‘El Chapo’ denounces ‘cruel and unfair’ treatment in message to AMLO

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January 17, 2023

El Chapo Guzman — Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán in U.S. custody in 2017 after he was extradited to the United States to face trial there. (U.S. Department of Homeland Security)

Notorious Sinaloa Cartel capo Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán is attempting to speak to President López Obrador through his lawyers, claiming he receives unfair treatment in prison in the United States and requesting to be returned to Mexico.

Guzmán sent the message from his cell in the ADX maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado. It was relayed through a member of his U.S. legal team before being made public in a radio interview by his legal representative in Mexico, José Refugio Rodríguez.

“He doesn’t see the sun, the food is of very bad quality, there is no healthcare; he had a problem with his molars and instead of treating them, they took them out so he wouldn’t fuss,” Refugio said on Radio Fórmula in an interview with journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva, who himself made headlines in December as the target of an assassination attempt.

Joaquin Guzman Loera's lawyer, Jose Refugio Rodriguez — Joaquín Guzmán’s lawyer in Mexico, José Refugio Rodríguez, pleading Guzman’s case to be returned to Mexico on journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva’s radio show on Tuesday. (Screen capture)

A week ago, Mexico City authorities announced that they had arrested 11 people allegedly involved with the attack on Gómez Leyva. Authorities said that nine of the suspects were associated with a criminal gang involved in murder, extortion and drug dealing in Mexico City and México state.

Guzmán’s lawyer claimed that the convicted cartel leader is kept in isolation, prohibited from speaking Spanish, and has only been allowed to make six or seven calls since March 2022 — a situation he describes as “psychological torture.”

Refugio explained that he was giving the radio interview to make the Mexican government aware of Guzmán’s request, as he was unable to meet with AMLO directly. He also claimed that he had sent a letter to Esteban Moctezuma, the Mexican ambassador to the U.S., but had not yet received a response.

“Joaquín [Guzmán] asked me through verbal messages to fight for his return to Mexico,” Refugio said. “I see it as an SOS… he is hurting from a trial that was not in accordance with due process.”

Guzmán was extradited to the United States in January 2017, having already escaped from prison twice in Mexico. He was given a life sentence in July 2019, after being found guilty on numerous charges relating to his leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel, including drug trafficking, organized crime, money laundering and homicide.

Refugio explained that Guzmán believes his human rights were violated during the extradition process, as he was denied the chance to defend himself in Mexico. In addition, he claimed that Mexican authorities had failed to honor a legal obligation to review Guzmán’s situation in Colorado every six months.

Cell inside Florence ADX supermax prison in Colorado — A typical cell at the highest level of restriction inside the Florence ADX supermax prison in Florence, Colorado, where Guzmán is serving out his sentence. (Photo: U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons)

On this basis, Refugio indicated that he is approaching Mexico’s foreign ministry to seek legal channels for Guzmán to return to his home country.

In his Tuesday morning press conference, AMLO denied knowledge of Guzmán’s request.

“I haven’t seen it, but let’s see,” he said.

With reports from Infobae and El Financiero

46.2 million passengers used the Mexico City International Airport in 2022

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MND Staff

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January 17, 2023

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Aeromexico's Boeing 737s lined up at the gates of the international terminal of the Mexico City International Airport (AICM). — Among Mexican airlines, Aeroméxico and Volaris carried the most passengers. (Shutterstock)

Mexico City International Airport (AICM) had a busy year in 2022, but passenger numbers were still below the record set in 2019.

Just over 46.25 million passengers used AICM’s two terminals in 2022, an 8% decline compared to 2019, when 50.3 million people passed through the airport.

AICM data shows that almost 70% of the passengers were domestic travelers, with the remainder using the airport before or after taking international flights.

Carlos Torres, an aviation sector analyst, told the newspaper Reforma that the establishment in October of a lower cap on the number of flights allowed per hour at AICM ensured that passenger numbers remained below pre-pandemic levels in 2022.

“The decision to temporarily reduce the operations per hour from 61 to 52 put the brakes on the activity that the airport had had since the beginning of the year. That’s why the 2019 [passenger] numbers weren’t reached,” he said.

The total number of flights that took off from and landed at AICM was 18% below the 2019 figure.

Torres noted that the percentage of domestic passengers as a portion of the total number of passengers was higher in 2022 than in previous years.

