US support for electric vehicles risks million jobs in Mexico: Coparmex

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December 3, 2021

A U.S. congressional bill proposes giving tax credits to buyers of US-made electric vehicles.

A United States bill that seeks to spur domestic demand for electric vehicles (EVs) poses a threat to the Mexican automotive industry, the Mexican Employers Federation (Coparmex) has warned, while the federal government has indicated it will retaliate commercially if the proposed legislation passes the U.S. Congress in its current form.

The Build Back Better (BBB) Act, already approved by the United States House of Representatives and awaiting consideration by the Senate, would increase credits available to U.S. consumers buying U.S.-made EVs to up to US $12,500 from $7,500. It would also eliminate caps on the number of credits individual automakers can offer.

Bloomberg reported that if the bill gets through the Senate, BBB will be “one of the most aggressive EV incentives in the world and definitely the greatest largesse for plug-in buyers in any major auto-producing nation.”

Coparmex and the federal government say the proposed legislation violates the provisions of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the free trade pact that took effect last year.

“At the Mexican Employers Federation, we agree with what the Economy Ministry [SE] of the Mexican government has said with regard to the Build Back Better Act initiative that proposes granting additional tax credits for electric vehicles – it violates the agreements reached in the USMCA and at the World Trade Organization [WTO],” Coparmex said in a statement Thursday.

“In the specific case of the USMCA, this proposal violates regional content provisions, whose objective is to achieve greater and improved integration in supply chains in North America,” it said, adding that the BBB would discriminate against the automotive industries in both Mexico and Canada.

“… If the Build Back Better Act is approved, only electric vehicles built in the United States will be eligible to access the tax credit amounts, both the existing ones and those created by this initiative. This situation places at risk the Mexican automotive industry, which contributes close to 4% of gross domestic product, represents more than 25% of exports and generates more than one million jobs,” Coparmex said.

“As the SE has said, it is necessary that this proposal be adjusted so that it doesn’t violate the USMCA and WTO agreements, and especially so it doesn’t result in a discriminatory act for Mexican exports of electric vehicles, which would be at a serious disadvantage compared to vehicles produced in the United States,” it said.

Coparmex also said it would support any legal action the federal government takes against the BBB.

“The trade agreements … that have given rise to a healthy and productive bilateral relationship through the years must be respected,” it said.

“From Coparmex we call on the relevant authorities to favor dialogue and exhaust all the resources available to reach a deal that respects the criteria of cooperation, good faith, understanding and mutual respect on which the relationship between Mexico and the United States, strategic allies, is based.”

Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier warned Thursday that the government would “retaliate commercially” to defend the automotive industry if the BBB passes the U.S. Senate in its current form.

The USMCA signatories can’t opt in or out of the agreement at will, she said. She didn’t say what actions Mexico might take against the United States, although one option would be to impose tariffs on certain U.S. imports.

Clouthier stressed that provisions in BBB are “contrary to regional value content rules agreed to in the USMCA.”

Such rules stipulate that a vehicle made in Mexico with at least 50% regional content must also be considered a locally produced vehicle in the United States and Canada.

In a letter, the economy minister urged U.S. lawmakers to modify the BBB so that the proposed credits are available to all EV’s made in North America, not just those manufactured in the United States.

If the bill is approved in its current form, Mexico could challenge it via mechanisms set out by the USMCA or take the case to the WTO.

With reports from El País

Mexico to start giving COVID boosters to people aged 60 and over

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MND Staff

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December 2, 2021

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AstraZeneca vaccines arriving in Toluca Airport — A shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines arrive in Toluca International Airport on Thursday. Health Ministry

People aged 60 and over will be offered COVID-19 booster shots this month, President López Obrador said Thursday.

“… We’re going to begin with third doses, or boosters, because we can’t talk about third shots when [some people] got one-dose vaccines,” he told reporters at his regular news conference.

“We’re going to start with seniors this month. The important thing is to point out that we have enough vaccines,” López Obrador said.

He said the government needed to act quickly because winter is coming.

López Obrador also said that Mexico is among the world’s top 10 countries in terms of the number of vaccines it has and thanked the United States for donating some 10 million shots, including 2.1 million that arrived Thursday.

