Bart van Zwieten

Over 2,500 years old! Fish from Tlatilco, Valley of Mexico (Estado de Mexico), black clay, 1200 BCE-400 BCE. The eyes were marked with a round tool. After firing, it was decorated by scraping, which left a rough texture on the fins and part of the body, and then rubbed with red pigment.

‘Unbelievably unequal’: report shows how 1% of Mexicans own 40% of country’s wealth Fortunes of the country’s 22 billionaires doubled in last five years, reaching unprecedented collective wealth of $219bn

1% of Mexicans own 40% of country’s wealth. Fortunes of the 22 billionaires doubled in last 5 years, to $219bn, while nearly 19 million people struggle to put food on the table. But the middle class is now larger than the poor class, a first in Mexican history. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Tourism, the world’s most visited countries, 2025:
🇫🇷 France 102 Million
🇪🇸 Spain 97 Million
🇺🇸 United States 72.4 Million
🇨🇳 China 65.7 Million
🇮🇹 Italy 64.5 Million
🇹🇷 Turkey 60.6 Million
🇲🇽 Mexico 45.0 Million
🇬🇧 United Kingdom 41.8 Million
🇹🇭 Thailand 39.8 Million
🇩🇪 Germany 37.5 Million

Over 2,500 years old! Fish from Tlatilco, Valley of Mexico (Estado de Mexico), black clay, 1200 BCE-400 BCE. The eyes were marked with a round tool. After firing, it was decorated by scraping, which left a rough texture on the fins and part of the body, and then rubbed with red pigment.

‘Unbelievably unequal’: report shows how 1% of Mexicans own 40% of country’s wealth Fortunes of the country’s 22 billionaires doubled in last five years, reaching unprecedented collective wealth of $219bn

1% of Mexicans own 40% of country’s wealth. Fortunes of the 22 billionaires doubled in last 5 years, to $219bn, while nearly 19 million people struggle to put food on the table. But the middle class is now larger than the poor class, a first in Mexican history. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Tourism, the world’s most visited countries, 2025:
🇫🇷 France 102 Million
🇪🇸 Spain 97 Million
🇺🇸 United States 72.4 Million
🇨🇳 China 65.7 Million
🇮🇹 Italy 64.5 Million
🇹🇷 Turkey 60.6 Million
🇲🇽 Mexico 45.0 Million
🇬🇧 United Kingdom 41.8 Million
🇹🇭 Thailand 39.8 Million
🇩🇪 Germany 37.5 Million

An evening stroll in El LLano, Oaxaca de Juarez, a public park created in the 18th century. So much to enjoy in this beautiful city.

Two-Headed Serpent, Aztec, central Mexico 1400-1521 CE. For the Mexica a serpent was a powerful symbol of renewal and regeneration due to its ability to shed its skin. The two heads represent the duality of life (birth/death, heaven/earth, masculine/feminine), a fundamental concept in their religion

Near Morelia with help of 3D LiDAR Angamuco was found, a Purépecha city, dated ~900 CE. The scans exposed over 40,000 architectural features on 41 sq km. Its layout reflects a complex urban network of plazas, platforms, roadways and residential areas shaped by the terrain and Purépecha planning.

President Trump launched the “Shield of the Americas”, a coalition of 17 Latin American countries with right-wing governments, pledging to combat drug trafficking, migration, and China’s presence in the region. Siignificance: these 17 countries represent only about 30.2% of Latin America’s GDP.

Mexican President Sheinbaum said that a visit to Brazil was "very likely" before June, as Latin America's two largest economies move to strengthen cooperation on ethanol. She said the two countries will not sign a free trade agreement, but are planning actions in several sectors, including biofuels.

Mayan art from Palenque reveals the exceptional creativity of the city-state of Lakamha, Chiapas. Flourishing in the 7th century, it showcased its artistic achievements through intricately carved reliefs, stucco sculptures and painted ceramics and their deep connection to the environment and deities

Delicious fruits and their traditional uses: top 10 of exotic fruits native to Mexico.

Good news: Mexico is getting safer; even the most conservative measurement says yes, as Mexico's biggest drop in a decade of homocides and disappearances is 6.2%. Caution: homocides are still high but dropping fast, disappearances are still slowly rising. The overall picture is improvement.

