COVER STORY
MERIDA
CHRONICLES RENOWNED ARTIST ALONSO GUTIÉRREZ WORRIES ABOUT MERIDA’S FUTURE
DREAM OR REALITY?
Gran Parque La Plancha work is finally underway... ....Or is it??
CHICXULUB CRATER MUSEUM Scheduled to
open in September
EDITION
3 YEAR 1 MARCH 2018
WELCOME! My name is Iván Cervera López, and I am director of Mayakin Real Esate Advisors. We would like to put ourselves at your disposition for any matter related to real estate in Mérida and Yucatán. We share with our clients many investment opportunities and housing options, as well as information we believe could improve your finances and provide greater economic security.
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287 49 79 www.mayakin.com.mx
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WELCOME
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WELCOME…. …To the third issue of Mid-Point Yucatán, the English supplement to Periódico Punto Medio here in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. Mid-Point Yucatán, a twice-monthly news magazine directed to the rapidly expanding English-speaking community of the states of Yucatán and Campeche in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, is a true team effort.
Everyone here at Punto Medio / Mid-Point works hard but cheerfully to pull all the pieces of the publishing puzzle together so that the magazine hits the streets on time twice a month.
As the fleet of circulation motorbikes zip around Merida and up to Progreso and other nearby beach towns, we here in the office are already uploading stories and photos to the Mid-Point web site so you can also experience Assembling this attractive product requires contributions from a talented staff of reporters, the magazine’s groundbreaking coverage online. editors, photographers and graphic designers, as well as dedicated advertising, printing, Now in its ninth year of publication in the circulation and administrative personnel. Yucatecan capital of Mérida, Periódico Punto Medio – Mid-Point’s daily Spanish affiliate -has established an outstanding reputation for thorough and impartial journalism in Yucatán and Campeche. ADMINISTRATION
Mauricio Valenzuela M.
ADVERTISING
Luis Rejón Mex
EDITORIAL DIRECTION Alejandro Fitzmaurice C.
CONTENT / EDITING Robert Adams
DESIGN
Arbee Farid Antonio Chi José Ramirez
PRODUCTION Noé Moguel
PHOTOGRAPHY Gael Medina
EDITORIAL ART
Raúl Mendoza (El Rulos Bar)
CIRCULATION
For readers who prefer information in English, Mid-Point vows to exceed your expectations for a lively source of essential news, features, photos, illustrations, maps and other enticing content. We offer a variety of advertising packages to suit your budget. We also will gladly tailor a package to meet your individual needs. And we promise to utilize your comments, insights, input and criticism to make this an even more useful product with each forthcoming edition. Thank you for reading Mid-Point. Enjoy! Robert Adams Content Manager / Editor www.puntomedio.mx/category/midpoint/
midpoint.yucatan@gmail.com 999 249 7100
Paul Alfaro M.
Mid-Point Yucatán is a free twice-monthly news magazine. All rights reserved. Any reproduction of content through any means without previous permission is prohibited. Certificates of ownership and title in process. Certificates of legality and content in process. Opinions expressed herein are those of their authors and do not necessarily represent the editors or publishers of Mid-Point Yucatán. Advertisements are responsibility of the advertisers.
