Editor’s Comment
In our main article we reflect on the effects on the local economy of the arrival of large department stores in San Miguel de Allende, a phenomenon that has grown silently, especially since the start of the pandemic. During confinement, the trade in food and supplies for the home grew considerably. We live in a completely globalized world that allows us to have products from anywhere in the world. At the same time, however, this globalization has greatly harmed local Mexican producers and small traders. Think for a moment, where does the food you put on your table come from? Who produces it?
Water Decree: milestone in the field of water rights
The federal government classified the emergency due to the shortage of drinking water that the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Nuevo León, has been facing for three months, as a matter of national security. For the first time, due to a matter of public cause, the authorities will take control of private concessions in order to address the crisis, which extends to 18 municipalities in the state. The provisions of the federal government mark a milestone in the global debate for the definition of water as a human right or as a commodity that can be privatized and marketed like any other. Individuals and companies affected by the decree are likely to wage a legal battle to nullify the decree.
Guanajuato will take a monumental flower carpet to Brussels
This monumental carpet will be exhibited from August 16 to 19 in the Great Place of Brussels. It will measure 75 meters long by 24 wide, that is, it will cover an area of 1,800 square meters. To carry it out there will be more than 100 volunteers and around 500 thousand begonias will be used, as well as dahlias, grass, and bark. The person in charge of this design is the designer from Uriangato, Guanajuato, Ana Rosa Aguilar—better known as Roo—who included typical symbols, natural elements, and decorative figures of the traditional culture of Guanajuato. Everyone in Guanajuato is very proud of this artistic intervention that is already becoming a tradition in the historic center of Brussels, which celebrates 20 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Exhibition: «La Otra Mirada»: Germans in Mexico
San Miguel dresses up for a party with the start of the first edition of the San Miguel de Allende FASMA22 Festival of the Arts. On this occasion it opens on August 4, at Casa de Europa with the guest country and the collective exhibition of German plastic artists: Edda Clasen, Kirsten Schulte, Ursula Riedel, Lothar Müller, Josh Rosencraz, and Carlos Tello Nielsen. Star events of the German presence at FASMA22 will undoubtedly be the Carmina Burana concerts by the Mexico City Promúsica choirs, recently presented at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and the German School Choir (which turns 65) at the Angela Peralta Theater. Check the complete billboard at https://www.fasma.com.mx/.
Driver’s License
The State Government informs that as of August 1, the license issuance service (initial, renewal, and replacement) and driving permits will be provided only in designated modules of the State. In San Miguel, the module is located at Avenida Primero de Mayo, number 60, in the Ignacio Ramírez Subdivision, with hours Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 3:30pm. Requirements; 1. Valid Official Identification (original and copy); 2. Proof of address (less than 90 days from its issue with original and copy); 3. Valid Medical Certificate (original and legible), no more than 30 days after its issuance, the certificate must bear institutional stamps and signature with data from the responsible doctor (must include professional license number) 4. Pass the theoretical and practical exam that is done in the offices.
Peace and Voluntary Disarmament Fair in Querétaro
In recent days, the governor of the neighboring state of Querétaro, Mauricio Kuri, attended the Peace and Voluntary Disarmament Fair 2022, which took place in Santa Rosa Jáuregui, a few kilometers from the center of the capital. The governor stressed the importance of providing security to the people of Querétaro so that they can live without fear and invited citizens to join this peace campaign through voluntary disarmament and citizen complaints. Let’s remember that in recent days the International Day for the Destruction of Firearms was commemorated, so this event was very important to raise awareness among the population about the dangers of having a firearm in their homes.
