Hollywood Comes to Cancun: Star Studded Week Wows Everybody

Stars have been flooding in all week. Angelina Jolie, Javier Bardem, Julia Roberts, Salma Hayek, Adam Sandler, Jackie Chan, The Rock, Justin Timberlake, Kristen Bell... The list goes on and on. Is it the Academy Awards? The Golden Globe? No, it’s the Summer Sony at the Ritz Carlton in Cancun! This week the Ritz Carlton Cancun has been hosting a press call for these stars and more to promote their new movies… and Cancun!

Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem were promoting “Eat, Pray, Love,” the story about a woman’s journey to various parts of the world on a quest to eat, pray and love. Then she meets up with a Latin lover Javier Bardem.

Angelina Jolie arrived in Cancun aboard a private jet with her children Maddox, Pax, Zahara and Shiloh; but without the father of the children, Brad Pitt. More..

Costa Maya to be the next Mexican Cape Canaveral?

Jose Hernandez, Mexican American Astronaut, might be participating in a Mexican Space Center. Hernandez, whose parents are from Michoacan, and whose humble beginnings included picking fruit in California on weekends when there was no school, was selected by NASA as one of the crew members on the August-September 2010 Discovery mission.

He successfully completed and now is turning his sights to the development of technological education in Mexico. Hernandez is one of a team of engineers that is actively promoting a Mexican Space Agency project. The Space Center already has the green light from the legislative branch.

On April 20, 2010, with 208 votes, the Mexican congress approved a bill that creates the Mexican Space Agency, turning it over to the executive branch to be carried out. More..

Bruce Beresford-Redman Being Sought with a Warrant for His Arrest

An arrst warrant for murder was issued in Cancun last week for "Survivor" producer Bruce Beresford-Redman who has been investigated for the death of his wife in Cancun since the discovery of her body on April 8. 2010.

It looks like “Mr. Bruce” (as he has ben called by the Mexican media and authorities, due to the difficult pronunciation of his hyphenated name) might just get a free trip to Cancun, Mexico!

The attorney general of the state of Quintana Roo said that prosecutors are beginning the process of extradition to bring Bruce back for trial Beresford-Redman had been ordered by the Mexican authorities to remain in Mexico during the investigation; however, he felt it was taking too long and flew the coop, returning to Southern California. More..

Bruce Beresford-Redman Gives Mexican Authorities the Slip and Leaves for the U.S.:

Reality TV producer Bruce Beresford-Redman returned to the United States last weekend, just at the same time that the results of the DNA tests had been received by the Mexican investigators. Although authorities asked that he remain in Mexico while they probe the death of his wife.

Francisco Alor Quezada, the attorney general in charge of the investigation in Mexico has commented that Beresford-Redman's return to Los Angeles is "suspicious." He said the state had received important DNA evidence on Friday that could allow investigators to make an arrest in the case within a few days. Bruce Beresford-Redman left Mexico around the same time that the evidence was received.

Attorney General Francisco Alor has issued a statement in which he said it "would be very delicate and serious for Mr. Bruce to leave Mexico." ..More..

Former Governor Mario Villanueva, extradited to the U.S.

At 21:45 on Saturday the 8th, former governor of Quintana Roo, Mario Villanueva Madrid (’93 to ’99), was handed over to the United States for extradition in order to stand trial for drug trafficking and organized crime, announced the Attorney General of Mexico (PGR). The operation was conducted in the hanger of the PGR, inside the International Airport of Toluca, Mexico; with the support of federal forces. Villanueva is to stand trial in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York, according to the PGR statement.

"From 1993 to 1999 Villanueva provided support for the cartel of Amado Carrillo Fuentes, “El Señor de los Cielos” (The Lord of the Heavens). He helped to introduce hundreds of tons of cocaine from Colombia to the city of Cancun and then transporting them to the United States of America" the PGR explained.

