Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro, seen here with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, represented Mexico at the G20 summit this year. (Secretaría de Economía/X)
Mexican Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro was among the dignitaries who descended on New Delhi, India, last weekend for the 2023 G20 Summit, the eighteenth meeting of leaders of the world’s largest economies.
Here are five “Mexico-relevant” takeaways from the summit, which was perhaps most notable for a softening of the language used in reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the decision to admit the African Union as a 21st member.
Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro traveled to the G20 summit this year. President López Obrador has not attended any of the summits during his term. (Secretaría de Economía/X)
By not attending, AMLO (once again) showed where his priorities lie
While heavy hitters such as United States President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese Premier Li Quiang discussed global issues, President López Obrador was thousands upon thousands of kilometers away in South America, where he met with Colombian President Gustavo Petro to review the fight against drug trafficking and joined Chilean President Gabriel Boric to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of former Chilean president Salvador Allende.
Since becoming president in December 2018, AMLO has attended exactly zero G20 summits, demonstrating through his non-attendance that he – as he often says – is squarely focused on issues at home.
The president – who frequently asserts that “the best foreign policy is domestic policy” – showed this year that he is more interested in regional issues (such as migration flows, the drug trafficking problem and possible economic integration) than global ones.
U.S. President Joe Biden, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and South Africa’s President Cyrus Ramaphosa were some of the world leaders in attendance at the summit. (The White House/X)
In fact, during his presidency, López Obrador has only traveled abroad to other Western Hemisphere nations.
Another factor in his decision to skip this year’s G20 summit, and many previous meetings of world leaders held outside Mexico, may be his stated dislike for lengthy air travel.
Buenrostro is a highly trusted member of cabinet (and well placed to promote Mexico as a nearshoring destination)
Former foreign affairs minister Marcelo Ebrard – currently licking his wounds after his presidential ambitions were greatly diminished if not entirely quashed when Claudia Sheinbaum was announced as the ruling Morena party’s candidate – represented López Obrador (and Mexico) at previous G20 summits and numerous other meetings of world leaders.
Buenrostro is a key member of López Obrador’s cabinet and has been prominent in advocating for nearshoring investment in Mexico. (Secretaría de Economía/X)
With his successor, Alicia Bárcena, in South America with AMLO, Economy Minister Buenrostro was assigned the not insignificant task of leading Mexico’s delegation to the Republic of India.
The decision to send Buenrostro to India is an indication of her high standing in the López Obrador administration and could also be linked to her suitability to selling Mexico as a destination for foreign investment.
During the G20, the economy minister participated in a meeting with the leaders of the MIKTA (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey, Australia) group and spoke about the need to support each other to “take advantage of the relocation phenomenon,” according to an Economy Ministry post on the X social media site.
While the G20 summit isn’t an investment forum, having one of the government’s top nearshoring advocates talking to world leaders about the advantages Mexico can offer to foreign companies is not inconsequential.
It’s worth remembering that Buenrostro previously headed up the federal tax agency SAT and thus knows the tax system – and the tax incentives on offer in certain parts of the country – inside out.
Mexico raised issues that are directly relevant to the lives of Mexicans
According to a joint statement issued by the Economy Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mexico at the G20 Summit “achieved the inclusion of priority issues”, including:
The fight against poverty and inequality.
Inclusive development, with gender equality as a cross-cutting theme.
The fight against trafficking in small arms and light weapons and against international illicit drug chains.
The promotion of safe and regular migration.
Increased cooperation to eradicate the trafficking of cultural property and the appropriation of the living cultural heritage of indigenous peoples.
Poverty, gender inequality, violence perpetrated with firearms smuggled into the country and migration are among the most pressing issues Mexico faces today, affecting tens of millions of Mexicans in myriad direct and indirect ways.
Mexico highlighted the issues of poverty, migration and illegal trafficking of weapons at the summit. (SRE/X)
Their inclusion on an agenda for a meeting of the world’s most powerful countries – in addition to issues such as the war in Ukraine and climate change – will always be better than non-inclusion.
Mexico’s large economy gives it access to an exclusive club
The G20, of course, is a group made up of the world’s largest economies. Mexico qualifies as the world’s 14th largest economy with GDP of approximately US $1.4 trillion in 2021, according to the World Bank.
As one of the developing countries within the G20, Mexico has an enviable opportunity to advocate for the global south, and took advantage of it in New Delhi.
In addition to the issues cited above, Buenrostro “highlighted the importance of eliminating debt for poor countries and ensuring that middle-income nations [can] get loans at the same interest rates as developed countries,” according to an Economy Ministry (SE) statement.
Membership in the G20 also gives Mexico an opportunity to sell itself on the world stage – and not just as a destination for investment.
In New Delhi, Buenrostro touted the government’s employment/reforestation scheme called Sembrando Vida (Sowing Life) and outlined progress the López Obrador administration has made in combating poverty and corruption.
While AMLO was absent, world leaders in India last weekend at least heard about the priorities his government is pursuing.
A fashion faux pas?
Buenrostro’s choice of footwear during her first G20 appearance – black Crocs – was a hot topic among Mexican social media users over the weekend.
“It’s an embarrassment,” journalist Carlos Lara Moreno wrote on X.
Claudia Villegas, another journalist, posted a photo to X that showed that another person at the same New Delhi event was also wearing Crocs.
The shoes Buenrostro wore at her first appearance at the G20 drew attention from media back home. (G20/X)
“Strange, isn’t it? Could it be that they [both] left their shoes [at the entrance] as an act of respect? In India, footwear used outside is considered dirty and impure and is always removed before entering a home. … The same can be said for temples and other places considered sacred,” she wrote.
The government, as of Monday evening, hadn’t made an official comment on “Crocgate,” which may have received more coverage in the Mexican media than the G20 Summit itself.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
Traditional rugs in Teotitlán del Valle.
(Ana Luisa Gamboa/ Unsplash)
A long history of Zapotec weaving
Zapotec weaving is an ancient art form that has been passed down from generation to generation for more than 2,000 years. The Zapotec civilization arose in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca in the 6th century BCE, building great cities like Monte Albán and Mitla. Roughly 400,000 Zapotecs — who call themselves Ben’Zaa, the Cloud People — live in Mexico today. As their ancestors did, modern Zapotecs use weaving as a way to preserve their traditions, history, stories and spiritual beliefs.
Luis Ruiz explains the symbolism behind this traditional-themed Zapotec rug. In the middle is the Eye of God. Above and below the Eye of God is the Greca (Greek) design which represents the Cycle of Life.
One of the oldest weaving tools used by Indigenous people is the backstrap loom, which is used by attaching one end to a tree or post and wrapping the other end around the waist. The weaver sways their body back and forth to change the tension in the threads. Without wool-yielding domestic animals, Mesoamerican weavers made textiles with plant fibers and cotton and traditionally only men were allowed to weave in the Zapotec culture.
During the height of the Zapotec civilization, the people of Teotitlán del Valle in Oaxaca were already known for their weaving. Their woven items were considered so valuable that it is said the Mexica Emperor Moctezuma II extracted an annual tribute of 2,000 blankets and 40 pounds of dried cochineal insects— used to make carmine dye —annually from each of the seven cities he ruled.
In the 16th century, the Spanish conquistadores brought sheep and the pedal loom to Mexico and Zapotecs began using sheep’s wool in their rugs. Male weavers transitioned to the pedal loom, which requires more strength, while women filled other roles in the process: preparing wool, spinning wool into yarn, and dyeing yarn. Eventually, Zapotec women began using the backstrap loom for weaving while men wove more oversized rugs on pedal looms. In the last 60 years, women have become around 80% of backstrap weavers while roughly 75% of weavers using the pedal loom are men.
