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Energy
Foreign Oil Majors Begin Exploring “Doughnut Hole” Field In The Gulf Of Mexico
March 24, 2008
According to a report issued by the U.S. agency Minerals Management Service (MMS), Pemex could be impacted by intensified exploration of the “Doughnut Hole” oil field in the Gulf of Mexico by multinational oil firms. While Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, TotalFinaElf and Exxon have initiated exploration and exploitation activities in the said oil field, Mexico continues to lag behind for lack of funding. Mexico has a little more than one year to exploit an agreement reached with the U.S. government privileging Pemex to explore for oil in certain areas of the “Doughnut hole.”
Pemex Books 85 Million Barrels Of Oil Reserves At Cobra Field
March 26, 2008
Pemex said that a recent discovery in the state of Tabasco has helped it replace half of the oil and natural gas it produced last year. Pemex said it discovered 85 million barrels of oil and 39.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas at the Cobra field, located in the southeastern region, where more than 90% of the country's oil is produced. Despite the discovery, Mexico's total oil and gas reserves fell 5% last year to 14.7 billion barrels of crude equivalent, or enough to last nine years at current production rates. Pemex claims that 55% of its prospective resources lie in deep waters. Mexico currently pumps oil in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico and on land.
Lula Proposes Pemex-Petrobras Joint Venture To Calderon
March 30, 2008
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that he proposed to President Calderon a joint venture between Brazilian national oil company Petrobras and its Mexican counterpart Pemex as means of stemming a decline in output in Mexico without involving private investment. Lula said Mexico treated Pemex like "an untouchable goddess," while at the same time draining the company of funds it needs to invest in technological development. Meanwhile, the Energy Ministry (SENER) said in a report following a diagnosis on the current state of Pemex that the company must work with outside firms to boost sagging production and gain access to better equipment. While Mexico has only drilled six oil wells in recent years, 167 wells are drilled each year on the U.S. side of the Gulf of Mexico.
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Banking, Insurance & Finance
Banco Azteca Begins Low-Income Lending Operations In Brazil
March 27, 2008
The banking unit of Mexican conglomerate Grupo Salinas, Banco Azteca, opened its first two branches in Brazil, where it plans to tap booming credit markets by catering to low-income borrowers with small consumer loans. The branches, inaugurated by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Grupo Salinas’s CEO Ricardo Salinas, will target low-income and first-time borrowers in the northeastern cities of Recife and Olinda in Brazil's Pernambuco state. The goal is to attract clients "that other banks don't want" and help them to buy consumer products like furniture and household appliances. Banco Azteca has 1,900 branches in seven other countries throughout Latin America, with 8 million active loans and about 8 million deposit accounts.
Banorte Sees Advantages In U.S. Financial Crisis
March 27, 2008
Executives from Mexican Bank Grupo Financiero Banorte said that the company is benefiting rather than suffering from the financial crisis that has shrouded the U.S. Banorte's head of treasury and capital markets said that the bank saw demand for its corporate loans jump by 47% last year, helped by international banks dramatically slowing down their lending to Mexican corporations. Banorte's corporate loan portfolio grew by MXN 12 billion to MXN 37 billion in 2007. The bank's overall loan portfolio, which includes commercial, consumer, government and corporate loans, grew by MXN 47 billion to MXN 192 billion in 2007. Banorte expects corporate loans to grow about 20% this year.
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Business & Industry
KPMG Study Ranks Mexico First In Low Business Costs
March 27, 2008
According to a new report by audit and tax advisory firm KPMG, Mexico is the most cost-effective country in which to do business among 10 states that were studied. The U.S. leapfrogged its European competitors for third place thanks to the declining dollar. Of the countries in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific ranked in the report, costs for doing business in Mexico were 20.5% below those in the U.S., which was used as the baseline. The report said the cities of Puebla, Guadalajara and Monterrey offered the lowest business costs. These cities rank ahead of a group of Southern U.S. cities –Atlanta, Tampa and Dallas-Fort Worth. At the other end of the spectrum, San Jose and New York continued to represent the most expensive North American cities in which to do business.
