AMLO-themed birthday party video takes TikTok by storm

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July 21, 2023

Fan of AMLO show in viral video at his AMLO-themed birthday party — The apparent AMLO fan, identified as "Jorge" in the video, is shown with his AMLO-themed cake and a life-sized cardboard cutout of President López Obrador.

Mexico has seen the Donald Trump piñata, and now the AMLO birthday cake has arrived.

A video posted to TikTok this week shows a man celebrating his birthday with a President López Obrador-themed party in his family home.

A life-sized cardboard cutout of López Obrador, a banner featuring the president and the words “Happy Birthday Jorge” and AMLO dolls and figurines all add to the atmosphere for the so-called “AMLOFest.”

But the pièce de résistance is perhaps the birthday cake topped with the familiar buck-toothed cartoon image of the 69-year-old leader wearing a suit and his presidential sash.

President Lopez Obrador-themed came — Those willing to fork over the cash can order their own AMLO-themed cake, complete with a fondant figurine of the president. (Pasteles Increibles)

“Feliz cumpleaños papá!” (Happy birthday, Dad!) reads a message superimposed on the 30-second video, which had been viewed over 325,000 times by midday Friday.

The video was uploaded by TikTok user dra.janis, who identifies herself as Janet Ballesteros. According to a location tag, it was filmed in Ecatepec, México state, where López Obrador’s Morena party won the gubernatorial election in June with its candidate Delfina Gómez.

AMLO will celebrate his 70th birthday on Nov. 13, less than a year before his term as president ends. Should he too want a cake adorned with his likeness, there is at least one for sale online, at the price of 1,430 pesos (US $84).

With reports from El Universal

Mexico’s estimated economic growth in June up 4% over last year

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MND Staff

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July 21, 2023

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Mexico City restaurant — Preliminary INEGI data indicates a 4.3% growth in the country's tertiary (services) sector for the month of June. (Foto de Regina Victorica en Unsplash)

Final data is expected to show that Mexico’s economy grew 4% in annual terms in June, the national statistics agency INEGI reported Thursday.

If confirmed, that level of year-over-year growth would be the best result since October last year, when GDP expanded 4.8%.

Employees at a Ford Motor Company factory in Chihuahua. The manufacturing sector expanded in June by 2.8%. (Government of Mexico)

INEGI said that 4.3% annual growth in the tertiary or services sector was expected in June, while a 2.8% expansion was anticipated in the secondary or manufacturing sector. The statistics agency didn’t provide a forecast for the primary sector.

President López Obrador said Thursday that the 4% growth figure anticipated by INEGI was “good news.”

“The economy of our country is growing, which is very important. There is no economic economic stagnation,” he told reporters at his morning press conference.

INEGI also reported that month-over-month growth in June was expected to be 0.2%. The annual growth anticipated for June is higher than the 3.6% year-over-year expansion forecast for May, but lower than the 0.4% month-over-month growth predicted for that month. INEGI will publish final data for May later this month.

AMLO press conference — The president highlighted economic growth indicators at the Friday morning press conference. (Gob MX)

The Mexican economy grew 3.3% annually in April after a 3.7% expansion in the first quarter of 2023.

The economy grew 3.1% in 2022, while López Obrador has asserted that GDP will expand by 4% this year. The World Bank last month updated its 2023 growth forecast for the Mexican economy to 2.5%, a significant improvement from the 0.9% prediction it made in January.

Meanwhile, the Mexican peso has depreciated this week after reaching its strongest position in almost eight years last Friday. Despite that, the USD-MXN exchange rate remains below 17.

The exchange rate at 11 a.m. Mexico City time Friday was 16.96 pesos to the greenback, according to Bloomberg.

With reports from El Financiero

Mérida to have its first official Magical Neighborhood

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MND Staff

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July 21, 2023

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Ermita de Santa Isabel, Merida, a yellow church — La Ermita in Mérida will become Mexico's ninth Barrio Mágico, according to the city's mayor. (Mario Morales Rubi/Wikimedia)

The La Ermita neighborhood in Mérida, Yucatán, is set to be the city’s first Barrio Mágico, or Magical Neighborhood — a recognition granted to some of Mexico’s most iconic locations.