“That’s why we’re going to continue helping, delivering vaccines to poor countries as we’ve been doing,” he said.

The president lamented that only six in 100 people in Africa are fully vaccinated and blamed the continent’s low vaccination rate for the emergence of the omicron variant.

“This is going to keep happening; that’s what the specialists say: there will be more mutations in the virus,” he said.

In other COVID-19 news:

• Reported COVID-19 cases declined 44% in November compared to October, while COVID-19 deaths fell 46%. A total of 80,662 cases were reported last month for a daily average of 2,689. COVID fatalities totaled 5,881 in November for an average of 196 per day.

• The Health Ministry reported 3,345 new cases and 182 deaths on Wednesday. Mexico’s accumulated tallies rose to 3.89 million confirmed infections and 294,428 deaths. Estimated active cases number 21,229.

• Health authorities have not detected any omicron cases in Mexico, while the first case of the variant was reported in the United States on Wednesday. The person who tested positive is fully vaccinated and recently returned to California from South Africa.

• More than 133.2 million vaccine doses have been administered in Mexico after just over 415,000 shots were given Wednesday. About 86% of adults are vaccinated, but the population-wide rate is only 60%, according to The New York Times vaccinations tracker.

Authorities in Mexico City began vaccinating youths aged 15 to 17 on Thursday. The government announced November 16 that it would offer shots to adolescents in that age bracket but hasn’t indicated it will vaccinate younger minors.

With reports from Milenio

Mexico’s top YouTuber makes as much as US $785,000 in a month

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Rose Egelhoff

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December 2, 2021

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Social media influencers, from left, Luis Villar, Kimberly Loaiza and Yuya.

With the rise of social media networks, influencers who make their living from their online presence have become a ubiquitious fact of life. Love them or hate them, if you spend significant amounts of time online you are sure to have heard of influencers Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner or Lele Pons, to name a few.

Influencers can be found around the world and in many walks of life. Sponsored athletes, models, singers, artists and many other online personalities have managed to turn large social media followings into lucrative publicity deals with brands or marketing agencies.

Mexico is no exception to the rule: a number of national and regional influencers have found success catering to both a national and international audience.

The highest paid influencer in the country is Luis Arturo Villar Sudek of Puebla, the man behind the YouTube channel “Luisito Comunica” (Luisito Communicates). Villar’s earnings range from US $49,700 up to $785,500 per month, thanks to a number of ventures all stemming from his online presence.

Villar first found success with travel videos on YouTube, but has since used his earnings and platform to go into real estate, podcasting, acting and more. He currently has 37.6 million subscribers on YouTube and 30.1 million Instagram followers.

Another well-known Mexican influencer is Kimberly Loaiza, a singer and YouTuber with a following similar in size to Villar’s. Loaiza has 34.5 million subscribers on YouTube and 32.3 million followers on Instagram. She has used her platform and status as a content creator to earn up to $164,000 a month.

Other highly-paid Mexican influencers include YouTube comedian Escorpión Dorado; beauty influencer Mariand Castrejón Castañeda (better known online as Yuya); and Los Polinesios, siblings who turned a YouTube cooking channel into a content creation empire.

With reports from El Heraldo de México

Mexico City ranks No. 8 on list of world’s best cities in the eyes of expats

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MND Staff

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December 2, 2021

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The Angel of Independence in downtown Mexico City.

Mexico City is the eighth best city in the world for expats and No. 1 in North America, according to the results of an international survey.

InterNations – which bills itself as the world’s largest expat community – published its Expat City Ranking 2021 on Wednesday. The list, which ranks 57 cities, is based on the results of a survey of more than 12,000 expats.

The Mexican capital made it into the top five cities in three different categories. It ranked second for “getting started,” which gauges local friendliness, feeling welcome, friends and socializing and the ease of learning the local language, fourth for “finance and housing” and fifth for “local cost of living.”

Mexico City’s overall ranking was burdened by its 49th place in “quality of urban living,” which includes leisure and climate, transportation, safety and politics, and health and environment, and its 42nd place in “urban work life,” which encompasses job and career, job security and work-life balance.

Expats in Mexico City find it very easy to get used to the local culture (93% vs. 65% globally) and feel at home in the capital (80% vs. 65% globally), InterNations said.