Trinity Industries Starts Operations At New Coahuila Plant
March 27, 2008
U.S. manufacturer of heavy metal products Trinity Industries announced that it has started operations at its new USD 30 million plant in the municipality of Castaños, in the state of Coahuila. Trinity said it will produce parts and components for rail cars, electricity towers and other metallic components for the U.S. and Mexican markets. Trinity Industries has also been awarded a contract to build 300 aeolian towers that will be gradually shipped to the U.S. during 2008. Trinity Industries has 43 plants in Mexico and the U.S.
Kuo To Sell Phosphate Unit To Mexichem
March 28, 2008
Mexican industrial conglomerate Grupo Kuo said that it has reached an agreement to sell its phosphate business to local chemical firm Mexichem for an undisclosed amount. Kuo said it has agreed to sell Quimir, a producer and distributor of industrial and food-processing phosphates used primarily to elaborate detergents. It will use proceeds of the sale to fund new and existing projects, and to pay down debt. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval.
AHMSA: Government Levies Tariff On Chinese Steel Plate
March 25, 2008
The Economy Ministry (SE) imposed a provisional tariff of 29.27% on the import of steel plate from China after it determined that the product competed in an unfair way in the Mexican market. The new tariff against Chinese steel exporters could benefit Mexican steelmaker AHMSA, which is the only steel plate producer in Mexico and who had sought the measure.
Nacobre Sells Copper, Aluminum Products Businesses To Mexalit
March 25, 2008
Mexican producer of copper pipe, wire and cable, Nacobre, sold its copper and aluminum products businesses to Mexalit, a well-established player in the Mexican construction supply business for an undisclosed amount. As a result of the transaction, Nacobre will now control shares representing 45% of Mexalit equity. Nacobre is a company controlled by the family of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim. Nacobre and its main competitor, Mexico-based IUSA, have been locked in a price war since 2005.
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Automotive
Nissan Cuts Mexico Production On Low U.S. Demand
March 27, 2008
Japanese automaker Nissan Motor said it temporarily cut production in Mexico because of weak demand in the U.S. Nissan's factory in the state of Aguascalientes, which makes the Sentra and Versa models for export to the U.S., stayed idle for a total of seven days in March. Nissan did not say how many fewer automobiles it fabricated as a result of the production slowdown, but noted that it operates the plant with flexibility, responding to demand in both the domestic and export markets. Last year, workers at the plant built around 26,000 cars per month.
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Housing & Mortgaging
Infonavit Eyes Debt Placement With U.S. Funds
March 27, 2008
State-run housing fund Infonavit said it would like to pitch a debt issue to U.S. investors for the first time in the second half of 2008. Infonavit said it will go ahead with a plan to place up to USD 1.87 billion in mortgage-backed debt this year; Infonavit is selling the debt despite having paid slightly higher spreads in recent sales because of the U.S. debt crisis. Infonavit, which is funded by employer contributions, accounts for two-thirds of mortgage lending in Mexico. Most homes built in Mexico sell for less than USD 40,000 each.
Homex Set To Sell Second Homes To Foreigners
March 25, 2008
Mexican housing construction firm Desarrolladora Homex said that it will begin selling second homes to foreign nationals in the next three weeks. The houses are located in top Mexico vacation destinations Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and Cabo San Lucas, and were built as part of the launch of a new division seeking to capitalize on a sector with strong growth prospects. Homex said that for now the program will be confined to the said destinations, which have the biggest tourism markets in Mexico. Homex's houses will cater to a broad range of pocketbooks, with prices between USD 300,000 and USD 1 million.
