Prosecutors are also asking for a $5 million fine against García Luna, who they said offered a fellow inmate millions of dollars last year in exchange for false testimony. (Octavio Hoyos/Shutterstock)
A Florida judge has ordered Genaro García Luna to return US $2.5 million to the Mexican government, which President López Obrador described as an “advance payment” on the more than US $600 million that Mexico seeks to reclaim from the former federal security minister.
Judge Lisa Walsh gave García Luna ten days to repay Mexico 44 million pesos (US $2,524,500), as part of a civil lawsuit over several Florida apartments he bought with his wife, Linda Cristina Pereyra, through their company Delta Integrator.
García Luna will surrender US $1.97 million in assets from three liquidated Florida properties, plus the proceeds from another apartment worth US $555,800. (Tercero Díaz/Cuartoscuro)
Walsh ordered the company to surrender US $1.97 million in assets from three liquidated properties, plus the proceeds from another apartment worth US $555,800, after finding that the defendants had defaulted by failing to attend the trial.
“It is good news that a Florida judge backed the Mexican government in the claim against Mr. Genaro García Luna and his wife for goods they bought in Florida with money of illicit origin, with money from acts of corruption committed in Mexico,” AMLO said in his morning press conference on Friday.
“But remember that the claim is for US $600 million, we are just beginning to recover what was stolen, but something is something,” the president added.
In March, the Mexican Treasury’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) reported that the full amount claimed against García Luna is US $745.9 million – nearly 300 times the amount adjudicated so far.
The amount is not even 1% of what the Mexican government claims García Luna must repay. (lopezobrador.org.mx)
In May, the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) obtained arrest warrants for García Luna and 60 other people for allegedly using illegal contracts to embezzle 5.1 billion pesos (US $280 million) from the department tasked with running federal prisons.
The FGR believes that this was one of several schemes used by García Luna to funnel public resources to companies controlled by him and his accomplices while he served as security minister during the 2006-2012 government of former president Felipe Calderón.
García Luna is currently in custody in the United States, where he is awaiting sentencing on drug trafficking charges following hisconviction in February. In July, García Luna’s defense team succeeded in pushing back his sentencingto March 2024 so that they can review further evidence. García Luna denies all charges against him.
Learn some tips to survive and thrive with your family in Mexico. (Unsplash)
Raising your kids abroad can enrich them emotionally, intellectually, and socially. Many studies show that some bilingual, multicultural people have longer attention spans, are more creative, patient, and empathetic, and are often better at communication, conflict resolution, making friends, learning and retaining information, and multitasking.
We decided to raise our twelve-year-old son in Mexico and have been so grateful we made the transition! We never wanted to leave our vacation home in Mazatlán — the blue ocean views, the lulling sound of the waves, hospitable, fun-loving people, settling our toes into the sand on the beach while munching on fresh-grilled fish and a tropical cocktail — and now we wouldn’t have to!
Majestic Mazatlán sunset. (Unsplash)
We have lived full-time on the west coast of Mexico for fifteen years. Our fresh-out-of-primary-schooler has grown to adulthood here. When Spanish speakers meet him, they believe he is Mexican; although he is a native English speaker. I’ll give you the good, the bad and the ugly (major life changes are rarely only roses and confetti) and tips to survive and thrive. Remember, each relocation experience is unique, but here is what I’ve learned from my own.
Preparing to Move
We spent a year planning our move, which gave the three of us time to study Spanish, discuss the cultural adjustment process and how we’d respond to challenges as a family, how best to support one another as a team, learn about Mexican values and culture, downsize our household, and choose a school.
Our son Danny was about to enter sixth grade when we decided to move. He was a typical little American boy, and, living in Kansas, his worldview was limited to whether he would attend KU or KState. We felt it crucial for his life success to raise him with a “citizen of the world” mindset, and at least a second language and culture.
Danny did not want to move! He loved his friends and his life. He did not want to learn Spanish or be a gringo. We found a delightful tutor and cajoled him into meeting twice a week. He had studied Spanish in school since kindergarten, so he could count to a few thousand and name the parts of the body and basic foods; that was about it. We lived for months with Post-it notes stuck to everything in our house, teaching us new vocabulary. We also asked the school to introduce us to a couple of foreign families to serve as our mentors. Their friendship and advice during that first year were invaluable.
As we departed the Midwest a bit over a year later, we imagined the boating, surfing, and street soccer in our son’s future and the new adventures each day would bring. Excitement reigned, at least for the parents. The “honeymoon stage” of cultural adjustment was in full bloom as we sang to Mexican music, purchased new items for our now-permanent home, and got our son ready for school. We walked everywhere despite the heat and humidity of June and July. Life was a complete adventure, and every new person we met was a potential new friend.
