INAH provides updates on new Tulum and Calakmul museum sites

By

-

August 8, 2023

Jaguar Park, Tulum — Tulum's new Jaguar Park, the site of a new INAH museum, is currently under construction. (INAH)

Construction of two museum sites in Tulum and at the Calakmul archaeological zone in Campeche — part of the Maya Train project — are moving forward, said National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) head Diego Prieto Hernández.

During President López Obrador’s Monday morning press conference, Prieto provided an update on the new sites.

Mexican archaeologist holding newly discovered Mayan artifact — Construction work on the Maya Train project has led to a wealth of new archeological discoveries, which the government will showcase in two new museums. (Martín Zetina/Cuartoscuro)

The Tulum museum will be located in the under-construction nature reserve, Jaguar National Park. According to Prieto, the Tulum museum’s sample script — a visual guide to navigating from room to room in a museum — is 90% complete.

Meanwhile, “the Calakmul [museum] will display many of the archeological objects that have been discovered thanks to the participation of hundreds of specialists,” Prieto said.

An onsite museum will be built at the Calakmul archaeological site, INAH announced. The current museum is located nearby but offsite. Prieto said that research work in this area was 22% complete, with infrastructure and signage at 20% and 10% completion respectively.

Prieto also provided updates on the 12 archaeological zones along Sections 5,6 and 7 of the Maya Train route that are benefitting from the Program for the Improvement of Archaeological Zones (Promeza), a government initiative to restore sites along the train route in preparation for increased tourism.

To date, archaeologists working with Promeza have uncovered thousands of artifacts in these three sections, Prieto said. These include more than 35,000 ruins and/or structures; over 500 artifacts, 200,00 pottery shards; 106 gravesites and more than 1,600 associated natural features.

“Without a doubt, the largest number of vestiges in terms of ruins, dwellings, roads, platforms, housing units, palaces and other types of building have been found in these areas,” Prieto said.

“Recovering its materials will give us a new vision of the future of the Maya civilization in our territory.”

With reports from La Jornada Maya

Mexico’s per capita water supply dropped over 30% since 1996

By

Cat Rainsford

-

August 8, 2023

0

Dried up lagoon near Toluca, Edomex — Mexico's per capita water supply has declined by an average of 30% between 1996 and 2020, says water commission Conagua. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico’s average per-person water supply was at its lowest level in at least 24 years during 2020, according to data from the National Water Commission (Conagua).

The average person received 240 liters per day in 2020, Conagua’s figures show, a 31.1% decrease from the 348.3 liters they received in 1996.

A lack of appropriate water treatment facilities means that a significant amount of water is contaminated and lost, instead of reused. (Cuartoscuro)

Twenty-five of Mexico’s 32 states registered decreases over the recorded period, while just seven registered increases.

The sharpest drop was in the state of Oaxaca, which saw a 61.3% reduction in per capita supply, from 276.4 liters per day to 107 liters per day — barely over the 100 liters per day recommended by the World Health Organization as a minimum requirement per person.

The second sharpest drop was in Hidalgo, whose per capita water supply dropped 53.9% to 121 liters per day, followed by Chiapas, which saw a 52.6% drop to 134 liters per day.

On the other end of the spectrum, Guerrero’s per capita supply increased 56.7% to 213 liters per day, Colima’s increased 21.5% to 519 liters and Durango’s went up 11.7% to 262 liters. Michoacán also saw a 33.5% increase between 1996 and 2016, the last year on record in the state.

Water protestor — Per capita water supply is an average number, not a reflection of reality for every resident. So, despite the numbers showing an increase in available water in Guerrero, many in the state don’t have reliable access. (Dassaev Telléz Adame/Cuartoscuro)

Experts who spoke to the newspaper El Economista blamed a range of factors for the drop in supply, including changing population distribution, agricultural usage, declining rainfall and poor water management.

“It is definitely a lack of planning and management, and not [just] of the last five administrations,” said Juan Francisco Bustamante, president of the Mexican Association for Proper Water Hydration.

“In the last 50 years, the demographic growth of urban centers, the need for water and [the need for] best use were not foreseen,” he said. “There is a lack of 100% water reuse. Rainwater is not captured, [and] it goes to the drain and is contaminated.”

