stop him from scribbling graffiti on a wall.

The mute video surveillance footage below shows Cervantes, unarmed and unprotected, lunging at the man and attempting to disarm him several times before being shot in the head. A policeman was also killed and several other people wounded before security forces managed to restrain the killer.

The gunman, a 38-year-old unemployed man, was heard to shout "It's not against you, it's against the government!" to the crowd as he shot in the air. He told police that he committed the attack because he had a "message to send out to the city".

Cervantes has been hailed as a hero by his countrymen and buried with national honours in Mexico City's civilian pantheon.

Thirty years in Michael Jackson’s skin

Sophie Team Observers — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:12:34 +0200

Walking the streets of Mexico City, you might bump into what looks like Michael Jackson. Don't panic, he hasn't risen from the grave. It's just Victor Jackson, an MJ impersonator for the past 30 years. Here's his reaction to the King of Pop's death...

I haven't stopped crying since the news came out. Mourning for a normal fan is different from someone like me, who has impersonated him for the last thirty years. I don't want to see anybody or even leave the house. Friends and family phone me to know how I'm coping.

I began to impersonate him when Off The Wall came out in 1979. People kept telling me in nightclubs, especially Americans, that I looked very much like him. When Thriller came out, I began to realise how big he would become. I was thrilled by his white gloves and his characteristic hat and sunglasses. For me, the way he moved and did the moonwalk was just phenomenal. All this made me decide to dedicate my life to impersonating him. I love it, and I have to admit that every dance move Michael came up with, I rehearsed for three or four hours a day.

I did get the chance to meet him when I worked for his record label. There was a casting for an impersonator, and fortunately I was picked. I travelled worldwide to promote his albums on radio, TV shows, in shopping centres and nightclubs. When he came to Mexico City, I received an invitation from him to a small gathering in Hard Rock Café. It was the best experience of my life. For me, Michael Jackson will always be alive".

This post was created in collaboration with one of our Observers for Mexico, Gabriel Infante.

Mexican blogger pushes for election boycott

Team Observers — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:08:34 +0200

This video was created by a blogger who's encouraging the Mexican electorate to boycott the midterm polls next month, in which all 500 of the lower house seats are up for grabs. Moisés Aisemberg says that the current politicians "loot" the country and are therefore not worth voting for. It's estimated that 60% of voters won't turn up and 10% invalidate the vote. The Catholic Church has condemned the movement.

Our Observer Gabriel Infante passed on this information to us.

Posted on Moisés' YouTube page.

Border dispute: Mexican residents attending US state-funded schools

Sophie Team Observers — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:37:33 +0200

This video claims to show dozens of Mexican residents crossing the border into Arizona and being driven by bus to a school in the town of Douglas, where they allegedly attend a state-funded school. The document has caused a furore in the southwestern state.

The video was released on the state's education department website last Thursday. It was filmed by a staff member of the department, which is run by Republican Tom Horne. He insists that the footage "demonstrates conclusively" that the Omega Alpha Academy school in the town of Douglas is accepting students who reside in Mexico, at a cost of $300,000 [€217,000] per year to Arizona tax payers, and that the school is doing so knowingly:

"Since these vans operate either on school property or in areas immediately adjacent to the property, in full view of school staff, in order to pick up and drop off students, it is impossible that school leadership is unaware of this practice."

The school's leadership responded to the accusation the very next day. Director Jose Frisby scoffed at the alleged "evidence" and pointed out that the Arizona Department of Education had audited the school twice and found it to be in compliance with the law:

"This [is] an edited video that is neither time nor date stamped. Where a student goes before or after school is entirely up to the student, [...this accusation] ignores the reality of cross border traffic that occurs every day in our community. [...] Every student at Omega Alpha Academy has presented evidence, in a form approved by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE), demonstrating residency. (...)"

The origin of influenza A (H1N1)?

Sophie Team Observers — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:25:59 +0200

Where did the A (H1N1) flu come from? Residents of the Mexican town where the first case was diagnosed say that a US-owned factory just a few miles down the road, which produces 950,000 pigs a year, is to blame. A blogger from the area went to the factory to look into the conditions.