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Mexican Caribbean Today talks to Tamara Lashbrook

Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson at an environmental teach-in held on April 22, 1970 and is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year. Earth Day is celebrated in spring in the Northern hemisphere and autumn in the Southern hemisphere, Many communities celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues.

In celebration of Earth Day, or Earth Week, whichever you prefer, Mexican Caribbean Today talks to Tamara Lashbrook a fascinating American woman, who is known as the “Eco Woman” of Tulum, and an expert in using local products from nature, local materials and local talent and skills in order to live a “green lifestyle.” Here she shares her passionate philosophy, innovative concepts and expertise about how to live your life in a more sustainable way. More..

Earth Day Facts and Tips

Did you know that the garbage in a landfill stays there for approximately 30 years? Here are examples of how long it takes for some things to break down: Plastics take 180 years, aluminum cans take 400 years, "Styrofoam" up to 1000 years; organic materials like cotton, rags, cardboard or paper take 6 months. Every year, most families throw away about 88 pounds of plastics, and 14 billion pounds of trash are dumped into the ocean.

Recycled paper requires 64% less energy than making paper from virgin wood pulp, and can save many trees. 5 billion aluminum cans are used each year, 90% less energy is necessary in order to recycle aluminum cans than is necessary to make new ones. 84 percent of all household waste can be recycled.

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Center of Espionage in Cancun.

On the eve of local elections for governor, Mexican army located and secured a center of espionage in Cancun. Sophisticated equipment to spy on politicians, businessmen and journalists was found. Among the inventory reported is the finding of digital systems to wiretap phones, audio and video recorders including infrared cameras, a mobile unit to track people, 20 scanning systems with added phone micro recorders, screens and digital sound, audio equalizers and digitizers, some of this state of the art technology of Israeli manufacture.

Confirmed amongst the most watched were journalists: Jose Alberto Gomez Alvarez, director of newspaper “Quequi” and international boxing promoter, Renan Castro Madera, coordinator of the daily “Por Esto”, Gerardo García, editor of “El Periódico” and David Romero Vara, director of “Enfoque Radio”.

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Dreams Come True:

Antonio Banderas Visits Playa del Carmen

Reports have it that Antonio Banderas was in Playa last week filming. We can only imagine what might have happened when both locals and tourists were walking down the street and saw Mr. Desperado himself leaving a pharmacy in downtown Playa del Carmen!

The film production is not for a major movie, but for a promotional video for Iberostar Hotels, a Spanish owned all-inclusive chain.

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Miracle Bridges to End Poverty: A Former Playa Resident’s Experience

Larry Sweet is an Electrical Engineer from Alaska, and except for two years at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, spent essentially all of his working career in Alaska. After retirement, Larry and his wife, Barbara, bought a property on 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and set about making a home, where they lived for many years. They later sold that home and purchased a property in Mahahual, an even more remote location with its own problems to solve. After Hurricane Dean, the Sweets sold their Mahahual property and now reside in Colorado.

But Larry, always the restless one wanting a challenge, found a new way to utilize his engineering experience and his experiences with building his two homes in remote locations of Mexico, which lacked electricity and running water. The solution: building suspension bridges in remote locations in an effort to end poverty.

Did Larry Sweet do this all by himself? Of course not. He joined an admirable group of professional volunteers that are doing amazing work in many parts of the globe and making quite a name for themselves: Bridges to Prosperity.

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President Calderon is not here for the PGA tour!

The President of Mexico is visiting Riviera Maya today. Is it for the PGA tournament? Is he going fishing? Diving? No. The Riviera Maya is hosting the Rio Group Summit.

What does this mean to you? Well, the state of Quintana Roo is completely saturated with Federal Police, Interpol, and military in anticipation of the summit; inasmuch as Heads of State such as President Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, will be attending.

You’ll be hearing military helicopters flying overhead and might possibly be subjected to three or more inspections on the highway between Cancun and Tulum. More..