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Construction & Infrastructure
President Calderon Announces USD 21 Billion Investment In Water Works
March 24, 2008
President Calderon said that the government plans to invest USD 21 billion in water projects between 2007 and 2012. Calderon said that the projects include expansion of water distribution systems, drainage, water treatment, preservation and water efficiency. The national water program aims to extend drinking-water distribution to at least 95% of the population by 2012, which will require bringing water to 10 million more inhabitants in the next five years, while increasing drainage to nearly 90% of the population, or 6.5 million more people. The program also calls for the upgrading of irrigation systems for 1.2 million hectares of arable land to reduce waste, and for the country to be treating at least 60% of its sewage by 2012, up from a current 38%.
President Calderon Announces USD 420 Million Highway Project In Oaxaca
March 26, 2008
President Calderon announced a USD 420.6 million highway project connecting the southern city of Oaxaca, capital of the state of the same name, to the coastal resort towns of Huatulco and Puerto Escondido, also in Oaxaca. The project aims to create a 283-kilometer highway that would reduce the drive from Oaxaca to Huatulco – currently an eight-hour endeavor through rugged mountains – to three hours. It would include the construction of new highway infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels and bypasses, as well the modernization and expansion of existing roads. The government will finance the project with a combination of public and private investment from the National Infrastructure Fund.
ICA Buys Yucatan Highway Concession For USD 81.4 Million
March 24, 2008
Mexican engineering and construction company Empresas ICA (ICA) said it acquired the Consorcio del Mayab highway concession in the Yucatan peninsula for USD 81.4 million. ICA said the Consorcio del Mayab concession operates the 241.5-kilometer Kantunil-Cancun highway that runs between the Caribbean resort of Cancun, in the state of Quintana Roo, and the state of Yucatan’s capital Merida. ICA said the 30-year concession on the toll road runs to 2020.
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Retail
Home Depot To Build USD 28 Million Distribution Center In Mexico
March 28, 2008
U.S. appliances and house improvement products maker Home Depot (HD) plans to invest USD 28 million in a new multi-channel distribution center in Mexico. The 42,000-square-meter distribution center, which will have the capacity to double in size, is expected to service at least 60 stores from its planned location in the central city of Pachuca, in the state of Hidalgo. It will directly employ around 240 workers. Home Depot said it anticipates the center will begin operating by the end of the year, handling about USD 600 million in products a year, a figure that the company expects to rise gradually as its service expands across the country.
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Transportation
SCT Approves New Weight Regulations For Heavy Vehicles
March 26, 2008
The Communications and Transport Ministry (SCT) has approved a set of norms to regulate the weight of freight vehicles on the country's roads. The norms will place new limits on total truck weight, weight per axle and weight per road type. The new standards will reduce to 66 metric tons from 81 metric tons the maximum weight for trucks using intermediate highways, while tractor trailers will be banned from smaller feeder roads without a permit. The new measures aim to improve safety on Mexican roads, which are often damaged by overweight trucks. The new measures also include stricter safety and emissions requirements on trucks for which greater weight per axle is approved. SCT said the new norms follow 14 years of negotiations with the country's transport organizations.
Mexico Approves New Bridge To Texas
March 30, 2008
Mexico said that construction can begin on its side of a new international bridge to Donna, just east of McAllen, Texas, that should reduce delays and make it easier for Mexicans to make cross-border shopping excursions. The U.S. has begun constructing its part of the span, which will extend to the town of Rio Bravo in Mexico. It should be complete by November 2009. The final permit was granted by the Communications and Transport Ministry (SCT). Mexico and Donna will invest about USD 30 million each in the nearly 1,000-foot toll bridge.
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Telecommunications & Technology
Televisa Seeking Alliances In Mexico, Would Consider Telefonica
March 27, 2008
Mexican broadcaster Televisa said it is looking for opportunities to develop in the telecommunications sector in Mexico and would consider an alliance with Spain-based Telefonica. Televisa said that although the two companies had engaged in business discussions in the past, there were no current negotiations between the two or any clear proposals. The potential alliance would allow the two firms to offer "triple play" services, and to compete with similar plans being developed by Telmex.