“Before the pandemic the proportion was 50-50 between … domestic and international passengers. The difference [in 2022] may be due to the slow recovery of the United States and Canadian [outbound tourism] markets last year,” he said.

Another factor, Torres added, is that many inbound international travelers fly directly to other Mexican airports.

“For example, the Cancún airport … received a higher number of international passengers [in 2022],” he said, adding that arrivals from abroad were also up at airports in Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Monterrey and Guadalajara.

With reports from Reforma

Mexico places temporary 50% tariff on white corn exports

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Cat Rainsford

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January 17, 2023

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Several stacks of golden tortillas on a white-and-green checkered cloth. — The rising cost of white corn is one factor pushing up the price of tortillas, a key source of calories for many Mexicans. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar / Cuartoscuro.com)

The Mexican government has announced a temporary 50% levy on exports of white corn, in an attempt to control rising prices of the staple commodity.

The decree, published in Mexico’s official federal gazette on Monday, will remain in effect until June 30, 2023.

“The supply and production of white corn in our country are important factors in determining its price and, therefore, also of the various consumer products made from it,” the decree states.

“In order to guarantee a sufficient supply, it is necessary to maintain national production in our country and ensure market conditions that allow stabilization of its price.”

The decree notes that white corn makes up 89% of Mexico’s grain production, with 332 kilograms per capita consumed annually in the country. Much of this is in the form of tortillas, which are a key source of calories in the Mexican diet.

According to data from Mexico’s national statistical institute (INEGI), the average price of tortillas in Mexico showed a 19% annual increase at the close of 2022, with some cities experiencing much larger price hikes.

This is part of an overall pattern of high inflation in the country, particularly in basic consumer goods, which the government has attempted to control by temporarily eliminating tariffs on imports of staple foodstuffs.

“One of the central tasks of the current administration is to establish a wage recovery policy, which cannot be disconnected from purchasing power, because in a scenario of high inflation, wage recovery is limited by price increases,” the decree on corn exports argues.

However, the tariff’s impact is likely to be minimal, given that the vast majority of Mexico’s white corn production is already consumed locally. Mexico produced almost 23 million tons of the grain in 2022, of which only 238,000 tons were exported between January and October, while 614,000 tons were imported.

Mexico is currently in trade tensions with the United States over President López Obrador’s move to ban imports of genetically modified (GM) corn for human consumption by 2024. While Mexico is self-sufficient in white corn, it imports large quantities of yellow GM corn from the U.S., mostly for use in livestock feed.

With reports from Reuters and El Financiero

Mexico and Canada prevail in automotive dispute with US

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MND Staff

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January 17, 2023

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Enormous Canadian, Mexican and U.S. flags hang from stone archways in the National Palace in Mexico City, which the presidents of each country standing at small podiums far beneath each flag. — The USMCA free trade agreement has governed trade between Mexico, the United States and Canada since 2020. (LopezObrador.org.mx)

A dispute panel has ruled in favor of Mexico and Canada in a disagreement with the United States over content rules for vehicles under the USMCA free trade pact.

Mexico and Canada filed a complaint against the U.S. over the interpretation of auto-sector content rules a year ago.

Under USMCA — the North American free trade agreement that superseded NAFTA in 2020 — 75% of a vehicle’s parts must be made in the region in order for the vehicle to qualify for tariff-free status.

Mexico and Canada argued that if a “core part” of a vehicle, such as its engine or transmission, is made with 75% regional content, the free trade agreement allows the figure to be rounded up to 100% when calculating the overall requirement for regional content.

In contrast, the United States view was that “core part” content cannot be rounded up when calculating the regional content percentage of an entire vehicle.

Mexico and Canada warned that the U.S. interpretation could prevent Mexican and Canadian manufactures from qualifying for duty-free trade in North America.

The dispute panel sided with those two countries, saying in a ruling last Wednesday that the U.S. interpretation was “inconsistent” with the USMCA. In accordance with the trade pact, the United States must now reach agreement with Mexico and Canada on how the panel’s decision will be applied, or else face the possible imposition of retaliatory tariffs.

“We are reviewing the report and considering next steps,” said Adam Hodge, an official with the United States Trade Representative’s Office. He said that the U.S. would “engage Mexico and Canada on a possible resolution to the dispute.”

