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AMLO says US senators liars after accusation of using justice system for own gain

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MND Staff
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López Obrador said he has no connection to Attorney General Gertz.
López Obrador said he has no connection to Attorney General Gertz.

President López Obrador has labeled four United States senators liars after they accused him of using the federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) to target government critics.

Four Democratic Party senators including Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Menéndez wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Attorney General Merrick Garland to express concerns that López Obrador’s government and the FGR are “politicizing the Mexican justice system and jeopardizing the independence of democratic institutions.”

“President López Obrador’s tenure has been marked by an increasing pattern of seemingly selective prosecutions disproportionately targeting government critics,” said the April 5 letter signed by Menéndez, Patrick Leahy, Benjamin Cardin and Jeffrey Merkley.

“These investigations have been pursued by the FGR – an institution that is constitutionally autonomous from the executive branch, but which has in practice aligned with President López Obrador – with the apparent aim of discrediting and silencing political opponents, as well as pursuing personal vendettas,” the letter said.

The senators cited three cases to support their claim. They said that leaked recordings of a call between Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero and another FGR official “raise questions about whether Gertz Manero improperly used FGR resources.”

“They also raise questions about improper dealings between Gertz Manero and members of Mexico’s Supreme Court in a case in which the national prosecutor accuses his in-laws of failing to provide proper care to his brother, who died in 2015 at the age of 82,” the letter said. “Despite this, President López Obrador continues to defend Gertz Manero.”

The senators also cited a 2021 case in which “Gertz Manero attempted to arrest and prosecute 31 scientists on money laundering and embezzlement charges.”

They noted that the scientists belonged to an advisory forum that has been critical of the federal government.

The lawmakers also observed that in August 2021 the FGR pressed corruption charges against Ricardo Anaya, a 2018 presidential candidate and outspoken critic of López Obrador. The charges are related to a bribery case involving Brazilian construction company Odebrecht and Mexican lawmakers in Congress during former president Enrique Peña Nieto’s 2012-18 presidency.

“According to press reports, ‘political analysts and legal scholars, including two allies of Mr. López Obrador currently serving in official legal capacities, say the case against Mr. Anaya is riddled with inconsistencies,’” the senators’ letter said.

“Cases such as these stand in stark contrast to instances in which President López Obrador’s government and the FGR have failed to seriously investigate or prosecute potential corruption among individuals linked to the president,” the Democrats said, citing cases involving his personal secretary and brother.

“The selective prosecutions also contrast markedly with the FGR’s decision to close the investigation against former defense minister Salvador Cienfuegos in January 2021, following Cienfuegos’ arrest in the United States … on charges of collusion with narcotics traffickers,” the letter said.

“In light of this pattern of apparent selective and politically motivated prosecutions, efforts by President López Obrador and his allies to target and weaken the independence of Mexico’s judicial system raise significant concerns,” the senators said, citing the president’s attack on a judge who ruled against an energy proposal, his attempt to extend the term of the chief justice of the Supreme Court in apparent violation of the constitution and his call for members of the Mexico’s top electoral court to resign.

“As José Miguel Vivanco, former executive director of Human Rights Watch’s Americas Division has noted, these actions demonstrate a disregard for judicial independence and are a ‘direct assault on the rule of law,’” the letter said.

“We urge you to give serious consideration to the risk of a weakened, politicized, justice system in Mexico, and to raise and prioritize these concerns in discussions with your Mexican counterparts,” the senators told Blinken and Garland.

“The United States government must explicitly communicate its continued support for Mexico’s independent institutions, as well as its firm belief that President López Obrador’s efforts to advance legitimate accountability initiatives must strengthen, not dismantle, democratic institutions and the rule of law.”

López Obrador rejected the senators’ claims at his news conference on Thursday, asserting that it was untrue that he has used the FGR for political purposes.

“With all respect, they’re liars, … perhaps they’re misinformed,” he said, adding that the senators were motivated by upcoming midterm elections in the United States.

“It’s a good thing there are only four of them because four swallows don’t make a summer,” the president quipped.

“What am I going to say back to them? Nothing,” he said before launching into a response later in his morning press conference.

“… I don’t have any connection to Attorney General Gertz Manero other than [my] respect [for him]. It’s no longer the time in which the president gave instructions to the judicial power, to the Supreme Court, the Attorney General’s Office, no,” López Obrador said.

