After several negotiations between the Mexican and US governments regarding the economic and migratory activity of both nations, the border will reopen to foreigners traveling to the USA on non-essential business.

The land border between Mexico and the United States will reopen on November 8^th for non-essential travel, for those foreigners who are fully vaccinated, US media reported. The border has remained open for US Citizens and Foreign Permanent Residents of the USA during the restriction for foreign travelers.

Those who provide proof of vaccination will be able to cross the land border, whether their trip is for tourism, visiting relatives, or for any other reason beyond the essential travel requirements that have been the ones allowed until now.

It was recently announced by internal sources of the White House, as well as replicated by the national media of the United States, that on November 8, 2021, the border for Mexico and Canada will be reopened to foreigners for non-essential issues, with the restriction that non-American citizen tourists who cross must have had the Covid-19 vaccination and must present documentation to that effect.

The restriction for crossing of foreigner travelers without residence or US citizenship has been in place since March 21, 2020 and only those who could prove an essential need to cross were permitted to enter the USA. The restriction was put into place in order to contain the spread of the new coronavirus in the border region, in what was considered the first stage of the pandemic, which has waned, but is still continuing.

"The United States will reopen its land borders to non-essential travel next month, ending a 19-month lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic, as the country takes steps to require all international visitors to be vaccinated against the coronavirus," cites part of the statement that is shared at the national level, emanating from White House sources.

At the same time, the message reiterates that: “the new rules, which will allow foreigners with a full vaccination to enter the United States regardless of the reason for the trip beginning November 8th, and at the same time a similar measure is being implemented for arrivals to the country by air ”.

By mid-January, even travelers in essential activities, such as truck drivers, who intend to enter the United States, will have to be fully vaccinated, the unofficial letter states. Up to this moment, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has not issued any statement.

The mayor of Puerto Penasco, Jorge Pivac Carrillo, held important working meetings with authorities from the Customs and Border Protection office of Lukeville, Arizona, along with his counterpart in Sonoyta, Enrique Valdez, to join forces on the issue of security, tourism and border crossing in this region.

Because these have been issues that affect Puerto Penasco and its visitors, as well as the neighboring town of Sonoyta, municipal mayor Jorge Pivac felt that it was important to meet with Peter J Bacheleier, director of the border crossing, along with Officer Luis Merancio, from the office of US Customs and Border Protection. The mayor addressed crucial issues such as the need to speed up the border crossing times and to avoid long lines and traffic jams at this important port of entry to Mexico through which thousands of tourists enter each weekend.

“It was a meeting to approach and have a good relationship with them to be able to touch and address issues of interest to Puerto Penasco, especially expediting the border crossing and the security of tourists once they visit us in our city. We also took the opportunity to address the issue of expanding the crossing", said the municipal executive.

Accompanied by Omar Sáenz, director of Tourism in Puerto Penasco, during his stay in the municipality of Sonoyta, Jorge Pivac held a meeting with Enrique Valdés, municipal mayor of Sonoyta, where they reinforced the agreements to work together on the issue of providing security for those who cross this border city in route to Puerto Penasco, as well as the need to join forces to push and strengthen their efforts to expand the Sonoyta-Lukeville crossing and to make it into a reality.

Mayor, Jorge Pivac, highlighted the progress with the projects since his administration began a short time ago, in conjunction with the announcements recently made by the governor of Sonora, Alfonso Durazo, regarding the construction of the four-lane toll highway that will help to increase tourism year after year and shorten the trip for those who choose Puerto Penasco as their beach destination.

He recognized the need to work together with the Sonoyta city council, the State and Federal Government, as well as with the border authorities, so that the projects that strengthen the infrastructure of Puerto Penasco and the boom of tourism which will become a quick reality for the benefit of the city and the region.

Puerto Peñasco is a city that advances hand in hand with the preservation of the environment and its natural resources and therefore they are working on a collaborative agenda recently signed by Mayor Jorge Pivac Carrillo with the Intercultural Center of Studies of Deserts and Oceans (CEDO) for the cultural and educational promotion on the subject of environmental protection.

