ISLA MUJERES DAILY NEWS & EVENTS: June 2021

Sunday, June 27, 2021

Isla Mujeres News & Events Sunday, June 27

Our Northern Zone remains in Orange thru July 4th, as does the Southern Zone, according to the Governor's update Thursday evening. The grey bar shows the last two weeks, when Isla Mujeres had a decrease of 6%.(See graphics further down page). The municipality of Benito Juarez (Cancun & Puerto Juarez) is having about 100 new cases daily & is at the highest point so far in the pandemic. Cozumel also hit a record high.

Monday thru Thursday at the Bicentennial Dome in La Gloria, vaccines will be administered to residents in their 30's, from oldest to youngest. Face masks are required, as is pre-registration on the mivacuna site. Bring that print-out with a copy of your CURP and utility bill.

YESTERDAY--The municipal Department of Civil Protection & Firefighters are informing the populace that the pumps (that remove flood water) are working at maximum capacity and personnel are visiting various locations on the island. They ask for your patience and understanding. They also request that you don't put out your trash unless the collection truck is passing because this is what causes blockage of the drains and absorption pits.

YESTERDAY....Video from Isla Mujeres al Momento (These are screenshots from the video--that's smoke beneath the clouds) ....Personnel with the municipal Department of Civil Protection and the Firefighters are at Punta Sur working to extinguish a fire in a palapa there.

They had been working at clearing drains in flood-prone areas and earlier they activated the pumps which prevent the salina-lakes from overflowing and the downtown pump by the Casa Cultura which drains flooding from the area of Hidalgo (the pedestrian street) and Abasolo.

YESTERDAY, late afternoon....Noti Isla Mujeres reports that various neighborhood are still without electrical service, including a large part of colonia La Gloria and Ampliación La Gloria.

YESTERDAY afternoon....The caption with this video (Screenshot from the video) says that the level of the floodwaters on Hidalgo is decreasing little by little, with the pumps working at maximum capacity.

YESTERDAY AFTERNOON....The caption with the video (this is a screenshot from the video) says that the palapa at the Mundaca Hacienda was hit by lightning and personnel with Civil Protection & the Firefighters responded to the call.

Isla Mujeres al Dia published this photo from Isla Mujeres by Hope Kampnich.

Here's the new Ultramar ferry schedule, which began yesterday. There will be crossings on the half-hour during the main day-visitor hours: TO the island 8:30a to 2:30p (left side of the graphic) and FROM the island 4:30p-8:30p (right side). The times of the first & last ferries are unchanged, on both sides of the Bay.

As of Thursday, Isla Mujeres reported a total of 326 cases of C-19 with 35 deaths and 279 recuperated. The Geoportal for Isla Mujeres reports one active cases in Miraflores.

>>The Growth Rate of cases in the Northern Zone is 0.6 which is a slight increase from 0.59 last week. It was 0.55 the week before that and 0.58 before that.

>>Our Northern Zone remains in Orange thru July 4th with the next update on Thursday evening. This is unchanged since May 3, when capacities were officially reduced from 60% to 50% at hotels & restaurants, and to 30% at public beaches.

>>Isla Mujeres has a decrease on the graphics from Thursday night's update, which show the history of C-19, with the past two weeks in grey. Unfortunately, Cancun & Puerto Juarez, (who are the municipality of "Benito Juarez") are experiencing about 100 new cases daily, an historic increase. Cozumel also has record-breaking numbers.

>>ECONOMIC IMPACT

Today the Governor reported that Q. Roo was most economically impacted state by the pandemic. Thousands of jobs were lost, but as of this month, nearly 35,000 have been recovered. He implores everyone not to let down their guard about health habits, reminding us that the pandemic continues on. The graphic says, "Wear Masks, Wash Your Hands & Maintain Healthy Distance".

FRIDAY...The beaches of Isla Mujeres are without (sin) sargasso on today's update from the “Red de Monitoreo del Sargazo en Quintana Roo". ("Red" means net/network.)

Here's the Naval report, which is in agreement about Isla Mujeres having their best level, which is "scarce" (escaso). It also notes that nearly 19,000 tons of sargasso has been removed from Q Roo beaches since March (and about 750 tons from the sea).

