The Monterrey-based airline says it will start with flights to Coahuila and Tamaulipas, adding Texas as a destination in the "first stage" of operations. (@FlyAerus Twitter)
A new Mexican airline is set to begin flying before the end of next month, joining a sector that two established Mexican carriers recently exited due to financial problems.
Aerus, a Monterrey-based regional airline, says on its website that it will commence operations in the northeast of Mexico in the first quarter of 2023, “covering national routes and later international ones.”
The first routes that Aerus will fly will be announced “very soon,” according to the website.
The newspaper El Universal reported Friday that the airline’s first flights will be between Monterrey and destinations in Coahuila and Tamaulipas. It also said Aerus would fly to southern and central Texas in a “first stage” of operations.
Javier Herrera García, the airline’s CEO, told El Universal that Aerus will initially operate with three 19-seater Cessna SkyCourier planes.
The airline hopes to grow its fleet to 14 planes by 2025 and employ 500 people, he said.
Aerus, which was granted a commercial aviation permit last May, intends to invest US $98 million over the next three years to achieve its goals. The airline’s parent company, Grupo Herrera, also owns a San Luis Potosí-based air taxi service called Aerotransportes Rafilher.
Aerus is currently seeking to fill a range of positions and will give preference to any former Aeromar employees who apply, according to a statement the airline posted to its Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts.
A phase 1 environmental alert has activated restrictions in the metropolitan area. (Rogelio Morales Ponce/ Cuartoscuro)
The Mexico City metropolitan area activated the first air pollution alert of the year, implementing traffic restrictions and recommendations against outdoor activity.
TheEnvironmental Commission of the Megalopolis (CAMe) said the situation was due to weak southwesterly winds in the center of the country, which had caused pollutants to concentrate in the Mexico City valley.
“The combination of atmospheric stability, typical of the high-pressure system and solar radiation that will be present during the day, will favor the stagnation of pollutants and the formation of ozone, causing air quality ranging from Bad to Very Bad,” the CAMe saidin a statement.
On Thursday, the Ajusco Medio monitoring station in Tlalpan, to the south of the city, recorded maximum ozone concentrations of 155 parts per billion (ppb). Levels under 70ppb are considered optimal for health, while levels over 100ppb are harmful.
In response, the CAMe activated phase 1 of its environmental contingency plan on Thursday afternoon and renewed the measures on Friday morning.
Under this plan, private cars with certain license plates will not be allowed to circulate in the city throughout Friday. This is in addition to the vehicles already barred from driving that day under Mexico City’s long-running “Hoy No Circula” (no-drive-days) air quality control program.
The CAMe also recommends the Mexico City public take the following precautions to protect their health:
Avoid all civic, cultural and recreational activities between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. including physical exercise.
Avoid smoking indoors or usingair fresheners, aerosols, waterproof paints or solvent products.
Public and private institutions should suspend or postpone any activities organized outdoors.
Institutions should facilitate remote work and other online activities wherever possible, to reduce transport emissions.
The CAMe advises citizens to stay informed about the situation and any updates to the measures. A new bulletin will be issued at 8 p.m. on Friday.
The percentage is lower than the 5% growth President Lopez Obrador predicted for 2022 back in February 2022 but higher than many experts forecast at the time: his own economy minister, Tatiana Clouthier, predicted growth of only 2.6%, while Banxico predicted much lower at 2.2% growth.
The International Monetary Fund’s prediction in February hit closer to the mark with a predicted growth for 2022 of 2.8%.
The 3% growth occurred against an economic backdrop of persistently high inflation and record-high interest rates as the Bank of México tightened monetary policy in an attempt to put downward pressure on soaring prices.
The secondary, i.e., manufacturing, sector recorded annual growth of 3.3% in 2022 while the tertiary, or service, sector expanded 2.8%. The primary sector, which includes agriculture, fishing and forestry activities, grew 2.7% compared to 2021.
Mexico’s GDP in 2022 just missed recuperating to 2018 levels. Hover over the data points to see exact figures.
INEGI also reported that GDP expanded 0.5% in the last quarter of 2022 compared to the previous quarter and 3.7% compared to Q4 of 2021.