Mexico City lost points in the ranking for environmental pollution and safety concerns.

They are also happy with their social life (67% vs. 57% globally) and find it easy to make new friends (73% vs. 48% globally).

Almost nine in 10 expats in Mexico City – 88% – said that locals are generally friendly toward foreign residents. The global average was considerably lower at 67%.

InterNations also found that 73% of expats in Mexico City are satisfied with their financial situation (vs. 64% globally), and 92% said their disposable household income is enough or more than enough to cover their expenses (vs. 77%).

Housing is both affordable (60% vs. 42% globally) in the Mexican capital and easy to find (74% vs. 60%), the survey found.

Overall job satisfaction in Mexico City is high (sixth out of the 57 cities) but working hours (52nd) were rated negatively by 25% of respondents (vs. 16% globally).

Affecting Mexico City’s poor result on the “quality of urban living” index was that 37% of respondents reported not feeling safe. That figure is more than four times higher than the global average of 8%.

In addition, expats are dissatisfied with the public transportation system (30% vs. 20% globally) and rate the urban environment negatively (25% vs. 16%).

“There is a lot of noise and environmental pollution in the city,” said a Venezuelan expat.

On a positive note, almost nine in 10 expats in Mexico City said they like the climate, while 81% indicated they were happy with the local leisure options. A similar percentage, 83%, said they were generally happy with their life in the capital, eight points higher than the global average.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ranked as the best city for expats, followed by Málaga, Spain; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Sydney, Australia; and Singapore. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Prague, Czech Republic, took the two spots above Mexico City, while Basel, Switzerland, and Madrid, Spain, were ranked as the ninth and 10th best cities for expats, respectively.

Three other North American cities appear in the rankings. The Canadian cities of Vancouver and Toronto ranked 25th and 27th, respectively, while New York took 48th place.

Rome, Italy, ranked as the worst city for expats, while Milan, Italy, and Johannesburg, South Africa, were the second and third worst, respectively.

InterNations announced earlier this year that respondents to its Expat Insider survey had rated Mexico as the second-best country for people living and working abroad. Only Taiwan was ranked as a more attractive destination among 59 countries.

Mexico News Daily

At this fashion show, the watchwords are sustainability and inclusion

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Shannon Collins

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December 2, 2021

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Moda Intramuros, Campeche — Not professional models but Campeche's youth walk the runway at Moda Intramuros' annual fashion show, wearing Mexican and international designs. Photos by Julio Romero Pacheco

While at first glance it may seem that there is little place in haute couture for sustainability and social inclusion, the fifth annual Moda Intramuros (Fashion Within City Walls) show in Campeche aimed to prove that there can be plenty of room for such ideals — with some commitment from those in the fashion industry.

The fashion show, which features the longest catwalk in Mexico, returned to the city on Friday after a pandemic hiatus in 2020, taking place for safety’s sake this year in the Concha Acustica auditorium in the city’s historic San Roman neighborhood.

Featuring eight designers — national and international — as well as 108 models and more than 60 support staff, the event showcased a breathtaking selection of pieces, ranging from the grungy denim of the House of Aguilar collection to the contrasting neon yellow and ethereal blue body of work by clothing designer Yeshua Herrera.

It also featured a surprising cohort of models displaying these collections on the catwalk: the youth of Campeche.

The show, organized annually by the Campeche nonprofit organization Patronato de la Ciudad Campeche, also cements the city as one of the surprising new hotspots in Mexico for contemporary fashion. Moda Intramuros organizer Anielka García Villajuana proudly noted that the event attracts top designers from across the country as well as internationally.

Moda Intramuros show, Campeche — The show prioritizes designers who use sustainable materials and methods, says organizer Anielka García.

“Moda Intramuros has become part of the fashion circuits of the country, which was our intention at the inception of the project a few years ago, to establish a unique catwalk event that could show off the very best of Campeche and what it has to offer,” she said.

Patronato de la Ciudad Campeche, founded in 1993 to promote the city of Campeche as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, initially created the fashion show event six years ago as part of that mission to promote the city’s profile; but it soon became obvious to organizers that the event could never simply be about fashion.

