Bart van Zwieten

Museo de Sitio de El Zapotal in Ignacio de la Llave, Veracruz, Mexico

Over 2500 years old! Head of Life and Death,300-600 BCE, Veracruz stone sculpture symbolizing duality, both life and death in the same face. It shows the region's rich artistic traditions, merging elements of spirituality and mortality, symbolizing the eternal cycle of existence and transformation.

Map of major Maya cities, as far as we know today. The three periods of Maya civilization:
Preclassic: ~2000BCE–250CE, early villages/ceremonial centres;
Classic: ~250–900CE, the height of Maya, large cities/pyramids;
Postclassic: ~900–1500CE, northern cities important like Chichén Itzá and Mayapán.

Adiós a las pensiones de 1 millón de pesos al mes con dinero público La iniciativa de reforma constitucional para regular las pensiones en el gobierno federal pondrá fin a los pagos millonarios.

President Sheinbaum revealed that former high-ranking government employees receive pensions from US$200,000-770,000 anually. A reform will cap pensions at $48,000, eq. to half of the president’s salary, a much needed reform. Public pensions are 22% of the budget. contralinea.com.mx/interno/sema...

Analyzing 155 years of GDP per capita in Venezuela: after a century of ascent that made it the richest country in Latin America, the recent crisis wiped out decades of progress, returning the average income to levels from the 1940s decade. A structural change, curing the "Dutch Disease" is needed.

You are right that this is not from Veracruz: after some research I found that this is Lintel 25 from the Maya site of Yaxchilan. It dates to around 709 CE. Although it’s not from Bonampak, you were geographically closer than I! My apologies for the mistake.

Over 2500 years old! Head of Life and Death,300-600 BCE, Veracruz stone sculpture symbolizing duality, both life and death in the same face. It shows the region's rich artistic traditions, merging elements of spirituality and mortality, symbolizing the eternal cycle of existence and transformation.

Map of major Maya cities, as far as we know today. The three periods of Maya civilization:
Preclassic: ~2000BCE–250CE, early villages/ceremonial centres;
Classic: ~250–900CE, the height of Maya, large cities/pyramids;
Postclassic: ~900–1500CE, northern cities important like Chichén Itzá and Mayapán.

Adiós a las pensiones de 1 millón de pesos al mes con dinero público La iniciativa de reforma constitucional para regular las pensiones en el gobierno federal pondrá fin a los pagos millonarios.

President Sheinbaum revealed that former high-ranking government employees receive pensions from US$200,000-770,000 anually. A reform will cap pensions at $48,000, eq. to half of the president’s salary, a much needed reform. Public pensions are 22% of the budget. contralinea.com.mx/interno/sema...

Analyzing 155 years of GDP per capita in Venezuela: after a century of ascent that made it the richest country in Latin America, the recent crisis wiped out decades of progress, returning the average income to levels from the 1940s decade. A structural change, curing the "Dutch Disease" is needed.

The cycling season has ‘unofficially’ started with the Omloop Nieuwsblad in Flanders, Belgium! And what a start for Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel, winning this race in his debut at the Omloop in dreadful weather conditions. What a powerhouse! Dutchman Tim van Dijke took honourably second place.

A detailed relief of Stela 1 from La Mojarra of the Epi-Olmec culture in Veracruz, 200CE. It portrays a dignitary with a ceremonial headdress that includes representations of deities and symbolic elements. The stela is famous for containing one of the longest known inscriptions in Epi-Olmec script.

In July 1969 The Doors came to Mexico City. Among the places visited by singer Jim Morrison, was the archaeological zone of Teotihuacan just outside Mexico City. He climbed the Pyramid of the Sun and visited the Temple of the Feathered Serpent. touching one of the temple's masks, nowadays forbidden.

Comisión antimonopolio niega a Visa compra de 51% de Prosa Visa expresa su decepción tras la decisión del organismo; evaluará opciones disponibles.

Payment processing giant Visa wants to acquire 51% of Mexican competitor Prosa. The deal is struck down by Mexico’s antitrust authority: it would have limited competition. The antitrust authority is functioning, despite previous fears of political interference www.eleconomista.com.mx/sectorfinanc...