Hodge described the panel’s ruling as “disappointing” and asserted that it could result in “fewer American jobs.”

employee at Zicua auto plant in Puebla City, Mexico — The decision will allow more Mexican auto makers to qualify for duty-free exports. Mireya Novo / Cuartoscuro

Tatiana Clouthier, a recently-departed federal economy minister, said that the decision was “excellent news” in a video posted to Twitter, while Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng said in a statement that Canada “”is glad to see that the dispute settlement mechanisms in place are supporting our rights and obligations negotiated in USMCA.”

Mexico’s Economy Ministry said in a statement that, “in the coming days, Mexico will begin a process of dialogue and cooperation with its trading partners.”

Flavio Volpe, president of Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, said that the dispute panel decision is “good for Canada and Mexico.”

In a separate USMCA dispute, the United States and Canada last year challenged Mexico’s nationalistic energy policies, arguing that they are inconsistent with its trade agreement obligations. The three countries are attempting to resolve that dispute without the intervention of a dispute panel.

With reports from Reuters

En Breve: NL governor goes to Davos, Cancún’s Lucha Libre theme park and Tesla discounts

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MND Staff

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January 16, 2023

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Depositphotos_164604318_L_850 — Tesla (Depositphotos)

Nuevo León governor Samuel García heads to Davos

In a social media post, Governor Samuel García announced on Sunday that he was bound for Davos, Switzerland, to participate in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (Jan. 16-20), which hasn’t been held in the alpine town since 2020.

“We are heading to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum to meet with world leaders and CEOs of the largest companies,” posted García. “Keep an eye on my networks because I will keep you posted on the actions we’ll take to continue generating sustainable wealth in #NuevoNuevoLeón. Let’s go!”

As the only Mexican governor invited to the gathering of politicians, business leaders and billionaires, García said he will attend as part of the International Affairs Commission of the National Conference of Governors.

Ya estamos en el World Economic Forum en Davos, Suiza, representando a México y a Nuevo León. Estamos listos para llevar más inversiones y aprendizajes al país y al estado. pic.twitter.com/W1bhWZOdyY

— Samuel García (@samuel_garcias) January 16, 2023

He also said he is having face-to-face meetings with executives from Heineken, Didi, Uber and “very important companies” from India and Asia. García intends to participate in the World Young Leaders of Davos.

**Cancún to have a lucha libre theme park**

Fibra Uno, a real estate investment trust, will invest 130 million pesos (US $6.92 million) to open “Luchatitlán”, a theme park dedicated to the culture of lucha libre wrestling in Cancún, Quintana Roo.

Rendering of “Luchatitlán” theme park, set to open in March in Cancún. (@VisitandoCancun Twitter)

The tourist attraction is set to open in March and will be located at La Isla shopping mall. The arena will hold 580 spectators and have a Mexican wrestling hall of fame, stalls selling snacks and a cantina with capacity for 220 people.

“The idea is to bring Mexican popular culture closer to international tourism that arrives in Cancun,” said the CEO of Fibra Uno, Gonzalo Robina. Ticket prices are estimated to range from US $69 to US $109 per ticket.

Robina noted that while the industrial sector is still the primary focus for the company, their retail shopping center portfolio had given them “surprises”, as occupancy of commercial spaces increased.

Tesla offers discounts of up to 24% in Mexico

Tesla failed to meet Wall Street’s estimates for the fourth quarter of 2022 due to logistical disruptions, the persistent chip shortage, the slowdown in markets such as China, and inflation.

Hence, Tesla announced a worldwide price reduction of up to 20% on their cars. In Mexico, the discount reached up to 24% on the Model Y SUV (from US $84,083 to $US 63,859).

In addition to the reduced prices, Tesla is promoting gas savings to entice buyers.

According to Tesla’s calculations, the average Mexican drives between 15,000 and 25,000 km per year and “the cost of electricity to run the Model 3 is up to seven times less over the same distance.”

Reuters reported that Tesla owners can deduct up to $250,000 pesos (US $13,304), depending on their tax regimen, and are exempt from paying the tax on new cars (ISAN). In some states, Tesla owners also don’t pay the annual vehicle ownership tax (tenencia).

Oxxo launches a drive-thru coffee shop

The municipality of Apodaca in Nuevo León is host to the first Andatti Drive, Oxxo’s answer to Starbucks and Tim Horton’s.

In a statement, Oxxo said that Andatti has been the most recognized coffee nationwide within its stores, making it the most consumed coffee brand in Mexico.