Only a week after the deadly virus hit the headlines, what we first knew as swine flu, and is now called influenza A (H1N1), remains quite some mystery to both scientists and the public. Where this pig/ bird/ human flu super virus came from remains unknown. But what we do know, is that around a month ago, a five-year-old boy, Edgar Hernandez, fell ill with what has now been diagnosed as the A (H1N1) virus, and is thought to be the first known victim. The boy survived, but following his illness, around 800 people in his tiny town, La Gloria, southwest Mexico, also fell ill with a mysterious flu. What we also know, is that a few miles down the road lies "Granjas Carroll", an enormous hog producer, majority-owned by multinational Smithfield Foods, and the United States's biggest pork supplier. The factory has long been the target of protests by locals, who have complained of contamination for over half a decade. Now, they're making the link between the pollution which comes from the farm and the origins of influenza A (H1N1). They say that around half the townspeople work in Mexico City during the week, which is how the virus was transmitted to the capital. Smithfield, however, denies the link. The company says no pig in the factory has been diagnosed with the flu and therefore no infection can have emerged from it.

Tales from Mexico City: "My mother has been in hospital for two weeks now"

Team Observers — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:20:22 +0200

A student from Mexico City, whose mother was taken to hospital after she was infected with the A (H1N1) flu, tells us how he's getting through the ordeal.

Mexican authorities have reported 9 confirmed deaths form the influenza A (H1N1) epidemic, though adding that more than 170 people are suspected to have died from the flu over the past week.

Alfonso Quiroz, 24, is a student from the city. His mother is 58.

My mother has been in hospital for two weeks now. I'm only allowed very short visits, a few minutes each day: hospital rules are very strict. When I go there, I'm given a sterile face mask and have to disinfect my hands before and after the visit.

My mother is medicated through a drip in her arm, but I don't know with which drugs exactly. Her state is still worrying, but I'm under the impression that the treatment is beginning to have some effect. She has just been transferred to another unit in the hospital though I don't know whether it's a good or bad sign. Doctors don't tell me enough, it's hard to get clear answers from the hospital administration. I have no idea when my mother will be able to leave the hospital. I am very worried, although I know there are some cases worse than her's.

I'm personally very careful now. I wear a mask in public as much as possible. My mother probably caught the virus in the street, so you never know. My classes have been cancelled until May 5, at least that's what I've heard. I still take the metro and bus, though, I have no other choice".

Swine flu – are the masks really protecting people?

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:21:25 +0200

As the first cases of swine flu are confirmed in Europe and the first fatality in the US, everybody wants to know how best to protect themselves from the virus. Are the masks we see worn in Mexico City efficient? Not really, according to a specialist...

Mexico City under quarantine

Sophie Team Observers — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:32:13 +0200

The outbreak of swine flu in Mexico City has turned the world's second largest city into a ghost town. Universities, schools, bars and shops are closed; those who venture out do so with a protective mask. Our Observers there give us their accounts.

The death toll in the country is now at 103 [only nine confirmed by the World Health Organisation] and at least 400 others have been hospitalised (according to the Mexican authorities). Today, residents in the capital await the mayor's decision on whether to shut down the city entirely.

A 'whopper' of an insult to Mexicans?

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:53:17 +0200

Burger King is cooking up a storm with its "Texican Whopper" ad, which shows a tiny Mexican wrestler befriending a lanky American cowboy for what they describe as "the taste of Texas with a little spicy Mexican". Offensive?

"United by destiny"

The ad is only being shown in Spain and the UK for the time being. It was the Mexican ambassador to the former country, Jorge Zermeño, who announced Monday that he'd written a formal complaint to the company, requesting for the campaign to be removed. Burger King, which has yet to respond, is not the first American fast-food giant to upset the Mexicans. There was furor in 1997 when Taco Bell launched a campaign featuring a pint-sized Chihuahua that barked "Yo quiero Taco Bell!" (I want Taco Bell) in a Mexican accent.