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Energy
Pemex To Boost Power Supply To Ku-Maloob-Zaap
September 3, 2009
Pemex announced it has allocated USD 120 million to increase electricity supplies to seven drilling platforms at its
largest oil field Ku-Maloob-Zaap. Pemex specified that it awarded the contract to build a power station and
underwater cables to local company Demar Instaladora y Constructora (DIC). DIC beat bids from other firms, such as
Carso Infraestructura y Construccion (CICSA) and the local units of Siemens and General Electric.
Abengoa To Build Cogeneration Plant For Pemex In Tabasco
September 1, 2009
Spanish energy firm Abengoa announced that it will build a USD 633 million, 300 MW steam cogeneration facility for
state-run energy company Pemex’s Nuevo Pemex Gas Processing Complex (GPC), in the state of Tabasco.
Abengoa said it obtained the contract to build the plant and operate it during the next 20 years, a concession that is
expected to provide revenue of as much as USD 2 billion during the period. Pemex said that it will start its Electric
Energy Cogeneration Program with the facility.
Ruling For Petroleos Mexicanos’ Law Is Published In The DOF
September 2, 2009
A ruling complementing legislation that was passed last year on Mexico’s energy sector and on state-run oil company
Pemex was recently published in the country’s official gazette (DOF). The ruling includes changes to seven new laws
that were passed for Pemex as part of a broader federal energy reform, featuring specifications regarding the
schedule and funding for acquisitions Pemex would be eyeing as of now, as well as leasing and services to be
contracted for productive activities. Meanwhile, Pemex announced the appointment of Marco Murillo Soberanis as the
new corporate director at the firm’s administration, replacing Rosendo Villarreal Davila.
SENER: National Hydrocarbons Commission Issues Internal Ruling
August 30, 2009
According to the Energy Ministry (SENER), the National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH) has issued its internal
ruling to meet requirements deriving from the nature of its attributions, and observing the deadlines established by
law. SENER said the document defines clearly CNH’s organizational structure, its governance organs’ legal powers
and its decision-making process.
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Mining
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Supports GMex’s Bid For Asarco
September 1, 2009
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Richard Schmidt in Corpus Christi, Texas, recommended that Mexican miner Grupo Mexico
(GMex) be allowed to regain control over bankrupt copper miner Asarco LLC, saying its USD 2.2 billion bid is more
likely to fully repay creditors than that of rival suitor Sterlite Industries. Judge Schmidt issued the finding over
objections from Asarco, its employees and some creditors who believed India-based Sterlite's USD 2.1 billion bid was
the best way for the Tucson, Arizona-based company to emerge from four-year Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
The outcome involves Asarco's three Arizona mining operations and a Texas refinery that were placed in bankruptcy
protection in August 2005 when the company ran out of cash and faced hefty environmental liability and potential
asbestos-related claims.
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Trade & Investment
SE Announces Plans To Substitute Chinese Imports
September 2, 2009
The Ministry of Economy (SE) said one of the main challenges it faces is reducing Mexico’s 30% trade deficit with
China in order to enhance the domestic market and in a bid to reduce the country’s vulnerability to changes in the
U.S. economy. SE said it will employ the Mexico Emprende program to support SMEs and funds from ProMexico, the
governmental agency to boost exports, to substitute as much as USD 10 billion in Chinese imports.
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Banking, Insurance & Finance
CNBV: Banks' Nonperforming Loan Rates Improve In July
August 31, 2009
According to the National Securities and Banking Commission (CNBV), the nonperforming loan rate at Mexican
commercial banks eased in July, slipping to 3.8% from 3.9% at the end of June. The CNBV said that banks'
outstanding loans at the end of July stood at MXN 1.852 trillion, up 0.7% from the previous month. Past-due loans fell
1.4% from the end of June and performing loans rose 0.8%. Loan loss reserves edged up to 143% of total past-due
loans from 142% a month earlier.
PRI Suggests Banks Be Listed On BMV, Employing Afores’ Funds
September 3, 2009
The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which won the latest midterm congressional elections, issued an
Economic Recovery Bill formed by 85 proposals and presented it during President Calderon’s third State of the Nation
Report. The proposal includes listing Mexico’s banks on the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) and employing
resources managed by pension fund administrators (Afores) to provide financial support for investment projects.