Today’s Zapotec weaving process and materials
Luis demonstrates the weaving process. The spindles of multi-colored yarn are passed through vertical threads to create the design. Each spindle represents a different color used in weaving the rug.
To learn more about the process and symbolism of Zapotec weaving, I sat down with my friend Luis Ruiz, a fifth-generation Zapotec weaver from Teotitlán del Valle. All 16 members of his family are weavers and still live in Teotitlán, where 80% of residents make their living from weaving. Luis has been a weaver for more than 21 years; his grandfather taught him how to weave at the age of three or four.
Ruiz’s large loom sits prominently in Legado Zapoteco, the small Oaxacan shop in Mazatlán’s Historic Center where he sells his rugs (called tapetes) along with artisanal work produced by several other families. Each family specializes in certain handcrafts like tinwork, black pottery and blankets, and together they form their own co-op.
Ruiz shows me the spindles of different colored yarn he is using in the rug he is currently weaving and demonstrates how to pass them horizontally through the vertical yarn to create designs while using the two floor pedals to change the tension of the threads.
The process of weaving is time-consuming and labor-intensive, Ruiz tells me: “It takes me two weeks to make a simple traditional rug but it can take a month or two to make more complicated designs or custom orders.” There is also the work that takes place before the actual weaving process: sheep, yak and alpaca wool is brushed with paddles and prongs to eliminate any debris and make the fibers lie in the same direction. The wool is then spun into yarn using a spinning wheel. “Each step of the process is typically completed by a different family,” Ruiz says. “Some families clean the wool which another family will spin into yarn. Then it goes to a family that specializes in the dyeing process,” he adds.
The dyes are organic, made from materials including tree moss, pomegranate skins, marigold, madrone bark, West Indian indigo and cochineal, a tiny insect that looks like white fuzz when found on nopal cacti leaves. The female cochineal excretes an acid that produces a deep crimson color, which has made it a hot commodity for centuries as a dye. According to Ruiz, “Some weavers mix their own dye color combinations and have specific colors that identify their rugs. No one else can reproduce that color because weavers don’t share their techniques or their secret dye recipe for the colors they create.”
Symbolism and meaning of Zapotec rugs
Traditional Zapotec rugs share common themes and symbols. Geometric pyramids represent the ancient political and economic center of Monte Albán. The zig-zag pattern represents lightning, which is connected to Cocijo, the Zapotec god of lightning and rain.
Dried cochinilla is used to make the deep crimson color used in traditional rugs.
Ruiz explains the design of a traditional Zapotec rug: “The Geometric spiral called Greca (Greek) reflects the cycle of life according to the Zapotec cosmic vision and can be found on Zapotec pyramids. This theme always has four lines or levels starting at the bottom they symbolize birth and childhood, teenage years, and adulthood, and the top line which is the longest is old age. That line is the longest because at that point you have attained wisdom and know how to appreciate the time you have left. Next is a hooked part of the spiral which is death.”
Arrows are part of some themes due to their importance for hunting and warfare. Stars are the eyes of the gods expressing love to those on Mother Earth. Fish represent abundance and are typically arranged in a vertical line. The bottom fish represents the past and has an eye. If the fish at the top, which represents the future, does not have an eye, that means the weaver is still living.
The Eye of God, very prevalent in many rugs, symbolizes the power of seeing and understanding the unseen. The Eye of God is placed inside a diamond. The top half represents the sky or heaven, the bottom half is hell. If you cover the bottom half of the diamond, you can see a pyramid and the bottom half is a horizontal reflection of the pyramid symbolizing a mirror that reflects our inner life. The Eye of God is sometimes placed inside a rectangle representing the entrance to the spirit world and a sacred place of spirituality.
Zapotec weaving is a very spiritual and personal journey for weavers connecting them to their ancestors, beliefs and inner self. Like many of his generation, Luis sees himself as an artist. The older generation of weavers describe themselves as artisans.
Luis explains his artwork, “Making a rug is very special for me, not only because it is exciting to see the combinations and designs that you can create and the satisfaction of seeing the finished piece, but it also takes a lot of patience and time. During the time weaving the rug we, as weavers, impregnate the rug with our feelings: happiness, sadness, frustration, anger. When we finish a rug, it fills us with joy and it excites us when someone buys it because they not only have a unique piece made by hand, but they also have a little piece of our feelings and time.”
Sheryl Losser is a former public relations executive and professional researcher. She spent 45 years in national politics in the United States. She moved to Mazatlán in 2021 and works part-time doing freelance research and writing.
An aerial view of construction on the new Tulum international airport in June. (Andrés Manuel López Obrador/X)
There was a time not so long ago when everyone who went to Tulum absolutely loved it. The boho vibe, the stunning unspoiled beaches, the magical cenotes, the low-density development, the perfect weather, and that unbelievable water – it was almost impossible not to love.
My wife and I got married near Tulum over 20 years ago, and every one of our guests was blown away by its beauty. We have come back to Tulum multiple times every year since then, and have watched the changes to the once-small town with a combination of fascination, awe, shock, and concern.
Tulum is not in the top 100 largest cities in Mexico, yet everyone in the country and increasingly around the world has heard of this special place.
Tulum was once a tiny little beach town, known for its Maya ruins, hippies, chill music, yoga, healthy food, and a relaxing vibe. I remember many times walking on the Tulum beach saying to my wife, “this is about as perfect of a spot as one can find on the planet”. Back then, the beach had only one access road, and it was slow and potholed. The hotels on the beach, as quaint as they were, ran on generators, trucked in clean water, and trucked out dirty water – not exactly perfection.
As often happens to such places, the word got out, and social media accelerated the buzz of this magical place. In the mid-2010’s, prices began to increase, quite dramatically. The quaint little hotels on the beach started doubling or tripling in size and density. The music went from “chill” to “ electronic dance music”. The crowd changed from real hippies to big city wealthy wanna-be hippies (at least for a long weekend). Along with the crowd, the scene changed from a beer and a little weed to much harder party drugs that began to bring in a whole other set of problems.
Yet Tulum kept growing and growing. A large supermarket came in. Ever larger and glamorous condo and hotel projects started to be built. Hundreds of trendy restaurants and bars opened up. And eventually, a second access road to the beach along with power and city water connections.
Prices continued to increase – it is said that the price per kilometer of a taxi in Tulum is more expensive than in Manhattan. Beach hotel prices of US $1,000 per night are not at all unheard of. Tulum’s popularity hit a stratospheric level during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city didn’t shut down, and the rich and famous from around the world came and stayed for weeks and months – posting about every great day and every epic evening on social media.
And so the growth even further accelerated. In 2022, building permits for more than 4,000 new housing units were granted in Tulum. The new Tulum international airport is now well under construction and expected to open by December. The Maya Train will include not only one but two stops in the city. A massive new natural reserve, the Parque Jaguar, is being built around the ruins at the north end of the city. Hotel chains are coming in, a new shopping mall in under construction, chain restaurants are coming in…
How can we make sense of all of this? Is Tulum forever ruined or a better place as a result of all of this?
Let me say that for those of us who long for “the way places used to be”, we will likely never be convinced that the change is for the good. Of course I long for the Tulum of many years ago. But no thoughtful analysis is that simple. The world is changing, every place is changing and evolving. I personally strive to be an optimist and will apply that frame of thinking to Tulum’s changes.
First, I try to find solace in so much change by focusing on the people who live and work there, versus the occasional tourist who misses the way things once were. I have seen firsthand how many locals with barely a roof over their head have been able to climb the social ladder as a result of all of the jobs and investment.
I have seen countless immigrants (often from Chiapas – Mexico’s poorest state) come to Tulum to be a part of the “Tulum dream”. They arrive on an overnight bus from Chiapas in the morning and have a job by the afternoon. Initially, there was no place for all of these immigrants to live and so they all began carving out homes from the jungle in an area called la invasión (“the invasion” – as there were no building permits or land titles).
