Author Archives: Stephen Woodman
Social media show-off arrested after posing as drug lord
Police arrested a man who flaunted his criminal lifestyle on Facebook and discovered that the self-proclaimed drug baron was a forklift driver. Martin Juarez Campos, 24, identified as M. Juarez, commander of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the ruthless criminal … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged Drug lord, Guadalajara, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Juarez Campos
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El Chapo escaped as fellow drug baron La Tuta faked heart attack
The world’s most-wanted criminal, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman escaped from jail with the aid of imprisoned drug baron “La Tuta,” who suffered an apparent heart attack, leaving only two guards to monitor 200 cameras. Prosecutors believe the notorious Mexican prisoners … Continue reading
The magician’s Mexico part two: Is there a place for witchcraft in a skeptic’s world?
Witchcraft is powerful in Mexico. A spiritual cleansing can safeguard against bewitchment. A wife can put a spell on a husband to stop him philandering. A storekeeper can hire a witch to put rivals out of business. Witchcraft has been working … Continue reading
Posted in Spirituality
Tagged Alan Moore, animism, Aztec, Aztecs, Carlos Salinas, Charles Guelperin, Elena Lazos, Jesus Malverde, Jose Gil Olmos, Jose Lopez Portillo, Joseph Campbell, Juan Soldado, Luisa Pare, Magic, Nagual, Naguales, Niño Fidencio, Obatala, Orishas, Quetzalcoatl, skepticism, Spiritual Cleansing, Witchcraft, Witches, Zeus
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The magician’s Mexico part one: a whistle-stop tour of witchcraft in Guadalajara
A denial from the doctor The village of San Martin de las Flores huddles behind a series of clambering hills. Although linked to Guadalajara by a twisting, rocky road, the geographical remoteness of the community gives it a distinct cultural … Continue reading
Guadalajara’s greatest mysteries
1. The “Black Widow” of Chapala With a string of suspected poisonings, a strangling and an empty coffin, the case of the “Black Widow” is a narrative Raymond Chandler would have been proud of. Yet Maria Socorro Rodriguez, the femme … Continue reading
Posted in Crime
Tagged Amado Carrillo Fuentes, Anabel Hernandez, Benjamin Arellano Felix, Carlos Salinas, conspiracy, Felipe Calderon, Guadalajara, Ioan Grillo, James Piper, Juan Jesus Posados Ocampo, Maria Socorro Rodriguez, Mexico, Murder, Nacho Coronel, Narcoland, Nazario Moreno Gonzalez
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The dark side of the Mexican ‘Hippie Trail’
Hari Simran Singh Khalsa, a 25-year-old New Yorker with a wispy red beard and a contagious smile, was visiting Mexico for a yoga retreat. He arrived with his wife, Ad Purkh Kaur, in Tepoztlan, central Mexico; a mysterious, elegant village overlooked … Continue reading
How the talking dead helped forge modern Mexico
It is an inconvenient truth for Mexican historians that the “Father of the Revolution” Francisco I. Madero, kept in regular contact with spirits of the dead. Yet Madero, who served as president from 1911 until his assassination less than two years … Continue reading
Mexico’s post-political elections
With the doorstep conversations, leaflet distribution, banner hanging, umbrella gifting, TV coverage and endless photos of raised thumbs, election season in Mexico is an all-consuming affair. Yet what is most striking about the fervent, impassioned campaigning is the sheer lack of … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged Election, Enrique Alfaro, Enrique Peña Nieto, Mexico, Movimiento Ciudadano, PRI, Ricardo Villanueva, Vote
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FIFA indictment prompts hopes of soccer cleanup in Latin America
Latin American fans are delighting in the arrest of the region’s top soccer officials as part of the sweeping U.S. investigation of FIFA, the sport’s governing body. Politicians, players and sports enthusiasts have celebrated the news, with many hoping the … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged Blatter, corruption, Dilma Rousseff, FIFA, football, José Maria Marin, Latin America, soccer
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At least two dead in Mexican anti-cartel offensive linked to local police forces
The Mexican government has so far identified 36 of 42 presumed drug cartel affiliates killed in a security operation at a ranch near Tanhuato, in the western state of Michoacan, last Friday. Of this number, relatives of 33 have claimed … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged CJNG, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Narcos, Shootout, Tanhuato
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The Mexican Labyrinth 