Author Archives: Stephen Woodman
Mexican president visits White House but fails to get noticed
If President Enrique Peña Nieto envisioned his visit to Washington to meet President Barack Obama as sparking favorable coverage abroad and revitalizing his tarnished international image, the reality fell badly short. Protestors gathered in the snow outside the White House … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged Ayotzinapa, Enrique Peña Nieto, Mexico, Obama, Pena Nieto, White Houe
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Mexico 2014 – The year of the internet meme
In Mexico, humorously captioning photos has become something of an art form. Social media in 2014 was buzzing with these internet memes, which are spread virally online via Facebook and Twitter, or through instant messaging service WhatsApp. New technologies are … Continue reading
Posted in Culture
Tagged Angelica Rivera, Arjen Robben, Ayotzinapa, Chapo Guzman, Indigenous, Luis Videgaray, meme, Mexico, Televisa
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Mindfulness movement on the rise in Mexico
Students in Guadalajara have been taking part in an innovative university course that teaches them to meditate for course credit. For the past six years, lecturer Cristina Preciado has been training students at the Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education … Continue reading
Posted in Spirituality
Tagged Guadalajara, ITESO, meditation, Mexico, mindfulness, spirituality
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The legacy of Samuel Joaquín Flores, Mexico’s most controversial church leader
Close to 600,000 people flooded into Mexico’s second-largest-city, Guadalajara, this month to pay respects to Samuel Joaquín Flores, the 77-year-old head of the evangelical Luz del Mundo (Light of the World Church), who died on 8 December. Known to his flock … Continue reading
Posted in Religion
Tagged church, Guadalajara, Luz del Mundo, Mexico, Samuel Joaquín Flores
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Mexico welcomes Obama’s move to embrace Cuba
Political analysts have signaled that the agreement to restore diplomatic ties between the United States and Cuba could have positive economic consequences for Mexico. President Enrique Peña Nieto spoke with Cuban President Raul Castro on the phone and congratulated him … Continue reading
Annual telethon comes up short as negative press holds back donations
Teleton, Mexico’s largest telethon that urges television viewers to donate money for the rehabilitation of children with disabilities, has suffered its worst ever year and last week was forced to extend its annual broadcast by four hours to reach its … Continue reading
Visiting president provides sharp contrast to Mexico’s leader
“Peña should go! Pepe should stay!” was the chant rising from the crowd of about 500 students clustered outside the University of Guadalajara’s Salvador Allende assembly hall. The mostly young audience had gathered on a cool Saturday evening to await … Continue reading
How did Mexico’s First Lady make $10 million dollars in 2010?
Angelica Rivera, the wife of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, was forced to release a video statement on Wednesday, defending herself against accusations of “a conflict of interest” after her mansion home was found to be registered in the name … Continue reading
The Day of the Dead: How death became a national symbol
In his famous essay The Labyrinth of Solitude the poet Octavio Paz claims that “the Mexican chases after death, mocks it, courts it, hugs it, and sleeps with it. He thinks of it as his favorite plaything and his most … Continue reading
Posted in Culture
Tagged Claudio Lomnitz, Day of the Dead, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico City, Octavio Paz
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The Mexican Labyrinth 