CNBV: Newly Created Banks Report Losses During 2Q
September 3, 2009
According to the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV), 9 out of the 42 banks that operate in Mexico
reported losses during 2Q, mostly newly created institutions such as Banco Wal-Mart, Banco Facil, Banco Amigo,
Volkswagen Bank, Bancoppel, Multiva, Famsa and Autofin.
CONSAR Tightens Regulation On Afore Accounts Migration
September 4, 2009
Pension fund regulator CONSAR announced it will tighten rulings on migration of workers’ pension savings from one
pension fund administrator (Afore) to another, in a bid to control irregular operations. CONSAR noted it is reinforcing
regulation, as former guidelines failed to prevent jagged accounts transfers, and specified that from now on, Afores
will have to verify through telephone calls that all the account migration requests are authentic. CONSAR said the
tightening of new rules focuses mostly on workers who have apparently had their accounts transferred once or more
in the past five years.
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Business & Industry
IMEF: Manufacturing Index Rises To 51.5 In August
September 3, 2009
Mexico's Institute of Finance Executives (IMEF) said that its manufacturing index rose to 51.5 in August from 50.2 in
July and was at its highest level in a year. As with the U.S. Institute for Supply Management indexes, readings of 50
and above point to expansion, while readings below 50 point to contraction. August was the second consecutive
month in which the IMEF index was above 50. A sharp drop in U.S. demand for Mexican goods led the exportoriented
manufacturing sector into a deep recession, with production down 15% in the first half of 2009. IMEF's nonmanufacturing
index, which measures the performance of services, was also above the 50 threshold for a second
month in a row, at 51.3 in August, compared with 50.1 in July.
Cummins Filtration To Consolidate Filter Facilities, Cut Jobs
August 26, 2009
Cummins Filtration, a subsidiary of U.S. diesel engine manufacturer Cummins, said that it is consolidating a
"significant" portion of its North American filter assembly operations into its San Luis Potosi plant, in the Mexican state
of the same name, over the next several months. Cummins specified that oil and fuel filter assembly operations at its
plant in Lake Mills, Iowa, will be moved to San Luis Potosi beginning in November. Cummins Filtration currently
employs about 330 people in San Luis Potosi.
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Housing, Real Estate & Mortgaging
Mexican Real Estate Family Cababie Faces Problems In The U.S.
September 2, 2009
According to court documents and people familiar with the matter, Mexican real estate family Cababie, of Mexican
developer Grupo GICSA, is potentially on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of personal
guarantees they made on loans used to finance two major U.S. real estate investments. Last month the family's
largest U.S. project, an 850-unit condominium in downtown Miami called Everglades on the Bay, entered Chapter 11
bankruptcy, the same day a foreclosure action was launched. The project defaulted in March on a USD 256 million
construction loan from a group led by Bank of America that was guaranteed by GICSA and in part by the family.
Separately, the Cababies personally guaranteed USD 300 million in loan payments to finance the USD 1.5 billion
purchase in 2007 of 56 office buildings in Southern California from Arden Realty.
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Construction & Infrastructure
Cemex Shareholders Approve Plan To Create USD 2 Billion In Shares For Offer
September 4, 2009
Shareholders of Mexican cement maker and building materials provider Cemex approved a plan to create USD 2
billion worth of shares and to hold a public offering and issue a convertible bond within two years. As part of a USD 15
billion debt restructuring agreed to in August, Cemex will face higher interest rates on its obligations and an additional
USD 100 million fee if it does not raise USD 1 billion for its banks in a share offer by June. Cemex's shareholders
voted to create 1.6 billion CPO shares, but it is unclear how much stock might be included in a public offer or a
convertible bond issue.
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Retail
Wal-Mart De Mexico's August Same-Store Sales Up 5.6% On Year
September 3, 2009
Wal-Mart de Mexico (Walmex), the Mexican unit of U.S. retailer Wal-Mart, said its same-store sales rose 5.6% in
August from the year-ago month due to an increased number of customers. Walmex noted that total sales rose 12.7%
from August 2008, to MXN 22.57 billion. In addition, the company said it opened 23 stores in August and 3 so far this
month, bringing its total number of stores and restaurants to 1,295. Walmex said it has spent MXN 1.37 billion so far
this year to repurchase 35.9 million shares.
