Higher elevations across Mexico will see freezing or just below freezing temperatures Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, according to Mexico's National Meterological Service (SMN). (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
As cold front No. 12 enters the country, parts of Mexico are bracing for heavy rains and a drop in temperatures, according to the National Meteorological Service (SMN).
The cold front will enter from the northeast and interact with a low-pressure channel extending over the eastern regions.
Heavy rain will be an issue for the Gulf Coast states Tamaulipas and Veracruz, with 50-75 millimeters (approximately 2 to 3 inches) of rain expected. (SMN)
Here is the rain forecast for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday:
Very heavy rainfall (50 to 70 millimeters): Tamaulipas and Veracruz.
Heavy rainfall (25 to 50 millimeters): Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Hidalgo, Puebla and Oaxaca.
Scattered showers (5 to 25 millimeters): Chiapas, Coahuila and Guanajuato.
Furthermore, scattered rains are expected in Tlaxcala.
Dense fog banks are expected in the northeast, center and east of the country, as are strong gusts of wind on the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico, the Yucatán Peninsula, the Isthmus and the Gulf of Tehuantepec. In these areas, waves are expected to reach 2 to 3 meters high.
Mountainous areas of Chihuahua, Durango, México state, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala and Puebla will see freezing temperatures range between minus-5 to minus-10 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures in high regions of Baja California, Sonora, Coahuila, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Querétaro and Veracruz will range between minus-5 and zero degrees Celsius.
Finally, higher elevations in Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí and Mexico City will see temperatures between zero and 5 degrees Celsius.
In contrast, hot temperatures ranging between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius are expected in the states of Sinaloa, Nayarit, Michoacán and Guerrero, as well as on the coast of Oaxaca. Meanwhile, the states of Jalisco and Colima, southern Morelos, Puebla, Campeche, Yucatán and the coast of Chiapas are all expecting temperatures ranging between 30 to 35 degrees Celsius.
Weather authorities advised residents to stay informed about weather conditions in their areas and to take necessary measures to ensure their safety.
The US Treasury Department says that transnational criminal organizations rely on a variety of illicit schemes to fund operations. Illegal fishing is one of the latest. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department accused the alleged cartel members of using fishing boats to facilitate drug and migrant smuggling under the guise of being commercial fishermen. During these journeys, the U.S. government claims, the boats fish for red snapper, a commercially valuable but ecologically vulnerable species.
Because the valuable red snapper is more abundant there, the cartel is fishing illegally in U.S. waters. (US Coast Guard)
The magazine Newsweek describes the Gulf Cartel as one of the most powerful crime syndicates in Mexico while identifying the northern border cities of Reynosa and Matamoros — both in the state of Tamaulipas and across from McAllen and Brownsville, Texas – as strongholds for the cartel. The boats, U.S. officials said, often launch from Playa Bagdad, east of Matamoros, on the Gulf coast.
The Department claims transnational criminal organizations rely on a variety of illicit schemes to fund operations. Illegal fishing is one of the latest.
“The Gulf Cartel engages in the illicit trade of red snapper and shark species … based out of Playa Bagdad,” the Department said. “Apart from their use for IUU (illegal, unregulated, or unreported) fishing in U.S. waters, [the boats] are also used to move illicit drugs and migrants into the United States.”
The fishing of red snapper and shark species is strictly regulated in the United States. Because those species are more abundant there, Mexican fishermen cross into U.S. waters.
“They then bring their catch back to … Mexico, where the product is ultimately sold and, oftentimes, exported into the United States,” the Department alleges. “This activity earns millions a year … and also leads to the death of other marine species inadvertently caught by the accused.”
Francisco Javier Sierra Angulo, 35, alias “El Borrado,” was identified by Treasury officials as the prime suspect. Sierra Angulo is believed to be the leader of the Gulf Cartel in Matamoros.
Also named were Raúl Decuir García, 53, alias “La Burra”; Ildelfonso Carrillo Sapien, 48, alias “El Chivo”; and brothers Ismael “Mayelo” Guerra Salinas, 35, and Omar “Samorano” Guerra Salinas, 38.
