López Obrador announces US $10B green hydrogen investment

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November 24, 2023

Linde_Infineon — Green hydrogen is hydrogen fuel made from renewable energy, rather than fossil fuels. President López Obrador announced a Danish fund will invest in a green hydrogen plant as part of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor. (hydrogentechworld.com)

A Danish fund will invest US $10 billion in a green hydrogen plant in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, President López Obrador said Friday.

Speaking at his morning press conference, López Obrador said that the plant will be located in an industrial park, or “development hub,” near Ixtepec, located inland from the port city of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca.

AMLO at a press conference in Oaxaca — The president held his morning press conference in Oaxaca on Friday and made the green hydrogen announcement. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)

The government is developing a trade corridor across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec between Salina Cruz on the Pacific side and Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, on the Gulf of Mexico. It will include a modernized railroad to be used by freight and passenger trains and 10 industrial parks.

López Obrador told reporters that “a Danish company – a financial economic fund from Denmark” will operate the industrial park near Ixtepec, adding that it will invest $10 billion in the project.

“They’re going to produce energy, green hydrogen to substitute fossil fuels. New ships will run on green hydrogen and all this will be produced in the Isthmus,” he said.

“We’re talking about the era of no contamination, of everything being done to avoid climate change. This agreement is about to be signed. I won’t see the finished project [during my presidency], but I will leave all agreements and everything in place. This will help the isthmus a lot.”

The port of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca will be connected to Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz via the interoceanic railway. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)

López Obrador didn’t name the fund he was referring to, but he said in August that Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), a Danish investment firm focused on renewable energy, was going to build a green hydrogen plant near Salina Cruz to supply ships.

Reuters contacted CIP on Friday and a spokesperson said they didn’t know whether López Obrador was speaking about the firm’s project and declined to disclose how much CIP was investing.

The spokesperson did confirm that CIP is “involved in a large-scale green hydrogen project in the Oaxaca region in Mexico.”

“Further development will take place in collaboration with local authorities and partners. We will provide further updates as the project progresses,” the spokesperson told Reuters.

The president recently posted a video from the interoceanic train, which will be used for cargo and passenger service between Salina Cruz and Coatzacoalcos. (@lopezobrador_/X)

López Obrador, who held his Friday morning press conference in Oaxaca, also said that a passenger train will begin running between Salina Cruz and Coatzacoalcos on Dec. 22. He completed a test ride on the interoceanic service in September.

Once freight trains are running across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec – Mexico’s narrowest band of land between the Pacific and Gulf coasts – the government hopes to attract shipping companies that currently use the Panama Canal to move cargo between the eastern and western hemispheres.

Freight shipped from Asia, for example, could be unloaded in Salina Cruz and put on a train for a journey of approximately 300 kilometers to Coatzacoalcos. It could then be reloaded onto another ship before continuing on to the Gulf or Atlantic coasts of the United States.

Navy Minister José Rafael Ojeda Durán said in June that Mexico will become a “world shipping power” thanks to the construction of the interoceanic trade corridor.

He described the multi-billion-dollar trade corridor undertaking, which also includes the modernization of the Salina Cruz and Coatzacoalcos ports, as “one of the projects of the century” and asserted that it will stimulate economic development in the region and the entire country.

With reports from Reforma, El Universal and Reuters

When will the new nonstop US-Tijuana flight launch?

By

Cat Rainsford

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November 24, 2023

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nader-abushhab-khFrUwX7aqM-unsplash — Tijuana hasn't had a direct connection with the United States in seven years. (Nader Abushhab/Unsplash)

Tijuana will have a direct flight to the United States starting on Feb. 15, 2024, when American Airlines launches a new route from the Baja California border city to Phoenix, Arizona.

The daily flight service will depart from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport for the Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) on an Embraer 175 aircraft with capacity for 76 passengers. It will be Tijuana’s first direct flight to the U.S. in seven years, after the closure of the Volaris Tijuana-Oakland route.

Cross Border Xpress in Tijuana — The Cross Border Xpress, a pedestrian bridge, connects the Tijuana airport (TIJ) with San Diego, making TIJ an attractive destination for travelers looking to reach Southern California. (Twitter)

“We are excited to become the only airline to connect Tijuana to the U.S. and to do so from our Phoenix hub, where our customers will have access to approximately 250 daily flights to 100 destinations in the winter,” said José A. Freig, American Airlines’ vice president of operations and commercial for Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Freig added that Tijuana would be American Airlines’ 26th destination in Mexico, where the company has operated for 80 years and employs over 1,200 people.