Initial cultural adjustment
The first glimmers of culture shock came early but were part of the adventure. We had ordered Persian blinds for the windows, and they didn’t work. We had to call the vendor several times to get her to deal with the problem. She refused to fix them and blamed us for not knowing how to properly use blinds! Another early surprise was taking Danny in for a physical before the start of school. He was twelve, and they loaded him up with condoms! That was quite a shock but made for a good joke when he and his new friends converted them into water balloons. On the first day of school, Danny’s teacher had the kids introduce themselves as their favorite animal. With insufficient Spanish to complete the task, he used the word “pollo” and walked around squawking like a chicken. His humor and improvisation seemed to win over the class.
The stress of setting up a new home in a new place and our son entering school in an entirely foreign system were a lot to handle. (Unsplash)
The honeymoon was short-lived, though we still feel the thrill and joy of living here. The stress of setting up a new home in a new place and our son entering school in an entirely foreign system were a lot to handle. We quickly entered the “Initial Culture Shock” phase: how do we negotiate for what we need and navigate the surprises we face daily? How would I survive the wrath of a 12-year-old while trying to help him with his homework?
Other shock moments included the parents of Danny’s schoolmates calling our house at midnight and even 1:00 a.m. What the heck?! School started early; we woke up at 5:30 a.m. When did they sleep?! Daniel received his first invitation to a birthday party a couple of weeks into school. We knew most Mexicans tend not to pay close attention to the clock, especially for parties. So, we arrived at the house an hour later than we were invited. No guests were there. The housekeeper told us the mother was upstairs showering and that Danny’s schoolmate would be here shortly. We sat alone in the entryway for two hours before other guests arrived. The party ended up being wonderful, and Danny thoroughly enjoyed it. The key during this stage was to approach the differences with a learning mindset, a smile, or a chuckle and not to characterize the experience as an “error.” We were absorbing how things are done in Mazatlán.
We were told kids should eat breakfast at home before 7:00, and they would have brunch at school around 10 or 11. The trouble was when Danny would get off the school bus at about 3:00 he’d be famished! “Comida” had to be ready or he would be hangry in a way I did not like. About six weeks into school, we figured out why—he hadn’t been eating brunch! We’d given him money to buy it every day but as he explained, when they broke for recess the kids all mobbed the lunch room. He couldn’t figure out how to order, or how to pay. “Mom, it’s complete chaos, so I just go straight to recess instead.” Luckily, he’d made a new friend in Raul, whose mother was the lunch lady. She mentioned to Raul that she’d never seen Danny eat lunch and Raul taught him how to get food from the school lunchroom! Now our kid didn’t arrive home starving at 3 p.m.!
The most memorable incidents as a parent during this period of initial cultural adjustment ironically involved other parents. The first event occurred at school. We were told to go to school to purchase books for our children for the year. Once there, they told us the books had not arrived. This happened three times over, so lots of wasted time. Practical, US American working mother me was wondering, “Couldn’t they text or call to let us know before we take off work and head over to school?” Finally, after the kids had been in classes for nearly two months without books, they arrived. It was pandemonium! Grown women (yes, only mothers) pushed and shoved one another to grab the books they needed. My jaw dropped to the ground, and I was honestly a bit traumatized. I would not push and shove, so I didn’t get books for our son. I went home and cried my eyes out. This was my first taste of how kind, friendly, dignified, and well-dressed parents can behave when they need something for their kids. My son, new to the country, the school, and the language, had to wait nearly to the end of the semester to get his books.
Actual photo of the “mordida” push. (Dianne Hofner)
During Danny’s birthday party, there was a fun little culture shock moment. In this case, it was our son’s first experience of “la mordida.” The kids sang him “Las Mañanitas” followed by “Happy Birthday” in English, and then two or three of them slammed his head down into the chocolate cake so hard that it broke the cake in half! I was prepared with my camera, and his incredulous, hurt look when he came up for air was heartbreaking yet priceless! How affection is shown in different contexts can vary greatly.
Getting used to school
There were things about school that we never grew to like, but it was how things were done here, so we accepted them. We had enrolled Danny in a private school with a couple of classes per day in English. We did this since he didn’t yet speak Spanish well, despite the year of tutoring and the years of public elementary school Spanish classes. Many of the teachers at the school could speak English and help our son out. One of them tutored him several times a week, which was a blessing as she understood the homework and the system. Danny wanted to ride his bike to school — five minutes from home. No way; the school would not permit any student to do that. They had to get a ride or take the bus.
