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WSJ reports US $35B of foreign investment in Mexico is stalled

By
MND Staff
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Planned site of Volvo plant in Nuevo León
Mexico has seen a significant amount of announced foreign investment this year, but uncertainty regarding the judicial reform and the U.S. presidential elections could be making investors hesitate. (Samuel García/X)

Foreign companies are holding back approximately US $35 billion in investment in Mexico due to uncertainty related to the federal government’s judicial reform proposal and the upcoming United States election, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The figure comes from company representatives and advisers cited by the Journal in a report published Sunday under the headline “Why Mexico’s looming judiciary overhaul spooks U.S. business.”

Screen capture of WSJ report
The Wall Street Journal published the report on Sunday. (Screen capture)

Approved by the lower house of Congress last week, the proposed judicial reform seeks to allow citizens to directly elect thousands of judges, including Supreme Court justices and other federal judges.

Senators could vote on the reform as soon as today, and it appears quite likely that the ruling Morena party and its allies will have the numbers to reach the two-thirds majority required to approve constitutional bills such as this one.

The Journal reported that “American companies are delaying investment plans in Mexico as they review how a shake-up of the country’s judicial system would affect doing business with the U.S.’s largest trading partner.”

The newspaper said that the proposed overhaul of the judiciary “has worried foreign investors who fear judges will become beholden to constituents or political considerations instead of the law.”

Deputy Ricardo Monreal stands at the front of a crowd celebrating the passage of the judicial reform bill in Mexico's Chamber of Deputies
The lower house of Congress approved the judicial reform bill last Wednesday, with 359 votes in favor and 135 votes against. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

The stalled foreign investment amounting to some $35 billion is for projects in sectors ranging from information technology and car manufacturing to natural-gas pipelines and industrial infrastructure, the Journal said.

That amount — almost equivalent to total foreign direct investment in Mexico last year — apparently includes some $10 billion earmarked for a Telsa “gigafactory” in Nuevo León.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in July that the project was “paused,” not because of uncertainty related to the judicial reform proposal, but due to uncertainty over the U.S. presidential election and the possibility that Donald Trump will impose tariffs on vehicles made in Mexico if he wins on Nov. 5.

Tesla’s position on the judicial reform is unclear, but former U.S. ambassador to Mexico Earl Anthony Wayne told the Journal that American executives have disclosed to him that they are pausing investments in Mexico while they wait to see what happens with the judicial reform proposal.

US Ambassador Salazar with Larry Rubin
U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar (left) with president of the American Society Larry Rubin. Both have been critical of the Mexican government’s judicial reform and warn it will impact investment. (Cuartoscuro)

Larry Rubin, president of the American Society of Mexico, made similar remarks last week, and called on the Mexican Congress “to take into consideration the voice of the most important investment in the country, which is United States investment.”

Wayne, a public policy fellow at the Wilson Center and co-chair of its Mexico Institute Advisory Board, told the Journal that Mexico will find it hard to attract nearshoring investment, create jobs and combat poverty if the judicial reform is approved.

“Mexico is going to get a lot of negative attention,” he said.

Another $18 billion in investment ‘at stake’ 

The Wall Street Journal also reported that the judicial reform proposal places “at stake” another $18 billion in private investment “that Mexico needs to cover rising electricity demand for industrial use.”

The Journal noted that the Supreme Court has “blocked policy initiatives that could have disrupted Mexico’s electricity sector in violation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement” (USMCA), but added that “some investors fear a new, elected court would approve them.”

Supreme Court justices and other judges would be elected from candidates nominated by the president, the Congress and the judiciary.

President López Obrador speaks angrily as he rebukes US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar for 'interfering' in Mexican judicial reform
The president and his successor, Claudia Sheinbaum, both support the judicial reform bill. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)

Current President Andrés Manuel López Obrador — the foremost proponent of the judicial reform — and his successor, Claudia Sheinbaum, are both affiliated with Morena, which also controls both houses of Congress. Critics of the reform argue that the president and Morena will therefore be able to stack courts with judges sympathetic to their agenda, and thus eliminate a crucial check on executive and legislative power.

They are also concerned about a separate reform proposal that seeks to disband a number of autonomous government agencies and absorb their functions into the executive branch, potentially removing other checks on executive power.

López Obrador and Sheinbaum reject claims that the independence of the judiciary — and foreign investment inflows — are at risk by the plan to allow citizens to directly elect judges.

The latter asserted last week that “the reform to the judicial power doesn’t affect our trade relationships or private national and foreign investment.”

Other warning bells

The Wall Street Journal reported on a range of other concerns about the judicial reform proposal. It said that:

  • Expensive international arbitration over investment rights is “likely to increase as companies seek to avoid Mexican courts.”
  • “Corporate lending in Mexico would also be affected because of the uncertainty, according to bankers.”
  • The reform risks “undermining talks to review the USMCA in 2026, according to Global Companies in Mexico, a group of top executives from 60 or so companies operating in the country.”
  • “The replacement of the judiciary would also disrupt labor tribunals under the USMCA and violate treaty provisions that call for independent magistrates, according to the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico.”

