Headlines from Mexico

1. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, commonly known as CJNG, is widely considered the last remaining major cartel functioning in Mexico. This week, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Mexican officials announced further security collaboration to combat cartel actions in both countries. They noted the goal of arresting the leader of CJNG, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, or “El Mencho,” as a main goal. The Mexican government has put out a 30 million peso reward for the capture of “El Mencho”.

Read more: La Jornada, Milenio, Reforma

2. López Obrador discussed the future of the new Mexico City airport project today in a press conference. His administration plans on continuing consultations with civil society and experts. A consultation or national survey will be released the final week of October to gauge citizen opinions. López Obrador reiterated his position that the population’s opinion, and an active democratic exercise, is the most important factor.

Read more: La Jornada, Milenio, Reforma

3. López Obrador said on Monday his administration will invest more than $11 billion to boost refining capacity in order to curb growing fuel imports. This will be used to improve six existing refineries and build a new one in his home state of Tabasco.

Read more: El Financiero, El Universal, Reforma

4. On Tuesday, President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced the amplification of the ‘Tren Maya’ from 900 to 1,500 km. It will now include the states of Tabasco, Campeche, Chiapas, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo. The train has been both praised and condemned, with critics cynical about the current timeline of the project and others raising concerns over the environment and the local indigenous population.

Read more: El Universal, La Jornada, Reforma

5. Fabio Melanitto, a former member of the band Uff!, was killed Tuesday. He was riding his motorcycle with his partner when he was shot. It is being considered a purposeful assassination and authorities think it may have to do with financial extortion.

Read more: El Universal, Milenio, Reforma

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Headlines from Mexico

1. On Wednesday, AMLO was formally declared the President-elect of Mexico. Mexico has one of the longest transition periods, and this is one of the many formal mechanisms in securing the presidency.

Read more: El Universal, Forbes MX, Reuters MX

2. AMLO began his peace forums in Ciudad Juarez on Tuesday, bringing together local authorities, victim groups, and civil society. Durazo, the incoming head of the Secretariat of Public Security (SSP), laid out the administration’s plan to tackle the rising violence in the country.

Read more: La Jornada, El Universal, Reuters MX

3. Just days prior to the first forum on pacification, 11 were murdered over the weekend in Ciudad Juarez. While violence lowered in the city after its 2011 height, it is on the climb again, and local officials are concerned about it worsening.

Read more: Excelsior, Milenio, Proceso

4. Peña Nieto and AMLO met yesterday to discuss the transition of administrations. The meeting included raising the issue of Peña Nieto introducing the legislation to make the Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) once more prior to AMLO’s inauguration. This would be a big win for AMLO as he spearheads his public security program and peace forums.

Read more: El Financiero, El Pais, El Universal

5. On Wednesday, Elba Ester Gordillo, the former leader of the teacher’s union in Mexico, was exonerated. She had been accused of corruption, amongst other charges. Her supporters were ecstatic while her critics called it a sign of impunity.

Read more: El Universal, Jornada, Reforma

Headlines from Mexico

1. An Aeromexico flight carrying 103 people crashed after taking off from an airport in Durango. Mexican officials confirmed there were no fatalities as a result of the crash, but 49 passengers were hospitalized due to minor injuries; the pilot and another passenger are in critical but stable condition. The plane was on route from Durango to Mexico City, when it rapidly descended due to heavy rains and strong winds.

Read more: Reforma, Excelsior, El Universal, Milenio

2. Mexico’s Minister of Economy, Ildefonso Guajardo, and Secretary Robert Lighthizer reported some progress in the NAFTA renegotiation talks with the United States, but some issues remain. Guajardo emphasized a particular desire to finish up on details regarding rules of origin, while stating that the “sunset clause” topic wouldn’t be discussed this week.

Read more: El Universal, Reforma, El Economista, El Financiero

3. Mexico’s Foreign Ministry condemned protesters shouting racist comments and distributing anti-migrant leaflets outside its New York consulate. Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray declared, “on Saturday a group of racist, ignorant and xenophobic people were at our consulate in NY, we reject and condemn these events.” The protests were conducted by members of a group called Identity Evropa, a group said to be dedicated to defending people of European heritage.

