La Barbie’s Ranch Went From Luxury To Oblivion: This Is What It Looks Like Now, Surrounded By Rubble And Rubbish

A sprawling 2.5-hectare property with stables, murals, and a jacuzzi in ruins—this is the current state of El Paraíso ranch, once owned by Édgar Valdez Villarreal, alias “La Barbie.” After being raffled off by the National Lottery in September 2021, the ranch has fallen into disrepair and neglect. Now, there are plans to transform it into a research center.

Damaged furniture and overgrown weeds: this is what La Barbie’s ranch looks like.

Located in the town of Atlacholoaya, in the municipality of Xochitepec, Morelos, the property is nestled among dirt roads and fields of sugarcane and corn, near a few wooden houses and a local cultural center. This stark contrast to the luxurious image the ranch once represented, a place that served as a refuge for one of the most wanted drug traffickers by Mexican and U.S. authorities.

The property features tall, thick walls that are now dilapidated, overgrown with grass, and nearly fallen, rusted doors.

Although the property’s facade displays several signs stating “Property of the Government of the State of Morelos,” it lacks any security measures.

Milenio toured the property, which the federal government had previously valued at over 62 million pesos, due to its former amenities: a banquet hall, an artificial lake, palapas, a swimming pool, a gym, steam rooms, and several bedrooms.

Today, all of this lies forgotten amidst rubble and trash. The rooms are missing windows and doors, the floors and finishes are destroyed, and some walls are covered in grass and damp stains.

The same is true for the stables, the jacuzzi, and the steam rooms; meanwhile, the swimming pool is filled with sewage.

What appears to be the ranch’s main residence, located near the boundary with another property, has a ground floor and a second floor with multiple rooms; Some features can be seen from inside, while others cannot due to the building’s instability.

On the ground floor, there is a mural that, unlike the other spaces, remains almost intact and in good condition despite the years.

The ranch was raffled off by the National Lottery.

This property was one of the 22 prizes included in the special National Lottery (Lotenal) raffle, led by the current governor of Morelos, Margarita González Saravia, held on September 15, 2021.

Almost a month later, González Saravia announced at the morning press conference of then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador that the property had been awarded to a woman named Nereida Morales, who won the contest.

“Of the 22 prizes that were planned, 11 were raffled off, and the tickets for the land in Xochitepec, Morelos, have already been received.”

“Mr. President, the person who won the Xochitepec ranch is here. We would like to request that you please give her the document confirming receipt of the lottery ticket. We have it, please, if you could, for Mrs. Nereida Morales,” said the then-official during the morning press conference on October 6, 2021.

The property will be transformed into an agricultural school.

Currently, Governor González Saravia’s administration is seeking to use the La Barbie ranch to expand CBTA 194, located in the municipality of Miacatlán, in order to create more spaces for young people who wish to continue their studies.

Karla Aline Herrera Alonso, head of the Morelos Ministry of Education, reported that the existing infrastructure of the property will be preserved and converted into a Center for Agricultural Technological Baccalaureate (CBTA).

“We are seeking a more dignified situation, and of course, we want these properties—you know their origin—to become part of the educational area.

There are several projects planned for this property, including the CBTA (Agricultural and Technological High School). Currently, we are reviewing the legal aspects, surveying part of the property to establish a plan, an executive project that will allow us to know if we are on the right track and what will be built.

“We greatly need the federal government’s input, and on the other hand, we need them to provide the work center code, and we are working to secure funding,” he reported.

Herrera Alonso mentioned that they are in the intermediate stage and expect it to be completed in 2026; he also reiterated that the other part of this property, which is more than 2.5 hectares, will be used for the construction of the Institute of Traditional Medicine of Mexico.

Source: Milenio