Keys to successful early adjustment
In hindsight, which decisions helped our son thrive during the Honeymoon and initial phases? To me, it is that we all committed to learning Spanish. I have had quite a few parents share their fear that their child will lose their native tongue, grow up with an accent, or be unable to write and discuss in their native tongue at a university or professional level. If at least one parent in the home interacts with the child in the native language, there is nothing to fear. Trust that your child’s brain and soul are strong and resilient enough to handle multiple languages and cultures. Every child knows that rules vary between two parents or when visiting Grandma’s house. It is the same way with different cultures; children adapt naturally, faster, and more effectively than adults. Six months into our relocation, the light bulb went on for Danny. He woke up one morning and told me he no longer needed help with his homework. He understood what was going on at school and in his class. It was a wonderful day!
Mazatlán can be the place where you raise your family. (Unsplash)
Hiring competent tutors is also crucial. Trust your child while maintaining open communication. As a family, be prepared to hear a lot of judgment: taxi drivers, teachers, friends, and even strangers will criticize your parenting decisions. Listen to find their truth; if it is not helpful, discard it. Don’t waste your energy beating yourself up if their comments don’t fit your objectives. A bicultural or multicultural child is different than a monocultural one.
Work with your family. Recognize one another’s strengths and talents, and shore up one another’s weaknesses. Life abroad can strengthen your family’s love and commitment, but the stress can be a lot. In our case, we frequently discussed our adaptation: what we enjoyed, what bothered us, what we learned, and how we could help each other. We instituted “Palapa Fridays,” when we’d head to a restaurant on the beach to just rest and relax after a hard week of learning and adjusting.
Finally, know that often, things will not happen as you expect them to. Be ready to be surprised. Go with the flow and find a way to hold on to the values that you treasure in your new life.
While we envisioned boating, surfing, and street soccer in Danny’s Mazatlán life, none were part of our daily experience. While he feared being the rich gringo, the reality was nearly the opposite; many of his school friends lived in mansions and had drivers. And, while Danny resisted everything about our move when we woke him up on our first anniversary in Mexico he declared, “One year since the best decision of our lives!” He loved his friends, his school, and his life on the beach. In one short year, our son acquired a second language and developed mental flexibility, commitment, fortitude, creativity, and a great deal of resilience that parents read about being so crucial to a child’s well-being and development. We watched as our son learned to be incredibly fun and to find joy in everyday life. We also witnessed him learning not to take things personally; he was beginning to realize there are different yet correct ways of being and doing in this world. These are all qualities he would not have developed in junior high in the USA to anywhere near the extent he did living abroad.
This is the first article in a multi-part series about raising our son in Mexico. I trust you’ll join me for the remainder of the story!
Dianne Hofner Saphiere is a photographer and interculturalist who has lived in Mazatlán since 2008. Her photographs can be found under “Thru Di’s Eyes” on FB, IG or her website, www.thrudiseyes.com. She also runs the expat website www.vidamaz.com.
Miners in Mazapil, Zacatecas went on strike in June, paralyzing the Peñasquito gold mine and causing losses of more than US $250 million. (Adolfo Vladimir/Cuartoscuro)
Workers at Mexico’s largest gold mine have ended a four-month strike after accepting operator Newmont Corporation’s offer of an 8% pay raise for each shift, backdated to Aug. 1.
Work at the Peñasquito gold mine in Mazapil, Zacatecas, has been paralyzed since June 7, when more than 2,000 employees went on strike. The labor dispute with U.S.-based Newmont Corporation was over pay and profit-sharing, viewed by the striking employees to be in violation of their labor rights.
The Peñasquito gold mine in Zacatecas. (Photo: Archive)
Mexican labor authorities have helped mediate negotiations between Newmont and the National Union of Mining and Metallurgical Workers, which included a visit to Mexico by Newmont CEO Tom Palmer in August.
The deal agreed on Thursday night by union leader Napoleón Gómez Urrutia and Newmont’s director for South America, Mark Rodgers, also includes the distribution of 152 million pesos ($8.3 million) to pay a bonus to each miner.
However, the workers did not achieve their demand to increase their share of the mine’s profits, from 10% to 20%. They will continue to receive 10% of profits for 2023, while Mexico’s tax agency will decide the appropriate distribution for 2024.
Newmont has asserted throughout the dispute that the 10% profit-sharing arrangement “is based on a method previously agreed with the union.”
In the deal agreed on Thursday, workers achieved an 8% pay raise and an individual bonus. (Adolfo Vladimir/Cuartoscuro)
The four-month strike has caused losses of more than US $250 million for Newmont, whose Peñasquito mine is a major supplier of gold, silver, zinc and lead. In 2022 alone, it produced 566,000 ounces of gold; generated 2,800 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs; and contributed $1.9 billion dollars to the Mexican economy, according to company figures.