Supreme Court Chief Justice Norma Piña told the Journal that the reform, if enacted, would violate Mexico’s free trade agreements.

“A state can’t invoke its internal law as an excuse for failing to comply with international obligations,” she said.

Juan Luis González Alcántara, another Supreme Court justice, also spoke to the Journal.

Norma Piña Supreme Court Justice
Norma Piña, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, has criticized the judicial reform bill and said it would violate Mexico’s free trade treaty obligations. (Cuartoscuro)

“It’s difficult to imagine a country that attracts foreign investment or encourages domestic investment when the minimum conditions of legal certainty don’t exist,” he said.

Mexico is currently amidst what has been described as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to attract foreign investment, but there are a range of factors that make capitalizing on it a challenge, including insecurity, water and electricity concerns, lack of infrastructure and uncertainty about the rule of law.

There are also external factors outside of Mexico’s control that worry foreign companies that already have a presence here or are considering establishing one.

“A victory in the presidential election by Donald Trump, who wants to impose more tariffs on imports, would complicate the trade relationship between the U.S., Mexico and Canada,” the Journal reported.

With reports from The Wall Street Journal 

Opinion: There can be judicial reform without undermining trust

By
Pedro Casas Alatriste
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Supreme Court building in Mexico City
Pedro Casas, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico, shares his opinion on how Mexico can reform its judicial system without destabilizing its economy. (Cuartoscuro)

On Aug. 26, the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico (AmCham) released a statement regarding the government’s judicial reform, where we warned that: “When multiple voices rise in a chorus of warnings, it is wise to pay attention. The convergence of diverse opinions on a risk is not mere coincidence but an echo of shared experiences and knowledge.”

To provide context for the conversation, I want to make two points very clear.

The first is that AmCham Mexico has been the chamber representing the binational trade relationship between Mexico and the United States since 1917. Today, we bring together more than 1,400 companies from the U.S., Mexico and around the globe; large, medium, and small; and operating in every state of the country. Together, we generate one-quarter of Mexico’s GDP and more than 10 million formal jobs.

Secondly, our Chamber has thoroughly followed and analyzed the reform process, from the president’s initial proposal to today. We have shared recommendations with the current government, the transitional government and representatives of Congress.

Our activity in Mexico for more than a century has taught us that the key to overcoming any challenge lies in dialogue, deep analysis, and finding common ground amidst differences, not in incendiary statements. This has never been and will never be AmCham’s approach. Thus, we are concerned that the discussion about the reform has been reduced to the popular election of judges, ministers, and magistrates; however, this is not the only factor that could divert Mexico from a path of growth and prosperity.

The first problem with the proposal lies in the independence of the judges elected under the conditions of the new judicial discipline tribunal. This body could sanction judges based on vague and imprecise criteria, such as “acts or omissions contrary to the law,” “administration of justice,” or subjective metrics like “excellence.” This ambiguity of criteria can lead to arbitrary sanctions and compromised justice.

A second issue is the re-election of judges. We should aim for those elected to serve for a reasonable and continuous period. Only then can we avoid the temptation for elected judges to seek popular approval rather than fulfill their primary duty, which is to administer justice.

Another relevant issue is the eligibility requirements. The criterion established in the president’s initial project, regarding the accreditation of professional experience, is essential. Our proposal includes the implementation of a knowledge and professional practice exam, developed and implemented publicly, openly, and transparently, under the supervision of law schools, faculties, and professional bar associations.

An additional concern is the implementation and its effect on the functioning of the justice system. Conservative estimates suggest that this reform would result in the election of more than 10,000 candidates among magistrates and judges from the 32 circuits nationwide. Thus, a resident of Mexico City would have to choose over 600 officials among more than 4,000 candidates, using 175 ballots — a task seemingly designed to test patience, logistics, and the very purpose of voting.

Abruptly changing 50% of the Judiciary in 2025 and the other 50% in 2027 would create significant challenges. In any scenario, we recommend a gradual implementation that allows for an orderly and viable transition without affecting ongoing cases. This could include extraordinary elections in 2025 to fill vacancies, with subsequent partial elections in 2030, 2033, 2036, and 2039.

If, at a minimum, the points previously mentioned are not modified, the social and economic impacts will be inevitable and devastating. I highlight three ways these effects could materialize in our economy.

The first and most significant impact will be on the country’s credit rating. Losing investment-grade status — a warning already raised by several institutions — would be like playing with fire: the consequences would be serious and could shake the country’s economic stability, affecting debt costs, interest rates, exchange rates, country risk, and ultimately, inflation.

The second impact is the implementation of the USMCA. The potential dysfunction of independent and specialized courts in labor matters, as well as insufficient protection of investments through alternative justice mechanisms, increases the risk of renegotiating the treaty in 2026.

Finally, the third blow will be felt in investment. With a fragile judicial structure, a downgraded credit rating, and a poorly implemented USMCA, it is to be expected that the appetite for investing in the country will diminish, ending the opportunity to take advantage of nearshoring.