According to Oxxo, Andatti Drive will be focused on offering drive-thru lanes, advanced order service, a rewards system through its own app and home delivery through various platforms.

With reports from Players of Life, Milenio, Aristegui Noticias and Expansión

Mexico seeks to increase exports to African nations

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MND Staff

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January 16, 2023

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iStock-944323994 Indigoai — Among Mexico's major export markets to countries in Africa is food products. (Photo: Indigoai/Istock)

Mexico’s largest trade partner is easily the United States, but it also has commercial relationships with nations located far beyond the region in which it is located.

Among the country’s lesser-known trade partners are numerous African nations, and the federal government is seeking to increase Mexican exports to that continent.

In a statement published last Saturday, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) noted that it has been collaborating with the government of Nigeria in order to increase the shipment of Mexican products to the country.

Nigeria is a supplier of hibiscus flowers to Mexico (known here as *flor de jamaica*).

It also said that the government is aiming to “increase the presence of Mexican products in Africa in the medium term.”

“… Currently, Mexico trades food with Nigeria, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Egypt, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique, Ghana, Democratic Republic of the Congo and [the Middle Eastern nation of] Oman,” SADER said.

The products shipped between Mexico and those countries include sesame, hibiscus flowers (known here as flor de jamaica), rice, strawberries, corn, apples, cacao, walnuts, pears tobacco, chicken, lobsters, sea bream (mojarra) and sardines, the ministry said.

“… Africa currently has a population of 1.3 billion people, and its birth rate is among the highest in the world, so its population is predicted to double by 2050 and [the people of Africa] will require more food,” the ministry said, underscoring the potential for growth in Mexico’s trade relationship with African countries.

Elaborating on Mexico’s collaboration with Nigeria, SADER said that the two countries had signed a “work plan for the safe export of hibiscus flowers from the African nation to our country.”

Francisco Ramírez y Ramírez, an official with agriculture sanitation authority Senasica, and Vicent Isegbe, a Nigerian agriculture official, signed the document in the presence of Nigeria’s ambassador in Mexico and representatives of the hibiscus flower industries of both countries, the ministry said.

Ramírez, the statement said, noted that “the agreement establishes that Nigerian authorities will certify exporting companies that comply with the requirements that Senasica demands, such as the correct cleaning and quarantine treatment of containers and the placement of traps to detect the presence of pests.”

Isegbe pointed out that flor de jamaica is an “emblematic product” of Nigeria due to its quality and widespread availability. According to the Senasica statement, he also said that Nigeria has “reliable tracing mechanisms to provide guarantees to importing countries.”

Hibiscus flowers are most commonly used in Mexico to make agua de jamaica, a refreshing nonalcoholic drink, but they can also be used in dishes such as tacos.

You might drink your next agua de jamaica in Mazatlán, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta or La Paz, but the flowers to make the beverage just might have been shipped across the Atlantic from Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital.

Mexico News Daily

More Metro mishaps: 2 cars on Line 7 uncouple over weekend

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MND Staff

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January 16, 2023

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Mexico City Director Guillermo Calderon discussing an accident on the subway's Line 7 — At President Lopez Obrador's daily press conference on Monday, Mexico City's Metro Director Guillermo Calderón shows an image of a Metro car safety cylinder that helps keep Metro train cars attached. It was missing after the accident, he said.

The latest mishap on the Mexico City Metro system has been partially attributed to a loose screw on a train component.

Two adjoining cars of a train traveling on Line 7 became detached from each other on Sunday afternoon.

The incident occurred at the Metro’s Polanco station eight days after a fatal accident on Line 3 and three days after Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum announced the deployment of National Guard troops to the Metro system due to a series of what she described as unusual events.

🚨 #ÚltimaHora | Convoy del Metro se separa al llegar a la estación Polanco, en la Línea 7 del Metro CDMX: pic.twitter.com/EpcerCvRmn

— Forbes México (@Forbes_Mexico) January 15, 2023

Videos posted to social media show smoke emanating from the train after the two cars disconnected, which officials blamed on a loose cable making contact with an electrified guide bar and creating a short circuit.

Metro director Guillermo Calderón told a press conference Monday that the cars uncoupled because the component joining them together had one loose screw and another screw whose head had been sheared off.

“When the security cylinder came off [and] the cars separated, cables made contact with the electrified guide bar and produced a short circuit with a din and smoke,” he said.