Rainfall in Mexico has also decreased, resulting in serious droughts. Precipitation in the first half of 2023 was 30% below 2022 levels, although it is expected to normalize for the majority of the country during the coming months. An exception is a continued water deficit in the northeast.

The government has suggested using specially modified aircraft to induce rainfall in drought-hit regions of the country, but farmers would rather see increased water management, something that some experts agree isn’t addressed enough in Mexico. (Cuartoscuro)

While the Mexican government has launched new artificial cloud seeding programs to stimulate rainfall — in which aircraft are used to stimulate rainfall in humid areas — some farmers have told media outlets that they would prefer the government to invest in more efficient ways to use water resources.

Manuel Cohen, a member of the Institute of Social Research at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), told El Economista that policies such as desalination, the accumulation of underground reserves, improved agricultural processes, recycling of wastewater and rainwater harvesting could help address water shortages.

He pointed out that, although all of Mexico’s states meet the WHO’s recommendation of 100 liters per person per day on average, this is an average statistic that does not reflect the full scope of water supply issues in Mexico.

“There are areas where they do not receive a single liter,” he said.

With reports from El Economista

National Cinematheque of the Arts to open Aug. 15 in CDMX

By

MND Staff

-

August 8, 2023

0

Cineteca opening — Culture Minister Alejandra Frausto (center) called the new complex "a great reflection" of Mexico. (Cineteca Nacional de los Artes/Twitter)

A world-class cinema complex in Mexico City is gearing up for its grand opening, officials from the Culture Ministry announced this week.

The 12-screen National Cinematheque of the Arts is set to open its doors to the public on Aug. 15, which is the National Day of Mexican Cinema. For the first week, admission will be free, and for the next three, tickets will be 2-for-1.

The refurbished complex will be dedicated to showing the best of Mexican and international cinema. (Cineteca Nacional de las Artes/Twitter)

The complex will be dedicated to showing the best of Mexican and international cinema. For many years, the space was a Cinemark movie theater complex, but it has been fully refurbished and will be managed by Cineteca Nacional, the national film archives of Mexico.

The National Center for the Arts (Cenart) and the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (Imcine) are also partners. “It is important for us that together we celebrate recovering a space that had been privately owned,” said filmmaker Alejandro Pelayo Rangel, director of Cineteca Nacional. “It was not easy to turn this into a public space and a new cinema … Our priority is [Mexican] cinema, which often does not find screens, which needs to have its own space. [There will also be] international premieres, film series and festivals.”

Three screening rooms have 3D projectors, and total capacity is 1,300. Overall improvements were made to projection and sound equipment, and better seats were installed. A remodeled parking lot can fit 994 vehicles.

The complex will host cultural and educational events, offering courses for film students, for example. “Also, we are very happy because soon we will implement an outdoor cinema program,” said Antonio Zúñiga Chaparro, director of Cenart.

Antonio Zúñiga Chaparro — Cenart director Antonio Zúñiga at the new cinema complex. (Gob MX)

Other improvements include a café, a concession area and a shaded outdoor garden area. The screening rooms, lobby and corridors were also refurbished. The cinema is located in the southern part of Mexico City, adjacent to the Club Campestre golf course.

Culture Minister Alejandra Frausto Guerrero called it “a great canvas for the development of audiences, but, above all, for cultural rights, which are human rights and have to be guaranteed more and more. The families [in Mexico] have the right to access good cinema, [films that are] a great reflection of the Mexico that we are, of the world that we are. If there is an art that gives us a great mirror, without a doubt, it is the cinema.”

From Aug. 15 to Sept. 15, the cinema will “be dedicated to exalting the diversity of voices and stories that make up contemporary Mexican cinema,” according to a press release.

Highlighted films include “Home is Somewhere Else,” a 2022 animated documentary in Spanish and English that tells the stories of three migrant families; Indigenous filmmaker Isis Ahumada Monroy’s “’Mi no lugar,” about Indigenous people from Guerrero who travel to Colima to work in a sugar mill; and 1979’s “María de mi corazón” and 1989’s “Rojo amanecer,” both starring María Rojo, a movie star who went on to become a federal deputy and later senator.

Film director María Novaro Peñaloza also attended the press conference, stating, “We are celebrating the national cinema. We are offering new spaces for the country’s cinema to be seen and to guarantee the right of people in Mexico to see their own cinema.”

