Vallarta Tribune Digital 013

Dec 7 - 14, 2020 Year 01 Online Issue 013

1

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

FR EE

GU ID E

ALL-INCLUSIVE NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE FOR PUERTO VALLARTA AND RIVIERA NAYARIT

WWW.VALLARTATRIBUNE.COM |

FB/VTATRIBUNE |

TWITTER @VALLARTATRIBUNE |

INSTAGRAM @VALLARTATRIBUNE

2

Welcome

Welcome to Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit

A

t the Vallarta Tribune we want you to have the best experience possible while you explore Puerto Vallarta, the Bay of Banderas and Riviera Nayarit. Here are some helpful tips for traveling.

TIME ZONE: The entire state of Jalisco and the southern part Nayarit are on Central time – if you’re heading further north than Lo de Marcos, Nayarit, remember the time change so you don’t miss your flight.

BUSES: A system of urban buses can bring you from El Tuito in the south to San Pancho in the north and all the spots in between.

Fares vary according to distances travelled, but the base fare is 10 pesos. If you’re going further than San Pancho, head to the main bus terminal to catch a ‘Pacifico’ bus.

TAXIS: There are set fares within defined zones of town. Do not enter a taxi without agreeing on the price with the driver. Make a note of the taxi number in case you leave something behind. Drivers typically do not carry change.

UBER: New in 2017 to Puerto Vallarta, Uber is still experiencing some growing pains particularly in the state of Nayarit. Uber is cheaper than a taxi usually.

GETTING AROUND: In many places such as Centro Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta there are paths for bikes and pedestrians. Please be respectful of these designations.

MONEY EXCHANGE: The most hassle-free way to exchange money is to use your debit card in the ATM to withdraw pesos.

Exchange houses offer higher rates and banks are remiss to change dollars to pesos if you don’t hold an account with them. Best to use ATM’s that are affiliated with a reputable bank located in well lit secure areas.

TIPPING: In general you should tip 10-20% in restaurants and bars. Taxi or Uber drivers – 10-20 pesos. The person who bags your groceries or helps load your car – 10-20 pesos. Don’t forget to tip

CALLING IN MEXICO

your maid, bell boy, masseuse, the band, the entertainment on your tour. And by all means, tip more if you want, wages are extremely low in Mexico.

DRINKING WATER: While Puerto Vallarta’s water has been awarded a certification of purity for the past two decades, the quality of the water tested at the source varies greatly from what comes out of the tap at the other end.

Don’t wreck your holiday – buy bottle water.

EXPORTING PETS: Falling in love with the street dog outside your hotel is easy to do and it’s also easy to bring them home with you.

The process is inexpensive and only takes a day or two. You only need a certificate of health from a local vet and check with your airline for additional requirements.

COMMON SENSE: Just as you wouldn’t walk around your hometown drunk and belligerent, it is not acceptable to do that here.

While Mexico is a tolerant culture, politeness is paramount. Don’t pee in the streets. Don’t flash your money or expensive gadgets. Pay attention to your surroundings.

Know where you are going. Pay your bills (and don’t forget to tip).

And have fun!

DRINKING AND DRIVING: First off – just don’t. The consequences are not worth it. Taxis or Ubers are cheap and plentiful. Fines are very expensive. You can go to jail and your vehicle impounded.

There are many checkstops on the weekends, and you will be asked to take a breathalizer test if they suspect you have been drinking.

LEGAL SYSTEM: Not knowing the law is not a valid excuse in Mexico, or anywhere. If you find yourself caught in a legal situation, be aware that often guilt is presumed until your innocence can be proven. This is a very difficult lesson to learn if you are visiting from the United States or Canada. Immediately contact your consulate for assistance.

Sept. 21 - 27, 2020 Year 01 Online Issue 002

FR EE

GU ID E

ALL-INCLUSIVE NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE FOR PUERTO VALLARTA AND RIVIERA NAYARIT

WWW.VALLARTATRIBUNE.COM | FB/VTATRIBUNE | TWITTER @VALLARTATRIBUNE | INSTAGRAM @VALLARTATRIBUNE

Teléfono: (322) 226 3870 Proa #111, Marina Vallarta, C.P. 48335.

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México.

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

LOCAL CALLS WITHIN MEXICO All calls within Mexico can now be dialed using the 10-digit telephone number (usually a two- or three-digit area code plus an eight- or seven-digit number) from a landline or cell phone, eliminating the need for prefixes, such as 01, 044 or 045. In Mexico, most cities use a three-digit area code, notable exceptions being CDMX, Guadalajara and Monterrey.

LONG DISTANCE CALLS WITHIN MEXICO Same procedure as above applies.

LONG DISTANCE CALLS TO MEXICO FROM ABROAD If you are making a long-distance call to Mexico from abroad, simply add the country code (52) to the 10-digit number as described above.

CALLING TOLL-FREE NUMBERS (The following procedure predates the August 2019 update. We are waiting for specific information regarding toll-free calls within Mexico and to numbers elsewhere.)

Some toll-free numbers work from Mexico to the US and Canada, but many do not. Those that do work are often not toll-free. You need to dial a different prefix. To call the following toll free prefixes, dial as follows: 800 numbers Dial 001-880-then the number 866 numbers Dial 001-883-then the number 877 numbers Dial 001-882-then the number 888 numbers Dial 001-881-then the number

INTERNATIONAL LONG-DISTANCE CALLS FROM MEXICO US & Canada: Dial 001 + Area Code + Number Elsewhere: Dial 00 + Country Code + Area Code + Number

FIRE DEPARTMENT: 322.223.9476 AMBULANCE: 322.222.1533 IMMIGRATION: 322.224.7719 CONSUMER PROTECTION: 01.800.468.8722

Emergencies: 911 Red Cross: 065

The Vallarta Tribune is an activity and entertainment guide and publishes information as it is provided by the advertiser or event host.

We do not assume responsibility in errors or omissions other than to correct them as they are made known to us regarding event schedules, locations and/or prices.

In addition, we do not assume any responsibility for erroneous inclusion or exclusion of information except to

TOURISM OFFICES Jalisco: 322.221.2676 Nayarit: 322.297.1006 CONSULATES American Consulate 24 hrs 01-332-268-2100 Canadian Consulate 322.293.0098 322.293.0099 24 hrs: 1.800.706.2900

take reasonable care to ensure accuracy, that permission has been obtained to use it, and to remove it as soon as is practical upon receiving your notification of error.

We recommend you always confirm prior to attending or visiting an event or establishment. Weekly publication. * www.vallartatribune.com * www.facebook.com/VtaTribune/

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

News

3

4

News

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

It will be the Second Streaming Series Filmed in This Tourist Destination ...

"The Mosquito Coast" Will Recorded in Riviera Nayarit

T

he international production will arrive in this tourist destination in mid-December with much of his talent, which includes Justin Theroux ex-husband of Jennifer Aniston.

Riviera Nayarit will close a very productive year in terms of film productions with a flourish with the recording of the new Apple TV + series, “The Mosquito Coast,” starring Justin Theroux.

The filming of the series will restart in December since, as it will be remembered, it began last March in Mexico City and had to be suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The Mosquito Coast" will be the streaming platform's second series to be filmed in locations in Riviera Nayarit, after "Defending Jacob" filmed in September 2019, which caused a stir due to the presence of actor Chris Evans, the main character and co-producer.

A MOVIE DESTINATION The realization of film productions, television series, and more recently for the streaming platform, is part of the promotion as a tourist destination of international stature.

So far in 2020, 8 television programs (series, documentaries, etc.), three short films, two commercials and 1 music video have been recorded here, in addition to three photo sessions for catalogs.

The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (OVC), the Bahía de Banderas Hotel and Motel Association (AHMBB) and the Nayarit State Government work together to offer services to producers and directors interested in locations for their productions. .

“We are sure that the production of“ The Mosquito Coast ”will be a great promotional boost for Riviera Nayarit, which in this way reinforces its prestige in the film industry,

thanks to its magnificent locations,” said Marc Murphy, general director of the OVC .

TO KNOW: "The Mosquito Coast" is a television adaptation of the novel by Paul Theroux, about a family living in Stockton, California, who must flee while the NSA (National Security Agency) tries to eliminate them.

The father must protect his family, since the secret forces of the American government will try to obtain the secrets of the patents that he has designed and that will change the world.

The cast is made up of Gabriel Bateman,

Greg Bryan, Alejandro Cárdenas, Kimberly Elise, Logan Polish, Justin Theroux, among others. Theroux is known for his roles in films such as "Maniac," "The Leftovers," "American Psycho," and "Zoolander," to name a few.

Riviera Nayarit is a safe destination. The hotels and restaurants are following all the health protocols established by the Federal Government's Health Secretariat and are operating at their permitted capacity; access to the beaches is limited. Be a responsible tourist, use the mask and watch your distance.

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

News

With promotional actions Riviera Nayarit maintains presence in the Northeast of the country The OVC convened the 70 main travel agents, meeting planners and wedding planners of Monterrey, to present their tourism offer.

T

he Riviera Nayarit invited the 70 main travel agents, meeting planners and wedding planners of the Monterrey metropolitan area to two of its traditional promotional events, in order to reinforce the presence of the destination in the Northeast of the country. Both events were held in San Pedro Garza GarcĂ­a, considered one of the richest municipalities in Latin America.

These actions were coordinated by the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau, with the support of important commercial allies in that region of the country, such as the wholesaler Imacop and the airlines Volaris and Viva Aerobus.

There was also the valuable participation of the Destination Hospitality, represented by the hotels: Decameron, Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, Iberostar Playa Mita, Maraica San Pancho, Marival Resorts, Occidental Nuevo Vallarta and RIU. In addition to the events already scheduled, a visit was made to the Imacop Monterrey office, where five sales and reservations agents were updated. The agents commented that Riviera Nayarit is among the top three favorite beach destinations of the regios, due to its air connectivity.

For their part, representatives of Volaris

and Viva Aerobus commented that flights to the Puerto Vallarta / Riviera Nayarit region have had excellent occupancy in the last month. Likewise, hotel sales executives highlighted that Monterrey has become one of the main source of tourists, especially for the luxury segment.

"This has been an atypical year, since the national market that normally went to Europe, the United States and Canada at this time, is the one that is booking hotels in Riviera Nayarit; on the other hand, travel agents that were previously focused on a specific segment is looking to diversify and take advantage of new products. "said Marc Murphy, CEO of the Riviera Nayarit OVC. TO KNOW: Volaris has two weekly flights to PVR, on Thursdays and Sundays. Viva Aerobus flies daily, with nine weekly frequencies.

Riviera Nayarit is a safe destination. The hotels and restaurants are following all the sanitary protocols established by the Federal Government's Health Secretariat and are operating at their permitted capacity; access to the beaches is limited. Be a responsible tourist, use the mask and watch your distance.

5

6

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Mayan activist-beekeeper wins international environmental prize Leydy Pech fought planting of GM soybeans by Monsanto and won Activist Leydy Pech, leader of a coalition opposed to the use of genetically modified seeds, has been recognized for her work in stopping the agrochemical company Monsanto from growing genetically modified soybeans in seven states.

The head of Sin Transgénicos (Without Transgenics) has been awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for North America.

A beekeeper by trade, a Mayan by identity, Pech, 55, united farmers, beekeepers and nongovernmental organizations in a fight to get the government to revoke permits granted to the company in southern Mexico, saying its seeds were contaminating crops

and the nation’s honey supplies with genetically modified material.

Mexico is the sixth-highest producer of honey worldwide.

The Goldman Prize, awarded by the Goldman Environmental Foundation, annually recognizes environmentalists from each of the world’s six inhabited continents, honoring environmental activism and leadership. Pech and this year’s other winners were honored on Monday in a virtual ceremony hosted by actress Sigourney Weaver.

“Even in the face of the unending onslaught and destruction upon our natural world, there are countless individuals and communities fighting every day to protect our planet. These are six of those

environmental heroes, and they deserve the honor and recognition the prize offers them — for taking a stand, risking their lives and livelihoods, and inspiring us with real, lasting environmental progress,” said foundation president John Goldman.

Pech founded Sin Transgénicos after Monsanto began planting Roundup Ready GMO soybeans in her home state of Campeche. Mexico had given Monsanto permits to grow the GMO beans in Campeche, Yucatán — which produces 40% of Mexico’s honey — and five other states without consulting local communities, an omission that Sin Transgénicos successfully argued before the Supreme Court, claiming it violated the Constitution and Mexico’s obligations

with the United Nations International Labour Organization.

In 2015 the court ruled in their favor.

Two years later, in 2017, the government revoked Monsanto’s permits to grow the crops in all seven states.

Roundup Ready crops are controversial because they are genetically modified to withstand spraying with Roundup, a herbicide developed by Monsanto that contains glyphosate, identified as a probable carcinogen that has been linked to birth defects and miscarriages.

The crops have also been shown to contaminate seeds of crops planted nearby with their genetic material.

Source: El Economista (sp

7

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

The winning entry in the Build a Better Box competition.

S

ea turtle conservationists have a pair of citizen-scientists in Puerta Vallarta to thank for a new affordable and more environmentally friendly way to incubate the eggs of threatened sea turtles.

Karla de la Pena and Jorge Bolivar, two friends from Puerta Vallarta, recently won the “Build a Better Box” contest sponsored by the U.S. and Mexico-based foundations Sea of Change and The Science Exchange.

The contest’s goal was to invent a better alternative for conservationists wanting to incubate sea turtle eggs than the nonbiodegradable Styrofoam coolers currently used around the world.

“I’m so proud of our interns, grateful for all the innovative design contest entries, and excited about the results of this first step in finding a sustainable alternative for incubating sea turtle eggs,” said Katherine Comer Santos, director of the Science Exchange International Sea Turtle Internship Program, which was responsible for building and testing the prototypes.

“Hopefully we can kick the Styrofoam habit and make our sea turtle conservation projects green all over the world.”

De la Pena, owner of an ecotour company

Competition produces improved design for turtle egg incubation boxes The Puerto Vallarta winners designed a woven basket that will replace Styrofoam coolers for divers, and Bolivar, a restaurateur, designed a simple, biodegradable woven basket inspired by the wild vines and palms that surround them in Puerta Vallarta.

The Science Exchange officials said the pair’s easy-to-create incubator met all the contest’s requirements: that it be sturdy and light while allowing gas exchange; that it maintain a constant temperature around 30 C; that it keep out predators; that it be nontoxic, biodegradable or use post-consumer material; and that it be low-cost and easy to assemble.

The pair received a cash prize and a trip to the nesting beach in San Pancho, Nayarit, where The Science Exchange built

and judged all the contest finalist prototypes this past summer. Each prototype was filled with 23 kilograms of moist sand and a thermometer and stayed on the beach under an incubation tent for 45 days, the average time it takes for olive ridley turtle eggs to hatch.

Worldwide, many vulnerable sea turtles’ nesting beaches are managed by humans to protect the nests from poaching and other threats. The Styrofoam coolers are a low-cost, effective way to ensure nest protection and temperature control, but they have a low recycling rate, especially in many of the tropical countries working to protect the turtles.

In addition, Styrofoam is a pervasive and persistent marine pollutant that can be ingested by fish, seabirds, sea turtles and marine mammals.

The sphere-shaped woven basket designed by de la Pena and Bolivar was made of a dried Mexican tropical vine called cuamecate and lined with natural palm fiber.

Science Exchange officials said they particularly liked the fact that a secure lid could be easily added to the basket’s design, that it was cheaply and easily made and that local communities could learn to construct the boxes as a source of income.