Calderón said that the detachment wasn’t due to a lack of maintenance on the train in question, noting that it had been serviced on time on Jan. 5.

“It’s not a matter of maintenance because these safety elements are checked,” the Metro chief said.

He described the incident as an “atypical and unusual case,” noting also that “the safety ring that fastens to the [security] cylinder wasn’t found during the inspection of the tracks.”

Calderón’s explanation suggests that the train’s components were tampered with in an act of sabotage.

National Guard on duty in Mexico City Metro — The National Guard has been patrolling Metro stations ever since an accident on Line 3 on January 7 claimed three lives. Officials discussing both the Line 3 and the Line 7 accidents have implied but stopped short of saying both are due to sabotage. (Photo: CDMX Metro/Twitter)

The incident and three other “atypical” occurrences on the Metro system — including the unauthorized extraction of a black box from a train involved in the fatal accident on Jan. 7 — have been referred to the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office for investigation.

“Premeditated and malicious acts [have occurred],” Mexico City Governance Minister Martí Batres said Monday.

Mayor Sheinbaum said that government critics were quick to claim that Sunday’s incident was related to a lack of maintenance on trains, but asserted that wasn’t the case.

What happened has been clearly explained and it will be up to the Attorney General’s Office to investigate and locate those responsible, she said.

The train car uncoupling occurred just hours after Line 12 of the Metro system — the scene of an accident in May 2021 that claimed the lives of 26 people — partially reopened.

Service resumed on the underground section 20 months after the entire line — the system’s newest — was closed.

With reports from El Heraldo de México and El Financiero

Business travel to Mexico made a comeback in 2022

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MND Staff

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January 16, 2023

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A well-lit aisle inside an airplane with people seated, seen from the back of the plane. — The increase in business travelers is also expected to boost Mexico's top airport operators. (Suhyeon Choi / Unsplash)

Nearshoring, or companies moving operations closer to home, rebooted the arrival of foreign business travelers in 2022 with almost half a million businesspeople entering the country.

According to the Migration Policy Unit of the Ministry of the Interior, from January to November 2022, there were 463,508 business visitors who entered Mexico — a jump of 107% compared to all of 2021 but only half the number of business travelers who arrived in 2019.

In January 2022, 20,559 business travelers arrived in the country. As the year progressed and more companies relocated from Asia to Mexico, the arrival of foreign visitors increased. In November, it amounted to almost 58,000 business travelers.

Monex, a Mexican foreign exchange company, revealed in December 2022 that of all the air traffic coming in and out of Mexico, 21% corresponds to business travel largely fueled by nearshoring. Most of those travelers carried out business in Mexico City; Monterrey, Nuevo León; Cancún, Quintana Roo; Querétaro city, Querétaro; and Guadalajara, Jalisco.

The Mexico City International Airport specifically registered the arrival of 238,715 business travelers in 2022. This figure is 118% higher than that registered in 2021 but still only represents 49% of the business travelers who entered the country throughout all of 2019.

Alejandrina Salcedo, chief economist at the Bank of México (Banxico), said in December 2022 that business tourism had a steeper drop than tourism in general and although business tourism has shown a recovery, it has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.

She added that border cities have shown a “greater recovery” that can be associated with business tourism and with nearshoring, which is especially relevant in the northern states.

According to Banxico’s report on regional economies to the third quarter of 2022 — in which it accounts for business tourism based on data from Google Trends and billing — four northern cities have registered higher levels than those reached prior to the pandemic: Chihuahua city and Ciudad Juárez in Chihuahua, followed by Tijuana in Baja California and Hermosillo in Sonora. These cities are export-oriented (Chihuahua is the top exporting Mexican state), specialized in manufacturing production and stand to benefit the most from nearshoring.

The other two cities profiting from nearshoring are Celaya, Guanajuato, and Guadalajara, Jalisco, which specialize in the food and beverage industry, two sectors less affected by the pandemic.

Nearshoring is also expected to boost Mexico’s airports in 2023. On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Mexico’s airports would likely see a boost owing to tourists staying at resorts and an increase in nearshoring.

The country’s top airport operators — Asur, GAP and OMA — recorded passenger growth of more than 20% in December compared to the same month in 2019.

While Asur and GAP were boosted by tourism out of Cancún and Tijuana, the growth of OMA — which manages and operates 13 airports in the Central and Northern region of Mexico — was fueled by business trips.