According to Yucatán’s state Tourist Promotion Minister Michelle Fridman, Mexico’s Minister of Tourism Miguel Torruco will travel to the state next week to officially grant the award.

La ermita, Merida — The streets around La Ermita’s church are filled with brightly colored colonial buildings. (Mapio)

While the federal government has not officially named the neighborhood, Mérida Mayor Renán Barrera has previously suggested that it would be La Ermita.

Located in downtown Mérida, La Ermita is one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, home to the Ermita de Santa Isabel, a small French-style cobblestone church built in the 18th century. The neighborhood’s quiet streets are framed by colorful colonial-style houses, while the botanical garden adjacent to the church displays a lush array of native greenery. The main plaza sells Mexican antojitos (snacks) at night.

The Barrio Mágico program was created by Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism in 2022 to promote tourism in Mexico’s major population centers. It’s a similar designation as the Pueblos Mágico (Magical Town), which highlights towns across Mexico with historical and cultural value. The Magical Town program has proven to be an important driver of tourism to its 177 towns in the country.

Fridman explained that as large cities are ineligible for the Pueblos Mágicos titles, “the Magical Neighborhoods program seeks to give the same benefits to certain locations or spaces within the cities.”

A swimming pool at a luxury hotel — Hotels in La Ermita, such as the Hotel Cigno, will see a tourism boost as a result of the designation. (De Viajeros/Twitter)

The designated neighborhoods will receive funding to renovate buildings and promote its tourism industry.

While the state’s authorities requested the recognition of eight historical neighborhoods in Mérida, the first stage of the program will only award one per city.

Excluding La Ermita, there are currently eight Magical Neighborhoods across Mexico, in the cities of Chetumal, Mexicali, Hermosillo, San Luis Potosí, Pachuca, Uruapan, Oaxaca City and Chilpancingo.

With reports from La Jornada Maya and Entorno Turístico.

Interpol issues red notices for García Luna’s wife and siblings

By

Cat Rainsford

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July 20, 2023

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Interpol police — The international law enforcement body issued a formal request for their arrest after the family members failed to appear in a Mexican court in May. (Interpol/Twitter)

Interpol has issued red notices for the arrest of the wife and two brothers of former Mexican security minister Genaro García Luna, who is currently in prison in the United States on charges of drug trafficking.

The three people are wanted in connection to crimes committed in Mexico that are unrelated to the U.S. drug trafficking charges for which García Luna was convicted in February.

Mexico's former security minister Genaro Garcia Luna — García Luna was convicted by U.S. prosecutors of international cocaine distribution, among other charges. His attorneys have been granted more time to pursue potentially favorable new evidence they say has come to light since the conviction in February. (File photo by Tercero Diaz/Cuartoscuro)

According to the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (FGR), García Luna’s siblings and his wife Cristina Pereyra are suspected of involvement in one of three cases being brought against García Luna in Mexico.

The case concerns 10 allegedly fraudulent contracts to provide technological services to Mexican federal prisons, amounting to 5.1 billion pesos (US $302 million).

Pereyra is currently living in the U.S., where she accompanied her husband during his trial in New York in March. Justifying her decision to move from Mexico to Miami, she told the court: “We wanted our children to have a normal life.”

A Mexican federal judge ordered the arrest of Pereyra and García Luna’s brothers in May, along with 60 people accused of involvement in the embezzlement scheme. When they failed to appear in court, the FGR requested that Interpol issue red notices for their arrest.

Pablo Gómez Álvarez, head of Mexico’s federal Financial Intelligence Unit, revealed this year that García Luna orchestrated an embezzlement network of 44 international companies. (lopezobrador.org.mx)

Though a red notice may lead to an arrest, it is considered a formal request, and it is ultimately up to the discretion of the Interpol member country whether or not to arrest the person. This distinguishes it from an international warrant.