Mexico News Daily

8

News

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

The Christmas fair in the garden of the refuge has a large number of clients looking for decorations for their houses. Credit: Maricarmen Glindo

Ruth Alvarez he pines give off that smell that is associated with these dates. The colored lights adorn the corridors of the city's fairs, where the Christmas atmosphere can already be breathed.

Despite the pandemic, the Christmas markets have been very crowded.

In El Refugio Park parents, boys and girls visit the enclosure to buy pine trees, boots and births, which has been a respite for vendors, who seek to recover economically, at least, to close 2020.

"This year is different from the others.

We started well, with the right foot. People have supported us a lot and have come (in comparison) from other years in which it is slow," shared Rosa Elena García.

And it is that either with or without face masks, the attendees gathered in some places to buy crowns or inflatables and even sweets.

"We all think it will continue like this, until we finish. It has been a very difficult year for all of us in one way or another, and they do not want to let this Christmas go unnoticed," said Garcia.

At the Hay Fair, there were buyers who did not agree with the prices that were raised due to the shortage of some inputs.

"People want cheaper and one understands them because there is no money, because of the pandemic, but they just ask and leave," said María Rodríguez, who has been living in Parque Morelos for 35 years. And it is that according to the

T

Attract visitors to the Christmas market

In the Christmas market of Santa Tere all kinds of decorations for the holidays are sold. Credit: Ismael Ramírez sellers, the pandemic has not taken away the Christmas spirit, but some materials with which they work, such as the hay that was scarce, the moss that was not transported as before and the pines, of which few arrived.

"Many people have complained about

prices because they are a little higher than last year, (but it is) because as (we) had problems with the merchandise to arrive, because they have not left many trailers, so sometimes we we were left (without trees); it is very expensive and competitive,

everything, "said Karla Cruz.

At the Santa Tere flea market, people also attended, but to take gift wraps.

Well, even when about ten stalls were installed, passers-by did not resist the curiosity of taking objects home.

GDL Airport will be another one for 2026

By Fernanda Tapia Source: Mural

T

he expansion of the Guadalajara International Airport will be completed until 2026. Despite the effects of the pandemic, the Pacific Airport Group (GAP) did not cancel the historic investment of 14 billion pesos that it announced in February for the project that aims to double its capacity, but it did delay the execution of some works to finish them in 2026, instead of the 2024 originally established, reported Martín Zazueta, director of the Guadalajara airport.

The GAP proposal states that Terminal 2, which will add 125 thousand square meters of passenger area to the existing 90 thousand, would begin to be built at the end of 2024, and would be ready two years later.

"All other investments to adapt to the current terminal, to the operational areas, are going to take place in the first five years," he added. This would also imply moving to 2024 the start of the works associated with the new terminal, such as the roads that will connect it with the rest of the complex, and the second half of the circular parking that they plan to install to add 10,000 parking spaces to the current supply. The first half, on the other

For the second time

"

We have put our hearts to recover the trust of citizens. An award that would not be possible without the alliance with citizens.

They saw how we put our finances in order, managing to increase our own income by 100% and then fulfilling our commitment to provide quality public services. We thank the Cabildo, cabinet and the entire work team for this recognition. " This was stated by Dr. Jaime Cuevas Tello, municipal president of Bahía de Banderas, at the time of receiving the "National Award for Good Municipal Government", in the category "State Award for the Best Comprehensive Municipal Management of Nayarit", which was awarded by the National Federation of Municipalities of Mexico (FENAMM AC), in whose 2020 edition, Bahía de Banderas participated with 5 projects in 4 categories: municipal water management, sustainable

9

News

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

En 2023 estará el edificio de usos mixtos, con hotel, oficinas, restaurantes y centro comercial.

Crédito: Especial hand, will be built in 2022 and 2023. It will be connected by bridges with a mixed-use building, which will have a 180-room hotel operated by the Hilton chain, offices, restaurants and a shopping center, which will begin to rise in the first quarter of 2021, with a view to being complete two years later.

The works to build the Second Runway have already begun, and will be ready in

2023. Regarding the modifications to the current terminal, which include a new façade, a covered lane for the descent and ascent of passengers by car, and two additional lanes free of circulation to avoid traffic jams, Zazueta calculated that they will be completed by the end of that year or early 2024.

On Friday, GAP reported that it concluded the extraordinary review process

of the adjustment proposal to the Master Development Programs (PMDs) 2020-2024 that it made to the aeronautical authority due to the pandemic, and foresees a total investment of 15 thousand 802 million pesos in the 12 airports that it manages in the country, of which 6.33 billion will be for Guadalajara.

New face Programming of works to expand the Guadalajara International Airport: 2020 - Start of works on the Second Track (in process) .- Studies to build a mixed-use building (hotel, offices, restaurants and shopping center) .- New parking level.

2021 - Start of remodeling of Terminal 1 and its new roads. - Start of works of mixed-use building.

2022- Start of works on the first half of the circular parking lot.

2023 - Completion of the mixed-use building - End of works on the Second Track - Completion of the first half of the circular parking lot.

2024 - Completion of remodeling of Terminal 1 and its new roads.- Construction of Terminal 2 and its roads begins.- Work begins on the second half of the circular parking lot.

2026 - Works on Terminal 2 and its roads are completed. - Work on the second half of the circular parking lot is finished.

Jaime Cuevas receives the National Award for Good Governance 2020

cities, strong local farms and a social and healthy municipality.

The event was led by Sergio Arredondo Olvera, Secretary General of the Latin American Federation of Municipalities, and was attended by the Superior Auditor of the Federation of the Government of Mexico, David Colmenares, who participated with a congratulatory message for the municipal organizations and for all the awarded mayors, as well as the main

mission of the municipality, which is to be the order of

government closest to the citizens.

10 Apparitions of Saint Mary of Guadalupe

by Antonio Valeriano (1520-1605)

The Story

T

he most important account of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the writing known as Nican Mopohua, which in Nahuatl means: "It is narrated here." Here we present the translation from its original source: www.interlupe. com.mx

(«HERE IS TOLD») and set down in order how a short time ago the Perfect Virgin Holy May Mother of God, our Queen, miraculously appeared out at Tepeyac, widely known as Guadalupe.

First She caused herself to be seen by an Indian named Juan Diego, poor but worthy of respect; and then her Precious Image appeared before the recently named Bishop, Don Fray Juan de Zumárraga.

Ten years after the City of Mexico was conquered, with the arrows and shields put aside, when there was peace in all the towns, just as it sprouted, faith now grows green, now opens its corolla, the knowledge of the One by whom we all live: the true God. At that time, the year 1531, a few days into the month of December, it happened that there was a humble but respected Indian, a poor man of the people; his name was Juan Diego; he lived in Cuauhtitlán, as they say. and in all the things of God, he belonged to Tlaltilolco.

It was Saturday, not yet dawn; he was coming in pursuit of God and his commandments.

And as he drew near the little hill called Tepeyac it was beginning to dawn. He heard singing on the little hill, like the song of many precious birds; when their voices would stop, it was as if the hill were answering them; extremely soft and delightful, their songs exceeded the songs of the coyoltotl and the tzinitzcan and other precious birds.

Juan Diego stopped to look. He said to himself: «By any chance am I worthy, have I deserved what I hear? Perhaps I am only dreaming it? Perhaps I’m only dozing?.

Where am I? Where do I find myself? Is it possible that I am in the place our ancient ancestors, our grandparents, told about, in the land of the flowers, in the land of corn, of our flesh, of our sustenance, possible in the land of heaven?».

He was looking up toward the top of the hill, toward the direction the sun rises from, toward where the precious heavenly song was coming from.

And then when the singing suddenly stopped, when it could no longer be heard, he heard someone calling him, from the top of the hill, someone was saying to him: «JUAN, DEAREST JUAN DIEGO.» Then he dated to go to where the voice was coming from, his heart was not disturbed and he felt extremely happy and contented, he started to climb to the top of the little hill to

And the mesquites and nopals and the other little plants that are generally up there seemed like emeralds. Their leaves seemed like turquoise.

And their trunks, their thorns, their prickles, were shining like gold. go see where they were calling him from.. And when he reached the top of the hill, when a Maiden who was standing there say him, She called to him to come close to her.

And when he reached where she was, he was filled with admiration for the way her perfect grandeur exceeded all imagination: her clothing was shining like the sun, as if it were sending out waves of light, and the stone, the crag on which she stood, seemed to be giving out rays; her radiance was like precious stones, it seemed like an exquisite bracelet (it seemed beautiful beyond anything else); the earth seemed to shine with the brilliance of a rainbow in the mist.

And the mesquites and nopals and the other little plants that are generally up there seemed like emeralds. Their leaves seemed like turquoise. And their trunks, their thorns, their prickles, were shining like gold.

He prostrated himself in her presence. He listened to her voice [her breath], her words, which give great, great glory, which were extremely kind, as if from someone who was drawing him toward her and esteemed him highly.

She said to him, «LISTEN, MY DEAREST AND YOUNGEST SON, JUAN. WHERE ARE YOU GOING?» And he answered her: «My Lady, my Queen, my Little Girl, I am going as far as your little house in Mexico-Tlatilolco, to follow

the things of God (everything that makes God be God) that are given to us, that are taught to us by the ones who are the images of Our Lord: our priests.»

Then she talks with him, she reveals her precious will; then she says to hem: «KNOW, KNOW FOR SURE, MY DEAREST AND YOUNGEST SON, THAT I AM THE EVER PERFECT VIRGIN HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF THE ONE GREAT GOD OF TRUTH WHO GIVES US LIFE, THE INVENTOR AND CREATOR OF PEOPLE. THE OWNER AND LORD OF WHAT IS AROUND US AND WHAT IS TOUCHING US OR VERY CLOSE TO US THE OWNER AND LORD OF THE SKY, THE OWNER OF THE EARTH. I WANT VERY MUCH THAT THEY BUILD MY SACRED LITTLE HOUSE HERE. IN WHICH I WILL SHOW HIM, I WILL EXALT HIM ON MAKING HIM MANIFEST: I WILL GIVE HIM TO THE PEOPLE IN ALL MY PERSONAL LOVE, IN MY COMPASSIONATE GAZE, IN MY HELP, IN MY SALVATION: BECAUSE I AM TRULY YOUR COMPASSIONATE MOTHER, YOURS AND OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE TOGETHER IN THIS LAND, AND OF ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT ANCESTRIES, MY LOVERS, THOSE WHO CRY TO ME, THOSE WHO SEEK ME, THOSE WHO TRUST IN ME, BECAUSE THERE I WILL LISTEN TO THEIR WEEPING, THEIR SADNESS, TO REMEDY, TO CLEANSE AND NURSE ALL THEIR DIFFERENT TROUBLES, THEIR MISERIES, THEIR SUFFERING. AND TO BRING ABOUT WHAT MY COMPASSIONATE AND MERCIFUL GAZE IS TRYING TO DO, GO TO THE RESIDENCE OF THE BISHOP OF MEXICO, AND YOU WILL TELL HIM HOW I AM SENDING YOU, SO THAT YOU MAY REVEAL TO HIM THAT I VERY MUCH WANT HIM TO BUILD ME A HOUSE HERE, TO ERECT MY TEMPLE FOR ME ON THE PLAIN; YOU WILL TELL HIM EVERYTHING, ALL THAT YOU HAVE SEEN AND MARVELED AT, AND WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD.

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

AND KNOW FOR SURE THAT I WILL APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH AND REWARD IT, THAT BECAUSE OF IT I WILL ENRICH YOU, I WILL GLORIFY YOU; AND BECAUSE OF IT YOU WILL DESERVE VERY MUCH THE WAY THAT I REWARD YOUR FATIGUE, YOUR SERVICE IN GOING TO REQUEST THE MATTER THAT I AM SENDING YOU FOR. NOW, MY DEAREST SON, YOU HAVE HEARD MY BREATH, MY WORD: GO, DO WHAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR (IN THIS EFFORT).»

And immediately he prostrated himself in her presence; he said to her: «My Lady, my Little Girl, now I am going to make your venerable breath, your venerable word, a reality; I, your poor Indian, am leaving you for a while.» Then he came down (the hill) to put her errand into action: he came to get onto the causeway, he comes straight to Mexico City.

When he reached the center of the city, he went straight to the palace of the Bishop, the Governing Priest, who had just recently arrived; his name was Don Fray Juan de Zumárraga, a Franciscan Priest. And as soon as he got there, he then tries to see him, he begs his servants, his helpers, to go and tell him he needs to see him; after a long time, when the Reverend Bishop ordered that he enter, they came to call him; and as soon as he entered, first he knelt before him, he prostrated himself, then he reveals to him, he tells him the precious breath, the precious word of the Queen of Heaven, her message, and he also tells him everything that made his marvel, what he saw, what he heard.

And having heard his whole story, his message, as if he didn’t particularly believe it to be true, he answered him, he said to him: «My son, you will come again. I will still hear you calmly, I will look at it carefully from the very beginning, I will consider the reason why your have come, your will, your desire».

He left; he came our sad, because the errand entrusted to him was not immediately accepted. Then he returned, at the end of the day, then he came straight from there to the top of the little hill, and he had the joy of meeting the Queen of Heaven: there exactly where she had appeared to him the fist time, she was waiting for him.

As soon as he saw her, he prostrated himself before her, he threw himself to the ground, he said to her: «My dear little Mistress, Lady Queen, my littlest Daughter, my dear little Girl. I did go to where you sent me to carry our your dear breath, your dear word; although I entered with difficulty to where the place is of the Governing Priest, I saw him, I put your breath, your word, before him, as you ordered me to.

He received me kindly and he listened to it perfectly, but from the way ha answered me, it’s as if he didn’t understand it, he doesn’t think it’s true. He said to me: «You will come again: I will still listen to you calmly, I will look well to what you have come for, from the very beginning, to your desire, your will.

11

Dec 7 - 13, 2020 The way he answered me, I could clearly see that he thinks your house that you want them to build for you here, maybe I’m only making it up, or that maybe it is not from your lips. I beg you, my Lady, Queen, my little girl, to have one of the nobles who are held in esteem, one who is known, respected, honored, (have him) carry, take your dear breath, your dear word, so that he will be believed.

Because I am really (just) a man from the country, I am a (porter’s) rope I am a backframe, a tail, a wing, a man of no importance: I myself need to be led, carried on someone’s back, that place your are sending me to is a place where I’m not used to going to or spending any time in, my little Virgin, my Youngest Daughter, my Lady, Little girl; please excuse me: I will grieve your face, your heart; I will fall into your anger, into your displeasure, my Lady, my Mistress.»

The Perfect Virgin, worthy of honor and veneration, answered him: «LISTEN, MY YOUNGEST AND DEAREST SON, KNOW FOR SURE THAT I HAVE NO LACK OF SERVANTS, OF MESSENGERS, TO WHOM I CAN GIVE THE TASK OF CARRYING MY BREATH, MY WORD, SO THAT THEY CARRY OUT MY WILL; BUT IT IS VERY NECESSARY THAT YOU, PERSONALLY, GO AND PLEAD, THAT MY WISH, MY WILL, BECOME A REALITY, BE CARRIED OUT THROUGH YOUR INTERCESSION. AND I BEG YOU, MY YOUNGEST AND DEAREST SON AND I ORDER YOU STRICTLY TO GO AGAIN TOMORROW TO SEE THE BISHOP. AND IN MY NAME MAKE HIM KNOW, MAKE HIM HEAR MY WISH, MY WILL, SO THAT HE WILL BRING INTO BEING, HE WILL BUILD MY HOUSE OF GOD THAT I AM ASKING HIM FOR. AND CAREFULLY TELL HIM AGAIN HOW I, PERSONALLY, THE EVER VIRGIN HOLY MARY, I, WHO AM THE MOTHER OF GOD, AM SENDING YOU.» For his part, Juan Diego responded to her and said to her «My Lady, Queen, my Little Girl, let me not give you anguish, let me not grieve your face, your heart. I will most gladly go to carry out your breath, your word; I will absolutely not fail to do it, nor do I think the road is painful.