TIJ currently has 681 weekly departing flights to 39 Mexican destinations – the most of any airport after Mexico City International Airport (AICM), which connects with 45. Tijuana does not currently offer any other international routes, but that is set to change soon, when Hainan Airlines opens a direct flight from Tijuana to Beijing, China, in the coming months.

The attractiveness of Tijuana as an airline hub is aided by the Cross Border Xpress (CBX) pedestrian sky bridge, which allows passengers to cross the U.S. border to San Diego without leaving the airport. Since the CBX opened in 2015, TIJ’s passenger numbers have increased by 284%, reaching 11.06 million between January and October 2023.

Authorities and business leaders in both Mexico and the U.S. celebrated the new route from Phoenix, which TIJ director Eduardo González predicted would “open the door to other important destinations.”

The decision also drew praise from Jared Harckham, managing director of Aviation, Travel & Tourism Advisory for ICF Aviation. In a post on LinkedIn, Harckham highlighted that Tijuana is a booming manufacturing hub benefiting from nearshoring, and an up-and-coming culinary destination.

“Kudos to American Airlines for recognizing a unique, first-mover opportunity!” he said.

With reports from San Diego Union Tribune and Simple Flying

40-hour workweek law may soon pass in lower house of Congress

By

MND Staff

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November 24, 2023

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A woman holds a pink sign with the words "Vamos por las 40 horas" at a protest — Workers demonstrate in favor of a shorter workweek, on Tuesday in Cancún. (Elizabeth Ruiz / Cuartoscuro.com)

A bill to reduce Mexico’s constitutionally enshrined 48-hour workweek over six days to 40 hours over five could be approved by the Chamber of Deputies by the middle of December, according to the leader of the ruling Morena party in the lower house of Congress.

Ignacio Mier said Wednesday that Morena is aiming to get the legislation approved before the Dec. 15 conclusion of the final congressional period of 2023. The Chamber has been considering the bill since April but the vote has been repeatedly postponed.

Mexico's Chamber of Deputies — Morena hopes the Chamber of Deputies will pass the constitutional change by mid-December. (Chamber of Deputies)

As it seeks to change the constitution, the bill requires the support of two-thirds of lawmakers in both houses of Congress in order to become law.

Morena and its allies don’t have a two-thirds majority in the Chamber of Deputies or the Senate, but there is support for the bill among opposition parties, albeit with some reservations.

“There is the possibility of approving it in this [congressional] period,” Mier said of the bill, which seeks to ensure that workers have two days of rest per week.

“That’s the intention Morena has had since we presented the initiative,” he said.

A worker in Mexico — Mexican workers are currently subject to a 48-hour workweek that runs Monday through Saturday. (Jessica Palomo/Unsplash)

The bill, which seeks to reform article 123 of the Mexican constitution, has recently been the subject of an “open parliament” process convened by the Chamber of Deputies, during which employers, workers, union leaders, academics and others expressed their views in five forums.

It will now be considered by the the Chamber of Deputies, and parties and individual lawmakers will have the opportunity to express concerns and propose changes via congressional committees, according to Mier.

Susana Prieto Terrazas, a Morena deputy and the main proponent of the bill, said Wednesday that “various experts” attended the open parliament sessions and told lawmakers that workers are more productive when they work less.

“There is good news for the business people who have been saying for years that we need to produce more. With the reduction of the … [workweek], we will produce more,” she said.

“… That’s another benefit of the initiative. And when … [employers] say that payroll costs will increase, these [still] won’t exceed 2% of the cost of finished products when sold to the public. We’re talking about crumbs for business people,” Prieto said.

If the bill passes the lower house of Congress, it will be sent to the Senate, where additional modifications could take place. Changes to the Federal Labor Law will be required to set up the regulations for a 40-hour week if the initiative finds sufficient support among lawmakers.

Rubén Moreira, leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in the Chamber of Deputies, said that his party is in favor of a 40-hour work week, but indicated that the outcomes of the open parliament process still needed to be looked at.