“There is now an authentic rule of law, there’s not a crooked state. … [The senators] are lying, they are, the least I can say, uninformed,” he said.

“… Perhaps these senators don’t know me or perhaps they’re used to something else [in Mexico], but [the situation] has already changed. Hopefully they’ll inform themselves and if they have proof present it, but generally they’re complaints without foundation. It’s due to the [electoral] season and because the conservatives of Mexico are now accusing us [from] abroad, they go there to accuse us,” López Obrador said.

“… If … [the senators] have no foundation and it’s just a campaign against us, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans won’t like that, and if they’re looking for votes it won’t help them. I shouldn’t even be giving them advice, but there are 40 million Mexicans in the United States,” he said.

“… They’re wrong, misinformed. … Furthermore, … we don’t accept [foreign] interference,” López Obrador added.“… Mexico is a free, independent and sovereign country.”

Mexico News Daily 

Vacationing in Mexico this Semana Santa? Consider your impact

By
Debbie Slobe
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boat in Puerto Escondido
Rather than filling your vacation with tours or activities sold by a large company, consider using local folks who need the income and know the area intimately.

In just a few days, schools across Mexico will close for the Semana Santa and Pascua (Easter) holidays. Many Mexican families take vacations during this time, and the holidays often coincide with student spring breaks in the United States and Canada.

The result is millions of people descending on beaches and other tourist destinations throughout the country over a short span of two weeks.

For big beach towns like Cabo San Lucas and Cancún, the influx of visitors is more easily absorbed (although it still takes a huge toll) as there are already big hotels, decent infrastructure and services set up for large numbers of tourists.

But for smaller beach communities like Puerto Escondido, Sayulita, San Pancho and Chacala, Nayarit, (where I live), the temporary doubling or even quintupling of the local population can take a serious toll on the infrastructure and environment.

Take Chacala, for example. Our permanent, year-round resident population is around 350 people. During the high season for tourists, the population triples to about 1,000 people. But during the Semana Santa and Pascua holidays, it can grow to 2,000 or more.

Playa Chacala in Chacala, Nayarit 2018
Semana Santa tourists in 2018 at Playa Chacala, Nayarit, located in a town that at other times of year has a population of 350. Debbie Slobe

We have no centralized water treatment facility here and not nearly enough public trash cans. And suddenly, more than five times the usual number of people are using the septic tanks and garbage cans (if the trash even makes it to a garbage can).

It can get ugly fast.

As Semana Santa and Pascua approach, it’s important to think about ways we can reduce our impact on the places we visit and better support local communities during this hectic time. Here are some ideas for how to tread more lightly and do more good during your travels — in Mexico and beyond.

Reduce your waste: bring your own reusable shopping bags, straws, coffee mugs and water bottles when you travel so you can reduce the number of plastic bags, throw-away cups and straws you use or are given. When going out to eat, bring a plastic container with a lid (your rental probably already has a few containers) for leftovers to avoid using styrofoam containers.

Refrain from buying drinks in plastic bottles and go for homemade fruit drinks (aguas frescas) in restaurants, or opt for drinks that come in returnable glass bottles (beer usually falls into this category, yay!). When you go to the beach, bring a large plastic bag with you and pick up the trash you see around you. Leave it looking cleaner than you found it!

Shop locally: rather than buying all your groceries at Costco, El Comer, Mega, Walmart or other corporate grocery chains before you arrive, buy your food from the local shops, vendors and grocers. You might not find all your favorite items or specialty products, but one week without your favorite peanut butter won’t kill you.

It is also way more satisfying, fun and less wasteful to buy produce from a local frutería, bread from a local panadería and fish from a local pescadería than from an impersonal big-box supermarket. The products are always fresher and tastier and often come in less or no plastic. Plus, buying locally supports the community’s economy.

Stay in locally-owned hotels: there’s been a lot of new hotel development along Mexico’s coastlines, and Chacala is no different. But not every shiny new hotel is owned locally or has the community’s best interests in mind.

Taco stand in Sayulita
Eating food made fresh and in front of you by locals is always more memorable and helps the community’s economy. Kelly Mason Photo/Shutterstock

Using rentals and hotels owned by established community members means that the money you spend will stay in the community. If you are new to an area, it may take a bit of research to find locally owned places, but many towns have community Facebook groups where you can ask for lodging recommendations.