With reports from Chilango.com and Proceso

Morelia airport reports historic levels of passenger traffic in July

By

MND Staff

-

August 8, 2023

0

Morelia Airport — Morelia's General Francisco Mujica international airport is one of several managed by the GAP group. (Google Maps)

The General Francisco Mujica International Airport (MLM) in Morelia, Michoacán hit a new record in passenger traffic last month, according to a report by the airport’s managing group Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP).

National passenger traffic at the airport went up from 56,100 in July 2022 to 82,100 last month, a whopping 46.3% annual increase. With 54,900 international passengers recorded for July, the GAP report also shows an annual increase in foreign passengers of 14.5%. Currently, Morelia’s international routes are all exclusively to and from the United States.

Morelia international airport — Volaris is the largest operator at Morelia’s international airport. (Wikimedia Commons)

These numbers have also surpassed the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, when the MLM registered the arrival of 41,000 international visitors.

The report indicates the airport saw a total of 137,000 passengers during July, beating the last record of 122,800 passengers, which occurred in December 2022. An impressive total of 819,900 passengers were recorded during the first seven months of this year. Compared to the same period of 2022, these figures represent an increase of 25.9%.

If this trend continues, the airport might close the year with total traffic of 1.4 million passengers.

The latest passenger traffic report places the Morelia international airport as the 10th busiest of those managed by GAP nationwide.

Morelia, Michoacán — The colonial city of Morelia is increasingly becoming a destination for national tourists and international tourists from the U.S. (Jezael Melgoza/Unsplash)

Other airports managed by GAP include the Guadalajara International Airport in Jalisco, which took the No. 1 spot in July with traffic of 1.6 million passengers, followed by Tijuana, Baja California, with a total of 1.2 million, Los Cabos San Lucas, Baja California Sur, with 729,000 and Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, with 567,000.

Compared to July 2022, these airports reported traffic growth of 13.2%, 9.3%, 7.9% and 1.5% respectively.

Overall, GAP’s 12 Mexican airports registered an 11.1% annual increase in total passenger traffic during July.

With reports La Voz de Michoacán.

4 opposition-governed states refuse to distribute new textbooks

By

Cat Rainsford

-

August 8, 2023

0

As the row over new school textbooks has spread, Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro said his state would not distribute the books. Many opposition politicians are alarmed by what they view as indoctrination by the ruling Morena Party in the new school resources. (Enrique Alfaro/Twitter)

The controversy over Mexico’s new school textbooks continues, with four opposition state governors saying they will block the textbooks’ distribution in schools.

The governors of Chihuahua (PAN), Coahuila (PRI), Jalisco (MC) and Yucatán (PAN) have all committed not to distribute the textbooks, while the governor of Guanajuato (PAN) said his state will complement the teaching with supplementary materials.

Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos was the first to reject the books last week, dismissing them as “garbage.”

On Monday, Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro said his state would not distribute the books “as long as there is no judicial resolution” of a case before the Supreme Court about whether production of the books should be halted, although he emphasized that the decision was made on administrative, not ideological grounds.

Coahuila Education Minister Francisco Saracho Navarro and Yucatán Education Minister Libario Vidal Aguilar also blamed the legal case for their states’ refusal to distribute the books. Saracho Navarro added that Coahuila is undertaking consultations with experts, teachers and parents to review and supplement the books’ contents.

State officials in Guanajuato and PRI-controlled Durango expressed concerns about the books, but said they would not block their distribution, in part due to concerns that students in remote areas may not have access to any other educational materials.

new textbooks for Mexican public schools — Some states have expressed concerns about the new textbooks but plan to distribute them anyway due to a lack of viable alternatives for students in more remote schools. (SEP)

The textbooks, produced by the Education Ministry (SEP), have been criticized for their allegedly ideological content, as well as various factual and grammatical errors and a decrease in content in core subjects such as mathematics and Spanish.

A Mexico City administrative court ordered the SEP to suspend printing of the books in May in response to an injunction filed by the National Union of Parents (UNPF), one of Mexico’s oldest conservative organizations, initially formed to combat the secularization of education mandated by the Constitution of 1917.

The SEP has lodged an appeal against the decision, which was referred to the Supreme Court.