In its summer report to investors, the company withdrew its 2023 production forecast, warning investors that “the company cannot estimate when the strike will be resolved and will reevaluate Peñasquito’s guidance for the full year 2023 once a resolution has been reached.”
It is the third labor dispute Newmont has faced at Peñasquito since it bought the mine as part of its acquisition of Goldcorp Inc. in 2019.
According to Manuel Fuentes, a labor law expert who spoke toEl País newspaper in August, mining strikes have become more common since Mexico’s 2019 Labor Reform put new limits on profit-sharing, which is an important part of miners’ incomes.
Avocado fries are an excellent option to offer your guests. (The Cookie Rookie)
I’d had my only experience with avocado fries two years earlier at a trendy Mexican eatery in Boulder, Colorado, where I visited my daughter and her family. Unsure about whether to order them, we asked the waiter, who gushed that they were his favorite thing on the menu. We decided to share some as an appetizer and then spent the rest of the meal wishing we’d ordered our own. We found it hard to be polite as we gobbled the luscious, creamy slices of delicate, tender, breaded avocado.
Fast forward to the present: the not-quite-ripe avocados sitting in a basket on my counter suddenly reminded me of that delightful culinary experience. After searching exhaustively online, I settled on this recipe as the best one. Easy and quick—especially if you have an air fryer—you most likely have all the ingredients needed in your kitchen cupboards. You might need some avocados, but they’re easily found. This recipe uses an interesting method for breading: panko crumbs are mixed with a bit of olive oil to make them bind better to the avocado and to make the breading just a tad crispier. It’s a simple step that makes a big difference in the finished fries.
Avocado Fries are great as a snack or served alongside any kind of burger or sandwich. (The recipe cric)
Two things to watch out for with this recipe: First, the avocados shouldn’t be soft enough to make into guacamole—they need to be tender but still firm. You want the slices to hold their shape. (But not be rock hard.)
The other tricky thing is that you want to cook the avocado slices as quickly as possible and then eat them immediately. Otherwise, the avocado gets bitter, and while the texture will still be lovely, the cloying bitterness is not. (Some people may not notice this, but I definitely do.)
Avocado Fries are great as a snack or served alongside any kind of burger or sandwich. You could even add them to your burger for a crispy, creamy sensation in the midst of everything else that’s going on in the middle of the bun. ¡Provecho!
Avocado Fries
1 cup panko crumbs
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 medium ripe but firm avocados
Optional:1 Tbsp. Tajín, ½ tsp. garlic powder
For serving: Chipotle mayonnaise, ranch dressing, hot sauce or other dipping sauce
Dip each avocado slice in the beaten egg to coat, then into the panko mixture. (Photo GimmeDelicious)
In a medium bowl, lightly crush the panko with your hands until the crumbs break into an almost sandy texture. Stir in Tajín or garlic powder, if using, and salt. Drizzle in olive oil, mixing well to combine.
Halve and pit the avocados, then lay them, flat side down, on a cutting board. Gently pull the peel back and discard. Slice each avocado lengthwise into 8 pieces.
Dip each avocado slice in the beaten egg to coat, then into the panko mixture. Turn and gently toss to coat well. Transfer to a platter or back to the cutting board and repeat with remaining avocado slices.
Preheat air fryer to 350F (175C) on the air fry setting. Place 8 avocado slices into the air fryer basket and cook, flipping halfway through, until the fries are crisp and golden brown all over, about 8 minutes. Repeat with remaining avocado slices. Serve immediately, with dipping sauces if desired.
To make in the oven or regular toaster oven, preheat oven to 425F (220C) with oven rack in middle position. Cover baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup, then place coated avocado slices on pan. Bake about 9 minutes, flip, then bake another 9 minutes more until crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately.
The building has become an iconic landmark, predominantly recognizable for its unique and glistening honeycomb façade. (Unsplash)
Carlos Slim Helú was born in Mexico City in 1940, the fifth of six children to Lebanese immigrants who ran successful small businesses in Mexico City. When Carlos was 24, he accompanied his mother to visit their neighbors and met the love of his life, 15-year-old Soumaya Domit Gemayel, also of Lebanese origin. They married two years later, had six children, and built their business empire Grupo Carso, a name derived from the first letters of both their names: Carlos and Soumaya.
Unfortunately, Soumaya had been battling kidney disease and despite having had a kidney transplant, Soumaya died in 1999. Carlos Slim opened Museo Soumaya at Plaza Carso in 2011 as a monument in her honor to share their private art collection with the world in line with her philanthropic principles.
Museo Soumaya is a true titan in preserving and displaying world art history and masterpieces spanning 30 centuries. This private museum houses an astounding 70,000 works of art by Monet, Picasso, Degas, Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Degas, Renoir, Matisse, Leonora Carrington, Rodin, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Miró, El Greco, and many other timeless masters.