Municipal mayor, Jorge Pivac, as an honorary witness in this signature in the memorandum of understanding between the cities of Tucson, Arizona and Puerto Penasco, Mexico, along with the CEDO, met at La Casa Sosa Carrillo in Tucson, highlighting the importance of working in a coordinated and proactive manner on the issue of conservation of the environment of Puerto Penasco in order to create public policies and enact specific actions for the promotion of environmental education as well as the strengthening of this region in the issue of preservation of natural resources.

“We know the great importance of working alongside our neighbors and partners in Arizona, as well as with this international non-governmental organization such as CEDO for the protection of this diverse cross-border region, since the United States and Mexico share more than just a border. From the beginning of this administration, we will share the continuous commitment to achieve the proposed conservation vision with the care of the environment that has allowed visitors and our local community to recognize the importance of preserving the biodiversity and ecosystem of the region.

For this reason, the Puerto Penasco City Council has agreed with this collaboration to renew and ratify the commitment to environmental education, species protection, ecosystems, and sustainable fishing programs in Puerto Penasco”, explained the Nelida Barajas.

For her part, Nélida Barajas Acosta, executive director of CEDO, explained that the collaboration agreement with the Puerto Penasco City Council includes the promotion of all activities related to cultural enrichment, education, and promotion of the environment and biocultural recognition of the region.

As a witness, Jorge Pivac signed the memorandum of understanding between Tucson-Mexico Sister Cities, the purposes of which are to promote collaboration on the Arizona-Sonora border and recognize the interconnection between Tucson and Puerto Penasco, as well as to recognize CEDO as an ambassador for the cities. and promote recognition of First Nations, particularly the Tohono O'odham.

Miguel Ángel Maciel Félix, Municipal Secretary of Puerto Penasco, and Luis E. Coronado Guel, President of Tucson-México Sister Cities were invited to these collaboration agreements and as honorary witnesses: Rafael Barceló Durazo, Consul of Mexico in Tucson; Verlon José Governor of the traditional leaders Tohono O'odham, Paul Cunningham for the City of Tucson, Ron Barber representing Senator Mark Kelly and Omar Eliel, and Sáenz Chavarría, Director of Tourism of Puerto Peñasco

Hello, to all my friends, Peacemakers, Supporters & Rocky Point family.

We are doing a Duckie Race in front of Manny's Beach Club on Nov 30 around 9-9:30am ish. Come in, watch the duckie race, and have breakfast. Proceeds will benefit the community center Esperanza, which houses our learning center along with Adopt a Classroom storage and work area and our Peñasco Scout warehouse. Many local people helped us to start the Scouts a few years ago and the community center serves as a troop meeting place. The Scouts are also looking for donations of camping gear. All usable camping gear WELCOME. Sorry we are so needy. Covid put us behind for a while. (Donations can be dropped off at the offices of the RPTimes.)

The money raised will be spent on several projects.

Computer classes will start very soon. We will have a morning and late afternoon class for the kids and an evening adult class. Angela and Curt got us quite a few computers but we need two more computers for the class size. We need to get a couple more tvs ( Flat screen or older ones) for the main center area and kitchen.

We also have other classes: English classes, as well as cooking, sewing, nails, and hair at different times in the year. One of my goals is to help single moms to be able to support the family and become self-sufficient. They don't need handouts, but need permanent solutions!

The At Risk Girls PJ Party. Aduse is alive and well in Mexico and we are helping these girls understand abusive dynamics.

As you can see we have a lot of projects that we support - many more than I can type in this note. The list is a living thing , and gets larger all the time! So any help with this event, like buying a lot of Duckie numbers will go to help a lot of local projects.

Duckie Prices

1 Duck $5.00 20 Ducks $50.00

3 Ducks $10.00 40 Ducks $100.00

6 Ducks $20.00

To purchase your duckies:

You can pay in cash here in town (Puerto Peñasco) just call me at

(638) 114 2406 Mex or Vonage on my computer (602) 324 9529. If I am out please leave a message so I can get back with you, or email rpbarbo@gmail.com.

