Monday, September 5, 2011

Christian Sánchez Venancio: The murder of a gay rights activist

Past July 22, Christian Sánchez Venancio, a member of the PRD an among the party's most profiled pro-gay rights advocates, was murdered in Mexico City, in what appears a possible hate crime and a brutal robbery: His apartment was sacked, and he was found with more than 100 stab wounds in his body, having put up a fight against his attackers.

Here is a most-recommended in-depth article from El Universal of what is truly a heart-wrenching story.

Mexico, now largest silver producer in world

Some interesting data on mining: Mexico surpassed Peru to now become the biggest silver producer in the world, with 1.88 million kilogram of silver churned out Jan-June 2011, much from the Fresnillo mine in Zacatecas, the world's largest. Other large operations are found in Chihuahua, Durango, and Sonora.

This January I happened to make a road trip that included Zacatecas and a visit to the now-defunct silver mine that sits literally right in the capital. It is funny how Mexico has now reclaimed its position as the top producer in the world.