After Interpol issued the red notices, President López Obrador called on former President Felipe Calderón to break his silence about the charges against García Luna, who served as security minister in Calderón’s government.

“He should say that it’s all false, that it was an invention of the government, of the U.S. Attorney General’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. [If] what is said about García Luna isn’t true, defend him. Or say ‘I made a mistake,’” AMLO said.

García Luna faces two additional arrest warrants in Mexico. One is for the “Fast and the Furious” case, named after a controversial police operation that allowed 2,500 weapons to be trafficked from the U.S. to Mexico between 2009 and 2011.

Its stated aim was to use the arms to trace drug traffickers, but the illegal arms trafficking network it created only gave more power to the criminals.

The second warrant is for the fictitious construction and operation of several federal prisons, through which García Luna allegedly embezzled 64.9 billion pesos (US $3.84 billion).

United States authorities have not commented on Interpol’s request.

With reports from López Doriga and El País

Qualcomm to open operations facility in Tijuana

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MND Staff

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July 20, 2023

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qualcomm_building_and_sign_19478_0previewlarge — Qualcomm is coming to Baja California, along with nascent initiatives to train a semiconductor workforce in the border states. (Qualcomm)

Semiconductor manufacturer Qualcomm Technologies will open its first facility in Tijuana as soon as next fall, according to a statement made by Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon.

In the joint statement, Ávila Olmeda and Caristiano Amon said the operations center will focus on engineering for internal research and development projects.

Intel Guadalajara Design Center in Guadalajara, Jalisco — The United States’ new CHIPS bill offers financial incentives to companies engaged in US semiconductor, or chip, production. For Mexico, that means more manufacturers may seek to supplement their supply chain south of the border. (Intel Latin America)

“We’re very pleased to expand Qualcomm Technologies operations and engineering footprint to Tijuana and to strengthen our presence and commitment in Mexico,” the Executive Vice-president and Head of Supply Chain and Operations for Qualcomm Roawen Chen said. “Access to engineering talent in the Baja California region was key in this decision,” he added.

Based out of San Diego, United States, and with operations in over 30 countries, Qualcomm powers the cellular connection of smartphones and tablets around the world. Besides semiconductors, or chips, its product catalog includes processors, modems, RF systems, 5G, 4G, legacy connectivity solutions, and optimized software.

In a statement, Ávila Olmeda said that Baja California is developing infrastructure projects, such as ports and roadways, that will facilitate the operations of Qualcomm and other multinational companies in the state.

“These actions will streamline the movement of goods and people, facilitating the operations of Qualcomm as well as other companies that operate in Baja California,” Ávila Olmeda said.

The Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) is prepared to meet the emerging labor demand for chip engineers, with plans for a new specialized degree at two campuses. (Wikimedia Commons)

Earlier in July, Baja California’s Economy and Innovation Minister Kurt Honold Morales said that a German semiconductor manufacturing company will also establish a plant in the state. However, he gave no further details as to the name of the company or when it would arrive.

He also added that, to attract new companies, the state needs to invest in more talent, in hydraulic infrastructure and electricity, and in the transfer of hydrogen and gas to industrial plants.

To encourage the development of new talent, the rector of the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) Luis Enrique Palafox Maestre said that starting in the new school year, the Mexicali campus will launch a Semiconductor and Microelectronic Engineering degree with a first class of 15 students, followed by the Valle de las Palmas campus in Tijuana.

Qualcomm’s announced arrival in Mexico comes one year after the United States signed the CHIPS bill to expand semiconductor manufacturing in the region.

The bill includes an investment of US $500 million in international cooperation, which is aimed at developing manufacturing capacity and workforce training in border states.