This is also my account on PayPal. Barbara Olszewski, and or email address if you do it on paypal make sure in memo I get your email & # of Ducks you want to buy.

When you order your duckies, please make sure I get an email and phone number so I can let you know if you had a lucy duckie. Thanks to all of you in helping us to reach our goals.

The Prize list is still growing! Here are some of the prizes

*Tickets to Jan Jam, 2 real fun nights at Manny's

* Sonoran Spa Massage,

* 2 Gift certificates from Giuseppe's

* Too many gift baskets to list!

We are also looking for donations of prizes for future events. Contact me. rpbarbo@gmail.com

Thanks again, Barb & Mark Olszewski

P.S. Watch for the big yellow duck around town!

Upcoming event: Corn Hole Tournament hosted by John Fowler at Banditos next Sat 10 am. Mannys will also set up a table a couple times.

Thank you

for supporting

our causes

paypal.me/BarbaraOlszewski

More Than 600 Volunteers Clean 17 Kilometers of Beach

The annual tradition of cleaning of the beaches of the Upper Gulf of California was carried out with the collaboration and joint planning of the Intercultural Center for Desert and Ocean Studies, AC, the Puerto Penasco Clean Beaches Committee, the Puerto Penasco City Council, the Rotary Club, local businesses, fishermen, and other volunteers, with the idea of ​​restoring the region's beaches in response to the worldwide efforts of The Ocean Conservancy organization.

More than 600 people participated in the clean-up day, collecting 3,000 tons of garbage at 23 cleaning points along the coastline, with the participation of members of the communities of Puerto Penasco, Bahía San Jorge, and Puerto Lobos in Sonora. , including 57 governmental and educational institutions, civil society organizations, private companies, fishermen, families and volunteers.

The analysis of trash showed that 18 percent was cigarette butts, 10 percent plastic bottles, followed by metal caps with 9 percent. Caps, bottles, bags, wrappers and pieces of plastic, as well as metal cans were also part of the garbage found in Islas del Mar, Cholla Bay, Sandy Beach, Malecón Beach, Manny´ s Beach Club, In front of Pitahaya Bar, Mi Playa, CEDO in Las Conchas, Tessoro, Estero Morúa, Playa Encanto, Playa Dorada, and the Reef Camping Area.

Events such as the Great Coastal Cleanup are very important, not only because of eliminating part of the garbage that is found on the beaches, but also because it allows us to know the type of garbage that is generated on them, which is the principle to be able to develop strategies to work on reducing them.

In Puerto Penasco, for example, the data collected in the beach cleanings have been taken into account for the design of the Beach Use Regulations and the Solid Waste Management Program of the Sandy Beach certified beach, among other things. Plastic production rates are growing at an exponential rate and much of this trash finds its way into the ocean. Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose and emits toxic chemicals that are extremely harmful to marine species. Almost a third of sea turtles and about half of seabird species will ingest plastics at some point in their life cycle. This is potentially fatal and it is important to remedy it effectively.

The Directorate of Ecology and Sustainable Development has been given the task of collecting as many bottle caps as possible from the citizens and visitors of Puerto Penasco. Different groups and organizations will work to collect from people in their homes, schools, jobs, sporting events, etc. A container has been installed within the Municipal Collection Center exclusively for the caps as well.

This collection, so far has been a success with the totals as of today adding up to about 3 tons of this material - which is of great help for people who fight against cancer every day.

When the collection is complete, the tops will be transferred to the city of Hermosillo, Sonora, where they will be received by the “Fundación Un Día Especial Fonsi” who, through the recycling of caps, provide accommodation and food totally free to all those who travel to that city to receive treatment.

It is worth mentioning that patients from Puerto Penasco have already benefited from these activities, so it is important to highlight that activities such as this recycling drive can have. We help the environment by minimizing the waste and we help defray some of the costs of the treatments for those in need.