The message is clear. The reform we need is one that is debated, discussed, and ideally agreed upon, combining the best of all worlds: democracy, with certainty and growth. Why take rushed steps when we all agree that we can, together, improve the national justice system?

An accessible and democratic judicial system is also achievable without undermining the rule of law and checks and balances. We are at a historic and opportune juncture to start a new government where dialogue is the cornerstone upon which we build a more democratic and just country.

Pedro Casas Alatriste is the executive vice president and CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico.

What’s two-thirds of 128? It depends who you ask

By
MND Staff
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The Mexican Senate chambers
The Morena party coalition is one-third of a senator shy of a supermajority in the upper house of Congress. (Cuartoscuro)

How’s your math?

What’s two-thirds of 128?

That’s the mathematical problem whose answer could be of vital importance this week when the 128 federal senators cast their votes on the Mexican government’s controversial judicial reform proposal.

Why? Because the constitutional bill — which was approved by the Chamber of Deputies last week — needs the support of a supermajority, or two-thirds of the Mexican Senate, to pass Congress.

In case you haven’t yet completed the calculation, two-thirds of 128 is 85.33.

So the number of votes needed to reach a two-thirds majority in the Senate is …? It depends who you ask.

Mexican judges in Guerrero, Mexico, at a march protesting a controversial judicial reform bill, holding signs in Spanish
As Congress considers constitutional changes to Mexico’s judicial system, legislators are debating the exact requirements of a Senate supermajority. (Dassaev Téllez Adame/Cuartoscuro)

According to Mexico’s System of Legislative Information, 86 votes are required if all 128 senators are present in the upper house.

That number — one more than the number of senators who represent the ruling Morena party and its allies — would appear to make sense.

Politicians of all persuasions sometimes present half-baked ideas, but none of the lawmakers is just half — or one-third — of a human-being. Thus finding one-third of a vote to get to 85.33 votes in order to reach a supermajority is not a viable option.

So 86 it is!

Not so fast! Haven’t you heard of rounding down?

Senate President Gerardo Fernández Noroña certainly has.

On Sunday, the ruling Morena party senator claimed that a constitutional bill could be approved in the Senate with just 85 votes rather than 86.

“It’s like in school, when it was point four and below you rounded down to the number immediately below. When it was point six and above you rounded up to the number immediately above,” Fernández Noroña said.

“There is not 0.3 of a senator. From my point of view, in a strict sense, 85 senators would be enough,” he said.

Senator Adán Augusto López Hernández, Morena’s leader in the upper house, made the same argument last week.

Gerardo Fernández Noroña speaks at a podium
The president of the Senate, Morena party Senator Gerardo Fernández Noroña, suggested that 85 — the number of senators in Morena’s coalition — is enough to pass constitutional amendments. (Cuartoscuro)

Fernández Noroña claimed last Wednesday that Morena and its allies would have a “surplus” of support in the Senate, but he now appears less certain that at least one of 43 opposition senators will vote in favor of the reform that seeks to allow citizens to directly elect Supreme Court justices and thousands of other judges.

Francisco Burgoa, a constitutional law professor at the National Autonomous University, predicted there will be a constitutional crisis if Morena and its allies, the Labor Party and the Ecological Green Party of Mexico, attempt to push the reform proposal through the Senate with just 85 votes.

If they were to do so, they would be making an “incorrect interpretation” of the Constitution “given that 85 doesn’t exceed a supermajority” in the Mexican Senate, he said.

“Eighty-five is not more than 85.33 and having an absolute majority doesn’t give them the power to decide that this 0.33 can be left out or rounded down,” Burgoa said.

“There are precedents in the Senate where 86 votes have been demanded … to change the Constitution,” he said.

“Even Ricardo Monreal publicly acknowledged it at another time,” Burgoa said in reference to a remark the former Morena senator and current ruling party deputy made in 2022.

A vote on the judicial reform proposal could be held in the Senate as soon as this Tuesday.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, 128 fully-formed men and women will vote on the reform proposal that the government argues is needed to eliminate corruption in the judiciary, but which the opposition contends will threaten the independence of the nation’s justices, judges and magistrates.

Expect things to get rather interesting if the final vote count is 85-43 in favor of the constitutional bill.

With reports from El Financiero and Infobae

Mexico brings home 17 medals from the Paris Paralympics

By
MND Staff
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Mexican swimmer Ángel Camacho displays his medal, sitting next to the first and third place winners of the 50-meter backstroke S4 category.
Mexican swimmer Ángel Camacho won the most medals of any Mexican at the Paralympic Games this year, taking silver in the 50-meter backstroke (category S4) as well as two bronze medals. (CONADE)

Mexico’s delegation, made up of 67 athletes, won 17 medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games including three gold, six silver and eight bronze.

While the country’s winnings in Paris didn’t match those of Tokyo three years ago — when it won 22 medals — Mexico’s head of mission at the 2024 Paralympic Games, Israel Benítez Morteo, said the athletes’ performance “considerably increased” this year and that he’s confident “Mexico is set to be a power in Paralympic sports.”

