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Energy
President Calderon Submits Energy Reform Bill To Senate
April 11, 2008
President Calderon has sent to the Senate a reduced version of his energy reform bill designed to modernize Pemex, providing it with greater flexibility in order to boost declining oil production. The plan does not require changes to the Constitution and excludes the privatization of Pemex. Under the reform proposal, Pemex can hire private-sector parties to build and operate refineries, transport energy, and explore deep-sea fields. Pemex can hire the firms through service contracts and pay fees, rather than allowing them to have part ownership of the reserves they find. Under the legislation, the taxes that Pemex pays the federal government would be cut by some USD 4.7 billion so that the said sum can be reinvested in exploration projects. In addition, independent board members – to be appointed by the president – would be added. President Calderon also proposed that Pemex issue local peso-denominated bonds that can only be acquired by Mexican citizens (“citizen bonds”) and local pension funds. Senate officials said they would turn the reform proposal over to committees for study.
Leftist PRD Legislators Shut Down Congress Over Energy Reform Bill
April 13, 2008
Lawmakers from leftist opposition party the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) – led by former presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) – have taken over both chambers of Congress to protest President Calderon’s energy reform bill. PRD legislators stormed the podiums of both the Senate and the lower house of Congress and covered them with banners. Opponents to the reform bill have called it a betrayal of the people and a sell out to the local business elite and foreigners. PRD lawmakers and AMLO sympathizers have begun what they call “peaceful civil resistance;” AMLO rallied his supporters in Mexico City’s (DF) central square and asked them to help him prevent Congress from moving forward on the oil reform proposal during the current legislative session. PRD lawmakers said they will not move until obtaining a national four-month-long debate on the oil reform bill. However, AMLO and PRD legislators rejected a 50-day debate proposal launched by politicians who tentatively support the reform bill, vowing to continue their seizure of Congress and their movement. As a result, both chambers of Congress moved to alternative offices to continue working.
Venezuela Seeks Energy Alliance With Mexico
April 10, 2008
Venezuelan leaders said they would like state-energy firm PDVSA to work with its Mexican counterpart Pemex on joint oil and gas projects. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he hoped the two firms could work out an agreement in the near future. However, President Calderon’s energy reform bill would need to be approved for such an agreement to be signed, which is an unlikely possibility given the uncertainty and complications surrounding the reform bill’s passage. Opponents to the energy reform proposal have taken over both chambers of Congress and have begun a “peaceful civil resistance’’ movement to prevent the reform’s discussion and approval.
ICA Obtains Financing For La Yesca Hydroelectric Project
April 7, 2008
Mexican engineering and construction firm ICA said it secured USD 910 million in financing for the 750-MW La Yesca hydroelectricity project, which was awarded by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE). ICA said that it obtained a syndicated bank loan led by WestLB New York Branch, which comes due in 2Q 2012, when the project is scheduled to be completed. ICA holds 67% of the consortium that last year won CFE’s contract to build La Yesca, which is located on the Santiago River system between the states of Jalisco and Nayarit.
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Mining
La Camera Acquires IMMSA’s Morelos Sur Project For USD 16.5 Million
April 7, 2008
Mexican mine operator Industrial Minera Mexicana (IMMSA) – which is a Grupo Mexico (GMex) mining concern – said it has sold its Guerrero Gold Belt Morelos Sur project to La Camera for USD 16.5 million. Mexico-based investment bank Sedna Serficor led the transaction on behalf of GMex, while Reyna Mining advised the buyer.
Fresnillo Starts USD 2 Billion U.K. IPO
April 11, 2008
Mexican precious metals group and world’s top silver producer Fresnillo has begun meeting investors to market its USD 2 billion London Stock Exchange initial public offering. Fresnillo plans to offer about 25% of its share capital – USD 900 million in new shares – and around USD 1 billion from parent firm Industrias Peñoles’ existing shares. The deal, underwritten by JPMorgan Cazenove, will start bookbuilding in the last week of April and be priced in the second week of May. Fresnillo is vying for investor interest with Czech coal producer New World Resources’ USD 2.2 billion IPO, another deal handled by JPMorgan Cazenove.
