Baja California Sur Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío signed a cooperation agreement Wednesday launching “El Maíz Nos Une,” a statewide strategy to recognize and strengthen cultural diversity across the peninsula’s southern state. The program targets Afro-Mexican, Indigenous, and mestizo communities through social justice initiatives, resource allocation, and direct community support.
The state’s family welfare agency, SEDIF (Sistema Estatal para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia), is coordinating the effort. SEDIF honorary president Patricia López Navarro said the strategy includes channeling resources for direct assistance to historically marginalized populations across all five BCS municipalities.
September Event to Feature Traditional Dance, Food, and Crafts
A centerpiece gathering called “El Maíz Nos Une” is planned for September. The event will bring together Indigenous, Afro-Mexican, and mestizo communities to share traditional dances, artisan crafts, regional food, and cultural knowledge through community and artistic exchanges. Organizers have already held a second planning meeting as of mid-March, with state and municipal agencies, civil organizations, cultural liaisons, and the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur all participating in preparations.
The program falls under the broader state initiative called “Échale Montón.” Organizers say they want the September event to become a recurring meeting point that promotes economic development, community integration, and respect for traditional customs in multiple localities across the state.
All Five BCS Municipalities on Board
Municipal leaders from Comondú, Mulegé, Loreto, La Paz, and Los Cabos attended the signing ceremony, giving the strategy buy-in from every municipality in the state. That full participation is notable in a state where government programs sometimes struggle to reach remote communities in the northern municipalities of Mulegé and Comondú, hundreds of kilometers from the capital.
At the close of the ceremony, Castro Cosío said his administration remains committed to public policies that strengthen inclusion and recognition of Indigenous peoples in Baja California Sur. The governor’s term ends later this year, making this one of his administration’s final cultural policy initiatives.
The story was first reported by the Baja California Sur state government website, bcs.gob.mx.