Remember that the collection continues in the Municipal Collection Center throughout the year

Revisions were made to both nets and fishing gear in order to fulfill requirements placed by the USA in order to allow Mexican shrimp to be imported into the USA. Devices called TEDs, which are designed to allow sea turtles to escape, were installed in the shrimp nets of the commercial shrimping vessels.

The shrimp fishery is certainly better off after regaining the certification of the United States Government, removing the embargo imposed on Mexico since last April 30, due to the incorrect use or lack of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs), for part of the shrimping fleet.

The inspection visit of the representatives of the Department of State and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States (NOAA) performed from September 16 – 30 concluded after visits to the ports of Tampico, Campeche, Peñasco, Guaymas, Topolobampo, and Mazatlan.

Sources close to the process confirmed to Excelsior that the US envoys left being very pleased with the work done on the shrimp boats, which on average obtained a 93 percent degree of compliance in the use of TEDs.

The few inconsistencies that the observers found, not considered as serious, are that some bars of the turtle excluder grills were more open than allowed, because, when working in the rainy season, there is a lot of tree branches or garbage in the sea, which hits them and affects their calibration, but this is considered normal and is corrected from one set to another.

The checks were made both in port and in the open sea on around 210 TEDs installed in the trawl nets of approximately 105 larger vessels.

Now the important thing is to continue with the inspection and surveillance and to continue with good practices, so that in the next visit of NOAA and the Department of State of USA, which could be scheduled for January 2022, compliance standards are maintained and sanctions against Mexico are not reactivated.

In the event that the United States wants in the future to inspect small vessels (pangas) and their fishing gear, to certify that they do not interact with sea turtles, it would have to clearly define the rules and establish separate schedules to carry out the tests.

For now, the so-called Emergent Actions for the Conservation of Sea Turtles applied as a result of the embargo, achieved their objective thanks to the fact that the training and awareness courses were offered by Conapesca and to the hard work of federal fisheries officials and Profepa inspectors, who put all their effort and experience at the service of the sector

This year, marking the 20^th Anniversary of the Rocky Point Rally, promises to be a grand fiesta for all involved while bearing in mind certain restrictions and measures will be in place to protect the health of residents and visitors alike.

The 20^th Anniversary edition of the Rocky Point Rally aims to encourage bikers to check out various parts of the city and will not be planning a mainstage on the malecón in the Old Port, but rather promoting local venues throughout town. Sponsoring bars will feature live music, spanning rock and other music styles, in open air spaces for all to enjoy.

* 20th Anniversary VIP packages + Regular registration still open at https://www.eventbrite.com   20th Anniversary Rocky Point Rally

(Options: VIP package $100 USD / Early Bird (by Sunday, Nov. 7th) $20 / Registration at event $25 USD)  Proceeds from registration, poker run, and Saturday Bike Show go to local charity organizations. While registration is voluntary, we encourage people to register as a way to further benefit the community.

*Thursday kick off fiesta at Bandito's  starting from 6 pm

*Charity Poker Run 2021 Thurs & Fri   Turn-in cards at Playa Bonita traditional Friday night fiesta - includes stop at La Cantina at Sonoran Sky Resort

*Queen of the Streets - Women's ride in bike show Friday

*Playa Bonita traditional Friday night fiesta - celebration of 20th Anniversary along with the music of Mogollon - who have been there since the beginning

*Saturday parade line-up Blvd. Fremont 12:00   Parade starts 12:30 p.m.  *Saturday Bike Show held prior to parade - location to be announced

*Saturday parade to wind through town and end up in Mirador

*Sunday morning 7 am - 9 am Bike Blessing stop at Plaza a la Madre (next to baseball stadium) with help from CMA (Christian Motorcycle Association) members from US and Mexico.

Whether you apply for temporary or permanent residency in Mexico will likely depend on your lifestyle intentions and your level of income or savings

When you apply for legal residency in Mexico, you have a choice of applying for either Temporary Residency (Residente Temporal) or Permanent Residency (Residente Permanente). This article describes the difference between the two.