These immigrants began with nothing more than a hammock strung from two trees, a backpack, and the clothes on their back. When one sees this area now, there are brick homes, small stores and restaurants, bikes and motorcycles, families with young children – all working hard to improve their economic status and striving to live the immigrant’s “Tulum dream”.
For tourists, with the right perspective, Tulum can still be a great place to vacation. More cenotes and jungle activities have opened up for public enjoyment. New hotels, restaurants, and bars open up weekly. You can find a quiet beach club offering cold coconuts and hammocks or a loud one with beach beds, go-go dancers, and US $1,000 bottle service, depending on your interest. The “old Tulum” can still be found in small restaurants run by immigrants, in jungle yoga shalas, and in morning walks on the beach.
A fun activity – albeit not one that many tourists likely do – is to go downtown in the evening to the basketball court near the zócalo. Here you see the “Tulum dream” in full force. Workers, both men and women, relaxing after a hard day’s work by playing basketball. Laughing, joking, smiling. Their friends and family cheer them on while they eat tamales, roasted corn, or fresh fruit.
When you talk to these recent immigrants, they are bursting with excitement at the opportunities they see coming to them and their families with the Maya Train and Tulum airport. I must admit that I often miss the tranquility of the old Tulum, but I am inspired by the positive outlook on life and the future from many of its new residents.
With the arrival of the Maya Train and a new airport, developers are flocking to the area, but experts say infrastructure and urban planning are both lagging behind. (Wikimedia Commons)
Fueled by the federal government’s infrastructure projects in Quintana Roo, the city of Tulum has seen a spur in demand for affordable housing as new residents relocate to the state.
According to the Municipal Director of Urban Development Carlos Salas Minaya, many looking for housing are not tourists or people interested in short-term rentals, but potential residents who will be working on the Maya Train, at the Tulum International Airport or at the Jaguar National Park.
Experts and authorities alike are concerned about whether Tulum will be able to provide the necessary housing infrastructure for these developments. (@SEDATU_mx/X)
Without sharing further details, Salas told the newspaper La Jornada that permit requests from investors to build low and moderate-income housing units and houses on private lots, “have increased in recent months.”
“There are many requests to develop complexes, apartments, houses and much more,” Salas said.
But some experts are concerned about whether Tulum has the necessary infrastructure, urban planning and regulation to support the population’s growth.
“We are seeking to [build better] infrastructure,” Salas said, mentioning that the municipality has made improvements little by little. “But it is not easy because these are big investments,” which require major infrastructure to support it. Salas assured, however, that the local government is working towards securing decent homes for its residents with the support of private investors.
The new Jaguar National Park is one of several local public works that will create demand for employee housing. (@MeyerFalcon/X)
According to the Mexican Real Estate Industry Association (AMII), some 1,000 residential projects are under construction in northern Quintana Roo, of which 40% are in Tulum.
“The real estate offer in the area is impressive,” the National Head of the AMII Wilberth J. Gutiérrez told the newspaper El Economista, “but not necessarily of good quality,” he warned.
Marcelo Ramírez, head of AMII Cancún, added that the accelerated growth of the real estate market has surpassed the government’s capacity to supervise and regulate new projects.
“It was very easy for the government to ‘green light’ some of those projects without them being 100% regulated,” Ramírez explained in a webinar organized by the condominium management technology company Neivor. “[The pace of development] has somehow surpassed the authorities’ capacity to process [permits].”
Local industry leaders urge the creation of urban planning instruments that can help ease the transition in boomtown Tulum. (Wikimedia Commons)
Experts associated with AMII agree that urban planning and infrastructure must be prioritized to guarantee orderly real estate development and economic growth in Quintana Roo. According to Gutiérrez, regulation must include stricter criteria and standards when evaluating construction permits and licenses.
For AMII’s president in Tulum, Melania Cisneros, it isn’t only about promoting infrastructure, “but about creating urban planning instruments that transcend time,” regardless of changes in the government.
“Unfortunately, whenever there are good ideas for infrastructure and regional development, continuity isn’t necessarily there for them to remain in the long term,” Gutiérrez said. “This could be a factor that interrupts current growth,” he concluded.
Claudia Sheinbaum, former mayor of Mexico City and Morena candidate for president in 2024. (Cuartoscuro)
Claudia Sheinbaum last Wednesday became the second confirmed candidate for the 2024 presidential election when the ruling Morena party announced she had defeated five men in a polling process to secure its nomination.
The former Mexico City mayor (2018-23), who will also represent the Labor Party and the Ecological Green Party of Mexico, will face off against the Broad Front for Mexico’s Xóchitl Gálvez at the June 2, 2024 election. Senator Gálvez was officially designated as the three-party opposition alliance’s “coordinator” just over a week ago.
Claudia Sheinbaum (left) and Xóchitl Gálvez (right) will represent Morena and the Broad Front for Mexico coalition, respectively, in the 2024 presidential race. (MND)
A candidate backed by the Citizens Movement party and one or more independent hopefuls could yet enter the race.
Sheinbaum – a physicist and environmental scientist who was environment minister in Mexico City when Andrés Manuel López Obrador was mayor in the early 2000s – recently spoke with Expansión Política, the politics site of the Expansión news organization, and expressed views on a range of issues she will face if elected as Mexico’s first female president next June.
The 61-year-old Mexico City native gave brief responses to a series of rapid fire questions as well as more elaborate ones on topics including public security, renewable energy and the opportunity presented by the growing nearshoring phenomenon, which she spoke about in significant detail in a separate interview last month.
“Not now,” said Sheinbaum, who last week received a “baton of command” from President López Obrador, who has ceded the leadership of the “fourth transformation” political project he initiated to Morena’s new standard-bearer.
Yes or no to the army in the streets?
“[Yes] until the National Guard is strengthened.”
Yes or no to help from the United States to combat narcos and crime groups?
“Not if it is invasive.”
Yes or no to jail for ex-presidents?
“It’s not for me to say.”
Would you live in the National Palace (as President López Obrador does)?
Sheinbaum on the use of the military for public security tasks
“There are municipalities in the country where, if you withdraw the army, they’re left with nothing, they’re abandoned,” Morena’s presumptive nominee told Expansión when asked whether the military should be patrolling the streets of Mexico.
The National Guard (GN) had been placed under military control last year, but in April, the Supreme Court ruled the transfer of the GN to Defense Ministry control was unconstitutional. (Sedena)
Sheinbaum said that “the ideal thing” would be to have a strong National Guard that is able to relieve the military of its public security duties across Mexico.
As things stand, the National Guard – which was created by the López Obrador administration – needs to strengthen its capacity to patrol all areas of the country, investigate crimes and make arrests, she said.
On what she would do in her first days as president
Sheinbaum said she would put an end to tax evasion if she had the capacity to change something by presidential decree during her first days in office.
She added that if she had one “wish,” she would put an end to poverty.
On the military’s management of customs, ports and airports (an initiative of the current government)
Sheinbaum said she would keep customs facilities, ports and airports under the control of the armed forces “for the time being” as a “significant part” of the problems in those places was related to organized crime.
Having adequate security in customs facilities, ports and airports, and getting rid of any remnant corruption is “important,” she said.
On the future of state oil company Pemex and renewable energy
Asked whether she would “rescue” Pemex – as the López Obrador administration claims to be doing – or create a new state-owned renewable energy company, Sheinbaum responded “both.”
“I believe that energy sovereignty has to do with the base President López Obrador is leaving and accelerating the transition toward renewable sources of energy,” she said.
Sheinbaum says she would accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources. One of López Obrador’s administration’s main alternative energy projects is the Puerto Peñasco solar park in Sonora, pictured here. (Mexico Energy Partners LLC)
To achieve energy sovereignty a transition to more efficient energy use is also required, the former mayor said.