His National Action Party (PAN) counterpart Jorge Romero said that the impact of a 40-hour week on small and medium-sized businesses needs to be considered.

“Not all employers … are huge multinational companies with almost infinite budgets. … We have to look after … micro, small and medium-sized companies, to whom one worker more or one worker less makes a big difference,” he said.

However, “we’re certain that we can find that balance,” Romero said.

A woman speaks at a podium — Morena Deputy Susana Prieto is sponsoring the bill to modify the length of the workweek. (Chamber of Deputies)

PRI Deputy Tereso Medina Ramírez said that employers should see the reduction of the workweek as an investment.

“International organizations have said and maintained that it’s not true that working more hours leads to better productivity. I call on [employers] to see this as an investment,” he said before advocating a discussion about worker training and how that can help increase productivity.

With the support of the PRI and the PAN, the 40-hour workweek bill will sail through both houses of Congress.

Many Mexicans have expressed their support for the initiative on social media using the hashtag #YoPorLas40Horas (I’m in favor of 40 hours).

“Everyone says that reducing the work week is fair and that it’s time [to do it],” said Morena Deputy Manuel Baldenbro, president of the lower house’s labor committee.

Nobody — not even employers — “has said it’s unfair, nobody has said it’s not time,” he asserted, although some business groups have expressed opposition to the bill.

Though domestic workers already had basic workers' rights in theory, the new modification to Mexico's social security law aims to close loopholes and provide a path toward wider implementation. — Mexicans workers are some of the most overworked in the world, according to data from the OECD, and intergovernmental organization. (Twitter @Tu_IMSS)

According to 2018 OECD data cited by the World Population View, Mexico is the “most overworked country” in the world.

“The average annual hours worked in Mexico is 2,148 hours, making it the most overworked country. The average workweek for full-time employees in Mexico is about 48.5 hours. About 28.7% of Mexican employees work over 50 hours per week,” the independent research organization said in an article entitled “Most Overworked Countries 2023.”

According to national statistics agency INEGI, around 15 million Mexicans work more than 48 hours a week.

“Us Mexicans work a lot,” Juan Contreras, a 48-year-old parking attendant who puts in 60-hour weeks, told The Financial Times.

“It’s our culture from our parents, grandparents that worked in the fields, … long days with very little pay.”

Mexico’s daily minimum wage remains low by international standards, but has more than doubled during the term of the current government to reach 207 pesos (about US $12) at the start of 2023, up from 88 pesos when President López Obrador took office in late 2018.

An additional increase of a yet-to-be determined size will take effect at the start of 2024.

With reports from El Financiero and El País

Photographing theater: capturing the artist as a healer

By

John Pint

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November 24, 2023

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11----sm-Negro-Animal-Tristeza-075 — Negro Animal Tristeza 075. (Danáe Kótsiras)

Danáe Kótsiras, a Mexican woman of Greek extraction, lives in the peaceful country town of Etzatlán, Jalisco. Her principal activity is raising her 15-month-old daughter, but at that golden hour when the sun is about to set, you may see her walking the shadowy streets, photographing an ancient doorway or vine-covered ruins, with what is probably the only film camera in town.

I would not have guessed that Kótsiras is one of Guadalajara’s most talented photographers, a specialist in recording theatrical productions and concerts.

Portrait of Danáe Kótsiras. (Fátima Ramirez Corona)

However, when a small book on local sculptor Pedro Díaz fell into my hands, I immediately appreciated the high quality of the photos within, especially because Don Pedrito loved to sculpt a soft volcanic rock called scoria – and I had found it extremely difficult to photograph what was essentially a sculpted cinder.

I wanted to meet the person who had taken those photos, and eventually, I had the chance. “How did you become a photographer of theater?” I asked Danáe Kótsiras.

Pushed to the stage

“When I was 18,” she told me, “I had to decide whether to study cinematography or theater. I opted for cinematography. Then I took a course in photojournalism with Luis Fernando Moreno Coronel, a famous photographer with the newspaper El Mural. He was bold and daring, and they called him “El Carajo” (“Mister No Shit”). Well, he pushed me and pushed me, and when he sent us to photograph stage shows, I felt right at home, because I loved the theater.”