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Trade & Investment
France To Invest USD 2.28 Billion In Mexico During Upcoming Months
April 8, 2008
Economy Minister Eduardo Sojo said Mexico will receive over USD 2 billion in insurance, energy and aerospatial investments, among others, from France during the next months. Sojo said that French insurer Axa’s acquisition of ING’s insurance division will represent investment of USD 1.5 billion, while French tire maker Michelin will invest USD 740 million in the short term. French energy producer Alstom said it has entailed USD 25 million to invest in Mexico and aircraft engines producer Safran could invest about USD 20 million. Other French firms and conglomerates such as Groupe Danone are expected to invest in Mexico in the short to medium term.
Japan-Mexico Trade Grows 25% In Three Years
April 8, 2008
Trade between Mexico and Japan grew 25% in the three years that followed the implementation of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries and reached USD 19.52 billion in 2007. The FTA is part of the Economic Association Agreement between Japan and Mexico that took effect on April 1, 2005, making it the Asian economic powerhouse’s first trade deal with a Latin American country. Japanese investment in Mexico, which ranks 20th on Tokyo’s list of trade partners, totaled USD 3.2 billion in the past three years, or an average of USD 1 billion per year, a figure that is likely to be surpassed in 2008.
Aureos To Invest USD 150 Million In SMEs In Mexico
April 8, 2008
Global private equity fund manager Aureos Capital launched its Aureos Latin America Fund (ALAF), with a targeted size of USD 300 million, to fund SMEs from Central America, Mexico and the Andean Region. Of the total amount Aureos plans to invest through ALAF, USD 150 million will be destined to Mexico. ALAF plans to support certain sectors that include consumption goods, distribution and logistics, education, financial companies, entertainment companies, Hispanic markets in the U.S., health companies, tourism and housing companies, among others.
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Business & Industry
Ministries, Institutions Create Commission To Negotiate Medicine Prices
April 10, 2008
Public health institutions, ministries and other government organizations said that starting 2009 they will unite to purchase patented medicines jointly in order to prevent pharmaceutical companies form selling their products at different prices and well above their costs. The Health Ministry (SSA), the Public Function Ministry (SFP), The National Defense Ministry (SEDENA), The Navy Ministry (SEMAR), Pemex, the Social Security Institute (ISSSTE) and the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) created the Medicine Pricing Negotiation Coordinating Commission (CCNPMOS). Through the newly created organization, the said government entities will start negotiating the prices of antiretroviral drugs to treat infection, primarily HIV-AIDS.
Legislators To Tighten Regulations For Awarding Patents To Mexico-Made Drugs
April 9, 2008
Lawmakers from the Lower House are analyzing a reform bill to establish more requirements and tightening those needed to award patents allowing companies to produce medicines in Mexico. Lawmakers are working on the said proposal due to a recent increase in the production and commercialization of the so-called “miracle-products,” which do not meet minimum hygiene and safety requirements. Reforms to the Health General Law’s Article 222 would allow the Health Ministry (SSA) to authorize the production and distribution of medicines in Mexico only when the drug’s components meet the current safety, efficiency and quality requirements.
SSA Could Seek Tobacco-Like Regulations For The Soft-Drink Industry
April 8, 2008
The Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos said that soft-drink makers will have to reduce their publicity and properly inform consumers on the damage and risks their products represent to human health. According to Cordova, Mexico’s soft-drink consumption grew 60% during the past decade while fruits and vegetables intake by the Mexican population dropped by 30% during the same period. The said trend has led to an increase in obesity and diseases such as diabetes among Mexicans. Nevertheless, and despite cooperating soft-drink makers, Cordova did not discard the possibility of regulating the said industry like the tobacco industry.