“In the early days, we knew we were missing something,” García said. “Fashion is perceived as superficial and elitist, so we wanted to try to make it as sustainable as possible — both in terms of the materials and methods being used to create the clothing and in terms of our ability to build this event at the nexus of social inclusion, healthy community and, obviously, memorable design.”

With that goal in mind, García and her team this year did not hire models but instead trained local young people from Campeche’s barrios to walk their runway. In previous years, they had put out open calls for models, but this year, for months prior to the event, the team worked in Campeche’s poorer neighborhoods, recruiting youth to participate, giving workshops on poise and confidence and generating other possibilities for Campeche youth to be involved.

Running the workshops was a formative part of the growth of the event — both for the models and for the event organizers. As the youth of Campeche gathered and told their stories in preparation for the show — and sometimes shared their battles with mental health and other issues — it became clear that these young people had no spaces in which to express themselves.

“It’s so much more than simply a fashion event,” García said. “The vast array of people involved are the beating heart of this annual showcase. It’s a manifestation of the talent and creativity that the youth of Campeche has when it is given a chance to flourish.”

Around the fulcrum of a fashion project, the workshops have offered participants a space for sustainable, cultural and artistic work as well as the foundations of a growing supportive community of friendships and connections.

And, to the credit of all involved, the organizers and participants’ efforts have paid off: as the models took their turns parading down the catwalk, there was a notable yes-we-can confidence in the raised chests, the swaying shoulders and the professional, unidirectional model’s gaze into the middle distance.

You could have been fooled into thinking that these were the same remote creatures familiar from fashion runways lauded in the international media — had the occasional slip of the fashionista mask into a toothy grin not let the audience know that these were real flesh and blood citizens of Campeche and that they were having a good time.

Linear runways notwithstanding, the vision for the show has always been multidirectional, and at no point was this more striking than in the entire cohort’s final runway parade. Seen altogether, it was obvious that, in spite of — or perhaps because of — their diversity, there was a cohesion in this group; more than the synchronized stepping to the beat of the music, there was a sense of the knowledge that Moda Intramuros was offering an opportunity for inclusion.

“This project is about doing,” said García. “It’s about acting, about engaging, about a certain kind of activism that says we can generate the kind of Campeche we want to create for the good of all.”

As García well knows, a city’s heritage is not simply parceled up in the brick and mortar of its beautiful historic walls; it lives and grows within its people. Moda Intramuros is a rare and shining gem that brings Campeche’s heritage into the present, clothes it in cutting-edge designs and makes it ready for the future.

Shannon Collins is an environment correspondent at Ninth Wave Global, an environmental organization and think tank. She writes from Campeche.

Good music for a good cause: event will raise funds for street animals

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Rose Egelhoff

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December 2, 2021

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Musicians who will perform at the Mexico City rock and blues event.

This holiday season, Mexico City residents and visitors have a chance to make a difference while enjoying rock and blues music with friends at the Spirit of Christmas Rock ‘n Blues Explosion Fest.

The one-day festival is set for December 11 at Hobos Restaurant and Bar, courtesy of the same organizers who stage the Tequila Rock ‘n Blues events. It will be led by guest of honor Isidoro Negrete Reynoso with headliners Evelyn Rubio, Steffie Beltt and Viri Roots.

Organizers describe the event as “some of the most important rock and blues-rock music of our lives in a fun party atmosphere … the perfect day and night for friends, groups, and celebrations, while supporting a great cause.”

The event will raise money for the Animales Ángeles fund, created by event organizer Bob Rempel. Half the funds raised will go to the expansion of a small Mexico City shelter operated by Susanna Hernandez, wife of the guest of honor. The rest of the money will be split between animal rescue organizations in Mexico City and around the country.

“There are millions of abandoned and homeless street animals of Mexico City and Mexico, some born on the streets. It is a serious problem,” Rempel said in a press release. “The problem is enormous … it’s daunting to even try” to solve it.

A promo video for the festival.

But like the proverb, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,” small contributions can make a difference, Rempel said. By helping street animals one by one, “we can make a difference.”

The organizers request a minimum donation of 100 pesos per ticket, 250 pesos for front section seating and 500 pesos for front row seating. Those who donate 250 pesos or more will be entered into a draw for t-shirts.