Differences between Temporary and Permanent residency

The most significant difference is that temporary residency permits need to be renewed at least once if you stay more than a year, whereas permanent residency permits never need to be renewed and never expire.

Temporary residency permits

Mexico’s temporary residency permits last for between 1 and 4 years. Your first temporary resident permit is always granted for one year initially and you can thereafter renew your temporary residency for 1 to 3 more years (for a maximum of 4 consecutive years). At the end of a 4-year period of temporary residency, you can:

apply to exchange the temporary residency for permanent residency (see below); or

allow the temporary residency to expire and enter into a ‘regularization’ procedure to re-apply for temporary residency; or

leave the country.

The financial qualification criteria for temporary residency are lower than those needed to apply for permanent residency but, after holding four consecutive years of temporary residency, you can optionally apply for permanent residency, usually without the need to prove economic solvency.

Note that not all temporary residency permits carry permission to work in Mexico; work permissions need to be requested and granted alongside your temporary residency. See our free Mexico immigration guide for more details.

When you have temporary residency in Mexico, you can enter and leave Mexico as many times as you wish and there are no time limits on how long you have to remain in Mexico to keep your residency status, although renewals and notifications of changes must be made in Mexico, in person.

Permanent residency permits

You don’t have to hold temporary residency before applying for and being granted permanent residency, but the financial criteria to qualify for permanent residency are higher, and some consulates may require the applicant(s) to be retired to apply for Permanent Residency—even if they qualify economically. For those who don’t qualify for Permanent Residency right away, there is a path to exchange temporary residency for permanent residency (see next section below).

Once permanent residency is granted, your residency card never expires and you do not have to renew your residency status as you do with temporary residency. However, you do need to notify your local immigration office of any change of address, civil status, as well as any changes in employment if you work in Mexico.

When you have permanent residency in Mexico, you can enter and leave Mexico as many times as you wish and there are no time limits on how long you have to remain in Mexico to keep your permanent residency status; although if you intend to apply for citizenship, you will need to prove you were physically in Mexico for at least one year prior to your application.

Exchanging temporary residency for permanent residency in Mexico

People who want to live in Mexico long term but only qualify for temporary residency, can apply for temporary residency to begin with and, after four consecutive years of temporary residency can apply to automatically exchange their temporary residency status for permanent residency in Mexico.

Near the end of the four consecutive years holding temporary residency, you can apply to exchange your Residente Temporal permit for a Residente Permanente permit. The transfer from temporary to permanent residency is undertaken at your nearest immigration office in Mexico with an application procedure and payment of the processing fees. In most cases you do not need to demonstrate your economic solvency when you exchange your temporary residency for permanent residency.

Important note about Temporary Residency to Permanent Residency

Whether you are overseas or in Mexico, if you’re intending to exchange your current Temporary Residency card for Permanent Residency after having passed 4 consecutive years of Temporary Residency status in Mexico, you must not let your residency card expire. If you do not renew your temporary residency card before its expiry date, you can opt to enter the regularization process to apply for a new, 1-year temporary residency permit, but you cannot make the exchange from temporary to permanent residency.

Should I apply for temporary or permanent residency in Mexico?

Choosing to apply for temporary or permanent residency will depend on whether:

you plan to live in Mexico only for a defined (temporary) period and then leave the country; or

you are not yet decided about your longer-term plans when you apply; or

you intend to stay in Mexico long term (indefinitely); or

you intend to stay long term but don’t have the income or savings to qualify for permanent residency right away.

Applying for Temporary residency is the better choice if:

you plan to stay in Mexico for a while and then leave, or

if you want to stay long term but don’t have the income or savings to qualify right away

If your plans evolve and you decide to stay in Mexico for longer, you can extend your temporary residency (for a maximum of 4 years) and afterwards apply to exchange temporary residency for permanent residency if you want to.

Applying for Permanent residency is the better choice if:

you intend to live in Mexico long term and qualify with the higher income or savings / other criteria required for permanent residency

Applying for and being granted permanent residency right away negates the need for you to apply for renewals of your residency permit, which translates into less time and cost.

