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On July 7, 2008, our city and the shrine in Atotonilco were added jointly to the UNESCO World Heritage list in Québec, Canada.

The special city council session was held in the Salón de Cabildos in the former presidencia building, where the first independent Mexican city council was formed during the Independence movement. The governor of Guanajuato, Juan Manuel Oliva, Mayor Jesús Correa, City Secretary Cristóbal Finkelstein Franyuti, and all the city council members were present at the meeting. Also in attendance were international, national and local personalities such as Esther Rodríguez García, technical counselor of the Historical Heritage Department of the Spanish Ministry of Culture; Francisco López Morales, head of the World Heritage Department of the INAH (National Institute of Anthropology and History); Gerardo Mosqueda, state government secretary; Juan Alcocer, head of the State Institute of Culture; representatives of the governments of Querétaro and Campeche; and Father Primitivo González, the parish priest of San Miguel. 

Mayor Jesús Correa assumed the responsibility for preserving San Miguel’s cultural heritage and thanked UNESCO, the World Heritage Committee, and ICOMOS for the appointment. Governor Oliva officially announced authorization for the road construction and tourism infrastructure projects negotiated by Mayor Correa and the city council that will benefit San Miguel in 2009.

Historically important model of conservation

Bandarin said that the UNESCO World Heritage Committee voted to include San Miguel on the list of sites because of the role it played during the colonial period as a border between New Spain and the lands to the north and the architectural preservation of the city.

According to López Morales from the INAH, the Bajío was the heart of New Spain, and the Villa of San Miguel el Grande, located in the northern part of this region, “was a model of an extraordinary human settlement, strategically located on the northern border of New Spain and a protective link along the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (the road running from Mexico City to Santa Fe, New Mexico). San Miguel provided services and goods for all the nearby villages, towns and mining centers during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, making it a unique city in Latin America. It also had great importance as a center of the Mexican Independence movement. San Miguel was the most complete crucible from which the mixing of cultures emerged.” López Morales also s
aid that, although it was founded in 1555, our city is one of the most important representatives of 18th-century architecture. “Its buildings are a testament to the peak of the aesthetic development of novo-Hispanic architecture during the 18th century. The centro has retained its authenticity and the integrity of its buildings, as well as the proportions of composition and color,” he said.

Noblesse Oblige

Bandarin outlined the responsibilities of a UNESCO World Heritage site, which include conservation, promotion and regulation of tourism and the management of the city and its outskirts.

He said that San Miguel has been well preserved and could serve as a model for other Latin American cities.

For him, tourism plays an important role in the economic development of the city, but he cautioned that “we must have controls in place to avoid tourism’s becoming a problem instead of a solution.” He said that parameters for tourist capacity must be established and it is important to lead tourists to outlying areas such as Atotonilco. He also congratulated Mayor Correa and the city council for having cancelled the Sanmiguelada. “It was a very difficult decision to make, but this celebration was not compatible with the ideals of World Heritage status,” said Bandarin. 

“I know there are problems with traffic,” he said. “I know that you are trying to solve them properly, and I hope that we will see improvements in the future and that people understand the importance of keeping cars out of the centro.”

Bandarin said that the areas surrounding the historical center must also be properly managed. “There have to be rules that regulate the architecture and height of construction, so that the outskirts do not detract from the centro,” he said.

Coming developments

During the ceremony, Governor Oliva announced the approval of the budgets for projects that Mayor Correa and the city council have been negotiating during their administration.

For road construction, the budget includes 112 million pesos to continue the highway from Comonfort to San Miguel; 300 million pesos for the highway from San Miguel to Buenavista; 42 million pesos for the Guanajuato–San Miguel highway, part of the national road program; and 100 million pesos for modernizing the road from Dolores Hidalgo to San Miguel. 

Oliva announced that the budget for tourism and infrastructure development will be 57.5 million pesos. He also said that Mayor Correa has already presented several proposals for developing a bicentennial park in San Miguel de Allende, at an initial investment of 12 million pesos. He also asked the director of the State Institute of Culture, Juan Alcocer, to begin work on installing the bicentennial museum in the former presidencia building. He added that the cost of the access bridge from Libramiento Manuel Zavala to Infonavit Malanquín will be funded with municipal and state resources. “We are also meeting with the Communication and Transportation Department to negotiate an airfield in San Miguel de Allende,” he said. He added that he has asked the State Tourism Development Department to present a proposal for the construction of a thoroughfare for bicycles and motorcycles from San Miguel to Atotonilco.

“San Miguel is a key location to make the state of Guanajuato a tourist power in Mexico and in the world,” he said. 