At a certain point in their studies, Mexicans are expected to do social service: 480 hours of unpaid work during a period of six months to two years. When Kótsiras had nearly finished her studies, she was sent to do her social service as a photographer in the Dramatic Arts and Literature department of the University of Guadalajara (UdG).

“In 2011 I did my social service with them,” says Kótsiras, “and I ended up practically living in the Jalisco Experimental Theater in Guadalajara for about a year. Then, when I finished my service, the head of UdG Dramatic Arts, Lourdes González, hired me, and I worked there for almost three years.”

The technicians who make it all happen

Kótsiras enjoys shooting everything related to the theater: the shows, the rehearsals, the actors, the stage, the props, and especially the technicians. “People applaud the actors, but not the technicians who make it all happen, but in reality, they are the backbone of the theater,” she says.

During her many years of involvement with the theater, Kótsiras has developed a new understanding of the art.

“In Jalisco,” she says, “they are almost ashamed to charge people for a show, but creativity costs money and actors deserve a decent life because they create beauty, and who is going to pay us to create this beauty?”

Negro Animal Tristeza 044. (Danáe Kótsiras)

The theater as a healer of souls

Kótsiras says she began to appreciate the importance of the theatre for humanity in general, when she went to Greece, the homeland of her grandfather, and visited the ruins of the Epidaurus Theater. This ancient theater is amongst the best-preserved in the ancient world and is famed for the harmony of its proportions and its exceptional acoustics.

“That theater,” says Kótsiras, “was actually a hospital, a sanitarium for those whose souls were sick. Asklepios appeared to the sick as a snake when he was going to cure them, and then the doctors hired musicians and actors to put on a play or a concert, so the infirm would laugh, would be moved, experience catharsis, and they would be cured and healed, because Hippocrates had said that all sickness is psychosomatic. Yes, The artist serves as a psychologist and as a psychiatrist, as a healer of souls. So art is a contribution to the mental health of the world. Some people say ‘Art is not a vital need,’ but I think it is every bit as important as food. It is just that we haven’t reflected on it.”

In 2020 Kótsiras got a grant to photograph all the women doing theater in Jalisco, and the results of her work—a study in black and white—are available for all to see on a web page called Mujeres de Teatro.

Photographing the forgotten

About this extraordinary collection, Circee Rangel, one of the most important figures in Guadalajara theater, says, “The theater is ephemeral and hard to document. Once the curtain closes, the protagonists are forgotten, especially if they worked behind the scenes or at a desk or in a control booth…and all the more so, if they were women.

“This collection of 250 photos honors all the women connected with the theater in Jalisco, not only the actors, directors, and producers, but also screenwriters, lighting techs, costumers, set designers, ushers, ticket sellers… everybody!

“These images, normally seen only by those who go behind the scenes or personally know us as weavers of theatrical art, are now laid before the curious eyes of anyone who opens this page in order to discover exactly who those women are, who create theater in Jalisco.”

Instagram: the new photo exhibit

Even though motherhood is presently her priority, last July found Kótsiras photographing shows at the Jalisco State Theater Festival. Some of those photos will be included in a retrospect of her works planned for the Palacio Municipal de Zapopan in 2024.

But you don’t have to wait until then.

“At the moment,” says Danáe Kótsiras, “the best place to view my photos is on Instagram, which, I would say, has become the modern equivalent of a photo exhibit.”

The writer has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, since 1985. His most recent book is Outdoors in Western Mexico, Volume Three. More of his writing can be found on his blog.

Saving Michoacán forests: Purépechas plant millions of trees

By

Ana Paula De la Torre

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November 24, 2023

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f56951fd-75dd-463f-b2ea-8dba11dc8d65 (1) — More than 10,000 people have participated in the ‘Naná Echéri’ reforestation. (CSIM Press Commission)

Located in the central west of Mexico is the state of Michoacán, famous for its multiculturalism. Is also one of the most biodiverse states in Mexico. In its temperate zones, there are forests of oyamel, pine, oak, and pine-oak, while in the warm areas of the state, there are low and medium deciduous jungles.

In the last five years, more than 70 Purépecha communities have reforested their forests with over 2 million pine trees thanks to a pre-Hispanic model called ‘forest rounds,’ which has ensured a 90% survival rate for the planted trees.