With reports from El Sol de Tijuana, ASU and El Sol de Tijuana

Mexico, US announce plan for worker rights at Goodyear SLP plant

By

MND Staff

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July 20, 2023

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Goodyear global headquarters — The independent Mexican union La Liga had reported the abuse of workers' rights at Goodyear San Luis Potosí city factory. (Goodyear)

Mexico and the United States have agreed on a “course of remediation” to address a situation at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company plant in San Luis Potosí in which workers’ rights have been denied.

The announcement on Wednesday of the “plan to remediate denials of rights” came almost two months after the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) asked Mexico to investigate a claim from independent union La Liga that Goodyear — an Ohio-based company — had been abusing workers’ rights at its plant in San Luis Potosí city.

goodyear employees in Mexico — Employees, who voted to terminate their bargaining contract with Goodyear earlier this year, said that their union had not followed workers’ wishes. (Government of Mexico)

Announcing the plan, the USTR noted that it had asked Mexico to “review whether Goodyear was failing to provide workers with the beneficial terms of an existing sector-wide agreement (contrato ley) in place for the rubber manufacturing industry.”

“Mexico accepted the request and concluded that workers at the facility are being denied their right to freedom of association and collective bargaining,” the USTR said in a statement.

The agreed “course of remediation” — reached in accordance with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s Facility-Specific Rapid Response Labor Mechanism — consists of 11 different points.

According to the USTR statement, the government of Mexico will:

Goodyear factory — The agreement lists many requirements, including that the Government of Mexico will conduct in-person workers’ rights trainings with employees. (Goodyear)

Ensure that Goodyear distributes copies of and applies the sector-wide agreement (contrato ley) at its San Luis Potosí plant.
Ensure that Goodyear continues to apply any and all wages and benefits currently provided to covered workers that are superior to the terms of the contrato ley.
Ensure that Goodyear adequately compensates covered workers for any wages or benefits they didn’t receive as a result of Goodyear’s failure to apply the contrato ley.
Ensure that Goodyear posts, disseminates to workers, and abides by a public statement acknowledging its commitment to respect the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining and affirming its neutrality and noninterference in union activities.
Ensure that Goodyear issues transparent guidelines explaining the rights it will provide to union representatives and advisors and trains all company personnel on the company guidelines and neutrality commitments, as well as the rights to collective bargaining, freedom of association, and the contrato ley.
Ensure that Goodyear posts information about how workers can file complaints with the company and the Government of Mexico related to violations of their rights.
Inform workers of the reasons that led the Government of Mexico to determine there is an ongoing denial of rights at the facility, as well as the scope and content of the Course of Remediation.
Conduct in-person workers’ rights training for all company personnel.
Monitor the facility to ensure compliance with the course of remediation and Mexican laws related to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
If warranted based on this monitoring, initiate sanctions proceedings, in accordance with Mexican law, and if applicable, impose the corresponding sanctions on persons, labor organizations, or the company.
Publish and disseminate materials that explain key issues related to the rights of workers to freedom of association and collective bargaining, including the law related to and existence of contrato ley, to increase public awareness on the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers, particularly at facilities covered by a contrato ley.

The course of remediation is scheduled to be completed by Jan. 19, 2024, according to the agreement between Mexico and the United States.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said that the course of remediation is “aimed at remedying violations of workers’ rights at the Goodyear facility.”

“The United States will closely monitor the plan’s implementation. I commend the government of Mexico for its commitment to bringing this facility into compliance with Mexico’s labor law and for raising awareness of the applicability of the contrato ley across the sector,” she added.

United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai. Katherine Tai Twitter

Mexico’s Economy Ministry and Labor Ministry said in a joint statement that Goodyear “cooperated fully” with Mexican and U.S. authorities during a review of its San Luis Potosí plant, and affirmed its commitment to labor and union rights including those to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

The USTR noted that the bilateral Goodyear plan “marks the fourth time the United States and Mexico have agreed on a formal course of remediation” under the USMCA’s Facility-Specific Rapid Response Labor Mechanism (RRM).

“This course of remediation is the result of the commitment of the U.S. and Mexican Governments to workers’ rights. It represents a success for the workers in the facility and demonstrates the continued impact of the RRM,” it said.