NEWS FROM HOME
Photos: Agencies
·HEMISPHERIC THEMES· Trump promises to meet with Peña Nieto
W
ashington — Officials are working to arrange a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto “in the near future” to review progress on trade talks, a border wall and other issues, the White House said in a recent statement Mexico’s foreign ministry said in mid-February a meeting between the two leaders was being planned for sometime during the next few weeks. The U.S. and Mexico, along with Canada, are renegotiating the North American free trade agreement, which Trump has threatened to pull out
of unless significant changes are made. Trump has also vowed to build a wall along the southern border to prevent Illegal immigration and to make Mexico pay for it, a demand Mexico has emphatically rejected. Trump had his first meeting as president with Peña Nieto last July on the sidelines of a G20 summit. Peña Nieto canceled an earlier scheduled meeting after Trump threatened to impose a tax on Mexican imports to pay for his border wall. Trump also met the Mexican leader once during the 2016 U.S. Election campaign. U.S. officials, including Commerce Secretary
Wilbur Ross, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and national security adviser H.R. McMaster, met at the White House with a Mexican delegation led by Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray. “The meeting furthered the work of both governments over the past year to establish comprehensive agreements on several issues, including economic cooperation and trade, security and law enforcement, energy, regional initiatives, and immigration,” the White House statement said. With information from Reuters News Agency and other source
With information from El Universal
C O N T R O L ¡
NEWS FROM HOME
¡ G U N
Debated again in wake of tragic Florida student massacre
M
ore than five years have passed since a gunman killed 20 first graders and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut, stirring the long U.S. debate about gun rights, which are protected by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. But on Feb. 14, a 19-yearold gunman opened fire at a South Florida high school he had previously been expelled from, killing 17 people before he was arrested by police, authorities said. It was the 18th shooting in a U.S. school so far this year, according to gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety. That tally includes suicides and
incidents when no one was injured, as well as the January incident when a 15-year-old gunman killed two students at a Kentucky high school. The Feb. 14 violence erupted shortly before dismissal at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, about 45 miles (72 km) north of Miami. Live television footage showed students streaming out of the building as dozens of police and emergency personnel swarmed the area. The gunman was identified as Nikolas Cruz, who previously attended the school and was expelled for unspecified disciplinary reasons, Broward
County Sheriff Scott Israel said at a news briefing hours later. Twelve of the dead were killed inside the school building, others outside and others died later in the hospital, Israel said. The Florida incident renewed the acrimonious debate among segments of U.S. society, particularly opponents and proponents of gun control. U.S. President Donald Trump last week added his voice to the debate, with an appeal to arm school teachers, a proposal that has been floated by others. By Robert Adams with information from El Universal
MERIDA CHRONICLES
Text / Photos by Robert Adams
·ALONSO GUTIÉRREZ· Yucatán’s most renowned living artist reflects on life and art... and Mérida’s future
D
on Alonso Gutiérrez, generally acknowledged as Yucatan’s most renowned living artist, says he became a painter to avoid having to talk to people. But ironically, Merida officials so much wanted to hear what he has to say that they invited him to deliver the keynote speech at the city’s 476th anniversary ceremony in January. Reflecting on this irony during a recent exclusive interview at his apartment/ studio in Colonia Mexico, Don Alonso chuckled and shrugged at life’s sometimes unpredictable turns. The 81-year-old lion of Merida’s art scene said he is very alarmed about the White City’s “anarchical development” that is sending the city sprawling in all directions -- north, south, east and west. “This is a worldwide illness, killing off nature. It’s a serious thing. There are many ethical questions concerning development. The basic interest is money.” Don Alonso can look out the window of his modest third-floor apartment and glimpse the problem of which he speaks -- the continuing sprawl of development along Prolongación del Paseo de Montejo. He notes the “enormous” growth of shopping malls and commercial plazas during the 30 years he has lived in the apartment that also serves as his art studio. “We must save nature if we are going to save ourselves,” said Don Alonso, referring to the “decadence” and “superficiality” he perceives as the characteristics of the age in which we are living. He reflec-
MÉRIDA CHRONICLES
Text / Photos by Robert Adams
ted that he sees parallels between the decadent and superficial art of the current age and the general malaise of modern life. This he attributes to a widespread lack of ethical values in our culture. “There was an age of marvelous art after the (Mexican) Revolution,” he reflected. But that period gave way to what Don Alonso perceives as art lacking human values. He detects the same lack of ethical values in the U.S. and European art scenes. He cites the case of the American artist Jeff Koons who married the Italian prostitute-turned-politician Cicciolina to become famous. “To be a real artist, you need to be an ethical person,” he said. “But we are living in an epoch of decadence.” The walls of Don Alonso’s studio are filled with examples of his accomplishments in many diverse styles and genres of art. These works range from highly realistic human portraits to abstract impressions of people and objects. As classical music wafts quietly from his stereo, Don Alonso recounts how he convinced himself he could be an artist and make his livelihood in this way. He points to a portrait he painted in the early 1960s when
he was a young student living in Madrid. The portrait is of an “abuela” (grandmother) of a Madrid family that he knew. The painting, which shares features with some of the greatest Dutch masters of portraiture such as Frans Hals and Johannes Vermeer, convinced Don Alonso that he himself was a painter. “Yes, in truth, I can be a painter,” he recalls concluding after completing the work in his mid-20s. While Don Alonso has lived in several of the
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world’s art capitals including Madrid, Paris, London and Mexico City, he chooses to make his home in Merida, where he was born in 1937. His ceramic murals and mosaics adorn several of the city’s important buildings, including the Siglo XXI complex. In addition to his painting, he has published several short works of philosphical fiction. He is active in conservation effors. It would be fair to refer to him as a local treasure.