Read more: Proceso, Excelsior, Reforma, Mural

4. AMLO declared his energy plan will require an investment of 175 billion pesos in the first year, and it will consist primarily of revitalizing oil and gas extraction. AMLO plans to rehabilitate the six refineries so they can operate at 100% of their capacity within 2 years, along with the construction of a new refinery in Dos Bocas Paraíso, Tabasco in 2019. AMLO also confirmed two appointments, Octavio Romero to PEMEX and Manuel Bartlett to CFE.

Read more: Jornada, El Financiero, El Economista

5. AMLO announced he is contemplating an investment of $10 billion MXN pesos for his health plan. The plan will consist of finalizing the construction of 57 inconclusive hospitals throughout the country, affirming they must finish the construction of the abandoned hospitals first before starting on new ones.

Read more: El Financiero, Reforma, Proceso, El Universal

Headlines from Mexico

1. Mexico’s negotiating team headed by the Secretary of the Economy, Ildefonso Guajardo, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Luis Videgaray, and AMLO’s nominee for NAFTA chief negotiator, Jesus Seade, arrived in Washington to resume the NAFTA renegotiations. There has been optimism between all parts that a deal can be struck by the end of August. Guajardo said that Mexico’s position on the most controversial issues has not changed.

Read more: Reforma, Excelsior, El Financiero, El Economista

2. Following the meeting between the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chrystia Freeland, and the Mexican Secretaries of Foreign Affairs and Economy, Luis Videgaray and Ildefonso Guajardo, the representatives of both governments reaffirmed their commitment to upholding NAFTA as a trilateral trade agreement. Guajardo also added that the Mexican government was close to reaching an agreement with Canada on the remaining disputed provisions.

Read more: El País, El Economista, El Financiero, Reforma

3. Mexico’s President-elect revealed the contents of the letter he received from U.S. President Donald Trump this week. In the letter, President Trump extended pleasantries towards AMLO, adding to the series of positive exchanges between the two men which has been called by experts a “honeymoon” stage. Nonetheless, Trump highlighted in the letter that if the NAFTA talks were not finalized soon, the United States would pursue a different course of action.

Read more: Excelsior, Univision, El Universal, Milenio

4. Morena’s Federal deputy, Alicia Barrientos Pantoja, presented to the Permanent Commission of the Chamber of Deputies a legislative initiative for a 50% cut to the public transfers that the parties receive.

Read more: Reforma, Excelsior, El Economista

5. The President-Elect, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, said that by the middle of next month a report, prepared by his advisory team, will be ready to determine if the construction of the New International Airport of Mexico (NAIM) is viable or not. He also mentioned that at the end of October he will make a citizen consultation.

Read more: La Jornada, Reforma, El Economista

Headlines for Mexico

1. Early in the week, López Obrador announced that his salary would be 108,000 pesos per month, a 40% decrease from Peña Nieto’s monthly salary. It is part of his aim to lead by example and enforce austerity measures from the top. He considers it a moderate move.

Read more: El Universal, La Jornada, Reforma

2. After a historic loss in the 2018 elections, the head of Mexico’s ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Rene Juarez, resigned. In a press conference announcing his departure, the former President of the party said that the transformation of the PRI should be the size of the current defeat. Claudia Ruiz Massieu, the party’s secretary general, will take over the PRI leadership.

Read more: El Universal, Excelsior, Milenio, Reforma

3. The National Institute of Electorates (INE) fined Morena 10 million pesos for being unable to account for a fund that was meant to go to victims of the Mexico City earthquake. INE alleges that Morena cannot show a paper trail for donations.

Read more: El Financiero, El Universal, La Jornada

4. U.S. President Trump said this week that he would prioritize a trade deal with Mexico and then approach a separate one with Canada. This made NAFTA-proponents nervous and both Mexican and Canadian officials were reticent to embrace this idea. Still, the resetting of U.S.-Mexico relations and improved bilateral negotiations is seen as a plus for Mexico.

Read more: El Financiero, El Universal, La Jornada

5. AMLO gave his future Secretary of the Interior, Olga Sanchez Cordero, a blank check to seek ways to pacify the country. The President-elect instructed her to do whatever was necessary, including opening up the discussion for the decriminalization of drugs, to attempt to bring peace to the country after more than a decade of being embroiled in the bloody drug war.