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Transportation
Aeromexico To Allow In-Flight Cell Phone Calls
September 4, 2009
Mexican airline Aeromexico announced it will allow passengers to use cellular phones on its planes after the
Communications and Transport Ministry (SCT) cancelled Mexico’s Official Norm NOM-019-SCT3-2001, which
prevented passengers from using the devices in-flight. The ruling was published in the official gazette (DOF) and
noted that the use of mobile phones will be permitted only during some in-flight phases, and passengers are
compelled to obey flight attendants if they announce halting the use of the phones is necessary. SCT said the ruling
comes as new technology makes it possible to use the cell phones in-flight.
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Telecommunications & Technology
CFC Sets Caps For Upcoming Spectrum Auction
September 1, 2009
The Federal Competition Commission (CFC) announced it has set caps on the amount of spectrum a single wireless
carrier can obtain as the government prepares to auction bandwidth in a bid to increase competition in the market.
CFC said it is recommending that the Federal Telecommunications Commission (COFETEL) limit spectrum to 80
megahertz per carrier in the 800 MHz, 1700 MHz and 1900 MHz frequency bands. The CFC said its recommendation
is aimed at encouraging new operators to enter the market without inhibiting growth of existing service providers. The
cap will allow existing operators to increase their spectrum by at least a third.
SCT Creates 8,500 Communal Digital Centers
September 3, 2009
The Communications and Transport Ministry (SCT) announced the creation of 8,500 communal digital centers to
provide broadband services to communities lacking access to information technologies (IT) in Mexico. In addition,
SCT said it plans to provide broadband services to 160,000 schools and 30,000 hospitals from the country’s health
system. SCT said it intends to offer the services through two dark fiber networks from the Federal Electricity
Commission (CFE) after both entities entered an agreement earlier this year to tender the dark fiber packages.
Sony Sells 90% Stake, TV Plant In Mexico To Taiwan’s Hon Hai
September 1, 2009
Japanese electronics manufacturer Sony said it will sell 90% of its group-held stake in Sony Baja California, in the
Mexican city of Tijuana, to Taiwanese peer Hon Hai Precision Industry in a bid to reorganize its LCD TV operations.
The operation includes the sale of Sony’s main television factory in North America. The move is part of Sony's drive
to cut costs and concentrate internal resources towards areas that contribute to product differentiation in its LCD TV
business. The price of the sale was not disclosed.
Telmex To Market Cisco System’s TelePresence In Latin America
September 2, 2009
Mexican phone company Telefonos de Mexico (Telmex) said it plans to market and distribute U.S. supplier of
networking equipment and network management for the Internet Cisco Systems' TelePresence videoconferencing
system in Latin America. Telmex said that under the agreement, it will also set up public rooms in the region equipped
with the technology where companies and individuals can hold videoconferences, renting the service by the hour. The
plan involves Telmex, and Telmex Internacional (Telint), which operates across Latin America.
NCR Opens USD 20 Million Thermal Paper Plant In Sonora
September 2, 2009
U.S. developer of technologic solutions for the financial sector National Cash Register Company (NCR) announced
the opening of a USD 20 million thermal paper manufacturing facility in Nogales, in the state of Sonora, to be used by
NCR’s ATMs in North America and other industries employing such products. The plant is expected to create 300
direct jobs and 225 indirect jobs in the short term.
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Media & Entertainment
SCJN Rules Taxes On Games, Bets And Raffles Are Constitutional
September 1, 2009
The Supreme Court (SCJN) ruled that the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS) Law is constitutional and
said that it is therefore legal to charge taxes on betting parlors, casinos and games and raffles operations. The ruling
comes as two firms from the sector had sought court protection against the IEPS and had said that the taxes and the
Law violated constitutional rights on judiciary security, proportionality and fairness pertaining to contributions due to
the nation.
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Hospitality & Tourism
Former UNAM Headmaster Criticizes Project To Regenerate Beaches At Cancun
September 1, 2009
Jose Sarukhan, former Headmaster of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), criticized a project by
the Ministry of Environment (SEMARNAT) to regenerate the beaches of the tourist resort of Cancun, which was
damaged by a hurricane a few years ago, by extracting sand from neighboring tourist destinations Cozumel and Isla
Mujeres. Sarukhan said Cancun’s hotel area should not be located where it currently is, and that the project is
destined to fail. Meanwhile, former Environment Minister Julia Carabias said that modifying sand deposits’ natural
movements will negatively and severely affect water trajectory as well as the entire region’s ecosystem.