Reforestation taking place. (CSIM Press Commission)

This is great news, as Michoacán has experienced significant deforestation, especially in the last decade. Fifty thousand hectares of forest, according to numbers released by Rosendo Caro Gómez, head of the Michoacán Forest Commission (Cofom), have been lost.

The forests of Michoacán are particularly important as they form an important part of the habitat for the monarch butterfly, which travels thousands of kilometers each year from Canada to hibernate in Mexico.

Illegal logging, land use change (largely for more lucrative avocado cultivation), urban expansion, etc. are some of the enemies of the forests in Michoacán. In this sense, the reforestation initiative Nana Echeri (Mother Earth) by the Purépecha community is a breath of fresh air for the forests of Michoacán and the future of their preservation.

A conservation success story

A Purépecha women during the reforestation rounds. (CSIM Press Commission)

This story begins with the organization of 30 communities which came together in 2009. They managed to obtain a proportional share of the financial resources that reach their municipalities for their own management and administration of public services such as drinking water, drainage, and lighting. But they have also implemented their own security system with the ‘community round,’ which dates back to pre-Columbian times. Additionally, they created a ‘Community Development Plan’ which was developed after consulting the needs of each family.

As part of their organizational system, the forest rounds involve up to 70 communities across 25 municipalities that make up the 4 main Purépecha regions in communities such as San Andrés Tziróndaro, Zirahuén, San Benito and Zacán.

These forest rounds, in addition to reforestation efforts, include the care of bodies of water and springs. In the words of Pável Ulianov, Purépecha spokesperson for the Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán: “Caring for and aiding the growth of the forest as part of our ancestral culture and worldview, independent of political parties, without economic compensation, and without political-electoral commitments,” is their objective.

Over the past 5 years, around 10,000 people have participated in forest care activities such as community rounds and forest rounds, as well as fire management, reforestation, etc.

“Since pre-Hispanic times, the Purépecha communities organized themselves in their neighborhoods, and different tasks were assigned: artisans, farmers, fishermen. The rounds are a model of care and security deeply rooted in the Indigenous communities of Michoacán, especially among the Purépecha people, and this figure is precisely what allows us to take care of the forests among more than 70 communities,” Ulianov explains.

The next challenge for a community that loves its forest

The communities of the 4 Purépecha regions want to expand the impact of forest care through a figure called ‘Guardians of the Forest.’

“We propose creating a more general forest round called ‘Guardians of the Forest’ that is intercommunal. That means it can go from one community to another. Currently, there are forest rounds, but they only take care of spaces from one to ten communities. We want to connect the 4 main Purépecha regions and even other indigenous peoples; their exclusive work will be to safeguard the forests, natural resources, and Mother Earth by region,” Ulianov explains.

Another challenge these communities face is getting the Mexican government to join the “Guardians of the Forest”, as ownership of the nation’s ecosystems is not clearly defined.

The conservation efforts of these communities are making a difference in forest care models, as they have achieved a survival rate of up to 90% for the pine trees, which is a very high index, corroborated by the Michoacán State Forest Commission.

Getting to know the ancient Purépecha organization and culture is very interesting and enriching, even beyond their environmental care tasks. If you want to learn more about their activities and even contact them to participate in their reforestation campaigns, you can visit their Facebook page or write to them at [email protected].

Ana Paula de la Torre is a Mexican journalist and collaborator of various media such as Milenio, Animal Político, Vice, Newsweek en Español, Televisa and Mexico News Daily.

3 kidnapped hikers rescued near Toluca

By

MND Staff

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November 24, 2023

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A google maps screenshot showing the location of the Otomí Ceremonial Center — The women were kidnapped while hiking in the mountains near the Otomí Ceremonial Center, northeast of Toluca. (Google Maps)

Three women who were kidnapped while hiking in México state last Sunday have been rescued.

The women, one of whom is reportedly related to two former government ministers, were abducted by a criminal group while hiking in a mountainous area near the Otomí Ceremonial Center, located around 45 kilometers northeast of Toluca.

Agents with the National Anti-Kidnapping Coordination (Conase) and state police located the victims on Wednesday in a safe house some 20 kilometers from where they were kidnapped.

The women were on a bed with their feet chained together when they were found, according to a video posted to social media by journalist Carlos Jiménez.