Mexico News Daily

What can Mexico’s airline industry tell us about the country’s future?

By

Travis Bembenek

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July 20, 2023

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A volaris aircraft — In response to increased demand, Volaris will introduce 40 new flights, some of which are brand new routes. Special focus is being given to the Bajío region, part of Mexico undergoing a significant boom in 2023. (Volaris/Instagram)

Flying these days is rarely described as a fun activity. As I have had to do a fair amount of it within Mexico lately, I have tried to entertain myself by doing some observational research in airports. As a marketer at heart, I love doing research – reading extensively from lots of sources and then applying what I have read to what I observe in the real world.

I’ve been using my marketing research brain recently to think about Mexico’s airline industry. I analyze it here through three different lenses: airports, domestic routes and international routes.

The amount of development and construction taking place now in Mexico’s airport sector is nothing short of mind-boggling. We all know about the new airport in Mexico City, Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), with a capacity for 20 million passengers annually (and potentially up to 80 million if planned expansions are completed). Despite the controversy surrounding the project, it continues to attract airlines and passengers.

The second and third largest cities in the country, Guadalajara and Monterrey, are currently expanding their airports with massive multi-year projects increasing capacity to 40 million and 16.5 million passengers respectively per year. It’s not just in the very largest cities: Querétaro has recently announced continued expansion plans, Puerto Vallarta has a significant expansion underway to increase capacity to nearly 12 million passengers per year, Cabo San Lucas airport is adding nine new gates, and Cancún’s airport seems to never stop expanding.

The new Felipe Carrillo International Airport in Tulum is under construction and slated to begin operations early next year. Even with all of these expansions, the airports are more packed with travelers than ever.

The amount of domestic routes being added is also an exciting development taking place. Clearly, the airlines are seeing increased demand and purchasing power from their customers and responding with more flights.

New connections, new cities, additional flights are announced on an almost weekly basis. The demand – from families going on beach vacations to business people traveling from one city to another – is undeniably on the rise. Last year, there were 115 new routes added nationally and from abroad to Mexico, and Volaris alone just announced 40 new flights last month.

I think an interesting observation of the two fastest-growing domestic airlines, Viva Aerobus and Volaris, is that neither one has a first class section. These airlines are not building their business models based on well-heeled business people, or the wealthy who prefer flying in first class, but rather with a focus on the rapidly growing Mexican middle class.

Along with the growth in domestic routes, the amount of international routes being added by both national and international airlines is a development to watch as well.

According to schedule data from Cirium, there are now a total of nearly 750 flights per day between the United States and Mexico. American Airlines, with a total of 170 flights to Mexico per day, just increased its total number of flights per day to 50 from Dallas alone to different cities in Mexico.

United Airlines has 143 flights a day to Mexico, and Volaris is in third position, with 88 flights a day. Delta is in fourth place, with 66 flights a day between the two countries. Both United and American have seven flights a day from their Texas hubs to Cancún, Delta has six per day from Atlanta to Cancún, and United has six per day from Houston to Mexico City – that is an incredible level of connectivity!

In countless flights I’ve taken between the United States and Mexico over the years, I remember feeling like most passengers (outside of the beach flights) fit into one of two categories: U.S. business people traveling to Mexico, or Mexicans coming to visit family in the U.S.

Today, the diversity of travelers is inspiring and exciting. Business people from around the globe are on Mexico-bound flights, Mexican business people are traveling out to do business, Mexican families flying to take holidays in the U.S. and beyond, foreign tourists are flying into Mexican cities on vacations, young Mexicans are on flights to the U.S. or abroad to study. The frequency of flights, the diversity of airlines, and new connections from both abroad and in Mexico are allowing passengers to explore internationally like never before.

I encourage you to get out and fly into and around Mexico to be inspired by a dynamic industry responding to a rapidly growing and evolving customer base. The construction noise, packed waiting areas, and loud kids in the airports might not make your journey the most relaxing one ever, but you can’t help by be excited by the sounds of an expanding and mobile middle class, and what it means for the future of the country.