A graphic showing the photos of all Mexico's medal-winning Paralympic athletes from Paris 2024
Mexican athletes won a total of 17 medals at this year’s Paralympic Games. (COPAME)

Swimming and track and field competitions led the way for Mexico with a combined 11 medals, including three gold by swimmer José Arnulfo Castorena Vélez (men’s 50-meter breaststroke in the SB2 para-swimming category), track and field athlete Gloria Zarza Guadarrama (women’s shot put, category F54), and track and field runner Juan Pablo Cervantes García (men’s 100 meters, category T54).

Meanwhile, the swimmer Ángel Camacho from León won the most medals for the Mexican delegation, collecting three in total: two bronze and one silver. With these achievements, he now has four medals under his belt, making him the most decorated Mexican in Paris 2024.

During his morning-press-conference, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador applauded those who won a medal in this sporting event.

“We are going to give special recognition and mention to all the Paralympic athletes who are participating in Paris, who are representing us and doing very well […] a round of applause for them,” he said.

Paralympic powerlifter Amalia Pérez bites her bronze medal
Amalia Pérez won bronze in the 61 kg powerlifting category, her seventh Paralympic medal. (CONADE)

López Obrador added that he will receive the Paris Olympic and Paralympic delegations on Sept. 17 to award them monetary recognition. The money, he said, will come from the fund of the Institute to Return to the People What Was Stolen (INDEP).

As for the international medal table, China came in first — for the sixth time in a row — with 220 medals, followed by Great Britain with 124 and the United States with 105. Mexico ranked No. 30.

The country’s best record at the Paralympic Games was in Arnhem, Netherlands, in 1980: it won 42 medals, including 20 gold.

Andrew Parsons, the International Paralympic Committee president, said Paris had set a new standard, particularly in terms of the experience for both athletes and fans.

“Quite simply Paris 2024 is the new benchmark for the Paralympic Games, in every aspect, in every single point of the organization,” Parsons told The Guardian. “I think that in terms of the athlete experience it has been amazing, the services they have had at the village. At the venues the crowds have been amazing. I think after the athletes they are probably the main characters of these Games.”

The Paralympic Games in 2028 will be hosted in Los Angeles, marking the city’s third time hosting the event.

With reports from El Financiero, AM and López-Dóriga

Like AMLO, Sheinbaum will live in the National Palace after taking office

By
MND Staff
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The National Palace of Mexico illuminated at night
As president, Sheinbaum will make her residence at the National Palace of Mexico. (File photo)

President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum will follow in the footsteps of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and make her residence in the National Palace.

“Yes, I’m going to live in the Palace, that’s the news of the day,” she told reporters on Monday.

Sheinbaum, who will be sworn in on Oct. 1, said she wouldn’t immediately move into the colonial-era building located opposite Mexico City’s central square, the Zócalo.

“I’m going to give space to President Andrés Manuel and his family. They’re going to be there until, I don’t know, … the night of the 30th [of September] or the first [of October],” she said.

“…Obviously they’re living there so for a while I’m going to stay in my apartment that I rent,” said the former Mexico City mayor, explaining that she would remain in her home in the borough of Tlalpan until December.

Between 1934 and 2018, the official residence of the Mexican president was Los Pinos, a residential complex within Chapultepec Park.

An elderly couple sit in a traditional, brightly lit dining room with pictures on the walls
President López Obrador and his wife Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller currently live in a comfortable 300-square-meter appartment within the National Palace. (Andrés Manuel López Obrador/YouTube)

López Obrador, who took office in late 2018 after winning the presidency at his third attempt, decided to turn Los Pinos into a cultural center that is open to the public.

In mid-2019, AMLO, his wife Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller and their son Jesús Ernesto moved from their home in southern Mexico City to an apartment within the walls of the National Palace. He portrayed his decision to live there as an austerity measure.

The president holds his weekday morning press conferences in the building, making it a very convenient place for him to live.

Sheinbaum said last month that she too will hold 7 a.m. morning pressers in the National Palace. At the time, she said that she and her husband were discussing whether they would live in the historic building.

On Monday, the president-elect said that living in the National Palace would allow her to use her time more efficiently.

“I decided [to live] there because at the moment I don’t have my own house, … but the first thing is … that if you work in the Palace and live there, it allows you to make better use of your time,” she said.

“… I wouldn’t return to live in Los Pinos nor in Chapultepec Castle,” Sheinbaum joked, referring in the latter case to the official residence of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico and his consort Empress Carlota, as well as late 19th century and early 20th century presidents.

Although she is very close to the president, Sheinbaum said she had never been inside his National Palace apartment.

“I’ve seen it from the outside, but I haven’t gone in,” she said.

With reports from Reforma, El Universal and El Financiero

Third time’s the charm? El Tri beats New Zealand in first game since coach Javier Aguirre’s return

By
MND Staff
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The Mexican men's soccer team hugs and celebrates after beating New Zealand
The men's team dominated the stadium on Saturday, making 13 of the game's 15 shot attempts and scoring three goals. (Mi Selección MX/X)

The third era of Mexican men’s soccer coach Javier Aguirre started off on the right foot on Saturday as Mexico’s El Tri defeated New Zealand 3-0 in an international friendly in Pasadena, California.