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Economy
President Calderon: Mexico Needs Deep Modifications To Boost Economy
September 2, 2009
President Calderon said that Mexico should undergo major modifications in some areas, including economy, energy,
telecommunications, the public sector and labor, in order to break cycles and structures that limit the country’s
growth. He thus announced reforms proposals that are being worked on to improve the state of the nation and
eliminate corruption. President Calderon also called on states and municipalities to participate in drafting and
implementing a new culture of efficiency.
IMF: Mexico, Other States Will Not Renew Credit Lines
September 1, 2009
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that Mexico, Colombia and Poland will not renew their respective
flexible credit lines with the institution and added that a decline in loans will be perceivable in upcoming months, as
capital markets are performing better. IMF said flexible credits are valid for one year and their main objective is to
strengthen the economies most affected by the global economic downturn. Mexico’s flexible credit line with the IMF is
for USD 47 billion.
Banxico: International Reserves Up To USD 76.3 Billion
September 1, 2009
The central bank (Banxico) announced that Mexico’s international reserves as of August 28 amounted to USD 76.3
billion, up USD 3.2 billion from what was reported a week earlier, mostly due to the reception of 2,337.2 Special
Drawing Rights (SDRs)—equivalent to USD 3.6 billion—from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Banxico said
Mexico will be awarded an extra 224 SDRs shortly as part of a special extraordinary allocation. SDRs are potential
claims on the freely usable currencies of the IMF members; they also have the ISO 4217 currency code XDR.
Banxico Governor: G-20 Believes It’s Not Yet Time To Drop Stimulus Policies
September 5, 2009
According to Guillermo Ortiz, Governor of Mexico’s central bank (Banxico), the Group of 20 industrialized and
developing nations (G-20) believes it is not yet time to exit stimulus policies, with the risk of a double dip in the global
economy and financial failure remaining. Ortiz said during an interview on the sidelines of the G-20 meeting of finance
ministers in London that it would take time to reach agreements on cross-border resolution of financial institutions and
"too big to fail" issues, and that the process required G-20 support. He added that he "very soon" expected the Bank
for International Settlements' Basel Committee on Banking Supervision to come up with "concrete results" on capital,
liquidity and leverage. Meanwhile, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that by 2011 the G-8 group of most
industrialized countries will be replaced with a broader group that includes Mexico, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa,
Russia, China and India.
OECD Agrees To Strengthen Tax Forum During Meeting In Mexico
September 3, 2009
Delegates to a conference of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which was held
in Mexico, agreed to turn the Global Forum on tax-information sharing—a loose grouping of 84 nations into a more
powerful institution that could crack down on tax cheating internationally. The delegates approved a plan for the
Global Forum to have its own staff and an annual budget of approximately USD 4 million. The Forum would review
whether members are aiding one another in cases involving tax evasion internationally. In particular, the Forum would
examine whether members are living up to their obligations under tax-exchange agreements. The Global Forum
selected Australia as chairman of the group, and China, Germany and Bermuda as vice chairmen. The meeting was
originally going to take place in the state of Baja California but moved to Mexico City ahead of Hurricane Jimena.
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Border & Migration
XXVII Border Governors Conference Held In Nuevo Leon
September 5, 2009
The XXVII Border Governors Conference (BCG), the largest binational venue to discuss and resolve some of the
most important border issues affecting the U.S. and Mexico, was held in the city of Monterrey, in the Mexican state of
Nuevo Leon, and was hosted by Governor Jose Natividad Gonzalez Paras. At the end of the meeting, which focused
on security, illegal arms and drugs’ border flow and people smuggling, the Governors from both countries signed a
joint declaration to formalize efforts, as well as other Memorandums of Understanding (MOU). The Ten Border States
represent the world's most important and dynamic binational region—with a joint economy that ranks third in the
world.
SSA Offers Health Insurance For Migrants' Families
September 5, 2009
The Health Ministry (SSA) announced plans to launch a pilot program to encourage migrants working in the U.S. to
sign up their families in Mexico for the Mexican government's low-income health insurance program. SSA said the
program will start in the U.S. state of Colorado and will eventually be extended to other states, mainly through
Mexican consulates. The "Seguro Popular" insurance program offers low-cost coverage to people not covered by
other plans. SSA said the program was part of a plan to achieve full health coverage for Mexicans by 2012.
