Gunmen storm Mexican village hall and shoot dead mayor
García Soto is the second mayor to be killed in Oaxaca state this year. In May, the mayor of Santiago Amoltepec was shot dead in an ambush along with two other people who were in the car with him at the time of the attack.The governor of Oaxaca has condemned this latest killing, adding that the crime would not go unpunished.However, security forces are still searching for the four gunmen, who escaped after the attack. The state prosecutor's office said federal agents had been deployed to the area to help locate them.Violence against local politicians and those running for office in Mexico has been on the rise in recent years, spiking in the run-up to last year's general election. Most of the attacks happened in small towns where organised crime groups are particularly strong, but last month two top aides of the mayor of Mexico City were shot dead in the capital in an escalation of violence which shocked the country.
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Telegraph
12-08-2025
- Telegraph
Adidas in cultural appropriation row over Mexican sandal
Adidas has apologised after Mexico accused it of cultural appropriation by releasing a sandal based on a style made by indigenous people. The sportswear giant said it had offered a public apology after critics including Mexico's president said it had taken designs from local communities. The Oaxaca slip-on, released last week, imitates designs from huarache sandals, which date back to before Spain's conquest of Mexico in the 16th century. It is most associated with artisans in Villa Hidalgo Yalalag, a village in the southern state of Oaxaca, many of whom rely on production of the handmade shoes for income. The Adidas shoe's creator, Willy Chavarria, a Mexican-American fashion designer, had said he wanted to reference Mexican culture in designing the shoes. However, last week Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's president, threatened legal action during a news conference and said Adidas was in talks with Oaxaca authorities about compensating them. Salomón Jara Cruz, Oaxaca's governor, said on social media: 'We reject the plagiarism and improper appropriation of one of their ancestral designs and the name of our state.' He said the local government had requested the 'immediate suspension' of sales. Mr Jara Cruz added: 'This is not a campaign against any company; it is a message to the world that Oaxaca and its communities deserve respect.' Adidas said: 'The Oaxaca Slip-On was inspired by a design from Oaxaca, rooted in the tradition of Villa Hidalgo Yalalag. 'We offer a public apology and reaffirm our commitment to collaborate with Yalalag in a respectful dialogue that honours their cultural legacy.' Mr Chavarria said: 'I am deeply sorry that the shoe was appropriated in this design and not developed in direct and meaningful partnership with the Oaxacan community. 'This falls short of the respect and collaborative approach that Oaxaca, the Zapotec community of Villa Hidalgo Yalalag and its people deserve.' It is not the first time Mexico has accused major brands of cultural appropriation. The country's government wrote to Zara and Anthropologie in 2021 for using embroidery designs created by its indigenous population. And in 2022, the wife of Mexico's then-president accused Ralph Lauren of plagiarising local designs, leading the company to apologise.
Reuters
11-08-2025
- Reuters
Adidas apologises for sandal appropriating Indigenous Mexican design
LONDON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Adidas ( opens new tab has formally apologised after Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum criticised the sportswear brand over a shoe that replicated traditional Indigenous huarache sandals without attributing the design or crediting artisans. The misstep comes shortly after Prada triggered a widespread backlash in India when its Milan fashion show debuted a sandal replicating Kolhapuri slippers, highlighting the increased scrutiny multinational brands face over the origin of their designs. "The 'Oaxaca slip-on' was inspired by a design from Oaxaca, rooted in the tradition of Villa Hidalgo Yalálag," Adidas said in a statement. "We offer a public apology and reaffirm our commitment to collaborate with Yalálag in a respectful dialogue that honours their cultural legacy." Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday that her administration is looking into legal ways of supporting Indigenous communities whose designs are taken by big companies, after Oaxaca officials criticised the Adidas shoe. The Oaxaca slip-on, launched five days ago by Mexican-American designer Willy Chavarria with Adidas, features a black sneaker sole topped with the leather weave typical of Mexico's huarache sandals. Chavarria said on Saturday he was "deeply sorry that the shoe was appropriated in this design and not developed in direct and meaningful partnership with the Oaxacan community".
BBC News
10-08-2025
- BBC News
Willy Chavarria sorry after Adidas shoe cultural appropriation row
US fashion designer Willy Chavarria has apologised after a shoe he created in collaboration with Adidas Originals was criticised for "cultural appropriation".The Oaxaca Slip-On was inspired by traditional leather sandals known as huaraches made by Indigenous artisans in Mexican president was among those who spoke out against the footwear, which was reportedly made in China without consultation or credit to the communities who originated the said in a statement sent to the BBC: "I am deeply sorry that the shoe was appropriated in this design and not developed in direct and meaningful partnership with the Oaxacan community." The BBC has contacted Adidas for comment. Cultural appropriation is defined as "the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, of one people or society by members of a typically more dominant people or society".Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum told a press conference: "Big companies often take products, ideas and designs from Indigenous communities."She added: "We are looking at the legal part to be able to support them."Adidas had contacted Oaxacan officials to discuss "restitution to the people who were plagiarised", Mexico's deputy culture minister Marina Nunez added. Promotional images of the black moulded open-toe footwear have been taken down from the brand's social media accounts as well as Chavarria's. In his statement, the designer said he wanted "to speak from the heart about the Oaxaca slip-on I created with Adidas"."The intention was always to honor the powerful cultural and artistic spirit of Oaxaca and its creative communities - a place whose beauty and resistance have inspired me. The name Oaxaca is not just a word - its living culture, its people, and its history."He went on to say he was "deeply sorry" he did not work with the Oaxacan community on the design."This falls short of the respect and collaborative approach that Oaxaca, the Zapotec community of Villa Hidalgo Yalalag, and its people deserve," he added."I know love is not just given - it is earned through action." Adidas has not responded to the BBC's request for a Associated Press reported that Adidas responded to Mexican authorities in a letter on Friday. The company reportedly said it "deeply values the cultural wealth of Mexico's Indigenous people and recognizes the relevance" of criticisms, and requesting a sit-down to talk about how to "repair the damage" to Indigenous communities.