Magnificent celebration welcomes 2009 to San Miguel
By Krishna Villena

One of the most important achievements for San Miguel de Allende in 2008 was its selection by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Local government and the Tourism Council organized a celebration at the Jardín to welcome the New Year. Music, mojigangas, estudiantinas and a magnificent spectacle of music and fireworks delighted people on December 31 as never before.

City Councilor Rodolfo Pérez Bautista said that 10 years ago the New Year’s celebration at the Jardín was organized and paid for by the Association of Hotels and Motels, headed at that time by Rubén Pérez. The association covered the expenses including the music from midnight to 1am.

When Jesús Correa became mayor, the celebration was organized by the Tourism Council, headed by Guillermo González Engelbretch, and fireworks were added to the music and dancing.

Pérez said, “To welcome the new year 2009, Jesús Correa said he wanted a very special celebration, an all-day party with the people. The Tourism Council along with the Education and Culture Department, headed by Verónica Agundis, and the Treasury Department, headed by Eduardo Soria and Rodolfo Pérez himself, worked together to organize the greatest New Year’s event ever, because he also wanted to celebrate the UNESCO’s naming San Miguel de Allende and the Shrine of Atotonilco as World Heritage sites.”

Pérez said that this was only the beginning of a series of events in San Miguel. On January 21, there will be another magnificent celebration in honor of local hero Ignacio Allende’s birthday and the installation of commemorative plaques designating San Miguel as a World Heritage site. The main churches downtown will be lighted simultaneously and there will be music and fireworks. 

To market, to market 
By Jesús Ibarra

In December, business administration students from the University of León, led by their teacher, Ludovico López Hernñandez, did some consumer research to determine which stores have the lowest prices and where sanmiguelenses are shopping. Their findings were based on 2,250 personal interviews and comparisons of the prices of 30 basic items in the three largest supermarkets in the city, representative small supermarkets such as Supermercado Espino, Bonanza, Kikes and Plastimundo, and small neighborhood grocery stores. 

Where do people shop?

According to the students’ findings, Mega is sanmiguelenses’ favorite supermarket, preferred over Bodega Aurrerá or Soriana. Small neighborhood grocery stores, tienditas, however, are still popular owing to their convenient location. Results of the research indicated that Bodega Aurrerá offers the lowest prices on most products and the small supermarkets have the highest prices. Cooking oil, for example, is 7.75 pesos cheaper in Aurrerá than in Super Espino, and a one-kilo package of rice is 7.38 pesos cheaper in Aurrerá than in Las Yerbas, a supermarket on Libramiento Manuel Zavala past Calzada de la Estación. 

The interviews revealed that people’s choice of store is strongly influenced by its location, which is nearly as important to them as its prices. The students concluded that in order to be more competitive supermarkets and stores should place more emphasis on quality and service. 

When do people shop?

The majority of those questioned said they buy the bulk of their groceries once a week or every two weeks. Most of them also frequently visit a nearby grocery store during the week to do last-minute shopping. According to the UDL students, this indicates a lack of planning. “People pay a very high cost due to a lack of planning; most people do not have a shopping list prepared and are hooked by sales; they buy unnecessary things and, if they have a credit card, the danger increases,” they said. 


Price comparison for some staples


Product Store and price in pesos

1-2-3 Cooking oil Aurrerá, 20.15 Espino, 28.00

Morelos rice (1 kg) Aurrerá, 12.22 Espino, 18.50 

Sugar (1kg) Doña Rosalba, 6.50 Kikes, 11.00

Legal coffee (200 gr) Kikes, 39.20 Plastimundo, 53.50

Cornflakes (950 gr) Aurrerá, 24.40 Doña Rosalba, 42.00

Verde Valle beans (1 kg) Plastimundo, 13.50 Super Malanquín, 17.00

San Juan eggs (1 kg) Plastimundo, 17.50 Super Malanquín, 20.00



Shopping tips

When buying larger packages of an item, consider the price per unit (kilogram, liter, meter) and not the price per package.

Buy larger packages when the prices are attractive. Don’t forget to consider the expiration date, if applicable, as well as whether all of the item will probably be consumed and available storage space. 

For products sold in different size packages, calculate the price per unit and compare with packages of other sizes.

Make a shopping list and adhere to it. 

It is useful to know the regular prices of products you usually buy to determine whether items that are advertised as being on sale are really discounted.

Sticking to a regular shopping schedule (weekly, every two weeks or monthly) can help you avoid impulse buying resulting from frequent trips to the store. 