“It’s not just about having new sources of renewable energy. … The use of energy – from domestic use to commercial use to industrial processes – also [has to] be more efficient,” Sheinbaum said.
“That has to do with structural changes in production processes, and new technologies,” she said.
On tax reform
Sheinbaum said she wasn’t currently contemplating a tax reform, but acknowledged that the issue needs to be studied more.
If tax evasion continues to decline, the government will receive more revenue, she noted.
“At the same time [we need to] facilitate the payment of taxes. I believe that this is something important that would allow more revenue to be collected before [even] thinking about increasing taxes,” Shinbaum said.
She noted that tax revenue from customs is already about one trillion pesos (US $57.6 billion) per year, and asserted that that amount could be substantially increased by eliminating corruption within the customs agency and “strengthening the development of our country through exports and imports.”
On judicial reform
Sheinbaum said she supported López Obrador’s proposal for Supreme Court justices and other judges to be elected “by popular vote.”
“I believe that [would] give a freshness to the judicial power,” she said.
Sheinbaum asserted that many Supreme Court justices favor vested interests over true justice even though they were “elected by Congress.”
The 11 justices of Mexico’s Supreme Court. Sheinbaum says she supports AMLO’s proposal that they be elected by popular vote. (SCJN)
She also said that it is essential that the Federal Judiciary Council sanction judges who have been found to have committed “acts of corruption” or made improper use of their position.
On the role of business in government
Sheinbaum said that Mexico’s private sector is “very important” and that continued investment in the country is importantísimo, or extremely important.
She said that the current government, unlike previous ones, created a necessary “division” between Mexico’s “economic power” – big business, for example – and “political power,” and asserted that that separation must be maintained.
“What we have to think is that private investment also creates wellbeing in the country,” Sheinbaum added.
As president of Mexico, she indicated she would push business to pay higher salaries, saying that the model under which Mexico sold cheap labor to the world “created inequality and poverty.”
(During López Obrador’s presidency, Mexico’s minimum wage has more than doubled, and is currently set at 207 pesos per day, or about US $12, in most of the country.)
On her economic priorities
Sheinbaum said she would “continue working for the well-being” of the Mexican people if she becomes president in late 2024.
“We can speak about economic growth, we can speak about investment, but our [main] indicator always has to be the well-being of Mexicans,” she said.
Within the context of economic policies and goals, sustainability is also an important consideration, Sheinbaum said.
On what she would do to help attract foreign companies to Mexico
Asked how she would take advantage of the nearshoring phenomenon, Sheinbaum said that having the “conditions” to attract more investment is essential.
She was apparently referring to things such as security, a reliable energy supply and the availability of well-educated and trained workers.
“In addition, we have to create the conditions so that these investments generate well-being,” Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum says that “investment by itself doesn’t generate well-being”. (Daniel Augusto / Cuartoscuro.com)
“What am I referring to? Where are the Tesla workers going to live? I asked that question to the governor of Nuevo León. [The answer] isn’t clear,” she said.
“Where are they going to live? What schools are their children going to attend? … Where are the hospitals going to be?” Sheinbaum asked.
“… What we’ve already seen is that investment by itself doesn’t generate well-being,” she said, adding that Mexico has a “great opportunity” to not only attract new investment but also “create quality of life.”
On the United States
Asked to choose between the United States and China, Sheinbaum said that Mexico has an “inseparable” trade relationship with its northern neighbor.
She noted that Mexico and the U.S. are “economically integrated” whereas “there is no free trade agreement with China.”
“… The relationship with China exists and it has to continue existing, but the agreement with the U.S. has to be maintained and strengthened as well,” Sheinbaum said of the USMCA free trade pact, which also includes Canada.
On the López Obrador administration
“President Andrés Manuel López Obrador generated a great change in our country,” Sheinbaum said of her political mentor.
“Mexico is different today than it was up until November 2018. … The president today isn’t just popular because of his social programs, but because he looks to the people of Mexico [for guidance about how to govern]. The people of Mexico identify with their president,” she said.
On why the Mexican people should believe what she says
“Because of my history. You can speak a lot, but it’s your history that defends you,” Sheinbaum said, adding that her background as a public servant, scientist, academic and person is known to the Mexican people.
This year’s entries for the 2023 Expo Quilt México Internacional leaned very heavily into “art quilts”. The baby image on the far left is not painted but painstakingly created through appliqué by Ánges Tamés Pidal. (Leigh Thelmadatter)
Most English speakers from North America are quite familiar with patchwork quilts; it is one of the few native handcrafts we still have north of the border, and it remains a part of Anglo-American identity. Although not documented, when American and Canadians began retiring to Mexico in large numbers after World War II, the hobby likely accompanied them south.
Avid Canadian quilter Wendy Wilton was pleasantly surprised to learn of active quilting “guilds,” or clubs, in places like San Miguel de Allende and Ajijic. Like their counterparts up north, these clubs provide quilters an outlet to socialize and get technical help. They also do community outreach, donating quilts to organizations such as orphanages, veterans and hospitals. Recently, the Ajijic guild sent a batch of handmade quilts to Ukraine.
Members of the Ajijic Quilt Guild and the quilts they made to be sent to Ukraine (courtesy Ajijic Quilt Guild)
Quilting’s social-service side may best be reflected in the tireless work of Mazatlán-based Linda Hannawalt. She had already been a force in the quilting world as the founder of the California non-profit San Francisco Sewing & Quilting Collaborative. In the mid 2010s, she moved to Mazatlán. Thinking she was the first quilter in the country, Linda quickly founded the San Francisco Quilt Shop in a building close to where cruise ship passengers arrive. Then, she recruited local sewers looking to learn a new craft that would appeal to a new and lucrative market.
The Mazatlán store is indeed a business, selling finished products, quilting supplies, and classes to foreign winter residents and tourists. Hannawalt’s passion, however, is sharing the success she has had with Mazatlán women.
After finding out that there are indeed other quilters in Mexico, she began to network, finding opportunities to support fledgling groups, including one for deaf women in Zihuatanejo. During the pandemic, Linda helped Mexican quilt businesses stay afloat by helping them import needed supplies while Mexican nationals were barred from entering the U.S. Her store’s income provides much of the support for this outreach.
But it is not just foreign women promoting quilting in Mexico. Although the Ajijic guild is English-speaking and geared towards retirees, it has attracted Mexican hobbyists from as far as Guadalajara. Quilt business owners Silvia Barba Alhadro and Teresa Gurria of the Mexico City metropolitan area are two of over a dozen businesses that cater almost exclusively to Mexican women who, as Gurria says, “get hooked” on quilts.
Beatriz Juarez Arroyo from the Mundo Mágico de Sofy of Morelia demonstrates cutting a piece of cloth for patchwork (courtesy Mundo Mágico)
By 2019, Mexico was hosting expos, guilds and more in areas such as Monterrey, Mérida, León and Veracruz. Expo Quilt México Internacional is the largest of these, founded and run by Silvia Barba Alhadro, proprietor of The Quilting Studio in the fashionable San Ángel neighborhood of Mexico City.
Events like these, Silvia says, are a lot of work, but they are important because of the networking opportunities among quilters and with the general public. Not only do these events have booths featuring quilt shops, fabrics and sewing machines, they have exhibitions and competitions of some of the finest quilts being produced in Mexico.
Most expos and events took a hiatus during the pandemic, and some have yet to come back, but there is optimism that it is only a matter of time.
Barba Alhadro, an early pioneer, quilting by chance while working at an international school. She began quilting as a hobby, but when more and more friends and family wanted to learn, she started a quilting “school” in her home. It grew big enough that 12 years ago, she moved The Quilt Shop classes to its current location in the San Ángel neighborhood. Quilting classes have been the introduction to the craft for many Mexican women, not only because it provides a creative outlet, but perhaps more importantly, it provides a social one for many upper-class Mexican stay-at-home moms and retirees.