Here's a great recipe for the cooler weather. While cornbread is arguably not Mexican in origin, certainly the Mexican culture has been using corn as a stable in their diet since the days of the Aztecs. More typically in Mexico, the corn is used for tortillas, but pan de maiz is a form or cornbread which has been popular in Mexico for many generations.

This form of cornbread is probably more closely related the the American Indian tradition coupled with the more modern Southern cooking genre, however adding a bit of spice with the jalapenos, will definitely put a little more Mexican flair in it, so we'll just go with it. Mostly, because it just sounded really good.

Of course, this would be great with Chili con Carne. Or omit the jalapenos and make this recipe into corn muffins for another child-friendly treat. Keep a batch in your freezer for quick snacks.

11/3 cups flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk or 1/2 cup water & 1/2 cup soy milk

1/3 cup canola oil

1 egg, beaten

2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise (low-fat is fine)

1 cup canned corn, drained (optional)

2 tablespoons diced bottled jalapenos (optional), or

2 tablespoons fresh jalapeno peppers, diced (protect your hands with gloves)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the first 9 ingredients (flour through mayonnaise) together in the exact order they appear. Then add corn and jalapenos. Stir well. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 9x12 inch baking pan or pie plate. Bake for 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick to check if the cornbread is done. Cornbread is ready when the toothpick comes out clean. The cornbread may crack down the middle. Cool on a wire rack. Serve with lots of butter or margarine.

Variation: Corn Muffins - Put paper muffin liners in a muffin tin, fill 3/4 full with corn bread batter and bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

There is a famous saying in México that is used in reference to someone who has died. It goes, “Ya chupó faros y se fue al cielo”. In English it roughly means “He smoked his last Faro and went to Heaven” leaving no doubt that the poor guy met his final destiny and passed on to a new horizon.

The name “Faro” means “Lighthouse” and it is the name of one of the oldest and best known brands of cigarettes in Mexico. In days gone by it was an “economical” unfiltered cigarette that was favored by the common worker, not so much because it was a good smoke, but mainly because it was strong and cheap. In fact, Faros were so strong that they were wrapped in rice paper that had been sweetened with sugar to make them more palatable and they were associated with a hoarse voice and an inevitable cough. Needless to say that the people who smoked Faros were not planning to live a particularly long life. Many people attribute the phrase “Ya chupó Faros” to the Mexican Revolution of 1910 to 1917.

During this period a lot of revolutionaries were executed by firing squad and it was the custom to offer the condemned man a cigarette before the execution in order to calm his nerves. Since Faros was a popular brand the remark is associated with the last cigarette of the condemned prisoner. The thing is that Faros didn’t originate until 1918 which was a year after the Revolution ended. Nevertheless the Cristero War soon followed and in those days there were no shortages of executions by firing squad. These days the phrase “Ya chupó Faros” is so widely ingrained in the language and culture that it can also be applied to anything that has “died” such as a car, a television set, or a computer, etc.

The history of the tobacco industry in Mexico is old and colorful. Cigars and cigarettes were made individually by hand up until the 1880’s and sometimes women in the market place used corn husks to wrap the cigarettes and sold them in little bundles. The first man to really mechanize the cigarette making process was a Frenchman named Ernesto Pugibet. He was quite an enthusiastic character and a true entrepreneur. He came to Mexico after a short stay in Cuba where he learned a bit about the Tobacco Industry. He may have been attracted to Mexico by President Porfirio Díaz who at that time was urging foreign investors to participate in the development of Mexico and offered them guarantees and security.

