Mexico's National Epidemic Surveillance System has identified an "imported" case of the chikungunya virus, the Health Secretariat said in a statement.

The patient had traveled to a sports event in Antigua and Barbuda, where the Pan American Health Organization has reported four confirmed cases.

"Up to now no domestic cases have been detected in our country," the official statement said.

Mexico joins the list of countries affected by a virus that up to seven months ago was unknown in this part of the world.

In December 2013, a local infection of the chikungunya virus was detected for the first time in the Americas with the confirmation of two cases on the island of St. Martin.

The chikungunya virus was originally reported in the 1950s when an outbreak occurred in a village in southeastern Africa.

Chikungunya is a virus transmitted to man and monkey by the same mosquitos that spread dengue fever: the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus species.

The disease has symptoms similar to dengue, including muscle pain, high fevers and general fatigue.

The Health Secretariat said that no vaccine exists to prevent infection by this virus nor any specific treatment, and that it can only be managed by relieving the symptoms.

The number of suspected chikungunya cases in the Americas rose to more than 185,000 by June 20 and the illness has caused 21 deaths.

[readon1 url="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2014/06/27/chikungunya-virus-spreads-to-mexico-from-caribbean/"]Source:latino.foxnews.com[/readon1]

Spain's Iberia and Mexican carrier Interjet said they reached a code-sharing agreement that will allow the European airline's passengers to reach domestic destinations in Mexico.

The agreement takes effect on July 8, with five destinations covered initially and expanding to the rest of the country two months later, Antonio Pimentel, Iberia's director of alliances, and Interjet CEO Jose Luis Garza said in a press conference in Mexico City.

"Interjet is the partner Iberia needed in Mexico" so customers could reach the country's interior, Pimentel said.

Mexico is a priority market for Iberia, which offers two daily flights to Mexico City but was "missing connectivity with the rest of the country," Pimentel said.

The agreement will make Mexico the No. 2 partner in terms of connections in the Americas, trailing only the United States, the Iberia executive said.

The first phase of the agreement opens up connections from the Federal District to Guadalajara, Monterrey, Bajio, Cancun and Huatulco for Iberia travelers, Garza said.

[readon1 url="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2014/06/26/iberia-and-interjet-reach-code-sharing-agreement-covering-mexico-flights/"]Source:latino.foxnews.com[/readon1]

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (EFE) – Thirty specimens of the scarlet macaw were released in Palenque National Park in the Mexican state of Chiapas as part of a program to preserve this species, the Aluxes Ecoparque Palenque said.

With this release into the wild, 100 scarlet macaws (Ara macao) have now been set free in Palenque, the press office of the park, managed by the civil association Acajungla, said in a statement.

The freeing of the 30 scarlet macaws, carried out on Sunday and open to the public, seeks to "reverse the process of extinction of this species," the park said.

The Aluxes Ecoparque Palenque collaborates with the Biology Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM, and with the Xcaret nature park of Quintana Roo, to reintroduce and preserve the Neotropical scarlet macaw in the tropical jungles of Chiapas, in the southeastern part of the country.

Palenque National Park is an ideal place for restoring the population of these parrots, the UNAM biologist in charge of the project, Alejandro Estrada, said.

This species, known as Xiuhtecuhtli in Nahuatl and Vucub-Caquix in Mayan, was extinct in the Palenque region for some 50 years, chiefly due to the illegal trafficking of its fledglings, Estrada said.

The macaws reintroduced in the region are part of a reproduction program developed by the Xcaret nature park, whose goal is to release 250 specimens over a five-year period.

Last week 27 scarlet macaws were released in the La Otra Opcion preserve in the Los Tuxtlas region, in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, as part of the program.

Studies conducted by specialists in early 2013 concluded that there were no more than 240 scarlet macaws in Mexico's jungles due to habitat destruction and poaching.

The scarlet macaw population has grown 41 percent since then, thanks to the reintroduction programs in Chiapas and Veracruz run by the Xcaret nature park in association with the Biology Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM, and community groups.