WEDNESDAY, June 23 Cancun Al Minuto reports the cause of death of a person (male) on the vehicle ferry from Punta Sam is unknown. Authorities were called via 911 and it says tourists and residents were aboard the ferry.

WEDNESDAY, June 23 La Tertulia reports that the FGE (Fiscalia/Attorney General) has released the Macambo Restaurant's property, where the palapa fires began on April 26 which caused major damage to four restaurants, and other nearby businesses.

Nearly two months have passed since that chaotic day when entrepreneurs helplessly watched fire consuming the businesses they had worked on for years. Although they were able to reopen with facilities under temporary canopies, the Macambo restaurant where the fire began was placed under guard while the investigations were carried out. This caused concern among some business owners about the bad image that the site presented to visitors.

Now that it has been released by the prosecutor's office, work will began to clean up the property, The local public prosecutor's office (Ministerio Publico) notified the affected businesses that the Macambo property was being released, which included Miramar, Picus and Luna.

TUESDAY, June 22 IM Noticias reports that INM (Instituto Nacional de Migración) will be conducting night-time operations on Isla Mujeres, after recently carrying out two daytime operations. Personnel with INM said four or five agents from Cancun will carry out the operation, in response to allegations about the presence of undocumented people on the island and to detect foreigners who are working illegally. Personnel with INM said they are aware of these allegations, especially in regard to concerns about there being many foreigners who are competing in the workforce with Mexicans at tourism areas such as North Beach. So far in 2021, six foreigners have been detained on Isla Mujeres, with twice as many in 2020, according to their source.

TUESDAY, June 22 Video from Noti Isla Mujeres on FB (This is a screenshot from the video, which only shows a portion of the group)... These students from "World School", their teachers & a couple visitors were cleaning up trash along the road to Garrafon Park. In reply to questions, they say... If you want to help, donations of the 'grabbers' & gloves are appreciated, as well as monetary donations. Everyone is encouraged not to litter & to help keep the island clean. The kids give their names & nationalities, they agree with the reporter about the importance of masks & join in a hearty "VIVA ISLA MUJERES!!"

TUESDAY JUNE 22...This is a report from Kerem Pinto Aguilar, director of the ZOFEMAT (Federal Zone agency) that the beaches of Isla Mujeres are free from Sargasso, for the enjoyment of visitors & residents. She notes that the ZOFEMAT crew cleans the beaches with rakes and wheelbarrows early in the morning, and other Sargasso removal equipment is available when it arrives in larger quantities. Today's update from “Red de Monitoreo del Sargazo en Quintana Roo” lists Isla Mujeres as "without sargasso".

THURSDAY, June 17 Attempted murder in La Gloria

Around 6pm today, a male person received a bullet wound when he arrived at his home near the La Gloria Tortilleria and the CRIM rehabilitation facility. He was shot as he was about to exit his car, and it appears that the assailant approached him on foot, and ran away afterward. The injured man drove himself to the Community Hospital, where he was treated. Police were stationed outside the hospital and the street was cordoned off, as was the crime scene in colonia La Gloria. Due to the gravity of his injury, he was taken by the LIFE ambulance to the Naval pier to be transported to a hospital in Cancun for specialized care. The authorities were notified by neighbors who heard the gunshot. (Later reports said he was a jeweler & allegedly carrying a significant amount of cash).

THURSDAY, June 17 from Tortugueros Mexico These photos aren't from Isla Mujeres, whose rating on the Sargasso Traffic light remains Green-sparse. The caption says: It's nesting season in the #RivieraMaya and this is how some beaches look, reminding us of the imbalance we have caused to our environment.

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JUNE EVENTS

Full moon rising over the Caribbean

Nearly full moon Wednesday, June 23 rises at 6:42 p over the Caribbean & the sun sets at 7:32

Full Moon rises on Thurs, June 24 at 7:49p

Fri, June 25 at 8:52

Sat. June 26 at 9:48

Sun, June 27 at 10:36

Mon, June 28 at 11:18

Tues. June 29 at 11:56

Sunrise in June~6:05 (first of month)-7:33a (end of month)

Public events have been suspended due to C-19, mostly. Some holidays have featured online competitions and events.