Orbelín Pineda scored five minutes after the opening whistle while César Huerta and Luis Romo netted early in the second half to lead El Tri to a comfortable win in front of a lot of empty seats in the Rose Bowl.

Mexico established control early and attacked throughout the match. If not for the strong play of New Zealand goalie Max Crocombe, the final score would have been even more lopsided.

Man of the Match Romo helped get things started early. Collecting a pass wide left of goal, the Cruz Azul star lofted a cross over the defense and into the box where Roberto Alvarado neatly headed the ball down into the path of Pineda. The AEK Athens winger calmly volleyed a low shot that Crocombe could not stop.

Mexico nearly doubled its lead 10 minutes later when Israel Reyes served up Santiago Giménez but Santi’s first-time shot from 8 meters out was blocked by Crocombe.

Romo missed a chance to get on the scoresheet just before the half when Julián Quiñones found him making an overlapping run into the box. Romo’s one-timer zipped past Crocombe but clanged off the far post and out of danger.

Javier Aguirre, coach of the Mexican men's soccer team or El Tri, speaks at a press conference
Head coach Javier Aguirre is back for this third go at leading the Mexican men’s soccer team. (Fernando Carranza García/Cuartoscuro)

Two minutes into the second half, El Tri hit the woodwork again. This time, Pineda ran onto a Luis Chávez cross but his side-footed flick volley banged off the near post.

Mexico’s luck changed shortly thereafter. From the top of the box, Pineda found Romo wide right and the 2020 Olympic bronze medalist fired a low cross into the goalie box where the onrushing Huerta redirected the ball inside the far post.

Just four minutes later, Romo increased Mexico’s advantage to 3-0, blasting a right-footer from just outside the box. The shot deflected off a New Zealand defender and bounced inside the right post.

Although continuing to create chances, Mexico would not find the net again. Aguirre’s men also displayed solid defense throughout, holding the Kiwis to two shots, neither of which was on target.

Aguirre, 65, is in his third stint as coach of the national team, replacing Jaime Lozano who was fired on July 16 following an underwhelming group stage exit from the Copa America.

Mexico was 10-4-7 under Lozano who had replaced Diego Cocca in June 2023, but the team was playing poorly. El Tri was just 4-1-3 this year and had scored just seven goals, conceding 10 times.

El Tri’s stumbling performances of late help explain why only 25,271 fans showed up at the Rose Bowl (capacity 89,700).

Mexico will face Canada in their next game, another friendly schedule for Tuesday in Dallas, Texas.

With reports from Reforma, Los Angeles Times and ESPN

66th annual Ariel film awards return to Guadalajara

By
MND Staff
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The Ariel Awards, honoring the best in Mexican cinema, were held in Guadalajara on Saturday, Sept. 7.
The Ariel Awards, honoring the best in Mexican cinema, were held in Guadalajara on Saturday, Sept. 7. (Gobierno de Jalisco/X)

Already honored with more than 20 awards from film festivals around the world, Lila Avilés’ “Tótem” cleaned up Saturday night at the 2024 Ariel Awards, which were held in Guadalajara instead of Mexico City for the second year in a row.

The gripping drama nabbed five Arieles, or Mexican Oscars, including best picture, best director and best original screenplay, which Avilés wrote.

The movie also generated a best supporting actress award for Montserrat Marañón (in a tie with Ludwika Paleta for “All the Silence”), and a best new actor award for Naíma Sentíes.

In “Tótem,” Sentíes plays a 7-year-old girl, Sol, whose world turns upside down after she finds out her father has terminal cancer. Her performance has been praised for its authenticity and emotional depth.

“Tótem” — available on Netflix with English subtitles — was on the festival circuit much of 2023. It made its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February before finally opening in Mexico on Nov. 30, 2023.

“It’s been crazy,” said Avilés, 42, a Mexico City native who got her start in the film industry as an actress. “[Tótem] has taken me to more than 100 international festivals, more than 40 countries for distribution, more than 35 award nominations” (and 24 wins).

Lila Aviles' "Tótem" took home five Ariel awards including best picture, best director and best original screenplay.
Lila Avilés’ “Tótem” took home five Ariel awards including best picture, best director and best original screenplay. (Fernando Carranza García/Cuartoscuro)

Everywhere she went, the film was “heard and resonated,” she added. “Realizing that it is the same in China as in the United States or in Australia or in Peru … In the end, even in this universe of diversity, we are all quite similar.”

The 95-minute film, recommended last year by Mexico News Daily, was Mexico’s nomination for the Academy Awards earlier this year, although it didn’t make the final list of five films that competed for best international feature.

Avilés’ busy 2023 also included the release of a Barbie doll in her image, able to hold either a movie camera or a clapboard. Mattel’s “Role Models” line also honored actresses Helen Mirren (England) and Viola Davis (U.S), music stars Shania Twain (Canada) and Kylie Minogue (Australia), comedian Enissa Amani (Germany), model Nicole Fujita (Japan) and influencer Maira Gomez (Brazil).