Comparing Q4 to Q3 of 2021, the primary sector grew 2% in the three-month period while the secondary and tertiary sectors expanded 0.5% and 0.1%, respectively.
Mexico’s growth last year took some economic observers by surprise: at the end of 2022, the British magazine The Economist ranked Mexico’s economy sixth out of 34 countries on a list of “2022’s Unlikely Winners” — which highlighted world economies that performed far better than expected in that year.
Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, said on Twitter Friday that revenue from exports contributed significantly to Mexico’s economic growth last year.
“GDP grew 3.1% in Mexico in 2022, driven mainly by the external sector. The secondary sector, in which manufacturing exports are taken into account, was the sector with the highest annual growth,” she wrote.
After INEGI’s preliminary growth data was released, Siller said that nearshoring — the relocation of companies to Mexico to be close to the United States market — benefited the economy in 2022, but growth could have been higher if the phenomenon was taken advantage of more fully.
A breakdown on Mexico’s GDP since 2018, quarter by quarter.
Alfredo Coutiño, director for Latin America at Moody’s Analytics, said on Twitter Friday that the quarter-over-quarter growth figures for the secondary and tertiary sectors were indicative of an economic slowdown at the end of 2022.
The Ministry of Finance and Public Credit is forecasting 3% growth in 2023, but the International Monetary Fund is predicting GDP will expand by just 1.7%. The World Bank is even more pessimistic, anticipating growth of just 0.9% in Mexico in 2023.
“Domestic demand for services should continue to gradually recover in 2023, but a sharply weaker U.S. outlook is likely to curtail growth of exports and inward remittances,” the World Bank said in its January Global Economic Prospects report.
“… Consumption and export growth are expected to pick up in 2024, as inflation subsides and external conditions improve,” the bank added, predicting Mexico’s economy will grow 2.3% next year.
It's hard not to fall for the historic, colorful charm of Puebla city. (Photo: deposit photos)
To the dismay of most Mexico City natives, I love Puebla.
There is an undeniable release the moment I step into this city. The pace slows, the sun shines, its brilliant architecture and pastel colors ignite.
Puebla city’s vistas can seem to stretch on forever. (@Isaac Jero/Facebook)
A grid-like layout and clean streets makes navigation easy. There are more churches here than in any other city in Mexico, feeding the religious undertones that permeate local life here.
I find myself thinking of Puebla city often, planning my next escape before I’ve even left my current one. So allow me the pleasure to take you on a little tour around town, starting with the staples.
Museo Amparo: A comprehensive showcasing of Mexico’s art history from pre-Hispanic to modern contemporary. Meander through a typical 19th-century viceregal abode or admire original Talavera tile.
Calle de los Dulces: Candy lovers rejoice! There is an entire street dedicated to Mexican candy here, spawned by Victoria Ortiz, a poblana (person from Puebla) who opened the city’s very first candy shop in 1892.
There are hundreds of striking, colorful murals to be found in the city’s Xanenetla neighborhood. (Pablo Spencer/Poblanerias)
You could feasibly stuff your face for an entire afternoon (though I don’t recommend it) with dozens of local sweets, from camotes to novias and everything in between.
Xanenetla Murals: Once a dicey section of town, Xanenetla has been transformed into a beautiful open-air art museum, undulating with hundreds of colorful murals everywhere. From here, be sure to take the “Secrets of Puebla,” tour, fascinating journey through Puebla city’s mysterious underground tunnel system, which dates back to 1531.
Roman Catholic Cathedral: Standing proud in the city’s main square is one of the most stunning churches in the country. Construction began in 1575 and was completed in 1690, and its ornate, baroque design is reminiscent of the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.
The Chapel of the Rosary: Often touted as the “eighth wonder of the world,” this incredible chapel in the center of town is simply dripping with gold. it’s worth a look.
Callejón de los Sapos: Aside from this delightful little street (whose name means “Frog Alley”) being Puebla’s most Instagrammable location, it’s also swarming with antique shops and one of my favorite gems: Mesones Sacristía, an eclectic 19th-century mansion-turned-hotel that offers authentic Mexican cooking classes inside its original kitchen.