Sources for Weather Information:
LINK to Civil Protection Q Roo weather bulletin (Spanish)
LINK to Mexico National Weather Service (Spanish)
LINK to satellite images for the Mexico National Weather Service
LINK to GOES East Band 16 GIF (animation)
LINK to a private weather station on Isla Mujeres

LINK to US National Hurricane Center

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Isla Mujeres News & Events Thursday, June 17

SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS MONTH'S EVENTS SCHEDULE!

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Our Northern Zone remains in Orange on the state epidemiological light for Monday thru Sunday next week, June 21-27. The Governor expressed concern over the rise on the graph for Isla Mujeres (among others). Also concerning is the Northern Zone's increase in Contagion Rate from 1.02 to 1.06, and he noted that whenever this is over one, it indicates cases are rising.On the graphs, Diminucion means decrease and Aumento is increase.

Raising Awareness About Indigenous Rights--Zapatistas Sail From Isla Mujeres to Spain

Forty-seven days after sailing from Isla Mujeres on a "reverse journey" to Spain, a delegation of seven Zapatistas arrived in Europe on Friday. They landed in the Azores islands of Portugal, where port authorities tested them for Covid-19 and stamped their passports. The team was in good spirits and said they were treated with grace and respect.

They started their journey in pickup trucks, traveling about a 1000 kilometers from Chiapas to Isla Mujeres, where their boat, "La Montaña" (The Mountain) was waiting. They chose Isla Mujeres because the conquest of Mexico began here when the first Spanish expedition landed on the isle 503 years ago. The Zapatistas said they were making "A mountain-journey against the grain of history."

They were seen off by fifty supporters, journalists and photographers, as well as Subcomandante Moises, leader of the EZLN (Zapatista Army of National Liberation). He wore the movement's hallmark black ski mask, as did the delegation, who added face shields at one point. The delegation is called the 421 Squad because they are four women, two men and one person who doesn't identify with either gender. They speak Tzotzil, Cho'ol or Tojolabal, in addition to Spanish, and range in age from 19 year-old Lupita to 57 year-old Bernal. The crew members include four Germans and one Colombian, and the delegation is accompanied by a journalist and an independent photographer who is making a documentary.

A group of Otaomi women, members of the National Indigenous Congress who traveled from Mexico City, shouted from the dock, "Zapata Lives!". A French-speaking woman held up a poster saying "We will collapse borders and ports", as departure instructions were exchanged in German among the crew. Journalists riffed on the contrasts between the serious political event and the touristic environment, with golf carts roaring by and a bar busker shouting "Free Samples of Tequila" in English, then adding in Spanish "We have strippers, too!" They described the postcard-like scenery, which included a pair of women lounging in the water, in view of the cameras, wearing bikinis, glasses and face masks. Just offshore, the delegation was getting their sea legs aboard the old German flagship with its peeling paint and a large purple "ZAPATISTAS" banner hanging between the masts.

The expedition is called "Crossing for Life: The European Chapter" and they are carrying four carved, painted dugout canoes ("cayucos"). The largest one commemorates their Mayan ancestors, and the second one celebrates the people in resistance and rebellion. The third honors those who have fallen since the EZLN uprising on Jan 1st, 1994, and the smallest one celebrates "Zapatista childhood".

The Zapatista's iconic former leader, pipe-smoking Subcomandante Marcos (now known as Subcomandante Galeano) said if they disembark successfully, "There will be a party, dance, songs and cumbias (upbeat music)". He wryly added, "If not, we've brought four canoes, with their respective oars, and will begin our return. Of course, it will take a while before we see the outline of Ixchel's house again."

The delegation spent six months preparing, which included living together in a replica of the boat in the mountains of Chiapas. The actual boat was a flagship built in Germany in 1903, which was previously making trips to Cuba, Panama and Colombia. The group's next destination is Galicia, Spain, where they plan to embark on an international tour of more than 20 countries, "by land, sea and air". Hundreds of European organizations and NGO's have extended invitations to exchange ideas about "coping with the inequalities derived from the capitalistic social and economic system." The EZLN website says they intend "to talk about our mutual stories, pains, rages, achievements and failures."