The 66th edition of the Ariel Awards was held at Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara and presented by the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences. Actors Michelle Rodríguez and Kike Vázquez were the hosts.

Naíma Sentíes, who plays the 7-year-old Sol in "Tótem," won best new actor.
Naíma Sentíes, who plays the 7-year-old Sol in “Tótem,” won best new actor. (Fernando Carranza García/Cuartoscuro)

In pursuit of awards in 24 categories, 174 films were entered, including 69 feature films and 96 shorts from Mexico, plus nine films from other countries in Latin America.

“Tótem” led the way with 15 nominations and came away with five awards.

Another top winner was “Todo el silencio” (“All the Silence”), a moving film about hearing impairment that’s available on Amazon Prime Video. Nominated for six awards, it took home four: Adriana Llabrés for best actress, Ludwika Paleta for best supporting actress, director Diego del Río for best debut feature film and best sound.

David Zonana’s “Heroico” (“Heroic”) and Elisa Miller’s “Temporada de huracanes” (“Hurricane Season”) each had 11 nominations and three wins.

The wins for “Heroic,” which addresses the reality of military institutions, were Fernando Cuautle for best supporting actor, best costume design and best art direction.

“Hurricane Season,” which explores a mother’s tumultuous relationship with her estranged daughter, won best adapted screenplay, best makeup and best editing.

Best actor went to Noé Hernández for “Kokoloko,” a drama set on the Oaxacan coast.

Other notable wins included “El eco” (“The Echo”) for best documentary, “Humo” for best animated short and “Apnea” for best fiction short. “The Echo” depicts growing up  in rural Puebla.

“Mexican cinema is very special,” said Avilés, whose 2018 “La camarista” (“The Chambermaid”) earned her an Ariel Award for best debut feature and a best director nomination. “Tótem” is her second feature film.

“Every year wonderful films are released that generate a lot of talk, but more initiatives are needed to produce them,” she added.

Mexican cinema is going through a difficult time, with budget cuts following the eradication of the Film Investment and Stimulus Fund (Fidecine) in 2020.

With reports from Milenio, El País and Associated Press

Sheinbaum names next national defense minister and Navy chief

By
MND Staff
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Army General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo stands at a dias in full military regalia
General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo will lead the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) come October. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum announced Friday her picks to lead the Mexican Army and Navy during her government, which will take office on Oct. 1

Sheinbaum named Ricardo Trevilla Trejo as Mexico’s next minister of national defense, the country’s top Army official, and Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles as minister of the Navy.

Vice Admiral Raymundo Morales Ángeles
Vice Admiral Raymundo Morales Ángeles, Mexico’s next Navy minister, is the current director of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. (Government of Mexico)

Both posts are extremely powerful given that the military is now responsible for a wide range of areas beyond national defense.

The Army and Navy play a key role in public security, and during the current government were given responsibility for building major infrastructure projects, managing ports, airports and customs and running a new state-owned airline, among other non-traditional tasks.

The heavy reliance on the armed forces — criticized by human rights organizations and others — looks set to continue during Sheinbaum’s six-year term of government.

The president-elect announced her picks for national defense minister and Navy minister in a statement, explaining that she chose Trevilla and Morales after an “exhaustive review of the best candidates.”

President López Obrador celebrates the start of the Mexican Revolution in a 2021 military parade, accompanied by Army Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval and Navy Minister José Rafael Ojeda Durán.
President López Obrador’s defense minister, Luis Cresencio Sandoval, and Navy Minister José Rafael Ojeda Durán will leave their posts at the end of the month. (Presidencia)

She acknowledged the “work and dedication” of outgoing National Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval González and Navy Minister José Rafael Ojeda Durán.

What are the backgrounds of the new Army and Navy chiefs? 

Trevilla, 63, and Morales, 58, have both had long military careers.

According to Sheinbaum’s statement, the former is currently a divisional general in the Mexican Army, while the latter is an admiral in the Navy and general director of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

Trevilla, originally from Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, graduated from the Heroic Military College in Mexico City as a second lieutenant and subsequently completed two degrees, including a master’s, in military administration.

His active service in the Army began in 1978 when he was just 17.

Among Trevilla’s deployments was one to the border region in Chiapas, which is currently plagued by cartel violence. He also served as military attaché to the Mexican Embassies in Germany and Poland.

Mexican army soldier at the Independence Day Parade, September 16, 2013 in León, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Incoming National Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla has served the Mexican Army since he was 17. (Tomas Castelazo/CC BY-SA 3.0)

Morales, originally from the state of Oaxaca, joined the Mexican Navy as a cadet in 1983.

In 1989, he completed a degree in naval engineering, and subsequently earned master’s degrees in national security and in naval administration. Morales also studied at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., completing a course on defense policy and strategy.

Before becoming an admiral in late 2023, he served as a Navy commander and director of the Center for Higher Naval Studies. In addition, Morales served as a naval attaché to the Mexican Embassy in the United States.