Biblioteca Palafoxiana: This is quite the library. And it’s not only for its looks — like the arched vaulted ceiling and dark wooden staircases. This national historic landmark holds more than 45,000 books dating back to the 1500s, and it was the first public library established in all of the Americas.
Puebla’s Chapel of the Rosary is a study in baroque gold designs. (Photo: deposit photos)
Museo Internacional del Barroco: The building’s sleek, minimalist look diverges nicely with an opulent baroque collection. There’s a theme for everyone, with exhibitions that touch upon science, nature, and poblano history. Consider it an afternoon well spent.
El Barrio del Artista and El Parián: This cozy little corner of Old Town is known for its lovely fountain, art studios and live music. It feeds into El Parian, a traditional handicraft market, where you’ll find a variety of brilliant textiles and Talavera tiles.
Ruins behind La Purificadora: Take a stroll to Hotel La Purificadora, where not only can you enjoy the elegant design of the building itself you can also meander to the courtyard behind and casually stumble on some 16th-century ruins. This is said to be the very spot where Puebla was officially named in 1531.
This town simply explodes with activity. But what is Puebla really known for?
Gastronomy.
A host of dishes attributed to Mexico were born here. Mole polano, chiles en nogada, chalupas, and rajas poblanas are just a few of the region’s famous (and delicious) foods.
The dish chiles en nogada was invented in Puebla by a convent of nuns who received Mexico’s Emperor Agustín de Iturbide. You owe it to yourself to try this iconic Mexican dish at the source!
Tasting everything is one tough obstacle to tackle, and that’s coming from someone with an uncommonly large capacity for food. I’ve made several trips to Puebla to eat as much as possible, and even as a sort-of vegan, it has yet to disappoint.
Because I’m fancy, I love a good rooftop bar, and Attico 303 is smack in the center of downtown with sweeping views of that gorgeous cathedral. Reviews on Open Table have deemed its cuisine “exceptional.”
However, I had already committed to vegan mole at El Mural de los Poblanos, an artsy restaurant fully dedicated to regional cuisine. It was divine.
To escape the tourist crowd, I like Restaurante La Noria. A uniquely-crafted menu pays homage to local ingredients, and its origins as an hacienda lends to lively terrace dining.
Post-dinner calls for a libation, and there is no shortage of mezcalerías in Puebla. My personal favorites are Licorería San Pedrito for its ambience: part church vibes, part bar — a contrast that feels so wrong it’s right. There’s also — Licorería’s chic, sophisticated older sibling.
For pulque fans, the seductive Caléndula Pulque Bar caters to a cool, laid back local crowd.
Like antiquing? Find your next treasure on Callejon de los Sapos. (Photo: City of Puebla)
It wouldn’t be a trip to Puebla without a pasita. What started as a grocery store quickly turned into the city’s most famous bar. La Pasita is known for many quirks, including a raisin liqueur, served in a tequila glass with a goat cheese chunk speared by a toothpick. (To be imbibed at any time of day, without judgment.)
If raisins don’t call you, head to Casa Zea, a stylish tasting house where Chef Gustavo Macuitl’s exquisite dishes are paired with something special — vodka, made from locally-sourced corn.
Finally, churros. I mean, what is a weekend escape without them? Head to Antigua Churreria de Catedral. Are they the best churros in Puebla? Who knows. The guaranteed line at this place, at any time of day, leads me to believe that they just might be.
Bethany Platanella is a travel and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. With her company, Active Escapes International, she plans and leads private and small-group active retreats. She loves Mexico’s local markets, Mexican slang, practicing yoga and fresh tortillas. Sign up for her (almost) weekly love letters or follow her Instagram account, @a.e.i.wellness.
The information about Tulum airport's planned Maya Train station was mentioned during a progress report on Defense Ministry (Sedena) building projects to President Lopez Obrador's daily press conference on Monday. Here Sedena architect Gen. Gustavo Vallejo talks about progress on Section 5 of the train route. (Photo: Moisés Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)
The planned Tulum International Airport will have a Maya Train station and a military base on its premises, federal officials told President López Obrador’s daily press conference on Monday.