Read more: El Economista, El Universal, La Jornada, Reforma

Headlines from Mexico

1. The U.S. government has been pursuing an agreement with Mexico, known as a safe third country agreement, to lower asylum-seekers’ claims on the U.S.-Mexico border. The agreement, which the United States already has with Canada, requires asylum seekers to apply for asylum in the first ‘safe’ country they reach. The United States has been trying to convince Mexico to agree to the agreement, which would vastly augment the number of asylum claims in Mexico as Central Americans reaching the U.S. border would now have to apply in Mexico. Mexico, however, has showed little interest in the agreement, and it came out this week that they have now told the United States just that: they will not sign a safe third country agreement.

Read more: El Economista, El Universal, Reforma

2. Top U.S. officials travelled to Mexico midweek to meet with their Mexican counterparts and López Obradror’s transition team. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo led the U.S. delegation, which included Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and Presidential advisor Jared Kushner. Officials reportedly discussed security cooperation and a possible ‘re-set’ to U.S.-Mexican relations, which have become strained under President Trump. Secretary Pompeo also met with López Obrador and stressed mutual goals.

Read more: El Universal, La Jornada, Reforma

3. López Obrador has announced his austerity plan for government, which includes lowering federal salaries and removing chauffeurs and chefs from the government. He has said the government must implement austerity as a way to break away from the ‘mafia of power’ and combat corruption through less government spending. It is also meant to improve the image of high-level government officials to the public.

Read more: El Universal, La Jornada, Reforma

4. A drone carrying two deactivated grenades landed on the yard of a Security Chief’s home in Baja California. While the Chief does not live there and no one was injured, it raised alarm bells due to the use of drones in the crime world and the possibility of more high-tech gadgets being used by crime cells. As the government continues their anti-crime crackdown, it is a reminder of the dangers police and government officials face in their so-called ‘war on drugs.’

Read more: El Economista, El Universal, Excelsior, Milenio

5. A portion of the new shopping mall Artz Pedregral collapsed last Thursday; there were no injuries, trapped civilians, or disappearances as a result of the collapse. The Secretary of Civil Protection, Fausto Lugo, said the building collapsed due to bad construction procedures, mainly in the failure to calculate excess weight in the structure or design. The rest of the mall is suspended until the authorities complete a thorough investigation.

Read more: El Financiero, El Universal, Excelsior, Reforma

Headlines from Mexico

1. On Sunday, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) won the Presidency in Mexico. He defeated his closest competitor by 30 points, giving him resounding support across the country. He won the majority in 30 of Mexico’s 32 states. His closest competitors, José Antonio Meade and Ricardo Anaya, quickly congratulated AMLO following the closing of the vote. He is Mexico’s first President from the Left since Mexico’s transition from one-party rule in 1989.

Read more: El Universal, La Jornada, Reforma

2. AMLO and his allies, under the banner “Together We Will Make History,” won the majority in both the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. Having the Congress under the same political party as the President will assist AMLO in his policy reforms. As Morena was only formed as a political party in 2013, this is seen as a major accomplishment and denunciation of the traditional parties in Mexico.

Read more: El Universal, Excelsior, La Jornada

3. Morena won the gubernatorial races in five of the nine Mexican states that held governor’s races on Sunday. Morena won Morelos, Tabasco, Veracruz, Chiapas, and Mexico City. Morena dominated nationally, but these governorships are key to making Morena a country-wide party and gives AMLO support in bringing the governorships closer to the central government again.

Read more: El Universal, La Jornada, Reforma

4. Mexico’s Congress has reached close to gender-parity for the incoming legislature following Sunday’s election. The senate, which was 83.20% Male in 2000, is now 48.80% Female. This is seen as a major step for gender equality in Mexico and comes along with the election of Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico City, who becomes the first woman to lead Mexico’s capital.

Read more: El Universal, La Jornada, Reforma

5. Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) won the Mexican presidency this past Sunday. He received more than 30 million votes, the most ever won by a Mexican president. Anaya, who came in a distant second place, received the lowest amount of votes from a PAN candidate since Vicente Fox won the Presidency in 2000. AMLO’s vote count gives him major credibility as he begins the transition period prior to the Presidency.

Read more: El Universal, La Jornada, Reforma