Inaugurated in 2011, the building has become an iconic landmark, predominantly recognizable for its unique and glistening honeycomb façade. Built by Carlos Slim’s son-in-law, Mexican architect Fernando Romero, the building is a shiny asymmetric structure inspired by Rodin sculptures. Rising 150 feet high and covered by 16,000 hexagonal aluminum tiles, it is designed as a rotating rhomboid, with the only visible opening being its entrance.
On the inside, the museum is divided into 6 gallery floors seamlessly connected by a surrounding walkway. The recommended way to enjoy this astounding museum is by taking the elevator to the top floor and walking down the spiral ramp comfortably.
Top floor at Museo Soumaya. (Photo Fundación Carlos Slim)
The collection is a remarkable blend of diverse artworks, encompassing pieces from various periods and artists and predominantly featuring Mexican art from the 19th and 20th centuries and European art from the 15th to the 20th centuries. It also displays the world’s most extensive assortment of pre-Hispanic and colonial coins and a vast array of letters, historical manuscripts, and religious artifacts.
Furthermore, the museum prominently displays the most extensive collection of sculptures by Auguste Rodin outside of France, including his iconic masterpieces, “The Thinker” and “The Gates of Hell.”
Museo Soumaya offers one of the world’s most significant private art collections, encompassing over thirty centuries of artistic expression. Visitors experience a treasure trove of Western art featuring renowned masterpieces by recognized artists and anonymous creators whose contributions have shaped art history.
Spanning an impressive 30 centuries of artistic evolution and widely recognized as one of its most comprehensive and diverse collections, the museum boasts archaeological relics spanning the pre-classic, classic, and postclassic Mesoamerican periods, alongside exquisite Asian ivory artifacts. The collection is a testament to the breadth of human creativity, including a substantial assembly of European Avant-garde works and the remarkable personal collection of Lebanese-American writer, poet, and visual artist Khalil Gibran.
The museum also houses a captivating collection of European and Novohispanic artworks created by luminaries such as El Greco, Artemisia Gentileschi, and Peter Paul Rubens, and a splendid journey through Impressionist works extending to the avant-garde movement, featuring masterpieces by renowned artists like Monet, Van Gogh, and Joan Miro, and sculptures by Salvador Dalí. Museo Soumaya displays the only works by Vincent Van Gogh in Mexico. It also houses works by the Mexican masters José María Velasco, Agustín Arrieta, Dr. Atl, Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros, among others.
This assemblage artfully revives Mexican plastic arts from the New Spanish Old Masters, the 19th-century Mexican art scene, and the era of Independent Mexico. Beyond paintings and sculptures, Museo Soumaya also invites visitors to explore numismatics, textiles, applied arts, an extensive photographic compilation, and the historical archives of the Galas de México printing press.
The first floor recently revealed two new acquisitions, exact replicas of Pieta and David by Michelangelo Buonarroti, the most famous sculptures of the Renaissance. Created on a 1:1 scale to the originals, the sculptures in Museo Soumaya were chiseled by a group of highly skilled Italian sculptors from a single piece of veinless marble sourced from the same Carrara quarry in the Tuscany region of Italy used by Michelangelo.
Museo Soumaya represents a colossal endeavor driven by Carlos Slim’s visionary mission: to ensure that the essential and cherished aspects of culture are accessible to all. It stands as a testament to his commitment to nurturing and advancing human potential by enriching and sharing the histories of art, world cultures, and Mexican history. He believes that culture should be a universal and shared inheritance, accessible to all who seek to engage with the beauty and significance of art.
Hailed as one of the most beautiful museums in the world, Museo Soumaya is designed as an inclusive space for people with different physical, intellectual, and psycho-emotional abilities. It is entirely accessible by wheelchair, and services include audio guides and tactile tours for the blind and visually impaired, access to guide dogs, sign language interpreters, and special tours for people on the autism spectrum.
Museo Soumaya Plaza Carso is on Boulevard Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in Mexico City. Admission is always free in line with its non-profit guidelines, and doors are open from 10:30 to 18:30 every day of the year.
Sandra is a Mexican writer and translator based in San Miguel de Allende who specializes in mental health and humanitarian aid. She believes in the power of language to foster compassion and understanding across cultures. She can be reached at: [email protected]
The Zapotec city of Monte Alban remains closed to the public as protests by local traders over working rights have escalated. (Vadim Petrakov/Shutterstock)
A conflict between artisans and workers at the archaeological site of Monte Albán, Oaxaca has led local authorities to temporarily close the site to visitors.
The measure came after one of three groups of merchants who sell their crafts in Monte Albán occupied several of the site’s spaces on Sept. 30 demanding an increase in the number of their vendors, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) reported.