[readon1 url="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2014/06/24/30-scarlet-macaws-released-into-wild-in-mexico/"]Source:latino.foxnews.com[/readon1]

The area of ​​instability will generate heavy rains in the State of Mexico, Jalisco, Nayarit, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, and Guanajuato

Domingo to leave home, a picnic with the kids? Maybe it Thing think about it because a low pressure produces a wide zone of instability off the coast of Jalisco, Colima and Michoacan, and currently has a 20% potential to evolve into a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours, reported Sunday the National Meteorological Service (SMN).

This phenomenon is associated with a strong influx of moisture from the Pacific Ocean to the states from the west, northwest and center of the country, said the agency.

Around 07:15 am on Sunday, the low pressure was located 830 miles southwest of Manzanillo, Colima, and was moving north at 9 kilometers per hour; recorded sustained winds of 35 mph and gusts up to 45 mph

"The system favors cloud landslides and provide moisture, interacting with a wide divergence in the area west of the country, will promote the potential of very heavy rain in Sinaloa, Colima and Guerrero and promptly intense in Jalisco, Nayarit and Michoacán " highlighted the SMN.

So what should be the plan for this Sunday: umbrella to go, or rather a day of movies at home?

The area of ​​instability will generate heavy rain (75 to 150 mm) in portions of the State of Mexico, Jalisco, Nayarit, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Michoacan and San Luis Potosi, and very strong (50 to 75 mm) in Colima.

Further heavy rainfall (25 to 50 mm) in areas of Mexico City, Querétaro, Tlaxcala, Morelos, Veracruz, Tabasco and Quintana Roo, which may be accompanied by thunderstorms and hail are expected.

In Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, about 14,000 people had to be taken to shelters, as about 500 houses were damaged in 12 colonies of the town, officials of the Secretariat for Civil Protection State.

By Saturday affected most had returned to their homes. Authorities said the flooded homes showed no structural damage.

Continuous rains in recent days have caused landslides, landslides, overflowing rivers and streams, disruption in roads and road sections, and flooding in low areas and saturation drains in urban areas, so he was asked to population to take precautions and remain attentive to the calls of Civil Protection and state and municipal authorities.

[readon1 url="http://mexico.cnn.com/nacional/2014/06/22/una-baja-presion-provocara-lluvias-intensas-al-occidente-de-mexico"]Source:mexico.cnn.com[/readon1]

National Water Commission said in a statement, holding in Puerto Vallarta, the X National Clean Beaches. The event is scheduled from 25 to 27 next week.

The purpose of this meeting is to give recognition to various coastal tourist sites in the country for their outstanding efforts in maintaining optimum water quality, as well as the services offered to the population national and international. Adds the report that the final details of the program are performed in an event that was attended by over 700 participants are expected. Puerto Vallarta was named as host of the X National Clean Beaches.

should be noted that the year they last, under the Ninth National Clean Beaches, received recognition "Blue Flag Beaches"-the most important water quality of beaches world-Chahué level in Huatulco, Oaxaca; El Palmar in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Guerrero; North Nuevo Vallarta, Bahia de Banderas, Nayarit; Dolphins (Cancun) in Benito Juarez, Quintana Roo; and Chileno, Los Cabos, Baja California Sur.

Distinction, because they denote water quality and service, management, environmental management and safety In addition, the National Committee handed Clean Beaches Clean Beaches certificates to The Rocket, in Acapulco, Guerrero; Las Gaviotas Mazatlan, Sinaloa; Nuevo Vallarta South, Nuevo Vallarta and Bucerias Norte, Bahia de Banderas, Nayarit; Adventures and DIF (Akumal), Tulum, Quintana Roo.