I will go and carry out your will, but perhaps I won’t be heard, and if I am heard, perhaps I won’t be believed.

Tomorrow afternoon, when the sun goes down, I will come to return to your word, to your breath, what the Governing Priest answers to me.

Now, I respectfully say goodbye to you, my youngest Daughter, young Girl, Lady, my Little Girl, rest a little more.»

And then he went to his house to rest.

On the following day, Sunday, while it was still night, everything was still dark, he left there, he left his house, he came straight to Tlatilolco, he came to learn what pertains to God and to be counted in roll call; then to see the Reverend Bishop.

And around ten o’clock everything had been taken care of: Mass was over and roll had been called and the crowd had gone

And although he told him absolutely everything, and that in everything, he saw and marveled that it appeared with absolute clarity that she was the Perfect Virgin, the Kind and Wondrous Mother of Our Savior, Our Lord Jesus Christ, nevertheless, it still didn’t happen (his message was still not believed). away.

And Juan Diego went to the Reverend Bishop’s residence. And as soon as he arrived he went through the whole struggle to see him, and after much effort he saw him again; he knelt at his feet, he wept, he became sad as he spoke to him, as he revealed to him the word, the breath of the Queen of Heaven.

That would to God the errand, the will, of the Perfect Virgin would be believed, of making for her, of building her sacred little house for her, where she had said, where she wanted it.

And the Governing Bishop asked him many, many things, pursued many, many, questions with him, to make certain of where he had seen her, what She was like; he told absolutely everything to the Señor Bishop.

And although he told him absolutely everything, and that in everything, he saw and marveled that it appeared with absolute clarity that she was the Perfect Virgin, the Kind and Wondrous Mother of Our Savior, Our Lord Jesus Christ, nevertheless, it still didn’t happen (his message was still not believed).

He said that not simply because of his word would his petition be carried out, would what he asked for happen. That some other sign was very necessary if he was to believe how the Queen of Heaven in person was sending him. As soon as Juan Diego heard that, he said to the Bishop: «Señor Governor, think about what the sign you ask for will be, because then I will go to ask for it of the Queen of Heaven who sent me.»

And when the Bishop saw that he was in agreement, that he did not hesitate or doubt in the slightest, he dismisses him. And as soon as he is on his way, he orders some of house-hold staff in whom he had absolute trust to go along following him, to carefully

observe where he was going, whom he was seeing, to whom he was talking.

And that’s what they did. And Juan Diego came directly. He took the causeway. And those who were following him lost him on the wooden bridge where the brook comes out near Tepeyac. And even though they searched all over for him, they couldn’t find him anywhere.

And so they turned back. He made them angry, not just because they had made terrible fools of themselves, but also because he had frustrated their attempt. So they went to tell the Señor Bishop, they put into his head that he shouldn’t believe him, they told him how he was only telling him lies, that he was only making up what he came to tell him, or that he was only dreaming or imagining what he was telling him, what he was asking of him.

Therefore they decided that if he came again, if he returned, they would grab him right there and would punish him severely, so that he would never come again to tell lies or get the people all excited.

Meanwhile, Juan Diego was with the Most Holy Virgin, telling her the response that he was bringing from the Señor Bishop; when she had heard it, she said to him: «THAT’S FINE, MY DEAR SON, YOU WILL COME BACK HERE TOMORROW SO THAT YOU MAY TAKE THE BISHOP THE SIGN HE HAS ASKED YOU FOR WITH THIS HE WILL BELIEVE YOU, AND HE WILL NO LONGER HAVE ANY DOUBTS ABOUT ALL THIS AND HE WILL NO LONGER BE SUSPICIOUS OF YOU; 92 AND KNOW, MY DEAR SON, THAT I WILL REWARD YOU CARE AND THE WORK AND FATIGUE THAT YOU HAVE PUT INTO THIS FOR Me. SO, GO NOW: I WILL BE WAITING HERE FOR YOU TOMORROW.»

And on the following day, Monday, when Juan Diego was to take some sign in order to be believed, he did not return.

Because when he arrived at his house, the sickness had struck an uncle of his, named Juan Bernardino, and he was very ill.

He went to get the native healer, who treated him, but it was too late; he was very ill.

And when night came, his uncle begged him to come to Tlatilolco shortly after midnight, while it was still dark, to call some priest to go to confess him, to go to get him ready, because he was sure that the time and place had now come for him to die, because he would no longer get up, he would no longer get well.

And on Tuesday, while it was still night, Juan Diego left his house to come to Tlatilolco to get the priest. And when he finally reached the little hill which ended the mountain range, at its foot, where the road comes out, on the side that the sun sets on, where he always passed before, he said: «If I go ahead on the road, I don’t want this Lady to see me, because for sure, just like before, she’ll stop me so I can take the sign to the church governor for her, as she ordered me to; because first our tribulation must leave us; first I must quickly call the (Franciscan) priest; my uncle is anxiously waiting for him».

He immediately turned toward the hill, climbed up across it where there is a pass, and emerged on the eastern side, no that he could quickly to Mexico so that the Queen of Heaven would not detain him. He thinks that where he made the turn, the one who is looking everywhere perfectly won’t be able to see him.

He saw how she was coming down from up on the hill, and that from there she had been looking at him, from where she saw him before. She came to meet him beside the hill, she came to block his way; she said to him: «WHAT’S HAPPENING, YOUNGEST AND DEAREST OF ALL MY SONS? WHERE ARE YOU GOING, WHERE ARE YOU HEADED FOR?» And he, perhaps he grieved a little, or perhaps he became ashamed? Or perhaps he became afraid of the situation, be became fearful?

He prostrated himself before her, he greeted her, he said to her: «My little Maiden, my smallest Daughter, my Girl, I hope you are happy; how are you this morning? Does your beloved little body feel well, my Lady, my Girl?

Although it grieves me, I will cause your face and your heart anguish: I must tell you, my little Girl, that one of your servants, my uncle, is very ill.

A terrible sickness has taken hold of him; he will surely die from it soon.

And now I shall go quickly to your little house of Mexico (Mexico-Tlatilolco), to call one of our priests, the beloved ones of Our Lord, so that he will go to hear his confession and prepare him, because we really were born for that we who came to wait for the painful effort of our death.

But, if I am going to carry it out, I will return here after that to go carry your breath, your word, Lady, my little Young one.

12 I beg you to forgive me, be patient with me a little longer, because I am not deceiving you with this, my youngest Daughter, my little Girl, tomorrow without fail I will come as fast as possible».

As soon as she heard the explanations of Juan Diego, the Merciful Perfect Virgin answered him: «LISTEN. PUT IT INTO YOUR HEART, MY YOUNGEST AND DEAREST SON, THAT THE THING THAT FRIGHTENED YOU, THE THING THAT AFFLICTED YOU IS NOTHING: DO NOT LET IT DISTURB YOU: DO NOT FEAR THIS SICKNESS NOR ANY OTHER SICKNESS, NOR ANY SHARP AND HURTFUL THING. AM I NOT HERE, I, WHO AM YOUR MOTHER? ARE YOU NOT UNDER MY SHADOW AND PROTECTION? AM I NOT THE SOURCE OF YOUR JOY? ARE YOU NOT IN THE HOLLOW OF MY MANTLE, IN THE CROSSING OF MY ARMS? DO YOU NEED SOMETHING MORE?.

LET NOTHING ELSE WORRY YOU, DISTURB YOU; DO NOT LET YOUR UNCLE’S ILLNESS PRESSURE YOU WITH GRIEF, BECAUSE HE WILL NOT DIE OF IT NOW. YOU MAY BE CERTAIN THAT HE IS ALREADY WELL». (And at that very moment his uncle became well, as they later found out).An when Juan Diego heard the lovely word, the lovely breath of the Queen of Heaven, he was greatly comforted by it, his heart became peaceful and he begged her to send him immediately to see the Governing Bishop, to take him something for a sign, for proof so that he would believe.

And the Queen of Heaven ordered him then to go to the top of the little hill, where he had seen her before: She said to him: «GO UP, MY DEAREST SON, TO THE TOP OF THE HILL, TO WHERE YOU SAW ME AND I TOLD YOU WHAT TO DO; THERE YOU WILL SEE THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FLOWERS: CUT THEM, GATHER THEM, PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER; THEN COME DOWN HERE; BRING THEM HERE, INTO MY PRESENCE.» .

Juan Diego climbed to the top the top of the hill right away. 128 and when he reached the top, he was astonished by all of them, blooming, open, flowers of every kind, lovely and beautiful, when it still was not their season: . because really that was the season n which the frost was very harsh: they were giving off an extremely soft fragrance; like precious pearls, as if filled with the dew of the night. Then he began to cut them, he gathered them all, he put them in the hollow of his tilma.

The top of the little hill was certainly not a place in which any flowers grew; there are only plenty of rocks, thorns, spines, prickly pears and mesquite trees, and even though some little herbs or grasses might grow, it was then the month of December, in which the frost eats everything up and destroys it.

And immediately he came back down, he came to bring the Heavenly Maiden the different kinds of flowers which he had gone up to cut.

And when she saw them, she took them with her precious hands; Then she put them

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

all together into the hollow of his ayate again and said: «MY YOUNGEST AND DEAREST SON, THESE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FLOWERS ARE THE PROOF, THE SIGN THAT YOU WILL TAKE TO THE BISHOP; YOU WILL TELL HIM FROM ME THA HE IS TO SEE IN THEM MY DESIRE, AND THAT THEREFORE HE IS TO CARRY OUT MY WISH, MY WILL. AND YOU, YOU WHO ARE MY MESSENGER, IN YOU I PLACE MY ABSOLUTE TRUST; AND I STRICTLY ORDER YOU THAT YOU ONLY OPEN YOUR AYATE ALONE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE BISHOP, AND SHOW HIM WHAT YOU ARE CARRYING. AND YOU WILL TELL HIM EVERYTHING EXACTLY, YOU WILL TELL HIM THAT I ORDERED YOU TO CLIMB TO THE TOP OF THE LITTLE HILL TO CUT FLOWERS, AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAW AND ADMIRED, SO THAT YOU CAN CONVINCE THE GOVERNING PRIEST, SO THAT HE WILL THEN DO WHAT LIES WITHIN HIS RESPONSIBILITY SO THAT MY TEMPLE WHICH I HAVE ASKED HIM FOR WILL BE MADE, WILL BE RAISED.» .

And as soon as the Heavenly Queen gave him her orders, he took the causeway, he comes straight to Mexico City, he comes happily now.

His heart is tranquil now, because his errand will come out well, he will carry it our

perfectly. Along the way, he is very careful of what is in the hollow of his garment, lest he lose something: . As he comes, he enjoys the fragrance of the different kinds of exquisite flowers. When he arrived at the Bishop’s residence, the doorkeeper and the other servants of the Governing Priest went to meet him, and he begged them to tell him how much he wanted to see him, but none of them was willing; they pretended they didn’t understand him, or perhaps because it was still very dark; or perhaps because they felt by now that all he did was bother them and keep on insisting, and their companions had already told them, the ones who lost him from sight when they were following him. For a long, long time he waited for his request to be granted. 152 And when they saw that he was simply standing there for a long, long time with his head down, without doing anything, in case he should be called, and that it looked as if he was carrying something, as if he was bringing it in the hollow of his tilma – then they came up close to him to see what he was bringing and thus satisfy their curiosity.

And when Juan Diego saw that there was no way in which he could hide from them what he was carrying and that therefore they might harass him or push him perhaps rough him and the flowers up, he finally gave them a little peek and they say that it was flowers.

And when they say that they were all

exquisite different flowers and that it wasn’t the season for them to be blooming, they were very, very astonished by how fresh they were, how good they smelled, how handsome they seemed. And they wanted to grab and pull a few out; They dared to try to grab them three times, but there was no way in which they could do it, because when they would try, they could no longer see the flowers, they saw them as if they were painted or embroidered or sewn on the tilma.

158 They went immediately to tell the Governing Bishop what they had seen, and how much the lowly Indian who had come other times wanted to see him, and that he had been waiting a very long time there for permission, because he wanted to see him.

And as soon as the Governing Bishop heard it, he realized that this was the proof to convince him to get started on what the humble man was asking him for. He immediately ordered that he come in to see him. and when he had come in, he prostrated himself in his presence, as he had done before.

And again he told him what he had seen and admired, and his message. He said to him, «Your Excellency, sir, I have done it. I have carried out your orders, that is, I went to tell my Mistress, the Heavenly Maiden, Holy Mary, the Beloved Mother of God, that you were asking for proof so you could believe

13

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

me, so that you would make her sacred little house, where she as asking you to build it; 166 And I also told her that I had given you my word to come to bring you some sign, some proof of her will, as you told me to. And she listened carefully to your breath, your word, and was pleased to receive your request for the sign, the proof, so that her beloved will can be done, can be carried out.

And today, while it was still night, she ordered me to come again to see you; and I asked her for the proof so that I would be believed, as she had said that she would give it to me, and she kept her promise immediately.

And she ordered me to the top of the little hill where I had seen her before, to cut different flowers up there; Castillian roses. And when I had cut them, I took them down to her at the bottom and she took them with her holy hands, again she placed them in the hollow of my ayate, so that I would bring them to you, so I would give them only to you.

Although I knew very well that the top of the hill isn’t a place where flowers grow, because there are only a lot of craggy rocks, thorns, spiny acacias, prickly pears, mesquite bushes.

I didn’t doubt because of that, I didn’t hesitate because of that.

When I reached the top of the hill I saw that it was now paradise. Every kind of different precious flowers were there, each one perfect, the very finest that there are, full of dew and shining so I immediately cut them; and she

told me that I should give them to you from her, and that in this way I would show the truth; that your should see the sign that you were asking for in order to carry our her beloved will, and so that it will be clear that my word, my message, is truth, here they are; please receive them.» And then he held out his white tilma, in the hollow of which he had placed the flowers. And just as all the different precious flowers fell to the floor, then and there the beloved Image of the Perfect Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of God, became the sign, suddenly appeared in the form and figure in which it is now, where it is preserved in her beloved little house, in her sacred little house at Tepeyac, which is called Guadalupe.

And as soon as the Governing Bishop and all those who were there saw it, they knelt, they were full of awe and reverence. They stood up to see it, they became sad, they wept, their hearts and minds were in ecstasy.

And the Governing Bishop weeping and with sadness begged and asked her to forgive him for not having immediately carried out her will, her holy breath, her holy word.

188 And when he got up, he untied Juan Diego’s garment, his tilma, from his neck where it was tied. On which the Heavenly Queen appeared, on which she became the sign. And then he took it and placed it in his private chapel. And Juan Diego still stayed for the day in the Bishop’s house, he still kept him there. And on the next day he said to him:

«Come, let’s go so you can show where is that the Queen of Heaven wants her chapel built.» .

193 People were immediately invited to make it, to build it. And Juan Diego, as soon as he showed where the Lady of Heaven had ordered her sacred little house to be built, asked for permission: he wanted to go to his house in order to see his uncle, Juan Bernardino, who was very ill when he left him to go to Tlatilolco to call a priest to confess him and prepare him, the one whom the Queen of Heaven had told him had already been cured.

But they didn’t let him go alone, rather people went with him to his house. And when they arrived they saw that his uncle was now healthy; he had absolutely no pain of any kind. And he, for his part, was greatly surprised by the way in which his nephew was accompanied and very honored; he asked his nephew why it was that they were honoring him so much; 200 and he told him how, when he left to go call a priest for him who would confess him and prepare him, the Lady of Heaven appeared to him there at Tepeyac; 201 and she sent him to Mexico City to see the Governing Bishop, so that he would make her a house at Tepeyac.