Vendors at the popular tourist site demanded regularization of working conditions. (DialogosOaxCL/X)
“On Saturday [Sept. 29] the artisans settled on the site without following the rules,” head of the legal area of Monte Albán told El Imparcial, a local newspaper in Oaxaca. “We are protecting this site due to violations of internal rules.”
Members of the group — a cooperative called the Danny Di Paa Union of Producers and Artisans — told Canal 13 Oaxaca that they have already held the spots they demand for 60 years through verbal agreements with INAH authorities. They say their spots have been taken for lack of written permits and that they wish to obtain proper authorization for the work they have done for decades.
In its statement, INAH said that the Deputy Director of Monte Albán David Andrade Olvera met with the artisans to explain that the site doesn’t have the conditions to include more vendors. The site has remained closed since Oct. 1 by order of Oaxaca’s INAH and the site’s officials.
According to El Imparcial, Monte Albán workers led by the site’s head of security Raúl Zárate blocked the entrance to artisans and visitors on the morning of Oct. 1, holding signs that demanded dialogue between artisans and authorities.
Artisans also asked for dialogue with Monte Alban authorities. (Monitor Oaxaca)
“We demand the regularization of informal commerce, dialogue, no vending in corridors and parking lots,” one worker’s sign read.
Meanwhile, Danny Di Paa artisans at the foot of the road demanded respectful and decent treatment.
“We are demanding a solution to our demands,” spokesperson Araceli Amaya told El Imparcial. “We could not continue with the dialogue because they [Monte Albán’s authorities] are offering us to return to the same spaces. We are being exploited,” she said.
Amaya explained that they are obliged by the site’s authorities to sweep the site’s floors every day and do chores that are supposed to be voluntary.
The ancient city of Monte Alban is a major tourist attraction for visitors to Oaxaca. (DavidConFran/Wikimedia)
INAH said that it has the full support of two other groups of merchants and some independent artisans who also work on the site. “All of them understand that it is not feasible to increase Monte Albán’s load in terms of sales spaces,” the INAH said.
For their part, members of Danny Di Paa accused INAH of trying to set their fellow artisans’ organizations against them and blame the Monte Albán shutdown on the group.
Chinese manufacturer Chirey was a big winner, with a 205% increase in sales in September. (Chirey)
Mexico’s car industry continues its strong performance, with 118,038 new light vehicles sold in September — up 35.6% from September 2022.
According to figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), it was the strongest September performance since the historical record set in 2016, when 131,888 new cars were sold.
With a 17.2% rise in sales, data suggests that the Mexican auto industry has made a successful recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. (Lenny Kuhne/Unsplash)
It was also the second-best month of 2023 so far after March, when 118,081 new cars were sold. However, the figure fell slightly under the 108,538 sales predicted by the Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors (AMDA).
September’s sales brought total new car sales up to 975,841 between January and September 2023. This marked a 24.9% increase from the same period of 2022 and a 2.1% increase from the same period in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
September’s sales were also up 17.2% from September 2019, confirming that Mexico’s automotive sector has recovered well from the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent supply chain disruptions.
Another factor boosting car sales in Mexico is the arrival of new players on the domestic market, includingChinese brands, which are on track to make up around 20% of total sales by year’s end. The Chinese brand Chirey saw a whopping 205% annual jump in its Mexican sales in September, reaching 3,687 units. Experts believe these newcomers are boosting dynamism in the Mexican car market, compelling traditionally popular brands to push harder to compete.
Strike action has crippled production at a number of traditionally popular automakers, including Ford and General Motors. (Ford Authority)
One factor leading to sales missing AMDA’s target may have been the United Auto Workers strike in the United States, which has paralyzed production at several Ford, General Motors and Stellantis factories and 38 auto parts centers. However, AMDA has said they believe the impact is minimal, as the affected plants represent only 2.9% of Mexican imports of these brands.
Despite the strikes, all three of these brands saw large annual increases of their Mexican sales in September. Ford registered 4,445 new car sales (a 38% annual increase), GM registered 16,132 (up 13.7%) and Stellantis registered 8,483 (up 38.4%).
Other brands performing strongly on the Mexican market include Nissan, which saw 86.4% annual growth in September to reach 20,146 sales, and Toyota, which saw 77.3% annual growth to reach 8,746 sales.
Weaker performers included Renault, Suzuki and Mitsubishi, which saw annual sales declines of 20.4%, 15.2% and 36.6%, respectively.
If current trends continue, the Mexican automotive sector is likely to exceed 1.3 million new car sales this year, up from just under 1.1 million in 2022.