The Guerra Salinas brothers allegedly run the Gulf Cartel’s operations in Playa Bagdad. The other two suspects operate the fishing boat company.
The first campus outside of Mexico City will be in Comitán, Chiapas, the birthplace of Rosario Castellanos (1925-1974). (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
President Claudia Sheinbaum has signed a decree to elevate the Rosario Castellanos University (URC) in Mexico City to a nationwide higher education institution starting next year.
Officially known as the Rosario Castellanos Institute of Higher Education of Mexico City, the university began operations in 2019 during Sheinbaum’s term as the head of the Mexico City government. It currently offers undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate degrees at no cost to students.
Officially known as the Rosario Castellanos Institute of Higher Education of Mexico City, the university began operations in 2019 during Sheinbaum’s term as the head of the Mexico City government. (Gobierno de la Ciudad de México/Cuartoscuro)
The new decree will transform the institution into the Rosario Castellanos National University, and seeks to establish campuses in cities surrounding the federal government’s priority development poles, known as Poles of Wellbeing. These include the northern border zone, el Bajío and the Gulf of California, among others.
The first campus outside of Mexico City will be in Comitán, Chiapas, the birthplace of Rosario Castellanos (1925-1974), a prominent thinker, poet, writer and diplomat after whom the university is named.
“We’re working closely with state governments to start lessons in the first semester of 2025,” the head of Mexico’s Sciences, Humanities, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Conahcyt), Rosaura Ruiz, said during Sheinbaum’s morning press conference on Monday.
Ruiz explained that Conahcyt will request temporary facilities from state governments while the university’s permanent facilities are under construction.
Currently, the university has 55,000 enrolled students across six campuses in Mexico City, in addition to 6,000 graduate students. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
The head of Conahcyt also announced that the next city to get a Rosario Castellanos University will be Tijuana, Baja California. Puebla, Yucatán and Sonora are likely to follow suit.
As in Mexico City, the university’s additional campuses will allow students to complete their studies while following a hybrid program, online or on-site.
Currently, the university has 55,000 enrolled students across six campuses in Mexico City, in addition to 6,000 graduate students. It offers 23 bachelor’s degrees, five specialties, seven master’s degrees and three doctorates.
Today, Mexico has approximately 4 million people enrolled in college, compared to the 1.9 million it reported in 2000. Still, Mexico’s percentage of students enrolled in higher education, at 38%, lags behind other Latin American countries like Brazil (50%) and Argentina (89%).
States showing the largest gaps in access to higher education include Chiapas and Oaxaca.
Sheinbaum’s government seeks to extend the educational offer to 300,000 students across the country through the Rosario Castellanos National University, as well as the University of Health, the Benito Juárez University, the National Technological Institute of Mexico (TecNM) and state universities.
In the first 10 months of the year, the size of Mexico's workforce increased by 723,563, according to INEGI. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s unemployment rate fell to 2.5% in October, down from 2.9% a month earlier, according to official data.
The national statistics agency INEGI reported Tuesday that 1.53 million people were unemployed at the end of October, a reduction of 254,000 compared to the end of September.
With the addition of over 445,000 jobs, October was Mexico’s second-best month this year for job creation. (Isaac Esquivel/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s economically active population — people aged 15 or over who are working or looking for work — was just over 61.4 million people in October, according to INEGI.
The size of Mexico’s total workforce increased by almost 446,000 in October compared to September to reach 59.87 million. October was Mexico’s second-best month this year for job creation.
The increase in the size of the Mexican workforce in October — considering both formal and informal sectors of the economy — came after some 276,000 jobs were lost in September.
Juan Carlos Alderete, head of economic analysis at Banorte, said that the latest jobs data suggested that “weakness seen on certain fronts” in recent months was only temporary.
The creation of more than 445,000 jobs in October occurred despite a slowdown in the Mexican economy.
Mexico’s economy has slowed in 2024 after growing 3.2% in 2023. (Rogelio Morales Ponce/Cuartoscuro)
Colima has Mexico’s lowest unemployment rate, Tabasco the highest
INEGI data shows that the unemployment rate in the small Pacific coast state of Colima was just 1.2% in October, lower than any other state.
Nine other states had unemployment rates below 2%: Campeche, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca and Puebla.