MERIDA CHRONICLES
COVER STORY
By Punto Medio: Jesús Gómez and Fernando Galaz
· M E R I DA ’ S “ C E N T R A L PA R K ” · It will be a reality, says Gov. Zapata Bello. Work starts, haltingly, to rescue the old train station and convert it to a modern green space.
W
ITH THE planned removal of 52 boxcars and 15 locomotives began the recovery of eight hectares of land called “La Plancha” to build the Meridano “Central Park,” a long-sought goal based on sentiments and needs of society. The space will house the University of Arts of Yucatan, the Museum of Light, recreational and wooded areas, with an investment of 130 million pesos, said the Technical Secretary of Planning and Evaluation (Seplan), Guillermo Cortés González.
Photos by Robert Adams and Rodrigo Díaz Guzmán
COVER STORY
During an event held at La Plancha Feb. 8, which was headed by Governor Rolando Zapata Bello, Cortés González explained that the work is based on a Master Plan, being the commitment of the state administration of eight hectares covering the staging yards, the Railway Museum area and the softball park, in a first stage. The project is divided into four areas: a) area of culture and art, where will be built the new University of the Arts, b) Museums, preserving the Railway Museum, as well as the construction of the Museum of Light in alliance with UNAM, c) Green Corridor and d) Multiple Use Area.
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COVER STORY
The La Plancha space served for many years as the train loading yards, which generated the accumulation of boxcars, vans, gondolas, locomotives and 15 thousand tons of discarded iron material...
It should be remembered that the space served for many years as the loading and unloading yards for formation of trains, which generated the accumulation of boxcars, vans, gondolas, locomotives and 15 thousand tons of discarded iron material. This equipment and the discarded materials are expected to be transferred to the dead zone of the Railway Operations Center (COF) located in Poxilå, Uman. For his part, Gustavo Baca Villanueva, director of Railways of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, highlighted that this important project will preserve La Plancha’s urban, environmental and cultural value. Zapata Bello promised to work very hard until the last
Photos by Robert Adams and Rodrigo Díaz Guzmán
COVER STORY
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day of his administration consolidating this great space for residents and for all Meridanos. He pointed out that this work will encourage daily tourist activities thanks to the planned park’s strategic location near the Plaza Grande and the Paseo de Montejo, allowing the formation of an important circuit. “The great theme of a park in” La Plancha “is something we’ve heard for many years. Well today, today it has certainty and clarity in the future,” he said.
ENVIRONMENT
PHOTOS: El Universal
·CHICXULUB SCIENCE MUSEUM· It expects to open in September, aiming to become the main center for research on the Chicxulub Crater and meteor and asteroid impacts.
A
t the Science Museum of the Chicxulub Crater, scientists, professors, students, and the general public will find information related to the meteor that hit the Yucatán Penninsula 65 million years ago. This space – unique in its kind – is intended to become the key center on the research of asteroid impacts and related topics. During a walkthrough, Yucatán Governor Rolando Zapata and the dean of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Enrique Graue, verified the construction progress in which MXN$50 billion pesos are being invested. The Museum is expected to open in September. The project, located within the Scientific and Technological
Park of Yucatán, will host the Geophysics Laboratories of the UNAM, which is why it’s set to become Mexico’s most important research center on Earth Sciences. The Museum will have four main exhibition rooms on the Universe, the Solar System, impact craters, the dinosaur mass extinction, and the biodiversity and culture of Yucatán, including its network of aquifers.