Medica Sur To Build MXN 463 Million Hospital
April 11, 2008
Mexican hospital operator Medica Sur said that it plans to open a new MXN 463 million hospital in the state of Tamaulipas. Medica Sur said its shareholders had approved MXN 200 million for the project, with the balance to be financed by other investors. Medica Sur currently runs a 120,000-square-meter hospital complex in Mexico City (DF).
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Automotive
AMDA, AMIA Say March Sales Lowest In Five Years, Production Down 9.8%
April 8, 2008
The Mexican Association of Auto Distributors (AMDA) said that new car sales dropped 17.1% in March to 79,575 vehicles, their lowest level in five years for that month. The March figure brings total auto sales for the first three months of the year to 262,299, down 5.9% from the like-2007 period. AMDA reported sales declines in all categories of light vehicles. In addition, the Mexican Auto Industry Association (AMIA) said that auto production and exports fell in March from a year earlier. AMIA said production was down 9.8% from March 2007 at 151,855 units, while exports fell 6.8% to 129,405 units. Year-on-year comparisons were affected by the Easter holiday falling in March this year, when in 2007 the holiday was in April.
General Motors Increases Investments In Mexico
April 8, 2008
U.S. automaker General Motors (GM) continues to increase investment in its Mexican production facilities. GM will invest an additional USD 900 million in a plant in Ramos Arizpe, in the state of Coahuila. GM’s Ramos Arizpe facility currently produces Chevy C2 and HHR vehicles; GM invested USD 500 million in the said plant less than two years ago, but additional investments are required in order to produce new models for Cadillac, Saab, Buick and Hummer.
JK Tyre Acquires Tornel For USD 67.6 Million
April 11, 2008
Indian tire maker JK Tyre & Industries acquired Mexican peer Tornel for USD 67.6 million in order to gain a foothold in the North American market. Tornel has three tire plants with a combined annual capacity of 6.6 million tires and employs 2,000 people. The buyout is expected to close by end-May 2008, and will be funded through a combination of internal accruals and overseas debt.
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Transportation
Mexicana To Join Oneworld Airline Alliance
April 9, 2008
Mexican airline company Mexicana will join the Oneworld alliance of 10 international airlines in an effort to expand services and boost revenue as the industry faces surging fuel prices and slowing global economic growth. The entry, to take effect in about a year, will add 24 Mexico destinations to the network, which currently has 11. It also will add 20 more destinations throughout Latin America, plus Bakersfield, California, and Edmonton, Canada. The routes will include those flown by Mexicana’s low-cost subsidiary, Click Mexicana. Oneworld alliance includes American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Japan Airlines, Lan and Iberia, among others.
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Telecommunications & Technology
Slim Could Try To Offer TV Content Via A DTH Platform By Way Of Star One-SES
April 11, 2008
Mexican satellite company Satmex could be impacted by a move by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim to offer television content in Mexico via Star One and SES. Slim and SES were both identified as early-phase bidders for Satmex in a failed auction process that was declared concluded in June 2007. Slim could be planning his incursion into the Mexican television sector via his 2007 acquisition of Zap TV, a DTH platform that transmits via Star One and SES. Slim has been effectively blocked from offering television services via his telecommunications companies Telmex and America Movil by the government. Mexican cable companies, including Cablemas, continue to lobby intensely against opening up the pay TV market to Slim.
Ecuador Tells America Movil To Improve Mobile Offer
April 10, 2008
Ecuador rejected an offer from Mexican mobile operator America Movil to renew its mobile concession and gave the company 10 days to improve its proposal or lose its concession. America Movil’s unit Porta, the Andean country’s largest mobile provider, is renegotiating its contract with the country to extend its concession for 15 years. The concession is due to expire in the second half of this year. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has warned mobile firms to comply with the country’s demands for more state participation in their contracts or leave the country. Ecuador wants America Movil and Spain’s Telefonica to pay a combined USD 700 million to renew concessions.