Spirit of Christmas Explosion Fest is one of a series of festivals designed to raise money for street animals, the cause of choice for the organizers in 2021 and 2022. Other events are scheduled to take place in 2022 in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Puerto Vallarta, the Mayan Riviera, San Miguel de Allende and Mazatlán. More information about the Spirit of Christmas Festival can be found on the event Facebook page. Information about other events is available on the Tequila Rock ‘n Blues website.

Mexico News Daily

Voters say yes to controversial fertilizer plant in Sinaloa

By

MND Staff

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December 2, 2021

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An aerial view of the port in Topolobampo.

Three-quarters of the participants in a referendum on a controversial fertilizer plant in Sinaloa voted in favor of the US $5-billion project on Sunday.

Almost 40,000 people across three municipalities cast a vote in the referendum to gauge support for an ammonia and urea plant in Topolobampo, a port town 20 kilometers southwest of Los Mochis.

Adult residents of Ahome, the municipality where Topolobampo is located, and neighboring Guasave and El Fuerte were permitted to participate in the federally-organized vote. Just under 76% of voters supported construction of the plant; turnout was 13%.

Two-thirds of voters in urban areas voted in favor of the project, while 80% of rural dwellers backed it. Almost 2,300 people in Topolobampo voted, with 54.5% supporting the project.

Construction of the plant by the company Gas y Petroquímica de Occidente (GPO) began in August 2018 but a federal judge halted the project in March 2019 due to environmental concerns. In June that year President López Obrador called for a referendum on the project to be held, a proposal he renewed in August 2020.

Many fishermen have said the operation of the plant would cause irreparable damage to the Santa María, Topolobampo and Ohuira lagoons and restrict the area in which they can work.

Environmental activists said that marine life such as turtles and bottlenose dolphins would be adversely affected, while the head of the federal government’s Natural Protected Areas Commission said in 2019 that having an ammonia plant so close to lagoons that are protected by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance “is not possible.”

GPO, a subsidiary of Swiss-German engineering, procurement and construction group Proman AG, has rejected claims that the plant’s operation would damage the environment.

The company and supporters of the project have said the fertilizer plant is needed because ammonia production has not kept up with growing demand. As a result, imports have increased and farmers have had to pay more for fertilizer.

Business groups welcomed the referendum result.

“… This is going to be a boost for the economy, we need jobs to be created,” said Francisco Álvarez Aguilar, president of the Culiacán branch of the National Chamber for Industrial Transformation.

Diego Castro Blanco, president of the Culiacán branch of the National Chamber of Commerce, also said the plant will benefit the economy. He acknowledged the concerns of the project’s opponents but stressed that industrial development is necessary for economic growth.

“I believe that people voted for development, they voted for the opportunities these investments generate,” Blanco said.

For his part, the head of Sinaloa business group CEES rejected the use of referendums to decide whether infrastructure projects should go ahead or not.

Guillermo Gastélum Bon Bustamante said projects must be allowed to proceed if they comply with the requirements established by the law. He said that Proman AG has shown in other countries that it has the capacity to operate fertilizer plants safely.

The federal government has held several referendums on large-scale projects, some of which have led to their cancellation. Such was the case with the previous government’s Mexico City airport project and a brewery in Mexicali, Baja California.

With reports from El Universal and El Informe Diario

Mexico and US aid agencies to cooperate in Central America development programs

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MND Staff

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December 2, 2021

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A group of Honduran migrants on the border of Honduras and El Salvador heading north in 2018.

The Mexican and United States governments have announced a new framework for development cooperation in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Called Sembrando Oportunidades (Sowing Opportunities), the framework aims to address the root causes of irregular migration from northern Central America, said a joint statement issued by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the U.S. Department of State, the Mexican Agency for International Cooperation and Development (Amexcid) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Amexcid and USAID will coordinate the two countries’ development resources and expertise to help citizens of northern Central America build prosperous futures in their home communities, the statement said.

“Our complementary efforts are set to begin in Honduras, where USAID and Amexcid plan to provide youth with skills and experience that can lead to long-term employment, reducing the risk of irregular migration. Under this initiative, we aim to reach more than 500,000 at-risk youth in Honduras. Both the United States and Mexico have committed resources to this effort and both agencies have begun to coordinate,” it said.