The aim is to boost not only academic and scientific tourism but also to raise environmental awareness. And of course, the museum will be fitted and run with cutting-edge technology. In addition to interactive devices for visitors, the building will use information technology to manage facility systems. Source: El Universal
from Merida to Las Vegas are planned: officials
L
as Vegas casinos, shopping, entertainment and other attractions could be a mere direct flight away from Merida if tourism promoters in both cities are successful with negotiations currently underway with Aeromexico. Already one of the most popular destinations for Yucatecan travelers, Las Vegas would be served directly from Merida under a plan unveiled recently by Yucatan’s Tourism Secretary and the Nevada city’s Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). Las Vegas tourism entrepreneurs consider Merida as one of their emerging markets because more Yucatecans are interested in
traveling for shopping and entertainment in “Sin City”. “Las Vegas has an average of 900 shopping complexes and outlet style malls. In addition, in the near future, Merida will have shopping malls in the style of Las Vegas,” said Fernando Hurtado, LVCVA International Sales Manager. “We want to leave behind the idea of visiting Las Vegas only for the casinos. It’s time to focus on other market niches, such as entertainment,” he said. The Yucatecan capital was chosen as one of four destinations, together with Monterrey, Mexico City and Guadalajara, for this year’s Las Vegas’ sales
TRAVEL / LEISURE
F L I G H T S ·
Source: Punto Medio Photos: Agencies
· D I R E C T
blitz with tour operators and travel agents. “Las Vegas received more than 1.2 million Mexicans in 2016, keeping Mexico as our second source of international visitors after Canada,” Hurtado said at the Merida event. The executive added that thanks to direct flights from Mexico’s main cities through Aeroméxico, Interjet, Volaris and recently Viva Aerobus, Las Vegas is increasingly accessible to the Mexican market. Aeromexico/Delta, United and American Airlines currently operate direct flights linking Merida with Atlanta, Houston, Miami and Dallas in the U.S.
EXPAT TAX ADVICE
¡ I R S
TA X
I S S U E S ¡
for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad
H
ere is some advice from the IRS regarding filing tax returns from abroad.
If you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien, the rules for filing income, estate, and gift tax returns and paying estimated tax are generally the same whether you are in the United States or abroad, according to the IRS. Your worldwide income is subject to U.S. income tax, regardless of where you reside, the tax agency counsels. When to file If you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien residing overseas, or are in the military on duty outside the U.S., on the regular due date of your return, you are allowed an automatic 2-month extension to file your return and pay any amount due without requesting an extension. For a calendar year return, the automatic 2-month extension is to June 15. If you qualify for this 2-month extension, penalties for paying any tax late are assessed
from the 2-month extended due date of the payment (June 15 for calendar year taxpayers). However, even if you are allowed an extension, you will have to pay interest on any tax not paid by the regular due date of your return (April 15 for calendar year taxpayers). If you qualify for the 2-month extension but are unable to file your return by the automatic 2-month extension date, you can request an additional extension to October 15 by filing Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, before the automatic 2-month extension date. However, if you qualify for the 2-month extension, penalties for paying any tax late are assessed from the extended due date of the payment (June 15 for calendar year taxpayers). Otherwise, if you do not qualify for the 2-month extension, penalties for paying late are assessed from the original due date of your return (April 15 for calendar year taxpayers). Also, even if you are allowed extensions to June 15 and/or October 15, you will
EXPAT TAX ADVICE
owe interest on any unpaid tax amount from the original due date of the return (April 15 for calendar year taxpayers). Where to File If you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien (Green Card Holder) and you live in a foreign country, mail your U.S. tax return to: Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Center Austin, TX 73301-0215 USA Estimated tax payments should be mailed with form 1040-ES to:
ADVERTISE WITH US TEL. 469 7100
Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 1300 Charlotte, NC 28201-1300 USA Taxpayers with an AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) within a specified threshold can electronically file their tax return for free using freefile. Taxpayers with an AGI greater than the specified threshold can either use the Free File Fillable Forms or efile by purchasing commercial software. A limited number of companies provide software that can accommodate foreign addresses. To determine which will work best for you, view the complete Free File
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Software list and the services provided. Tax ID Number Each taxpayer who files, or is claimed as a dependent on, a U.S. tax return will need a social security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). To obtain a SSN, use form SS5. to get form SS-5, contact a Social Security Office or visit Social Security International Operations. Source: IRS https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxp aye r s / u s - c i t i z e n s - a n d resident-aliens-abroad
HEALTH
PHOTO: Courtesy
H O W T O S TAY H E A L T H Y --Merida Medical Doctors--
C
ompiled by the U.S. Consulate in Merida, this partial list is not all-inclusive nor a recommendation of professional ability, reputation or quality of services provided. Inclusion on this list
is not an endorsement by the Consulate. The Consulate warns that it assumes no responsibility or liability for these doctors’ services. The order in which names appear has no significance or preference.