And she told him not to worry, because his uncle was now happy, and she consoled him very much with this news. His uncle told him that it was true, that she healed him at that exact moment, and he saw her in exactly the

same way she had appeared to his nephew and she told him that she was also sending him to Mexico City to see the Bishop; and also that when he went to see him, he should reveal absolutely everything to him, he should tell him what he had seen and the marvelous way in which she had healed him and that he would properly name her beloved Image thus: THE PERFECT VIRGIN, HOLY MARY OF GUADALUPE. And then they brought Juan Bernardino into the presence of the Governing Bishop, they brought him to speak with him, to give his testimony and together with his nephew Juan Diego, the Bishop lodged them in his house for a few days. While the sacred little house of the lovely Little Queen was built out there at Tepeyac, where she revealed herself to Juan Diego.

And the Reverend Bishop moved the beloved Image of the Beloved Heavenly Maiden to the principal church. He took her beloved Image from his residence, from his private chapel in which it was, so that all could see it and admire it. And absolutely this entire city with no exception, was deeply moved as everyone came to see and admire her precious Image. They came to acknowledge its divine character.

They came to offer her their payers, they marveled at the miraculous way it had appeared since absolutely no one on earth had painted her beloved Image.

14

News

Ajijic Becomes The Ninth Magical Town Of Jalisco

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

News

15

16

News

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Ajijic becomes the ninth Magical Town of Jalisco - Jalisco has eight other Magic Towns: Lagos de Moreno, Mascota, Mazamitla, San Sebastián del Oeste, Talpa de Allende, Tapalpa, Tequila and Tlaquepaque.

A

s of today, Ajijic is the new Magic Town of Jalisco. The announcement was made this morning at the 2020 Magical Towns Naming Commemorative Ceremony, held in Mexico City, where the federal Tourism Secretariat delivered the official appointment to 11 municipalities of the Republic, including this delegation from the municipality of Chapala .

In this way, the riverside population becomes the ninth Magic Town of the state. The rest of the towns with special characteristics that have this distinction are Lagos de Moreno, Mascota, Mazamitla, San Sebastián del Oeste, Talpa de Allende, Tapalpa, Tequila and Tlaquepaque.

The appointment was received by the municipal president of Chapala, Moisés Alejandro Anaya Aguilar, who was accompanied in person at the formal event by the Secretary of Tourism of Jalisco (Secturjal), Germán Kotsiras Ralis Cumplido.

“In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the official announcement that we have a new Magic Town in Jalisco is good news for the economic reactivation, not only in Ajijic, but for all the municipalities on the shore of Lake Chapala , the largest in Mexico.

This appointment motivates us to continue working with greater force to make tourism a

trigger for economic development for Jalisco and the country, ”said the head of the agency.

Despite the fact that the federal program of Magical Towns has not had resources from the federal government in 2019 and 2020, the Government of Jalisco, through Secturjal, has allocated 36 million pesos in the same period.

With this appointment, Jalisco endorses its leadership as a tourist power in Mexico, and its commitment to continue promoting rural tourism, which is one of the strengths of the state.

Among the documentation requested by the federal Sectur to seek an appointment is inventory updates, tourism service providers, municipal issues such as health and environmental safety, security and comprehensive protection of tourists, integration of value chains, participation of the private sector, training , certificates, management and exercise of budgetary resources for the development of urban infrastructure related to tourism, among others.

In this process, the state tourism secretariats do not have any influence in deciding which municipalities may or may not participate in this call. The process to obtain the appointment is the responsibility of each municipality with the Federation.

To know: - Ajijic is a town in the Ribera de Chapala.

- Its name comes from the Nahuatl word Axixic, which means "place where the water flows."

- It is located just 40 minutes from the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, along a modern highway, at the foot of the mountains and bathed by the largest lake in Mexico, Lake Chapala.

- Ajijic has 78 lodging companies.

- In this tourist destination in Jalisco, the colonial architecture of an authentic Mexican town, and the modernity and quality of its tourist services come together.

Currently, it has 78 accommodation companies.

- Ajijic is full of color thanks to its murals and cobblestone streets, restaurants, galleries, textile shops, inns, cafes and bars. It has 136 food and beverage establishments, 2 specialized service operators and a travel agency.

- It is recognized for its religious festivities, for the carnival of the Sayacas and for a myriad of artistic and cultural activities.

- The artistic community has made this destination a place of rest for creation, inspiration and connection with nature.

- Among the tourist activities, horseback riding through its tree-lined streets to admire its architecture; walks along the boardwalk, from where you can see spectacular sunsets, and boat tours on the lake, admiring its natural beauty.

- Another quality that characterizes it is its microclimate, which is pleasant most of the year. For this reason, there is a community of Americans and Canadians who have decided to reside in the place, making it a cosmopolitan area, full of cultural and artistic life.

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

News

17

Dec 7 - 13, 2020 18 Ministry of Tourism adds 11 new destinations to the list of 121 Pueblos Mágicos

The Magical Towns are expected to become 'pillars of the economy'

T

he lakeside community of Ajijic, Jalisco, and the small port of Sisal, Yucatán, are among 11 new “Magical Towns” announced Tuesday by the federal Tourism Ministry.

The other nine new Pueblos Mágicos are Isla Aguada, Campeche; Maní, Yucatán; Mexcaltitán, Nayarit; Paracho, Michoacán; Santa Catarina Juquila, Oaxaca; Santa María del Río, San Luis Potosí; Tetela de Ocampo, Puebla; Tonatico, México state; and Zempoala, Hidalgo.

The 11 destinations join 121 existing Magical Towns that are part of a tourism promotion program that began in 2001 as a way to diversify marketing efforts that had long focused on Mexico’s coastal resort cities.

• Located south of Guadalajara on the banks of Lake Chapala, Ajijic has a population of around 10,000 people, a large number of whom are retired expats from the United States and Canada. The town has a lakeside malecón, or promenade, a well-maintained central square, cobblestone streets and several art galleries among other attractions.

• Sisal is located about 70 kilometers northwest of Mérida on the Gulf of Mexico coast. Formerly Yucatán’s main port, it is now a sleepy beach town with fewer than 2,000 residents. The town’s name comes from the Sisal plant, a species of agave that yields a sturdy fiber that was once shipped abroad from the Yucatán port. Sisal, the town, has a fort, pier and an abundance of mangroves that can be visited on a tour with a local guide.

• Part of an archipelago of islands in the neighboring state of Campeche, Isla Aguada is located 40 kilometers northeast of Ciudad del Carmen between the Laguna de Términos tidal lagoon and the Gulf of Mexico. Best known for its unspoiled beaches, Isla Aguada has abundant birdlife and a century-old lighthouse that has been converted into a museum.

• Back in Yucatán, Maní is a small city about 90 kilometers south of Mérida.

Inhabited by the indigenous Mayan people for thousands of years, the newly-minted Pueblo Mágico has a 16th-century church and convent. Uxmal, one of the Yucatán Peninsula’s most impressive archaeological sites, is located less than a hour’s drive to the west.

• Mexcaltitán, which was named a Pueblo Mágico in the first year of the program but lost the designation in 2009, is magical once again. Located on an oval-shaped manmade

island on the Laguna Grande de Mexcaltitán, the town is visually striking, especially when seen in photographs taken from a bird eye’s view.

Richard Zarkin, public relations manager for the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau, recently said of Mexcaltitán: “This beautiful island is known for its charming calmness, its preserved architecture made up of a mosaic of picturesque houses with tile roofs, and its preserved regional culture, ethnic customs, and its unique Nayarit dishes, all of which are a true representation of the cultural wealth in its home state.”

• The guitar making hub of Paracho, located about 120 kilometers west of Michoacán capital Morelia, is the sixth new town on the Pueblos Mágicos list. Full of shops that sell handmade guitars and other stringed instruments, Paracho’s fame as a hub of talented luthiers was enhanced by the animated Day of the Dead-inspired Disney-Pixar film Coco because an artisan who trained there was responsible for the design of the main characters’s white guitar.

• Inland from the Oaxaca resort town of Puerto Escondido is Santa Catarina Juquila, a town of about 6,000 people best known for its church. The Santuario de Nuestra Señora Imaculada de Juquila (Shrine of Our Immaculate Lady of Juquila) houses a

small statue of the Juquila virgin, which has been venerated for hundreds of years. As a result, the church is a popular destination for Catholic pilgrims.

• Situated south of San Luis Potosís city, Santa María del Río is famous for its silk rebozos, scarf-like garments commonly worn by Mexican women on Independence Day. Apart from plenty of places to purchase rebozos, Santa María is popular with visitors for its typical cuisine and pretty historical center.

• In the northern Sierra mountains of Puebla is Tetela de Ocampo, another new inclusion on the Magical Towns list. Ringed by verdant mountains, Tetela was founded by the Chichimeca people about 300 years before the arrival of the Spanish in the land now known as Mexico. The town preserves many of its indigenous traditions and has an attractive colonial core with a brightly-painted yellow church. There are waterfalls and caves not far outside Tetela, which is about 65 kilometers from Zacatlán de las Manzanas, another Pueblo Mágico.

Of the 11 new magical towns, Tonatico and Zempoala are the easiest to get to from Mexico City. The former is about a two-hour drive southwest of the capital while the latter is located about 1 1/2 hours to the northeast.

• Tonatico, which means “where the sun

is born” in Náhuatl, is a small but beautiful colonial city just a few kilometers south of Ixtapan de la Sal, which is famous for its natural hot water springs. Just 10 kilometers south of Tonatico are Las Grutas de la Estrella (the Star Caves), where visitors can admire the many stalactites and stalagmites including ones that, according to the locals, resemble a palace, an eagle and a human hand among other things.

• The most famous attraction of Zempoala is the Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2015. There is also a 16th-century convent in the town, which is well known for its haciendas that produced pulque, a viscous mildly alcoholic drink made from the sap of the maguey plant. Plenty of pulque is still on offer in Zempoala today.

Announcing the new Magical Towns at a virtual press conference, Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco said that they and the existing ones will become “pillars of the regional and national economy” under the current federal government.

He also said that domestic tourism – many of the Pueblos Mágicos rely heavily on local visitors – will be “the driving force” of the tourism recovery amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Mexico News Daily

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

The island town of Mexcaltitan, a new Pueblo Mรกgico.

19

20

News

The number of flights to Puerto Vallarta increases 18 percent in the first half of December

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

News

21

Dec 7 - 13, 2020 News 22 The number of flights to Puerto Vallarta increases 18 percent in the first half of December

-As of this Tuesday, 673 flights will arrive only in the first fifteen days of the last month of the year

S

igns of Puerto Vallarta's tourism recovery continue to flow. In the first fortnight of December, the International Airport of this destination has scheduled the arrival of 673 flights, national and international, which represents an increase of 18% compared to the first fifteen days of November, in which there were 639 operations , reported the Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP).

The number of flights began to rebound since June, when a gradual reopening of tourist activities began, always in accordance with the state government plan that prioritizes the issue of public health. In June there were 322 flights that arrived; in July, 597; 717 were received by August; in September the figure dropped to 682; in October it rebounded to 1,006 and the total for November was 1,323 flights.

The days with the highest number of operations are Saturdays, then Sundays and Fridays, only last weekend, the last of November, 161 flights arrived, at a rate of 43 on Friday, 62 on Saturday and 56 on Sunday.

From the data provided by the GAP, it stands out that United Airlines is the company that will have the largest number of flights in the first fortnight of the month with 141 operations, and at the national level it is Aeroméxico, which will register more than 80 frequencies in this period, which It comes to pay for a greater number of air seats for the next holiday season.

In this regard, Luis Villaseñor Nolasco, acting director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Promotion and Advertising Trust, commented that the data is very revealing that progress is being made gradually towards tourist recovery, “it is a sign of the confidence generated by this destination among its visitors, who still have a trip to this port in mind ”.

In this sense, he pointed out that hotels report good reservation trends for December, particularly from 16 to 31, and now all efforts are focused to increase sales from January 2021 and have the best possible winter. It should be remembered that, in a very responsible way, a 50 percent hotel occupancy limit prevails.

FOUNDED OPTIMISM, CASES DOWN

Luis Villaseñor also mentioned that there is a growth trend on the road, with weekend trips by visitors coming from cities in the west of the country, such as Guadalajara, Aguascalientes, León, Celaya, Salamanca,

Morelia, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí and Querétaro, among other parts of the Bajío and Center of the country, who will also be present in the coming weeks of holidays.

On the other hand, he affirmed that the outlook for the end of the year is optimistic, because the trend indicates that there will be a greater number of visitors, in addition to the fact that in Puerto Vallarta the number of cases due to Covid-19 has dropped more than 50% (in November was 292 cases against 686 in October), which contributes to the issue of the confidence of travelers.

“Here all health protocols are being respected, the members of the tourism sector are being very rigorous, as is the general population; We have a community that is curbing infections and that encourages us to offer a responsible destination to our December visitors, ”said the manager.

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

News

23

24

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

"Star Wars": David Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader in the original trilogy, dies

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

25

26

News

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

"Star Wars": David Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader in the original trilogy, dies

Drafting BBC News World

D

ave Prowse, a bodybuilder from Bristol, England who rose to fame playing Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died at the age of 85.

Prowse earned the role of the villain because of his impressive physique, although the character's voice was voiced

by James Earl Jones.

But the weightlifter and actor was proudest of a role in a public service series promoting road safety in the UK, earning him an honorary degree from the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

"May the force be with you, always!"

Declared his agent Thomas Bowington.

"Although he became famous playing many monsters - for me and everyone who met and worked with Dave, he was a

hero in our lives."

Bowington called the actor's death - after a short illness - "a deeply painful loss for us and millions of fans around the world."

Imposing presence Prowse's acting career spanned 50 years, but it was his role as the Sith lord in "Star Wars" that brought him international fame.

Unfortunately, his pronounced western accent was not considered appropriate for the role of the menacing villain and his voice was dubbed.

However, Prowse was a commanding presence in the first three films, thanks to his 1.98m tall and muscular weightlifting that led him to represent England at the Commonwealth Games in the 1960s.

During that period, he reportedly befriended rival bodybuilders Arnold

Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno (the TV Hulk), long before they all became famous.

Before taking up acting, Prowse achieved success in Hollywood circles, grooming the late Christopher Reeve for the role of Superman, as the American actor's personal trainer.

Prowse made his feature film debut in the 1967 James Bond parody "Casino Royale" as Frankenstein's monster, a role he played in two other horror films.

He also appeared frequently in the iconic series "El Santo", "Space 1999" and "Doctor Who".

Director George Lucas saw him in the 1971 film "A Clockwork Orange," in which he played a bodyguard and Prowse was invited to audition for the roles of Darth Vader and Chewbacca in "Star Wars: Episode IV - One. new Hope".

The actor later told the BBC that he had

chosen to be Darth Vader over Chewbacca because "you always remember the bad guys."

With the success of "Star Wars", Prowse became a regular presence at fan conventions around the world for nearly 40 years, but it was rumored that he had fallen out with director Lucas and was banned from events. officers in 2010.

Despite the enduring fame of "Star Wars", the actor always maintained that his role in the public service series "Green Cross Code Man", in which he appeared since 1975, was "the best job I ever had. ".

Dressed as a superhero in green and white, he became the face of road safety in the UK for over a decade, known for his motto "Stop, look and listen".

Raised in Bristol, in the west of England, he was described by those close to him as "a dear husband, father and grandfather".