The station to be located at the airport will be a stop of the on the 256.8 km-long Section 6 of the Maya Train, which will travel between Tulum and Chetumal. It is being built by the Defense Ministry (Sedena).
In addition to the airport station and the one in Chetumal, the route will also have stations in Bacalar and Othón P. Blanco and a stop in Limones.
During a report on the progress of the Maya Train’s construction, Sedena military architect Gustavo Vallejo Suárez also told reporters that the Tulum airport — expected to start operations in 2024 — will have a capacity of 5 million passengers per year. About 75% of those 5.5 million would be international travelers, he predicted.
The planned airport, to be built on a 1,500-hectare parcel, will have a 3.7 km runway with a Category 1 instrument landing system and high-tech navigation aids and will see up to 32,000 annual air operations in its first phase, Mexico’s federal tourism agency Fonatur head Javier May said during the press conference.
“It will also have a platform with 13 positions for commercial aircraft, both domestic and international flights, and an additional platform for general aviation and executive aviation that will have 28 positions, as well as a storage hangar with another 12 positions or spaces for executive aircraft,” Vallejo said.
Renderings of planned features of Tulum International Airport, including a military base and a Maya Train station (in the bottom right box). (Photo: Sedena)
The government’s stated purpose for building the airport is to relieve congestion at the popular Cancún International Airport and bring economic development to Tulum.
Vallejo also emphasized that the airport will be “green” as it is following the environmental recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
“This project will satisfy the growing demand of passengers who visit [Cancún] in the south of the Riviera Maya,” Vallejo said. “Its infrastructure and operational potential classify it as a category 4 ECO airport — that is to say that all the aircrafts that arrive and leave our country can operate at this airport.”
He also touted what he billed as the airport’s unrelated benefits to the surrounding community.
“This airport will have a wide range of airport services, in addition to a multipurpose military air base, to strengthen the security and surveillance of the national airspace, assist the population in cases of disasters and attend to forest fires,” he said.
Local activists, however, have complained that the project poses environmental threats to the area and complained that the federal government’s public consultation on the project in January was a sham, as construction was already underway.
INE said on its official Twitter account that the "Plan B" reform passed on Wednesday "would place equity and transparency at risk" in upcoming elections. (Rogelio Morales Ponce / Cuartoscuro.com)
The Senate on Wednesday approved a major electoral reform package proposed by President López Obrador, legislation that critics say will significantly weaken the National Electoral Institute (INE) and thus pose a threat to upcoming elections.
A second part of the so-called “Plan B” reform will now be promulgated by López Obrador, who has been highly critical of the electoral institute and its president, Lorenzo Córdova.
PAN (National Action Party) senators (Lilly Téllez on the far left) hold up signs saying Morena is trying to steal the election. (@SenadoresdelPAN Twitter)
The reform will slash INE’s budget and therefore force the dismissal of staff, diminish its capacity to sanction politicians who violate electoral laws, curtail its autonomy and close some INE offices, among other consequences
Seventy-two senators with the ruling Morena party and its allies voted in favor of the legislation, which was put forward after a more ambitious constitutional bill to overhaul Mexico’s electoral system was blocked late last year, while 50 opposition lawmakers opposed it. The reform modifies secondary laws rather than the constitution and consequently only required a simple majority to pass Congress.
“What the government is proposing is the destruction of INE,” said National Action Party (PAN) Senator Lilly Téllez. She accused Morena lawmakers of “selling the homeland” and claimed that López Obrador’s aim is to “cheat” in upcoming elections, including the 2024 presidential election.
Many opposition lawmakers indicated they would challenge the reform in the Supreme Court, a likelihood López Obrador acknowledged at his regular news conference on Thursday morning.
President López Obrador acknowledged at Thursday’s press conference that the reforms will face legal action from the opposition. (Gob MX)
“We’re going for Plan C – that of the citizens,” said PAN Senator Alfredo Botello in reference to the proposed legal action.