Last week, Education Minister Leticia Ramírez insisted that the SEP was never “officially notified” of the lower court’s decision. She added that the outcome of the Supreme Court case may be inconsequential, as the books are now already in print and arriving at regional warehouses for distribution.

SEP HQ — The Education Ministry (SEP), which produced the textbooks, has denied that they contain any ideological content. (Wikimedia)

However, on Monday, Chamber of Deputies party coordinators from the Va Por México political opposition coalition announced that they intend to file an act of unconstitutionality against the books in the Supreme Court in the coming days.

They called on parents and citizens to reject the books, which they claim “seek to indoctrinate” Mexican children with the leftist ideology of Morena, the ruling party of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. A group of parents led by PRI federal deputy Cynthia Iliana López Castro blocked the SEP headquarters in protest and called for similar collective actions on August 21.

When questioned about the issue at his Tuesday morning press conference, President López Obrador stood by the textbooks, dismissing the opposition’s actions as sectarian politicking.

“[The opposition] talk about how the books are going to inject the virus of communism. That is grotesque, it is absurd,” AMLO said, adding that the Executive has the constitutional right to design and distribute educational materials.

President López Obrador called the outcry over the new textbooks “absurd.” (lopezobrador.org.mx)

“We are going to see what people think; they are going to express themselves, demonstrate, if they agree or disagree,” he said.

Article 113 of Mexico’s General Education Law establishes that the federal educational authority has the exclusive authority to “create, publish, update and distribute” free textbooks and other educational materials to the federative entities “through processes that allow the participation of the various social sectors involved in education.”

With reports from El Universal, La Jornada and Zeta Tijuana

Analysts predict peso will end the year just below 18 to US dollar

By

MND Staff

-

August 8, 2023

0

An exchange in Mexico — While there is some uncertainty about where the peso will finish the year, Mexico's central bank polled experts who agreed that it will close 2023 very close to 18 pesos to the U.S. dollar. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico’s peso was checking in by mid-afternoon Tuesday at 17.12 pesos to the U.S. dollar — a minor decrease compared to Monday, when it closed at 17.08. But based on the estimates of some recent surveys, the currency is likely to have its value shaved significantly during the progression of 2023, before finishing the year at 17.90 or 17.95 pesos, say experts

One banking specialist even estimated that the peso would weaken to 19.50 pesos to the U.S. dollar.

The central branch of the Bank of Mexico in Mexico City. — The Bank of Mexico survey revised previous estimates for the December exchange rate with the U.S. dollar. (Alfonso21/Wikimedia)

Banxico’s July 2023 survey, which gathered input from foreign exchange market specialists, estimated that the peso will reach 17.90 per U.S. dollar by the end of December. That’s an improvement over its estimate in June, which was 18.33.

A Citibanamex survey is guesstimating the peso’s value to the U.S. dollar on Dec. 31 will have weakened to 17.95 pesos, but it’s an improvement over its earlier estimate of 18.30 pesos.

Banco Bx+’s latest survey was one of the most pessimistic. A far cry from the average range of 16.6 to 16.7 that the peso achieved for 15 consecutive days in July, the online banking specialist’s newest estimate is that the peso will close 2023 at 19.50 pesos to the U.S. dollar.

Despite some differing opinions on the peso’s future, experts did agree that the Mexican currency’s actual performance will depend on factors such as monetary policy decisions and the strength of economic data in Mexico and the United States.

Alejandro Saldaña, chief economist at Banco Bx+, predicted that the peso will depreciate significantly by the end of the year due to factors associated with lower world economic growth. (Alejandro Saldaña/Twitter)

According to the newspaper El Economista, the Ministry of Finance has the exchange rate going into 2024 pegged at 19.1 in an early draft of its 2024 budget. That figure, however, can be updated next month before the budget is due.

He said that added pressure in 2024 will come from the June presidential election in Mexico and the November presidential election in the U.S.

Janneth Quiroz, director of analysis at Monex financial firm, estimated that the peso will finish 2023 at 18.15 per U.S. dollar, though a figure below 18 is not unlikely, she added.

“Right now, the market is adjusting,” said Jessica Roldán, chief economist at the Finamex financial firm, which predicts the peso to end at 17.90. “Surely, in a few weeks we will be seeing a less volatile environment. After all this volatility disappears, there may be better exchange rates in the short term.”