“Relax, you’re safe now girls, everything’s going to be OK, we’re from the state police,” says one of the officers.

One of the women is reportedly the daughter of Heriberto Félix, social development minister for three years during the 2006-12 presidency of Felipe Calderón. She is also the niece of Tatiana Clouthier, economy minister in the current government between early 2021 and late 2022.

Two women dressed in heavy hooded sweatshirts embrace while sitting on a bed — Two of the kidnapped women embrace as police unchain them from a bed in the safe house where they were found. (Video screenshot)

México state authorities only identified the women by their first names: Lucía, Andrea and María José.

The kidnappers contacted the women’s families to demand a ransom, but no money was sent to them, according to reports. The criminals, who reportedly fled the safe house shortly before authorities arrived, remain at large.

According to various reports, the area where the women were abducted is controlled by a faction of the La Familia Michoacana crime group led by Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and his brother José Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga.

The brothers, known as “El Pez” (The Fish) and “El Fresa” (The Snob, or literally The Strawberry), were the subject of sanctions announced by the United States Department of the Treasury a year ago.

The two men have “engaged in, or attempted to engage in, activities or transactions that materially contributed to, or pose a significant risk of materially contributing to, the international proliferation of illicit drugs or their means of production,” the department said.

With reports from Sin Embargo, Reforma and Infobae

Alicia Bárcena says Mexico should act quickly on nearshoring opportunity

By

MND Staff

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November 24, 2023

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957174_Congreso Comercio Exterior Mexicano -1_impreso-1 — Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Bárcena participated in a foreign trade conference this week. (ANDREA MURCIA /CUARTOSCURO.COM)

Mexico needs to act quickly to take full advantage of the nearshoring opportunity, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Bárcena.

Speaking at a foreign trade conference in Mexico City on Tuesday, Bárcena expressed doubt that the opportunity is well understood in Mexico and warned that countries such as Vietnam could position themselves as more attractive options for companies that are seeking to relocate, especially from China.

Alicia Bárcena at the trade conference — Bárcena said she wasn’t sure that Mexico fully understands this “window of opportunity” with nearshoring. (SRE/X)

“I wonder whether in Mexico we’re [fully] understanding this window of opportunity,” said the former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Sometimes I feel that we aren’t, and I say it to you sincerely from my vantage point, which is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I believe that we’re not understanding the possibility of what nearshoring means, … what the United States Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen calls friendshoring,” Bárcena said.

“If we don’t put our skates on,” the foreign minister warned, Vietnam – instead of Mexico – “could become one of the most competitive countries that offers incentives [to foreign companies].”

The federal government last month announced tax incentives aimed at boosting investment in Mexico, but some experts believe that policy changes in areas including energy and water are needed in order to capitalize on the nearshoring opportunity.

Rolando Vega Saenz said that a stronger rule of law and more clean energy are necessary for Mexico to attract more FDI. (Comce/X)

Security problems in some parts of the country are also seen as a barrier to greater investment.

Rolando Vega Sáenz, president of the Mexican Business Council, told the foreign trade conference that a strong rule of law and greater development of the clean energy sector are crucial to attracting more investment.

While Mexico could undoubtedly become a more attractive destination for foreign firms by effectively addressing problems such as insecurity, Bárcena said that the country already has a better opportunity than others to lure manufacturing companies due to its proximity to the United States – the world’s largest economy.

Geographical location, competitive labor costs and the availability of educated and experienced workers are among the main reasons why Mexico is able to attract such firms.

The trans-isthmus corridor. — The development of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor, with rail connections between Salina Cruz and Coatzacoalcos, is designed to attract increased foreign investment. Archive)

One way Mexico could better position itself as a nearshoring destination, Bárcena said, is by working to combat the lingering effect of former United States president Donald Trump’s negative rhetoric toward the country.

“We need United States lawmakers from both parties to come to Mexico and see the reality of our country. We’re not the dangerous border [region] Trump has described [us as],” she said.

Bárcena didn’t cite any additional ways in which Mexico could seize the nearshoring opportunity, but stressed that the opportunity will be “brief” and that there is “great competition” from other countries that are also seeking to attract foreign capital.

In addition to proximity to the U.S., the foreign minister mentioned the as-yet-incomplete Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor – which will include a modernized freight and passenger railroad linking the Pacific and Atlantic oceans – as a factor that makes Mexico attractive for foreign investment.