The Supreme Court has already ruled that modifications to the Social Communication Law and the General Administrative Responsibility Law that were included in a separate “Plan B” reform package that was approved last year won’t apply in the lead-up to state elections in Coahuila and México state this year. A veda electoral – a period of pre-election silence that prevents politicians including the president from campaigning – will consequently remain in place before the two gubernatorial elections.
Much of the debate prior to Wednesday’s vote focused on a clause backed by Morena’s allies that would have allowed major parties to transfer votes to their smaller coalition partners to avoid their possible deregistration. Parties are deregistered if they fail to attract a minimal level of support from voters at elections.
The so-called “political parties’ eternal life” clause was excluded from the reform package before Wednesday’s vote in the Senate, but it is set to be reconsidered at a later date.
INE said on its official Twitter account that the “Plan B” reform passed on Wednesday “would place equity and transparency at risk” in upcoming elections because political parties and candidates won’t be required to report pre-campaign income and expenses.
It said last month that approval of the reform would force the dismissal of almost 6,000 employees, a figure equivalent to about one-third of the INE workforce.
An election observer at a voting station in 2021. (File photo)
Luis Carlos Ugalde, president of the Federal Electoral Institute (the forerunner to the INE) from 2003 to 2007, said last week that the capacity of the electoral institute to organize elections would be adversely affected by the approval of the reform. He raised concerns about the capacity of a diminished INE to install 160,000 voting booths for the 2024 election and count votes in an accurate and timely fashion.
The current INE president has voiced similar concerns himself.
“One would think that in an environment where Morena is in government and has more probability of winning [in 2024] … that it would sow conditions to provide certainty, tranquility and a level playing field, Ugalde said.
Polls show that López Obrador retains the support of a majority of Mexicans more than four years into his presidency and that Morena’s candidate at the 2024 election – most likely Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum or Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard – will become Mexico’s next president.
Opposition lawmakers lined up on Wednesday to denounce the electoral reform and excoriate Morena for ensuring its passage through Congress.
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) Senator Claudia Ruiz Massieu accused the ruling party of using its congressional majority to “blow up the foundations” of democracy in Mexico.
“They’re not seeking to improve the system but … to have unfair advantages,” she said.
“… The opposition is going to the Supreme Court to challenge this backward step … and we’re also taking to the streets,” Massieu said, acknowledging protests set to take place in cities across the country this Sunday.
“I’m going to march this Sunday because I’m going to defend democracy,” said PAN Senator Xóchitl Gálvez.
A PRI congresswoman holds up a sign showing her support for the pro-INE march to be held on Sunday. (Mario Jasso / Cuartoscuro.com)
“… [They say] they want to save money, but why don’t they complain about the embezzlement that’s happening at [the] Dos Bocas [oil refinery],” she said in an apparent reference to a sharp increase in construction costs.
PAN Senator Damián Zepeda asserted that the reform “mutilates” the INE, leaving it “incapable of carrying out its work.”
For his part, independent Senator Emilio Álvarez Icaza described the reform as the “most regressive” legislation of the past 30 years.
“[Morena] wants to maintain power illegitimately and illegally. They want to put their hands in the ballot box and change the will of the people,” he said.
PAN senators held up signs in the upper house that asserted that “Morena wants to steal the [2024] election.”
López Obrador has rejected claims that the reform places the staging of free and fair elections at risk while touting 3.5 billion pesos (US $190.5 million) in annual savings it will generate – money he would prefer to spend on government welfare and infrastructure programs.
INE president Lorenzo Córdova ends his eight-year term in April. (Cuartoscuro.com)
Córdova, the INE chief, said Thursday that payouts to employees of the same amount will be required due to the dismissals necessitated by the reform. He said last month that the “Plan B” reform would “blow up the elections” and called on citizens to present “all legal resources within their reach to stop” it.
Córdova, whose eight-year term as INE president ends in April, said Thursday that “it’s better to go to the elections in 2024 with the rules that have given us political stability and not play the sorcerer’s apprentice with a collection of norms that reinvent the electoral system.”