After a bullish 2023, the peso has dropped sharply against the U.S. dollar in recent weeks. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
The Mexican peso had another bad day on Thursday, depreciating to 18.37 to the US dollar before strengthening slightly.
The last time the peso was weaker than that level against the greenback was in late March.
The peso reached 18.29 against the dollar yesterday, said Bloomberg. (Alistair Macrobert/Unsplash)
At 2:30 p.m. Mexico City time, the peso had regained some ground to trade at 18.29 to the dollar, according to Bloomberg. Based on that exchange rate, the peso depreciated 1.9% on Thursday, after trading at 17.95 to the dollar at the close of markets on Wednesday.
The USD:MXN was 17.42 at the close of markets last Friday, meaning that the peso has depreciated about 5% so far this week.
The newspaper El Financiero reported that the peso weakened on Thursday due to a decline in oil prices and expectations that the United States Federal Reserve could raise interest rates early next month.
The currency also dipped on Tuesday after the publication of U.S. data that showed there were more job openings than expected in August. That raised expectations that the Fed could increase rates again this year.
At 11.25%, the Bank of Mexico’s benchmark interest is well above that the Fed’s 5.25-5.5% target range. Analysts cite the broad gap between the two rates as one factor that has helped the peso appreciate this year after it started the year at about 19.5 to the greenback.
The Biden Administration has waived 26 Federal laws to continue the construction of the controversial U.S.-Mexico border wall. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
President López Obrador said Thursday that the United States’ decision to add to the border wall between Mexico and the U.S. was “a backward step” that won’t solve the migration problem.
The United States government has waived 26 federal laws, including environmental ones, in south Texas to allow the installation of “additional physical barriers” in Starr County, located in the Rio Grande Valley region of the Lone Star state.
President López Obrador called the decision to continue construction of the controversial border wall a “a backward step.” (lopezobrador.org.mx)
“The United States Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector is an area of ‘high illegal entry,'” said a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announcement published in the U.S. Federal Register on Thursday.
“… Therefore, I must use my authority under section 102 of [the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act] to install additional physical barriers and roads in the Rio Grande Valley Sector,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.
The DHS document said there was “an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States,”
Up to 32 kilometers of new barriers will be built, according to a proposal from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol have released a document outlining requirements for contractors bidding to build the new section of the border wall. (U.S. CBP)
The decision to add to the border wall is a significant policy reversal for United States President Joe Biden, who stopped construction on former president Donald Trump’s pet project when he took office in January 2021.
The Washington Post reported that Biden’s “pause” on construction “left the $11 billion barrier – one of the most expensive federal infrastructure projects in U.S. history – with dozens of unfinished gaps and piles of unused steel bollards laying around in the desert.”
Environmental groups criticized the plan to resume construction due to the impact that a border wall has on wildlife and their habitat.
Biden told reporters at the White House on Thursday that he didn’t believe a border wall was effective, but construction had to resume because Congress appropriated money for the project and his administration was obliged to use it. “I can’t stop that,” he said.
The Mexican government has said the wall does not prevent an effective barrier to migration, and had previously praised the Biden administration for seemingly abandoning the policy. (Pedro Anza/Cuartoscuro)
López Obrador, who has praised Biden because he’s “the only U.S. president in decades that hasn’t built even a meter of wall” on the border, told reporters at his Thursday morning press conference that the decision to install additional barriers was the result of political pressure.
“I understand there is strong pressure from far right political groups in the United States, especially from those that want to take advantage of the migration phenomenon and drug use for political purposes. There is a lot of politicking when elections are approaching,” he said.
López Obrador said that some Republican Party politicians are “acting very irresponsibly” and placing a lot of pressure on Biden, “who will always have our support.”
“But the authorization for the construction of [more] wall is a backward step because it doesn’t solve the [migration] problem,” he said.
The wall has become a symbol of the divide between the two countries. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
“You have to attend to the causes,” López Obrador said, reasserting that migration can be reduced by addressing push factors such as poverty and lack of opportunity with welfare and employment programs.
“Creating jobs, attending to young people, with that [we can reduce migration]. We’ve proved it, that’s the remedy,” he said.
The announcement that construction of the border wall will resume came amid a surge of migrant arrivals to the United States and ahead of a bilateral security meeting in Mexico City on Thursday at which high-ranking Mexican and U.S. officials were set to discuss the fight against fentanyl and other shared challenges including migration. López Obrador said that the United States’ border wall plan will also be on the agenda.
The president has long been a critic of the border wall, but nevertheless maintained an amiable relationship with Trump, whose administration installed over 700 kilometers of new barriers.
As he begins a campaign to return to the White House, Donald Trump has once again reignited the immigration debate in the United States. (Screen capture)
Trump, who is aiming to return to the White House, pounced on the Biden administration’s adoption of his signature policy.