Why escrow? How Inmtec is revolutionizing transactions in Mexico

By

Henrietta Weekes

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July 20, 2023

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Inmtec building — Inmtec is offering this valuable service to help facilitate financial transactions in Mexico. (Courtesy)

When you’re buying property or getting started with a new commercial enterprise, how do you make sure you best protect your investment and find your way through the legal landscape? It can be stressful and pretty daunting, going through all the necessary steps from start to finish, especially when doing transactions abroad.

To ensure your financial security, peace of mind and your understanding of the Mexican process, a well-managed escrow account is without a doubt the best way to go. Inmtec, a well-established and reputable financial services company based in Querétaro, has recently created an entirely new division, providing escrow services.

Over this next month, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at the step-by-step process of Inmtec’s escrow services. We’ll also be interviewing Inmtec’s’ CEO, Ángel Marín Díaz, and National Director of Escrow Services, Addy Montoya, asking in-depth questions and examining the benefits of escrow on multiple levels.

This week, we’re outlining the broad scope of Inmtec’s escrow services. As the demand for secure and transparent transactions in Mexico grows, whether you’re a buyer or seller, choosing escrow is solid insurance for a reliable and seamless process.

We asked Addy Montoya some questions about what Inmtec can provide in comparison to other escrow services in Mexico.

Why do I need an escrow account in Mexico?

Mexico has a thriving international trade market, and an escrow service can facilitate secure cross-border transactions. You’ll mitigate the risks associated with international trade, such as non-payment, delivery disputes, or issues with product quality. The Inmtec team considers escrow particularly useful for complex transactions that involve multiple parties or contingencies.

Escrow services act as a neutral third party that holds funds and documents during a real estate or commercial transaction. This impartial intermediary, Inmtec, ensures all conditions are met before releasing funds to the seller. The added layer of security and trust is increasingly important,where buyers and sellers seek peace of mind and protection against potential fraud or misrepresentation.

Only Inmtec is licensed to provide this type of service in Mexico, and therefore we understand implicitly the specific legal frameworks and regulations. Your protection is guaranteed by law.

Would my escrow account be personal and confidential?

Yes, Inmtec maintains strict confidentiality over every client’s account, understanding the multiple different needs and specific requirements for each account holder and their business at hand. Personalized attention fosters trust, reliability and lasting relationships, and Inmtec’s main focus is to provide an impeccable bespoke service, through every account detail and every stage of the deal.

Would my escrow account be bonded?

The answer is, yes, absolutely. All agreements and contracts between buyer and seller parties would be compliant with relevant laws, agreements or contracts that outline the terms and conditions of the escrow.

Do I get preferential exchange rates?

Given the peso/US dollar rollercoaster right now, you’ll be offered preferential exchange rates.

Inmtec’s partnerships and expertise in the financial industry means they stay on top of market trends and fluctuations, ensuring their clients benefit from the most favorable exchange when converting currencies for their escrow transactions.

Is Inmtec escrow company a fiduciary?

Yes! Inmtec’s classification as a fiduciary will mean locktight security, trust and legal protection, as the fiduciary also carries additional responsibilities and potential liabilities. Fiduciaries must navigate conflicts of interest, maintain accurate records, and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Buyers, sellers and other stakeholders involved in the transaction, are offered that much more security knowing that their funds or assets are being held by a fiduciary who has a legal obligation to act in their best interests. A higher level of transparency and legal protection is assured. Additionally, being able to offer escrow service as a fiduciary can provide a competitive advantage, demonstrating your commitment to integrity, transparency, and client-centric services, which can differentiate you from competitors.

Is Inmtec escrow insured?

Inmtec insures each individual depositor.

Can I get title insurance?

Yes, Inmtec Escrow Services supplies title insurance for transactions.

Can I get insurance for hidden construction flaws found post-purchase?