Axtel, USTR Step Up Complaints Against America Movil
April 11, 2008
Fixed line operator Axtel and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) said they will continue to fight against what they consider the too-high interconnection fees imposed by mobile telephony provider America Movil since a new fee structure related to Mexico’s almost two-year-old “caller pays” regime unfairly favored it. The USD 14 cent per minute charge to complete a call to a Mexican cell phone from the U.S. has effectively dampened the demand for the service; since the “caller pays” regime was changed, the number of minutes of calls from the U.S. to Mexico has fallen in four consecutive quarters.
LyFC Announces The Creation Of New Telecom Subsidiary
April 7, 2008
Mexican state-run energy company Luz y Fuerza del Centro (LyFC) announced the possible creation of a subsidiary with private capital to provide triple play services via its fiber optic network and through the Power Line Communication (PLC) system. In addition, LyFC said a national or foreign tech partner would be required to participate in the new subsidiary. LyFC has a 1,000 kilometer network that could be expanded with 600 additional kilometers this year.
Vitro, Xignux, Others To Form Part Of Nanotechnology Cluster In Nuevo Leon
April 7, 2008
Mexican glassmaker Vitro, chemical conglomerate Cydsa and industrial conglomerate Xignux said they will join, along with 17 other companies, to form a nanotechnology cluster in the state of Nuevo Leon. Among the other firms that will participate in the cluster are Cemex, Vitro, Lamosa, Deacero, Ternium and Whirlpool.
Ultratelecomm To Compete In WiMax Market
April 10, 2008
Mexican telecommunications company Ultra Telecomm will compete directly with telcos Alestra and Axtel in the WiMax market. Executives from Ultratelecom said that the company had launched a WiMax network in Mexico. Alestra and Axtel have said that both intend to launch WiMax services in the short term. Alestra, Axtel and Ultratelecom have said they are eager to participate in a long-awaited government auction of spectrum in order to build out their WiMax offerings.
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Media & Entertainment
Televisa In Deal With France’s Groupe JLA
April 8, 2008
Mexican broadcaster Televisa said it signed a deal with French production firm Groupe JLA to make television soap operas. Televisa said the deal is part of its strategy to expand in Western Europe and Francophone countries. Televisa and Groupe JLA produced a soap opera together in the past, adapting a hit Mexican show for a French-speaking audience and want to do more in the future; details about the deal were not revealed. Televisa recently announced it was beginning production of its first Chinese language soap opera, a new version of Colombia’s 1999 hit Ugly Betty, about a goofy, bushy-browed but brainy girl who climbs high up the corporate ladder and wins the love of a top executive.
CFC Says It Looks Positively At Televisa’s Acquisition Of Cable Companies
April 9, 2008
Eduardo Perez Motta, the president of the Federal Competition Commission (CFC), said that the organization looked positively at Mexican broadcaster Televisa’s acquisition of cable companies. The statement could impact cable companies, mostly Cablemas, which has been eyed by Televisa. CFC could approve Televisa’s acquisition of Cablemas in the short term.
CIE To Avoid Legal Battle With Government On New Gaming Tax
April 9, 2008
Mexican out of home entertainment company Corporacion Interamericana de Entretenimiento (CIE) will not seek court protection from the implementation of a new 20% gaming tax that entered into force January 1, 2008. CIE will not participate in a legal battle against the new tax launched by peer Grupo Caliente. The protection, called “amparo,” would allow Grupo Caliente to pay a standard tax rate on its business and avoid paying a 20% tax on winnings until the constitutionality and legality of the new tax has been validated by Mexico’s highest courts.
