I had the free time and inclination to attend two out of the eight “Understanding Mexico” conferences presented between August 4 and 14 under the auspices of the Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Being there turned out to be a good judgment call, as I left each of the three-hour sessions fully satisfied with new insights on contemporary Mexico and clamoring for even more understanding of my adopted home.

Unfortunately, work and personal commitments prevented me from attending the August 4-7 presentations of “An Intimate History of Mexico” by Daniel Grippo, as well as two others by Carlos Navarro during week two. I have vowed to watch the video recordings of those six missed conferences, which have been uploaded to YouTube. Everyone else can catch up the same way.

The Navarro sessions I caught live and in person were his Tuesday talk on the Intricacies of Claudia Sheinbaum’s Presidency and Thursday’s look at Mexico Amid a Second Trump Administration.

First off, I have to give a thumbs-up to Carlos for his vast knowledge of the subject matter and his outstanding presentation style. Over many years, I have attended numerous lectures on Mexican history, culture, and social issues, including the series prepared and presented more than a decade ago by my late husband, eminent teacher and history buff, Wayne C. Palfrey. Nothing compares to the fantastic way Carlos interacts with his audience. He is a virtual master at turning facts, figures, and commentary into a true conversation with listeners.

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