Hire local service providers: from transportation to tour guides, choose folks that live in the community you are visiting. Rather than renting a car with a national agency, consider hiring a driver from town to pick you up at the airport. Use local taxis and combis (taxi vans) to get around.

When planning excursions like whale watching or hiking, don’t book with big tour companies from the nearest city but rather with local guides and boat captains — who generally have a better knowledge of the flora and fauna and the best spots to see whales.

Instead of resting on your laurels all day, consider enriching your mind while enriching the community. Want to create? Hire a local artisan to teach you how to make traditional handcrafts. Want to learn some Spanish? Hire a local Spanish teacher to tutor you in the basics. Want to learn how to make a mean mole? Hire a local cook to show you how.

There is likely an abundance of local expertise available wherever you are visiting to help you have an enriching, fulfilling vacation and at the same time support the resident population. Again, you can often find and arrange these opportunities ahead of time by joining a community’s Facebook group and asking around for recommendations.

Support local causes: most communities — even small ones — have their own community-led organizations and initiatives working to serve the needs of locals. For example, here in Chacala, we have groups that provide educational opportunities for children, train people in employable trades such as woodworking and food production, provide water safety programs for kids and training for local lifeguards, offer sterilization services for cats and dogs, coordinate a weekly volunteer trash pickup and more.

vendor in Playa del Carmen
This gentleman likely faced travel costs and a significant fee to sell you hats on the beach. Maybe you don’t need to haggle with him over 100 pesos? Aspects and Angles/Shutterstock

On your next vacation, consider making a gift to the community in the form of a financial or material donation to one or more local initiatives. Again, you can usually find out about these initiatives via the community Facebook group.

Don’t haggle: the back-and-forth negotiation tourists often engage in to get the lowest price for something is a pretty common practice in Mexico; I used to be a haggler myself. But I’ve come to realize just how harmful haggling can be.

Most vendors have to pay a fee for the right to sell their products on the beach or at local markets, and many travel long distances to set up shop there. What they sell that day might determine whether their family eats sufficiently.

While you may think something is “overpriced,” remember that it’s probably still a bargain compared to what you would pay for an equivalent product in your home country (as if you could find hand-painted Talavera pottery at home!). So just pay what folks are asking or simply tell them no gracias.

  • Got ethical travel tips to share with our readers? Let us know in the comments below!

Debbie Slobe is a writer and communications strategist based in Chacala, Nayarit. She blogs at Mexpatmama.com and is a senior program director at Resource Media. Find her on Instagram and Facebook.

US lawmaker wants to deny visas to politicians behind Russia friendship group

By
MND Staff
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The president spoke out against U.S. Representative Vicente González's proposal on Wednesday.
The president spoke out against U.S. Representative Vicente González's proposal on Wednesday.

A United States lawmaker has called on the U.S. government to revoke the visas of Mexican deputies who joined a Mexico-Russia friendship group last month, triggering a blunt response from President López Obrador.

U.S. Representative Vicente González wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to request visa revocations for deputies who joined the friendship group, which was formally established in the lower house of Congress on March 23, just under a month after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.

“In recent days and in the midst of an international crisis in Eastern Europe, several legislators from Mexico’s federal Congress (Chamber of Deputies) took this opportunity to shun the free world and stand with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin by forming a Mexico-Russia Friendship Committee. The timing of this committee sent a clear message to the United States and the free world,” the Democratic Party lawmaker wrote in an April 4 letter.

“… In light of Russia’s illegal aggression towards Ukraine, I call upon you to stand with Ukraine and condemn this ‘friendship committee’ by issuing visa revocations for all Mexican members of Congress that have participated in this deplorable assembly,” González wrote.

“If these individuals refuse to condemn Russia, and instead choose to stand with tyranny, they should not be allowed the privilege of entering, traveling or investing in the United States of America.”

The representative for Texas’s 15th congressional district provided Blinken and Mayorkas with a list of 25 deputies he said had joined the Mexico-Russia friendship group, most of whom represent the ruling Morena party and its ally the Labor Party.

López Obrador on Wednesday made it clear he didn’t agree with the U.S. lawmaker, describing his proposal as “prehistoric” and asserting that he made it to to help his chances of reelection at midterm elections later this year.

“I don’t believe it’s fair and I don’t believe it’s rational to want to suspend the visas of those who gathered to express their points of view with respect to the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” he said.