Yes, Inmtec Escrow Services offers Vicios Ocultos (“hidden defects”) insurance for all your post-transaction coverage.

In summary, Inmtec Escrow Services offers robust streamlining and efficiency throughout your transaction process; centralizing funds and documents in one secure location, simplifying the administrative tasks involved in buying and selling, including managing the transfer of ownership, coordinating with lenders and ensuring all legal requirements are met.

Inmtec is setting the stage by playing a crucial role in shaping the future of the real estate and other markets in Mexico, and where other companies don’t, provides the necessary infrastructure for trade transactions to be facilitated in the most time efficient manner, reducing delays and complications.

Next week, we meet the team at Inmtec, discovering their areas of expertise and getting acquainted with their specialized process. Stay tuned!

Accident at Coahuila mine leaves 2 dead

By

Cat Rainsford

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July 20, 2023

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Mine Coahuila 2023 — The site of the incident was ordered to halt operations in 2022 due to unsafe working conditions. (Twitter)

Two workers were killed on Tuesday in an accident at a coal mine near Sabinas, Coahuila.

According to official reports by the Coahuila branch of the National Coordination for Civil Protection (CNPC), the accident happened at a mine on the El Mezquite communal land at around 12 p.m. The victims were named as merely José Guadalupe and Juan Jesús.

Although local media initially reported the accident as an explosion, authorities later said the two men died after a winch carrying them out of the mine shaft broke. Coahuila’s Undersecretary of Civil Protection Francisco Martínez Ávalos estimated they had fallen about 70 meters.

The bodies of the deceased were recovered on Wednesday. (Twitter)

Relatives of the miners began to arrive at the site in the hours following the accident, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) was notified to activate the relevant protocols.

On Wednesday, the CNPC announced on social media that the two bodies had been recovered and sent condolences to the miners’ families. The federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) is participating in an investigation into the incident.

The accident comes almost a year after a collapse at the nearby El Pinabete mine on August 3, 2022, left 10 workers trapped. All 10 died after flooding in the mine made it impossible for rescue crews to reach them. Their bodies have yet to be recovered.

In May, Luis Rafael García Luna Acuña, majority owner of the Pinabete mine, was arrested on illegal mining charges and ordered to stand trial for “unlawful exploitation of an asset belonging to the nation.”

Laura Velázquez Alzúa, federal head of the CNPC, said that the bodies of miners killed last year at the nearby El Pinabete mine may soon be recovered. (CNPC/Facebook)

Laura Velázquez Alzúa, federal head of the CNPC, held a meeting with families of the El Pinabete miners and engineers from the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) on Monday, in which the families were informed of progress in the excavation of the collapsed mine to recover their loved ones’ remains.

CFE engineers reported that more machinery and personnel had been deployed to accelerate pumping work and construct hydraulic plugs to control water levels in the pit. If the plugs pass efficiency tests, controlled excavations can begin to recover the bodies.

With reports from Sin Embargo, Infobae and Milenio

Ruling eliminates mandatory pretrial detention in 18 Mexican states

By

MND Staff

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July 20, 2023

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Altiplano federal prison in Mexico — A soldier stands guard outside Altiplano federal maximum-security prison, where Rafael Caro Quintero was held before his extradition on Thursday. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)

A regional judicial body has handed down a ruling that effectively eliminates mandatory preventive detention in 18 of Mexico’s 32 federal entities.

The decision by the Regional Plenary on Criminal Matters of the Central-North Region (PRMP) complies with rulings made by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) against the use of mandatory pretrial detention in Mexico.

Mexican Supreme Court Justice Arturo Zaldivar — Supreme Court Justice Arturo Zaldívar has said that preventive detention has been abused in Mexico and that pretrial detention should be the exception rather than the rule. (Galo Cañas Rodriguez/Cuartoscuro)

The IACHR in April ordered Mexico to change its laws regarding the use of preventive detention after ruling that the Mexican state violated the rights of two men who were imprisoned for more than 17 years before being convicted of homicide charges.