“Perhaps we will not return to such low levels that we saw [in July], but the Mexican currency can return to around 17 units per dollar,” she added.

The peso ended last week down 2.5% against the U.S. dollar, closing at 17.088 after a Friday rally. It closed Monday at 17.08.

With reports from El Economista and Bloomberg

12 year-old girl wins 29th annual tortilla race in Puebla

By

MND Staff

-

August 7, 2023

0

More than 400 women and girls lined up at the start of the 29th Carrera de la Tortilla in Tehuacán, Puebla on Sunday — many of them toting 6 kilos of tortillas on their backs.

When this Tortilla Race finished, approximately 5 km away in Santa María Coapan — in front of family, friends, and hundreds of onlookers from around Puebla state and beyond — the winner was 12-year-old Paula Michelle De Jesús Marcos.

Tortillas are an important part of the local culture in Santa María Coapan, and the race has become a way to commemorate the importance of the role played by the woman of the town. (SEGOB Puebla/Twitter)

Many of the participants hailed from the small town of Santa María Coapan, known as the “Tortilla Capital” for its handmade corn tortillas of a size and texture different from most others. Among the town’s population of 10,000 women, approximately 50% participate in the preparation of tortillas.

On race day, many got up before 5 a.m. to prepare the tortillas they are required to carry during the race.

Women in the open category ran with 6 kg (13 lbs) on their backs, although those from 40 to 49 years old and over 50 had lower allowances of 5 kilograms and 3 kilograms respectively. Some carried even more weight, running with a son or daughter either in their arms or within a rebozo — a traditional sling used to carry a baby. Some ran with sandals, others in their bare feet.

There was also a children’s category in which 4- to 6-year-olds carried 1 kg and those from 7 to 12 years old carried 3 kg.

Tortilla race in Puebla — Women of all ages participate in the annual race. (MIREYA NOVO/CUARTOSCURO.COM)

Paula Michelle De Jesús Marcos ran in the children’s category but was also the overall winner, taking the lead from the start and never relinquishing it. The open winner (a category for 19–39-year-olds) was María de los Ángeles Zamora Leal, who also won in 2019 and 2022.

Governor of Puebla Sergio Salomón Céspedes gave the starting signal after praising the women and highlighting that the event represents the traditions and identity of the region. The race also began with a traditional ceremony, marked by the burning of incense and the blowing of a conch horn.

The races included six categories, including a new recreational category added this year to prevent outside runners from taking an award away from the women who participate in the town’s 30-year-old tradition.

Participants wore typical garments from the Mixtec region: huipiles with embroidered flowers and colored threads, with a wide skirt and an apron tied at the waist.

The route corresponded (in reverse) to the route the women take daily to get to the Tehuacán marketplace.

The race is part of the Corn Fair held in Tehuacán; the municipality is said to be the cradle of corn in Mesoamerica.

With reports from La Jornada, Ambas Manos and El Universal

‘La Bestia, Jr.’: an ode to truly daring off-roading in Mexico

By

Joseph Sorrentino

-

August 7, 2023

0

Drawing by Miguel Angel Gomez Cabrera — Who needs four-wheel drive, anyway? (Miguel Ángel Gómez Cabrera)

I’m absolutely convinced that cars driven in Mexico are the toughest in the world. They’re also among the most abused.

Whenever I return to San Gregorio Atlapulco, a pueblo in Xochimilco where I lived for two years, I head to the hills with my friend Javier to explore the pre-Hispanic ruins. We’ve made all sorts of exciting discoveries, but even more exciting is the ride up to the ruins.

Javier has an old Nissan sedan that was definitely not made for the kind of driving done on these hills. I keep telling him that we need a truck or some sort of four-wheel drive vehicle, but we always end up taking his poor ol’ car.

Thin wire keeps the car’s bumpers attached, though they frequently get caught on rocks as we drive along – I’m convinced they’re going to get yanked off someday. Many times during our ascent, the bottom of the car scrapes the jagged surface of the road. Each time it does, Javier lets out a soft, “Oh.” No exclamation mark needed; he never seems concerned.

The hills aren’t very high, but the inclines are quite steep and challenging. The first stretch is a mix of cobblestones and rocks — and some holes where rocks and cobblestones used to be. Next comes the section of hard-packed dirt that’s pocked with holes and littered with gravel. I think I’ve loosened a few of my teeth traversing this section.