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

News

27

28

Who are the 100 Women chosen by the BBC for 2020 (including 11 Latin Americans)

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

29

30

News

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Who are the 100 Women chosen by the BBC for 2020 (including 11 Latin Americans) Staff BBC News World he BBC has revealed its list of 100 inspiring and influential women in the world in 2020. This year, those women who are driving change and making a difference in these turbulent times stand out.

The list includes Sanna Marin, who leads the Finnish government’s women’s coalition.

There are also Jane Fonda, actress and activist against climate change and scientist Sarah Gilbert, who is leading the research at the University of Oxford to create a vaccine against the coronavirus.

In this extraordinary year, when countless women around the world have made sacrifices to help others, one of the names on the list was left blank as a tribute.

Here is the list:

T

EVELINA CABRERA Argentina Soccer coach and manager Evelina was born in a context of vulnerability, but that did not stop her from becoming a soccer coach. She founded the Argentine Association of Women’s Soccer at the age of 27.

WENDY BEATRIZ CAISHPAL JACO The Savior Activist for the rights of the disabled Wendy Caishpal is an entrepreneur, activist, motivational speaker and spokesperson for the rights of people with disabilities and survivors of armed conflict.

CAROLINA CASTRO Argentina Union leader Carolina Castro is the first woman to reach a managerial position in the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) in its 130-year history.

Her activism has helped advance the gender equality agenda in all political parties in a country where public debate is highly polarized.

CLAUDIA LOPEZ Colombia Mayoress Claudia López is the first mayor of Bogotá, the capital of Colombia and the largest city in the country.

NEMONTE NENQUIMO Ecuador Waorani leader Nemonte Nenquimo is a Waorani indigenous woman committed to defending her ancestral territory, culture and way of life in the Amazon rainforest.

SUSANA RAFFALLI Venezuela Nutritionist Susana is a humanitarian worker who has been helping emergencies around the world for 22 years. It helped Caritas de Venezuela launch a tool that would show, in real time, the impact of the humanitarian crisis on children at a time when the crisis

in Venezuela was still being denied. Susana also founded a network of centers that allow nutritional support to children living in slums.

Ruth shady Peru Archaeologist Ruth Shady has a doctorate in archeology and anthropology, and is vice dean of research at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the National University of San Marcos. She is the director of multidisciplinary research at the Caral archaeological site, considered the oldest civilization in America. She has the title of Doctor honoris causa from five Peruvian universities and in 2018 she won the L’Oréal-UNESCO national prize for women scientists. She was also decorated with the Medal of Honor from the Congress of the Republic of Peru.

ANA TIJOUX Chile Music Ana Tijoux is a Chilean hip hop artist.

Feminist and activist in her lyrics, she denounces social and cultural deficiencies.

Her parents went into exile in France during the military government of Augusto Pinochet in Chile, which has left a mark on her career, marked by a special sensitivity to political and social issues.

ARUSSI UNDA Mexico Activist The rate of femicides in Mexico continues to grow and there, Arussi and her feminist collective Brujas del Mar have emerged as a voice for all women.

CYBELE RACY Brazil Teacher Cibele is a retired school principal who pioneered the teaching of racial equality to children in primary schools in São Paulo.

READ T Brazil Transgender model Not many models can say that their first job was for Givenchy, but that is the case with Lea T. She has been in the fashion industry business for over 10 years and has been featured on the pages of many high-profile publications. like Marie Claire, Grazia and Vogue.

ANONYMOUS HEROINES International Change the world In an extraordinary year, in which countless women around the world have dedicated their time to helping others, the first place on the list remains vacant to recognize all their work and remember those who have lost their lives while trying to change the world.

MUYESSER ABDUL’EHED Uighur exile from the Chinese city of Ghulja Writer

Muyesser Abdul’ehed, known as Hendan, began to make a name for herself as a poet and essayist while studying medicine.

By the time she completed her Master’s in Public Health, she had already decided to focus on writing. After moving to Turkey in 2013, Hendan founded “Ayhan Education”, an organization dedicated to promoting and teaching the Uighur language among the diaspora. She currently lives in Istanbul.

ABERA GEINORE EARTHENWARE Ethiopia Soccer player Loza Abera Geinore was born and raised in a small town in southern Ethiopia. She played for Hawassa City SC in the Ethiopian Women’s Premier League for two seasons, during which time she became the club’s top scorer.

HOUDA ABOUZ Morocco Rapper Houda Abouz, also known as Khtek, is a Moroccan rapper famous for her unique style and lyrical songs.

CHRISTINA ADANE Netherlands Activist Christina was behind the request to the UK government that schoolchildren receive free meals during the summer holidays, an initiative backed by footballer Marcus Rashford.

YVONNE AKI-SAWYERR Sierra Leone Mayoress The mayor of the capital Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE is known for her 3-year “Transform Freetown” plan. Focused on 11 sectors of the city, it ranges from environmental degradation and climate change to creating jobs to reduce youth unemployment. In a year in which the climate crisis has become a focus of attention, with floods and fires in many parts of the world, Aki-Sawyerr has inspired the people of Freetown to join his campaign to plant one million trees in two years.

RINA AKTER Bangladesh Former sex worker During the pandemic, Rina and her team of helpers have served around 400 meals a week to Dhaka sex workers who lost their clients and are therefore going through difficult times.

SARAH AL-AMIRI United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Advanced Technologies Sarah Al-Amiri is Minister of State for Advanced Technologies and President of the UAE Space Agency. Previously, she was Chief Scientific Officer and Deputy Project Director for the Emirates Mars mission.

WAAD AL-KATEAB Syria

Film director Waad al-Kateab is a Syrian activist, journalist and filmmaker who has received numerous awards (including an Emmy) for her reporting from Aleppo. In 2020, her first feature film, “For Sama”, won the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Film.

ADRIANA ALBINI Italy Pathologist Adriana Albini is Head of the Vascular Biology and Angiogenesis Laboratory at IRCCS MultiMedica and the MultiMedica Foundation. She is also a professor of general pathology at the University of Milan-Bicocca and was a visiting scientist at the United States National Institutes of Health.

UBAH ALI Republic of Somaliland Educator Ubah Ali is a co-founder of “Solace for Somaliland Girls”, a foundation committed to eradicating all forms of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Somaliland communities, through education and empowerment.

NISREEN ALWAN Iraq-UK Public Health Expert Nisreen is a doctor and Public Health scholar in the UK, doing research on the health and well-being of women and children, especially during pregnancy.

ELIZABETH ANIONWU United Kingdom Nurse Elizabeth Anionwu is Emeritus Professor of Nursing at the University of West London and patron of the Sickle Cell Society of the United Kingdom.

NADEEN ASHRAF Egypt Activist Nadeen is a philosophy student who believes in social media as a tool for change. She is passionate about spreading knowledge in a way that is accessible to the general population.

ERICA BAKER Germany Engineer Erica is the director of engineering for GitHub. Her career in that field began when she was 19 years old, supporting the University of Alaska. In 2006 she started working for Google.

DIANA BARRAN United Kingdom Parliamentary deputy Baroness Barran was appointed UK Minister for Civil Society in 2019. She is the founder and former CEO of SafeLives, a charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse. She

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

was also director of grants development at the New Philanthropy Capital think tank and worked in asset management before founding one of Europe’s first hedge funds in 1993.

BILKIS India Leader of the protests At 82, Bilkis is part of a group of women who peacefully protested against a controversial citizenship law.

CINDY BISHOP Thailand United Nations Ambassador and Model Cindy Sirinya Bishop is a model, actress, and television host, and she also advocates for an end to violence against women. This year she was named a goodwill ambassador for UN Women for Asia and the Pacific, to promote gender equality through education and work with communities and governments. In 2018, she founded the #DontTellMeHowToDress movement, after Thai authorities warned their citizens not to dress “too sexy” if they wanted to avoid being victims of sexual harassment during the Thai New Year celebrations.

MACINLEY BUTSON Australia Scientist and inventor Macinley Butson began developing various inventions when he was seven years old.

Now 20, she has devised devices that can go from improving the outcome of breast cancer patients receiving radiation therapy to providing clean water to developing

News

communities.

AGNES CHOW Hong Kong Pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow, a 23-year-old pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong, was a key figure during the 2014 Umbrella Revolution. This year she was one of the few activists arrested under the controversial new security law. She was accused of “collusion with foreign forces.”

PATRISSE CULLORS United States Human rights activist Artist, organizer, educator, and public speaker, Patrisse Cullors was born in Los Angeles. She is co-founder and CEO of the global network of the “Black Lives Matter” movement and founder of the Los Angeles-based organization “Dignity and Power Now.” TSITSI DANGAREMBGA Zimbabwe Writer and film director Tsitsi is a critically acclaimed writer, filmmaker, and cultural activist. She has written several award-winning books that are considered classics in her country. Her films have been screened at festivals around the world, including Sundance. She lives in Harare and works locally with African filmmakers.

SHANI DHANDA United Kingdom Activist for the rights of the disabled Shani Dhanda is an award-winning advocate

for the disabled and social entrepreneur. She is recognized as one of the most influential people with disabilities in the UK. She founded and continues to lead the “Diversability Card” initiative, the “Asian Woman Festival” and the “Asian Disability Network”.

NAOMI DICKSON United Kingdom Executive director Naomi has dedicated her professional life to supporting Jewish women and children who have suffered domestic abuse, and educating the Jewish community to call out, flag and prevent domestic abuse, now and in the future.

KAREN DOLVA Norway Innovative Karen Dolva is the CEO and co-founder of “No Isolation”, an Oslo-based start-up founded in October 2015 with a mission to bring people together through technology and knowledge.

ILWAD ELMAN Somalia Peace activist Ilwad Elman is a young leader involved in the Somalia peace process and a world authority on mediating conflicts and reconciling communities.

JEONG EUN-KYEONG South Korea Commissioner of the Agency for Disease Prevention and Control Dr. Jeong Eun-kyeong has been described

31

as a “virus hunter” and has led South Korea’s response to the covid-19 pandemic.

FANG FANG China Writer Fang Fang (real name Wang Fang) is an award-winning Chinese author who this year began documenting events in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. Her diary gave millions of people a rare glimpse of the city where the virus was first recorded.

In it she ranged from the challenges of daily life to the physiological impact of forced isolation.

SOMAYA FARUQI Afghanistan Robotics team leader When the first COVID-19 case was reported in Afghanistan, in the province of Herat, where Somaya hails from, she and her all-female robotics team, the “Afghan Dreamers,” went to work on a bass fan. cost to treat coronavirus patients.

EILEEN FLYNN Republic of Ireland Senator Eileen Flynn made history this year as the first woman from the Irish nomad community, a group of Irish origin with a culture of their own, to sit in the upper house of the Irish Parliament.

JANE FONDA United States Actress Jane Fonda is a twice Oscar recognized

32 actress, starring in such iconic films as “Klute,” “Coming Home,” “On Golden Pond” and “9 to 5,” to name a few. She currently participates in the Netflix series “Grace and Frankie”.

KIRAN GANDHI United States Singer Kiran Gandhi, stage name Madame Gandhi, is a singer and activist whose mission is to celebrate gender liberation.

LAUREN GARDNER United States Scientific Lauren Gardner is a professor of engineering at Johns Hopkins University and co-director of the Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

ALICIA GARZA United States Human rights activist Alicia Garza is an organizer, political strategist, and author of “The Purpose of Power: How We Unite When We Fall Apart.”

IMAN GHALEB AL-HAMLI Yemen Microgrids manager Iman manages a group of 10 women behind a solar microgrid that offers clean, low-impact energy. And they do so just 30 km from the front line of the devastating Yemeni civil war.

SARAH GILBERT United Kingdom Scientific By the time Chinese scientists released the genetic details of the new coronavirus, Sarah and her team at Oxford immediately got to work. They have since developed a vaccine against covid-19 that is currently in the third phase of clinical trials.

MAGGIE GOBRAN Egypt Coptic nun “Mama” Maggie Gobran has dedicated her life to transforming the lives of marginalized children in Egypt. She left a life of opulence and a distinguished academic career to devote all her energy and resources to caring for children, washing their feet, looking into their eyes, and telling them they are important.

REBECCA GYUMI Tanzania A lawyer Rebeca Gyumi is the founder and executive director of the “Msichana Initiative”, a local NGO that works to promote the rights of girls. She is an advocate for gender equality and has vast experience working with young women to build movements and provide support at the national and grassroots levels.

DETA HEDMAN Jamaica Darts Champion For 22 years, Deta worked nights at the Royal Mail, the UK postal service. She has won 215 titles, the second highest in the world, second only to Phil Taylor. She has played 341 finals, more than anyone in the history of this sport. Deta came to England in 1973 and is the current captain of the England Darts Organization.

News UYAIEDU IKPE-ETIM Nigeria Film director Uyaiedu Ipke-Etim is an LGBTQ and feminist filmmaker, director and activist, committed to creating stories about marginalized groups in Nigeria.

MIHO IMADA Japan Sake master Making sake has long been a man’s world.

For centuries, women were prohibited from entering Japanese liquor stores.

ISAIVANI India Singer Isaivani can say that she is the only famous gaana singer from India. Gaana music emerged from the working-class neighborhoods of northern Chennai (formerly Madras) in Tamil Nadu. Isaivani has spent years singing and performing in this male-dominated space.

MANASI JOSHI India Athlete Manasi, an Indian athlete, is the current Paralympic badminton world champion. In June 2020, the World Badminton Federation ranked her number two in the world in SL3 singles. Manasi is also an engineer.

NADINE KAADAN Syria Writer and illustrator Syrian author Nadine Kaadan has been writing and illustrating stories since she was eight years old. Dissatisfied with the level of representation she saw in books growing up, she set out to write stories in which all children could see themselves represented.

MULENGA KAPWEPWE Zambia Artist and curator Mulenga Mpundu Kapwepwe co-founded the Zambian Women’s History Museum, commended in 2020 for commemorating the contribution of Zambian women to their nation. It has also built libraries for children in the Zambian capital, Lusaka.

JEMIMAH KARIUKI Kenya Doctor Dr. Jemimah Kariuki is a specialist in preventive medicine, especially in maternal and child health. She is the founder of the “Peace Club”, launched in response to the post-election violence in 2007, and the “Public Health Club”, which is fundamental in the execution of cervical cancer prevention campaigns.

GÜLSÜM KAV Turkey Activist for social justice Gülsüm Kav is a Turkish doctor, academic and co-founder of “We Will Stop Femicide”.

Over the past year, high rates of femicide and parliamentary debates on the repeal of the Istanbul Convention (a legal framework designed to protect victims of domestic violence) have drawn widespread criticism in Turkey.

JACKIE KAY

Scotland, UK Poet Jackie Kay is a Scottish poet, playwright and novelist. Her memoir, “Red Dust Road”, in which she details the search for her biological parents, has been described by the author as a “love letter” to her white adoptive parents. In 2016 she was named “Scots Makar”, Scotland’s national poet.

KHAIRUNNISA SALSABILA Indonesia Activist for the environment Salsabila is a 17-year-old student from Jakarta, Indonesia. Every Friday he leads a school strike against deforestation in front of the office of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

MAHIRA KHAN Pakistan Actress Mahira Khan is not just any actress: she openly opposes sexual violence, refuses to endorse skin lightening creams, and supports the fight against racism. She wants to address social problems in her native Pakistan by changing the narrative in movies and on television.

ANGELIQUE KIDJO Benin Music Winner of four Grammy Awards, Angélique Kidjo is an internationally recognized artist.

Her music unites the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin with elements of American R&B, funk and jazz. He also drinks from influences from Europe and Latin America.

CHU KIM DUC Vietnam Architect Vietnamese architect Kim Duc defends the right of children to play. As co-founder and director of “Think Playgrounds,” she has been working with her partners and various communities in her country to create more than 180 public playgrounds made from recycled materials.