Hilda Solis Supports Movement To Defend Mexicans’ Labor Rights In The U.S.
September 3, 2009
According to a communiqué issued by Mexico’s Embassy in the U.S., the United States’ Secretary of Labor Hilda
Solis expressed support for a campaign launched in 14 U.S. cities to defend the labor rights of Mexicans working in
that country. The campaign seeks to inform Mexicans working north of the border about their rights, to ensure they
receive fair and decent treatment and to prevent U.S. employers from being abusive, avoiding paying the workers or
threatening them with deportation.
Cardinal Rivera Demands Coherence, Respect For Migrants’ Rights In Mexico
September 3, 2009
The Archbishop of Mexico City, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, demanded coherence from Mexico’s authorities
and citizens during a discourse regarding immigration and said the latter should respect the rights of immigrants in
Mexico, as Mexico’s society and authorities demand Mexicans’ rights abroad, mostly in the U.S., be respected.
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Politics
President Calderon Presents Third State Of The Nation Report
September 3, 2009
President Calderon presented his third State of the Nation Report listing a series of events that have affected Mexico
over the past year, including the global economic crisis, the A/H1N1 influenza virus pandemic, rising drug violence,
drought and plummeting oil production, among others. Calderon used his address to make a strong defense of his
battle against drug traffickers and organized crime, ending with a call for cooperation from the opposition-dominated
Congress to take on the country's mounting problems. Calderon is besieged on many fronts, and there have been few
signs that the opposition will heed his request for cooperation. The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), now the
largest force in the legislature, is led by politicians who rose in the years before 2000, when the party had a monopoly
on power. President Calderon also presented a 10-point plan to improve his administration but provided few concrete
details. The 10-point plan was based on five broader core themes, which are the rule of law and security, a
competitive and employment-oriented economy, equal opportunities, sustainable development and effective
democracy and responsible foreign policy.
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Justice, Safety & Crime
DOS: U.S. Releases USD 214 Million In Aid For Mexico’s Drug Fight
September 2, 2009
According to the U.S. Department of State (DOS), the U.S. has released USD 214 million as part of the Merida
Initiative aid package to help Mexico fight drug trafficking, including funds for five helicopters for the military to be
delivered by year's end. U.S. Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement David Johnson
said the helicopters will be the first to be sent to Mexico under the Merida Initiative. Johnson added other USD 214
million of the package have been spent or committed. The funds have gone to training Mexican federal investigators
and providing technology such as X-ray machines to check for contraband at border crossings.
President Calderon Vows Crackdown On Drug Trade, Corruption
September 3, 2009
President Calderon defended his campaign against drug traffickers and issued a rare public warning that his
administration will weed out an entrenched web of corruption between politicians and members of organized crime. In
a 75-minute State of the Nation Report, delivered at the National Palace, Calderon called for reforms halfway through
his six-year term, exhorting a divided Congress to work toward turning Mexico into a more competitive, progressive
and secure nation. The Report indicated the administration has made strides in its nearly three-year-old drug war,
which has killed more than 11,000 people since Calderon became president in 2006, noting that the government has
hit trafficking groups hard with major seizures of narcotics, weapons and cash and more than 24,000 arrests through
June.
U.S., Mexico Enter Agreement To Improve Security Telecommunications Network
September 4, 2009
The U.S. and Mexico entered an agreement to create a transborder communications network that will help police on
both sides of the border address crime and violence. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Mexico's
Public Security Ministry (SSPF) are working out the details. Meanwhile, an official from the U.S. Department of State
(DOS) said secure voice, data and video channels, costing about USD 7 million on the U.S. side, are expected to be
online within three years, adding that secure networks will allow federal, state and local police to "coordinate a broad
array of law enforcement activities." Some Mexican and U.S. police agencies already cooperate, but the system will
standardize communication for the whole 2,000-mile border.
Ambassador Pascual: U.S. Must Stop Flow Of Arms To Mexico
September 4, 2009 Newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual said at the close of the annual U.S.-
Mexico Border Governors Conference that the United States must stop the flow of weapons smuggled south across
the border to improve binational security. Carlos Pascual said while referring to arms purchased in the U.S. and sold
to drug gangs in Mexico that the U.S. "cannot continue to arm the cartels." Pascual also called for a solution for
millions of undocumented workers in the U.S.