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Hospitality & Tourism
Mexico, Central American Ministries Sign Accord To Promote Cruise Industry
April 7, 2008
Tourism ministers from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica have signed an agreement to increase their collective competitiveness as destinations for cruise ships. The agreement aims to establish an organization of countries that serve as cruise destinations. With North America accounting for two-thirds of the global market for cruises, Mexico and Central America have an important geographic advantage in the industry. In 2007, 6.8 million tourists arrived in Mexico on cruises and spent an average of USD 72 each. Cruise arrivals in January 2008 fell 14.3% year-on-year to 720,900.
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Economy
IDB Awards Mexico Two Credits Amounting To USD 250 Million
April 10, 2008
The Finance and Public Credit Ministry (SHCP) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) signed a deal by means of which the latter awards two credits – which combined amount to USD 250 million – to Mexico. The credits were awarded to help Mexico enhance a program to combat urban poverty and a program for labor training.
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Border & Migration
Mexicans In The U.S. Are Worst Paid
April 10, 2008
According to an expert from the National Autonomous University of Mexico’s (UNAM’s) Economic Research Institute, Mexicans are the worst paid employees in the U.S. Figures from the International Labor Organization (ILO) show that the minimum wage in the U.S. is USD 17.55 per hour and UNAM’s expert said that Mexicans only make USD 5.85 per hour, which still is much higher than the USD 0.6 per hour they make in Mexico. UNAM’s researcher said that during 2007, Mexico created 400,000 jobs while demand amounted to 1.5 million.
Border Patrol Installs Communications Systems To Help Migrants In The Desert
April 7, 2008
The U.S. Border Patrol announced it installed five communications systems that will allow undocumented immigrants that lost their way in the desert and whose lives are at risk from sunstrokes to ask for help. The system includes five towers equipped with powerful lamps at the top that were set across the Mexico-U.S. border; there is a button that can be pushed whenever a person needs assistance. A light will shine and a Border Patrol agent will attend to the call.
Homeland Security Official: Illegal Migrants’ Employers Will Be Prosecuted
April 10, 2008
Assistant U.S. Homeland Security chief Julie Myers said that the crackdown on employers who hire illegal immigrants will continue and detailed recent prosecutions of managers. Ms. Myers talked about an initiative aimed at ensuring deportation of criminal illegal immigrants in local jails. Ms. Myers oversees Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement department, the second-largest law enforcement agency in the U.S. and one with a portfolio that includes a crackdown on illegal immigrants and those who employ them.
Democrats To Challenge Plans To Finish Border Fence
April 8, 2008
Fourteen House Democrats, including eight committee chairmen, said that they will file a brief supporting a legal challenge to the Bush administration’s plans to finish building 470 miles of fencing and other barriers on the U.S.-Mexico border by the end of the year. U.S. Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) led the group, which includes the heads of the energy and commerce, transportation, intelligence, education, rules, and veteran affairs panels. Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club asked the Supreme Court last month to review whether the administration’s decision to waive environmental laws to finish the fence is constitutional.
Mexican Security, Railway Damage Slow Flow Of Illegal Immigrants To U.S.
April 10, 2008
Increased security at Mexico’s southern border and damage to the Chiapas-Mayab railroad has caused a reduction in the flow of Central American illegal immigrants to the U.S. and Mexico. The number of non-Mexican migrants stopped by the U.S. Border Patrol has dropped almost 60% from 2005, despite increased detention efforts. About 68,000 non-Mexican migrants, mostly Central Americans, were detained last year, compared to 165,000 in 2005. Non-Mexicans make up about 10% of all migrants caught by the U.S. Border Patrol officers. Mexico itself is also seeing fewer illegal immigrants; 120,000 were arrested last year, a 50% drop from 2005, when Hurricane Stan hit and destroyed the railroad.
Police Rescue 83 Migrants From Sweltering Cargo Truck
April 11, 2008
Police rescued 83 illegal migrants from the hidden compartment of a cramped, sweltering cargo truck carrying animal feed through southern Mexico. At a roadblock near the Guatemalan border, the panicked migrants alerted officers to their presence by screaming and banging on the walls of the truck. The migrants were dehydrated, bruised and scraped. An officer said that 76 migrants were from Guatemala, 5 from El Salvador and 2 from Brazil. The truck’s driver and his assistant were detained on suspicion of migrant smuggling.