[readon1 url="http://www.oem.com.mx/laprensa/notas/n3435341.htm"]Source:www.oem.com.mx[/readon1]

Aeromexico, Mexico's global airline, announced an increase in the number of flights it offers between Mexico City and major destinations such as Acapulco, Cancun, Huatulco, Los Cabos, Merida, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta and Zihuatanejo in Mexico and Miami, Orlando and San Antonio in the United States, for this summer season

The airline will, therefore, add over 100 flights a week to its connectivity network, with more than 3,000 seats per week for the domestic market and over 2,000 additional seats for the international market.

Cancun is one of the busiest tourist cities in Mexico, so Aeromexico will add an average of four daily flights from Mexico City and six weekly flights from Monterrey to enhance its daily flight services.

Moreover, Aeromexico recently also reported an increase of its offer on international routes such as London, Madrid, Shanghai, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro, reaffirming its commitment to create greater connectivity for Mexico.

About Grupo Aeromexico
Grupo Aeromexico, S.A.B. de C.V., is a holding company whose subsidiaries are engaged in commercial aviation, in Mexico, and the promotion of passenger loyalty programs. Aeromexico, Mexico's global airline operates more than 600 daily flights and has its main hub in Terminal 2 at the Mexico City International Airport. Its destinations network spans to 79 cities on three continents, including 44 destinations in Mexico, 16 in the United States, 13 in Latin America, three in Europe, two in Asia and one in Canada.

The Group's fleet of more than 115 aircraft is comprised of Boeing 787, 777, 767 and 737 jet airliners and next generation Embraer 145, 170, 175 and 190 models. In 2012, the airline announced the most significant investment strategy in aviation history in Mexico, to purchase 100 Boeing aircraft including 90 MAX 737 jet airliners and ten 787-9 Dreamliners.

As a founding member of the SkyTeam airline alliance, Aeromexico offers customers more than 1,000 destinations in 178 countries served by the 20 SkyTeam airline partners rewarding passengers with benefits including access to 564 premium airport lounges around the world. Aeromexico also offers travel options through its code share partners Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Avianca, LAN, TACA and TAM with extensive connectivity in countries like the United States, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia and Peru. www.aeromexico.com and www.skyteam.com

[readon1 url="http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1994024]Source:www.digitaljournal.com[/readon1]

In order to continue the social policies that enable poor citizens to have better living conditions, the System for Integral Family Development (DIF) of Puerto Vallarta, chaired by Magaly Fregoso Ortiz, and the VOSH Northwest Foundation will provide 2,700 eye examinations and glasses fitting

Miguel Angel Soto Barajas, Deputy Director of DIF system, reported that on June 20 to June 25 that they will be offering the free clinic at the Centro de Capacitacion (Training Center) in the colony of Coapinole.

During these days will count with the support and professional volunteers from VOSH  (optometrists and ophthalmologists) of Canada. Since Vosh, "Optometrists Volunteers in Service to the Community", working in over 30 countries in supplying free eye exams and glasses twice a year and this time will be here in Puerto Vallarta .

Persons who are  interested in obtaining glasses can go directly to the DIF Municipal Programs, with a copy of their voter

[readon1 url="http://notivallarta.com/2014/06/14/entregaran-dif-vallarta-y-vosh-dos-mil-700-lentes/"]Source:notivallarta.com[/readon1]

A former mayor of the town of San Blas, on the Pacific coast in the Mexican state of Nayarit, has admitted to stealing public money when he was in office.

"They say I stole a lot of money," said Hilario Ramirez while campaigning for a new term in office.

"I did steal, but it was only a little because the government was in crisis."

Mexicans from the state of Nayarit are going to the polls in July to elect a new state congress and 20 mayors.

On the campaign trail, Mr Ramirez said he had stolen with one hand, but with the other hand given the money to the poor.

"I've been criticised because they say I like money... but who doesn't like it," he told dozens of supporters listening to his campaign speech.

Mr Ramirez, who is running as an independent, said he enjoys work and is running for office again to show other mayors how to do it.

He promised to sort out the financial crisis affecting the town on the Pacific coast.

Mr Ramirez was first elected mayor of San Blas in 2008 for the conservative National Action Party (PAN).