“… There is now a campaign asking that they not be allowed to enter the United States. That’s a return to the Cold War, to the times of persecution and exclusion and authoritarianism,” López Obrador told reporters.

“I don’t agree with that,” he said, noting that he also didn’t agree with Twitter blocking the account of former United States president Donald Trump in the wake of the attack on the U.S. Capitol in January 2021.

“That goes against freedom. …  What will happen to the Statue of Liberty in New York – it will turn green from anger,” López Obrador said, adding that if lawmakers’ U.S. visas are revoked the government will send a diplomatic note in protest.

Asked whether he endorsed the Mexico-Russia friendship group, AMLO didn’t give a direct response, simply saying that “we’re free.”

He then highlighted a Twitter post by airline Volaris, in which it said it respected diversity of opinion and acknowledged the existence of different ideologies.

“An applause for Volaris,” López Obrador said, before clapping his hands and flashing a broad grin.

“… How can we talk about freedom and threaten to limit freedom? And why position ourselves like judges to decide what’s right and what’s wrong?” he asked. “Why don’t we allow people to express themselves?”

Mexico News Daily

Court rejects Sinaloa fertilizer plant for not consulting with indigenous community

By
MND Staff
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Protest against the plant in Topolobampo, Sinaloa in 2020.

The Supreme Court (SCJN) has revoked the environmental authorization granted to a US $5 billion fertilizer plant in Sinaloa because the federal Environment Ministry failed to consult the local indigenous community about the project.

A federal government referendum held last November found almost 76% support for the construction of an ammonia and urea plant in Topolobampo, a port town 20 kilometers southwest of Los Mochis. However, work on the project, which began in 2018, has been stalled since March 2019, when a federal judge halted the project due to environmental concerns.

Despite the results of the 2021 federal referendum, the SCJN ruled on Wednesday that the project – the largest ever in Sinaloa in terms of investment – can’t go ahead until the local indigenous community has been consulted.

With the ruling, the court upheld a separate 2021 federal court injunction that ordered that a consultation process with the indigenous residents be carried out before environmental authorization – first granted in 2014 – can be reconsidered. That injuction, issued by a Los Mochis-based federal judge, came in response to an application filed by residents of a fishing community in Ahome, the municipality where the fertilizer plant is to be located.

The company Gas y Petroquímica de Occidente (GPO) – a subsidiary of Swiss-German construction group Proman AG –  is behind the project.

A publicity poster for Gas y Petroquímica de Occidente (GPO) regarding the project. The company rejects claims that it would cause environmental damage. GPO Twitter

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 say 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 protected by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance “is not possible.”

GPO has rejected claims that the plant’s operation would damage the environment and says that the project will generate 2,500 jobs in its initial stage and benefit farmers in 10 states.

No ammonia or urea is currently produced in Mexico.

The SCJN ruled that a “free and informed” consultation process mustn’t take longer than four months. The Environment Ministry must collaborate with the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples to conduct the consultation in accordance with International Labour Organization protocols.

“It’s not viable to exclude the indigenous community nor deny them their right to express opinions and points of view … with respect to a decision … that has a bearing on their territory and the ecosystems found there,” the SCJN said in its ruling.

A company rendering of what the plant would look like.

The fishermen who filed an injunction request with the Los Mochis federal court live in Lázaro Cárdenas, a community on the opposite side of Ohuira Bay to where GPO wants to build the fertilizer plant. They say there is a risk that natural gas and ammonia will leak from the plant.

The Supreme Court has halted and canceled other projects due to authorities’ failure to consult with indigenous communities. It revoked two mining concessions in Puebla in February because the federal government failed to consult with the local indigenous community before granting them.

With reports from Reforma 

For authentic Mexican handcrafts, don’t miss Uruapan’s April artisan fair

By
Leigh Thelmadatter
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Palm Sunday Handcraft Market, Uruapan, Michoacan
This is only a small percentage of what's typically available at the Palm Sunday Handcraft Market, starting this weekend in Uruapan, Michoacán.

I would venture to guess that many Mexican handcraft aficionados started out like I did, attracted at first by colorful baubles in tourist markets, then wanting to know if what I was buying was “real” or not.

Although it is getting easier to find information about Mexico’s true artisans, it still requires a bit of legwork. Your best bet is to buy direct from one at their workshop (often in their home), but if that is not possible, there are a few highly reputable annual handcraft fairs in Mexico.