Palenque, Chiapas, 600-900 CE. Ruler, sometimes identified as an ancestor or the sun god himself, Kinich Ahau, wearing a headdress that includes a sacred bird at the top and faces of deities such as the water serpent (Witz). A beaded diadem and circular ear ornaments are also prominent.

Sheinbaum tells Trump: stop illegal arms trade from the US to Mexico US president claimed he wanted to eradicate cartels and made comments about Mexico’s president that were deemed sexist in summit speech

Iron river: Mexico’s cartel violence fuelled by trafficked firearms from US. Mexican president Sheinbaum tells Trump: stop this illegal arms trade. US president said he wants to eradicate cartels and made comments about Mexico’s president that were deemed sexist. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Brasil, outro destino para os cubanos | MigraMundo Só em 2025, o Brasil registrou mais de 42 mil pedidos de refúgio de cidadãos cubanos, se consolidando como um dos destinos globais dessa diáspora

Cuban migration to Brazil: states with the largest Cuban population are Paraná, Santa Catarina and São Paulo. There, they found work and security to recommend to family that they also settle in these regions. Even so, there are groups scattered throughout the country. migramundo.com/brasil-outro...

The Lady with the Jaguar Helmet is a renowned Zapotec ceramic effigy urn from Monte Albán, Oaxaca, dating 200–600 CE. It depicts an elite woman wearing a richly decorated quexquémetl (traditional dress) and a jaguar helmet, signifying high status, power and ritual connection to the feline deity.

How do you say “tortilla” in the indigenous languages of Oaxaca.

'Gringo go home': Mexico’s growing tourism backlash – video The Guardian visits Oaxaca, a state synonymous with indigenous culture, where tourism has grown 77% since the pandemic

Tourism in Mexico is at an all-time high. In Oaxaca it has grown 77% and private family rituals like Day of the Dead are now big parties. But there is a growing backlash, as local people struggle with a cost of living crisis that is exacerbated by tourism growth. www.theguardian.com/world/video/...

The Lady with the Jaguar Helmet is a renowned Zapotec ceramic effigy urn from Monte Albán, Oaxaca, dating 200–600 CE. It depicts an elite woman wearing a richly decorated quexquémetl (traditional dress) and a jaguar helmet, signifying high status, power and ritual connection to the feline deity.

How do you say “tortilla” in the indigenous languages of Oaxaca.

'Gringo go home': Mexico’s growing tourism backlash – video The Guardian visits Oaxaca, a state synonymous with indigenous culture, where tourism has grown 77% since the pandemic

Tourism in Mexico is at an all-time high. In Oaxaca it has grown 77% and private family rituals like Day of the Dead are now big parties. But there is a growing backlash, as local people struggle with a cost of living crisis that is exacerbated by tourism growth. www.theguardian.com/world/video/...

On Sunday the weekly Tlacolula de Matamoros market brings people from all over Oaxaca to buy and sell. Buy some nice meat and other taco ingredients, fry these in the ‘smoke corridor’ and eat. Delicious, lovely and colorful.

Dancing dogs, Tumba de Tiros, Colima, 200–900 CE. A natural form of recognition, play, or dance among Xoloitzcuintli or the extinct Tlachichi dogs. It interprets the natural duality of the old dog, characterized by its wrinkled skin, and the young dog, suggesting the wise counsel of experience.

Map of Mexico's longest highways. The famous Panamerican Highway, running from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in Argentina, is a combination of highways 85 and 190 for the Mexican stretch of this “longest highway in the world”. This highway runs only three blocks from my frontdoor in Oaxaca de Juarez!

President Sheinbaum said that Mexican companies have proposed US$100 billion in investments, a vote of confidence in the Mexican economy despite global volatility. The government announced a US$22.5 billion highway plan through 2030 to improve 4,937 km of roads and build or upgrade 21 bridges.

‘An ideological guest list’: Trump invites Latin America’s rightwing leaders to Florida summit Omission of presidents of Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, however, exposes failure of US president’s ‘theatrical’ doctrine, say experts

Trump invites Latin America’s ideological rightwing leaders to Florida summit on the Shield of the Americas “to promote freedom, security and prosperity in our region”. The omission of presidents of Brazil, Mexico and Colombia exposes failure of Trump’s theatrics. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Correct. Lula heeft echter de invasie wel veroordeeld en inderdaad de VS en Europa bekritiseerd omdat ze de oorlog zouden "aanmoedigen".