The roads, such as they are, are only wide enough for one car, although vehicles go in both directions. So I suppose it’s technically a two-lane road. In theory, anyway. But if two vehicles approach from opposite directions, someone’s gotta give.

The road also boasts several hairpin curves — the kind that necessitate inching forward and back several times in order to get past them. Of course, there aren’t any guardrails, so go back too far, and you’ll find yourself on a significant drop to the bottom.

This is the gentlest part of the journey.

There’s no logical reason Javier’s car continues making it up and down those hills, but up and down it goes. I’ve christened it La Bestia, Jr., the beast.

And that’s not all: as anyone living in Mexico knows, there are two seasons here: wet and dry. Both offer interesting driving experiences.

During the wet season, getting up the “paved” road is no big deal. But after that, the road, is just dirt, which, as you might expect, turns to mud in the rain.

Javier’s car fishtails maniacally as it strains to continue onward on such a road, flinging mud in all directions, as he fights for control. The trip takes a lot longer in the rainy season, and all that fishtailing probably doubles the miles.

As much fun as that must sound, my favorite time to go is during the dry season.

The air fills with dust as we heave up the hill. I have to say I’m not sure if the windshield wipers work, since Javier has never used them in my presence, preferring to lean forward and peer through the layer of dirt blanketing the windshield. I can’t see anything, and I’m guessing he can’t either.

He’s basically going by feel at that point. I figure Javier’s saving the wipers for a time when their use is really warranted but I’m not sure when that might be. Even storms have not seemed to be such a situation.

The final stretch of road is filled with big, sometimes deep, holes, and this is where we’ll get stuck several times a trip. Sometimes I, and whoever else is with us, will get out and push the car, but Javier’s preferred method, however, is to simply press the gas pedal to the floor, which causes the rear tires to spin furiously.

Until these trips, I’d only seen smoke pouring off of tires in movies. Now, I see it every time we head up these hills in the dry season. Let me tell you, if you’ve never smelled burning rubber, you’re missing out on a real olfactory treat.

After all that spinning, one tire will finally catch on something solid, and that’s when we shoot out of the hole, Javier struggling to regain control the whole way.

After surviving several of these sorts of moments, I realize there’s a chance that someday, we may pull a Thelma and Louise: the tires catch, we shoot out and over the guardrails and then launch into space.

I just hope someone finds us. Or, better yet, films our flight.

Joseph Sorrentino, a writer, photographer and author of the book San Gregorio Atlapulco: Cosmvisiones and of Stinky Island Tales: Some Stories from an Italian-American Childhood, is a regular contributor to Mexico News Daily. More examples of his photographs and links to other articles may be found at www.sorrentinophotography.com He currently lives in Chipilo, Puebla.

5 reasons you should watch Nuevo León’s Samuel García

By

Travis Bembenek

-

August 7, 2023

0

Mexico has only a handful of moguls or politicians who are well-known beyond the country’s borders. At this point, everyone has heard of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), and many will know the name Carlos Slim, who has been one of the world’s richest people since the 1990s (and at one point, was the richest person in the world). But beyond these two prominent figures, most foreigners would be challenged to come up with others.

I think the name Samuel García Sepúlveda is one that might eventually join these ranks. This up and coming, pro-business politician is someone you should get to know. García is the governor of Nuevo León, one of the country’s major manufacturing hubs and home to the city of Monterrey, the third largest in the nation. Why is García one to watch?

Samuel García and Mariana Rodríguez — The young political “power couple” of Nuevo León: Governor Samuel García and his wife, Mariana Rodríguez. (Samuel García/Twitter)

1. Samuel García is young

García is only 35 years old, and won the governorship at age 33. His wife, Mariana Rodríguez, is 27 years old, and is a popular influencer. García’s youth, his wife’s visibility, and their comfort level with social media have allowed the couple to connect with both García’s constituents as well as Mexicans more broadly.

2. Samuel García is pro-business

At a time when manufacturers are looking towards Mexico as a destination for nearshoring investment, García is most certainly in the right place at the right time.

Nuevo León has a large and growing manufacturing base, contributing nearly 10% of the nation’s exports last year. According to information from the Nuevo León Economy Ministry, the state received US $13 billion in investment between October 2021 and April 2023. These investments will generate an estimated 88,000 new jobs with 135 companies.