The Gulf coast state of Tabasco had the highest unemployment rate among Mexico’s 32 federal entities in October. Of the state’s economically active population, 4.1% didn’t have a job.
Ten other states had unemployment rates of 3% or higher in October: Coahuila, Chiapas, Mexico City, Durango, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.
60% of new jobs created in October are in the formal sector
Of the 446,000 new jobs created in October, 269,000 are in the formal sector and 177,000 are in the informal sector.
In October, 54.1% of all people with jobs worked in Mexico’s vast informal sector, which includes street vendors and many domestic workers.
Informal workers don’t pay income tax and don’t have access to formal employment benefits such as holiday pay and access to the Mexican Social Security Institute health care program.
Over 700,000 jobs added this year
In the first 10 months of the year, the size of Mexico’s workforce increased by 723,563.
The newspaper El Economista reported that Mexico recorded net job additions in five months — February, March, May, July and October — and net job losses in January, April, June, August and September.
Of Mexico’s 59.87 million workers at the end of October, around 5.6 million, or 9.4% of the total, were classed as underemployed, meaning they would like to work more hours.
Vázquez had been diagnosed with stage 4 sarcoma in November 2024. (Israel Vázquez/Facebook)
Legendary Mexican boxer Israel “Magnífico” Vázquez lost his battle with cancer on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 46.
World Boxing Council (WBC) president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed Vázquez’s death, paying tribute to the pugilist in a social media post: “Thank you Israel for the so many great memories that you have given us through your actions inside the ring but most importantly outside of it,” he wrote. “You are now eternal, rest in peace.”
“Magnífico” was known for his punching power and hand speed, according to ESPN. (Israel Vázquez/Facebook)
Vázquez, a native of the Mexico City borough of Azcapotzalco, began his boxing career in 1995 at 18 years of age. He compiled a 44-5 record with 32 wins by knock-out.
According to the sports network ESPN, “Magnífico” was “[k]nown for his punching power and hand speed,” describing Vázquez as “one of Mexico’s most celebrated boxers.”
Freddie Roach, widely regarded as one of the best boxing trainers of all time, also offered his condolences: “Always a world champion and a legend in boxing. One of the best boxers I have had the privilege to work with, a world champion. … My condolences to the Vázquez family and to all those who called Israel their friend.”
Israel Vázquez with President Claudia Sheinbaum during a 2023 visit to Los Angeles, California. (Israel Vázquez/Facebook)
Vázquez held the International Boxing Federation world championship in the super bantamweight division from March 2004 to May 2005 and won the WBC super bantamweight title on two occasions, holding the belt from December 2005-March 2007 and again from August 2007-March 2008.
Vázquez is fondly remembered for his fantastic ring rivalry with fellow Mexican Rafael Márquez. The boxing pair met four times, splitting the series 2-2.
A strange Greek-style monument on a hill outside Zihuatanejo holds both a troubled history and a symbol of civic rebirth. (Jessica Devnani/Pink Plankton)
In the almost 30 years I have lived in Zihuatanejo, a beautiful port town in the southwestern state of Guerrero, I have always been fascinated by a building known as the Parthenon, located high on the hills above the town.
Patterned after the Greek Acropolis Parthenon in Athens, the Greek capital, it was a majestic Hellenistic structure. Today, the Parthenon of Zihuatanejo is a ruined structure, much like that of its Greek counterpart.
Built during the 1980s by Mexico City’s infamously hedonistic Chief of Police, Arturo Durazo Moreno, the Parthenon is a testament to corruption, greed and power. (Jessica Devnani/Pink Plankton)
Over the years, I was lured by friends to visit it several times, sometimes able to enter without a guard in place but usually stopped by military personnel or a caretaker, who, for a “fee,” would allow us to look around. The late Dennis Johnson, a former expat and Canadian publisher, accompanied me on one of my visits, and the following is a combination of his notes and my research. The history is dark.
A troubled past
Built during the 1980s by Mexico City’s wickedly excessive Chief of Police, Arturo Durazo Moreno (otherwise known as “El Negro” Durazo), the Parthenon is a testament to the corruption of the man.