Established in 1990, the Federal Electoral Institute oversaw Mexico’s transition to full democracy after the country was ruled uninterruptedly by the PRI for over 70 years until the PAN triumphed at the 2000 presidential election.
Poll results published by the Reforma newspaper last November showed that 80% of respondents believe that the INE has played an important role in guaranteeing democracy in Mexico while 71% said that its demise would pose a threat to democracy.
López Obrador blames the institute for his narrow loss at the 2006 presidential election, accusing it of perpetrating electoral fraud. He led mass protests against the official result and had himself sworn in as Mexico’s “legitimate president” in an event held in the Zócalo, Mexico City’s central square.
López Obrador said in late January that Córdova was a “public servant without principles or ideals” and “a fraud.”
The president also charged that the INE has been taken over by “conservatives” and that he won the 2018 election “despite them.”
He predicted Thursday that his “Plan B” reform would survive legal challenges because nothing in it is “outside the law.”
Felipe Calderón, Mexico's president from 2006-2012, took to Twitter to respond to the conviction of his former security minister, Genaro García Luna, this week. (FERNANDO CARRANZA GARCIA / CUARTOSCURO.COM.)
Felipe Calderón has defended his integrity and crime-fighting record as president after the man who was his security minister was convicted on criminal charges in the United States on Tuesday.
A jury in a federal court in New York found Genaro García Luna guilty of taking multi-million-dollar bribes from the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for aiding its drug trafficking activities.
Genaro García Luna, left, was Mexico’s security minister during the presidency of Felipe Calderón, right. (Cuartoscuro)
In a response to the verdict that he posted on his Twitter account, Calderón — Mexico’s president from 2006 to 2012 — described himself as “a man of the law” and said that he respected the rulings of courts that act “in accordance with the law.”
“In my role as president and during my whole life, I’ve always been on the side of justice and the law, and I will always be on the side of victims,” he said in a statement.
“This ruling doesn’t discredit the brave fight of thousands of good police, soldiers, marines, judges and public servants who defended Mexican families from crime,” the ex-president added.
Calderón said that the guilty verdict against García Luna was being used “politically” to attack him, before he went on to outline a range of what he referred to as “facts” about his time in office.
Former Nayarit attorney general Edgar Veytia testified at García Luna’s trial that former president Caldéron wanted to protect now-jailed Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. (File photo)
“As president of Mexico, I fought with complete determination against crime … without respite or making a distinction between [criminal] groups,” he said.
“I never negotiated with nor made pacts with criminals. I never used the power vested in me as president to advocate for their interests,” said Calderón, who launched a militarized war on cartels shortly after he was sworn in as president in late 2006.
He also asserted that he was tougher on organized crime than any other president, combatting “all [groups] that threatened Mexico including the so-called Pacific Cartel,” as the Sinaloa Cartel is also known.
“Proof of that is that the majority of the self-confessed criminals that were used as witnesses [at the trial] were pursued, arrested and extradited by my government,” the former National Action Party president said.
Among other “facts” included in his statement were that his government’s security policy “yielded results” and that “the fight for the security of Mexicans wasn’t the responsibility of one person” alone.
At his regular news conference on Wednesday, President López Obrador, a long-term adversary of the ex-president, charged that Calderón’s response didn’t address the “issue in question” – whether he was aware of the criminal collusion of which García Luna was convicted.
“He said that he combatted crime with full force … but … what he omitted is the explanation … about why he appointed García Luna [as security minister] and whether he knew or didn’t know [about his criminal activities],” López Obrador said.
“… We want information, … that’s the explanation we’re waiting for.”
Overall inflation was down in February's first two weeks compared to the last two weeks of January, although prices for many products, like meat, saw a 10.27% rise in prices in February since a year ago. (Photo: Lesniewski/ deposit photos)
Annual headline and core inflation rates dropped in the first half of February compared to the previous month, but still remain well above the central bank’s target range.
The national statistics agency INEGI reported Thursday that annual headline inflation was 7.76% in the first half of the month, down from rates of 7.88% in the previous two-week period and 7.91% in the month of January as a whole. It was the lowest headline figure since the second half of November when the rate was 7.46%.