The state came in second only to Mexico City in 2022 in its share of the country’s foreign direct investment (FDI) at 12% of the national total. García has predicted that the amount of FDI in his state will more than double in 2023, reaching US $12 billion. Last year, Nuevo León exports were valued at more than US $51 billion, 23% more than the previous year.

The icing on this cake was the March announcement that Nuevo León secured the largest and arguably highest-profile foreign investment project in Mexico’s recent history: a Tesla gigafactory.

3. Samuel García is more than willing to travel outside Mexico

President López Obrador is sometimes mocked (or commended) for his limited travel outside of the country during his term. Just last week he reiterated his view that “the best foreign policy is domestic policy.”

In his five years in office, he has only visited the United States, Central America and Cuba. García, on the other hand, appears sometimes to function as de facto Secretary of State or Commerce Secretary with all of his international travel. In his first two years as governor, he traveled throughout Europe, attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, went on a trade mission to Korea and Taiwan, visited Egypt, took multiple trips to the United States and Canada, and last week, toured India.

4. Samuel García is constantly promoting Mexico’s “brand”

García has defended the amount he travels by saying “nothing sells itself”, and has worked tirelessly to try to position both Nuevo León and Mexico as vitally important destinations for global investment. I think Mexico has a real opportunity to better promote itself on the world stage, and García is getting the message out there.

**5. Samuel García does not represent one of the major political parties**

As AMLO’s Morena party continues to consolidate power nationwide, the key opposition parties (the PRI, PAN, and PRD) have formed a coalition. García represents a lesser known and smaller party called Movimiento Cuidadano (Citizens Movement). This party, while small in numbers, holds the governorships of two key Mexican states: Nuevo León and Jalisco (governed by Enrique Alfaro).

García had said in December he was a potential MC presidential candidate for 2024, but in June, García ruled out a run until 2030.

Nuevo León is getting a lot of attention right now. It’s wealthy, with a per capita GDP that is 73% higher than the national average, and it’s growing faster than other states. It’s also led by a charismatic and media-savvy politician from a minority party.

We are seeing only the beginnings of Samuel García’s career, which may take him far in years to come.

Huge chemical factory fire in México state leaves 2 injured

By

MND Staff

-

August 7, 2023

0

Fire in a solvent factory — Firefighters took six hours to control the inferno, which left two industrial units completely destroyed. (Cuartoscuro)

Firefighters from 11 municipalities in México state and Mexico City battled a blaze for six hours Sunday that led to two injuries and 100 homes being temporarily evacuated.

The fire occurred at two adjoining companies — including one that collects and recycles waste and one that sells diesel, gasoline and biodiesel — in Chicoloapan de Juárez, México state, some 30 km (18 miles) east of Mexico City. The city of 200,000 is considered part of the Greater Mexico City urban area.

Fire crews — Teams from 11 municipalities in Mexico City and México state were present to control the fire, which briefly sprang back to life later in the day. (Cuartoscuro)

A column of black smoke could be seen from miles away.

According to Chicoloapan Mayor Nancy Gómez, the fire originated in a plant belonging to the company Enermex, which according to its website sells fuel products like gasoline, diesel and biodiesel, after a truck within the company’s facility caught fire. The fire appears to have spread to another nearby company, Red Ambiental, a home and industrial waste collection company. According to media reports, firefighters had to smash down walls at Enermex in order to enter and fight the fire.

The two now-gutted businesses are located near Chicoloapan de Juárez’s Central de Abastos, a wholesale-retail market.

Gómez said that the evacuation of 100 residents was only a precaution. The homes were not close to the conflagration, and no one was truly at risk, she said.

A black smoke cloud — Footage posted to social media showed a thick black cloud over the chemical fire. (Carlos S./Twitter)

The only injuries were to a firefighter who suffered smoke inhalation and a Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) employee who was onsite to help CFE personnel cut off the electricity and took a blow to the shoulder from debris. Authorities did not explain how the CFE employee happened to be hit by the debris.

Some vehicles parked in the area sustained damage.

The fire started at about 1 p.m. Sunday and three hours later seemed to have been controlled, but an hour later, while firefighters removed debris, the flames reactivated, and another column of smoke arose. It took about an hour to get the new blaze under control.

With reports from El Universal and La Jornada