It began when Durazo’s boyhood friend, José López Portillo, became the president of Mexico in 1976. As one of Mexico’s most corrupt presidents, López Portillo turned to loyal Durazo for his security and appointed him to be his chief of Police, knowing that he had been under investigation in the US for almost a year for drug trafficking.
During Durazo’s six-year tenure (from 1976 to 1982), he turned the police force into a racketeering organization and built his empire of corruption. He extorted money at every turn and lived a lavish lifestyle. He made a fortune from the bribes paid by the rank-and-file police officers under his command, and he used them as his construction labor force to build the Parthenon in Zihuatanejo, one of Guerrero’s most visited beaches. But that was not all. Canadian writer Jessica Devnani wrote, “he used it as his own personal playhouse with extravagant parties fueled with drugs, prostitutes and other sinful activities”.
The entrance to the ruins of the Parthenon. (Jessica Devnani/Pink Plankton)
Although Durazo was lauded for his work in lowering the crime rate in Mexico City and was even honored with a prestigious award in the Soviet Union for doing so, his methods were discovered to be beyond brutal when the tortured bodies of 12 Colombians suspected of bank robbery turned up in a river. An investigation into his practices began, ultimately revealing his elaborate pyramid scheme of bribes and payoffs.
Durazo’s fortune changed once again, this time not for the better, with the arrival of a new presidential administration, Miguel de la Madrid, whose campaign theme was “Moral Renewal.”
Durazo fled the country, and an international search ensued. After charging him in absentia with racketeering, Mexican and U.S. authorities tracked him down in Costa Rica in 1984 and brought him back to trial in Mexico. Durazo was charged with a long range of offenses, from corruption to extortion, tax evasion, drug kickbacks and possession of illegal weapons. He was given 25 years in prison; though he was released after less than eight, in 1992 due to ill health and good conduct. He lived out his final days in Acapulco, redeeming himself a bit by working with recovering alcoholics. He died of cancer in 2000.
Before his death, Durazo’s chief bodyguard, José González, wrote a runaway bestseller in 1980 about his evil boss, entitled “Lo Negro Del Durazo”. A movie quickly followed. Never allowing himself to be out-maneuvered, Durazo won a defamation lawsuit against his former aide from behind prison bars.
The restoration of Mexico’s version has been completely revitalized into a breathtakingly beautiful monument, thanks to the former administration of mayor Jorge Sánchez Alec and the city of Zihuatanejo.
Today, the Parthenon reflects its appearance in all its former glory. The once-chained tigers and the disco used for wild parties are gone, and the swimming pool has been removed. The gates have been refurbished, weeds have been pulled, and gardens have been tended to. Statues and murals have been replaced and repainted, and rooms that were once bedrooms complete with hanging beds will now be used as special events rooms, functions and exhibitions, five halls in all, according to Tourism Director Jesús Gallegos Galván.
There will be concerts and other cultural events but, says Gallegos, no private events such as weddings and no alcohol will be served. General seating will hold up to 500 people. There will be a small fee — 100 pesos for outside tourists, 50 pesos for locals and free for handicapped and older adults. Students will be charged just 20 pesos.
There will also be a small café where you can purchase coffee and other beverages and relax. At the same time, you admire a view that is as spectacular as the bay of Zihuatanejo itself.
The inauguration, which happened recently on November 6 to much fanfare, was presided over by Guerrero state Governor Evelyn Salgado Pineda and Zihuantanejo’s current mayor, Lizette Tapia. Following this, the first major cultural event of the year, known as Tropifashion, was held on November 29 of this year and is sure to set the stage for an exciting year ahead for other cultural events.
The writer divides her time between Canada and Zihuatanejo.
Queueing in Mexico. It's an art - and like all arts, entirely imprecise and subjective. (Damián Sánchez/Cuartoscuro)
Queuing in Mexico is a dark art. A fine art. An art that takes years to hone, like Dutch master before an easal. Yesterday at Sanborns, I stood patiently in front of the pharmacy counter, waiting to be helped.
It’s like I never learn.