SAFAA KUMARI Syria Virologist As a plant virologist, Dr. Safaa Kumari seeks solutions to epidemics that destroy crops.

After discovering seeds that could ensure food security in Syria, she risked her life to rescue them from Aleppo.

ISHTAR LAKHANI South Africa Activist Ishtar is a feminist, activist and self-proclaimed “agitator”. She lives in South Africa, where she collaborates with social justice organizations, movements and networks, providing them with the necessary support to strengthen their approaches to defending human rights.

JOSINA MACHEL Mozambique Activist for social justice Josina Z Machel has spent much of her life defending human rights and women’s rights.

SANNA MARIN Finland

Dec 7 - 13, 2020 Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin is the Prime Minister of Finland and leader of the Social Democratic Party.

He heads a coalition government made up of four other parties, all led by women: Maria Ohisalo (Green League), Li Andersson (Left Alliance), Anna-Maja Henriksson (Swedish People’s Party) and Annika Saarikko (Center Party).

HAYAT MIRSHAD Lebanon Activist A feminist activist, journalist and humanitarian, Hayat is a co-founder of “Fe-Male”, a pioneering feminist collective in Lebanon. Unapologetic and uncompromising, Hayat’s mission is to ensure that girls and women have access to justice, information, protection and human rights.

LELWA MKUTUKANA South Africa Singer and composer Bulelwa Mkutukana is better known by her stage name Zahara. She had a humble childhood in South Africa and developed her love of music in the school choir. She began her singing career performing on the streets, but in 2011 Zahara’s debut album went double platinum in less than three weeks.

LUCY MONAGHAN North Ireland Activist Lucy Monaghan renounced her anonymity as a rape survivor earlier this year to speak about how she was treated by police and prosecutors in Northern Ireland after reporting the rape. Initially, the police told him that he had been “flirting”, making it unlikely that the culprits would be convicted.

DOUCE NAMWEZI N’IBAMBA Democratic Republic of Congo Journalist Douce Namwezi N’Ibamba is a multimedia journalist and founder of the “Uwezo Afrika Initiative”, a non-profit organization that promotes the empowerment of women through journalism, job training and social entrepreneurship.

VANESSA NAKATE Uganda Activist against climate change Vanessa Nakate, 23, is a Ugandan climate change activist and founder of the African “Rise Up” movement. It campaigns internationally to explain the impact of climate change that is already taking place in Africa. Their efforts are particularly focused on pointing out how the climate crisis is exacerbating poverty, conflict and gender inequality.

ETHELREDA NAKIMULI-MPUNGU Uganda Mental Health Expert Dr. Ethel Nakimuli-Mpungu, from Makerere University in Uganda, is working to make some therapies more culturally accepted, such as for people living with HIV or depression.

NANDAR Myanmar

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Feminist activist Nandar is a feminist activist, translator, storyteller, and creator of two podcasts: Feminist Talks and G-Taw Zagar Wyne. She founded Purple Feminists Group and has co-directed “The Vagina Monologues” in Rangoon.

VERNETTA M NAY MOBERLY United States Environmental activist Vernetta Moberly is a wife, mother, grandmother and friend.

SANIA NISHTAR Pakistan World leader in health Dr. Sania Nishtar is a leader in global health and sustainable development. Since 2018, she has spearheaded the “Ehsaas Poverty Alleviation” program, which has improved the livelihoods of millions of Pakistanis by providing savings and mobile bank accounts and other basic resources.

PHYLLIS OMIDO Kenya Activist for the environment Phyllis Omido is Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Environmental Justice, Governance and Action, which advocates for the environmental and socio-economic rights of marginalized communities affected by extractive industries in Kenya. In 2015 she won the Goldman Environmental Prize (nicknamed “the Green Nobel”), which recognized her work to shut down a lead smelting plant in Owino Uhuru.

LALEH OSMANY Afghanistan Activist In Afghanistan, you cannot use a woman’s name in public. Only the father’s name is recorded on a birth certificate. When a woman marries, her name does not appear on the wedding invitations. When she’s sick, her name doesn’t appear on prescriptions, and when she dies, her name doesn’t appear on her death certificate or headstone.

RIDHIMA PANDEY India Activist against climate change Ridhima Pandey is an activist fighting against

News

climate change. At the age of nine, she filed a lawsuit against the government of India for its inaction to mitigate climate change. In 2019, along with 15 other children, Ridhima filed a lawsuit against five countries at the UN. LORNA PRENDERGAST Australia Dementia researcher In 2019, Lorna Prendergast made world news when she graduated from the University of Melbourne at the age of 90, with a master’s degree in Aging. She dedicated her career to her late husband, to whom she had been married for 64 years and who suffered from dementia.

OKSANA PUSHKINA Russia Member of the State Duma Oksana Pushkina is deputy vice-chair of the Committee on Family, Women and Children’s Affairs of the Russian State Duma.

SAPANA ROKA MAGAR Nepal Crematorium technique After being homeless for three months, Sapana traveled to Kathmandu, where she became involved in an organization that incinerates unclaimed bodies.

Pardis Sabeti IRAN Computational geneticist Pardis Sabeti is a professor at Harvard University, the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She has contributed to the field of the human and microbial genome, and to education and surveillance of rural infectious diseases in West Africa.

FEBFI SETYAWATI Indonesia Activist Febfi Setyawati is the founder of “Untukteman. id”, an organization that helps vulnerable people, especially patients with financial difficulties and people affected by Covid-19.

She and her team toured their community in a Volkswagen camper van to provide free internet access (which can be very expensive) and a mobile library for students so they could continue their studies. Now the

team is trying to provide signal transmitters for areas where there is no internet.

PANUSAYA SITHIJIRAWATTANAKUL Thailand Student and activist This year, pro-democracy protests have swept across Thailand and students like Panusaya, 22, have been at the center of them. She and other activists were arrested for their involvement, although she was later released on bail.

NASRIN SOTOUDEH Iran Human rights activist Nasrin Sotoudeh is an Iranian lawyer who advocates for the rule of law and the rights of political prisoners, opposition activists, women and children in Iran. She faces a lengthy prison sentence for opposing the country’s justice system, which is heavily criticized.

KATHY SULLIVAN United States Scientist and astronaut Kathy Sullivan is a scientist, astronaut, author, and executive. She was one of the first six women to join the NASA Astronaut Corps in 1978 and has the honor of being the first American woman to walk through space.

RIMA SULTANA RIMU Bangladesh Teacher Rima Sultana Rimu is a member of “Young Women Leaders for Peace” in Bazaar city of Cox, Bangladesh. This program, which is part of the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, aims to empower young women from conflict-affected countries to be leaders and agents of peace.

OPAL TOMETI United States Human rights activist Opal Tometi is an award-winning human rights advocate and one of three female founders of “Black Lives Matter.” She is also the creator of the new media center Diaspora Rising.

SVIATLANA TSIKHANOSKAYA Belarus Politics Sviatlana Tsikhanoskaya is a former presidential candidate for the elections in Belarus, where she leads a national democratic movement. In August 2020, President Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner in the elections, sparking protests across the country amid widespread accusations of vote rigging.

YULIA TSVETKOVA Russia Activist Yulia Tsvetkova was born in a small industrial city in the easternmost part of Russia, where she studied art, dance and conducting.

Later, from her activist theater and from her community center, she began to raise issues related to women’s rights, LGBT rights, antimilitarism and ecology.

ANASTASIA VOLKOVA Ukraine Businesswoman Dr. Anastasia Volkova is an agricultural

33 entrepreneur and innovator who uses science and technology to address food safety issues.

KOTCHAKORN VORAAKHOM Thailand Landscape Architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom describes herself as “a tough Thai urban landscape architect.” She began her work with the aim of changing the urban landscape of Bangkok, and of creating green spaces in cities.

SIOUXSIE WILES United Kingdom Scientific Siouxsie is a key scientist and public health communicator in New Zealand during the pandemic. She has collaborated with cartoonist Toby Morris to convey the science behind the fight against Covid-19. That joint work includes the popular “flattening the curve” visualization, which has been translated into multiple languages and ​​ adapted by governments to help people understand why lockdowns are necessary.

ELIN WILLIAMS Wales, UK Disabled blogger Elin is a writer and advocate for the disabled who has been blogging since she was 16 years old about her experiences battling myalgic encephalomyelitis (MS) and retinitis pigmentosa (a degenerative eye disease).

ALICE WONG United States Activist in defense of the rights of the disabled Alice is the founder of the project “Make Disability Visible”, a campaign that encourages people with disabilities to record their stories.

LEO YEE-SIN Singapore Doctor Dr Leo Yee-Sin heads Singapore’s National Center for Infectious Diseases, which is responsible for managing communicable disease outbreaks.

MICHELLE YEOH Malaysia Actress Michelle Yeoh began her acting career in the martial arts films of Hong Kong, a prominently male world. She moved to Hollywood after acting as a Bond girl in the movie “Tomorrow Never Dies” and is one of the few actresses from Asia to enjoy a long and successful career in America.

AISHA YESUFU Nigeria Activist Aisha Yesufu is a Nigerian activist demanding good governance in her country.

GULNAZ ZHUZBAEVA Kyrgyzstan Activist in defense of the rights of the disabled In Kyrgyzstan, there are more than 5,000 people living with visual impairment, but many important government documents remain inaccessible to them. Gulnaz Zhuzbaeva, founder of the Kyrgyz Federation of the Blind, has worked tirelessly to make these materials available in Braille and improve access for the visually impaired.

9

34

FLUVIAL

1

7

4 5

RIO AMECA

GRAND MAYAN PARADISE VILLAGE MEZCALES OCCIDENTAL NUEVO VALLARTA 5 HARD ROCK HOTEL GRAND VELAS RIVIERA NAYARIT DREAMS VILLAMAGNA HOTEL MARIVAL 6 RIU JALISCO 4 ACQUA FLAMINGOS RUI PALACE PACIFICO FLAMINGOS VILLA DEL PALMAR FLAMINGOS 4 VILLA LA ESTANCIA 25 4 ROYAL DECAMERON 24 BUCERIAS 23 PUNTA ESMERALDA B NAYAR 29 VILLA AMORE DEL MAR 1 5

26

NU EV OV AL LA RTA

7

RTA

ALLA INA V

4

5

HOTEL ZONE

ES PA AR &S S M INA RT TRE B REG RESO CLU ESTIN CE W LA O TA THE AN PA ALAD LLAR S A Y MA A EL TO V IOTT R Y R PLA IA PUE MAR L NA ME AG AND R SAM CA IEW G V BAY

6

1

S ATE TOM DE CA BO

2

7

27

MAR

8

VIDANTA

2

1

2

VERSALLES

28

3

STATE OF NAYARIT

3

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

R LOS T LY VALLA D FRIEN CAPE AR SUNS DEL PALM NA VILLA AMERICA A FIEST HOLI AL RA A PLAY N KRYSTNAVENTU RESORT HILTO NDA BUE E GOLDEN HACIE PARADIS CLUB N E CROW PARADIS N CROW

az Ord Díaz tavo port Gus l Air Lic. nationa r Inte

6

TO SAYULITA

8

PITILLAL

PUERTO VALLAR 22

PLAYA LA MANZANILLA W PUNTA MITA Agustin Flores Contreras Municipal Stadium

GRAND PALLADIUM VALLARTA HOTEL LA QUINTA DEL SOL

123 2

MESON DE MITA PUNTA MITA FOUR SEASONS

1

FRANCISC

O VILLA

ST. REGIS PUNTA MITA

UAY PARAG

SHERATON BUGAMBILLIAS

5 DE5 DE DECIMBRE DICIEMBRE

3

ISLAS MARIETAS

TOWNS & COLONIAS BEACHES

RESORTS MALECON SHOPPING/ARTWALK

BY SEA

LAND & AIR

1. MARINA RIVIERA NAYARIT 2. NUEVO RIVIERA NAYARIT 3. MARINA VALLARTA MARINA 4. CRUISE SHIP TERMINAL 5. LOS MUERTOS PIER/ WATER TAXIS

1. CENTRAL BUS STATION 2. VERSALLES BUS STATION 3. OLD TOWN BUS STATION 4. BUCERIAS BUS STATION 5. INT’L AIRPORT - PVR

2

SHOPPING

GOLF

1. GALERIAS VALLARTA 2. WALMART/SAMS CLUB 3. COSTCO 4. LA ISLA 5. PLAZA CARACOL 6. MEGA/ LA COMER BUCERIAS 7. WALMART NUEVO VALLARTA

1. PACI 2. BAHI 3. LITIB 4. FLAM 5. EL TI 6. & 7 V 8. MAR 9. VISTA

9

STATE OF JALISCO

BUENOS AIRES BUENAS ARIES

10

35

PUERTO VALLARTA

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

5 DeDECIMBRE Diciembre 5 DE

12 13

L RO

AMAPAS

14

15

CASA CUPOLA RESORTS BY PINNACLE

EL NOGALITO

CONCHAS CHINAS

PLA YA L O SAN S ARC VILL P A M LAYA EMP MAR OS ERC LO ERA INO EDE S M DOR U TRO S PETI ERTO A ALM PICA T HOT S V EL A A N PLA YA C LLART R RES HOTEL HYA TT Z ONC LI A SH ORT IVA HAS NDO ORE P C U GRA CO ERT ASA CHIN MAR S ND STA O VA KAR AS F S P GAR LAY IESTA UR RE LLARTMA ZA A PU AME SOR A BLA NTA RIC T HOT NCA R NEGR AN EL M ESO A OUS RT AII

HOT E

NES MARO GRAND A CA PLAY VENTURA E A S BUEN PREMIER AMBILLIA VILLA ATON BUG SHER S ET SECR AMBER NOW L SOL O DE CANT LAZA S ET P SUNS ICANO A PEL PLAZ ULES RTA T

CENTRO

SITA

11

GRINGO GULTCH CASA KIMBERLY HACIENDA SAN ANGEL

MISMALOYA

30

TO EL TUITO

BARCELO

LOS ARCOS

COLOMITOS LA TROVA CASITAS MARAIKA HOTELITO MIO

RTA 20

LAS ANIMAS 17

XINALANI RETREAT

QUIMIXTO

MAJAHUITAS MAJAHUITAS RESORT

3

21

BOCA DE TOMA

HOTEL LAGUNITA

16 11

12

PALAPA MARACUYA 19 15 18

13

CENTRO

FING

POINTS OF INTEREST

IFICO GOLF COURSE IA GOLF COURSE BU GOLF COURSE MINGOS GOLF COURSE IGRE GOLF COURSE VIDANTA RINA VALLARTA TA VALLARTA

1. TURTLE RESCUE CAMP 2. WHALE OF A TALE HOLE 3. PLAYA ESCONDIDO 4. KISSING BRIDGE 5. EL CORA CROCODILE SANCTUARY 6. PUERTO VALLARTA SIGN 7. ESTERO EL SALADO 8. PITILLAL PLAZA

‘OLD TOWN’

9. 5 DE DEC. CEMETARY 10. MIRADOR CERRO DE LA CRUZ 11. MALECON 12. VIRGIN DE LA GUADALUPE CHURCH 13. LOS ARCOS AMPITHEATRE 14. ISLA CUALE 15. LAZARO CARDENAS PARK 15. OLAS ALTAS FARMERS MARKET

16. HIDALGO PARK 17. THREE HENS MARKET 18. MARSOL MARKET 19. MUNICIPAL MARKET 20. EMILIANO ZAPATA MARKET 21. CUALE CULTRAL CENTER 22. 5 DE DEC MARKET 23. HUANACAXLE MERCADO

5

24. FOREVER SPRING MARKET 25. BUCERIAS ARTWALK 26. RIVIERA FARMERS MARKET 27. MARINA ARTISAN MARKET 28. MOVIE + PICNIC 29. RED CROSS 30. LOS ARCOS NATIONAL PARK

36

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

The mysterious piece of Mexican pottery that reveals a hidden meaning of "Las Meninas", one of the masterpieces of universal art

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

37

38

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

The mysterious piece of Mexican pottery that reveals a hidden meaning of "Las Meninas", one of the masterpieces of universal art Kelly grovier BBC Culture

S

ometimes a jug is just a jug. Others, it is the door to a new way of perception. In the masterpiece "Las Meninas", a game of shadows and mirrors that has never ceased to intrigue, a small and until now quite unnoticed clay jug in the center of the canvas transforms the work, a snapshot of palatial life, into a treatise on the illusory and transcendental nature of existence.

