The big news out of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Wednesday morning press conference was that Mexico’s minimum wage will increase by 12% on Jan. 1.
Labor Minister Marath Bolaños López announced that the daily minimum wage will increase to 278.80 pesos (US $13.75) per day in most of the country and 419.88 pesos (US $20.70) in the northern border zone frequently referred to as the Mexico Free Zone. (Click here to read MND’s report).
Later in the press conference, Sheinbaum responded to a question about the plan to impose a US $42 per-person immigration fee on cruise ship passengers when they arrive at Mexican ports.
She also acknowledged a record fentanyl bust in Sinaloa on Tuesday (read MND’s report here), and declared that Mexico will continue to “insist” on an apology from Spain for the abuses committed during the Spanish conquest of the Mexica Empire (Triple Alliance).
Sheinbaum advises consultation on fee for cruise ship passengers
Both houses of Congress have now voted to impose a US $42 immigration fee on every passenger of each cruise ship that docks at a Mexican port starting in 2025, whether or not said passengers disembark in Mexico. The Senate approved the move on Tuesday after the Chamber of Deputies did the same late last month.
A reporter asked Sheinbaum whether she would consider exempting cruise ship passengers from the payment of the nonresident fee in 2025, as cruise lines have requested.
“It’s an increase. It’s not like all of a sudden they’re going to charge US $42,” she said.
Sheinbaum was referring to the Congress-approved increase in the nonresident fee from 717 pesos (US $35) to 860 pesos (US $42). International tourists entering Mexico by air, for example, already have to pay the fee, but cruise ship passengers are currently exempt.
Sheinbaum didn’t commit to exempting cruise ship passengers from the payment of the fee next year but noted that she had instructed government officials, including Navy Minister Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, to speak with cruise lines about the matter.
Former president Calderón should ‘apologize for the atrocities of the war on drugs’
A reporter noted that former Mexican president Felipe Calderón recently spoke at an event in Madrid and made critical remarks about ex-president Andrés Manuel López Obador’s decision to ask the Spanish government to apologize for abuses committed during the Spanish conquest of the Mexica (Aztec) empire.
“Do you think that Calderón will someday apologize for the war on drugs … or [for] García Luna? retorted Sheinbaum.
Calderón launched a militarized “war” against drug cartels shortly after he took office as president in late 2006. The strategy is now widely attributed to have led to a huge increase in homicides in Mexico.
It also spawned allegations that a range of human rights abuses were committed by the military during Calderón’s presidency.
Mexico’s security minister at the time was Genaro García Luna, who was sentenced to 38 years in jail in the United States in October, almost 20 months after he was convicted of colluding with the Sinaloa Cartel.
“I don’t agree with Calderón,” Sheinbaum said in reference to his criticism of the request for an apology from Spain.
“… And he should think about apologizing for the atrocities of the war on drugs,” she added.
Mexico will ‘insist’ on an apology from Spain
Sheinbaum noted that 2025 will mark the 700th anniversary of the foundation of Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Mexica empire and the forerunner to Mexico City.
She said that the government will commemorate the anniversary and continue to “insist” on an apology for abuses committed by Spain during the conquest and the fall of Tenochtitlán, even though the Spanish government rejected López Obrador’s request in 2019.
Saying sorry “enhances peoples and government and strengthens relationships,” Sheinbaum said.
Acknowledging that “terrible abuses” were committed against Indigenous people “allows you to see the future,” she said.
“If one doesn’t recognize the atrocities of the past committed by others, how does one forgive? How does one build a new history?” Sheinbaum asked.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
Check the math. It hasn’t been 700 years.
Hi Enrique,
Tenochtitlán was founded in 1325 so next year will indeed mark the 700th anniversary.
