Weekly News Summary: March 15th

The Mexico Institute’s “Weekly News Summary,” released every Friday afternoon summarizes the week’s most prominent Mexico headlines published in the English-language press, as well as the most engaging opinion pieces by Mexican columnists.

What the English-language press had to say…

On Monday, President Enrique Peña Nieto furthered his legislative agenda by unveiling plans to reform Mexico’s telecommunications and television sectors. The reforms, he introduced, “represent challenges for the businesses of this sector, but they also open new opportunities.” Televisa, led by Emilio Azcárraga, and América Móvil, owned by Carlos Slim, the world’s richest man, both issued statements welcoming the proposals. Reuters reported that while the reforms may significantly reduce both companies’ revenue, they may also represent an opportunity for Slim and Azcárraga “to make inroads into each other’s territory.”

The Financial Times was impressed with Peña Nieto’s boldness, pointing out that in his first 100 days as president, “he has taken on the rich and powerful in ways that seemed impossible less than a year ago.” The Economist, meanwhile, warned that if Peña Nieto’s reforms succeed, opposition parties may have a hard time gaining voters’ support in the 2018 presidential elections. Analysts highlighted the growing importance of the Pacto por México in advancing Peña Nieto’s legislative agenda, and anticipated tax and energy reforms are next on the list.

Weekly News Summary: February 15

The Mexico Institute’s “Weekly News Summary,” released every Friday afternoon, summarizes the week’s most prominent Mexico headlines published in the English-language press, as well as the most engaging opinion pieces by Mexican columnists.

What the English-language press had to say…

This week, the Peña Nieto administration unveiled its new strategy to combat organized crime, promising the creation of a 10,000-strong gendarmerie by year’s end, as well as $9.2 billion for social programs aimed at the country’s most violent towns and neighborhoods.  Mexico’s booming auto industry surpassed tourism and oil exports to become the nation’s main source of foreign exchange. The government’s efforts to transform the Mexican narrative of violence into one of prosperity and social development, however, continued to suffer setbacks following the rape of six Spanish tourists in Acapulco last week. Auto defensa vigilante groups in the state of Guerrero continued to hold over forty people accused of several crimes hostage. North of the border, talk of comprehensive immigration reform continued, with critics warning against conditioning reform efforts on the poorly defined notion of securing the border, which Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano added, has “never been stronger.”