The annual core inflation rate, which strips out some volatile food and energy prices, was 8.38% in the first half of February, down from 8.45% in the entire month of January.
The headline and core inflation rates remain at a level well above the Bank of México’s target of 3% with tolerance of one percentage point in both directions. However, both indicators fell more than analysts anticipated in the first half of February.
“Inflation in Mexico in the first half of February … [was] better than expected,” tweeted economist Marco Oviedo, former head of Latin America economics research at Barclays.
However, “it will be a long road” to bring inflation down to the target level, he added.
INEGI data shows that processed food, beverages and tobacco were 13.86% more expensive in the first half of February compared to a year earlier, while prices for non-food goods were up 7.34%. Meat prices rose 10.27% in the 12-month period while those for fruit and vegetables increased 9%.
Prices for processed foods, beverages and tobacco were up 13.86% in the first two weeks of February compared to February 2022. (Photo: Edgar Negrete Lira/Cuartoscuro)
The cost of services increased 5.58% while energy prices, including those for fuel and electricity rose 2.95%.
The publication of the latest data comes two weeks after the central bank lifted its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to a new record high of 11%. It has lifted its key rate by 700 basis points since the current tightening cycle began in June 2021.
Oviedo predicted that the bank will lift its benchmark rate by an additional 25 basis points at its next monetary policy meeting on March 30.
“In summary, inflation in Mexico has practically remained above 7% for a year and since then, Banxico has lifted its reference rate by 5.0 percentage points,” he tweeted using the central bank’s abbreviated name.
“It’s probably now close to ending the [tightening] cycle, maybe up to 100 basis points more, but it is far from cutting [rates],” Oviedo said.
Banxico said earlier this month that it expects inflation to converge to its target in the final quarter of 2024, but noted that the projection is subject to a range of risks including “pressures on energy prices or on agricultural and livestock product prices” and “exchange rate depreciation.”
The bank also said that its next upward adjustment to its interest rate “could be of lower magnitude” compared to the 50-basis-point hike it announced Feb. 9.
The proposed rule has been described as a "crackdown" on illegal border entries. (Tomás Acosta Ordaz / Cuartoscuro.com)
The United States government has unveiled a proposed rule that would automatically deny asylum to most migrants who cross into the U.S. between official ports of entry.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice issued the proposed rule on Tuesday, the former saying in a press release that it would “incentivize the use of new and existing lawful processes and disincentivize dangerous border crossings by placing a new condition on asylum eligibility.”
Migrants in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, wait to cross into the U.S. in December. (David Peinado / Cuartoscuro.com)
The DHS said that “under the proposed rule, individuals who circumvent available, established pathways to lawful migration … and also fail to seek protection in a country through which they traveled on their way to the United States, would be subject to a rebuttable presumption of asylum ineligibility in the United States unless they meet specified exceptions.”
The established pathways include “new processes announced on January 5” for Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, Cubans and Haitians “as well as a newly-available mechanism for migrants from any nationality to schedule a time and place to arrive at a port of entry.”
The “mechanism” is a Customs and Border Patrol mobile app called CBP One, which has been in use since January but “overloaded by huge demand and plagued with glitches since tens of thousands of migrants staying in shelters on the Mexican side of the border began using it,” according to a New York Times report.
Migrants in a Mexican shelter try to get an appointment on the CBP One app. (@AgendaMigrante Twitter)
The announcement of the planned policy change – which wouldn’t apply to unaccompanied minors – comes “in response to the unprecedented western hemispheric migration challenges – the greatest displacement of people since World War II – and the absence of congressional action to update a very broken, outdated immigration system,” the DHS said.
The proposed rule, which is open to public comment in the U.S. Federal Register for 30 days, would take effect on May 11 – the date COVID-related border controls are scheduled to expire – allowing the swift deportation of migrants who didn’t follow the “established pathways.”
“DHS continues to prepare for the lifting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Title 42 Public Health Order, which is expected on May 11, 2023, and the return to processing all noncitizens under Title 8 immigration authorities,” the press release said.