U.S. Catholic Church Supported By Migrants
April 11, 2008
Immigrants represent the new face of the Catholic Church in the U.S.; once solidly Irish, Italian and Polish, U.S. Catholicism is turning Hispanic and even a bit Vietnamese and African – and immigration is keeping the church from losing its “market share” in the highly competitive field of faith in the U.S. Some analysts also say Catholic immigrants, especially Hispanics, may even be more in tune with official Vatican stances than native-born American members of the flock. They are conservative on issues of conscience like abortion and gay marriage, which the Church opposes, and prefer the more traditional devotions favored by Pope Benedict. At the same time, they take a more left-leaning outlook on social affairs such as helping the sick and the poor.
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Politics
Ecuador President Calls For New, Latin American-Only Organization
April 11, 2008
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa visited Mexico and proposed the creation of an Organization of Latin American States characterized by its defense of the principles of “self-determination and solidarity.” During a welcome ceremony hosted by President Calderon at the National Palace, Correa said that Latin America “needs an organization capable of meeting the present-day challenges.” Correa said that the new organization he is advocating should function as a “group of independent and sovereign nations.” For his part, Calderon said that the region has “the opportunity to build a new stage of Latin American integration,” although he also defended the work carried out by the Organization of American States (OAS).
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Justice, Safety & Crime
U.S., Mexican, Canadian Ministers Meet Over North America Summit
April 8, 2008
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held talks with Mexican Foreign Affairs Minister Patricia Espinoza and Canadian counterpart Maxime Bernier over a forthcoming North America summit. The summit, due to be held in New Orleans on April 21-22, will “review the progress and give direction to the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP),” which was launched in 2005 to bolster cooperation against terrorism and other threats while improving trade. The scheduled North America summit will be the fourth between the U.S., Mexico and Canada since they jointly launched the SPP.
U.S.: Colombians Using Subs To Smuggle Drugs Into Mexico
April 7, 2008
James Stravidis, the commander of the U.S. military’s Southern Command, said Colombia’s Norte del Valle drug cartel is using submarines to smuggle cocaine into Mexico for eventual delivery to the U.S. The commander said the drug cartel has created plants to build the subs in the Colombian jungle. Stravidis said that each submarine has the capacity to transport up to 10 tons of drugs and can travel at a depth of 5 meters (16 feet), leaving only its periscope visible on the surface. The subs are constructed from fiberglass, wood or metal and cost about USD 2 million a piece. The vessels carry up to four crewmen, but some submarines operated by remote control have been detected this year.
U.S.: No Signs Of Al-Qaeda At U.S.-Mexican Border
April 11, 2008
U.S. Homeland Security Undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis Charles Allen said that authorities have seen no signs of Al-Qaeda trying to insert operatives into the U.S. from Mexico, but did not deny that the militant group has considered doing so. Islamist militants have entered the U.S. by land from Canada or been caught trying. Allen told reporters that “we know of no trained Al-Qaeda operatives who have crossed over our southern border”; but “we do know that going back to 2004, the southern border is something that Al-Qaeda’s central leadership has looked at.”
SEDENA: Drug Cartel Plotting Attacks Using Fake Soldiers
April 9, 2008
The National Defense Ministry (SEDENA) said it had uncovered a plan by the Carrillo Fuentes drug cartel to commit rapes and other human rights abuses using hit men disguised as soldiers. The Carrillo Fuentes cartel planned to dress the assailants in army-like uniforms, create fake army patrol vehicles, and have the “soldiers” attack homes, businesses and nightclubs in broad daylight. The cartel is based in Ciudad Juarez, in the state of Chihuahua. SEDENA called on the public to report any sightings of fake soldiers, including uniformed men carrying Kalashnikov assault rifles – a gun model not used by the Mexican armed forces.