Developed quilt businesses in Mexico often have services like sewing the patchwork tops onto the lower layers to finish the quilts using special sewing (courtesy San Francisco Quilt Shop)
Gathering regularly at the The Quilt Shop or any other of over a dozen quilt “schools” in the Mexico City area may be even more important than the quilting itself.
“What is said in quilting class, stays in quilting class,” says Teresa Gurria, a former student of Barba Alhadro’s who runs her own quilt business in the northwestern Mexico City suburb of Atizapan. Even if the quilt shop looks like one north-of-the-border, the center of activity is always the classes, not necessarily the fabric for sale.
Most quilters in Mexico, like those in the U.S. and Canada, strongly prefer to quilt with fine, 100% cotton fabrics made specifically for the hobby. These fabrics can be pricey and while they mimic what was used to quilt a century ago, there is one main difference: today’s quilts are rarely made with leftover scraps the way they were back then.
Quilting classes like those at The Quilting Studio in Mexico City provide an important social outlet for homebound women. (courtesy The Quilting Studio)
One exception to this may be the quilting that is developing in Morelia, which had its first quilting expo last March at the city’s convention center, called Amistad Creativa (meaning “creative friendship”). The event attracted over 500 people, receiving support from city and state authorities, which see the economic possibilities of quilting for poor women and other marginalized groups. The expo also promoted “scrap” quilting as a way to recycle fabric. The use of modern commercial fabrics can be tricky in quilted products, but they are a resource that is more readily available in Mexico.
Wilton has “no doubt” that quilting has a bright and growing future in Mexico. All of the women interviewed agree, whether their purpose for quilting is purely therapeutic or they hope to find economic progress. Though Mexican quilters are still working with traditional Anglo designs for the most part, but given this country’s creativity, I expect that to eventually evolve.
If you are interested in finding a quilting group, here is a list of contacts to start with:
Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico over 20 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019). Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily.
Wow! Before we get to all the “but…but…but…”s, can we just take a minute to talk about how amazing this is?
There we go. Thank you.
Though many will claim that feminism and various women’s movements have more than done their duty in the world, the actual numbers of women who gain any positions of power on a societal level tell a different story.
So say what you will about Morena (the party of the current president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador), but since coming to power in such a major way in 2018, political gender parity has taken great leaps and bounds in Mexico, from a woman Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, to my local friend who travels all over the state assisting in emergencies while her partner stays home as the primary caregiver.
And by the way, Mexico’s Supreme Court also just decriminalized abortion, meaning the states that have yet to do so will need to change their criminal codes. For now, it’s in the kind of legal limbo that marijuana possession is…not exactly legal (in most states), but also not punishable with jail time since a landmark 2021 Supreme Court ruling. It’s an important start.
I know that having a woman president probably won’t be earth-shattering. After all, we can’t expect it to solve Mexico’s problem with sexism any more than having a black president solved the United States’ problem with racism.
It also won’t prevent people from trotting out, as they did during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, their own disclaimers to prove they’re both non-sexist and Smart Discerning People: “Look, I’m all for a woman president, but these particular women are very flawed.”
Sigh.
Still though, representation matters, and for millions of girls and women in Mexico – indeed, all over the world – seeing another woman head of state, especially in a country as important on a global scale as Mexico, is going to be a Very Big Deal.
So, what about these candidates?
Claudia, we mostly know. And Claudia will almost certainly be the winner of the presidency, as the Morena party has shown no signs of losing enough popularity to not win in a landslide. The people (mostly) love AMLO (as the current president is known), and Claudia is his protégé.
What kind of leader would she be? She’s been a wisely careful Morena politician, always careful not to contradict the current much-loved president. Unlike many women in power, she’s mostly avoided the usual labels of “hysterical” and “incompetent.” She’s smart. She knows not to place herself as an alternative to AMLO, but rather as a prettier, younger, emotionally steadier extension of his most popular policies and programs who will continue la cuarta transformación (“the fourth transformation”, often written shorthand as “4T”) of Mexico.
Even so, my hopes for her saying “Anyway, let’s set ourselves to the business of making things right,” especially in terms of the environment, are high. I also have high hopes for a more on-the-ground approach to women’s rights. I certainly wouldn’t expect her to accuse women protesting for their rights as “conservative feminists,” which is an oxymoron if I ever heard one.
Xóchitl Gálvez, from what little I know of her, seems like an admirable person. Her joke a while back that the current president, who couldn’t seem to stop talking (negatively) about her, was her campaign manager gave me a good chuckle. But how would she govern? We’ve got a bit of information, and I’ll be very curious to get to know her better as a candidate as the campaigns gear up.
So far, the main argument of the “Broad Front for Mexico” (the FAM) coalition is that they’re not Morena. But standing against something is hardly a platform. As Kate Bohné, our editor asked recently in her excellent Substack The Mexpatriate, what exactly do they stand for? Ideologically, this is a coalition made up of radically clashing beliefs, so it’s hard to say what direction actual policies would take in the country. The PAN (the party she belongs to) and the PRI, too, have fairly tarnished reputations.
I’m a little wary of Gálvez too because of her party’s association with the conservative movement in Mexico. (“March for the Family” anyone?) Her biggest job during the campaign will be to show us who she is, what she stands for, and what kinds of policies she would fight for as president. Will she take a page from the U.S. Republican party and fan the culture wars at the expense of “the real issues”? What does she think of the textbooks? What does she think of abortion rights? What are her views on poverty? Is she one of those, “if I could do it, anyone can” type of people?
AMLO’s big selling point, much like Obama’s, was hope. Will she be able to make people hopeful about their future?
Much remains to be seen. But right now, Mexico is continuing to show the world what human female leadership looks like.
For now, let’s just celebrate.
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mexico News Daily, its owner or its employees.
This week President López Obrador addressed a potential rupture in his party after the selection of Claudia Sheinbaum, and ended the week with a ceremony before setting off for a South American tour. (GALO CAÑAS/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
It was a big week for the ruling Morena party, which announced Wednesday that Claudia Sheinbaum would be its candidate at the 2024 presidential election.
A day later, President López Obrador – who founded Morena and led the party to a comprehensive victory at the 2018 general election – handed over a “baton of command” to the former Mexico City mayor, officially designating her as the “new national coordinator of the defense of the transformation.”
President López Obrador hands over the “baton of command” to Claudia Sheinbaum. (Claudia Sheinbaum/X)
AMLO initiated what he calls the fourth transformation of Mexico when he took office in late 2018. The term, abbreviated as 4T, quickly became an epithet for the current federal government, and is used by both supporters and detractors of the López Obrador administration.
The president claims that the change he is bringing to Mexico via things such as the eradication of corruption and the implementation of social programs to address the root causes of crime is as monumental as societal transformations brought about by independence from Spain, 19th century liberal reforms and the Mexican Revolution.
At his morning press conferences, or mañaneras, this week, he staunchly defended the “transformation” process he initiated almost five years ago and expressed confidence that it will continue under the leadership of Sheinbaum, who will face off against Senator Xóchitl Gálvez at the presidential election next June.
Monday
“As you confirmed on the weekend, Mr. President, the Maya Train is operational and traversed the tracks from Campeche to Cancún,” Javier May, director of the National Tourism Promotion Fund (Fonatur), said early in the first press conference of the week.
“This shows that in the fourth transformation, commitments are fulfilled. Without a doubt, the Maya Train [railroad] will be inaugurated in December of this year,” he said.
López Obrador, who completed “supervision” trips on the new railroad last Friday and Saturday, said that the project, “through tourism,” will spur economic growth in Mexico’s southeast, a region he described as “almost paradise.”