How much money each nation has committed to Sembrando Oportunidades was not announced. In September, Mexico asked the United States to provide US $108.4 million a month to fund the implementation of two employment programs in Central America. Earlier that month, the United States agreed to collaborate on the expansion of Mexico’s Sembrando Vida (Sowing Life) tree-planting employment program and Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro (Youths Building the Future) apprenticeship scheme.

Long lines of migrants wait to make an appointment with the Mexican refugee agency Comar, in Tapachula, Chiapas. — Long lines of migrants wait to make an appointment with the Mexican refugee agency COMAR, in Tapachula, Chiapas.

Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said after last month’s North American Leaders’ Summit that the U.S. would invest in a program that would probably be called Sembrando Oportunidades.

The joint statement said the framework “will grow to include additional agriculture and youth workforce development activities, pending availability of funds.”

“USAID plans to complement Amexcid’s Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro program by linking scholarship opportunities as an option for youth graduating from Amexcid assistance in El Salvador through the USAID-funded program with the International Organization for Migration,” it said.

“… Amexcid intends to continue to assist small farmers through their Sembrando Vida agriculture and reforestation program, while USAID intends to continue to help farmers reach new and higher value market opportunities,” the statement added.

“USAID plans to pilot and rigorously evaluate programmatic approaches to conditional cash transfers in the region, sharing its findings with Amexcid.”

In addition, USAID intends to strengthen the institutional partnership with Amexcid under Sembrando Oportunidades, “sharing materials and best practices, establishing a coordinated research and learning agenda that will include rigorous analysis to inform root cause programs, and developing guidelines for branding joint initiatives.”

“… Under the Sembrando Oportunidades framework, the United States and Mexico plan to work together in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to promote good governance, an improved business enabling environment, and enhanced investment by national governments in their neglected communities,” the statement said.

The two governments said the framework expands on the shared vision for enhanced development cooperation to address the root causes of migration discussed by President López Obrador and President Biden during the North American Leaders’ Summit.

“The government of Mexico is implementing its largest development programs in its history in Central America, and President Biden has also made a historic commitment to the region under the U.S. strategy for addressing the root causes of migration in Central America,” the statement said.

The formal announcement of the framework comes as large numbers of migrants from Central American and Caribbean nations continue to enter Mexico via its southern border and travel through the country en route to the United States.

Mexico News Daily

AMLOFest: 250,000 attend anniversary rally in Mexico City zócalo

By

MND Staff

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December 2, 2021

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The rally drew 250,000 people from around the country, the Mexico City government said. — Hundreds of buses brought people from around the country.

A quarter of a million people flocked to Mexico City’s central square on Wednesday to attend President López Obrador’s rally to mark the third anniversary of the commencement of his six-year term.

The size of the crowd, made up of supporters from numerous states, matched that of December 1, 2018, when López Obrador appeared in the same square – the zócalo – wearing his presidential sash just hours after being sworn in.

It was the first time since early 2020 that the president had convened a mass rally, the long break due to the pandemic, which has officially claimed close to 300,000 lives in Mexico. Most attendees wore face masks but social distancing was impossible in the tightly-packed square.

Hundreds of buses transported supporters to downtown Mexico City for the latest AMLOFest, with residents of Tabasco, Chiapas, Guanajuato, Sinaloa, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz, Oaxaca and Nayarit among the 250,000-strong crowd.

The Mexico City government, which provided the official attendance figure, said there were no adverse incidents at the event.

Morena, the ruling party founded by López Obrador just four years before his comprehensive victory at the 2018 presidential election, used a tried-and-tested tactic to get large numbers of people to the zócalo: it provided free transportation to the event and sweetened the deal by handing out t-shirts, hats and packed lunches.

The once omnipotent Institutional Revolutionary Party frequently used the same tactic, giving rise to a colloquial term to refer to people herded to political events – acarreados, literally those who are transported or — perhaps more accurately — hauled.

One México state woman told the newspaper Reforma she was invited to the event by a local official and had to go because that person makes sure that water tankers arrive in her neighborhood in the densely populated municipality of Ecatepec.

She received details about the location and time for a bus departure to Mexico City’s historic center via a WhatsApp message.

“They gave us a t-shirt and lunch,” said another Ecatepec resident.