The Costa Rica-based court made a similar order in January after concluding that Mexico violated the rights of personal freedom and presumption of innocence in a case involving three men who were arrested on the Mexico City-Veracruz highway in 2006 on organized crime charges and held in pretrial prison for over 2 1/2 years before they were absolved.

Once it is officially published, the Regional Plenary’s ruling will eliminate mandatory preventive detention — called prisión preventiva oficiosa in Spanish — in Mexico City, México state, Nuevo León, Sonora, Coahuila, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Baja California, Guanajuato, Chihuahua, Tamaulipas, Querétaro, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Durango, Baja California Sur, Tlaxcala and Aguascalientes.

The decision, announced by the Federal Judiciary Council (CJF) last Friday, came eight months after the Supreme Court ruled that existing mandatory pretrial detention arrangements were valid in most cases. Suspects accused of a range of “serious crimes” including homicide, rape, kidnapping, fuel theft, burglary and firearm offenses have been subject to mandatory imprisonment as they await trial.

🟡 Amnistía Internacional se congratula por la decisión del Pleno Regional de eliminar la Prisión Preventiva Oficiosa en 18 estados de #México, conforme a las sentencias emitidas por la @CorteIDH en los casos Tzompaxtle Tecpile y otros contra México, y García Rodríguez y otro… pic.twitter.com/qqK9qDP47H

— Amnistía Int. México (@amnistiamexico) July 19, 2023

Amnesty International’s Mexico division praised the ruling. The NGO has long urged Mexico to eliminate mandatory preventive prison.

According to a CJF statement, when a person accused of a crime in the entities where the PRMP ruling will apply requests a provisional suspension of the imposition of mandatory preventive detention, that suspension is automatically granted pending a hearing at which a judge will have the option to make a suspect subject to an alternative pretrial control mechanism such as house arrest, a requirement to periodically sign in with authorities or an obligation to wear an ankle monitor.

A judge could still decide to place a suspect in preventive custody, but will not have an obligation to do so if the person is accused of a crime such as homicide or rape, as is currently the case.

The Mexico branch of Amnesty International said on Twitter that it was pleased that the PRMP had decided to eliminate mandatory preventive detention in 18 states in accordance with the IACHR rulings. It also called on the Mexican state to “strengthen a justice system that favors and guarantees human rights.”

Amnesty International has been calling for mandatory preventive detention to be abolished in Mexico since the IACHR handed down its ruling in January.

person wearing an ankle monitor — According to the ruling, in the states where it applies, judges will have the option to order preventive prison but also have other options such as house arrest, a requirement to sign in with authorities regularly, or a mandate to wear an ankle monitor. (Wikimedia Commons)

The court in April ordered the Mexican government to “adjust its internal legal system on mandatory preventive detention” within one year and “review the pertinence of maintaining” the measure.

It said that mandatory pretrial detention contravenes the American Convention on Human Rights.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at the time that the Mexican state would carefully analyze the IACHR’s ruling with the aim of complying and “ensuring the greatest respect” for the obligations outlined in the American Convention on Human Rights.

The government said last year that the existence of preventive prison is fundamental for certain crimes “to ensure that the alleged criminals detained for organized crime, serious crimes … or white-collar crimes don’t avoid … justice during the criminal process.”

The news website Animal Político reported late last year that 300 men and women are imprisoned every day, most of whom haven’t been convicted of a crime.

It was reported late last year that some 92,000 people were in prison awaiting trial, a figure that equates to over 40% of the entire prison population in Mexico. Some suspects languish in prisons for years without facing trial, although by law they shouldn’t be held in preventive custody for more than two years.

Arturo Zaldívar, a member of the Supreme Court since 2009 and a former chief justice, said last year that preventive detention has been abused in Mexico and that pretrial detention should be the exception rather than the rule, used when the accused is a flight risk or there is a danger that evidence will be destroyed or witnesses’ safety will be placed at risk.

With reports from Animal Político and EFE