He came to be known as "the generous mayor" because he handed out money to his supporters when he arrived at his swearing in ceremony.

[readon1 url="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-27772120"]Source:www.bbc.com[/readon1]

Mexico City has become the latest place in Mexico to ban the use of animals in circuses. The city council voted overwhelmingly for the prohibition, which carries fines of $45,000 to $60,000.

The law that passed Monday does not apply to water shows with dolphins or bull fighting nor does it prohibit the use of animals in Mexico's traditional rodeos, known as "charreadas."

Circuses will be given one year to change their acts.

Several states and cities in Mexico had previously approved such bans, which allow acrobats, clowns and other circus acts to continue.

Circuses argue their animals are treated humanely and say some actually enjoy performing. But animal rights activists argue the animals are often held in confined spaces with poor conditions and are forced into performing.

[readon1 url="http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/mexico-city-joins-banning-animals-circuses-24061726"]Source:abcnews.go.com[/readon1]

What started as a tweeted “selfie” of President Enrique Pena Nieto with actor Kevin Spacey last week has devolved into a debate about politicians paying for positive coverage on social media.

In the photo (shown below), a relaxed Pena Nieto beams next to the grinning star of the Netflix television drama “House of Cards,” in which he plays Francis Underwood, a fictitious politician who moves into the White House.

“One of these Presidents is real. With President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico last night,” Spacey tweeted May 7 to his nearly 3.4 million followers.

Pena Nieto’s office later offered the photo to the news media, saying that the two had run into one another at a tourism expo in Cancun, the Caribbean resort city.

But it wasn’t long until a blogger for Forbes magazine reported that the meeting between the two was no accident: Spacey had been paid by the Mexican Tourism Board to attend the event _ and appear with Pena Nieto. That’s when some Mexicans took to social media to lambaste both the actor and the president.

“How much did the selfie of Pena Nieto with Kevin Spacey cost?” asked the news portal sinembargo.mx in a headline about the photo.

Forbes blogger Dolia Estevez said the head of the tourism board, Rodolfo Lopez Negrete, denied in an email to her a news report that Spacey had been paid $8 million to attend the event, declaring the sum “wrong and without a source.”

A spokesman for the tourism board, Eduardo Regules, did not respond to a telephone message and email.

A day after Spacey sent the tweet, he tweeted again saying that in the photo, “I was in character as Francis Underwood in House of Cards! I don’t know jack about Mexican politics. I should have made that more clear.”

Pena Nieto has 2.6 million followers on Twitter and knows a thing or two about image crafting. On his arm when he came to office in late 2012 was Angelica Rivera, a beloved television soap opera star whom he had married two years earlier.

Mexican fans of Spacey took to his Facebook page Friday to voice their discontent with his choice of “selfie” pals.

“Shame on you. How could you sell yourself to such a corrupt and illiterate president?” wrote Cata Lina on the page Friday afternoon.

“How much did they pay you for taking that picture?” added Jacobo Ricardo Barocio Santos earlier Friday.

One sociologist who studies political imagery, Nicolas Loza Otero, said the nitpicking is mere static to the benefit that Pena Nieto and other Mexican politicians receive by rubbing elbows with Hollywood celebrities.

“People who watch Netflix are middle class or higher,” Loza said. Of them, he added, “there are people who criticize this kind of thing, but I think that overall the balance is positive for Pena Nieto.”

Pena Nieto’s press office has refined the art of releasing seemingly spontaneous photos of the 47-year-old president, such as one of him leaping out of his seat in joy while watching a Mexican soccer match.

On March 14, his office released a selfie-like photo of Pena Nieto leaning toward the camera with Carlos Slim, the telecom tycoon who is one of the world’s richest men, surrounded by the stars of the Leon soccer team, which Slim owns. Slim’s son-in-law, Arturo Elias Ayub, took the photo.