Without this clay object, the mystery of the work withers, which has captured the attention of observers for more than three and a half centuries, since Diego Velรกzquez's brush illuminated it in 1656.

To fully appreciate how a popular piece of ceramic from Latin America becomes a lens for capturing the world anew, we must remember the cultural context in which the painting arose and what it was intended to portray.

Easy to ignore at the crossroads of optical, philosophical, and psychological perspectives that appear in the painting, there is an object that perhaps offers a material clue to the effect claimed by Velรกzquez's hallucinogenic masterpiece on our consciousness: a vibrant red dot in the shape of a small jug.

This modest jug, which a suppliant servant offers the young infanta (and us) on a silver platter, should have been recognized by contemporaries as the embodiment of mind and body altering properties.

Known as a vase, this simple piece of clay was one of the most coveted handicrafts among which Spanish explorers from the New World brought back to the old in the 16th and 17th centuries.

According to the art historian Byron Ellsworth Hamann, who has carefully studied the origin of many of the objects that appear in Velรกzquez's paintings, including the silver tray of "Las Meninas", the jug's characteristic shine and reddish hue distinguish it as a product of Guadalajara, Mexico.

A secret blend of local spices baked in the clay when the vase was made ensured that any liquid it contained was delicately scented.

But the vase was known to fulfill another more surprising function.

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

39

40

Art

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

What we can learn about isolation from prison artists Janie Paul Professor Emerita of Art and Design, University of Michigan

O

ver the past few months, most of us have found ourselves in unfamiliar territory trying to shape the formlessness of our days while contending with physical separation.

Many incarcerated people, however, have spent years figuring out what to do with their time in isolation. Some discover faith, while others read and educate themselves. Then there are those who become artists.

For the past 25 years, I’ve worked as senior curator and co-founder of the Annual Exhibitions of Art by Michigan Prisoners at the University of Michigan. Each year these exhibitions draw thousands of people who view and buy the work. For the artists, these shows are a source of validation and support.

They get to keep the money from sales.

Getting to know many of these artists confirmed my belief that art making is a basic human activity that gives shape to meaning.

In conditions of extreme confinement, finding meaning becomes all the more urgent.

Most prison artists don’t consider making art until they become incarcerated. For many, it is a choice of growth over deterioration.

For others, like Wynn Satterlee, a former inmate in a maximum-security prison, it was a matter of life or death.

In prison, he was told he would die of cancer. With the help of friends, he took up painting.

“I painted to escape the suffering and the pain,” he told me after he was released from prison. “Ten hours a day, seven days a week, for over seven years. And I overcame cancer.”

Oliger Merko, who was born in Albania, is serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole.

“It really shakes you up to get that sentence,” he told me during an interview at Ionia Maximum Facility in Michigan. “I was totally hopeless, drifting, with no direction.

I started thinking more deeply, and when I discovered art, everything opened up. Now I paint for three or four hours a day and don’t want to stop, even if it’s chow time. It’s a real second life more than an escape.”

To make this kind of leap into artistic expression requires some basic human capacities that we often ignore but can be summoned under extreme circumstances.

One involves finding the extraordinary in the ordinary – a requirement for many prison artists, who lack money for expensive art supplies.

Some eventually learn that almost anything that can be picked up and held can be made into a beautiful three-dimensional art object. They use toilet paper and glue, soap, cardboard, paper, stones from the yard, plastic lids and bottles. Robert Sarber’s sculpture “Buck/Deer” was made from toilet paper and glue and then painted with acrylic.

Oliger Merko, ‘Season of Love’ detail, oil on canvas, 2014. Prison Creative Arts Project, Author provided

Robert Sarber, ‘Buck/ Deer,’ toilet paper, glue and acrylic, 2017. Prison Creative Arts Project, Author provided

Kenneth Mariner makes dioramas out of cardboard, old folders, thread, glue, tissue, acrylic paint and twist ties.

Many prison artists cultivate the ability to focus for extended periods of time. This discipline is a way to resist the monotony and

violence of prison life.

John Bone learned to draw by doing hundreds of drawings of his cell, sometimes working 16 hours a day, observing every detail of his environment. His scrutiny of something with no intrinsic beauty – coupled

with close attention to the tonal values and spatial structures of his drawing – resulted in remarkable works.

While learning to draw, Billy Brown was getting frustrated. Then, one day, he prayed for a vision and came up with an extraordinary technique for colored pencil drawings on black paper. At the beginning of each stroke, he lightly presses on the paper; as he moves the pencil, he increases the pressure, which makes the color more saturated.

What enables a person to focus with such attention for so long in such isolation?

The prison artists I know are motivated by a powerful need to assert their identity and explore unmet needs for love, beauty, nature and animals, a sense of accomplishment, and the ability to communicate intense feelings. This desire is so strong that people start making art without the self-doubt that most non-artists in the world would feel.

Karmyn Valentine, a carpenter by trade, had never made art before coming to prison.

In her first painting, “My Pain,” she was able to find form for her suffering.

“I was abused and betrayed and so that is why the arrow is coming from the back,” she said. “I am touching the arrow because the pain is my constant companion. I lived with it before I came into prison and I live with it now.”

Art

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Wynn Satterlee, ‘Free My Daddy,’ acrylic on canvas, 2005. Prison Creative Arts Project, Author provided

There’s a freedom these artists can access in the choices they make about content, materials, marks, texture, colors, shapes and surfaces. The very act of making these choices is a way to reclaim their agency. This is significant in a system that treats people as objects to be moved about, counted, chained, searched and assigned a number.

Time and the future change when prisoners become creators rather than objects. Once artists imbue their day-to-day lives with purpose and meaning, waking up no longer becomes something to dread. As Merko explained: “Before I became an artist, every day was routine, and now, even though in prison you want the days to pass quickly, I sometimes wish the day was longer when I’m painting. It’s like I don’t belong in time anymore.”

Prison artists develop a practice in which one work of art leads to another, pointing them toward a path of endlessly unfolding possibilities and a feeling of being grounded.

To those of us living with stress and frustration during COVID-19 restrictions, these artists demonstrate how to develop an inner space of freedom – and how to live imaginatively and purposefully in a strange new world.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Kenneth Mariner, ‘House Diorama,’ cardboard and mixed media, 2019.

Prison Creative Arts Project, Author provided

41

42

How to teach saving and spending to kids as young as 3 years old

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

43

44

Education

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

How to teach saving and spending to kids as young as 3 years old Tessa Mazachowsky PhD student, Department of Psychology, Brock University Caitlin Mahy Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Brock University

P

lanning for the holidays will look a different this year in the face of COVID-19.

Beyond gathering restrictions, many families have come up against economic hardship and other stressors related to the pandemic.

With the holiday season fast approaching, budgeting and finances might be on the mind of many parents. Now might be a perfect time to involve children in discussions about saving and encourage them to practise making their own saving decisions.

Consider the future The act of choosing to save or spend money often involves considering a future point in time. For example, a child who wants to spend their allowance on a new toy might think: “If I buy this toy, I can bring it to school tomorrow to show my friend.” But another idea might be: “If I spend all my money today, I won’t be able to buy a treat at the park tomorrow.”

The idea that our choices are influenced by a sense of connection between our present- and future-self is called the future self-continuity hypothesis. By this account, people who feel disconnected to their imagined future self are less motivated to save for their future.

In contrast, those who feel more connected to their future selves are more motivated to save for their future. One study using virtual reality found that university students who interacted with a digitally aged model of themselves at 70 years old set aside more than twice as much money towards retirement compared to those who interacted with a digital model of their current self.

Challenges of saving As children grow up they master many skills, but saving for the future seems to challenge both children and adults. For instance, a 2019 survey by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada and EKOS Research Associates of 7,169 Canadians aged 18 or older between February and May 2019 found that only half of Canadian adults reported making budgets and one-third of Canadians reported that they would have trouble finding $2,000 in an emergency.

In a 2019 Canadian study with preschoolers, children decided how many

Now might be a perfect time to involve children in discussions about saving money and encourage them to practice making their own saving decisions. (Shutterstock) marbles to save for use later on a big, exciting marble run. On average, children saved about two of the five marbles for later use.

In our lab, we developed a savings board game where children could spend tokens on small prizes during the game or save tokens for a more desirable prize at the end. In this board game, children saved on average two out of three tokens for the future. Taken

together, this research suggests that young children are capable of saving, but they have plenty of room for improvement.

How early can children learn about saving?

Since young children show some ability to save, early efforts to educate children about saving could be beneficial.

By three years old, children save resources (such as marbles or tokens) for

future use. In our research using the savings board game, we found that parents, when asked about their children’s saving ability, reported that young children save resources, time and space in their daily lives. We also found that 90 per cent of three-year-olds saved at least one token for future use. So, when children are about this age, parents could start teaching and discussing simple saving concepts, like saving coins in a piggy

Education

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

45

Children can start saving their coins. (Shutterstock)

bank.

Not surprisingly, children’s performance on some saving tasks improves as they get older. By 12 years old, children come to understand the purpose of saving. They also display more sophisticated saving strategies, such as using a piggy bank to avoid spending their money. All in all, young children can be introduced to the concept of saving at a young age, but this information should be age appropriate.

Ways to help children save Beyond the financial literacy learning that some children will get in school, there are several ways that parents can help children save.

Researchers found that having children budget their marbles for use now and later helped them save more marbles for later compared to children who did not make a budget. This may suggest that having

children set a financial budget could be one way to promote saving.

Reminding children that saving is an option is also effective. Doing so may prompt children to consider the future consequences of spending rather than saving. For example, when visiting a toy store, parents could simply remind their child that instead of spending their money they could save it for another time. Parents might even find some of these strategies helpful too.

Young children can save for the future, but often struggle to do so. Greater focus on financial literacy, saving and budgeting, should help children better develop saving skills which should translate into a financially healthier society.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

In study with preschoolers, children on average saved two of five marbles to use later on a big exciting marble run. (Shutterstock)

46

Education

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Kids as young as 3 years old think YouTube is better for learning than other types of video Brenna Hassinger-Das Assistant Professor of Psychology, Pace University Rebecca Dore Senior Research Associate in Early Childhood, The Ohio State University

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Y

oung kids believe that YouTube videos are better for learning than TV shows or videos created on a researcher’s smartphone. They also view people in YouTube videos to be more real than those on TV but less real than those featured in a researcher-created smartphone video. These are the major findings from a pre-COVID-19 study conducted in U.S. children’s museums in 2019.

We asked children aged 3-8 to look at images that we told them came from YouTube, television or a researcher’s smartphone. Then, we asked them to tell us if they believed that the person in the video was real or not, as well as which videos they would prefer to watch and which they thought would be best to learn from.

Across the range of ages in the study, children thought people in videos recorded on a smartphone were most likely to be real, followed by YouTube. They considered people on TV as the least likely to be real. This suggests that kids recognize that YouTube is distinct from other media formats, perhaps because it hosts both clips featuring real people and videos with fictional characters.

It appears that children have picked up on this and make judgments about YouTube accordingly.

We also found that kids preferred to watch YouTube just as much as TV and more than a video on a researcher’s smartphone.

And finally, regardless of their age, children were more likely to view YouTube content as educational than either TV or smartphone-recorded videos. We believe this

might help them learn more from educational content on the platform, because they are already primed to find learning value in the videos.

Why it matters The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the amount of time many children spend using digital media. One of the most popular screen activities for kids is watching YouTube videos for both entertainment and education. Our research provides some of the first insights into how children understand what they see on YouTube and their perceptions of its educational value.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly all schools moved to online instruction in March with only a few days’ notice, and many schools have continued to educate only virtually this fall. Others have had to quickly pivot to virtual learning due to rising numbers of COVID-19 cases after opening up in person at first. Teleconferencing and YouTube videos of lessons supplanted classroom instruction and completely changed the educational landscape.

Understanding YouTube’s potential to encourage learning will help teachers

and caregivers make informed decisions regarding how to go about remote education.

Our findings also have implications for how schools should teach young kids about media literacy. Given that YouTube’s popularity among children has grown exponentially, it’s important that children learn to think critically and question the messages and content that they experience through YouTube and other streaming video platforms.

What still isn’t known Although our research suggests that children believe that YouTube is better for learning than TV or smartphone videos, we still don’t know if children actually do learn more when they watch YouTube. We will try to find out in the future. However, it’s possible that by simply believing that YouTube has greater educational value, kids may be more engaged and thus learn more from watching YouTube videos than when they encounter educational videos elsewhere.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Education

47

48

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

49

Maradona: why the English can’t let go of the Hand of God and Latin Americans love it

Dec 7 - 13, 2020 Sports 50 Maradona: why the English can’t let go of the Hand of God and Latin Americans love it Matthew Brown Professor in Latin American History, University of Bristol

T

he death of the greatest player in the history of the game of Association Football, Diego Armando Maradona, on November 25 produced an outpouring of grief and nostalgia around the world. He was such an important figure in his native Argentina that the president declared three days of mourning.

In England, though many have praised his skill and achievements, his death has provided the opportunity to dig up the old humbug about the Hand of God goal at the 1986 World Cup, which involved Maradona’s fist essentially knocking the ball into England’s goal. For some, even in death, Maradona was still the cheat who could not be forgiven. Yet, it was precisely his refusal to recognise the presumed superiority of the Englishmen flailing before him that gave joy to millions worldwide.

The inability of a few in England to move on from that goal speaks to the historical processes that underpin Britain’s relationship with Latin America, which in my research I have characterised as a combination of “culture, capital and commerce that formed an informal empire” from the mid-19th to the early 20th century.

Football as war The problem is that “football was created in England, but perfected in South America”, as the historian Brenda Elsey has written.

We saw this when Peru’s Teófilo Cubillas punctured Scottish dreams in 1978 and in Maradona’s performance in 1986. Then there was Brazilian Ronaldinho’s lob that left English goalkeeper David Seaman questioning gravity and the universe itself at the 2002 World Cup. Britain’s relationships with South America have been defined more by football than by anything else.

The Hand of God goal and “Goal of the Century,” which came minutes later in the same game, brought joy and spiritual uplift to so many people in Latin America.

It represented a “cosmic” rupture in the universal order of things (to quote the classic commentary on the match by Victor Hugo Morales) which up-ended English assumptions of superiority that had been accepted by some elites across the continent.

This was particularly the case in Argentina, where English-speaking communities had reached into the hundreds of thousands by the 1980s.

The depth of feeling that accompanies Maradona’s death speaks to the abiding sense that he was somehow responsible for a moment that has acquired spiritual meaning for the way it broke historical patterns.

In his autobiography Yo Soy El Diego (I Am The Diego), Maradona reflected on the World Cup victory over England, which happened in the wake of the war over the Falklands/Malvinas.

Somehow we blamed the English players for everything that had happened, for everything that the Argentinian people had suffered. I know that it sounds crazy but that’s the way we felt. The feeling was stronger than us: we were defending our flag, the dead kids, the survivors.