Who else will be in Sheinbaum’s cabinet?

Before announcing Trevilla and Morales as the top military officials in her government, Sheinbaum named her civilian ministers, including Finance Minister Rogelio Ramírez de la O, who will continue in his current position.

On June 20, 18 days after her landslide victory in the presidential election, she announced the following appointments:

  • Economy minister: Marcelo Ebrard
  • Environment minister: Alicia Bárcena
  • Foreign affairs minister: Juan Ramón de la Fuente
  • Minister for science, humanities, technology and innovation: Rosaura Ruiz
  • Agriculture and rural development minister: Julio Berdegué
  • Legal counsel to the president: Ernestina Godoy

Then on June 27, Sheinbaum announced five more appointments:

  • Energy minister: Luz Elena González Escobar
  • Health minister: David Kershenobich Stalnikowitz
  • Public administration minister: Raquel Buenrostro
  • Infrastructure, communications and transport minister: Jesús Antonio Esteva Medina
  • Agrarian, land and urban development minister: Edna Elena Vega Rangel

On July 4, the president-elect announced an additional four appointments:

  • Interior minister: Rosa Icela Rodríguez
  • Security minister: Omar García Harfuch
  • Education minister: Mario Delgado
  • Welfare minister: Ariadna Montiel Reyes

Sheinbaum subsequently made a number of other appointments, including the following:

With reports from El Universal

Buttery bourbon pound cake: Mexico and Kentucky, together at last

By
Deborah McCoy
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0
Buttery soft cake and tough whisky might not seem an obvious pairing, but they make for an incredible cake. (Freepik)

A pound of sugar; a pound of flour; a pound of butter; a pound of eggs makes what? A traditional pound cake, hence, the name.

Pound cake has been around for centuries, first found in an English cookbook dating from the mid-18th century. And the fact remains that you didn’t have to be a brain surgeon to remember the recipe, which was critical when cookbooks and the internet weren’t around for easy access. Pretty easy, right? 

Pound cakes are quick and easy to make, so you don’t need to be a Bake Off champion to impress your friends! (Annie Spratt/Unsplash)

Pound cake is versatile: you can eat it plain, or make variations like lemon, or top it with fruit and cream, or infuse it with caramel and bourbon, as in our recipe. But did it ever have a place in Mexican cuisine? 

In fact, it did. While the Spanish are the invaders who most garner our attention for their 300-year-long occupation of Mexico, the French and their influence are often overlooked. France recognized Mexico as a country in the early part of the 19th century, and French settlers started to arrive around 1830. France also directly occupied Mexico in the 1860s, though only for five years. Despite the short stay, the French made their mark, most notably with their cuisine that influenced the Mexicans, especially when it came to baking and sweet breads called pan dulce. 

In France, pound cake is called quatre-quarts, literally “four fourths,” referring to the four ingredients that are equally added to the recipe. It is believed that the French so influenced the Mexicans with their pound cake that the latter began featuring it in their bakeries, calling it panqué. Today, there are many variations on the pastry:

  • Panqué con nueces: Made with walnuts. 
  • Panqué con pasas: Made with raisins to add sweetness and moisture.
  • Panqué de chocolate: Chocolate pound cake.
  • Panqué de nata: Made with cream from boiled raw milk, that makes the cake incredibly rich. 
A traditional panqué de pasas. (YouTube)

One of the four ingredients in pound cake is butter and that’s the ingredient that gives it that awesome, melt-in-your mouth buttery flavor. And for the best pound cake, you probably can’t do better than to buy butter in Mexico! 

Mexican butter is higher in butterfat than its American counterpart, meaning it has richer flavor and smoother texture. You can also find cultured butter here that’s made more like European butter, with slightly soured cream that gives it a tangy texture. But we can’t forget to give credit to Mexican cows, who are fed mostly grass and greens which results in a butter with deeper color and one that tastes more natural and robust. Two Mexican brands of butter, Aguascalientes and Flor de Alfalfa, are known for their high quality. 

Let’s combine the best of Mexico and Kentucky with this caramel bourbon pound cake with caramel bourbon glaze.

Bourbon pound cake with caramel bourbon glaze

Adapted from George Pyne’s recipes.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour (I am yet to find proper all-purpose flour in Mexico and recommend ordering from the U.S.)
  • 2 tsp baking powder (polvo para hornear)
  • 1 cup butter, softened (mantequilla)
  • ½ cup shortening 3 cups sugar (azúcar estándar)
  • 5 eggs (huevos)
  • 1 ½ cups milk (leche entera) 
  • ½ cup Kentucky bourbon (use Wild Turkey, Evan Williams or Bulleit Barrel Strength Bourbon, or apple cider for teetotalers!)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (extracto de vainilla)
creamy butter
Artisanal butter can take your baking to the next level. (Flor de Alfalfa)