Mexico well prepared for economic challenges
By Ambassador Antonio O. Garza

As we start the new year, it is clear that the worldwide financial downturn has impacted every nation and the full economic consequences will likely be felt well into 2009. No doubt the financial situation weighs heavily on both our societies, but while solutions to tight credit, reduced demand and investment slowdowns may take many months to emerge, Mexico remains on a steady course to economic development as the world economy slowly recovers, and the United States remains a strong partner.

Mexico enjoys continued economic growth, low foreign debt, strong dollar reserves, controlled inflation rates and solid financial institutions. The Calderón administration’s impressive National Infrastructure Program will also generate jobs and promote future economic development and poverty reduction. Mexico is becoming more competitive, protecting intellectual property rights and attracting foreign partnership in energy development, and remaining committed to free trade. President Calderón has actively sought bilateral trade agreements with many other nations, and joined regional efforts aimed at reducing tariffs and expanding trade benefits during the G-20 and the Pathways to Prosperity discussions.

Trade is a cornerstone of prosperity in both Mexico and the United States. At the September 2008 Pathways to Prosperity conference, Mexico, the United States and eleven other partner countries from around the hemisphere reaffirmed that in light of the global financial crisis, trade and investment expansion are essential for economic growth, sustainable development, poverty reduction, social justice and democracy. We remain committed to working with our partners to bring the benefits of trade to more people in our societies.

The US continues to take steps to recover from the crisis. In recent days, the US government moved decisively to bolster the automobile industry, and I believe this action will have a positive long-term impact on both the US and Mexican economies. Continued automobile production will certainly mean more job opportunities in both our countries.

In recognition of the fundamental strength underlying Mexico’s economy, the US government offered an extraordinary US$30 billion swap line of credit to meet emergency dollar requirements. Due to sound financial management, Mexico has not yet needed to access this credit. The US remains committed to working in partnership with Mexico as our countries emerge from this financial crisis, and we look forward to Mexico’s continued leadership in future international forums aimed at establishing greater prosperity for all our citizens.

Rules of the road in San Miguel
By Krishna Villena

San Miguel is growing every day, and so are problems and risks for drivers and pedestrians. Knowing the traffic regulations is a way to help prevent problems.  License plates must be placed in the correct place and be visible. Valid stickers, registration and other documents must be carried in the vehicle. It is illegal to drive without these documents or a license or necessary permits.

The most common driver’s license is type A, which is for drivers of private vehicles or business vehicles not exceeding 10 seats. Type D licenses are for motorcycles, scooters and similar vehicles. Vehicles from other countries with plates and legal permission to stay in the country can circulate freely. These vehicles must be registered in the municipality. 


The equipment of all vehicles such as lights, lamps, rare mirrors, seat belts and other general components must work properly and passengers must use seat belts while the vehicle is moving. Motorcycles and bicycles must obey all traffic regulations and riders must wear an appropriate helmet. Headlights must be on while in motion. 

Pedestrians have the right of way in all intersections and in marked crosswalks. Pedestrians are responsible for using caution when crossing streets. 

Drivers suspected to be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs may be tested. Legal intoxication is 0.8 grams per liter, or 0.4 milligrams per liter as measured by breathalyzer. A copy of the breathalyzer results are given to the driver at the scene. Drivers may request and pay for a second test under the supervision of the traffic officer.

In case of an accident, if the drivers and any pedestrians involved are able to report the facts they must call authorities and stay at the scene. Pedestrians and drivers involved in a car accident can reach an agreement without going to the district attorney’s office. If there is no agreement the case is turned over to the district attorney’s office.

Public transport such as buses and taxis must charge correct rates and maintain schedules. Bus operators must give passengers a ticket that indicates the bus line, the price, number of the route and number of the bus. 

Traffic violations that result in a ticket or a fine include lack of plates and driver’s license, lack of seat belts, speeding, excessive exhaust, throwing objects or garbage in the street, improper use of the horn and double-parking or parking facing the wrong direction, among others. Fines vary depending on the type of violation. 

Traffic officers can confiscate driver’s licenses, vehicle registrations, plates and entire vehicles if warranted. Officers must show identification and specify which infractions have occurred. Fines must be paid at the municipal treasury department in the presidencia and impounded vehicles can be recovered directly from the authorized lots.

Lack of plates and documentation are the most common charges; the fine is between 200 and 300 pesos. Driving under the influence of alcohol and parking in a handicapped parking space are among the most expensive fines, from 250 to 2,000 pesos. Parking in a prohibited space such as in front of a garage door, double parking, parking on the sidewalk or obstructing access for pedestrians and other cars carry a fine of approximately 200 to 400 pesos.