If you’ve been in Mexico any amount of time, you’ve surely noticed that the concept of waiting your turn can be…different. (Cuartoscuro)
What’s something else thatgives us away as North Americans? We stand in line, and we expect others to stand in line, too. We also expect to be noticed and rewarded for our good standing-in-line behavior. Order, foolishly for me, is the expectation. But it’s not necessarily a fair one.
Back to Sanborns. Admittedly, I was pre-irritated. I’d taken my daughter and her extremely hyper, scream-y best friend to the mall for video arcade and movie theater fun, and they were wearing on my nerves. When a woman stepped directly in front of me and proceeded to be helped, I piped up.
“Excuse me, where is the actual line here?”
“Oh, we’re getting to people as they come.”
“But how do you know who’s come first? Where should I stand to make it clear?”
The only rule is that there are no rules. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
At this point, the woman who’d stepped in front of me stepped aside and said, “Oh, I’m sorry, were you waiting on her?”
I thanked her, happy she understood and feeling a little sheepish about my visible bad mood. I was finally able to buy the face cream I’d been clutching, and we went on our way.
If you’ve been in Mexico any amount of time, you’ve surely noticed that there are different rules when it comes to waiting one’s turn. The rule is mainly that the rules are not strictly observed. Those serving people say, at a counter, will typically help whoever has put themself in front of them and begun speaking.
If you need to be helped, this is a tough country to be shy in. “The squeaky wheel gets the oil”, so sometimes you’ve got to start squeaking!
The correct way to stand in line in Mexico
Fortunately, there are polite ways to “squeak”. Let’s start with pharmacies and consultorios (doctor offices), though it can work anywhere with a reception area. When there’s a counter or a reception desk, simply make eye contact with someone on the other side and say “buenos días” (or tardes or noches, depending). This is what I should have done at Sanborns, by the way.
For longer lines (especially when it comes to dreaded trámites) things can get a little more complicated. (Cuartoscuro)
Anyway! You’ve made contact and let them know you’re there. If they look at you expectantly, that’s your cue to start asking for what you want. Once they know, they can either help you or give you instructions to be helped. Easy!
For longer lines, especially when it comes to dreaded trámites, things can get a little more complicated. At both my local immigration and Hacienda offices, for example, lines are visible. However, getting in back of them right away is not the best move, and could waste a lot of your time.
If you have an appointment especially, but even if you just want information, find the security guard. Not only are they helping to keep order, but they let you know where to go and what to do. They’re often the first line of defense for information-giving, so let them be your first stop!
At my immigration office, for example, they direct me to sign a book and write down the purpose of going; only then do I get in line. At Hacienda, the guard will direct you to which line you need to stand in, or where to go and simply sit down to wait.
Do’s and don’ts in customer service offices
At banks and other customer service-oriented offices, there might be a number system. This means you’ll be given, often by a machine that’s sometimes human-assisted, a number that will be called, similar to when you dine in for fast food. When your number is called, it’s your turn! If you think you missed it, though, be sure to ask someone who works there; they can usually help.
The longer the line and the more impatient the people in it, the less likely it is there will be “cutters”. (Cuartoscuro)
The general rule is this: the longer the line and the more impatient the people in it, the less likely it is there will be “cutters”. But if the line is short and there’s a counter-type situation, people are liable to butt in if they can. And if you think that’s bad, just look at people’s behavior inheavy traffic, which is where the above rule does not apply at all: cutters driving cars are rampant, especially when they’re impatient.
Finally, don’t be afraid to stick up for yourself. Some people really are oblivious and in a hurry and just don’t notice others. “Disculpe, estamos formados” (Excuse me, we’re in line) will usually work. Sometimes it won’t, and you can choose whether or not you want to start a fight about it. When you yourself are unsure about the existence of a line — this often happens in bathrooms — simply ask, “¿Están formados?” (Are you in line?)
So remember: squeak with the best of them, and ask for help when you need it. Just don’t cut in line; we’ve got a reputation to keep up!
A recent New York Times report and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump took center stage at President Sheinbaum's Monday press conference. (Presidencia)
Claudia Sheinbaum has now completed two full months as Mexico’s first female president.
And with the swearing in of Rocío Nahle as governor of Veracruz on Sunday, 13 of Mexico’s 32 federal entities are now led by women, more than ever before.