With the pandemic easing, I’m glad to say that Michoacan’s Tianguis de Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday Handcraft Market) in the city of Uruapan is back.

Uruapan today is best-known for being in the state’s avocado-growing region, but it hosts what Michoacán officials say is the largest handcraft market of its kind in Latin America. Certainly, it draws over 1,300 artisans per year from all over Michoacán to display their wares for sale.

The focal point of the event is at the city’s main plaza, which annually gets covered in tarps that shelter a maze of aisles and stands. Stalls also spill over into adjoining streets.

annual State Handcraft Fair, Michoacan
Massive pottery items awaiting judging at a previous State Handcraft Fair. This year’s winners will be on display at the Uruapan event.

The event promotes the four main indigenous cultures of the state: the Purépecha, Mazahua, Nahua and Otomi. The Purépecha are best represented, not only because they are the dominant group but also because handcraft production has been highly developed in their region since both the pre-Hispanic and colonial periods.

Pottery is the main draw, followed closely by wood items. You’ll also find traditional clothing, miniatures, jewelry, toys, lacquered items and leather. One other interesting item to find if you go on or before Palm Sunday is the plethora of nimble fingers that weave palm fronds into intricate shapes for the holiday.

The fair does a decent job of keeping out items not made in Michoacán — usually cheap souvenir items; its only small sin is that not all vendors are artisans; some are resellers.

As always, buyer beware, but the overall quality of merchandise here is good.

But the event is more than just a market. The Tianguis begins on the Saturday before Palm Sunday (this year on April 9) with a parade to welcome the participating artisans and a demonstration of Purépecha cooking. This year, that date also features a concert by Lila Downs. All of the days have some kind of event related to food, dress, music, dance and more. You can see a schedule in Spanish here.

I should note that the event has grown tremendously in the past few years, but if you are looking to buy the finest handcrafts the market has to offer, arrive before Palm Sunday (April 10). As with all events of this type, the best stuff sells out almost immediately. However, the handcrafts and cultural events are available all the way until the event ends on April 24, and even just the food is worth the trip.

Purepecha dishes at Uruapan Palm Sunday handcraft fair
In between collecting handcrafts, you can try freshly made indigenous food, like these Purépecha dishes.

I also strongly recommend checking out pieces from the LXI Michoacán State Handcraft fair, whose winners will be announced on April 10 at Uruapan’s Casa de Cultura (cultural center). The chances of buying any of these pieces are low since people with connections usually get to them first. But you will get to see the best of the best and learn who makes them. You can always contact the artisan later to get your own piece made. Many of the artisans are on Facebook.

In addition to everything that the city has to offer, such as the Barranca del Cupatitzio National Park, Uruapan is also near other Michoacán attractions such as the Paricutín volcano (main access is in the town of Angahuan) and the better-known city of Pátzcuaro.

There are, however, a couple of potential drawbacks to attending the fair: firstly, most of the event occurs during Holy Week, a major vacation period for Mexico, and so hotel space may be difficult to find in Uruapan proper. Secondly, this part of Michoacán admittedly has long had problems with narcos. I personally have never run into any issues, but if you are concerned, nearby Pátzcuaro is an easy ride, meaning you can spend your nights there and your days in Uruapan.

The fair brings experienced collectors back year after year, and for newbies, I know of few other places to jump in and be surrounded by the true magic of what Mexico’s hands create.

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.

2 Supreme Court rulings are setbacks for AMLO

By
MND Staff
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AMLO
The SCJN declared unconstitutional two aspects of AMLO's signature federal austerity law.

The Supreme Court (SCJN) has dealt President López Obrador two blows in as many days.

The court on Monday revoked a provision in his government’s federal austerity law, approved in 2019, that prevented former high-ranking civil servants from working for a period of 10 years in private companies they regulated or about which they had privileged information.

The SCJN on Tuesday also invalidated Article 61 of the austerity law, which gave López Obrador the authority to use money as he saw fit that was saved by austerity measures his government has implemented. Nine justices voted to revoke Article 61 and two voted to maintain it.

The SCJN determined that the article violated the Chamber of Deputies’ constitutional authority to authorize the federal budget.

Justices voted unanimously in favor of repealing the 10-year ban on ex-civil servants entering the private sector to work for companies they regulated, determining that a prohibition of that length is excessive. Chief Justice Arturo Zaldívar described the ban as “unnecessarily long” and argued that it was too broad.

