Cuaron’s ‘Roma’ beckons moviegoers to Mexico’s presidential digs

12-06-2018 – Reuters

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Alfonso Cuaron’s critically acclaimed film “Roma” is set to show in one of Mexico’s most exclusive venues, taking over the once-private screening room of the palatial presidential residence, which President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has opened to the public.

Lopez Obrador on Saturday transformed “Los Pinos,” the luxurious home of Mexican presidents during the last eight decades, into a cultural center in a symbolic moment for his presidency that has promised an end to rule by the country’s elite.

Cuaron said on Twitter on late Tuesday that “Los Pinos joins in showing ROMA!,” a film that focuses on an indigenous maid in a middle-class home that mirrors the director’s own upbringing in Mexico City.

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Mexico’s new ‘common man’ president hits the ground running

12/3/2018 – Washington Post

(Marco Ugarte/Associated Press)

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s newly inaugurated president hit the ground running Monday with his pledge to govern as a common man and end decades of secrecy, heavy security and luxury enjoyed by past presidents.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sported slightly ruffled hair at his first early morning news conference as president, which started at 7 a.m. local time Monday.

“Isn’t that a change, that I am here, informing you?” Lopez Obrador asked reporters. While past presidents have very seldom held news conferences, Lopez Obrador promised to do so on a near-daily basis, much as he did when he was mayor of Mexico City from 2000-2005.

Lopez Obrador took his first airplane flight as president Sunday, boarding a commercial flight with the rest of the passengers. He has promised to sell the presidential jet as an austerity measure.

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Mexico’s Lopez Obrador Promises Radical Change in First Speech

12/2/2018 – New York Times

Source: Reuters

MEXICO CITY — Veteran leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was sworn in as Mexican president on Saturday, promising a radical change of course in a country struggling with gang violence, chronic poverty and corruption on the doorstep of the United States.

The first leftist to take office in Mexico in a generation moved to reassure business after markets crashed last month on worries about his policies. He promised investments would be safe and that he would respect central bank independence.

Following are some reactions to his inaugural speech:

ALFONSO ESPARZA, ANALYST AT OANDA IN TORONTO

“There were no great surprises in the speech. It reiterates criticism of the neo-liberal model with the example of the energy reform, and puts forward increasing the number of refineries. Lots of problems were raised but not much time was left to get into solutions.”

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RPT-Elon Musk’s ‘Teslaquila’ drink faces clash with Mexican tequila industry

11/14/2018 – Reuters

Reuters/Carlos Jasso

MEXICO CITY, Nov 13 (Reuters) – Tesla Inc co-founder Elon Musk and Mexico’s tequila producers could be headed for a collision after the agave-based drink’s industry group opposed the flamboyant billionaire’s efforts to trademark an alcoholic drink dubbed “Teslaquila.”

One of the world’s richest people and chief executive of Tesla, Musk is known for ambitious and cutting-edge projects ranging from auto electrification and rocket-building to high-speed transit tunnels.

Now it seems that Musk could be setting his sights on disrupting the multibillion-dollar tequila industry.

On Oct. 12, he tweeted “Teslaquila coming soon” and an accompanying “visual approximation” of a red and white label with the Tesla logo and a caption that stated “100 percent Puro de Agave.”

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Mexico honors migrants at Day of the Dead as caravan treks north

10/29/2018 – Reuters

REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico City dedicated its Day of the Dead parade on Saturday to migrants, just as thousands of Central Americans were trekking from the country’s southern border toward the United States under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to disband.

In an a twist on the traditional dancing skeletons and marigold-adorned altars making their way down the capital’s main thoroughfare, the parade also referenced Mexicans who emigrated as well as foreigners who settled in the capital.

“The parade… is dedicated to migrants, who in their transit to other countries have lost their lives, and who in their passing through the country have contributed to a true ‘Refuge City,’” the Mexico City government said on Twitter.

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Shooting at Mexico Ex-Cardinal’s Home Leaves Guard Dead

10/22/2018 – The New York Times

The Associated Press

A shooting at the Mexico City home of retired Cardinal Norberto Rivera has left an auxiliary police officer dead.

The Episcopal Conference of Mexico says in a statement that the guard received a “mortal wound” in Sunday’s incident. The Mexico City prosecutor’s office says it is investigating.

Local media reported the shooting was presumably an attempted robbery. Two assailants apparently pretending to be delivering a package rang the doorbell, and the guard was shot in a struggle after he opened up.

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Soccer – 2026 World Cup could lead to combined north American league: Liga MX chief

10/10/2018 – Reuters 

A combined north American soccer league between Canada, Mexico and the United States could be the main legacy of the 2026 World Cup hosted by those nations, the president of the Mexican top-flight division Enrique Bonilla said on Wednesday.

The ‘United 2026’ bid beat Morocco in the vote at FIFA’s Congress in June to host the first 48-team World Cup.

Although the majority of venues are proposed to be in the U.S., it is Mexican teams who have dominated on the continent, winning all 10 editions of the CONCACAF Champions League.

Liga MX also remains the most watched soccer league in the U.S. and attracts average crowds of more than 26,500.

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