Other people were shepherded to the event by leaders of labor unions or similar organizations to which they belong. For example, some 400 Mexico City street vendors affiliated with a group led by Claudia Franco descended on the zócalo to hear López Obrador speak.

Camiones de diversos estados del país siguen llegando a los alrededores del Centro Histórico para el #AMLOFEST

🎥 @David_SantiagoH pic.twitter.com/wCcRuQ35ol

— Expansión Política (@ExpPolitica) December 1, 2021

Busloads of supporters from around the country arrived in the downtown area on Wednesday.

“… We came to thank the president for the support he gives us,” Franco said.

The crowd also included government employees given permission to leave their desks early – presumably as long as they agreed to attend the AMLOFest, but many other Mexicans made their way to the zócalo of their own accord, lured by the opportunity to see the president in person and appreciate his well-honed oratorical skills.

Musicians entertained the masses before López Obrador, hand in hand in with his wife Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller, took to a stage set up in front of the National Palace shortly after 5:00 p.m.

With members of his cabinet and Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum seated behind him, AMLO delivered a “greatest hits” address of the kind he has given several times before, enumerating government achievements since he took office three years ago.

Among those he highlighted were the revocation of the “poorly named education reform,” job creation through the construction of public infrastructure projects, the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to all adults, a 95% reduction in fuel theft, the creation of the National Guard, the delivery of welfare and social programs and the generation of 1.4 trillion pesos (US $66 billion) in savings over three years due to “republican austerity” and the government’s anti-corruption initiatives.

The president, who retains a high approval rating despite the severity of the coronavirus crisis, near record homicide rates and economic uncertainty, also looked to the future. He confirmed he would subject himself to a “revocation of mandate” vote next year, announcing he would test support for “our transformation policy” in April.

President López Obrador and his wife Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller wave to the crowd outside the National Palace.

“The people – who are sovereign, who command – will be asked if they want me to continue as president or resign,” López Obrador said.

He also asserted that his controversial electricity reform bill will allow “the balance lost” due to “neoliberal energy policy” to be recovered.

The bill seeks to guarantee more than half the electricity market to the state-owned Federal Electricity Commission, reversing policy that López Obrador said “sought to ruin the national electricity industry and leave the market in the hands of private, mainly foreign, companies.”

The president confirmed that the military will support efforts to distribute medications to Mexico’s most remote public health facilities, an idea he floated last week.

“As we did with the [COVID-19] vaccines, in January a general distribution plan for medications, supported by the armed forces, will begin,” he said.

Concluding his 75-minute address, López Obrador asserted that his government will continue to show faith in the people of Mexico and continue to “make history” in the second half of his term.

“… In these three years we’ve shown that we’re a great, free and sovereign nation respected … by the rest of the world,” he said.

“[We’re a country] that is striving for peace and one that is heading toward being a fair, egalitarian, democratic and fraternal republic, and this has been a project of everyone, of a ‘we’ that is today represented by you: free and responsible women and men, principal protagonists of the fourth transformation of Mexico.”

With reports from Reforma and Milenio

Santa Claus has helpers in 2 Mexican towns

By

Leigh Thelmadatter

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December 1, 2021

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Feria de la Esfera , Michaocan — The Feria de la Esfera (Ornament Fair) in Tlalpujahua, Michaocán, is ongoing until December 19.

If you buy blown-glass Christmas tree ornaments made in Mexico, it’s almost guaranteed that they were made in one of two towns you probably never heard of: Tlalpujahua, Michoacán, or Chignahuapan, Puebla.

The story of these towns begins in the 1950s when economics forced many out of the high mountains of the Michoacán-México state border. Joaquin Muñoz Orta found himself an immigrant in Chicago, working in a factory making artificial Christmas trees and glass ornaments. He returned to Mexico in the 1960s to make both in Mexico City, but the ornaments sold much better.

In the early 1970s, he decided to move their manufacture to his hometown of Tlalpujahua, the start of his company Adornos Navideños. At the factory’s height, it was making about 100 million ornaments a year, but competition from Asia put a squeeze on mass production in Mexico. The factory closed in 2012, but not before it spurred a major cottage industry.