You can read more about Tenochtitlán here:
https://www.britannica.com/place/Tenochtitlan
Peter Davies
Here is an excerpt from Peter Davies article, “Sheinbaum noted that 2025 will mark the 700th anniversary of the foundation of Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Mexica empire and the forerunner to Mexico City” Please note that this is not of the conquest.
cccc
Calderon’s reign obviously was pro-some-cartel maybe anti-other-cartel. It seems that PRI & Morena are scrapping. How about Spain apologizing for its reign of abuse of indigenous peoples and for its corruption and México apologizing for its reign of corruption and allowing cartel fascism to flourish to the point that chemistry students, media persons, clerics, and politicians are regularly assassinated and cartels openly engage in militaristic dress and warfare like Hezbollah does in Lebanon?
Makes sense.
Agreed. Once we start expecting current administrations to apologize for mistakes of the past, where does it end. Most nations have questionable histories. Looking back at events 1, 10, 100, or 1000 years ago, obviously we see a better way forward. However, modern medicine doesn’t expect an apology from earlier practitioners because of how miserable treatments were and how bad people suffered through illness. I think we can acknowledge that yes, terrible things happened back before we knew better ways. Apologizing for things we never did, had no control over, and can’t change, doesn’t solve or fix anything. Be grateful that civilizations evolve, that society no longer accepts the ways of the past. I am of Norwegian decent. My ancestors were Vikings who committed horrific atrocities. They also didn’t bathe or hygienically groom themselves daily. Both were the norm during their existence, and both disgusting when viewed through a modern lens. I will make no apology for either. I just do better. That’s what we should all do – just try to do better everyday!
Well said.
Oh, so Mexico hasn’t “moved Forward” since the conquest?? LOL!! Oh, and what we know as Mexico today regarding language, culture, traditions, FOOD al existed before the Spaniards arrived? “Mexico” per se existed before the encounter with the Iberians?? So absurd but expected of the leftist woke.
Here is an excerpt from the article, “Acknowledging that “terrible abuses” were committed against Indigenous people “allows you to see the future,” she said.
“If one doesn’t recognize the atrocities of the past committed by others, how does one forgive? How does one build a new history?” Sheinbaum asked.” Please note that she is not asking for an apology for the conquest, only for the atrocities that were committed. The Indigenous people of the Americas were treated unnecessarily brutally by their European conquerors.
Conquests happen. They always have and probably will at least for another few millennia. Just get over it.
Its a bit ridicous to ask for an apology from Spain for the Conquest 700 years ago,as it is a part of history.
. . . in other news, the Cartels are silent when asked to apologize for their extortion, child trafficking, “profiting” on drug abuse through their ‘supply chain networks,’ paying off politicians on BOTH sides of the border permitting such abuses . . . and in some states in Mexico terrifying the every day Mexican citizen with their murderous rampaging and brutal barbaric medieval mutilation of the human body . . .
I am afraid to give my opinion on the role of government in relationship to the cartels and the violence they do mostly to each other, still almost all the victims are fellow Mexicans.
Who will apologize for the atrocities committed by the Aztecs?
It’s absurd. The president is parroting one of AMLO’s pet peeves. If it weren’t for the conquista, as violent as it was, there would be no México as we know it today and there would probably be no Claudia Sheinbaum because her grandparents would have been victims of the Holocaust instead of being able to emigrate to México. How many atrocities were committed by post-independence Mexican governments? How many atrocities were committed by both sides during the Revolution and the Guerra de los Cristeros? How many atrocities were committed in 1968? How many atrocities were committed by every modern day Mexican government against its citizens? Who is supposed to apologize for every single atrocity that’s been committed during Mexico’s long history?
Sheinbaum is just a puppet of AMLO. Nothing more. This president is AMLO 2.0
Will Claudia request of Trump that he apologize on behalf of the his country for incorporating huge tracts of Mexican holdings as part of the United States?
In The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) México ceded 55 percent of its territory and México was paid for the land by the U.S. government.
just as ignorant and arrogant as her puppetmaster. However, following the idiocy, she should then ask the Aztecs (she has ZERO original mexican blood) to apologize to all the other tribes and nationas the conquered to create the Aztec Empire. How funny we are when we apply emotional ignorance