David T. Johnson: U.S. Must Help Mexico Strengthen Institutions
September 4, 2009
According to David T. Johnson, Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law
Enforcement Affairs, Mexico’s drug cartels’ power and presence remain an important challenge for both Mexico and
U.S. national security. Johnson said during a meeting with Mexico’s Foreign Affairs and Public Security Ministers
Patricia Espinoza and Genaro Garcia Luna, respectively, that the U.S. should continue helping Mexico strengthen
and modernize its institutions.
Merida Initiative Binational Office To Be Inaugurated In December In Mexico City
September 4, 2009
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico announced that an office whose main purpose will be to follow up the Merida Initiative
binational antidrug effort’s progress will be inaugurated in December in Mexico City. The Embassy’s communiqué
added that the U.S. will deliver five new helicopters and other equipment worth USD 7 million to Mexico before year’s
end.
DEA, Foreign Agencies Train 9,000 Mexican Police Officers In San Luis Potosi
September 5, 2009
According to authorities and official sources, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and other countries’ security
agencies will be training as many as 9,000 Mexican new-generation federal police officers as part of a 12-week
program in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi, in a bid to strengthen cooperation and improve Mexico’s security
forces’ performance through international expertise.
Authorities: Gunmen Murder 17 At Drug Rehabilitation Center
September 3, 2009
Officials announced that gunmen broke into a drug rehabilitation center and shot 17 people dead in Ciudad Juarez, in
the state of Chihuahua. Authorities said they arrested Jose Rodolfo Escajeda, one of the bloodiest hit men in
Chihuahua and a leader of the powerful Juarez Cartel, who is believed to have led the attack at the clinic. He is on the
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) most-wanted list for marijuana and cocaine smuggling into the U.S.
Escajeda is also believed to be behind the killing earlier this year of two American members of a Mormon community
in northern Mexico. Authorities said they are investigating reports that the centers have turned into hideouts for drug
smugglers being sought by police and hitmen from rival gangs. Federal Public Security Minister Genaro Garcia Luna
said rehab clinics were also being used as recruiting and training centers by drug cartels.
Hitmen Murder Top Police Officer In Michoacan
September 2, 2009
Authorities announced that gunmen killed Jose Manuel Revueltas, the deputy police chief in the state of Michoacan,
in a suspected drug gang attack. Revueltas, appointed only weeks ago, was intercepted by heavily armed men in two
vehicles as he drove down a busy avenue in Morelia, the state capital, a few blocks from police headquarters.
Revueltas and his two bodyguards were shot dead in the intense gunfire that also killed a man traveling on a bus.
Revueltas was a close aide of Michoacan's left-wing Governor Leonel Godoy.
Attorney: Convicted Contractor Marco Morales Expects Extradition To U.S.
September 4, 2009
The attorney of Marco Morales, a contractor convicted in a U.S. City Hall corruption scandal more than a decade ago,
said that his client could be extradited to the U.S. shortly after losing his final appeal against extradition from Mexico.
Morales pleaded guilty in 1996 to bribery and mail fraud as part of the wide-ranging Operation Silver Shovel probe.
Morales said he bribed Anthony Pucillo, a former high-ranking U.S. Transportation Department official under
Chicago’s Mayor Richard Daley. Morales fled to Mexico in 1997 instead of reporting to prison as his plea agreement
specified. He successfully challenged an initial extradition attempt in 2004, but U.S. officials tried again in 2006.
Gunmen Abduct U.S. Antidrug Official
September 4, 2009
According to authorities and eyewitnesses, a group of approximately 12 gunmen broke into the La Rumba night club
in the city of Monterrey, in the state of Nuevo Leon, and abducted U.S. antidrug official Jorge Jogar Hobbs Flores.
Witnesses said the armed men fired several shots, forced people to stay on the ground and took Jogar Hobbs away
with them. The army arrived later and set a perimeter to try to capture the assailants, but the operation was
unsuccessful.
U.S. Sanctions Six Mexicans Allegedly Linked To Meth Trade
September 4, 2009
The U.S. Treasury Department announced it has imposed sanctions on six Mexicans linked to a pharmaceutical
company that allegedly diverted precursor chemicals to a methamphetamine trafficking gang. The measure freezes
any assets they have in the U.S. and bars Americans from doing any business with them. The U.S. Embassy in
Mexico and the Treasury Department announced the decision in separate statements, noting that the six include two
executive officers of Productos Farmaceuticos Collins, which the U.S. says is part of a network that supplies
pseudoephedrine to the Amezcua Contreras cartel.