According to Monex, all three groups are expected to register strong earnings this year, with Asur expecting to grow 38.4%, GAP 37.6% and OMA 34.6%, Monex said.

With reports by Bloomberg and Reuters

‘Innovative’ public park project planned for Mérida

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MND Staff

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January 16, 2023

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Tho' Rendering1_850 — A rendering of "Tho' Parque Nuestro", a large-scale park project that would include both public and private investment. (Gob Mérida)

Renán Barrera Concha, mayor of Mérida, Yucatán, announced on Jan. 9 plans to build Tho’, a new public park in the Altabrisa neighborhood.

Mayor Barrera described the project as “innovative” because it would be built in collaboration with the private sector, and with participation of the residents of Mérida. His government will convene broad citizen participation on what they’d like to see in the park. Currently, some of the municipality’s 600 parks are being renovated and redesigned with this model.

To build the park, Barrera and Yucatán’s governor Mauricio Vila Dosal have agreed to a scheme of land exchange – the City Council would exchange a property in the Maya neighborhood for the 8-hectare (20 acre) property in Altabrisa.

Mérida mayor Renán Barrera presents the Tho’ park project on Jan. 9 (@AyuntaMérida Twitter)

If the project is approved by the city council, it would require an investment of 100 million pesos (US $5 million) and would begin construction in Q3 of 2023.

Governor Vila said he will give all necessary support to Mayor Barrera for the construction of the park, which would be larger than the city’s El Centenario park and zoo, and includes archaeological remains on site that will be protected.

Barrera emphasized that Tho’ would be a park for all residents, not only for those who live in Altabrisa. However, they chose the site because northwest Mérida has a lower proportion of public green spaces. “We monitor the deficit of public spaces per inhabitant,” explained the mayor.

The park would be designed as self-sufficient and self-sustaining, meaning that the cost of maintenance would not be borne by the city. According to Barrera, this is a trend that’s already happening in other parts of the world, but it would be the first such park in Mérida. The park will have a commercial area to cover maintenance expenses.

Presentation of the Tho’ project to investors is still pending, but according to the Diario de Yucatán newspaper, Barrera trusts that the project will be of interest to investors.

With reports from Diario de Yucatán and La Jornada Maya

Strict anti-smoking law takes effect across Mexico

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MND Staff

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January 16, 2023

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A no smoking sign on a mirrored wall in a pastry shop. — Smoking is now prohibited by federal law in open-air public spaces like restaurants, parks and beaches. (Moisés Pablo Nava / Cuartoscuro.com)

A revised law that bans smoking in all public places and prohibits retailers from displaying cigarettes took effect on Sunday.

The General Law for Tobacco Control “amounts to one of the most stringent anti-smoking laws in the world,” according to a BBC report.

People are now explicitly banned from smoking in outdoor public places such as parks, town squares and beaches as well as offices, hotels, restaurants, schools, stadiums, shopping centers and entertainment arenas. Smoking is already banned in many of the aforesaid indoor spaces.

The anti-smoking law also prohibits all forms of advertising and promotion of cigarettes including sponsorship arrangements involving tobacco companies. Retailers such as the ubiquitous convenience store Oxxo are no longer permitted to stock tobacco products in open view of customers.

Health regulator Cofepris will be responsible for ensuring compliance with the law, which is expected to have an impact on demand for tobacco.

The federal Health Ministry anticipates that the new law will prevent 49,000 premature deaths and 292,000 cases of smoking-related illnesses over the next 10 years, the newspaper El Financiero reported.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), an agency of the World Health Organization, noted in a statement last month that Mexico’s Senate unanimously approved an amendment to the General Law for Tobacco Control that established “100% smoke-free environments and a total ban on the advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco products on December 14, 2021.”

“This amendment represents a historic step forward for Mexico in its anti-smoking policies and reaffirms its role as one of the leaders in the fight against tobacco in the world,” said Cristian Morales, PAHO representative in Mexico.

In contrast, “some smokers are dismayed at the draconian nature of the new law,” the BBC reported, noting that smoking outside private residences will be restricted in many cases.

It remains to be seen how strictly the anti-smoking law will be enforced in a country where approximately 16 million people — one in eight Mexicans — smoke.

According to the BBC, many Mexicans fear that corrupt police will use the law to collect bribes from people who are caught smoking in places where the habit is prohibited.

With reports from El Financiero and BBC