Mexican Supreme Court Chief Justice Arturo Zaldivar
Chief Justice Arturo Zaldívar described the ban on former civil servants working in companies they regulated as “unnecessarily long.” File photo

“Not all senior management positions have the same responsibilities nor do they present the same degree of risk of corruption,” he said. “The rule is therefore over-inclusive.”

The Supreme Court’s ruling upholds a decision handed down by a federal court, which found in February that the provision that restricts ex-government workers’ employment options is unconstitutional as well as “unfair and excessive.”

The government last year spent 510 billion pesos (US $25.3 billion) above what was budgeted, the newspaper Reforma reported, but it was unclear how much of that spending came from money saved by austerity measures.

Justice Javier Laynez said that article 61 allowed the president to spend money on government subsidies, programs and infrastructure projects that had been rejected by the lower house of Congress. “It’s unconstitutional because it’s a completely open power,” he said.

López Obrador on Tuesday described the Supreme Court’s first ruling as an “aberration.”

“How is it possible to go back to the old ways?” he asked, claiming that it was a “national embarrassment” that former president Ernesto Zedillo joined the board of a railway company shortly after the conclusion of his presidency, during which he privatized Mexico’s rail system.

Felipe Calderon
AMLO said Felipe Calderón, who was on the board of Iberdola subsidiary Avangrid after his presidency, showed why a ban on public servants taking certain private positions is necessary. Internet

López Obrador also cited the case of former president and energy minister Felipe Calderón, who joined the board of a subsidiary of the Spanish energy company Iberdrola after he left office.

In January, López Obrador described various former presidents’ private sector employment as “despicable” and “immoral.”

On Wednesday, López Obrador said that former Pemex directors, Federal Electricity Commission functionaries, energy ministers and Finance Ministry officials were all guilty of conflicts of interest because they took up positions “in banks [and] companies, which benefitted when they occupied public positions.”

The president could suffer another setback at the hands of the SCJN on Thursday, when it is due to rule on the constitutionality of the Electricity Industry Law, which was approved by Congress last year.

With reports from Reforma and Expansión Política 

Proposal before Senate would double employee vacation time

By
MND Staff
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mexican senate
Extended vacation times were presented last week in the Senate.

Mexican workers could be enjoying more time off in the future after a proposal to double employee vacation time reached the Senate last week.

Under current legislation, workers have no vacation time in their first year of employment, other than seven mandatory public holidays. They are awarded a minimum six days’ vacation after their first year in a job with two extra days awarded each subsequent year, topping out at 12 days after four years’ service, which is only then increased after another five years of work.

The “Decent Vacations” proposal looks to provide workers with 12 days’ vacation in their first year, half of which would be available after six months. An additional two days would be made available to workers after each extra year worked, topping out at 16 days. The proposal is for a minimum of 10 vacation days in the first year of work.

Presented by the president of the Mexican Association of Human Capital Companies (AMECH) in an open parliament session, the plan also aims to extend the benefit of vacation days to workers who leave their job before completing 12 months, as well as to casual workers.

Héctor Márquez said that informal work is a significant barrier to ensuring workers would benefit. He explained that in Mexico less than a third of the country’s active workers have the right to any vacation time as less than half are formally employed and a small proportion are registered with the Mexican Social Security Institute.

Márquez said that in international terms, Mexicans are behind in terms of vacation benefits. “Mexico, in contrast to other countries, only grants a week of vacation when the average vacation period is four and five [weeks] for a first year of work,” he said.

Márquez said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic 36% of workers expect to receive more vacation time, according to a study by the recruitment company Manpower Group. “The value of rest and time for the family is also different in the post-pandemic era,” he added.

He highlighted that this year in some countries the working day is being reduced and that in other countries the working week is being cut to four days.

The president of the Senate’s Labor Committee, Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, said Mexico is the only country in Latin America that grants less than 10 days of paid vacation per year, compared to countries such as Paraguay (12 days), Costa Rica (14 days), Chile (15 days), Uruguay (20 days) and Brazil (up to 30 days).

Gómez added that the lack of rest time was in spite of workers’ dedication: he said Mexican workers rank second for annual average hours worked among Latin American member nations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The head of the Mexican Employers’ Federation, José Medina Mora, said that many companies were already providing workers more vacation days than were legally required. “In Mexico, companies … have recognized the need for more vacation days and without it being in the law, they are already being granted starting with at least two weeks of vacation, so that employees can have that rest,” he said.

