The memory of Mexico City

Héctor Garcia

During my latest travel in Mexico, I visited the Mexico City Museum, in the historical center of the city. There was an exhibition of Héctor García, one of the most lustrous photographs in Latin America over the past decades. The main part of his work is an amazing testimony of what Mexico City has been since the 1950s. He covered demonstrations, social conflicts as a photoreporter, and sometimes just took a picture as a life snapshot in the street.

Oaxaca by night

Oaxaca by night

Public posada in Veracruz

Public posada in Veracruz

Jorge Volpi enlightens debates

Jorge Volpi / DR

Reading Jorge Volpi is always a refined pleasure. The Mexican writer has a very lucid point of view on his contemporary world. How nice to listen to such a balanced intellectual, far from the political fights and so free in his mind. Jorge Volpi was invited by El Pais to chat with the readers of the Spanish newspaper. I translated some of his answers :

Google Street View goes to Mexico

Zocalo, Mexico City

Sorry, but I had to talk about a very personal pleasure: Google Street View has now arrived to Mexico. Streets of Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen are now available in the 3D software.

It’s not Halloween…

The Day of the Dead in Mixquic, Mexico / NR

I will not wish you “Happy Halloween” for this weekend, I have never understood why people had adopted this tradition, just under marketing laws from the 90s. Well, I know it is an old celebration coming from the Celts but I consider that the Day of the Dead, celebrated in Mexico and Central America

Jeffrey in the sky with diamonds

Jeffrey Max Jones... good stuff? / Photo : Senado de la República de México

What happened with Jeffrey Max Jones ? The Mexican Assistant Secretary of Agriculture took the drug dealers as a model during a speech! “Farmers should follow the example of drug traffickers because they produce what the market demands”, he said. As if it was not clear enough, he added : “If somebody knows about market laws nowadays, drug dealers do.” As he realized he was saying something ambiguous, he thought it was necessary to precise:

Ordinary violence

L'homme sans tête, Sergio Gonzalez Rodriguez / NR

A few words on the latest book of Sergio Gonzalez Rodriguez, The man without a head. A brilliant analysis of the wave of violence Mexico has known in the ultimate months. The Mexican author and journalist worked on the practice of decapitation and replaced it in a more general context. The entertainment society, the war between drug cartels in Mexico, the escalation of terror, old beliefs…

Latin football turns smoothly

I was late: here is the first 100% football post. The opportunity is worth: never Latin America had been so represented that during the next World Cup in South Africa. The 2002 record will be matched with seven nations: Mexico, Honduras, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Costa Rica or Uruguay. I will refrain from making an analysis on the issue, but the passion for sport throughout the region,

What if Mexico didn’t win ?

Flickr/++Frank++

On Saturday, Mexico validated its ticket for the World Cup 2010, beating El Salvador 4-1 in the Azteca Stadium. A great joy for a team that was nearly eliminated a few months ago. Saturday night in Mexico City, 10.30 pm : the police begins an operation in order to take control of all the offices of Luz y Fuerza del Centro