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Media & Entertainment
TV Azteca Acquires 70% Stake In Latitud TV
March 25, 2008
Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca said that it has entered a strategic alliance with Guatemalan peer Latitud TV. Through the alliance, TV Azteca will acquire approximately 70% of the equity of Latitud TV and will transmit its content on UHF channels 31 and 35, which cover Guatemala City through broadcast television, and the entire country through cable. TV Azteca expects to gradually gain an increasing share of the broadcast television advertising market in that country, which is estimated at more than USD100 million.
TV Azteca Launches Legal Battle Against Government On Political Spots Issue
March 28, 2008
Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca launched a legal fight against the government on the issue of political spots; TV Azteca defended its decision to sell spots directly to political groups without going through federal elections authorities. The Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) is the only entity that can acquire – at published rates – television spots from the networks. It then distributes the time among the political parties. TV Azteca recently sold and aired TV spots starring former Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) presidential candidate and main opponent to Calderon’s government Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador calling for a concentration to protest a pending energy reform. The buyer of the spot is a loose coalition of political parties, and because the message does not refer to an electoral process TV Azteca argues that the new IFE rules do not apply.
Cablevision Projects 17% Growth In Sales Due To Change Up In Programming
March 28, 2008
Mexican cable company Cablevision announced changes in its programming strategy and said it expects to increase sales by 17% year over year after it implements the said modifications. In addition, Cablevision said it plans to launch “quadruple play” services throughout the country by the end of the year. Quadruple play includes cable TV, fixed line telephony, mobile telephony and internet.
Legislator Proposes To Forbid Slot Machines
March 25, 2008
A legislator from the ruling National Action Party (PAN) submitted an initiative to reform the Law on the Operation of Commercial Establishments in order to forbid slot machines or other luck games in places which do not have explicit permission to install and operate them. The legislator said that such games have a negative impact on society, mostly on younger and poorer people. Sanctions for business owners who would infringe the law would vary between USD 1,500 and 12,000.
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Farming & Agriculture
Mexico To Ease Import Restrictions For U.S., Canadian Cattle
March 27, 2008
Canada, the U.S. and Mexico have reached an agreement harmonizing North America to the World Organization for Animal Health's (OIE) standards for trade in bovine breeding stock that will also allow Canadian cattle to be shipped through the U.S. to Mexico. Mexico will ease import restrictions for cattle imports from the U.S. by allowing breeding animals born after January 1, 1999. Currently, Mexico allows imports of dairy cattle from the U.S. that are 24 months of age or younger. The new rule opens it up to breeding cattle born after Jan. 1, 1999, as long as certain protocols are followed, such as if the animals are accompanied by permits, can be identified through a device such as a tattoo and have been inspected and appear healthy. The agreement also allows Canada to ship breeding cattle to Mexico born after January 1, 1999, but Canadian exporters will need to obtain import permits from U.S. and Mexico, as well as a health certificate from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Shipments will be inspected by U.S. and Mexican officials.
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Hospitality & Tourism
Tourism Industry Sees Solid Growth To Start 2008
March 27, 2008
Tourism dollars entering Mexico rose 5.6% to USD 1.3 billion in January compared to the year-ago month, as the visitors from the U.S. arrived in higher numbers. The Tourism Ministry (SECTUR) said that excluding day-trippers and border crossings, the number of foreign tourists to Mexico in January reached 1.18 million, up 4.6% from the year-ago month. The number of U.S. citizens who stayed overnight in Mexico's non-border areas rose 4.3% to 679,808 in the first month of the year. The domestic tourism industry also saw a solid start to 2008, with the number of Mexican residents staying at hotels rising 3.8% to 4.19 million. In 2007, a year in which Mexico's tourism industry experienced significant growth, foreign visitors spent USD 12.9 billion, 6% more than they did in 2006, while private investment in tourism rose 11.1% to USD 3.46 billion.