The railway will connect destinations in a region with tropical jungle, “exceptional” and “unique” animals such as jaguars, deer and armadillos, “the most beautiful beaches in the world” and the most abundant “archaeological, cultural and artistic heritage” on the planet, he said.
President López Obrador gives an update on the Maya Train at the Monday morning press conference. (Gob MX)
“We’re talking about a 2,000-year flourishing of the Maya culture, 2,000 years! [The pre-Hispanic settlements] are beautiful cities, full of splendor, with a lot of art, it’s a great civilization. The Maya Train is all that and it will allow there to be progress with justice,” AMLO said.
He acknowledged that the military will assume responsibility for the 1,554-kilometer-long railroad once it is completed.
“Why are we going to leave this project in the custody of the Ministry of Defense? Because this project, like others, is being financed with public investment, … money of the people,” López Obrador said.
Public infrastructure projects belong to the nation and people, “so we want to look after them” and avoid their privatization, as occurred when “corrupt, neoliberal” governments were in office, he said.
“How do we guarantee good, honest management of the Maya Train, avoid the squandering of money and … [prevent] its future handover to private interests? Well, we have to leave it to a serious, responsible institution that represents the nation, that represents Mexico – the Ministry of National Defense in this case,” AMLO said.
The president later revealed that May will resign as chief of Fonatur – which has managed the Maya Train project – and return to his home state of Tabasco for a possible tilt at the governorship of the Gulf coast state.
The governor of México state Alfredo del Mazo at his sixth annual report. (Alfredo Del Mazo/X)
He’s thinking about seeking the governorship (presumably on a ticket supported by the ruling Morena party) and he “has the right” to do so, López Obrador said.
A short time later, the president told reporters that he would be cutting his presser short, not because he didn’t want to answer their questions but because he was heading to Toluca to attend an event at which México State Governor Alfredo del Mazo Maza of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) presented his sixth and final state government informe (report).
AMLO said he was going to the event because México state is a “very important” state and the most populous state in the country. In addition, the Del Mazo government and the federal government have “worked together,” he said.
“We have different political origins but we’ve understood each other. Projects in benefit of the people of the state of México have been completed, which is the most important thing,” López Obrador said.
“We may have different party origins, but as leaders we must always think of the people,” said AMLO, who was affiliated with the PRI for over a decade in the 1970s and 80s before switching his allegiances to the Democratic Revolution Party for more than 20 years and later forming the Morena party that rules Mexico today.
“There can’t be partisan biases, we have to work together and we’ve achieved that because Alfredo del Mazo has been very respectful, hasn’t complicated things, hasn’t engaged in politicking and has never made a declaration against the federal government. He has been very respectful and we thank him,” he said.
Tuesday
During his fortnightly “Zero Impunity” report, Deputy Security Minister Luis Rodríguez Bucio took aim at eight judges “whose rulings favor presumed criminals.”
One of those he criticized was a Tamaulipas-based judge who ruled in favor of government bodyguards being reassigned to the former governor of the northern border state, Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca, who has been accused by federal authorities of ties to organized crime and other offenses.
“It’s worth pointing out that Judge [Faustino] Gutiérrez Pérez, in October 2022, also issued a provisional suspension against the arrest warrant [for García] for organized crime,” Rodríguez said.
“… It would seem that the judge … acts … on orders in matters involving the ex-governor of Tamaulipas,” he said.
Rodríguez also spoke about arrests in a case involving a 35-year-old Indian man who was murdered in Mexico City on Aug. 19. The deputy minister noted that Ketan Shah was shot 11 times on the Viaducto freeway shortly after changing US $10,000 at a currency exchange business at the Mexico City airport.
The car in which Shah was traveling with another person was intercepted at around 11:30 a.m. by four men on two motorbikes who apparently followed him from the airport, he said. The Indian citizen didn’t understand the men’s demand to hand over the cash as he didn’t know Spanish, Rodríguez said.
“This caused confusion and in the end one of the assailants shot him 11 times,” he said, before explaining the modus operandi of a criminal gang that has targeted people who exchange money at the Mexico City airport.
During his engagement with reporters, López Obrador confirmed that a 20-kilometer section of the Mexico City-Toluca passenger train line will begin operations on Sept. 15.
The Mexico City-Toluca commuter train is to begin first phase operations in September. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar / Cuartoscuro.com)
The entire railroad – a project that has been plagued by problems and delays since construction began during the term of the previous government – will be completed in December and open in March 2024, AMLO said. He noted that the rail link between central Mexico City and the Felipe Ángeles International Airport is also scheduled to begin operations early next year.
Later in his presser, López Obrador reiterated his intention to send a constitutional bill to Congress that proposes the election of judges by citizens.
“The people have good judgement and sound instinct and will know how to choose them well,” he said.
“… The members of the legislative power and the members of the executive power are elected, but the members of the judicial power aren’t,” AMLO noted.
“… So, the constitutional reform is very important and I’m going to send the bill,” he said before acknowledging that it will need support from two-thirds of lawmakers to pass Congress.
“If I send it now, the conservative bloc, which is involved in funny business with the judicial power, will reject the bill. I’m going to wait for the result of the [2024] election and if there is a [qualified] majority [of pro-government lawmakers], a majority of those who want the transformation, it will be made easier,” said López Obrador, a frequent critic of Supreme Court justices and other judges.
Among other remarks, AMLO noted that the 2024 presidential candidate for Morena and its allies will be announced on Wednesday.
“I’m going to support he or she who wins the survey as the leading member of the transformation movement,” he said.
“… And I’m going to give him or her the baton of command – not the presidential sash – the baton of command for the leadership of the transformation movement and I’ll remain governing for another year to continue helping the people, consolidating the transformation and finishing [government infrastructure] projects,” López Obrador said.
Wednesday
Shortly after the beginning of his Q & A session with journalists, AMLO was asked why he had decided to hand over a “baton of command” to Morena’s new standard bearer when such an object is a “representation of the entire citizenry, not one political party.”
“Look, it’s a way of passing on a responsibility that I’ve had to attend to as the leader of a movement of transformation. That’s what the baton symbolizes. Above all, it’s a symbol of indigenous communities, the poorest people of this country, and it’s about handing over that symbol to he or she who must lead the transformation, provide continuity to what for us is essential – helping the poor and helping the Indigenous people,” he said.
Claudia Sheinbaum (center) with Alfonso Durazo (left) and Mario Delgado (right) at the announcement of the Morena poll result. (Claudia Sheinbaum/X)
“That makes us different. The oligarchy doesn’t … have love for the people,” López Obrador said, referring to politicians and other citizens affiliated with parties that have previously held power in Mexico.
“The oligarchs are classists and racists. I’m not making anything up. We have great love for the people and a lot of admiration and respect, and we have a commitment to the Indigenous communities of Mexico,” he said.
AMLO said that it hadn’t yet been decided whether he would hand over the baton in a public or private ceremony.
López Obrador also told reporters that he was preparing for his upcoming trip to South America.
“I’m writing my texts for the tour because I’m leaving on Friday for Colombia and [after that] we’re going to Chile,” he said.
President López Obrador with Colombian president Gustavo Petro. (Gustavo Petro/X)
AMLO said that his foreign affairs minister, his defense minister and his navy minister would accompany him on the trip, during which he will meet with Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Chilean President Gabriel Boric and attend a ceremony on Sept. 11 marking the 50th anniversary of the death of former Chilean president Salvador Allende during the military coup led by general Augusto Pinochet.
“We’re going on an Air Force plane, it’s a small entourage,” he said, adding that the aircraft won’t pass through Peruvian air space to get to Chile.