Mexico Catches Suspect In Marine Killing
April 11, 2008
U.S. Marine Cesar Laurean, wanted for the murder of pregnant colleague Maria Lauterbach, was arrested in the state of Michoacan. Laurean told police that he had been sleeping in fields and eating avocados and other fruit he found there. Police, while carrying out an anti-kidnapping operation, stopped Laurean as he wandered on a street because they thought he looked suspicious. When they realized he didn’t speak Spanish well, they became even more suspicious. After running his name through a computer, and recognizing his distinctive tattoos, they realized that the U.S. wanted him extradited to face charges in the death of Lauterbach. U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza said that the arrest “is a clear message to all would-be fugitives from U.S. law that Mexico will not provide them refuge.”
Army Arrests Eight At Cemetery During Drug Cartel Hit Man Burial
April 13, 2008
The National Defense Ministry (SEDENA) said that soldiers arrested eight men in a cemetery in the town of Villa Ahumada, in the state of Chihuahua, during the burial of an alleged drug hit man. Fifty soldiers in Humvees and helicopters raided the cemetery where 19-year-old Gregorio Gallegos was being buried. A local police commander was among those arrested in the raid. Gallegos, an alleged member of the Juarez drug cartel, was killed a week ago by a rival gang. Soldiers went to the cemetery in response to reports of heavily armed men.
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Sports
Ochoa Wins Corona Championship, Qualifies For U.S. LPGA Tour Hall Of Fame
April 13, 2008
Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa qualified for the U.S. LPGA Tour Hall of Fame, winning the Corona Championship by 11 strokes for her third straight victory and fourth in five starts this year. Ochoa became the second-youngest player to qualify for the American women’s golf shrine, though she still must be a tour member for 10 years, in her case, until 2012, to be eligible for induction. The U.S. women’s tour had previously said incorrectly that Ochoa would be the youngest to qualify at 26 years, 4 months, 29 days. But the youngest was actually Karrie Webb, who was 25 years, 7 months, 2 days when she qualified with a win at the 2000 U.S. Women’s Open.
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Arts & Culture
Lydia Cacho To Receive Spanish Press-Freedom Honor
April 9, 2008
Mexican journalist, author and human rights activist Lydia Cacho was named as the recipient of the 2008 Freedom of Expression Prize, bestowed annually by the Valencia Journalists Union in Spain. The guild representing reporters in the Mediterranean metropolis recognized Cacho for her work on behalf of battered women and abused children and for her exposing of pedophile and child-pornography rings in Mexico. Cacho is the author of “Los Demonios del Eden” (The Demons of Eden), about pedophiles and their protectors, and “Memorias de una Infamia” (Memories of an Injustice), which details the retaliation she experienced from powerful people she exposed in the earlier volume.
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Other
Mexican Cardinal Ernesto Corripio Dies At 88
April 10, 2008
Mexican Cardinal Ernesto Corripio Ahumada, who helped establish renewed Vatican relations with Mexico’s government, died at his Mexico City (DF) home. The cardinal was 88 and passed away due to complications of heart problems, thrombosis and diabetes. He was known for his skill at balancing relations between the church and the state and was the country’s most visible cardinal when Mexico reestablished formal diplomatic relations with the Vatican in 1992 after decades of conflict.
Africanized Bees Sting Police, At Least 70 Hospitalized
April 9, 2008
Mexican police say at least 70 officers are in the hospital after so-called Africanized bees swarmed a police shooting range. Witnesses say the attack happened after one of the policemen hit the bees’ hive with a bullet during shooting practice. The swarm then came after the fleeing officers, stinging dozens of them. Africanized bees, a fierce hybrid strain sometimes referred to as “killer bees,” are the result of an experiment to increase honey production in Brazil. A swarm escaped a lab in 1957 and began heading north. Officer Miguel Serrano says at least 10 of the 70 officers stung are in serious condition.
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