With reports from El Sol de México and Crónica

Some states, municipalities to impose dry law for AMLO’s revocation vote

By
MND Staff
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upcoming dry law sign
A store owner warns customers ahead of the upcoming alcohol sales ban.

Mexico City and some states and municipalities are set to impose a temporary dry law (known in Mexico as la ley seca) on the weekend to encourage a high turnout for Sunday’s nationwide referendum on whether President López Obrador should remain in office.

The mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, said no alcohol can be sold in stores in the capital on Saturday afternoon or Sunday but that restaurants would not be affected.

Sheinbaum also called on the public to participate in the vote. “From my perspective, there is a lot of enthusiasm, so I’m calling for the participation of citizens,” she said.

Municipal authorities in León, Guanajuato, and Totolac and Tlaxcala city — the last two located in the state of Tlaxcala — confirmed that there would be a dry law in place from some time on Saturday until late on Sunday.

In the state of Nuevo León, many stores that sell alcohol have put up announcements warning clients about the dry law, and event organizers have announced postponements, despite no official announcement by state or municipal authorities.

AMLO revocation of mandate referendum promotion
A billboard in Aguascalientes promoting turnout for the president’s April 10 revocation of mandate vote.

The governor of Morelos said a decision on imposing the temporary dry law in the state would be made on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the governor of Coahuila and state authorities in Oaxaca said they would wait for an indication from federal authorities as to whether the alcohol sales prohibition should be enforced. State authorities in Yucatán, Chiapas and Baja California Sur were undecided on Wednesday.

In Chihuahua and Sinaloa, state authorities announced that the dry law would not apply.

A voter turnout of 40% is needed to make the result of the referendum binding. However, the president has repeatedly said that even if turnout falls short of 40%, he will still respect the results, meaning that he will leave office if more people vote for that outcome.

López Obrador has also consistently railed against the National Electoral Institute (INE) for not promoting the upcoming vote to his satisfaction and has frequently overlooked the rule of electoral silence which bans any form of campaigning in the buildup to elections or other votes.

Opposition parties have called on the public to abstain from voting. The president said in his morning news conference on Monday that he was confused by the strategy.

Social media users are already expressing displeasure with the upcoming weekend without alcohol sales in parts of Mexico.

 

“If they don’t want me, why don’t they vote against [me]?” he said.

The president added on Monday that participatory democracy was the model he aspired to as a leader. “A good democrat is one who wants to establish democracy as a way of life … who makes democracy a habit,” he said.

With reports from El Universal, Milenio and El Sol de Sinaloa

Parents, supporters block Mexico City ring road in call for justice for slain son

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MND Staff
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Protest in Mexico state
Protesters on a México state section of the capital's Ring Road blocked traffic for 15 hours, seeking justice for Hugo Carbajal's murder on Saturday. Twitter

Mexico City’s Northern Ring Road was blocked for 15 hours on Tuesday in Naucalli, México state, when some 80 protesters demanded justice for the murder of a 15-year-old boy.

Hugo Carbajal was stabbed in the neck with a glass object in an underground nightclub on Saturday night in Jilotzingo, and although state authorities say that they have identified a suspect and issued an arrest warrant, no one has been detained.

In a protest led by the victim’s parents, traffic was stopped near Naucalli park in one direction at about 9 a.m. before being extended to both sides of the ring road at about 4 p.m, affecting some 12 kilometers of road. Some motorists said on social media that they were stuck in traffic for four hours.

Demonstrators relented at around midnight after talking with the México state Attorney General José Luis Cervantes.

Videos show heavy traffic stretching back kilometers while videos of the protesters show cars blocking one side of the road and about 50 mainly young people holding banners and chanting “Justice for Hugo” and “We are all Hugo.”

Supporters in cars and on foot holding banners held up traffic for hours Tuesday.

 

Carbajal’s father, Héctor, a doctor, said his son was killed in a premeditated attack.

“He went to a party last night [Saturday night] and was murdered with malicious intent by a 38-year-old adult. He grabbed him from behind and put a blade in his neck. They had an altercation … the motive for what started the altercation is unknown,” he said.

The newspaper Reforma reported that the man accused of the murder was a security guard at the venue. A video taken in the aftermath of the attack shows Carbajal’s friends trying to save him while the attacker leaves the venue.