“It will be a first class crossing,” she said of the trade corridor, which will also include a chain of 10 industrial parks between Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, and Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexico is on the rise, but some analysts have expressed concern about the fact that only 8% of the US $32.9 billion dollar figure recorded in the first nine months of the year came from new investment.

Ternium is one of the foreign companies that has announced increased investment in Mexico this year. (Ternium)

Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Mexican bank Banco Base, said earlier this month that the data on new investment indicated that Mexico wasn’t taking full advantage of the nearshoring opportunity, while financial reporter David Páramo bluntly declared: “Mexico, in these times of relocation, … should be attracting a lot more foreign direct investment.”

Mexico could be on the crest of the nearshoring “wave” but is only “in the middle,” Páramo said, describing Mexico’s performance in attracting FDI as “mediocre.”

Speaking on Imagen Televisión, he noted that more money flows into the country in remittances than in FDI. However, that could change in 2025, according to Santander México, a subsidiary of the Spanish bank of the same name.

Alan Alanís, a Santander director, said that about 120 foreign companies – including Tesla and Ternium – have made investment announcements totaling some US $44 billion in 2023, with the money set to flow into Mexico in the coming years.

“We’re just seeing the beginning … of nearshoring. With these 120 companies that have made announcements, we believe we should be seeing double [the amount of FDI] next year,” he said.

Alanís said that foreign investment could even exceed remittances in 2024, but Santander is taking a slightly more cautious approach in making its prediction that 2025 will be the year that occurs.

With reports from Milenio, El Universal and El Financiero

More Mexican artifacts returned, this time from Germany

By

Cat Rainsford

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November 24, 2023

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foto7 — All but one of the artifacts came from a museum in Salzgitter, Germany. (INAH)

A government campaign to repatriate Mexican artifacts continues to yield important results, with the return of 75 Indigenous archaeological artifacts from Germany to Mexico.

Seventy-four of the pieces were voluntarily returned by the Schloss Salder Museum in Salzgitter, in a ceremony held at the Mexican Embassy in Berlin on Nov. 23. They are mostly linked to the Huasteca culture of eastern Mexico and are between 500 and 2,000 years old.

Huasteca artifacts — The artifacts are between 500 and 2,000 years old. (INAH)

Diego Prieto Hernández, head of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) explained that these artifacts were found 120 years ago, by a German engineer drilling a well in Tampico, Tamaulipas. They had been held in the Schloss Salder Museum since 1963.

The remaining piece is a tripod stone mortar believed to be around 4,000 years old. The artifact was part of a postal shipment confiscated by customs officers in Leipzig, after the recipient was unable to produce a valid export certificate to prove its lawful ownership.

At the handover ceremony, the Mexican Ambassador to Germany, Francisco Quiroga Fernández, thanked German society for helping to prevent the illegal trade and exhibition of cultural assets.

“Taking these archaeological pieces as souvenirs or decorative items is an affront to the native peoples,” he said. “Their restitution not only guarantees their preservation and study, but also returns a fundamental part of their historical memory to our Indigenous communities.”

three looted pre-Hispanic artifacts returned to Mexico by Italy in July 2022 — Italy returned 70 items to Mexico in July. The Mexican government’s #MiPatriaNoSeVende campaign has encouraged the handover of many artifacts held in museums and private collections around the world. (SRE)

The repatriation brings the total number of archaeological artifacts returned to Mexico during President López Obrador’s administration up to 13,422. Much of this has been driven by the #MiPatriaNoSeVende campaign, launched in 2018 to promote the recovery and return of Mexico’s historical assets.

In August, a citizen in Belgium voluntarily returned 20 archaeological pieces to Mexico, saying that the #MiPatriaNoSeVende campaign had made her realize that the objects, which had been in her family for more than 70 years, actually belonged to Mexico.

In October, the School of Advanced Research in Santa Fe, New Mexico, returned another 60 artifacts, originally donated by a private collector. In May, Mexico achieved the repatriation of Chalcatzingo’s Monument 9, also known as the “Portal of the Underworld,” – a huge, 2,500-year-old Olmec monument that for decades had been a priority in the recovery of Mexico’s historical heritage.

Mexico News Daily

Jail time for messing up the Mexican national anthem?