German Prince Represents Mexico in Winter Olympics

The Jamaican bobsled team is not the only oddity in the history of the Winter Olympic Games. Well, maybe at least until last Thursday, during the inauguration of the Vancouver 2010 games, when the Mexican National Anthem surprised the crowd as a solitary proudly standing Olympian put his hand on his chest. He is the only representative for Mexico in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Mexico has participated previously in the winter Olympics; that is not the rarity. What is weird is that skier Hubertus von Hohenlohe is not only 51 years old, but he also happens to be a descendant of German royalty, the son of Prince Alfonso Hohenlohe and Princess Ira Fürstenberg. The German prince was actually born in Mexico, when his father worked in a Volkswagen plant.

Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve is at risk

The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, is approximately 1.3 million acres of wetlands, and spans 120 kilometers along the coast, starting just south of Tulum town. It was established on January the 20th, 1986 by presidential decree and became part of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program that same year. In 1987 the reserve was declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sian Ka'an reserve is at risk because of the 26 commercial, residential and touristic privileged projects that exploit the supposedly protected Area. In spite of denounces about alleged ecological damage, Francisco Urzúa Guerrero, director of the reserve minimizes the impact, accepting there are violations, but adding that they are minimal and not significant (!?). More..

State of What Union? An American Expat’s view from the outside looking in

As an Expat American citizen, when I moved to Mexico I thought that what happened in the US no longer concerned me. I was more concerned with who was the mayor here, or immigration requirements this week! Don’t get me wrong, I’m a hard-core believer in the Constitution and love my country.

But Mexico is directly affected by the economy and policies of the US and in this economic crisis, it’s become apparent that when American functions like a well-greased wheel, it has a direct impact on tourism, which is the primary income where I live.

That said, during my 11 years as an expat, I’ve watched the political goings on in both Spanish and English; views from both cultures. I believe that this gives one an interesting perspective, sort of like being outside and looking in.

The State of the Union: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly MORE

History of the Tulum Land Scandal

The Tulum debacle dates back to 1973, the year “ejido” Pino Suarez was created through a bold presidential decree by the last really revolutionary president that Mexico had before neo-liberalism: Luis Echeverria Alvarez (whom passed not long ago, just after he was cleared of all charges he had faced for a students massacre by the army in 1968). This decree awarded more than 26,000 acres to 47 Tabasco peasants making them “ejidatarios.”

His was one of the last important agrarian reform gestures, considering that in those days Cancun was being created; and anybody with a vision then knew that the perimeter of the newly created ejido would eventually -- and more sooner than later -- become prime real estate, inasmuch as it is located on the strip of beach just south of the Tulum archeological area (or Park?). More..

"Marina Cozumel" $23.3 million USD Project

With a total investment of $23.3 million USD the “Marina Cozumel” project shows 60% advance, and according to the local representative of FONATUR (the federal trust financing it), Eduardo Muñoz Urquiza, it will certainly be completed in 2011. The community will benefit from the creation of 961 direct jobs, as well as much as 13,968 indirect jobs.

Hotel zone, commercial mall, residential area, bicycle paths, trekking trails, public recreation spaces, a seaside promenade, and docking spaces for 330 boats, are the main features of “Marina Cozumel.”

Muñiz Urquiza walked the premises, along with Adrián Angulo Romero, chief of the ecology department of the Cozumel municipality, to give a follow up and supervise the flora and fauna rescue plan. So far 4600 plants, some of them considered endangered, were relocated for their preservation. More..

CHETUMAL

Sugarcane producers of the south of Quintana Roo, seek electric power creation from residues of their industry. Dec. the 17th. 09

Sugarcane producers of the south of Quintana Roo, seek electric power creation from residues of their industry. The Governor of the state, Félix González Canto presented this project, with a tag of slightly over $6 million USD, to Federal Minister of Energy Georgina Kessel. It could benefit thousands of families, through new power subsidized fees.

Andrés Ruiz Morcillo, the Mayor of “Othón P. Blanco” (the municipality that holds Chetumal, the capital city of Quintana Roo), travelled to Mexico City along with the governor and declared that the proposal came from the sugarcane producers. More..