At her morning press conference on Monday, Sheinbaum heaped praise on Nahle, who served as energy minister for almost five years during the administration of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
She also commented on a New York Times report and noted that United States President-elect Donald Trump asked her how the U.S. could help Mexico with security issues.
Sheinbaum suggests NYT report was inspired by ‘Breaking Bad’
“Do you have information about that?” inquired the reporter.
Sheinbaum dismissed the NYT report, suggesting it was inspired by the fictional television series “Breaking Bad.” (Breaking Bad/High Bridge Entertainment Gran Via Productions/Sony Pictures)
The president said that she asked members of her cabinet about the Times’ reporting before declaring that “there is no information about this.”
“… There is a [television] show … that takes place in … New Mexico, … a very well-known show that got a lot of awards about a chemistry teacher,” Sheinbaum added, referring to the Emmy-award winning series “Breaking Bad.”
“I saw some episodes, I didn’t see all of it … but maybe that’s where they got [the report] from, right?” Sheinbaum said.
“Because we don’t have information [about chemistry students making drugs for cartels]. And, in any case, chemistry students shouldn’t get involved in that, right?” she added.
“… I explained to him that we have a very competent security cabinet, coordinated by [Security Minister] Omar García Harfuch. I even told him about Omar’s history, the attack he suffered and how he has a history of a lot of professionalism in the Mexico City Security Ministry and now at the federal level,” Sheinbaum said.
At her Monday presser, Sheinbaum continued to field questions about her recent call with Trump. (Mexico News Daily via Cuartoscuro/Twitter)
The president said she told Trump that it is very important for Mexico and the United States to share information with each other, but emphasized that they must respect each other’s sovereignty when collaborating on security issues.
“And he agreed, he said he thought … [my proposal] was very good,” Sheinbaum said.
Even if a person is convicted of corruption and serves jail time, the money and/or assets they obtained as a result of their crime are not usually recovered in Mexico. (Shutterstock)
The Mexican government wants to make living in a corruption-free environment a constitutionally enshrined human right.
Senator Javier Corral, a lawmaker with the ruling Morena party and a former governor of Chihuahua, said last week that in the coming months, he would present an initiative to create a General Law for the Investigation and Punishment of Acts of Corruption.
Senator Javier Corral is spearheading an initiative to classify corruption as a human rights offense in Mexico. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)
Speaking in the state of Morelos at an annual meeting of Mexico’s anti-corruption prosecutor’s offices, Corral said that President Claudia Sheinbaum had entrusted him with the task of examining the best ways that corruption can be combated. While governor of Chihuahua, he made bringing his predecessor César Duarte to justice on corruption charges a central aim of his government.
The proposed law Corral is slated to present to Congress would enshrine in the constitution a new human right: the right to live in a corruption-free environment and to enjoy responsible and lawful public administration by Mexican authorities.
Allow the creation of a uniform nationwide anti-corruption investigation and prosecution policy.
Establish a national system that assists anti-corruption collaboration between federal and state governments, including in the realm of intelligence gathering.
Seek to ensure that acts of corruption are effectively punished and that those found guilty of the crime don’t continue to benefit from their wrongdoing.
Seek to ensure that misspent public resources are recovered.
Create new anti-corruption prosecutor’s offices and courts.
Allow people who report corruption to participate more closely in the criminal prosecution of the case if they demonstrate they have a legitimate interest in it.
Recognize people involved in the investigation and prosecution of corruption as defenders of human rights.
Former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador made combatting corruption a central aim of his administration, and less than a year into his six-year term declared that there was “zero corruption” in the federal government as a result of his dedication to “sweeping away” what had developed over the previous 30 years.
But Sheinbaum believes there is more work to do, such as disbanding a number of autonomous government agencies. She recently said that the elimination of seven such agencies — as approved by the Senate last week — would lead to “more transparency” in government and help to eliminate corruption.
Corruption has long been a problem in Mexico, with various scandals plaguing the 2012-18 government of former president Enrique Peña Nieto. Despite López Obrador’s determination to eliminate corruption — and his declarations that he had achieved his goal — his administration also faced accusations of corruption, including ones related to Mexico’s food security agency Segalmex and the Youths Building the Future apprenticeship scheme.