Barcelo To Invest Over USD 600 Million In Mexico
March 25, 2008
Spanish hotel operator Barcelo said it will invest over USD 600 million in Mexico during the two following years to expand the number of rooms it has in the country to 10,000 from 1,350. The company said it has entered negotiations to acquire two hotels in Cancun and Playa del Carmen, in the state of Quintana Roo. Barcelo also said it is interested in acquiring hotels in Mexico’s three most important cities, including the capital (DF), Guadalajara and Monterrey, the latter two in the states of Jalisco and Nuevo Leon respectively.
Mexico City Was Most Visited Mexican Location During The Holy Week
March 30, 2008
Mexico City’s Tourism officials said that during the Holy Week over 2.6 million people –including foreigners, national tourists and migrants- visited Mexico City (DF), making it the most visited Mexican location during the said holydays. Authorities said that earnings from tourism during the Holy Week amounted to about MXN 700 million.
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Economy
NYSE Celebrates Mexico Day
March 26, 2008
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) celebrated “Mexico Day” for the first time on March 25; in honor of “Mexico Day”, senior managers of the 17 Mexican companies listed in the NYSE, along with the Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Claude Heller, and Mexico's Consul General in New York, Ruben Beltran, participated in The Opening Bell ceremony at the Exchange. Mexican firms listed in the NYSE include Cemex, Televisa, Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, Grupo Mexico, Empresas ICA, Maxcom Telecomunicaciones, Desarrolladora Homex, Coca Cola FEMSA, Corporacion GEO, Grupo Financiero Banorte and Vitro, among others.
Government Pays Down USD 714 Million In International Bonds
March 26, 2008
The Finance and Public Credit Ministry (SHCP) said that the government took advantage of recent market volatility to retire ahead of schedule USD 714 million in different global bonds with maturities ranging from 2009 to 2034. SHCP said that the partial buybacks on 10 different dollar-denominated issues resulted in a financial savings for the government. SHCP said the transaction will contribute to making the government's yield curve more efficient and increase the relative value of the remaining bonds by reducing the amount in circulation. The transactions were financed with other sources such as local market debt issuance and loans from international financial institutions. The federal government plans to reduce its net foreign debt by USD 500 million this year.
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Border & Migration
Harvard Experts Deny Immigration Causes Increases In Violence
March 27, 2008
A study by sociology experts from Harvard University showed that the increased immigration to the U.S. does not imply rises in the levels of violence. The study also showed that Mexican-American communities are less prone to commit crimes in the U.S. and that cities that concentrate a larger amount of immigrants tend to be more secure. The experts also said that the violence rate among Mexican-Americans is significantly lower than compared to the violence rate amongst Whites or African-Americans.
U.S. Immigration Agency Arrests 34 Workers At Construction Firm
March 25, 2008
U.S. federal immigration authorities converged on Prince William County, where construction company CMC Concrete Construction is based, and arrested 34 Latin American nationals for being in the U.S. illegally. The workers – who come from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica and El Salvador – are being charged administratively and are in ICE custody undergoing deportation proceedings.
Police Finds 17 Cuban Migrants In Cancun Safehouse
March 28, 2008
Police found 17 undocumented Cuban migrants being held at a safehouse in the Caribbean resort city of Cancun, in the state of Quintana Roo. Police in Cancun said the migrants told them they arrived in Mexico aboard makeshift rafts and were immediately taken by smugglers to the safehouse. The Cubans said the smugglers were holding them pending payments from their relatives in the U.S. The traffickers demanded sums ranging from USD 2,000 to USD 10,000 per person. Police turned the Cubans over to immigration authorities.