“Until then, the Title 42 order remains in effect, and individuals who attempt to enter the United States without authorization will continue to be expelled.”
The DHS noted that the proposed rule is “an emergency measure that is intended to respond to the elevated levels of [migrant] encounters anticipated after the lifting of the Title 42 Order.”
It would apply at the United States’ border with Mexico for a period of two years after implementation, the department said.
A group of Venezuelan migrants camped in Ciudad Juárez in December. (Cuartoscuro.com)
The New York Times described the proposal as the Biden administration’s “toughest policy yet to crack down on unlawful entries.”
The U.S. president has come under intense pressure – especially from the Republican Party – to do more to stop record levels of illegal immigration via Mexico.
An unnamed U.S. government official told the AFP news agency that the Biden administration “will not allow mass chaos and disorder at the border because of Congress’s failure to act.”
However, some organizations said that the proposed migration rule is illegal.
“The Biden administration proposed a rule that would unlawfully deny asylum to people at the southern border who don’t first seek safety in Mexico or other countries they passed through – despite the fact that these countries don’t have working asylum systems,” the American Civil Liberties Union said on Twitter.
“President Biden’s proposed rule would leave vulnerable people in danger and unfairly deny protection to thousands. … Our courts have long recognized that a person’s decision not to seek asylum while in transit to the US does not override their need for protection here,” the organization said.
“We successfully fought President Trump on a similar ban in the courts – President Biden’s should not move forward.”
Abby Maxman, the president and CEO of Oxfam America, said the “sweeping asylum ban” would “shut the door to countless refugees seeking safety and protection in the United States.”
“This policy is illegal, immoral, and will exact a frightening human toll on children, women, and men seeking safety. It is deeply disappointing that the Biden administration would seek to put up barriers for people fleeing for their lives,” she said.
On Tuesday, President López Obrador met with a group of U.S. lawmakers to discuss trade, immigration and security. (@lopezobrador Twitter)
“President Biden promised to reject the harmful policies of the Trump administration and restore and protect the rights of asylum seekers. But this policy is a page taken from the Trump administration’s racist, anti-refugee playbook. We urge President Biden to immediately change course and keep his promise to ‘reassert America’s commitment to asylum seekers and refugees.'”
The United States government’s announcement of the proposed rule came a day after President López Obrador met with U.S. senators and representatives to discuss free trade, migration and security.
He said on social media on Monday that Mexico’s relationship with the United States is “respectful, cooperative and beneficial to our people,” but hasn’t commented on the proposed migration rule.
Mexico City now has the largest fleet of articulated e-buses in Latin America and one of the largest worldwide. (Photos: Claudia Sheinbaum/Twitter)
Line 3 of the Metrobús public transport system that runs from the Tenayuca station to the Etiopía station in Mexico City is now fully electric.
Mexico City now has the largest fleet of articulated e-buses in Latin America and one of the largest worldwide, according to C40, a network of mayors of nearly 100 of the world’s cities — including Mexico City — who collaborates to confront climate change.
Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, seen here on Wednesday inaugurating an electric vehicle charging station at a Grupo Modelo facility in Mexico City, said the electrifying of Metrobus’ Line 3 was the fulfillment of a personal and academic dream for her.
Each unit will have a 57-kilowatt battery that will allow every bus to do eight runs without recharging. Overall, the new 60-unit-fleet will reduce 7,500 tons of carbon dioxide per year — equivalent to planting more than 45,000 mature trees, head of the Mobility Ministry Andrés Lajous said during the inauguration ceremony.
The project required an investment of $900 million pesos (nearly US $49 million) with the participation of the Federal Electricity Commission and private companies Mobility ADO and Yutong, Sheinbaum said.
She also said that the Metrobús’ Line 3 represents a “personal dream and an academic dream” and that due to the government’s “historic investments in electromobility projects,” more than 1 million trips have been impacted by these projects.
Metrobús Line 3 transports an average of 200,000 daily users, connecting existing electric transport systems in Mexico City such as the Metro, Tren Ligero, Cablebús and the Trolebús.
Metrobús plans to switch completely to electrical vehicles by 2035, according to C40’s website.