But there's a problem.

They had planned to meet up with another Zapatista delegation traveling by plane from Chiapas to Europe, but their colleagues are stranded in Mexico after encountering difficulties obtaining passports. The EZLN claims that bureaucrats discriminated against them due to the color of their skin, their manner of speaking & dressing, and their place of origin. They say all the requirements were met by the Zapatistas who traveled from their communities despite the pandemic, made appointments, waited in lines, presented their valid voting credentials & birth certificates, and paid fees between 600 pesos and nearly 3000 pesos, depending on the type of procedure.

The EZLN said their problem is associated with the federal government's attempts to stop the flow of Central American immigrants to the US, which they characterized as "poorly disguised hysteria". They complained that the government's recognition of their indigenous roots and rights is just lip-service, and that the native population is being treated like foreigners in their own land. "We are Mexicans, here we had/happened to be born, live, fight and die. If we'd been born in La Unión Americana, or in Belize or Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador, Costa Rica or Nicaragua, then we would still be proud of those geographical locations and we would be denouncing their respective governments as bureaucrats, racists and ignorant.”

In a letter from the Sixth Zapatista Commission, Subcomandante Marcos (now Galeano) said they demonstrated that the problem was racism by sending in a colleague with a white complexion and a beard, who easily obtained a passport by presenting his birth certificate and ID. However, the others were asked to prove they weren't Central Americans by presenting a middle-school completion certificate, which many don't have, or singing the national anthem, or providing relatives as witnesses.

The Commission said a colleague over 60 years of age was accused of wanting to go to the United States to work. He replied, "No, that's later, another time, in another round. Right now, it's Europe's turn." The bureaucrat sent him to another window. There he was told, "That is very far and the trip is very expensive; it can't be that you have the necessary money because you're indigenous. You'll have to bring in your credit card statement, and the one that follows it."

On Tuesday morning, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the situation would be resolved that same day, since "All Mexicans can freely leave the country." He added, "I have already instructed the Secretary of Foreign Relations (Marcelo Ebrard/SRE) to review why they were not given their passports and to immediately attend to this. If a mistake was made, it will be resolved so that they have the possibility to travel without any problem and to be assisted. Because we are not authoritarian, we are not undemocratic. We are respectful of the freedoms for all." The SRE issued a statement that after the complaints expressed by the Zapatistas and the inconveniences caused, "The issuance of documents and the necessary procedures are being carried out with strict adherence to the dignity of the people and to the their human rights."

The schedules of the delegations haven't been delineated, except for their plans to be in Madrid on August 13, which is the day when the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City) fell to Cortez and his armies.

Here is a "Brief Historical Background to the Zapatista Movement" https://hemisphericinstitute.org/.../879-su10-brief...

Here's a more in-depth article "A Spark of Hope: The Ongoing Lessons of the Zapatista Revolution 25 years On" https://nacla.org/.../spark-hope-ongoing-lessons...

Maravilla Caribe Bed & Beach sponsors Isla Mujeres News & Events, who are celebrating 10 years of keeping English speakers informed about Isla Mujeres.

Yesterday.....

Today the Governor welcomed the first cruise ship arriving to Cozumel in over a year, the "Adventure of the Seas". He said that Cozumel is the most important cruise destination in the world & this represents an important step in reactivating the economy of that island and the Mexican Caribbean.

In OTHER news, earlier this month two guests tested positive during a seven-day cruise aboard the "Celebrity Millennium", which was the first major sea cruise with North American passengers since the pandemic. It set sail on Saturday, June 5 from San Maarten with a fully vaccinated crew. The adult passengers were required to show proof of vaccination and a negative C-19 test within 72 hours before departure.

It was reported that 95% of the passengers were vaccinated. Children were only required to show negative C-19 tests. Its port stops were in Barbados, Aruba and Curacao, before returning to San Maarten on Saturday, June 12th.