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Politics
TEPJF, IFE, Electoral Entities To Be Followed
March 28, 2008
According to the President of nonprofit democracy development organization International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), Mexico’s Federal Judicial Electoral Court (TEPJF) and the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) are among the World’s best models of electoral institutions. IFES said that TEPJF has the best reputation among the World’s arbitration institutions for electoral disputes and that the resolution on the controversial 2006 presidential election was an example of its exemplary performance. IFES has participated in over 100 democratic processes worldwide.
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Justice, Safety & Crime
Mexico Protests U.S. Ruling On Texas Death Row Case
March 30, 2008
The U.S. Supreme Court says the state of Texas does not have to provide a new hearing for Jose Ernesto Medellin, a Mexican facing the death penalty for killing two teenagers nearly 15 years ago. In addition, the Supreme Court said Bush exceeded his authority by trying to intervene on behalf of the prisoner. Seven Mexican-born inmates on Texas' death row lost their bid to state their case before the U.S. Supreme Court following the ruling on Medellin. Meanwhile, the Mexican government asked Washington to abide by the ruling of the International Court of Justice in The Hague to guarantee the rights of the 51 Mexicans sentenced to death in the U.S.; Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry (SRE) sent a diplomatic letter to the U.S. State Department expressing its discrepant position. The Hague court ruled in 2004 that the convictions of Medellin and the 50 other Mexicans on death row across the U.S. violated the 1963 Vienna Convention, which provides that people arrested abroad should have access to their home country's consular officials. The International Court of Justice, also known as the world court, said the Mexican prisoners should have new court hearings to determine whether the violation affected their cases.
Mouriño, Garza Meet Over Border Security Issues, Upcoming SPP Meeting
March 27, 2008
The Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mouriño met with the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Antonio Garza to discuss border security issues and the upcoming meeting of U.S., Mexican and Canadian leaders in the The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) framework, to be held in April in New Orleans. The officials also discussed the U.S. Suprme Court’s ruling regarding the Mexican inmates on Texas’ death row. No further official information on the meeting was released.
Government Sends 2,500 Agents To U.S.-Mexico Border To Fight Drug Traffic
March 27, 2008
The government said it has sent more than 2,500 soldiers and federal police to crack down on soaring violence in the border state of Chihuahua, across from Texas and New Mexico. Agents began arriving in Ciudad Juarez near El Paso, Texas, where about 200 people have been killed since January 1. The new troops will join a low-profile contingent of around 500 soldiers already in Ciudad Juarez. They will take on a much more visible role, setting up road blocks and using heavy weaponry, helicopters and armored vehicles.
Hotels Executives Ask For Troops In Cancun, Merida
March 28, 2008
Businessmen from the hotel sector in Merida, in the state of Yucatan, and Cancun, in the state of Quintana Roo, have asked the Defense Ministry (SEDENA) to consider sending troops to the said beach resorts in order to guarantee the localities’ safety after a recent wave of Cuban-American drug/people trafficking-related executions shook the tourist areas. The presidents of the Entrepreneurial Coordination Counsel, the Hotel Association, and the Public Security Citizen Counsel agreed that military presence in the area will be the best way to ensure tourists’ security. Meanwhile, the body of a Cancun police major was found with a bullet wound to the back of the head and signs of torture. Officer Elias Martinez's was linked to several clashes with gunmen working for drug traffickers in Cancun.
Guatemala Suspects Mexican Druglord Was Behind Recent Shootout
March 26, 2008
Guatemalan authorities suspect that fugitive Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was behind a gunbattle in eastern Guatemala that left a dozen people dead. A member of the Guatemalan police narcotics squad said the "principal line of investigation" is that members of Guzman's Sinaloa cartel went to Guatemala to "settle scores" with a drug-trafficking organization based in the province of Zacapa. Guatemalan prosecutors said that nine men died at the scene of the clash near the Atlantic coast resort of Valle Dorado, while another three succumbed to their wounds after being taken to hospitals. Apparently, the Zacapa cartel had sold a shipment of adulterated cocaine to El Chapo's people, and they took vengeance. Some leads on Guzman’s whereabouts have suggested he is hidden in Honduras.