Señor Pugibet started out with a small shop in the center of Mexico City and later formed a company called “El Buen Tono”. The phrase “buen tono” can mean “good tone” as in “good tone of voice” or the “good tone” of a musical instrument but it can also mean “stylish” or “elegant”. After a few years of overseeing his workers make cigarettes by hand Señor Pugibet bought the exclusive use and distribution rights to a machine that would make cigarette paper tubes without gluing the seam from an associate named Anatolio Eduardo Decouflé. Up until that time making the seam in the cigarette paper was done individually by hand using various types of glue. The new machine stitched the edges of the paper seam together using tiny perforations and thus eliminated the need for the noxious glue an thus improving the taste of the cigarette while at the same time speeding up the fabrication process. From about 1890 on, the making of cigarettes individually by hand in small shops ended and the era of cigarette factories began.

By the year 1900 there were 743 companies in Mexico making cigarettes. By 1975 all of the cigarette manufacturers in Mexico had been consolidated into six companies:

La Moderna

El Águila

Tabacalera Mexicana

Fábrica de Cigarrillos Baloyán

Fábrica de Cigarrillos La Libertad

Cigarrera Nacional

The history surrounding the consolidations of Mexican cigarette manufacturers over the years is very complicated and difficult to follow. Sometimes events were mandated by economic difficulties and sometimes by nefarious circumstances and political intrigue. By the year 2000 all of the cigarette brands had consolidated under just three manufacturers:

Cigarrera La Moderna (Cigamod)

Cigarrera La Tabacalera Mexicana (Cigatam)

La Libertad (LL)

In 1918 a man named Emetrio Padilla established a company called “La Tabacalera Nacional” in Irapuato, Guanajuato (where I live) and he began producing the famous “Faros” brand. The Faros brand eventually ended up with Cigarrera la Tabacalera Mexicana (Cigatam). Cigatam was founded in 1907. By 1919 this company and its associate, El Buen Tono (with whom it merged in 1960) produced more than half of the national consumption of tobacco. Today, Cigatam and Cigamod (British American Tobacco) comprise 99% of the Mexican market for cigarettes. Cigatam is part of Grupo Carso which also owns Sanborns, Sears of Mexico, Condumex, and a host of other companies. The word “Carso” in “Grupo Carso” stands for Carlos Slim and Soumaya Domit de Slim (the deceased wife of Slim). Yes, that’s right folks…Faros, the onetime favorite brand of the poor Mexican peon, is now owned by one of the world’s richest men. Not only that, but Cigatam is in partnership with Phillip Morris International who handles the cigarette marketing under a number of traditional popular brand names.

In 2005 Phillip Morris took Faros, one of the oldest and cheapest cigarette brands, and reintroduced in the market with a new presentation as a cult brand. The apparent intent is for Faros to be adopted by a young elite clientele with a taste for exclusive and authentic Mexican things that are retro and cool. The marketing people want to reposition Faros as underground and trendy in a youth market where cigarette brands communicate status. The only other time a change was made to the Faros brand was in the 50's, when a designer approached José María Basagoiti, the grandson of the Spanish immigrant who founded Tabacalera Mexicana and bought Faros from Emetrio Padilla . The designer pointed to a tiny detail in the picture on the Faros pack. The flags on the masts of the boat were flying in one direction and the smoke from the boat’s chimney was going in the other direction.

Basagoiti decided to correct the picture but the shopkeepers began returning the cigarettes with the new packages as soon as they arrived. Their customers noticed the change right away and thought that the cigarettes were contraband or fakes. The picture on the pack had to be restored to the original version. Right then and there it became apparent how ingrained the Faros image was in the Mexican psyche. Phillip Morris wants to build on that image and transform it from a soft pack product of sixteen non filtered cigarettes that sold for three pesos per pack into an upscale product packaged in a tin of twenty oval shaped filtered cigarettes with one third less tobacco content that sells for twenty-five pesos per tin.

The new upscale Faros come in five presentations or “flavors”:

Clasica

Morena de Fuego

Furia Tropical

Suspiro Esmerelda

Terciopelo Amarillo

I can only imagine what the poor souls who smoked their last Faro before standing in front of a firing squad would think if they knew that their great, great grandchildren would be smoking tuti-fruti flavored cigarettes. I think that if they could still talk to us they would say, “¡Ah caray! ¿Cómo ves? Faros ya chupó Faros.