“As I have stated often, over thousands of years, there are only two things that have consistently worked, wheels, and walls!” he wrote on social media.
“Will Joe Biden apologize to me and America for taking so long to get moving, and allowing our country to be flooded with 15 million illegals immigrants, from places unknown. I will await his apology!” Trump said.
President Sheinbaum has emphasized the inseparable links between the Mexican and U.S. economies. (Comentario U de C/X)
Goods worth more than US $1.5 billion are held up at the northern border due to the Texas government’s decision to conduct stringent inspections of trucks entering the Lone Star state at border crossings between Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and El Paso, according to Mexico’s National Chamber of Trucking (Canacar).
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) began strict inspections of northbound trucks just over two weeks ago as part of efforts to prevent the entry of undocumented migrants and narcotics amid a surge in migrant arrivals at the border. Those inspections are in addition to ones carried out by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
There has been an increase in attempted border crossings in recent weeks, which border authorities say has required implementing stricter inspections. (PEDRO ANZA/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
The suspension of cargo processing at the Bridge of the Americas between Ciudad Juárez and El Paso since Sept. 18 is also a factor in long wait times for trucks crossing the border.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Canacar expressed its “deep concern” at the impact of the inspections at crossings between Juárez and El Paso, and asserted that the measure implemented by Texas Governor Greg Abbott is contrary to the “spirit of collaboration” and “vision of the future embodied in” the USMCA, the North American free trade agreement that superseded NAFTA in 2020.
“This measure has caused a crisis that has resulted in [border crossing] closures, [the need for] detours, increased crossing times and significant reductions in export volumes of various products from Mexico to the United States,” the association said.
Canacar said that 15,000 “loads” of freight were held up at the border and that their collective value was over $1.5 billion.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety have increased inspections of northbound trucks. (CBP/X)
The trucking chamber called on the Texas government to “speed up the commercial exchanges that occur daily in this region and which represent one of the greatest strengths of the relation between the two countries.”
It also called on the Mexican government to use “all forums of bilateral dialogue to express the concern” of the freight transport industry “due to the situation that has prevailed for the past three weeks on the northern border.”
Interruptions to the movement of goods across the border “has a direct impact on the economy of the two countries, affects supply chains … and places tens of thousands of jobs on both sides of the border at risk,” Canacar said.
The DPS has also been conducting inspections of trucks entering Texas at crossings between Piedras Negras, Coahuila, and Eagle Pass, and Guadalupe, Chihuahua, and Tornillo.
The Bridge of the Americas between Ciudad Juárez and El Paso has been closed to cargo processing. (Wikimedia Commons)
“The DPS inspection is slowing down the commercial traffic flow,” Homero Balderas, general manager for the city of Eagle Pass International Bridge System, told the logistics and freight news website FreightWaves earlier this week.
“We have gone from 850 trucks a day to roughly under 400 due to the inspection delay. It’s hurting the Eagle Pass Bridge System drastically and more importantly the supply chain,” he said.
FreightWaves reported wait times on Monday of over four hours at the Camino Real International Bridge between Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras and cargo truck delays of more than six hours at the Ysleta-Zaragoza bridge between El Paso and Juárez.
Thor Salayandia, president of the Juárez Chamber of Industry and Manufacturing, told the EFE news agency last week that Abbott is “strangling” the export-focused manufacturing industry in northern Mexico.
“He is politicizing the immigration issue and attacking Joe Biden and Mexico on this issue, which affects all of us. He has the agents doing some checks where he is no longer looking for migrants. He wants to hurt the … [manufacturing sector] and is doing that,” Salayandia said.
“It is regrettable that only one person, the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, is the one who is causing all this damage to both the economy of Juárez and the companies that own the maquiladoras. It is very unfortunate that so far no one has been able to stop him, not even President Biden,” he said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott. (Wikimedia Commons)
El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said last week that it was “unfortunate” that there is a “double inspection” given that both the CBP and the DPS are checking trucks.
“They have not found drugs; they have not found migrants in the trucks, yet the inspections continue at a rate of 100%,” he said.
“We know this is something political and a very aggressive attitude from the governor,” Samaniego said.
Texas has previously conducted inspections of northbound freight trucks, including in May as the United States pandemic-era Title 42 migration expulsion policy was ending.
Mexico’s Economy Ministry said at the time that the actions implemented by the Texas government were “motivated by an anti-Mexican vision that is far removed from the social, cultural and economic integration between Mexico and Texas.”
A stringent inspection policy for commercial vehicles enacted for a period last year by the Texas government to detect drugs and migrants trying to enter the U.S. illegally also caused long delays at the border and heavy financial losses.