Drug Cartels Training Near U.S. Border, Using Terrorist Tactics
March 30, 2008
According to U.S. and Mexican authorities, Mexican drug cartels have conducted military-style training camps in northern Mexico. The camps are designed to train recruits, which range from Mexican military deserters to American youths, to carry out killings and other cartel assignments on both sides of the U.S-Mexico border. It has been reported that many of the training camps are used temporarily then abandoned, while others are permanent, fortified facilities. U.S. and Mexican officials say that the use of training camps is a tactic that Mexican drug cartels are borrowing from international terrorists, as well as the increased used of videos and the Internet to spread fear.
Police Chief Seeks Asylum In U.S.
March 25, 2008
The police chief of the northern town of Palomas, in the state of Chihuahua, has requested political asylum in the U.S. because he says his life is in danger. Javier Emilio Perez Ortega, who is in the custody of immigration authorities in El Paso after filing an asylum petition at a border crossing, said his life felt threatened after two of his bodyguards deserted and disappeared without a trace. U.S. officials said that Perez Ortega was interviewed by an immigration supervisor and, after it was determined that his fears were valid, kept in custody as part of the political asylum process. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) said it could not provide information on Ortega's asylum case for reasons of security and privacy.
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Other
Holy Week Traffic Accidents Death Toll: 212
March 24, 2008
The Public Security Ministry (SSP) said that the Holy Week vacation period in Mexico has so far left 212 people dead in 975 traffic accidents. The death toll, however, was down 4% compared to 2007, when 221 people were killed in traffic accidents. The accidents that occurred this year injured 1,235 people, or 10.8% less than a year ago. The 975 reported accidents were down 8% from the 1,060 that occurred in 2007. The Tourism Ministry (SECTUR) said that by the time the Holy Week vacation period ends, some 25.2% of Mexico's more than 103 million people will have traveled somewhere and 89% will have made their trip by road. Federal officials deployed nearly 8,000 police to the country's highways for the March 14-30 holiday period.
Mexico Now The Second Fattest Country, After U.S.
March 25, 2008
Mexico has become the second fattest nation in the world, fueled by the rising popularity of soft drinks and fast-food restaurants. Health officials say it could surpass the U.S. as the most obese country within 10 years if trends continue. According to the latest national surveys, more than 71% of women and 66% of men are overweight. With diabetes now Mexico's leading cause of death, activists and leaders hope to renew efforts to crack down on junk food and other fatty-food consumption and encourage citizens to exercise more. But it will be a tough battle, as industry groups are expected to put up a fight.
Mexico Touts Results From Copperfield's "Magic" Rehab Program
March 25, 2008
The Social Security Institute (IMSS) announced that in 14 years it has successfully treated some 22,000 patients with the help of the physical rehabilitation program developed by magician David Copperfield in 1982. The program teaches patients a total of 53 simple magic tricks, which through constant repetition improve their range of mobility, muscular strength, and above all help recuperate hand-eye coordination. The therapy applies a principle similar to that used in learning to drive a car: first it is necessary to be aware of specific mechanical movements and to the degree that they are repeated they form interconnections between the neurons that permit the recuperation of the lost coordination.
Mennonite Drama “Silent Light” Takes Mexico's Ariel Award For Best Picture
March 26, 2008
A film about forbidden love among Mennonite farmers won Mexico's Ariel Prize for best picture, despite its dialogue in the Low German language of the insular northern Mexico community. "Silent light," also released as "Luz Silenciosa" and "Stellet Licht," netted five Ariels, Mexico's equivalent of the Oscars, at the awards ceremony. Carlos Reygadas won for best director and best original screenplay, Maria Pankratz for best supporting actress, and Alexis Zabe for best photography.
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