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 325 F (163 C).
  2. Grease a 10” Bundt or tube pan and coat evenly with a layer of bread crumbs. Unlike flour, bread crumbs do not leave residue or clumps.
  3. Sift flour and baking powder together three times and set aside.
  4. In a medium-size bowl, using a big wooden spoon, mash and mix the butter and shortening together until well combined. 
  5. Add 1 cup of sugar. Using the wooden spoon, mix everything into a smooth, thick texture.
  6. Move the dough to the mixer. Add 2 cups sugar and beat on medium speed until well combined.
  7. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition.
  8. Add one fourth of the flour mixture, beating on low speed until flour disappears.
  9. Beat each of the following ingredients into the batter. After adding each ingredient, beat just enough to keep batter smooth:
    1. Half of the milk called for.
    2. Second fourth of flour called for.
    3. Remainder of the milk.
    4. Stir in third fourth of the milk.
    5. Add bourbon.
    6. Add remaining flour.
    7. Stir in vanilla.
  10. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  11. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until cake is slightly browned, pulls from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
  12. Place cake on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter.

Caramel bourbon glaze

The last thing your delicious pound cake needs is this delightful whisky glazing. (Freepik)

Make while the cake bakes.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (azucar moreno)
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup (jarabe de maíz)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream (crema para batir)
  • 2 tbsp bourbon

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, stir together all ingredients. Stir until sugar dissolves.
  2. Increase heat to high and stop stirring. The ingredients will form a caramel sauce. Allow the caramel to boil for six minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and gently whisk in cream. Be careful, as caramel bubbles up quickly.
  4. When the caramel is thoroughly blended, whisk in bourbon.
  5. Poke holes in the cake with a long skewer, twirling slightly to create space for the caramel to soak into the cake. 
  6. While the caramel sauce is still warm, brush all over the cake, including the sides. Repeat until all the glaze is used.
  7. Stir until sugar dissolves.

Deborah McCoy is the one-time author of mainstream, bridal-reference books who has turned her attention to food, particularly sweets, desserts and fruits. She is the founder of CakeChatter and the author of four baking books for “Dough Punchers” via CakeChatter (available @amazon.com). She is also the president of The American Academy of Wedding Professionals™ (aa-wp.com).

AMLO, Sheinbaum inaugurate Jaguar National Park in Tulum

By
MND Staff
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0
The Jaguar Park spans nearly 2,250 hectares and encompasses protected natural areas such as beaches, forests, the Tulum Archaeological Zone and the Tulum National Park.
The Jaguar Park spans nearly 2,250 hectares and encompasses protected natural areas such as beaches, forests, the Tulum Archaeological Zone and the Tulum National Park. (@MaraLezama/X)

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum inaugurated the Jaguar National Park in Tulum, Quintana Roo, in a private ceremony held on Saturday during López Obrador’s last working visit to the Yucatán peninsula.

Government officials involved in the park’s construction, including Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama, attended the inaugural event.

In a statement, Lezama thanked López Obrador for their joint work in restoring “dignity and respect to native cultures,” particularly to the Maya, who Lezama described as “the living legacy of [our] civilization.”

The Jaguar Park spans nearly 2,250 hectares and encompasses protected natural areas such as beaches, forests, the Tulum Archaeological Zone and the Tulum National Park. The area is home to at least 966 species of flora and fauna, including 60 endemic species that can not be found elsewhere. 

With an investment of US $133.9 million, the park began construction in 2022 and was originally scheduled to be operational by February. 

The park also houses the Museum of the East Coast, which delves into the history of the Mexican Caribbean from the Late Pleistocene (40,000-10,000 B.C.) to the rise of the Maya (1,800 B.C.-250 A.D.), including their archaeological past, their encounters with European cultures and their present.

The new Museum of the East Coast delves into the history of the Mexican Caribbean from the Late Pleistocene to the rise of the Maya.
The new Museum of the East Coast delves into the history of the Mexican Caribbean from the Late Pleistocene to the rise of the Maya. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)

According to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the museum is the largest of the cultural offerings along the Maya Train route. It features 1,200 square meters of museum space, over 300 original pieces and 50 reproductions. Most of the pieces have been sourced from INAH facilities such as the National Museum of Anthropology, the Maya Museum of Cancún and archaeological zones across Quintana Roo, Campeche and Yucatan. 

At the ceremony, head of the INAH Diego Prieto Hernández said that the opening of the Jaguar Park is proof that the Maya Train is more than just a railway project. “We’re standing before a vindication of the Mexican southeast and the Yucatán peninsula,” he said. “The Maya Train is justice and balanced development, it is progress with equality and the recovery of historical memory.”

During the event, President López Obrador emphasized that these works will further enhance Tulum, and called on people to take care of nature, the jungle, the beaches and the archaeological sites.  

Addressing his upcoming end of term, López Obrador stated that he feels satisfied with his time in office because he has fulfilled his duties and set the foundations of the so-called “fourth transformation,” which Sheinbaum has pledged to follow.

Later on Saturday, López Obrador and Sheinbaum also inaugurated the Historical Museum of the City of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, near Tulum. 

With reports from La Jornada Maya, La Jornada, El Economista and Proceso

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