Sport, in these terms, had become a surrogate for warfare, an opportunity for the defeated to inflict pain on the victors through whatever means possible. In addition to the Malvinas/Falklands conflict, this sentiment was shaped by the strong British influence on Argentinian economic and cultural life.

Argentinian nationalism was marked in different ways by the British construction of the railways, as well as the 1890s Baring Bank crisis that nearly bankrupted Argentina and left Britain relatively unscathed. There was also the Harrods luxury shop in Buenos Aires, the polo clubs and the substantial British community in the city and in the pampas (fertile flatlands surrounding Buenos Aires).

In England, the continuing anger that Maradona “got away with it” comes out of the ashes of empire. With historical perspective, we can see the British refusal to relinquish the Falklands/Malvinas in 1982 in its refusal to accept the loss of the match, and subsequently, as part of a reluctance to step back from two centuries of imperial engagement with Latin America.

Maradona and masculinity As many have noted since Maradona’s

death, he left a trail of destruction in his wake. He can be seen as a victim of some of the people who surrounded him, as well as the maker of much of that destruction. The drugs, revolutionary politics, domestic abuse and emotional outbursts, which are the most visible parts of the media narrative, fit snugly into the British stereotype of the combustible Latin American firebrand.

Yet as Argentinian scholars like Eduardo Archetti and Pablo Alabarces pointed out, football and masculinity were wrapped up together over a century ago. This combination makes Maradona the stand-out figure of a football culture that gloried in the humiliation of the opponent. It saw defeat as a result of feminine weakness while also marvelling at the artistic beauty of the footballer’s body in flight and the perfect arc of the ball as it

nestled into the top corner.

As the writer Ayelén Pujol has observed, Maradona’s achievements and his rebellions were an inspiration to millions of marginalized citizens; including the women footballers who today strive to transform the football establishment in their own ways.

With the current prohibition of fans in stadiums due to coronavirus, we are ever more anxious for legends and heroes who will unite us. We long for community and public spaces where we can share moments of joy and sadness together. Diego Maradona was central to many of those moments in the past, and his life will remain a key reference point in the history of the world as a result.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

News

51

52

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

People with HIV win battle against COVID-19 in Jalisco

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

53

54

Health

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

People with HIV win battle against COVID-19 in Jalisco Despite being considered a vulnerable group, positive cases for SARS-CoV-2 represent only 0.40% of total infections Prevention measures have been key to limiting the impact of the pandemic on those living with this condition

W

hen commemorating last Tuesday, December 1, as the World AIDS Response Day, in the state of Jalisco, the good response of people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to the COVID-19 pandemic stands out.

Well, despite being considered a vulnerable group, the impact of the new coronavirus has been limited: they barely represent 0.40 percent of all infections.

According to data from the federal Ministry of Health, in Jalisco the percentage of deaths from SARS-CoV-2 in people with HIV is 0.41 percent of the total number of deaths from this cause (twenty deaths). On the other hand, the vast majority of the 7,400 people currently living with the virus have not become ill with COVID-19 during almost 9 months of active pandemic in Jalisco.

Prevention measures have been key to limiting the impact of the pandemic on

those living with this condition, and include maintaining a healthy diet, sleep hygiene (getting enough and quality sleep), regular exercise, reducing stress, and adherence to their basic treatment and of course follow the recommendations to limit the risk of contagion of the coronavirus as much as possible.

In case of testing positive for COVID-19, timely care and adequate treatment are important to avoid complications that lead to the hospital. Having a family support network or friends who collaborate with care and preventive measures is very effective.

The pandemic is still active, which is why the Jalisco Health Secretariat (SSJ) reiterates the main recommendations to reduce the risk of contagion: This holiday season it is advisable to limit the celebrations and meetings that take place in rooms, terraces, clubs and spaces common where many people usually attend; as well as the Christmas parties that are celebrated in private homes (the recommendation is to avoid that more than ten people coincide).

The unit also invites you to stay in public spaces for a short time, use the mask properly (it can reduce the risk of infection by up to 90 percent), avoid closed places, keep a distance of 1.5 meters between people, and wash your hands frequently with water and soap or alcohol gel.

Since last March 14 - the day the first patient was notified in the State - to date in

Jalisco there have been 115 thousand 164 confirmed cases, which have been detected thanks to the RADAR System.

DEATHS Jalisco reported 29 more deaths today due to the new coronavirus disease. Not all the reported deaths occurred in a single day, but may have occurred several days ago, but until now they have been notified to the SISVER platform by the different health institutions.

MUNICIPALITIES To date, 89 municipalities with active cases are reported in Jalisco, that is, those with SARS-CoV-2 positive people who began with symptoms of the disease in the last fourteen days.

Adding up the negative results reported by all laboratories, in Jalisco 234,750 cases have been ruled out to date.

Of those affected accumulated to date, 50 percent are male and 50 percent female.

Regarding age groups, the most affected are those from 30 to 34 years old with 12.9 percent, those from 25 to 29 years old with 12.8 percent, those from 35 to 39 years old with 11.6 percent, those from 40 to 44 years old with 10.3 percent and those 65 and over with 10.6 percent.

In the group of girls, boys and adolescents, there are 1,708 confirmed cases in minors from zero to 15 years old, which represents

1.4 percent of the total accumulated positive cases.

Of the total confirmed cases in Jalisco, to date 91 percent are outpatients (treated in isolation at home) due to having mild to moderate symptoms or being asymptomatic and 9 percent have required hospitalization for COVID-19.

HEALTH PERSONNEL So far, 1,232 positive cases for SARS-CoV-2 have been registered among health personnel, whose contagion is associated with care provided in medical units.

In all SARS-CoV-2 positive cases, home isolation is requested and the risk contacts are identified.

DO NOT LOWER YOUR GUARD In case of suspicious cases, contact the Call Center at your disposal. If necessary, an appointment will be made for the free trial at one of the sampling centers.

• Call Center of the Jalisco Health Secretariat: 33 3823 3220 • Call Center of the University of Guadalajara: 33 3540 3001 • Check the site coronavirus.jalisco. gob.mx with more data, graphs and recommendations for prevention and care of COVID-19 in the state of Jalisco.

Source: Jalisco Health Secretariat

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Health

55

56

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Why do tigers have stripes?

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

57

58

Andrew Cushing Assistant Professor in Zoological Medicine, University of Tennessee

W

hen tigers stalk their prey, usually in the murky light of dusk or dawn, they are nearly invisible. Whether they live in grasslands, forests or jungles, wild tigers have deep orange coats with dark stripes. So how does such a brightly colored animal stay concealed well enough to hunt successfully?

The answer: camouflage!

Green tigers?

In my work as a zoological veterinarian, I’ve seen up close how various animals’ coats, feathers, colors, spots and stripes have evolved to either help them attract a mate or disguise them. Camouflage – or “cryptic coloration” – allows them to hide, undetected.

Since tigers are apex predators at the top of the food chain, they don’t need to hide from animals that might eat them. They are carnivores – they eat meat – and they rely on stealth to hunt successfully.

They’re helped by the limited vision of their preferred prey. Deer and other hoofed animals can’t see the full range of colors, much like a colorblind human.

It helps them see better in dim light, but it also makes them vulnerable. To their eyes, the tiger’s fur isn’t bright orange: it looks green and matches the background.

Hidden in plain sight The tiger’s markings also play an important role. Their vertical stripes, which range from brown to black, are an example of what biologists call disruptive coloration.

They help break up the cat’s shape and size so it blends in with trees and tall grasses.

That’s important because these predators don’t hunt in groups, like a lion, or have the speed of a cheetah. Tigers are solitary cats that rely on stealth and camouflage

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Why do tigers have stripes?

to survive. Stripes even vary among the six tiger subspecies. The Sumatran tiger subspecies has much narrower stripes than the others and has more of them. This helps it stay hidden in its dense jungle home.

Unique as a fingerprint When you look at different tigers up close, as I do in my work, you’ll see that each of their stripe patterns is unique, just like a zebra’s. No two are the same. They’re as distinct as human fingerprints.

This allows researchers who study them

in the wild to identify and count individual tigers. They use remote cameras to take pictures of the animals when they walk by.

Using this method, tiger experts estimate that only about 3,400 wild tigers remain across their Asian homeland.

It’s not just their fur that’s inked with black stripes. When we have to sedate a tiger to treat an injury or do dental work, we shave their fur. It’s always surprising to see that their skin almost looks like it’s been tattooed: It has the same striped pattern as its fur!

White tigers So if stripes camouflage tigers from potential prey, why are some of them white?

Don’t they stand out in the jungle, even with their stripes?

Yes, they do! Because we’ve seen them on TV or in wildlife tourist attractions, we may think they’re common, but they’re not. A genetic mutation in Bengal tigers gives them their milky white fur. Both parents must carry the same very rare gene to produce white cubs. White tigers are bred to relatives in captivity to attract tourists – and inbreeding produces unhealthy offspring.

There were never more than a few white tigers in the wild. The last one was spotted more than 60 years ago. That makes sense in terms of evolution. A white and black tiger is easier to spot than an orange tiger, so it would have a harder time catching its dinner.

Tigers’ distinctive striped coats help them hunt successfully, but it’s also one reason why they’re endangered. People kill them for their beautiful pelts, which command high prices in the illegal international wildlife trade, mostly in Asia. Park guards and conservation groups are working to protect this iconic animal, the largest of all the big cats.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

59

60

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

61

62

Charities

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

Non-Profit and Charitable Organizations For visitors to Puerto Vallarta who wish to support the less privileged in our paradise, this is a list of some of the many organizations that could benefit from such kind gestures. If you would like your organization recognized here, please email details to cpsmedia.pv@gmail.com You can find all of our local charities online at vallartatribune.com Amigos de La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, A.C. – contributing to the quality of life in La Cruz through cultural, educational, environmental and charitable assistance programs.

Tax Deductible. www. amigosdelacruz.org Contact Amy Welch amywelchpdx@comcast.net Alcoholics Anonymous: In English Puerto Vallarta Alanon Club – Basilio Badillo 329 recoverpv.com Amazing Grace Missions Assisting families in Magisterio & Progreso with necessities and job training and English. slw2014nv@gmail.com American Legion Post 14: raises resources and manpower to improve facilities needing building maintenance americanlegion14.org Amigos del Magisterio – Food delivered directly to workers at the PV dump, their families and schools in Magisterio and Volcanes. Also, food to New Beginnings, Pasitos de Luz, and Caritas. 100% of donations to the people, no overhead. amigosdelmagisterio.com lysephilrioux@ hotmail.com Asilo San Juan Diego Home for the Elderly – Contact: Lupita Sanchez Covarrubias 222-1257 or malupita88@ hotmail.com or mexonline.com\ asilosanjuandiego.htm Asociación Down – Assistance to persons with Down’s Syndrome – Contact: Ana Eisenring at 224-9577.

Banderas Bay Women’s Shelter – Safe shelter for women & children victims of domestic violence. compassionforthefamily.org Becas Vallarta, A.C. – Provides scholarships to high school and university students. Tax-deductible in Mexico and USA. Polly Vicars at (322) 223-1371 or Buri Gray at (322) 221-5285.

CANICA – Centre for Children with Cancer. Provides aid for treatment and services including transportation to GDL. Contact Director, Evelia Basañes 322-123-5688.

Casa Hogar – A shelter for orphaned, abandoned, disadvantaged or vulnerable children. Luz Aurora Arredondo at 221 1908, casahogar_maximocornejo@hotmail. com Centro Comunitario SETAC-GLBT – Services the GLBT community, including treatment and referrals, education, English classes, HIV testing and counseling. Paco Arjona 224-1974

Clinica de Rehabilitación Santa Barbara – Rehabilitation of the handicapped.

Contact: Laura Lopez Portillo Rodriguez at 224-2754.

COLINA Spay and Neuter Clinic – Free and by-donation sterilization clinic in Old Town. Only open Saturdays, Contact: cez@rogers.com or 322-104-6609 CompassionNet Impact – Transforming the lives of people living in chronic poverty.

Job creation, education, emergency & more. Tax-deductible. Cell: (322) 133-7263 or ric@4compassion.org Corazon de Nina A safe, loving, home-environment for 40+ children and youth rescued from high-risk situations. Donations & volunteers always welcome! Totally self-funded. www. fundacioncorazon.mx Cruz Roja (Red Cross) – Handles hospital and emergency service in Vallarta.

It is the only facility that is authorized to offer assistance to injured people on the street. Contact: 222-1533, 222-4973 Desayunos para los Niños de Vallarta A.C. Feeding programs, education programs, day care centers for single mothers. 2234311 or 22225 72 Discapacitados de Vallarta, A.C. (DIVAC) association of handicapped individuals dedicated to helping one another. Ivan Applegate at 221-5153.

Ecology and Conservation of Whales, AC. National Coordination Network for the Assistance of Entangled Whales.

Biol. Astrid Frisch Jordán, Arce #541.

Col. La Primavera Puerto Vallarta, Jal. 48325, Mexico, Tel/Fax: (322) 29 37 851

fibbcatalogo@yahoo.com Families At The Dump: Supporting families living in the landfill or garbage dump thru education and sustainable opportunities. familiesatthedump.org Fundacion Punta de Mita LDG. Ana Lilia Medina Varas de Valdés. ana@ fundacionpuntademita.org Tel. (329) 291 5053 Friends of PV Animals Volunteers working to enhance the lives of shelter animals. For info and donations visit friendsofpvanimals.com Grupo Ecológico de Puerto Vallarta: Arq. Luz del Carmen Pérez A cayro_13@ hotmail.com grupoecologico.com Horizonte de Paz: Welcoming shelter for men of all ages who are troubled w/alcohol & drug addiction.In great need of cash or material resources Contact MAYNOR Tel 281 0644 horizontedepaz@live.com International Friendship Club – Provides medical, educational and social services to those in need in Puerto Vallarta. www. ifcvallarta.com La Brigada de la Basura: A weekly meeting of neighborhood children to clean Vallarta Streets. Contact Que?Pasa 223-4006 Mexico Ministries & Mission, Inc. raises funds to the poor in Vallarta. Contact Fr. Jack+ 044 322 229-1129 christchurchbythesea.org Navy League – assists in the transportation of donated medical supplies from the U.S., organizes work groups to paint and repair facilities New Life Mexico – Challenging Child Poverty with health and education

programs.

Philippa Vernon pvp@ newlifemexico.com Paraíso Felino AC Refuge and Adoption Centre for cats and kittens in the Bay of Banderas. Luis Donaldo Cel. (322) 120-4092 Pasitos de Luz – substitute home for low income children with any type of handicap, offers rehabilitation services and more.

299-4146. pasitosdeluz.org Purr Project – no-kill feline rescue located near Puerto Vallarta providing homeless cats and kittens a recuperative stay with the ultimate goal of adopting them out to loving homes, sterilized, vaccinated and disease free. www.purrproject.com PEACEAnimals – Free mobile spay/ neuter clinic operating 48 weeks a year, primarily in Puerto Vallarta. Tax-deductible. peaceanimals.org Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza Orphanage for children aged 0-14. www.ccshf.ca SETAC - Effectively reduce the incidence of HIV / AIDS in Puerto Vallarta and ​promoting respect for human rights of people living with HIV / AIDS www.setac. com.mx SPCA PV – Provides long term no-kill shelter and vet services as well as rehabilitation and adoption to rescued animals. www.spcapv.com Vallarta Botanical Gardens - An award winning botanical garden that offers research & education of native plant life, city beautification programs, bird and butterfly watching, orchid garden and more etc. www.vbgardens.org

Dec 7 - 13, 2020

63

64

Dec 7 - 13, 2020