Another expert on social media, Maria Elena Meneses, said Pena Nieto took a hit last month when some Internet users launched a campaign against framework legislation to a telecom overhaul that would allow authorities to block cellphone signals during protests, censor websites and track cellphone communications.

Legislators backed down, although Meneses, who is the coordinator of the Information Society Program at the Technological Institute of Monterrey, said the campaign against Pena Nieto on the legislation “was devastating” and “caused harm to his reputation globally.”

Using public funds to burnish the image of politicians is neither unique to Mexico nor limited to its leaders.

Recent mayors of Mexico City, one of the world’s largest metropolises, routinely have spent tax money to bring well-known artists to the mammoth main plaza for concerts free to the citizenry (but costly to the city till).

Last year, Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera sponsored concerts by balladeer Chayanne and salsa singer Marc Anthony in February, and another by Spanish singer Miguel Bose in May. Each of the concerts drew more than 100,000 people.

His predecessor, Marcelo Ebrard, was pondering a run for the presidency in 2012 when he contracted Justin Bieber and Paul McCartney for separate concerts. McCartney drew 200,000 fans and Bieber brought out as many as 300,000 people.

[readon1 url="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/05/16/227713/actor-kevin-spaceys-selfie-with.html?sp=/99/117/490/"]Source:www.mcclatchydc.com [/readon1]

The Atlantic Hurricane Season commenced on Sunday and already there are tropical concerns for the Gulf of Mexico, along with the eastern Pacific, this week.

AccuWeather.com meteorologists are monitoring an area of low pressure south of Mexico and an area of disturbed weather across Central America for eventual tropical troubles in the Gulf of Mexico.

The area of disturbed weather currently over Central America is expected to develop into a broad area of low pressure across the Bay of Campeche at midweek.

Depending on the strength of the Atlantic ridge of high pressure, this low could track to northeastern Mexico with drenching showers and thunderstorms or slowly meander near the Yucatan Peninsula later in the week.

In the latter solution, the low may then spread heavy and potentially flooding rain to Florida, western Cuba and the Southeastern U.S. Friday and through next weekend.

Even if the low heads to northeastern Mexico, the above places may still face tropical troubles during the first half of June.

Energy from the low currently in south of Mexico (not the low itself though) could eventually reach the southern Gulf of Mexico, re-organize and spread heavy rain to a portion of the Southeast during the week of June 9.

AccuWeather.com meteorologists will be closely monitoring both of these features for possible development as they pass over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The main battle each faces will be wind shear (strong winds above the surface that can rip apart tropical systems).

Some wind shear is also present in the vicinity of the low currently south of Mexico. However, the low should overcome this obstacle and develop into a tropical depression within the next couple of days.

The low may further strengthen into a tropical storm as it drifts northward to the Gulf of Tehuantepec by midweek. The next tropical storm in the eastern Pacific would acquire the name "Boris."

Whether this low maintains its strength and makes landfall along or near the Gulf of Tehuantepec will depend on how the future low in the Bay of Campeche evolves.

"After developing in the next 48 hours, I think that the system will sit near the [Mexican] coast and slowly weaken into the end of the week, possibly as the [low in the Bay of Campeche] begins to develop," stated AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Adam Douty.

Regardless of exactly which low becomes the dominant feature on the weather map, southeastern Mexico, including the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala and Belize will become the target of torrential rainfall this week.

"Flooding rain and mudslides would be the main impact, with some mountainous areas potentially receiving 10 to 20 inches (250 to 500 mm) of rain this week," stated AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Rob Miller.

Cities at risk of a soaking include Merida, Belmopan and Guatemala City. Vacationers at the resort cities of Cancun and Chetumal also face an unpleasant stretch of wet weather.

"It has already been active across the resort areas on the Yucatan Peninsula due to daily thunderstorms, but the weather will only get worse this week as moisture from the tropical systems comes into play," Miller continued.

Despite the disruptions to vacationers and the prospect of flooding and mudslides, Miller pointed out that the rain will bring long-term benefits to easing the ongoing drought across the area.