The positive results were discovered during the required "end of cruise testing" and announced by the Captain around 5p on Thursday, July 10th. Within two hours, more than 200 of the ~600 passengers had been tested with no further positive results, according to CruiseCritic.com. The press release from Celebrity Cruises noted that the two positive individuals had been cabin-mates and were asymptomatic. They were quarantined and monitored by the ship's medical team. All activities continued and everything remained open for the rest of the cruise.

YESTERDAY.....Since the beginning of this hurricane season, personnel with the municipal Department of Civil Protection have been working at cleaning the storm drains and de-silting the absorption wells, as well as monitoring the lagoons to prevent flooding. Residents are reminded to obtain information from official sources and to avoid false reports. They are encouraged to keep their yards and rooftops clean of objects that could become projectiles.

YESTERDAY...Happy World Turtle Day! There are 44 sea turtle nests being protected at the Tortugranja, containing 5,229 eggs. Since 2019 and 2020 were both very active seasons, this season is expected to be slower. Staff and volunteers monitor the eastern beaches of the island, particularly “Media Luna”, “El Hangar”, “Bachilleres” “Acapulquito” and “Invasión”.

Last month, the Tortugranja invited Mexicans with a background in associated fields to apply to volunteer at the facility, offering them training, basic lodging, environmental activities and a certificate. Eight volunteers were accepted & have joined the staff providing surveillance, egg collection and cleaning of the nesting beaches.

Residents & visitors are reminded to avoid taking flash-photos or using white light, to avoid disturbing the turtles, and to report any suspicious activity that could threaten them.

YESTERDAY.... As of today, Isla Mujeres reported a total of 316 cases of C-19 with 35 deaths and 271 recuperated. Since last Wednesday, that's six more cases and another death, unfortunately.

The Geoportal for Isla Mujeres reports a total of 5 active cases by colonia as: Downtown-2, Colonia #5 (Sac Bajo)-2, and Miraflores-1.

The Geoportal for Isla Mujeres reports cumulative cases by colonia as of June 2nd as follows: Downtown-16, Aeropuerto-2, Bahia-2, Electristas-6 Salinas-25, Meteorologico-32, Salina Grande-11, Colonia #5 (in Sac Bajo)-1, Caridad del Cobre-8, Ampliacion la Gloria-7, 23 de Noviembre-13, col.Isla Blanca-5, Lol Beh-0, Miraflores-14, El Canotal-40, Colonia #6-0, La Gloria-54, Sin Nombre (Punta Sur)-3, and Guadalupana-7....which is a total of 246. (This is less than the total reported since that was over 300 in early June and the total reached 246 on January 12th.)

The Growth Rate of cases in the Northern Zone is 0.59 compared with 0.55 last week and 0.58 the week before.

The seniors in Isla Mujeres have received two doses of C-19 vaccine & residents in their fifties have gotten their first dose, which is true of a majority of Mexicans. Island residents in their 40's have received their first dose. Residents in the tourist areas of Quintana Roo have been given priority to benefit from the 1 million doses of J&J vaccine being donated by the US, along with some residents of border cities & in the tourism areas of Baja California. Those are expected to arrive within a week or so.

YESTERDAY.... Overcast, rainy skies obscured this morning's sunrise. #3 is the current satellite. Today's official forecast accompanying #2 says intense rain & gusty winds (65kph/40mph) are expected in our region (but the torrential rains will be elsewhere). The extended forecast shows the rain & wind continuing tomorrow & Friday, and a windy Saturday.

JUNE 14--Missing after taking the noon Ultramar from Isla Mujeres on Saturday to go shopping at Costco & other places, wearing a light colored dress, heels and carrying a black purse. Regine Beatrix Roessler, 60, German, also speaks English and some Spanish. Thank-you.

Update today..."All of the necessary reports and paperwork are in place, we are officially though the red tape and the government agencies are all working together and making this a top priority right now." There were rumors that she had been picked up by immigration, and it has been confirmed that is not true. They were waiting on receiving an Missing Person report from her family in Germany, which has been completed. Before that, privacy laws prevented Costco from sharing security video and information about whether her card had been used, etc. There is another woman in Cancun who was mistaken for her, and it has been confirmed that she is not Regine.