“As it is public and well-known, we don’t have good relations with the government of Peru,” said López Obrador, who condemned the Peruvian Congress’s removal of former president Pedro Castillo in late 2022 and has rejected the legitimacy of President Dina Boluarte’s rule.
“[Consequently] we’re not going to ask to go through [Peruvian] air space. We’re going to make a detour to get to Santiago de Chile,” he said.
During his Wednesday mañanera, AMLO also advocated – as he has done many times previously – for the economic integration of all the countries of the Americas.
“The ideal of [Simón] Bolívar was the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean. We think that we must be united in our America, like [Cuban independence hero José] Martí said,” he remarked.
Toward the end of the presser, the president ruled out any possibility of a “rupture” in Morena following a candidate selection process that was marked by moments of acrimony.
“There won’t be any problem, … they’re responsible people,” he said in reference to the six people who sought to represent Morena and its allies at the upcoming presidential election.
Thursday
“I believe it was an example of a democratic exercise, something unprecedented,” López Obrador said when asked about the ruling Morena’s candidate selection process that culminated Wednesday night with the announcement that Claudia Sheinbaum would represent the party at the 2024 presidential election.
“The custom for decades, centuries, was imposition, eldedazo [big finger]. The incumbent president chose his successor,” he said.
AMLO confirmed that he would hand over the “baton of command” to Sheinbaum on Thursday evening.
Marcelo Ebrard at a press conference where he called on his party, Morena, to repeat the polling process ahead of the announcement of results. (Cuartoscuro)
Turning his focus to Marcelo Ebrard – who denounced “irregularities” in Morena’s polling process hours before it was announced he had finished second – the president said his former foreign minister was “a very good person, a good leader, a good public servant … [and] my friend.”
“I hope that he decides to support the transformation, continue with the transformation, put the greater interest, the general interest first,” López Obrador said of Ebrard, who told a radio station Thursday morning that there was no longer a “space” for him in Morena.
“We have to wait and see what Marcelo Ebrard decides. … We respect him a lot, he’s our colleague, our friend, but he’s free to take the decision that he considers most appropriate,” he said.
“… Above all, the position [one holds] is not the important thing but rather the assignment, the project,” AMLO said.
He added that he didn’t agree with Ebrard’s assertion that Morena’s polling process “must be redone” because it was “completely transparent” and “there was no tipping the scales in anyone’s favor.”
López Obrador subsequently reiterated that his leadership of the “movement of transformation” would end when he handed over the “baton of command” to Sheinbaum later in the day.
“I’ll no longer intervene in any decision that has to do with the movement of transformation. Now, I’ll completely dedicate the time I have left [in office] to consolidating the programs in benefit of the people, … finishing the [government infrastructure] projects, governing for all, looking after everyone, listening to everyone, respecting everyone, even our adversaries,” said AMLO, who frequently acknowledges that he sounds like a broken record given the frequency with which he repeats some of his messages.
“… I’m very happy because there is generational change. I know Claudia very well and I’m very relaxed because I know there’s going to be continuity with change. … In addition, she’s an honest woman, with principles, with ideals, very prepared and experienced because she’s held important positions and was mayor of Mexico City,” he said.
Near the end of a presser dominated by questions relating to Morena’s candidate selection process and Ebrard’s dissatisfaction with it, López Obrador was asked about the Supreme Court’s decriminalization of abortion at the federal level.
Women marching in favor of decriminalizing abortion in September in Chiapas, one of 21 states in Mexico with laws making abortion a crime. The Supreme Court ruling paves the way for these laws to be changed. (Isabel Mateos Hinjosa/Cuartoscuro)
“I don’t have good information about that,” AMLO said. “I don’t know [the detail of] the ruling,” he added when asked whether public health care providers would be obliged to offer abortion services.
Among other remarks, the outgoing “movement of transformation” chief thanked United States authorities for filing a lawsuit that resulted in a federal judge ordering the state of Texas to remove the floating border barriers it placed in the Rio Grande to discourage migrants from crossing the river from Mexico into the U.S.
After describing the installation of the buoys as an “arrogant act,” López Obrador personally thanked President Joe Biden, explaining that he, “at our request,” took the decision to challenge Texas’ anti-migration measure.
“Yesterday this was resolved and it’s good news for the people of Mexico,” he said.
Friday
Early in his final presser of the week, López Obrador acknowledged that Texas Governor Greg Abbott had appealed the order to remove the floating barriers from the Rio Grande.
“He went to a judicial authority so that they would allow him to keep the buoys, but the case is continuing and we’re going to win, the government of Biden is going to win,” he said.
“… What the government of Texas is doing is completely reckless and inhumane as well,” AMLO said.
President López Obrador met with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in June. (lopezobrador.org.mx)
He said that U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg informed Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Bárcena of the decision.
“It’s good news, they’re going to formalize it next week. We’re very grateful to the United States Secretary of Transportation and we thank President Biden,” López Obrador said.
“I have now finished my term as leader of the movement of transformation, the leader of the movement of transformation that millions of Mexicans initiated is now … Claudia Sheinbaum,” AMLO said.
“… Yesterday I really liked that she repeated our oath: don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t betray the people,” he said.
He reiterated that Marcelo Ebrard is free to take any decision he likes with regard to his political future, but echoed Sheinbaum’s remark that Morena’s doors are open. López Obrador said that he still considered Ebrard his “brother,” and asserted that he has millions of brothers and sisters throughout the country.
AMLO stands between ex-Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum (left) and ex-Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard (right). (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
He also said that his former foreign minister was a great help for him in the management of the bilateral relationship with the United States during “very difficult times” with former U.S. president Donald Trump, who in 2019 pressured Mexico to do more to stem illegal migration to the U.S. and threatened to impose blanket tariffs on Mexican imports if it didn’t.
Toward the end of his mañanera, AMLO touted the “political stability, social peace and governability” that he believes have prevailed during his time in government.
“Do you think that foreign investment would be arriving if there wasn’t political stability? Would our currency be strong?” he asked.
“No. Investors have very good information, they know very well – perfectly well – what the macroeconomic situation is like. In other words, [they know] what’s happening with variables such as [public] debt, the performance of the currency, what’s happening with inflation, productive activity, employment, consumption,” López Obrador said.
Airlines pressured the government to postpone the starting date because they have already sold tickets for flights in late 2023, AMLO said. He said he agreed to the change, but added that he wants airlines to move more flights to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport north of the capital.
Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro with India’s Prime Minister Modi at the G20 summit. (SRE/X)
“There is space, and there’s no excuse [not to use the new airport]. On the contrary, the airport use tariff is lower,” López Obrador said, adding that airlines could lower their ticket prices as a result.
Among other remarks, AMLO noted that Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro is representing Mexico at the G20 summit taking place this weekend in New Delhi, India.
López Obrador, who hasn’t attended a single G20 summit since assuming the presidency, also said that Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena would attend an upcoming multilateral meeting in Cuba.
“We’re becoming internationalists because I’m going to Colombia and Chile,” he said shortly before ending his press conference ahead of his departure to Cali, where he was scheduled to discuss the fight against drug trafficking and other issues with President Petro.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
Basil - or albahaca as it is known in Mexico - is a versatile, fragrant herb that improves food and cocktails alike. (Emily Murphy/Passthepistil)
Albahaca was one of the first Spanish words I learned when I moved to Mexico; I guess that says something about its importance in my life. As a cook – and an Italian cook at that – I’ve always loved basil and usually have some growing in a garden or flowerpot somewhere.
It’s an easy plant to grow, and in Mexico (as in India), it’s not uncommon to see leafy albahaca (pronounced al-BAH-ka) bushes or potted plants outside shops or homes. For thousands of years in cultures around the world, this humble herb was thought to bring good luck and to have magical powers. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians believed basil guaranteed a safe journey to heaven, and sprigs were placed in the hands of those who had passed away. To this day, in traditional Greek Orthodox churches, branches of basil are used to sprinkle holy water, and pots of the herb can often be found inside churches. Some say basil also works as a mosquito repellent.