Dr. Sergio A. Villareal Umana // (Eng / Spa)
INTERNAL MEDICINE
926-6348 Edificio anexo (Centro Médico las Américas). calle 54 no. 365, por av. Perez Ponce, col. Centro, Merida, Yuc. cp. 97090 first floor c room 9 Dr. Antonio Briceño Vargas // (Eng / Spa) 925-0868 Clínica Mérida, Av. Itzaes no. 242. col. García Ginerés, Merida, Yuc. C.P. 97100 113
NEUROLOGISTS
ONCOLOGISTS
OPHTHALMOLOGISTS
Dr. Ruben Dario Vargas García // (Eng / Spa) 925-7508 Clínica de Mérida, Av. Itzaes no. 242. col. García Ginerés, Mérida, Yuc. C.P. 97100 303 Dr. Delio Ceballos Bojorquez // (Eng / Spa) 925-8333 925-5499 Clínica de Mérida, Av. Itzaes no. 242. col. García Ginerés, Mérida, Yuc. C.P. 97100 213 Dr. Adolfo Baqueiro Díaz // (Eng /Spa) 925-3253 Clínica de Mérida, Av. Itzaes no. 242. col. García Ginerés, Mérida, Yuc. C.P. 97100 304
HEALTH
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Dr. Alberto Caceres Peniche // (Eng /Spa)
OPHTHALMOLOGISTS
925-4152 Clinica de Merida, av. Itzaes no. 242. col. García Gineres, Mérida, Yuc. C.P. 97100 305 Dr. Alejandro Millet Molina // (Eng /Spa) 925-6944 Clinica de Mérida, av. Itzaes no. 242. col. García Gineres, Mérida, Yuc. C.P. 97100 310 Dr. Luis Mario Baeza Mezquita // (Eng / Spa) 926-2154 Centro Médico las Américas. Calle 54 no. 365, por av. Pérez Ponce, col. Centro, Mérida Yuc. C.P. 97000 100 Dr. Felipe Eduardo Camara Arrigunaga // (Eng / Spa) 943-6202 943-7202 Star Médica, Calle 26 no. 199 x 15 x 7, fracc. Altabrisa. 928 Dr. Herbe Rivero Maldonado // (Eng / Spa)
ORTHOPEDISTS
920-1658 Clínica de Mérida, av. Itzaes no. 242. col. García Gineres, Mérida, Yuc. C.P. 97100 3 Dr. Eduardo Muñoz Menendez // (Eng / Spa) 925-4865 Clínica de Mérida, av. Itzaes no. 242. col. García Gineres, Mérida, Yuc. C.P. 97100 201 Dr. Javier Pasos Novelo // (Eng / Spa) 926-2009 Centro Médico las Américas. Calle 54 no. 365, por av. Pérez Ponce, col. centro, Mérida Yuc. C.P. 97000 101 Dr. Miguel Baquedano Sauri // (Eng / Spa)
OTORRINOLARINGOLOGISTS
925-5034 Centro Especialidades Médicas, calle 60 no. 329-b por 35 y av. Colon, Merida Yuc. cp. 97000 15 Dr. Juan José Castellanos Dorbecker // (No Eng) 943-2991 Star Médica, Calle 26 no. 199 x 15 x 7, fracc. Altabrisa 728 Dr. Sergio Ivan Díaz Esquivel // (No Eng) 926-4278 Centro Médico las Américas. Calle 54 no. 365, por av. Pérez Ponce, col. Centro, Mérida Yuc. C.P. 97000 312