By

MND Staff

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November 24, 2023

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jorge-aguilar-vZ9TqSm9ZsQ-unsplash — New proposed legislation seeks to discourage "misuse" of national symbols, like the anthem and the flag. (Jorge Aguilar/Unsplash)

Anyone who puts their own spin on the Mexican national anthem or sings it incorrectly could be imprisoned for up to four years, according to a new proposal from a Morena party member of the Chamber of Deputies.

Deputy Ana Elizabeth Ayala from the state of Sinaloa, has proposed harsher penalties for people who misinterpret the national anthem or misuse the national flag.

Published Wednesday in the parliamentary gazette, Ayala’s proposal aims to reform the Federal Penal Code and a law already on the books. The senator feels that current legislation is ineffective in preventing misuse.

“There are established singers who, in mass events, do not know the verses of the national anthem or sing it poorly,” wrote Ayala, 47, in naming “guilty” performers such as Pablo Montero, Jorge “Coque” Muñiz, Ana Bárbara, María León and Ángela Aguilar.

Last month, Mexican singer Danna Paola drew criticism after singing the national anthem prior to a Canelo Álvarez boxing match in the wrong key.

The Mexico City native sang in A-flat major, despite the Law on the National Shield, Flag and Anthem stating it must be sung in C major.

“It is strictly prohibited to alter the words or music of the national anthem and perform it in whole or in part with compositions or arrangements,” states Article 39. “Likewise, singing or performing the national anthem for profit is prohibited.”

Based on the current law, Paola could have been reprimanded, arrested for up to 36 hours, fined up to 900,000 pesos (US $52,358) and imprisoned for up to one year.

Ayala’s legislation would increase the arrest time maximum to 72 hours, allow for much higher fines and add a prison sentence of up to four years. The legislation as proposed could have resulted in a fine of up to 2.74 million pesos (US $159,395) for Paola.

Mexico’s national anthem dates back to 1854, but some stanzas have been removed for political reasons. Nowadays, Mexicans sometimes sing the banned stanzas or modify the words or music with their own interpretation.

As for the flag, Ayala pointed out the case of a sports fan known as Caramelo, who has been seen at various events wearing a Mexican flag jorongo (poncho) that places text within the flag. Others alter the flag with messages, incorrect facts or color changes, Ayala noted in her proposed legislation.

With reports from El Universal and Milenio

215 migrants found in trailer in Veracruz

By

Cat Rainsford

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November 23, 2023

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INM migrant truck Veracruz — The migrants were discovered locked in the back of a trailer, after the truck driver had fled from authorities. (INM/X)

Officers from the Army, National Guard and National Migration Institute (INM) found 215 undocumented migrants in the back of an abandoned trailer in Veracruz on Tuesday.

The migrants were first detected as the truck passed through a Non-Intrusive Inspection System checkpoint in Cosamaloapan, on Highway 145D, in the south of the Gulf state of Veracruz. The driver of the vehicle was signaled to stop, but instead sped up to escape the authorities.

The truck in which the migrants were detected. (INM/X)

According to a statement by the INM, “the unit was tracked and later found abandoned with the engine running and with safety padlocks on the doors of the blind box.” The driver had already fled the scene.

Inside the trailer, INM agents rescued 215 undocumented migrants from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, including 148 single adults, 26 unaccompanied minors, and 17 families made up of 41 men, women and children.

The single adult migrants were taken to the Acayucan Migrant Detention Center, while the families and unaccompanied minors were put into the custody of the local Social Services (DIF). All were given food, water and medical attention, the INM said.

The trailer was handed over to the regional delegation of the Attorney General’s Office (FGR).

The incident is similar to another that occurred in September, when 350 migrants– mainly Guatemalan – were found in the back of a trailer truck on the highway between Coatzacoalcos and Córdoba, in Veracruz. The migrants were also detected using a non-intrusive gamma ray device, and were crammed together and dehydrated when found.

Undocumented migrants frequently resort to clandestine transport in trailer trucks, often with deadly consequences. In June, 50 migrants died after being trapped in an abandoned trailer in San Antonio Texas, and several incidents have occurred in Chiapas where migrants have been injured or killed when overloaded trucks overturned on winding roads.

With reports from La Jornada and CNN