Ornaments remain extremely important in Tlalpujahua, employing about 70% of the families in one way or another. However, there have been changes, mostly in the direction of tourism. Tlalpujahua is a natural “Christmas town,” a weekend drive from Mexico City, San Miguel Allende and Guadalajara into rugged pine-forested mountains and cold not unlike many parts of the United States and Europe at the same time of year.

The family behind Adornos Navideños founded La Casa de Santa Claus. It produces about a million ornaments a year, but its focus is now retail in Tlalpujahua. The municipality sponsors an annual Feria de la Esfera (Ornament Fair) which is ongoing until December 19th to attract shoppers to its over 100 manufacturers that set up stalls all over town.

Santa Claus Village in Tlalpujahua — Casa de Santa Claus built the Villa de Santa Claus to draw in more tourists to Tlalpujahua. Svetlana/Wikimedia Commons

Mexico’s other Christmas town is Chignahuapan, Puebla, whose story begins when Tlalpujahua native Rafael Méndez Núñez set up shop here in the 1970s. Many of the products here are similar to those made in Tlalpujahua, and Chignahuapan has kept much of its wholesale business, mostly because it is easier to ship to Mexico City.

Tourism is important, although the atmosphere is different from that of Tlalpujahua.

It is an easy day trip from Mexico City and Puebla, and it has a wonderful parish church with a facade painted in bright colors. Its continued focus on wholesale is the reason why its annual fair starts and ends earlier (October–November). But don’t worry, if you go there now, you will find plenty of stores and stalls for your shopping pleasure, along with locally made apple cider and pulque.

Most of the blown-glass ornaments sold in both towns will be familiar to many of us from North America, focusing on traditional Christmas colors and with sparkly designs of stars, flowers, Santa Claus and more. Continued export explains some of this, but the main reason is that the Mexican market demands it. Christmas trees are a relatively new addition to the culture, and many Mexicans still look to recreate what they have seen in the media.

The vast majority of producers maintain the techniques of small workshops and factories. including blowing and hand-painting, which is usually done by women.

However, there are signs of innovation, especially in the decoration of the basic sphere. Wild colors and new images appear, mostly because of influences from popular culture. It is easy to find ornaments with logos from Mexican and U.S. sports teams, famous players, superheroes, Japanese cartoon characters and more. (I would not ask if they have permission to reproduce these images, however.)

ornament store in Chignahuapan — One of the many ornament stores in Chignahuapan, Puebla. Alejandro Linares Garcia

There has been the development of blown glass in new shapes such as flower petals and hot-air balloons, along with apples and other fruit. Transparent spheres with items inside are also popular, and you can even have one with your own photo inside made while you wait.

Both towns have developed other Christmas decorations, including interesting takes on wreaths, nativity scenes and “trees” made from pine cones and other local forest products. But for the most part, it has not led to the development of collectible ornaments in (Mexican) folkloric designs similar to what can be seen in North America and Europe.

With the end of the mass production export market, federal and state governments have stepped in to promote the two towns and their products. It is important to keep the industry from dying completely as it is about the only major economic activity in either. Ornaments from both places have appeared on Christmas trees at the Vatican, and both are designated as Pueblos Mágicos — in large part but not exclusively because of their history with Christmas.

While both Tlalpujahua and Chignahuapan are the closest to Christmas towns in our sense of the term, there are also other places worth a mention with a strong connection to the holiday.

The first is Acolman, México state. Just north of the Mexico City metropolitan area, it is the birthplace of the Mexican piñata, developed at the monastery here. It holds an annual Piñata Fair, this year happening December 16—20.

Live and cut Christmas trees are now cultivated in many of Mexico’s high-altitude and colder climes, particularly in México state, Nuevo León, Michoacán and Veracruz. These farms welcome visitors during the season.

Shopping for ornaments in Tlalpujahua. Alejandro Linares Garcia

The best known is the Bosque de los Árboles de Navidad, or Christmas Tree Forest, wedged between Mexico City and the Popocatepetl Volcano in Amecameca, México state.

In case you didn’t know, the poinsettia is native to Mexico and called in Spanish the “Nochebuena” (which is also the word for “Christmas Eve”).

Morelos is a principal producer of the plant, and Cuernavaca holds an annual Expo Nochebuena from now until December 24.

Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico 18 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019). Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily.

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