Following a season with the fewest number of hurricanes since 1982, the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to follow suit as a below-normal hurricane season.

That does not mean that residents in coastal communities should let their guard down, reported AccuWeather.com Staff Writer Kristen Rodman.

"All we need is one hurricane," AccuWeather.com Tropical Weather Expert Dan Kottlowski said. "Just because we are saying this is going to be an inactive season doesn't mean we couldn't have a couple of very intense hurricanes."

[readon1 url="http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/eye-on-gulf-of-mexico-as-hurri/27981388"]Source:www.accuweather.com[/readon1]

Jalisco is ranked third nationally in generating foreign exchange for tourism.  It is essential to maintain ecosystem services that give the 

Looking for maintaining environmental quality Puerto Vallarta, third tourist destination in the country by foreign exchange earnings, and to preserve the enormous diversity of the jungles and forests that surround it, the Jalisco government has decided to lead the process of creating an area Natural Protected Area 121,411.6 hectares.

The approach is urgent before the arrival of the proposed bypass road, 30 miles long, that is to pass through a part of the massive jungle surrounding the port, in order to improve communication and facilitate land access for tourists to the area.

"The proposal is driven not only from space and interest of this secretariat, but long and particularly since the state last administration and multiple social actors, production, development and local authorities in the region, through the Agenda for Conservation Mountain, where the establishment of a protected area is one of the priorities identified by all these actors, "said the head of the Ministry of Environment and Territorial Development, Magdalena Ruiz Mejía.

On May 23 there was a meeting in the coastal enclave between representatives of the three levels of government to determine the future of the proposal, initially led by scientists at the University Center of the Costa de la Universidad de Guadalajara.

Agreements: "As the project initiative for the conservation and sustainable use of resources is of interest of the three levels of government and the committees of Urban Development and Environment of the local Congress, meetings will consult with the federal government to define the following actions that lead to the establishment of these conservation initiatives and sustainable use. It is important to consider the trace of the deliverance of Puerto Vallarta, not to affect the proposed protected area. "

The space is to protect the core of Sierra Cuale and includes territory of the municipalities of Puerto Vallarta, Mascota, Talpa and Cabo Corrientes; is part of a broad priority terrestrial region for conservation, as classified by the National Commission for the Use and Conservation of Biodiversity (Conabio) and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp), according to the analysis of gaps and omissions in conservation of terrestrial biodiversity of Mexico: spaces and species

"An estimated 52 percent of the wealth of amphibians, 40 percent of reptiles and 36 percent of mammals are endemic to the mountain system [exclusive] of Mexico," she added. The records reported 2,046 species of plants, but it is likely that there are more than four thousand, 72 species of mammals, over 314 bird and 111 species of amphibians and reptiles.

There are 12 types of vegetation, and the marine ecosystem: low subcaducifolias medium forests, deciduous forests, gallery forest, palmar, cloud forests, forests of oak, pine - Pinus jaliscana , endemic to the western Mexican and fir - Abies guatemalensis , in danger of extinction, and the famous Maple or Maple community in Talpa, a cloud or fog unique ecosystem in tropical America, among others.

"Cuale River Mountains provide important environmental services to the region: the conservation of biodiversity and maintenance of ecological and evolutionary processes, microclimate regulation, production and soil and water conservation, pollution mitigation, improved systems agricultural and livestock production, generating employment opportunities and recreational activities, improving living conditions in urban and peri-urban areas and the protection of natural and cultural heritage of cities like Puerto Vallarta, Pets, Talpa and The Tuito "Ruiz Mejía put in relief.

Relevances

"In the region, the most important activity is tourism, however, is constrained to traditional tourism [High Impact]; a model such as the Biosphere Reserve, would help to diversify the activity variants of alternative tourism, ecotourism, agro-tourism, rural tourism and cultural "

The area is important because it is a biological corridor of priority species for conservation (Jaguar emblematic case); is a carbon and major forest areas that produce water for Puerto Vallarta