There are many varieties of basil—purple basil, lemon basil, holy basil, and cinnamon basil, to name a few—but the most familiar kind is sweet or Genovese basil. (Freepik)
There are many varieties of basil—purple basil, lemon basil, holy basil and cinnamon basil, to name a few—but the most familiar kind is sweet or Genovese basil. (These are not exactly the same but for ease of understanding we’ll lump them together.) This is what’s usually found fresh in grocery stores or dried in jars; its soft, gently rounded and rumpled dark green leaves are what give many Italian foods their distinctive taste and aroma.
In Asian cooking, Thai basil, with smaller, firmer and more pointy, flat leaves, has a stronger, spicier flavor which it retains at higher heat better than other varieties. Opal or purple basil, while pretty in the garden, doesn’t have as much flavor when used in cooking. One of my favorites (although I’ve yet to find it here) is lemon basil, lighter in color with a pronounced sweet citrus aroma and flavor that you can smell if you crush a leaf with your fingers. It’s great to use in salad dressings, teas and other hot or cold drinks, chicken or fish marinades, sauces, and desserts.
And then there’s holy basil, also known by its Hindi name, tulsi. Once in a while, I see it here, growing in a big pot or outside a small neighborhood shop, with its long distinctive flower spikes in gentle pinks and lavender. In India and other Southeast Asian countries, tulsi has medicinal, culinary and ceremonial uses. Most notably, in a compress or tea to relieve headaches, earaches and toothaches, to reduce inflammation and to alleviate stress. It is not as sweet as other types of basil, and the leaves are small, defined, and bright green.
I’ve never found the classic sweet basil where I live in Mexico except at the seasonal farmers’ market or from friends’ gardens. What’s sold in grocery stores or as seeds looks like some sort of hybrid, with smooth, pointy leaves and a barely perceptible basil aroma and flavor. At Home Depot, I’ve found plants of what might be Spicy Globe Basil—small, compact and roundish, with tiny pointy folded green leaves—with a fairly strong, spicy basil flavor. Friends in other parts of Mexico have better luck in finding the classic sweet basil used in cooking; meanwhile, I’ll continue to bring seeds from up north and grow it myself. Basil sprigs will also reliably root in water and can then be planted in soil. The plant belongs to the mint family, as do sage, lavender and rosemary, disparate as they seem.
Fish in Tomato-Basil Broth, a light but delicious meal. (The Healthy Foodie)
Fish in Tomato-Basil Broth
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 lbs. ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
4 (6-oz.) fillets of white-fleshed fish, such as dorado or striped bass
Warm olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or similar heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet. Add tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and simmer for 2 minutes; add wine, 2 cups water and about 12 large basil leaves. (Reserve some for garnish.)
Simmer for 10 minutes more, then carefully purée the mixture in a food processor or blender or with an immersion blender. Taste and adjust seasoning. The broth should be well-seasoned and not too thick. Thin with a bit of water if necessary to make about 6 cups of broth.
Over medium heat, bring broth to a simmer. Lay fish fillets in a pan in a single layer. Cover with broth and cook for about 3 minutes. Carefully turn over the fillets, cover the pan and turn off the heat, allowing the fish to steam until it flakes easily when probed, about 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning. To serve, place fillets in soup plates and ladle broth around each. Garnish with basil leaves and drizzle with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil.
Combine basil with another Mexican classic – avocado – for a delicious vegetable dip. (A Saucy Kitchen)
Basil-Avocado Dip
Great on burgers or sandwiches or thinned and used as a salad dressing.
½ to 1 cup Greek or full-fat regular yogurt
1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
1-2 tsp. fresh lime juice, to taste
¼ cup minced fresh basil
1 big garlic clove, minced or grated
1Tbsp. olive oil
Salt to taste
Optional: ½ tsp. honey
Process all ingredients in a blender or food processor till smooth or mix and mash everything in a small bowl. Adjust seasoning.
Basil is a quick ingredient for a more refreshing Daiquiri (April Golightly)
Basil Daiquiri
10 large basil leaves
1½ oz. simple syrup (see note)
2 oz. fresh lime juice
4 oz. white rum
Pinch salt
Garnish: Thinly sliced cucumber
In a blender, mix everything until smooth. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, pour the blended mixture into the shaker, and shake well. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into two cocktail glasses. Garnish with cucumber slices.
Note: To make simple syrup: combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan; heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Cool before using. Store refrigerated in a closed container for up to 5 days.
Basil Parmesan Mayo can prove a delicious addition to burgers. (The Flour Handprint)
Basil Parmesan Mayo
1 large egg yolk
¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 anchovy fillets
1 Tbsp. water
4 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon/lime juice
1 tsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
In a food processor or blender, mix everything except olive oil until basil is finely chopped and all ingredients are thoroughly combined. With the motor or blender running, drizzle in oil. Season to taste with salt. Store, refrigerated, up to 5 days.
Chevron is one of several foreign companies planning to halt exploration efforts in the Gulf of Mexico after finding the area unfavorable. (Shutterstock)
The oil company Chevron is pulling out of oil and gas exploration in Mexico due to disappointing results, just seven years after entering the market.
Mexico’s National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH) gave approval on September 7 for Chevron Energía de México, the company’s Mexican subsidiary, to return the Block 22 exploration area located in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a Bloomberg report.
Chevron found that there was “no favorable prospectivity” in the Block 22 exploration area, which they shared with Japan’s INPEX and Mexico’s Pemex. (Chevron)
“While Chevron and our partners have decided not to continue exploratory work on Block 22, Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico business will maintain an office in Mexico City and will continue to monitor industry developments in the country,” Deena McMullen, Chevron’s head of external affairs in North America, told Bloomberg.
Chevron won the contract in 2016, following an energy reform by former President Enrique Peña Nieto that opened Mexican oil exploration to private companies. But the company has concluded that “there is no favorable prospectivity in the block,” according to CNH representative Oliver Antonio Mayo Cruz.
Chevron is also returning area 3 of the Lost Fold Belt, while its partner Shell is returning blocks 20, 21 and 23. The Spanish company Repsol will also return a block in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Several other foreign oil companies are also in the process of returning concessions to the Mexican government, including BP, Equinor and Total Energies, according to documents seen by Reuters.
Exploratory oil contracts awarded during former president Enrique Peña Nieto’s government have not met the production targets set by the current administration. (@Chevron/X)
Only a handful of foreign companies have seen success from exploratory oil contracts won under Peña Nieto’s energy policy, including Italy’s CNI, Mexico’s Hokchi Energy and the United States’ Talos Energy. Repsol also maintains one deepwater block.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador suspended oil auctions when he took office in 2018, and set a production target of 280,000 barrels of oil per day for contract-holding companies by the end of his presidential term in 2024. However, most companies have failed to meet their forecasts.
Last week, the Mexican Association of Hydrocarbons Companies (Amexhi) admitted that, in light of these disappointing results, private oil companies in Mexico will not have anew production target for 2024.
Amexhi sought to explain the poor performance by stressing that even successful exploratory oil contracts can take up to 15 years to give results, and recalled that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected oil production.
Crude processing in Pemex-operated facilities such as Quesqui, in Tabasco, dropped in July to the lowest rate in the year. (@Pemex/X)
President López Obrador has often expressed doubts about private investment in Mexico’s oil industry, seeking instead to strengthen the finances and boost the production of state oil company Pemex. But Pemex is also struggling, with crude production dropping to its lowest point this year, at just under1.6 million barrels per day in July.
Mexico’s total oil production is currently at 1.9 million barrels per day – far below the 2.6 million barrels per day predicted at the beginning of López Obrador’s term.