Latin America and the Caribbean lead the fight to eradicate hunger. According to the FAO, IFAD, PAHO, UNICEF and WFP, malnutrition and food insecurity have decreased, although concerns remain regarding the cost of a healthy diet and high rates of obesity. www.diariomarca.com.mx/2026/02/lide...

The location of Mayan cities, from Palenque to Chichen Itza, follow a design based on the stars. The Maya were great astronomers, whose precision continues to amaze the modern world. They built their ceremonial centers in alignment with the stars, including cities like Tikal, Copán, Chalco and Cobá.

The upper slab of Pakal's sarcophagus in Palenque, Tabasco, represents the Mayan cosmic tree emerging from the underworld. The ruler is in a reclining position over the jaws of a being associated with the underworld. From his body sprouts the sacred tree that connects heaven, earth and underworld.

Brazil Goes From Big Loser to Winner in Trade Showdown With Trump Once facing the harshest of the US’s import taxes, Brazil gets off easier in Trump’s revised strategy

Brazil’s average tariff plunged by 21% — to 10% from 31% — after the US Supreme Court invalidated Trump’s sweeping global tariffs. Brazil’s earlier refusal to retaliate against the US tariffs, up to 50%, make President Lula into perhaps the world’s biggest winners. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

Trump exenta del arancel de 10% a productos que cumplan con el T-MEC En declaraciones preparadas para un discurso en Dallas, el secretario del Tesoro, Scott Bessent, afirmó que los aranceles implementados bajo la Sección

The US announced a new set of tariffs. Trump later anounced Mexico would be exempt under USMCA. It’s the second time Trump exempts Mexico, a clear message: Mexico is essential to the US. This should show Mexican USMCA negotiators that Mexico isn’t powerless. www.eleconomista.com.mx/empresas/tru...

Only in Mexico.

Correct, but as it is officially part of France, it is not Caribbean also (and not a member of Caricom).

The Guyanas and Surinam are geographically in South America, but are not part of Latin America, because of their languages (LatAm is Spanish/Portuguese) They are part - and they themselves consider so - of the Caribbean, also member of the regional organizado CARICOM. See the different America’s:

Teotihuacan-style incense burner, Escuintla, Guatemala, 300–600 CE, with an iconographic composition linked to the Teotihuacan tradition and its influence on the South Coast of Guatemala, confirming the cultural and ideological links between Teotihuacan (near CDMX) and the southern Mayan regions.

The famous Latin American hospitality: what you're likely to be served as a guest. Of course you have to eat!

Of the nearly 15 million migrants in Latin America, one in four is a child or adolescent—the highest proportion of migrant children and adolescents in the world. It is even more critical considering that, in 2023, 70% of migrant children were under 11 years old. www.lasillavacia.com/red-de-exper...

Sheinbaum anuncia reforma para modificar el nombre del Instituto Nacional de Migración: así se llamará la dependencia La presidenta reconoció el trabajo de Sergio Salomón como titular del INM, aunque precisó que él no creó la iniciativa

Mexican president Sheinbaum will send a reform initiative to the Congress related to the country’s National Migration Institute (INM). This includes changing the institution’s name to the “Human Mobility Institute.” Reform should include demilitarization. www.infobae.com/mexico/2026/...

My pleasure!

Election watch: in Brazil, a recent poll shows a virtual tie between current president Lula Da Silva and his main contender Flavio Bolsonaro for the presidential election to be held October 2nd, effectively closing the race that had placed Lula up to 12% ahead in electoral preferences last December.

Feline Claw = Royal Predatory Power.
The scorpion’s sting represents piercing, bloodletting, and lethal strike. Venus as Morning Star was believed to “shoot darts” at the earth, not romantic. Venus is an aggressor deity. The star glyph in his hand confirms it is specifically tied to Venus cycles.

Huge, this 4x3.6 m. 12-ton 15th-century Aztec sculpture of Tlaltecuhtli, Lord/Lady of the Earth, found in 2006 at the Templo Mayor in CDMX. According to the Mexica worldview, Tlaltecuhtli's body gave rise to the sky and the underworld. It devours the sun at night to give birth to it in the morning.