Carbajal’s mother, Maureen, told México state Deputy Interior Minister Ricardo de la Cruz that the protest was peaceful, Reforma reported. “We do not want to harm anyone. We just want justice for my son and then we’ll leave,” she said.

De la Cruz replied that there was an active arrest warrant for the suspect.

Hugo Carbajal and mother Maureen Amaro Fernandez
At left, Hugo Carbajal’s family and friends at Hugo’s funeral. At right, Carbajal with his mother Maureen Amaro Fernández in her Facebook profile picture. Maureen Amaro FB.

Governor Alfredo del Mazo was criticized on social media for not releasing a statement about the blockade or the murder after he posted a photo at 2 p.m. at an event celebrating 25 years of Fundación Azteca, the charity owned by the billionaire owner of Grupo Salinas, Ricardo Salinas Pliego.

With reports from Reforma and Proceso

Sightings of vaquita porpoises kindle hope for endangered species’ rescue

By
MND Staff
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Navy and Sea Shepherd representatives who are collaborating to rescue the vaquita marina porpoise.
Navy and Sea Shepherd representatives who are collaborating to rescue the vaquita marina porpoise.

A group of scientists sighted at least nine vaquita marina porpoises in the upper Gulf of California in late 2021, leading the chairman of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) to declare that there is still hope for the critically endangered species.

During a five-day period in October and November, scientists on board the Sea Shepherd vessel Sharpie and another boat that belongs to the Whale Museum in La Paz sighted eight mature vaquitas and one or two calves in a 225-square-kilometer no-fishing zone known as the zero tolerance area (ZTA).

Vaquitas, the world’s smallest porpoise species, are endemic to the Gulf of California, where many have died after becoming entangled in nets set to catch totoaba, a fish whose swim bladder is a delicacy in China and sells for thousands of dollars per kilogram.

Vaquita numbers have declined significantly in recent decades. According to estimates by the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita, numbers declined to 254 in 2008 from 567 in 1997. By 2018, estimated numbers had dropped to just 22, while there have been estimates as low as 10 more recently.

In a recent interview with the newspaper Milenio, Sea Shepherd chairman Pritam Singh said there could be more than eight mature vaquitas in the Gulf of California, but that was the number scientists were able to count.

“The good news is that the vaquitas are here and the better news is that these actions that are being taken now are very effective and that’s where the hope comes in,” he said while on board a naval vessel.

The SSCS is collaborating with the Mexican navy to protect the vaquita by assisting the removal of illegal fishing nets inside the ZTA.

“In early January 2022, Sea Shepherd and the Mexican navy began a new reporting and response protocol in the zero tolerance area,” the society said in a statement Tuesday. “… This enhanced protocol has led to a substantial reduction in the number of fishing vessels in the ZTA.”

Singh said that the sighting of eight mature vaquitas and one or two calves didn’t necessarily indicate an increase or decrease in the population of the endangered porpoise. He noted that locating vaquitas within the gulf can be difficult and that sighting efforts can be impeded by poor weather.

Sea Shepherd vessels began vaquita protection patrols in the upper Gulf of California in 2015. However, the organization stopped patrols for a period due to attacks by fishermen. One fisherman died after he was injured in an attack on two SSCS vessels on December 31, 2020.

Sea Shepherd last year reached an agreement with the navy to carry out joint patrols in order to avoid confrontations with vessels fishing illegally for totoaba in the ZTA.

“Right now is the totoaba season and that’s why we’re here in this area,” Octavio Carranza, Sea Shepherd director of ship operations, told Milenio. “The problem is that vaquitas get tangled up in the totoaba nets, … that’s why we’re here 24 hours a day.”

Singh said that through the collaboration with the navy, “we’re improving the vaquitas’ chances of survival.”

“The effectiveness of this plan and the effectiveness of the resources put here has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the threats to the vaquita, which is the time that the nets are in the water and how many nets are in the water,” he said.

The SSCS has removed over 1,000 fishing nets from the upper Gulf of California since 2015, but it is no longer permitted to do so, leaving the navy to do that work.

According to Rear Admiral José Carlos Tinoco Castrejón, 70 illegal fishing nets have been removed this year, while 172 were taken out of the water in 2021.

The navy and other federal authorities, including environmental protection agency Profepa and the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission, also carry out inspections on land to ensure that fishing boats entering the gulf have the required fishing permits.

With reports from Milenio

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