Faced with fines and a court order they could no longer ignore, all 35 members of the Yucatán state congress voted Monday to remove a constitutional provision that had protected life from the moment of fertilization — completing the state's formal alignment with a 2021 Supreme Court ruling that declared the absolute criminalization of abortion unconstitutional. The unanimous … [Read more...] about Under Duress, Yucatán Approves Full Decriminalization of Abortion
Health
Free Care for Expats at the New O’Horán? Not So Fast
A gleaming new hospital has opened on the south side of Mérida, and social media is buzzing. Some foreign residents seem to believe that the new Hospital General "Dr. Agustín O'Horán" — inaugurated by President Claudia Sheinbaum in May as part of the IMSS-Bienestar rollout — means free, world-class health care for everyone living in Yucatán, expats included. It's an … [Read more...] about Free Care for Expats at the New O’Horán? Not So Fast
Mérida Expands Its Waste Strategy with 42 New Containers
The municipal program Mérida Limpia (Clean Mérida) is about to take one of its most ambitious leaps since its creation. Already proven effective in managing bulky and special waste, the initiative will expand its presence across the city with the addition of 42 new containers in 2026. The goal is to eliminate the unsightly and unhealthy accumulation of junk on street corners … [Read more...] about Mérida Expands Its Waste Strategy with 42 New Containers
Mérida to Install 116 Ramps in 86 Parks for People with Disabilities
Mérida’s City Council has launched a city-wide infrastructure project to install access ramps in all municipal parks, aiming to eliminate physical barriers that have excluded people with disabilities from public spaces for decades. The initiative follows a municipal review that demonstrates that numerous parks—some up to four decades old—lack basic accessibility features. … [Read more...] about Mérida to Install 116 Ramps in 86 Parks for People with Disabilities
Mérida Hospital Accused of Conducting Surgeries After Authorities Sealed Its Operating Rooms
A well-established private hospital in Mérida is under fire from state health authorities after a citizen complaint alleged that CEM — the Centro de Especialidades Médicas del Sureste — has been performing surgeries in violation of a partial suspension order issued in April. According to the complaint, Yucatán's Dirección de Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios dispatched … [Read more...] about Mérida Hospital Accused of Conducting Surgeries After Authorities Sealed Its Operating Rooms