While corruption is common in Mexico, so too is impunity for that crime — and various others.
Even if a person is convicted of corruption and serves jail time, the money and/or assets they obtained as a result of their crime are not “normally” recovered, El País reported.
As mentioned above, one of the objectives of the proposed General Law for the Investigation and Punishment of Acts of Corruption is to change that situation.
In Morelos last week, Corral — who was affiliated with the National Action Party until joining Morena this year — described corruption as a “social cancer” that weakens Mexico’s democratic institutions and the rule of law.
According to the statement issued by the Senate last Wednesday, he also said that his proposed law would seek to stop Mexico’s “culture of impunity” from being an incentive for the proliferation of corruption. Corral noted that Mexico’s anti-corruption prosecutor’s offices have a central role in the fight against corruption and in restoring citizens’ confidence in Mexico’s institutions.
“But let’s not fool ourselves,” he added. “Combating corruption is not and never will be a simple task.”
The mission will be led by electrical engineer Katya Echazarreta, who became the first Mexican astronaut and the youngest female astronaut at age 26. (Katya Echazarreta/X)
A top official in the Sheinbaum administration stated last week that Mexico is working to create a 100% Latino mission to space in 2027 — led by Mexican-born astronaut Katya Echazarreta — as part of an overall plan to advance the Mexican aerospace industry.
The announcement was made by Altagracia Gómez Sierra, an influential business leader in Mexico and currently the coordinator of the Advisory Council for Economic, Regional Development and Business Relocation (CADERR) under President Claudia Sheinbaum.
CADERR, led by Mexican businesswoman Altagracia Gómez, seeks to advance nearshoring opportunities, develop industrial parks and promote infrastructure projects to support regional economic growth. (@inaoficialmx/X)
During an Oct. 27 presentation, Gómez Sierra pointed out that a key goal of Sheinbaum’s government is to lead the first all-Latino space mission.
CADERR, a new entity under the Sheinbaum administration, aims to capitalize on nearshoring opportunities, develop 100 industrial parks nationwide and promote infrastructure projects to support regional economic growth in Mexico.
Its strategies include partnering with businesses, government agencies and communities; simplifying investment procedures; and promoting sustainability and innovation.
Mexico’s plan to expand its aerospace industry
One of CADERR’s goals, Gómez Sierra said, is to increase the regional content of aerospace industry exports by at least 10% by 2030.
Other keys, she added, include the integration of an aircraft engine fully manufactured in Mexico by the France-based aerospace company Safran and the launch of the first 100% Mexican satellite.
As for the all-Latino space mission, the newspaper El País pointed out that “no further details are yet known [and] it has not been specified whether it will be a crewed mission [or] the sending of a space probe, a satellite or another type of initiative.”
A crewed or uncrewed space mission could spur growth in the Mexican aerospace industry, a sector whose strategic value has increased 14% over the last 20 years. (Richard Gatley/Unsplash)
Echazarreta, 29, said last month she wants to do whatever she can to help.
“My goal is to contribute to the growth of the aerospace industry in Mexico,” the first Mexican-born woman to fly into space said at a summit organized by the news magazine Expansión. “It is time for our country to position itself as a major player in this field.”
As of now, Mexico’s aerospace industry is underdeveloped, Echazarreta said, because “there are no laws that regulate it.”
She said there are agreements in place to build launching pads in Mexico, but the lack of legislative reform prevents these projects and others from moving forward. Though international companies are interested in investing in the Mexican aerospace industry, she added, efforts remain limited.
“There are agreements in the works, but we cannot move forward due to current laws,” she said. “That is why we are working on a reform that will allow this industry to find an outlet.”
Born in Guadalajara, Echazarreta spent the first seven years of her life in Mexico before moving with her family to San Diego. In 2022, she became the first Mexican-born woman — and, at 26, the youngest woman ever — to fly into space when she was aboard a craft built by Blue Origin, a company started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Echazarreta earned an electrical engineering degree from UCLA in 2019 and was an intern at NASA, where she worked on the ground on five missions. She also has a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Johns Hopkins University.
