1. Alberto Anaya, the head of the Labor Party (PT), justified the diversion of approximately USD $5.2 million dollars from Nuevo Leon’s Education Secretariat. The funds are to be utilized by the state’s Child Development Centers (Cendis). Anaya stated that the funds were deposited into four personal accounts because the state government fails to open accounts for the institution in order to avoid granting labor rights to the center’s employees. Anaya insists that this is a “political prosecution” against the party’s 2018 presidential election coalition with The National Regeneration Movement party (MORENA).
Read more: Reforma, Excelsior, El Universal, Milenio
2. On November 7, the Mexican Senate will reconvene to elect a new electoral prosecutor. The Senate will no longer be able to revert the decision made by the Attorney General to fire the ex-electoral prosecutor, Santiago Nieto. Opposition leaders are calling for the Attorney General to further explain the reason for the removal of the electoral prosecutor.
Read more: Reforma, Excelsior, El Universal, Milenio
3. The National Institute of Statistics and Geography, known as INEGI, released new data on the 1.7% increase in Mexico’s economy in the last trimester of 2017. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto acknowledged the setbacks the recent earthquakes have caused in the economy. In addition to reiterating the new data about Mexico’s economic growth, the president highlighted the public-private sector projects that are transforming Mexico into an important tourist destination.
Read more: El Universal, Excelsior, Reforma, El Economista
4. The National Electoral Institute (INE) has approved a campaign spending cap for the 2018 federal elections.
Presidential election campaign spending caps:
- Pre-Campaign trail spending limit: 67.2 milliones pesos (approximately USD $3.5 million) and
- Campaign trail spending limit: 429.6 millones de pesos (approximately USD $22 million).
Federal deputy campaign spending caps:
- Pre-Campaign trail spending limit: 252 mil 008 pesos (approximately USD $13,000) and
- Campaign trail spending limit: 1.4 millones (approximately USD $74,000).
Read more: Reforma, Proceso, El Universal, Milenio
Mexico Institute 