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Health & Science
Mexico Prepares For Winter A/H1N1 Influenza Re-Outbreak; Sets Example
September 1, 2009
Mexico said it is preparing for an A/H1N1 influenza virus re-outbreak, studying what was effective and what failed last
spring when it banned everything from dining out to attending school in an effort to control the pandemic. As the
Northern Hemisphere flu season begins, the rest of the world is also studying Mexico's experience, looking for
measures to replicate and costly mistakes to avoid. Authorities from other countries have noted that public
awareness; rapid diagnosis, treatment and quarantine; and a near-compulsive outbreak of hand-washing were most
definitely successful measures to control the spread of the disease. However, travel bans, school closures and
overuse of antibiotics and masks were perceived by many as failures. Meanwhile, representatives of the World Bank
(WB) in Mexico announced there are currently ongoing negotiations to award an aid package to Mexico for as much
as USD 480 million to contain the second wave of influenza.
Mexico, France And Spain Jointly Build World’s Largest Telescope
September 1, 2009
The Astronomy Institute from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico’s Engineering and
Industrial Center (CIDESI), France’s Laboratoire d'Astrophysique-Observatoire Midi-Pyrenees (LAOMP), Spain’s
Complutense University of Madrid and the Canary Islands’ Astrophysics Institute (IAC) are jointly building the EUR
104 million world’s largest telescope in the Canary Islands. The device has a 50-meter-diameter antenna and will
operate a complex optic device developed by scientists from the three countries and named "Frida" after Mexican
artist Frida Kahlo.
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Sports
Mexico Beats Costa Rica 3-0 In CONCACAF Qualifying Game
September 5, 2009
Mexico’s national soccer team, which was playing as a visitor in Costa Rica, beat that country’s team 3-0 in one of the
most successful recent CONCACAF qualifying games Mexico has played to participate in the South Africa 2010
World Cup. Mexico’s most important figures during the game were rookie Giovani Dos Santos, Andres Guardado
Guillermo Franco and Cuauhtemoc Blanco.
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Arts & Culture
SEP Signs Agreement With CUNY To Certify Mexican Workers
September 5, 2009
The Public Education Ministry (SEP) announced it signed an agreement with the City University of New York (CUNY)
to certify experienced Mexican workers in the hotel industry. SEP added that it will provide USD 100 million to support
the certification in a bid to benefit as many as 10,000 Mexican immigrants in the New York area. SEP expects
Mexicans in New York to welcome the measure, as it will simplify their insertion in the labor market. The agreement is
part of the broader governmental "Integral Strategy to Support Migrants."
SEP Mulls Correcting History Textbooks On National Heroes’ Excommunication
September 5, 2009
The Public Education Ministry (SEP) announced it is mulling correcting history textbooks regarding national heroes
and priests Miguel Hidalgo’s and Jose Maria Morelos’ excommunication. SEP said that they are analyzing the
possible measures to be taken to correct allegedly erroneous historic facts and following demands by the Catholic
Church to specify that Hidalgo and Morelos were not excommunicated at the moment of their death.
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Environment
U.S., Mexico Urge G-20 To Increase Climate Aid
September 1, 2009
The U.S. and Mexican governments urged G-20 nations meeting this month to embrace significant aid to help
developing countries cut carbon emissions with technology as part of a global fight against climate change. The
countries recommended that financial flows be increased significantly in the near term beyond existing levels, with an
expectation of continued and substantial growth in the future. Mexico and the U.S. also presented the advantages of
having all but least developed countries contribute aid.
Hurricane Jimena Downgraded To Tropical Storm, Hits Mexico Resorts
September 2, 2009
Hurricane Jimena weakened into a tropical storm as it pushed across Mexico's Baja California peninsula, ripping off
roofs and toppling power poles after skirting the area’s main resorts. The once-massive Category 4 hurricane brought
welcome rainfall to a drought-stricken state after making landfall in the afternoon between Puerto San Andresito and
San Jaunico, a sparsely populated area of fishing villages on the Pacific coast of the peninsula.
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